VANDER ARK FAMILY BLOG

PHOTO CARDS this Christmas?

2010-12-01T20:14:00.000-08:00

PHOTO CARDS this Christmas?

We haven't updated our blog in a while....life sure gets busy! We did come across a Shutterfly promotion online and wanted to share some links with you. We're planning on sending out some Christmas cards ordered through the Shutterfly site. If you haven't tried it before, you really should consider it! We received a sample card through Shutterfly from a friend and love it (thus the reason for this promotion). The selection through their site is amazing and though a bit expensive, it shows quality. Shutterfly also has photo books and many other photo gifts. A friend of mine will soon be bugging me about starting a photo book for next year. Just start the book and update your photos each month. That way, it doesn't take as much time putting it all together at once. A great photo project for 2011 that you'll have forever. Once you use their site you'll be hooked.

Shutterfly is also popular because of their calendars. They are such a great gift...not too expensive and very personal. Shutterfly will also save all your photos and you have unlimited storage space.

But, back to the cards. They have all types of holiday cards in many different styles. If you need some great card ideas, please check out the following sites:

· Christmas photo cards to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-photo-cards
· holiday cards to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards
· calendars to http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars
· mother's day cards to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/mothers-day-cards-stationery
· Christmas cards to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards
· new year’s invitations to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/new-years-cards
· happy birthdays to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/birthday-cards-stationery

Thanks for reading this promotion! We pray everyone has a safe and happy Christmas Season.

Tour of South holland area.

2009-02-20T10:01:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I gave Shannon and the kids a tour of my old stomping grounds here in South Holland/ Thornton, IL. I told them all the best stories I could remember. Whether they are 100% true or not is still in question. Stories always get better years later.

Tour of old stomping grounds

Man can fly!

2009-01-10T09:44:00.000-08:00

If anybody has a death wish I think it is these guys. On another note this is one of the most awesome stunts I have ever seen.

wingsuit base jumping from Ali on Vimeo.

The Don't Song

2008-12-26T14:24:00.001-08:00

I don't know why but I find this video to be extremely hilarious. Enjoy.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T10:28:00.001-08:00

Thanks to my cousin Jordan for the awesome idea.

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Ginger Bread House

2008-12-21T21:41:00.000-08:00

Shannon went to Canaan's school last week and had tons of fun making a gingerbread house with Canaan. Here are some pics for your enjoyment.

If I had been there the gingerbread house would have been more like a complex with a Woodshop, House with three floors and a batting cage in the yard. Canaan also would never have touched it cause I would have been obsessed with my architectural build. Enjoy the pics.

From Drop Box

94%

2008-12-21T19:16:00.000-08:00

If anybody is wondering, I just found out I got a 94% in my Old Testament Survey class that is A- on Moody's chart.

Praise the Lord.

Next quarter I am taking New Testament survey and probably a theological course or pastoral training class. I haven't decided.

Picture of Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL
(Picture this inside my computer.)

Snow in Skagit Valley

2008-12-19T11:53:00.000-08:00

Snow in Mount Vernon, what a shocker. No really, if more than an inch of snow lands here in Mount Vernon, everyone goes crazy. Some people drive down the road at about 5 miles an hour with snow still all over their car in what I call "Old Lady Position". You know..... grab the steering wheel, rest your chin on the steering wheel, squint your eyes real tight, and finally blame everyone you hit because you couldn't see them or couldn't stop. Others, mostly with 4 wheel drive go blazing down the road going faster than usual, thinking their 4 wheel/all wheel drive makes them invincible. This only works when accelerating not when braking. But in reallity most just stay home and wait for this horrid cold thing to melt.

Now that I have scoffed fully at most people I know I need to mention. I speak arrogantly because I grew up in Chicago where tons of snow is a regular accurance so we chicagoans are used to the snow. BUT I must say that I never actually drove while in Chicago so I don't think I actually count as a pro driver and probably fall in one of the first two categories I listed above.

Anyways, after arriving at 6:30 and practicing with the worship team shortly after for 8:15 service Christian cancelled first service, less than 20 actually showed up. So I got to come home with a few of the worship team members and have fresh made coffee cake and enjoy my kids and wife, this is very rare on Sunday mornings. Here are some fun pictures from the morning. I hope you enjoy............whoever you are. Sometimes I feel like I am talking to myself.

From Winter Wonderland

Fun in the snow.

