In the Storm

Without a doubt

GOD IS GOOD! and prayer works. Been praying for the Blue SKy event for the military ministry at SCC. Had about 20 people show up and in 1 1/2 hours we filled three white boards front and back with ideas on how SCC can serve our military her on the home front and abroad. Now to put a leadership team together to decide which ideas to put into action and which to table for a time. I am still in awe. I still get goose bumps just thinking about the list.

Ella babella is sitting up now!!!!!

Another design team layout and one that I just did.

This Weekend

No pictures! Oh well...I drove the church bus and thirteen ladies to Columbia, SC for the Beth Moore Conference on Friday. We checked in to our hotel, had about two hours of free time (which we spent at the mall across the trip) then headed for the convention center, downtown Columbia, in afternoon rush hour traffic, driving a bus. Fun would not be the word...but safely into the center with 17,000 other ladies - no kidding! I experienced an amazing night of praise, worship and teaching.

Jeff and the boys went out to eat at Krystals and headed for the movies: TMNT (for those not 'in the know' that is 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'). All three enjoyed the time.

Up way too early on Saturday morning, after a late night (got back to the room at 11:30pm finally - session over at 9:30), walked to the McDonalds down the street at 6 am so I could get back to the bus and open it up for everyone. Quick trip back into the convention center and another amazing session (I shared just some of what I learned in the previous blog entry) and then headed for home/lunch. Got home at 5:30pm - just in time for second service - and an amazing sermon taught by Jeff Vines.

Jeff and the boys on Saturday morning, up at 4:30ish so they could head to church to help cook for a Saturday morning Men's breakfast and event. The went to lunch then headed back to church to do some secret service work on the church property. And then headed for church. Jeff had traffic duty and the boys had children's ministry tech duty.

So it's Sunday and I slept until 10:20 (while Jeff had traffic duty again). We are experiencing some cooler weather today and some gusty winds. Kinda dreary day but a great day to catch up around the house. I came home to a box of amazing papers and embellishments from My Minds Eye - yummy yummy yummy! Ready to scrap again but still doing some catch up work around the house.

A Masterpiece

At the point you come to know Jesus Christ as Lord of your life, as your personnal Savior God begins His work in you. Beth Moore, this past weekend, provided a vivid example of that work. At the moment of Salvation you are a black and white canvas but as you face the many trials of life - and you will face trials - each trial adds color to the canvas that is you. This canvas is God's masterpiece. When you step into eternity and come face to face with Jesus Christ you will have been completed, full of color and the perfect masterpiece. You will have been transformed from black and white to an amazing, rich, vibrant work of art only God could imagine. If we are facing trials then God has allowed them, not that He's caused them; and He's allowed them for two reasons only: 1) For His glory. That through the trial He will be glorified and 2) for good only. Any trial we face we have an opportunity to grow in Christ. Our choice whether we choose to or not. But every trial we persevere through brings color to the masterpiece God is creating.

Question. Have you just been 'doing' church? You've gone to church your whole life but you can't pinpoint a time when you asked Jesus into your life, made Him Lord of your life, decided you were going to live for Him. If you can't you probably haven't. So do it. When Beth Moore provided an invitation to the 17,000 women at the conference if they wanted to know Jesus as their personnal Savior a bunch of ladies came forward. Beth told us later that when she (Beth) asked us to timeline when we came to know Jesus personally one of the ladies that had come forward said that though she'd been going to church her whole life, in this bible study, on this ministry she couldn't think of a time that she actually placed Jesus on the throne in her life. So she did yesterday!!! How cool is that. She will have no doubts next time some one asks when did you come to know Christ.

No longer will I consider myself 'a work in progress'. I will forever rebutt I'm not a work in progress, 'I'm a masterpiece in progress'.

A Week in Pictures

Just wanted to post a few pictures from this past week - for the memories:

Auntie Ash and Ella on Easter Sunday. Two beautiful girls.

Twisted Hats, Two Cool Cats: John and Ella

 

Taco Tuesday night: We almost always have Stacia over. Stacia our surrogate daughter (daughter #4). Jessie, her boyfriend gets to come sometimes. They always do something with the boys. Tonight it was Air Hockey, a game of Sorry and a video game. Too much fun.

The first shot was John pouting because he was struggling with his homework, but I changed that with the camera and changed his pout to smiles. He got his homework done in a jiffy with less problems.

