Career Change!!!

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11

It was two years ago this summer, that a dear friend of mine approached me with the words, "you may want to consider where God is calling you..."  I remember giggling and saying, "Ha...I have, He has called me to teaching."  I've wanted to be a teacher ever since I was in first grade!  I've ALWAYS known what my life would look like.  The good Lord must have gotten a good laugh with that one!!! He's been knocking on my door ever since!

In January 2010, the seed that had been planted the summer before, was beginning to take root.  A part time children's ministry position at my church had opened.  I accepted this position and began working on Sunday mornings.  By March I had been offered the possibility of more hours at the church, beginning that summer.  Therefore, I decided to take a half time sabbatical from my teaching position to seek the ministry field.  This past fall, I went part-time, teaching morning kindergarten AND part-time in Children's Ministry at Sonrise.  I was so excited about the opportunities that layahead.  However, last August, my hours at the church were increased from 10 to 25 hours per week.  Although I was technically part-time in two places, I was really doing two full time jobs at one time.  By November, it was obvious to my family that I just simply couldn't keep up with both positions AND maintain being a healthy mom and wife. 

My faith muscles were stretched greatly during this season.  I was in deep prayer for several weeks and truly  felt God calling me to ministry.  Although I felt the calling, the peace wasn't evident...the timing just didn't seem right for several reasons.  I began to really struggle though...why would God open this door to close it so quickly?!?!?!?!  My heart was broken when I resigned my position in Children's Ministry at Sonrise in December of 2010.  Many people people had told me that if God was truly calling me to ministry, He would open another door.  So, I began to dive back into teaching and focusing on my health issues.  My God was in control the entire time...why did I doubt Him?????  Sheesh!!!  My great God knew that I needed these past several months to focus on my health concerns and get things under control.  My great God knew that I was going to be taking care of my son whom would be quite sick.  My great God also knew that my husband would be leaving for six weeks and that I just simply would not have been able to hold things together if I would have been working full time then.  Wow...I am the child of a Great God!!!

So, here we are...present day.  A few weeks ago, I receive a surprise email from a friend that his church was in need of a full time Children's Pastor.  My first reaction was nope...I can't open my heart up that way again but as the days went on, the Holy Spirit began working on me again.  There were so many things that were falling in place this time.  I felt that the Lord was just hitting me over the head with a big 2X4 board!!!  The sermon yesterday, "When God calls you to ministry, Just Do It!"  So, I HAVE!!!!  I resigned my teaching position of 15 years this morning.  I feel complete peace with this decision.  I then signed my new employee agreement with Emmanuel Community Church this afternoon in Children's Ministry.  My heart is happy... I'm honored and blessed to be invited to work alongside this team of pastors. 

As Jesus was going down the road, he saw Matthew sitting at his tax-collection booth.  "Come, be my disciple." Jesus said to him.  So Matthew got up and followed him.
Matthew 9:9

Just think! Though I did nothing to deserve it, and though I am the least deserving Christian there is, I was chosen for this special joy of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ.
Ephesians 3:8

Dear Lord, I'm drawing on Your power and faithfully accepting this special role that You have placed in my path...amen

Top 10 Reasons Why Camp Lakewood ROCKS!!!

10. Camp Food...Oh my golly...SOOOO tasty!!!

9. Cabins...the bunk beds were a huge hit!  Taking ownership in their cabin title...Braydon was a Silly Squirrel and Bryce was a Turbo Turtle.

8. Horizontal Hour...Ahhhhh!  The counselors favorite hour...hee-hee!  Mail is passed out to the campers and time is given to relax or sleep QUIETLY!


7. Friendships...bonds are made that will impact these kids for life.

Turbo Turtles!

Whisper Chime during crafts

6. Discovery Time...I had SO much fun teaching the Bible story each day .  I was filled with passion and joy every morning to tap into the hearts of the campers.

Gideon's Army...

5. Godly Environment...the wilderness and lake are beautiful!

One morning I saw a family of deer...Gorgeous!

4. AMAZING Activities...opportunities that put the campers out of their comfort zone...adding an element of fear that had them leaning on the Lord for strength!!!  The Blob, Mammoth Swing, Zipline, and Tubing were the most scary, yet the most exhilarating!!!

Mammoth Swing!

The Blob!

Archery!

3.  The Counselors...I was honored to work along side this team!  The unity that was evident put me to tears...these counselors were truly the hands and feet of Jesus this week...God is smiling on each of them!

2. Worship at Vesper Hill...campfire...soft guitar...large wooden cross watching over us...campers hands in the air worshiping...hands folded and eyes tight, in complete prayer...BEAUTIFUL! 

1. Witnessing Campers accept Jesus Christ as their Forever Friend...quite possibly the most beautiful experience!!!

Reflections of Camp!!!

