Another Heart's Desire Granted! My Baptism in the Jordan River

I thank the Lord for my husband Paul!

He was so excited for me to fulfill one of my heart's desire,

he wouldn't let anything stop my baptism from happening.

 I learned so much from this experience about legalism and the oppression it brings.

The Lord spoke to my heart and said... You can never be in the wrong if you're following Jesus.

I am understanding in a fresh way the freedom that comes from that. I am praying for the unsaved to submit to what the Lord already is confirming in their deepest parts- that Jesus is Lord. Come by faith.  And instead of death... LIFE abundant!

I told Ezekiel, please do not hold me under, I can't breath under water.

(I always thought that's why they put the hand on the head)

I did pinch my nose, like always.  The kids are still teasing me for that after watching it on the video. 

I was also glad there was a railing to hold onto so that I didn't wash away if the river picked up.

I love playing in the water with the kids, but other than that I am not a water person. 

I get scared in the shower if I'm in there too long.

The water was SOO freezing, but I didn't care. 

Our comrade and friend, Ezekiel, must've been even more cold as he baptized 6 of us.

And I was so glad my mascara stayed on and didn't run all over

because we still had the rest of the day in front of us!

The Lord even takes care of the details (ha!ha!).

It turned out that there was a man who professionally videotaped the baptism.  We debated whether to buy it or not at $18.  But we finally did  buy it and boy am I glad! Because while Paul was "videotaping" he really wasn't!! (He has too big of hands which cause him to push buttons he shouldn't! LOL!)

Now I've been baptized twice- first by the Holy Spirit and second with the Jordan River.

Thank you, Lord, for allowing me such an amazing experience!

Happy Birthday Mary!

Happy Birthday to our sticky-sweet Mary!  One year ago the Lord added you to our family (sorry Mary ha!ha!) and we have loved every minute of it.  Mary is walking up to 12 steps at a time, but because that's not fast enough, she breaks out into a crawl to get what or who she's after.  She says: up, ma-mam, da-da-da, ea (for eat), bye-bye, and points like crazy at stuff.  She loves to "read" books and play with baby dolls, even sits and rocks them while she burps their head.  She wants to be involved in everything to try and keep up with big brothers and sisters. 

Cake
Icecream
Presents
Cards
and an "anything you want" day

   all for Mary.


And a quote I've read before...
"Whoever says you can't love the fifth child as much as the first, never had a fifth."

Thank you, Lord, for Mary!

Happy Birthday David! and some more

Another year has passed for our David! 
He turned 11 in the wee hours of this morning while we were all sleeping. 

We went to Dairy Queen last night after Youth Activities for his birthday dinner since today is a full day. I told him his birth story, which he loves to hear.  I stayed up late to decorate the dining room,wrap his gift, bake a cake,  (and catch up on other stuff too!).  When he gets home from school we will celebrate with cake, icecream and cards/presents in good old Chouinard party style. Raise the roof. 

Then he has a baseball game in Dufur.  Paul will go with him because the other kids and I need to go to Elijah's Aesops Fables school play of which he is starring as a frog. 

And since it is David's birthday--- I must "announce" how I am so very proud of him that he is representing their school in the County Spelling Bee at the end of April!  I am more excited about it than him. David mentioned it to me nonchalantly.  The principal called home to tell us and everything!  I just love spelling, even when I was a kid.  I'm thinking that between school and all of our mini-spelling bees we've done in the car when we're driving long distances has paid off!  Even when David was a babe, Paul and I would compete.  Smile. 

The girls and I have CBS this morning which I love, love, love because of the in-depth Bible Study, the women, and the Children's program.  It is my one "selfish" treat that I look forward to all week.  I walk by the girls' room often in between meetings to watch their happy faces singing songs, hearing Bible lessons, crafting and snacking.


We are so enjoying the Spring days.  The weather has been so beautiful.  The girls pick me flowers all day long from the yard.  They have even re-planted several.  I know I kept ruining their fun when I tell them all the reasons why the flowers won't grow.  So now I just smile and act just as hopeful as them that their flowers will grow to reach heaven.

Off I go, I hear Hannah insisting to Ann that she's a winner not a loser, which means Ann has called her a loser again....

Thank you, Lord, for our beloved David and for Spring!

Destination Imagination and Friday night

David's DI Team (click here--Destination Imagination-- to find out more) made it to the state finals again this year.  He LOVES it and so do we.  Next season, I am really hoping that I can run a team with Elijah and Ann on it too, I just need to figure out the participation rules.  It is an awesome program that implements so many different learning styles and teaches teamwork, creativity, critical thinking, smart-spontaneity, etc. 

Last night I took Elijah to see "How To Tame A Dragon".  We had such a good time together, sharing popcorn and whispering during the movie.  Elijah wanted to know what Cinemas meant, so he went around asking the employees until they could give him an answer.  One finally told him it meant "theaters", but when we got home and looked it up in the dictionary, the technical term is a film or movie.  Hmmmm.  Afterwards we puttered around Kmart, which made us covet toys, when what we really needed was shirts.  He picked out one for David and one for himself (only 4$ each, score!) and I got a new button-up shirt (pink of course).

