2014 Christmas Letter!

Isaiah 9:6&7

For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 
 Of the greatness of his government and peace
    there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
    and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
    with justice and righteousness
    from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
    will accomplish this.

Friends and Family!

I cannot tell you how excited I am to sit down and write to you of the amazing year that God has blessed us with! 2014 has flown by like a roller coaster, but I'm hoping to be able to sum it up and hit the highlights for those of you who are only able to keep in touch with us with each Christmas letter! 

Oddly enough, this Christmas brings a beautiful story full circle. If you will recall, last year I told you of the miracle of the salvation of a new young friend of ours, Justin. Little did any of us know at that time, that it was to be just the beginning of a long, grueling, yet ultimately so very rewarding journey. I'm about to use a word that has such a strong negative stigma to it, that when anyone hears it, it is synonymous "hopeless" and that word is "heroin". This time last year, I didn't really know much about it, or any other drug for that matter. I certainly never thought that God would bring anyone INTO our life who was bound in it's grasp. Even as I write this I realized that today marks the day I got a text from Justin that said "I feel so alone and I'm so worried"... At that I told him to call me, where I found out he had been suspended at work because he was caught using heroin. Looking back on it, others may have thought of shutting the door on Justin, but we had already seen the miracle of God in his life and saw this as just the next step. Don't get me wrong, I don't think we really even understood the magnitude of what Justin was struggling with, but looking back, I think that was all part of God's plan. 

Visiting Justin with his mom Regena at Teen Challenge

Justin and Regena

For close to three weeks Justin stayed with us while trying to get clean from 5:00 AM until it was time to go home and go to sleep. We loved him, supported him and gave him God's word, but Justin hadn't hit the end yet, he had to fall once more before he finally let God pick him up and carry him. On December 30th after passing a drug test and having an incredible day with us, he used, although I am happy to say, for the last time. I could put the heart wrenching details of that story here, but they are unimportant compared to what followed. The next day Justin finally surrendered everything to Jesus, (if you are reading this on-line, follow this link to read the heart wrenching story, in some of Justin's own words Jesus the Carpenter- Making a Heroin Addict a Hero ). By the miracle of a friend suggesting Teen Challenge Cincinnati, Justin agreed to enter the program. He had been dead set against going into any "program" but

Justin, Michelle, Jonathan, Leah

when he found out that they didn't focus on addiction, but rather on turning you into a man of God, he was dedicated. This change meant losing his high dollar machinist job, and everything he ever knew, everything that is, accept his mother Regena, she was about to be the perfect gift he needed, at just the right time. If there is anything that has caused me to see the hand of God in this situation, it is the fact that Justin was drawn into the safety and comfort of his mother's arms, arms that had been aching to care for him since his parents' divorce 12 years prior. Regena is one of the kindest, most gentle, beautiful mothers I have ever known and we are so blessed to count her as part of our family! 

Michelle and Jonathan

When we dropped Justin off at Teen Challenge January 7th, not only did we all feel a huge weight lift off of our shoulders, knowing that God would bare it, Justin recalls having felt the exact same weight drop from his

Dinner with the young men of Teen Challenge

shoulders, into God's hands. The following seven months were some of the most rewarding of my entire life. Leah, Matt and I volunteered to cook dinner with the students at Teen Challenge on the weekends. In doing so we got to meet and befriend some of the most sincere, uplifting young men God created.  Including one of Justin's best friends and strongest encouragements while there, Jonathan. We were able to watch their struggles and growth, to pray for and fight along side them. The miracle that God did in Justin while he was at Teen Challenge, the change that took place in him, can't begin to be described with words, but each month I tried to grasp it and put it in the Carpenter's Daughters blog, please take the time to go to the archive page and read about it, it will reaffirm in you that we serve a very big God. Thanks to the generous donations of Justin's sponsors, his entire stay was entirely paid for, Justin and our family will never be able to thank them enough!

If you have the time, I highly encourage you to watch the video below of Justin's powerful testimony!

