5 Peas in a Pod

2010-02-17T17:16:00.001+02:00

Summer!

2008-10-14T14:52:00.003+02:00

Then followed that beautiful season... Summer....
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Happy summer :)

Musings on Music

2008-03-13T21:09:00.000+02:00

Recently I've been thinking alot about music. Taking a good look at the stuff we Christians listen to, and what the world listens to. And sadly, they're often the same. This ought not to be! Shouldn't we be different from the world? Isn't that the only way we can be a light? There are a few things I'd like to discuss regarding music:

(1) Firstly, regarding ungodly music. Or rather, ungodly lyrics. Lyrics that obviously go against everything Christ taught. Lyrics promoting, laughing at, and enjoying those sins that Christ died for. I've found this is a great filter through which to run music. My dad tells the story of a couple that decided when they got married, that they weren't going to be entertained by anything that Christ was crucified for. Just think about that for 2 seconds. It's a good principle, isn't it? And surely that's the very least we can do, after all the Christ gave up for us! What is a couple of songs compared to the fulfilling joy of glorifying and honoring Christ, and having a better relationship with Him?! The question isn't, how close can we get to the edge and still be "Christian"; but rather, how far will we retreat from the edge in order to portray Christ more?

(2) Now, not all music is strictly "sinful" Some music seems on the surface, OK. But is it really? I don't know about you girls, but I am sick and tired of all these tweeny-bopper Barbie dolls telling us that all we need is "that perfect guy" and we'll be "complete". Or, my "favorite" Hannah Montana song, and I quote - "I know I've found the piece I've missing - I'm looking at him" speaking of her latest crush. Surely we can do better than this! And I include myself. How many times have I put on some fun music, not knowing how these subtle messages really affect ones life.

(3) Well, we can't just sit around listening to nothing, can we? Actually, yes :) Do we really need music as a background to everything we do? Now, I love music and am not saying never put on some Steven Curtis Chapman while you're washing dishes. But it seems to me that maybe the reason why there is such a "vacuum of thinking people" :) is because, we don't think! How can we think, if we have music playing 24/7? Just imagine how we would grow, if instead of playing music while doing chores, exercising, etc. we, for example, meditated on God's Word? Prayed? Worked on memorizing the Scriptures? Had a good conversation with our family? Let's be different from the people who walk around everywhere with their Ipod in their ears. Let's take dominion of music, and not let it take dominion over us.

(4) That being said, why not write your own music? If there isn't a worship song out there that says what you wanna say, why not write your own? It's easier than you think it is. I believe that everyone is capable of singing and making music to God. He did command it in His Word (Col. 3:16), so surely He will provide the means to doing it.

Let's remember our theme verse, Col. 3:17, and include our music and singing in doing everything to the glory of God!

Moving On....

2008-02-01T13:56:00.000+02:00

This morning, Lydia went to observe a social worker from ABBA adoptions. This social worker was the woman who handled our lil Jessie's adoption. So we were able to recieve an update, along with some photies and birthday gifts from the family. Well, I've been thinking about how quickly we are able to move on with our lives. When we said good-bye to Jessie (who now goes by her given name, Negenia), I wondered when it would stop hurting, when we would be able to get through the day without tears from missing Jess. And then, that day came and went without our even realizing it. Now, a year and a half later, having Jessie with us seems so far away, like a dream (a great dream!).

Of course, that doesn't mean we love her any less, or that she somehow doesn't mean as much to us as before. It just means that life changes. Do you have relationships like that? Dreams that haven't come to bear? I can name many! I have friendships that have been so important to me, that I would wonder how I would get by if I had to live without them. But things happen, people move on, life keeps going! And we can live with those changes.
But we cannot live without our Saviour! I've learnt something today while pondering (for many hours driving in the car!) 'moving on' without Jessie. The only Person we need to hang onto for life is God Almighty. Yes, this is nothing new, but it did strike me today anew. I need to learn to live without needing people.
Needing people less, loving them more. And needing God more than needing His people!

Here's to a great weekend! Enjoy all of it my friends! Because life is moving on, and we'll never have this moment again.

The Agony of the Cross

2008-01-22T14:44:00.000+02:00

So…An update at last! :)

I've been learning much the past month, and I hope that this post is an encouragement to all!

