there is a time for every purpose under heaven

Black bears in B.C. forests.

2008-06-05T09:39:00.000-07:00

ok can you believe this we saw 4 black bears coming back from point roberts washington.Here are some pics.

ok this what also happend to us on the way back from Point Roberts we just driving in the car when bang are back window sheild is broken more, above.

Farries!!!!!!!!

2008-06-05T09:26:00.000-07:00

Heres some farrie pics.

pics from on the farrie.

farrie boat lanch.

Point Roberts Washington

2008-06-05T09:09:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of Lily point Point Roberts Washington.

looking at the Vancuver island.

crab!!!!

starfish!!!!

Looking at vancuver island from lily point.

The path to go to lily point and to the ocean.

The smile says it all

2008-04-10T15:08:00.000-07:00

The smile says it all

by Davin Gulbranson, abridged and reprinted with permission from Sports Spectrum magazine at http://www.sportsspectrum.com/
Meet Jarome Iginla, superstar forward for the National Hockey League’s Calgary Flames. Jarome is one happy guy, and he’s not afraid to show it through his words, actions, and a great big smile. It is virtually impossible for a room not to light up when he walks in grinning from ear to ear after a hard workout or a well-played game. So the question arises, what makes Jarome Iginla so happy?
There are plenty of reasons.
"Every day I realize how blessed I’ve been in my life. From the time I was 7 years old, I wanted to play in the NHL, and to this day it’s awesome, it’s fun, and I realize that it’s not going to last forever. This is my eighth year in the NHL now, and it’s gone by so fast—just like life does—so I enjoy every day of it."
"When I was growing up, my mother was working, and my dad—who lived close by—was going to school. We didn’t have a lot of money and that was a big obstacle, but just as big a challenge was getting to practices and games and so on. I was very blessed to have grandparents who were great—and that helped out immensely. It was definitely a team of people that contributed to me being able to play, and not all kids have that. So I was extremely fortunate."
It was with the Blazers in 1994 that Jarome had his first taste of success on the national level when Kamloops won the Memorial Cup, Junior hockey’s most coveted prize. The next season was another milestone year for Iginla. First, the Blazers repeated as Memorial Cup champions. Then, in June, Iginla was drafted in the first round (eleventh overall) by the Dallas Stars.
Iginla would not stay a Star for long, however. In December 1995, he was traded to the Calgary Flames along with Corey Millen for fan favorite Joe Nieuwendyk.
In 1996, Iginla was the MVP of the World Junior Hockey Championships in Boston, where he led all players in scoring.
The Olympic year 2002 was a special one for Iginla. First, in February, he was a vital part of Team Canada as it captured its first gold medal in 50 years at the Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. Returning to the NHL, Iginla continued a torrid pace that made him the leading scorer in the league. He scored 96 points on 52 goals and 44 assists. He captured both the Art Ross Scoring Trophy and the Maurice Rocket Richard Trophy for most goals.
What else could possibly make Jarome smile?
The fact that he has accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior has a lot to do with it. Iginla grew up in a diverse spiritual environment. His mom is a Buddhist; his dad, a Christian. He attended a Catholic school.
"Growing up I always had a faith, but it was an unclear faith. I was playing in Kamloops as a junior when I actually accepted Christ as my Savior."
"I don’t really have that one date or story that I would consider to be my testimony, but I do remember the change. When I was younger, one of my best friends and I were talking and he asked me, ‘What do you think happens when we die? Is it just black? Is it nothing? What do you think?’ I started to think about it and I got this pit of worry in my stomach. I told him, ‘Oh don’t worry, God will take care of us.’
"But deep down it really scared me. I would try to put it out of my mind, but whenever I would think about it, this empty feeling in my stomach would come back."
In times of worry and fear, people, especially kids, turn to someone they trust to help them cope with what’s bothering them. The young Kamloops Blazer star was no different.
"This feeling of fear was there for some time until I went to my dad and asked him for help. He said to me ‘Why don’t you ask Jesus to come into your life, forgive your sins, and take that feeling away? If He doesn’t, then you haven’t lost anything, but if He does, look at what you’ve gained.’ So that’s what I did and to this day, that feeling in my stomach hasn’t come back."
"I don’t think it’s any harder being a Christian in the NHL compared to other leagues," said Iginla. "There are plenty of believers. Almost every team I’ve played on has had a few. I would agree that hockey players aren’t as visible as other Christian athletes, but they are there."
And they are making a difference.
Off the ice, Iginla attempts to use his fame as a hockey player to help others. "There’s a couple of groups I work with. I work with the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation here in Calgary. Diabetes runs in my family, and it is close to my heart. It means a lot to me to contribute as much as I can."
"I am also involved with KidSport Calgary, which is a part of KidSport Canada. This is a great group that assists financially challenged families with funding. This allows kids to play sports that they otherwise might not be able to play due to financial limits. When I was a kid these challenges were very real to me. KidSport is not just hockey either. I believe that all sports are great for kids. I played a lot of different sports growing up, and it was a great way for me to vent all my energy. My mom always said I had too much energy," he said with that trademark smile.
Some would say, "Of course he’s smiling. If I was making millions of dollars a year playing a game, I’d be smiling like that too!" If that’s the case, then why aren’t all professional athletes that happy?
The answer is simple really. Jarome Iginla is well aware of how fortunate and blessed he is—on and off the ice. With a winning attitude, the biggest smile in the game, and a heart for God, Iginla is definitely one Calgary Flame that is burning bright.
Davin Gulbranson is a freelance writer who lives in Red Deer, Alberta.

