Super Typhoon Haiyan

As I type, possibly the biggest super typhoon in recorded history is hitting our country.  The eye of the storm is crossing the islands to the northeast of us.

WE ARE OK.

Please pray, however, for the many thousands of people who are taking refuge right now and are evacuating the emergency areas.  Pray also that through these events many people will turn to Jesus and put their faith in Him for salvation.

"You have been a refuge for the poor,

a refuge for the needy in his distress,

a SHELTER FROM THE STORM

and a shade from the heat...

.

He will swallow up death forever.

The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears

from all faces;

he will remove the disgrace of his people

from all the earth.

The LORD has spoken.

In that day they will say,

'Surely this is our God,

we trusted in him, 

and HE SAVED US.

This is the LORD, we trusted in him;

let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.'"

Isaiah 25

Happy 95th Birthday Great-Grandpa Ghormley!

 On Monday, November 4th, my Grandpa, Malachi's Great-Grandpa, turned 95!!  He was born in 1918!  Imagine all the history he has lived through.  AND he is still walking and still married!  Amazing!  What a testimony of God's grace and faithfulness to let him live to see his children's children's children!

Malachi made him this play-dough cake and put as many "candles" as he could on top.

Here I am with both of my grandparents one year ago at Micah's wedding (Oct 2012).  This is the last time I saw them!  I hope to see them again in this life, but I know they love Jesus and will be with us forever with Him if God decides to take them before I get back to America again.

Thank you, Lord, for blessing my grandparents with a long life, with health and many children.  Thank you for their faithful prayers for each of us daily, and for their faithfulness to you.  YOU have been faithful to them, Lord, and we give you praise for 95 years!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA!!

"And many more!!!"

Cornets, Clarinets and Claves in Concert Concoction

 Last Friday Nate directed the middle school band concert.  It is so exciting to see the band program growing and the students learning so much music!  I am so proud of Nate!  Thank you, Lord!

 Thank you for partnering with us in teaching these students.  We get to help them in their formative years develop as musicians and as young Christians.

 Pray that another fine arts teacher will be able to come join us here at Faith Academy Mindanao.  Nate has had a full load this year doing everything in the department from grades K-12.

Pray also for Nate for his heart to be strengthened by grace and to grow in faith.  Pray for health and stamina to continue in this ministry.  Pray for our family to continue to stay unified in Christ and keep Jesus at the center!

Emily 4 Months

 Emily is a growing girl!  We love her so much!  Thank you, Lord, for our baby girl!

Here is Emily on her 4 month birthday (Nov. 6).  What a doll!

 Emily's sisters in life will be her sisters-in-Christ!  Here she is with Janae (8 months--left), chatting about how fun it is to wear matching outfits!  I couldn't believe they each had the same shirt!  (Thanks, Grandma!).

 2 Mamas and 2 Baby girls--double blessing!  2 sets of friends!

 I have to take her picture every day--she is growing so fast!  Here are a few from earlier this month.

 All 4 of our kids sat in this same seat--what a great purchase!

 Pretty dresses are fun!

Meanwhile we are trying to potty train Luke.  Big boy!

The Beckers 6--Birthday Photo Shoot

 For my birthday present I asked the fam to do a fun photo shoot with me!  I planned the whole wardrobe around this one outfit that my sister, Sarah Emily, gave to her namesake Emily.  I praised God for a fun day and great weather (and lighting).  I also praise God for my family and for 34 years of life!

 Here are some of our favorites--but there are LOTS of good ones!  Two of our favorites are being used for this blog--notice the new header and the new profile picture to the right.

 Buff brothers.

 "Don't Mess With Her".  Protective older brothers!

 My romantic, loving husband!

My favorite, favorite one!!  This one got printed and framed for the piano.

Thanks to Elise, our photographer!  GREAT JOB!  I recommend her.  See her blog:

http://lightonmylens.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-b-family.html

Happy Birthday....to Me!

 What a special 34th birthday this was!  Nate and the boys got me tons of flowers.  I put bouquets all around the house to feel like a garden.  (Thanks also to B for the lovely ones you gave!).

 Emily dressed up in her special outfit.  I just love looking at her.  SHE is a present!

 I had lunch with special friends....a date with Nate....AND of course spent lots of time with Emily too.

 The boys wanted to throw me a huge pizza party!  We praise God for lots of friends.  The boys were so cute helping with the balloons.  They had fun delighting in celebrating their Mama!

 My mom taught me well--balloon relays!

After pizza and brownies we watched a family movie in Nate's classroom on the big screen.  It was fun for me to see all the kids lined up together like cousins.

