Here is what's been keeping us so busy and keeping me away from my blog! We've added an 8X24 porch to the front of our house. I wish I had a photo to share of the before, but it was simply a 6X6 little porch, with no cover. We've concentrated on the back side of the house and decided it was time to jazz up the front! This is Jory watching the roofers! Talk about entertainment! He didn't move!
This is just a progress shot. Jack did the old fashioned tongue and groove on the floor and I think he was SO glad to be done with it! It truly looks like an old porch though, just like I want!
This is it pretty much done... We are still waiting on the fish scale to put in the gable. Next spring I want to have some window boxes made and my flowers in the front beds will be a little bigger, so I'm anxious for that! It's always something, isnt' it?
This is where I now spend much of my time! I have an old metal glider being made into a swing and powder coated red, it will hang at the end where the little bench is now. I hope it's done in time for my birthday next week! I'm pretty sure that's what the hold up is!
If you're ever in town, stop by for some iced tea and great conversation!

Back to School

Well, it's offically back to school for the JCrew! Here's a picture of each little 'punk' the first day!

This is Jadeth's Senior Year! He is the FCCLA president, plays soccer (actually now he coaches soccer because they don't have a team for his age), varsity tennis, works at Hy-Vee as a checker and customer service counter. Jadeth is smart, well behaved when not at home :-) and really makes me proud. I don't have to worry about who he's with or what he's up to because he has such a level head on his shoulders. He's really nervous about what's beyond graduation. His career choice changes weekly, but it usually involves sports or elementary education! After snapping this picture, Jadeth said "This is my last, first day of High School". Ahhhhhh!!!! Jacen is my skater dude. He could live at the skate park! Since falling in our garage and breaking his front teeth off, I'm a nervous wreck! I have some really cool video of Jacen, he's such a daredevil on that skateboard! He began 6th grade this year. He is so darn good hearted, I just love him! Jacen plays baseball and wants to play tennis when he's old enough. He used to race go-carts, but we had to travel so far away and it got a little exepensive. We told him if he sold his go-cart, he could buy a new skate board - he was thrilled! It's a little sad not to watch him race anymore, but as soon as he's 16 he wants to race 4 cylinders at the Speedway with Jack. So I'm sure we've not seen the last of his racing days!
Jory began Kindergarten this year! He is so adorable! He is also so very smart! He tested in the 96th percentile at his Kindergarten screening. He can write everone's name in our family and already knows so much! He will do so well in school, if he doesn't get bored! We are so blessed to have this young boy. Oh excuse me... he's a grown up now that he's in school (his words) and he no longer will give mom kisses. :-(

Blessings

Food for thought...

Today we attended a new church and I heard something profound I couldn't wait to write about.

We're all going to suffer. Will we choose to suffer for the cause of Christ?
Or will we suffer for the evil we have done?

For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than evil. 1 Peter 3:17

Our suffering should be the result of having been faithful to God, rather than having done evil.

How thought provoking, we can choose Christ and suffer some seemingly big trials because of it. Our friends will laugh at us, people may taunt us, we may be excluded, made fun of or tormented. But in the grand scheme of things, how bad is that? We're suffering for Christ who died for us. We should count it as JOY! This makes me think of the apostles in the book of Acts, when they were beaten for speaking in the name of Jesus. "So they departed from the presence of the council, REJOICING that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. Acts 5:41
The other option would be to suffer in the end for our sins. To face God on judgement day. To not be covered by the blood of Jesus and be tossed into an eternal seperation from God. It will be too late to change your mind, there are no do-overs. It's a done deal, the choice has been made.
I'm always telling my teenagers that once you graduate High School, it just doesn't matter who your friends were, who you dated, what kind of grades you got, what embarrassing thing happened. As soon as I was out of school, I didn't look back. Nothing mattered anymore. I try to convince them that even though the kids at their school may laugh or poke fun at them for choosing to serve Christ, it won't matter as soon as they're out of school.
The same applies to life in general. It doesn't matter in the end. When we're in the presence of the King, it won't matter who laughed at us or hurt our feelings. This is all temporary.
What will matter is all those bound for hell because no one took the time to share the Gospel with them.
O' God, help me to be more courageous. To be so sold out for Jesus that I don't care who knows or what they think. Help me to be so bold in my faith that I don't let any 'divine appointments' pass me by. Help me to not be ashamed of my faith and what I believe. Thank you for not being ashamed of me. You've done nothing to bring shame to Your name, You lived a perfect, sinless life, yet I'm hesitant to talk about You at times. But me, I'm so unworthy and dirty. I've caused great shame to Your name, yet You still desire to have a relationship with me. You have every reason to be embarrassed to call me Your child, yet You're not. How awesome...
God, thank You for taking the real suffering that was due to me, upon Yourself.
I"m eternally Yours... JMS

Noah, What is your favorite....???

