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Family

Garden of the Gods

Don’t judge us, but we skipped church this Sunday. It’s not because we don’t like church–in fact, it’s the opposite–we love church. We miss our home church and wish we could spend more Sundays there. But this past Sunday we decided it would be nice to take a mini “staycation” and enjoy some of the beautiful scenery here in Colorado. Many people have told us about Garden of the Gods (or The Garden of God as we like to call it) and we wanted to see it. Thankfully, it’s only thirty minutes from where we’re staying, so we packed up the minivan and ventured out. It was a beautiful day, although a bit windy, but we enjoyed God’s creation and I snapped a few photos for you to see.

Garden of the Gods

Garden of the Gods

Garden of the Gods

Garden of the Gods

Garden of the Gods

Garden of the Gods

Garden of the Gods

Garden of the Gods

Garden of the Gods

Garden of the Gods

Afterwards we went out for lunch and then hit a fun ice cream shop that was recommended to us by my sister and brother-in-law called Josh and John’s. Yum!

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Family

Hanging With Cousins

One of the blessings about living in Colorado for a month is that we get the weekends to go see friends and family that we haven’t seen for a long time. This past weekend we got to spend some time with my sister’s family. Our kids got to hang out with their cousins and they all had fun playing on a nearby playground. We forgot to bring our kids jackets so they borrowed from their cousins…us Californians get a little cold. Below are a few photos.

Playing With Cousins

Playing With Cousins

Playing With Cousins

Playing With Cousins

Playing With Cousins

Playing With Cousins

Playing With Cousins

Playing With Cousins

Heather was kind enough to cook us lunch and dinner, but somewhere during our conversation we started to talk about Krispy Kreme doughnuts. I ended up downloading an app that is supposed to tell you when the doughnuts are hot and fresh, but it wasn’t really working. In the end we all went over to Krispy Kreme and they were handing out the fresh ones (even though the light was off)! Here’s a few more photos I snapped with my iPhone before we said goodbye.

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Christianity Family Friends

Thomason Tour: Stop 1

Just yesterday we left Kingsburg where we spent four days (Friday – Monday) serving at Grace Church of the Valley (GCV). We stayed with a great family, the Andersons, and our kids loved playing with their dog Remi and their kitten Boots (pictured above).

I (Shay) have begun helping lead music for GCV every other weekend. It was a joy to serve with their music team and sing songs that exalt the Savior. Our previous pastor at Placerita Baptist Church (PBC), Scott Ardavanis, is now the senior pastor at GCV and it’s always fun to see him and spend time together. A few of our friends from PBC came and help with guitar and percussion which was a wonderful blessing.

GCV Comm Meeting

In addition to leading music, Pastor Scott has asked me to help in the area of communications at GCV. Above is a photo of their first communications team meeting. There’s a great group of people there who really want to serve in that area and I think it’s one of the most vital teams in the church. They are the people who will help communicate to the body on a number of events, programs, prayer requests, etc. and help reach the lost world using the tools God has given us in technology and the Internet. This is almost identical to the role I will be assuming with Josiah Venture in the Czech Republic and I truly believe God has given us many wonderful tools to communicate His message.

Now I’m sitting here in Walnut Creek, CA at a friend’s house just enjoying some rest as we prepare for a few meeting with churches today and tomorrow. Please pray that we would communicate clearly our story and what God is doing overseas and that we might gain some new partners in ministry in the next few days.

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Family Friends

Thomason Tour

Thomason Tour

For next two weeks our little family is taking a drive up the West Coast to spend time with friends and family and to share about what God is doing in our lives. We’re calling it “Thomason Tour” and we hope you will follow along with us as we travel. If you’re following along on social media, be sure and watch for our Instagrams and Tweets by searching for the hashtag #ThomasonTour. You can follow us on on Twitter and Instagram.

Right now I’m writing from “the road” in Walnut Creek, California where we’re spending three days. We just spent the past 4 days leading music at Grace Church of the Valley in Kingsburg and enjoying meeting many new people.

The “Missionary Van”

tt_vanSome who are following us closely have already seen that we now have a van. We’ve been driving a Ford Escape for the past few years, but the Lord opened up an opportunity for us to buy a used 2003 Honda Odyssey from our friend and so now we’re traveling in mini-van style. Our friends have allowed different missionaries to borrow this van over the years and so it’s been kindly dubbed “The Missionary Van” which puts a smile on our faces.

Thomason Tour Schedule

You might be wondering where we’re going, so we thought it would be helpful for you to see our schedule:

Oct. 4-7 – Kingsburg/Visalia, CA | Leading music at Grace Church of the Valley and helping with junior high ministry.

Oct. 8-10 – Walnut Creek/San Francisco, CA | Spending time with friends and supporters and meeting with two potential new church partners.

Oct. 10-11 – Redding, CA | Seeing family

Oct. 11-14 – Portland, OR | Spending time with friends and planning to share at their community group.

