Bible Quiz Bowl

Our church had there first Bible quiz bowl on Saturday night. The mixed adult Sunday school class had organized it as a fund raiser for the church. Saturday morning was the basketball camp. Caleb loved the camp and was asking when the next one was going to be scheduled. After the camp, there was a hot dog dinner. Hot dogs are one of Caleb's favorite foods. Then, came the bible bowl. Caleb did not want to enter because he is not competitive. He does better with team activities. We talked and I told him it was just for fun. He did enjoy getting all the sponsors from people in the church. He definitely is a gifted salesman. Caleb got two sheets filled up with names, all on his own! Anastasia also entered the Bible bowl. We told her it would help recruit other kids if she helped out. She was also able to be a helper for the basketball camp. The kids had a great time. Caleb was surprised when he placed first for the 6-8 year old group. Ted and I thought that some of the questions were tough. All the kids did great! It is wonderful to see our kids hide God's word in their hearts. I hope all the children enjoyed the day. Anastasia did a super job in the Bible bowl. She came in a close second to Molly Melton. The Lord really blessed our efforts and we were able to raise over $1,300.

The Tedwards Desk

If you have known Ted for any length of time, you know of his love for the Puritan writers-especially Jonathan Edwards. A few years ago, Ted came upon drawings of a desk that Jonathan Edwards owned. It was octagonal in shape, with slanted work surfaces that could be rotated depending upon his project of the day. Ted dreamed of having a desk that would accommodate his needs. The Lord brought a Christian crafts man into our path. After hours of planning, Wayne went off to the workshop to bring the plans to life. The results were beautiful. Ted has a functional work of art to perform his research. He has to wait until Saturday to load it up. The best part of the desk, is the verse from Nahum. God has truly blessed Ted with this wonderful early birthday present.

More hope chest pictures

Early Birthday Fun !

Tomorrow, Anastasia will turn 16. She is growing up so fast. Ted
and I wanted to do something special for this important birthday. So, we decided to have a hope chest made for her. The chest is solid cherry wood. The inside is cedar wood. The best part of the chest is the inscription. We were able to have Psalm 71:5 engraved on the inside of the lid. I was able to put baby clothing inside, as well as the baby tee-shirt they gave her at the hospital. The Anastasia movie came out when Anastasia was 4. She loved having a pair of pajamas that had her name on them. I saved them for her. I also found a sweater that had Anastasia on the label. That was the name of the clothing line. I loved dressing her in smocked dresses. I gave most of her clothes away, but I did save some 3-6 month dresses. It is my prayer for her that she would always seek Christ first, as she fills up the hope chest with treasures for the future.

Backpack buddies

Today we had our first mission's project of the new school year. Wral ( Mix 101.5) was sponsoring the Interfaith food shuttle program that helps feed children on the weekend. The school identifies which children need assistance with meals for the weekend. Many of these kids would only receive free lunches during school hours. They would go without a meal on the weekend. That is where this program steps in. On Friday, they are given a backpack that is filled with food which they can eat on Saturday & Sunday. On Monday morning, they bring the backpack back to school and it is filled with food for the next week. The ratio is that 1 out of 5 kids will go without food on the weekends if they do not have the help of the Interfaith food shuttle. It's hard to think that we have such a huge need to feed hungry children in our country. Caleb and I went to Walmart, where we picked up some backpacks and food items. The Interfaith food shuttle truck was parked at Crabtree Valley Mall to receive donations. They let Caleb climb up into the truck to see all the donations they had received. I forgot to bring my camera, so I didn't get any pictures of our outing. I pray that as Caleb sees the need to reach out in the name of Jesus, he will learn how to show compassion to others and be truly thankful for how blessed we are.

