A Time for Everything

Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

In this season of my life, it seems as though every activity under heaven is taking place at once. My head is twirling around and I’m not sure what to focus on at the present.

Today, our ladies Bible study is wrapping up with spring tea. What a joyous season it has been to study the Word of God with such wonderful women who seek after the Lord.

We’re preparing for my oldest son’s high school graduation coming up in a few weeks. I just wont admit that I’m that old. We’re having a big celebration with lots of family coming to visit.

My youngest son, is a big fan of baseball. This is the last week of regular season, but next week is all star try outs. It wouldn’t surprise me a bit if we go another couple of months in all star games.

Also, we’ll be taking a trip to Six Flags in San Antonio soon as my youngest son won this trip in a recent Bible Drill competition.

The kitchen remodeling project is just about complete. YEAH! Praise the Lord! I haven’t cooked a great home cooked meal in many weeks that I’m not sure I remember how. Or perhaps it’s like riding a bike and it will come back to me.

Also, coming in June is our 20^th wedding anniversary! We’ve been so busy with the boys and projects that we’ve failed to plan adequately for ourselves. I’m open to suggestions on how we can celebrate 20 years on a tight budget (college cost lots of money) & not much time to make reservations.

Blessings in Christ--

Fun, Food, Fellowship

In July 2006, my son, Stephen, and I went on a short term missions trip to Cameroon, Africa with our dear friend, Romeo (who is from Cameroon) and team. While we were in Cameroon, we went to the capital city of Yaounde for a Campus Crusade for Christ movement. Romeo introduced us to his dear friend, Kennedy.

After the evening’s convention, we went to Kennedy’s home for dinner. We met his lovely wife and three precious children. They served us great Cameroon food. Kennedy is the Regional Coordinator of Campus Crusade for Christ, Francophone Africa, which means the coordinator for the French speaking countries in Africa. There are 17 French speaking countries on that continent. This picture below is Kennedy’s wife, Romeo and Kennedy in Kennedy’s home in Yaounde in 2006.

Last night I had the privilege of having Kennedy in my home for dinner. He is in the US for Campus Crusade for Christ conventions and internet speaking engagements. Romeo invited him to our home town and we had dinner. We invited all that participated in the team that went to Africa. Only a few team members were unable to come over for dinner. Kennedy shared how out of all the team members his family met that they remember my son, Stephen the most. He invited Stephen to go back to Cameroon with him today (I locked up his passport and he’s still here with me). Here’s a picture of Stephen and Mark in 2006 working with the children in Cameroon.

We had a great time of fun, food, and fellowship. Kennedy shared with us about the muslims and how they’re snatching people to their religion on the campuses and what Campus Crusade for Christ is doing as a counter. We heard stories of how much stronger the power of Christ through the Holy Spirit is and is drawing people to HIM. They are training local nationals to go into the areas highly populated by muslims and to share Christ with them. Christ is so much more powerful. Please pray for these disciples and missionaries though, as the enemy’s schemes do try to thwart the efforts to spread the gospel.

Here are a few pictures from the fellowship last night.

Romeo, Stephen (the grill cook), Luke, Shonda, Mark, Chase (the little guy), Kennedy, Charles, and Janeshka.

Kennedy, Chase (with our new kitten) and Romeo. Chase and Romeo are were the colors of Cameroon.

Matthew 28:19-20 NIV

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Blessings in Christ--

The Ski Trip

First of all, I want to thank all of you who prayed for our safety! God answered those prayers and kept us all safe. This was the first time our boys Stephen and Chase have skied or snowboarded. Actually the first time they've played out in the snow as we dont have that opportunity living in the south.

On the way...
As soon as we left home and got a few miles down the highway, we noticed that the speed odometer quit working on us. We had no way to determine how fast we were going. My sweet husband drove the whole time so that if anyone got a ticket it would be him. (Nice for Stephen and I as we didnt have to take our turn to drive due to technical difficulty.) Then we tried to determine how fast we're going by clocking how long it took to go a mile. None of us could figure out the math. If you know how to calculate, please let me know...it took us 52 seconds to go a mile. How fast were we going? That felt like a good speed.

