Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Auntie Fama Visit

Auntie Fama was teaching her first day of the school year at Calvary Chapel
in Costa Mesa when we had the Bailey Reunion, so she couldn't make it.
For Christmas, Cousin Helen gave her a beautiful Bailey Family Scrapbook.

Helen got some pictures from our blog!

Monday, December 29, 2008

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Shakesperian Christmas 2008

The stockings were hung on the staircase with care.

Buckweat Pancake Breakfast

See the snowman's bird?

Jodavid's Carboard Construction has Four Levels of Parking Lot
After reading the Christmas story from Matthew and Luke,
And singing the carols,
We opened our gifts
Thanking God for this time,
Commiting ourselves to come back together again.
Victor is ready for the San Antonio Christian Film Academy

God & Government Series from his dear sister, Dinah
It is just what he wanted! We're on our way there!

Christmas Dinner with the Shakespeare's
Margarit told us the story of fleeing from Romania
to Austria when she was seven years old,
during Nazi occupation.
They walked by night and slept in cornfields by day.
Lance Loves good books.

Their pastor and wife stopped by with a gift.

Dr. Paul & his son Burwin

Bonnie, Regina, Margarite, Burwin

Wang Tsi

Special Friends
Dinah accidently calls them "Grandpa" and "Grandma"
When David [Dad] saw this baby sock, he cried.
We long for Christmases with babies crawling around on the floor.
In God's time, they will come.

Friday, December 26, 2008

Matt Chancey on Traveling Lite


Contrary to what the gods of the marketplace will tell you, it is possible to travel 12,000 miles to one of the most underdeveloped areas of the world for several weeks and carry all you need in one small bag.

My work with a Christian Foundation periodically takes me to Southern Sudan, an area that was plagued by civil war for over 20 years. More than two million people were killed and millions more displaced. The war ended in 2005, but the country was left in ruins. There are more paved roads in the little Alabama town in which I was born in than in the whole region the size of two states of Texas put together. Electricity and cell phone communication are available in a few of the larger towns, but they’re typically unreliable.


Transportation is unpredictable. A traveler has no idea if the mode of transportation will be a large dump truck, a donkey cart, or a small plane piloted by a one-armed, chain-smoking Bulgarian (this actually happened to me! She was a terrific pilot!).


To read more: http://www.mattchancey.com/blog/?p=42

Thursday, December 25, 2008

From the Preface of: The Biblical Philosophy of History...

The subject of a philosophy of history is an important one.

If we hold to a non-Christian and evolutionary view,

history is ultimately governed by impersonal forces.

In a Christian view, the totally personnel triune God governs

all things totally.

The two views cannot be reconciled.

Each has far-reaching consequences.

In a Biblical, sin and salvation are basic in our lives.

In a non-Christian view, it is our evolutionary potential.

This view has tended to see progress as evolutionary,

whereas, the Biblical view sees advancement in history

as a moral and religious fact.

To neglect this fact is to court disaster,

and this is what we are doing.

Because the church has narrowed

and warped the gospel,

we are in trouble.

The Bible deals with history.

It does not rapture us out of it

but plunges us into it as warriors of God.

~R.J. Rushdoony

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Merry Christmas 2008

http://dominionfoto.com/

Greetings to our family and friends,

Jodavid, 11, asks innumerable questions, like (regarding his joints), “Do my hinges have grease in them?” He loves to pick out piano tunes by ear, visit friends, bike, mow the lawn and orchard, jump on the trampoline, and loves being read to. Jodavid wrote the book of Daniel, now starting I Samuel, at three verses a day. He now reads to himself for pleasure.

Melody, 14, fills our house with music, loves to write, read books, sew, play piano, and cook.

Victor, 17, is our right hand man, ready to help. Today he took apart a pump, cleaned diesel out of it and got it running again. Victor works on beekeeping, math, writing, spelling and reading. He has an interest in filmmaking, since he read Outside Hollywood last year. Some here plan to attend the Vision Forum San Antonio Independent film Academy and Festival in January.

