AT HOME

This is probably going to get me in trouble but I'll use this means to "think out loud". I'm home today... church office is closed because it's Martin Luther King Day. I've always wondered why we get today off. Don't get me wrong... I'm not prejudiced and he did a lot of good things for equality but why MLK and not President's Day. George Washington and Abraham Lincoln certainly had HUGE impacts on our country. And what about Veteran's Day... shouldn't we pause to thank our veterans and maybe get that day off? There may be others... and I know we can't take them all off but it just doesn't add up in my mind. Why this one over others?

OK, I've said it... now I'll try to do something productive on my day off. BTW, this is MY opninion. It has nothing to do with PBC or those who make the decision of when we get off and when we don't. I am grateful to PBC for their generosity regarding our holiday time... conference time... and vacation time.

And so you'll smile when you finish reading this, here's a Sammy quote: Jenny (his mom) was hugging him good night and he said, "Well, that's all the love I have until tomorrow, Mommy." :-)

CHRISTMAS AND COLD...

Charlie, Sara, Chris and I loaded up on Wednesday afternoon before Christmas and headed for Mississippi. It was nice to have some time with just my mom and dad for awhile. We opened our gifts on Christmas morning and then headed to my sister's to meet up with other family members. It was a full house - sisters, brothers-in-laws, niece, nephews, great nephew, nephews' girlfriends... Unfortunately Jason and his family and Masha and her husband couldn't join us. One of these days we'll all be together again. I'm so looking forward to that day. We enjoyed a delicious meal... presented mom and dad with a gift that totally surprised them (a love seat that they had inquired about from my sister and were planning to purchase after the holidays... because my sister told them it would not be available until then... ha! we fooled them!!) Unfortunately, we had to leave earlier than planned due to roads with ice and snow. We made it home without incident on Friday evening.





My sisters... Bev, Belinda, Brenda and me


On Saturday evening, we enjoyed celebrating Christmas with Jason, Jenny and the grandkids. We had a delicious meal prepared by Jenny. Sammy and Lizzie enjoyed opening gifts... reading books... playing with new toys... and so did everyone else. Kids and Christmas... it's all so much fun!







We're being promised warmer weather for this week. It's been in the single digits for much of last week... with just enough snow to be an annoyance on the roads. Charlie and I took a drive along the Great River Road in Alton and Grafton, Illinois. We saw deer, geese, and bald eagles. It was my last free Saturday for the next 8 weeks and it was a fun day... seeing the bald eagle in the wild and an evening with Sammy and Lizzie.

Upward Basketball began Saturday, January 9... 8 weeks of basketball, devotions, stars, winners and fun! The first day went well with only a few minor glitches. It's busy... it's tiring... it's even frustrating at times... but worth every minute of it!! More updates as we go through the season.

SICK + HOLIDAYS = TRUE ANNOYANCE, BUT...

There's never a good time to be sick but why now? I have presents to wrap (even though I don't like the job of wrapping, I love watching people open them). I have Oreo Bark to make (although I never have it looked like a good recipe). I have parties to go too and friends to see (missed one last night). I have work to do at home and at church... and I feel lousy. Ken thinks I'm now a baritone. I overheard Keith tell Dale that I sounded terrible. My family doesn't want to get too close to me... which is understandable. So as I sat here feeling sorry for myself, I thought I should turn my thoughts to what I'm blessed with. Why? Because there are so many people who are REALLY sick with cancer or some other uncurable or inoperable problem. I'm reminded of my friend and servant at church, Sandy, who has been through a year of chemo and radiation for breast cancer... and yet every email from her talked about the joy of the Lord... about how grateful she was for friends and family who were helping her... for the many blessings she's experienced. Never once did I hear Sandy complain... and I'm sure she had reason to. I can count on one hand how many times she missed teaching her first grade Sunday School class. Sandy is amazing! I've been touched by her testimony this past year.

When I went to see my parents in September, I was saddened by my dad's condition. How terrible it must be to get up from a chair and not know if you're going to walk or pass out. Yet he still smiles and jokes... goes to church every Sunday and who knows what other days if something is going on. He goes places with my mom... mainly because they are inseperable. :-) I'm sure all the kids, grandkids and great grandkids will get on his nerves a little bit this Christmas but he won't say anything. He'll just watch... and smile... and be thankful that we can be together.

I think of a wonderful lady in our church who will be without her husband for the first time this Christmas. His death is still fresh in her heart and mind. I'm sure she misses him and it will be very hard.

