Arrington Family Journey through a Mama's Eyes

A WORD for 2012

2012-01-16T07:26:00.000-08:00

Okay,so when the same challenge or assignment is given from various area of your life, it's probably a good idea to think about it and probably even do it...you think?I haven't been in my regular Sunday School class for some time due to filling in for some other classes at church but yesterday I was able to make it. The assignment to the class was to find one word to focus on for this year...Interesting, just a few days ago I had read two blogs that talked about doing this SAME thing! So, I have been mulling this over and have had a word that just keeps coming back to me but I wasn't sure....

This morning, I turned on the computer to read another blog I follow, one by my lifetime mentor who posts "just a thought" each Monday morning. Guess what her blog was about today? YUP...One word for the year 2012. That settled it - I knew that God was calling me to have a word and to focus on it at least for this first part of 2012. Even more, I KNOW what the word is...I don't really like it, it's not something that comes naturally to me, yet it has already been a recurring theme in my life this year - yes the year is ONLY 16 days old and this has come up several times...Ready? Here it is...ugh...I don't want to, it will stretch and bend me, it may hurt at times, but my word.....FLEXIBILITY... There, I did it, I got it out! Well, to take it from a spiritual aspect, I thought "Here is my out, it's not in the Bible so I won't have to do it!" Just to be sure, I decided to Google Flexibility in the Bible...BLAH!!!!! There were so many passages...no, the exact term flexibility is used but the trait, the characteristic is there...being willing to lay aside what one had planned and go a different direction...To top it off, do you know the NUMBER 1 passage that was listed....Genesis 12...I blogged on that passage back in June 2011 Yes, the passage that applied to Borger...do you think that perhaps God was preparing me for this new year and this new word? Here are some areas in which I have already had to learn to be flexible this year:

1. Schooling options for Hannah: I never would have thought that any of my children would be in anything other than "public" schools. So, to even look at something different took us off guard. Then we were CERTAIN that she would go to the Christian school here in Borger - that door was shut for a couple of reasons but the biggest would be that they didn't have openings. After that, it was an on-line school. I was SO sure of this that I went ahead and withdrew Hannah from HS and we began to prepare for that. I can honestly say that God is the one who led us to withdraw her. THEN...we found out that there is an extensive waiting list for the on-line school and the odds of her getting in - slim to none. Guess what that left? To full on homeschool...not something I EVER imagined us doing and yet here we are and ALL 3 of us, Joel, Hannah and my self, are excited about it!!!

2. Areas of ministry: Just to be honest, I have struggled since we moved of exactly where I need to be in terms of "hands on ministry". If you spend any time at all around me you will learn that there are two areas that are close to my heart - Moms of young children and Special needs children and their families (even special needs adults). I am PASSIONATE about these areas, I get all excited, giddy, and hyper when I think of ways in which to minister to them! Since moving here, a lot of time and effort has been spent on getting the overall children's ministry in place...not an area that I get even remotely excited about. I do love my preschoolers...but beyond that I just am not called to the general children's ministry. I CAN do it, and I do it when needed but it's not what excites me...unless...there is a child with special needs! Then my heart melts, my arms love them and I want to think "How can we reach them?" This is ANY type of special needs....learning disabled, behavior, physical, emotional, etc. I also get REALLY excited about helping moms who have young children be better moms and wives! I get them, I was there, I resonate with the "no adult conversations". Anyway, a lot of time was spent on just getting settled and going and I just wasn't feeling like I was "fitting" in the ministry picture....Until...I asked Joel this weekend where he could use me, where did he really need me the most. He responded, "Well definitely still with moms of the younger kiddos but I have been really praying about a structured ministry to families of special needs children - do you think you would be interested?" DUH!!! He KNEW the answer...just needed the timing!! So...that is my "new" direction!

3. To work or not to work: This is ALWAYS the question with me! I have a degree in Business Management and Marketing, I love the business world and specifically Human Resources. Yet, since moving here, there really hasn't been a lot of openings for that area. On the other hand, I have been offered SEVERAL jobs in the schools as a para-professional aide...unfortunately they were mostly helping in Jr High Math...NOT my thing! One was with preschoolers with special needs - definitely an area I enjoy but the timing, pay and work environment really weren't something I was ready for. I don't have to work full-time but do need some part time work. I am still working for my Dad typing appraisals and am thankful for that even if it is not with people. I am also FINALLY able to sub here and that is okay, but again not my thing...However, every time I have looked into another job the door has shut...hard! In talking with Joel and praying over it - we are both open to me working again full-time BUT there are some very specific criteria that we feel need to be met for it to work for our family...a) In Borger or surrounding area(not commuting too far) b) reasonable and regular hours - no weekends or late nights c) flexible (Ha ha-there's that word) we often are out of town for ministry d) pay a minimum of $30,000/ year e) in the Business or HR field. We believe that if the Lord wants me to work full-time outside the home - there will be a job that meets these areas! So - have to be FLEXIBLE and wait for the right job!!!

There you have it! My word for 2012 is FLEXIBILITY! I want to be willing to bend and change directions or plans should the Lord lead!!! If you have a word for the year - I would love to hear it!!!

Detours, Divertions, Twists...

2012-01-12T18:47:00.000-08:00

So, you know when you think you have the path all figured out and are going along just fine until...wham! Things change, take you off guard and you are like - hmmm... Okay God, what's this mean? Well that is sort of what has happened with us the past week in more than one area of life. Now, no need to panic - not anything life shattering or earth shaking, just little diversions and twists that we didn't see.

So, my last post was about Hannah and the BIG decision to enroll her in an on-line school. Well, Monday I began to panic just a bit because I hadn't heard from the school and didn't really know what the deal was. It was a week before classes and we had heard nothing...so I called.

The response I got - she has everything in, she is just on a waiting list until their are openings; shouldn't be a big deal. WHAT??? I didn't realize there was a waiting list and it is a week before the semester starts...but ok. So, based on that conversation - Joel and I began to talk and pray about our "Plan B". We then decided that because Hannah is already doing SO much better being at home, and has really had a positive attitude then keeping her home regardless of the circumstances is really the best option. Yet, in the back of both of our minds, we believed that the on-line school would still come through...

Today is Thursday, still no word from the school. I decided to call again...same response but a little more info, she is 1 of 126 on the waiting list! AHHH! They have until the 27th of this month to see who has a spot and who doesn't and we have no idea where she is on the waiting list. So....we decided to begin implementation of Plan B. We had already started her Bible Course this week that we added on our own. We like the curriculum because it is easy for parents to do and yet challenging for her as well as offering a lot of flexibility.

I still paniced just a bit but after a GREAT conversation with a wonderful friend who not only homeschools but was homeschooled her entire school career - I am encouraged and even EXCITED about this new opportunity....

Twist # 2: Based on the above situation, I am going to have to rethink a little on my subbing. I am still going to sub but will really have to be consistent on only doing 3 days a week so that the other days I can be involved somewhat in Hannah's schooling. I am currently comitted to a long-term sub position that is through the end of January but after that, I will more than likely go to only 3 days a week. We have already had several people offer helpful advice and ideas for homeschooling - all of which we are taking and considering while at the same time realizing that our family is unique and we need to tailor it to what works for US. I say this because should you offer us advice - we welcome it - but please understand that we may or may not use it. We really feel like we need to have a tailored program for HANNAH and her personality and some of the issues she has been facing.

Twist #3: Tyler has also been struggling at school. We were very blessed in Bayfield to have a Special Education teacher that was AMAZING beyond words as well as to be in a District that was top of the line and wonderful. Borger, has not been quite that experience. We have had some issues with the curriculum and methods they are using with Tyler. There have been some communication issues with the teachers (although somewhat better). In addition to this, just this week Tyler told us about some bullying that he is getting. All this adds up to...a very stressed mom and a very concerned dad. Fortunately, there is another smaller school district nearby that Tyler possibly has the option of going to! We have heard that this district is a lot better in their special education and what they can over for Tyler. We are beginning to research this possibility and consider moving him there.

I know some may be wondering so why not send Hannah to this other school district or why not homeschool Tyler and if you are having issues in the school why leave Kestra and Malachi where they are. The answer simply is this: We know that each of our children are unique, learn differently, have different social needs, and react differently to situations. Hannah needs the atmosphere of home and the ability to learn at her pace and be challenged. Tyler is more active, has some unique learning needs and disabilities that we believe a professional teacher can deal with more effectively. As for Kestra and Malachi - they are currently doing GREAT in the school they are in. Kestra is really thriving and overcoming a lot of the learning delays she has had in the past. She is a very social person that thrives on and is challenged by being in class with other students. Malachi is doing well too and we really want to see him learn to take a stand and be a leader among his peers. It is still very much our belief that we need to make decisions based on EACH child and not all of them as a whole...so, yes there is a chance that we will have kids in two different school districts as well as one at home! Ha ha - that just SOUNDS chaotic but then again - that's pretty much the way we roll! LOL

Through all of this, I have really had a peace that God is at work and we are doing the right thing. Yes, it makes me nervous to start homeschooling - much less at the HS level but I know that God is in it and "I can do ALL things through Him who gives me strength." Phil 4:13. Yes, I am more than a little nervous at the thought of pulling Tyler out mid year and switching schools - but again, I believe that God is calling us to at least explore this as an option.

We have had some potential of surprise turns in other areas as well but I will have to delay posting on those until a later date...suffice it to say, God is at work in the Arrington Family and in Borger Tx....I can't WAIT to see what's around the next corner!!!

Those BIG parenting decisions....

2012-01-02T18:52:00.000-08:00

You know those times as a parent where you know you have a BIG decision to make and you REALLY want to get it right? Well, Joel and I have found ourselves faced with one of those decisions and yet we are so very thankful for a Heavenly Father who has been there through the entire process!

Okay, first let me back up a few months to set the stage as to what led us to this point....

Way back in March or April, Joel and I began to talk some about the possibility of leaving our ministry in Bayfield Colorado. It was a big move for us as we had been in Bayfield for four years, LOVED the people and the community, our kids were secure and established in the schools - had friends and were thriving. As we discussed the possibility of moving, I made a statement to Joel that SHOULD we move - I felt like we would need to offer Hannah specifically the option of either homeschooling or on-line high school. In terms of our children's education we have always said that we would have them in public schools as long as the district was good, the kids were thriving, and we didn't have red flags.

When we moved to Bayfield in 2007 Hannah struggled A LOT! She was in 5th grade and really got off to a rough start. However, after the first year she sort of found her place, had a few friends and was beginning to thrive. So, fast forward to March and our conversation about moving - we knew that given Hannah's specific personality moving would be potentially hard and that she may have a hard time.

In June/July as we made plans to move to Borger, I will be honest and say that both Joel and I got lost in the move and forgot about our conversation about giving Hannah the option of on-line/homeschooling for High School. Hannah was excited about the potential of a new town, new school etc and so we just went forward with enrolling her in Borger High School. Looking back, I have to say that we probably should have put some more thought and consideration into what direction to go with Hannah's education...however we didn't.

We have now completed one full semester and Hannah has really struggled. The school is bigger, there are a lot of cliches, we had hoped she would make the basketball team but she didn't, she has had to deal with a lot! I won't go into detail because that is her story to tell but suffice it to say it has been enough to break a Mama's heart!

Shortly before break Joel and I began to talk in detail about alternative options for Hannah. The best we could tell we had 4 options besides Borger HS.

1. We could send her to a smaller school district near by - still a public school, but smaller and a little better off financially.

2. We could look into enrolling her in the local Christian School here in Borger.

3. We could enroll her in some sort of on-line High School.

4. We could home school her.

As we began to pray through and discuss each option, we were able to narrow some of them down. Enrolling her in the Christian School was not an option for January because they didn't have openings and we had some concerns about their rules. Full on Home schooling wasn't feasible given the fact that Hannah really is smart and needs upper level AP classes and it would be hard for Joel and I to help her through! So - this left us with two options: Change school districts or on-line school.

Last night, I began to just look at some on-line schools. I looked at Liberty Academy which is a Christian on-line High School through Liberty University. The curriculum looked amazing but it was a bit on the pricey side. I then looked at a K12 High School our brother-in-law recommended - Texas Virtual Academy. This is a public on-line school that is more like a charter school and is free! As we began looking at it - Joel and I were more and more excited. It had everything we had been looking for: parent involvement, upper level course work, flexibility and yet structured to a degree, and it would provide her the opportunity to expand her writing skills.

This morning, Joel had Hannah look at the web site and got her input. She was EXCITED! We talked about the fact that this would still involve structure, she would still have to get up and dressed every day, it was a lot of self-discipline and wouldn't be easy; yet we all felt like it was the best option to pursue....we just weren't expecting it to go as quickly as it did!

I filled out the on-line application and within 5 minutes we had a call for a pre-enrollment conference! Tomorrow Joel will fax the remaining paperwork and on Wednesday Joel will go with Hannah to withdraw her from Borger HS. TVA starts classes for the second semester on Jan 17 so that will be Hannah's first day.

As with any decision, there are some down points as well. For us, the biggest was social interaction. Hannah is by nature an introvert but we know that she does need social interaction with kids her age. So, primarily this will come through her youth group but we are also hoping to get to know some other High School students who are home schooled or go to TVA in the area. She will also have the flexibility to do some babysitting during the day and/or get a part time job.

Another adaptation that we are adding is that of some Biblical Studies via traditional homeschooling. We really want Hannah to learn and grow in her walk with the Lord and this is a good opportunity to teach her to have a Biblical World View.

You may be wondering about our other kids. At this point, we have decided to leave them enrolled in Borger schools. Yes, we still have some concerns but we just aren't ready to pull them yet...so we have creatively labeled ourselves a "Blended School Family"! Ha ha! We are of the opinion that each of our children are unique in their personalities and needs and therefore, are totally willing to consider individual options for each one of them. So, should the need arise to consider alternative education for any or all of the other 3 we will definitely do that.

This is a whole new experience for us. We have never home schooled and although this is an On-line School it still is heavily dependent on the involvement of parents so there will be an element of home school. We are excited and nervous and definitely welcome prayers! For those of you who home school - we may very well be in contact!

Goals, Resolutions, Plans???

2012-01-02T10:11:00.000-08:00

We have reached a new year...with each new year, you hear the question "What are your New Years Resolutions?" or "What goals do you have for the New Year?" I will be honest...I struggle with setting Resolutions or Goals. Why? For this simple reason, if I set them then I am more likely to fail..thus disappointing myself. Now, before you start YES if I involve the Lord and make him a part of my goals or resolution then in His power I can do all things...Yet, as good as that sounds, if we are honest we know that it is HARD to lay things out in front of the Lord.

So...you may be wondering what the purpose of this post is. The purpose is this...I am forgoing on making goals or resolutions but instead laying out a PLAN for the New Year. Still making the Lord the center of the plan and seeking HIM for guidance and direction but instead of just laying out goals - I want to have a specific plan to reach those goals!

Therefore, here are some of the crucial elements of my plan:

1. Seek the Lord with all of my heart. I know this may sound a bit cliche but let me explain. 2011 was filled with MANY moments of lack of trust on my part, times where I was filled with doubt and depression that I have never experienced before. In order to overcome those moments, I had to truly seek to rediscover and experience the Lord in a way that I have honestly never done before. I had to literally reintroduce myself to Jesus by studying the book of John in depth, chapter by chapter. If you have never studied John in depth - I highly encourage you to do so! You will fall so deeply in love with Jesus!!! So - in my plan for 2012 - I want to SEEK HIM like never before - not just go through the motions or the ritual but to truly seek him in a new and in depth way.

2. Develop MEANINGFUL relationships. This is a part of the plan that is going to be a little more difficult because it will require laying aside my "dependance" on the on-line world and seek face to face relationships with the people that are in my "world". Don't get me wrong, I am not walking away from FB or my blog but I want to be investing in the lives of those the Lord has brought across my path by spending as much or more time with them as I do on-line! My method of this is to make it a point to spend quality time with people each week - lunch, a coke, a walk, a phone call, etc.

3. Share the Gospel with all people I encounter...again, this may seem obvious but I want to be intentional in sharing Christ. God has called Joel and I into lifetime vocational ministry and second to my role as wife/mother I believe this needs to be my TOP priority. It has slipped down on the list due to my own doubt/fears (as mentioned above) but God has laid it on my heart to jump back in and get to work! So, whether through my life, teaching a Bible Study, encouraging people, etc I want to share the Gospel!

These are the 3 main steps of my plan...of course I DO have some other goals I would really like to accomplish but I am confident that if I will stick with these 3 steps then many of the other things will fall into place as well...here's a few examples:

a. Lose Weight and be healthier - as I seek the Lord and get to know Him, I will long to honor Him in every area of my life - including my health!

b. Time with Family - as I seek to develop meaningful relationships, I will develop them with my kids and husband as well as extended family.

c. Work towards paying of debt - as I seek to know the Lord, I will want to honor him through my finances.

d. Get into the community - as I seek to share the Gospel, I will want to expand my "world" view!

"Be strong and couragous for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

This has been a life verse for awhile now but this year I want to apply it to this plan - I want to be STRONG in my efforts to implement this plan and COURAGOUS as I try new things that are out of my comfort zone....I CAN because God IS with me!!!!

A Year in the life of the Arringtons!

2011-12-29T09:16:00.000-08:00

First of all - once again, the Arrington's had EVERY intention of sending out these cute little Christmas cards with our family picture on them! We even got professional pictures done this year...and once again, as it does every year, December just snuck up on us and POOF it is gone! Ha ha ha - anyway, we DO plan to send out a New Year's Letter and so I thought I would get on my blog and share just a few of the highlights from each month of 2011..Advantage of saving our pictures by month on the computer Ha ha!

January - The year started with A LOT of snow at our home in Forest Lakes in Bayfield! Joel's sister and family were staying with us and even ended up being "snowed in" an extra day - not that we minded one bit! It was fun to have them and to sit around our cozy little fireplace!!! By far this is my favorite picture of January!!! (ok, so I got his rear but when you are that close, you got take what you can get!)

February - filled with volleyball for Kestra and some fun family times bowling and playing games along with the fun of school and work. The best part of February was the blessing that God brought us in the form of "Flash" our new mini-van (named by our sweet friend's daughter Bell). On Valentine's day we were able to purchase a MUCH needed upgrade in a vehicle. Our red expedition, "Bob's Blessing", had gotten us as far as it could go...so thanks to a wonderful tax

return, we were able to purchase our van and pay cash for it! Once again, God blessed us with not having to pay a car payment!!!

March - a very exciting month for our family all the way around! Hannah was part of a traveling volleyball team that traveled around the four corners area and so we enjoyed being a part of that. One highlight was our trip to Moab Utah, where we were able to get a hotel room and have a little mini-vacation as a family! Also in March, Hannah went with her school to WASHINGTON DC! This was a big step for us as parents - sending her so far away on a plane and not going with her! Another big thing in March that was heartbreaking to us all was the loss of one of Hannah's good friends, Shannaiah. While in ministry, Joel and I have had to help several teens through the loss of a friend, but NOTHING compares with watching your own child grieve through it and try to make sense of it. At the end of Hannah's trip to DC, we went to Albuquerque and met her plane - we then spent several days as a family doing the "touristy" thing - zoo, shopping, dining out, etc! Fun time as a family!!!

April - we began to enjoy the warmer temperatures, the spring-like weather and all that brings to the wonderful Colorado Rockies! Highlights included - Special Olympics with Tyler and many of our special needs friends, fun time with our friends the Vaughns and their newest addition Levi Daniel, and just enjoying spring all together! The picture to the left is Tyler with his good friend Chantel after they both got medals at the Special Olympics!

May - with May came the end of school, Hannah's continuation ceremony from Jr. High, Hannah's 14th birthday (YIKES A HIGH SCHOOLER), a much needed and treasured family vacation to visit both of our sisters and their families in Texas, and the opening of a door that would change the direction of ministry for our family (more on that in June)!

June - a month normally filled with camps and VBS, this year was no different for the Arringtons! We had youth camp and VBS at our wonderful church in Bayfield Colorado. However, after the last night of VBS, the kids went to my parent's house for a few days and Joel and I traveled to Borger Tx to talk with the people and staff of First Baptist Borger about the possibility of Joel coming as Associate Pastor to children and families! This was a huge step for us but one that God had began preparing us for back in April. As Joel and I began to talk, he shared that God was laying on his heart to narrow his ministry to children and families and to take a step away from youth ministry! A hard and heart wrenching step to be sure. We LOVED and still LOVE our wonderful teens in Bayfield! They are still "our" youth group but we knew the time had come to pursue other open doors! Go to my blogs in June to read the complete story of how this came about - but suffice it to say, it was GOD and no other way that this particular church with this position could come about!!! Also in June, we celebrated the 10th birthday of our Tyler Bay!!! So hard to believe all our kids are in "double digits"!

July - due to the course of events that happened in June, July turned out to be a VERY busy month!! We left on July 1st after youth camp and traveled with the kids back to Borger Tx to come in view of a call! The weekend was filled with interviews, receptions, meeting people and some great time as a family exploring what would be our new home town! After a positive vote from the church on July 3rd, plans began to come together VERY quickly for a move! Nothing short of the King of Kings could have made all the details fall into place as quickly and smoothly as they did! We found a house, reserved a moving truck, and much more all in the course of 2 days!!! July 15 we headed out of Bayfield, with some tears of sadness and some excitement for what lie ahead, and made the trek to Borger Tx! July 17 was our first Sunday and it was FULL! We celebrated with a baptism/swimming party, moving in to our new home, and getting to know our new church family!

August - brought the start of a new school year at a new school for all of the kids, Joel adjusting and beginning his new job, myself getting the house settled and trying to figure out the new "normal" for our family! Getting all four kids situated in their new schools with schedules, teachers, IEPs, etc was quite the task but God pulled us through! Joel also continued working toward his bachelor's degree online through Liberty University.

September - as the school schedule became a little more normal, kids began to make friends and adjust, I began once again to work for my Dad with his appraisal business via on-line and through mail. It has taken some time but we are finally to a little more smooth road and up and going! I also began to work on getting cleared to substitute teach in the school district, a process that wouldn't be complete until the end of November! For me, the highlight of September was the visit from two of our former youth in Bayfield, Tab and Katy! After a few days here, the three of us took a road trip to Plainview to see Wayland Baptist University where Tab and Katy will be attending this spring!!! I am so excited for them and for the fact that they will only be 2 hours away - lots of weekend vists I HOPE!!! Please pray with us for their financial provision for WBU i n the semesters ahead!!!

October - with October came all the preparations for our first BIG event with Joel as the Children's Pastor. We prepared for the annual Fall Carnival of the church. As is the case anytime you start a new ministry, there were lots of new twists and turns but we do feel that it was a success and many families were reached through it. I also had the opportunity toward the end of October to begin being involved somewhat in the Special Needs ministry in our church - this is a ministry that is near and dear to my heart and I hope to continue to be involved. October also brought another trip to Dallas to see my sister and to have our family pictures taken in beautiful Frisco! Another highlight of October was Kestra playing on the youth volleyball team and me having the opportunity to coach - SO MUCH FUN!!!

November - another busy month for our family! We had volleyball for Kestra and I, the first visit from my parents, a trip for me with my parents to Dallas for the baptism of my neice and nephew, and a trip back to Colorado for Thanksgiving and visiting our FBC Bayfield family! It was so wonderful to go back to the mountains for a time and to see all those we love and cherish!!!

December - has been very full of embracing and remembering the birth of our Savior! As a family we have had the opportunity to give in a way like never before and to experience the gift that brings! We celebrated as a family on Christmas Eve with presents, games, the Christmas story and breakfast. On Christmas day, we had some other staff families over for lunch and enjoyed a wonderful time of fellowship with them! This past Tuesday, we went to Amarillo and celebrated Christmas with Joel's family...we are looking forward to his parents coming to Borger tomorrow for the weekend and to celebrate New Years!

As you can see, it has been a wonderful, busy year filled with many changes for our family! We are looking forward to 2012 as we continue to serve and reach the families of Borger, Tx. As always, we know that there will be some changes to our lives and we are ready and willing to embrace them whatever they may be! We love each and every one of you and IF you have read this to the end - I am IMPRESSED! Ha ha! Praying God's blessing on each and every one of you!

The blessings begin with the giving~

2011-12-22T15:54:00.000-08:00

This year Joel and I made it a priority to GIVE in ways that we have never done before...the coolest thing about it? Well, in reality we never really sat down and had a conversation about it! It was more like the Lord laid it on each of our hearts individually that we needed to be people of giving. There were no stressful "what if" conversations about money or "can we afford that"? We just DID IT!

It has honestly been THE best Holiday Season for us so far in our 16 years of marriage! It began before Thanksgiving with the preparation of Operation Christmas Child boxes. In the past we have done 2 boxes - one for a girl and one for a boy. This year we did 7 boxes of our own and were also able to help with the purchasing of items for other boxes put together by our church!

It continued after thanksgiving with the purchase of formula to go to an orphanage in Uganda and the helping of presents for a family of 6 whose daughter is battling a rare form of cancer! We also bought groceries for our local benevolence ministry!!! In addition, we were able to give our regular tithe AND contribute to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. We also gave to Salvation Army at several stores - never once hesitating like we have in the past!

In the grand scheme of things, this may not appear as much; however for our family that is usually just able to make it pay check to pay check and even then it's a balancing act - it was HUGE! Yet God was so faithful - He said give, we did, the resources were there....

As the first of December crept up, I began to wonder....would there be enough for our kids to have Christmas? Would the kids get why we had given to so many others? Where would it all come from?

"'Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this" says the Lord God Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of Heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.'" Malachi 3: 10

We have truly witnessed this verse come to life! Our pantry is full, as you can see from the Christmas Tree above our kids are having a GREAT Christmas, our bills are paid and our car has gas! Did I mention that GOD ALMIGHTY did this with only ONE income??? Is not God so good?

I don't write this to brag and say "Look what we did". I write it as an encouragement to say that God does EXACTLY what He says He will do! I have had trouble trusting and believing God in the past (sometimes still do). Yet, God in all His Faithfulness has held true to His promise...IF we will bring the tithe and offerings that He calls us to bring - then HE WILL bring about so many blessings that you will not have room for it!!!

My challenge to each of you this Season - Give when God calls you to give; whether your tithe at church, food for the needy, gifts for a single mom or dad, gas for a stranger traveling, etc. Whatever God calls you to do - Do it and YOU WILL BE BLESSED!

"Let it be!"

2011-12-05T09:33:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas - everything about it! The joy in the air, the festivities (even if it fills my calendar), the excitement of the kids, the Christmas Carols, the presents, and YES I LOVE THE CHRISTMAS STORY! Every year - reliving the story of our Saviour's birth fills my heart!

Thus far this year though Mary has captivated my heart, my mind, and my attention. I am learning some things that I really didn't realize about her before this year...and it has made me look up to her and desire to be more like her even more!

See this precious girl in the above picture? She just turned 12...the approximate age of Mary when the Angel Gabriel came and gave her the most Earth shattering news of her life!!! 12 years old...in our society, Mary would be playing volleyball, laughing with her friends, studying for school, learning about shopping, etc. She wouldn't be thinking seriously about marriage much less parenthood.

Now, before you start going on about how we as a soceity have altered the age of adulthood (which we have) and all the cultural differences (which are many) - I get all that. In fact, to me THOSE differences are what makes Mary's response even more incredible to me! You see, Mary lived in a time and culture where immorality was not accepted in ANY way, shape or form! You didn't "sleep around", you weren't "loose" with your body, you certainly didn't get a divorce.

Betrothed was as good as married! There were no exceptions. So here is our girl Mary! She is betrothed - essentially a married woman- and she is excitedly planning her wedding! WHAM! This "Cinderella" story is thrown a curve ball - this angel (which in and of itself is astounding) comes tells Mary "So, you are honored among women. God has seen you and knows your heart - that's why He has chosen you to have his son!" HELLO!!!! ??? I am going to have a baby? What will people say? What will my parents think? Oh my - what about Joseph? He knows we didn't have sex - great! These are the thoughts that I would have - I would totally see my world as rocked and crumbled....

Mary's response: Let it be as you have said.

That's all - let it be! I am not sure about you, but for me I have a hard time with "Let it be". So many times the world tosses curve balls my way; a move to a new town, a new job/career, car problems, financial issues, health issues, kids struggling in a new school, etc. Now, I KNOW in my head that God is in control, I KNOW that nothing happens to me that has not first passed through His throne - yet in my HEART I often freak out, overeact, stress, get angry, depressed, scared....

I serve the KING OF KINGS - He is the God of all, the Creator of all, is above all, GOD ALMIGHTY and with Him....YES I can "Let it be..."

