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The past 2 weeks,  Jason and I have been frequently been asked the questions:  What are you guys going to do?  and When are you moving back to your house?  For those who may live in another state, country or universe, these questions are in reference to the fact that for the past 10 1/2 months we have been living with my father in law-just being here for him and taking care of the house.  Obviously, now that he is married, that job/priviledge belongs to another-who is more qualified for the position!  So to answer everyone’s questions:  our renters (who were literally sent by the Lord) have our house for another 6 weeks.  So we are all still here together until the time that the lease runs out.  We want to take the time to get all that we can out of this lesson that God has put us in.  He is a great God and a phenomenal teacher.  We have been blessed to have so much this past year.  Wonderful people who have taken a GREAT deal of care to our house, and even let us keep our custom paint up in our children’s rooms (a giant red robot in one and primary stripes and personalized headboards in the other).  He has given us a great home to look after-on the river with a huge yard and long driveway for sam and ben to learn to ride their bikes.  We are blessed.

We also look at this time to get to know our new family.  Jeanne is amazing.  I can’t wait to sit and have great conversations over coffee with her.  And my newest sister in law, Emily.  This girl is a fantastic example of a teenaged girl who has faced some great challenges and has held tight to her sovereign Lord.  I look forward to a wonderful relationship with her.

So for this time we are still here on the river.  And we will enjoy every last day.  I am very much looking forward to getting all our stuff out of Adam and Laura’s garage…they are the best of friends to give up their space for such a lengthy time.  It will be like Christmas to move this time!  All the things we forgot we had!  Thanks for the thoughts and prayers…

These days I have heard more than enough times “oh the big shoes to fill”. I don’t really get this statement. I actually think that it is quite narrow minded. God has made everyone in his own image, but not all with the same shoe size. We are such a people of comparison, even when we ‘think’ we aren’t. Not until we can come to the confidence that- God has given us our unique feet to walk in will we be able to ‘fill’ the shoes that we are purposed for. That goes with the expectations we have of others as well. God puts size 5’s, size 7 1/2’s and the average size 8’s all here at such a time as this to fulfill HIS purpose and to further HIS kingdom. No one is here to fill another’s shoes, but to continue HIS work. And to sound so cliche’-just as I get excited to see a new fall line of shoes-I am excited for the next level in this chapter of life. The shoes are a different size, and style, but the passion and purpose remains the same. I praise the Lord for uniqueness in his creation…

what a long time in between posts.  well, i have an excuse.  i have been busy!  but in a good way.  we just wrapped up our annual girls retreat.  it was great.  we went to greenville, sc this year.  our theme was once upon a time.  the girls had a great time and i saw God do much in their lives.  but i know that we haven’t seen half of it yet!  that is the most exciting part.  i know that we will continue to see the repercussions of this retreat and God’s hand in many lives.  i can’t wait!  but i had a great time too.  we have such a great group of students at faith assembly.  we know that this year is going to be phenomenal in kinetic youth ministries!

just see for yourselves.

just a little note.  as most know ben and sam abhor taking naps.  they would love to run endlessly and just crash around 6:30 pm.  but most of the time our lives are not conducive to that.  many nights of ours include something that requires us to be away from the house around that time.  if we are out running around in the evenings without a nap being taken we can pretty much guarantee a melt down by someone.  usually because someone wants to sing the same song as the other, or make an animal noise at the wrong time.  so naps are a must most days.  when i put them down however, instead of agreeing to sweetly close their blue eyes to drift away into the coveted nap, they will try all things to stay awake.  lately that has been sock puppets or playing with buttons on pockets or the cords on cargo pants.   so the prep for the afternoon nap is much like prepping for prison….i check their clothes for anything that can be used as a toy, if found it gets stripped.  then off come the socks.  they play with their fingers and toes (obviously i can’t take those away) until it gets boring then off to sleep.  i envy them. b/c then i’m off to work!

of course after writing my last blog the waters turned in to a class 5 rapids.  satan is pretty smart in trying to make us fail.  busy weekends and silly negative comments tend to bring our human nature to doubt the Lord’s sovereignty.  so after this weekend and not taking time out of Sunday to spend privately in God’s word, i sat down this morning and read this out of my yearly bible:  