I have to tell you about Noah! He was the crew encourager for Drips and Runs. This is what I know of him... He's a young man from Knoxville TN, has that twangy talk, is totally committed to God and his relationship with Jesus Christ, desires to be a youth pastor, his favorite color is orange and he doesn't like Toby Mac. What's up with that? All these wonderful things about Noah, then the bomb... he doesn't like Toby Mac. Oh well, I guess we won't hold that against him!
So many things impressed me about Noah. He was saved in 6th grade and his family is not. He said it makes things uncomfortable between him and his family at times, but he's totally sold out! Noah doesn't know this, but he's changed the world for my sons without even meeting them. I totally want them to be young men so strong in their faith and 100% sold out for Christ. I can honestly say I"ve NEVER met anyone like Noah, who's so young (21) and so committed. It was so refreshing to see a young man more worried about what God thinks of him than the world. It's become my mission to do all I can in molding my sons into such Godly young men. Don't get me wrong, I know this isn't something I alone can do. It was a choice for Noah, his mother didn't do it for him. I know that my sons will need to make that choice as well, but I can pray, I can teach them, I can seek out other Godly young men to mentor them, I can find a youth group that's on fire for God and many other things to help set their course in life.
One thing that Noah shared during our crew chat the last night we were together still gives me chills each time I think about it. Noah quickly made friends with the neighbor directly across the street from the home we were working on, 81 year old Mr. John Y. The first of the week Noah visited him and asked him if he attended church. Later Noah shared that God said to him, "I'm not interested in whether or not he goes to church, I want to know if he know's My Son." (That's the part that gives me chills) The rest of the week went on without much sign from Mr. Y. and Noah was afraid he'd missed his chance to really share the Gospel with him. On Friday, Noah was MIA and we discovered he was over at Mr. Y's visiting. He shared that evening at our crew chat that as Mr. Y was talking about his life and his children, he had this internal battle going on as to whether or not he was going to share with Mr. Y. He did. And he got an iffy answer, so our crew continues to pray for Mr. Y. But how many 21 year old guys do you know that would do that? And he had asked his buddies from his own church to pray for him, that God would not only give him another opportunity to share with Mr. Y, but the courage to do so as well. I think that is totally awesome. Mr. Y may never respond to the Gospel, but Noah was obedient and planted the seed. I wish there were more men in our world willing to do that. Willing to succumb to the conviction of God and be obedient. And to be repentent when they're not.
You also should've seen Noah with the boys on our crew. Especially Matthew. It was so obvious how Matthew looked up to Noah and what better role model for a boy to have. Noah always made time for him and sought him out. At the beginning of the week, Noah told the kids he wanted to be a youth pastor and asked them to let him know what they thought at the end of the week. During our crew chat, one young girl, Jessica, said "And to answer the question you asked the beginning of the week, yes, you should be a youth pastor." I think Noah was truly moved that she remembered his request and the answer was a hearty YES!
I don't know how or when Noah and I began to hit it off, probably when he mentioned he was going to China over Christmas break! But the entire week consisted of sarcasm, wit and fun. Noah also wouldn't open the doors of my van. He had difficulty one time and come the next morning saying he'd prayed about it and I would have to open them for him. He definatley made the week more fun!
I was just so impressed by Noah and so happy that he added me as his friend on Facebook so I can hear all about his trip to China! I'm excited about what God has in store for him in the future. I hope he finds a wife by the time he's 25 so he can be married at least 5 years when he's 30 and adopt a child from China! Adoption is my passion right now and I'm working on Noah, the Fed Ex guy at work, a frame rep and a couple of others. I will be praying for God to put this dream in their hearts as strongly as he has mine.
I just wanted to share about this amazing young man of God and inspire all mom's to desire their sons be sold out for Christ as well. Our world would be so much different if that were the case.
Eternally His... JMS

