Home of the Bork Family

Goodbyes are ever so hard, and after nearly 4 years....well, this is a toughie! I have finally decided to stop with the blogging....at least here. I keep having to delete things to make room for more things and all the pages are a lot to keep up with too. So, in an attempt to simplify you can now find me here: http://rickarennkids.blogspot.com/

Rest on His Promises and Wait for His Crumbs!

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Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. Matthew 15:21-28

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This was the text of our Mother’s Day Sunday school lesson and was so good! It doesn’t just apply to mothers though. It’s good for all of us! In the lesson, the mother makes the affliction of the daughter a personal one! As a mommy, I know that when one of my children hurts, I feel it! Indeed, I feel it more keenly than if the pain were my own! McLaughlin says, “When we take the case of the lost upon our souls as if it were our own, it touches the heart of the Master.” We are to be like Jesus after all, and he took the suffering of others upon himself completely. When we see this and experience it, it will become a natural instinct to take on the suffering of another. There were many things he had to get past in her coming to Jesus. The list Bro. Barker gave in our lesson is as follows: 1). Her friends. 2). Her loved ones. 3). Herself. 4). Her circumstances.

Her prayer was short and to the point. She was desperate. She had already gotten past the obstacles. Her prayer was not for courage to do what was needed…she had already made the decision to do whatever it took. Her prayer was short, because all she sought was mercy!

You would think that when a person had gotten past all those obstacles, and made their request, that the answer would be swift in coming, but the Bible tells us that. “He answered not a word.” It seemed that he didn’t even hear her and if he did, he didn’t even care. When she finally did get his attention, his answer seemed quite heartless, “It is not meet to take the children’s bread and cast it to the dogs.” What he was saying was that the promises of the saints were not meant for sinners. His words were not meant to refuse her or discourage her coming but to test her and determine her true desire and intent. I don’t know, but perhaps she had come before with the wrong motives. Maybe she was embarrassed over her daughter’s condition and wanted relief for her reputations sake even.

Here we see though, that she had finally come to the end of herself. “Truth Lord,” she says. “But even the dogs eat the crumbs.” She humbled herself and took her place among the dogs. “As humility goes down deep, faith rises up high and strong, for humility furnishes the roots by which faith holds on.” Brengle. My husband made the point that all she asked for was a crumb, because her faith was so great that she knew that all she needed was a crumb! Just one crumb of God’s great mercy is enough to save the entire world…and we dare to doubt?!?!?

Her faith triumphed for finally we see the reply she has been seeking. “Be it unto thee even as thou wilt!” “He who seemed at first to deny her the smallest request and help now opens to her the full treasure-house of his grace, and bids her to help herself, to carry away what she will. “ Trench. Her daughter was made whole from that very hour. No doubt some said it would not last, some still doubted both the mother and her daughter, but they cared not! They had tasted a crumb of his mercy and were completely filled! “Persevering faith and prayer are next to omnipotent. No person can thus pray and believe without receiving all his soul requires.” Adam Clarke.

Let it be a lesson to the mother, let it be a lesson to the seeker and let it be a lesson to the burden bearer! Rest on his promises…and wait for his crumbs. When it seems he doesn’t hear you, he may be preparing a feast of an answer!

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For Mother's Day, I received a lot of flowers to plant in pots, planters and hanging baskets! They are all very beautiful and I know I will enjoy them throughout the summer!

However; the best gifts are the ones God gave me...

My beautiful daughters! This gift of responsibility reminds me every day the faith and trust God has in me, and that is a treasure! Another very special gift I received today was when my husband asked my girls what the best part of their mommy was.

I pray that their answer is true...

"It's Jesus in her heart! "

Another very special gift is having my mommy here with me.

 She is the b.e.s.t. and I treasure every year with her!

I wanted to get a picture of my sis-in-law and her 3 growing kiddos too.

She might be a sweet thing, but she sure is camera shy!

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Momma wanted 16......I planned on 2......

Life is funny......:wink:

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I made these little Sundaes for all the mothers in our church and a few other mothers that I happen to know and who are special to me. They are super easy...which is just what I needed this year! And no, the idea is not original. They are all over the internet. I started with a sundae cup from Dollar Tree and poured in some pink strawberry bath salts. Add to that the 'foam' (a mixture of epsom salts, and baking soda) and a white bath scrubbie or poof. They are two for a dollar at Dollar Tree. For the sprinkles, I used a few more of the pink bath salts. The hardest part was finding a 'cherry'. I think I did more hunting for that than I do gifts at Christmas time! They are all over the internet, but by the time I decided what I was doing and how hard they would be to find, it was too late to order. I finally found pink ones and I guess they don't look too bad. The straw makes it look a little more authentic too! Hubby (bless his heart) made up these little cards on the computer which you can't see too well in the photo but they say:

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Mother's Day Sundae

Heritage Holiness Chapel

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This very special sundae

Will leave you feeling great

Because it's full of good things

Even though it can't be ate

Take it in the bath you

Of sourse don't take a sip

Cause it may look delicious

But it's made to take a dip

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Soda Shoppe

Okay, okay....actually I love Rick. But Craig is pretty great too! We had outgrown out 10 year old $89 Walmart special patio set, so I went to see Craig. (craigslistboise.com) and was able to sell it for $75! Now, before you jump all over me for ripping someone off, it happened to be just what they needed! They didn't even need to two chairs that our neighbor's nasty dog chewed up! My husband laughed at me!

