What a Great Week!

Maybe I should say, "What a great summer!", but let's just focus on the past week. I had the opportunity to go to Iowa for a couple of days. When I arrived at my friends, the Mains, we had a very happy reunion with many friends and some of my Iowa kids. Wow, they grow a lot in 10 months! Good food, lots of laughs, pictures, hugs, stories, new babies, new babies on the way...you can't get much better than that. I'm so thankful for Amy! She has been a faithful, supportive friend from the moment we met. I spent Tuesday and Thursday nights there.

Wednesday, I drove to the Iowa Assemblies of God campground, Sunstream Retreat Center. The weather was picture perfect! It was an awesome day of reunions with old friends, kids I've met at other camps and JBQ, and the best part...spending the day with Keaton. Can I just say how proud I am of our son? He has been working like a mad man for months preparing for all of the camps for youth and kids. If I had one person I had a hundred tell me what a great job Keaton has done for the Iowa Ministry Network. It was so fun to see him in action. Check out his "crazy hair day" pics! That's dedication! I got to hear him preach a chapel and it was annointed! The boy can flat out preach!

Keaton gave me a tour of all the updates and additions to the camp. WOW! It is amazing. They've added three zip lines, zorb balls (the official ground zorb hill is in development and will be ready next summer), go carts, remodeled the sanctuary, game rooms, snack shop, gym, many of the sleeping rooms, the cafeteria and gave the whole grounds a deep cleaning. It took months of clearing trees and heavy construction but it was sure worth the end product. One very nice addition in my opinion was the Starbucks coffee! Now that's doing things with excellence! :)

I was honored to be able to do a chapel service for the kids. It was a personal blessing...somewhat of a gift from God. Last year, when I was at camp, someone had said some very hurtful things to me and I left on the last day on a bad note and a hurting heart. I knew in my heart that I would be leaving Iowa and I was so sad that my last Iowa camp had ended on a sour note. Yes, the person apologized later but it was still sad to have 15 years of Iowa camp end that way. This week, was a full circle event. I am so thankful to the Lord. The chapel service went awesome as God spoke a message to the kids about their uniqueness and purpose in Christ. We spent some time listening for the voice of God. The kids responded so well and I hope they all remember our Big Idea, "I am a flake!" You had to be there. :)

As awesome as it was, I'm glad to be home in Tennessee! Thanks to all who made it a wonderful few days. Got the Character Connex kit and I'm excited to get going on scheduling school assemblies!

This Week....

I have a busy, exciting week ahead. It's Monday meeting day...you know how I enjoy that. It's just great to have the team together and share victories the Lord has given us. This meeting will be a little sad for me. Pastor Justin and Hope won't be there. Yesterday was their last day as they are moving to Mississippi. Pastor Justin and I have a unique bond and it was a tearful goodbye last night.

Tomorrow, I'm heading to Iowa! It's gonna be a very quick trip but I'm really looking forward to it. I'll arrive Tuesday late afternoon at the Main house where Amy has arranged a little get together of old friends and a pot luck dinner! Amy is ALWAYS doing something special for me even though I live 10 hours from her. Her birthday is Friday. Maybe I should bake a chocolate cake before I leave town.

Wednesday morning I'm up early and off to the Iowa Assemblies of God campground ~ Sunstream Retreat Center where week two of kid's camp is happening! I am beyond excited to see my boy! Keaton has been there all summer ministering and working super hard. The campground has undergone a major renovation so I'm looking forward to checking it out. To top it all off, I get to preach the morning chapel on Wednesday! It will be so cool to see all of my old camp buddies, too. Pastor Laurie Rich, who is one of my best friends, will be there along with other great friends, Pastor Kevin and Trudy Umphress, Pastor Brian Bopp aka BBopp, Pastor Heath and Ali Adamson and many more.

Thursday it's back to Des Moines to pick up our Character Connex kit! This investment will help me to get into our schools and do character building assemblies and build even deeper relationships with our community. I'm so thankful our church was supportive of the purchase and for the favor I have gained in the schools. I'll get to see another one of my bestest friends on Thursday! Judy is a pal from my days at Parkview Middle School. We are sisters of the heart. She is one of those people I can say anything to and know she doesn't judge and can keep a confidence. Those people are rare in the life of a person let alone a pastor.

I am the most blessed person to have so many incredible friends. I'm really hoping to see some other folks like the Albers tribe and the Lively clan. It's such a quick trip I will have to be a good steward of my time to fit it all in.

Friday morning it's back on the road. I'll be traveling alone as Randy is holding down the fort and making preparations to start his new job next Monday. We have a big all church work day next Saturday so I want to be back to lend a hand in that. We will be starting the process of painting the school bus! Woot woot. Can't wait to see the finished product and start picking up even more kids for church.

I MIss My Intern

Jeremiah went back to Iowa on Monday morning. His time here went way too fast. We had lots more we wanted to work on. I know he came here to learn a few things from me but he was probably more of a blessing to me than I to him.

First of all, it brought me to tears Sunday morning as he led worship with his fiance, Monica. Not because they were off key....far from it....they sounded wonderful. The tears were thankful ones. I have known those two since they were about 7 yrs. old and to see them grown up, and serving Jesus plus using their talents for the Kingdom just was more than I could contain. It made me so proud. To think I may have had just a tiny part in their journey as Christ followers humbles me right back down to my knees.

Jeremiah was a great physical help the whole time he was here. He willingly did anything asked of him. Of course, that blessed me but to see the long hours, and mental fatigue through his eyes helped me remember that the call of ministry is not for the lazy or cave-in type. Lazy ministers tick me off. Mediocrity makes me want to vomit. Be sold out or get out! People entering ministry need to know right up front that it is more than a 40 hour a week job. It's a fire in your bones that cannot be contained. There is no shut-off valve to stop the thoughts and ideas. There is no putting aside the care and concern for your church family. It is a part of your DNA...pastors are just wired different. I don't see it as a bad thing at all, but it's hard to make people understand.

Jeremiah stirred my creative juices when we would discuss service orders, characters we could develop, new music, and object lessons. We talked ministry night and day...day and night. Poor Randy was probably sick of hearing about it but I felt an urgency to tell Jeremiah as much as I could. He asked good questions and seemed to really listen and file it away in his mind. Even everyday church business and happenings were teaching moments. I just know when I started out 20 some years ago there weren't too many people around I could go to for advise, resources and help. I want to encourage and help equip the next generation of children's pastors in whatever way I can.

Thank you Jeremiah for coming and helping us. Thank you for bringing some new thoughts and ideas. Thank you for allowing me to pour something out and being a good listener. Thanks for fishing with Randy and laughing at his wonky sense of humor. I miss you already! You are gonna be an incredible children's pastor....you are already impacting the Kingdom in a BIG way.

