Good Friday

Today is Good Friday, a special day set aside to remember Jesus' death on the cross. Isaiah 53:5 says, "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." Every one of us deserved the death penalty as punishment for our sins, but Jesus Christ received it for us, though he was perfect, without sin.

He committed the ultimate action of compassion, for "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) He has given us the opportunity to live for Him on the earth, so that we can live with Him for eternity. Our desire for each and every one of you today, and every day, comes from Ephesians 3:17b-19, "And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fulness of God."

New Phone Number!

We have a very important announcement! Take note! Freedom's Call's new phone number is (218) 759-2249! Our 444-3881 number has been disconnected. We are sorry for the inconvenience, but we hope to hear from you soon! Feel free to contact us by phone or through email. Our address is info@freedomscallband.com.

Adventures in Arizona

Amy, our cousin Thom, and I (Hannah) went to Arizona to spend Christmas with our grandparents! This was the third time Amy and I have gone together. We spent a few days with Amy's grandparents (Bop & Nanny) in Delano before we left. We always have a wonderful time. It's nice to get a break from all the snow once in a while! Although, when we got there, it was colder in Wickenburg, AZ than in Minneapolis, MN!! We were a little disappointed that it wasn't warm but we still had a great time!

[Hannah so graciously said that I (Amy) could add my comments to this blog since we had so much fun making these memories together. ]

We arrived in AZ on Christmas night

We visited Grandpa and Grandma's friends Howard and Dorothy.

We did some yoga. (not really!)

[Just so ya' know, we don't agree with the principles of yoga, but we couldn't resist the photo opportunities by Grandpa and Grandma's beautiful patio fountain :-).]

I cooked Amy!

[If you haven't guessed yet, we get a little silly when people give us cameras! Here, Hannah attempts to roast me on a spit. Thanks a lot, Hannah!]

We saved the world from this flying comet!

[All in a day's work!]

We had our hair highlighted by Howard and Dorothy's daughter Lori

[I was thinking about using this for my yearbook photo. Well, maybe not!]

We met a few friends along the way. (Amy was so fresh with this young man I hardly got a word in edge wise!)

[Ya' think you might have gotten that switched around a little?]

Yes, we do a lot of things in Arizona: exercise, save the world, get beautified, and everything else under the sun! I can't wait until next year!

Some Great Books

These past two years God has been speaking to me (Katelyn) through many great books. Because of these books, I have seen the importance of being a woman for God. I always thought that I didn’t like to read nonfiction books until I read these, and now I can’t get enough! I would like to share with you some of these inspiring books.

The book “So Much More” has become one of my favorite books. It is written by the Botkin sisters who were only 19 and 17 at the time they wrote it! It talks about the unique father/daughter relationship that God has ordained. This book explains the true future of femininity. I have learned so much from these two sisters. This past summer they also produced a video titled “Return of the Daughters” that interviews young women from around the country and shows how they have taken the ideas of femininity to heart with their fathers. www.visionarydaughters.com

The book “His Chosen Bride” is currently unavailable because they are combining volumes one and two. I enjoyed how Jennifer Lamp took each part of the Proverbs 31 woman and explained how these parts can be applied to today. Keep looking for when it is available! www.hisgraceworks.com

“His Princess” is a book that my mom gave to me for my birthday a few years ago. It is a beautiful book written by Sheri Rose Shepherd, which is full of “Love Letters from Your King.” Each letter is based on a verse in the Bible that gives words of encouragement to us as believers. When I visited her website, I also found many other books that I want to read someday. www.hisprincess.com

A book that I am still reading is “The Hope Chest: A Legacy of Love.” This past October when I turned 17 my Grandparents gave me a hope chest, so last Christmas, I received this great book. Its pages are filled with information about the history of the hope chest, what should go in the hope chest, and many other important ideas for the hope chest. I would encourage you to visit www.hopechestlegacy.com to see many ideas to start a hope chest. There are also party ideas, tea time recipes, and many other great ideas.If you haven’t read these books, I would encourage you to read them! They are full of knowledge that will help you grow in your relationship with God, just as they have helped me.