I'm so blessed to have such wonderful kids... 3 by birth; 1 by choice; 2 by marriage... and then those grandkids. Whoa!! I'm telling you... there are none cuter or sweeter than my Sammy and Lizzie. :-) Yeah, yeah... I know there are a lot of grandparents who will argue that point but that's OK... I would expect nothing less. Before I was a grandmother, I would make fun of Dale and Jane in the office. They would show pictures and talk about their adventures and I would smile, look at the pictures, nod my head... and think "this surely can not be that big of a deal." Was I ever wrong? I love being "Moppy"... and I'm pretty sure Sammy and Lizzie are crazy about their Moppy and Poppy.

As I write this, Charlie is doing laundry... really haven't felt like going downstairs but he started in on it this morning. He also took me to buy a birthday present for Malikas - a quick in and out. (These people with birthdays in December and early January!!) But then was sweet to drop me off while he ran a couple of other errands for me. He can be the sweetest guy in town. :-)

How wonderful it is to have Sara home this Christmas. God has placed a special call on her life and I can tell she's getting antsy. Let's face it... she's been in America for 6 whole months. We'll get to spend a couple of extra days with Chris since he took some vacation time. I'm looking forward to all 4 of us making a trip to Missisippi. And then when we get back, we'll have Christmas with Jason, Jenny and the kids. I'm saddened that we don't get to spend any time with Malikas this holiday season. She will be greatly missed. It just couldn't happen this year. :-(

So yes, I am truly blessed... food, shelter, clothing, family... and much, much more are all at my fingertips. Thank you, Jesus, for your blessings on our family. "Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine." Psalm 16:5 (NLT).

ENCOURAGEMENT

Every morning, I receive a devotional by email from an organization called Proverbs 31 Ministries. Today's touched my heart and actually brought me to tears as I wonder about how often I miss out on such divine appointments. Hopefully, it will make you think... and act... as well.

Divine Delays by Zoe Elmore

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

My schedule was tight and I was out of make-up, so I planned to pick up my favorite foundation at the local mall, leaving room to still arrive on time for my friend's annual Christmas tea. As I prepared to leave, the Lord whispered to my heart, Don't go to the mall; go to the make-up store near your home.

But Lord, I argued, I have my friend's Christmas tea and the mall is on the way. What You're asking me to do isn't convenient. I will have to go out of my way and I will be late for the tea. And You know how important punctuality is to me!

After more mental arguing, I reluctantly obeyed and went into the corner make-up store.

I knew the young woman working. She's not only pleasant, but quick and efficient with her customers. Lord, maybe this inconvenience won't interrupt my schedule too much after all.

As I entered the store, the familiar woman greeted me and offered to help with my purchase. I told her what I needed and added that I was in quite a hurry to be on time for my Christmas tea. Quickly and efficiently she found the needed product and walked me to the register to check out.

This was easier than I thought, I said to myself as she handed me my purchase. Then it happened ... the reason I had been led to go out of my way.

"I know you're in a hurry, and I will only keep you one more moment." The young woman shared. "I'd like to ask that you pray for me and my struggling marriage as you drive to your Christmas tea. I don't think my marriage can be saved."

In that moment I sensed the Lord, This is why I wanted to interrupt your busy schedule.

I placed my purchase on the counter, held her hands and prayed. As the Lord guided my words, the young woman began to sob, her tears landing softly on my hands. When I said "Amen," she hugged me tightly and whispered, "Of all the people I've asked to pray for me, you're the first one to stop and do so. Thank you. I've been very discouraged, and had thought no one would ever respond to my request. In fact, I had given up all hope that God even heard my cries for help."

I reminded her of Psalm 145:18-19, "The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them" (NIV).

She thanked me for my time, adding that she would begin to dig into God's Word for more strength and encouragement. The store began to fill with customers. There was one more hug and an exchange of phone numbers as I left for the tea.

Since that day we have talked and prayed together on several occasions and we plan to continue into the New Year. Each time she and I talk, it's a reminder that when I listen and obey the Lord's promptings, I experience the joy of His presence in a powerful way.

God's divine delay taught me that being used by the Lord for His glory in the life of others far outweighs arriving on time.

