updating past emails again....
Howdy all-
let me apologize for not writing in a while. I keep promising myself that I will be more consistent with my updates, but honestly, this is probably one of the busiest years of our life. I suppose a big portion of it for me is that studying the Bible is one of those things that you just don't finish. I'm trying to give it my all while I am in this place and it is my job to do it. But man, it is one big book. I love it, but it is hard work.
This week we are up to Deuteronomy. I was actually sick
for the first two days of this one, so I am pretty behind on it. It's a bummer because I am really enjoying this book. It's basically God talking to Israel after they have wandered the desert for 40 years and they are about to enter into the promised land. God implores them to remember... ...remember how he rescued them from Egypt
...remember the plagues
...remember the passover
...remember how he has called them to live different from the world
...remember that he will fight their battles
...remember to obey him
...remember who he is...he loves them..He wants their heart.
The best part of this book is the next book...Joshua...they actually DO remember God. God leads them into the Promised Land and they clean house. So I am looking forward to studying that one next week. We have a guest speaker named Colonel Hanson who is an archeologist among other things. He spends about half of his time in Israel so it will be fun to ask him questions.
Enough about me...
Last weekend we had a three day leave from our studies and we all went up to a camp in Hungry Horse (about 1 hour north of here). It was so refreshing to not study for three days in a row. Ruth and the kids came too. We stayed in a lodge and played games and ate and worshiped God and ate and played games and ate and took naps and ate and it was just an awesome and refreshing time.
Ruth is doing well. She just got back from bringing Jonny to get his hair cut. She was going to attempt to cut it herself and then after the first snip she realized it he was on his way to looking like Jim Carrey in Dumb and Dumber so she ran to base to get Donna to cut it for her. Ruth is enjoying the new schedule at work now that she can sleep in an hour later. For some reason her body didn't like waking up at 4:30.
Jess has been sick this week with me. She watched 4 or 5 movies from the couch yesterday. She is feeling better now though, so tomorrow she is off to school! That's good for me too because that means I have a chance to get my school work done :). She keeps hoping it will snow again so we can go sledding, but it was 50 degrees out this weekend! (that is warm for here by the way, especially in Feb)
Jonny was sick last week. This week he is a bundle of energy. We're hoping that his shorter hair will let a little steam off and keep him from climbing the walls. Actually both kids are starting soccer in the next week or two. Actually, come to think of it, I'm their coach (for both teams :o). I'm really looking forward to it. It's beginning soccer so it should be a lot of fun and not too crazy.
So back to Deuteronomy. Let me challenge you with this. Sit back and take some time to write down the things that God has done for you. So often we pray and pray and then God blesses us and we move on without even remembering him. Let's take some time to remember him. I was just thinking back to our bible study back in Oceanside. We used to laugh because we had so many answered prayer requests! It was awesome. Take some time and give God the credit he deserves. He is good. Let's take time to remember.
Ohhhh one more thing! Today we got officially accepted to be on staff teaching this same class next year! It is something that we prayed a lot about and really feel that God is leading us to for the next step in our lives. We will be living on the YWAM base for the next two years (after this one) as we teach and study together. We are very excited about it.
well, it's nine. My stuffy head is telling me to go to bed.
Love you all
Dave and family
Prayer requests:
-health...we all seem to be fighting colds off and on.
-perseverance...this is a long study, a long winter...awesome, but long
-housing for next year. There are small houses on the base that would be perfect for us, but they have to be available. We are praying for one so we can live on base and still have enough room for the family.
-Ruth's nephew Garrett
-He is taking the discipleship training school here and it is changing his life in awesome ways. He is planning to go to India but needs to raise several thousand dollars in the next few weeks. If any of you are interested in supporting him, please make a check to YWAM and send it to 501 blacktail road, lakeside MT 59922
attached are a few pictures of the last month of our lives...look carefully for the likeness of Noah...enjoy!
I just went for a jog because I had to vent my fatherly frustrations with my daughter this morning! fun huh? well, I was complaining as I ran and then I thought back to something I've thought before (which is stupid, but follow me). I thought "God, how were you tempted in every way if you never had kids?" stupid, I know. But I thought it. Since we are reading Psalms right now I am allowed to lament and pour my heart out like King David did :). So I kept jogging, listening to music and then God showed me this.... (see pic)...He said..."look what I can do" I said "Wow". Then he reminded me of Israel. They are his first born. They rejected him oh so often. He accepted them back. then they rejected him again. Then he delivered them. Then they rejected him....on and on.. He knows what it is like to be father. He is the perfect father. Then I ran some more. (since it was sunny and 50 plus degrees (that's warm for here)). I thought of Deuteronomy 8:5 "know then in your heart that as a parent disciplines a child so the Lord your God disciplines you". Awwww man. God you are so good. you thought of everything. You even gave me the killer sunrise.
so this is what our lake looks like today. nice huh? want to come visit? then come on!
