It Happens Fast!

I've been overwhelmed lately on Facebook--watching your babies grow!  I've watched pregnancies blossom into these tiny precious babies and have enjoyed your growing baby photos.  And then the next day, that baby is three years old!  How does that happen so quickly?  

I know while you're in the baby stage, you think it will never end.  My kids, Zach & Shanna, are experiencing a sick baby who doesn't want to sleep and is fussy and I know they're so overwhelmed!  (Prayers appreciated!)  And you absolutely think there is no light at the end of the tunnel when you're taking care of sick babies, changing diapers, and dealing with clingy toddlers.  But there is.

Toddler days turn into school years.  And one thing we noticed while Andy was in youth ministry (before our own kids reached this point), once your kids hit middle school--watch out!!  It snowballs and will be over in the blink of an eye.

So what's the advice of this grandmother?  Know what your true treasure is. Investing in your family is the greatest investment you'll ever make.  I promise.  ENJOY the stage you're at right now.  Be intentional.  Make time for your family. You're the only one who can purpose to have family time and to have dinner together.  Talk.  Find out what your children's dreams are, how they think, who they like, what their struggles are.  Encourage their giftings--just not at the expense of the family.  I can't say it enough--don't overschedule their lives!!!  Leave room for play, imagination, REST, and especially time for your family to interact.  Their lives won't end if they're not involved in every sport.  It's good to learn how to make those kinds of choices while they're under your roof because the rest of their lives will be filled with choices!

I know it's hard to have perspective when you're in the middle of child rearing.  But it's over in a moment.  Invest in your true treasure.

My Kids

Matt, Amy, David & Zach

I have the best kids in the world.  I'm dead serious.  I recently read an article about PK's (preacher's kids) that rocked my world.  I responded to that article by asking my four kids how it affected them being raised as PK's.  (The comments by PK's after the article will break your heart!) 

They could relate to the points in the article.  Of course, there were some negatives...church is made up of people, after all.  (Me included.)  But in their responses to me, the reoccurring theme was the positive influence of the authentic people who were a part of our lives.  People who allowed mistakes and graced us.  People who lived honestly in front of us.  People who prayed with us and for us.  Passionate people.  People who gave.  People who could laugh and help us not take ourselves so seriously.  They lived authentically in every way.  I praise God for those people who helped define my children.

And how I pray for those who are raising the next generation of PK's (which include some of my own.)!  May they be as blessed.  

It's a wonderful thing when your adult children become your friends and your best source of encouragement.  I am blessed.

Prayer Partners

Jodina & Liz

I have had so many amazing women who have invested in my life.  But these two women have been the ones who have been there consistently for the past 18 years.  EIGHTEEN YEARS!  I met Jodina through her sisters (she has three) and Liz through her daughters (she has three).  Jodina's sister, Evelyn, was the one of the first friends I met when I moved to Borger 26 years ago.  And Liz's daughter, Hailee, was the first young person I met when I moved to Borger 26 years ago.  (Andy was a youth minister then.)  In fact, Liz's family joined First Baptist Church Borger the same day we did.

Another of Jodina's sisters, Tere, invited us all to begin praying together.  At first, we met to pray for crisis matters.  But there was so much need in all of our lives, we knew we needed to begin praying together on a regular basis.  So we began meeting every Tuesday & Thursday morning at 5:30 to pray for two hours before we had to get home and get kids off to school.  And we did it every single week.  There were several of us and it changed a few times.  But eventually everyone moved or was unable to come for one reason or another until it was just Jodina, Liz & I meeting to pray.  And as our families changed, our times changed.  Soon, we were meeting on Tuesday mornings at 7:30 and praying until 9.  We've done it for years.  We have seen God do so many amazing things!  We've prayed for ourselves, our husbands, our children, our church, our friends, sick people, hurting people, our country, Israel...too many things to remember.  Except that we've journaled it all.  (And often said we wish we'd had a camera rolling to remember the amazing and exciting things God has taught us!)  We've whooped and hollered, we've grieved and wailed, we've danced and fallen on our faces.  And the thing that we've smiled and talked about time and again is this verse: Malachi 3:16, "Then those who feared the Lord talked often one to another; and the Lord listened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who reverenced and worshipfully feared the Lord and who thought on His name."  We can't wait to get to heaven and see that book of remembrance.

