The Christner Adventure

Jesus Loves Me, this I know

2012-02-13T10:13:00.000-05:00

It's interesting that as the music world mourns the loss of Whitney Houston, this is the song that comes to my mind. (I Will Always Love You is a close second though.)

In the movie Bodyguard, Whitney sings "Jesus Loves Me" and it is a beautiful rendition. She truly was blessed with an amazing voice. I also find it interesting that her last public performance was of this song. (According to tabloids she sang this song in a duet while acting oddly hours before her death.)

I don't know Whitney Houston. I know a lot about her, though most of it should be viewed carefully through the lens of public opinion (not always the most accurate portrayal of truth). But I am guessing at some point in her life someone taught her about Jesus. Based on what I know of her very public life and the battles she faced personally, I would guess that on some level she clung to the belief that she was loved by Jesus. It would appear that this belief came through even in her darkest moments as she chose this to be the song she sang.

Now I am not sure the state of Whitney's heart at the time of her death. I don't know if she put her faith and trust in Jesus, not just in the belief that He loves her. I am not trying to judge or justify her at all, but it has gotten me thinking...

We all know celebrities and athletes will acknowledge God. For some this is a genuine reflection of their faith while for others it is just words. Even though we live in a very secular world the truth is that many people can sing the words to "Jesus Loves Me" but very few live a life that reflects that truth.

Jesus does indeed love me and you, but do you believe it? Do you live like you believe it? Do I? My prayer is that I never just give lip-service to the fact that Jesus loves me, but that I live a life that reflects that truth. I think the key to this song is that "the Bible tells me so". To truly live a life that reflects Jesus' love I must be reading the Bible, learning to be an imitator of God.

I can't say if Whitney Houston was just singing the words or if she really truly believed them, but my hope is that as people are drawn back to her music and movies, someone, somewhere is reminded of the truth that Jesus loves them.

What's on your mind lately?

2012-02-09T10:04:00.000-05:00

For me it's Easter eggs and bunnies.

The Annual Easter Egg Drop and Hunt is coming fast, March 31.

Praying lives will be impacted for eternity as a result of this event.

Stephen is 8!

2012-01-30T07:21:00.000-05:00

Last Friday my baby boy turned 8.

Due to our schedules this last week we did not have a big party but rather just had a little family fun.

Stephen is such a joy. His smile is amazing and I am so thankful for his sense of humor and giggle.

Stephen is smart. God has gifted him with amazing abilities and talents.

He loves sports and being active. He loves to play soccer.

We love to tease Stephen and get him laughing. His candles were trick candles and kept re-lighting. It was so funny to watch as he realized the situation.

I am blessed to be Stephen's mom. He is a such a gift to our family. God has amazing things planned for this little man and I am thankful I get to watch the journey.

Lessons in the car...

2012-01-24T08:56:00.000-05:00

So we got our first snowfall (other than a quick snowstorm in October) this past weekend. Of course the temperatures are to rise again so it will not last too long. The kids enjoyed being out in the snow on Saturday. (I will post some pics soon. I am having trouble with my card reader.)

It has been foggy and rainy. We started the week with a very dreary type of Monday. But God was making me think as I drove back to work after lunch yesterday. I am visual and like to have a picture of a concept or thought. It makes a more lasting impression on me and my heart. Here is what I was thinking...

At the moment of salvation I have been washed clean, whiter than snow. However, over time I become dingy and dirty, because let's face it, I'm human=a sinner. I often need a good cleaning. (Kind of like my car right now.) I know that God offers me grace and forgiveness (like rain), but unless I am willing to scrub the dirt (sin) out of my life the dingyness remains in my life, making it difficult to see the beauty of God's holiness. I have to be willing to turn from the sin, scrub it away, so that God's glory and grace shines through.

The rain today only washed the surface dirt off my car. It will take a good scrubbing to get it clean. I can take the forgiveness I have been offered, but unless I desire transformation from that grace and forgiveness, I am going to be needing the rain again (and soon). (How often do we find ourselves asking for forgiveness for the same sins?)

God loves me. He loves me so much that He not only wants to forgive me, He wants to make me new. As I continued my drive I thought about the fact that in just a few weeks there will be a day when the air will be clean and the ground will be springing with new life. Without the cleansing of winter's snow and the renewal of rain, the new life of springtime would lack it's luster and joy.

What about you? Are you skating by, enjoying the benefits of God's grace and forgiveness (rain) but not really experiencing the joy that is available to you through true transformation? Transformation requires a bit of time and scrubbing in our lives, and sometimes it's painful, but the result is a spring in your step and joy in the abundant life you were called to live. That's what I want. Joy because I have hope. (Romans 12:12) Hope that I can be changed and be more like Christ because HE is in the business of new life.

A new week...

2012-01-16T10:19:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, you don't just need a new day to start over, you need a new week.

Last week we started our week off with the stomach flu. Stephen got sick late Sunday night. At first we thought it might be that he overate at dinner. That theory was quickly shot down as he was up every 20 minutes or so. It was so sad. It lasted for about 5 hours. It was a long night for mommy and daddy too. In fact Aaron got up and headed in to work over an hour early. (And he goes to work early as it is.)

Well, I tried to work from home on Monday. I was able to get some things done as well as take a nap. :)

Tuesday we headed out for school and work as normal. Tuesday was one of those crazy days. Alex had a basketball game at 4:00 on the east side of town. Aaron had a game at home at 6:00 and I had a meeting at 7:00. Fortunately, we all seemed to be doing OK, just tired.

Then it all changed. Aaron started to feel sick. He decided to spend the night in the basement so that I could sleep. That was such a thoughtful thing to do, until Emma woke up and got sick. So I was up most of the night anyway. Aaron and Emma seemed to have a bit more severe form of what Stephen had but it still only seemed to last for about 5-6 hours. But by then they were so drained and tired.

I tried to work for a little bit in my office on Wednesday morning but was so tired that I headed home. I took a nap, did a little disinfecting and then did a little catch up on work. I am so thankful my job is flexible and I can move my hours around as well as work from home.

Thursday we once again all headed off to work and school. Emma didn't want to go, but she had not been sick for 24 hours and was not running a fever, so it was off to school. It was great to sit in my office and actually be able to work on those things that I couldn't do from home. On Thursday's Emma stays for daycare and I generally pick her up around 3:00. Well, at 2:00 my phone rang and the nurse said she was coughing and now running a fever. UGH!! So I picked her up and we waited for the boys to finish their school day.

By the time we got home, Emma no longer had a fever. And Alex had a game so we all headed to a town about 45 minutes away. We went to Friendly's for dinner. As we were finishing, Jackson headed to the bathroom and when he came back he said his stomach hurt. OH NO!!! Well, he was very upset that we wouldn't let him get ice cream but we didn't want anything else in his stomach on the ride home. Fortunately we made it and he didn't end up getting sick.

Friday I couldn't take Emma to school since she had a fever within the past 24 hours. So after we took the boys to school, we came home, cuddled on the couch and watched Tangled. Aaron got done at work early and so I headed into work after lunch. Again, it was nice to get some prep work done for Sunday that just could not be done at home.

This was Homecoming weekend at the school. So Friday afternoon and evening was filled with basketball games, followed by the alumni game and the Homecoming court and coronation. Saturday, Aaron and I helped serve at the Homecoming banquet. It was fun to see all the kids all dressed up.

It was such a long, tiring, and crazy week. While there were definitely highlights, it was one of those weeks you would like to forget or at least fast forward through.

I am thankful for a new week. I hope that this one is less eventful (at least for those "unplanned" events).

New House Pictures

2012-01-09T09:37:00.000-05:00

Here are pictures of the inside of our new rental house.
Some of the rooms still need a little more work, but for the most part we are getting settled.
I will try to get some outside pictures this week and get them posted as well.

One of two entrances from the Front Porch. Nice area for coats and backpacks.
The Laundry room door is directly across from this entrance.

This is the other entrance. This is the original entrance to the original house. (This house is old and has been renovated and added onto a number of years ago.)

This is the Kitchen with eat in area.

The living room. The TV is to the left of where I was standing.

Emma's room.

Jack and Stephen's room.

Master bedroom.

Alex's Room. (We have permission to take the wallpaper down, which we may do at some point.)

The "Kid-Cave"

This is the Dining room, however we are using it as the computer room.

Christmas Pictures (Finally)

2012-01-07T12:28:00.000-05:00

Our very simple Christmas tree. It has no decorations on it. Knowing we might move at any time during the holiday forced us to keep things simple. Not a bad thing at all.

Emma enjoyed a very "Girly" Christmas with lots of Rapunzel stuff and a new dollhouse.

We enjoyed a quick Christmas Eve visit from Aaron's parents. They headed out on Sunday after church to go on vacation as a 40th anniversary celebration.

Jack got KNEX Mario Kart race tracks. He got an add on as well.

Alex got a laser tag type game. Grandma and Grandpa thought ahead and got extra guns and targets so all the boys can play. The boys are looking forward to hiding the targets in our new yard and playing outside with it in the spring.

Lot's of building of tracks. (Stephen got a race track too.)

Stephen got a reflex punching bag.

And of course our traditional Jesus birthday cake. This is the true reason we celebrate Christmas. There is no gift that could ever compare.

Chapters

2012-01-03T16:05:00.000-05:00

I often think of life in terms of chapters (maybe because I love to read). We spent last week closing a chapter of our life and beginning the next. We don't know how long of a chapter we just started, it might be relatively short or maybe it will last for awhile.

This past weekend we moved from one rental house to another. It is a bit ironic to me that it coincided with New Year's. New house, new organization of stuff, new drive to work/school, new landlords, etc... Also a new resolve to truly clean out the "stuff" in our lives and get rid of what we do not need.

As we were moving boxes that we had not even opened since moving to Pennsylvania 16 months ago, it became apparent that we were just moving a bunch of "stuff". Stuff that is not necessary for our everyday lives and just takes up space. While there are a few boxes that have been relatively untouched over that time that we will keep (mostly pictures and books) most is just "extra weight" in our lives. So we have a plan to have a garage sale and then to arrange for a local organization to come and take whatever is left.

All of this has gotten me thinking in light of the typical discussions and comments on resolutions. I know that for myself I don't typically make resolutions on January 1st. I do however like to set goals for myself. I recognize the importance of setting clear and appropriate goals. Any goal needs to be attainable but also needs to be challenging to accomplish. For example you can't set a goal to lose 100 pounds in 6 months. That's not attainable. You also can't set the goal to just lose weight. It's not clear enough. But you could set a goal to lose 8 pounds in a month. This is possible and for most would create a bit of a challenge. And sometimes, a goal needs to be tweaked along the way depending on reality. Also, short term goals are better than long term. We need to be able to "see the end of the tunnel". While it is OK to set a goal for the year, that goal needs to be able to be broken down into smaller goals. For example, a goal to read the entire Bible in a year is more easily attained when you have a daily reading plan. You have a daily goal that helps you accomplish the year long goal. Finally, when goal setting have a reward in mind. If your goal is to lose weight, make the reward a new outfit or accessory. If your goal is to read the Bible in a year, buy yourself a new Bible when you accomplish the goal or a new devotional. Give yourself something to work for in addition to the sense of accomplishment in reaching your goal. It helps with motivation.

Now to tie in the goal setting and the chapters of our lives; when you are given a new chapter in life, what do you want the story to reflect when the last part of the chapter is written? For me, tangibly speaking, I want to move a lot less stuff. I want to value what I need and use regularly and let go of the things that are just taking up space. I want my home to reflect love and care of people rather than material things. And my reward for doing this will be less muscle aches when we have to move again. So for this chapter of my life, my goals will help write the story.

What about you? Is this new year bringing a new chapter? Or are you in the middle of a chapter? No matter which category you fall into, you have the ability to affect the story by the goals you set. Maybe your goals are related to health, maybe toward family relationships, maybe to being more like Christ, or maybe to all of those things. Come up with a plan that has clear, attainable goals and go after them.

Imagine if we all sought to be more like Christ, the chapters of our lives would have ETERNAL impact. Now that would be amazing.

He is NEVER late!

2011-12-27T10:01:00.002-05:00

Well, our prayers have been answered. I can say, it definitely wasn't in the way and form that we anticipated and hoped for, but answered none the less.

We were looking for a long term rental (a year or longer) and we found a short term (4 months, then month to month), as this house is actually For Sale. However, God's fingerprints are all over this and so we know that He has a bigger plan.

We found out about this property on Wednesday, last week. Due to some mixed up information we couldn't make a connection to the owners. However, we received the owner's information (correct this time around) less than 24 hours later from someone else. We saw the property Friday. We decided to move forward, but due to Christmas we were unable to finalize anything until yesterday. And now we are planning to move this Friday and Saturday.

We have often commented that God rarely shows up early (in our terms), but He is never late. With a week to spare on our current rental agreement we were provided for in amazing ways.

We are really excited about moving. This house has 4 bedrooms which will help the brotherly relationships between the boys. If we happen to be in this house for more than the four months, we will also get to enjoy the pool and hot tub. Plus there is about 2 acres of land with a creek, perfect for boys to play and explore. (I am sure Em will be right there with them.)

We were so blessed over the past week and over the past few months during this process to see the body of Christ rally around us. We had so many people praying, encouraging, and providing house tips. It is a blessing and such an uplifting experience to be loved this way. We are so very thankful for all of those who walked beside us.

We know that there a quite a few uncertainties as we move forward. There are no guarantees that we will be in this house for a long period of time and that we may be looking to move again in just a few months. But we know that God is in control. He has a plan and will guide and direct us no matter what the future holds. He is good!!

Please Pray

2011-12-21T08:33:00.000-05:00

I don't know how many people look at this blog, but it only takes a few to urgently pray.

Some of you know that for the last four months we have been looking for a new rental house. Our current location is small for our family and the ages of our children. (Basically we need another bedroom so we can split up the boys a bit.) We also have had a number of problems while being in this house, mainly water and mold issues.

We have been actively looking for another house. We have looked at many. We have been excited about two. In the one situation we look back and realize that God was most likely protecting us from a problematic situation with the property management company. The second one was so recent we don't yet see why God allowed it to fall through for us.

We believe that our God is big. He is sovereign and has a perfect plan. We also know that He is aware that our current lease in up in just 10 days. (We might be able to get an extension, but are not 100% sure at this moment.)

God has done some absolutely amazing things over the past week in our lives. We have tangibly seen Him work in ways we were not expecting. He is so very faithful. Yet here we are with a huge need that just doesn't seem to be changing. We don't understand why God hasn't provided, we don't see the plan He has for us but we will choose to keep trusting.

Please join us in praying that God will provide in a mighty way, something that can only be attributed to Him and Him alone. We believe that 10 days is plenty of time for our God to work this situation out.

So much to be Thankful for...

2011-11-29T12:10:00.000-05:00

Last week we headed to Indiana to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with family. (I will try to post some pictures later.)

We spent an evening with our best friends. The kids enjoyed hanging out and playing, while the adults talked and played cards. It was so good to be with them. The evening went by way too quickly.

On Wednesday we headed to Chicago to have our Christner Thanksgiving meal. We enjoyed the opportunity to be with our family and to meet our newest family member (niece and cousin Clara). The food was excellent and the company even better.

Thursday we had our Maxson family Thanksgiving meal, minus my brother's family. Again the food was amazing, but it was so fun to be together.

After the meal, our kids went to Uncle John and Aunt Laura's for their annual sleepover which includes watching The Polar Express and drinking hot chocolate. Aaron and I headed out to Walmart for the early Black Friday specials. We didn't get what we went for but at least we survived. It was CRAZY. People can be so controlled by their desire for material things. It was sad. On a happy note though we ran in to a few people we haven't seen in a long time.

On Friday we headed to Indianapolis to celebrate Christmas with the Maxson side of the family. My brother is currently doing a trauma rotation in Indy and so we were able to be with him and his family. It was so good to see everyone and spend some time together.

Saturday we hung out with our families and just enjoyed each other's company.

On Sunday we traveled home. Last year we got stuck in holiday traffic on the turnpike and so we opted for another route this year. Due to a few accidents though, this route ended up taking just as long. We sat in slow or stopped traffic for at least two hours. But we made it home safely.

It was cool to see God's hand in our trip home. We made a 10-15 minute bathroom stop that was unplanned. Had we not stopped we would have been to the first accident site around the time it occurred. And while stopped in traffic the best thing happened...Emma asked how to ask Jesus into her heart. We talked and prayed together. I love how God works!!

We were reminded often throughout the past week of God's faithfulness and goodness. We are truly blessed by God. We have so much to be thankful for and this past week reminded us to take the time to thank Him for those blessings of life, family, love and safety.

Another Picture Post (not from my cell phone)

2011-11-14T17:35:00.000-05:00

These faces bring me such joy!!

Picture Update (from my cell phone)

2011-11-10T08:59:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the quality of these pictures. Life is a little chaotic right now and I can't find time to sit and download and edit pictures off of my "good" camera. UGH!! Maybe this weekend, but until then...

All he wants for Christmas is his two front teeth...

Yes, Alex is getting taller, or maybe I am getting shorter. Either way he is gaining on me. The top of his head is at my eye level. I swear it happened overnight.

Emma and I spent last weekend in Pittsburg with the Maxson girls for our annual girl's weekend trip. Emma got her makeup done while we were there. (Just a bit of shimmery eye shadow, all over shimmer on her face and a bit of lipgloss.) She loved it!

Nothing major to share about Jack, but couldn't have a picture post without him. What a goofy boy!

Lessons from Grandma

2011-10-28T06:15:00.000-04:00

Two years ago today, Grandma met Jesus. (Lucky gal!) I miss her so much, especially now living so close to where she used to live. But I am so thankful for the lessons she taught me and how her legacy can affect others still today.

