Let's hear it for Mondays

Monday has been my favorite day of the week for awhile.  I'm just ready to hit the ground running (literally) come Monday morning.  So here it is:  Monday February 27th, 2011.

Ran around my land.  Taught Samuel about dividing fractions, using reciprocals.  Taught Rebekah how to write out numbers between 100,000 and 999,999.  Taught Gabby how to measure using feet.   Got a head start on dinner. Tilled my garden area where I am planting the peas.  Put up fences with the kids help. 

Dropped off books at the library.  Traveled to the orthodontist and to our great joy learned that we do not have to turn Samuel's expander anymore.  Returned some clothes to Kohl's, purchased shorts for the kids at K-mart and dropped off movies and books at the other library (because we home-school we visit all the libraries).  Came back home, planted the peas and met with the ladies who I am personal training.  Finished planting the peas.  Finished dinner. And finished  updating my husband on important information.

One last thing for this beautiful, productive Monday:  the pinata for Rebekah's birthday.  Aren't Mondays the best?  Whew, I think I'm tired!

Ladies Have A Retreat

I have struggled with how to put into words all that happened this last weekend at the ladies’ retreat.  God’s word.  Eighty ladies.  Silly Games.  Great food.   Encouraging, challenging, inspiring, healing, freeing.  All of these words inadequately express the blessing of God’s presence in the weekend.  He showed us truth in His word, which sets us free.  He showed us His love on the faces of our sisters, which spurs us on.  He showed us His faithfulness in the testimonies of changed lives, which strengthens our faith.  Words cannot express how great it is to serve a God who is truth, love and faithfulness.  We give Him all praise, glory and exaltation for creating us and then reconciling us when our sinned made us His enemy.  Let’s go salt our world.

The worship uplifted and blessed us. 

 

I fully enjoyed sharing God's word with the ladies. 

My friend Julie.  She was a great encouragement through the preparation process.

My small group preparing for a game.

Typical winter activity

So what comes to your mind to do on a cold winter day?  Hot dogs and smores of course, over an open fire!

Promotion

There were a couple of us who just got promoted and we had the promotion ceremony today.  Most people got their new badges pinned on but since I am still on light duty and out of uniform, I don't think the chief was sure what to do with it.  So he just handed it to me.  I was near the end and everyone else was speaking a bit after getting their new badge.  Apparently everyone else knew beforehand that was expected.  Umm, I missed that memo.  So needless to say, I was brief.

Broom Hockey Anyone?

Last Saturday Julie and I got together with the 5th & 6th graders to play a little broom hockey.  It was a new experience for them and I believe one they will remember.  I had a great time getting to know them better and showing them a few of my famous hockey moves, famous in  my mind anyway. 

You know you're older when...

Notice I did not say you know you are old, but older.  Each of these things happened to me this last week and I realized, I'm getting older.

You say things like don’t run up the stairs with scissors in your hands.

You tell your children that the gray hair means you are wiser and you really believe the truth of that proverb.

Your oldest gets braces.

Your fifth grader corrects the reading error you made because the “rn” in modern  looked like an “m” in modem.

You wear socks with a skirt because your feet get cold in church.  (They were dressy socks).

The AWANA kids at church have a silly dress-up night and they choose the 80’s theme.

You find yourself starting a sentence with “when I was your age…”

What's the Difference?

Recently I have been reading “The Cost of Discipleship” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  For those not familiar with Bonhoeffer, he was a Lutheran pastor and theologian from Germany.  He spent time in Britain and the United States in the time leading up to WWII.  As the persecution of the church was growing leading up to the war, Bonhoeffer decided to return to Germany.  He believed that if he did not share with the church in its suffering, he had no right to participate in rebuilding the church after the war. 

Bonhoeffer was eventually arrested in 1943 for his efforts to overthrow Hitler.  He was then executed by strangulation, at the age of 39, in 1945 at the Flossenburg Concentration Camp just two weeks before it was liberated.