Dinah 19, arranged flowers for two weddings: Mike & Trish April 20, and David & Stacie on Reformation evening. She is learning the “wonderfully challenging” art of raising queen bees.

God has given Lance, 21, many opportunities to speak: Ten minute talks in church, youth camp devotionals, 4th of July celebration, and one full-length 50 minute lecture at Freedom Generation Camp on the Communist Manifesto.

Regina, 25, runs with her Dad, lifts weights, researches purchases for the ranch, and helps organize our home. Regina reads to Jodavid at night. She gave two lectures at Freedom Generation Camp on Five hundred Years of American History in One Hour, also Communism to Fascism. Melody programmed her PowerPoint. Regina wrote articles on the ballot propositions and one on the Tom McClintock Campaign for an online newspaper, portervillepost.com.

This has been a year packed with memories: January began with a surge of energy inspired by the Austrian economist, Texas Congressman Ron Paul, who ran for president in the 2008 primaries. Although largely blacked out by the media, he raised more money in one day than any other. But due to a lack of teaching on Biblical economics and an understanding of the times in which we live, America passed up a Constitutionalist, for a Socialist Republican, McCain and a Socialist Democrat, Obama, both surrounded by globalists and their agenda. Most Christians failed to back Republican Ron Paul or Pastor Chuck Baldwin on the Independent or Constitution Party ticket. As Bill Clinton’s mentor, Quigley wrote in 1965 “The two parties should be almost identical, so that the American people can “throw the rascals out” at any election without leading to any profound or extensive shift in policy…but will still pursue with new vigor approximately the same basic policies.” Bill Clinton left office with a deficit of one hundred billion. George W. Bush is leaving office with a one trillion dollar deficit.

A judge ruled to redirect irrigation water downriver to the fish. 250,000 acres of almonds are expected to be torn out. This could radically change farming in the San Joaquin Valley.

Sadly Tim Martin, a young man from Pixley, who gave us tractor rides, died in Iraq Feb. 20.

Feb. 26 Melody started a blog this year which we have all joined: melodys-notes.blogspot.com

We enjoyed visits in Feb., July and Sept., of two professional filmmakers, Ross and Carter from New York who interviewed us for a beekeeping documentary expected to come out next year.

In March we had a great three-day pistol class taught by “Magic,” a SWAT team instructor from Frontsite. We were hosted by church friends.

Uncle Stephen and Sweet Aunt Lenora hosted Mom’s family Reunion on Easter.

May 14 Aunt Naomi went to be with the Lord. Her funeral was a sweet family gathering.

June 23rd Betrothal announcement of Erica and Joshua

June 25th at the Seppi Family Reunion in Utah, it was good to meet cousins we had never seen before. We are grateful to Richard & Susan Heller and his sister Cheryl for taking on that huge project.

July 19 a great memorial service for Pastor Warren Lee Campbell, a grandpa in the faith. He preached his last sermon three weeks before his passing. We smiled each time we saw him knowing he would make us laugh.

God gave Cousin Robin & Joshua a treasured girl, Chloe Stella, born August 19, 2008.

God gave our daughter, Fama and Joshua a third son Aug. 24 in Ashland, Oregon, Daniel Arthur Robinson.

Aug. 26, four young gangsters ran over seven of our pallets smashing beehives with a stolen car.

Sept. 4-6 The Bailey Family Reunion near Sacramento was a good time getting better acquainted with family. We are grateful for Oscar Jr. and Linda’s remarkable work in bringing us together.

Lance was honored to spend Sept. 24-29 with the DeC family and attend a Conference in Arizona. R. C. Sproul said, “The Kingdom of God has come. It was inaugurated when Jesus said ‘The Kingdom of God is at hand.’”

