ZOOOOOM!

Where does the time ago? How is it possible that it's been over a week since I last blogged? There were some highlights... lunch with friends and their little ones at Chick-fil-a; dinner with KidZone peeps (some of the best assistants ever); a trip to the Fox with Sara to see Mary Poppins; a visit from my sister, Brenda and her daughter and her son's son; and hearing Sara share about Nigeria.

If you've never been to the Fabulous Fox Theater, you MUST go. It is so incredibly beautiful. We've seen some great shows there. Last week Sara and I went to see Mary Poppins and it was fabulous!! (No pun intended!) It was a "practically perfect" way to spend the afternoon. We enjoyed it "in a most delightful way". As a matter of fact, it was "supercalifragilisticexpialadocious". I'm considering adopting Mary Poppins' philosophy: "Let's make one thing perfectly clear. I don't explain anything."

My sister, Brenda - she's #2 out of 4... I'm #1... her daughter, Laura Beth who is 6 months younger than Chris... and my great-nephew, Dominic came for a visit. It was actually Sara speaking on Sunday night that got them here but that's OK. We had a wonderful time at the Arch and at Grant's Farm. Dominic thinks the Arch belongs to me. :-) I wish... It all started last Thanksgiving when the wallpaper for my phone was the St. Louis skyline and he began to identify the Arch with me. The first time he saw it in person, he said, "Wow! Aunt Becky's BIG Arch!"

Our next stop was Grant's Farm... which is always a fun day! Train rides, goats, elephant show, parrots, carousel rides, huge tortoises, etc. It was a beautiful day to be outside and a great girl's day out + Dominic - our entertainment for the day!!

On Sunday evening, Sara spoke about her 2 1/2 years in Nigeria - bush trips, strange food, head wraps, malaria, and so much more. Check her or my page on Facebook and see the video she put together of the beautiful faces of Nigeria. Here's a picture of Sara with one of our Nigerian church members, Shola...

The rest of this week.. and next... is gonna be crazy! Stay tuned...

TWIML #3 (This Week in Moppy's Life)

Sitting: on my bed... hey, don't make fun... it's where I do some of my best work.

Waiting: for Sara to come home. She's been in Richmond at the ILC this week for her debriefing.

Glad: for a wonderful lunch last Sunday with new Indian friends - sharing together about how we can reach the Indian community with God's love... for lunch with the youth intern that has done a great job and who will be terribly missed when he goes back to Maine... for a little bit of play time on Friday with Sammy & Lizzie... for a "perfect" colonoscopy on Thursday... for a fully staffed Sunday School in our preschool and children's division.

Needing: Awana leaders and/or listeners, especially for our T&T girls (3rd-6th graders). You can give an entire evening or give a half hour during their handbook time. It's simple; it's rewarding... please ask God if He can use you in this way. More Puggles (2 by August 1) would be nice. I think we only have 1 or 2. It's the class before Cubbies and we need more kids (must be part of PBC).

Reading: nothing has changed... still trudging along with the same books. I need a vacation then I'll get more reading done.

Avoiding: knives since I cut myself yesterday on my thumb while slicing strawberries. I thought it would be fine - red strawberries, red blood... who would know? Charlie didn't agree!!

Enjoyed: my visit with an "old" friend on Tuesday at It's a Grind.

Preparing: for a Sunday School teacher's meeting on Sunday afternoon; a visit from my sister, niece and great-nephew next weekend.

Drinking: diet Pepsi.

Snacking: Bing cherries.

Trying: to be patient and trust God as I wait for some test results.

Ending: with thoughts of Sara coming home shortly; possible fun trip in September.

PROVERBS 22:6

"Teach your children to choose the right path, and when they are older, they will remain upon it." That's the New Living Translation (NLT) of Proverbs 22:6. I enjoy using that when I'm reading Scripture - so easy to understand. As I read that this morning I began to reflect on the teaching of my own children. Charlie and I were far, far from perfect parents but one thing we tried to do was to make sure that the education they were getting at home matched with the education they were getting at church and at school. That was why we chose Christian schools for our kids. I'm not saying you shouldn't send your kids to public school - not at all. But I am saying that Christian schools were the best match for our family. It meant sacrifice; it meant taking and picking up every day; it meant lots of money out of our already thin pockets... but we felt it was a sacrifice God wanted us to make so we did... and have never regretted it.