In August, Justin moved in with us, God had spoken to him that it was time to move forward and after seeking God, our whole family, including Regena, agreed that God was indeed speaking to Justin and that we were to support him in that. He moved into our basement and I gave up my future sewing corner to make a room for him, I guess sewing can be done anywhere... ;) The following month was spent with Justin and Matt working tirelessly to refinish the rest of the basement before our trip to Plymouth, MA in September. After our life changing pilgrimage there last year, I didn't expect to be returning again so soon, if ever, but Leah felt it was important that Justin get to see, taste and touch this cornerstone piece of American and world history! We were fortunate enough to be able to take two more tours with Leo Martin and get to catch up with he and his wife Nancy while also getting a sneak preview of their new Family: The Cornerstone of Society exhibit. If there is nothing else you and your family do this coming year, take a trip to Plymouth, our country's hometown, give our friend Nancy a call at the Jenny Museum and schedule a tour with Leo, I promise you, your life will never be the same. You will learn the truth about the founding of our great nation, with God as it's center!

Visit the Jenny Museum's website and meet our dear friends Leo and Nancy, click here! 

Nancy, Matt, Leah, Leo, Michelle, Jimmy and Justin

In addition to getting to take Justin, we were also able to take a former fellow student and friend of Justin's (and ours!) from Teen Challenge, Jimmy. One of the most amazing young men of God I have ever met; our journey to Plymouth this year wouldn't have been the same without him. He has also become like an adopted member of our family, although he lives near Columbus, he is doing what God has called him to do, supporting his family and God has opened up several doors of ministry for him, we are so very excited to see God work in his life. 

Our trip also wouldn't have been complete without our dear friend Ashley! Someone who started out as a fan from our You Tube Channel, turned into an e-mail pen-pal and friend

over the past 2-3 years. She drove up twice from Manhattan to stay with us while we were in America's Hometown, Plymouth! For the first time we got to put a face, voice and personality to this tiny girl with a big heart! She too has become like a little sister to us and even came to visit us here in Ohio a month later for our Reformation Day/Basement Remodel Party! We had a

blast that week teaching her culinary skills, visiting the Creation Museum, and staying up till all hours of the night! We even had time the last night she was here to film a Leah and Michelle's Virgin Diaries with her in it!  To watch it click play on the video below!




As for a recap of our trip to Plymouth watch the video below!

Uncle Jac at Niagara Falls!

Many of you will be curious to know how Uncle Jac is doing and you will be happy to know that he recovered from his pelvic fracture and several months of physical therapy and is doing quiet well! In fact, after 20 years of not driving, just before our trip to Plymouth he got

his driver's license and even drove the big blue conversion van for a stretch on the way home... until the fuel pump went out... that left us stranded in Medina, Ohio for an extra day... 


As many of you know one of the greatest additions to our humble homestead this year has been chickens! Matt (with occasional help from Justin and even Jimmy) built the coop

entirely from recycled pallet wood! They now live like princesses and eat like queens! Even in the winter we are still getting 4-5 eggs a day from our 9 girls! As a side note, Leah would

Matt and Justin working on the coop

like to submit a public announcement NOT to allow a chicken to jump on your shoulder when you are wearing $2000 diamond earrings... After a week of quarantine, we are left to assume that one of our girls is worth $1000, harboring said booty in her crop... But we still love them!

To our "produce" productivity we have added hydroponics to the basement, thanks to Matt we are on our second sewing of the year and have learned a lot! In our pantry we have added hundreds of jars... you name it,from apples to green beans, pears, jams, jellies, tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, peppers etc! 

Leah and I continue to enjoy life as pet sitters but have cut back from our grueling schedule to allow for more time with our family and our many projects, which means tightening our belts a little, but we are happy for the change of pace and have discovered that you don't need as much money when you do and make things for yourself, God has certainly blessed the fruit of our hands!!!

Matt Milking at Amish Farm!

