Hard to believe she is really five months old already. And the days just keep going by to her next month. She really got into those cupcakes of course, smashed them up and destroyed each one of them. She had fun, which is the point. Any mess is worth the enjoyment of seeing her.

We have the sitting thing down for a few seconds before we lean over to the ground. Still working on the mama and dada but not quite there yet. At least she is able to get outside more with Spring finally here. Holly and I are so blessed to have her and enjoy every moment with her, its hard to be away at work. We cherish weekend time.

Colossians 2:11-14

Good morning my friend. I hope all is well with you. Today is another day we wake up and get on with life. I trust the Lord will watch over you in all you do today. Thank you for enjoying our time in the word.

In Him,
David
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And in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

Colossians 2:11-14

In the Old Testament the use of circumcision was created as an outward sign for every Jew of their faith in the Lord. Abraham was taught this practice in order to set apart the people as holy to the Lord. Now Paul uses turns things even deeper into the circumcision of the heart. It is in the heart where we truly show faith Jesus and commit our lives to Him. We were buried in Him and therefore begin to live in Him in His resurrection.

Friends, all of our sins have been taken care of already by the cross. Jesus canceled out all debt when He died so that nothing could be held against us. If we break all of the law it will not keep us from being with the Lord. Jesus made sure to remove our sins as far as the east is from the west.

In Christ all of our sins have been paid for. His death sealed the punishment for sin and we no longer are responsible to make things right. We must have faith in all of these things and also in the resurrection. When Jesus rose from the dead it gave us a new life in Him. The power of God was displayed and in that we are given the chance to walk in newness apart from the sin. We died with Him, and were raised with Him, so now we must live with Him.

Colossians 2:9-10

Time goes so quickly it seems. Avery is now five months old and still working on getting the sitting up thing together. Spring is in the air which makes going outside a lot nicer. Winter was long and harsh this year. But now we have new life coming out, which is good since my favorite holiday is coming up here next month. Hope you are doing well this week. Be blessed my friend.

David
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For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;

Colossians 2:9-10

One of the major topics you will study when going through the Gospel of John is that of the deity of Christ. It was not just that Jesus came as the Son of God, but is God in the flesh in fullness. Jesus makes the point to tell the people that He and the Father are one; he claims to be the very voice that spoke to Moses from the burning bush. It was these claims that had him almost stoned several times and eventually crucified. For He was God among the people, and as the people, we killed him.

Our Lord came to the earth to walk in human form and experience life in order for us to know Him better. We can rejoice because our Lord knew what every emotion feels like, understood temptation and how to resist it, and He also knew that it was okay to mourn over the loss of a loved one. He came to show us that being a human does not mean being a natural sinner, for He lived a holy and sinless life. He also came as the head over all things; but presented himself as the servant of all.

Every earthly power and heavenly authority comes under the headship of Christ our Lord. He is above all and through Him we have life. We are made complete because of who He is and what He does through us. Think about that. The Lord God dwells in you in order to lead you through this life to do good things and be like Him. In all things He guides us, and has the power over all. 

As you can see our little one is growing every day. She is leaning on the rail of her crib here as she keeps her legs straight out for a while before toppling down. Today is her five month birthday and we are excited about seeing what she does with the cupcakes tonight. Cant wait!

Everything else has been as busy as always. I am working on a web site with Jon, called Familyoftheking.net That is coming along nice. Spring is in the air and so is the humidty and rain. Looks like i might have some grass to actually mow now.

Colossians 2:8

We celebrate Avery's five month birthday today. I can’t wait to get out the cupcakes and see how she does with them this time. She has been reaching for just about everything now. So cute. I hope you have a great start to your week my friend.

David
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See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.
Colossians 2:8

Never find yourself buying into some various form of information because it is labeled “truth” without first comparing it to the Word of God. There are so many philosophy and psychology classes out there teaching us what man thinks about pretty much everything there is to learn. But these are the traditions of men and the practices that man believes will bring about good things. According to the Apostle Paul all such deception is empty. This is not to say there are not valid teachings out there, God does give wisdom to man to explore and understand things in this world. But there is a lie that God does not exist and from that springs forth a river of deception.

We must also add that there are many who will try to sell you other truths about God that are not founded in Scripture. The only source of knowledge of God is from His Word, so that is where we should always go. We find out there that our Lord is Holy, Righteous, Just, full of mercy and abounding in love. He is not dependent on anything or anyone, for He created all things. Jesus came to show us who God is and display His love.

So we are to be taken captive by Christ rather than the principles of this world. I remember from my college classes when we studied this passage, those principles could mean many things. The most common belief is that the passage refers to those things which darkness and evil dwells in, and by which all chaos will come. Those spiritual things which make so much sense to man might be very dangerous. Watch carefully what you are learning in this world, allow the Spirit to guide you as you walk so you will not be filled with deception, but rather walk in the Truth.

Colossians 2:6-7

And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Colossians 2:6-7

Our Christian life can be compared to that of a tree growing by a river. We are the tree that has accepted Christ as our Lord and given everything to Him. Paul says just as we were saved, we should walk. How were we saved then? Was it just something that happened? Or was there more to it? Let’s remember that before you were saved you were heading straight for an eternity of darkness without God. While you were dangling before the fire of hell, God snatched you from the flames. Pretty dramatic, but that is how it was. In that same way we are to live. Not as just some soul who was lost and now found, but as a person who has been given back life and a chance to live. 

Now our tree grows by the river of Christ. He is the water that feeds us daily, and the sunshine that helps us to grow. Our roots must dig deeper into Him every moment, or else when the winds of the world comes thrashing through, we will topple over. The faith we have in Him is what keeps us going from day to day. He holds us up and keeps us strong. 

Even though at times you may feel the river is drying up, there is always more for you. Jesus is ready to lavish you with His presence when you seek Him. He wants to pour life into you, but that can only happen when we ready His word, and follow its direction. His way is the only way to find life. And when you seek Him, you will be even more thankful day by day for the salvation He has given.

Well after a long week i am almost done with the flu and still working on the cold. Holly is also working on the same germs as well, they seem to be flowing around our house a lot lately. Avery is doing much better though then she was over the winter. It seems that over night our trees have started blooming and its time for spring. Which means its also time for me to pull out the mower and get it ready for a new season of lawn care. Sounds great....not really.

Other wise we are still working hard and enjoying the days we have. I love coming home to my wife and baby after a long day. Its harder now because Avery knows we are dropping her off at day care and wont even look at us or will cry when we try to leave her there. I hate having to do that. But it is so good to see her when i get home. Keeps me going.

Jon and i are working on getting this new website going for our familes to keep charing the Word of God and our lives together. That is the current big project. I also have a number of things im trying to work on for church. Life just gets busy, but that is normal. Do everything to the Lord though, that is the main thing. And keep praising Him.

Colossians 2:1-5

"We shall not all sleep, but we will all be changed." That is my quote for the night as I get ready for bed. Our little one is down for now and it’s a good time to sleep. Be blessed my friend.

