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God is so Cool!

2009-08-13T22:07:00.000-07:00

We have been doing a Bible Study for the past 8 weeks, and every week there's always SOMETHING. I have to admit that I was a little apprehensive about this particular Bible Study because it is about the ....gasp...Old Testament. Eww, who wants to purposely study the Old Testament, and the tabernacle, no less!!! Well, let me tell you how cool it has been!! I will never look at the Bible the same! God is so awesome and complex. But I never realized how deliberate EVERYTHING in the Bible was. Even the endless description of the tabernacle and how and where and when it was to be built, all has a purpose! And I mean every detail! And the coolest thing is, is that it was all to be able to be with us. The tabernacle....a place for God to meet with us. Just a reminder that God loves us and is constantly in persuit of a relationship with us.

One year later....

2009-08-13T21:57:00.001-07:00

I wasn't sure how I wanted to handle this.

Yesterday was one year that my dad has been gone. Wow. Doesn't seem real. My mom has been reading and studying a lot lately and she shares a lot with me. Recently she brought me an article about how we should celebrate my dad's life and not his death. So, I was trying really hard on not dwelling on the "one year anniversary" or whatever. But all weekend, my thoughts were going to exactly what I was doing one year ago at this time, one year ago at this moment...all that stuff.

So, I woke up yesterday not sure of how I wanted to feel. Do I get up and try and act like it was just another day? Or do I recognize how I really felt and be sad? Well, my feelings won out and I was sad. It was moment by moment, in the morning, of almost a play by play in my mind of what happened that day. As the day went on, and I got busier, it was almost as if I had had my time and was then ok.

If you would have asked me last year, where do I think I will be now, I don't know how I might have answered. I might have said that surely in a year, things will be easier, better...whatever that word is. But I don't know that it is. It's....different. I do remember in the days that followed his death some words of a family member that had also lost someone, they said...."It doesn't ever get easier" and I was like, uh, how sad. But now I think I know how she feels. It's almost a daily reminder of the fact that God is in control. My tummy still does those flip things when I think of the reality that he's gone. I miss him so much. And I hope, to some degree, that it never goes away.

Pre-Teen Camp 2009

2009-08-11T20:56:00.000-07:00

It seems like I just can't get everything together at once. Now I am missing the cord that downloads my pictures from my camera. So, I can tell you all about the good week at Pre-Teen camp, but as of right now, I can't show you!!!

We had 3 girls go, plus, Travis who was in charge of the Teen Workers. One first timer. They seemed to have a great time! I wasn't able to go this year because of my job, but Tyler, Tucker and I drove up every single day and spent the day at the campgrounds. Tucker just couldn't bear the thought of not being in Ms Marie's Pre Camper class!

So, I do want to say a big THANK YOU to Samantha Sellars who took in my girls like they were her very own! They had a great week with her!

There were 48 salvations this week and that's awesome! That is one thing that I missed was being there for the services at night! But the cool thing was that there were also kids getting saved at the morning devotions and everywhere in between!

Also, Travis and I spent our 15th wedding anniversary at Camp Niangua! Where else! Everyone sang "Happy Anniversary" to us, and it was nice.

I promise that when I get my cord, you can see all the pics!

When it rains.....

2009-07-31T08:48:00.000-07:00

You know how they say, when it rains it pours? Well, that's kinda how I've felt about our encounters with death in the past year to year and a half. I have been to or known of more funerals or passings than I ever have. And no matter who it is, or how old they are, the effects are the same. We always wish we had more time with them...one more day. What would you say? How would you treat them?

Well, I had to tell this story. I have a friend(s) who are wonderful people. Ever since I have known them, they have been taking care of others. In addition to their own 3 children, it seems like they always had at least one other child tagging along. Usually, it was someone they were realted to, but they were treating them as one of their own. And it was never easy, they were in and out of their lives, not knowing what the circumstances surrounding their stay was going to be, how long they'd be there or if they would be back. And we on the outside couldn't really tell if the children really understood or appreciated all these people were doing for them. They have even gone to the extreme of adopting one of them and permanently including them as part of their family. But, what seemed extra-ordinary to us, was second nature to them.

Fast forward a few years. They were visiting their nephew (who had previously been with them for a period) ,who had been diagnosed with leukemia, as he was getting treatment. While they were there, they noticed a young girl who never seemed to get visitors. Long story short, they got custody of her and took her home, all the while knowing of her serious condition of cancer. When they brought her home, she was in a wheelchair. The cancer in the bone in her leg was so bad that she couldn't walk. After surgery, things were better and life seemed to be taking a turn for the normal. What, at first, looked like a good deed, was quickly turning into a wonderful love and bond with this young girl. She was 6 at the time. My friends took her to church, opened their home and did their best to show her all the love and care that a normal family would. After a while, I noticed that their children were calling her sister and just accepting her as their own.

From what I hear, Monique was a wonderful child. She always had a smile and was loved by everyone. After almost 3 years of living with Clay and Tresea, it became apparent that she would soon pass away. The cancer had come back in more than one place and the pain was almost unbearable by the young child.

Monday, July 27th, Monique passed away. But, thanks to Clay and Tresea and their family, she went with the love from a family that truly treasured her and was thankful for the time that they had to spend with her. Monique is gone, but her influence and memories have forever changed my friends. They are one of a kind, and I am so thankful for the love that God has put in their hearts for hurting children. They are definitely a hero in my book.

The following is a poem that Shelley, one of Clay and Tresea's daughters wrote about Monique:

She came to us in need of Love

In need of love and care

We planned for her to heal and grow

Her life for God to spare.

But what we want and what God does

Is often not the same

And if we question the will of God

What we should feel is shame.

Her life began like a small cacoon

and its hard to say goodbye

But God had plans for this little girl

So, she became His butterfly!

Random Pics

2009-07-25T20:20:00.001-07:00

Busch Stadium....so close

The skeleton waffle

Travis and I were up there, somewhere

Give him the camera......

A HUGE cross at Effingham, IL

AWESOME! Invertigo

The new DIAMONDBACK!

A lot more intimidating in person!

Tucker's 1st big boy coaster

This was in line for the

DIAMONDBACK

Hanging at the food court with friends
Travis, James, Abby, Tucker, Tyler, Lance

The new GO 10

Magnum

Abby trying it out!

How cool is he?

Our room was HUGE!
This is just half of it!

The first thing Tucker did
when we got into the room

The beautiful chandelier
in the lobby

The marble staircase

Our crazy beer guy!
He was nuts!

Prince Fielder

in action!

Wonder what
movie their watching?

Didn't get to go this time
but isn't it awesome?

Travis at the
Science Museum

Tucker and Abby
at STL Zoo

Is it over already?

2009-07-25T19:32:00.000-07:00

Back to last week.....Tuesday, July 21st, I wonder how it always works out that there will be days when you have nothing to do, and then everything you want to do falls on one day?? That's definitely what happened this day. We had the regular stuff like, business meetings, ladies meetings, but we also had 2 former youth groups there and their competition was this day also. So, we managed our schedules and tried our best to fit it all in. We watched Bryce (from Cushing) and Alyssa (from Mtn Grove) compete, against each other! And Travis made it back to the business in time to hear all the important stuff! Then we went back to the hotel and spent a little down time doing some swimming with the Mtn Grove kids. That evening was spent at the youth service with Ken Hamm, a wonderful speaker from Answers in Genesis. If you ever have any questions about the validity of our faith, he's the man to talk to!! It was awesome!

Also, after we picked the kids up from their service, my cousin's husband, Mike helped Tucker pull his very first tooth!! You're a big boy now!!! Thanks Uncle Mike (that's what they call him)

Wednesday, July 22nd.....I spent a lot of this day worried about my stuff back home. We have our HEROES program going on Wednesdays and I just wanted to make sure that all the kids that wanted to go got picked up and taken care of! When that was secured, I found it easier to enjoy the day! The kids and I stopped by and watched some Veggie Tales (Moe and the Big Exit) while Travis finished up a full day of business meetings. When that was over, we felt like we hadn't seen each other in a couple of days, so we headed off as a family and went and had dinner and stopped by a near by mall for the evening.

Thursday, July 23rd......We knew we had to be out of our room today. It was kinda sad to leave our home away from home. I'm gonna miss having my bed made and fresh towels everyday! But we had big plans, and the kids still didn't know! We got all our stuff together and went down to call for the van. Then we took off and headed towards...KINGS ISLAND!
We tried to ride all the famous roller coasters, and it was cool that the Mtn Grove group was there, too. So, we got to ride some stuff with them also! We were there until about 5:30 and then thought we should start towards home. We drove as long as Travis could and ended up at a Comfort Inn in Casey, Illinois.

Friday, July 24th.....Homeward Bound! With a big chunk of the drive still ahead of us, we tried to get on the road early. The TV/movies, and the Satellite radio in the van was a lifesaver! And we made it home about 3pm.

WE JUST WANT TO THANK THE CHURCH FOR ALLOWING US TO TAKE THIS TIME AWAY AND MAKING IT POSSIBLE TO TAKE THIS TRIP. IT WAS GREAT TO SEE OLD FRIENDS, SPEND TIME WITH OUR OWN FAMILY, AND BE FILLED AND RENEWED AT THE SAME TIME!

Bill McPhail

2009-07-25T19:07:00.000-07:00

Before I go on, I want to say a special prayer request for a family in our church. We received a phone call from a church member today to let us know that Bill McPhail had passed away this morning. Bill had taught Sunday School, led music, and served on the Church Board for years. We will miss his smile and friendly handshake. Please keep his wife, Ruth, and their family in your thoughts and prayers.

2009-07-24T13:27:00.000-07:00

Ok, where did I leave off......
Sunday, July 19th.....we are now in Cinncinati! We had to stay in a hotel outside of town because no one in the convention got their rooms until that afternoon. But, we went ahead and went in on Sunday morning to see if we could get in early! :) They said that they would keep our stuff and let us know when our room was open. We needed to do this because we were on our way to the Cinncinati Reds game! By the way, the hotel was awesome! More on this later!

Well, they got us in, and we had just enough time to get our stuff upstairs. Then we were off to the game! Even though we bleed Cardinal red, we thought it would be fun to be able to go to another ball park! It was a pretty neat park and just about a 10 minute walk from the hotel. We cheered for the Reds, they won, and everybody was happy! (They were playing the Brewers, so that was good for us, too!)

By the way, that is a picture of Prince Fielder, winner of the Homerun Derby just the week before at the All Star Game!

