Dear Friends and Family:

Here we are at the start of 2009, wondering what happened to 2008!  Here are a few highlights from the past year in the Difino household!

Jim and Linda stayed busy with family, work, and church responsibilities.  As the chairman of the deacons at Lombard Gospel Chapel, Jim spent most of the year heavily involved in our recently completed building project. During the spring and summer months, Linda’s work took her to homeschool conventions all over the U.S, and copywriting, tutoring, homeschool consulting, and babysitting enabled her to work from home during the remainder of the year.  Sunday school, AWANA, music ministry, and the regular demands of homeschooling and family life kept both of us busy. But by far, the biggest highlight of our year was a summer trip to Tennessee to celebrate Linda’s folks’ 50^th wedding anniversary. Mom and Dad, along with all the kids, spouses, and grandkids, spent a whole week vacationing together in the beautiful Smoky Mountains!  What a wonderful time we had hiking, splashing in mountain streams, and relaxing on our big front porch overlooking the mountains!

Darcy, 21, will soon begin her final semester at Northern Illinois University.  She just completed her 1^st grade student-teaching assignment and had a wonderful time!  She is living at home this year and has gotten quite involved in ministry and social life at the chapel. After one more semester of classes, she will graduate in May. We’re all hoping and praying that Darcy will be able to find a teaching job that will keep her close to home!!

Janna, 20, is also living at home right now while pursuing her college degree in a slightly less traditional manner.  She is earning “credits by examination” and has accumulated 63 college credits in the past 14 months!  She hopes to earn her bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences by December of 2009!  Janna also babysits regularly for a local family and is enjoying getting more involved with the college and career group at the chapel.

Nina, 18, is in her final year of high school (still homeschooled!) and is considering what the Lord might have in store for her future.  She went on a youth group missions trip this summer that the Lord used to increase her interest in missions and ministry. It will be exciting to see how the Lord leads her in the days ahead. Currently, watching hockey and enjoying time spent with friends from youth group are the highlights of Nina’s life!

Jimmy, 5, will begin (officially) Kindergarten in the fall. He is already “doing school” several days each week and loves it…most of the time! His current obsession with roller coasters and fast rides keeps him screaming through the house at breakneck speed!  A Christmas trip to Stormy Lake included MANY fast rides down a snowy hill on a tube!  He LOVED it!

All in all, 2008 was a wonderful year spent enjoying God’s rich provision for our family.  We are especially thankful to him for the friends and family that he has blessed us with!

May God richly bless you in 2009!

post election trauma
thats what im having
not because of who won
no, i'm confident in my God
i know, he knows
but i wonder to myself
as i observe the amount
of my believing friends
who voted for the elected
what now has this Church
that i belong to become?
is this a Church that
no longer believes in the
sanctity of life?
no longer believes in the
right of the family?

this is my post election trauma
not for the sake of my country
but for the sake of my church
to choose lower taxes over life
seems hardly fair to me
but i guess it's not for me to judge
but if this is the American Church
LEAVE ME OUT!

"Patrick Joshua is the Director of the National Prayer Network (India) and a father figure to the prayer movement in India. Because of a special burden for our nation, he visited the United States twice in recent months, including a trip to Houston. Patrick believes the U.S. is at a very critical time in history, the impact of which will be felt around the world. During his visits, Patrick told the story of God's intervention in India in 2004, in response to the fervent, united prayers of His intention of turning their nation in a direction that would make it almost impossible for Christians to share or practice their faith. Those forces had the momentum and the numbers, as the Christian population in India is a minority - by some estimates representing only 6% of the 1.1 billion people in the nation.

"The situation was desperate. Many thought it was impossible. So they turned to the God of the impossible and began to pray. In cities and states; across their nation, a movement of united, fervent prayer arose, but with a unique focus. They weren't praying for particular candidates or political parties.  Instead they were praying for the person of righteousness, the person of God's choosing, to be elected in every elected office.