This Christmas as we face a new ministry, a struggling economy, a less than moral Nation, an uncertain future, new schools/community for our children...my sincere prayer is that day by day, moment by moment I can say to the Lord "Let it be as you have ordained...I trust you and am willing to hold your hand and let YOU guide me through it!"

Lifelong Friends

2011-11-28T19:25:00.000-08:00

I have to say - I am blessed beyond measure! I have so many dear and wonderful friends literally around the world and they ALL mean so much to me! However, I truly believe that throughout our lifetime - there are only a very few that you KNOW will be there forever - like talking til you are old and gray forever! For us - Dani and Tony Vaughn and their four children are THOSE type of friends....I know I have blogged before about Dani and how she was the answer to a prayer I prayed for 15 YEARS!!!! Seriously - I prayed not just for a "girl" friend but I prayed for a friend that would understand and grasp the ins and outs of life in ministry, someone I could TRULY open up to and be honest with...

Dani GETS it because she grew up in it, married a man who grew up in it, and is STILL involved very much in ministry life!!! God blessed the Arrington family BIG when He brought us the Vaughns!!!! Not only do Dani and I click, ok we are more like two of a kind of the same mold BUT bigger still - our husbands are good friends too!!!! Better still....our kids ADORE each other, and us as adults too!!!

While in Colorado over Thanksgiving, Joel and I were able to go bowling with Dani and Tony Saturday night and then our two families along with another family very dear to us went out to lunch Sunday after church - LOVED it!!! With 6 adults, 1 college student, 2 high schoolers, 2 jr high schoolers, 4 elementary schoolers, and 3 preschoolers - it was loud, chaotic and FABULOUS!!!!! Thankful for the oneness we shared - the fact that it literally felt like we had just been gone a week or so instead of 4 months!!!!

Both Joel and I look forward to many more times of Vaughn/Arrington chaos!!! LOL.

A Day of GIVING!!!

2011-11-20T20:19:00.001-08:00

This past Friday was perhaps the BEST day I have had in a really really long time!!! There were many things that needed to be done at home: laundry, cleaning, packing, typing an appraisal, garage, etc. There were some things I really wanted to do: read, watch a movie, scrapbook, etc. Yet, there was a few things that I KNEW God wanted me to do!!!

LIVING WATER MINISTRIES

One of the local ministries that our church supports is called Living Water Ministries. It is a benevolence ministry that reaches out to those in our community who are in need of food, clothes, finances and most importantly JESUS!!! Each Friday, Living Water passes out bags of groceries to about 100 to 120 families in the Borger area - it is truly an amazing operation!!! Since moving here, I have wanted to go on a Friday and volunteer but it has seemed like life had a way of just getting in the way; however this Friday, I was DETERMINED that God wanted me there to help with the Thanksgiving distribution!! At the beginning, I helped with crowd control at the door - then later, I became a CART PUSHER!!!

I can't tell you how much fun I had visiting with the people as I helped them get the groceries for their Thanksgiving meal to their cars. They were truly precious beyond words!!!

After I finished at Living Water, the world would say that this mom needed to get home and get to all those things listed above - yet once again I KNEW God had a different plan!! Our Sunday School class had decided to have an Operation Christmas Child packing party with the goal of packing 100 boxes - this in addition to the boxes that had already been donated by individual families. The packing party was to be Friday night and although I couldn't go to that due to taking a certain 12 yr old to the movie for her birthday - I wanted to help get the last minute items they needed to complete the boxes! We are limited in stores here in Borger so Joel and I headed off to Pampa for bouncy balls (had already scoured Borger for them), toothpaste, and more shoe boxes.

The end result - our Sunday School Class packed an additional 128 boxes making a GRAND TOTAL OF 211 boxes for Operation Christmas Child!!!

We loved including the kids of ALL ages!!!

The end result!

While in Pampa, I was also able to do some additional shopping for a special little girl! A couple in our Sunday School class who doesn't have children of their own, had the opportunity to welcome their neice (who has been in CPS for several years) to their home on a permanent basis. So, just as we would do with ANY new parents, we threw them a shower - only for a 7 yr old instead of new born!!! I just love shopping for girls!!!

The result of my Friday - a VERY MERRY HEART!!! I had a wonderful day of just GIVING to others...I wouldn't trade it for ANYTHING in the world!!! There is no amount of money, no vacation, no shopping trip, no big house, no nice car that compares to the joy of giving of yourself for others!!!

My most favorite time of year!!!

2011-11-07T18:41:00.001-08:00

I have to admit...I LOVE when November comes because to me November means one thing - IT'S ALMOST CHRISTMAS! Ha ha! Now, I know there are those that say "one holiday at a time" and don't rush over Thanksgiving...NO WAY! Thanksgiving in a lot of ways is just a pre-lim to Christmas. I get to reflect on all the MANY blessings that God has given me as I look toward celebrating the GREATEST blessing of all - JESUS!

However, another thing that I love about November and December is simply this: FAMILY. I grew up celebrating the holidays with extended family and love it!!! I love the house full of people, kids laughing and running through the house, the smell of yummy pies and goodies, playing games all day, the men watching football, etc - I absolutely love every part of it...I ESPECIALLY like that my mom and I have this wonderful agreement: She cooks and I clean up! Ha ha!

In light of all this - only 14 days til we leave to Colorado for THANKSGIVING!!! Can't wait!!! I am looking forward to:

* Games with my parents

* Soaking in the Hot Tub out in the snow (I hope)

* Relaxing with my hubby

* Playing outside with the kids

* Hanging out with some of our best friends the Vaughns

* Sleeping in

*Watching Tyler help Grandad with the Turkey

* Waking up to a fire in the fireplace

* BEING WITH FAMILY!

Beauty from Ashes

2011-11-02T19:00:00.000-07:00

November 3, 1994:

Hard to believe that day was 17 years ago - a day that would forever change my life in so many ways. It started like any other day in the life of a college student, I got up and began to get ready for class...first class of the day was English...Ugh!

Entered the class with all my classmates and professor started teaching (ummm no can't remember the exact lesson - ha ha!) About half way through the class my brother-in-law Scott showed up at the door and called the teacher over - "Odd, but oh well" I thought. Until, they called me out of class and told me to take all my stuff with me. "This is not good..."

I remember Scott not really saying much except that there was a family emergency and they would tell me more at their apartment. Honestly I remember thinking that one of my Grandparents must have passed away - I could not have been more wrong....

Upon arriving at the apartment - I found my sister Michelle in tears and she just grabbed me. Scott then told me the words I will never forget "Ronnie - Sherri has died." Honestly, I remember only bits and pieces of those next few hours. I know I cried with Michelle, I know that my friends were there so quickly and I remember that Joel was there and he was so incredibly amazing through it all!

I do remember my friends Rachel and Sharon walking me back to my dorm room so that I could begin packing to go home to Colorado. I remember just going through the motions - so thankful they were there or who knows what I would have packed! Ha ha!

Even in the midst of our tragedy and sorrow - God is so good. The same day that was possibly the WORST day of my life - God in His wisdom orchestrated some important events that would also make it one of the BEST days of my life. Joel and I had been dating about 9 months - although we both had thought about marriage, it certainly wasn't something that we had talked about seriously. Joel had called his parents and let them know that my sister had passed away and that he was considering going to Colorado with me for the funeral and to just be there. His parents in no uncertain terms told him that they weren't in favor or supportive of this decision (granted I totally understand their thinking).

Joel made a decision that I will FOREVER remember - HE CHOSE ME! Joel chose to be there for me that day, he decided to miss classes and support me, he chose to be a solid rock for me. Not only did Joel go with me to Colorado - HE DROVE ME THERE! I don't know how to describe how much that meant to me. He decided to take me in his own car on an eight hour trip when I was an emotional wreck and shocked - HE CHOSE ME! Michelle and Scott took their car and Joel and I went in his.

In the middle of this tragic day - I knew one thing...Joel loved me enough to go against his parents and several friends and go with me to Colorado when my world was in turmoil. I knew that THIS was a man I wanted , no needed, to spend the rest of my life with - this was the man I would marry!

Yes, November 3, 1994 will for always be the day that my big sister Sherri went to be with Jesus; it will also forever be the day that I knew Joel was the man I would marry...

Each year on November 3 I take time to remember. I remember Sherri and how much I miss her and loved her. I remember the fun times, the happy times and even some of the hard times...This year I am choosing to remember that our God is SO amazing that he is able to make beauty from ashes. In the midst of my loss - God decided to show me what I had gained!

Note:

Many who are reading this may not have known that I lost a sister. Sherri was 23 when she went to be with Jesus. She had suffered from frequent migraines that would often keep her awake at night and sometimes caused her to pass out. This particular night, she had spent the night at some friend's home. She was sitting at the table late after not being able to sleep do to a migraine and passed out. When she fell, she fell between a door and a piece of furniture and sufficated- because of the fact that she didn't fall far, no one heard her fall - thus she wasn't found until the next morning. There is no definite medical reason for the migraines or her death - Jesus was just ready for her to come home to Him. For more about Sherri - feel free to read my Novemeber 2010 blog "Remembering Her".

Spirit Wind

2011-11-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

Ezekiel stared down into the valley
Filled with dry bones baking in the sun
Remains that used to be a mighty army
To him, it looked like the fighting days were done

But driven by a calling on his life
He spoke God's words, the bones began to shake
He stared wide-eyed as the flesh began to form
And as he prophesied to the wind
The soldiers began to wake

And the Lord sent His wind into the valley
And breathed the breath of life into their souls
And raised them again a mighty army
For soon these arisen warriors will battle again
For they have been filled with the Spirit Wind

Woah, woah, woah...

A pastor stands before his congregation
Once a mighty army for the Lord
But now he stares into the lifeless eyes
Believers leading carnal lives
He wonders what they're fighting for

But driven by a calling on his life
He spoke God's word like he'd done a hundred times before
But this time he comes broken and weeping
With tears of a broken heart
And he cries out to the Lord

Oh Lord, send Your wind into this valley
And breathe the breath of life into their souls
And raise them again a mighty army
For soon these arisen warriors will battle again
For they have been filled with the Spirit Wind

Woah, woah, woah...

Holy Spirit, breathe on me
Breathe Your life in me
[x4]

Oh Lord, send Your wind into this valley
And breathe the breath of life into our souls
And raise us again a mighty army
For soon these arisen warriors will battle again
For we have been filled with the Spirit Wind

Woah, woah, woah...

Oh Lord, we need You now
Breathe Your life into us
Lord, we need You now
Our churches and our families
Oh Lord, we need You now
Breathe life into this dry and weary land
Raise us up again

This is an INCREDIBLE song and has been the topic of many conversations around our home the last few weeks. It has been so fun to see my oldest, Hannah, really get into this CD and particularly this song. The kids only vaguely remembered the story of the dry bones so it was fun to rediscover it!

Unfortunately, we can relate to the Pastor in this song. There have been some churches that we have served in and we could remember when they were FILLED with life and now they are dead like the dry bones. Wait! What am talking about? I CAN REMEMBER being filled with life and then all of the sudden realizing I am walking around like dry bones, dead!

In fact, it wasn't that long ago that I found myself in this exact spot. DRIED up! This past time - I was so dry that I really wasn't sure where "The Water" was. I was searching for Him and I couldn't seem to find Him...until, ONE DAY! I was literally weeping and crying out for new life to come over me - "God, if you are there, if you are listening, if you care - THEN BREATHE on me and restore LIFE to my body." Immediately, I turned a curve - I began to sense Jesus was there in the room with me, I felt renewed, and restored. No, I wasn't bouncing and energetic - but the LIFE began to come back into me and I could feel HIM there breathing on me once again.
All this happened in my life - before I heard this song, before I went to the Casting Crowns concert....God is so awesome like that!

When I heard this song - I wept because I knew that here was a song that not only described a church (confession: yes, I have a few specific ones in mind) but more importantly it described my own personal journey and the struggle I had in feeling the "Spirit Wind"....

Praise Jesus though! HE IS THE WELL~

City on a Hill

2011-10-30T06:20:00.000-07:00

Ok, so here is the next Casting Crowns song that has really hit us hard.

Did you hear of the city on the hill?Said one old man to the other
It once shined bright and it would be shining still
But they all started turning on each other
You see, the poets thought the dancers were shallow
And the soldiers thought the poets were weak
And the elders saw the young ones as foolish
And the rich man never heard the poor man speak
And one by one, they ran away
With their made up minds, to leave it all behind
And the light began to fade, in the city on the hill
The city on the hill Each one thought that they knew better
That they were different by design
Instead of standing strong together
They let their differences divide
And one by one, they ran away
With their made up minds, to leave it all behind
And the light began to fade, in the city on the hill
The city on the hill And the world is searching still
But it was the rhythm of the dancers
That gave the poets life It was the spirit of the poets
That gave the soldiers strength to fight
It was the fire of the young ones
It was the wisdom of the old
It was the story of the poor man
That needed to be toldIt is the rhythm of the dancers
That gives the poets life
It is the spirit of the poets
That gives the soldiers strength to fight
It is the fire of the young ones
It is the wisdom of the old
It is the story of the poor man
That's needing to be toldOne by one, we'll be running away
With our made up minds to leave it all behind
As the light begins to fade, in the city on the hill
The city on the hillOne by one, we'll be running away
With our made up minds, to leave it all behind
As the light begins to fade, in the city on the hill
The city on the hillCome home
And the Father's calling still
Come homeTo the city on the hill
Come home

Having been in ministry for the past 16 years - it is heartbreaking to say that we have seen this scenerio in every ministry we have served in whether a church or other form of ministry. One group thinks that they have the answers, another thinks they know a better way, and so it goes on and on. There is so much disension, discord, and disunity within the church that the light of Jesus is dimmed by our arguing, complaining, finger pointing, etc that the World is searching for the real Jesus! Where is the love that is unconditional? Where is the church that is working toward unity and oneness? It has allowed the light to fade...

Now, I am going to probably step on some toes here but none more than my own. When I hear songs like this one it is SO easy to say "Exactly! That's what the problem is in our church" or "Wow, I know of a few people that need to listen to this song - then THEY would get a clue" but, here is the truth - when we are confronted or convicted about sin, we need to look AT OURSELVES first! What part of the problem belongs to us and better yet WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT IT? You see, songs like this aren't written for us to keep pointing the finger - they are written to show us where we are wrong and guide us to truth and restoration.

For me, this song has convicted me to no longer have ANY part of the complaining, finger pointing, judging, etc that has taken place within the church. I don't want to be the source of people going different ways and ultimately turning the world away - I want to be a part of the solution that values EACH AND EVERY member of the body because I know that they are all a part of God's plan for the church and we can't function unless all parts are working together....

Will YOU join me?

Casting Crowns - Come to the Well CD

2011-10-28T09:43:00.000-07:00

I love worship music, I love contemporary Christian music and most of the time when I am down or distant from the Lord it is a song on the radio or CD that will pick me up and put my focus back on Jesus My King...

Among my favorite groups are Casting Crowns! I just think they are amazing - not necessarily because of their musical talent (although that is awesome) but more so because there is a clear and concise message in their songs that I can apply to my life in a very real and direct way; their newest CD - Come to the Well is no different, in fact I think it is the most powerful album yet. Over the next few days - I am going to share some of the lyrics to a few of the songs on the album that have really ministered or spoke to me throughout the last several days and weeks. So - bare with me, I will get back to the news of Arrington life, but I am sure you will find that intertwined in the lyrics of these beautiful songs - is a Mighty God speaking to a "regular mom" (thanks Nicole Cotts for that wording) about how He is involved in all the big and little things of my life and how He has it all in His hands!

With that, I am going to kick off with the song "Already there". By the way, if you haven't heard the songs you can find them all on You Tube along with Mark Hall of Casting Crowns sharing the story behind the songs - it's powerful!

"Already There"

From where I'm standing
Lord, it's so hard for me to see
Where this is going
And where You're leading me
I wish I knew how
All my fears and all my questions
Are gonna play out
In a world I can't control

Woah...Woah

When I'm lost in the mystery
To You my future is a memory
'Cause You're already there
You're already there
Standing at the end of my life
Waiting on the other side
And You're already there
You're already there

Woah, Woah, Woah, Woah

From where You're standing
Lord, You see a grand design
That You imagined
When You breathed me into life
And all the chaos
Comes together in Your hands
Like a masterpiece
Of Your picture perfect plan

When I'm lost in the mystery
To You my future is a memory
'Cause You're already there
You're already there
Standing at the end of my life
Waiting on the other side
And You're already there
You're already there

One day I'll stand before You
And look back on the life I've lived
I can't wait to enjoy the view
And see how all the pieces fit (2x)

One day I'll stand before You
And look back on the life I've lived
'Cause You're already there
You're already there
When I'm lost in the mystery
To You my future is a memory
'Cause You're already there
You're already there
Standing at the end of my life
Waiting on the other side
And You're already there
You're already there...

You are already there

I listened to this song one day and I thought - so pretty...little did I know that just the past two weeks the Lord would bring this song to mind in a time where I was scared and uncertain and then again later when I was helping my oldest daughter rely on God.

About a week ago, I had a LONG overdue routine physical, one of those things that gets put off year after year when you don't have health insurance until you do, anyway I was very nervous in general terms just because it had been literally 10 years since I had gone for a physical. I praise the Lord for His protection of my health by the way because I have been blessed to be overall pretty healthy. Anyway, at the appointment the Dr. stated that she felt something "unusual" but not a lump and was recommending me for a mammogram - THAT DAY! What? I was just going for a routine physical - nothing was supposed to be wrong!!! I have several friends my age or younger that are facing cancer - so this was the first thing that came to my mind and I was terrified. A few hours later, after I had the mammogram I was laying in the exam room waiting on the Dr to come and discuss the results - I was scared, nervous, and really feeling alone (Joel was in the waiting room but had not come back with me). As I lay there, I started to cry. Why Lord? Why couldn't this be back in Colorado where I have my Mom with me? Where we have a strong support group? Why now? With tears coming down my face - the words spoke to my heart "Your already there" God was whispering to me "Ronnie, I already knew this was coming, I know the outcome, and I know the timing, it's okay" I can't describe to you the peace that came over me at that moment...I immediately was calm, collected and at peace. The Dr then came in and said the best words I could ever hear "Everything looks fine, your mammogram is normal and nothing to be concerned about - see you at 40!"
Isn't God so good? He was there before I knew I would be there!

Fast forward a few days, we are preparing for our annual Fall Festival, the previous week's Dr appointment is out of my mind. I get a call from the Doctor's office - your pap smear came back abnormal and you need to see a specialist for further testing. Again, fear, nervousness, anxiety, etc creep into my mind. What??? Lord, I thought I had crossed this bridge, we were past this, why is it coming up again? I get in my car, turn it on and this song is playing on the CD...oh how quickly I forget! He is ALREADY THERE! He knows the issues, He knows the outcome, He knows....and I just need to trust Him. I don't know the results or the outcome - I have another appointment next Thursday with an OBGYN to see what the problem is and yes the enemy still tries to make me nervous, but I am claiming this song - Your Already there - He sees the why, the when, the how, the where and He has it all under control.

Another a day or so passes - we realize that Hannah has official "try-outs" for basketball. She is nervous, we are nervous - small school districts don't necessarily cut Freshmen off the Freshman team but larger ones do...We get the prayer warriors going, we encourage her, pray for and with her...Wednesday night comes - Hannah has been cut from the team and will be the manager. Seriously God? Why? My honest attitude was "Lord, why can't SOMETHING go right for our family right now?" Again, this song comes to my mind. "From where I am standing it's hard to see where this is going....but Your already there." God already knows what lies ahead, what is around the next bend. He knows the future He has in mind for Hannah and He has it ALL UNDER CONTROL... By the way, Hannah had a GREAT attitude about it and was a fine example to her mom of how to just take what God gives and trust Him!

These are the "big" things that we have faced the past few weeks but there have been several other little things that piled together have been challenging to say the least - Yet, I can honestly say I have a peace that God is already there, He knows the big picture and I can hold his hand and trust Him to guide me through it! Satan tries to play mind games with me on a daily basis and I have to fight that...My Mom suggested on the day I was scared about going to a specialist that I read Psalm 91. It's SO POWERFUL! If you are facing uncertainty, insecurity, doubt, fear, failure, etc - read this Psalm and claim it for your life!

I do appreciate prayers for the upcoming Doctor's appointment, not something that I really talk about much with people but God calls us to pray for one another. So, if you think of it - say a prayer for the doctor to discern what, if anything, is the problem and for both Joel and I to have a peace that passes all understanding about it!

Cleaning and Tossing and Trashing and Regrouping

2011-10-17T14:39:00.000-07:00

Whew! What a day!!! I spent the majority of today at our church here in Borger with Joel. Well, let me set up some background info for those of you that that aren't familiar with our new minsitry.

First Baptist Borger is a 3 story building and has lots and lots and lots of rooms. Most of the rooms are used for Sunday School, Missions, Music, Children's Church, etc. However...there are a good number of rooms that are used to store stuff and I mean A LOT OF STUFF! There is every kind of decoration you can think of, a costume closet, games, VBS stuff, props closet, music, etc. When Joel first started at the church we knew that we would need to go through the closets and organize them, throw out some things, etc. Today was the day we would start this process...

So, thus the reason that I spent the day working at the church with Joel. As we began the process of cleaning out some of the closets we realized that there were A LOT of things that just needed to be thrown out - they were out of date, broken, just taking up needless space - they needed to be trashed.

As I was taking the last load (well for the day anyway) out to the dumpster, I started to think of this in terms of our lives. You know, through the years we gather a lot of "junk" in our lives. There are things that are out of date, broken, no longer necessary, taking up needless "space" in our lives - they need to be tossed out and trashed! I am not talking about material items (although that is often the case too) but more in terms of things like - hurt feelings, bitterness, unforgiveness, doubt, anger, grudges, negativity, guilt, fear, etc. There is really no space in the life of the Christian for these things! We are called to live in freedom and liberty through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross and His resurrection.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith." Hebrews 12:1-2a

These things I listed above are things that hinder us, they entangle us, and cause us to take our eyes off of Jesus. We need to THROW them OUT! Get rid of them! Once we have done this, we can persevere through the race to the time we are with Christ! So, today...take some time and clean out the "closets" of your life. Maybe you need to let go of a grudge that has been carried far too long, maybe it is forgiveness that needs to take over the bitterness, perhaps there is a negative relationship that needs to be ended, could it be there is guilt that you are carrying that isn't yours to bear - whatever it is is TRASH IT, clean it out, clear out some space and let the SON shine in the closets of your heart!

Share your story...

2011-10-11T07:20:00.000-07:00

I finished my own personal study of John about a week ago...I believed that after literally 2 months of studying this AMAZING book - I was ready to move on and begin something new. God had some different plans apparently - doesn't He usually? Ha ha!

Saturday night we went to a Casting Crowns concert in Amarillo - The Come to the Well tour. It was FABULOUS. Anyway, while there Joel and I decided to commit to sponsor a child through World Vision (more about our Juliett later). As part of the incentive for signing up - they gave us a copy of Mark Hall's book "The Well". I really didn't think much of it but all weekend it has been sitting on our kitchen table so this morning I thought - "ok, I am going to read this as my quiet time and just see what God has"...now, I invite YOU my friends to come journey with me as we take just another look at this woman at the well in John 4!

First of all, she is nameless. Ok, I am not sure why but this really stood out to me. Jesus doesn't think it important for us to know her name. I am a name type person - what's her name? Is it unique? However, as I paused for a few minutes to think about this; I came to the conclusion that perhaps, just maybe, we aren't told her name for a purpose. Could it be that Jesus wanted us to see her for more than what "society" knew her as? Could it be that in knowing her name we would focus on what the people in the town of Sychar knew her as and not for what Jesus knew her as? I think there is something to this - the point is that we are to look beyond her reputation (which was not the best), look beyond who society called her, and look to who JESUS called her.

Second thing that really stood out to me this morning is John 4:39 "Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him BECAUSE OF THE WOMAN'S TESTIMONY." What? Seriously? These people believed in Jesus because of the testimony of a whore, a prostitute, a tramp, an adulteress? YES! You see, Jesus can use ANYONE if they are just willing to share how He has changed their life. This woman who had a irreputable reputation was changed by Jesus that afternoon at the well. Her life was changed so much so that she RAN to town and was willing to stand before all those "good and upstanding" townspeople and share that she had been CHANGED!!! Wooza!!! I just have to say that if I had been in town that day - this would have rocked my world. To see this unclean woman come and tell me about a man who knew ALL about her past and showed her the living water - I think I would have been going "Say what?"

You see, what really got to me this morning was it wasn't anything drastic she did. She didn't go and move to a far off place to share her story, she didn't necessarily become all clean like immediately - she shared her testimony, her story of meeting Jesus face to face that day at the well! Many times as a minister's wife, I feel like perhaps my story isn't amazing, it isn't transforming, or catchy...then I have to look at it like this woman did. JESUS CHANGED MY LIFE! I was just as filthy and unclean as this woman and Jesus said "Come here Ronnie, drink of this fresh living water that I have for you!" That is a story worth sharing - a story worth retelling over and over and over!

My encouragement to you all this morning is this - SHARE YOUR STORY! Let others know how Jesus has changed you and made you whole - because of YOU others will come to know JESUS THE KING OF KINGS just like they did because of this beautiful woman at the well!

Update on the Homefront...

2011-10-08T10:15:00.000-07:00

So, I realized that I haven't really posted anything about how we are doing on the homefront here...so here it is although not really much to say...

We have just finished the first six weeks of school and all four of the kids have done AMAZING if I do say so myself! All of them had all A's and B's on their report cards...yep couldn't be prouder of that!

Hannah is trying out for basketball - a new thing to us is that she can be cut even off the freshman team. However, Hannah is sticking with it and working hard, we are praying that she will make the team but we know that it is all in God's hands! She is also in alot of Pre-Ap classes and is doing amazing! We thank the Lord for her and how well she has done in school so far.

Malachi is in 7th grade and in band for the first time ever! He is playing drums and loves it. We are hopeful that he will continue to be our band man! He has also done well both in school and in adjusting to the newness of everything. He has several good friends and just takes it all in stride!

Kestra is loving 6th grade and doing awesome! She is on a club volleyball team of which I am helping coach - scary I know! We are both enjoying it though and her first game is Tuesday night! Our team name is Spiker Strikers - catchy uh? Anyway - we are excited about it all. She is also in choir which she is enjoying and her first concert is coming up October 28!

Tyler is well...Tyler! He is as active as ever, all boy, doesn't know a stranger and definitely keeps us laughing! He is hoping to play baseball in the spring but we will have to see how that goes....School is a lot different for him here but he is appears to be adjusting well!

Joel is VERY busy and has done an awesome job of balancing it all! He is in his last year of on-line classes and has done very well! On the church scene - it has been a big adjustment with bigger and different responsibilites but he has been a quick learner and is getting more adjusted to it everyday.

As for me...it has been a slow start in trying to get into subbing here but the past week has been promising. I had to go through a sub training this past Wedensday and am now just waiting on getting my fingerprints done for subbing in the Borger School District. I have also applied to sub in a neighboring district - Stinnett and just need fingerprinting for them as well...it's a hurry up and wait game I guess! In the meantime - I have been able to continue to work for my Dad long distance and have been helping Joel with some things at church. It has definitely been a challenge as I have been eager to keep busy but then again - God has been faithful and I have learned SO much during this time!

Although this move has been challenging, we know that God is so in our being here and we are trusting Him through it all!

Keith...

2011-10-06T19:03:00.000-07:00

This week has been tough for me...not going to lie about that. Monday night I received a call from my mom that literally made my heart cry out to the Lord. A special boy named, Keith had lost conciousness and they were having trouble reviving him....

Keith was a special needs student that rode in the Special Needs Surban with us in Colorado but that is not how I first met him. I met Keith through his AMAZING parents Fred and April Schneider. Fred and April had taken Keith in as a permanent placement through the Foster Care system in Colorado. He had extreme autisim as well as many other physical and mental disabilities...yet Fred and April did more than give him a home, they made Keith their own for life.

Like many of the special needs people I have known, Keith had a pure joy and contentment about him. Although non-verbal, Keith communicated his joy through his AMAZING smile and his contagious laughter in his eyes! Just about every time I was around Keith - he was full of joy. My very favorite memory of Keith was one day while we were waiting for some other students to get out of school. I was standing outside the window of the surban and Keith just grabbed my hand and smiled...in his special way, he was showing me his love! His actions said so much more than words ever could and I know he was able to do that and more with his parents and family.

