Who Moved My Cheese?

Do you ever say things to yourself?  Well, I try not to say things audibly very often because I know how it can look to others...but, I do have conversations going on inside my head and sometimes they slip out....don't worry, it's not with different people or personalities....it's just me in here :)  So, I was at the grocery store recently and I was looking for the Colby Jack sandwich cheese and it wasn't in the normal place in the cheese aisle because they had moved it to an end cap....so I started having this conversation inside my head about my cheese being gone and then I started to talk out loud as I walked around looking for it and I caught myself saying..."Someone moved my cheese!"  Then, I had that thought..."did I just say that out loud?"...."yes, yes I did."  I wasn't even thinking of the book at that moment...What a perfect title, right?!

I laughed about that, but it got me thinking about how frustrated I get sometimes when I am challenged by change.  My close friend who has been my coworker at work for the last 7 years recently changed positions at the university where I work....and I have not had the greatest attitude about the changes that have resulted.  For one, I really miss her....we had desks that faced each other for all those years and would chat all through the day as we entered data...we really "did life" together.  So, there's the emotional part of change....and then, the loss of her as a coworker has overwhelmed me as I have a part-time schedule and am now trying to complete all the work we used to do together and begin to train her replacement.  It gives me a lot of anxiety and I have this constant "rushed" feeling...because every moment I am prioritizing my 4 hour schedule....how much time can I use to train today and how much do I need to devote to getting the work accomplished so I don't start the day tomorrow "behind the eight ball"....yikes....the reality of making the change and some things seem impossible to accomplish in 4 hours.

Anyway, I've been trudging through...getting the work done, but my heart has not accepted the change.  I realized that yesterday when a different friend from work sent out an email asking if some of us wanted to get together and pray for some things about our jobs and responsibilities...at the moment I got the email I really didn't want to pray...in fact, I even thought..."I don't have time"...."do these people even know the amount of info I enter in a day?"...it was a stinky cheese attitude :) and later, I had to question myself over why I did not want to commit these frustrations about the changes in my life, and specifically in my work,...to prayer.  I don't think the situation will change for me...it will still be really hard until I am able to give some of the workload over to someone else, but my attitude toward it can change and should change.

There is a statement Christians like to make about God not giving you more than you can handle...but, many times that is taken out of context.  The verse they use for that statement is actually talking about temptation...and that no temptation can overtake you...that God provides you a way out...but, that doesn't mean that some things in life will not seem unbearable.  In fact, on my own, many things can overwhelm me.  I like how this blogger phrases it:

Isn't that a great perspective!?  I am praying that I approach my fears and anxieties of the "impossibles" with my knowledge of a, not only "POSSIBLE" God...but, "ALL POWERFUL" God.  If you are facing a "giant" of your own....I pray this gives you some encouragement :) Now, off to do some laundry....(talk about an impossible task, right Brad?....haha!...I like that blogger's domain name.)

He's a God of the Impossible....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kBSB_5ogPc

Enjoy this song!  Absolutely love the very beginning of this song...it reminds me of a music box or the song playing on a carousel...or the jewelry box ballerina song...anyway something familiar and wonderful.  If only we could see our "impossibles" as we did when we were kids :)

To Alma Mater, Olivet...

To Alma Mater, Olivet, We lift our voice in praise....For noble standards which we'll hold till ending of our days.  The time we spent within these halls will ne're forgotten be, for here we learned to know of truth, and truth will make us free.  My Olivet, Our Olivet! Tho' life may lead us far apart, I'll still revere you in my heart.  My Olivet, Our Olivet.  I'll love the Christ you gave first part, and you, old Olivet! ~Byron Carmony '39

That was my college song....I know it won't mean much to you if you didn't go there....and it is probably frustrating to read words to a song and not know the tune....at least that is one of my pet peeves...so, that makes me smile to think there may be someone else like me out there who I am bothering right now.... :) Anyway, we were able to take our girls to "Old" Olivet on our way back home from my grandma's funeral...only, Olivet isn't so "Old" anymore...they are experiencing some major expansion and it was really terrific to see all the new buildings on campus.  I don't know if any of our daughters will choose to attend ONU, but it was fun to take them on a tour.  They were done with the tour, however, before Brad and I were....you know what I mean, right? We were done looking around the campus, but Brad and I were still showing them all these places around town and where we lived with different roommates in apartments after school, the church we went to and got married in, the Steak and Shake where we went on our first date, our first home down by the Kankakee River, the building downtown where Brad worked for Youth For Christ ...and the girls just said, "Can we start the movie again?"...and, "When are we going home?"....So, I guess the tour is over, folks! haha! :)

Here are some pictures from our little stop down memory lane...maybe some of our girls will make their own memories at Olivet Nazarene University someday :)  Then we can bore them again with all the details of our memories there :)

Taming the Tiger

Field House attached to McHie Area.....absolutely huge....the picture doesn't even show the expanse of it...