"Right up until the day of the election every poll and pundit predicted the election would be a landslide for those who were opposed to the gospel.  When the votes were counted, however, the results revealed a different story. In district after district those candidates and political allies who opposed the gospel had been soundly defeated. At a national level they were out of power. Needless to say the press and the pundits were stunned.  No one saw it coming.

"So what happened?  It seems God heard the cries of His people and touched the hearts of the voters as they went into the voting booths.  Some believe a corporate conviction came upon the people and they indeed voted for the person of righteous, the person of God's choosing. This was seen most dramatically in the states and regions where prayer was the most concentrated and fervent. In one of those states, laws that restricted the advance of the gospel were immediately repealed.

"While our situation is certainly different, Patrick believes we are at a critical crossroad. He has encouraged us to follow a similar pattern in prayer for our upcoming election. Here's the pattern for prayer as we approach our election."

1. Those running for office nationally: Instead of praying for specific candidates or political parties - Pray that the person of righteousness, the person of God's choosing, would be selected in every congressional district, every senate race and for the office of President.
   
   Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people. (Psalm 14: 34)


2. Those running for office at the state and local level: Pray that the person of righteousness, the person of God's choosing, would be selected in every elected office at the state and local levels. 
   
   When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan. (Proverbs 29:2)
   
3. Those voting: Pray that each person voting will be convicted to vote for the person of righteousness, the person of God's choosing, in each elected office and in each ballot initiative. Pray for God's Presence to overshadow each person as they make their decision. 
   
   The Spirit of the Lord will be upon him - the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord – and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.  He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears.
   (Isaiah 11:2-3)
   
4. Those involved in the election process: Pray that every official involved in the election process would serve with honesty and integrity of heart. 
   
   The Lord abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his delight. (Proverbs 11:1)
   
5. Those praying: Pray that God would empower intercessors and people across the nation and around the world to call out to Him day and night in extraordinary prayer during this season. 
   
   And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a Spirit of grace and supplication.  (Zechariah 12:10)
   
6. The Church: Pray that the Church would be fully awakened, engaged and empowered during this critical season. Pray that we would understand the urgency and importance of this election and the implications for the advancement of God's purposes in our nation and around the world. 
   
   The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.  (Isaiah 9:7)
   
7. Our nation: Pray that God's plans and purposes for our nation would be established during this election season. Pray that we would be a nation who follows God and is a blessing to the nations of the earth. 
   
   Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  (Matthew 6:10)
   

Don't be a stranger, Arby. 

Now there's one last thing that we need to know.

Was it because we didn't do anything about the goat?

• "Babies are easier when they're on the inside."  This little bit of wisdom was uttered by the 6-year old daughter of a very pregnant friend of mine.  I asked her if she was excited for her baby brother to be born. Her response? "Nope, babies are easier when they're on the inside."  You know, there's a lot of truth to that!
  

• You've got the best ever excuse to sit with your feet up and read, listen to music, eat bonbons, watch the Cubs win the world series....whatever makes you happy! You won't have this privilege again for a long time...if ever!

• I know you're not quite as old as I was, but it's possible that this will be your last pregnancy. It's a miracle from beginning to end. Don't wish it away.

• And of course, before too long you'll be sitting in the hospital looking like this:
  

 “And I come here as a Mom whose girls are the heart of my heart and the center of my world -- they're the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning, and the last thing I think about when I go to bed at night. Their future—and all our children's future—is my stake in this election.”

–Michelle Obama, Democratic National Convention

I don’t often listen to the radio, but I was in the car the other day, so I decided to listen to what people were saying about the Democratic goings on in Denver.  To say that the radio waves were awash with sloppy sentimentalism would be the understatement of the year.  According to the talk show host I was listening to, Michelle Obama’s speech on Monday evening was “very possibly the most inspiring speech ever given at a convention.”  Listeners who called into the station described Mrs. Obama as “sincere”, “honest” and “heartfelt”.

Which raises a question in my mind.  Was she really being sincere? 

“...that’s why I love this country.”  

