Lost in Translation

Our worship team is constantly learning new songs and so is Brice, by proxy. He gets to hear the new song lots of times on the way to daycare in the mornings, and other times in the car. So it doesn't take long for him to catch onto the songs and start singing along. He loves music and he loves our worship band. I think he already wants to be like our 2 fantastic drummers, and it won't be long before they start teaching him.

So in the past 2 weeks our team has been learning "Prepare Ye the Way" off the new Michael W. Smith album. We added a second drum set and both drummers were playing away at rehearsal this past Sunday. Brice just watched in amazement and I saw him start to sing with us. At once I smiled because I knew the words he was singing were not the actual lyrics of the song, but he was praisin' God through every one of them.

Here's some of the original lyrics to "Prepare Ye the Way":
Prepare ye the way, prepare ye the way of the Lord!

Yeshua, You reign on high, Almighty God, Your love is like no other!

Now here's Brice's version:
Prepare ye the way, prepare ye the way of the Lord!

Yes you are, you rain on my, a mighty God your love is in the oven!

Kind of catchy, isn't it?! Now let's hope I don't sing those lyrics this Sunday and completely freak the worship team out!



Here's a little bit of someone's video from the live recording of the song.

Singing the Sermon

I found this interesting :)

At a Loss . . .

We just returned from a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with our families in North and South Carolina. It was a surprise visit that we successfully pulled off (no thanks to my big mouth) and we had a great time with everyone. My mom was shocked when Brice was at her door, ringing the doorbell and shouting "Surprise" and so was Billy's mom. I don't think we were ready for just how cold it was going to be and I was more thankful for our crazy Florida heat when we stepped off the plane here at home.

Brice didn't want to leave and he kept asking on the plane if Grandma was coming to our house (which she and Grandpa are for Christmas!) and he still doesn't understand the concept of time very well yet, so it was a constant question and answer session.

I think the cutest memory of the trip was Grandma teaching Brice the motions to "Awesome God" that her pre-school class had been learning at church. Brice just loved it and is still singing that song :)

The saddest part of the trip was that I didn't take any pictures. Oh I had good intentions. I HAD the camera WITH me. The battery WAS NOT CHARGED. Billy did get a few pictures before it died, so we will post those soon. You would think that I could plug the charger in the wall. NEVER DID IT. I think part of my brain shut down. It could have been the cold.

Yeah, that's what we'll blame it on. The cold ;-)

I almost missed it!

Has it been a month since I blogged? Wow. Time is flying by. This past Sunday we were at church early to get a few things done before our group prayer time and Brice headed straight for the stage. Billy was watching him, so I went to make a few copies that we needed for the service. As I came back in the main room, I heard and saw him singing his favorite song and playing the drums at the same time - "With long life, YOU will satisfy me, YOU will satisfy me....with long life!" I caught the end of it and I was shocked that he would sing in front of everyone (there were a few people in the room!)
His favorite songs are from Israel and New Breed, ofcourse, since Mommy listens to them a lot in the car :) He loves moving to the music and playing the drums or congas any chance he gets. I'm so glad I got to see and hear him doing that - it made my heart leap! Now why didn't I have my CAMERA?!

Speaking of Israel and New Breed.....I am so excited because a new album is coming out in March, called "The Power of One" - and here's the synopsis of the album from their post:

"The resounding theme of the project is about getting out and making a difference in your life of worship and in your community. One person can make a difference individually and when coupled with the efforts of others it brings change. Just do something. So forward on to all your friends and help us get the word out!"

Here's the video preview they posted with TobyMac - I can already hear Brice singing this one too!!!

To the Rescue!

The other night I decided to let Brice take his fire truck to the street in front of our house. There's hardly any traffic on the street because there's only a couple of houses and it's not a thoroughfare, so I let him drive his firetruck down the road for a little while. He was so funny and decided that all the houses were on fire, so he ran lights and siren to each neighbors house and kept saying "to the rescue!" I thought it was cute until I had to chase him back to the house. I was out of breath and he was laughing hysterically. It's cute that the fire truck comes with a working water hose . . .until you get squirted!

I managed to get a shot of him while he was "parking" the fire truck before we went inside. He's growing so fast . . .

Trusting . . .

Yesterday was a very tough and sad day for our family. I'm thankful for a God who is in control when it seems that all around us is crumbling. And through it all yesterday there was a song that was in my heart - it's an old song, but one that I have always cherished. So if you need a word of encouragement today - I hope this helps you as it has me . . .

TRUST HIS HEART
by Babbie Mason

All things work for our good
Though sometimes we don't see how they could
Struggles that break our hearts in two
Sometimes blind us to the truth
Our Father knows what best for us
His ways are not our own
So when your pathway grows dim
And you just don't see Him
Remember your never alone

God is too wise to be mistaken
God is too good to be unkind
So when you don't understand
When you don't see His plan
When you can't trace His hand
Trust His heart
Trust His heart

He sees the master plan
And He holds our future in His hand
So don't live as those who have no hope
For our hope is found in Him
We see the present clearly
But He see the first and the last
And like a tapestry
He's weaving you and me
To someday be just like Him

God is too wise to be mistaken
God is too good to be unkind
So when you don't understand
When you don't see His plan
When you can't trace His hand
Trust His heart
Trust His heart

He alone is faithful and true
He alone knows what is best for you

God is too wise to be mistaken
God is too good to be unkind
So when you don't understand
When you don't see His plan
When you can't trace His hand
Trust His heart
Trust His heart


When you don't understand
When you don't see His plan
When you can't trace His hand
Trust His heart
Trust His heart

Kitchen Time . . .

I really need to get better at updating this blog - there's so much going on and lots to share, but I never get around to doing it! Ugh.

