Youth Rally

I am so excited about our Youth Rally this year! Eric and I get to be big kids at our Rallies. Nick is big enough to be in a cabin with the other kids and Abbie is staying at home with my parents. I will miss her, yes, but we get to just be "us" - single "us" - like we have never been. Eric & I have never been just a couple, without children in tow. That might sound selfish but, for short periods of time, it really is fun. When we eat, I only have to get my own plate. When I have to pee, its only me. ....yeah, that sounds pretty silly. I have prayed and prayed that God will bless this weekend.....that all of the kids, younger or older, will walk away from this a step or two closer to Jesus. I know, having been involved in the Youth Rallies for years now, that the adults have no choice....God touches you. He opens your eyes and your heart. This weekend rains down blessings on the adults because of their selflessness, their effort and their desire to share the love of God with children. Work for God always has benefits, in this life or the next. Even if no one come forward and is baptised, the seeds are planted, the eyes have been opened, the hearts have been pricked. The theme is "Go." Like, Go into all the world or when God moves you, you need to Go. I can't wait to see what has been prepared for us and, then, what God does with it. So, Eric, Nick, Alex, Nathan & I are off to the Rally this evening. I, of course, will not be blogging again until, at least, Sunday afternoon. Yes, I will post some pictures.

football

http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=20821208 http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=20109801 I couldn't get it to load these, so I had to put the link on instead. Nick is in a red jersey and is #24, usually in the center of the viewing screen....you may have to watch it more than once to see what actually happens. This just brings a tear to my eye everytime. I love that kid!!! I would suggest that you turn the sound up enough to hear it but not too loud....there is alot of squeeling and cheering at the end of each.

My tears

I am crying right now as I type. Why? I'm not hurt. I'm not sick. I'm not even tired. What I am is PROUD! I was looking through my pictures on my computer and got to Nick's last year's football album. He is quite a football player. The first 3 years of Pee Wee football (grades 3-5) he didn't really play much and not very hard when he did. But he loved to do it, so we continued with the games and practices. Last year, in the 6th grade, he figured it out. WOW, he figured it out. I am so proud of him...not for hurting someone, not because its football (which I love). It's because I see him doing his best and trying his hardest. I think God does the same with us. Working hard, doing our best and making Him proud by our actions and our hearts, brings a tear to His eye. I would imagine, He swells with pride, just like I do.

the Great Physician

Prescribed by the Great Physician! The next time you feel like GOD can't use you, just remember. Noah was a drunk Abraham was too old Isaac was a daydreamer Jacob was a liar Leah was ugly Joseph was abused Moses had a stuttering problem Gideon was afraid Samson had long hair and was a womanizer Rahab was a prostitute Jeremiah and Timothy were too young David had an affair and was a murderer Elijah was suicidal Isaiah preached naked Jonah ran from God Naomi was a widow Job went bankrupt Peter denied Christ The Disciples fell asleep while praying Martha worried about everything The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once Zaccheus was too small Paul was too religious Timothy had an ulcer.. AND Lazarus was dead! And Don't forget Jesus Helped them all!!!! Now! No more excuses! God can use you to your full potential. Besides you aren't the message, you are just the messenger. And one more thing...Share this with a friend or two... In the Circle of God's love, God's waiting to use your full potential. 1. God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts. 2. Dear God, I have a problem, it's Me. 3. There is no key to happiness. The door is always open. 4. Silence is often misinterpreted but never misquoted. 5. Do the math ... count your blessings. 6. Faith is the ability to not panic. 7. If you worry, you didn't pray . If you pray, don't worry. 8. As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home every day. 9. Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape. 10. The most important things in your house are the people. 11. When we get tangled up in our problems, be still. God wants us to be still so He can untangle the knot. 12. A grudge is a heavy thing to carry. 13. He who dies with the most toys is still dead. Have a great day!!! The SON is shining and He can certainly use you! Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of problems in their life. So, Live simply, Love generously, Care deeply, Speak kindly.......

Funny, funny, just too funny....

