Mom's Funeral

We had a nice trip back to Sioux City for mom's funeral. Everything went very well with all the arrangements and the service was lovely with one of mom's pastors officiating. Pastor Lee from Morningside Assembly lovingly spoke about mom and dad, too, and it was a beautiful sermon about the woman she was. Randy's sister, Pam, wrote a special tribute about mom that our niece Alyssa read. It was nice to see friends and family members that we haven't got to see for awhile and so fun to reminisce about special times we all shared with mom and dad.

Our nephew, Brad, traveled back from North Dakota all by himself with his 19 month old twin girls. It was the first time we got to meet Georgia and Gihana and they stole everyones hearts! Aren't they adorable reading books with our good friend Diane and posing at the church? It was such a wonderful break in the sorrow to spend time with a new generation of Eilers kids. Can you believe I'm a great aunt?

All of the cousins made it back and I include a picture of them. They all LOVED their grandma very much and are rejoicing in her being home with Jesus and totally healed. Pam allowed me to have one of mom's rings to remember her by. It is a beautiful opal that I have always admired and now I can wear it and think of her.

Thanks to all who so kindly sent cards, called, sent flowers and helped with our trip. We have so many friends that have been there for us over the past few months that it is overwhelming sometimes to feel so loved and cared for.

Heaven is Richer Today

Heaven is richer today...my mother-in-law was welcomed home this morning. For those of you who have a had a loved one struggle for a period of time with declining health will understand when I say we almost feel a sense of relief. It is hard to watch someone you love suffer and fail and easier to say goodbye when you know they are going to heaven.

I'll never forget the first time I met Randy's mom. She welcomed me with open arms and was so genuinely excited for me to date her son. She lovingly kept inviting us to church as I was not a believer when we first met. She was never too pushy and always accepting and we ended up being such very close friends. She was so proud of me when I obeyed my call into ministry and super encouraging of whatever path the Lord led us down.

I appreciate the wonderful example she was to me as I grew in my relationship with the Lord. She would be the first to admit she was not a perfect mom but she did a great job with her four children and I learned a lot from her. She sure trained Randy right...I had it easy transitioning him from singleness to married life. :)

Mom was one of the most generous people you would ever meet. If you needed anything she would do whatever it took to make sure she could help you. When we were first married and oh so poor, she would do things like treat me to a trip to the salon for a hair cut or buy me some new shoes just for fun. She would just know when groceries were tight and invite us over for dinner or out to eat. I think the first 10 or 15 years we were married we never paid for a dinner when we went out with them! She would give you her last dime if you needed it! She would always be the first to testify how God honored those who tithed and she went above and beyond in giving to the Lord.

I will sure miss this amazing woman of God. I thank God for allowing me to be a part of her life and am also thankful for all the wonderful memories I have of our time together. She is now totally healed from Parkinson's disease and all that ailed her! She is enjoying meeting Jesus and all the saints who have gone before and she is back with dad. Randy's sister said mom was talking the other day and when she asked mom what she was saying she said she was talking to dad. She spoke as if he was in the room and I think it was kinda neat that she had that experience. She said grandma (her mom) was there too but wasn't sure she would stay. Interesting. We rejoice that she is home. We love you, mom.

How's This for Excitement?

I'm sitting in the recliner about 5 AM having been awake since 3 and so I decide after reading, flipping channels and trying to go back to sleep, to get out my beading project and play. All of a sudden, the fire alarm for the apartment complex goes off! I go to the door and check to see if it is indeed the fire alarm and then go to wake up my still sleeping husband. We quickly throw some clothes and shoes on, grab the keys and head out the door. As soon as we step out into the hallway we can see and smell smoke. We head towards the stairs and I'm trying not to panic thinking about getting down three flights of stairs quickly with crutches.

Randy and I seemed to be some of the first people out and I see a police officer pulling into the parking lot. I opened the door and let him know it's the real deal not just a false alarm. Other emergency people start showing up and people finally start coming out of their apartments. They quickly discovered that it was a car in the underground parking that was on fire. We had to wait about an hour before we could go back to our apartment as the fire was closest to our end of the building. The fire fighters brought in big fans to push the smoke out of the halls and foyers. They were all awesome!

When we got upstairs, we could smell the smoke in the halls but not in our apartment thankfully. Not really how you want to start your day but at least a happy ending! I honestly don't think we would have heard the alarm if I hadn't been up. Some people said they didn't know what was happening until the fire department knocked on their door. That'a kinda scary.

