The Marriage Prayer

I know lately my blog post have been more like blog quotes. I really do intend to start doing some of my own writing. I have thought of this blog of something like a journal of thoughts, memories, and stories that I would like to pass on to my children. I would like them to know what is important to me and near and dear to my heart.

I do love to post quotes here, because they are written by people who are more eloquent. So here again I am quoting a prayer that someone forwarded to me by e-mail.

The Marriage Prayer: 68 words that could change the direction of your marriage

For Him
Father, I said, “Til death do us part.” I want to mean it. Help me love You more than her
and her more than anyone or anything else. Help me bring her into Your presence today. Make us one, like You are three in one. I want to hear her, cherish her, and serve her--
So she would love You more and we can bring You glory. Amen.

For Her
Father, I said, “Til death do us part.” I want to mean it. Help me love You more than him
and him more than anyone or anything else. Help me bring him into Your presence today. Make us one, like You are three in one. I want to hear him, support him, and serve him--
So he would love You more and we can bring You glory. Amen.

As heard on FamilyLife Today from the book, The Marriage Prayer: 68 words that could change the direction of your marriage by Patrick Morley and David Delk. © 2008 Moody Publishers

On my birthday

I know this is a late post, but I actually have a lot of late post I hope to get caught up on here in the near future. I just wanted to to a little something on turning thirty. To start off, I am putting some pictures and a poem that I find appropriate for this birthday.

On this day I am thankful for a very special person in my life, my hubby, Timothy Carpenter. He is my best friend and best companion to share life with. I know neither of us are perfect and actually have a looong way to go before God's handy work is completed in us. But Tim is still the one I want to grow old with as we pray for the best that is yet to be.

Grow old along with me!

The best is yet to be,

The last of life, for which the first was made:

Our times are in His hand

Who saith "A whole I planned,

Youth shows but half; trust God: see all, nor be afraid!"

Look not thou down but up!

To uses of a cup,

The festal board, lamp's flash and trumpet's peal,

The new wine's foaming flow,

The Master's lips a-glow!

Thou, heaven's consummate cup, what need'st thou with earth's wheel?

But I need, now as then,

Thee, God, who mouldest men;

And since, not even while the whirl was worst,

Did I,--to the wheel of life

With shapes and colours rife,

Bound dizzily,--mistake my end, to slake Thy thirst:

So, take and use Thy work:

Amend what flaws may lurk,

What strain o' the stuff, what warpings past the aim!

My times be in Thy hand!

Perfect the cup as planned!

Let age approve of youth, and death complete the same!

Robert Browning (1812-1889)

photo credit: Seth Taylor Carpenter

Happy News

We are happy to share the news of the new life that has begun in my womb. With many prayers we are expectantly awaiting the birth of a new baby sometime around July 8th, 2011. Please join us in prayer for we know that every baby is a miracle. -Rebeca

Due Date	7/8/2011		Conception	10/15/2010
Pregnancy Test	10/28/2010		1st Heartbeat	11/11/2010
Quickening	2/3/2011		Viability	3/17/2011
Week 1	10/8/2010		Week 22	3/3/2011
Week 2	10/15/2010		Week 23	3/10/2011
Week 3	10/22/2010		Week 24	3/17/2011
Week 4	10/28/2010		Week 25	3/24/2011
Week 5	11/4/2010		Week 26	3/31/2011
Week 6	11/11/2010		Week 27	4/7/2011
Week 7	11/18/2010		Week 28	4/14/2011
Week 8	11/25/2010		Week 29	4/21/2011
Week 9	12/2/2010		Week 30	4/29/2011
Week 10	12/9/2010		Week 31	5/6/2011
Week 11	12/16/2010		Week 32	5/13/2011
Week 12	12/23/2010		Week 33	5/20/2011
Week 13	12/30/2010		Week 34	5/27/2011
Week 14	1/6/2011		Week 35	6/3/2011
Week 15	1/13/2011		Week 36	6/10/2011
Week 16	1/20/2011		Week 37	6/17/2011
Week 17	1/27/2011		Week 38	6/24/2011
Week 18	2/3/2011		Week 39	7/1/2011
Week 19	2/10/2011		Week 40	7/8/2011
Week 20	2/17/2011		Week 41	7/15/2011
Week 21	2/24/2011		Week 42	7/22/2011

14 Marks of a wise woman

Got this from one of the blogs I follow. I am working on planning our first girls leadership retreat at Hidden Acres. This is good stuff to share with the girls.

