Changing the World - One Life at a Time

EDITED: I wrote this post last night and have decided to include it on Works for Me Wednesday.

...rather than my black beans and rice burrito recipe...

Yes, the following is what works for me this Wednesday - realizing that changing our world is done one person at a time, one act of love at a time. For other great WFMW tips see Shannon's Rocks in My Dryer.

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I've been following the Compassion International Blog Tour. Amazing stuff has been chronicled over there and I encourage you to check it out. I consider the people who do these type of ministries to be my heroes.

But there are people in my own little church who are equally my heroes. I want to give them and the God empowering them my own bit of praise.

• D & J leaving this Friday for their umpteenth medical mission trip, this time to Belize. Next month to Honduras.


• D & E, already a family of 6, who just brought home little A from Ethiopia because they felt God called them to make a difference in the life of an orphan.


• S & H who are in the midst of the adoption roller coaster, going through depression and doubt, because they feel called to bring home a little orphan girl from Vietnam.


• The 20 odd kids in our little church who raised $700 to buy 10 goats and share the love of Jesus with needy families.


• E who is graduating this spring and starting her ministry journey with CAMA, as a single woman. Brave girl.

I am privileged to call these people my friends. I worship with them almost every week. And they, in the power of Christ, are changing our world...one act of service at a time.

Pastor's & Wives Retreat

I'm headed out the door to one of my favorite events, our district's Pastor's Wives Retreat, held at the Carlisle Inn in Sugarcreek, OH.

I wrote about it a bit here.

I can't wait!

The Inn has wireless, so I may post a bit. If I don't, you'll know why.

13 Things I Love About My Husband

He...

1. is a glass half-full kind of guy
2. drops anything to please me
3. has a beautiful singing voice
4. is a great preacher
5. rarely says an unkind, critcal or negative word
6. lets the two littles sit on his shoulder and comb his hair
7. always has a smile
8. he is an overcomer
9. keeps me supplied with diet coke
10. actually wants to go shopping with me
11. has a beard
12. wears a cool leather coat
13. chooses me as his favorite companion

Happy Valentines Day, Brian!

This post is listed on the Thursday Thirteen.

Snow Day

Ah, the warm cozy feeling of a snow day. I love it! The kids are all home. The two littles are out frolicking in the back yard. And I'm contemplating what this day might hold.

Valentine crafts with Jodan and Else Annah.

A crockpot of taco meat.

Felted slippers.

An Inspector Morse episode.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I was up past midnight in hopes of a snow day. My husband and older boys were finishing Lost season 1. It was riveting again.

My hope was not in vain. I...am...so...relieved.

I don't function well on little sleep...oh, and Lost season 2 is in transit. Yippee!

Thank you to all who visited me during the Big Bloggy Move. That was so fun!

The Big Bloggy Move

Christy at After a Cup of Coffee...Or Two is hosting The Big Bloggy Move and today is the day!

You'll find a list of brand new blogs, brand new designs, and brand new homes. Christy was inspired to host The Big Bloggy Move because she moved her blog...today...to it's own domain. Congratulations Christy!

Little ol' me fits under the category of "new blog". So I want to welcome you to I Can Fly!

I started my blog to chronicle the the good things in my life. I have found my mind too often consumed with the negative. This morning I'm reminded of Philippians 4:8...

"...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

Who am I? I'm a child of God, wife to a Pastor, mother to 5, soapmaker, children's ministry director, and jack of all trades. I love vintage hence my Little Golden Book blog theme.I have a son on the autism spectrum. Our marriage and ministry has survived addiction.

If you would like read more of my story, click on the Ps. 103 button in the left column or explore my categories. I pray you feel welcomed and encouraged while you visit with me today!

God's Love and Baby Showers

Here we are. 17 sisters in Christ, all alumni of the Walk to Emmaus retreat, showing Agape love to Crissy and her baby on the way.

That picture is the culmination of a strange kind of day. One where God amazed me with small things.

God did nothing huge and flashy today. But his intimate involvement in even the smallest details reminded me of His deep love.

How so?