All Time Low

It seems our culture has hit an all time low in it's idea of entertainment. So I see a commercial for a TV program that I think must be pretty new. The title is "The Moment of Truth." Now let me clarify, I have NOT watched this show, just saw a couple commercials for it. I can promise you, I will not be watching it....ever. The premise, from what I gather, is that people come on and are asked point blank questions in front of their loved ones and the television world. I think they may be hooked up to a lie detector, don't know for sure. They must win a lot of money for doing it because I can think of no good reason to subject yourself to this than the love of money. Oh by the way, I recall a little book, called the Bible, saying that the love of money is the root of all evil, I Timothy 6:10.

Anywho, they are asked such questions as, "Have you ever had sex with your best friend's spouse?" "Would you leave your husband if you could reunite with your previous boyfriend?" Come on, who does this? How can you subject your family and friends to this line of questioning? If you have some horrible secret how can you go on a TV show and blurt it out and devastate your loved ones that way? People have been doing these types of things on talk shows for years but it appears to be getting more and more disgusting.


I guess it only shows how some people are drawing farther away from God. It breaks my heart to see these people who need Jesus so bad and their eyes have been blinded and hearts hardened toward the things of God. Anyone care to comment?

Great Day

I had a great day today. First, Angela and the kids picked me up to take me to the church for some more computer training. Not only did I get greeted with some happy faces but they had stopped and bought me my fav beverage, a skinny cinnamon dulce latte from Starbucks, baby! Rocked my world. Training went well even though I'm still pretty swollen. If you have ever worked with the Shelby program you know what I mean when I say multi-layered and not for the faint of heart.

Amy and Lisi picked me up after training and we stopped for a little El Rodeo! Yummo, my fav chips and salsa. Lisi had us in stitches as always as she kept "tricking me" with "I bit my thumb off." Lisi is a never ending story who is so sweet and stinking cute you just want to bite her cheeks. Love that monkey. :)

Then, I had physical therapy. I was concerned that after being so swollen that I might have lost some bend but she measured me while bending my leg myself and I got to 102 degrees! Yeah for me and God. I have permission to walk around home and the hallways with one crutch but still must use two for out and about. I have one more home visit Friday and then I'm out to an office that I need to choose tomorrow.

I have the best buddies in the world. :) Thanks everybody!

Oops

Well, I know you all will be shocked but I think I over did it. I had our State Junior Bible Quiz meet on Saturday and was planning on only being there just long enough for our coordinators meeting, which I thought would be done by noon. Our agenda was way bigger than I expected and so I was there from 8:15 to 3:00! Then, yesterday I had our Monday morning team meeting as usual and then the church arranged for me to be in a three day training to learn our church attendance/membership program called Shelby. I was supposed to be there from 9 to 4:30 again today but had to cancel. I was in a lot of pain but mainly was so swollen that the only pants I could get over my knee were sweat pants and barely those! So, I decided to set aside all feelings of guilt and duty and stay home and rest. I was planning on being back at church this Sunday but am rethinking that, too. I need to be smarter about my recovery than I have been in the past. So...think skinny thoughts for me knee! :)

Did You Know...

...that Richard Simmons has made available his "Sweatin' To the Oldies I and II" for purchase once again? That re-runs of the so-called comedy hit show "Roseanne" are on at 3:30 and 4:00 AM on Fox? That you could shop til you drop at 2:00 AM for lots of miscellaneous items of great (or not so great) worth? Chamomile tea has no effect on me other than to make me have to potty? American Idol Rerun is randomly on in the middle of the night so you can relive the talents of Clay Aiken? And shockingly enough not all people of African-American heritage can dance? Case in point...Soul Train, circa 1980! See...I'm nothing if not helpful! :) Can you guess who cannot sleep? Take note of the post time!

Good Times, Great Nachos

I had so much fun hanging out at Amy's for a little while last night. It felt great to get out of the apartment! Amy made these amazing jerk chicken nachos that I have to get the seasoning from Pampered Chef to make!! Some of the ladies worked on stamping or scrapbooking. I worked on making some bead bracelets (to earn some money for Keaton and Michelle's missions trip budget) and Amy's Stampin' Up pal demonstrated some super cute stuff. Angela is rivaling Lindsay for the cutest pregnant woman ever! I haven't got to see her for awhile so her tummy was a little bigger but oh so beautiful. Got to see pictures of the Rogness' little man, Evan....what a handsome boy!! Plus we had the announcement of another baby on the way....Todd and Amy! Wow, that was a wedding night surprise, for sure! It was just so great to catch up with my pals and laugh and play. Mark needs to leave town more often so Amy can have girl's night. Hee Hee! Thanks Amy, not only did she host...she came and picked me up.

