Meet The Goats!! ~By Victoria

Hello all! Sorry for the delay in posting! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

I thought I better post about something... so here are some pictures of Caroline and my Boer goats. :o)

Our newest addition we just brought home last night:

2 year old fullblood~ "Mr Rich"

Our 10 month old fullblood buck,  Teflon (he came with that name!:o)

                                              2 year old purebred, Cosmo~ Due to kid 3/1/13

1 year old fullblood,  Poli~ Due 2/20/13

                                            10 month old purebred,  Ruby~ due 3/31/13

10 month old purebred, Sparkle~due 3/30/13

1 year old 75% Boer, Star~ Due 2/28/13

                                                2 year old purebred, Addy~ due 3/15/13

Welcome to our blog!~By Kyle

Hi! If you saw our article in the paper and as a result wanted to look up our blog, welcome! I hope you enjoy reading about us. We have a rather interesting life. :0)
  If you have read our article in the paper yesterday, you will have seen that we have a strong faith in God. That is true. We believe in all God has done for us and the world, including this verse:

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16

How amazing! It is awesome to think that God loved us so much that He would send his only Son to die for us. And that we have a way to escape perishing and can have eternal life! This is the hope of our family. But why was this necessary? Why did God have to send Jesus? Look at these verses:

For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. James 2:10

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Rom 3:23

 

      The bible says that even if we have just sinned once, we are made guilty of all sins and are separated from God and his glory. That means we are separated from God’s dwelling place, Heaven. There is no way any human has never sinned, which means we all are disqualified from thinking we have a right to heaven. But what of good works? What if your good outweighed the bad things you did? Couldn’t that qualify you for heaven?

 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. Isaiah 64:6

 

Because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; Romans 3:20

 

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8

God is a holy God. He cannot look past our sin to our good works, thus our good works are like filthy rags to Him because of our sin. There is no way our good works can get us to heaven, because even if we sinned just once (and we have all sinned many more times than that), we still have a sin problem that needs to be judged.

 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. Rev 20:12

God is our judge; he will judge us according to his holy standard. Would you respect a judge who, knowing the criminal on trial before him was guilty of breaking every law, pardoned the person just because he had also done quite a bit of good in his life? No, of course you wouldn’t! So what do we all justly deserve?

For the wages of sin is death, Rom 6:23a.

 

Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. - Revelation 20:14-15 NASB

 Up to this point, it is very depressing news, but thank God the news does not stop here! Remember John 3:16. God loved us desperate, destruction bound sinners so much that He sent His one and only perfect Son to save us! The rest of Romans 6:23 says:

 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Praise God! Thank you, Jesus! Eternal life is a free gift from Jesus! And we do not have to hopelessly try to earn it, and we can know for certain that we will be saved from hell.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. Romans 5:8-9

 

For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; 1 Peter 3:18

 How amazing!  My lord Jesus, the only perfect sacrifice for our sins, died for me! And He wants to have died to save you, too. How wonderful, how blessed it is to receive this gift! This is what makes our family different through the grace of God. We have the joy of Christ in us and cannot help but tell others about Him.

Jesus is the only way to come to Heaven.

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. John 14:6

 

"He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." - John 3:36

So how do you receive this free gift, this joyous salvation?

That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; Romans10:9

I hope all of you that read this come to a closer understanding of what Jesus did for all of us. If you have not come to a point in your life where you have decided to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I urge you to seriously investigate the claims of Christ. For starters, locate or buy a Bible and read the book of John in the New Testament. Find a local church to visit and connect with people there who can explain the gospel to you. It just might change your life.

Note: If you want to view our article, or are family in Arizona, you can buy a one day subscription to the Chronicle for 2$ here http://www.chronline.com/submissions/

To read more about the life of us Quads, I would recommend this post: http://all4thegloryofgod.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-life-of-four-licensed-teen.html

 

WHITE CHRISTMAS!~By Kyle

Amazing! Winter storm watch for our area now . . . which means a white Christmas is almost guaranteed! Yes! Even better, it is already snowing right now! We already have around two inches  . . . and it's still coming down! I'm ecstatic right now . . . Ok, borderline delirious :0)! We barely got home from our Grandparent's house!

 

Also, here is a video of a song that a very talented lady sung at our church this morning:

 

Remember to thank our Lord for the real meaning of Christmas! How amazing that the Lord of the Universe would come to save us, pitiful little wretches, from death. He, the One who dwells in glory, came to this world as an infant! He was born in a stable of all places! And He came to die the worst possible death for us. I for one cannot comprehend that kind of unconditional love. Thank you, Jesus!

 

Winter Storm Watch

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
350 PM PST SUN DEC 23 2012

...WINTER STORM WATCH FOR THE HOOD CANAL AREA...LOWER CHEHALIS
VALLEY AND PARTS OF THE SOUTHWEST INTERIOR CHRISTMAS DAY...

.A PACIFIC FRONTAL SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO SPREAD MOISTURE OVER COOL
AIR IN PLACE CHRISTMAS MORNING WITH PRECIPITATION BEGINNING AS
SNOW BEFORE TURNING TO DAY LATER IN THE DAY.