Jason is an elder at Christ Community E-Free Church and works with the youth there. He continues to mold the young minds of those he works with as well as his 2 young children. You would be hard-pressed to find a more tender-hearted young man. He sticks to his beliefs - even to the point of losing a job over his refusal to sell products for stem-cell research. He married one of the most beautiful and sweet-spirited young women I've ever known. She's a fabulous mom and we could not have asked for a more wonderful daughter-in-law. We're sure God gave her to Jason and to us. And they have given us two beautiful grandchildren with a third one on the way. Woo-hoo!!!!!

As most of you know who read this, Sara just returned from 2 1/2 years in Nigeria as a journeyman missionary for the IMB. She endured food and drink that most of us would never even consider eating. She fought malaria after only being in the country for 6 weeks. I still say that mosquito bit her as she walked off the plane - and I'll bet it's name was Satan. Sara was so sick and many thought she would, or at least should, come home. But no - she was going to win that battle and she did! Sara has loved mission work since she went on that first trip with her Dad to Brazil when she was in junior high and she wanted to stay there. Since then she's been to Poland, to Guatemala several times, to Russia to study for a semester, and, of course, Nigeria. If you think she's home to stay, think again. God has greater and bigger work for her to do somewhere.

Chris, our baby, lives in Springfield and loves it there. And why wouldn't he? He's a hunter and fisherman and has all of that so close. He attends First Baptist, Ozark and enjoys a weekly Bible study on another night. Like most young men his age, he didn't give up on his upbringing - he found a church where he could worship and help him stay close to God and continue to study His Word. He loves basketball and helps out with Upward when his schedule allows it.

Some of know the story of Masha... some do not. Malikas (that's a nickname that I call her) and I first met on my first mission trip to Belarus in 2000. Keith was the leader for that trip and he had met her on a previous trip. After our initial contact fell through, Masha took the ball and ran with it. That trip would not have been possible without her and God's intervention. It's a long story - maybe for a different day. Anyway she and I eventually became close... close to the point of a mother/daughter relationship. In 2003 she married a young man, Chris, from the Isle of Man (look it up on a map) and that is where they are living. Malikas became a believer in her early teens - not because of the example she had received at home but because of other opportunities and other people in her life. While in Belarus, she translated for those who would come for mission or humanitarian trips. She attended Word of Life Baptist Church and worked with their teens. When she moved to the island, she attended Port St. Mary Baptist Church but many changes and many... well, wrong motives for doing things... made it difficult to stay. There aren't many options for evangelical churches in such a small place but she continues to read His Word and worship Him in hopes of finding a place of service. So no, I didn't raise Malikas because she was 21 when I met her... but I hope I've made an impact on her spiritual life. God has been so good to spare her life so we can be a family.

All this because I read Proverbs 22:6 this morning. Sorry to have gone on and on. As I said... Charlie and I aren't perfect parents; nor are our kids perfect. God has seen us through the really hard times and we've rejoiced together at the wonderful gifts He has given us. And to back up even more - I am grateful for the loving, Christian home that my parents provided for me. They set the first example for me as I was taught "to choose the right path."

Like the song says: God is so good! God is so good! God is so good; He's so good to me!

THE WEEK BEHIND... THE WEEK AHEAD

What a fun Saturday we had!! We just don't have enough of those. After a morning of pancakes, sausage, bacon and OJ... we loaded up 2 vehicles for some "together time" at Busch Wildlife. Chris was in town and he brought his girlfriend, Calen. Jason and the kids came up from South County and Sara joined us, too. First we went to the "Kids Only" fishing lake... and watched Chris catch the biggest fish of the day. Of course, we're all used to that. If a fish is going to be caught, he will catch it and it will be the biggest... been like that for a lot of years now. Hey... I know what you're thinking but he is my kid. :-) Lizzie caught the first fish and she thought it was really cool... at first. She even wanted to hold it... until Poppy gave it to her and she yells, "Icky!! I don't want it!"... and cried for 5 minutes. Sammy caught a little fish, too, but he wasn't sure about it either. After fishing at the "Kids Only" lake for a while, we headed to a different lake and I'm not sure anyone caught anything but Chris and Calen managed to get mud all over their feet and legs and Sammy thought it would be a good place to ride his new bike. It was hot and dirty and dusty... and we all loved it!! It would have been really nice to have Malikas and Jenny join us, too.