Dear Lord, thank You for loving me enough to use me for Your purposes and glory. Teach me to listen and obey without reservation or hesitation. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

THANKSGIVING & A WEDDING

Thanksgiving was not what I had envisioned... the family sitting round the dining room table enjoying too much food but laughing and having a great time. However, that's not the way it was - at all. Grown kids + work schedules + living in different cities (and countries) makes it difficult. Jason & Jenny and family were at her mom and dad's; Chris had to work on Friday and he's in Springfield; Sara was here and it was her first Thanksgiving at home in 3 years; Masha was at home on the Isle of Man. Charlie decided to go to Springfield so that Chris wouldn't be alone; Sara and I stayed here because she had to work on Friday and we were leaving that afternoon for Nashville for a wedding. We got up Thanksgiving morning... at our leisure... and went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast. It was a delicious start to our day. We came home... watched a movie... relaxed... and then had a turkey dinner. It really turned out to be a very enjoyable day and I was thrilled to have Sara home and to spend the time with her.

On Friday we headed to Tennessee for the wedding on Saturday of Allison Ellsworth. The Ellsworth family is very dear to my heart and I would not have missed that wedding. As expected, it was beautiful... but not near as beautiful as the lovely bride. She was beaming from the time she walked out the door with her dad until we told her good-bye several hours later. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and the wedding was held outside. Who would have thought such a thing would be possible on November 28? It was sooooo good to see Steve, Jane, Lindsey and Kaitlyn too. When Lindsey introduced me to her boyfriend, she said, "This is Becky... from St. Louis... she adores Kaitlyn... and Kaitlyn adores her." :-) That Kaitlyn will ALWAYS have a special place in my heart... and has since the day I saw her in an orphanage in Belarus. God is so good to have given her one of the most wonderful families I've ever known. OK... I could go on and on about the wedding but just check out the pictures on Facebook and that will give you a pretty good story. Since we drove over on Friday, we were able to spend that evening with my sister, Brenda, and her family. It was a fun visit... Dominic continues to crack me up with his very animated conversations about very important things... like gas for the car. He's a funny boy!

Sitting on my bed. I just downloaded a Josh Groban Christmas CD - man, can that guy sing!!

Waiting and relaxing for a bit before it's time to start dinner. It has to be early on Thursdays - Sara goes to Precept; Charlie has small group.

Glad to have Sara home for the holidays this year. Glad that my Christmas shopping is almost done!! Woo-hoo!!

Needing childcare help for the Saturday night musical on December 12. Also needing more help for the KidZone Christmas party right before the musical. Any takers?

Reading "In the Secret Place - A Pilgrimage through the Psalms" by Jerry Rankin as my devotional each day. Reading "The Truthseeker" by Dee Henderson for fun. Need to start reading "Crazy Love" before Keith thinks I forgot how to read.

Avoiding cleaning out file drawers... and baking cookies for KidZone Worship. I just don't like to bake... or file.

Enjoyed the Ellsworth/Pinckley wedding... obviously.

Preparing soon to make shrimp stir fry for dinner.

Drinking a diet Coke.

Snacking: just finished some almonds.

Trying to work out our Christmas travel details. Once again... Grown working kids + holiday plans = a lot of thinking & planning.

Ending a productive week and looking forward to the start of Upward practices next week.

Misc. Hoping Keith's recent purchase of a new internal hard drive works well... if so, then I'll do the same. There was something else I was going to write here and it has completely slipped my mind so I'll go with this and see if it comes to me anytime soon.

LOVE BEING MOPPY

We had our first Grandparent's Night at Sammy's preschool on Thursday. Of course we had to share him with Jenny's parents - Grandma and Grandpa - but that was OK. Sammy came in with his new jeans and a big boy button-down oxford shirt and his hair slicked over. He was very handsome. A video was shown at the beginning and to be very honest, it was really poorly done. It certainly made me thankful for our WET (Worship Enhancement Team) at Parkway. Also it was a bit long - 20-25 mintues - for a preschool presentation. Then the kids got up on the stage to sing... and some of them needed some discipline that they obviously had never received. I kept thinking about Marqie at our preschool. She would have banged some heads together. However, Sammy sang his songs... did his motions... and did everything else he was told. And I'm not being biased because later when we met his teacher she told us how well-behaved he always is and how he listens and obeys and is such a huge delight. :-) Of course we already knew all those things but it's nice to hear from someone else. Sammy drew pictures of us and told his teacher things to write about us and we got bring them home. After cookies and juice we all headed for home.

