Merry Christmas 2009!

Our family had a very blessed Christmas celebration! We rejoice in the birth of our Savior! We share with you again this year the Christmas letter that I (David) read to the family prior to opening our gifts for the purpose of setting our minds on what is truly important! May this letter be a blessing to all of you!

As we celebrate the birth of our blessed Savior, may our thoughts and attention not primarily be on the gifts that we are giving or receiving, but may our foremost focus be on the gift that God has provided to us through His Only Son, the Lord Jesus! It is Christ alone that brings true meaning and purpose behind each and every day of our lives! That meaning and purpose is amplified during this very special time of observing the miracle of the entrance of the promised Messiah into the world! This year it is my sincere prayer that our Christmas celebration will accomplish the following objectives:

• First, that it will be honoring to our Savior’s Name
• Second, that it will create many special family memories that we will each treasure for a lifetime
• Third, that it will knit our hearts even stronger to one another

We have much to celebrate as it is through the miracle of the manger when God became man and made His dwelling among us that we have one of the essential parts of the plan of salvation! The Gospel of John tells us the following:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:1, 14 KJV)

What an amazing statement that the very Word of God took on human form and dwelt among us! This Christmas may our hearts be filled with gratitude for the Word and the incredible privilege that the Lord has provided us by allowing us to know this Word personally and intimately! This gratitude for the Word should lead us to action and may our hearts be invigorated in our commitments to the Holy One of Israel. First, may each of us have a commitment to more deeply know the nature and character of the One who is called the King of the Jews. There is no better way to get to know Him than to communicate with Him through the diligent reading of His Word and the consistent prayer showing our love and dedication to coming into His presence! Second, may each one of us have stronger resolve to apply what we learn to every aspect of our lives. May we not fall into the trap of segregating our lives into areas that are sacred and those that are secular, but may we seek to take every thought, word, and deed into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Third, may each of us be ready to share the truth that God communicates to us with those whom we come into contact. May our hearts be right as we proclaim the precepts, patterns, and principles of Holy Scripture to others clothed in an attitude of gentleness and respect.

Indeed, this time is very special and dear as we gather together and remember what the Bible teaches us about Jesus entering this world in the fullness of time for the purpose of carrying out God’s perfect plan of redemption. The memories that I have of celebrating Christmas together as a family in past years are very precious and sweet! May this year carry with it many joyous and special times that we will treasure for a lifetime! What a blessing it is to have each one of you with which to celebrate this very blessed occasion!

Jill, my dearly beloved help-meet, I am so grateful to have you as my precious bride and wife! You are so special and dear to me and I want you to specifically know how much I appreciate all of your preparations for making our Christmas at home such a memorable time for all of us in this household.

Jordan, I appreciate your willingness to work in so many ways to help get everything ready for this special day! As you continue to grow and mature in godly manhood, may you know that I will seek to be your guide to help you in establishing a firm foundation on which you can build for the future.

Aidan, it is such a blessing to see how grateful and excited you get about giving and receiving presents. You show such a delight at describing the features of the gifts that you give or receive, which in turn is a great encouragement to everyone else in this family!

Amara, thank you for being in training for a keeper at home and may you always find joy in preparing for each special occasion! I so appreciate your willingness to care for your baby sister to enable others to get ready for our Christmas celebration and for your desire to help wrap gifts that were not your own to give.

Tirzah, what a delight it is to have you in our family for your very first Christmas (outside of the womb) and while you likely will not remember this day, we hope that our pictures, videos, and even this letter will show to you the importance that we placed on making this day special for you! We are very blessed to have you added to this household and my prayer is that you will become a godly girl and a woman of great virtue!

You each have a very special place in my heart and I am so blessed to have you as part of my dear and precious family! I love you all very dearly!! Merry Christmas to each and every one of you!

5 Months!

Our Tirzah is 5 months old! I cannot believe how quickly the time has passed. She is such a delight! She laughs often and smiles at nearly everyone.