They loaned us Del Tackett’s The Truth Project series put out by Focus on the Family. One thing that stays with us is that God has a heart for the humble, and God has a humble heart.

The kids enjoyed WCWC in July. Gary DeMar said, “Every earthly endeavor should be considered kingdom activity, whether family, church, business or politics. We are ambassadors of our king in His Kingdom, which encompasses everything in Heaven and on earth.”

Oct. 4th was a special time with family at Erin and Tad’s wedding in Santa Rosa.

After spending that night with Grandma Stoops, we got back for the last day of our church’s Old Paths Christian History Conference. The speakers were good to the last. Also introduced, were five Christian American River College students who are student body council members. They passed a resolution supporting Proposition 8, banning sodomite “marriage.”

Regina, Lance, Victor, & Melody campaigned two days for Tom McClintock in Roseville, spent a couple nights with Grandma Seppi and Auntie Mary, and on to a Reformation camp at Murphys sponsored by Jay & Donna Grimstead. Main Speakers were “Uncle” Jay and Craig Garby. Lance spoke on Patrick Henry, a visionary man who understood his people must resist the tyranny of King George III of England. Regina joined a ladies panel, discussing Biblical Womanhood.

Nov. 30, at the Messiah Sing-Along, we rejoiced to hear of the betrothal of Travis & Elisabeth.

Sat. Dec. 6th Sixteen of the American River College Christians came to the John Birch 50th Anniversary Banquet in Sacramento. Speaker Bill Jasper pointed out that our “War on Terror” is misguided. We are actually fighting KGB trained and financed terrorists. American Foreign Aide funds both sides.

Many gathered later for a Reformation plan to unite churches and glorify God.

We were hosted that night by the “Chocho” family, with nine children, a grandma, plus a friend living there. “Chocho’s” have added on to their house to accommodate all. Sunday we visited their Citrus Heights Romanian church.

A year flies by, full of visits, church, conferences and internet giving us access to understanding and wisdom. It was a major John Birch Society victory stalling the NAFTA Super Highway, part of the strategy to unify Mexico, USA, and Canada into one unit. There is a moratorium passed delaying the superslab for another one to two years. Also decisions, now, are forced to okay this county by county.

David and I, Esther, are looking forward to seeing God provide spouses for possibly five of our children during the next ten years. We pray for wise, humble, faithful joyful son and daughter-in-laws with whole hearts for God, his word, a heart for us with the perseverance to homeschool. We pray for honorable young men who will lead in family devotions and provide for large families and young ladies who will prepare wholesome food for their growing families.

I [David] enjoy reading with Esther the books of R. J. Rushdoony on the law of God also learning the Austrian economics of Ron Paul showing understanding needed for this country to return to greatness. Bailout and stimulus packages only prolong depressions. May God sustain us all during these times and enable us to build an economy based on honest money. May people can find hope in the Lord and reestablish a godly nation even as His Kingdom grows.

Sadness too comes to me: My teaching associate was just killed in the fog; the tale-tale signs of old age coming on at 61 years and I know how fast 20 more will go. Many are on the road to an early devastating end of life and I am not able to reach them with simple answers: exercise and a plant based diet, with only very light use of animal products and desserts.

Yet the life of Christ continually gives us hope through many of you, our children and the marvelous City of God, His people.”

Doug Phillips said, “Every generation has its challenges, ours is the systematic annihilation of the Biblical family.” May we build foundations, and be as Bradford says: “stepping stones.”

The question is: Will the Christians rise up and rebuild our civilization like Nehemiah?

Christians must stop looking for the “rapture” bailout. The sign that Jesus will return is the fullness of the Kingdom: Christ is now on his throne reigning, and his kingdom is in heaven and earth. Habakkuk 2:14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea Isaiah 9:7 “Of the increase of government and peace, there will be no end.” I Corinthians 15:25-26 He must reign till he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

Our God reigns! Let the earth rejoice!

