Pumpkin Carving Contest 2011

First of all, look at these cuties. :)

Now to the contest. Since we had more little people this year, our pumpkin "carving" contest has been modified to the pumpkin "decorating" contest. Voting ends on October 31 at 5:00pm. Cast your vote at the poll to the right. Here are the contestants...

1. "It Just Doesn't Go Away"

2 "This Might Belong to Jack"

(who carved it all by himself)

3. "The Classy Crooked T"

4. "The Porcupine"

5. "The Slightly More Traditional"

6. "The Sea Turtle"

7. "The People Pleaser"

Caramel Apples

Another first. So much fun! :)

Santa Rosa Beach 2011

This year at the beach was much different than previous years for obvious reasons. Definitely busier, but much more fun. :)

Eli karate chopped or kicked every single wave that washed up. We couldn't keep him out of the water.

Ben built sandcastles the whole time. He'd get his feet wet and jump the waves, but he loved playing in the sand.

Jack went in between the water and the sand. The red flag and jellyfish kept us out of the water a little, but we're glad all three boys are beach bums like their parents.

God is Good

We have our 6-month post placement visit on Friday. SIX months already??? For the few of you who knew the ups and downs of the first 2 1/2 months home, you can whole-heartedly say with me, "God is good!" Now say it fifty times over, and it still wouldn't be enough.

The Bible we read to the boys at night talks about the love of Jesus as a Never-Stopping, Never-Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love. He is our Rescuer. We can personally attest to that.

God is good.

Be Holy

"We should wash ourselves clean from every impurity of the flesh, making our sanctification complete in the fear of God." 2 Corinthians 7:1

I read this verse today in my daily Bible reading. So many verses in the Bible talk about washing yourself in the Word, coming before Him with clean hands and a pure heart, cleansing yourself from impurities, and so on. But in the verse above, it says to wash ourselves from the impurities of the flesh, in order to make our sanctification complete in the fear of God." God is telling us to be holy.

First Peter 1:15-16, "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy." He is not calling us to be all-knowing or all-powerful or so many other things we can somehow almost idolize.

Be holy. This is how we honor God.

We do not glorify Him by eloquent expressions of pompous service, but by aspiring to converse with Him with unstained spirits and live to Him in living like Him. -Selwyn Hughes