Conley Clan

Christmas Traditions

2011-12-23T22:54:00.001-05:00

Over the last 6 years, our family has slowly been developing some Christmas traditions. I'm looking forward to many more over the coming years Lord-willing. I was first challenged by Treasuring God in Your Traditions when I read this book. And was actually a free download here last month. It's definitely worth your time to read!

Here are some of our Christmas traditions that work for our family. (as every family should do what works for them, these are just some of our preferences) The point is do whatever will help treasure Christ above all else, and remind them to keep Him at the center throughout this busy season. What a challenge it is to keep the right perspective in these busy days! I have a hard enough time being Christ-focused with daily responsibilities, but adding more to my plate this month, challenges me to remember WHO we are serving, not caught up in the activity. The doctrine of the incarnation should radically change how we live and how we apply the Gospel in our lives as well as our children's!
So here's some of our favorite things:

Advent - "Advent is what we call the season leading up to Christmas. At Christmas we celebrate the fulfillment of the promises God made—that he would give a way to draw near to him." Piper We have used different types of countdowns and readings. Right now, our kids are little so we keep it simple. But we have used the reading here by Thriving Family. We hope to incorporate this book as they get older. We also have an advent wreath that we light each Sunday that helps us countdown until Christmas.
Scripture- We like to memorize Scripture together. This year we are memorizing Luke 2...and actually may need to review next year....since this is the stage we are in. But there's lots more that we hope to do as a family that talk about the incarnation. Philippians 2 is another favorite. "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." Praying for God's Word to take root in our children's lives and their eyes will be opened to the glorious Gospel!
Giving-Our church usually takes on a project to give to those in need that we are able to join in on. We've participated in Operation Christmas Child and adopting a missionary family. This year, we are going to go sing to our shut-ins in the Nursing Home and take them some gifts. We want to teach our kids how to give to those who aren't able to give in return. We also like to take goodies (which we have spent time baking together) and Christmas cards to our neighbors.
Special Ornament- We love to buy a special ornament either for each child or that commemorates a memory from the year...thinking about hanging a NICU diaper for Isaac's 1st Christmas ornament.
Books! - We love to read and have acquired several fun books over the years. We have The Plan, by Sinclair Ferguson, The Gift, God's Gift of Christmas, plus The Candy Cane Parable, The Pine Tree Parable, and many more! Of course some books, we have to tweak just a tad to fit our family, but we love them. Esther and I just got done reading The Quiet Little Woman by Louisa May Alcott.
Fruit- We are just starting this tradition this year. Evidently, it was one for Stephen growing up. He always received an apple and orange in his stocking. We were struck by stories from Grandparents this past week who were excited to receive an apple or orange for Christmas. It especially made an impression on Esther who considers it an everyday staple, so we are incorporating that into our Christmas breakfast.
Nativity Sets- We have several of these around our house. They help us remember WHO it is we are celebrating...and why was Jesus' birth so miraculous. It's one more way to evoke more Gospel conversations. We have this set as well as this interactive nativity.
Gifts from us- We usually do a family gift that includes making a memory, and will reap lasting benefits. We do 3 smaller gifts - adapting from the 3 gifts (we know of :) that Jesus received. It keeps it simple for us. We LOVE giving to our kids, so it keeps us (well, me) in check of keeping it simple. And we keep reminding all of us in this gift giving...and receiving season that people are more important than things and JESUS is the only one that will bring true joy and satisfaction. So let's look to Him! Thanks be to Him for his unspeakable Gift!

"Only God can bequeath God to our children. But he uses means. He uses God-centered traditions and Bible-saturated family patterns and grace-laden heirlooms. Only God can give our children a taste for the sweetness of God. Only God can awaken them to his worth. But year in and year out there are traditions that show them: God is our Treasure." Piper

love these cuties

2011-11-08T14:16:00.002-05:00

He's Home!!

2011-06-21T20:00:00.004-04:00

As of May 26, Isaac came home!! You can see his video of our 74 day NICU journey here. His due date being June 14, we were shocked he got to come home early! Many times I'll walk by Isaac sleeping in the swing and just whisper, "Thank You God." Little did I know 3 months ago laying there on the OR table how God would accomplish His purpose in Isaac's life, and never have I experienced such grace and peace at what should seem like a terrifying moment.

By God's grace, we are sloooowly adjusting as a family of 5. We have had some bumps in the road these last 3.5 weeks, but we are starting to figure him out. Since his homecoming, his reflux really flared up causing more frequent destats. We were discharged with his weight being about 5 lb 12 oz and is now up to 7lb 12 oz! Weight gain is huge, because it means that his body isn't burning calories to keep up oxygen. I don't think we could've quite been prepared for the adjustment of the monitors and oxygen, even with the NICU experience. We have just been learning how to respond when the alarms sound, and if it's a real or false event. And because he's not exactly mobile with the oxygen, it's been a challenge to figure out how to make it work for everyone. We have definitely been in trial and error mode! Every Thursday, Isaac is seen in the pulmonology clinic to monitor his progress, since he has a minor case of Chronic Lung Disease, and we've managed to be at the pediatrician every week also for something. He's got a great team of doctors who we've bonded with.

All that said, Isaac is an 'easy baby'. Our little fighter, has been through so much! He puts himself to sleep so easily and has gotten in a good routine. We are also so thankful for how the kids have adjusted. For being 5 and 3, they have done extremely well. I think seeing how far he's come, and our family's prayers on his behalf has made them thankful for their little brother's homecoming. Esther, especially, has been a tremendous help. I wouldn't at all be surprised if she ends up being a nurse someday! She can't wait for him to get past his quarantine stage so she can show off her little brother. We look back at January of 2010 when we first taught Esther Romans 8:28 and marvel at how God has been working everything in our family for His glory and our good. I can see how we've all grown through these things.

Stephen aptly stated, "We have gotten off one train and on another since Isaac's homecoming." We have had good days and bad days and had to remind ourselves of the promises of God continually. Anything good others have seen in us is purely God's grace. His grace has been sufficient for the past and will be for the future.

And our prayer is this "Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy," Jude 1:24

Blessings of a Preemie....

2011-05-10T21:18:00.006-04:00

Most people know the concerns and trials of having a preemie, but there have been some blessings that few people would realize. We are thankful for each of these little things. The biggest blessing has been how God has grown us through learning to trust Him. We are thankful for how mightily He has worked.

We get a sneak preview of the baby earlier than planned. For impatient people like me, this is definitely a perk! So even though, it has been hard having Isaac in the hospital, I try to remember he wouldn't have been 'out' anyways.
Getting to enjoy the newborn, cuddly stage for longer. I always felt like that stage went by so quickly with my others. Having to intentionally plan one-on-one time with my baby. With my other children, it was harder to keep up with outside responsibilities and still enjoy time with my baby. This time around, God has shown us what's really important in our family. I cherish the times that I've been able to hold our little one and pray for his little soul, as well as spend extra time with Esther and Jonas. All of us have grown through this.
The trips back and forth to the NICU have allowed for Stephen and I to have extra time together. I treasure those times we have cried out to God for His grace in our lives. We have tried to maximize that time in the car by listening to sermons or spending it in prayer.
Milestones. I never realized how many developmental milestones in a baby's life I took for granted. We have gained a whole new appreciation for our Creator God who makes us fearfully and wonderfully, and being in the NICU we have gained more medical insight. From conception to birth, it is amazing all the things that take place. More than ever, we are aware of what it means that God 'sustains' life. Isaac's story is not about him, but it's about God, his Creator, and the work He is doing.
The body of Christ surrounding us with love and help while having a preemie has been a blessing. We never had to depend on the body this way before, but our church has served us sacrificially, and God has been glorified.

When your baby is in the NICU....

2011-04-26T11:50:00.003-04:00

There have been so many helpful recommendations to make these days easier while Isaac's been in the NICU these last 7 weeks. We are looking at another 3 or 4 week and are in the homestretch! Praise the Lord for his grace. When we first began this journey, it seemed impossible. Stephen and I determined to just take it one day at a time. It has been some good lessons for me especially in not planning too much but has made us more dependant than ever on our Savior who has been carrying us through. I hope these resources will be helpful to other parents who may find themselves in the same situation. I'm thinking especially of my friend, Ruth, who is expecting triplets this summer!

Take-them-a-meal.com - this website has been invaluable to us several times. A friend of mine, coordinated the meals through this site and communicated with us what would be helpful. It has been so helpful not to have to worry about cooking when we get home from the hospital every afternoon at supper time. Plus, with my pumping around the clock, makes even planning for grocery shopping a challenge. We also used this website for cleaning/laundry help. Most of this was because we were still in boxes when I went into labor, so it's helped to get the basics done so Stephen and I could work on unpacking.

Grocery shopping helper- a lady in our church that leaves nearby graciously offered to pick up anything I needed at the store. This has been helpful too. We do live near the store, but with meals provided, I rarely need a bunch of things from the store. And it seems like we are always running from one thing to the next with Isaac, and taking care of Jonas and Esther.

Babysitting - we have a friend in the church who has watched our kids since before Jonas was born. She has been a blessing and is using her 'single days' right now to serve others in the church. We are immensely blessed for her investment in us. She has kids carseats in her car to transport them and take them to do special things so they don't feel left out. We have tried to keep things as 'normal' as possible at home so they don't feel misplaced through this. It's been helpful to have the same person, so she already has a working knowledge of where everything is and what their routine is. Not having family in town, this has been the most helpful for our family. We have had an overwhelming amount of people volunteer to help which has been a blessing.

Books- a friend's cousin sent this book to us, I have referred to it many times in this new stage. There are so many aspects of the NICU that we have learned these last few weeks, which helps when we get doctors and nurses reports. I have enjoyed reading these books also to encourage my heart spiritually...

Choosing Gratitude

Running Scared

A Shelter in the time of Storm. There are also several links a friend sent me on fear...maybe I'll include those in another post. Fighting those fears with right thinking has been so essential...and continues to be. :)

Mp3- I admit we haven't yet done this, but keep meaning to, personalize Isaac's isolette by recording our family singing and talking.

Personal items- we brought in Isaac's baby crib blanket (which they keep on top to protect his eyes from bright lights), put a family picture up in the isolette, and Esther has drawn pictures for him that they tape up. It's a way for us to feel like it's his home away from home. :)

Preemie clothes- several people have given Isaac little preemie outfits which is helpful especially now for when they put a shirt on him for his feeds.

Carseat! - we were advised to get a preemie carseat but had a very hard time finding one made by Graco and considering most carseats aren't called 'preemie' carseats, we were thrilled to find one! This seat starts at 4 lb and up and we received it last week. Thank goodness for Amazon prime because our town doesn't really carry them!

Feeding helps- if you choose to breastfeed/pump, these things have been invaluable for maintaining supply. We chose this route because the nutrition of milk is especially more important for preemies. So even though it's a bit more of a commitment, I felt it was something I could do for him even when away.

Professional pump - a friend actually took care of the renting of this for us. The Medela Lactina pump has turned out to be really helpful- it's portable and lightweight and is very efficient. I got a car adapter so I can have it on the go also.

Extra set of pumping equipment- this has been helpful because there is equipment at the hospital and I leave in case I'm there over a feeding.

Mother's Milk Tea- was very helpful in the first few days to get my supply going.

Lansinoh storage bags - this has gotten to be quite the investment over time, because if we were home we would just have bottles and wash out but the hospital uses bags...which we go through 56 a week!

Hope these things are helpful!

Milestones...

2011-04-24T20:03:00.005-04:00

Can't believe Isaac is 7 weeks old tomorrow...in some ways. And in other ways, it feels like it's been a long 7 weeks. I never imagined Isaac would've joined us before Easter! He has been such a joy to us, and we are so thankful to see how God is growing him. We have settled in a quick routine of travelling back and forth, and relying on lots of sweet helpers from our church which we couldn't have done without!! My family is going to be disappointed when we go back to my cooking all the time. :)

Going to the hospital every day makes it hard to see overall progress at times. But then, the other day I was sitting there holding Isaac, and it dawned on me that his alarms weren't going off for oxygen every few minutes. The doctors remind us all the time that preemies growth is sloooooow. That includes weight gain, regulating oxygen, learning to feed, and probably lots more I don't even realize. I call every night at 8:30 pm for the weight gain report since that's when he's weighed. Last week was a slow week for weight gain, and he even lost a little a couple nights. The doctors look at the big picture though, not the day-to-day ups and downs. Isaac is now up to 3 lb 8 oz. and hardly any air flow. They are working really hard to wean him off the oxygen, and it's been going well. He has been more awake in recent days and yesterday was super active and squirmy while I was holding him.

Today was a milestone. When they start teaching him to feed, they have to go very slow because most babies at this age can't figure out how to suck-swallow-breathe all at the same time. It's very common for them to forget to breathe when they are first taking their feeds. They told me this process can take awhile and since he's still so young to hang in there for a long haul. So when Isaac got his first bottle today, drinking it all the very first time was a big deal. When I got there, he drank another part of a bottle at another feeding. When he can take all his feeds by mouth, he'll get to move out of the isolette to an open crib. We also received his preemie car seat Friday which makes him coming home in a month seem more real!

We are so excited for all these little baby steps. God is doing amazing things in our little boy's life, and we are thankful to Him. This process is teaching us a new form of patience...as he is getting bigger it gets harder to leave him, but we are looking to God for grace these next few weeks as we have the last six!

See any resemblance?

2011-04-02T16:53:00.004-04:00

Maybe it's only a similarities parents can see, but we see them!

Grace for Tomorrow

2011-03-26T11:55:00.002-04:00

Did you know God's most frequent command is "Do not be afraid?" My besetting sin is fear. I started reading Running Scared by Ed Welch around the time of Esther's surgery. What a blessing it has been. It is filled with truths from God's Word that have been so convicting. One thought I've been tempted with since Isaac has been born is "If I only knew what his future holds, when he will come home, I'd have a goal line to press towards, and it would make things easier." I read these quotes the other day that was a challenge to that thinking:

"Anxiety asks for more information so it can be prepared for the coming apocalypse. It also asks for more information so it can manage the world apart from God. Worry and anxiety think that more information will help. The truth, of course, is that it won't. In fact, if you knew what tomorrow would bring you would probably opt to stay in bed. But put that aside for the moment. The deeper issue is that we still think God is a little stingy. He keeps secrets and plays games with us. He withholds. Can we fully trust someone who does such things?.....Before the questions are even formed, God responds....His response begins by simply showing us the sheer breadth and depth of Scripture. The Bible is God's revelation of himself."

"Are you worried about the future? You are looking at tomorrow as if it was a final exam and you haven't yet taken the class. Of course you panic at the thought. But you haven't considered that you will go through the class before you have to take the final. You will be given all the grace you need when you need it."

"When we try to imagine grace in some future situations, we might still be resting in ourselves. We want specific confirmation that there will be grace, and we want to calm ourselves not by trusting in the Gracious One but in seeing the future."

Lots of Changes...

2011-03-20T17:41:00.004-04:00

"Great is his faithfulness...His mercies are new every morning."

So much has changed in this last week. I went from being 6 1/2 months pregnant to a indefinite future of hospital bedrest...to giving birth. Even still as I see him in the NICU, it's amazing to see his little hands and feet that I felt inside me just a week ago. He was so active those few days on bedrest, they could never keep him on the monitor! I usually don't do well with change. God has been equipping me and adapting me to this new phase of life in the last week. It's so weird how we've adapted to a new 'normal'. Our days now consist of around the clock pumping every 3 hours. It's a big commitment, but I'm glad that there's one 'mom' thing I can do to help Isaac. Consequentially, it's resulted in lack of sleep and a tight schedule. Stephen and I have been making daily visits to the hospital which is about 45 min-1 hour of travel time and then we usually visit with Isaac for about an hour. We have decided to look at this benefit of time together as extra time to communicate and pray for grace and strength for the days at hand. Isaac is doing very well, but having missed the last trimester in the womb has more to overcome than the average newborn. His one week birthday is a huge milestone for him.

Having lots of help with Esther and Jonas (as I still can't pick them up yet), meals, and housework has become normal. It's humbling not to be able to do all these 'normal' activities yourself. I'm thankful for the body of Christ that has showered us with many blessings.