WAZ504-512-241315-
/O.NEW.KSEW.WS.A.0021.121225T1000Z-121225T2200Z/
SOUTHWEST INTERIOR-LOWER CHEHALIS VALLEY AREA-
350 PM PST SUN DEC 23 2012

...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH
TUESDAY AFTERNOON...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM
WATCH FOR THE LOWER CHEHALIS VALLEY AND THE WESTERN PART OF THE
SOUTHWEST INTERIOR...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE MONDAY NIGHT
THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON.

* SOME AFFECTED LOCATIONS...MONTESANO...ELMA...MCCLEARY...PE ELL
  ...ROCHESTER

* TIMING...SNOW IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN EARLY CHRISTMAS MORNING AND
  CONTINUE INTO THE AFTERNOON BEFORE TURNING TO RAIN IN THE LOWER
  ELEVATIONS.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...3 TO 5 INCHES PRIMARILY IN WESTERN LEWIS
  AND THURSTON COUNTIES BEFORE TURNING TO RAIN.

* MAIN IMPACT...THE SNOW WILL PRODUCE ADVERSE WINTER WEATHER
  DRIVING CONDITIONS.

* SNOW LEVEL...200 TO 500 FEET RISING TO NEAR 1000 FEET DURING
  THE AFTERNOON.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE
WINTER WEATHER. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL IN THE WATCH AREA...CARRY AN
EXTRA FLASHLIGHT...FOOD...WATER...AND BLANKETS IN CASE OF
EMERGENCY.

Keep your fingers crossed!~By Kyle

Sing it with me: I'm dreaming (or praying) for a white Christmas . . .

Special Weather Statement

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
415 PM PST SAT DEC 22 2012

WAZ001-503>512-514-515-518-519-231230-
SAN JUAN COUNTY-WESTERN WHATCOM COUNTY-SOUTHWEST INTERIOR-
EAST PUGET SOUND LOWLANDS-WESTERN SKAGIT COUNTY-
EVERETT AND VICINITY-SEATTLE/BREMERTON AREA-TACOMA AREA-
ADMIRALTY INLET AREA-HOOD CANAL AREA-LOWER CHEHALIS VALLEY AREA-
EASTERN STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-WESTERN STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-
WEST SLOPES NORTHERN CASCADES AND PASSES-
WEST SLOPES CENTRAL CASCADES AND PASSES-
415 PM PST SAT DEC 22 2012

...SNOW POSSIBLE CHRISTMAS MORNING IN PARTS OF THE WESTERN
WASHINGTON INTERIOR...

WEATHER CONDITIONS MAY BE JUST RIGHT FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME
SNOW IN THE INTERIOR OF WESTERN WASHINGTON CHRISTMAS MORNING.

SKIES ARE EXPECTED TO PARTIALLY CLEAR CHRISTMAS EVE PERMITTING
TEMPERATURES TO COOL CLOSE TO FREEZING EARLY CHRISTMAS MORNING
JUST AS MOISTURE FROM AN INCOMING PACIFIC FRONTAL SYSTEM ARRIVES.

THE PRECIPITATION WILL BE RAIN ALONG THE COAST NEAR MIDNIGHT...BUT
COULD START AS SNOW IN THE INTERIOR OF WESTERN WASHINGTON EARLY
CHRISTMAS MORNING.

THE BEST CHANCE OF ACCUMULATING SNOW IS IN THE HOOD CANAL...KITSAP
PENINSULA AND PARTS OF SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON. 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE
POSSIBLE IN THESE LOCATIONS. ELSEWHERE...LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS ARE
POSSIBLE ON HIGHER HILLS (that's us!) OR AWAY FROM BODIES OF WATER LIKE PUGET
SOUND.

THE PRECIPITATION IN THE INTERIOR IS EXPECTED TO TURN OVER TO ALL RAIN
BY MIDDAY. THE EXCEPTION IS OVER THE HOOD CANAL WHERE IT IS
POSSIBLE THE TRANSITION WILL BE SLOWER.

HISTORICALLY...A WHITE CHRISTMAS IN THE WESTERN WASHINGTON
LOWLANDS IS RATHER RARE...LESS THAN A 10 PERCENT CHANCE. THE LAST
WHITE CHRISTMAS WAS IN 2008.

MORE SNOW IS EXPECTED IN THE MOUNTAINS AS WELL. AMOUNTS WILL
LIKELY BE IN THE 4 TO 8 INCH RANGE CHRISTMAS DAY.

IF YOU ARE PLANNING ANY TRAVEL ON CHRISTMAS DAY...BE PREPARED FOR
THE POTENTIAL OF ADVERSE WINTER WEATHER DRIVING CONDITIONS.

 

COME ON WHITE CHRISTMAS!

RICHIE IS CANCER FREE!!!~By Kyle

 Huge praise! Mommy just got off the phone with the news that Richie is cancer free! Hallelujah! Lydia and Richie's (and our) lives will finally return to normal! Praise God!