Makes Me Laugh

Okay...it doesn't take much to entertain me! This always cracks me up.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=vgtfC5LBAW4

Recovery Boost

I'm doing great as far as bending and exercises are going. I still have quite a bit of pain but am sure it's just normal surgery pain. I see the doc tomorrow to get my stitches out and will ask him about it. The physical therapist says that knee revisions are super painful and it's normal to have good days and bad as far as pain level goes. He gave me some new tail kicker exercises today! Makes me grunt and moan but it's good for me! :) My incision looks great to me. The stitches are wire and so I'm glad to get them out...they are getting pokey and itchy. I'm soooo thankful at my progress. It is amazing how much better this time is going. I just need to be patient with the recovery and realize it may take a little longer than I want it to. I can already bend it better and farther than I could at the end of PT with the last replacement. God is so good and I know He has His hand on me.

My recovery boost has come in the form of visitors. It has been great to see a few JCFC peeps and some new friends from First Assembly. At the hospital I got a visit from the beautiful Main ladies and the adorable Cecil clan. Plus several other friends made the trec to Methodist. Today I got some snuggle time with my buddy Cale. Jenn came to vacuum for me. Now that's a good friend! I can do most chores but that one was a bit much for me. The Kimmers brought some incredible soup last week and so I got to see Drakester for a bit. Jen and Jaron came by with books (yeah) and Jaron found the cutest bunny pen he had to buy for me. So sweet! One of the First families brought dinner...Misty and all six of her kids came. The oldest is 10 and the youngest will be two in April. Great family! Visitors make my day as time drags when you are by yourself. I know my friends Dara and Angela would be loving the solitude but I guess I'm too social...or co-dependant. :) Cale was so sweet to me today; freely giving hugs and smoochies, bringing me my blanket, telling me stories and helping Jenn vacuum! He would carefully crawl up on my lap to watch Curious George. When Jenn offered to dust, Cale said that was his job at home! Looking forward to a little more freedom after the stitches come out! Gonna even try to make Amy's craft night for a bit. I'll probably get more talking than crafting done! Oh well...it will be another recovery boost.

Probably My Fault

I hear Starbucks is struggling a little. It's probably my fault...I have been stuck inside for 2 1/2 weeks! Sorry guys. I'll be able to do my part after this week or next. Do you know how long it has been since I had a grande, no fat, sugar free, Cinnamon Dulce Latte? Sinful, just sinful. :)

Operation Christmas Child

I was very excited to receive a special report on the success of Operation Christmas Child (OCC) for 2007. This year more than 7.6 million boys and girls in some 100 different nations received these tangible gifts of Christ's love. For many, this was the first lesson in the true meaning of Christmas and the first time to hear about Jesus and what He has done for us.

I was especially moved to read about the children of China and see some pictures of these beautiful kids, who live in a place where you could be arrested or killed for being a Christ follower. They are allowed to participate in OCC as a cultural exchange that the Chinese government okayed.

One especially moving testimony took place in Ghana. An OCC team leader noticed the calloused feet of a young boy and quickly breathed a prayer, "Please God, let this child receive a pair of shoes in his box." The boy had never owned a pair of shoes and daily made a barefoot six mile round trip to school. When he opened his box, there were two pairs of shoes that were a perfect fit. God always knows what we need and when we need it. James 1:17 comes to mind..."Every good and perfect gift is from above. coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights..."

Can't wait to make more boxes next year!

Happy Birthday Trudy

My Oregon buddy, Trudy, is having a birthday and she is nervous about getting close to forty. All I have to say about that is, "You can just eat a big bowl of shut the heck up!" :) I kinda remember my thirties. Hee Hee...anyway. Trudy is a wonderful woman of God who has a heart as big as they get. She is a compassionate, loving person and was a BLAST to minister with while we were at Berean. Her crazy husband, Pastor Kevin, was the children's pastor there so we got to spend a lot of time together. I'll never forget the first time Trudy came to kid's church as her character, Sister Rowena. I thought I was gonna pee my pants laughing!