Then I noticed how much the roadside scenery has changed from the traditional farm house with windmills and water tanks for livestock to large (really large) windmill farms. I've included the photos in the slide show above (which I tried to make larger, but couldnt figure out how).

Skiing Day One...
We check Chase and Quince (both 10 years old) into ski school. We get fitted in our boots and skis at the rental shop. Point Stephen to where he needs to go for snowboard class. My friend, Melissa and her daughter take a class also. I refused as I have skied before (once in each decade). I figured I'd just go up the short lift and warm up. This day was the pre-season opening and only one lift was open, so David (Eldon's friend), Eldon and I get on this quad lift. It keeps going and going. I quickly learn that on the first time up, I'm at the top of the mountain which is 10,677 feet according to all the signs. There's only one way down--ski! So off I start--very slowly. Slow is the pace I kept all throughout this adventure. And by the way, this day the wind is blowing and the snow is falling. Yeah! more snow!!

After lunch, Stephen is done with his snowboard class. He decided to go up with us. When we reached the top of the mountain, we decided to go down the backside of the mountain. When one decides to go down the back side of the mountain, there is only one way back to the front side--take the lift back to the top and ski down the front. It's at least a two for one trip on the the back side. Well Stephen just learning was still having difficulty on this day and I skied faster than him even as slow as I was. It was time for the boys to be done with ski school so we leave Stephen with some friends he made in snowboard school and pick up the pace to get to the boys. Slowing down my pace, Eldon decides to leave me alone and goes for the boys. He picks up the boys and they swish several times down the mountain before the lifts close.

Skiing Day Two...
We wake up and check the internet (when it worked) for the temperature...19 degrees below zero!!! We dressed warm in plenty of layers. We all head out for a fun day of skiing. We go to the top and down the easiest trail. The boys are getting bored so Eldon breaks off with them on some intermediate trails. Stephen has mastered the snowboard and can also zip around with the others. After lunch some of us decided we'd try to hone some skiing skills on the bunny trail. This chair lift is a two man lift. Eldon tells Chase (our 10 year old) to ride up with me. Chase has done this plenty of times so I didnt think I had to help him on the lift. Little did I know that someone usually stood behind him and picked him up and sat him in the chair as the chair was too high for him. I'm concentrating on getting myself on the chair. When I turn to my right, I see Chase dangling from the chair as it is taking off from the platform. The only lift attendant is there trying to raise him up, but the chair is raising up too high. I'm pulling him, but nothing is happening. Then I lose it--I start screaming for someone to stop the lift as it is going higher and higer in the air. I'm screaming so loud, I'm surprised it didnt start an avalanche. Chase is holding onto the chair with his hand on the back rail with his legs hanging over the front of the chair. I look ahead and wonder what will happen next as the "Cliffhanger" scene flashes through my mind. Then -- finally the lift stops. The attendant comes over and grabs Chase's legs (now I realize we're only about 4 or 5 feet off the ground at this point) and takes Chase down to his Dad who was to be next on the lift. After disembarking off this lift (which I did not get back on ever again!) I learned, my husband, Eldon is the hero who pressed the big red stop button on the lift!!! Thanks dear! Thank You Lord!! As a mom, I was a bit emotional for a little while. In the meantime, Chase shook it right off and was back up the mountain speeding down as quickly as possible. All ended well!! Needless to say after that incident, chair lift attendants ensured that Chase was in the chair before it left the platform the rest of the time we were there.

Skiing Day Three...
After the excitement the day before, I decided to take the morning off on this day. The temperature that morning was only 16 below zero. A bit warmer. But it was interesting for this southern girl who doesnt play in the snow but once a decade, once dressed in layers and outside moving around, the cold was not very noticeable. Until the hands and feet got cold. Or in the evenings when I could feel my wind chapped chin. The guys came in for lunch at 11:38 MST. I was informed that they got on the lift at 11 am, went to the top, went down some trails on the back side of the mountain, took the lift back to the top, and down the front side of the mountain and walked to the hotel room (in the ski boots which is very hard to do) all in 38 minutes!! They were definitely exceeding the speed limits!!!

