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Reading Through the Bible

12/31/2010

 
From January - December 2011 I'm going to be doing my devotions differently.  Instead of studying a small portion of Scripture in-depth each day as I've been recording on my Rachel's Reflections website I'm going to read through the Bible in a year!

This decision came about as a result of the "Find Someone" game we played in youth group in early November.  Greg gave everyone a list of "Find Someone" statements (i.e. "Find someone whose favorite color is pink."  "Find someone whose birthday is in November." "Find someone who is shorter than you." etc.) and everyone had to find people to sign under statements that applied to them. 

One of the statements was, "Find someone who has read the entire Bible," and of course the teens crowded around Greg and I to sign that statement.  The problem was I couldn't bring myself to sign under that statement.  I think that I've read through the entire Bible, but best case scenario  I read the entire Bible when I was forced to during Old Testament and New Testament survey classes in college and worst case scenario I've never read through the entire Bible.  I realized on that night that this was a huge problem.  How can I claim God's Word as my final authority and guide when I haven't even voluntarily read all of it?

So from January - December 2011 I have committed to reading through the Bible in a year.  I signed up with www.bibleinayear.org, so I will be emailed daily Bible readings (roughly three chapters per day) that will take me through the Bible chronologically over the next 365 days.

My hope is that over the next twelve months that I will learn much from reading God's word completely and focusing on the "forest" and not just the "trees" for a year.  I will be updating the "Devotions" page on Rachel's Reflections with book overviews as I finish each book of the Bible if you would like to follow my journey.

I would like to encourage each of you, have you read through the entire Bible?  If not, would you join me in reading through the Bible this year?  I know it will bless us both!  Today in preparation for this year long venture I will be reading Psalm 119 - His word is truly a beautiful guide for our lives and we should reflect upon it daily!

Abbie's Dedication

12/29/2010

 
On Sunday, December 26 we dedicated our sweet Abigail Hope to the Lord.  There were around 6 families dedicating their little ones, and we all chose to give back to God the treasures He had given us and committed ourselves to training our children to fear and honor the Lord.

During the dedication time, the babies godparents were given an opportunity to share some Bible verses with the little ones.  In turn most of the babies' godparents went forward to speak.  At the end Pastor Wayne said, "And we have one more - a special surprise" and I was still clueless until I heard Mike and Lisa Webster's voices and almost started crying.  Christian and Abbie both started squealing "It's Uncle Mike and Aunt Lisa!" and Christian started looking around for them.  Below is the Bible verse recording that Mike and Lisa made for Abbie.
It made us feel so loved that Pastor Wayne took the time to ask Mike and Lisa to make the recording - he's such a GREAT pastor, and that Mike and Lisa took the time to make it for Abbie - they're the BEST godparents ever!  It comforts me so much to know that if something were to ever happen to Greg and me that Mike and Lisa would be caring for Christian and Abbie and training them to follow Jesus.

Abigail Hope, we are so blessed to have you as our daughter.  You are an indescribable gift, and we know you will fulfill your name’s meaning of “My Father’s Joy” by bringing us much happiness as we watch you become a wise woman who follows God and is filled with hope.  We love you!
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Christmas Eve Service

12/26/2010

 
On Christmas Eve Christian debuted in his first on stage church performance!  He practiced his two songs ("Away in a Manger" and "Go Tell It on the Mountain") all week long, but when he got on stage he was so enamored with what was going on behind him and the need to sway and dance to the music that he didn't sing very much.  I loved every minute of it and I hope you do too! :)

Away in a Manger
Go Tell It on the Mountain
Greg preached the Christmas Eve sermon and it was amazing!  Below is the transcript and I hope you will take the time to read it - it's only 15 minutes (3 pages) because Greg had to account for translation time making his sermon 30 minutes.  I hope Greg's sermon touches your hearts as much as it impacted mine - Christmas is truly for the weak and the hurting!
the_good_news_of_christmas_-_12-24-10.pdf
File Size: 373 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Redeeming Santa Claus

12/22/2010

 
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Santa Claus.  He's everywhere and as a parent he's an issue that can't be avoided.  Greg and I have talked a lot over the past few years about what we would tell our little ones about Santa Claus when the time came.  Neither of us wanted to lie to our children but neither of us wanted to demonize Santa either, so as of a few weeks ago we were still avoiding the entire issue of Santa Claus until Greg read a great article written my Mark Driscoll.  (Most of the below material has been taken from Mark Driscoll's article.)

