MERRY CHRISTMAS!

We are celebrating so many good things God has done in our family in 2007. Here are a few . .

~Sofia-Maree, who just turned five, started kindergarten in the fall and is a great pleasure to homeschool. She loves to read and blesses us daily with her art creations. In November she entered an American Airlines coloring competition and won first place! This sweet servant-spirited child is always helping at home!

~ Braydon is almost three and keeps us humored daily with his endless energy, clever imagination, and his funny little animation voices. He is always happy to play his much-esteemed sister's games. They are the best of friends! We are reminded daily that Jack is "his" baby brother.

~ Jack , is almost 18 months and has a language all of his own. He is such an easygoing, friendly, hugable, loveable little guy; just the kind of baby that makes you want another.

~ It has been a topsy-turvy year for Eric work-wise, and despite the long, crazy hours of working, his perserverence without complaint is truly admirable. Such humbling circumstances have found us more grounded than ever in the things that count the most; our dependence on the Lord in prayer, and gleaning from the word together. These are the times we are cherishing the most.

~ Yvonne is loving the new adventure of homeschooling, the rewarding work of coordinating the Partners ministry, her Women's Bible Study is a favorite day of the week, park dates with friends, and Voice Over classes.

~ Yvonne and the children are also looking forward to visiting family in Sydney, Australia for the month of January. We are so excited for God's provision so that Eric can now join us, yet we are still trying to get a seat for him (January is completely booked to AU). God-willing we will be able to celebrate our anniversary in Sydney where Eric proposed nine years ago. Other great news is that we will get to meet our newborn nephew (Glen & Nikki's 2nd child).

~ Lastly we can't express enough just how thankful we are for our friends and our church family at Compass Bible Church.

Have a wonderful Christmas and may you burn brightly for Christ in 2008!

The Foust Family

God grant you
The light in Christmas, which is faith.
The warmth of Christmas, which is love.
The radiance of Christmas, which is purity.
The belief of Christmas, which is truth.
The all of Christmas, which is Christ.
-Wilda English

EMPTY CUPS, FULL HEARTS

I'd like to share the following as a word of praise for my husband . . .

It's Sunday evening and I am so joyful that Eric is coming home from work that I try to prepare an extra special dinner for him. We have not eaten dinner together since Wednesday because he has been working almost nonstop and I've missed him tremendously. By this time, I'm wiped out and forego the nice presentation I had hoped for, disdaining the thought of clean up so I succumb to paper plates, paper napkins, and plastic utensils.

When Eric arrives, everyone greets him with great excitement and news of the day. After he gets comfortable we sit down to a hot meal and he prays but before eating he turns his chair toward mine. Oh, here it comes, I am going to cry. He takes my feet upon on his lap, takes lotion and massages my feet. He does this every evening he is home from work (usually on the couch) so why would would I cry this time? My husband has not slept more than two hours in a row since Thursday night, he is literally almost passed out from exhaustion, he is unwell, and he probably hasn't eaten a meal all day because he rarely stops to take a lunch break at work. Yet he chooses to give all he has to show me his love.

It's Monday now and it still brings tears of gratitude to think of the sacrifices my husband is making for our family right now. It's difficult but he never complains. I am ashamed that I can't say that about myself. He could easily come home, eat and collapse in bed, yet he foregoes his own need of sleep and serves me instead. I am humbled and moved with gratitude to God for blessing me by Eric's model of servanthood and continual tenderhearted affection toward me.

His behavior reminds me of Jesus' words about what our response should be to God in Matthew 16:24b,

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."

Through my reading, I have also been reminded that as Christians, we must be like empty cups. We must be emptied of the junk the world throws our way. For instance, people around us say that we must get our needs met before we can love others or we must draw boundaries so that other people will not walk all over us. This is wrong! We should not hold back from others who don't treat us the way we would like, or wait to be shown love before we can demonstrate love and service to them.

"For whoever wants to save his life will lose it" v25a

Isn't it enough that we have a Father in heaven who showed us love by sending Jesus to take away our sin? He already knows our needs and will hear us when we humble ourselves and pour our hearts out to him. If we empty ourselves before him, God will not leave us empty! Peace comes when we choose to surrender our burdens to the one Person who can perfectly handle each one.