Lately I have been working to keep eternity as my focus. As I work on curriculum and vision casting and all of the other things I do, I often need to be reminded that none of that really matters if eternity is not affected. I wanted to share this important reality with some of my volunteers this past week and it was Grandma that gave me the avenue to share.

Grandma taught Sunday School for years. I used to love to sit in her class, even after I had outgrown it. But I was not just impressed by her teaching, but also by her preparation. She prepared as if it was the most important job she was going to do and she prayed about it too. It WAS the most important job she did, she shared Jesus with children and affected their eternity. How do I know?

After her memorial service we had a meal, and during that meal a young man came up to my brother. This gentleman was someone who had been invited to Sunday School by Grandma and his eternity was changed because of that. Grandma's words weren't what drew that gentleman to Jesus, it was the reflection of Christ in her and through her.

As I sat with my volunteers this past week, I shared with them some of Grandma's legacy. I challenged them (and myself) with the reality that eternity is at stake. Heaven or hell hang in the balance. The method, the curriculum, the format, it may all change but eternity never does.

I can't wait to see Grandma again in Heaven. I also can't wait to see the people who are there because of the impact she had in their lives.

May it be the same for all of us. Is your eternity secure? What about those around you? If you're not sure, choose to love them enough to tell them about Jesus.

The View from my Office

2011-10-20T08:56:00.000-04:00

Yes, it is an empty parking lot, and if you could see to the right a bit you would see a soccer field (just one more reason I love the view), but the truth is the sky is amazing today and the colors breathtaking. This picture was taken with my cell phone so it lacks greatly from the actual view I have.

As I am sitting here this morning, I am reflecting on the past few weeks. Not the schedule that has been crazy or the lists of things that must be done, but on how God has been working in me.

I recently joined a Beth Moore Bible Study and that is definitely challenging me and stretching me. I love to sit under her teaching.
I have also had the opportunity to teach a Parent/Child Dedication Class. It is amazing how inadequate one can feel as they prepare for this type of thing. And equally amazing is that the enemy will try to discredit (even in your own mind) and discourage you when you plan to lead others.
And finally I have the opportunity to sit with my fellow ministry team leaders and give a testimony (teach) regarding a piece of our church's new vision: Living in Obedience to God's Commands. And oh yea, God is really stretching me when it comes to obedience to Him. Will I continue to obey when the cost (sacrifice) is more than I thought it would be? Will I really trust Him?

As I think through the things He is teaching me I often feel overwhelmed. But then I glance out my window and I see an amazing landscape of color and beauty. I am reminded that just as we can count on the seasons changing, we can count on Him, for He is faithful! I am reminded that because He delights in His creation there is astounding beauty to be found. (And that includes me!)

So for some it is an empty parking lot or the back of a subdivision, but to me it is a reminder:

The Heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of His hands.

(Psalm 19:1)

...for His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning.

(Lamentations 3:22b-23a)

Praise the Lord!

Five (plus one day)

2011-10-11T13:36:00.000-04:00

My baby is now 5 (plus one day). Emma is such a joy to us and we know that our lives were blessed beyond measure with her birth.

Below are pictures from her birthday weekend:

Birthday kisses from her brothers.

Being silly with Great Grandpa.

Blowing out the candles.

Riding the Barbie scooter she purchased with her Target gift cards.

Wearing the shirt that has been worn by all of her brothers on their 5th birthday.

Some of my favorite things about this little girl:

1. She loves to laugh.

2. She loves to cuddle and give hugs.

3. She says "I love you" just because.

4. She still asks Mommy or Daddy to pray for her each night.

5. She loves Jesus. Her knowledge of the Bible is so exciting to watch.

6. She loves to learn.

7. She loves being silly and making her brothers laugh.

8. She is a "daddy's girl".

9. She loves to shop.

10. She taught me to love the color pink.

It is a blessing to be Emma's mommy and I pray that as she grows she will continue to love the Bible and Jesus. That she will seek to be a true daughter of the King and that she will find her beauty and security in the knowledge that Jesus loves her. I look forward to the adventures that await us because of this precious princess.

Hiatus

2011-10-05T09:32:00.000-04:00

It has been a long time since I have posted (a much needed break) and needless to say a lot has happened since my last post.

Our lives are a bit hectic right now with work, school, soccer, trying to find a new rental house, family visits, and life. None of those things are bad, in fact we are really enjoying life right now (maybe with the exception of the impending move to a new rental) but sometimes it is nice just to take a deep breath and relax for a few moments. I'll post some pictures when that happens.

A few weeks ago my sister and her boys came to visit for a week. It was great to spend time with her and to love on my nephews.

Alex has been averaging three soccer games a week, due to original scheduling and rescheduling of rained out games. And this now includes Aaron as he is the new Assistant Coach. It is fun to see how improved Alex is at this point in the season. He started the season wanting to play midfield but was placed at defense. He played well there, but wanted to prove himself at midfield and he has, that is now where he plays most of the game. He may not be the fastest kid on the field but he is learning to play smart soccer. (So fun as a coach and mom to watch the development of these kids.)

Jack and Stephen are loving school. They have great teachers and have made some good friends. They are looking forward to Fall Fest this Friday. It is a day with pumpkin painting, games, hayrides, etc... Jack is also getting ready for Native American day where he will dress like an Indian and give a report. Both the boys though are really excited about a mission project the entire elementary school does with a local organization called GAIN. I hope that they will someday understand the blessings of attending a Christian school.

Emma is loving school as well. She especially loves Tuesday and Thursday each week as she gets to stay through lunch and nap time in after school care. A Kindergarten readiness assessment was sent home this week and as we were looking at the criteria we realized that she was probably close to Kindergarten ready a year ago. One of the perks of being the youngest and learning from her brothers. Her favorite store (Target) opens in town on Sunday so she is super excited about that. And on Monday, she will be 5. WOW!!

This past week we were so thrilled to welcome new babies to our family. My god-sister had a little boy early on Saturday morning. I had the privilege of being with her on Friday during her labor before it was decided a c-section would be best. And then on Monday we were excited to hear that our newest niece/cousin had safely made her arrival into this world as well.

The rest of this week is filled with excitement as we will have more family visiting and we will celebrate Em's birthday. Plus I am sure that we will have to make a trip to Target this weekend. :)

In the midst of all the busyness of life right now God is teaching us some amazing things. I will try to find some time in the next week to post about some of those lessons as well as to post some pictures. But for now it is back to the HUGE "to-do list" that I have on my desk.

HE!

2011-09-13T09:26:00.000-04:00

Isaiah 41 :10

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Have you ever felt that at every turn something discouraging is taking place? From circumstances, to the results of nature, to personal interactions with others, to parenting, to..., to..., to...

The past few days have been crazy. Every situation seems to have some element of stress and/or discouragement. This morning I have spontaneously cried multiple times as I am overwhelmed with dismay.

And then I read the verse in Isaiah. HE is my God. HE will strengthen me and help me. HE will uphold me.

HE!!

I needed that reminder today. The reality of this life may not change a whole lot, but my eyes have been refocused on HIM. I am desperate today for HIM to get me through. He will give me strength and He will help me. I am so thankful for that promise today.

ENOUGH ALREADY!!!

2011-09-08T09:56:00.000-04:00

Well for some reason I think hurricane season forgot that up here in the Northern part of the U.S. we are not tropical. It is crazy what the past two to three weeks have brought us. We actually did not have many water issues related to Hurricane Irene. Of course the rain we did get caused the ground to be highly saturated. And then Tropical Storm Lee decided to visit us by way of rain, lots and lots of rain.

It began with a band of rain on Sunday night. Then over the day Monday it remained gray and overcast with occasional sprinkles. And then around 6:00 p.m. is started to rain steadily. We have had very few moments of no rain since then, with most of the rain being very heavy.

It is now Thursday and the kids and I are at home becuse school is closed, our church office is basically closed (most of us working from home), streets are closed and many are battling flooding in their homes. The road that runs by our house is technically closed due to areas of flooding, though many are trying to come through only to have to turn around. And our basement is wet. My prayer is that Aaron remains safe and is able to get home without many issues, some of the stops on his route are actually closed too.

Harrisburg which is about 20 miles to our west has had over 12 inches of rain so far and it is still raining and it is to continue for at least a few more days. I have no idea what the rain amount is for us, our small rain gauges were overflowing yesterday afternoon.

I am sick of the rain. I need some sunshine. The past few days have been crazy enough and then you add in the rain and the effects of it and I am ready to scream. (Just ask the kids.) I have literally felt that we are just going to float away at some point. But I can say that I am so very thankful that our damage is minimal, many are facing much worse flooding than us. Some have lost/will lose all of their possessions (or most of them by the time this is all over) and some have even lost their lives. At most, for me it is an inconvenience, but I think I speak for most if not all in this part of the nation, "we have had enough".

Double Digits

2011-09-06T23:19:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe it, but my second born is now 10. This past weekend we celebrated Jackson's birthday with family and friends.

Opening Gifts and Cards: He was excited about all of his gifts, even the clothes. I love this kid.

Oreo Ice Cream Cake with no candles, because he was afraid they would melt the cake.

Family gathered together is so wonderful.

Working to put his wooden elephant together.

It amazes me how quickly time passes. I am blessed to be Jack's mom. He is a curious, smart, and funny guy. I would give him a "perfect 10".

School is In Session

2011-08-30T10:30:00.000-04:00

Alex: 6th Grade

Jackson: 4th Grade

Stephen: 2nd Grade

Emma: Pre-K

Yesterday was the first day of school!! So they all had to do the annual pictures in front of the house. The boys weren't nearly as excited about it this year as they have been in the past. But they really warmed up to the idea of a group picture.

My amazing kiddos!! They are all at Lititz Christian School this year and they were all so excited for the year to start.

The first day of school also brought another first: Alex's first middle school soccer game. He played most of the game and he did well. They lost but it was fun to see all of the boys that Alex has been talking about for the past two weeks. And speaking as a coach it was fun to see the amazing potential that will be developed and seen throughout this season.

IRENE!

2011-08-30T10:20:00.000-04:00

Well, my last post talked about the pace of life picking up a bit for our family; what I did not expect was to experience an earthquake and hurricane as well this week. To be quite honest, I can't really say that I experienced the earthquake because I personally never felt it. Many others in the office felt it and it woke Aaron up from his nap, in fact the kids even said they felt it. I guess I just don't shake too easily. :)

I can say that we all experienced Irene. In fact we tried to prepare for her arrival and everything. You will see in some of the following pictures that preparedness does not always produce the hoped for results. But we are all safe and that is what matters the most.

These were the clouds that came with the first outer bands of Irene. This was at about 4:oo pm on Saturday. At this point the rain was intermittent and the winds were not too bad.

These clouds were as the rain began to intensify. This was approx. 6:30 pm. By this time the winds were picking up in intensity along with the rain.

As we watched the track of the storm it went from an almost direct inland hit of our area to being slightly more off towards New Jersey. We knew that we would experience the effects of the storm no matter what track it took, so we began to prepare as much as we could. We laid down all our outdoor furniture protecting the cushions and pillows. We always have our trampoline anchored and due to the surround we couldn't lay it down, so we added some weight (approx. 200 pounds of cinder blocks). While in the picture the basketball hoop is upright against the garage we eventually opted to lay it down to avoid it being knocked over. (Looking back we probably should have left it, but then again, who knows if that would have changed anything.) These pictures were taken around 9:00 pm and by this time the wind and rain were a bit more extreme. I did not get much sleep Saturday night as the storm passed through. We never lost power, in fact we actually never lost our satellite connection either. We have friends though who even now are still without power. As I drove through town you can see trees down and lots of smaller sticks and leaves lying around. There were areas that had to deal with flooding. Speaking of which we did have a minor amount of water in our basement, but nothing to cause a huge fuss over.

I took this picture from almost the same spot as the above picture of the trampoline and basketball hoop. As you can see the trampoline is not even in the picture.

We think that the trampoline caught the basketball hoop a bit as it flew over, causing a severe bend in the backboard. We later discovered the only reason the trampoline stayed where it was in this picture was due to the fact that it was embedded between part of the frame of the barn and the roof.

We had some damage to this tree which is at the opposite side of the house as the trampoline and basketball hoop were.. We lost a few limbs, but fortunately it isn't a huge tree.

(All of the above pictures of the damage where taken during the backside of the storm, so the winds were still very high and it was still raining at this point. They were taken at about 7:30 am Sunday.)

As the storm moved out the sky cleared and we could begin to see all the leaves and sticks that littered the ground, much like a salad shooter had gone through. We ventured outside to fully evaluate the damage and do a lot of cleanup around 3:30 pm Sunday afternoon.

What you can't see in this picture is that the barn the trampoline was pinned to, it is to the left. The cinder block that is at the base of the fence was actually on the other side of the fence in the neighbor's yard. This block probably weighed about 40-50 pounds and flew from the original trampoline site, over the barn probably about 150-200 yards. (I am really bad when it comes to measurements so this might be a little off, but it was a much longer length of space than we ever expected to find it. And yes we had to search for it.)

We were very thankful that the winds were blowing in such a way that the cinder blocks did not travel toward the house.

Well, after we pried the trampoline off the barn we began to disassemble it to see what might be salvageable. As you can see, it is most likely a complete loss. The backboard was definitely questionable when we got it upright. But it is now fixed, as it seems that one of the back joints is all that was bent.

I am not entirely sure why this is so blurry, but this was the night sky on Sunday. Amazing how quickly the weather can change. It is so very amazing to me the strength and intensity of nature. God's power is definitely evident in moments such as these. But after the storm there is such beauty to be seen as well.

Gentlemen, start the chaos!

2011-08-16T08:44:00.000-04:00

Well, the noise level and messiness in our house has risen over the past few days. The kids are home!! It has been wonderful to see them, hug them, and listen to the stories of the adventures they shared with their grandparents over the past few weeks.

School is just around the corner and the calendar is beginning to fill rapidly. School starts on the 29th of August and so we are looking at fall clothing and supplies and determining what is needed and what can wait. Ah, the joy of fall. The kids are excited to start at the Christian school and meet their teachers and make new friends.On the flip side of what seems like a building of chaos is the reality of the normalcy that the school routine brings to our lives. For that I am excited.

Alex started preseason soccer practices this week. He is so excited about the season. There are only 12 boys on the team and since 11 are needed on the field, he is sure to get lots of playing time. He has started running over the past few days in preparation for the season. It is fun to see him self motivated to work on his skill and endurance.

Along with school getting ready to kick off, there are fall kickoff's for the church as well. My schedule is full of meetings and preparations for some upcoming changes, as well as with the organizing of room shifts and class changes for the kids. This building chaos will slow down after a few weeks, so for that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

But until then, we are off to the races.

"How are you holding up?"

2011-08-09T09:03:00.000-04:00

I have had a fairly large number of eerily similar conversations over the past week. The conversation is usually started by the fact that our children are in another state, and when it is all said and done they will have been away from daddy for close to 3 weeks and away from mommy for close to 2 weeks. Then the question that has come from every single one of these conversations, "How are you doing?"/"How are you holding up?"/"How are you surviving?"

I am fine! I am beginning to miss them more and more, but I can honestly say that for the first week I had days where I rarely thought of them. For some that statement may have produced a gasp and the thought, "What kind of mother wouldn't think of her children every day they are apart?" Maybe to some I am a terrible mom, but the reality is this:

I love my children dearly, but I am not IN love with my children.

(I actually first heard this concept very early in my parenting life on none other than the Oprah show. I couldn't even tell you who said it or even what the show was about that day, but that concept stuck with me.)

You see my children are a big part of my world, but they are not my whole world. As a mom, I make sure that they are well loved and cared for, I do my best to raise them and teach them, I nurture and encourage them, I discipline them, but I do not buddy up to them and befriend them. (At least not at this stage in the game.) My goal is to raise three godly men and one godly woman and then at the appropriate time set them free in this world; to be their own person, who still loves to come home to mom and dad occasionally. My purpose as a parent is to raise them, not hold on to them.

You see I am IN love with Jesus and my husband. Those two relationships are ones that I have chosen and pursued over the years, they are one's that I do want to hold on to. I never want any relationship to become a hindrance to my first love, Jesus. Even my relationship with my husband. He knows this and understands this. Then after that, my next relationship priority is Aaron. No other earthly relationship comes in the way. Honestly though there are times and seasons where these priorities don't flesh out perfectly, but it is where I always strive to be relationally.

In a few short years (and it's happening way too fast) my children will move on. They will go off to college and begin their own lives. I want them to be free to do life on their own and succeed. I also want them to know without a doubt that they are loved. Our arms are always open for them to find safety and acceptance. I also know that when that day comes I will be more alone with my two "IN love" relationships than I have ever been before. I had better be sure to still enjoy those relationships so I strive to pursue and strengthen those relationships along the way.

Two weeks is a long time for a Mommy's heart. I honestly am looking forward to those hugs and the noise of them talking over each other in an attempt to fill me in on all the things they did. But until then, I am soaking up and enjoying the quiet and time to reconnect with my priority loves.

2011-08-05T12:58:00.000-04:00

Last week the kids and I were in Indiana to spend time with family and await the arrival of the newest family member. While we waited, we spent quite a bit of time with my sister's family in their pool.

Lucas Matthew came on his scheduled c-section date, Friday, July 29 at 2:05 pm. He was 8 lbs. 10 oz. and 20 in. long. He is absolutely precious.

The kids stayed behind in Indiana as I returned to Pennsylvania. Aaron and I are currently enjoying a quiet house and hours to reconnect uninterrupted.

Another quick update!!

