Baby Isaac Update

Well, just wanted to update you on Baby Isaac. You can go read it for yourself on his blog and see cute pictures, or you can read it here:

Well, today has been a day of clarification. The morning began with Isaac in optimal conditions for extubation - vitals, nutrition, vent settings, the works. We were thrilled to see our sweet boy's face when they removed the tape & pulled out the ET tube. To see his whole face without tape or tubes...what a blessing! We must have kissed those sweet cheeks a hundred times!

Isaac sailed through the first half hour, sating in the high 80's & holding a steady, comfortable heartrate. However, he was unable to cough on his own &, with the build-up of secretions in his lungs, began to tire quickly. In spite of suctioning & albuterol treatments, Isaac simply had to work too hard to breathe & grew too fatigued to clear his lungs on his own. So after nearly two hours, our sweet boy was reintubated & allowed to rest once more.

We are so proud of how well Isaac did, especially considering that he's been intubated for 9 weeks & his many issues (diaphragm, vocal chord, pharynx). He's certainly a fighter, never giving up even when its hard. Now we know for certain that a trach is the best & necessary option in moving Isaac towards recovery. He will head back to the OR on Thursday morning for the tracheostomy. Though this route is different than we had expected, we're happy to move forward in getting Isaac well enough for home. God remains faithful & even when His answer differs from our hopes, we still trust Him, knowing that He heard us & has greater plans in store. We now look ahead to surgery #5.

Pray for Baby Isaac Tomorrow!!

Remember to Pray for Baby Isaac tomorrow. He is being extubated and if everything goes as we are praying he will be able to breath on his own. If it does not, they will have to put in a trach on Thursday.

We pray Lord for perfect execution of this procedure and that Isaac's body would respond miraculously. We pray there will be as big a party on that hospital wing as there will be in heaven as people stand in awe of our Awesome God.

We Love You Lord!

a surrendered life

I copied this excerpt from a friend of mines blog called "The surrendered life".

i now live a surrendered life. a life in which i've voluntarily given up living for me & i choose to abandon all selfishness & choose to live a life of selflessness, thus becoming more like Jesus. for so many years, i had fooled others, myself included, into believing that i did live a surrendered life to God. i really didn't. you know how i know, because deep down, in that place where it's only God & me, i knew it wasn't true. i was living a falsehood. how erroneous. it is so liberating to admit it. i'm not ashamed b/c i know that i'm not the only one that has lived in that lie, nor am i the last one to live that lie. admitting it is the beginning of relinquishing it all to the Author of my life. so, i can now say, i live a life surrendered. so, "i'll stand, with arms high & heart abandoned, in awe of the One who gave it all, i stand, my soul, Lord, to you surrendered, all i am is Yours......"

You know when I first read this. I thought, "Praise the Lord, I've been where she's been and now ... " I couldn't finish the sentence. I began to feel convicted. I could not finish this sentence to say I live a totally surrendered life. I don't even know what I am not surrendering. I mean I have given my whole life to reach others with the gospel starting from a very young age (7). I gave up relationships, running a number of times, comfort, good jobs, money, etc... to follow God to reach the masses who have not heard the gospel. My husband gave up a comfortable carreer with good money, to follow God's call to go to France to start a church. I gave up the comforts of America to raise my kids where we will live in much smaller quarters with possibly no yard. We gave up all our savings raising support these past few years, and we are giving up our kids being raised near their grandparents and cousins whom they love. So what could I not be giving up... I mean I just gave up satellite for goodness sake, and my laptop died, and I have to sit here in my room on this desk top. I mean what else is there.

"I mean, God, you wouldn't want me to be more submissive to my husband or more patient, gentle, and kind, to my kids would you? Don't you think I have given enough. :-) Okay God, you're going to have to really help me with this one because these are deep dark holes in my soul that I want to hang on to. Couldn't you just give me a pill or something and let it be done with?" :-)

What is your Calcutta?

Can I just say, "I LOVE THE BLOGGING WORLD!!" Not only can I sit at home with four kids and still feel like I have a social life even if no one is verbally talking to me, but I can be inspired by something someone said on a blog and then go share about it on my own blog feeling like I have inspired someone today, even if I don't know if anyone even read my blog. I can also respond on someone's blog and feel like I have had a discussion even if they don't read their responses. Isn't it great!...

And speaking of plagerizing, Mark Batterson said something I love... He said,

"Can I share a goal? I never want NCC to feel like a church. I want us to feel like a movement. The church is way too static these days! The church is called to knock down the gates of hell. The church is the vehicle whereby heaven invades hell. That is why the world resonated with Mother Teresa. She brought heaven to a hell hole. By the way, I love the advice Mother Teresa gave when someone asked them how they could make a difference with their life the way she'd made with hers. Mother Teresa said, "Find Your Own Calcutta."

Well, it's been a long road, but Ken and I have found our "Calcutta"... France, and Mark Batterson states just what we feel. We have a passion to start a movement, not just a church. We want to invade hell and take back what satan has stolen in France, with the power of the Holy Spirit of course, and Heavens legions of angels to fight the Spiritual battles.

Does "red" mean bad?

My husband has been traveling alot these past two weeks, and I was just wondering if it was a bad thing when the yellow light on the refrigerator that tells you to change the filter, turns red... I was just wondering.

It makes me think, how in the world would I survive without my husband. Yes, I am one of those who knows nothing about the bills, and I really don't need to be involved in that. To me balancing a checkbook is attempting to balance it, and then drawing a dark line in your check register, and then calling the bank and putting your new balance under that line. I have no idea how to fix anything, because my husband is such a fix it guy that I don't ever even have to figure it out. We don't even call repair people.

So needless to say I guess we'll just have to drink tap water until my husband gets home because I'm not sure what the filter looks like, and I'm afraid I might break something if I try to take it out. :-)

The "Bread of Life" is not for the birds

I was really disappointed in myself the other day. Me, the "people person" who can't stand the thought of one human being going to hell, and it being the drive that makes me able to give everything up and move my four young children away from all grandparents, cousins, and family to raise them in a different way than most of the planet...walked to the neighborhood pond to feed the neighborhood ducks. These are actually two white ducks who stay here year 'round and the neighborhood people all sort of look after them; including feeding them bread, and dog and cat food. Well, following the true sentiment of Charlotte Mason homeschooling, I try to take my kids on walks to look and talk about nature everyday if possible.

The other day we were walking toward the pond and I saw something I had never seen before. There were two teenage girls swimming in the pond, and one laying out beside the pond in a swim suit. First I thought that was very strange because I didn't know anybody who swam in that pond and thought there was probably a good reason. There is also a sign that says "No Tresspasing", which everyone knows is there to keep riff raff away. I then saw what looked like two younger brothers throwing rocks in the water and pestering and teasing each other and the girls.

As we got closer to the pond I noticed the ducks waddling fast along the shore, going in and out of the water like they couldn't figure out what to do. I then realized these boys were throwing rocks at "our" ducks. I watched for a minute and when I knew that that's what they were doing, I raised my voice so they could hear me across the way and told them not to throw rocks at the ducks. I think I actually had to tell them two times.

My children and I proceeded to get our bread out and feed the ducks as these two girls got out of the water, joined their friend who had been laying out, in gathering their things and their brothers and slowly walked near us to get out to the road to go home.

As I stood there with a little bit of satisfaction in my heart for defending "our" ducks, I don't know that God actually spoke to me, but a sadness came over me as I realized I cared more about those ducks than I did about meeting and loving on those kids with a conversation. I began to replay the scenario in my head that I went over and struck up a conversation with the girls and spoke a few words to the boys and showed them how hundreds of fish and a few turtles would come up if you threw bread in the water, knowing that I could have most likely won them over because that's just who God created me to be as a people person.

As I watched them walk away, they didn't go to any of the homes they were walking toward, but started walking down the street to the local rundown trailer park where there are known drugs and animal abuse. I can't tell you how sad I am now to think about how little I thought of them and their destiny.

Lord, help me not to look at the outward appearance, but to see every single person that ever crosses my path as a life You created and loved so much you died for. Help me to get over my own agenda if you have another plan for that moment that will plant a seed for someone to come into your kingdom. Father, I thank you that you did not see me as "riff raff", but came to me and found a way to my heart so that I have spent most of my life saved from so much heartache because I heard about you and wanted to follow you. Forgive me father, and I pray I have a different story next time a similar situation happens.

"God Stop" Moments

I read a friend of mine's blog, "The Atkinson 6", and would like to share some of it with you. You can go to their blog to read it in it's entirity.

My question is, have you ever felt God's presence in your life? Haven't you felt that peace melt over you from your head to your toes and felt completely whole? Have you ever had a moment, just a moment when you felt that everything was right in your universe and that if there was a perfect moment for you, it was right here and right now. That is God. He is pouring His wonderful love over you!

Beth Moore often talks about "God Stop" moments. Those are moments when something happens and you are stopped from making a serious mistake and you don't know why. It also could be that you take a different way to work and hear on the radio that the way you normally take had a bad accident on it or it could be that He stops you to open a door for you and place someone in your life that will lift you up and encourage at the exact moment that you need it! Moments where God Stops you and redirects your path for whatever reason.