So, we continue to take life one day at a time, knowing God has given us mercies that are new every morning. We told the doctors this afternoon that we know that God won't give us or Isaac more than we can handle and that we will trust Him to continue to heal Isaac. It's amazing the love God has already given us for this precious little one. God's given us grace for today. We are so thankful for so many who are bearing our burdens through this trial. It means more than words can express. Our hope and our expectation is in Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we could ask or think.

God's Ways....and our plans.

2011-03-17T14:15:00.004-04:00

The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps. Proverbs 16:9

I'm a planner by nature. God has been teaching us these past few months about His plans. I love to plan ahead and be intentional with the time God has given. One reason I took a blog break was my fear that it had gotten misprioritized with caring for the needs of my family. (that and my slow computer made it impossible to do it efficiently!) God has brought us through some amazing events this last week that I don't want to forget. We are learning life lessons about God our Heavenly Father and his Sovereign control over every area of our life. And that His ways are higher than ours.

‎"That the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, That they may arise and tell them to their children, That they should put their confidence in God. And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments" Ps 78:6-7

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:9

Last year, God gave us grace through the trial of our miscarriage of Hannah Grace. The opportunities He has given to testify of His name through that have been unbelievable. The grace He has given has been unimaginable. Just this last February 16, was the one year anniversary of her Home-going. Last September, we were thrilled to find out that we were pregnant again. After the physical effects my body had gone through from the miscarriage, we were thrilled beyond measure, God had chosen to grant us another child. Very early in my pregnancy, I began having some bleeding. When we saw the doctor, he told us this pregnancy had a 50/50 chance. We prayed and many of our dear friends and family prayed with us that God would sustain this life. Little did we know how God would enfold His plan throughout this pregnancy. Each ultrasound or check-up has been a test of faith that everything would be okay with the baby. In the meantime, God has kept us very busy this pregnancy to help keep us from worrying.

Last October, we took a step of faith and put our house up for sale. Despite the bad economy, we knew that having another baby would increase our need for more space, and we discovered we could move to a different area of town for the same rate and get a house that met our needs better. God sold our house the 2nd week of January for our asking price. We found another house quickly that met our needs- and even some of our wants for significantly less than they had been asking. Jehovah-Jireh! We closed on both houses February 28 and lived in temporary housing until March 4. Looking back, moving has been the easiest thing that's happened the last few months. People in the church have graciously served and sacrificed to get things in order for us. I have not had to lift heavy boxes or really even do any physical labor through this whole move. We are so grateful for so many sweet servants.

In December, we received news, Esther's kidney reflux wasn't improving and she would need surgery. So January 28, we traveled to UVA for Esther to have a ureter reimplant. God taught us many lessons through that trial and growing in our trust of Him through that. God taught Esther too, and we are thankful for the speedy healing, and grace He gave her. It was such a hard thing watching her in pain. Stephen and I remarked the other day about how when she was first born, she had jaundice which required her to be in the NICU for 24 hours. I cried and cried at that back then and thought it was horrible. How God has grown us in all of that the last few months. God continually reminds me that our children are His not mine, and He loves them more than I could ever.

That brings us to last week. In our years at Timberlake, they have always desired for Stephen to go to Shepherds Conference, but there's always been a scheduling conflict. This year, even though, we had moved a week prior, Stephen was scheduled to take a missions trip to Guatemala March 18, and even with my being pregnant, we knew we needed to make it happen. We were both so excited for him to get to go and be a part of the good teaching and grace-filled fellowship. Last Thursday, I began not feeling well...and put myself on "rest" most of the day as I was able. I had people coming over to help with the house off and on which helped with the kids. That night, we went to a friend's house for supper who is one of our new neighbors now. I didn't really feel great that whole evening, and when I got home, I gave our dr a call. It was my dr that was on call which was a blessing. I described my symptoms, and he told me to come in. I called my friend (whose home we had been in earlier), and she drove me to the hospital. It was a blessing because she has worked at this hospital for 30 years and knows it well. Her husband sat with the kids until our babysitter could get here. We are so thankful for so many that stood in the gap before our family got here. When I got to the hospital, the doctor said I was 3 cm dilated and 80% effaced. He told me Stephen needed to come home immediately from California, and they were going to start all measures to stop labor. God allowed Stephen to get on the red-eye flight from California to get home, and Pastor Brodie graciously accompanied him so he wouldn't have to be alone. They made it on a packed flight which we knew was God's hand. My mom and sister were able to get here on Friday also to help with the care of the kids. We didn't know whether we were looking at an impending birth or weeks of bedrest. Over the next few days, they did what they could, but on Sunday night, God decided that it was Isaac's time to come. I was having regular contractions, and at 3:56 a.m. March 14, Isaac was born by c-section. He cried as he came out. Stephen and I quoted portions from Psalm 139... "You are fearfully and wonderfully made. My soul knoweth right well....How precious are your thoughts toward me O God, they are more than can be counted." We named him Isaac, because as Isaac in the Bible was a miracle for Abraham and Sarah, we felt the same about his birth. His middle name is Elliott, after one of our missionary heroes, Jim Elliott, who said, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

Isaac weighed 2 lb 10 oz. an amazing weight for a 27 week baby. We are now 3 days from his birthday, and he continues to make progress. We are learning what life in the NICU means and quickly learning all the terms. We are able to visit him daily and I am pumping around the clock to keep up my milk supply for when he is able to eat. They've set little goal lines for Isaac. First 24 hours, 3 days, and 7 days are the most critical. He has made a lot of progress in a short amount of time...already graduated to a CPAP machine and other milestones. We are learning to set our hope in Jesus not in doctors reports or circumstances. I hope to continue to update on Isaac's progress as we are able, but also on how God is growing us through this trial. It was hard to leave the hospital yesterday without our baby, but we know he's in the best place. Esther also cried yesterday when Isaac didn't get to come home, and she was worried he was sad that he wasn't able to come too. This has been an adjustment for all of us. We know that God is going to show himself strong through Isaac's life. He already has and will continue to do so. We are focusing on the promises of God. Here's some that continue to encourage us:

The LORD will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O LORD, is everlasting; Do not forsake the works of Your hands. Psalm 138:8

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Gospel Song

2010-09-28T23:51:00.000-04:00

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

around the house- Esther's persepective

2010-07-20T09:43:00.004-04:00

Watch!

2010-06-28T15:33:00.001-04:00

Just had to capture this for the fam- this is a regular occurence for us.

Sometimes you just got to take a break...

2010-06-10T22:20:00.003-04:00

In the midst of some busy days, we have learned to make it a priority to have a family day. So we took a little picnic up to the Peaks of Otter. Recently we learned of a creek for the kids to play in right near the picnic area. I think the kids could've stayed in the creek ALL DAY! Funny thing is we have a creek in our backyard.

Catch-up in Pictures

2010-06-08T09:37:00.003-04:00

one of our summer favorites- ice cream!
jonas loves to dress up with Esther's stuff- usually 10 minutes before Stephen gets home.

we climbed to the top of the LU Monogram. i never tire of seeing the blue ridge mountains!

Stephen & I on our date to C-ville & eating at our favorite spot!

All things pretty

2010-06-08T09:28:00.004-04:00

I'm a very practical person. I used to think decorations were a waste of time and money, yet I always have appreciated beauty...just not creative enough to figure out how to make it happen. With technology, we have a vast array of ideas to use for inspiration. So my favorite blog is becoming this one here. And with the help of my friend Bethany, I'm learning creative ways to get the look and do it cheaply. So if any of you are in the midst of planning a bunch of parties this summer, maybe this will help. And if you are one of those blessed creative people, please share your ideas and favorite websites!

Hannah Grace Conley

2010-05-03T14:00:00.009-04:00

Don't you love when you have those moments where God gently reminds you once again He is in control. A confusing story is about to follow- but hang in there...

About a month ago, I had a check-up with our doctor to see how I had recovered from the miscarriage. I was anxious to hear their findings from the autopsy. My doctor really emphasized that she wanted Stephen & I both to be at the appointment, which I found odd, and complicated. He had so graciously made it a point to be at every appointment up until then, and then with the Ministry Trip to Guatemala in March we were having a hard time making it happen, but finally found a time. We went in and the doctor said, "I have a bomb to drop on you guys." We were wondering, 'What could possibly be worse at this point after what we had just been through?' 'Were we not going to be able to have any more children?' She said, "There was a mistake - Josiah was....not a boy but a GIRL." She said maybe we should have named her Isaac since God had the last laugh. They found she had Turners Syndrome, which you can read more about here. We knew that was one of the possibilities had she made it full-term. The dr. also mentioned that the chances of this condition happening again were like being struck by lightning twice. Of course we know, God could have that in His plan and would still be sovereign. But I guess that was comforting in a small way. And everytime I see a special girl with this condition, it's going to hold a special place in my heart.
As you can imagine, we were shocked with the information, but, yet, found it kind of funny. Here we had been calling this baby Josiah that was a girl all along. It was still the same baby, and everything else, just a girl not a boy. We decided in lieu of this information- that her name would be Hannah Grace. This past month has been awkward in how to handle this information. Do we bother telling everyone and making the correction or just let it go? I guess in our minds we have decided to let it be known, because we feel an attachment to her in a way that is unexplainable and when referring to the baby we want it to be gender-specific. Oh and by the way, they were able to put the correct name on the headstone at the cemetary also. So why is this significant you may wonder? It wouldn't have mattered either way what God chose to give us- He knows what's best. We would've loved a boy or girl. But it was sweet news for several reasons: First, Esther had been praying for a baby sister. We realized God did answer her prayer, but decided it was best for her to be with Him. Second, I had a strong motherly instinct this was a girl, so my suspicions were confirmed (for whatever that was worth). Third, with the condition that Hannah had, my chances of miscarrying were 99%. So God was gracious in that if I was to miscarry it happened earlier not later. God always knows what's best. I still have moments when Satan tempts me to doubt that, and that I'm missing out on something more God might have had for us. And when those moments come, I'm drawn to Job, and when He was doubting God told Job to look Him. The answer was not in looking to others and thinking- someone could have it worse, but looking to God who is infinitely wise and good. So when those times come that I'm missing our little one like the approaching Mother's Day, the due date-August 5, and when I just happen to burst in tears. I can still say, "He gives and takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord."

Job 38:4-10
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk,or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang togetherand all the sons of God shouted for joy? Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb, when I made clouds its garmentand thick darkness its swaddling band, and prescribed limits for itand set bars and doors, and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther,and here shall your proud waves be stayed’?"

Spring 2010 Pics

2010-04-21T13:50:00.004-04:00

Jesus Loves Me

2010-04-15T09:17:00.000-04:00

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Retreat...

2010-04-07T16:04:00.005-04:00

Thanks to some friends in our church, we were able to get away for a few days for some much-needed R & R. We were able to 'unplug' and spend quality time as a family reading and enjoying God's beautiful creation.

Happy 2nd Birthday Jonas!

2010-04-07T15:59:00.006-04:00

1st days

1st birthday

Jonas' birthday snuck upon us again this year. So far, we have one child with a near-to-Christmas birthday, and one with near-to-Easter. We are so thankful for our sweet Jonas and how he blesses our family. We celebrated his birthday with some family friends and presents. Stephen & I got him a sandbox which he has loved playing in especially in this gorgeous summer-like weather we've been enjoying. (yes, that was me that promised we'd never have a sandbox because of the mess 'til God blessed us with a boy who loves the outdoors. :) Happy Birthday Jonas!
We love you and pray every day that you will grow up to be a man that loves GOD!

Easter 2010

2010-04-07T15:53:00.004-04:00

Hope you all had as wonderful of a day celebrating Christ's Resurrection as we did!

What we're learning...

2010-03-22T15:14:00.003-04:00

He who would glorify his God must set his account upon meeting with many trials.... If then, yours be a much-tried path, rejoice in it, because you will the better show forth the all-sufficient grace of God. As for his failing you, never dream of it--hate the thought. The GOD who has been sufficient until now, should be trusted to the end. - Spurgeon

God has been teaching us a lot these past few months with everything going on. For sure we haven't arrived in learning these lessons, but I want to journal some of these lessons so it will help us remember this. We are so grateful to many brothers and sisters in Christ for their prayers and encouraging words. Our church family provided meals for four weeks that helped us not have the pressure of cooking, grocery shopping, while still recovering, and since Stephen had a lot of responsibility planning the missions trip. It was an extra blessing.

A verse that has been sweet is I Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." I had used that verse so many times with others but now how to live it out myself. Here's how it helped me and maybe you can use this in helping yourself or others. I believe that "The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Many times we know what we need to do, but just don't want to. It's a fight to obey our feelings or Scripture. What a comfort to know the Word that was written so long ago specifically meets my needs now. Amazing.

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. One thing that we tend to forget is that our trial is common to man and personally, I struggled with this lie that Satan wanted me to believe at times. In pride, one might think that he is the only person on the planet that has ever experienced anything like this. That was a temptation for me when I heard the condition given. Our doctor gave us an explanation from Emory University's site to tell us the complicated condition. Good grief. Even in that, a friend on facebook referred us to a dear Christian lady who went through the same thing as us. It was a blessing to interact with her, and a comfort to know that our trial was indeed 'common to man'. Since Josiah's homegoing, we have heard of so many stories of those that lost babies in the 2nd trimester and at 15-16 weeks . And in turn, they were able to recount about God's grace that helped them through it. What a blessing to see how God comforted them and experienced his comfort personally. While I would've never chosen this path, God has given me a whole new empathy for those that have lost a baby and more of a compassion for people in general. I needed that.
God is faithful. Period. A week before everything started happening, I was at a ladies Bible study and gave a testimony about struggling with recognizing God's sovereignty in the little inconveniences in life and that sometimes it is easier to trust in the 'big trials'. So my thoughts were put to the test the next week. I am here to say either trial is hard- big or small, yet GOD is faithful. I look back at how God brought us through this trial and want to shout how He's been faithful. Every day His mercies are new. Great is His faithfulness. I would've never understood how God would have equipped us until experiencing this personally. Focusing on God's character through a trial is so important. Satan tempts us with different lies about His character. I have begun writing down the lies and then the truth in Scripture that proves that wrong. That has been helpful to see where I've personally been deceived in my theology even in little ways.
He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability. Every trial is tailor-made. God knew exactly what we needed to conform us more to the image of Christ. He knew that this was going to wound us deeply and cause us to trust Him in a new way. We love babies, we struggled with infertility in the past, God surprised us with this pregnancy, and He chose to take him to heaven. He knows whats best. God gave us a test to see if we would trust Him. I learned so much from Job. He didn't know how the end of the story would turn out like we do, and I'm sure even after God blessed Him in the end He still grieved for the children that had died. What a blessing His testimony is. "God gives and God takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord." I talked to someone the other day that was struggling with a trial the other day and they said, "but this isn't as big as what you went through". And I responded, neither is what we went through compared to someone else. You can't compare. Wherever you are, it's hard, and every trial is specifically tailor-made, and God is faithful.
He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. I won't lie the fight for joy and peace was hard at times, but He chose to provide an escape as far as giving us the grace to go through the trial. Sometimes we think this means that God will say 'yes' and so our 'escape' will mean we can 'escape the pain'. In reality, sometimes that way of escape is His giving us the grace through the pain. Even in the midst of hard times, we could recount of so many blessings: Opportunities to share the Gospel. Amazing Financial Provisions. Encouraging words from Scripture from friends and family. I am so thankful for God's grace- it's amazing. Some books that were a special blessing to us is From Grief to Glory and Safe in the Arms of God.

Hi DAD!

2010-03-14T21:00:00.004-04:00

(Since Stephen is in Guatemala- he asked for a special post from the kids and pictures from what we've been up to. I wish I had thought of it sooner, but better late than never! You can follow Stephen's mission trip here.)

Hi Daddy-

We miss you soo much. We are at Nanna's & Poppa's and having a wonderful time especially playing with Audrey & Maddy. Time has been going by quickly since we got here. We got to their house on Tuesday night. It was a long car ride, but everybody did fine travelling. Wednesday, we hung out at the house and ran to Target (Mommy's favorite!). On Thursday, we went to a local zoo and were planning on having a picnic, but it started raining. We did get to see some peacocks and monkeys which were Jonas' favorite. On Friday, we went to a local glass museum. It was really neat to see how glass was made and see the world's largest bottle. Mommy got me a souvenir necklace for being good and not touching anything in the exhibits. I made you a special card at one of the stores and can't wait to give it to you when you get home. Jonas and Maddy had fun that day too. Audrey & I made sugar cookies with Aunt Trisha on Friday afternoon, and they tasted so good. Saturday we had Jonas' monkey birthday party. Nanna & Poppa made a cute monkey cake, and Jonas said, "Monk!" He got some neat presents too. It was fun. It's been raining a lot the last few days- some of the roads are under water. We've been enjoying taking walks and seeing the swans on the lake. We can't wait until you get back! We have been watching the pictures on the blog and praying for you everyday.