Enjoying a day at home today.  Catching up on housework, planning to put Mary Poppins on for the kids, and looking for a recipe to use up the gobs of instant oatmeal that Paul bought.  Can you make granola with instant oatmeal?  I'll soon find out.   I will post a  recipe for regular oatmeal that you bake and is soooo yummy in our tummy.

Some Snippets and Words for Marriage

I do NOT know how to do half-way!  In fact that's why I'm having a hard time blogging lately.  There is so much more I want to share, but can't, or shouldn't,  or I don't have my act together, like on my Israel pictures, and can't share that either.  Ugh! Fruuuuustrating!  Not that I have any mysterious secrets or anything, just stuff that I know is not for "blog land".  Then I wonder... am I still being real and honest if I'm not laying it all out there? Thus my over-explaining habit.

So
instead
some
snippets
from the last couple of weeks.
The things I don't want to forget (or maybe I do!)

We spent a lot of extra time at the Church last week.  The kids love playing hide-n-go-seek in our building because it has so many nooks and crannies.  So, I'm in the Chapel working with a group of people, the front doors are locked and my kids are going crazy hiding and seeking.  All of a sudden I hear screaming and crying and here comes Hannah, hands down her pants, yelling "I hurt my v****a!" over and over again.  Oh my. 

At a Lion's Club meeting, Paul and I were sitting together with Mary.  One of the old friendly guys comes up to Paul to say "Wow, did you have another baby?" (We only go a couple times a year) "Don't you know what causes that?" he says.  (Like we haven't heard that question a MILLION times!) Pauls says "Nope, all I know is I go to bed at night and wake up with a smile on my face in the morning".  They laughed so hard, I was looking to crawl under the table.

We had some excitement a few days ago when an animal got into our garbage that was out on the curb.  Paul: likes to put it out 2 days early. Me: I like to run like a mad woman chasing down the garbage man as he drives past our house.  I'm only in charge when Paul's not here. 
When we woke up on Wednesday morning, the garbage was knocked over and there were dirty diapers, meat wrappers, toys and art papers strewn all over the street.  There was no way we could pretend it wasn't us.  The boys went to help some, the girls watched, and they were all complaining about the stuff they saw that I had thrown away (I played stupid... who me??).  Hannah was convinced a T-Rex got into it.  Ann was worried about the mess.  I knew my coffee was getting cold.  The boys worked on it until it was time to go to school.  They are such great little guys.  Paul cleaned up the rest, but we saved the stirofoam meat wrappers because it had big bite marks and teeth prints in it.  Very cool for us to study and try to figure out what kind of animal it was.  After some research, we concluded it was a skunk.  Except for Hannh who still insists it was a T-Rex.

For Sunbeams, Girl Guards and Moonbeams last night (Youth Activities) we did Pedicures.  It was so much fun!  I was so glad to have 4 other adult helpers between 18 children.  Paul did Adventure Corps with the boys (I think about 10) and they are engineering/building with popsicle sticks and hot glue.  I really, really, really love my "job"!

And  now... a thought... 
At CBS (Community Bible Study) this morning, I was given a prophetic word that convicted me and encouraged me to more diligently care for my husband and children before all others. I know from experience that when I am putting my energy into my family, it naturally spills over into my ministry and it is a beautiful flow.  And like I like to remind my darling hubby... and he tells me too... when I am caring for him, I am helping him be a better Officer(Minister).  We may not get any credit from our "powers that be" for that, but that doesn't make it any less important.  It just makes it more special because it's the stuff that only God sees and the one person that we are closest to in all the earth, our hubbies.

When I have it backwards, I am not at peace and we all suffer.  I have had it backwards the last 2 weeks, because of the demands of the moment that I had little control over.   I thank God for His filling-in-the-blanks and my happy, flexible children, but my hubby needs more of me. 

It is time to reign it in again!  Watch out!

I am passing this on to my readers because I know how great the struggle can be between honoring and blossoming in our God given roles as women and honoring our God given "addendum" roles as Salvation Army Officers, or your "fill in the blank" ministry, a. k.a. job. (for some women, the ministry is to work outside the home in order to bring in some extra bacon that you otherwise couldn't survive without)   What I'm saying is... pay attention to your marriage.  Do whatever it takes to form it into "one flesh".  Be of one mind, be a team, be entirely each other's.  This is the one human relationship that requires all of you, all the time.  Fruitful marriages come second only to creation.  It was God's first intention of mankind relating to each other. 

And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone,
I will make him an help meet for him.

-Genesis 2:18

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife:

and they shall be one flesh.

-Genesis 2:24

and a quote I like...

Man's best possession is a sympathetic wife.

--Euripedes Antigone

 
Thank you, Lord, for marriage!

Our Goings On

I haven't been so much in the mood for blogging lately.  In fact, I haven't even been on the 'puter much. 

