Ran out of gas

Yesterday, for the first time in AGES -
I ran out of gas.
I thought the car just died ... leaving me stranded.
Thankfully, I was only 6 miles from home and Steve came to my rescue.

We towed the car back to the gas station, just 1/2 mile away.
At least it was just a bone-headed move on my part... neglect to fill up.

Note to self, fill the car up before it gets into the red! =)

1st Snow!

It finally snowed ... a dusting more than a snow, but it is white.
The kids were so excited ... we just had to go outside.
20 degrees and lots of layers -
only to come back inside 30 minutes later with cold faces and hands.
Keeping little ones busy inside all day long during the winter .... hmmm.
Not to mention, it's dark by 6pm now. =(

Sweet Pickin's Pumpkin Patch

More pictures

And even more pictures

A hay bail maze ...
A big, huge sand box!
A petting farm.
A trike trail.

Nuthin' to say

Although I'm over my cold ... finally ...
I'm trying to get out from under the pile.
laundry
grocery shopping
cleaning house
making phone calls
email
etc., etc., etc.,

So, I haven't had much to say these days.
Maybe tomorrow ...

Reading kids

"View each child as a book, not be written, but to be read....God doesn't give parents manuscripts to write, but codes to decode. Study your kids while you can. The greatest gift you can give your children is not your riches, but revealing to them their own." Max Lucado

Home Alone

I can't remember the last time I was in our house - alone.
I guess it took getting sick to have this once in a lifetime opportunity! =)
All I hear is the crackling of the fire - amazing!

Steve took the kids to church - and I have been lying in bed, reading.
Nothing like a bit of rest to kick a cold... something we moms rarely get!
Although, I'd rather be home alone under better circumstances!!

Girls and Telephones

Shiloh loves the phone!
How can that be - 3 years old and she'll talk forever if I let her?
Here she is, talking to Auntie Shawn! =)

Haircuts, colds and a houseguest

It's been a fairly uneventful week ...
Landon had a haircut! Notice the photos after and before.
He's looking sharp!..
until he and Shiloh jumped in the mud!

I've been sick - just can't kick this cold. =(

We have our 1st houseguest this weekend
... so off to make dinner I go.

La Iglesia

We have finally found a home church ... Elevation Church. We've been going to this church for 4 weeks now. We have really connected with the pastor, Ben, and his wife, Jill. They recently moved here from Colorado, they love coffee, football and Montana. We have lots in common! =)

On a deeper side, they have a heart for the lost. They moved here last winter to plant a church in Kalispell. They wanted to reach the unchurched of Flathead valley and to start something new and different - a "seeker-friendly" church. Already, there are some attending who are not Christian or are new Christians.

We are so excited to be a part of something new - and have the opportunity to be involved in a church plant ... a whole new experience for us!

The Pumpkin Patch Festival

Whitefish park ... 60 degrees, sun, not a cloud in the sky - it was a perfect day! Games, pumpkins, food, apple cider and lots of candy for the kids. We had a great time.







Hanging out by the train tracks.

Fishing for candy.

The Bradley Method

It's official - I'm going to become a Bradley childbirth instructor. I paid my dues, bought my plane ticket and am on my way to Dallas, Texas in November for the training.

I have thought about doing this for quite some time now, as we used the Bradley method with both Shiloh and Landon. I was excited to get to Kalispell and find that there are no Bradley instructors within 200 miles! There's a need for one here, so I decided to "go for it."

You can pray for Steve, although he is equally excited about this - he will be home with the kids for 5 days!

45 degrees

45 degrees isn't too cold...
other than the fact that it's been in the upper 60's!
The kids were begging me to go outside to play on the swing and the slide.
Been inside by the fire ever since! =)

Winter's a-comin'

Wood, wood and more wood.
We might just have enough now for the winter!

Several Ways to Make Yourself Miserable

1) Count your troubles, name them one by one - at the breakfast table, if anybody will listen, or as soon as possible thereafter.

2) Worry every day about something. Don't let yourself get out of practice. It won't add a cubit to your stature but it might burn a few calories.

3) Pity yourself. If you do enough of this, nobody else will have to do it for you.

4) Devise clever but decent ways to serve God and mammon. After all, a man's gotta live.