He loved me though when I found a 'new' one (craigslist again) for $75! Wrote iron, 6 chairs, and even a lazy susan!

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Here is the old one:

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Hhmmm...for some reason, webs.com is only letting me post 1 picture per entry today so, I'll post the new set in the next post.

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I 'like!' and I also think the man who helped me with this project deserves a bit more credit! It's not every man who will 'jump' when his wife calls him at work with her Craigslist finds and gets there first! I mean....this lady who was moving out of state, thought it was pretty cool to sell her set in the first 30 seconds of it's listing!

How Much Is Your Mother Worth This Mother's Day?

Try $707,126

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 Your Mother may be priceless to you, but in today's job market she's worth over $700,000 per year (up more than $32,000 from last year), according to Edelman Financial Services' Annual Mother's Day study. The study includes the salaries of the many occupations that a typical mother might hold during the course of a given year.

The sixth annual EFS study examined salary data obtained from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Edelman's goal was to establish criteria and determine what the combined median yearly salary would be for a multi-tasking mother being asked to:

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Raise children

Cook meals

Keep house

Care for pets

Dispense medications and nursing care

Attend meetings and functions

Manage family finances

Provide transportation

Assist with homework

Listen to and resolve family problems

Keep family on schedule

Maintain family order and harmony

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Based on 17 key occupations, Edelman Financial Services Inc. estimates that this year a mother's financial worth is approximately $700,000 per year, or about $58,000 per month. The occupations and corresponding median annual salaries are:

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Animal Caretaker $25,979

Chef $31,990

Comuter Systems Analyst $64,896

Financial Manager $83,075

Food / Beverage Service Worker $17,076

General Office Clerk $23,540

Registered Nurse $49,840

Management Analysis $70,160

Child Care Worker $17,310

Housekeeper $17,330

Psychologist $56,540

Bus Driver $30,810

Elementary School Principal $74,050

Dietitians / Nutritionists $41,920

Property Manager $46,390

Social Worker $35,640

Recreation Worker $20,580

Totals $707,126

"Edelman Financial Services is attempting to quantify and track the true market value of a mother's annual worth in today's economy," said Ric Edelman, whose financial planning company has $2.4 billion in client assets. "Of course, no one can place a value on the love and affection that mothers give to their families," he said. "But since a mother wears many hats and is on duty 24/7, we decided that a typical mother deserves a full-time yearly salary for all 17 key occupational positions." Edelman noted that these figures should be higher, because they do not include the retirement, health and insurance benefits that workers in these positions typically receive.

"So if you haven't given much thought to the benefits of having a mom, try finding the money you'd need to pay someone to do everything that she does," Edelman said.

"So don't forget to put the check in the Mother's Day card -- the one for $707,126."

Coffee in God's House?

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The hubby ran across this article and told me I should read it. He said he thought it was something I would like because it sounded like something I would write. It really is good! (smile). Sorry Bro. Hynes...I know you don't really know me, and I hope you're not offended!

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 Just one thing about it, if you are going to read any of this, you need to read all of it or you might get the wrong opinion. Personally, I'm not taking a dogmatic stand either way about coffee in God's house. I wouldn't do it, but on the other hand, Jesus is the one who started feeding people in church.

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There’s A Coffee In Our Sanctuary!

Randy Hynes

Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would

have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. And Jesus answering said unto him,

Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. —Luke 7:39,40

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No meditations over Mocha, or light

moments over Latte. No Colossians with

creamer or Deuteronomy with a dark roast.

No sipping Marocchino while studying the

book of Matthew in our pews. Traditional,

Conservative, Hymn singing and Bible preaching

would be the description of our church.

No one ever compliments our Cappuccino

or goes back for a refill of decaf. We can pray

without spilling and raise a hand without

sloshing. Say “Amen” without dripping and

sing all the verses because we are not sipping.

When we sing from our Hymnal, “Fill

my Cup Lord” is has no alternative meaning.

No Dutch Brothers or donuts served here.

You’ll never see slogans such as “Enjoy God

with your Gourmet” or “Our Coffee Is Served

Hot; We’re not Laodocian” slung on the

screen advertising our coffee shop. Our bulletin

does not have a “favorite flavor” section.