That evening, we went back to the hotel, picked up our registration, and got ready for the evening's services. The convention is great because there is age appropriate classes for all ages, and my kids love them! They usually bump into other kids that they know or if you are Tucker, he said after the first night that he had 201 new buddies! We decided to go to the Youth Service with Tyler (he didn't sit with us), but we got to hear an awesome message from Jason Taylor (from Arizona) on purity. This is a picture of the crowd at the youth service. We were sitting somewhere in the middle.Monday, July 20th......The kids and I decided to sleep in while Travis took advantage of the gym in the adjoining Carew Tower. There was really anything pressing for us this day, so we took our time, got around and met Travis and our friends for lunch. That afternoon, we chilled in the room, and our friend, James Coffelt hung out with us and we caught up on everything since the last time we saw him. We then, got ready, headed out for dinner, and went to services. After dropping Abby and Tucker off at their class, we headed across the street to the Hyatt to hear our hometown boy, Allen Pointer speak. We were excited to have his mom and dad there with us, too. They seemed very proud of him and he did an excellent job speaking about knowing God's will.

And away we go!

2009-07-23T21:05:00.000-07:00

I totally intended on keeping everybody informed while we were gone to Ohio. I told everyone to check out my blog everyday so that they could see what was going on. How was I suppose to know that the hotel that we would be staying in wouldn't have free internet!? I guess we could have paid the $50 dollars, but.....uh, no!

So, here I am, on the way home, and we stopped at a Comfort Inn, in Illinois. It has internet! But I am not going to try and catch up all in one evening, so here I go. Back to last Friday!!

Friday, July 17th.....We left for our trip to the National Association Meetings in Cincinnati, Ohio today. We have decided that 9 hours straight in the car would be too much, so we have planned to spend the night in St Louis and go to the zoo and Science Center. For tonight, all we have planned is to get to St Louis and check into our hotel. Of course, we didn't get gone on time, but that's how it goes!!

Saturday, July 18th.....We got up and had breakfast at the hotel before we headed out to the zoo. Tucker had three requests...elephants, giraffes, and gorillas! It was a pretty neat zoo with lots to see. Then we went over to the Science Center. My friend, Kelly recommended it, and it was pretty neat. All sorts of exhibits and hands on things to do! We did have to leave St Louis in enough time to do some driving and get close to Cincinnati. So, we left Missouri and headed on down the road!

PS. I just have to say that we weren't out of Missouri 1o minutes before we had to stop at a Wal-Mart! Just a known travelling fact....you always have to go!

I Love America-4th of July

2009-07-12T22:12:00.000-07:00

We had a very nice 4th of July this year. For the past couple of years, we had decided to view the I Love America fireworks from afar. Or from a nearby parking lot. They were always nice, but we always felt like we were missing out on something. Well, this year we decided to take a tent and make camp for the day there. We were out there just afternoon and in time for the airshow. We took a cooler and snacks, lawn chairs and a blanket and were set for the day! We spent time playing games, coloring, seeing lots of friends, jumping on inflatables, and eating.....but mostly we just enjoyed the day. I think we are going to get a huge group from our church and go together next year. It would be big fun to have a bunch go! And let me tell you....there's nothing like seeing those fireworks upclose!!!

I don't have any pics of this but I do have to say this. There was a message preached and an invitation given. At one point, Tyler looked around and said, "Is anybody even listening?" I said, "Someone may". But the surprise came when, person after person filed down to the bottom of the hill during the invitation to go and pray with someone! It was awesome!

Coming in to pitch for the Cardinals....Rhonda Jones!

2009-07-12T22:03:00.000-07:00

My mom recently sold tickets to an upcoming Springfield Cardinals game through her employer. We decided to get a group of people from the church together. There were about 17 of us that went. It was hot that night and tons of people there, but the Cardinals won and ......my mom got drawn to throw out the first pitch before the game!!! How cool is that?! Of course, my camera went out just at the right (wrong) time, but that first pic is of her waiting before the game for her instructions! She was kinda nervous about doing it. She showed up at my house to play catch with Tyler beforehand. He told her she wanted to make sure she made it all the way to homeplate!!

It's great fun to have a ball club like this in town. We love to see the players and wonder which one of them might be called up someday!

Saturday Worship Continues!

2009-07-12T14:07:00.000-07:00

Our Saturday night worship services are still going! We've had people in and out but we have a steady group of about 15-20. This summer we have also had a few fellowship times such as dinners and games before or after services. We are looking forward to what God has in store for this time.

Note: the ringer in the horseshoe game belongs to ME!

Bristow HS Graduation!

2009-07-12T14:01:00.000-07:00

We were so proud to see a good friend graduate from High School this year. Our families have been friends for a while and even though he's not our child, it still made us feel good. It was also a great time to catch up and visit with everyone. Congrats, Zac! We love you!

Wednesday Nights are happening at South Fremont

2009-07-12T13:49:00.000-07:00

Yea!!! Look at me! I have pictures and everything!

Ok, here's where we are on Wednesday nights! We are about halfway through the summer and our study on HEROES! We are having a great group of kids and adults participating in this! It's really exciting to see everybody working together to get things accomplished week to week. It is a great testimony to the hearts of the people involved!

So, far we've talked about all kinds of HEROES....RockStars, MovieStars, SportsStars, Teachers, the President, and next week it's Policemen! But, week after week we are coming to the conclusion that the ultimate Hero is Jesus Christ!

Here are a few pics.....

Way to go Stingers!

2009-07-07T22:55:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to give a big WOOT WOOT to the Stingers tonight for 2 wks of back to back victories! I especially wanted to say "way to go" to Tyler who pitched and only gave up 3 runs, and didn't hurt anything either when he went 4 for 5 with two extra base hits (over the two games)! We have one more game to go this season....a make up game from the weather, tomorrow night at 8:40pm! Come and see us!

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

2009-07-07T22:49:00.000-07:00

Travis and I just finished watching this movie. I had been wanting to see it for a while, and I'm not sure what I expected. Of course, I knew the general idea behind it, but still was unsure about the direction of the story. No straight out violence, no language, just this ongoing hint of something "not right" going on.

This was my immediate thought when it was over......even those who "think" they are doing right...the greater good, to make things better....if it is indeed "not right", all of their energy and money and doings are just adding to their ultimate demise. So, do I say this is a good movie???? Well...thought provoking, yes. My children want to watch it.....we will see.

Back in Touch!

2009-07-07T12:10:00.000-07:00

I am so excited. We finally got the internet back at our house. I know that seems silly, but it really does make my life easier. That way I can take care of work stuff even if the baby is sleeping or whatever. We don't always have to load up and go to the church!

So, hopefully this also means that I will be much better at keeping up with my blog! I was checking out the pics that I have stored on my camera and YIKES! some of them are old! So, now, the process will be to download all of those pics, and then I will be on my way!

Hope the summer is treating all of you well!

2009-06-11T17:50:00.000-07:00

It's been a crazy few days. With Travis gone to camp, I really realize how much I depend on him for help! But we made it!

Last night was awesome! We had our first HEROES night and it was great! God pulled everything together; even the transportation "problem" He took care of! The kids seemed to love it! Another thing that was really cool was that it has been a hard spot for us that the teen segment of our church has been really low, but last night that was the largest class we had! I walked around and took pictures during class and it was exciting to see all of the kids listening and participating in the discussion! I was kinda worried about the attendance because this was the first week for me to take them away from my home, but we had 22 kids and 10 adults in the back! The hour and a half flew by and I was so excited for the rest of the evening! I went upstairs to my room, knelt down, and thanked God for showing up. And I just stayed there. I'd never felt this way before. I just wanted to stay there and thank him over and over for how He had brought this group of people together for that night and blessed us in that way! Pray for next week....we are going to be talking about Jesus vs the SuperStars, how God loves us and just wants us to be ourselves.

Also, tonight we just finished our first night of our new Bible Study. We are doing it at night this time to try something different. We had 6 ladies show up! It was great! We are doing a Beth Moore study about the tabernacle. We watched the introduction tonight and it seems like it's going to be very enlightening!

I do want to ask you guys to pray for our friends, Matt & Kelly as they are getting ready to leave for Africa. They are going to be gone for a couple of weeks. They are very excited about going, and we pray the God shows up first and prepares the Zambian people so that much work can be done!

HEROES

2009-06-09T12:40:00.000-07:00

Who's your favorite hero? Spiderman? Superman? Arnold Schwartznegger? Albert Pujols? Well, this summer we are going to be putting Jesus up to all of these guys! We all know that Jesus is the ultimate SuperHero, but we are going to take the time this summer to learn about the Characteristics of Christ, How He feels about us, and all the great heroes and examples here on earth that He gives us to better understand who He is! We are going to be loud and rowdy and at the same time learn lots of great things about God that we may not have known before. Food, friends, games, classes, music.....we got it all! Wednesdays from 6:30-8pm.....HEROES!

Ketchup

2009-06-09T12:27:00.000-07:00

I just looked at the date of my last post, and so many things have happened since then! I will try and run through them now, and post pics later??? I just can't seem to get my camera and the internet at the same place at the same time!

On May 27th, we had our last M.A.S.H meeting which was Headquarters week. We had a great time with some new kids attending. We played games and gave away lots of door prizes. We also showed a slide show of the entire year. It was amazing all the things that the kids remembered from the first of the year. God truly blessed us in these meetings!

My mom and I also had a garage sale. Well, I say my mom, but she wasn't even there! She was in North Carolina at a Folk School learning some pointers on her banjo! So, I was so thankful to have my grandparents here, and my grandma basically ran the show!! We didn't get rich of the sale, but we did manage to get rid of ALL of our stuff! The last customer of the day was getting ready to participate in a garage sale fundraiser for their youth group in the next couple of weeks, so we donated all our leftovers to them! They were excited to have them, and we were just glad it wasn't going back in the house!

On May 31st, we had a Youth Service to start off our FWB State Meetings (business meetings). And then spent the next 3 days doing business for the state at the Clarion Hotel here in Springfield. All this time while this is going on, my kids are still in school!!! Their last day was 1/2 day on Wednesday, June 3rd.

Then, Sunday was the first day of Teen Camp. Travis, Tyler, and Zac Lancaster (friend from Oklahoma) headed to Camp Niangua. Abby, Tucker and I are trying to hold the house down while getting ready for our new stuff on Wednesdays!!!