Leah has been a huge blessing as she has spent countless hours trying (and succeeding) to produce self sufficient, all natural products! She is now making almost 100% of our bread, milling the flour from scratch, from wheat, oats, local grown flint corn etc...! She has tried several recipes, some flops that get fed to the chickens and some that are out of this world! It is a labor of love and we thank her for it. We also have homemade tooth paste, chap-sticks, laundry detergent and softener, cooking spray, mascara, hair conditioner, lotion, butter and cheese from our fresh milk... the list goes on, she is daily researching for her family's health and well being! Thanks to her we now are the proud owners of two herd shares, one with a local friend's cow, Pumpkin Head who just became

a momma! And another with a very dear Amish family in Hillsboro, if you are at all inclined to research the benefits of raw milk, let us know, it really has changed our lives! 


Lastly, this year we decided to make most of our Christmas presents! While Matt has been busy making Lincoln Logs (yes, you read correctly) from pallet wood, Justin has been welding gifts in the garage, Leah, mom and I have been knitting and crocheting and putting together baskets of Leah's homemade natural products! It's been a blast! 


If you have managed to stay with me this long, I thank you and commend you. There is no way I could have summed up this year any shorter and in fact I have left a ton out. Moving into 2015 we look forward to Justin building his bee hives and getting his first batch of bees, Matt and Justin completing their saw mill and starting to mill wood as the Lord leads, and more ideas of natural living! I hope to have the time to add more to this blog, please take the time to follow us on this blog as well as our You Tube channel to keep up with our endless enterprises! God continues to teach us everyday, and we are very eager students! The most important thing to remember is:

I would like to close our year end letter with a prayer Justin wrote recently...

Matt, Leah, Jimmy, Michelle and Justin, Plymouth

Father God, let this be a declaration of a pure motive for purpose, to change my ways of understanding, redirect my patters of life thinking, implanted into my mind by means of indoctrination. I must give all the more earnest heed to the things I have heard by your Holy Spirit, take dominion over my enemies, step up, acknowledge and remember the God of my Salvation, (EL-YESHUATI) the Lord my Provider (YAHWEH-JIREH), My healer (YAHWEH-RAPHA), My Protector (YAHWEH-NISSI), the Lord my Righteousness (YAHWEH-TSIDKENU), my banner for all to see. The God of Peace (YAHWEH-

SHALOM), to Him be the unending praise for the Perfect Sacrifice so that we can be saved, eternally, despite corruption. Thus be the grateful day of deliverance from all unrighteousness, set free from strongholds by the blood of Jesus Christ. Call to mind the Holy living. God, you've paved the path from the foundation of the earth and the destruction of the same, they will perish, but You remain. By Your mercy and grace, I must say, I look forward to the day I meet a Man, that Faithful and True, be His name. Amen 

May you and your family be blessed by His grace this Christmas season and in the new year to come. 

With Love,

Jeanne, Leah, Michelle, Uncle Jac, Matt, Justin, Sydney and Jasper

Matt, Leah, Justin, Michelle, Jimmy and Ashley, Plymouth

Easiest way to chop wood

Birthdays: Celebrating the call of God on your Life

Our pilgrim mentors, teachers and friends - Leo and Nancy Martin of the Jenny Museum in Plymouth, MA

When we were in Plymouth this past September, we learned that our pilgrim forefathers didn't celebrate birthdays, but rather- they celebrated the call of God on their lives, and they had a special birthday scripture they would memorize as well. I LOVE this and I am embracing it this year on my 31st birthday. Now, I may not have all of this memorized, but when I was 18, God showed me Isaiah 58 (to shorten it for here, I will focus on verses 6-10). I knew then, and shared it with my mom and sister, that THIS was and IS the call of God on my life...

Isaiah 58:6-10 Amplified Bible (AMP)

6[Rather] is not this the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every [enslaving] yoke?

7 Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house—when you see the naked, that you cover him, and that you hide not yourself from [the needs of] your own flesh and blood?