Definition

What defines me? I stay at home with my children. I am not a highly paid professional. I am physically imperfect. My pancreas stop working properly when I was 6, I am near-sighted & somewhat overweight. I am not a model. I don't always wash my supper dishes. Sometimes I wait and do them the next day because something else is going on that needs my attention more. I never went to college. I went to nursing school and got my license but that was at a vocational school, not a college or university. I had my first child too young. I have made some incredible mistakes in my life. Some I knew better when I did it and some I didn't. I am not defined by what I do. The definition of who I am is simple: I AM A CHILD OF GOD! That is all that needs said. I try and fail. I walk and stumble. I listen and forget. I speak and don't think. I sin and I am forgiven. period. The Will of God will not lead you to where the Grace of God can't cover you. He is everywhere.....walking two steps in front of you and two steps behind you, picking up the pieces.

My prayers

Do my prayers come from the heart or are they just habit? I Cannot Pray The Lord's Prayer if: I cannot pray "OUR," if my faith has no room for others and their need. I cannot pray "FATHER," if I do not demonstrate this relationship to God in my daily living. I cannot pray "WHO ART IN HEAVEN," if all of my interests and pursuits are in earthly things. I cannot pray "HALLOWED BE THY NAME," if I am not striving for God's help to be holy. I cannot pray "THY KINGDOM COME," if I am unwilling to accept God's rule in my life. I cannot pray "THY WILL BE DONE," if I am unwilling or resentful of having it in my life. I cannot pray "IN EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN," unless I am truly ready to give myself to God's service here and now. I cannot pray "GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD," without expending honest effort for it or if I would withhold from my neighbor the bread I receive. I cannot pray "FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US," if I continue to harbor a grudge against anyone. I cannot pray "LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION," if I deliberately choose to remain in a situation where I am likely to be tempted. I cannot pray "DELIVER US FROM EVIL," if I am not prepared to fight with my life and my prayer. I cannot pray "THINE IS THE KINGDOM," if I am unwilling to obey the King. I cannot pray "THINE IS THE POWER AND THE GLORY," if I am seeking power for myself and my own glory first. I cannot pray 'FOREVER AND EVER," if I am too anxious about each day's affairs. I cannot pray "AMEN," unless I honestly say "Not MY will, but THY will be done, so let it be." "But when you pray, use not vain repetitions..." -- Matthew 6:7

FAMILY

F A M I L Y

I ran into a stranger as he passed by,

'Oh excuse me please' was my reply.

He said, 'Please excuse me too;

I wasn't watching for you.'

We were very polite, this stranger and I.

We went on our way and we said goodbye.

But at home a different story is told,

How we treat our loved ones, young and old.

Later that day, cooking the evening meal,

My son stood beside me very still.

When I turned, I nearly knocked him down.

'Move out of the way,' I said with a frown.

He walked away, his little heart broken.

I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.

While I lay awake in bed,

God's still small voice came to me and said,

'While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use,

but the family you love, you seem to abuse.

Go and look on the kitchen floor,

You'll find some flowers there by the door.

Those are the flowers he brought for you.

He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue.

He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise,

You never saw the tears that filled his little eyes.

By this time, I felt very small,

And now my tears began to fall.

I quietly went and knelt by his bed;

'Wake up, little one, wake up,' I said.

'Are these the flowers you picked for me?'

He smiled, 'I found 'em, out by the tree.

I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.

I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue.'

I said, 'Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today;

I shouldn't have yelled at you that way.'

He said, 'Oh, Mom, that's okay.

I love you anyway.'

I said, 'Son, I love you too, and I do like the flowers,

especially the blue.'

Are you aware that if we died tomorrow, the company that we are

working for could easily replace us in a matter of days.

But the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.

And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work

than into our own family, an unwise investment indeed, don't you think?

Do you know what the word FAMILY means?

FAMILY =

(F)ATHER

(A)ND

(M)OTHER

(I)

(L)OVE

(Y)OU

God & His timing

God has amazing timing. He, unlike me, is ALWAYS on time....in the best time. My Grandfather's passing was at the best time, now that I can think about it more.

