evangelism conference

This past weekend we had the privilege of attending the Niagara Bible Conference which featured Dr. Pipa as speaker.

 

Dr. Pipa unpacked verses from Scripture in such a way that my mind could not keep up with it. It made me love God's Word even more. Every year the conference is on evangelism & we need to be reminded again & again of how important it is for us to be faithful to our Lord & reach out to those around us.
On Friday night Dr. Pipa related election to evangelism. "If you believe in election you will have a burden for the lost- you will not have a complacent attitude."
Here are some key points from Saturday's speech: Ephesians 6:18-20
-prayer must be the context, environment, & climate of evangelism
-prayer is a sign of life in the Christian, both formally & informally
-when we pray in supplication it is the kind of prayer that God delights in - we plead & come back to the same request over & over again
-this is how we ought to pray for the unbelievers that are in our lives; keep knocking, seeking, & have much perseverance
Dr. Pipa also talked about "contacts" in evangelism. He used Colossians 4:2-4 about the words that we speak being full of grace & seasoned with salt.
-we are the only Bible that people might ever read, our lives must be holy
-we need to walk wisely & intentionally redeeming the time - we are not like a stick in a stream floating along, but we must be purposeful, praying for opportunities to witness
-do acts of kindness, express concern, do something for others even if it inconveniences you- become a servant
-we are called to be faithful, not to produce results
-our speech should be truthful, gentle, attractive, delightful, it should bring joy & calmness
-this is the kind of speech that will provoke questions
-"witnessing is simply boasting about God" - Dr. Pipa

After the conference, these two delightful brothers joined us at our house for lunch. We have not seen them for years, so it was great catching up again.  Eric & Bruce were very instrumental in Adam's spiritual journey when he was a teenager & we will always be thankful to them for their encouragement.


On the home front: Sunday
Dr. Pipa had just started his sermon, when I got called out of church because Tyler was inconsolable. I have never been called out of church before with him.  I was looking so forward to listening to Dr. Pipa again but instead I ended up in the babysit.
In between church, Andrew was playing in the sandbox. He pretended to be like a cat (we think) & did his job in the sandbox and buried the evidence. Thankfully Liam saw this horrible crime & immediately reported it. And then in church Liam was leaning up against me & I noticed gum stuck behind his ear! Liam thought that Violet Beauregarde from "Charlie & the Chocolate Factory" had a clever way of keeping her gum safe so he thought that he would try it too! And then after the afternoon service, our former pastor was given a bouquet of flowers for his retirement. Andrew, with his loud whisper told my mom that they should of given the minister a toy. He would of liked that much better.  And... we still have a dinky car stuck in our bathroom sink drain. It is stuck. There is never a dull moment with a house full of boys:)

and they ran...

It has been many years since we have had pictures taken with the growing family. We took on the challenge last week. Yes, it certainly was a challenge with four 1 year olds who like nothing better than to run and explore.

We jumped, clapped, hooted, and hollered behind the photographer trying to get these little guys to stay still and look at the camera. If they stayed still long enough that was good, if they smiled it was a bonus.

As cute as Olivia looked amongst all of her boy cousins, the tears found their way down her cheeks.

Tyler, our expert runner who has learned his ways from his older brothers kept me running. Plop him down, run away, snap a picture.

                                                                        Mark and Adam

                                                James is a little cutie, always ready with a smile

             My parents had their wedding pictures taken on the exact same bridge 34 years ago!

These pictures are such nice treasures to have!
Special thanks to Sophia for taking on a challenge!

BOOKS!

I have been trying to come up with a snazzy title about book reviews but
have come up with just plain "books." Books are my passion, and life seems
dull if I don't have a book(s) on the go. They are inspiring, interesting, and as we tell our
children, they open up a whole new world. Here are three books that I have finished.



I am sure that those who know my dear husband are thinking that there is no way that Kerri needs to read this! True enough!
Our bible study leader recommended this book to everyone and now I do too. This is an absolute "must read." At one time or another we have all mistreated and hurt our spouse. We have also been on the receiving end of mistreatment. When you were hurt, did you react or respond? Leslie Vernick explores the difference between reaction and responses. Using Scripture she teaches how to love even when we are scared, hurt, angry, or don't feel like loving. In this book you will learn how God uses this relationship to help you grow to be more like Christ. You will not read about quick fixes but the author encourages spiritual maturity and growth in Christ. Heart changes.

We are reminded that marriage is not about finding the right person but about becoming the right person.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 


Here is a book that I wish that I had read when I was a nurse. This doctor writes about the convictions that he had in his profession and how he over time, carried out God's desire for him.  Dr. Levy'S knees shook the first time that he prayed with his patient prior to surgery. And then when he realized that God not only wanted him to pray privately with the patient; but publicly with the family members, nursing and surgical team, Dr. Levy did not think that he could do it. But he did. At first when I was reading this book I felt that there was a bit of the "health and wealth gospel" but later on in the book, it proved not to be.
This book is encouraging. Whether you are in college trying to pray before your meal in public, or with colleagues, it can be hard to pray and show your faith. Let Dr. Levy's story inspire you. He found freedom through obeying God's voice.  This book is a little on the technical side regarding health matters and the surgeries that he performed, but it is still a good read.                                                                                            

This to me was one of the best books that I have ever read. It is one that belongs in every Christian's home. Isaiah 66:2 says "This is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit."
What is it like to live humbly before God? How does pride show itself in all of the areas of our lives? How much do we know about pride considering that this is the sin that God hates, abhors, detests.
I cannot say enough good about this book. It is one that I plan to read over and over again. I hope that you do too. 

a few more family pictures

On the post below this one there are more of our family pictures.

family pictures

I will apologize ahead of time for how many pictures there are. I was just so happy with how our family pictures turned out. You have to understand. It was a real challenge trying to get four boys to actually stay in one spot, let alone smile, and not play with the nearest stick that could be found. Many times, Adam & I were smiling, looking happy for the camera but through our smiles were giving out threats. Stay here or else. Smile or else. Look at the camera or else. Soon the threats changed to bribery. The boys tried their hardest, but there were so many things to see & play with. In the end, it all turned out & we were very thrilled with the pictures. I think that the photographer captured our family well.

                                                                  looking tired!