8 Then shall your light break forth like the morning, and your healing (your restoration and the power of a new life) shall spring forth speedily; your righteousness (your rightness, your justice, and your right relationship with God) shall go before you [conducting you to peace and prosperity], and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.

9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, Here I am. If you take away from your midst yokes of oppression [wherever you find them], the finger pointed in scorn [toward the oppressed or the godly], and every form of false, harsh, unjust, and wicked speaking,

10 And if you pour out that with which you sustain your own life for the hungry and satisfy the need of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in darkness, and your obscurity and gloom become like the noonday.

As I awoke today, looking back on many years of laughter, love, pain, sorrow, joy, hope, trials, losses, victories and miracles... I cannot deny the firm, gentle hand of God, there- protecting, leading, loving, teaching, comforting, providing and training. I realized, that through it all, I have been in the process of being trained. 

My beautiful momma!

People say that experience is the best teacher, but I say that the Holy Spirit is the great teacher! He doesn't require experience to teach us, we're actually supposed to learn from God's Word and His leading so we don't HAVE to be taught via experience. BUT, He does (like any loving parent) use our experiences to teach us a great number of things! My training has consisted of the best of both!  As an added bonus, He has given me people in my life and used to allow me to learn from THEIR experiences. Two of the most special to me are my mom and my sister!

Lovely Leah Faith

It is my hope that part of the call on my life is to be able to allow others that same benefit- I have gleaned from, only- as pertaining to my own battles and lessons learned. Ultimately, the greatest climax of this will be using all I have learned, all I have been trained by God for, to instruct my own children to follow the Father. For them to be able to reach the lost without having to suffer the pain of lessons learned through experiences- but rather to use the lessons learned from others. 

When talking about the call of God on my life my mom told me yesterday that I have a gift of hospitality. I guess I would just call it, having a deep consideration for other's feelings and a desire to treat them the way I would want to be treated- to be thought of. I like to let others know that I am thinking of them, that GOD is thinking of them! 

Today, I thank God for the call He has on my life, 
To be a daughter, sister, friend, and one day a mother and wife...

In that capacity to be the shining light of Christ, 
Like a beacon to the Father above...

That we all may be planted, nourished, tended to and loved...
In the Garden of His truth and life and His peace- like a Dove

My Isaiah 58 peeps!

2 Peter 1:10Amplified Bible (AMP)

 Because of this, brethren, be all the more solicitous and eager to make sure (to ratify, to strengthen, to make steadfast) your calling and election; for if you do this, you will never stumble or fall.

As always, remember that Jesus is that true light that expels ALL darkness!

Much Love,

Michelle, Leah, Jeanne, Matt, Justin, Jimmy and Ashley

And just for fun...

Our new little sis in Christ Ashley!

Eyes of Heaven

I would love to take a moment and open up today's blog with a prayer Justin wrote:

 Jesus, I thank You for Your blood, you did the impossible for man, you stayed so much stronger than I ever could. Your Words have never stumbled, Your heart was never weary, Your compassion is beautiful, Your mercy is so elegant, You are the love of my life, my heart sings for You every single day, my breath is precious, You have given me the life I never imagined could be. I believe You Lord, I trust You and I love You Jesus. Thank You for being in me, Your peace be still within my heart as your angels take charge over me in this world, with flaming swords. Your love for me as a citizen of you kingdom proves to me my understanding for my being your child and You being my Father- I Agape You, in Jesus' Name, Amen.

I am so very excited about this blog I get to put together today! This past month has been a

whirlwind of visits from Justin, Jimmy, and another fellow student (and AMAZING MAN OF GOD!) Jonathan, I call them our "J's"! Fellowship with these three is nothing less then every sister's dream- doing hard work, having fun and talking about God's goodness, dissecting the Word and encouraging one another in our most Holy Faith! Be sure to check out the pictures at the end of all the fun! But in addition to fellowship with these three at our home, we continue to be blown away by all that God is doing in each and every one of the men at Teen Challenge. They lift us up every time we see them and words cannot express the love we have for them as God's work shines through them. 

