Happy Birthday Alexie!

This is our Alexie Christine eleven years ago...

Here with big sister, Adriana...

I remember this photo shoot. I took many, many shots of the two of them together that day.
Here's our Alexie Christine today...Thank you God for this precious gift. We love you, Alexie!

He is Risen!

And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.

1 Corinthians 15:14

He is risen! He is risen, indeed! That is the essential difference between Christianity and so many other beliefs in this world. It is based not on some cosmic happening or fairy tale. HE IS RISEN!

There may be things we don't understand. There may be things about which we disagree. But, HE IS RISEN!

The people who were alive when the event occurred, the first Easter, based their testimony on this fact. Many of them gave their lives for it. As the passage above says, if the resurrection is not a real event there is no need to bother. But it is true. HE IS RISEN, INDEED!

If He did not defeat death and secure our redemption, it is all a hoax and we can all move along because there is no point beyond eat, drink, and be merry. But if He has been raised, nothing else in life even compares. The ramifications are incomprehensible! It changes everything. Indeed, it has changed everything!

HE IS RISEN!

HE IS RISEN, INDEED!

I'm Dreaming of a White Easter?!

Spring is already here, so what is up with the snow in the Easter baskets?

This afternoon we went to my parents house to celebrate Easter. The kids always look forward to the hunt for Easter eggs. This time the kids needed hats, gloves, and winter coats before they could go out into the snow. But they had a great time anyway. They had to hurry though, because a few of the eggs were nearly hidden by the fallen snow.

After the Easter egg hunt was over, we went inside to enjoy a fantastic meal and some games together. We are really enjoying the time we have with our family before we depart. It is truly a blessing to have family so close.

Grace,

Tom

Tickets

Today we arranged for our travel to the Philippines. We leave home on May 28th! There's much to do between now and then but God is way bigger than any "to do list".

Weather Woes

Most of the girls have been studying weather in science. Annalise and I even made a little weathervane for our weather study today. Tonight was to be her very first soccer practice. But despite her prayers, the meteorologist's forecast was correct and it rained. Unlike the stricter soccer coach in the house, I did not have the kindergarteners practice in the rain. She was so disappointed. Now after being so excited and asking everyday about soccer she has to wait a whole 7 days more to begin. Instead of waiting for a rainbow to appear, we decided to bring some smiles by a little tradition we like to call "Destination Unknown". We drove the girls nuts by giving outlandish clues and driving around an unfamiliar route. But in the end they enjoyed the library showing of Enchanted and getting to see their cousins, aunt, and Grandma. All's well that ends well.

Yawn!

Aren't they adorable when they are asleep? Adriana and Alexie both had sleep overs tonight. Which meant that Alayna and Annalise were both without their roommates. They swore that they would never be able to sleep without their roommate. But it seems that sleep has come. We pray that when we are in Bontoc and they are all sharing a room once again, that sleep will come easily for them.

Grace,
Tom

Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed

Our girls have been part of AWANA since they were old enough to be Cubbies. Last week they returned to talk about our time in the Philippines. After hearing their daddy preach many different times, it was their turn. No they didn't preach a sermon but it was like talking in three services as they spoke to 3 different groups at AWANA. It was a great opportunity to let them know about life in the Philippines and let them know they do not have to wait until they grow up or move across the world to be a missionary.