Something struck me as I drove the kids to school this morning...
Every morning we rush and rush, trying to get everything done and ready for school, trying to get to school on time. I try to take time to pray with the kids as we are driving to school, but some mornings we don't even do that.
JD is an early bird (and by early I mean, if the sun is up, he is up), the rest of us are not, to say the least. He eats breakfast and is dressed before the rest of the family is even out of bed. He also wants to get to school early so he can spend time with his friends. Because of this he starts to give a running tab of the time ticking away starting about 8:20 each and every morning. By the time we leave, usually sometime around 8:40, I am fed up. Each morning I remind him that I am very capable of telling time, probably more so than him. I also remind him that he has never, even once, been late to school.
So, needless to say, there are many mornings where I'm in a very foul mood by the time we leave the driveway to head to school. Today was one such morning. I was in no mood to even be up (Heidi kept me up most of the night because one of our fire alarms is beeping for a new battery...she is scared to death of this...), much less be told, once again, that it was time to leave.
We were driving to school, I was trying to make casual conversation with the kids, when we turned onto the street of their school. The street has a perfect view of Mount Charleston and its surrounding mountains.
At the base of the mountain was a rainbow! It wasn't very long, but it was one of the widest rainbows I have ever seen. You could see every color! It was beautiful. I gasped at the site and quickly pointed it out to JD and Cora. "LOOK! A RAINBOW!"
The entire mood of the car changed, as we discussed what colors we saw, the sheer beauty of what we were seeing. Cora said, "some rainbows that people draw have other colors". I said, "Yes, but the rainbows God creates always have the same colors, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet,"
to which JD replied, "That's because it's His promise to us!"
We pulled into the school, and they jumped out to meet their friends and start their day, but I was paused in awe of the wonder of my Savior, how He could take something so simple to completely change my whole manner.
Many verses from the Bible and songs began pouring into my head, describing the awesomeness of God and His creation.
What stuck with me was a few lines from Revelation Song by Phillips, Craig and Dean.
Let me share those lines with you:
Clothed in rainbows, of living color
Flashes of lightning, rolls of thunder
Blessing and honor, strength and
Glory and power be
To You the Only Wise King,
Holy, Holy, Holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Who was, and is, and is to come
With all creation I sing:
Praise to the King of Kings!
You are my everything,
And I will adore You…!
That song just spoke my exact thoughts the moment. So often we take for granted rainbows, we complain about thunder and lightening, but these all show God's glory! As we see these, remember, ALL creation will sing praise to the King of Kings...it doesn't say "people", the Bible actually says that all of creation will cry out, even the rocks will cry out. That rainbow was a praise to God! That thunder and lightening is a praise to God! Those birds singing are praising God! With ALL CREATION I sing, praise to the KING of KINGS!
At some point, whether during this life or after, every knee shall bow to Him. May it be the desire of my heart, the song of my life, that my knee is bowed to Him in constant praise and awe of His glory.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Home from Gallbladder Surgery
Thank you so much for all of you prayers over the past few weeks. I went through numerous tests, bloodwork, ultrasounds, CT Scans, MRCP, x-rays, etc...all to no avail. My doctor referred me last week to a gastroenterologist, who I was scheduled to see Oct. 9.
Monday I became very faint. I couldn't stand without passing out and even felt dizzy when lying down with my eyes closed. By Monday night I was feeling so bad Jake drove me to our medical clinic's quick care. They couldn't do anything for me and sent me to the ER.
The ER floor doctor ordered more blood tests and another ultrasound of my gallbladder. They came back almost immediately saying they found "sludge" in my gallbladder and it would need to be removed. They admitted me right away to help control pain and await a surgery slot to become available.
Tuesday morning when the surgeon came in to talk with us he asked why we hadn't been referred to a surgeon weeks ago...that he looked at my ultrasound, but didn't have to, he said my symptoms were classic gallbladder problems. He said he guessed the doctor just wanted to see me hurt and run more tests...lol...yep, that's what we were thinking too, since we asked several times to be admitted into the hospital and were told "that's just not how it's done anymore".
The surgeon was extremely friendly and helpful. We were blessed to be assigned to him. He said, "Call me PK, everyone knows me as PK".
They got me into surgery a little before noon today. He said everything went really well. I have 4 small incisions. He told Jake and my mom the gallbladder was "BAD". They are sending it off for testing.
As many of you reading this know, my dad died from gallbladder cancer in Feb. of 2007. Even though it isn't hereditary, they are testing it for disease and cancer.
I got to leave the hospital around 5 this evening. I feel like I've been hit in the gut with a mac-truck, but the pain I was feeling before doesn't seem to be there at all. Hopefully over the next few days these surgery pains will decrease and the incisions will heal quickly.
I guess I can call that gastro clinic tomorrow and let them know I won't be in need of their services! Jake said he will also be calling our doctor tomorrow to let him know I had surgery on the very thing they said was "fine" and "within normal limits"...looks like we may be looking for a new doctor. Too bad. This one was so close to our house, and seemed really nice. But, we kept telling them that all the research we've done and others have told us say that diagnosing a gallbladder is hit-and-miss, you have to see it at just the right time and just the right angle to see the stones. Sometimes they aren't seen, even if they are there.
We mentioned this to the ER doctor who found the sludge and he concurred.
Anyway, I'm home now and resting...not comfortably...
I really appreciate all the prayers, posts on FB, calls and texts. Thank you, Jeremy, for coming by the hospital to visit and pray with us. It really meant a lot to me.
I got to eat jello tonight. It was very tasty, as were the ice-chips at the hospital after surgery! 1st food or drink of any kind since Monday night (I realized after being told I couldn't eat or drink, just in case they were able to squeeze me in to surgery yesterday, that I hadn't drank a drop of anything Monday, and only ate part of a biscuit with some gravy on it Monday evening...obviously by the time I got some ice-chips this afternoon I was dying of thirst!)
It's really a blessing to think about the light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel! HE is the Great Physician! All praises to my God!
Monday I became very faint. I couldn't stand without passing out and even felt dizzy when lying down with my eyes closed. By Monday night I was feeling so bad Jake drove me to our medical clinic's quick care. They couldn't do anything for me and sent me to the ER.
The ER floor doctor ordered more blood tests and another ultrasound of my gallbladder. They came back almost immediately saying they found "sludge" in my gallbladder and it would need to be removed. They admitted me right away to help control pain and await a surgery slot to become available.
Tuesday morning when the surgeon came in to talk with us he asked why we hadn't been referred to a surgeon weeks ago...that he looked at my ultrasound, but didn't have to, he said my symptoms were classic gallbladder problems. He said he guessed the doctor just wanted to see me hurt and run more tests...lol...yep, that's what we were thinking too, since we asked several times to be admitted into the hospital and were told "that's just not how it's done anymore".
The surgeon was extremely friendly and helpful. We were blessed to be assigned to him. He said, "Call me PK, everyone knows me as PK".
They got me into surgery a little before noon today. He said everything went really well. I have 4 small incisions. He told Jake and my mom the gallbladder was "BAD". They are sending it off for testing.
As many of you reading this know, my dad died from gallbladder cancer in Feb. of 2007. Even though it isn't hereditary, they are testing it for disease and cancer.
I got to leave the hospital around 5 this evening. I feel like I've been hit in the gut with a mac-truck, but the pain I was feeling before doesn't seem to be there at all. Hopefully over the next few days these surgery pains will decrease and the incisions will heal quickly.
I guess I can call that gastro clinic tomorrow and let them know I won't be in need of their services! Jake said he will also be calling our doctor tomorrow to let him know I had surgery on the very thing they said was "fine" and "within normal limits"...looks like we may be looking for a new doctor. Too bad. This one was so close to our house, and seemed really nice. But, we kept telling them that all the research we've done and others have told us say that diagnosing a gallbladder is hit-and-miss, you have to see it at just the right time and just the right angle to see the stones. Sometimes they aren't seen, even if they are there.
We mentioned this to the ER doctor who found the sludge and he concurred.
Anyway, I'm home now and resting...not comfortably...
I really appreciate all the prayers, posts on FB, calls and texts. Thank you, Jeremy, for coming by the hospital to visit and pray with us. It really meant a lot to me.