And then I moved.  I'm not sure where we go from here.  I hope to still meet these sisters and pray together.  But I'm also hoping to take my turn and invest in some others.  If you don't have a prayer partner, I hope God gives you one.  I am a rich woman because so many others invested in me.  

Life's Adjustments

Yesterday, we finished our move to Groom.  YEA!!  We're so ready to be "all here" and get involved in our new community.  I won't lie...the journey has been difficult at times.  There are so many adjustments to make.  For instance, I couldn't even sleep the first week I was here--it was too quiet!  Yep...you heard me right....too quiet!  No traffic, no sirens...nothing but peace and quiet.  It's an adjustment I think I'll make quite easily, but it's an adjustment.  And did I tell you how bright the stars are in Groom??  AND...we're in the geese flight pattern!  It's amazing to hear a flock fly by honking!

We went to Borger yesterday and moved everything out of our storage unit and Andy swept it out.  Done!

The parsonage has a small basement.  I decided it was the perfect place to put our boxes of decorations so I could go through it at leisure and put things where they go.

We're so grateful for these shelving units!  When I worked at Living Water, I had to order some for that ministry.  So while I was at it, we bought some for ourselves.  They hold a LOT!  And even though it looks nice and neat, each box represents work.

These are boxes I have to go through--I still haven't found my coffee pot.

And more dishes to put up.

And trying to figure out if these curtains are washable.  Ugh.  So much stuff to wash to get rid of dust!

And pictures to hang!!  I have nothing on my walls yet. 

Even though Andy & I are very excited to be in Groom, it's been tough to leave Borger--a place where we've lived for 25 years--and where our kids grew up.  (I'm so grateful for the deep friendships we have there.  The good news is, we only live 40 minutes from Borger and can see our friends often!) God so gently and very sweetly told me one day as I sat in my new living room that I would soon be making new memories in our new home.  And wah-lah!  Within a few days, my whole family was here and we celebrated New Year's Eve together.  I didn't realize at the time how significant that was.  A new place, new memories, new ministry--on the crest of a new year.  God is so faithful!

It's been a year since Andy & I lived alone.  So we're adjusting to being alone again.  At the beginning of 2013, our daughter-in-law and two granddaughters moved in with us while Matt worked on their home.  What a sweet time--building memories with those two girls!  Priceless!  And then in March, we sold our home to our son, David & his wife, Lindsey.  So as Lisa and the girls moved out, David & Lindsey moved in and we moved to the basement and lived with our kids until we knew what we were doing.  That took 9 months...long enough to birth a new ministry.  And again, we built memories with that family.  It's a time I will always cherish.  It was much harder to leave them than I ever imagined.  

Change can be difficult.  But living things change and grow.  The thought that keeps going through my mind is that I could have gone my whole life and not known the people in Groom.  But my life is going to be richer because of friendships I've made/will make here.  And how exciting to get to heaven and already know the people from Groom!

Andy & I are making the adjustments.  It's been an emotional roller coaster and we're being stretched.  But God has transplanted us and I'm a girl who loves roots--deep roots.  And I'm believing God has put us in fertile soil where those roots will spread, go down deep, and grow.  I can't wait to live this new life!  

(And I keep seeing people driving golf carts in Groom!  I WANT ONE!)

The New Year with Family

Jay & Amy decided to come see us in Groom and spend a few days.  We were so excited!  It's been so amazing to have our kids involved in our move and wanting to check out our new home--it's helped the transition and just given us a big "hug" in the process.

So last Saturday, we had some great help from family and new friends and went to the storage building in Borger to move our (HEAVY) furniture.  