When I read this blog, I thought, "Wow, this is exactly what God is doing in our (Mine & My husband's) life, and the peace and presence of God has melted over us in a way we can't even explain. God is redirecting our steps, and we are having a moment right here right now in our lives where we feel everything is right in our universe. It is a "perfect moment," and God is pouring His wonderful love over us. It's something neither of us has experienced in such a dramatic way before in our lives.

We know God has a deep love for every person in the universe, including the French people. We know God has given us a vision for what He is leading us to do. And we are seeing now the ways he has and is going before us to prepare every detail of His plan. We are humbled to be a part, and pray that we can be worthy of "the calling" He has placed on our lives.

I will be putting a link soon on my blog if you are interested in helping us reach this new generation of French People with the gospel in radical, relevant, artistic, and music jamming ways.

We love you Lord!!

Church Marketing Sucks

I came across this blog, Church Marketing Sucks, and it is now one of my favorites. I am posting a blog from from this site because I know everybody doesn't follow all the links, and I think it is worth reading. The thing that surprised me, though, were a couple of the comments on this blog that I will share with you after you read it.

How To Achieve 277% Growth(Filed under: Advertising)
by Joshua Cody, Intern

OK, so the title isn't fully accurate. But it is how one church did it. Eastpoint Community Church in Middletown, Del. had an incredibly simple, strategic and successful marketing campaign, detailed by Marketing Sherpa (membership required). Here's a quick summary of their story:

A small, young church, they were looking to reach a community saturated by a younger generation with a general disquietude towards the idea of church. They knew that an unobtrusive web site would bring just the proper message--we don't merely want to tally converts, but we want you to discover us. Thus the brainstorming began. They knew a web site alone would not be enough. How would people find it? So they created a place of interest--a web site, and they created a vehicle for reaching this place--a marketing campaign. Rather than spending countless hours and resources reinventing the wheel and discovering new methods of marketing, they turned to time-honored tactics. Mailers and a billboard (you know how we love to talk about billboards here at CMS).

They created the site, and they put up a billboard. The billboard didn't mention their physical address. It didn't mention their mission statement. It just read "Before you turn church off ... www.eastpoint.org". In addition to the billboard, they sent mailers to their community advertising the web site. The final piece of this puzzle was creating a web site that would matter. They decided to go with a web 2.0 feel and create a prayer wall and blogs. It seems that these efforts created a perfect storm in their community. Church attendance shot up 277% (I believe that must now include most of Deleware's population), and they're looking for a new building.

So now comes the dilemma. When looking at this model, have we found the perfect example for increasing church attendance? Hardly. Blogger Nathan Rice makes a great point that not everything is for everyone. I think we can look at this and the most we can say is, "Wow, they were sensitive to how their community would respond, and they acted accordingly." This campaign won't work for all churches or all communities, but it is a tremendous story of what happens when we remain aware of the world around us and create accordingly. Oh yes, and it's a subtle reminder to those 30% of you who said "Billboards are for truckers" that maybe billboards aren't so bad. (link via Mike Atkinson)

So now for the comments. One guy said, "Well that is great that it worked for them. However, I must say that I think the trick to growth (numbers and spiritual health) is going out into the community (after all, we can't expect people to come to us if we don't first go to them) and authenticity."

Another guy actually said: "Who cares about growth? 'Growth' has nothing to do with it. Love God and love others."

Are you kidding me?! Are these guys living in the 21st century?! Do they really care about the lost? Do they not think Christ is coming back soon, and if we don't get creative and figure out ways to get people in the door, to those people that we do not meet face to face aren't we saying, "You can go to hell, and I don't care because I love God and I loved my neighbor"... and yes we can expect people to come to if we don't first go to them! Can you tell that I am "hot" about this subject? Do any of these people work jobs that use marketing? If so, then why can the world use marketing, but the God who created the world, who did whatever it took to redeem the world, cannot do whatever it takes to get them in the door to hear this gospel?

I say, " Let's Praise God for Victory in Iraq!"

I am very disturbed about the comment made by one of our U.S senators this past week. He came out and said, "We have lost the war in Iraq." Now I realize he is of the opposite political party as the president and the battle between the two parties is always very disturbing to watch...

but...

Why have we as Christians not seen this as a spiritual battle? Why have we not risen up in prayer and said, "No Satan! You will not take this land! You have ruled it for a long time, but that time is over! Our God is more powerful and you were already defeated at the cross!" No matter if you are a democrat or a republican, if you are a Christian... this is a spiritual battle!

Do we realize (well, I actually didn't until I learned history through kindergarten homeschooling - imagine that) that Iraq is where the Garden of Eden was? This was where sin first entered the world; where the tower of Babel was built where men thought they could reach God, and God punished them. It is where Babylon was (a kingdom that ruled over Isael) that is mentioned in the endtimes prophesy... and if we do not see insurgents and the ones who are killing anybody and everybody through horrific bloodshed, including the innocent, as evil I don't know what evil is.

So if God is more powerful, and we are his people, and our men and women are over there fighting, and we are not on our faces before a holy God continually fighting the spiritual battle through praying and fasting expecting them to win, what is the point of having the power of God within us?! We are winners through Christ, and our nation is a nation blessed by God.

So I say let's pray people! Let's fall on our faces together continually so that we can help a nation defeat evil, and protect us and the rest of the world from this evil entering our country again. Let's pray for these poor Iraqi's who are going to live in this if we do lose this "war". We in America at least have the opportunity to hear the gospel. Most people in Iraq will never have this opportunity.

Let's pray like we have never prayed before! Let's pray for victory! Victory and protection for our troops and for the innocent Iraqi's. Let's pray for confusion among the ranks of terrorists like happened so many times in scripture when God's people won in crazy ways where they started killing each other; where a wall would fall when the believers shouted and praised God at the top of their lungs. Let's shout unto God for victory! Our country is worth it. Our troops are worth it, and our God is definitely worth the glory of victory even in a war that some say "is lost." Let's show them who our God is and who really has the power... it is not them, it is us.

In The Trenches of Motherhood

Can I just say I love the blog "In the trenches of motherhood". You can link to her from my sight. This is a lady who I think has 6 kids, homeschools, and has a heart to share her struggles and things she has learned and is learning with other moms.

She is pretty, organized (or should I say obsessively organized), young, and really makes me look bad... but she is funny, and very real, doesn't have perfect kids, and I laugh usually because she is saying what I want to say.

I have copied a blog she wrote, because I couldn't figure out how to link it (go figure) :-) So read and enjoy.

Time for bed!Tuesday, November 7th, 2006
I frequently get emails asking me about bedtime and to share my routine. I have resisted mostly because it is chaotic and not very worthy of holding up as some sort of shining example of having it all together.

I am all about bedtime, as in the time my children go to bed, not the time they go to sleep. To me there is a difference. I can’t control their sleep habits, nor do I try. All my children, aside from the youngest two. have reading lights next to their beds. They are allowed to stay up and read quietly on in their beds, play with their Leapsters, or even play a quiet card game with their room mate. Quiet is the keyword for all of these activities.

If they are not quiet I will come upstairs and remind them, or yell at the ceiling downstairs.
As I tell my children, bedtime is not about them, it is about me. At night I need to be off duty and relax without having to attend to the needs of other people. End of the story. Whether or not they are tired doesn’t factor into the equation at all.

My 3 and almost 2 yr olds had been staying up pretty late, past the time that the others went to bed. But I took advantage of the time change to push both of their bedtimes back. My 3 yr old is now going to bed between 7:00 and 7:30, and she is falling asleep almost immediately. She used to spend the 7:00 hour completely would up, running around like lunatic and making her siblings who were trying to relax angry.

I have found that children, generally speaking, act wild and hyper when they are tired. It almost seems counter-intuitive, but sleep seems to beget sleep.

Bedtime is my least favorite time of the day. It is usually chaotic feeling. People are tired and cranky and I don’t have a much left in the way of patience. I really just want everyone to get with the program and shower, brush their teeth and put on their pajamas like they do EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. But yet, every night they act as if they have never brushed their teeth, showered, or worn pajamas. And inevitably I end up yelling at someone for something and then I feel bad, because who wants to end their day on a bad note?

Last night I tried to jot down everything as it happened so that I could “live” blog it. It is pretty much the same every night, just switch the kids and the scenarios around.

Isn't it nice to know you're not alone! (and I thought I was the only one who yelled at the ceiling)

A Recovering Newsaholic

I am amazed at this new life without satellite. With this horrible thing that has happened at Virginia Tech, if we had satellite I would have watched it 24/7; I am a recovering newsaholic. The amazing thing (thank goodness for computers) I was able to keep up with the news and still run my house, pray for what is going on in the world, focus on God through all of it, and not have my children know every detail about every killing and the killer himself.

When the Jon Benet Ramsey thing came back into the news this past December,and we were at the grocery store where they would see her on a magazine cover they would say, "Look mommy! It's Jon Benet Ramsey." That's when I knew we needed to get rid of satellite. I can only imagine what else has been impressed into their brain before and since then.

Guys Rules

If you want a good laugh, go to my hubby's blog and read his excerpt from his yesterday's post.

