MAC is back!!....and Pictures of our Spring Break!

Honey Bear relaxing with Opa while he catches up on some media time.  She first thought we were nuts for coming out to this place with all the leaves and dirt.  It didn't take long before she embraced it and truly kicked back and relaxed!

Preacher Man trying to show Cutie Pie and Sweet Pea how to cast their new fishing rods.

Cutie Pie was really getting the hang of it.  She loved trying to fish.  We didn't catch anything but it was still a lot of fun.

Sweet Pea trying very hard to cast.  I think this was just right after she got it caught in the tree.  She kinda took a "rest" from practicing.

I couldn't help but take a picture of this fire.  I loved sitting by the fire talking for hours.  The girls went to bed really early because there wasn't anything else to do.  They loved the tent more than anything else.  It was 'three rooms' after all.

This was at 8:30 pm.  They were all so out that it didn't bother them one bit when I took this.  To the left was a queen air bed and to the right was an elevated queen air bed.  Everyone was comfy and cozy.

Some of the ingredients for breakfast: egg omelets and bacon.  Yum!

Cutie Pie doesn't normally play in the dirt but when we were camping she didn't shy away from it at all.  They were totally covered in dirt by lunch time.

Oma and Opa taking a time out to hold Honey Bear while she napped.  When Oma got tired, Opa would take over holding our big girl.  Soon she won't want to be held because she will be so busy playing with her sisters.

"Do we really have to leave?!" Preacher Man truly was able to relax and take it easy for a few days.  I was so glad that he was able to have a good vacation.

We stopped off at Mineola, TX to take a picture at the AM Track station.  This was on the way to breakfast and everyone was kinda hungry.  I love these moments with Opa and Oma! We have to make the most of the little time together.

Love this picture of the girls being silly.  Anytime we see these little posters.  They really feel the need to stop and take a picture.  I totally indulge them too because they are hard to get in a picture together these days.  We are usually doing anything wild and crazy to keep their attention for some pictures.

Today, I heard that one of the dear older men of my childhood church passed away.  This man was one of those men who took time to invest in anyone and everyone he came in contact with.  Mr. Boney had severe arthritis but would take that pain and put it to the side to show the kids of the church just how young he was.  I will never forget the first time I saw him go for a short jog along the back of the church.  Everyone watched in amazement.  Afterward you could see him move a little slower to the car, but it baffled the young kids how this man with a cane could jog passed them.  As the years passed you could see him having a harder time getting up and down for praise and worship time.  He would stand and raise his hand in worship to his King.  Mrs. Boney was a woman that poured into my life too.  Preacher Man and I were newly married and only a few months into my first pregnancy.  I had a chance to sit next to her during a wedding reception.  I saw her during the wedding praying without ceasing for the young couple at the alter.  She asked when we were going to start a family.  She started to talk about how when they started a family they didn't have anything to their name.  She had two little babies and they put pillows into the drawers of their dresser until they wouldn't fit anymore and she would hang their cloth diapers and sterilize the glass bottles.  She told me that you may never feel fully prepared for little ones, but they don't know any different.  They only know your love and attention.  We lost Isaiah days after that.  And after that she just prayed over me.  I have no doubt that Mr. Boney is now moving and jogging with ease.  I pray that Mrs. Boney's grief can be eased over the time she has here until she can join her Savior.  The time they spent with Preacher Man and I was very short, but the impact they left on our lives is eternal.  I am so thankful for the people who poor in to future generations and lead them to the cross.  Let me take time to say, (if you read this blog...which is pretty limited) thank you! Thank you for the time you take to pour into people's lives and souls to show them God's love.  Thank you for the prayers that you say for the lost and hurting.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 3:12-14

What's Going On?!!