I got to eat jello tonight. It was very tasty, as were the ice-chips at the hospital after surgery! 1st food or drink of any kind since Monday night (I realized after being told I couldn't eat or drink, just in case they were able to squeeze me in to surgery yesterday, that I hadn't drank a drop of anything Monday, and only ate part of a biscuit with some gravy on it Monday evening...obviously by the time I got some ice-chips this afternoon I was dying of thirst!)
It's really a blessing to think about the light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel! HE is the Great Physician! All praises to my God!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Is it September Already?!?
I honestly cannot believe that 2009 is already 3/4 of the way over! I always remember when I was little and would complain about time going by too slowly. My dad would laugh and say, "You just wait until you get older! You'll wish it would slow down! You blink and another year's gone by!" Well, he was right!
In the time since my last blog, JD and Cora have both had birthdays (I can't believe they are 8 and 7 now! Talk about time flying!), they have started 3rd and 2nd grade, respectively, Jake's gotten a job offer from Miami, I've had some health concerns and much, much more...I'll try to address all of these and more in this blog.
I had actually considered creating several different blogs to cover each different "happening", but decided I would be lazy and just do one. I'm apologizing now for the length and for what I'm sure will be many many pictures.
JD and Cora's birthday party had to be postponed because of our rushed trip back to AR in late July due to the death of Jake's paternal grandmother. Jake was honored to perform the ceremony at her funeral.
We decided to take a little extra time on the drive home from Arkansas and spent a day at the Grand Canyon. Even though it's less than 5 hours from Vegas, we had never been. The kids had a blast exploring. I would HIGHLY recommend you make an effort to go if you've never been. It is so beautiful. I sat on the edge of one of the bluffs and the only thing that kept running through my head was, "The splendor of the King, clothed in majesty, let all the earth rejoice, all the earth rejoice!" (I posted to Facebook that I had the urge to burst into song and wondered if anyone around would mind). How can anyone see things in nature like that and not acknowledge the Creator? It blows my mind!
I've posted just a few pictures from the day. The rest are on my FB page, if you're interested.
In the time since my last blog, JD and Cora have both had birthdays (I can't believe they are 8 and 7 now! Talk about time flying!), they have started 3rd and 2nd grade, respectively, Jake's gotten a job offer from Miami, I've had some health concerns and much, much more...I'll try to address all of these and more in this blog.
I had actually considered creating several different blogs to cover each different "happening", but decided I would be lazy and just do one. I'm apologizing now for the length and for what I'm sure will be many many pictures.
JD and Cora's birthday party had to be postponed because of our rushed trip back to AR in late July due to the death of Jake's paternal grandmother. Jake was honored to perform the ceremony at her funeral.
We decided to take a little extra time on the drive home from Arkansas and spent a day at the Grand Canyon. Even though it's less than 5 hours from Vegas, we had never been. The kids had a blast exploring. I would HIGHLY recommend you make an effort to go if you've never been. It is so beautiful. I sat on the edge of one of the bluffs and the only thing that kept running through my head was, "The splendor of the King, clothed in majesty, let all the earth rejoice, all the earth rejoice!" (I posted to Facebook that I had the urge to burst into song and wondered if anyone around would mind). How can anyone see things in nature like that and not acknowledge the Creator? It blows my mind!
I've posted just a few pictures from the day. The rest are on my FB page, if you're interested.
Neither of them had any fear of going right up to the edges! I, however, did not like them being so close! This is them peering over one of the cliffs.
Beautiful!
We were able to reschedule the birthday party for the following week. The kids had chosen to have their party at the Lied Discovery Children's Museum downtown. It is a hands-on museum with tons of science experiments and objects to explore and learn. All of the kids had a really good time.
Beautiful!
Cora got chosen to be a helper during one of the science experiments!
JD and Cora blowing out their candles (JD blew out first, then Cora)
The boys (Clockwise from JD): JD, Alex, Ethan and JR
The girls (clockwise from Cora): Cora,Abby, Haven, Kailey and Nataly
The end of August meant the start of the new school year. JD and Cora were both excited about the new year...well, JD more so than Cora. He actually got upset on Labor Day because there was no school! Jake called him a nerd.
Cora, 1st day of 2nd grade
Getting the van after a great 1st day of school
We were able to request JD's teacher from last year for Cora. Mrs. Krzmarzick ("Mrs. K", as everyone calls her) was such a wonderful teacher for JD and we are so pleased to have her this year for Cora. JD's teacher this year is Mrs. Davidson, and so far we are very pleased with her as well. Bilbray Elementary has such a wonderful staff, from the principal down, and high parent-involvement. We have been truly blessed to be at this school!
As I mentioned in my last blog, Jake's job with Fontainebleau has been up in the air. The company declared bankruptcy earlier this year and began laying people off. Jake's job was fairly secure, but recently we discovered that he would no longer have a job after September 30. Fontainebleau, Miami wanted him to come on with them, and even asked what it would take to get us to move there. We figure, since we didn't move to Las Vegas for Fontainebleau, we wouldn't move to Miami for it either...unless God leads us otherwise, for now He has us serving here, in "Sin City".
I appreciate those of you who have been diligently praying for this job situation. This week Jake received and accepted an offer from Fontainebleau, Miami to work for them remotely, from our home. He will have to travel to Miami occasionally (1st time being for 10 days in October), but this is such a blessing for us. Not only will he be able to work from our home, which will save on gas, and help me as I deal with my health issues (to be discussed later), but he also got a raise! As many of you know, he had to take a mandatory pay cut a few months back when the company went bankrupt. It has been a struggle, but God has been faithful. This raise will help us pay off some debt we accumulated from last year when we had 2 house payments as well as build up some savings and pay for some upcoming mission-trip opportunities we are praying about. God is good, all the time!
While I am on the topic of money, I want to thank those of you who give to Fulfilling the Mission at FBC, Rogers. Part of that money goes to help fund missionaries around the world. Each month the money we receive from FTM helps pay for 1/2 of our house payment. This is a true blessing to us. When you give to FTM, you are blessing missionaries world-wide. You get to be a part of the great commission by writing that check each month. Thank you.
Okay, so on to me. I hate talking about me. I'd much rather tell you about Jake or the kids or the church. But, many people have been calling and emailing to inquire about what is going on with me...so here goes:
Earlier this summer I began getting a pain in my upper-right abdomen. I could feel some sort of growth under the skin, but didn't think much about it. By the time we got back from our trip to AR the pain had gotten much more severe and began to interrupt my day-to-day living. Me, being the stubborn person I am, just kept ignoring the pain. Jake finally insisted I make an appointment with a doctor. Since that 1st appointment I have had 3 or 4 different sets of blood tests run, a CT Scan of my upper and lower abdomen, an ultrasound of my gallbladder and liver, x-rays and have an appointment scheduled for a MRCP (MRI of my pancreas). Some of my liver stats are slightly elevated, but apparently not enough to be concerned. So far they have yet to find what is causing the pain. It has gotten so bad that I am sleeping a good part of the day (up to 18 hours some days) just to deal with the pain. My mom flew out a week and 1/2 ago to help out. She is staying indefinitely, until we are able to figure all this out. It has been a real blessing to have her here to help with housework and with the kids. I am so thankful to have a mom who is willing and able to come and give up her own life to help with mine.
Last night Jake had to take me to the ER because my pain level was so high the pain medication they have me on wasn't doing anything.
The growths under my skin are growing. So far the medical people are not listening to me when I say that is what is causing the pain. That is where the pain started. Jake is going with me to my appointment on Monday and is going to request that I be admitted into the hospital to get the pain under control and figure out what is going on.
Please be praying for me, that God will perform a miracle and take away whatever is causing this pain. I serve a God who is still in the business of miracles and I believe that if it is His will, He can remove this from me. If it is not in His will at this time, please pray I am able to deal with the pain. Please also pray for Jake and the kids during this time. It has been especially hard on JD and Cora. We tried to keep it from them, so they wouldn't worry, but they were able to figure it out on their own. My mom said that JD prayed very long for me last night while I was "at the doctor".
I guess that pretty much catches you up on the life of the Bridges. (I know you're thinking "whew...well, it's about time!" lol)
Northstar continues to grow. We have started 3 small groups that will meet out of members' houses during the week. Please pray for these as we try to get them built up and as we grow the relationships within them.