Tennessee Kid's Camp

I am soooo behind in blogging! I got back last Friday from my first TN kid's camp at Camp Jackson. I feel like I have been gone from home for half the summer. Between Turkey, Sports Camp and Kid's Camp, poor Randy has nearly forgotten what I look like. Anyway, we took 8 kids for a fun filled week.

The weather was beautiful; sunny and warm. It was interesting to experience all the differences from Iowa to Tennessee camp. It was hard not to compare after spending 14 or 15 years at Sunstream Retreat Center. Camp Jackson is set back in a woodsy area and is pretty hilly. It has dorm buildings and cabins with the main difference being the cabins don't have their own bathrooms; you have to go to a bathhouse. From the area of the main buildings, you have to cross a ravine area with a bridge to get to the boys area and another bridge to get to the girls area. The main buildings include the cafeteria, a "shirt shack" that sells all kinds of stuff, and a gym/santuary that also houses a concession stand. There is also an open pavillion area and an open area with carpet ball. The pool is located between the boys and girls dorm areas. They have a rock climbing wall that was pretty cool. You hike down into the ravine next to the boys bridge and the wall is built up against the bridge. Of course there are several different fields for sports and a basketball court.

There were 325 kids attending our week which was #2 out of 3. The food was very good for camp food. The evangelist was AWESOME! Vance Martin and his family did a wonderful job and the kids loved them. We had some great altar times and four of our kids were filled with the Holy Spirit. I love that camp has no distractions of TV, computers, etc, and the kids can just focus on the Lord.

I was able to meet some other children's pastors that I hadn't met before. It's always great to connect with others who do what I do and understand why. Tennessee, like Iowa, has some great children's pastors and leaders. It was a good experience for Jeremiah to see another camp, too. He did a great job with our boys...and they were a challenge. :)

I'm excited to visit Iowa camp next week. They have made a bunch of changes under new leadership. I'm going to Iowa for some church business and have to honor to preach a morning chapel for their Kid's Camp. It will be awesome to see our son, Keaton, and many of my cp friends. It's a quick trip but I'm thankful I get to go.

Random Stuff of Our Week

My intern, Jeremiah, and I had the opportunity to go to the Boys and Girls Club this week and read books to the kids. They are having a read-a-thon. It was fun to see several of "my kids" who attend there and they were very excited to see us. Jeremiah works in a kindergarten classroom back in Iowa so he is an excellent story reader. I'm supposed to be volunteering once a week there but the director has failed to get me the info and schedule. You would think they would be jumping at the chance for a volunteer but it seems they really aren't in as big a need as I thought.

We are preparing for CAMP next week. Anyone who knows me knows camp is my thing! There is just something about 5 concentrated days of worship, crazy games, challenging services, point totals, contests, new friends, altar time, no sleep, mediocre food and no outside distractions that just gets me going! Kids can leave behind the crud of the world and the things of life and just be kids who seek after Jesus. Camp is one of THE best spiritual investments you'll ever do for your kids. Churches that don't want to mess with sending their kids to camp are MISSING it! We have eight kids going plus me, Jeremiah and Hailey. Please pray for us next week. I know some powerful things are going to happen....my spirit is so stirred. And bonus...I get to meet some more of my Tennessee tribe-mates!

Jeremiah and I rearranged my office this week. I love it! Garrett added a little "muscle" to the mix....as much muscle as Garrett has. Hee hee. I'll have to take a picture. If nothing else it was great to clean and get rid of all the sports camp stuff that was piled up.

We made some home visits this week. The kids are always so excited to see us when we come even if it's only for a few minutes. Jeremiah is getting a taste of what some of our kids live in and with. We have several from Sports Camp we need to go see. We got the follow up postcards out thanks to my friend Darla! She typed up all our contacts for me. I'm still praising God for such an awesome week.

Jeremiah did a great job preaching last Sunday and is speaking again this Sunday. He has been a huge blessing to me and I'll be very sorry to see him go back to Iowa. I know he is getting a workout but I hope it has been a worthwhile journey for him as he prepares to be a children's pastor. It has been fun to brainstorm and bounce ideas around. It's been nice having him around the house, too. I miss our kids and love to have extra people stay with us. He's been a wonderful housemate....neat and tidy! :) It's also been a blessing to have some live worship while he is here. I love it for our altar time...makes a big difference in the flow of things. I've tried to convince him to just move here but I guess he better stick to God's plan and not mine!

The Last Night of MEGA Sports Camp

What a great week! The last night brings mixed feelings....we had sooo much fun I hate that it's over but I'm so tuckered I can hardly blink without dozing. Tonight we had 8 more first time salvations which brings the week to 24 kids coming to accept Christ. It excites me, humbles me, and drives me. Excites me to see the beginning of their new life, humbles me to think that God allowed me to have a small part in all of it and drives me to stay focused on the vision God has given me for the children of Union City.

My intern, Jeremiah, and I were kinda debriefing the week and deciding what if anything I should change for next year. We thought of a couple of small details but overall it went so well. I think two of the keys were that everyone jumped in and was enthusiastically ready to serve kids and empowering and trusting people to take ownership in the tasks assigned them.

Water games were a big hit and I think a smart way to end the week. Ironically it was the mildest day of the whole week. :) Still warm enough to make getting wet a treat. Of course, I was a target but I took it like a trooper...it's just water after all. The youth kids got me with three big buckets of water while they were running full steam ahead towards me. Good times.

Sunday night after church, we are having a big pizza party to honor all of our volunteers!

Night #4 MEGA Sports Camp

So I'm reading through the lesson for night four of MEGA Sports camp and am thinking it's kinda wimpy. We may have one night with a child and you want to have a powerful message and not waste an opportunity. The theme for the night is sacrifice and I decided that I was going to change everything even down to the huddle time with is a segment where the teachers do a small group story and reinforce the message. The team just went with it and were totally on board. No one panicked that I made a last minute switcher-roo! We even tweaked the schedule. Result....following the leading of the Holy Spirit brings 16 kids to salvation. Can I hear a big AMEN! We had 13 new kids and another beautiful night. I still have not heard one single complaint about the weather being too hot. I'm so proud of our team! We are having a celebration pizza party Sunday night after discipleship to show appreciation and hear some testimonies of how God moved in the hearts and lives of our kids AND even the team. We will do Sports Camp again next summer - FOR SURE!

MEGA Sports Camp Day #3

It keeps getting better and better! 17 new kids last night! So awesome to see so many new faces and watch the kids having such a great time. Of course with it being the first year, I knew there would be areas to tweak if we do it again but not too many. The "normal" time frame to do a camp is during the day and for three hours so our evening event is different as it is only 2 hours. We definitely could use a little more time but I think the 6:30-8:30 time slot is really better for the kids than trying to make it later.

