Our beautiful little girl is all grown up. This past weekend, the college sponsored a spring banquet. It was an opportunity for all the kids to dress up and have a night out. Emily enjoyed every minute of it.

Erin and Sam are going on a mission trip to the Appalachians in Tennessee this summer. There is a group of 15 going; 12 teens and 3 adults. Last night, they had a spaghetti dinner to help raise money for the trip. All of the teens were in white shirts and black pants/skirts. All the guys painted on mustaches and gottee's and slicked their hair back. It was fun to watch them. During the meal, they scattered throughout the crowd and sang the song "That's Amore". It was a lot of work, but even more fun. I love watching the kids work for something. I think it is so important for them to learn how to work for a goal.

Ri played in his 3rd game of soccer. The first game, he scored for the other team (Mark and I were not there even though we are the coaches because we were at Childrens' with Elizabeth during surgery). The second game, he clung to Mark and cried most of the game because it was absolutely freezing and he was miserable. I wasn't there because we decided to keep Elizabeth away from the game because she wanted to play so badly and is not able to because of her finger. But this week, Jacob took care of Elizabeth and I went to help Mark. This week.... Ri was a beast! He figured out how to take the ball and turn it around to his goal (a big accomplishment for a pre-schooler.... at least after watching one game I realize this is a big thing). AND>..... he scored 3 goals for us! It was so much fun to watch. We had to have him rest a few times. He had run so hard that he looked flushed and a little winded. We were told he will never be a marathon runner so we were prepared for many breaks. After the game, he came to me with a HUGE smile and said "That was so much fun".

I have not begun Erin's book or movie yet. The time is beginning to pressure me. For any of you who would like to send Erin a letter/note for graduation... I would love to put it in her book. She asked me to have as many people that I could be added to her book. Her favorite part of her 16th birthday book was the letters from all the people who wished her happy birthday. If you want to be included, just send me a quick note at jesuspaidmywages@yahoo.com

I have often thought about the times in my life when I live as if God does not really exist. I make choices that are based on my own desires rather then remembering that God IS watching me, He DOES know every thought I make and every action that I take... and I will be held accountable. Sometimes I look back at the past few days and think... wow..if I really believed all that I said I believe, I would be living my life differently! Then I remember that God has saved me.... fogiving my of my past, present, and future sins. And then I try to readjust my life and try to live for Him all over again. Yesterday, I was reading in Hebrews 3 and felt very heavy when I read these verses:

7So, as the Holy Spirit says:
"Today, if you hear his voice,
8do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion,
during the time of testing in the desert,
9where your fathers tested and tried me
and for forty years saw what I did.
10That is why I was angry with that generation,
and I said, 'Their hearts are always going astray,
and they have not known my ways.'
11So I declared on oath in my anger,
'They shall never enter my rest.' "[a]
12See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. 14We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. 15As has just been said:
"Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion."[b]

16Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? 17And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? 18And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed[c]? 19So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.


So today, I encourage all of you not to harden your heart to God's word.