A brand new chapel...I really wanted to go in, but it was closed as we were just stopping by on a Saturday.

Future Olivetians?

Biggest rock wall I have ever seen

The new pool area also offers a lazy river...the girls were sad we did not have time for this.

One thing that was funny to me was that the girls started questioning how life would have been different if we didn't choose to go to ONU....one of the girls asked us who's kid she would be....it is weird to think about how much one decision made differently would have totally changed our lives.  I'm pretty happy with the life I've got :)

A Funeral Dinner at a Truck Stop?

I  mean, really,...why not?  At first I laughed that that was the only restaurant within miles of the cemetery where we could meet up as a group...but, then I thought, it does punctuate the reality that we are all just "passing through" !  After I got over the initial "you might be a redneck if"....feeling...I was cool that we were having the funeral dinner at the Dixie Cafe and when I went to the restroom after standing outdoors at the cemetery for the graveside service, I realized I was a redneck...haha! :)  My first sunburn of the season.  I LOVE GOD'S SENSE OF HUMOR!!...Have I ever blurted that out to the blogosphere?  HE IS SO FUNNY...EVERY DAY HE GIVES ME THINGS TO LAUGH ABOUT!

We remembered my Grandma Billington's life yesterday and buried her body at Mount Joy cemetery beside my Grandpa...she lived to be 88 years old.  It wasn't an easy life for her....there were health reasons that caused her pain and depression and that made it difficult for her to cultivate close relationships with people.  BUT, I did learn that she loved to go dancing with grandpa....she loved Hershey's chocolate...and, even when she needed much care toward the end of her life and she wasn't too talkative,...she would still play BINGO whenever she had a chance :)

Elizabeth (Betty) Billington

She was born in Farmer City, IL and the cemetery is not located too far from her hometown.  It was a sweet moment for me when we were in the middle of the graveside service and a large tractor started to come down the entrance road to the cemetery to work in a field across the street.  The driver must have realized we were all there burying my grandma, because the tractor stopped on the road and waited for us.....there was this sound of idling farm equipment that rang in my ears as a wonderful salute to my grandma.  Sometimes, when I have needed to grieve for someone, I have wished the whole world would just stop for a moment to let me do that and that tractor stopping in the middle of the road and waiting for us to finish before starting into the field was just about the perfect example of what I always wish for.

The flowers that were supposed to be delivered...oh well...gotta figure out what happened with that.

Can I say it was a wonderful time?  Well, I will.  I have realized that life gets so busy that you really can't see aunts, uncles, and cousins as much as you wish and sometimes the only thing that brings you together is weddings and funerals....and when the wedding season is over....it's the funerals.  I love seeing cousins...isn't there just something about cousins that brings such a kindred friendship even if you can't see each other very often?....we laughed so much with my cousin and his wife, we wondered if we should really be having that much fun at a funeral.  I even got to ride in my cousin's new Mustang to the Dixie Cafe :)

I told my family that might be my car of choice in Heaven...that is unless Grandma already grabbed the keys to the Mustang. In that case, I call shotgun :)

Wendy's Night...dun...dun...dun!

Kassi came up with the title for this one :)  I said, "Why do I need to add the "dun, dun, dun"?...she said, "because it is scary that dad is helping serve people"...."Mom, it's dad behind the counter, what could possibly go wrong?....Everything!", added McKenna.  Our Youth Group had the opportunity to help work at Wendy's tonight and a percentage of all sales will go toward their mission trip this summer.  It was kind-of fun to take over Wendy's with Village Hope Church members....I actually think we should do it more often...it was great seeing everyone meeting up there.  Brad received the job of filling drink orders... and, "smiling at everyone in a creepy way"...Savannah and I thought.  They...err I mean we, are so hard on him, aren't we?!  Really, they are all daddy's girls...they just like teasing him.  I am just hard on him.  Here are a few pictures from the evening.

Brad...getting the hang of the soda fountain...he didn't want me to include this pic because it looks like he doesn't have teeth..."Kids, this is what too much soda will do to you!"

