Prayer Hogs.

We have been basking in the glow of many prayers and encouragements from this past weekend.  It was our last Sunday at our home, Antioch Community Church, so we attended all of 2 services and part of another!  It was a long day but super worth it.  At the beginning of each service, we were surrounded and prayed over by our friends and family.  People who love us, support us and encourage us to greater things in the Kingdom.  It seems strange to think that we will not be back to worship with our Antioch family for quite a while.  It is one of the top things we will miss while being gone.

I felt a bit like a prayer hog.   We have been prayed over by so many people recently but still at the end of the 3rd service, my husband grabbed my hand and up we went during ministry time for more prayer from a specific couple that Jody has been wanting to have pray over us for some time now.  (They raised FIVE boys with God’s help so…that explains why.)

That evening we saw on Twitter this picture:

She was one of the teachers in Lucas’ class and knew it was our last Sunday in Waco so she had the rest of the 3 year olds pray over Lucas and send him out as a missionary.  Sweeter than all things sweet!  It made me cry. 

I am so thankful for our church that doesn’t “dumb” down the things of God and the His Kingdom to our children but instead encourages them to live it out now!  It is unnecessary to wait to be a fully devoted follower of Jesus till adulthood!  These little ones have powerful insight into the Kingdom of Heaven that isn’t messed up by adult thinking. Wow!  Thanks Courtney for initiating this.

Luke 18:15-17 (MSG)  People brought babies to Jesus, hoping he might touch them.  When the disciples saw it, they shooed them off.  Jesus called them back.  “Let these children alone.  don’t’ get between them and me.  These children are the kingdom’s pride and joy.  Mark this:  Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.”

Tonight we are going to our last LifeGroup before leaving tomorrow.  They are going to pray over us.  Then tomorrow we meet at our church parking for our send off…where they will pray over us before we head out.

Prayer Hog.  Yup.

Coryell Community Church Missions Awareness

During our time here in Gatesville, God brought our family into relationship with a precious couple.  I met Dick & Olivia at the Gatesville Wal-Mart on the cracker aisle.  This couple doesn’t meet strangers but overflows with the love of Jesus to anyone and everyone.  I just happened to be standing near them that evening and it overflowed onto me!  Since then, they have prayed for us, supported us, cared for us, and cheered us on in the things of God.  They also brought us into their community.  We attend our Waco church (www.Antiochcc.net) on Sunday evenings so occasionally we went to their church, Coryell Community Church, on Sunday mornings.  This church has welcomed us with open arms and has been praying for us and supporting our family.

Last weekend, they invited us to their Missions Awareness Fair.  After a short service, everyone mingled around and were able to see the many different ministries that their church supports and learn about how they can be personally involved.  We were able to share more about the work we are soon to join in Haiti (www.HaitiTransformed.org).  Many awesome conversations were had but my personal favorite was encouraging a teenage girl who was interested in missions but felt like she needed to learn more about God and the Bible first.  I shared about my experiences with short term trips as a teen and how I learned and grew so much during those experiences.  I also tried to clear up her obvious misconception that missionaries “have it all together” or have “arrived” at some greater level of holiness.  Just not true.  And if it is, we are in trouble! =)

Check out these pics of us working our booth:

September 11th, 2012. A Day of Life!

September 11th now symbolizes life in our family!  This is the day Josiah chose the Kingdom of Light and received the ultimate gift:  salvation from his sins.  We are so thankful!  Since Josiah was a baby we have been praying that he would accept Jesus as his Savior at the earliest possible age, but to be honest there have been plenty of times in the past 1 1/2 years that we have put him off. in making this decision.  We wanted him to have a true understanding of the decision he was making.  Here is how it happened…

Josiah came into the living room that evening to where Jody & I were working.  He asked Jody to read to him “that thing on your phone that has a bridge”.  Jody has a “Steps to Peace with God” app on his iPhone and he used to go over it with Josiah regularly but it has been months since I have seen them look at it.  It was a bit random for Josiah to mention it out of the blue but Jody pulled it out and started reading it with him.  It discusses how we are separated from God because of our sins and even if we try to do good things, go to church, etc., nothing WE can do will bridge the gap between us and God.  The cross is the only acceptable bridge that crosses the gap between us and God.  Jesus’ death on the cross is the only way that we will be found acceptable in God’s presence.