My mom is here with us this week and WE LOVE IT! "Grandma" as she is affectionately known is getting some great time in with Brice and he is having a ball. Grandma will be exhausted by the time she gets back to SC and will probably need several days to recoup, but for now she is full speed ahead :)

Lots of things have happened in the past few days and lots of new things on the horizon. I am continually amazed at God's timing and how He is working out all things. Our church is in the process of stepping out on faith and I am so excited and challenged by what God has in store for us. We are seeking the heart of God and drawing closer to His heartbeat for our community. Our worship team completed the study "Deeper Level" and it's only the beginning. . .

Going through this study over the past weeks has been a challenge for me to open up some old wounds and lay pride aside to allow the healing process to take place. So, in obedience I have opened doors that have had some cobwebs on them in an effort to restore what was broken and be vulnerable as Christ would have me to be. There are those who will still have bitterness and will shun me. There are those who will not open those cobweb covered doors to me, but with the risk of being vulnerable comes the peace of Christ for doing what He has called me to do and being who He has called me to be.

In the book, Deeper Level, Israel talks about how he would push his piano into the kitchen of his house and have some "kitchen" time with God - just playing and singing to God - and then hearing God sing back. Israel shared how it completely transformed his relationship with God and how worship became REAL once again for him.

What would happen if we all took some "kitchen" time with God every day in the area that He has gifted us? How would our worship be transformed? How would it affect our lives, our families, our church, our community and our world for the Kingdom of God?

This just freaked me out!

A friend sent this to me with the caption "Are Cell Phones Safe?"

Pop Corn téléphone portable micro-ondes
Uploaded by sassiere

We Have a New Baby!!!

It all started with a trip to drop off one of our youth to meet his family at the Humane Society. They were there to adopt a dog.

I knew as soon as we got out of the car there that we would not be leaving without a dog. I thought we were in the clear after walking through the entire place until right before we were going to leave. The lady said "Oh, you like Boxers?! We have 2puppies in the back!" I knew we were in trouble.

The two puppies had been rescued from Tropical storm Faye and both the mother and father had drowned. The two puppies were found floating near their dog house.

THAT WAS ALL IT TOOK.

Papers were signed, and we were on our way home with the newest addition to our family.

Brice immediately took to the puppy and vice versa. They quickly became buddies.

So, without further ado, please meet "EVANDER"

Yearbook

There are so many posts I have to catch up on, but I thought this was hilarious today. I saw this website on Facebook and just had to try it. It is www.yearbookyourself.com. Here's some of my "would be" yearbook pics :)











It's funny and scary all at the same time!

On the Fence . . .

Here's what I saw yesterday as I was letting the dogs our for some sun and fresh air. This fence is right beside our house. It's not very clear because this was as close as I was getting and I wasn't really concerned with the zoom or flash!


OH - but the good news is we saw CRUSH, the turtle again for the first time in quite a while and guess who was with him - SQUIRT! We have a new baby turtle that's roaming our yard now. He's a cutie and fast too :)

Consecration Begins

Yesterday (Sunday) began the consecration for our worship team and the worship choir kicked it off with a retreat on Saturday. It was a great time and I have such a fantastic group of people. We are becoming a close knit team, but more importantly - a family!

For our consecration we all have decided to abstain from certain things in our lives for a period of 4 weeks. We also have accountability/encouragment teams to help each other along the way and pray for one another.

I prayed on this consecration and decided in the area of "diet" to give up SUGAR, SODAS and FRIED FOODS. This will help my clarity of mind and body to focus more on my relationship with the Lord and be effective as a leader.

Already I can feel my body detoxing and it is just day 2. It's like breaking free all over again! Sometimes we don't realize just how much our physical habits are tied to the spiritual.

So I am posting this to ask for prayers not just for me, but for our entire team. Please pray that we would use this time to truly seek the heart of God and grow closer to Him.

"I don't scared, Mama. I don't scared."

That was the joyful exclamation from Brice yesterday when he finally let go of the death clutch around my (and Billy's) neck in the pool. The swimming lessons he had earlier in the summer didn't help him like I thought they would and he has since had this "fear" of the pool.
So yesterday, Billy and I were wanting to do something special since we had a whole day to ourselves as a family and we decided to take Brice swimming for the afternoon and work with him a little. Billy really has a knack for these things and I am just there for support, really. I am not the best swimmer (I have a lot to keep afloat, lol) but I am comfortable in the water.
After the first 30-45 minutes of "no! no! don't let go!", we finally got Brice to let go (he was wearing a Batman life vest) and he was so proud when he did! He swam over to me and the first thing he said was "I don't scared, Mama. I don't scared!" I laughed and clapped and we all celebrated the fact that he "don't scared."
All in all it was a great family day - no more fear of the water for Brice, Daddy got some sun and mommy got some much needed exercise :)

Deeper Level

This week our worship team (all 20 of us!) are beginning a study together from the book "Deeper Level," by Israel Houghton. I am excited about this study and how we are going to be challenged to dive deeper in our relationship with the Lord and focused as a leadership team.

I think about how this team has come together over the past year and 1/2 and I praise God for how His timinig is perfect and how each person has come to serve and brought their own unique style and personality to this family of believers.
Looking back on the start of Healing Waters, I had no idea how God was going to put this team together and who would be a part.

TRUST.

I learn a little bit more about that word daily. OH how I am thankful he doesn't let us see the big picture like He does. God knows exactly how much we can handle at a time. Stepping out in faith meant saying goodbye to all that was familiar and comfortable. In return He has blessed my life beyond compare and the freedom that comes with obedience is indescribable.

So as a team, we begin this season by setting ourselves apart and fasting from certain things in our daily lives to go deeper with God and consecrate ourselves for His purpose in our lives and in our church.