2008-12-19T11:36:00.000-08:00

Today I didn't have work.....FINALLY! All week long we have had this wonderful snow but we have been so busy I haven't had any fun with the kids yet. So today we built a horrible looking snow man, made snow angels, stared at the sky and snowy trees for minutes on end, had a snowball fight, and went sledding. I love being a dad, I cherish these times and hope the kids can look back and see a dad who loves them and always enjoyed them.

Winter Wonderland

2008-12-15T22:56:00.000-08:00

Sunday evening we drove home from our small group Christmas party through 2 inches of snow, we looked forward to a winter Wonderland the next morning. We woke up and we had about 5 inches of snow and Shannon took some cool Pictures. Meanwhile inside the kids were itching to play in the snow. Enjoy the pics.

From Winter Wonderland

Worship - Favorite Song

2008-10-30T15:01:00.000-07:00

What is Your favorite song for worship. It can be for personal or corporate worship. I just want to get a feel for what are some songs that we should be singing at church that we are not singing and maybe encouragement for what songs we are singing that are good.

My favorite worship song right now is "Before the Throne of God Above" it has such a great message is very singable, and it is right out of scripture, read it for yourself.

Verse 1

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea
A great High Priest whose name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me
My name is graven on His hands
My name is written on His heart
I know that while in heav'n He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart

Verse 2

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free
For God the Just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me

Verse 3

Behold Him there the Risen Lamb
My perfect spotless Righteousness
The great unchangeable I Am
The King of Glory and of grace
One with Himself I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God
With Christ my Savior and my God

Very Hungry Caterpillar

2008-10-20T13:42:00.001-07:00

Taylor and I went with the MV Christian pre-school to McIntyre hall to see puppet show for the Very Hungry Caterpillar. Eric Carle is the author of the book and they also did, "Little Cloud" and "The Mixed Up Chameleon", two of his other books. It was so much fun. I love going on dates with my kids and getting some good daddy time. It is amazing how different they are when they are not being influenced by the other. Anyways we had a great time, i look forward to many more plays with my daughter for years to come. Take a look at some of the pictures I took, even though they wouldn't let us take any during the show.

I love being a dad.

Very Hungry Caterpillar

I love fall

2008-10-19T21:07:00.003-07:00

Take a look at our recent trip to the pumpkin patch. More post to follow on all the fun fall stuff.

Fall pictures 2008

My Domestic Husband

2008-10-04T14:03:00.000-07:00

I have always know that the Lord blessed me beyond measure with a wonderful husband! He first loves his Lord and strives to serve Him daily. Loves me more than words & shows it with his actions. Is an amazing father to Canaan & Taylor. He challenges our family to grow spiritually. As if those things are not enough I just watched him whip up the most amazing pot of chili & clean up after himself.......He's a Mr. fix it man, loves to garden & work in the yard, can do any electronic work we need done around the house, loves to cook, is athletic, good looking, cares what his clothes look like. I could go on and on & don't mean to bore any of you but I just had to share with all those other wife's out there how lucky I am!!!

Canaan 1st Day of School

2008-09-05T07:55:00.000-07:00

This week was Canaan's first week of school on Tuesday we brought him in for orientation, he got to know his Teacher, Mrs. Veldakamp, and was assigned his table for the year. Canaan did preschool last year but this year seems so much different our boy is getting older and will be in school everyday, Oh how the Years go by.

From Canaan 1st Day of School.

Grandma Chris was at school when we got there for orientation on Tuesday.

From Canaan 1st Day of School.

Canaan's best friend Alex is in 1st Grade and is right across the hall from Canaan's class room. I look forward to the day when the principal calls to inform me Canaan and Alex got into all sorts of mischief......Not really but I am sure it will happen.

From Canaan 1st Day of School.

Me and Canaan trying to sit still for the orientation talk from Mrs. Veldakamp.

From Canaan 1st Day of School.

Mrs. Veldakamp asked that Canaan come in to paint something nice for the beginning of school. I told him to paint a cross and this is what he painted. I thought it was very neat that he chose red for the color of the cross and you can see the red run down the hill. Even a 5 year old boy can remind me of Christ's sacrifice and our need for him.

From Canaan 1st Day of School.

At orientation they drew their hands and decorated them afterwards.

From Canaan 1st Day of School.

More drawing.

From Canaan 1st Day of School.

This is what being a mom is all about, show love to your little boy. I love my wife she is such a wonderful mom, whe always does the little things that make a big difference in our kids hearts.

From Canaan 1st Day of School.

Me and Shannon leaving our boy at his first official day of school on Thursday.

From Canaan 1st Day of School.

Canaan with Mrs. Veldakamp.

From Canaan 1st Day of School.

One more quick picture with daddy.

From Canaan 1st Day of School.