Was Michelle Obama sincere on Monday night when she expressed her love of country, or was she being sincere in February when she stated, “For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country.” ?  Is Michelle Obama in love with her country simply because her country is falling in love with her husband and his ideology?  What if John McCain wins in November?  Will she go back to being ashamed of the country where, by her own admission, “the only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.”?

Andrew Sullivan of the Daily Dish called Mrs. Obama’s speech “One of the best, most moving, intimate, rousing, humble, and beautiful speeches I've heard from a convention platform. Maybe she should be running for president.”

Excuse me?  Does being an eloquent speaker really make you qualified to run for president?  I’ll admit that Michelle Obama’s speech was both articulate and emotionally compelling.  However, her eloquence in no way erases the questions I have concerning her husband’s suitability for the office of the presidency.  Should an eloquent speech by the wife of a presidential candidate really influence the votes of the American people? The fact that Americans are getting caught up in the compelling power of the rhetoric scares me more than anything.  Do we really believe that Mrs. Obama’s “emotional connection” with the American people means that her husband is competent to lead our nation?  Do we really think that Mrs. Obama’s articulation of how much both she and her husband love their children somehow makes Barack qualified to be one of the most powerful leaders of the free world? 

And since we’re on the subject of children…

“That’s why he’s running—…to make sure every child in this nation gets a world class education all the way from preschool to college. That’s what Barack Obama will do as President of the United States of America.”

I take issue with the Obama’s attempt at convincing me that they really care about my kids.  They talk about caring, but when push comes to shove, Barack Obama’s record (and rhetoric) has shown that he cares more about political power than doing what’s right for children.  He cares more about pandering to special interest groups than endorsing programs that could actually help our children. 

In support of their own children’s best interests, the Obama’s have chosen to spend somewhere between $30,000 and $40,000 per year to send their daughters to the private University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, one of the nation’s best prep schools.  A timeline of Obama’s wishy-washy support of school choice vouchers and charter schools provides some perspective on just how far out on a limb Obama is willing to go in support of our children’s best interests.  In 2002, when asked about school vouchers in an interview with Jeff Berkowitz, host of Public Affairs, a Chicago area cable talk show, Barack Obama said, “I would support anything that is going to be better off [in education] for the children of Illinois…whatever is on the table I think has to be debated.”  But in a 2003 Public Affairs interview, Berkowitz again asked Obama about his support of vouchers.  His reply reversed his previous position. “What I said was--I think that we have to consider every possibility of improving what admittedly is an intolerable school system for a lot of inner-city kids. I do not believe in vouchers. I am a strong supporter of charter schools, as you know.” 

But even that position changed when Barack Obama addressed the National Education Association on July 5, 2007.  Jeff Berkowitz voiced his concern about Obama’s latest flip-flop on his blog, Public Affairs, saying: “Speaking today to the NEA, the nation’s largest teachers’ union, Obama decided to pander with the best of the pandering presidential candidates, telling the assembled teachers that he would not “abandon public schools,” by handing out school vouchers. Instead, Obama is going to abandon the kids in the failing public schools and make sure they have no way out, whether it be via school vouchers or charter schools. Obama’s solution? Investing “billions of dollars,” in teachers by “raising teachers salaries.”  So in other words, Barack Obama supports school choice, but only for his own kids and anyone else who can afford to pay for the privilege of choice.

It would seem that when he’s discussing our nation’s educational crisis, Obama has proven that what he really means when he says “Change You Can Believe In”, is “Change you can’t count on unless you’re rich enough to pay for it.”  An editorial on the IBD (Investors Business Daily) Editorials website states it quite clearly, “While Obama's children enjoy the best education money can buy, he wants to deny inner-city children the education change we can believe in — school choice. He prefers cradle-to-diploma collectivist education.”  

I’m glad Michelle Obama loves her children.  I love my children, too.  And that’s exactly why I’m NOT voting for her husband.

Arby tagged me.  Thanks, Arby...all work and no play IS making Prodoceo a dull girl!!  And if you haven't read his 6 quirky things....be sure and head over to his blog.  The guy is very funny.