It is the morning after church camp and my heart is full!  As I am relaxing, yes relaxing on the couch, I am reflecting on my week of camp with 99, 3rd-5th grade campers.  We conquered SO much in the hearts of these children this week.  We had kiddos asking Jesus to be their forever friend by Wednesday!!!  On Friday, I had campers continually coming up to me and sharing the good news that they accepted Jesus in their hearts!  The joy that came from witnessing these testimonies was glorious!!!!

I am on such a spiritual high...the Holy Spirit was truly evident this week!  I am now more passionate than ever to jump into the ministry field...the Lord has placed a calling in my life...I am ready, truly ready...yes, my heart is happy and rejoicing...yes, I declare this morning that I too, recommitted my heart to Jesus this week...not only does He have my heart but I've asked Him to pave the path for me...equip me in the days to come...I LOVE YOU, JESUS!  YOU are MY forever friend!!! 

Off To Camp!

The big week is here!!!  My two big boys are experiencing church camp this week.  Last year was the first time that I had a child go away for several days for any type of camp.  I wasn't worried about Braydon because I knew that I would be attending camp as well.  I was intentional to not stand over his shoulder all the time...I wanted him to truly experience church camp without his mom hanging around.  However, their was one thing that truly unnerved me...his clothes!!!  LOL!  I spent so much time organizing his clothes while packing for him.  I had each outfit folded together and undergarments were placed within the clothes for each day.  Although I spent all this time organizing his bag, he not once wore an outfit that I had put together...geez!!!  The camp does a night of Messy Games and the kids are to wear older clothes because of the stains that will take place from this night of fun.  Braydon walked into the area of Messy Games with one of his nicest outfits...ugh!!!

I tried something different this year while packing and it has been a huge success!!!  I put each days clothes in a Ziploc bag and labeled each bag.  I even wrote the boys a note and slid it into each baggie.  A little lovin' from mom to get them going in the morning!  I also made a bag for the shower so that all they would have to do is grab their towel and the shower baggie.  Last year my campers would try to carry everything to the bath house and inevitably someone would loose something EVERY night!  I also made a swim bag for each of them that had sunscreen, bathing suit, and beach towel in one of those pull string satchel bags that we have.  So far, every day that I've seen my kids this week, they've had the right clothes on, been carrying their shower baggie, and have had the swim bag with them!!!  I'm pumped...so far this system is working!   I even think my boys were pleased with this organization.  It was so much easier to pull out a baggie every morning than rummage through their bag. 

My boys are having a blast at camp right now!!!  They are connecting with God and becoming stronger in their own faith walk.  I am truly grateful to all the counselors and directors that are investing in my children this week.  I plan to write each of the counselors that are investing in my boys, a letter of thanks and gratitude, before the end of the week.  I LOVE CAMP LAKEWOOD!!!

Making Difficult Decisions

Jeff and I have been blessed with a difficult decision.  Yes, you read that right...BLESSED with a Difficult Decision.  This decision has stretched my Trust Muscles and my faith.  It has caused me to jump out of my comfort zone and seek God's will.  This decision has blessed my marriage by providing LOTS of  communication between Jeff and I!  I've treasured our many conversations during the past several weeks.  I have been seeking direction from my husband, my family, and my friends.  Last week at the lake, I sought wisdom from the greatest place possible...the BIBLE!  Here is what I stumbled across when making a difficult decision...

1 Samuel 8:19-22  New Living Translation (NLT)

 ¹⁹ But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said. ²⁰ “We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.”
 ²¹ So Samuel repeated to the Lord what the people had said,   ²² and the Lord replied, “Do as they say, and give them a king.” Then Samuel agreed and sent the people home.

Life Application...
Samuel carefully explained all the negative consequences of having a king, but the Israelites refused to listen.  When you have an important decision to make, weight the positives and negatives carefully, considering EVERYONE who might be affected by your choice.  When you want something badly enough, it is difficult to see the potential problems.  But don't discount the negatives.  Unless you have a plan to handle each one, they will cause you great difficulty later. 

So, this got me thinking and I created a plan of action for our family decision...I made a list of all the negatives that would affect everyone in our family.  Then, I had Jeff read over the list and he added three additional negatives.  At first the list seemed so overwhelming but we are now working together to complete the action plan.  I can see how the result of this decision could have failed us if we didn't have these solutions in place.  Although this decision will drastically change our family, I feel so much peace that we have prayed and sought out God's Will in this.  I am walking with a pep in my step these days!  Now just waiting on God's timing for this to be all pieced together!   

Have you ever had a difficult decision to answer?  I'm certain that this will not be the last time in my life that a decision will be put in front of me.  I'm thankful that I have an action plan in place and actually look forward to the day that God calls upon my heart again.

Banana Boat Dessert!

Found this fun, EASY recipe in the Family Fun magazine yesterday.  Rylan had my niece over for a playdate and she stayed for dinner too.  I decided to try these Choco-Banana Boats out for dessert...oh so tasty!!! 

