happy days @ the Jays

International Justice Day

2009-07-17T10:17:00.004-05:00

Wow! This is a powerful reminder of how blessed we are. So many could use our help and so little is needed of us to fulfill their needs.

Grace. Peace. And all of God's blessings....

M.I.A.

2009-06-19T16:13:00.006-05:00

Yes, I know--this blog has been sadly neglected. If you are looking for me, you can find me here:

or just drop me an email.

Grace. Peace. And all of God's blessings....

Traveling the Road Home: Changing One Heart for Many - Week 8

2009-03-16T11:27:00.002-05:00

Check out Melinda's post -- especially the video!

Grace. Peace. And all of God's blessings....

Quiet time at Lake Tomahawk....

2009-03-01T17:55:00.002-06:00

This year's retreat was inspired by God. It's amazing what happens when you let go and let God take the reigns.

Everyone has a different "favorite" moment of the weekend. One of mine was the quiet time that turned into a sweet moment of fellowship with my Christian sisters.

I'm looking forward to the next retreat. Till then...

Grace. Peace. And all of God's blessings....

Gearing up for the retreat....

2009-02-19T11:01:00.000-06:00

I saw some of the videos last night and it promises to be an awesome, God-filled weekend! I can't wait!

Grace. Peace. And all of God's blessings....

Pray for Tuesday on Thursday, Friday, Saturday....

2009-01-29T20:14:00.003-06:00

Tuesday is going home from the hospital tomorrow to be with her family. Her cancer has doubled in size in less than a week. Please pray for her family and especially her twin sister.

Grace. Peace. And all of God's blessings....

Two in one day....

2009-01-06T21:41:00.002-06:00

My heart can hardly handle it. Two of my favorite little guys in one day. Please keep Team Larson in your prayers along with Dante's family.

Coleman Larson left this earth at 10:45 last night. He loved God. He loved his twin brother, Caden. He loved his Mommy and Daddy. He stole the hearts of thousands--including me.

Pray!

Grace. Peace. And all of God's blessings....

Trooper Dante

2009-01-06T11:42:00.002-06:00

I have been smitten with this little guy for a while now. He's adorable. His courage immeasurable.

Dante Taraborelli earned his angel wings around 8:30 this morning. Please keep his family in your prayers.

Grace. Peace. And all of God's blessings....

Advent Conspiracy

2008-12-14T14:43:00.001-06:00

Grace. Peace. And all of God's blessings....

I need Africa more than Africa needs me....

2008-12-01T13:00:00.003-06:00

I talked a little about Mocha Club last week. The slogan is, "I need Africa more than Africa needs me." Well let me tell you, after the onslaught of holiday shopping ads this past week, I feel it more than ever.

I had all of my Christmas shopping done before Thanksgiving. Yes, I did. Because of that, I did not give the Black Friday hype any of my attention. That is, until I woke up Friday morning and everyone was talking about the deals they already got. So I looked. The more I looked, the more I wanted. I wasted two hours "looking". And then it hit me once again; I need Africa. I need to remember that joy is not found in things. My children need Africa. They need to see that what they have or do not have does not define them.

I am so excited that today is the official launch day for Mocha Club. The timing is absolutely perfect. Check out the website!

I NEED AFRICA MORE THAN AFRICA NEEDS ME

When I think of Africa, the following images immediately come to mind: Starvation. AIDS. Child soldiers. Genocide. Sex slaves. Orphans. From there, my thoughts naturally turn to how I can help, how I can make a difference. "I am needed here," I think. "They have so little, and I have so much." It's true, there are great tragedies playing out in Africa everyday. There is often a level of suffering here that is unimaginable until you have seen it, and even then it is difficult to believe. But what is even harder is reconciling the challenges that many Africans face with the joy I see in the people. It's a joy that comes from somewhere I cannot fathom, not within the framework that has been my life to this day. [read more]

Grace. Peace. And all of God's blessings....

Greg is here....

