WOW

READ CARA'S BLOG. NOW.
http://unreachedpeeps.blogspot.com

What's Up in Eldo?

• Kyle turned ONE a month ago and I still haven't taken his one year pics...my bad. :)
• I DO NOT HAVE LYME DISEASE!!! I had a false positive since I had Lyme when I was 18. I still had the antibodies in my blood, thus the positive test results. However, my Dr. in San Antonio asked if they had done further blood work to confirm the Lyme was still active. He told me about a "Western Blot" test that I should have had done at the same time as the antibody test. Well...the Doctor who told me I had Lyme disease (a doctor in Sonora..about 20 miles away from Eldo) ALSO did the western blot test...and it was NEGATIVE. I asked his nurse to fax me all of my labs for the Dr. in San Antonio and when I looked over them it was very obvious that my western blot was negative. I immediately called the Doctor's office in Sonora to ask WHY they didn't go over those test results and realize that my Western Blot was negative. Guess what? I haven't heard back from them. Imagine that. The good news is, I don't have Lyme disease. I am so pumped about that. I am now being treated for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I have known for years that I had the symptoms of that and I am pretty stinking excited about the opportunity to overcome it and live a healthy life -- rather than give into it and surrender to a life of pain and fatigue!! So far I have lost about 30 pounds and would like to lose about 30 more. That is a huge jump start to knocking this junk out of my body. It's a commitment for life -- healthy eating is essential to dealing with Fibromyalgia and CFS. I look forward to a life of health and wellness!! I am still seeing the Doctor in San Antonio and have absolutely NO plans of returning to the Doctor here in Sonora. I started a liver detox today that will be rather unpleasant but totally worth it. That lasts about a month. Then I start the overall detox and I will be having to drive to San Antonio twice a week for a month. Dr. Hernandez (in San Antonio) condensed 3 months of treatment into one month and lowered the price from $15,000 to $5,000. It's a long story....but I have already received the $5,000 from a very generous Aunt of mine. :) Hallelujah!!! We just have to come up with the money for gas (will probably be about $1200) and the money for my supplements (probably about $1500). The expense so far has been overwhelming but the Lord is providing, I am thrilled to say!! He is faithful, that's for sure. I am learning so much through this experience about the character of God. I'll blog on that soon.
• Pray for my parents. Check out this website: www.americanfamilyreunion.org
• Cara is here for about 3 weeks and I AM SO EXCITED!! You can read up on her at http://unreachedpeeps.blogspot.com
• Ryan and Sarah seem to be doing alright -- I believe last week was the last week of classes for this semester for Ryan, and I assume Sarah has several more weeks. I would link you to their blog but, well, they haven't exactly updated it since August. :)
• I saved the best for last. Sylas has been amazing through all of this sickness stuff. You know that part about "In sickness and in health"?? Well, Sylas hasn't really ever experience the "In Health" part -- but he will SOON!! But he has certainly loved me in my sickness. I feel like we're a team and we're fighting this together. I am overwhelmed with his desire to provide for our family financially and physically and emotionally through all of this. He is ready and willing to do whatever it takes to get me WELL -- and we are looking forward to the fruit of our labor. You can read up on him at http://sylaspo.blogspot.com

The Twins

I have waited WAY too long to introduce you to the newest member of the Minnesota Twins!! He's an amazing pitcher, an incredible batter, and is even able to bat left OR right handed!!!! Quick story -- Jacob played catcher (as you can see below)and pitcher his first game. After the game, we were home talking about it and Sylas goes "Jacob, what was your favorite position that you played tonight?" Jacob's response "Ampire!"

I will do my best to show you the highlights of a typical Eldorado T-Ball game:




First time up to bat!

--A Swing and a HIT!!!!Jacob's On first...and Mommy eyes are overflowing with tears....I can't help it!!!!