13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.

exodus 14:13

 

it is good to serve a God who reminds us who he is-our deliverer.  still standing firm…soon those “egyptians” will be washed away by the rapids…not me!

life for everyone is crazy.  i’m not claiming to have any more things to do than anyone else.  but my goodness, sometimes it feels incomprehensible!  my day starts at 6:30 am.  sad to say, usually by a 3 year old staring at me.  i take them to the potty and get them back into their room to “read books” and i sit to have some “quiet time” .  this followed by a quick shower (if i’m lucky) and a race with the clock to get ready, get all three boys fed breakfast, clothed and usually out the door to school, or grocery store, or a meeting.  if they are in preschool i’m most likely up at the new collision center trying to organize something, put something together, or bugging laura hardegree to do something.  just to turn around an hour and 1/2 later to pick them up.   there are few mornings that we get to call pj days.  and those are nice.  but it is usually when i plan to clean house,  and throw some laundry in.   all that in between reading and coloring and playing games and sometimes play-doh.  we have a choice of t.v. shows at 10 am-sesame street or imagination movers.  while ben and sam are watching this i get jack down for his first nap.  then sam usually picks a game to play…horton hears a who’s elephant game, caraboo’s treasure hunt or a classic game of memory.  it is a must that we play the game “just one more time”.  jack wakes up, then lunch and naps for ben and sam.  which is a process.  then as they are sleeping i have some play time with jack, which consists of me getting soaked with drool and a lot of laughing. then he goes down for his 2nd nap and i try to get done the things i have started while everyone was awake.  then they are up before i know it and if it’s nice we go for a walk around the neighborhood, and they have some more playtime -their imaginations are amazing.  i could be entertained for hours just listening to them.  it’s then time to get dinner ready-they love helping me make dinner.  then the highlight of our day is when jason comes home…ben and sam talk so fast trying to tell him everything that has happened. jack takes off towards him gabbering ‘da da’.  these are really fun days.  but all of the days can be quite overwhelming.  this is not at all a complaint…i want to make sure the wrong tone is not being sent out…my blog is labeled a glimpse…this is but a small glimpse of my days.  but i also wanted to write this because so many of us are overwhelmed.  no matter where we are in life.  i was thinking the other day of just HOW most of us get to the point of actually being overcome by our ‘to do’ list.  it’s our fault.  it is only by our choice that we have so much to do.  it reminded me of swimming in an above ground pool…yes, strange.  there isn’t anything to do in an above ground pool but get wet.  marco polo can only go so far, so what else do you do:  you walk around in the water by the sides as fast as you can as many times as you can to make a whirlpool!  the faster you go and more times you go around the more swift the water swirls around that vinyl cylinder.  the only way to make it stop is to plant your feet, hold on and stop.  the water can’t keep going without you stirring it.  sure it pushes you for a bit, but it does stop and settles out again.  recently i have been in that whirlpool.  with the construction of the new youth facility being ‘completed’ i find many more things on my ‘to do’ list.   in the youth ministry there are so many areas of ministry.  we have amazing people who have come along side of us to help but i am very type A and see everything that needs to be done to get to a ‘finished’ stage. i will think,’ i will just do it’.    so my thoughts were consumed.  if you don’t know i have an amazing husband.  he is so good at bringing me back to where i need to be.  he recently gave me the best advice ever.  he said:  pick 3 things you love.  3 top things.  3 things you are good at.  these are your priorities.  this has helped perspective a lot.  i have been able to concentrate more on the things that i love:  #1 my awesome husband.  i may not be able to be at his office helping him every second of the day, but i can pray for him.  i can support him instead of pushing my opinion.  #2 my kids-treasuring every minute with them.  making sure that their little minds are being stimulated all day and that they know that they are important to me. sure the house isn’t spotless all the time.  but at the end of the day, i can have it cleaned in 20-30 minutes still having time to spend with my wonderful husband.  #3 the ministry.  if i’m not careful this can trample my first 2 things.  God has given me a passion that is sometimes squashed by the “job” of it.  but it comes down to the fact:  i want to see the students encounter Christ instead of thinking about how i can fix something that is out of my hands.  i’m still being pushed by the waters, but i know that if i plant my feet and hold on-things will settle.   it’s a growth.  not an overnight change.  but it is a choice.  dr. janice sjostrand reminded us at this past ladies retreat:  we all have the same 24 hours in the day.  the difference is in how we use it!  may we all make the MOST of our day!