April has been a very busy month....wait, 2011 has been a busy year.  This year is moving at light speed to me.  It might have something to do with having three girls, one of whom is in school now, keeping up with all the little extras that most everyone has creep into their life.  We have sent our newest addition (our new Mac) to be worked on over the next couple of weeks.  I hope to get my SD card out of the CD slot!!!  In the midst of waiting for the triumphant return of those two things, Preacher Man and I have made it through one revival week where he was gone and now he has been asked to do another for today and yesterday.  Thankfully this revival is in a town a little closer than the last.  The week of the 11th, I was franticly pulling together Sweet Pea's birthday extravaganza!!  Her birthday is on the 17th, her Opa and Oma were coming on Friday morning, Saturday afternoon was the party and Sunday was the actual day.  When things fall like that is seems like a birthday extravaganza.  I will be posting pics when I get the chance. (no SD card slot on ole faithful here and I can't find the USB cord. :) Bare with me, I am a little scattered at the moment.)

Sweet Pea and I have had a relationship like that of teacher and student.  Sometimes those roles have switched to her favor.  She is uniquely different from her older sister.  Cutie Pie is more reserved, more serious and methodical.  Sweet Pea is more never-meet-a-stranger (gets that from her Opa), always ready to make you laugh (even when she should be in the deepest of trouble), and VERY implusive.  None of these are bad, but just different from my first child rearing experience.  I will never forget the first time I took her to youth camp at four months old.  She was sleeping through the services for the most part, but one night she woke up and the chapel area wasn't very big.  I didn't want to leave and not hear the rest of the message.  Sweet Pea was not having this!  She started screaming.  When Cutie Pie would start that I would sing Jesus loves me and it would calm her down.  So I start to sing this sweet lullaby to her and she just looks straight into my eyes and screams louder.  I tried holding her still in a effort to get her to sleep she wiggled and squirmed more and more for 30 minutes this went on.  It felt like almost 3 hours!!! It did end, but I did notice other times that she would push her limits and boundaries.  She has been much more of challenge to raise only because I am a people pleaser for the most part.  There are times that I get fed up with a situation in my life and I have to check my poor attitude with God.  Well, Sweet Pea has matured so much in the last few months.  She was lying to me so much in the last year that it was beginning to worry me.  But in the last few weeks she has started to work at telling the truth because I see in her eyes the effort to look at me and tell me the truth.  She has also potty trained.  I still sit sometimes in amazement.  To give you an idea of how funny she can be, Sweet Pea looked at me when she was almost three and said, "when I am four I will go potty."  What?!!  I mean Preacher Man and I tried everything! She many times would go sit on the potty and then within minutes of getting up...she would use her pull up and laugh and giggle about it.  Oh it was a struggle!  As we got closer to her birthday, she started to tell everyone that, "when I am 5 I will go potty."  NOO!!  We had just gotten back from our vacation on Spring Break and she was supposed to go potty when we got home and she looked at me and sang, "I pooped in my pants".  That was the last pull up she EVER wore!  It could have been a terrible idea, but I was more determined than she was at that point.  I haven't been able to enjoy one in diapers in a few years.  Anyway, Sweet Pea has also developed this deep empathy and thoughtfulness that has just astounded me.  No mater how 'strong' willed she may seem.  She is the first one to be truly concerned about an hurt foot or a sad face or someone being left out.

Another thing that I am looking forward to is our Good Friday service.  Preacher Man and I loved our church where we got married because they had a Good Friday service.  I have missed it.  Many churches now don't do them.  It does cause me to interrupt what is going on in my life to get my mind quiet and remembering what that day represents.  My savior died and that Sunday is coming!  He rose again and is sitting by God's right hand!!  Also, Preacher Man turns 36 on Good Friday!!!  It is a 'good' friday.  I had to sneak that in....ok, if I haven't already lost you because of my cheesy joke.  I can't say enough about Preacher Man and all that he does to help me.  I do give him a hard time, but he works so hard to provide for us and then he comes home to help with the girls without complaining (most days).  I do need to recognize how blessed I am to have him in my life.  At least once a year, I try to call Preacher Man's mom and thank her for raising him and trying her best to have him be a gentleman.  I also thank his dad. This year unlike others, I have asked him what he wants for his birthday.  I didn't get a straight answer.  So what is a Blue Jean Queen to do?!  I hope that he enjoys whatever we decide to do.  Well, I wanted to share that is what's going on in our ministry life.  What's going on in your life?