Notice the pinky?  Yes...I am the Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger Princess.

Kassi "photo bombed" her sister's picture and then later, Savannah decided she would "fry bomb" people...that is stealing a fry when they weren't looking...(while she was supposed to be working).

GO BIG or YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO SEE OVER THE DRINK MACHINE

You missed a spot! Doesn't it look like Savannah is cleaning the wall?  Savannah with Josiah Fitch cleaning trays...they had a lot of fun working at Wendy's and Wendy's loved having them....they are invited back any time...It was definitely a WIN WIN!  We don't know how much money they raised yet, but it was definitely a great experience and Brad and the kids were able to meet a lot of people from the community and invite them to church.  

We Are a New Creation

Really, the cross means absolutely nothing without the power of the resurrection behind it....the Truth in the words of the King of Kings.  If He was a liar, then the cross was just an ugly piece of wood that served as an instrument of death.  Nothing to celebrate!

I attended a funeral this weekend and I will be attending another next weekend because my Grandma passed away last night.  I am so thankful that Jesus's words were true....that He did conquer death and rise...that when the women went to the tomb and the disciples were out of breath to check on the situation...His body was not there....that an Angel confirmed this to be true and Christ, himself, appeared to many to show them what he had said was TRUE....that his body was not stolen... because why would body snatchers carefully fold the clothes that were dressing Christ's body and place them nicely in the tomb?...I am thankful for the POWER of the RESURRECTION and the POWER to TRANSFORM a LIFE.

The funeral I attended this weekend was for a man who had only recently come to Christ.  At one point in the service an opportunity was given for loved ones to share a memory and one of this man's brothers stood and told how He had watched his brother's life totally change because of His new belief in Christ.  It is wonderful to celebrate Easter and to think about the reason our faith is alive...the reason it breathes...but this living faith needs to fly :)  The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to us today....do you realize that you are now a butterfly?

Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord

Several years ago, Kassi underwent eye surgery for the muscles in both of her eyes.  The day of the surgery, we were amazed at her temperament.  She was not scared at all for the surgery...in fact, we have a short video of her skipping down the hospital hallway to the room where it all would begin.  It took a load off of us because we were prepared to need to be a very strong encouragement to her should she be resistant to the process and procedure she needed to undergo...if you are a parent you know what I mean...some kids are not naturally brave and need tough love...and most of the time, that is Kassi :). After she woke up from the surgery, she started telling us some things she dreamed while she was asleep and the spiritual content and images were pretty amazing to us.  I know other people have had similar experiences...the most well-known experience being that of Colton Burpo, but it is awesome when people's recollection of dreams and visions match up.

After Kassi's surgery, she told us that Jesus came to visit her and that he brought Alex the cat to see her.  Alex was her Great-grandma's cat that had recently passed away and who Kassi missed dreadfully.  She also said Jesus gave her some lights and told her she did not have to be afraid of the dark.  And, she said Jesus had a horse that Kassi called Rainbow because it was all different colors.  Now, Kassi is a child with an amazing imagination and it is easy to wonder if her brain went to work while she slept, but she is super convinced of these things...and she still remembers her dream vividly.  Everything she said just filled me with joy because the vision was so perfect for what she needed for peace in that moment...Jesus let her see her favorite animal....He addressed her anxiety about not being able to open her eyes for a while during recovery by giving her the lights...and he showed her His brilliant horse.  It all spoke amazing things to her little heart.  Is it possible that her brain could have created that imagery to comfort her in those moments?....sure....it is possible....and easy to wonder about that....but, I choose to see with the eyes of my heart...and I believe it was a divine appointment for her.

We took the girls to see Heaven Is For Real today...and I was interested to hear what Kassi would say about it since she had the spiritual dream during her surgery.  During the movie Kassi had to use the restroom, so I took her out of the theater.  As we were walking to the bathroom, Kassi said, "I told you Jesus had a rainbow horse!"...that is pretty crazy....she was so excited...and that gives me goosebumps that they agreed upon that crazy horse :) because in the movie/book...Colton says the same thing about the horse.  I believe she really did have a vision while she was in surgery....and it has impacted her faith.  She is adamant that she saw Jesus, that there are animals in Heaven, that Jesus gave her some sort of lights and told her she would not have to be afraid of the dark, and that Jesus has a horse that is all different colors. I am thankful she was given that incredible experience and that she was able to share it with us.