Love you!

Esther

Josiah Stephen Conley

2010-02-18T11:38:00.002-05:00

God gives & God takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

The Lord chose to take our baby ,Josiah Stephen, to heaven with him at 15 weeks. We chose to name him Josiah because it means "Yahweh supports". God used Josiah in the Bible at such a young age, and God has used our Josiah to teach us many lessons about God in our lives. We chose Stephen because of his daddy, and because it means "Crowned One". It was amazing to see our little one, fingernails and toenails all fully formed at this young age. What an amazing Creator we have. He looked perfect to us, and we can't wait to meet him again in heaven someday. We know that Josiah is in heaven perfect and free from pain and that brings us comfort. We "do not mourn as those who have no hope" for we know our son is in heaven, yet we still mourn for we will miss him here on earth. We miss the playmate Jonas & Esther would have had. We also knows that God had numbered each of Josiah's days. God has brought comfort to us through His Word, and we know He will heal our broken hearts as only He can.

On Tuesday, February 16, Shannon went into the hospital and went through the inducement and delivery process. She lost a lot of blood and is still recovering from that physically which will take about a week.
We have been blessed by prayers and encouraging words from brothers & sisters in Christ. God is good all the time, and we know He does all things well. His mercies are new every morning. We are learning more about God through this valley in our lives and will post more at a later time.

Psalm 139:13-17

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from you,when I was being made in secret,intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed substance;in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me,when as yet there was none of them.

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.

Taking the kid sledding for the first time...

2010-02-06T15:20:00.001-05:00

Notice us trying to slow down to hang on to the kids...
Notice Jonas saying- "Go, Go, Go!"
Notice Esther's silence and then crying at the top because we left her...
Each child is sooo different.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Winter Snowstorms

2010-01-31T19:18:00.002-05:00

Living in Virginia, we have had considerably mild weather and rarely see any accumulation of snow. This winter we've had two snow storms of at least 12". During the first snowstorm, we took this video of Jonas' first snow reactions. The happy moments lasted about five minutes when he started crying "All De" (his version of 'all done'). His gloves came off and his hands were cold...and I had to keep him inside by the fire. (someone has to do the hard work) At this point when we took this video before Christmas, I was spending lots of time in the bathroom from all-day sickness with the pregnancy- so I sat this snow day out and took video from the front door.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Hiding Scripture in our Hearts...

2010-01-31T19:00:00.002-05:00

This new year we wanted to commit as a family to work on Scripture Memory in a more organized fashion. We have the Macarthur Scripture Memory System which goes a little fast for our family's pace, so we take one verse every two weeks. Last week when we received news about our baby, guess what the verse of the week was? Romans 8:28. What a precious promise that verse is. Esther has been committing this verse to memory as we go over it every meal time and if we forget to do it, she is quick to remind us. How we pray she will remember these promises of God throughout her life.
Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

So thankful for....

2010-01-25T12:57:00.003-05:00

In the midst of our trial we're walking through, God has given us several specific blessings that I know are from Him (including this trial by the way). We want to be able to 'count it ALL joy'.

God's grace has been amazing and on display in so many ways. How He's enabling us to walk this path is unexplainable but His grace.

God's Word has been so comforting. "I will give thanks to your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness, because your promises are backed by all the honor of your name." Psalm 138:2 Knowing the promises in His Word are backed by the honor of His name is what brings hope. I have several verses on index cards that I carry with me and when I'm fighting for peace, I pull them out and remind myself of truth found in the Word. I have a feeling they're going to be worn out when this is all over.

The body of Christ. We have so many dear family and friends who have encompassed us to meet any need we have. Knowing we have so many praying on our and our precious baby's behalf is humbling.

God's sovereignty. I am so thankful for how He led us to such a caring group of doctors through a tough process that we wouldn't have chosen. They each have been so compassionate in their care of us. Because of this situation we have been able to share Christ with these doctors. When you're dealing with life and death situations, everyone is more open to listen. It was almost like we had to put them at ease and tell them that we know God does everything for a purpose and we trust Him. We know He will give the grace we need. Our hope is not in doctors but the Great Physician.

God's perfect timing. Esther just got promoted to a new class and has been apprehensive about going. She told me she was going to tell her teacher to pray for our baby because it's sick. Yesterday she had such a wonderful time and recounted that her Sunday School lesson was on Jesus, The Great Physician, healing the blind and deaf man. What perfect timing for God to even be ministering to her in this little way through her Sunday School lesson.

God does all things well...

2010-01-23T10:37:00.003-05:00

So for those who haven't heard on facebook, we are pregnant with our third little blessing. It's been a roller coaster physically the past few weeks as I've been more sick this pregnancy than the first two put together. We've had many helpful people, most of all my wonderful husband Stephen, who has pitched in when I've been too sick. I had a hard time getting into my doctor in a decent time frame, so the Lord through that led us to another office. This past week at my 11 week appointment to have the ultrasound and meet the doctor, they found an abnormality and referred us to Roanoke to a perinatal specialist. We went yesterday where they repeated the ultrasound, then had appointments with the doctor and genetic counselor. We were not sure what to expect, but all the staff was very helpful and gracious. We were expecting some pressure about sanctity of life issues, but there was none-again another blessing. What they did find was a growth on the baby that indicates a myriad of things. The doctor prepared us that he couldn't offer a lot of hope that the baby will make it full-term. If it does, there may be many other issues. We are just taking it one day at a time at this point. We have follow-up appointments scheduled if we make it to that point at 15 and 18 weeks. I will continue to get ob care at my wonderful doctor's office in Bedford.

Honestly, there have been some hard times his week, but God's grace has been greater. I am so thankful for our two children God has already blessed us with and realize how much I take them for granted. How much harder this would be if I didn't have them to help me focus on the present and teaching them as we're walking through this trial. We know that God has created this baby "fearfully and wonderfully" and "has formed it's inward parts". "He has knit this baby in my womb". What a comfort that this baby is in the hands of its Sovereign Creator. We appreciate everyone's prayers and encouragement. We are trusting God for his grace which has been amazing so far. His mercies have been new each morning.

At this point we cannot give any more details or information that we have. This condition is actually much more complicated than I explained, but this is as much as we feel comfortable sharing at this point. We will give more updates as we are able. More than anything knowing people are praying, lending a listening ear, and words of Scripture have been just what we need. Some people have asked how to pray specifically. This is what Stephen and I came up with.

Here are some specific requests we have for our family.

Pray for us to be have grace to accept God's will whatever that may be.
Of course, we would love to see God work a miracle on our behalf and heal this little one so that these medical doctors can see the power of our great God. On the other hand, God's power may be better displayed in his grace through this trial.
Pray that we will not fear the unknown, but just take each day as it comes.
Pray we will have the wisdom to know what is best and know what questions to ask. The doctors have offered many tests to us and all of it is very overwhelming to know what to do.
Pray for Esther and Jonas as this week we've already had many appointments, and they are concerned, especially Esther. We told her last night that the baby is sick and of course she wants to understand why. She is so excited about a new baby brother or sister.
Pray for Stephen as he is planning a Ministry Trip to Guatemala in March; he is concerned something may happen while away.

Esther's 4th Teddy Bear Tea Party

2009-12-11T10:32:00.004-05:00

Esther has been looking forward to her 4th birthday..for a long time. A while back she asked if we could have a teddy bear tea party and invite a few friends. We had the full teddy bear theme with teddy grahams, teddy bears, teddy bear treasure hunt, and a teddy bear cake! We asked all the guests to wear dress-up clothes and bring their favorite teddy bear. Since her birthday falls a few days before Christmas on December 22, we had the party yesterday. It was a fun time. Daddy was the 'Activities Director" and had lots of fun games with a teddy bear theme. (He's had lots of practice in this area). I asked her what her favorite part was about the whole party and she said, "THE ICE CREAM." A girl after my own heart. We are so thankful for our little girl who is growing up too quickly!

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-11T10:21:00.002-05:00

Here's some pictures from our trip to New Jersey to Shannon's parents over Thanksgiving. We squeezed a lot in a week: Thanksgiving, Christmas (early), and Esther & Maddy's birthday. We had a fun time!

Giving Thanks In All Things

2009-11-20T19:52:00.004-05:00

We're looking forward to spending time with family over this Thanksgiving week. We are truly wanting to emphasize to the cousins (the older ones) why we celebrate Thanksgiving and make it just as meaningful as Christmas. We plan to do that by using some of the resources that were referred to us by The Learning Parent. My mother-n-law gave the kids this book. I picked up this book at Ollies. It is so hard to find resources that emphasize Thanksgiving, but they are out there! We desire to celebrating God's grace in our lives not just this week but year-round. It's so exciting to start creating our own God-centered traditions, now that they're getting old enough to understand these holidays and their significance. One of the traditions is once the food is on the table (and somehow my mom always tries to figure out a way to keep the food hot), my dad always reads a Psalm. We then each go around the table and give a testimony of God's grace in our life over the past year. It will be a little sad this year, as it will be the first time without my Grandpa. For the past 15 years that he lived with my family, he always went last and even though his speech was impaired, he always manged to say, "I'm thankful for Doug & Pam (my parents) for taking care of me, and for Don & Lou that are 'Down Under'. He always got choked up saying that, and we'd be crying with him. So grateful that He is now in heaven and doesn't have to suffer anymore. So we look forward to praising God for how he is working in our life....and Esther is in bed asking when we will wake her up to leave for Nanna's tomorrow. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Toy Storage Solutions

2009-11-20T19:25:00.004-05:00

I'm embarassed to admit we have so many toys, we can't stay on top of keeping them clean. Especially,when so many children in the world are lacking toys to play with, and my kids have tons! That's why I was glad we were able to contribute a small part and participate in Operation Christmas Child this year. Still doesn't put a dent though in the needs of so many. Stephen and I have been frustrated in recent weeks, because we spend a lot of time cleaning up toys, and yet, having access to all the toys is a natural temptation for our young children that we weren't sure our kids were able to handle. I had an older mom (who had 6 boys) give me her solution recently. She bought storage bins from Target and stored like things together and then the boys could only get one tray out at a time and had to put away before getting something different out. Of course the rules changed as the boys got older. So we adapted that strategy a little for our family and have most toys put away in the bins in the closets (with a lock on the door). The kids have a couple of their favorites out, and Esther is able to have access to her doll trunk (all the accessories are put away though until she asks for them). They also have access to many books, which is no problem to put those away at the end of they day. This new system has been working wonderfully. We get out a bin for Jonas to play with in the morning since he can't tell us what he wants to play with, and this has turned into a wonderful way to rotate his toys. Esther asks for different things to play with and does a fabulous job cleaning up the bin which is attainable before she gets something else out. What is also nice, is we created certain 'quiet time bins' that have lots of little pieces that she enjoys doing while Jonas is napping. Feel free to share any comments about how you've trained children to clean up toys or how to store them. This just happens to be what works for us. Here's some of the process below. (Esther took a couple of the pics-she is our future photographer. :)

What we're up to...

2009-11-20T19:14:00.003-05:00

After the last few busy weeks of ministry commitments and home improvement projects, we are looking forward to going to New Jersey tomorrow for some R & R. More pictures will follow with some of the things we've finally been able to check off that to-do list. Pictures to come as we are able to finish some of these projects!

In the meantime, Jonas has been struggling this past month with colds and viruses. We finally found out today that he has an ear infection, tis the cause for his recent sleepless nights and ours too! And so this is my wonderful husband who was taking a turn on the nightshift the other night, I had taken a turn with Esther earlier in the night. He & Jonas looked so much even in their sleep! In God's sovereignty, I recently read Psalm 119:148 "My eyes anticipate the night watches, that I may meditate on Your Word." And those of you who know me, and know how I love my sleep, this verse convicted me. Can I say like the Psalmist, I can't wait to meditate on Your Word in the 'night watches' that God grants often in this season of life? What a challenge to meditate on God's Word truly day and night. That is the only thing that will provide me with strength and grace!

What happens when your toddler sneaks in your painting project...

2009-11-17T13:36:00.004-05:00

We're in the midst of painting our cabinets black. They look good and are almost done thanks to a lot of help from friends. Only mishap so far was Jonas sneaking into the black paint. Because we don't have carpet, and because he's a laid back child, it was contained to a few black footprints, hands, clothes and black on a toy. It could've been worse, and maybe because he's the second child, I took a picture and laughed to myself. It was so funny how he just kept staring at his pudgy little hands trying to figure out what just happened!

Guys Accountabillity Retreat

2009-11-09T08:00:00.006-05:00

We just arrived back from a Guys Accountability Retreat at a B & B in Pennsylvania so I got lots of unpacking to do. You can see where we went here. We had such a wonderful time, and what a perfect time to visit a B & B right during my series on hospitality. I learned so much. A teacher in our school, Matt Combs, organized this Retreat and his parents are the owners of the B & B and Restaurant. They served us graciously the whole weekend, and the food was AMAZING! I am going to have to exercise ten times more this week! We had such a fun time hanging out with Stephanie, Matt's wife, and daughter, Grace, while the guys studied the Word this weekend. It was really a profitable time. You can see what a great time we had below!

Blessings of Hospitality - Part V

2009-11-09T07:56:00.003-05:00

I am delighted to post another guest post from another dear friend of mine, Kate Boyer Brown. I've so enjoyed getting to know her more especially this past year. She is always opening her home to guests and seeking to serve them sacrificially. Here are some of her thoughts:

Last Christmas, my sister-in-law gave me a CD series, “The Heart of Hospitality,” by Nancy Leigh Demoss, which really opened my eyes to the fact that hospitality is not an option. I never realized how much Scripture speaks of hospitality; how seriously God takes it. I was inspired by the practical suggestions she offered to begin practicing hospitality more regularly with the goal of sharing God’s love to my guests, realizing that hospitality can be a powerful vehicle for the gospel and encouragement to the brethren. Nancy suggests that if you aren’t already practicing hospitality, ask God for opportunities and He will provide them. I prayed, and He answered, and my husband can attest to this (ever since I had the courage to inform him of my prayer!)! J Seriously, though, it is a privilege to be able to extend hospitality, even with all the effort and time and expense that can be involved at times and yet feel that you are the one who is most blessed in the process.

By far the most important thing to keep in mind about hospitality is that the heart is the point – not a perfect Martha Stewart-esque presentation. When I am hosting guests, I want my heart to be filled till it overflows on them with God’s love, which is difficult if I am in “Martha vs. Mary” mode, fretting about all the things which still need to be done. Undue preoccupation with preparations also makes it difficult to give your guest the focused attention that will make them feel welcomed and loved.

I’ve been struck by a verse from a passage in 3 John, where John is commending Gaius for his hospitality and love of the brethren, especially strangers. John exhorts him, “…You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God (vs. 6)”. We are to treat our guests as God would treat them. This has helped me to view hospitality as a ministry of encouraging and honoring others, as an offering to the Lord.

Of course, it’s hard to keep that mindset if I am not preparing in advance. After all, my guests won’t feel comfortable if my house looks like a disaster zone. As soon as overnight guests leave, I wash the linens and remake the beds and get everything ready for the next guests, even if I don’t have any “lined up.” I have had guests on very short notice before, and it is very helpful to have my house ready for them and be able to welcome them without as much extra work. This frees me up to think of the “fun stuff:” the little touches that can make a big difference in making my guests feel welcome. These are just ideas; I don’t include all of them at each visit, and it’s helpful to tailor them for your own guests and their needs.

I also give the disclaimer that at times I have done the opposite of most of these tips, and I’m fairly certain that I was so stressed during the visit of our last company that they could probably sense it, much to my later regret. Like anything else, hospitality is an area for growth for all of us!

“Little Things”

-Plan ahead, plan ahead, plan ahead! Prepare beforehand as much as possible so you are not stressed when company arrives. Remember the focus is to be on making your guests feel welcomed and loved. It’s harder to do that if you’re still racing to sweep the floor and find extra pillows as they’re pulling in the driveway!

