Sweet 16 Surprise Party

Happy Sweet Sixteen Mollie

(Leu) We are gathered today to commemorate another milestone in the life of Mollie Elizabeth Beach as she is turning sixteen next month. This is a happy age, when young girls hold many dreams. But also it is a difficult age because of the changes and challenges moving you toward maturity. This is the age when a little girl becomes a young lady. Mollie, God knitted you together in your mother’s womb with the spark of life and joy in you. You are a beautiful, sweet, wonderful, angel from God. We have raised you in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; now you must begin to make more of your own decisions and become a little more independent. It is during this time that you will need Jesus even more as your friend, counselor and Savior.

Mollie, as a Christian you understand the importance of knowing the Word of God. It is the through the study of his word that you can know and experience God's will for your life. Isaiah 55:11 “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it”. This is a promise that studying the word of God and practicing your faith in Christ will make you wise and strong while doing Christ's work. 2 Tim. 3:16-17 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correction, and training in righteousness, so that the (man) young lady of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. This is a promise to give you wisdom beyond your age. God promises in Philippians Chapter One that He who has begun a work in you is faithful to complete it. May this book always be a lamp unto your feet and light unto your path.

(Joan) This rose bud symbolizes your infancy. We watched you come into this world on May 20, 1997; 9 pounds 2 ounces. The fullness of life awaited you, the path laid ahead safe and protected by your mom and dad. And Poppy and I have been blessed to love you and encourage you and watch you blossom.

(Gabe) Mollie this rose is just beginning to bloom and symbolizes the present stage in your life.  At my age you had been called by God and received into His family.  Since then, you have experienced the effects of man’s sinful nature in your life. You know right from wrong. You see your need of Christ as your Savior and Lord clearly.  May you continue to grow in the Lord.

(Barbara) And today, as this flower is in full bloom, beautiful and fragrant, so are you. The Bible says of life, that it is as the grass, it flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone. Youthfulness is only a brief moment of time in life. All in life is pretense and the only important thing that is eternal is your soul. Keep it and guard it faithfully. And what better way to keep your life but by giving it to The Giver and Keeper of our days? He has promised you life eternal at His side.

(Nelson) This watch will serve to remind you that the coming of the Lord is very near. With each second, minute, hour, and day that passes, remember that you must always be prepared because we know neither the day nor the hour when He will come for His Church. But as you await His coming, may you be able to say as the Psalmist: "Teach me to number my days aright, that I may gain a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12).

(Doug) This parasol will help you think on what the Lord has said "My Glory will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain" (Isaiah 4:6). When you find yourself in trouble or in danger may you always be able to say: "You are my refuge and my shield." (Psalm 119:114). Stand steadfast on this truth. God has given us more than 33,000 promises and all are yours; every promise, every verse, and every line.

(Janet) This bottle of perfume symbolizes the prayers and worship that the saints offer to the Lord. Your life should not only glorify God but it must be used to win souls for Him "For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other the fragrance of life. . . “(2 Cor. 2:15-16). The proverb writer said that perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the psalmist confirms this saying: "May my prayer be set before you like incense." (Psalm 141:2). May you always please the Lord with your life and with your prayers.

(Sandy) These shoes symbolize your daily walk. When you were a little girl, mom would take you where she wanted. You did not decide where or when you would go. But now  you are being rendered the most important responsibility and you are accountable to God for each step that you take. Remember that God is always watching you. And what joy you shall feel when the Lord comes and you say, "I have chosen the way of truth; I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to your statutes." (Psalm 119:30,59).

(Joanne) This crown is beautiful and radiant, but how much more glorious and beautiful will the crown which Jesus will give you on that day be? The Bible mentions a few crowns. Which ones do you want? The first crown promised is the crown of life. To obtain it the Lord says “be faithful till the end and I will give you the crown of life." For those that persevere He has promised “the incorruptible crown ", (1 Cor. 9:25). To those who long for His coming He has promised "the crown of righteousness", (2 Tim. 4:8). The Bible urges us to cling to our crown "I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown". Can you imagine how much more beautiful it will be when you stand before the Lord and lay your crown before Him and say thank you for redeeming me." (Rev. 3:11, 4:10-11).

(Stacey) This ring used to be my mom’s and she gave it to me.  Today I pass it down to you to symbolizes authority. You have authority because you belong to the family of God. When the prodigal son returned, his father placed a ring on his finger because he had returned to the family and once again he had the authority that belonged to family members. Thus you have authority over the enemy because you are a daughter of the King, Jesus. This ring will also help remind you of the infinite love of God. As this ring has no beginning or end by virtue of being a circle, thus the love of God has no beginning or end. God has said, "I have loved you with an everlasting love." (Jer. 31:3). For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jer 29:11 NLT)

Mollie, may the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

All our love,

Mom and Dad

Powder Room Redo

Gut the old, there is something most satisfying about tearing out the walls, ceilings, and floor of an old stinky bathroom.  BYE-BYE mauve!  BYE-BYE tile, I have never been a fan of tile-it's cold and hard.  The inspiration for the new powder room is lavendar and green.  We had left-over flooring from our master bathroom so we used up the very last of that!