First day of school

It's that time of year again. Our summer has come to an end and it is time to focus our attention on education. All learning does not stop in the summer, but we do have much less structure and all of the subjects are not covered. Caleb loves to read and memorize God's word. He can often be found lying on the floor with a book in his hands. Anastasia started back to school on Monday, so that was also Caleb's first day of second grade. It is hard to believe that he is that old. Time goes by much too quickly. It is my prayer for my children that we would raise them to have "a different spirit" then the world. In Numbers we read,"But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it."(Numbers 14:24) This is Caleb's verse. There are so many thing that vie for our childrens attention. As parents, we need to teach them to love God and serve Him with all of their hearts. Our children should look and sound differently then the world's teachings. It is a hard battle that can not be won overnight. Much prayer is needed and a constant reliance on the true source of life changing power, Jesus Christ. Our young people are leaving the church at an alarming rate. Churches don't need more programs. It's clear that they are not working. We need parents who are willing to love God, no matter what the cost. To live out their daily lives in such a way that it is pleasing to the Lord and our children want to obey with happy hearts. There is always blessing associated with obedience. Likewise, sin is always dealt with by a holy God. It is an overwhelming task to raise children for God's glory. It can not be done without His help. May we strive this school year, to grow in our faith and understanding of God's word. I pray for opportunities to minister to the hurting world around us. Lord, strengthen and uphold us with your righteous right hand.

Anniversary flowers

Every year on our anniversary, Ted sends me a dozen red roses. This years' roses are beautiful! I am truly blessed with a wonderful husband.
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1Corinthians 13

What God has joined together.....

So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate." It was 27 years ago today, at noon, that Ted and I became husband and wife. The time has flown by. God has blessed our lives with four beautiful children and now a daughter-in -law. We have experienced answered prayer and daily blessings of His grace and mercy to us. We have moved eight times over the years. God has allowed us to be in our current home for over 8 years! We are thankful for our church family and the ministry that we have.
I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonders.

² I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

³ My enemies turn back;
they stumble and perish before you.

⁴ For you have upheld my right and my cause;
you have sat on your throne, judging righteously.

⁵ You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.

⁶ Endless ruin has overtaken the enemy,
you have uprooted their cities;
even the memory of them has perished.

⁷ The LORD reigns forever;
he has established his throne for judgment.

⁸ He will judge the world in righteousness;
he will govern the peoples with justice.

⁹ The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.

¹⁰ Those who know your name will trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

¹¹ Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion;
proclaim among the nations what he has done.

¹² For he who avenges blood remembers;
he does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.

¹³ O LORD, see how my enemies persecute me!
Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death,

¹⁴ that I may declare your praises
in the gates of the Daughter of Zion
and there rejoice in your salvation.

¹⁵ The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;
their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.

¹⁶ The LORD is known by his justice;
the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.
Higgaion.

¹⁷ The wicked return to the grave,
all the nations that forget God.

¹⁸ But the needy will not always be forgotten,
nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish.

¹⁹ Arise, O LORD, let not man triumph;
let the nations be judged in your presence.

²⁰ Strike them with terror, O LORD;
let the nations know they are but men.
Psalm 9

Our new addition..almost

So, in two days Ted and I will celebrate 27 years of marriage. It is always a challenge for Ted to think of creative gift ideas. He knows I love cats. Last April, I had to put my seal point kitty, Rapunzel, to sleep. She was such a sweet cat. I wasn't ready to get a new kitty. Tonight we drove to Wendell. Rags2Riches is the Ragdoll Cattery where we got our first two kitties.(eleven years ago) After spending time with all the kittens, I chose this little guy. Now, I need to name him. He is still too young to leave his mom. I've got three weeks to prepare for our new arrival. I am very excited! I really don't deserve Ted. The Lord has blessed me with a wonderful husband who has always spoiled me rotten. He surprised me for our 20th wedding anniversary with a flame point kitty. (Dante) I pray we have many more years of service together.

even more Angus fun.....future chef.....

I forgot to mention that after we finished our meal at the Angus Barn, our waiter asked Caleb if he would go back in the kitchen to prepare our desserts. Well Caleb was so excited. I wanted to go back with him to take pictures, but this was his moment to shine without Mom around. He put desserts on the plates and sprinkled powder sugar. He told us how he stayed right by our waiter at the dessert island in the kitchen. When he came back to our table he was smiling from ear to ear. What a special treat for Caleb!