go flames go

"I am the Gate" cont.

2008-03-15T15:26:00.000-07:00

With much pondering, and reading I’ve come up with what I think are three main reasons for the rejection of “In Christ Alone”. The primary reason is our understandable desire to see all men saved. Then, the postmodernist influence gives us license to make the scriptures say what we hope it would say. And finally when we meet up with contradictions that can’t be explained we get to ignore them.

Another conversation I had recently was with a loving, gentle, hospitable, Christian whom I admire. She so wanted her Native American friend who did not believe in Christ to be saved that she said things like, “She believes in the same God-she just gives him a different name.” I share her struggle. Oh, why could it not be that we are all saved? It’s not fair that I was chosen and some are not; it’s not fair that Jacob was chosen and not Esau, Israel and not Assyria. It’s so tempting to believe all sincere, “good” people are saved.

But wait, I don’t have to struggle with these difficult truths, for I now can make the bible say what I feel it should say .In postmodernism we have bought into the idea that language- words do not reveal meaning but only construct meaning. Our universities, we all know, for years have embraced deconstructionism. All classic literature, ancient texts, and historical documents are suspect. They see “every text as a political creation designed to function as propaganda for the status quo. Human beings construct models to account for their experiences so these ‘models’ can constantly be revised.”(Gene Edward Veith) When a deconstructionist reads the Bible he does not ask what the author’s intended meaning is, rather he looks at a text and asks what does it do for him, what does he feel it says.
So, for example, it no longer matters to whom Jesus was speaking at the well in John 4; it doesn’t matter what his intended meaning was at that time. What matters is what living water means to me. It used to be that we read the bible as a historical account-something that really happened- and then we would ask what principles we have learned that we can apply to our life. Now, God, water, life can have whatever meaning you want, and as a result, the author is no longer God. The reader is.

When reading fiction this can be a lot of fun and make for some interesting literature, but, come to think of it, I’m not sure I want to be God when it comes to what, in the Bible, is truth. I don’t think I’m big enough to handle it. It’s like I’m holding up the very branch I’m sitting on. The church’s one foundation is no longer Jesus Christ her Lord, but me and you. And if we can do away with the teaching that Christ is the only way, why not the teachings on sin and repentance? Heck. Who’s to say that Christ actually rose from the dead? Come to think of it- is there even a God at all or is he just a construct to make us feel better-an “opium for the masses?”
And, with this knew interpretation of truth contradictions are OK. Don’t try to figure them out. When two religions claim things that are mutually exclusive we say both are true. Muslims say Jesus never rose from the dead; Christians say he did- and they are both right! All other religions say that you have to do something to reach God; Christians say God reaches down to us and it is an affront to God to say we can do anything to earn his favor, and yet neither is wrong!