Psalm 34

 

1 A Psalm of David when he feigned madness before Abimelech, who drove him away and he departed. I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul will make its boast in the LORD; The humble will hear it and rejoice.
3 O magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.
4 I sought the LORD, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces will never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him And saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.
8 O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
9 O fear the LORD, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want.
10 The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing.
11 Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12 Who is the man who desires life And loves length of days that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil And your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous And His ears are open to their cry.
16 The face of the LORD is against evildoers, To cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry, and the LORD hears And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all. 20 He keeps all his bones, Not one of them is broken. 21 Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
22 The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

Caroline Playing "All Of Me" By Jon Schmidt

After our cousin Kari got us started on the Piano Guys, Caroline found the music for one of the guy's songs and has been playing it for almost 2 weeks. She has it memorized already! This recording hardly does her justice, as it is really bad sound quality. :o( It can give you an idea though of what it sounds like. :o)

Here is the guy who wrote "All Of Me" playing it:

We will not be posting here for a little while, follow Lydia's blog!

Anything I could write about our life seems trivial compared to what Lydia and Richie are going through right now. Please, rally around them! Leave encouraging comments on their blog . . . make sure Lydia knows you are praying for her! I really believe their spiritual battle is coming to a head right now.

Snow!!!!!~By Kyle

Hi, your local Mossyrock weatherman here. Be advised that there may be snow in the near future! Finally!!! Whenever there is a possibility of snow, I start following all the forecasts very closely, Mainly the big three: NOAA, NWS, and Accuweather.

Timing: Wet snow flurries fell here this morning, and may continue to fall the rest of today. A heavy storm system Sunday will turn the precipitation  into rain all throughout Monday . . . But then it gets interesting. Snow could fall here from Monday night through Wednesday. It is uncertain yet how much, or if, the snow will accumulate. Come on snow!

             Day   Temps.     Day               Night

  TWC
             Mon. 42-33       rain                rain/snow showers
            Tues.  39-33       Rn/Sw Shrs.  snow showers
            Wed.  40-37       showers         showers
NOAA
            Mon.  42-31      Rain/Snow      Rain/Snow
            Tues.  35-33       Snow             Snow
            Wed.  38-38        Snow             Rain
Accu  
           Mon.   39-26        Rain              Sw. Shower
          Tues.    35-25      Showers          Snow
           Wed.   38-33       Ice/Rain          showers

 In my opinion NOAA is the most accurate forecaster. TWC is the most conservative, and Accuweather is almost crazily the opposite (as you can see by their forecasted lows). Surprisingly, though, NOAA has the best (or worst, if you are a crazy person like Richie) forecast for snow right now.

We Are Praying For You Richie and Lydia !! ~ By Victoria

Please remember to pray for Richie and Lydia as often as you think of them!  They are on their way to the hospital now! Thank you sooo much to all of our family and friends for joining with us to hold them up in prayer! I'm sure they are so grateful!

John 16:33
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."

The life of four licensed teen drivers~By Kyle

   For the first time, we four quads were able to go shopping by ourselves out in the "Big Town" (Centralia/Chehalis--population: more than Mossyrock, but that's not saying much)! We even got to take Mommy's credit card :0) :0) :0) :0).  Once we were safely away in the "Big Town", we called home to ask how to use it -- and how much money was in the account ;0). Even better, we got our Amazon birthday packages in the mail before we left--Thank you, Papa and Grammie!-- which means we got to "rock" along with the Piano Guys, Mark Shultz, and Brandon Heath all the way there and back. I also got to bury myself deep into an adventure of tracer missiles, nuclear bombs, and political jousting along the trip. Oh the joy of good books! We also made a very significant dent in our Christmas shopping . . . without any detection.
   Ever wonder how the structure of us team of Quads work? In my opinion it would make a very interesting book. Well, I guess my sisters would say I am definitely the most impetuous and care free of our crew. But in my defense, I am also the first one to suggest "desert, on me!".  I am usually the "go to" guy for any potentially embarrassing--at least in my sister's opinions--situations. For instance, I was the one tasked with using Mommy's credit card for several grocery purchases (in case they asked for I.D. or something, I guess). Contrast this with Victoria, who wouldn't even order what I wanted at the Taco Bell drive-thru because it was to "complicated" (sigh)! Speaking of Victoria, she is hands down the most upbeat character of our tight knit group. If there is a time where she is not making you laugh, then she is probably suffering from her latest dental appointment (she's had several of those, recently).  Then there is Caroline, in my opinion the most level-headed and smart member of our crew. She hardly ever loses her cool. Then there is Valerie; to fully understand her would be to read several college-sized books. She is the most emotional (by far) and fearful of awkward situations of us quads, but yet takes initiative on many things before we do. She once cried out in fear when it was her turn to order at a restaurant, but yet she regularly interacts with dozens of strangers in her dog business. She plans to adopt a gaggle of children some day. She is the one Mommy's credit card was wisely entrusted to. I admire all my sisters. The young men who court my sisters some day will definitely be carefully looked over by my Dad, me, and our shotguns :0).
   As always, the differences between me and my sisters in our male and female personalities was clearly seen. While my sisters bought the next "Love Comes Softly" movie (sound of head thumping on table), I bought a Left Behind movie (cool!). While my sisters recklessly skipped through Brandon Heath's more up-beat songs, I just groaned and wished I was in the front seat so I could control the CD player! After finishing my shopping relatively quick, I got to wait for quite awhile before my sisters finally finished theirs.
  I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed this evening. I plan to cherish these next few years while our nation is still a pretty free place to live. Let the Quadmobile roll on!

