Up Up and Away

Oh my goodness!! Why we have never been to the Balloon lift off is beyond me! It was magnificent!!! Gary and my dad are in Kansas with Teddy so mom and I thought we would be different this year and go to the lift off. It was pure beauty in the sky! We have been to the glow several times and always had fun but watching these majestic balloons lift up and away is spectacular! Something we will always remember! 

Owen and I

I was trying to read and this little guy comes in and says "let's take a picture!"

Love him! 

Weight Loss Wednesday

Well I lost nothing again! It's frustrating but I'm determined to beat this. Starting Monday I'm going to get up earlier and get a small weight training in. I have been using Map My Run to track my walking and everyday on my walks I'm doing between 3.5 to 5 miles so I know I'm healthier! Gary suggested to weigh every two weeks so I'm going to start that, instead of weekly. 

Sherman Tank

Sherman our bad little kitty of fifteen years died on Thursday evening. He and I kind of liked each other. Sometimes we were friends and other times he was a bad kitty. We really were blessed by him, he liked to wink at you, eat hotdogs, scrambled eggs and sour cream potato chips. He loved Lilly from the moment we brought her home, I used to have to take him out of her crib. He was also an expert at clawing my curtains and escaping to go on kitty missions. We knew Sherman was dying and we were blessed as a family to pray over him and hold him as he went to Heaven. He ended up being my little friend and secreatly I'm really missing him. 

Lilly and I

Lilly and I try to bake all of the birthday cakes. We had so much fun this year with Owens! Lilly did most of the decorating! 

These Moments

I know that one day this will not happen. For now I cherish every minute of it. This is how Lilly and Owen walk into school everyday!  

Hiking and Fishing Again!

We have just loved this summer! We have been fishing and hiking so many times this year. We spent yet another weekend in the mountains just enjoying creation! Gary and the kids spent the day fishing while I went hiking all alone! It was amazing to feel so small and to enjoy Christ in the quite of nature. After my hike we had a little picnic and I read a book. There was a little chipmunk that kept me company. Since I can't have chips I gave him some! 

Happy Birthday Owen!!

Seven years ago Gary and I were blessed with one if the funniest people we have ever met! Owen is an amazing little man and we are so thankful that he has completed our little family. We love his humor, courage and most of all his willingness to follow Christ! Happy Birthday little man! 

Weight Loss Wednesday

I'm so sorry I'm late on this post! That whole life thing got in the way! 

I actually gained a pound this week. In all honesty I had not been feeling well and was on an antibiotic that really messed with my stomach. I was not eating as much at all so I think my body went into starvation mode. I'll try again next Wednesday, still committed! 

Please Read Captive In Iran

Gary and I had an enormous opportunity to hear the testimony and story of Marziyeh Amirizadeh and Maryam Rostampour Saturday evening. I will say time and  again these two are the most eloquent and graceful women I have ever had the pleasure to meet, there is no doubt in my mind they have encountered Jesus. Their story penetrated my soul and made me even more aware of the persecution that so many of my Christian brothers and sisters endure in other countries and gave Gary and I a hunger  for a deeper and more profound relationship with Jesus Christ. Both Marziyeh and Maryam shared their stories of being arrested and held captive in horrendous conditions in Iran’s most notorious prison named Evin. The horrible torture that men and women face for being in a religious minority is disgusting and devastating. Our heart simply shatters for the persecuted around this globe.

 

Gary and I both often pray for those being displaced, beaten, beheaded, hanged, raped, sold into slavery, mocked, scorned, and tortured. Many of my friends and fellow Christians in every part of the world are so consumed with our own comfort and lives that we have become over complacent and turn a blind eye to the brutality in the world. We can no longer ignore this global crisis. Gary and I are committed to changing the perspective in our family and friends. We have signed countless petition’s to a number of nations and embassies around the word. These petitions make world  governments aware that the Global Community of Christians are cognizant of the mistreatment of Christians and religious minorities in every part of the word and we are calling for the Holocaust to stop and imminent  release of the captured. I’m personally writing one letter a week to Pastor Saeed in Iran. After hearing the testimony and story from Marziyeh and Maryam I will do this and pray that it make a difference. Please read Captive In Iran for more information and how these letters can benefit not only the prisoner but touch the heart of the prisoners, guards and the persecutors.

 

 We are praying and believing Jesus will return and if this persecution is to continue, we will still place our hope and faith in Christ. There will be a day when the United States is no longer a Super Power and we will fail to protect the blessed land that has been gifted to us due to our foundation in Christ being forgotten and ignored. If our own national ignorance brings forth torture on our very own soil, so be it.

 

Gary and I continue to pray for strength and courage for those facing persecution to remain steadfast in their faith and that their pain, suffering and ultimate demise will not go in vain. We also continue to pray for our government and its leaders. In the early 1930’s the United States of America after countless pleads for help chose to ignore the initial warnings of the Jewish Holocaust. We eventually entered WWII in 1941.  With today’s media, technology and social outlets sending continuous information, pictures and videos we cannot turn a blind eye and portray ignorance this very moment. We must speak up for the current Genocide. For those who choose to remain silent and do nothing, we pray for your courage. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.

