Christmas Surprise!

This time of year we are inundated with ways to donate. Our family has bought Christmas presents for children in Russia. We've purchased chickens and goats for families in Africa. We donate to Sally's House and Toys for Tots, too. And this year we have something totally fun to donate to! Want to be part of this Christmas Surprise? We met a new friend in November and she needs a group hug! A young lady walked into our lives one Sunday morning after leaving her desperate situation behind back East. At 22, she had only the clothes on her back and the desire to begin again. She was adopted internationally when she was 9, but lived through 2 failed adoptions due to horrible situations beyond her control. She is homeless, family-less and nearly hopeless. She is bravely starting life over in Spokane. Discouragement looms daily. With the help of our church, she is renting a room from a kind couple. But she longs for her own place, independence and a fresh start. A group of us want to present her with the key to her own apartment but we can't do this alone. A pre-paid 6-month lease in a studio apartment will require $1800-$2400. Want to spread some Christmas Cheer??? Your donation of only $10 will help us gather the funds needed to pre-pay her lease and begin furnishing a cozy apartment (we already have furnishings piling up). We hope to present to her a Christmas Card with all the names of donors in it for Christmas and then to present the key to her in January. Please know that there are 3 families working closely with this sweet young woman to help her land a job. She has an amazing work ethic and her laughter fills any place she visits. God has BIG plans for this young woman! Want to join in the fun?

Empty, Quiet, Never Lonely!

Well, since mid-June this place has been hopping. All nine of the school-age children were home for the Summer. We ran to events, packed for camps, cooked on the grill, planned outings, spent time at the library, played lots of sports and Whew! Planned a wedding! Mom is worn out. All good things must come to an end! Today at 9:04, a large yellow bus pulled up and the remainder of the children climbed on for their first day of school adventure.
And so I am here! It is quiet, the house is empty, but I am NEVER alone. I am savoring some precious extended time with my Savior reading his delicious words which will nourish my soul.
Oh, yes, then I shall tackle the LIST, the house (which looks like someone picked it up off its foundation and shook it and set it back down!). At noon I have a lunch with Hannah. There are errands for the wedding. And then at 3:00 those yellow buses begin to arrive with their precious cargo! The afternoon shall be spent with laughter, munchies, chatter and funny tales of the day's escapades!
How I love this job! How I thank God and my husband that I am able to put 100% of my effort into this job!
God is so very good!

A Gap and A Great Blessing!

Should I try to fill in the gaps in the last 9 months? So much has happened in that time. The Bade Family has had our up days and our very down days. There are times as a parent that I think "I can't do this and I don't want to any more!" Is that something I should not share with others? I can tell you that God is faithful to me in those very bleak moments. I get up every day and keep moving ahead, "Pressing on toward that goal of the upward call of Christ." There is work to do here. All I am called to do is the NEXT THING. And I work diligently to do that NEXT THING well.
This school year had its moments! We had frustrations with our two homeschooled middle school boys. Our Sarah finished her junior year in high school and was baptized for her 18th birthday. The other six children finished their school year strong and ready for Summer. We had a daughter get engaged and we've watched them work through some very tough issues. But let me tell you what is happening today!
And in exactly 13 days our oldest daughter, Hannah and her beloved, Erik will be married! They are young, strong and full of dreams! She looks like a princess in her beautiful gown. They are decorating their home together. He leads her, prays with her, helps her make decisions. They can sit for hours chatting and enjoying each other. Oh Lord! What a blessing this is for us, her parents!
"Let marriage be held in honor among all." Both Hannah and Erik have had very high standards for their purity in this "waiting" time. The boundary lines were drawn early on in each of their lives as single people. Each was raised knowing that they would wait for the one God would choose for them. They have never dated another, only each other. What a wonderful gift to bring into a marriage relationship. No baggage, no comparing, just a fresh start together in the Lord.
Tonight I am calm. I am excited to see all those coming in from out of town. We are anticipating some very late nights and many, many happy memories made. And most of all we long to see these two beloved children of God share their precious vows together at 2 p.m. on September 11th at Faith Bible Church. On that day, they will walk into the building as they always have, as two separate people. BUT, when they walk away from the church that day, as God looks upon them, he will no longer see two people. He will see one flesh. In God's perfect math equation in marriage 1 + 1 = 1.
All I can say to that is "Praise the Lord" and "Pass the tissues!!"