5) Make it your business to find out what the Joneses are buying this year and where they're going. Try to do them at least one better even if you have to take out another loan to do it.

6) Stay away from absolutes. It's what right for you that matters. Be your own person and don't allow yourself to get hung up on what others expect of you.

7) Make sure you get your rights. Never mind other people's. You have your life to live, they have theirs.

8) Don't fall into any compassion traps - the sort of situation where people can walk all over you. If you get too involved in other people's troubles, you may neglect your own.

9) Don't let Bible reading and prayer get in the way of what's really relevant - things like TV and newspapers. Invisible things are eternal. You want to stick with the visible ones - they're where it's at now.

Elizabeth Elliot

Humdudgeons or Contentment

"A spirit of calm contentment always accompanies true godliness. The deep peace that comes from deep trust in God's lovingkindness is not destroyed even by the worst of circumstances, for the Everlasting Arms are still cradling us, we are always 'under the Mercy.'

Everything about which we are tempted to complain may be the very instrument whereby the Potter intends to shape His clay into the image of his Son - a headache, an insult, a long line at the check-out, someone's rudness or failure to say thank you, misunderstanding, disappointment, interruption."

Elizabeth Elliot

How 'bout them Broncos?

Now - I opened up a big 'ole can, didn't I???
I had no idea that there were people out there searching the blog world to find bloggers like myself who even mention the word "TNIV."

I'd rather not enter a debate with anyone who supports the TNIV.
This blog exists primarily to share my life with friends and family whom I love.
I have researched both sides of the debate thoroughly and I wholeheartidly agree with Wayne Grudem and I disagree with TNIV supporters. Therefore, no further debate is necessary - we can agree to disagree. =)

So, look for more quotes, pictures of the kiddos, happenings in our life in Montana ...

GO BRONCOS!

A fun fall day!

Feeding waffles to ducks,
playing in the leaves,
climbing trees ...
not to mention a playground with slide and swings.
What a fun day!

3,686 translation inaccuracies in the TNIV

"R. Mansfield" posted a comment to my post on the TNIV.
I will attempt to answer his question, “What specifically do you object to in the TNIV?”

Bible scholars, with much more wisdom than I, have done extensive research on the translation of the TNIV. Here is a short list of some of the changes they have found.

Changes made to remove “he/him/his”
-Changing “he/him/his” to “them/they/their” – 857 times
-Changing “him” to “they” – 474 times
These two changes are not only grammatically incorrect, they leave open the possibility that the reader would understand the text applies to a group of people, rather than the intended individual. See Revelation 3:20 as an example.
-Removing “he/him/his” altogether – 255 times

Changes made to remove “father”
-Diminishing the role of the father in ancient Israelite society – 11 times

Changes made to remove “brother”
-Changing "brother" to another word with no familial connotation – 26 times

Changes made to remove “man”
-Removing "man" when the word means a male human being – 247 times
-Changing "mighty men" to "mighty warriors" – 21 times
-Removing man when it means the "human race" in Genesis – 20 times
-Renaming occupations generally held by men – 33 times

Total translation inaccuracies TNIV Old Testament – 2,776
New Testament translation inaccuracies – 910
Total translation inaccuracies for whole TNIV – 3,686

I am really concerned by the changes of diminishing the role of the father, renaming occupations and intimating that women could/should be included in combat. These changes lead me to believe that there is indeed an agenda … although TNIV advocates would have us believe otherwise.

Apparently, those who have changed these words (along with those who agree with those changes) feel okay about changing the actual words of the texts. This is a problem because I believe that God was breathing the very words to the author as he was writing and I think these changes go outside the boundaries of proper Biblical interpretation (along with those who wrote and/or signed the Colorado Springs Guidelines… see below).

Did the International Bible Society lie or simply change direction?

I believe that the history of the TNIV is critical to understanding just why it is a concern and should cause us to question the motives behind it.

May 27, 1997 - a press release indicated that "IBS (International Bible Society) has abandoned all plans for gender-related changes in future editions of the New International Version (NIV)." The Colorado Springs Guidelines (CSG) are drafted and signed by all participants, including the International Bible Society.

