Sunday is coming!

This Sunday BOTH of our girls are going to join Noonday Baptist Church through baptism! Anli accepted Christ about 1 1/2 years ago and Virginia about 1 year ago. Jay began working slowly through a wonderful tool called "So Now You're a Christian" that works through the decision to follow Christ and accept His free gift of salvation. It is only meant to be a 4 week daily study, but Jay took extra time (like a year) to go through each part completely with them.

Jay was baptized as a young child (around the girls' ages) and was not a Christian. He got wet and that's about all! So, he wants to go slowly with the girls to answer their questions and disciple them. We want to be disciple makers in our home!

But, at this point we walk this journey in faith. We can't be the gate keepers of their salvation. We can walk in faith alongside them, answering their questions, discipling them, soaking them in God's Word, praying with them, loving them, and living our lives to His glory moment by moment. It's faith...and that pleases God.

So, after attending a new believer class (taught by their mommy and daddy...it's so much fun to have their daddy's full time job as teaching them about God!) they are now following Christ's own example and in obedience to His command to be baptized! What a glorious day Sunday will be for our family!

No, I won't be able to breathe. Yes, I will be moved to crazy tears. And we will continue to walk in faith every day. This isn't the climax where we kick it into neutral and just kind of coast along. No way! This journey has just begun. We are excited about daily living and growing and glorifying God more and more.

Please pray for us! Jay is also preaching on Sunday. So, after baptizing his two glorious daughters...he has to do a quick change and then preach. I don't know if I would have the emotional stability to preach after baptizing my babies. But, he'll do amazing!

Our families will be here and we are looking forward to spending time with them. It will be quite special since our families live 7 hours a part and very rarely get to spend time together. It's going to be awesome!

Catch Up time!

Well, it's a rainy Monday and our plans for the pool with friends were canceled...so I thought it was about time to catch up on my blogging. I have my windows up and am listening to the rain as it pours down...very relaxing!

We had a wonderful time with our friends in Athens, AL last weekend. We had a great trip there (4 hours) as the kids watched some movies and we listened to Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover (thanks Dorothy!). Our church is hosting Financial Peace University and Jay is small group leader. We are so excited about this material and are really enjoying going through this with our church body..to learn how to be more obedient with the income God has given us to be stewards of now. Jay and I had wonderful discussions on the way about how God would desire us to use the money He has given us!

But, all that traveling makes us ready for our favorite treat...SHAVED ICE! In college we had this little shaved ice trailer that my best friend Kristen and I would go to in the summer to cool off and have a good long talk. I was shocked to find out that they had my all time favorite flavor...Georgia Peach! It was yummy and we all enjoyed taking a break from the driving!
On Friday, we went to a water park very close to Athens called Point Mallard. I grew up going to this water park...and it has really changed since I was there. The kids were thrilled to be going, and since all the school in Alabama had already started back...we had the place to ourselves!

Anli and Andrew hit the wave pool before it starts!

The girls before the fun starts...little scary I must say.

Andrew literally catching a wave!!!

Everyone loved riding the waves in! The weather was perfect too.

We then headed over to the kiddie area. They loved the water playground and the racing slides!Anli is the one going down face first on the right...crazy girl!
Allie and Virginia are in a close race...go girls!

The rest of the time we spent on that side of the park was going down this HUGE slide where you could ride a float with 2 people! It was a wild ride...and everyone loved it!Brooke and Allie enjoying the ride...until the end when we thought we lost Allie! She popped down into the hole of the float. But, Brooke grabbed her before she went into the water below!After enjoying one side of the park, we got in Joey's truck and headed across the park to the picnic pavilions for a wonderful lunch! We were so hungry from all that fun!
Then we headed over to the tube slides! They were SO much fun! Everyone enjoyed them and we even raced each other going down two different slides and seeing who got to the bottom first!Virginia won this race against Daddy...go girl!

Sweet Anli! She's loving it here.

The ride Anli spent most of her time on was something called the Space Ball. It was very big, very fast, and very fun! I was a little scared to let her go on it...because she had to go alone, but I finally let her go down after Jay. He was there at the bottom for this...