Ok, you gotta hear this story. There was a ground squirrel on the field. It ran across the field and stopped right between the third base line and the dugout. Jacob was on second, his buddy Michael was on first, and Mason was up to bat. Mason couldn't care less about the ground squirrel -- he's a country boy and he sees that stuff all the time. So he smacks the ball. That means Jacob runs to third, and then his coach sends him home. Well, remember where the ground squirrel was???? Jacob was totally distracted by the opportunity to study this animal on his way to home plate. So much so, that Michael caught up with him. It was SO FUNNY. Notice Jacob in the first picture looking back at the squirrel while Michael runs full speed ahead. They basically crossed home plate at the same time. I'm LOVING Tee-Ball. These kiddos are precious -- there aren't words to describe the joy it brings to a Mom's heart to see your child run across home plate!! I love how Jacob looks into the stands to make sure I saw his "Home Run." :)

Check out that tongue hangin' out!!

Lyme and the FLDS

I don't usually post random blogs but it works for the Plevans, so I thought I would. I know it has been forever since I posted -- or at least it seems like forever because SO MUCH has happened!!
Everything in Eldorado has quieted down as far as the FLDS. But what remains is the compound, which is now inhabited by men and women who have lost their children. I don't think they deserve to have their children back at all, but my heart aches for the mother's who don't know anything other than polygamy and the doctrines of the FLDS...and now they have lost their children. I just can't imagine the heartache. We need to pray that the Lord would open a door for the gospel to be brought to those people. Polygamists are truly an unreached people group in the U.S. -- you can read more about it at http://www.shieldandrefuge.org/
What's on my heart today is my health. I have been feeling alright -- but yesterday and today have been pretty rough. I found out this morning that my Lyme disease was only slightly reduced by the antibiotics...so my physician in Sonora prescribed another month's worth of antibiotics. The hard part is that those antibiotics contribute a lot to my feelings of nausea and fatigue. I am also seeing an Integrative Health dr. in San Antonio. He is a doctor of natural medicine and is probably one of the smartest people I have ever met in my life. I am supposed to have an appointment to speak with him on the phone Monday morning about the Lyme results and where we go from here. I appreciate him allowing me to visit with him over the phone, because the combined total of the last two doctor's visits (including supplements) was about $3,500.00. If you would like to sponsor a doctor's visit, I am willing to wear your company's logo :) In all honesty, the drive home from San Antonio yesterday was tough -- I was pretty discouraged about the cost...and it just began to seem foolish to me. But this morning when I woke up feeling even worse than yesterday and I got the results of my bloodwork, I realized that I need to trust this dr. and submit to his plan for wellness for me. It is going to be a long road -- a challenge physically, mentally and financially -- but I have seen remarkable results in other people's lives after they've gone to Dr. H in San Antonio, so we have committed to making it work no matter what. Please pray for that for us.
I will post some pictures that Sylas took out at the compound -- since our blog is private now, I figure it's safe to post them. You'll be amazed at how close he got to the temple. He will have to post soon so you can hear an insider's view!!

This is the temple annex, where Sylas headed up the cook trailer for several days. THE temple

Not Your Typical Friday

For those of you wondering -- we are doing just fine. I can't say much at all about it but I just wanted to post a short blog letting everyone know things are good. You can call for more info. and if I know you, I'll tell you :) Our phone has been flooded with calls from media across the nation so leave a message and, like I said, if I know you, I'll call you back.
If you haven't heard what's going on, watch CNN, Fox News or go to www.myeldorado.net

Kyle's First Birthday!

Forget the cake, let's blow the horn!! I'm ONE!
Here Ty, we know you will eat it!
Yay! I survived my first year!!

Ok, I am still awake and I guess I better go ahead and post about Kyle's first birthday. It was today and, poor guy, he had a rough day. He woke up with fever and we just gave him ibuprofen all day. I think he's getting his eye teeth and I'm sure it's painful. Poor guy!

Anyway, we made a cake and opened presents this evening. It was simple but appropriate. Nevermind that for Jacob's first birthday we had a party with people driving in from 100's of miles away, a custom-designed cake and all the coordinating accessories and hundreds of dollars worth of gifts. For Kyle, we called a couple friends about 5pm to see if they wanted to come over for pizza and cake....and we certainly didn't want/need any gifts!! Oh well...I'm sure he'll never know!

