The Angel's Message

~~~

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazereth,
To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou art highly favored, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women.
And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary; for thou hast found favour with God.
And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

~Luke 1:26-33~

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Mary, Did You Know?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mary did you know,
that your baby boy,
will one day walk on water?
Mary did you know,
that your baby boy,
will save our sons and daughters?
did you know that your baby boy,
has come to make you new,
this child that you delievered,
will soon deliever you,
mary did you know,
that your baby boy,
will give sight to a blind man,
mary did you know,
that your baby boy,
will calm a storm with his hand,
did you know,
that your baby boy,
has walked where angels trod,
and when you kiss your little baby,
you've kissed the face of God,
the blind will see,
the deaf will hear,
and the dead will live again,
the lame will leap,
the dumb will speak,
the praises of the Lamb.
Mary did you know,
that your baby boy,
is Lord of all creation,
mary did you know,
that your baby boy,
will one day rule the nations,
did you know that your baby boy,
is heaven's perfect lamb,
this sleeping child your holding,
is the great I am.

~Mark Lowry~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

~~~~~~

O Come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O Come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
thine own from Satan's tyranny;
From dpeths of hell thy people save, A
nd give them victory o'er the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O Come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer,
Our spirits by thine advent here;
O drive away the shades of night,
and pierce the clouds and bring us light.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O Come, Thou Key of David, come,
and open wide our heavenly home
Where all thy saints with thee shall dwell-
O come, O come Emmanuel!
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

~~~~~~

Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat....

Greetings to my friends! I am sorry to have waited so long between posts.

We had a wonderful time with Jonathan home. Always fun to have the family together. The day before he left, actually the night before, Bethany Abler drove all the way up to Sioux Falls after work. We kids, and a bunch of friends hung out at Haugaards house after church as we awaited her arrival. That was fun. Staying up til 4 is not my forte, but I survived.



That next day (Thursday) we celebrated our Thanksgiving, with all the fixings, including my ABSOLUTE favorite, Krem! (This is a Scandinavian grape jello type thing.) Following our big dinner, we gathered for family photos, which is always a fun adventure.


In the evening Jonathan and Bethany left. She would be taking him to the airport in Omaha, so he could get back to work. :(


On Friday Mom and us kids traveled to my Grandpa's house in Minnesota for Thanksgiving there. We also pulled off an awesome surprise party for Grandpa, who turned 70 on the 6th of Nov. He was SOOO surprised!


So I have come to the conclusion, after eating 4 really big meals for Thanksgiving, that thats how it always should be. 3 or more Thanksgiving meals every year. And this actually fits in with the first Thanksgiving meal. When the Pilgrims celebrated their day of Thanksgiving they actually celebrated for 3 days in a row, with feasting, and games and prayers. So thats what we should do, have 3 big meals, with lots of people and play games and have time devoted to prayer. And turkey was actually a side dish for them. They had venison, wild turkey, duck, eel, and lots of fruits and veggies. Can you imagine what eel would be like? Yuck!

And now December has arrived, with all its snow and cold. My mom's 4-H club had their tree decorating and Christmas Caroling "party" already. So we started the month off just right. :)


Tomorrow is our church's Christmas program. I am really excited! We've worked a long time on it. And I am hoping it all turns out wonderful. All the songs are really pretty, and sound great. Especially with Pastor Schuurmans directing us.

Family Time

My family is having the specialist of special visitors this week. My wonderful big brother, Jonathan is here ALL WEEK LONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He had his girlfriend, Bethany, her mom and sister out visiting him in Virginia, for the Marine Corps Ball. And then after a few days of just visiting, and seeing the sites in the D.C. area, he came here. Now, this was a major surprise for Bethany, she didn't know he was coming until they were all at the airport in Omaha, NE. He had taken another flight and arrived first, and then waited for Bethany and her Mom to arrive. Then after staying with her family for a day,
we went to Yankton to meet Mrs. Abler and bring Jonathan here for a week. (YAY!!!)

my plans < His PLANS

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Isaiah 55:9
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

You know when you plan something, and then it doesn't go the way you want it to? You get so frustrated and kinda sulky? Then you see that its actually okay, things are just fine, and it all turns out in the end.

Well, I am very much a plan ahead person. I need to know the least detail far ahead in advance, and if it doesn't go in the way I expect it, I'm not happy. And usually after it all pans out I see that my grumpy attitude was all for nothing. That if I had just gone with the flow and let it happen I would have had a much better time.

And if I had only thought about what God wanted to have happen. His plan is way better than mine could ever be. He knew what was happening, and it was as he wanted.

I had plans to go to Children's Vision in Bogota' Columbia the beginning of December. But that apparently is not God's plan for me. Due to traveling conflicts I may not go until February. Which isn't what I want, but it must be what God wants.

So I trust God to let me in on His plan, when I need to know my part.

Romans 8: 28
And we know that all things work together
for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to his purpose.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The House Project

...
This entire week I have been having writers block. I couldn't think of a single thing to say! AHHH!!

SOOOO...... I decided to tell you about our house project. Way back in August of 2005 my Daddy thought of an idea for a new house. See, our house was old, and drafty, and Grandma would soon be needing more care than we could give her, living 13 miles away. And the house was not handicap accessible. So Daddy's idea was to build a new one, that Grandma would be able to live with us in. He didn't want Mom to feel burdened with having to care for her mother-in-law, so he asked God to give her the same idea, so he would know it was alright. And He did! Mom came to Daddy with the idea to build a house for all of us, including Grandma. He works in mysterious ways!



And so we got to work packing everything up. And while we were down in San Diego, CA for Jonathan's boot camp graduation, the house was demolished. We came back and all that was left was a huge pile of rubble.



Construction was started as soon as the old house was cleared away, and the right shaped basement was dug. The work continued all winter, and by January 2007 the basement was enclosed. The interior walls were not done though.



Then over the summer there was a major stand still, because the upstairs walls are made of strawbales, and we couldn't find any straw for sale. We got the rafters and roof on in the fall, and Daddy put tarp up along the outside, to keep the wind out so we could work from the inside all winter.



During the winter and spring he got most the straw bales in, and then this summer he built the loft area.



And now lots of work is getting done on the outside, and inside of the strawbale walls, so that before the winter hits we can get the walls stuccoed. To keep the stucco on the straw you need to attatch a kind of chicken wire to it. Oh, and all but 2 windows are installed as of Saturday!!!!



Things are definitely moving along, and we love giving tours! I think the current word is to move in by Christmas, but that depends on how much Daddy and Nathaniel can get done each time they get out there. Pray for good weather for them!


...

The Thing You Are Going To Do