". . . but whoever loses his life for me will find it." v25b

Isn't it amazing that God has given us eternal life! How much more should we live for him, with an unshakable hope in our sovereign God, in spite of our circumstances. The way my husband demonstrated such love and service to me in spite of how he was feeling, motivates me to love God and others more even in times of great difficulty.

"What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done." v26-27

Alert Little Ears

Two and a half weeks ago our daughter turned five. Before heading down to SeaWorld to see Shamu, we took her to the mall to get her little ears pierced. Since then I have been reflecting on how teachable children are and how engaged their little ears really are. Who would have thought that our daughter would teach us and delight our hearts so much.

Let me share a few ways . . .

• Any time Sofia-Maree sees one of us or hears of someone else sad or ill, she drops everything and disappears for some time only to emerge later with a colorful card adorned by pastel butterflies, flowers, rainbows, little people etc and filled with words of love to cheer that person up.

• Recently when we were out, I had a brief opportunity to speak with someone about the Lord. On the way home, Sofia-Maree asked me about it then commented, "Mommy, it makes me so happy that you gave him that because he needed to hear the gospel!"

• There's nothing this girl loves like giving back to God. She regularly puts the majority of her $1 weekly allowance in her "Giving" jar (and sometimes she does this with gifted money).

• And her joyful giving to others . . . The first time she was ever taken out to spend her allowance savings, it was by her Grandma and she picked out a gift from the $1 section for everyone in the family except herself. Then she was worried that she might have missed someone and started through her list of friends until Grandma brought up that she should pick out something for herself.

• How often she takes a load off me by helping me with her younger brothers. Frequently I will come downstairs to find that she has dressed Braydon, made his bed, and sometimes she has even fed him breakfast! She gladly does housework like vacuuming, sets the table, helping me unload the dishwasher, cleaning mirrors and tiles etc.

• Last week a dear friend of ours came to babysit, who had never changed a diaper before. No worries, our daughter was right there to give her step by step instructions. (Conversely, I also discovered afterward that she is very good at making up new rules. That night she informed Christina that she and Braydon only had to eat two carrots at dinner time, could eat dinner while watching their Veggie Tales dvd, and that she was allowed to eat two and a half cookies for dessert. Huh??? Of course I had to keep from laughing when Christina shared this with me later.)

• And last week in the car, I was chiding Braydon for fussing over being woken up from his nap to go somewhere. The problem was that he had played about in his nap time rather than lying still to sleep. With the sweetest little voice Sofia-Maree chimed in, "Mommy, can I please tell Braydon something?" Then from a sweet to a sweet-authoritative tone, she continued, "Braydon, when I was a little girl, your age, I used to do the same thing. But I didn't have brothers. You have to stay in bed because then you're obeying Jesus." Too cute!

• I'll never forget another incident in the car when Sofia-Maree was our only child. She was not even two years old with a growing but small vocabulary. I had explained to Sofia-Maree that her hands and feet were made to use for Jesus; to show his love to other people. I really had no idea what she understood from what I was telling her. Then over a week later we were in the car when I experienced a moment of sadness and found myself sniffling as I was driving. From the backseat, I heard her little voice say, "Mommy sad?" to which I answered, "Yes, a little sad." Then I thought I heard the words, "Jesus' hand!" Of course I had to clarify because I had never heard her say the name Jesus before. "Sofia-Maree what did you say?" As I turned to glance at her, I could see her reaching out toward me as far as she could to offer me her tiny hand. A second time she spoke the words, "Jesus' hand!" Oh! Who would have thought that God would send the love and comfort of Jesus to me through the hands and heart of my little girl!

I marvel at this goodness from the hand of our Father. Children are one of his most beautiful gifts in this life. May we train them up in righteousness for his wonderful name's sake and be in awe of him for all eternity!

Praise the LORD, O my soul;

all my inmost being, praise his holy
name.
Praise the LORD, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits-
who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your
life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies
your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Psalm 103:1-5

SHINE LIKE STARS!

