Slide Show

I just added a photobucket slide show to the bottom of the blog. Let me know what you think!

~Queen Mom

One Year Blogaversary Giveaway

One year ago today, we launched our family blog. It's been lots of fun, and we'll be ending it with a giveaway.

This one is easy....just leave a comment with your name (we'll get your e-mail and mailing address if you win), and we'll enter you in the drawing.

What are the prizes? Glad you asked!

~a copy of Holiness by J.C. Ryle
~a Starbucks gift card
~a copy of Is Christianity Good for the World? a debate between Christopher Hitchens and Douglas Wilson
~a copy of David Nevue's cd Whisperings: The Best of David Nevue

C'mon, don't be shy! We'd love lots of entries, and you have to admit, it's always great to get free stuff! You have until Wednesday September 23rd at midnight to enter. We'll announce the winner on Friday September 25th!

Love,
The Poff Clan

The Adventure of Little Bit and the Glass Door

These pictures will be forever reminders of God's protection and goodness.

Yesterday, as we were about to have our Morning Time, Anonymous Child rushed into the room in a panic, shouting Little Bit's name. Knowing the wonderful time the boys had yesterday with the bug kit, I immediately thought perhaps she had, in her amazing way, found the poison. I rushed to the living room, finding instead our glass door totally cracked but completely intact.

Little Bit was on the other side screaming.

Little Big Man rushed out the back door (one move from Little Bit toward the door, and she would have been covered in bits of glass) to get to her and keep her from touching anything.

Then, we watched and listened as the avalanche began.

My first thoughts were of relief that no poison was involved and deep gratitude to God for protecting our sweet Little Bit. She had evidently, in a fit of impatience, banged on the glass with a rock. It's truly amazing that she didn't bang one more time. In the midst of all the commotion, she even managed to put that rock back in her pocket.

How wonderful that I had just been reading from Hebrews Chapters 1 and 2 that morning and studying Matthew Henry's commentary about those chapters. Speaking of the office of angels, he stated, "They are God's ministers, or servants, to do his pleasure." It was His pleasure that morning to keep our little one from harm, and we are so thankful.

Tying the two together reminded me of Bob Schultz' s wisdom about the importance of recording these very events in our lives. One day Little Bit will understand even more about God's angels, His deep love, and His unfathomable greatness when we tell her again of His protection.

~Queen Mom

"When we are suddenly delivered from a danger or distress, we might suspect that angels have been sent by God to help us, and we should be thankful. When a car suddenly swerves from hitting us, when we suddenly find footing to keep from being swept along in a raging river...should we not suspect that God has sent his angels to protect us?

~Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology

Update~Prayer Request

Praise God, my Mom's surgery went well! She's in recovery now, and they'll start having her use a walker tomorrow. Please pray for continued healing and protection from infections. Thank you so much!

~Queen Mom

Essentials for Christian Growth

In his final section on Christian growth, Ryle address the means by which we grow as Christians. He refers to one of my favorite verses, Proverbs 13:4, to encourage us.

"The soul of the diligent shall be made fat."

1) Diligence in the use of private means of grace is essential to growth in grace. This would include: private prayer, private reading of the Scriptures, and private meditation and self-examination. Ryle describes these as the "roots of true Christianity." Neglect of these practices is the central reason that so many professing Christians remain stagnant.

"They are careless and slovenly about their private prayers. They read their Bibles, but little, and with very little heartiness of spirit. They give themselves no time for self-inquiry and quiet thought about the state of their souls."

He reminds us that we must diligently attend to these private disciplines if we expect to grow as Christians.

2) Carefulness in the use of public means of grace is another means of growth. This category would include regular Sunday worship, uniting with God's people in prayer and praise, the preaching of the Word, and the Lord's Supper. Ryle cautions against a familiarity with these that breeds contempt and carelessness. Just as it is a sign of sickness when someone loses his appetite for food, "it is a sign of spiritual decline when we lose our appetite for means of grace." We should remember Ecclesiastes 9:10, doing all of these things with our might.

3) Watchfulness over our conduct in the little matters of everyday life is another means by which Christians grow in grace. Our love for Christ must manifest itself in the least things as well as the greatest.

