Other May Happenings...

...included our kids choir musical, "The Word Connection." I would post a video, but didn't make one because I planned on buying the DVD. And haven't yet. But here are some pictures!

Rebecca had a short solo and quoted John 3:16.

Mikayla was one of the final contestants in the "game show."

Jessica and her 2 friends were the Vanna Whites of the show.

Mike took a group of students to Haiti, and had an amazing time.

He got back just in time for the Magnolia Blossom Festival and World Championship Steak Cook-Off. We had pancakes at our church served by Jessica and her youth friends, then watched the parade with Paige, Chloe, and Talen. Later I worked our church's dippin' dot booth then had steaks with our friends the Grahams and Seabaughs.

Immediately after the Blossom Festival, our church held a "family revival" led by 2Talk42, a puppeting (?) team from around this area. The kids enjoyed it, and they even led our AWANA Awards Night!

We also got to babysit our precious neighbor...

 ...and use our imaginations for things like Barbie beauty days!

I love collegiate ministry!

Back in May, Mike and I dropped our kids off at my Mom's and drove to Nashville for the National Collegiate Summit.

I loved every minute of it.
Driving with Mike has always been one of my favorite times to spend with him--uninterrupted together time, what could be better?! And Tennessee is one of my favorite states.
We stayed in the Holiday Inn Express right next to the Lifeway building (which I had never seen before and found it quite impressive).

Almost immediately we began seeing long-time friends from Arkansas, the Northwest, and around the world. It truly felt like a family reunion.

Beth and Susan, 2 friends we met in the Northwest

Arliss, who we work with in Arkansas, and Robert, who I went to college with

Peggy, who Mike went to college with

All our meals were provided, and we also scored t-shirts and pens and gift cards and even New Orleans coffee (!) from the give-away tables. I got to visit and read and hang out during the small group seminars and meetings Mike went to, then joined him at worship each night. Singing praise to our Lord with that group of passionate men and women living their lives to reach college students with the Gospel was truly a little taste of heaven.
On Friday the Arkansas group met with the Jersey/Pennsylvania group at the Spaghetti Warehouse, then the wives got to go to the Opry Mills mall. Which just happened to be having their Grand Opening, which means I got...more free stuff!!  Gourmet cupcakes, food from Rain Forest Cafe, and more. It was so much fun. Plus I got to know some of the wives better--we talked and talked and talked. Very refreshing.
After that Mike and I and a few of the others went to the Grand Ole Opry!

No Brad Paisley :( but there were a few names Mike recognized, and one that I did: Jim Ed Brown! When my dad was a young man, he played clarinet in a jazz band called "Stardust." I grew up on the story of how once he opened for Jim Ed Brown and some up-and-coming youngster named Elvis Presley, and then the 3 of them went on a triple date. I would have loved to be able to introduce myself to him and tell him that story, but it was late and we didn't pay the extra $20 for the backstage tour.

Mawiage...twue wuv

Tag yourself! Oh--sorry. Wrong social medium...

Mike and I celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary last week! We were in the Northwest (of Arkansas, that is--ha!) with Rebecca, because Mike was leading a seminar at a camp. One of Rebecca's friends moved to that area a few years ago, so she was thrilled to be asked to spend the night, which means Mike and I had a night to ourselves! We went out to eat at a fancy restaurant, then back to our friends' house for some yummy dessert. (Listen to this--we shared an appetizer of venison tamales, which were delicious, then I had buttermilk-fried quail in a tasso sauce with whipped potatoes and braised greens. Well, braised greens were on the plate, and I tasted them, but couldn't get past the smell. Mike had a pimento cheese-crusted filet mignon with a potato cake and braised greens. Which he actually ate.)

The restaurant was in here. Who knew there was a World Trade Center in Rogers, Arkansas?

The view from our table

Sweet friends!

Speaking of marriage, we were treated to a weekend marriage conference in Little Rock this spring, and it was very refreshing. Some of the things we learned didn't apply just to marriage. For instance, when God created the earth, what did He say about everything He made? That it was good. So everything was good until the first sin, right? No. God said something wasn't good before the fall:  being alone. They said that there are 2 basic problems in the world, being fallen and being alone. Only God can meet the first need, but we can meet the second. That's why we're commanded to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. It makes people feel less alone and more loved. I liked that.
That weekend was also good for us because, like my friends Matt and Jackie, Mike and I don't fight much--we get irritated and snappy sometimes, but rarely what I would call "fight". We tend to keep things inside instead of airing them. On my part, it's partly because I've always avoided confrontation, and partly because I'm still trying to figure out that balance of communication vs. nagging.  Plus at the last (and only other) marriage conference we went to, the advice to "choose your moment" to bring up touchy issues wisely really stuck with me. So I had something I really wanted to talk to Mike about, but I didn't want to bring it up when he was tired/grouchy, for obvious reasons, and I didn't want to bring it up when he was in a good mood, because I didn't want to ruin it. But after months of praying about it, it was still bugging me, so when our "homework assignment" that weekend was to talk about something you needed to work out--well, it was an answer to prayer. And ended up bringing us even closer together.
One last thing about marriage, and this one just popped into my head as I was reading my One Year Bible the other day. I read Proverbs 17:9 "Love prospers when a fault is forgiven,
but dwelling on it separates close friends." And I thought of all our students who have or are getting married this summer (or in summers past!) and thought that is probably the best marriage advise I've ever heard. If you want your love to grow...overlook faults. That's my new bridal shower verse. :)

10 on the 10th--memories!