What a ride! It is this HUGE enclosed slide that is REALLY fast (trust me I went down it before Anli did) and then it opens up to this circular part. It's like a huge toilet...seriously. You go around and around this ball until you finally are sent down this opening into some really cold water! Jay and I both did it first to make sure. Anli LOVED it...and Virginia never thought about going down it. Those are my girls:)

After a wonderful weekend, we had to go home. It was an amazing time with friends that are the closest thing to family! Anli and Andrew were born in seminary about 6 weeks a part from each other. It is awesome to see how close they still are together. They are best friends and we laugh that they are so much alike...they might just end up together one day! But, none of us are ready for that anytime soon!

What a blessing to have those friends that have journey the road for many years alongside you. We are blessed!

Satisfy Our Souls...in Polish!

Today I received an email from the group in Poland where I will be speaking on September 13th has a woman who translated Christian books into Polish. So they emailed today and asked for permission to translate Satisfy Our Souls into Polish! I was so excited!!!



So, I have been busily on the phone to find out if we can get that to them before I go in TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY! I still can't believe that it is already upon me. But, God is so awesome to work all these things for His glory! It continues to show me day after day, that He is doing more than I could think or imagine. I could never come up with the connections and things He plans...and that puts me out of the picture and Him in the spotlight! That's exactly as it should be.



On Sunday, we had the Lord's Supper and something very interesting happened to me. As I heard the words about the body and the blood I began to literally yearn to be with Christ! I have always known that to be with Christ in heaven is the ultimate hope...that it is truly gain. But, I can say for this was a times that tears flowed because I physically yearned to see the Christ I have loved for so long.




These past 6 years daily in the God's Word have done something amazing...well lots of things that are amazing! As I have read, studied, prayed, and applied God's Word to my life every day Christ (the Word made flesh) has truly become the love of my life. I mean that.

I didn't set out to "fall in love with Christ." I didn't set out to know more about Christ. I didn't set out to be more like Christ. I started out DESPERATE. I clung to His Word because I had tried every other Bible study, conference, church service, worship CD and friendship. They didn't work! I started out starving and dying of thirst. Then, day after day I began to be quenched by the Bread of Life and the Living Water...Jesus Christ.



As tears flowed on Sunday, I realized something very important had happened. I had begun to hunger and thirst for Christ. I was completely shocked...isn't that crazy? It's just that day by day eating the manna of God's Word gave me a craving for only Him. It's been hard. It's been long...and continues daily until I meet Him face to face. But, it's been perfectly enough...just right!



Sunday was a treasured day for me. Because I could truly drink that little cup of grape juice and the little white cracker...in remembrance of Him. Because I have walked and talked and cried and laughed and sang and danced and mourned and rejoiced and learned and been rebuked by Him day after day. What a journey! What a ride!



I can truthfully say that I physically yearn for seeing this Christ that I have loved for so many years...I can't wait. But, until then...I will remember Him. Not just with the juice and the crackers a few times a year, but every moment I open my weathered Bible and hear His familiar voice rush over me.

I remember You, Jesus with all the love I can understand. You are truly the Word made flesh. What a gift to love you and remember you.

Atlanta Live Information

Many of you have asked about what channel the Atlanta Live interview would be on your cable companies. I received some information from the producer yesterday about that so I thought I would just share it here for those that desire to watch. Here is what I have:

Comcast - Channel 2
Charter - Channel 13/14
DISH - Channel 97
DirecTV - Channel 57

Thanks to those who are praying for my words to be God led and slow! My friend Paula told me that it would be a true miracle of God for me to actually slow down when talking about God and His Word! I just get so passionate and excited.

I will be posting the photos of our fun weekend...but it's been a busy week so far and I may not get to it until after Thursday is behind me. Thanks for lifting me up...

We're Back!

We are back from our wonderful trip to Athens, Alabama! We enjoyed lots of fun, sun, water, and fellowship. It was with a heavy heart that we backed out of their driveway this afternoon. But, that's the great thing about friends in Christ...it's like you never are away from each other!

I will post more about the trip tomorrow when I can load all the cute photos of the kids at the water park. It was a wonderful trip and many thanks to our sweet pals for having us and feeding us...and most of all loving us!

Please be in prayer with me. As we were headed to Athens on Thursday morning, in the middle of listening to our new friend Dave Ramsey on the audio book my mentor Dorothy gave us...I got a phone call. It was an Atlanta TV station asking if they could have me in for an interview...THIS THURSDAY!

Well, I swallowed hard, began to dig my calendar out of my purse, swatted for Jay to turn dear old Dave down a moment...and said YES! It will be aired LIVE on Thursday night! OK, I admit the live thing is making me a bit nervous. It's a one shot deal when you are being interviewed live! So, please pray that I will be tuned in VERY clearly to what God has for me to stay. There are no take -that-back or do overs.