2008 Olympics

Congratulations to the people of China for the honor of hosting the olympics.
MOMENT OF INSPIRATION #080808
Is there any special significance to the date 08/08/08? There is for those in China for the Summer Olympics that begin today! Think of those five rings of the Olympic symbol and overlay them with a thought of those six rings formed by three number 8s in a row.
The numeral 8 looks like the sign for infinity, but held vertical. This means that today¢s date could be spoken aloud as "Oh, Infinity!; Oh, Infinity!; Oh, Infinity!" Let today be a day of praise for infinity. In so doing, it becomes a praising of the only thing that truly is infinite, namely God; but because God is in you, it also become a good day for praising the one/third of you that is as equally infinite as God because it IS God.
Your infinite self is soul. Soul is an extension of God from the spiritual realm into the physical realm. Soul is the real you. The other two/thirds of what are known by others to compose you, namely body and ego, are merely temporary tools that you use in order to get physical for a century or so. Be glad for those two tools, for without them you could not affect a thing on the physical side, but also stay keenly aware that the actual you is a visitor from the spiritual side. Like an athlete going to China to win gold medals, the soul of you came to Earth to be a winner. It matters little if you take bronze or silver instead of gold this time, for there will be another Olympiad, and you being infinite, you can come to the games again.
Eternally His... JMS

Sunset at Lovers Leap

Peace is seeing a sunset and knowing Who to thank...

Drips and Runs

Here is my amazing WC crew... the Drips and Runs! I was literally horrified on Sunday morning when I found out that I knew NO ONE on my crew. I am pretty shy and awkward and, according to my son, anti social. I don't mean to be anti social, it's just that I like myself! I would rather go shopping by myself or stay home by myself than invite a friend. My husband knows this about me, but he still trys to get me to take along a friend when I go out of town. I don't know why, it's so much easier to just take my self! I don't have to please someone else with where to eat, what to listen to, what to talk about, where to go, when to leave... etc. I love just being alone with my thoughts and crankin' up my radio. If you were to follow me down the interstate, you would probably laugh or think you need to call 911! I lift my hands and worship and have the best time ever! Just me and my God! So, you see, I'm not alone!
Anyway, what in the heck does this have to do with my World Changers crew, you ask? Well, I don't know, I don't know how I got off on that! Do you ever start thinking of something and before you know it you're thinking about something totally different? I always try and think back to where I lost my train of thought... something like this... Oh yeah, I was thinking about this which made me think about that which reminded me of the other thing... etc!
Okay, so Drips and Runs. I had the most 'glorious' team in Hannibal! By the end of the week we were all great friends and having a great time together. I definately made some friends that I hope to keep for a lifetime. I will be sharing more on these individuals later on! But as I was saying, I'm usually one to keep to myself and apparently a little standoffish, but I SO enjoyed these people. God really knew what He was doing when he put me on this crew. Well, of course He did, why do we doubt Him? We can be so stupid at times. He totally put me with others that I felt entirely comfortable with and genuinely enjoyed being around. At our crew chat on the last evening together, I was ready to cry like a baby at any moment. I had to get out of there before I made a total fool out of myself. Let me tell you, if I'm crying, I'm either so incredibly broken and humbled, or so mad you better run far, far away! I wasn't mad! I was so incredibly broken and humbled from serving God all week, making a difference in our homeowners life and establishing new Godly friendships that will last through eternity. It was so sad to leave those people and that place. I could've stayed another week at least! Just by the time you really get to know one another and are comfortable, it's time to go. But isn't that just like life? Don't put your roots in too deep, we're only here temporarily.
God was so good this week and I can't wait to share all my experiences with you. This post turned more into random ramblings but I'll try and do better next time!
Eternally His... JMS

Group180 are World Changers

Okay, I'm so ashamed of my previous post about not wanting to go to Hannibal. It was the truth at the time, but I'm SO thrilled I chose to serve God and the people of Hannibal. I can probably post everyday for the next month about all the amazing experiences I had and the people I met.
It was so awesome to get away for a week and focus on other things. All the kids that went with me were simply amazing. Each night we had devotions with just our group after worship. The first or second night they all expressed their dissapointment in the kids that said all along they were coming and backed out at the last minute. I told them that they were not there by accident and that God has something awesome in store for them. I feel so sad and afraid for the kids that didn't end up coming, because for some reason, they were not part of God's providential plan for that week. It scares me to wonder why. But I'm so thankful for the one's who were there. I really believe they all come back walking closer to God. I can see definate changes in 3 of the 5 that went with me.
God, thanks for showing up and rocking our week! You're awesome and I can never thank You or praise You enough.
I'm eternally Yours... JMS