God is in CONTROL

Wednesday, December 26, 2012


My favorite definition of love by children is one that I have used in my high school relationship units for years.  A little girl said :"love is what's in the room at Christmas -- you have to just be quiet and listen".  We had a wonderful holiday and though it was just a few days -- we packed in a lot of loving and laughing.
Campbell loved having both sets of grandparents and her Uncle Marshall and Aunt Katie in the same room. She was in high gear the whole time- telling Marshall that Aunt Katie was her favorite.

Sydney in her Christmas jammies wasn't too sure what was going on
Christmas Eve reading "Twas the Night. . . "with Mommy and Daddy


 In keeping with family tradition, Bethany and her daddy made their chocolate pecan pie together.
Campbell got to join in for her first time while Grammy supervised.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

I can't bear the stories of the children at Sandy Hook -- I can't even look at their pictures -- In no way can I imagine what it is to know that your child faced such a horrible massacre and then have to wait hours to identify their tiny bodies. 
As this week that tiny town holds one funeral after another, pray for the mommies and daddies and sisters and brothers and grandparents and aunts and uncles. Please Lord, as you are holding these precious babies in your arms - help their mommies and daddies make it through the next long days and weeks and years.
Comfort  them as only you, the God of all Compassion, can. May they be blessed by a strong community of faith. 

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Sunday as usual . . . we were standing with Campbell during Praise and Worship -- she loves to be up close --to us --and the music -- There she was looking all cutsie --in her cowboy boots and leggins swaying and "dancing" to the music.  She loves coins instead of paper to give to Jesus and I had tucked a few in a little zipper pouch -- I gave them to her as she joined us and she promptly scattered them on the floor.  Closer to communion and time for our giving - I told her to pick them up so she could give them to Jesus -- You can always tell when C is thinking something through -- She'd been living the story of His birth all week -- this seemed like a pretty good option to give him a gift --but -- she didn't see Him anywhere.  She looked up puzzled and asked "Where IS Jesus?" 
My Nana theological response was -- in Heaven with God-- and in your Heart-- how much more confusing could I make it????  
Of course her next question was "Where's GOD?" -- "Is He with Mary?"  

She's got all the principals in the birth story -- she didn't ask about Joseph whom for some reason she calls "Baby Jaguar".  
As her thoughts develop into stories, Papa and I are fascinated with the way her mind is developing . 
She always asks the most insightful questions  . . . She gets us back to what is really important and involves us in her creative world of play.
..
"Except you become as a little child"----

Saturday, December 8, 2012

The house is ready -- our KU Intern party was lots of fun -- enjoying reading everyone's Christmas letters that come in the mail.
Can't wait to love on our Colorado kids --and celebrate this special time together.  --

Oh LORD, you are so good!

Friday, December 7, 2012

Catching UP!

PRAISE!!!  -- Sydney Kate will be 7 weeks old Tuesday -- Thank you Jesus for our healthy, happy girls!


 It's been a busy six weeks of loving on little girls ---these are my favorite pics from Sydney's birth, newborn shots by Carissa, Thanksgiving and some of our "firsts" with Sydney








Sydney's first trip to Church
Wake up Mommy -- it's time to play!

We love our Nanna Pappa time on the weekends!

Christmas Card Photo shoot - Thanksgiving Day!

Thanksgiving Day at the Pond with Papa

Cooking T'Giving together is a sweet tradition!



Saturday, December 1, 2012

Looking for Jesus




We have a nativity set that was given to us when we were on a trip to Israel in 1998 – it is hand-carved and made of olive wood – very special to us indeed – 

This set is a favorite with all the little ones who come to visit and I even use it teaching Sunday school classes.  Kids who visit always love taking Baby Jesus out of the manger –

Campbell Hope dearly loves this nativity set and  Baby Jesus  is her favorite piece.  Every time she comes over she takes  him for “walks around the house” and so we find Jesus everywhere.  After she leaves,I get a little obsessed about looking for Him – because what’s a crèche without Jesus????