• A hair cut. I haven't had one in 6 months. But everything worked out and today I got my long awaited hair cut.
• Ginny's gift for the shower. I had no clue how I was going to get it. She "happened" to run into Brian at the store and gave him her gift right then and there!
• Confusion about meeting place and time for the carpool. I gave up and was headed to the car to go home, so disappointed. And at that last second in came my ride.
• Debbie, my ride, immediately included my daughter and set her up with a movie in the car. I hadn't even thought of taking Else Annah. But she made the day complete.
• Such blessed conversation on the way.
• A reunion with Walk to Emmaus friends at the shower. Food for my soul!
• The light on Crissy's face when we walked in. Some of us travelled quite a bit to get there. Worth every mile!

Even in the one negative, the 1/2 hour wait for my ride, I realized how much I'd looked forward to today. The last second "rescue" helped me value all that God had done to give me this day.

Sometimes...a lot of the time...I focus on one really big prayer request. I pray, I beg, I plead. I hold up my empty bowl and wonder why He isn't filling it.

When all the time He's been trying to show me His love with a bushel full of small things.

Thank you, Father, for taking my focus off my pitiful, little, empty bowl and for helping me to see the overflowing bushel right beside me.

My Favorite Christmas Present

My comfie slippers. My mother made these.

She's gotten so cool since all of us kids have grown up and gotten out of her hair. Now she spins her own wool. She knits her own wool. She felts what she knits. She sews a ton of clothes for grand kids and orphanages. She embroiders. She quilts. She crochets. She needle-tats. She leaps over buildings with a single bound...

Well, not really. But she does give me hope that some day I'll have time to do all these things too. When I have grands. But I'm in NO hurry!

Back to my comfie slippers. My mother knit and felted slippers for the whole extended clan this year. These were not made of her hand spun wool, but carefully chosen variegated wools. Each pair was different. And they all had these cool leather soles.

I love my pair. The sole of the slipper was double-knit so that when felted it feels exactly like walking on foam. Amazing!

And I love the suede soles that go up on the side. Very practical. Since I wear these while walking through crushed cheerios and such.

I have five kids. Give me a break.

I love these slippers! Thanks mom!

Why Ps. 103:1-5 Is My Story

Psalm 103
Of David.
1 Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 2 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-
3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Psalm 103:1-5 is the theme of this blog. Specifically, vs. 5 filters my blog content. I want to concentrate on "The Good Things", because my nature is just the opposite.

Psalm 103:1-5 is my story, mine and my husband's. These five verses have marched through our lives like an advancing army. There was little remaining when we reached vs. 3.

Then God began His redeeming work in vs. 4. And now, in vs. 5, He is renewing us.

On January 1, 2002, my husband's long hidden addiction to pornography tore into our lives. It shredded our ministry, our security, our marriage, our home. 2002 was spent in a dark basement, trying to pick up the pieces.

During that first year, we found a church that would love and accept us, found counselling, and began to learn the reality of vs. 3.

Over the course of four years, God freed my husband, healed our hearts and wove our family back together. It wasn't easy. We fought sin, depression, and poverty. But beautiful things came out of that time of fire.

On January 1, 2006, the same church that walked beside us, asked my husband to be their pastor. Now we minister together to the same people who ministered to us. Clearly God worked the miracle of verse 4 in our lives.

Today, we live in verse 5. The hurts of the past sometime still threaten us. The burdens of the ministry can weigh upon us. We sometimes still feel charred and tired and old. But I feel God calling us to find "The Good Things" and to join Him as He "renews our youth like the eagle's".

There are many things that bring me joy: some big, some small. They may not excite you, but that's OK. This blog is for me. My project to chronicle what brings me joy and what is renewing my youth.

I pray you find a bit of joy when you visit here.

Blessings of 2007

This year I'm finding myself indifferent to the New Year's holiday. It just seems like shuffling numbers to me. Sorry, but I just can't muster up the expectancy. I don't like doing New Year's resolutions. I don't need the extra pressure and guilt.

So I pondered how to observe this New Year on my blog. Resolutions are out. I don't want to dwell on the negatives of 2007. And 2007 had some. But I am committed to making this blog a place for positive things, not negative. And that's when it struck me...or rather God finally got my attention.

"Write down ten blessings of 2007."

I'm ashamed to say my first reaction was not so positive. But I got to thinking on it. And within a half hour I had my list and more. And I had a change of attitude.

And God says, "Exactly!"