We had a lot of fun doing Missionettes together, too. The ornery side of Truders showed up a time or two at Powette and at our FAVORITE thing...Kid's Camp!! Oh how I miss both Kevin and Trudy at camp! Trudy also shares my love of purple. I knew she was smart! The only thing I never could understand about Trudy is that she loves hockey, of all things. Oh well, we all have our weaknesses! :)

Trudy is an amazing mom to Renn and Zayvn, two of the most active boys you'll ever meet. Trudy is one of those women who you just knew would be a great mom before she was even one officially. Happy Birthday Trudy...I miss you tons and can't wait to see you again.

90 Degrees in 10 Days

No, I'm not talking about the weather! I wish. I'm talking about a 90 degree bend in my knee with the therapist this morning only 10 days after surgery! She said I'm doing excellant and gave me some tips to work on my quad muscle which seems to be my one weak spot. She was sure it was from being soooo messed up for so long. She also gave me permission to prop up my knee for a couple hours so that I can get at least a little quality sleep. My reward for working so hard. :)

Happy Birthday Lindsay

Today is my friend Lindsay's birthday. I miss her a lot as she lives in Omaha...the land of her people. Lindsay is one of those people you love from the second you meet her. She has this full-out infectious laugh and is one of the most intelligent people I know. She's an incredible mom to Reese and Liam and puts up with her CRAZY husband Michael. Lindsay is an artist and a writer, too, and just an all around cool person. Love ya bunches, Linds! Miss you and hope to see your face soon.

Coming Along

The new knee is coming right along. My only set back was the huge bruise I got from the impatient nurse who loaded me up in the van to come home. Wow, it's been super sore and I was a little worried it was a blood clot. The physical therapist looked at it and thought it was bruising so bad because of the blood thinners they put you on following surgery.

The therapist was impressed with how well I am doing and she was able to bend my knee to 82 degrees which she said was awesome for the first time. I got the devil bendy machine to 97 and can sit in a chair for a few minutes with my knee bent somewhat normal. I told Randy that I could just kiss Dr. Vittitoe!

I am afraid that we are going to gain 10 pounds with all the yummy food coming in! I'll have to pace myself! I am already getting a little cabin fever. The only thing that helps is that it is sooo cold and you all know how much I love the cold weather. :)

Way Different Experience

I got home from the hospital Friday evening. What a different experience than last time. Surgery lasted two hours and as predicted Randy had a total seven hour wait with recovery and all the prep. Surgery went well, Dr. Vitittoe suspected that the crooked prostethis was due to a loose component but he found both components loose. Plain and simple...had to be fixed! I can already tell this time is going better. Monday and Tuesday my pain was controlled but Wednesday when they removed the nerve block, things changed quickly. It was a ROUGH day but the doctor and nurses were awesome and kept trying different medicine and combinations until they finally hit something that worked by Wednesday about 9 PM.

My level of care was incredible. Everyone down to the custodians were amazing. My room was big and beautiful and most importantly quiet. Physical therapy was done in the privacy of my room and without inflicting additional pain. I am able to bend my knee on the "devil bendy machine" to 85 degrees already and that is as far as I ever got before and it's only day 5! Don't get me wrong, it hurts, but I can tell how different it is already. My only complaint was the nurse who put me in the van to go home really hurt me. She was in a hurry to get me in and pushed my knee too far and I screamed. If she was a little more patient, it would have been fine. Took me a while to get it settled down last night but I don't think any damage was done.

Thanks so much to all who sent cards and flowers or came to visit. It means so much to have so many great people in our lives. We came home to pizza from the Lively's and Saturday chicken and rice from Amy! Yummo as usual. I am totally house bound for two weeks so come and see me if you can! PT is at home and I get my stitches out on Feb. 28. Please excuss any spelling errors...blogger spell check is still down!

Blog Break

I'll be away from the blog world for awhile for my surgery. Back in a few days!

Touched Up

We touched up Keaton's hair with some even brighter pink! Sweeeet!

Life Stage

Here is another example of the empty nest syndrome. Tomorrow afternoon, Randy and I have an appointment to get our picture taken for the new First Assembly church directory and it will be just the two of us....no kids. :( Makes me want to get that family picture appointment with Erica scheduled ASAP! We haven't had a professional family picture since we were all at Berean and I weighed 340 pounds. Guess it's past time.