As many of you are members of BBC, you know that my dad has spent many weeks preaching on “A Promise to Live By”, with Matthew 1:21 being his text:

²¹And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Together with two books by CJ Mahaney, these sermons have made a profound impact on how I view the cross, my salvation, and the mysteries of Christ’s atoning death. Last week as I was preparing my Sunday School lesson, I was reminded and moved by a segment I read in Mahaney’s book, Christ: Our Mediator. Mahaney writes regarding the infinite suffering that God the Father and God the Son experienced for our eternal sake. Christ thought of us in His darkest hour. The Father abandoned His Son for us. I don’t know about you, but such thoughts should bring us to utter humility, gratitude, and obedience.

Mark 14:34-35 says:
³⁴And [Jesus] saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch. ³⁵And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.

Christ’s suffering was so great that the burden staggered Him, the weight of it brings Him close to dying. Jesus faces the ultimate agony, the reality of becoming sin. He faces the ultimate agony of the wrath of God. He who knew no sin, must become sin.

I was re-listening to one of my dad’s sermons on this subject this morning, and heard something explosive that I had missed during its original delivery. As my dad was explaining, Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day as is the Jewish custom. As an eight day old infant, the Saviour was subjecting Himself to a life under the Law. His life would be a life in which he would live and fulfil that Law with perfection, a life in which he would be blameless. And He died for my immeasurable offenses against that Law, that Law which he lived spotlessly under for 33 years.

I pray that this would never become blasé to us, His children. Our salvation cost Him so greatly, and all I hope to accomplish in this post, is to encourage myself and my friends to never forget the agony of the cross!

My newest favorite quote:

‘Let the cross always be the treasure of your heart, your best and highest thought…and your passionate preoccupation’ CJ Mahaney

I am amazed at the depths of the wonders of the cross! And I am praying that we will always search more and more into His incredible work at Calvary! Let the cross color your every thought and deed.

Simple In Essence

2007-10-07T18:45:00.000+02:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was listening to a guy give his testimony of how he got saved. He grew up in a religious home, and during his teen and early young adult years he was a young man of conviction, being greatly disturbed by the message he was being taught that one can earn his salvation.As a result of his restlessness, he started studying the Bible more in-depth, mainly the book of Romans, looking for some peace of mind about this whole issue of earning one's own salvation, because he came to realize that if that was indeed the case, he was failing miserably and on his way to hell.He became even more confused the more he read Romans and the more he consulted all the different interpretations of the book.He worked hard to piece all that he was reading together in his mind, but he was struggling. Until one day when he heard the gospel being preached, and clicked!Now surely, after having studied the Bible so much himself, namely Romans which literally screams the gospel message in almost every word, he must have read the message of the gospel a hundred times over!How come the lights only turned on the one hundred and first time he heard the gospel?Obviously because it is God who gives us understanding and opens our eyes to the truth when He sees fit.I was struck by that powerful thought while listening to this guy's story.In all our intelligence and means to study all the doctrines of the Bible, understanding will only ultimately come through God's unveiling our eyes to the simple message of the gospel!What struck me about this guy's testimony was how he was so "intelligently" digging into the Bible looking for answers, but when it came to his moment of salvation, his ability to understand such a simple message did not come from his own abilities to understand.It must have come from God.Praise God for the simplicity of the gospel--the Good News of God sending His Son to "be a propitiation for the remission of sins", and then showing His Power to save us out of our helpless states of sinfullness by raising His Son from the dead!(Romans 3:23-25)

It was so exciting to listen to this guy speak with such enthusiasm about how God opened his eyes to the truth after so many years of struggling within himself.I thought about how glorious it must have been for him to go back to Romans and read with new eyes what he had read so many times before and now see how all the doctrines of the Word fit do indeed fit together.While all of that studying that he did before he could understand it all may have seemed in vain, it wasn't, because after he understood the gospel, his appreciation of it was greater I think because he understood all the underlying doctrines of the gospel from his studies.So, while in-depth understanding of the doctrines of God, such as the doctrine of Total Depravity, the doctrine of Grace, the doctrine of Sola Scriptura, are not necessary to be saved, even though anyone who is saved is essentially acknowledging a belief in these doctrines, it has to be necessary for any Christian who earnestly desires to grow spiritualy as much as possible, doesn't it?Of course, we have to be careful not to get so caught up in the doctrines of grace that we actually take the grace out of the doctrines.

I think that most of you reading this can say along with me that we have boundless resources available to us to aid us in growing in our knowledge of the Bible.Why don't we take advantage of all of these resources more?I think it's easy for us who have grown up in homes in which we have always been taught the gospel, to become complacent with the knowledge that we do already have of the Bible.But I have found that when I truly examine my understanding of God's Word, I realize how little I actually do know.How I rob myself of great riches, mainly because of my laziness!