Last Sunday  morning Campbell and I were retelling the story before church services and she decided that he needed to meet the mommy and daddy sheep and their lambs – when I told her that Jesus was placed in the animal feeding trough – she wanted Him out and lined up all the animals so they could eat from their food bin since she was certain they were hungry.

Aren't we glad Jesus wasn't meant to stay in the manger?  

                     . . . and don't we find ourselves looking for Jesus in all our circumstances? 

This verse in my morning quiet time this week says it best . . .

So dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and are bound for Heaven, think about this -JESUS!
Heb.3:1




Monday, November 12, 2012




It has been a wonderful weekend of family, faith and fellowship.
No, it's not  fireworks~
Getting to celebrate Terry's birthday with Bethany and Mat was really special.  Terry had both grandgirls to help him celebrate.             


Party Hearty!!!
 
Checking in at registration  Sat.Nov. 3
We wished Marshall and Katie could have been here, too  - but he is cramming for one of the biggest set of Board Exams he's had yet after returning from Los Angeles where he was presenting his research as one of the five selected nominees for the Vivien Thomas Research Award.
  
We have been in the new Church building a year on Saturday – we celebrated with a Mexican fiesta and lots of testimonies.  A month ago we launched a capitol gifts campaign to raise adequate funds to complete the remainder of the building.  The church is in a poorer section of town – we have a lot of people  with distressed incomes, no incomes or living on social security.  We set three goals a faith goal--80K, a hope goal-100K  and a love goal -120 K.    In reality no way did we think we would accomplish any of those goals – by yesterday morning we had surpassed our faith goal!!!!
My thoughts went to all that had transpired to bring us to this place . . .  
This week a verse from a tough time in ministry resurfaced in my morning study time – “Those who sow in tears with reap with joy and shouting.  Psa. 126  Yes!!!  That was us on Saturday night -- reaping in JOY to lots of funny stories and good food.    I remembered the picture one of our gifted artists at church, Jimi Pryor, had given us years ago during another difficult season – she named it “Good Harvest”.  

I love art with a meaning from people who are dear to us -- It took root in me and spoke to where we were at that time .... it put hope in my heart that the difficulties would pass and there would be a new season.   It did and now we're living it -- a Good- Harvest . . . 

the song, “For all that you’ve done, I will thank you –
For all that you’re going to do—
truly applies here.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Welcome to the family, Sydney Kate!



We've been waiting to meet you for a long time --we've all been praying for your safe arrival-- your big sis has been prepped for months about your coming--I think she really had no clue but we can already tell how very much in love with you she is!

We thank God for your safe arrival and Pappa and I look forward to watching you grow.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

MERCY


I have read this statement several times of late . . .

Grace is God giving us what we don't deserve
             Mercy is God NOT giving us what we DO deserve.

MERCY -- that's been my word of choice these past few days and I have researched it in Scriptures --
            
    I have decided that Grace is a term we sometimes feel is too big for us --- We say Grace - we are thankful for HIS grace in sending Jesus -- Soaking up HIS grace -- Knowing we're redeemed because HIS grace-- but what about the times when we feel we're not GOOD enough for it?  What about the times our failures and disappointments -- low self esteem --creep up on us and we feel we're not ALL that we need to be?  What about the times when we wonder if even God could love us since we haven't done more for HIM??? 

I believe the concept of MERCY is the word that breaks down everyone of those false barriers and draws us into relationship with HIM.   If GRACE is too big an idea -- then hang on to MERCY tight as you can.
If you feel your sins are too huge and no way could HE save you -- cling to his MERCY -- it opens the door to understanding GRACE.
Not accepting this idea of MERCY I believe is what keeps many who've left a relationship with Jesus from running back to HIM.

I grew up in the 50's in a denomination that was big on calling out sin and didn't teach much GRACE b/c of trying to keep us all out of Hell.  I would have to say that my "default" button has always been guilt.  I remember when I first came to embrace Grace my freshman year of college -- it was like a whole new dimension had opened up to me.