Here he is with the birthday cards he got in the mail today from Aunt Dayle and Uncle Jerry, and Aunt Carye and Uncle Jim!! He was surprisingly ecstatic about the cards!! He also got a book from Dayle and Jerry about Daniel in the Lions Den. Jacob showed off his new reading skills.

Opening presents was a new thing for Kyle. His big brothers opened all his Christmas presents. But I was ready to fight for his right to open his first birthday presents. So,after about 30 minutes of studying and checking things out, Kyle finally unwrapped his first gift!! Thank goodness, he only had 2! He's very inquisitive and fun to watch. I can't wait until he can communicate with words -- I'm sure I'll have many questions to answer. I can almost see his brain growing!!

Once he figured out that there was a toy inside, we had to stop and clap!

Jacob was very patient and watched intently as Kyle pulled off each piece of wrapping paper. Ty was long gone to his room to find something else to do!! Overall, it was a great night. We are so thankful that we all survived year one!! Kyle is a true blessing and I'm so thankful for all three of our boys!! It is so exciting to watch them grow and see what the Lord is molding them into. We can't wait!!!!!! :)

Ski Trip Pics

OK, we survived our Church Ski Trip 2008 to Purgatory (Durango Mountain) Colorado!! It was quite an eventful trip -- with a walk through the snow with 30 of us at 5am...including all three of my kids and NO Sylas!!! He was already at the lodge checking us in and the bus stalled in the snow. We all had to get out so that the bus didn't roll backward. I think we looked like we were on the Oregon Trail as we all walked up the mountain in uncharted territory. Did I mention Jacob was still wearing the shorts he had on when we left the 80 degree weather in Texas? Mom of the Year!!!
We had a blast overall and are really grateful for the opportunity to go. It was absolutely beautiful!! I will never forget it. The boys were so pumped to be able to learn to ski and tackle the mountain...or the bunny slopes...either way they were pumped.
I attempted to blog about all 5 of us in one blog but something's up with my computer. So I posted about each kid individually. And I explained all of that in the first post about TY -- which is now the third post -- so it may not make any sense at all. Either way, I had my wisdom teeth taken out on Wednesday and I think they got more wisdom than tooth. So that's probably the entire problem. :) Enjoy the pics!!

Sylas and Kyle on the Ski Trip

Well, I figured I better tell you about both Sylas and Kyle. Sylas only got to ski half a day...mostly because we took all three kiddos with us!! But also because his knee has been bothering him and he was nervous about messing it up. Man I am SO thankful that he didn't!!! So here's super Dad with his boys! Notice he has already brainwashed them -- I think they wore Longhorn stuff the entire trip!! Aunt Dayle helps him out with that. :)

Baby Kyle spent most of his time in Mommy or Daddy's arms. It turns out he had an ear infection and was on breathing treatments the entire time we were up there. I didn't realize what altitude does to babies. But he still managed to enjoy himself a bit...in the hallways of the hotel!!
Here's a couple of him in the snow:

Finally, here's a pic of Sylas and I. We were taking some family pictures and I wanted one of just the two of us. He was standing kinda far away from me so I said "Hey, act like you love me." I was joking, I promise. But here's what I got. I guess I deserved it.

Jacob on the Ski Trip!

OK, here's Mr. Jacob on the ski trip. He's such an intellectual child. No credit to Sylas and I...he was born that way. As I got him dressed for his second day of skiing, he informed me of rules 1 through 3. And when we met his instructor, he inquired "Jimbo, what was rule #4?" Nevermind ski technique, he wanted to make sure he knew all the rules. :) I just love that!!

Ty on the Ski Trip!!!

So I tried to do a post with all three kids and pics from the ski trip, but my computer won't let me. I'm really not that good with computers and the fact that I even have a blog is just the grace of God. Plus Sylas helps me out a lot. SO I guess each child will have their own post! We'll start with our wild child.

