On Kings, Kingdoms, And Holding On To Grace

My husband and I experience something we call "Wednesday Night Syndrome." We've had this condition for years.  Historically, Wednesdays are very long days for us.  For him, he is preparing all day for his busiest night of the week in student ministry.  For many of our students, this is the only time of the week they will hear about Jesus and be part of any type of Christian community.  He puts a lot of effort, planning, and prayer into Wednesday nights.  Once he leaves Wednesday morning, I know he won't be home until about 9:00 or so that night.

For many years, Wednesdays have also been a high volume music lesson day for me.  Most years I have taught right up until we leave for church, the past several years even taking my last student with me.  I also teach collegiate/virtual school/home school students during the day on Wednesdays, and have to have my own kids fed and ready for AWANA somewhere in there too.

Once youth group begins, both Jimmy and I pour every ounce of physical, emotional, and spiritual energy we have into the students that come through the doors.  We absolutely love these students, and want to give them the very best we can as we share the love of Jesus with them.

By the time we get home it is already past the kids' bedtimes, and we have to get them wound down and into bed as quickly as we can because they still have two more days of school left.  By the time we get them down we have been drained of nearly everything we have and are exhausted.

But we are also wired.  Our souls are stirred, our minds are racing.  We have tons to think and talk about. We are often starving.  We are tired, but we can't sleep and often stay up later than any other night of the week.  Sometimes we do our own thing, but often we talk and talk to each other late into the night.

This is the condition we call Wednesday Night Syndrome!

This past Wednesday was no exception.  With much on our hearts, we shared of this and that.  Deep matters.  Concerns for students, concerns for families, concerns for this crazy world and self-centered culture.

I'll admit, these are scary times we are living in.  If my hope wasn't in Christ I think I could be a fretful mess.  His peace overrides the chaos, but the condition of our world, state of our culture, and lack of integrity among our leadership is downright disturbing. My mind often recalls the book of Judges, how everyone "did was right in his own eyes." The result, of course, was disastrous for that generation...disaster is always around the corner when we choose to serve sin and self instead of a righteous and holy God.

That night after we talked and shared I went to bed in serious prayer for students and generations and our country and for people to humble themselves and pray and seek God's face and turn from their wicked ways so God would heal this land, this land I love.  2 Chronicles 7:14 was heavy on my heart.

The next morning I was doing my Bible study and was struck by this passage.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that 

cannot be shaken, let us hold on to grace.  

By it, we may serve God acceptably with reverence and awe; 

for our God is a consuming fire.

Hebrews 12:28-29

Believers, we are receiving a kingdom.  Christ's kingdom.  And unlike earthly kingdoms, His kingdom cannot and will not be shaken.  Even if everything around us is ripping apart at the seams, His kingdom is firmly established.

We can hold on to grace, hold on when everything else is falling out from under us. We live each day held tightly in the grip of grace.

We can serve God reverently.  In a world that has little or no reverence for Him, we can stand in awe.  We can serve and worship Him.

We can trust that in the end, God will right the wrongs and injustices.  He is a consuming fire.  His Word has already predicted what is happening now, and His Word tells the whole story.  God wins.  Love prevails.  Heaven awaits.

And one day, one sweet day, we will live in complete and total peace and perfection with Him.  We will rest in the very presence and glorious light of almighty God.

I needed those reminders.  I needed those reminders.

Times are difficult.  God is in control.  His kingdom cannot be shaken.  His kingdom will reign.  Hold on to grace.

Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were 

loud voices in heaven, saying, 

"The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!"

Revelation 11:15

Amen.

The Good News Is...

The bad news is, a lightning strike hit our house a few days ago and our internet has been down, not to mention we now have several appliances to replace, including a garage door and washing machine.

Trying not to dwell on that right now.  

I am at my mom's house borrowing her internet to catch up with you for a minute.  Let me tell you, if I thought May was a busy time for our student ministry schedule, June is even busier.  We have been in full camp prep mode around here and camp is right around the corner! I am so excited, and have been praying for God to do mighty things in the lives of the students going.

