we have glass!

the front of our church has glass!!! the front of the building that was knocked out by a truck got put back together last wednesday, so we continue the work. ben has been there every day with the help of a couple of guys when they can make it, muddin and sanding and sanding and mudding...if only we could be in by the end of the month, but we may be pushin it, we're trying but lots of work still to do.

i will admit its tempting to look at ministers around us who look like they have the favor of God pouring out on them in every area of their life and here we sit in seemingly "destitute" circumstances. i don't really get it all except knowing what God spoke what we're doing here, and everything else i just throw into his lap and trust him with it and keep walking forward. i DO know that he is my hope, my song, my strength, my passion, my joy, my compassion and best friend...this is what faith is...we're living it and as he promised we are not without food or shelter, so we rejoice in his love.

life these days

i've sat down so many times to update the blog and knew there was so much to update and just couldn't get myself to take the time, so tonight i am.

get ready there has been so much going on! interesting enough after the excitement in my last post and GREAT hopes to be in our bldg. by easter, we are not. it would've been the perfect time to have our first sunday, to celebrate, to be among those churches that holiday church goers have to choose from to attend that sunday. unfortunately, the delay came when our storefront neighbors moving truck backed into our side of the bldg., shattering our front door and pushing in all the other glass, which then had to come out. (see pic below)Soooo, all renovation took a hault for almost 3 weeks. I do happily report that we were able to get back in a couple of days ago and ben has been working hard on finishing the electric, which has been inspected and ok'd and then drywalling the bathrooms. Our glass should be put in next Wed. and hopefully we'll be in a couple weeks after that. This process has definately been slower than molasses, but the Kingdom of God here in Aiken IS advancing through Ebenezer Naz!! Here are a few more pics from the progress of the past couple of days. dylan loves to go and "help daddy work on the church building"...pic below he's helping chad, holding the wall so he can put the nails in. i love that he's a part of this.
there today with dad as he was sanding.
he got a little lesson in mudding and did a bit himself!
ben sanding what will be the bathrooms.
on a personal note, i started leading our ladies here in beth moore's "breaking free" study at the end of february. it could NOT have come into my life in better timing. i cannot emphasize enough how this study should be a part of EVERY woman's journey!!!!! this is CRUCIAL for both new believers foundations and for us who have been walking! God is doing amazing things in my life through this study and i'm grateful for the freedom i've found. i have to say i feel like i'm in the best place i've been in my life in a long time. the grief that comes with the loss of lisa lingers very much still, some days overwhelmingly...and that's to be expected, but i'm excited about where i am in my journey in everything else. and that feels good to say.
i've decided to give sewing a try. i picked up a purse pattern and some material/supplies the other day and a friend here let me borrow a sewing machine and i'm going to give it a whirl. i'd really like to see if its something i could do to create some income. people here would really go for handmade purses, thinking i may be able to sell in local shops down here, so we'll see how that goes. i'll make sure o document my progress :)

our home in michigan is STILL on the market..we're going on 19 months now, yep, you read that right. we thought 2 1/2 weeks ago we were on the journey to a sale, we were, and then the buyer backed out after we accepted his offer 2 weeks before the closing date. soooo we're back to square one. this obviously brings along questions, mostly why God would allow us to go so far in that process and feel that weight lift and allow us to think forward with housing here for it to not go anywhere...but, i'm choosing to believe that these are the things that continue to test our faith, to test our trust, and as much as this feels like he's giving us a stone when we've asked our father for bread, he has promised not to do so...so i'm choosing to rest in that somehow, beyond my understanding its bread...so we continue on.

on a random note, if i didn't know better, i'd think i had the nesting itch. i've been on a mission to declutter this townhouse, feeling more ok with getting rid of things than ever. it's been a GREAT feeling and have gone through about everything but the kitchen. i've cleaned things out and reorganized pretty much every closet! its good motivation to keep things that way, such a liberating feeling!

