You Are Here

I do believe we have adjusted to having a baby in the home. Having a little one just seems like normal life now. I am so thankful to God for bringing this little one into our home. What a blessing he is. I had forgotten the feeling of looking upon the face of a baby and seeing the face of God. I had forgotten the feeling in basking in the miracle of birth. Really, babies are completely miraculous, and I am so honored to have been given the chance to watch another miracle unfold.

This little man has made such an impact on our life. I am thankful to be recapturing the precious gift of sleep. We are blessed to be falling on the early side of sleeping through the night. No complaints here! Last night saw 10 straight hours of a sleeping baby at a mere 10 weeks old. I can so live with that.

I'm on to new things and trying to recapture some stability in time management. There are things I let slide that need my attention like the bookkeeping for our transmission repair facility. I'm officially one month behind on the paperwork. It's also becoming evident that I need to be more attentive in my 16 year old's educational progress. Apparently he is not as ready for independence as I had thought. That's okay. I'm coming out of my fog and becoming more able to be there in a larger capacity for him.

It's also time to dive full on back into editing the bulletin for the church and step back into my teaching position with the kids in our Adventurer Club. Life as we knew it has ended forever. Now, we have a new direction. Different things are important, and life's meaning is becoming clearer and clearer. I have taken on a new responsibility aside from motherhood by joining the Fundraising Task Force for Solid Ground, an amazing transitional housing facility right in our neighborhood founded by a wonderful woman that has an amazing love for Christ and all humanity.

I have accepted that things are fallible, and life is unpredictable, and I am a-okay with that. I know that my life may read out better than any soap opera on television, but God loves me. He loves my family, and he cares for us through all things. I may not know where I am being led, but I do know I am here. That is all I need. Life is better savored and lived with intention. Becoming a mother again has taught me to take my time. It's okay to be in the moment and live life to the fullest, intentionally.

It is Finished

Bible Mystery Investigation has come to a close. It was a long labor of love, and we had a wonderful time. The fact that God was truly in control could not have been more obvious to me. I am constantly reminded of a few lines from one of my favorite movies:

"What will we do?"

"It will all work out."

"How?"

"I don't know. It's a mystery."

There were indeed parts of Bible Mystery Investigation that were a real mystery. However, with constant prayer, diligence, and a willingness to serve everything went off without a hitch. Which in and of itself is a real miracle if you think about it. What on earth do you possibly know of that just goes without a hitch and has so many factors involved?

VBS is a tremendous endeavor that takes many contributors to pull off. Everyone works together like a finely tuned machine. Each person has his or her job, and everyone is reliant on that person wearing their hat, and the hat fitting each person. Participating in VBS as a volunteer requires flexibility and dedication. We are all committed as a whole to the common goal of creating a positive experience for children, many we have never met before and may never see again, that expresses the love of Jesus and plants a seed in their hearts. It is not an endeavor that I take lightly. I truly see it as mission work for God. You did know that you can be a missionary in your own neighborhood, didn't you?

This year we tried a few different things that seemed to work out quite well. Our theme was Bible Mystery Investigation. The program covered the creation week, all seven days, and the plan of salvation. Encompassed in that was prayer and outreach. What a blessing it was for all involved! Each day the kids learned about the mysteries involved with creation and sought out answers through the stations in the program. They were literally tought how to pray, and they did a food drive for Solid Ground. We even had four of the children attend the program that are part of the Solid Ground family. It was quite an experience to be certain.

Through friendly competition the kids brought donations throughout the week. They learned about the mission of Solid Ground and earned tickets that they got to spend in our VBS store each day after snack. The group that brought the most items earned a free ice cream cone at Baskin Robbins. There was a "sneak attack" at the end, and an unsuspecting group won by THREE items!

The week culminated with a special VBS Sabbath Service and a potluck dinner where their crafts from the week were showcased. We had a lot of visitors, and it was a lot of fun! The kids participated in the service, learned more about Solid Ground. Nancy Skula spoke to the congregation. She shared a touching video that's used to promote Solid Ground. This is not the exact video, but it is the song:





It was very touching, and it sure got your attention. My heart has been tugged to Solid Ground for over a year now. I live right down the street, and pass it several times on some days. God has used me to help on more than one occasion, and I hope to continue my connection with the organization. It is a really unique program and a real blessing to the community.

Potluck was a success, and it really seemed like everyone had a wonderful time socializing and getting to know each other. We had such a large turn out that we weren't sure there would be enough food, but I prayed to God about "fishes and loaves", and all was well. We even had to add more places for people to sit!

We learned a lot running this program this year. Now, it is our ambition to extend the wonders of VBS throughout the year. We are not sure what we will do next, but we plan to stay connected with the kids. It may be a bit of a challenge since some of them did not get properly registered, but my God is able!

Out to...VBS!

Just a quick note to thank my dedicated visitors and Entrecard Droppers! I know I haven't been too active with the visiting and dropping myself. The month of July has been exceptionally busy. We had our mini-vacation, two birthdays, the family reunion that I was in charge of, and now VBS. I am the director again this year, and it is in full-swing this week. We are all SO blessed! Everything always works out, and everyone has fun.

If you think to, please keep our program in prayer. We have about 75% of the children as visitors! This is just so wonderful. Our church is a little short on young ones, so we really reach out to the community. This is the second year that my assistant and I have run the program, and we have learned so much.

We also have visitors from Solid Ground, a local transitional housing program. Please keep these families in prayer. They have been through so much and need all the support, love and encouragement that they can get. Solid Ground is our special outreach program. The children are actually learning how to pray, and outreach is actually part of the VBS program. It's a beautiful thing!

After the program is over, I promise to be back in full swing. I'll be visiting all of your sites, so keep leaving those Entrecards! Enjoy the rest of the month. Fall is just around the corner!