Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Ocean City

This summer one member of our ACF leadership team is living and working in Ocean City NJ with the CCO's Ocean City Beach Project.

What is OCBP?

The Ocean City Beach Project (OCBP) is a summer-long community living opportunity for Christian college students to develop further as campus leaders. The Project provides the opportunity for you to grow personally in your faith and to develop a deeper vision for your life. At OCBP, you work and worship in one community while being challenged to become a kingdom leader. You live with other college students in a large beach house while you make an impact on the New Jersey shore. At the end of your time at OCBP, you will not only have sand in your shoes and the taste of salt water in your mouth, you will have developed character and skills to become an effective leader.

Yesterday we made the 80 mile trip from Philly to Ocean City to visit Russ on his day off from work. We had a great time meeting several of the students in OCBP and spending the day with Russ.

We ate at the famous Mack and Manco's Pizzeria on the boardwalk and then enjoyed ourselves at Wonderland Amusement Park!

Caed and Abby rode their first roller coaster! Caed LOVED it, Abby was not so sure but would rather try something than be left out!

Here are a few pics!


Monday, June 21, 2010

Birthdays!

June is the birthday month for most of our family! We have had a great time celebrating. Sunday June 13th was my (Ashley) big day. We went to church, and then I took a WONDERFUL birthday nap, and then Greg and I went out to dinner at Texas Roadhouse!

Friday evening we hosted 7 loud and crazy 8-9 year olds for a sleepover celebrating Caed's 9th birthday. It was his first slumber party and they had a blast. We finally got them all to sleep around 5:30 am!

Yesterday, the 20th we celebrated Greg and Caed's birthdays AND Father's day as a family. Here are a pics of the boys on their big day!





They are so much alike inside and out, it is only fitting that they share a birthday!

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Caed's Wax Museum

Caed has been working on a big "wax museum" project for school since the beginning of May. He chose a man named Duke Kahanamoku, who is called the father of modern surfing. Caed wrote a 2 page research paper, made a poster, and wrote a speech about Duke. Greg and Caed also made a model surf board out of some scrap particle board. It looks just like the one Duke made himself!

Friday afternoon was the actual wax museum day where the kids dressed up as their hero and parents were able to go around the museum and push little "buttons" on each character to hear their speech.

It was so much fun, and the kids did a great job. I snapped a few pics.









Monday, June 7, 2010

Summer 2010 Newsletter

Our long-awaited newsletter! Thanks friends for being so patient.


Summer 10 Newsletter

Missing Grace




Its a new dawn, its a new day, its a new life for me
And I'm feelin good


I have been singing this Michael Buble song in my head all morning. Today is the first day in a while where we have ALL been feeling well! Praise the Lord!

I also had some quiet time today to dive back into the Word of God. How refreshing it is after so many days of "just getting by". I feel so wonderfully filled up...so much so that I wanted to share.

In my study I have been looking at the lives of Jacob and Esau. I got stuck on these verses.

Malachi 1:2–3 (NIV)

2 “I have loved you,” says the Lord.

“But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’

“Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” the Lord says. “Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”


WHAT? My head just does not want to grasp the fact that the Lord hated Esau. My heart cries out for mercy.

Then I read Heb 12:15-16

See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son


Esau missed it. His heart was hardened by his immorality and godlessness and he missed God's grace!

(Insert stomach punch here)

That just took the wind out of me! As one who has known the saving and sustaining grace of God, I don't want anyone to miss it!

Jonah 2:8 says "those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs."

My challenge to you today (and to myself) is to pray for the Lord to reveal what "worthless things" you have been clinging to.

I know I did not have to think too long before a few came to mind.

Friends, don't miss God's lavish grace because you are holding on to worthless things!

Friday, June 4, 2010

Another One Bites The Dust

It has been way to long. I am writing blog posts in my head all the time. Somehow they never make it here.

Maybe our bodies know that we don't have time to get sick during the school year, so they wait until summer to unleash all the dormant viruses we have been carrying around... It has been one sickness after another around here, and it is only the beginning of June! Greg had his surgery, then Cole had a bad cold. Caed is just getting over a nasty ear infection that kept him home from school a couple days. Greg took me(Ashley) to the ER a couple nights ago. I thought my eardrum was about to burst, but it turned out to be an infection in my perotid gland. Lovely. So I am on an antibiotic and pain meds, and Greg is trying to be Mr Mom until I can get back on my feet.

Please pray for HEALTH and patience.