And despite the bad news of appliances to replace and not a lot of communication with the outside world, there is some good news to report.

The good news is I have portable Almond Joy flavored coffee creamer.

Bring on the mediocre coffee in the outdoor eating area where we will be dining, triple high bunk beds and sleeping bags, late nights and action packed days with people less than half my age.

Packed or not, I am now officially ready for camp!

P.S. Would absolutely appreciate your prayers for this upcoming physical and spiritual journey and adventure!  Teenagers matter to God, and there is something special about camp that helps draw their attention to Him. Anticipating an amazing time!

Wild Friday Night

I am typing this in the middle of a wild and crazy Friday night that was spent at...you guessed it...Walmart.  Oh, yeah.  We were getting pretty desperate around here so after reheating some leftover pizza for dinner, I dragged myself out the door headed out to buy a cartful of groceries at my least favorite place in the world the store.  It was funny, I ran into two other Pre-K moms there - I guess we all know how to do a Friday night up right!!  At least we have food in our pantry.  It was so bad Trevor actually dictated a list for me this morning!  Here are the five things he requested....

ketchup

Pop Tarts

cake

milk

fruit

You know, the essentials.  :)

After shopping and unloading all 200 bags of groceries, I was happy to spend a quiet evening at home.  It has been another action packed week around here!

Tuesday night Trevor was a little piggie at his school program.  I could have eaten him up he was so precious!

Wednesday night Jimmy and I were emcees at an SGA banquet for the high school. One of the girls from the youth group asked us to help host and it turned out to be a fun evening!  We got to dress up which is always nice.  I was happy to help out the high school and spend time with my very handsome date.

Thursday night Madi was a bee at her school program.  She was absolutely adorable and I could see her dimple from across the room!  I love that they go to a school that supports music and the arts.

Today my dad and I had plans to accompany Madi on a field trip that she earned to Medieval Times.  Only a select number of students in the school were going on this trip, and Madi was one of three in her class who earned it.  Unfortunately, my dad had a fever last night and was unable to go.  But the unexpected treat was that I pulled Trev out of class at the last minute and he took my dad's ticket.  Both kids loved the experience.  Madi thought the chicken leg was amazing (ha) and Trev was captivated by the epic battles and intense action.  That is right up his alley!  They wore their crowns and waved their flags and cheered on the red knight.

After this week of school activies, this Friday night of groceries and time at home was just right.  Though if I close my eyes, I would love to pretend I am where I was when the week began.  More on that soon...it was bliss.

May The Fourth (And Fifth)

I woke up yesterday to find all sorts of "May The Fourth Be With You" wishes on facebook statuses, which made me smile.  I explained that one to Trev as we had lunch at school with Madi.  We surprised her, which was fun!

I had no idea there was a Star Wars Day.  But I looked it up on Wikipedia (and then stumbled upon "Wookieepedia," haha!) so it must be legit.  :)

But honestly, every day is Star Wars Day around this house!  Which is so funny to me.  I had no idea the intergalactic world I would enter when I had a little boy - not to mention I was unaware my house would one day be completely taken over by Legos!

 So in my world May the Fourth was like any other day.  My little fellow snuggled up next to me on the green chair after Pre-K and we sat cheek to cheek, going through a 400 page Star Wars activity book answering questions.  For the record, I have learned a lot in the past year - I did better on these than I thought!  (And it really helped when I realized the answers were upside down in the bottom corner of the page.)

And speaking of his sweet cheeks, they smelled extra good because Trev has a new thing going on...wearing cologne. It is precious.  Oh my goodness.  He often asked to put on Daddy's cologne, so Jimmy gave him an extra miniature bottle he had.  Every day, on his own, Trev uses two sprays - one on his neck, and one on his arm so he can smell it.  Absolutely adorable!  He always comes to me after he puts it on so I can get a whiff, and I make a super big deal about it which makes him feel and look really proud.  It is so cute I can hardly stand it!