Our Sunday School has the smell of

kids…not coffee beans. The superficial service

has no place in our worship. We come to

give of ourselves to God in worship because

He is worthy… not to satisfy our taste buds by

enjoying a freshly brewed gourmet.

So it was strange to us when a brand new

lady walked in our sanctuary with a Starbucks

and a straw. She didn’t look like us, act like us,

or dress like us.

Neither did she think like

us. Ignoring the fact that she is curious

about us…one defender of the faith

remarked…“I can’t believe she brought

her coffee into the sanctuary.”

The comment may have been meant to

be constructive but it revealed a very shallow

perception and quite a loss of vision.

Lips spoke the words but the words were

born in eyes that could not see past

someone’s styrofoam cup. To this defender

of worship the lost soul in search of

truth was unseen, for the soul had been

hidden behind the large logo of the local

coffee shop. The soul had been shadowed

by the small 12-ounce container.

Through but a few words it was reveled

that the “if he shall gain the whole

world, and lose his own soul” value that

Jesus Christ ascribed to every man,

woman, boy and girl was forgotten. The

power of Jesus Christ to forgive sins was

lost in oblivion. The price that Jesus

paid to save that soul was beyond recollection.

“Grace greater than all our sin”

was silenced by a blurred vision…for the

focus was on a fresh cup of coffee…not

the needy hand that held it.

Doctor Luke records an attitude much

like the one who cringed when the Starbuck’s

cup and a straw entered the sanctuary.

Simon the Pharisee would have

never sipped in the sanctuary…but he

was also blinded to the value of a sinners

soul. Standing with Simon against the

shallowness of most contemporary worship

is commendable. Criticizing the

sinner who is attempting to come to

Jesus…is despicable. Christ “somewhat

to say” to Simon should be a somewhat

to say to us. “…but to whom little is forgiven,

the same loveth little.”

Thankfully Jesus’s vision goes beyond

someone’s Java! Jesus reminds us that it

is not what people are or what they

bring…its what they can be through the

power of His forgiveness. Did he not

say…Thy faith hath saved thee; go in

peace. It’s not the place that saves

them…Its GRACE! God give us a heart

full of compassion and eyes full of vision

that will see beyond someone’s Frappuccino,

Americano or Espresso…single

or double.

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Caramel Apple Pie

Ingredients

1 pastry shell (9 inches)

1/4 cup butter, cubed

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

4 medium tart apples, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, divided

1 to 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whipped topping

Directions

Line unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450° for 8 minutes. Remove foil; bake 5 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter and brown sugar. Stir in apples and 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice; simmer for 12-15 minutes, stirring frequently, or until tender.

Stir in flour; cook and stir for 1 minute. Drizzle caramel topping over pastry shell; sprinkle with pecans. Spoon apple mixture over pecans; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg, lemon juice and vanilla until smooth. Pour over apples. Bake at 350° for 35-45 minutes or until a knife inserted into the cream cheese layer comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack. Chill thoroughly. To serve, top with dollops of whipped topping; sprinkle with remaining pumpkin pie spice.

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Friday night, I had a date with the crazy man. I love him! Last time we tried to go to Red Robin we took Kaite and you know the story of her and her carsick journeys...not a pretty sight, or smell for that matter.  Well, we took Kaite's 24 hour Kaitering Service to Grandma's house! Anyway, Saturday morning we did some yard sale 'work' on the way to get the 'guys.'

I got these antique S & P'rs at an estate sale for $1. I thought the blue was great! I also picked up a set of BRAND NEW wind chimes, still in the box for FREE! They are nice too...not a cheap set. I've seen them for at least $40 like these! Then we got a whole big box full of that miniture doll house stuff in perfect shape and a log cabin doll house (new in box) that has never even been put together for the girls! They were thrilled!

I do not like the path of Uncle Sam, I do not like it, Sam I am.

 I do not like these dirty crooks,

nor how they like to cook the books.

 I do not like when Congress steals,

I do not like their secret deals.

I do not like the Speaker Nan, I do not like this "Yes We Can."

I do not like this kind of hope, I do not like it, nope, nope, nope."

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At night when sunshine goes away,

And it's too dark for me to play,

I like to come inside, and look

For new friends in a story book.

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Constable Kaite!

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"When I grow up, I wanna be a constable!"

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(Her motives are under investigation.)

(1Co 11:15a) But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her:

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While beautiful, long hair is not always practical. The curls are lovely today but tomorrow will be a mass of tangles, bringing the wearer to tears. That is why we sometimes choose braids and buns instead. This picture was actually taken by accident. I was putting new batteries in the camera and there was Kalli heading up the stairs after something! In the next couple of posts, I'll be showing you just a couple of things we do with hair at our house.

(Things we do besides kill vaccuum cleaners that is).