2011-07-21T15:07:00.000-04:00

Wow!! The last few weeks have been CRAZY!!!

Two weeks ago I ended up really sick. I haven't been that sick for a while. In fact I missed two days of work that week. I still am having trouble regaining my energy levels, which really stinks!

That was also the week Jack was at camp. He LOVED it, in fact he wasn't too sure he wanted to come home. Once I opened his bag, I think it is safe to say that had he stayed he would not have been too welcome. There was some serious stink in that bag!!

Last week, we got the heartbreaking news that Alex's dear friend from Indiana had passed away. We had already planned to make the trip back out for the funeral, but due to no water at our house that morning we quickly packed, I wrapped up some things at work, and the kids and I hit the road. It was a very emotional week. The boys showed amazing moments of true child-like faith. They rejoiced in the fact that Austin was in Heaven with Jesus and that he was no longer suffering. But they also dealt with a wide range of emotions and feelings that are difficult enough for an adult. It was difficult for me to watch my friend walk through the pain of burying her son as well as sitting with my own sons as they dealt with a loss like this. The week was draining as it was highly emotional, plus we spent so many hours on the road in such a short amount of time. Yet ultimately the week was so reflective of Austin's faith in God and the impacting legacy he left here on earth. Just a few days ago, Alex was once again rejoicing in the fact that Austin was in Heaven.

This week has been HOTTTT!!! I know that the heat is very oppressive for many across the country right now and here is no exception. I am so very thankful for air conditioning. (And I typically LOVE the heat!)

We have been busy this week trying to get back into a normal routine, however on Sunday it's all going to change as the kids and I head back to the Midwest once again. This time it is for a week with my sister (and other family) as we all anticipate the arrival of her second son. I am so very anxious to meet this little man (and if I am this anxious I can only imagine how my sister feels).

Then the kids are staying for an additional two weeks while I return to my husband and job. Aaron and I are really looking forward to getting quality time for just us. I am sure we will spend plenty of moments where we catch ourselves talking about the kids and eventually missing them and anticipating their return; however we are sure to have some great time of just reconnecting with each other. We have never spent more than 2 (maybe 3) nights without all the kids. It will definitely be different.

It is hard to believe that August is almost here. And in just over a month the kids will be heading back to school. In fact, when the kids return from IN, Alex begins preseason for soccer at the school. WOW!!! Summer always flies by so quickly. This summer though is one we will not soon forget. There have been many firsts and a few lasts, with many more memories to be made. And no matter whether the memories are of good times or difficult ones, God is faithful and good all the time.

Summertime (in pictures)

2011-07-05T14:32:00.001-04:00

Church Softball.

Softball with Daddy.

Slip-n-slide fun!

Daddy sticking ice in Alex's shorts.

"Suntanning" which only lasted about 2 minutes, so no skin damage done.

This was the small meatball sub. We visited an old family favorite from my childhood while parents my were here last weekend.

What could be so fascinating?

...Bailing the hay.

Summer haircuts.

The mohawk returns.

Getting ready to watch the fireworks from our backyard, in pj's.

Off to find Jack's "home" for the week.

It is actually a tent on a platform.

It's Been Awhile...

2011-07-03T10:21:00.000-04:00

Just a quick "catch-up post" with a promise of pictures to come soon.

Alex participated in soccer camp last week here at the school. He was supposed to be a part of the middle school camp but due to low enrollment they had to cancel it, thus bumping him up to the varsity camp with a college coach. He was so tiny out there, but did really well. I think we will see the payoffs as soccer begins this fall. He had a fun time which is great, since we were a bit concerned about him being overwhelmed by the "older" kids.

Jack will leave this afternoon for a week long church camp. It is the same church camp I went to when I was his age. He is really excited. It should be a great week for him.

We celebrated the 4th of July last night with some of our PA family. We had a great time of food and fellowship. They all headed out to other places (or bed), and we headed out to our backyard to watch the fireworks. It was great. We actually could see two different locations. So we watched fireworks from about 9:15-11:00.

We are anxiously awaiting news from IN about the arrival of the newest member of the family. (Another nephew, YIPPEE!!) While the scheduled date is further out, we all seem to think it will be sooner rather than later.

On the other end of the spectrum we are trying to keep up to date on a dear friend as he enters the last few days of his life here on earth. Please pray for the McCleary family. They are a wonderful family walking a very tough road right now. Also, keep Alex in prayer, he and Austin were close friends and being so far away is hard on him right now.

We continue to be reminded that we serve an amazing God. He is faithful in so many ways.

I promise a picture post will be coming soon.

Some things drive me CRAZY!!!! (McDonald's edition)

2011-06-13T17:11:00.000-04:00

Like when people win millions in a lawsuit that really is a result of their own behavior/choices. For instance, the lady who sued McDonald's over the fact that her coffee burned her leg when it spilled. Would she have sued if it was too cold? I tend to prefer my coffee HOT. And I also tend to believe that at the point in which the coffee is placed into my possession it is then my responsibility and if it spills, it is most likely my own fault and even if the lid isn't quite on--HOT coffee is what I paid for.

Recently there have been lawsuits and attempts to pass legislation regarding the character of Ronald McDonald and the toys in Happy Meals, stating that it is linked to unhealthy and obese children. HELLO?? Who buys the child the Happy Meal? The last time I checked my children don't go to McDonald's on their own. And as the parent isn't it my job to monitor what they are eating, being sure that the Happy Meal isn't their only source of food and nutrition?

The latest event is the photo of a notice that African Americans would be charged an additional amount due to an increase in robberies. This photo was posted on Twitter and spread like wildfire. What blows my mind is how many people believed it. McDonald's has had to do major damage control in an attempt to save face with the public. REALLY? Are we really that stupid that we believe every picture put out is real?

It drives me crazy that this is the world we live in. Lawsuits to make a quick buck. Lawsuits and attempts to pass legislation when we don't want to assume personal responsibility for ourselves or those we have been entrusted with caring for. And then our media frenzied belief in everything that is put out there. Just because we see a picture we then have to believe that it's real. Aren't most pictures put out in the media doctored in some way? Come on people!!!

Then I have to stop and wonder...what about me?! These things that drive me crazy, do I have any of these tendencies? Do I want others to take the fall? Do I place blame on others for my lack of responsibility? Do I fall for the lies perpetuated by the media, social or otherwise?

What about you?

WORDS

2011-06-10T09:27:00.000-04:00

Empty words...have you ever walked away from a conversation and realized that you only allowed the other person about 5 words? Or talked with someone and after it was over realized that it really didn't have much substance? Or do you say you will follow up on something and then fail to do it? How many times have you said, "I'm praying for you" or "I will pray about that situation" and then you walk away and forget to do that?

The Bible tells us that out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. It then goes on to say that we will have to give an account for every careless word we have spoken, that our words will either acquit us or condemn us. (Matthew 12:34, 36-37) In James, we are cautioned regarding the potential our tongue has for great harm. (James 3:1-12)

I have had a few conversations in the past week where I have rambled on and on about nothing. Or monopolized a conversation. As I was praying and studying James, I was reminded of the passage in Matthew. What do those conversations say about what is filling my heart? Have I said "bad" words or been mean or destructive with my language? No. But have my words been life giving and full of grace and salt? (Colossians 3:6) Not really, they have just been words.

So I am going to start journaling again. (I go in spurts.) I am going to write out my thoughts, evaluate my heart and ask God for guidance and wisdom to make the changes that are needed. What about you?

Do your words give life or are they creating a path of destruction? What do your words say about the state of your heart?

More Flowers Blooming

2011-06-03T12:49:00.000-04:00

Isn't God's creation and creativity amazing?! I did not enhance the pictures or colors, this is simply God's painting in the flowerbeds around our house. The one picture I did not capture was the rosebush. It apparantly bloomed while we were gone last weekend and then with the heat we have had, the flowers did not last very long. I am sure it would have been amazing, the bush had to have had at least 50 roses blooming all at once.

Do you "qualify"?

2011-06-02T16:10:00.001-04:00

I get TONS of magazines each week. Most of them I throw away as I stand at the office mailbox. Very few actually make it back to my office and desk. I generally keep only two kinds of magazines: 1. the read-able kind (like those written for people in ministry, usually specifically children's ministry) or 2. those that sell books and curriculum (so that I can better myself and the experiences of the kids in our ministry).

I was looking through one such "book order" magazine the other day. I like to see what new books are out there and to see what is being offered as "cutting edge" or a "must read". Imagine my utter amazement when I ran across the title of the following book:

"What's the least I can believe and still be a Christian?"

A guide to what matters most

I thought "maybe I read that wrong". So I read the title again, and nope it was just as I feared. Are we really that lazy and pathetic in our American belief system that we now have books to tell us the least we can believe and still be a Christian?! Don't get me wrong, I am very well aware of how we as American Christians have watered down and excused ourselves from the difficulties of our faith. I think that America will continue to pay the price of the church becoming lax in their confrontation of sin. I think our culture will continue to deteriorate and become more immoral if the church does not take a good and hard look at what the Bible says is truth, where we are actually at and then actively pursues Biblical Christ-likeness.

After I stared at the title some more, I then began to read the little paragraph to the side. Oh my!!

"...(the author) presents ten things Christians need to believe--and ten things they don't--to "qualify" as Christians." The quotations around the word qualify are theirs not mine.

"...while we must always take the Bible seriously, we don't always have to take it literally."

Since I only had a title and a few sentences to go on, I decided to see what I could find online about the author and the book. Let me just say that this gentlemen and I would strongly disagree on many points in this book as well as in general. He has very liberal views on some culturally divisive topics and I feel that his views do not line up with the truth of God's Word. I found a contents page for the book and was able to see what the ten do believe and ten don't believe topics were as well as a one sentence description for each. It was interesting that on the surface many seemed "OK" and even agreeable. In fact the ten things Christians do need to believe dealt with the person of Jesus Christ. (Good, right?)

Then I found a radio interview that the author had given regarding the book and I became even more uncomfortable with his beliefs. He seems to have decided that the Bible does not have to be believed in it's entirety. There are mainstream issues that he seems to feel most churches are too judgemental about such as evolution, homosexuality, end times/afterlife of sinners, etc... In essence he says that while we do have to have a relationship with Jesus and that relationship is foundational to our faith, we can pick and choose to believe with certainty anything else in scripture that might make us uncomfortable or different than the world around us.

I guess I am "old school" in my beliefs, but I will die on the "hill" of my belief that the WHOLE Bible is truth and that it can be taken seriously and legitimately as a source of direction and instruction. You can not pick and choose what you want to believe out of it. I also believe that we are called to be like Christ. To me, He represented a life that said "all or nothing" (a lifestyle of faith that the author rejects). Either you believe (and live like you believe) the Bible is God's Word and that Jesus is the only way to the Father or you don't. There isn't a middle ground. You don't do a few things and then you "qualify" to be a Christian, either you are or you are not. I realize that this isn't the most popular form of religion out there, but then again, I don't belong to a religion. I have a real, living and active relationship with God through the shed blood of His Son, Jesus. And I am "in progress" as the Holy Spirit works in me and through me to bring about glory to and for God. I believe that the entire Bible is God-breathed and that we must take it at face value, not adding to it or taking from it. I believe that there certain things God clearly calls sin. I believe that Jesus, while on Earth, showed love and grace to sinful people but never once backed down from calling their sin what it was, sin. I think the church has failed to follow the example of Christ. (Yes, there are those who have taken the pointing out of sins to an unhealthy, unloving and ungodly level, but that does not mean we err completely to the other side and not address it at all.)

*Disclaimer: I have not read the book I mentioned above. I have not talked to the author. I am working off a slim knowledge regarding specifics of this book. However, I do feel that often times Christians look for the easiest and least amount of sacrifice to allow them to enjoy the comfortableness of their lives. Sin is sin. Obedience is tough. Repentance requires turning away from the pleasures of our sinful nature. Daily picking up our cross is not comfortable or easy. Sacrifice is painful. Christlike perfection is unattainable and yet it is what we are called to work toward. The Christian life is not easy. It is counter-cultural and will cause some to treat you differently. However, Christ gave His life for us. We are asked to surrender ours for His glory.

I qualify to be a Christian because I recognized that I am a sinner and was destined for an eternity of suffering in hell. I believe that Jesus died for my sins and that He rose again and lives. I believe that at the moment I accepted His sacrifice for me I was given the gift of eternal life in heaven and also given the gift of the Holy Spirit who is actively at work in and through me. I take God at His word (the Bible) and I strive to live like Christ.

**Disclaimer (again): I am far from getting this right. So very far...

Great Weekend! (The only downside was that I forgot my camera.)

2011-05-31T16:45:00.000-04:00

This last weekend we went to Indiana for a quick visit. We left a little after noon on Thursday, taking the kids out of school for the rest of the week. We actually tried a new route and made great time, making the trip with two stops in just under 9 1/2 hours. The only down side was that when we left PA it was 85 degrees and when we got to IN it was 50.

Friday we spent time with family, including a "girl's only" lunch with my mother in law, mother, sister, myself and Em. (Drew, my nephew, tagged along too as the only boy, but we won't tell him.) Then we spent the evening with our very dear friends, Eric and Tammy. We played a few rounds of euchre while catching up and laughing a lot.

Saturday we went to see some more dear friends and spent some time with the McCleary family. Their oldest son, Austin (who is the same age as Alex) has had another recurrence of cancer. They also have a son who is Jackson's age so the four boys enjoyed video games while the adults talked.

Later both families (my side and Aaron's) got together with some other extended family to have a cookout. It was great to all be together and to see everyone.

Sunday we went to church at our old church. It was great to see so many friends and catch up a bit. It was also nice to go to church and not have any responsibilities. We then went to my parent's house for time with them, my sister and nephew (my brother in law was out of town), my brother, his wife and daughter, and with my grandparents (who are from FL). Again it was great to catch up with everyone and spend time together as an extended family.

Sunday night we ended the day with some Culver's treats to celebrate my father in law's birthday (which had been on Friday).

Monday we headed back to PA leaving IN around 10:30 and got home that evening around 8:00. I think we saw as many dead deer as we did cops on our drive back (and it was Memorial Day so you know there were lots of cops). But other than that the trip home went smoothly.

It was a great weekend with friends and family. We are very blessed, not just with our families and friends but for the freedoms we have that allow us to travel at will. Memorial Day is not just another holiday, it really should be a day in which we recognize the sacrifices of many for the freedoms we all too often take for granted. I hope your weekend was filled with love, laughter and family too!

The View from Here...

2011-05-26T09:05:00.000-04:00

Cousins!

Double Rainbow earlier this week!

Ranibow landing in our neighbors field.

Amazing! I love the promises of God.

Lining it up for goal number 1!

Ball in the net for goal number 2!
(He had 3 goals in his last game and of course I didn't have my camera.)

Lovely, hazy sunrise!

Tears

2011-05-16T10:24:00.000-04:00

It's Monday! Appropriate enough for tears most weeks, right?!

This Monday though I am a bit emotional for reasons other than it being the start of another busy week or the "let down" day after a day filled with ministry. The last two weekends were wonderfully filled with family. First my in-laws came out to help celebrate Alex's birthday. Then this past weekend my sister's family and my mom came out for a quick trip before it gets even more uncomfortable for my sister to travel (she's very pregnant).

This week is also the LCS Sport's Banquet. This means the end of soccer is wrapping up as well. We actually play again this week in district playoffs. While this season has been a great one and I have loved it, I must admit I am tired. I also must admit that I miss being home with my family, even doing the basic household chores that I used to do regularly.

Today is also a day in which I am feeling saddened by the sicknesses of those close to us. Cancer is such a difficult journey and to watch family and friends fight this disease is heartbreaking. Today my heart is heavy and as I find myself in prayer for these loved ones it just feels desperate.

On top of tough emotional issues there are everyday life issues to be dealt with, such as the growing and training of our children. WOW! I have to tell you that in the past week it has been a bit shocking to see how quickly my children are drawn into bad behaviors. From mouthy responses, bad attitudes, bickering, and demeaning names from the boys to "like...um...like" from my FOUR YEAR OLD daughter!!!! And don't even get me started on disrespect and ungratefulness. UGH!

Plus I am in ministry. And this season of ministry has been tough. But there is also great reward so I keep pressing on. But Monday's are often a slow start. And some Monday's I just want to crawl back into bed for awhile, or all day.

And as I sit here re-reading what I just typed and "hear" myself I am reminded again, it all has to do with perspective. Depending on whether I choose to look at all of the things in my life through my temporal, nearsighted perspective or in light of God and His eternal glory I can find myself viewing things very differently. So I am going to spend my Monday (and hopefully beyond) continuing to recognize the realities of what I am feeling, but prayerfully seek to have a perspective of joy and thankfulness for the blessings I have been given.

ELEVEN!!

2011-05-03T14:17:00.000-04:00

Over the past 11 years we have been so blessed. Alexander is our firstborn and had taught us a lot about love, parenting, patience, hope, and so much more. His smile has been a joy. His laughter has brought us happiness. He has filled the role of big brother well, three times over. And he is now 11. Where has the time gone?

I was looking through pictures and found these few that seem to capture Alex well. His looks have amazingly stayed the same over the years. But he sure isn't that little boy anymore. Actually he isn't that far from passing me in height (which I know is no great accomplishment but still poignant for this momma). He is becoming quite a young man. He is serving regularly at church. And is often looking for other ways to serve as well.

Last year he raised money at his birthday party for Haiti. This year he is doing the same thing for Japan. It is amazing to see him recognize that he really doesn't need anything (though wants are definitely still there), but that there are 1000's of people who do need basic help. I am so blessed to be this young man's mom. It is a gift for me to watch him grow and become all that God has created him to be. I look forward to seeing what great things come from him and through him in his next few years.