Acts 2:17 states, "In the last days, God says, I will pour my Spirit on everyone.  Your sons and daughters will speak what God has revealed.  Your young men will see visions.  Your old men will dream dreams."  I think I mentioned in a different blog about how Brad and I chose names for our daughters...how we wanted them to be meaningful and that we pray they all grow up in the meaning and purpose of their names.  This was very special to me as we learned about Kassi's spiritual experience because Kassi's name means prophetess...it was weird (but, perfect)...that she would physically have an issue with her eyesight that needed correction, but during that time also be given a small glimpse of sight into the supernatural.  I felt as though God was confirming some amazing things to my heart through all of that....I sometimes think He shows me things about contrasts....how the earthly issues will pass away, but the Truth of Heaven will remain.

Merely a Man?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xafcGbXLwoM

Joy Comes in the Morning

I just found out something that has been a misconception for me for a long time.... kind-of like when I have been singing a song for years and then I see the lyrics and realize I have always been singing the wrong words...ha!  You know the birds that some people call Turtle Doves....they are also known as Mourning Doves....I always thought they were Morning Doves....but, the u in that word makes a huge difference.  I guess their cooing sounds like mourning, so that is how they got their name.

We have been having a difficult week emotionally as a man from our church passed away after a tough battle against cancer...he had been a part of our small group for a while and we had watched him go through his battle with faith and peace...and he was a brand new believer, so it was pretty incredible to see him acknowledge that God was with him through it all.... what a testimony!  ...and my grandma is not doing well....we are praying for her recovery, but we are also prepared for "the call" at this point and we are planning to try to be free for a trip to Illinois if she passes.  So, death has been on my mind...but, not in a morbid way....in a thankful way.  I am thankful that death is not the opposite of life...it is just a part of it. It never really gets easier to say "see you later"....but, we who believe have this promise.

This is the only way I know to hold on to real hope and joy.  Joy can come in the mourning as well as the morning....it is OK if you have had a misconception of those two words.  What if those singing birds think people are calling them Morning Doves too ? :)  I guess in Heaven they will be.

The Heavens Declare

God is perfection and there is purpose and meaning in everything He made.  His timing is also perfect. He commanded His people to observe certain feasts to remember that He brought them out of Egypt and to set "appointed" times to worship Him in very specific ways.  He showed them when these would happen based on the position of stars or the moon...and He told them, several times in scripture, to "keep these feasts throughout your generations, as a statute forever".  Jews celebrate the feasts as times to remember what God has done historically ...but, believers in Christ who understand the meanings of each feast also know that Jesus fulfilled the purposes of the feasts on their exact dates when he was bound, crucified, buried, and resurrected.

On Passover, Jesus was bound and crucified...typically Jews would bind and sacrifice a spotless lamb on this day...the blood of the lamb atoned for their sins so that they did not have to endure the judgement of God.  In the same way, Jesus' blood is the only thing that can cover us and atone for our sins.

On the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Jesus was buried in the tomb...Jews use the feast days to remember when they had to leave Egypt in such a hurry they were not even able to bake bread with yeast...but, God related the yeast to sin and so, they use that time of the feast to purify their homes from the yeast (sin) in them.  This is significant to believers because Jesus was the only man without sin.  He was the "unleavened bread".

On the Feast of First Fruits, Jesus rose from the dead...Jews would give God the first fruits of their harvest as a faith offering trusting that God would bring them an even greater harvest.  It is so significant that Jesus arose on this feast day because He became the first fruit...the first born from the dead and His death and resurrection gives hope to each believer that the "harvest" will be much greater.

AMAZING, RIGHT?! To me, the meaning of all of these things is HUGE and God's timing is so precise to have all these events happen exactly on certain dates that He already set many many many years before Jesus was even born.  So, the feasts He set in motion serve a historical purpose for remembrance and worship, but were also prophetic to the exact dates and purposes.  There is so much more to this that God has planned out....the Heavens were created to give us signs and signals from God.

So, I won't get too "conspiracy theorist" on you, but I think there is a lot going on right now in the heavens and on the earth.  God is doing a whole lot of declaring on exact dates He has set.  You should study the 4 "Blood Moons"...you will see what I mean.  Pastor Mark Biltz has done research into these Heavenly events, when they occur and what is also happening in our world at those times and he compares what scripture says about the events with what patterns he has recognized.  It is pretty interesting.  He is quick to point out, however, that his ministry is "non-prophet" :)...he is not making predictions, only looking at what the scripture says, what is going on in the Heavens, and what is happening globally. I love prophecy...it is so mysterious and exciting...but sometimes it scares people.  I will never say I think certain things will happen at exact times, but I do think it is amazing that Christ's death, burial, and resurrection were perfectly in line with God's feast dates....so, if God is the same yesterday, today...and forever....maybe events surrounding Christ return will coincide with the other Feast dates?  It makes sense to me.  BUT, the important thing is to be ready...fear God, be busy with God's work...be loving people and showing them God's Salvation as you are living it out.  