We have had perfect weather and no injuries other than a slightly jammed finger. Our camp nurse administered the right amount of ice and TLC and all was well! I think 2010 will be having a Sports Camp for sure! I'll add more pics later...blogger is taking too much time to load and I have tons to do!

Mega Sports Camp Day #2

Night 2 of Mega Sports Camp brought us 16 new kids!! Can I get a woot woot for Jesus? We are having way too much fun and the kids have just been awesome. Dealt with one slightly sassy mouth but other than that we've had angels. I cannot tell you how incredible all the workers have been! So many have gotten behind the vision we have to reach kids in Union City. I'm overwhelmed with gratitude, inspired to do better, and so excited to see what God has in store for all of us at First Assembly of God. I'm going to bed....I'm tuckered!

Mega Sports Camp

Night one of Mega Sports Camp was great! How great you may ask? How about a team of people who are so excited to serve Jesus and Union City kids that we had more volunteers than kids attending? 30 kids, 38 workers and a few visitors! How about new families that have never been to the church? How about a smooooth day one with no glitches except a pesky, gi-normous horse fly that dive bombed the kids right at altar time. Stinking devil! Anyway...I'm so happy with how everything went and can't wait for tonight. It was HOT and I did not hear one single complaint from the team! I am so blessed!

My intern, Jeremiah, was such a HUGE help! He is doing a great job and ready to jump in and do whatever it takes. He's preaching in Building 2-52 this weekend and I'm excited to hear what the Lord has laid upon his heart.

Too many pics to post here but enjoy a couple!

Turkey Thoughts

So I was expecting an ah-ha moment when I was in Turkey. It never came. I thought when I got there that God would clue me in on why He wanted me to travel over 10,000 miles to do that thing I do. It may remain a mystery this side of Heaven. I totally know I was supposed to go and I cherish the opportunity and experience and trust that my obedience brought about the goal He had in mind.

The missionary kids that I got to spend my week with were the sweetest, most appreciative kids. I had a small tribe so our time together was very personal. There were kids who serve in Moldova, Armenia, and Russia. We worshipped, played games, did crafts, prayed, and heard from God. I could tell that they are slow to trust new people and I think I understand why but they were starting to open up to me when, of course, our time was almost over.

Turkey is beautiful to look upon but hard to feel a part of. The country is 99% Muslim and I could feel the oppression when I arrived. It gave me an expanded appreciation for the freedom of religion we have in the USA! I felt guarded all week. We were careful as to not announce we were pastors or missionaries as we are frowned upon. I'm not used to watching how I speak for fear of my safety.

The resort where the retreat was located was so nice and the view from my room was something from a Hollywood movie. It was pretty warm and it is common for places to not air condition the hallways, restaurants, lobbies as we do in the states. Our rooms had swamp coolers that only ran when we were in our rooms and had the key inserted into the slot that gave us power. Randy would have died from the heat!

I didn't get to see much because of my schedule and leaving as soon as the retreat was over but I wasn't on vacation...I was there to minister. I did get to go to Kusadasi for a few hours and that was very interesting seeing all the people and little market shops. I heard so many different languages during that week!!

I had a wonderful experience and am so thankful I got to go. So many people helped with raising the money and I cannot begin to thank you all enough. I heard from the missionaries that their kids were really blessed by our time together and that was the most important part. I was honored to work with a young couple who love kids, too, and are learning children's ministry. I hope I was an encouragement to them in their call.

Gettin' Ready

Well, I'd love to say that my bags are all packed but I'm still working on all the details of going to Turkey. I'm leaving tomorrow. I have so many different emotions right now. Mostly, though, I'm just excited to see what God has planned.

I'm going to try to blog at least once from Turkey....mainly just so I can say that I did! :) I don't think I'll be able to use my phone but thank God for blogs and e-mail.

Thanks for praying. Thanks for giving. Thanks for your encouragement. Thanks to my church and husband who happily support me leaving for six days. (Randy may be a little too happy!)

Much love to all!

Turkey Bound

I cannot believe one week from today I will be flying to Turkey! It has come up so fast. I now have enough support raised to cover all my fixed expenses plus a little pad for those expenses that are hard to plan for. If I'm careful, I should have enough for the whole trip. THANK YOU to all who given towards this opportunity to minister. You have made an investment that, I pray, has eternal rewards. You are sending me where you cannot, at this time, go yourself. I promise to do everything in my power to represent you well and carefully listen to what the Lord would have me to preach.

Please continue to pray for traveling safety, good health and that the Holy Spirit will really move in our services. I will preach seven services with the kids. There is a young missionary couple who are coming to help me. I'm excited to meet them. Val in an MK and has lived in Latvia, Russia and Belgium so I know she will be a huge help in the cultural differences I'll experience. I'm so thankful that the Lord has opened this opportunity to me.

I'll leave from Memphis on Saturday evening and fly all night to Amsterdam. Then onto Istanbul and finally to Kusadisi, Ephesus, Turkey (airport is at Izmir). I'll get to the resort about 8 PM their time which is noon our time. My total air time one way is between 13 and 14 hours. I'll be returning Friday from Izmir to Istanbul to JFK (three hr. layover) and then into Memphis about 10 PM. It takes about 2 - 2 1/2 hrs. to get to Memphis from Union City. My flight schedule is actually pretty good. No sleeping in airports!

I'll take lots of pictures and if I have internet access will blog from Turkey. Blessing to all!

Living in the Land of Grace

Grace...we all need it...we should all give it. BUT. I had a conversation with Pastor Mark our music pastor, and Pastor Tommy the other day that has been replaying in my head. We were commenting on an ongoing frustration in all areas of ministry. Lack of commitment and excellence. Most people who commit to volunteering at church do an awesome job. We have a team of people that ROCK! But every church has volunteers who have the best of intentions and still struggle to follow through. For years, we in the church have been living in the land of grace. "Well, if I'm a few minutes late, it's church folks and they'll forgive me." "I didn't have time to study my Sunday School lesson, so I'll wing it....everyone is busy so they'll understand." "There are two other nursery workers scheduled so they probably won't care if I don't show up."

In our quest to be grace givers, we have allowed people to serve Christ in a haphazard, second best way. I realize people who volunteer at church also work other jobs and have busy lives. But we need to decide if we can afford to let this trend continue or if we have to have those hard conversations with those who serve in ministry. I don't like those conversations...I tend to lean towards mercy, but since that discussion with my fellow pastors, I have had to ask myself if I'm willing to sacrifice my comfort or sacrifice the effectiveness of the way we reach the lost. I truly believe Jesus is coming soon so therefor, I am willing to sacrifice my comfort and help those who need it to see how they can step up and do their ministry in a more effective way. Obviously, I have to do it in a Christ-like manner but it needs to be done. In anything and everything that we do, we should be doing it as unto the Lord himself. Sometimes we have only ONE opportunity to share Jesus with someone...I want to do my best. As a leader, I need to be able to set the pace, raise the bar and speak the truth. It may seem harsh but if we keep this pattern of good enough, we will never see a pattern of excellence. I need to be able to communicate to the people in my circle of influence that every Sunday is our Super Bowl!