Last night we had a joint Sunday School class party.  In general, one class is quite a bit older than the other (for example my mom is in one, I'm in the other), and we went head to head playing Minute To Win It Games.  It was hysterical!  Our teams - which ended up being The Young and The Restless vs. The Bold and the Beautiful - faced off in funny game after game, many the type Jimmy uses in youth group.  The whole night was filled with laughter, and it felt good to laugh like that!  A highlight of the night was when my dad (the senior pastor) had to put panty hose that housed a softball in one leg on his head and use the contraption to knock down 4 cones and 4 batons.  A girl on our team had already mastered the challenge in one minute and he said he couldn't be beat by a woman (haha) - therefore, the pantyhose went on his head and the game was on. He too completed the challenge in less than 60 seconds and we all cracked up!  Fun, fun night.  Our team lost by half of a point, and I think everyone is up for a rematch and another great time!

Today has been pretty low key.  A piano lesson, a bike ride, a birthday party, leftovers for lunch, a quick, thrown together Mexican meal at home for dinner.  Reading, napping, Wii, Netflix in between. The kids helped each other straighten up their rooms (sweet) and are tucked in bed.  Tomorrow Jimmy and I have a big youth activity to head up after church.  It's going to be some great fun in the sun after worship!  Praying for an awesome day!!

Decompressing

Gracious, this past week was a whirlwind.  Between standardized testing, school parties, field trips, Easter play rehearsals, lessons, and hostess-with-the-mostess service for our visiting family and friends, it was non-stop activity around here!  We had to say goodbye to our four house guests as they set off for Chicago this morning.  The kids had a blast with Grandpa and company, and were also in full motion all week between spending time with them and school and church activites.  This morning it was like the four of us stopped for the first time in a week and realized how worn out we all are!

So except for a few lessons that I taught this morning, we have spent this Saturday decompressing.  I've been letting the kids watch movies, play, and just relax.  For much of the day Madi dressed herself as a princess in pink, but a few minutes ago she put her pajamas back on and Trev quickly followed suit.  Good for them!  Tomorrow will be a full day from start to finish and tonight we need to do some prepping for everything, so this has been welcome down time.

Yesterday was Madi's much awaited field trip to Legoland.  We went with Trevor's class a few weeks ago and of course our Lego-loving boy thought it was amazing, but yesterday I took Madi with her class and even our Disney girl was smitten with this park!  It is a great place for kids to just have fun.  The two of us were there from opening to closing, and she played her little heart out on several playgrounds and rode a bunch of rides, including all four of the kiddie coasters which she loved.   We spent much of the day with some of our best friends which was really fun.  It was a warm day and we left sun-kissed and satisfied.  The two of us had the best time together, and I feel grateful that these field trips have now allowed our whole family to experience Legoland for the first time for $5 each.  That is a blessing!

At the end of the day, Madi saw a coffee mug with Trevor's name on it and just had to get it for him.  It was a good choice though, not just because he loves Legos.  Trevor has this thing where he likes for me to put his milk in a mug not a glass, and he pretends to have a cup of "coffee" with Mommy.  So this morning I served him his "coffee" in a personalized mug, a gift from his sister just perfect for him!

He also spent the morning building a new Lego set from Grandpa with Jimmy which made his day.  Legos have pretty much overtaken our house.  But that is okay...we have a five year old who is enjoying life to the max!  And that is a good thing, albeit a little messy.

So now Trev is off playing Legos since a movie about Joseph from the Bible just ended, and Madi has disappeared into her art corner in the playroom.  Jimmy is relaxing, and I think I'm going to linger in my green chair for a few more minutes as well.  This next week is both Easter and Madi's birthday (they fall on the same day this year) with more family coming to town, so it will be another full one.

 Please continue to pray for Madi as she practices for her role in the Easter play!  She is doing a fantastic job, but her part is central to the storyline with a lot of lines and she is very nervous.  I continue to pray for her, that she will remember everything she has practiced, and also that her nerves will disappear so she will enjoy this.  I am thankful she is willing at her young age to step out of her comfort zone to do something for God's glory.  Her role in the play displays the sincere faith of a child, and I see that in her real life too.  But we are going to have to pray her through stage fright and nerves!  I would be grateful for any prayers on her behalf.