But, in logic, the Law of Non-contradictions says that two opposite statements cannot be true. “If something is true, then the opposite is false”, says Ravi Zacharias, “if you deny the Law of Non-contradictions you deny reality. There has to be an either/or.” If you cross the road, there either is a car in your path or there isn’t. You will find out soon which is true.

I hope my children-this next generation- will think long and hard before they accept a teaching that can be so attractive at first sight. Let us love the Lord with all our heart and soul and mind, and submit to One who is so much greater than we.

One last thing.When Jesus saw the crowds of people he saw them as sheep without a shepherd and had compassion on them. If we are God’s children we can do no less. Let us not stop at condemnation but reach out to the lost with the truth, in love.

Hey Jude

2008-03-14T09:37:00.001-07:00

I thought this was amazing. enjoy.
Levi

"I am the gate"

2008-02-23T13:29:00.000-08:00

"I am the gate", said Jesus. "That doesn't mean he's blocking people from coming in another way", says a friend of mine as he jumps out of his chair and takes on a defensive basketball stance, moving laterally, low to the gound, arms splayed. He no longer believes Jesus is the only way to eternal life, so he wants me to picture these sincere, desperate people trying to get to God, and Jesus would be this heartless person catching them and forcing them back out into darkness- kind of like a guard on the Berlin wall making sure no one illegally escapes to freedom.

But my friend doesn't realize that he's taking the gate analogy more literally than Jesus intended. By gate Jesus meant "way"- the only way into the sheep pen, the only access to the Father. Now if we think of what is blocking us from getting to the Father we will better understand why Jesus is the only gate. What is blocking us is not a physical wall or locked door but ourselves. We cannnot enter because there is something wrong with us and Jesus is the physician with the only cure.

So what is wrong with us? Romans 5 says, "just as sin came into the world through one man(Adam), and death through sin, in this way death came to all men because all sinned". So we all now have this sinful nature that results in death and separation from God, and the only way to God is through Jesus Christ. "So through the obedience of the one man, (Jesus), the many will be made righteous". "It is by grace you have been saved through faith."

So to say that Jesus is the gate doesn't mean Jesus is cruelly blocking people who could get in another way. No, he is compassionately calling out to the sick, for he is the great Physician. Would we not also be compassionate to warn people that they are turning to the wrong place, to a false hope, where there is no cure?

Is it arrogant for those of us who know Christ to tell others they are wrong, as if our culture is somehow better? Not at all. We, who were just as sick as they, have found a cure and want others to know that God invites all to be healed. He makes no exception, includes everyone- people from every culture, language, skin color, and gender."We all have fallen short of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace, through faith in his blood." If you dropped in on Steve Laug's church in Eastside Vancouver you would see how Christ and no other unites all cultures and peoples. You would see people from up to 50 different nations and languages worshiping the same God.

Did you wonder why Christianity ( I hesitate to use that word; I tend to agree with Donald Miller that it has way too many negative connotations and bad history) , or maybe I should say why the church that Christ instituted has no temple, no holy place like all the other great world religions have? Because God does not want to be identified with a particular place or nation. (I would guess especially not with America even though some would say God has especially blessed that place.) To be identifeid with noone in particular is to be equally available to all. We who put our faith in him are his temple, and wherever 2 or3 are gathered in his name there is his church.

So let us not hesitate to tell others of the good news with gentleness and humility that, "God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him will have eternal life, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he does not believe in the name of God's one and only son."

