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Saturday, July 28, 2007

Great books for Moms...and quick update...

Hi everyone!

I was just over at Joy's blog and she had asked everyone to post what their best resource or mom/wife books were and she got a huge response. I started drooling over these books on Amazon.com and thought I would share the list I compiled of "Really want these someday" books:


* The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace

* Created to Be His Helpmeet by Debi Pearl

* Keeping Our Childrens Hearts by Steve and Terri Maxwell

* Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit by the Maxwells (found at titus2.com)

* Sacred Marriage - Gary Thomas

* Mommy Manual - Barbara Curtis

* CAPTIVATING by John and Staci Eldredge.

* The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson.

* Anything from Nancy Campbell at Aboverubies.org (A magazine subscription from them would be a wonderful gift to any mother or grandmother)

* Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss

* A Woman After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George

* The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian

My personal recommendations are as follows:

* Shepherding Your Child's Heart by Ted Tripp (a must have for parents...I refer back to this book sooo much - it's used almost as much as my bible)

$4.00 on Amazon right now...

* For Better or for Best - Understanding your husband - Gary Smalley
There is also a book that is for the husbands to read - "If Only He Knew" - Understanding your wife. These books have been such a blessing to John and I. I believe Gary Smalley knows more about women than any one man on earth should know! These books are full of insight and I HIGHLY recommend them.
$5.99 on Amazon.com

I have not made much time for blogging this past week. I've been staying very busy. One of the newest things that keep me busy is my new God given ability to be disciplined enough to exercise!!!!!!! I can't believe it but I'm really doing it. I have been for almost 3 weeks now and I can feel such a difference. I pop in my Kathy Smith interval training DVD and go at it for about 45 minutes and follow it up with some crunches and stretches.

I have been consistant now doing this every other day and I can not tell you how good it feels. I have struggled with this for so long...wanting to exercise but never wanting to get sweaty and lacking the will power to do it. The words at the end of Kathy Smith's video just kept coming back to me "And if you do this workout 3 times a week you'll have the greatest body and FEEL GREAT!"...I kept thinking...oh to feel great....

To not feel worn out and to have energy...what a wonderful thought. So...I chose to trust her and tried to start doing it at least 3 times a week and I FAILED! I was so frustrated with myself. I started asking the Lord to help me because it seemed beyond myself to be disciplined enough...

And He did...I don't know exactly when or how but...wait...yes I do. It just everyday...CHOOSING to do it. Just like everything else in life. WE have to choose to do the right thing. And when I'm sitting there...already hot because of the weather and no air conditioning...I just had to take the steps. I still remember sitting there going "oh God help me get up...I don't want to do it. I don't feel like doing it...and if I do do it and then don't do it again in 2 days then it will have been for nothing..."

I then take a deep breath...try not to think about the fact that in 30 minutes I'm going to be sweating like crazy...walk over to the DVD player...grab the Kathy Smith DVD and stick it in as quickly as I can before I change my mind. I hit play and let myself think that I'm only going to do the first few exercises...The really great thing about this interval training is that it allows me to feel like I can do it. I know that probably sounds funny but you're not pushing through the whole video. It's just in spirts to get your heart rate up and then you slow down to get it back down.

It's supposed to boost your metabolism and it does! My metabolism is officially boosted and I am loosing inches...although I can not report that I have lost any weight. I'm just going to keep going...day by day...and continue to pray that God continues to help me have the discipline.

It feels so good and it's not as hard as I thought it would be to find the time. I just take the 45 minutes during naptime that I would noramlly be doing some form of cleaning or preparing and use it for that and somehow...there is still time for everything!

So! Maybe I'll be able to post some before and after pictures? We'll see. OK...as far as everything else goes. John is doing wonderful in language (ผุคภาษาไทยได) and is almost finished with Module 3 and will be heading up north to Korat to work with a wonderful family up there for a week. Clinton and John will be taking the ministry vehicle (this vehicle can bring the Jesus film anywhere...no electricity needed...has it's own generator) up there.

Tomorrow is Sunday and I can't wait to see all the kids. I have more to write but am really exhausted and it just hit me ever so suddenly. :) Please keep praying for us! We are currently raising money for Josiah's homeschool curriculum that we wish to purchase from Sonlight ($575) and we've received $250 dollars!!!! Isn't that awesome! God is so good!

Please check back to our prayer request page and please pray for Nawng Noon and Candy. They really need our continued prayer...

Thank you for stopping in!

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Incredible video...

I wanted to share this video with you guys...You have to wait until the finish...absolutly beautiful....

Woodside Bible Church

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Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Our Round Table...

Ok guys...for those who have been reading for a long time...You've got to be thinking..."What in the world is all this Wordless Wednesday stuff and a post about her dining table???" Well, I've found a whole new world out there in cyberspace that has thoroughly encouraged me. It's a whole slew of women out there blogging their lives and journey with God.