2008-11-28T17:45:00.002-06:00

We've had several emails and phone calls asking about his location this week. He is safe at home. We feel an overwhelming sense of sadness for the people in Mumbai. Our thoughts and prayers go out to many.

Grace. Peace. And all of God's blessings....

"I need Africa more than Africa needs me...."

2008-11-24T08:00:00.009-06:00

Africa has been on my heart for a while now. So, when the opportunity arose to do a project with Mocha Club, I knew it was something I needed to do.

Mocha Club is a community-based website where members can start a team and invite friends to join them in giving $7 a month - the cost of 2 mochas - to support a project in Africa. Mocha Club's vision is to provide a way for people who don't have hundreds or thousands of dollars to make a difference in Africa.

$7 may not seem like much but in Africa it can feed one person for a month. Or educate 2 children for a school term. It can save one person from Malaria. And it can provide clean water to seven people for a year. Amazing!

A generation of parents is gone. The children are left with aging grandmothers that are often widowed with no means of support. In James 1:27 we are told that pure and undefiled religion that is acceptable to God is to visit orphans and widows in their distress and to keep yourself unstained by the world. I can't stand before Jesus and claim ignorance now.

I would love for you to join me in blogging about Africa. I would love to have you join me on a team. Let me know what you think--either in the comments or by email. And come back December 1st to see what Mocha Club is doing to change pity into partnership.

Grace. Peace. And all of God's blessings....

What happens when Daddy goes to the store?

2008-11-17T20:57:00.003-06:00

Silliness takes over!

Grace. Peace. And all of God's blessings....

Some post-election pespective....

2008-11-06T11:49:00.003-06:00

Mimi Avery posted this on her CarePage today. It was too good not to share....

In GOD We Still Trust...

True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who won, Jesus is still King.

True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who won, our responsibilities as Christians have not changed one iota.

True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who won, the greatest agent for social change in America is still winning the hearts and minds of men and women through the gospel, not legislation.

True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who won, my primary citizenship is still in this order - (1) the Kingdom of God, (2) America, not vice-versa.

True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who won, the tomb is still empty.

True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who won, the cross, not the government, is still our salvation.

True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who won, our children are more concerned with whether or not we spend time with them than with who is President.

True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who won, my neighbor is still my neighbor, and loving him/her is still the second greatest commandment. (Do you know the first?)

True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who won, my retirement still does not match my treasure in Heaven.

True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who won, "Jesus Is Lord" is still the greatest truth in the Universe.

True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who won, we still know that God is in control!

Joshua 24:15
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Grace. Peace. And all of God's blessings....

Vote. Pray. Trust God today!

2008-11-04T10:58:00.002-06:00

You MUST go read Heather's post today. Perfect! Love ya, Heather! You are such an inspiration to me!

Especially Heather

Grace. Peace. And all of God's blessings....

My wish list....

2008-11-02T12:00:00.001-06:00

A little over a year ago, I discovered a wonderful way to keep track of things I would like to have as I surf through the internet world. It's called Kaboodle. I have a button on my toolbar and when I see something I like, I click the button and it is added to my wishlist. Coolness! I'm not posting to promote Kaboodle though. Rather, because it was brought to my attention that I have some "unusual" items on my list, I felt the need to defend it. Yes, a lime press may only be two or three dollars at Wal-Mart. Do I need a lime press? I have been cutting my limes and squeezing them into my water everyday for years. I do not "need" a lime press, I just want one. The widows and orphans in India--they "need" shoes. The children in the Dominican Republic--they "need" food. Children in Africa "need" water. Children with Cancer "need" a cure. My wants become very selfish in light of the needs of others. I'm not saying that I've given up retail therapy. No! And I am not passing judgment on anyone. Since I discovered Kaboodle, I have been keeping a list of the things I "want". Some things on my list are closer to being "needs" than others. Instead of running out and buying them, I've put them on my list and prayed about whether I really need them. Sometimes, the whim passes and I delete the item from my list. God is good. He fulfills all of my needs. Sometimes, he throws in a "want" too. He is awesome!

