John Piper and the Prosperity Gospel

Happy 28th birthday to my amazing husband..

Hopefully we can get out of our home to celebrate soon. Happy Birthday Joshua, I love you!

Some birthday memories...This one we won't forget since we have been home cleaning like crazy trying to get this flu bug out of our home! I put together a couple years worth of birthday highlights. The very first one is one you and I won't forget since we left our babies overnight for the first time (which was hard) now we look so forward to alone time and a break to take time for each other. Hopefully you and I will get to go golfing again soon..Hope you enjoy the 2007 one as much as I did. The 2008 one I think was mom and Tony Lee's favorite one and I had to get a good shot of you and your brother in law laughing at that one. Also was a good one since your parents watched the kids so we could go see Fire Proof.  Happy Birthday Sweetie!

Some of your favorites...monkey bread, pigs in a blanket and your 12 hour Caramel Pie!

So on Thursday we found out the youngest member of our family has the flu. We believe it may be from the flu mist he received on Tuesday, so the CDC is doing more research at this time. He is doing well at the moment and so far hasn't passed it off to his sister or us. We truly have felt the prayers and know who the HEALER IS. We are so blessed! Thanks to all you prayer warriors. God is so Good!


















We are very blessed we didn't get a visit from her at this time..I hope she stays away and have now been praying for all those who have been effected with this nasty flu/swine flu.








Since I dont keep up with the news or watch much TV I heard they have renamed this swine flu..

Remembering my Great grandmother... (Pause music at the right before playing video)

Yesterday Grandma Gill passed away. On October 22nd we would have celebrated her 95th birthday.

Drew's New Glasses

I took Drew to Vanderbilt to see about his eyes since his exam came back negative. Turns out he has asigmatism in both eyes and needed this cool new glasses to help with that. So far he only wears them all of about 30 seconds then he says He is All better...This may take longer to get him used to than I thought :)

Since our church is studying this topic....

A Brief Comparative Study of:
Arminianism and Calvinism

Arminianism	Calvinism
Free-Will or Human Ability Although human nature was seriously affected by the fall, man has not been left in a state of total spiritual helplessness. God graciously enables every sinner to repent and believe, but He does not interfere with man's freedom. Each sinner possesses a free will, and his eternal destiny depends on how he uses it. Man's freedom consists of his ability to choose good over evil in spiritual matters; his will is not enslaved to his sinful nature. The sinner has the power to either cooperate with God's Spirit and be regenerated or resist God's grace and perish. The lost sinner needs the Spirit's assistance, but he does not have to be regenerated by the Spirit before he can believe, for faith is man's act and precedes the new birth. Faith is the sinner's gift to God; it is man's contribution to salvation.	Total Inability or Total Depravity Because of the fall, man is unable of himself to savingly believe the gospel. The sinner is dead, blind, and deaf to the things of God; his heart is deceitful and desperately corrupt. His will is not free, it is in bondage to his evil nature, therefore, he will not - indeed he cannot - choose good over evil in the spiritual realm. Consequently, it takes much more than the Spirit's assistance to bring a sinner to Christ - it takes regeneration by which the Spirit makes the sinner alive and gives him a new nature. Faith is not something man contributes to salvation but is itself a part of God's gift of salvation - it is God's gift to the sinner, not the sinner's gift to God.
Conditional Election God's choice of certain individuals unto salvation before the foundation of the world was based upon His foreseeing that they would respond to His call. He selected only those whom He knew would of themselves freely believe the gospel. Election therefore was determined by or conditioned upon what man would do. The faith which God foresaw and upon which He based His choice was not given to the sinner by God (it was not created by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit) but resulted solely from man's will. It was left entirely up to man as to who would believe and therefore as to who would be elected unto salvation. God chose those whom He knew would, of their own free will, choose Christ. Thus the sinner's choice of Christ, not God's choice of the sinner, is the ultimate cause of salvation.	Unconditional Election God's choice of certain individuals unto salvation before the foundation of the world rested solely in His own sovereign will. His choice of particular sinners was not based on any foreseen response of obedience on their part, such as faith, repentance, etc. On the contrary, God gives faith and repentance to each individual whom He selected. These acts are the result, not the cause of God's choice. Election therefore was not determined by or conditioned upon any virtuous quality or act foreseen in man. Those whom God sovereignly elected He brings through the power of the Spirit to a willing acceptance of Christ. Thus God's choice of the sinner, not the sinner's choice of Christ, is the ultimate cause of salvation.
Universal Redemption or General Atonement Christ's redeeming work made it possible for everyone to be saved but did not actually secure the salvation of anyone. Although Christ died for all men and for every man, only those who believe on Him are saved. His death enabled God to pardon sinners on the condition that they believe, but it did not actually put away anyone's sins. Christ's redemption becomes effective only if man chooses to accept it.	Particular Redemption or Limited Atonement Christ's redeeming work was intended to save the elect only and actually secured salvation for them. His death was substitutionary endurance of the penalty of sin in the place of certain specified sinners. In addition to putting away the sins of His people, Christ's redemption secured everything necessary for their salvation, including faith which unites them to Him. The gift of faith is infallibly applied by the Spirit to all for whom Christ died, therefore guaranteeing their salvation.
The Holy Spirit Can Be Effectually Resisted The Spirit calls inwardly all those who are called outwardly by the gospel invitation; He does all that He can to bring every sinner to salvation. But inasmuch as man is free, he can successfully resist the Spirit's call. The Spirit cannot regenerate the sinner until he believes; faith (which is man's contribution) proceeds and makes possible the new birth. Thus, man's free will limits the Spirit in the application of Christ's saving work. The Holy Spirit can only draw to Christ those who allow Him to have His way with them. Until the sinner responds, the Spirit cannot give life. God's grace, therefore, is not invincible; it can be, and often is, resisted and thwarted by man.	The Efficacious Call of the Spirit or Irresistible Grace In addition to the outward general call to salvation which is made to everyone who hears the gospel, the Holy Spirit extends to the elect a special inward call that inevitably brings them to salvation. The internal call (which is made only to the elect) cannot be rejected; it always results in conversion. By means of this special call the Spirit irresistibly draws sinners to Christ. He is not limited in His work of applying salvation by man's will, nor is He dependent upon man's cooperation for success. The Spirit graciously causes the elect sinner to cooperate, to believe, to repent, to come freely and willingly to Christ. God's grace, therefore, is invincible; it never fails to result in the salvation of those to whom it is extended.
Falling from Grace Those who believe and are truly saved can lose their salvation by failing to keep up their faith, etc. All Arminians have not been agreed on this point; some have held that believers are eternally secure in Christ - that once a sinner is regenerated, he can never be lost.	Perseverance of the Saints All who are chosen by God, redeemed by Christ, and given faith by the Spirit are eternally saved. They are kept in faith by the power of Almighty God and thus persevere to the end.

