God is in CONTROL

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Celebrate!!!!

These two guys have been working towards this dream for a long time.




You both embody the Spirit of Welcome!!! 


My favorite parts of the day??? --
seeing old friends --Amy coming from Katy, TX, Tracie flying in from North Carolina
and Leanna coming from Columbia, MO --and my cousin Mauri and his wife who helped us start LifePark --

      -- watching the kids  play and have such a great time--

                      ---sharing this time of serving with these special folks we love so much ---
         
    ------ Everybody working so very hard for so many months -- 
I'm still grinning about watching Joel spray down all the kids with the water hose -- I really think that was the biggest attraction of the whole day in that 85 degree weather.


There were prayers of dedication and special words from the mayor and his wife encouraging the neighbors who visited to know that they could receive hope and help from this Church family.

Somebody had a great time!!!!


We would pick an 85 degree day to ask you to dress up in those hot suits!!!



Joel kept the kids wet for an hour -- what a cool way to meet our neighbors!!!



Butchers Nacho Stand -- You two are awesome!!!

Phillip is always serving!!1

Mitzi makes you beautiful!!!




"Stay Dusty" closed out the day's celebration -- Roman loves watching Dad and Singing along!





What a wonderful surprise - -Thanks Church Family for the Getaway!!!


Thanks Michael for bringing all your critters!!!
You can always find Donna with the babies!


 
I want to give a special thanks to some people who kept the food coming and made the day run smoothly --

SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Jamie and Teri --
Michelle, Cody, Kayla and Aaron

Our two furry friends
April who kept the food comin'     



And Lora who ran the many kid activities and was takin' all the pics
so we don't have one of her!



Cecil -- thanks for keeping the electricity on -- getting the stands up -- and putting it all back together
and all the behinds scenes stuff you do all the time!


Has anybody seen Cecil???

Friday, March 30, 2012

Celebration Week - Friday

Terry and I were working on a time-line for Teri last night (You all will love the powerpoint she has put together) – Looking back at all the various happenings in the past 12 ½ years was certainly a revealer of all our Father has done in this time.  We have had a wonderful past and a glorious future awaits us!!!!

Tomorrow and Sunday are going to be one of those events in the history of our church family

The words “day of preparation” have been in my mind these past 24 hours – so I did a search and saw that it was mentioned in each gospel as the day Jesus was crucified –.  I have been seeing this week as a preparation time. 

It was also time to ready themselves for the Sabbath –to honor and give glory to God.  The Israelites had their special yearly festivals and every now and then had a Jubilee!!!   
Josh7 – They were told to consecrate themselves in preparation for tomorrow ( a special event that God was going to perform)


Let’s think of today as a day of preparation – let’s ask for those wonderful memories of all HE’s done in our lives – let’s reconcile relationships and ask for HIS love to flow through us.  Let’s spend time in prayer.


.  I think one of your greatest joys this weekend will be watching the kids play on our property.  It was for me on Sunday as we worked another clean-up day –watching  the Jenkins and Rays kids playing and helping all afternoon in HIS beautiful park –

 I’m including a picture of last night’s Kids’ Univ. beginning their garden – they had a blast in this park!!! 

My mind has gone back to several verses this week that guided and sustained us during this 12 year journey . . .



Deut 7:7  The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. (THAT SOUNDS LIKE US)
8  But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
9       Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands. (THAT’S ALL THOSE THAT WE ARE PREPARING THIS PLACE FOR)

AND . . . .

Deut 10:17  For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.
18  He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.
19  And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt.
20  Fear the LORD your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name.
21  He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.


Can’t wait for us to celebrate together all weekend!

Love you,
Jan & Terry


Thursday, March 29, 2012

Celebration Week - Thursday


We shared some memories yesterday from past years of this Spiritual Journey we’ve been on with God these 12 ½ years . . .

This was a favorite verse that strengthened us along the way –

  BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE STRENGTH IS IN YOU WHO HAVE SET THEIR HEARTS ON PILGRIMAGE.  Psa. 84:5
And this one always comes to my mind and spirit when the schedule is packed with lots of last-minute details to prepare for

"He is before all things, and in him all things hold together," (Colossians 1:17 NIV).