God LOVES you and HE is PERFECT!  And PERFECT LOVE casts out fear!  If you are in Christ, then His blood has atoned for your sin....you do not have to fear for the future or judgement.  What Christ accomplished on the CROSS...the debt He paid for you...gives you complete freedom from the wages of your sin.  Use your freedom to declare His Glory.

A Man of Dairy

You know when it hasn't snowed yet in the fall, but there are flurries in the forecast and you are so excited to see snow for the first time....yes, I am like that...you think about the uniqueness of each individual snowflake...haha!  Well, I hope I am still like that next year, but this winter may have ruined that for me.  Anyway, I just realized there is something else that is like that for me...I scream, you scream, we all scream....YEP, the first Ice Cream Cone in the Spring :)

Isn't it funny when places put signs like this up for what they sell?....I always smile when I think about doing that at my job....there is no problem that a little data entry can't solve...whatever! :)

Hooray for Parma Ice Cream!  And wearing capris for the first time...I cannot believe the mosquitos were already out, though.  7 bites on my ankles...and I thought I could at least thank this winter for taking care of some of those bug issues....OH WELL. (BTW, we are not trying to reenact the "Last Supper" painting....that is funny to me now....you'll see why :)

So what's with the title, you ask?...well, it kind-of goes along with Ice Cream.  Brad had a rare opportunity to perform in a Last Supper portrayal on Sunday night and he did a fabulous job being "Doubting" Thomas.  It is so great to see him acting because I know how much he loves it and he is very good at it as well...but, he had a line that was something like..."Everyone always remembers me for my doubts, but no one remembers me as a man of daring."  Anyway, that is the gist....and the word daring was definitely in there because that was what Karly heard as dairy.  She just laughed so hard....I thought, "what is so funny to her...?  This is a very inappropriate time to be laughing so loudly."  But, then she looked at me and told me she thought daddy just said he was a man of dairy...then she kept calling him Dairy King....and in her 6 year old mind, that was hilarious....it was pretty funny to me too to see her cracking herself up over that :)  Do you ever wonder what your 6 year old self found hilarious?  I bet if you were able to watch old videos of yourself you would be quite amused.

I have never seen this done, but they set up like Da Vinci's Last Supper painting.  And then, they all had monologues that told about themselves...how they met Christ or were called to follow Him and some of the things they had been through with Him... along with who they believe He is and why.  Evidently, 

right before this moment was captured in paint....the disciples just learned someone at that table was going to betray Christ...so at the end of each monologue they are all questioning whether they could be the one who would betray Christ...."could it be I"?  It was very interesting and neat to hear from the disciple's perspectives about their relationship to Christ and the others in the group.  Hopefully, it will be something the guys can participate in again.  This year it was a collaboration of guys from about 4 or 5 churches and Brad and his friend Jeff just got asked to join in because they needed 2 more guys.  It was performed at the church building in Parma that has been gifted to our church, Village Hope.  We are still praying for a clear vision for this building and which ministries we will be able to offer to serve the community and reach the lost with the Good News :)

So Be It

Oswald Chambers wrote, "Never make the blunder of trying to forecast the way God is going to answer your prayer."

I think this is very difficult...at least for me.  When I go to God with very specific requests, my mind usually has a nice little answer scenario also sequenced out.  God just answered a big prayer request for me...but, not in the way I had thought He would or wished He would...so it was weird because I wanted to be thankful that my specific requests are being taken care of...but, I felt extremely distraught that it was not the way I wanted it to happen...has that ever happened to you?  I have been struggling with my attitude about it...and asking God to help me process it, put my personal feelings aside, and just be thankful that He has heard this prayer and is answering it.  I acknowledge that my own agenda can often interfere with my praise.  If I am not living in complete surrender to the Will of God, I struggle with trusting Him.

God loves answering our prayers.  He loves His children so much and HE IS GOOD!  Look at Isaiah  65:24...this has been comforting to me over the last couple days....and just made me smile to know how much God loves us....it says," I will answer them before they even call out to me.  While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers."  This is certainly evidence of a loving father!