We love watching her grow. We pass various developmental milestones with mixed feelings. We are so thrilled to see her do something new (grab for a toy, laugh, roll over...). It is exciting and we cheer her on. But it is also bittersweet, knowing she is a baby for such a short time. The time passes all too quickly as it is. How sad that so many people wish the time away. You will never get it back. You can look at pictures, but it is not the same, of course.

We are so blessed.

Here she is at almost 5 months old. Her daddy loves to stand her on the floor like this because she looks so tiny compared to our heights! Too cute. She likes it, too, can you tell?

~J

Baby Laughs

This isn't the best (of course she laughs more when we're not filming), but it's fun anyway.

It is from the end of October when Tirzah was 3 1/2 months old.

~J

Happy 13th Birthday, Aidan!

We rejoice today in our home as we celebrate the 13th birthday of our son, Aidan!

Aidan, you are a blessing from the Lord and we are very thankful to have you as part of this family! This year we offer the following prayers for your birthday:

• We pray that you will have a love for the Lord and for His Holy Word! May you grow in your relationship with God and may you always be looking for ways that you can apply what is outlined in Scripture to how you live each day.

• We pray that you will always be fighting against the battle of the flesh and will seek to live a life that is holy and pleasing to the Lord!

• We pray that you will have joy in every situation that God places you in life. May you know that the God that you serve has a plan and a purpose that specifically includes you! May that truth give you joy, hope, and encouragement as you look to the future that is before you.

• We pray that you will be a good testimony of God's grace and mercy through your words and your actions. May all that you do be a witness of the power of God that is able to make all things new!

• We pray that you will always see children as a gift of God, just as the Bible teaches. Your love for your new baby sister Tirzah has been a great encouragement to us as we watch your excitement over the growth and development of this new addition to our family. May you learn much about the training and care of children in preparation for fatherhood as you grow up with your siblings.

• We pray that you will know that you are special and dearly loved! Your positive outlook, your desire to lift up those that are hurting, and your ability to make others laugh are just some of the reasons that you are such a blessing to your family.

May these prayers for you be a blessing to you and may you know that we are excited to be celebrating this special occasion with you today! There is great significance to the turning of 13 years old and we are glad that we can share this milestone with you!

Happy 13th Birthday, Aidan!

Yorktown!

Yorktown

This day is the 228th anniversary of the most famous battle of the War for Independence--Yorktown. The Yorktown campaign began when Lord Cornwallis advanced into Virginia from the Carolinas. The Marquis de Lafayette was sent, with a small army, to distract and occupy the British. As a result of Lafayette's clever strategies, Cornwallis encamped at Yorktown. A map will show you that Yorktown is located along the Chesapeake Bay and the James River. Cornwallis' hope was that the Royal Navy would sail down the James, pick up him and his troops, and drop them off at New York City to join General Clinton. The British Navy was sent to Yorktown, but so was Admiral de Grasse and his fleet of French ships. The fleets met on September 5th, and fought a hard battle. The French won and blockaded Yorktown.









Now Cornwallis was trapped both by the French Navy and the Allied army, which had marched down secretly from New York. However, he hoped that either General Clinton would send help or his cavalry commander, Banastre Tarleton, could escape from his post across the James River. However, the French and Americans blockading Tarleton had other plans and beat back Tarleton's attack in the Battle of the Hook (October 3rd).

The Americans had powerful French artillery to pound Cornwallis' fortifications. Washington fired the first shot, which ushered in a tremendous bombardment. The Americans fired heavily for days, and the British attempted to reply with their cannons. The allies were constructing a second siege line, but two small forts, called redoubts, blocked their way. The Americans and French stormed the redoubts and finished their siege line. When it was completed, they unleashed their cannon fire at point-blank range.