"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing." Philippians 2:14-16

Movie stars have often been referred to as "royalty" by the press, and are often treated by them as if they were demi-gods, by erecting statues in their honor, by preserving their footprints in cement, by museums enshrining their artifacts, and Halls of Fame to salute their deeds. Every month the Hollywood Walk of Fame unveils new stars in their illustrious sidewalk. While movie stars shine by capturing our imagination on screen, godly people transform our lives. As children of God, the people we hold in high esteem are those who shine by their pure and blameless lives, who work hard for Christ to hold out the word of life to us.

While we may not be striving to get a star on a sidewalk or our face on a billboard, we do have the opportunity to shine as godly people, by becoming a celebrity to one person . . . in God’s kingdom. We can have an enormous effect on others as we hold out the word of life through discipleship, one person at a time. With each person we disciple, we become stars who shine brighter and brighter for God’s glorious kingdom.

The word shine in this verse is translated from the Greek word “phenos” which is derived from “phos” and means “light” or “fire” as in the kind of heavenly light that surrounded angels when they appeared on earth. What a beautiful metaphor for how we appear as we share truth with others together with the spiritual purity of our lives.

As Paul stated in this verse, an important part of becoming blameless and pure excludes two things. Our lives will not shine if they are marked with complaining and arguing, or as my two year old would say, “No whining!” While both of these come naturally, a pure and blameless lifestyle doesn’t; as I have rediscovered in my own life this past week. It is a decision we must make to allow no inner debates or secret contentions within us, otherwise we will not be effective in the crooked and depraved generation around us. Paul felt so strongly about this exhortation that he based the value of his labor upon it. He was counting on the Philippians so that he could boast on the day of Christ that his work was not for nothing.

Partners is one ministry at Compass Bible Church that provides a powerful way for us to shine like stars and to also be able to boast on the day of Christ. Partners opens the door for every one of us to hold out the word of life in a more intimate setting if we are willing to labor in the way that Paul did. It is a wonderful setting designed for each partner to know the Lord more deeply through one-on-one learning and accountability.

Our culture measures the accomplishments of celebrities by household name recognition and their performance in the media. As Christians, our goal is not to achieve this kind of cultural “royalty” or even household name recognition but to store up accolades in heaven. This begins by sharing our lives with others one person at a time and continuously holding out the word of life. The best legacy we can leave is our investment in those we disciple, one by one.

"Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever." Daniel 12:3

Just as real stars in the universe cause us to look up in awe of their beauty, we are to shine as stars by our pure and blameless lives enough to cause those around us to lift their faces in awe of Jesus. Our joy is in knowing that in God’s kingdom only one name is recognized, Jesus Christ.

http://www.partnersprogram.org

This was an article I wrote a couple of years ago for the Partners newsletter.

FLASH BACK FRIDAY

I have been feeling nostalgic not just for my beautiful hometown of Sydney, but for my family there. This was taken in 2005 on a ferry in Sydney harbor with the Harbour Bridge and Opera House in the background. Watch for pictures in the slide soon!

MAKING PLAY DOUGH!

. . . and they made it from scratch!

Braydon says he is making a peanut butter sandwich and Sofia-Maree is making a Christmas tree with decorations (in sunny July?). What the pictures won't tell you is that as they play, my two oldest children are singing these words:

Jesus loves me, he who died

Heaven's gate to open wide

He will wash away my sin

Let the little child come in

Jesus take this heart of mine

Make it pure and wholly thine

On the cross you died for me

I will try to live for thee

I am so encouraged by their little hearts!

MY HONOR OR HIS?

"And you said, "The LORD our God has shown us his glory and his majesty"

Deut. 5:24a

This verse was the laser beam of sunlight I needed this morning, thanks to Spurgeon's devotion. How true it is that we naturally have a tendency to want our own honor. If our road is only smooth, we may only see a little of God's glory. I am finding that through these deep waters, I am being made aware of my weaknesses and my great need for sanctification. In this trial, my emotions may kick and scream but ultimately by a decision of my will, I yield to the King of kings and Lord of lords! " . . . they who do business in great waters,' these see his 'wonders in the deep.'” I am learning to say to him with more passion than ever, "Anything, anyplace, anywhere, anytime, I will follow you Lord." While I never would have naturally signed up for self-emptying of this kind, God is revealing his great lovingkindness to me and I am being shaped for the "outshinings of his glory".