When Jody got to the end, Josiah said, “I don’t want to be on the enemy’s side, want to be on God’s side!”  After discussing more with him, we felt peace that Josiah truly had an understanding of his sin and his need for Jesus.  He prayed to receive Jesus!  When he was done praying he started laughing and jumping and kept saying over and over, “I just have so much joy!”  It was precious because we know that the Holy Spirit visited our boy that night in a way that he hadn’t experienced before.  He not only experienced salvation through Jesus but he experienced a taste of the Holy Spirit.  And I must say, his joy was contagious!  It was a really fun experience for our whole family.  Lucas was there watching and learning and Josiah quickly ran into my parents room to tell Grandmom and Grandaddy all about his decision.

Yesterday, November 4th, Josiah was baptized.  Here is a picture of him  being interviewed for a short video that was played just prior to his baptism at church last night.  It is him talking about his decision to accept Jesus and about why he wants to be baptized. 

This was a fun night!  We are overjoyed for our little boy to be a mighty warrior in the Kingdom.  Pray for Josiah that he will be filled with the Holy Spirit and have a deep burning passion for the Lord, for His Word and for His Church.

Our 1st 6 Weeks of Homeschool!

Working on our cave paintings while learning about ancient people.

The final result…lots of marker everywhere!

This is what John Ellis does during school…mostly just destroys stuff. =)

Lucas working in his preschool workbook.

Lucas learning shapes, colors, letters and strengthening his hand muscles!

John Ellis celebrates Columbus Day

(he is still loving and wearing this hat everyday!)

Columbus Day Sailors

Science Experiments!  Boys building a mini volcano.

Filling our volcano with soap, baking soda, food coloring and vinegar.

After the eruption!  John Ellis just liked sticking things in the hole.

Family time with Jesus. 

Singing, Bible reading, and Scripture memory.

Making Egyptian collars for our study of Ancient Egypt.

Mommy sang “Walk Like An Egyptian” by The Bangles

way TOO much that week!  =)

Wrapping up Lucas as a mummy.  He wouldn’t break character for anything.

No smiling allowed he said…even for pictures! 

“Because mummies don’t smile, they’re dead!”

More Ancient Egypt

Acting out Moses and Aaron and the plagues.

Daddy was Pharaoh, John Ellis the Israelites, Mommy the Narrator.

Reading is a favorite!

'Cause I Gotta Have Faith

Being the youngest of 4 has it's benefits and it's downfalls. It allowed me numerous opportunities to learn from my older siblings...and for better or worse, introduced me to things I otherwise might have been clueless about. Things such as bad 1980's fashion and music. I adored my older sisters and thought what they did was as good as gold. This resulted in me having my Barbie and The Rocker's dolls sing and dance to music via Y 95...THE radio station of choice in the DFW area. This brings me to my point: George Michael's song Faith. What?!? I know...strange point.

Today I have been telling myself, "I gotta have faith"....and who can think that phrase and not think of that song, right?

I gotta have faith...I gotta have faith.

What is faith?

Hebrews 11:1~ Now FAITH is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see.

I have been wrestling with my ability to do this today. Do I trust God. Do I really have faith in Him...to be who He says He is? Do I have faith and trust in His character. In His ability to be both just AND merciful? Do I trust Him? Is He faithful? I am talking beyond the nice, religious, pat answer of His general faithfulness. I am talking about trusting Him to be faithful to ME. To my family. To trust Him with my life.

Our family is on a journey to raise support through a team of people who will partner with us during our time in Haiti. This process is...um...well, it depends on the day you ask me! Some days I am FULL of faith that God is moving on our behalf and orchestrating His plan to bring our team together and get us fully funded by August (the date I am BELIEVING for!). But other days, if I am honest, I struggle to have faith. Because I am believing for something that I DO NOT see. Sometimes it is difficult to be "certain of what we do not see". It is difficult to have faith.

I have seen the absolutly delightful character of God. His love for me and my family. I have seen His provision and I have seen Him do amazing things that were completely out of my control and unexplainable. But at the same time, I feel like the world around me is screaming to trust MYSELF and MY abilities...To trust my logic and what I can see, hear, taste, smell and touch. Surely, I can trust those things, right?