A Walk of Faith

The past few days and weeks have been amazing. It's so interesting how God prepares you for a new step or direction. My husband and I have been overwhelmed with God's love and peace. We have heard his voice encouraging us on. We have seen his hand slowly begin to open the door to something. We had been sensing something new was going to happen, but it never is usually what you think.

The past few days God has blessed my husband with so many people who are excited about what God has put on his heart in France and we have begun to prepare our belongings to leave. No we don't have any exact dates yet, but we know the time is soon. God has worked this way in my life so many times before, but this is an exciting step of faith for Ken. He has a number of conferences coming up that he is going to, with alot of likeminded people; Church planters who are radical about reaching the lost and who are willing to follow Christ into this crazy life no matter what the cost.

Most people who live this way have to prepare themselves to: lose friendships, be thought of as radical, go against the barage of traditional thinkers who criticize them, and for Satan to use these types of situations to try to destroy them.

I am so proud of my husband. He has been walking through the fire these past three years, and he has come out more refined and beautiful on the other side. He has entered dark times of discouragement, felt totally alone, has been tempted to quit, has had his character attacked by leaders he admired... but what Satan has meant for evil God is using for good. He has handled each and every situation Biblically and with much kindness and grace (much more so than I wanted to give in many situations), and God is blessing him for it.

And as with each time of testing, if one continues to seek God and handle each situation with the grace and dignity of Christ, and in obedience to His word, we get what some people call a "breakthrough;" meaning a breakthrough from the struggle and pain, through to where one finds victory and the next step in God's plan... and I believe we are there, and God is preparing our minds and our hearts, and we are preparing our external belongings, for God's next move in our lives.

"I thank you father that you love us. I thank you that you created us all with specific gifts, talents, and personalities to fulfill your work. I thank you that you believe in us when no one else does and that you call us to live a life of faith that brings glory to you. I thank you that you are our Friend, and our Shepherd, and that you have a life prepared for us more exciting and wonderful than we could ever think or imagine. I thank you that if we would walk in obedience and faith in every situaion, you will use us to reach the world... and I thank you that you have chosen Ken and I (two very imperfect humans who need alot of work) to reach the lost in Europe beginning in France. I pray that by your power we will continue to die to self and walk by faith, and that you would use us to bring millions to the saving knowledge of Christ."

"Do you have permission to talk to me?"

Wow! My husband rferred to this blog this morning and passed it on to me. It is from a marketer, Seth Godin, who really hits the nail on the head. We as the church do have to compete with the world, and if this is what they are learning, then lets listen and learn.


I got more mail about this story in the Washington Post than any other non-blog topic ever. I saw it when it first came out, but didn't blog it because I thought the lesson was pretty obvious to my readers. [World-class violinist plays for hours in a subway station, almost no one stops to listen]. The experiment just proved what we already know about context, permission and worldview. If your worldview is that music in the subway isn't worth your time, you're not going to notice when the music is better than usual (or when a famous violinist is playing). It doesn't match the story you tell yourself, so you ignore it. Without permission to get through to you, the marketer/violinist is invisible.
But why all the mail? (And the Post got plenty too). Answer: I think it's because people realized that if they had been there, they would have done the same thing. And it bothers us.

It bothers us that we're so overwhelmed by the din of our lives that we've created a worldview that requires us to ignore the outside world, most of the time, even when we suffer because of it. It made me feel a little smaller, knowing that something so beautiful was ignored because the marketers among us have created so much noise and so little trust.

I don't think the answer is to yell louder. Instead, I think we have an opportunity to create beauty and genius and insight and offer it in ways that train people to maybe, just maybe, loosen up those worldviews and begin the trust.


I think there are alot of churches in the U.S. that get it, and thousands of people enter their doors because they have used marketing to gain permission to share the gospel. Many of these are the curches so many criticize because they are big. You don't have to be big to reach the world, but if you keep on reaching and are teaching others to learn how to gain permission to share the gospel, then you will continue to grow in numbers in some way. I say that if you are not trying to be big(for the sake of winning as many to Christ as you can) then you care more about feeling comfortable in your church environment than you are about people destined for hell. So to those mega churches who are gaining permission, and those small ones who are doing everything to get the lost in their doors, (and wreaking havock at the gates of hell), I say, "You go guys!!"

Rabbit Ears - And I don't mean Easter Bunny

Well, we have officially entered the world of life without satellite or cable. This just started this past monday, so we'll see if this "news junkie" and "Law & Order groupie" (myself) will begin having withdrawals or not.

Actually when I was single (beginning college age), even up until I was 30, I did not have a T.V., and I had so much fun. I read books, wrote letters, visited people, took walks, talked to friends, played games, and had lots of time with God. It was great!

Well, we'll see how life with four kids and no Satellite is. Yes, we still have T.V., and I do catch the news whenever I can, but I am enjoying this so far. I'm getting alot done, going to bed earlier, spending more time with God, catching up with some old friends, getting motivated with homeschooling... and really overall enjoying life a little more so far.

Jesus has risen and so has my Faith

Today is Easter and I am more excited about life than I have ever been. Most people would think that something obviously great has happened in my life. Actually a few things that appear negative have happened.

If you have read my last two blogs you will have read about a baby who is still fighting to live, and I can honestly say, Baby Isaac has changed my life forever (Go to this blog to see an Awesome Mighty God). Things I have learned from his parents are grace and strength and faith in the midst of devestating odds. I have learned to go to scripture in all things and find out who God really is.

A small "situation" in mine and my husband's life, may turn into a much larger situation, and could change our life forever. In our human nature it could seem like a very negative thing, but amazingly we have both confidently thought, "what Satan means for evil, God will use for good"... and we are more excited than ever about where God is leading us.

I am being vague about this situation because it is not resolved yet, but the amazing thing is that in the past when things like this have happened before, I would be really hurt and anxious, and almost unable to continue my normal daily activities until it was resolved. During this situation with Baby Isaac, I have spent much time in prayer and fasting, up late at night in God's Word and waiting and yearning and singing praise songs to Him and about Him, really wanting to know who God is and to see the God of scripture, especially as Healer... and God has changed me. When this current situation arose, I knew I was changed, because the peace and joy I feel in the midst of this "situation" is unexplainable.

I have come to know who God is in a new way, and I know He is in control. I know He loves me and has a plan for me (and my husband). I know He has given us a dream and a vision and I know He will fulfill that dream He has given us if we continue to live in obedience and follow Him.

Thank you Father for letting me know you. I still want to know you more. I especially want to see you as Healer in Baby Isaac's life. I thank you that you are our Shepherd and we never have to worry about where we are going, because you are leading us, and You go before us to prepare the way.

Babyleino.blogspot.com - PICTURE!!

PICTURE of baby Issacc !!

Today has been an amazing and yet exhausting day. I have fasted and prayed and really feel like God is challenging me to really know him. To understand that untangible thing called "faith." What exactly is faith? Some think it's a name it and claim it sort of thing... and maybe it is to an extent.

I put Baby Isaac on the Brooklyn Tabernacle prayer list (along with many other prayer lists). I did this because Brooklyn Tabernacle choir has an amazing understanding of prayer and the church has weekly prayer meetings where thousands attend. They sent back a response that said they will pray for a prayer request for 30 days, and also some words of encouragement. They gave the verses:

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he will hear us. And if we know that he hears us --whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him. (1 John 5:14-15)

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said in a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about man. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, "Grant me justice against my advesary."
For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I do not fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!"
And the Lord said, listen to what the unjust judge says. And will God not bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the son of man comes, will he find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:1-8)

So what do these things mean? I don't believe it means we always get what we want... but I do believe we as God's people, His representation of Christ on the earth, don't test God enough on his word, and his promises. I believe He wants us to know him in all aspects of his being: Healer, Provider, Comforter, Savior (He not only saves us from hell, He saves us from ourselves), Father, All-Powerful, All-knowing, Omnipresent, Friend, Companion through life, Defender, ...

I do believe that doctors, psychyatrists, jobs, etc. are needed, but we as Christians, I think, rely too much on the tangible things of this world and not enough on who God is.

In being part of this choir of prayers, I have come to know God more through this experience than any experience yet in my life. I believe God has responded to our persistent, continual, unending prayer. I believe Isaac would have died had we not joined together in a loud chorus to our compassionate Heavenly Father who understands the death of a son. I believe He wants to show himself as miraculous Healer in this situation, and I don't always believe that... but we must continue!! We must be like the persistent widow, and as we wait on him, we learn more about him. We sit in his presence and we dig into his word, and we spread the word because we know "the effective powerful prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

FAST AND PRAY for Baby Isaac

I just want anybody who has visited my blog or who is looking at this blog for the first time to check out babyleino.blogspot.com. This is a 5 week old baby who is clinging to life.

I have been involved in prayer meetings before, but never one like this. Because I am a stay at home mom, I refresh my blog about every 10 minutes when I walk by my computer to see if there is an update on baby Isaac, or to read another prayer or encouragement someone has posted. I truly feel like there is a wave of prayers and praise being ushered to the throne of God all day long and all night long. Baby Isaac has been put on prayer lists all over the world. This has been an amazing journey and it is not over yet.

