Monday, April 6, 2009

I love my kids...

The other day my kids were having one of those love/hate days - and went from playing happily together to "telling on" each other kind of days (LOTS of fun for a mom!!)...

I was busy talking with Fred in the kitchen (actually having a PRODUCTIVE conversation while the kids got their PJ's on - so I wanted to finish it) and I asked Chayse if she would read a book to her brothers for 5 minutes while I talked to Daddy (NOT laziness - just enjoyed a couple of minutes of un-interrupted talking time).

Here's what I came upstairs to:















Aren't they cute!! Connor's on the left, Chayse in the middle (reading an "Inspector Gadget" book) and Colton on the right...

I just LOVE IT when my kiddos get along and do stuff like this...
I still giggle a little every time I see this picture and I remember just how precious EACH of my kids are! Thank you Lord!

Thursday, April 2, 2009

My random life... but no so random??

Just to be transparent here for a minute...

Two days ago, I was ready to head back to Jamaica and stay there for a little bit (with my family, of course - not alone)... I miss the kids, I miss wrapping my arms around them and loving on them, I wish to go to their houses and help their parents - anything - just to help with something that doesn't involve paperwork, hours of meetings and "office hours".

Believe me - I LOVE my job, I love Driven services, I love my 242 group, I love where God has called me - ALL OF IT... I just don't always love the work that accompanies it.

Then last night... THIS:



















God hit me like a BEAM of light... not just a "ray of sunshine" a stinkin BEAM!!

I spent the day yesterday (really I've spent the last 4 weeks) preparing for our Purity kickoff service last night (and really for the rest of the services for the month) and really felt like I heard from God as to what to say and I was "ready".

But in that service, as I sat down in my seat to teach - I felt the presence of God so strong (even through all the goofy videos we watched first) on me... and as we began to have a time of praise before the teaching - it was even stronger. Then as I stepped up to teach, it just HIT ME... not that I taught some magnificent teaching - just God leading me!!
And as we went into worship tears welled up in my eyes as I realize that THIS is where God's called me to (not Jamaica, not anywhere else) to be here... a thirty-some year old woman of God in the middle of hundreds of teenagers worshiping, praising, and helping them walk out the plan God has for them! It was so awesome!

I came home and was looking through some pictures and found the one above from my trip to Jamaica and it HIT ME - that's what I felt like!! I felt like I was surrounded by the "clouds" of being busy with lots of "things" and here was my Father, shining down on me showing me that He sees me and He's leading me and I am in the right spot.

Thank you Father!