Oh, in the last blog I mentioned our awesome Celebration Service. Jake baptized a mom and 3 of her children that day. You may remember me mentioning the Children's Service we held after our Kid's Camp ended. All 4 of these baptisms are due to that service. The mom indicated on her information card that she had accepted Christ and one of the boys in the family raised his hand at the end of the service, indicating he wanted more information on becoming a Christian. Jake went to his home to talk to him and he and his brother and sister all ended up accepting Christ that night. The mom requested Jake baptize them all. He was honored to do so.
Let me end with pictures of the baptisms. (Thank you, Wilson, for taking these)
Joseph
JD, 1st day of 3rd grade
Cora, 1st day of 2nd grade
Getting the van after a great 1st day of school
We were able to request JD's teacher from last year for Cora. Mrs. Krzmarzick ("Mrs. K", as everyone calls her) was such a wonderful teacher for JD and we are so pleased to have her this year for Cora. JD's teacher this year is Mrs. Davidson, and so far we are very pleased with her as well. Bilbray Elementary has such a wonderful staff, from the principal down, and high parent-involvement. We have been truly blessed to be at this school!As I mentioned in my last blog, Jake's job with Fontainebleau has been up in the air. The company declared bankruptcy earlier this year and began laying people off. Jake's job was fairly secure, but recently we discovered that he would no longer have a job after September 30. Fontainebleau, Miami wanted him to come on with them, and even asked what it would take to get us to move there. We figure, since we didn't move to Las Vegas for Fontainebleau, we wouldn't move to Miami for it either...unless God leads us otherwise, for now He has us serving here, in "Sin City".
I appreciate those of you who have been diligently praying for this job situation. This week Jake received and accepted an offer from Fontainebleau, Miami to work for them remotely, from our home. He will have to travel to Miami occasionally (1st time being for 10 days in October), but this is such a blessing for us. Not only will he be able to work from our home, which will save on gas, and help me as I deal with my health issues (to be discussed later), but he also got a raise! As many of you know, he had to take a mandatory pay cut a few months back when the company went bankrupt. It has been a struggle, but God has been faithful. This raise will help us pay off some debt we accumulated from last year when we had 2 house payments as well as build up some savings and pay for some upcoming mission-trip opportunities we are praying about. God is good, all the time!
While I am on the topic of money, I want to thank those of you who give to Fulfilling the Mission at FBC, Rogers. Part of that money goes to help fund missionaries around the world. Each month the money we receive from FTM helps pay for 1/2 of our house payment. This is a true blessing to us. When you give to FTM, you are blessing missionaries world-wide. You get to be a part of the great commission by writing that check each month. Thank you.
Okay, so on to me. I hate talking about me. I'd much rather tell you about Jake or the kids or the church. But, many people have been calling and emailing to inquire about what is going on with me...so here goes:
Earlier this summer I began getting a pain in my upper-right abdomen. I could feel some sort of growth under the skin, but didn't think much about it. By the time we got back from our trip to AR the pain had gotten much more severe and began to interrupt my day-to-day living. Me, being the stubborn person I am, just kept ignoring the pain. Jake finally insisted I make an appointment with a doctor. Since that 1st appointment I have had 3 or 4 different sets of blood tests run, a CT Scan of my upper and lower abdomen, an ultrasound of my gallbladder and liver, x-rays and have an appointment scheduled for a MRCP (MRI of my pancreas). Some of my liver stats are slightly elevated, but apparently not enough to be concerned. So far they have yet to find what is causing the pain. It has gotten so bad that I am sleeping a good part of the day (up to 18 hours some days) just to deal with the pain. My mom flew out a week and 1/2 ago to help out. She is staying indefinitely, until we are able to figure all this out. It has been a real blessing to have her here to help with housework and with the kids. I am so thankful to have a mom who is willing and able to come and give up her own life to help with mine.
Last night Jake had to take me to the ER because my pain level was so high the pain medication they have me on wasn't doing anything.
The growths under my skin are growing. So far the medical people are not listening to me when I say that is what is causing the pain. That is where the pain started. Jake is going with me to my appointment on Monday and is going to request that I be admitted into the hospital to get the pain under control and figure out what is going on.
Please be praying for me, that God will perform a miracle and take away whatever is causing this pain. I serve a God who is still in the business of miracles and I believe that if it is His will, He can remove this from me. If it is not in His will at this time, please pray I am able to deal with the pain. Please also pray for Jake and the kids during this time. It has been especially hard on JD and Cora. We tried to keep it from them, so they wouldn't worry, but they were able to figure it out on their own. My mom said that JD prayed very long for me last night while I was "at the doctor".
I guess that pretty much catches you up on the life of the Bridges. (I know you're thinking "whew...well, it's about time!" lol)
Northstar continues to grow. We have started 3 small groups that will meet out of members' houses during the week. Please pray for these as we try to get them built up and as we grow the relationships within them.
Oh, in the last blog I mentioned our awesome Celebration Service. Jake baptized a mom and 3 of her children that day. You may remember me mentioning the Children's Service we held after our Kid's Camp ended. All 4 of these baptisms are due to that service. The mom indicated on her information card that she had accepted Christ and one of the boys in the family raised his hand at the end of the service, indicating he wanted more information on becoming a Christian. Jake went to his home to talk to him and he and his brother and sister all ended up accepting Christ that night. The mom requested Jake baptize them all. He was honored to do so.
Let me end with pictures of the baptisms. (Thank you, Wilson, for taking these)
Anthony
Joseph
Mia
Jennifer (the mom)
Jennifer (the mom)
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
So much to say! So much to report! But, alas, I don't have much time right now, so let me just hit a few high points and promise to get a longer blog out soon. I haven't forgotten about the newsletter, either, it's just been crazy with the move and all...it's coming, really!
We serve an amazing God! Northstar is seeing Him move in some amazing ways! Last Sunday we had 15 baptisms, including children, teens and adults. It was such an amazing Celebration Service. There were 100 people in attendance! We have several new families that are going to be such a blessing to the church. I am excited about getting to know them better.
The kids are back from Arkansas. I missed them so much! I don't think Cora stopped talking for about 48 hours after arriving home, telling me every detail of every minute of their trip...the girl can talk! We are enjoying spending time with Jake's parents and his sister this week.
We are settled in to our new house. Don't walk into the garage...but the house is all put together! We're loving it! Every time I walk through the door I look around and smile. The house will be such a blessing for us, and we will be able to use it for church fellowships, etc.
Jake's job situation is still rather sticky. He still has a job at this point, so that is a praise. His salary was cut, so we are trying to be extra frugile with our spending. Please continue to lift that situation up. We are relying on God to handle the situation, however it may turn out. We did not move here for Jake to work at Fontainebleau, so if he looses his job there we will know it is because there is something else he is supposed to be doing. It is simply our source of income, nothing more. We are here for the church, here to serve Christ, and we will continue to do so.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support. It is so amazing to know that so many people are praying for us.
We serve an amazing God! Northstar is seeing Him move in some amazing ways! Last Sunday we had 15 baptisms, including children, teens and adults. It was such an amazing Celebration Service. There were 100 people in attendance! We have several new families that are going to be such a blessing to the church. I am excited about getting to know them better.
The kids are back from Arkansas. I missed them so much! I don't think Cora stopped talking for about 48 hours after arriving home, telling me every detail of every minute of their trip...the girl can talk! We are enjoying spending time with Jake's parents and his sister this week.
We are settled in to our new house. Don't walk into the garage...but the house is all put together! We're loving it! Every time I walk through the door I look around and smile. The house will be such a blessing for us, and we will be able to use it for church fellowships, etc.
Jake's job situation is still rather sticky. He still has a job at this point, so that is a praise. His salary was cut, so we are trying to be extra frugile with our spending. Please continue to lift that situation up. We are relying on God to handle the situation, however it may turn out. We did not move here for Jake to work at Fontainebleau, so if he looses his job there we will know it is because there is something else he is supposed to be doing. It is simply our source of income, nothing more. We are here for the church, here to serve Christ, and we will continue to do so.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support. It is so amazing to know that so many people are praying for us.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
KIDS CAMP 2009
Wow! What a week. We had 37 kids attend our Kids Camp (aka VBS), only 13 of those were members' kids. A team from Wynne, AR was here for the week to help, and help they did! What an amazing effort! We couldn't have done it without them. My mom also came out for the week and was a huge help! (not only at camp, but at home where she did my laundry! woo hoo!)