Me Really excited for 1st Day of School.

From Canaan 1st Day of School.

Mommy and Canaan taking a quick picture before leaving home.

From Canaan 1st Day of School.

Happy Anniversary! 7 Years!

2008-08-31T07:49:00.000-07:00

My blog posts become more rare than usual, but I am sure this is no surprise to those who know me.

I take the time today to post in thankfulness to God for His sovereignty in my life. He knew that Shannon would be the one for me before I was even born and He knew that she would challenge and compliment me more ways greater than I could expect. I thank the Lord for a friend and companion who is always by my side and loves the Lord and is not only willing but excited to live a life serving the Lord in ministry. I thank the Lord for a wonderful mother for my children who in her flaws looks to Christ as the example of how to lead our children to Him. I thank the Lord for 7 years of joy in the midst of trials and triumphs and I look forward to, Lord willing, 70 years of joy.

Happy Birthday Taylor, A timeline of her life so far.

2008-08-11T10:08:00.000-07:00

Shannon looking about 11 months pregnant. This was actually the week before we had Taylor probably around August 5, 2005.

This was the first time I saw my beautiful daughters. I fell head over heels for her in this exact moment.

Taylor just a few months old.

Motor functions are starting to take form.

She sleeps the same way over 2 years later..... ALL OVER THE PLACE.

She has her mommies feet. Very Cute!

This was Taylors picture for her 1 year birthday invitations.

I am 90% sure my kids are more advanced in every way from any child ever born. That is just my humble opinion though.

Tulip fields Spring of 2007. Shannon wants to put her in baby modeling at this point. I say she would be too big of a star and we would soon become her slaves so no way.

But then I see a picture like this and she really is something special.

She can stay beautiful for me until she turns about 27 when she can start dating.

She makes those huge glasses work.

I love this girl so much and setting aside all the weird things I said above, Shannon and I pray that she may see Jesus Christ's love in our marriage and see life as having joy in serving the Lord. We pray that she may come to know Him and may live a full life of joy in Christ.

Late night worship thoughts. - Update

2008-07-29T00:29:00.000-07:00

To clarify, this is no one that has quit our worship team, this is merely a recent conversation of past events. It brought theses thoughts to my head that is why I referred to it.

I heard recently of a very talented musician who has chosen not to be on a worship team based upon the fact that a lot of the songs make claims that this person cannot truly live out. I think the hesitation is that we sing songs that glorify God and offer Him praise but we leave our place of worship on Sunday and leave our worship there. Leaving those words on the projector screen or in the hymnal and do not take them into our lives and glorify God with our actions as well.
I think this is a sense of failure that we all feel because we are all truly failures at worshiping God the way he deserves. I do everything I can to present a clear representation of the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ in every service. This allows all who know Him to be honest with the fact that we are failures in every way and we need Jesus to saves us of our sins and teach us how to truly worship our Lord. I sing these songs.
I think there are many musicians that are involved in worship that do not take what they are doing with the severity of this person. I think a balance of the two is very important for anyone in leadership of any kind. Understand that we are called to a higher standard, to be spiritually prepared so that we may lead others to glorify God in a great way. We must also understand that we will never meet this standard and will never be fully prepared to glorify God as much as He deserves.
Holy Spirit, thank you for being present in our worship. Thank you for strengthening our hearts to be focused on God beyond what we are able to lead others to do.

Larrabee Beach then Fragrance Lake

2008-07-23T19:46:00.000-07:00

Our family had a great day today. We enjoyed the God's wonderful creation and the gift of each other. Please enjoy the slide show and take the time to read the captions as they tell the story of our day.

After all this we pigged out on La Fiamma Pizza.

My Daughter is Gorgeous.

2008-07-23T18:28:00.000-07:00

The Perfect Weekend

2008-07-08T09:04:00.000-07:00

2 weeks ago we had a great weekend together as a family and with many friends. Shannon wanted me to post a blog right away. Sorry for the delay.

Take a look at the slide show and enjoy our memories.

C

Life in the blessed Dungeon

2008-06-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

Hey

So we spent our first night in the studio(Dungeon) last night, Canaan & Taylor stayed up talking until 11:30. I guess they didn’t think mommy & daddy were tired enough from a long day of moving. :) I’m sure these will be memories they look back on and treasure, it will take some getting used to for Collin and I. If you think of it please be praying for us as there is much left to do and we are both physically & emotionally exhausted.

Last night we sat down around 11:00 to read the story of Esther together, when we finished it made us both smiled at the thought of our children falling asleep to us reading the Bible together. They are usually in their own rooms while we take time alone to read. it’s important to think on the good things about this move. :)

There are not enough words to thank those who have helped in this process!!!