David

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I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.

Colossians 2:1-5

Paul had probably never been to Colosse as it appears many of the residents of the city had never seen his face. If you know Paul, you know that is hard to believe once he has been around town for a day or two. Paul had heard of the faith and also of the great deception that was occurring to attach those who believe in Christ. These words of struggle are both of a heart hurting as well as a spirit striving to see the truth in power.

This mystery of God that was already talked about in the previous chapter continues to have more of a part here. We see that Christ is the mystery in that in Him is all wisdom and knowledge. We can have nothing apart from Him. All things come from Him and apart from Him is folly. But Paul warns the people that there are plenty of wise sounding arguments which will come.

Stand firm in your faith in Christ when faced with all kinds of trials. Paul made that statement and then gets serious when speaking toward the real problem. The world is out to destroy your hope and peace. Every area of life is coming at you with its own views on heaven and God. We live in a in a time when this current generation doesn’t even know why people even go to church. What we must have is sound doctrine even more than ever. But more important is sound believers in Christ who love people and stand for truth.

Colossians 1:24-29

I have had a hard time fighting against the cold and then the flu this past week. Actually it’s been more than a week, but I do believe I am ready to the season to pass. At least spring is in the air and that means warmer weather. Please pray for us as we try to get working on a website we are working on getting up. It’s been a struggle, but hopefully will have it going soon. I hope you are doing well this week.

In Him,
David

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Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions. 
Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, 
that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me. 

Colossians 1:24-29

Paul spoke of suffering and affliction many times throughout his letters. It is a heavy theme in the New Testament because it was such a reality for the people during that time. Paul write during great Roman persecution and in the days when Christians were killed daily in hideous ways. This is a part of the Christian life that is not talked about too much, most of us would rather ignore it all together. But the same thing goes on in our world today and soon enough will in our own country. 

As a minister of God’s word, Paul carried out the greatest task any of us could have. We all in fact do have the same duty, to share the love of God to all people around us. This is a world where far too many people hear messages of hate, and too few of forgiveness. How could the world seek the Lord God, unless the messengers of the Lord are seek Him? Paul preaches the greatest thing of all and that is the mystery of the Church. 

No where do we see mention of the Church before Jesus came and began preaching. The greatest mystery unveiled is that of the gentiles being saved and being brought into the family of God. We need to remember the roots of our faith are in our Jewish ancestors, those who kept the Word of the Lord sacred for thousands of years. It was during the days of Peter and Paul when the truth of God’s universal message came into play.

Every single Christian then has the divine calling and purpose in life to spread the message of God’s glory all over the world. We must making a living out of making Christ known to all people. This all begins in us first as we daily need to invite the Spirit into our day and find out what he wants to do inside of our hearts. It is there that we begin to do mighty works.

Warmer air is on its way at least during the day. I actually felt warmth from the sun earlier which was amazing since i thought it would be winter forever. Of course now with Spring on its way we also have yard work as well to deal with. I guess that is why they created spring cleaning, and spring breaks. It is getting warmer but still cold at night, that should change soon enough.

Everything seems to be going pretty good for the moment just trying to go day by day living each one for the Lord and trusting Him. We have to remember we are not promised tommrow so its important to live as well as you can today. That is something to teach our little girl as she grows and learns. Amazing to watch her grow too.

Between work and home our lives have never been more full of busy activities and things to remember to do. It will be good to take some time to stop once in a while. Though that doesnt last long enough. Got to get back to work now.

Colossians 1:21-22

Please remember to pray for us my friend. We all seem to have sinus infections now, though Avery is just in the allergy stage still and i think she will be okay. Anyway it would be nice for it to warm up and for us to feel good. I hate being sick. I hope you have a good start to your week and remember Ephesians 6:7, that is your verse for the day as it was mine.
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And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, 
yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach-- 
Colossians 1:21-22

You are a new creation once you accept Christ as your Lord and Savior. Without the Lord in our lives we are in a way enemies with God’s law by our own actions and sin. The behavior which was our deeds and acts created a barrier between our hearts and the Lord. But our flesh was put to death on the cross with Christ so that we would become new people.

Now that we are new creatures in Christ, we are also to live in that manner. Just as a sheep acts like a sheep because he is a sheep, so we are to live as Christ because we are Christians. Our actions are a result of who have become. In Him we are to be holy and beyond reproach. Life must now be lived with integrity, honesty, and humility in everything we do. 

Being and doing good has its rewards for it pleases the Father teaches us to be servants of our King. Paul will go into more on service in the coming verses, as we are all to live our lives for Christ. He is in us and moving through us, we should remember this whenever we speak or do anything. He is making us day by day more and more into His image.

Colossians 1:19-20

I can almost feel spring in the air, though there is still a slight chill. At least the grass is growing again so that is good. We wouldn’t want to miss out on all the lawn mowing we get to do (sure we wouldn’t.)
I hope you have a great weekend my friend and be blessed in all you do.

David

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For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,
and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. 

Colossians 1:19-20

A cry for peace has gone out for centuries in this world among the nations and people. We all want for there to be global peace and unity which of course sounds like a wonderful idea. The problem with peace is that there must first be great anguish and war before that peace can come. Since the fall of man there has been a war going on for mankind and everyone fell out of relationship with the Lord.

Jesus came as the Prince of Peace to reconcile all things. This is to turn the relationships the right way and bring people back to the Lord and away from sin. Don’t just picture the cross of Christ as the thing Jesus had to go through for us to be saved. He faced the cross and went through great agony in order to make us able to be with the Father. All fullness was in Christ, but in holy nature and righteousness. As God, the Son, He killed himself for our sins.

Peace is only found in the blood of Christ. Lasting peace is found what Jesus does in our hearts. The Lord transforms us when we become believers and learn to trust Him. There is a process we go through our entire lives in being made like Him. But we have the peace with the Father from the beginning, for it was already found on the cross. With that peace we must live our lives and seek His will always.

Colossians 1:18

Every warm day makes me look forward to the spring time, but its still a little too cold at this point. We are all fighting colds at this point, Holly Avery and myself. So please pray for us. Keep us always in your prayers. Thank you for that and I hope you are doing well.

David

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He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 
Colossians 1:18

When we really stop and think about it, what is there to live for in this world if there was no hope in Christ’s return? The main argument of our relationship with Jesus by most people as they deny He was raised back to life and conquered death. We do not worship a dead king, or a good teacher of old who had said some wise things. Our Christ is alive and reigns as the head of the church.

Firstborn in this passage is a position and ranking, not an order of birth. Jesus already was long before the incarnation (where he became a man). We praise our Lord for doing something no what was impossible for anyone else; bring life from death. By this He brings us hope for life. Christ is the head of the church, and the people including the Pope and other church leaders are all His servants. We were created for Him, where the world thinks we created him for us. 