We held the camp at a local park in the evenings. We charged a small registration fee to give "value" to the camp and to help ensure kids would return throughout the week. We also served them sandwiches for dinner each night. There was one family of foster kids who would devour 4-5 sandwiches each (and they were little kids, ranging from 3-8). It was really disheartening to think that those sandwiches may have been the only real meal they had for the day.
All the kids really seemed to have a lot of fun. The parents had nothing but praise for us. It was a long, hard week, but SO worth it!
We had 2 professions of faith, both of them parents!
To conclude the week we had a children's service this past Sunday. Jake preached, speaking on the plan of salvation. We did all kid's songs, ranging from "God is Bigger Than the Boogie Man" to "I Just Want to be a Sheep". Our 'special' was Veggie Tales' "Cheeseburger". What a hoot! We had just under 70 in attendance and everyone raved about the service. We even had some suggestions that this become more regular, like possibly doing a kids' service once a quarter.
We also had 3 kids raise their hands at the end of the service wanting to know more about asking Jesus to come into their lives to be their boss and forgive their sins. (We didn't ask any of them if they wanted to do it then, so that no one was doing it just because friends were.
Instead, we wrote down names of those who raised their hands and Jake is setting up appointments with their families to go speak with them individually at their homes.)
This was such a successful week for our church. We have at least 2-3 families who are interested in joining our church because of it. Thank you for your prayers. To God be the glory!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
You give and take away...my heart will CHOOSE to say, Lord blessed be Your Name
So the good news is Jake still has a job.
As many of you reading this may have heard on the news, Fontainebleau, Jake's employer, declared bankruptcy this week. A good portion of the people in his office were laid off. It was a sad day for him as he helped coworkers carry their boxes of belongings out to their cars.
What we found out later yesterday was that anyone left working for the company was having to take a mandatory, across the board, pay cut.
Jake is in the process of updating his resume and seeing what else is out there.
When he came home and told me, though I could see the stress and worry in his eyes, his statement to me was, "This only means God has something else in the works for us." His faith is unwavering. He still feels that we are called here for a reason and that our season here has not yet ended.
Today opened with more discouraging news. The title company apparently is holding up some paper work and therefore we cannot close on the house this week. Our loan officer hopes to close by the end of the month (Me too, seeing as we will be homeless if we don't). Not only that, but the fees from the title company came in higher than expected, so we have to come up with more money for closing...and our interest rate was only good through the 15th, and since we won't be closing then it will expire and the new interest rate is higher, making our house payment go up.
There's more, but I won't bore you with the details...suffice to say, the last 2 days have been pretty much the worst days since we've lived here.
I know my God is in control. He knows the outcome, has the big picture in His hand. He has seen us through many many times before, and I know this time will be no different.
I've spent most of the day crying. I'm so glad my mom didn't leave until this afternoon, because I don't know what I would have done this morning had she not been here to lean on.
Please be praying for us during this time. Pray mostly that we will lean on His unfailing strength.
Ending on a positive note, our Kid's Camp is going on this week. (It's our "VBS") We have had 37 kids registered and attending. Only 12 or so of those are members. We have had a lot of positive feedback from both kids and parents. There is so much to tell you about it, I will blog next week and include pictures.
Jake is correct, God has something in store for us, and just like our move to Vegas, it may not be anything we would have ever imagined. He is good, all the time.
"I say, 'You are my God, my times are in Your hands.'"
As many of you reading this may have heard on the news, Fontainebleau, Jake's employer, declared bankruptcy this week. A good portion of the people in his office were laid off. It was a sad day for him as he helped coworkers carry their boxes of belongings out to their cars.
What we found out later yesterday was that anyone left working for the company was having to take a mandatory, across the board, pay cut.
Jake is in the process of updating his resume and seeing what else is out there.
When he came home and told me, though I could see the stress and worry in his eyes, his statement to me was, "This only means God has something else in the works for us." His faith is unwavering. He still feels that we are called here for a reason and that our season here has not yet ended.
Today opened with more discouraging news. The title company apparently is holding up some paper work and therefore we cannot close on the house this week. Our loan officer hopes to close by the end of the month (Me too, seeing as we will be homeless if we don't). Not only that, but the fees from the title company came in higher than expected, so we have to come up with more money for closing...and our interest rate was only good through the 15th, and since we won't be closing then it will expire and the new interest rate is higher, making our house payment go up.
There's more, but I won't bore you with the details...suffice to say, the last 2 days have been pretty much the worst days since we've lived here.
I know my God is in control. He knows the outcome, has the big picture in His hand. He has seen us through many many times before, and I know this time will be no different.
I've spent most of the day crying. I'm so glad my mom didn't leave until this afternoon, because I don't know what I would have done this morning had she not been here to lean on.
Please be praying for us during this time. Pray mostly that we will lean on His unfailing strength.
Ending on a positive note, our Kid's Camp is going on this week. (It's our "VBS") We have had 37 kids registered and attending. Only 12 or so of those are members. We have had a lot of positive feedback from both kids and parents. There is so much to tell you about it, I will blog next week and include pictures.
Jake is correct, God has something in store for us, and just like our move to Vegas, it may not be anything we would have ever imagined. He is good, all the time.
"I say, 'You are my God, my times are in Your hands.'"
Thursday, June 4, 2009
End of School
So there have been countless times over the past month and a half that I've thought about sitting down and posting a blog, but one day becomes two and the next thing I know...it's June! Where has this year gone?
The kids finished school today. JD said he was sad because he loves school. Though Cora enjoyed school very much, she was also ready for summer break. I'm sure JD will be as well, once he remembers the freedom summer brings.
JD made honor roll all three trimesters. We're obviously very proud. His only non-A was an 89%...I think I can live with that. Cora also did well, 4 out of 6 grades were A's. We were blessed with wonderful teachers this year. We know God put those teachers in our lives for a reason.
We're looking forward to my mom and Amy Fike coming in tonight. Tomorrow night (Friday) Amy will be doing a traditional Muslim Tea with the ladies from our church, and my mom will be speaking on how women should act as ladies.
A volunteer team from Wynne, AR will be coming in tomorrow evening to help with our Kids Camp we're having next week. (It's VBS, but because so many people we are trying to reach either have negative thoughts towards "church events" or don't understand VBS, we're choosing to call it Kids Camp.) It will be held M-F evening. Please be in prayer for the children already signed up and those that will sign up this weekend. Also pray for the kids in the park each evening that may wonder over and take part.
I'll be flying the kids to AR on the 18th. They are excited to see family and friends. Though I'll only be there 3 days, they will be staying through July 12th. This should give me a good opportunity to get us settled in our new house. Hopefully we will be able to close on it the end of next week!
Sorry this is a short one...I'll write more soon and promise to get out a newsletter very soon.
The kids finished school today. JD said he was sad because he loves school. Though Cora enjoyed school very much, she was also ready for summer break. I'm sure JD will be as well, once he remembers the freedom summer brings.
JD made honor roll all three trimesters. We're obviously very proud. His only non-A was an 89%...I think I can live with that. Cora also did well, 4 out of 6 grades were A's. We were blessed with wonderful teachers this year. We know God put those teachers in our lives for a reason.
Cora's class
JD's class
We're looking forward to my mom and Amy Fike coming in tonight. Tomorrow night (Friday) Amy will be doing a traditional Muslim Tea with the ladies from our church, and my mom will be speaking on how women should act as ladies.
A volunteer team from Wynne, AR will be coming in tomorrow evening to help with our Kids Camp we're having next week. (It's VBS, but because so many people we are trying to reach either have negative thoughts towards "church events" or don't understand VBS, we're choosing to call it Kids Camp.) It will be held M-F evening. Please be in prayer for the children already signed up and those that will sign up this weekend. Also pray for the kids in the park each evening that may wonder over and take part.
I'll be flying the kids to AR on the 18th. They are excited to see family and friends. Though I'll only be there 3 days, they will be staying through July 12th. This should give me a good opportunity to get us settled in our new house. Hopefully we will be able to close on it the end of next week!
Sorry this is a short one...I'll write more soon and promise to get out a newsletter very soon.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Our God is an Awesome God!
Las Vegas Valley consists of approximately 600 square miles and just under 2 million people in residence.