~~~


It isn't so much the thing you've done
That should occupy your mind;
It is better far to look ahead
Than it is to look behind.
Let others praise your accomplished work,
If they will, but as for you,
It isn't so much the thing you've done
As the thing you are going to do.

When you've finished a task don't think it is time
To take an unlimited rest;
Just think of the work that is coming next
And how you you can do it best.
A finished job, if its been well done,
Is a pleasant thing to view,
But always the most important thing
Is the thing you are going to do.

So look ahead, and make your plans
For whatever may come to hand;
Then start with a will to do the job,
And do it as you have planned.
You've a right to be proud of the thing you have done,
If it's done well, it is true,
But the thing on which you should keep your mind
Is the thing you are going to do.


~ found in the book "God's Ideal Woman" by Clifford Lewis ~

Children's Vision

.....
On Friday we had some guests over for supper. Jeneane Sanderson and her nephew Garrett.
Jeneane is a lady my Grandma knows who started an outreach ministry in Bogota' Columbia 15 years ago. Its called Children's Vision International, Inc. (CVII)
At CVII they take in children off the streets whose parents are drug addicts, gang members, or dead. They are often addicted to the drugs themselves, have chronic malnutrition, horrible rat bites and have never seen true love. When they first come often it is the first time they have worn clean clothes, had a warm bath and eaten lots of good food.
It takes time but eventually their fear and hate disappear, and they are truely happy children. From the start they are told about God's love and taught to love him. Many have been saved and are even wanting to be missionaries to other countries.
Children's Vision has 3 houses, the Genesis, Exodus and Numbers houses, and they are working to finish building their Beginning of Wisdom school, which used to be in their Leviticus house.
When Jeneane was here she shared with us about the kids, all 150 of them, all of whom call her Mom. She had brought with her their current DVD, that showed the last 15 years at CVII. So many lives touched, so many changed. Since God has blessed them with so many donations, more than they need, they also give to the poor people who live in the mountains.

