Be Thou Exalted

Sundays!

2012-01-29T00:50:00.001-05:00

Photo taken 29-01-12 at Gateway Baptist Church

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I love Sundays. I know for some, Sundays can be tough, especially in the morning trying to get everyone out the door. I remember mornings where we were running late and we'd be on edge and the slightest thing could set off an argument. Satan likes to work that way. Sundays are important days for the Christian, and I believe Satan works overtime on Sundays! Since we've been in Australia I try hard to keep Sundays as peaceful as possible.

Sunday mornings I try to wake up early. Our church doesn't start until 10am, but we leave a little after 9am to be there. I like to have all of our clothing picked out the night before and ironed if necessary. It also helps to get to bed early on Saturday night, it doesn't always happen, but it's a goal! I wake up at 7am or earlier on a Sunday morning. I try to have some quiet time to prepare my heart for the day, then put some food in the crockpot. (I love coming home from church in the morning and having lunch made, it's easy to invite company over too!) My goal is to be showered and dressed by 8:15, then wake up my family. Lately I've been having hymns playing on my iPod dock, I don't know about the rest of my family, but it helps me prepare for the day. Because we have a morning tea time between Sunday School and church, I don't stress about breakfast. If we're all out the door by 9:10, I'm happy!

I hope your Sundays are a day spent in worship of our Creator. My prayer is that we'll never become calloused to the Lord's Day. What a privilege we have to go to church!

"I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD."

Psalm 122:1

Our Library

2012-01-27T08:14:00.001-05:00

I love libraries, and our new local library is no exception. In Australia they go to school from January through December, yep, year round! Of course, with the year round school they have a few long breaks in between.

School ended around the middle of December and most kids go back to school on January 31. Autumn and Cody start on Monday. During this holiday break our local library did a Science Program that was every Monday-Thursday in January from 10am-12pm.

Every day they had a little lesson on science. One day they discussed space and planets, another day they studied anatomy, and on another day, animals (they even brought in a crocodile!). They did a wonderful job, and Autumn loved it.

Today was the last day, and they held a science fair. Autumn decided to do hers on recycling (which is very big here). She did the entire project herself. We were very proud of her.

When we got to the library this morning I was surprised to see kids have erupting volcanoes, a suspension bridge, plants, how craters on the moon happen, and more. The mayor of our town was the judge. He was very kind to the kids, but Autumn was nervous. She's never participated in anything like this.

Although she didn't win the first, second, or third prize, every child took home a small prize. I was pleased with how they judged and how complimentary they were to each child.

I hear they have another program in June, and I'm sure we'll be participating. This was a lot of fun and a great way to get out and meet new people.

Missionary Monday

2012-01-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd share some things about our surroundings here in Darwin. We live in the Northern Territory, which is at the top center of Australia. If you've seen the movie Australia with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, that's where we're at.

Our seasons are opposite, so we are in summer time right now, which is the wet season. Although it's supposed to be the wet season we haven't seen too much rain. But Darwin is the lightning capital of the world. Cool, I know! I hope to someday get a great photo of lightning. It's on my bucket list. These were our temps a few weeks ago (which is pretty average right now), I switched it to Fahrenheit, I still need to learn Celsius.

Here is a photo of our new vehicle. We got a great deal on it and it has only 130,000 kilometers, which is about 80,000 miles. They drive on the left side of the road here, so our steering wheel is on the right. It can be confusing at times, but I have successfully driven around and so far no messups! Thank the Lord.

We are only 20 minutes from the ocean. Sadly, I've only been there once, but I hope to soon get on the schedule of going out once a week for some alone time with God. I love the ocean. Below you can see pictures of our first trip to the ocean. Autumn found a sand dollar! Patrick and Autumn made another trip to the ocean to ride their bikes on a trail and found another sand dollar and two pretty shells which they brought home for me.

And a price comparasion. A Reese's Peanut Butter Cup (2 cups) for $3.50! An Australian friend recently went to the states, he brought me back a bag of mini reese's peanut butter cups. They were wonderful. One of my good friends from the states sent us a Christmas package that included two Reese's peanut butter! As you can tell, I love chocolate and peanut butter. I need to learn to make them myself.

So there's a little peak into our life. Thanks for stopping by!

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My Reading List From 2011

2012-01-20T19:31:00.002-05:00

~ Bill Wallace of China by Jesse C. Fletcher
~ It's A Wonderful Life by Terrie Chappell
~ David Brainerd - A Love For the Lost by Brian Cosby
~ One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
~ Keeping our Children's Hearts by Steven & Teri Maxwell
~ A Love That Multiplies by Michelle & Jim Bob Duggar
~ You Can Still Wear Cute Shoes by Lisa McKay
~ A Story of Grace, Journeying through Ruth by R. Craig Burcham
~ Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe by Todd Wilson
~ Better Off by Eric Brende
~ How to be a Great Wife...even though you Homeschool by Todd Wilson
~ Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit by Teri Maxwell
~ Reshaping it All by Candace Cameron Bure
~ Crazy Love by Francis Chan
~ Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs
~ Bruchko and the Motilone Miracle by Bruce Olson with James Lund
~ Be Faithful by Warren Weirsbe
~ Having a Mary Spirit by Joanna Weaver

This is more for my records, so I can start a new list on my sidebar.

Tour of My Home - Part 3

2012-01-20T10:33:00.001-05:00

My Kitchen!

As many of you know, I had purchased items for my kitchen years ago and never used them. I stored them in Rubbermaid bins, and patiently waited to use them when we got to Australia. For at least 5 years those items sat in storage, from my Rachael Ray pots and pans to all the little Pampered Chef gadgets. I had a very small kitchen, so I wouldn't have had the room for all of it anyway. It's been so much fun unpacking all my kitchen goodies, and finally putting them to good use! God has blessed me with a big, beautiful kitchen. I really love it, and it makes me want to cook. So, welcome to my kitchen...and yes, I've used up just about every inch of space in my cupboards!

My view while I do dishes...

actually, I have a dishwasher now!

God is so good to me!

My pantry!! I love it!

I store my vacuum and some school supplies on the floor.

The next shelf (from the bottom) holds

all our homeschool supplies

(which starts next week).

Those top four cupboards above the pantry and fridge

hold all our Christmas and fall decorations.

This little space holds some of my cookbooks,

and the cat is a reminder of our cat back in the states,

Marmalade (thanks, Dad and Wanda!).

When you rent a home in Australia, it is required that it have a stove, that's it. One of the huge blessings of this home was that it not only came with a stove, but it also came with a fridge, dishwasher, microwave, washing machine, AND a chest freezer. Those are things that we will have to buy down the road, but for now, it's been a huge blessing. God is good!

Now, I need to go clean the bedrooms so I can post pictures of those rooms!

Back Online!

2012-01-20T04:37:00.003-05:00

We finally have internet in our home! I got up early this morning to have some alone time and I heard a knock at the door. When I went to answer it there was a delivery man there with a box. I made myself finish my devotions before I opened it! While I was setting it up, I remember that my family was getting together at my brother's house for supper. So, we did an impromptu video chat. Oh, how it did my heart good! I'm so thankful to be online again! By the way, that's my brother, Jason, and his baby, Ayden.

Delurking Day

2012-01-18T20:23:00.002-05:00

I'm at the library today, still no internet at home. Sigh. I was catching up on my Google Reader and saw a few people said it was recently Delurking Day. What will they think of next?

Well, I'll go with it! If you're a reader of my blog, will you just leave a comment and say, "Hi" and where you're from, or how you found me, or whatever you want...as long as it's nice (Josh?!).

Boxes and Christmas

2012-01-16T00:01:00.000-05:00

On January 4th we were finally able to go pick up our cargo!

Here is a photo of it being inspected by quarantine.

After it was released, we had movers bring it to our house.

Then the unpacking began!

Believe it or not, we had almost everything unpacked

and put away in three days!

There were Christmas presents from family in the boxes!

The kids were qutie happy!

Autumn got Kanani from her pappy and uncles!

I am so glad to finally have all our things.

It's finally starting to feel like home.

Just wish my family lived nearby.

Tour of My Home - Part 2

2012-01-15T20:02:00.003-05:00

Now you can see the inside of our home. We feel so extremely blessed. All that we have is all because God has allowed us to have it. So come on inside!

Our front door.

This bookcase is the first thing you see as you enter our home.

It has all our kids books on it.

To the left is a nice linen closet.

To the right is the hallway.

Down the hallway is our bedrooms.

When you enter and turn left is our living area.

I love it.

This is a view of the living room from the dining room.

Here is our dining room and husband's office.

Off the dining room is our kitchen.

Pictures of that next week!

Packages from home

2012-01-11T21:03:00.001-05:00

There is nothing like it!

Tour our Home

2012-01-10T20:14:00.001-05:00

As promised, here is the beginning tour of our home.

Our home has a nice fence around it.

Closer view of the front.

Back veranda.

Left side.

Right side.

Back.

Our back yard is a tropical paradise. We have lots of flowers, which I'll share in another post.

Still no internet...

2012-01-09T19:53:00.003-05:00

We still do not have internet in our home. So I'm at the library. I love our local library. This is school holidays for the children, so the library is having a program until school starts at the end of the month. Autumn is loving yet. While I'm here at the library I'm hoping to set some posts up for the next few days. We'll see how it goes!

Welcome to our Home!