Cornwallis realized he had to run. His plan was simple: ferry his soldiers across the James River, join Tarleton, attack to end Tarleton's blockade, and congratulate themselves for getting out of this mess. In the evening, his boats were ready, but (providentially) a storm blew in that night. Only a few soldiers made it across the river until Cornwallis called it off.

Shortly thereafter, Cornwallis sent to negotiate surrender terms, and, on October 19, the British army in Yorktown surrendered. While this was not the final battle, it was the last major battle and also marked the beginning of the end of the War for Independence.

~The Historiographer

Happy Birthday to My Beautiful Bride!

God has given me such a blessing in my dearly beloved wife, Jill, and with today being her birthday, it is a great day to proclaim my gratitude for this godly woman! May this post be a joyful read to all and especially to the precious bride that I wed!

Jill, I thank you for being a committed Christian seeking to uphold the Word of Truth and consistently working to not compromise with unbiblical methods.


Jill, I am grateful for your love, your loyalty, and your companionship as my life partner.


Jill, I truly appreciate all that you do for our family, including the role that you play in educating our children, the care that you take in planning and cooking nutritious meals, and the sacrifices that you make in giving of yourself to others (which is particularly evident in your care of Tirzah, our new little bundle of joy).


Jill, I am blessed to be laboring with you in the field that God has given to us in our family as we seek to raise a godly seed for the glory of our Lord and Savior.


Jill, I am excited about the future that God has planned for us, knowing that He has prepared good works for us to do in advance (Ephesians 2:10).

Happy Birthday, my dearly beloved! I love you dearly and I am so blessed to be celebrating this day and every day with you at my side!

Celebrating God's Providential Hand at The Battle of Quebec on Its 250th Anniversary!

+ Map of the Battle of Quebec

Today is the 250th Anniversary of the Battle of Quebec! The Battle of Quebec was a relatively short, one-hour battle which sealed the fate of New France (now Canada). God’s Providential hand was clearly evident in this battle, especially in the perilous ascent of the British army up the cliffs to the Plains of Abraham. Historian William Potter chose this battle as one of his topics in “Providential Battles: Twenty Battles that Changed the World” (available at http://www.visionforum.com/).

The French cause in the New World was rapidly growing dim. Forts Duquesne, Ticonderoga (known to the French as Fort Carillon), Louisburg and other French possessions had fallen into British hands. Only Quebec and Montreal were left under command of the French. The British determined to take Quebec, and appointed Major General James Wolfe as commander of the expedition.

The British army encircled Quebec, but the French inhabitants could sustain a long siege- especially because French vessels were bringing them provisions. Wolfe attempted a landing on July 31, but the French, under the Marquis de Montcalm, beat them off. The British sustained around 500 casualties, while the French only lost about 60. Montcalm’s troops were jubilant at this victory. Some even thought that this would be the end of the British attempt to take Quebec. Montcalm, however, was more cautious. He kept his horse saddled and ready for battle, because he thought that the British would attack again. Events proved him right.

St Anse de Foulon, an opening at the cliffs, was the British landing target. It was defended by about 100 Canadian militiamen under the French veteran, Captain de Vergor. Some of Montcalm’s officers implored him to guard this critical point with more soldiers, but he merely replied that 100 soldiers would hold off an attack until morning.

On September 12, his sentries heard boats. Vergor, however, had been told that a supply convoy was expected that night. No one has yet explained why it was cancelled and why Captain Vergor was not warned. Another French officer usually patrolled the cliffs on horseback, but one of his horses was stolen and his two others were lame, so he decided (apparently) that he could take a break for one night. One regiment of French troops was also guarding the Plains of Abraham, but Governor Vaudreil had pulled them back to Quebec. Thus, when the British landed, they had no enemies on the plains except the 100 militia. Is it not odd that both the French officer and the French regiment were not able to patrol the Plains on the very night the British landed?