Oh, but faith. I gotta have faith...I gotta have faith. And I know that faith is not always seeing. Faith is being SURE of what we HOPE for and being CERTAIN of what we DO NOT see.

Today I have been in a fight. A fight with myself and the choice that lays before me. Faith or Fear? Trust or Disbelief?

I do not see how we will be 100% funded to leave for Haiti by August. But I can hope for it, right? And I can be certain of it, right? Even if my human eyes don't see or understand.

I choose to believe. I choose to trust. 'Cause I gotta have faith. Jesus tells us that with a minute amount of faith we can move mountians. Lord, help my unbelief...because there is a mountain to move!

Haiti. August 2012. Gonna Be there.

30 Life Lessons

It finally happened. I grew up.

Yep, I turned 30 on April 1st...I guess at some point I should start feeling like a grown woman who is a wife and mother of 3 boys...BUT I still feel like I should be 18. Not that I want to be 18...oh, no! I just can't believe how quickly 30 years has gone by. Amazing...

I remember being a young girl and feeling like it took FOREVER just waiting for evening to come so I could spend the night with my bff who lived down the street. I guess all those silly boys who wrote in my Jr. High yearbook were right after all, "life is like a roll of toilet paper"...the older you get the faster it goes!

Here are 30 things I've been learning the last 30 years of my life:

1) I never stop learning and it's not always new things! I keep re-learning many of the same things over and over and over again...just on a deeper level with greater revelation.

2) If you can be patient potty-training a toddler, you can be patient during ANYTHING!

3) I was made to be in community and need to ask for help more often.

4) People can't read my mind. (shocking, right?)

5) I can't read other peoples minds. (even more shocking!)

6) The things I am TOO tired to do are probably the things that will energize me the most.

7) The things I have judged, I will serve. (stole this from Pastor Jimmy...but i am FEELIN' it! and am thankful for the stretching, humbling growth).

8) I don't have to completely understand or relate to someone to be able to love and serve them well. This frees me up to be myself and not feel pressure to try be like everyone else.

9) I need a Savior more than I know.

10) Thankfulness paves the way for the Holy Spirit to come and break my spiral into a bad, grumpy, self-focused day.

11) I have to rely on God...trying harder doesn't cut it and makes me tired.

12) I can hear God's voice!! =)

13) I shouldn't always do for my boys the things they can do themselves (even if I think I can do it faster and better).

14) I don't have to be doing something "spiritual" to experience God's presense.
15) Sometimes, there's nothin' to it but to do it! I've got to dig down and just do the things I hate or don't want to do and one small step after another and suddenly I'm done!

16) It is easy to be nasty to others...to come up with something sassy or down-right evil to say. It takes deep character and self-control to chose my words and live out of a place of love.

17) My default to sarcasm is sometimes funny. But usually not. (sorry to those of you who I've been learning this on over the years.)

18) I have an ever increasing capacity! Things I thought would have been impossible are now totally doable! God is always growing me...sometimes in small bits that go unnoticed and sometimes in big stretches that are quite painful. I'm looking back with thankfulness that I have greater capacity in knowledge, understanding and energy because of those times of expansion.

19) My husband needs my respect, more than he needs my love.

20) Choose Joy. I mean REAL joy...not fleeting pleasures that this world offers up.

21) This world is not my home. I shouldn't feel or get TOO comfortable. Ofcourse, I SHOULD seem a bit out of place to others because I AM out of place.

22) Lots of small "yeses" can turn into a really big "YES!"

23) Caring for others is annoying when all I care about is myself. When I take my eyes off myself, then suddenly taking care of others becomes an awesome privledge, an amazing responsibility and an overwhelming joy.

24) Peace can be enjoyed anytime and anywhere as a direct result of being in fellowship with the Spirit. I don't always have to have the perfect setup to find peace.

25) Thinking ahead keeps me out of trouble. Not thinking ahead leads to lots of "doh!" moments.

26) The more my family acquires, the less thankful we become.

27) I need less stuff than I think I do.

28) Assume the best of others but don't presume that others should do the same for me. I want to live in such a way that it is easy for others to think the best of me because of my past actions.

29) I don't remember as much as I think I will. I really do need to jot important things down. Mom, I guess you were right about writing after all!