The article explained that we have three choices when it comes to explaining Santa Claus to our children: 1) We can reject it (i.e. Satan Claus and telling our children he's a horrible lie meant to distract us from Jesus' birth), 2) We can receive it (i.e. basically the traditional telling our children Santa Claus is a jolly old man who leads a team of flying reindeer on Christmas Eve to deliver the toys his elves made), and 3) We can redeem it (i.e. telling our children the truth about St. Nicholas and allowing Santa Claus to remind us of him).

Greg and I have chosen to redeem Santa Claus.  We tell our kids that Santa Claus was a real person who lived a long time ago.  We explain that people dress up as Santa and pretend to be him for fun, kind of like how they dress up like a monkey, angel, doctor, etc. on Halloween.  (See my post on Redeeming Halloween for more on that topic.)  We explain how, in addition to the actual story of Santa, a lot of other stories have been added (i.e. flying reindeer, living in the North Pole, elves, delivering presents to every child in one night) so that the traditional Santa is a combination of true and make-believe stories.

We do not demonize Santa, but we do not lie to our children either.  We teach Christian and Abbie that they can always trust us and we will never lie to them, and we ask that they be honest with us and never lie.  Since we also teach our children that Jesus is a real person who did perform real miracles, our fear is that if we teach them fanciful, make-believe stories as truth, it could erode confidence in our truthfulness where it really matters.  So, we distinguish between lies, secrets, surprises, and pretend for our kids.  We ask them not to tell lies, but do teach them that some surprises (like gift-giving) and pretending (like dressing up) can be fun and should be encouraged.  We tell them the truth and encourage them to have fun watching Christmas shows on television and even sitting on Santa's lap for a holiday photo if they so desire. 
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We read our children The Story of St. Nicholas: More than Reindeer and a Red Suit which was published by Voice of the Martyrs.  This books does an incredible job telling the truth about the Christian man who gave so generously!  (Voice of the Martyrs also published The Story of St. Valentine and the Story of St. Patrick.)

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We also watch Veggie Tales "Saint Nicholas" A Story of Giving which explains the truth about Santa Claus in a way that little ones can understand.

Over the years we have also had to teach our children how to handle the fact that many of their friends believe in Santa Claus.  We have told our children not to correct their friends when they talk about Santa Claus because their parents are having fun allowing them to use their imaginations.  We have also told them that if a friend directly asks them whether or not they believe Santa Claus is real then they should tell the truth that St. Nicholas was a real man and Santa Claus helps remind us of him.


The truth is that the myths surrounding Santa Claus actually emanate from the very real person of Saint Nicholas.  It is difficult to know the exact details of his life with certainty, as the ancient records are sparse, but the various pieces can be put together as a mosaic of his life.

Nicholas was born in the third century in Patara, a village in what is now Turkey.  He was born into an affluent family, but his parents died tragically when he was quite young.  His parents had raised him to be a devout Christian, which led him to spend his great inheritance on helping the poor, especially children.  He was known to frequently give gifts to children, sometimes even hanging socks filled with treats and presents.

Perhaps his most famous act of kindness was helping three sisters.  Because their family was too poor to pay for their wedding dowry, three young Christian women were facing a life of prostitution until Nicholas paid their dowry, thereby saving them from a horrible life of sexual slavery.

Nicholas grew to be a well-loved Christian leader and was eventually voted the Bishop of Myra, a port city that the apostle Paul had previously visited (Acts 27:5-6).  Nicholas reportedly also traveled to the legendary Council of Nicaea, where he helped defend the deity of Jesus Christ in A.D. 325.

Following his death on December 6, 343, he was canonized as a saint.  The anniversary of his death became the St. Nicholas holiday when gifts were given in his memory.  He remained a very popular saint among Catholic and Orthodox Christians, with some two thousand churches named after him.  The holiday in his honor eventually merged with Christmas, since they were celebrated within weeks of one another.

During the Reformation, however, Nicholas fell out of favor with Protestants, who did not approve of canonizing certain people as saints and venerating them with holidays.  His holiday was not celebrated in any Protestant country except Holland, where his legend as Sinterklass lived on.  In Germany, Martin Luther replaced him with the Christ child as the object of holiday celebration, or, in German, Christkindl.  Over time, the celebration of the Christ child was simply pronounced Kris Kringle and oddly became just another name for Santa Claus.

The legends about Santa Claus are most likely a compilation of other folklore.  For example, there was a Siberian myth (near the North Pole) that a holy man, or shaman, entered people's homes through their chimneys to leave them mushrooms as gifts.  According to the legend, he would hang them in front of the fire to dry.  Reindeer would reportedly eat them and become intoxicated.  This may have started the myth that the reindeer could fly, as it was believed that the shaman could also fly.  This myth may have merged with the Santa Claus myth, and if so, explains him traveling from the North Pole to slide down chimneys and leave presents on fireplace mantles before flying away with reindeer.

