I Almost Forgot!

I can't believe I almost forgot the best update! On Sunday Kyle shaved his beard off!! I know that may disappoint some of you. The poll results surprised me a little, I didn't know the beard was so popular. Really the beard? Anyway, he looks much more attractive now :)

Borg Updates

* Kyle finished up his sermon series on Jude. Now he is spending a lot of time reading and preparing to write his senior philosophy paper.
* Rachel got IRB approval for her research project and is beginning to set up interviews with participants for her study. By utilizing the admissions office, so far she has found 5 people meeting her criteria!
* Kyle has been helping to organize our churches youth/college retreat to Honeyrock, a camp in northern Wisconsin. We are super excited because there are around 25 people going this year.
* Scott and Julie came over this past weekend and we had a great time with them!
* Yesterday Kyle came to Sarah Lohse's rescue and killed a bat that was trapped in her basement.
* On Friday night when we were carving pumpkins at the Ruiters, it was confirmed that Rachel doesn't have an ounce of artistic ability in her body. Hopefully Kyle's artistic ability will even out Rachel's lack of it and our children will at least be average.
* Rachel paid tuition for the last time today!

That's all for now!

~ Rachel

Celebrating 30 years together!

Today is Scott and Julie Borg's 30th wedding anniversary! Kyle and I are so thankful for their example of marriage to us, especially during our first year of marriage. I personally have been so blessed by them, and I'm so thankful to the Lord for bringing the two of them into my life. They really have become like second parents to me and I couldn't ask for better in laws. We love you!

~ Rachel :)

Deadline, Dominion & Deception

This summer my sister Ruth suggested this series of novels by Randy Alcorn to me. Honestly I didn't have very high expectations because it seems like Ruth loves EVERY book ever written; however, I was pleasantly surprised. I've only read the first two, but I liked them a lot! They are really good stories, but they aren't just fluff. These books, especially Deadline challenged me in my faith, and reminded me to daily keep an eternal perspective on life. Randy Alcorn is a very solid, Godly man. He is the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries (EPM), a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching biblical truth and drawing attention to the needy and how to help them. Some of you may have heard Randy Alcorn speak at the Desiring God conference this year. I LOVED reading a Christian novel by someone who was writing with a strong biblical foundation. If you are looking for a good read, I would strongly encourage you to pick up these books. They have quickly become some of my favorite works of fiction.

Deadline
Deadline is the best-selling story of a politically-correct journalist forced by tragic and mysterious circumstances to come to terms with his own mortality. In the process, he must also deal with the consequences of his skewed perspectives on life. Deadline portrays friendship, family, faith, morality, social decline and media bias in the context of an unpredictable and hopeful story of personal crisis and change. The second story line, on death's other side, compliments the who-done-it mystery.

Dominion (semi~sequel to Deadline)
Clarence Abernathy, an Oregon columnist and suburban middle-class black, is dragged into a world of inner-city gangs, drugs, violence and racial conflict. Clarence's anger at injustices that he cannot control pulls him onto turf that becomes more dangerous by the moment. This story offers profound insight concerning our perceptions and conflicts, and points clearly toward the only true hope for racial reconciliation.

Deception (spin~off of Deadline and Dominion)
Ollie Chandler is a brilliant and quick-witted homicide detective with exceptional deductive skills and street smarts. He's a police department legend for his off-beat methods that solve crimes and coax confessions. But he's a risk taker and a rule-bender who drives his procedure-conscious superiors crazy. If not for his success rate, he'd have been squeezed out of the detective division years ago.

A Giant Cluster of Grapes?

In keeping with the spirit of my previous post, I thought I would share a picture of my little brother John. This year he decided to go to his church costume party as a cluster of Concord grapes. I thought this was hilarious!

~Rachel

Halloween

With Halloween coming up on Wednesday, many people at work have been discussing what they are going to be for Halloween. This got me thinking. I've never been very attached to Halloween as a holiday, growing up we didn't really celebrate it and I've just never found it very appealing. However, I know that for many people it is a much anticipated holiday. I've know quite a few Christians who don't celebrate Halloween out of spiritual conviction, others have no problem with it at all. I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic! How do you think Christian's should approach Halloween? Is this even an issue? That is my thought for the day :)

~Rachel

Recipe Monday!

So here is the recipe for Kyle's favorite salad. This weekend he told Naomi Cleveland that he could "eat gallons and gallons of it." I would like to see that one :) It isn't the healthiest salad on earth, but it is very tasty and it's one of the only ways that Kyle will eat lettuce.

1 to 1 1/2 bags of romaine lettuce
1 c. cashews
1 handful crasins
4 oz. shredded swiss cheese
1 apple, cubed
1 pear, cubed

Dressing:
1/2 c. sugar, I have been cutting the sugar down to 1/4 to 1/3 a cup and still tastes good.
1/3 c. lemon juice
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 c. vegetable oil

Mix all dressing ingredients, except oil. Once mixed, add oil. Mix all other ingredients. Pour dressing over salad just before serving. You can also have the dressing in a bottle on the side to so the lettuce doesn't get soggy. That way you can save the leftovers! Enjoy :)

~Rachel