She Found Her Sweet Spot

{Disclaimer...if it bugs you when people brag about their kids, don't read this one :o)}.

We weren't sure how things would go when Karis decided she wanted to try out basketball. I mean, for the most part, elementary school basketball is comical to watch...and girls' elementary basketball can be more on the painful side. Karis has loved gymnastics, but did not love soccer {made me sad, because she is good at it}. We kind of figured she'd feel the same about basketball. Well, she really seems to like it. And she's pretty doggone good! Absolutely gets it from her daddy. I thought maybe we'd lose her after the her earring got ripped out in one of the games, but she surprised me at how well she bounced back! She hits at least 4 shots a game, she can move the ball, and the girl can jump! She found her "sweet spot" in Saturdays game with a minute left in the first half. Three beautiful baskets!    

Honestly, I don't want this to sound bad, but I just love that I'm able to get on here brag about Karis' athletic skills. Mark and I have such a hard time because Ethan gets applauded for so many things athletically and academically {by us, and many other people} and Karis hears/sees it. It is really hard being only a year younger than a brother who is as talented and gifted as he is. They create a lot of competition between themselves. And Ethan is not easy on her at all. Even when we make a point of not comparing them to each other, they are doing it themselves. God has not been as quick to reveal all of Karis' strengths to us, not that we doubted they were there, but her shell has been hard to crack. I love what it's revealing, though, as we are able to break it off, piece by piece.  

Things I learned while painting...

I've spent the past two weeks working on my first "professional" painting job at a church in the area. The pastor saw a verse that I painted at a friends house several years ago, and he also happens to spend some time during the school day at the school where Mark teaches, so he asked Mark if I'd be interested in doing one at their church. Without really being sure what I was getting myself into, I said I'd do it. Let's just say, nothing is as easy as it sounds over the phone...

Walls are bigger and higher than you remember them to be from your first visit. I went back in the Fall to check out the church and talk about what they wanted done. I showed them a few of the verses I had done here at the house. It didn't look too overwhelming at the time. By January, I had forgotten the sheer size of the space they wanted me to fill. This also made it a bit difficult to think about the layout of the verse ahead of time. Next time I will take a camera to capture my "blank canvas".

I'm still afraid of heights. I was totally stressed out up there. It took a good hour before I felt like I could breathe easily up on that scaffold. My feet were sore the rest of the day and into the next from bracing myself the first day I worked on it.

Climbing scaffolding is a great workout. It will also leave your shins and knees very bruised if you do it the "wimpy" way {did I mention I'm afraid of heights?}. My dad has worked construction all of his adult life. He's climbed a scaffold or 10,000 over his career, I'm sure. I now know how he could kick my butt in a race without "training". He trained all day long. I've decided I will not be doing any job like this over the summer...during shorts (and Ellie's wedding) season...my legs are a mess!

Proofread twice, paint once.  My dad {the construction worker} has a saying he uses quite often..."Measure twice. Cut once." I found myself adapting {stealing} it after this experience. The church administration decided on Galatians 5:22-23...Fruits of the Spirit....in the NLT version. This is a verse I'm very familiar with, BUT...I don't have it memorized {Such is not the case anymore}. I can usually list off five or six of the fruits, then draw a blank on the others. Anyway, as we were making plans for when I would come out to the church to get started I told them I had an idea for a layout and I'd type up the verse in a couple fonts and let them choose which one they liked. Of course, I typed it up while distracted by multiple things {because that is the story of my life} and then sent it off in an email. She texted back to say I left out the word "of"...easy fix...on we go. I spent about 7 hours over two days chalking in the verse and then painting. I finished on Saturday afternoon and was, overall, really happy with how it turned out. The lady that had helped with setting things up came and checked it out before I left...loved it...was excited for everyone to see it the next morning. I told her I'd come back on Tuesday to touch up a couple letters and wash off the chalk lines. Then...on Sunday evening...I got a phone call from her. Seems that a couple people had pointed out that I left out the word "goodness". Goodness. I left out a whole stinkin' fruit of the spirit!! I. Was. Mortified. This leads into my next two lessons, though...      