"I will search for You and I will find You with all my heart . . ."

Yes . . .he said it.

Tonight Billy, Brice and I went out for dinner after church and there was only one other couple in the restaurant besides us - at a table across from us.

So we are sitting at the table and looking at the menus. The other couple were finishing their meal. Both of them were older and the lady had long black hair and a patch over her eye. I didn't see it coming. I should have . . .but I didn't.

All of a sudden . . .Brice yells, "LOOK MOMMY -- A PIRATE!" "A PIRATE!" "RIGHT THERE - - A PIRATE!" Now, Billy and I both have a warped sense of humor and as soon as Brice said it I wanted to burst into laughter because he was so innnocent, and yet correct in his observation. That poor lady did look like a pirate to him and he wasn't meaning anything bad. He likes pirates. Argh.

Billy and I were completely embarrased and tried to calm him down and get him to understand that she was not a pirate and he shouldn't say those things. He didn't understand and began to point out even louder "BUT SHE IS A PIRATE, MOMMY!
LOOK!"

Billy then escorted Brice from the table and took him for a walk, so that Mrs. Pirate could finish her meal in peace and not be hounded by a 3 year old who was next going to start yelling "ARGH, MATEY!"
So, we have now reached a new phase in our family. There is no mute button. Brice is going to see things that we don't and he has no problem sharing them with the world. Oh the things we will hear...

There's a bully amongst us . . .

We recently added 3 new members to our family. Nighty, Spidey and Idey. 3 Tiger Barb goldfish and a cute little Sesame Street Aquarium water house for their enjoyment. Everything was going fine until we started noticing the smallest of the fish, who is the only one that is orange (the other 2 were tiger stripes) was taking most of the food. On Sunday morning, Billy came and let me know that "we had a floater." I was really sad because it was about that time of the morning where Brice would feed them and we were going to have to address this before we left for church. One of the tiger stripes, Nighty, had died.

We did the best we could and Brice did not see the removal or "flush." But he sure did have lots of questions. And he's only 3 so he doesn't understand what happened. He says that "Nighty" is swimming with Nemo (from the movie) in the big pool in heaven. Ofcourse, Billy and I concur.

Tonight as we were finishing dinner, Billy says, "I think we have a problem - - -Spidey's not acting right and I think Idey might be a bully." This made me think back to several times when I walked by the tank over the past couple of days and saw Idey chasing Spidey and "pushing" him a couple of times. Is it possible we have a hitman goldfish amongst us?!

I could not watch Spidey suffer and so later this evening, when Billy came in, he sent Spidey to his final resting place (ofcourse the big pool in heaven with Nemo and Nighty.) Brice does not know yet and I don't look forward to the sad face he will have in the morning when he wakes up to go and feed his fish.

Billy mentioned that maybe I should go to the pet store and get another fish, but I am hesitant if we have a hitman still in the tank. No fish may be safe in this house with "Idey" still around. This gives a whole new meaning to "swimmin' with the fishes . . ."

Starting Early

It's been too long since I have blogged. We just weathered "Fay" 2 days ago and thank goodness we had no damage. We lost power for a while and started our new generator.

1. Kudos to a very dear friend of ours who came and wired us up for that generator in the heat of the day prior to Fay.
2. Kudos to my husband for not blowing up the house!

Thing about using a generator is - - - you just don't know when the power comes back on during the daylight hours. Fortunately, a neighbor called our cell and let us know. Thanks, neighbor!

Now to this pic below. Brice is at Billy's office and he is sitting at Mrs. "Lymm's" desk. I thought this was so cute until I realized there is no telling what files she lost or what he did to her computer. Anyway, he's a beginning drummer/blogger. Gotta give him some props. Thanks Lymm :)

Thanks, Bob

I finally got the part for the camera to download my pictures from the National Worship Leader Conference (July 21-25, in Austin, TX) and unfortunately, none of them turned out very well. This could be due in part to the fact that I was jumping, singing and raising my hands while trying to take the pictures. Not a good thing.

So, in my search for pics, I ran across a blog from an old seminary friend and he had great pics of the conference, so I want to give kudos to BOB for his pics and now you can see a little bit of the worship concerts that took place each evening.


This pic was of Don Moen, Lincoln Brewster and Chris Tomlin (on piano) after a little dispute as to whether or not you could sing "How Great is Our God" in the key of C. Don Moen said it shouldn't be done and Chris Tomlin came out on stage to prove Don wrong. Sorry Chris, I agree with Don.


This pic was of Tommy Walker and the Riverbend Choir (host church).


This was the first night and Matt Redman led worship - it was an amazing time.


My girl Cece!


This was the first time I had heard Lincoln Brewster live - love the pedal.


And after waiting ALL WEEK, finally Israel wrapped up the conference with a shout for the Lord!

I did have a couple of other pics that turned out okay and I will post them next time. One is of a dear friend that I have considered my first mentor in contemporary worship style and leadership. Until then . . ."Let the redeemed of the Lord SAY SO!"

Tears and Breadcrumbs

I just finished watching the Chapman family on Larry King Live and I am overwhelmed by the testimony of God's grace that just came through that one hour interview all over the world. There are no words to describe the sorrow, pain and grief that the Chapmans must be dealing with and yet they are still proclaiming the goodness and faithfulness of God. What a testimony . . .

If you click on Jim Houser's link on the side of my blog, I am sure the entire interview will be posted tomorrow.

I will have pics of the conference coming hopefully next week, since I ordered a replacement for the camera and also new videos of Brice :)

Unbelievable!

I just spent the entire week in Austin, Texas at the National Worship Leader Conference. It was my first time going and I was so excited about the classes that were going to be offered and the worship concerts we would be attending. I had no idea what God had in store for me.