Angus fun

Last Friday night, we were able to go to the Angus Barn to celebrate Ted's twenty five years with IBM. The actual date was last November, but we were not able to plan it before Jonathan & Jillian left for California. So, since they were in town, we decided to try to do it now. Tara & Jamie joined us for a wonderful meal. We all had goodie boxes to take home. The Lord has been faithful to our family for so many year. He has always provided for our family and answered our prayers above and beyond what we could imagine. God has given Ted a ministry among his coworkers. As Christians in the work place, we need to be willing to minister to a hurting world. Many of these folks would never set foot in a church. As Robert Murray M'Cheyne said, " the Christian is a person who makes it easy to believe in God." May we be those Christians.

Vacation

We are leaving for vacation this morning. All of us have been counting down the days! Check back for more vacation fun and pictures! Wish you were going with us J & J. Love you both.

Home,safe and sound

After a week in Guatemala, the team arrived safely at RDU last night. The plane touched down at 9:33pm. Caleb was so excited to see Anastasia. It was a very quiet week for him without his buddy. He does not stay up past his bedtime (8:00pm) very often, but we made an exception so he could come with us. Everyone looked great! We heard all the wonderful stories of the team's time at the children's home. Anastasia said she was asking who was able to be adopted so she could bring them home. There are not many children there who can be adopted. Most do have families who are unable to care for them. We are glad to have her home. There will be more pictures to follow. Thank God for answered prayer!

Swimming lessons

Here I am once again sitting pool side as I watch our fourth child learn to swim. Anastasia & Jonathan were born swimming. I could not keep their heads above water. Timmy did Not want to take swimming lessons. I really thought this child would never swim. After many lessons, many tears, and many prayers for bravery, he learned to swim. Caleb was sort of in the middle of the swimming readiness scale. He loves the water. He's just not sure of this whole breathing under water thing. Two years ago, we took lessons at Meredith. He would not jump in, he would not float on his back, and he definitely would not go under water. Two years later, he is putting his face in the water, floating on his back, and making "big arms" out of the water. We have prayed for the Lord to make him brave so he can swim safely and enjoy the pool on vacation in July. God is so wonderful. He cares about the little details of our lives. There are few things that are more precious then the prayers of a child. What a great God we serve!

Happy Extended First Anniversary

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. Hope you had a wonderful day! We love you.

Happy Anniversary Jonathan and Jillian

It was one year ago today, that Jonathan & Jillian became Mr. & Mrs.Jonathan Rivera. The weather was truly beautiful that day. Anastasia sang Be Thou My Vision and Caleb was the ring bearer. Timothy stood as Jonathan's best man. The whole family was involved in this special day. It was a wonderful celebration. We love Jillian and thank God for her. God has given them a ministry in McFarland CA. While it is far away, we know this is where they are to serve the Lord.

Guatemala

So this morning at 4:10 am, Ted drove Anastasia to the airport. This will be her first out of the country mission's trip. She will be part of a team that is going to Agua Viva children's home. She was wide awake at 3:50am. We told her to try to sleep on the plane. They will be 2 hours behind us. The Lord must have a great work in store for the team. Andrew and Rebecca's grandma passed away this week. They drove to Johnson City, Tenn on Thursday morning for the service. Then, they drove back that afternoon to go on the trip. On Tuesday morning, David Stout was taken into Hospice care in Hillsborough. This meant that Linda, Ernie, and Nick would not be able to join the team. I told Anastasia that everyone would have to step up and take the place of those who couldn't make it. Our house is very quiet without her. We miss her but know that she will be a great blessing to the children of the home. Cathi called us tonight to let us know that the team arrived and they were getting ready to have dinner with the kids. Joe, who was traveling with the team, had changed his phone to international. Don said this would be the only call. It was a comfort to know they all arrived there safely. May God bless their time there and use everyone's talents for His glory.