That afternoon I went out to go down the easy trail. I had only intended to go down once and be done with the skiing experience. I just could not get past the fear of going too fast. Chase told me that I had nothing to be afraid of that it didnt hurt to fall. I know it didnt hurt to fall as I had already fallen several times. What is hard is getting up again. Well Elise, my friend's daughter talked me into going with her on the back side of the mountain. Actually the trails were much nicer on that side; there were more easy (green) trails on that side. Also there was a good 4 to 6 inches of powder on that side also. So I go up and we stay on the back side for several trips down until the lift closed on that side. On the front side, Eldon decides to take the boys down some intermediate (blue) trails while Elise and I go down the easiest. Elise went faster than I did. Well I fell and I couldnt get up. Finally I get up, but messed up the binding and couldnt get my boot back in. I stop for a while to wait for help. I send Elise on to the bottom. Then an injured young man from Houston waits next to me for help to arrive. It was his first time to snowboard. Finally help arrived for this young man and I learn my problem was just operator ignorance. Embarrassed I was, but decided it was meant for me to encourage the injured young man until help arrived. I think I was the last one off the mountain that day as the snowmobiles were going up to clear the mountain and the sun set. It was a beautiful sun set.

Eldon received a beautiful gift from the Lord on his last trip up the lift with the boys. Being the outdoors, wildlife, hunting type; he had a desire to see some wildlife. He even commented out loud to the boys that it would be a perfect day if he got to see some wild animals. The Lord blessed him with letting him see a 5X5 mule deer and a fox eating a rabbit from the chair lift.

After...
As I thought about those days on the mountain, I had to confess God's word frequently. Fear tried to grip me and it had a good hold on me. I tried to rationalize that perhaps I'm not the outdoor adventurous type I'd like to be. But then when Elise encouraged me to continue on, I did and I overcame some of those apprehensions, but not completely. I wanted so much to be bold and brave, but yet I was so timid. I fought gravity a lot, but gravity is much stronger. Honestly, I haven't learned how to work with it on the slopes. Yet, I learned that I have more boldness and strength in me than I thought. I wanted to give up and quit several times, but it just wasnt an option. The Lord is my strength! He encouraged me through others and pushed me farther than I wanted to go.

This trip was a wonderful Christmas present from my Lord! I had such a blessed time with my family and friends! I learned more about them and myself.

BTW--the speed odometer problem is covered under a factory recall...blessings from our Lord!!

Blessings in Christ--

MiRL

I started blogging in June this year and I have met lots of wonderful people through the blogs, email, and a few with phone conversations. Last Friday, I had an opportunity to meet with Marina of Daughter of the King in real life! Marina is the winner of The Preacher's Wife History Channel Giveaway!

Marina and I met in San Antonio where I picked up my mother from a business conference and we had lunch at Demo's Greek Restaurant. My mother called a friend of hers and all four of us just had a hoot of a time! I'm only sad because we just had an hour and a half together. It flew by too fast.

Here's a picture of Marina and I after a lunch full of food and lots of laughter!


We are looking forward to many more meetings. We are looking at plans for the Women of Faith in February and of course Beth Moore in August. Please let me know if you plan to attend either of these conferences, I'd love to meet you!

Only in a Small Town

I have lived in the same small town on the border in Texas for 19 years with my husband and children. Truly I must say that for the first 15 years I spent trying to find a way out of it. My first friend in this town told me, “Oh everyone who moves here wants to move away, but it will grow on you and you’ll stay.”

I replied, “Yeah, right!” I begged and pleaded with my husband to put in for transfers. When he did, I didn’t want to move to the places for which he applied. Those places are more remote than where we are. Oddly enough when offers came up he passed them by or he wasn’t selected. So we’re still here.