We're Back!~By Kyle

Wow! So much to post about, so little time! First of all, we're home safe and sound! Our thanks to all the snowplows that kept the roads over the passes clear for us. There was a winter storm warning for each of the three passes we could have used to travel to Leavenworth.
    Ever wonder what a trip with the size of our family is like? Well, it definitely is never boring! We had Allie getting hit by a skunk the night before we left (guess who was elected head of the one-member Allie cleaning crew . . . in the rain, in the dark, in the cold?). We had 7 kids, 2 puppies, and 1 Australian bearded desert rat (family joke for our Aussie) stuffed in our camper for the trip to Leavenworth. We managed to leave our house at only ten minutes after our set upon departure time (wow!). We had a puppy "redecorate" bedding (not mine, thankfully). We even had an unexpected (even by the family weatherman, who tends to exaggerate the expected snowfall total :0) ) snowfall of around three inches! And we had to come to the aid of our neighbors in the KOA cabin next to us —two females around the same age, one with cropped hair, and both with the required attitude :0(—who accidentally locked themselves out of their cabin.  Nevertheless, we had a GREAT time! It was so much fun! The unexpected snowfall was especially awesome!
   Family trip to the number one Christmas town in America? Check!
   Christmas celebration? Check!
   Snow fix? Check!
   Christmas shopping? Check!
   Family fun? Check!
   Movie in theaters? Sometime in the near future!
   Pelting family with snowballs? Check, check, check!
   Fun vacation? Check!

   Make sure to check Mommy's blog! I'm sure she will have tons of pictures coming in the near future! Also, keep following our blog! I will try to badger one of my sisters into posting something on Leavenworth :0). If not, I guess you will be stuck with more of my ramblings!

Why Russia must attack Israel before the rapture~By Kyle

Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near. - Revelation 1:3 NASB

The last couple of months I have been studying eschatology (Greek eschatos last, farthest). Since my generation could very well be the one that gets to witness this truly awe inspiring ending to the world (no, the world will not end on the 21st :0) ), end-times study has been very interesting to me. It all started when I began reading the Left Behind books. Though the books are just man's interpretation of scripture relating to end-times, and though I didn't quite agree with everything in the books, it was interesting to read how the world could possibly end. 
Here is a very simple list of the twenty-one judgements prophesied in Revelations:
The seven "seal" judgements:

1. White horse and rider (Antichrist)
2. Red horse (World War 3)
3. Black Horse (famine)
4. Ashen horse (Death: total of 1/4 population dead)
5. Martyrs (Given white robe/rest, promise of judgement/vengeance)
6. Wrath of the Lamb (terrible earthquake/blood moon/black sun/asteroid shower)          Interlude 144,000 Jews turn to Christ, Innumerable soul harvest
7. Ushering in of the "trumpet" judgements

The seven "Trumpet" judgements:

1. Hail and fire mixed with blood thrown to the earth, 1/3 trees/earth burned, all grass burned
2. fiery mountain (possibly an asteroid) thrown into sea, 1/3 sea turned to blood, 1/3 of sea creatures/ships destroyed or killed.
3. A star named Wormwood falls to Earth and poisons 1/3 of the rivers and springs, many men die of the poison
4. A third of the sun/moon/stars darkened
5. Terrifying locusts given power to torment all unbelievers for 5 months, but cannot kill
6. Demonic army, 200,000,000 strong, unleashed to kill 1/3 of remaining population
7. Christ's reign foreseen               Mid-point of tribulation

The seven "bowl" judgements

1.  Loathsome sore on those with the mark of the beast
2. Seas turned completely to blood/all sea creatures perish
3. Rivers and springs turned to blood
4. Scorching sun
5. Darkness covers throne of the Beast (Antichrist indwelt by Satan)
6. Euphrates dried up in preparation for Armageddon                                                         Armageddon
7. "It is done." Lightning and peals of thunder/Earth-leveling earthquake/100-pound hailstones (basically, the end of the world)

These judgements are terrible; they are not even pleasant to think about, but if we understand what is to come I think it will impress on us the need to be bold with the gospel of Christ. We need to save as many people as possible from this terrible time! I for one do not want any of the people I know to have to go through this.

"There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. - Luke 21:25-26 NASB
Naturally, I began to wonder what warning signs we will see before we are raptured (To view my post on the rapture, click this link) and this terrible tribulation period is begun on Earth. Obviously, the biggest warning will be the attack on Israel by (most believe) Russia. I began to wonder, though, why most everyone says it will happen before the tribulation. So (of course) I Googled it. Here is a clip from an article that helped me understand why the invasion must come first:

Any chronology of the Rapture and the invasion of Israel is speculative and should be given wide flexibility. However, it is instructive to examine some of the possibilities. (Ibid., p. 148)

The Rapture may occur in any of the four possible time sequences: before Russia is destroyed, immediately afterward, long afterward, or simultan-eously with the signing of the covenant between the Antichrist and Israel. (Ibid., 150, emphasis added, K.B.)

If he is correct in saying the Rapture takes place before the invasion of Israel by Russia, then there should be a gap of 3½ years. That is impossible because the Bible does not permit a gap as explained previously. Since there is no gap, the invasion of Israel by Russia is an extremely important warning sign for us to “watch.” The last possibility is correct. The Rapture will take place as LaHaye said, “simultaneously with the signing of the covenant between the Antichrist and Israel.”