-One of my favorite things to do is leave a chocolate on the pillow for each of my overnight guests… specifically a Lindor Truffle by Lindt. J I keep a bag of them on hand (and have so far even resisted the urge to put one on my own pillow). J It’s a small, extremely simple thing to do, but I have yet to see a guest who isn’t delighted by this little touch. I want it to say, “You’re special and we’re glad you’re here!”

-I also like to assemble a basket of goodies for my guests, depending on their needs and length of their stay. Some things to include might be travel-size toothpaste, mouthwash, chocolate (of course!), tissues, aspirin, snacks, bottled water, etc. I have also learned it is helpful to include a cute little tag or note that makes it clear it is for their use. J

-I try to keep on hand some snacks that can easily be served for drop-in guests such as Chex mix, a brownie mix that I can whip up quickly, etc.

-Put yourself in your guest’s shoes. When you are a guest, what makes you feel welcomed, loved, at home, comfortable? Personally, I hate having to ask for things, such as the use of a hair dryer if I haven’t brought my own, so it’s occurred to me that I ought to provide one in my guest bathroom; or towels if they aren’t set out and shown to me. I’ve forgotten personal items before such as toothpaste or contact solution. I like to fully stock my guest bathroom shower with anything they might need and let them know it’s all for their use. Will they need a night light? Alarm clock? I also keep travel-type coffee cups on hand – permanent ones for the use of long-term guests, disposable ones so short-term guests running too late to pick up Starbucks on the way to the airport can take grab coffee and run.

-One guest stayed in my home while I was out of town and felt uncomfortable because I left my house was picture-perfect and she didn’t feel at home until we got home and my toddler resumed living in it as toddlers live. J I know others have been here when it was not tidy enough to feel homey. Strive to have a good balance!

-For repeat guests, make mental notes of preferences they have. I know one guest who doesn’t care for meatloaf; another can’t stand cheese. Several love sweet tea, so I try to always have some ice cold before they arrive. I know certain friends love certain cookies, snacks or desserts, so it’s a nice touch to have those awaiting them (making them ahead of time and freezing them if necessary to maximize your time).

-Keep good reading material in the guest room/area. Sometimes I switch out books or magazines according to interests I know my guests have; other times it’s been purely “coincidental” yet they received a blessing or information they needed from something that “just happened” to be in the night stand.

-Nancy Leigh Demoss shared that she likes to minister to all 5 of her guests’ senses. I have adopted this goal as my own. Some ideas might include:
Touch: Comfortable furniture; soft/textured pillows or throws on sofas; crayons, games and toys for children.
Smell:, coffee brewing; cookies baking; a meal; scented candles (unless you know your guest is highly allergic!); fresh flowers (cut from your garden, if you like).
Sight: tidy rooms; fresh or fresh-looking artificial flowers or centerpieces; wall art, which I like to involve Scripture to minister to the spirits of my guests; ambient lighting (fireplace, candles, etc.).
Sound: quiet background music, such as instrumental hymns or praise/worship music, etc.; windchimes; laughter; prayer; or, according to the need of the moment, silence.
Taste: All things yummy! J Again, it’s fun to make notes of your guests’ preferences for repeat performances.

-Be sensitive to the time schedule of your guests. One time my attempt at a “quick breakfast” was centered around eggs – a nice but quick sit-down hot breakfast – and I realized when she left that cold cereal would’ve been faster since she was in a hurry to get on the road. Unfortunately, my pride in wanting to be “the perfect hostess” prevented me from meeting the needs of my guest as well as I could have.

-Sometimes I fear awkward pauses, as I’m sure many of us do. It’s helpful to think about this beforetime and jot down ideas of questions to ask or topics to introduce with your specific guests. Also, always remember (as I have sometimes forgotten to do) L to pray for God’s blessing on your time together and that your hospitality, home and family will minister God’s love to them. If I focus on loving them as God loves me, awkwardness is far less likely – they become my focus instead of myself!!

-Reminding myself frequently, especially when company invites themselves suddenly, that my home is not for me and my family alone; it is a gift from God, and I am to be a good steward of it and use it to minister to those He brings along as I would minister to Jesus Himself (Matt. 25:34-40).

Finally, remember hospitality is not limited to hosting guests in your home, nor does it have to be overly costly. Stock up on snack items when they are on sale. Make a batch of homemade cookie dough to freeze for unexpected company. And hospitality travels! Bring a meal to someone who has just had a baby, is going through an illness or bereavement, or is moving to town and has all their pots and pans packed away still. Surprise someone with their favorite Starbucks beverage. Take someone out to dinner. Once my husband and I ran into another couple from our church at a restaurant. They noted that our toddler wasn’t with us and commented how good it is for a marriage to go out on a date alone. They left before we did, and as we were finishing our dinner, our waiter came up to us and told us to choose whichever dessert we liked, as the other couple had just paid for it. What a sweet gesture!

Send them on their way in a manner worthy of God, and you will do well!

Blessing of Hospitality - Part IV

2009-11-06T08:34:00.002-05:00

Today we are privileged to have a guest post from a dear friend of mine and mentor, (even though she's not that much older) Sherry White. Sherry is Pastor Tim's wife, and they have served here at Timberlake for over 20 years. Her husband was the Youth Pastor at one time, so she has taught me much about those days in that season of life. I am so grateful for her influence in my life.

Opening my home to others and being hospitable is something that I enjoy. I don’t do it nearly enough. Many times I think that my house is too small or I am too busy, but in reality, my house is fine and I should never be too busy to invest in the lives of others. It is a great way to get to know people better and show the love of Christ.

Over the years, hospitality has included out-of-state family members, youth and college groups, visiting missionaries and pastors, and lots of friends of all ages. With some planning --and “Monday morning quarterbacking” -- having someone in your home can be quite easy.

For over-night guests, have fresh linens and towels ready. If possible, give guests as much privacy as you can, including giving them their own bathroom. We do not have a guest bedroom, so Tim and I often give up our room. It is the largest bedroom and includes its own bathroom. It is also on the main floor so guests don’t have to haul luggage up or down stairs. It is easier for Tim and me to move than for one of the children to move. This was especially true when they were younger. The last thing you need with a house guest is a toddler on an adjusted schedule.

Fresh flowers in the room that they are staying in or a banner or poster decorating the front porch is a nice way to welcome guests you haven’t seen in months. Maps to and from church, school, stores, etc., are also excellent to print out ahead of time to really save some frustrations later. Extra house keys are nice to leave for your guests too.

For dinner guests, make sure to ask ahead of time if there are any food allergies. I remember one dinner quest that was allergic to cheese. I served lasagna. Live and learn. If your guests include little ones, buy some inexpensive plastic cups with lids, plates, bowls, etc. Parents of little ones may just assume you have these things on hand since they are just a regular part of life for them. Include some kid-friendly finger foods too so that moms and dads don’t spend all evening convincing little Suzy to try some liver and onions – ooh!

Make one “wow” dish, if you must, and then let the others be pretty basic, fix-ahead types. Casseroles, salads, and desserts can be made ahead of time allowing you time to clean up the mess before the guests even arrive.

Use paper products. Most people are more interested in the fellowship and not the fuss of the evening. It is nice to toss everything in the trash after a meal instead of loading a dishwasher. Use a utensil caddy to keep forks, knives, spoons, and napkins readily available and organized.

If your children are older, you can ask – and even pay them – to watch the younger children during the evening so that parents are freed up to visit. Gather a basket of toys, whether they are from your own children’s rooms or from consignment shops. Keep this basket handy so you can pull it out when a little one comes to visit and has nothing to do.

Nachos, tacos, sloppy joes, and baked potatoes easily serve large groups. Crock pots are great for this – and use the liners so that you can just toss the mess in the trash at the end of the evening and put your crock pot away. Large coolers of lemonade and water located at self-serve tables are easy on the budget too. Individual bags of chips or cookies make grabbing and go a really good option as well.

If you are having a lot of guests and your feel like you don’t have enough space, push furniture back against the walls. Take down your dining room table and line the room with the dining room table chairs or folding chairs. Take down any curtains you may have covering windows. It is a nice way to make the room feel nice and airy. I think wreaths hung on curtain-less windows look simple and beautiful at Christmas time, especially if a spotlight is shining through them.

Put beverages, desserts, and main food items in different locations so that everyone is not at the same place at the same time.

Finally, just enjoy the time with your guests. You can always clean things up and put things back in their proper place later.

Blessing of Hospitality - Part III

2009-11-05T07:42:00.003-05:00

Today we are privileged to have a guest post from my mom, Pam Chaney. She taught me early on the importance of opening your home. I can remember having missionaries, church people, and neighbors come in our home, and we as a family loved it! What a blessing it was to interact with these people and have an opportunity to serve, even as a child. One of our funniest memories she reminded me of growing up was when my sister's Sunday School teacher and husband stopped by to visit her. My sister thought she'd get her pet rabbit out to show them. The rabbit leaped out of her hands and sprayed our entire living room! It was everywhere! We were all so embarrassed, but now it's just a funny memory. Anyways, thanks Mom for sending your thoughts and modeling hospitality to us growing up.

When I think of hospitality and what it is. I must first think of what it isn’t. It isn’t entertaining. It isn’t having the perfect home with the best food displayed in the most beautiful way. I remember going to homes that I felt at ease when I entered and others that I felt awkward from the start. Although we should want to do our best to please the Lord and to have this things as nice as possible; the goal is to welcome someone in to my home even when I’m not the best decorator, cook….etc. For years I would try to have that special meal or time and become so worked up that I couldn’t enjoy the time when the people did come for the event. (Still struggle with it actually).

Hospitality is making someone feel at home. Having an atmosphere of warmth and love. This can be done in lots ways, but the main thought to being hospitable is an attitude of being willing to open my home, time, and heart to others. Sometimes a simple cup of coffee and a few cookies helps make someone feel comfortable in a situation that might feel awkward. I also think being hospitable is about me taking time. Sometimes hospitality doesn’t happen at the times that we have slotted into our busy schedules to have people over. It may be the door bell that rings and taking the time to sit down just to catch up. Making the person feel like that they are important and that you care about them as well as what is going on in their lives. Hospitality is mostly my heart wanting to say that I am willing to go out of my way to show the love of Christ to them. The best way I can say what hospitality is that I truly care and putting it into action! Whether that is through a meal, some homemade cookies, a bowl of popcorn, or a cup of coffee.

Commands of Hospitality - Part II

2009-11-04T07:57:00.003-05:00

I don't have to hospitable because:"it's not my gift", "my house is too small', "I'm not a good cook", and (my favorite) "we're too busy". I've probably said or heard many of these excuses. My husband being more outgoing in personality wouldn't mind if we entertained every day of the week! I'm the opposite, but as I studied these passages, I'm convinced it's a command. In the New Testament the Greek word for 'hospitality' is the philo-xenia which essentially is —love of strangers.

Jonathan Leeman from 9 Marks says it best this way:
"Share with God’s people who are in need. "Practice hospitality." This command is fairly straightforward. Christians are commanded to show hospitality to one another. Commentators like to point out that staying in inns in the ancient Near East was not always desirable. So traveling Christians like Paul were dependent on the hospitality of churches. What struck me even more, however, was the argument of Romans 12 leading up to this command. In verses 1 and 2, Paul commands Christians to present our bodies as living sacrifices. The
following verses that explain how this is actually done. Verses 3 to 8 describe how Christians live distinctly from the world within the context of the church community. Every Christian must use his or her individual gifts to serve the body. Verse 9 onward provides a list of attributes that should mark what makes every individual Christian life distinct: genuine love, brotherly affection, fervency in spirit, patience, prayerful, and, eventually, showing hospitality. Apparently, hospitality is a basic of the Christian faith. It is part of how we present our bodies as spiritual sacrifices. I then turned to 1 Timothy 3:1-3 (or Titus 1:8), where Paul instructs Timothy on what must characterize elders, or pastors, in the church. Verse 2 says an elder must be hospitable. Next, he says an elder must be able to teach. That’s interesting. Teaching comes after hospitality. What does that say about the importance of hospitality? It says it’s pretty important. If you are an elder in a church, or you aspire to be an elder, do you also aspire to being hospitable? Your hospitality should be exemplary for the entire congregation. By flipping a couple of pages to 1 Timothy 5:3-10, I could see that hospitality is not only required of elders, it is required of the older women in a church who are called to set an example for younger women. Finally, I turned to 1 Peter 4:7-11, where Peter utters these startling words, "The end of all things is near." It’s a statement that begs the question, "If the end is coming, what are we to do?" Peter’s answer is straight forward: "Above all, love each other deeply." Then he says to do this in two ways: First, everyone should "show hospitality to one another without grumbling." Second, everyone should "use whatever gift he has received to serve others." We do these things, moreover, "so that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ" (esv). Once more, the flow of the argument is worth meditating on. If someone were to say to me, "The world is ending very soon. What are you going to do?" I’m not confident that the first words out of my mouth would be, "Offer hospitality." By the same token, if someone said to me, "How will God glorify himself through Christ?" I am not sure that "the
hospitality of God’s people" would make my list."

So in essence see for Christians that hospitality is not a choice - it's a mandate. And how about those excuses?

It's not my gift. - Spiritual Gifts in the New Testament can be a controversial topic for sure. I believe they were given to build the body of Christ. However, just because you have a gift that doesn't exclude you from doing the other commands or "gifts", with the grace and help of the Spirit, it just means other things come easier for you.
My house is too small. - Been there, done, that, and still can relate to this one personally. I think it will always be too small when you have 50 teenagers in your home! LOL! Get creative! Hospitality can mean taking someone out for a meal, having someone over for coffee and dessert, rearranging furniture in order to be hospitable, whatever it takes!
I'm not a good cook. - Would put myself in this category also, actually. It's not about the meal, but the company and it doesn't have to be extravagant. We have served the most basic of meals, and people were still grateful. Keep it simple and have pizza, salad, and dessert or order takeout. It's more than what's on the menu!
I'm too busy! - I'm sure we could all grab this excuse at some point or another. When it comes down to it, we all make time for what we want! Be intentional! It doesn't have to be a 6 hour long ordeal. It could be just an hour at a coffee shop, or after Sunday night church opportunity. I was amazed to see hospitality on the list of pastoral qualifications. I guess I never really noticed until Stephen became a pastor, that it really applied to us now. And on the other hand, we've become more busy than we ever have before. So as my husband's help meet, that's how I can help him is making it easy to open our home. In fact, when we bought our home, that was one thing we wanted to keep in mind. We could've purchased a smaller home that would've met our family's needs perfectly, but knowing we would be entertaining, we wanted to make sure it would be adequate.

What are some excuses you've heard (if you're still reading at this point)? What are some Scriptures that have encouraged you? Over the next few days we will have some Guest Posts, and also some practical suggestions in being hospitable.
Tomorrow the series continues with a Guest Post from the most hospitable person I know.....

Pictures from October

2009-11-03T15:51:00.004-05:00

We've had lots of parties this month of October...here's the pictures below of what we've been up to:

Janey (one of our teens) turned 16- so her family had a party at LU. Below is our Sr. Pastor's wife, Tracey, Janey, and myself.
Jonas' new trick in the nursery. :)The Abundant Life SS Bonfire at the Summer's home. Jonas had lots of friends helping him that night. The man that was holding him was more than willing to let him try some candy bars. Too bad for Jonas, he asked me first. :)

Esther and Lauren playing with the babies that were provided.

Is he the cutest with his Carhardt overalls and truck?

The Command of Hospitality - Part I

2009-11-03T15:20:00.005-05:00

Since moving to Timberlake a couple years ago, the opportunities for hospitality have multiplied than ever before. I have learned a lot and still have LOTS to learn- trust me. As I was reflecting on some things I've learned that have helped me serve others more graciously, I wanted to start a series on this topic. The Lord has brought many resources across my path that have been a help and blessing and I'd like to share those with others. I may even convince a few of experts (in my opinion ) to do a guest post or two. I probably have more stories of failures than successes.

