Such Fun...

On Saturday we had the pleasure of attending a lovely couples baby shower for Meagan and Jeremy. It was hosted by their good friends Emily and Justin! It was a real treat for us, as parents, to have the opportunity to meet their friends they have come to know as a couple and to put faces with names that we have only heard about. I hope they don't regret having given us that opportunity! Ha!


I've chosen to share just a few of the pictures from the shower because I am sure there are others that will be posting pictures of a better quality and with more detail. I did not include pictures of everyone that was present but I did include this first one because it included the host and hostess! (First couple on the left.) And, of course, if Jeremy sees my post he will be upset because it does not include a picture of all the food - his focus being the dates and goat cheese wrapped with bacon! They were outstanding!!

Jeremy and Meagan took turns opening gifts and it quickly became apparent that Jeremy has yet to make it inside of the Babies R Us. Meagan has her work cut out for her on getting Jeremy caught up to speed on what everything is for! Their friends and family were very generous!

We had a wonderful cake and cookies but before we could enjoy the sweets - we played a game! It was a lot of fun - the parents didn't get to play but we did get to deliver some commentary! At the end of this post I have included the test that all the couples took. All they had to do was guess if the statement made was about Jeremy or Meagan. We joked that the winner would be the best baby sitter. I have included some photo clues below for those that want to play!

It took a lot for me to post this picture. I am 38 weeks pregnant. It is July 4th and notice the thermometer on the wall! The most wonderful memory of this picture is that you are weightless when you are in the water!!

Hamblen family tradition!

Yes, Jeremy is walking.

This was a toy that was worth every penny spent and Jeremy looooooved it!!!!

The Test

1. I was born on my due date.


2. I walked at 7 months.


3. I bunked in with my grandmother for my first two weeks at home.


4. I didn't consistently sleep through the night until I was three.


5. I had a great sense of smell as a young child. When I was kissed goodnight by my parents, I would pull their head down by their ears and ask, "What have you been eating?"


6. I loved riding in the infant seat on the back of my mom's bike (and that's when I napped, not at home).


7. As a young child, I snuck candy and threw the wrappers behind the piano.


8. At 4 months old, I stood in my dad's hands.


9. I took my first plane trip to New York at 5 months.


10. My favorite toy was my rocking horse.


11. I surprised my parents by turning around in my crib at night to face the opposite end,with blankets completely intact every time


12. I loved friends, and always wanted to be in the cul-de-sac to see the other kids on the block.


13. When I got a new toy I really liked, I would literally shake with excitement.


14. When my first pet died, I asked if we could get a monkey.


15. I wasn't big on riding in the stroller. As soon as I could, I preferred pushing it instead, and occasionally pulling it over on myself.


16. The month I was born was the hottest for that particular month in Houston's history.


17. I was a happy baby who was sleeping for long periods through the night within weeks of being born.


18. I crawled at 6 months, with a wave to my parents captured on camera.


19. My favorite baby foods were plums and sweet potatoes.


20. I did not want to be potty trained.

But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 19:14

Jeremy- 2, 5, 7, 8, 10, 13, 14, 16, 17, 20

A SURE SIGN...

Spring is around the corner!! No, I haven't seen buds on the trees outside and there hasn't been evidence of nest building.

What I did see was out my back window and it was a sweet and welcome relief from the typical congestion at the local McDonald's. As many of my friends know, our home backs up to the parking lot of a longstanding softball store. They have been good neighbors to us and until this week we have paid little attention to them. But earlier in the week they began to build "something" in an extension of their parking lot. I am embarrassed to say how long it took me to realize it was a batting cage.

It was what I discovered today, though, that had me somewhat mesmerized and thinking Spring thoughts. Apparently, the cage was built in an effort to give private pitching and batting lessons to young players. :-) It was so cute, I surreptitiously took the following picture out of my breakfast room window. Was it hard to finish my Bible study and not just sit and watch these kids? Absolutely!

It did get me thinking of how much I enjoyed having boys and I decided to dig out pictures of their first ventures into team sports! Jeremy's was a coed t-ball team at the "Y". Of course, Jeremy would want coed sports! Just kidding! ;-) What we did discover was that Jeremy needed competitive sports and that was our only season at the "Y". Jeremy knew how to keep score and yes one team wins and one team loses! At that time you didn't really keep score when you played games at the "Y". (The girl next to Jeremy is Amy Forrester.)

Josh's first experience with team sports was soccer. He was in kindergarten and a friend from church called to say she had enrolled her son and would I be interested because they would be practicing at the elementary school. I thought sure until the first practice when all they did was run and Josh's face was blood red against his white hair! Tony was out of town and I called him and told him I thought Josh's heart was going to burst. Tony laughed at me and Josh's heart never burst.

It was their mother's heart that always came close to bursting out of pride for what they were always able to accomplish no matter the sport - soccer, baseball, football, volleyball, and softball! Oh, and I don't want to forget SAILING!

I had to include the pictures of the trophies. Dad has such strong feelings about them - all of which I concur heartily! He may be so moved by the sight of them he might have to comment!!!

Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart. Proverbs 27:19

The Revelation

"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near." Revelation 1:1-3

This month in Bible study we are beginning a two year in depth study of the final book of the Bible, Revelation. I made a distinction in the title of today's entry with the word "the" because there is truth in the statement that all scripture is revelation but as you see in the first verse John is very clear that it is the Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave Him. The word "revelation" is the Greek apokalupsis and means "unveiling". Thus this book is not intended to be mysterious or confusing but illuminating and revealing! Jesus is taking the veil off the things that precede and follow His second coming.

There are so many things to note about this first chapter in Revelation that I would challenge anyone to spend some time there but allow me to point out a few highlights.

Take notice of three things concerning the record that John made in writing this book. It is the inspired Word of God, it is the testimony of Jesus Christ (statements made by Christ Himself to John throughout the book) and it is the eye-witness accounts of John himself of real events made possible through the ministry of the angel who communicated it to him! WOW!

In Verse 3 we see that there is a blessing for those who read and heed the words of the prophecy. So for those of us who have been intimidated at the prospect of studying Revelation, we've been missing out on a blessing!

In Verse 19 you can find the outline for the entire book of Revelations. The things which you have seen: Chapter 1. The things which are; the letters to the 7 churches: Chapters 2 & 3. The things which will take place after these things: Chapter 4 - 22.

And should you decide to read the first chapter be sure to begin a list on everything you learn from the text on who Jesus is! In this chapter alone we learn that He is the faithful witness, He is the firstborn from the dead. He is the ruler over the kings of the Earth. He is the Alpha and Omega. He is the beginning and the end. He is the One who is and who was and who is to come. He is the Almighty. He is the first and last. He is the Son of Man. He is He who lives, He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks amidst the seven golden lampstands. He who has the sharp two-edged sword. He is Son of God. He is He who has eyes like a flame of fire and feet like fine brass. He is He who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.

Finally, I don't want to overlook Verse 5 where we see Christ's love for us.

"Unto Him that loves us and washed us from our sins in His own blood." Now that statement tells us that Christ is committed to loving the church. If the Bible only contained that verse it would be sufficient for a knowledge of Jesus Christ. That He loves us. That He washed us from our sins in His own blood.

Now, you'll notice that it says in Verse 5 that He loves us. It is a present tense in the Greek. It's not past but present. We often think - and I guess we all fall into this sometimes because we look back at the cross as a focal point - but we fall into the problem of thinking of the love of God as a past revelation. We read Romans 5 and it says, "But God proved His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." So we look in the past. We see a dying Christ and we say that's God's love and that's when God loved us. And it might be easy for us to assume that the love of God spent its full force and reached its culmination at the cross. But that's wrong in many ways.

God's love today is equal to what it was on the cross. It is no way diminished. His present love is at full force right now just as the moment when Jesus was enduring the horrors of Calvary. God eternally expresses His love toward us in Jesus Christ. And so the verse says, "Jesus loves us." The first message to the churches, Verse 4, "John to the churches." The first message is "Jesus loves us." That's His primary commitment. To love us. And it isn't something that's just past history. It's something that's present reality. ~ John MacArthur

Reminds me of a song we sing every Sunday with our five year olds - "Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so..." Do you know Jesus?

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me." Revelation 3:20

Remembering Mother on Her Birthday!

Young and in love!



Mother and daughters at Herman Hospital!


Mother in her favorite role as "Mimi" to her grandchildren!

Mother was never afraid to try something new! Here she was about to fly to Glorietta with her friend, Maybelle, as pilot!

Mother was not shy and she loved to laugh and enjoyed entertaining family and friends!

Mother appreciated beautiful flowers just as her mother had!

Mother loved and cared for her husband!

It has been 25 years since mother was called home to be with her Lord and Savior and there is not a day that goes by that her daughters don't miss her! Happy Birthday Momma!

"Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching," Proverbs 1:8

It Was Christmas And Now It's February?!!!

How time flew...

Christmas pooped us out!

But we enjoyed some wonderful post-Christmas family time!

When you're the author of your blog you don't have to share pictures of you and your spouse rocking out to "Beatles Rock Band"!!! (Thanks kids!)

And, of course, we made some great memories!!

Lunch in Malibu!

For my great niece, Katie, a looooooooong wait for a little sister! For me a dry run for my grandson in April! (He, too, will be born at Herman Hospital!)

And, yes, Katie you know how to "smile pretty"! Just don't ask her to!

Hannah Joy Gingrich!

Meagan's first baby shower given by her friends! I love those girls and sadly did not get a good picture of them taken together. :(

A fun game where you take a picture of each of the prospective parents and cut and paste to build what you think Baby Hamblen is going to look like! Hopefully, we did not cause Meagan to have any nightmares!! :)

A glimpse at the past month certainly doesn't include the daily responsiblities of life or the opportunities to sit with friends in hospitals during some truly difficult times in their lives. But as I take the time to consider where January went, I am reminded that we are so blessed to have such dear family and friends - many of whom aren't depicted in pictures but held close in our thoughts and in our hearts!

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." John 15:9-11