I'd love to hear some feedback. How have you dealt with this?

Funny Thing About "Haystacks"

First of all....I surpassed 500 blog entries and didn't even realize it. Go me. Hee hee.

Second, and to me this is hilarious, in the last several months I have had tons of hits on my blog from all over the world. Obscure, exotic, far away lands...plus every corner of the good ole USA have perused Pastor Lori's Blog because they have Google searched "Giant Haystack." Last October, our church hosted a Halloween alternative with a huge haystack filled with numbered balls that the kids could redeem for prizes. Of course, I blogged about it. Apparently there was a famous wrestler named Giant Haystacks who passed away in 1998. In the search for info on the famous Mr. Haystacks, people have stumbled upon the blog. My Site Meter has given me a glimpse of the wrestling world....those crazy people are all over the place! Anyway...it makes me laugh. Maybe someone will look at my blog and learn something about Jesus! Love that.

Teaching Kids About the Holy Spirit and The Call

Yesterday in Building 2-52, I preached from Acts 1:8. It was obviously the first time that most of the kids had heard about the Holy Spirit and the power it gives us in our lives. We had an amazing altar time in both services. To my knowledge, none of the kids were filled with the Holy Spirit as with the evidence of speaking in other tongues but I am not discouraged. Why, you may ask? Because every single kid in both services were at the altar worshipping God, going after more of Him and just enjoying His presence. It is always a beautiful sight to watch a child lost in prayer. It tears me up each time I see one of my kids on their knees with their little faces in their hands seeking more of Jesus.

It will not be the last time I preach on this powerful gift. I have just begun and I know, with God's help, I will be able to help them more fully understand why it is so important. I have a better understanding of what they need to learn. The first thing is that kids are intimidated to pray out loud. You cannot be filled without being able to worship God with an audible voice. I know most adults don't even feel comfortable enough to pray out loud but these kids will be able to do it and lead the way for all generations!

One GREAT source for explaining the Holy Spirit to children is a book that I'd like to recommend. It's called Kid Power by Tim Enloe and you can order it on his web site at http://enloeministries.org. You can get a good price by ordering 10 or more. I'm ordering some this week to have on hand. I think it's something that would really help to empower parents to teach this at home. It would be so awesome to hear about families praying together at home to receive their Heavenly prayer language.

Side note...had an amazing conversation with one of my 3rd grade boys after service. The first time I met this young man, the Lord spoke to me that He had a call on this boy's life. I have been waiting for Jonas to tell me himself. I don't ever want to plant ideas into kid's heads so I hadn't said anything to him. The Lord prompted me to ask him if he knew yet what God's plan was for his life. His eyes were so big and he very politely said, 'Yes, mam." I asked him if he'd like to tell me about it and he said, "God has called me to be a preacher." I then told him that God had told me the same thing. You should have seen his eyes get even bigger! So exciting to see kids being called at such a young age! That's the second boy in about a month who have shared their call with me. The Lord has showed me two other kids He has called and set apart for service and I'm already praying for them, that they would obey, guard their hearts and never doubt what God has asked them to do.

What's Up?

I have been a bad blogger as of late. So sorry. Thought I'd give some random thoughts, observances and rants to give you a glimpse of my life lately.

God is so amazing. I know...duh. But really, He is so faithful and forever grace-giving and I seriously am so thankful for where I am in my faith. I have not "arrived" but love that I can honestly say I have grown more in my relationship with Jesus in the past couple of years than ever before....and striving to grow DAILY. The last nearly 8 months of being in Union City, God has "expanded my territory" by allowing me to minister, not only kids, but several adults as well.

I started a "Kid's Council." It is a leadership/ministry training time for any 3rd-5th grader who would like to learn some ministry skills. We meet from 5-6 every Thursday. The kids involved understand that this is a serious responsibility and they always hear the scripture from Luke 12:48, "to whom much is given, much is required." We start our time with prayer. I am teaching the kids to pray out loud for each other. It may sound silly but I know many adults who cannot pray out loud in front of people so I want the kids from a young age to be able to speak out and minister to others. We then have a devotion from the Word of God. The kids are required to read their Bibles at home, too. We then move into training. We are currently working on leading worship and puppets. Every week, they go home with homework! It may be music and motions to learn or puppet practice but they have something to learn. It's going great right now. One of my 4th grade girls has a call to ministry on her life. I don't know if she fully realizes her call yet but she is gonna be a firebrand for Jesus!

I baptized 7 kids a couple of Sunday's ago. Wow, nothing like the feeling of helping a child step through another phase of their journey with Christ. Austin, one of the boys I baptized, came to his mom a few weeks ago and told her that God had spoke to him and told him he was gonna be a preacher! This 9 year old is so on fire for God. He didn't have his own Bible so Pastor Tommy told me to get him one from the church. He carries that Bible around like it's the most awesome thing he has ever owned. He testified during his baptism about his call. I think he may have inspired a tear or two among the adults. I know there were lots of cheers. I'm so proud of all my kids! To see them at the altar in Building 2-52 with their little faces in their hands, bowed down on their knees, going after God with all they have, gives me a feeling I cannot adequately put into words. I praise God that I am allowed to witness such things each week.

It has rained a lot here recently. I am officially OVER IT! Come on sunshine. Everyone's lawns are so wet and the grass is growing like crazy but it's hard to mow with all that water.

Randy is still unemployed. Man, we must have really ticked off the devil cuz he is sure trying to discourage us! We know God is at work, He's providing and of course, He is faithful. We will stand firm, remain obedient to His call and expect the miracle to come.

I leave for Turkey in just a few weeks. I am no where near what I need in funds but the Lord is never early nor is he ever late. This Sunday, my Building 2-52 team has organized an ice cream social fundraiser for me! How awesome is that? They are the best team ever! Some of the younger kids are asking if I'm going forever. It's hard to see the concern on their faces but I have assured them they are stuck with me!

Our friends, Curt and Mandy Cecil, had baby number four! Congrats on the arrival of Thaddeus Larkin Cecil! He's a beautiful little bugger!

Micaela is officially graduated, moved and working. Praise God. I'm so proud of my girl!

So....what's up with you?

Ice Cream Dates

Had a little BGMC challenge and these goofy girls won the contest! Micky D's, ice cream and laughter...doesn't get much better than that!