It’s going to be a wonderful Celebration weekend – it’s Palm Sunday and in preparation for Resurrection Sunday – Reflect on HIM before Saturday and read about all he did and taught his last week on earth. HIS was a packed week just like we’ve experienced.

Let’s remember why we are part of a Church Body in the first place – to be HIS hands and feet and mouth to a dying world. . . to be HIS hands and feet and mouth to West Tulsa -- This weekend we get a chance to do that.

Love you so,
Jan & Terry

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Celebration Week - Wednesday

While we were still at our South Tulsa Campus – we trekked along with the Israelites on what we termed “Alltogether” Family Nights – we compared our journey to this place with those of God’s People in Egypt.  We watched them as they traveled and learned from their lives --  We had pivotal lessons that we saw as parallel to the times we were in as a Church Family.  We “floated boats on the Nile”  “endured the plagues”  “had a contest to create burning bushes”– “tried to get water from the rock” –“tasted something like manna” -- celebrated a Passover Meal and built shelters as we celebrated the Feast of the Tabernacles together.    
These were verses we committed during those Exodus Lessons

  Lord YOU have been our dwelling place throughout all generations –Psalm 90:1


  I have been with you wherever you have gone.  I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed.  1 Chron 17 :9

  I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary  among them forever.  My dwelling place will be with them;  I will be their God and they will be my people. Ezek. 37:26

We praise God for the journey of Life we have traveled up to this point – Lord, we are so blessed to come to this point – we are so very blessed to be Family together.  Thank you for all the sacrifices each and everyone has made.  Thank you Father that we are a FOREVER FAMILY.
Jan & Terry

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Celebration Week - Tuesday

This week -- Terry and I are calling Celebration Week and yesterday morning
shared the verse below from Deut. 8

The Israelites had so many Celebrations and feast days -- it was always
important that they prepare themselves right before their festival for what
the Lord was going to do   Guard your heart -- protect your relationships
and above ALL celebrate our God all week long as we get ready!!  We've
prayed for your health and the health of your families!!!  We're praying
for many to come.

These verses I think speak to what we have witnessed and what we will
experience --

Deut 8

 Observe the commands of the LORD your God, walking in obedience to him and
revering him. 7 For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land—a
land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys
and hills; 8 a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees,
pomegranates, olive oil and honey; 9 a land where bread will not be scarce
and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.

We are where we are because of HIS mighty works and the help of all those
who've partnered with us through the years to bring us to this place!

Thus far the LORD has helped (led) us!!!  and He called the Place Ebenezer.  1 Sam 7:12

We love you all so very much and are blessed to partner with you!
Jan& Terry


Friday, March 23, 2012

Weekly Favorite - Campbell's Telling her Babies What to Do. . .


C told her baby  "SAY CHEESE, BABY" before this photo shoot!


She's also been heard saying   "PRAY, FROGGIE!" to one of her bedtime buddies.  

BTW, she's teaching this baby bedtime prayers.



Colorado High Country

We hadn't been to Denver in over a year and so we wanted to have some time with Marshall - since his research schedule is more flexible right now.  We headed out on Friday afternoon, spent the night in Salina, KS and got to Denver about 4 on Saturday afternoon.



A lunch stop at Wendy's in Goodland KS was a special "God-moment" as the guy ahead of me in line ordered 14 Frosties for a bunch of college kids he didn't even know.
Before they left, they circled up with the man and his wife -- the place got quiet, they prayed -- I cried.
We had a little hitchhiker with us 
on the trip --We're doggie-sitting Bethany and Mat's two dogs while their house is on the market and their  little dog Dirvey (a special needs dog) couldn't stay behind with the other three dogs -- so we packed her up and put her in the back seat -- she was a trooper and soaked up all the TLC she got from Terry





Marshall planned a trip to Colorado Springs on Sunday and we were able to take in a lot of the sights that were important to Terry when he lived there as a kid.