Trusting God

I have two friends who are both experiencing life crisis' at this time. One is female, one is male and both are asking, "Where is God in all this?" How do we continue to trust God when were are in the realm of "impossibilities"? My heart breaks at some of the things these two are experiencing yet I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is in control and they will come out with something more than they have now.

Satan has a way of eclipsing us from God. Just as in nature we have an occassional eclipse, I think we can experience it in our lives as well. The moon blocks out the sunlight for a short period of time but eventually gets out of the way and we can enjoy the light again. For a time it's cold and dark and maybe even very still but we know that it's temporary. In nature's eclipse, we can have the attitude of, "Crap, where'd the sun go?" Or we can sit back and be amazed at how God created the universe and know He has a plan and purpose for that short inconvenience. Whatever Satan throws at us, he cannot eclipse the Light for long. We all hear it but do we understand it? Satan is a liar and a thief!!

I like what David Wilkerson says, "The faith that pleases God is born in a place of deadness." Just as Abraham trusted God when God said he and Sarah would have a son, “Being not weak in faith, (Abraham) considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb” (Romans 4:19). Abraham didn't dwell on the "impossibility". There was no eclipse.

I'm praying that my friends, who are experiencing totally different trials and are in totally different seasons in their lives, will continue to trust in this place of deadness. I'm praying that God will give me words and wisdom that I do NOT possess in myself. I'm praying that they can get past the "Crap, where'd the sun go?" stage to "Wow, that was impossible without God!" victory.

New Temptation

I'm so bad. I may not eat sweets but I have a serious salty-crunchy habit! Something new I've discovered is Pringles Select Jalapeno and Ranch Chips! Yowza...they are yummy! Warning - they give you some nasty breath. :)

Get a Tissue

My friend Linda sent this and I think it's blog worthy. It's from a radio station and the following was posted on their web site.....

"The Sky Angel Cowboy! Since posting this audio it has taken on a life of its own. People are forwarding it all over the world. Some corrections… We originally said Logan was 12. He actually turned 13 in August, so we don’t want to deprive him of such a big birthday. Logan listens to us (89.3 KSBJ which broadcasts from Houston, TX) on Sky Angel because he lives on a ranch in a very small town in Nebraska. He called us distraught because he had to take down a calf. His words have wisdom beyond his years.
Listen to what Logan had to say…"

http://www.ksbj.org/eblogs/morningShow/

WOW! Make sure you watch the news clip, too.

Okay....I Was R - R - R - Wrong

Okay...I did a little YouTube search for the e*trade baby Super Bowl commercials and Lindsay was RIGHT! Where was I when these played? It must have been when we girls were secretly eating the wings before the guys found out we had them. HeeHee. Hey - a girl's gotta eat! The bobble head one wasn't too bad but I kinda liked the clydsdale one where the dalmation trained him to be on the lead crew for that one adult beverage company. The giant balloons fighting over the coke was cute, too. Yeah...the underdog Charlie Brown won...just like the Giants.

Props

Props to the Giants for an amazing Super Bowl win! I didn't really care who won as long as it was a decent game...hate those blow-outs. Eli Manning's never-give-up breakaway and his unbelievable pass at the end of the game will go down in Super Bowl history. That catch by Tyree was equally unbelievable. We got to enjoy the game at our new friends, the Moekles', house with some others from First Assembly. Can't beat fun people, a good game, and some wings! The commercials were kinda disappointing, though.

Thatsa Ma Boy!

Here's a few pics of Naphtali's latest creation! Keaton's kids at Community Hope AG meet their BGMC goal and thus the pink hair. I think he looks cuter with his than I did with mine! :) It's so funny to see this big manly man running around with bright pink hair. I'm sure the guys he works with will have a field day with him but I know he can handle it. Anything for Boys and Girls Missionary Challenge! Go Keaton!

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.

Great First Day

My first official day on the Des Moines First Assembly team went great. It was BUSY in the nursery but we had fun...even with a few fussies. It was wonderful to have the whole Stinson fam visit!! Julianna came in like she had been there many times. She was so cute and I got some good hugs. Of course, it rocked to see Mary, too. She is getting soooo tall and even more beautiful.

My head is already spinning with some ideas to go from great to fantastic. All the gals who volunteered were so helpful and glad to have a new leadership. The gal who left had done a very good job so I have some big shoes to fill. The only reason she left is because she has three little ones herself and it was just too much time from her family.

