So every year after the 15th we try to do something special for the kiddos since I've usually been MIA for a couple of months. Just like last year, we chose to go to the Great Wolfe Lodge in Concord. However, this year we decided to make it a family affair and so Scott, Kelly, Emma, Hunter, Mimi and G-daddy stayed in one suite and Grandma stayed with us in ours. I had felt a cold coming on by Wednesday night but just ignored it. Last year I had a cold while we were there and didn't want a repeat. By the time we got there Thursday around lunch time I was feverish and miserable. Of course, there wasn't a minute to spare, off to the water park we went. BJ, Devlan, and Drew and I had a chance to ride a couple of water slides before the other monkey's arrived. Everyone played and played. Devlan's favorite was the pool with a ton of basket ball goals and Drew liked the wave pool. It was fun hanging out with Emma and Hunter....they are precious kids. However, I wasn't sad to get in the car Friday to head home. I think I've learned my lesson and I won't try to do our special event immediately after the 15th, maybe by the end of April I'll be all rested up.
Saturday held another long strain of frustrations. Cross Culture had an awesome community event planned that I really wanted to go to, but both of the boys had baseball games right smack in the middle of the day. So, much to my dismay, I drug 2 exhausted little boys to baseball games in the heat of the day. Drew was 1st...he has done so good so far this season, but we had a few set backs on Saturday. He walked and kicked dirt like he was in "Singing in the Rain" while he was supposed to be running and picked grass while he was supposed to be playing outfield. I was so frustrated, I still didn't feel great and we still had one more game to go.
We make it to Devlans game right on time, but of course we were the last game of the day and so we had to wait and twiddle our thumbs for a while, which might seem like a nice rest, but with Drew it's a constant hawking and chasing him down. Devlan's team creamed the opposition and we headed home with 7 extras....The Brownie Mix!
I was so excited to have Rachel and the girls come visit and in the few moments I had to myself in the Food Lion picking up a few things for dinner...God reached down from his throne and gave me a swift kick in the bum. Here I was, oober excited, about 6 little girls who are near and dear to my heart, but I had refused to find hardly ANY joy on the 2 monkeys that God has entrusted to me during the grueling day. God wanted me to take a second and be thankful...in spite of my not feeling good, even though Drew was exhausted and being a hand full, even though we had ball games when I wanted to be with my friends at the church event....God was still King and I was still His child. None of those circumstances had changed one iota who God was or what He deserved. So this week i am being thankful, good, bad, or ugly....
God has blessed my life in a way I often take for granted, I have a husband that lives for Jesus with his whole heart and this means he loves me like Christ loves the church. I have 2 little boys who were never supposed to be and they are each fearfully and wonderfully made. Thank you Jesus for all your many blessings...please help me to see my life as you do, full of your beautiful creations and remind me that no matter what you are WORTHY of ALL my praise!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
A new committment to my blog
I've decided that I'm going to do my best to blog once a week. I want to document what God is doing in my life and in the lives of those around me so that I can go back and be reminded of how very blessed I am. So....here goes....
This past weekend BJ and I went back to Clayton Crossings to help Chris with another ISO Discipleship Now weekend. BJ lead the band and I sang with him and lead a high school small group. There was one major difference between this year and last year when we went....we took 4 of our own students from Cross Culture. Let me just pause for a second to acknowledge the Mach 3 speed at which our lives are going. A year ago we had no idea that God was working out our dream to work with students full-time. Student ministry has been BJ and I's passion for many years and God managed to work it out, in his perfect timing for us to continue in music ministry, while also taking on the C2 students. This alone is HUGE and reason to Praise the Lord! I take this fact for granted wayyyy too much.
We had a interesting weekend, but as always, in spite of ourselves, God showed up to meet with us. And again, as usual, my heart was far more touched than that of any of the students sitting under my teaching. I was blown away over and over at the maturity and grace of OUR students. And yes, I say OUR because I am so very proud that I get to be an observer of these kids lives...it is an honor to say the least.