Those numbers are staggering to me, moving here from Rogers, AR, where the square mileage in Northwest Arkansas (Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, Bentonville and the surrounding areas) is only around 200 square miles total.
You have probably heard in the news more than once lately that Las Vegas is one of the hardest hit cities in America on the financial front. Foreclosure signs are everywhere, no neighborhood is exempt. Coorperations and casinos are going under left and right. Though part of me is glad that a casino doesn't succeed, I am also saddened, knowing 100's if not 1000's of lives are effected by their demise. Most recently in the news is MGM-Mirage. They are looking towards bankrupcy, which will effect 1000's of people. They own multiple casinos and resorts in the city, and were slated to open "City Center" this fall, promising 100's of families a chance of a new career.
People need prayer now more than ever. People need to hear about and discover the saving power of Jesus Christ. As all hope seems lost, we need to reach out with The Hope.
I mentioned in my last post the "Crosswalk", where Southern Baptist churches across the valley would join together to prayer-walk across the city, praying for the businesses, homes and lives we passed along the way. I wanted to share with you the final numbers for that day.
26 churches participated, with 325 prayer-walkers walking 775 miles! Isn't God awesome!?! People all across the valley were joined together in prayer for those 2 hours, lifting up our community to the Lord, prayerfully looking for opportunities to reach out to desperately needing people.
Reaching out to our community is the heartbeat of Northstar. Our pastoral staff has a heart for reaching the lost for Jesus and are infusing their vision into our church. Easter Sunday we had a neighborhood egg hunt with free food and games. The service was held outdoors and was very upbeat. We had 5 baptisms planned for the end of service. Five people gave their lives to Christ during our service and we ended up baptizing 8 people that day instead! What an amazing time in the Lord.
We were also able to form relationships with some area businesses who donated gift certificates for kid's meals and % off at their restaurants. We hope to continue and flourish these relationships in order to reach them as well as more in our community.
God has been blessing Northstar in 2009. We have now seen around 12 people come to the cross and profess their faith in Christ. Seven of those are part of our church family, including 3 children.
We see the spirit moving and are humbled and grateful to be a part of it!
I do ask for prayer for the spiritual warfare that always follows great victories in Christ's kingdom. Where God is moving Satan will always attack; and attack he has. We have several families in our church being attacked by the enemy, our family being one of them. I have chosen to count it as a blessing, however, because I know the enemy wouldn't be concerned if God wasn't moving in amazing ways! Please keep us and the other families of Northstar in your prayers for our spiritual, physical and emotional well-being.
Our family is claiming the name of JEHOVAH-NISSI, The Lord is my banner, my victory.
Jake will be going with the rest of the pastoral staff to Catalyst, a pastor's conference in CA. April 23-24. Please be praying for their travel safety and for the conference as well. Pray by name for Mike, Lead Pastor; Jake, Children's Pastor; Jeremy, Youth Pastor; and Jason, Praise and Worship Leader.
What an amazing group of men God has assembled to lead our church. Remember to lift them up and as you do, remember to lift up your own pastoral staff. It is Biblical to pray for our leaders, and they need and covet those prayers.
JD and Cora getting ready for our Easter service and egg hunt
We laid out around 2,000 eggs, with prizes in them ranging from candy to gift certificates to local restaurants to gift cards for Wal-Mart.
Thank you, as always, for partnering with us in prayer. You are an intregal part of our ministry!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Prayer in Motion
This Saturday, the Southern Nevada Southern Baptist Association is having a "CrossWalk". Southern Baptist Churches from all over Las Vegas have been assigned a stretch of either Charleston or Decatur and will prayer-walk from 9:30-11:00AM.
Now, many of you have heard of prayer-walking, I'm sure, but you may not be fully aware of what it is or how to go about doing it...
The goal of Saturday is to train people to see the world as God sees it, feel the burdens He feels, love as He loves.
As we are walking our part of Decatur, we are to be consciously looking around us, seeing things for which we can pray. An example was given at the training Jake, Pastor Mike and Jeremy, our youth pastor, went to. The man said that as they were prayer walking he saw a satellite dish on a house, so he prayed that it would bring only good into the house, that no garbage would come through it.
Prayer in Motion can be done everyday, where ever you happen to be. It doesn't have to be a planned event, it should be a daily part of a Christ-follower's life.
As you go about your day-to-day life, make a conscious effort to pray for the people and things you pass along the way. Take time to look at the world the way God does.
The Bible says "pray without ceasing". This can be as simple as a one-line prayer lifted up as you drive past a school, "Father, bless the children and staff there, help no harm come to them today." It doesn't have to be complicated or intrinsic. You don't have to stop what you're doing...you don't have to close your eyes (especially if you're driving!), just be in the moment, focus on something/someone other than yourself and see the needs around you.
I think so often people feel too intimidated to pray. They feel like they don't have a good enough reason, or they'll sound stupid...but God wants us to come to Him. He desires a relationship with us!
If you never talk to your best friend, never spend time with him/her, don't listen when s/he speaks to you, is that really your best friend? Do you really have a relationship with that person? Well, it's the same way with God. People claim to love God, to desire to be close to Him, yet are too busy to spend time with Him. That relationship will go no where.
Jesus died on the cross for your sins, He gave up everything for you, the very least we should do is spend time with Him in the quiet of our hearts. But don't do all the talking, take time to listen as well...you'd be surprised!
One last thought for today:
When you are praying for people, BLESS them:
B-Body, pray for physical needs
L-Labor, pray for job/career
E-Emotion, pray for his/her emotional needs
S-Social, pray for his/her social life and friends
S-Spiritual, pray that spiritual needs are met and that s/he has a personal relationship with Jesus
Start today! Pray in Motion!
Now, many of you have heard of prayer-walking, I'm sure, but you may not be fully aware of what it is or how to go about doing it...
The goal of Saturday is to train people to see the world as God sees it, feel the burdens He feels, love as He loves.
As we are walking our part of Decatur, we are to be consciously looking around us, seeing things for which we can pray. An example was given at the training Jake, Pastor Mike and Jeremy, our youth pastor, went to. The man said that as they were prayer walking he saw a satellite dish on a house, so he prayed that it would bring only good into the house, that no garbage would come through it.
Prayer in Motion can be done everyday, where ever you happen to be. It doesn't have to be a planned event, it should be a daily part of a Christ-follower's life.
As you go about your day-to-day life, make a conscious effort to pray for the people and things you pass along the way. Take time to look at the world the way God does.
The Bible says "pray without ceasing". This can be as simple as a one-line prayer lifted up as you drive past a school, "Father, bless the children and staff there, help no harm come to them today." It doesn't have to be complicated or intrinsic. You don't have to stop what you're doing...you don't have to close your eyes (especially if you're driving!), just be in the moment, focus on something/someone other than yourself and see the needs around you.
I think so often people feel too intimidated to pray. They feel like they don't have a good enough reason, or they'll sound stupid...but God wants us to come to Him. He desires a relationship with us!
If you never talk to your best friend, never spend time with him/her, don't listen when s/he speaks to you, is that really your best friend? Do you really have a relationship with that person? Well, it's the same way with God. People claim to love God, to desire to be close to Him, yet are too busy to spend time with Him. That relationship will go no where.
Jesus died on the cross for your sins, He gave up everything for you, the very least we should do is spend time with Him in the quiet of our hearts. But don't do all the talking, take time to listen as well...you'd be surprised!
One last thought for today:
When you are praying for people, BLESS them:
B-Body, pray for physical needs
L-Labor, pray for job/career
E-Emotion, pray for his/her emotional needs
S-Social, pray for his/her social life and friends
S-Spiritual, pray that spiritual needs are met and that s/he has a personal relationship with Jesus
Start today! Pray in Motion!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Leaving for Home
So it's 9:40 PM, CST, and we're sitting in the airport in Springfield, MO. Our plane should be taking off right about now, but we were delayed an hour or so. I thought I would take this time to send a quick blog.
Once we get home and settled I promise to upload some pictures from our week at GIC. What an amazing week! It was such a blessing to us. As we drove through Rogers this past week it was a rather surreal experience. Though we have only been gone a little over a year, Rogers didn't feel like home anymore. However, Wednesday night as we sat in the sanctuary of FBC and listened to the choir and orchestra and worshiped with 100's of other people...we were home. First Baptist has been my home church since 1983, and Jake's since 1993, so being back there was such a blessing to us both. Being members there for so many years we took for granted the 100+ choir, a church building that is permanently there and doesn't have to be set up and torn down each week before and after worship service, a worship leader like Mark Maier, who radiates Jesus in all he does.