It was also cool that many of the staff that I hadn't talked to since coming on board made it a point to stop by and welcome me to the team. I thought that was so nice since they all have busy schedules on Sunday, too. Made me feel at home already. I'd say the first day was a success!

Amazing Life Lessons

I thought these were worth a blog entry. You may have seen them before but are sure a great reminder of how we should treat others.

Five lessons about the way we treat people

1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady
During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?" Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50's, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade. "Absolutely, " said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say "hello." I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

2. - Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain
One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rain storm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960's. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab. She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached. It read: "Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away... God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."
Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.

3 - Third Important Lesson - Always remember those who serve.
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked. "Fifty cents," replied the waitress. The little boy pulled is hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it. "Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. " Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied. The little boy again counted his coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies. You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

4 - Fourth Important Lesson. - The obstacle in Our Path.
In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand! Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

5 - Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts...
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it if it will save her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away". Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

Great Christmas

Mike, Lori, Julie, Dan, Norman and mom Diane in front

Are we from the south?

Jakob and Dylan

Rock Star

Keaton and Michelle

Our matching sweatshirts - Go Wolverines!

Goin' "Gangsta"

Mic's new bomber hat

We had such a great Christmas! Our travels to Sioux City had good weather and tons of laughter in the van all the way there. I can't even tell you what all we laughed about but it was a noisy trip. :)

We got to meet Randy's new sister-in-law, Georgia, on Christmas Eve. We are happy for his brother, Don, who found new love after being widowed a few years ago. Randy's mom was having a better day with her health than usual and it was good to spend time with her. She turns 80 next week and her Parkinson's Disease is progressing and causes her a lot of discomfort. It's sure hard to see her aging and struggling with everyday tasks.

Christmas Day we spent partly with my family and back at Randy's mom's. We got to see my brother, Mike, for the first time in at least 8 years. He has been in prison for drugs but is doing great now and has given his heart and life to Jesus. I am so thankful that all of my mom's kids could be together for the day. We are like so many other families with "issues", but it was a great time with everyone. The twins are now 8 years old and were actually excited to see us and gave voluntary hugs! They are growing up. Not sure what my brother was thinking but they bought them BB guns for Christmas!! Yowza...I wouldn't be that brave (if that's the right word!)

We bought Micaela something she has wanted for four years...a bass guitar. She was pretty excited and has been fiddling with it none stop. Thank goodness it came with headphones so we don't have to endure her teaching herself how to play it. I threatened to send her out to the Main's house to make noise, but I love them too much!

We even got to spend some time last night with Keaton's friend Michelle and our second son Michael aka Obie. I feel so BLESSED to have my kid's friends come to our home and actually have fun hanging out with us. My sides hurt this morning from laughing so much! We had a slight scare with Michelle and a kernel of corn at dinner but all is well...no medical attention needed! :)

We praise God that our holiday was so good with family, friends, food, travel, and new ministry excitement and are mindful that not everyone had such a great Christmas. I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas and can share our fun through some of these pictures.

Isabella - A Star is born!!

Lisi Lou Lou - the real doll

Sandy and Adele May at DMC Grandparent's Day

My good buddy Amy at Cracker Barrel

My dad and step mom from Michigan

Me and my daddy at Thanksgiving

Micaela and me at Evangel

Here are some pics that I haven't posted until I got my new laptop!
It rocks...and is Flamingo Pink!!

Exciting News!

Today, I accepted an offer for a new ministry position at First Assembly of God in Des Moines. I am very excited about our opportunity to serve at such a great church. I will be a part of the children's ministry team starting December 30. My official job is a part time position overseeing all aspects of the nursery and I will be jumping into children's church ASAP teaming up with my friend Pastor Brian Bopp (aka BBopp), the children's pastor. There are so many possibilities for growth and expansion and we are all praying that I will be able to come on full time later this new year. BBopp and I have been dreaming up some awesome plans and are really looking forward to working together for the Lord.

I am a little surprised at how quickly this all transpired but am ready to jump back into leading children to Christ. We appreciate the welcome and enthusiasm of the staff at our joining the team at First. 2008 is looking to be a great year for the Eilers family!

Happy Birthday Angela

It's my buddy Angela's birthday! Let me count a few of the ways that Angela blesses my life and those around her....

Angela is a great listener when you need a shoulder.

Angela makes some rockin' potatoes that have a bizillion calories in a serving!