Here are the 3 things that totally blew me away:
*The lone boy we took with us is precious. He is the lone teenager that helps every Sunday set our church up from scratch. His service continued over the weekend as he helped BJ with anything BJ needed and after getting into bed after 1am on Sunday morning, he was up at 6am to again help set up C2. He did this all with a smile and humble heart. What more could we ask for, this teen is showing a self-less desire to serve and see people come to know Jesus...I can't say that for myself half the time.
*We all know that girls can be difficult and the group of teenage girls I had this weekend are no exception. Our 3 girls extended continuous grace and positive attitudes to the other girls, even when it was not deserved. I told them over and over how VERY proud I was, they made choices over and over to honor God rather than simply react or judge others.
*During the final Saturday night worship there were many tears. I knew that God was speaking to the hearts of my girls...so in the car on the way home I asked if they would like to share what God was doing in their lives. One of my girls, the quietest of them all, said the following: "I have never felt God speak so clearly to me and He said that I needed to get on my knees for the students of Clayton". I was blown away....while most of the people in the building were speaking to God about their own hearts and lives, Hannah was sensitive to the Holy Spirit and the darkness that is consuming many of the students in Clayton.
So I said all of that to say that I am more in love with Jesus and ministering in His name than ever before. For the 1st time in a long time, I am TRULY grateful of the ministry that God allows us to be a part of. As Pastor Clay often says..."We get to do this" and I couldn't be happier about it.
Next week I'll blog about other milestones....Devlan's 1st crush and Drewdie's 1st baseball games!
This past weekend BJ and I went back to Clayton Crossings to help Chris with another ISO Discipleship Now weekend. BJ lead the band and I sang with him and lead a high school small group. There was one major difference between this year and last year when we went....we took 4 of our own students from Cross Culture. Let me just pause for a second to acknowledge the Mach 3 speed at which our lives are going. A year ago we had no idea that God was working out our dream to work with students full-time. Student ministry has been BJ and I's passion for many years and God managed to work it out, in his perfect timing for us to continue in music ministry, while also taking on the C2 students. This alone is HUGE and reason to Praise the Lord! I take this fact for granted wayyyy too much.
We had a interesting weekend, but as always, in spite of ourselves, God showed up to meet with us. And again, as usual, my heart was far more touched than that of any of the students sitting under my teaching. I was blown away over and over at the maturity and grace of OUR students. And yes, I say OUR because I am so very proud that I get to be an observer of these kids lives...it is an honor to say the least.
Here are the 3 things that totally blew me away:
*The lone boy we took with us is precious. He is the lone teenager that helps every Sunday set our church up from scratch. His service continued over the weekend as he helped BJ with anything BJ needed and after getting into bed after 1am on Sunday morning, he was up at 6am to again help set up C2. He did this all with a smile and humble heart. What more could we ask for, this teen is showing a self-less desire to serve and see people come to know Jesus...I can't say that for myself half the time.
*We all know that girls can be difficult and the group of teenage girls I had this weekend are no exception. Our 3 girls extended continuous grace and positive attitudes to the other girls, even when it was not deserved. I told them over and over how VERY proud I was, they made choices over and over to honor God rather than simply react or judge others.
*During the final Saturday night worship there were many tears. I knew that God was speaking to the hearts of my girls...so in the car on the way home I asked if they would like to share what God was doing in their lives. One of my girls, the quietest of them all, said the following: "I have never felt God speak so clearly to me and He said that I needed to get on my knees for the students of Clayton". I was blown away....while most of the people in the building were speaking to God about their own hearts and lives, Hannah was sensitive to the Holy Spirit and the darkness that is consuming many of the students in Clayton.
So I said all of that to say that I am more in love with Jesus and ministering in His name than ever before. For the 1st time in a long time, I am TRULY grateful of the ministry that God allows us to be a part of. As Pastor Clay often says..."We get to do this" and I couldn't be happier about it.
Next week I'll blog about other milestones....Devlan's 1st crush and Drewdie's 1st baseball games!
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