Tuesday morning I learned that Keith had passed away...my heart broke for Fred and April...my heart broke for Keith's brothers and sisters...my heart broke. This beautiful boy filled with joy was gone from this Earth. Yet, almost immediately I had a very different image...I had a picture of Keith standing strong and tall, healthy and whole, running toward the arms of Jesus! All his pain, all his disabilities are no more! What a picture of freedom!!!

Yes - my heart is broken and sad, yes his family is hurting and in pain, but I know and they know that Keith is in the arms of the one who created him and loves him immensely! I am thankful that the Lord chose me to know Keith if only for a brief time...through Keith and so many others like him I have learned to love and be loved unconditionally...these special ones hold a very special place in my heart!

Recognizing when He calls ME by name...

2011-10-03T06:21:00.000-07:00

"Woman" he said "why are you crying? Who is it that you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, " Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have taken him and I will go get him." Jesus said to her, "Mary" She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic "Rabboni" (which means Teacher). John 20:15-16

Some of you may know that over the past month or so I have been doing an in depth study on the book of John for my personal quiet time. This journey has been long, painful at times, hard but most of all SO very refreshing for my personal faith walk with my Lord. I have truly come to rediscover and meet my Saviour in a new and fresh way like never before...It's been AWESOME!

Through this study there have been so many things that have hit me square in the face for the first time. Things that I have read or skimmed over so many times in the Word and yet haven't really digested or reflected on them much; however NONE has hit me as hard as these two simple verses. I have literally been kind of "high-centered" here for the past few days.

The thing that has hit me is this: Mary KNEW Him when He called her by name. It wasn't His appearance, it wasn't his smell, or anything but simply the way in which He said her name. Picture the scene with me if you will. Mary has come to the Garden or as we would call it the cemetary. She is basically wanting to visit the grave of Jesus... She is in mourning, sad, trying to make sense of this awful and cruel death that has taken place. As she is walking toward the tomb, she notices that this GIGANTIC stone is rolled away and the grave is open! When she gets there - she looks in and HE IS GONE!!! Ok, so let's just stop there for a moment - dead person, she saw him buried, is like vanished from the grave...not there, GONE. Personally, I am not sure what my reaction would be...call the police? run for help? scream!??? Not sure but I know I would be freaking!!!

Mary...softly cries. She is mourning the loss of her Teacher, her Friend, her Master all over again. Can you feel her pain? I think I can. Then, in the midst of her sorrow comes this man asking why she is crying? Who are you looking for? The Scripture here doesn't say that she looked up...so perhaps while her head is down in her sobbing she makes a logical assumption. The gardener must have seen her and came over. She asks him where they have taken Jesus...again we aren't told that she looked up, afterall she is broken and sorrowful! I don't know about you but when I am overcome with grief, my head is down in my hands crying.

"Mary" that is all He has to say. Something about the way in which the Saviour said her name made all the difference. She recognized who she was talking to, she KNEW that voice, no one else said her name just the way the Rabboni or Teacher did. Isn't that the case with us? I know there is NO ONE that says my name quite the way my Daddy does when he calls to me. I know there is NO ONE that says my name the quite the way my husband does when he tells me he loves me or the way my kids say "Mom" when they are in need of me...and there is ABSOLUTELY NO ONE who can say my name like Jesus My Lord!

Yet, as much as it caught me that she knew Him when He said her name, I had to ask myself this: would I TRULY recognize Him if He called to me in the midst of my chaos? In the midst of my busy-ness of life? In the midst of my selfish agenda? Or would I be so caught up in my life and schedule that I would miss my Saviour saying "Ronnie"? You see, I think Mary knew Him SO well, SO intimately, had spent so much time with Him that she absolutely with out a doubt knew that voice! She was in a quiet place, where she had come to be with him (even if she believed him dead), she had no distractions, nothing else to consume her but HIM! I don't know about you, but THAT is the way I want to know my Saviour. I don't want to be so caught up in the craziness of this life and schedules and agendas that I would miss the way HE says my name.

Here's the truth: Jesus is calling each of us by name. Each and every day He is longing to meet with us, to reveal Himself to us just the way He did that morning in the Garden to Mary. The question we have to answer: are WE going there to be with Him? Are we taking time each and every morning to seek Him, to listen for His voice? Or are we too busy to stop by the Garden and meet Jesus?

To be honest with you, today was a day that I had to literally make myself sit in the Garden. At this very moment, I have a HUGE pile of laundry in my living room, I have a real estate appraisal to type for work, I have dinner to figure out for my family, there is my room to pick up, lessons for Wed night to plan, etc...I started to sort the laundry and I heard "Ronnie"...that voice calling my name saying "Come, meet with me first." I am so glad I did! I once again saw how Mary stopped at the sound of her name coming from the lips of her Saviour...the difference it made in her life and mine when we hear Him calling!

Take time in the midst of whatever you may be doing and listen: He IS calling YOUR name too in a way that only He can!

Ministers of Refreshment from COLORADO

2011-09-28T06:50:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning our Pastor spoke on the ministry of refreshment that Paul writes about in 2 Timothy 1:15-18. It was an amazing little passage that honestly I have just skimmed over in the past and yet it spoke VOLUMES to my heart! I have never really thought about it much but now that I do think about it - I have been so blessed to have many in my life that have refreshed me through the years....These two beautiful young ladies are no exception! They truly brought some MUCH needed refreshment to my life throughout the past week!

Tab (on the left) and Katy (on the right) were in our youth group in Bayfield and truly are like our other daughters (we share them occassionally with their biological families! Hee hee). They made the journey from Bayfield to come see us for a whole WEEK!! Ok, so they SAID they came to check out Wayland and make preparations to attend there in January but I know it was to see us!!!

For me, this could not have come at a better time. Without going into a lot of detail, really not necessary or the time to go into it, suffice it to say that I have been really struggling the past month or so physically, spiritually, emotionally, etc. Now, PRAISE GOD HE has helped me through that and I am so much closer to Him than I have EVER been... However, just like you feel weak after an extended illness although the illness is gone that is where I was when these precious girls arrived! Yet God in ALL of His wisdom and mercy knew that I needed some SERIOUS refreshing!!!

If you have ever been around Tab or Katy, especially together, you know that these two are like a breath of fresh air! Just with their presence they can bring life into your being and revive and awaken you - which is EXACTLY what they did for me! We laughed, we talked, we played, and laughed some more, we explored, we rested and did I mention that we LAUGHED! I just love how they blend right in with our family and it was as though we had never been gone! I truly needed this past week to rejuvenize and refresh me to continue on with the work here in Borger. I am thankful that Jesus placed these two BEAUTIFUL young ladies in my life "For such a time as this."

Now that I have been refreshed, hopefully I will get back to blogging regularly cause I really miss it! Love ya all!!!!

Insights from the Word

2011-09-16T10:36:00.000-07:00

The past month or so, I have been going through the book of John. I was struggling with some security issues in my faith and felt that I needed to be reintroduced to my Jesus in a new and real way! I had known that John was what we recommend to new believers and so - that is where I decided to go!

I cannot tell you how incredible this study has been for me! I have primarily been just digging in and only using Warren Wiersbe's Study Guide as I go along and it has been a phenominal experience! I have rediscovered, fell in love all over again, and in many ways met our Savior in a very new and real way. I am only on John 17 at this point but it has been amazing!!!

Yesterday, I was reading John 17 and I realized that this was a passage I hadn't read before. I knew that Jesus prayed in the Garden prior to his arrest and I knew that He prayed on the cross in His final moments...however this prayer in John 17, I had not read before. There are three parts to his prayer: Himself, the disciples, and all believers.

It was this last part that hit me HARD!!! "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am and to see my glory, the glory You have given me because You loved me before the Creation of the World." John 17:24
You see, not only did God love us enough to send His son to die for us - Jesus PRAYED to the Father that we might be with Him in glory! It was so essential to Him, so important to Him, etc. that He prayed for it!

The realization that Jesus prayed for me to be in Heaven and to see His glory for myself - that caused me to sit in awe! Not only did He die for me, rise again after 3 days defeating death, but He also longs for me to be with Him - How could I NOT follow Him step by step each day, how could I possibly doubt Him, how could I question Him?

For those reading, this is my prayer: that YOU too will either discover Jesus for the first time or you will rediscover Him in a way that you never before have. If you are at a place where you need a new part of the Bible to read - read through the book of John, I guarantee it will show you Jesus in a way you never dreamed possible!!!

Sept 12: 10 years ago; 1 year ago

2011-09-11T19:04:00.000-07:00

Ten years ago on Sept 12, 2001 I knew that America as we knew it would be changed forever due to the events of the previous day...

As a mom of 4 children all under the age of 4 - I had to ask myself what would the world look like for my precious children? I had grown up knowing that American Soldiers went to war but it was on other countries' soil - not ours. This would not be the case for my children - they would experience wars right here in America. Not just military wars either - wars of terrorism in the form of persecution, drugs, immorality, the destroying of family, and much more...

However - I also observed something on Sept 12, 2001 and the months that followed that was GOOD! As Americans we were aware of the fraility of life, we acknowledged the Lord in a way that had not been seen in many years, we took the time to notice our neighbors and those around us, we came together in a sense of patriotism and political parties really didn't matter any longer...our churches were full week after week as people realized that Jesus REALLY was the answer!!!

Yes - I was sad and broken about what had happened in NYC...but I was thrilled to see that America had received a MUCH needed wake up call...well, at least I thought they had. Yet, time passed, we returned to our American lives, the day to day life of being focused on self returned and sadly....God was forgotten, the churches weren't full any longer, we didn't gather together for prayer, we made it taboo to pray at public events, we adopted the term "politically correct", and politics was more vicious than EVER for both parties....We say "We will never forget" but I am here to tell you - WE ALREADY FORGOT! A mere 10 years later and we say that there is no place for prayer or scripture in our schools, courts, governments, etc. We forgot about how much we cared for our neighbors 10 years ago, we forgot to tell police officers and first responders in our community how much we appreciate them, we forgot to go to church or to read the Bible...

10 years ago - I saw a hope that just maybe America would realize "We need God in America today.."

One year ago on Sept 12, 2010 - My life WAS changed forever! I borded a plane headed for Zimbabwe Africa. That trip altered the way I view my "American" ways and the way I live. I learned that America is spoiled, self-centered and full of themselves. I learned that when you strip away all the comforts of this life such as 3 meals a day, a bed with a matress, a heated/air conditioned home, closets full of clothes, etc - you have no other thing to focus on but JESUS and HIM ALONE! The 14 days that I spent in Africa will be etched in my mind perhaps even more than 9/11/01 because it was there, in the simplicity of the Shongon lifestyle, that I came face to face with the life Christ has called me to...

"Go into all the world preaching and teaching the Gospel and making disciples of all men"

One year ago - I realized that the car I drive today, the home I sleep in, the job I have, the food I have are all perishible in comparison to living a life of reaching and teaching others about Jesus.

Yes - I remember where I was the morning of 9/11/01 when I heard about the attacks; I remember where our hearts and minds were focused on 9/12/01.....However, more than this I remember the lesson I learned in a country across the world when I went there on Sept 12, 2010 Serving others, Reaching Others, Telling Others, Teaching Others for the Kingdom is really the most important thing in the Christian life....

I have asked the Lord to NEVER LET ME FORGET....

Putting it into perspective!

2011-09-03T18:18:00.001-07:00

This past month our church had the privilege of this young man from Zimbabwe being here for a few weeks. His name is Cannon and he is a Pastor near the Zambeze River in Zimbabwe. Cannon had never left Africa, never flew on a plane and yet journeyed all the way to Borger Tx to spend time with us! How awesome!!!

While Cannon was here, our Pastor and other staff tried to ensure that he got to experience as many different aspects of American and Texas life as possible. In this picture, he is in his Cowboy Duds that were loaned to him and attending our Horsemanship Clinic by Ken McNabb that our church hosted. We thoroughly enjoyed Cannon being here and yes, I do hope to go to see him in Zimbabwe!!!

There are many stories I could share about Cannon's time here - however, two stand out completely above the rest and in a way they are related to one another. Our church librarian asked Cannon what surprised him the most about coming to America - his response? "How closely it really is like what we see on TV. We thought that was just make believe. I never thought everyone had a car, a house, three meals a day, lots of clothes. I assumed it wasn't near this wealthy." WOW! I complain about the car I have, the home I live in, the clothes that are getting old, etc and here is a young man that couldn't believe the wealth I had!

The second story is even more sobering. The day before Cannon left, our Pastor had a conversation with Cannon about the money had to go home with. Remember, Cannon had only flown out here and that was with our pastor and team sort of with him (different flights, same airports). While Cannon was here, many of our members blessed him with tangible and monetary gifts. So - our pastor wanted to make sure that Cannon knew to hide the money, how to pack, ect. Out of curiosity Pastor asked Cannon "How much money do you have to take home?" Cannon's reply - "I have $1462 - honestly more than I have ever had in my whole life, much less at one time." Pastor then continued "Cannon, I know that we have paid all your meals and everything while you were here, did you have any expenses?" Cannon, "I had one expense." Pastor, "Cannon, I am curious. What was the ONE thing that you spent money on during your time in America?"

Cannon's response, "I gave 10% of what I was given to the church."

WOW....here is a man who never had this amount of money in his life, the money he does have will literally help feed his family for a year or more and yet his ONE EXPENSE - tithing to the Lord! He has two kids, a wife, mom, etc - he could have bought some souveneirs, etc and yet he tithes. No one would have expected him to - the money was a gift with no expectations.

After hearing this - I was forced to think about the fact that our income in one month is a great deal more than the amount Cannon had and yet I struggle to give God His 10%. I spend money on a lot of things that really aren't important or necessities and I complain that I just can't afford to tithe. It truly is about keeping our perspective.

Our Pastor's message on Wed hit me hard. He talked about how EVERYTHING we have including life itself is a gift. We don't deserve the lifestyle we have any more than Cannon does - yet he lives in a hut, has no car, limited food and clothes. We are blessed! Pastor ended with this statement:

"Our economy is based on desire, the Kingdom of Heaven is based on contentment. Is it any wonder then that our economy is messed up?"

Our priorities and perspective are so screwed and mixed up. We focus on what we DON'T have instead of what we DO have. We complain about giving just 10% of what GOD has given us. We argue about how funds are spent in church buildings, programs, ministries, etc - when there are churches across the World that have no building, no program and yet they are ABOUNDING in ministry...

What's your perspective and where are your priorities? Mine are lacking but I am working on getting them back where they need to be!!!

My Morning Walk

2011-08-30T07:45:00.000-07:00

The first day of school, I started a new habit - I decided that I was going to be diligent and walk every day. This seemed attainable and feasible since there is a beautiful park with a walking trail just around the corner from where I drop the kids off! Great - I can drop them off and head to walk!

In all honesty, this wasn't something I was truly excited about or really wanted to do -but it was something that I KNEW God was asking me to do and I wanted to be obedient! At first, I thought ok the reason God wants me to do this is so that I can lose some weight and be healthier - logical thought right? This was only PART of what God wanted to do in and through me during my little walk (ok maybe not so little).

Let me start by sharing with the you the physical aspects and then we will move on to the OTHER stuff. I had decided I would walk 2 miles the first week, 3 miles the second, 4 miles the third and by the end of the first month I would be walking 5 miles a day 5 days a week (yep, Sat and Sun are my free days!). So far - I have kept to that pattern with the exception of one day last week when I only did 1 mile (had to quit due to the call of nature and bathrooms being locked - minor detail I know). Anyway - so this week I am at 3 miles which I did yesterday and today...

Ok - so I am learning that I need a few things to make my walk successful each day:

Shoes - I have a pair of $20 Walmart walking shoes. They are sufficient but given the frequency of my walking, I think I need to bite the bullet and by some real walking shoes because my feet have literally been throbbing at night...however, some shoes are necessary! If I don't have shoes on for a 3 mile walk - I am probably going to end up quitting after only a short distance (unfortunately I don't have the awesome endurance in my feet like those in other countries!)

Water - Boy I had better have my water bottle- it's hot out there!

Cool Clothes - I obviously don't go walking in 80 degree weather wearing my Colorado sweatshirts and sweat pants...not a smart idea!

As I have been walking, I have noticed a few things. I notice that typically the first lap is a little hard as I have "gear up" and get going. The second lap (each lap is 1/2 mile) tends to be a little easier as does the third lap. However - that fourth lap, THE DREADED fourth lap is a booger! I mean I have to motivate myself, lecture myself preach at myself, ANYTHING to get through that fourth lap! It's tough...but once it is done then comes the blessed 5th lap! Now I know that I am really on the downhill slide - I can do this! I pick up the pace and away I go!!! ha ha!!!

I also tend to notice the people around me. There are the "mega moms" as I refer to them (I know, bad to label but just can't help it!) they are doing their little speed walk with their little IPODS or whatever in their ears. Honestly, I envy them! I am just ploddin along, dragging my big self along... Then there are the "chatty cathys" these are usually ladies that are walking together, chatting about life, kids, husbands - who knows what? I really don't listen to their conversations - PROMISE!! You have the "leisurly grandparents" - these tend to be older people (by the way, the older I get - the YOUNGER they get!) They are just enjoying the day and the weather and each other, etc. Finally, you have my two very favorite gals, I like to refer to them as the "Matriarchs of the Park". These two ladies, come each and every day to walk once around the park. They truly enjoy one another and the environment and are such a blessing - they both have a cane and literally have to stop every 5 steps or so, but they keep at it!

Today as I was walking (ok, more like plodding) along. I have to confess - there was no joyful obedience in me at the beginning. In fact, I only went to walk because my stubborn pride said I started this challenge and I am going to see it through! Ha ha. So - the first lap was the typical "maybe a 1/2 mile is good for the day" but then I heard the still small voice..."keep at it." My GRUMPY response "FINE! But I am not happy". So the walk continued...

One thing I haven't told you is that after the first day of walking, I decided to make this time my time of prayer and talking/listening to the Lord. With this in mind and my attitude above you can sense where there is going to be a lesson learned!!! Heee hee

The second lap - God really did begin to soften my heart, I began to "wake up" physically and spiritually! It was after this that the Lord really began to speak to me about my morning walk. I started to take all of the above principles about my PHYSICAL walk and start to see them as they relate to my SPIRITUAL walk. Let me share with you what He showed me.

To make my spiritual walk successful each day I need the right tools:

Prayer: I need to have that time each day that is just me and God. It's a combination of listening and talking. If I miss this part - well then, I am missing that relational intregal part of being with God.

The Word: Scripture is ESSENTIAL. God has given us a manual for life. Each and everything we need to know about how to live, work, walk, etc through this life and into the next is in it! Too many times, however, it sits on the shelf or table only to be used on Sundays. We CANNOT expect to have a healthy and successful spiritual walk if we are not DAILY in the Word of God!

Other Believers: WE NEED EACH OTHER! Too many times I hear people say "I am just going to hole up in my house - just me and God." Yes - there are DEFINITELY times that we need that, but not all the time. We have to get out and interact, encourage, invest, etc in the lives of other believers...

So - here is how this all came together during that DREADED fourth lap!! Ha ha!

On our spiritual walks: The first lap is sometimes the hardest. It's hard to get up and have that prayer time, or study the Bible or get out the door to meet with other believers. We have to literally MAKE ourselves do it! Yet - once we do it, then it tends to be just a little easier like the second lap and by the third lap, we are in the groove! We are reading the Bible and praying regularly, we are interacting with other believers and we are growing closer and closer to the Lord...THEN comes that DREADED fourth lap!!! In the spiritual walk, I see this as maybe an unexpected tragedy or turn of events, the loss of a job, arguments with a teenager or spouse, financial issues, etc...we start to waiver just a tad, and then maybe a tad more and we have to really push ourselves to stay in the Word, to keep up that prayer time, to press on! Yet - once we do, once we have pushed through the low points in our lives and have stayed the course - then HALLELUJIAH here comes the fifth lap...it's a little easier, we can catch our breath...and FINALLY the last lap - the time when we will see Jesus face to face, the race of life on Earth will end with one HUGE victory party in Heaven!!!

My revelation from the Lord didn't stop there, just as I observed the people on my physical walk - God revealed some truths about other believers through them...
First there are the "mega Chrisitans" they seem to have it all together, they walk through life hand in hand with Jesus just speeding through like no tomorrow and yes I envy them! I think I wanna be like that...I'm just ploddin along though. However - they also challenge me to dig deeper and push harder!
Second we have the "cheering chanties" these are those other believers who are there along the way to encourage and push us on forward. They are the ones who will just randomly call or e-mail and say way to go! Ones like my friend Kaycee who posted on my FB wall yesterday "Saw you walking in the park, way to go!" Think that didn't push me out the door this morning? Oh yeah! We have these in our spiritual walks to - like my friend Dani who I called yesterday and she was just so encouraging and uplifting!!!
Third the "sure but steady Chrisitans" these, like the "leisuraly grandparents" are the ones that are just firm and steady in their walk with the Lord. They are faithful, not lax, not overly zealous but just steady and true to the course laid before them!
Fourth - "The Matriarchs of Faith" these are my true heros in life! They are the ones that although they have been knocked down, kicked, spit on, and stomped on by this life - they continue to truck along faithful to follow their Savior. One that comes to mind is our friend Gordy Herrick back in Bayfield. He lost his son in an accident only a few short months before the birth of the first grandchild. He has had job issues, family issues, health issues, etc and yet he holds fast to the path of Christ! These are the ones that inspire us!
Fifth - There are the "Plodders" and unfortunately in both my physical and spiritual walks, I think I fall into this category at various times. These are the Christians that are just going along, at a slow pace and the feet may be draggin but they are moving!

I don't think any one group is better or worse than the others and to be perfectly honest - I think there are times in which we will all fall into the various groups. There are times when we are like the "mega moms" We are cruising and growing in our walk with the Lord, we are filled with joy and are focused on the prize of the final lap! Then there are times where we have a sure but steady pace - we know the role God has for us, we are up for the task and we are just going to keep on keeping on. There are times when we are the encouragers - we are meant to spur others on so that they can get where they need to go with Christ. There are definitely times where we really do feel like we are just "plodding along" spiritually. It's all we can do to just be in the Word and pray each day.

No matter where we are on the spiritual walk there is something so critical and so crucial that we have to take note of - EVERY group is moving, EVERY group is pressing on toward the prize...You see, just like the various people on my morning walk in the park are all walking in some way shape or form along the walking trail, so are all believers walking or moving along in some way on the path toward the VICTORY party! We all will reach the same place and have the same reward!!!

Now there is one final group that I haven't mentioned. On my morning walk, I like to refer to them as the "passers by" . They are the ones that drive by the park and will look, perhaps honk or wave at those of us out there walking. They are interested enough to glance or take note but they aren't out there walking that path. In our spiritual lives - these are the lost that we come across each and every day. They take note of us, they know we are on this path and they are observing - but they aren't walking. They don't have that relationship with Christ - it is left to us to point them in the right direction, to take their hand and say "Come on, join me on my walk!"

Wow! This turned into a lengthy post but I just had to share it with you because it truly was eye opening to me. I know that this illustration isn't fail proof but I think it is a pretty close resemblance of the walk we are on in a spiritual sense!

With that - I am off to change out of these smelly work out clothes...oh, I could run with that but I think I will save it for another day!

"I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us"

Philippians 3:14

NEW THANG!!!

2011-08-28T19:09:00.001-07:00

There are definitely some exciting things happening in the life of First Baptist Borger and the Childrens' and Families ministries and I can't WAIT to see how God is going to impact this little town through them!!!

First of all - God is just plain moving in the church in and of itself. The worship has been wonderful and so spirit filled the past few weeks, we have heard some awesome messages recently - including one this morning on faith and prayer - small groups are gearing up for launching, Sunday School classes are getting excited and getting involved, etc....

As for our area of ministry - all I can say is I hope the people are ready because God is moving!! We have already launched our 252 Kids Worship on Sunday mornings. It is high energy, innovative, relavent, and all GOD! The kids are learning different virtues and how they can apply them in their daily lives, at the same time - parents are given the tools to reinforce the lessons at home! How cool is that?

In about two weeks we will be launching our CLUB XP for Wednesday nights! This will be a VBS style environment for our children that will also include the parents as they EXPERIENCE worship with their children! Through Bible Workshop, Missions, Games, Music and Worship the kids will learn about the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and it will be presented in a way that will excite them and encourage them to tell their peers!!!

Finally - in October we will be kicking off AWANA on Sunday nights. This will be a time for the kids to come and dig deeper in the Word through hands on activites and scripture memorization. We are excited to bring some fresh life to an already existing program here at FBC Borger....

Needless to say - Joel and I are PUMPED and READY!!! Don't get me wrong - like any church, there are some "bumps" in the road that need to be grated down but I can honestly say LOOK OUT satan cause GOD IS DOING A NEW THING here in Borger and I truly believe some walls are going to be broken, some lives are going to be changed and most of all this town is about to be turned UPSIDE DOWN for the Kingdom of Heaven!!!

My encouragement to ALL of you: What is God doing where YOU are? Are you ready? Are you jumpin on board or are you sitting on the sidelines? God will move with or without us - however we will not be blessed unless we look where He is working and get on board! So come on - it's going to be a GREAT ride as we all work for the King no matter where we are!!!

GIFTS!!!

2011-08-24T12:16:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you but I just love getting a gifts! I really really do - I know we are supposed to enjoy the GIVING more than the getting, but between you and me - I enjoy the getting a whole lot! Ha ha!

However - I do also enjoy giving gifts too, especially to my kids! I love finding things that I know each one of them will like or enjoy...it's just so fun to see the joy on their faces, the surprise, and just the pleasure of knowing I helped make their day better.

I don't know if your kids are like mine, or even like me at times, but sometimes after I or someone else has given them a gift - they turn around and give that gift away...or they abuse it....or they break it. You get the idea. Now to be brutally honest, when I see them break or abuse a gift I gave them - I get just a tad bit upset, ok I get really upset. I mean, hello!!! I spent money on that, I bought that for you, etc...

Another interesting thing also happens sometimes - after they have given the gift to someone else, they sometimes want it back! Oops!! We have a rule here due to this - you can't give away something that is relatively new to you - cause you might want it back.

Ok, so no this post is NOT just to tell you about the gift giving/getting process in our house! Ha ha! Rather, it is to share what God taught me through this process.

You see so many times - I react JUST LIKE my kids in the way I treat/react to gifts either that I give my Heavenly Father or that He gives me. I mean, I decide to give the Lord something and then I want it back or He gives me something and I abuse it or break it, etc. I bet the Lord feels a little upset when I do this - just like I do with my kids but unlike me, He doesn't get angry or irritated...He forgives!

So - here are the things God has shown me....

When I give Him my time - I give it without restraints or limits.
When I give Him my money - I give it without restrictions.
When I give Him my energy - I give it my all
When I give Him my worship - I give it with abandon
When I give Him my belongings - I give knowing they are fully His.

So the next time you give something to the Lord - think about how you are REALLY giving it to Him: are there strings attached? If, so cut the strings and give it ALL!!!

Happy New Year...

2011-08-22T18:38:00.000-07:00

School year that is!

Today we started our first day of school here in Borger Tx...talk about change, adjustments, and nerves! All 6 of us experienced all of the above and more...

Joel - Today Joel began two new courses through his on-line college Liberty University. He also had to speak to the parents of Kindergarteners at the Wee School at our church. This is a whole new realm of ministry for Joel but he did amazing! We are so excited to see the new year of Wee School begin!

Hannah - HIGH SCHOOL!!! Can you believe it? That sweet little girl who walked around saying "NO!" as a 2 yr old is now a Freshman at Borger High School. We came from a town that had approximately 400 in their entire High School - Borger has approximately 800 in the High School! YIKES. However, meeting the challenge head on - Hannah bravely entered the doors of the two story maze they call the High School. She said her day was great, she embarassed herself but in her words, "that's just like any freshman would do." She is taking mostly Pre-Ap courses and is very excited about the challenge of it!

Malachi - BIG 7th Grader! Again - we came from a smaller Jr. High with only 3 main hallways to a bigger Middle School with several LONG hallways and classes spread from one side to the other! He also took the challenge head on with his normal carefree attitude! He is most excited about his Exploring Technology class in which they will be making ROBOTS! Ha ha - Jr. High has progressed since I was there!

Kestra - 6th Grade JUNIOR HIGH! What? I blinked and my sweet little diva princess is starting her first year as a Middle School student! Talk about being overwhelmed....she has never been in a school where you change classes and then jumped to the middle school! She was relieved to see a friend from church right away at school this morning. She said that she was tardy to a few classes but enjoyed her classes. She is most excited about her Fine Arts class - they will be studying music and history of various time periods. In her words, "Mom, I just know it will be fun, the teacher is AWESOME!"