The classes were fantastic and God really got a hold of me about so many areas of my life and service to Him. I could spend several blogs on everything I learned (and I will elaborate later) but for now I am still trying to process it all.

The worship concerts were so refreshing. As soon as we got our registration packets I quickly dove into it to see what the schedule would be and when "Israel and the New Breed" would be leading worship. He is, after all, my FAVORITE! I think the conference staff knew this and therefore decided to place Israel on the last night. I had to be patient and wait. Hmmmmmm...that's a hard one for me! Little did I know that Tomlin, Redman, Baloche, Walker, Moen, Brewster, Cece, Gateway and so many more would be leading us in worship every night - it was UNBELIEVABLE. There is something about joining together with thousands of voices who, every Sunday, all over this country are being lead worshippers in their churches and sharing this vision of the ministry of music for our God. I will never forget it.

I have taken quite a few pictures, but lost my cable to download them. UNBELIEVABLE!!! So, until I get my cable, this post will have to do.

What was also great was to run into a couple of dear friends that I haven't seen in years. One in particular I will blog about later (when I can download my pics), but it was great to catch up and reconnect with those whom I got to know in seminary.

As for the details of the conference, one leader asked us not to share immediately what we learned, but to take everything home, pray on it and see what God would have us to do with it. That's where I am now.

However, just to give you a taste of one of my "favorite" parts:

The following videos were not from our conference, but I don't think I have ever jumped so much for the Lord!!!

This is one of my favorite worship songs right now!



The sound quality is not as good on this one, but it is another one of my favorites!

Heartbreaking, Yet Inspiring . . .

This is a video from Steven Curtis Chapman at Lifest on July 11, 2008. This was his first performance after the death of his daughter, Maria Sue Chapman. Very moving.

"Just Keep Swimming, Just Keep Swimming"

I used the quote from Dori in "Finding Nemo" to start my blog today because Brice has started swimming lessons this week. So, it began like this:

Monday - Day 1 - Mommy takes the camera to get some pics of Brice's first swimming lesson, but instead ends up taking quite a bit of TUMS to help with the knots in her stomach from seeing her child in the pool with a stranger and no swimmies on his arms. There were a lot of gasps and OMG!'s but overall it was okay and Brice had a great time. He put his whole head in the water, VOLUNTARILY, for the first time. We've dunked him before in the pool, but this was different. He had to keep his eyes open while going under, and that's new for him.

Tuesday - Day 2 - Mommy ACTED more relaxed today and actually sat a good distance away from the pool (about 8 feet, lol), so as not to interfere and cause panic amongst the children even though she was still really nervous about this whole situation. Brice once again had a great time and wanted to play more than anything.

Wednesday - Day 3 - Mommy actually was relaxed today and decided to take some pics, when out of the blue the instructor changed their method and their tone a little today. Brice was now disciplined (no, not spanked!)when he didn't do as the instructor said. This was a little uncomfortable for Mommy at first, but she realized that sometimes you have to be firm to get your point across - especially with Brice. He didn't like being disciplined and began to do as he was told - and did quite well. Mommy finally did get some pics and will post them below.

Tommorrow ought to be interesting. . .

"Twinkle, Twinkle" the remix

Here's a video I took the other night of the "before bedtime" concert that Brice was giving for Mommy:

Gotta Catch Up!

I have been slacking in keeping up with the blog the past week - so many things have happened and now I am playing catch up to get them all posted.
Our 4th of July was great and we spent the day together at home until the late afternoon. We then went to the park for the "festivities" and the fireworks that night. Brice had a great time and this was the FIRST fireworks show that he hasn't slept through. My boy can sleep through all kinds of noise! Here's a few pics from our day:

Temper, Temper!

This is what happened at daycare when Brice decided to throw a temper tantrum. He got on all fours and rubbed his head on the carpet until he had carpet burn. OUCH!

There are conflicting stories, though. Brice claims "the carpet hit me, Mommy."

Hmmmm...............

Happy Annibersary

Well, I am really late on posting about our anniversary, or annibersary, as Brice would put it. AND, since Billy has already blogged a little, I thought I should atleast add my 2 cents, right? Always gotta have the last word :)

This year our anniversary was clouded with sickness. I have been sick for the past week and it is not getting any better. I ofcourse caught it from poor Brice, who IS, by the way, improving. Well, we do think of ourselves as a sharing family, so we just had to give it to Billy.

Saturday marked 11 years of marriage. After we finished rehearsal at the school, we went home and medicated, and really just did nothing all day. We had not made any grande plans - after all - we do have 3 celebrations in the month of June - so by the time we get to our annibersary - we a little partied out :(
However, last night we decided to go to out and I needed to get some medicine that they only have in Fort Myers - yep. That's right. Gas is so expensive, I wanted to get 2 boxes of the medicine and had to sign some waiver and let the drug store scan my license so that I would not make drugs from what I bought. I understand why they do it and I complied, but people were wondering why I had to buy that much - you know there were!

Anyhoo, some dear friends of ours gave us a gift certificate to eat at this really great restaurant in Fort Myers, so we went there while we were out. We had decided to bring Brice along since we were not going to be out too late. We had a good meal and it was pretty much the norm. Billy starts a conversation . . .Brice interrupts and changes the subject. 3 minutes later I try to continue that conversation . . .Brice interrupts with an important news bulletin about the tree on his plate. 3 more minutes. . .Billy once again attempts to go down memory lane with me in the conversation . . .Brice interrupts with an important bathroom need.
SOOOOO. We didn't really get to talk all that much, but it was a normal meal out for us and I wouldn't have it any other way.