2012-01-04T20:33:00.002-05:00

We moved into our home on December 14th, my birthday. It's hard to believe we've been in the house for three weeks, and in Australia for six weeks. Yesterday our cargo was cleared through customs and quarantine and we were able to bring home our boxes, all 58 of them. It was like Christmas! I unpacked kitchen items that have been packed for years! It was awesome!! Some family gave us Christmas presents to pack in our crate, so it was fun opening them too (thanks, Aunt Jo!). Currently there are boxes, bubble wrap, newspapers, etc all over our house, but I plan to have everything cleaned up by Monday so I can start posting pictures of our new home. We still do not have internet at our house, but I'm hoping it will be set up soon! I miss talking with family and friends!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-22T09:34:00.001-05:00

My poor neglected blog. I'm sorry for the lack of posts. We moved into our new home on December 14th...my birthday! We are slowly getting settled in our new home. It's amazing all the little things you need just to live. Our crate has arrived, but it needs to be inspected and fumigated so we probably won't get it until next week. Would you please pray that all goes well. I'm writing this post from my iPhone. I love it!! We should have Internet in our home in the next week or so and then I promise to share lots of photos of our life in Australia. Can you believe we've already been here for a month?! During the month of January I plan to give you a tour of our new home. In the meantime I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas.

My future kitchen...

2011-12-11T07:48:00.001-05:00

One of the things I have longed for is a nice, open kitchen. As always, the Lord did not disappoint. We haven't signed the papers yet, but it looks like we found a rental and we will be moving this week! The house we found has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a descent fenced-in yard. One bonus with this house is that it includes the fridge, dishwasher, stove, washing machine, microwave, and a chest freezer! How great is our God! We did some furniture shopping the other day and found a great deal on a bedroom set. I'm so excited to have a nice bed set that includes two night stands and a dresser. Lots of pics to come soon!

Our First Christmas in Australia

2011-12-05T05:23:00.001-05:00

We are still looking at houses and praying we will be in our own home by Christmas, but for now the Marshall's have opened their home to us. Tonight they decorated their Christmas tree and let our kids participate. Christmas is still new to Cody (he's only 3), so he was so excited to help and see the Christmas tree all decorated. Here are all the kids together.

And here are mine.

We are so blessed to be here, and excited about what the Lord has in store for us. Thanksgiving and Christmas are two of our favorite holidays. Our crate will not be here until next week and even so it could take awhile to get out of customs, so we may have a belated family Christmas.

I'm linking up to my other blog for baptist missionary women. Interested in seeing how missionaries around the world celebrate Christmas? Come check it out!

Things I'm Learning...

2011-12-04T00:52:00.001-05:00

We've been on the field for 12 days. I can't say we're going through culture shock because nothing has been shocking yet, but here are some things we're learning to adjust to.

Driving. Here in Australia they drive on the opposite side of the road. I drove the second day we were here, what an experience. I did fairly well, no accidents yet. We are currently looking for a car, although I can drive stick shift, I prefer an automatic. It's enough adjusting to driving on the other side of the road (right turns are exciting!), so I would like to wait to add shifting gears with my left hand. The turn signal is on the right of the steering wheel here, so many times when I'm putting on my signal I turn on the windshield wipers.
The accent. I love the Australian accent, but some people's accent is so thick that I can hardly understand what they're saying. We're adjusting to other words, like boot = trunk, car park = parking lot, Chrissie = Christmas, Tea = supper, etc.
Food. I haven't ate anything strange yet (and I'm ok with that!). The missionaries that we're staying with were given a ton of buffalo meat, so we've had spaghetti and tacos with buffalo meat. It tastes like leaner beef.
Weather. Our seasons are opposite here, so we're going into summer and the rainy season. I love rainy days, which is good because I think it's rained everyday since we've been here. It's been averaging in the low 90s with about 75% humidity.
Homes. Although homes here are similar to homes you would see in Florida, the cost to rent is exceptionally higher. A three bedroom house averages $450-$470 a week, not a month, a WEEK! We have applications in on a few houses, so Lord willing, we'll hear back this week. We'd love to be in our own home by Christmas.
Groceries. Some prices here are similar, but there are a few items I've noticed so far that are way higher. For example, a boxed cake mix is about $6.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head. We're settling into the culture very well (or so I think). We're praying we find a house and car soon, but we know it's all in God's perfect time.

House Hunting

2011-11-30T06:05:00.001-05:00

We have officially been in Australia for one week! I still need to pinch myself! This past week we've been busy house hunting and car shopping. The missionary family that we are working with are being so gracious to let us stay in their home, and we are grateful, but we are also anxious to get a place of our own and get settled. We have looked at several homes, but none seem to fit us. We have a few specifications: 1. It must be at least 3 bedrooms (the kids have shared a bedroom since Cody was born, we've promised Autumn a room of her own). 2. We must be allowed to have a dog for the kids. 3. It must have a yard for the kids to play. Would you join us in praying for the perfect home for our family and in our price range? I know God has one out there, we just need to find it!

As for car shopping, the Lord has given us a Land Cruiser! My husband wanted a Land Cruiser and had been looking for one, and God was gracious enough to give him one. How great is our God! We still need a car for myself, so please pray we find a car for me to get around town in! Thanks!

Missionary Monday

2011-11-27T07:02:00.001-05:00

I posted my Missionary Monday over here.

(It will post on Monday.)

We Are Here!

2011-11-24T07:17:00.001-05:00

As the people from Whoville shouted to Horton and his friends, "WE ARE HERE! WE ARE HERE! WE ARE HERE!"

I cannot explain the feelings and emotions I've had the past few days! We are in Australia! This photo was taken as we were beginning to land in Darwin, Australia. Tears filled my eyes while I looked out the window of the plane. God is so good.

I have so much I want to write, and there will be many posts coming up. We landed Wednesday at 3:00pm. We are 14.5 hours ahead of Pennsylvania. The few days in Japan helped us with the jet lag, and we all seem to be feeling fine now.

A man in the church here in Darwin wanted to welcome us to Australia and bought two turkeys for us to have Thanksgiving dinner. Afterwards I realized I didn't take any photos of our first Thanksgiving in Australia! Oh well, it will be a great memory.

I am so blessed this Thanksgiving day! Tomorrow is Autumn's 9th birthday, we have a big day planned! I promise to post our photos from Japan very soon!

Japan

2011-11-19T18:46:00.001-05:00

After a four hour delay and missing our connecting flight...

we got the next day's flight to Japan...

and made it safely to Japan.

It was a long 14 hour flight, but we're here!

We'll be here for 3 days then we're off to Australia!

And We're Off...

2011-11-18T00:23:00.001-05:00

This morning we woke up early and met the family at 7:30am. We all rode together in Black Beauty (my uncle's 15 passenger van) to get breakfast, then to the airport. As I ate probably my last (for awhile, at least) pancake and homefries, I tried not to dwell on the fact that it could be four years before I see my family again. We all had a good time just talking as if the inevitable was not about to happen, or at least I was.

After breakfast we took some quick photos and headed off to Harrisburg International Airport. The airport was small so it was easy to find Delta and check in our bags. Of course two of my bags were overweight and we had to move some things around, but it all worked out. We still had time to stand around and chat, and continue to pretend nothing big was about to happen, or again, at least I was.

We said our good-byes and shed some tears. Autumn was pretty upset, which made it harder for me. She loves her Pappy, Grandma Wanda, Uncle Josh, Uncle Jason, Uncle Jeff, Grammie, PaPa, Uncle Jimmy, Aunt Amy and Aunt Joann. We are very blessed to have such a wonderful, supportive, loving family.

They went off to the observation deck and we headed to security. Security was a breeze and we found our gate. When we were to begin boarding our flight they said they had some mechanical problems and would hopefully be leaving shortly.

Well, four hours later our flight left Harrisburg. My family saw a plane take off around the time ours should have taken off. They thought it was us and headed home. Little did they know we were still there! But that's ok, I don't think I could've done the good-byes a second time!

Cody was so excited to finally get to ride in a plane, as we were getting ready for take off, I glanced over at him and realized he was sleeping! He slept the entire flight from Harrisburg to Detriot.

So, I enjoyed my complimentary peanuts, pretzels, and soft drink and this amazing sunset!

We did miss our connecting flight to Japan, but Delta put us up in a hotel in Detriot and gave us food vouchers. Lord willing, tomorrow at 3:30pm we will be on our way to Japan for 5, nope, now 4 days, then onto Australia, our future home. God is so good to me!

Missionary Monday

2011-11-15T14:17:00.001-05:00

What does a missionary family do on their last Monday in the United States?

Go to Chuck E. Cheese's, of course!

We leave in less than 48 hours!

Aaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

Christmas Blog Hop

2011-11-10T16:26:00.001-05:00

I have been working on another project lately (because like I told the ladies on my baptist missionary women group on facebook) I have so much time on my hands! We (my missionary friend, Carole) started a group for baptist missionary women on facebook over the summer, it quickly had over 400 members! God is good.

My idea for the group was a place for us missionary women to come together to encourage and pray for on another. God has truly blessed. I believe God wanted me to take this a bit further and I started a blog for the group. Carole, has been a great help and encouragement to me in this process (thank you so much, Carole!).

So, if you're a missionary or if you just want to see what's going on on the other side of the world, we'd love for you to come over and check out our new blog. If you have a recipe or devotional to share please email us at baptistmissionarywomen.blogspot.com

9 Days!

2011-11-08T10:01:00.001-05:00

In less than 10 days our family will be boarding a plane headed for Australia, with a 5 day stop in Japan.

I have so much to think about, my mind is overloaded. I keep forgetting simple things, like my credit card at Red Robin last night and my 40% off coupon for Christopher and Banks.

This week I need to go through all of our clothing and see if I can get everything into three large suitcases and 4 carry-ons. Thankfully my son has grown and is going onto the next size so I will be able to get rid of some things, the bad news to that is I already purchased the next size for him but its on a boat headed to Australia as I write this.

Next week I will need to call our phone company, cell phone company, car insurance, health insurance, and others I'm sure I'm forgetting to cancel everything. I also need to clean our almost empty home. Anyone want to come help clean?! My husband asked of facebook if anyone wanted to come help him finish up so projects, he said he pays in pizza and hugs. I can do the same.