Tyler - 4th GRADE! Tyler is at Crockett Elementary here in Borger. His teacher seems really nice. They are still working on his Special Ed schedule and all that but he was excited none the less. He is looking forward to going to the Science Lab tomorrow and seeing the hampster. When I asked him what his favorite part of the day was he said "Recess!" Go Figure!!!

Ronnie - First day of WALKING! Borger has a park with a wonderful walking trail around it so I have set the goal to go walking right after taking kids to school. Today I walked 2 miles and had some amazing prayer time with my Jesus! After that, it was home to get some much needed cleaning and laundry finished and no first day of school is complete without MOMMY LUNCH! I was able to meet with one of my new friends here for lunch at the Coffee Ranch which is amazing by the way (and owned by the other Arringtons in town!) She has one in Kindergarten and one in 7th Grade so she was truly enjoying her freedom today! Ha ha!

There you have it - the first day of a New Year! We are all very excited to get into the school routine and all. I look forward to updating you all as the year progresses!!!

A disturbing trend

2011-08-12T19:40:00.000-07:00

"Just getting rid of the table and chairs, my family doesn't use it any more - we just sit on the couch in front of the TV."

"I don't believe in marriage - just isn't worth it" (FB post I saw today)

Sounds kind of ridiculous doesn't it? However it is a trend more and more common. Oh, many may not be LITERALLY selling their table and chairs (yes this was an ACTUAL post on Facebook and he was really selling the table!) but they might as well because the days of the family sitting around the table for a meal are becoming less and less.

My heart breaks as more and more Joel and I have seen the destruction and fall of the family unit. It seems like every where we turn we are hearing of marriages ending, children being removed from homes, kids being left to raise not only themselves but their siblings, etc. The enemy knows that the family as GOD intended it was to not just "co-exist" but to literally be united, intertwined, involved, absorbed in one another's lives. It was supposed to include a mom, a dad, and their children.

Yet, the world and more specifically America has tossed this picture out the window. We have come to believe that we really don't need anyone else - to make a lifetime committment may just not be worth the risk. Children - yeah, they're cute and all but really I got my own problems to deal with - they'll be ok without me. Really?

Today I observed the crucial importance of a WHOLE family as it was first created. One of the Pastors that we serve alongside here in Borger has been gone to Zimbabwe for the past two weeks. Today, we got the awesome privilege to watch his 20 month old girl while Mom went back to work (she's a teacher). All day long, little M was captivated by Joel! She wanted to be where he was, was pointing to his pictures in the house when he was gone, wanted to sit with him, etc. Normally, she says "Bye Joel" when he is mentioned but today "see Joel!" "Where's Joel?" all day long. Why the change? My belief - she was missing the Daddy element of the family unit. She, in her little wisdom, knew that the family was incomplete without Daddy.

There are many theories about why our economy and nation is suffering right now - my theory? First and foremost we have taken the Lord out of the helm and right behind that - we have torn apart and destroyed a CORE piece - the family!

It is time to take this important piece of America back! It is time for us as Christians, communities, a Nation to claim the family as key! We need to invest in our families - take time to sit around the breakfast or dinner table, sit around and talk about your day, ask your kids about what is on their mind or happening in their lives. Take a walk as a family - Play a game - Pray together - Read the Bible together. It will be worth the investment!

Patience or Not...

2011-08-10T13:08:00.000-07:00

I am not good with patience and I am especially not good at waiting for God to reveal His exact plan. Fortunately, God knows this so He is constantly placing opportunities for me to learn this in my path! Ha ha!

I want the easy answers, I want the whole plan to be revealed all at once, I want to know when to say yes and move forward, and I want to know when to say no this isn't the way. Fact of the matter - God doesn't really work within the realm of what I want! He works for His will and His path and His direction!

You may be wondering - ok so what's the point with this post? Why are you saying this? What's on your mind? Well - this is something that I have struggled with on many occassions but specifically in regards to a job opportunity that has come across my path this week.

The job is being an aide in one of the local schools. It isn't what I have my degree in BUT it is working with Special Needs kids which is something that I have a heart for. It isn't the greatest pay and honestly isn't the best of work environments...the only real perk? It is a school schedule meaning I have the same time off as my kids.

I have gone back and forth all day about this and you know the funny thing? I haven't even been OFFERED the job! Ha ha! Yet, I have found myself stressing over it...This afternoon it dawned on me that once again - I - am trying to weigh this out and figure it out and I am NOT waiting on the Lord and His leadership, direction, etc. SILLY ME!

My heart's desire is to "Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." Psalm 27:14. I want to wait for HIS perfect timing before I return to full-time work, I want to wait for Him to reveal the job He has for me, His Will - Not My Will!

My lesson today - when faced with a decision or choice I need to be patient, wait for the Lord to give me a peace and direction about it and not worry or fret over it with the knowledge that in HIS time, HE will reveal what I am to do!

I honestly don't know for certain what my decision will be about this particular job - if I am even offered the job - will be. I know what my leaning is, I know how I am feeling about it but I also know that His ways are not my ways and so I am open to what He may do!

Just an update...

2011-08-04T06:29:00.000-07:00

With the last few posts being about birthdays and anniversary with a lesson in the midst - I decided I would just post a general family update for those of you who are interested. :)

We have now into our fourth week here in Borger and for the most part we are settling into our new house, job, church, etc. By far the biggest adjustment for all of us has been the HEAT! Although we have lived in Texas before and have experienced hot summers - it has been awhile and the combination of the heat with a drought has made it almost impossible! Yet - God is good and slowly we are all becoming more and more acclimated to it and finding plenty of ways to stay cool - including trips to the pool!!!

Every week we are getting to know people in our new church family better and better. All of us have begun forming friendships and relationships! Joel has literally jumped in with both feet into his job at the church with the Senior Pastor and Pastor of Spiritual Development being gone to Zimbabwe - he has had to hit the ground running in putting the Children's Ministry into place! He is primarily focused on planning the school year schedule right now as well as finishing up summer! With a church of over 1000 members - there are a lot of children and families to meet and get to know - we are more than excited about the challenge! Ha ha!

I am in the beginning stages of helping coordinate the preschool department, workers, programs etc. Being that I LOVE preschoolers and I LOVE their mommies - I am really excited about this opportunity. So far we have started with some basics that really needed to be done immediately - toys washed, batteries replaced, broken toys thrown out, etc. Another big challenge that we will be dealing with in the coming months is changing all the cribs since slide down sided cribs are no longer legal and the ones in the church are way out dated anyway. I am really excited to start to get to know the parents and families of these precious little ones!

The kids - well they are enjoying the last of the lazy summer days! Their typical day consists of sleeping in til about 10:00 or later (often later), cleaning rooms, and then in the afternoons either going to the pool or playing video games. We did go to the library yesterday and got a card - so now they all have some books to read on a regular basis! I was able to get them registered for school this week and so that has made them excited to start school, meet more friends, meet teachers, etc! Malachi will be in Jr. High band (is that even possible he is that big?), Kestra will be in the 6th grade choir (where did my baby girl go?), Tyler will have a similar schedule between the Special Education Dept and regular classroom that he had in Bayfield. As for Hannah, we are looking forward to the school counselor calling us to go do her schedule but she is looking at the possiblity of taking some Pre-Advanced Placement classes in English, Science, and History! So hard to believe we are entering the High School journey!!!

Among the MANY blessings since moving here - we were blessed on Monday to have food, school supplies, toiletries and gift cards dropped off by members of our new church! What a surprise and huge blessing! Thanks to this - we have all the school supplies we need, the kids all have some new clothes, our pantry and freezer are overflowing...God is so gracious!!!

As of today, we have 18 more days til school starts - yes I am counting!!! Ha ha - so ready for the routine but I have enjoyed the time with my kids these past few weeks since the first part of summer was so crazy busy!!! I am looking forward to my sister visiting in about a week - YAY! Other than that - we will be just making the most of the last two weeks of summer break...and Joel will be frantically working on the fall children's ministry schedule! Ha ha!!

Faith, Control, Rest

2011-08-02T16:52:00.000-07:00

"Faith recognizes that God is in control of my life."

This was the first sentence in my devotional this morning and boy did I ever need it today. Unfortunately, it wasn't til late this afternoon that I remembered this and was really able to process what God wanted to teach me today!

This morning, I set out with one main goal for the day: Register kids for school here in Borger. As for registering, logistically that went very smoothly...just lots of paperwork. The problem was in my head! The first one on the list to register was Tyler - hind sight says I should have maybe waited til last for him but his was the first school I came to after leaving the house.

As many of you know, Tyler is not only my "baby" he is also the one with the most special needs in regards to hearing loss, speech delays, occupational delays, and learning disabilities. I have talked before about how incredibly blessed we were with a FANTASTIC special education team in Bayfield and yes - I was personally close to all of Tyler's teachers. So I know that this is more than likely the reason that I was literally overwhelmed, sad and anxious as I entered his school! However, the secretary was GREAT and I met the principal who was also very kind and helpful...again the issues were in my head. Would they follow the same plan we had in Bayfield? Would he respond well to teachers and therepists? What about friends? What did I need to do to make it smoother, better, etc? Oh - me of little faith! I don't have control!!!

Second lesson (again not realized til later - I can relate well to the Israelites!): Went to register Hannah at the HS. I decided I would take Joel with me because a.) it's a HUGE High School to this small town girl and b.) I thought we may have to set her schedule and I wanted back up! As it turned out - office was easy to find and there is no scheduling until they officially get her records from Bayfield...What??? I want to know, I want to make sure she is getting in the right classes, I want to meet people....Oh - me of little faith! I don't have control!!!

Third lesson ( didn't take as long to realize but still delayed...when will I learn?): Joel calls and wants to go to the bank to set up an account. Now, in most cases this isn't really a big deal but I am going to go on a limb and be a tad vulnerable: Joel and I do not have the best credit and yes we made some VERY poor financial decisions early in our marriage. These mistakes were almost 7 years ago - but well suffice it to say we are still paying for them; including trouble opening accounts. As I was driving to go meet Joel, I went between praying for God's provision and grace and saying "it won't work, why does he want to even try?" We got to the bank, one of our friends is the store manager of the bank and we had no problems! Oh - me of little faith! I DON'T HAVE CONTROL!!!

That's right - I do not have any control over my life - PRAISE THE LORD!!! He DOES have control and PRAISE THE LORD! Ha ha!!! God has already paved the way for me - I just need to have faith in Him and in His goodness!

"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see." Hebrews 11:1

I can rest assured knowing that God is control of everything - He has it all covered and doesn't need my assistance, just my obedience!!!

Malachi James...

2011-07-30T18:41:00.000-07:00

Last but certainly NOT least of the end of July celebrations is the birthday of our second child and first son - Malachi James! Hard to believe that tomorrow will be 13 years since he interrupted me teaching an adult VBS week and made a surprise arrival about a week before he was scheduled to come (we had a c-section scheduled for Aug 4)!

Malachi has totally and completely changed our world. With a calm and sensitive spirit, many of our family refers to him as a "mini-Joel". He has so many of the same mild mannered, carefree characteristics of his Dad in him! He loves to do anything on computers, loves to talk about anything and everything, overall just enjoys life!

Malachi in Hebrew means - "My (God's) Messenger". I had picked out the name Malachi James in Jr. High simply because one day I thought of it and it stuck with me. However, I know that God in His infinite wisdom knew who my firstborn son would be and so He laid the name on my heart! Malachi truly does love to discuss things in terms of God and His Word. He will often compare or relate things to God. Although I have no idea what he will be when he grows up - I know that he truly will be God's Messenger wherever he goes!!!

Although there are many times that Malachi drives us crazy - he is a Jr. High boy after all - for the most part, he brings joy, laughter and entertainment to our lives!!! I am so very very blessed to have this sweet spirited, caring, loving, young man in my life.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MALACHI JAMES!

Honoring a WONDERFUL Big Sister...

2011-07-29T20:35:00.001-07:00

I did try to warn you that the last week in July was full of celebrations for us! Ha ha! Tomorrow my AWESOME big sister Michelle will celebrate her birthday!!! I have truly the BEST sis ever!

Michelle and I have always been close but we have definitely been even closer since our sister Sherri went home to be with Jesus. We have rejoiced, cried, prayed, and laughed over so many things throughout the years...she is always there no matter what!

I love that our kids are pretty close in ages so they can grow up together and I love that our husbands are friends too! I also am very happy that we now live A LOT closer so hopefully we will get to see each other more.

There really are no words to fully describe how much Michelle means to me. I can say that she has encouraged me in my walk with Christ and given me an amazing example of a wife and mom! I am blessed to have her in my life!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHELLE! I LOVE YOU!

Celebrating 16 years with the Love of my Life!

2011-07-28T19:20:00.001-07:00

I told you yesterday that the last week in July was a BUSY one in our family...tomorrow will mine and Joel's 16th Wedding Anniversary! I am so very very blessed to call this wonderful man my husband...

This year I decided to take a trip down some of the high points of the past 16 years....

1995 - Our wedding of course! My close friend Anita goes to be with the Lord - significant in that Joel helped so much!!!

1996 - I graduate from college at Wayland Baptist University; we get our first position as youth pastor at a church; and move to Idalou Tx.

1997 - The birth of our first child - Hannah Marie; we join with a inter-denominational youth ministry in Pagosa Springs Colorado.

1998 - The birth of our second child - Malachi James

1999 - We move to Wheeler Tx where Joel is Youth/Music Pastor and the birth of our third child - Kestra Nichole.

2000 - Continue to serve at Wheeler Tx and computers DID NOT crash! Ha ha

2001 - We move back to Pagosa Springs Colorado and rejoin Power House Ministries and the birth of our fourth child - Tyler Bay!

2002 - Continue to serve in Pagosa Springs Co...no children born! Ha ha!

2003 - Move to Rockwood, TN. where Joel serves as minster to Children and Youth at Cornerstone Christian Church; in December we move to Lewisville Tx where we take a sabatical from ministry.

2004 - While not on staff; we join our college friend Sam Griffin and volunteer with Jr. High students at Northview Baptist Church.

2005 - After a time of healing we move to Arkadelphia Arkansas where Joel is Youth Pastor at Caddo Valley Baptist Church; I work for Henderson State College...

2006 - Continue to serve at Caddo Valley Baptist Church; move to a new house and get our dog Beauty!

2007 - In September, God brings us back to Colorado where Joel is Pastor to Youth and Children at First Baptist Church Bayfield Co; I work for Mercy Regional Medical Center in the Human Resource Dept; our "baby" starts Kindergarten! My Grandad goes to be with Jesus - Joel is out of town but manages to come home early to be with me!

2008 - The first of our own children is in Youth Group!!! Yikes!!!

2009 - Our first time camping with all 6 of us! It was fun!!!

2010 - I go to Zimbabwe Africa - which is my first ever overseas trip and the first time I have done anything ministry related without Joel; Joel is awesome at being Mr. Mom for 14 days while I am gone!!! Ha ha!

2011 - Our oldest finishes Jr High (and will start High School); we move to Borger Tx where Joel totally shifts ministry gears to Associate Pastor to Children and Families at First Baptist Church Borger Tx!

Whew! That is a lot and I know doesn't encompass EVERYTHING! As you can tell the three main themes in our lives; our family, ministry, and moving where God sends us! Many have commented throughout the years, "Don't you want to settle down somewhere?" "Now that your kids are older you should probably 'settle' and not move." etc. Please don't get me wrong - these people are well meaning and for some, perhaps that is the case. For us, yes of course we WANT to settle and even pray that perhaps this is where we can but we also know that God has called us into FULL TIME vocational ministry for the remainder of our lives and we will go and serve wherever and whenever He calls us to. So, yes we hope that Borger is our settling down place and are even working to buy a house within a year - but we will never limit God.

The past 16 years have been full of ups, downs, joys and sorrows. Through it all - I have grown closer to my Lord and my Man and wouldn't trade ONE moment of it!!! I look forward to whatever tomorrow brings!!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MY LOVE!!!!

Happy Birthday to the love of my life!

2011-07-27T17:49:00.001-07:00

For those of you who don't know, the end of July is full of birthdays and anniversaries in our family! Joel's sister and her hubby celebrated 19 years on Monday and tomorrow...July 28....is HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my wonderful man - Joel!

I would be blind if I didn't realize how incredibly blessed I am to have this man in my life! Joel is the epitimy of patient, loving, caring, devoted, etc in a husband. He has literally been a pillar of stability when all else was unknown, he has been the joy in the midst of sorrow, the shoulder when I needed it, etc. However, most of all - He has truly been the Godly leader of our home and has challenged all of us to grow in our walk with Christ!

It has been a joy to be a part of Joel's life for the past 18 years (dating and marriage) and I truly do pray that the Lord will continue to work and move in his life as Joel continues to seek the face and will of our Savior! I love you Joel!!!

First full week in Borger!

2011-07-22T20:34:00.000-07:00

It doesn't seem like it has been a full week since we got in our van and moving truck to head this way, but here we are a week later and now at home in our new house in Borger Tx!

So - for the basic recap of the past week, here goes! Friday and Saturday nights were spent at the Holiday Inn Express. We were so thankful to not have to worry about beds or anything for the first few days. Saturday we had a lot of wonderful people waiting at our home to unload - and they got it done quick! Sunday was wonderful and full of meeting new people as well as seeing others that we had met on previous visits.

Monday and Tuesday Joel spent the day at the church getting oriented to where things are, keys, office space, etc. My focus was unpacking/cleaning/getting the house organized! By Wednesday the majority of the house was unpacked and the kids and I as well as Joel were ready for some fun - so it was off to Amarillo to do some shopping for a few things we needed around the house! Wednesday night, was prayer meeting and for Hannah and Malachi - their first night of Youth Group. It was a fun time and they got to know even more of the kids!

Yesterday - after spending the morning working on the last bit of unpacking the kids and I headed for the Community Pool! It was a welcome treat in this 104 degree weather! Last night, Joel and I had the opportunity to go to the home of some of the Children's Workers for a bit and visit about what is working/not working and brainstorm! Then today was a work day at the house for me and the church for Joel finished with a fun family night at home tonight - we had pizza, snowcones, played Apples to Apples Bible Edition and watched the original Karate Kid! So fun to just be together as a family!!!

The biggest challenge of the week - getting the natural gas turned on so that we could have a stove to cook and HOT WATER to take showers! Apparently there was no shut off valve on the water heater and so the gas company wouldn't turn on the gas until that was repaired - so it wasn't til today that we could have gas on! However - we did take advantage of the Rec Center and were able to take showers there a few times this week and thanks to our handy dandy Microwave we had some creative meals! Ha ha ha!

However - as of tonight the bulk of the packing is done with the exception of books, gas is on and running well, we have almost caught up on laundry and finally feel semi-normal in our house here! I think all 6 of us are ready to settle into some semblance of routine and normal for the remainder of the summer and to really start developing relationships and ministering here. The kids have really done great at being outgoing and meeting new friends - I am so thankful for this! Joel has had the opportunity to not only meet church members but even met a new doctor that is in the process of moving here as well! Thanks to our dog Beauty being curious and running to the neighbor - I had the opportunity to meet our next door neighbors and their new little puppy Dixie...

The big task for next week is enrolling the kids in school! I will confess that I am the one nervous about that but I also know the Lord has already chosen teachers, schedules, therapists, etc for us and it will all work out. Hannah and Malachi are really no big deal as far as registering as they are not in any resource classes or anything. Kestra will have to be in a resource room for help in reading and math but for the most part should be fine. Tyler on the other hand will have to be set up not only for resource but also for speech and occupational therapy. Thankfully the team in Bayfield did a GREAT job of making sure I have everything in terms of documentation and testing that we should need! However - prayers would be really appreciated for a smooth transition both for the kids and for me into a new school district.

Many have wondered if I am going to work or not. The simple answer is probably in some form but we aren't exactly sure what that will look like at this point. I am possibly going to try and continue to work for my Dad from here to some extent depending on how the logistics work out. I am also considering either subbing or perhaps working a part or full time job. Although we can pay bills with Joel's income - we are really determined to work on getting out of debt within the next year so that we can potentially buy a house. My working either part or full time would definitely be a help to this. The other side of this is that at least for the first part of school - there will probably be some meetings, transitions, etc that I need to be available for with the kids; thus our decision for me to not worry about a permanent job right away. Please be in prayer for that as well - that we will make the right choice one way or the other.

Well with that - I think I am headed to bed since it is now 11:00 here and I have a busy morning helping Joel get ready for Sunday tomorrow...

Pre-view of Heaven....and other

2011-07-18T11:35:00.000-07:00

As I type this, I am sitting in the play area of McDonalds - yea, free wi-fi was calling my name after a morning of unpacking!

I wanted to share with you a revelation that the Lord showed me yesterday during the Worship Service here in Borger. Yesterday was our first official Sunday here and it was wonderful and hard all at the same time. However - God chose that particular scenerio to reveal some important truths and concepts to me!

Let me back up just a bit though to set the stage. We had spent Saturday night in the hotel and so Sunday morning was already a little off kilter for us in that we weren't leaving from home, had to check out of the hotel, check on the dog, etc. When we got to church - Joel and I decided to be the most loving parents EVER...(hear the sarcasim?) We got out of the car and simply told the kids "Ok, now go find your classes for Sunday School." Did I mention that FBC Borger is a literal MAZE to get around and is three stories high? Ha ha! The kids had had a tour twice, been to their classes when we came to visit etc, so we thought this a great test! They all four managed to get to the right places!

During Sunday School Joel and I were with the children of course and the older 3 were in the youth department. I told Joel that when the regular service started I was going to go to the sanctuary for worship because I didn't want Hannah and Malachi to be overwhelmed and alone (Kestra and Tyler are in Children's Church and don't ever come to the main worship service)
As I made my way down to the worship center, I began to really miss the familiarity of FBC Bayfield, the people I already knew, etc but God continued to whisper - "It's ok, I got this for you and just wait til you see!" So, I entered the sanctuary - Malachi was quick to find me and was excited to tell me about youth. We found a seat and waited for Hannah. Next thing I know, Hannah comes skipping, yes skipping, up to me - "Mom, I met some friends can I sit with them?" My heart was leaping with joy because I wanted her to find friends - "Of course." Malachi and I sit and a few minutes later we here "Hey Malachi, come sit with us!" It was some of the youth boys...he looks at me with the question in his eye. "Go ahead, go sit with them."

Can you picture this now? I have come to make sure my kids aren't alone and low and behold guess who is now literally sitting alone? Joel is with Tyler and Kestra in the childrens area and the older two have new friends...I am the one alone. Again I sense "It's ok, I'm here and I got this." Me, "Ok God but I feel really alone but it's not about me, it's about you right?"

That is the scene as the Worship Service begins but that is not the end! The spirit of worship was AMAZING and something that I have only experienced a few times before! I felt literally ushered into the throne room of the King of Kings. As I sat there in total awe and amazement of my Savior this is the revelation that came to me - THIS is what Heaven will be like! We will literally be worshipping and adoring the King with MILLIONS that we never knew here on Earth and yet we will be family and close to one another simply because of the King! My sense of being alone - GONE! I felt completely and totally at home, surrounded by the family of the King!

I am not even kidding when I tell you that I left the service completely and totally at peace and excited! No, these people aren't FBC Bayfield but they ARE part of my family and I am looking forward to getting to know them more and more each day!

Last night was a baptism/swim party/ welcome party and we had so much fun! It was wonderful to visit and get to know people better and to just relax for awhile. I did take pictures but forgot to bring the camera so I could upload them - will try to remember that tomorrow when I come.

Today as been focused on the kitchen and getting it set up. It was really dirty so I had to clean before I could unpack but for the most part it is all done. I know there are a few more kitchen boxes somewhere in the garage; just have to find them! Ha ha!

So - there you have the latest in our transition to Borger! Oh yeah, I have decided that next Sunday, I will find someone to sit with and get to know...but I wouldn't have traded that lesson the Lord had for me for anything!

Our moving adventure!

2011-07-16T18:38:00.001-07:00

Yikes! I can't believe this day is really here...we are now in Borger Tx to STAY! Whew!

As far as moves go, this one has been pretty smooth but it wasn't without its moments. Where to begin?

Wednesday - we finished packing up the house, did the majority of the cleaning, Joel took the furniture down, etc. It was a pretty good day and went well!

Thursday - we picked up the moving truck in Durango and got it back to the church at Bayfield. At the church, we dropped off the towing trailer and realized that the blinkers on the truck didn't work! However, we didn't want to take it back and risk waiting on another truck or that one to get repaired so just went with it. Got the truck up to our house in Forest Lakes only to discover that our drive way was a little rough - after high centering the truck twice, Joel was able to bring it in at an angle and get it up the drive! Whew! We had A LOT of help loading, cleaning, etc Thursday afternoon so got that all done fairly quickly.
Joel had the cat, which was going to my parents home, in the truck with Tyler. The cat was in a car carrier but managed to get out. So, we got to the church where we were going to load the Thunderbird on the trailer. While at the church, said cat managed to escape!!!

Loading the trailer was a little bit of an adventure as well! We got the car up on the trailer only to discover that while on the trailer the car doors would not open - meaning Joel was stuck in the car on the trailer! Ha ha ha!!! He literally had to climb out of the car Duke's of Hazard style!!!

We attempted to catch the cat and at one point I had him. However, once I got close to the car he went balistic and scratched the heck out of me and got away - again! By this time, we were tired, frusterated, and ready to be done so we left the cat! Good news - he was caught by some of our youth and they took him home!

Friday - We got up bright and early and left my parents house by 6:00 Colorado time. We were surprised to get an e-mail from Dennis Reimers - a deacon and good friend from Bayfield - offering to buy us breakfast in Bloomfield! So - we had a wonderful breakfast and were able to see him one more time before heading on down the road.

The trip out here went great - just really slow as we averaged 55 miles an hour with the U-Haul. So after a 15 hour day, we made it to Borger at about 9:00 last night!

Saturday - After a good night's sleep in the hotel, we woke up and unloaded the Thunderbird and trailer at the church here in Borger. After meeting with our new landlord to pay rent and get keys; we went to our new home!
A pleasant surprise awaited us - around 10 people were ready and waiting to unload the truck! I am not kidding when I say they had the truck COMPLETELY unloaded in 30 min! These people ROCK! In addition - one of the men there had an extra twin bed for Hannah so we got that as well...

The house looked good! It had been cleaned, painted, and repaired within the past week! The only surprise - NO STOVE!!! Can you believe that? We have never lived in a rental that didn't have a stove! So we have to track one of those down...but no worries!

After unloading, Joel's parents showed up as they are in Amarillo for the week and we all went to lunch at a local restaurant here called The Plaza - YUMMY! Following lunch, was a tour of the church with his parents. We then returned the U-Haul, did a few things at the house, and then we all came back to the hotel to SWIM as it was 106 outside!

Tonight - we are settled in for the night in the hotel. We have a big day tomorrow with church, setting up beds, and children's baptism/swim party tomorrow night.

Thank you all so much for your prayers, support and encouragement. We look forward to the unpacking and truly making Borger our home. We are eagerly anticipating the ministry opportunities God has for us here!

Last official night in Bayfield

2011-07-13T20:41:00.000-07:00

As I sit here, there are literally boxes and piles of stuff surrounding me...the house is all packed and we are ready for the U-Haul truck tomorrow. In a way it seems so surreal that this is our last night in this home, our last night in Bayfield (we are spending tomorrow night with my parents about 30 miles away) and yet in another way I am amazed that this time is finally here!

For the most part, I am excited and so anxious to begin this next chapter in our lives; yet there is a part of me that is still sad and will miss this place immensely! I will miss the mountains and seeing deer in my front yard. I will miss the small town feel, walking in the store and knowing almost everyone, random trips to Wal-Mart with my dear friend Dani, the people, etc.

If I were to sum up our time here in Bayfield into one word it would be RELATIONSHIPS! More than ministry programs or events our ministry has been filled with dicipleship and mentoring relationships; friendships; relationships with those at the school; church family relationships, etc. A friend summed it up well when she said that Bayfield has been a place where we could heal from some past wounds and know that there really are caring and loving people in the world... I am SO very thankful that the Lord has had us here these past 4 years and I know that the people here will forever be in our hearts!

With that being said - I am SO excited to finally get on the road to Borger and the opportunities that await us there. Already we have met people that we love and can't wait to get to know more! The people there are so warm and welcoming and we know that it will also be a precious time for our family.

Tomorrow we load up the moving truck, clean the house and then head to my parents' for the night. Friday we will be up early and on the road - we are anticipating about a 10 hour drive. Saturday will be unloading at our new home in Borger. Sunday is Joel's first official day on staff at FBC Borger!

