Our Family
Patrick, KelliPaige, Sadie (18), Daniel (14), & Emilie (9),
Thursday, May 28, 2009
The Saga of the Kidney Stone Coming to an End
I am pleased to report that Daniel had his lithotripsy procedure today and it went very well. In Phoenix they were going to put a stint in between his bladder and kidney. Here Dr. Zimmerman felt it was an option, but wanted to be as least invasive as possible. The stone broke up so well and fine that he chose not to do the stint! That's one trip back to the hospital and under anesthesia we won't be taking ; ) Thank you, Lord! He is also optimistic that we won't be needing another round of lithotripsy either. We'll know for sure after our June 19th x-ray and doctor appointment. I have heard of a stone measuring 7mm needing multiple treatments. Daniel's was 1.7cm!!! Thank you, thank you, Jesus! And thank you all who have been praying for Daniel. The stone has already begun to pass and it seems we may be at the end of this journey.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
The Loss of a Faithful Friend
Maya Franklin
June 1993 - May 5, 2009
Maya passed away suddenly Tuesday evening. She was a very special pet. As Patrick says, "We were blessed by the Lord to have such a noble beast." So, we'd like to highlight some moments celebrating the life we had with our wonderful mutt, Maya.
Our whole family in 2003
Not too bad for 111, almost 16 human years.
"I'm not scared."
"Still not scared."
"There, that's the lovin' I was hoping for."
" I love Thanksgiving!"
"I always get bones at Thanksgiving."
"Even in the heat of Arizona, I still have to go out."
With us on the Hopi Reservation
Looking for the shade at the Cadillac Ranch in Texas.
"Ah! Found it!"
Being a Georgia Peach with Rabbi Liebe.
Visiting the Millers in Arkansas
In Cuthbert, Georgia, Trouble followed Maya everywhere she went.(Trouble is the name of the German Shepherd)
On vacation at High Falls, GA
Maya was always near her family.
Listening to "Goodnight Moon"
"Will you please let me out so I can go bury this thing."
"One day she'll be dropping stuff for me."
"Oh, great! I'll have to share the floor with you soon."(she was always wonderful with the babies)
August 1993
"Get a long little doggie."
Tiny, ain't she?
"Hi Daddy!"
She was a wonderful dog. We will miss her and there will never be another one like her. She was faithful and true and always demonstrated unconditional love.
August 1993
"Get a long little doggie."
Tiny, ain't she?
"Hi Daddy!"
She was a wonderful dog. We will miss her and there will never be another one like her. She was faithful and true and always demonstrated unconditional love.Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Happy 11th Birthday, Daniel!
We love you, Daniel and are very proud of you.
Daniel, recovering after his surgery when he was three years old
Helping paint the house
Chauffeuring his sister
Playing with Emilie
Playing with Sadie ; )
Monday, April 27, 2009
Helping to Spread the Word for our Friends
We have dear friends in Florida that are selling their home and moving to Missouri. They have created a very nice and unique blog to advertise their home. Please check it out and feel free to pass it on to anyone you may know who is looking for a little country home in Florida.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Family Integrated Church Article
This was sent to us from a member of our church in Arizona. I thought it was very interesting and wanted to share.
Families should worship together. This past Sunday during our sharing time after the sermon, a five-year-old boy asked for the hand held microphone. "I’m getting baptized today!" Simeon began. "I know Jesus died on the cross for me. And he rose for me. I asked him into my heart and I’m ready to get baptized. I love Jesus and I know he washed my sins away."
In some churches in our land, an increasing number, Simeon would not have even been allowed in the service. The movement towards removing children from "adult church" has grown exponentially. I hear testimonies every now and then from people who, while visiting relatives, are told by ushers at the door of the sanctuary, "I’m sorry, you can’t bring your children in here. They have their own worship service in the education wing." One family I know tried to smuggle their kids into the Sunday morning service (and they were members!), but got ugly glares and stares from those sitting around them every week. They finally gave up and went to another church.
What’s the big deal, you ask? I believe it is a huge deal, a deal of biblical proportions, and I am not trying to be funny. We are losing a generation of young people who have grown up in the church. As soon as they have the opportunity to walk away from the faith of their fathers, they are doing so, in record numbers. A USA Today poll in 2007 estimated that 85 percent of students who enter college professing faith in Jesus Christ renounce that faith by the time they leave school four years later. In 2002, the Southern Baptist Convention’s Council on Family Life reported that roughly 88 percent of evangelical children are leaving the church shortly after they graduate from high school.