14 marks of a wise woman. She...

• Fears God, Proverbs 31:30.
• “Openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness ,” Proverbs 31:26.
• Is content to be a “keeper at home,” Titus 2:5. (This doesn’t mean she never leaves her house, but her focus and the bulk of her attention is on her home and family.)
• Loves her husband and children, Titus 2:4.
• Is focused more on inward character than outward adornment, I Peter 3:3-4.
• Is modestly attired, I Timothy 2:9.
• Is trustworthy, Proverbs 31:11.
• Has a meek and quiet spirit, I Peter 3:4.
• Is industrious, Proverbs 31:13-27.
• Is giving, Proverbs 31:20, Luke 8:3.
• Is discreet, Titus 2:5. (“of a sound mind, sane, in one’s senses, curbing one’s desires and impulses, self-controlled, temperate,”)
• Is chaste, Titus 2:5.(“exciting reverence, venerable, sacred, pure; pure from carnality, chaste, modest; pure from every fault, immaculate; clean”).
• Builds up instead of tearing down, Proverbs 14:1, Ephesians 4:29.
• Is praiseworthy, Proverbs 31:28-31.

from A Wise Woman Builds Her Home

Homeschooling quote

"Many folks support our decision to homeschool. Others think we're crazy. I happen to agree with both camps." -Ree Drummond

Thankful for missionaries

"Every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving." - Albert Einstein

While I was in Africa in September having breakfast with my hosts Ben & Candi. Ben was talking about a time he was really encouraged during a missions week at Baylor. He said one of the college professors who invited him to speak at her class said she was very thankful to missionaries because her parents became Christians through the work of missionaries in China.

I told them that I could easily relate to that college professor.

You see my mother's immediate family became believers through close contact to missionaries. My mother's paternal uncle who lived in the rural parts of central Mexico was the first to become a believer because of the witness and outreach of missionaries. My mom's uncle then came back to his family to share the good news of how Jesus Christ had changed his life and then my grandfather and grandmother became believers. Through their lives, teaching, and example my mother also became a believer as a young girl.

My father was the first believer in his family. He happened to walk past a church on a certain really bad day and heard people singing. He stopped and went inside to listen to the singing and then ended up hearing a missionary preaching. This missionary would end up being my dad's spiritual father, a great friend, and role model.

My family has been blessed by the labors and sacrifices of men who feel the call to leave their homes to reach others in the name of Jesus.

I would not be here if it were not for the work of missionaries.



North Africa Trip Issue 3

North Africa Trip Issue 3

by Rebeca E. Carpenter on Thursday, September 9, 2010 at 1:00pm

Went up a mountain by the town we are staying at overlooking the city to pray for the people group our M friends are serving. May these precious people come to know Him. May God reveal Himself to them.

We enjoyed a meal prepared by a national which was a typical meal she would make at home for her family. It was quite good and reminded me a little of Mexican beans and rice though it was mashed peas and an oat type grain.

After lunch we watched "Faith like Potatoes" a movie I brought as a gift for the Ms. I cried during the sad parts. I have been very emotional this week and I think have cried every day. I have just been moved by many happenings.

I enjoyed sitting outside of the home and watching people walking down the dirt road. A lady tried to talk to me but I have no idea what she said. She kept going on and on and I just had to smile and tell her I did not understand. She was carrying a baby on her back and I touched and prayed a blessing for him that he may know our Savior. A little girl just stood there watching me and being very curious I gave her some jelly beans.

It is raining again. It is definitely raining season. Pray that our M family across the street will get their electricity back. Oh and we just lost ours so pray for both M families to get their electricity back

Gotta go before the Internet connection goes too.

North Africa Trip Issue 2

North Africa Trip Issue 2

by Rebeca E. Carpenter on Monday, September 6, 2010 at 2:25pm

Thank you to everyone who is praying for me to feel better. I think your prayers are working. We had a great day today. We were excited to learn about the work of the M's in the area. We were able to see more towns and actually meet two national believers who work alongside of the M's. They were two wonderful men in whose faces you can see the joy and the love of Christ. Even though we could not communicate very well we felt a closeness to them and were excited two meet them our brothers in Christ from the time we met them.