Here's what Ty did most of the trip:

Ty spent most of his time eating the snow and throwing it at people! But he proved to be a great skier! He did not, however, discriminate against colored snow. He ate it all: brown snow, yellow snow...it didn't matter. And it never ceased to disgust me.

Your Sins Will Find You Out

The kid who broke into our house has been apprehended for 4 felonys in one week. He broke into our house, the pastor's house, the church and Rosa's restaurant here in town. He used to be in our youth group. He confessed to everything because they matched his shoe print to a footprint on the Anderson's hot tub cover -- which he stepped on in order to get in their house. The whole thing is just disturbing to me and my heart is literally broken because we know him. But at least now I know that it wasn't some strange person who slept in our house and violated our privacy. He's lost. Please pray for his salvation and pray that we maintain a spirit of forgiveness toward him.

GOOD Friday

You know what? It IS a good Friday. And we have reason to rejoice. I just spoke to my dad on the phone and he encouraged me to celebrate OUR resurrection as believers on Sunday (Easter) as we celebrate the resurrection of Christ. The old things have passed away, and all things have become new.
I called my father because I am facing some serious fear right now. As some of you have heard, our house was broken into while we were gone on our ski trip. I am excited to post pics of the trip soon -- but, for now, this whole 'breaking and entering' thing has sort of overshadowed the ski trip.
When we arrived home from Colorado at 3am this morning, we found some 'evidence' on our dining room table that someone had been in our home. It was both alarming and disgusting. Because we were both physically exhausted, we checked out the house and locked everything up and went to bed. But when we got up and started cleaning up the wreckage from our trip, I noticed several things that were out of place...and began to feel very violated and fearful. We called the police here in Eldorado and they now have DNA evidence of the person who broke in. It will take a couple months to get the results. But we feel confident that they are doing the best job they can do to take care of and protect us.

Even more than that, I'm confident that the Lord is our shield. Psalm 4:8 has flooded my thoughts when the fear begins to rise up in me:
"In quietness and peace I will both lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."

I spoke to my dad about my fears -- and between him and Sylas, I feel secure this evening. They have pointed me to the Cross and assured me of my security in Christ. It is for that reason that I am asking the Lord to help me forgive the person who invaded our home and invaded my personal privacy and belongings. Perhaps some day I will have the opportunity to share the gospel with them and offer them the forgiveness that only Christ offers through His death and resurrection that are so close to our hearts this time of year -- and should be each day. It's so comforting to me that His mercy is new every morning, that His lovingkindnesses never fail, and that we were crucified with Him and raised from the dead...well, I can't say it any better than Romans 6:
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

So let's celebrate resurrection day together -- our resurrection in Christ that will one day unite us all eternally as we worship Him together!! This Friday is GOOD because we remember that our sin was put to death on the Cross -- that there is 'newness of life' -- that we are no longer slaves of sin!!

I promise to post pics soon. Please pray that I do not succumb to a spirit of fear, but rather pursue wisdom and a deeper faith in the Lord's sovereign plan for our lives. We know that suffering is inevitable and our pain is temporary. We trust that our salvation can never be violated and I will rest in that tonight.

Kyle's First Haircut!