The Bowens

We didn't even have a place for people to sit at our house--much less sleep there!  We couldn't have made the move without the help of Matt, the Bowens & the Langfords--what a sacrifice!!

When the Wright family got here, we gave them the tour of Groom and went to the gift shop at the cross.  It was my first time there as well and we were all very impressed.  They are standing in front of the frozen fountain here.

It was too cold to spend time outside, but we caught this quick photo!

And we made our way to Dairy Queen--one of the two restaurants in Groom.  Olivia especially liked the ice cream--with her fries.

I've always kept lots of dress-up clothes for the grandkids and we FOUND THAT BOX!  I think Olivia probably changed clothes 100 times while she was here.

On Tuesday, the rest of our family came over.  Addie & Olivia played dress-up together...

...while the boys watched The Lone Ranger.  (Dax, the two-year-old, wanted to come watch and these three warned me it was too violent for him.)  And it was obviously violent because the boys acted it out the rest of the afternoon.

The kids eating lunch.

Shanna tried to eat lunch and all of the munchkins attacked!

Gus riding in the car while keeping his left arm out the window the whole time.

Hadassah taking her baby on a ride.

Gus sitting with Aunt Lala and petting Betsy.

Me and my girls.

The guys taking it easy.

Dax got a "guitar" for Christmas from Uncle Jay & Aunt Mamy.  He took it out in the yard and sat down to play it.

The guys snitching cookies!

Four out of five of my granddaughters.  Caitlin was sick and didn't get to come.

What a great way to start a New Year--with family, in a new place ready to start new ministry.  I can't even begin to tell you how excited we are about Groom.  We already love the wonderful people here.  We are so ready to see what great things God will do in 2014!

2014

Here's the road I believe God has me on for 2014...

Love deeply, believe the best, take no offenses.

It really can be summed up in I Corinthians 13.  Are there moments you come to in your life and you think, "This may be what God has brought me to through all those other moments in my life?"  I think this is that moment.  God's been teaching me, training me, speaking to me, correcting me, shaping me, exhorting me to come to this.

Love deeply, believe the best, take no offenses.

This is golden.

The Accident

Our move was going so smooth a week ago today.  It was the last thing on the truck...our king-sized mattress.  Matt & Andy were getting it off the truck and Andy was backing it down on the ramp.  The wind caught the mattress and Andy fell off the ramp, hitting his head on the fence, his knee and hands on the ground, twisting his ankle.  I'd been taking pictures and had my back to them but heard everyone yelling.  By the time I turned around, Andy was telling everyone he was ok and was standing up.

That evening, we were pretty tired and hadn't been to the grocery store yet, so we went to The Grill here in Groom to eat supper.  When we got home, it was dark...and Andy tripped over a 1-2 inch rise on the sidewalk and began hopping around on the foot he'd hurt earlier.  He came into the house wanting to bite nails.  We immediately got ice to put on his ankle and I began looking for some Advil.  He was moaning and sweating and trying to find some relief.  My stomach was in knots.  We both knew it was broken...and we had no insurance.

I went over and laid my hand on his leg and prayed, asking God to heal Andy's ankle.  I went to our bedroom (across the house) and got my phone and texted my kids, asking them to pray for healing.  I then texted some friends who are prayer warriors and asked them to do the same.  I went back to Andy and he was already worried about preaching the next Sunday--he didn't think he'd be able to stand.  I got more ice and kept praying.  Friends were offering to get an inflatable cast for his ankle and we were trying to figure out how to meet to pick it up.

Within an hour, the pain was gone.  Completely gone.  And Andy was walking without a limp.  It never did swell or turn colors...unlike his hand.  The next day, we went to Amarillo to do hospital visits and some Christmas shopping.  Andy walked all day on that ankle and it never hurt.  (Andy never shops all day without his feet hurting but they never did that day.)

Of course, we never had an X-ray so we can't prove it was broken.  We can only go by the intense pain.  But even if it wasn't broken, God healed Andy completely...no pain and no residual effects.  We were amazed and wanted to share what great things God did that night!