I could tell you about the time as a recent bride and our humble abode being the Men's Dorm Apartment for a Christian College. My husband was the Dorm Supervisor of the men (could tell lots of stories from those days) and let me know of a last minute meeting he wanted to hold in our home instead of the office...it was one of THOSE kind of meetings and he thought it would be easier over pizza. So, I went home, threw a couple frozen pizzas in the oven and in the meantime, tried to cleanup, and whirl around making our apartment presentable. When the pizzas got done, I went to remove one from the oven, and because it was on a stone, my wrist dropped from the weight, and the pizza slid right of the stone onto the heating element and erupted in flames. Now instead of our home smelling like pizza, it was filled will smoke. It was a disaster! We then went to Plan B and held the meeting elsewhere. Please tell me I'm not the one with all these experiences??

So I'd like to leave you with some resources that have blessed me. Tomorrow we'll look at the Biblical mandate of hospitality and does it apply to you? I'll also leave some links that have blessed me, but in case you don't read them, I'll be including some things from each of them in this series.

Romans 12:13 "Contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. "

Books-
A Life That Says Welcome
Hospitality Commands
The Hidden Art of Hospitality

Links-
Girltalk
A Meal Says More Than You Think (9 Marks)

Audio-
Revive Our Hearts

Groundhog Stories

2009-10-06T23:26:00.002-04:00

When we moved here, we discovered we had a few furry rodent friends. Mostly they live in our neighbor's backyard, but we see them in our yard every now and then. Stephen hates the fact they are around and is always scheming some way to get rid of them...legally. We live in the city, so shooting isn't an option. Several of the teens have offered solutions too...which were interesting. Stephen, Esther, and Jonas are always obsessed with watching this dumb groundhog and tracking him. My calm, cool, collected Stephen gets so irritated with this groundhog which I find funny. This groundhog has provided our family with plenty of entertainment imagining where he lives, what he's doing, and where he's going. Yes, we have too much time on our hands I guess. Well the other day, Esther came out of quiet time to tell me this story below. It was more hilarious the first time she told me as she added he was staring at her eyes as she watched him out her window.

Pumpkin Patch!

2009-10-06T23:11:00.003-04:00

I LOVE FALL!!!! (Can you hear me screaming that loudly?) I guess maybe it's all those years growing up in the Northwoods, but Fall is my favorite time of year, with the changing of leaves, the reprieve from the hot summer, and plethora of great food...apples, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, and you get the idea. On Stephen's day off last week, we had pumpkin pancakes for breakfast, then headed to the Pumpkin Patch for a few hours. The kids got to jump on inflatables, play on a Noah's Ark playset, and decorate a pumpkin. They had a blast and so did the parents. :) We made it just before the rush so we pretty much were there by ourselves, it was so fun.

Family Reunions

2009-10-06T22:57:00.005-04:00

When my Grandpa passed away, his funeral was in Cincinnati, Ohio. That's where I was born and raised as well as parents. We have a lot of family there, but don't get to see them very often since our families have gotten bigger.

It was a blessing to get to see my great-grandma who was 99 this past June and introduce her to Jonas. We got a 5 generation picture and get to eat some of her yummy cinnamon rolls. She is such a saint of God. To hear her pray, you feel like you're in the presence of God. Trisha and I are especially close to her as she kept us when we were growing up and always pointing us to Christ. I can remember having so many Gospel-centered conversations with her. I praise God for her and never dreamed my kids would get to meet one of my heroes. God was gracious in allowing that. We got to tell Audrey and Esther so many stories about time spent there.

We also got to spend time with my Uncle Don and Aunt Lou from Australia. They are missionaries and so anytime we get with them is a special treat as they don't get to come back often. It was so neat to share ministry burdens and blessings and catch up from the last two years. We were there in Philadelphia with them when my Grandpa passed away. I'm so thankful the Lord led them to come back early so they got to tell him goodbye. They are a blessing, and it was neat to spend time together with our children now. The Lord provided also provided their son Brian and his wife Tonia a great deal to fly in for the funeral in Ohio. We enjoyed time with everyone there and reminiscing about so many great memories of my Grandpa and growing up.

Mimi (Stephen's mom) came to take care of Esther and Stephen) when I went to New Jersey and was a big help. She and Esther painted, played with sidewalk chalk, and lots more. Esther had a ball! Then when my Grandpa passed away she travelled with us to Ohio and was a big help in taking care of our kids, plus a few more during the funeral. We were thankful she was able to help us now that she's retired from teaching!

Jonas walks!

2009-10-06T22:52:00.000-04:00

What I did on my summer vacation- Jonas edition (better late than never)

2009-10-06T22:39:00.005-04:00

He walks! He started walking this summer and has been cruising ever since...especially away from his loving sister. The video below was on July 6 and he continued to get better from there.
Jonas has been more advanced in developmental things than Esther, and not as verbal as she was. He is so good with self-feeding (and the entertainment during supper most times). He signs and says please, all done, more, eat, and is ever so cute when he does it!
He loves to make us laugh, especially Esther, and is so cute when he does it!
He has been teething as of late and seems to get them all at once, but doesn't complain in the meantime. He is our little trooper. And when he does complain, you know it's bad!
He looooves anything with wheels but especially trucks, tractors, and anything loud. He'll sit on our lawn mower with Stephen when it's parked and just enjoy driving the wheel. Soooo different than Esther. It's so interesting to see their different interests and bents. He has a truck and tractor book and will just sit and look at it forever.
He is starting to develop a love for books. I haven't been as good about reading to him as with Esther as our lives are constantly moving, but recently, he has been bringing books and wanting to read.
He went to the beach for the first time (well first time that he could actually walk) and LOOOVED it. (especially eating the sand) I think he liked the freedom of being able to roam on the sand too without lots of restrictions.
We just had his 18 month check-up. So sad he's becoming a toddler, but he's still a little toddler at that. He's in the 5% percent for weight and 10% for height and still just fine in 12 month clothes which is the opposite growth pattern for his sister.

Family Photo Shoot 2009

2009-09-17T17:06:00.007-04:00

Recently, we had the opportunity of getting our family pictures done so that the church could update their website with current pictures of our pastors and their families. We went to a new park here in the area and loved the backgrounds it provided. We were all excited with the results. Family pictures are always stressful for me (I choose for it to be stressful rather) because I never know how the kids are going to do and after all the work of getting them dressed up, you are excited when something turns out. :) Now Christmas card pictures are done too....check. Here's my favorites below, of course the rest are on facebook.

Pictures by Angel Art Photography www.angelartphotos.com

Womanly Dominion

2009-09-16T11:43:00.004-04:00

My mentor (and friend) suggested we study this book together by Mark Chanski. It was recommended by GirlTalk. I've already started reading a little and have been greatly challenged. Hope this statement is an encouragement to you today:

This is a testimony from a mom named Diana:
"'Theoretically and theologically, I held to the biblical role of selfless wifehood and motherhood, but internally and emotionally there was deep-seated resistance in my heart. Feminism was like fluoride in the water of my youth, and now I was feeling its poison in my soul. Why must I give up my life to make my husband and his children look good? What about my aspirations, my abilities, my yearnings for influence and significance? What am I , chopped liver? Have I become my husband's medieval slave? I want to be somebody. I want to be recognized. I want to be applauded too.' Years later, Diana, who now has five children admits, 'I was in mild rebellion against God. And I stayed there for a while, until I saw those wants for what they really are -- the display of my idolatrous, selfish, sinful pride. It was only when I took those deep personal longings and put them on the altar of consecration to God that I began to make spiritual headway.'

Meditations on her Savior burned away her rebellion and brought peaace to her soul. In the garden of Gethsemane, the Lord Jesus looked in the the appalling cup of self-seacrifice that His Father had poured for Him. he staggered at the thought of drinking it down to its last painful dregs. Instead of resentfully protesting, 'What am I, chopped liver?' He submitted saying, "Father, if Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Thine be done' (Luke 22:42).

It's my understtanding that every biblically committed wife and mother must pass through a personal Gethsemane of sorts, needing to come to grips with the cup her Father has poured for her.

Think, dear sister, how the Lord Jesus selflessly served you. He laid down His life to make you look good. he laid it down on crucifixion day, so that you'd look good on judgement day. He was spat upon, beaten, scourged, mocked, stripped, spiked, hung, and forsaken. Then He breathed His last so that you wouldn't forever weep, wail, and gnash your teeth in hell. He was born, lived, and died with the sole object that you would look good forever. Could it be that this wifehood and motherhood thing is calling you to higher ground, comforming you more to His glorious image?"

One More Thing...

2009-09-16T11:32:00.002-04:00

I forgot to mention a couple other links that have great free teaching tools. There's hundreds more out there, but these are some others.

I just wanted to mention that just because we posted what we are doing for school is purely informational and meant to help others if they are looking for resources. The decisions we've made for our family and things we've chosen or not chosen to do have been born out of a lot of prayer, research, and Godly advice. It's what works for us. Stephen and I have been burdened lately to be more gracious with others. I'd never want to push our preferences upon anyone else, because these are issues of grace that aren't spelled out clearly in Scripture. What God wants each family to do in the realm of education is going to look differently. Hope that's clear as mud! :)

School Time...

2009-09-14T13:33:00.003-04:00

Today we officially started SCHOOL. Esther is 3 1/2, but has been begging to do school, so we thought we'd capitalize on her excitement. We are planning on homeschooling our children anyway so this seemed like the right time to start for her. We are doing a few different things I'm excited about. Stephen's mom has been so helpful in giving me lots of her resources from when she taught.

Letter of the week Preparatory Curriculum - You can find all the info here. I love how they give lesson plans (from being a teacher that works for me!), themes of the week, letters, shapes, and poems. I check out the books from our local library that they recommend. It's been a great resource too from discovering new children's authors that I didn't know about and enjoy their author books also. (even though during Children's Lit in college I thought I read every children's author possible!)
Thresholds for Threes- Stephen's mom gave me the activity book and I'm just adding it to what we are already doing. They have a lot of cute ideas and seasonal thiings that have been helpful.
Slow and Steady Get Me Ready - I love this classic! I first learned about it in the Well-Trained Mind which I was consulting since we are pursuing the classical Christian education model. There are so many activities in here from birth-age 5. I'm using some of the suggestion for Jonas also.
Bible- I am working on some character definitions as well as Stephen works with Esther on the catechisms from this series. But also to teach jonas to sit for short periods of time, we started a Bible story time today. I was just given two of these sets. The best part besides being free is that they were already cut out and glued for me. Betty Luken's has the best flannelgraph illustrations. I'm excited they can use these for quiet books for church also.
Incentives- just to make things different for school, we have an incentive jar. When Esther obeys, she gets to put beans in the jar, when she disobeys, we take beans out. When the beans get to the level of the ribbon, she gets a special surprise.
Instructional Videos- we don't allow the kids to watch a lot of tv or videos, but one set that was recommended to us was the Vroom Farming for kids set. Esther loves these. A lady in our church also gave us another of these videos to add to our collection. So since we are studying cows, this week, it fit perfectly!

Brown Bear, Brown Bear What do you see?

2009-09-13T22:31:00.002-04:00

Read by a loving sister, Esther to her little brother, Jonas. :)
Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

What we do on long trips...

2009-09-13T22:21:00.001-04:00

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

What I did on my Summer Break...Esther Edition

2009-09-13T15:55:00.004-04:00

Esther has grown so much this summer in so many areas. (this picture is just a sneak preview of from our family shoot that I'll post more later this week for those who don't have facebook)

We measured her three months ago and she has grown an 1 1/2 inches.
She is pretty much fully potty-trained. I never thought we'd see the light at the end of this tunnel (no pun intended). It's been a long road, especially with her kidney issues, we made some hard strides to get this under control, and praise the Lord we are finally seeing progress.
She went to Kings Dominion and loved the Carousel and didn't care for the kiddy rides. :)
She rode in her 1st parade on July 4th on top of a firetruck.
She and Jonas are actually starting to play together which is a blessing. I'm enjoying this while it lasts.
She is an official AWANA Cubbie now. Can't believe she's old enough!
She is communicating and so articulate. It's so funny the things she comes up with at times, and we also realize she's constantly listening, which is also convicting at times!

Jonas' edition should come tomorrow!

There's been an addition to the family...

2009-09-13T15:46:00.004-04:00

And no I'm not pregnant.

Stephen has a new 'baby' or might as well be anyways. His MacBookPro. He loves it and loves how much easier he can produce slideshows, videos, powerpoints, etc. I'm not convinced it's easier because it's DIFFERENT, but he is trying to convince me it's better. He'd make a good apple salesman at this point. :) Anyways, I must say I love the iphoto program. I learned on an apple, but it's so hard to go back.

Life's Interruptions...Divine Appointments

2009-09-13T15:14:00.007-04:00

Sorry for the blogging delay once again. God recently ordained some other events in life that took precedence over writing. A couple weeks ago, my mom called to say my grandpa had a heart attack. As many of you know, he was a stroke victim and had been living with my parents for the last 14 years (half of my life). In fact, this time 15 years ago, they gave him three months to live because he was doing so poorly physically. We have enjoyed getting to interact with him on a closer level these past few years as he was always at my parents home. A couple times we even had the chance to have him in our home so my parents could go visit other family or go to camp. So when my mom called to let us know of us condition, Trisha and I were torn between going to help her care for him in the hospital and staying at home with our families. I mean you never know when is the 'right time' to go. Well over the next few days, my uncle and aunt arranged their tickets to come back to the States to see him. Trisha and I continued to keep in contact with my mom and get their advice on whether we should go. Both of our husbands had so graciously told us we could go if we needed too. We prayed and sought God for wisdom. So through some divine circumstances and at the last minute, we booked our tickets on Friday and flew out Saturday to Philadelphia with our littlest ones whom my aunt and uncle from Australia hadn't ever met, yet. My dad picked us up at 1:00 p.m. and drove us straight to the hospital. We got to see my grandpa and chat briefly with him. I could tell his breathing was so labored, but he said he wasn't in too much pain. We went back to my parents that night in New Jersey (1 1/2 hour drive). The next morning when we were at church we got a phone call that he wasn't doing well. We all left (except my dad who was preaching) and drove to the hospital. My grandpa was in a lot of pain (10 out of 10), and the doctors felt the need to do emergency surgery because of a blockage. We got a chance to go in a talk to him one last time. He told me 'up there or down here' referring to being content whether God wanted him in heaven or to stay here. He had said that over the last few months. It was neat how I had just been studying Philippians 1 with a girl in our youth group that Thursday and at our kitchen table she and I had talked about "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain..." and how we should respond to trials. Little did I know I would be the one putting that into action. So I took the chance to remind him of how Paul said the same thing and then told him we selfishly wanted him here a little longer, even though I knew that all the glories of heaven and being with Christ cannot even compare to one second here. I was able to thank him for everything he had done for me. He was such a generous man and for being a wonderful grandfather. I thanked him for being faithful to God. It was a tear-filled time for both Trisha and I, then we told him we loved him, gave him and kiss and left. They took him for surgery and we were able to see him off one last time. We didn't know it would be the last time. He passed away during surgery. I'm so thankful God allowed me to say goodbye one last time. His sister said to me the day of the funeral, "You were his buddy". He and I made lots of memories together. I remember taking him suit shopping one time after he had his stroke and then when he was in the fitting room- calling me in there to help him. And me (at 19) trying to figure out how that would work going in to the men's fitting room. He loved to eat out and would've done it every day if we would let him. He also loved dessert, maybe that's where I get it from. He would tell the waitress what dessert he wanted before he even finished the meal. I could say a lot more, but I've already said enough. This has been harder on me than I imagined. Most people would say, "Well he lived a long life, he was saved, what's the big deal?" For me I have been sad because I still miss him here, and because we had all that extra time, maybe I miss him more than my grandma who died when I was 4 and didn't get to know that well. This has helped me have more compassion for others who have loved ones pass away and know how to pray for them as they're handling all the details and grieving at the same time. So some people may say his death was sudden, but I know it was his divine appointment. I'm thankful God was gracious in him not having to suffer and thankful he is in a better place. I'm also thankful God is giving me the grace for each day. I'm also thankful for the opportunities that have come up to be reminded of the Gospel and to explain vividly to Esther about heaven and how we get there. So I'm thankful that one day I'll see him again and for the comfort Scripture has brought.

What I Did on My Summer Vacation- Shannon Edition

2009-08-25T20:55:00.007-04:00

I had so much fun this summer...