Good week all around (with a few bumps in the road!!!); talked to my sister, talked to my mom, Ash finalized a wedding date and justice of peace issue, celebrated the Resurrection of Jesus, I swam two days this week, boys are a few items away from their Bear Cub badge after Monday, Taco Tuesday was fab with Lori, Stacia and Jessie coming over and sharing my tacos, and paid taxes too - yippee!!! - NOT!!!! So we're 14,000 dollars poorer....the blessing is that we wrote a check and still have money left in savings. How cool is that!!! God is good.

Swim Stats and more

Jeff told me that when he was in high school a guy on his track team would run his 400 meter race and then head for the edge of the track and throw up. Jeff said that you know when you've pushed your body (and your muscles) to its maximum use when you throw up. Guess I did that this morning with my 1000 meter swim. While you may note that 1000 meters is not that far (and less than I have been swimming), I just started back yesterday after a month away from swimming and today when I set my goal at 1000 meters I also decided after getting in the pool to do a bit of 'sprinting'. Didn't do all 1000 meters this way but probably 12 of the 20 laps I did. That's probably why those other 8 laps I was dragging myself through the water. I love telling my fish husband what I've done in the pool - he always encourages me - even if it's with a story about wrenching...

So I'm heading out this weekend (Fri-Sat) for a Beth Moore conference. So excited! She is this amazing author of bible studies!

Ashley, my soon to be married second daughter called just Tuesday (while I was fixing Tacos you know) to tell me that her wedding plans were finalized. She'd gotten ahold of the South Carolina justice of the peace, June 1 is open for her at 10am, and she (the justice) knew of this great place on the beach in South Carolina for a wedding. So Ashley will be wearing her wedding dress with flip flops!!!! and Brad will NOT be in a tux - and flip flops. Just love all her short notice plans and wayward plans. As far as I know Brad has not even officially asked her yet but I guess they are agreeing they are getting married on this date - very confusing to this parent whose husband proposed, with a ring in hand, and was engaged for quite sometime, before even setting a date. Having a very hard time adjusting to all the changes she makes and trying to keep up. We talk about this but then really aren't sure if that's a go even (because how many times we've talked - things have changed!). Very frustrating.

So to leave on a less than frustrating note:

"Hope itself is like a star--not to be seen in the sunshine of prosperity, and only to be discovered in the night of adversity" {c.h. spurgeon}

Was reading Rebecca Sower's blog today and this quote was on her last entry. Know someone who feels things are hopeless right now? I do. We never expect adversity but it sure knows how to find us doesn't it. But "hope shines brightest when it's stormy and dark and you feel like the shadows are just about to swallow you" - R. Sower. Just a reminder that life is eternal if our trust and hope is in Jesus Christ.   

Do you ever

need to just get some things off your chest. Well, my sister Paula and I did. Been building for alot of years. Sorry it was over the phone but hope it's the beginning of something great!!! Again - I love you Paula!!! Realized I don't remember the last time I said that to my sister before last night. That was very sad to me. So the phone call ended on I love you. That isn't sad to me. It made me smile.

I walked into an empty pool this morning at 6:15 am after my mid shift and swam only 600 meters - well it has been more than a month since I swam. A little disappointed but, I'll be back in the morning. Guess I'll shoot for a 1000 meters. Shouldn't be a problem. My hands were aching today. Does that confuse you? Swimming is this all-over body workout and should be (and is) this awesome workout, but if you swim correctly you cup your hands to get the greatest pull of water, which in turn uses your muscles to a greater extent too - well - unfortunately arthritis, or carpel tunnel, or whatever my hand issues are start to ache from them being cupped together for a long period of time - you try cupping your hands for an hour pulling water (and I didn't even swim for near that today) - then see if your hands don't ache. Whine, whine, whine...get over it...ok...

Where has March gone?

So it's been forever since I posted. And no I haven't swam again since my last swim stats - that is so killing me...so I didn't meet my goal of 1600 meters by the end of March. I was shy 200 meters. But, alas, this is not the end. I will not only meet my goal of 1600 meters but by the end of May I will reach 2 miles (3200 meters - my new goal).

Lots going on besides I've been absolutely sick this past week - literally all week - but went to work sick anyways. I'm sure no one thanked me for that. Amazingly enough I was able to complete my bible study for the week, Wives of the Warriors and taught it on Saturday evening. These ladies are fantantastic!!!! I am so enjoying this study because of them!!!

I just finished a set of letters for a dear friend Lynne. I spelled T-E-S-S-A, for her daughter's room. I've attached them below. I also made my fourth layout for my design team work which I've also enclosed below.

Said to John last night after he coughed hard: "That sounds bad John." His reply, "Pollen." Struck me funny.

John came in from outside today: "It's a scorcher out there!" Too funny!

So lovin' my time with my sons...