Tyler has ball games tonight so he's coming back for that. They've been struggling lately so I hope they have a couple of good games tonight!

Guess that's it for now! Check back later for pics!

May Surgical Night

2009-05-21T09:30:00.000-07:00

Last night was our last Surgical week for this school year. Our special guest was Richard Pointer, a man from our church. Richard also brought his wife, Sandy. He definitely had all the kids attention as he told all of the really cool things that he had done in his life. And let me tell you, he's done A LOT of things! They really couldn't believe it when he told them that he had been a Christian for 59 years! One of the things that Richard does is build things with wood. So, he took the time to show the kids a raw piece of wood, and then how it can change into something beautiful and useful, like a piece of furniture. He explained how God wants to change us and use us too! Thanks, Richard!

**These other pictures are of Richard showing the kids on a globe where all in the world he had been. And then he brought a slide show on his computer of some pictures from when he was in the military.

Wilder Juggling Team

2009-05-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

One of the really cool extra stuff that Wilder Elementary offers for the kids is juggling. All three of my kids have taken part of this program. This is Abby's 2nd year, and about half way through this year, Tucker decided to try. He was very excited Monday to be going on his first juggling field trip. Abby said she was very proud of him that day because Coach D kept bragging about him to the entire school that they were visiting! He is the only kindergartner at Wilder to participate in this activity! Way to go Tucker and Abby!

Mother's Day 2009

2009-05-21T09:08:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Mother's Day with my mom this past weekend. She had visited her mother on the actual day, so my sister and her family came down to spend the day together. We all went to church together and then went to Colton's for lunch. Then we all headed down to Ozark to check out their new Community Center. There's this huge water park inside so we let the kids hang out and swim for a couple of hours. My mom is a member there, and so she did a little exercising while we were there, too. The parents did not swim, but it was good to just sit around and visit for a little while.

What?

2009-05-21T09:02:00.000-07:00

Travis and I witnessed something crazy last week at Fuddrucker's. As we were finishing up our lunch, a group of nearby Seniors came in. They were being loud and crazy, nothing unusual, but their topic of conversation caught my ear. Come to find out that 3 of these guys had ordered some kind of special meal that if you eat it all, your meal is free and you get a t-shirt and pic and stuff. Well, the food they had to consume was 2lb hamburger, 2lb fries and 1lb milkshake....all in 30 minutes!!!! We cheered them on, 2 boys bailed out, and one young man completed the task!! It was amazing and crazy to watch! Notice how none of the girls volunteered!!! Total testosterone thing! Even Tyler when we told him was like, Yeah, I could do that! Whatever! Anyway, if it comforts you at all, I think we over heard them say that this particular young man was headed to the Air Force Academy!!! American Proud!

Pindamonium

2009-05-21T08:35:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to be doing something new! No, bowling isn't new, but for the first time Travis and I are on a league! We have talked about doing this before, but just never have. Well, I can thank my mom for changing that! She had been on a previous league and asked if Travis and I would be interested in joining a summer league. I immediately agreed and we are having a great time! Maybe we aren't winning, but right now I don't really care....well, maybe a little, but not too much!

Anyway, check out my mom's cute little shoes!

May Mobile Night

2009-05-21T08:31:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, May 6th, was our last MOBILE for the school year! We were very excited to be able to visit Cox South Hospital. The plan was to go and visit and interact with the patients there, but it turned out that there was only one patient there that wasn't in seclusion. So, we visited with him and his parents were gracious enough to let us all in and chat for a minute. We also got a tour of the entire pediatric floor.

Spare Change

2009-05-21T08:27:00.000-07:00

The month of April at our church is Missions Emphasis. We always make available these little paper banks for the kids to take home and collect money in. These are some of my kids on the morning that we took up the big offering. They were so proud of their banks and the hard work to collect all of that money! Good job guys!

Caught ya!

2009-05-01T12:36:00.000-07:00

I love it when I "catch" my kids doing something great. This is a picture of Abby reading to Tucker a couple of weeks ago at my mom's. They had disappeared for a while, and when I went looking for them, this is what I found. They never knew I was there. See, they can be sweet...sometimes!

Family Time

2009-04-29T15:50:00.000-07:00

We got to do something really cool a couple of weeks ago. We made it a plan to find time to spend some time as a family. You all know how easy it is to get caught up in the day to day. Well, we got the kids tickets to Disney on Ice! The tickets weren't that pricey, and we all loved it! Check out Travis in the Dash mask! It was well worth the money to see the smiles on their faces and get to spend that time as a family!

Here we go, Stingers!

2009-04-29T10:15:00.000-07:00

Well, we are smack dab in the middle of baseball season, again! I love it! It's one of my favorite things that we do. I am so proud of Tyler and the progress that he has made the past few years. We have had a couple of really hard years, but this one looks to be great! He's already got to pitch quite a bit. He started out in a hitting slump, but it's starting to pick up, too! I'm ready to continue cheering on the Stingers!!! Also, if any of you would like to come and watch him play, he would really like that! Just let me know and I will tell you when and where his games are! Let's PLAY BALL!!!

A Day to Remember

2009-04-18T21:06:00.000-07:00

Every now and then I think of something that has to do with my dad. And then I think, would people think I am weird for that? Is that normal?

Well, today is my dad's birthday. And as I thought about that all day today, that thought came into my head. Would people think I was weird for continuing to think that this day was special. I started thinking about the plans that we would have been making if my dad was still here. I wouldn't be running back and forth to Ozark this week taking care of the dogs while my mom was gone. We would probably have plans to meet with my sister tomorrow after church for birthday lunch (probably Golden Corral). Then, it occurred to me, it is still his birthday. So, forever after this I will not feel bad about taking time to remember this gift that God gave me....a father who loved God and loved his family.

Easter 2009

2009-04-13T09:37:00.000-07:00

It has been really exciting getting online today. Looking at my Facebook page and other's blogs, I can see that God was working everywhere this weekend!

So, I am equally excited about sharing what He was doing at our church. First of all, let me say that I was kinda in a weird place to start things out. My human nature was taking over and equating success with how many people were there. Now I know that the more we have, the more opportunity. But sometimes God doesn't have it planned that way.

Well, there is a girl in our Youth Group that has been requesting special prayer for a friend. But she didn't want me to know what her name was or get in contact with her because she wanted to keep her relationship with this girl between the two, but also felt the need to come to me for prayer. I just told her that since she didn't want me to talk to her, she should just continue being the best friend that she could and I would pray for her. Well, she invited this girl to the church on Friday, where we were showing "The Passion", and this new girl accepted Christ immediately after the movie was over!!! The girl from our Youth Group said, "Well, I guess God answered my prayers!" I think that's soo cool, not only do we have a new member of the family, but we are also getting encouraged by answered prayers!

Then, Saturday at our Easter Egg Hunt, we had way too much candy!! :) And then got to spend some time with some of our youth's families that don't attend our church. It was great to get to know them a little better!

Then, on Sunday God really smacked me in the face! I was feeling kinda let down because some of my kids didn't show up for the Easter choir special. But, then that went fine! And then at the end of the service, we had 2 people receive Christ for the first time!!! It was like God just reached down and was saying, "See, I'm gonna do it my way! Quit trying to "fix" it!

It was an amazing weekend and I am looking forward to some baptisms!!

Malchus

2009-04-10T12:44:00.000-07:00

I am sitting up at the church getting stuff ready for tonight. Well, I'm not, obviously, I am on the internet, but Travis is. Anyway, we are showing "The Passion" tonight and we are making sure everything is ready. So, the movie's running a little here and there, and I am reminded of one of my favorite parts. Jesus, healing Malchus. I think growing up, that part was overlooked....by me, by others, whatever, but I just don't remember thinking about it too much. But, I love what Jesus does. They are there to arrest him....there's chaos all around, and he stops to tend to someone else's need. When it would be perfectly understandable for him to be selfish and be thinking of himself and his hour, he is caring for one of his attackers. In the years before, there were lots of people who sought out Jesus to be healed and he took care of them, too. But Malchus was there for another reason. And I imagine that he left the garden with another perspective on the Lord that night. I also love, in the movie, the way Malchus is left. He just sits there, letting the weight of the moment set in. There was no denying his encounter with the Savior that day. Isn't that just like Jesus? He knows what we need before we do, he knows what to do when we don't, he takes care of things without us asking, and he died for us-even when we sometimes don't appreciate it.

Easter Time!

2009-04-08T10:50:00.000-07:00

I am very excited about this Easter season. There are so many things going on at the church and I feel like this is our chance to say a Big Thank You to God for all of those ways He is blessing us! I want to be in a state of mind this week of total worship of God and Who He is and What He's done! One of the things that we are doing that I am looking forward to is watching the Passion movie. It always gives me that uncomfortable feeling, but that's ok. We need to feel uncomfortable. The way things are and the things that we do should make us uncomfortable.

So, this week we have lots of things available for people to come and celebrate with us. Here they are ......

Wednesday 7pm: Communion and Feetwashing
Friday 7pm: Showing of the movie, "The Passion of the Christ"
Saturday 5pm: Easter Egg Hunt
Saturday 6pm: Easter Dinner
Sunday 10:30am: Sunday Easter Services

Pray for lives to be changed! What a great day to begin your relationship with God than on Easter! I am looking for Him to do something great....please help me to pay attention!

Stepping up to the Plate

2009-04-03T13:49:00.000-07:00

You know sometimes I get really tired of all of the bad press that Christians seem to get. I know there are times when we bring it on ourselves, but I've realized that a lot of what people think about us is just assumption. There are a lot of us out there who are real, caring, genuine people.

Last week my mom and Abby went to a benefit concert for a man who has been recently diagnosed with colon cancer. His family is relatively young (a set of twins and a 2 yr old). He has been through all of the stuff like the surgery and all, but there was someone ( I don't know who) that felt the need to show some encouragement. So, they got together all of these great singing groups and personalities to raise some money for this family. By the end of the evening, a great night of entertainment was had by all, and over $10,000 dollars in donations were given. O yeah, I forgot to say this....the admission to the concert was suppose to be diapers and they were given so many that they covered most of the stage at the Cowan Civic Center in Lebanon!

I just wanted to say thanks to all of those Christians who stepped up to the plate to help someone out in their time of need!