1. All but a few family members had just been in to visit with him and Grandma, some just hours before.

2. He died in the middle of the night. That is so Grandpa! He wouldn't have wanted a huge crowd in the middle of the day. Most of us had said goodnight and gone home.

3. My cousin Tim's family had plane tickets for the week before but somehow they got changed for them. They ended up being there at the exact right time to say goodbye.

4. One of my best friends Julie was to watch my children Saturday so I could go to the hospital. Saturday morning, she called and said that she knew I was at the hospital until late and that I should just bring church clothes with the kids and she would take them to church in the morning, saving me a trip out to get them that evening. When the call came at 1:16am, I was so thankful that I didn't have to deal with what to do with them in the middle of the night.

5. God and Grandpa removed decisions from our path. The family would have had to have decided his code status, feeding tube or not, breathing machine or not......we are blessed to have had that burden taken from us.

6. Grandpa is no longer in any pain. Asking or begging for more time with him would be selfish. Wanting him to suffer so that I was comfortable....what kind of granddaughter would I be to want that?

7. God's timing was for Grandpa to go home. His time in this world is over and now he is singing with the angels & dancing down the golden streets with a huge bag of M&Ms in his pocket. There is no doubt in my mind that he is also discussing the construction of his mansion with anyone that stops by.

Grandpa's funeral was perfect. Wayne, Steve, Tim, Dwight & Dad did a great job of focusing on what was important: Grandpa's example of how God wants us to live. Simply and contently. I believe Grandpa had it right. His soul was God's which left him able to enjoy and be in awe of everything in this world.

My only regret is the M&Ms. I'm sorry but I have to tell this story. On Friday, while Grandpa was having the endoscope that would revel the cancerous tumor in his esophagus, I was waiting in the waiting room with Grandma. I went downstairs to the snack/vending machine room and got some snacks. I got Grandma some apple juice and a pop for me. Then, I got Grandpa a small bag of regular M&Ms. He was a chocoholic!!! I told Grandma, when I got back, that they were for Grandpa when the sedation had worn off and he could eat again. He would love them. Well, the results were not good and they put him on a full liquid diet. In less than 36 hours, he was gone. He never got to eat them. I didn't think anymore about them until my cousin Jennifer brought up that she had them, she didn't want anyone else opening and eating them. I didn't know what to do with them now. Eat them? Save them? Then, we figured it out. At the funeral, Irmalee and the other women that cooked the wonderful dinner for us, had put out bowls of M&Ms on each of the tables. My sister knew what I had planned and got some in a baggie or Saran wrap or something. Then, before the funeral services started, Jennifer, she & I went up to Grandpa's casket and with tearful eyes and careful hands put the M&Ms in with him. My sister's lay by his right hip and I put that original Friday package tucked under his right arm. Now, we are not pretending to be Egyptian, we know he doesn't actually have them in heaven, but it was the only thing to do.

In my Father's house are many rooms;

if it were not so, I would have told you.

I am going there to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you,

I will come back and take you to be with me

that you also may be where I am. John 14:2-3 NIV

A friend

I have a friend named Jamie. He always has something to say to make me laugh or think. He always has a smile in his face. He lives for God and only for God......to take care of his family, his congregation, and see to it that he helps to spread the Word of God to the world. Sometimes goofy, sometimes serious, I always love talking to him. I was telling him how happy it appeared to make Grandma when he visited her and Grandpa in the hospital. How she smiled when he put his hand on her shoulder and held her hand. His response, complete humility. He thanked me for telling him and told me how important my grandparents were to him and how he loved them. I want to thank the "Jamies" of this world for doing what God calls us to do - to love each other. And do it for and because of God......not for Jamie. The greatest worship of Our Lord is outside the church building, not in it.

my Grandpa

It is now 5:35 am on Sunday April 6th, 2008 and I am finally home from the hospital. I spent all day there and had come home about 9pm. At 1:16am, the phone rang. It was my Dad. My father has the most calming, soft delivery of bad news. He said, "they called and we need to go to the hospital." My Grandpa Willis Shumway passed away at about 1am this morning.