One of my favourite quotes comes from A.W. Tozer; he said, "Complacency is a most deadly foe of all spiritual growth."

And those of us who go to BBC have just the right opportunity to grow in our knowledge of the underlying doctrines of the gospel through the study of Romans that we've just started in Family Bible Hour.Let's take Neil's advice to heart and be willing to do that extra work of studying Romans on our own outside of FBH.I'm sure we won't regret doing so!

2007-09-01T19:43:00.000+02:00

I found this joke, and loved it! And of course, I had to share it!

An engineer, a physicist and a mathematician are staying in a hotel while attending a technical seminar. The engineer wakes up and smells smoke. He goes out into the hallway and sees a fire, so he fills a trashcan from his room with water and douses the fire. He goes back to bed.
Later, the physicist wakes up and smells smoke. He opens his doorand sees a fire in the hallway. He walks down the hall to a fire hose andafter calculating the flame velocity, distance, water pressure, trajectory,etc. extinguishes the fire with the minimum amount of water and energyneeded.
Later, the mathematician wakes up and smells smoke. He goes to the hall, sees the fire and then the fire hose. He thinks for a moment and then exclaims, "Ah, a solution exists!" and then goes back to bed.

I hope I am not the only one who enjoyed that! :)

10 things my dogs have taught me

2007-07-29T14:19:00.000+02:00

We can learn alot from our canine companions, if we will only keep our eyes open for them.

1. Eat with enthusiasm

2. You're never too old to play

3. Greet others with great excitement

4. When a friend needs to talk, just listen

5. Obey - when you feel like it :)

6. There's nothing like a nap in the warm sun

7. Talk is overrated

8. No matter what happens, don't stop wagging your tail

9.Wherever you go, always come home

10. Forgive and forget

Men Are Just Happier People!

2007-05-01T11:30:00.000+02:00

What do you expect?
Your last name stays put.
The garage is all yours.
Wedding plans take care of themselves.
Chocolate is just another snack.
You can be President.
You can never be pregnant.
Car mechanics tell you the truth.
You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky.
You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.
Wrinkles add character.
Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental $100.
New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
One mood all the time.
Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
You know stuff about tanks.
A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.
You can open all your own jars.
You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.
If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.
Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack.
Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.
You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.
Everything on your face stays its original color.
The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.
You can play with toys all your life.
One wallet and one pair of shoes -- one color for all seasons.
You can "do" your nails with a pocket knife.
You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.
No wonder men are happier.

We've Been Tagged

2007-04-27T11:35:00.000+02:00

1.How many candles on your last birthday cake?
-Alli (21) Katy (19) Lyds (16) Jessa (15) Dani (12)

2. How many siblings do you have?
-It's just us

3.How many first cousins do you have?
-20

4. Name five smells you like.
-men's cologne
-Skyline
-cinnamon rolls
-horses
-glue =)

5. Name the four funniest people you know.
-Neil
-Uncle Jimmy G.
-Lauren and Beth
-Grandpa

6. How many different countries have you lived in?
-The United States of America, South Africa, and for Alli and Katy, Australia

7. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?
-my legs
-my knees
-my curly hair
-my nose
-stronger feet for ballet

8. Name the friend who has touched you more than any other.
-Stacey
-Keri F.
-Aunty Tombie
-Gillian
-Kelsey

9. Have you ever volunteered your time anywhere?
-Yes, we all have.

10. Do you cry often?
-Duh (our poor dad!)

11. Something you are looking forward to?
-seeing the Crichtons again in June!! =)

12. A friend you wish you could see again?
-Nicola
-Erin
-Joy
-Jessie
-Kelsey

13. How many people have you cooked a home-made meal for?
-our family, the Beetge's, the Paynes

14. Where do you see yourself in ten years?
-married, 3.5 kids =)
-married, kids, running Kumon centre
-married, maybe kids, working in an adoption agency
-studying veterinary in PTA or serving in Congress
-somewhere in the Rocky Mountains, studying paleontology

15. Tag five people:
-Kaitlin
-Barry
-Danielle Taylor
-whoever else reads our blog =)

Things you can only get away with on an elevator in front of people you'll never see again in your life