A few years later, I was in a group of young seminary student wives -- all having learned the concept of Grace in our late teens ---we were talking about those early years of coming to accept the idea of salvation and how we had doubted we could really be saved.  One young wife said, "I knew there was no way I would get to go to heaven -- so as a child growing up -- I used to take hotter and hotter baths to try to get accustomed to the heat."  We knew Jesus died for our sins -- but believed we still had to DO something about it. It's was like the offer that was just too good to be true or the Publisher's Clearinghouse win that was always for somebody far away.

It's the "buzz" word in the book of Psalms -- the psalmist always crying out for mercy --
The book of Micah says that God delights to show mercy. 

A newer translation of Lamentations 3 calls mercies - compassions -- I like that it shows HE understands us -- HE "gets" us.

It's early morning as I blog -- I know that once again today  HIS mercy is new -- it's fresh.   

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions (mercies) never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.


-- the overwhelming rush of renewal that mercy brings, we receive it each and EVERY day -- cleansing us -- making us new!

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Waiting for Sydney Kate


Napping with Momma waiting on Baby Sydney
  Well I have revised my sub plans three times -- thinking for certain Sydney would come the next day.  We're all living in the "now and not yet" as we wait for the phone call from Bethany and Mat that we're on Nana/Papa duty with Campbell -- We thought sure it would be last Sunday morning early -- then thought for sure it would be Thursday evening -- and now we're thinking her arrival COULD be this weekend.
Nursery sewing done, Campbell found it a great place to read


Teaching a pregnancy and childbirth unit in my Single Survival (life skills class) and showing two videos of tiny babies, hasn't helped the wait to be any shorter. It has just heightened my eagerness to meet Sydney.
 I do have to recommend one of those-- the DVD "The Happiest Baby on the Block".  It's "Campbell Hope Good-proven" to really work!

Truth is-- God alone knows -- The Word says HE knows all our days -- but we're getting pretty anxious to meet this precious little lady.
Campbell practices with her baby doll.  She nurtures all her toys with, "Are you OK?"  and coos over them, then follows up with "Baby- Get in the cage!" She's practicing big sister bossing.
Campbell even got on all fours beside her momma exercising this morning to speed up the process -- she's ready to be a big sis~ 

Bethany and C go for long walks once or twice a day -- I joined her today and after two miles I begged off -- (She had one more to go -I was FINISHED).

What a fun day we had sharing this sense of anticipation with our Good girls!

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

THREE BOOKS --

that have impacted me recently . ...


Crazy Love -- by Francis Chen -- started it on Spring Break -- It's a must read! (proabably more than once) 'Makes you want to truly live the focused -- single-minded -- devoted-to-Christ  life.'Got it from one of my Youth Alive Girls - Last year my YA kids couldn't say enough good about it.   

Miracle on Southwest Boulevard -- by Cindy Hamm (she spoke at our opening convocation for the school year) -- really helped me gain nsight into KU families and educational struggles our kids have to overcome.


Prisoner in the Third Cell  I love it because we were handed it from one of our teens, Charity.

             I never thought much about John the Baptist, except for the fact, from what I read, he seemed to be a sort of strange, maybe wild-looking man who ate weird stuff. Then,a few years ago in a Beth Moore Bible study she mentioned the book, "The Prisoner in the Third Cell"and put forth some interesting observations about John that gave a glimpse of what he might have been thinking sitting in that dank, probably moldy and rat-infested cell.

That verse in Luke 7 where Jesus says, "Blessed are those who are not offended because of me" -- often made me wonder what Jesus could possibly mean . . . "

I love the way the writer in this short Biblical novel -- deals with the issues of Jesus not meeting our expectations --not healing all our ills -- or handing over EVERYTHING we've asked of HIM.  so that HIS eternal purpose could be accomplished.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

"Except You Become as Little Children" . . .Pretty Sure That When We See Jesus, We'll Be Doing The Same

This has to be my favorite of the month! Watching Campbell this morning made me remember the verse . .. "Out of the mouths (and feet?) of infants HE has ordained praise."
It was one of those Sunday mornings that could go either way --I wanted this lesson to be something that would help kids see Jesus
in a more profound way.