Love,
C&S

Pudgy Pies

2008-06-13T22:12:00.001-07:00

My dad's brother and sister are in town for a few days for Melinda's graduation. I had worship practice but Shannon and the kids were able to go over to my parents house on Thursday night and enjoyed "Pudgy Pies" for dinner. I grew up camping with my family and pudgy pies were a must eat for every trip. It is real simple, butter the outer sides of 2 slices of bread, then put ingredients to your hearts content in the middle. I personally like pizza filling with sauce, pepperoni, black olives, and mozarella. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm food, maybe I should make this a food blog...... no probably not.

Take a look at the slide show below and see how the night went. Also the link below will take you to a cool website with many pudgy pie

http://recipesource.tripod.com/rvrecipes/id10.html

Cutie kids

2008-06-12T23:06:00.001-07:00

Shannon bought the kids new warmups. These kids are so cute, they truly are a blessing from God.

Shannon's Birthday

2008-06-12T22:45:00.000-07:00

Last friday the 6th was Shannon's birthday, so i took her and the kids to Bellingham to take her birthday shopping. Our favorite place to eat in Bellingham is by far La Fiamma - Wood Fire Pizza. I highly recommend the Greek Havoc. http://www.lafiamma.com/ Shannon had a really good time getting some new clothes and being with her family who she loves. I like spoiling her she deserves it.

La Fiamma

Steven Curtis Chapman (SCC) Concert

2008-05-26T11:51:00.000-07:00

Shannon and I went with Drew and Amy to a SCC Concert last Saturday. We had a great time visiting on the drive down. We stopped at Bellvue Square for some great food at Cheesecake factory. Shannon had the Thai lettuce wraps that are amazing. I had the mozzarella tomato salad which was way better and more filling that I thought. Drew had a chicken pesto pizza for the first time and gave it 1.5 thumbs up. Amy went to the old reliable oriental chicken salad. We hung out at the mall for a little bit, Drew and I hanging out in gamestop and Shannon and Amy hanging out in a kids clothes store.

We went to the concert following the mall and had a great time. Temple the first band was ok, they were well put together but I didn't really like their style. I think what was most distracting was that we couldnt understand what the lead singer was singing. Bebo Norman was amazing. I came in with high expectations and he exceeded those by far. His stage presence, guitar playing, and vocals were all amazing to me that somebody could have such skill and do it so effortlessly. What got me most with him was his sound view of Christianity. He is a very humble man and gives God all the glory in everything he does by saturating his songs and words in between songs with his need for God. SCC I had already seen a couple times and I always enjoy him. I find it interesting that he is still doing very well but is still on the 1990's formula that first brought him success. This is not a negative thing, it is refreshing to hear the music that I listened too when i was younger and also to hear new songs that would fit right in that era.

Anyways, we had a great time with Drew and Amy. It is interesting how the people we see the most are generally the people we dont get alot of real time with. We all need to make sure that the time we do have with our close friends and family is not just time wasted but time spent encouraging one another and blessing others in the Lord.

Pray for the Chapman Family

2008-05-22T06:25:00.000-07:00

I was going to post today that Shannon and I went with Drew and Amy last Saturday to a Steven Curtis Chapman Concert, but will hold off in order to post this devastating news that his 5 year old daughter has died.

Daughter Of Christian Music Star Killed By SUV

The Chapman family photo: Will Franklin, Maria, Steven Curtis, Shaoey, MaryBeth, Stevey Joy, Caleb, and Emily Chapman. (AP Photo/Chapman Family)

Shaohannah's Hope

Steven Curtis Chapman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The 5-year-old daughter of Grammy-winning Christian music star Steven Curtis Chapman was struck and killed Wednesday by a sport utility vehicle driven by her brother, authorities said.
The girl, Maria, was hit in the driveway of the family's home Wednesday afternoon by a Toyota Land Cruiser driven by her teenage brother, said Laura McPherson, a spokeswoman for the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
The brother, whose name and exact age weren't available, apparently did not see the girl, McPherson said. No charges are expected.
"It looks like a tragic accident," she said.
Several family members witnessed the accident, which happened in Williamson County just south of Nashville. The girl died later at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, hospital spokeswoman Laurie Holloway said.
A publicist for Chapman's charity organization said the family was expected to release a statement later Wednesday night.
Chapman, who is originally from Paducah, Ky., and his wife have promoted international adoption and have three daughters from China, including Maria. They have three biological children.
The singer's Web site says the couple was persuaded by their oldest daughter to adopt a girl from China. The experience led the family to adopt two more children and create Shaohannah's Hope, a foundation and ministry to financially assist thousands of couples in adoption.
The Chapmans did missionary work at Chinese orphanages in 2006 and 2007, according to the Web site.
"After our first trip to China, my wife and I knew our lives were changing - our eyes and hearts were opening to how big God really is, and we have wanted to experience more of that," Chapman says on the Web site.
"We've really wondered whether or not we should just go to China and stay there. But I don't think so. I believe God is saying, 'I want you to go, get your heart broken, your eyes opened, and then take this story back to the church in America and around the world.'"
The 45-year-old singer also has released a book about being a father entitled "Cinderella: The Love of Daddy and his Princess." He has won five Grammy awards and 51 Dove awards from the Gospel Music Association.