Where Have All the Comments Gone?

Is it due to Facebook? Have I become too boring? I miss comments. Sadness.

Where Have I Been?

So sorry to be MIA in the blog world but life has been nothing short of craziness the past few weeks and to top it all off, my computer hard drive crashed and burned! I lost EVERYTHING! That's what I get for trusting a computer that is only 1 1/2 years old. I will now and forever back everything up on a jump! It is so sad how many pictures I lost.

We are so proud of Micaela! We witnessed her graduating from Evangel University on Friday! It has been a long journey for her but she always had top grades and finished strong. The day before graduation, she was offered a job at...are you ready for this?...Evangel! She is now gainfully employed full time in the conference services office where she has done a work study for the past three years. God's timing was amazing. She can do graphics as a freelance and stay at the school she loves so much. She moved into her first apartment with her best friend and life is good for my girl.

I have been sick for the past 10 days but finally feeling almost normal. I'm just a little tired still. I had sinus infection. Blah!!!! It started out as a cold and blossomed into, well, I'll spare you the details.

I have lots of pics to load in the next few days. Graduation, water baptism of some of my kids, Pastor Tommy's 50th birthday party, ice cream dates with BGMC contest winners from church...

God is really stirring my heart. He continues to stretch me and it's exciting, overwhelming, humbling, inspiring, and keeping me on my knees. God has given me a vision for where we are headed in the children's ministry of Union City First Assembly of God. I can't wait to see how He is going to accomplish it all because it is beyond me. I will continue to work as though it depends and me and pray as it, of course, depends on God! I do know one thing...I may have to clone myself! :)

Only one month until I go to Turkey! Eeeek. I have my passport and have had about 1/3 of my support come in through so many wonderful friends. I have a long way to go for the rest and not much time but God is never too early nor too late. I flux between uber excited and gonna-throw-up nervous about traveling so far by myself. It will entail many firsts in my life.

Go Gavin

This baby blesses my heart!! This is Gavin, our youth pastor's son. His momma put him up on the drum throne with the sticks and he was going to town! He's a sweet, happy little guy and gets tons of attention at church. Love that boy!

Easter 2009

It was a great day for Jesus at Union City First Assembly of God! We had a nice crowd of people with several visitors and a couple of people receiving Jesus into their hearts for the first time. We had 83 in the children's department! Our candy dash and giant bounce house were a big hit. All our plans and timing of events went off without a hitch, praise God! Pastor Justin did a fantastic job of preparing the hospitality teams. It was so great to have the whole church working together for the purpose of winning the lost.

I haven't gotten to listen to Pastor Tommy's message yet but I was told by many that it was super good....very anointed and inspiring. His sermon was titled "Resurrection Reunion." Can't wait to hear it. So can you if you go to our web site and link to iTunes and listen to the podcast. http://www.unioncityfirstag.com.

It was hard to watch the faces of my kids when they heard of the horrible things done to our beloved Savior. I didn't get too graphic as to upset them but even the things I did share obviously impacted their young hearts. I told them Easter is the saddest story ever told yet the happiest, too. From the arrest, trial, beatings, humiliations, and crucifiction to the resurrection in Glory. We serve a risen King!

I'll Always Remember This Day

April 10...a day that I will never forget. In fact, it was a Friday that marked this day 18 years ago. I can't believe it's been 18 years since my baby brother, Chad, was murdered. He would be 36 now.

Many of you know the story. He was a senior in high school, out with some buddies, minding his own business. He was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. A couple of guys, out looking for trouble, pulled into the parking lot where Chad and his friends stood talking. The driver kept trying to engage the boys in an argument. When they got closer to the car, the driver pulled out a gun and shot Chad in the chest. He bleed to death in just a few minutes. The guy was caught the next day, charged with 1st degree murder and is serving a life sentence which he received on his 21st birthday.

God taught me so many things through this horrible tragedy in our family: forgiveness, trusting God no matter what, importance of knowing if your family members know Christ, the way God will take an awful situation and turn it to bring Him glory, and much more.

Chad was an amazing kid. I miss him a lot. I was 12 when he was born and was a big part of his early childhood. So today, I'm choosing to remember all his funny ways, his quick smile and loving nature. Today, I'm going to be thankful for the 18 years we had with him, and how he impacted so many lives in such a short time. I'm going to praise God for the peace that passes all understanding. I'm going to pray that his murderer will come to know Jesus.

Here is the new backdrop! I'm lovin' it! Micaela, our logo designer and our resident artist, Charlie Boyd, did a great job. Thanks to Tim and George for filling in the unused windows and to Kayla, Judy and Randy for helping me to paint the wall and trim. The walls of the fellowship hall are the same "Pecan" color as the backdrop and so the logo really "pops."

Pastor Tommy and Pastor Justin added some more can lights today and got all the mushrooms and flashing color bars working the way they are supposed to so the lights are sweeeet! Easter is gonna ROCK!

The stage will look even better when it's set for service with all of our props. Gotta get some new table clothes in different colors....I'm thinking green and orange. What do you think?

Easter Excitement

I cannot believe that Easter is this weekend! Every week for the last two months in Building 2-52, we have been counting down til this big day and it's finally here. The church has been working hard to promote our services with a huge yard banner, beautiful business card invites, and a 1500 piece mailer to the surrounding neighborhoods. We are also advertising our kid's activities. Between the 8:30 and 10:30 services we will open the GIANT bounce house, and have a Candy Dash for ages 3 and under, 4 and 5 yr. olds, K-1st graders, 2nd-3rd graders and 4th and 5th graders. We have a special skit planned and some great praise and worship. Of course, the Easter message will be presented in a manner that kids can understand.

If you read this and live near Union City, I'd like to invite you to come and celebrate our "Resurrection Reunion" services. Pastor Tommy is super excited for the message God has inspired him with. Our nurseries, toddler church and Building 2-52 for Kindergartners-5th graders are all staffed and ready to welcome your kids. May the Lord bless every Easter celebration and may the Gospel be proclaimed with this victory over death!

Wacky Week

What a crazy week! Our staff went to Tennessee District Council on Monday. We got back from Murfreesburo yesterday and today I leave to go back that way for TSOM (Tennessee School of Ministry). Poor Randy has been alone most of the week. District Council was fun even though I didn't know many folks. I did get to connect with a few children's pastors that I hadn't met yet. We had a very fun breakfast meeting. It's interesting to me how Iowa and Tennessee children's pastors TOTALLY are the same wacky, creative thinking people. It must be a part of the cp DNA.

Murfreesburo reminded me of West Des Moines in appearance and vibe. That's where Pastor and Deana lived before they came to Union City. I got to meet many of their ministry friends.