The CSG states, “All participants agree that our overarching concern in Bible translating is to preserve the sanctity of the truth of sacred Scripture by rendering the most accurate translation possible. In the interests of such accuracy, we all agree that modern language is fluid and undergoes changes in nuance that require periodic updates and revisions. We agree that Bible translations should not be influenced by illegitimate intrusions of secular culture or by political or ideological agendas. Specifically, we agree that it is inappropriate to use gender-neutral language when it diminishes accuracy in the translation of the Bible, and we therefore agree to the attached guidelines for translation of gender-related language in Scripture.”

June 24, 1999 - An online news service, Religion Today, published a feature story, "'Gender-accurate' Bible due to be published," in which it reported an interview with Steve Johnson, communications director for the IBS, who said that a "gender-accurate" translation of the Bible is due to be published in 2003 or 2004.

Dr. R. Albert Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, told Religion News Service that he felt 'a sense of betrayal' because the agreement seems to have 'no effect.'"

January 18, 2002 - International Bible Society president Peter Bradley sent a certified letter informing several key evangelical leaders that since the May 1997 meeting, the Committee on Bible Translation (CBT) "has continued its work of reviewing and updating the NIV." Since the CBT's new text, Today's New International Version (TNIV), did not conform to the Colordao Springs Guidelines (CSG), Bradley announced IBS's answer to their dilemma: "IBS is withdrawing its endorsement of the CSG." Bradley stated that at the end of January 2002 "IBS will be sending out nearly 40,000 prepublication editions of the TNIV New Testament to key gatekeepers and evangelical leaders nationwide to solicit their feedback."

February 1, 2002 - 37 evangelical scholars issued a joint statement stating, "In light of troubling translation inaccuracies-primarily (but not exclusively) in relation to gender language-that introduce distortions of the meanings that were conveyed better by the original NIV, we cannot endorse the TNIV translation as sufficiently accurate to commend to the church."

May 28, 2002 - 100 Christian leaders issued a joint statement indicating that they "cannot endorse the TNIV as sufficiently trustworthy to commend to the church."

June 12, 2002 - At its annual meeting, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) passed a resolution expressing disappointment with IBS and Zondervan and insisting that it could not commend the TNIV to Southern Baptists or the larger Christian community. In addition, Lifeway Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention announced that it would not carry the TNIV.

My heart breaks reading the history of this translation. I too have a feeling of betrayal. Lies, deceit, betrayal … why is it that after signing the Colorado Springs Guidelines which specifically addressed gender-neutral language, IBS and Zondervan would chose to "continue its work of reviewing and updating the NIV?" In 1997, they “abandoned all plans for the changes” and only 2 short years later, they announce the publication of the TNIV??? What on earth happened?

Him alone

If resurrection is a fact then there is no situation so hopeless, no horizon so black, that God cannot there "find His glory." The truth is that without those ruined hopes, without that death, without the suffering that He called inevitable, the glory itself would be impossible. Why the universe is so arranged we must leave to the One who arranged it, but that is so we are bound to believe.

And when we find ourselves most hopeless, the road most taxing, we may also find that it is then that the Risen Christ catches up to us on the way, better than our dreams, beyond all our hopes. For it is He - not His gifts, not His power, not what He can do for us, but He Himself - who comes and makes Himself known to us. And this is the one pure joy for those who sorrow.

Elizabeth Elliot

TNIV - If I may get on my soap box...

"I love the Scriptures and I know them to be the very words of God to His creation. Like most evangelical Christians, I want my Bible to contain an accurate translation of the canonical Hebrew and Greek texts. Accordingly, I will continue to speak out against any effort that alters God's Word or toys with translation methodology for the sake of 'political correctness.'" James Dobson

I have been thinking and reading about the TNIV recently. We have visited a church a couple of times that we enjoy. We like the pastor (although very young - and a recent graduate from seminary) and the people we have met.

HOWEVER, he is using the TNIV as his translation of choice. Until now, I have only read about the TNIV and the controversy over it. I have yet to meet someone who is endorsing it by using it. This really bothers me. I am finally seeing this text being used and I am not in support of taking liberty with God's Word in the name of being PC. Most people in the congregation probably don't know the difference. They probably don't even know what the TNIV is, or it's history. Isn't that just the way satan works ... ever so subtle, preying on the least suspecting???

If you don't know much about the TNIV, take a look at www.genderneutralbibles.com and www.cbmw.org and google Wayne Grudem, he has a host of materials on this topic.