Wow, how this week has flown by!  It's been full of stuff, but also full of God's goodness.  I was reading the verses that we were supposed to go over for quizzing this week--none of the girls could come to Cornerstone :(--and God hit me with a challenge.  I've read the story of Paul and Silas in prison and the earthquake and the jailer becoming a believer and all of that (Acts 16:16-40) hundreds of times, but I asked God to teach me something new and He did!  The jailer asks Paul and Silas what he must do to be saved and they answer him, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved."  Then verse 34 comes--"Then he (the jailer) brought them into his house and set a meal before them (Paul and Silas).  He and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God."  Wow.  So often I have no courage to proclaim His truth to the world, which results from not loving God like I should.  If I am crazy in love with God, I will not be able to keep my mouth shut about His message to those He loves so much.  So often I keep my mouth shut or stay home instead of going and being His ambassador because of such stupid things--embarrassment, not wanting to be labled as the church girl, waiting for the right time, not wanting to offend.  But this verse says that the jailer's entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.  I'm not sparing myself embarrasment when I keep my mouth shut--I'm keeping others from rejoicing because they have heard about God and believed in Him.  I'm keeping them from the joy of knowing and loving Jesus that I have.  How selfish!  So, please pray for me, our family, and our church to be sharing Jesus like crazy with everyone we meet.  Everything else I could spend my time on is pretty useless in the end.  If you are following Jesus, are you spreading the joy?  If you don't know Jesus, let's talk!
Judah had a fun Halloween last Saturday.  He loves playing with his pumpkins and he's really going to love it next year when he can go trick-or-treating, get dressed up and eat candy. :)  We went to the doctor for his nine month check-up this week.  He got only one shot and everything looked good except for his size.  He is way below average for his size.  He is about the size of the average four month old.  I was told to feed him more frequent snacks and he had to get some blood drawn (he didn't even cry!) to check for ciliac disease and vitamin D levels.  I love that he's still tiny and I'm not concerned that he will catch up, but please pray that he's healthy and develops well.  He is definitely happy and learning new things all the time.  He loves clapping and this week he has pulled himself up to a stand a few times and started rocking on his hands and knees.  I'm hoping he'll crawl for Oma and Grandpa John to see!

Here's some of our neighbors getting ready to go trick-or-treating.  Irving, who you can barely see over the railing, turned five this week, so he got to go to Kingdom Kids for the first time on Sunday.  Pray that he would be a powerful follower of Jesus.

Here are some of my Water St.  kids right after Kingdom Kids.  We had a great time.  The story was about Cain and Abel and how we live in a world that's broken because of sin, but Jesus came to provide a way for us to get back to our right relationship with God.  Praise Him!

Here is my handsome, handyman husband putting the adhesive up on the walls around the tub so the tub surrond can go up.  He got it all up and caulked last weekend.  We have all taken baths in the tub this week.  It's nice not to have to pack up all of our stuff and travel to take showers.  He wants to put up all of the dry wall to cover up the insulation before we can take showers.  Hopefully that will happen quickly once we get back from California.
We are headed to California on Saturday and are so excited!  It will be a week full of chocolate fondue with friends, walks, visiting Kim, Jared, and Micah at the OAKS, pizza night at Tim, Kim, and Carson's house,
John's Bagel Deli, sharing about Urban Hope at church, going hiking in Malibu, spending lots of time with family, being outside in the warm weather, and whatever else God might have planned.  We'll give you the updates when we get home!

Ok, I'm at home and Judah is still having a hard time. I'm wondering if he might be teething because he keeps chewing on his hand really hard and won't sleep and is so cranky. The plumbing in our new bathroom is completed!  We no longer have a working bathroom upstairs.  We actually no longer have a working shower anywhere...but at least the toilet and sink work in our new bathroom.  Here is Ryan working on the tub surround so we can take showers one day (hopefully soon, Ryan is getting a little stinky :) ) Because of this, our house is a wreck.  So, all of that to say, I'm a little overwhelmed. God, please keep my head on straight and focused on you today. You are good! Hopefully next week will be a better week for an update. Sorry!

It's a cold rainy Thursday in the office.  Judah and I are hard at work answering emails, cleaning the bathrooms, setting up groups to come visit (there are four groups already signed up for summer camps next summer!), cleaning toys in the nursery, and writing late notices for people who owe rent.  That's right, Jason has given me the task of being the mean landlord.  I am thankful for my job where I can go without my hair fixed and bring my crying child. :)
Ryan and I are looking forward to possibly getting the plumbing put in the new bathroom tomorrow.  I took a shower this morning and was just a little sentimental about this being my last shower in our current bathroom.  I don't do well with change of any kind. :)  If we get the plumbing in tomorrow, Ryan and Dave could possibly work on putting the tub surround in on Saturday.  Jess and Dave are coming down from Lancaster on Saturday to hang out with us.  Hooray!  We are so excited!  Thank you God for good friends and amazing supporters! 
We heard of another new believer this week.  Praise the Lord!  He is the brother of a guy Nathan who is involved in our youth group.  He was very against following Jesus for the longest time, but God had other plans and softened his heart and drew him to Himself.  Pray for discipleship and amazing growth for him.  Sorry, I don't know his name.  Can you believe it?  Our church is growing so much there are people who come to Celebration that I haven't even met yet?!  A girl Ana who has been around for several years and is actually Barbie's sister came to house church this week and God is showing her his power in big ways this week.  Pray that she would truly know him and be changed.  God gave me the opportunity to pray with a lady who lives around the corner from us this week.  She was having a tough day, so I hope God used me to encourage her.  Her name is Kat and she needs Jesus, just like everyone else.  Pray that she would cry out for Him!  I am going to go by two ladies' houses tomorrow who I tried to visit last week, but they weren't around.  I am praying for God's words to say to them and for God to save them.
Judah continues to be sick, so please pray for him!  He still has a cold and now diarrhea, too, so he's not wanting to eat much.  It's hard to see him not feeling well for so long.
Thank you again for those of you who have sent out stuff for the girls as they memorize their verses.  The picture is of Yemari, Talia (Shalia's half sister who was visiting for the day), Judah (can you tell he's wearing my old OU shirt?), Shalia, Shayla, and Abee.  I read a verse this morning that I want to be my prayer for my Cornerstone girls as we learn God's word: He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it." (Luke 11:38)  Hearing God's word never changed anyone, but obeying it does!  Are you obeying God's word today?  Even more important, do you know and love him so that you are obeying him out of that love and gratitude for all He's done for you?