Here are more words from the "prince of preachers" that spoke to my heart this morning:

"Man’s eye is not single, he has ever a side glance towards his own honour, has too high an estimate of his own powers, and so is not qualified to behold the glory of the Lord. It is clear, then, that self must stand out of the way, that there may be room for God to be exalted; and this is the reason why he bringeth his people ofttimes into straits and difficulties, that, being made conscious of their own folly and weakness, they may be fitted to behold the majesty of God when he comes forth to work their deliverance. He whose life is one even and smooth path, will see but little of the glory of the Lord, for he has few occasions of self-emptying, and hence, but little fitness for being filled with the revelation of God. They who navigate little streams and shallow creeks, know but little of the God of tempests; but they who “do business in great waters,” these see his “wonders in the deep.” Among the huge Atlantic-waves of bereavement, poverty, temptation, and reproach, we learn the power of Jehovah, because we feel the littleness of man. Thank God, then, if you have been led by a rough road: it is this which has given you your experience of God’s greatness and lovingkindness. Your troubles have enriched you with a wealth of knowledge to be gained by no other means: your trials have been the cleft of the rock in which Jehovah has set you, as he did his servant Moses, that you might behold his glory as it passed by. Praise God that you have not been left to the darkness and ignorance which continued prosperity might have involved, but that in the great fight of affliction, you have been capacitated for the outshinings of his glory in his wonderful dealings with you."

Spurgeon, C. H. (1995). Morning and evening : Daily readings (July 19 AM).

JACK TURNED ONE!

Here's the baby of our family on July 11, one year since he was born. What a delight he is to each of us!

Baby Penguin!

This is a true story written for my children by Jacqueline Johnson.

Here is this little story: Our friends have a five year old Downs Syndrome boy who was having a fabulous time at Sea World. In an instant his parents realized he had wandered off and in a panic they began to run in every direction, calling his name. After a few minutes others joined in. Finally, he was spotted….head to toe wet and muddy….running to his dad who scooped him up in relief and hugged him reassuringly! Upon arriving home they tucked him into his warm bed and opened up his back-pack … out popped the cutest little live penguin they had ever seen!!

We are sometimes like that little boy. We see or hear something that captures our total attention. We get caught up in the exciting moment and throw “caution to the wind”. The something may not bad, but it keeps us from following the best. God has given us a safety in times like these by giving us a daddy and mommy to protect us IF we choose to stay close where they can see and hear us. Listening and obeying …especially when we are in new places…keeps us alert to danger! When we disobey by slipping away where we cannot be heard or seen, we not only hurt ourselves…we hurt others. That little boys daddy and mommy were afraid because they love him. That little boy had been in water somewhere and could have been hurt. That little boy took something that was not his (baby penguin!). That little boy made a bad decision on his own…without asking permission of his parents. That little boy made it dangerous for the baby penguin. We need to stay under the umbrella of “protection”. The umbrella keeps the rain and pain of life from hitting us and gives peace and protection IF we stay under the umbrella. When we choose NOT to listen and go off on our own we walk out from under the umbrella and the protection is gone. This is, of course, true for us as adults, but our little ones can certainly identify with this little happy and excited boy!

by Jacqueline Johnson

When mommy was blogging . . .

someone was into the markers!

HOW TO CATCH A PENGUIN

A little over a week ago an incident involving a little boy with down syndrome, occurred at SeaWorld that left such a smile on my face when I learned about it. It was evening and a family had just returned home from SeaWorld when they called to share this with our friends. The family told how their little boy had gone missing in the park. When they finally did find him, he was covered from head to toe in mud. No one knew where he had been. After arriving home, they opened up their son's backpack and discovered a penguin inside!

This little boy decided he would catch himself a penguin, even if it meant abandoning mommy and daddy, and getting down and dirty in the process. This was a calculated move and he went for it.