A problem comes when we become so used to the way we have always known Him and forget who He really is. The church body has spent a lot of time trying to create its own version of Jesus as if he needed an upgrade. Leaders start teaching principles apart from the cross and miss the life and hope that it brings to us. Without that cross, and without the empty grave what is the point in teaching anything. It is He who is first above all and who has the power over death to bring life.

We all enjoyed our trip to the ocean and Avery kept her toungue out the entire time tasting the salt in the air. It was also a lot warmer then we had been used to after such a long winter. We look forward to spring.

Avery on her four month birthday. She really got her fingers into this one. She has been doing a lot more with her hands these days and we look forward to her learning how to pick herself up and crawl.

Colossians 1:17

It sometimes find it difficult to really sit down and write on the passage from the Word until i really feel like it is from the Lord. That and life just gets so busy it escapes us how the time gets away. But all is good as we approach the spring and get ready for yard work once again. I hope you are doing well and have a good week. 

David
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He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 
Colossians 1:17

The sense that all things flow in a certain pace for a reason is based on the truth that God holds all things together. We watch the entire earth go through cycles which are thought out and planned by our Lord to sustain life. He created all things for a purpose in His plan and created everything. Mankind was created and put into the world to enjoy all of the things the Lord has made. We live and breathe on this earth and take in all the Lord has put here. 

Life can at times seem like its spinning out of control, and that is because the whole earth is under a curse. During the fall of man, the earth was placed under a curse as well which keeps it on a course toward its own destruction. It is important to keep taking care of the things God has made while we also seek the hope of His return and redemption of the whole earth. 

Our lives are always in His hands just as the earth is. Just as he takes the water of the ocean and turns it into rain to refresh the earth, he takes everything in our life and keeps it in His control. He is the one who holds us together when we feel like without Him all we would do is fall apart. Without Him, we would.

Been a busy week since we got back from our mini vacation. For one thing it seems that spring is close on the horizon which is good, because there is a lot more we can get done outside when its not freezing. I have been having some trouble with the blog but will get some pics posted soon, there are some cute ones of little Avery. She had a great trip and is back now in her old routine of sleep, eat, and play. I like that myself actually but we got to work too. She does have her own share of work being a baby and growing. She is 27 inches now. 15 pounds and 12 ounces.

Anyhow we look forward to seeing what is ahead with the warmer weather and the celebration of the Passover coming up soon.

Day Three

Woke up and enjoyed my nice warm beautiful Saturday. It could not be more lovely out there, although i do miss my grandma back home and wish she could be out here. I know she wants to see me. I spent some time in the sun and saw some neat shows on TV.

I went on a walk today as well with the family doggy. We only went so far though since mommy and daddy are a little out of shape. Cant blame them since all they can do is sit inside the warm house during winter back home. Here we can get out and enjoy the sunshine.

I also met this other little cute baby while i was here too. They said she is three days younger, but looks a lot smaller then me. Her name is Alexis. We enjoyed some baby chatter. She belongs to daddys best friend. They stayed for dinner which smelled really good too. Then after that i spent another long night in the craddle grandpa put together for me. I guess daddy and Aunt Diane and Laurie all slept in it as well.

Day Four

Rather then heading to church this morning, we had to go to the doctor. I have been running aroung with snot lately and mommy wanted to make sure i was okay. I turned out according to the doctor to be okay. Though i still need to go to my other doctor back home, i trust him more.
I had no idea what this doctor today was saying, not sure why he used his phone to take my blood pressure either, but oh well.

Amazing Race all stars! It was great, looking forward to seeing them vote off that suvivor pair, i cant stand them. But i do enjoy seeing all the places and neat activities.

Day Five

MY four MONTH birthday is today! Then i enjoyed watching everyone play Risk of the future. Daddy didnt do that great, but mommy really took on the world. Aunt Diane is a pro. Grandpa bought cupcakes for me this morning and we got to enjoy them for evening. They wouldnt let me eat them just yet, but i did manage to grab some icing off of them when they showed them to me. Maybe next month i can sneak some into my mouth.

Avery’s Vacation diary

Day One

I made sure to wake mommy and daddy up as early as possible this morning as I was not about to let them miss my trip to see Aunt Diane and the rest of the family. Soon as I make a cry for food, they come running and I know we are off to a good start. It is only 4:30am anyway. Daddy made sure he got all of my beautiful pictures onto discs to show off. He loves to take those shots and I enjoy being my cute self for each of them. Could you believe I have my own suitcase all to myself?

Finally we made it to the car in about 10 and headed off to the airport. It was my first big plane trip since I left that wonderfully comfortable place my mommy had for me for nine months. The guy at the counter took my car seat and it disappeared through a hole in the wall. I didn’t know if he was going to put me through there or not, but I was glad when mommy grabbed hold of me and we headed up the stairs. So many faces and people, it was amazing.

One thing I can say about flying is they sure make it comfy for baby. I got my daddy’s lap to sleep on while he sipped from his shiny blue can. There were ladies walking by every few minutes to admire how beautiful and cute I am. They even put a blanket down in the back of the plane when it was time for my diaper change. What a day!

How wonderful the air is here, away from all that frost and chill. Aunt Diane is as sweet as ever, she loves to make me smile. Every time I see her, all I can do is anticipate her making faces and picking me up. We had nice accommodations at her home and saw the classroom where she talks about me and shows off my pictures on her desktop. I slept pretty good that night.

Day Two

Woke up with some a sneezy, runny nose and cough. Maybe the weather out here isn’t perfect but at least I got my family. They took me to see some of the largest trees I have ever seen. A forest. What an amazing sight. Then there was this large bathtub that was moving. The people rode on these little boards and let the water carry them into the rocks. Not sure why, but it looked fun. Daddy called it the ocean and seemed really happy to see it. After that we drove, and drove, and drove for what seemed like the entire day. I saw a lot of desert. Finally there was my family, my aunt Laurie, Uncle Jason and grandma and grandpa all ready to see me. There was another family member with her tongue out with drool, they call her the doggy. It was a long day so I checked in for the night.

Our little Avery pie rolled over on her own Mondy evening. We were playing with her as she was in a happy mood and got her on her tummy for some play time. She kicked around and tossed herself over with no help from us. Of course she is still practicing this technique so we will see how she does in the days and weeks ahead. She is growing so fast though i can hardly stand it.

Today is Valentines day which is one of my favorite times because everyone is always in such a love mood with hearts and sweet candy. I gave Avery a little plush toy luv bug, and Holly got a new ring setting for her wedding ring which is something i wanted to get her for a while. I got a great Archeology Bible which shows different artifacts relating to various passages of the Bible. It is really neat. We got it at a presentation we went to this past weekend.

Well got to go now, more later.

The Season of love is here, with red hearts and candy flowing in the streets. It almost makes you feel warm inside despite the chilly weather we are having. We did actually have one day which was warmer than it has been and I was able to take the princess to the park for an hour to enjoy some sunshine. She has not had much of that since she was born since its been winter. And now she is ready for her first valentines day and she is our little love muffin.