Just last week Brandon, a fellow student with Justin at Teen Challenge, read a poem he's been working on for a while. When he started to read it we weren't exactly sure what to expect because Brandon said that he had battled to get this poem down on paper. I asked him if it was okay if I kept chopping vegetables while he read, and he said, "sure." I didn't get one more chop in. As he read, in the classic smooth cadence that only Brandon can deliver, my mouth was literally dropped open. Justin and I exchanged glances of shock, while Leah's eyes never left Brandon. I could explain just why this poem moved me but it isn't necessary once you read it for yourself. The deep understanding this young man has of his God, his Savior- the love and devotion leaves me in awe of my Father.  

Sins into Salvation

By: Brandon Micheal Keen

I love my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ with all of my heart,

His Light shines bright when it seems like life is dark,

He makes me feel alright when it feels like life is falling apart,

He always hears me when I call Him to talk,

He turns my guilt into gracious, my sins into salvation,

So be patient when you’re going through trials and tribulations,

He’s the Creator of all creations, the Ruler of all nations,

He was crucified to save us from Satan and damnation,

Temptation is hard to resist, hypocrites will try to mislead you,

But I believe in God, and He provides for His people,

He’s with you when you’re lonely, if you’re hungry he’ll feed you,

It’s true that money is the root of all evil,

That’s why it’s hard for the rich to get into heaven,

The wealth will tarnish your soul,

Knowledge and understanding is more valuable than silver and gold,

Lust for money can make you burn like you’re on the stove,

But faith will make you twice as rich, I read that in the book of Job,

They say the Bible is a hard book to understand cuz they wrote it back in the day,

But if you pray, you’ll be amazed how you can comprehend every page,

Easter, Christmas, and all the holidays were made to generate paper,

Not to give the maker His praise,

The world we live in is filled with hatred and war,

We’re supposed to love each other, but not all spirits can soar,

Soon Jesus will be back, that’s in Matthew 24,

To Destroy the world with fire, He did it with water before,

So get on your knees, and repent to the King and sing the Gospel,

If you believe, the blessings you’ll receive will probably shock you,

If you’re righteous and follow His commandments, they can’t stop you,

The devil will try to knock you, but God bought you,

From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is education,

I’m dedicating my life to Christ, not to Satan,

But instead of waiting until your spirit is elevating,

Awaken out of that spell, cuz hell is devastating,

The King has been throned, He’s sending us, skin and bone,

But you don’t have to swim in the fire and brimstone,

Cuz you are not alone,

He’s here to protect you,

He never neglects you,

He’s here to accept you,

When you’re wrong, He always corrects you,

He teaches you to live righteous, as long as your life lasts,

And you should love God, not cash,

Living the fast life, will bring an end to your life fast,

Worship the Lord, He created the earth and heavens,

And please read John, Chapter 1 verse 7,

So walk in the Light, no one is perfect brethren,

I believe the words of Proverbs Chapter 11,

I don’t knock anyone else’s religion,

I just opened my eyes and made a wise decision,

But there’s only One God, so there should only be one Vision,

When you walk with God no strength is lost, so keep walking,

When you talk with God no breath is lost, so keep talking,

When you wait on God, no time is lost so keep waiting,

Some people hate, but no love is lost so stop hating,

Evil won’t strive when my God defeats Satan,

The water will roar, the mountains will keep shaking,

Therefore praise God, it’s what we’re here for

The devil will try to stop you,

But God got you

There is an eternal battle, not only with us in our own lives, but really, between God and the devil- and that battle is between sin and salvation. With Jesus we are offered eternal life, joy here on earth, love. But somehow, the devil lies to us and tries to get us to believe that sin is our friend. Sin is not your friend, and listen as Justin uncovers the truth to what sin really is...

Dear "Sin"

By: Justin Justice Bee

Hey Buddy, 

It's SIN, you know, your deadly enemy. I am about to deceive you, destroy you and send you to hell...