Every move has a verse...this is Borger's

2011-07-10T05:45:00.000-07:00

Every time Joel and I have moved whether for ministry or other reasons, the Lord has given one or both of us a very specific word from the Word in regards to that particular move in our life. The one for Borger was actually given to me several months before I even knew that Borger was a possibility. It came at a time when I was honestly torn about whether or not I was even willing to leave this wonderful community of Bayfield.

"The Lord had said to Abram, 'Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all people's on earth will be blessed through you.'" Genesis 12:1-3

You see, here in Bayfield I am close to my hometown and to my father's house. For the first time in over 15 years of ministry I have a best friend in the church we are serving in and my kids are in a school district that we truly do love. So one Sunday in church Genesis 12 was the key passage - I can't tell you for sure what the message was about but as soon as I turned to the page this passage captured my attention!

I KNEW that God was speaking directly to me. He was telling me, now was the time to get up and go and that if I was willing to obey - there would be more blessings that I would ever imagine!

Now, I am not saying that by moving to Borger we will be a great nation in the literal sense or that my name is going to be written in the history books! Ha ha! However, what I do know is this: God has and will continue to bless our family through this move; we will have many opportunities to bless others through this move; and because of our obedience to go wherever He calls whenever He calls - we have had and will continue to have the opportunity to bless MANY people all over the Earth in His name! I am not taking the glory because it is all through Him and His blood.

The timing of this blog is also significant. I chose to write this today, our last Sunday here in Bayfield, because to be honest last night and this morning I really struggled emotionally. My dear sweet friend, Dani Vaughn and my husband Joel are singing in church today for potentially the last time. Dani has been a HUGE blessing to me - I will have to post a whole other post about that - but suffice it to say that the Vaughn family is pretty much our family in every sense of the word and as the day gets closer for us to leave - both she and I are struggling, even though we know we will be life friends!

I am also struggling with the knowledge that today will be a day of MANY goodbyes. There are many that we will not see before we leave on Friday except for today; however when I woke up and began to get sad God immediately said "Remember Genesis 12:1-3? I have great things awaiting you!"

So - with that in mind- yes I know it will be hard to say goodbye today but I am SO very very ready to be in Borger and to start getting to know the people there. I can't wait to look for ways to bless others because I have been blessed! I can't wait to serve because I have been served! I can't wait to love because HE loves me!

The Hand of the Father - Trusting Him Every Step

2011-07-05T19:05:00.000-07:00

I am happy to say that Joel is officially Associate Pastor to Children and Families at First Baptist Church Borger Texas! We were so blessed to have been asked to come! This has been an incredible journey for us and will continue to be as we take the final steps toward moving our family here permanently...

That being said, I must also confess that on more than one occassion the past week I have waivered in my trust in God to work it all out and have even found myself doubting at times if we really were making the right choice - yet God in all His wisdom and glory knew EXACTLY what it would take for this child of His to once again trust Him in ALL things!

The doubting primarily came as we closed the week at Hesperus Youth Camp - I found myself wondering why we would walk away from youth ministry when there were so many still hurting and so many that needed to know how much they were cherished and loved. However - God began to show me others whom He is raising up to be there for these wonderful youth and in order for them to do so; we must step out of the way!

The lack of trust - that came yesterday! If you remember in my first post about this move I mentioned that we had found a house? Well, yes it is true that GOD had found a house but not the one WE had in mind! Yesterday we called on the house and were told that it had been rented out a week ago... Normally this would not be a big deal; however in Borger - it's a BIG deal to find a 3 br rental!!! As soon as we found out, the people here began to ask and look for housing - it seemed like we were coming up empty and yes, I started to panic just a tad at the thought that we are scheduled to move here in 9 days and we didn't have a house to move into!

Yet - God had a plan! Through someone who knew someone we were given a phone number of a lady that had a 3 Br 2 Ba house for rent! We met with her and saw the house - although small and older; it will do for a place to live - like Joel said "A family makes a house the home!" So - this afternoon we rushed an application to her, she quickly checked references, and approved us to rent it! Yeah!!! In addition, it is $325 LESS in rent than the original house which will allow for savings toward a down payment on purchasing a house in a year or so!

As I was reflecting on everything this afternoon - God really spoke to me about having a missions mind set about this particular move. No - I am not going to the bush in Africa or the dry lands of Mexico; yet there are SO many here that are lost, broken, and in despair! Yes - I am going to have to sacrifice some in regards to a smaller, older house than what we are currently in; yes there are some other adjustments to make but God has clearly called us to this place and we are anxious to get here and begin the work He has called us to!

The lesson I have learned today - be willing to go wherever, whenever, no matter the circumstances and God will work out EVERY single detail! We truly do serve an amazing and wonderful Savior!

So what is our schedule? Tomorrow we will head back to Bayfield; we were supposed to be back today but due to the housing issue we had to stay an extra day. Thursday and Friday are packing days with breaks to have lunch/cokes with friends in the area and dinner on Friday night with family that is camping at Vallecito. Saturday is a special baptism and birthday celebration with our second family the Vaughns ( I am going to miss them SO much)! Sunday will be a time of good bye/celebration with our First Baptist Bayfield family - yep going to miss them too!!! Monday through Wednesday are packing and cleaning, Thursday is loading the moving truck day, and then Friday July 15 we are headed out! YIKES - lots happin in a short amount of time!!!

If you are in the Bayfield area and would be available to help load the moving truck Thursday July 14 at around 3:00 - we would GREATLY appreciate it! Unloading in Borger will take place on Saturday July 16 and we would appreciate any help then as well...

Thank you all so much for the continued prayers as we follow the Lord wherever He leads!

Youth Camp 2011

2011-07-02T07:22:00.001-07:00

This year's youth camp was a bittersweet experience for Joel and I. We so loved being with the youth from both our church and the other churches! One thing that I truly do LOVE about going to a smaller youth camp is that you are able to form deep relationships with the youth that come year after year from all the churches - this is definitely the case at Hesperus!

The bittersweet part comes from the knowledge that this was our last youth camp as Joel is moving into Children's Ministry...we know that this is where the Lord is leading but it was still hard to let go of this part of ministry!

The camp it's self has changed so much for the better! They have repainted, got new equipment, built a zip line, are adding a basketball court, have a disc golf course, horse shoes, etc! What a blessing to see these things added!

Spiritually I will say that this was possibly one of the most difficult camps we have faced in that so many of the young people shared some truly deep hurt issues that they are facing! We saw everything from a young lady who had recently attempted suicide, to a young man struggling with the loss of his brother, to drug and alcohol addictions, to physical and verbal abuse. As a mom - my heart broke! I wanted to sweep them all up and bring them home to a safe, loving, and healing environment - but I was forced to rely upon the knowledge that Christ is truly their refuge and strength! I will say that for the most part - all of these young people really do have strong support systems in their home church and we are praying that they will take advantage of those!

The biggest release for the students was learning that their is true and real freedom in forgiving those that have hurt them! It was so awesome to see them grasp this concept and to take that difficult step of forgiveness!

Hesperus Baptist Camp and the staff there will always hold a special place in our hearts!!!

A Double Digit Birthday!

2011-07-02T07:15:00.001-07:00

The day that I knew would come and secretly was sort of dreading has come! Our "baby" boy Tyler turned 10 this past Monday...we now officially have all four kiddos in double digits! YIKES!

We celebrated Tyler's birthday a day early since we left for camp on Monday (did NOT like being away from my boy on his day for the record!). Due to our crazy back to back schedule - the two Grandmothers stepped up to the plate to plan his birthday lunch and make a cake - THANKS NANA and MIMI!!!

Tyler's party was at my parent's house - one of his favorite places to hang out. We had a lunch of fish, potato casserole, rolls and of course birthday cake!

I must say that Tyler has the SWEETEST heart and truly beamed from ear to ear the whole day! He is such a joy to watch...he soaks everything in!

I can't wait to see how the Lord works in Tyler's life - he will do great things for the Kingdom!!!

Mission Trip 2011

2011-06-25T19:11:00.001-07:00

For the youth/church Mission Trip we decided to go with World Changers which is a ministry through the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. The mission of World Changers is to engage teens in providing labor to those here in the US - it ranges from home repair, painting, roofing, working in parks, cleaning up cemetaries, etc. Each church group is divided onto crews of with other churches from all over the country and they have a project to complete during the week...

Our church went to Gallup NM which is only about 4 hours away. It was a different experience for all of us and not one we are soon to forget! The picture above is my crew - The Cinderblockheads! Our project was to build a wheel chair ramp for the home owner that had a stroke this past August. We also repaired a roof over their patio.

I must say that this was WAY out of my comfort zone for missions! I not only do not know anything about construction, I don't enjoy it, and would MUCH rather be engaging and interacting with the people. However - this past week God had plans for me!!!

I started the week very frustrated and irritated with the organization and leadership of some of the youth sponsors, I felt very useless, and quite honestly was thinking that I should have stayed home as I had PLENTY to do here in terms of getting to move. Yet - as the week went on God began to show me that HIS agenda wasn't about me ministering to others this time around but simply to sit and be willing to be his servant when and how He willed.

Yesterday, was the real blessing for me! I was able to share basic Bible stories with a young boy at one of the work sites and then I was able to meet others in the neighborhood; I noticed that these opportunities didn't arise until I had an attitude check however and became willing to let GOD determine the purpose, organization, and leadership of the trip! Isn't that the case a lot? We try to do it our way, with our motives and plans and God says "step out of the way so that MY plan can be accomplished!"

I don't regret going and at the same time I don't know that I would go again to a World Changers trip - however I DO know that no matter where God sends me, I hope to step aside and let HIM determine what and how I am to minister!!!

This next week we are headed to youth camp at Hesperus Baptist Camp followed by a weekend trip to Borger Tx as Joel is going in view of a call as Associate Pastor to Children and Families. We are excited about it but also very tired and weary...please pray for sustained energy and strength for all 6 of us as we navigate this BUSY schedule...Love you all!

His ways are not our ways....

2011-06-18T20:52:00.000-07:00

I am so thankful and excited that I can now type this particular post - it has been something that I have SO longed to blog about but for necessary reasons - I really had to keep quiet until now - however God is SO perfect in His timing because I truly am overflowing with joy over this new journey that has begun in our lives!

In order to fully grasp where we are at now - I need to share with you all where we have been! As most of you know, Joel and I came to First Baptist Bayfield in Sept. 2007 when Joel accepted the position of Youth and Children's Pastor. We were SO excited to be back in Colorado, the mountains, near family, near my home town, etc. It was our full intention to stay here for the majority if not all of our kids schooling. We LOVE this community and area.

Yet, as is often the case at the point that people become "content" where they are at - God often calls us in a new direction...For us, this process began approximately a year ago when Joel and I seperately began to consider that perhaps God was calling us to move; however neither of us said much to the other and both chalked it up to the fact that we had actually been some where more than 2 years and were just restless....As time went on we would talk about long term ministry and Joel shared that his heart was turning more and more to ministry to children and families; for me my heart was turning more and more to mentoring young moms and encouraging them as they parent their preschoolers. So, we knew that this was the direction God was getting us to and figured it was 2 to 4 years down the road.

Fast forward to the end of March, first of April to a conversation Joel had with our current Pastor about our church here. Randy and Joel were talking about the financial state of the church and the effect of the economy on it. Randy asked Joel to just pray about going part-time and doing only children's ministry since that was his heart. So - we did pray and God answered!

The answer was clear to both of us - Joel was to pursue Children and Family ministry but it was not to be part time and it was not to be with FBC Bayfield. We shared this with a few friends as well as Pastor Randy and asked them to pray with us about this new direction. We had concerns as to moving the kids after they were settled, leaving the first church we had ever had true friends at, leaving a community we love dearly, etc.

In obedience to the Lord, Joel began the process of sending out resumes but unlike before when we looked for a church that Joel could deal with working with - we decided that he would share his passion and vision for ministry and pray that a church with that shared vision would open up. This past May as we prepared to go on vacation we decided to table the whole job search and just enjoy our vacation - we laid it at the feet of the Father....amazing how when we let go, He is then able to work!

While on vacation on May 20 Joel had coffee with a good friend from college who is also in ministry. Joel shared his heart and where God was leading us. Through this conversation, our friend mentioned that he knew of a church that he thought might be what we were looking for. The next day Joel had an hour long interview with the Pastor of Spiritual Development of the church, which led to a dinner interview a week later with the Sr Pastor, Pastor of Spiritual Dev and their wives and Joel and I. This went great and led to Joel and I going this past weekend to a formal interview with church leadership....the position title is Associate Pastor to Children and Families! Isn't God so amazing?

This brings me to where we are at now. Based on the interview this past weekend, a shared vision between Joel and the church, a peace about it on both sides - we will be going in view of a call to First Baptist Borger Tx July 3. For those of you not familiar with "view of a call" it is a time for us to be introduced to the whole church, a meet and greet, question and answer time, and will conclude with the church voting on Joel as a whole.

If that goes favorably, which is our prayer, we will then return to Bayfield and be moving July 15. This is a very fast time frame especially considering the next two weeks are booked with youth trips for First Baptist Bayfield. Yet - God has given us both a peace that this is the direction we are to go and we are following Him step by step....

To share more about how we have seen the Lord in all of this: ALL 4 kids were not only ok but genuinely excited about moving, the church in Borger goes to Zimbabwe once a year (a place dear to my heart), we have a house there already, we are 40 miles from Joel's sister and only 6 hours from mine, we have MANY college friends in and around the area, and some friends of ours from Bayfield are also potentially moving to that area! God is SOOOO amazing!!!

We will miss our friends and church family here in Bayfield but we know that in the family of God there are no goodbyes only see you laters! Also, both of our parents are still here which means we will be here on vacations and plan on visiting FBC Bayfield regularly!

Please join us in prayer for the upcoming vote and potential transition for our family. I look forward to sharing with you more about this adventure and God's work in it all!

My Dad....

2011-06-17T19:11:00.000-07:00

With Father's Day coming this Sunday, I wanted to take time to recognize the AMAZING father that I have! This picture really does capture the essence of who my Dad is - he's fun, a cowboy, wise, discerning, caring, loving, and just an all around good guy.

The one thing that I remember and cherish most about my Dad is that for me, he was the primary discipler in my life in regards to my walk with Jesus. It was my Dad that taught me how to use the Bible, how to pray, how to seek Him for the answers I need most in my life. My Dad taught me what it means to love others unconditionally and to serve others for the sake of Jesus.

As for today, my Dad is not only my boss for work, he is a friend, a mentor, someone in whom I place a lot of trust and who has set a GREAT example for marriage for my husband and I. He has also led by example in terms of being a godly parent and role model for my kids!

Of course, he isn't perfect but in my opinion he's pretty darn close! I am so thankful to my Heavenly Father for placing in the arms of a wonderful earthly father with whom I am privileged to share my birthday!!! Love you Dad!!!

A shift in mindset..

2011-06-12T21:00:00.000-07:00

Parents - I want to share with you not something new, but rather something that has been lost, forgotten and placed on the back burner...here it is, are you ready?

YOU are CALLED to be the chief discipler of your children. Yes - YOU! Unfortunately through the passage of time and a shift in our society many churches have not only assumed this role but in some cases they have TAKEN this role from the parents and I believe that the time is NOW for parents to step up and say "We care enough about our children that we will do as Deutoronomy commands and we will train, disciple and show our children to be the Christians that Christ has called them to be."

This idea is something that Joel and I have known for awhile but really weren't sure what we were to do with it until recently. However, the past year or so God has revealed in many ways that he asking us to come alongside parents and to encourage, train, and equip them to be the primary spritual influence in their children's lives.

It is not enough to take your kids to church on Sunday morning or Wednesday night and expect the children's workers to train them - they need to see it lived out, practiced daily, and most of all they need to see you as parents taking this role.

So here are a few practical steps that we have taken with our own children that I pray will help you - however know this: YOUR children are different and may respond different; however YOU know your child better than anyone else and you know how to relate to them...

1. Set aside a time at least weekly if not daily to sit around the dinner table AS AN ENTIRE FAMILY...while at dinner, talk about what God is doing in each of your lives. Start by letting your kids know what God is doing in YOUR life...

2. Pray with your children and for your children.

3. Read the Bible together and then talk about what you have read and how God wants us to apply that to our lives.

4. Use scripture in your discipline of your children - show them that these aren't your rules but God's.

5. Be involved in your kids' lives - their activities, friends, schools, etc.

6. PRAY PRAY PRAY

So - this has been my topic of conversation the majority of the day and I thought I would blog about it since it was on my mind. Once again, not an indepth post by any means but simple and to the point....

VBS 2011 is a Rap!

2011-06-10T21:11:00.000-07:00

BIG APPLE ADVENTURE I <3 VBS!

This was the theme of this past week at First Baptist Bayfield and a BIG ADVENTURE it was! With 42 kids and 37 adults registered we averaged an attendance of 70 people each night. What a fun week we had!

Beyond the typical things of music, crafts, Bible Study, and snacks we also included a Missions rotation. For our Missions offering - we collected school supplies for the Kits for Kids program through the Global Baptist Response organization. Although different than just bringing change - I think it was good for the kids to do something that they could relate to.

Some other highlights were Seth, a 6' 6" football player, giving piggy back rides and being our parking lot attendant; giving a Bible to a special little girl; funny comments like a preschooler saying "dog water" was their favorite food; and Seth getting a whip cream pie in his face! Yep - these are the things that make VBS so fun!!!!

As much fun as VBS was - I must say we are wiped out! Ha ha ha! It feels so good to put my feet up and know that I don't have to do it again tomorrow! LOL....

Thank you to all the wonderful teachers, helpers and volunteers!!!

Seasons of Change...

2011-06-01T21:06:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking a lot about all the different seasons of life we go through, the changes we experience and how they reshape us, develop us and refine us.

Some changes are good and help us grow and yet others are difficult and painful and may change us in ways that we aren't sure we want to go.

No matter the type of change or the season surrounding it - when we are consistently walking hand in hand with the Savior we can know that "he works all things for our good..."

So - why all this talk of change? Primarily because I have sensed a big change of seasons in our life over the past two months...

We have gone from a family of 6 with kids in Elementary and Jr High kids to now a family of 6 with one in HS, 2 in Jr High and only one in Elementary! The idea of HS brings a whole new realm of reality for us - decisions on how late and with whom she can go out, beginning stages of college searching, prom, dating, etc are all events we will cross within this next season.

Personally I have found myself changing seasons in my own purpose and direction in which God is calling me. I still have a HUGE heart for women but it is more specific and refined now - I want to reach out and minister to Moms of young children, special needs children and elementary age children. My heart is to come along side them and encourage them as they journey the path of motherhood whether alone or with a husband. I have also had this sense of embracing and cherishing every moment with my own kids - mostly because of the reality that within four years Hannah will leave home and the others aren't far behind!

In sensing and seeing all these changes, I have found myself at a crossroads. I can worry, stress, be down and depressed about them. I can fight them - deny them- pretend they aren't happening and yet they will still happen and progress. OR I can choose to embrace them, look forward to them, and seek the Lord's guidance and direction through them!

This second choice is where I find myself - at the point of excitement about what lies around the next bend of my life! I have had the BEST conversations with my daughter Hannah the past few weeks - it has been a sweet time for us! I have watched a young mom and dear friend begin her journey as a mom of four and truly see the joy that this brings. I have been able to encourage and lift up another new mom of four in a hard point in her life. Conversations about life in general with my almost 13 yr old boy have simply been amazing and wonderful... these are just a few of the highlights of this new season I find my self in!

I know that there are still some major changes ahead - some sooner rather than later. Yet, because I know in whom I have believed and He is able - I can look forward to this season with anticipation and joy!

I look forward to sharing more about this season in my life as it unfolds throughout the next few months and years!

Wonderful Vacation and Now back to reality!

2011-05-31T19:44:00.000-07:00

Whew! We had SOOO much fun in Texas visiting both Joel's sister and family as well as my sister and her family! In addition, we were able to catch up with a few friends from college and go to Six Flags! Such a great time!

After enjoying 90 to 100 degree weather for 8 days, we returned home to our 60-70 degree weather and the reality of a BUSY next few weeks!

This week and next are primarily VBS prep and running for me while Joel will be assisting with VBS as well as working out the details of our Mission Trip to Gallup NM and Youth Camp! We are excited and yet a tad overwhelmed with the craziness of it all!

The kids are enjoying the laid back summer schedule and are also busy helping with VBS - I was told today I had my own little workforce! Ha ha so true!!!

Well, I will hopefully blog more in the next few days or so but just wanted to let you all know about what's happenin!

End of the World or Not?

2011-05-21T06:50:00.000-07:00

With all of the media attention, bill boards, website, radio talk etc surrounding Harold Camping's claim that May 21, 2011 is the day of Jesus' return - I must admit many things have gone through my mind...

First, not going to lie, I found my self making sarcastic and comical remarks. Like, hmm wonder what he is going to do on May 22 when he is still here or hello isn't this the same guy who has been wrong before? I even had a "roll my eyes" kind of attitude about it.

Second, I found myself even second guessing what I believe. Granted this didn't last long as God gave me a sense of peace that could only come from Him but still it was a momentary thought.

However, the one thing that hasn't left me is this: Jesus IS returning someday and no one knows the time of that. Mark 13:32-33 tells us that even Jesus doesn't know when He will return BUT we are to be on the alert, ready and waiting. So, as I pondered this I began to evaluate - what does being ready and alert and waiting look like? I mean, I am pretty sure I am not supposed to just stare at the sky all day and wonder - is that Him? I also don't think I am supposed to go on the streets proclaiming "Doom and Gloom" but what exactly should I be doing?

Here is what the conclusion I have come to:

1. Make sure that my heart is right with God each and every day! Develop and invest time in my relationship with Jesus...

2. Show love for God through my love and service to others. The day IS approaching when I will see my Savior face to face and I will be held accountable. I want to live EVERY day as though it is my last and I want to serve Him faithfully with all my being/

3. Spread the Good News. It occurred to me - what if the people who spent all that money predicting the end for 5/21/11 had actually invested that in reaching the lost - what a difference that would make! There are so many lost people that simply DO NOT KNOW JESUS! I need to be open and bold in proclaiming the truth of who Jesus is and why He came. I need to have a sense of urgency concerning those who are lost and going to hell.

4. No one DOES know the day or the hour - not only do we not know when Jesus will return ( I hope soon) but we also do not know if or when Jesus may call us home. In actuality, every day could be my last, every moment could be my last - am I living it for Jesus? Nothing matters more than living a life serving my Savior.

So - do I believe that Jesus is coming? ABSOLUTELY! Will it be today - 5/21/11? I have no idea but this is a reminder to me that it could be ANY day and I need to be ready each and every day for His coming.

My Challenge to You: Do you know Jesus? If not, get to know Him today! If you know Jesus - are you living your life sold out to Him and serving Him knowing that today could be the day you come face to face with your Savior?

Praying you each have a wonderful day and know that you are loved by Jesus and by me!

End of the Year Highlights!

2011-05-20T19:17:00.000-07:00

WOW! Another school year has come and gone - and so has the hectic end of the year schedule! Here are just a few of the highlights:

First was Kestra's end of the school year Choir concert. The Elemenatary Choir has worked so hard all year and it was such a joy to see how far they have come since the beginning of the year!

Next came Kestra's 5th Grade Celebration Program. This was a culmination of all the work the 5th Graders had done in music, spanish, and art throughout the year! I love that they took the time to recognize these special students as they exit Elementary and then move on the Jr. High - it is so hard to believe that my little girl is moving on to Middle School

Then it was to the Graduation of these three special young ladies - Bethany, Katie, and Aerial Murga! They have all been homeschooled their entire school career and were able to finish all together. They have overcome so much the past year with the seperation of their parents, mom returning to work full-time and the diagnosis of their dad having cancer. So hard - and yet they have done FANTASTIC!

The following night, we had our End of the School Year Party which involved a Video/Picture Scavenger Hunt. This was a great way for the kids to wind down and just have a lot of fun!

Sunday afternoon brought the BHS Graduation and celebration parties! This year was especially hard in that those that graduated were Freshman the year we moved to Bayfield and we have grown especially close to them the past few years. Specifically for me - was the graduating of Tab Karp. She was the one that went to Zimbabwe with me and we are really close to each other! I will miss her SO much when she goes to college. She is so much fun and I love her to pieces!!!

On Monday, the Elementary School had their end of the year awards. This was a special tim for us because Kestra got not only an award for Perfect Attendence for that quarter but also the Citizen of the Year Award. To get this Award they have to demonstrate characteristics of a good citizen for an entire school year. We are very proud of her!

The final end of the school year celebration was for Hannah's 8th Grade Continuation. The middle school in Bayfield does a formal ceremony for the 8th Graders going on to HS. They are recognized for their Academic Performance, their character, and they get to show their art work. In this picture Hannah is holding a TV tray that she painted a Claude Monet replica on. So beautiful! I can hardly believe that she is 14 and will be a FRESHMAN in the fall!

So, as you can see it has been a REALLY busy last two weeks and this didn't even count the two days of Field Day for Kestra and Tyler or the numerous field trips! However, I am so incredibly proud of them and all the work that they have put into this past school year.

A little of this and that

2011-05-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

Well - with spring comes LOTS of end of the year programs, ceremonies, field trips, projects, etc and that is what the Arrington Family is in the midst of these past few weeks! I will post about all of them at once sometime later this week.

God has really been revealing Himself to me in new and different ways the past few weeks. First of all - He is showing me that when He moves, He wants his people to be ready to join Him and serve Him. God is moving in the community of Bayfield and we are joining Him! Our youth here are growing by leaps and bounds in their faith! We will have 7 graduating this year and I can honestly say I am SO proud of every one of them...they're amazing! Some have over come big opsticals that have been dragging them down, others are moving on to a world of service to our country through the military, others are exploring the fine arts and using their talents to praise the Father and another is dedicating her life to the mission field - how can we not be proud of that? One of them - is saying the prayer at graduation and I LOVE her e-mail to Joel where she expressed that she had wanted all her life to speak at Graduation as Valedvictorian but now - she gets to share her faith and her Lord and that is a MUCH better way to speak at Graduation!!!

Another thing I am learning - to truly seek God and ask for discernment in relationships. This is a hard one but a good lesson. God has shown me that the only motive I need to have in ANYTHING is to bring glory and honor to HIM and to Him alone! For this reason - I have backed off a lot of the "things" I have been involved in because they were for me and not for HIM!

Finally - God has brought me back to a very real passion and first calling - serving my family! I have sensed that God has asked me to make my 4 kids and husband my number one priority in serving Him. In theory and in words this has always been the case - however, this hasn't always been evident in my actions. So - I am working really hard at being home and available to serve them!

So - a random post but just an insight to where we are! Look for highlights of my kiddos activities SOON!

AWANA

2011-05-04T19:53:00.000-07:00

We love working with all the children in our community and AWANA is just one way that we get to see them grow and learn about the Lord and to memorize the Word of God. Here are some highlights of this year's Awards!

The kids all work so hard all year long to memorize and understand the verses. We are very proud of all of them!

Special Olympics - 2011

2011-04-30T10:19:00.000-07:00

Emily and I - she is such a blessing to me!
Nicholas and Tyler - LOVE sweet Nicholas

Riley - rides my suburban and loves Hannah Montana!Tyler and Chantel - they are friends in the Resource Class

Tyler in his first race

Emily - sweet girl I drive to school

Keith - wonderful autistic young man with a great family!

I just LOVE Special Olympics! I love it because these precious kids get to feel a sense of normal as they run, jump, throw, etc like other kids and they ALL walk away winners! I love it because as parents of children with special needs we can connect with one another and know that although the needs of our children may vary from home to home - we all have something in common: our kids are special and have special needs that make our homes oh so interesting! Here are the highlights!

Wax Museum - Take 3!

2011-04-26T19:40:00.001-07:00

One thing about having my kids close together is that we are prepared for the Annual school events each year - the 5th grade Wax Museum is no exception!

This year it was Kestra's turn and she was Dolly Madison. She is SOOO into things like this and so after many attempts - we ended up just ordering a costume on-line. It was adorable though - of course she made it that way! Ha ha ha!

The kids not only dress the part, they have to write a 2 page report on their character and then also memorize a 30 sec speech summarizing the life of their person. Kestra did GREAT with this!! I am so proud of how hard she worked on this!

Marriage takes 3!

2011-04-18T18:25:00.000-07:00

This is a little different post in that it isn't necessarily specific to our family but at the same time it is ESSENTIAL for our family! Are you confused yet? No worries - I will explain!