She's a Godly woman who is spiritually mature and obedient to the Lord.

Angela is a terrific mom of 3 and a half darlings: Jordan, Jacob, Jadyn and J____. I am always amazed at all she accomplishes with the kids in tow.

She has a great laugh and a quick wit.

She is a wife that makes her husband, Ed, very proud.

When you look up the word - Organized - in Webster's dictionary, it says Angela Sustala! :)

Angela is a wonderful friend and I a so blessed to know her and have her in my life. Sure glad God brought her here from Texas! Have a birthday that is as special as you are! Love you bunches!

Feeling Old or Maybe Well Seasoned...That's My Excuse!

Oh my-lan-ta! I had one of those "feel old" moments while working at school today. I had a class of 6th graders come into the computer lab and I saw this kid and knew I had to know him from somewhere. I just couldn't place him for sure. You know, I meet so many kids between churches I have ministered at, church camp for 13 years, Junior Bible Quiz for 13 years and working at a public school for 9 years, and various preaching opportunities. After I gave the class all their instructions, I asked the young man what his name was and he replied, Nathan. The light bulb came on....he was just a little guy when I last saw him at Berean where he would occasionally come with his grandparents. I said, "Oh, I know you! You used to visit Berean and I used to be one of the kid's workers there." He looked right at me and said, "Oh yeah, you're Pastor Lori!" What is kinda funny is that when I knew him, I wasn't officially a pastor yet but he always called me that anyway. I love it when I get "reunited" with my old kids, even though it made me feel a little "well seasoned."

My other moment today came at the post office. I stopped to mail a ministry class I finished and the post office was a ZOO!!! The line was moving fairly fast but I noticed that most everyone had either many packages or a stack of 500 cards. I had one manila envelope so when I got to the counter, and without thinking mind you, I said to the nice gentleman, "I'm easy!" He smiled and said, "You better not say that too loud." I about died! I was stammering and trying to clarify myself with, "No, No, I meant easy as in I have one envelope!" I was beet red, of course! My age must be having an affect on my speech...or something like that!

Changes

It appears that the Lord is bringing about some changes once again in our lives. Sometimes when you have a decision to make, it is black or white, obviously yes or no, or doesn't take much thought. A very wise man that we know once gave Keaton some advise about a decision that didn't have an obvious answer. He said to pray, step out, proceed in faith and ask God to close the door if it needs to be closed. Go until God says yes or says no...put some feet to your faith. Randy and I are in one of those spots right now. I am going to step out and see what God has in store. I trust that His ways are higher than mine, His plan is better than anything I could ever ask for or dream and that He sees in me possibilities that are yet to be discovered. I am being reminded that when God gives you a vision you need to remain focused on that vision and He will take care of all the details of getting there. When we think we know how to achieve the vision, God may remind us that His plan to get there may be different than what you thought. If I stay close to Him, He will continue to use me. My vision for the children of the Des Moines area is still the same...the journey has just been updated! I used to dread change, I'm learning to embrace it.

Back in the Swing

My first day back at Parkview Middle School was a little surreal. It felt weird to be there but strangely comfortable; I worked there for nine years, after all. All the staff was so welcoming and excited to hear about the kids and life in general. It was fun to "catch up" with everyone and be with people who I've known for so long and hear about their kids, too. The staff at Parkview was with me during my weight loss five years ago and were my biggest cheerleaders! I remember a group of them were so proud of how I did that they were trying to get me on the Oprah show!! Too funny! Made me smile to hear my friend Lisa call me by the nickname she gave me several years ago...Lucky. She always calls Randy "Mr. Lucky." Even got to see a couple of "my kids" from our Berean days who go to PVMS. Crazy to do hall duty and watch how 6th and 7th graders behave and interact. Middle schoolers are strange creatures, for sure. :)

I had so many opportunities to share Christ with coworkers over the years and I'm praying that the Lord will use me while I'm there again. I'm determined to make the best of this season in my life and to get past my own sorrow and still be a light in the world. There are several new teachers on staff since I left not quite two years ago so there is much to do this week. :)

Christmas Programs

How about this wonderful Iowa weather? Makes for interesting driving and walking with my crazy knee! We had a GREAT time at the Des Moines Christian School Christmas program yesterday. Thanks so much to the May family for allowing us to be fill-in grandparents for Adele. It was one of the best kid's programs I've ever seen and I've seen a lot of them! The kids did such a fantastic job and you could tell the whole presentation was bathed in prayer. Even with the stinky weather there was a record crowd. DMC was a wonderful host with lots of coffee and cookies and smiling faces to welcome all. We even had some bonus hugs from other kids we knew!!