I am grateful and humbled that they would think of me (someone met me at ICRS and that's how they found me). But, please pray that I will listen intently this week to what God has me to share. What a ride!

I am allowed to have a video tape of it...but if you want to watch it live tune into Atlanta Live channel 57 on Thursday night from 7-9pm. Maybe I can put it online for those not in the Atlanta area.

Smears!

Last night we had our newest invention from the empty pantry...Smears as Jay rightly named them. Actually they are smores with melted chocolate chips and marshmallow creme. So, you have to smear them on!

They were super yummy and the girls enjoyed the mess they made as they happily licked their mouths and hands clean!

Monday night Jay and the girls headed out for Daddy and daughters night at the rock wall. He took some pictures of their night. They are awesome climbers!

We have started our new fall schedule (minus school which doesn't start until the middle of September...gotta love that!). On Monday nights it's Daddy and daughter nights, Tuesday nights are our traditional family nights, Wednesdays are Awana, and Thursdays are Kids' Date night...and then it's the weekend.

We are beginning Kids' Date Nights this year and I'm really excited! We each take one child (alternating each week) and do something special that night. One week we stay here at the house and do something like board games, crafts, Frisbee, bikes, the park...but it has to be free. That same night the other set gets to spend $15 on their night out. Then, the next week it switches so each of them gets alternating times doing fun free things and also a fun night out!

We have been wanting to do this for a while, but just now have figured out how to make it work and how to make it budget friendly! We also want them to know that fun is not always expensive! As they get older, we want time not only as a family on our family nights, but individually as well.

It will be nice to listen to them, play with them, and just grow an individual relationship with each of them doing things that interest them. We want each girl to feel they have special times to share with each of us. We'll let you know next week how it went.

Tomorrow we are headed out of town to visit friends, go to a huge water park, and enjoy some fellowship! I'll post our fun when we return!

Mom!!!

We just returned from a wonderful weekend with my parents and were fed amazing fresh veggies and lots of yummy food! Well, my poor husband was left with this!

*Note: I made the tea and lemonade and cut the fruit on the bottom shelf today. I also cooked the noodles for Virginia's lunch...so, imagine it without those items. I know...

Well, you see we are headed out of town again on Thursday to see some of our dearest friends and I don't want to load up at the grocery store knowing we'll never have time to eat it all!

So, my plan...is to eat up everything we can in our pantry and fridge. Boy, have I found some things waaaaaaaay in the back of this little apartment fridge! One of which is the vanilla Silk on the door. I bought it one day thinking we would drink it in our cereal...or at least that was the plan.

Evidently, the key is to push all the things you THINK you will hate to the back of the fridge until they go out of date and then you can legally throw them in the trash can without feeling so bad.

**Note: I am completely OCD about out of date items. I am known far and wide for checking dates on things...in other people's houses...without them looking of course!! But, my parents are almost beyond recovery. This weekend I found popsicles in their freezer that went out of date in 2006! My mom's reply? "Honey, they are just now getting really good." What do you say to that?

But, not this week! I was the one who dared to pour the smallest amount possible into a little bowl of cereal to taste it...and it's really good. I HATE milk...so I may not be the best one to judge. But, I ate it and actually enjoyed the stuff. I don't know that I'm brave enough to drink a glass...I don't think I can get past the fact that it COULD taste remotely like milk.

Today, Virginia found me folding laundry on her bedroom floor and cried out emphatically...

"MOM!!!!"

"Yes, I'm in your room Ginia."

"We have NOTHING in our refrigerator!!!"

"Yeah, I know."

"What HAPPENED to everything?"

Then, Jay emailed me and told me that this morning he sneezed while holding the fridge opened...and it echoed. Oh well!

Though I must say, both girls were extremely happy when I came up with a dessert from the things I had in the pantry. We are having graham crackers, melted chocolate chips with marshmellow creme on top! They were dancing around with marshmellow creme all over their faces this afternoon in glee. So, sometimes it really does pay to get creative and actually eat what is in your house! You never know what you might find.

So, we are going to eat the things we have left in our pantry (which is about as bare too) and then head off to Alabama to eat our friends out of house and home!! Really, it's been fun and we have had more than enough to eat! We just pile our home too full of food we don't eat and hardly know what is even in our fridge and pantry. So, at least now either we eat it...or off it goes to the food pantry at First Baptist Woodstock! And next week, I will gladly return to the grocery store!