Today I got to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Woodland Heights Baptist Church, a church my family got to be a part of starting. 25 years ago. What a sweet time I had! These people have loved me, prayed for me, and supported me in so many ways (including financially!).  So, I thought I would share 10 special times I had with this particular church family:

1. About 140 of us first started meeting at various locations--they called us"The Church on the Move"--including the UCA BSU (BCM), Pickles Gap Village (believe it or not), other churches, and a couple of local camps. I was in college, but home for the summer, and I especially loved going out to meet at the camps. I don't know why exactly--I think it was the Laura Ingalls in me.

2. Within a year they had bought 28 acres of land on the west side of town, on the way to Toad Suck--an area that had not had a church plant in 100 years. They started building, and started having "God's Family Reunion" every year on the 4th of July. We used to all buy fireworks and meet at the church for a picnic and homemade ice cream and patriotic singing, and then set them off together. It was so much fun!

3. About 6 years later, I returned to WHBC for a wedding...mine! I went to the wedding of 2 precious college students yesterday, which always makes me reminisce about mine--what a happy, happy time that was! I felt like I was floating all day long. Never stopped smiling. The ladies of the church (and of the church I belonged to previously) had generously showered us with gifts in the months before, many of which I'm still using today. On our wedding day the church was full of friends and family and joy.

4. The next year, Mike and I packed all our worldly goods in a Ryder trailer and moved to Lewiston, Idaho, as Mission Service Corps volunteers. Did you catch that last word...volunteers? That means our sole income (until I got a job) was money from supporters. In addition to many WHBCers supporting us personally, the church sent us a check every month for the entire four years we were MSC...and beyond. When I told them Mike had been given a paid position, the church said they knew we were in an emerging region, and kept sending us a monthly check for several more years. What a blessing they were are! (*For more information on supporting MSC volunteers in emerging regions, please visit Jackie. I'm sure she would be happy to share an opportunity with you!*)

5.  7 years after we moved to Idaho, it was Bro. Dave, who has been pastor of WHBC for 24 years, and the members of my parents Sunday School class, who went to the hospital when the ambulance took my dad there. It was Alan Moore, who was the music minister, who called my oldest brother to tell him my dad didn't make it. It was Dick and Janie Longing, faithful members and friends, who picked Mike and me and Jessica and Mikayla up at the Little Rock airport, driving us by the high school to see the marquee in front honoring my dad, and then to my mom's house--which was full of church family as well as family family. Jesus carried us through that time, but He used their physical arms to feed us and entertain my small children and hug us and meet so many needs. He used their physical arms to take care of my mom after we had to return to Idaho, which made it easier for me, knowing she was taken care of. I will never forget that.

6.  5 years after that, Mike and I packed up and moved back to Arkansas--with no job and no place to live! So we moved in with my mom for a few months, and David James offered Mike an interim position in Little Rock, and Tommy Thompson, my Mom's Sunday School teacher, offered him a painting job, so we were able to get a house and live in Conway for a year--the longest time I was ever an actual member of the church! We got to join Richard Henley's Sunday School class--he's my BFF Amanda's husband, and it is a GREAT class!!! Good teaching, good class discussions, and lots of laughter. [Side note: Amanda and I have one of those friendships that can always pick up right where we left off, no matter what. When WHBC started, part of the reason was because my Dad had a burden for a church in that part of town and had been asking about it for several years. But it was motivated, unfortunately, by a split from another church in Conway. It was sad and painful and upsetting, and while my family left and helped start Woodland Heights, Amanda's family--my second family--stayed. We never really talked about it, and it didn't affect our friendship, but few people went through that without getting hurt. So another reason today was so special, and my time that one year in Conway was so special, was that Amanda and her family (and several others from our other church) had joined WHBC and become active members there. When I looked at the hundred of people there this morning, I saw the kind of healing only God can do. He's so good.] Anyway, it was great being in Sunday School together again, and our class Christmas party was a blast!! It started with Mike and I going to the wrong house and almost getting in a family picture (ha!) and progressed to dirty Santa and Amanda's brother Roe telling the story of how "Silent Night" was written...WRONG! We laughed so hard.