These two men have such a heart to reach their people whom are 99.8% Muslim. The work they are currently doing is a radio broadcast Bible presentation to their people. This people group as you can see are unreached and the Bible is not translated in their native language. Meeting these two men whom have suffered persecution was such an encouragement and such a good time for my spirit. I was very moved emotionally and as we prayed together we all felt a great connection and their heart for their people made us love their people all the more.

We shared a meal with them and ate one of their national dishes which was very good. I was not sure how the meal would sit in my stomach but I think the hot tea we had after lunch settled my stomach and helped my headache to go away. Well, I better get off b/c I need to go to bed. We have an early breakfast today. Thanks again for your prayers. -Rebka

trip to north africa issue 1

I am reposting my notes I wrote on Facebook from my trip to North Africa

trip to north africa issue 1

by Rebeca E. Carpenter on Monday, September 6, 2010 at 1:11am

hello friends,

I am sitting here after breakfast staying at my new m friends house. It is 9 am and I just finished my breakfast (I am thinking most of you are asleep while I am writing here since it is 1 am in the USA). Oatmeal and pumpkin banana bread. It has been an interesting trip thus far.

The trip was crazy long. I barely slept on the plane and the time change is one that I had never experienced and my body is still trying to get accustomed to. I am sorry to say that I got really stomach sick on the plane about 10 hrs after we left the USA and I still have not completely recovered. Please pray for quick recovery and full energy back.

I am missing home but fully enjoying every new experience. We are in the city we were destined to be and I am staying across the street from the m's house we came to visit in another m's home.

Last night I slept pretty good sleeping to the sound of hard rain on the metal roof. I am staying in a comfortable place and am very happy to be here and only wish my stomach would be just as happy.

Thanks for keeping up with me. hope to write a new update soon.

luv, "Rebka" is how they same my name here

Personal Mission Statement

I recently came upon something I wrote for my Evangelism class back in UMHB. I remember being really excited about that class because my professor was the missions pastor at my church, Bro. Charlie whom I just love. (He also did our pre-marriage counseling. )

One of our class assignments was to write our personal mission statement. As far as I can remember this was the first time that I was asked to write one, and have not really revised it since. I think Tim and I will soon try to work on a Family Mission Statement and one specifically for our Home school, when we do I will be sure to post it here.

Personal Mission Statement

Lord Jesus,

I thank you for your salvation and for your calling in my life. My prayer is that I may do your will. I want to renew the promise I made when I was young to follow you where you lead me and to do your will always. I sense a calling in my life to missions. I want to be a missionary wherever I go. Starting here and now I wan to fulfill the Great Commission. My prayer Lord is that there be more of you and less of me. I want to complete the task you have given me - the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace, and to live a life worthy of your calling.

"Lord send me anywhere only go with me
Lay any burden upon me only sustain me
Sever any tie that binds
Except the tie that binds me to thy heart and to thy service."

In your Precious Son's Name,

Rebeca Elizabeth Escobedo

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.
Acts 20:24

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
Ephesians 4:1

He must become greater; I must become less.
John 3:30

What's the time

Just so you know I have added a clock on my blog that tells what time it is where I'll be from Sept. 4th to the 11th. But if you know how to add 8 to a number you can probably come up with the time all on your own, but here is the little clock sample just for fun....

Powerful lyrics

We rest on Thee, our Shield and our Defender,
We go not forth alone against the foe.
Strong in Thy Strength, safe in Thy keeping tender,
We rest on Thee, and in Thy name we go.

We go in faith, our own great weakness feeling,
And needing more each day Thy grace to know,
Yet from our hearts a song of triumph pealing,
We rest on Thee, and in Thy name we go.

Song sung by the five missionary martyrs serving the Waodani Indians the day they left to make their visit, and sung later by their wives upon receiving the news that all their husbands had been killed.

Summer Camp Celebration Dinner

You are officially invited!


click on image to enlarge

Africa Trip Letter

Here is a copy of the letter I sent to some family and friends about my upcoming trip to Africa.

