Santa Clause is Coming to Town?

Last Friday my kids, after breakfast, decided they wanted to make their Christmas lists, seeing all the new toy magazines coming in the mail. So seeing that the "toothpast has already been sqeezed out" (meaning once it is out you can't put it back) thanks to all the retail stores and the mall beginning their decorations for Christmas two weeks ago and toys already on the mind of my children I thought, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." So as a writing assignment for those who write in our family I helped them make a list of what they wanted. Now after beginning this whole ordeal they began saying was their list for Santa. Yes, we sort of play the Santa game... We did Santa at my house growing up and I still knew what Christmas was really about, and still chose to follow Christ and be a missionary at the age of 7.

So to get on with the story, we decided to go to the mall as a family Friday night with Daddy. We joked around about wondering if the Christmas tree would be up yet... thinking that was preposterous... but little did we know not only was it up, but when we arrived, there were Christmas carolers outside singing Christmas songs, the snow machine blowing snow off of the building as it does every Christmas Season... And at 7pm Santa arrived and went to sit in his Santa chair as kids lined up to tell him what they wanted for Christmas and for their family to pay for expensive pictures. Now this is Nov, 7 mind you. 7 weeks before Christmas. We haven't even eaten all our Halloween candy yet.

So what did we do? Well since our kids had made Christmas lists, and Austin had even brought his, we got in line with all the other crazy parents, and went and saw Santa. The funny thing was that he didn't even ask them what they wanted for Christmas. He sort of lectured them on how to make a Christmas list and letting mom and dad help, and since we weren't taking a picture they just sort of stood around him (that's what they do to keep anyone from trying to sneak a photo from a distance with a telephoto lens without them knowing it). They didn't even sit on his lap (not that I really want them to :-) It was a very strange experience and Levi and Austin were a little sad because he did not ask them what they wanted for Christmas.

So, what an awesome opportunity to remind them what Christmas is really about!! Jesus would never put them off. He even died for them because he wants to hang out with them for all eternity, and will give them anything they want when they get to heaven... and much of what they want here on earth. :-)

God in the election and in our Dreams

Does anyone else feel relieved that this election is over. Today just seemed like a new world. Maybe it was because we just elected our first African American (bi-racial) president... or maybe it's just because we don't feel like we are in a fight as a nation through all the talk shows and news media. I am literally exhausted from it all and feel like a long marathon is over. That being said I feel a lot of peace about he future, not because of who is president, but because who is really in control. I am excited to see what the future holds for our country.

So today what did we (the kids and I) do... we started playing Christmas music. We love Christmas around here and usually start celebrating it soon after Halloween. My son Austin asked election day if we could listen to Christmas music, so I found two satellite stations, and Christmas songs ring through our house most of the day.

For our exciting news... about a week and a half ago we entered back into the missions process with the IMB. No we have not sold our house yet, and we have not paid off all our debt, but God put someone in our life that has taken the burden from us (sound familiar - like what Christ did for us). This person has had all of our debt put in his name, and he said when our houses sell (the one we are living in and our rent house) they will pay off the debt that we have. So now, if all goes on the schedule as the IMB have given us, we will go to a week long interview either in December or January, get appointed a month later, and then will be scheduled to leave late spring or summer for Albertville, France for language school. It just seems too good to be true. Ken can hardly concentrate at work.

Ken and I have been a little wary of telling many people in case something didn't work out. Last month at the darkest point in our finances (Ken got a 10% pay cut, and his van and our rent house got broken into putting more expenses in our laps... and I could list about 10 more things)
God showed up with a light at the end of the tunnel. While we were wondering if we were truly going to have to claim bankruptcy God was preparing to take all our burdens away. It has made me think over and over about what God did for us on the Cross by taking our burdens away. It has made me trust him even more and has driven me to be even more passionate about spending time with him.

So if you are in a dark time and want to give up... please hold on to hope through the testimonies of others, because God will never let go of you and He will always show up... and often it's at the 11th hour.

Election Night '08 Barak Obama is the president of the United States!

I feel a little like David when he prayed and fasted and layed before the Lord pleading for God not to let his son die... but when David realized his child with Bathsheba had died, he "got up from the ground after he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house ... and he ate." (2 Sam. 12)

I will now go worship my God and praise Him for what He is doing and is going to do... and then go eat a bowl of ice cream.

I will say this is a little bit of an exciting time in history electing the first African American president (well actually he is bi-racial, something Fox news reminded me of), something many of us never thought we would see in our lifetime.

Now is the time for us to pray for this president. God loves him and died for him and can move in his heart and ways to effect this country. No matter what happens I know my God is still on the throne. He is still faithful and will continue to take care of his own. Who knows, maybe this will be the greatest time in American history that people will come to know the if things get worse financially. Our ways are not God's ways...

And on that remark Ken and I have some exciting news, but because it is so late I will wax long on that later. But for now I am sooooooooooooo ready to get on with my life. The Olympics are over, the elections are over, and now it is time for me to get back to my life, AND GET SOME SLEEP!!

Election Night

So what do you do if it is election night and you have been a crazed follower of the election... you have prayed, you have talked with others about voting, you have encouraged others to pray, you have attended a rally, and you have voted... it is 6pm on election night and what do you do? I heard this question on Fox news about what all the candidates and their pundits do.

So I thought I would ask the question after I find myself cleaning, cooking, not sitting down and relaxing for fear of thinking too much about the outcome. I have done all I can do in the physical and spiritual realm... and now I must wait on my God to determine the outcome... and I still believe He can pull off a David and Goliath.

David vs. Goliath was an easy victory because of who really had the power

The last couple of days as I have prayed and sat before the Lord and thought much about the election, the story of David and Goliath came to my mind continually and that David did not sit around and figure out his odds of winning the fight against Goliath, he Knew who God was and he proclaimed who God was, and just went to the fight. I have also thought of the Story of Jehosaphat who cried out to God and God told him to go to battle and the victory would be his. So Jehosephat sent out the singers in front singing praise to God and they won... and so many other stories in the Bible where the extremely overpowered underdog won over the confident prideful enemy because God showed up.

Starting yesterday, I felt we as Christians need to continue to fight the battle in the spiritual realm for those who have not yet made up their decision and for those who maybe have, yet could be persuaded, that they would see the truth of the two candidates and the consequences for our future before they went into the voting booth.

We then need to praise God for who He is and what He can do. God has put such a passion in my heart for this election and that He wants to bring us victory, we just have to cry out to Him and seek Him and praise Him for who He is and that He put the stars in the sky, He can put someone who honors His name and protects His people in the White House. I believe this is our battle to lose, and I believe the battle is already won if we would not lose heart and keep going to the One who can fight the real battle going on in the spiritual realm.