This all begs just one more question-What has happened to how we read God's word when evangelical, bible believing Christians can in all good conscience ignore its central theme which is man's fallen nature and the need for Christ's atonement? My guess is postmodernist thought is influencing the church more than we think. But I've gone on long enough. Maybe another post...

Lunar eclipse

2008-02-23T13:15:00.000-08:00

I took these with the help of my spotting scope. The beautiful reds that you could see with the naked eye when the eclipse was full did not appear through the scope. Too bad.

presents!!!

2007-12-28T18:51:00.000-08:00

Josh and his underarmor
This is me (levi) opening my nerf machine gun I also got a shotgun.
heres robyn
heres my dad and Josh trying to flex

and heres meagan with her new vest.

2007-12-28T18:12:00.001-08:00

mmmmmm food!!!!
family
Christmas tree
Jason......weird

this is Christmas dinner............ just so you know this is all Christmas. josh and robyn are back now.

My Levi

2007-11-04T13:40:00.000-08:00

My baby has turned 9 years old this week. I wish I could stop time and enjoy forever this affectionate, fun, incredibly inciteful little boy. But then again, Levi, I can't wait to see the young man you will become, the Lord willing, and all that God will have in store for you. Don't ever get too old to look into my eyes with a love that brims over and then give me that hug that only you can give. God bless you.

Sorry Josh, I couldn't send you a piece of Skorr Bar cake in the mail, and I hate to say this but he is a little bigger than you were at 9. We told him that and he can't wait 'till he is bigger than you and can beat you up.

Mom's Overture by Anita Renfroe

2007-10-13T17:51:00.001-07:00

Here is a video that all moms can relate to. I saw her at the women of faith conference. She was great!

just a couple more quotes

2007-10-13T17:21:00.000-07:00

"Belief is a wise wager. Granted that faith cannot be proved, what harm will come to you if you gamble on its truth and it proves false? If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation, that He exists."

"Between us and heaven or hell there is only life, which is the frailest thing in the world."

These quotes are by Blaise Pascal. It wasn't until I started home schooling that I realized he left sciencific pursuits and devoted the rest of his life to Christian apologetics and philosophy.

more quotes

2007-10-06T09:10:00.000-07:00

"Only God knows how to humble us without humiliating us and exalt us without flattering us." author unknown (by me) That makes me think of the passage in James, which goes something like," Let he who is poor take pride in his high position (because he is a son of God.) And let he who is rich take pride in his low position for he will soon be gone like a flower."

And on a lighter note. Of all people, I've heard Woody Allen quoted a number of times by Christian authors. Here's one of my favorite, " I'm not afraid of dying; I just don't want to be there when it happens."

Quotes

2007-10-03T16:10:00.000-07:00

I have to admit I'm a collecter of quotes. I love the compact, pithy sayings of others who can get the point across so much better than I. Here's my favorite. I read it to my family but didn't get much more than a grunt, so I have it on a piece of paper on the fridge. Maybe over time its meaning will sink in. "He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." This was written by a man, Jim Elliot, who gave up his life to take the gospel to a hostile tribe in South America, and gained an eternal reward. When he said that, he meant it.
I'll look back in my journal and share some more treasures in the weeks to come.

More holiday pics

2007-09-23T15:24:00.000-07:00

Renewel

2007-09-23T14:18:00.000-07:00

Don't fall off your chairs- Yes, I finally am blogging again. Here are some photos of my and Pete's Sept. holiday. I have been taking these holidays for granted. They are a wonderful time of refreshment before all the busyness of the new year begins. God has given this time to us, and I am grateful. This year we spent a quiet week at Mom and Dad's cabin. The weather was perfect; the sun actually shone all week. We did some catching up with Ron and also Dennis and Jenny. Holidays are times when we recharge our bodies, maybe our relationships,but how often do we forget to recharge our fellowship with God?