Battle of the brothers...



Sara wonders how she can possibly text AND hold a fishing pole... and would you look at Calen's feet... hahahahaha

At church, we have what we call an Acts 1:8 Team... covering the areas mentioned in that Scripture. Each staff member also has one of the areas to help give guidance and work with the person in charge on the Acts 1:8 Team. My responsibility is Samaria. PBC has determined that Samaria is not only North America but also those who are culturally different in our community. Because of the large Indian population, we have felt God's leading in reaching out to this people group. Scott (head of the team) and I enjoyed lunch on Sunday with some couples that we had made contact with. We learned so much about their culture and shared ways that we can reach the Indian community and show them the love of Christ. This endeavor is really going to stretch me...

We have the same youth intern for the second summer in a row and Aaron is a great guy. Tomorrow we will have a good-bye party for him at Five Guys - whatever that restaurant is - and I'm sure it'll be fun. And then I get to top off my afternoon with a trip to the dentist. Fun! Fun! And to add to this fun week, I'm having a colonoscopy on Thursday. Every time I see my internist or gynecologist, they ask if I've had it done yet. I can finally say yes the next time I see them.

Do you know what TOMS shoes are? Well, I didn't know much about them but Calen wears them so I checked them out and found out that for every pair of shoes a person buys, a pair is given to a needy child. How cool is that!!! You can help too. Use the promo code Share TOMS within the next 7 days and get $5 off your order. Click here for their selection: TOMS.

Sara leaves Tuesday morning for her debriefing at the International Learning Center in Virginia. She just doesn't seem to stay around very long... but I think we get her for 3 whole weeks before she leaves town again in September.

GETTING TO KNOW ME

Just for fun... I'm watching the Cardinal game... 2nd inning and they are already losing 4-0... on a par with my day... I got this "quiz" from a young friend at church so I thought "why not?" Hopefully some of my FB and blogging friends will copy and paste and have some fun, too.

1. What time did you get up this morning? 8:30; woke up at 5 and then fell back asleep.
2. How do you like your steak? I don't care much for steak but if i do eat it, then medium well.
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Harry Potter: The Half-Blood Prince. And yes, I've seen the other movies and read the books.
4. What is your favorite TV show? NCIS and/or Leverage
5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? Wouldn't matter as long as my kids were close by.
6. What did you have for breakfast? A sausage biscuit
7. What is your favorite cuisine? Mexican
8. What foods do you dislike? coconut is the first thing that comes to mind
9. Favorite Place to Eat? El Maguey
10. Favorite dressing? Lite Ranch
11.What kind of vehicle do you drive? Hyundai Tucson
12. What are your favorite clothes? t-shirt & happy pants
13. Where would you visit if you had the chance? Isle of Man, London or Springfield
14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full? usually 1/2 full
15. Where would you want to retire? wherever my kids & grandkids are
16. Favorite time of day? late morning
17. Where were you born? Waco, Texas
18. What is your favorite sport to watch? college basketball
19. Who do you think will not tag you back? not really going to tag anyone.
20. Person you expect to tag you back first? figure I'm lucky if anyone takes the time to do this.
21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this? I'd be curious about Rebekah's answers since I don't know her very well.
22. Bird watcher? why would anyone watch birds? i just don't get it so no.
23. Are you a morning person or a night person? definitely a night person; morning comes way too early.
24. Do you have any pets? nope
25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? I'm gonna be a grandma again in March. :-)
26. What did you want to be when you were little? an English teacher
27. What is your best childhood memory? visiting new places - my dad was in the Air Force
28. Are you a cat or dog person? cat
29. Are you married? Yes.
30. Always wear your seat belt? Yes.
31. Been in a car accident? Yep, more than one.
32. Any pet peeves? Too many to list.
33. Favorite Pizza Toppings? Ham, corn & mushroom
34. Favorite Flower? Aster-mary
35. Favorite ice cream? Chocolate almond
36. Favorite fast food restaurant? Jimmy John's or Culver's
37. How many times did you fail your driver's test? none.
38. From whom did you get your last email? Group Publishing
39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Bass Pro (mainly to buy for 3 others) or The Container Store (for me)
40. Do anything spontaneous lately? went for a drive around Busch Wildlife
41. Like your job? Yes
42. Broccoli? Yes - raw, cooked, in casseroles - yummy!
43. What was your favorite vacation? Branson fishing or Egham
44. Last person you went out to dinner with? Charlie
45. What are you listening to right now? Cardinal baseball
46. What is your favorite color? blue
47. How many tattoos do you have? none and no plans for any
48. How many are you tagging for this quiz? None
49. What time did you finish this quiz? 8:18 p.m.
50. Coffee Drinker? only if it's a latte or mocha

