Still Preparing

I can't believe I will be leaving for Africa NEXT MONTH!!   I am getting so excited to go and am diligently preparing.  I am starting to make meals and freeze them.  I am teaching Matt how to do laundry, fix lunches, prepare dinner and learn our daily routines.  He does so well and is ready to take on the crew while I am gone. I know he will do such a great job and it is very comforting to me that they will be well taken care of and I have no worries.  I have gotten almost all my medicine and shots so I will be nice and protected.  I love how God provides all things when you are willing to obey.  My first half of the trip was due last month.  A couple of months ago we got a notice that our house payment would be going up $200 a month due to our taxes getting readjusted.  I told Matt to just call our mortgage company and see what we could do.  They told us we could refinance without having to do closing costs and our payment would go down $250 from the new price!  So we had someone come to our house and we signed all the paperwork and of course you don't have to pay your mortgage that month that you refinance - you know, the exact amount I needed for the 1st half of my trip!!  Jehovah-jireh!  Since then, I have had the almost half of the remainder of the trip cost given to me!  I am ever so grateful. 
My time goes so quickly.  There are days when Matt and I get in the car and just take a deep breath, because that is the only time we sit and don't have to do anything but drive.  I don't want to rush through this preparing time.  I know that I am about to embark on a life changing event and I don't want to get to the airplane before it all hits me!  So as this month is upon me, and my list of to do's gets longer and longer, I am making a commitment to spend time preparing.  Time to soak in and LISTEN to what God is telling me. 
Pray for our team that is going.  There has been alot going on with the other team members and they need prayers.  One member of our team, Katherine Stillwell, passed away suddenly in March.  Her husband and daughter are still planning on going and now her son is going in her place.  They are in such a raw period of grieving and I know as the time gets closer, it will only get harder for them.  Katherine was such a beautiful person and I am so honored to have been able to work with her in AWANAS.  She did so much for the children at Sardis Baptist and it will never be the same without her sweet smile.  This death rocked our church.  It was sudden, she was young, and it was without warning (I was with her the entire weekend prior, as she set up a church yardsale to raise money for our trip to Africa).  She left a legacy and I know God is rejoicing with his faithful servant.  Another person on our team, her husband has been diagnosed with cancer.  Just pray for continued strength as they embark on the long road of recovery.  Satan is scared for what is about to happen with this team!  We are ready and we come with the gospel to proclaim!  We will not be shaken!!

 

Wow...History?!!

I have never been a history person.  I really just have no interest.  The only history I love to read about are the stories in the Bible.  I guess I like stories and history never really came to life to me like a story, therefore I didn't like it.  But the Bible.....man is it alive!!  These stories are so amazing.  They are becoming more and more alive to me and I just can't get enough!  I am reading through the book of Acts right now.  Wow!!  The stories of the apostles and what they did and how they lived to spread the gospel is amazing.  They worked SOOO hard!  They had to go against so much to spread the gift of Jesus Christ.  As I read through the chapter, all I think of is this song and how my heart longs to live like that!!

 

Harper had a project he had to do about a missionary.  He picked David Livingstone.  I have actually heard about him before in school so the whole missionary thing wansn't highlighted.  He set out to spread the gospel to Africa in the 1800's.  (Now this is where I usually doze off because history begins)  So I have to read some and explain to Harper what he did as a missionary.  I read and couldn't get enough.  This man was a true missionary and he dedicated his whole life to the great commision!  His life verse:  "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." (Matt. 28:18-20).  He did such amazing things.  First of all he said yes to the call to GO to Africa and then when he was there, he gave his all.  He was attacked by lions, was sick with numerous diseases, left his family for over 5 years to go across a dessert to reach central Africa (he tried with his family and one of his children died from them traveling 4 days without water), his body was failing him and yet he never stopped.  He died when he was 60 yearss old and all I picture is a man with a totally broken and worn out body.  Totally broken and worn out due to giving his ALL to spread the gospel.  I read this article (listed below) and this is what was written about how he died:

Remember, he died on his knees! Was his Lord's presence with him even unto the end? He died in the act of prayer! His last words were praying words. He was not alone! He was talking to Somebody! As he entered the valley of shadows and took the road across the river, David Livingstone was holding sweet converse with the One who was his Unfailing Companion on every shore, in every solitude, and on every trail!!