Before
In The Process
After
Here are a few pics of Kyle's first haircut -- he did great!! He turns 1 in about 2 weeks -- can you believe it?? We can't -- but we're so excited!
We are leaving tomorrow at 1pm for Durango, Colorado!! I am really excited now because I have spent the last 10 hours packing for us! I got really overwhelmed at one point but now I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Please pray for our safety and my sanity. :) We will be on a bus with the youth and a few other adults and, most importantly -- all 3 Politte boys!!! I know we will have a blast -- Jacob and Ty are both going to go to ski school and hopefully Jacob will be able to keep up with Ty by the second or third day. :) Can you imagine Ty on the slopes? I can't wait!
Sylas is preaching tomorrow on humility -- a response from the book Humility: True Greatness by C.J. Mahaney, with a focus on Philippians 2:1-10. I am really looking forward to hearing him preach. His zeal for the youth and for the church are such a gift from the Lord. I am constantly in awe of how he is able to accomplish so many things in a day, and still takes great care of his family.
We are in our seventh year of marriage now and the Lord has been so faithful to bring us to a new level of understanding of the Biblical purpose of marriage. We are grateful for that! I can honestly say it has brought us a lot of happiness and contentment -- isn't the Lord good!!??!?!
I will blog soon about my health and how it is finally improving. I recently found out that I have Lyme disease -- a flare up of the disease that I first contracted 11 years ago after being bit by a tick while I was backpacking in the Ozark Mountains. (I know, it's hard to believe, but it's true -- I really did go backpacking....and I really did NOT enjoy it). :)
I especially am not enjoying the Lyme Disease OR the treatment for it -- BUT I am learning to find JOY in all things -- because I believe that God is sovereign over ticks and that I can learn a lot through persevering through this. The best part is that it's completely treatable and in a couple months I should be feeling a lot better. Please pray for that, because I saw another Dr. last week who seems to believe that I also have fibromyalgia, a sister syndrome to Lyme. I'm just thankful for each day and for the ways the Lord shows me He cares about every detail of my life -- even my physical pain. The boys have been great at helping me stay on my diet (Sylas, not so much) :) -- and I am learning how important it is to take care of my body!!!! Either way -- I am so grateful to be alive and to be enjoying life with Sylas and these three boys who are precious gifts of LIFE! Each day with them is a gift and I am learning to embrace that and check my attitudes and anxieties at the foot of the Cross.
I will close with my theme verse for 2008. I came across this early in January and declared it my passage for the year -- that was about 6 weeks before I found about the Lyme disease. God is GOOD:

Proverbs 3:1-8
My son, do not forget my teaching,
But let your heart keep my commandments;
For length of days and years of life
And peace they will add to you.
Do not let kindness and truth leave you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
So you will find favor and good repute
In the sight of God and man.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your body
And refreshment to your bones.

pics for you :)

Here are some pics of Kyle, Ty and Jacob -- I plan on devoting a post to each child in the near future. I would love to share their many 'faces' with you!

I'll probably start with Jacob's 5 yr. pics. We borrowed my friend Nikki's ranch and she helped me get some amazing shots! It's good to have photographer friends!!!

Finally....

So sorry it has taken me so long to blog. We certainly have had plenty of things occur that are blogworthy! Between 3 kids and Sylas -- I laugh and cry just about every day! Since I blogged last, we have survived (and for the most part thoroughly enjoyed) Christmas, New Years, Camp Buckner's final reunion, Jacob seeing a song alone in church, My 29th birthday, Sylas' 27th birthday, Jacob's 5th birthday and party...did I leave anything out?? Kyle is about to be ONE in a few weeks -- bye bye bottles and formula!!! Hallelujah!! That makes at least 3 years + of bottles and formula...and certainly 5 solid years of diapers/pull-ups! But it's all worth it. I actually saw a picture the other day of Ty in his diaper and I really do miss that little mischevious toddler!! :) But I'm pretty certain, and Sylas agrees, that Kyle is going to give us a run for our money!!!!
I received a note today in Jacob's pre-k take home folder that had the requirements for a child to apply for the "Gifted and Talented" program. As I read each one (Jacob asked me to read the whole bulletin out loud) I was cracking up at our little prodigy. By the way, I want you to know, Sylas and I take no credit for this kid....or any of our boys for that matter. But I just want to be clear that we did not attempt to make Jacob the brilliant child that he is. He was born that way. :) He's definitely a nerd. Ha! Here are some of my favorite bullet points and proof that Jacob qualifies:

• "Outstanding Memory" Evidence: "Mom, remember when I turned one and Clark's grandfather came from Lubbock to my birthday party? That was fun" (Who remembers their first birthday party???!?!!?
• "Sophisticated Sense of Humor" Evidence: (sorta) "Hey Mom, would it be funny if I took my teetee for show and tell for the letter T?" Ok, maybe not sophisticated...but funny. Sylas' response: "Babe, PLEASE let him!"
• "Sees Unobvious Relationships" Evidence: (as we're walking through Dillard's and he sees some camo crocs) "Hey Dad, you should get those for your wife's brother. He would love them!" (You should have seen the sales lady look at me like I was his mistress!!!!) Another: When Jacob is talking about his Nonnie (my mom) to Sylas, he refers to her as 'your mother-in-law'
• "Curious, Asks Endless Questions" Evidence: "Mom, teach me about trees." "Mom, teach me about birds." "Mom, teach me about the cross...and grace....and, (thank you Eron Plevan) propitiation." My personal favorite: "Jesus died to give me the grace to play Tee-Ball"

I will try to get on the ball this afternoon and post some pics of our precious boys. I am so thankful to the Lord each day for each one of them and for Sylas. They are all certainly gifts far beyond what I deserve...I am blessed!

Bridges and Tripp :)

I got 2 new books in the mail today. I ordered them from Amazon.com. I LOVE amazon!

This will make two posts for today and countless emails....but I haven' t been able to eat for 3 days because of a stomach bug....so I don't have much energy. And reading and blogging don't take much energy. :)

Book #1: Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands People in need of change helping people in need of change ~ Paul David Tripp

I have only read the preface and Chapter One but I can highly recommend it. Here's a quote as a tease:

"But consider this: we could never hire enough paid staff to meet the ministry needs of the average local church. The "passive body that pays the professionals" culture of the modern evangelical church must be forsaken for the ministry model God has so wisely ordained. To that end this book has been written."



I must add that the book is written in the positive sense in regards to that quote. He is equipping those who are kingdom-minded and who desire to be an instrument to bring about righteousness in themselves and others.



Book #2: Respectable Sins Confronting the Sins We Tolerate ~ Jerry Bridges

Though I have never read any of Bridges works, I can tell you that I love this man. I have read countless quotes full of insight and truth....I cling to every word. I have only read the preface of this book but I want to include a quote:

"The motivation for this book stems from a growing conviction that those of us whom I call conservative evangelicals may have become so preoccupied with some of the major sins of society around us that we have lost sight of the need to deal with our own more "refined" or subtle sins.

While seeking to address these "respectable" sins, however, I also want this to be a book of hope. We are never to wallow hopelessly in our sins. Rather, we are to believe the gospel through which God has dealt with both the guilt of our sin and its dominion over us."



AMEN??? Amen. You know what I love about these two guys? Every sentence they write has a purpose. There are no 'fillers'. That's why it takes me forever to get through them. I usually read one paragraph...perhaps even of the preface...and I have to pray, repent, send out an email asking for forgiveness, call Sylas and share it with him, and give thanks to anyone who recommended the book!!!!!!! NOt literally...more of my time is spent marking the books up. I'm sure that drives Sylas nuts because when he reads it he gets my notes as well.

One more thought...I just love how Biblical, theologically sound books always start with the gospel. I'm learning each day how vital that is to life and to sanctification. Both of these books, of course, do just that.

The wind is blowing here like crazy...a cold front is coming in!! That means it might get below 80 tomorrow!! I wish I could curl up in a recliner and read all night. HA!

Hymn of the Day..or of My Life

Thomas O. Chisholm
I just love this Hymn...and somehow it's been in my mind this morning. I was confronted with it's Biblical truth. It is saturated with Scripture. Let it run through your mind and soul today. It will bring thankfulness and peace!!



Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;

As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.


Great is Thy faithfulness!Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see.

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!


Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!



Words:
Thom­as O. Chis­holm, 1923. Ac­cord­ing to Chis­holm, there were no spe­cial cir­cum­stanc­es which caused its writ­ing—just his ex­per­i­ence and Bi­ble truth. The hymn first ap­peared in Songs of Sal­va­tion and Serv­ice, 1923, com­piled by Wil­liam M. Run­yan. It is the un­of­fi­cial “school hymn” of Moo­dy Bi­ble In­sti­tute in Chi­ca­go, with which Run­yan was as­so­ci­at­ed for a num­ber of years.



Check out this site for more info. on hymns.