For this year there is much planned as usual, of course the gifts and the dinner. I always enjoying spending my time with my lovely wife. It does remind me of the year we got married. I was still living out in Ca and flew out to suprise her for valentines day. We were not married yet of course since it was only Feb. That was a great time.

Now we are finally near the end of the week and there is still much to do, there always is. Though i am reminded every day the sun rises how important it is for us to pause in life and enjoy the things we love and the live we have. It is precious because it is God's gift to us. Let Him be praised.

Colossians 1:15-16

I hope you are doing well my friend. Avery is 16 weeks old today, I can't believe how the time goes by. She is growing so much. I look forward to what is ahead for us and what God has in store. Pray as we seek His will. Thank you for those prayers. Be blessed

David

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He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him.

Colossians 1:15-16

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever both in who He is and who He will forever be. Our Lord existed before all things came into being, for He always was, just as the Father always was. It has to be one of the most difficult things for us to get a hold of, as well as one of the most important truths about Christ; Jesus and God are One. The term ‘firstborn’ means that he was always there before anything else, there was nothing before Him.

All of creation was created through Jesus and for Jesus. Everything we see and know exists by His will and command. He created all the powers and authorities of the universe. Long before the manager and the New Testament, there was Christ Jesus, for He always was. How awesome that truth is to know.

Our Lord God also has no opposite, or comparison. Therefore you cannot have an equal to Him, nor can the enemy be anything close to Him. He is greater than all, for He is Almighty and wonderful, powerful and glorious. This is the Lord who died for His people to save them from sin. He is the One who desires relationship with us daily. Our Creator, Our Lord. We were created to be with Him and to know Him, as He wants us to be with Him forever.

Colossians 1:13-14

For one day it was actually warm around here, amazing enough. Well warm to the point of enjoying the outside for a little while but that is short lived as I’m sure the cold will be back soon enough. I hope you are staying warm and dry yourself. I can’t wait for spring.

David

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For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 

Colossians 1:13-14

We live in a world of war, not just a physical one but a spiritual war for our souls. There is the enemy camp who is sent out to destroy the lives of all people. This is because the enemy hates mankind and will stop at nothing to wreck lives and take down as many people into the darkness as possible. After thousands of years of studying man, the enemy is pretty clever and deceptive about how to trick souls. The kingdom of darkness is the place all people live that have not seen the light of God and been redeemed into another kingdom. 

On the other side is the Kingdom of Heaven, of light, and of truth. This is not a kingdom opposite of the darkness, but one set complete on its own with no comparison or contrast. This is where our Lord Jesus reigns as King and he has redeemed mankind through his cross. We have been rescued from the darkness and brought into the light by the Son of God. We know this truth, but how well do we know it? We must take careful consideration of all things in this world as there is much deception. Test all things to be sure they are coming from the Kingdom of the Son.

Bottles, bottles everywhere and do much milk to drink. We live in a land of bottles these days as it seems they creep up everywhere. There is one on the couch, one in the babys room, two in our bedroom, and several more throughout the odd places of the house. These are all mostly used and ready to be washed. Now of course we have enough to only need to wash them once a week or so, that way we dont spend all of our time doing bottle duty. We are up to five ounces of milk now.

We really live for the weekend time as its when we can spend family time together and do things outside of being too tired during the week for anything. Of course right now its too cold outside for much of anything, but im sure that it will warm up soon enough. Afterall Avery didnt see her shadow yesterday so that means spring will be here in a few weeks. Or something like that.

Anyway its time to get ready for the day and see what kind of fun we can get ourselves into.

On Monday Avery had her first dose of rice in milk and she seemed to handle it fairly okay, of course most of it came right back out, but thats alright. Our little girl is growing well and is about 13 p, 11 ounces at this time. She also cleared up alot since we took Shadow over to Hollys dads house to stay. Guess between the cat and the weather she was getting stuffed up.

I am sure there will be more fun to come in the days ahead. You never know what to expect but you look forward to all of it.

Colossians 1:12

We gave Avery her first mouthful of rice this week, and it came back mostly, but hey at least she’s working toward it. Pray for us as we desire God's wisdom in our lives as to what path we shall take toward the year. Thank you for those prayers and don’t stop praying. Bless you

David

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Joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.

Colossians 1:12

As children of the Lord there is nothing greater than his promises and love for us. We give thanks to Him, and we give it with joy. Both the word ‘qualified’ and ‘inheritance’ have something important in common in this verse. They are both used complete void of any action on our own part.

When Paul uses the word qualified, it is not to be thought of in the same way we most likely would think. This is a position we now hold because we are in Christ and He is in us. To qualify is to be equipped as one with adequate power to perform duties. If we even begin to think we are able to be Christ like on our own, we are mistaken. There is no way we could come close, but it is the Lord who has made us able and equipped us to do His will.

Inheritance may not necessarily be earned, and it really cannot be chosen. No matter whom you are, you cannot decide what family you will be born into. There is no amount of choice on our end as to what we will gain from our parents; it is their responsibility and choice. This is why the inheritance of God’s children is so great. When we become Christians we have the ability to be born again. We are born into the Family of God and with that comes the blessing of all the things he has for us. Think of that! You are born into God’s own family and are His child. We are all qualified by the cross of Christ and we will all share in what the Father has for the Son and the children.

How i love saturday mornings! It means i have a full two days with not any work and i can just enjoy my family. I look outside at the melting ice and wish it would warm up to spring around here soon, but i know it will come in time. We dont want to rush the months that go by anyway. Little Avery is growing by the day now drinking 5 ounces every four hours or so. She is so sweet and into talking very much now, of course most of the things are just her gurgling and cooing but there is nothing that sounds as good. I love my little girl.

Im watching the sunrise outside thinking how nice it will be when we can get out more. For now its just as good being able to enjoy the house. I might need to get a snack in a minute though, im getting a little hungry. I am a big fan of food and im sure my daugther will be too. She only screams when she wants her bottle, other wise she is a very good mannered baby. Holly and i are blessed.

Colossians 1:11

Strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously 

Colossians 1:11

Imagine the unlimited power of God. If you can even begin to imagine it, you are no where near close. He is great beyond words or song could ever describe. Now the Apostle Paul prays that the church may be strengthened with His power and might. What an amazing declaration and prayer. Our Lord wants us to feel His strength inside of us.

First off do not assume that this means we will in any way have the Power of God or could do the things He can. He will of course give us power in the sense of strength and ability as we trust Him. The Holy Spirit will be with us in all things and often will do stuff through us that is amazing indeed. 

Our Lord wants us to have patience and stand firm in this life, as hard as that will be. He provides for us the strength we need to make it through all things and all times that we will go through. He is there for us and will give us all our needs. He loves us and will always be there for us in all of His glory and might.

