CBS!

Do you ever feel like God brings people into your life at just the right time? I am part of a Community Bible Study group and these women are very special to me. They are encouraging, funny and just great to study the Bible with! God has brought us together for each other at just the right time. We are studying Acts. I am seeing Paul in a different light. I never really thought about all the suffering Paul went through yet, he continued to obey God. He went where God told him to, when God told him to. He preached what God told him to, when God told him to. Not to mention that this was the same guy who was persecuting the Christians before he became a Christian himself. Tell me God does not use anyone!!! No one is to far gone that God can not use them if they allow Him to!!! Anyway....Paul used the same energy for God and His glory!!! Paul reached so many people for God because he obeyed. I hope the same will be said of me because I obeyed God's calling on my life.

Not my home!

I was thinking today....I know that is scary! I often miss my old home and my friends that I don't see to often. We were in a great neighborhood ( much like the one we are in now ). I loved our house and told everyone that I was not going to move until I was to old to go up and down the steps. I was done moving!!!!! At least I thought. Mike and I had moved a total of 7 times in our 14 years of marriage. We did a lot of work inside and out to make it ours. We added a sidewalk, we put tile in the kitchen and laundry room, most of the house was painted just the way we wanted it, and we added an in-ground pool. We were happy! Then God spoke......not out loud. He just gave us this feeling ( I don't know how to put it into words )....that we were to go plant a Church. No, my husband was not a pastor. He was a janitor. He had also worked his way up the corporate ladder to one of the presidents of the company. I was not on board at first with this Church planting thing.......remember I loved where I was in every way. But God kept working on me and before I knew it, our home did not feel like ours anymore. I knew we had to move. I was filled with emotions. Long story short 2 1/2 years later God has blessed us with a beautiful home and an in-ground pool, plus a hot tub ( that the kids love )! We have planted Elk Creek Church with God's help. God is doing amazing things at Church. People are going to heaven because we obeyed and God worked in peoples hearts! Heaven is my ultimate home I am just passing through! I learned through all of this that I can and will go any where God wants me to. Is God calling you to do or go somewhere? It feels awesome to obey!

My other man!

This is my other man! He is a blast to be with! He is usually the one who makes you laugh. Michael is an animal ( or most living creatures ) lover! This is him at our family's with a pet lizard. He currently is the proud owner of a firebelly toad. He also has some crickets ( that have not been served to the toad yet....how sad ) that he plays with. We also have a family dog but, he is not only Micheal's so he does not count ( in Michael's eyes ) as his. If Michael had his way we would live on a farm and have tons of pets. I told him that his dad would not be able to run the farm. His dad is not an animal lover so I am the one who tries to make sure we have some pets in the house. In Mike's defense he does have allergies. It doesn't help that I grew up on a farm so I am always telling stories about the farm. My parents still live on the farm too. So, he gets to visit there. He always has a blast there. I totally love my other man ( or my boy for now )!!!!

Moon set!

Have you ever seen the moon set? I did this morning and it was breath-taking. I looked out my window just in time to see the moon go down for the day right behind the trees. It had such a pretty color. Then it crossed my mind that the sun would be just coming up...so I went to the other side of the house and looked out that window. You get the point. I saw the sun rise! And it was almost a beautiful as the moon. I then realized that I was praising God first thing in the morning and it was awesome! God has created so much for our eyes to praise Him for! Like me, maybe you enjoy praising God with your voice when no one else is around. But let me tell you He herd my heart praising Him with the moon set!!!! Thank you God for the beauty of your creation!! Amen

Snow!

I had so much fun yesterday in the snow! I don't think that I have had that much fun since I was a kid. That is very sad. I made a snowman with my son Michael! And let me tell you he looked good! I threw some snowballs with Abbey! Then we were going to get some hot chocolate....I had just started to get warmed up when my oldest daughter Casey wanted me to go outside with her....so...I got re-bundled up and went back outside. I am so glad that I did!! We went sled riding down the BIG hill (my first time)!!! On our way back we did some raok (random acts of kindness) we took two of our neighbors trash and recycling bins up to their houses from the road.  Caleb is still to little for the snow so I spent some time playing with him on the floor. He started doing the army crawl and his first tooth came through his gums yesterday. It was a very eventful day! I am so glad that I took the time to play with my kids in the snow and didn't put it off for tomorrow because today (which would have been tomorrow) the snow is melting and I would have missed out on a great time with my kids. What do you need to do today??

Recap 2007!

I know....I am always behind times!! In my defense....when I am not keeping up with the world passing me by....I am enjoying my full-time job....being a stay-at-home mom!!!

A quick recap of 2007:

1. The new ages of my children as of today 1-15-08 are:
Casey 11
Michael Jr. 7 1/2
Abbey 3
Caleb almost 7 months

2. I also got older I am now 35 ouch ( Mike also turned another year older too)!

3. As with my age my eyes are not like they used to be. I now have glasses.

4. Mike's sister and her family moved back to the area. We are really enjoying
having his family close by.

5. Mike finished the year out with KBS (his job of 16 years). He is now a full-time
Pastor (with pay)!!

Ok...now that I have you up to date on the last year here are a few things that have
been highlights of the new year:

We went to Great Wolf Lodge with some friends and my niece Bethany. We had a great
time just hanging out and playing in the water park in Jan.!

Mike and I went on a date night and we had a blast!!! We didn't do anything extravagant.
We just went out to dinner and the mall ( yes the teenagers still hang out there on Fri. nights.
some things never change). It was nice just spending time together being able to talk about
our thoughts for our lives for the next year. It was a lot of fun! Thank you Mom and Dad S.
for loving on your grandkids so we could go out alone!!

I am adjusting to being a Pastor's wife. I am relying on God to give me what I need to fill
these shoes. I honestly feel like God calls people and then helps them in the role when
they obey.

I am involved in a Community Bible Study. We are studying Acts. I am really enjoying
studying the first Church.

We also enjoyed Mike's day off. He has been taking Monday as his day off. The first one
we were away and yesterday was just so nice. I stopped and realized that it has been a
few years since he has had a day off. He worked for KBS at least Mon.-Fri. and was always
on call and Sat.-Sun. he was working for Elk Creek Church.

I also have a Starbucks update. A new one opened a few minutes away from our house and
Mike kept the kids while I went out with a friend to enjoy a cup of coffee!! It was the best
cup of coffee I have had in a long time. We just sat and enjoyed the time out without our kids.
Don't get the wrong idea....this is the same friend that we try to find fun things to do with our
kids. So it was a treat to go out without them.