I stayed at a brand new Embassy Suites because it's where we had Council. It was beautiful!! The service and breakfast were amazing. If you are traveling to Murfreesburo or Nashville, I highly recommend it. It is in an easy to access location and close to great restaurants and shopping.

I'm looking forward to TSOM today. One step closer to being licensed. There are five of us going together from our church. It's such a blessing that our church invests in those called to ministry by helping send them to TSOM. I'll get to meet some more peeps, too.

Lilly

I had the privilege of attending one of my kids' preschool program Friday night. Lilly was sooooo cute. She is one of those kids who has a personality that is larger than life. I love getting to be a part of a family's memory making events. Isn't she adorable? Her big sister Elizabeth got in on the "hammin'", too.

H2O...the Way to Go

It's early Tuesday morning. The Lord woke me up about 4 AM and His presence was so strong I couldn't get out of bed for a little while. He was speaking to me about the message He wants brought forth tomorrow night at church. I have the opportunity to do a full kid's service in "big church." I am furthering my credential level and part of my requirements is for Pastor Tommy to evaluate one of my services.

I've been praying about this message for a couple of weeks and it wasn't fully coming to me. I had an idea but wasn't sure if it was a "Lori thought" or a "God thought" at first. Sometimes the Lord will give me a message in a matter of a few minutes. But like this time, He sometimes gives it to me in bits and I have to chew on it for awhile...pray it through.

It all started with a bottle of water. It sparked a thought and Jesus showed me how that everyday item would help my kids remember the message. The Lord has done that before with me. A traffic light helped me preach a message about not being fearful and trusting God. A skeleton helped me preach a message about guarding our hearts. Tomorrow night I'm preaching about the Living Water.

Father, I praise you for speaking to me this morning. I thank you for stirring my heart and confirming what it is you want me to speak. I pray that the words would flow from me tomorrow night and that everyone in that room, young or old, would have an understanding about the Living Water. I pray lives will be eternally changed for You. I pray hearts will yield and be given to You. I pray your power falls and people are filled with your Holy Spirit. Continue to speak to me today and show me to smallest details that You want in the service. I thank you so much for another day to serve You and this opportunity to proclaim Your Word. In Jesus name...Amen.

Happy Birthday Micaela

Happy Birthday to my beautiful daughter! I sure wish we could spend the day together. Micaela is such an amazing woman of God. I always am in awe of her artistic talents and passion for having fun. She is a great friend to MANY people and very loyal and trustworthy in those friendships. She loves to travel, see new places, learn new things, play games, spend time with family, Facebook!, music of all kinds, animals, movies, dark chocolate, hunt for old books, doing crazy things like jumping off bridges and climbing water towers, and she LOVES to laugh.

Mic, I pray you have a wonderful day even though we are apart until Easter. God has so much in store for you as you follow Him. Graduation is just several weeks away and it's gonna be so exciting to see this next chapter in your life.

Love you bunches!

Random Thoughts

You know me...occasionally have I have some random thoughts to share.

I'm loving all the flowering Bradford Pear trees here in Union City! Sooo pretty and nothing like flowers to make you think spring and new beginnings. It was prophesied in our church that 2009 is the year of new births! Love that.

I have a new fav coffee...well the at home brew variety, anyway. It's Dunkin Donuts Dark Roast. Very yummy. I'm a dark roast girl.

Easter is only four Sundays away after tomorrow. I'm excited for the opportunity to reach people with the celebration of a risen Savior!

Our kids are having birthdays in a few days. Micaela will be 25 on the 20th and Keaton will be 24 on the 29th. My kids ROCK! They will be here for Easter. Can I get a woot woot?

God blessed me with a friend who wants to pay for my passport and my visa to go to Turkey! Did you know passports cost $100? A visa there is about $20. God is so good. You can't out give Him!

March 26th marks 6 months here in Union City. Wow, it has been a fast 6 months! But on the other hand, it feels as though we have known these people forever. Mysterious how that works.

My twin nephews turn 10 years old this month. Double Digits!! They are precious to me. If you see this Jakob and Dylan...Aunt Lori loves you and prays for you. God has a mighty plan for your lives.

March 11 was the first anniversary of Randy's mom's Home-going. I'm so glad to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that she is with Jesus but I sure miss her. She was a wonderful mother-in-law and a warrior for the Cross. She was also my friend!

The new Facebook layout bugs me. Why do they keep changing it?

After two months of working out, I THINK I'm finally starting to feel some results. It's good to do something for myself!

Look, Look, Look, SEE!

I had the honor of preaching Wednesday night in "Big Church." Pastor Tommy is in Florida at a pastor's conference and he asked me to fill in. I was praying one morning about 5 AM and looking up some scriptures for a friend when God inspired the sermon for the night. I have been praying that God would not only give me "an ear to hear what the spirit says," but an eye to see as Jesus does. As I said in my sermon, I am guilty of buzzing through my day and not always being aware of divine appointments God sets before me. I do not want to be so mission minded that I rush past a God ordained opportunity to minister to someone or some need.

The title of the sermon was inspired from the Kleenex commercial. You know, the one where the woman is going through her morning routine touching things. Touch, keys, touch, shoes, touch phone, touch this don't touch that, touch, touch, touch and then she grabs a tissue and the commercial voice says...feel. Look, Look, Look, SEE! Part of my sermon focused on the story we all have read and heard a thousand times. Jesus has set himself apart to mourn the violent death of His friend John the Baptist. Matthew 14:13-21. The crowds followed Him, not knowing what He was going through, and instead of being annoyed, frustrated or telling them to leave, the Bible says He SAW them and had compassion on them. He healed their sick and then He spent the day ministering to them. When the disciples came to Jesus with the need of food...He fed them via one of the most amazing miracles...five loaves and two fish fed over 5,000 people. What miracle might God perform through us if only we stop and SEE? Jesus Himself said in John 14:12, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father." We are people of faith! And so I say faith looks at a problem but SEES it as an opportunity.

I want to see as in be aware. I don’t want to be so wrapped up in my mission mindedness or life struggles that I am not aware. I’m gonna pay attention. Not that I’m so heavenly minded that I’m no earthly good but if I’m listening then I’m gonna see also! I’ll notice if you got a hair cut but will I be aware when your countenance changes for better or worse? I want to rejoice with someone in a mountain top time but want to be their walking stick as they climb out of a valley, too.


I want to see as in recognize. Proverbs 15:3 says, “The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and good.” God recognizes the wicked and the good of this world. We want to have eyes to see what is intended for our benefit or our destruction! When you encounter someone you haven’t been around for a long while, you might look at them but not recognize them.

I want to see as Jesus does as with understanding, compassion and looking at the heart. I don’t want to see as the world does.