We're going to run lines again a little later on tonight.

But not quite yet.

I think we're going to rest a little longer.

Because every once in a while, a few hours of decompressing is a good, good thing.

With Gladness

Last week and the past two weekends were full.  I am used to being a girl on the go, but my mind was almost at capacity with details.  I mentioned that I was in prayer for a Girls Retreat that I was involved with both in planning and in bringing a group of girls from our youth group.  It ended up being an absolutely wonderful retreat!  There wasn't a ton of sleep involved (middle school girls have an astounding amount of energy, especially after Mountain Dew), but there was a change of pace as we got to bring teenage girls to camp and help them refocus on what matters.  My friend Sandi and several other ladies worked so hard to pull it all together.

Our speaker was my friend Cindy, and she blessed my heart.  The theme this year was "What Grows In Your Garden?" and she made us all laugh as she recounted her not so successful tales of trying to keep plants alive (I could relate)!  She talked about how gardening is not really her thing, and of the work and patience and waiting it takes. Then much of her message revolved around the Biblical concept of waiting.  It was so needed for our girls.  Waiting is not something we hear a whole lot about in our culture today, but something you read a whole lot about in God's Word.

My friends Cindy and Sandi at the retreat.

Last week in all the planning and swarm of other life responsibilities and details, I sipped water from a cup I picked up at the Christian bookstore.  On it were these words from Psalm 100:2...

Serve the Lord with gladness.

It was a good and timely reminder for me.  I had lots to do.  My time was not my own in any way last week.  My lists of tasks and necessary details were for my husband, my kids, their school, our church, the girls in the youth group, the girls who would come to retreat, and more.  As I served them, I was ultimately serving God.  And I'm not called to serve God with a grumpy heart or stressed out spirit.  

I am called to serve Him with gladness!

Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

And speaking of gladness, we always laugh a lot at Girls Retreat!  One particularly funny moment this year came when we were playing some Minute To Win It games.  In my years as a student and over a decade of youth ministry I have seen tons of games - but this one I had never seen before and it cracked us all up!  There were several teams of two chosen and in one minute, each team had to see how many pieces of cheese the one partner could catch on their head that the other partner lobbed at them.  It was hysterical.

Cindy I joined in the fun after the other teams went.  I couldn't stop laughing at her baseball catcher stance and attempts to catch the flying cheese that kept skimming off of her hair.  She couldn't stop laughing at me because we had to use already thrown cheese which was warm and linty and making me gag like crazy. Gross I know, but so funny!  These are definitely the type of memories camp is made of!   :)

On My Heart

This morning I am thankful for...

*God's provision.  I shouldn't be surprised when we make ends meet because He promised to take care of us.  But I am amazed and thankful for His provision in our lives!

*Contentment.  There is such freedom in not longing and seeking after all that glitters, but finding joy in God's daily gifts.

*Sunday night.  We watched the movie Courageous as a church family, with many of our youth group students in attendance.  There was an overwhelming response from many of the men in our church afterwards.  It was an emotional, powerful moment.  There is going to be follow up on this over the next few weeks and I can't wait to see what God does!  After the movie, Jimmy and I got to take a crew of students to a dodge ball tournament for some good old fun since there was no school Monday.  It was a blast, and I was so proud of our students.  Great time of working together and bonding and cheering each other on!

*Health.  I never want to take basic abilities for granted.  We all woke up this morning with the physical strength to face the day.  That is a gift.

*A chance to spend most of the day off from school yesterday with my dad and daughter.  We got soaked riding the rapids in Asia, saw beautiful giraffes and other exotic animals on a safari in Africa, took a spaceship to Mars, and stopped at a bakery in France to end our day with our favorite chocolate cake and a gorgeous strawberry tart.  Oh, the magic of Disney and the memories we are blessed to make together!

