Champions Sports Camp

I had a great planning meeting today for our joint summer sports camp. DM First Assembly is co-sponsoring with First Federated Champions Sports Camp for the second year in a row. The five day camp will be 9 AM-12 PM, June 23-27 in the park in front of Federated on Hickman. We will offer clinics in soccer, basketball, cheerleading and are possibly adding baseball. All kids ages 6-12 are welcome to register and basketball is open for 8-12 year olds. We are going with an Olympic theme and "Striving for greatness." Our theme scripture is from John 14:12, "Anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these." Registration fees will include a t-shirt and probably a water bottle like they did last year.

The planning team is a great group of creative minds. It was fun to brain-storm together and feed off of each other's ideas. We will include small group and large group times along with the sports clinics. Can't wait!

Never Too Late to Celebrate!

Randy and I had a great time hanging out with two of our fav girlies on Saturday afternoon. We had a belated birthday ice cream date for Miss Lisi Lou Lou and sister Isabella. Lisi wanted the "pink ice cream with the gum inside" but had to happily settle for the rainbow sherbet until they once again have that summer flavor. Isabella went for the coned version and Randy had chocolate something (of course). Equipped with party hats and presents, it was a good time had by all! We even had time for a secret mission, popcorn and snuggles and a little "Elf" movie! Now that's how you spend an afternoon!

Government Health Warning

Please warn all your friends! This is what happens when you swallow your gum!!

Memories

There is something so special about a handwritten note or letter that touches me. I was going through our file of legal-type papers looking for my birth certificate and came across a letter my dad had sent when Micaela was having her 3rd birthday. Now it's not unusual for me to save notes and cards as I have every note, card or letter Randy has written me in the 28 years we've been together, but I'm not sure why this letter was saved. It was interesting to me how just seeing my dad's handwriting stirred my emotions and memories.

In this culture of e-mail, cell phones and text messaging, the handwritten note is almost obsolete. I've always tried to write notes of encouragement or thanks as a regular habit because it's something I love receiving. Of course it may have something to do with my primary love language being words of affirmation. :) I have a couple of boxes of stuff I've saved over the years and have enjoyed looking through them from time to time especially if I'm going through a struggle. I need to find a better way of preserving them.

Who has been on your heart lately? Is God prompting you to pray for someone or reach out in a new friendship? Take a moment to write down what you are praying for them and send it. An e-mail is better than nothing but maybe you could get some cards and have something on hand to send. Even if the person isn't a sentimental goof like me, I know it will bless them! For you my dear friends..."I thank my God every time I remember you." Philippians 1:3

Busy Days Ahead...and Other Stuff

We have some fun stuff coming up that will fill the ole schedule. Saturday night is Randy's Christmas party at Hyperion Country Club which is always super yummy eats! But before we go we have an ice cream date with two of our FAV little girls to celebrate a belated birthday. Randy needs to renew his license on Saturday morning, too.

Sunday is church of coarse and Life Group and in between I have a meeting for children's church. There is a training for our "tour guides" in True North. That's the name of the Sunday morning kid's service...a very cool travel theme about our journey with Jesus. I'm looking forward to hanging out with the team and meeting more people.

Had my first experience scheduling for the nursery. Wow, it is a bigger job than I realized at first juggling so many volunteers and multiple services and outreaches but I think I got it all finished. Doesn't matter if you run a big church or small church, the nursery is always looking for more volunteers. :) It's so cool as I meet new people each week when I find out how long they have been serving at First Assembly. Of course there are several new people but I have met many who have been a part of the church for 30+ years. It's also been amazing to realize how many people we already knew.

I'm a little behind in my Bible reading so I gotta catch up. LOVING our Life Group!! Such an important part of community. Nothing beats eating together, sharing the Word and sharing life. If your church does any kind of life groups I highly recommend you get involved. There's just something about a small group of people caring for each other and having accountability where you need it.

Next week is already full with two days of meetings for church, a planned work day at Parkview and possibly going to Sioux City. I better eat my Wheaties...or something like that! We have some fun stuff, too, so it's all good. I've got lunch with my old friend Jen Yates and her sons and a trip to Build a Bear for one's birthday, a hair cut to look pretty for my man, a beading date with Keaton's pal Michelle and pizza with the Kimmers. Life is good!

I have to add...I already have so many people offering to help during my surgery time, it's so nice to have such a great group of friends. First Assembly is already getting some meals lined up and my PT taxi is ready to go. It means so much to have help for Randy to not have to worry about doing everything. I may have to make some special food requests, though. Drew made us some awesome eats last time and Angela made this incredible taco soup and of course there is always Amy's chicken and rice! Man, I just gained 3 pounds thinking about that!

Great Thought

Micaela's friend, Lis, had a great thought on her blog. If you are like me, sometimes you are not sure you can do all God has called you to do and this really spoke to me. "God isn't going to call me into failure. Those are lies that Satan is trying to use against me to bring me down and shatter every last bit of my confidence so that I can't fulfill God's work for me."