According to Arminianism:

Salvation is accomplished through the combined efforts of God (who takes the initiative) and man (who must respond) - man's response being the determining factor. God has provided salvation for everyone, but His provision becomes effective only for those who, of their own free will, "choose" to cooperate with Him and accept His offer of grace. At the crucial point, man's will plays a decisive role; thus man, not God, determines who will be recipients of the gift of salvation.

According to Calvinism:

Salvation is accomplished by the almighty power of the Triune God. The Father chose a people, the Son died for them, the Holy Spirit makes Christ's death effective by bringing the elect to faith and repentance, thereby causing them to willingly obey the gospel. The entire process (election, redemption, regeneration) is the work of God and is by grace alone. Thus God, not man, determines who will be the recipients of the gift of salvation.

The coolest yard sale gadget..Move Over Dairy Queen!

So we had a yardsale on saturday. Our "family neighbor" (Stan) had the little ice cream gadget that had never been opened. Me and mom stood there looking into the deep box that had never been opened looking at the cool things you can add to jazz up your ice cream. Me being the huge fan of Dairy Queen's blizzards in particular ( Caramel Waffle Crisp) in which not all Dairy Queen's "know" how to make them, me and mom was all over this gadget. I told mom she could buy it and if she didn't that I would...Needless to say my sweet mom purchased this little gadget for only $5 bucks and handed it over to me..Now I can make my own Caramel Waffle Crisp....so long Dairy Queen...I will miss you. Thanks mom! The kids and I think this is a BIG HIT! I just know Josh will too. (He is at work, but I will make him a nice treat:)

The Rope

Tonight at gymnastics Makayla climbed up this rope. Surprised Uncle Bubba and I so i only got a little video of when she was coming down...

Sunrise

This morning I was waiting on my husband to bring me coffee (white hot chocolate). This is what I saw. Reading scripture this is what HE brought me to as I begin my new day.

"You Yourself made the heavens and earth by Your great power and with Your outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for You!" Jeremiah 32:17

Round 3

She is at it again!! I am so glad I caught these pictures of Makayla when she was only 2 (The bottom pictures.) Notice how similar they are here 2 years later... These pictures really show just how she has grown!! It really hit me tonight as I was posting these that I am taking pictures behind the glass now and I can't be right there with her like I was at the Mommy and Me classes :( Especially the top right picture of the last one where she is waving at me...