*The fact that my husband has one of his closet friends and brothers in Christ in town.  He is taking some time to spend with him playing guitars, talking for hours, having fun.  Last night I fell asleep to the sounds of them playing praise and worship on their guitars in the other room.  I know how much renewal is found in spending time with a godly friend who makes you more like Christ.  Iron sharpens iron.  Laughter is good medicine.  I am happy for my husband.

*Time in the Word.  This morning that was a focus and I am challenged and renewed.

This morning I am praying for...

*Miracles.  God knows what they are.

*Trevor's cough.  It's been a tough time for many of us with allergies, and my little buddy is struggling with them big time.

*This week.  It is full and is going to go by quickly. I pray for the energy and focus to accomplish what I need to.

*This weekend.  I will be taking some girls from the youth group to a Girls Retreat at a camp.  A sweet friend of mine is speaking, and has been working hard preparing.  I am in prayer for her, and that God would make huge imprints on the hearts of the girls who go.  It is bound to be both a challenging and super fun time, and I am very excited!

*For a sister in Christ in Texas who told me she too will be busy with a girls event this weekend.  She and her husband and family have faithfully served in ministry for years and years.  I pray God's blessing over this time they will be setting aside for the teenage girls in their lives as well.

Off Kilter

Even though there is so much I should probably be doing at the moment, I decided to brew myself a second cup of coffee this morning and spend a little time with my Coffee, Chaos, and Contentment pals!  I always have many ideas and thoughts floating through my mind that I want to journal and share with you, but sometimes life just sort of gets in the way of my green chair and computer, you know what I mean?  Last week was one of those weeks where I kept wanting to sit down and post, but we were just a little off kilter.

Don't get me wrong, it was actually a wonderful week on many levels.  Monday afternoon held flawless Florida winter weather and we just couldn't stay inside.  Madi had not ridden her bike in forever, so we pumped up the tires, dusted it off, and took off her training wheels.  She was intimidated at first, but with some help from Daddy and Paw Paw she was riding fast and free within minutes.  She had her little cheering section following her around the neighborhood, and she rode until the sun was quickly making its descent into the lake.  We went inside and I made tacos for dinner which Madi deemed, "One of the best meals I have ever eaten in my life."  :) I have to say, homemade tacos are indeed so good (not to mention cheap and easy)!!  I should make them more often.  Honestly, it was just one of those nice family afternoons and evenings.  Simple but memorable.  The moments a happy little life are made of.

Wednesday night's youth group was another great point in the week.  We love these students so very much, and I am enjoying watching God at work in their lives and have often wanted to share how He is...but I want to do so when I am in a sharp frame of mind and have the right words, not at night when I finally sit down at my computer and am worn out from the day and half asleep!  Perhaps today or someday soon will be the day I share more...but I'll say for now that I was encouraged and motivated by our discussion Wednesday night.  God is at work as His word goes out!

Thursday morning I had my first practice with a choir at a local retirement/assisted living center that I will be working with for Easter!  This is a new activity for them and a first for me.  I was a little nervous and prayed pretty hard going into it...and it went really well!  Most seemed to truly enjoy it and were very engaged which is what my biggest concerns were.  I had a lot of fun, and let me say, I left exhausted!  Those seniors wore this thirty-something out!

This week also held progress with some of my new year's goals.  We spent a lot of time reading from a children's Bible with the kids (they always beg for more stories which thrills my heart!), and I got out and hit the roads of my neighborhood several times on foot or on bike.  My goal was to take more walks, but with a little girl who has discovered the thrill of the open road I think I will also be taking more bike rides! And I've been praying intentionally and specifically for some people in my life who need Jesus.