Recently, the theme of marriages both good and bad has come up quite a bit. I have had several people celebrating anniversaries - my parents and my aunt and uncle to name two - and I have had some friends working on their marriages either through counseling or using books such as "The Love Dare" because they are hurting. I have spoken just in general with some friends about what it takes to have not necessarily a "happy" marriage but a strong and successful marriage. Joel and I have even talked about the good and hard times in our marriage...So - with all this going on I thought - hmmm why not blog some thoughts on the subject!

Before going farther - this is my disclaimer that this post is HONESTLY not meant for any one person in particular, so if it offends you, steps on your toes, or you think I have totally lost it (well that's a known fact) then well just know that it wasn't toward you personally! Ha ha! That being said - here goes....

Let's start with the successful and strong marriages that I have observed and the keys behind those marriages being successful.... In every case, I have seen that the marriages that are STRONG, SUCCESSFUL and HEALTHY are marriages that have ONE key person at the center: CHRIST! Notice I didn't say marriages that stay together because I know there are marriages that survive but I don't see them as healthy and strong.

Ecclessiastes 4:12 says, "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves; A cord of three strands is not easily broken." Now, I am not a theologian and don't claim to have researched all the ins and outs of this verse but as it applies to marriage - I have seen it to be KEY! In every case where Christ is at the center of each individual in a marriage's life and Christ is in the center of the marriage - there is unbreakable strength. The way it was explained to Joel and I in our pre-marital counseling was a beautiful picture of a triangle - as each person strives to grow closer to Christ; they grow closer to each other.

Okay - so does having Christ at the center make everything "happily ever after"? NO - it provides a firm foundation though that can't crumble.

Here are some other traits I have noted in these strong marriages:

1.) MARRIAGE is their #1 priority! It comes BEFORE KIDS!! BEFORE WORK!!! BEFORE FRIENDS!!! BEFORE CHURCH!!! BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE EXCEPT FOR CHRIST! Yes - you read that right - my marriage, my relationship with Joel is and MUST be second only to my relationship with Christ! If I put ANYTHING before that then I have allowed a serious threat to enter in.

2.) Communication - happens in a loving tone and with THE OTHER PERSON'S best interest at heart! "esteem each other as better than yourself" Phil. 2:3. You must always place them above yourself!

3.) Never speaking ill of one's spouse - when speaking about their spouse, I have never heard any of these people speak down or degrade their spouse. It is always loving and uplifting...

These are the top 3 but I know there are others.

Now let's look at some of the things that I have seen in marriages that are struggling, or floundering:

a.) It is all about ME attitude...in almost every case I have heard "I wish..." or "If only they would think abot ME...." or "Why do I always have to do..." - a marriage isn't about YOU, it's about them.

b.) Kids are the priority - please don't get me wrong, being a Mom is SUCH a joy and responsibility but it is NOT your primary role if you are married and your hubby has to know that he comes first! He shouldn't get the "left-overs" of your day but the BEST of your day! I have always looked at it this way - one day I will wake up and all my kids will be gone and out of the house, on that day I DO NOT want to look at Joel and realize I have nothing in common any more...so many marriages of 20 + years are falling apart due to this. I want to wake up and go - WOW I have lots of life to live with this man!!!

c.) Time - they just haven't spent time investing in their marriage. It isn't something that is a side-thought or an "if I get to it" - it is a sacrifice and investment.

Okay - so this is where I will stop for now as I know that I have posted on some of this before.

As Joel and I are approaching the 16 year mark in our marriage and we are looking at so many of our friends and family facing hard times in their marriages or even worse marriages ending in divorce - we are burdened more and more to take an active stand in protecting and promoting the SANCTITY of marriage! It can be a bumpy road at times but it is also an exciting and rewarding one if it is approached as a MARRIAGE OF THREE!!! Love to you all and please know that NO MATTER WHERE you may be in your marriage, or if you have gotten divorced, etc we are here for you to encourage and come alongside - not to judge or condemn! We love you all so much!

It's been an UGH week but God is FAITHFUL!

2011-04-14T20:22:00.001-07:00

You know sometimes when you think "wow, everything has been going good, when's the bomb going to drop"? Well, this week was that bomb for us! Since Sunday's little "incident" with Tyler's hand we have also had some other "blows" that have been hard to swallow.

Since Tyler is where I left off let's continue with that.... Tyler has had fluid on his ears and although not infected, it was enough for the Dr and Audiologist to be concerned about. In addition, the Dr and his speech therapist have been a tad concerned about the nasality to his voice and the structure of his mouth. So, they recommended we go to our ENT Dr. We have had an ENT Dr here in Durango that is GREAT! So we called him, made an appointment and that was that UNTIL the night before...the ENT office called to let us know that when they last saw Tyler he was on Medicaid but now he is on CHP (state insurance) and they aren't a preferred provider for CHP! So, the next morning we got another referral from our Pediatrician to a different ENT and made another appointment.

The appointment was a disasster! Joel had to take Tyler because I couldn't get off (very hard for me but I think it was the best!). Basics of the appointment: Dr was mad that we hadn't seen him first, treated Joel like dirt due to being on CHP, said Tyler would have to "deal" with fluid on his ears and just have regular check-up to make sure it doesn't get infected, does have a minor cleft pallete issue but Tyler just has to "deal" with that although there is a surgery that can be done, Tyler will have chronic fluid on his ears but adjust! Yeah - SO not a good thing! However, he is the only ENT here that takes CHP. We are working with our audiologist to see if there is anything we can do and plan on a follow up with our Pediatrician to get his advice. So...that was that.

Same day as Tyler's appointment, Hannah had an audiologist appointment that morning as a follow-up to school hearing screening. We ALL thought it would just be a test error - even the audiologist. WRONG! Hannah has moderate hearing loss in her cochlear (inner ear) at the same level as the boys. The boys are worse only because they have mixed hearing loss - middle ear and inner ear. Result: Hannah now needs hearing aids as well. Talk about overwhelming for her and I! We both had some tears leaving the Audiologist's office...Since Tuesday Hannah has worked through it and although still nervous is accepting it. She will have TINY hearing aids that most people won't even see - they even were able to order the same color as her hair! How cool is that! However, I still have moments where I just can't grasp the fact that 3 of my kids - half of our family - will be wearing hearing aides! At approximately $2000 per hearing aid that is $12,000 walking around on my kids' ears! YIKES! This doesn't include the FM transmitters attached to Tyler's aides which is another $4,000. Although we have CHP and it pays for the hearing aides initially and the transmitters are the schools - we are responsible if anything breaks, gets lost, broken, etc! My mind reels at the thought!

In the midst of just plain being overwhelmed to the point I could hardly breathe - God brought a song on the radio. It is "Nearer My God to thee/Peace be still" by Allan Hall. I hadn't heard this arrangement before but the last part grabbed me SO hard and I just broke down in tears at the ability to rest in Him...

Here are the words to this beautiful song!
He says "Peace be still" Lifts His hands "Peace be still"
And like a child the winds obey him, When he says "peace be still"
He says "Peace be still" Lifts His hands "Peace be still"
And like a child, my heart obeys him When he says "Peace be still"

I have not found this song on You Tube yet and although put it on my computer, haven't been able to add it to a playlist - so you can google if you want to hear the whole thing but it is POWERFUL!!! I do have it on FB though. Also this week, I have had three close friends going through some job related issues and my heart has been heavy for them! However - I know that there is Peace when Christ speaks and am trusting Him for that!

If it isn't one thing it's another with my Tyler Bay...

2011-04-11T19:08:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I find myself thinking "What can he possibly do next?" when it comes to my son Tyler! It seems there is always something that this poor kid either breaks, ruins, injures, takes apart, etc...he brings new meaning to the term "All boy!"

Yesterday - was no exception for life with Tyler. We usually get to church early due to Joel being on staff and most Sundays Joel and/or I have something to prepare or get ready. Most days, the kids hang out in either the youth room or the children's worship area and are just fine, but there are those times that well....siblings will be siblings and they get into a fight.

Well, thus that is what happened yesterday. Kestra was mad at Tyler and decided to "retreat" to her Dad's office and lock the door behind her. Tyler, was especially angry and decided to bang on the door - which happened to have paned glass! I am sure you can imagine what happened...glass broke, kids freaked, hand cut, crying children come running to Mom and Dad, parents freak, clean it up, lecture like nobody's business, etc.

The ironic part of this story is that it was like a replay with a twist to an event that happened while growing up - my sister and Dad were rough housing and my sister's hand went through the glass on our front door! Guess some things just come back around!

It took me til tonight to take pictures and blog about it because I had to let all parties involved calm down and recover! Kestra was so heartbroken that her brother got hurt, Tyler was in pain but recovered emotionally, and Malachi who had a minor role was cool over all. As for Joel and I, we did pretty well once they got a piece of our mind! HA HA!

Today as I thought more about this incident and what ultimately caused it - Tyler getting mad at Kestra and pounding out his anger - I realized that I do that with God a lot! I get so angry and upset at the curve balls life throws my way and "shake my fist" . The result for me....a "cut" in my relationship with God. Even though Tyler's hand will heal and thankfully didn't need stiches, there is soreness, possible scars, and the healing takes time. In the same way, my cut relationship will heal in time but there will be pain, scars and it takes time!

I mentioned to the kids yesterday that we have to remember that when we lose our tempers and are mean to each other - the result isn't good and can end up in pain. Hmmm...when I lose my temper with God it isn't good and often results in pain! So - lesson learned for all involved!

Remembering the Important things....

2011-04-08T05:14:00.000-07:00

I am not going to mince words in this post - the past week has been ROUGH, no it has pretty much STUNK! There has been so much going on that my mind is just reeling with the enormity of it all. First, a friend of our close friends went missing in Colorado Springs last week. As hard as hearing that she was missing was, learning how circumstances in her life have fallen apart the past few years was heartbreaking. She is still missing and we are praying for her return and for her family as they are left wondering. Second, Tyler has had fluid on his ears for some time now and we had an appointment scheduled with our regular ENT Dr for yesterday, only to learn that they wouldn't take the state insurance that we are on now. So - had to go to the Pediatricians office for them to look at him and then determine that yes there is still fluid, yes he needs PT tubes and possibly some other work on his nasal cavaties, and to then refer us to another ENT Dr that will take our insurance and so we will be going there on Tuesday along with taking Hannah to an Audiologist appointment that same day...love Dr offices! Third, the whole weakened economy that our Nation is in is rapidly hitting the community that we live in and it is so hard to see the ripple effects. From school budget issues, to loss of jobs, to church budget issues, etc. We know that God is here, we know that He has a purpose and a plan but our hearts are broken as we see suffering. Needless to say the above mentioned items and some not mentioned have led to a very emotional few days. However, in the midst of it all God has reminded me to count my blessings and focus on the most important things in life. Here are just a few of the things that I am trying to focus on for the coming weeks: 1. God IS Sovereign, He DOES have a plan and it is for our good and not to harm! 2. I have an AMAZING husband and we are blessed with a wonderful marriage because of God's grace and work in our lives. 3. I have 4 WONDERFUL children who each and every day are growing closer to God and are teaching me lessons of faith, prayer, and trust. 4. We are provided for - we have been blessed with the ability to give to others as well. 5. I serve the King of Kings and have the freedom and ability to come before Him and lay my burdens down! With that, I am off to spend some time catching up on house work in the home God has blessed me with!

Coupon Shopping/Grocery Game

2011-04-04T18:49:00.000-07:00

Ok - so I have to admit there are a few New Year's "Goals" that I haven't kept up with - like excercise (working on it), eating right (ugh!), drinking water - on again/off again...however, there is one goal that I have not only kept up with but am really getting to where I ENJOY it - Grocery Shopping with Coupons!!! I must say - Suzy Homemaker I am NOT! I don't like cooking, sewing, cleaning, etc but at the beginning of the year I resolved to do what I could to help us save money. I remembered that I had used the www.grocerygame.com back in Lewisville Tx and then I also saw that one of my friends really was saving $ by using coupons - so I decided "I'm in!" The results have been amazing and my family LIKES the food I buy! Ha ha! We have gone from a pantry and fridge filled with white "Great Value" labels to very colorful shelves with name brands which I have almost NEVER bought! On the average I am saving between $300-$400 a month in groceries. Some have asked how much I spend in order to save that much and it is around $300 per month. I know I can probably save any more and I am still working on learning how to "play the game" better. However - our grocery budget has always been around $300 a month and so to spend the same amount of money and get twice the groceries has been AWESOME! I stick pretty much to the ideas and suggestions on the site with the exception of looking through and anything I need that may not be on the list but I have a coupon for I use the coupon at Wal-mart - also, I watch for coupons that may be expiring and then IF I need or will use that item - I then go ahead and use it! One thing I am learning to do is STOCKPILE! When things are on sale for 10/$10 I buy the 10 - doing this has meant that we have a BIG supply of things like deodorant, hand soap, bar soap, hot chocolate, cake mixes, cleaners, etc. however with a family of 6 we go through a lot of this stuff too! The other advantage is that our income drops for 3 months in the summer when neither Joel or I are working for the school so by stockpiling on some of these staples now - we can be ready for the leaner months. Here is my basic routine - obviously there can be changes with our crazy schedule! Sunday - BIG day in that it is the day I get the Denver Post and pull the coupon inserts. I then write the date on the front of the inserts and put them in my coupon folder. Next still on Sunday - I pull the list from www.grocerygame.com I change her sort order to Savings amount because I generally don't buy anything with less than 50% savings unless I need it. Following that - I print the list and gather coupons, using the same method on the site. My main shopping day is generally Monday. I try to set aside the majority of the day because even though Durango is small it still takes awhile to go to 3 different stores - City Market, Albertson's and Wal-Mart. Well - there you have it the one goal that I have kept and actually really enjoy! Joel has even gotten to the point that he will come with me sometimes (he likes watching the total amount go down at the register!) The kids are also into it because often times I come home with treats like Danimals Yogurt, cookies, etc! Today was really fun - wish I had the camera - I went shopping by myself but when I came home the whole family jumped up and was all excited and helped unload!!! I enjoy making this a family event too!!! They were rewarded for their help with steaks for dinner - Buy 1 get 1 free!!!!

A much needed break!

2011-03-30T16:03:00.001-07:00

Our Mini-Vacation

I must say I always welcome Spring Break but this year - it is ESPECIALLY welcome! As stated in my earlier post on Chaos...we have been going, going, going. So, a break was needed to say the least!

Well, as is often the case we were short on money and short on time so decided to combine picking up Hannah at the Albuquerque airport and a mini-vacation into one. Tuesday morning, Joel and I loaded the 3 younger kids up and headed to Albuquerque.

First stop - my friend Jennifer Baca's business Red Light Green Light. This was a play area with educational toys and play centers. The kids had a BLAST and I so enjoyed seeing Jennifer - she and her brother Ricky were like another sister and the brother I

never had as a kid!!! Here is Tyler at her place -

Next it was to my Grandma's house - I just LOVE her so much! I was able to share my Africa album with her and to share stories about my trip...great time!

Then - we headed to the hotel and just let the kids rest, relax, and SWIM!!! Following that was a wonderful dinner at Texas Roadhouse - I must say it was hard to decide where to go eat with so many options - which we don't have in Bayfield/Durango!

The kids enjoyed both the peanuts and yelling YEE HAW with the servers when there was a birthday! Joel and I enjoyed the steak and the rolls and the smiles on the kids' faces!!!

Finally at about 10:00 I left to pick up Hannah from the airport! Her flight was a bit delayed but by 11:20 I had her and we headed back to the hotel where Dad was eagerly waiting!

Today we hit the Rio Grande Zoo and the Albuquerque Aquarium! I must say this was the BEST family day we have had in a VERY long time!!! The kids were amazing and the animals were all out and about since we got there right after it opened and got to most right at feeding time!!! The gorillas and the polar bear were big favorites at the zoo and the sting rays stole the show at the aquarium!

Sending My Girl Off....

2011-03-25T18:52:00.000-07:00

YIKES! The time has come for me to officially send my oldest off on a BIG trip that I am not going with her on... Hannah was actually the one to point out to us that she has never been on a trip without us going with her (advantage of having a husband who's the youth pastor!)

Seriously, she has always been with us: camps, retreats, mission trips, etc. However, tonight (4 hours from now) she will embark on a journey across the United States all the way to Washington DC. She will be gone 4 days - whirlwind trip!

I am SOOOO very excited for her but yes there is a part of me that says, REALLY? Am I really sending her on this trip and not going? YEP - I guess I am! I think it will be great for her - she will be responsible for all her stuff, her money, keeping with the group, etc. Although we TRY to have all our youth (our kids included) be responsible on youth trips - it can be difficult to not step in and be "Mom"! LOL.

I can't wait to hear all about her trip and what she liked/doesn't like etc. Tuesday night is a LONG time to wait for this mom! Ha ha!

This trip is coming at a GREAT time though - given the hard week she has had. I am glad that she can go and just be a kid, experience something new, and bond with her friends!!!

A Heavy Heart

2011-03-22T20:31:00.000-07:00

Hannah #31 and Shaniah #50

There are so many times as a Mom that I just want to tuck my children away and shield them from the bricks that life hurls at them. Yet - I know that it is through these times that they grow stronger as people but also in their faith...

Today was one of those days. A young girl, 13 to be exact, was killed in a car accident today. Her name was Shaniah Farmer - she played on Hannah's volleyball and basketball team, was beautiful and fun loving. My mama heart wants to just take away the pain and hurt that my sweet Hannah is going through BUT I am so thankful to see the fruit of her faith play out even in the midst of tragedy.

After school, I took Hannah to get ice cream and just give her a chance to talk. She talked about how they found out, how she and her friends cried for over an hour - then she shared about how 7 of her friends got together and PRAYED as a group. She went on to tell me how she had prayed the prayer of sorrow most of the afternoon - this was a lesson Joel taught at our recent youth retreat. ALL of this happened before Joel or I ever saw her this afternoon - what a testimony to her faith!

Although, yes I wish that I could shield her from these types of things - I am SO thankful that God is using her at a young age to share her faith in a time of tragedy. I know that the journey of grief will be long for not only the students but also for Shaniah's family. Please pray for the Farmer family as they walk this journey. Pray for the students and teachers at Bayfield Middle School as they grieve...

The need for some order to the chaos

2011-03-20T21:30:00.001-07:00

Ok - just going to lay it out there...the past two months of my life can be summed up in
one word - CHAOTIC!

I wish that I could say that this was a simple case of a busy schedule and the many activities that we have been going to, truth is I can't. I am serious when I say that EVERYTHING in my life has just been one big jumbled ball of CHAOS...my home life, my spiritual life, social life, emotional life, etc...you get the picture.

Well, this weekend - it has come to a head and I AM DONE WITH CHAOS! I have literally come to the point where it is so messed up that I can not function well in ANY realm of my life. Rather than doing anything well - it has been a matter of simply attempting to keep my head above water.

Don't misunderstand - just like anything in life that is broken and not right; I know that it didn't get this way overnight and so therefore I can't fix it overnight BUT I can start taking the steps to put order, direction and organization back into my life and set-up protective measures so that it doesn't get that way again.

When I really began to see this for what it was this morning - I was a little taken off guard and then overwhelmed by the task of fixing it. I thought - "why is this SO imperitive to me?" Then - I got it tonight at the Truth Project...God IS NOT a God of disorder but of ORDER! Everything He does, everything He created, who He is screams - ORDER! So therefore, as His child - I am CREATED to have order in my life! This is why the overwhelming need to have order back in my life has consumed me, this is why I haven't felt at peace about anything at all!

Just like any problem - before you can truly find the solution you have to identify the problem and seek to discover how you got there. For me - there are a few factors: first, not setting goals that are realistic and attainable; second, not staying focused; third, not saying a simple word NO; and finally, not seeking the Lord as to what I should and shouldn't be doing. I have been jumping in and doing things simply because they needed to be done and no one else seemed to be doing them, I have let procrastination in other areas rule, and I have lost sight of the things that the Lord has specifically called me to do!

Now that I know HOW I got there....I intend to get it back in order and focused. First - I am not taking on any "new" endeavors until I have a good handle and grasp on those things in my life currently. Second - I am eliminating some VERY specific things that the Lord, through my husband's leadership, has asked me to give up and allow someone else to do. Third - I am going back to my FIRST love of Jesus and SECOND love my husband with my kids being a close THIRD and anything else after that.

This doesn't mean that I am dropping everything. I am a firm believer that there are ministries, tasks, and opportunities that God has for us. In following Christ's example - I see that yes He took times of rest but He never TOTALLY stepped away from it... I plan to carve those "times of rest" into my everyday schedule - times where I simply enjoy the quiet house, or the birds singing, or the sound of my kids laughter. Times when I am not "busy" but like Mary - sit at the feet of my Savior soaking up Him!!!

Hopefully in posting this - two things will happen: I will know that others can hold me accountable AND I can encourage someone else who has come to the realization that their life is a jumbled ball of chaos to work toward order....

So - I would ask that if you read this you would take the time and ask me if I am seeking order rather than chaos AND if you need someone who totally gets it to hold you accountable - I AM HERE!!!

I am truly excited about going down this path - this week's focus for restoring ORDER:
1. Consistent Quiet time every day - which has not happened in a long while
2. The HOUSE - it is a literal WRECK! This week is devoted to getting it in order!

"For God is not a God of disorder but of peace." I Corinthians 14:33

The "C" word...

2011-03-13T16:53:00.000-07:00

Can I just say I HATE the "C" word - that is CANCER! I literally hate it with a passion. I know, it's just a word but ugh - I don't like the feelings of fear, uncertainty and finality that it brings on myself and others. I can't stand the fact that a person being diagnosed with it knows right away that they are in for an uphill battle and I really don't like the fact that many whom I have loved and cared for have either passed away from it or are currently battling it!

Don't fear - no one in my immediate family has been diagnosed with cancer BUT in the past few months we have had several of our close friends be diagnosed with various forms of cancer. The most recent is one of my sorority sisters from college and I just want to SCREAM at this terrible disease!

Yet, as angry as cancer makes me and as much as I hate it - I KNOW that I KNOW my God is SO much stronger than cancer, He is able to bring healing and restoration to the lives of those who battle it and most of all HIS name can and will be glorified through many of the stories surrounding it! I admit - I struggle with my faith each and every time someone I know and love is diagnosed with any form of cancer. It takes me days to process and come back to the TRUTH of Jesus and His power; however thankfully I do come back and know that even though I can't physically do anything to cure those who battle it - I CAN FIGHT THIS BATTLE ON MY KNEES and thus this is where I am at now. Below are the names of those that I currently know battling some form of cancer - if you read this, will you just take 5 min and join me in praying for them? God is good and will be answer when we call His name!

Summer (Mohon) Perkins
Elizabeth Bailey
Derek Pressley
Kathy Armstrong
Wally Buckalew
Marti Saul (in remission currently)
Donna Bass

These are the ones I can think of right now - I may add others as I think of them or they are mentioned to me. If you know someone battling cancer PLEASE feel free to comment and add their name so that I can pray for them as well!

Busy, Busy, Crazy, Crazy!

2011-03-12T05:48:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness! The past few weeks have just been filled with all kinds of things and I have been so busy that I hadn't realized how long it has been since I blogged - YIKES!

So, quick recap of the past few weeks: Following the winter retreat, our next adventure was to Moab Utah for Hannah's volleyball tournament. It was SO incredibly nice to get out of town if only for a night! The kids enjoyed the pool at the hotel, seeing the rock formations, and yes we watched A LOT of volleyball!

Then, it was home for another week of work and school. The next weekend I was off to a scrapbook retreat for two nights - WONDERFUL - and Joel and the kids had another volleyball tournament in Mancos! Like a good Dad - I received regular texts and Hannah had an AMAZING day with 2 spikes, scored 6 points off of serves, and played off the net GREAT. Praying she does that today since I will be there!

This past week I was able to sub at the Elementary school everyday as an aide for a little girl named Emily who has special needs. Emily truly blessed my life this past week! Her joy and excitement for the little things in life was so refreshing!

We have also had two young ladies from our youth group with us all week this week while their mom is in Mexico! They have been so fun and I love them dearly...do I have to give them back? I could be a mom of 6 if the two new ones were 17 & 18! LOL.

That brings us to today where we are headed to yet another volleyball tournament in Cortez. Hannah and two of our youth girls are going with me and Joel will stay here working on AWANA Grand Prix cars with the other 3 kids - pics to come!

So - in a brief way that is what we have been up to! I do have a couple of other things that I really want to blog about - one being a new passion God has put on my heart and one being with an issue I am struggling with. However, I really don't want to "rush" those posts and so will wait til I have a time to type them!

24/7 Youth Winter Retreat!

2011-02-22T20:20:00.000-08:00

The theme for our Winter Retreat was 24/7 - emphasizing the need to pray 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. It was all about teaching the students how to pray, the importance of prayer, types of prayer, etc. WHAT A WEEKEND!

I love teens in that for the most part, they can have fun doing ANYTHING at all! This year the fun included tubing, ice skating, bon fires, messy games (of course), worship, chatting, board games, etc. We just loved hanging with them and getting to know them better.

There were a total of 52 adults and students in attendence at the retreat and each and every one of them had an incredible attitude. The DEFINITE high point of the weekend was Sunday night. During Sunday night's worship service a strong salvation message was presented. Our Camp Pastor, Joe Bowman, laid it on the line for the kids and it was POWERFUL! A total of 6 students gave their lives to Jesus Sunday night with many others rededicating their lives and giving up issues and habits in their life that needed to be gone!

I was privileged to pray with one young lady named Marie. Marie is a foreign exchange student from Germany living in Norwood Colorado. She was one of the students that I mentioned in my last post that was not a believer. Throughout the weekend I noticed that although she had a lot of head knowledge - it just didn't appear to be real to her. However, Sunday night it clicked and Marie gave her life to Christ! After praying with her, Marie described the experience like this, " I have been walking around in a room of darkness, and now someone has turned on the light and I see! I get it! It's real to me now - Ronnie it's in my heart!" What a treasure to hear these words!!!

Thank you all so much for the prayers! Please continue to pray for these young people as they grow in the Lord.

Preparing for Weekend #1 of 3 being out of town!

2011-02-18T20:40:00.000-08:00

Whooza! Looking at the calendar and realized that I will be out of town the next 3 (possibly 4) weekends in a row...busy busy but so exciting!

This weekend is our Area Youth Winter Retreat at Hesperus Baptist Camp. Joel is the director of the camp and I am really excited about all that is planned and what God will be doing in my own life as well as in the life of the students.

There will be about 55 adults and students at the camp this weekend and it is all about PRAYER 24/7. As Christians, I believe that we do not fully grasp the necessity nor the power of prayer in our lives - I know I don't anyway! Prayer is our communication with God - it is a 2 WAY conversation that involves talking and listening. This weekend we will be helping the students learn the types of prayer, the importance of prayer and just more about prayer. How exciting!

As much as I LOVE youth camps and retreats - the night before is always a little chaotic and hectic around our house! For the first time, we have 2 of our own kids going with us - so excited about that! We have already sent Kestra and Tyler to the two grandparents homes for the weekend which is good because the rest of us are frantically doing laundry, packing, getting paperwork together, etc! Whew!

I wanted to share with you all some ways in which YOU can help us and that is by praying for the following requests concerning this weekend:

1. Joe Bowman, pastor at FBC Norwood Co, is our Camp Pastor this weekend. Joe is recovering from the flu and pneumonia. Pray for his energy levels and that he will be able to effectively speak the words the Lord has for the students.

2. FBC Norwood is bringing 2 students that we know of who are not Christians. There youth got together and did a fundraiser in order to pay for these two kids to come to camp - how cool is that? Pray that this weekend they will hear words of truth that will pierce their hearts and cause them to long for Jesus!

3. FBC Hesperus has a young lady coming who lost her brother in a car accident not that long ago. This young lady is still hurting deeply and struggling to regain balance in life. Pray that we can reach out to her and that she will feel the arms of Jesus around her this weekend.

4. Joel is also recovering from flu like symptoms and needs both his energy level and his voice to hold out through the weekend.

5. Pray for all the students this weekend that their hearts will be open to hearing the message God has for them. There are many who although profess with their mouth to be Christians, are not walking in a way pleasing to the Lord. Pray that they will see the need to not only talk the talk but walk the walk!

I will try to post a blog at least once this weekend to let you know how things are going and will for sure post one on Monday or Tuesday with a recap! Thanks in advance for your prayers...with that, I am off to switch another load of laundry, pack a bag, get blankets and sleeping bags together...etc!

Valentine Chaos and Blessings!

2011-02-14T19:27:00.000-08:00

Let me start off by saying - I didn't take near enough pictures to capture the entirity of the day! In fact, I only got one - that of our "new to us" van that we will get tomorrow if all goes well on the money end!