I have mixed feelings about this and I'll tell you why.

I am full of loss, sadness, and sorrow. There is an emptiness in me. I have cried so much I don't think I can cry anymore. He walked himself into the doctor office on Thursday evening. They admitted him for pain control, found spots on his lungs, bladder by CT scan, believed the fractures in his spine were due to cancer, too. He hurt so much. I wanted healing...................

.....................I guess I got it...............HE IS AT HOME WITH OUR LORD!!!! What could be better? He passed away quickly and we believe and were told that he didn't suffer, as he died.

I feel blessed to have spent the day there with him. At one point earlier in the day, I got to hold him as he held on to me, to transfer him from his bedside to the chair. He moved so slowly, I had all the time (it felt like) in the world to talk to him. I told him to hold on to me, that I wouldn't let him fall, that we could move as slowly as he needed us to. He had his face buried in the left side of my neck. I love how he smells. I love feeling his breath on my neck and him holding onto me. I love looking into his big blue eyes.

The last thing I said to him this evening before I left was, "I love you, Grandpa. You get some rest and I will see you in the morning." Okay, so I won't see him in the morning BUT I WILL SEE HIM SOMEDAY!

Please, pray for me and my family in the coming days, weeks and months.

A long day

It is official: my Grandpa has cancer. We know for sure that there is a tumor in his esophagus that is cancerous. The doctor will know more Monday, but we think its in other places also. My friend, Julie, has been watching my kids alot lately. In getting ready for her day with Julie, Abbie needed her fingernails clipped. This is my job and is an easy one. So, I get to a finger that Abbie has been picking at for a few days....it was a hangnail. I clipped the nail and then trimmed the hangnail so it wouldn't hurt and maybe she could leave it alone. She looked at me and said, "Wow, Mommy, you are good at that, it didn't even hurt. Thank you."...and off she went into the other room. Sometimes, I think God has to clip our nails and sees a hangnail that we can't leave alone. If we let Him, He can do what needs to be done. Even when we believe it has to hurt, sometimes God can do it without us even knowing it. Do you get it? I have had a really long day and am not composing my thoughts well. I am sure that after church in the morning, I will feel better. I always do.

Holy, Holy, HOLY!!

Holy, Holy, Holy!

My friends are a blessing from God, there is no doubt!

Whatever happens

hold on to these thoughts...

You are stronger than

you imagine,

Braver than you know...

And cared about so much more than words could ever tell...

I'm here for you always.

I got this in an ecard from one of my very best friends, just when she and God knew I needed it.

Today, has been an extremely trying day for me and my family. For the sake of privacy and all around politeness, there will be holes in the story I am about to tell.....just bare with me.

This morning I got an email saying that one of my friends' sister had died last night in a car accident. She was 16 years old. I don't know her personally and, now, never will but I do adore her brother (my friend). I can't do anything for him to help him or his family feel any better BUT I know someone who can....GOD! I pray that my prayers will give him and his family comfort & peace in the days ahead.

This afternoon, my near 90 year old grandfather had a doctor's appointment. About two months ago, he fractured 2 vertebrae in his back due to osteoporosis. He was admitted to our local hospital for pain management, after his appointment today. While there or during the appointment (I wasn't there to be sure which) he was told of other scans and tests that hadn't come back they way that they should have. So, he will be having further things done while he is admitted.

This is terrifying to me. He has been like my father, in my eyes, in that they were invincible.....like Superman. He's not supposed to get old, get hurt, or even think about dying. My only comfort is, again, God. He is there, of that I have no doubt!

I know that I am acting very selfish. If it is his time to go, he is a Christian and will go home to be with Jesus. AMEN, who could ask for better? I am not ready to bury him yet. He has alot of spunk and life left in him.

For anyone out there reading this, pray for my friend and my Grandpa. My friend needs comfort and medicine can't do anything, for Grandpa, without God being a part of it.