My husband rocks. From the moment I got the call, he assured me it would be fine. I didn't believe him at first. I was a mess that night...could not take my mind off of that mistake....and how in the world I was going to fix it. {Think: dark charcoal paint on a white wall and everything already centered just right.} Mark was sure he could cover it up. So he gathered some supplies and tools and went over after school on Monday since it's just a few minutes away. He tried sanding. It didn't work so well. He primed. He waited {bored out of his mind}. He primed again. He waited. He found a fan. He waited. He painted. He waited a bit and finally left, after feeling sure he had covered it up well enough that I could fix it. After a full day of teaching, he put in another 4+ hours. Because he loves me. Because he supports me. Because he defends me. Man. I. Love. Him. 

My God's got me covered. I spent Sunday evening and much of Monday morning consumed by the thought that Mark was not going to be able to cover it up. That the people at the church {especially the ones who I was told were not even supportive of the verse going up in the first place}were probably just laughing at how I could have possibly left out an entire significant word....why in the world would I have not double checked before painting? I was able to finally just give it up {after much prayer} and let the Lord do his thing. It turned out that a couple of kids from the youth group were the ones who noticed it first....and there were some in the church who didn't even notice {or hear others noticing} at all. Mark's paint job covered everything up really well. There was only one spot that I could even tell that he had done anything. I only had to re-do one line...everything lined up beautifully....to cover up the one spot I just mentioned. There were probably people in the service this past Sunday who didn't even notice that it was any different than the previous week. He took care of every detail as usual. Even though this was not a world changing/life impacting disaster, He still had me covered. 

Turn This One Up!!

Some really good music has come out in the past month or so. I had a hard time deciding which one I wanted to post {between Philips, Craig & Dean's "When the Stars Burn Down", Newsboys' "God's Not Dead", Building 429's "Where I Belong" and the one below}, but this one has won me over since the first time I heard it on Saturday. It's one of those "battlecry" kind of songs to me. One of the kind that make me feel like I can't sit down when it comes on...one of the ones that give me chills and make me kind of  feel like I need to jump around with my arms lifted to Heaven...one of the ones that makes me wish I had the guts to be even more bold in declaring this message to those who don't know it.

A little rant

I was forwarded this article by a friend the other day...and it fired me up! If you don't have time to read it, it's from The Christian Post and talks about an athiest activist who plans to target FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) and CEF (Child Evangelism Fellowship) in 2012 for their "proselytizing at public schools while targeting the impressionable minds of our children.""

This paragraph really got me:

‎"Regardless of majority demographics, not everyone is Christian and these two groups in particular use nefarious methods of passive-aggressive proselytizing that affects the children of non-Christian parents who should be able to send their kids off to school without the worry that they will be exposed to religious propaganda (magazines, tracts, fliers, etc.) that these organizations leave behind, or via the training they give school teachers and administrators to integrate into their daily activities..."

Really?? Then we should be able to send our kids to school without worrying that they will be exposed to secular/liberal propaganda {"safe" sex education, evolution. etc.} as part of their educational experience. Shouldn't it work both ways??

At least FCA and Good News Clubs aren't a required part of the educational experience.

I think this hit close to home for me because, this school year we made the hard choice to give up attending our church's Wednesday night "Adventure Club", so we could get involved with the Good News Club at Ethan and Karis' school on Wednesday afternoons. For those of you who might not be familiar with this program, it's an after school club, similar to a VBS or Awana Club, run by volunteers from CEF. In our district, the schools will not advertise this club. The only way to let kids know about it is through word of mouth. {We've gone from having 5 kids at our first meeting back at the end of October to having 30 registered kids...and we've passed out 6 Bibles to kids who didn't have one!} 

When a kid is invited to Club, a permission slip goes home clearly stating what the club is all about...if a parent doesn't want their kid there, then they don't sign the form {contrary to what this guy seems to think, we are not handcuffing kids and dragging them into this club without their parents knowing what's going on}..simple as that. I wouldn't like it if there was an "athiests' news" club meeting at the school, but since I value my First Amendment rights {and I want GNC to be allowed to meet} I'm not gonna put up a stink {or at least a huge one :o)}...and if someone invited one of our kids to it, we obviously would tell them that's not what we believe, why we don't believe it, and we wouldn't allow them to attend.

