Spirit Night August 26, 2011

My son Robert playing his tenor sax!

Very Cool!  

Cooper, I love HIM sooo much.  This is his famed NIKE commercial picture. 

That's my sneaker.  In a way I think he just wants to be close to me.

JUST DO IT!

The Leadership Summit was great this year.  And as usual the morning session with Bill Hybels was heart wrenching and touching!  And of course challenging.  Here is what Bill had to say:

Jeremiah received a tough calling from God: to speak God’s word to God’s people. The words God wanted Jeremiah to speak were words of warning to shake them up and wake them up. Nothing goes well. No one likes what he has to say. God tells him to keep speaking so he does. He gets beaten and put on display for shame. In Jeremiah 20, he tells God how he feels. “You sweet talked me… and I bought it. This isn’t what I had in mind.” He was torn between being faithful to his calling and his ache for success. Give up the ache to be successful in the eyes of the world and go with what God is calling you to do. Jeremiah wrote his lament down… it’s in our Bible. At the end of his lament he had clarity: throughout all of it, God’s mercies were new to him every morning. “I have had very little hardship carrying out what God has called me to do.” If you watch one episode of the evening news, you know our world is broken and it’s getting worse. The fixes that are going to be required for the ills of our society are not going to be easy assignments. They won’t be short-term assignments. God is looking for some strong-shouldered leaders who are available to take on tough callings. “I stand in awe of leader who receive tough assignments.” Do you have the courage to listen? What is your tough calling?

Bill said, “This world won’t get fixed unless leaders like us are available for tough assignments.” What tough assignment will you step up to after the Summit?  Bill and I wrote it down on the broken pottery!

Italian Garden

This single flower sticks out to me!  As I photographed it, I couldn't help but think
how amazing God is.  That this is all part of His wonderful creation!.

Ashville, North Carolina!

The Biltmore House

Celebrating 29 years of

Marriage!

Footprint 

Every year I am involved in a picnic for the gals at Bridgeport Rescue Mission!

Here is a picture of us volunteers and of course my friends Ruth and Carolyn putting horns 

on me.  Cmon this is something I would do!

Amazing Wall Picture!

I let my son Corey paint one of his 4 walls.  This is what he painted.  

He is such a good artist!

Corey doing a duet in the spring concert.  He is singing at this point.

I am a proud Mama!

 Belize Spring Break 2011

This was just another incredible missions trip down

to Belize.  It was different for me because two days before I left I got sick.  And unfortunately for me I remained sick for the whole trip.  I pushed through and persevered to the best of my ability and I was blessed.

I had an incredible time with the teen girls in my room. Watch my 2 youngest sons minister to the poorest of poor.  Watch my husband work hard and sweat.  And even had a chance to play some basketball with some orphans.  I heard testimonies that will have an everlasting impact on my family.  And was fed all week spiritually and physically by a church with a servants heart.  It doesn't get much better than that.

 This is Leroy!  I think I fell in love with him the minute he climbed on the bus below.

He said to me when he got on the bus.  Hi Granny!  I cracked up.  He called me granny all week.  He lives in a culture where gangs are present.  There isn't a day that goes by where I don't think about him.  Mostly just wondering what his lot in life will be.

The bus, and of course Eustes our bus driver.

He was the best bus driver ever.  He maneuvered this big bus around the most narrow streets in Belize.  We loved Eustes and our bus. 

I can say much more about this trip but I will end it this post with this passage in Philippians.

Philippians 2

Be Like Christ

 ¹ Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any ^(A)fellowship of the Spirit, if any ^[a](B)affection and compassion, ^2 (C)make my joy complete ^[b]by ^(D)being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. ³ Do nothing ^[c]from ^[d](E)selfishness or ^(F)empty conceit, but with humility of mind ^(G)regard one another as more important than yourselves; ^4 (H)do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. ^5(I)Have this attitude ^[e]in yourselves which was also in^(J)Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, although He ^(K)existed in the ^(L)form of God, ^(M)did not regard equality with God a thing to be^[f]grasped, ⁷ but ^[g](N)emptied Himself, taking the form of a^(O)bond-servant, and ^(P)being made in the likeness of men. ⁸Being found in appearance as a man, ^(Q)He humbled Himself by becoming ^(R)obedient to the point of death, even^(S)death ^[h]on a cross. ^9 (T)For this reason also, God ^(U)highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him ^(V)the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus^(W)EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of ^(X)those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is ^(Y)Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

A surprise party for Laura!

I mention this in my Blog because Laura has been

such a faithful servant.   And in a time of need 

you can really count on Laura.  Laura is mostly involved with

the teens in ministry but she had been a big part 

of women's bible study.  Our youth pastor

and wife threw a big party for her.  I am blessed to have her as my 

Friend!

Roberts 16 Birthday Party!

It was fun day had by all.  I have been blessed with 3 sons and a daughter.  He shares the middle spot with
Kristine.

I contemplated 16 candles!

Corey's March Concert!

My new artsy version of Him!

Boy of Destiny

Robert doing a solo for Jazz.  He did an
awesome job.  I love watching all my kids
perform.  I am so proud of Robert and
how he has worked hard in Band and Jazz.

Norwalk High Jazz Show!

What fun!  Robert playing with the band in the front row.

The tenor sax man!  What an excellent night and it 

went off with no glitches whatsoever.

Corey at his February winter orchestra concert!
He is like the little man.  So serious.
I enjoy these concerts so much.  I'm so glad God created music!

Look they are attacking!  This very scary.  I love snow but okay true confessions.  I'm tired of it already!
Is spring almost here.

Now I must say whoever made all these snowmen had too much time on their hands. I'm going to have recheck my priorities and do some serious snowman making!

Procrastination you got to love it! 

I don't remember who sent this to me

but as I sit here, I can relate!  How are

you doing with time management?

Happy

New

Year!  

2011 

Has

Begun!

Spent New years eve with some good friends!  I think this picture is so cool.  Don't know where I found it.  

It kind of reminds me that time has melted away!  

What will 2011 bring?

For me it's stepping out in faith in a lot of areas.  Where will you be stepping this year?

Hopefully not more unanswered goals.  Just make 1 or 2 goals this year!

AND JUST DO IT!!!!!!!

Christmas eve at the our home and Kristine is demonstrating one of the whacko gifts her brothers got from MeMar D.  As we got sillier as the evening went on, I wonder, why sometimes there is not more to Christmas?  Why do we have Christmas in December?  Do you all know the true meaning of Christmas?  And I don't mean the the Hollywood version!