Weekend with family

This weekend we headed to see my family and to celebrate my mom's birthday. We had the BEST time and it was so wonderful to spend some relaxing time with my parents and to hang out with my nephew too! Julian and Sassy enjoy their party hats! The kids made streamers, hats, and cards for Sassy's birthday party. She loved them all!
My grandmother was also there and doing great! I can't believe how well she is doing and how strong she is getting. She is even able to stay alone at her house during the days! What a great thing for my girls to be so close to their great-grandmother.
Friday morning, we headed out to do some "chores" on the farm! The girls got on their boots and hats to go pick some fresh veggies and flowers from the garden. Don't the look cute?

Anli is in LOVE with tomatoes. She eats them as a snack like an apple...just washes them and eats them whole! So, it was a blast for her to get to pick them herself and then eat them fresh from the vine. We had fresh tomato sandwiches all weekend that were so yummy! There's nothing like a fresh tomato just picked! What a cutie!

More yummy tomatoes! Can you believe how large they are?

Virginia loves flowers, so getting to cut them fresh for herself was very neat for her. We took them inside and made several beautiful arrangements. It was a fun time for the girls to see where veggies come from and how to help pick them.

After all that hot work, it was time to hit the pool! I think we spent most of our time in the pool together. I enjoyed getting to spend some time with my nephew and help teach him to swim. I don't get to see him that much, so these memories are so precious...because they are getting so big!

After a few hours of swimming that morning, my bestest friend in the world Kristen drove up to see us! She brought her little girl Sarah Frances with her...and she is the most beautiful little girl! I couldn't believe how precious she was! It was wonderful to spend a few hours catching up with Kristen and getting to play with her little girl. Kristen and I have been best friends since we met in 6th grade at church.

Our cousin Sam also came over to swim for the day. These kiddos were in the pool for about 4 hours straight! When they finally got out...they were starving and exhausted! Julian fell asleep on the couch and woke up right in time to get in the "big bed" with us all to watch the opening ceremonies! Weren't the awesome!!!!

Saturday morning we spent time just relaxing and playing with the horses and donkey. My mom got out the sugar cubes and decided to play hide and seek with the donkey, Gabby! It was hysterical seeing the three of them "hiding" behind the tree while Gabby tries to "find" them...or actually the sugar!

After some wonderful time talking with my mom on the screened porch (our favorite spot), we packed up to go home to see Daddy. Jay stayed home to work on his day off so that we can leave early next week to visit some of our closest friends. So, he watched the Olympics and enjoyed some reading time...but was ready for us to come home.

I was met by a spotless clean house, clean sheets, and he had gotten me a dozen red roses! What a mighty good man God has given me to share this journey alongside. He's the BEST!

We're only here for a few days this week and then we are headed out for another fun weekend! We can't wait!

What Jesus Demands of the World

I want to simply share this quote with you today...I write more about what it said to me in my DFM blog.

"The entire life and work of Jesus is one great argument why we should listen to his word. Page after page of the New Testament Gospels pile up reasons to turn off the television and listen to Jesus." (What Jesus Demands of the World - page 56)

Kids On Mission

About two months ago I went online to the International Mission Board site and looked around at their resources for kids. I found the Kids On Mission DVDs for 2007 and I ordered them right away! The two DVDs contain about 60 video segments showing how missionaries are joining God's work around this world.

Each night we watch a segment about a different country and what God is doing there through missionaries and how we can pray for them. They have an older man and a young girl who research and tell the kids all about different countries. Then there is a puppet computer guy who "surfs" the web for wonderful information about missionaries and how kids can be on mission too!

OK, for adults it's not Veggie Tales with all the fun humor in it...but it's really a great tool to get the kids involved in praying for missions and learning about what God is up to in other parts of the world. The girls enjoy it and each night as we all kneel to pray together...they lift up the people of that country. It's pretty special!

I encourage you to take a look at it and maybe even order it! I just found out that you can even view them online by country. That's pretty cool...and might have saved me a little money. But, the investment is so worth it when you hear those little prayer warriors lifting different cultures and peoples up to God. Wow!

Here is the Kids On Mission website to check out:
www.kidsonmission.org

Enjoy!

*Sorry there isn't a picture of the DVDs...Blogger wouldn't post any pictures...something about an internal error!