So - the morning start off GREAT! I had helped Kestra and Tyler make cupcakes for their classes yesterday and they were all ready to go... I had the day off from driving the special needs suburban so was able to drive our kids to school this morning.

On the way to school, we were all laughing and cutting up - just enjoying the day! We were even letting the stuffed cow I got from my secret sister drive! Ha ha. Dropped Hannah and Malachi off with an "I love you!" and headed to the Elementary with Kestra and Tyler....enter CHAOS!

We all got out of the car, complete with two trays and one plate full of cupcakes, Kestra's Valentine box, etc. Tyler realized his backpack was in the very back of the Expedition, so I opened the back and pulled it out. Little did I know that it was OPEN and that all his Valentines for his class would go flying all over the parking lot... Once I realized the problem, I set down the cupcakes and was trying to help him get it all together.

Tyler was a little disoriented, stressed, thrown off, etc - what do you know? He stepped RIGHT on Kestra's tray of cupcakes!!! YEP - you guessed it, smashed a whole section! Ugh! I must say though - Kestra was SO NICE! She just patted Tyler and told him it was okay!

We then proceeded to get it all gathered up (minus smashed cupcakes) and get it into the school - Whew!!!

Next stop - looking at a 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan with Joel! This is the BLESSING! We had set aside the day to look at cars and were headed to Farmington to do so. I had seen an ad in the paper about this van and so we had made arrangements to see it. It is wonderful! The price was right - something we could afford with our tax refund, it was in GREAT shape and all was well!!!

So - if all goes well tomorrow as far as getting the money from our bank to the sellers, we will be the new owners of this van and we didn't have to look at any others!!!

Then, it was off to Farmington, NM! We went to the Christian bookstore, Hobby Lobby, and Target AND my absolute favorite - OLIVE GARDEN! So, enjoyed the day with Joel! Tonight we are praying and praising!

The Proposal....

2011-02-13T21:00:00.000-08:00

I told you on Feb 4th I would blog about Joel's proposal on the anniversary of it...well here it is (or will be in about 2 hrs) the 16th anniversary of him proposing!

Well, in all honesty his proposal was in two parts - the ACTUAL proposal was on Valentine's day 16 years ago. We were on a date and as was our custom most of our dates ended in prayer (yes Joel and I REALLY were prayer partners). This particular evening though - Joel was a little less spiritual and a little more strategic!!!

As he was praying he said "and Lord bless our marriage and life together, that is IF Ronnie says yes..." I have no idea what the rest of the prayer was - I wonder why? Ok, so seriously who can say no to a proposal in a prayer? Ha ha!!! I wouldn't have said no any way (wink wink) but we won't let him know that! He didn't have a ring at the time, but being the clever quick on his feet guy he is - after I said yes, we drove to WALMART!!! Ha ha ha!!! Yep, he spent a whole $0.25 and bought me a ring from the toy vending machine....cracks me up to this day but I loved it!

Well, part two of the proposal was about a month later when he gave me my REAL ring! We were going to Pampa to see his family and for me to meet his sister Jana. On the way there, we detoured to Palo Duro Canyon. Joel got out and went to the back of the car and came back with two champagne glasses and apple juice and a small box. He then said, "Will you really marry me?" and opened the box with the ring in it... He later confessed that he wouldn't DARE show up with me to meet his sister without an actual ring in hand! Big sisters are useful!!!

So, there you have it - the proposal! I love that Joel is unconventional in how he does things because I never know what to expect!!!

(Don't worry - no more mushy posts til July...)

3 teen/preteens in the house: The good, the bad, the ugly!

2011-02-07T19:23:00.001-08:00

When Joel and I realized that our daughter Kestra was on the way - we realized that we were going to be BUSY with 3 children under 3 running around (later would be 4 under 4)! I remember thinking through - the diapers, the potty training, the runny noses, the laundry, etc.

What I DIDN'T think about...the attitudes that I would see at ages 13, 12, 11! Ha Ha!

I don't regret for a moment having my kids close together - even though I didn't plan it at all - but there are times (like today) that I just go - REALLY? How can I deal with this? Let me try to share a run down...

Hannah age 13 in 8th grade: decides to use SARCASIM every other word both to her siblings and to us. Although most of the time quiet - when she wants to talk, it is TALK NON-STOP and she doesn't think anyone else needs a chance. Also, being the oldest - she has an argument for EVERYTHING...I promise she would make a great lawyer! Ha ha! Of course, we are also dealing with the hormones and that is challenging all on its own! She also knows all there is to know about everything - just ask her and by the way - I know NOTHING!!! Hee hee

Malachi age 12 in 6th grade: Oh Jr. High boys!!! LOL. Caught in that stage between wanting to be a kid and wanting to be a teen, his emotions go up and down. Right now - they are more down than up! He cries over the littlest things - UGH! Another issue with him is that he tries SO hard to relate to Hannah and her interests when in fact - he just doesn't get it (then again neither do I)!

Kestra age 11 in 5th grade: Just entering this world of the pre-teen, the hormones are raging and she too is struggling between the child and the teen! She has gone from my sweet happy go-lucky smiling face - to testing the boundaries, talking back and crying over apparently nothing. Most of the time she will jump right back to that sweet girl but there are times that I just want to scream!!! LOL.

With all of this - I still wouldn't change it! As the kids have gotten older, I have realized there is a new kind of fun! Instead of playing on the floor with toys or watching veggie tales - we talk about friends, boys (with Hannah), shop, watch movies, etc. I do try to encourage my kids to talk to me and in turn I do have to make myself LISTEN and not react! Ha!

I guess the one thing that I am learning about raising kids- every age range has its ups and downs - its challenges and rewards. As much as I don't like the attitudes - ok they really make me want to scream - I am also in no hurry because more and more I am realizing the time I have them is SHORT! Hannah will graduate 4 years from May!!!

Through this I am seeing my own reltionship with God in a different light too! How often, do I get an attitude with Him? How many times do I throw a fit and cry over nothing with Him? Yet, like I have seen the GOOD times with my kids and I am able to forgive the bad and ugly times - God LOVES the times that I just sit and share my day with Him, He loves to hear me talk about my highs my lows my challenges and blessings! I want to be that with my kids - the place where they come and know that NO MATTER what, they will be loved, forgiven, and encouraged. I want them to know that I LOVE spending time with them and sharing in their day...May I always have an ear to listen and an understanding heart for them!

So - yes, tonight has been a tad frusterating and I did want to tie them up in a straight jacket with duct tape on the mouth; I don't want to trade it for anything! I know that my kids feel comfortable sharing and talking with me! Thankfully - the GOOD days really do out way the bad and ugly ones...

The Love of my Life...

2011-02-03T19:38:00.000-08:00

Feburary 4, 1994...a night that would change my life forever and for the better!

My last post was pretty negative and down. I hated to have that as my most current post and so I have been thinking about what to blog about and it occured to me that tomorrow will mark the 17th Anniversary of Joel and I being together as a couple. I know - sort of weird that I would remember the exact day that we started dating but it was definitely a non-conventional story and so I wanted to share!

Joel and I truly were best friends before we ever started dating. I would talk to him about everything and ask his advice about everything as well! I even asked his advice about guys!! Ha ha!

Prior to our dating, Joel realized that he cared a lot about me but wasn't ready to admit it. So, in order to deny it - he would attempt to avoid me! One time, I called the Student Center at Wayland and asked Joel's roomate Will (who worked there) who all was at the Student Center. I was just trying to decide if I was going to go down there or not. However, Will told Joel I was on my way and what did Joel do? He hid behind the Big TV down there!!! I arrived with some of my friends and we began playing pool, cards, and just hanging out. We were there well over an hour! Guess where Joel stayed THE WHOLE HOUR? Yep - behind the stinking TV!!! Ha ha ha - to this day I think that is hilarious!!!

Anyway, on February 4 1994 there was an all night Lock-In at one of the local churches for the college students. I had gone with several friends and Joel was there also. Like I said, we really were close friends and so I knew the things that irritated him or perhaps I should say PEOPLE that irritated him. Yes, it's true there are very few, but Joel does have people that rub him the wrong way! Well, there was one girl in particular who had a MAJOR crush on Joel. She literally would stalk him and call him and pretty much bother him insestantly. She even paid over $200 at a date auction fund raiser to go on a date with him - Joel being the kind tenderhearted guy he is endured it and was so kind to her!

If you know me - you know that I have a habit of stating what I think and then thinking it through later and often I have to appologize - this was no exception! At the lock-in this particular girl was literally following Joel EVERYWHERE! Finally, at one point I caught her away from her and decided to help my "friend" Joel out. I walked up to her, with my friend Sharon by my side, and asked her why she was following Joel all the time. Her response was something to the effect that it wasn't my business. So, what did I do? I matter of factly stated "Joel and I are dating so you had better get used to it!" Ha ha ha!!! As we walked away, my friend Sharon quietly asked me how I was going to tell Joel this. Um??? Hadn't thought about that!

So, I found Joel and I told him that I had told this girl that he and I were dating. Joel smiled and just said - "Ok. We're dating." I know - REALLY romantic right? Ha ha ha!! Thus began our official dating relationship! Our first official date was to see the "Lion King" - wow!!!

We had many ups and downs in our relationship - breaking up not once but twice (note: both times he broke up with me but that's another story), death of my sister, loss of our neice Brianna, etc. Yet, one thing I can honestly say - Joel truly was and remains both my accountability partner and my prayer partner. He has always been my steady helm when the storms of life rage.

Working with teens, we are often asked how we knew that we were "the one" for each other. Joel will say that he knew from before we started dating - which is what scared him I think! For me, it was the death of my sister. When I got the call about Sherri's death on November 3, 1994 - Joel was right there with me. Not only that - he dropped everything at college, despite being advised to not come, and drove me the 8 hours to Pagosa to be with my family. He was there during the funeral planning, the tears, the emotions - all of it! I knew that if he could walk through all of that with me - then I couldn't live without him!

Our engagement is another unconventional story that I will share on that special day (yep - remember that one too!). For now - let me just say that the past 17 years have been AMAZING and I am so incredibly blessed. Joel keeps me laughing, he holds me when I am crying, and he is the calm in the chaos! He is an incredible Dad and puts his family first above all else!!!

I love you babe and look forward to 17 more wonderful years as a couple!!!

AGGGHHH!!

2011-02-01T18:03:00.000-08:00

Today has been one of those days that has just been really hard to deal with! So much is on my heart and mind, I have literally been "on the go" all day and I am just ready to throw up my hands and scream...

A little 6 yr old girl named Elizabeth and her parents have been on my heart since last night (well really for 2 yrs but more recently since last night). Eli has been fighting a brain tumor for 2 years and last night took a drastic turn for the worse after having had several really good months. As of right now, she is on life support and waiting to see if her body will heal and regain strength...I have to wonder WHY? When everything was going so well, she was really making great progress - Why this set back Lord? Yet, I know that her life is precious to Him and that He holds her close to His heart.

Also found out today that my cousin's 11 week old daughter is in the hospital for the second time this week with RSV. She is not eating due to being so ill. Our son Malachi had RSV and it is scary...it is also scary to have your child in the hospital. So, my prayers have been with them as well.

I started a new job today - driving Special Needs students to schools in Durango twice a day. I have 4 boys in my vehicle and they are so much fun! However - I had a little "kink" in the plan for starting the day!

Tyler came down with a fever Sunday night. Yesterday he seemed to be better for a brief time but as the day progressed - he got worse. By late last night, he was fighting a high fever of 104.5 and very ill! So...Joel had to call in this morning and not drive his bus route, I had drove my route then got home about 9:30 only turn around and take Tyler back to Durango for an 11:40 Dr. appointment. The doctor confirmed what I had suspected - a very severe case of flu. By the time we got to the Doctor's office - Tyler was so weak and sick that they had to wake him up 3 times to examine him - he couldn't even sit up. From the doctor's it was off to Wal-mart for a perscription - where Tyler slept in the car while we waited for 40 min to get the perscription.

By the time I got back to Bayfield - it was time for me to get the school suburban and go back to Durango to pick up the Special Needs kids. My Dad was able to come sit with Tyler while Joel and I did our afternoon routes - thankfully!!!

Afternoon route took a total of 2 hours and 45 min bringing my TOTAL time in the car today to: 5 hours and 45 min!!! All within about a 45 mile radius....UGH!!!!

So - yes, I am exhausted. I don't like my baby boy being sick and my heart goes out to these other two children who are so ill.

I will admit - I get paranoid about Tyler being ill (see history in My Special Needs Story) because when he does get sick - it is never just a small "bug" or anything. It is usually pretty major and knocks him down pretty good! Seeing him laying on the couch with no energy, hot with fever, and so sad - breaks my heart!

Well - this is by far not the most positive post but it is the way today has gone and what is on my mind...as Scarlet O'Hara said "After all, tomorrow is another day!"

Restless with God

2011-01-31T19:06:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was tough! I mean really really tough - to a point that I haven't faced in the whole three and half years we have been in Bayfield. It wasn't really anything major in a way but rather several different situations in which I was reluctant to let go and relinquish them to the hands of the Lord.

I ran the whole gamet of emotions - anger, frusteration, hurt, sadness etc. Let me clarify - that there was not anything that anyone had done but rather a war raging inside me about my insecurity, fear, and insuffieciency. By Sunday morning, I was literally in an inner turmoil and was restless about what to do with it.

I wasn't wrestling with God but more restless with God! Yet, our God is so faithful and true. During worship Sunday morning - my heart began to break and yield to the Father and clarity began to enter! God began to speak and show me that I HAD to lay a specific issue at His feet or I would go back to a place of depression and despair that I didn't want to go back to.

The final song of the service was "I surrender all" - as I sang the words "I surrender all, I surrender all, all to Jesus I surrender." I could envision myself laying this enormous burden at the feet of the cross and LEAVING THEM THERE!

I can't describe the immense feeling of release that came over me as I let go of this thing I had been carrying for so long! Suddenly, all the other issues and problems were also so minor and no longer too overbearing. My heart was resolved to let my Savior carry the load!

Besides the obvious lesson of letting go and letting God, I also learned how holding on to just ONE thing - can literally tear apart every other aspect of our lives. It is amazing how quickly the enemy can grab ahold in one area and creap in and overtake us!

I am so thankful for all that Christ brought me through this past weekend - I am stronger and more in love with Him than ever. I have the joy and freedom restored that only He can bring!!!

Thoughts from a Mom and Aunt of children with Special Needs

2011-01-28T09:48:00.000-08:00

I know there are many out there that are in the same boat as I have found myself in for the past 16 years - being a parent or relative of a child with special needs. It is a life full of challenges, ups and downs, highs and lows but MOST of all - it is a life full of the blessing to look at things just a little different and being able to experience joy in so much!

I read a friend's blog this morning about her "Adoption Story" (awesome story Tina!) and it inspired me to share my "Special Needs" story because I know so many who are faced with these challenges day in and day out!

The story actually begins before Joel and I were married or even engaged. We had been dating almost a year. Joel's sister Jana was pregnant with twin girls - which I thought was SO cool - when he was contacted at college and told that something had happened and Jana was having an emergency c-section. The result - Brianna (one of the twins) had died and Bethany (the other twin) was in pretty serious condition. There are obviously more details to this event but the end result was that our neice Bethany was born with Cerebral Palsy and was Mild Mental Retardation. I have to be honest - at this point I was concerned for Jana and Jeff and their whole family but since I wasn't technically in their family - it was hard to relate.

However - just a few short months after her birth, I had the privilege and honor to meet sweet Bethany Shae and she has literally captured my heart from the moment I first held her! There are no words to describe what she means to me and how she has changed and impacted my life personally. Bethany has had to go through numerous surgeries, doctor's visits, therapies, etc and she is still full of childhood joy and laughter! Her sweet smile lights up the room - she loves her cousins - she thinks her Uncle Joel is silly (well don't we all?) - and she works hard to learn to do things independently for herself!

I know that I do not completely understand the day to day challenges my sister-in-law and her husband face - however I have seen how much perseverance they have, the dedication, the ups and the downs. Most of all, I have seen the way they daily have to trust the Lord with Bethany and look to Him for guidance! I know I speak for ALL of our family - we are so blessed by Bethany and we are so thankful that she is a part of our lives!

Yet, my experience and story doesn't end with Bethany. Shortly after getting married - Joel and I had the opportunity to work at Special Friends Camp which was a Christian camp for those with Special Needs. It was here that my heart was FOREVER captured for those children and individuals with Special Needs. I can't describe the joy that they have brought me and how much I truly value spending time with them.

I now know that all of the above experiences were God's way of preparing me for a special little boy - Tyler Bay Arrington. Tyler is not "typical" special needs as he doesn't have an exact diagnosis or even a "major" issue. Yet - he has faced challenges since the day he was born. At Tyler's 2 week check-up he had not regained his birth weight - being my fourth child I KNEW this wasn't the norm and that there was something just not right. Our family doctor agreed and sent us to a pediatrician in Durango. Thus began a LONG 10 months of weekly appointments, changes in formula, tests, etc. The peak of this time was Thanksgiving 2001 - our Dr called us while we were on vacation (yes, he was THAT dedicated) and told us that when we got back to Pagosa we were to make IMMEDIATE plans to go to Children's Hospital in Denver. After talking with numerous specialists - they all agreed - that Tyler had Cystic Fibrosis and that he was one of the few in America who had a False Negative test at birth. He had ALL the signs. Thank you Jesus for a church family and community who KNEW how to get on their knees in prayer. To this day - I have no idea how the word spread so quickly but the Pagosa community was doing battle in prayer on behalf of our little boy!

When we arrived in Denver - after a LONG stressful drive over snowy passes - we were on pins and needles not knowing what the outcome would be. The following morning was long with waiting rooms, tests, waiting for results, etc - the outcome? NEGATIVE! Tyler did not have Cystic Fibrosis...I will say here that is my belief that he truly did have it but that the prayers of many availed much and he was healed. In some ways this was the end to a long journey physically as Tyler then began to gain physical strength but it was also the beginning of a journey that would show us some other issues physically and eduactionally that Tyler would face.

From birth, Tyler suffered from chronic ear infections and illness. As a result, he was on multiple antibiotics the majority of the first 18 months of his life. He had tubes put in twice and was a "regular" at the Dr. He also suffered from random high fevers frequently and on numerous occasions lost the ability to walk at very random times.

At age 3, Tyler could barely communicate verbally, had trouble with social interaction, and was just to the point we could work on potty training. By the time he was 4 - we knew that he had other factors affecting him but were unsure what they were. It was at this time, that he was officially diagnosed with moderate to severe hearing loss in both ears and would require hearing aides for life. The best way to describe it was that when he heard people it was as though he was hearing things underwater. Although taken off guard since we didn't know ANYTHING about dealing with a child with hearing loss - we were also excited to think that once he got hearing aides he would begin making progress.

Children's Hospital in Little Rock Ar. was AMAZING! They worked with not only Tyler but us as parents in how to help him and work with him. With their help, we were able to not only get Tyler hearing aides but an FM system that would enhance his ability to understand a specific speaker.

Unfortunately, this was not the end of the problems that Tyler would face. Having lived literally in his own world for the first 4 years of his life - he did not know how to interact socially with other children nor did he know how to respond to instruction in terms of us as parents or his teachers. The result of this was many outbursts of anger, frustration on his part and ours, destroying his preschool classroom, melt downs on a regular basis, etc.

Through the help and encouragement of many Godly people in our lives - we were able to help Tyler work through a lot of these struggles and learn to cope in a better way. Tyler still has a hard time interacting with other kids but is making progress daily - he struggles in school and is about a year and half behind his grade level. Daily it is challenging to get him to stay on any one task and to sit still. He struggles with memorization and reading. Physically - he appears to be much stronger as we no longer have high fevers - at least for the past year - he has adapted and learned to rely on his hearing aides but we are also looking at the possibility of future surgery on his mouth and nose to correct some speech issues. Tyler also still struggles with controlling his emotions but is getting better.

I am thankful that God in His infinite wisdom has placed us in the Bayfield School District during this time in Tyler's life. I can not say enough good about the Special Education teachers and the staff at San Juan Board of Cooperative Education Services (BOCES) who have helped us in so many ways and have worked endlessly with Tyler. They are amazing!!! They are wonderful in not only informing us about Tyler's progress and their plans with him - they include us in the decisions, etc. (Ok - enough of a commercial there!)

Tyler is definitely our most challenging child in the realm of Special Needs but we do have 2 other children that have Special Needs as well. Kestra has a learning disability that causes her to struggle with learning and comprehending - but she is also getting to the point where she can overcome it and work with it! Malachi - our oldest son - has a hearing loss as well and although it was diagnosed later than Tyler's it is at the moderate level. He has not had the other challenges that Tyler has had though and has grown and developed normally.

All of this to say - even though it is hard, even though there are days that I want to throw up my hands and scream, even though there are many appointments with doctors - I wouldn't change a single moment! It has been so wonderful to work with not only my son and neice but others with special needs as well! My prayer is that if you are raising a child or know of a child with Special needs - you would be encouraged and know that it is not a walk you have to travel alone. If you haven't had any contact or interaction with people with special needs - my prayer is that you will reach out and get to know these wonderful people! I promise - it will change your life for the better!!!

Small reminders - of big blessings!

2011-01-25T20:24:00.000-08:00

I just love how the Lord blesses us in both big and small ways; and yet I think I often take the small things forgranted while I am looking for the big things! The past few weeks, God has really blessed our family in several little ways.

First of all, you need to know that over the course of the last 15 and half years our family has lived in about 8 different places. When you move that much, it is really hard to develop good close friendships. Not just for Joel and I, which is definitely something we have struggled with, but also for our kids. For the first time that I can remember ALL FOUR of our kids have at least one really close friend that they like to spend time with and be with - not only that BUT they all have close CHRISTIAN friends!!! I know this may not seem to astonishing to some, being that we are in full-time ministry. The assumption would be that our kids would have lots of Christian friends but in fact, they really haven't. Many of the churches we have served at have had very few children and our kids have been the main ones. In addition, there hasn't always been kids the same ages as ours - for example Hannah has almost never had friends her age or grade in our church. She does have one friend in the youth group - however she is in a different grade and school which makes it hard. So - to know that each one of my kids has a close friend that is a Christian blesses my heart in so many ways! The really cool thing is that not all of these friends go to our church - some are from other churches! How wonderful that the Lord would bring these kids together!!!

Another blessing this month has been in terms of awareness of our finances and the use of them. This may sound strange but the Lord has really helped both Joel and I line up a set budget, how to save $ in little ways, and to just be overall aware of where the money is being spent. One thing that has really helped so far is the use of coupons and grocery shopping based on sales. Through the help of The Grocery Game and lots of perseverance and conviction - we have saved almost $300 this month in groceries!!! I also came across a brand new pair of Gap jeans for Kestra at the Thrift Store - that was only $3.00! The tags were on them and originally they were $39.50!!! God is good and faithful. As we learn to be stewards of what He has given us, I believe He will bless us more so that we can give it back to Him!

The final way in which I personally have been blessed is through the opportunity to work with a special little girl named Emily! Shortly before school started back this semester the transportation Director for our school district called me. He wanted to know if I would be willing to be a Special Needs Aide on the Handicap bus every Friday for Emily. If you know me, you know that I have a soft spot for children with special needs! Part of this is due to my neice Bethany and a lot has to do with how the Lord has used them to teach me SO much! Anyway - I jumped at the chance! As it turned out - because working with Emily requires some special training, I was also told I would be the sub for her on Fridays if her teacher or aide were out at school (she only goes to our school on Friday). So far, I have subbed for Emily all day on 2 different Fridays in addition to being her aide on the bus. Through Emily, the Lord has been showing me that even when I am weary and worn out - His strength can help me to serve others selflessly! Emily has also reminded me of what it means to love unconditionally. This past Friday was a difficult day with her and I was really weary and worn out. By the time we got on the bus - I was literally done! I had been fighting a head cold, Emily had a hard day, Joel was out of town, etc. Then - on the bus Emily grabbed my hand, and smiled! So precious!!! All else was forgotten and I had renewed strength!!!

God is so good and faithful! Thank you Jesus for blessing our family in so many different ways!!!

Real Live Face to Face Relationships

2011-01-20T18:02:00.000-08:00

Whew...this week has been really good but also really busy! I can't believe that tomorrow is Friday and this really is the first time I have had a chance to sit and catch my breath!

There has been a running theme the past few weeks in what the Lord has been teaching me and laying on my heart in various ways - that is the need to establish and work on actual FACE TO FACE relationships! I am not talking about e-mail friends, Facebook friends, tweets, or even phone conversations. I am talking about getting out there and developing live friendships and relationships with both believers and non-believers. I am not even talking about acquaintences or a quick hi or hug at church on Sunday morning. This is about INVESTING time, SACRIFICING time, and even perhaps making ourselves VULNERABLE...YES I said it - I said that we need to make ourselves vulnerable in order to be relevant and relate to others.

Ok - maybe I should back track and say that this is what I NEED to do...and maybe I am not alone in this. You see, as "busy" as I may seem to be, and as "outgoing" as some think I am - I have a fear of others seeing the REAL me. The me that sometimes yells at my kids when I know it's wrong, the me that lacks faith for the Lord's provision even though He has proven Himself faithful time and time again, the me that struggles to have a quiet time even though it makes every day so much better, or the me that struggles to maintain a balance between home and ministry. This is the me that I am fearful to expose in real life but yet it is also ME and the Lord has challenged me to be OPEN and HONEST with others in real life situations face to face...

Please don't get me wrong - technology has opened so many doors for us to communicate and reach others in so many great areas. However the risk that we face is that not only do we become isolated in our homes and offices but we as a society are losing the ability to interact with other people. One great example - two teens sitting next to each other in the lunch room. Both have their heads down and are frantically typing away on their phones - what are they doing? Not just texting but texting to EACH OTHER! What!!??? Can we not actually TALK to one another. Ok - so perhaps you are thinking - well that's just teens not adults. Another great example - this time ME...another mom in church is struggling with her homelife, kids, work, etc. I sit at the computer and type her an ever so encouraging post on Facebook when what needed to happen was to pick up the phone and ask - "When can we get together for coffee (or coke in my case)?" This is what is happening all around us and it is time to put a STOP to it!

For me, the excuses are endless. They range from kids' schedules are crazy, I haven't had a night at home, well it's much quicker to e-mail, I need to get stuff cleaned at home, etc. Again - I am not saying that we never have a night at home or that we neglect our kids' schedules (although perhaps we have allowed them to get TOO busy). What I AM saying is that PEOPLE are always more important than our agenda. Sometimes we need to put OURSELVES aside and invest in the lives of others.

Perhaps this is a bit of a soapbox but that is not at all the intention. It is simply something that the Lord has really laid on my heart for me to examine and change as well as encourage others to do the same. I KNOW that we get hurt when we open ourselves to others - boy do I EVER know it. I have tears in my eyes right now as I reflect on the pain that others have placed on me and my family when we were open. However - I also know this - God NEVER intended us to isolate ourselves for any length of time from other human beings. He NEVER intended us to hide behind a computer or phone and pretend that we have friends. He called us to get out and interact with people, to love people, to invest in relationships, etc.

How do we do this? Well I don't have it all figured out but I want to share with you what I have felt led to do so far:

1.) Disciple other women. Be committed and persistant in meeting once a week with 2 -3 women and help them grow in their faith.

2.) Have a once a month ladies night JUST FOR FUN! Right now this is taking the form of a Bunco group starting in Feb.

3.) Invite another family over for dinner AT LEAST once a month. Preferably this will be people that we don't know well or want to get to know better but to open our home and our table none-the-less.

4.) STOP after church and truly take the time to visit with members of our church family. Not a mere hug or wave as we head to the car or round up kids but to truly stop and find out how they are and what is going on in their lives.

5.) Take time for one-on-one time with other women from all walks of life. Yes, my house may not be clean or the laundry may pile up a bit but perhaps that sister needs and extra hug or an ear to listen or a prayer to be said.

6.) Notice when others are absent from church or other functions and take the time to call them and make sure they are ok.

7.) Limit the majority of my Facebook communication to those who are NOT local. Not ignore the local people because hopefully I am interacting with them face to face but to focus FB to those that I am not physically near.

I truly believe that these 7 simple things will open the door to developing real face-to-face relationships. Yes - there are times we need to be alone or with our family BUT that is NOT all the time.

Like I said earlier - technology is GREAT! I love the fact that I have reconnected with friends from college, high school and other places we have lived through FB. I love that I can post pictures of my kids for my family that lives far away to share in their growing up - but I don't believe that God wants us to use it in place of developing real life face to face friends in our community.