Hey Sin, 

It's Justin Justice, I have the Kingdom of God within me and around me, 

God's mighty angels are here with me.

The Blood of Christ has redeemed me from you and set me free.

I have been forgiven, healed and crowned with compassion by God

Who satisfies my desires with good things.

God rules the peace in my heart, He has dominion in my life, I am anointed by God.

God is my Father, 

Jesus is my Lord 

And I am a child of the King.

You have no power over this temple Sin, 

you have no choice, God wins...

In Jesus' Name!

Romans 6:1-14 "What shall we say [to all this]? Are we to remain in sin in order that God’s grace (favor and mercy) may multiply and overflow? Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer? Are you ignorant of the fact that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with Him by the baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious [power] of the Father, so we too might [habitually] live and behave in newness of

Team Justin, thank God for Ernie and June, what an encouragement!

life.For if we have become one with Him by sharing a death like His, we shall also be [one with Him in sharing] His resurrection [by a new life lived for God]. We know that our old (unrenewed) self was nailed to the cross with Him in order that [our] body [which is the instrument] of sin might be made ineffective and inactive for evil, that we might no longer be the slaves of sin. For when a man dies, he is freed (loosed, delivered) from [the power of] sin [among men]. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, Because we know that Christ (the Anointed One), being once raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has power over Him. For by the death He died, He died to sin [ending His relation to it] once for all; and the life that He lives, He is living to God [in unbroken fellowship with Him]. Even so consider yourselves also dead to sin and your relation to it broken, but alive to God [living in unbroken fellowship with Him] in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore rule as king in your mortal (short-lived, perishable) bodies, to make you yield to its cravings and be subject to its lusts and evil passions. Do not continue offering or yielding your bodily members [and faculties] to sin as instruments (tools) of wickedness. But offer and yield yourselves to God as though you have been raised from the dead to [perpetual] life,and your bodily members [and [b]faculties] to God, presenting them as implements of righteousness. For sin shall not [any longer] exert dominion over you, since now you are not under Law [as slaves], but under grace [as subjects of God’s favor and mercy]."

But now that we see sin for what it is, just exactly how are we to walk here on earth. This revelation that God showed to Jimmy (Teen Challenge graduate) is exactly the template we are to pattern our lives by. Everyday I want to walk with eyes of heaven!

Eyes of Heaven

By: James (Jimmy) Victor Alexander III

I walk with my eyes fixed on Heaven. 

With my eyes on Heaven, I walk like an alien, talk like a foreigner. 

Having my eyes on Heaven, people love me less, avoid me when they see me, but God is my Life, My Creator, and Helper. 

With eyes of Heaven I live for Jesus, not people! If my eyes focus off of Him, I stumble -- If my eyes look down- pity, depression & defeat pounces on me. If my eyes look behind me- I see Egypt, my past, and pain, then I fall. If my eyes look ahead- I see my selfish ambition, My own worldly kingdom, worries and anxiety.

But with The eyes of Heaven I move mountains, I'm seated with Jesus at the right hand of God. Crushing all the carnal, overcoming the natural, demolishing the darkness.

Every thought captive, every move I make or word out of my mouth -- is done with my eyes on Jesus Christ Our Lord. Acknowledging Him in all my ways. Looking towards the goal of the prize of the upward calling of God in Christ. Truly I have lost my life, but I have gained everything.

Might men of God, Jimmy and Jonathan

Proverbs 4:25-27  "Let your eyes look straight ahead,
And your eyelids look right before you.
26 Ponder the path of your feet,
And let all your ways be established.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
Remove your foot from evil."

Joshua 1:7 "Only you be strong and very courageous, that you may do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go."

Philippians 1:21 "For me to live is Christ [His life in me], and to die is gain [the gain of the glory of eternity]."