Giving it up for Lent

2009-03-27T23:57:00.000-07:00

Growing up Baptist, I have never heard a lot about Lent. I knew a little about Mardi Gras....but only the bad stuff. And then Lent had something to do with that. I have on the other hand, heard about fasting. I've done that before, but mostly as a young person. Then, this year it seems as if I am surrounded by people who are participating in Lent. Not Catholics, just people like me. So, I thought, "If that was me, what would I do?" Then, the obvious came to me.....Mtn Dew! It couldn't be bad if it pointed me to think more about God, right! So, that's what I've done. For the past few weeks, every time I have wanted a Mtn Dew, I've taken the time to pray about something that is important to me. Or just sit for a minute and listen to God. It's been really cool, and something that I will definitely do again!

Happy Birthday, Abs!

2009-03-27T23:45:00.000-07:00

I feel like I say this every year, for every birthday, but it's true. I really can't believe that my children are as old as they are. Time passes sooo quickly, and here I am again! March 24th was Abby's 10th birthday. She is changing so much. I don't know if I am totally looking forward to her teen years, but I know they are going to be interesting. I just hope that I can be the mother and the example that she needs me to be. I know how much I love and respect my mom, and I just want to be the same for her.

The coolest present she got, in my opinion, was a dulcimer from my mom. If you don't know what that is, it's just this really cool stringed instrument. I can't wait until she figures out how to make some music on it!

Here's a pic of Abby on her actual birthday. We had been to McAllister's and she got a birthday balloon hat. Then, we went to Target. Nuff said!

Fishers of .....Men?

2009-03-27T23:33:00.000-07:00

For this month's Surgical Week, we had another special guest. I love the fact that we have people coming that aren't preachers, or missionaries, or anything like that, but they are normal people who have testimonies and they are willing to share them with my kids. So, this week we had Catfish from Silver Dollar City come and visit. He told them a little about himself, and then shared some really cool stuff about the Bible. Then, he told us about how we can become fishers of men! We then, of course, made balloon animals of fish on a hook. They really enjoyed him and left there smiling! Oh, and should probably add that Abby and Savannah won the egg toss! Good job, girls!

Love Thy Neighbor

2009-03-27T21:58:00.000-07:00

We did the coolest service project this month. For our monthly visit to Convoy of Hope, they had us doing something we'd never done there before. They had this huge assembly line and we walked all around it while they placed groceries into our bags. By the time we had walked around the line, who knows how many times, two teams had bagged a total of 2300 groceries. For a total of 4600!! Then, the coolest thing.....these were all going to stay in our area to help Springfield people. I loved it! Being a part of something bigger to help our neighbors! It was definitely the hardest job, but it was awesome! I kinda felt bad because it was my mom's first time with us at Convoy of Hope! I just told her....it gets way easier after this!

Go Surfing!

2009-03-16T14:04:00.001-07:00

I can't believe I have forgotten this!!! I am so exicted to announce that the church has a new website! And the really cool part is that there were visitors here on Sunday that said they had come because they had seen the website! Awesome!

Anyway, come visit us!.....www.sffwbc.com

Women are crazy

2009-03-16T08:59:00.000-07:00

I did something this weekend that I have never done before. I know I've said that in the last few months that I was going to try stepping out of my comfort zone....out of that box. It was daring, it was different, and I did it! I stepped into the world of....Women's Conferences!!! This past weekend was the first of this year's Women of Faith Conferences. It was in Kansas City, and it was wonderful! People keep asking me what my favorite part was and I just say "All of it!". The speakers were all wonderful and contributed their own special parts, and the music was great! Steven Curtis Chapman and Mandisa provided that. Need I say more!?

We met Kelly, who had traveled up earlier, so Abby rode with me on the trip. She spent the day with my cousin Taylor and her family. She was good company and it was good for a girl's road trip!

I was challenged in so many different ways it's hard to talk about just one. But it's pretty cool that God just keeps using different instances to remind me that He loves me and is constantly pursuing a relationship with me. He loves me for who I am and not who other people expect me to be! And this weekend, each speaker said that in her own special way.

Thanks, Kelly for the invite! Sign me up for the next one!

Here's some pics!......

here's me in kc traffic! & abby trying to figure out computer

my princess my grandma is so great!

Mandisa rocked the house!

Marilyn Meberg, psychologist AND christian!

can you find me in the 5500 people?

Lisa Harper....hilarious!

Kelly & her Columbia friends

Patsy Clairemont, too cute! Lisa Welchel, facts of life!

The Sprint center to the right and downtown KC

Steven Curtis Chapman-

what a wonderful testimony!

Keep it comin', Lord!

2009-03-09T09:54:00.000-07:00

I'm still smiling over another great weekend at the church. It just seems like everytime we get together you feel this sense of God going to do something. It's wonderful, and I'm ready for so much more of that!

First of all, we had our first Saturday Evening Worship service. We weren't really sure how many to expect, but we were ready to worship no matter the head count! We had some new people and some regulars. Travis did a great job of mixing things up. With some worship choruses, videos, some interaction in the sermon....it seemed to be just what everybody needed. And that was just the first day, we are keeping our eyes and ears out for those who might be interested in something different, and we are searching for ways to get out there and bring in the lost. Side note: We also had a mean game of spoons afterwards at our house where a first timer won! I don't know if I believe him now or not!

Then, yesterday we had the priviledge of baptizing two more young people. Sabria and Deante are so special to us! They have been coming to church with us almost as long as we have been here. So, it is so awesome to watch them grow physically, and now watch them grow spiritually and learn to trust Jesus as their Savior! Their family was there, and we hope to be able to minister to them, too. We just pray that we can be what they need us to be for them.

God is working, and I am watching for my chance to participate!

Celebration Service

2009-03-04T12:30:00.000-08:00

First of all, let me apologize for my lack of posting! We have been without internet at the house for over a week now. I make fun of Tyler for going into ESPN withdrawal, but it's really me and the internet!!!

But now, for the real news!

This past weekend we had a great and uplifting service at church! There were so many things going on! I think we just felt like God was blessing in so many ways, that He was leading us to do this special Celebration Service to tell everyone!

First of all, we had invited former members and pastors to come and participate with us. So, we had coffee and donuts in the fellowship hall for a time of catching up! We also had a picture and memory table for people to enjoy!

Then during the service, we shared memories from the past pastors. Dale Skiles and Bill Adkisson were both present and they took time to share some of their thoughts. Wayne Waggoner and Tommy Franks could not make it, but sent letters with wonderful words to our people.

Then, we celebrated God's faithfulness to our church by having a note burning. Our church is currently debt free and that just frees us up to be able to use that money in other ministry opportunities. Travis also thanked the Board for all of their years of service to the church.

And last, but certainly not least, we celebrated God's love for us by worshipping in baptism! There were 3 youth who committed to be baptized. Hanna & Haley who received Christ last summer at their home, and then Tucker, who got saved recently on a Wednesday night in our kids program. I always love to see kids participate in baptism. I know it could be very scary to them, so for them to go ahead with this is very special. They all seemed very proud of the decisions that they had made. By the way, we are going to baptize 2 more this Sunday. Their mom (who doesn't go to church) didn't want to miss out, so we just rescheduled for this week!

God is so awesome! His ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not ours. Thank Goodness! You know it is so easy to get bogged down in the ways that you see and the things that you think should be happening, but Lord, help me to not be so consumed with myself that I dont' see you working! I would hate to miss out on the next things that you have in store for us! And for me.

South Fremont, the musical!!

2009-02-23T20:45:00.000-08:00

The last Sunday night at our church we have a music night. Recently, we came to the conclusion that we don't fellowship with each other enough, so we have also added a fellowship to these services. I love music night. It's no secret that I love music, but that's not the reason why I enjoy music night so much. The reason is because it seems to be a little more laid back so people have become more willing to participate. People who wouldn't normally stand in front of everyone on a Sunday morning get up and participate in this service! Something really cool that has been happening lately is all of the new musicians that have been turning up. Whether they are new to me or genuinely starting to learn a new instrument, it doesn't matter, I think it's all great! And this past Sunday night was no exception! Good job, you guys! I know you can't tell in this picture, but Max is playing a guitar!!! We will have to get him out of the corner next time!

And the Oscar goes to....

2009-02-22T22:21:00.000-08:00

I had kind of an ironic moment tonight. I had been planning on coming home after church tonight and catching whatever I could of the Oscars. It's not ever been a huge deal to me, but I usually get a kick out of the pomp and circumstance of it all. The flashy musical numbers and funny skits are amusing to me. Then it came to the part of the show where they remember all of the people in "the business" that have passed away in the past year. And as I watched it was almost as if I could hear....John Jones, Cynthia Fry, Jack Dale......, but they never came. Yes, those celebrities really did pass, and I'm sure that their families really miss them. But, it just hit me how far removed from all of that "stuff" I really am. All those movies and accolades that these others had accumulated don't even compare to the value that my dad, Cynthia, and Jack added to the lives of those around them, and more importantly, how they contributed to the Kingdom. My dad's name may never be mentioned from any stage, or recognized on national T.V., but that's ok. He never cared about those people anyway (hollywood type). The only person's he cared about was God's, and he worked very hard at pleasing his Lord, and I'm sure he's receiving his reward.

2009-02-20T16:02:00.001-08:00

Well, I failed today. This thing that I have been working on, for myself, I had a chance to practice it and I failed. BUT, the good thing is that I noticed it right away, and had a chance to "fix" it, whereas before, I would have just stewed.

Here's how it went....there was a situation, I wanted something to happen, and the conversation in my head goes on...."you should say something. you know this is what THEY want", so I said what I thought this person expected me to say, and then when they didn't act the way I expected, I got mad. They were suppose to say "No, you go ahead" or something like that. If I would have just spoken up about how I really felt, I wouldn't have spent the afternoon alone.

It's ok...i'm learning. Six months ago, I would have been mad for a long time and just spent the next few days saying nothing was wrong! Baby steps!

Paging Dr. Wright

2009-02-19T13:35:00.000-08:00

I really enjoy the study what we do on Wednesday nights! The kids seem to like it and look forward to it. Every week of the month is different and I think that helps. Last night was Surgical week and we had another special guest. This week is was Dr Kelly Wright. Kelly attends our church and is a pediatrician here in town for Cox Hospitals. Kelly spoke to the kids about what she does as a doctor to help people when they are sick and then talked about how Jesus can help us when our hearts are sick. She also brought a stethascope and an odiscope, which the kids liked playing with.

We are looking forward to next week, Headquarters, as we celebrate everything God's done this month!

My Boyfriend's Back.....