Recipe for a Stress Free Christmas Season

One mom focused on the REASON FOR THE SEASON
1 Walgreens, pre-lit tree, on sale
1 box of unbreakable ornaments
3 strings of colored lights that still work
Old Christmas decorations that have been sitting in a thrift shop box
1 copy of "Best Christmas Pageant Ever"
Box cake mixes, Easy cookie recipes, jello
Hot cocoa mix and marshmallows
Graham crackers, frosting and candies
Battery operated candles, lots of them if you can!
Lots of Christmas music that focuses on Jesus' birth
Friends, Christmas light tour in our car, free concerts, free carriage rides
A continually open Bible and a child who can read it

Set up tree in 10 minutes or have older son do this and plug in the lights (enjoy the squeals). Allow all children to decorate our precious tree, no matter how it looks. Let the older boys lay the lights anywhere and set up the old decorations however they want to. Set battery operated candles in the windows and light them at dusk every day. Read "Best Christmas Pageant" sometime in the month and discuss every chapter! Bake only easy stuff all month using the simplest recipes you have. OR teach an older child to do this. Drink a lot of hot cocoa. Build gingerbread houses on paper plates out of the graham crackers, frosting and candies. Let children eat gingerbread houses! Keep Christmas music on whenever you can remember to do so. Invite friends in, go caroling, go see others lights, check out all the free stuff in town. Read and re-read every Christmas letter and card, allow children to play with all cards and photos. Two or three times a day, dive into the Bible to keep the stress level down....the Book of James or Philippians....Psalms....Luke 2! Focus, focus, focus! (Note: I'm still working on perfecting this recipe!!!)

Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday Jesus

This is our annual postcard photo and blurb. Enjoy!!!

2009 Bade Family News Flash 2009 SPOKANE,WA – This just in -- Fearless leader of his clan, Greg Bade, announced today that 2009 has been a year of blessings. He and Terri now enjoy monthly overnight getaways to maintain their sanity! They also rejoice with Hannah (19), who is now engaged to Erik. Sarah, Greg’s silly 17-year-old, continues to beg to wear footie pajamas to all family & church functions. In other family news, Greg’s four oldest sports-minded sons, Zach (13), Noah (12), Elijah (11), and John (9) hauled in & stacked 10 cords of wood very neatly, but still struggle to clean their room. Leah (8), Mary (7) & Lydia (5), affectionately known as the “Little Girls,” sing praise songs, giggle and listen to favorite CDs in their busy room. Greg’s youngest son, Jonah (7), already well acquainted with the Principal’s office, tries to keep up with the BIG BOYS. Related news: Greg’s oldest brother, Bruce, new to Spokane, enjoys family outings and meals with his nephews and nieces, despite the chaotic busy-ness of the Bade homestead. Facebook us: Greg N Terri Bade; email Badefam@gmail.com. (Lydia says, “Read your Bible, pray ever day and you’ll grow, grow, grow!”) 2 Tim 3:16-17

Perspective on "Tying"