Easter 2011

2011-04-25T12:55:00.000-04:00

Early Easter Morning

I think I need "the cloud", between Jack and his silly faces and Em not looking.

Some of my tulips.

Sunday's Coming

2011-04-22T16:08:00.000-04:00

As I sit and contemplate the events of this week 2000+ years ago, I am in awe.

To understand these events: the Last Supper, the betrayal, the denial, the judging, the beatings, the cross, the death, and the resurrection; I find it necessary to understand it was part of a bigger plan. A redemptive plan.

You see God created this perfect place (The Garden of Eden), knowing full well that in giving two humans free will they would choose to sin. One thing I know about God is that He knows all things and thus knew that sin would come into His perfect creation. Yet He still created. He still gave Adam and Eve free will.

So in order to restore and redeem His creation, He set into motion a plan filled with a "never stopping, never giving up, unbreaking, always and forever love" (taken from "The Jesus Storybook Bible, by Sally Lloyd-Jones). This plan was a love story in which God would himself come to Earth (His creation) and He would get rid of sin and provide a way for restoration to occur with His beloved children.

In this day and age, it is so easy to overlook the magnitude of the events of this week so long ago. We have the big picture. We see the whole story, how it played out and so we skip to the happy part of the story. Yet we all to often fail to live in the pain and joy of the story. You see this story is yours and mine. We would not have a chance in this world without the pain and joy of this story. This is not a story just about the disciples, or the guards, or the Pharisees, or the people of Jerusalem. The events took place for you and me because He loves you and me.

As I mentioned above, I believe that all too often we fail to live in the pain of the death of Christ. We fail to understand what we have been saved from. Death is often too commonplace in our minds, everybody is going to die at some point you know. We just hope for it to be quick and as painless as possible. Our perspective remains far too temporal instead of eternal. Thankfully we have a choice regarding our eternity due to His pain and suffering on the cross. He paid for our death and eternal condemnation.

I also believe that we fail to live in the joy of His death and resurrection. Oh on Easter Sunday we stop and sing a few extra songs, we listen to the Good News, we say the words "He is risen, He is risen indeed", we may participate in Holy Communion, but then we walk out the doors of our churches and by Monday we are joyless and defeated once again. (Does that sound familiar?) He is risen! We are free. Free from sin's control in our lives. Free from shame and guilt. We are free to enjoy a life filled with power and joy--the abundant life. No, it's not pain free, it's not easy, in fact it is often harder and more painful, but it is endured with the freedom and love and grace that can only be experienced because of the resurrection.

One of my favorite verses in scripture in regard to living as a Christ follower is this:

"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain the resurrection from the dead." Philippians 3:10-11

Often we like to fixate on the first part of that verse. Knowing Christ and the power of his resurrection. I know for many years I did just that, I never went further. Then one day it struck me that without death there is no need for resurrection. So unless I can share in Christ's sufferings and become like Him, then I will never know the power of the resurrection. Imagine power in your life that can raise the dead!! How would your life look different? What would you be willing to do and face in light of that power? There is no fear in love and His love was shown in His brutal death on a cross. But the story doesn't end there. You see perfect love cannot be wrapped in linens and put behind a stone, it is not dead. Perfect LOVE is living and personal, and so He arose and when we choose to accept His love for ourselves, we have access to the power of His resurrection.

We need to reflect during this Holy season but we need to remember in our lives that Sunday is coming. He is alive and so are we. We can live in power. Not just during Easter, but each and every hour of each and every day. For you see, the ultimate Sunday is coming, when we will see Him face to face. Praise God!

Egg Hunt

2011-04-19T13:18:00.000-04:00

The field before the helicopter drop.

People waiting for the hunt to begin. (Jack-blue coat, Stephen-tan/blue coat, and Emma-red coat all to the right with Aunt Kim.)

The eggs dropping from the helicopter. This was really cool!

Jack, Emma and Aunt Kim watching the magic show.

Alex worked the entire time as a balloon animal creator. His instructor was very impressed with how well he did at balloon making, as well as at his ability to connect with little kids.

Aaron helped out all day as well. Here he is taking a break with bunny Em.

Even the Director of Children's Ministries needs her picture taken with the bunny.

Part of the activities offered in the auditorium. We also had another bounce, games, and face painting.

God Wins!

2011-04-15T17:28:00.000-04:00

I think often times as Christ followers we feel guilty when we struggle with our emotions. Or with fears. Or with frustration at how the sinfulness of this world seems to be taking over. I know I do.

Over the past week, we have heard some difficult news that as adults we have wrestled with and then having to tell our children has made it all the more painful. I have cried out to God. I have gotten angry. I have gotten bitter at times. And then in the midst of my tantrum, I am reminded to lay it at the cross. To give it up. To stop trying to fix it. To surrender to the One who knows all things.

No matter what circumstances we are asked to face we are told to be content. To have no fear, for He has overcome this world and all the troubles in it.

I was struck this week by how fatalistic we can be, even as Christians. And yet we have the amazing blessing of knowing the end of the story. We have been given the final chapter. We, who know Christ, are more than conquerors. God wins! When all of this life is said and done, we get to live in the presence of God for eternity. And the devil will be sent packing FOREVER! Sin will be gone. Evil will be gone. Sickness will be gone. Because, GOD WINS!! Take hope. Be joyful. Don't lose sight of the ending. He Wins!

Picture Update

2011-04-11T12:45:00.000-04:00

Spring has Sprung! I love the flowers that are making an appearance all around our home.

My lone tulip at this time.

Stephen is really enjoying soccer. His team is undefeated so far!

Excited to be on the field!

The kids should look stunning on Easter. They all participated in the shopping trip and helped choose what they would wear.

Updates

2011-04-06T13:08:00.000-04:00

We are busy busy busy.

Stephen had his first soccer game this last Sunday afternoon, which as you might guess makes our Sunday's very busy. His team won. We honestly don't know what the final score was as his team was quite dominant. He is really enjoying soccer again and he knew a few of the boys on his team from school, so it seems to be a good thing.

The girl's team that I coach is doing really well too. We face the challenge of having only 13 on our roster, which means we have only two substitutes per game. Well, last Friday I only ended up having 11 girls able to play. This meant they would have to play the entire game with no subs. They won decidedly 7-4. It was a great game. The ref for that game complimented me on their conditioning and ability to outplay the other team for the entire game. (I was pretty proud of them too.) Yesterday we played our first regular season home game, and they won again, 5-2. The winds yesterday were a huge factor in the game as there were balls that when put into the air seemed to hit an invisible wall or go in the opposite direction. I lost my coach's visor off my head a few times. I am ready for some spring like weather that sticks around.

Alex and Jack have enjoyed running lines for home soccer games for me. They like to chase after the ball and pass it to the girls as needed.

Emma is as busy as ever. We have been trying to teach her to be still and not to feel the need to talk so much. She would talk all day if we let her. We are trying to teach her respectful boundaries and yet allow her to be heard. Some days my ears are just tired. (My mom used to tell me that too.)

Work is busy for me. The Easter Egg Hunt is about a week and a half away. There are lots of details to work through and things to finish up, but no matter what...the date is getting closer. I am excited about the day, but quite honestly I am also looking forward to not having this event be so consuming. My office is overflowing with bags of candy and eggs and it is beginning to drive me a bit crazy.

Aaron is doing well. He has been doing a lot of extra things around the house over the past few weeks. He has basically taken over the laundry and cooking in addition to making sure the kids are taken care of. I am so very blessed. It is wonderful to have a partner in this life that steps in and fills the gaps during certain seasons of life. While I do miss cooking and taking care of my family, I know that soon I will be available to do that again and in the meantime things are being handled just fine. I thank God for Aaron!

Well, that is life in our household lately. Busy but good!

The Wall has been Hit

2011-03-30T10:09:00.009-04:00

Have you ever felt that you hit a wall? Maybe while trying to reach a goal, maybe emotionally (usually evidenced by lots of laughing about everything/nothing or in the inability to stop crying), maybe during an exercise workout, maybe spiritually... At some point in time we all hit a wall. For me I have been repeatedly hitting the same wall for about 2 weeks. Guess what?! My head hurts, literally and figuratively.

Today it manifested itself after yet another rough night of sleep, or lack thereof. (And I even took sleep aids to help.) I could not get moving. I just physically could not get it going this morning. To grasp the fullness of my inability to get moving I did not even attempt to make my coffee until well after 8:00 a.m. I barely got of the couch long enough to get dressed to take Emma to school. I must say that I am truly thankful for each of my children's ability to get themselves dressed, get their own breakfast, and get ready for school.

After taking Emma to school I went back home and finally made some coffee. As I sat in my living room I began to cry and cry out to God. I began to selfishly cry out all of MY issues, complain about MY tiredness, and ask God to remove MY burdens. And then my cries turned less selfish as I released all of those things and gave them to God. Please know that I believe that God can handle all our cries, even in our selfishness. I also believe that when we are honest before God our prayers do change our hearts. I realized, in my time with God this morning, that in my brokenness and feelings of discouragement and tiredness that it is precisely where I need to be. For in my weakness, His strength shines through. When I am broken before Him then there is opportunity for God's glory to break through.

Physically I still feel like I have hit the wall. Life is just very busy right now and so my mind races from one thing to another at all hours. Emotionally, I am still at the wall. But this morning provided a good release. Spiritually I am still broken, but now I am OK with that position.

There are no major feelings of change, there was no miraculous energy given or amazing shedding of light on any certain situation (I still want to just crawl back in bed and I am still not clear on things, such as: why has our house in IN not sold?). But I am resting in the strength of my God and Savior. For He is good and His love for me is unending and beyond my comprehension. There is great peace in that knowledge. And no matter my circumstances, self imposed or otherwise, I will praise Him who is the only One worthy of my praise.

Praise brings down walls!

What a Difference a Week Makes

2011-03-28T11:03:00.003-04:00

It is hard to believe that a week ago we were enjoying warm temperatures and spring like weather. This past week it was a very different story with some days not even getting out of the 30's. COLD!!! Plus we had a dusting of snow one day this last week and they are saying it is possible again in the next few days. The only difference in this round of cold weather is that for the most part there has been sunshine with it. We are once again seeing our calendar fill up with lots of things. We are beginning to see those end of the school year programs and field trips coming up. This week kicks off the official soccer season for my varsity girls team and Stephen has begun soccer practices as well. Aaron has started Church softball practices too. Never a dull moment. We are just under three weeks until the BIG Easter Egg Hunt here at the church. My office is filled with candy and plastic eggs. We are asking for volunteers and finalizing a lot of details. It seems to have crept into most areas of my day for work. Everyone is doing fine right now. Thank goodness. Emma is struggling to get fully well after having a double ear infection then strep throat. We seem to finish up the antibiotics and then she starts complaining again. Hopefully she is finished with being sick for awhile. I am looking forward to spring and summer for many reasons. But I also know that these seasons in our lives are flying by. It is incredible to think just how fast time passes and it is important not to try and rush through these precious moments. I have to keep reminding myself of the need to slow down and enjoy my children and their childhood. I am blessed.

Moments with God in the Garden (and the Giant Center)

2011-03-22T09:04:00.006-04:00

This last weekend was amazing. The temps on Friday were in the high 70's and broke some records. It was glorious. And the lessons I learned while taking some time with God were amazing.

I am supposed to have two days off a week. Unlike many who take Saturday and Sunday off, I have to work on Sunday, so I often try to take Friday and Saturday off. Most weeks I just have too much going on that I work at least a half day on Friday, but I had put in two 13 hour days due to meetings last week and had just reached a wall. So I took my full day off. And I sure picked a great day.

I had been out looking at the flower beds earlier in the week and had noticed they were in desperate need of being cleaned out. So I had it planned out that Friday I would spend time cleaning and weeding the many flower beds at our house.

(Back story: The person who owned the house before our landlord was an amazing gardener, they planted the beds so that it would be in bloom from spring to fall. I do not have the first clue about what I am doing other than I know I want to enjoy the beauty. Then our landlord bought the house and in an attempt to lure in a tenant they put down new mulch late last summer. Not a bad thing, except that they had no idea what was planted under the surface.)

As I was starting in on the weeding, raking, and cutting out of dead fall plantings, it was interesting to come across the spring flowers making their way to the surface. There were areas where there was mulch at least two inches thick sitting atop the plants leaves and stalks. As I cleared away the mulch from those areas I inevitably found more and more buried plants trying their best to find the sun.

And then it hit me...when life weighs me down, do I cower under it and give up or do I keep pushing my way toward the SON? The strength of the plants I was uncovering struck me. They innately knew that they needed the sun for nourishment and growth. I know my source of strength comes from God, but do I rely on Him to loosen and remove the weight I try to carry on my own?

The other aspect of this moment with God that struck me was that in all of my cleaning (which went into Saturday too) I never found just an individual flower pushing through. In each case in which I removed a patch of mulch there were multiple plants pushing through together. So as I considered this aspect, I found myself wondering if all too often I try to push through the weight of this life all by myself. Not that I need to broadcast to everyone the troubles and frustrations that are bogging me down, but do I allow others to pray with me and for me, do I seek out people who will encourage me and speak truth to me?

I wish that I had known that I would have this moment with God so that I could have taken a picture of the plants before and after. However, that's part of what I love about moments with God, they are often unplanned and are without pretense. All I did was talk to Him while I worked and He revealed truths to me in the midst of that work.

Then Friday night it was Christmas! I know, you are thinking, "How much sun did she get on Friday?" My Christmas present from Aaron was tickets to see Chris Tomlin with Louie Giglio. It was held at the Giant Center in Hershey. We went out to dinner and then to the concert. WOW!!! It was fantastic.

First of all, Chris Tomlin can write and sing amazingly well, but he clearly kept pointing us back to God. He kept reminding of us the Living God to whom we sing our praises. Then Louie came out to speak for a bit. Again, WOW!!! He used Psalm 148 as his text to talk about how everything in creation is commanded to give God praise. He then went on to share examples of the sounds of some of the stars that are many, many light years away, and the sound of whales singing. Then He mashed the sounds together and added in a Chris Tomlin song. The sounds all together was overwhelmingly incredible and it sounded perfect all together.

He then went on to talk about the fact that we have a choice in our response to God. And our praise to Him is necessary in at least three instances.

1.) In Surrender.

2.) In Jubilation.

3.) In Desperate Hope.

In our lives we will encounter moments where all that is left is praise to God, because of who He is for us and to us. And we will cry out to Him in desperate hope, arms lifted high. At other times we will find such uncontainable joy and blessing and we will praise Him for His goodness to us. And then there will be moments when we will surrender, repent and turn towards Him and then we will praise Him because of His great grace and forgiveness.

For me Friday was filled with God moments. Moments when my spirit was spoken to and I heard His voice. He told me to keep reaching for the Son, even when life gets heavy. He reminded me that I do not have to carry the weight of this life all by myself. He also reminded me that we are TOLD to praise Him, not asked. And in reality, how could I not? He has proven Himself to be faithful and true. He has shown His love and goodness. Nothing and no one is more worthy of my praise than God.

Sing, Sing, Sing and make music with the Heavens...for they truly are singing.

Food for the Soul

2011-03-11T08:41:00.004-05:00

(written Friday, posted Monday)

This morning as our nation woke up we were hearing of earthquakes and tsunami's, as well as the continuing unrest and war in Libya. And around our area of the nation we are dealing with flooding as well as a tragic house fire that killed 7 children. As I was praying for those who were living through the chaos in Japan and praying for those I know who live in Hawaii and California, my mind kept going to the passage in Luke 21 regarding the signs of the end of the age.

I felt a renewed sense of concern for those who are far from God. The time until the return of Christ is approaching. I know from scripture that even the disciples thought they lived in the end times, but if you have studied Biblical prophesies you can see more and more the fulfillment of God's Word. I know that no man is able to determine the time or day of Christ's return, but we can be sure that whether it is a few days or years or many years from now, it is coming.

On one hand this thought of Christ's return brings me great joy, excitement and fills me with anticipation. I get downright giddy and want to dance a bit when I think about the opportunity to see my Lord and Savior. On the other hand though it fills me with sadness and fear for those who are not ready to see God. There are many who I believe think that they will see God and when that day comes they will find that they really were not prepared, that they had not truly surrendered their heart, mind and soul to Him. And there are many others who have chosen to live without God, ignoring their deepest need for Him.

Luke 21 tells us that "Nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines, and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven." (Verses 10 and 11) It was interesting to watch the reactions of people to these many events that are taking place. There was a panic in their voices, fear as they talked about reaching loved ones, and in the details there was awe of just how big some of these events are historically speaking. And yet, Jesus told his disciples just before those verse above, "Do not be frightened." (verse 9)

Later in the passage it speaks about more signs that will signal the end of times. It warns against the anxieties of this life (verse 34). Then it reminds us to always be on watch and to pray so that we can stand before the Son of Man. (verse 36)

There is a helpless feeling that can overwhelm us as we look at this hurting and broken world. Yes, we should reach out and offer support and help. But above all we should be sure to pray. And we should be making sure that those we have contact with are prepared for the approaching day "when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord."

Are you ready? Are your family members ready? Are your friends ready? If so ,there should be a peace even in the midst of great panic and trouble, and there should be a sense of desperation to see that others know Christ. I know that I fail in this area, but am praying that in seeing this need once again, that I might be bolder in living and talking out my faith.

Food For Thought

2011-03-04T08:08:00.010-05:00

I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

Philippians 3:8-10

These verses have been my focus lately. And what's interesting is that in some ministry team meetings this is what God has been pointing them to as well. Knowing Him.