Cold and chilly are some words that i would rather not be using about the weather right now, but has been for way to long. We cant wait for it to warm up and of course hope that it comes soon. We gave Shadow away to family to have her out of the house and hopefully help Avery with her cold. I am sure that will indeed help, but we will see.

Colossians 1:10

We managed to get through the storm and now just have to face some cold weather ahead. Thank you for your prayers as we do appreciate them my friend. I hope you that will have a good week ahead of you.

David

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so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Colossians 1:10

Our walk with the Lord is the single most important thing in our lives. It is the manner by which we walk that either produces life or death. Paul’s prayer for the people was for them to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, and pleasing him in all things. By walk we refer to our way of life, our daily habits, our reactions and actions to people and situations. How we respond shows how we are walking and if the path we are on it’s a good one.

Bearing fruit is the result of our lives with the Lord, and are the evidence of our relationship with Him. This fruit if the things in our lives that point our hearts to Christ, in our actions, our thoughts, and mostly our words are things we bear for good works. Now it is important that we judge our own lives because others will be watching us.

Increase in your knowledge about God my friend. This is the one thing we seem to forget about and put to the side in our lives. Maybe we think that as long as we have the basics down we will be fine, as if its enough to know we are saved and we should be good living the rest of our lives with that. But it is not enough. We should be ever learning and ever growing to know and understand this One we call Lord. We are in truth giving our lives to Him, we might as well spend our energy getting to know all we can about Him.

Avery at her one month and two month birthday!

Avery is three months old today and she has her cupcakes ready to go. If only she knew she had such sweet treats in at her finger tips. I am sure as the months go by up to her One year birthday she will figure it out and start playing with those treats! :)

Colossians 1:9

Ice is not one of my favorite things, and winter has gone on long enough. We couldn’t get my car out this morning so we had to carpool which makes me wish I didn’t work so late in the evening. Hopefully i can free it in the morning for tomorrow though. We are supposed to get some more snow so keep us in your prayers my friend. Hope you have a good weekend.

David
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For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding 

Colossians 1:9 

Colosse was known for its faith and love for people and Paul rejoiced for them. He also prayed for them constantly. The subject of the prayer was for the people to have knowledge, wisdom and understanding of God’s will. 

We all want to know what God’s will for our lives is. That alone is a constant question on our thoughts as we grow and mature as believers. For some it seems like his will comes out loud and clear, while others His will can seem hard to discover. Either way we must be in constant prayer for his will and for understanding in what He wants for our lives. 

Our prayers should be filled with the desire to understand His will for us in life. We know He has a direction for us and a plan but we do not always know what it is. Most of the time we won’t know until after we have lived, what the ultimate destination is for our life. We can trust Him to fulfill His plan as we believe in his perfect will. Pray for wisdom and He will be with you.

Colossians 1:4-8

Hard to believe that on Friday my little girl will be three months old. The days just go by so quickly. Now we just look forward to spring time so we can get out more with her and enjoy it. For now its just to cold.

I do ask for your prayers beloved as a dear brother in Christ has passed away while on a mission trip to Mexico. He was a mighty man of God and I know He is with our Lord now. Please pray for his wife and children and loved ones as they grieve. Thank you for your prayers.

David

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Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth; just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit.

Colossians 1:4-8

Listed in these verses are all the things the Apostle Paul is thankful the people of Colosse are doing. The church was growing and spreading the truth of God’s word among all the land. First there was the love which they had for all saints. There were no split churches or denominational lines among the saints. You did not hear about so and so’s church being full of sinners and the like. All people who were believers in Christ were accepted just as they were for faith was all that was needed. Paul saw a love which laid down every barrier the church has put right back up in the last 2000 years.

The church in Colosse knew that they had a hope in heaven and the truth of the gospel had come to them as it had to entire world. Their job was not to store it for themselves and claim to be the only church, but to share it with the world as intended. Bearing fruit was the ultimate goal and being faithful to the word was the way to live. Paul was thankful because the people knew what it meant to be servants of Christ, and to love one another just as Christ loves.

No big surprise to see that the Church in America is not doing as well as it should be. Truly we have tried to hard to relate to the world that we are beginning to look more and more like the world. God’s truth is being crowded by man’s ideas and desires. The Word of Truth has been lost among the people and we must work to get it back. For the Church to survive we must hold onto the essential truths of the Gospel of Christ. These truths will be explained in the rest of this book and all of Paul’s writings. Our message from this is to bear fruit and love all believers as well be love to all mankind.

You know there are some things you can never have enough of in life. Ice cream is one of my things! Got to love it, along with milk and pretty much anything dairy related. I am a very big ice cream guy. Now this is a picture of me, incase you all think Avery is the only one with picture charm. Anyway.... there is a solid piece of ice outside at the moment and it quite an adventure driving on it. But today is my day off so i wont have to do that now, though walking out to the mail box was fun. Of course there is a little ditch which i had to pull myself out of, but thats okay.

As for the weather its sunny and cold with a chance of getting colder. Which makes me wonder why i am eating ice cream on a day like this. Well actually Im eating chicken (for lunch) but i might have some ice cream later.

Colossians 1:1-3

Friends I hope you are staying warm these days. We have a great deal of ice to deal with around here. I can’t say I like it that much. Actually Miss Avery is waiting for Spring so we can get her out of the house more and into the world of adventure which is there for her to explore. She is very talkative these days.

I hope you have a great day my friend and be blessed.
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Colossians 1:1-3

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 
To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: 
      Grace and peace to you from God our Father. 
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 

Ever stopped to examine the content of your personal prayer life? How often do we find ourselves praying for other people and for the Lord to bless their lives like we want Him to bless ours? Furthermore how often do we find ourselves thanking God for those people? Paul starts out most of his letters with terms of gratitude toward the recipients. This is a pattern for us to follow. 

Right in the beginning of this letter to Colosse, Paul declares who he is, his position and authority to be writing the letter, who is working with him, and finally who the letter is written to. There is a quick blessing and a thank you to the people, which is expounded upon in the following verses. We just want to grab hold of the message for us in how we are to pray. 

Pray to the Lord always, give thanks for all He does, and in all times and seasons never cease praying. Do not cease to pray for those who have been in your life as a blessing from heaven. But after you pray thank the Lord for them, and after that go to them and give them your thanks. Tell the people you love and know that you think about them with thankfulness to the Father. So get on your knees and pray and do it with thanks.

Though no on will probably even believe us we do have a new first as of yesterday evening. Our darling daugther who has been talkative a lot lately, mostly with coos and goos, repeated one small phrase right after i said it yesterday. We were watching TV and it got to a commercial so i began to fast foward. It Smallville and I said "uh-oh" in response to the show. Well a few seconds later we hear our darling daugther who was playing in her pack and play, say "uh-oh" as plain as day. It was the most amazing little thing in the world and she has not really said it since but we are working on it. Of course it will be some time before she has any sermons to preach, but for now at least we have the uh-oh down.