Frustrated, our youngest girl, Lydia, sits here again and again, with her little tennis shoes and their very long laces. Over and over she works the white strings to make them into the pretty loops that I show her as an example. "Come on Lydia, take the left string and make it go around the mountain and through the tunnel!" "Mom, I can't make it do that!" I hear repeatedly. She's five and we will continue to work on this one task until she is successful, even though she is convinced she will NEVER tie shoes by herself. Until that day when she can tie, she will trip over the trailing dirty strings and need the help of others.
Working equally as diligent, but with a task that has much harsher consequences if not successfully completed, is our oldest daughter, Hannah. She is focused these days on "tying" of a different sort. With that sparkling jewelry on her left hand, she is working to learn all she can about "Tying the Knot" and making that knot foolproof. She wants to be part of a KNOT that can never be untied, but by death. She will be one of the laces and Erik the other. The result, a strong knot the parts of which are indistinguishable as separate pieces. "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." (Genesis 2:24)
Wise counsel, God's Word, parental involvement, time in prayer together and alone, learning to yield, listen, and apply Biblical principals to problems are the ingredients of making this knot hold fast for their forever. As parents we must not sit back and "let them figure it out." Now, prior to the wedding ceremony and marriage, is our time to be very much an active part of this "tying" process. The tricky part is knowing when to be silent, when to nod, when to open up, teach OR send her out with a bit of coaching to work through some issue on her own. We constantly pray for wisdom as we have the two of them here for an evening of "just talking." We want our words to be seasoned with grace, full of truth and helpful to them.
Oh, dearest Father in Heaven, how hard this time is in so many ways. We rejoice with Hannah and Erik because we know how amazing a strong marriage can be. But we also plead for them before your throne because we know how very difficult it is to knot one sinful person to another for life. Help us work through the difficulties with grace always on our tongue. Give us words, wisdom and courage to do Your will now for the preparation of this daughter and this man for a lifetime of serving you. May they never seek riches, or the approval of others, rather may they be wholly focused on you and the needs of others for all their years together on this earth. And Lord, help Lydia with her frustration and help me when we get to the two-wheeler and all that running! Or better yet, help me find a wiling brother for that one!!! Amen

Our Arrows

"Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth." I picture a young warrior with arrows in his hand, ready for battle, ready and willing to move ahead because he is prepared for anything and protected by his arrows which are straight and have a painstakingly hand-made point on them.
Now I take that picture and relate it to our five sons who are standing here arguing over whose turn it is to carry the full bag of trash out of the kitchen and walk 20 feet to the larger garbage can outside. "I'm not big enough to carry that," "I did it yesterday," "you always make me do it," "why do I have to stop this game, mom, just for trash?"
Our Five Sons! These little men could not be more different. We have the oldest who loves to play with his little siblings. He'll read to them, teach them a game, help them get ready to go somewhere. But handing in homework? No, not this boy, that's too hard to remember. Worry about how that affects grades, nah, just have fun!
Then there is the next oldest guy. Charming, cerebral, excellent musical skills and yet convinced that God created the universe to orbit his body, focusing on his needs first. And even better, he is willing to remind us daily of this!
Our third oldest son loves football almost more than food. I think the list would be food, football and then oxygen. He has an amazing laugh, and always has since he was a tiny baby. But try to make this boy understand that his way is not the right way, good luck! You' ll talk until you are blue in the face and he'll still fumble down his own path and reap the whirlwind.
The next guy in line is only nine years old. He tries desperately to follow in the staggered footsteps of his older siblings. He is kind, would give you his last piece of gum or his last cookie. He'll drop everything to do a task. BUT, beat him in a game of basketball and you will see quite a different boy in front of you. You may find yourself chasing him through the park just to talk about it!
The littlest brother is a tag along at best most days. He can't keep up even when he seriously tries. But he still tries. Usually he gets stuck playing with little sisters, to whom he is closer in age. Smart as they come, this little one is. He is excelling in school, BUT he has become a sort of sponge for picking up the bad habits of the other boys at recess time.
So how do we get from this motley crew to "arrows" ready for battle? Fortunately we have a weapon that has been handed down to us by none other than God himself. That weapon is the word of God. "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness" (2Tim3:16)
There is hope in Christ! I cling to this hope for our sons. We need to be on our knees, but we also need to be opening the Word to our children and requiring them to read it, listen to it, pray it, memorize it, obey it. We need to discipline them for not heeding this precious Word, pointing continually back to God's standard for everything in life. May each boy one day utter these verses, "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Psalm 119:103-105)
Lord, take this rag-tag bunch of boys and make them into men who do not waver. May they become like those straight, strong, useful "arrow." Make them into men who will follow you and your ways, even to the death if necessary. I plead with you, Lord, stuff them full of your sweet Words until those words overflow into all of their lives and the lives of all who are around them. And please Lord, make one of them want to put this trash bag into the outside can! Amen.