A FUN ENDING TO A BUSY DAY

The storm woke me up at about 3:20 a.m. today. I really don't think it was much of a storm so why did it wake me up? I was really not a happy camper until I realized that it was about time for Masha to be boarding a plane to London so I figured I was supposed to pray for her so I did. And that was OK. What wasn't OK is that I was still awake at 6 a.m. and really needing some sleep. I finally went back to sleep and was awakened by Sara at 9 a.m., wondering why I was home. It was a quick shower, a quick breakfast and a quick drive to church. And that made it hard to get a good start to my day. However, I finally settled in and had a productive and busy day preparing the Kick-Off packet. And then in the afternoon I got an email from one of my Preschool Sunday School teachers. She had done what I had asked - contacted a guest who had a child that would be in her class. The mom was grateful for the "touch" from a PBC teacher and indicated they liked what they saw and heard at PBC - after visiting 7 churches in the area. Now that would make any lousy day a good one!!

And the evening got even better. Charlie and I had a nice drive around Busch Wildlife, seeing lots of deer and enjoying the outdoors.

Sara left today to visit grandparents in Mississippi. Many of you will remember the car accident my nephew was in a couple of years ago. He has severe brain damage... is in an extended care facility in Tennessee near where my sister lives... and has made little progress since the accident. Sara will be seeing him for the first time when she goes there on Tuesday with my mom and dad. She and Marc are the same age. Pray for her as she sees him for the first time. Pray that Marc will respond in some way to let her know that he knows she is there.

Those of you who know our youngest, Chris, knows that he has quite a sense of humor - a rather odd sense of humor at times. :-) I read his status on Facebook tonight and had a chuckle. "worked on a truck today that had a camoflauge garter hangin from the rearview mirror, the ozarks are awesome"... yep, that's my Christopher!

TWIML - #2

I should be more creative but it's not gonna happen tonight so anyone who reads this is stuck with the same format. And my sister, Brenda, likes it.... so there!!!! Here's my week in review...

Sitting: on my bed with my laptop... if I'm not at work, it's usually where I am if I'm typing or surfing.

Waiting: for sleep to come. I had a late afternoon nap and I don't think it's going to come anytime soon... but the nap was so nice.

Glad: for a good week at work and a great weekend. Sammy and Lizzie were here on Saturday and then again on Sunday because their daddy "stole" Poppy's phone and had to return it. And then I also got to have lunch with them (and their parents and Aunt Sara) on Tuesday. As we were going into the restaurant, Lizzie asks me if I like her "bootiful dress". I tell her I think it is absolutely beautiful and she tells me what color it is... I guess in case I'm not sure of my colors. And then she says, "I can dance in my dress." This little girl is obssessed with dancing. I see dance recitals in our future... something very new for our family.

Needing: teachers for Sunday School... kindergarten is the first priority.

Reading: same as last week - not much extra reading time this week.

Avoiding: laundry but one of my dresser drawers tells me I'd better not avoid it much longer.

Enjoyed: going to see Harry Potter with Sara. I think it was the best one yet. Also enjoyed going to Bass Pro tonight with Charlie to get some fishing supplies for Malikas. Cheryl prepared a delicious meal for her Children's Choir workers and I had the privilege of joining them. Yummy!!

Preparing: for the same as last week - Fall Kick-Off, new Awana year, new Sunday School year. Kris and I had a good meeting this morning and we have the Awana year calendared and made some registration changes for the Kick-Off. Hopefully, it will speed up registration and have shorter lines.

Drinking: diet Coke

Snacking: on nothing... late Mexican dinner and no need for a snack tonight.

Trying: to understand about my dad's diagnosis of SCA - spinocerebellar atrophy syndrome.

Ending: with a smile on my face because Sara turned down a job this week that would have taken her away again for a while... just not ready for that. I know the day will come but I'm glad it's a little further down the road.