2009-02-14T18:29:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to say HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY to my sweetheart! I love him so much and am so proud of him.....I probably should tell him more often! We have been married 14 years. They haven't all been the best, but I wouldn't trade it for anything! We've been through so much and still have so much to learn. I'm looking forward to it!

We went to Rodizio's (again), and here we are enjoying our desserts! Notice, they're empty!!! Mine WAS mocha cappachino cheesecake, and Travis' was this chocolate rum banana something espresso. It was all yum yum good, and the place was really busy! But we had a great time!

I also wanted to say a big THANK YOU to Matt & Kelly for volunteering to entertain our kids while we were gone! Give them pizza, a movie, and some video games, and they don't even know we are gone!!!

New news from South Fremont!!!!

2009-02-11T21:21:00.000-08:00

Ok, I finally got the go ahead to tell everyone some really exciting news!!! Beginning in March, we are going to add a service to what we do on the weekends. It will be on Saturday nights, and it will be more of a family, interactive kind of service. We are very excited about this opportunity to offer an alternative to the more traditional service of Sunday mornings. It is going to open the door for us to minister to a whole new and different kind of person! We already have some prospects and that's even more exciting to us. To know that God is already putting people in our way that could benefit from this worship time! Be in prayer for us as we prepare for this service as it approaches. We also have some other wonderful services coming up. We are going to have a celebration service at the first of March. We have invited past pastors and friends to celebrate the past and the future of the ministry of South Fremont. We are going to have a note burning, and even more exciting, we are going to have a baptism service that morning! Just pray that God continues to grow us as a family, and pray that God opens doors for us to reach out and minister to the lost!

Army week at Troop 4:20

2009-02-11T21:15:00.000-08:00

Tonight at Troop 4:20 was Army night so we were talking about the Armor of God. This week was the Helmet of Salvation! Be sure and notice the nice "filters" that they are wearing! We need to make sure that we teach our kids (and us) to control our mind! Once Satan gets in there, he can really control us!

I almost forgot.....this is Deante'. He played our David tonight as we talked about how he trusted God for his protection instead of listening to everyone else's advice on how to defeat the giant, Goliath. This is him dressed in "Saul's armor"! He could barely stand up!

SMILE!

2009-02-06T13:00:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about the way I perceive people. I've been trying really hard to look at people as individuals that need love, just the way Christ looks at us. With real needs, real hurts.....Like take for instance Wal-Mart. We all know what kind of feelings stepping into Wal-Mart brings for most of us! Well, I've started smiling at people. And if they will make eye contact with me, maybe a Hi! It's kinda weird the way they react. Some smile back, others pretend like they don't see you. But the other day, I had smiled at this lady, she smiled back (then I felt like I had this connection with her), and then I ran into her in the produce, so I helped her get one of those produce bags. She said thank you, I went on. Later, when we were checking out, she made it a point to stop me and say thank you again. Very sweet. That leads me to think about the way that I have thought about people growing up. I didn't take a lot of (individual) time for people I didn't know. If it didn't directly concern me, then, I just went on. Not trying to be rude, just minding my own business! Also, I think that I have allowed this disinterest in people, to develop an attitude about them. Judging them, if you will. Like if I saw them directly after church time, and they weren't in a dress or dressed up, they must be lost. Or if I heard someone saying a word I didn't approve of, it must mean their relationship with the Lord wasn't right. Then when we were living in Nashville, we had went to the early service and were out by 10:30am......roaming Nashville for a place to eat, during the time that "normal" people went to church!! Gasp! I said all that to say this, I don't want to put God in a box. Christians come in all shapes and sizes. And I am looking forward to getting to know people before I make assumptions about them. And by the way, try smiling at people you don't know, you may make a friend!

Service with a Smile!

2009-02-06T12:57:00.000-08:00

This week in Troop 4:20 was a special week for us! Not only was it Mobile week, which the kids love, but we were going to our church to serve our people! We chose February for the month to show our love and appreciation to the adults in the church for their prayer and support of the youth department. So, we cooked dinner, and the kids served the adults. They also helped clean up. It was work, but fun. And the kids always have fun, no matter what they're doing!

An Evening of Music

2009-02-06T12:52:00.000-08:00

We are so proud of Tyler for many different things. There's the sports, the good grades, the example he is for other kids, and now we have another thing.....playing the trombone! He had his first band concert on Tuesday. He was very excited about us coming and getting to hear everything that they had been learning. We get to hear him practice (practically) everyday, but it was neat to hear how his part fit in to the whole thing! It lasted about an hour and they did good! I can't wait to see what other new music they get to play! Way to go, Tyler!

And the pic of his feet is to show how much he's grown recently, and to prove a point to him. He was suppose to wear dress pants.....I told them they were too short, but he didn't believe me!

Souper Bowl 2009

2009-02-06T12:48:00.000-08:00

I don't know who you were rooting for in the Super Bowl, but I think it turned out to be a decent game! And, at our party, if you weren't really interested in the game, there was always all the soups and fellowship!

This makes the 2nd year for our Soup-er Bowl party at our church. We've tried to find the biggest way possible to show the game. Get some other games and stuff for the kids. And fill everybody up on wonderful homeade soups. We had a great time! Everybody cheered for their favorites, and some even stayed til the very end! It would have been better if the Eagles would have made it, but there's always next year!

You Got it, Baby!

2009-02-06T12:42:00.001-08:00

I'm always making fun of people who have blogs and never post.....so here i am, over a week later! Anyway!

Since I've last posted, I've went back to work! Well, kinda. Work has come to me! I've started watching a baby in my home. She is almost 2 months old, and really sweet. She loves it when Travis talks to her. The kids really enjoy getting to spend time with her before and after school. Tyler has even volunteered to feed her! We take her everywhere with us, so it doesn't keep me from doing the other things I need to get done!

I'm looking forward to getting to know her parents, too. They seem to be a really sweet couple.

I am forgetting what it was all like, having a baby. I was later than usual to Bible study the other day because I had to get her ready too! And going out, I have that HUGE diaper bag! Oh, well. I am very thankful for this job (it seems weird calling it a job), but I totally feel like God put it in my lap! And I am so glad He did.

An Empty Place

2009-01-27T21:06:00.000-08:00

From this day forward, our lives will be different. From almost the very moment we moved to Springfield, my kids became friends with another family from here. Tanya (mom), Trevon, and Benton. Tyler and Benton are the same age, and Tucker was constantly calling Trevon and Benton his best friends. We became very close to Benton because he also became involved in our church family. It seemed like either he was coming over here or Tyler was going over there. Well, recently they decided to move to Pennsylvania, and nothing any of us could say would stop them! It was a priviledge for us to have them be a part of our lives. Benton and Trevon are wonderful boys. Benton, especially, was a joy to be around. He always had a smile on his face. We were always happy to have them in our home. We are going to feel an emptiness around here for a while, but hopefully we will be able to keep in touch!

Say, hey, It's been a good Day!

2009-01-25T19:39:00.001-08:00

We had a really great Sunday today! I was just telling Travis how I loved Sundays like this.

We have been so blessed to have had Matt & Kelly Wright attending with us the last 6(?) months. They moved here from Columbia, and we are glad they did! She is a pediatrician and Matt is a Math Professor at MSU, but their heart is with God. They also have a special place in their hearts for missions. In the summer of 2007, they took a trip to Africa, Zambia to be exact, and they were never the same. So, this morning, they told us all about it. They did a great job, and we were all wishing we could go with them on their next trip this summer....my kids want to know if they would notice them in their suitcases!!!

Then tonight we had music night and fellowship. I love these nights. People come with a song in their heart and then we sit around afterwards talking, sharing, and laughing, and of course, eating! I was especially proud of Tyler who participated for the first time with his trombone! He did good. I guess that's warm up for the concert on Tuesday!

I forgot....Travis also had Deante' and Tucker up in front of the church so that he could share with everyone about them accepting Christ. It was so cool to see how excited they are! As soon as Travis mentioned their names, they were raising their hands and smiling. They couldn't wait for people to know! I want to do everything to encourage them to maintain that excitement! We also gave them new Bibles for them to read, and they couldn't wait to get into the car and open them up!

Very Good day! Ps.....I was just informed that Travis wants me to say that today was blogolicious.....I know, I'm sorry.

Changed Lives

2009-01-21T20:48:00.000-08:00

Ok, I know I just posted earlier today, but I just couldn't wait!!! Tonight was "S"urgical week for our Troop 4:20 group. This is the week that we emphasize the salvation message. John 3:16 is the verse for this week. I thought to mix things up a bit, I would get some special guests to come and give their testimonies. Chris McPhail is a Springfield police officer, and I thought the kids would get a kick out of that! So, Chris agreed and tonight was the night. He showed up, fully dressed out, and gave the kids his story. He related that, as an officer, he saw it as trying to encourage people to make good choices. Just like God wants us to make good choices. And that there are consequences for our bad choices. Well, he did a great job, and the kids had lots of questions to ask. But the best part was that when he was finished, I asked the kids how many of them were already Christians. Some didn't raise their hands, and I told them that I would hang out for a bit in case anyone wanted to talk.....3 KIDS GOT SAVED TONIGHT!!!! One of them was my son, Tucker!!! It was the best night, and we still have stuff to look forward to....that means there's gonna be baptisms in the near future!!! Is God cool or what!? Next week during our Headquarters week we will really have something to celebrate!

It

2009-01-21T13:23:00.000-08:00

If Jeff Meyers is reading this then, sorry, I'm stealing all your ideas. Not really, just the suggestions to read some of the books. And mostly, you're doing good, so keep up the good work!!! lol.

I just finished another good book. I don't know what's gotten into me lately. I'm not normally a reader, but it's kinda nice! I feel very smart, or informed?? Anyway, this latest book is called "It", and it's written by Craig Groeschel. He is the pastor of Lifechurch.tv which it's main church is in Edmond, OK. (Also, an interesting sidenote is that my sister in law and her family attend the one in Sapulpa).

This book was awesome. He talks in such a down to earth speak that you can't help but think that he's talking right to you. The whole thing is about how some churches have "it" and some don't. But that we can all get "it". Not by a program, not with a seminar, but only given by God. It's full of lots of personal stories, and funny examples, but mostly it was challenging. Do you have "it"? Do I have "it"? I know my answer now. It's great, read for yourself.

Evening at the Rand's

2009-01-21T13:09:00.001-08:00

I have to apologize first for the lack of photos....I don't know about you, but I love to see pictures. But my battery is dead and haven't replaced it yet....