Quick question for you all. Any great plane traveling tips for children you can offer? I plan to buy them each some new things to do on the plane, but I'm sure we'll run out of ideas. We fly from Harrisburg on November 17th to Detroit, from Detroit to Nagoya, Japan where we will stay 5 days. Then fly from Nagoya, Japan on November 22nd to Tokoyo, Japan to Cairns, Australia, to Darwin, Australia on November 23rd where we will probably collapse.

We also had a huge blessing the other day. Our first full day in Australia will be November 24th, Thanksgiving. In Australia we have heard that a 15lb turkey could cost around $80! I was kind of bummed that we may not have the traditional Thanksgiving meal, but I was okay with that. Sunday night our missionary friend sent us an email and said that a man in the church offered to buy a turkey, if he was invited to Thanksgiving dinner! How great is our God that He gives us the desires of our heart before we even think to come ask Him!

We Have A Winner!

2011-11-07T09:52:00.001-05:00

And the winner of the awesome giveaway from the Pumpkin Seed Press is #80

Paula from This Beautiful Life!

Paula, please contact me with your mailing address and we'll get these books out to you. Thank you all for entering. This was the largest response I've had for a giveaway. I loved all the comments. Thanks!

Home, Sweet Home

2011-11-03T11:32:00.004-04:00

I'm going to miss this place.

We've lived here 5 years exactly.

The longest we've lived anywhere during our married life.

Just Because Blog Party!

2011-11-01T10:56:00.002-04:00

Welcome! Here are a few quick facts to get to know me better.

Our family is moving November 17th to Australia as missionaries!
I have a wonderful husband, Patrick, and two kiddos, Autumn (8) and Cody (3).
I love to read missionary biographies.
I love to cook.
I love photography.
I love scrapbooking.
I love the colors green and yellow.
I don't like cold weather.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.
I'm going to miss my family (dad, bonus mom, brothers, aunts, uncles, etc) terribly.
I''m hosting an awesome giveaway, keep reading!

Beautiful Girlhood Review & GIVEAWAY!

2011-10-31T15:58:00.003-04:00

I am so excited about this review and giveaway. I recently discovered Pumpkin Seed Press, and they sent me the Beautiful Girlhood Bundle to review and offered me one to giveaway!

I sat down last week to look through the books. I can't tell you how excited I am to do this with my daughter. The Beautiful Girlhood has short chapters that you can read together, then The Companion Guide to Beautiful Girlhood offers discussion questions, Bible activities and applications, and journal topics. What a sweet time for mother and daughter to have together discussing girlhood and Biblical applications.

The Beautiful Girlhood covers topics such as Obedience, The Tongue, Friendships, Ambition, Trust, Responsibility, and more. There are 33 chapters to read with your daughter. I thought this would also be a good way to teach my daughter about having alone time with God, which is sadly something I've neglected with her. I noticed there is a chapter called The Quiet Hour. This chapters covers finding alone time with God! Like I said, I'm excited to read this book with my daughter and use the companion guide to help us review and discuss it.

I also like that there is a place to journal (with journal topics) in the companion guide. What a nice keepsake for my daughter to have years later of our time together.

There is no right or wrong way to do this study. What would seem to work for us is to read a chapter every night then maybe the next night use the companion guide to review and discuss it.

I plan to start ours when we get to Australia. It will get packed on my carry-on, so maybe we'll start in on the plane.

From the Pumpkin Seed Press website:

"Godly wisdom and advice await a mother and daughter who will read through these pages together. The Beautiful Girlhood Bundle contains Beautiful Girlhood and The Companion Guide to Beautiful Girlhood. Contains 32 foundational character training lessons for girls. Ages 9-13."

Now for the giveaway!!

*To enter simply leave a comment.

For extra entries (please leave a separate comment for each entry)...

*Become a follower, if you're already a follower let me know

*Follow me on Facebook

*Check out Pumpkin Seed Press and tell me something else you'd like to check out

*Post on facebook about the giveaway and leave the link

*Post on your blog about the giveaway and leave the link

That's six ways to enter!! I will announce the winner next Monday, November 7th.

Also, winner must have a US mailing address.

A Blogger's Prayer

2011-10-30T00:01:00.000-04:00

I am no longer my own blogger, but Thine, O Lord.

Refine me with each post how You will, rank me how You will.

Put me to service, or put me to suffering.

Let me post for Thee or be put aside for Thee,

Lifted high, only for Thee, or brought low, all for Thee.

Do with me and each post whatever you will, because You alone know best.

Let me not strive but submit Let me not compete but care

Let me not desire hits but holiness

Let me be a follower, instead of seeking followers.

Let my blog be full of Thee, and let it be empty of me.

Let me crave all things of Thee, let me care nothing of this world.

Let my words be worthy of the greatest of audiences: You.

And You are enough.

May I write not for subscribers… but only for Thy smile.

May my daily affirmation be in the surety of my atonement,

not the size of my audience.

May my identity be in the innumerable graces of Christ,

never, God forbid, the numbers of my comments.

May the only words that matter in my life not be the ones I write on a screen ---

but the ones I live with my skin.

I freely and heartily yield every sentence, every title, every post, every comment… or no comments… all to Thine pleasure and perfect will.

My only fame is that I bear Your name

My only glory is the gift of Your Grace

My only readership, Your eyes that seek to and fro to find a heart hard after You.

Make this so, oh Lord…

Yahweh, You alone are my God, not Google

Jesus, You alone are my Savior, not site meters

And Holy Spirit, You alone are my Comforter, not comments

So be it, today, yesterday, and every post to come.

This is my prayer I have made on earth and over this keyboard… let it be ratified in heaven.

Amen.

For a printable copy click here.

I met the Money Saving Mom!

2011-10-29T10:44:00.000-04:00

On Crystal Paine's blog - The Money Saving Mom - she mentioned she was doing a reader meet-up in Harrisburg yesterday. I immediately signed up for it, and was excited to find out I was one of the first 50 who signed up. She had such a huge response. We were allowed to bring a friend, so I invited my bestie, Julie.

I've been reading Money Saving Mom for probably four years. She was one of the first blogs I started reading. I learned all about coupons and budgeting from her. So I was excited to meet her in person yesterday. She was speaking at the Relevant Conference in Harrisburg, so it was quite a tease to go into the hotel and see signs for the conference and even see other famous bloggers, like Ann who wrote One Thousand Gifts.

So here are a few photos from our day...

We played an ice breaker game and you had to go around and have people sign your paper. The paper had things like someone who never uses coupons, someone who has a blog, someone who has made their own laundry detergent, etc. Julie was quite famous because she doesn't use coupons, I think she was the only one there who doesn't use coupons! Our table was done first so we all won a gift card for Starbucks!

Then we played another game where we had to make a coupon binder.

Here's ours. We didn't win.

Then the Swag!

Yes, we got Swag!!

There was free samples of rice, a copy of All You magazine, a copy of Home Education Family, #5 and #6 of the Imagination Station Series, The Well Planned Day, The Student Planner, and the Daily planner, and some coupons!!

As we were leaving we heard there was a book table set up for people at the Relevant Conference, so we snuck in! Dayspring was selling books for $5 each! They also had One Thousand Gifts for $5, but these are what I picked up. And yes, I know our crate left yesterday, yes, I know I have to fit these in my suitcase, but I'm okay with that. Who can resist $5 books?

It was such a fun time. After the meet-up, Julie and I went to the Outback Steakhouse, my favorite restaurant. So thankful for good friends.

Australia Bound

2011-10-27T16:09:00.000-04:00

53 boxes on 3 pallets headed to Australia!

Blog Bash 2011

2011-10-25T20:42:00.003-04:00

Hello! I'm joining in on the Blog Bash 2011 hosted by Courtney at WomenLivingWell. My name is Jen, and I've been married to Patrick for over 12 years. We have two kiddos - Autumn (8) and Cody (3). I enjoy cooking, scrapbooking, and photography. We are missionaries. We are leaving November 17th for Australia, where my husband will be a pastor. It's been a long road to get our visas, three years in fact, but it's all been in God's perfect timing. Our belonging will ship on Thursday! We are so excited. Here are two photos of my family.

This is where I blog, facebook, surf the net, read blogs and write emails. I did have a nice desk, but with moving all our main belongings are packed and we're getting rid of furniture piece by piece, so we're making due with a small bookshelf. I hope you'll become a follower and come back often. Thanks for visiting!

Marley and Me

2011-10-24T22:56:00.004-04:00

This is Marley, my brother's dog, wearing my son's Denver Bronco's jersey.

I just had to share. She's the cutest dog ever.

Hmmmm...

2011-10-22T22:54:00.001-04:00

This picture was taken in the parking lot of my local post office. I saw this a few months ago but didn't have my camera. This week I drove by and remembered I had my camera, so I pulled in and took a photo. I've never heard anyone talking about this, so please tell me I'm not the only one to notice!!

Misson's Conference and other things

2011-10-20T23:53:00.000-04:00

We are in a Mission's Conference this week in New York state. It's a low key conference, which means we get some rest. Oh, how I need rest! We arrived home from Arizona on September 6th. On September 8th our visas were approved and I don't think I've stopped since. Our belongings are all packed. The shippers are scheduled for next week. The next time I see those things will be in Australia!! In four weeks from today we will be boarding a plane headed to Japan then Australia!

My mind has been everywhere lately. I'm forgetting simple things. I hope when our belongings are shipped next week that I can sit down and just breathe.

We are in this conference until Sunday, next Wednesday evening we have a meeting at a church in northern Pennsylvania, the following Sunday (10/30) is our Commissioning Service at our home church in Lebanon, PA at 2pm (stop by if you can!), the Sunday after that we have another meeting in New York, then the Sunday before we leave we have a meeting in Leola, Pennsylvania. So much to think about and keep straight. Along with all those meetings are a few good-bye parties.