But it was off kilter for a few reasons.  One, I think we were still getting adjusted to routine after a lovely and stress-free Christmas break.  I felt like we were rushing out the door in the mornings later than usual, and I was scrambling to find something to feed the kids for breakfast in the car on the way to school which is not my style.  Two, my body has been fighting off some sort of sinus/ear thing (which is good - I praise God when my immune system works because it can struggle), and several nights I took some nighttime sinus medication to help ward off the symptoms.  But I am so medication sensitive, and even though I only took one pill not two and took it earlier in the evenings, I felt extremely groggy in the mornings which wasn't helping us get out the door!  And then we were sharing one vehicle all week.  We make very intentional, specific choices so that Jimmy can be in full time ministry and I can make him and the kids my first priority.  One of those is driving old, used, paid-off cars.  But when things are old, you sometimes need repairs.  And sadly, our van kept dying so we sent it to the shop, only to have them fix it three times before it wouldn't die.  It's more difficult than I thought to share a vehicle with two kids who have two separate school pick-up times and our ministry/life/music lesson schedule.  It was a week of extra juggling and sometimes begging for rides (thanks to those who helped us out!).  And it was triple the cost for the repairs than it should have been, which was admittedly a bummer, especially for a family on a tight budget to start off the new year.   However...another one of my new year's goals was increased faith.  So I have seen this as a chance to exercise some faith.  God will provide.  He always does. We have everything and exceedingly, abundantly more than we need.  I am reminded of that daily.  Even the fact that the car we shared this week is a 1998 Chrysler that by the grace of God is still holding on and kicking it is a testimony to His faithfulness in our lives!!  Truly.  And we got our van back yesterday and are praying it runs safely and well today, and that this week's schedule will be a little easier to juggle.  Jimmy's main concern through this has just been safety for his family.  He was driving it all the times it kept dying, and he just does not want that to happen if I am at the wheel and the kids are in the backseat. I am thankful for a husband who takes good care of us.  We are well loved.

I have more to share...Bible verses, snapshots of what went up when the Christmas decorations came down, recipes, memories, stories, and more.  Be on the lookout for more posts (hopefully) soon!  And be encouraged as you make your way through this week, whether it is perfectly balanced or a little off kilter.

You are loved today!!

Sunday Letters (Written Monday Morning)

Dear Madi,

For some reason, you were on my heart and in my prayers extra last night and this morning.  I was thinking of how very much I love you, and how proud I am of you.  I was thinking about your kindness and gentleness toward others; your explosive laughter and giggles at home where you are comfortable but the shy, quiet side I sometimes see when you are out and about.  How hard you work and how smart you are.  What a lovely little lady I am blessed to share life with.

I have been giving you piano lessons the past several weeks at your request.  I wasn't sure how this was going to work, just because of the mother/daughter dynamic.  However you are doing so well, and love to play the piano!  We are going at our own little pace, having a lesson when we have time, and you are often found in the music room, practicing the little songs you have learned.  You are learning how to read on the staff and are grasping it quite well; and you have an excellent sense of rhythm, though I often think of how many lessons you sat through when you were inside of me, and how many times I patted the beat for my students on my growing belly.  I guess it makes sense that you and your brother seem to have a natural sense of rhythm and pitch...music was a part of your life from the very beginning!

You continue to do so well in school, both academically and behaviorally.  Your teacher gives me wonderful reports, and I cannot tell you how thankful I am and how proud that makes me of you.  I hope you will always work hard and choose obedience and kindness.  You continue to be drawn to the creative things in life.  You are starting to become increasingly interested in style, and what you wear is more important than it was before.  You, like me, are already getting excited for Christmas.  You told me  yesterday that you can't wait for the house to smell good and the music to be playing and the hot cocoa and all the other festive things we do to celebrate this time of year.  You specifically told me you want to make a birthday cake for Jesus again, so I will make sure that is a part of our celebration.  I absolutely love making holiday memories with you!  We appreciate many of the same things.

Madi, I just want you to know in an extra special way that I love you so, so much.  You are growing right before my eyes.  I sometimes cringe at the harsher, negative sides of the world you will soon discover as you continue to grow.  But I pray that you always find the beauty, and that your heart will ever lead you to Jesus and home.

