A Few of My Favorite Things...

Though it's impossible to capture or even mention them all, I decided to at least post a few of my favorite memories from 2008!

The praise team was honored to have the opportunity to lead worship at the 2008 Ladies Unity Night. The real Anita was busy taking pictures with everyone else, so we grabbed this "stand up" Anita to get a photo with!

We also had a great time ministering with Renee and Wendy from P31. We didn't get a pic with Renee, but here is the planning committee with Wendy at the FCC Women's retreat!

Of all my memories of 2008, I have to say that the one below is still the one that "gets" me the most. I'm still amazed by the various things that God taught me through this ordeal. From face to face in a dream to face to face in reality. If you'd like to read the "Celery" story click here, and here

The next picture is a fun memory for us. We were in Florida, and Joshua had never seen a bar of soap before. Really. (we use liquid soap). So, for whatever reason, the bars of soap seemed to fascinate him. So unbeknownst to us, he opened every bar, and stacked them high. We were tickled that he was so fascinated by bars of soap. :-)

One of the first nice days of Spring 2008, I MADE the kids go outside and play. They had to go out for 30 minutes. With five minutes left, Will headed down the driveway on his skateboard, only to have an accident...and broke his leg. (of course it was my fault because I made them go outside) :-)

Besides the ambulance coming to our house, one of my most vivid memories is being in the hospital with Will when the first earthquake of the year hit. It was about 5:30 in the morning, and we were both between asleep and awake, when the whole hospital shook. So frightening. It was only seconds, but seemed to last forever. If I recall correctly, it happened during a commercial break on TV (only an ad salesman would remember that) and I was SO proud and thankful for our news team, 'cause as soon as the break was over and the news came back on, Dave W. was quick to confirm, that we had indeed just had an earthquake. The news team was quick to go into action discovering and delivering information on all that surrounded that event. Which was quite comforting in that situation.

Will ended up having two surgeries to fix his leg. The boy was AMAZING through it all. I don't know that I would have handled things as well as he did. His attitude was incredible. The below pic was taken on vacation in Florida. We left for Florida two days after the flood. Wish I had some pictures of that!

We also enjoyed watching Maren pitch again this year. She improved greatly, thanks to our friend, Stephanie, taking some extra time to work with her.
The last week of September we went to Mexico with the Beltz's. Woo hoo! That was a great time of food, fun and relaxation!

Over Thanksgiving weekend, we went to Nashville with the Wood Family to see our friends Matt and Christy in the Louise Mandrell Christmas Show. There was alot of drama in the circumstances surrounding meeting Louise, for just as I was walking up to shake her hand, Josh ran out the doors of the hotel to throw up. Thankfully, he never did. He had just got too hot from running around the hotel with the Wood boys, and when he settled down he was fine. As you'll see below, he (and Denny) ran back in JUST IN TIME to get in the picture!

As we walked back out to our car, we got caught in a down pour, that helped to cool Josh off! We were all SOAKED! I snapped this pic of Josh wearing his Daddy's jacket!

One of my other very, FAVORITE things of 2008 has been watching God work in the heart my husband in regards to Compassion International. It's been fun to see God's call on Denny's life, and to walk with Denny as he's "processed" all of that. First the call to sponsor a child, Felix, pictured below. Then God's call for him to become a Children's Advocate for Compassion International. And then God's call for Denny to actually make a trip to Uganda, to see Felix, and to gain a better understanding of what he's been called to. He'll be making that trip next July. It's fun watching God work in the life of any ONE, but it's especially neat to see Him at work in the lives of those that we are most close to.

and finally, Here are our other three sponsored children...

New Music

In November Denny and I went to Calvary Temple's Night of Praise (in Indy). It was awesome! While there we were introduced to a new singer/songwriter, new to us, I should say.

He had written a few of the songs that they performed that evening, and Denny and I were taken back by most of them. Anyway, this morning, since I have the day off, I've had time just to enjoy my morning, and I've spent most of my time, lost in this guy's music. He reminds me so much of a modern day Psalmist. If that even makes any sense. Anyway, I'd like to introduce you to him. You can meet him and hear some of his work by clicking here.

If, interested, you can hear more, and buy his music on Itunes.

Above all the presents...I love His Presence

I woke up early this morning. Really early. Like 3am early, when Josh decided to climb into our bed. I couldn’t get back to sleep, so I got up.

I actually love the wee hours of the morning. It seems to be the only time that all things in the house seem perfectly still. I sat down to have some time with God, and felt His presence immensely, particularly as I recalled a couple of friends in Terre Haute, and how God’s presence is so strong in my relationship with them. I love it when God makes His presence known, whether it be in the midst of our circumstances, or in the midst of our relationship with others…either way, there is nothing like God’s presence.

I sat down to read The Daily Bread, and I love the scripture that the writer used for this day’s devotion. Paul wrote that God is at work among people of all nations “so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:27-28)

I’m not sure which part of that scripture I like the best. Whether it’s the image of God working all around us as if to encourage us to seek Him out, to literally grope to find Him? Or the reassurance that He’s not far from each of us? Or the blessed fact that it is in Him that we LIVE and MOVE and HAVE OUR BEING.

All I know is that I love the way He loves us. I love the way that He desires to be in a real, intimate, relationship with us. I love the fact that He delights in every detail of our lives. And I love that in Him we live, and move, and have our being.

May you celebrate the fact that Christ came to Earth for you.

Happy Christmas Eve.

To My Blog

My Dearest Blog,

I've neglected you lately. I'm not sure what I've been doing, but I haven't been paying much attention to you. I think I've been on the computer so much at work, that I haven't wanted to touch it at home. You know, the painter's house never gets painted. The mechanic's car always needs worked on. Who wants to do at night what they've done all day at work. Data entry. Yikes.

So anyway, I vow to pay more attention to you. Not really. I'll just keep doing it like I always have...sharing my thoughts with you, as inspired. Like this post, for instance, definitely an inspired work.

Okay, now I'm turning you off, and I'm going to go share a bowl of cereal with your cousin the TV.

When Will I See You Again

This song has been on my brain ALL WEEK. Now I have others in the office singing it. :-)

(I love the 1970's video)

A Little "Elf" in us...

I have found it humorous, that nearly every time someone in our household has asked "what are we doing?" this weekend, Maren has responded with this quote from the movie "Elf"...

“First we’ll make snow angels for a two hours, then we’ll go ice skating, then we’ll eat a whole roll of Tollhouse Cookiedough as fast as we can, and then to top it off, we’ll snuggle.”

I've laughed everytime she's said it...just because it cracks me up. However, I must say that this time of year, to do what the quote says, sounds like the perfect day.