As we get closer people keep asking are you nervous, sad, excited? I have so much on my mind I'm not sure how I feel. If I stop and think about it, I do get a little sad. I will miss my family and friends, but we're so excited to start this next part of our life that God has for us.

I'm not sure this post makes much sense, but I do feel better having wrote it all out. So, thanks for listening...er, reading!

Jeff's Senior Portraits

2011-10-19T15:21:00.001-04:00

This is my brother, Jeff. I took him to a park nearby and took his senior pictures.

What do you think?

25 Ways to Wear a Scarf

2011-10-18T00:01:00.000-04:00

I love to wear a scarf, and was pleasantly surprised to find this video.

Missionary Monday

2011-10-17T00:09:00.001-04:00

<---- There you have it - my life, all packed up in approximately 50 boxes. Yes, I know there is more to life than stuff. When it comes to stuff, I'm a minimalist. I guess that's the missionary in me. I've never been one to own a lot, but it's amazing what you accumulate living in one place for 5 years.

Lord willing our belongings will be shipped out early this week. Interested in what a missionary takes with them when they move overseas? Well, I'll tell you...

Scrapbooks
Kitchen items
The kids' toys
Clothing for the kids for the next two sizes
Books...lots and lots of books
Christmas decorations
Fall decorations
Special momentos
Hubby's tools
SS materials
Homeschool books
DVD's
Our Sleep Number bed
Bedding

I'm sure I'm missing something, but you get the idea. Packing up your entire life can be quite emotional, but God has given us the strength. This still doesn't feel real yet, maybe once it officially ships, maybe on the plane, maybe in Australia. I don't know, but I'm so grateful that God chose my family. May He find us faithful.

Thought I'd Share

2011-10-13T14:41:00.000-04:00

A quick photo of Patrick and I.

These are rare. Enjoy.

37 days and counting!

2011-10-11T16:50:00.001-04:00

Our plane tickets have been purchased! We leave November 17th. We will visit friends in Japan for 5 days, and arrive in Australia on November 23rd!

If all goes well our belongings will be picked up next Tuesday (October 18th), and arrive in Australia about 6 weeks later.

Please pray for us as we finish our packing this week. I have been so forgetful lately. This past Saturday we were on our way to a meeting and I realized I hadn't packed church clothes for Autumn. We quickly stopped at a Wal-Mart and I prayed so hard to find something appropriate. After searching and finding really short dresses, I found one nice dress in a size 10, perfect for Autumn. Thank you, Lord!

Anyway, please pray for clear thinking this week as we pack. That we will pack things we need, and not forget important things! It's very expensive to ship to a package to Australia.

We have a very busy schedule with saying good-bye to friends, farewell parties, our commissioning service, our departure interview with our mission board, and at least four more churches to visit. Please pray for safety as we travel and the strength to make it through all these good-byes!

God is good and we are so blessed!

The Learning Parent Review

2011-10-10T16:36:00.001-04:00

I was given the opportunity to review some products by The Learning Parent. The Learning Parent is new company to me. Rick and Marilyn Boyer, founders of The Learning Parent, are pioneer homeschoolers. They began homeschooling in 1980, and are still homeschooling their youngest three today.

I was given the Character Concepts for Preschoolers Basic Curriculum to look over and give a review. I am very big into photographs, so what immediately caught my eye was all the photos they included. This is what is included in the Character Concepts for Preschoolers Basic Curriculum which sells for $74.96:

Character Concepts for Preschoolers - Mom's Guide
Crossroads of Character - Learning to Make Wise Choices
Hands of Character Building
Uncle Rick's History for Preschooler's CD
Learning ABC's with the Cousins flashcards
Learning Character with the Cousins flashcards

The Mom's Guide is very easy to use. The curriculum is divided into 12 units. A unit covers 3 weeks. You can adjust to what you want, but if you're looking for something simple with lesson plans laid out for you, this is it. It tells you what to do, and on what days of the week to do them. There are even recipes included and suggested field trips.

The flashcards are printed off on cards stock. I'd recommend getting them laminated to help them last longer.

The CD has stories told by Uncle Rick about American heroes who showed the character traits they are learning about. There are pictures in the back of the Mom's Guide that go along with the story, you can photo copy the page and let them color while they are listening to the CD.

The only thing that I would love is for the memory verses to be in King James. I understand not everyone uses the KJV, but maybe they could offer an option.

This is a fun Preschool Curriculum. If you are new to homeschooling this would be great for you because everything is outlined for you. It's very parent-friendly!

I have something special for you! Until October 18th you can receive 25% off your entire purchase from The Learning Parent by using the code: bethouexalted

*Please note I was given the curriculum to review. The opinions are my own.

Family Portraits

2011-10-06T22:21:00.002-04:00

My sister-in-law recently did our family portraits. With a husband who hates having his pictures taken, a drama queen for a daughter, and a son who just got four stitches in his forehead, I think she did a great job. You can check her out on Facebook here. You can see the rest of our family portriats on her facebook page. If you live in the Lancaster area and are in need of family portraits give her a call...tell her I sent you!

Count it All Joy

2011-10-05T18:08:00.000-04:00

It's been a month of highs and lows for us. Between getting our visas and our car accident where we were hit by a drunk driver, I've been quite emotional. Last Wednesday Cody was getting off his bike and fell on the handlebar, the grips have worn off so he fell right on the metal end. When Patrick brought him into me, I just calmly looked at him and said, "Let's go to the ER." It was a weird feeling, like so much is going on either I sit here and cry about it or laugh. So we laughed it off. It's hard to tell in this picture but he had a deep cut and we had to go to the ER for stitches. I did cry when they were putting the stitches in and he was screaming for mommy and I couldn't do anything but hold his hands. It took four adults to hold him down.

We went yesterday to get the stitches out, and it took three adults to hold him down. It had scabbed over the last stitch so the nurse had to pick the scab. Anyway, here is a picture I took of him last night after the stitches were taken out. He fell asleep on the couch like this while they were watching a movie. It's been an emotional month, but God is good, and we count it all joy!

Good-byes

2011-10-04T15:22:00.000-04:00

Good-byes are not easy. The closer to our departure date, the harder it gets. This past weekend we were able to visit some friends from college. Laura and Ed were engaged a few months after us and married a few months after us. We've kept in touch all these years. Laura is one of my closest friends. When we get together, which only happens a few times a year, we pick up where we left off. She loves to talk as much as I do. You'd be amazed at how much talking we got in this weekend!! Laura is a godly pastor's wife. I am so blessed to call her my friend. She is fun to be with and is always encouraging.

Here is Ed and Patrick playing guitar.

Me & Laura

This weekend we also got to visit with some other friends from college Chris and Chrissy. We went to school with Chris, and Chrissy came after we left. But through Laura we've become good friends. She's another one where we just pick up like we just saw each other the day before. Chrissy is another godly pastor's wife. She is a blessing to be around.

Our girls are about the same ages,

and always have a great time playing together.

Cody had a blast driving around "Lightning McQueen".

I don't think Dale Earnhart would mind!

I am so blessed with good, godly friends who encourage me in my walk with the Lord.

Thanks for a great weekend, ladies!

God is good. I am blessed!

A New Blog to Check Out

2011-10-03T23:15:00.003-04:00

A missionary friend of mine started a new blog. She is so sweet and full of wisdom. Please go check it out. She's hosting a great giveaway too!

Fall is in the Air

2011-10-03T19:51:00.000-04:00

With this being our last fall in the United States we are trying to fit in every fall activity possible. I don't have the time to post all my pictures, but I do want to catch up my blog a bit.

Every year my area has a Fall Farm Fun Fest. They pick a different farm every year to host it. I love it. It's my favorite fall activity. They give out free chocolate milk and ice cream, and free wagon rides! Lots of fun! Here is Cody, my brother, Jeff, and Autumn on the hay ride.

Another fun place in Reynolds Farm. I am a little disappointed that they are charging this year. Instead of going several times, we'll only be going once. It cost $20 for my family to do the hay ride and the kids to play in the play area. The kids still had fun. I also didn't know we had to pay for the pumpkins we picked during the hay ride. I thought they were free...oops! We picked the biggest ones, then found out how expensive they were. I felt bad that we had picked them so we bought one - a $10 pumpkin!

Another fun place we went to is Linvilla Orchards near Philly. Our friends live near here and while we were visiting them we went to the Orchards. We were hear a few years ago and couldn't believe how big it had gotten. There were pumpkins everywhere!

Laura and Autumn

Laura and Ed

I have more to share but wanted to post something since it has been almost a week since my last post. It's been so busy since our visas were approved! We've been visiting supporting churches to say good-bye and visiting new ones, as well as visiting friends and family. God has been so good. I am blessed.

Gratitude

2011-09-27T17:18:00.000-04:00

I don't ever want to take for granted God's protection on us a few nights ago. We are not "lucky" to be alive, we are blessed.

The other driver's insurance company is being very kind and cooperative. In fact they already lined up a rental car for us. I've never been in an accident before so I had no idea what to expect, but God has been so good to us and is meeting our every need.

We appreciate all the calls, emails, facebook notes, and especially the prayers. We've been so blessed with good friends.

The kids seem to be doing great. Autumn has mentioned a few times that her neck hurts, but seems to be doing ok.

Patrick is a bit sore and stiff, as am I. But when thinking about how much worse it could have been we're trying not to complain...except to each other :)

This picture above is our beloved display. We set this up when we present our ministry to churches. We've had it for 5 years. I'm a bit sad that it's broken and not repairable, but at least it happened when we only had a few more churches to present to.

Here is our family...all alive and well. God is good. My husband and I were talking about the accident last night and sharing what we remembered and began talking about how much worse it could have been, it brings tears to my eyes.