Tomorrow is a day of fasting and prayer for baby Isaac. Let anyone you know join us for this amazing journey. God has taught me more about prayer in this past week than I learned my entire life of walking with the Lord.

Tonight also as I was reading the kids bedtime story, we read about Jarius the Synagogue ruler whose daughter was very sick and dying and he went to find Jesus. By the time he got home she was dead and Jesus healed her. After reading this story I was thinking of all the stories in the Bible about a sick or dying person and I realized there are no examples of a person sick or dying where someone sought Jesus out to heal them and he did not heal them... None!

So what does this tell me? Maybe this says that we have no idea what it is to call on God with believing prayer. We've all known someone who was on the brink of dying and we said we would pray for them. But how did we pray for them? Was it one sentence in the middle of dinner or bedtime prayer, or was it peristent continual prayer calling on everyone you know and finding they are actually joining you.

Well, this is what babyleino.blogspot.com has become. There are people who have never met Jordan and Patience who are fasting and praying and waking up in the middle of the night to pray (Me being one of them, except for that I know them). And I am not this crazy charismatic person who "names it and claims it," but I really believe God is going to heal baby Isaac. Maybe I am wrong in all my thinkings, but if we are to look to scripture to see who God is, that is what I see... just a thought.

Baby Isaac

I am so humbled to be writing this... of all the things I complain about... this situation humbles me and makes me so thankful about most of the things I think stress me out. A cluttered house and lots of laundry is not so bad after all.

I don't have time to blog much about this, and I couldn't explain it very well, so I ask that you go to babyleino.blogspot.com and pray for this baby and this family. This is a very young couple, and this is there first child. There are literally thousands of people praying for baby Isaac all over the world. Even though things look impossible, all things are possible with God. Even God raised Lazarus from the dead so that He would be glorified.

"I pray, Father, that anything that is happening to baby Isaac is so that more people will come to know you through this. We pray that You would choose to miraculously make his body work the way you intended it to work. We pray that your plan is for this baby to be a world changer and have a testimony that tells of your miraculous power in our day and time. His little body is so tired, but you created it. Please help his little body to get rid of the co2 and stablelize all his organs..., but if you choose not to, I pray for it to be for the reason to reach millions of lost souls for you."

Basketball & Laundry

It is a sad day in the Witcher household. There will be no Tennessee - Texas A&M matchup. In fact there will be no more Tennessee Orange or Texas A&M Aggies for the rest of the tournament. Both teams were beat last night in games they both could have won. THEY WERE ROBBED!! Okay maybe not. I even called a friend of mine who is a fan of Ohio State when Tennessee was up by 20. I told this friend of mine I would regret this phone call... and I did.

Okay, so what else is there to blog about. It's Spring!!! Time to add one more clothing activity to all moms who already have loads of laundry (exchanging winter clothes for summer clothes). I'm not sure I can express, as a mother in a 6 person household, how much clothing is laying around our house right now. Well actually it's mostly in the guest room, but there are PILES!!! The "sharing shop" is about to be blessed with a lot of cute clothes. I have decided I only want about 8 outfits per each of my children, then when my laundry basket is full, the closet is empty. Currently when the laundry basket is full, the closet is still full, and there are still piles of clean clothes laying in piles waitin to be put away. Why in America do we feel like we must own so much.

I don't want to sound like I am complaining, because I have been blessed with two sisters who are big shoppers. I have the cutest outfits for my kids, I just have a hard time getting rid of the cute ones even if I already have 20 outfits hanging in the closet for one child. But I am learning quickly no matter how cute an outfit is, if it's one of 20-30 outfits.... GET RID OF IT!!!

Okay, there you have it the extent of my thoughts this evening. Okay, maybe not all my thoughts.

Can I just say, "I LOVE MY GOD, because He is God even over all my laundry.

March Madness Fever!!

Do any of you know what March Madness is? It is a term used for those crazy basketball fans whose lives are turned upside down for about a whole month watching all the basketball that eventually tell what team is the best in the country... and I have to say the Madness has taken over our house.

Needless to say March Madness has been very exciting this year for us. Reason being, we are not your usual March Madness crazies. In fact March usually comes and goes and we don't even remember to turn on the TV until of course the Final Four, and then only if we know one of the teams in it.

Well, this year has been a complete turn around. My husband and I have been converted... Being college football junkies, we both went to Big football schools (well, at least I did... He likes to think he did) :-) I am actually a Lady Vol (that's short for Volunteer ... "Tennessee Volunteers" - and the "Lady" means I actually participated on a sports team while I was there) and Ken went to Texas A&M.... need I say more. Aggies are crazy for their school. When we were first dating and was talking about college football and I said, "Who is Texas A&M?" I really thought that was the end of our relationship... and you think I am kidding. It's probably the root behind all of our fights anyway. I mean who would go out and cut down large trees just to stack them who knows how high, and stand around and watch it burn singing the school fight song. Of course my joking about that was a whole 'nother fight in our relationship. :-)

Anyway, back to basketball. If you are a football fan and you have been keeping up with college basketball this year you probably know the name Acie Law. He has been the superstar on Texas A&M basketball team who has won the game many times over in the last second with some huge crazy shot from over the three point line. He scores most of his points in the last 5 minutes. He is amazing to watch and has made us basketball fans for the first time in our lives. Tennessee has also had a pretty good year and has made it to the second round in the tournament which is also a huge deal for Tennessee.

So needless to say we have sat around and watched basketball almost all day for the past few weeks. And I have got to say this is hard. I don't know how people hold down full time jobs here in NC this being such a hot house for basketball fans. Of course Duke fans don't have to worry about missing work this year. (Did I just say that? Sorry it slipped.)

Anyway this is fun!! Texas A&M made it to the third round I think for the first time in the schools history in a nail biting game against Louiville. Go A&M!! And Tennessee plays tomorrow in hopes to make it to the third round to play #1 seed Ohio State (Wow I even know the lingo!). I could really get into this. It doesn't mix well with having to take care of kids, though, because I have to keep telling them to be quiet, and can't they get their own food, and get out of the way I can't see. (my kids are 6, 4, 2, and 1)

We got it so bad if the game is not shown in our area, Ken hooks up his mama jama laptop and we watch it on there. This could be bad if both our schools make it to the top eight; Texas A&M would play Tennessee. Can you say family crisis!! We will definitely need counseling after that. So I admit! We are hooked!!

And how 'bout VCU!!! I always loved the story of Cinderella as a child.

More thoughts from a mother of many small children

Well, I guess I've taken the easy blogging road for a while and now I actually need to write something for myself. So many things go through my mind throughout the day but they get lost somewhere between dinner and putting the kids to bed, and cleaning up after dinner, and then cleaning the house, and staring at that pile of clean laundry in the guest bedroom that, well, really has become the laundry room.

Thoughts:

What exactly does washable markers mean? Does it mean only in the washer with "Tide with bleach" after soaking a few hours? ... or does it mean off the wall with that special soap and special scrubber finishing it off with primer and then paint... because I must have misunderstood the advertisement on the bottle.

What exactly does a clean house constitute? Clean once in a while when the kids are sleeping? or does it mean able to keep the house clean enough for guests to drop by? or does it mean able to walk through a room on the actual carpet without hurting yourself on a toy?

Laundry!!! Don't have very many kids until you can grow one up to help you with it.

Getting rid of the kids for a day can save you a whole lot of money for couseling down the road.
I actually got rid of the kids for a night and I can't remember the last time we had part of a day and a night without the kids. The house was soooooo quiet, and I didn't have to get up one time in the middle of the night, and I got to sleep in as long as I wanted. My husband and I actaully sat on the couch and watched March Madness basketball for hours without having to get up and referee a situation. We also actually had many conversations without any interruptions (I can't remember the last time that happened).

but.... Picking up your kids after a night away (especially your 1 year old).... Priceless.

Final thought: I love my kids!!

All Roads Lead To Paris

Why France? Why us? Why now? Go to my hubby's blog to get the answer. It just keeps me from having to say the same thing twice. :-)

Beth Moore - "Hairbrush at the airport"

(Did you ever have 3 or 4 blogs you wanted to post but also had 3-4 kids that needed your undivided attention, all while your husband is out of town, and one of your kids pours water on the keyboard of your laptop. So needless to say I haven't gotten to share all my good blogs, until today!)

So here's one. I was at praise team practice a couple of weeks ago and our leader read this email that someone sent him and I want to share it with you.

"HAIRBRUSH EXPERIENCE OF BETH MOORE AT THE AIRPORT"

(For those of you who do not know Beth Moore, she is an outstanding Bible teacher, writer, is married, and has two daughters.) This is one of her experiences:

April 20, 2005, at the Airport in Knoxville, waiting to board the plane, I had the Bible on my lap and was very intent upon what I was doing. I'd had a marvelous morning with the Lord. I say this because I want to tell you it is a scary thing to have the Spirit of God really working in you. You could end up doing some things you never would have done otherwise. Life in the Spirit can be dangerous for a thousand reasons not the least of which is your ego.