I want to live every minute of my life serving, praying, and living a life consencrated to the work of Jesus Christ! 

http://www.wholesomewords.org/missions/giants/biolivingstone.html



Making the Switch

 

This year VBS will be called The Switch.  Why the switch?  Well, I was listening to a sermon about when you learn a language.  If you meet someone who speaks that language (let's say Spanish), you hear what they say to you in Spanish, you have to translate it to English in your mind, then think of a response in English and then translate it to Spanish back to them.  When you make the switch, you are able to hear the words in Spanish and then immediately respond in Spanish - not translating!  You then have made the switch!  This is our desires for our children at VBS.  We want them to know scriptures in their hearts and to be able to respond to situations in a way that is automatically Christ like.  We want them to make the switch from what the world says is ok to how God has called them act.  In the online class I was taking, I was able to learn some really awesome language techniques that helped me think of ways we can make our VBS verse stick in their hearts.  I can't wait to get everything ironed out and for June 9th to get here!!  Romans 12:2 - Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. 

Reader's Theater

One thing that I learned from my recent class was a way to get your kids to be more fluent readers.  So I decided to implement the strategy of Reader's Theater.  On Fridays we have cleaning day and then once the little 2 go to bed, we have game night.  So I decided to add Reader's Theater in before the little kids go to bed.  I think my kids are more excited about Reader's Theater than game time now!  Of course we do it in the play room, on the stage, with the spotlight and stage lights and a microphone!  The kids now clean faster during the day, so that everything will be ready for Reader's Theater.  They even make tickets for us to come to the show!  It is quite a production.  Here is a clip from a video I took.  The whole video was too long, but the big kids had performed We're going on a Bear Hunt and then the little 2 decided they wanted to join in.  I love how Channing couldn't wait for her turn, so she took matters into her own hands and brought her own chair up to the stage and then read her favorite Polar Bear Polar Bear What Do You Hear story!

Enjoy!

A Renewed Teacher

(Don't mind the side ways picture - I'll fix it later)

So 10 years ago when I received my diploma for Elementary Education, I never really thought my classroom would look like this!!  I set out to teach children and I am so lucky that I get to teach my OWN children.  We just finished up with testing my girls for second grade (our neighbor Nick is in the same grade as them and is homeschooled, so I tested him too - the one in the picture).  I am so proud of their hard work.  This has definitely been a huge learning experience on my part, and I am glad my "students" are so understanding!  For some reason though, I just can't let that teaching license expire!  I worked so hard in college, even started my Master's Degree (had to quit that once I found out twins were in my future), and the thought of that license being expired has just not been an easy pill to swallow.  You have to renew it every 5 years.  The first round was easy because the classes that I took for my Master's renewed my license automatically.  But this time around, I had to work.  I had to take 5 online classes over the course of the 5 years.  I am just finishing my last one.  It has honestly been difficult to do them, just because it is one more thing to add to my plate, but I did enjoy all that I learned from them.  I liked learning new things and then immediately getting to try them out on my kids.  We are definitely learning together!  I will apply for my renewed license in a couple weeks and I am very excited.  I will be certified for another 5 years!!

Fun with Friends

 We got to spend time with my friend Sarah's boys a couple weeks ago.  We enjoy our times we get to spend together and even though we don't get to see each other that much, these kids just cling to each other when they are together.  I love all the happy giggles and smiles and am thankful that our kids get to be such great friends like Sarah and I are.  

Finley loves Ethan.  They get along so well, and she just likes to take care of him any way possible!!

Easter 2013

 Happy Easter!!  This is as good as the group shot got this year!!  I have to take a picture first thing in the morning, or else we may never have one!  

 We did an in home egg/basket hunt this year.  It was cold outside so we hid everything inside.  The kids, of course, loved finding eggs, and once this girl figured out there was food in them, she plopped right down and devoured all its contents!!  She really enjoyed those treats!

 My Chloe!  She had written me a letter that she didn't have any pictures of her and myself, so we had to capture one on Easter!  Man, tears just fill my eyes when I see this child.  This beautiful child of God!  She is going to leave a legacy in this world!  

 The camera man doing his job!  We work really hard trying to capture moments in our house, because we know that when these wall are quiet, we are going to want to sit around and reminisce about all the loudness and laughter we shared together as a family!   

 We had a special visitor for Easter!  My cousin Keith was on a layover in Charlotte, so he got to spend the night and hang out with us for Easter.  The kids were excited to see him and of course Finley snuggled right in and made him her new best friend.  It's so funny how she can weasel her way into everyone's heart.  She had this poor man reading for so long, but all she had to do was ask!!  I was so grateful we got to spend time with him.   

Our friends Matt and Julie and kids and Colby and Gina and kids came over for the afternoon as well.  Matt and Julie were visiting from Tennessee, so we got to spend some time with them.  I am thankful for such great friends!  Easter 2013 was a success!  Oh, and I made gravy from scratch for the first time.  I had to use a video tutorial, but I actually did it as well as cooked a ham!!  Can you believe I am become so versed in the kitchen?!