I am so in love with Jesus the Carpenter, when I see Him teaching these amazing men of God how to build lasting truths in their lives, pointing them to God the Father, Creator, Provider, Protector. Giving them the tools not only to combat the lies and evil (sin) of the devil, but then showing them how to move forward, to take His example and touch their own families. In this last entry, we see that our identity comes from God our Father and that as such, He has put in perfect order how He wants His children to live- with His love for us being the perfect example for any Carpenter's Son or Daughter to follow.

A Real Father

By: Justin Justice Bee

Many children grow up without having fathers, therefore, not knowing their fathers and since they don't know their father's characteristics they are bound to think they don't know themselves for who they are. It is important for people's feelings to have a sense of self worth- that we are a part of something bigger than ourselves. 

I love 1 Corinthians 11:3 "I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ and the head of every woman is man and the head of Christ is God." Children are to submit to their parents, the wife to her husband, and her husband to Christ. When all are aligned properly, God protects and blesses and each are covered. This is the role of a father as a covering authority. 

Another role of a father is priesthood for the household. It is the father's responsibility to bring the family's needs and concerns of the family to God- as well as passing on truths and revelations from God to them. The father represents God in the family and is the mediator and intercessor for them.

Job was one man of the Bible whole fulfilled this role for his family as spiritual leader of the home. The father is to share his faith and insights from God's word, he is to pray for his children, even before they are born.

Working hard!

A father is also a protector who should not only desire to protect his family physically, he should also be concerned about their mental, emotional and spiritual well being. He should be aware of what they are hearing. seeing and being taught and in these days with all of the television, internet, and media projecting pornography and giving wrong ideas concerning sex, the father must take more responsibility in teaching moral values- warning his children of deceptive dangers. 

For a man to fulfill the role of a provider for his family he has to rely on God providing first and must be focused on God before work. Whatever the father hears from the Lord about what it is God leads him to do is the biggest and best thing he can do to provide.  

Thank you for spending your time with us today, we hope that you have been as uplifted and refreshed as we have!

Until next time, remember that Jesus is that beautiful Light that expels all darkness!

With Love ~ Matt, Leah, Michelle, Justin and Jimmy!

Jimmy being a boss with the tiller!

Love that Jimmy smile!

 

Canoeing! 

The Carpenter's Sons!

Brothers in covenant!

I love this beautiful lady!

Mother and son, doesn't get any better!

 

Diggin holes!

Cookin with Will and Jonathan!

 

Michelle, Jonathan's mom Anne, his sister Kristen, Jonathan, and Regena

Jonathan makes breakfast!

Handsome fellas!

Justin says, "my welds don't break"

Love Regena's beautiful 

The above photo was taken of Justin with the painting "Calvary" by Stephen Sawyer, www.art4god.com it has literally save Justin's life- and countless others' I'm sure.

Steve posted this on his Facebook page along with the following:

A YOUNG MAN NEEDING SPONSORS

"Justin is a 24 year old guy, who has been secretly battling a severe heroin addiction for the past 5 years.

After accepting Christ in Nov. ’13 he saw the painting "Calvary" posted on a friend’s blog. He was overwhelmed with emotion, he couldn't stop staring at it and felt the Lord speak to him saying, “It’s time”.
He sat his friends down, opening up to them about his past. They got him "Calvary" for Christmas and it has become one of his most prized possessions. As a result of that chance glance, he has entered the Teen Challenge program- in his own words- he wants to come out, “looking like Jesus, acting like Jesus and talking like Jesus.”
This painting has literally saved Justin’s life; you can see with the huge smile on his face he is doing amazing! Justin is in desperate need of sponsors to help finance his stay in what they call the “Jesus Factory”.
If you are interested, you can send a donation in the name of Justin Bee to: Teen Challenge Cincinnati, P.O. Box 249, Milford, OH 45150 or for more information e-mail Masfaith3@aol.com "
Thank all of you for reading this and considering helping someone.
They contacted me, thanked me for my work, and hoped for some assistance in a very difficult and brave recovery. The photo and comments in quotations are from them.

Stephen