30) Strenght is made perfect in weakness. Thanks for all the paradoxes, God. I love how you like to spice things up!

Resurrection Rolls

I want to be a mom who lets my boys explore, learn and do things themselves...it doesn't come natural to me. I am having to be intentional to bring them into things instead of always doing everything myself. Does this cause more messes for me to clean up? You betcha! But I am daily learning to relax and just enjoy and I see the boys thrive when that happens. They are boys, BUT they love to be creative and do crafts, make art, and cook with me.
We made resurrection rolls at Easter last year, too, but this year I let the boys do most of the "baking". They did a great job despite uncontrollable finger licking!

The "Jesus" marshmellow annointed in oils and spices (aka butter, cinammon and sugar) then wrapped in linen (cresent rolls) and put in the oven tomb. After 10 minutes(3 days) the Jesus marshmellow is risen and only the linen is left!

Enjoying the fruits of their labor.

Easter Joy

Our Easter Joy started 12 days before Easter Sunday with an idea I got from Pintrest (ofcourse.)! Each day the boys took turns picking the next egg in our 12 day count down to Easter. Inside was a "clue" and scripture that explained how this clue was part of the Easter story. We really enjoyed this and will include it as part of our Easter traditions because it brought light to some of the small details of Jesus' death and resurrection. I tried to be as detailed (and age appropriate) as possible on what Jesus endured out of His love for us and His Father. Lucas would regularly interrupt with, "that's so sad!". Which is true, but God regularly turns mourning into dancing and His power is perfected in times of weakness. Thank you, Lord.

The boys with our 12 day countdown to Easter eggs.

Josiah with our "Jesus" that was wrapped in white linen (strip of paper towel)...one of the last clues.

Lucas wrapping up Lego Jesus in white linen.

Then the boys put Jesus in the tomb that Lucas made at Highland and put the stone in front. Jesus had risen on Easter morning!

Josiah & Lucas helped boil and dye Easter eggs this year and wanted to stay and watch while the eggs were cooking...I told them it would take a while and to go play. It is true that a watched pot never boils!

The finished products!

Table Mountain

Psalm 90:2

Before the mountains were brought forth,

or ever you had formed the earth and the world,

from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

This morning I awoke chilly and to the sound of rain...which is glorious already if you have been living in Texas with record heat and overwhelmed with drought.  But I am not in Texas.  I am in South Africa and I have this view out of my window.  The Table Mountain looks small...because it is covered in the clouds of early morning but as the clouds clear away, a majestic masterpiece emerges.

Table Mountan blanketed in early morning clouds



View from the common area of our living quarters



Everyday views for Cape Town, South Africa

Pictures don't do this town justice.  It is beautiful and filled with amazing views of this mountain.  We are primarily focusing our time at Cape Town University which is build up the side of this mountain.  It is captivating to walk to campus and see the majesty of God on such glorious display...it is also an amazing workout for the legs!  I have been in awe of the grandeur of this place...the mountian feels ancient and majestic and points me to God.  It is overwhelming to think of God cutting the shape of this mountain top and reminds me that before all creation--God was.  His majestic creations point me to His holiness and His holiness creates a desire in me to worship Him.

Pray for the students of Cape Town University.  That they will come face to face with the God who created this mountain on which they live and be overwhelmed with His grandeur!  And overwhelmed that such a majestic and powerful God would chose to extend an invitation to them to enter into intimate relationship with Himself. 

It is simply overwhelming.

Dreaming with God

"Encounters with God as an intimate are quite different from those of a servant.  His heartbeat becomes our heartbeat as we celebrate the shift in our own desires. The realm of His presence becomes our greatest inheritance, and divine encounters are greatest memories."
~Bill Johnson, Dreaming with God

This past week began our new schedule for the next several months.  It has been great to finally get to this point, as we have been anticipating this all summer.  We are excited but already feel that our schedule will not be doable except by the grace of God...which we have experienced over and over again SO I am trusting Him to sustain us.

On Tuesday morning, we came into Waco early to sign Josiah up for Muttin' Bustin' (an event in the rodeo where little ones ride sheep! Adorable and hilarious!).  Josiah has been looking foward to this for sometime and was so excited to finally be old enough to sign up to be in the rodeo just like all those cowboys he admires! 