I decided I wanted to devote some time to prayer, so I woke up at 5:15, when it was still dark, grabbed a flashlight, and my bible and my camera and went to Cedar Point to be with my God when the sun rose. There is something in a sunrise that is so much more special than a sunset. The world goes from silence and darkness to life and light. It was as if I was the only one in the world who watched the sun come up that morning. What a picture, a parable of the Light that came into the world,and the darkness could not overcome it. The light of his presence also shone in my heart in a special way and all my darkness(the worries, the regrets, the guilt) seemed to wash away. Why is it that it is so tough for us to give an afternoon or morning to God? Even Jesus needed to set aside time alone to go pray. And there is so much reward when I do, I wonder that I don't do it more often.

7 radom facts about myself(levi)

2007-07-27T09:37:00.000-07:00

ok,so robyn tagged me so i'm supposed to write 7 ramdom facts about myself. And tag 7 other people.

(1)soccer and hockey are my favorite sports.

(2)I like real cars.

(3)I really really love different varieties of ice cream.(I'll never get sick of ice cream)

(4)I hate football and tennis.

(5)I hate Avril lavigne and Edmenton oilers(boo oilers)

(6)my favorite N.H.L. team is flames(go flames)

(7 last one)I like pancakes and waffles for lunch.

I tag sarah,meagan,pieter,And dad.

and my family is going camping on monday(30th.)

radom picc

2007-07-17T19:47:00.000-07:00

here's a few radom pics.cats and things.No new things going on.Josh is finally blogging,just to tell ya.we sold two of are kittens.bye,levi

new life

2007-04-17T18:31:00.000-07:00

new puppies!!!8 blond and 2 black!!!

And heres a bird on our tree!!!We don't know what it is.we looked in our bird book.It wasn't there.

Levi

A day in the life of Meagan and Megan

2007-04-11T23:44:00.000-07:00

It was just like any other ordinary day. A day filled with laughter and sunshine. A day fit for midnight snacks and exfoliating masks. A day fit for Meagan and Megan.

Hello fellow bloggers! On behalf of the de Groot blog, the two of us would like to say just how excited we are for spring. In order to prepare for this epic season, (spring) also known as playoff season, we decided to exfoliate and get pumped up for another road to the playoffs with our one and only, Calgary Flames.

We'd just like to let everyone out there know that our matchup against Detroit in the first round will not be a problem. They will be finished in a short 4 game series. That is all.

Happy spring and happy playoffs!

sincerely,

Meagan and Megan

now, some beautifully entertaining pictures

Getting ready for spring

Midnight Snack! And this time, we weren't just allowed 6 vinta crackers each (josh..)

Our Bountiful Feast

A brief taste of spring

2007-04-06T09:16:00.000-07:00

As I write this it is snowing and a cold north wind is blowing. But we did get a brief taste of spring and went for a long walk behind our place to the river. It was farther than we thought to actually get to the water, the valley being broader then we expected. When we did actually get to the river, there was a steep mud bank which only the dogs could find a way down. No wild flowers yet, Robyn. I look forward to going with you to see the May flowers...if this stinking winter would go away.

Jars of Clay -

2007-03-19T19:56:00.001-07:00

Here's an example of honest Christian art, Robyn. Jars of Clay sang this at the concert.

what ship are you on?