I even recycled the lighting, I just spray painted it in oil-rubbed bronze to match the new hardware.



TA-DA




There was about 19" for door clearance for a new vanity.  Nothing out there with any kind of panache so we made one.  I bought this cute little cabinet and Macgyver cut a hole in it and we popped a sweet oval sink into it (that sounds alot easier than it actually was!)  This has nice storage too!  Pretty beadboard 3/4 way up the wall added lots of charm.



The Cupcake Bar

 For my daughter's sweet 16 party instead of a traditional cake I made a cupcake bar.  The station included 3 kinds of cupcakes, 2 choices in frosting, and lots of toppings to decorate.  17 dozen cupcakes I baked the day before the party, thank you very much.  Thank you Candy for letting my cook in your wonderful kitchen!!

 Homemade buttercream icing ready to go in pastry bags.

 The color theme was yellow, orange and green.  Happy colors for a joy-filled girl.

Lots of creative designs were devoured!

Psalm 9: Say it Out Loud

I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
² I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

³ When my enemies turn back,
They shall fall and perish at Your presence.
⁴ For You have maintained my right and my cause;
You sat on the throne judging in righteousness.
⁵ You have rebuked the nations,
You have destroyed the wicked;
You have blotted out their name forever and ever.

⁶ O enemy, destructions are finished forever!
And you have destroyed cities;
Even their memory has perished.
⁷ But the Lord shall endure forever;
He has prepared His throne for judgment.
⁸ He shall judge the world in righteousness,
And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.

⁹ The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
¹⁰ And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.

¹¹ Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion!
Declare His deeds among the people.
¹² When He avenges blood, He remembers them;
He does not forget the cry of the humble.

¹³ Have mercy on me, O Lord!
Consider my trouble from those who hate me,
You who lift me up from the gates of death,
¹⁴ That I may tell of all Your praise
In the gates of the daughter of Zion.
I will rejoice in Your salvation.

¹⁵ The nations have sunk down in the pit which they made;
In the net which they hid, their own foot is caught.
¹⁶ The Lord is known by the judgment He executes;
The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.

Meditation.^[b] Selah

¹⁷ The wicked shall be turned into hell,
And all the nations that forget God.
¹⁸ For the needy shall not always be forgotten;
The expectation of the poor shall not perish forever.

¹⁹ Arise, O Lord,
Do not let man prevail;
Let the nations be judged in Your sight.
²⁰ Put them in fear, O Lord,
That the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah

Praise God verbally and whole heartedly.  Really, out-loud, on your lips, say it.  Make it a part of your speech.  At first it might sound odd and awkward but the more you exercise it the more naturally it comes.
Sing praises to God, not just in church or on the radio.  Just sing!  Sometimes when I am reading scripture a verse comes along that I know a song to and I just start singing.  Yep, sing in the shower too.  Nothing makes the devil flee faster than our worship to the One True God.  Dark and light can not abide together.  This is how David starts Psalm 9 to praise, to tell, to rejoice, and to sing.
Verse 3 switches focus onto his situation.  How good are you at complaining?  Does being negative come easy to you?  I know that it slips from my lips a bit too readily.  Instead of carrying on excessively about personal needs or desires or gossip just STOP!!  Make it a point throughout the day to acknowledge God's goodness.  Like a child that doesn't seem to be listening to you, STOP and catch them being good, then say it out loud!  We too need to have a "Holy Spirit pause" (thank you Harvey) and think before we speak.  Thinking about His goodness more often will result in a more positive and spiritual frame of mind.  How does that sound?  Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."
Lift your gaze to the Shepherd of your soul and let His grace fall fresh upon you.

Coram Deo,
E.W.

The Good News We Almost Forgot

Leui and I are really enjoying this book.  This is a wonderful resource for understanding and articulating the scriptures.  If there is "nothing new under the sun," perhaps the main task now facing the Western church is not to reinvent or be relevant, but to remember.  The truth of the gospel is still contained within vintage faith statements. Within creeds and catechisms we can have our faith strengthened, our knowledge broadened, and our love for Jesus deepened.   

In The Good News We Almost Forgot, Kevin DeYoung explores the Heidelberg Catechism and writes 52 brief chapters on what it has shown him. The Heidelberg is largely a commentary on the Apostle's Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord's Prayer and deals with man's guilt, God's grace, and believers' gratitude. The result is a clear-headed, warm-hearted exploration of the faith, simple enough for young believers and deep enough for mature believers.

DeYoung writes, "The gospel summarized in the Heidelberg Catechism is glorious, it's Christ gracious, it's comfort rich, it's Spirit strong, it's God Sovereign, and it's truth timeless."  Come and see how your soul can be warmed by the elegantly and logically laid out doctrine that matters most:  We are great sinners and Christ is a greater Savior!