I was talking to a student the other day, and she was telling me about her experience with a group called YWAM. One of the phrases they use is “Spoiled for the ordinary”. That phrase resonated with me.
I am reminded of what life was like for us in 1999. Newly married…no kids…both working full time. We used to joke to one another that we were living for the weekends. Now I know that God does not waste time and He was working during that time, but we KNEW there was something more for us.
Once kids came along and other things filled our time, but we still had that unsettled feeling. Even when we lived in SC and Greg was directing a short term missions program we had trouble making Columbia home.
I can tell you today that where we are now feels like home. It is a place where our gifts are being used, the Lord is working in us and in others, we live with a community of believers that love one another, and the Lord has blessed us with provisions above and beyond what we could have asked or imagined.
Think we are a bit spoiled?
Spoiled for the Ordinary!
If you are stuck in the ordinary ask the Lord to open your eyes to what He is doing around you and ask Him how he wants you to use your gifts in those areas.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
A Special Day
Sunday was a special day for our family.
Caedmon, our oldest, asked Jesus into his heart when he was 5. I will never forget that night we prayed with him. He had been asking about Jesus for a long time. He has the sweetest, wildest, softest heart imaginable...(kind of like his Daddy). It was the honor of a lifetime to accompany him to the foot of the cross as he placed his faith in the Lord. As Greg and I left the room that night, we overheard Caed praying out loud. He said to the Lord "I have waited so long to get to talk to you, this is great." Super sweet, right?
Since then I have see the Lord working in that big heart of his. He is definitely still a 9 year old boy who bickers with his sister, but He is so sensitive to the things of the Spirit.
We have been talking with Caed about Baptism for a while now. We wanted to make sure that he knew what it was and why people do it. We actually even tried to get him to put it off until more family could be here to help celebrate, but he was very eager!
So Yesterday afternoon Caedmon was baptized! Greg accompanied Caedmon into the "dunk tank" (as Caed called it) and was right next to Caed the whole time.
One of my all time favorite verses is 1 cor 2:9. It is actually on the wall in the Caed and Abby's room. It says:
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
for those who love him.”
I get excited just thinking about all that the Lord has prepared for Caedmon! He is one awesome kid.
Better pics and some video footage are to come, but here are a few we took.
Caedmon, our oldest, asked Jesus into his heart when he was 5. I will never forget that night we prayed with him. He had been asking about Jesus for a long time. He has the sweetest, wildest, softest heart imaginable...(kind of like his Daddy). It was the honor of a lifetime to accompany him to the foot of the cross as he placed his faith in the Lord. As Greg and I left the room that night, we overheard Caed praying out loud. He said to the Lord "I have waited so long to get to talk to you, this is great." Super sweet, right?
Since then I have see the Lord working in that big heart of his. He is definitely still a 9 year old boy who bickers with his sister, but He is so sensitive to the things of the Spirit.
We have been talking with Caed about Baptism for a while now. We wanted to make sure that he knew what it was and why people do it. We actually even tried to get him to put it off until more family could be here to help celebrate, but he was very eager!
So Yesterday afternoon Caedmon was baptized! Greg accompanied Caedmon into the "dunk tank" (as Caed called it) and was right next to Caed the whole time.
One of my all time favorite verses is 1 cor 2:9. It is actually on the wall in the Caed and Abby's room. It says:
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
for those who love him.”
I get excited just thinking about all that the Lord has prepared for Caedmon! He is one awesome kid.
Better pics and some video footage are to come, but here are a few we took.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
Wow, What A Week!
Last week was one of those weeks when we realize that we can work ON the ministry until we are just plum worn out (leading small groups, discipling students, and baking for get togethers) but the LORD is the only one who changes people!
I am just overjoyed to tell you that we have 2 new sisters in Christ! Here are their stories:
Greg and I met Candace (she's fine with using her real name) last semester. She was friends with a few girls from ACF but hadn't shown much interest at the time in diving into a Christian fellowship. Greg and I began to pray for her this semester when we first saw her and she told us that she had been looking forward to getting more involved with the ministry. In a chat with Greg on Tuesday Candace shared that she needed to quit her small group because she felt like she needed to be right with God before coming back. They talked about grace and that He accepts us where we are. This concept was at first difficult because there wasn't something she needed to do to deserve salvation. Nothing was keeping her from receiving Christ so they prayed together!
"Linda" is a good friend of Candace and also the roommate of one of our small group leaders. She came to our fellowship for the first time last night but had no idea about Candace's recent decision to follow Christ. Greg had previously asked Candace if she was ready and willing to share her decision aloud at our large group meeting on Thursday night. She shared from her heart, through tears, about her decision to follow Christ. At the end of the fellowship gathering, a student and a co-leader initiated conversation with "Linda" about what she thought of everything. Ten minutes later we had a new sister in Christ!
God is at work here and we're thankful for all the ways you partner with us for the sake of the Gospel!
Can I get an AMEN?
I am just overjoyed to tell you that we have 2 new sisters in Christ! Here are their stories:
Greg and I met Candace (she's fine with using her real name) last semester. She was friends with a few girls from ACF but hadn't shown much interest at the time in diving into a Christian fellowship. Greg and I began to pray for her this semester when we first saw her and she told us that she had been looking forward to getting more involved with the ministry. In a chat with Greg on Tuesday Candace shared that she needed to quit her small group because she felt like she needed to be right with God before coming back. They talked about grace and that He accepts us where we are. This concept was at first difficult because there wasn't something she needed to do to deserve salvation. Nothing was keeping her from receiving Christ so they prayed together!
"Linda" is a good friend of Candace and also the roommate of one of our small group leaders. She came to our fellowship for the first time last night but had no idea about Candace's recent decision to follow Christ. Greg had previously asked Candace if she was ready and willing to share her decision aloud at our large group meeting on Thursday night. She shared from her heart, through tears, about her decision to follow Christ. At the end of the fellowship gathering, a student and a co-leader initiated conversation with "Linda" about what she thought of everything. Ten minutes later we had a new sister in Christ!
God is at work here and we're thankful for all the ways you partner with us for the sake of the Gospel!
Can I get an AMEN?
Monday, October 25, 2010
Pumpkin Carving Time!
Fall is my FAVORITE part of the year. The leaves are beautiful, mums of every color show up on porches, and....PUMPKINS! I start baking pumpkin bread and then make tarts, cookies, cakes, anything and everything with pumpkin!
Greg's obsession with pumpkins began a few years ago. If you are friends with him on facebook you can go look at his photo album of pumpkins he had carved...It is really amazing!
We had a fun evening carving this year's pumpkins...Caed even carved his own scary skull! Greg is STILL working on his as I type this post! Pics of that one to come... until then, enjoy these:)
Greg's obsession with pumpkins began a few years ago. If you are friends with him on facebook you can go look at his photo album of pumpkins he had carved...It is really amazing!
We had a fun evening carving this year's pumpkins...Caed even carved his own scary skull! Greg is STILL working on his as I type this post! Pics of that one to come... until then, enjoy these:)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)