I tried to keep from staring, but he was such a strange sight. Humped over in a wheelchair, he was skin and bones, dressed in clothes that obviously fit when he was at least twenty pounds heavier. His knees protruded from his trousers, and his shoulders looked like the coat hanger was still in his shirt. His hands looked like tangled masses of veins and bones.The strangest part of him was his hair and nails. Stringy, gray hair hung well over his shoulders and down part of his back. His fingernails were long, clean but strangely out of place on an old man. I looked down at my Bible as fast as I could, discomfort burning my face. As I tried to imagine what his story might have been, I found myself wondering if I'd just had a Howard Hughes sighting. Then, I remembered that he was dead. So this man in the airport...an impersonator maybe? Was a camera on us somewhere? There I sat; trying to concentrate on "the Word" to keep from being concerned about a thin slice of humanity served on a wheelchair only a few seats from me.

All the while, my heart was growing more and more overwhelmed with a feeling for him. Let's admit it. Curiosity is a heap more comfortable than true concern, and suddenly I was awash with aching emotion for this bizarre-looking old man. I had walked with God long enough to see the handwriting on the wall. I've learned that when I begin to feel what God feels, something so contrary to my natural feelings, something dramatic is bound to happen. And it may be embarrassing.

I immediately began to resist because I could feel God working on my spirit and I started arguing with God in my mind. "Oh, no, God, please, no." I looked up at the ceiling as if I could stare straight through it into heaven and said, "Don't make me witness to this man. Not right here and now. Please. I'll do anything. Put me on the same plane, but don't make me get up here and witness to this man in front of this gawking audience. Please, Lord! "There I sat in the blue vinyl chair begging His Highness, "Please don't make me witness to this man. Not now. I'll do it on the plane." Then I heard it... "I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to brush his hair. "The words were so clear, my heart leapt into my throat, and my thoughts spun like a top. Do I witness to the man or brush his hair? No-brainier. I looked straight back up at the ceiling and said, "God, as I live and breathe, I want you to know I am ready to witness to this man. I'm on this, Lord. I'm your girl! You've never seen a woman witness to a man faster in your life. What difference does it make if his hair is a mess if he is not redeemed? I am going to witness to this man." Again as clearly as I've ever heard an audible word, God seemed to write this statement across the wall of my mind. "That is not what I said, Beth. I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to go brush his hair."I looked up at God and quipped, "I don't have a hairbrush. It's in my suitcase on the plane. How am I supposed to brush his hair without a hairbrush?" God was so insistent that I almost involuntarily began to walk toward him as these thoughts came to me from God's word: "I will thoroughly furnish you unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:17)

I stumbled over to the wheelchair thinking I could use one myself. Even as I retell this story, my pulse quickens and I feel those same butterflies. I knelt down in front of the man and asked as demurely as possible, "Sir, may I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?"He looked back at me and said, "What did you say?""May I have the pleasure of brushing your hair? "To which he responded in volume ten, "Little lady, if you expect me to hear you, you're going to have to talk louder than that. "At this point, I took a deep breath and blurted out, "SIR, MAY I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF BRUSHING YOUR HAIR? "At which point every eye in the place darted right at me. I was the only thing in the room looking more peculiar than old Mr. Longlocks. Face crimson and forehead breaking out in a sweat, I watched him look up at me with absolute shock on his face, and say, "If you really want to."

Are you kidding? Of course I didn't want to. But God didn't seem interested in my personal preference right about then. He pressed on my heart until I could utter the words, "Yes, sir, I would be pleased. But I have one little problem. I don't have a hairbrush." "I have one in my bag," he responded. I went around to the back of that wheelchair, and I got on my hands and knees and unzipped the stranger's old carry-on, hardly believing what I was doing. I stood up and started brushing the old man's hair. It was perfectly clean, but it was tangled and matted. I don't do many things well, but must admit I've had notable experience untangling knotted hair mothering two little girls.

Like I'd done with either Amanda or Melissa in such a condition, I began brushing at the very bottom of the strands, remembering to take my time not to pull. A miraculous thing happened to me as I started brushing that old man's hair. Everybody else in the room disappeared. There was no one alive for those moments except that old man and me. I brushed and I brushed and I brushed until every tangle was out of that hair. I know this sounds so strange, but I've never felt that kind of love for another soul in my entire life. I believe with all my heart, I -for that few minutes – felt a portion of the very love of God. That He had overtaken my heart for a little while like someone renting a room and making Himself at home for ashort while.The emotions were so strong and so pure that I knew they had to be God's. His hair was finally as soft and smooth as an infant's. I slipped the brush back in the bag and went around the chair to face him. I got back down on my knees, put my hands on his knees and said, "Sir, do you know my Jesus?" He said, "Yes, I do." Well, that figures, I thought. He explained, "I've known Him since I married my bride. She wouldn't marry me until I got to know the Savior." He said, "You see, the problem is, I haven't seen my bride in months. I've had open-heart surgery, and she's been too ill to come see me. I was sitting here thinking to myself, what a mess I must be for my bride."

Only God knows how often He allows us to be part of a divine moment when we're completely unaware of the significance. This, on the other hand, was one of those rare encounters when I knew God had intervened in details only He could have known. It was a God moment, and I'll never forget it. Our time came to board, and we were not on the same plane. I was deeply ashamed of how I'd acted earlier and would have been so proud to have accompanied him on that aircraft. I still had a few minutes, and as I gathered my things to board, the airline hostess returned from the corridor, tears streaming down her cheeks. She said, "That old man's sitting on the plane, sobbing. Why did you do that? What made you do that?"I said, "Do you know Jesus? He can be the bossiest thing!" And we got to share.

I learned something about God that day. He knows if you're exhausted, you're hungry, you're serving in the wrong place or it is time to move on but you feel too responsible to budge. He knows if you're hurting or feeling rejected. He knows if you're sick or drowning under a wave of temptation. Or He knows if you just need your hair brushed. He sees you as an individual. Tell Him your need! I got on my own flight, sobs choking my throat, wondering how many opportunities just like that one had I missed along the way... all because I didn't want people to think I was strange. God didn't send me to that old man. He sent that old man to me. John 1:14 "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We Have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."Life shouldn't be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather, to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly shouting, "Wow! What a ride! Thank You, Lord!"

Do You know Kobe Bryant?

Who says, "it's not who you know?" Who says, "technology is overrated?" Who says, "blogging is a wast of time?" Who says, "it's not important what you name your kids?"...

Well just ask Tadd Grandstaff, an up and coming church planter who has found a new and creative way to advertise. You must go to his sight and read for yourself. You couldn't make up a story like this.

I love it when God uses the world to advertise for Himself.

Why France? Why Now?

You must go to this link Why France? Why Now? This is the name of the cover story for the newest Avant Magazine that features us along with some other missionaries. It highlights how God's heart seems to be turned toward France right now. God has a plan and is powerfully at work, and we are a part of that plan (how humbling). There is also another "must read" called "Flight Delay" , describing some of the real struggles of support raising, under "Real Field Features."

Let me know what you think.

My Hubby, the Networker

You have to go to "my hubby's blog" on 1/26/07. It's entitled "Building Partners". Here in America we call it "networking," and my husband has became the master... not by any choice of his own I guarantee you. I am the outgoing social one, and when we began this adventure my husband would have rather pulled his fingernails out than contact all these people. But he has now had contact with some of the greatest and creative church planters in America, and many of them are partnering with us in some way.

Remember Moses? Basically he said, "I am not a good speaker." And God said, "Who gave man his mouth." That is sort of what my husband was like when he knew God had called us to a faith ministry. Actually my husband had said, "I will never go with an organization where I have to raise support." And I think God said, "Who owns the cattle on a thousand hills?"

Well, here we are, and there God is with that usual smile on His face whenever we say never. My husband also said he would never go to France... that's a whole different story.

Thoughts from a stay at home mom with lots of small kids

Thought # 1

I was so excited this week that my 6 1/2 year old son began writing letters on his own. We have done no handwriting program (he has struggled greatly with fine motor skills). We've done phonics very loosely (we began a program, but with three younger children it got lost in the chaos). We talk about letters all the time and their sounds and read lots of books. A few days ago he was sounding out the letters, coming in and out of the room with a marker in his hand, and then said, "Mom come and see this." So I walked into our newly finished, newly painted upstairs bathroom, and my son says, "Look mom, "C" for Caelan, "A" for Austin, "L" for Levi... all written in red marker on the wall.

What did I do? I said, "Wow Levi, that is so good. Let me show you where you can write some more letters," and I took him to the white marker board in the play room. (Did you know that crayola washable markers do not wash off the wall and cannot be covered by paint alone?)

Thought # 2

After folding my 4,000th piece of laundry, I was thinking, why do we even fold laundry when we are just going to wear it again soon and go through this whole process. It takes up so much time. I've decided I'm just going to make piles and everyone can dig out their clothes every day.

Thought # 3

Don't have 4 or more kids before growing at least one up that can dress themselves, help someone else dress, and help with house work.

Thought # 4

Find out if your insurance covers counseling before chooseing a profession where you're couped up with many small children in a small space all day long where the highlight of your day is running at least 7 miles with a double baby jogger.