My parents used to take us with them every anniversary . . .everywhere they went. For a long time I felt bad for them, thinking that they could have had such a much more meaningful time without us kids tagging along. Then, Brice arrives in my life and it all makes sense. Yea. We do need some adult time every now and then and enjoy time alone with each other, but one day Brice is gonna be grown up, and I will probably have to beg him to come and eat with his parents, so I better enjoy it while I can. After all, 11 years has flown by and these years don't seem to slow down any.
Happy annibersary, Love. I am thankful for the time we have had together and look forward to what God has in store for us as we continue on this journey each day.

Happy Birthday!!!

Yesterday was Billy's birthday. He was at a training seminar all day and we were able to meet him for dinner last night. We had a great time and Brice somehow thought it was still his birthday - the balloons, the singing - ofcourse it was all for him . . .not DADDY!
As I said before June is a month of celebration all the way around in our household, so this weekend Billy is churning homemade butter pecan ice cream (from my mother's stash of recipes - thanks, mom!) and we are once again having a little party - since Daddy was away most of his birthday. The Scooby-Doo decorations are still up and we will probably wear those masks again just to be silly and allow Brice to once again feel that he is the center of the celebration.
I look at Billy and to me he hasn't aged a bit, but he is different than the guy I first met in college. The guy who would come by my desk in Old Testament class and put candy there to get my attention (I think in reality it was to get a look at my homework, lol.) I remember the first time he called me and I didn't know who he was, but he was determined to keep me on that phone and eventually he asked me out. I should have known something was up when our first date was to a crusade. Nonetheless we had a great time and so as we are entering this next week when we will celebrate our anniversary, I will no doubt share more about this wonderful man that I have married and some of the funny memories that have kept me laughing all these years. But for this day I say "Happy Birthday, Babe." And we will wear our Scooby masks and toast our kool-aid cups to you!

Answered Prayer

I just needed to share what else happened yesterday (Father's Day) at church. I had been praying for the past 2 weeks that I would cross paths with the gentleman that recovered my wallet. I wanted to share with him how thankful I was and to offer him some kind of reward or just help HIM in some way. I couldn't remember what he looked like, so I was praying that the Lord would help me recognize this man, when and if I saw him.
Sooooo. At the end of the service yesterday, I am putting away equipment and rolling microphone cords when 2 people walk towards the stage. One I knew and spoke with right away. The other I did not know but I smiled and said "Hello." I assumed they were there to speak with someone else who was also working on the stage. WRONG. My friend got my attention and said "I believe you have been looking for this man." She pointed to the guy next to her.
CUE THE TEARS. Yes, I think I literally jumped off the stage (okay it's not that high, but I am not a jumper) and through tears I tried to thank this man once again and explain just how much of a blessing he had been to me, my family and our church. I expressed how glad I was that he was there (at church) to visit with us and went on and on about how I had prayed for this moment. I am not a "hugger" but I asked this man if I could hug him. I think I freaked him out a little, but the Lord had answered this prayer for me to see him again and I was so grateful.
What is also interesting is that once again our family went to the grocery store after lunch yesterday to pick up a couple of items and there that same gentleman was - walking out of the store once again, just like he had 2 weeks before, probably not too far behind me.
We never know who is walking behind us and learning from our "walk." So I have to ask myself a question. What kind of impression am I leaving for those who will be walking behind me on this journey?

Father's Day

Father's Day. Today was a good one (I hope so for Billy) and we had a great time in worship this morning. This is Billy's 4th Father's Day and he is an excellent Dad. When we brought Brice home, Billy was involved in every part of the daily duties. He stayed up at night for the feedings, got up early for the feedings, and still is the first line of defense when those late night "cries" come from the other room.
Billy is a patient father and is a great encourager to Brice. Billy loves to wrestle and just have "boy" time with Brice. They are two peas in a pod.
There are things that a mother specializes in, but there are certain things that only a Dad can do. Brice loves riding with his Dad and singing together in the mornings. It's a great bonding time for the two of them. When Brice gets scared, he calls for Dad. I think that's pretty special. Brice feels protected and safe with Billy. Daddy doesn't let any monsters come around! Brice looks up to Billy and I can already see those signs that he wants to do whatever Daddy is doing. I am thankful for a husband who makes his family a priority. We are truly blessed. Happy Father's Day, dear :)


Father's Day. Today is also sad because I cannot be with my Dad. I did get to make a phone call and spend a few minutes catching up, but it's not the same as being face to face. I miss not being near my Dad. Like I said before, there are certain things that only a Dad can do. Today I celebrate my Dad for all the things he taught me. I celebrate my Dad for teaching me how to laugh and to never stop. I celebrate my Dad for his work ethic. I celebrate my Dad for teaching me the importance of family and making that time a priority. But most of all, I celebrate my Dad for the greatest thing he has ever done for me. It was my Dad who answered all my questions about having a relationship with the Lord and it was my Dad who knelt beside me on a Wednesday night, July 11, 1984 and let me in the prayer that changed my life. I gave my heart to the Lord that night and I am forever grateful for a father that took the time to be the example of Christ to me and introduce me to my Savior. Happy Father's Day, Dad. I love you.

Brice and the Pledge of Allegiance

I wanted to post this video - we finally got it on camera- enjoy!

Clean Sweep!

For the past week, I have been working on a project, little by little. My office/scrap studio. Since I work from home, I spend a lot of time in this room. For over a year now it has been in limbo. Not quite an office . . .not quite a scrap haven . . .but more of a "catch all" for our family clutter. NO MORE, I TELL YOU!