Lots of real life stuff to do that I enjoy far more than computing. 

We finished up hosting our week-long Cadets last night.  Very busy, lots of work, but all very well worth it.  They were each such a blessing to our Corps(church).  Most of them stayed with our fabulous Advisory Board members.  The kids (and Paul and I too!) were exhausted every night- just the way I like it. Smile. We had a week of VeBS, Public Relations, Church Services, Fellowship Programs, Community Care Ministries, etc.   I fed them all lunch and dinner every day.  I sure don't know how the Duggars do it!  I was only planning, shopping, preparing, cooking for 17 people for 2 meals a day.  There are 21 Duggars!

We had a lovely Easter that started at 5:30am and ended at 7:00pm.  The kids each got an Easter basket from the Bunny and we shared the Risen Gospel before we headed to the Corps at 7:00am.    We enrolled 2 Cradle Roll Babies, 3 Jr. Soldier Children, and 5 Adherent (Adult Members) at church.  I LOVE our Church!!!  We took the Cadets to Casa El Mirador for lunch after the Services, but before the 2 afternoon services at the nursing homes.  There were 7 Cadets and 3 accompanying Officers.  There were 7 Chouinards.  We could've been our own Brigade.   I  LOOOVE having a big family, (even if I do get shy and about it.)    

David started Baseball season. He has also been building amazing electrical things in his free time.  He is such an engineer.  He is so smart, I'm concerned that things just come to easy for him and he won't be ready for the day a real challenge comes his way.      He is really enjoying playing with Mary lately too and is a good brother and son. 

Elijah has been doing more at the Church, leading Sunday School Assembly is his heart's desire right now.  At school, he whips through his schoolwork and spends lots of his time in other classsrooms tutoring the other children.  He even goes to the 3rd grade class (he's in 2nd) to help.   That's all well and good, but not enough in my book.  He is so ambitious to learn, just like his brother, and I don't want that wasted, and that concerns me too.     He is a passionate little guy.

Ann is learning how to read.  I'm teaching her phonics, math concepts, and how to tell time.  Aunt Kathleen taught her how to spell "two" and "three" while we were gone and I find it written all over the house.  Ann goes to dance still and is practicing for her June recital.  She is always singing Jesus songs, in fact the other night I had to tell her to go to sleep because she wouldn't stop singing.  She is a sweetheart!

Hannah is practicing her free will.  She is testing her boundaries, but nothing too bad other than spraying Mary in the face with our hair-water-sprayer. (I sprayed her in the face to see how she likes it- and she laughed like crazy! So she had to put her nose on the wall-of-shame and she cried her head off)   That's just our Hannah girl. She's a spunky one and I love every bit of it.  What would my world be without her!  I ditched her on Paul yesterday for our Church service at the Veteran's Home while I went to Columbia Basin because I just thought 4 children for me is equal to one Hannah with Paul.  Ha!ha!ha! 

Mary is standing and.... bouncing! She walks all over hanging on to stuff with one hand, but when we all get around her to encourage her to walk, she just stands there, hands up in the air,  and bends her knees up and down laughing her head off (because we are too).  Over the last week, she started pushing herself up to stand (and bounce), but she hasn't figured out that she could let go of the furniture to stand too.  She says "Mooooom" (cuz the other kids do), and "Da" and "By-By" and points like crazy to stuff she wants.

Thank you, Lord, for LIFE!

We're back from our trip to Israel and Jordon.  I hit the ground running (after getting over my nausea-jet-lag-spell that lasted about a day).  I am getting ready for our Cadets (seminary students) that are coming to the Corps (church) next Monday.  It has become more than just a Corps event, but a family event too because the kids are so excited also!  Besides that, catching up on several things at home and the Corps.  Whew! 

BUT.... with all that, I have a newfound peace admist it all.  I think it comes from the realization of just how insignificant I am in this world. I know I'm important to a handful of people, but other than that, the only one who really makes a difference in this world is God.  Even anything that I could claim, comes from Him.  

We had such an amazing trip.  It has really made an impact on me.  All of these things affected me:   group dynamics, second honeymoon with Paul, "legalism" issues, culture and attitudes of all the people we came in contact with, Muslim and Jewish religions, history, places, new knowledge, fresh understandings and soooooo much more.

I am so thankful for getting to go.  The kids had a wonderful time with their Aunt and Cousin.  I am still hearing about all of their fun and experiences.  I am also feeling especially blessed to be able to better explain and teach about Jesus to my children.  They have such an appetite to learn everything I did.  They are loving hearing about our experiences such as hiking up to place that John the Baptist was beheaded and why he was beheaded.  And about my baptism in the Jordan River (they have watched it like 10 times!) And about Masada and the Sea of Galilee and about the Muslims in Jordan and how they're not all terrorists.

Paul and I are still sorting out all of our pictures and video and souvenirs.  I do still plan to post about some of these.  I am just finding it so hard to put such an amazing experience into words.