It was fun being with my two guys and we caught up on Marsh's newest ventures in research and were able to see his lab and the high tech equipment he uses to operate and analyze his data.




On Monday T & I found some community gardens to research for Kids' University Garden this summer.
 















While Marsh worked, Terry and I were able to make two side trips -- Golden on Tuesday and 
Evergreen  on Wednesday.
Stream running right through center of town



Golden CO
Lunch out at Lupitas - M's favorite Mexican breakfast hang-out by the hospital --


Hiwan Homestead - 17 room log cabin from the early 1900's

Marshall worked a long night in ICU night -- came home yesterday morning exhausted we said our goodbyes and hit the road for Tulsa --after 11 hours --  home never looked so good.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Energized

 Maybe it was the way that she went nonstop until she dropped last  weekend or perhaps it was the sound of her little feet running down the hallway upstairs -- to see Papa -- or the fact that the whole weekend for her was an EXPLORATION -- (yes she does seem more and more like Dora the Explorer) -- but Papa and I found ourselves grinning and giggling all weekend with each new adventure.  It's like what happens when you plug in your cell phone when the battery is almost dead and all of a sudden the charging light keeps getting closer and closer to 100%

She spent the longest time playing in the fountain in our garden room

If I only had half Campbell's energy. . . (of course wouldn't that be weird -- a nana running 90 mph)
              She's growing up so quickly  -- what a miracle to watch her play --
                       She has such a curious nature and her days are summed in her songs she sings to herself and to her little critters.


Campbell mimics everything she sees and likes to repeat what she hears -

I found a lot of her songs includes "Papa" in them somewhere!"


Her biggest accomplishment was learning to use the doggie door and found if you back out of it you can quietly get yourself into the wide open spaces of the backyard -without the adults dogging your every step!

What a fun weekend,
We were pumped! 
We were ENERGIZED!

Tony

My cousin, Tony Neese went home to his Jesus 
this past Tues. night.  

He was lovingly cared for by his parents and brothers, and they would tell you they were blessed to have Tony in their lives.  His big brothers were home to help their mother care for him in his last weeks.

His sweet Dad in the latter stages of Alzheimers was given the news on Wed.

I've thought about his life a lot this week -- 
He never realized all the goals that some count as success -- 
He never married and had a family -- 
'never traveled, except for the rides in the pick-up truck with his Dad back and forth to his group home -- He had a favorite spot he would anticipate on the trip where he would stop to get a doughnut. 

His family sacrificed to help him achieve the most he could developmentally -- so that he could live independently. Aunt Neta became his advocate as she navigated the myriad
of agencies to help those who are disabled. 

Tony never wrote a book or started a company or learned how to surf the web -- but he was someone that was loved by his family. 

Despite numerous challenges and being unable to speak - there were certain things he let others know he wanted and liked-- 
He was very attentive to his Aunt Vera who struggled with muscular dystrophy --  
and he loved going to Church.

 He made friends -- caregivers loved him -- 

He impacted all our lives --
 
Jesus spoke about him when he said,
"Except you become like a little child . . . you can't enter the Kingdom of Heaven".  
As they celebrate his life today at his memorial -- A former special education teacher now minister will speak -- My Aunt Neta tells me that he's going to read this poem:

A meeting was held quite far from Earth,
“It’s time again for another birth,”
Said the angels to the Lord above,
“This child will need much love.”
“Her progress may seem very slow,
Accomplishments she may not show.
And she’ll require extra care,
From folks she meets way down there.
She may not run or laugh or play,
Her thoughts may seem quite far away.
In many ways she won’t adapt,
And she’ll be known as handicapped.
So let’s be careful where she’s sent,
We want her life to be content.
Please, Lord, find the parents who
will do a special job for you.
They will not realize right away,
The leading role they’re asked to play.
But with this child sent from above,
Come stronger faith and richer love.
And soon they’ll know the privilege given
In caring for this gift from Heaven.
Their precious charge, so meek and mild,
Is Heaven’s very special child.”


He's in his new spirit body --
 he doesn't have those limitations any longer -- 
 He's free --He's home

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