Youth Lab 2011

Just take in this picture.  I have always loved older buildings.  This one is no different.  There is something very cool about this place.  It is a very interesting place, but it is also a seminary.  That's right, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.  Brian spent so many hours here when we lived and worked at a children's home.  The couple of days we had off I would go with him and spend lots of time in the library.  I loved roaming the aisles and knowing all the knowledge and wisdom that has been put on those shelves.  We didn't go here just to visit Brian almamater.  We went to Youth Lab: Release for youth ministers and older youth that have potential to lead in the group.  

For years now, we have taken our girls to see my parents while we are there.  Friday, we met up with my dad and handed the girls off to grandparents.  Yahoo! We did miss them, but to have a time for them to enjoy grandparents and us to get spiritually fed.  It is usually an amazing weekend.  The first worship time was around 6 pm.  The worship was really good and I was just praying that God would show me things that I need to improve in our relationship.  When the speaker started, I thought that he was pretty good.  He wanted to talk about adoption.  God keeps bringing this thought to me.  Brian has been burdened for the orphans of the world.  Our speaker went from adopting one Ukrainian baby to adopting 4 older children ranging in ages 8 to 14 years old and later adopted another Ethiopian boy.  For the last year and a half his wife and he have been working very diligently to show them God and His love for them.  They have many issues that they are working through slowly.  He spoke honestly that things can be difficult but on the other side of that is the joy and happiness that they share.  This is true of any parents-child relationship: biological or adopted.  God was speaking to me.

Our first breakout session, I chose to go to a girl ministry session because the youth minister's wife sessions didn't start till the next day.  In this session, I listened as I was challenged to reach deeper and farther into my walk with God to spur on the youth girls.  I can honestly say that lately it has been difficult to not be discouraged.  I have tried to reach out to some of the youth and I get shut down very quickly.  I remember being that age and so much is going on that you get wrapped up in the here and now.  She talked about discipleship and mentoring, the differences, and how to set them up.  I realized that I did have a group that did discipleship just like she had "modeled" with her girls.  I failed in that I didn't urge my group to "pay it forward" and disciple others that are younger.  I let it just fizzle.  I didn't keep after them no matter how long it took.  I have let this time go and now they are preparing for college.  I don't doubt that they have continued to read and strive after God, but not carrying that forward to others is not ideal.  Anyway, her next session was about cultural trends.  Uh, WOW! That is literally all I could think.  I really just wanted to grab some girls and tell them how precious they are to God and to me.  There has always been sin and there is nothing new under the sun when it comes to sin.  I just get blown away at some of the things that are pretty much shoved down our youths' throats.  She talked about choosing holiness opposed to choosing to do-the-right-thing.  I have fallen into that mentality before.  God is the one who does the changing, not us.

The next day, we had worship and our speaker talked about holiness.  Ok, Lord, I am listening and I want to truly take what you are plainly telling me and apply it to my heart.  The morning session was really great.  She talked about Psalm 127 and in the afternoon sessions she spoke on how to resolve conflict or difficulty in the church.  I hate to admit it, but that was one of the main reasons I went to this track.  There is conflict everywhere, but sometimes in church life everyone needs to stop and put themselves in someone else's shoes.  This was very interesting sessions because we were taught about different temperaments.  We were all born with a certain temperament and our character is what we have been taught.  I have a more 'melancholy' temperament.  I am very sensative to other peoples needs or thoughts, a huge perfectionist (having kids has caused this to be less and less), analyze things way too much.  I do think that my parents worked hard with me to not take things too personally and it is still something that I struggle with.  If you look in the bible, you can tell that Jesus dealt with all kinds of different people and he could speak to each one in their "love language."  In dealing with church conflict, it can be very hard to know if you are resolving it and still showing God's love (even when our humanity says, "you're wrong and I don't care ________.).

My next post I will share some funny things that happened in the past few months.  Cutie Pie and Sweet Pea have been very entertaining lately.  I hope you all have a great week!