2007-04-20T22:44:00.000+02:00

1. Make race car noises when anyone gets on or off.
2. Grimace painfully while smacking your forehead and muttering: "Shut up, all of you just shut UP!"
3. Crack open your briefcase or purse, and while peering inside ask: "Got enough air in there?"
4. When arriving at your floor, grunt and strain to yank the doors open, then act embarrassed when they open by themselves.
5. Greet everyone getting on the elevator with a warm handshake and ask them to call you Admiral.
6. Meow occasionally.
7. Stare at another passenger for a while, then announce "You're one of THEM!" and move to the far corner of the elevator.
8. Ask each passenger getting on if you can push the button for them.
9. Say "Ding!" at each floor.
10. Make explosion noises when anyone presses a button.
11. As the elevator's descending, raise your arms like you're on a roller coaster and tell the other passengers "Look, no hands!"

*www.winn.com
Note: We do not necessarily endorse everything found on this site

We've Been Tagged

2007-04-20T22:34:00.000+02:00

1.How many candles on your last birthday cake?
-Alli (21) Katy (19) Lyds (16) Jessa (15) Dani (12)

2. How many siblings do you have?
-It's just us

3.How many first cousins do you have?
-20

4. Name five smells you like.
-men's cologne
-Skyline
-cinnamon rolls
-horses
-glue =)

5. Name the four funniest people you know.
-Neil
-Uncle Jimmy G.
-Lauren and Beth
-Grandpa

6. How many different countries have you lived in?
-The United States of America, South Africa, and for Alli and Katy, Australia

7. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?
-my legs
-my knees
-my curly hair
-my nose
-stronger feet for ballet

8. Name the friend who has touched you more than any other.
-Stacey
-Keri F.
-Aunty Tombie
-Gillian
-Kelsey

9. Have you ever volunteered your time anywhere?
-Yes, we all have.

10. Do you cry often?
-Duh (our poor dad!)

11. Something you are looking forward to?
-seeing the Crichtons again in June!! =)

12. A friend you wish you could see again?
-Nicola
-Erin
-Joy
-Jessie
-Kelsey

13. How many people have you cooked a home-made meal for?
-our family, the Beetge's, the Paynes

14. Where do you see yourself in ten years?
-married, 3.5 kids =)
-married, kids, running Kumon centre
-married, maybe kids, working in an adoption agency
-studying vetrinary in PTA or serving in Congress
-somewhere in the Rocky Mountains, studying paleontology

15. Tag five people:
-Kaitlin
-Barry
-Danielle Taylor
-whoever else reads our blog =)

Happy B-day sisters!!!!!

2007-02-16T16:00:00.000+02:00

I know that it's a bit late but happy birthday to Dani (who's turned twelve on the tenth of Feb) and happy birthday to Katy (who's turned nineteen on the ninth of Feb.)Oh, and congratulations to us for having to spend all of our money in two days :)

Dialogue with Dani...More About the 5 Peas

2007-01-24T07:44:00.001+02:00

Question: If you could be any character in any fiction book, which character would you choose and why? (Answers in alphabetical order).

Alli:
Jo March from Little Woman and Little Men. She is such a strong and unique woman who goes against the flow. She is loyal to a fault and brings spark to everyone she knows. She is intelligent, well-spoken and gutsy. And she gets the guy =)

Dani:
I would like to be Maggie from Maggie's Dare because she reminds me of myself in alot of ways, but at the same time, she is what I strive to become. She isn't afraid to take risks even when her choices may be unpopular. And she gets the guy =)

Jessa:
There are actually two characters that I would like to be because I just couldn't decide which one to choose! First one would have to be Arwen from Lord of The Rings. I mean, she's an elf, how cool is that?! Everything from her language to her pointy ears to her dresses are absoloutly stunning! She's graceful, courageous, and a great horse rider! Then my second choice is Keely from Disney Channel's Phil of the Future. (It's not a book but, hey it's fictional!)Keely is a teenager who is a free spirit and doesn't care what others think of her. She is energetic, spunky, full of life, and a great friend. She is always willing to help others, even at the cost of her own comfort. And they both get the guy =)

Katy:
Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Predjudice because her descisions are governed by her heart rather than society's expectation's. And she gets Mr. Darcy =)

Lyds:
Allison beat me to the chase for my first choice! I will have to go with Lucy from the Chronicles of Narnia. She discovers a new world where animals talk and magic potions cure any wound! Plus, she gets to ride a lion. She doesn't get a guy but, hey, she becomes queen!