This past Wednesday was our first kinetic service in the new building.  

It was amazing.  

Up to this point things had been pretty stressful.  This being our first building we have ever built and made major decisions on.  I am told that this is the way it is.  Things go wrong and not as planned.  But Wednesday night things went better than imagined.  

God is great.  

The doors opened, youth came in excited and everything worked!  We have a great easy new registration program and system that proved much better than our other one.  The full service commercial kitchen was working like a well oiled machine with our leaders at the helm.  The game room was packed with students playing x box games off the projection wall, pool table was busy, and there was volley on the ping pong.  The old school arcade games were on and ringing.  Then the countdown began.  Students entered the new sanctuary.  The lights, sound, media were fabulous.  It was breathtaking.  

We were here in this moment, although it was still quite surreal.  The band Jethro’s Advice was phenomenal.  A great start to the year and a great way to break in the building.  I’m looking forward to this Wednesday’s first Collision service!

we have approximately 14 hours left of 2008.  it is hard to believe.  so much has happened in one year.  wonderful new life added to our family and yet another precious one taken.

new developments in our now 3 year olds-that never cease to amaze me.   i look forward to a new year.  2009 has great promise.  God has taught me painfully so much but i still anticipate more growth.

i was talking to my sister-in-law the other day in regards to the pain of growth.  we wouldn’t ever want to go through the pain that we have in this past year but know that we are right where God wants us to be.  the pain is a little duller now, but the lessons learned i hope go deeper.

it is exciting to think of the things we will encounter in 2009!!  one of the most anticipated things is the new youth building.  as most lessons, this one hasn’t turned out the way WE had visioned.  jason and i have “never been this way before” so everything was new to us.  from how to communicate what we had envisioned in our heads, to deadlines and staying in budget.  the hardest lesson is time lines.  learning that not many things are going to be finished the way you want when you want.  everything takes longer.  i was getting disheartened about this thinking NOTHING was going to be done, we were going to have to push back our opening…reschedule the band…it wasn’t what OUR plan was.  the students will be disappointed and will we have chairs for the cafe???

all these thoughts were abounding.  we had a meeting and came up with some solutions, and in meeting together God gave us all such a peace.  i began to realize that, even though i have heard this and said this a million times, it isn’t about our time line.  God is in control and HE determines when it is finished.  then a dear friend emailed me a little something that i believe God gave her to send me:

” i was reminded of nehemiah as he was commissioned by God to rebuild the wall. there was opposition before he even began & continuing all the way through, “those who were rebuilding the wall & those who carried burdens took their load w/one hand doing the work & the other holding a weapon. as for the builders, each wore his sword girded @his side as he built…” (neh 4.17&18) but the Lord was faithful & the wall was completed as He had already determined, “so the wall was completed…they recognized that this work had been accomplished w/the help of our God — literally, from our God (neh 6.15&16). when people came to distract nehemiah he declared, “i am doing a great work & i cannot come down.” (neh 6.3). BUILD THE WALL!

we have been commissioned by God to build this youth building.  to make a difference in the youth of today, but my friend also reminded me…this isn’t just a building for tomorrow or for 2009, it is a building that will make an impact for so many years to come.

we must work with one hand and be armored in the other.  because satan is a strong opposition and sees great opportunity in weakness to attack those who are doing the work of God.  he sends distractions to try to pull us off our task and on to more selfish things.

one of my many resolutions for this year is to trust more, which is always a struggle for us of human nature.  but God has great plans, and i will not come down from what he has me to do.  i anticipate hearing testimonies in eternity of how God has done great things in many lives through this facility.  so bring it on 2009!  i’m ready for growth!!!

as all know, the holidays bring a lot with them. “cold” weather, carols, family…  i have always looked forward to this time of year.  trimming the tree and decking the halls have always brought me much joy.  it saddens me that this year i haven’t really “gotten in to it”.  maybe the fact that we aren’t in our house…putting up tania’s things in the way she had them is nostalgically nice, and has a beautiful southern living look to it, but it is still impersonal for me.