This morning was one of those MOPS lesson days when you aren't sure how things are going to go. Our lesson title: My Family Tree is Suddenly a Forest. I know that's the way I felt when I got married... I'm the oldest and was the first of my siblings to get married. I only had 3 first cousins and 1 aunt and 1 uncle. Charlie, on the other hand, had 5 older sisters who were married (or had been) and 2 younger sisters, one of which was married. He had lots of aunts and uncles and tons of cousins. He probably didn't even know some of them. So our conversation today was about extended family and that always leads to in-laws and that often leads to trouble. I talked individually with each DGL about keeping it positive. I told the group as a whole that we weren't there to bash in-laws. I prayed that God would lead us to encouraging words and that healing would come, if necessary. And the morning went very well. Thank you, Jesus!!

Saturday morning will be our 2nd annual Blessing Brunch for our Sunday School teachers. It's my simple way of saying "thank you" to a wonderful group of men and women who are faithful every Sunday to teach our young ones. A couple of parents have sent words of encouragements about the teachers that I get to share with them. We don't talk about curriculum or discipline or training... we enjoy a delicious brunch, get to know one another a little better and share the blessings of sharing with children about God's love.

FINALLY A NEW POST...

I've been so lax about this blog... it's been almost a month... and it's not like nothing has happened... which may be part of the reason... busy, busy!! Upward evaluations & draft, Fall Festival, Rubies Celebration Tea, Jason's birthday, dinner with the Stacks, Children's Ministers retreat, Grand Prix... plus the regular day to day stuff. Also made 2 funeral home visits - one for Carl Petty, a man who fought a valiant battle against cancer and the Lord took him home on October 29. He will always be remembered for his generosity and his love for our babies. Jeff Wells' mother passsed away about the same time. Jeff was our former youth minister.

It seems kind of late to go into any detail about the events since they are all way in the past... except for the Grand Prix... which was great fun as usual. There were some incredibly creative cars. Pictures will be on the church's website in a couple of weeks. My mind always goes to Don Anthony. He loved the Awana Grand Prix... and he loved the kids. He is still missed. :-(

I saw these questions from Kendra today and thought it would be a sort of mindless, fun thing to do while watching Lady Vols basketball.

1. What is your occupation right now? Children's minister

2. What color are your socks right now? navy blue

3. What are you listening to right now? Tennessee Lady Vols vs. Texas Tech basketball game

4. What was the last thing that you ate? Spaghetti, salad

5. What is your favorite cheese? Most any kind - probably prefer monterey jack or provel

6. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Malikas

7. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Kendra didn't really send it to me but I do like her very much.

8. How old are you today? 56

9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? College basketball

10.What is your favorite drink? Diet Pepsi or Grape Propel

11. Have you ever dyed your hair? Yep

12. Favorite food? Almost anything Mexican except jalapenos

13. What is the last movie you watched? Where the Wild Things Are (not a big fan)

14. Favorite day of the year? Not sure I have one. Any day with kids and grandkids is a favorite

15. How do you vent anger? depends on where I am - cry, slam a door, talk it out

16. What was your favorite toy as a child? my bike

17. What is your favorite season? Spring

18. Cherries or Blueberries? Bing cherries

19. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back? I always want my friends to email me back.

20. Living arrangements? home in West County with 1 husband and 1 grown kid (at the moment)

23. When was the last time you cried? When Malikas left St. Louis to go back to the Isle of Man

24. What is on the floor of your closet? shoes only; I recently cleaned it out.

25. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending to? not sending this; just putting it here

26. What did you do last night? Enjoyed a relaxing night at home

27. What are you most afraid of? Losing someone I love

28. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburger? Cheese!

29. Favorite dog breed? No favorite but something small

30. Favorite day of the week? Wednesday because of all the kids at Awana and Thursday because it's my day off and I can rest after all the kids at Awana.

31. How many countries have you lived in? 3

32. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds

33. What is your favorite flower? aster-mary, rose

34. What is your favorite color? blue

35. What is your favorite smell? fresh bread baking; baby right out of a bath

36. How long have you been with your partner? 36 years of marriage...

37. What is your middle name? Ann

38. What annoys you the most? People who drive like idiots with no regard for anyone else on the road.

39. Most interesting holiday you've ever had? Christmas during my 7th grade year

40. Favorite ice-cream? chocolate almond

41. Day or night? Night

Well, for anyone who bothers to read this, you now know me a little better.

It sure is nice to still have Sara around... even if she is a little bit crazy!!

Chris had a very successful hunting weekend...
Sammy & Lizzie got a big hug after singing Happy Birthday to their daddy.

Malikas has a new friend... a Manx cat - no tail, extra long legs. His name? Well... she and her husband, Chris, named him Timmy after the guy on NCIS because this cat managed to create a new file on Malikas' computer so she thought he must be a geek. I call him Probie... and so does Malikas.