Since we've gotten our visas a few weeks ago, we've had quite a bit of opposition. Many have said, "Boy, Satan doesn't want you in Australia." Or "God has great things in store for your family." I don't know which is true, maybe both, maybe neither. All I know is God has been so good to us and we are undeserving. I pray that through all of this that our family will grow closer to Him and that our lives will be a shining light to the lost around us.

God's Hand of Protection

2011-09-26T14:45:00.001-04:00

God is good. Last night we left a supporting church that we were visiting in Virginia. From out of nowhere a car slammed into the back of us. I'm going to be very detailed (nothing gruesome...we're all ok), but if I need to come back for insurance reasons I'll have it here in writing.

We were passing an on-ramp on interstate 81 north. I heard my husband gasp and I looked in my side mirror and saw lights. The impact took us from the right lane of the highway onto the passing lane, into the medium, and onto the southbound side. We landed sideways, and my husband was able to get the car onto the side of the road.

I remember hitting the medium (which was all grass, thank God, because just a little ways down the medium was a ditch), and realizing we were headed onto the southbound side. I saw there were no cars coming so that was relief.

My husband's driving skills are incredible. I know God had His hand of protection on us, but if it wasn't for Him guiding Patrick we could have been killed. I know I couldn't have controlled the car like he did.

Once the car stopped, I tried to get out of the car, but my door wouldn't open. Cody was behind me on the passenger side and Autumn was behind the driver's side. The back of our seats broke and fell onto the kids. Autumn was screaming. Cody had been sleeping and with the impact he woke up. He was screaming as well. Because we couldn't get any doors open besides the driver's side, my husband somehow pulled the kids out of the back window which shattered in the crash.

As Patrick was getting the kids out, a very kind man stopped by, then about a minute later a police officer drove by. He said he saw lights going the wrong way and thought we were drunk driving.

The man who hit us was drunk and going about 90mph (can't remember if my husband told me that or the cops). He must have pulled over for a second and then took off. The cops said they found him a few miles down the road and he was arrested. As most often times, the drunk driver was unharmed.

Thank God that except for some sore muscles, we are all fine. I couldn't believe it. My husband is a little more sore than I am. He knew we were going to get hit and tensed up. I didn't realize it until we were hit. I think from the impact and then me trying to sit up even though my seat broke, the seatbelt hurt my neck and shoulder...but I can handle that...losing my kids, that's another story.

We had just gotten a late supper at McDonalds. I was opening up a sweet and sour packet for our nuggets. So I had sauce all over my arm and in my hair. Autumn was upset that she lost her burger and drink.

Our display is broken, but other items in the trunk we're completely unharmed, like my ipad, our table display items, and a bag full of goodies from a mission's closet. God took care of even the little things.

I gave a tract to the first cop that stopped to help us, and we wrote a letter to the man who stopped to help us. He let us use his cell phone, offered his house for us to spend the night (although a friend came and picked us up and took us home), and he let us park our car at his house until my husband could pick it up today.

We don't know why God allowed this to happen, but in the 1,001 ways it could have happened, the one way the kept us alive and safe was the way God allowed it to happen. The state police that came to the scene said the previous week a family of 4 was hit by a drunk driver and they all died. God spare us, and protected us from harm, and we were able to share that with the police.

The ambulance and a fire truck did come to the scene, but I felt we were all ok so none of us went to the hospital.

I'm trying to use this as an opportunity to teach my kids that sometimes God allows these things to happen, we don't always know the reason, but as Joseph we continue to serve God and wait on Him. God is good...all the time.

By the way, we've also been praying for the man that hit us, Larry. Please pray for his salvation.

Winners!

2011-09-23T10:32:00.001-04:00

I said I would announce the winners of my giveaway on Wednesday, and here it is Friday. What happened to my week?! Oh, I packed up my entire household, that's what happened. Sorry for the delay, ladies. Here are the winners...

Anna Lopez
Kristen
raising4princesses
Carrie
Sarah Joy

Please email me at thebauerfamily@hotmail.com and I will forward your info to Heather at The Printable Homeschool Planner. Thank you all for entering and being patient. I hope you enjoy the planner. If you did not win, great news - you can buy the entire planner for only $4.99!!

I have another review coming next week for a preschool curriculum, stay tuned!

Packing, Packing, and More Packing

2011-09-16T13:48:00.000-04:00

And that equals another day closer to Australia!

This photo was taken a few days ago. We officially have 18 boxes packed and sealed. We are currently working on 5 more. We are only take items like photo albums, special toys, kitchen things, clothing (+the next 2 sizes for the kids), SS material, etc. We are not taking any furniture except for our bed, which is a sleep number bed and I won it on a blog a few years ago.

The emptiness of the house makes things more exciting! Our schedule is filling up with saying good-bye to friends and family.

On October 30 our home/sending church in Lebanon, PA is holding a commissioning service for us at 2pm. If you're in the area we'd love for you to stop by.

The Printable Homeschool Planner - Review and Giveaway!

2011-09-14T14:57:00.000-04:00

I was given the opportunity to review The Printable Homeschool Planner by Heather Bixler. I love printable planners simply because you can print out what you need, punch holes, and put them in a three ring binder in any order you want to.

When you purchase The Printable Homeschool Planner you will receive the download link in an email. It comes in a compressed file. You will also receive a password that enables you to download more printables from the website.

You can also try before you buy! I love this. For just $1 each Heather allows you to download some of her printables to try it out.

Here are a list of the printables that come with the Planner:

•The Cover Page – PDF Printable
•Art Project Planner – PDF Printable
•Attendance Record Keeper – PDF Printable
•Book Report Worksheet – PDF Printable
•Field Trip Planner – PDF Printable •Project Planner – PDF Printable
•Science Experiment Planner – PDF Printable
•Scripture Verse Planner – PDF Printable •Student Project Notes Worksheet – PDF Printable
•Thematic Unit Planner – PDF Printable
•Lesson Planner – PDF Printable
•Password for unlimited access to our current and future homeschool printables in our exclusive member download page.

For you today, I have FIVE copies to give away! Simply leave a comment and tell me how your homeschool year is going.

For a second entry, "like" The Printable Homeschool Planner on Facebook. Then come back and leave a comment letting me know you did.

For a third entry "follow" my blog and leave a comment. If you already are a follower, just leave a comment and let me know.

Leave a separate comment for each entry please.

I will announce the winner next Wednesday, September 21.

*I was given a copy of The Printable Homeschool Planner for free to write a review on my blog. The thoughts are my own.

Sunday Blessings & 9/11

2011-09-11T15:45:00.001-04:00

Today marks the 10 year anniversary of the terror attacks on our nation. I've written many posts on the 9/11 anniversary throughout the years. I still cannot believe it has been 10 years. I remember it like it was yesterday...so do you I suppose. I was so proud of how our nation responded, especially our President at the time, George W. Bush.

I don't know where we'll be ten years from now. Will our country be worse? Will there be more terror attacks? Will there be a revival? Will the Lord have returned?

I can only pray that the Lord will find me faithful.

Here are my Sunday blessings...

We made it safely home. Our little Subaru with 325,000 miles and just a few little issues keeps on running, God is good!
We got to see Joseph at Sight and Sound for only $15 each!
Patrick and I were able to get away overnight to Lancaster.
Had a huge pile of mail waiting for us. I love mail!
And lastly...Our VISAS were approved!!!

I am blessed.

Missing Ganado

2011-09-10T19:09:00.002-04:00

During our last week in Ganado this little guy decided to pay us a visit. I was sitting at the kitchen table on the computer as out of the corner of my eye I saw something running across the floor. I quickly realized it was a scorpion. I calmly called my husband and he put a glass over it so we could take a look at it. We put him in a ziploc bag to show him around. People at the church said they've lived in Ganado their entire life and never seen a scorpion! I'm kind of glad he visited during our last week there or I would never have walk around barefoot!

Here is another more beautiful part of God's creation - a double rainbow. We saw this one Wednesday evening while walking to church.

I loved Ganado, and I praise God for our time there. It made waiting on our visas a lot easier. I really miss it, but it was so exciting to come home and hear a day later that our visas were approved! God is good!

VISA APPROVAL!!

2011-09-09T14:40:00.003-04:00

This is how our past few days have gone...

We got home on Tuesday afternoon (September 6) from Arizona. It was a long trip, but we talked a lot about our summer and the blessings God gave us and the trip went smoothly and our little Subaru with 325,000 miles brought us home safely - with God's help, of course. Tuesday night we basically unloaded the car in a downpour of rain. Fun stuff. Wednesday we had planned a getaway for just me and my husband. We dropped the kids off at my dad's in the afternoon and headed to Lancaster. We spent the evening with Patrick's brother and his wife. With all the rain there were many roads that were closed due to flooding. It was a mess but kind of fun to drive around and look at. We got to our hotel kind of late, and honestly I was a little disappointed with it, but it was only for the night. I got up in the morning and got a shower, when I came out my husband said, "There's an email you may want to read." I was so hoping it was about our visas...and it was! On Thursday, September 8, 2011 we got our visa approval!! God is good.

That afternoon we went and saw Joseph at Sight and Sound, and I couldn't help but think of how ironic it was that we were seeing this particular show on the day our visas were approved. We finished deputation in two years, then waited for three years for our visa. That's how long Joseph sat in prison. I didn't have to sit in prison, we were able to tour the country and work in churches all over the United States and even got to spend a summer on the Navajo Nation. How good is our God!

So, what are our plans now? Our tentative goal is to leave around the beginning of November 1. We are scheduling all our last good-byes with our friend and family and some supporting churches. Our home church in Lebanon, PA is planning a commissioning service. I'll post the date when I know, if you're in the area we'd love for you to come by.

We are also looking for a good shipping company and will begin packing up all our belongings to send across the big pond to our new home, Australia! I love writing that! I need to begin making lists, one of things we need to buy before we leave, one of things we need to sell, and one of things I need to pack. We'll be busy these next few weeks, but we are excited. God is good...all the time!