2007-03-11T18:03:00.000-07:00

The sermon series I've been listening to lately by Alistair Begg on Hebrews has inspired a lot of pondering on my part..What does someone steeped in the Reformed tradition do with passages that warn us against falling away, passages like "We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly to the end the confidence we had at first.", Heb. 3:13 or,"If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of truth no sacrifice for sins is left...", or, " Always watch and pray that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."?It has always been easy for me to sort of brush away these passages as not being for me. After all I believe in the perseverance of the saints. If I'm told that it is impossible that my ship will sink and then I am told where the life boats are I won't pay a lot of attention, will I? So why should I listen to the warnings of God about falling away?
The 'P' in the reformed acronym ,TULIP, perseverance of the saints, in my experience has resulted in a lot of presuming on God's grace while living how we please and I have been guilty of that more than I care to admit. Alistair Begg says it's nice to talk of the perseverance of the saints but the definition of saints is those who persevere to the end. Wait a minute. Then it is simply the perseverance of those who persevere. Not exactly comforting. I remember reading a book by Philip Johnson, Darwin on Trial. He called the term "survival of the fittest "a tautology (a use of words that repeats something already stated). What is the scientific definition of the fittest? Those that survive . So one of the foundational statements of Darwinism is the survival of those that are the survivors. Not exactly profound.
So what do I make of this? I feel like an ant on the rim of a glass; I'm going in circles and getting nowhere. I know that God promises that none shall pluck his own out of his hand and that none shall separate us from the love of God. So once his child always his child. I guess it goes like this-We still have the assurance that the ship won't sink, but the warning is to be sure we are on the right ship. One of the signs that we are on the right ship is that we persevere through trials and temptations. The one ship heading to destruction and the other one heading to the Celestial city look an awful lot alike. If you're on the ship, "Hypocrisy" you might find the people on the ship doing much the same things as those on the celestial ship so you might have to do some more careful examining to make sure what ship you're on. I'm sure Satan wouldn't have named the ship "Hypocrisy" but something more like "Celestial II". So, we should not automatically presume we are one of those who will persevere. We need to be on guard. So, "see to it,brothers and sisters that none of you has an unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God".
Begg gives 3 ways to''make our calling and election sure":
Fix your eyes on Jesus
Guard your heart
Encourage one another
I won't go into these but it is worth listening to. You can go to www.truthforlife.org .

One big question that begs an answer is, "How do I know if I'm slipping away?" Begg lists 10 signs
1. forgetfulness of God and the fact that one day you'll meet Him.
2.gradual loss of private prayer, private holiness, sorrow over sin.
3. avoidance of company of lively Christians
4. disinterest in public worship. (doesn't do much for you.)
5. picking faults in others, or in the church, or doctrine to justify self
6. more interested in godless entertainment (music, movies, magazines)
7. going back to old relationships or habits
8. secret sins become more and more frequent; fleshly lusts hold you in their grip.
9. start to play with sin more openly, loss of shame
10. Eventually you are lost. Some will openly admit it and leave the church others keep going fooling themselves or others

I like the analogy Tim used of the weightlifter in his last blog entry @ www.timothyselles.blogspot.com , and I'd like to add a little weightlifting scenario of my own: A group of young men join a gym. They all take out lifetime memberships, enthusiastic to make weightlifting a lifetime commitment. How do we know if their commitment is real? Time will tell. Only he who keeps going to the gym years later had the true commitment.
"So if you think you are standing firm, be careful lest you fall." I Cor. 10:12. Jesus said, "Many will say to me on that day, "Lord, Lord...Then I will tell them plainly, "I never knew you. Away from me you evildoers!"
Strikes a bit of fear in the heart, doesn't it? I know it does mine. It's supposed to.

Bobby's bedroom

2007-02-24T18:22:00.000-08:00

This is for you, Robyn. Here's the view outside the kitchen window. The rare morning when all the ugly junk is hidden beneath a beautiful blanket of snow. Also here is your new bedroom( since you miss us a little you still get a bedroom). Your bed is on the left. And I thought I'd throw in a picture of when you decided to make pretzel cookies and found out how much work they were and everyone felt sorry for you (and we wanted to get on with the present opening) so we all pitched in to help.

Finally, some house pics

2007-02-24T18:05:00.000-08:00

Look at me, Josh- I've finally blogged some house pictures. And since you don't miss us "at all" we've decided not to give you a bedroom. The garage/family room turned out alright,eh? All that drawing on grid paper and standing in the empty garage paid off.

A real swamp!

2007-01-17T20:01:00.000-08:00

We walked on boardwalks through a swamp in South Carolina. I wished we had taken binoculars- there was such a variety of birds.