Love it! Be encouraged...we are all a work in progress. :)

Another Update

Yesterday was tough on mom. She was pretty angry when told she had to do part of her recovery at a nursing home. We are praying that is a temporary situation and she will be able to go back to her apartment. It depends a lot on her cooperation and how hard she works to regain strength. She moves to the nursing home tomorrow. She had to be restrained for a little while last night after getting upset. Her Parkinson's and the pain meds really affect her mind. She kept trying to get out of bed without a nurse to help her. Today was a better day and she walked a little and sat in a chair.

Please pray for Randy, too. My guy is pretty stressed right now. It's hard to be 3 1/2 hours from his mom, keep up on school, work and think about my upcoming surgery and recuperation. He's gonna need a MAJOR vacation! He's exhausted but is trying to keep a smile on his face. Lord bless him!

Randy's Mom Update

Mom had her surgery and it went well. She had three screws placed in her hip. Pray she will cooperate and move around like she needs to. She seems to be doing well this evening. We still do not know her prognosis.

FUNNY!

This is so hilarious. We are big Jim Gaffigan fans and he did this bit on bacon that cracks me up! Enjoy...... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVKJpkq-wNo

Urgent Prayer

Please pray for Randy's mom, Elva. She fell and broke her hip today and is facing surgery. She has been struggling with Parkinson's disease for several years and just turned 80 years old. She knows Jesus and we trust He has everything under control. It breaks my heart to see her in failing health. She is an amazing woman and I am so blessed to have her as my mother-in-law. Thanks!

Sing with me...Getting to Know You...

It's starting to happen....the babies are recognizing me at church. I was checking kids in tonight and one little guy, Jack, saw me and smiled and came right into the nursery without a peep. Reagan let me take her right out of her mothers arms and promptly waved bye-bye to her parents. Such a good feeling to know the kids feel safe and loved away from mom and dad. I remember as a young mom how bad I felt leaving a crying baby so each time we can care for a precious one without tears is a victory!

It's been great getting to know some of the moms, too. I had the opportunity to talk with a single mom tonight who ministers to our babies every Wednesday night. She was really opening up about her life and I hope she felt I was a good listener and someone she can trust. (I constantly need to work on my listening skills!) I've always believed to be an effective children's pastor I need to be able to minister to the whole family. When you understand the whole family it helps to know what the kids need in their lives. This gal I talked to is really doing a great job with her daughter. I always admire people who can parent well but to do it alone is really awesome. Well, I guess she's not REALLY alone...she's got Jesus, but you know what I mean. :)

Side note....the things that made me smile this week:
Lunch with Lisi Lou Lou and Amy
My new snuggly robe my mom bought me for Christmas
A just-called-to-check-on-how-you-are phone call from my boy
Bumping into the Kimmers at Fareway
Seeing "my brother" Brandon at school today
Hearing about Mic's new classes and friend updates
Remembering how much God loves us and reading His Word!!

I'm Just Sayin'

Okay...two things....I just heard Oprah is getting her own TV network. So when does she get her own country? I'm just sayin'....is there a point at which a person has too much power, influence and celebrity? I think she is an interesting person who does have a huge heart and obviously a savvy business mind but we need to be careful in whom we put our admiration. We are nearing a "Hail Oprah" mentality in the USA.

And the "meanest mom in the world" is on the Ellen Show today. Too funny. Maybe Iowa will be know as the good parenting state! We could only hope.

The Bible in 90 Days

We, at First Assembly, are two weeks into The Bible in 90 Days. We have 40 different Life Groups meeting primarily on Sunday nights and all are diving in together. Randy and I have joined a GREAT group of people led by our Spiritual Formations pastor, Paul Stewart. We have a group of 20 that is very diverse but all desiring to feast on God's Word. For those of you who have done this challenge, you know it is a huge commitment but sooooo awesome. I really am proud of Randy who is trying his best to keep up with school and the Bible! His classes are very involved this semester so he is reading like a maniac!

Pastor Dave is so passionate about the church doing this together that we have put Sunday night service on hold so people will not feel overwhelmed with another church event and can focus on The Bible in 90 Days. It has had a fantastic response. The discussion times are really interesting and a good opportunity to ask questions about scripture that you may not usually get to ask. Sunday night services resume in April.

We talked about Easter at our staff meeting yesterday. Hard to believe how early Easter is this year. We have a huge Good Friday service planned for the evening that sounds great. Bonus...Micaela and company will be home for Easter!!! Yeah!! Hope my new knee is feeling good by then.

Birthday Dinner

I almost forgot to post the pics from Randy's birthday dinner at Texas Roadhouse. Good eats and great times. Except I look a little loopy! Honest...only having water!! Aren't my kids the cutest?

Now This is Responsible Parenting!!

My friends Jen and Chrysti sent me the following Fox News item. We as parents BETTER be willing to make the tough decisions that good parenting takes and be willing to follow through with the consequences and threats that we put out to our kids! I'd like to pat this woman on the back!