David & Esther

Regina, Lance, Dinah, Victor, Melody, Jodavid

Ninteen Good Years Celebrated

I am very thankful to God for giving me life and allowing me to serve Him another year!

At 1AM I woke up and started reading because I had fallen asleep early and was not tired. Melody opened her eyes and smiled, "It's your birthday Dinah! Happy Birthday! She was the first to tell me.

Before I got out of bed Daddy came to my room told me, “Happy birthday!” and how special I was and that he loved me.

My first two gifts were phone calls: First from my Grandma Stoops. I told her I have so many good memories of being at her home. She said "I miss so much having the family gatherings. Maybe some day in heaven I'll get to invite all the family over to my place again... and I miss making those pinwheel Christmas cookies [for everybody]..."

"Thank you so much for praying for me all these years," I said.

“I consider it my duty." She responded.

Grandma had seven children and has 29 grandkids and about 25 great-grandchildren. She prays for each one before bed every day. That must be how she keeps track of all the names of her descendants and spouses.

It was so good to hear Grandma’s voice. I remember her working hard to make good food and cleaning the floor and giving me a bath and singing “Stand up, Stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross…”

I also received a call from my sister Fama in Oregon. I felt loved she remembered me. It was nice chatting.


A nightgown from Mother, just like hers.
Now we can be twins!
"Modeling"

So Much More, book review by Lucy Petrov



“I would recommend this book to every daughter and father,
as well as mothers and sons.”



This book is written primarily for fathers and daughters, and shows how incredibly important it is that they foster and build a good relationship in the home. This book also shows the daughter’s beautiful, feminine purpose in life, and how she can be protected from being led astray by the world through being under her father’s authority.



The Botkin sisters, who co-authored this book at ages 15 and 17 show that as a daughter, it is important to have a good relationship with your father because he is the authority God has put over you to protect you and guide you. Additionally, the book wisely points out that all women are not to be in submission to all men. Instead, God has commanded us as daughters and wives to be submissive to our husbands and to obey our fathers, because they are the authority that God expects us to honor, cherish, and obey; to do so, you must truly turn your heart to your father (Malachi 4:6). Through striving to be good daughters to our earthly fathers, we can further understand how to be good to our Heavenly Father.



The book also states that by honoring and serving your parents, especially your father, you find true purpose in life. Your main purpose as a daughter is to help enlarge your father’s mission and vision and to help encourage your family to become more godly. It also includes teaching your siblings to be young warriors for Christ and to be a good influence in this wicked world, by not compromising. Most girls make the mistake of thinking that they have nothing to do with their brothers and sisters. However, the Botkin sisters show that this is far from reality once you realize that your influence as a sister/daughter is far greater than you may have ever imagined. We must realize that to have real men in our society, we need real women, and also consider that we may be influencing some of the greatest (or worst) men and women of tomorrow...



I was also inspired by how the Botkin sisters pointed out that God, in His great wisdom, chose you to be in your family out of all the other families there ever were, or will be. This means God must have a huge plan with you in the midst of your family (Jer. 29:11). It has been said: “You chose your friends, but God chooses your family.” By serving your family now, you prepare yourself to serve your future family.



Lastly, the book talks about how fathers can, and should, protect their daughters from the negative influences of the world. However, fathers can do this much more easily if we, as daughters, would be thankful for their protection, and encourage and respect it – considering that our behavior has to be worthy of our father’s protection. As the head of the family, it is the father’s duty to help their daughters keep themselves pure. If the father and daughter have a good relationship, the daughter will not be as easily tempted to search for other men that would protect her. Additionally, if a girl can talk to her dad about anything, he can be aided in understanding how to protect her from negative influences, advise her on her clothes, and he can also point out more wisely what needs to be changed in her attitude, helping her become a more godly young woman. However, we must remember that this will not always be easy, because God will bring trials to teach us to be selfless rather than selfish (1Pet 1:7).