Shalom

Isn't that what Jews say to each other? Did you know that shalom means "peace". Sounds a little like the 70's when people made a "V" with their fingers and said, "Peace dude."

Well, God showed me so many awesome things this weekend at our church from a semon about peace. Check out the sermon on podcast at C3.org.

One of the first points was: Stress robs us of peace.

Did you know that 40% of the things we worry about never happen? 30% are about the past. 12% are about health issues. Therefore leaving only 8% of things to truly worry about. Of course if you are a believer those are ruled out also. So where does that leave us?

Well I actually heard this sermon twice. I went to church both Saturday night and Sunday morning and I think I need to start doing this as a habit. Some of us need to be told things many times until we get it... sort of like my kids. I'm sure you and your kids are not like that.

Anyway this morning I really started pouring over the scripture in the worship outline and God blew me away with one scripture I have read a million times, taught it, encouraged people with it, and memorized it.

It was Phillipians 4:6-7

"Do not be anxious about anything , but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

God showed me that in this verse their is a command, an action, and a promise. It's very simple, yet we seem to make it very complicated to have peace. God says (through Paul), "Do not be anxious about anything..." period, end of command, that's it. Sort of like, "Do not kill"... or "commit adultry". It is a command.

But he does not just leave us hanging. He tells us how to do this (our action). Pray, petition, give thanks, present. How simple. It's sort of like us telling our kids, "Don't touch the hot stove." Why is it so hard for them to follow that command. If they do follow that command, what happens? They don't get burned. See where I'm going with this?

God is saying when you are stressed: pray, petition (the root of the word "petition" is petere meaning "to seek, request"), give thanks, and present your requests. Easy enough, right? so why do we make it so hard. Our order of things is usually: think about your problem over and over; try to figure out how you are going to handle it; talk to a friend about it; lose sleep over it; think about it some more; talk to another friend; obsess over it; exercise to relieve the stress; have a girls night out to forget your stress; watch T.V.or a movie (especially a chick flick); take your frustration out on your spouse and kids ; and then when nothing else has taken the stress away, and we don't know what else to do, go to God. So why are our fingers so scarred from the stove?

The promise is, if you can do these few very simple things, "...the peace of God which transcends all understanding (think about those words "transcends all understanding") will guard (whick means "protect from danger") your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." How simple!! So why can't we do it? What is wrong with us? Why does our human nature say I think I'll try it my way just one more time. Maybe it will work this time. When will we learn? How many more times do we have to be burned until we obey?

Old Friends

Tonight was a very special night.

My husband began working part time at my sister's and brother-in-law's church over a year ago. It was only a temporary position while we were preparing for the mission field. The church was a long drive for us and I had a newborn and three young children at the time. But we fell in love with the church. It is Cleveland Community Church (C3) in Clayton, NC. They really reach the people that literally would not go anywhere else. Most of these people would never have found Christ had C3 not existed.

It doesn't feel much like a church except for the overwhelming presence of the Holy Spirit. It feels more like a rock concert... and I love it! And apparently alot of other people do to. One of the most awesome things about it is that I often meet someone who came the week before, and this Sunday they have their entire unchurched family with them. I have met visiting unchurched family members say that if there was a church like this where they lived they would go to church.

Well, there are so many more things I love about C3, but that is not why I am writing this blog. I am writing this blog because a group of people from the church we attented before C3 came to visit. It is called Faith Baptist Church, in Youngsville, NC. You don't realize how worshipping with people for 8 years establishes them like family in your heart.

Growing up my father was a pastor, and we moved every 3 years except when we were in highschool. I remember thinking how strange it was as an adult being at Faith Baptist for a number of years and watching the children grow up. When you move every three years you don't see the children in the church grow up. They seem to stay the same age. You also don't realize the relationships that develop as you weekly meet, worship, pray, chat, encourage, and share life.

Well, a group from our old church (Faith), which I really feel is like my home church, came to visit C3 tonight. I was almost nervous I was so excited to share with them this new place where we were learning so much, things that we feel God wants to teach us before going to Paris to plant a church. When I saw them and worshipped with them, and got to hang out over dinner after church, I went home feeling like one might if they could just crawl up into the arms of a heavenly father and just rest. The feeling of family was stronger than if my own family had shown up. Their smiles, each unique personality, many remembered stories and laughter... I just wanted to hug them and talk with them and hang out with them for hours. I really missed them and love them so much.

I know most of them will not read this blog, but I want to thank them for coming. Even though I know they didn't come just to see me (for ministry reasons they were just wanting to check out what some other churches were doing), I want to say thanks. It was a gift God gave me that He knows will be remembered in my heart for a long time. Thanks Ty and Jennifer, Emily, Michael and Debra and family, K.C., and Amy. I really love you guys and am so excited to see what God is going to do at Faith.

New Years!!

I guess it is mid January and my Christmas blog is still up. Does that tell you any thing about my January? I still have clothes in my suitcase from our trip mid-December. I just got my Christmas boxes out of the living room last week. Pretty pathetic, huh?

I'm beginning to realize this may be how it is until my kids get old enough to help with not only housework, but with the Christmas Holiday. With a household of 6, four of them being six and under, it takes every ounce of energy and time to keep this household afloat... and that is on a normal day if you are organized and on top of things all day long. So needless to say, I begin every day in the red (meaning behind). So when you add Christmas shopping, house decorating, Christmas parties (yours or other peoples), extra activities like gift wrapping, sending Christmas Cards, etc... added toys after Christmas, Kids off their normal schedule... We just sort of survive until we can take down the dead tree, let the Christmas boxes sit in the living room for a week, (because it takes that long to take them all down in the middle of four small kids six and under), and finally put them away. Then I can attempt to tackle the large pile of clean clothes I dig through most days to find at least one child something to wear. I can also dust that inch of dust off my shelves, and clean both bathrooms for the first time in a month (I can't believe I just told you that).

I am just resigning myself that it will probably take me until February every year to get our house back on schedule. It feels so good to admit reality, accept what I can do, and leave the rest to God. Whew, I feel like I just shared at a 12-step group. I'd appreciate any prayers!!... especially from those mothers who know. :-)

Christmas!... the best time of year!

Well, we survived!! Yes, we made it back home from our "Christmas Vacation" alive with only three congested coughs, two ear infections, and one sinus/ chest infection. Sounds like the end of the 12 days of Christmas. The house is still a wreck, suitcases not quite unpacked, laundry up to my eyeballs, but we're at least able to lay around in our own home while being sick.

We did have a wonderful Christmas Eve: first in the pediatrics "after hours" office, then lunch at a sandwhich shop (just our immediate noncontageous but sick family), and then we took the kids to see "The Nativity Story". Except for the passion, it was the most moving movie I have ever seen, even if I did have to watch it on the floor near the door to keep my 19 month old entertained and quiet so as not to disturb the theatre... and of course there were those three parts that I missed because I was taking a child to the potty. But even with all that, it was amazing to visually see (in a way) Jesus as a newborn baby... acting like a baby (and obviously I love babies) :-). It also really blew me away to see how Mary and Joseph were greatly looked down upon and how this pregnancy was looked on as illigitimate.

I mean Just imagine if this happened to a young couple we knew in our day and time. Here you have a young Godly couple ready to set out and serve the Lord, maybe go to the mission field, and the girl gets pregnant from someone else and then makes up this crazy super-spiritual story that she is impregnated by God. We would say what a kook and a slut. And Joseph we would label an idiot for staying with her. We sort of miss that part in telling the Christmas story don't we.

It reminded me again in such a real way to think Jesus really does understand our struggles. He came into the world as an outcast; first through his people, then through his parents. But those who sought out this Christ child, in faith, were a part of the most amazing act of history, and were written about in the most popular book ever written in history that will live on forever. I cried through most of the movie. (Oh the joys of being a mom of 4 small children. I love it!)

I pray not only I, but you also will be a seeker of the most amazing human in history this next year.

National Lampoons Vacation

Did you ever see the movie "National Lampoon's Vacation"?... Well we are on our Christmas vacation to Texas and it feels alot like that. You'll have to go to my hubby's blog to hear the narrated version. I will begin the story with some preliminary information.

We prayed and discussed which car we thought would make it to Texas, and which car would cost less to fix if it blew up on the side of the road. The older car, 1994 Plymouth Grand Voyager with only 168,000 miles, beat out the newer model, 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan with 254,000 miles, because the older car only had an axel problem and the newer car had a transmission problem... lesser of the two evils. So we chose the older car, and so far we have made it to Texas, but it has been an adventure to say the least and it has had nothing to do with the car.

After getting off late, turning around three times because we forgot stuff, lots of throwup from a flu but that hit the whole family for at least 4 days, having to go shopping for all the things we did forget, a wrong turn costing us two hours with a sick family, bringing all the wrong clothes for 50 degree weather and it being in the 70's and 80's, no air conditioning because all the freeon leaked out of our car, a trip to the emergency room for a dog bite (our oldest son got bit and scratched pretty bad by Grandpa's dog), and... well this is just the highlights and our trip is only halfway done and I just smile and laugh everytime another situations arises. You have to go read my Hubby's blog to get the details.