One of my co-workers was sharing about a message she had listened to online about the will of God. She was hoping that the speaker would give her ways to discern God's will. However, the speaker spoke about the fact that knowing God's will is less about the will/direction and more about knowing God. It's so true.

As I have reflected on the past year, it is amazing to really see with clarity that our journey has been founded in our growing relationship with God. As we sought Him, got to know Him better and experienced Him, we then were able to sense His leading and direction for our lives.

God brought me to the passage above about two weeks ago. (I was going to blog about it last week, but that obviously did not happen.) And I have to admit I am glad it had taken this long to get my thoughts on "paper". I keep wrestling with the line in the first verse above that says "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord."

"Everything a loss." EVERYTHING?? A LOSS??? I don't believe that this means that I have to give up everything I own or love, or that I have to abandon my family or ministry; but it does mean that there is something that takes precedence in my life before all of that. "KNOWING CHRIST JESUS MY LORD." I must seek to know Him with a greater passion and desire than anything else I do. He must be my priority. Knowing Him must win my time and my affection.

Reality: This is not even close in my life. I do truly want to live in this way, but it is not how I choose to live day in and day out. I want to know Him more. I want Him to be my priority. I want everything else in my life to lose a little of it's luster so I might know Christ and His power.

I believe that if this becomes the reality in my life, the joy and benefits will spill over into the areas of my life that remain important. I have once again been reminded of the fact that this life we have been called to live as Christ-followers is counter cultural and uncomfortable. It is not easy and it requires all that we are and have be surrendered to Him. I can't live this way without the help of the one I want to know. It is only by His power that I can get to a point where I am seeking Him above all else. Complete surrender to Christ. This is hard and scary for a control freak like me. But my very heart and soul cry out for that kind of intimate knowledge of my Lord.

"I want to know Christ!" What about you? What do these verses say to you? Are you allowing this world and the enemy to get you to believe that it is too hard? Are you buying into the lie that Christ doesn't have to be your priority? (I know I do, far more than I would like to admit.)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-03T16:28:00.004-05:00

(Not quite wordless, we renovated the Children's Ministry Office today

(Thursday) so I thought I would wait and share a few pictures.)

Monday Mumblings

2011-02-28T13:08:00.002-05:00

Well, last week was a busy week and one in which our household was feeling a bit under the weather. We are still fighting colds, though thankfully no one has gotten the flu. For that we are very thankful.

Last week was filled with lots of meetings, even into the evenings, as well as basketball. Go figure!? I had so many meetings on my schedule last week I am amazed that anything got done.

The basketball team had their first playoff game on Tuesday night. The girls played so well and it was a fun game to watch. They won which moved them on to play on Saturday. Unfortunately Saturday was a tough game. The girls played hard but lost. It was a great season.

My mom came out for a visit beginning on Friday. We were a bit uncertain if she would be able to make the trip due to weather issues on both ends of the flight. She said they got about 8 inches of snow the night before her flight. Then out here, we had high winds. She had a layover in Chicago and at the gate next to hers they cancelled two flights to Philadelphia due to the winds. She was flying into Harrisburg and for whatever reason her flight remained on time. She said it wasn't even that bumpy. We are thankful she arrived safely.

She was able to attend the game on Saturday to see Aaron coach and the girl's play. Her trip also coincided with a memorial service for a man who I grew up calling "Grandpa". It was a beautiful service and tribute to him. Grandpa Kern's daughter is married to my mom's brother, so there is a family connection. At the service there was quite a mix of people I knew in my childhood as well as those I have recently met. At times it felt a bit surreal.

Another newsworthy event of this past week is that I accepted the position of Head Coach for the Girl's Varsity Soccer Team at Lititz Christian. The season starts in one week. So needless to say we are planning to enjoy this week between soccer and basketball. :-)

I hope that you all have a blessed week.

Falling Behind

2011-02-17T16:19:00.003-05:00

Well, it is hard to believe that it is Thursday afternoon. It seems to have arrived so quickly and yet it has seemed like a very long week. I have been fighting a headache and sinus cold for about a week and a half. I am still winning but I am not sure for how long. There are a number of crazy illnesses floating around here. I am thankful that so far we seem to be making it through on the healthy side.

The weather has been amazing the past two days. Today it was in the mid to upper 50's and tomorrow is supposed to be close to 70. And the sunshine has been heavenly. (I am not thinking about the weather past tomorrow at this point. I am well aware of the fact that it is NOT spring no matter how it feels today.) It is amazing how warmth and sunshine can affect one's emotional well being. I love it!

As I have personally had a long week there have been moments of great joy. I love that my children can make me laugh about as easily as they can drive me crazy. Those moments of laughter are priceless. I am blessed. And one of the motivating factors to get through this week is that tomorrow night is date night with the most amazing man in my life (I would say the world, but I know there are those of you who would say otherwise). I am so grateful for a man who plans an evening for just us (and even organizes childcare).

This week has also brought moments of personal pain. Some of which I can't share at this moment and others like: when I was placed in a situation where I was shocked and appalled by the behavior of someone who is supposed to love kids and their parents and yet the parents were treated so rudely because he didn't participate in a craft and the reality is that their son has some limitations. I now have to confront that person. Can't we all just play nicely and treat each other like Jesus would want us to?! Is that really too much to ask?! And then there was the confrontation with my son about school. How many times have we had the same conversation? And since we have had it more than once, more than twice, more than three times (you get the point), I feel like a failure. Then there was the conversation in which one of my son's told me about a situation which was for all intents and purposes--bullying. I wanted to go lay the smack down on the kids involved and the teacher (albeit a substitute) for allowing this. I also wanted to figure out a way to empower my son to stand up for himself and not back down (easier said than done for a preteen).

But then I lay at the feet of Jesus, feeling beat up and defeated. He picks me up and reminds me that I am His child. He reminds me that "in this world there will be trouble, but He has overcome." He reminds me that His commandment to me is to "Love my neighbor" not "make your neighbors love each other." He also reminds me that I am not a failure when I am leaning on Him for strength. He has told me to "train my child" and we all know that training is never easy. It requires sweat, tears, and sacrifice. But there is a reward. He also reminds me that His language to bullies and enemies is love and is carried out through prayer for them.

While at times over the past few weeks I feel that I am falling behind or just plain falling down (the Annual Easter Egg Hunt is less than 2 months away) I know that God never does. He is always preparing the way for me. He knows my next step. He knows the next obstacle. He is never caught off guard. I love how trustworthy and faithful He is in each and every life and situation. I can rely on Him to be there when I stumble, and when I fall face down. I am finding that face down is really a good place to be, when it is at the foot the the cross.

Monday Mumblings

2011-02-15T16:40:00.004-05:00

WOW, it's Tuesday. Yep, it's going to be one of those weeks.

Last week was crazy. We ended up with a total of 9 basketball games in 6 days. I am not sure what else actually happened last week. :-)

We did finally make it through a full week of five full days of school. That was nice, especially in light of our evenings being jammed full. I love routine. I was about to lose my mind with the craziness and inconsistency of the past few weeks.

Thursday evening we thought the girl's team had finished their season, though there was still a slim chance they could make it into regional play. And we found out Friday morning that they did. So the season continues. Though they do get a nice break and do not have to play again until next week.

We had one free night last week and that was Friday night. So after a much needed grocery store run, we had family movie night. We watched "Over the Hedge", which I actually had never fully seen. It was a cute movie but really it was just great to all cozy up on the couch and be together.

Saturday brought the second games of double elimination tournament play for Alex and Jack. Jack's team won their scheduled game and then turned around to play another, which they lost. However, Jack played amazingly well. He scored, made a free throw, got some steals, rebounds and overall played his best basketball so far. We were talking about how much he has improved over this season. He was disappointed to see his season end. Alex's team then played and they too lost. He also played really well and was sad that the season is over.

Well, yesterday was Valentine's Day and I hope that in some form it was expressed to you that you are loved. I received 11 roses. A tradition that Aaron has started is that when I get a bouquet of roses, Emma gets one. She loves it and so do I. It just makes my heart so happy to see her face light up and the pride in Daddy's eyes. I would gladly take the 1 and give her the 11. I am so richly blessed by the love of an amazing man, four wonderful children, and lots of family and friends. But I loved the reminder of the most amazing love I know in the sunrise that He painted yesterday morning. It was the most beautiful valentine! A reminder of God's greatest act of love: John 3:16.

Food For the Soul

2011-02-11T09:35:00.004-05:00

James 3: 17 "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere."

I read these words earlier this week as I prepared for a meeting. I had been praying and asking God to give me wisdom. I did not want personality to be the driving force of the conversation. (It was a confrontational discussion.) I did not want my ego or any individual selfish need to be the reason I was confronting and asking some hard questions. I truly only wanted God to shine through the conversation. I prayed for wisdom, Godly wisdom.

During my prayer time, which involved perusing and praying through a number of passages, I landed on this verse. It is interesting that the beginning of this chapter in James is all about the power of the tongue. So as I was asking God to reign in my tongue for His glory, I ended up stuck on this verse.

Pure wisdom. Peace loving. Considerate. Submissive. Full of mercy. (I am not known for having an abundance of mercy.) Impartial. Sincere.

As I was preparing my heart I really wanted my heart to be heard. My heart that I felt was in tune with God's. As I worked through some of the issues that I knew would be discussed, I prayed for words tempered with peace and kindness. I prayed for a purity of heart, mind and purpose.

I know God heard my prayers. I know He kept my mouth closed when I would have said something unmerciful. You see I realized too that while this was my prayer, I didn't know how the person on the other side of the table would respond. I didn't know how they were preparing themselves. I could only do what God, through the Holy Spirit was prompting me to do. I know that I was able in kindness to suggest other tactics for this person to try as they responded. I was sincere in my desire to work things out, personality aside.

I have prayed many many times for wisdom. The times when I am in tune with God I look back and see that wisdom as being pure. But how many times have I "jumped the gun" and taken sides in my judgement or been unmerciful and unkind? By using my own wisdom I have hurt others and myself in the process.His wisdom is pure.

I love the filters that God has given us in His Word as we seek Him. As we ask for wisdom in our lives, if the end result lines up with the filter of purity, peaceful, considerate, submissive, merciful, impartial and sincerity we can move forward in confidence that our wisdom is of God.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-09T14:28:00.002-05:00

Monday Mumblings

2011-02-07T15:46:00.003-05:00

Oh YEA! The Green Bay Packer's won the Super Bowl. I am ecstatic. There was a lot of yelling and dancing in our home last night. (Even after the kids were in bed.)

This last week was another crazy one. But not a lot to report. Just busy.

The boys were supposed to have games Saturday, but we had a quick system move through overnight that caused some ice so the games ended up being cancelled. We were rather lazy for the morning. It was nice. I headed into work to get some things done before Sunday. (I am amazed at how much I get done when I am the only one in the building and I can crank up my music.)

In the evening we allowed the kids to take some of their Christmas and birthday money as we headed to Toy's R Us and Wal-mart. We realized rather quickly that this was a mistake. First of all, we should have done it with each child individually. Too much, "you should get this or that". Also, we found that a few of our children wanted to figure out how to spend it all. If something only cost $9 and they had $20, then they had to find another $11 worth of stuff. Guess what we are going to working on with our kids? Giving, Saving, and Spending.

This upcoming week is one that will probably fly by. We are looking at a total of 8 basketball games this week. However, at the end of the week we should be just about done with basketball if not completely done. I have loved this season for the boys as well as for Aaron, but I am ready for a break from the crazy schedules.

Have a great week.

Food for the Soul

2011-02-04T12:47:00.002-05:00

Well, the past week has been up and down. I have definitely been coming face to face with the fact that my heart had become very hard. What really struck me was how quickly it had happened.

God has been softening me and my heart.He has been gently reminding me of His amazing love for me as well as my great need for Him. It has been much like getting on a bike for the first time in a long time. It's a bit wobbly and unsteady at first, but you've done it before so the ability is still there, it's just a bit rusty.

I have gone to the gospel of John and have begun to work my way through this book again. I am taking just a few verses at a time, but with each group of verses I am asking the Holy Spirit to speak to me. I am asking specifically that He would show me how to live like Christ.

As I write down what I am being shown as well as my thoughts, I am realizing how far I am from reflecting Christ in my life. It would be easy to become bogged down with the reality that Christ is God=perfect and I am human=definitely not perfect. But as I was struggling with those thoughts, God brought to mind the verses of Scripture that speak to "race" we are running, that we are to "press on" toward the goal. I know I will never be perfect here on this Earth, but I will press on and work toward the goal of becoming a reflection of Christ until my time on Earth is done. I want so desperately to hear God say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." I want to be faithful to Him and His call to walk in Him.

To sum it up here is a verse I read just this morning:

"Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us,

but our sufficiency is from God."

2 Corinthians 3:5

7 (And 1 week)

2011-02-03T00:00:00.001-05:00

Stephen Daniel is my favorite Stephen.

Here are my Top 7 about Stephen:

7. His laugh is pure joy.

6. His love of justice and what is right. (Though this can be an issue of bossiness.)

5. His lisp. (While he does recieve speech therapy to correct this, his speech is still distinctly his, especially when he is excited.)

4. His hugs.

3. His love of books.

2. His sense of humor.

1. His smile. (It includes his entire face.)

------------------------

Here are some pictures from his birthday party last weekend:

Intently reading his homemade card from Grandpa and Grandma Maxson.

With his football cake.

His stash of presents. Lego's, a basketball, tools, and a Star Wars planetarium. (Plus a bunch of card's with money to spend.)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-02T08:20:00.005-05:00

Monday Mumblings

2011-01-31T10:58:00.002-05:00

Well, this last week was filled with snow and basketball, as has become the norm. And a very special Thursday. Thursday was Stephen's 7th birthday. He is such a joy. (I will get back to him in a bit with his own post.)

Last week the boy's had off school for an in-service on Monday, then Tuesday they actually got a full day of school in. YEA!! Wednesday we were supposed to get a light dusting of snow in the morning and then a bigger storm later in the day. Well it snowed heavily and steadily for a number of hours which sent the kids home early on Wednesday. Thursday ended up being another snow day.

This last week was also supposed to hold 4 varsity girl's basketball games (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday). Considering the weather patterns we have had, 3 out of 4 isn't bad, and they were all wins.

Thursday was a laid back day since the kids had off school. I still had a few meetings and due to the kids having Monday and part of Wednesday off I needed to get some work done in the office. So the kids all came into the office with me. We took a break at lunch time and allowed Stephen to pick the fast food restaurant of his choice. He chose Burger King. We brought lunch back to the church and they watched a movie on the big screen in the chapel while eating. They all enjoyed it. I got some work done and so we then called it a day and went home. Since Aaron's game and the boy's practices were cancelled we were able to have Stephen's birthday meal (the food of his choosing) as a family, instead of in shifts. He chose sloppy joe's, mac-n-cheese, and corn.

Friday I sent the kids off to school for a full day, thank goodness. While they were at school, Aaron and I made a trip to the Harrisburg Airport to pick up Aaron's mom and dad. We enjoyed surprising Emma by hiding them in the coat room of her preschool. We sent her in to get her coat and backpack and her surprise was so fun to watch. She actually came to a complete stop and stared for a moment as she processed the fact that Grandma and Grandpa were standing there. Then the five of us headed out to lunch and to do some birthday gift shopping before the boys started to get home. Again, it was fun to "hide" Grandpa and Grandma. (They hid in the boy's beds.) We sent the boys to their rooms to put away their backpacks and coats.

In the midst of all the fun, Emma began to complain that her ear hurt. Since she has had a cold I figured all that junk was just moving around in there. By mid afternoon she was in tears over the pain. So a trip to the doctor was made (they got her in within 20 minutes of me calling). She has a double ear infection and is struggling with some wheezing in her chest. Thank goodness for medication.

We headed out for her prescriptions and then to Aaron's game. It was a down to the buzzer exciting game. The girl's won by one point. I stood for the entire game, I just couldn't sit. (Aaron says I still have too much "coach" in me.) After the game we picked up some pizza's and headed home.

Saturday brought games for Jack and Alex. They both played well. Then we had Stephen's birthday party. It was so fun to see our IN and PA families interacting and enjoying each other's company. We are so very blessed.

Sunday was a busy day at church. We then hung out at home and enjoyed each other's company a bit before heading to the airport for my in-laws return flight. It was a quick weekend trip for them, but we are all so thankful they did it. (And thankful they avoided the storm prior and the one coming.)

During the busyness of this week and the lack of routine that the weather has been causing, I did not get a chance to post on Friday. I am disappointed time did not allow this. God is teaching me and growing me and I look forward to sharing it with you. I decided to just skip last Friday and wait until this week.

In the midst of everything though I am truly thankful for the blessings in my life. For the safety that we have experienced (especially Aaron as he is on the road during the worst parts of the weather lately), for the gift of another year with our Stephen, for the gift of family near and far, for warmth, for the kindness of neighbors plowing our driveway, for too many things to mention. God is so good. I am so very thankful and humbled by his blessings!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-26T15:36:00.002-05:00

Monday Mumblings

2011-01-24T15:35:00.004-05:00

THE GREEN BAY PACKERS ARE GOING TO THE SUPERBOWL!!!!!! YIPPEE!!!!!!

Well as you can see this past week ended on a high note for me. But actually this week was long and difficult for many reasons.

Last Sunday morning 4 high school boys from Manheim Central were killed in a car accident. This news broke in the community within hours. The kids already had Monday off of school due to MLK's birthday. However, we received a district wide phone call to inform us of the school being open for counseling. This tragedy broke our hearts but since we are new we did not feel a strong sense of grief.