These times for me remind me of a part I love in the Narnia books....the quote is "Aslan is a lion- The Lion, the great Lion."  "Oooh" said Susan. "I'd thought he was a man.  Is he quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion"..."Safe?" said Mr Beaver...."Who said anything about safe?" "Course he isn't safe.  But he's good.  He's the King, I tell you."

God's answers may not be safe....or free from pain...or always full of "warm fuzzies"....or in any way we had envisioned them....BUT, they are always GOOD and we have to learn to trust that to be true.

With All The Trimmings

Trim is on my mind....Brad and I have been painting it and Brad has been putting it up in the basement this week.  I had this idea (since we are kind-of trying for a vintage and sports combo theme) that we would paint the trim black and Brad would just roll it once and I would go over it once with a dry paint brush to give it almost like brushed scratch marks...I love it and it is so fast!  I know I am risking getting called "Faux-faux" again....that was my nickname for a while when I tried to do some creative painting on some pillars at our church to make them look marbled.  OH WELL...I guess that is a risk I am willing to take!  I love watching an area transform into something amazing...well, amazing to me because I get to choose just what it is like....I love decorating!  I think in a different post I mentioned how much I love the smell of Lowe's....it is now becoming the smell of creating something....the smell of a blank canvas...smells are powerful.  I think I heard one time that smell is the most powerful of the five senses...maybe that was just someone's opinion.  I haven't researched that statement for its validity. :)  I thought I would give you a few pictures to show you the basement transformation.

The t-shirt pics are up....YAY!...and table tennis (or ping-pong table...depending on how serious you are about your leisure sports :) has entered the building.

We still have to install a counter-top behind the couch and Brad is planning to build cabinets and shelves.

This is his face the night the TV arrived...I think he was floating a couple inches off the floor...haha!

I am kind-of hoping my mansion in Heaven is not all the way finished when I get there....not that I want to go right now (nor am I totally against that...all in God's time)....I would just like to add some creative touches to it...I wonder if we will be able to do that :)

What if that verse also said "no nose has smelled" ?....too funny...I should go to bed now...it's late and tomorrow that probably won't be as funny to me.

Joy Unspeakable

You know sometimes when you are praying for something and you know it could be one of those things that you are going to be praying for for a long time...like somehow when you start praying you already have this idea that you need to pace yourself with this request because it will probably take some time for God to get it done :) (Boy, I could read that sounding a lot like Eeyore, couldn't I?)....I guess I forget that God is limitless and nothing that I see as BIG is really all that BIG to Him.

One of my favorite Eeyore quotes and fitting following an extra long winter :)

So I have been praying for our pastor's house in Toledo to sell (along with a lot of other people)...I know it would be great for Brad and the church as a whole to have him here full-time and I know how much of a strain it is on his family to have him gone three days a week and then all make the commute to Jackson on Sunday morning.  I have been praying for his wife through the transition time too because I can just imagine it is very stressful with 6 children....plus, she has been working really hard to get the house ready to list with a realtor.  Every time I have seen her lately she has had paint or spackling compound in her hair. It is the beauty mark of a good wife!  Anyway, when our ladies group went down to Toledo to take her to lunch...she told me they were able to list their home for sale on Friday....then Sunday she said a realtor may be bringing people through while they were at church.  So, we prayed for a bidding war...haha!  Kind-of kidding :)  Anyway, I just found out they received a full asking price offer today...isn't that hilarious!  I like the laugh out loud kind of joy!

I am praising God for this answer to prayer!  Nothing is too BIG for HIM and no certain amount of time is necessary, I guess :)

I have another prayer request...I can't really say what it is, but it is quite a burden today.  I believe somehow God will bring joy into and from the situation, but at this point I don't see it....and there is nothing I can physically do at this moment to make it any different.  BUT, prayer is power, right!  God cares about our "unspokens"...it's not like He is guessing what it could be :)  And, I know that as much as I care about the outcome of the situation that is on my heart today....he cares exponentially more....and that, in itself, is joy unspeakable.

Sleepyheads

Are you a person who enjoys sleep?  I really enjoy sleep....I especially love my Sunday afternoon nap (when I get one) and I am quite happy when it is about 2 hours long! I have loved that nap ever since I was in high school....it is kind-of funny that when you are really young you fight so hard against napping and then when you are older you wish you could have it back.  While I was on the road trip with all the ladies we got talking about times in our lives when we needed anesthesia....(I know, weird conversation...and I will spare you some of the other topics...haha!)  I have never needed anesthesia for any reason, so their conversation was a bit foreign to me...but, they were talking about how great the sleep was and that they didn't even want to wake up from it.