Plantation

2007-01-17T19:43:00.000-08:00

We toured a pre civil war Southern Cotton andPecan plantation. You can see the old slave quarters by the giant oak. I loved the Avenue of Oaks leading up to the estate. (I didn't know some of the oaks down south didn't loose their leaves in winter)

Hey, Y'all, this is Charleston

2007-01-17T19:09:00.000-08:00

Here, Josh, are some pictures of our trip. This is the Cooper River Bridge in Charleston, South Carolina, and some photos of the beaches there. It's only a 5 hour drive from where you are so you should go sometime.(Make friends with someone with a car ).

From castle to dungeon

2007-01-15T19:33:00.000-08:00

So what you see is all the space Josh has. He shares a 20 by 20 room with 4 other guys, desk, dressers and beds included. It looked like they hadn't done anything to the rooms since the 1800's!

Josh seemed quite content to be left there and I'm sure will do fine, but it was tough to leave him. Josh is a little famous,being the only Canadian freshman and the only western Canadian on campus. One of the profs took him to church and home for supper on Sunday. Not something that would happen in a big university. Time will tell whether this is the place for him, but the experience he gains will be invaluable. God bless you, Josh. You know I will pray for you often.

Covenant College, Josh's new home

2007-01-15T19:12:00.000-08:00

We had the opportunity to tour Covenant and see Josh off last week. We were impressed with the historic buildings (Carter Hall, where Josh is staying, was built as a high class hotel in the mid 1800s) the beautiful chapel, the wonderful scenery and the modern facilities. So it was a huge shock when we at last got to see Josh's dorm...

New morning mercies

2007-01-01T09:43:00.000-08:00

We hope you all had a blessed Christmas. I pray that God will guide and keep you in the new year. I want this entry to be a testimony to the love of my Father. I have sung so often of the mercies of God, but this past year I have known and experienced his mercies every day. When I was down He lifted my head. When I was filled with pride he humbled me. When I didn't know if he was there or cared he sent someone to listen and to support me.(thanks, Jul, thanks 'Neta) When I was confused, and doubting just the right song would come on the radio or just the right words sprang out from the pages of my bible. When I couldn't pray a friend would drop by and pray with me.(Thanks, John, thanks, Bill). When I needed forgiveness my family was there to forget it and start anew. (Thanks Pete) When I didn't have the energy to fold that basket of laundry, or clean the kitchen one more time that day someone would step in and do it for me.( Thanks, girls)
You know, if I hadn't been in the wilderness I would not have experienced the special manna of God's presence. God is good!

Home

2006-12-22T08:39:00.000-08:00

We took possession of the house the other day. Some of the kids hadn't seen it yet so we all went to the house. I'm sure the neighbours were wondering just what kind of people moved in. It's amazing what a family can find to do in an empty house.
We had pizza and pop on a table cloth on the floor. The boys got quickly bored and started a big wrestling match in the living room. I could just see dented walls already so I suggested campfire games in front of the fireplace. Levi got quickly tired of that and decided he wanted to be a conductor which fits perfectly with his take charge personality. We obediently sat in a circle in front of him as he assigned each of us an instrument (Meagan does a really good trumpet sound). Next we each had to pick a note and when he pointed to us we had to sing it. It ended up total chaos with Levi yelling in a last ditch effort to control his choir that became completely rebellious. It ended with the conductor tackling one of the musicians as the rest of the choir joined in the fray picking sides. Somehow this transitioned into a game of Hide and Go Freak in the pitch dark house. (Levi wants to add that Josh's singing sounded like a hyena)
We ended up sitting on the floor in the dark, blinds up, admiring the twinkling city lights, talking about what should go where. Of course each of us had the best ideas and couldn't believe how the others couldn't see it his way. Too soon it was time to go home or should I say to the old house for whereever we are together is home.
That evening got me to thinking. Who really cares what house one lives in. Big or small, empty or full- it's the family inside that counts. How quickly we can get caught up in the stuff that "thieves can break in and steal and moths and rust destroy"
God, protect and guide our family as we change and expand and stumble and fail and love and forgive and laugh and pray...