Canaan's New Bed

2008-05-20T22:33:00.000-07:00

Well we decided to throw out Canaan's blue bunk bed, it was just causing too many problems. Short term solution is for him to sleep on the toy box I built for him 4 years ago. Much more dependable and good for the back.

Just kidding about throwing away his bunk bed. We went into his room to check on him and this is how we found him.

Mother's Day

2008-05-19T21:49:00.000-07:00

Well as usual I am posting a week late. It seems like a long time ago that we had Mother's Day Lunch and Shannon's Parents, then my Birthday Party/ Malea's Birthday Party/ Mother's Day at our house that evening.

The days surrounding Mothers Day I expressed my love for her and thankfulness that she is a Godly woman doing so much in raising our children. Then on Wednesday afternoon Shannon called me to tell me she was having some flutters in her heart. This is something that she has had before so it did not seem to be a big issue until she called me 15 minutes later telling me to get home now and call 911. As the medics were taking her out to the ambulance I truly did not know if she was going to make it through this. She was in so much pain and her heart was going at a breakneck speed. It is times like these that we must cling to the hope we have in Jesus Christ. He suffered on the cross that we may inherit eternal life despite our sins. So I broke down got on my knees and wept to God that he would comfort me and my wife, that he would heal her wounds so she and I may continue bringing glory to His name.

This may all seem super heavy for the fairly superficial picture blog I have here for my family but sharing what God does in our lives and pointing to Him and not to ourselves is why we are here on this earth.

In the end Shannon does have a heart problem, it is a minor one though. She has some sort of arrhythmia. The term arrhythmia refers to any change from the normal sequence of electrical impulses, causing abnormal heart rhythms. This can cause the heart to pump less effectively. Basically Shannon's heartrate is accelerated at times that cause minor pain in her chest and left arm. This is not life threatening but can be very scary when you dont know what is going on. What happened last wednesday was far worse than usual so immediate medical attention was needed.

I am glad for this event that happened because now we have a better understanding of what happens during these small episodes. Shannon can just breath through them and try to relax. If a major one happens again we would need to go to the ER again just to make sure something worse isn't going on.

After all of this cleared and we were no longer bombarded with doctors, Shannon and I were able to have some one on one time reflecting on the last 24 hours of our life. Hearing Shannon's side of things was very revealing to me in who my wife is. My wife is defined by her dependance on God. In this time of trouble she was afraid for her life, she thought she was dieing. In that horrible moment she recalled praying to God and thanking Him for her salvation, thanking Him for her family and all the blessings He has provided in her life.

Saying we are sure of what we hope for is one thing but to me the test of a fine woman of God is how she reacts in times of turmoil. Our family has been through alot of medical scares and God has been faithful to us in all of these times. It is still in our sinful nature to doubt and to question God in those time. It is then that we must cling to the One who is Hope, Jesus Christ.

Wow I wasnt expecting to write all of that, "so sorry". Anyways here are some fun pics of the mother's day weekend we had this year.

Tentacles

2008-05-19T19:00:00.000-07:00

Just now we were trying to read to the kids all bunched up on our love seat down stairs. This is typically a fun time for us as we try and wrestle down the kids and read somewhere between 2-12 books.

Out of nowhere Canaan screams bloody murder. We look at him and say what could possibly be wrong with you. And I quote: “Oooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwww Taylor just step on my “Tentacles” and it really hurt.” Shannon and I are still laughing. I am sure those of you in our mature Audience know what he meant by tentacles, I refuse to explain. Sex Ed can wait for Canaan until later in life.

