Immanuel

Hi!
I was just reading, and this really caught my attention. I typed it up (like my other quotes and things that mean so much to me) so that I can print it out and hang on my wall. I really like it. It is definitely worth reading even though it is very long (and has a less-than-creative title:).
Hope you enjoy!
xoxoxo,
Me

The implications of the name Immanuel are both comforting and unsettling. Comforting, because He has come to share the danger as well as the drudgery of our everyday lives. He desires to weep with us and to wipe away our tears. And what seems most bizarre, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, longs to share in and to be the source of the laughter and the joy we all too rarely know.

The implications are unsettling. It is one thing to claim that God looks down upon us, from a safe distance, and speaks to us (via long distance, we hope). But to say that He is right here, is to put ourselves and Him in a totally new situation. He is no longer the calm and benevolent observer in the sky, the kindly old caricature with the beard. His image becomes that of Jesus, who wept and laughed, who fasted and feasted, and who, above all, was fully present to those He loved. He was there with them. He is here with us…

Most incredible, however, are the times we know He is with us in the midst of our daily, routine lives. In the middle of cleaning the house or driving somewhere in the pick-up, He stops us…in our tracks and makes His presence known. Often it’s in the middle of the most mundane task that He lets us know He is there with us. We realize, then, that there can be on “ordinary” moments for people who live their lives with Jesus.

Jesus paid a tremendous price to be with us. Certainly the cross was the most obvious cost. But I believe more is in view.

We focus so much on the fact that Jesus died for us, we sometimes forget that He also lived for us and lives for us still. If Jesus had simply come as Himself, and not as one of us, the Bible makes it quite clear that we could not have borne the sight of His presence, any more than Moses could have looked directly at the face of God.

Imagine what it would be like to be at the Father’s side one moment and struggling to sleep in a cattle trough the next. Imagine what it would be like to go from hearing the praise of angels to suffering the taunts of stupid men. The cost to Jesus is an indication of the incredible value of what He came to give to us. And because no one will ever fully know what that cost Jesus, we can only begin to understand the incredible value of His gift to us.

Immanuel
Michael Card

Cousins, cousins, never were there such devoted cousins : )

Well, I think that this first picture pretty much says it all :). I'm just in my happy-as-a-lark world, and poor Jesse looks bored half to death. Jesse and I are cousins (and at the present time live in rooms next to each other), and I have no idea what that makes Anndee, Navy, and Jesse. Whatever they are, they got along quite nicely believe it or not. Anndee Kate is in love with Jesse, and I think the feelings are pretty mutual (he wasn't really as bored as he looks in the first pic.) I hope everyone has a good week!

My Celebrity Look-alikes

My cool celebrity look-alike collage from MyHeritage.com. Get one for yourself.

More Pics

Happy birthday to Annababy early!

Here is Katie (looking very much like her aunt (yours truly:)) and taking a break from making her little sis's birthday cake. Next is the birthday girl in her mommy's arms. Then is the princess eating her very first birthday cupcake (long story) while her wonderful big brother lights her very first candle. Here is where we skip over to the Haley family for a picture of our perfect little newest addition Navy Grace. Betsy is making fishy lips behind Anndee and Navy Grace in the next photo, and then Anndee Kate is sitting on a bench to rest a little (and look cute in the process). Last, but not at all least, is Kevin. Isn't he as handsome as his sisters are pretty?!
I'm pretty sure that I got everyone (minus my brothers in law and a picture of Mom and Dad alone) in the immediate family in this post along with the previous one. I hope so! Much love to all!!!

To The Waterfall, Twice!

Well, These came up in the wrong order, so... from the bottom to the top we go! These are all waterfall pictures, but the first pictures (on the bottom) were during the day, and the top pics were that night. You can see pretty, bright pictures of flowers, the sun, beautiful greenness, and my favorite picture is the one of Malinda taking pictures of buttercups on the side of the road. The last two pictures were taken that night when Mom, Dad, JC, and I went back. You can see all four of us in the top picture... and yes, I was standing as tall as I could but all of me that made it into the picture was my shiny forhead...grrrrr. I was, by far, the shortest one there (as you can see; )

I'm coming home in less than twenty-four hours!

That's all : )