Lovingly,

Momma

Dear Trev,

Friday when Daddy dropped you off at Pre-K he happened to be there when a special announcement was made over the intercom at school.  Turns out you were Student of the Month!  When I went to pick you up that morning, I asked if you had any special news.  A look of excitement came over your face, you looked back and forth quickly to your teacher and me a few times, then exclaimed, "I was the Month of the Year!!!!!"

Your teacher and I cracked up!  Well, it is true that you sing about the months of the year in Pre-K, but we clarified that you were actually Student of the Month, and that we were proud of you!  Your certificate said you were awarded for exemplary behavior.  Good job, Trev!!  My heart is so happy for the choices you are making and how you are growing!  God is gracious.  We celebrated with a lunch at our favorite little lunch stand, and sat outside eating together in the November breezes.  In that moment you seemed like this beautiful mix of a maturing little boy and my snuggly little son, and I wanted to freeze time.  The thing is, I can't.  So I just have to enjoy each day, and enjoy the smallness while it lasts.

Taking It All In,

Momma

Dear Jimmy,

It has been a crazy couple of weeks - or should I say months!  This time of year is always full, and I am grateful we handle it all as a team.  The past week was particularly busy with details and behind the scenes help and ministry, and I am so thankful that today we have designated time to spend together, just the two of us!  We will soon be off for a date day.  That is just too fabulous for words!

I Love You,

Jennifer

Psalm 29:2 

Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name;

Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

October Bliss

October has been blissful so far in Florida!

 The first day of the month brought in cooler temperatures and refreshing breezes, a welcome relief after the brutal months of August and September here.  I know things will probably heat back up before they settle in, but we have all been enjoying this gorgeous week!  The mornings have been perfect, the kind of mornings that make me want to put on my walking shoes and get some exercise and fresh air.

The evenings have been perfect too, making me want to tie on a scarf or bring along a light sweater.

This time of year also brings evenings of breathtaking sunsets.  I never realized how beautiful sundown is during fall and winter in Florida until I moved here.  Last night I enjoyed watching the October skies during the high school football game.  

We fed the cheerleading team at church before the game and it was so fun!  Great meal shared and an impromptu singalong at the end that makes me smile when I think about it.

This morning I was up dark and early, and the kids were not far behind me.  It was so refreshing not to have to rush out the door  ~ we had a pleasant, slow start to our morning even though we were up before dawn.  When the light did start to shine through the windows, it started to rain.  And what is better than an early, rainy Saturday morning when you are not in a rush?!  Not much!  It was comfy.  We snuggled, played, and I enjoyed watching Madi continue to read the books that came in yesterday from a Scholastic book order.  I thought Scholastic book orders were the best thing ever when I was a kid.  And now I get to enjoy them with Madi!

Today is also a date day around here!  Jimmy and Trev just went out on a date to Lowe's (also known as Wowe's) to build a project together.  Trev has been excited about this for days.  They went to McDonald's for pancakes first.  Talk about a cool Saturday morning for an almost 5 year old boy.

Later today Madi and I are going on a date to the library for some American Girl fun.  We can't wait!

Then tonight, Jimmy and I are going on a date to see Courageous again, this time with some fab friends from a church group.  

We are blessed.

I am praying for Jimmy because he will be preaching tomorrow in the Sunday morning service.  He is going to talk about investing - investing in people that is, a topic that is dear to our hearts.  

Enjoying these October days of family, ministry, and life as we know it.

Cowboy Cookies!

Our back to school youth group kickoff party was this past Wednesday night.  We had a country theme, complete with country concert by the band (think Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift) and lots of countrified games.  It was a blast!

When Jimmy was meeting with the leaders the Sunday prior, I asked about food for the party.  Usually the (female) leaders will bring stuff when we have events, or sometimes he'll order a cake.  But this time he said, and I quote, "Oh you guys don't have to bring anything, I'll just buy some Little Debbie's or something."

To which I started freaking out.

And he's like, "What...guys love Little Debbie's."

And I'm like, so do I.  Like most kids of the early 80's, I grew up on Oatmeal Cream Pies and Fudge Rounds until the whole fat/cholesterol bomb dropped and put a damper on all of our pre-packaged baked good bliss.  And once in a blue moon, I will break down and buy a box of Swiss Cake Rolls and put them in the fridge so they're nice and cold when Jimmy and I gobble them up with large glasses of milk!  Yum.