"Our tempers, our tongues, the discharge of our several relations of life, our employment of time--each and all must be vigilantly attended to if we wish our soul to prosper. Life is made up of days, and days of hours, and the little things of every hour are never so little as to be beneath the care of a Christian."

4) Caution about the company we keep and the friendships we form is also essential to Christian growth. We must remember that deliberate fellowship with those who do not love God and seek to glorify Him will affect us. Serving Christ is difficult enough, but it is even more so when our friends are not such as will "stir us up about our prayers, our Bible reading, and our employment of time--about our souls, our salvation, and a world to come."

"We catch the ways and tone of those we live and talk with, and unhappily get harm far more easily than good."

5) Another essential for Christian growth is regular and habitual communion with the Lord Jesus. By this Ryle means the daily practice of communing with our Saviour, which can only happen by faith, prayer, and meditation.

"Such a habit of dealing with Christ is clearly something more than a vague general trust in the work that Christ did for sinners. It is getting close to him, and laying hold on him with condfidence, as a loving personal Friend. This is what I mean by communion."

Every day should be spent "leaning on and looking to Him."

Ryles closes this chapter with many cautions. He reminds us of the brevity of life. We live as though we are asleep about our souls. If you don't know Christ, don't just "stand still talking, and meaning, and intending, and wishing, and hoping. Seek Christ that you may live, and that living you may grow."

For those who do profess to be Christians yet are not growing in grace, you must recognize that there is "a fault, and a serious fault somewhere." He urges you to find the reason for your "standstill condition."

"Begin with an application to the Lord Jesus Christ, the great Physician of souls, and ask Him to heal the secret ailment within you, whatever it may be. But never, never be content, if your soul does not grow."

Next, he reminds us, there are those who are really growing in grace but are not aware of it. "Their very growth is the reason why they do not see their growth!" A deep sense of unworthiness is what marks this growing Christian.

"So many a precious soul is rich in grace, and others see it, and know it, and bless God for it, and yet the poor soul perceives it not." (T. Brooks, 1661)

Finally, Ryle urges us to not measure our growth by our neighbor's because we will forever be debtors to Christ's mercy and grace. There's plenty to do just by focusing on our own hearts. In addition, we must remember that growth comes by trials and affliction. It is by these that much pruning is done, and they are required to keep us "humble, watchful, and spiritual minded."

Are we growing?

Prayer Request

Please pray for my Mom as she has knee replacement surgery tomorrow morning! Pray that healing and rehab would go quickly and smoothly and that there would not be any complications or infections.

Pray, too, for my Dad as he will be without my Mom while she recovers.

I'll post an update as soon as I know anything.

Thank you so much!

~Queen Mom

She Left A Trail

Last weekend, I walked out of my bedroom to find this.....~an empty bread bag laying outside the bedroom door.......then, I discovered this

~my tea cup....EMPTY! I peeked around the corner to next see this

~hot dog buns dropped on the floor. And then I looked up to see HER~with a lollipop in her mouth~and a big smile on her face to start the day (and to persuade Mama that her crimes were most innocently committed!)

Have I mentioned before that life is never boring with our Little Bit?

Crock Pot Apple Butter

Who would have thought it was so EASY?Start with 5-1/2 lbs. of apples (they taste even better when a friend gives them to you!) Feel free to mix and match.

Next, peel and finely chop the apples, putting them in a large bowl. Try to find an assistant as lovely as mine!


Combine 3 cups sugar, 2-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. ground cloves, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Pour over apples and mix well. Place in greased crock pot. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Decrease heat to low; cover and cook on low for 9-11 hours or until thickened and dark brown, stirring occasionally.

Uncover and cook on low for 1 hour longer. If desired, whisk until smooth. Spoon into freezer containers, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Cover and freeze.


~from Recipezaar

***Update: We made more of this yesterday and took the advice of my dear friend, Nicole, letting it simmer overnight. The consistency was perfect!

Summer in 30 Days....A Mountain Hike

It was a lovely day Monday as we surprised the children with a picnic lunch and a hike in the Sandia Mountains. What a trooper Little Bit was....she kept up with everyone else, skinned knees and all! Here are some highlights...