So here goes...Ten Blessings of 2007:

• The Pastor's & Wives Retreat at the Carlisle Inn, Sugarcreek, OH. Our church district holds an annual retreat for pastors and their wives each February at the Carlisle. We had never been. Our church picked up the tab and we spent two days in the lap of luxury. Oh, I get warm all over thinking about it. Note to self: find the reservation form for this year...
  

• Disney World Vacation in May. We got to tack this one with our denomination's National Council in Orlando. Our family of seven got two weeks in a condo and spent ten days at DW! Friends let us borrow their van and our church had a gift of money waiting for us at conference registration. There was no other way we could have taken a family of 7 on that vacation! My absolute favorite was watching it all unfold through my five and six year old's eyes.

• We were given a 2001 Toyota Sienna. It's tan, just like the picture above with leather seats. Given it! Free and clear, no debt, nothing. It was a gift, pure and simple. What can I say?

• I worked on a team for the Women's Walk to Emmaus in September. I gave a talk on the Body of Christ. Something clearly supernatural happened during my talk. God seemed to inhabit the conference room. People felt His presence actually leave with me at the close. Afterwards I collapsed in tears and exhaustion and marvelled at what He had done. In that talk I shared our story, my husband's and mine. I will share it here some time in the future. But somehow that day God chose to inhabited that place in a way I rarely experience. This...this was the absolute highlight of 2007.
  

• We started the GFCF diet with our ASD son in November. And since then we've seen improvement for which we're very thankful. His anger has decreased. He is making better eye contact. (We actually got some good Christmas pictures this year!) He has a sense of humor now. And he's conversing more with all of us. Thank you, Jesus!

• My little neice Sarah came through her third heart procedure this year. It all went very smoothly. Prior procedures had not! Her OT sats are still a bit low. She probably faces another surgery with the year. But, in 2007, she came through with flying colors. We are truly thankful!
  
  

• I'm thankful for my children in 2007 and how they grew: physically, emotionally, spiritually. I'm thankful for their unique personalities and how they each stretch me and help me grow.

• I'm thankful that our finances forced me to be creative this Christmas season. I got out my sewing machine and enjoyed making many presents for my extended family. It was a good feeling! Pictured is my daughter with an American Girl doll that I restored and made matching outfits for them both. Behind her is a teepee that I made for my son.
  
  

• Starting in September we worked with four other couples in our denomination to plan the district Christmas banquet. This might not seem like a big deal. But I was so blessed to get to know these fellow workers better. We continue to feel more and more a part of this adopted family: The Christian & Missionary Alliance.
  

• Celebrating Christmas with our church family was truly a blessing in 2007. Their generous giving helped us finish out this year in the black. We gained a new-to-us television which replaces one soon to give up the ghost. And we were able to worship our coming Savior together in two sacred services. God blessed us by showing up at our Christmas observances: even when many in our congregation were weary and distracted (including yours truly). Thank you, Father, for that gift.

Yes 2007 was a year of blessings. Because even during struggles, God is there; God is good. Always.

Satisfied with The Good Things

I'm a negative thinker. I come from a well-stocked gene pool of negative thinkers. Why God made me a pastor's wife is beyond my ken. Maybe 1 Corinthians 1:27 is the key...

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise...

Negative thinking is a challenge. It's a challenge when trying to love five children. It's a challenge when trying to relate to a husband. It's a challenge when trying to serve a church.

If there's one verse that has helped me as a pastor's wife, it's Proverbs 17:28. I've toyed with making it my life verse.

Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he
holds his tongue.

This verse works! I wish I had cash money for every time someone has complimented me on my gentleness, wisdom, accomplishments, peacefulness. My peacefulness!?! Ha!

But I've only mastered this verse in public settings. My family gets full view of my negativity and knows who I really am.

A few years ago I committed the first five verses of Psalm 103 to memory. I've decided to meditate on those verses, using them as a springboard for positive thinking. God has done many, many good things in my life. It's my goal with this blog to share them.

God has done some amazing and miraculous things in my life. I will share those. But God has also done equally wonderful things in small details of my life. I will share those too. So I have two self-imposed criteria for this blog: 1) share something good for me; 2) share something good for someone else.

Psalm 103

Praise the LORD, O my soul;

all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the LORD, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits-
who forgives all your sins

and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and compassion,

who satisfies your desires with good things

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.