Grace. Peace. And all of God's blessings....

As You Go Through This...

2008-10-31T14:29:00.004-05:00

So many are going through difficult times right now. I came across this poem today and thought it was too good to not share it. If your life is particularly difficult right now, I hope that it lifts you up....

As You Go Through This...
By Roy Lessin

Difficult things can cause us to ask,
"Why did this happen?"
But if we're trusting in Christ
We never need to ask,
"How could He let this happen?"

God may never reveal
All His reasons to us,
But He has revealed
His character to us.

His character assures us that
He never makes mistakes,
Is never uncaring,
And that He never separates
Himself from our need.

The need you face is great,
But the grace that is yours
In Christ is even greater.

May your heart and your faith
Stay fixed upon Him
As you go through this difficulty.

Be assured that He
Is holding your hand
And will not let go!

"So do not fear,
for I am with you;
do not be dismayed,
for I am your God.
I will strengthen you
And help you;
I will uphold you with
My righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41: 10 NIV)

Grace. Peace. And all of God's blessings....

Prayers for the Litchfield family tonight....

2008-10-30T22:48:00.002-05:00

Matthew earned his wings tonight.

From their CaringBridge page:

Matthew has gone to be with God. He passed away at about 6:10pm quite peacefully. Tricia and I were able to talk to him even though some say he would not hear at the time as his oxygen level was so low and he was more or less in a deep sleep. However, after I told him how much we loved him, how proud I was of him and how we would be ok if he decided he wanted to quit fighting and just be at peace, he opened his eyes as if to acknowledge what I had said and then kept them open for a while, closed them and passed away. Please pray for all of us now as I just don't know how we can handle this, our lives are changed forever. As always, we do thank all of you for your prayers and encouragement. God Bless You.

Grace. Peace. And all of God's blessings....

Politics....

2008-10-29T11:26:00.003-05:00

From the Zambian front...

The 2006 election was hotly contested. Mwanawasa was re-elected over Michael Sata of the Patriotic Front and Hakainde Hichilema of the United Democratic Alliance. He was a different breed from his predecessors. He went after corruption. He served courageously. He suffered a mild stroke in April followed by a serious stroke at the end of June. He passed away on August 19, 2008.

The Zambian Constitution requires that a president by-election be called within 90 days. Vice President Banda is serving as President until the October 30th election. Tensions are high. Africa News is reporting protests in Livingstone due to suspected election fraud.

The Gregersen's moved to the Namwianga Mission in Kolomo, Zambia a few years ago. This is a quote from their blog:
"Late yesterday we received a warning from the American Embassy, advising Americans to stay clear of all campaign gatherings, polling places, and election events for the next few days."

Our own election is beginning to fatigue even the strongest among us. Friends are becoming "frenemies". Even so, I'm thankful that we can freely and safely vote. I am thankful for the "system" even with it's flaws. I will deal the flawed system. I will deal with flawed human leaders--aren't we all at least a little flawed?

This election may not go the way that I want. Someone will win. Someone will lose. Just like every previous election. What I do know is that God is our ultimate leader. He will rule regardless of who wins this election.

Back to the Gregersen's blog.... They mentioned that the students are excused from classes for the rest of the week so that they can go home to vote. They have to return to their home districts to vote. Please pray for Zambia as October 30th approaches. Please pray for the safety of the students as they travel.

I already voted. Yes, I did. I'm still not sure how early voting is "Constitutional" but I'm sure thankful to have options. Pray that people remain calm in the coming days. Pray for our future leaders. Pray for this country. And, for goodness sake, GO VOTE! :O)

Grace. Peace. And all of God's blessings....

Texas Weather....

2008-10-22T21:55:00.004-05:00

So, here it is, almost 10:00 p.m. and it's 70° outside. The rain has cooled things off. The humidity is 87%. The low tonight is barely going to make it into the 50's. Bummer! Maybe Thursday night?

Grace. Peace. And all of God's blessings....

It's a balmy 82 degrees....