Oct. 14-16 – Yakima, WA | Seeing family and friends, meeting with current supporters and connecting with two supporting churches.

Oct. 17-18 – Travel and Roseville, CA | Traveling days, but connecting with current friends and supporters.

Oct. 18-21 – Kingsburg, CA | Back in Kingsburg to lead music again and help with junior high ministry.

From Kingsburg we’ll head back to our home in Santa Clarita, spend four days regrouping and repacking, and then we will hit the road again for a month long training in Colorado!

Prayer

We would ask you the please pray for us during this time of travel and connecting with people. Please pray for safety as will put over 2000 miles of travel in. Please pray for God to use this time to encourage our hearts and open the doors for more partners in ministry. Our hope is for God to use this time to grow our prayer and financial support, encourage those around us, and for us to be able to share all of what God is doing in our lives.

See you on the road!

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Christianity Videos

Knowing vs. Feeling in Worship

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Family

We Went to the Fair

Our family enjoyed a Saturday morning at the Antelope Valley Fair this past weekend. The kids’ cousin Jason is involved with 4H and he was showing his rabbit and a pig. We enjoyed hanging out in the barn and seeing all the different animals. Here’s a few pics.

Duckies

Outside the Barn

Avery and a Bunny

Jason Showing His Rabbit

Jason Getting His Award

Jason With His Award

Titus Hanging Outside

Smiley Bethany

Avery is Sleepy

Jason and His Pig

Washing Down The Piggie

This Little Piggie

Cows

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Christianity Quotes

The Highest of All Missionary Motives

John Stott on missionary motives:

If God desires every knee to bow to Jesus and every tongue to confess Him, so should we. We should be ‘jealous’ for the honor of His name—troubled when it remains unknown, hurt when it is ignored, indignant when it is blasphemed, and all the time anxious and determined that it shall be given the honor and glory which are due to it.

The highest of all missionary motives is neither obedience to the Great Commission (important as that is), nor love for sinners who are alienated and perishing (strong as that incentive is, especially when we contemplate the wrath of God), but rather zeal—burning and passionate zeal—for the glory of Jesus Christ.

Only one imperialism is Christian, and that is concern for His Imperial Majesty Jesus Christ, and for the glory of his empire or kingdom. Before this supreme goal of the Christian mission, all unworthy motives wither and die.

(via Of First Importance)

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Christianity Quotes

Wholly of Grace

A great little reminder from John Newton:

Salvation is wholly of grace, not only undeserved but undesired by us until God is pleased to awaken us to a sense of our need of it. And then we find everything prepared that our wants require or our wishes conceive; yea, that He has done exceedingly beyond what we could either ask or think.

Salvation is wholly of the Lord and bears those signatures of infinite wisdom, power, and goodness which distinguish all His works from the puny imitations of men. It is every way worthy of Himself, a great, a free, a full, a sure salvation.

It is great whether we consider the objects (miserable, hell-deserving sinners), the end (the restoration of such alienated creatures to His image and favor, to immortal life and happiness) or the means (the incarnation, humiliation, sufferings and death of His beloved Son). It is free, without exception of persons or cases, without any conditions or qualifications, but such as He, Himself, performs in them and bestows upon them.

(via Of First Importance)

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Christianity Quotes

Excerpt: What is the Gospel?

What is the Gospel?

When you stand before God at the judgment, I wonder what you plan to do or say in order to convince him to count you righteous and admit you to all the blessings of his kingdom? What good deed or godly attitude will you pull out of your pocket to impress him? Will you pull out your church attendance? Your family life? Your spotless thought life? The fact that you haven’t done anything really heinous in your own eyes? I wonder what you’ll hold up before him while saying, “God, on account of this, justify me!”

I’ll tell you what every Christian whose faith is in Christ alone will do, by God’s grace. They will simply and quietly point to Jesus. And this will be their plea: “O God, do not look for any righteousness in my own life. Look at your Son. Count me righteous not because of anything I’ve done or anything I am, but because of him. He lived the life I should have lived. He died the death that I deserve. I have renounced all other trusts, and my plea is him alone. Justify me, O God, because of Jesus.”

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Christianity Friends Videos

Grace That is Greater Than All Our Sin

It wouldn’t be right to have a Web site called “It’s All Grace” and not talk about grace. That’s why today I figured we would just sing about it.

A classmate and friend of ours, Greg Clark, is the music director at a church near us. He’s been posting some great videos of hymns and some writing he has been doing and the above video is just 2 minutes of “Grace Greater Than Our Sin.” It’s a wonderful hymn and I think you will be blessed by Greg’s playing and singing on this one. Here’s all the verses for you to read as well:

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.

Refrain

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin.

Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold,
Threaten the soul with infinite loss;
Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,
Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.

Refrain

Dark is the stain that we cannot hide.
What can avail to wash it away?
Look! There is flowing a crimson tide,
Brighter than snow you may be today.

Refrain

Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
Freely bestowed on all who believe!
You that are longing to see His face,
Will you this moment His grace receive?

Refrain