June 1 - we celebrated our 7th anniversary! I praise God for such a wonderful husband and how much we've grown in the last 7 years. We are blessed beyond measure.
In June I ran my first 5k. A hilly, 5k at that! It was for a local Presbyterian Homes. Stephen helped me train about 3 weeks before. Let's just say I have a whole new respect for runners. I had no idea the pain and torture they go through. Plus, in our area, hills are a given. Running on flat land and running hills is two different things. My fast, wonderful husband, agreed to 'pace' me for the race and stick with me and he sure did til the end. It was fun to do together- except for the end when he was pushing me so hard I thought I would punch him if I could. I am such a wimp and need to build endurance of long runs. We'd like to continue running together as the kids get older. Right now, it's hard to push strollers, separate the kids disagreements, and run too! :)

Kings Dominion- One of the perks of being a Student Ministries pastor is doing all kinds of fun activities. Our family went together in June to Kings Dominion with the studetns. I was so pumped, Stephen and I had never ridden a roller coaster together..ever. That's right e-vaaa folks! I have always been pregnant, nursing, or we didn't live near a theme park at the time, so I was so excited to get to go together. We had a college girl come along and help us with the kids. I was so excited for Esther too to get to ride the kiddy rides- well guess who rode the kiddy rides- JONAS! Esther was too scared, and so the carousel was all we could get her on it for the day and boy did we ride the carousel- 4 times!
Spent time in New Jersey- Since Stephen was on a Missions Trip, the kids and I got to go to New Jersey to see my parents for the week. We had a fun time taking them to a zoo, picking blueberries, and swimming. Esther and I also got to ride in a local July 4th parade- on top of the firetruck! Yes- Miss Scared-of-Heights Shannon- rode on top of this truck. I was hoping that my fearful daughter would want to back out of this deal, but nope she wanted to ride on the truck and wave like Miss America to all the people. It was a fun time..for the first 10 minutes. It was a small town and I had no idea we'd be going up and down every street in the town, so 45 minutes later the parade ended. As I was riding in the local parade, Stephen was watching fireworks on the Hudson in NYC. Oh the irony, folks. :)

I turned the big 3-0 on July 23. Stephen surprised me with a party with some friends on the 13th so I had no idea and was completely shocked. It's usually hard for him to surprise me and for some reason I had no clue about this one. And since I've neared 3-0 I have been noticing more grays! So I got my hair highlighted again this summer for a wonderful deal when I was at my parent's this summer. For my birthday, Stephen also surprised me with allowing us to purchase a digital piano. I love it and think I've played it everyday we've been home since I received it. We found it used on craigslist. I would love to teach piano lessons in the future, so it will have an added benefit for that also.

In July Stephen and I took a small group of teens to the Wilds. I hadn't been back since I counseled there in 1998. So much had changed, yet so much was the same. It rained every day there, and I can't believe we got one good pic from the week. The kids had a blast though, and our kids were at Stephen's parents so we had so much fun hanging out together, catching up, and just being by ourselves (well if that counts) for the week. :)

What I Did On My Summer Vacation- Stephen's Edition

2009-08-25T20:37:00.004-04:00

Don't you remember always having to do these reports when you got back to school? I always dreaded those reports or any report for that matter, but I was trying to come up with an interesting title. :)

The Lord allowed Stephen to do a lot with our family and with ministry this summer. You can read about most of it here. But I'll give a few highlights on this blog. He led an amazing trip to NYC. (Well he's amazing anyway.) The Lord allowed him and several others to go work with New York Gospel Mission and Pastor Bill Jones. They were able to preach, sing on the streets, hand out tracts, hold a Open House in the church, and clean the new church building. The Lord allowed them to see fruit from their labors that week, and the mission is still seeing fruit from that week. Plus, the Pastor and his family were blessed. Solo Deo Gloria!

Stephen stays very busy as Student Ministries Pastor of our church and Campus Pastor of the Christian School. God is continually bringing opportunities for him to disciple others which is his favorite thing to do besides preach the Word. This summer we were so blessed to have an intern, Zach White, help him and so Stephen was able to accomplish so much more with the help of an assistant. He is a blessing to our family. The best part is Zach is starting college here in the Fall, so he won't be leaving us and continues to be a blessing to Stephen.

We were thankful for some extra time we got as a family on vacation and at camp together. It was good for him to 'come apart' and rest. There's more to tell about Stephen, but since his and mine overlap a little, I'll fill in the other stuff tomorrow with the 'Shannon edition' and drag these series out a little. :) We are so thankful for a wonderful husband, father, and leader of our family. He does everything with excellence and is the most graciuos person I know. He blesses us constantly!

Summer updates

2009-08-25T20:29:00.003-04:00

I thought I'd update on each of our family member's summer one post at a time so it wouldn't be too overwhelming. God has been so good to grow us in our relationship with Him and each other. We created some really good memories as a family and as a couple. God has blessed me with such a wonderful family. I am greateful. The summer went by really fast. Once again reminding us that life is short..don't waste it. Some students in our youth group got together on Friday Nights and read "Don't Waste Your Life." This is one of my favorite quotes:

"Fight for us, O God, that we not drift numb and blind and foolish into vain and empty excitements. Life is too short, too precious, too painful to waste on worldly bubbles that burst. Heaven is too great, hell is too horrible, eternity is too long that we should putter around on the porch of eternity." John Piper

We're Baack! - with Works of God Monday

2009-08-24T20:25:00.004-04:00

What better way to come back from my blogging hiatus than to start with a Works of God Monday. There have been so many to recount this past summer, but I was blessed by my friend Jenni's challenge to post our salvation testimony today. It is such a challenge every day to live in light of the Gospel. The cross is the lens through which everything in life is processed. And now as I have the opportunity and high calling to teach my children about my God and that they are sinners that are in desperate need of a Savior. I am daily reminded to be thankful for the grace He has poured out on me.

God placed me in a home with two parents who are believers. God's grace was very evident in their lives. They took their spiritual walk very seriously and modeled Christ's love to my sister and I. They were faithful to teach the Gospel to us at home, and we heard it at church since we were there every time the doors were open. When I was eight, I remember being so fearful every night before I fell asleep that if I died, I would go to hell. I knew I needed to repent and believe that Christ is the only way for salvation, but I in my sinful heart was too proud to admit this to anyone and was blinded by my sin. Finally, one Sunday morning during Children's Church, God drew me to Himself. I still remember the strong conviction of the Spirit and couldn't resist any longer. I repented of my sin and believed on Christ as the only way for salvation. As I grew older and learned more about salvation, I doubted what happened because I didn't have the full theological understanding. God showed me that it wasn't any work that I had done, but I needed to trust the finished work of JESUS. Philippians 1:6 has been a blessing to me- "Being confident of this very thing, that HE which hath begun a good work in you, will continue until the day of Jesus Christ." What an amazing thing. As I've gotten older and studied the Gospel more, I am more aware every day of what a sinner I was and am so thankful for His grace He bestowed on me. I am so unworthy. This song below describes my heart's cry- especially the second verse.

“O Great God” by Bob Kauflin

O great God of highest heaven
Occupy my lowly heart
Own it all and reign supreme
Conquer every rebel power
Let no vice or sin remain
That resists Your holy war
You have loved and purchased me
Make me Yours forevermore

I was blinded by my sin
Had no ears to hear Your voice
Did not know Your love within
Had no taste for heaven’s joys
Then Your Spirit gave me life
Opened up Your Word to me
Through the gospel of Your Son
Gave me endless hope and peace

Help me now to live a life
That’s dependent on Your grace
Keep my heart and guard my soul
From the evils that I face
You are worthy to be praised
With my every thought and deed
O great God of highest heaven
Glorify Your Name through me.

Redeeming the Time..

2009-05-31T16:38:00.002-04:00

The past few weeks God has been teaching me about Redeeming the Time. There have been so many illustrations to me and reminders recently to make every moment count for eternity. Sometimes it just involves choosing things that are good, better, or best. We've done some things to make those choices easier, yet there are still things that are screaming to be done and it seems there's not time! So I've been looking at things that I can eliminate. Stephen recently challenged the teens on the same thing. This summer we're doing a "Don't Waste Your Life" Study for our Friday Night Fellowship. I can't wait! We all struggle with different time-wasters. Video-games, texting, movies, and tv are not a temptation for me. However, blogging and facebook (you know the social things) are. So for the summer I will not be on facebook- Stephen will still have an account, because he announces activities for our ministry on there. As far as blogging, not like I'm a real regular anyway, but I'd like to start that again in the Fall. What I will spend my time doing is reading, studying the Word first and foremost. I am in the book of Mark right now studying the Life of Christ. I want to continue reading some of the great books that I've started...like Married to A Difficult Man- The Uncommon Union of Jonathan and Sarah Edwards. This book has been fascinating and I've enjoyed reading several chapters already. Stephen bought it for me. :) I'm also working on A Place of Quiet Rest. I have already read this year: Duties of Parents, Heaven at Home , Don't Make Me Count to Three (for the 2nd time :), Do Hard Things. I love reading. It enriches what I'm doing and gives me a fresh perspective. This summer, Stephen and I have both started running again, so we have a road race June 20 we have to get ready for. Thanks to a friend's help, we are endeavoring to make better eating choices for our family, so I have to work on some things in those areas also. Also on the agenda is some home improvement projects. Yippee skippee! Don't we all love those? We still have only been in our home for 9 months, so there's lots of improvement projects still waiting to be done. Among the other things we will be doing in ministry, Stephen is taking a group to NYC for a Mission Trip and so there's lots of prep involved with that. We are taking a group to the Wilds in July. I'm getting out of breath thinking about it all. We are exciting to see what God will help us accomplish by His grace. So at the end of the summer I want to look back and say "we redeemed the time!"

Meeting our newest family member...

2009-05-31T16:25:00.005-04:00

We had a wonderful trip to Ohio last week to visit family. We met Maddy Grace Read, our newest niece. It was fun to see where Adam and Trisha live and serve. We had such a great time with them and wish it could've been longer. The kids played together well - for the most part- which is surprising for relatives they hardly see! Jonas found two toys and played with them the whole time I think..a hammer and a vacuum. They showed us all around their cute little town, and we had fun! Here's some pictures from our visit.

Esther Health Update

2009-05-05T21:35:00.002-04:00

As most of you know, Esther has a kidney reflux and was diagnosed with it in July of 2007, although it was a condition she was born with. She has to be on medicine daily as a prophylactic medicine to keep infections from persisting. She had her Fluoroscope and Ultrasound again last week to test her She had to be sedated for the Fluroscopy, and she handled that well. They did initially see that the reflux is still the same grade on the right kidney. The left seems to be a little better, but we won't know officially until our consultation on May 20. We will meet with the doctor at that time and discuss options for her future. They also will be scheduling some other tests that came up as a result of concerns they have for her at this time. We live an hour from her specialist and have to go there for all the testing as they do not have ability to do those things down here on small children. We are praying for God to give the doctors wisdom and for us to be able to get some answers to some pertinent questions we have regarding her care. We have someone in our church that has Esther's same condition and they have been a blessing to us. There daughter's condition went untreated far longer and now has some long-term damage. We praise God that we have caught Esther's early. We know we serve a great and mighty God who is the Great Physician. It's hard to see your child suffer, but as I had a dear friend remind me recently you have to see all things in light of the cross. What we're going through pales in comparison to what God faced as Jesus suffered on the cross. We have to see all things in light of the Gospel. We have had so many opportunities to point to Jesus Christ already through this. I pray He'll give us more, and the faith to trust Him with the health of our baby girl!

Kids say the funniest things...

2009-05-05T21:14:00.002-04:00

I've been accumulating some of these things Esther has said recently that just has cracked me up. Of course, I have to smile to myself because she gets offended if she thinks we are laughing AT her. I hope she reads this someday and can look back at these cute things she has said.

Esther and I were in Lowe's the other day. Out of the blue, she exclaims, "MOMMY THAT MAN DOESN'T HAVE ANY HAIR!" (as if it was the first time she saw a bald man) I said, "Esther, shh, be quiet." She says, "Mama, I'm trying to talk." Later on we ran into a friend from church who has a long beard. As we were talking, I saw her brow furrowing. I got out of there fast before she gave her impressions of him too. She also notices when people don't wave back to her now and will proclaim loudly, "They didn't wave to me." To which I always reply, "They probably didn't see you honey."

When we went to Sears for one of our picture excursions, the man told Jonas he looked like he was getting ready to go 'driving'. Esther exclaims, "NO, he can't drive yet, he's just learning how to ride in his car seat!"

The other day we were working together in our hilly yard. As Esther and I were walking up the hill, she said, "You can just call me Jill, and Jonas, Jack and we can pretend we're going up the hill to fetch a pail of water."

Esther sits in church with us on Sunday mornings so we can worship as a family. You can see more about that here. It's amazing to see what she has learned even when we don't realize she is listening. Anyways, our Pastor was giving a contrast and saying you may think this, BUT this is actually how it is (sorry, can't remember the specifics). She looks up at me with huge eyes and whispers, "What did he just say?" I said, "What do you think he just said?" She whispers, "It sounds like he just said, the other word for bottom." (which we don't say in our home) How do you explain conjunctions to a 3 year old?

The other day she ran into the kitchen and exclaimed that her husband died and she didn't know where she was going to go. I wasn't sure what was wrong with her and wondering where she got these disturbing ideas from. We don't even have tv for crying out loud! Then I remembered, Esther has been listening to audio tapes of Bible stories about Ruth every day. She was pretending to be Ruth. :)

Today Esther told me that I would get a sticker if I was good today. Did I want Handy Manny or Pooh? I wanted to ask what I got if she was good today? :)

Keeping a World Vision...

2009-05-04T20:26:00.002-04:00

Last night, our pastor preached a wonderful message inspired by a session he attended at the Shepherd's Conference '09. It was entitled What do Pastors need to know about Missionaries? Some of our good friends and family are missionaries, and I thought this was a great reminder. We have also spent time on short-term mission trips to see these things true. So I hope that this is a good reminder in our local church commitments to our missionaries. Feel free to add more!

What do Pastors need to know about Missionaries?

They need to be qualified before sent.
They need to view the pulpit with a world-vision.
Result calculations can be deceiving. (Worry about the depth, and God will take care of breadth.)
Have a long-term view of commitment to the missions.
Missionaries feel isolated.
Pastors need to know there is intense spiritual warfare on the mission field.
Missionaries need to know there is a place to come back to where it is safe. (where people love you no matter what and are not evaluating you.)
Missionaries need to have a debriefing and be heard.
Missionaries need to preach when they come back home.

Took the Plunge..

2009-05-04T20:14:00.003-04:00

Well I finally took the plunge (no pun intended) and switched to cloth diapers (except for outings of course). We had a few to use here and there, but since Jonas struggled with diaper rashes, he really could only use expensive ones. I got tired of trying to find the 'perfect deal' and in some ways just wanted the simplicity of not buying the case of diapers every month. And since I'm home most of the time and doing laundry anyways, it hasn't been that big of a struggle. So last week we bought a few more and have been so pleased with the results. We decided on the BumGenius 3.0 and got a good deal on diapers.com. If you want more information about cloth diapering, I'd be glad to help, just email or facebook me!

WOTT Club

2009-05-04T19:50:00.004-04:00

It's time to bring some substance to this blog! I have been neglectful, I know, but God has been teaching us so, so much. One of the recent blessings has been the relationships that God has built in my life. I was challenged by this series. I have been praying for a Godly lady to mentor me in learning to "love our husbands and children so that the Word of God will not be maligned" as Titus 2 says. My mom has done a wonderful job at this long distance, but I prayed that God would give me one in our local church. We have so many wise and Godly woman in our church that I could learn from. In fact, I attend a Tuesday morning Precept Bible study even though it's a time commitment on our part, just so that I can grow more in the Word and have fellowship with so many older, Godly woman. So, I approached a lady a couple months ago now, who was someone God laid on my heart that was wise and growing in the Word. We now have been meeting once a month for coffee, and then communicate on the specifics weekly. She has been such a blessing, and I have learned so much already. I also have been able to meet a couple times a month with a friend of mine in the same stage of life. It was so hard for us to connect at church with other responsibilities and little ones in tow, and I was frustrated that I couldn't have a longer than 5 minute conversation without interruptions, so we just set up regular meeting times for breakfast a couple times a month. She has been an iron-sharpener to me and pointed me to Christ also. I'm so thankful for these relationships that God has built in my life. I just finally had to realize it wasn't 'going to just happen' on its own, but I had to find a way specifically in my schedule to make it happen and be intentional. So when I heard this message (specifically the one for pastor's wives) last week, I was encouraged to continue to pursue relationships that are going to help me pursue Biblical Womanhood. I like how Girltalk calls in the WOTT (Women of Titus Two) Club. In fact, I just had a teen leader ask me to mentor her last week because I'm the 'older' person in her life. I cringed at the 'older' part since I'm not even 30 yet. I was almost tempted to run the other direction since I know there is much work God needs to do in my own life. But this lesson from Carolyn Mahaney for any woman (not just pastor's wives) to be committed to teaching the younger was a great challenge to me. Even if it includes doing things 'out of my comfort zone'. So I hope you enjoy listening to some of those messages no matter who you are. I'm going back now and working through the other sermons. I challenge you to find that 'older woman' if you're a younger woman to mentor you and vice versa to the older woman. There's so much we can learn from each other in fulfilling our God-given calling.