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving marks the beginning of my absolute favorite time of the year. Time to get out the fall decorations, time to rake the leaves and jump in them, time for the temperature to drop below 90 :) and time to bring out the winter clothes (just in case it gets below 80).

One day last month I was at Hobby Lobby and I decided I would make a cornucopia this year to add to our fall decor at home. The night I made it, I was talking to a friend of mine and she didn't know what a cornucopia was. So I went to webster.com.

Cornucopia:

Main Entry: cor·nu·co·pia
Pronunciation: \ˌkȯr-nə-ˈkō-pē-ə, -nyə-ˈ\
Function: noun
Etymology: Late Latin, from Latin cornu copiae horn of plenty
Date: 1508
1 : a curved goat's horn overflowing with fruit and ears of grain that is used as a decorative motif emblematic of abundance

2 : an inexhaustible store : abundance

So, a cornucopia is emblematic of abundance, or an inexhaustible store. If you know me, you know that was enough for me to write a whole Sunday School lesson around. I'll spare you a link to it. :) But I wanted to share what the Lord is teaching me about His inexhaustible grace, His overabundant riches, and His eternal kindness to us. I came across this excerpt from a sermon by John Piper as I was 'studying the gospel' as C.J. Mahaney urged me to do in his book The Cross Centered Life. Check this out, it will give you something to be thankful for -- with every new day and with every breath:

1. Kindness in the Place of Wrath
First, notice what God gives in the place of wrath.
In verse 3 at the end it says that "We were by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind." By nature we were so rebellious against the law of God that we were suitable objects of God's wrath.

Jesus' Merciful Warnings of Hell
Every Christmas when I sit in front of our living room fire, and watch it consume paper cups and marshmallow bags and hot dog wrappers, I cannot help but think of hell. It isn't fire and brimstone preachers who put these images in my mind. It is Jesus Christ.
He's the one who warned the church most vividly to cut off your sinning hand rather than go with two hands to hell (Matthew 5:30); that all evildoers will be thrown into a furnace of fire (Matthew 13:42); that the goats on his left hand will go into eternal punishment (Matthew 25:46); that there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12). Again and again he warned that it is appointed unto man once to die and after that comes judgment (Hebrews 9:37). And these are not the hostile harpings of a country preacher. They are all mercy—just like the glass doors on the front of our fire place are mercy to little Barnabas.

God's Merciful Promise
But now, in typical biblical fashion, after the merciful warning comes the merciful promise in verse 7. For those who trust Christ, God commits himself to the following purpose:
. . . that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Notice how Paul piles up words to make a deep and lasting impression on our hearts. God's settled purpose is to be gracious to those who are in Christ Jesus. And lest we miss the sweetness and gentleness and gladness of the word "grace," he adds the words, "in kindness toward us." Now ask yourself this question: If there were one person in all the universe the benefits of whose kindness you could choose, who would it be? Would it not be God? You might be able to think of a thousand things that would be kindness to you. But then your imagination would run out. But God's imagination will never run out.

Help for Faltering Imaginations
And to make this clear Paul uses the word "riches." God's purpose is to spend the "riches of his grace in kindness on us." And then to assist our faltering imagination he adds the word "immeasurable" or "surpassing" or "incomparable." How rich is God? I read in the paper recently that Queen Elizabeth is worth about four billion dollars. Now if you got a letter in the mail from Queen Elizabeth which said that she had taken an oath by the blood of her son to spend her riches to show you as much kindness as she could for the rest of your life, wouldn't you get excited? And her wealth compares to God's like a grain of sand to the Sahara Desert.
But that's not all. She could only show you kindness for a few years—ten, thirty, sixty maybe. But look what Paul says God intends to do for you? "That in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness to us in Christ Jesus." How long is an age? And how many ages are coming? Well, the answer is simple: all of them that lie in the future are coming. So it doesn't matter how long one of them is.
Do you know why Paul had to say it this way? Because that's how long it will take God to run out of fresh ideas about how to show you kindness. When eternity ends, God will have run out of ways to show you kindness. Now tell me, when does eternity end?