I'm not sure I see why this same logic would be so difficult for an athiest family that might find their kids invited to a Good News Club?

As Christian parents who send our kids to public school, we're well aware that they are going to encounter things that go against the core of what we believe. We already have every intent of pulling them from the standard "sex education" course provided by the schools. We have plans to purchase some of our own supplemental materials to help provide our kids with a more "rounded" study of some eras of world history and fields of science. We fully realize that we have to counteract the parts of the education system that don't align with our way of thinking...that we have the responsibility to make up for the areas where we feel the schools fall short {while these are some of the very reasons some pull their kids from public schools, they are part of the reason we feel like the Lord wants us there}.

Again, would this same philosophy really be that difficult for an athiest family? 

It's our prayer that the Lord protects these organizations from the attacks of {Satan} this group....that we will be able to encourage the students that call on the name of the Lord to stand firm in their faith each day...and that we will continue to have the opportunity to feed those children who are hungry for something that they aren't even aware of.       

Projects Lately...

So, here comes an attempt to bring the ol' blog back to life. Here are some of the fun things we've worked on recently while I could have been blogging {:o)}:

Craft Stick Snowmen
I was in charge of Ethan's class Christmas Party and we made these for the craft. I came across something similar to them while looking for ideas online, but these are really my own creation. The kids loved at school loved them and we had fun making more here at home to give as Christmas gifts.

Slouchy Slipper Socks
Karis signed out a fleece craft book from the school library and picked out this fun project. Of course, Natalie is making a pair, too. They are super easy...Karis {who has never sewn before} picked up the backstitch really fast. I'll have to post pics of the girls wearing them when we get them all finished.

Wall Verses
I finally finished the verse in Karis' and Natalie's room. Love the way it turned out {...now to finish the flowers around the room!}. I also started on Ephesians 6 around the front door. I went with a simple all caps "font" and a paint marker. Goes so fast if you're looking for something a little more subtle. Of course, after I finished the main part of it, Ethan pointed out that I forgot the "s" on the end of Ephesians...so there will be some touching up happening!

Sled Riding and Snowmen
Okay, I know this isn't really a project but the past two weekends we've spent probably a total of 6+ hours sled riding!! We were getting worried for a while there that we weren't getting any snow this winter, but we've had two snowy weekends in a row. We're still waiting for the BIG snow, though :o)!

5...going on 15....

Our Natalie-girl turned 5 on the 29th of December. Such a crazy time to have a birthday. {I had every intent of completing her slideshow on time and getting it posted on her actual day because I hate that it seems like her celebration gets lost in the hustle and bustle, but, of course, I forgot to take the computer on our trip to my parents' house and failed on the supermom gig once again.}

At five years old, Natalie often has the attitude you might expect from a 15 year old {which I never expected from one of our kids}. With the attitude, though, comes a unique maturity and ability to communicate that our first two didn't have. It is so interesting to watch her express herself. There were days in her younger years when we had worried that she might be the trouble maker of her class at school, but she has proved us wrong. Her teacher has stopped me more than once to commend her obedience...doing the right thing even before she is told to. She is a people watcher and people pleaser...constantly observing what is going on around her. She is a girl of prayer...often catching on to a need in a passing conversation and then bringing that need to the Lord later in the day. We love her like crazy and can't wait to see how she'll grow this year.   

Blessings

Here is a wonderful article written by my friend Ashley. It's a great reminder for all of us to keep things in perspective as we end one year and begin another. The Lord gives and He takes away...

Blessings

Over the months of 2011, I have come to realize the many blessings that occurred, in a year full of heartache. On my father’s side of the family we lost his sister and brother to cancer. Although there was much sorrow that occurred, I did see many blessings in the births of two very special baby boys. Two of my closest friends were given the gift of a baby boy and they have helped changed their lives in a special way. Here are their stories.


