Summer

Here are some of our favorite pictures from the summer.

Disney World with the Bonos: Dylan, Tyler and Ryan

Kirsten and Katelyn at the Polynesian Hotel in Orlando

Josh with Star Wars characters at Hollywood Studios

Josh, Dylan and Tyler at Hollywood Studios

Katelyn lounging in a hammock at the Polynesian

The Bono and Leffler kids ready for their Pirate Adventure at Disney World

 

at the PwC IDP breakfast

 

Kerith and Sarah Bono at Hollywood Studios (and Tyler peaking over my shoulder)

 Kirsten, Mickey and Minnie at the 22q.11 Conference in Orlando

Katelyn and Belle at Magic Kingdom

Brad and the kids at Epcot Center

 Josh is TIRED. OF. WAITING. IN. LINE.

 watching fireworks at Magic Kingdom

 watching fireworks

Kirsten participated in a research study at the UC Davis MIND Institute in Sacramento, CA.  After 2 days of full day appointments, she definitely deserved this BIG dessert!

Resting after a long day of research

 

Katelyn and her friends had a blast at Bent Tree Bible Fellowship's Fine Arts Day Camp: Maddie, Brighton, Katelyn, Sydney and Ally

 Josh and cousin Caleb in Florida

Katelyn and Josh on the float

Katelyn and cousin Jordan

 

Katelyn and Jordan up early one morning

Katelyn on the boogie board

 Kirsten and Jordan at the hotel's pool party

 While we were at the beach, Brad spent one on one time with each of the kids. 
Golfing with Josh

Horse riding with Katelyn

Josh spent a week at Grandpa and Granny's house in Houston.

During Katelyn's week in Houston, Granny taught her to sew clothes for her American Girl Doll, Molly.

Soccer

Josh is playing soccer this Fall.  My sweet friend, Julianne, took these photos at his first game.

with Coach Fox. He was player of the game.

For the past few days I've been listening to Tony Evan's messages on KCBI.  He's been preaching to wives about marriage and how we treat our husbands.  I love his illustration this morning ....

 

If you as the defendant in a court room rant and rave and fuss in court, even if your side is in the right, the judge declares you out of order.  If you continue to make a scene, the judge orders you in contempt of court.  Many of us as wives are in contempt of God's court in our marriages.  We rant and rave and nag our husbands, and we may be entirely in the right about an issue and him entirely wrong.  We may have every right to pitch a fit. You may be married to a complete jerk!  But how we are approaching him is entirely wrong.

"It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife." 

Proverbs 25:24

 

"A continual dripping on a rainy day and a quarrelsome wife are alike; to restrain her is to restrain the wind or to grasp oil in one's right hand."

Proverbs 27:15-16

Are you that dripping faucet?  Does your husband wish he lived alone on the corner of a housetop?

So how are we supposed to approach a situation that certainly needs addressing? What do you do when you've asked your husband to please take out the trash on trash day or to please stop leaving his socks on the lovigin room floor? Let's look at 1 Peter 3:1-2

"Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct." (emphasis mine)

 

I know. You are probably thinking, "You don't know my husband. You don't know what he's done. There's NO WAY I can keep my mouth shut!"  You are right. I don't know what he's done.  But let me ask you this.  Has nagging worked for you thus far?  Has your ranting and raving made any difference?  Is your husband really listening to you?  Isn't it worth giving God's way a try?  Even if it doesn't make sense?

It doesn't make sense, I know.  I'd much rather yell at my husband and let him know exactly what I think about him and what he's done to hurt me but God's Word says something entirely different. Whether you feel loved by your husband or not, your husband needs to know that you respect him.  The Bible commands us as wives to respect our husbands (Ephesians 5:33).  It doesn't say to respect him if he deserves it.  Or if he loves you. Or if he's faithful. Or if he listens to you. Or if he brings you flowers. Or if he treats you well.  It merely says, "and the wife must respect her husband." Period.

 

It doesn't make sense. And yes, it's hard.  In fact it's impossible if you don't ask the Lord Jesus to help you.  Ask him to show you how you can respect your husband.  With your words, your tone of voice, how you treat him, with your actions, your attitude towards him .

Do you trust God? Do you trust the Creator of our universe who brought you and your husband together?  He orchestrated each of your lives so that you would meet and fall in love and get married.  Do you believe Him when he says your husband may be won without a word from you by your conduct when he sees your respectful and pure conduct toward him and others? 

 

Let's be like Mary when the angel came to tell her she was going to have a baby, the Son of God, via the Holy Spirit even though she wasn't married. May our response to the Lord Jesus Christ be the same as hers, "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said" (Luke 1:38).

Trust Me in the depths of your being. It is there that I live in constant communion with you. When you feel flustered and frazzled on the outside, do not get upset with yourself. You are only human, and the swirl of events going on all around you will sometimes feel overwhelming. Rather than scolding yourself for your humanness, remind yourself that I am both with you and within you.

I am with you at all times, encouraging and supportive rather than condemning. I know that deep within you, where I live, My Peace is your continual experience. Slow down your pace of living for a time. Quiet your mind in My Presence. Then you will be able to hear me bestowing the resurrection blessing: Peace be with you.

To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Colossians 1:27

And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Matthew 28:20

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews,^[Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” John 20:19

Jesus Calling. July 31

The world is too much with you, My child. Your mind leaps from problem to problem to problem, tangling your thoughts in anxious knots. When you think like that, you leave Me out of your world-view and your mind becomes darkened. Though I yearn to help, I will not violate your freedom. I stand silently in the background of your mind, waiting for you to remember that I am with you. When you turn from your problems to My Presence, your load is immediately lighter. Circumstances may not have changed, but we carry your burdens together. Your compulsion to "fix" everything gives way to deep, satisfying connection with Me. Together we can handle whatever this day brings.

Fear not, for I am with you; 

be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

The Lord your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.

Zephaniah 3:17

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

Psalm 34:19

Jesus Calling

Memorial Day Weekend

We enjoyed a wonderful long weekend.  The girls didn't have school on Friday so we lounged around all day and met Brad at the pool later for dinner.

Josh had a t-ball game on Saturday morning.  This is his first season to play and it's been fun to watch him. 

I LOVE this photo.  He's literally jumping onto 3rd base to make sure he doesn't get "out!"

HOME!

After the game we headed to Frisco Commons Park for a friend's birthday party.

I love their gleeful faces on the tire swing.

We enjoyed a fun-filled Memorial Day Celebration cookout after church on Sunday complete with bounce houses and a dunking tank because, afterall, who doesn't want to dunk their pastor and staff???

On Monday, Memorial Day, we headed to the Schiavones for swimming and a cookout with friends from our InGroup at church.

London and Katelyn swinging

the kids LOVED being thrown around by Joe!