This morning we went to Christian Life Assembly and it was their adult Christmas program. It was super good, they have some very talented singers! They even had some impressive choreography! If you are bored and want something to do, they are having another performance tonight at 6 PM. We had planned to surprise Keaton this morning and drive to Montezuma but the roads that direction were pretty dicey. I really wanted to go since it was their kid's program and Keaton was preaching in big church. Bummer! Keaton and I had chosen the same Christmas program so I was dieing to see it performed. Oh well, we enjoyed our visit to CLAG.

I bought the new Josh Groban Christmas CD and it is awesome! Highly recommend it and it's on sale at Family Christian Bookstore. I had an extra $10 off coupon so I pert-near got it for free! Sweeeet! Gotta love that Josh Groban. It's funny...one of my kids LOVES Christmas music and the other HATES it. Can you guess which one is which? I've been listening to the Elf soundtrack and The Rat Pack Christmas, too. I even broke out the old Avalon Christmas CD, it's an oldy but goody. I need to buy the old Mariah Carey Christmas CD. I had it on cassette and it's one of the best one's ever. Let me know if anyone sees it out there for cheap.

Happenings

I finally connected with my pal Amy G. on Monday. She is one of those friends who you may not see forever but can pick up talking like you just saw them yesterday! So good to spend a couple hours catching up and encouraging each other.

Tuesday was my first day back on the job in the Ankeny Schools. I filled in for a study hall teacher for the whole day. It went well but I'm sure not cut out to do that every day all day long. Too quiet!! It looks like I will be able to work as many hours as I want, which is good. Back at my old school all next week!

This morning I was at Des Moines Christian for chapel. Our Big Idea was, "Serving isn't just for a season!" It was fun to have the principal, Mr. Lambert, be my helper. I think the kids enjoyed seeing him being a good sport. Got to see some of the JCFC kids which was a real treat. They are all such good huggers! Randy and I will be back to DMC on Saturday as stand in grandparents for Adele for Grandparent's Day. We are so honored to be invited and are really looking forward to it.

Tonight, I'm supposed to have dinner with another old friend, Jenn Y. She and I worked together at the school and have stayed close. She has two sweet baby boys but we are leaving them home tonight!

Church Visit

It's still kinda weird just going to church and not preaching, moving things or knowing everyone that's there, but it has been enjoyable experiencing different congregations and preaching styles. Today, we were at First Assembly of God and saw some familiar faces including Shanna Kempers' parents, Scott and Lynette. We have been there enough that it wasn't totally unfamiliar. I stopped by kid's church to see my good friend Pastor BBopp. He's such a great guy and a very anointed children's pastor.

Pastor Dave Beroth preached a wonderful message about finding joy. Randy and I talked about the service and both got something different from it but were both encouraged and challenged. It was great to see Pastor Christine, too. She is their Connections pastor and was super excited to see us. Although Randy was a little bent out of shape that she gave me a big hug and not him! You know Randy, Mr. Huggy. :)

My Friday date with my old buddy Amy G. had to be postponed until tomorrow so I'm really looking forward to that. We took advantage of the bad weather and had Keaton to ourselves for part of the weekend. Always great to spend time with the boy! I cooked a big ole breakfast Saturday morning and a slammin' good pot of chili for dinner! Cold, nasty weather always makes me want to cook.

Christmas Tree

We put up the Christmas tree and finally got it all decorated. One of my favorite things about our tree is that I have, over the years, been given all kinds of ornaments from "my kids." It brings back such great memories and I always look forward to receiving new ornaments each year to add to my collection. Some are homemade, some are store bought, some are fancy and all are loved and appreciated! After being in ministry for about 20 years, you can imagine the assortment! This year, I thought about how different Christmas will be with not having a church home yet. Then I remembered that the Adair family gave me a beautiful ornament as a going away gift on my last day at JCFC! It looks great on the tree and has a sweet message on it, "A friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart."

Our tree will never be one of those fancy "theme" trees cuz I just can't part with all the sentimental favs. You know; Baby's First Christmas, the Our First Christmas Together one and all those funny ones your kids pick out for you. I must be getting old...I feel all sappy!