Monkeying Around...banana smiles :)

Strategically placing as many chocolate chips and marshmallows as possible!!!

Yummy!!!

Love the smiles...Ry and Lizzy are best pals :)

Bryce and Braydon

Thought I'd share the recipe for some family fun on your grill :)

Choco-Banana Boats...
Cut a slit in a peeled banana.  Stuff in as many chocolate chips and mini marshmallows as you can fit!  Wrap the foil around the banana and place it on a grill for about 5 minutes.  Best eaten with a spoon and lots of napkins.  Caution...lots of smiles and silliness!!!

Table Talk!

Every night at dinner, our family enjoys wonderful communication at the dinner table.  Our Pastor gave us this little family tool during a sermon of his and oh, how this little nugget has blessed our family!  Once everyone is situated with food, someone...usually Braydon or Jeff...will ask "What was the best part of your day and the worst part of your day?"  This simple question prompts an entire meal of meaningful conversations within our family.  I look forward to this every night!  This helps us as parents find the things needed to pray with our children about and it also helps me keep connected with my sweet hubby.  I'm just as excited to hear about his day as I am about the kids!  We find ourselves playing this little game in more ways than one...we will ask this question after a special day...such as the zoo, what was your favorite animal and your least favorite?  Last night Jeff asked, "What was your favorite thing from being at the lake and your least favorite?"

Rylan -Getting Blue Ice Cream From The Humpty Dumpty Shop!!!  I wanted to go home a lot :(
Bryce - Making Smores and Catching Fireflies!  My ear infection was the worst!
Braydon - Having My 2 Friends, Tommy & Tyler Up To The Lake!  My worst was not catching a fish! (He was SO patient!  This was Braydon's first time REALLY getting into fishing :)  He did catch a fish but it fell off the hook as he was pulling it up...such a bummer!)
Jeff - That His Mom Enjoyed A Day At The Lake Too and Watching Fireworks On The Boat In The Middle Of The Lake!!!  He didn't like the uncomfortable bed...LOL!!!!
Shandra - Making Memories With My Family and Shopping At the Shipshewana Flea Market with My Bestie!!!  I didn't like the mosquitoes and the heat...ugh!

Special 4th of July Tootsie Pops on the boat while waiting for the fireworks!!!

Having S'More Fun!

 

 

 

 

Jeff showing Braydon the trait of fishing! 

The possibilities are endless with this intentional Table Talk...Try it!!!  I hope that your family will be as blessed as mine with this little parenting tool :) 

Thank you Pastor Stan for impacting my family in more ways than you know!

Medical Results...FINALLY!!!!

I've been looking forward to this day for several months....I rushed home from the lake to get to my neurology appointment this afternoon.  The doctor looked at the MRI of my brain from last week and NO MS (Multiple Sclerosis)...Yahoo!!!!!  Every time the docs have ruled out all the biggies, I begin to breathe again!!!  They've ruled out so many scary things.  However, the neurologist then pulled up the MRI from my neck and yikes...it didn't look so swell.  I have a degenerative disc at the C-6/7 location in the upper cervical section of my upper back/neck.  The doc says, "How old are you?"  When I told him I'm only 36, he gave me that "not so good" look :(  I'm awfully young for this type of arthritis damage...so what do we do to fix this?????  I'm having another MRI of my lower back tomorrow morning and an X-ray of my knees to see how bad the osteoarthritis is there as well.  The neurologist has referred me to a neurosurgeon but I'm seeing my physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor on Monday morning.  I'm pretty certain that he will suggest physical therapy and possibly injections to my spine to prolong surgery as long as possible.

Although the thought of working on my spine, scares the bejeebers out of me, I have such a feeling of relief!  I'm SO very thankful that I FINALLY have an answer to ALL my symptoms and that there is a real reason for my pain...I'm really not going crazy and this isn't really in my head!!!  I was amazed at all the symptoms that are related to this...

Spinal damage toward the neck causes interrupted blood supply to the brain resulting in headaches, vertigo and worsened cognitive abilities and memory.  Causes numbness and tingling in the shoulders, arms, hands, and legs.  Causes severe pain, numbness and tingling to the back.  Get this, the spinal damage has even caused problems with my bladder!!!  I had no idea that these were related!!!  The spine pretty much affects everything!

I am truly grateful that the Lord heard my cry for answers and that He did His mighty works through the hands of so many doctors!  I have answers...Yahoo!!!  Of everything that has been laid in front of me over the past four months, this diagnosis is an answer to prayer!!  My thyroid meds have given me life again with my energy level...now I'm looking forward to gaining momentum in my physical abilities...God is so very Good!!! 

God is my hope...my strength...He's everything I need!!!

"Trust the Lord with all your heart" Proverbs 3:5