But this was our kickoff party we were talking about!!  I thought we should at least, you know, put something in the oven for it! Make it a little personal and special!  One of the other female leaders had my back (and the rest of the guys leaders just laughed at how personally we took the suggestion of snack cakes), and we decided to save the Little Debbie's for the next party and bring on the homemade goodness to start our year off right.

Whew.

Having worked with teenagers for a long time (and knowing my husband a long time), I made several batches of straight up, homemade, plain and simple Chocolate Chip Cookies.  I have students who will put in requests for my homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies, and you just can't go wrong there.  I also made these classic No Bake Chocolate/Peanut Butter/Oatmeal Cookies (did anyone else love these as a kid?!),  because I knew one of our sweet students was allergic to eggs and these don't have any.

But then, I remembered something.  A few months ago on Sugar Pie Farmhouse, one of my very favorite blogs, Aunt Ruthie posted a recipe for Texas Cowboy Cookies.  The recipe was from First Lady Laura Bush, who in my book is one classy woman.  And with a countrified kickoff, I thought these countrified cookies would be perfect!

The recipe made a huge batch (the dough was literally coming out of my trusty KitchenAid, so I had to transfer it to the biggest bowl I had and finish with a cookie paddle!), and the kitchen smelled amazing while they were baking.

As for how they tasted when they were fresh off of the cooling rack...let me just give out a hearty "yee-haw" - they were beyond delicious - scrumptious might be the word! I wrapped them in little bags tied off with gingham bows, and put them in a cowboy hat to take to the party...because that's what youth pastors' wives do.  Because girls love that sort of thing.  ;)

The batch was so huge I had tons left at home, and lots to give away!  (You can find the recipe and read Aunt Ruthie's darling post here. You are going to want to make these sometime!)

After the Cowboy Cookies were packaged and ready to go, I packed up my other cookies and headed out the door for a boot scootin' good time!

Here is my Little Debbie and plain Chocolate Chip Cookie lovin' husband right here, playing different instruments in the band!  Isn't he cute?  He looks pretty natural in a cowboy hat for a Chicago boy!

And this Maryland girl rocked a hat purchased on a trip to San Antonia in high school, a legit Western shirt purchased on a trip to Arizona, and a big old Texas belt buckle for the occasion!

Which I might have to loosen a notch after all the Cowboy Cookies I've been eating this past week.  Not to mention all the food from the Labor Day weekend festivities.  Sheesh.  :)

Our hearts beat for the students we are privileged to minister to week in and week out.  It is a gift to be a part of their lives, an honor to be mentors to them on their journey.  Please pray for us as we do our best to point them to Jesus and the abundant life He offers, and pray for them that their hearts would remain soft and tender in an often cold, hard world, and that they would discover the joy found in choosing the narrow ride to life.  We appreciate your prayers!

For The Love Of Students

One of the joys of my life is the time spent with students in the youth group where my husband serves as pastor.  Honestly, the chance to mentor students and invest in their lives is just the biggest blessing.  It is a responsibility we take very seriously, but it is also so much fun!

Moments like these make your heart feel like it is going to burst...

There is nothing like seeing teenagers grow to love Jesus and choose to serve God with their lives!

And then there are all those crazy activities you find yourself doing with people half your age, many of which involve wearing helmets...

This past Sunday after church we traded the helmets for life vests when we took a whole group of students to a camp for some fun in the sun.  My cute husband was pretty excited about the chance to go wakeboarding...

Considering I lack athletic skills (not to mention that pesky struggle with basic coordination) I decided not to even attempt the wakeboarding thing!  However I did agree to go tubing with one of the girls since all I had to do was hang on for dear life.

I even managed to stay on and not fall into the water.  Until I was trying to get off the raft that is....

Which gave us all a pretty good laugh.

It's funny what you will do for the love of students!