In early December I will be getting to travel down to CVII with a team of volunteers. And I am SOOO excited!!!! About 8 years ago my Grandma got to travel down, and then I was to young, so now that I can go its like a dream come true!! Jeneane said the December team is always the funnest, because it'll be during their end of school party and graduation.

About every year they have this huge container of donations that gets sent down to Bogota' from their home office. Its filled with clothes, diapers and any other item they may need.
But Jeneane told us that they really need hygene items for their older kids. (Like boys deoderant, razors and after shave, feminine hygene napkins, etc)
So I'm sending out this plea for donations for them. Being a teenager is hard, as we all know, and this kinda stuff really makes it easier. You can learn more about CVII at www.childrensvision.org


......

The Foolishness of Preaching

1 Corinthians 1:18-29

18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
25 But the foolishness of God is wiser then men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised , hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things which are:
29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

Reading my bible last night, I came across this passage, and it really jumped out at me, and I read it 3 times. And I really began pondering it.
"The foolishness of preaching". Really? Its foolish? Not to me, but if I wasn't saved it sure would be. Think about it. As an unbeliever you are told "Christ died for you, he was buried and is now alive again! Because of this you don't have to fear death. Repent and be baptized. Forgive your enemies. Love your neighbor. Pray for all people. Rejoice in torment, for Christ suffered more." Can you imagine how dumb that sounds? "Well, so what if he died. That was 2,000 years ago. And yeah right that hes alive again. Why'd he die in the first place? What does repent mean? Forgive? Love? No way. And to rejoice in pain? Are you crazy?" But yet, its this "foolishness" that brings people to a saving knowledge of Christ. Its the "foolishness of God" that saves.
Yet, look at verse 25, the "foolishness" of God is wiser than the "wisdom" of men! No matter how smart we think we are, we are still under the line of the most foolish thing of God. We can say "I don't need to worry about being saved, nothing happens when I die. I can think about it later. " etc, etc. Thats just the foolishness of men.

Here's the "foolishness" God speaking :

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life."
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
"That if though shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

So, call me a fool, but every word that God says I believe, for God's "foolishness" is wiser than anything the world may try to tell me.

..

A Happy Belated Birthday to my Dear Sister!!!!

I am going to take this moment to inform my readers that my little, baby, so young sister has turned 16, and is no longer a baby sister!!!!
Katrina Irene Larson, born October 11th 1992. So long ago, yet not really.
This beautiful gal is so wonderfully creative, you can call me the green eyed monster! (please dont!) She plays the piano by ear, and is learning the violin. AND she learned to sing harmony all by herself. (As I write this she is playing her own arrangement of "Battle Hymn of the Republic") Katrina is the best artist I know. Just a few weeks ago she took her photography exhibit and recreated it with pencil! Also Katrina is the one to go to if you want your hair or nails done up all purty.



It wasn't all that long ago that I called her "Mousey" and "Shrimp", but she is no longer either.
She has developed into a very distinct individual and is now taller (and stronger) than me. It won't be long and she'll graduate. And get a job. And then some dude will come along and want to court her. And she'll get married. and. okay I'm gonna stop, this is making me cry.










I am so blessed to call her my sister.

Sarah, Deborah and Me

This morning I was trying to think of a really good idea to write on, cause I don't like writing just anything, it has to actually say something. And while I was reading an article on a website, about Sarah Palin, I knew what my subject would be.