Pray for Shannon

2008-05-15T08:34:00.001-07:00

For those of you that don't already know, Shannon is in the hospital. She has been there since yesterday evening. She has had symptoms of a heart arrhythmia but the doctors don't know anything for sure so today will consist of many more tests and close monitoring. Please pray for healing that God may work in her and in the doctor's hands and mind that they may see what is going on so we can treat it appropriately.

Collin

The Fight

2008-05-11T20:51:00.001-07:00

Well, Shannon and I try to be as transparent in our relationship as possible. When we have issues that we may need help resolving, we pride our selves in our willingness to look to others for wisdom. Tonight we had a fight, if you have any advice for us in how to resolve this please let us know, either by a private phone call or by leaving a comment for all to read. The pictures below describe in full what happened.

Worship Matters

2008-05-05T12:06:00.000-07:00

I am near finishing the book; "Worship Matters" by Bob Kauflin. This is continuing to be a blessing to me as I work through it. If you have the time take a look at these 4 videos that do a quick synopsis of the four sections of the book. I am halfway through the healthy tensions section. (No I wont be doing a book review, I hate wrestling with grammar).

Ok maybe I will do a super short review before I am finished. This book is really good. If you are looking for a book that puts forward an in depth theology for worship in our daily life as well as Sunday morning read it.

Shawn McDonald

2008-05-01T08:01:00.001-07:00

Well last night Shannon, Canaan, and I went to the Shawn McDonald Concert at Overlake Christian church with "Down Here" and "Jason Gray" and the openers.

Our camera was malfunctioning a couple weeks ago so we had to send it in to Canon repair service. It will be back by next week but for now all I had was my cellphone camera which is really nice in really good light when there is absolutely no movement. Obviously a concert with really bad lighting and lots of movement resulted in horrible pics so here they are.

So obviously those pics suck but at least something was captured on the record of us being there.
So here are some pics of each of the bands from their respective websites, along with a short synopsis of them.

Down Here: The lead singer really reminded me of Freddy Mercury, very high on the register but smooth. His voice had a crispness that pierced through the noise of the band which by the way was very good instrumentally. The guy on the keyboard was the main backup vocal and seemed to be the most versatile of the group playing upwards of 3-5 instruments sometimes 2-3 in the same song.

Jason Gray: This guy was by far the most refreshing of the group. He comes across as a very humble man with a song on his heart to sing. He is a good singer and guitar player, but nothing amazing. What sticks out with him is the lyrics very potent song writer who loves the Lord. After his first song he told us of a handicap he has, studdering, it is so encouraging to see a man of God with an obvious weakness rise up and glorify God through what he does. He sings a song "You are Mercy" that is the cry of all those who come to the Lord in repentence, our need for Christ and his mercy is never ending. Take a look a these lyrics.

Chorus:
You are mercy You are mercy, Dear God have mercy on me
Please forgive me Heaven help meBe Your mercy

Verse 3:
Through my blinded eyes now see Through my wounded heart now bleedWith my violent hands now heal Through my broken life revealYou are Mercy…

Ending:
(Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be doneThy Kingdom come,
Thy will be done through me...)

Shawn McDonald easily met the expectations I placed upon him, obviously he didnt know that. What attracts me to his songs the most is the intensity of his singing style and lyrics. Singing of his confidence in God and how He is faithful through all struggles and blessings.

All in all, I really was impressed with the realness of these artists. These are all men of God who bring their testimony to these performances, declaring God as their motivation for all that they do. Each one of them brought a level of musical excellence that was an obvious blessing from God, now there were mistakes but it just shows that they dont take themselves to seriously.

Longest post ever for me.............DONE

Kashmiri Dining

2008-04-29T23:00:00.000-07:00

Shannon and I have been in a class every Tuesday evening from 6:30-9:30 called Perspectives on the Christian World Movement.

We have really enjoyed the broadening perspective, literally, we have had on the world and the incredible amount of people in need of hearing the gospel that may never have the chance to hear it.

Tonight Nate and Kimaree Shultz thought they would provide a great physical example of a different culture. Tonight we were served a traditional style Kashmiri wedding feast. The women:

were all dressed like the above picture sat with their children, if they brought them, in a closed off area of the room. The men:

were not dressed like this cause they didnt have outfits for us but would have if we were actually in that culture.

In this culture the men sit in their own area and are served first and the women and children are served second. The food was amazing, seven servings of a very wide variety of flavors. All served with a meat and its own distinct combo of flavors. All the food is on a bed of rice in a giant platter shared by 4 people all sitting as close as possible. Take a look at what looks alot like the platter we were served on:

Its really great sharing germs with a stranger, then being told to sit so close to the platter that your food/saliva falls from your mouth onto the giant platter for all to share. In reality the food really was wonderful and I personally had alot of fun eating with my hands and having a time for social interaction that may not have happened with my classmates otherwise.