my kids continue to be amazing...warm weather here returned about 2 1/2 weeks ago and we've been enjoying several days at the park, which really has become our backyard, or yard at all since we don't have one. dylan's compassion, sensitivity and love for others keep showing itself on a regular basis and i am excited about how i see God shaping his heart already. Grahm continues to be a bundle of joy and the girl i've always wanted, haha. that boy is a mama's boy (which i have to say parts of me secretly love) and a bit of a drama queen which we're quickly seeking to tame before it gets out of control. he makes us laugh and smile all day though and seems to know those days when i need extra hugs. here's a few pics of our latest adventures.

dylan and i went with a group of kids to see a marionette puppet show, he loved it, particularly because it was all about dinosaurs.

my kids LOVE the slide!
a ride at the park today, grahm was so excited about his outfit today. the kid is obsessed with thomas. he loves carrying him around and typically only wants to play with him when he and dylan play trains. i think we have a small obsession on our hands. i showed him his shirt today and he immediately started humming the thomas tune!

the weekend brings some more excitement with my sister and her family coming into town for their spring break! dylan can't wait to have ariana here to play with, he's made lots of plans for us :). it'll be so great to have some family here and to have time for them to really see where we live and to spend time showing them around and enjoying the places we like to go. i hope to be better at getting this updated so they don't have to be so long. if you finished reading all this, thanks :).

Ebenezer Church of the Nazarene

well, we've been here, meeting in our home for church, the boys in dylans room for class for the last 6 months, and after a very LONG process, we got the keys to our first church space yesterday!!!! wow..is it really happening? it is. in many ways we're SO ready, then sometimes i think, r we? getting that "third space"..neutral space, a community presence, brings us to a whole new level..busyness? commitment? we're about to really step into it (not that we haven't been walking it, believe me). i will admit, not having to make sure my house is spotless every sunday at 10am with two small boys who wake up at 7:30 is one of the blessings for this new change :). we started small groups (one men's, one woman's) this last week..the men are walking through jonh eldredges "fathered by God" which ben would advocate every man to read and the women are doing beth moores newly revised "breaking free" study...and i love the place we're at!

our desire is to bring the church back into the center of the community, to affect its surrounding, change it and help it become again the thing that shapes our society....it may look different than many are used to, but the truth is the same. we are compelled to be the redemptive force in our community...to walk alongside the broken, to serve and love without expectation, to help people discover the creativity that is in them is Gods glory shining inside of them and then call them into a journey beyond their dreams with Jesus!...talking about it makes me ready for revival :)

so , we're in a storefront, not a big space, but it's "ours" and we're going smack ourselves in the midst of our community and love them the best we know how. we're in a neat spot, right by the walmart and right next to a hair salon, who shares our building, so thousands of cars pass by our doors a day...although we hope their first time meeting us won't be inside that building. there is a bit of TLC that needed done, so we worked with the owner to exchange our labor for some rent..renovations started today (pics below)..we're hoping we can be in in a couple of weeks! stay tuned for more pics as renovation progresses. turning one bathroom into two..got walls studded and ready. one small step done!

i will admit, my sister is the missing piece in this journey/puzzle..she had been walking every step of this process with us and its difficult to experience these moments without her. i want her to see what Gods done, i want her here to celebrate with me and i've so needed her in the ups and downs this has all brought. i know how excited she'd be...she was a part of building my confidence to walk this faith journey out....
i am anxious to see how he plans to use this current community of 11 believers to change the world!
Join us where you are in proclaiming this prayer:

Lord, we stand here,as desperate people hungry for the things of You.

Come, quiet the storms that rage all around us

so that we hear the passion that beats in Your heart.

Spirit, put healing in our hands, put life in our words,

and drive a passion for the lost deep into the hearts of Your people.

Inhabit the praises of us, Your children

and Father, send us out with a reckless passion.

Deliver us from evil and set a standard of unity to break down walls

and to heal Your people.

Unity is the cry of Your church, Lord. Reconcile Your children to their Father,

and with forgiveness and mercy, rush through the hearts of our land.