It has been so encouraging reading the struggles and triumph so many of these women are facing. I also absolutly love that they are always posting! They are always posting because it seems like in cyberspace...everyday of the week is a special day.

Whether it be Menu Plan-it Monday, Tackle it Tuesday or Wordless Wednesday there is always something going on. My hope is that getting involved let's more people know about what God has us doing here and hopefully - doubling or tripling our prayer coverage!!! So, since I only post once or twice a week normally I thought it would be fun to take a little out of each day to really get involved and meet these wonderful women.

So...here there it is. :) Lori over at "Glass Half Full" was curious about what other people do at dinner time and where they eat dinner. So the way it works is that you make a post on your blog about the subject and then you go to her page and put a link up to your site and the fun part is taking the time to see where the other links lead you.

Every night our family joins around our round table to eat. Please do not confuse this round table with the famous one from Camelot...unfortunatly the only serious talk is usually about our new turtle named "Vern" and swords are NOT allowed. To be honest we're usually begging for a moment of silence out of my oldest son who is HIGHLY COMMUNICATIVE. After cooking in the smoldering heat a moment to catch one's breath is required. no air conditioning + gas stove equals = "I'm melting...I'm melting..."

Our little Round Table came to us when we first arrived in Thailand from a family that just moved into a new home that came with a table (yeah Thailand is weird...homes that come with TABLES???...but they don't come with cabinets??? WHY? and no it wasn't a furnished house).
It's a great table except for the fact...no matter how many times we fix that leg it still wobbles. Today my oldest son had our new turtle "Vern" on the table and was shaking it rapidly while screaming (quietly of course) "It's an EARTHQUAKE VERN! EARTHQUAKE....AHHH!!! What are you going to do VERN??? It's an EARTHQUAKE!" I quickly informed him that Vern didn't appreciate his creativness and that he should give Vern 5 minutes to recooperate from the "earthquake". He complied.
Yes...That IS the bathroom in the background there. The idea of having the bathroom right next to our dining table really grossed me out for a while but there have been no problems with it. We just keep a strict "bowl movement" schedule and everything is just fine! NO! I'm just kidding there is no schedule...It's really fine...Oh and there is my beloved Wycliff International cookbook that has brought me into a whole new world of cooking.

I've never been Betty Crocker...I was more like Hamburger Helper Lady...until I moved to the mission field and well, there is no Hamburger Helper to be found. So, we got REAL tired of eating stir fried rice and eggs all the time so we ventured out and came to LOVE the Thai food (which is a miracle because I'm married to an ex-pickiest eater in the whole wide huge world)...but then, well, after 2 1/2 years you just miss AMERICAN FOOD! AHHH!!

So a dear friend of mine let me borrow this book and I haven't given it back! I love it. It tells you how to make everything without calling for things missionaries can't get. It's a heaven send for us and it's really gotten me into cooking. My hubby is REAL happy!! Ok...moving on...

We usually gather together every night here before the sun goes down so we can keep the windows open (and have a breeze). After the sun goes down the windows have to be closed or we are forced into a full on war with the native bugs. My youngest Jude gets the seat of royalty...it's the most expensive item in our kitchen!!! High chairs in Thailand cost a TON!!! But we caught a sale at a store in the city - this baby was normally 9,000 baht but we got it for 3,000 baht. Let me put that into dollars for you: $272 normally and $90 when we bought it.

And that is the cheapest I've ever seen here! My poor flowers are finally dying...my husband brought those home for me about a week ago - they've done wonderful! I put a little bit of sugar in the water and they last days longer. I've got the best husband ever...he also brought me home a very special treat tonight. There is a store here called Swensons.

It's an ice cream shop. It's a very rare and special treat if we go there because it is EXPENSIVE and anyway he brought me home an Ebony and Ivory...which looks a little like this:





Yeah...it was delicious! Anyway, dinner is a very special time for our family. Once we've (me mainly) cooled off...taken a deep breath...and prayed together it is a real blessing. It's really fun watching my son learn table manners too! He still doesn't understand that he can't ask to be excused with his mouth stuffed full of food. He's always ready to go play! :)

Thanks for stopping in!




Wordless Wednesday

Jude and I...isn't he the greatest!!!

PRECIOUS Nawng Fun...!

I know I already posted these once below my last post but they were just too cute. Had to share again on wonderful Wordless Wednesday! Have fun!


Sunday, July 15, 2007

A busy Sunday...