The 5 primary reasons that I believe the War of Gog/Magog will take place before the Rapture/Tribulation are given in my book, The Millennium, the Apocalypse and Armageddon:

1. The Antichrist signs his Shalom covenant with Israel, that is a peace covenant. The Russian led invasion takes place when Israel is dwelling in security (betach) as it is today, not when it will be living in “peace” when the Antichrist signs a covenant with them.

2. The Western powers are still in existence when this war breaks out because they make a timid response to the invasion by asking Russia if it has come to take a “spoil” and a “prey” (Ezekiel 38.13). A world government will be established prior to the rise of the Antichrist and the start of the Tribulation (Daniel 7.23-24). The War of Gog/Magog must take place before then because there is no world government that responds to the invasion. Instead individual nations make a response.

3. The invasion gives rise to a worldwide revival (Ezekiel 39.7). It starts with the first stage of Israel’s conversion. The second stage of Israel’s conversion comes after the 144,000 witnesses are commissioned (Revelation 7.1-8). They lead millions of people to Jesus Christ throughout the world (Revelation 7.9).

4. The implements of war are burned for 7 years (Ezekiel 39.8-9). As noted previously they cannot be burned into the Millennial Kingdom.

5. Egypt and its allies – Ethiopia, Put, Lud, Arabia and Libya – will be destroyed before the start of the Tribulation along with the nations that support Egypt (Ezekiel 30.1-6). Russia has supported Egypt against Israel since 1948. Therefore Egypt will be destroyed along with Russia in the War of Gog/Magog before the Tribulation.

___________________________________

The most interesting part of the study to me was the verse about the war implements being burned for seven years (the duration of the tribulation is seven years). Since (obviously) there will not be no weapon burning after Christ's return and the millennium kingdom, that means that the attack at the very least will have to take place simultaneously with the rapture, if not before.

The attack could be even as far as 3 1/2 years before the rapture! From the article:

The War of Gog/Magog must therefore take place prior to the start of the Tribulation. We also know that it will take place at least 3½ years before the start of the Tribulation. Ezekiel 39:9 says, “they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall make fires of the weapons and burn them” for 7 years. At the mid-point of the Tribulation, when the Antichrist commits the abomination of desolation, the residents of Israel are commanded to flee to the mountains (Matthew 24:15-18). If the residents of the cities of Israel burn the weapons for 7 years, Russia will attack Israel at least 3½ years before the Tribulation starts, because most people will not be living in the cities from the mid-point of the Tribulation on (Revelation 12:14-17).

To read the whole article, click here.

Wow! If it is really true that the attack will take place quite a while before the rapture, and since it will be clear that God alone destroyed the attacking armies, then we may have an apparelled chance to reach people for Christ! Whatever the case, we can be assured that we are on the winning team. That our God is always in control. Please, study eschatology for yourselves! God gave us these prophesies for a reason; we need to use them! Know for yourself what stance you will take on the tribulation and the end-time events. Be ready!

What country boys do for entertainment~By Kyle

Half-rotten pumpkins.... a beloved 12 gage shotgun....... country boy..... End result? Pumpkin massacre! Even better, have your Mom tell you to take care of them! Of course I "took care" of them!

Notice the enraptured look on the country boy's face below.... obviously he is enjoying this way too much. Also notice his nifty trap shooting "Pull!" sweatshirt.

The Hobbit (can't wait!)~By Kyle

The tension builds... less than two weeks until The Hobbit comes out in theaters! We might get a group of Tolkien enthusiasts together from our church and go see it together! Can't wait, can't wait, CAN'T WAIT!

Something to read before you go to the movie: http://www.ministrymatters.com/bin/3347/five-faith-lessons-in-the-hobbit. I sure hope Hollywood doesn't ruin it!

Fun with the Horses~ By Victoria

Today Caroline and I took advantage of the last clear day for a long time and enjoyed riding for a little while. :o)  Gracie can go so fast it is breathtaking to ride! I love riding her as she has so much energy and power to her steps. Bubba on the other hand.... :o)

Nothing in this video is fast forwarded. :o) Now imagine yourself riding at that speed! It is SO MUCH FUN!!!

Don't worry, no bones were broken in the making of this video :o) (Meemom, you can relax now!)

The battle has only just begun~By Kyle

  During our Men's bible study early (6:00) this morning, we talked about our culture . . .  our culture that has just stepped off a moral cliff. Daddy shared some about the filth contained in our physicals we had to have a couple of weeks ago—filth that is gut-wrenchingly sick to us Christians. Naturally, our conversation then turned to public schools. Why, you ask? After all, you are eager to point out, public schools are neutral! No. No, it is not true. The stuff taught in public schools is not neutral. We got a numbing realization of this when we had to take our physicals.
  Your kids are taught in public school everything contrary to God's law. In fact, God's law is banned from public schools. It does not take a genius to figure out what is taught in its place. But our kids need to be salt and light, you blurt. True, but have you actually read that passage (Mathew 5:13-16)? Jesus says we are salt and light! People will naturally see this! But what is the command that is actually given in this passage? The command, you will see, is to not lose our saltiness or our light. How does this fit with the idea of sending your kids to an institution that will do their best to make your kids lose their light and saltiness?