As for the pic of the day we have our darling looking at her froggy and duck which hang on to her car seat for enjoyment. She likes to bat at them and play with them when shes in a good mood. Avery is so adorable and we look forward to hearing what she has to say next.

Cute as can be this morning my friend. Just wanted to post a new pic showing my little sunshine princess in her happy mood. We are pretty much snowed in today so will have plently of time for games and family fun.

Winter ice has moved into our area and that causes a bit of trouble when it comes to driving around. We have freezing temps outside and not a whole love of visibility. That is okay though because my work still keeps us here doing our duty till hopefully i can flex out for the day. I do want to get home to my wife and daugther and cut of hot cocoa. And at least its the weekend now.

Pressing on things have been going good with little Avery. She is slowly learning how to make her self wobble while on her tummy and she kicks her feet around like she is thinking about crawling. I dont think it will be too long now. We bathe her every night which gives her lots of leg excercise. And she loved being held and walked around which doesnt make it easy to train her to roll over. I say train but its not something you can really teach, she will figure it out soon enough. I cant wait till spring so we can get out more with her and let her see the lay of the land.

Inbetween calls at work I spend my time typing up the Scripture. This allows me to have a good distraction and helps get me through the day. The Word has always been good for helping me and uplift me over the cloud of the day. I also have time to do my devotional writings and mail those at as well. Jon should be getting a web site doing pretty soon here where we can post those and other relative updates and info.

Jon has been my best friend since highschool and has always been there when i needed him. He also has a little girl who was born within days of ours so its pretty exciting to go through the whole fatherhood thing together. He lives out in CA still so it does make it hard, but I have learned how to make the most out of long distance, since that is how me and Holly spent our time before we got married. I should get going for now will see post again soon.

Avery is getting more and more excited by the day as she discovers her new world. Granny bought her a surfboard tummy time mat which she enjoys playing with. It has little fish to look at which we already know she enjoys from her mobile. Our darling princess is just about 2 and a half months old now, we cannot even believe that. She just amazes us more and more. How wonderful the Lord is for giving us such a gift. Here she sits on her mat enjoying herself and playing with her fish.

She also enjoys all of her other presents she got for Christmas. We have already taugth her the greatest gift was that of our Savior being born in a humble cave. Her first movie theater experince was to see the Nativity. We went yesterday afternoon to the mall and went to the movie. She slept through most of it til her babba (bottle) time. Then she ate and was happy. How wonderful for that to be her first movie. It moved me to tears as one of the best movies i have seen in a long time. It brought the whole event to life in such an amazing way. We enjoyed it greatly.

I will need to find a way to scan her pictures she got with Santa as she was very adorable. Also there are much more things to say and more to post. Time goes so quick. We have been having computer issues here which is why its been hard to get photos on here but it seems at least for now i got something to work for me. Well on toward the day.

The new year is here and so far it looks like any other normal year. Of course you have to get through the whole thing before you can really say that. Anyway its also only the 4th so really we have no idea what is yet to come. We will let you know but for now just wanted to say hello.

Adventures in Parenting and Marriage

We near the end of the year and put away all of our Christmas decorations. During this time we reflect on the amazing year that we leave behind and press into the next year ahead. The Lord created for us little Avery and brought her into our lives this year. The Lord also brought my sister a wonderful man to marry who will take care of her and love her as every husband should love his wife. I also praise Him for bringing my best friend a baby daugther as well for now we will both experince the joy of life together as new fathers. We also moved into our first house and have good jobs even if we get tired of them from time to time. It is amazing really what the Lord does for us, we should never forget the things He has done as we press forward into the year ahead to see what He has in store for us.

Avery noticed something interesting this weekend, actually it was Monday afternoon. She has hands! She was just sitting there looking them over, moving fingers and trying to figure out what they were. She also was caugth watching her feet later and could tell that by getting excited she could move her bouncy seat. It was quite a thing to watch. On Saturday at dinner I was holding her and she had one hand behind her head clutching her hair. Its cute how she is beginning to discover these small things for herself, we love to watch her make new finds of discovery.

It was a good holiday weekend and now the clean up begins and we get on toward the New Year. Of course with the New year will come questions of what we want it to look like and what we would like to accomplish throughout the year ahead. All of these are just prayers to what we would like to see. We know the Lord will be with us as He has in the years past and present. And we look forward to our little one growing more and more by the day. I have been taking pictures but have trouble getting them online right now, ill work on getting something on here soon.

There is nothing quite like a early morning bottle for baby to get you awake. Of course after it was all gone daddy knew he needed to do something about his sore throat so he raced off to walgreens at 1:20am this morning to get some pills and hopefully feel better. Avery herself has had a bit of a cold with congestion too. She is a little to young for any meds but we have to keep on eye on her. She is still a happy little one and is looking forward to seeing what Santa brought.

We spread out the Reindeer food on the front porch so they would have something to snack on while Santa eats the milk and cookies we left. Then we will see what remains. In the morning or after her next bottle in a few hours we will sit down and read the Christmas story before getting into the presents. For the moment I am busy posting in my blog while getting more bottles boiled and ready for the day. I love the holiday.

It has been a nice treat to be off this weekend and have Christmas on a Monday and me off on Tuesday anyway. I missed out on the eve family time last year with my job. That is one thing about customer service is you really cant close down and take off to much time. I enjoy the job overall but the last thing i want to do is miss out on family. Little Avery is going to grow up more each day and I intend to be watching first hand. Merry Christmas and may we all remember that manager and our Savior who came to earth in the midst of a violent world for us.

All is cool in the midwestern front as the wind chill is still above freezing. Actually the weather is pretty nice just not nice enough to attempt making any snow creatures. That is to say I am glad I am not traveling through Colorado right about now. But here it is just cold enough to be winter outside without all the snow and rain.

We are at that weekend finally where pretty much everything happens all in the same time frame. First of course is Holl's birthday which comes two days before Christmas. We awoke to some pancakes in bed and continued on with the gifts for my love. She got a nice purple suitcase and Avery got her a framed picture that looks to adorable for words. Now we are off to do some more Christmas shopping and get things ready including wrapping the rest of our gifts. Tonight a big family dinner to celebrate her birthday.

Tommrow wil be Christmas eve and the next day Christmas so there will be much family, food, and fun gifts to hand around to all. I will let you know how all that turns out when it comes of course. I have had some computer issues but hopefully that wont stop us from getting updates. Perhaps what i really need is to invest in some web space. We shall see.

Have a Merry Christmas my friend.

Not a whole lot of time this morning but wanted to at least peek in and see what Avery is up to with those cute dancing penquins. She does seem to enjoy them quite a bit. She is getting into that hand sucking stage andenjoys giggling when shes happy. She is the cutest baby in the whole world.

We are so blessed to have her in our lives and look forward to the years ahead. This weekend her Aunt Diane is coming to visit and I am sure she looks forward to that as we do.

