Monday, January 21, 2008

Two decades later...

Two decades later, a dear friend sends an e-mail apologizing for something that happened that changed her life forever and she is worried about the hurt it may have caused her friends - wow! Friends are so special and sometimes we forget how important true friendships really are and how much we really need them. I am so thankful that the Lord has blessed me with really good friends. And as for my friend who sent the e-mail apologizing for the past and in the same paragraph telling me how the Lord has blessed her even when she didn't deserve it - apology accepted!

Friday, January 11, 2008

Weathering the storms


We were spared any winter storm damage yesterday - thankfully and answered prayers! When it is your only day out without children, you don't necessarily think about the weather, you simply make your to do list and hit the road. So I am thankful for a very special friend who is always prepared and helps me in times of need. At this very moment my dear husband is preparing to weather a dental storm of his own. I am praying for him to have a pleasant and productive visit and a speedy recovery over the next few months! Oh about the picture - it's from our family vacation in the Wild and Wonderful state of West Virginia. We didn't get the snow storm we wanted (or we thought we wanted...how do you drive around on those curvy hills in the snow anyway)? But the girls did get to build their very first real snowman. This is a picture that will be cherished for a lifetime as it will remind us of our dear friends who own a wonderful cabin in the middle of a beautiful valley. These friends are very special to us and we can never say thank you enough for all they do for our entire family.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Sparks for Jesus

Today I was able to start my new duty as Interim-Sparks Director for our church. I wanted to try and come up with a fresh idea for the new year. Then I remembered the song we sing each week - We are Sparks for Jesus, Sparks to light the world, we will shine for Jesus as we tell each boy and girl... The song is simple and it has a basic message and we need to cover the basics and make sure the children understand - What is Sparks? Why are we here? So for the next 6 weeks we will be reinforcing the S.P.A.R.K.S. acronym and the verse that goes along with each letter. So I now have a coloring sheet for each letter, copies made and in each room just waiting for the children to arrive this evening. I am very thankful for a sweet young lady who had already prepped all the classrooms with all the other necessary leader information. Because of her work, I had time to look through all of our supplies and become familiar with the behind the scenes stuff. I found great things made by other leaders that I was able to re-use. Lastly, I thought we needed a rolling cart to hold some of the items we use each week. But it was Wednesday morning and I didn't have time to shop (or PO approval to spend) - but the Lord is gracious and He did provide. I walked down the hall to the resource room and what did I find - A ROLLING CART - it may seem insignificant to you, but it was the Lord blessing me for serving him in this role. So thanks to all the Sparks leaders - I look forward to serving the Lord with you for the next 5 months.

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

AL-TN-KY-WV-VA-TN-AL

Happy New Year and the Vols win! What a trip ~ we saw family and friends and traveled many miles through several states. The girls were real troopers and the van is a complete mess. Aren't family vacations fun? A big thanks to our friends for the use of their little cabin in the Canaan Valley that is filled deer (we counted over 200 during our stay). We arrived Christmas Eve evening and the girls found the loft immediately and started playing with all the stuff. They quickly decided who would be sleeping where - even the little girl slept upstairs. Christmas morning the girls opened presents, presents and more presents. The next day we went snow skiing and the big girls started out in ski school and never looked back - they both can ski better than Mom and Dad. All week we waited and waited for snow - none came. But thanks to a snow fence in the field right near the cabin there was a patch of snow that remained and the girls played on it and even managed to build a snowman. Our friends joined us in their cabin for our last night. They took us to a great place for dinner and one last movie in the cabin before we had to start home. Back at home the football games are on, the big girls are visiting friends and the little girl is taking a nap. So I want to wish you all peace, joy, and love for this new year!