Vacation Bible School highlights

Lost city of Jericho: Eric, me, my Dad, my Mom & Mike Oh, so sad, its already over. I love Vacation Bible School. I love getting ready for it, planning and decorating, reading the stories over and over to get them right, thinking like a child to make sure they will understand what I'm saying, just the all over feeling of excitement! It is very worth mentioning the children I usually bring with me.....they are the reason for doing it. My children and I have a couple of girls, that are sisters about Nick's age, that live next to us. They are wonderful kids and we love them. Every year, I mean EVERY year, one of them calls or comes by to ask about when VBS is and what the theme is, usually 4 or 5 weeks ahead of time. I don't know if they attend church anywhere regularly or not, but they live for our VBS. This year we ended up taking the two of them, and another girl and boy that are about Nick's age. How wonderful! Could it be any better? The third girl said she had NEVER been to any church except one VBS with a cousin when she was 5 and she doesn't really remember it. That in itself is sad. But how blessed I feel to get to take her and show her what God's people can be. She had said that her mom doesn't think much of any of the churchs that her mom had attended before. Talk about God opening a door! When we got home this evening, we got a phone call from this girl. She asked us when Sunday services were and if we could give her a ride. GOD IS AMAZING!!!!! One of the sisters that lives next door was disappointed about one thing. She knew her memory verse by the second day and there wasn't any contest for it. (Some years there has been.) She sang and sang that verse all the way there and all the way home. I am exhausted but the room has already been taken down. Its sad that two days of work is gone in 25 minutes. Thank you Mike & Becky for helping to put it up and take it down. I feel blessed to get to be a part of such a wonderful out reach program that obviously touches people of all ages in the community.

URGENT prayer request

This was sent to me, by email, by Mary Collins: I don't know if you guys remember or not but about 8 or 9 months ago I requested prayer for a co-workers baby granddaughter, Krisma, who was going to have major heart surgery. That surgery was a success at the time, however, as her body has grown in length, she has not gained a lot of weight. She turned 1 yr old on Friday, June 13 and she is only the size of a 7 - 8 month old. A little over a month ago she underwent another surgery to replace the aortic valve with an artificial one. She has not been able to be taken off the ventilator since. They have been keeping her in a drug induced coma. She has continued to become weaker, fluid keeps building up in her lungs and they keep draining it. They had to do a heart cath last week and they are saying that the mitral valve is not working properly and the left ventricle is also not functioning right. Her parents were told this weekend that they need to make the decision of whether or not to put her on the transplant list. The doctors say that a heart transplant is the only option now. However, they don't know if she will survive long enough to receive it or even if she would survive the transplant. This baby is in critical condition and I would appreciate if the whole church would please start to pray for this entire family. Linda (grandmother and my co-worker) is financially supporting this whole family and is in danger of losing her job because of the time she is needing to take off to be with them and her only granddaughter. Adam and Michelle (father and mother) are only in their early 20's with another child Keaton (2 yrs old), they are living in the Ronald McDonald house in Columbus and taking turns being with their daughter. They are devastated and completely overwhelmed. There are so many questions that no one can answer. ***I removed the last names for privacy....and because God doesn't need them, He already knows who they are.*** God can do all things and in His own time. Please, pray for this family and their physical, spiritual and emotional health. Prayer is the only thing that really matters here.....obviously, the doctors are at a loss and have hit the end of what they know to do. Krisma (the beautiful baby girl) is in God's hands.

She can swim!!

We spent some time in the pool today. Oh, it felt great....just enough sun and just enough cool breeze. Humid and 90 degrees to everyone else, to me, I was 3 feet from heaven...Oh, it was good.

So, my friend Becky and her children, and me and mine were having a wonderful time. Our big kids are like fish, the littler ones (both 5 years old) are very interested in "swimming like adults." Those are actually the words Abbie used. She wanted so badly to get out of her inflatable ring. She kept trying to prove herself by closing her eyes, holding her nose, taking a big breath and putting her head under the water....but only for a minute.

Today, she took off. I held her under her belly and she was "paddling" her arms and legs, as you would to actually swim. After a few, few minutes, I was only holding her by a finger under her middle. I stood very close and watched carefully, and took my hand out from under her. It was like teaching a child to ride a bike. Letting go of them, when you see they are ready, but without them knowing it.

My parents' pool is 4.5 feet deep and 24 feet across. After only a few trys, Abbie made it 3/4 of the way across the pool, completely by herself...no rings....no swimmies....no help.....but with me right beside her. She is SO proud of herself and so am I.

Sometimes I know that is how God and I are, how our relationship falls. I beg and beg for something that I really want or think I need but only God knows how deep the pool is, how to swim and what I am actually asking for. Its too big for me to see.