While my mom was visiting last week, I put on my "Mr. Clean" gear, white t-shirt, shaved my head and started the cleaning process (okay, I didn't shave my head, but Mr. Clean does have a great look :). I was determined to get everything organized and make this space a great one for me to work and play. I saw the light at the end of the tunnel 2 days ago and I wish I had taken a "before" pic of this room. Fortunately, I found a pic online that is quite similar to the situation I was in:


Now, this room was actually a little more organized than mine and it didn't have laundry and baby furniture - so I give kudos this person for being one level cleaner than me!

Anyway, last night I took pics of the NEW office/scrap studio. It is not yet finished, but it is pretty darn close:

And with that behind me, I was able to scrap some last night for the first time in a LOOOOOONG time. Here's the layout for Brice's 3rd birthday photos:

I found things this past week that I forgotten even existed! Memories, photos, certificates, articles, and all kinds of "treasures." It's amazing how productive you can be when you get rid of some clutter. Sometimes I need to clean out some "life" and "habit" closets and organize things so that I can be who God is calling me to be and be the wife and mother I am meant to be.

Now, to keep it clean is a whole different ballgame. It takes that "daily sweep" to ensure that our lives don't get cluttered once again. All it takes is one item at a time to add up and take us back to that dark and scary place where we can't move, can't really function as the Lord would have us to. I didn't like that place and I don't plan on going back. I am enjoying the freedom to move, be creative and enjoy my work once again. This is how it's supposed to be. Now . . .I better go sweep!

Crush is ALIVE!

This morning has been a great one. Today is Brice's birthday and last night I put on my "chef's hat" and made some cupcakes for his party at the daycare today. No. I don't really have a chef's hat, but it would be cool. I'm not a baker either, but Betty Crocker and I can make some fantastic teamwork :)

So, this morning I send B and B off to work and daycare with cupcakes in tow. Brice knows he is having yet another party today and is yelling "I'm so excited, I'm so excited!" He will have sugar withdrawals for the next couple of days from all this birthday partying!

After they left I was having my quiet time and doing my normal morning routine when I threw back the curtains to let some sunlight in and there was CRUSH!

Let me give you a little backstory on Crush. Crush is our next door neighbor. He lives in the lot next to ours and he comes out a couple times each week to eat and stretch his legs, get water and let us know he's still there. He and I chat sometimes, but his is more of a "hiss". He has been getting more and more comfortable with us, but we give him his space. He is a protected turtle and no one can do anything to that lot while he is living there. We like to think of Crush as one of our family members.

Soooo. Last week, I was driving home on a road near our house and saw a turtle that had been killed in the road. Immediately my heart sank, because it was close to our house and I was afraid that it might be Crush. I had Brice in the car, so I didn't say anything and just went home, all the while hoping he would come out at anytime and show himself. For a week . . .no sign of Crush. I was beginning to believe that he was gone. It was sad for me, because I had become a big fan of his and enjoyed watching him stroll around our back yard. . .letting himself in and out of our fence.

But this morning I was overjoyed to see him in the back yard! I ran out with the camera and he, ofcourse is hissing and kind of cranky. So I perch myself and just start talking with him and he starts walking toward me! Now my first thought was "is this his attack mode?" Turtles are not very fast, but Crush works out, I think, because he can run. This wasn't a run, though. He was just casually walking toward me, as if he WANTED his picture taken. We had a little photo session and I told him how glad I was that he was back and to stay away from the roads!

Now, having a turtle next door and a family of bunnies in the lot behind us, you would think we were living on "Old Macdonald's Farm." There are animals that I am a little fearful of, but it amazes me how the turtle next door has made me appreciative of God's creatures. To think that each animal was created with intricate detail and loving care is wonderful, but how much more wonderful were we created!

I look at the details on Crush's shell and wonder what caused this scar and that scratch. Crush cannot hide those things and no matter how hard we try, neither can we. The Lord knows my scars and sees those scratches, but I am His creation, made with love and created to worship Him. So when I look at Crush, I give thanks to the Lord for He knows us inside and out and He alone knows how to heal those wounds and buff those scratches for His glory and purpose.

Grandma's On the Plane

Today Grandma had to go back home and was trying to explain to Brice, her "Number One Fan" this morning that she was getting on a plane later on. Brice was not having any of that. He kept telling her "no - - you don't get on the plane, Grandma. You stay here." Eventually, Brice left for daycare, all the while thinking that Grandma would be waiting for him when he got home.

Brice is now starting to put things together as he is growing and learning and that's great in so many ways, but it makes things tough when you have to explain "sad" topics to him - like his Grandma leaving. He will come home today, as he always does when Grandma has left and he will search every room, calling her name. He will yell for her and ask several times where she is. He will then ask if he can get on a plane (which I think is hilarious.) But then He will realize that she is gone. He will be sad and so will I. We love having Grandma around. She makes us laugh and it's especially nice for me to have someone at home while I am here. We have gotten so close and it's hard living so far away.

I think about the years I spent as a "know it all" teenager and fought with my mom all the time. I would give anything to go back and change that, but I can't and all I can do now is let her know how much I love her and cherish the times that we do have together. Billy and I moved away from our families 2 weeks after we got married (11 years ago this month) and it was tough, but we had to learn how to function and depend solely on the Lord. It's amazing to look back and see how God prepares you for the journey ahead.

God has not called us back to live near our families and sometimes I struggle with that, but I know that I would never be happy if I was not in the center of His will. His will is for me to be here and be used here right now. In His will alone is comfort, peace and joy. And that's where I want to be. Our families are respectful and supportive of our calling and we are grateful for that.

Thanks mom, for being a best friend, grandma and burning up those airways as much as you can. We love you!

Birthday Boy

My baby will turn 3 years old on Tuesday, but we had a "pre-birthday" celebration for him today at the house. We invited several of his friends and had cake, ice cream, games and a special surprise from some of his local heroes. He had a blast and we did too.