Dear Family and Friends, I hope all is well with you and your loved ones and that you have had a great summer. I am writing to you in regards to my upcoming mission trip to North Africa. My trip will take place September 3-12, 2010. I will be traveling with a couple from my church, the Gieseckes. Though I cannot disclose the specific country or city we will be visiting here in writing for the safety of the missionaries we are visiting, I want to share as much as I can about my trip.

Over a year ago Tim and I were blessed to meet a beautiful missionary family, the Hatfields, at our church. They were staying at our church’s mission house for their time in the states. During one of our Sunday School class fellowships it was mentioned by our Missions Pastor, Jim Witt, that upon their return to Africa we should plan a time to visit them to be of encouragement.

The H’s, are what I like to call “undercover missionaries” working with an unreached people group, meaning that the Bible and the message of Christ has not been shared with the vast majority of the people of their native language. Part of their mission work is a goat farm project where they raise goats to be given out among the most needy widows in their area. The people keep these goats for their milk. I am very excited to learn more about their work from first hand experience. Our primary objective is to be of encouragement and prayerful support to the H’s. We will join them in some of their regular work of befriending the natives, sharing the love of God, and praying for them.

I look forward to learning about what it takes to run a goat farm and what the life of a missionary in Africa is like. I am excited to say that well over half of the cost of the trip has been covered with the help of my First Baptist Garland church family. I am trusting the Lord to help me cover the other $1,000. My plane ticket has been purchased, the vaccines have been scheduled, and I am already making my list of things that I will need to pack. This is my first time overseas and I am not gonna lie, I am excited and nervous all at once over this new experience.

Please remember to pray for me during my travels. Please pray that God’s will be accomplished in and through me and that I will be sensitive to His leading. Please pray for health for all of us as we travel. And now that you know about the Hatfields please think about them as you pray, they have two preschool children and two on the way (they are expecting twins). I look forward to sharing with you about what happens as I go. Because Christ said “go” I am on my way.

Thank you for your prayers and support,

Rebeca E. Carpenter

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations. Matthew 28: 19a

Sydney on true generosity

Sydney:
"Mami, a bugger"
(holding a little bugger on her finger)
"You can put it in your nose."
Mami:
"Oh, thank you Sydney, that's very nice of you."
Sydney:
"You're welcome, Mami"

silly goose sydney

Sydney is my sweet, silly, and sometimes obstinate girl (takes after her Papi).

I sometimes call her "Mary, Mary Quite Contrary," when she is being particular.
There are times when Sydney is playing dress up and she calls herself "Mary, Mary."

Just for the record and to remember a story to tell when she brings friends around I would like to immortalize her first poem here on this little blog sphere. Sydney found this her first poem quite amusing, and she cracked herself up repeating it about a dozen times.

Mary, Mary quite contrary
how does your garden grow?
with poopie and mustard
poopie and mustard
poopie and mustard
The End

I know this is improper and gross and all, but hearing her crack up about this made me have to hide my smile while getting after her.

T-shirt info.

Selling some t-shirts I designed for my North Africa Trip.
I am going with a small group of three including myself from my Sunday School class to visit some "undercover" missionaries in North Africa (Top Secret location).

My shirts are just $15 (but of course I'll take more if you want to contribute more for the trip)

I am making it super easy for you to contribute by placing a Donate through PayPal button on the left side of my blog. www.carpenterfamilylife.blogspot.com.

I will ship t-shirts to you for an extra $5 donation

Send me a message if you have any questions or if you would like to make a donation to be tax-exempt.

heart with zebra pattern and "For Africa With Love" logo

gray origami elephant with small "For Africa With Love" logo

Quote on Servanthood by Elisabeth Elliot

If we call ourselves followers of Jesus, obviously we must walk the path He walked. "The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister." We must get this straight. We have come, not to be benefactors, but to be servants. "Slaves" is the word Jesus often used. Our perception of this truth will make an incalculable difference in our attitude toward the people, which in turn cannot help but affect their attitude toward us. To be a benefactor is to be a superior. Quite apart from the rightness or wrongness, morally, of this view, I became aware that it was a bad mistake. To the Auca I was not a superior by any standards. To be a servant is to be an inferior, and unless we are willing to accept this position we are not followers of Jesus Christ. The servant is not greater than his lord. And lest we think there is some merit in what we do, we are reminded that when we have done all we are still "unprofitable." We are in debt. We owe it to Christ, we owe it to men, savage or civilized, to lay down our lives daily.