Tuesday brought us ice and snow and in turn another day off school. The kids and I had a great day of hanging out. But I have to admit that after 4 days off of school I was ready for spring. The kids were on each other's nerves and cabin fever was settling in.

Wednesday the kids went back to school. Alex came home with a note. Two of the boys killed on Sunday had a sibling in Alex's class. (Not in all of the 5th grade classes combined but in his immediate classroom. Tough stuff!) Needless to say, Alex stated that it was a long and sad day. His class in addition to the other 5th grade classes are collecting money to put together remembrance baskets for the students and their families.

In honor of the boys killed and out of respect for their family and friends, the district cancelled all extra curricular activities for the week. This meant no basketball practices or games for the boys. While the circumstances bringing this about were tragic and sad it in turn was a blessing for our family. It allowed us to all attend Aaron's team's game on Thursday evening and to have a few days of just being together as a family.

Friday, the school had announced that they would be releasing early to allow family, staff and friends the ability to attend the memorial service for all of the boys. Since we ended up getting snow Thursday evening what would have been a 2 hour delay became a cancellation for the boys. Emma still had school (her school follows a neighboring district). So the boys came into the church/school with us and hung out while I worked and Emma was in class.

We enjoyed a "Snow Day" party that Aaron planned for Friday night. He got pizzas for the kids and wings for us adults. We then all played "Beat the Parents". It was great to hang out together and laugh. (The kids did NOT beat the parents though.)

Saturday, I stayed in my pj's until it became necessary to make lunch (I think it's too weird to make lunch in my pj's). After lunch I took a nap and then found my spot on the couch again. It was a wonderful day of not doing anything. (I did some laundry and cleaned the kitchen a bit, so some stuff did get accomplished.)

Sunday was busy. Our church is currently without a Senior Pastor and we have a 7 week series that kicked off this week with a short term interim speaker. He will be teaching on the book of Ruth and it was amazing that his topic (picked months ago) dealt with loss and grief, especially in light of the accident a week ago. I love how God's hand is always at work.

And of course, then came playoff football. I had a few "moments" during the game, as it was not one of our better performances. (Like I really had anything to do with it, but yes, it is personal.) But we got a win and a chance to play for the Lombardi trophy. To celebrate we went to Taco Bell. (I know what you're thinking. We are not typically huge Taco Bell fans we do occasionally enjoy it. We do not have one that is just up the road, in fact we have to go into Lancaster City to find a Taco Bell. So this was a BIG deal. And in addition it was the kid's first Taco Bell experience. They loved it. In fact Stephen mentioned that he thinks we should eat there every night. I don't think that will happen.)

So our week while long in some regards it was also filled with many blessings. Family time is so very precious. A point driven home by the tragedy. I know it's cliche but love your family well, you never know how much time you have with them.

Oh and by the way: THE GREEN BAY PACKERS ARE GOING TO THE SUPERBOWL!!!!

Food for the Soul

2011-01-21T11:35:00.002-05:00

Well, this week was better. I spent some time crying and talking things out with two of my greatest friends: God and my husband. After some of my revelations this past weekend, I began to soften my heart and shift my focus a bit.

Each day is a new day. We cannot change the mistakes or choices made yesterday. I had gotten so stuck in the frustration of failing yesterday that I could not move on to making a better choice today. Thank God for the new mercies available to us each day. (And for second and third and fourth chances.)

A verse that I read again this week has been challenging me in many ways. It is a verse I have looked at before, but it had a fresh meaning. (I love that God's Word is living and active and ALWAYS applicable.)

Micah 6:8 says "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy (kindness), and to walk humbly with your God."

I can honestly say that I had stopped walking. I was actually sitting--immobile. And I was not in any way humble. I was so sure I could function well without God.

So this is where I am starting. To stand up and start walking with God, in Him, not in myself. I also am working to do a better job of loving kindness. Here I am enjoying the benefits of God's mercy, but I am not extending it to others so this HAS to change.

A place to start. A God who loves me and forgives me. A new day to make the right and wise choice. Another step in the right direction. :-)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-19T19:40:00.001-05:00

This Past Week in Review

2011-01-18T10:00:00.003-05:00

Well this last week held a lot of...you guessed it...basketball.

Last Tuesday night the girl's team played a team that was located about 60 minutes away (based on traffic, during rush hour thru the capitol, with snow falling rapidly). The girl's honestly did not play well and lost. Then we had to make the trek back home. I think it took about 90 minutes to get home. Having lived in Indiana for many years, it was quite a shock to drive in snow here in PA where they basically shut down until the storm passes. The major highways were AWFUL!!!! I was amazed, considering we had been under the Winter Weather Advisory for two days. I don't mind driving in some snow but there were inches upon inches of snow on the roads and no gravel or salt.

The kids had a two hour delay on Wednesday. Then came home from school and played outside. It was windy and bitter cold by then, but they were so excited to play in snow. (I posted pictures last week.)

Friday night was again spent in a gym for basketball. Another loss.

Saturday we geared up for three basketball games in four hours. Jack had two games and Alex had one. Aaron motivated the boys to play well by promising a secret treat. Jack scored his first basket of the season in the last minutes of the second game. It was thrilling, for us and for him. (And of course I didn't have my camera.) He also had some steals and played great defense. Alex was supposed to get 5 rebounds. That did not happen but he played well and had an amazing block. (The kid can get up when he wants to.)

We all took naps and then I went into work for a bit Saturday afternoon so we decided to treat the kids to their reward on Sunday afternoon. We went to Chuck E Cheese. We did not eat, we just got a bunch of tokens and everyone played. It was fun. With the kids getting older it really isn't as chaotic as it used to be to go to such places.

Well Monday the kids had off school for MLK Day. They helped me out at church with some sorting and counting of Easter eggs. (I am just under three months away from the biggest event our church does in the community each year. So everyone is getting the chance to help.) Our day wrapped up with a doctor's appointment, waiting on medication to be filled, a basketball practice, and set up and execution of a meeting all within the same 3-4 hour time slot. But it all got done.

Overnight we got some snow which at some point turned to ice. So we are home bound today. Kids are currently spread throughout the house, actually playing quietly and nicely. I think we will soon have a movie date on the couch and then lunch. Days like this are a gift as I look at my children who are growing up way to fast. (I will have two children in double digits this year! That's crazy!) So I am off to cuddle and enjoy my kiddos.

Have a great week. Maybe next week I will actually get on track with my weekly posts. HA!!

Food for the Soul (brutal honesty)

2011-01-17T11:34:00.002-05:00

I am sitting here dreading this post. I am not only 4 days late on it but I have to be brutally honest.

My last "Food for the Soul" post was one in which I committed to doing a better job in the area of spiritual discipline. This week was AWFUL on so many levels. First being that I failed to do better. Of course that led to everything else being awful.

I opened my Bible, some. I prayed, a little. However when I did read and pray my heart, soul and mind were not in it. I don't journal often. In fact my journaling usually takes place when I am struggling. So inevitably this week led to me sitting down and writing some of my thoughts.

I love the clarity that comes when you can see your thoughts on paper. I was writing a sentence about my failure to choose my relationship with God over the other "stuff". I then wrote the following: "I CHOSE". It hit me. I chose to not make the wise and right decision. I chose to ignore the promptings of the Holy Spirit. I chose to give in to the temptations of the flesh. (No, I wasn't doing anything that was innately bad, it just should not have been the priority in those moments.)

I also came to realize that I fell into two traps. The first is that after a time of spiritual highs and a time of truly hearing God and experiencing Him, I let my guard down. You see I listened for Him to speak, I heard Him clearly, and I obeyed. But that one act of obedience (albeit HUGE) did not mean that I was done listening and hearing and obeying. Yet, that is how I treated it.

The second trap was that I allowed my ministry to become my spiritual discipline. I know that those who have been or are in ministry can understand this concept. It is all too easy to use the excuse that since I am developing and working on curriculum and meetings that are God-centered that I have somehow enhanced my relationship with God. This is a lie straight from the devil himself. There is no truth to this. In fact it should be out of my relationship with God that I develop and work on curriculum and meetings. I can't listen, hear and obey God when I am the one "in charge".

So here I am. Not at all happy about how I handled this last week in terms of my relationship with God, which then seeped into every other relationship. I was negative, critical, angry, etc... with everything and everyone. (I am so very sorry if any of you experienced this from me.)

So what? So what happens next? So what do I do to change this problem? So what? I guess you will have to wait until Friday. ('Cause I'm still working that out for myself!)

Another Picture Post

2011-01-13T17:15:00.004-05:00

We have been having the most amazing winter sunrises.

That sunrise came the morning before we got our first real significant snowfall. The kids were so excited as it meant snow angels, snowballs, and other snowy activities.

The kids decided to try sledding on our not so hilly backyard, it was not that successful. The sled soon became a shield from the wind.

The sunsets have been impressive as well. I love God's handiwork!

Monday Mumblings (On Tuesday)

2011-01-11T09:19:00.002-05:00

Well this last week was much slower and a bit more relaxing than we have had in awhile.

Our evenings were still filled with Basketball practices and games. In fact, Friday night was Homecoming for Lititz Christian. Both the girls and boys lost in close-down-to-the-wire games. Very exciting. We don't normally stay for two entire games, but due to the coronation ceremony being the last part of the evening we ended up being in the gym for the good part of four plus hours. The kids were a bit antsy and tired of sitting there. The boys didn't seem to appreciate the girls being all dressed up. Even Emma who was really looking forward to seeing the "pretty girls" was a bit disinterested by the time the court was being announced.

Saturday we were all ready to head out the door for intramural games for the boys and we got the call that they were cancelled. (We were getting flurries at the time and when it was all said and done there was about a 1/4 of an inch.) The boys were a bit disappointed but it really was nice to just sit at home and relax.

My goals over the weekend were: 1. to get some laundry and cleaning done, which I did. (Mostly laundry and just a little cleaning.) 2. to work on Emma's picture posters for her "Star of the Week" board. (Couldn't find the box with most of her loose pictures, then we couldn't find the cord for the external hard drive, then when we did we had to send them to CVS to be printed, then we had no tape in the house to attach them to the papers.) 3. to get my Christmas stuff taken down and put away. (Yea, I chose the couch instead. Actually I started working on it Sunday afternoon, but didn't get very far.)

Playoff football is here, which is always fun. The Colts lost which was a bummer for Aaron and the kids. However, my team the Packers won and so there was excitement in the house (at least for me).

Well, this week will once again be filled with basketball and the possibility of some snow. The kids are hoping for a day off and enough snow to go out and play in it. (We have had a few storms pass by us and we have not ended up with much white stuff-much to the kid's disappointment.)

I will work toward getting my Christmas tree put away. Everything else is packed up for another year, but the tree still stands. Oh well. Eventually it will get put away.

Have a great week!!!

Catch-Up Pictures

2011-01-08T11:25:00.006-05:00

Christmas in Pennsylvania

before opening presents~a sibling picture

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Christmas in Indiana

(At Maxson's)

(Annual tradition of putting the Angel on the tree.)

(Family)

(At Christner's~realizing they all got DSi's)

(Figuring out their new games.)

Food for the Soul

2011-01-07T10:49:00.000-05:00

New Year's Resolutions...diet...exercise...save money...make a career move...be a better person...travel more...

What do you want to do this year? Personally, yes I have some vain goals. But really by desire is to be a more spiritually disciplined person.

I want to do a better job working on my relationship with God. I want to spend more quality time with Him. I want to live even more fully in His power and presence. I want this all important relationship to grow and spill out into all areas of my life. Thus creating an all around better person. A better wife, mom, friend, sister, daughter, co-worker, leader, etc...

Studies show that goals have to be definable and achievable to be obtained. So how do I define being a better person? How do I define a growing relationship? How do I know if I have reached my goal?

First, I don't think I will ever reach my goal. I think that my relationship with God will always be an area in which I can grow. I believe that I will humanly never fully comprehend God and thus can always be learning and growing in my knowledge and understanding of Him and His ways. While this could on some level be a discouragement, I think more than that it is exciting and challenging.

Second, since my relationship with God must always be growing my other relationships can always be better as well. Meaning that I can always be working to be a better person.

Finally, how do I define this goal so that I can work towards it? Daily time set apart to focus solely on God and His Word. This is either accomplished on a daily basis or it's not, there is not "grey" in this goal. This means carving out time to be sure that I get that undisturbed time of reading the Word of God and praying. In other words, I must give up time spent doing something else.

Why is this so hard? I find time to sit and "veg" on the couch, usually to watch TV. I find time to get on the computer to do mindless activities. Yet I put off time with God. I make excuses and say that "I will do it later." But sadly I never do it. If I treated my other relationships in this way, I would have few to no friends. I would have a very grumpy husband and discontent children. Instead, I choose to invest in these relationships and when I do this I see results. In fact, when I get busy and fail to invest appropriately I see these relationships suffer. Why do I expect anything different in my relationship with God?

So...I am publicly making a decision to invest daily in my relationship with God. Yes, I know there will be days when I fail, but that is not to be the norm and it is not an excuse to throw in the towel. My commitment is that I will share with all of you on Friday's what God and I have been working on that week. Those posts may be introspective or they may sometimes offer a challenge to you, but either way they are a source of accountability in my life.

What about you? Why don't you join me in this resolution?! I know this is something we all could do better. We all need a thriving, growing relationship with God. One that involves being in His Word as well as time in prayer. (And prayer is NOT just us "dumping" on God, it involves being quiet to hear the Holy Spirit.)

I think that if we all better our relationship with God we will find that many areas of our lives will follow suit. And think of the ripple effect this change could make on our families, circles of friends, our co-workers, maybe even our world.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-05T01:00:00.001-05:00

Monday Mumblings

2011-01-03T09:31:00.004-05:00

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year...

Life was busy over the last two weeks. We celebrated Christmas and New Year's with family and friends in PA and IN. Lots of miles were traveled and lots of fun was had.

The week prior to Christmas involved basketball (of course), planning for the last Sunday of the year, and Christmas Eve choir preparations, of course culminating in the two Christmas Eve services at our church. The boys all sang in the choir and Emma decided after walking out onto the stage to bail. I had a feeling she wouldn't stay on the stage. :-)

The six of us celebrated Christmas with presents and a big breakfast capped off with birthday cake in honor of Jesus' birthday. The boys all helped to read the Christmas story from Luke and Matthew, while Emma helped recite our advent calendar.

We then spent some time with my Great-Aunt before getting my Grandpa and heading to my God-parents house for dinner with their family. Food and fun was had by all.

Then Sunday after teaching the preschoolers and elementary age children at church during both services the kids, my Grandpa and I headed out to Indiana. We made great time in spite of the wind that threatened to blow us off the road at times.

Monday was spent with the Maxson side of the family. It was great to spend time with my brother and his family as well as my sister and her's. We celebrated with our traditional Christmas meal and then on to exchanging gifts. It was fun to see my niece and nephew getting the knack of opening presents.

Tuesday we had breakfast and then said good-bye to Ben, Lacey and Kaitlyn as they headed home to OH. Then the kids and I ran a few errands. Emma's baby ornament is broken and the Hallmark store in Warsaw usually carries ornaments from years past. Of course I couldn't find ANY from 2006. UGH! Then we were on to the jewelers as Emma and I get charms for our charm bracelets each year. If we take the charm and bracelet into the store where the charms are purchased it is free to have them attached.

We then met my in-laws for lunch at McDonald's. We thought the plan may have backfired when we realized the play place was closed. Fortunately they opened it just as the kids were finishing their lunches. It gave us adults a few minutes to chat without interruptions. Then we headed to their house for presents. The kids all got a DSi. They were thrilled and quickly disappeared throughout the house to try them out. Emma impressed us all with her ability to quickly pick up the concepts of the games. After dinner and a few more rounds on the DSi we said goodbye and headed to my parents house to sleep and prepare for the trip back to PA.

Wednesday morning we packed up the car and left IN with my sister and her son to make the trip back. It took about 11 hours to get home but since we weren't in any hurry it was a good trip.

Friday we went to a birthday/New Year's party at my God-parents house. (It was my God-sister's birthday.) Joining us a bit later at the party were my parents, Laura's husband and Grandpa. We hung out and enjoyed each other's company, leaving their house a little after 11 pm. While everyone was in bed by the time the New Year came in, we knew it arrived by the fireworks going off.

Saturday was spent just laying low. We didn't do much which was kind of nice.

Sunday I colored my hair as my part in an offering challenge for the kids at church. (May post a picture on Wordless Wednesday. There really are no words for the color my hair was on Sunday morning.) The kids loved that I did it. It was really fun to watch adults expressions.

Sunday evening we spent with most of the family that is local as well as all the visiting family. It was again a great time to just gather and enjoy each other's company. Unfortunately we had to watch the clock as it was back to school and work this morning.

Lots has happened in the past two weeks and January is filled with basketball. Hopefully though Monday Mumblings won't be such a rambling post for quite some time. I'm tired just rehashing it all. :-) I will try to put together a post filled with pictures from our holidays.

As this New Year begins I pray that God will bless you and keep you. Have a great week one in 2011.

Wordless Wednesday (a day late)

2010-12-23T07:55:00.002-05:00

Food for the Soul and Monday Mumblings (All a bit late)

2010-12-21T09:13:00.003-05:00

I sat at my computer Thursday evening thinking that I should go ahead and type out my blog post for Friday, but then talked myself out it. Then it happened again on Sunday afternoon as I was thinking about Monday's post. Sometimes even the best of intentions can become derailed.

This last weekend was actually a rare one in our house. Other than the boys (Alex and Jack) basketball games on Saturday and Emma attending a birthday party, we had NOTHING officially scheduled on our calendar. While we added plenty to that schedule, it was a great weekend as a family.