There are lots of theories as to why the young people are leaving the church. Some believe it is because church is not "fun enough" once you get past the teen years. You have been entertained and catered to as you have moved from children’s church to youth group, and suddenly you are on your own, thrown into the daunting world of "adult church"and it is distasteful to you. That may very well be true, which is perhaps why some believe the "emergent church" is simply children’s church for adults.
I have a theory that is shared by increasing numbers of people across the nation. That theory is that children learn best by worshipping with their parents. Rather than being served juice and cookies and a fast-paced multi-media presentation of Daniel in the lions’ den, they are hearing expository preaching through the book of Ephesians. They are sitting next to Dad and Mom, who are listening to the sermon, taking notes, and then interacting with the congregation afterward with discussion and questions. Our experience over these last 22 years has been that these young people leave home with their faith intact, raise their own children, and disciple them to follow Christ.
The key to this "movement," if you want to call it that, is biblical leadership provided by the father. Men who catch the vision for bringing up their own children "in the training and admonition of the Lord" are seeing amazing results in their marriages, their families, and in their own hearts.
If you want to learn more about the family-integrated church, I invite you to join us at Antioch May 1-2 for a national conference: "Rebuilding Old Foundations." Go to www.antiochfic09.myevent.com to learn more and to register. I hope to see you in a few weeks.
J. Mark Fox is pastor of Antioch Community Church on Power Line Road in Elon, NC. His books, "Planting a Family-Integrated Church," "Family-Integrated Church," and "Real Life Moments: a Dad’s Devotional," are available at Amazon.com. E-mail Mark at markfox@antiochchurch.cc
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In some churches in our land, an increasing number, Simeon would not have even been allowed in the service. The movement towards removing children from "adult church" has grown exponentially. I hear testimonies every now and then from people who, while visiting relatives, are told by ushers at the door of the sanctuary, "I’m sorry, you can’t bring your children in here. They have their own worship service in the education wing." One family I know tried to smuggle their kids into the Sunday morning service (and they were members!), but got ugly glares and stares from those sitting around them every week. They finally gave up and went to another church.
What’s the big deal, you ask? I believe it is a huge deal, a deal of biblical proportions, and I am not trying to be funny. We are losing a generation of young people who have grown up in the church. As soon as they have the opportunity to walk away from the faith of their fathers, they are doing so, in record numbers. A USA Today poll in 2007 estimated that 85 percent of students who enter college professing faith in Jesus Christ renounce that faith by the time they leave school four years later. In 2002, the Southern Baptist Convention’s Council on Family Life reported that roughly 88 percent of evangelical children are leaving the church shortly after they graduate from high school.
There are lots of theories as to why the young people are leaving the church. Some believe it is because church is not "fun enough" once you get past the teen years. You have been entertained and catered to as you have moved from children’s church to youth group, and suddenly you are on your own, thrown into the daunting world of "adult church"and it is distasteful to you. That may very well be true, which is perhaps why some believe the "emergent church" is simply children’s church for adults.
I have a theory that is shared by increasing numbers of people across the nation. That theory is that children learn best by worshipping with their parents. Rather than being served juice and cookies and a fast-paced multi-media presentation of Daniel in the lions’ den, they are hearing expository preaching through the book of Ephesians. They are sitting next to Dad and Mom, who are listening to the sermon, taking notes, and then interacting with the congregation afterward with discussion and questions. Our experience over these last 22 years has been that these young people leave home with their faith intact, raise their own children, and disciple them to follow Christ.
The key to this "movement," if you want to call it that, is biblical leadership provided by the father. Men who catch the vision for bringing up their own children "in the training and admonition of the Lord" are seeing amazing results in their marriages, their families, and in their own hearts.
If you want to learn more about the family-integrated church, I invite you to join us at Antioch May 1-2 for a national conference: "Rebuilding Old Foundations." Go to www.antiochfic09.myevent.com to learn more and to register. I hope to see you in a few weeks.
J. Mark Fox is pastor of Antioch Community Church on Power Line Road in Elon, NC. His books, "Planting a Family-Integrated Church," "Family-Integrated Church," and "Real Life Moments: a Dad’s Devotional," are available at Amazon.com. E-mail Mark at markfox@antiochchurch.cc
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Playing Around
A sleeping cowboy
A southern gentleman
Draw!
Sadie the baker with her honey wheat bread, not from a box
How we entertained ourselves during the ice storm, power outage - "Little Red Riding Hood"
Little Red & Grandmother
Grandmother & The Big Bad Wolf
taking their bow
Florida feet in Oklahoma ice
pretending to fall ; )
They really do love each other
This stuff is neat!
Sisters, having fun
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