'Meanest Mom' Sells Son's Car Over Booze Bust Tuesday , January 08, 2008

DES MOINES, Iowa — Jane Hambleton has dubbed herself the "meanest mom on the planet." After finding alcohol in her son's car, the mother decided to sell the car and share her 19-year-old's goof with everyone — by placing an ad in the local newspaper.The ad reads: "OLDS 1999 Intrigue. Totally uncool parents who obviously don't love teenage son, selling his car. Only driven for three weeks before snoopy mom who needs to get a life found booze under front seat. $3,700/offer. Call meanest mom on the planet."Hambleton has heard from more than interested buyers after recently placing the ad in The Des Moines Register.The 48-year-old from Fort Dodge says she has fielded more than 70 telephone calls from emergency room technicians, nurses, school counselors and even a Georgia man who wanted to congratulate her."The ad cost a fortune, but you know what? I'm telling people what happened here," Hambleton says. "I'm not just gonna put the car for resale when there's nothing wrong with it, except the driver made a dumb decision."It's overwhelming the number of calls I've gotten from people saying 'Thank you, it's nice to see a responsible parent.' So far there are no calls from anyone saying, 'You're really strict. You're real overboard, lady."'Unless you count her son, who Hambleton says is "very, very unhappy" with the ad and claims the alcohol was left there by a passenger.For the record, Hambleton believes her son but has decided mercy isn't the best policy in this case.Hambleton says she set two rules when she bought the car at Thanksgiving: No booze, and always keep it locked.The car has been sold, but Hambleton says she will continue the ad for another week — just for the feedback.

Pics of the Nursery

The Nursing Mom's Room

Our Nursery Entry Way and Play Room

Thought I'd show a few pics of the First Assembly Nursery Area. It gets a lot of oohhs and awws from visitors!

Happy Birthday Randy

Today is Randy's 53rd birthday. How can I even begin to express how blessed I am to be married to this man? I honestly can say that in this marriage deal...I got the better end of the bargain! He deserves a vacation, a lot of money and maybe even a parade because he's just the BEST! So here are my top 10 (but certainly not the only) reasons I love Randy Louis Eilers.....

10. He has always been the priest of our home.

9. He is a wonderful father.

8. He knows how to treat a lady.

7. He has a great sense of humor.

6. He may not say a lot but what he says is worth listening to.

5. He fully, 100% supports my call to to ministry and is willing to go wherever God calls us to go.

4. He takes such good care of me.

3. He is the BEST hugger! (most people know this first hand!)

2. He tolerates us laughing with AND at him. (ask him how the hole in the armpit of his shirt happened...very funny story that he will never live down)

1. The number one reason I love Randy...because he loves Jesus!

Happy Birthday my hunky man!!!

Iowa Caucus

Randy, Micaela and I experienced our first caucus tonight. It was PACKED at Valley High School where there were three precincts meeting with half the school Republicans and half that other party. :) I think the people running the caucus were overwhelmed by the turnout because it seemed a little disorganized. It was hard to hear what was happening because the guy running our precinct didn't have a microphone and we were sharing half a gym with another precinct. It was an interesting experience especially when Mitt Romney himself came in and shook some hands. Our precinct seemed to be heavy Mitt supporters. It was cool to see him in person...even though he's not our guy. So glad to see so many turn out and encouraging to see how well Huckabee did. I was a little surprised by the Democratic numbers. Our precinct needed a couple of moms to help organize but all in all we are glad we went.

Happy New Year!

2008...it's gonna be GREAT! I am beyond excited to see what God has in store for me and my family this year. The kids are in a good place in their lives. Randy is doing awesome in his classes at Simpson and is on track to graduate Cum Laude! He's a smarty mcsmarty...that's my hunky husband! Go baby! God is beginning to reveal to me His plan for us at Des Moines First Assembly. I must say that I know I have a big job ahead but I am ready to dive in. I love the direction the team at First is headed and feel so blessed to get to be a part of it. We had a team meeting with the new year's calendar being our main topic and we have some cool stuff on tap. One specific thing BBopp is planning is a summer "Creation Camp" for older elementary kids that is going to rock.

The other thing that I am excited for is my health. I am soooo ready to get this knee surgery over with and be back on track with exercising and feeling strong. Yes...I look forward to breaking out the size 8's again but more importantly I look forward to feeling better. I found out that my new surgeon orders home health care for your first two weeks of physical therapy as to not risk a slip on the ice traveling to PT. Great idea but I hope my neighbors don't think I'm being murdered by all my shouts and groanings! Can't wait to start lifting again and getting some muscle tone back.

2007 had some wonderful events and new friendships that I am so thankful for. It had some tough times and great heartache, too, but I am thankful for the life lessons and spiritual growth through those times. I am thankful for every child that I had the opportunity to minster to and pray that some of the things that I taught will stick with them forever. I know they taught me much, too, and I will never forget our times together. We went to lunch with BBopp and his wife Kathy after church and the hostess at the restaurant recognized me from the little church in Waukee that we were at when we started JCFC. I didn't recognize her at first but quickly realized who she was even though she is now a young teenager. She had attended the church only a few times with another family but was so happy to see me and Randy. It helped me to remember that no matter how much or how little time we have with the people God brings into our lives we still can make a difference.