Friday, I hurried to get the house cleaned (at least somewhat) and some laundry done so that I wouldn't have to worry about it later in the weekend. Friday afternoon since Aaron did not have basketball practice, we went grocery shopping and birthday gift shopping. We then enjoyed taco night and just relaxed together as a family. It was wonderful to sit and talk with my husband for an extended period of time.

Saturday was adventurous in getting everyone where they needed to be. Jack had basketball from 11-12, Emma had to be at a birthday party from 12-1:30 and Alex had basketball from 1-2. Thankfully we are a two van family. My god-parents attended Alex's game and from there took the kids for the afternoon and evening, so that Aaron and I could finally get our Christmas shopping started and hopefully completed. (We realized from the beginning that we were going to struggle with our goal as we had given all our good ideas to family.) We did manage to get most of our shopping done. I still need to get some stocking stuffers but for the most part we finished. YEA!

Sunday started with a crazy busy morning with Church (lots of crying babies this weekend). Then Sunday night we went out to dinner for a surprise birthday party for my god-sister's husband. It was lots of fun to be with family. Plus it was the first Chinese food we have had since we moved to PA. YEA!!!

It was a great weekend. This week is now filled to the brim with lots of things. Work, school, basketball practices, choir rehearsals, last minute shopping, and then of course the BIG day: Christmas!!! I am looking forward to the end of the week as it will bring with it lots of fun, love and family.

In the busyness of the past few weeks, the name given to Jesus at His birth has been where my focus has been drawn. Emmanuel. God with us. God is not just our Savior. He is not some distant being. He is not just Creator. Not only the Beginning and the End. He is with us. Day in and day out. Moment by moment. Good and bad.

I find such comfort in the name Emmanuel. I hope that you do too. As our family looks forward to Saturday-Christmas Day and gifts and fun, we are also excited for the reminder of Christ's birth. And with that reminder of His birth is the reminder that it did not end in a manger. He came to be with us.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-12-15T12:27:00.001-05:00

Monday Mumblings...

2010-12-13T11:11:00.006-05:00

This last week kept us hopping from one thing to another.

The beginning of the week was rather typical for basketball season. Practices and scrimmages. Then mid-week the kids again had Choir practice.

Thursday night instead of the boys having basketball practice we had a Choral Concert to attend. Alex performed with the 5th and 6th grade middle school choir. I could actually pick his voice out in the first song. The performed three songs. The first was "The First Noel" set to Pachelbel's Canon. It was a beautiful arrangement. Then they sang a song called "Holiday Lights" in which they held flashlights covered in a variety of colors of tissue paper. It was really well done between the singing and the choreography of the flashlights. They finished with a song called "Hot Chocolate". It was a fun song and the accompaniment was provided by members of the 5th and 6th grade band. It was all really well done. Alex had fun and that is what it is all about.

Friday night kicked off the official basketball season for Aaron's team. They were playing in a tournament and ended up losing the first game. This meant that Saturday, we (me and the kids) would not be able to go to the third place game as Alex and Jack both had games. The girl's team won though. YEA!

Jack played great defense in his game on Saturday. He had three steals and he took a shot (it was a bit out of his range, but was a good attempt). Alexander opened up his game with an absolutely beautiful drive to the basket and a textbook lay up. Those points ended up being the only points scored by his team for the first quarter and most of the second as well. While the beginning of the game looked so promising it went downhill from there.

We got to skype this week with our small group from IN (which was a surprise thanks to my sister) and with my in-laws. It is always great to not only talk to our families but to see them as well.

It is hard to believe that Christmas is just around the corner. I have so much to do, specifically shopping. We are hoping to get that all taken care of this coming weekend. Nothing like waiting until the last minute.

I hope that you are taking time to enjoy this season. It is so hard to do (I am struggling with it this year in a big way) but I know that it is necessary to build in that time for reflection and enjoyment of His LOVE. Be sure to take some time for yourself too. Love you all!

Food for the Soul

2010-12-10T14:31:00.003-05:00

Tis the season...for giving, for snow, for family, for lights and decorations, for crowds, for hustle and bustle, for greediness, for very little patience...

It's always crazy to me that during what should be the happiest and most hopeful season of the year, people can turn into the rudest and most unkind beings ever. Our schedules are overflowing with activities and then we add the stress and pressure to shop and get the best deal and do it all by certain deadlines. This tends to put even the nicest person over the top.

So when our own schedules are filled to the brim and we feel the same pressures, how do we not succumb to becoming mean and rude as well?

There is a verse that has come up in my conversations and studying over the past few weeks. It is also the verse that I think provides us with a way to combat the urge to give in and give someone what they may or may not deserve.

John 13:35 says "They will know you are My disciples by your love." I strongly desire to be known as a disciple of Jesus. I want my life to reflect Him. From this verse we see that the key to a life set apart as His disciple is easily defined by LOVE.

Easier said than done at times. But when LOVE is given through a genuine smile to the elderly man sitting alone in the coffee shop, by letting the person in a rush go ahead of you in line, by thanking the Salvation Army bell ringer (not just quickly putting in a dollar or not even making eye contact as you rush by them), by helping the harried mother of 3 whose youngest is throwing their paci or blanket on the floor, etc...you make a difference. We have all been in a situation where it would take little to no more time to do the LOVING thing. And really, what's 30 seconds, or even longer in the grand scheme of things?

LOVE can be conveyed in so many ways, big and small. LOVE can define us, it should define us. If someone watched our lives for a period of time, they should see a life that is different from this world. Because LOVE is not just love, it is God working in us and through us to be LOVE (His reflection) to the world.

I challenge you in the busyness of this season to commit John 13:35 to memory. God gave us His perfect Son as a gift, the greatest gift ever given. If we receive this gift we then have the privilege and responsibility to give it to others. He is LOVE. And when we LOVE as He LOVED, then they will know we are His disciples.

Wordless Wednesday!

2010-12-07T12:35:00.004-05:00

Monday Mumblings

2010-12-06T13:43:00.005-05:00

Well I never got around to posting any pictures from our Thanksgiving holiday or our Christmas decorating. So here they are a few...

Celebrating Thanksgiving with the Maxson and Christner family.

Our decorated Christmas Tree.

The main reason that it took me over a week to do it would be perfectly clear if you could see my calendar. In fact, here is a picture (intentionally blurry-I don't normally keep a picture like this)...

The far right is not a column of days without anything scheduled, it is the "notes" section.

Yep, December has arrived along with basketball season. Wow!!! Hang on to your hats! Not only is Aaron the assistant Girl's Varsity coach here at the shcool, but Alex and Jack both joined teams within the last week. So just between games and practices we are busy.

Add to basketball the fact that all the kids are singing in the Children's choir at church for the Christmas Eve services and they have practice once a week.

Then there are all the miscellaneous activities that are thrown in for holiday fun, plus a few birthdays to celebrate, and school functions...go, go, go...

I had this post mostly completed Monday morning and then got busy...ah, the story of my life. See you tomorrow for Wordless Wednesday.

Blog Update

2010-11-30T15:02:00.003-05:00

Hey all. I am looking at starting some new weekly posts. Hopefully beginning next week I will start Monday Mumblings. This will be random thoughts, family news, etc...

Then there will be Wordless Wednesdays. This will be a picture post. I love nature shots but I also love taking pictures of my family. Sometimes these will be themed and other times random snapshots, but either way there will be no words.

Finally I hope to do a post each Friday that will be a post that is more spiritual in nature. This will be a post in which I may get a bit preachy or I may just share from my heart something that God is teaching me. (I have not come up with a clever name for this post yet. Ideas are welcome.)

I will look to begin these new posts next week, but later this week look for a post or two that will include pictures from our Thanksgiving holiday as well as Christmas preparations in our home.

I hope your holiday was filled with love and family. Ours was and we are so grateful for the days we had with family in Indiana.

Ramblings

2010-11-18T13:19:00.003-05:00

We have had a crazy week or two. Life is busy. Aaron started his new job along with having a few basketball practices thrown in. The church is getting ready for the holiday season as well as changing our service times, which has required a lot of extra hours for me.

The down time we have had we have tried to spend together. Last weekend, Aaron and I went on our first date since mid-July. It was wonderful.

The stomach virus hit again this week. This time it was me that was taken out by this round. It was awful. I am still not feeling great. I can't eat a lot yet. I am just so thankful that it happened this week instead of next. Hopefully I will be all set to eat tons of good Thanksgiving food.

This last week brought the boys first PA report cards and Parent-Teacher Conferences. The boys are doing really well. I was sick and unable to go to the conferences with Jack and Stephen's teachers but Aaron's report from them both were so great.

Jackson's teacher said that when she wants something done she will typically ask Jack to do it. She knows that when she asks him that it will be done and done well.

Stephen's teacher said that she uses him as an example to the other kids of how they should be behaving.

Some funny stories out of Stephen's conference were:

She said that when Stephen is at his desk reading a bomb could go off behind him and he would never notice. (I have no idea where that trait comes from.) :-)
A couple of days ago the word of the day was "of". She was trying to get Stephen to use it in a sentence. She started the sentence "Stephen is the son of..." (Thinking he would say Aaron and Heidi.) Stephen looks at her and says "God." (That's my boy!)

It is hard to believe that one week from today the holiday season is officially upon us. I am so excited to spend time with family.

Our family has had a "thankful vase" since the beginning of November. We each write something we are thankful for on a piece of paper, share it with the family, and then put it into the vase. While we have not done it every night, it has been fun to watch the vase fill with papers over the past few weeks. It is a great reminder in the midst of the craziness of everything that we are truly blessed.

Hopefully over the next few weeks I will be more consistent with posting to the blog. I have some thoughts for some weekly posts. We will have to see...

Re-Baptism

2010-11-08T17:56:00.004-05:00

This past weekend, Aaron and I were re-baptized at our new church.

Here is the video clip.

God continues to be at work in us and through us.

A Week In Review

2010-11-05T13:16:00.005-04:00

The past week has been busy.

Last Friday night the Girl's Volleyball Team from the Lititz Christian School played for the district championship. Since we don't "trick or treat" we decided this would be a great time as a family. The game was so fun and the girl's won. The kids had a blast.

After the game, we Skyped with Aaron's brother's family. It was great to connect with them in this way. It has been months since we have seen them so it was good to catch up.

Saturday was busy. I had things to get done for Sunday that just didn't get done during the week. Then we went to a Barn Party with a Sunday School class from the church. We got to meet some other families. The kids played in the hay loft where a zip line had been put up for them. We had a moment of panic when Alex's glasses got dropped into the hay. But after much searching (and a lot of momma's prayers) we found them. We finished the night with a hayride. It was chilly but not too cold. The sky was clear so you could see tons of twinkling stars.

Sunday was a typical Sunday=BUSY!

Tuesday was a BIG day. Aaron was offered two jobs. He accepted both. He is a route driver for Canteen Vending. His days will once again begin very early (probably 3 AM). The early start to the day will allow him the ability to be home for the kids and also to pursue his other new job, Assistant Varsity Girl's Basketball Coach.

Wednesday, Jack went to the Philadelphia Zoo. He loved it. No surprise there. We are looking forward to seeing his pictures. He took a disposable camera, so we will see what he was able to get.

Here we are back to Friday. We are going to go do some shopping tonight. I love living where there are great stores and malls close by.

Tomorrow the girl's volleyball team plays in the Semi-State game and if they win: the Championship Game.(This actually might be regional's and not state, either way it's exciting.) We are thinking about going and cheering them on.

Sunday, Aaron and I are being re-baptized at our new church. So that will add to the craziness of the day. But definitely worth it. We are excited to show our new church family that we are committed to the work of God in our personal lives as well as His work in this Church.

Much love to all of you. Praying your week ahead is filled with God's blessings.

3-hour coffee break

2010-10-28T14:22:00.004-04:00

Sometimes I need to be reminded just how amazing God is when it comes to the smallest of details in our lives.

Last week I met a woman at a networking meeting of Children's Ministry Directors. We talked for a short time and began to realize we were at similar places in life and ministry. We were able to connect after the meeting thru email and met today for coffee. We talked for 3 hours. It was one of the most encouraging and refreshing times I have had recently.

Personally our backgrounds are very similar. Currently our personal lives are similar as well. We have both been married for 11 years. Our children's ages are almost identical (3 out of 4 are the same). Due to the subject of our networking meeting, we found out our personalities are similar. And we tend to lead in a similar style.

And in ministry there are even more similarities. We are both newer in our positions, both churches have lost senior pastors recently, and we are dealing with the same ministry struggles.

This week I was looking at my list of things I need to do and projects that are ongoing or need to be started. I was feeling overwhelmed and beginning to allow discouragement to seep in. Then today, I got to talk and listen and connect with someone else who feels the same things I do; as a mom, as a wife, and as a director.

No projects were magically completed. Nothing got marked off the "to-do" list. In fact some things that needed to be completed got pushed back to later today or this weekend. But I feel energized, refreshed and ready to face those tasks and projects.

I love how God knows what our needs are and how to meet those needs for us, even if it is a three hour coffee break.

Glorious

2010-10-25T20:21:00.005-04:00

Sunrise

Sunset

And a Diva

It's Been A While

2010-10-22T09:25:00.002-04:00

I realized today that I hadn't posted in over a week. Life happens sometimes.

Last weekend, Emma and I went to Columbus, OH with Kathleen (my god-sister) and met my Mom, Laura (sister), Lacey (sister-in-law) and Kaitlyn (niece). It was our annual girl's shopping weekend. We go each year in October to begin Christmas shopping. Emma loves this trip and this year was particularly thrilled that there were "no boys allowed". (She did freak out for a moment in a restaurant when there were boys at the table next to us.) For the past two years I haven't actually done much shopping, but always come away with great ideas.

This past week has just been busy. Today I am actually taking one of my scheduled day's off for the week. It has been nice to just take my time this morning. The house is so quiet with all the kids off to school. Aaron is on the home computer trying to get our web cam connected. I think we will probably head to the store in a bit to finish our grocery shopping that we started at the discount store on Tuesday. There are just some things that need to be bought at the mainstream store, but it never fails that it takes me a few days to get it all completed.

The past few mornings I have gotten some great pictures of the sunrise. I will post some later this weekend (hopefully). I still have to get them off my camera. I may try to get some pictures of the kids to put up as well. So until then, have a great weekend.

Follow Me!

2010-10-13T15:23:00.006-04:00

Have you seen the footage of the Chilean miners being rescued? Oh my goodness, I wept. The story is incredible. It is so amazing that after 69-70 days these men are seeing the light of day and feeling the warmth of their loved one's hugs. I was struck by the obvious camaraderie and closeness that has been brought on through these circumstances. Seriously--they fought over not who would be first but rather who would be last to get out. WOW! And even after their own loved ones were lifted out of the mine, the families are sticking around for the next one and the next one and the next one to emerge. I was also struck by the commitment of the shift supervisor to be the last one out. He was their leader prior to the mine collapse, but he stepped it up and led them to survive this ordeal. It makes me consider my leadership and whether or not I lead well in times of crisis and stress. Leading other people is hard, even in great circumstances, but a great leader really shines when the pressure is on.

Parenting is HARD. I know, I am not the first person to realize this nor the last. In fact, from the moment my first child took his first breath, I knew that life would be filled with challenges. Parenting shows us just how selfish we are, it makes our own personal struggles glaringly obvious. And I know that as the kids get older and the more influences they have on and in their lives the job will continue to get more and more difficult. But sometimes I just want to scream and say "enough already." Some days it feels like one step forward and three steps back. It's HARD! However, the reality is that without the struggle and the challenges it would be very difficult to see the rewards. When your child finally understands the point of the discipline for the same issue for the 100th time it is such an amazing feeling when they get that it is not just to obey but the need to obey. But no matter how hard it is or gets, I LOVE my kids with a love that is so big. I know they don't get it, but maybe some day when they have their own children they will. (Though quite honestly, I am praying that Jesus comes back before then.)

As we have been dealing with some parenting struggles, God has given me perspective into His parenting struggles. You see, I know I am not a perfect child. (Just ask my mom and dad. And yes, I have apologized to them for my childhood behaviors. My own kids did a great job of pointing out the reality of "what goes around, comes around.") But as a child of God, He is the perfect parent and yet His children (ME) are far from it; so why would I expect that out of my imperfect parenting that my children would be perfect? And yet if I am completely honest, that is what I expect. Crazy, huh? And even crazier is the fact that God's love for me and for my children far exceeds what I can even comprehend. Yet just like me, I am sure there are days when He cries in frustration when His child(ren) just don't get it. I need to do a better job of asking God for parenting help, and not just that He fix my kids but rather asking Him to fix me. As only the Perfect Parent can, His advice and molding will create a better result than anything else I attempt or try on my own.

Parenting and Leadership...
I was reminded this morning that Jesus is the perfect example and His leadership command was/is simple: "Follow Me!" First, I need to do just that. I need to drop my "nets" immediately and follow Him. No questions asked, no discussion about why, no "just a minute"; I just need to obey. Then once I am following I need to lead by example. When I lead my volunteers, they need to see me loving and caring for others needs, so that they know what is important. When I parent (lead) my children, I need to remember that if I don't want them to do something, I need to be sure that I am leading them by example to do it another way. As a leader and even more so as a parent, I am being watched. My volunteers and my kids, while they have to be responsible for themselves on many levels, are ultimately a product of what I have demonstrated. That is a weighty responsibility and if I get completely honest with myself it's often a place in my life where I let things slide. I figure my title as "mom" is enough to get obedience out of my kids. My example to them is a better way to ensure they are truly following my lead. Same goes for my role as a leader in ministry. I better not use my title to get results. True results come from being led by example.