Summer classes

Summer Classes for Men AT THE ADULT LEARNING CENTER REGISTRATION MUST BE COMPLETED by Friday, August 17th 2008 NOTE: DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY AND DIFFICULTY LEVEL OF THEIR CONTENTS, CLASS SIZES WILL BE LIMITED TO 8 PARTICIPANTS MAXIMUM Class 1 How To Fill Up The Ice Cube Trays--Step by Step, with Slide Presentation. Meets 4 weeks, Monday and Wednesday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM. Class 2 The Toilet Paper Roll--Does It Change Itself? Round Table Discussion. Meets 2 weeks, Saturday 12:00 for 2 hours. Class 3 Is It Possible To Urinate Using The Technique Of Lifting The Seat and Avoiding The Floor, Walls and Nearby Bathtub?--Group Practice. Meets 4 weeks, Saturday 10:00 PM for 2 hours. Class 4 Fundamental Differences Between The Laundry Hamper and The Floor--Pictures and Explanatory Graphics. Meets Saturdays at 2:00 PM for 3 weeks. Class 5 Dinner Dishes--Can They Levitate and Fly Into The Kitchen Sink? Examples on Video. Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM Class 6 Loss Of Identity--Losing The Remote To Your Significant Other.Help Line Support and Support Groups. Meets 4 Weeks, Friday and Sunday 7:00 PM Class 7 Learning How To Find Things--Starting With Looking In The Right Places And Not Turning The House Upside Down While Screaming. Open Forum Monday at 8:00 PM, 2 hours. Class 8 Health Watch--Bringing Her Flowers Is Not Harmful To Your Health Graphics and Audio Tapes. Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours. Class 9 Real Men Ask For Directions When Lost--Real Life Testimonials. Tuesdays at 6:00 PM Location to be determined Class 10 Is It Genetically Impossible To Sit Quietly While She Parallel Parks? Driving Simulations. 4 weeks, Saturday's noon, 2 hours. Class 11 Learning to Live--Basic Differences Between Mother and Wife. Online Classes and role-playing Tuesdays at 7:00 PM, location to be determined Class 12 How to be the Ideal Shopping Companion Relaxation Exercises, Meditation and Breathing Techniques. Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM. Class 13 How to Fight Cerebral Atrophy--Remembering Birthdays, Anniversaries and Other Important Dates and Calling When You're Going To Be Late. Cerebral Shock Therapy Sessions and Full Lobotomies Offered. Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours. Class 14 The Stove/Oven--What It Is and How It Is Used.Live Demonstration. Tuesdays at 6:00 PM, location to be determined. Upon completion of any of the above courses, diplomas will be issued to the survivors. *********************************************************************** How funny is that?????

the ABCs

Although things are not perfect Because of trial or pain Continue in thanksgiving Do not begin to blame Even when the times are hard Fierce winds are bound to blow God is forever able Hold on to what you know Imagine life without His love Joy would cease to be Keep thanking Him for all the things Love imparts to thee Move out of "Camp Complaining" No weapon that is known On earth can yield the power Praise can do alone Quit looking at the future Redeem the time at hand Start every day with worship To "thank" is a command Until we see Him coming Victorious in the sky We'll run the race with gratitude Xalting God most high Yes, there will be good times and yes some will be bad, but... Zion waits in glory...where none are ever sad!

Thank you

A couple of weekends ago, I was sick. Really, really sick. I will not go into the details, those of you reading this blog...I want you to come back, but it was bad. I recovered. Then, a few days ago, I started sneezing and coughing and had immense pressure in my head due to sinus allergies or infection....I still don't know for sure. It is getting better but I still have a cough once in a while.

My point comes to something that HASN'T happened in nearly a year.

For a year, about a year ago, I had incredibly bad bladder infections. In that year, I had 11 infections. Count that up. I was miserable. Anyone who has ever had one knows the pain. Those of you that haven't, its like peeing fire,having the urge to go every 10-15 minutes, headache, fever, nausea, & chills. I couldn't play with my kids most of the time, clean house, or even leave the house, at least not the way I wanted to. All I could do was sit and cry and wait for the antibiotics to kick in or the doctor to call back. NOT HAPPY TIMES.

I prayed and prayed. I cried and begged for mercy.

Then, something occurred to me. I prayed while I hurt, and thanked God when it was over, but I didn't continue my thanks during the between times.

I am not saying God cursed my bladder because I didn't pray enough, please, don't misunderstand me.

But, it did stop. Partly, because I started telling a few close friends about it and they began praying as well. But mostly because I gave it to God. The doctors and I were not able to do it without Him. My thankfulness is endless. God gave me my life back and the ability to take care of my family.

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)