I know I've been ranting about the stuff going on at the church, but when you've been looking for things to happen, I think it's right to tell everybody about them! Give God the glory!!!

This past Sunday night....well, let me go back a little. When our church began 30+ years ago, it began with a handful of people, like most churches do. One of these couples were Don & JoAnn Rand. Don was on the board and even was the key person in finding the land that the church currently stands on. About 10 years ago, Don was diagnosed with ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease. Now he is confined to a wheelchair and is unable to attend as much as they'd like when the weather is cold or rainy. Don and his wife, JoAnn really have a heart for our church. And we always miss them throughout the winter months. Recently, Travis had an idea to take church to them (shame on us for not doing this sooner). So, after some planning, we scheduled our first Sunday Evening with the Rand's. We weren't really sure how the response would be....driving further at night, longer distance, not to mention we weren't meeting at the church *gasp*! But, when we began at 5:30, we had 20 people there!! We sang songs with Travis leading on guitar, spent some time in the word, and then most everyone stayed around a long time to enjoy the fellowship! I love seeing God's people enjoy each other. We'll be doing it again in February and I can't wait!

2009-01-16T22:20:00.000-08:00

There are some really cool things going on in our church family. We are still mending and growing, but you can definitely feel God working. Sometimes it's scary, but mostly it's just cool. When I feel like it's getting scary, it's mostly because I get myself caught up in the details...you know, trying to work everything out? That's when I'm reminded, no-no, it's not up to me. I'm just responsible for my part, let God do His part. I was having a really bad couple of days this week, so I decided this was as good a time as any to sit down and do my Bible study for the day. When I opened it up, this was the verse I was to read....."That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forver!" 2Cor 4:16-18. Wow, okay, God...I get it! Leave the details and the dirty work to you....Like I said, there are some cool things coming together at the church. I'm not really sure whether I can mention them yet, but just pray for us. That's one thing we all can do!

A Thumbs up to Rodizio's!

2009-01-16T22:08:00.000-08:00

A few years ago a man walked into our church. He immediately seemed "out of place" but came right in and wanted to speak to Travis. Who knew that day that man would be such a blessing to us and our church family. This man, Pastor Chung, was looking for his congregation a new place for them to meet. Through a few meetings and prayer, we decided to join ministries and allow their congregation to meet in our church at different times than when we are there. Over the past few years, their family has grown and grown. We have had a joint service with them, and it was wonderful. Seeing 2 different backgrounds coming together and worshipping the same God!

Well, their family has been so generous to Travis and me the last two years for Christmas and they have given us a gift both years. This year, they gave us a gift certificate to Rodizio's. We decided to cash it in tonight! I was a little skeptical, because I wasn't sure about the whole Brazilian food thing, but it was WONDERFUL! The service was great, and you really get your money's worth! It is like this whole experience. I would recommend this place to everyone! It is at Battlefield & I-65. Plan on coming hungry, and plan on spending some time there. It takes a while to sample 15 (?) different cuts of meat and all the stuff that goes with it!!! But save room for dessert because it is just as good! We had Matt & Kelly there with us to kind of guide us through (they had been before)! And then there was Melvin and Clarissa Moon.....is that guy everywhere??? Anyway, thumbs up to Rodizio's!!!

God Working

2009-01-13T19:27:00.000-08:00

We just got back from a Senior Saints meeting at the church. We hadn't been in months, but this month we were asked to attend. There were several people there and tons of food. We also had a time of singing with guitars and stuff. It was a very nice time. There was laughing and fellowship and lots of smiles. God is working in the hearts of our people and tonight I saw it.

Life's Messy

2009-01-11T14:58:00.001-08:00

I went with some friends of mine on ANOTHER girl's nite out! I must be doing something right??? lol. Anyway, we went out to eat, and then decided to go and see BRIDE WARS. I thought from the previews that it looked cute, so off we went. It was really a very clean, funny look at the relationships between people, women specifically. There was one line that stood out to me. One fiance' said to the other, "Life's messy." I've heard this before, but I think that I have not believed that all my life. I think, in the back of my mind, I thought that smooth sailing was proof of a good life. When now I think that feeling of sunny days and smiles can just be masking other things deep down. For instance, when Travis and I first were married, it made me proud to say, "We never fight." Did that mean Travis didn't make me angry, definitely not, it probably just meant I wasn't dealing with the problem. Also, churches that we have worked in. When problems or disagreements came up, did that automatically mean that God thought it was our time to leave? Maybe, maybe not. Those could have been opportunities for us to learn something, to grow. We've learned since then that problems exist in every church, it's just how willing you are to work them out and get them solved. Just like our marriage, we are still married, of course, but we are trying not to hold things in. Life's messy. Conflict doesn't mean the end. It's just discovering the differences between us all. Kudos to the people who stick around and work things out. I want to be one of those people. I think we treasure the things we fight for. My marriage is worth it, my church is worth it, and my relationships with my friends are worth it.

Whatever!

2009-01-06T19:41:00.000-08:00

We had our Bible Study today. It seems like we haven't met in a while because of the holidays, so it was nice to get together. I was also very excited to have 2 new ladies join us! I can tell they are definitely going to add to our group!

Our study is on Fear. Seems pretty simple, but apparently, it's not. Today the writer referred to Phil 4:8..."Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, thing about such things." And Kelly brought up the fact that she had a leader on a missions trip that if anything happened, to keep them on track, he would just say...."whatever!" to try and keep their minds in the right places! I love it! The mind is such a battlefield. I struggle with it everyday. And that's when fear gets a foothold and starts filling your (my) mind with doubts, and causes me to not do what God wants me to do. I've always heard that "Perfect love casts out fear." And I am going to go with that motivation. My love for others is going to outweigh my fear of failure, and I will react with obedience to God. This study has been very eye opening for me. Bring on Chapter 4!

It's a Small World Afterall!

2009-01-03T13:43:00.000-08:00

It truly is a small world. A few months ago while browsing through my high school graduates on MySpace, I stumbled upon someone I knew and she lives in Springfield! I thought that was really cool and so we started messaging each other. Her name is Adrienne, and I graduated with her brother. But we finally got together yesterday for lunch and got caught up on the last 15+ years! Before we knew it, 6 hours had passed and we both had a really great time! I'm looking forward to a new friendship!

2009-01-01T22:27:00.001-08:00

EVERYBODY GO LOOK!!! I posted the pics that go with the last few blogs I've done. I still don't have all the kinks worked out with my camera, but they're there! Whew!

Happy New Years!!!

2009-01-01T22:04:00.000-08:00

We weren't really sure what we were going to be doing for New Year's. As of 5pm, we were still considering a variety of choices. Our first choice, friends Matt & Kelly, weren't really sure what they were doing since she assumed she was going to have to be at work the next day, but SURPRISE, she didn't. So, we headed over there. Matt and Kelly have taken a few missions trips and Kelly spent about 6 weeks in France, so she has been telling us lately about all the really cool cheeses from over there. This seemed the perfect chance to try some new things. We had brie, camombare (?), goudah, and goat cheese. They were all awesome! We also played some board games, a little PS3, a little Wii, and then we watched the ball drop to 2009!! We are so thankful for friends like Matt & Kelly!

Troop 4:20 Pajama Party!

2009-01-01T22:00:00.001-08:00

Instead of staying up til midnight with all of our kids, I thought it would be fun to just have a party and all of us wear our favorite pjs! This also corresponded with our Headquarters week for Troop 4:20! We had 21 kids at our house on Tuesday from 6:30-8pm. We ate lots of goodies, played games, and gave away door prizes. It feels good to show these kids that people who love God can have a good time!

Where's the Pictures?

2008-12-30T11:14:00.000-08:00

Travis and I usually never get each other gifts. We just take whatever Christmas money we might get and go shopping together. It's fun for us since we don't normally have extra spending money to blow. But, this year Travis broke the rules. He bought me a new camera. Mine was dropped a couple of months ago,and it hasn't been acting right since. I've enjoyed it, so far, but still have kinks to work out. That's also why my last posts don't have pics....I can't find where they are on the computer and Travis isn't here to show me!! Don't worry, I'll add them later!

Life-long Friends

2008-12-30T11:03:00.000-08:00

For the many places that Travis and I have lived, we have met and become friends with lots of people. But because of the craziness of life and circumstances, we have not kept up with many of them. There are a few, however, that we have maintained relationships with. One family is the Coffelts from Pryor, Oklahoma. We all met in college, and our paths have continued to cross over the years. A bonus is that Pryor is kinda in the path from here to Oklahoma. So, there have been a few times when we had a little extra time, that we will stop and hang out with them for a while. This was one of those times. We left Travis' family on Saturday afternoon and were in Pryor by 7pm. James is a pastor there and their church services are on Saturday night, so when we got there we attended their church. It was wonderful and refreshing.

We then ate out with a group from the church, and then headed to their house. We already had Sunday off from our church so we were set for a night of playing and catching up. Little did we know that it would be 6:30 AM before we would see our beds! We all slept in, of course, and then spent Sunday relaxing.

Later that evening, some people from their church came over and we just sat and had our own worship time with guitars, mandolins and a piano, oh yeah, and James' new toy, some new kind of drum. It was really fun.

Then we hung out playing Apples to Apples, Fact or Myth, and Rock Band. Travis and I were the only ones to score 100% on our parts!!! lol. Anyway, one more late night (3am for me) and we woke up to leave for home on Monday.

We are so thankful for lifelong friends like James, Jamie, Riley and Rance. I feel so loved to know that God places people like these in our lives to refresh us, make us laugh, and that we can come into their home and feel like we never left! Can't wait for the next time!

Look at me, I'm Baking!

2008-12-30T10:57:00.000-08:00

For the past few years our families have drawn names. We did with my family, but somehow time got by and we didn't with Travis'. We weren't really sure what we were supposed to be doing, so I just thought I would do something "creative" for everyone. I wasn't sure what, but I had went over to my friend, Betsy's house who was making goodies for all of her family, and I was inspired! So, I purchased some pretty Christmasy plates and made some yummies for everyone at Christmas. There were some things I had never tried before, but I thought they turned out pretty good! I just might like this baking thing, who knows!