These make-believe stories of Santa Claus were first brought to America by Dutch immigrants (yes - my hubby's descendants - shame on them ;).  In the early twentieth century, stores began having Santa Claus present for children during the Christmas season.  Children also began sending letters to the North Pole as the legends surrounding an otherwise simple Christian man grew.

In summary, Saint Nickolas was a wonderful man who loved and served Jesus faithfully.  So, we are going to gladly include him in our Christmas traditions to remind us of what it looks like for someone to live a life of devotion to Jesus and give generously.  We hope that through all this we will be honest, fun, and Christ-honoring parents.

New York Home

12/20/2010

 
Below are pictures of our new home! :)

Outside
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When you open the door you see a flight of stairs.
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If you turn to the right you'll see our kitchen.
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If you turn to the left you'll see our dining/living room.
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In the back left corner of the main floor is Greg's and my bedroom.
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In the back right corner of the main floor is the China playroom.
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Next to the playroom is a bathroom.
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If you go upstairs there is a small landing.  In one half we created an office nook.
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On the other half of the landing we created a reading nook.
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Upstairs to the right is Christian's Australia bedroom and a second bathroom.
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Upstairs to the left is Abbie's France bedroom - complete with a little Parisian cafe.
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Christian Ice Skating

12/12/2010

 
Friday night our youth group went ice skating, so we took Christian and Abbie along.  Christian really wanted to ice skate too, so I begrudgingly let him do it "knowing" that he would get on the ice for 2-minutes, decide it was too hard, and quit – boy was I wrong!  Christian LOVED ice skating!  (Abbie wanted to get in on the action too and kept trying to sneak into the rink - sorry babe, they don't make size 5 ice skates - maybe in a couple years. :)
Ready to Skate
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Enough Pictures!  Let's go Daddy!
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Going out for the first time.
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I'm so grateful for our amazing LIALC teens - almost all of them took Christian out at some point (which is no small task with a slipping 3-year-old).  And I'm also super thankful for Greg taking Christian out despite the fact that he really doesn't like ice skating at all.  Christian is a super loved little skater!
Falling
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Dragging
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Slipping
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Sliding
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Smiling
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Skating
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Laughing
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At the beginning of the evening Christian was hesitant to get off of my lap because he was wobbly on his skates, but by the end of the night he was literally running in his skates!  We're going to be venturing back to the ice skating rink sometime soon (if Daddy is willing) because Christian loves ice skating!
My little ice skater!
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Calm Before the Paperwork Storm

12/8/2010

 
We have our first of four appointments set up with Bethany Christian Services in order to have our homestudy completed!  The first appointment will take place in our home (as all four will) on Tuesday, December 28 at 7:00PM.  This first appointment is basically just for us to get a TON of paperwork, and to have explained how we are to fill out the paperwork (i.e. how/where to get finger printing done, what documents need to be notarized, etc.).

We will be doing our orientation with Life Choices in January.  After this appointment we will once again have a TON of paperwork to fill out.

So now we are in the calm before the paperwork storm. :)

Adoption Journal: Entry One

12/7/2010

 
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My Precious Babies,

Today I made this journal for Mommy to record the journey God took us on to bring you both into our family.  In this journal I'm going to record every milestone, financial miracle, happy day, sad day, and phone call that led to you becoming our little Vrugginks.  Just like I carried Christian and Abbie inside of me for months before they were born, in the same way I am carrying you in my heart during the months leading up to your adoption.  Just like my love grew for Christian and Abbie while they were developing inside of me, in the same way my love for you is growing as I see us completing all the steps in the adoption process that is bringing us closer to you.

God has amazing plans for both of you!  God is going to or perhaps already is wonderfully creating your inmost being and knitting you together in your biological mother's womb (Psalm 139:13-14).  He has then ordained that your days will be spent with Daddy and I as you grow up (Psalm 139:16).  God has orchestrated your life perfectly so that you will have a very specific genetic makeup, and then He's going to let Daddy and I have the awesome privilege of being your parents. 

In the Bible whenever God designs someone and then gives them adopted parents – you know something special is in store for that person!  In the Bible we read three stories of people who were adopted, and all three individuals brought salvation to their people.  Moses was adopted by the Egyptian Princess, and ultimately he was able to save Israel by leading them out of slavery.  Esther was adopted by Mordecai, and ultimately she had a role in saving the Jews form annihilation.  Jesus was adopted by Joseph, and through Jesus the entire world has the opportunity to be adopted into God's family and have eternal salvation.

Daddy and I have been adopted too.  God destined us to be adopted into His family through the blood of Jesus. (Ephesians 1:5)  By accepting Jesus as our Savior we have received the Holy Spirit and have been adopted into God's family and we are now God's children. (Romans 8:15-16).  Our greatest hope is that someday you and your siblings will be adopted into God's family too.