maybe the “christmas excitement” was all used up with getting 4 homes ready for the christmas home tour that kinetic put on this year for STL.  it was fun, but tiring, and still not the excitement of pulling out my own cherished christmas decor and strategically placing it to where i would get a “chestnuts roasting on an open fire feeling” as i walked through my house.

i haven’t started shopping yet either.  thinking about getting out the old MacBook tonight and joining millions on my couch who just click and wait for “santa” dressed in brown to bring it to my door verses try to go out with 3 children and face the masses who like the thrill of waiting in traffic, standing in lines and dealing with a cashier who is tired of working 12 hour shifts.

i say all this not to complain, but to share, after all, that is the purpose of blogging!  christmas will be joyful, different, but joyful this year.  sam and ben will love it.  and i will love being a part of that.

it has been quite some time since i last posted anything…not that i haven’t had PLENTY to blog about, just no time.  i really have no time now either, but i’m avoiding chores and list making for ben and sam’s 3rd birthday party.

since my last post we have gone through some major transitions.  we have moved in with my father in law.  after many weeks, months of prayer we made the decision to move in to help him out with the house, all of the ‘firsts’ and as jason likes to say: “bring the noise”.  and that we have.

i’m not going to cover for the sake of a sweet blog, it has been hard.  i love my house and my space.  but that wasn’t important.  we felt God moving us in this direction.  it took us a while to get packed up…i really didn’t realize how much ‘stuff’ we had.  we rented our house out in 3 days on craig’s list to a wonderful couple.  they have allowed us to leave some things in the attic and best of all they have allowed us to leave the murals on the walls in the kids rooms.

as for the rest of our stuff we have it all crammed in our dear friends garage…i still think they were trying to be too nice and are now second guessing that kind gesture! we have had many great friends help us out in this transition, it is nice to have a fantastic support group around you.  we are blessed.

we have been here on spotted owl lane for a little over a month.  sam, ben and jack have done quite well with the change.  a little set back with a few things like potty training and going to bed, but those things we hadn’t mastered yet anyhow.  they love being at pa pa’s house.  watching football with him and reading books.  we are a schedule oriented family so getting back into routine here has made things easier.  and the daunting task of cleaning a significantly larger house than my own still has it’s overwhelming days, but for the most part fits right in to a daily routine.

things are good here though, i know that God is going to teach me many things, and already has.  but we can’t complain.  it is beautiful out here.  as you can see for yourself!

so, my fabulous husband has a hobby.  collecting old rusted out land cruisers.  it tends to be a hobby that starts out with a dream, but ends up being clutter in our garage.  i do love this hobby for him… his eyes light up when he sees one on craig’s list or ebay.  i see his passion in it.

well, last saturday he calls me outside, he had been out staining our fence and had the garage open.  the color had somewhat left his face as he tells me he saw a mouse in our garage.  jason has a fear of mice.  he despises them.  so i ventured in to look for him. there he was next to 4 large tires-off of our latest and most beautiful of all the land cruisers-we are thinking he hitched a ride in one of them to our house, or he came from the church garage in some of the other lc paraphernalia.

he was a cute little guy.  well, i thought that until he ran up to the front of our house and up the rafters into our attic.  then, i wanted him gone.  i could just envision him up in the attic chewing through all of my Christmas decor, and i couldn’t let that happen.   jason wanted his body maimed in a trap that would cut his body in two…but i have a weird soft spot, and i also knew that I would be disposing this maimed body because he wouldn’t come near it.

so i went on a search for a trap… as humane as i could find.  i found the mouse cube.  you put some bait inside and the little vermin goes in and gets stuck… then you can release him without killing him or touching any part of him.  so of course, i spend the $1.99 for it and jason set it up last night.

we have been sick all day today and i totally forgot about our little friend.  but jason hadn’t. he asked me to go check the traps.  there he was… stuart little.. i took the little guy for a ride around the block and let him go in the woods.  jason just rolled his eyes at my satisfied grin.  but we are mouse free and no one was harmed in the process.