Shannon and I are finding more and more through this class and our walk with the Lord that we have a strong passion for reaching the lost.

"Missions exists because worship does not"
- John Piper, Let the Nations Be Glad

Canaan getting his Awana Awards.

2008-04-16T20:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry the sound isnt the greatest but here he is getting his awards.

Awana Awards Night

2008-04-16T17:52:00.000-07:00

Click the image to go to the album.

Awana Awards Night

Canaan's First Awana Awards Night was a blast. I look forward to years of Awana events with the whole family. We do our best at home to teach our children how to live life as a christian. Awana's encourages a solid foundation in their hearts and minds. Praise God for those who serve in Awanas.

Padilla Bay Field Trip

2008-04-16T10:18:00.000-07:00

Click on image to go to the photo album.

Canaan Field Trip

Please enjoy pictures from Canaan's field Trip to Padilla Bay. The place was really great, a nice opportunity for the kids to see and be informed on nature and how our oceans work. Heavy on the "Global warming" language though.

I seem to have found a much more efficient way of posting pictures on this blog. It involves less leg work and more space to store pictures. All this adding up to a higher likelyhood of actually posting blogs close to when the action happens.

Google applications are amazing.

I stand at the door and knock.

2008-04-04T08:24:00.000-07:00

My dad passed this on to me today in an email, I thought it was great. :)

Pastor's Business Card:

A new pastor was visiting in the homes of his parishioners. At one house it seemed obvious that someone was at home, but no answer came to his repeated knocks at the door.Therefore, he took out a business card and wrote "Revelation 3:20" on the back of it and stuck it in the door.

When the offering was processed the following Sunday, he found that his card had been returned. Added to it was this cryptic message, "Genesis 3:10."Reaching for his Bible to check out the citation, he broke up in gales of laughter.

Revelation 3:20 begins "Behold, I stand at the door and knock."
Genesis 3:10 reads, "I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid for I was naked."

Remember when the funniest jokes were the clean ones? They still are!"A cheerful heart is good medicine" (Prov. 17:22)

This was the best picture I could find that was unquestionably clean. By the way, even when SafeSearch is on, google still pulls up a bunch of naked paintings. For some reason artists painting nude people is ok as long as it is "Biblical".

Collin

He is Risen............10 days ago.

2008-04-02T07:59:00.000-07:00

Well, some people only go to church on Christmas Sunday, Easter Sunday, maybe even thanksgiving. I post blogs in about that same frequency. For the first time this year, due to scheduling conflicts and border patrol, we did not do anything with our family outside our home. Drew and Amy came over with Micah, Cody was not here yet. Shannon’s niece Amber and her husband Chris came as well. Really it was all family, people we care for and love. So here are some pictures of this Easter Sunday.

Starting with Taylor looking really tired after church at home. Maybe we should have taken pictures before church.

Canaan in a much better mood.

It looks like she is starting to get over whatever her problem was.

Dinner was great here was the menu: Honey roasted Ham, Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes, Green Been Caserole, Sparkling Cider for drinks, Butter Rolls, Choclate Nutty Cool Whip Dessert.

Getting ready for the easter egg hunt.

Drew and I had a meeting and decided that the purpose for an easter egg hunt is to point to Christ and His ressurection from the dead. There is one egg with no treats in it and the purpose of that is to motivate the kids to find the special egg with this significant meaning. Whoever find this "special" egg receives a larger bag of treats. When asked about the significance of this egg to him Canaan responded with a resounding "BECAUSE IT'S EMPTY"............ Oh well maybe next year he will figure it out and teach the other little kids. Or maybe one of Drew's 50 minute sermon's is needed to teach these kids the real meaning of easter egg hunts.

Traveling to Wisconsin

2008-01-03T13:13:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all.

As you can see by the progression of these pictures our travel plans included not only 3 young children but also all the baggage that comes with it (Emotional and physical baggage). Anyways over the next few days i will be posting pictures of our trip, I have labeled this Traveling, i will include other topics including Christmas in Wisconsin, Wisconsin in general, and the water park within our hotel in Milwaukee, WI.

Most of these come with no explaination except maybe the picture of my dad which is far too disturbing to describe. Also Canaan and I playing video games and watching a movie while waiting the for the 4 hour delay to be over.

Enjoy,

Collin

2007-12-21T08:01:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!!!!

Welcome to our Home.

Too bad Shannon had to ruin the picture, that Christmas tree pales in comparison to her beauty.