"frozen in time", by Meagan

2006-12-09T18:30:00.000-08:00

Rare photo of Pieter dressed up and a not so rare picture of Sarah with animals

2006-12-09T18:13:00.000-08:00

2006-11-26T15:50:00.000-08:00

We celebrated two birthdays of our children this month. Many say Meagan and Levi look so much alike. I don't know about that but they do have a special relationship. Levi is very affectionate, but sometimes annoying and Meagan is very patient with Levi . She knows how to teach and help young kids without talking down to them or boring them. She coached Levi's soccer team this summer and did a great job. I thank God for both of you. I wrote to Levi in his birthaday card,"I thank God that he made you.", and he beamed at me when he read it. He looked lovingly in my eyes and said with great feeling, "I thank God that he made me too!" I, his mother, mistakenly thought he was going to end with, "that he made you", and I hid my laugh in his big embrace.

Happy birthdays to our November children

2006-11-26T15:10:00.000-08:00

Last pictures of puppies before they're adopted out

2006-11-24T20:02:00.000-08:00

Here are the puppies at 2 weeks, Robyn

2006-10-29T14:06:00.000-08:00

We are gonna miss this place

2006-10-21T11:35:00.000-07:00

these are for you, Robyn

2006-10-13T19:22:00.000-07:00

Thanks Carol for the best holiday ever

2006-10-13T09:41:00.000-07:00

some summer moments reconnecting with family

2006-10-13T09:18:00.000-07:00

2006-07-01T22:18:00.000-07:00

summer storms

2006-07-01T21:13:00.000-07:00

The next picture is just one snapshot of the ever changing view around us. We've had our share of summer storms already. You just never know what the weather will be in an hour. I put this picture in 'cause it's kind of like what my life's like right now. Things are ever changing. Each of the kids are going through their own transitions which of course changes my life too. But just as God is in the storms so he is in each of these life storms too. So if Josh is off to college and Sarah is going to real school and Levi lost his big teeth (finally),and Robyn broke up with Tim, Pieter turned 14 and is starting to sleep in and get pimples, Meagan is getting her license and is going (without me) to Ukraine, I am learning to live with a chronic illness, and Pete...got a new pair of socks, it all doesn't matter for "there is a time for every purpose under heaven." If it's storming, if there's black clouds looming overhead or if the sun is shining on my back,everythings O.K. For doesn't my heavenly Father know what I need even before I ask him?

some home schooling moments

2006-07-01T20:52:00.000-07:00

2006-07-01T20:46:00.000-07:00

2006-07-01T20:42:00.000-07:00

Penelope

2006-07-01T20:35:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot. Here is Penelope. She is a few hours old here. It tells us something of the God we serve to see these playful cuddly creatures that he imagined and then spoke into being.

frogging

2006-07-01T20:19:00.000-07:00

4 youngest returning from frogging. No luck. The spring peepers stopped peeping as soon as they came near.

New puppy

2006-07-01T20:04:00.000-07:00

Our new puppy King. He's almost as big as Ace already and really thinks he is king. He grabs all the choice scraps and gentle Ace just lets him.

apple blossoms of spring

2006-05-16T09:22:00.000-07:00

miss winter?

2006-05-16T09:19:00.000-07:00

2006-05-16T09:17:00.000-07:00

2006-05-09T15:14:00.000-07:00

This was taken last summer at the river bottom behind our house. We all went for a hike and took lots of pictures before Robyn left us for college. This year we will say good-bye to our oldest son, Josh.

The Lethbridge de Groots are now blogging!

2006-05-08T20:13:00.000-07:00

We talked of putting a sign up ever since we moved to our acreage. Meagan took it upon herself to get it done. She designed it and gave the plans to Mr. de Jong to make. It was a nice surprise from all the kids for our 20th anniversary. 20 years...We hope to show you brief clips of our family life which has grown from two to eight. But...don't hold your breath.