Mother Bear Project

So about two moths ago, Ted was reading a magazine. He quickly called me over and said,"this is your next missions project!" The magazine was-NEED. They highlight folks that are involved with humanitarian efforts around the world. They say that they are not out to save the world, just tell the stories of those who are. One of the articles was about Amy Berman's project. What can offer a comforting presence to a child affected by HIV?AIDS? Amy remembered the comforting teddy bears her mother use to knit for her as a child. I love what she said in the article,"With every stitch I make, I know that bear is going to be held by a child." Berman says," It makes me feel good to be able to do something to alleviate this feeling of 'what can I do?' Well, I can do this, and it is making a difference." She now ships roughly 1000 bears each month to numerous African countries. I announced this project at Stony Hill a few months ago. We met over tea and homemade scones(thanks to Miss Carly). Candy instructed us on knitting and Ginny helped those who wanted to crochet. Last week, I shipped 35 bears to the project. We also gave 20 bears to the team going to Agua Viva. Cards were hand written to the children from the knitters, with prayers and love. The home will hand them out to the children on their birthdays or Christmas. Candy's friend is going to Romania in a week. She will be working with orphans. She asked if we could make 7 bears for her to take. Candy sent me the pictures of these sweet children. It has been such a blessing to have God bless our efforts. Katie is going to Africa next month and would love to have some bears to take with her. I must say that these bears are addicting. I just finished me 11th bear. I let Caleb pick out the colors of the bears. This way it is a family mission's project. These bears are a promise that someone cares. One little boy risked his life to rescue his bear. He told his sister," I have to get my bear. The heart on it means someone loves me." Their house was destroyed minutes later by torrential rains. My heart has been touched by this project and I will continue to knit through the summer. Check out the website at : www.motherbearproject.org. Make a bear. Make a difference.

a very special day for our family

On Sunday, May 10th 2009, Caleb was baptized at Stony Hill Baptist Church. Caleb came to me and announced that he was ready to be baptized. We were overjoyed. Last year he prayed with Ted to accept Christ as his Lord and Savior, but he wasn't ready to wade in the water. Before he talked with Pastor Dew, he told me that it would be so special if he could be baptized on "my" day (Mother's Day). After speaking with Pastor Dew, he was told that he could indeed be baptized on Mother's Day. Caleb was beside himself with excitement! God is so good to us. He answer even the prayers of his small children. God continues to answer our prayer for Caleb. He has come to salvation at an early age and it is his heartfelt desire to serve God all the days of his life. I can not wait to see how God will use Caleb to further His kingdom. Caleb has a love for God's word and has been blessed with a memory to keep the scriptures in his heart. He said he felt like an angel while wearing his white robe. It was an extra special day, because Caleb got to be baptized with his fellow Spark, Jennifer. I had the great joy to be able to pray with her after a service at the nursing home. She has been a bright light at Wednesday night Awana. She always had a smile on her face. Enjoy the video of this blessed sacrament, that has been given to the church.

Happy Birthday , Jillian

Happy Birthday, Jillian. Wish we could be there to celebrate with you. Thanks to Timmy's mad video skills, he was able to load this video to my computer. ( turns out it's not so easy with a old Panasonic video camera) Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!! Hope you have a very blessed day. We love you.... Can't wait till you come in August..counting down the days.

A dapper young man....

Caleb is now carseat free !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Lord is Risen..He's risen indeed

We had a wonderful Easter service at Stony Hill.
Following the service we went to Ted's parent's
house for an Easter feast....

Easter weekend

Saturday morning, Caleb attended the Stony Hill egg hunt. The kids had a great time hunting for eggs and listening to the true meaning of Easter.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

Tis the season for parades, green beer, shamrocks, and articles talking about why St. Patrick's day isn't all about parades, green beer, and shamrocks.

First, a few misconceptions about Patrick:

Patrick isn't really a Saint with a capital S, having never been officially canonized by Rome. And Patrick couldn't have driven the snakes out of Ireland because there were never any snakes there to begin with. He wasn't even the first evangelist to Ireland (Palladius had been sent in 431,about five years before Patrick went). Patrick isn't even Irish. He's from what's now Dumbarton, Scotland (just northwest of Glasgow).

Patrick was 16 years old in about the year 405, when he was captured in a raid and became a slave in what was still radically pagan Ireland. Far from home, he clung to the religion he had ignored as a teenager. Even though his grandfather had been a priest, and his father a town councilor, Patrick "knew not the true God." But forced to tend his master's sheep in Ireland, he spent his six years of bondage mainly in prayer. He escaped at the suggestion of a dream and returned home.