A suspicious French sentry challenged the boats, but an unknown officer of the 78th Highlanders answered him in French, thus dismissing any suspicion. The British had, as a matter of fact, landed at the wrong place. Instead of the opening, the English landed at the base of the cliffs. Twenty-four men fought their way up the cliffs and onto the road, keeping a sharp lookout for any Frenchmen. There were none on the road, so the rest of the British army quickly surprised and captured Vergor and his militiamen. One of them escaped and ran for Quebec, to warn the Marquis de Montcalm. Montcalm’s aide-de-camp thought that the man had gone mad, dismissed him, and promptly went back to sleep. The British had staged a diversion at Beauport, which occupied Montcalm’s attention.

It was only on the morning of the 13th that General Montcalm learned the truth: the British had successfully landed and were now on the Plains of Abraham. He determined to attack the British, for, “If we give him [the enemy] time to establish himself, we shall never be able to attack him with the troops we have.” The French army sent to meet the British numbered about 5,000 men while the British had about 4,500 soldiers. Montcalm formed his lines up in proper European battle formation. (Consult the map as to how the armies were arranged.)

Montcalm had 5 regular regiments, and two battalions of militia. He put the militia on his flanks and his regular regiments in the center. Near the center of the battlefield was a slight hill. The French troops drifted around it, thus weakening the center. The center, however, would take the brunt of the British volleys.

The French Canadian militia and British troops were fighting hard on the left flank, but the main bodies of each army were waiting for the enemy to make their move. At last, General Montcalm ordered a volley at too far a distance to be effective. After the volley, the French regulars charged the British, who let them approach quite close. At 35 yards or so away, the British unleashed an almost point-blank volley into the French lines. Another British volley served to destroy the French lines, who fled back to Quebec. But for the Canadian militia skirmishing and covering the retreat, the battle might have ended worse for the French regulars.

General Wolfe, who was with the front lines of the British, was shot three times, the last one being mortal. As he lay on the ground, a soldier called, “See them run!” “Who?” asked General Wolfe. “The French,” was the reply. “Now, God be praised, I will die in peace,” said General Wolfe, and died shortly thereafter. After General Wolfe died, his brigadier general, George Townshend, took command of the British, and had to beat off a powerful French attack under Colonel Bourgainville. Had the French under Bourgainville arrived sooner, the British would have been squeezed between the Colonel’s column (who attacked the British rear) and Montcalm’s army. Even had Bourgainville attacked harder when he arrived, the French might have carried the day. However, all of this is conjecture since the British soundly beat Colonel Bourgainville’s column, who retreated.

General Montcalm was also wounded, but he lingered until the morning of the 14th. He remarked that he was glad that he would not see the surrender of Quebec. Governor Vaudreuil also did not see the surrender of Quebec, but for different reasons. He and much of the army fled Quebec after this battle. The Governor relocated to Montreal, but he could not escape when the British took that city, only a year or so later. This battle sealed the fate of Quebec, and the French, under the Governor’s deputy, who was left in the city, surrendered only a few days later.

The Chevalier de Levis attacked the British a year later in the Battle of Sainte-Foy. This was the last major battle of the French and Indian War, but it is often overlooked. In a fierce battle, de Levis drove the British out of everywhere except the city itself. The Chevalier did not have the resources to undertake a siege, and a British fleet was coming, so he departed his position surrounding the city.

God’s Providential Hand is clearly evident in this critical battle. Why should that French officer’s horses have been out of commission on the day the British landed? Why should Captain Vergor not have been notified at the change in plans regarding the convoy? Why should the French regiment have been moved off the Plains of Abraham that night? Why should Bourgainville not have arrived sooner? Why should all of these events favored the British if God’s hand was not in it? God was clearly aiding the British Army to take Quebec, and ultimately Canada.

~The Historiographer

Major General James Wolfe

General the Marquis de Montcalm

Brigadier General George Townshend, Wolfe's deputy commander


General Montcalm rallying his troops



Battle of Quebec



General Wolfe's army ascends the Plains of Abraham