BRIGHT Lights Christmas

Caroling at Wal-Mart

This year we were excited to have two other Arizona Bright Lights groups join us for our third-annual Bright Lights Christmas Party.  What a beautiful sight it was to have 34 godly young women joined together to bring honor to the Lord.

We began the evening with prayer, reading Scripture, and some get-to-know-you activities.  Then the girls enjoyed appetizers, cookies, hot chocolate, and lots of candy.   Shortly thereafter, we split into teams and drove to Walmart (with the help of seven mothers and my good husband).  At Walmart we sang Christmas carols at the front entrance of the store, praying that others would hear the gospel message through song.

We then went shopping for children at Sunshine Acres Children’s Home which is a Christian organization that cares for children who are separated from their parents.  The girls were responsible for selecting and purchasing gifts for seven children in need.  The girls also handed out candy canes that had Scripture verses about Jesus Christ attached to them and wished store patrons a “Merry Christmas”.

Once the shopping trip was done, we gathered back at the house and had a time of prayer for the children who would receive these gifts.  The prayers were so sincere and humble that many of us had tears in our eyes.  What a wonderful time of  fellowship we enjoyed!

What Will You Do?

Corporations all around the world are rapidly joining the fight to change the definition of marriage.  With a vengeance, they are embracing an agenda and celebrating a lifestyle that the Bible teaches is sin, all under the guise of “acceptance, inclusion, and diversity”.  I believe this video is a stark reminder to all Christians that we could soon find ourselves in the position of having to either stand alone in defense of Biblical truth, or give way to fear and bow to the golden image of a sinful culture.

The example in this AFA video is not something that is coming, it’s here now!  If you’re like me, an employee of a large corporation, the prospect of either losing a job or being denied a job for which you’re well qualified, because of adherence to Biblical standards, is very real.

As for me, I will serve Jesus Christ and stand unapologetically in support of the Biblical definition of marriage.  What would will you do?
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“Disagreement is not hatred, and the truth is not hate speech. The truth is only hate speech to those who hate the truth.”

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How to de-seed a Pomegranate

Pomegranates are a delicious fall/winter treat, but many people are afraid of the mess or simply don’t know how to get the seeds out easily.

Once you have managed to open a pomegranate, you can go right ahead and eat it. But if you take the time to separate the arils (the seeds) from the white skin they’re attached to, your pomegranate eating experience will be less messy and taste much better.

ATI Family Connection – Phoenix

Kory's Alt
Special guests

The ATI Family Connection team just departed after a brief visit in Phoenix.  They are making their way around the US with a message of encouragement for families to be strong in The Lord.  It was such a blessing to meet the team and have them stay with us during their time here. We praise the Lord for the opportunity to meet and fellowship with other Arizona families that are desiring to live for Christ.

Below is a clip of the Waller Brothers Quartet singing “Are you Washed in the Blood”.  I apologize for the shaky video.  Along with forgetting to bring the butter, I also forgot the tripod!

Here are a few pictures from our time with the Waller family and Gabriel Cleator.

Katey’s 16th Birthday

Although the celebration began 4 days ago, today is Katey’s official 16th birthday! The Balkan girls joined us for a day of festivities that included pedicures (I did not participate in this event), photo shoots, homemade waffles, and many other fun activities.

Kory's Alt
Katey with her new harp

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Happy Birthday Katey! We love you.

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AFHE Homeschool Convention

We just returned from spending all day Friday and Saturday at the Arizona Families for Home Education (AFHE) annual homeschool convention in Phoenix.  This year, we signed up as exhibitors in order to promote our family ministry, Abiding Radio.

We just returned from spending all day Friday and Saturday at the Arizona Families for Home Education (AFHE) annual homeschool convention in Phoenix.  This year, we signed up as exhibitors in order to promote our family ministry,

It actually went very well considering that it was our first attempt at running a vendor booth. We had been wanting to create a looping video that would explain what Abiding Radio is and how to listen.

We met so many wonderful, gracious people and are already looking forward to doing it again next year if The Lord is willing. Here are a few pictures from the event:

Happy Beiju Uncle Mits! 米

Uncle Mits

Today we gathered with family and friends to celebrate our uncle Mits’ 88th birthday. In Japan, a person’s 88th birthday is called “beiju” and is a special celebration where either yellow or gold colored gifts are given.  Uncle Mits asked that we stick to plain white golf balls as he still plays golf every Wednesday!

You might be interested to know that the “bei” of beiju comes from the three kanji characters for eight “八”, ten “十”, and eight “八”, or “hachijuu-hachi” (88), which combined together form the character kome, or rice “米”.

We enjoyed our time with you Uncle Mits.  Happy Birthday!

Lauren’s Piano Recital

After seven months of piano instruction, Lauren had her first piano recital. She has been taking lessons from a neighbor and has progressed remarkably! We are grateful to Gabe and the rest of the Smith family for hosting.

Here is a clip of her performance

A Day of Remembrance

sinko-de-mayoMany people mistakenly view today as a day of celebration when it’s actually a day of memorial.  You might not know that back in 1912, Hellmann’s mayonnaise was manufactured in England. In fact, the Titanic was carrying 12,000 jars of the condiment scheduled for delivery in Vera Cruz, Mexico, which was to be the next port of call for the great ship after its stop in New York.

This would have been the largest single shipment of mayonnaise ever delivered to Mexico but as we know, the great ship did not make it to New York. The ship hit an iceberg, sank and the cargo was forever lost. The people of Mexico, who were crazy about mayonnaise and were eagerly awaiting its delivery, were devastated at the loss. Their anguish was so great, that they declared a National Day of Mourning which they still observe to this day.

The National Day of Mourning occurs each year on May 5th and is known, of course as Sinko de Mayo. 🙂