2008-10-22T14:35:00.004-05:00

"Balmy" because the humidity is 79%. But that will all change tonight. We are set to get below 50° for the first time in over six months. In anticipation, I mixed up a batch of spiced tea mix.

1 Cup Instant Tea Mix (I use decaf so I can drink this even late at night.)
1 Cup Tang Drink Mix
1 Cup Lemonade Drink Mix
2 tsp Cinnamon
2 tsp Nutmeg

Now when the winter chills come, we just put a couple teaspoons into a cup of warm water and have instant gratification.

Last night, we found out that Greg's grandmother was in the hospital with chest pains and his great-aunt was in another hospital with sepsis in her intestine. The doctors are only giving her a 50/50 chance of surviving the surgery. At this point it looks like she needs prayers for comfort. They think that Greg's grandmother's situation is caused by something in her esophagus. I'm sure we will know more later. Please keep them in your prayers.

Today was "twin" day at school. C.C. and two of her friends dressed alike. Triplet day?

Last Wednesday, we had Grandparent's day. The kids loved that Grandpa, Grandma, and Great-Grandma all came to see them.

We also had our little friend Jack over last week. He's moving to a new house this week and we enjoyed his company while his parents packed up the old house. He's just perfect. Little Miss A. adores him. They are only a couple months apart in age--two peas in a pod. She's quite the little hostess. Here she is at the piano with "Jack-Jack".

I just got a call that C.C. found herself in a bed of fireants. She's not allergic like P.J. but I better take the lavender oil and Benadryl just in case. Off to school.... Again.... LOL!
Grace. Peace. And all of God's blessings....

Catching up....

2008-10-17T15:03:00.001-05:00

Let's see, back in April, I kept having dreams about a girl named Rhonda that I've always admired from afar. I could not remember the last time I had seen her. That's not entirely unusual. We are part of a big church and it's easy to miss people. But still.... I was having these dreams and it was becoming an obsession to just see her in the worship service and know that she was well. So many times, people come and go and we never take the time to get to know them. I mean REALLY get to know them. One Sunday morning we were cramming our family into a row at church. Chaos was reigning that morning. I scanned the room for Rhonda and as I turned to the door, there she was. Our eyes met and it was like she knew that I was looking for her. I wanted to tell her that I had missed her. But what if she had been there all along and I had just missed seeing her? Those crazy thoughts keep me from stepping out in faith too often.

Later that afternoon, Rhonda called to ask if I'd be willing to chair the publicity committee for Abundant Joy. I can't believe how much my life has changed since then. We had to get through VBS before we could even start planning for this year's conference. But that did not stop the mental gears from rolling.

So, if you have wondered where I have been, I mean besides carpooling, VBS, hundreds of medical tests, a quick summer vacation, more medical tests, cancer, no cancer, back to school, work, and well, life. This is it....

This has consumed every spare minute and more. But it was an absolute joy. I loved working with these spirit filled ladies. The entire day was covered by the Holy Spirit. Awesome!

The day before the conference, we were taking a break to eat lunch when one of the ladies told a story. Her daughter is the same age as C.C. Her girls were reading about Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. They read the part where the Samaritan lady says that she knows that the Messiah is coming and the youngest daughter started giggling. She was amused that the lady was talking to THE MESSIAH and did not know it. So cute and perceptive coming from a first grader.

We also talked about the "Woman at the Well" in our Bible class recently. I picture Jesus sitting on the side of the well and looking intently at the woman as He spoke with her. How amazing that He was THE MESSIAH but there was no arrogance to be found in Him.

I sensed that same humility in the two main speakers at the conference. Both are powerful speakers in high demand. But they both were the type of women that would prop their leg up on the side of a well and share your life story. Susan O'Donnell was the second speaker. In my little world, she is famous. She is the morning show host on one of the highest rated Christian radio stations in the country. I listen to her every day. I just love her. She took the time to stop and talk to me. She made eye contact in the way that you know she is listening and not mentally rushing to her next engagement. I felt like a million dollars.