The Meaning of Christmas
This is the meaning of Christmas: Christ came into the world to die for sinners so that God would have a people who would value the riches of his kindness forever. Are you one of those? How can you not be one of those, when you compare the wealth of God with the wealth of Queen Elizabeth?
We were by nature children of wrath, BUT GOD has promised us eternal kindness instead.

SO, I think I will take a break from studying Ephesians in Sunday School this 'holiday season.' I have this idea to do a study called "From the Manger to the Cross." If I do it justice, I will be studying every waking moment between now and New Year's Day! All you budding theologians, I welcome your input! :)

The Cross Centered Life

Quotes from The Cross Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney:
"Have you realized," preacher David Martyn Lloyd-Jones once observed, "that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?"

"The gospel," writes Jerry Bridges, "is not only the most important message in all of history; it is the only essential message in all of history. Yet we allow thousands of professing Christians to live their entire lives without clearly understanding it and experiencing the joy of living by it."

"Some might find it surprising that I would teach a nine-year-old about God's wrath toward sin. But I find it surprising that any loving person would withhold this truth from another person they love."

I resisted the urge to quote the whole book on my blog. :) You should read it, though, really. It's very short and concise and simple to read. But it's a profound truth.

I have learned something about myself recently. I am a legalistic person when it comes to my own salvation. I find it easier to try to earn God's favor than to just accept that He purchased that favor for me on the Cross. And, consequentially, I find this misunderstanding of mine spilling over into relationships I have with the people I love the most. I have heard these truths dozens of times, even taught them, but until recently...it didn't really sink in that I haven't grasped the finished work of the gospel. And I'm still trying to roll around in that truth so that I can just soak it up and let it permeate to the deepest, darkest parts of me.

You know, the truth is, it already has...it's just a matter of me realizing it and living like it. Does that even make sense? If you know my past, you'll understand better why it's hard for me to grasp this. I went on a little trip this weekend and everything I went through in the height of my rebellion came flooding back - and that condemnation that is not from the Lord came flooding back. Can I tell you of the kindness of God to give me a husband like Sylas who just listened and poured out forgiveness and kindness and patience all over me??? He's amazing. And I mean that with all my heart. Pray that I will live like it...and learn to accept his forgiveness the way I'm learning to accept Christ's. And that, in turn, I would forgive and live in the freedom Christ purchased for His Saints on the Wonderful Cross. Pray that I would be still in my heart and that, in the words of my dear brother Ryan, I would "allow the Cross to speak peace to my heart."

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride
See from his head, his hands, his feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down
Did ever such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown
O the wonderful cross,
O the wonderful cross
Bids me come and die
and find that I
may truly live
O the wonderful cross,
O the wonderful cross
All who gather here
by grace draw near
and blessYour name
Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an offering far too small
Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
The Wonderful Cross, Chris Tomlin style (sorry Kari) ;)

Happy Belated Reformation Day

The reason I'm posting today is simply to share these pictures of some adorable boys. I hope they bring you as much delight as they have brought us!!

Kyle was a pumpkin for halloween. This costume was hand crafted by Nonnie (aka Debbie) about 4 years ago when Jacob first wore it. Then Ty wore it two years in a row and passed on the tradition to Kyle. I promise there will be no more Politte babies next year to wear this costume...so, Ryan and Sarah, the pressure's on. You wouldn't want this precious costume to miss a year, would you?? :)

In other news, Kyle is sitting up and 'scooting' across the floor. He is becoming a master scooter -- he can now move himself across the floor to get whatever he desires to put in his mouth. Your prayers are appreciated, as Ty thinks it's really cool to feed Kyle random items.

Finally, I will leave you with a plead for you to pray for my sweet sister. She has a wound on her arm that has not healed completely and is having other symptoms consistent with a severe infection. The situation is serious but our God is great. I am focusing on this:

Psalm 4:4-5

Tremble, and do not sin;

Meditate in your heart

upon your bed and

BE STILL.

Offer the sacrifices of righteousness and TRUST IN THE LORD.

You can read more about Cara's missionary journeys here