3 Christmases

2008-12-30T10:44:00.000-08:00

After having Christmas with my family on Sunday, Christmas continued for us on Christmas Eve. We spent Tuesday getting ready for the trip to Oklahoma and for a family Christmas on Christmas Eve morning. The kids woke up early, of course, and we read the Christmas story and opened presents. They had their stockings and some stuff from other people, but the one family gift we got was the Wii. They were very surprised and we hooked it up immediately! We then got ready and made our trip to Oklahoma to be with Travis' family. We all stayed in the same house so that we could wake up together. We opened presents, first thing, and then spent the rest of the day playing with our stuff! It was nice to have everybody there. The kids enjoyed getting to spend time with everyone. Part of Travis' gift to his mom was to purchase a new faucet for her kitchen and install it. He worked very hard all day Friday, but he got it done! He has become very handy over the past few months! I was very proud of him to do that for her.

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! On to the New Year!

2008-12-30T10:43:00.000-08:00

Wow! Am I behind or what!? The family that we were staying with over Christmas did not have internet at the house so there are so many things that I want to share with you!!! But I am not going to put it all in one blog so be sure and go back and read everything!!! Happy Reading!

2008-12-23T13:37:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday to my good friend, Betsy!!! Hope it's a great one!

Out on the town

2008-12-23T13:31:00.000-08:00

There was a tradition that was beginning in our family. It was to go out and buy each other's presents, eat out, and then do something as a family (probably a movie). But we are trying to make things different this year. For one thing, my kids do not need more STUFF! So, in an effort to do this, we only bought 1 family gift. Well, that takes away the need to go shopping. But they did need winter coats! So, last night we took off and went to Branson. We shopped (and bought) coats, ate at Cracker Barrel (per Tyler's request), and then went to Shepherd of the Hills and drove through the Trail of Lights. Travis and I had been there before, but it had been many years. It took us about 1 hour and there are tons of lights. It was a really good evening with our family, and now, thanks to our new coats, we feel ready for the cold weather!!! Bring it on!

Alternating Holidays

2008-12-23T13:17:00.000-08:00

Growing up I never knew the "perils" of alternating holidays with your relatives. Both sets of my grandparents lived in the same small town, so we always got to see everyone. I didn't know it another way until Travis and I got married....and our parents didn't live anywhere close to each other. O, what to do? So, for 14 years we have spent one holiday at one place and the other holiday at the other family's. It has always worked out, so we just continued. Only since we have lived in Missouri again, has it worked out differently. My parents live very near by and my sister does, too. So, on the years when Christmas is with Travis' family, we just try to squeeze a little family time in wherever there is time left over! We did just that this past weekend. My mom and my sister's family were nice enough to come and visit our church to see the kid's program. Then that afternoon we exchanged gifts. We decided this year to only buy for the kids and it worked out perfectly. Then, while the kids played with all of their new goodies, my sister and my mom helped me prepare food for our church dinner that night! The day seemed full, but it was nice to spend time with everyone!

Good Day

2008-12-21T20:51:00.000-08:00

This was a really good weekend for me and for our church family. I feel some really cool things happening in our church, and days like this always make me smile. First of all, yesterday we had our dress rehearsal and pizza party, and then today we had our Christmas program, "What's Christmas to You?" We had tons of visitors at the program, and the kids did a wonderful job! They always amaze me at how well they pull things together! I love these kids! They're so great!

Then, tonight we had our Church Christmas Dinner. You can't go wrong with that! Tons of food, good fellowship! It was good just seeing our church family hanging out with each other! Days like these are good!

Birthday with Betsy

2008-12-19T19:38:00.000-08:00

I had a great day today! I took my friend Betsy out for her birthday. I wanted to do something cool that we had never done before, so we went to a place called Firehouse Pottery. I knew that she would like it because she's got this creative side and she likes to paint. It was really cool, a little overwhelming at first, picking out which project you want to do. Then, you have all these paints, and stencils, and tracings, and on and on....anyway, once we got started, it was fun! We havent' seen our final projects, they have to be fired. But it was fun! Then we went to lunch and had a really good visit. It's days like this I am reminded of how wonderful it is to have friends. I wish now I had pics, but I don't! I hope she enjoyed it as much as I did, and I am so thankful for our friendship. Her birthday is actually Tuesday, so HAVE A HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BETSY!

Caroling at St Johns

2008-12-18T20:20:00.000-08:00

Ok, just like I promised. Here are some pictures from the caroling trip to the hospital. I wasn't sure what to expect and neither did the kids, but we sang our hearts out. Up on the pediatric floor, we weren't allowed to go into any rooms, but we had a few doors open up and some kids and parents peeking outside their rooms to listen in. We then, finished up and discovered that we had some spare time, so we went downstairs to the main lobby. That was cool too because the accoustics in there was really awesome! We had some people stop and listen, and even received a little applause! We took 12 kids with us, plus me and Kelly. There were some kids that couldn't go because of the strict rules about the health of everyone who visits. I love going on these MOBILE weeks. It's just The Word in action.

On the other hand, Tuesday when we went to Convoy of Hope, we arrived to find a note on the door that there would be no more volunteer dates for the remainder of the year! We were all disappointed, but we didn't let that deter us from heading over to Braum's for some ice cream!!!

Next up, the Christmas Program! This Sunday, 10:30am!....deep breath!

Santa Claus vs Jesus

2008-12-15T11:57:00.000-08:00

I grew up in a Christian household. My family has always celebrated the wonderful story of Christmas, celebrating the birth of our Savior. We read the Christmas story from the Bible every year before we open presents. As a matter of fact, I don't even remember believing in Santa Claus. Don't worry, I'm ok. sob*sob*....Anyway, so when Travis and I got married, and especially when I became pregnant with Tyler, we started really thinking about the whole Santa Claus vs. Manger scene conversation. So, our first Christmas, we did no Santas. We just decorated with angels, snowmen...that kind of stuff. We did have a tree, but that's it. Then one day, I heard someone tell the story behind Santa Claus, or St Nicholas. It totally explained that St Nicholas was a real person. He was very rich, and he did give presents to needy children. And, the kicker was that the reason he did all of this is because he was also a Christian. He had a relationship with the Lord that led him to act this way! Since then we have discovered that it's not Santa Claus vs Jesus, it's St Nicholas BECAUSE of Jesus! It's just sad that the world has missed or maybe purposely twisted this story to meet a more marketable image and story. In the end, we have enjoyed telling our children this story in addition to the nativity. They just think that's cool that even Santa Claus recognizes who Jesus is! You can read the full story at www.stnicholascenter.org and go to Who is St Nicholas?. Enjoy!

Christmas Open House

2008-12-15T11:40:00.000-08:00

We had such a good time at our Open House this past Friday. For the past few years we have been opening our house during the Christmas season for our friends and family to come over and visit. It's kinda like our present to everyone. Thank you to everyone who came and shared in this special time with us. Merry Christmas to everyone!

Hanging out with Jackson

2008-12-15T11:35:00.000-08:00

Last week Travis and I got to hang out with our buddy, Jackson. Jackson is getting ready to be 3yrs old in January. We haven't got to see him as much as we'd like lately, and he has sure developed a huge vocabulary! It was so great to hear him speaking in full sentences and completely communicating with us! We took him to BassPro and saw everything there was to see. This second picture is of him eyeing a small 4wheeler! Hint, hint, mom and dad!

2008-12-15T11:32:00.000-08:00

I am so excited about a couple of things that are coming up in the ministry of our church. Tomorrow night we are headed back to CONVOY OF HOPE. We always have a good time there, and we leave feeling a real sense of something bigger than ourselves. The other thing is on Wednesday, our Troop 4:20 kids are going to ST JOHN's pediatric floors to do some CHRISTMAS CAROLING. This is very cool to me because it is going to be kids ministering to kids. This is going to be a very special time for all of us, and I am already feeling God blessing us before we even go! You will be sure that I will post pics later!

Who do we think we are?

2008-12-09T20:56:00.000-08:00

I just got finished reading my book!!! Yea! For me! I am not a reader, but when it is something that really captures me, I can't put it down. "This Present Darkness" was one of those books for me. And I am so glad that I finished it because the ending was awesome! For about the last three pages, my heart was racing and I was crying. There are times in this book when everything seems so out there, like this wouldn't ever happen, but then there are those moments when I was like, "Yeah, I know!"

It has got me to thinking. I have this, who do we think we are? attitude. I think we have been programmed to think that we just live our own lives and what we do only affects us. Every man for himself. I am just taking care of my own. I think it's more complicated than that. God uses us, when we are willing, to complete His plan. And those previous attitudes are not just only in the world! I think Christians get stuck thinking, "Hey I'm saved, what do I have to worry about?" And that's great, but what about the person standing in line next to you, or your neighbor, or your family. Are they ok? I think we are missing out on some very important aspects of the Christian life when we only live for ourselves. We have got to get out there and use what God has given us to reach out to the world around us. I love the thought that God cares so much about us that He is intricately planning our lives...placing people in our way to develop us into the one that He wants us to be, one that can be used by Him.

It makes you look at your life, you know. Like, "what am I doing"? Am I being effective? Is my life meaning something in the grander scheme of the Kingdom? Not that Salvation is not enough. It was and is THE PLAN for everyone, but God also wants us to live life to the fullest. Not just get by. Having this new "filter" on my life makes me look at everything I do. If it's not productive, according to God, it's going to get put aside. I don't have time anymore to fill up on things that don't matter.

The Deed is Done, It's Official!

2008-12-08T20:51:00.000-08:00

Ok, it's official! Tucker is 6yrs old. Although we weren't sure he was going to make it! He told the waitresses at Red Robin that if they didn't sing to him, he wouldn't be 6! We all survived the restaurant of choice (we were afraid of McDonald's!) and it was a good night for the family. We started the day this morning with a special trip to his class to take his birthday snack! He really enjoyed having me and Travis there. Travis also volunteered as a WatchDog for the day, so he was around all day! Don't you love it when your kids are at the age when they are excited to have you around and they think you are cool?? Later tonight, we tried to go to Bass Pro and visit Santa and all his workshop, but we were not prepared for the wait! We got there and were getting in line and it was 5pm....the guy was going to give us a "pass" to see Santa at 6:30! Needless to say, we did not stay! Maybe another time! But the dinner was good, and I don't think I have any babies anymore!!! It's ok...I'm prepared to look for the blessings, no matter what age they are!

2 more Practices!!! Yikes!

2008-12-07T21:46:00.001-08:00

I just wanted to say real quick how proud I am of the kids in this year's Christmas program! They have all been working so hard, and they are really committed to being at all the practices! I know that sounds silly, but trust me, it's soooo hard to do a practice when you are not even sure whether or not all the people are going to show up!