Anywho, the Lord really helped me get past the nerves and speak what He wanted. We had a great altar time with Jesus. I hope the message challenged everyone to go deeper in their relationship with Christ and to Look, Look, Look, SEE!

Couples Bowling Night

Hey my Union City friends! FYI...Friday night's couples bowling adventure is at 5:30-7 PM at Southlane. Note the slight time change!! It costs $6.50 per person and we are still planning to do ice cream at McDonald's following me humiliating myself with what I attempt to call bowling! Oh well....I have fun doing it. Bring another couple along!

BGMC

Boys and Girls Missionary Challenge (BGMC) is close to my heart. I love the fact that kids can collect some pennies, nickles, dime, quarters and maybe some green stuff and another child from across the world will be led to Christ with the materials that were purchased with that money. I set a challenge before the kids to bring in $500 in 5 weeks and I'd wear pink hair for the rest of March. Ta Da! What do you think? It's a little different than last time and I'm already getting some strange looks but I'll do just about anything for missions! I broke out my "Ask my why my hair is pink." button so I could share about BGMC and our church when asked. Thanks to my friend Kimberly who owns and operates Karisma Salon in Martin, TN for pinkin' me up!

Daddy Date Night

We had our very first Daddy Date Night this past Saturday. It is so fun to see all those little girls dressed up and looking like princesses! All the dads looked so handsome. Randy got to go as a dad to an 8th grade young lady who is super sweet. I had opened the age group up to the youth also since the speaker had a teenage daughter but I wasn't sure any others would attend. I was pleasingly surprised that we had three others come, too.

We had a crowd breaker survey and then ate dinner. I made salad, spaghetti, garlic bread, and ice cream sundaes. After dinner we played a super fun relay game that involved chopsticks and marshmallows!

Our guest speaker was Mark Breeden, our church's worship leader. He has three beautiful girls so I thought who better to speak about raising daughters and teaching them how they should expect to be treated by men as they grow into adulthood. If we can get our girls to understand who they are in Christ, I believe a lot of poor decisions and heartache will be avoided in their lives.

Thanks to all the team members who helped! Couldn't have done it without you!

Tennessee vs Iowa

Just a fun post for y'all....and remember....I love both states.

In Iowa, it's called a shopping cart. In Tennessee, it's a buggy.

In Iowa, your teacher's name is Mary Smith and you'd call her Mrs. Smith. In Tennessee, she would be called Mrs. Mary.

In Iowa, you would say, "I got an A on my report card!" In Tennessee, you'd say, "I made an A on my report card."

In Iowa, if you were misbehaving I may have to "get after you." In Tennessee, I would "get on to you."

In Iowa, one might say in fun, "Oh, she's crazy." In Tennessee, it would be "Oh, she's a mess."

In Iowa, you might order a pop to drink. Or specifically say I'll have a Dr. Pepper. In Tennessee, you would order a coke and then they would ask what kind and you'd say Mt. Dew (or whatever).

In Iowa, four inches of snow is basically flurries. In Tennessee, real flurries are a disaster and shut down the city. I'm not even playin'!

In Iowa, if you carry a hand gun you're probably in law enforcement. In Tennessee, you're weird if you don't carry a hand gun.

In Iowa, you wear camo to go hunting. In Tennessee, camo is half your wardrobe and you probably have dressy camo and casual camo.

In Iowa, I'm going to go to the store. In Tennessee, I'm fixin' to go.

In Iowa, your acquaintances at church are called by their first names. In Tennessee, they would be addressed as Sister Mary and Brother Bill.

In Iowa, if you asked a child a question and the answer was yes, they would probably say, "Yep." In Tennessee, the answer better be "Yes, Mame or Sir." or you could expect to be sternly reprimanded!

Can I just tell you about the birds here? I am fascinated by the HUGE flocks of birds in Tennessee. I have said many times that all the birds who leave Iowa when winter is approaching must come straight to TN!

In Iowa, you very rarely see a robin before the end of March. In TN, they are here year round.

In Iowa, you might see a blue jay or cardinal on a beautiful day but not all the time. In Tennessee, I have seen small flocks of blue jays and several cardinals together. So beautiful.

We have tons of pretty mockingbirds and lots of graceful hawks and I have heard that there a many eagles out at Reelfoot Lake.

And the coolest is Bob! Bob Crane that is....he was named by Randy and visits our pond when the weather is above 40 degrees. I love to watch him walk in the water, especially when the pond was way down. Not sure how he would do now that the pond is full again.

I love Tennessee!!! If I could move all my Iowa, MO, MN, NE, MI, etc. family and friends here, I'd have heaven on earth. :)

Missions Trip

Many of you may have heard by now but I am going to Turkey in June. An old friend of ours contacted me through Facebook last week and asked me if I'd be interested in ministering to some missionary kids. What? Me? Rick and Dianna Lang have been on the missions field for 20 years ministering in Lithuania, Russia and Siberia. They are organizing a yearly retreat for many of the Assembly of God missionaries from several different countries in the area. Dianna said she was praying about a children's pastor who would come and do kid's services for the week and I came to mind. Then later in a conversation with their missionary associate, Melanie Reed, who is also a friend of ours, Dianna mentioned the need and Melanie suggested me. Dianna felt it was a confirmation and contacted me.

I prayed about it and asked God to clearly tell me yes or no. I take any ministry opportunity very seriously but ministering to missionary kids is a whole other matter. They have been set apart and give so much more than we could ever imagine. After praying about it for a couple of days, I had the yes from the Lord. I will have to raise my own support to go as it is considered a missions trip. I don't know exactly how much it will cost but it will be in the neighborhood of $3500. It doesn't really make sense in this financially difficult time in our lives as Randy is unemployed but that has been happening a lot in the past year! :) God doing things that doesn't make sense in our eyes, that is. If I have learned anything it is that if I walk in obedience, God will bless and be faithful to see whatever through to the end. He does NOT start something and then not finish it!

Turkey! Can you believe it? God is already giving me sermons and I'm very excited about meeting these missionaries and their kids. Wanna go with?

The Last Few Days....

I have had a busy few days but they have been great. Friday afternoon some of us from church went to a children's and youth ministry combined conference in Dickson, TN. It was a fun road trip and we stayed in a super nice room. The main speaker of the conference was Randy Coleman who I knew from Des Moines First AG several years ago. He was the children's pastor there and we hung out at JBQ and camp. It was so great to reconnect with an old friend. He now works at Lifechurch.tv with Craig Groeschel on their leadership team. I had the opportunity to lead one of the workshops for the kid's side of the weekend. It was fun and I think it went pretty well.