The Bible tells us in Romans 15:1 Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves.

Proverbs 25:26 Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Please pray with us.

In Christ

The Haynes Family

 

Gary and I have found that The International Christian Concern website at Persecution.org to be a fantastic resource. You can click on Advocacy link and then on current petitions. Please continue to pray and pray boldly and with courage and consistency for those in torment.

 

Oh My

Such a beautiful girl. Blessed in the present and Gary cursed in the future! 

It's Back!

These two are some strange little people!

Sherman Tank

It's Saturday night and my house is quiet. Lilly and Owen are in bed and Gary is working in his shop. I am playing on my phone with a very sick kitty on my lap. I'm afraid to say that my bad kitty Sherman is nearing the end if his nine lives. As much as I complain about this cat, I love him and we are  secretly friends. My heart is going to break when he meets God. Sherman has a tumor that is growing and he is slowly loosing lots of weight. I have a feeling sooner rather than later we will have to take him in to be put to sleep. So right now I'm sitting still and letting him just sleep. Love my bad kitty. 

Owen??

Owen are you okay down there?

??

My husband found this for me. I have no idea what he is talking about! 

Genesis 9:13

I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

Back to School Night

Gary and I love Lilly and Owens teachers. Owens teacher is a former Colorado Springs Police Officer and her husband is a retired Marine, who now trains service dogs! He brings the puppies to the school! Lilly's teacher is a vibrant grannie who is a Christian! She told us she was praying for a great school year and has Christian books on the top of her bookshelf! 

We are already surprised with what the kids are learning, and find we need to up the technology in our home. Both Lilly and Owen have class websites that they are required to log in and do projects, reading, and math. They each have a physical planner and an online planner. Gary and I were blown away with the technology room they have 36 computers in the technology class, each classroom has a smart board and 1 personal computer. These kids are blessed! Not only do the classrooms have smart boards each elective has smart boards! The music demo was amazing!! We were told our school district is one of the fastest growing and well funded in the nation. The tcap scores were on the high end of the national average. This year the they will not have tcap it will be a different standardized test, apparently all done online. But we were impressed with the technology that has been added this year, it's impressive and definitely a great training ground for future education.  So we are excited! We will deal with the middle school years when we get there, lol!! 

Both kids are going to join the running club and Lilly joined choir! Yay! Love this school and are so thankful for this district! 

We are looking forward to a great year. Can't have a post without a picture, so here is Pookers sampling the treats the kids will be selling! Every time I looked at him his mouth was full! 

Love This Place

Thankful everyday for RadiantChurch! 

Life Changing Truth! 

It brings tears to my eyes to see Lilly andOwen  grow up here. Gary and I are truly blessed by our church family. 

Weight Loss Wednesday

I was very nervous to step on the scale this week. I have been sick and had not worked out for, four days. But I stepped on the scale and from last week lost another 2.2 pounds. I have to really think about buying some new cloths. I look ridiculous, my work pants are huge on me and my pencil skirts will fall off. It’s a great feeling but I must admit a little scary. I really don’t have the money to spend on new cloths, nor do I want to spend a dime on myself until I have reached a good amount of loss. I was thinking once I reach sixty pounds or so I will get my hair done and buy a few new things, until then I really don’t see the need to spend money on me.  No one seems to notice that I have lost weight so that tells me I need to work harder until my weight loss is physically making me look different. Right now I look the same just baggy pants! Lilly is my little accountability partner. We  celebrated her baptism at one of her favorite dining places The Olive Garden. I enjoyed my salad and black olives while my sweet little family happily horded the bread sticks. I was very proud of myself for not indulging in pasta and bread. It’s the small victories! HAHA!! Owen on the other hand is the first to offer his poor starving momma bread, candy and then laugh at me, I love them so much! I have been very thankful to my pookers who walks with me nearly every night and makes sure I’m doing my Ranger Training correctly haha. I have really cut the carbs and sugar for our entire family and it seems to be nothing any of us miss. Truly I’m looking forward to a dinner roll at Thanksgiving and a ginger cream cookie at Christmas, but for now I’m happy with my veggie life!

God Bless! 

Sickened

I don't get it. I physically don't understand. I have been sick. Utterly disgusted and sick over the genocide that is occurring in Iraq. Babies, children, are being beheaded. These babies heads are being placed on sticks and paraded through streets. Women are being brutally raped, men are being crucified and hanged. There are people begging for help and mercy. They are terrified and doing everything they can to stay alive. I can't sleep, my mind runs in a thousand different directions in prayer for these people.  And I come home after work and what fills my Facebook feed? Another Hollywood celebrity has killed himself. People are so concerned. God help us! Lord help us get our priorities on You, show us our insignificance and realign on focus on Your Glory.  Forgive your people Lord, we know not what we do.