This week, I LOVED that I got to nurture a friendship that I believe will turn into a beautiful friendship with another pastor's wife. God blessed us with a lunch for just us girls one day and then lunch together with our spouses the very next day! How cool is that? I am excited to have another sister in ministry who can relate to the good bad and ugly of this crazy walk as a minister's wife! I am praying for more divine appointments like this in the weeks to come. No, I haven't been home a single day this week, my house is a mess, I have tons to do - but I would rather develop a friendship than to have a sparkling house..

"Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to others, especially to those who are of the household of faith." Galatians 6:10

On my knees in Battle!

2011-01-10T05:41:00.000-08:00

My heart is heavy for two wonderful young moms I know. The first mom, is a close friend of mine who is pregnant with her fourth child. I must say, that this pregnancy has been a test of faith, prayer and dependence on the Lord for her but also for myself! I have learned through this that there are some battles that rage on and on and we can't EVER give up on them! We have prayed continuously for the life of this baby since very early in the pregnancy and it has been an uphill battle since then and continues to be so. I will be honest, it is REALLY hard for me to relate to this situation. Yes, I had 4 children, 4 pregnancies, and they were all close together; however, I was so blessed with pretty eventless pregnancies and never really had issues while pregnant. Through my friend though, I have learned how incredibly precious and powerful standing in the gap for LIFE really is! So many times I have thought "I want to do more!" "I need to step up and help more." etc and yet the Lord has brought me back to "You are doing more than you can imagine...you are fighting the battle for life on your knees and that is the most important weapon of al!" Oh my friends - if we only understood and grasped the incredible and amazing power that we have through prayer and intercession on the behalf of others, how much more would we be on our knees, vervently fighting the battles we face each and every day? The battle is not done for my friend - she needs to carry this baby another 4 weeks for it to be completely healthy and strong but you know what? I am learning that I can help her, I can intervene because I can PRAY. I would ask that you join me in praying for this little life that she carries, that he would become strong and healthy and that she would be able to not only carry him another 4 weeks but that the contractions would stop, the other issues she is having would be healed and that she would have energy for her 3 children that are here. Pray that this would be a battle that we can say "WOW, look what God did!" I believe that God will be glorified through the life she carries.

The second young mom is not someone I know really well although I have met her and know her heart is to serve the Lord. She is facing a legal issue and court case this week that could literally change her life forever. Again, I felt helpless and unable to really do anything and again I am reminded to PRAY. My heart goes out to her because I believe in my heart that she is innocent of the charges against her and yet in our messed up and turned around world - there are those that would have her pay a price higher than any mom should. Yet, once again the Lord has told me - "fight this battle on your knees" Think about that. What soldier would run into battle crawling on their knees and yet - we are so STRONG when we fall on our knees before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We have more strength, more endurance, more stamina, more POWER than the enemy will EVER know when we fall before the throne of the Lord God Almighty...why then is it that we like David, try to weild a sword much to heavy for us and wear an armor way to big and then go into battle? Instead we need to say, like David, the LORD is my sheild, His Word is my Sword and He will go before me!

Prayer is something that I struggle with. It is not that I don't pray but more that I don't do it often or intensely enough. I am learning though and I am anxious to become more and more powerful in my use of prayer. This week, these two young moms are my focus in my prayer time but I don't want to be limited to that. If you are facing a situation or a battle and you know that you need prayer warriors PLEASE e-mail me! For many of you, this is the only way I can help BUT it is also the absolute BEST way I can help. I would also ask that you join me in intense prayer for my two friends - pray that the victory will be one and the Lord God Almighty will be glorified beyond our wildest dreams!

arringtonmom@yahoo.com - I look forward to hearing how I can pray for you and THANK YOU for helping me pray more intensely than ever before!

Lessons on Love and being in the Desert

2011-01-04T19:11:00.000-08:00

"Love is God's essence, Power is an attribute of God. Therefore, God's love is stronger than His power."

This quote was in my devotional this past Sunday morning and has captured my thoughts the past couple of days. At first I thought "how can one thing about God be stronger than something else?" However, the more I thought and meditated on this - the more I began to realize that it really is true. You see, God IS love - EVERYTHING He does is a result of His love for man - even to the point of sacrificing His ONE AND ONLY Son on the cross for mankind. (John 3:16) So if God is love - then His Love is the strongest part of who He is!

So, as I thought and pondered and prayed about how this needed to be applied to my life, God has revealed a few things.

First and foremost - I need to LOVE God more! He loves me with all He is and yet, I am quick to place Him on the back burner and to forget about Him or maybe I don't forget about Him but I place other things and people before Him. I love my husband and children - there isn't anything I wouldn't do for them. I claim to love God and I do but how do I show that, how is it mirrored in my life? So, I need to LOVE God more!

The second thing that I have come to realize is that EVERYTHING God does is a result of His love for me and EVERYWHERE He has me is a result of His knowledge of what is best for me. I am going to be completely honest - I have NOT been content with where I am at in life for the past couple of months. Mostly, this revolves around career vs being home but also it concerns our lifestyle, friendships, family relationships, etc. I have had an attitude of discontentment and have longed for something more. It has been hard knowing that I have a college degree in an area of study that I enjoy and love but yet I have not been able to use it. I have had a desire to grow and expand in this area of study and yet have not had it; not to mention that the added income from me working full-time would most definitely help out financially! In the area of friendships - I am struggling. I have some great friends all over the country but circumstances, distance, life seems to be pulling some of these apart. I long for that friend you can call and just be honest and say "today sucks" and they will truly listen to you, they have time for you regardless what else is going on. Don't get me wrong - I do have wonderful friends but lately I haven't been content with the way thes relationships are. So - in essence there has been just an overwhelming sense of discontentment.
This morning though the Lord spoke to me through both a friend's blog and scripture. My friend blogged about being in the desert and how when we are in the desert we are discontent, upset, complain, whine, etc. Yet, when you look through scripture at the times that people were "in the desert" it was usually a time right before God had something big for them and it was a time where He could prepare them for the journey ahead. What came to my mind this morning was Moses - He was in the desert when God spoke in a bush, He was in the wilderness when God spoke to Him, etc. God knew that Moses had to learn to trust Him before moving on with His plans for Moses - as a result of His lack of trust and faith Moses missed out on the reward of the promised land. In the desert - God spoke to Hagar about His plan and protection of Ishmael. I don't want to miss out on God's reward, I want to be fully 100% prepared for the work He has for me and so therefore - I want to know what He needs me to learn while I am in this "desert" place. I am not quite at the point where I can say I am 100% content - but that is where I long to be! I am anxious to know "what's next" but in the meantime, I am striving to be content where I am. I KNOW that God has me here because He LOVES ME and HE IS LOVE! It is all about His love for me that He brings me to these desert points in my life.

I Timothy 6:6-7 talks about contentment in Godliness because we brought nothing into this world and we will take nothing out of it. When I read this passage this morning - it hit me! It doesn't matter what I have in terms of material goods or money - I need to have a Godly contentment with where the Lord has me TODAY while at the same time being prepared for whatever He may have around the corner.

Maybe I am not alone, maybe there are those of you who have found yourselves in the "desert" of discontentment and are longing to know what's next. My prayer is that you, like me, will seek to be 100% content with wherever you are RIGHT NOW knowing that God is love and therefore where you are is an act of His love!

New Christmas Traditions

2010-12-31T19:08:00.001-08:00

Picture of the lake by our house...

Joel and I are always looking for new traditions to incorporate into our Christmas with the kids. This year we added two that we are really excited about and plan to continue for years to come.

Both of these were not our original ideas - one was in a Christian Magazine at our church and the other I got off crosswalk.com.

So the first was a change in the types and number of gifts we give our kids. First of all, you need to know that we have never really done a whole lot for Christmas partly due to finances but mostly because Christmas is not about us or our kids - it's Jesus' birthday and so we want our kids to know that it's all about HIM! We do big birthday celebrations for our kids and so Christmas is a big celebration about Jesus. However - in reading this article about 3 gifts for Christmas I was enthralled and thought that made so much sense! Jesus received 3 gifts - Gold, Frankensense and Myrh. The article went on to say how this couple decided to do the equivilent with their kids - 3 gifts with important meaning. The "gold" gift is something more expensive that your child has asked for. The "Frankensense" gift is something that helps them grow spiritually and the "Myrh" gift is something that they wear.

So - Christmas morning Joel went over the gifts that Jesus got and then explained the use of each, followed by telling the kids that they were getting the 3 gifts! It was so fun and we loved it!
The second tradition we are adding involves a unique way to teach your children to pray. We actually haven't started this one yet but will be this next week! You save all the Christmas cards that you get and put them in a basket on your dining room table. Then starting shortly after New Year's each night at dinner as the family is arround the table - you take a card out of the basket. As a family you talk about how you know that family, memories you may have with them, etc. and then you pray for that family together. I have always felt bad about just discarding all the beautiful cards that people send and just LOVED this unique idea! Don't worry if you didn't send us a card - we will pray for you anyway! LOL

So there are the two new traditions we have added this year. I would really like to hear about any traditions that your family may have so that perhaps we can add to ours and feel free to begin these with your family as well!

Christmas Re-cap

2010-12-31T11:18:00.000-08:00

So, I can tell that we have jumped into the Christmas holidays as I haven't blogged since the kids got out of school! We have thoroughly enjoyed the two weeks we have had off though. It has been full of many many memories and special moments!

Perhaps the most special moment for me was Christmas Eve. We went to church for the service there which was beautiful and wonderful - so special to remember Christ's birth with our church family. Following that, we came home to a crock pot of chilli! This is definitely going to be a Christmas Eve tradition at least when we are home! Then we sat around as a family, just the 6 of us, and talked about what gifts we could give Jesus this next year. So precious to see my kids really ponder what they wanted to give Jesus in terms of their attitudes and service.

Christmas Day was filled with fun and laughter and kids getting us up at 4:45 in the morning to see what Santa brought! Wasn't too bad - once I woke up a bit! LOL.

The day after Christmas, we went to Pagosa after church to celebrate with Nana and Papa and Joel's sister and her family! I love having the cousins get together...even if it was really loud! Monday we went back to Pagosa for more fun with the cousins!!!

Wednesday - the cousins (and parents) came to our house!!! Yippee!!! We had been praying for them to get some snow to play in - we got some and more! From Wed morning to Thursday night - we got over 2 ft of snow at our house!!! The Texas crew was a little in awe I think but they jumped in with sledding, snowball fights and even helped shovel some!

Speaking of the snow - it has snowed so much and the roads are so bad, that they are staying an extra day and won't go home til tomorrow! So there is our Christmas week in a nutshell - here are a few pictures...

It's Called Christmas (With A Capital C)

2010-12-21T16:12:00.000-08:00

Why Facebook?

2010-12-19T05:33:00.001-08:00

I thought I would blog about why I am on Facebook and how the Lord is using FB in my own life. I get SO many questions or comments about the number of "friends" I have on FB - it's at 585 as of this morning. Some people think it's amazing that I know that many people, others think that perhaps I shouldn't have that many, and still others just wonder in general.

First of all, let me preface before going any farther - this is MY reasoning, and what the Lord has laid on MY heart. It is not for everyone, but I am praying that by sharing my "why" of FB the Lord may reveal some area or tool you are to be using.

Ok - I will be completely honest here. I FIRST got on FB to socialize with some youth in Arkansas and then started to see others I knew on there. My initial reason was to "connect" with our youth. However, it didn't take long for me to realize that FB could be dangerous! Yes - dangerous. I could partake in gossip, slander, being judgemental, complaining, etc. and I did/do at times if I am not careful.

One night, I was pondering FB and how it was a tool of the world so I began to pray about it and truly seek the face of God as to whether I should be on it or not and this is what I received:
"Ronnie, you can choose to use FB for my glory, or you can choose to just be another person on it. You can reach out to people or you can decide to use it to vent, complain, gossip, etc." This hit me hard! After much prayer and seeking I decided that I wanted to use FB for the glory of my King! I wanted to be a light in a dark world!!!

This has not come without cost - just as any time we choose to obey God and do what He has called us to do. I have had people criticize me for being on it, question me, I have seen lots of posts containing language that I don't appreciate and I am daily tempted to use it to whine and complain or gossip. Yet - I chose to obey God.

It has been my goal, no I don't always succeed, to daily post a scripture or spiritual truth on my FB status that will hopefully challenge or encourage someone on FB. I want to know that whoever "befriends" me will at least come across one scripture each day as they log on to FB. I want to be the light in the darkness and provide hope to those who are hurting. This is why I have 585 friends - I do not deny any request because I am not to decide who the Lord brings across my path on FB. There have been times in my flesh that I have gotten mad or hurt and deleted someone - however EVERY time the Lord has brought them back to my heart and I have added them back.

There are those that have deleted me for various reasons - yes it hurts at times. However, I have to remember that my identity is not found in who "friends" me on FB. My identity is found in my Lord and my King. He has called me, He has chosen me, and He loves me just the way I am.

For me, FB is also an evangelism tool. In my day to day life I honestly don't know very many who are lost (I'm working on this) but on FB - SO MANY are lost without Christ! I try to be relavent and yet bring Truth. Yes, I try to relate by posting things my kids do or say, or just little tidbits about my day so that people realize even though we are in ministry - we are normal just like them. It has been assumed that because the majority of my posts are "positive" we have a perfect life or we are not willing to admit that we struggle or that we are "too good", etc. This of course is not the case. The reason I try really hard to not post those things (and now that I am blogging this I have to be more accountable) is that FB is NOT ABOUT ME in my case. The Lord brought it into my path as a tool to be used for Him and His glory. He has challenged me with this and at the moment that I make it all about me - I need to delete it and get rid of it.

So this is why I am on FB, this is why there are verses at least once a day (or I try), this is why I have 585 friends. My challenge to you - what is the Lord calling YOU to do? What in your life can be used for His glory and His Kingdom? Find whatever it is and use it for HIM. Yes, you will be criticized, judged possibly, and even put down by other believers (I certainly have had my share of Christians tell me I shouldn't FB or even blog)- but be obedient to Him and step out there and do it!

Some things just break a Mama's heart!

2010-12-16T15:25:00.000-08:00

This has been a ROUGH week for my four kids...I can't remember ever having a week where all four of my children have struggled so much, I am ready for them to have the Christmas break for their sakes as much as anything!

Here is the "short" version:

Hannah - yesterday in her English class, one of the boys decided to change the time on the clock. Hannah, being the rule abiding good student that she is decided to get it and change it back before the teacher came back in. As a result, the other student called her "teacher's pet" and other names all day long and made a big deal about it all day. This really got to her and even though she knows that it was right to make the decision she did - it still hurt and doesn't take away the sting.

Malachi - has been having a fellow student say dirty nasty jokes to him constantly, call him bad names and even choke him in the hall. We did report it and the principal is taking action but just really rough on him and his tenderheart!

Kestra - hers is the longest story but basically she has been struggling in math since Sept and the teachers just decided to take action in December AFTER I mentioned it to them. She is a very social person and doesn't like to be "sepearated" out - of course not understanding the work is also frustrating as she LOVES to learn and do school! We have had conversations with all three teachers involved as well as the principal and are confident that we are on the way to getting Kestra the help and guidance that she needs in math when she returns in January.

Tyler - he has had some behavior issues that are partly just him and partly him trying to "fit in" among his peers when he has so many other issues to overcome. He is really sensative this week and seems to burst into either tears or a tantrum any time we discipline or correct him.

So - to say that we are READY for school to be out is an understatement! I have some really fun ideas for next week such as baking, movies, games and even a "playdate" at our house for any kids and moms that may want to join us! It should be fun and a chance for all 4 to just relax and regroup!

Hannah Marie

2010-12-13T12:05:00.000-08:00

From time to time I would like to blog about each one of my four precious children. I must admit that some of them definitely do more things that I find funny or I learn lessons from but each one is so special in their own unique way.

Today, I am choosing to blog about Ms. Hannah. Hannah is our oldest and I must say that in itself causes me to learn the most from her - she's our first experience with everything that involves parenting! Unfortunately for her, that isn't always a good thing but for the most part she does well with it.

Hannah has grown up to be such a beautiful young lady! It is so hard to believe that in less than a year she will begin her first year of High School. I can still remember her as a little toddler walking around singing "Diddle Deedle" or the times that she would look at us and point her finger and yell "No" and then grin! Now, she is almost 5' 7", on the school honor roll, plays volleyball and basketball and is a lovely young woman.

I am so proud of her and all that she has accomplished. This past year we observed her grow so much physically and spiritually. She showed great diligence in her athletic performance. Spiritually she is amazing me - she isn't afraid to ask the hard questions or to search the Bible for herself to find the answers. Most of all - she is so tenderhearted and merciful toward her friends at school. She is always thinking of them and what they need!

Of course, my relationship with Hannah isn't anywhere near perfect - in fact we actually clash quite a bit. She can exasperate me and bring out the worst in me - and if I am honest - I can do the same to her. However, I am so thankful for her and the fact that she challenges ME to live out my faith and beliefs! One thing that I have learned from Hannah is that sometimes we all need to take time away from others and process our thoughts and feelings. I am a "let's fix it now" type of person. I don't want to leave an argument or disagreement until it's finished - she is more of a "let me settle down first" type person. Nothing is wrong with either one but it is hard for both of us to understand the other!

I am most impressed by the talent that Hannah has in her writing. She simply amazes me!!! She can express herself and her feelings so well in the writing of a story or a poem. I pray that some day she will get one or more of her writing pieces published or at the very least she will allow me to blog one of them. :)

The Lord blessed me on May 19, 1997 with a beautiful baby girl - I am so proud of the woman she is becoming! The other day she sat beside me after her game and made this statement "Hey my mom, my best friend." She then went on to talk about her day and the game but my heart stayed with those words - I know that I still have to be her mom but I do pray that as she grows older we will be good friends as well. I am so thankful that for the most part Hannah talks to me about what is going on, her troubles, her feelings, etc and I pray that as she enters HS and college that will stay the case.

Storms

2010-12-10T11:39:00.000-08:00

The past several weeks we have been really busy with both church and kid's activities. As I have come across different people we have been reminded that this time of year so many people are hurting and facing such heartbreaking situations or storms of life as I sometimes refer to them!

Yesterday morning, I was praying for a particular family and their heartbreaking situation. I found myself praying that the Lord would take them out of the storm and give them relief. As I prayed, the Lord laid this upon my heart and I put it as my Facebook status:

Sometimes God dissolves the storm before it comes and sometimes He calms the troubled waters BUT sometimes He allows us to be in the storm so we will feel His loving arms around us when all else is shaking around us...no matter where you are, God is there and He is holding you!

All day, this was on my mind. Most of the time I pray and ask the Lord to calm the storm or even divert it - yet would I want to miss out on the blessing of God carrying me through it? The lesson that I learned from this was that God is THERE! He is there before and after the storm - and He is there DURING the storm.

So - my prayer this Christmas season is that no matter where you find yourself you too will know that He is there! Emmanuel - God with us...has come to be WITH us before, during and after all the storms we may face!

Becky Kelley - Where's the Line to See Jesus - OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO

2010-12-05T15:20:00.000-08:00

Teachable Moment...

2010-12-05T13:15:00.000-08:00

"Mom, I KNOW Santa is real!" smiling sweetly as I responded to Tyler "Oh really and how do you KNOW this?" "Because I read it on the internet!"

This simple comment that Tyler made to me this morning has stuck with me all day! Of course, Joel and I smiled and even chuckled a little at it but in reality - this is what many of our children believe. If I read it on the internet - it MUST be truth. While cute and over a very simple topic (in my opinion) I recognized this as a GREAT opportunity to teach Tyler about where our truth really does come from. I explained to him at the time, that not EVERYTHING on the internet is true and then proceeded to explain that Santa was a real person who died but we carry on his traditions, etc.

However, more important than this is that I teach my children where to look for ULTIMATE TRUTH....God's Word. So many things in this world scream at us and more importantly our children what truth is and without proper guidance and direction they can easily be sent in the wrong direction after something that is a lie and will ultimately lead to destruction.

"If you hold to my teaching, then you are really my disciples and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free" John 8:31-32 You see JESUS is the truth and we can trust Him. Tyler's comment this morning was simple and full of childhood anticipation and wanting to hold on to the magic of Santa. It truly was a innocent proclamation of saying - it's just GOT to be true because I want it to be and this proves it. Yet, it was a reality check and a wake up call to me - am I teaching them the true source of absolute and eternal truth? Not in the academic sense but in a spiritual sense.

I want my children to grow up knowing who is TRUTH and to learn to follow him. Today's conversation was an excellent reminder to emphasize t0 and teach my children to seek truth...

That being said - we did continue to explain to Tyler that it's ok to pretend there is a Santa and that gifts with "Santa" on them are simply gifts from someone who didn't want to be recognized!

I am so thankful to the Lord for bringing these "teachable moments"into my life - not only so I can teach my children but so my Father can teach me through them as well!

Only one more week....

2010-12-03T17:24:00.000-08:00

of sports practices that is! I love sports and especially basketball but let me tell you, this mom is ready to not have something EVERY night of the week! With Hannah practicing or at games 5 nights a week, Kestra at tutoring 3 nights and choir one night a week, Malachi at practice once a week and the 3 younger and Joel and I at AWANA one night a week - it gets a little hectic to say the least! Thankfully, that will all slow down quite a bit next week as Hannah and Malachi will be done with basketball, Kestra will only have one week of tutoring left...ahhhh....

In January, things will slow down for the Arrington's A LOT and that will be a welcome respite! LOL...

Marriage Truths...

2010-12-03T09:39:00.000-08:00

Truth # 7 - Communicate with your husband!
I can't tell you how many times I have been mad at Joel, stomped around, gave him the silent treatment, etc and yet he had NO IDEA what was bothering me because I didn't tell him. As women, I think we often expect our men to know what we need, how we are feeling, what we expect etc and although sometimes that is the case (more and more the longer we are married) there are times that we just need to tell them what the problem is and they would be more than happy to fix it! Let me give you an example from my own marriage: when we were first married Joel would literally spend HOURS on the computer at night...I would get so upset and mad because I wanted time with ME and yet he would go to the computer. The longer this went on, the madder and more upset I became. After about 2 years into our marriage (yes, I let it build that long!) I finally blew a gasket! I came unglued! I told him that some women are jealous of other women but I was jealous of a stupid computer. Joel was floored - I mean I REALLY let him have it. His response (with tears in his eyes) " I am so sorry, I never knew it bothered you or upset you. Why didn't you say anything?" For 2 years I carried a hurt that I had no reason to carry! So we have to communicate and we need to know how our husband communicates best.
I talked with a woman last night that said if she really wants her husband to understand something - she texts him a message on his phone. At first, I wanted to say but TALK to him. However - she continued to explain that if he sees the text, he can think and then better respond. You see she has figured out a way to communicate that works for him! What a novel idea.

These are simply the beginning and a starting point. I know that not all circumstances or issues are as simple as this and I know that there isn't always a "cut and dry" answer for every issue. I do believe, however, that if one or both persons in a marriage will take the time to apply these truths - they will see a difference in their marriage.

There are definitely things that are deserving of professional counseling or intervention: certain addictions, abuse, affairs, etc so please don't hesitate to seek outside help!

This series is just intended to be a building block for any marriage...our hearts are to help families grow stronger in the Lord and with each other. Like I said in the first post - we don't have all the answers, we are still growing ourselves but we want to help any and everyone we can along the way!

Marriage Truths Cont.

2010-12-03T05:51:00.000-08:00

Truth #3-
Place your spouse above any other person. Notice I didn't just say "any other" - The Lord is to be your first and foremost relationship, however after the Lord there is NO OTHER more important than your spouse. As a mom, this was and at times is still hard for me but it is CRITICAL to your marriage that your man knows he is the #1 person in your life. We need to carve out spaces of our time, energy, prayers, etc specifically for our husbands that no one or nothing else can creep in and fill. Yes - I know the baby needs fed, diaper changed, homework needs completed, laundry, etc. Yet - if any of these things is more important than your spouse - you have just told him that he isn't your priority and he doesn't matter. So - set a date night each week - it can be as simple as a movie at home after the kids are tucked in, a chat by the fire, or you can find other parents and trade out babysitting - let them watch your kids at their house and then have a date at home...you get the idea. Just know that hubby needs to have that place of priority!

Truth # 4
Eliminate ANYTHING that may be stealing your heart, time, money away from your marriage. This could be something like drugs, pornography, drinking or it may be something not so "big" such as reading books, being on the internet, a hobby, etc. This doesn't mean that you can't do these hobbies (things of a sinful nature MUST be eliminated!) BUT are they in a place more important than your marriage and time with your spouse? Where is your heart truly focused?

Truth #5
Pray not only FOR your spouse but pray WITH your spouse! There is nothing Joel and I have done together that compares to praying together. When we are kneeling before our King and seeking Him and His will together - it truly does unite us and strengthen our marriage! Make it a regular habit to PRAY TOGETHER!

Truth #6
The hard times will come - determine to face them TOGETHER not seperate! It is not a matter of if but when. However, making a decision before the hard times hit (or now if you are in them) that you are going to stand together and stay together through them will make all the difference. Joel and I made this decision before we ever said our vows that no matter what came our way there would be no other way to face it than together! We have faced numerous financial hardships (eviction, repossession of our car, etc), we have faced serious health issues with one of our children (see post on Tyler), we have faced numerous unexpected and unwanted moves, and yes these have been hard. They have put our marriage and our relationship with the Lord to the test but we went through them together. There was one time after a particularly hard time financially that I emotionally detached myself from my husband and I will tell you it took A LOT to get that back! I felt abandoned and alone and like I was drowning - fortunately through the love of our Lord and a very understanding husband - those wounds have been healed but not without some pain. So make the decision to do it together and remember to always go back to Truth #5!!!

That is all I can type for now - hopefully I will conclude this series later today or tomorrow! Know you are prayed for!!!!

A heartbreaking trend...

2010-12-01T08:10:00.000-08:00

The past several months Joel and I have had heavy hearts as we have seen more and more marriages either falling apart or ending. It is heartbreaking to observe so many we know hurting and experiencing the crumbling of their marriage.

As we have seen this and walked alongside some, we couldn't help but ask ourselves what is happening and what can we do to stop it? It seems to be that divorce, separation, or living in the same house with no real love or joy are now becoming the norm and it is frightening to say the least. What is even more alerting is the fact that these are not marriages among those who don't know the Lord but they are Christian marriages, marriages where God was the center at one point but He has been removed or put on the outskirts.

Although we don't have the all the answers and we are certainly continuing to learn in our own marriage - we do feel that God in His Word has a LOT to say about marriage and we have learned some lessons in our own marriage that have strengthed it and we believe have helped us withstand the storms of life.

My heart in particular has been so heavy with the hurt that I have seen women go through and so I would like to just share with you all some truths that I have seen work in my own marriage. I am hoping to do this through a series of posts within the next week...

Truth # 1:
In order for marriage to truly work, it must be based with God in the center. I have seen no better illustration of this than the picture of a triangle. As you look at a triangle each of the two sides reach toward the top or the peak. Replace the sides with a man and woman and God at the peak. As a man and a wife grow and become closer to God, then they will become closer to one another. It is inevitable. Unfortunately, what we often do is stay at the base and expect our husband or wife to come to us. We focus on what WE need and what WE want and forget to focus on the Lord. As you invest and grow in your relationship with God, He will help you to love your spouse more and more.

Truth # 2:
Closely related to Truth # 1 - Truth #2 is this - Marriage is NOT ABOUT YOU. When we realize that marriage is about our husband's needs and wants first then we can show them the love that Jesus gave us. When God gave His only son - it was not Himself that He was focused on - it was OUR NEED for a Savior. In marriage - we need to esteem our spouse more highly than ourselves. We need to learn to put his needs above our own and in doing so - we will experience a love like no other.

I am going to leave you with those two truths for now. My prayer is that no matter where your marriage is - whether strong and firm or whether falling apart - you will take the time to pray about these truths and what God wants to show you through them. Please feel free to either e-mail me arringtonmom@yahoo.com or post a comment about how Joel and I can pray for your marriage specifically and know this - you are not alone. Every marriage goes through hard times, every person hurts - it is what we do when these times come that makes the difference. Will you turn your marriage, your hurts, your pain, your life over to the ONE who can heal and restore?

A Firefighter's Wife: Grace Mothering

2010-11-30T18:59:00.000-08:00

A Firefighter's Wife: Grace Mothering: "Dear Mothers, I have to tell you how thankful I am that my mothering is covered by the Blood of Jesus. So many days, I have the best inten..."