Spring 2009 pictures

2009-05-01T11:27:00.003-04:00

These are the last I promise! We got there pictures done together also at Sears. I'm so cheap I went on different days to be able to use the coupon and get the package deals (learned that the hard way it has to be used on different days!). Anyways, it was worth it, and now I'm glad it's done. Esther has gotten her 3 year, Jonas 1 year, and pictures together. We waited a few months for Esther to outgrow her camera fear. She did so well and isn't scared anymore, YAH!! Jonas is in the "let's crawl away from the camera" stage, but not scared, yet. There's so much that goes on 'behind the scenes' of these little smiles and for that reason I dread pictures, but am thankful when something turns out! We do it for the family.

Esther's 3 Year Pitctures

2009-04-30T11:10:00.001-04:00

Jonas' One year Pictures

2009-04-28T14:38:00.001-04:00

Jonas Playing Peek-a-Boo

2009-04-27T17:50:00.001-04:00

What We've Been Up to...

2009-04-26T16:23:00.003-04:00

Birthdays! We've been to lots this month!

Jonas had his birthday party on April 4th. Stephen's parents got to come and a few family friends and we had a grand time.

Pastor Brodie. His family gave him a big birthday party at church complete with a wonderful meal and good fellowship. We so appreciate him and his mentorship to us. He has been a great encouragement to us in our journey of ministry here at Timberlake. Such a wise man to be able to learn from. We love you PB!

My Dad. We had to take a quick survey trip for our Summer Missions Trip to NYC so we decided to stop by for a quick surprise for my dad's birthday. It was amazing that my mom was able to actually keep that secret! (and we're such losers - we didn't take one picture!)

Brandon. Jonas' little nursery buddy turned one also. They are two weeks apart, and it was so fun to have a friend to be pregnant with at the same time. There's a bunch of little guys all born in a span of several weeks and only one girl. They are a fun little group of kids. Brandon's dad is a karate instructor so the birthday party was at their studio which was so nice for crawling kids and big kids too!

Servng Jesus in the Line

2009-04-26T16:11:00.004-04:00

I don't usually put a lot of our teen activities on here, since Stephen has a blog for that, but this is an exception. Last night our youth group had the privilege of serving at a Rescue Mission in a nearby town. It was really a neat experience. We first toured the facility, and then we helped prepare and serve supper. They have a saying there that is "Serving Jesus in Line" based on the verse, "When you do it unto the least of these you do it unto me..." I couldn't help but be reminded that these were the people Jesus did minister to in His public ministry many times. This facility is faith-based, so it is privately funded. It is amazing to see how God has provided for this ministry. They are able to serve each meal for .15 a plate. I was also impressed with how organized and clean everything was. It is a well-oiled machine. The people there were so sweet, especially our tour leader, Rebecca. Our teens had the opportunity to sing also. It was such a blessing to see them so willing to serve. Here's some picture from our trip.

Family Easter Pictures

2009-04-20T14:37:00.004-04:00

Better late than never, but here's our Easter in pictures. We managed to squeeze a few family pictures in on Resurrection Sunday. Nana sent the kids new outfits and I made Jonas' tie/hankerchief so we could all coordinate. I figure we might as well enjoy matching while we can. :) Not that Easter's all about the externals, but it just happened to be the Sunday we were able to coordinate. We spent lunch with some good friends in our church and had a wonderful time.

The 12 Days of Easter....

2009-04-02T21:49:00.006-04:00

Easter has to be my favorite holiday. Each year I learn something new about Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, and God gives me a fresh perspective on the Gospel (which we should be doing every day anyway!). I come away every time humbled and in awe that my Creator would become human and fully God all at the same time to provide eternal hope for us and an example for us to pattern our life after. This week, I've been meditating in Philippians and the Kenosis passage more specifically about Christ becoming man. So when it comes to teaching our children what Easter is about, we feel so strongly that we want to put off the non-essentials and focus on the holiday being Christ-centered. This year we have been going through the Resurrection Eggs. Each day there is an egg with a symbol of something during the Passion Week. Yesterday was a donkey, and we talked about Christ's Triumphal Entry. Today was the coins and we talked about Judas' betrayal of Jesus. We read the Scripture and then the reading associated with the symbol. It is like 12 days of object lessons and perfect for those young or old to understand. What a blessing it's already been! Esther looks forward to opening the egg each day and learning something new about Christ. You can find these at your local Christian bookstore. (ours was going out of business and was 20% off. yea for sales!) What kinds of things does your family do to keep Easter Christ-centered?

Chick-fil-a Cow Stories Part II

2009-04-01T08:20:00.003-04:00

For Jonas' birthday we wanted to treat him to Family Night at Chick-fil-a. Esther was all excited and asking if the cow would be there, etc. You can read about our last experience here. So we were all excited about having a fun family night and me about not having to cook! As soon as we pulled into the PARKING LOT of Chick-fil-a, Esther's lip is starting to tremble and becoming hysterical. We had a few moments of prayer, singing 'I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me', and reassuring her God would give her courage to walk into Chick-fil-a. As soon as we got out of the car, she had her arms and legs wrapped around me so tight I didn't even have to hold her. When we walked through the door, she started crying and screaming, "I CAN'T LIKE THE CHICK-FIL-A COW." It was so funny, there's families everywhere smiling (as they always do at Chick-fil-a), and here Esther is screaming and crying. People are looking at us like what kind of parent are you and what have you done to your child. Honestly, people, she hardly watches any tv (so she doesn't see scary things), and she is very sheltered! We have NO IDEA where this cow phobia came from. So anyways, I took her to the bathroom so we both could go and to get her calmed down. She was fine in there and as we were washing her hands, drying her hands, her lip started to quiver again. So I again reassured her, she reassumed her position grasped to my neck, and we walked to our seat. By then, Stephen and Jonas had got our food, and visited with the cow. :) Praise the Lord the cow was sitting at the kid's craft table and never 'made his rounds'. At first she had a hard time eating her food and keeping an eye on that cow that it stayed far, far away, but then she end up calming down throughout our supper. The cow also 'goes home' at 7:00 p.m., so we didn't have to worry about him much longer. (and out came a sweatty teenage boy who we guess might be the cow. :) The rest of our meal though, she was concerned that he might come back again. And this too shall pass...we hope.

Happy Birthday to Jonas! Our sweet boy...

2009-03-31T12:30:00.006-04:00

It's hard to believe one year ago today I had just given birth to Jonas Mark Conley. He first made his debut on this blog here. We prayed for several months (as with Esther) that God would give us another child, and he blessed us with Jonas. We have known from the beginning, God had a special plan for his life. In the beginning, I had some problems in my pregnancy, doctors thought I was having a miscarriage, and a couple times they couldn't find his heartbeat. How those early days of his life drove us to our knees! We didn't know what to expect with this little boy God had given us. When he was inside me, he was always a roller coaster of activity, so much to our surprise, he has been the most laid back baby we've ever met. It was a rough recovery (with the 2nd c-section) those first few days in the hospital for me physically, but thankfully we had our family and church family here to help. What a blessing that help was with baby showers, meals, and help with Esther! I can't believe how fast this year has gone, yet it seems like Jonas has always been here and been part of our family. I'm sad that we no longer have a 'baby'. One thing's for sure, he LOVES his sister. He always looks for her first thing in the morning and as soon as he sees her, has a big smile on his face. Actually it's rare when he's not smiling. He loves to play with soccer balls too. He'll push it around the house and chase it. He is the only child that I've seen entertain himself for long periods with just one toy. We have had a lot of exciting happenings in his first year of life I think that's why God chose to bless us with such an easy-going child. He has been to St. Vincent, Romania (and Hungary, Puerto Rico, and England in the process), plus to his grandparents homes in New Jersey and Georgia. (And how they wish they could live closer to see him grow.) He has traveled by plane, train, boat, and car of course. He has also been on his first (of many) teen camping trip! He has lived in two homes, shared a room with Esther, and now has his own. So on this day, we are thankful for the blessing of children, and for another reminder of the miracle of life that God gives. We pray that Jonas will one day accept Christ as His Savior and be a man of God. We love you Bubby! (sorry for the picture overload- there was just too many good ones!)

Esther's favorite Bible story

2009-03-27T13:28:00.001-04:00

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Week in pictures

2009-03-27T13:17:00.003-04:00

Praise the Lord we are all feeling back to normal...

Mine eye affects my heart....

2009-03-21T08:45:00.004-04:00

In the dedication prayer before we left for Romania, one of our pastors prayed that as it says it Lamentations that 'Mine eye affects my heart' and that would happen to us on this trip. Praise God He has started a change in each one of our hearts from the inside out. We had an amazing trip, and all of us would've loved to stay in Romania longer. I've been on several missions trips, but this one was like no other. We bonded with our brothers and sisters in Christ there, who even though we had never met and though there were language barriers, we felt like we had known forever. Only God can bring that kind of a unity. I don't even know where to start to describe in words the work God did in our hearts. For those of you who didn't read the earlier post, we brought 18 seniors who for their senior trip go on a missions trip. We also had 8 leaders who were a wonderful help. Stephen had a blog the whole time we were gone and chronicled our journey which you can see at here. Let me just give you some of the highlights of my favorite parts of the trip.
* The Word - I don't believe anything happens by accident. I am doing a Philippians Precept study and was in Philippians 1 & 2 during the time there doing an intense study on how Christ was a servant, unity in the body, and also a study on suffering. How perfectly that was timed with the believers we met in Romania.

* There is a family in our church who has led trips to Romania for years and has given so much to the ministry there in Oradea that helped coordinate all the details for our trip. It was so neat to finally see the ministry they had told us so much about. They adopted a little Romanian girl and finally received her U.S. passport two weeks before we left. The story of her adoption is a miracle of God and amazing in itself. It was their first time back to Romania as a family and was the four year anniversary while we were there of their first meeting of her. It was precious to reflect on how God has worked in their life and to meet so many people who helped make the adoption possible. Esther loves playing with Maria!
* The Seniors - God worked abundantly in their lives. During two nights of team devotions, God broke their hearts, and they started confessing sins against God and each other and getting right with Him. It was amazing to see God already changing them from the beginning of the trip to the end. These were some specific answers to our prayers. Praise God for His work that we got to witness. Please continue to pray for these students as we come back and living the change will be tough.

* Village Ministry - Three days of our trip we spent ministering in the villages. We would visit in 3-5 homes in mini-teams and give the Gospel. One student would share their testimony and with the Gospel bracelets, each student would explain the significance of the colors. We also would give a Romanian New Testament, toys for the children, and OTC medicines they can't get in Romania. It was amazing to see how little these people had, yet how much they wanted to give. One place we went, the man insisted on giving Esther a handful of candy. The people were so sweet and hospitable. I couldn't help but think of the story of Elisha and the widow. Many of them gave what little they had left to us. We would then go to the church and do a mini-VBS, and then have an evening service where Stephen would preach the Gospel. In one church that has 11 members normally, 100 people came for the service and one girl accepted Christ. The church was packed, and there was standing room only. How amazing to see God work.

* Pastor Cazmin and family - this man was such a great example of a servant. He worked with our team from early in the morning to late at night without complaint with such a gracious attitude. He has such a love for the Lord and ministry that it was a rebuke to us. When he and his sister accepted Christ when they were in highschool, his parents essentially disowned him. I can't even begin to imagine. Our families got to spend Sunday afternoon together, and it was amazing as we shared the same joys and struggles in ministry even though we are worlds away in distance.

* Emmanuel Baptist Church - we loved getting to minister together in this church. The people there are so sweet. On Sunday that we were there, Stuart Briscoe preached, so with our team's specials, and another missions team there as well, the service was predominantly English. It is funny that we have to go to Romania to hear him speak, but probably would never have the chance in America. His wife, Jill, writes a magazine for ministry wives that I get, and Stephen got to meet her and thank her for her ministry to me. (I was with the kiddos who didn't make it sitting in the 2 hour service.)

* Children's Hospital - There are a lot of abandoned children in Romania. Especially if they have something wrong with them physically, their parents will just leave them. We visited this hospital in Oradea. It was so sad to see the conditions of this hospital. We visited the children on the 6th floor which are just aching to be held and sung too. My heart was broken when we left. I wished I could've taken some of them home with me. I look at my children whom I love so much and don't understand how anyone could give one up. I just held Jonas when we got out of there and sobbed. I pray God will provide a way for many of those to find a loving family. International adoptions are illegal right now.

* Our children - how wonderful it was to have them there with us while we served. At least I got to experience at least half of everyone else, and it was worth all the work. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. The people loved our children and loved seeing that we brought our babies. Esther learned how to say "I love you" in Romanian and said it to George (one of the wonderful church staff) when we left at the airport and he cried. He was so sweet to our children and me. Whatever we needed he helped with. Our team was so helpful too with the needs of our children. Stephen loved it that we were there with him all together serving. We were so blessed to get to go together.
I think that's all for now. It's 8:00 a.m. and we've been up for three hours from jetlag and all have a touch of the flu and not feeling the greatest. But we'd do it all again . We loved our trip and can't wait to go back someday. The doors are open in Romania, I pray God will continue to send laborers to that field.

These are a few of my favorite things....

2009-03-02T09:24:00.004-05:00

Snowflakes that stay on your nose and eyelashes....

When we lived in upper Wisconsin, snow was ordinary. It snowed just about every other day from November- February it seemed, and the snow never melted until March or April. I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but I miss snow! I was just recounting to someone about missing that snow the other day, and they informed us about the snow storm that was supposed to come through this weekend. Snow is predicted many times but rarely ever happens, so we all thought we'll believe it when we see it. So last night, the storm actually came and it was so pretty to have snowflakes you can actually see! Esther looked at it like it was the first time she ever saw such a thing. Everything is shut down around here. People are home from work, the roads are still unplowed, and everyone is playing in the snow. I love, love, love it, and it's just beautiful outside! And you know what the best part about it is? They are calling for the weather to be 60 this weekend. Tis weather in Virginia. I'm so thankful for the reminder snow is that God gives which reminds me of how God washes our sin white as snow. This little boy wants to go play in the snow! He's looking out our entry way window. (Yah and we just found him in the bathroom - I heard the toilet flush and saw Stephen and Esther in the living room. We ran in the bathroom to find him playing in the toilet, and he figured out how to flush it! What is it with kids and toilets?)

View of our front yard (Stephen had to park on the road so we wouldn't get stuck in the driveway- living here in the hills- it's very easy to get stuck)

View of back yard from our big picture window in the living room (Did I mention how I love that we can look out our window and not see neighbors even though we live in a subdivision?)

Esther-isms

2009-03-01T15:33:00.003-05:00

Esther has us laughing on pretty much a continual basis. I have to post just a few of these stories so I don't forget!

The other day Esther looked up at me with a straight face and said, "I'm hilarious."
I said, "Excuse me?"
She said, "I AM hilarious."
Okay we have a 3 year old going on 13...

Last week, I asked her about what she learned in Sunday School. Here is her interpretation. Boy do we have lots to work on!

Me: Esther what do you learn in Sunday School today?
Esther: About King Sol-dom and David
Me: Do you mean King Saul?
Esther: NO, King Sol-DOM
Me: Okay Esther- so what did King Sol-dom and David do?
Esther: King Sol-dom told David a secret.
Me: (thinking this is gonna be good) And what was the secret Esther?
Esther: He told him that he was going to get in trouble and he cried, "wee, wee, wee ALL THE WAY HOME."

