Baptism

Here are a before and after picture of Alex at baptism a few weeks ago. He was so serious and then so joyful. It was such a blessing to have Uncle Greg baptize Alex.

One of the coolest things was that when we were praying as a family on the Saturday night before baptism, Alex prayed "that the Holy Spirit would pour out on him when he was baptized." WOW!

The following are just some of my favorites from that afternoon.

Food for Thought Tuesday

Beauty from ashes

works all things to the good

life abundant

He restores

He redeems

He makes all things new

Today I am Thankful for...

...the little reminders of God's character. Earlier this week just after some storms blew through the area there was a rainbow. We happened to be driving at this time and the rainbow had become very bright, Jackson commented "It's one of God's masterpieces." This comment then led to an amazing discussion with my kids about God. Another little reminder came in the form of a hymn sing at our staff meeting. Those old hymns have a way of speaking to my heart and soul that is different than contemporary worship songs.


...a chance to meet Alex's new teacher. She is new to the school, but not to teaching. She is amazingly structured in her classroom, but not so much that she doesn't allow for the kids to be themselves and to learn without being left behind. I think it is going to be an amazing year for Alex. I would guess that half of the class were all friends from church before this year started. I am excited to see what God has in store for this class, teacher, and school. It's going to be powerful!


...an amazing time of prayer and Bible study with my husband last night. We were able to go to the church for Third Wednesday prayer between the class meeting and picking up the kids. This gave us a chance to talk and pray together on our knees. It was powerful. Then after the kids were in bed we spent time together working on a new Bible study that we are working through individually, as a couple, and with our small group. Again, I can't wait to see what God has in store for us.

Food for Thought Tuesday

Psalm 51:1-2, 7, 10, 16-17

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all m iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Food for Thought Tuesday

On Wednesday. (Running a little behind this week.)


I have had the lines of a worship song running through my head for the past week or so. I hope that you can find encouragement from these words as well.

For Your endless love

For the life you gave

For the second chance

For Your priceless grace

For Your healing touch

For the gift of peace

For the blessed hope

For the faith to believe

For these reasons I praise You

For these reasons I worship You

For these reasons I live to tell of Your love to all the world

As I re-read these lyrics I was struck by the fact that I have done nothing on my own. Without God I don't even have the faith to believe. But it is precisely for these reasons He has my praise, worship and life. I encourage you to read these lyrics, process them, think about them and live them.

Overdue Vacation Pictures

OK. So I took over 550 pictures the week we were on vacation, so needless to say, I am only posting highlights.

The cars were packed to the max. We ended up sharing our site with Aaron's parents who bought a new tent half way through the week, giving us a total of three tents on the site, plus the canopy. We looked like a little village. (The second picture begs the question: "How many Christner's does it take to set up a two man tent?" The answer: as many as five.)

The lake and family is what the week was all about. We had a double decker pontoon with a slide. All the cousins enjoyed it thoroughly. (This group of second cousins is roughly half the actual number of cousins on the Christner side.)

The boys enjoyed tubing. Alex and Jack both tried it on their own as well. Stephen just floated for most of the week, claiming to be scared of the water. By Friday though he was in the water with just his life jacket. He became quite the water bug.

Not only did the double decker pontoon have a slide, but the boys loved jumping off the top deck.


Aaron and Alex both did some wake boarding. Alex did it on a board with Brock. He really enjoyed it.

While there was more tubing and swimming and eating and hanging out, I am afraid this is it for the time being. Though I will include a video of Emma. My mother in law got her to sing for the camera at the campsite one night.

We are looking forward to next year.

School Time

As the new background hints, it is that time of year again. School begins a week from Monday. It is hard to believe that in two weeks the boys will have the first week of school under their belts.

I love the return to school for many reasons. I love the routine of the school year most of all. I also love to watch my kids as they learn and grow. School also signals new beginnings. New friendships are made, new teachers are met, new knowledge is learned and shared, and new supplies are bought. I love the smell of school supplies, the fresh air smell that comes with summer ending and fall beginning. There is also comfort in the sounds of a new school year; the school bus coming through the subdivision, the sounds of the kids on the playground, the sound of a pencil and eraser as the kids work on their homework.

My kids love school and it's return. So do I.

Today I am Thankful for...

...friends and family who love and care for us.

First of all, we got to spend an amazing week with lots of family. It was such a great time.

Secondly, I apparently sparked quite a stir with my last post. The questions and responses are just another evidence of your love.

To put everyone at ease, there are no current changes on the near horizon. Aaron and I have been talking and discussing a stirring that we have in our hearts. This stirring however is just that, we do not feel any clear direction from God at this point. We feel that maybe it could be as simple as God just wanting us to be closer to Him, or it could be bigger. We have discussed many possibilities: adoption, moving, new jobs, ministry, etc...but our desire is that whatever the future holds, we will be obedient to God's calling in our lives. We also understand that this could be a long process and the fruit of this stirring we are feeling may not be evident for months.

For now, we are enjoying our marriage and family, our small group and extended family, our home, our ministry areas, we are preparing for the kids to return to school, for football season to start, etc...the same old same old. But we are doing it all with a prayerful heart, intentionally watching for God to reveal His plan for us.

Again, thanks for all the concerns and questions. We love you all and are deeply blessed to have such a wonderful group of family and friends.

Food for Thought Tuesday

Today I just wanted to share some cool news with you.

On Sunday, Stephen asked Jesus into his heart. He was very excited about it. It is fun to watch the "Light" come on.

Also, Alex will be baptized in two weeks. He has talked about it for quite some time. We are excited to see him grasp the significance of baptism and the stand he is taking in doing so.

God is working in Aaron and I as well, we are intensely praying and seeking God's will for our future. We will keep you posted if there are any big changes. It may just be a time for God to draw us closer to Himself and each other. No matter what, God is in control and He is good.

Please Pray

Last week just before we left for vacation we found out that a dear little man that is not only one of our neighbors, but also a friend of Alex's has had a third recurrence of cancer. He is currently completing a round of chemotherapy. (A lot happened while we were away.)

Austin is a fighter and we know that no matter what this next stage of his life entails, he will fight each and every step of the way. The cool part is that Alex is wanting to walk beside him and help him fight.

Please pray for Austin's healing. For Andy and Angie, Drew, JW and Alyssa as they walk together as a Austin's family. Pray for wisdom in the decisions that need to be made. Also, please pray that Austin will be lifted up in such a way that God receives amazing glory through this journey.

Back to Reality

We spent the past week at Lake Cumberland in Kentucky. It was a great time with family and friends. We spent four days on the lake, relaxing, tubing, wake boarding, sliding (our double-decker pontoon had a slide) and splashing one another. It was great. This was the first week long family vacation we have had in ten years of marriage, so it was very needed. I took lots of pictures (over 500) and now will have to go through and edit them. I will post pictures from the week later.

But for now...it is back to reality.