WELL....signups started at 8am with a limited number or entrants...the little boys and I stood in line for sometime...and missed the cut off by one person.

It was so sweet and sad explaining to little 4 year old Josiah why he wasn't able to be ride in the rodeo after all.  He was disappointed, for sure.  But took it in stride.  Once I dropped them off at their mother's day out program, I started crying!  Just knowing that this was his one chance since next year we will be gone.  I was so sad for him...and me, too!  I started thinking about all the "normal" things that I expected to see Josiah do as a boy...little league, 1st day of Kindergarden...Mutton Bustin'.  I knew it was silly but I grieved the things our boys will not experience because we are moving to Haiti.

Tonight, while sitting on the front porch with my current read, plus amazing weather and a beautiful sunset,  God brought me to this quote by Bill Johnson...about the realm of God's presence being our greatest inheritance and Divine encounters our greatest memories...It grabbed my heart.  And I rested.

Thank you, God!  The boys and I may not have all the expected memories and experiences of an American mom with 3 boys but wherever we are (America, Haiti, or elsewhere),we WILL experience God's presence and His divine encounters.  It will be our greatest treasure...our most prized possessions...cherished memories of being friends with God and not merely servants.  Of not just obeying God but living our life on earth with Him...experiencing Him and his adventues.

Ridiculous? Disasterous? Was I created for this?

Ephesians 2:10
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Everything that is created has a purpose...it may be for a specific function or task, for beauty or enjoyment, but all things created have a designed purpose.  It is when we take the created thing and try to make it function in a way in which it was not purposed for that things get screwy.  I wouldn't take a pair of scissors to the front yard to cut my grass..and likewise, I certainly wouldn't use our lawn mower to try to cut paper!  At best, it would be ridiculous and at worst, disasterous!

It seems so obvious in this scenario but I find myself regularly trying to put my self and my life into situations that I was not created and purposed to do.  I was created for good works!  To love God, love other believers, and love those that don't know Jesus.  I forget. I try to make this creation function in purposes it was not created for and sure enough...the results are ridiculous and sometimes disasterous, too. 

I was created for love and good works, in the image of God and for His purposes and glory...this should be the end result no matter what I do...whether big or small.  If that is not the fruit I see then can I really be performing as I was created?  When I function in other capacities and try to do the things that I have planned for my life vs. what God has planned I see only anger, frustration, selfishness, discord and dysfunction.

If I was made to be God's workmanship...to do good works that God has planned in advance, then I REALLY want to do that.  And only that.  It may not sound as good in the moment...I may think I have a bigger, better plan.  Why cut all that paper with little scissor blades when I have those big, sharp lawnmower blades attached to a powerful engine?? Surely, it is more effectve, more time efficient...right?
That is ridiculous and probably disasterous, too. 

God help me to wait for you...for what you created me to do.  I want to function in the ways and purposes that I was created for and nothing else.  I don't want to try to make myself function for the things of this world. 
Scissors are happiest and most effective at cutting paper. 
Lawnmowers are happiest and most effective at cutting grass.

I daily need to seek out what God has created me to do and be...not just for future plans but for now. For today.  For this moment. 

What are my results?  Anything ridiculous or disasterous just won't do. Was I created for this?  It's a question I want to be asking myself more often.

Tangible Good News With Earthy Relevance

The Poor Will Be Glad by Peter Greer & Phil Smith is my current read...I am just getting started but can already tell that it will be a book that I recommend again and again. Here are some of my thoughts so far:

Jesus never seperated evangelism and service. His life modeled the perfect combination of the two and they were one and the same. So many of our American churches have seperated the two (missions committee vs. benevolence committee...sound familiar??). Jesus lived the Greatest Commandment to love God and love others but also called us to Go, Baptize and Teach to obey in the Great Commmission. This book is growing my desire to present a "two handed" gospel...because Jesus is all about meeting both our physical and spiritual needs...they are so interconnected I think it is difficult to present the fullness of the Good News unless we do both.

"The disciples did not seperate doing good works from proclaiming the good news. The gospel wasn't only an abstract idea that could "save souls" but tangible good news with earthly relevance. This had been impressed on the disciples not only by the daily actions of Jesus but in their first assignments."

~Phil Smith