Imagine this analogy:

    You smile with pride at your very young, healthy child. My child will be a strong warrior for my Lord one day, You conclude with a contented nod.
    Naturally, you want this young person to be ready for the battles ahead. You begin to show him/her the weapon you use in your battles, a shining, double-edged blade that you believe is the most powerful weapon on earth (Hebrews 4:12). You hope one day that your child will embrace this weapon as their own. You also want your young warrior to utilize the necessary tools so as to be able to fight well in the upcoming war. You quickly enroll your child in the local academy that will teach him/her these skills. In your mind, nothing now stands in the way of your child becoming a strong warrior.
    Eventually, you are overjoyed when your child chooses to become a warrior for your Lord. You eagerly show him/her how to use his sword, and gird him/her with the armor of your Lord's army (Ephesians 6:1e-17). Your young warrior yearns to practice using their sword, so he/she shows up at the academy bearing the blade proudly. But immediately your child is attacked. His/her sword is stripped away and tossed out the door. Not only that, but he/she is banned from communicating with your Lord at the academy. You are unaware of this, but secretly this academy is trying to train young warriors to fight for your enemy. They are training your warrior to fight against you and your Lord.
    Years pass. Each day your child walks slowly back to your house after hours of training at the academy. His/her steps are slow and weary, and eventually you will realize that your warrior is returning from the academy wounded. You stare, horrified, as your child shows you their wounds. You do your best to bandage and treat these wounds, but some of them are deep and might not heal properly.
    The gloves are off. You now know what the academy really tries to train your warrior to be, and you are indignant at this. You now have a choice, but choose still to keep your kid in this academy. You urge your novice soldier to fight the good fight now against this academy, to try and save some of the young warriors there from the grips of the enemy.
    Your child wearily follows orders. Every day he/she at the very least is forced to sheath their sword at the door of the academy, or even to un-belt the sword and leave it outside. Armed with only a shield, your kid fights in heavily out-numbered skirmishes for the souls of the squires at the academy. He/she may win a few over, he/she may not. But the wounds your warrior receives will effect him/her forever. Skirmish after skirmish the very person your child is trying to help will turn on him/her and viciously attack with a black sword. Your child will raise their shield to protect themselves, but again and again deep dents will be rent in the shield as the black sword is brought down on them. At times your child may want to throw off his armor and be done with the struggle. If you have not truly made sure your child is in the ranks of your Lord's army, you will probably lose him/her.
    Finally, your young man/women graduates from the academy. You celebrate with your child, but this victory is short lived. You then send him/her off to a higher academy for four more years of weaponry study. Here the hammering against your warrior will grow even more intense. Everywhere he/she turns they will be attacked in some shape or form. Your warrior's hand will constantly be led to the handle of the sword of the enemy, and he will be urged again and again to pick it up, to use it. This urge will be hard to resist.
  If your warrior makes it through all this, he/she will then be ready to enter the battlefield of the world. He/she limps to the war you are engaged in, determined still to fight by your side. In front of your warrior stretches miles and miles of a fierce battle waged for the souls of all the people in the world (Ephesians 6:12). Already wounded, your warrior wonders what impact he/she can really have in this fight. Your child turns to look for reinforcements from their generation, but is shocked to behold that most of their generation is marching towards the enemy's camp. Only a few stragglers, stumbling forward and clutching at deep wounds from the academies, make towards the army of the Lord.
    It is then that your warrior realizes, to their despair, that the battle has only just begun.


Do you begin to comprehend why we homeschool?

Psalm 111~By Kyle

The Psalm:

Psalm 111

Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart,
In the company of the upright and in the assembly.
² Great are the works of the Lord;
They are studied by all who delight in them.
³ Splendid and majestic is His work,
And His righteousness endures forever.
⁴ He has made His wonders to be remembered;
The Lord is gracious and compassionate.
⁵ He has given food to those who fear Him;
He will remember His covenant forever.
⁶ He has made known to His people the power of His works,
In giving them the heritage of the nations.

⁷ The works of His hands are truth and justice;
All His precepts are sure.
⁸ They are upheld forever and ever;
They are performed in truth and uprightness.
⁹ He has sent redemption to His people;
He has ordained His covenant forever;
Holy and awesome is His name.
¹⁰ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
A good understanding have all those who do His commandments;
His praise endures forever.

 

My Poem:

 

Praise the Lord!

 

I will give thanks with all my heart

To my God, my Lord thou art

I will praise your great might

In the assembly of the upright

 

We will study your works, day and night

Your splendor and majesty, our delight

Your righteousness will endure always

Your wonders remembered all our days

 

Gracious and compassionate, Lord you are

Your hand that provides will never be far

You will give food to us, for we fear you

You remember your covenant, this is true

 

The power of your works is made known

By giving the heritage of nations to your own

Truth and justice in your hand is pure

Your precepts forever and ever sure

 

His redemption to His people proclaimed

His covenant, never ending, ordained

Holy and awesome is always the name

Of the King Of Kings, one and the same

 

Fear the Lord, and in you wisdom starts

Keep His commandments, misunderstanding parts

We will stop praising God never

And His praise will endure forever!

 

Not necessarily elegant, but I did my best! For those of you out there who think it is too hard, look at my poem! You don't have to rhyme big fancy words! And also, the Psalm you choose to make a poem out of does not need to be only a thankful song to God, for praise is also essential to give to Him!