Please don't get me wrong, we are so blessed to be serving at NorthStar. It is definitely our home now, but being at FBC just helped us appreciate the foundation that was laid in our lives there.
Okay...so it's now Wednesday, our plane was called as I was finishing that last sentence so I never had a chance to post. Rather than posting 2ce in one day, I'll just continue with this one.
JD and Cora were so excited to see their friends. They each got to stay the night with a friend while there, and it was so uplifting to their demeanor. It was so great seeing them run around the gym with life-long friends.
We want to make sure and thank the Milner ABF class for hosting our family this week. It was such an honor to get to know you and share with you our ministry. Thank you for your prayers and support!
There is so much that went on during GIC, I'm afraid I will miss telling you about so much of it. Thank you to the senior adults and Saints Alive Choir for the great luncheon! Also, a huge thanks to the staff and men's and women's ministries, so much effort was put into this week and it was definitely felt.
One of the hi-lights of the week was watching Children of the World perform. We have had the privilege of seeing them in the past and enjoyed them equally as much this time. I wanted to take several of them home with me.
One thing that really spoke to Jake and I this past week was something the guest speaker, Walker Moore said. "If you are a willing witness, your next heart beat is one of obedience." We need to say yes to God anytime, anyplace, anywhere, anyway under any circumstance. We want to be willing witnesses. It was a definite challenge to our daily lives.
Something people ask me frequently is, "How long will you be in Vegas?" My response is always the same, "Until God tells us to go somewhere else." Walker Moore really spoke to what Jake and I want our family legacy to be; that we will be ready and willing to go where ever God tells us to go, anytime, anyplace, anywhere, under any circumstances. We want our children to know that above all else, we are joyfully obedient to God's will for our lives.
Continuing to serve....
Once we get home and settled I promise to upload some pictures from our week at GIC. What an amazing week! It was such a blessing to us. As we drove through Rogers this past week it was a rather surreal experience. Though we have only been gone a little over a year, Rogers didn't feel like home anymore. However, Wednesday night as we sat in the sanctuary of FBC and listened to the choir and orchestra and worshiped with 100's of other people...we were home. First Baptist has been my home church since 1983, and Jake's since 1993, so being back there was such a blessing to us both. Being members there for so many years we took for granted the 100+ choir, a church building that is permanently there and doesn't have to be set up and torn down each week before and after worship service, a worship leader like Mark Maier, who radiates Jesus in all he does.
Please don't get me wrong, we are so blessed to be serving at NorthStar. It is definitely our home now, but being at FBC just helped us appreciate the foundation that was laid in our lives there.
Okay...so it's now Wednesday, our plane was called as I was finishing that last sentence so I never had a chance to post. Rather than posting 2ce in one day, I'll just continue with this one.
JD and Cora were so excited to see their friends. They each got to stay the night with a friend while there, and it was so uplifting to their demeanor. It was so great seeing them run around the gym with life-long friends.
JD with Best-Bud, Wade
Cora with BFF, Brynn
Jake and I enjoyed seeing our friends and family as well, though the time passed way too quickly, and we don't feel like we had nearly enough time with any of you. Thank you for spending time with us while we were there, it blessed us greatly to be with you.
Jake with good friend, FBC Media Director, Brian Dunaway
We want to make sure and thank the Milner ABF class for hosting our family this week. It was such an honor to get to know you and share with you our ministry. Thank you for your prayers and support!
There is so much that went on during GIC, I'm afraid I will miss telling you about so much of it. Thank you to the senior adults and Saints Alive Choir for the great luncheon! Also, a huge thanks to the staff and men's and women's ministries, so much effort was put into this week and it was definitely felt.
One of the hi-lights of the week was watching Children of the World perform. We have had the privilege of seeing them in the past and enjoyed them equally as much this time. I wanted to take several of them home with me.
One thing that really spoke to Jake and I this past week was something the guest speaker, Walker Moore said. "If you are a willing witness, your next heart beat is one of obedience." We need to say yes to God anytime, anyplace, anywhere, anyway under any circumstance. We want to be willing witnesses. It was a definite challenge to our daily lives.
Something people ask me frequently is, "How long will you be in Vegas?" My response is always the same, "Until God tells us to go somewhere else." Walker Moore really spoke to what Jake and I want our family legacy to be; that we will be ready and willing to go where ever God tells us to go, anytime, anyplace, anywhere, under any circumstances. We want our children to know that above all else, we are joyfully obedient to God's will for our lives.
Continuing to serve....
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
It's been an exciting few weeks at NorthStar. In the past 3 weeks we've had 4 professions of faith! Jake had the honor of leading one of the kids to Christ during Children's church 2 weeks ago, and there have been 3 adults accepting Christ during the Worship service. We are going through the Fireproof series during service, it is really going well. Sunday evenings we are having a small group that goes along with the series as well, and we've been encouraged to do the "Love Dare" book. If you haven't seen the movie Fireproof, I would highly recommend it, as well as the book. It seems to be starting a spiritual awakening in our church family. Please be praying for those who have accepted Christ.
I have so many pictures on my camera that I need to get uploaded and post, but I keep forgetting to do so...ah, well. I'll get them on here at some point--maybe.
So we're all getting so excited about being in AR next week. Except for a quick 24 hours there last Feb. for a funeral, Jake hasn't been back since we moved.
We're already wishing we had more time there, we have a week, but our schedule is completely booked every day we're there. There are so many people we would like to see, but with our limited time it's just not going to happen.
I'm also going to try to get up very early Wednesday AM and drive down to Little Rock to see my uncle who is in the hospital there. He's in the advanced stages of Lou Gehrig's, and I just can't imagine coming all the way to AR and not being able to see him. It will have to be a quick trip, because I have to be back in time to set up our display at FBC.
So I have this list of things we need to bring with us, for the display, etc. I keep trying to convince myself I need to get on the ball and actually start packing stuff, but my procrastinating keeps stopping me. More than likely we'll be packing at midnight on Saturday night...that's what usually happens when we travel. It's really the only way to go, lol.
For those of you in Rogers, I guess we'll see you next week! Those of you attending GIC, don't forget to come by our booth Wednesday night!
I have so many pictures on my camera that I need to get uploaded and post, but I keep forgetting to do so...ah, well. I'll get them on here at some point--maybe.
So we're all getting so excited about being in AR next week. Except for a quick 24 hours there last Feb. for a funeral, Jake hasn't been back since we moved.
We're already wishing we had more time there, we have a week, but our schedule is completely booked every day we're there. There are so many people we would like to see, but with our limited time it's just not going to happen.
I'm also going to try to get up very early Wednesday AM and drive down to Little Rock to see my uncle who is in the hospital there. He's in the advanced stages of Lou Gehrig's, and I just can't imagine coming all the way to AR and not being able to see him. It will have to be a quick trip, because I have to be back in time to set up our display at FBC.
So I have this list of things we need to bring with us, for the display, etc. I keep trying to convince myself I need to get on the ball and actually start packing stuff, but my procrastinating keeps stopping me. More than likely we'll be packing at midnight on Saturday night...that's what usually happens when we travel. It's really the only way to go, lol.
For those of you in Rogers, I guess we'll see you next week! Those of you attending GIC, don't forget to come by our booth Wednesday night!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
A few prayer requests/praises
Surprise, surprise! I'm writing another blog already! I know, you are shocked! But, I'm lying here waiting for my pain medicine to kick in and I thought, "why not".
It's not going to be a long writing...at least I don't think it's going to be. I just thought I would share I few prayer requests with you.
I have trouble asking for the 1st one, because I'm not good at sharing personal areas about myself, but here goes.
I now have my second kidney stone in one week. I was taken to the ER last Monday because I was in such severe pain. The CAT scan showed that I had a kidney stone and was given pain medicine and sent home. By Thursday I was feeling a little better and then Friday I was fine. Tuesday night Jake and I were at a evangelism conference when I suddenly was in so much pain we had to leave. I asked him to take me to the hospital (something I usually don't do, I'm usually the one saying "Just take me home and give me some pain meds, it will pass"). This pain was 2ce as bad as the pain last week. Labor didn't hold a candle to this pain! It turns out I had another kidney stone, 2ce as big as the 1st one. It is apparently "stuck"...and to top it off he said there is another one up in my kidney that could drop within the next week. YEA!