On Sunday, Pastor Toyer was teaching on what a good church should look like and one of his points was that we should be eagerly awaiting Jesus' return and our Heavenly home.  Part of it was on the subject of death and dying and that we do not have to fear death any longer because Jesus took death and changed it into sleep for a believer.  It is interesting to consider this in terms of our earthly rest.  A night's sleep is a short rest from the labors of one day, but death is a sleep that marks the end of our earthly toils and cares.  It will be a blessed rest...if the word rest comes from the word restore or restoration...this will be the best rest we will ever have.

Won't it be amazing to wake up in Heaven...and to be fully restored?!  I am thankful for this part of God's plan....to steal death's power and turn it into a sweet slumber...WOW!

There is a rumor stirring; a gentle rumbling

I hear it in the morning light;on beating wings

of butterflies, and from the babes this song is heard.  The soul's been saved 

give it these words...

"OH DEATH, WHERE IS THY STING?"

An eerie shadow cast; confusion at his task--

as darkness gropes about for sight the deadbolt keys to

fasten tight eternal grave are seized

away and all that's left resounds today,

"OH GRAVE, WHERE IS THY TRIUMPH?"

Then flutter wings of cherubim at this new 

light made known to them; and when the 

angels play those keys they sing of

mortal mysteries

Their voices are the lullabies for sleepy saints waiting to rise.

The four winds carry out their story; 

with each breath give Christ due glory---for 

DEATH HAS BEEN SWALLOWED IN VICTORY.

Are you getting excited to celebrate Christ's Resurrection?  I am.....here is a fabulous worship song to celebrate!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IExdrZGQVeI

Flat Stanley's Staycation

Karly's class has a project on Flat Stanley over Spring Break.  She was supposed to take him out of state...however, we had no plans to leave Michigan....I mean, why leave when you are already in the best state...haha!  So, Flat Stanley hung out with us at home and around Jackson....until today that is.....today he made a run for the border with me :)  He was a stowaway for a ladies road trip to Toledo.  Here are some pictures from his fun week!

Flat Stanley learning to make "Eggs In The Middle" for breakfast...watch out for the griddle, Stanley, you are laminated.

Karly and Flat Stanley at the Bouncy Castle

Flat Stanley trying his hand at an arcade game

Flat Stanley dancing with Olaf... why is Olaf still frozen on April 5th?  Oh yeah, he has his own personal flurry covering the whole state of Michigan and part of Ohio...thanks Olaf!

Flat Stanley, lost with Mommy and her crazy friends in Ohio...at least he is still smiling!  He didn't know how to get there either.

We finally made it to bd's Mongolian BBQ and met up with our pastor's wife, Abigail....yay for lunch...and good friends!

The ladies weren't so sure they wanted to let Flat Stanley into our group since it was supposed to be ladies only, but, by the end of the day, he was one of us :)

Worth a Thousand Words

In the van tonight, Danielle thought of the beginning of the "Five Sisters" story.  She said, "let's make it that the five sisters didn't know each other yet, but that the sister who could paint painted a picture of a place she would want to live and then the two sisters went into that picture and that is where they met the other three sisters and they all became a team."  (Who says minivans aren't a bit magical?)  I think that is the perfect beginning to the "Five Sisters" story...how about you?

Go No Cape!

Brad and I used to tell the girls "Three Sisters" stories before bed and then, a few years ago, we stopped making them up.  In the stories each of the sisters had an item that gave them special power and when they would get into a situation or see some "wrong" occurring they would have to work together using their super powers to solve the problem.  They loved the stories...so, I am not sure why we stopped...maybe it was just hard to come up with that much new content.  Anyway, a few days ago, Kassi asked us for a "Five Sisters" story :)  (that made me smile!) So, we have been brainstorming what powers the two other sisters will have...that has made for some fun conversations.  We are thinking one will have a magic paintbrush and will be able to create a scene or alternate reality into which all the sisters can pass....and, the other sister may have some amazing shoes that give her super speed.  We already have a headband that gives super creative abilities/problem solving skills to one sister, a sticker book with one magical sticker that when put on the sister makes her invisible, and a pet rock that when held by a certain sister allows her to fly.  FUN TIMES!  Wish us luck as we try to fit all these powers into our 1st "Five Sisters" story.