In his book, “The Cost of Discipleship” Bonhoeffer talks about costly grace compared to cheap grace.  According to Bonhoeffer cheap grace is justification of the sin, while costly grace is the justification of the sinner.  Cheap grace is that which we accept without any thought to the fact that it cost God the death of his Son on a cross.  Cheap grace allows us to live like the rest of the world.  Costly grace calls us to set ourselves apart from the world, take up our cross and follow him.

In Bonhoeffer’s words, “Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession, absolution without personal confession.  Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.   Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. … It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble.  It is the call of Jesus Christ, at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows Him.”

Too often in our culture today, we forget that we are called to be different from the world.  We want to dress, act, and talk like the world.  We want to watch the same movies and listen to the same music.  But Christ has called us to be different.  Even in things as simple as what we talk about.  2 Timothy 2:16 tells us to “avoid godless chatter”.  This is a call to be different from the world.  In verse 19 of the same chapter Paul says, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”  Cheap grace does not require a change, costly grace requires one to be different.

What we do on a warm February day

We had another beautiful February day that we took full advantage of at the park.

Look at Gabby go on her two wheel bike.  Improving her off-roading technique, I see.

Samuel and Rebekah patiently waited for Gabby, encouraged her to keep pedaling, and made sure they didn't run into her or allow her to run into them. 

I remember jumping off the swing when I was a kid.  Apparently it is a fun and challenging thing to do that kids of all generations enjoy.

Another Special Day

This special date was with Gabrielle.  We began by going to the park so she could practice riding her two wheel bike.  It was her second attempt without training wheels.  It has been a bit more challenging to teach her to ride her bike because we have to pack up the bike and go into town.  There is no easy spot on our land to learn to ride.  She did very well and left me in the dust a couple of times.  Then we hit the Dairy Queen.  She ordered an oreo mint blizzard and I ordered a strawberry cheesecake blizzard.  She tried mine and told me hers was definitely better.  We talked about being a good friend and God's special plan for her life.  Right now she wants to be a cowgirl.  I look forward to seeing how God uses the desires of her heart and the abilities He has given her for His glory.  Another wonderful day with another wonderful daughter.  I'm glad you're mine; I love you Gabs.

Passports Have Arrived

We are one small step closer to Senegal.  The kids' passports arrived. We eagerly watched as Darin opened up each envelope and verified the information.

What do you think?  Should they be allowed into another country?

Life Just Got Easier !!!

Holly was at the library and found this.  What a blessing!!  We were going to have to spend a year in French school, but now, 7 days and we should be good.  Maybe we should do it twice just to be safe.

What some missionaries are doing to reach the Senegalese

The literacy rate for female youth (15-24) is about 56%.  The literacy rate for male youth is about 74%.  This rate may not seem too low, but drops dramatically among the older generation. In 2009 only 38% of women and 61% of men were considered literate.  Part of the literacy struggle has been the many languages that are spoken in Senegal.  Although French is the official language, most, if not all, Senegalese speak a native oral language that was not a written language until this last decade.  

One of the ministries SIM missionaries are using to reach the Senegalese is teaching literacy.  This involves teaching the Senegalese, mostly women, how to read and write in Wolof.  Through these literacy classes relationships are developed, which opens the door to the message of Jesus Christ. 

I hope I do not sound boring, but as I learn about the country we will be serving I want to share the information with you.  I also know that by God’s providence, we already speak English and I would expect Him to have already been preparing us for how we will serve Him on the field.  I have taught VBS in English and Spanish, K-5^th grade, Bible Studies, bread-making, preserving food, and aerobics.  I think teaching literacy would fit nicely in that list.

Mexico 1997, teaching VBS

iHIm

Fun Winter Activity #3

You would think we could expand our winter activities to include outdoor snow play, but so far this winter we haven't had much snow. The kids did go out one day to sled and Gabrielle came back with a bloody nose.  From what we heard they were all sledding down a hill and had to bail so they didn't hit a tree.  She hit her nose on the hard ground.  I'm not sure Gabrielle will look back on the event and smile, but I was proud of the older two who pulled her all the way back home in the sled.  What great older siblings.

So our fun winter activity is again inside:  Read a book series together.  We are still enjoying the C.S. Lewis's Narnia series.