The Savage My Kinsman by Elisabeth Elliot

North Africa Trip

I am excited to share with you my plans to go overseas to visit some missionary friends we met last year through our church. I will join two fellow members from our Sunday School class on a trip to North Africa. During the first two weeks of September 2010.

The country we are visiting is closed to proselytizing and the area we will be visiting is primarily Muslim so I cannot disclose the specific place we are going.

Our primary objective is to be of encouragement to this beautiful missionary family, and to learn of ways to be of service to them.

I will have to raise approximately $2,000. While our team hopes to raise the money with the help of our church family each individual needs to take on the responsibility of covering the cost.

Please pray that God will prepare the way for us and provide for all our needs.

If you would like to contribute toward the trip:

1) You can make a check out to First Baptist Garland Memo: North Africa Project (They will send you a form where you can write it off your taxes) Mail to: First Baptist Church, ATT: MIssions office, 801 W. Ave. D Garland, Texas 75040

2) If you don't care about the tax stuff you can just give me money :) and/ or mail it to my address with a memo that it's for the Africa trip

For more details feel free to send me a message or text me at 214.673.5071

Thank you-Rebeca Carpenter

p.s. I am working on designing a shirt to raise funds for my trip. Let me know what you think.

For Africa with Love

In Code

Africa skies

Pink Origami Elephant

Africa on my skies

For Africa with Love
Large Heart
Smart logo

Africa on my heart

For Africa with Love
Large logo

One of the main ideas behind the design for these t-shirts originate with something Seth started when he was probably about three.

When he would see the moon that looked like a "smile" he would tell me "Mami, the moon is for you." I would just say "Oh, thank you Seth."

Well, after a while we all started stuff like that. The other day we were walking at Hidden Acres during sunset and the sky had streaks of pink and I told Selah, "Look Selah, the pink in the sky is for you. God loves you so much that he put some of your favorite color up in the sky."

The truth is that everyday God shows us glimpses of His love through nature, people, and events. I think one very cool thing about the continent of Africa is its very unique animals. People go on Safari's just to get glimpses of these animals in their natural habitat.

This is why for the first design I created I wanted to use a picture of a close up of a zebra that I took at the State Fair in the Petting Zoo. I think that those very cool stripes tell us about God's beauty and how He shows His mastery in the details of this world.

For Africa with Love.

God has written love notes for us everywhere, and most clearly in the Bible. In the Bible is where we remember that God's most precious love note was sending His Son, "The Word become flesh" to take away the sins of the world.

I pray for the people of Africa that they may know that Christ came "for Africa with Love"

Birthday Prayer

O God, our times are in your hand: Look with favor, we
pray, on you servant Tim as he begins another year. Grant
that he may grow in wisdom and grace, and strengthen his
trust in your goodness all the days of his life; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.

from the Book of Common Prayer

Grandma's Cuties

Halle

Christian

Seth

Selah

Landon

Sydney

Finnley

and one more just for fun, I think they are yelling "We love Grandma!!!"

Pictures from last summer

JD photoshoot

J.D. × 3 × 3

A Sunday Prayer

Tim and I have started praying blessings over our children on Sunday nights.

The prayer I said tonight was taken in part from a prayer Dr. Dobson sent in his last letter from Focus on the Family. This was actually a prayer spoken by his father as he asked the Lord to bless his marriage to Shirley.

I reworded it a little to fit as a prayer for my children

O eternal God: We bring Thee our children, Seth, Selah, and Sydney. They are Thine but Thou in love dist lend them to us for a little season: to care for, to love and to cherish.

It is our earnest prayer for them, not that God shall have a part in their lives, but that He shall have the preeminent part; not that they shall possess faith, but that faith shall fully possess them; that in a materialistic world they shall not live for the earthly and temporal alone, but that they shall be enabled to lay hold on that which is spiritual and eternal.

Let their lives be like the course of the sun: rising in strength, going forth in power and shining more and more unto the perfect day. Let the end of their lives resemble the setting of the sun: going down in a sea of glory, only to shine on undimmed in the firmament of a better world than this.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, Amen.

A Hidden Acres Event

click on image to enlarge


Hope to see you there!