 I felt I was "on to something" with my Sunday school lesson plan -- but it was one of those texts from John 7 & 8 that I thought to myself, "why did we write this one into our curriculum plan-- there wasn't a lot of ACTION that this age kids enjoy ?"  

I prayed about it on Saturday morning as I waited in the parking lot for Bethany and Campbell to join me for donuts and shopping. 

Those two chapters are filled with Jesus teaching and the people being clueless as to who HE really is -- duh --- the SON of God -- can't you people see?  But as I read over the text I decided to highlight all their questions -- and being the analytical type -- I thought I'd see if there was any real pattern to their line of questioning.  I cut out the questions for the kids --  put together a lesson plan Sat.night 

Sunday morning -- I told my "Super Kids" -- 4th and 5th graders to imagine that we were visited by a creature from another planet -- what kinds of questions would we ask of him (her)? The Jews questions were a lot like we'd ask today of someone who didn't seem to be one of us.

                          "Where'd you come from?"
           " How'd you get so smart -- you never went to college?"
"You're from a po-dunk place -- how could you be the son of God?"
                            "Who's your Daddy?
            "Are you paranoid -- you say people are trying to kill you?
 

I told them for every question Jesus always came back with the truth and told them it was what he heard from his Dad.
We read our key verse, "You shall know the truth and the TRUTH shall make you free" and followed it with a game of Truth or Dare which they loved.

I reminded them that we knew the whole story of Jesus -- that those folks back then didn't know the story line -- and said when OUR story unfolds in Heaven what questions do you want to ask Jesus?

This bunch of super kids gave such deep questions: 
            "How is it you always were?"
                       Did you have your power when you were a baby?
                                 Why don't people believe you?
                                           How did those people write the Bible? 

It was a Sunday morning that I knew was from God's mouth to their ears and I got to be there to watch it unfold -- 

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Catching Up --

It's been a MONTH - and I do want to post my fav's!

It's Saturday night and Campbell is still singing in her crib -- we've heard several stanzas of Twinkle and lots of chattering to her babies.
When she heard she got to come to our house for a slumber party she clapped her hands excitedly and asked if there was going to be cake! (I guess she figured all her parties have cake . . .) 






Dance Class-- didn't prove as exciting as her Dance Parties with Papa and Daddy.



 Every time we're with her and look into that precious little face and see the intensity of those bright eyes and beautiful little smile we remember what a miracle she is.




Katie and Jan came for girls' weekend on Labor Day -- C was thrilled and
 loved bridal gown shopping with Aunt Katie!!

A Whole Lot of Lovin' and Learnin'

Wrap-up session this past week


The kids found that KU without our TCC Interns is no fun at all!   Our kids LOOOOVE making new friends each semester with those who sign up to mentor, lead and teach our kids.  This semester we have 14 AWESOME INTERNS and we believe it's going to be our best session yet!!!  This past Thursday, it was one-to-one ratio of Kids/interns which meant for lots of positive interaction and growth.

Our theme for this session is 'OPERATION SMART START' as we approached the upcoming school year.
We have talked with them about getting a good night's sleep and starting their day with the right choices for breakfast.  We gave them ideas on how to study for a test and above all how to communicate respectfully and clearly with their family, friends and teachers.

They are now bringing their vocab words, homework and even try out speeches for Student Council elections to practice with our interns.  (GO -- Aunjane!!)   We have several education and child development majors that are helping our kids realize success.  Our motto:  Every KU kid should have a FANTASTIC FRIDAY after being with us on Thursday night!



They get to work out their wiggles with fun relay games that the guys coach.
Mikey making his own ice cream

Kale Chips turned out to be pretty tasty!

Terry says that back at TCC on Monday the interns share how much fun they are having with our KU kids.


Each week the kids earn KU "Bucks" by listening well and following instructions to apply t towards
 their KU T-shirt that they
helped design.

And of course -- there's always our Nutrition Lab!  Don't know who loves it more -- the kids or the interns














We remind them that we're about growing as Jesus grew -- in wisdom (academically) -- in stature (physically) in favor with God (Spiritually) and man (socially).  Luke 2:52

God is blessing--  As the Kids are growing -- so is this effort!


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