Of Course the Christmas story must be read.

It looks like Santa came with some goodies for the good little children.

Even Toby enjoys the spirit of Christmas, I dont think he really knows who Jesus is though.

Me the the woman of my dreams.

Canaan took this picture, he is very talented.

Homegirl Taylor.

Officially Canaan's favorite movie................mine too.

Taylor doing her best Zoolander Chef look.

I think its Blue Steel, not for sure though.

We bought Canaan a new Children's Bible, his old one was just too basic. Per Al Mohler's advice we bought this sight unseen. We have been reading a story every night and will be on Abraham tonight. I really enjoy the dialogue in the stories, every story points to Christ in the end, and the fact that every action by God in the old testament had a purpose in showing His love for us.

After opening gifts we actually went out and bought Canaan some footy pajamas cause he thought Taylor's looked so comfortable.

I want footy pajamas!!!!!

Now to finish the day with a good Christmas movie.

Merry Christmas

Pumpkins, pumpkins

2007-10-09T08:37:00.001-07:00

We had so much fun this year at the pumpkin patch. I picked up Canaan from school and Taylor from the baby sitter's we then stole Shannon from work to get a jump on the best pumpkins out there. As you can tell from my earlier post these kids are taking their vitamins and therefore getting huge. (see link to last years extravaganza) http://vanderarkblog.blogspot.com/2007/09/it-rained-most-of-weekend-so-we-didnt.html

HOT MAMMA AND HOT BABY ON THE MOVE!!!

Canaan, your huge. Look at those rippling muscles. Pound for pound you are the most strongest little man on earth. - Daddy (Except for that one body building kid on Dateline, that was just scary)

Everybody put on your pumpkin hats. (Canaan your's is upside down)

Such a helpful big brother.

Just remember she carried both these kids in her tiny little belly at one point. One tough woman if you ask me.

A Scarecrow!!A Scarecrow!!A Scarecrow!!A Scarecrow!!A Scarecrow!!A Scarecrow!! Seriously that is exactly what she was saying.

How big is Taylor...............Soooooooooooo big!(Thank you Bryce and Malea for the adorable rain outfit)

I was just there for the picture Canaan really could do that by himself.

Daddy, your huge. Look at those rippling muscles. Pound for pound you are the most strongest man on earth. -Canaan (Except for that one body building kid on Dateline, that was just scary)

What an awesome day at the pumpkin patch.

Prodigy

2007-10-03T06:37:00.001-07:00

Canaan and I had some fun on the electric guitar last night. I kept on playing and he finally yelled at me, "DADDY it's my turn to play you have been playing the whole time and that's not fair!!" I humbly handed the guitar over to him and he went to town for the next 30 minutes. We had a blast.

Pumpkins last year!

2007-09-28T09:07:00.000-07:00

It rained most of the weekend so we didn't make it to the pumpkin patch, Oh well we still have time. I was looking through some old pictures and ran into last years pumpkin extravaganza. It is amazing how so much can change in one years time. Canaan looks exactly the same but just bigger everywhere now. Taylor has changed a ton. She now has plenty of teeth and hair over half way down to her butt. Shannon still looks fine, that is the guaranteed constant in

my life. For some reason the natural hi-lights in my hair are not there anymore this year.

It’s amazing that at one point they actually got along. They really are like best friends now, Taylor is Canaan’s perfect play partner that will play any game he wants. Taylor does ok too cause all she wants to do is play whatever her big brother wants. Things work out just fine.

It is crazy to try and see where we will be at 1 year from now. We never know what the Lord has in store for us. We could be here serving our Lord in our church, or if things continue in the direction they are going we could be in East Africa serving our Lord. All I know is that when we continue to look to the Lord in prayer and are diligent in serving and being in The Word He will bless us in ways we can not even understand.

First family post.

2007-09-26T06:30:00.000-07:00

Me and Shannon at a Jeremy Camp Concert.

Well it looks like I am trying blogging one more time. I am going to try and keep this real simple, cause honestly if I don't then I will just give up cause this is not my forte.

My goal for this site is to give regular updates (within reason) in the life of my family. The idea is kind of like a magazine, big pictures with very brief comments to keep things from getting boring. Every once in a while maybe a couple paragraphs to let people know of changes we have in our life.

So if you know me well enough you are probably already saying, "yeah right, like Collin will keep up with something like this," well I am thinking the same thing so let's do this one day at a time and see how long I can last.

Canaan and Taylor on the boat at Hood Canal.

Taylor talking all about her wonderful granola bar. (nice photography Shannon)