No one wants to sit in a dirty diaper all day long or feel the remeants of diapers past. One of the things our books told us about newborns is that they do not require a bath every day. Really? How would you feel not taking a bath or shower for a few days if it meant you sat in your own potty most of the day. I think Miss Avery deserves her bath time every night as we give it to her. We have it schedualed and it wont be changing till she gets old enough to do it herself. As we were changing her out last night I was thinking about these things and how they relate to life. I am on a constant search for live lessons to pass on to my girl.

Just like babies need to be changed often and bathed regulary so we need to be bathed in the Word of God. We may think that when we dirty up our day we can just wipe it away clean and change into some grace real quick. We almost abuse grace and forgiveness knowing there is an endless supply of it. He wants to do more than just visit with us a few moments. The Lord desires to take us into his arms and wash every area of our lives clean daily through His love and His word. He does this so that we will be clean and not remain with the stain of our daily mistakes and mess. Jesus looks forward to these times. Now Avery does not always look forward to them but its amazing to watch her as she gazes with trust into our eyes. She knows we are taking care of her and she feels it.

Well that is why I got from this weekend. Hope you had a good one yourself and I will get back with more updates later.

It has been a pretty cold and not to eventful week around here. Oh miss Avery started daycare and I guess enjoys it for the most part. Since she is only 7 weeks and one day old i am sure she doesnt care to much. She does really enjoy her mornings with us though and is very social around that time. She kicks her legs and makes all sorts of cute noises.

We are hopefully going to get some more shopping done this weekend as well as get a new tree. The tree we have now is dying a quick death and we will need a new one pretty soon. Ill try to get some time over here this weekend.

Avery discovered her tongue yesterday much to her mommy and daddy's excitment! She now enjoys sticking it out, playing with it, and blowing the ocassional bubble. She is so adorable to watch.
She has her best moments in the morning when we are getting ready for the day. This was her first day in daycare and she did pretty good according to her report card. Says she ate on demand which means our schedual is out the window there. But she did good and is now sleeping on her mommy's lap. Actually they are both asleep on the opposite couch from me, Holly laying out and Avery nestled upright on her. I couldnt imagine a more beautiful picture than that one. Baby Avery and mommy resting together. Holly had her first day back to work today so she is understandably worn out. They both need the rest while daddy tends to the bottles and other needs around the house. I will need to wake the little one for bath time before bed though.

She loves to be held and gets fussy and upset if she is put down. Her little mouth with frown and she will start stirring when she is hungry or if she is has not had enough rest. She looks like she is doing good and enjoying that new trick she is learning.

December has arrived and we are in the midst of a snow storm event. Well actually the snow is done falling and now we are just enjoying the scene. There are about ten inches outside our house which is pretty beautiful really, as long as you dont have to drive into it. This is Avery's first snow, of course she doesnt get to enjoy it the same way as we do. I did get outside long enough to build a small snow man (which is more like a mountian with a bucket head). Also i got to shovel my car out of the driveway which only took half the day to do with my garden shovel. I even tried the rake but that didnt work as well.

Today has been Father daughter bonding day as Holly and the family went off to her sisters wedding. We missed her very much but enjoyed watching the Jurassic Park trilogy together. She is to young to know really what all the noise is about, but I can tell her someday it was her first movie marathon! Daddy is crazy. Anyway its been good and Hol should be returning home soon. The wedding was a three hour drive away and we didnt want to risk getting Avery out in the snow. We pray that this new marriage starts the Lord will be with it and bless it because if He is has to be in the marriage from the start.

In between the Dino roars we have listend to some Bible stories straight from the audio cds i have. That is a lot of fun because I love the Word and can share it with Avery and we can enjoy it together. I look forward to the days ahead where we can talk about the Lord and the wonderful things He does. My little one is trying to get my attention so I need to go. Shes so cute when she talks. Love her so much!

My car doors were frozen shut this morning along with pretty much everything else in town. It rained hard yesterday which only turned into sleet once the weather dropped several points. Now it is supposed to get even colder and several inches of snow will be falling. Icicles were coming off out icicle lights, which was pretty neat actually. All this to say I hope we maintain power as it keeps the heat going.

I managed to make it to work of course an hour early but only because i left early to keep the slow speed on the way in. Soon enough more people will be arriving and I will get on the phone and return to my job as call center billing rep. Today i expect to get a lot of outage calls. We will soon see soon enough.

I miss my wife and daugther. We were able to get her into the same daycare her older cousin has been going to since she was born, so that was a blessing. They are back at home wondering why I went into work today. I wonder that myself, but mainly I feel if you can make it into work you should go to work. There is plenty that needs to be done and its our job to do our job. Of course i am anxious to get home to resume the job i enjoy more, being a father and husband.

I can remember when the terms winter and cold were used regulary in a world where it only got into the 50's at the worst. Of course i was living in a very different climate back then. You had to drive to the mountians to get snow. Now it is delievered to our front door. Of course that just means you get to drive through it too. Hard to believe how cold it really can get outside.
I work in a temp controlled enviorment so stepping outside after the work day is a bit of a slap in the face with chill. I dont look to much forward to it but at least i have a beautiful wife and daugther to go home too. That is always a good thing to look forward to. Also in my drive time i listen to sermons and bible cd's. Right now I am listening to the Bible being read all the way through and am in the book of Hosea i believe. I really enjoy the Word as it is good to feed the soul and ponder on. I best get going now.

The search for a daycare is something we began a while ago of course. But now the place we want is giving us the run around saying they really are not ready till they can move a child up from where Avery would need to be and that could be the first of the year. I dont know how many times i have called them to confirm we needed a spot come Monday, but apparently that did not get through. So now we are on the search again for another place for our little one. I hate that we have to take her to a day care at all but we can trust the Lord will take care of her like He awlays does.

We prepare for the weather to get nasty cold this week starting today. It is supposed to get to the point of ice, and snow possibly. Mostly i just worry about getting around with the roads slippery as they get. We also have a wedding to drive out for this weekend too which is a good three hour drive. Hopefully the roads stay in good shape.

Our house cat Shadow will be returning home after being sent away to Holly's sisters house when Avery got here. Her sis is getting married and will be gone for a week so the little cat will have to come home. Of course we will have to keep on eye on her as she can easily get in the way of our newborn. If it werent winter i would just put her in the garage but that wont work at the moment. Ill figure something out i suppose soon.

Another great weekend with the little one. We got our lights up around the house and are busy getting the inside ready. This is our first house to decorate so we are excited. There are not to many things we can do outside though since there are no outdoor outlets. I need to get some put in before next year. We are going out for a tree tuesday and i will post a picture when the time comes. Avery is doing great and is excited as she can be about the upcoming holiday cheer. She has enjoyed family time so far and her aunt Diane will be coming out in a few weeks to make her smile even more. We need to go get our dinner from the oven and enjoy the rest of the night.