"Wait on the Lord, and keep his way,

and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land..." Psalm 37:34

Ministry Friends

2011-08-30T18:22:00.000-04:00

This is Pastor Mark and his wife, Tricia. They have been missionaries here on the rez for 15+ years. It has been a privilege getting to know them. Tomorrow is our last day here in Ganado. I've been doing the packing in little spurts, trying not to get overwhelmed with leaving. This has been an amazing summer. One we will not soon forget. The people here have a very special place in our hearts. What a blessing to know that if we don't cross paths again here on earth we will see each other again in Heaven!

Happy Birthday, Patrick!!

2011-08-29T13:46:00.001-04:00

Saturday was my husband's birthday. Every year we celebrate I always say I hope the next one will be celebrated in Australia. Lord willing, this will hold true to his birthday.

We had a little party with just our family on Saturday, then Sunday night we had a bigger cake and shared with the people after church. God has blessed me with a wonderful husband. One thing that attracted me to him was that he knew the Lord had called him to Australia when he was 6 and was determined at 19 to still go, and here we are years later almost ready to board a plane!

Church was very special yesterday. It was our last Sunday here on the rez. I cried. Others cried. It's been an amazing summer, and we've really fallen in love with the Navajo people.

It seems souls have been saved every week and the people are getting involved in the Lord's work. As I was saying good bye to one lady yesterday I reminded her that I'd be praying for her husband to be saved. I can't imagine going through life without a Christian husband. I am so blessed that I was raised in a Christian home and knew to look for a Christian man to marry. Many here are saved as adults and are already married or living with someone. They've just never heard the truth. Although God is doing a great work here, there is so much left to do. Please pray for the people here that they would remain faithful and continue to share God's love with others.i

Radiator Springs

2011-08-25T20:05:00.000-04:00

Our travels have taken us many places. One of my favorites is the little towns along Route 66. We found out that Radiator Springs was created after a little town in Arizona - Silgman. We drove through the town and decided to spend the night so we could walk around the next day.

We found Mater!

One happy little boy!

Sheriff

This was a painting on a building on our way out of town.

This is a wigwam motel in Holebrook, AZ.

The got the idea of Cozy Cone hotel from here!

I love all the old cars.

Do you see Doc Hudson?

So cool!

Cody is not the only Disney Car fan in our house. I think we've all watched the movie a thousand times but could sit and watch it again and again!

The Hoover Dam

2011-08-24T17:10:00.001-04:00

We had a meeting in Las Vegas, NV (yes, there are some great churches there, much needed!). On our way we decided to stop by the Hoover Dam. This is my favorite part of all of our traveling is being able to see some great things in our country. We did a quick stop on our way to Vegas, then on our way home we got out and walked around a bit. There is a bridge now that crosses it, they built a pathway for people to walk across and see the Hoover Dam. It's scarey! I walked halfway, then gave my husabnd my camera and grabbed my son and practically ran back across! I don't like heights! Here are some photos from our day.

The bottom photos are from a museum we went to in Boulder City that explained how they made the dam. It is fascinating! The last photo is of a couch I found in the lobby. I want it.

By the way, the church in Las Vegas took us on for support. The pastor has been burdened for Australia, and as a birthday present to him the church took us on for support. It was a huge blessing. God is good!

Bury My Heart On the Mission Field

2011-08-22T00:01:00.003-04:00

I heard this song on a cd years ago.

This is my heart.

I'm sharing with you.

Sunday Blessings

2011-08-21T18:35:00.000-04:00

This week I am thankful for...

Souls saved and baptized. I pray this never gets old. God is good!
My daughter made two new friends that have American Girl Dolls, this is a big deal to her! It just so happens that they have the same dolls as her.
The privilege to present our ministry in a new church today.
A beautiful new orange bracelet that a friend made me.
My husband...who loves me when I'm unlovable.

"O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.

For his merciful kindness is great toward us:

and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever.

Praise ye the Lord."

Psalm 117

Some Thoughts....

2011-08-17T20:06:00.002-04:00

Last Tuesday we went on visitations with the church. Visitations, or soul-winning, is when you go out door-to-door inviting people to church and share the Gospel. We drove down this long dusty lane, one that most regular cars wouldn't dare travel on. Down this long dusty road, was a small group of hogans and trailors. We went to the one hogan and a lady was standing outside. Her name was Marie. My partner, Tirzah, introduced us and began inviting her to church. Before we left, Tirzah asked Marie a question. "If you were to die tonight, do you know where you would spend eternity?"

Marie said no. Tirzah explain God's simple plan of salvation, and with tears in her eyes Marie quietly bowed her head and accepted Jesus as her own personal Savior! Praise the Lord! Autumn was with us, and this is the first she has witnessed someone getting saved, other than herself. She was so happy. We were even more excited when she came to church on Sunday and was baptized. That's her in the photo above! I know I've said it many times, but God is doing something great out here on the rez, and I'm so thrilled to be witnessing it. Churches around the United States are dead. There is no fire, in some God is not even there. Patrick and I have been so encouraged to see people so on fire for the Lord.

This little guy to the right is Isaac. Last week his dad, who is currently laid off, wanted to do some work around the property, so I babysat him and his sisters so that his dad could help my husband with some building projects. There were a few days when I thought I was going to go crazy with 5 kids running around the house, but my husband reminded me that because I gave up my days to babysit, their dad was able to be a blessing around the church. It changed my perspective, and I was ashamed I even allowed myself to get overwhelmed.

I have been so content here. It hasn't always been easy, the kids haven't always been well behaved. I've been a little homesick, I've been a little lonely. But I'm content. It has helped with the waiting. I know God will allow us to get to Australia. I just wish I knew when. It's all in HIS perfect timing. So in the meantime, I feel so blessed that He has allowed us to be a part of this ministry on the Navajo Nation. I'll leave you with a photo of my kids. God is good.

Winner!

2011-08-15T12:11:00.000-04:00

Mona, you are the winner of "One Thousand Gifts".

Please email me with your mailing address.

Congratulations!

I have a few other giveaways coming soon!

Sunday Blessings

2011-08-14T00:01:00.003-04:00

Today I am thankful for...

With the help of a friend I started a private group last week on facebook for Baptist Missionary Women. Today we hit 250 members. What a blessing!
I was able to babysit this week so a man from church was could do some construction work.
We found a babysitter, and Patrick and I was able to have a date night. It was SO needed!
Watching my selfless husband work day and night for other people.
His new mercies everyday!

"O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.

For his merciful kindness is great toward us:

and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever.

Praise ye the Lord."

Psalm 117

One reason I homeschool...

2011-08-12T17:03:00.001-04:00

Another goodie from Pinterest.

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp - GIVEAWAY!!

2011-08-09T14:04:00.003-04:00

I just finished reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. She has such a romantic, poetical style of writing. Something you don't see anymore. She talks about her journey to find true joy. She begins a list of 1000 things she is thankful for, not just family, food, home, clothing. She digs deeper. Here are a few of her 1000 gifts...

Jam piled high on toast
Moonlight on pillows
Hot oatmeal tasting like home
Bare toes in early light
Cackle of crows high in the limbs, iridescence on wings
Boys humming hymns
Click of a seat belt

Here is an excerpt of the book that really spoke to my heart...

"...What of all the memories where Christ seems absent? When the bridge shakes and heaves, when "how will he not also?" reads more like "he will not".

Trauma's storm can mask the Christ and feelings can lie.

I draw all the hurting voices close and I touch their scars with a whisper: sometimes we don't fully see that in Christ, because of Christ, through Christ, He does give us all things good -- until we have the perspective of years.

In time, years, dust settles.

In memory, ages, God emerges.

Wasn't that too His way with Moses? "And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen." Exodus 33:22-23 (KJV, she used NIV)

Is that it? When it gets dark, it's only because God has tucked me in a cleft of the rock and covered me, protected me, with His hand? In the pitch, I feel like I'm falling, sense the bridge giving way, God long absent. In the dark, the bridge and my world shakes, cracking dreams. But maybe this is true reality: It is in the dark that God is passing by. The bridge and our lives shake not because God has abandoned, but the exact opposite: God is passing by. God is in the tremors. Dark is the holiest ground, the glory passing by. In the blackest, God is closest, at work, forging His perfect and right will. Though it is black and we can't see and our world seems to be free-calling and we feel utterly alone, Christ is more present to us, I-beam supporting in earthquake. Then He will remove His hand. Then we will look.

Then we look back and see His back."

When I first read this, I thought how can writing down blessings bring joy. I decided to try it. I have this pretty pink journal book that I've been waiting for the perfect things to use it for. Here are a few of my 1000 gifts...

1. Early morning snuggles
3. Yuma sunsets
7. Memories of my pappy
12. Worshipping with the Navajos
15. 45 children hearing the Gospel today...some for the first time
22. People bragging on God
28. Sweet smelling babies
36. Friends that encourage
37. New mercies everyday
38. A phone call from my dad

I add a few everyday. This is really powerful. There are times when you struggle to find joy in day to day living, but it's there, friends. When times are dark, it's those times when God has you in the cleft of the rock, He hasn't left you, He's protecting you. Awesome thought!

Here is another excerpt...

"I walk in our back door to candlelight still flickering, hang the keys on the hook, and look around at the steep mountain of laundry there in the mudroom, the shoes scattered, a coat dropped. The mudroom is grime ringed. Fingerprints smear across the mirror. I laugh the happiest wonder. In the afternoon's drizzle, I give happy thanks for the daily mess with a smile a mil wide, because this is again my chance to wholeheartedly serve God, to do full-bodied eucharisteo with the hands and the heart and the lips. I can count each task a gift, pure eucharisteo. Grace! This work --the thousand endless jobs --they each give the opportunity for one to become the gift, a thousand times over! Because with every one of the thousand, endless jobs, I become the gift to God and to others because this work is the public God serving, the daily liturgy of thanks, the completing of the Communion service with my service."