Readers, we would love to get to know you better too, so why don't you share your answer with us in the comment section!

HELP! :)

2007-01-23T12:16:00.000+02:00

Hi readers! We're doing a little bit of revamping and 'redecorating' here at the 5 Peas blog. We finally figured out how to add individual authors (see 'Contributors') but we can't manage to figure out how to arrange the authors in order!! If anyone knows how, please post your suggestions here.

Bear with us. :)

Be Thankful

2007-01-15T13:46:00.000+02:00

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over head, and a place to sleep... you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, spare change in a dish some place and a nice car/truck/motorcycle in the garage..... you are among the top 8% of the world's most wealthy.

If you woke up this morning in good health, you are more fortunate than the million who will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle unfolding all around you, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation...you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.

If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing inthat someone was thinking of you, and furthermore, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all.

Have a good day, count your blessings, and pass this along to remindothers how much we really have to be thankful for.

Author unknown

Fresh Beginnings

2007-01-08T20:31:00.000+02:00

Hi Everyone.

Can you believe that another Christmas holidays has gone by in what seems like a flash?! And now what looms ahead for most of us SA students (unless you're a SA university student, like a couple lovely sisters of mine who only go back the middle of Feb!) is another brand new school year. I realize that some of you foreign readers may be in the middle of a grade, but you also are starting back up again after a nice Christmas break, I hope.

I admit that starting on Day 1 can be kind of daunting and depressing, but it can also be exciting! The beginning of the school year, in my life at least, marks the real beginning of the year, because it's not only the time that we start a new school grade, but that's also when all the other activities our lives consist of go back to normal. The church schedule goes back to normal, youth meetings start up again as well as other ministries you might be involved in, sports seasons begin or resume, etc. It's the time of fresh beginnings! Look back on all the areas of your life from last year, and be grateful for the successes in those areas, as well as resolve to improve yourself this year in those areas where improvement is needed. And, if you're like me, improvement is always needed! Let's be passionate about all that we spend our time on: our schoolwork, ministries, other church involvement, friendships, extra-curricular activities, as well as the new things we'll venture to do this year. May we guard ourselves from falling into laziness. May glorifying God be the driving motive behind all of our ambitions for this year. And let's remember, as one of my family's pastors reminded the congregation in a recent sermon, that the way to determine whether or not each day, year, or our life was a success is by examining how our relationship with Christ grew and how we fought the spiritual battles that we faced. 2 Tim 4:7--"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

Here are some more words from the wise on school/learning to inspire and humor you:

I am learning all the time. The tombstone will be my diploma. ~Eartha Kitt

This one's especially for you public and private schoolers.=) For us homeschoolers--this explains a lot about our mothers:
If there were no schools to take the children away from home part of the time, the insane asylums would be filled with mothers. ~Edgar W. Howe

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. ~Alvin Toffler

A deadline is negative inspiration. Still, it's better than no inspiration at all. ~Rita Mae Brown

Have a great year you guys!

Lydia(Pea #3) for the 5 Peas

To You and Yours...

2006-12-24T17:53:00.000+02:00

Merry Christmas from our family to yours! We hope that each and every one of you have a memorable, special day celebrating the birth of our Lord and Saviour. Thanks for commenting on our humble musings - we appreciate you all!
Lots of love! The Peas

Photo: for those of you who don't know us personally, from left to right: Lydia (#3), Dani (#5), Halle (cutest dog ever), Katy (#2), Jessica (#4), Alli (#1)

A Christmas Challenge

2006-12-14T16:20:00.000+02:00

We want y'all to think about something for a minute. Think about your family. Think about how blessed you are to have been given a family - your family. Yeah sure, they're not a perfect family...maybe they're a little broken. But aren't we all? We all have issues - that's what it means to be human.

The point is this: you - yes, you - have been so incredibly blessed with a family while millions of children around this globe are alone. Let it sink in. So many children don't know the loving touch and gentle words of a mommy. Many have no idea what it means to be swung up on dad's shoulders, high above the world, feeling like nothing can ever go wrong cos, hey, dad's here. So many people on this earth are alone this Christmas - widows, widowers, lonely people, orphans. No lively dinner times where everyone stumbles over one another's words to tell their news. No family to confide in and share daily life. Alone. Alone.