Sunday was full but I was very excited to preach the message God gave me. We are in a series on Moses and I spoke on the 10 plagues and the Big Idea was inspired as I studied the scriptures and saw with each plague the statement "and Pharaoh's heart was hard." So the Big Idea was "A hard heart leads to a hard road." I encouraged the kids to always keep their hearts soft and easily molded by God. A hard heart led to Pharaoh losing his son in the 10th plague. Death is a pretty hard road!

I'm working on Saturday night's Daddy Date Night! We have a very special speaker lined up who is also singing and it will be so fun to see all the girls dressed up. Such a special time for them. Randy has a date, too. One of our girls that doesn't have a dad. Unfortunately, that is pretty common around here. He will show her a great time. Can't forget to order her corsage!

T.A.L.K.

T.A.L.K. stands for Teaching and Loving Kids. It's a networking group that I was a part of in Iowa and have tried to establish here in Tennessee. In Iowa, we did the meetings over lunch with people from all denominations and rotated to different churches as hosts. Here, though, I have found I am an oddity. (insert all your smart comments :) ) I am one of VERY few full time children's pastors in all of west Tennessee and the ONLY one in Union City. Soooooooo T.A.L.K. has had a slow start until I moved the meeting time to 6:30 PM so all the people who work other jobs can come and be inspired, resourced, encouraged, equipped, and connected.

I had the awesome privilege of meeting three ladies from the AG in Martin, TN last night. Martin is just 10 minutes away from UC and their church is a little smaller than ours. We had a great time getting to know each other and looking to see what materials we have that we could share with them. I hope they were encouraged as much as I was.

I love people who work with kids. They are unique. They are passionate. They are fun. They are my tribe. They understand me and "get" why I do what I do. You may not work with kids but you should also surround yourself with people who love what you do. Iron sharpens iron. They will help you grow and challenge yourself to be better.

Bible Basics and Sunday's Message

The Holy Spirit spoke to me at the end of 2008 that I was to focus on Bible basics for my kids and to use the superheroes of the Bible to teach those basics. We started in Genesis with Noah, then Abraham, Joseph and now we are heading into week two of Moses. I was praying for the life application for this segment of the Moses story and it leaped off the page of my Bible this afternoon. I'll be covering the ten plagues that fell upon the land of Egypt. As I was studying the scriptures, it jumped out at me. In each segment of the listing of the ten plagues, the verse repeats..."but Pharaoh's heart was hard." How great would it have been to learn as a child about the dangers of hardening our hearts towards the things of God? I want my kids to be tender hearted towards the Lord. A yielded, soft, pliable heart is a thing of beauty. Oh, some may look at it as a sign of weakness but I think it's a sign of ultimate strength! To be purposed enough to always give into God's plans, correction, teaching, rebukes, direction, and Fatherly love shows character, grace and submissiveness.

So many times we know exactly what God is asking of us and yet we harden our hearts and ignore His voice. We feel the sting of rebuke or conviction but we refuse to get out of the pew and walk towards an altar of reconciliation because we don't want others to wonder what is going on in our lives. Pastor Tommy says there is no shame in the altar...only the shame of not getting out of your seat.

Lord, I pray that this Sunday my kids will be in awe of the story of Moses and how you used a flawed and ordinary man in such a powerful way as bringing the ten plagues. But, Jesus, I pray that even more than awe they understand that a hard heart brings a hard road; a life of pain, disappointment and ultimately death. May those kids grasp the strength and blessing of a tender heart towards all the things of God. Use me God...

BGMC Winning Barrel

Here's my buddy Devon who's Buddy Barrel won the heaviest barrel contest at a whopping 12 pounds! The other guy is Tommy, one of the other team members from children's church. Devon was allowed to invite one other team member to go with us for our dinner at McDonald's. We are two weeks into the five week $500 challenge and already have about $250 towards me getting pink hair! So thrilled that my kids love missions giving and are having fun doing it!

New Name

Here is the new name and logos for our children's ministry at First Assembly. Let me know what you think. It is based on Luke 2:52. The JR. logo is for our toddler church area. My beautiful daughter Micaela is the designer! She is for hire if you need anything. We will be using this on a new back drop for the stage and on all print materials and maybe even t-shirts!

Springfield

I had a quick trip to Springfield to see my kids. I'm so thankful for any time I can spend with Micaela and Keaton! I got to Springfield just in time to pick up Micaela and head to Branson to meet Keaton for dinner. He was there for a ministry conference with the Iowa DYD, my old buddy Pastor Heath and two of my dearest friends Pastors Laurie Rich and LeAnne Krell. We all went for steaks at a nice place in Branson. It was a short but very fun visit. I'm so proud of all Keaton is allowing God to do in his life. He has an amazing year ahead of him.

After laughing a lot and eating a great dinner, Mic and I headed back to her dorm at Evangel. Friday brought a flurry of activity but started with a bit of time by myself enjoying a bagel and coffee at my fav Panera! I then met Mic back on campus for chapel time. Fun to worship with several hundred college kids! We went to lunch with another great friend, Lori Warning, who used to be a children's pastor in Iowa. Always awesome to catch up on what God is doing in a person's life. After lunch, we headed to James River Assembly of God to meet with their children's pastor and a couple of his staff members. They were so generous with their time and info and gave us a tour of their children's department. WOW....inspiring to see what could be. The minister to about 3000 kids on Sunday mornings!

Friday night we hung out with Mic's bestie, Jerrilyn, and some others. We went to their fav coffee house, dinner at Macaroni Grill (yummo), hit Mardel's Christian Book Store (amazing) and I RULED at Trivial Pursuit 80's Addition. Well...maybe not ruled but I did pretty well! It's so fun to hang with Micaela's buddies.

Saturday morning came too quick and on the road again. It's not a bad drive and only about 5 1/2 hours but long when you're driving by yourself. Always good to get home but sure miss my kids already!

Dropz of Hope

Check out the new blog for my buddy Angela's ministry to foster parent families! Dropz of Hope is going to touch so many people for the Kingdom of God and support families who open their hearts and homes for a generation of hurting kids. God Bless this ministry and those who serve in it!

Road Trip

I'm super excited...I get to see both of my kids!! I'm heading to Springfield, MO on Thursday afternoon to stay with Micaela for two nights and a huge bonus is that Keaton is in Branson at a ministry conference so we all can have dinner together Thursday night! Woot Woot!! I can't wait to see them. I also get to see all of Micaela's buddies, which is always a good time, AND four of my other dear friends from Iowa! I am a blessed woman.

I have a meeting with the children's pastor from James River Assembly of God on Friday and am getting a tour of their facility. I've been to Springfield several times but never made it over there to check it out. I'll have my camera ready cuz I'm sure there will be ideas to be stolen...I mean shared! :)

It will be a quick trip and I'm traveling alone so say a prayer for me. I'm sure y'all will get more details than you really want to read when I get back.