I would love to share this book with you. I am giving away my copy. It is read, but in great condition. I take good care of my books! By the way, I will ship overseas...so anyone can enter! I'll announce the winner next Monday, August 15th.

To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment with one unusual thing you are thankful for today.

Missionary Monday

2011-08-08T14:34:00.000-04:00

This has been quite a weekend. My emotions seemed to be everywhere (I can blame this partly on pms, right?). The kids have been either really well behaved or complete terrors. Saturday night I posted on facebook that it was a quiet Saturday and we were about to sit down to a nice meal. Well, that was the calm before the storm. Autumn wanted soda, so I told her to wait for supper. You'd have thought I told her no soda for a year. Well, she lost soda for a week because of complaining. Shortly after Cody had a meltdown, can't quite remember why. I had him sit on his bed until he was finished. I went in to check on him and he was fast asleep. He woke up about 30 minutes later even more crankier, so I made him lay back down. Well, he was out for the rest of the night (although he woke up around 6:30 the next morning). I was in tears at supper, feeling quite overwhelmed. I don't mean to complain here, but I haven't had any kind of break since we got here in Ganado. I have been with the chidlren 24/7. I love my kids and never want to take them for granted, but this momma needs a break every now and again. My husband has been trying to plan some time out, but sitters are few and far between out here. He did ask the pastor's daughter to babysit today, so if all goes well we will be leaving her shortly for an afternoon/evening out! Praise the Lord! This photo is of my kids playing Mary Poppins the other day. Autumn is, of course, Mary Poppins and Cody is Bert...like the hat?!

Below are photos of a dog we kind of adopted. Actually he adopted us. He showed up a few days ago and won't leave. There are dogs everywhere here on the rez. The roam around freely (along with the cows, sheep, and horses). The problem is if you feed and water the dog, he tells his friends and then suddenly you have a whole pack of dogs on your front porch with their tongues hanging out and tails a'waggin'. We did give him some water yesterday. Autumn loves him. We often leave the front door open, so he slowly makes his way in the house. He'll start with just his paws and the tip of his nose, then he'll put his head in, then inch a little closer, before you know it he's walking around like he owns the place! He's a nice distraction for the kids though. Autumn named him Winn-Dixie from the movie.

So, there's a little taste of our life lately. I recently started a group on facebook for missionary moms. If you're an independent, Baptist missionary lady who'd like to join, look us up and ask for an invite. There are lots of lovely ladies on there encouraging and praying for one another. One of the beautys of facebook.

Sunday Blessings

2011-08-07T00:01:00.002-04:00

This has been a pretty mundane week for me, but I'm thankful I can still find blessings in the mundane.

Preaching on the blood of Christ - love it!
Singing songs straight from Scripture.
I found ice cream on the rez! Without having to travel over an hour to get it. (We did that when we first got here...needless to say by the time we got home we had soupy ice cream.
Our health exams made it to immigration.
Funny things my kids say...Cody - "Mommy, daddy is being mean." Me - "Awww, why is daddy being mean?" Cody - "He said my butt stinks." Well, it did!
I started a group on facebook with a friend for missionary women. I think it's going to be a great encouragement for women on the field.

"O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.

For his merciful kindness is great toward us:

and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever.

Praise ye the Lord."

Psalm 117

Please share your blessings.

Desiring God

2011-08-05T03:54:00.000-04:00

What a powerful series by John Piper. I am fairly new to him, so I didn't know what to expect. Maybe it's better to start fresh. I loved the quote at the end of every session - "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." (I do, however, plan to read up on him, as I'm thinking I may not agree with him on everything.)

John Piper explains to us how we were created for HIS glory. Our life doesn't have to be dull and boring, we can have true joy in Christ. I think of the verse in Psalm 37:4 - "Delight thyself also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." (KJV)

The idea for this DVD study guide is for personal or group Bible study. Personally, I probably would've gotten more out of it had I beed in a group, but it was still a blessing. Also, I've never read the actual book Desiring God. That may be more profitable, as well.

The sessions on the DVD are all less than 30 minutes. You are to do the Study Guide throughout the week then watch the session on the DVD, there is a small section in the book to fill out while watching the DVD.

I would recommend this book and dvd series to anyone desiring a closer relationship with God, which honestly should be all Christians.

I was offered to review this DVD and study guide for free by WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group The review though is my own.

Paperwork and Prayer Requests

2011-08-03T01:02:00.001-04:00

UPDATE!! We just got an email that immigration has receive our health exams. So, please keep praying those FBI clearances get here soon! Thanks!!

Just a quick note to ask you all to keep praying for our paperwork. We are currently waiting on our FBI clearances. It has been five weeks today. We were told it could take up to 8 weeks. I've been praying sooner. We are also waiting for our health exams to get to the AU immigration. So, would you please pray that these two items will get where they need to go as quickly as possible. You would think by now I'd have this patience thing worked out. Well, I don't. I ultimately know it's in God's hands and He will get the papers where they need to go, and in His perfect timing...not mine (Isaiah 55:8-9). While you're praying for our paperwork, you can pray for me to continue to trust God in His timing. Thanks. :)

Saw this on Pinterest.

Today's Housewife?

2011-08-02T14:28:00.002-04:00

I found this on Pinterest. I was a little disappointed with the negative comments following it. Oh, that we housewives would strive harder to make our home a haven for our men. (You may need to click on the photo to make it bigger.)

Back to School...already?

2011-08-01T15:26:00.001-04:00

After much thought and research and prayer, I think I finally have our fall curriculum decided on...now to start buying it!

Preschool (Cody, age 3)

- Answers in Genesis Preschool Curriculum

Grade 4 (Autumn, age 8)

- Math - Abeka

- Language - Abeka

- History - Abeka (but may also try the Mystery of History)

- Science - Apologia

- Spelling - School of Tomorrow (this is a first for us, I don't like Abeka's spelling)

- Bible Reading - School of Tomorrow (looks like fun)

- Literature - School of Tomorrow (another first, I did this when I was in school, so I wanted Autumn to try it)

- Art/Writing - Draw, Write, Now

I'm still trying to decide when to start. If your vis*as are approved we will wait until January and begin with the Australian school year (they school year round). If we don't hear anything, I will probably start some of the School of tomorrow courses, and just keep praying I'm making the right decision by holding off!

The Better Mom

2011-08-01T12:12:00.000-04:00

A new blog for moms.

Check it out, lots of giveaways this week!

Sunday Blessings

2011-07-31T00:01:00.000-04:00

Vacation Bible School was a huge success this week - 20 souls saved!
I was especially praying for Byron this week, and was so excited when he came back on Thursday and accepted Christ. Here is a photo of him...

I'm so thankful to hear a friend may start blogging again. I love her writing.
I'm thankful that we're finally adjusting to the altitude and I've been headache free for awhile now!
We went to church two nights this past week on the Hopi Nation. It's a hard field, but I'm thankful for a missionary who is staying faithful. He's been there almost 3 years and has 3 people faithfully attending his church.
I'm thankful for a good church. I feel that I've grown so much spiritually this summer.
I'm thankful that the Lord has helped me keep up with my reading of the Bible in 90 days.

"O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.

For his merciful kindness is great toward us:

and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever.

Praise ye the Lord."

Psalm 117

How about you? What are you thankful for?

This and That

2011-07-27T16:14:00.001-04:00

We are really enjoying our time here in Arizona. I can't believe we've been here for nearly two months. Last week we spent a few days helping a church in Yuma, Arizona. Yuma is minutes from the Mexico border, and it's very hot there! It averaged 111 everyday. They are having VBS this week, so my husband was helping get their bus' ready to pick up the kids.

Autumn has been a bit homesick. She misses her friends and family back in Pennsylvania. I set up an email account for her to be able to email friends and family. This is good preparation for her for Australia. Cody seems to be adjusting well and just has fun playing in all the dirt.

As for Australia, please be in prayer for our FBI clearances. That is the final paperwork that immigration needs. We've been waiting almost 4 weeks. They said it could take 6-8 weeks, but we're praying it comes sooner.

This week we are helping with a Vacation Bible School in Nazlini. This is a town of approximately 400 people. There is only one church in the town, but I don't think it preaches the Gospel. We had visited most of the town weeks before inviting the children out for VBS, but we had no idea how many to expect. The first day we had 45, the second day we had 67, and today we had 77. It would be great if we had 100 tomorrow! So far there have been almost 20 souls saved!

Free Book by Francis Chan!

2011-07-25T16:03:00.000-04:00

I read Crazy Love by Francis Chan a few months ago. It's a life changing book. I was thinking of giving away a copy after I read it, but never got around to it. Today I found on David C Cook's website they are giving away a free copy of one of Francis Chan's books. Go get a copy now! Click here for the link.

Sunday Blessings

2011-07-24T01:31:00.000-04:00

My Sunday Blessings...

For safety as we traveled to and from Yuma.
For the book One Thousand Blessings...wow, it's so good!
For my daughter's desire to read her Bible everyday.
For the Lord meeting our daily needs.
For a care package with lots of goodies from my dad. (Thanks, again!)

Thought for the Day...

2011-07-23T17:01:00.000-04:00

"What if you woke up today

with only the things

that you thanked God for yesterday?"

Missionary Monday

2011-07-18T14:24:00.001-04:00

We had another wonderful Sunday yesterday. It is so great to be involved in a ministry that is thriving. It's also great to hear good, meaty sermons every week with the alter full afterwards. Every Sunday at lunch Patrick and I are always discussing what we learned from the message. I know that we've only been here a short time and can be considered in the honeymoon stage, if that's so, then I'm still thankful to have been a part of this. But I do know that we've been coming here for over a year (this is our 4th family trip) and every church service has been great!