Even when we were throwing up in ziplock baggies and not even slowing down for someone who got sick... it became quite humorous; especially sitting in the emergency room... it makes me laugh even just writing about it. I can't even imagine that anything else could happen... but I have learned not to hold my breath, because I could pass out and die waiting for "normal" to hit my family.

Blogging Blues

I hate that I have not blogged in almost two weeks. I guess if I had any following I have pretty much killed that by now. I know how I get when I am excited to see what someone has posted only to find they haven't had the time either.

I don't think I've ever blogged about us finishing our upstairs (the main reason we bought this house). Okay so it's taken us (I say us, but it is really my husband) three years to have it livable, and now we're down to the painstaking finish work : the second coat of paint, finish all the trim, finish the bathroom, etc., and then the moving of furniture (which of course means you have to paint that horrible looking shelf - all while kids toys and books lay around everywhere).

And then of course there's the never-ending, ever-growing laundry that gets pushed to the side to that you can do this extra-curricular activity. Have I ever mentioned that I hate clutter... but I do not have an organized mind, therefore I live in lots of clutter that drives me crazy.

... and with all this, Ken is out of town for three days and all my kids have a stomach bug that between them has lasted 7 days... and it comes out both ends.

So when I feel bad about not blogging, God reminds me that: I am a child of God first (in need of a relationship with Him), a wife and mom second; there are alot of people living in horrible circumstances around the world, many going to hell because they've never heard a clear presentation of the gospel; I am running and racing like I never thought I would again; and I am blessed with health, a wonderful husband, and four healthy beautiful kids... blogging is just a perk I love to do in my spare time. :-)

Consider this...

This week is adoption awareness week on Family Life radio show. Please go to "Voice Of The Orphan" .org. ... then I ask you to search your heart... and think of the most challenging situation happening in your life right now... and then think of the millions of orphans around the world, many living in situations we cannot even imagine... and then think, "if I were a child or baby living in an institution (even the best of institutions) wouldn't I want for someone to choose me... to know what it feels like to belong?"... think of the special needs children who have an even lesser chance of being adopted... and then think again about the challenging situation in your life today...

Think on all these things... go to some of the pictures on the websight and read about the children. Look into their eyes and their hearts and imagine what a day is like for them... and then imagine a week, a month, a year, and then 5 years knowing that the older they get the less likely anyone would want them... and then think of our Savior as he hung there on the cross... beaten bruised torn for us... for them... and think "what would Jesus do if He were here?"

...I don't think He'd come to my house, or my church, maybe not even my country. I think he'd go and find all these kids and say, "you are so precious... so very very precious. I am so sorry this world has thrown you away... but I love you... and you are more special than you could ever know, and I loved you even before I ever met you. Please come home with me.

Did you know that if only 7% of Christians around the world would adopt there would be no more orphans?

"I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these... you did for me."
Matt. 25:40

Trick or Treat?

Well, our family joined the heathens last week walking around in the dark on the side of the road going up to stranger's houses and asking for candy. What a great holiday. :-) We had two cowboys, a policeman, and a fire(wo)man... so we knew we were safe.

I have never actually looked up the history of Halloween, but I know it is suppose to be something evil. I like to look at it as a way to leverege one of "satan's" holidays. The past few years we have used Halloween as a way to meet neighbors we had not gotten the chance to meet yet, or a way to build on already made relationships... and it has worked well. We don't go out of our neighborhood, it is not about getting candy, but we especially like to go to those houses where it doesn't look like many people go.

I love using something Satan means for evil, for good...for my God to use later for lost souls.

My hubby's blog

Check out my hubby's blog this week. He has some great stories that really cracked me up; one especially about the crazy things parents do.

Home is where the heart is

Once again its been a few weeks since I have blogged. Since we have returned from London and France it has taken a few weeks for me to get my house in order (meaning get my kids back under control), and finally get my suitcase unpacked. On top of all that, the workers are finally coming to finish the drywall, paint, and carpet on our unfinished upstairs. To work on our unfinished upstairs (which was our storage) we have had to move all sorts of stuff into our 1300 sq foot downstairs. In the midst of all this it is a season change, meaning lots of boxes out and left open for four kids as it turns cold then hot then cold then hot again. Oh and can we forget 4 kids ages 6 and under running in around in a cluttered house. So its safe to say there has been alot of choas around here.

I say all this to say my heart is firm and my eyes set fast... for France. As October comes and goes, and our time frame for leaving comes and goes, we realize we will probably not leave for France before the new year... which is fine, because we know who put the stars in the sky and hung the earth in space and parted the waters which created France.

We know that Christ loves the French even more than we do. Our hearts are a little sad knowing there are unchurched nonbelievers there waiting for us to come. We had a Christmas party envisioned in our head as a great ground breaker to meet our neighbors, and for others to bring friends... but we know who took dirt from the earth to create a man and then took a rib from that man to create a women.

We know the man who made the blind to see, healed the sick, and raised the dead. We know the God who loved man so much that he spared nothing to reach him. So, what is it that can keep us from going to France... nothing (except for maybe ourselves if we choose not to grow for God to use us). So pray that God would open the floodgates of His miraculous power to get not only us, but all of our teammates to France at the same time as soon as His perfect will allows. We know He wants to show us His power, it is just gets hard to wait when your heart is already there.

World Traveler

Wow, it's been a few weeks since I have blogged about anything...

So much has happened I don't know where to start. I've been to London and Paris and back. An amazing story to get there, and many amazing stories while we were there and since we've been back. I hope to share them with you. God is so amazing. We are so ready to be in Paris. We actually have people on the ground waiting for us... nonchristians!! We are so excited!

We believe God has something so huge we can't even imagine. As I walked the streets of Paris and saw the babies (you never see children over 3 because they are in preschool and school) my heart broke thinking these kids have almost no opportunity to hear the gospel. As I walked on the streets I also thought, "I have walked for hours the past two days and could very well have never passed a Christian."

It's overwhelming, my life will never be the same, my kids will not have a normal childhood, they may very well not grow up with grass in their yard ... but I'm excited about what God wants to do. Our comfort is not worth 59 million people going to hell with no opportunity to hear the gospel.

I am linking you to my husbands blog again. I don't know why he is blogging about me so much, but I'm surprised how he really knows me. 8 years, maaaaaaaany struggles, often hanging on to a relationship with nothing but faith in a Big God, He knows where I've been and where I want to go. He also knows the dreams you don't tell anybody about because they are crazy. I guess he really was listening all those times I got mad at him for "not listening". :-) Well if you want to know a little more about me, visit my sweetheart's blog.

Matt 25:37 Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go and visit you? The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. "

A cry of help from the President of World Vision US:

For the past several months, I've been sharing with you about the dramatic hunger crisis in Africa. So many of you have blessed us with your prayers and generous support, and we've been able to work in the hardest-hit areas, but the situation remains serious because recent rains have not been adequate. I'm haunted by tragic scenes in countries like Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Burundi. Crowds of desperate mothers hope to receive help for their severely malnourished babies and children. Now the situation has been complicated by floods which have led to disease outbreaks in several areas.


Drought, combined with terrible poverty, civil unrest, and disease, is threatening the lives of an estimated 8 million people — 1.6 million are children under the age of five! That's why I'm turning to you once more with the same urgent plea that I sent in the mail in July. We have a great opportunity to help save lives! Because we've received $107 million in U.S. government food grants, your gift today, combined with these grants, will go 8 times as far to provide lifesaving food for desperate children and families. Please ... Pray that God will direct the aid to the boys and girls who need it most, before it's too late; and for our staff in the field — that they'll be able to shine God's love as they work with these hungry children and families in the midst of adversity. Give online now at http://news.worldvision.org/W8RH03AE9B6792ED1BC7F33E5E7800 to help provide much-needed food, water, and other emergency assistance. Remember—your gift will multiply 8 times! Sponsor another child online in Africa at http://news.worldvision.org/W8RH03AE9B37B2ED1BC7F33E5E7800, to help with long-term recovery projects that will transform the life of that child, his family and community. I thank God for your support in faith, prayer, and action. Thank you for being such a blessing to so many people in need, to our staff all over the world, and to me personally!

Yours in Christ, Rich StearnsPresident, World Vision U.S.

What will God say to you when you get to heaven? What have you done unto the least of these?
Help me change the world one life at a time.

Check out what my husband thinks about my training/running. I had an awesome run today!

I love this blog! www.verymom.com

Since I have 4 very small kids I don't get to blog or read blogs as much as I would like, but you have to go to her blogs for Sept. 7 and 5. She has such an amazing way of putting into words what most of us women think and want to write but just aren't creative enough. One blog is very funny in her creative style, but the other blog is very sad. A situation that as a mom every one of us fear.

I hope you will read this and then pray for her. It's pretty obvious that she is not a believer, and it is when I get to know people like this that I become more passionate about what we are going to do in France... plant an exciting relevant lifegiving church. It makes me sad that I can not go out to Utah or Idaho and plant one of these churches. I think it would reach someone like this.