Hello Everyone!
FIRST let me say: I am sorry about not having spaces between my paragraphs...can't fix it!! I know it's an eye sore...try to make it through...
Thanks for stopping in to check in on us! I'm having some problems with accessing our main website so I thought I'd spruce up the "OLD" blogger account and put up some pics for old times sake. We are winding down after a long day. John and I have started taking the children to our home for children's church during church on Sunday mornings and it is truly a blessing.
I can't say it's easy teaching in two languages and it is rough sometimes but John and I have really found joy in pouring into these kids lives. John was talking about how you can see it in their faces that they don't have anyone at home who interacts with them. Their faces light up if you show them the littlest bit of attention. They are so adorable...as you can see in the pictures below. Please keep these children in your prayers.
Matt 18:14 In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little
ones should perish."
John also went back to the hospital today to go with Clinton to bring a bible to a guy who they prayed for yesterday. He had been in a motorcycle accident and has tents sticking out of his leg...but as the he heard the gospel he never looked away. John said he looked "gripped". So they came back today to give him a bible.
They were at that muslim hospital praying for people for about 4 hours yesterday. John prayed for a guy with malaria and got bit by a mosquito directly afterward...AHH! Good thing John doesn't live in fear and he trusts God right? HA! Every person in that hospital received a tract and met them face to face.
I was at home helping a dear friend...Candy who is in desperate need of your prayers right now. She has two children - Nathan (boy, 3 yrs) and BrehWah (girl, 7mos.). She is so much pain right now and is leaning on God to do a miracle in her marriage. Please pray for Candy.
Today John and Clinton went to a huge event that was going on in Hat Yai and passed out tracts with one of the churches involved with the Bless Hat Yai project. It was very encouraging because by the time John and Clinton got there (they came late because of the hospital visit) the group had already passed out tracts to everyone!!! Why is this an encouragment you ask??
Because they did it out of their own inititive!!! This is something that the Thai church struggles with...the Thai people are such a laid back people that they rarely do what is "outside of the box". But their hearts were moved and they acted!!! PRAISE GOD! That is what we are here to inspire and bring about. That in the body of Christ that is here...that they would take initiative and reach out to their own people.
We were specifically asked to be apart of the Bless Hat Yai project for that exact reason. To encourage, teach and equip the churches that are involved to evangelize their own areas...to help them catch the vision and burn for the lost.
There has been a lot going on here. We are experiencing persecution on a different level. We are being labeled as "the farangs" in a definitely negative way. When a Thai comes to know the Lord and truely gives their life to God and they start making changes in their lives their families don't know what to think except that "the farangs" are changing them. We are being accused of many things that have no foundation of truth at all and some that do...helping them leave their gods. Please pray for us and our protection.
On a different note...we had a Ngaan Booaht in front of our house yesterday. This is a celebration when a young boy of the family makes a vow and becomes a novice monk for a few days up to a year...they want their sons to do this because if the son does this the mother is allowed into heaven and it helps the family. There is nothing like waking up to a huge band parading infront of your home at 6:30am walking the "novice monks" down your road so they can collect food from you.
Monks usually walk down many roads every morning to receive food and "bless" the people who give it to them. It was very disturbing...while I couldn't understand what they were saying it felt very bad. When I spoke to Che Ann about it and asked why they played the music so early and did that he simply stated "because they are worshipping false gods."
At times I don't know what to feel...sad because of their deception, angry because of their unwillingness to think beyond tradition...or just plain grieved that they live in a culture where they truely believe if a young boy does goes into a monestary, shaves his head, chants some chants, listens to the monks, and goes home in a few days that a whole life time of sin can be washed away forever.
Well, I've definitly typed enough and there are tons of pics for you to veiw! Hope you enjoy! For old times sake...leave me a comment!!! :)
John, Nawng Ga, Nawng, Whewe, Nawng Fun and Josiah taking a short play break to take a pic. Nawng Fun LOVES to see the photo in the camera!!

John out with a team passing out tracts at a big event in Hat Yai.



Jude doing what he's not supposed to do...and he thought he was getting away with it too...


until this moment...Caught in the act....

Nawng Fi and Nawng Fun...


A young man reading a tract that he received. John and a team went out to a big event called Music in the Park and canvased the area with tracts...


The kids playing ball with John...


Nawng Whewe...Yes she is always that cute...

John teaching Nawng Fun how to throw the frisbee...


Jude showin some sweet love to mommy...


Me teaching the kids...


Che Ann leading worship...

Nawng Fun being as cute as can be...










Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Remember...New Blog...Come check it out...

Hey everyone!

A few of you are still coming here to find out what's going on...but as you can see there have been no new updates. And that's because I've moved our blog to our website. I really love Blogger.com but it was so much fun to create this website and it's given me a lot more freedom.

Please stop by and check it out - we even have a Prayer Needs page so that you can know what to pray for us for...and lots of new pics.

www.dead2sin.com/our_blog

Thanks for stopping in...please keep us in your prayers.

With tons of love from the other side of the world...
Steph