I'm so excited to be your Mommy soon!  Just as Jesus promised to send His Holy Spirit in John 14:18, so I make the same promise that "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."  My heart is already knitted to yours, and soon you will be permanently knitted into our family.  I miss you even though I haven't met you yet, and I'm so looking forward to the day when I will hold you in my arms and shower with you with cuddles, hugs, and kisses.  Daddy and I are coming for you and we love you!

Hugs and Kisses,
Your Mommy

WIC Blessings

12/6/2010

 
This week our family was accepted into New York’s WIC program!  WIC provides checks for nutritious food for low income pregnant women, infants, and children under the age of five.  The low income legibility guidelines for a family of four in New York are making less than $40,793 a year (before taxes) and we make $40,000 a year (before taxes), so we were blessed that Christian and Abbie just qualified for this government assistance program.

Each month we get checks that have a specific item(s) written on the check, and we take the check to our local grocery store and receive that item(s) for free.  The trick is you have to purchase just that item when using a WIC check, so sometimes checking out can take a long time.  For example this week I had to "check out" six times doing the following: 
WIC Check One:  1 Gallon Whole Milk
WIC Check Two:  1 Gallon 1% Milk
WIC Check Three:  1 16-oz Peanut Butter & 36-oz. Cereal
WIC Check Four:  $6 in fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables
WIC Check Five:  $6 in fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables
Personal Cash:  Tarter Sauce and Sour Cream

I was really nervous and embarrassed going up to the cashier.  I had never used food stamps or WIC checks before, so I felt nervous not knowing if I had grabbed the correct items and I was embarrassed to be using government assistance to pay for my groceries.  I was so glad to be blessed with a very sweet cashier.  I had mistakenly only grabbed 1 18-oz. box of mini-wheats cereal when my check qualified me for two, so she ran back and got me an extra box.  I hadn't reached the maximum allowable amount for my fruits and vegetables check, so she ran back and got me two extra bunches of bananas.  She patiently scanned each item and applied the check to that item.  She was great, and made me feel comfortable even though the situation was new and I was making mistakes.

On the flipside, the people behind me in line were less than thrilled that I was taking so long to check out.  My cart wasn't that full, but it probably took me around 15 minutes to completely check out.  They got increasingly impatient with me "checking out" half-a-dozen times, and made this clear through their eyes and stances.  Every time I glanced back at them my face would blush a little bit knowing that I was the source of their irritation.  However, now that I'm home I have been thanking God for blessing me with lessons on humility, love, and compassion.

By using WIC checks I am being blessed with learning humbleness.  I don't recall every having watched someone use food stamps or WIC checks to pay for their groceries, but I think that if I ever saw a woman with two small children using government assistance I would probably have judged her for being irresponsible.  Now I understand that there are a lot of reasons people find themselves in a position where they need government assistance and it is certainly not my job to judge that person.  Greg and I made a choice to be in full-time ministry knowing full well we would always be poor, but knowing we would be rich with the joy that comes from serving Jesus.  We have chosen to consider all things loss for the sake of Christ. (Philippians 3:7-8)

By using WIC checks I am being blessed with learning love and compassion.  If I am ever behind someone using food stamps or WIC checks to pay for their groceries then I will wait patiently.  I will smile encouragingly when they look back at me.  If possible, if I spot them in the parking lot after checking out then I will give them one of my bags of groceries as a gift.

Using WIC checks has definitely been a blessing for our family!  We are blessed with having money to purchase food, and we are blessed with lessons on humility, love, and compassion.

Christmas Fun

12/3/2010

 
The morning after Thanksgiving we put up our Christmas decorations.  Christian and Abbie loved hanging the apple slices, pear slices, gingerbread men, and candy canes on our tree.  (Our family has a traditional "food tree" tradition - we even have a corn husk angel on top. :)  Now Christian and Abbie are enjoying taking the decorations off the tree and attempting to eat them (which is not good since they're all lacquered so hopefully no one gets sick)!
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Today we had a wonderful time making Christmas cookies with friends.  I wasn't used to the evidently high heat of my new oven, so it wasn't until my third batch that I figured out where to put the cookies and how long to bake them without burning them and setting off our fire alarms.  Oh well - fun memories! :)  Christian and Abbie had a fun time punching out cookies and I wish I had a picture of Christian proudly carrying his tray to the oven - so precious.  I think Christian ate more decorations then he put on cookies, but that's part of the fun. :)  Abbie clapped for joy when I made her a little penguin cookie - penguins are her obsession - it's precious. :)
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