It is not a comfortable thought, is it? It's tempting to push this devestating reality out of our minds - ignorance is bliss, right? Yeah, its bliss, but its no way to make a difference in God's world. Thoughts of orphans and widows makes us feel guilty and helpless. I mean, what can I do? But as Christians we cannot ignore this. If we do so, we might as well rip James 1:27 right out of our Bibles. The verse says this: pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble. God loves the fatherless and, as His children, so should we.

So during this Christmas season, when it is tempting to focus on one's own family, let's share God's concern for those who are alone. Let's light our world by reaching out to those less fortunate than ourselves. Why not include some lonely members of your church in one of your Christmas celebrations? Maybe make some cookies for a grieving widow in your local body of Christ? You only have a little to offer those who are alone? So what? A little goes a long way. Be creative - we can all make a difference. Let's shine Christ's love this season.

We encourage you to watch a music video by Steven Curtis Chapman, who has a real heart for orphans. The song is called All I Really Want for Christmas and can be found at the links below.

Windows - http://media.emicmg.com/SPD11231/video/wma/300/AllIReallyWant.asx
Real -
http://media.emicmg.com/SPD11231/video/real/AllIReallyWant.ram

May it touch and challenge your hearts as it has ours.
The Peas

The Goodness of God

2006-12-07T11:39:00.000+02:00

Psalm 68:19
Blessed be the Lord,
Who daily loads us with benefits,
The God of our Salvation!

Ponder it. God - the Maker of the universe, the Most High King, the One who holds this earth together. This God daily loads us - pitiful, pathetic, transient specks on this earth - with benefits. What benefits? Clothes on our backs, food at our tables, homes, cars, sunshine, music, friends, birds, health, babies, colour, the list cannot be exhausted. And this over and above God's gift of redemption! There are no words to adequately describe the goodness of our God!

Silica Gel

2006-12-05T18:31:00.000+02:00

How hilarious! Hope y'all find this as funny as we did! :)

Happy Birthday Lauren!

2006-11-27T13:36:00.000+02:00

It is our dear cousin Lauren's birthday tomorrow and we just wanna give a shout-out to her - HAPPY BIRTHDAY Laurie! Hope it's as awesome as it could possibly be! We'll be thinking of you!
Luv, us

Mark Hall's Testimony - Part 1 of 3

2006-11-25T20:37:00.001+02:00

Do yourself a favour and watch as Mark Hall (lead singer of Casting Crowns) shares his heart. He addresses Satan's lie that you're just not good enough to do anything for the Lord. This is really good stuff!

Mark Hall's Testimony - Part 2 of 3

2006-11-25T20:36:00.003+02:00

Mark Hall's Testimony - Part 3 of 3

2006-11-25T20:36:00.001+02:00

A Convicting Quote

2006-11-23T22:21:00.000+02:00

People do not drift toward holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated.
- D.A. Carson (For the Love of God)

"Bible Experience"

2006-11-17T20:45:00.000+02:00

As I read a piece of news over at cnn.com this weekend, I couldn't help but think, are Christians today brain-dead? Once you've read this, I'm pretty sure you'll be thinking along similar lines.

It seems that Zondervan (a Christian publishing company) has just released an audio Bible. But this isn't your typical audio Bible. No, this audio Bible features the voices of Denzyl Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Cuba Gooding Jr., Angela Bassett, and a host of other celebrities (actors, actresses, etc). What's more, this production has enlisted a full-scale orchestra to help capture people's attention.

Kyle Bowser, the driving force behind the project, shared his reason for this production. When he "recommitted" himself to Christianity (whatever that can mean in Hollywood), he began listening to an audio Bible but "quit listening after the first two or three discs". Why? Because he was not inspired by the storytelling. Bowser states, The production value was lacking and I thought, gee whiz, if we could do this and really capture people's attention, how much more impactful and engaging it might be.

Here is a novel idea - why not let Amighty God "capture people's attention" with His living Word? Do we need to add music and drama to God's Word to impact people? Or do we believe the Scriptures when it says, for the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12)?

Furthermore, Bowser said, There was some debate among the producers whether to restrict the cast to Christians. They finally decided not to, since the Bible is filled with both Christians and non-Christians. True. But that certainly doesn't mean that there are only insignificant differences between the two! God embraces the one and condemns the other! Can a Christian really benefit from the Word of God when it is being read by pagans? I simply don't think I could remove the voice from the actor/actress.

Am I crazy to be so shocked and offended by this? I would really appreciate feedback on how y'all feel and think about the "Bible Experience".
Pea #1 (Alli)

Happy Birthday Beth!

