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!