We cry out our deep need for you, Jesus.

Oh God, come in power and bring glory to Your name.

one of those days

its been one of those days... you know, where you feel like a failure as a mother. i was so impatient with my kids today...and it was one of those days where you almost already feel bad before the impatience comes out but you can't help it, your just pushed to the edge...i hate that!!!! i have to say, i see this side of me coming out more these days than i like..not that its all the time, just more than i like or am comfortable with. i almost feel like a switch flipped off with me after lisa passed and on the days my emotions are too overwhelming i just can't handle the kids when they feel overwhelming...i just can't. emotion about that is enough/all i can handle and anything above that just makes everything else magnified. i hate it......i put dylan to sleep tonight wondering if he thinks i'm a terrible mom, ect...and i know my emotion is running away from me here...i'm just reflecting and frustrated beyond belief at the mom i was today....ughhhh. i have the best children in the world!!! i want to be the mom they deserve every day! Lord help me be that...and help me to surrender those emotions when they feel more overwhelming than your voice on these days.

On a positive note, I had a magnificent valentine's day surprise from my husband! it could not have been better timing...but i woke yesterday morning to a bottle of sparkling cider that said "do not open until wed. feb. 17th...i opened the notd to say that we would be enjoying 3 days/2 nights alone at edisto beach (on the coast about 2 1/2 hrs. away). we know someone with a condo there that is letting us use it for those days...he planned it all, arranged it all and set up the kid sitting, ect...it could not have come at a better time. just the night before i said to him, "ugh. i just need some time away" sooo wed. morning, we're heading out and won't be returning til friday evening. i am SO excited!!! we haven't had a night to ourselves since our anniversary 2008 and a day since ben's bday in october! so i'm going to be soaking it up and praying i return a better parent.....

oh and a small update: i'm branching out, in hopes to connect and meet other moms in the community through a moms club here. i'm heading to my first mom's night out tomorrow. they hold them once a month and playgroups every week...its def. out of my comfort zone..but its time we do something and felt God pressing me towards it, so i'm trusting i'll make some friends and connect my kids with some others they can be friends with. tomorrow sounds fun. they're doing an amazing race night, so they're sending us all over town i guess :) thanks for listening....i'm being transformed day by day, and thankful that his mercies are made new every morning!

January - Dylan's BDay

i'm way overdue for a post to say the least..but thought i'd get started by catching things up a little by sharing dylan's birthday. i can't believe he's four and we're looking at preschools. i'm not ready for this. but we had a great time celebrating with friends. we actually had his party a few days after his actual bday so we celebrated on the day with lunch and seeing alvin and the chipmunks movie. everything is certainly bigger in the south, including the popcorn..not sure the pic even does justice, but we all shared and still had plenty left over. (and that's saying a lot due to the fact i mostly just go for the popcorn :). dylan picked out his thomas cake and wanted thomas but it could've easily been a buzz lightyear party. he was pretty excited to get his buzz tent and he and i had fun that night and slept in it! i've been thankful that he's made a friend (pic), jonjon down here we've been able to see a couple times and was able to come to his party. sweet boy and actually his age, so i'm looking forward to that relationship developing.

i can't talk enough about this kid, i could go on and on..but i'm so incredibly privelaged to have been chosen to be his mom! he's amazing, compassionate, sensitive, loving and sweet. and now he's 4!

more updates to come......

An Award

An award

Today I got a pleasant surprise while checking my blogs. A long time friend Jamie gave me a beautiful blogger award. Its sweet coming from her, because she's such a beautiful person, wonderful woman of God and amazing mom.

Along with this award, I'm supposed to reveal seven random things about me. Hold on people!

1. I have a desire to take contemporary dance lessons and wish I had the money to do it, I would!

2. Two professions I'd love to have, first and foremost, go on tour with Matt Redman (i'm totally ok singing backup - just worshipping with someone who leads so amazingly and singing with crowds of 10,000s is a glimpse of heaven and nothing to me is more beautiful)...and I'd love to be a wedding planner. I love to plan and organize and to think of helping someone put in the details to make their day special and as meaningful as it is would be so fun!