Anyway, please be praying for me. This has put me out of commission for most of the last week and a 1/2 now.
Now on to more important things:
Last Halloween our church had the opportunity to volunteer at the YMCA for their fall festival. We were hoping this would help give us an "in" and be able to use it to reach out to more people in the community. Since then, however, we haven't heard anything from them...until Tuesday night.
Pastor Mike received a call out of the blue from a different YMCA in town. They are having a family night this Friday night and are needing more help. They were calling around to other YMCA's asking for volunteers and the YMCA close to us gave them our name, saying we were really reliable and great help to them.
The coordinator said we have full access to the families and can pass out any information about the church we want! This couldn't come at a more perfect time. We are starting a new series this Sunday, "Fireproof"/"The Love Dare", based on the movie "Fireproof". We will also be holding a Sunday night couples Bible study. The couple that is leading the Bible study has been praying for 20 couples.
Jake is so excited about the opportunity we have Friday night. We see the hand of God moving, and it is just amazing! Not only will we be ministering to families this Friday, but they will be doing this once a month and asked if we would be interested in possibly making this a monthly event. This is just what we have been praying for! Jake has really been praying for ways we can reach out to the community, and God just threw this in our laps! Please be praying for the families that will be attending, that God will be working on their hearts, even as you read this, that they will be open to Him and that we will take every opportunity to share His love with them.
We are also looking around the area at store fronts to lease. Our rent was raised at the school, so we are looking to see if we can find something that we would have full-time access to, rather than just Sunday mornings that we have now. Please be praying that God would lead us to the place He has for us, if it is His will for us to move.
It would be so nice to have a space that is "ours", that we don't have to set up and tear down every Sunday and that we could use during the week without having to reserve it and pay extra for it.
The evangelism conference that I mentioned earlier was amazing. Jake attended it on Monday evening and came home so excited. He found out there was childcare, so I was able to go Tuesday evening. I was so upset that we had to leave when my pain got too bad. I will write more about the conference and the speakers at a later time.
This brings me to another prayer requests. As many of you know, Jake has been "attending" an on-line seminary, Rockbridge. He has had to take a couple of semesters off because of his work schedule and finances. The school became accredited, which is good, but it also meant their prices went up significantly. We are no longer able to afford them.
While we were at the conference Tueday night he was able to get information on a new program Golden Gate Seminary is offering. They have begun to offer classes every Tuesday/Thursday night at the Southern Baptist Convention offices here in Vegas. He will only be able to take one course a semester, so it will take a little while, but it will be much easier on us financially, and he will actually be able to go to a class instead of just being online. The information meeting is tonight, Thursday, at six. We are really praising God for this. It is still going to be a stretch for us, financially, but we know that He will provide.
One last thing before I crash into bed...(the computer screen is beginning to move around on me, lol) Please be in prayer for the women in our church. I started a new ministry with them a couple of weeks ago. It is a "book club" for lack of a better term. We have tried weekly Bible studies, but schedules haven't met up, it was hard for people to make a weekly commitment, so we stopped. We are, however, beginning to meet once a month for a Saturday brunch/fellowship. I came up with an idea that I would have a monthly study that the women could do at home. I set up an online group page where they can log on and leave comments/questions/thoughts about what we are reading. This way we can stay connected and learn from each other from the comfort of our own homes. Then, when we meet together monthly we can go into deeper discussion about it before we move onto our new study.
After much prayer, our 1st study was a challenge I made to the ladies. I asked them to read Proverbs 31 everyday for 30 days. I gave them each a journal where they could write down their thoughts and insights the Lord was giving them. In addition I challenged them with "The True Woman Manifesto" 30 day challenge. I would HIGHLY recommend every woman go to the website www.truewoman.com and read this manifesto. If you sign up, they will send you daily devotions and podcasts you can listen to. It is truly life-changing!
Our next book is going to be "Power of a Praying Woman" by Stormie OMartian. We will begin this on Valentine's Day.
So, I think I'm going to end this now. I hope I have written this in coherent thoughts...haha...I'll probably come back to read this later only to find that it makes no since what-so-ever.
Thank you for your prayers, for you support for us. We pray for each of you, as well.
It's not going to be a long writing...at least I don't think it's going to be. I just thought I would share I few prayer requests with you.
I have trouble asking for the 1st one, because I'm not good at sharing personal areas about myself, but here goes.
I now have my second kidney stone in one week. I was taken to the ER last Monday because I was in such severe pain. The CAT scan showed that I had a kidney stone and was given pain medicine and sent home. By Thursday I was feeling a little better and then Friday I was fine. Tuesday night Jake and I were at a evangelism conference when I suddenly was in so much pain we had to leave. I asked him to take me to the hospital (something I usually don't do, I'm usually the one saying "Just take me home and give me some pain meds, it will pass"). This pain was 2ce as bad as the pain last week. Labor didn't hold a candle to this pain! It turns out I had another kidney stone, 2ce as big as the 1st one. It is apparently "stuck"...and to top it off he said there is another one up in my kidney that could drop within the next week. YEA!
Anyway, please be praying for me. This has put me out of commission for most of the last week and a 1/2 now.
Now on to more important things:
Last Halloween our church had the opportunity to volunteer at the YMCA for their fall festival. We were hoping this would help give us an "in" and be able to use it to reach out to more people in the community. Since then, however, we haven't heard anything from them...until Tuesday night.
Pastor Mike received a call out of the blue from a different YMCA in town. They are having a family night this Friday night and are needing more help. They were calling around to other YMCA's asking for volunteers and the YMCA close to us gave them our name, saying we were really reliable and great help to them.
The coordinator said we have full access to the families and can pass out any information about the church we want! This couldn't come at a more perfect time. We are starting a new series this Sunday, "Fireproof"/"The Love Dare", based on the movie "Fireproof". We will also be holding a Sunday night couples Bible study. The couple that is leading the Bible study has been praying for 20 couples.
Jake is so excited about the opportunity we have Friday night. We see the hand of God moving, and it is just amazing! Not only will we be ministering to families this Friday, but they will be doing this once a month and asked if we would be interested in possibly making this a monthly event. This is just what we have been praying for! Jake has really been praying for ways we can reach out to the community, and God just threw this in our laps! Please be praying for the families that will be attending, that God will be working on their hearts, even as you read this, that they will be open to Him and that we will take every opportunity to share His love with them.
We are also looking around the area at store fronts to lease. Our rent was raised at the school, so we are looking to see if we can find something that we would have full-time access to, rather than just Sunday mornings that we have now. Please be praying that God would lead us to the place He has for us, if it is His will for us to move.
It would be so nice to have a space that is "ours", that we don't have to set up and tear down every Sunday and that we could use during the week without having to reserve it and pay extra for it.
The evangelism conference that I mentioned earlier was amazing. Jake attended it on Monday evening and came home so excited. He found out there was childcare, so I was able to go Tuesday evening. I was so upset that we had to leave when my pain got too bad. I will write more about the conference and the speakers at a later time.
This brings me to another prayer requests. As many of you know, Jake has been "attending" an on-line seminary, Rockbridge. He has had to take a couple of semesters off because of his work schedule and finances. The school became accredited, which is good, but it also meant their prices went up significantly. We are no longer able to afford them.
While we were at the conference Tueday night he was able to get information on a new program Golden Gate Seminary is offering. They have begun to offer classes every Tuesday/Thursday night at the Southern Baptist Convention offices here in Vegas. He will only be able to take one course a semester, so it will take a little while, but it will be much easier on us financially, and he will actually be able to go to a class instead of just being online. The information meeting is tonight, Thursday, at six. We are really praising God for this. It is still going to be a stretch for us, financially, but we know that He will provide.
One last thing before I crash into bed...(the computer screen is beginning to move around on me, lol) Please be in prayer for the women in our church. I started a new ministry with them a couple of weeks ago. It is a "book club" for lack of a better term. We have tried weekly Bible studies, but schedules haven't met up, it was hard for people to make a weekly commitment, so we stopped. We are, however, beginning to meet once a month for a Saturday brunch/fellowship. I came up with an idea that I would have a monthly study that the women could do at home. I set up an online group page where they can log on and leave comments/questions/thoughts about what we are reading. This way we can stay connected and learn from each other from the comfort of our own homes. Then, when we meet together monthly we can go into deeper discussion about it before we move onto our new study.