Because of her Sept. 7 blog, my heart is sad this evening for a family that has to continue life without their mother. I know there are situations like this all over the world... which always brings me back to the children all over the world that survive with no parents and no food, children sold as sex slaves, abused kids, broken families, neglected kids, ... but aren't we all just grown up kids... and don't we all just need Jesus. I wish I could save the world... but I can't. Jesus already did all that he could do, now it is up to us... and what are we willing to give up for the world to know Christ?

I haven't mentioned children's cup (ChildrensCup.org) in a few blogs and would like to bring some light to it. It is the 26th day of praying for the children of Africa and the ministries working with them; especially those children with aids who are typically orphaned and don't have enough food. It is so easy to live on this side of the world and forget of the suffereing so many children and adults live on a daily basis. We just have no idea. I often read about the suffering of people in third world countries or watch a special on T.V. and just cry and cry, but what have I done about it? I can turn my computer off, or T.V. off, or close my magazine and forget about it 15 seconds later as I deal with the "cares" of my own life which is usually something like dealing with my children who are fighting over the 1 millionth toy that they own.

Am I really broken about what I see, or do I just not want to have to see it? We as Americans have this incredible ability to live life in a vaccume. If I just don't want to be reminded of these tragedies that go on, I just say a short prayer, cry a few tears, and turn my T.V. off. But if I really care, why don't I give to someone God has called to go, or give to an organization that provides food for these people? And then as the Bible says, "where you treasure is there your heart will be also." Therefore, because I give I will be reminded to pray for the people and organizations who help them.

We all need to put ourselves in the position of these children we see on T.V. or read about. First of all I can't imagine being an orphan; not feeling the love of a parent who feeds and cares for and protects you. Have you ever had just a bowlful of oatmeal a day for a few days, and then imagine that for months and years; or eating leaves off of trees and drinking muddy water because that's all there is? Have you ever heard a baby cry because they are hungry, and then imagine that cry until they cannot cry anymore because they are dying. I was reminded of this when I breastfed my last three children and did not produce enough milk for them most of the time; especially if I was out and did not have a backup milk supply. It was very frustrating to feel helpless to provide for my child and I thought of mothers in places like Africa, and cried for them imagining how helpless they felt in not being able to feed their children.

Just imagine... and then do something!! There are so many good organizations out there ministering both physically and spiritually to these people. Find one today! Don't let another minute go by where we ignore what we cannot see. If that were you or your child wouldn't you want someone to help?

The most hillarious blog I have ever read! beauty school drop out
I hope to find more. I came across a blog site yesterday called blogHer. It's basically a blog site for normal average women... and lots of moms!! So far I absolutely love it.

As I am just learning this blogging world, I am still not sure how to navigate through this web of information, put links on my blog site, and sometimes can't find a site I found when I want to go back to it. I pretty much have to ask my husband to do everything. So I hope to get better at this and link you to some of these great sites. In the meantime bear with me :-) and I hope you will keep reading.

I ran 10 miles today with a double baby jogger. At church tonight I cried as we sang praise songs realizing what God has given me.

Now I know most of you say, "yeah, I'd be crying too if I ran 10 miles..." But if you knew me you'd know ...it's just a part of me to run.... And the older I get the more I love it and appreciate every step I am able to take.

I say that because my body has been riddled with pain over the past 15 years. To begin with I struggled for years after college with plantar faccii which can cause severe pain at the front of the heel where the muscle and ligaments attache. God lead me to a Christian chiropractor that adjusted my feet which took all the pain away where I have never had any trouble with that since.

I also struggle with a type of degenerative disease called ankylosing splonditis (A type of arthritis) that I now control totally by my diet (which doctors don't like to beleive). I have to eat extremely healthy (organic, not much meat) and have to absolutely stay away from nighshade vegatables (green peppers, eggplant,...), potatoes, and yeast breads. Now if you think about it, that is pretty much the American diet. I lived off bagels and potatoes during college and my 20's. Anyway after my fourth child and alot of heel pain (which the doctors also can't diagnose - which I think is caused by fallen arches due to pregnancy), I praise God for every step I take.

I was planning to run 7 easy miles today around our country block since I was going to have to take two of my kids in the baby jogger... and when I was coming to the normal turnoff to our house, I felt God tugging at me to go straight at the crossroads. I thought, "that is crazy, I had just ran 8 miles the day before with the baby jogger and today was suppose to be an easy day." But I kept feeling like I was suppose to go this way, so I did... and not only did I get the awesome feeling of completing a 10 mile run at a good pace pushing an extra 75 lbs., but we passed a group of about 9 covered wagons, which as a beginning homeschool mom, is a very exciting visual lesson of what people rode in before we had cars. My kids loved it and so did I. I even called my husband on my cell phone (I take one for emergencies like flat tires, heat exhaustion, tired :-) and asked him to bring our oldest child which is my newest homeschool "guinei pig", since he is such a visual learner and would never forget the lesson.

So I sit back even in more awe of God and how much He cares about my dreams (running in the Olympics) and my joys (homeschooling)... even if they often sound a little crazy to everyone else. The Bible says, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." I am a living testimony of that... and I even get to go to France to be a missionary. I am speechless.

As I have sat here many days trying to conjure up something profound to write I decided to read some of the blogs my husband reads. I am not sure how to make links from my blog yet (I am a little computer illiterate...my husband keeps me in the 21st century), but when I do, I will put some of these links on my blog page. The blog I read this morning was evotional.com by Mark Patterson of National Community Church in Washington, DC.

We fell in love with him when we saw a spoof on his websight on "Riverdance". It was great, especially since Ken & I had just seen Riverdance for the first time. Since then we have met him and visited his church which meets in 3 locations in DC; two theatres and a coffee house. We became more and more interested in his ministry seeing that this may be how we find places in France to meet in large groups and to reach people where they are at. It's an amazing concept.

Anyway, that is not the reason I am blogging about him. If you read his most recent blog he talks about being in Gelapagos. I am not even sure where that is, so I am going to have to look it up... but he says it feels like he is at the end of the earth. It is also a place that has no church and no access to the gospel.

It really got me thinking since I have a heart for this type of people, but I find myself going to France... who God has now given me the same type of burden. These people have access to the Gospel, but they don't see that it has any relevance whatsoever to their life.

For example let's say there is a college in my town that has a class on Mideival History. Why in the world would I want to take the class and learn about it? I hate history, or I should say never did well in history in school. Now if there began a "buzz" in the marketplace about this class and how fun it was and how the information was changing their lives, it would make me want to go check it out.

So my question is who are the unreached? Just because Christianity is in their history, and it is not illegal to sell Bibles in their country... if you cannot get them to look at it, are they not just as unreached as those in Muslim countries? It's all about relevance. If we don't present the Gospel in a relevant way in Europe, as well as Asia and the Middle East and other similar areas, are we not sending a generation of Europe to hell saying you have access to Scripture so you're on your own?

That is why I am so excited that God has chosen me to go to France. In this I see his love for these people and His desire to reach anyone who will respond to him whether they have access or not.

Today is my birthday and just wanted to introduce you to my son Levi. Levi is an amazing kid. He is only 5 and yet he has the ability to see what is important to people and respond to them at just the right time. He is very considerate and polite and never wants to see someone hurting. He also has this incredible mind that reads people very well. I had to laugh today when he(knowing that you put your favorite thing on your birthday cake) said, "mommy we need to put the Olympics or Fox News on your birthday cake.

I guess when you watch the Olympics literally 24 hours a day for 2 weeks it leaves an impression on your children. We even have a DVR so you can record everything, pause it anytime, and never miss an event. We were two days behind most of the time... but I didn't miss anything. My children would get where if I had to leave the room for anything they would pause the TV for me.

Of course maybe it's because even at 39 I still have this crazy dream of making an Olympic Team and when their mom gets up at 6 in the morning to run, or when they are strapped in a baby jogger at 2 in the afternoon with 100 degree heat index maybe they pick up on Mom's crazy psychosis.

And well Fox News... what can I say...I'm a junkie. So there you have it. That is who I am in a nut shell. Isn't it nice to know someone in your family really gets you, even if it isn't your husband. :-)

Today starts the first day of prayer for Children's Cup! What is Children's Cup you ask? Well, I will try to share a little, but you can find out much more about it at childrenscup.org.




My husband heard about this ministry from a guy named Dan Olerking who has a heart that is hard to describe for the children of Africa that experience all the things we only see through our television sets. I have often sat and cried when I watched the specials on TV about starving children in other parts of the world many without parents or shelter, and wondered what I could do. This ministry let's people like us make a difference in the lives of children when God has not called us to go.

Children's Cup's purpose is to take humanitarian and spiritual aid into the hard places where war, natural disasters and disease epidemics have devastated societies.These children in hard places know horrors our children have never heard of. Food, shelter, medicine and education are not enough to heal their emotions. Most have been sexually abused, beaten and some have even been forced to murder and maim as child warriors.They need hope. Hope's name is Jesus!
Their work currently focuses heavily on Swaziland, but efforts continue in Zimbabwe and Vietnam. In the "What We Do" section of this website, you can learn about what we do in these countries.

I hope you will join me in praying, because if you have read any of my other blogs I am continually reminded that God cares about even the smallest of needs, how much more would he care about the hurting children of Africa and answer our prayers in a powerful way.