Jen and I grew up on the same street in Galion. In fact, our parents still live there today. In January of 2011, Jen was seven months pregnant with her second child and was preparing to say goodbye to her mother, who was in the last stages of cancer. Hospice was called in around Christmas and she knew it wouldn’t be long. Jen called me one day and said, “I just don’t think I can do this.” By “this” she was meaning that she didn’t think she was strong enough to deal with all that was going on. A co-worker of Jen’s had gotten up in a meeting that day and had thanked everyone for their support because the co-worker’s father had passed away. Jen knew she was next. She was picturing herself having to get up and do the same thing. She just couldn’t face that she was losing her mother. Jen said to me, “I can’t do this.” I knew Jen would be just fine, and God would give her strength. The truth is, I had never seen anyone in my life have more strength than Jen. Only a year before I watched her stand strong when her first child, Sam, was born with Down Syndrome. She had to stand strong when Sam was only 3 months old and had to have open heart surgery to correct the two holes in his tiny heart. Jen was such an encouragement to me. I would think I had problems and then I would think about what Jen was enduring.


Jen’s mother passed away on January 15, and God gave Jen the strength to make it through. Jen’s mother, Mary Ann, was a fantastic sewer, and at the funeral home, over every chair hung one of her quilts. It was such a joy to see all of her works on display. Jen and Mary Ann had a special bond, and I can see a lot of Mary Ann in Jen. Jen is a wonderful mother and the birth of her second son, Daniel, was a great blessing for her in 2011. Daniel was a blessing because he brought Jen’s light for life back. Daniel was born in March and he helped Jen to regain her spirit back after losing her mother. Although Jen and her husband, Francisco, were mourning, Daniel came at God’s perfect time when they needed the hope.


In January of 2011, my best friend since the 5th grade, Andrea, decided she and her husband, Tom, were going to adopt. After many years of tests, infertility treatments, and pain they were ready to be parents. They knew that God had called them to be parents so they began the process of adoption. They knew they wanted to adopt a baby from the United States and said they would start first by word of mouth. Telling everyone they knew that they were interested in adoption. They hired a lawyer and began making a portfolio about themselves to share with birth mothers.


Just three months into the process they got a call from a friend. The friend said a coworker of hers had a young daughter who was pregnant and interested in adoption. Andrea didn’t waste a minute and drove to her friend’s house and dropped off their portfolio. Andrea had worked hard on the portfolio and in it were pictures, stories, and why Tom and she wanted a baby. Andrea’s friend shared the portfolio with the family and a meeting was arranged with Tom and Andrea on April 9th. At the meeting was the family of the young girl, as well as, the young boy’s family. Tom and Andrea answered lots of questions about themselves and felt good about the meeting. Andrea shared her pain in not being able to conceive her own child, and I know it was a hard day for her.


The next day, Tom and Andrea went out and bought a crib. Andrea had her eye on one special crib. They knew that they would need a crib eventually, but that day they didn’t know just how soon they would be using it. On April 13, they got the call from the family they had met, and they wanted Andrea and Tom to be the baby’s parents. The mother of the young girl stated after their meeting, “We liked Andrea and Tom after seeing their portfolio, but we fell in love with them after we met them.” Family and friends rejoiced with Tom and Andrea and were pleased to learn the baby would be here in August. Tom and Andrea were invited, by the young girl, to come to all the doctor’s appointments with her. Tom and Andrea were able to hear the baby’s heartbeat. They were there when the first ultra sound took place and learned they were having a boy. Then on August 15, at 3:28 in the morning, Andrea and Tom became the proud parents to Kaiden Thomas. Andrea was in the delivery room when he arrived and in a matter of minutes she and Tom were in their own hospital room. Andrea and Tom were moved to their own room to bond with their baby. What a blessing from God!


As this Christmas approaches I can’t help but thank God over and over for the lives of these two precious baby boys. The births of these babies have brought such joy to two people I love very much. Even though I dealt with a lot of death in 2011, I am reminded of the verse from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.” Did you experience an event this year that you just know God was right there? If so, give thanks for the blessing. I just love seeing God’s miracles at work.