It was great to see him open his gifts because this was the first time he didn't need any help doing that. It was bittersweet. No more does he need Mommy to help tear the paper - nope. He's a big boy now. He had no trouble ripping into those gifts! His favorite phrase is "I got this Mommy . . .I got this."

Our birthday theme was "Scooby Doo" and we had the masks, the cake, the decorations, the plates, the napkins - and on, and on and on. We were even playing the Scooby Doo movie in the background. The masks were so cute. Daddy even got to wear one.

It was too hot to play outside, so the majority of the play was in Brice's room. He shared all his toys and was a great host to his friends. Mommy was extremely proud!

All in all, it was a fun time for everyone. June sure is a busy month for our family. Brice's birthday is June 10. Billy's birthday is June 20. And our anniversary is June 28. That's a lot to celebrate in June. I better to get to work on birthday number 2!

Step and Play

Don't freak out. That is not a picture of Brice. That is a happy child on the "step and play" activity station :)

So. Today was "clean out the garage and pretend to like it" day.

After rehearsal I stopped by Subway to get sandwiches for everyone. Mom is here this weekend for Brice's birthday party and I wanted to make lunch easy for everyone. So I am leaving Subway and I see a familiar object in the back of a pickup truck. It's Brice's old "step and play" piano station. No, it wasn't stollen. Billy had given a lot of the Brice's baby items to the Girl Scouts for their yard sale today. I was fine with that and thought I could handle it. WRONG.

I see the "step and play" in the back of the truck and think, "wow, it really is gone. No big deal, you are fine, just pull away from their vehicle." WRONG AGAIN. They were in front of me now, and they were going the same direction, same road, same "step and play" throwing memories at me all the way to the turn off for our house. As I followed that "step and play," I remembered all the fun Brice had playing in that little contraption and how he started moving to music more and more with that little education station. Then I was a blubbering mess.

Well, I get to the house, I walk in to my family who is wondering what terrible thing has happened because I am crying these crocodile tears. I explain how sad I am that one of Brice's cherished toys is flying down the highway and we will never see it again. My sweet husband says. "just think about the child who gets to learn and have fun with it now." I know. That is the "point." Who knows what the "step and play" will teach it's new owner ?!

Sometimes I try to hang on to "things" that I think will help me remember and hold on to the past, when in reality, I end up missing out on what's right in front of me.

Don't get me wrong. It's good to remember and cherish our past. It's also good to take advantage of the here and now. Tomorrow may never come, and this moment is all we have. I think I will "step and play" a little more today with someone special who's about to be 3!

2 Flat Tires

Today we had a great worship experience and it is such a humbling experience to lead in worship. The message today was about "unbelief" and how our beliefs will be shown through our actions. It's one thing to praise the Lord in the company of his people on Sunday, but what do we do when we leave the service and have "2 flat tires?" How do we respond to the Lord then - with praise or disgust?

Well, my "2 flat tires" came in the form of what was a very scary situation after lunch. Our family had just eaten lunch out at our fav mexican restaurant and I had to get some groceries for the youth dinner tonight. After the grocery run, I am at home putting everything together, when the phone rings. Disgusted because I see "private number", I think that it's a sales call and I reluctantly answer the phone. "Mam, my name is ------- and I have your wallet." At once the color left my face and he began to explain further "I found it beside an overturned shopping cart in the grocery store parking lot. Would you like to meet me and get it?" Ofcourse, I said yes and hopped in the car going frankly a little faster than I should have, all the while thinking - will there be anything left in that wallet? Will I have time to notify all the credit and banking places in time before someone uses my cards?

I arrive to meet the gentleman, who was there with another man and they handed me the wallet. I opened it and all of my receipts and cash were gone. They said that it was laying open, and they picked up everything they could and put it back. I over and over said "thank you" and in the haste of the moment didn't get their address or phone number (it came up private when they called) and I got back in my car shaking. As I opened the wallet I was frantically going through every part of it to see what was missing. Only the receipts and a small amount of cash were gone - and that I believe was from the wind that had been quite gusty this afternoon. I was overwhelmed. All cards and checks were there. Then came the tears. I kept crying out to the Lord in thanks for sending those angels that had picked up my wallet.

Lots of things were learned today. This could be several blogs on "learning", but one in particular is when that phone rings - it may be a miracle of the Lord on the other end - so answer the phone, Jenn!

Out of Jail

Yes. That's right. I am now out of internet prison. For the past 20 months we have been connecting to the internet via satellite. We had to get satellite internet because we live in the nether regions of our beautiful state. You can't google our address. You won't get directions. That's right. It's kind of scary.
Anyway, because we were on satellite internet we were limited to our download capacity (music, photos, video, etc.) Once you go over your limit, the cyber police shut you down to a speed that is slower than dial up. Basically I can deliver messages in person by the time my internet connects to the site.
Do you know what kind of happy dancing took place when I found out DSL was available in our neighborhood?! As of today we are hooked up and there's no limits on the download capacity. FREEDOM!
Now, that seems so petty, doesn't it. What did we do before the internet? Cell phones? I have ultimately become dependent on these things for work and play and when I can't get something done, it's as if my whole world is out of kilter. Now, what if I applied that premise to my time or lack thereof with the Lord? When I don't connect as I always should. My whole world is out of kilter. Makes sense. There's no limit to the download capacity with the Lord - and He alone has set me free. Now's the time for a true happy dance :)