The article I was reading was at visionarydaughters.com, and I recommend ALL of you check it out. They really know what they are talking about, and are part of what influences my life for good.
Anyways, they had several articles written about Sarah Palin, and the upcoming elections. And since this is my first year to vote (I was 2 days too young last time. :( ) I have been trying to follow the current news about all the candidates and issues.

Way back when McCain was first thinking about running for President, my mom told me about his liberal views, and that it would be bad if he were to be President. So until the primaries I was supporting Gov. Mike Huckabee, as he seemed the best of all the republican hopefuls. But he lost, as we all know. And McCain won. Hm... so now what do I do? Vote democrat? Oh no. I researched the constitution party's candidate, Chuck Baldwin. And yeah, he is WAY better, than even Huckabee. Check him out here: http://www.baldwin08.com/

But, I've degressed from my topic. When McCain was asked to choose a running mate he looked over all the likely candidates for VP and for some odd reason chose a woman, the Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin. Now she has a lot of things right. She chose life instead of abortion for her down syndrome baby. (!!!) She is in favor of guns, and hunting. (!!!) She supports the troops. (!!!) (Who wouldn't when their own son is a soldier?) Yet she does have some issues wrong. She says she will not judge homosexuals. (???) Her 17 year old daughter is pregnant, and not married. (???) and the list goes on, both ways. Like the article I read says, she is like a Deborah in this day and age.

Do you know the story of Deborah? Let me refresh your memory. Judges chapter 4 tells the story of a woman named Deborah, who was a propehtess who judged Israel at the time.
Verses 4 and 5 say:
"And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment." (emphasis added)
So with those highlights we see 3 things. (Actually one.) She was AT HOME. She did not go out to the city and judge the people, they came to her house. She stayed under the protection and authority of her husband.
In the next few verses we see Deborah talking to the military leader of Israel, Barak asking him why he is not following the command of Jehovah, to attack the enemy who holds God's people captive. And he basically says he is scared! And here, God has just said he would triumph! Chicken. He says:
"And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go." (v. 8)
WHAT???? He is asking her to leave her home and lead the army to battle? That is NOT right. It was HE that was told to go and fight. Not her.
And as a prophetess she was able to tell him the consequences of his cowardice.
"And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman." (v. 9)
So he, the known leader of the country would not receive the credit he should have gotten for leading the army. A woman would. Thats kinda hard to swallow if you think about it.
But it goes as she had said. The army is victorious, except the leader of the enemies escapes, and is taken in by a woman, who pretends to be his ally. But she gets him to fall asleep, and then she drives a tent stake into his head, killing him, and thus saving Israel.

And so when the Men would not lead, a Woman had to push him forward. She did not however do much else. She simply reminded him of his job and got him to do it. But since he had to be told the honor was not his. Sad huh?

Do you see the parralel? McCain says "I need someone to help me. Ah! Here's Sarah, she knows how to rule. I'll ask her." Now Palin is the one everyone talks about. "OOh! a modern day Esther! She is ruling for such a time as this!" No No No!!! She is a Deborah, but not a very good one. She isn't staying at home, with her family. She is putting on her armor and getting ready for battle.
And again, the men will not get the glory, a woman will.

As a Christian, I can NOT knowingly bring a woman into leadership over our nation. It is a sign of God's judgment on a nation when a woman has to lead. That is one reason I will be voting for Chuck Baldwin next month. Though he may not win, I cannot and will not vote for Palin.


and now I will step off my soapbox.

Reflecting God's Light

Well, this is a new adventure!
A blog, an online diary, if you will. And here is my first ever entry! Scary huh?

I want to start this blog by explaining the reason behind its name.
My name, Cynthia, means "the moon" or "reflector of light". And like the moon reflects the light of the sun onto the earth, I, as a Christian am to reflect the light of the SON to the world. My life is to be a testimony of God's love, and redemption to a sin darkened world. And in this I often fail, miserably. So in choosing the name "Reflecting His Light" I want to be constantly reminded of my goal, to reflect the light of Christ.

I pray that this blog will be a blessing to its readers, and that many will come to know Christ through my testimony.