3. I enjoy Rodeo's! Don't ask me why, but i love them and love it when i catch one on tv!

4. When I was little my bros and sis' and i would make homemade tents and sneak down the pickle jar, eat all the pickles and then drink the juice..no worries i don't/couldn't do that now.

5. Every Christmas Eve I watch White Christmas. It was a tradition with my mom and it's by far my fav Christmas movie and now its a tradition of our fam.

6. I still have and even sometimes where a nightgown that i've had since jr. high.

7. I really desire to go to Kenya to volunteer in an orphanage for short term missions. I actually told ben that's what he could do for my 30th bday, just send me for a couple weeks..i'm not banking on it, but praying God gives me the opportunity some day.

Thanks Jam! Now I get to give this award to seven other bloggers!
Bring the Rain
Ramblings from a Ragamuffin
A Gallery of Words
The Vails' Tails
What More Can I Say
This is My Life
Peanut Butter Jam

speechless

it's going to seem long but PLEASE hang with me..testament to a mighty move of God!

so i've been listening in to the video feed from passion2010 conference that was held in atlanta these last few days. ben and i were blessed to have attended a few years ago, but if you haven't gone and are 25 or under (or older and can go as a sponsor) i HIGHLY recommend. i've never experienced anything like it. enough about that. but below i'll attach their link if your not familiar so you can read of their heart beat and what they are helping college student around the world accomplish for the Kindgom and how God is using this gathering to propel 22,000 college students this year back to 1,100 colleges represented filled with God and the heartbeat for his kingdom!!!!!

you can read about all the causes they were being a part of this year on the website, but the overall goal was to raise $500,000 for these causes...as of yesterday morning, walking into the session COLLEGE STUDENTS had raised $668,597.95!!! because they could put the money towards any cause they wanted, some, even though surpassed the goal were not met. louie was praying on his way to the morning session that God would rise up and fully fund each cause before the morning was over...10 ft. after the prayer was said, he got a text from a friend, someone at the conference who was standing with some people who were NOT part of the conference, but heard what the students there were accomplishing for the kingdom and asked him to call. so he called with a couple min. to give on the phone and he said these people are so moved by what these students are doing for God that they want to match dollar for dollar what they have given, $562,000. Louie went on to tell him that actually the new total was the 668,597.95, so if they want to match they'll have to move up their match amt. and the person on the phone said hold on, let me check....came back on and said. IT'S DONE!

louie continued to announce to a ROARING stadium that because THEY had obeyed in responding to the move of God, God was going to not just fully fund each cause, but double fund them!!!!!!! i started to cry...it was overwhelming to hear....

i thought two things. DON'T COUNT OUT THIS GENERATION as selfish kids who don't care about the church or the kingdom...they long to be a part and when they are given a chance to come face to face to him will give all they have (and lets face it, over half a million dollars for college students is a miracle).

second: i was reminded that sometimes God is waiting on our reponse in order for a miracle to happen. those students responding like they did is what caused those people interest, what gave THEM a passion/desire to take part in this way in the Kingdom...what if God is waiting on us...you, so he can work miracles..so he can move, so he can do something amazing?

all i know is that i want to obey. when he calls, i want to go, when he asks, i want to give, when he prompts, i want to move...i pray my faith is so rooted and so grounded that without question, i will...and then i'll trust him for the other half of the miracle.

PRAISE GOD!!!!!
check these three links out
http://www.268generation.com/passion2010/

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?saved&&suggest&note_id=236723288841#/photo.php?pid=4619960&id=274645974921

matt redmans song that really spoke to me during these sessions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfzJyuFzyVE&feature=related

oh and btw, in efforts to leave an impression on the city of Atlanta that God was there, they wanted to stock the homeless with socks and towels, something they were told was needed, and in doing so, are giving the homeless in atlanta 72,600 pairs of socks and 14,820 towels....