Again, I highly recommend every wife, husband, daughter, and son -which is everyone- to read this book. It will help everyone understand how important it is for every family to know their own purpose and to know that God bestowed His mercy on us ladies by placing us under the authority and protection of our fathers. I also want to give glory to God for the Botkin sisters, for inspiring and helping them write this book. May God bless them, their family, and everyone else that has read, or will read, this book. May God keep us in His care and give us wisdom.


Is Christmas About a Homeless Couple?

by Gary DeMar

Every Christmas season we will hear the inevitable revisionist version of the Christmas story. Jesse Jackson was the first to turn Joseph and Mary into a "homeless couple" when he claimed that Christmas "is not about Santa Claus and ‘Jingle Bells' and fruit cake and eggnog," of which all Christians would agree, but about "a homeless couple."[1] He repeated his "homeless couple" theme at the 1992 Democratic Convention:

We hear a lot of talk about family values, even as we spurn the homeless on the street. Remember, Jesus was born to a homeless couple, outdoors in a stable, in the winter. He was the child of a single mother. When Mary said Joseph was not the father, she was abused. If she had aborted the baby, she would have been called immoral. If she had the baby, she would have been called unfit, without family values. But Mary had family values. It was Herod-the [Dan] Quayle of his day-who put no value on the family.

Jackson made a similar claim about the biblical record in 1999 when he stated that Christmas "is not about parties, for they huddled alone in the cold stable. It isn't about going into debt to buy extravagant presents; the greatest Gift was given to them although they had no money. It is about a homeless couple, finding their way in a mean time."[2]. . . .

To Continue Reading Click Here

Monday, December 22, 2008

The Whole Aim of Practical Politics

Ever wonder why we have one alarm after another paraded before us? You know things like global warming, global cooling, acid rain, ice caps melting, pollution, reactor melt down, bad air? H.L. Mencken had this to say:

“The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populous alarmed and hence clamorous and to be led to safety by threatening them with an endless series of hobgoblins everyone imaginary.

Why all this? It’s so we will be happy to be controlled, happy to be “protected and safe,” to surrender our children to foreign wars, and to say goodbye to our wealth.

As Floy Lilley quoted, “The correct policy approach to a non-problem is to have the courage to do nothing.”

So the next time you hear the word “terrorist” think bogeyman.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Sunday

Andrew is a special friend.
Welcome!

Wow, Beautiful Birds!

Dr. Paul & Bonnie Shakespeare

Bonnie's Collection
She says she loves her dolls.
They wear the clothes she wants them to wear
and they don't talk back!
Rice Muffins



The Christ child brings a season of special joy.

Gerardo Garcia funeral

This was the first Roman Catholic service I've been to. The service was all in Spanish with guitar music from the balcony behind. The architecture reflects the theology; stained glass windows of the suffering Christ, beautiful open beam ceiling inspires awe, while the cold stone, brick and tile reminds me of a monk's cell. The arch shaped doors with medieval design reinforced that image.

The music performed out of sight, focused our attention on the ceremony, reading of scripture and communion. The minister mentioned Gerardo's name once. Usually he said "Hermano." Daddy translated some for me. The priest said death is sometimes hard to understand. Mary and Martha said to Jesus, "Lord if you had been there, our brother would not have died."

When the pall bearers walked in behind the casket, one mans face was streaked with tears. We sat with Dad's school staff. It was more a religious service than of one remembering Gerardo.

Apple Harvest

Dinah picked apples
as I relaxed.

Let It Storm!

The perfect excuse for bringing equiptment into the front yard is this:
It is out of the mud!
Hail on the Trees

Tractor in the storm

I went out there thinking it was comical, till the hail pelted my head.
After the storm, it looked like snow.

The trailer is in the front yard because I replaced the lights on it.


Jd built the frame of a teepee, the three legged thing to the left. Flowers near the front door



Hail

Ah, Ca'mon! Hava a little.

Stormy Sky