2006-11-17T08:54:00.000+02:00

Happy Birthday to our sweet and hilarious cousin, Beth. We hope that you have a day filled with cherished memories, lots of fun, and (obviously), tons of presents! :) We love you, Beth!
YFCs ;)

So Much More than Captivating

2006-11-17T07:21:00.000+02:00

One of the most useless books we ever read is Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul by John and Stasi Eldredge. That may not be a very nice thing to say about someone's book, but it is wholly true. At the heart of our dissastisfaction is the elevation of women and the diminishing of God which this book implicitly suggests. Another serious problem with this book is the Eldredge's assertion that gender-specific roles are a product of the Fall and not God's perfect design. Furthermore, in the first chapter, the authors exhibit a blatant scorn of the Proverbs 31 woman! This book quotes movies and celebrities more than Scripture, and human experience is exalted over Biblical revelation. We'd recommend a review over at www.cbmw.org - we'd post a link but don't know how! :) So girls - a word to the wise, don't read this book! Guys - don't buy this book for any female in your life! By the way, John Eldredge wrote a book called Wild at Heart for men. I'd be interested to hear from any guys who have read this book - is it simply the male equivalent of Captivating?

Now here's a book you should read. So Much More by Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin. Girls from BBC, you will recognise this book as the one we will be going through in our book club. Now here's a book that embraces, rather than resents, the feminine role.

Keep On Shinin'

2006-11-16T18:11:00.000+02:00

For the past few weeks, this song has been playing in my car c-o-n-s-t-a-n-t-l-y and has been a huge blessing and challenge to me. As I drive to varsity or work, I am reminded to "keep on shining" and to not be ashamed of this amazing news that I have - why keep it a secret? How selfish is that!? I could have literally written this song myself - that's how accurately it describes my thoughts when it comes to witnessing. I guess that's why I like it so much. Hope it blesses y'all as much as it did for me. Oh yeah...keep on shining, people.

"Keep On Shinin'"
THIRD DAY

It feels like forever since I can remember
It seems like it's always been this way
Keep the good news to ourselves, like a secret we'll never tell
I don't know why we've been so ashamed

But changes are in the air, sparks are starting everywhere
And oh, what a sweet, sweet sound
With millions of voices, singing new choruses
Leading the way to higher ground

Keep on, keep on shinin'
Wherever you may be
Keep on, keep on shinin'
For all the world to see

Having faith in the long run is easier said than done
It's hard to live out in the light of day
You're bruised and you're battered, your dreams have been shattered
Your best laid plans scattered over the place

Despite all your tendencies, God sees it differently
Your struggle's a time to grow
And you, you're a miracle, anything but typical
It's time for the whole wide world to know

Philippians 2:15 - that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe

Pea #1 (Alli)

Boring Blog...?

2006-11-15T20:55:00.000+02:00

The Peas are currently very busy with exams, tutoring, etc. Oh yeah, and Pea #3 is in India! This is the reason our blog has been so deadly boring lately, but keep checking cos you never know when inspiration will strike one of us! Meanwhile, we leave you with another kid funny.
Peace, y'all!

Zachary Taylor - An Example of Godliness

2006-11-07T10:42:00.000+02:00

Exodus 20:8 - "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy."

Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States of America. He was more than that, though. He was also a strong Christian who refused to comprimise his beliefs. James K. Polk's term as President expired on March 3, 1849. His successor Taylor was to be inaugurated the next day, which was a Sunday. He could have just done the easy thing and followed the crowd. But, he didn't. He obeyed his heavenly Father, postponed his inauguration to the Monday, and kept the Sabbath day holy. Wow, what an witness that must have been to the whole nation! His example has inspired me to be a shining light to the people around me by keeping the Sabbath day holy.
Pea #4 (Jess)

2006-11-07T10:28:00.000+02:00

Dying to Self-Entitlement

2006-11-06T18:14:00.000+02:00

About a week ago, I switched on the television and saw that Dr. Phil was on. The episode was all about "moochers". What are moochers, you ask? Moochers are twenty-something, fully-abled adults who continue to live with their parents. They have no job, don't go to university or college, and do absolutely nothing of significance all day...at their parent's expense! All-wise Dr. Phil (note: just kidding) made an interesting observation. He noted that our generation (born in the 1980s and beyond) is characterized by a sense of entitlement. For the most part, our generation believes that what we want, we should get - no questions asked, no difficulties, no roadblocks. In a word...self-entitlement. I believe that this is a product of the self-loving, Oprah-propogated philosophy that tells us, you can do anything you want to do, go for your dreams, know yourself, love yourself, etc. And let's not forget the all-importance of a positive self-concept. Now don't get me wrong, I think that the above concepts have their place, but to focus on them as one's sole belief and aspiration is going to exalt one person above all else...you! When we are constantly being urged to pursue our dreams no matter what and to work hard to improve our self-esteem and love ourselves, the only logical outflow of this will be a self-centredness and a subconscious notion that somehow the world owes us something. Again, a sense of entitlement.