7.  Another funny thing that Christmas was that Mike was involved with the church's Christmas play as Max, husband to Honoria, who was played by our children's minister, Stacee Roberson. To whom he said "Yes, dear" a lot and gave foot massages. It was hilarious. Stacee showed love to my kids in AWANA and Sunday School and trips to Wild River Country, and I loved her for it. She's in Heaven now--I hope she and Dad got to peek at us at church today.

8. One (or two) very special thing that happened during that year was that Mike was able to baptize both Jessica and Mikayla! It doesn't get any better than that!!

9and10combined because it's getting late and I'm so sleepy. During our year in Conway, I taught at the church's preschool--including Rebecca's class on Fridays--and helped in kids' choir and VBS, and went for the first time to the ladies banquet they hold in the spring. Each table is decorated by a different woman, however she wants, and the most fun, other than walking around talking to everyone, is walking around looking at the different tables. I've been with Mom several times.

I wish I could close on a deeper or more meaningful note, but I'm all meaningfulled out. Suffice it to say, Woodland Heights means the world to me.

More random things:

Rebecca (and Mike) made a car for the Awana Grand Prix (Pinewood derby). I love this look on her face when her car actually won a heat!

Our dog Polly had puppies again! 2 little boys named Prince and Peeta. They were really cute, but we sold them both. We're going to try one more time for a girl, so we can breed HER to a mini-dachshund and get a puppy who is 7/8 mini-dach.

Eww, gross! This picture reminds me of Mikayla's monkey experience a couple of years ago...

He had stuck his paw in her mouth...I just love the face!

We did school until May 31.The girls worked really hard this year, and I am sooo glad to be done with Algebra 1.

Rebecca made a number line down the hallway one day.

 Of course we still had time to make forts...


In Jessica's closet

Mikayla's fort took up practically her whole room!

...and to go on "field trips"! This friend from church showed the girls his plane, and echoed Rebecca's science book practically word for word! It was great. He said he'll take us up on a day that isn't as windy!

Random things we've been up to the last 2 months #1

Peep jousting!

Microwave for 30 seconds



Pink won!

Remember me?

...I used to blog here. I don't know what happened really--just life and trying to keep priorities straight, I guess. But after an hour+ conversation with my dear sister-friend Denise, who says she reads my blog faithfully- but won't leave a comment or get on facebook - and hearing from my mom and my sweet blog-friend Joanna, and reading (and laughing til it hurt) my old journals from college, I decided it's time to jump back in to writing. Summer break helps, too. :)
We really have been quite busy lately. One thing that took up a LOT of my time, although not for long, was reading The Hunger Games trilogy. My niece Kelli raved about them when she read them--way before they were "cool"--but they really didn't sound like my kind of book. I wasn't interested at  all. Then about a year later, all of Jessica's friends started reading them, and since they didn't involve vampires or witchcraft, I was happy to be able to say "yes" for a change--but wanted to read them myself, too, to know if they were really okay. And I was hooked from the get-go! Couldn't put them down. Loved them. I was excited to see the movie, too, although for me the movie (as usual) was not as good as the book.
If you haven't read these books, you probably feel the way I did before I read them--thinking back to having to read the short story "The Lottery" in high school, and how icky it was. But the thing is, that's kind of the point. Yes, basically they are about children killing children, but they're not condoning it--quite the opposite. And there's so much more than that. Parallels to ancient Rome...foreshadowing of the road our culture is headed down? I even--completely secular as they are--found conviction in them. You see, as I thought about the characters in the book, I realized that I am much more like someone who lives in the Capital than I am like Katniss or anyone else in the book. I have so much food in my house, sometimes I have to throw away things that get stale or go bad. I have more clothes than I could wear in a week. I have every convenience and luxury you could imagine. And there are people in the world I live in whose lives are like the people of District 12. Hungry. Ragged. Oppressed. Should I, knowing this, just read a book and then go buy another shaved ice??
So I made a "Hunger Jar," and put it on our kitchen counter. It's a big empty plastic jar (I think pretzels came in it) with my pathetic attempt to integrate a cross into the mockingjay design drawn on it. Anytime someone chooses to go without something. they can put that amount in the jar. For instance, we've all been working in the yard and decide to go to Happy Hour at Sonic, or to get shaved ice. Get a water instead, and you get to put a dollar in the jar! Mikayla has faithfully been drinking water instead of buying a Coke when she goes to lunch Bible study with me on Tuesdays. It was easy for me to give up treats for a while, because I was trying to lose weight. It's been harder since Wii Fit said I'd met my goal and I loosened up a little. But anyway, at the end of each month we count how much is in the jar, get on the Samaritan's Purse website, and spend it! So far we have fed a hungry baby for a week and given toward helping the people in South Sudan. It's not much at all, but even a little can make a difference. If you haven't seen what Samaritan's Purse does beyond the shoe boxes, you should check it out.
So anyway, that obsession was one thing that kept me away from blogging for a while. I'll do my best to share some more with you soon!
(And Dee, I'm FINE, see? But keep praying for me anyway! Love you!)