 

 

Assignment this week~By Kyle

Hi everyone! Yesterday, the sermon was about giving thanks, and we looked at Psalm 145. This Psalm is a great one for Thanksgiving. As I looked at it, I wondered what it was like for David to sing this Psalm to God. In his language at the time it was a beautiful poem, each verse starting with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. I wonder what it would be like to sing these words to God as a poem in our language? So the reason for the assignment. I think it would be interesting and fulfilling for each of us to pick a Psalm of thanksgiving and, sticking as close as we can to the meaning of the Psalm, make a poem out of it. I know, none of us are the next Shakespeare or anything like that,  but still even a drunken sailor can make words rhyme! It does not have to be anything elegant, just do your best! Do you know that that was how the first hymns were sung? That hymns started as just psalms, reworded so that they rhymed? If you cannot think of a Psalm to use right off the top of your head, you can google "Psalms of thanksgiving". :0)

Also, here is a video we watched during the sermon yesterday. Remember daily to give thanks to God! We truly are blessed above and beyond anything we deserve.

Four things guys do not understand about girls, and visa versa~By Kyle

I couldn't help myself.:) In a world where more and more people are trying to neutralize the opposite sexes, I thought it would be humorous to look at some of the plain differences.

Four things I do not understand about girls

Purses

I always try to use Daddy’s keys when I drive, because trying to find Mommy’s keys in her purse is a daunting task. Digging through a purse to find keys is like trying to find a needle in a hay maze! Seriously, how many bazillion pockets in your purse do you ladies need to hold all your stuff? And do you really need to carry all the contents you would find in a bathroom cabinet with you wherever you go? :0)

 Showers

It’s Sunday morning, and I sleep through my alarm clock. With a start I jump out of bed and run for the bathroom, but—woe is me!—it is too late. One of my sisters has beaten me to the shower. I contemplate going back to bed, for when my sisters beat me to the shower . . . it is a long wait. When I do finally get the shower, the water is usually piping cold. I don’t understand why you lady folk take so much longer than us. I mean, you don’t just run a bit of shampoo through your hair, scrub the ‘pits, and half dry yourself off with a towel? It’s called efficiency, in case you were wondering.

The movies you watch
 I shift uncomfortably in my chair and groan. On the screen before me another Love Comes Softly movie is dragging itself out. Another dearly beloved rasps out their last few breaths while tears gush from the eyes of the main lady character; that is until she meets the strikingly handsome young man a few scenes later. Is it a given that at least two people must die during the duration of these types of movies? And how in the world does this stuff qualify as entertainment? Oh, and the new couple live happily ever after, at least until the next movie when one of them is wiped out.:0)

Make-up

Groan. My three beautiful sisters turned sixteen recently, the legal age in our family when you can start wearing make-up. I still have to do a double take when I see one of them in public, wondering what happened to their faces.

Four things my sisters don’t understand about me and the male kind I represent.

 

Our fascination with losing some of our blood

I woke up early one morning with a damp feeling on the left side of my face.  That’s strange. I flick on my light and sleepily look in the mirror. I blink several times and can’t help but grin at myself. My left cheek is covered with blood that apparently came from my nose.  I can’t wipe it off right away as my mind comes up with an elaborate story of how I received this wound (saving a damsel in distress, no doubt):-). Or the time I accidentally stapled my hand (not recommended, but entertaining just the same), and watched as the blood pooled in the palm of my hand and spilled over as the staple was pulled out. Contrast this with Valerie, who, after slicing her finger open with a pocket knife, entered our house making all kinds of funny noises of distress. The one intelligible thing I made out was, “I don’t want stitches, please no stitches!” She did not need any.

Our attempts at cooking something edible to eat

My sisters just don’t understand that we men have to try our hand at it sometimes!  Who cares if the toast comes out black (like always), it’s the effort that counts! Or maybe it is just another reason why it is not good for a man to be alone.

Our competitiveness

“It is okay, you can pay me the next time you pass go.” I do not know how many times I have heard this straight out of the mouth of my sisters in a game of monopoly. And they give me the strangest look when I tell them that that is not how the game is played. They do not seem to understand that monopoly is a fierce battle that needs to be fought tooth-and-nail to the bitter end, that forcing an opponent into debt is all part of the game. If they had it their way the game of monopoly would never have any losers.

 Dares

For some reason it is always the guys in the room urging me to eat the red pepper on my plate, while the girls in the room roll their eyes at best, or even plead with me not to do it! Where is their sense of fun? Probably left in the last movie of Love Comes Softly, if I had to guess.

Two very good books~By Kyle

Hi folks! Do you ever wonder how we "sheltered", homeschooling, Christian young people spend our free time? After all, we do not have Facebook (usually a dangerous waste of time), cellphones to text with (annoying waste of time), and we do not play video games (lazy, zero productive waste of time). Instead, we mostly read good books. This past week I have read two very good books that I received for my birthday. The are both written by a man by the name of John J. Horn, who is all of a sudden rising in my list of favorite authors, and the books are called The Boy Colonel, and Brothers at Arms. I read Brothers at Arms first, and enjoyed it quite a bit, but in the end The Boy Colonel topped even that. Thus I will start by reviewing my favorite first.