Patrick was in his mid-40s when he returned to Ireland.Palladius had not been very successful in his mission, and the returning former slave replaced him. Intimately familiar with the Irish clan system (his former master, Milchu, had been a chieftain), Patrick's strategy was to convert chiefs first, who would then convert their clans through their influence. Reportedly, Milchu was one of his earliest converts.

Though he was not solely responsible for converting the island, Patrick was quite successful. He made missionary journeys all over Ireland, and it soon became known as one of Europe's Christian centers. This, of course, was very important to fifth-century Christians, for whom Ireland was one of the "ends of the earth."

Caleb's arrival

7 years of blessings

This past Sunday was Caleb's Birthday. He turned 7. It seems like yesterday, he became a part of the crazy Rivera Family. God always has far better things planned for our lives. When the idea of adoption came up, we thought an older child. We had given away all the baby things, except books! We were working with Amazing Grace Adoption Agency. Their mission was to place children in Christian homes. We had just requested information from them, regarding the whole adoption process. Well, we received an email from someone at our church, who volunteered at Bethany Christian Services. The email stated that a baby was born and no one was on the waiting list to receive them. How can this be! I always thought you had to wait months, maybe even years until a child would come available. No, that's not always the case. If you want a white baby, then you may have a long wait, but if you would be open to whatever racial mix a child may be, then the wait could be much shorter. In God's eyes, every child is special and unique. If God designs children to be every color under the sun, then we should not limit what God can do through the life of a little one of Any color. I quickly called Ted to explain the situation. There was no hesitation in his voice, " I want that baby." After a phone call to Amazing Grace, I quickly phoned Bethany Christian Services and said, "we want that precious baby." After many weeks and hours of paper work, home studies, physicals, and interviews, we were approved. We currently hold the record for fastest turn-around time for adoption paper work. Even though the Bethany office is in North Hills, all of the paper work had to be returned to Ashville, at the main office. We over-nighted,(is that even a word?) faxed, and mailed everything at record speed. At last we were approved. We were granted permission to visit him in his foster home. (Winston- Salem) This happened two weeks before the scheduled ceremony, when he would become a permanent member of our family. It was difficult to know what to do. We all wanted to see him, but we knew that we would have to leave him behind after our visit. Jonathan, told me that we should wait until we could see him and take him home. I knew that I would be miserable if I could not take him home. So, the decision was made not to go for a visit, but wait for two more weeks when everything would be final. Those two weeks crept by so slowly. April 25th finally arrived. The day was filled with excitement. We had to wait until 6:30pm. Nine months of waiting were rolled into one day! Friends from church and Ted's work all filled the center. Everyone was looking for the baby. The tiny guest of honor made a quiet and humble entrance. I ran my hand through his curly dark hair and kissed his little cheek. I still remember the first time I held him. Why did God pick us to raise this little blessing ? I felt so unworthy. Tears were running down the faces of our friends gathered there. All the chatter had stopped. It was that most wonderous moment of falling in love at first sight. We sang hymns and read Scripture. One of the hymns we picked was, Be Thou My Vision. I've always loved the words of this song. (Anastasia sang this song at Jonathan & Jillian's wedding) This was a wonderful ceremony to welcome Caleb into our hearts and home. God worked out so many of the details for Caleb to arrive in our family. We weren't even working with Bethany at the time of his birth. What a great God we serve! Truly, all things are possible with God!

Caleb gets mail from CA

Today was a very special day. Caleb received a birthday package from CA. Jonathan & Jillian sent an extra special package to Caleb. We took pictures so they could enjoy the moment. The headband has not left his head. He's wearing it to Upward and then to Awana for " what I want to be when I grow up " night. We can only assume that it will be on his head for bedtime. Thanks Jonathan & Jillian for your thoughtfulness. We love you !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy 105th Birthday Theodor Seuss Geisel

"OH, THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!
THERE IS FUN TO BE DONE! THERE ARE
POINTS TO BE SCORED. THERE ARE GAMES TO BE WON."