We have 2 more practices, and I always have a moment of craziness just before we get ready to perform, but the kids always pull it through!

If you don't have any plans on Sunday, December 21st, you should come by and see our program, "What's Christmas to You?" at 10:30am! If not, I'll let you know how it turns out!

Unemployed..... in Greenland!

2008-12-07T21:41:00.000-08:00

Well, I am officially unemployed! It's been a while since I have not had something to do during the day. When we first moved here (Feb 2005), it wasn't long before my dad asked if I would be interested in helping him out at the studio to make a little extra money. Well, here we are almost 4 years later, and I don't have anything to do! Not that I couldn't find something to do! Trust me, I have plenty of things I could fill my time with....organizing things for the kids at church, cleaning my house, shopping, but so far, I haven't figured out how to get paid for any of that stuff! Well, i am sure that I got spoiled working for my dad, but I am going to take my time, especially through the holidays, and wait. I'm sure God will take care of me and point me in the right direction!

Tucker's Turning 6!

2008-12-07T21:29:00.000-08:00

Well this was a party weekend! Tucker's birthday is tomorrow (Monday), but we had his party on Saturday. So we have been celebrating all weekend! We had a great time yesterday with 8 of Tucker's friends, celebrating with a party here at home. We always give our kids a choice as to what they want to do on their birthday. They can get one bigger gift, no party....the family can all go somewhere really cool....a party with friends.....or some variation. Anyway, Tucker came up with a party here at the house and invite as many of his friends as he could! We had an alien birthday and it was lots of fun! Here's some pics of the party...note, the alien goo hanging from the ceiling!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TUCKER!!!! I can't believe my baby's turning 6! sniff, sniff!

Let Me Introduce you to College Basketball

2008-11-29T17:35:00.001-08:00

The family got a special treat last night. The people who smoked our ham for Thanksgiving gave us tickets to last night's MSU game vs. Utah! It is really cool to live in a town that is just small enough, but big enough to have many avenues of entertainment at your fingertips. The seats were VERY high, but it was neat to be at the new arena and the kids seemed to enjoy it! It would have been better if we would have won, but well, maybe next time?

Thankful is a state of mind

2008-11-27T21:07:00.000-08:00

Today was a difficult day, full of a wide range of emotions. It was good to see family. I always look forward to that. But the fact that my dad wasn't there was always in the back of my mind, reminding me of the last three months. Then, we get the news of Cynthia Fry's passing, and I'm sad all over again. Thanksgiving last year is also the last time we saw Travis' dad alive. It has been a tough year for us, but even after all of that, I can remind myself of how much God loves me. I am learning from all of this. I feel stronger because of the adversity in my life. Of course, I miss my dad. Just like the Fry's are going to miss Cynthia. But my God loves me and He has a way of taking care of me and working things out that I don't understand. But I trust Him. Also something I am learning, more and more everyday. Still I am thankful for my husband, my family, my church, my friends, and most of all, a God that cares for me.

Cynthia Fry has passed away

2008-11-27T21:01:00.000-08:00

Please pray for the Fry family. Cynthia passed away today. She has been sick for many years from Lupus, but recently began a battle with cancer. Even though she has had this fight for a long time, she has never let it get her down. She was always seen with a smile, and I never heard her complain. Her family, church, and friends came first in her life, surpassed only by her love for God. She was a wonderful example of a Godly woman and we will surely miss her. She is leaving behind her husband, Gary, our Executive Director of Missouri, and 3 children, Katy, who is a junior in High School and two other married children, Thad and his wife Laura, and Jessica and her husband Mark. My heart breaks for them all, and I pray that God will comfort them in the days and months to come.

I Can't Put this one Down!

2008-11-24T21:14:00.000-08:00

I hesitate to write this because I am not finished with the book, but I am so excited (?) about it! I know this may not be news for some of you, but to me, it is. I have been reading Frank Peretti's "This Present Darkness", and whoa! It's all about the spiritual world and the battle between the forces of Good and Evil. My mom tried to get me to read it years ago when it first came out, but I just could never get into it. I think that God was just waiting for the right time for me to read it, because now I can totally see all sorts of this kind of stuff! I am a little over half way through the book, and very excited to see how it all works out! I will keep you informed!

Cynthia Fry

2008-11-24T21:09:00.000-08:00

I have a special prayer request for everybody. My friend, Cynthia Fry, is in the hospital. She has not been healthy for a long time. She has battled Lupus for years, and recently she has been diagnosed with Breast Cancer. She had surgery, and they thought they got it all. But, she still was not feeling very well and last week , they put her back in the hospital. There is still cancer and it is in her abdomen. She is very weak and in a lot of pain. They are hoping to start oral chemotherapy soon. They just are waiting on some lab results. Just please pray for her and her husband, Gary. They are going to need it.

Windermere 2008

2008-11-22T19:21:00.000-08:00

We attended the Youth Retreat at Windermere this weekend. This was Tyler's first year to be old enough to go so he was really excited about going. Our speaker was Zane Black (he was awesome!!) and our worship band was Rush of Fools! Enough said! It was very cold, but nobody seemed to care. Zane spent a lot of time talking about his personal testimony and sharing with the kids how God has used him. I think Tyler really enjoyed hearing him speak. We bought his book for Tyler. And Rush of Fools did an awesome job leading the kids into worship and also teaching them a few new songs! I was sad that I was taking Tyler to his first Youth (not Children's) activity, but I was glad that it was such a good experience for him!

(I am having trouble getting the pics I want on here...I will keep trying, but this is all I can get for now!)

Finding Myself

2008-11-22T19:15:00.000-08:00

I was listening to the radio the other day and came in on the last little bit of what I think was a radio preacher. I was barely paying attention but I heard a statement that was something to the effect of, "The more I tried to find myself, the more I disappeared." Now not hearing anymore of what the man was talking about, I can't really expound on what HE was saying, but that struck me as interesting so I've been thinking about what it COULD mean. This is what I have figured....if we are in this search for ourselves, what we stand for, what's important to us, how we fit into our family, how we relate to others.....if we are Christians, then the more we search for ourselves, the more we SHOULD disappear and God become more evident in our lives, He becomes the star of the show. God, that is my prayer today.

Rewards

2008-11-18T20:53:00.000-08:00

You know how you feel after you have done a hard day's work and you are just sitting in your favorite chair? That feeling that you are sinking deeper and deeper into the chair? I kinda feel that way right now! We just got back from taking a group to the Convoy of Hope. It's not like working ALL DAY, but you do feel this sense of working hard!

We had a great time! We hadn't been as a church for a while, and so we were all ready to go! Our Troop 4:20 group also joined the adults as a part of our MOBILE week. We took 15 kids and 7 adults! We got a lot of stuff done after and hour and a half of work. I was very proud of the kids and all the things they accomplished. They worked together and didn't cause a bit of trouble! They were awesome! And they seemed to be having a great time. Most of the kids that were there had never been before, so we were proud to be able to introduce them to Convoy of Hope!

One of the things we have always done after being at Convoy of Hope was to go to Braum's for some ice cream. The adults look forward to the fellowship and of course, the kids were all about THE ICE CREAM! You know, it's nice to have a reward like ice cream after you've worked so hard, but I think everyone there tonight saw the bigger reward...helping others and working

together! It was a great night!

2008-11-16T12:12:00.000-08:00

Ok, I am very excited. In every church I've ever been in, there has always been some kind of ladies group. Whether it be Ladies Auxiliary or a small Bible study, it was always a great outlet for me. Since there hasn't been one at our church for a while, I have tried my best to become involved in our District Ladies Auxiliary. But now, we are starting a ladies group at our church!!! This IS NOT Ladies Auxiliary. This is just a group of ladies of like mind and spirit, getting together to study the Bible and develop our relationships. We are going to do a study on FEAR. We are going to learn how Satan uses our fears to keep us from our full potential for the Lord. He does not want us to discover our untapped power and tools, so we are going to do just that, learn how to overcome our fears, so Satan doesn't have that stronghold on us anymore!! How exciting! We will meet on Tuesdays, as of now, in different ladies homes. Come if you'd like, you don't have to be a member of our church to come! Just let me know and I will tell you where to go this week! God is working! Great things are going to happen through this group of women; come and be a part!

I Gave in to Temptation

2008-11-15T10:51:00.000-08:00

As some of you may know, Christmas is my favorite time of the year! I love pretty much everything about it. Even the crowded mall doesn't bother me much. So, this also translates into me wanting to decorate my house way too early. Travis will never let me forget the first year for Christmas that we were in a real house and went out and bought a big tree....I wanted to set it up as soon as we got home, which, he says, was still in October! Anyway, for the last few years, I have fought temptation to do things before I was "suppose" to. A couple of weeks ago, we went to Silver Dollar City and they were playing Christmas music, everything had lights and decorations on it, but it was like 70 degrees and not very inspiring! Then with the recent cold blasts, it has been different. We took a trip to the mall, decorated, of course, and stepped outside to lights and a nip in the air. That was all I needed! I immediately checked out our schedule for the next few weeks to decide when we would have time to set everything up! It just so happens that this weekend was the only one that we didn't have that much to do. So, Thursday we brought everything up from the basement, and we also went out and bought everybody's new ornament for this year. Then, Friday, Travis and I spent the day in Branson shopping and looking around. We came home after the kids got out of school and set up the tree! I have to admit that it looks pretty good! But, do me a favor, take a look at the pic of the tree and see if you spot what's driving me crazy!!!! Well, the kids are pretty excited about getting the rest of the stuff up and in place. But I am not going to get in too big of a hurry to put the outside stuff up that I forget to enjoy Thanksgiving!!!

Troop 4:20 update

2008-11-15T10:40:00.000-08:00

Since the last time I posted on our Wednesday night group, we have had an Headquarters week, which means Party!!! This is the time that we celebrate all the wonderful things God has done for us this month! This was a sad week because our friend, Alesha Jones, was moving back to West Plains, and this was her last night with us!!! :( But we also had the largest group yet with 21 kids!!!

This past week, was a little different. Everyone showed up expecting to be Mobile, but I caught them by surprise! I had switched the Mobile and Army week and we studied the Armor of God instead. I also explained to them that we will be Mobile next week on Tuesday with the adults from the church as we will be taking one big group to volunteer at Convoy of Hope! They were all very excited and ready to go!

So, Don't forget.....Tuesday, 6:30-8pm Convoy of Hope
Wednesday, no regular Troop 4:20 meeting!