After much prayer, our 1st study was a challenge I made to the ladies. I asked them to read Proverbs 31 everyday for 30 days. I gave them each a journal where they could write down their thoughts and insights the Lord was giving them. In addition I challenged them with "The True Woman Manifesto" 30 day challenge. I would HIGHLY recommend every woman go to the website www.truewoman.com and read this manifesto. If you sign up, they will send you daily devotions and podcasts you can listen to. It is truly life-changing!
Our next book is going to be "Power of a Praying Woman" by Stormie OMartian. We will begin this on Valentine's Day.
So, I think I'm going to end this now. I hope I have written this in coherent thoughts...haha...I'll probably come back to read this later only to find that it makes no since what-so-ever.
Thank you for your prayers, for you support for us. We pray for each of you, as well.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
The past 3 months
Okay, I know, I know...it's been almost 3 months since my last post. Obviously, our house selling is old news now (though we are still very grateful that it did). I keep meaning to get on here and post, and I actually started to do so once, but...well...you know how it goes, one day turns into two and the next thing you know it's a new year!
Happy New Year, by the way! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and that this new year brings you closer to Him!
Now, to catch you up on the last 3 months...
My mom and my youngest niece, Melanie, came out for the week of Thanksgiving. It had been 6 months since I had seen either of them, and we had a great week, full of showing off all there is to do in our "little town". We did everything from visiting all the normal touristy stuff, (this was taken at the Belagio)
to walking with wild mustangs up in the Spring Mountain Reserve, to going to Death Valley (Which is where the pictures below were taken. And believe me, it is well worth the trip if you ever get the chance to go. We will be going back again, as we didn't get to see nearly enough!)
Above at the lowest point in North America and below at Zabreski's Point
We even got to play in mountain-sized sand dunes and slide down giant marble "slides" in Marble canyon (below, Cora, Melanie and JD taking turns going down one area of the slides).
Thanksgiving rushed by and Christmas was here before I knew it! Jake's parents decided to fly out for the week and surprise the kids. JD and Cora were thrilled! (Jake and I were too, it was nice to have family here for our 1st Christmas away from Rogers) We had a busy week full of buying and wrapping presents, preparing for and having our Christmas Eve service at NorthStar, and playing in the snow up on Mount Charleston. (The days surrounding Christmas brought several feet of snow to the mountain, and even caused a white out and the mountain to be closed Christmas day and the day after.)
Our family on Christmas Eve after the service
And below, our trip up the mountain to play in the snow the day after Christmas, we couldn't make it to the top due to the white out.
Happy New Year, by the way! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and that this new year brings you closer to Him!
Now, to catch you up on the last 3 months...
My mom and my youngest niece, Melanie, came out for the week of Thanksgiving. It had been 6 months since I had seen either of them, and we had a great week, full of showing off all there is to do in our "little town". We did everything from visiting all the normal touristy stuff, (this was taken at the Belagio)
to walking with wild mustangs up in the Spring Mountain Reserve, to going to Death Valley (Which is where the pictures below were taken. And believe me, it is well worth the trip if you ever get the chance to go. We will be going back again, as we didn't get to see nearly enough!)
Above at the lowest point in North America and below at Zabreski's Point
We even got to play in mountain-sized sand dunes and slide down giant marble "slides" in Marble canyon (below, Cora, Melanie and JD taking turns going down one area of the slides).
Thanksgiving rushed by and Christmas was here before I knew it! Jake's parents decided to fly out for the week and surprise the kids. JD and Cora were thrilled! (Jake and I were too, it was nice to have family here for our 1st Christmas away from Rogers) We had a busy week full of buying and wrapping presents, preparing for and having our Christmas Eve service at NorthStar, and playing in the snow up on Mount Charleston. (The days surrounding Christmas brought several feet of snow to the mountain, and even caused a white out and the mountain to be closed Christmas day and the day after.)
Our family on Christmas Eve after the serviceAnd below, our trip up the mountain to play in the snow the day after Christmas, we couldn't make it to the top due to the white out.
The kids got WAY to many gifts--you couldn't see the floor in our living room for all the wrapping paper and presents when they were through--and we were sad to see Nonni and Poppi leave.
New Year's Eve was quiet for our family. The four of us went to dinner at a Mexican restaurant in one of the new hotels that opened in our corner of the valley and then we went home and watched a movie and played some games. We got back up a little before midnight and drove to an overlook of the city to watch the fireworks bring in the new year. I've heard it said that what you are doing when the clock strikes mid-night on new year's is a symbol of what the upcoming year will look like for you...Well, I was sitting on a quiet mountain side with my daughter cuddling in my lap, and my husband, my son and my dog by my side...If that's any clue to how this year will be, then I couldn't ask for anything more.
I'm excited to see what new adventures the Lord has in store for our family over the next year.
So, I think that pretty much catches you up on the Bridges.
NorthStar is doing well. Jake has morphed into the Children's Pastor and is loving it. He is currently looking through several options for new literature/programs for the kids on Sunday AM. He is also still leading a Bible Study out of our house on Wednesday nights. Tonight he will start NET training (similar to FAITH). I am heading up the women's ministry and will be introducing a new ministry to our ladies this Saturday at our monthly women's luncheon. Please be in prayer for all our our church's ministries and outreaches. Pray that we will have a renewed love for our community and a strong desire to see our neighbors, friends and coworkers come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
We do have one more piece of news that we are SO excited about. FBC, Rogers, AR, our home church, has invited our family to be a part of their GIC (Global Impact Celebration) March 4-8. This is a time where they bring in missionaries from around the world and have a time of celebration of what God is accomplishing and a time of ministering to the missionaries. The 1st GIC six years ago is where Jake and I surrendered to full-time missions, so to be able to come back to this same event as missionaries means so much to us both. JD and Cora are more than ecstatic to be able to be in Rogers for a week (not just because they get to miss a week of school, either!). They are really looking forward to seeing their friends and family...Jake and I are as well.
I promise to be more diligent in updating this with current prayer requests and things that are going on with our family. (Thanks to Cindy Sigmon for getting me on the ball here!)
So, until next time, from Vegas---Elaine
New Year's Eve was quiet for our family. The four of us went to dinner at a Mexican restaurant in one of the new hotels that opened in our corner of the valley and then we went home and watched a movie and played some games. We got back up a little before midnight and drove to an overlook of the city to watch the fireworks bring in the new year. I've heard it said that what you are doing when the clock strikes mid-night on new year's is a symbol of what the upcoming year will look like for you...Well, I was sitting on a quiet mountain side with my daughter cuddling in my lap, and my husband, my son and my dog by my side...If that's any clue to how this year will be, then I couldn't ask for anything more.
I'm excited to see what new adventures the Lord has in store for our family over the next year.
So, I think that pretty much catches you up on the Bridges.
NorthStar is doing well. Jake has morphed into the Children's Pastor and is loving it. He is currently looking through several options for new literature/programs for the kids on Sunday AM. He is also still leading a Bible Study out of our house on Wednesday nights. Tonight he will start NET training (similar to FAITH). I am heading up the women's ministry and will be introducing a new ministry to our ladies this Saturday at our monthly women's luncheon. Please be in prayer for all our our church's ministries and outreaches. Pray that we will have a renewed love for our community and a strong desire to see our neighbors, friends and coworkers come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
We do have one more piece of news that we are SO excited about. FBC, Rogers, AR, our home church, has invited our family to be a part of their GIC (Global Impact Celebration) March 4-8. This is a time where they bring in missionaries from around the world and have a time of celebration of what God is accomplishing and a time of ministering to the missionaries. The 1st GIC six years ago is where Jake and I surrendered to full-time missions, so to be able to come back to this same event as missionaries means so much to us both. JD and Cora are more than ecstatic to be able to be in Rogers for a week (not just because they get to miss a week of school, either!). They are really looking forward to seeing their friends and family...Jake and I are as well.
I promise to be more diligent in updating this with current prayer requests and things that are going on with our family. (Thanks to Cindy Sigmon for getting me on the ball here!)
So, until next time, from Vegas---Elaine
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