A Month in Pictures

Good intentions don't produce blog entries. Sorry about that! Here's a glimpse of what we've been up to.....

Pumpkin Carving with our Grace Group at church......Keely should win a look alike prize!


Keely graduated from the crib to a "big girl bed". She likes the freedom of being able to get out when she wants. We don't appreciate her freedom as much as she does but it makes for cute pictures in the middle of the night and when the girls wake up in the morning. Keely likes to snuggle with her big sister.



For Halloween this year we took the girls to Biola's "Candyland". The girls in one of the dorms decorate their halls like the board game Candyland and open up to the community for trick or treating. The girls had a blast. Keely went as Tigger and loved the whiskers we painted on her face. Abbie went as Tinkerbell and even made the front cover of the Biola newspaper with her cute fairyness!



Keely, master of disguise!


Another highlight of this month was having a family movie night. We watched "The Incredibles" and had popcorn together in our makeshift home theater.


Abbie hit a big milestone this month. She learned not to suck her thumb! After 30 days of no thumb sucking she was rewarded with her choice of her very own Sleeping Beauty costume.

And last but not least, we spent a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with our friends Dave and Doris Johnson who invited us to come with them to take the Palm Springs Tram up San Jacinto. We had a great time riding with them in their van and enjoying a meal together at the top of the mountain. After lunch we went on a great hike and enjoyed the beauty of God's creation. It was a very special day for our family.

Oh be careful little hands...

If you give a Keely a mallet...





Keely enjoyed her birthday gift for a short moment!

When it rains...

Dear friends, we know not how to respond to this week, except with humble thanksgiving. Our only response was to sing the song below, and read the Psalm 100 as we surveyed the blessings that the Lord showered upon us in the last week. We received groceries and generous gifts from our church "Grace" group, delivered in person by several families. We received an e-mail from a nurse midwife, offering her friendship and services through Leah's pregnancy. We received an envelope from our parents with funds towards our monthly expenses, in addition to an e-mail from a coworker also pledging monthly support towards our monthly expenses. The week ended with word that we all had been approved for state health insurance, and we were given an anonymous envelope with further funds, all of which when added together meet this month's expenses entirely!

Our prayer is one of thanksgiving to the Lord for His faithful provision for our tangible, physical, and spiritual needs. We rejoice as we receive such a downpour of generous love and mercy from so many surrounding our family. Our prayer is also for you to witness the Lord's provision in our lives, thank you for playing a part in that provision, and being used by the Lord!

We are confident in the Lord's provision for our needs, for His purpose in this plan that He has made possible for our family. We walk forward in faith, trust, and thanks!

Geoff, Leah, Abaigael, Keely, and Baby #3
The Dykstra Family

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Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth.
Serve the LORD with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful singing.
 
Know that the LORD Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
 
Enter His gates with thanksgiving
And His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
 
For the LORD is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting
And His faithfulness to all generations.

-Psalm 100

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Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near;
Praise Him in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord, Who over all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires ever have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord, Who hath fearfully, wondrously, made thee;
Health hath vouchsafed and, when heedlessly falling, hath stayed thee.
What need or grief ever hath failed of relief?
Wings of His mercy did shade thee.

Praise to the Lord, Who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord, Who, when tempests their warfare are waging,
Who, when the elements madly around thee are raging,
Biddeth them cease, turneth their fury to peace,
Whirlwinds and waters assuaging.

Praise to the Lord, Who, when darkness of sin is abounding,
Who, when the godless do triumph, all virtue confounding,
Sheddeth His light, chaseth the horrors of night,
Saints with His mercy surrounding.

Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him.
Let the Amen sound from His people again,
Gladly for aye we adore Him.

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Yes, it is Thanksgiving today, in Canada that is. While we get "celebrate" Columbus day by not getting mail or being able to go to the bank, multitudes of Canadians are enjoying the bounty of this years harvest. And we Dykstra's are enjoying the leftovers of the bounty of the harvest. Yum! We had a nice group of friends over yesterday to enjoy a full Thanksgiving spread. Abbie named our 20 pound turkey "Turkey Lurkey" and helped me make two pies. Geoff was amazing as always and cleaned the house, did the laundry, watched the girls so I could cook ahead of time and even made the cranberry relish (which was delicious!). Then yesterday a classmate of his came over so she could help us with the last minute preparations. It was a full day ending with full tummies and full hearts. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Also of note this last week is a matter of $80 mysteriously appearing in Geoff's school bag. He was surprised to find it after returning to the nursing lounge after a small study break. We were wondering how best we could use it and Geoff commented that maybe we'll need $80 for something soon. Well this Wednesday he needs to get his last Hepatitis B shot and his flu shot. Cost of Hep. B shot: $65 plus cost of flu shot: $15 = $80. Thanks God and whoever put that $80 there!

Empirical Evidence

The other day we were all laying in our bed in the morning and Keely got up and left the room and tried to shut my door (which usually means she is up to mischeif!) I used to be able to pretend I was sad and fake cry and she would run back in the room but that trick doesn't work anymore. So I told Geoff that if I called down the hall that there were monsters she would probably come running back to the room. But that would be too mean right? Well, I called out, "Hey Keely, watch out for monsters" and she came racing back down the hall half crying with fear....mean mommy that I am! I gave her a hug and told her that monsters aren't real and that she doesn't need to be afraid of them. Well, she ran out of the room again and went and grabbed a book off the shelf called "My Moster Momma Loves Me" and brought it to me, pointed at the monster on the front cover and said loudly, "REAL!"

Thankful Hearts

A friend from church called us tonight and asked if we could use some food. Their son is getting married on Saturday and a friend who is a grocer brought them about 30 boxes full of produce! They weren't going to be able to use it all so over I went to their garage and picked out the above bounty. I was planning on going shopping this afternoon but I tend to run out of energy by lunch time these days and so the girls and I din't go. And then Sheri called! So this post is to say specifically..."Wow! Look what God provided for us...just when we needed it....again!"

A different friend e-mailed today and said she had a bunch of clothes that will fit Abbie that she'd like to pass on to us.

Need I write more?

Matthew 6: 25-31: "So I tell you, don't worry about everyday life-wether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn't life consist of more than food and clothing? Look at the birds. They don't need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not. And why worry about your clothes? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won't he more surely care for you? You have so little faith! So don't worry about having enough food or drink or clothing. Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern."

Our prayer is that we Dykstras will live our lives for God and make his Kingdom our primary concern!

Beginnings

So we've finally joined the masses of bloggers! We hope that our attempt at blogging will be an easy way for those of you who want to, to keep up with what we are doing these days and to share in our excitement of the Lords provision for us. We have been learning so much about trusting God these days and we are so grateful for many of you who pray for us regularly and have been helping us meet our monthly expenses.

Geoff has been a Level One nursing student at Biola University for about 3 weeks now and is enjoying his classes and clinicals. He resigned from his job supervising the Duplicating Center at Biola and is now a full time student. He is taking 16 units and all his spare time is taken up with studies! Biola's program is quite intense but very worth the effort and time as he trains to serve those in need, not only physically, emotionally, and mentally, but spiritually as well.

Leah is privileged to spend her days at home with our 2 daughters and another baby on the way. There's never a dull moment in our house! Abbie informed us last week that when she grows up she will eat hot dogs for breakfast, lunch and dinner and that we should name our new baby "Sleeping Beauty". Keely who will be 2 next month and watches her big sister constantly just finished potty training, weaned and started sucking her thumb! She sure does things in her own time.

We will try to be faithful in updating you all on our daily doings and on how we are growing and seeing our great God at work in our lives and circumstances.

Until next time,
The Dykstra Family South