This week, I have really noticed this sense of entitlement in the world, and sadly, in myself. Complaining about my varsity workload; getting angry when a taxi cuts me off; frustration when things don't get done my way. All of these reations point to a sense of entitlement, of which the basis lies in a fundamental belief that the world should revolve around me. And be honest with yourself, this isn't just an Allison sin, this is a tendency that exists in the heart of every human being, as in II Timothy 3:2 which states that in the last days men will be lovers of themselves.

It's a pretty bleak, selfish picture, isn't it? I guess we could stop the discussion now and go away feeling hopeless, but I take comfort and exhortation from three biblical principles which address this sin of self-entitlement.

Firstly, as God's children, we are a new creation and have been redeemed that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again (II Corinthians 5:15). Christ Himself made Himself of no reputaion and became a bondservant, humbling Himself even to the humiliating death on a cross (Philippians 2:7&8). And guess what? As Christ-followers, His power exists in us to follow Him in His humble, self-dying, cross-carrying life.

Secondly, I take hope in the fact that we are not called to die to self merely in order to die, but in order to truly live (Elisabeth Elliot, Passion and Purity). James 4:10 tells us that if we humble ourselves as Christ humbled Himself, we will also be exalted as He was exalted. Our motive for dying to self and rejecting sinful self-entitlement exists in a love for Christ and His glory.

Finally, I am exhorted to reject self-entitlement by one of my all-time favourite verses, in which I regularly find new depths of meaning. Philippians 2:14&15 exhorts God-followers to do all things without complaining and disputing that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world. God's Word tells us that our rejection of self-entitlement will be a powerful testimony and witness to our unbelieving friends and family. What a motive!

I hope this will be of some encouragement to you, as it undoubtedly has been to me. May we continue to strive for greater holiness for the glory of God and salvation of people.
Pea #1 (Alli)

The 6th Pea...Not Forgotten

2006-11-04T18:50:00.000+02:00

When discussing what we would write about in our blog, we unanimously agreed that one of our first posts should be a tribute to the sister of our hearts. As some of you know, our family fostered a little girl for seven months of this year. As a precaution, we won't mention her name, but most of you know it anyway. This precious little girl of 5 years arrived at our home in March of this year and we instantly adjusted as if she had been part of our family from the very beginning. Slowly but undeniably, she worked her way into our hearts until we each adored her like any little sister should be adored. She filled our home with sweetness and sassiness. She made us laugh with her unpredictable comments and mannerisms. Admittedly, at times she drove us crazy with her natural (and maddening) chattiness. But all of these emotions we experienced with her in our home are simply a part of sisterhood. These highs and lows proves that she became one of us, a sister, another VM chica...the 6th Pea. We said goodbye to her on October 7, 2006 with bittersweet emotions. Bitter because we knew we'd miss her like nothing we'd ever known. Sweet...she was finally getting the forever family that every child should have. We will never forget the sister of our heart and we continue to pray for her every day...for her forever family, her life choices, but most profoundly for her salvation. Please join us in praying that God would grant our 6th sister with a new heart so that the goodbye we said in October does not have to be forever.
With sisterly love and remembrance of Pea #6,
The Peas

A Funny

2006-11-03T17:17:00.000+02:00

I saw this over at the GirlTalk blog and I had to share it because it is just too hysterical! Aren't kids just so cute and innocent?
Pea #1 (Alli)

Welcome to Our World

2006-11-03T16:34:00.000+02:00

Well, here it is...the moment you've all been waiting for (drumroll, please). The VM chicas/peas have finally decided to add our voices to the millions (billions?) of those who think that other people care what is going on in their lives and minds. That's a joke for those of you who are feeling slighted right about now. :)
Anyway, this blog is a joint endeavor, authored by 5 (gorgeous, smart, funny, etc) sisters who have a lot to say about a lot of things (hey, we're opinionated -- we're women!).
So...watch out world...here we come.
The VM Chicas/Peas