The Boy Colonel (just in case you are like me, colonel is pronounced ker-nel, like popcorn) drops you right from the start into the frozen wastelands of Siberia, smack-dab in the middle of a fierce battle between British Redcoats and Russian Cossacks. A young colonel leads the 42^nd regiment of Britain, a young Colonel without a name (affectionately called Colonel Nobody by his soldiers). This remarkably young, mysterious Colonel was never given a name, and warns others not to pry too deep into his strange lineage and story.  The 42^nd regiment he heads is a crack force with strategies and techniques all its own, respected by enemy and friend alike. It is the courage of this regiment that wins the day in this opening struggle. The General of the British troops is captured though, and the new general in his place despises and is jealous of the boy Colonel. This new general, drinking in his new-found authority, essentially commands Colonel Nobody and all of the 42^nd to march to their deaths.  They narrowly escape death, but Nobody is promptly sent to England to give a report to the King to be conveniently gotten rid of.  It is here, around the middle point of the book, that the story slows a bit. While he is before the King, Nobody meets a pretty, devout Christian ward of the King. They chat pleasantly that evening, but little did Nobody know that this young girl would be his betrothed wife two days later! In a political maneuver Nobody is paired with this girl, and likewise her lands that she had inherited essentially go up for grabs (thus the reason for the schemed out betrothal). Only problem is Nobody does not love Liana (the girl), or at least does not think he loves her, and even worse he believes that she arranged the betrothal. To make matters even worse, there is another young man that wants Liana’s hand . . . and he is not a very “polite” gentleman.  The awkward couple returns to Siberia, but there Nobody comes to believe that he is not fighting a just, God honoring war. He leaves the army along with all of his fiercely loyal soldiers of the 42^nd and Liana (who loves and trusts Nobody), and eventually they settle on an island and establish a trading business.  They live a happy year or so, but then old enemies stumble into their path again. In a tense stand-off the other young man tries to take Liana, and the truth comes out that Nobody does not really love her.  The girl is heartbroken (duh!), and it is only when Nobody sees the hurt in her eyes that he comprehends what he has done. He realizes that he indeed did love her; he just didn’t know what love really meant. Oh, the tangled webs of love (snort)! But is it too late to win back her heart? The last fifty pages of the book make all the tangledness worthwhile, culminating in a fierce sea-fight that will hold you hostage from normal life till the end. You will also learn near the end Colonel Nobody’s true identity, and that mystery in itself will keep you reading.

I highly recommend this book! It is full of gallant fights and noble characters, while its touch of romance (there is nothing inappropriate) will keep you young ladies interested. Valerie read it, and likened it to To Have And To Hold (a very high standard in her opinion).  She probably finished it in about two days; I finished it in four. If you guys are interested in reading the book, it can be found on Vision Forum (hint, hint, Aunt Heather), or I would be happy to loan the book to any of you folks that are nearby. Maybe it would be a good book to read in the hospital with Richie, Lydia?

 Well, my stomach is growling in regular teenager boy fashion, and I have other things to do. I will write about Brothers At Arms later. Farewell, comrades! Well, goodbye, anyway:0).

Happy Giving Thanks Day!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

As you hustle about the house baking, cooking, preparing for or entertaining guests, make sure to thank God for your many,  many blessings!
 

Thank you, Lord,  for this special day that is set aside for thanking You! May we never forget what this day is for!!

Hi y'all. I am sitting here in the Grouphealth Clinic, pretty bored. We had to get a physical (embarrassing is an understatement) today to clear another hurdle for our plans to adopt. As you can guess, with so many of us in our family we have been here for a while. For lunch we went to five different fast-food restaurants to please the masses in our family. In order of visitation, Taco Bell, Arby,s, Wendy's, McDonald's, and Carl Jr. I know, right?

Anyway, what are your favorite restaurants, folks? I enjoy making polls:0). Please give me your top-five favorite, in order of first is best in list. I guess I will allow Subway for you healthier people out there, but other than that, only restaurants with "drive-thrus" count. 10 points for first, 7 for second, 5 for third, 3 for fourth, and 1 for fifth.

Me; Wendy's (new-found favorite), McDonald's, Taco Bell,  Subway (for their meatball sub), and  Burger King (recently fell in my favor since I can get a Big Mac now). Honorable mention: Dairy Queen (we don't go there often, but there are good memories atached to the place). Yay, we are going now. Sorry if the spelling or grammar is errant, no time to check, gotta go.

Delicious Hamburger Buns! ~ By Victoria

Valerie made these this summer and I LOVED them! I hate to admit it, but this was my first time making bread with yeast! I have been baking/cooking for YEARS and never ventured into yeast. Well, this recipe has yeast in it, and they turned our great. Yeah!

Here is the recipe along with some pictures... :o)

Hamburger Buns

2 Packages of active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
3/4 cup warm milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1 egg
1 tsp salt
3 1/2- 4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 can(8 oz) tomato sauce
8 slices American cheese
Preheat oven to 400o and bake for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown. :o)

                                           Break dough into 16 even balls...

                                               Roll each ball into a 5 inch circle...

                                            Top with cheese and a few Tbs of meat

                                                              Fold in the edges

                                          And let them rise until doubled, about 20 minutes

                                                The finished result! Yum!!!