Like a Daughter

I had lunch with someone yesterday who has been like a daughter to me ever since I have known her. She is a special woman of God who came into my life through music ministry while she was in middle school. Little did I know when I first met her just what the Lord had planned!
"Ladee" as she is affectionately called, started playing in our worship band at my former church on the congas. Billy liked to call her "Babbaloo" (from the I Love Lucy show) and so that nickname stuck also. Ladee was not only gifted musically, but could make me laugh and I knew right away that with her talents she would make a great intern. She was hired and we served together at my former church. It was quite hilarious at times, but she kept me somewhat organized (I tend to mess things up) and revealed that she had gifts in areas I was unaware. Ladee blossomed into a great leader and set an example for her peers in not only her work, but in life. When she graduated from high school I knew she was going off to the next chapter in her life and was so proud of her for the woman of God she was continuing to become. I was also sad that she was leaving because I had become so dependent on her as an intern and to help me keep my sanity :) She has also been the BEST babysitter EVER!
After leaving for college we have kept in touch and had lunch whenever she's in town. I have been honored to know her and see just how God is shaping her life and challenging her - for her testimony challenges me. That's how we should relate to each other in Christ. We help each other grow.
Lunch yesterday with Ladee was a lot of fun. Ladee is leaving today to go and serve in another part of the country in youth missions. She is going to be used and emptied out for the Lord and it just amazes me that I have had the privilege of being a part of her life. This summer is going to be one of stretching and growth for her and I am proud of the stand that she is making for the Lord. I am also challenged in my own walk as her life and testimony speaks to my heart.
There are people that will come across our paths and they are only there for a short time because the Lord moves them on to other places. But the impact of that short time will stay with us forever. I have no idea what the Lord has in store for Ladee, but I am thankful for all that she has taught me and the example of Christ that she has been to me.

Memorial Day to Remember

This past weekend was a great one. We had some good family time and decided to purchase Brice's birthday gift while we were out on Saturday doing some shopping. He has wanted a "ride-on" battery powered vehicle and so we thought we would try to find one that didn't require a regular "car payment" to purchase. We went to ToysRus and I was shocked to find out how much these little vehicles cost! Who wants to pay $300 for a ride on car? Ouch. However, at the very end of the little people vehicle line-up, there was the cutest and yet rather large fire engine that was on clearance. EXCELLENT! It had the same size battery and speed as the other higher priced ones, but THIS one had a working water hose!!! We will probably regret that later. So, we purchased it, but didn't have the truck with us to haul it.

Trip #2 was on Monday to pick up the fire engine, while not letting Brice see it (he was in the truck with us :) So, the wonderful people at ToysRus loaded the large box item into our truck and we were on our merry way. We had not really taken time to remember the significance of Memorial day, except for the time that was set aside in our service on Sunday. I was completely taken back when out of the blue on the way home Brice starts reciting the Pledge of Allegiance! I did not know that he knew it and once he recited the pledge in it's entirety, Billy and I looked at each other in amazement. Brice had brought the day back into the right perspective for us. Amazing how children do that. My son was so proud of himself for saying it out loud. Little did he know that the Lord used his new found learning to strike the chords of his parents hearts in remembrance for those that have given their lives for our freedom. Brice just kept repeating the last phrase "and liberty and justice for all." I am thankful for my country and for the freedom I have to serve and worship the God of all creation. What a blessing.

Java!

There are some things about our little town that drive me nuts. For instance - you have to drive 40 minutes (and that's quite a bit over the speed limit - oops!) to get to the nearest Target, Wal-Mart, or major form of civilization. Our little town is tucked away from the east coast and the west coast in a nice, quiet little area. Even though it is uncomfortably small, there are also some really great things about it. My favorite place is our little coffee shop. It is the nicest place with the best coffee and free wifi. I know - it's the little things that get me excited. But when I am in between meetings, our coffee shop is the best place to hang out, get some work done and have some "java" in the process!
Speaking of coffee. I think I have ordered too much because now Brice is asking for a "skinny mocha" everywhere we go. DON'T WORRY! He doesn't drink coffee, he just hears me order it a lot.
Another first from my precious little monkey is that he said "I love you" when I was kissing him goodbye at the daycare the other day. Now this is not the first time he has said it, but it is the first time he said it FIRST. I always tell him "I love you" - well, a lot, actually, but he always says it after I do. This initiation on his part (even though he doesn't understand it yet) brought tears to my eyes. Cue the kleenex!
Well, I have gotta run - my coffee's ready. Ahhhhh........

Things I NEED to Remember . . .

This whole posting thing is new for me. Why am I doing this? There are things I need to remember and I am terribly unorganized. This is a good way to put them down and let cyberspace help me keep them organized. Scary, but true.

Brice had his first "tearful movie moment" last Sunday morning and I swore that I had to mark the date down and remember it. He was watching "Free Willy 2" while we were getting ready for church and I was sitting with him, putting his shoes on when the movie hit it's tear-jerker climax. Willy had just rescued his best pal (don't remember his name, sorry) and now Willy had to go to safer waters. Willy was saying goodbye. CUE THE CRYING. Brice had tears streaming down his face when I looked at him. Immediately I began crying - because ofcourse I felt his pain and it really doesn't take much to make me cry. Everyone who knows me, knows that.

Anyway, Brice looks at me and asks me "Mommy, why did Willy leave? Will Willy come back?" Cue the tears. Get the Kleenex. I tried to explain as simple as I could that Willy had to go to a place where he would be safe and that maybe one day he could come back. Cue Billy's entrance. Brice sees Billy and runs out of the room. He was embarrassed that His dad saw him crying. WOW. I so didn't see that coming. After some time of comfort and hugs, Brice was okay and we determined that it was best for us not to see "Willy" for awhile.

Brice will be 3 in June and he's growing so fast I can't believe it. He's understanding more and more now and that's quite overwhelming for me, but exciting at the same time. We have no idea what's around the bend, but we know WHO is guiding us around that bend and I am thankful for each step of the way.