One of the things I like about superheros is that, normally, no one knows the individual is super.  There is one I can think of off the top of my head that is very cocky and likes everyone to know who he is...but, most don't need the credit or accolades that come from being super...in fact, I think they realize they can maintain their abilities to help more people when their identity is not made known.  This goes along with the concept in Christianity of giving in secret...not letting the left hand know what the right hand is doing.

I love this about serving God...I love taking care of a need for a person and them not knowing it was me.  We all have the ability to be super....God has given us amazing powers really....prayer power, power through love, compassion, service, power through our faith that He says if is even as much as a mustard seed can move a mountain.

Who is that masked mountain mover? :)

Anyway, to me it is like we were all sent here to be super...to use our power from God to make a difference in our world.  God just said, "Go No Cape!"

God's Not Dead...in fact HE IS ALIVE AND KICKIN'

I wanna add SATAN's TAIL at the end of that title...because it's TRUE.  As a pastor's wife I have a front row seat sometimes to the struggles people are going through.  That can be very difficult for me because I take a lot of things very hard or deeply, but I have learned over the years that being a feeling person can be good if I go to the right place with my burdens....if I lay them down before Christ.  Experiencing some pain for others is really nothing compared to seeing God's mighty hand work in their lives and deliver them from the struggle or circumstance or just give them an amazing perspective in the midst of their storm.

We saw "God's Not Dead" last weekend, but Savannah was able to see it the weekend before us in Lansing with some of her friends.  She came home super excited about it and told us we need to see it. Then, this week, she asked me if she could join a new Bible Study at church focused on learning how to share her faith. AMAZING!  I'm so excited to see God working in her!

Brad got a text earlier this week that said "God's Not Dead"....at first he didn't think much of it because that is what they encourage you to do at the end of the movie...text your friends that statement.  So, he thought, "Cool, someone just saw that movie!" But, he realized through a second text that it was from a young lady who has been walking away from the Lord...who had left her family and who we had been praying for for a while to "come home".  She did. We are praising God for that! See, He's kickin' Satan's Tail!

Then, Brad got a call from someone who just found out they lost their job and they just needed some encouragement.  Later, one of this person's family members called Brad to talk and they were able to express to Brad all the positive things this will mean for their family and how they trust God has something great in store.

This morning Brad read me an email from a youth that has been going through a really hard time in life.  Her circumstances have just never seemed to give her a break and we have been praying her through some dark days.  She emailed Brad to tell him she thinks she is realizing what it takes to make it through this crazy life....she said, "I think I have to stop trying and just trust"..."not that I don't have to work hard, but I just have to trust that God will work it out"..."I was stressing about a bunch of things over the past weeks and now I see that they all worked out."

Sparky

On April 1st I always think of my Grandpa Brinker ....somewhat because he was funny, always had silly jokes or noises, and appreciated a good prank.  But, also because April 1st is the anniversary of his passing.

At first, when he passed on April 1st, I thought this day would not be the same to me...like it somehow ruined the "fun" that I might have being silly because I would think of him and be sad that I no longer can have those fun times with him anymore...HOWEVER, over time, I have grown to appreciate this day for the reason that it reminds me of grandpa's silly personality and really how perfect God is in His timing.  Sometimes when we are experiencing loss or sadness we have a really hard time seeing the joy in each moment and that God is still working to make our lives richer...but it is still there if we turn on the light! (Grandpa was an electrician...his nickname was Sparky to his friends at the factory...had to add the light reference.)

Do you like Calvin and Hobbes?  I like this bit from one of their comics...it talks about how sometimes it is hard to tell if life is more of a tragedy or a farce...I love their humor!

Calvin: They say the world is a stage.  But obviously the play is unrehearsed and everybody is ad-libbing his lines.

Hobbes:  Maybe that's why it's hard to tell if we're living in a tragedy or a farce.

Calvin: We need more special effects and dance numbers.

It's mostly about perspective, right?....Life is good!  Get out and be a little silly...add some of your own special effects and dance numbers to the lives of those around you!  Happy April Fools! 

P.S. Here's a free prank idea....I have never tried it, but I think it would be hilarious!  Unscrew a shower head and put a chicken bouillon cube in it...then put the shower head back on....the next person to shower will get quite a surprise when the water smells like chicken...OK, you do it and tell me if it goes over well and then I will try it...BUT, don't forget you did it and have it backfire on you.  I have this suspicion that would happen to me...ha!