At the 14 year mark, my husband’s job sent him to Charleston, South Carolina, for six months. The boys and I packed up and went with him. We had a great time. We got to experience all the things the city offers—museums, weekly family activities, beaches, fishing, canoeing, great restaurants, multiple movie theatres, plenty of golf courses, choices of schools, lots of books stores, libraries, community clubs, churches, high speed internet, digital cable and lots more (especially noting a Starbucks inside a Barnes & Noble—my favorite place). Nevertheless, we had something to do every weekend. The boys and I were on a six month vacation.

When the six months ended, we came back to our small Texas town on the border. I had city withdrawals for a spell. I did not have high speed internet; we were fortunate to have dial up back then. Only one small book store. One movie theatre. One library. Few community clubs. Few choices of churches. No Starbucks! (I was addicted to Starbucks by this time and had severe withdrawals.)

But one day shortly after returning from South Carolina, the Lord let me see some things that are great about small towns. I went shopping at the local Wal-Mart (which while we were gone they opened the Super Wal-Mart—we were moving up). While I was paying, I was chatting with a neighbor that lives down the street from me. Unknowingly, all the bags did not make it in my cart when I left. I loaded the bags in the car and started to leave the parking lot. As I was driving out, my neighbor stopped me and told me I forgot two bags of groceries and he was on his way to bring them to my house. I was so grateful. I remembered then no one even talked to me in Wal-Mart in Charleston much less made sure I got all my groceries. I didn’t know any one there.

At that moment I was grateful for living in a small town. Four years have passed since that small town experience. I’ve been slipping back into the “I miss the city” mode. The Lord knows I needed another reminder and He kindly let me have another experience this past weekend.

I was helping my friend, Jenny, who lives on the other side of the block with a surprise party she had for her husband. I had some tables and folding chairs set out for her to borrow. She called on Saturday afternoon and told me she was sending her nephews over in the truck to pick up the table and chairs. I told her to let them know it’s the house with the white Yukon and a trailer in the drive way. The chairs are against the trailer. An hour had passed and I had to leave to go pick up some items for the party—the best homemade tortillas in this state. I called her to tell her that the boys hadn’t arrived yet. I had to leave so I would drive around the block and leave them in her driveway if she would have the boys meet me outside. Sounding surprised, she asked, “Are you sure they didn’t pick them up?”

I’m loading the last chair in the Yukon and I said, “Yes. I’m on my way over.” Then I hung up. I didn’t think much of it because they’re teenage boys and who knows what happened as teens in general can be unpredictable.

When I drove around the block, I saw another neighbor and friend, Karen, passing by with a confused look on her face waving at me. She went and parked her truck and walked over to where I was unloading. She said her son called her and someone took tables and chairs from her driveway. Jenny’s nephew met me outside as I started unloading and told us that he got the table and chairs from the house down the street. Someone even helped load them in the truck. Karen informed them that was her house. Her house fit the description I gave. There was a white Yukon with a trailer and tables and chairs! Why wouldn’t these teens think that they had the right house?

I couldn’t contain the laughter for a good five minutes. I truly had one of those really good belly laughs. Where else can you live where you have more than one neighbor who has a white Yukon, a trailer, with tables and chairs for you to borrow in their driveway?

Only in a small town!!

What a precious gift I received from the Lord this past weekend. I have wonderful friends in this small town. Real neighborly neighbors. I am glad I live here and I’m glad for the friends the Lord has given to me in this small town.

As children of God, He has determined the time and the place we are to live. As Paul spoke to the Athenians in Acts 17:26-28, he said:

“From one man he [God] made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'”

We are to seek the Lord; reach out for Him. That’s why He determined where we are to live.

Romeo Returns from Overseas Service

My dear friend, Romeo T., has recently served a tour of duty overseas with the USAF. Thank God he served safely and has returned home to the US. He spent 4 months in the heat of the desert and is gladly back "enduring" the Del Rio heat. We had a great fellowship lunch with him upon his return which coincided with Elias' arrival. We had a nice steak and potato lunch for both of them.

WELCOME HOME ROMEO!!!