I can hardly resist praising the ambition in this child! In this case it was directed at fulfilling his own desires, however, there is another kind of ambition that is right to strive for mentioned in the New Testament.

"Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him." 2 Co 5:9 NASB

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12-14 NIV

What about you? What - or for whom- are you living?

Just in case you were wondering, the family did arrange to return the penguin to SeaWorld immediately. :>)

- Yvonne

SEIZE THE DAY

The last few days, amidst my very blessed duties of wife, mommy, and ministry, I found myself feeling extra tired (due to a few sleepless nights). Unlike any other time in my life, I craved sleep. Then I read this morning from Spurgeon that if light and darkness divided time in the first day (Genesis 1:5), it is only natural to expect, "changes in my circumstances from the sunshine of prosperity to the midnight of adversity."

Of course those circumstances did not qualify for anything like a "midnight of adversity", but rather a feeling of sinking into the mire of the mundane when I really wanted to be heroically tackling the urgent and important demands of the day. Rather, this was the time for me to remember that whatever our sovereign Father ordains is wise and good! Regardless of the circumstances, I am learning that I need to crave contentment more than achievement, and to rejoice in His divine order.

"There is beauty both in sunrise and sunset, sing of it, and glorify the Lord. . . . Believe that the night is as useful as the day."

What if our three children could learn from us the song of thanksgiving even during adversity? At any given hour of the day in our home, one will hear the sound of our children singing, and Eric and I often hear them quietly singing themselves to sleep at night (yes even Jack, if cooing can pass for singing). What a delight! However, when Sofia-Maree gets an "owie" or Braydon misses his cherished nap and things don't go his way, how readily tears often replace the song.

May Eric and I strive to teach them to sing whether it's "the mingled song of judgment and mercy, trial and deliverance, of mourning and delight"! What a wonderful way to seize the day as we keep watch and hope for the absolute and greatest surprise of all, the return of our Savior!

"Every hour has its duty, do thou continue in thy calling as the Lord's servant until he shall suddenly appear in his glory."

- Yvonne

THE VOICES OF OUR CHILDREN

I leave for work most days hearing the voices of our children calling, "Daddy, Daddy, I love you!" I return home to the same robust greeting. Our daughter may ask if she can pray, or our son will hold up my wife's ipod and say "holy holy Lord!". I may hear our daughter recite a memory verse, or our son attempt to sing "Jesus Loves Me".

These are small but powerful reminders of what God has blessed me with as a father. Along with that blessing comes a great resonsibility to teach and train our children in the way of the Lord. I am blessed with three beautiful children who make my day and bring me much pleasure and enjoyment.

When I listen to our children's voices I remember the blessing from the Lord as well as the command in how I am to teach and raise them. Take a moment to reflect on the following words in Psalm 119:9-16 and Psalm 127.

Psalm 119:9-16
"How can a young man keep his way pure?
By living according to your word.
I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.
Praise be to you, O Lord;
teach me your decrees.
With my lips I recount
all the laws that come from your mouth.
I rejoice in following your statutes
as one rejoices in great riches.
I meditate on your precepts
and consider your ways.
I delight in your decrees;
I will not neglect your word."

Psalm 127
"Unless the Lord builds the house,
its builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain.
In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep toa those he loves.
Sons are a heritage from the Lord,
children a reward from him.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are sons born in one’s youth.
Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their enemies in the gate."

- Eric

WELCOME!

We are so excited to share our lives with you and the great things God is doing in them on our very first Foust family blog site!

You can expect to hear whatever the latest Foust news is, peruse our pictures, and take a peek into our daily lives as we post our thoughts here and there. We heartily invite you to dialogue with us by adding your comments because we especially want to hear from you too. Look for new features to our site as we become more blog savvy.

Most of all our desire is to give praise to our mighty and awesome Creator!

Thanks for visiting.

With joy,
Eric & Yvonne

PS. A giant thank you to our friends, BOBBY & CHRISTA BLAKEY, for the inspiration and for sitting with us late at night to get us started! (Click on their links, "GODSONG MUSIC" and "BLAKEY BLOG" below).