Thank you, Lord, for another year of life!  You have given me so many blessings, especially your salvation....and our friends and family!

THANK YOU also to my Mother, who gave birth to me!  Now that I am a mom I know that birthdays are also about the mother who bore the child.  She remembers that day very well and celebrates it too.  SO THANK YOU Mumsy!!!  I know what you did for me!

A Day at the Beach

 October break is here, so we've been enjoying more family time.  Tuesday we got to spend a great day at the beach with each other and with our friends.  I loved watching Malachi and Elijah bonding more as friends.  Luke is Papa's little buddy.

 Emily and I were in the shade most of the time.  We had to get a few photos of her in the sand!

 I love my children!  Thank you, Lord, for each one.

 Buko shake time!  Buko is coconut.  They made a lovely shake and served it in the big buko.  Take turns, guys!

 The Beckers 6!  We sat on this same one when I was pregnant with Luke...now we are 6!  (I'm proud of Elijah's 5-year-old friend, Silas, who took this photo for us!).

Ice cream on the beach is a fun treat!

Emily's Dedication

 On Emily's 3 month birthday (Oct. 6) we celebrated her dedication to the Lord at church.  We committed to raise her in a family that exalts Jesus, and we prayed that she would choose to follow Jesus at a young age and follow him all her days.

 Our pastor welcomed her into our church family and prayed for her.

 In the Philippines there are always "ninongs and ninangs", who are like "god-parents".  Our friends also committed to help us teach Emily about Jesus.  It is so special to me to see this picture, because at Malachi's and Luke's dedication the same people were also there.  They  have become like our family.

 I sang a "song of dedication" while Nate played the piano.  You can see a video of it on Facebook!  I got all emotional and shaky, so my voice did not work for me, but it touched Malachi's heart so much that he came on stage and started kissing his sister's feet.  Precious!

 Emily is 3 months.  Thank you, Lord, for our daughter!  I love this dress!  My sister Sarah Emily gave this to us before she was born.  You may have seen pictures of it hanging on her curtains.  I saved it just for this occasion.  What a doll!

 Here are the 3 boys before church practicing how to stand nicely during the dedication.  I love each one's expression!

 After church we had a big lunch at our house.  Here is the kids' table.  They are waiting to get their food.

 Our pastor's wife in white, and her mother beside me joined us for the celebration meal.  Also our assistant pastor's wife is pictured here with Emily.  It is a great reason to join together for a meal in community.

Joy was also there!  You remember she is our beloved midwife, who helped with the births of Malachi, Luke and Emily.  We think she is the best midwife in the entire world!

"Lord we dedicate
Yes we consecrate
our daughter to you
For your purposes
for your perfect plan
For all the things you'll have her do
Lord we give back to you this child you've given us
For she belongs to you
She's just a loan of love
A gift from above
And we give her back to You."

Please pray for Emily Amor, that she will come to know Jesus at an early age and follow Him all her days.  Pray that through her many people will come to know the love of God for us all in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Random moments lately

 Emi's 2 oldest boys got to be the characters in a children's book.  The artwork will hopefully be published soon and the profits will go back to the people of the Philippines.  Elijah had fun posing with the "celebrities" (that is how they felt).

 Emi and I together at the reception with our daughters =)

 This is a typical morning getting ready for school.  My four children all surround me.  Blessings!

 If you go to the mall, the sales ladies are happy to hold your baby while you try on clothes.  There were actually about 20 of them around doting on Emily, but as you can see the security guard coming to break up my group photo moment.

Finally, I have to post one more of my doll!  It is fun to have a girl to put hair bands and skirts on!  Coming soon, a post about her dedication!

Concert--Chiortastic Improvarama

 Nate's vocal music concert was a fun evening mixed with some improv from the drama class.  It was a smaller setting, almost like a relaxed Sunday evening in the living room.

 My limited artistic skills include cutting paper with scissors and using tape.  (You may recall my costumes during spirit week!).

 I am much better at singing than decorating.  It was fun to join Nate and the students in the"8 bar canon blues".

 This is a pic of Nate warming up his students in his classroom.  What a great bunch of mostly-Korean MKs!

 The love-birds!

I posted an album on facebook, so pardon my delay in blogging!  Sometimes I blog first and then forget the Facebook...some people do both, some only do one.  I am trying to keep up with the "languages" you all speak in the West!  Thanks for reading!  Another post coming soon (Sorry to my cousin, who said of my blogging "when it rains, it pours"--that is true!).