Fruitbearers

2011 was a memorable year for us. We're thankful for all of God's blessings. What a mighty & awesome God we serve! 1. In Jan., we went cross country skiing at Timberline Lodge (admiring Mt. Hood) and Glacier View Snow Park. And in Feb., we went sledding at Bald Peak State Park. 2. In May, our daughter, Alyssa, got inducted into the Steps for Life Hall of Fame since she had raised over $10,000 for the Pregnancy Resource Centers. 3. From July 7th to 10th, we took an all-expense-paid trip to Colorado. I won the Celebrate Life Contest hosted by Focus on the Family the previous year. I posted about our experience here . 4. On July 23rd, Alyssa celebrated her double milestones. She turned 18 and had her high school graduation party. We're so proud of our first homeschool graduate! Eric (my husband/her Daddy) wrote a song for Alyssa, played the piano, and sang to her at the graduation ceremony. Alyssa shared about our Colorado trip and her graduation party on her ...

ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Jay Loecken grew up on an eighty-acre hobby farm in Minnesota as the youngest of three boys. His upbringing was solid with loving parents who were always encouraging him to try new things. He grew up in a Christian home, but his faith really began to develop during his sophomore year at Northwestern College while living in Dublin, Ireland for the summer and working with Greater Europe Mission. That’s when the Bible began to come to life for him and he began developing his own convictions. Beth Loecken’s upbringing could not have been any more different. She grew up in Kansas City in a Catholic home as the youngest of six children. Her mother battled depression and eventually committed suicide when Beth was only five. Beth’s father retreated into alcoholism, leaving her in a chaotic and unstable environment where she was often abused. After graduating from high school, she moved to New York where she discovered her first true love—Jesus. He offered her a love and...