dave & janet horsman ::: keepin’ it real since 1998

Noah usually has a rough go of it every afternoon from about four to five-o-clock.  Normally, everything fun that could  be done has  been done by this time of the day and tiredness and boredom have set in.  Late yesterday afternoon, after a trip to the bathroom - and it’s important to note here that Noah needs to completely undress in order to use the toilet, everything  must come off - he struggled to get his clothes back on.  The shirt finally made it’s way onto his torso, inside out and backwards, but the pants just did him in!

Finally, he threw himself back with a loud wail, “Oh!  I can’t do it!”

“Yes you can, Noah,” I assured him.  “Remember, just this morning you did it.  Your a big boy!”

“Ohhh…awwww, but Mummy!  Sometimes I’m a big boy, but sometimes I’m a l’il boy!”

Here’s a must read before the elections next Tuesday.  If you can’t reconcile the idea of these elections coming down to one issue - abortion - this letter may change your mind.  Wow, it’s powerful!

Here are some things that I’ve been ruminating on as we find ourselves in the throngs of this election season…

To me, this hard-fought political battle we’re in is indicative of something far greater. Like it or not, this planet is steadily being propelled into the End Times, and the battle lines for the hearts of humanity are already being drawn…and in this country alone, there is a huge number of people who actually want a leader who represents nothing more than the pinnacle of human achievement.  We are so poised and ready to follow a charismatic, humanistic leader that it’s not even funny. 

Yes…I did just mention the End Times and eluded to the Antichrist in that last paragraph.  To many, I know, the End Times are a topic studied only by some fringe groups of Christians - the general sentiment being that it’s a waste of time - and the Antichrist, for the most part, is just regarded as some exotic, Disney-like, evil-guy who’ll do…uh, evil stuff.  Let me assure you, they are both very real - the Bible includes a goodly amount of neglected information about both - and they’re coming. 

This Antichrist-guy is most likely going to be incredibly smart, 1000 times more winsome than Obama or McCain could ever be (although, you might agree that calling McCain “winsome” would be a bit of a stretch :-)) and he’s probably not going to look like Jafar off of Aladdin.  Add to all this that his humanistic message will be accompanied with demonic signs and wonders.  (Rev. 13, 2 Thessalonians 2)  Wow.  And as he assends to power, and decieved people sing his praises, his unspoken message will be something like, “Oh yeah, and that group of obnoxious people who are saying you shouldn’t follow me, you won’t mind if I just annihilate them, will you?  They’re really messing my plans up,” and thousands of believers will be martyred.  Much of the world will turn a blind eye.  This is ominously foreshadowed by the fact that many, many people - pro-life, believers even! - are totally willing to ignore the fact that Barack Obama has the most liberal and atrocious views on abortion because his ideas on social action sound “good.”  …But here is my contention:  as believers, we don’t have to feel that we can be “tricked” into following a leader like this; this election can act as a barometer of sorts for us.  Let me explain…

We need to get settled in our hearts now  who our Savior is. We need to have clarity about what this earth really  needs in order to be made new.  It is certainly our duty to vote in these coming elections, although I don’t believe that our hope, as Christians, should lie in their results.  I truly believe that “Change you can believe in,” will only come through the transforming power of the Gospel of Jesus’ cross and a whole lot of prayer, not  through a human man.  The idea that, “Hey, we’re not so bad.  We just need the right leader in the White House and everything will be fine,” is pure and unadulterated humanism.  To borrow and reverse Obama’s little tagline… “No, we can’t.”  We’ve never been able to.  Ever.  The past 6000 years of history are a testament to this… and if we really think that, “Yes we can,” it’s as if we’re saying, “Well, thanks Jesus.  Your shed blood is very much appreciated, but…um, we can set up righteous government here in America without it’s transforming power.  It was a nice thought, but…”  

I’m not just trying to be cheeky here.  I’m very serious.  Many of us may not articulate our thoughts like this, but if we are hoping in either man winning this upcoming election to “fix” our nation, our hearts are very much in the wrong place.  I love what it says about Jesus in John 2:24-25:  But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men.  He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.  Mmmm…smart guy.

No, planet-saving - nation-saving - is way out of our league.  What we need is a Deliverer who transcends our sinful, putrid squalor.  And, by the grace of God, we have One.

Yesterday dawned warm and sunny, so after church we decided a trip to the apple orchard was in order.  (and, lucky for you, I, at the last minute, remembered to bring our camera.)  We had a good time, but left without a bag of Honey Crisp apples that I had wanted.  (Did you know the Honey Crisp apple was “invented” right here at the University of Minnesota?)  A three pound bag was $9.95!  Can you believe that?!  I mean they’re good…but not that good.  I settled for a five pound bag of MN1606 for $5.95. 

Here are a few pictures from the day…

Hello all!  …Well, it’s no secret that I’ve been seriously neglecting my blog.  My apologies.  There are really a number of different reasons that factor in to my neglect.  One big factor - and this came as a huge revelation to me the other day - is that my blogging career thus far in life did not include a three-year-old!   Oh boy, three-year-olds are busy little creatures.  Full of curiosity and energy, love for life and…well, energy.  And add to this that Noah, just like my first two three-year-olds, can’t seem to slow down for a nap (and if he does, he’s up till 10:00 pm…no thanks!) leaves me with very little down time.  Yet, all this is tempered by the fact that I know first hand how quickly these precious toddler/preschool years go by, and so, I strive to enjoy every moment with him.

Of course, another factor that has been distracting me from blogging (and all types of media) is my previously stated desire to be satisfied with the superior things of God, and not  the lesser pleasures of this world.  After our 40 day media fast, I really felt a conviction to continue to press in to God’s Word and spending time in prayer.  And with this conviction also came the conviction that playing the “as-a-stay-at-home-mom-I-don’t-have-time-to-spend-time-with-the-Lord” card is really a very poor excuse!  As a mom of four kids, I know for sure that I can juggle many different things at once.  Spending time in the Word and in prayer and with my kids need not be any different. 

So…there you have it, why my posting has become so sparse.  I hope to strike a “balance” soon…but then again, I’ve been contemplating the idea of balancing the good  with the best.   Should not the best hugely outweigh the good?

Well, just when I thought it was safe to start blogging in full force again, we had amazing, summer-like weather last week, and all I and the l’il ones could do was wonder around out in the beautiful sunshine. 

Anyway, here are a couple things that captured my attention when I wasn’t outside.  I’ve been following this story since last weekend.  The Bohlenders just adopted two beautiful little baby girls!  They’re part of IHOP-KC, were at the Call, and Kelsey, the wife, gave a testimony of how the Lord called them into adoption a couple of years ago.  It really impacted Dave and me.  Last weekend, when they heard of newborn twin girls that we’re going to be placed into the Florida state foster care system, they dropped everything, flew to Florida, and did everything in their power to gain possession of them.  It’s an amazing story of redemption…a picture of God going out of his way to rescue us.  Beautiful.  Check out their site.  And while you’re there, consider donating to their adoption fund!

And I’ve been listening to and singing this song, Weak Glance, for the past week.  Have a listen and let it minister…

I thought you might like to share in the hilariousness and terror of having a three-year-old riding a two wheeler. His large-motor skill development has far surpassed the common sense needed to accompany it…he gets going awfully fast sometimes! He already got in a pretty serious accident, that left him with three wiggly front teeth. Oh dear. I wish bike helmets with a face guard, like a hockey helmet, were on the market!