As we were cleaning up, several people told me stories of times they have interacted with Susan O'Donnell and she has taken the time to stop and pray with them. One lady told me how a moment of prayer several years ago saved her marriage. Susan's own story has not been a smooth sail. She once found herself thrust into one of life's deepest, ugliest, miriest pits. But with God's help she emerged victorious. I love that her heart is so filled with compassion for all of God's creation.

Do I take that kind of time with the people around me? Meeting her makes me want to take the time to stop and listen and pray with those around me. I'm feeling led in a different direction and doors are opening. I'll share that soon. :-)

The guys are off to a Men's Boot Camp for the weekend. My friend Leah has been in a lot of pain this week. She has endured a lot of tests. It finally looks like we can breathe easier. Please keep her in your prayers as our guys are off on this adventure this weekend. Pray that the men will come back with renewed courage and hearts on fire for God.

I pray that I will see everyone with Jesus' eyes. I pray that if the opportunity comes, I will be willing to sit on the side of a well and share someone's life story.

Grace. Peace. And all of God's blessings....

It is finished...

2008-10-12T21:50:00.002-05:00

I haven't pulled this many all-nighter's since my college days. I'm looking forward to an eight hour night. I thought I'd check in to let everyone know we are alive.

The conference was awesome. Proof that even Ike cannot subdue the spirits of Texas women. We came for a Word and got so much more.

The speakers were fabulous. For ladies that are nationally known speakers, they were entirely approachable.

We had far more attendees than we anticipated. The breakout sessions were standing room only. But I didn't hear any complaining. In fact, some of the classes were so good, people wanted to stay longer even though they were standing the entire time.

I will blog more about it later. My schedule is FULL this week. The conference was awesome. Just wanted you to know. LOL! Sleep is NOT overrated and I will enjoy every minute of it tonight.

Grace. Peace. And all of God's blessings....

Please pray for the Schmidt family

2008-10-10T10:13:00.000-05:00

Sweet Chloe earned her wings last night.

Grace. Peace. And all of God's blessings....

Thursday, Friday, and then the BIG DAY! WOOHOO!

2008-10-08T13:29:00.005-05:00

It's truly crunch time around here. As I type this, I am running actions in Photoshop and uploading files through Dreamweaver. Multi-tasking Mama. LOL!

Yesterday, we had our first rain since Ike. We think that our makeshift roof patch held. We haven't seen any signs of a new leak.

We had our National Night Out last night. One of our neighbors is a DJ and he had the end of our cul-de-sac looking like a concert stage. WOW! We did find out that there has been a series of break-ins lately. Do you remember the weird things I mentioned on my birthday weekend? Yes, well, there WAS something going on that day. Now I wish I had a better description of the car....

This is choppy. Just since I started this post I have run three new actions in PS, saved and uploaded another file and changed a diaper. Ahhhh, the life of a work-at-home mom. :0)

I'll leave you with a couple requests today.

Justin Miller will be having a stem cell harvest next week. The process will last from 7am to 7pm every day. That's a long week for such a little guy. His eyes remind me of Peyton and his best friend's name is Ciann. So, yeah, I'm drawn to this little guy. His mom would love for us to flood him with cards next week. If you'd be willing to help, his address is:

Justin Miller
19167 E Grand Circle
Aurora, CO 80015

My sweet Christian sister, Esme, was without electricity for two weeks after Ike. When she finally had electricity she found out that the daughter of a friend of hers was diagnosed with Metastatic Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumor (AT/RT). She's just eight months old. Please add her to your prayer lists. Her name is Hailey Trainer.

Joelle lost her daddy during Ike. It was a wild night for her. He was moved to Hospice as the storm was approaching. The hospital security would not let them leave. The security guy at the door was distracted for a bit and they raced out of the hospital so that she could be with her dad during his last hours. I hope I got that story right. She could use a few prayers too.

While you are at it, say a prayer for the Abundant Joy Conference. Our registrations have tripled in the last week. God is at work here in West Houston....

Grace. Peace. And all of God's blessings....