Yep- we're still laughing about that one.

How Great is our God....

2009-03-01T14:42:00.004-05:00

Many O Lord are your wonderful works! Ps. 40:5
Let me first start by saying God is always at work. Sometimes it's visible works, and other times it's His still small voice speaking. The past few weeks we have seen one answer to prayer after another. It's so neat to see His divine hand leading and guiding us. Time does not permit me to tell all the things He has done, but I have to share just a few. I'm bursting at the seams.

Several guys in our youth group have expressed interest in meeting with Stephen to be mentored because they feel God calling them in to some type of full-time ministry. Praise Him for his work.

God has recently provided a new youth room. It has been so neat to have one place to meet on Sundays and Wednesdays. The kids love meeting in one place, and we are praying it will help unify our students.

Stephen is also the campus pastor of our Christian School. Part of his responsibilities is leading the Senior Missions Trip every year. This year's team is going to Romania. We prayed about the possibility of me going, but we didn't feel comfortable leaving the kids behind at their young ages and taking them was a big financial commitment. Last week, God provided a way for us to go as a family. We had been praying about the need but hadn't vocalized that. Not only that, we are able to take a helper to assist me with the kids. God is good! We have heard so many stories about God working in Emmanuel Baptist Church in Romania and are so excited to see the ministry there together. I love getting to worship with our fellow brothers and sisters in the greater body of Christ. I have heard so many stories of their sacrificial giving and sweet service to the Lord. I am going to be so challenged I'm sure. Stephen and I have been working together to get the details done. So with one week left to plan and pack, we are praying for God's wisdom, spiritual preparation, and physical strength to meet the demands of the week. We covet your prayers, and praise God once again for His good provision.

What's for Dinner?

2009-02-17T14:29:00.002-05:00

So as I'm sitting here planning our menu for the week (yes it's already Tuesday), I have some helpful sites. We had a crazy last week and weekend so I didn't get to it then so here we are at Tuesday, and our fridge is empty. I am looking at some different options for my grocery shopping routine. I'm in a stage of life where I am working around nap times, snack times, and church activities. Not to mention, when shopping with the kids, my mind isn't as focused on only shopping from the list and not diverging from the budget. One option we're going to try for the next couple of months is once a month shopping and picking up the necessities (milk, etc.)only as needed once a week. We'll see how it works. I always love finding ways to save money and some of these sites below have helped with it. These are all in my google reader. So what are some of your favorite sites that help with meal planning and grocery saving?

Money saving Mom
Meal Planning Mom
A Full Cup
Cincinnati Cents

Jonas' Debut

2009-02-16T12:43:00.003-05:00

This is the first time Jonas has been on the blog I think. Yesterday at church we really noticed Jonas' cute little whole arm wave he does to people. His personality is so different from Esther's - definitely more on the shy side. We've been trying to get this on camera for a while and this is the best we could do. He started clapping yesterday too- but of course no camera on hand. We'll have to post that soon.

Have you seen it yet?

2009-02-16T09:19:00.003-05:00

Last Friday we planned a time to see Fireproof at the Dollar Theater. We had a babysitter lined up. We get there, and they weren't playing the movie at that time anymore. We were disappointed, but not surprised. I think this happens every time there is something playing that is worth seeing, that we can get a babysitter for, have no other conflicts, etc. So, then, I tried to rent it from RedBox on Saturday, and they were out. I pretty much decided we'd just buy it and have to wait for it to come in the mail. Then our company that came for dinner Saturday night, got us the movie as a gift. It was perfect! (the sovereignty of God working out there) We heard good comments about it all day yesterday at church. We finally got to watch it last night and were so impressed with it. What a wonderful blessing that a church is using the media in a positive way to clearly give the Gospel and impact families. We loved it. I admit we were both crying at different parts of the movie. So, have you seen it yet?

And God cares about the cows....

2009-02-15T21:48:00.004-05:00

Tuesday night, we discovered our washer had died and so we had to go 'washer shopping'. It was supper time, and other things were happening so needless to say we needed to grab supper fast and go shopping. We had some Chick-fil-a coupons and decided to head over to our favorite kid-friendly restaurant. When we got there we were excited to find out it was Kids Night. Yea for cheap meals! When we got in, we saw they had a craft table, balloons, and a coupon for ice cream for completing the craft. How cool is that? So as Esther and I were making the Valentine together (enjoying a great family night together), the cow came out to wave to all the kiddos. Esther gets frantic and starts crying, screaming, and clinging to me. They had to ask the cow to stay in the other part of the building for us. :) (In the meantime the cow ran into Stephen and Jonas in the other section and Jonas loved him!) For the rest of our dining experience Esther would not let go of either of us. Even after the cow 'went home'. She was still so worried about the cow. We kept trying to explain it was just a person dressed up, just like she dresses up like princesses, etc. and there was NO REASON FOR FEAR. It still didn't help. Poor thing was still traumatized as we were driving away. I was trying to explain to her (from Matthew 6) the principle that just like God cares for the birds, and they don't worry about anything, neither should we. Anyways, it all went downhill from there, as I was trying to explain God cares for birds she interrupted and said, "And God cares about the cows?". Stephen and I started laughing and then she thought we were laughing at her, when really we were laughing at me trying to explain such big concepts to a little mind. So Stephen took over for me (he's so much quicker at knowing what to say than me) and said I Timothy 1:7 says, "For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, love, and sound mind." Anyways, we laugh about the cow, but really we as adults are no different, we worry and fret about things that never come to pass and act as if God isn't in control. If I can trust Him for my salvation, I know I can trust Him with the everyday affairs of life- big and small. So just a little lesson for the young and old- learning to continue to trust our Saviour. Here's how Esther's prayer went before bed tonight: (she has just started praying 'on her own' and it's so cute.)
"Dear Lord, Please help us to do what's right, thank you for letting us have a safe day, thank you for forgiving our sins and dying on the cross, help us not to complain and argue, and help me to have a good rest tonight, and help us....not to be afraid...of the...Chick-fil-a...cow." :) Amen!

What's the Time?

2009-02-09T13:21:00.004-05:00

Esther has had an obsession the past few months with time. She is constantly asking me what time it is. I admit she probably gets this from her mother. I am a clock-watcher I admit. She got a watch for Christmas and loves to look at it (not that she can understand what it really says yet :). The other morning we had a late night, and I woke up to what sounded like a mouse in the kitchen. I jumped out of bed to find Esther helping herself to cereal in the kitchen. I asked her how long she had been up (this was at 7:00). She said, "Um, I think it was 30.". I am wondering 4:30,5:30, or 6:30. Anyways, her consciousness of time has reminded me to reevaluate how I'm using my time. Hence the lack of blog posts. I do feel guilty spending too much time on the blog or facebook, but miss the chance to connect with friends. I want to wait until I have everything done to get a chance to write, but then there are never going to be any posts! So be patient with me as I find the balance. In the meantime, I have appreciated some recent posts on how we use our time. One of our pastors, Pastor Brodie has posted some good articles on Redeeming the Time here. Along the same lines, I just read a couple good articles on Getting to Church on Time here and here. For any of you with young children, know how hard it can be to get out the door on Sunday morning. I think Satan is working his hardest to cause temptations for strife and be in the wrong spirit for worship. I will admit, Stephen and I struggled with getting places on time anyway before kids, so it's not all their fault. (insert laugh for those of you who know us) So back in seminary when we used to travel an hour to church both ways, I had to learn to start planning for Sunday on Saturday. Now that we live 10 minutes away and have two children. I still have to plan for Sunday on Saturday. And when I plan it's down to tights, shoes, hairbows, rubberbands, coats, etc. Especially since Stephen has become a pastor it's been even more imperative that I make things easier for our family so that he can be free to minister on Sunday. We all are a lot more spirit-filled when we plan ahead. Speaking of the time, I better run as it's 1:30, and everyone else has ate lunch, but me. :)

Ski Trip

2009-02-09T11:38:00.007-05:00

Stephen led a huge group on a Ski Trip last week to Massanutten. The kids and I drove up separately with a teen helper and had a great time. One of the parents watched our kids in the lodge so I could ski a couple of times. Esther even got out and played in the snow for a little bit. It was such a fun day. There's nothing like getting out on the hill and seeing God's creation all around. It's such a great time to connect with the teens also. It was a lot of work for Stephen to coordinate getting 100+ people up there, but I'm so thankful for all his hard work and opportunity to get to go. Here's some pictures from the day.

Back to Normal ...Sort of

2009-01-26T23:12:00.007-05:00

The Conley Clan is back up and running for those two of you who were worried. I have started about three different posts that have all been interrupted by other divine appointments. Thankfully, we have never really gotten sick during the winter months until now, I have a greater respect for all you moms who deal with those issues. I know that there are children who struggle with so many 'bigger' issues, but no matter what it is, I think you as a parent hate to see your child in pain and want to do whatever possible to help them getter better again. Esther has been struggling since Christmas with her health. She got a really bad ear infection Christmas Eve with a high fever that caused a visit to the ER, and then they both had a cough/cold hangover from that once we got back from Christmas. We finally made it back to church for one Sunday which it was my turn for nursery. That Tuesday, Jonas came down with the stomach flu. He shared with Esther who got sick at Nana Judy's home (our pastor's wife) the next day, and then by the end of the week seemed to be doing a little better. It was a long week taking care of two sick kids and was a week where Stephen had a tough schedule also. Not knowing what all would be going on with the kids that week, we had also scheduled to renovate an office. Hence the picture of Stephen below. You can see the close up of his shirt "Mission Impossible" from his college days. I thought it was ironic that he had one on his back, one on the front because they both wanted carried, and so I could paint. As the week went on we kept Esther's diet bland because of some test she was having on her kidneys on Monday (which has now been rescheduled for March). Sunday night, she had a relapse of the virus (one nasty bug!) and got dehydrated. We took her to the doctor Monday who sent us on to the hospital because Esther had lost 10% of her body weight and wasn't able to keep anything down. Our good friends the Schnarrs were able to keep Jonas so we didn't have to expose him to anything at the hospital while we were with Esther. It's such a blessing to have friends that can help when you're far from family. They also made dinner for us. We had another family bring her balloons and popsicles. Yesterday we finally got to go to Sunday morning church after a month of absences. I felt like a visitor. It was wonderful to be with the body of Christ again and see so many people that were praying for us and concerned for our little Esther. Our pastor preached a great message which you can listen to here and in the evening here about living out the Gospel in the body of Christ. My heart was blessed. We praise God for the grace He gives through each and every trial and opportunity to trust Him in a greater way. And we are thankful both children are back to their normal, healthy selves. Nothing to take for granted!

Amazement Squar_e

2008-12-23T23:17:00.005-05:00

We had a great time visiting Amazement Squar_e for a family day and Esther's birthday present from us. We got some cute pics and lots of laughs that day. We even ran into some friends from church.

Peek-a-boo Jonas

2008-12-23T23:11:00.004-05:00

One of Jonas' new tricks is when we come into his room he is peering over the bumper pad. I think he is kinda irritated with me for leaving it up, but it goes with his room, so....it's still there. When he gets upset in his crib, this is what I usually find, him waiting for me to come in. While I was at it, I thought I'd post some finished pics of his room. Now that he's almost 9 months, fitting for us to get his room finished. :)

Birthday Pictures

2008-12-23T22:52:00.005-05:00

Esther is so fortunate with having a December birthday to get to see both families so close to her actual birthday. Hopefully she'll understand that as she gets older, as I've heard from lots of disgruntled December birthday-ers. :) So to that I say, celebrate your half-birthday too! We are going to have a mini-party on June 22 as she gets older. We love to party! Here's some pictures of our recent ones. She had a Dora party in Georgia and a Nemo party here in New Jersey. We have to give some props to Nanna and Uncle Adam who made the Nemo cake with regular things from around the house since Mommy forgot the Nemo cake pan. It turned out fantastic! I don't have the patience for those kinds of projects. Now for the pictures...

Birthday Letter to our little girl....

2008-12-23T22:18:00.005-05:00

Dear Esther,

Even in the midst of this busy Christmas season, we will never forget how our lives were changed on December 22, 2005. Mommy was due to have you on Christmas Eve, but they thought you were going to be so big, they thought they should try to get you to come early. One thing led to another and after one long Thursday, you were born at 6:06 p.m. by a caesarean section. We were so thankful to God that you got here safely! When they brought you out, you were screaming and crying, and as soon as they brought you to Mommy, you stopped crying and knew that familiar voice. How amazing those first moments were! We spent a few extra days recovering in the hospital which gave time to reflect on the God who gave you to us and how He gave us His Son. We lifted up so many prayers for you and for us that God would guide us in parenting you. We'll never forget looking into those big blue eyes of you and feeling that enormous weight of responsibility that every parent does when holding their newborn for the first time. The next few days were a wild ride as daddy ended up in the hospital which started out as choking episode and ended up with an endoscopy the next morning. The Conley's and Chaney's arrived soon after you were born to welcome you. We celebrated Christmas a little late altogether, but noone seemed to mind the delay. You were the best Christmas gift we could have gotten. You have been such a bundle of energy from that first day. I can remember everytime I took you out, you would always try to engage others before you could ever talk by smiling and giggling. We have had lots of laughs with you. You have loved being with people and would always bring your pile of toys to follow Mommy or Daddy from room to room. We pray God will use that love for people to minister to others for His glory. Most of all, we pray that you will see the love God has given you and that you are a sinner in need of a Savior and trust Christ as your Savior. We pray that God will continue to guide us in parenting you in His grace.

We love you Esther Faith! Happy 3rd birthday!

Daddy & Mommy

Family Photo Shoot 2008

2008-12-09T21:51:00.004-05:00

A few firsts...

2008-12-08T19:39:00.006-05:00

First Haircut
Jonas got his first haircut already! It was getting a little shaggy on the ears and grew crooked so we straightened it up over Thanksgiving with the help of Aunt Elisabeth to keep the wiggly guy still! First Thanksgiving/Christmas We spent Thanksgiving at the Conleys this year and had a great time. It had been a while since we had seen everybody last. Jonas got to meet Uncle John. And we got to celebrate Christmas a little early. Jonas loved opening the presents. We also celebrated Esther's 3rd birthday with her cousins. We came back with lots of presents needless to say! It was nice to just be able to relax and rest- as you can see below Stephen was taking a little snooze after our early morning Black Friday excursion and Esther wanted to make sure he was complete to sleep with a wedge and toys.

Our little skunk

2008-12-08T19:36:00.002-05:00

This is really overdue, but just so Jonas has some props too. Here was the cutest little costume we found and got our .49 worth out of it. He's going to kill us for this someday. We love you Jonas!

The Christmas Story...according to Esther

2008-12-08T19:24:00.003-05:00

Last year we got Esther a Children's Nativity set for Christmas. She has enjoyed it this year even more than last and has been playing with it every day. You wonder how much of the concept of God they can comprehend in their little minds. We try to capture those 'teachable moments little and often' (thank you Mr. Fair! :), but still there's so much to learn! We are going through the Jesse Tree with her for Advent this year. I love going through this in Family Worship because it helps me also to focus on Christ in this busy, busy season!

Well, yesterday after church, Stephen and I overheard her playing with her nativity. She first said that Mary was going to have baby Jesus. (okay so far) Then she had the angel, and said, "And the angel, said...", then gets a little bit louder, "AND THE ANGEL SAID,..." (Stephen and I are feeling pretty proud at this point that she knows what the angel said.) "...the ANGEL SAID, NO MORE MONKEYS JUMPING ON THE BED!" What do you say to that? Needless, to say, we got our laugh in for the day!

Works of God Monday

2008-11-18T16:24:00.004-05:00

This weekend we had the awesome opportunity to attend a CCEF conference in Pennsylvania. I only got to attend one day of it since Jonas still needs me on a pretty regular basis, but what I did get to hear was awesome! Stephen was incredibly encouraged also and excited to be able to have some time to sharpen his ministry focus. All of the speakers messages were centered on the Gospel as the point of change in a person's life and a commitment to the sufficiency of Scripture. What a blessing! I'm thankful our church made it possible for us to be able to go. The Lord also worked it out so that Adam and Trisha were able to meet us there, and we were able to stay with my parents while there. We always enjoy any extra opportunities to see family and encourage each other in the ministries of our local churches. God is so good!