Little Avery's first moments in the leaves of fall. She did great today and it was overall a wonderful day for thanksgiving.

Avery's first thanksgiving has begun! Actually it started last night when i returned home and my wife had cooked a lovely meal for us to enjoy together. We have since we got married cooked a dinner the night before thanksgiving, and left the actual day itself to the bigger family gathering. Today we will head on out to her mema's and enjoy the afternoon meal there while perhaps watching the parade here and there.

Avery's pictures arrived we had taken a few weeks ago. She is so precious. Now we need to go get frames so we can display them on the wall. I love pictures and have already taken several hundred it would seem of just her. There will be more to come of course.

I hope that whatever you are doing for thanksgiving you have a great one. We will since we are spending it with the little one whom we are most thankful for. The Lord has blessed us greatly with her!

Seven years ago something started via one single email and I wanted to share it today. It changed both of our lives forever

Sent: Saturday, November 20, 1999 2:17 PM
Subject: HI LB Friend

Well, You don't me but I was looking on yahoo chat under interests and you had the same interest as me and I thought I should e-mail you and maybe make a newfriend. I am 18/f trying to finish mysenior year and to get ready to go to college. I will be attending next fall. TheLeft Behind Series is awsome and I how do you feelabout it?Well Hopefully you get this!God Bless, Holly

Happy One Month Birthday baby Avery!! We will get a cupcake with a candle for her later today to celebrate :) She is so adorable.

Avery had her first long day out today going from a stamp club meeting onto the malls for some christmas shopping. It is quite an experince strolling through the mall with our little one. We are in a completly new group of people now and it seems like we notice all the strollers and little children in a different way now. Avery did good and she slept most of the day. Finally we got some ice cream and our little one got some milk of course. It has been a great day for our little one with mommy and daddy.

Three weeks and five days ago the Lord brought little Avery into this world. She is getting so much bigger each day and i am pretty sure there is some growth spurting going on here. We place her on her tummy for a nap when we are watching her so she can get a little chance to lift her head a little. We will probably go down to the store and get some more stuff for her to lay on and sit in.

Holly and i have noticed so much has changed in just the last few weeks. We are changing in so many ways and that is good. It makes us realize the importance of keeping our own relationship strong and the need to go out on a occassional date. So far we have had two nights out leaving Avery with grandma. Of course that is very hard to do and all we do is talk about her while we are off.

I also realized the other day that i need to discuss things with my wife before anything else in the way of asking people if they want to watch Avery. Also this will be important in the years ahead as we need to be on the same page when it comes to teaching our daugther right from wrong and disciplining her accordingly. Of course for the moment she is a new born so there is not much for us to teach her other then show her how much we love her every moment of the day.

Now i admit sometimes it seems like you just want to turn the baby moniter off and hide under the covers, but somehow it is always worth getting up for those precious eyes staring back at you wanting food or at least attention. She has not ceased to amaze us yet. We lay in bed with the moniter close at hand, listening to her every breath. We have grown acustom to the sound of her stiring and know when she is about to make the cry for someone to come and help her. I love her little voice.
[note: makes me wonder how attentive we are to the sound of our Lord's voice. Are we keeping a close ear on His call and message to us? Interesting since we know He is the one who is watching over us, listening for every sound and every breath.]

Bath time is getting more exciting for Avery. She actually is tolerating the whole experince these days as if she knows its coming and it will be over sooner if she just stays calm. Her little legs are getting noticably stronger as she uses her feet to push against the edge of the tub and move up. She almost was standing with very little help from me while washing her down the other day. Her little head is also getting stronger too with moments where she holds it up on her own. How amazing. We have a great shot of her smiling i will have to load on here in a little bit.

Today is finally Saturday which means we get to enjoy the day together as a family and go do some errands. I am looking forward to what is ahead and will keep you posted.

Avery had her first vote on tuesday and we got a little picture of her at the poll. She is so cute! After that we went for a walk through the park but it didnt last long since a bee starting chasing us; it must have been after her milk or something. In other news we are still on the nigthly and daily schedual of trying our best to help her sleep through as long as possible. I have do notice bathing her before bedtime does seem to help. She is an adorable 3 week old.
Now it is finally friday and I cant wait for the end of the day so i can get to the weekend and spend more time with my little one. One other thing this week has taught me is how strong my wife is and gives me a deeper love for her as i watch her take care of our little one. I could not have a better wife and mother for my daugther.

Yesterday i returned to work after being away for a good two weeks. It was a really good time to be away and spend quality time bonding with my wife and daugther. Being apart was hard but i know we have to work in order to make it through this life. My work is pretty simple really, not to much trouble, just spend much of the time talking people through their bills. It has its moments and every customer is different so can't say much else than that. It is not a long term job goal, but at least for now its giving me plenty of experince with people. Kind of odd with that first phone call after so long not having a head set on your head. You really get a jump from it.

My parents leave out today and it happens to also be my day off which works out well. It was good having them here. My dad will be having his gallbladder removed in the near future as it may be the cause of the problems he was having. While they were here they brought us a old laptop that will be soon replacing the one i am using since this one keeps crashing for no apparent reason other then the cpu is dying out. SO i had some fun trying to get the internet connections going for all the comptuers that were here over the weekend. We just about had one for every person here. Even Avery had a computer.

Avery is doing great this morning as i finally got her to get to sleep and she has had her 4.00 feeding so all is calm at the moment. She has moments where all she wants is to be held or played with. Sometimes if she looks too content we have to check on her diaper but she does good most of the time. I love my little girl and I know she is teaching me patience and endurance. If i can make it through the nightly feedings, shouldn't i be able to make it through nightly prayers with my Lord. That is something to consider since He demands attention as my God and King of my life. The difference is when I go to pray I am the one being fed from the Spirit of truth and life. I will ponder on this today.

Been a busy weekend here. We had my parents in from out of state to meet their new grandaugther! Of course they love her like crazy and will be here for two more days. Though my dad had a run in with his pancrease and is in the hospital in town to have it checked out. He has been there since last night and will be home in the morning once they run some tests to see if it might be a gallbladder caused problem. Crazy weekend.

Little Avery is here doing a little crying now that i have sat down to the computer. My little girl thinks that daddy needs to put the computer down so she can be taken care of. Its part of her personal time she loves. She is so adorable. More on this later...

Having trouble getting pictures to load today but that is alright. I wanted to just stop in and say hello. Things are going well here with baby and all. We kept her up more today and at the moment she is doing well sleeping, the only problem is daddy is having trouble getting to sleep. I think its more mental thinking she will wake up at any time and need feed. For now i just wait on her. She is so darling and still teaching mommy about life and the love of God. Avery is seeing everything through the eyes of innocence and her love is unconditional. Of course she is born into sinful humanity and all that but the love she has for people goes beyond anything. Quite the wonder. We have the grandparents from out of town over this weekend to visit with their new grandaugther so that is fun. Looks like it will be an enjoyable time before i head back into work next week.