Christ taught His disciples by His example. He loved others. He cared for the "least of these". He taught them to pray by doing it. Even His death was an example to them. We all have areas of influence in our lives. What kind of influence are you having?

My Baby Girl is 4!!

2010-10-12T18:34:00.001-04:00

Sunday, Emma turned 4. She is so thrilled to be 4! I just can't believe it is possible.

We did not have a big party for her (a first for our family). This last week we were originally going to travel to IN to celebrate with the extended family. However, due to illnesses in the house we did not go. Then this past weekend we found ourselves distracted with another trip to the hospital for my Grandfather.

We did however enjoy her birthday with just the six of us. It was a great time and she didn't seem to mind going without a big party. (She is actually having another party in Columbus, OH this coming weekend during our girl's weekend trip.)

We started by having McDonalds for supper. It's her favorite. She then enjoyed opening cards from family out of state and then opening her gifts from us. She also really enjoyed her ice cream cake. Below are some pictures.

Opening her Alvin and the Chipmunks card. It plays music.

Opening her fuzzy slipper socks and her Dora necklace and silly bands.

Checking out her new Bible. She has taken it to the hospital to show Grandpa and to school to show her teacher and her class. It is so fun that this is her favorite gift.

With her ice cream cake. I should have gotten an after picture, but imagine her with blue lips and you will have a good idea of how much she enjoyed her cake.

A New Look for Em

2010-10-09T12:58:00.003-04:00

This is how my little girl looked just 24 hours ago.

She asked this week for a haircut like mommy's. So we took her to a salon for her first official haircut. She was excited about the whole process. She liked how her hair got wet and her face didn't during the shampoo.

Then we moved to the chair. She loved her cape. And so the cutting began.

Then came styling. I told her that the hairdryer was the part where I usually felt like I could fall asleep. She became very relaxed.

Here she is...

Beautiful.

Heart

2010-10-07T18:14:00.003-04:00

What you

HEARt

with the

hEARt

of your

HEART

is displayed in your life as

heART.

Above all else, guard your heart

for everything you do flows from it.

Proverbs 4:23

What kind of "art" are you displaying in your life?

At the root is what we allow our hearts to hear and believe.

Be on your guard.

Time out!

2010-10-05T18:14:00.003-04:00

UGHH...literally moments after typing my previous post in which I said "it seems everyone else has avoided it", Stephen got sick.

So last night was another sleepless night.

I am ready for something to change. This is draining, physically and emotionally. It's hard being a mommy when your kids are sick. You can't fix it. It has to run it's course. How great would it be to give the flu a time out?!

It would be nice if we could avoid anyone else getting sick, but the chances of that seem fairly improbable at this point. So we will pray for a few good nights so we are ready for another round. Though it would be a pleasant surprise to not have to deal with it at all.

The good in all of this, is seeing the family taking care of the ones who are sick. Brothers who typically fight are asking if the other is OK. They are praying for each other to feel better. It is cool to watch how even when our family doesn't feel good, God is at work. I may not enjoy it when my babies are sick, but God is drawing us closer together and that makes it do-able.

let it rain, let it rain, let it rain

2010-10-04T18:56:00.002-04:00

After the deluge of rain we got last week, we had a day of reprieve and now it continues to rain. And the temperature has dropped into the chilly mid-50's. Fall is definitely here.

With fall often comes the flu. Well in the past week we have had the stomach flu and then quickly moved on to the head/chest cold. Emma got the stomach flu and then I got the head/chest cold. What a nasty week. Emma is feeling better and I am getting there. And even better than that, it seems everyone else has avoided it.

This week also starts the Manheim Farm Show. Apparently it is a big deal around here. So much so that they give the students 2 1/2 days off school. Stephen is excited to go tomorrow to the Farm Show with his class. I am curious to hear all about it.

The rain seems to be here to stay for the next few days, fortunately this time around it is mostly staying outside. Since it's dry inside, let it rain, let it rain, let it rain...

Tropical Storm Nicole

2010-09-30T19:41:00.004-04:00

Well we may need an ark by the time this system has passed through. It has been crazy. We ended up with a flooded basement, the emergency personnel of the state closed schools early and then as the rain died down this afternoon the winds started to blow. It was muggy and sticky this afternoon definitely confirming the "tropical" part of the storm. And the rain is to continue this evening.

Our basement is wet and the landlord is working on a solution, both for the current situation but also so it doesn't happen in the future. We had a few things get wet, but nothing of great value. It is amazing how fast it happened. Aaron had been downstairs about two hours before going down and finding the flooding. More than anything right now it is just an inconvenience.

Here are a few pictures:

The basement.

5 Inches of rain in about 12 hours and more to come.

The wind really picked up during a break in the rain.

Emma-isms

2010-09-27T16:25:00.003-04:00

After she set the table: "Grandma, I gave you a knife so you can cut my meat."

As her brothers were getting in trouble (to Daddy): "They don't listen very well." (pause) "I have trouble with that sometimes too."

A storm came in right at bedtime and the kids and I talked about how big God is and that He is watching out for us and protecting us. We prayed that God would cover our house with His hand. The next day: "Daddy, did you see God's hand on our house last night?"

She was hanging out at work with me for a bit and we were having a staff meal so she joined me. My boss came up and said, "Emma, can I sit with you?" To which she looked at him and growled. "GRRRRRRRR"

She is really into dress up again though it is usually with accessories. Her favorite thing to do is wear her dress up high heels and jewelry. She showed Daddy her beautiful outfit and he lifted her up onto the couch. He was teasing her about her shoes being on the couch, to which she replied, "Daddy these are NOT outside shoes. They are for pretty."

She was supposed to be taking a nap but was playing, so I stood in the doorway to watch. She was playing with her princess barbies. She lifted up Cinderella's dress and in a shocked voice said, "Cinderella has a butt!"

Oh yeah, that's my girl. She is almost 4 going on 12. She definitely keeps us all laughing. We love her and her "-isms" to pieces.

A rambling post

2010-09-24T16:39:00.006-04:00

This last week was filled with much fun and adventure as well as many long and difficult times. This post will focus on the fun and adventure.

My mother flew out last Saturday night to spend some time with us and also to surprise my grandfather. On Monday night we attended a banquet for the organization my mother works for, CE National. At this banquet my grandfather was honored with an award, "The Faithful Servant Award." For many years he has given of his time and energy to serve others in many many ways. The impact he has made for the Kingdom is amazing. He began to suspect that something was up when he arrived at the banquet and there was a table reserved just for our group.

But he did not fully understand until the moment his name was said.

Realization

Reading the certificate

It was such a great night to honor such a great man. I love my Grandpa!!!

We had another first in our house on Monday as well. Stephen lost his first tooth. It fell out at school and they gave him a little treasure chest to put it in and bring home. He was so excited. I am just happy to say that it only took the "tooth fairy" 4 nights to remember to take care of it. It is actually a bit difficult to see that one is missing as the adult tooth had already appeared behind the baby tooth. (Now Emma is determined that one of her teeth is loose too.)

The boys all participated on Thursday in the district "Run for Fitness" which is a fundraiser for the high school and upper middle school's cross country teams. Each class is divided by boys and girls and then they run those groups at staggered times. Stephen ran a 1/4 mile length while Jack and Alex ran a 1/2 mile. It is was interesting to watch how they did. The boys love to race each other and often times they will run just for fun. Jack especially loves to run. However, none of them placed in the top 5 (which would have qualified them for a county race in a few weeks) but they all finished.

Today Aaron and I attempted to go and get our driver's licenses and have our plates transferred. We found out that PA has some crazy ways of doing things. Needless to say that after driving through two counties and to three different places we finally found out all that we needed as well as the order in which things have to be done. So Saturday will be the day. We are armed and ready. It will be official that we are Pennsylvanians tomorrow. (Unless we run into more issues with PA's system of making motorists crazy.) :-)

On other notes of interest or not...it has been HOT. I love summer but I am ready for fall. After all it is football season. After a week of getting a taste of fall like temperatures this week has been a scorcher, with temperatures far above what is normal, by about 15-20 degrees. Tonight the temperatures are not to get below 70. On another note, the leaves are beginning to change. It is going to be absolutely gorgeous in the next few weeks. I am looking forward to getting some great pictures. As we were driving all over today, we drove one of my favorite stretches of road since I was a little girl. As we drove through that area, Aaron and I had a great little chat about the amazing God we love and serve. His handiwork is on display. Creation speaks of Him.

And to close this crazy rambling post, I couldn't have this post with out my baby's picture. She is a little cheese ball. And she is going through a stage where she is constantly asking for her picture to be taken. (She knows my phone has a camera so the request pops up at crazy times.)

And finally here is another picture from the banquet that I just could not resist posting. Our family loves food and when we gather it is usually centered around food. In fact it has been said recently that we migrate and graze, emphasis on the grazing. Oh how I love my family and of course FOOD.

Psalm 25

2010-09-20T14:07:00.002-04:00

Lord, I worship you.
My God, I trust in you.
Don't let me be put to shame.
Don't let my enemies win the battle over me.
Those who put their hope in you
will never be put to shame.
But those who can't be trusted
will be put to shame. They have no excuse.
Lord, show me your ways.
Teach me how to follow you.
Guide me in your truth. Teach me.
You are God my Savior.
I put my hope in you all day long.
Lord, remember your great mercy and love.
You have shown them to your people for a long time.
Don't remember the sins I committed when I was young.
Don't remember how often I refused to obey you.
Remember me because you love me.
Lord, you are good.
The Lord is honest and good.
He teaches sinners to walk in his ways.
He shows those who aren't proud how to do what is right.
He teaches them his ways.
All of the Lord's ways are loving and faithful
for those who obey what his covenant commands.
Lord, be true to your name.
Forgive my sin, even though it is great.
Who is the man who has respect for the Lord?
God will teach him the way he has chosen for him.
Things will always go well for him.
His children will be given the land.
The Lord shares his plans with those who have respect for him.
He makes his covenant known to them.
My eyes always look to the Lord.
He alone can set my feet free from the trap.
Turn to me and show me your favor.
I am lonely and hurting.
The troubles of my heart have increased.
Set me free from my great pain.
Look at how I'm hurting! See how much I suffer!
Take away all of my sins.
Look at how many enemies I have!
See how terrible their hatred is for me!
Guard my life. Save me.
Don't let me be put to shame.
I go to you for safety.
May my honest and good life keep me safe.
I have put my hope in you.
God, set Israel free
from all of their troubles!

This weekend our senior pastor resigned and our church is now processing this loss. This is the passage that I have been dwelling on over the past few days. May you be blessed by it as well, no matter what kind of day or week you are facing.

Today I am thankful for...

2010-09-16T14:16:00.002-04:00

...the opportunity to teach in chapel this morning. It was fun to spend 30 minutes with the kindergarten thru 5th grades of Lititz Christian. I had a blast.

...the lunch date I had with my daughter, in which I found out that she thought her Uncle Ben was sick. Why else would we always talk about doctors when we talk about Ben? It was humorous to see the light come on when she realized the HE is the doctor.

...the time I had on the phone with a friend earlier this week. She is also in Children's Ministry and it was fun and encouraging to talk things thru with her.

...scented candles that help to cover the smell of pigs (our rental house is right next to a hog farm). If the smell is outside and even when the wind changes direction and the windows are open it's usually not that big of a deal, but every once in a while the smell lingers in the house. (Plus add in the smell of growing boys who have gym every other day-WHEW!!) Candles are my friend.

...the blessing of being a mother. It is the hardest job I have but it is the most rewarding. I wouldn't trade it for anything in this world. I love my children and I am so thankful for the blessing each one is to me.

The View from Here...

2010-09-14T19:18:00.002-04:00

Is pretty good!!!

His mercies are new every morning.

Weekend Ramblings

2010-09-11T12:22:00.003-04:00

This week, though shortened by a holiday felt extra long. Maybe it was cramming extra work into 4 days instead of 5.

I am thankful the weekend is here though. But as our weekend took off things took a turn that we weren't planning on. My Grandfather ended up in the hospital for the second time this week. So my Friday evening ended up being busy with checking on him in the hospital as well as taking care of his car. (He was rather distressed that it was still in the eye doctor parking lot with the windows open a bit.) I spent a good portion of my evening going up and down 501. (Major road thru Lititz.)

Today has been good so far. Other family and friends are taking care of checking on Grandpa as I wait to see what the doctors say. If they discharge him, I will be going to get him later, so for now we are hanging out at home, close to our phones.

We are looking forward to some good tennis (US Open) and then a good football game this afternoon. GO BIG BLUE!!!

I have had a twitch in my eye for about a week and it is really getting on my nerves. I also must have pulled a muscle during the move and my arm is still a bit sore at times. Maybe I should be in the hospital too. :-0

Tomorrow is a work day for me and while I love my job, it is the most stressful day of the week. I am glad that the NFL season is upon us as I am looking forward to finding a sweet spot on the couch tomorrow afternoon. GO PACK!

Anyway, no matter what the next few hours or days hold, I am thankful for my family. We have been enjoying time together today and I really couldn't think of a better way to spend the weekend.

Perspective

2010-09-08T20:25:00.004-04:00

Lately in various ways I am being reminded that perspective is a powerful influencer. Our perspective is not always accurate. In fact sometimes it is downright wrong. Often times our incorrect perspective is tainted by our assumptions about the "rest of the story" or by misunderstanding. Sometimes our perspective is clouded by "the moment" and the difficulty of our situation.

As the Director of a ministry area, my perspective is different than that of a parent or volunteer. My perspective as the "newbie" on staff is different than those who have been on staff for a few years. In these situations it would be easy to discount the perspective of others and only consider what I think to be best. Over the past few weeks I have intentionally sought out others who have different perspectives to help me form policies and procedures that can be effective.

But the fact of the matter is that my perspective is just that MINE and the perspective of those I have sought out is THEIRS. My goal should be to have the perspective of Christ. I should be trying to see others through His eyes, loving others with His love, serving others by His power. When my eyes are fixed on Him, I find that my perspective on things in this world shifts. I don't see agendas, to do lists or disgruntled people. I see a purpose and a plan that He is putting together. I see hurting people in need of love.

It's interesting because God used a vine to remind me of this idea. You see in the landscaping at our rental house there was this very weird looking vine. As Aaron and I were looking at it, we actually talked about getting rid of it.

The sad thing is that on that day I could only see a part of the plan for this vine. Had I gone ahead and gotten rid of this bizarre looking plant I would have missed the big picture and potential of this plant. The beauty that this plant held.

I am so glad that God has a broad and eternal picture of each of us. I am so glad that His perspective of us and our lives is not shaped by a bad day, but rather by the potential and plan He has in store for us. I too want to have a broader perspective as I deal with people or develop curriculum or design a set or bulletin board. I want to have the mind and attitude of Christ. I want to reach my potential for Him.

Labor Day Weekend (and a party)

2010-09-07T18:24:00.007-04:00

We had a great weekend. It started Friday for the boys as they did not have school. They got to spend the morning with Daddy, watching a movie. Emma actually had school and since I had to take her, I ended up staying at work and getting caught up on things.

That evening my in-laws came into town. They made great time, even pulling a trailer full of stuff that didn't make it during the original move to PA. We took them to one of our new favorite restaurants. It was great to see them and spend time with them.

Saturday morning we unloaded and found "homes" for the stuff that Larry and Margo brought with them. We then went to Friendly's for lunch and then on to "That Fish Place" which is a giant pet supply store that also carries a large variety of fish. From there we split up and Margo and I headed to the mall while the guys and the kids came back to the house. After an afternoon of shopping, which included last minute birthday shopping, we all went to Oregon Dairy for dinner. (Yes I think I gained about 5 pounds this weekend.)

Sunday dawned bright and early for me as I headed to work. Aaron actually went in with me, so the kids came to church with Larry and Margo later in the morning. Margo got lunch ready and then we got everything ready for Jack's birthday party.

Jack's party was a lot of fun. His presents included gifts from family that could not be here in person. He got lots of Lego's and a huge marble track kit. He was thrilled. We enjoyed cake and ice cream and good friends and family.

Later we all worked on different things and then ate the leftovers from Friday night.

Monday morning Larry and Margo headed back to IN and we enjoyed a whole lot of not doing anything. Aaron did put up the tree swing that he and Larry had gotten over the weekend. We enjoyed some family football fun in the backyard. And the boys completed every Lego kit and the marble track all by dinner time. Over all it was a productive day of not doing much of anything. Just what Labor Day should be like.

Here are some pictures from the party:

Jack and his cake...

One of the 7 Lego's kits he got...

This dog rolls around on the ground laughing...

Jack and all his presents...

Jack is 9!!!

2010-09-03T12:30:00.002-04:00

Today is the birthday of my second son, Jackson Dean. He is 9 today. It is hard to believe how fast time has gone.

In honor of Jack's day, here is the Jackson Top Nine:

His laugh. It is seriously the best laugh there ever was.
His sense of humor. He is silly and bizarre.
His love of all of God's creation.
His heart for others. He has a gift to connect with other children and people, young and old.
His self confidence. He is not intimidated by anyone or anything. He knows who he is and is confident in himself.
His love of animals. He is happiest when he is learning about animals and not just everyday animals but special species. He can rattle off bizarre and interesting information about a lot of animals.
His laid back, care free spirit. Very rarely does he get uptight or upset about things.
His hugs. He squeezes hard and in those hugs you know you are loved by this precious boy.
His prayers. He always volunteers to pray and boy can this kid pray. His prayers are from his heart.

There are many more things that make Jackson who he is. I thank God for the joy and blessing of being his mother. I look forward to seeing all that God has in store for him. I believe that he has the amazing potential to do amazing things for the Kingdom of God, I look forward to seeing it happen.

Happy 9th Birthday Jackson!!!