March 2010

Is it SERIOUSLY almost April??? I do believe that April is my favorite month of the year along with December of course. Why is that? Spring is the BEST season of the year because there is life, growth, color, birds singing, and we can be outside as much as we want without freezing. It's not too hot and not too cold-it's just right! "Three Little Bears anyone?" Taylor turns 6 on April 19th-Wow! My little kindergartner will soon be a 1st grader and is growing up a little too quickly for this momma:( He's my last baby so I feel a little bit sad when his birthday comes around each year. "Mom, I really wanna go to Chuckee Cheese for my birthday!" "Why Taylor?" "Because you get coins, a crown, and a Chuckee Cheese cake!" How could I say no? We will be going to Chuckee Cheese for his 6th birthday! In 1 week my parents will be flying in to spend Easter with us and we Can't wait til they get here! We have to squeeze a lot of celebrating in to 1 week but we WILL make it happen. Somehow we will be celebrating Easter complete with egg hunts, and easter baskets and of course No Greater Love. Then we are celebrating Taylor and Courtney's birthdays at once. Unfortunately my parents live in Kentucky and can't always make it for both of their special days so it was decided that we would have a joint birthday celebration and it doesn't matter that Court's birthday isn't until July. It's about time together:) Good times! Courtney and Doran have been super busy with No Greater Love and have been at practices about 4x a week so it's pretty intense but the important thing is that lives are being touched for Christ and hearts are impacted for the Kingdom. Doran loves playing the apostle John and he is doing a fabulous job!

On a deeper note, as a child I remember having a hard time wrapping my mind around a comment I would hear periodically....."It is through giving of ourselves that we experience true joy and happiness." I remember thinking and wondering how that could be possible? Isn't it by filling our lives with things, fun and toys that makes us happy? I understood that a life without Christ was a miserable way to live but I just thought that giving to others was a bit overrated. I've learned that those comments were absolutely, without a doubt 100% true! Our world teaches us to be calloused and hardened and it is when we allow ourselves to soften and show our hearts to others that we experience true joy and peace. God help me to show my open, vulnerable side more without being afraid of being rejected or hurt. It is thru much practice and effort that we can achieve this and I strive for this daily. It is way too easy to become negative and cynical about life because let's face it.....It's truly a tough world out there! How do we make it? By leaning on the Maker of all things first and foremost, but then learning to lean on our family and friends. By making ourselves vulnerable and open and who knows? We might just help someone in the process. There are so many hurting people that need us to be real with them.

God is blessing our ministry through giving us opportunities, financial support and most importantly.....the prayers for us. It is exciting to see how God is forging a pathway for us. To be able to do this along side of my family is a dream come true and I love it! Not to say it hasn't been challenging at times. We soon will be moving again(in nampa) and have no idea where our new house is. Sometimes that freaks me out! We are just hoping that everything goes through with the offer on our house and it looks like we will be moving in June. Transition, transition , transition!!!! Don't we all love it? The unknown is what scares us the most. But, fortunately there are a lot of houses out there just dying for someone to live there so we shouldn't have too difficult a time finding us a place.

Happy Spring everybody!

"Surrender to Something Heavenly"