Every Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening they run van routes. (Above is a photo of just a portion of those who come to church because of the van ministry.) I'm always amazed at the faithful of van/bus workers. My dad and brothers have ran a bus every Sunday morning for probably over 15 years now. I can can't on one hand when my dad has missed a Sunday driving the bus. I'm thankful for the faithfulness of these hard workers. Many times their (all bus/van workers) dedication goes unnoticed, but today I just want to say "THANK YOU!".

This week we're heading down to HOT Yuma. We'll spend a few days there helping them prepare for their Vacation Bible School next week. This is another church that has a bus ministry. The pastor runs one bus route and his wife runs another. They do this for Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening. They'll also do it every night for Vacation Bible School. Keep us in prayer as well travel this week (it's about an 8 hour drive to Yuma). Have a great week everyone!!

Sunday Blessings

2011-07-17T00:01:00.002-04:00

Praise the Lord for the freedom to go to church this morning.
I am so thankful to be a part of this ministry on the Navajo Nation.
I am thankful that my son was only hiding this week, and that no one took him.
I am thankful for my new purse from Kohls...also thankful for Kohls cash!
I am thakful I decided to read my Bible in 90 days.
I am thankful for good friends.

Care to share your blessings? Link up!

2011-07-16T22:26:00.000-04:00

Okay, I gave into the peer pressure and joined pinterest. Oh my, it's so addicting, but so much fun! I have a lot of ideas saved into my favorites, but now they are all saved in one place and organized too! I have a place for all my photography ideas, kitchen ideas, recipes I want to try, and my list keeps growing. The fun part about this is that I can add friends and see what they like, and if I want I can add them to my boards. Are you on pinterest? Let me know!

My Son

2011-07-15T20:06:00.000-04:00

This is my son. Don't let his cuteness fool you. He is three and all boy and is determined to give his momma a heart attack before he's 4. He's been doing so much lately, and my husband keeps telling me I ought to write it down. I will spare you one story, but I thought I'd share a few others.

Wednesday night Cody was playing with his friends before church started. I started playing the piano before the service and just assumed my husband would gather the kids when the service started...silly me. After the song service I went to sit down with my family, and when I got to our pew I noticed Cody wasn't there. I asked Patrick where he was and he just shrugged his shoulders. Now, my husband has been sick for several days and it took about all his energy to even preach, so he's forgiven (especially now that we've found him...spoiler). I quickly went and checked the nursery and Sunday School rooms, he wasn't there. I ran down to the house to be sure he didn't decide to go home, he wasn't there. I remember hearing a horn honk, so I checked our car, no Cody. I ran back up to the church to check again, at this point my husband was about to get into the pulpit, I just gave him a panic look and ran back out to keep searching. When my husband got into the pulpit he must have asked some ladies to come help me. After a few minutes one of the women mentioned she remember seeing Cody get into one of the church vans, and sure enough there he was (remember I heard a horn honk? I just looked in the wrong vehicle). I grabbed him and hugged him (of course, I was practically crying at this point, it had been a good 15 minutes) and told him he scared me. His reply? "Haha, I scared mommy." The kid had no clue what kind of panic mode I was in, luckily for him he gives great hugs and was quickly forgiven.

Onto tonight...he has been finding these little rocks that work like chalk, so the kids will sometime play with them on the front steps. Tonight he found one that was coloring green. Autumn asked him where he found it. He kind of mumbled something, then it dawned on my daughter that it wasn't the rocks they normally color with...it was dried dog poop. Yes, my son was coloring with dog poop.

Like I said on facebook tonight, I hope I survive his childhood.

It's Friday?

2011-07-15T14:58:00.001-04:00

I cannot believe that it is Friday. I also cannot believe we are in the middle of July. These days are just flying by. Last week I was sick for several days, then last Saturday my husband came down with a bug. We're not sure what he has, but he still has it. He preached both services on Sunday and on Wednesday night. Other than that he's been in bed. I think he's at the end of whatever he had, now he's just plain wore out from being sick. If you think about it would you please pray he starts feeling better soon? He has a lot of things he would like to get done around here, and he can't do that from his bed.

The Bible in 90 Days

2011-07-13T12:26:00.001-04:00

About three years ago I read my Bible through in a year. I feel that I had a "spiritual" growth spurt that year. I had decided to take the next year off, not from reading my Bible daily, but from reading it through. Then I took another year off. I had wanted to do it again this year, but never got around to it, I'm ashamed to say.

I've been noticing that some other blogs are joining in reading "The Bible in 90 Days" (that's a link for the reading schedule). They started this past Monday, and I felt the Lord telling me to join it, but I made an excuse...I didn't have a printer to print out the schedule. Well, my husband needed a printer for printing our car job receipts and his sermons (we didn't bring ours along from home because we didn't think we needed it), so yesterday he went to Wal-Mart and bought a cheap-o printer. I hadn't told him of my excuse, but now that I no longer have an excuse I printed out the schedule and plan to start today. I'm excited about it and am praying that I will stick to it. If I start today, I'll have it finished before we leave for Australia!

Missionary Monday

2011-07-11T19:49:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago, I overheard my husband on the phone with someone. He said, "We're missionaries to the American Indians." I really hadn't thought about it, but yes, we're missionaries. For some reason, I have it in my head that we aren't officially missionaries until we step off the plane in a foreign country.

Yesterday my husband preached a great missions message (no, I'm not partial, others thought so too!). He said, "We are given the status 'missionaries to unreached forgotten people groups." Why are we given this label? Because the people we are going to are unreached and forgotten. So, if you have family and friends who are unsaved, wouldn't that make you a missionary to an unreached, forgotten people group. Because most unsaved people are forgotten, and obviously unreached. I'd like to encourage you today, to remeber those unsaved friends and loved ones, and go reach them.

Last Saturday the missionary pastor and his family went to a conference, so my husband and I are filling in for him. Yesterday went so well, despite my husband being really sick the day before. I was able to play the piano for all the services. I'm not the best piano player, but I can play hymns for congregational singing. The picture on the right isn't clear, but it's of the Navajo hymnal. It is so beautiful to hear them singing in their own language.

I feel so honored to be a part of this ministry. God is moving and the people are listening. Souls are being saved almost every week, and the altar is full at every service. The people want to get involved and be a part of the church. The pews are full, in fact, they have the children sit up front on the floor just so everyone can have a seat. That's a great problem to have!

We only have a few more weeks here, and I want to take in every moment. I am going to be so sad to leave here, but also excited because I know God has great things in store for us in the upcoming months.

Here is a photo of the Suburban my husband rebuilt for the church. When it rains here the dirt turn to thick mud, and most people can't leave their homes. But with the Suburban, they're able to bring people into church - sun, rain, or snow!

Next week is Vacation Bible School in a town about 45 minutes away. The pastor's son is going to be starting a church there (he's currently on deputation). I'm excited to be a part of it, Vacation Bible School is always a fun and crazy week.

So this week will be filled with building projects and visiting for VBS, and normal household duties for me. It should be a great week!

Sunday Blessings

2011-07-10T00:01:00.008-04:00

This is my first Sunday Blessings, and I hope you'll join me. (For my Sunday Blessings Button, just click here.) I just want to encourage you to share your blessings. God is so good, let's give Him the praise and glory due to Him!

"O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.

For his merciful kindness is great toward us:

and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever.

Praise ye the Lord."

Psalm 117

Here are my Sunday Blessings...

I'm thankful for the privilege of growing up in a Christian home, and hearing the Gospel at a young age.
I'm thankful for the opportunity to be involved in a church on fire for the Lord here in Arizona.
I'm thankful for the little rain we got this week. It smelt so good!
I'm thankful that the closest store is almost an hour away, it keeps us home more and we're growing closer together as a family because of it.
I'm thankful that God's mercies are new every morning. God is good....all the time.

Please join me in praising the Lord!

Goats in My Yard

2011-07-09T15:16:00.002-04:00

The other morning I heard a faint "bell" sound. I couldn't quite figure it out, then I realized it was coming from outside. When we went outside to check we saw several goats and sheep in front of the house. They were just casually eating what little grass is out there, moseying around the church property. A few of them had these cow bells tied around their neck.

Back home in Pennsylvania there are probably 100 or more Canadian geese that have taken over my front yard. I'll take sheep any day.

Tomorrow is Sunday, and I'm so looking forward to church. The missionary pastor is away for the week, so my husband is filling in for him. He'll be preaching all the services and I'll be playing the piano. It will give us a little taste of the ministry. I'm looking forward to it. What an awesome privilege it is to be in the ministry.

"And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me,

for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry."
I Timothy 1:12

Tomorrow is Sunday blessings...please plan to link up!

Happy 4th of July {belated}

2011-07-08T23:13:00.001-04:00

This photo sums up my husband's week. I'm so thankful for his mechanical knowledge and for being able to save the church and members of the church hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.

On the 4th of July the church had a picnic. Lots of people came out and we all had a good time of fellowhip. Everyone joined in on a game of volleyball. It was fun!

And we ended the evening with fireworks. I love fireworks, there is just something special about gathering together and watching them light up the sky.

Honestly I wasn't sure how Independence Day was celebrated here on the Navajo Nation, but it was fun. One Navajo man brought the devotional and started off by saying, "Independence Day...the day we celebrate when the white man visited, and never left." :) These people have such a fun, sweet spirit and are proud to be Americans.

I feel so blessed to be a part of this ministry, and look forward to every church service and fellowship!

Blogger Issues...

2011-07-07T13:51:00.000-04:00

...and sickness...hence the reason for no new post and pictures. I woke up on the 4th of July with a migraine that stayed with me all day. Then I woke up in the middle of the night with some virus. In case you're curious, I felt like I was going to puke all night, but never did. I've come to the conclusion that as much as I hate throwing up, I'd rather just throw up than feel like throwing up all night. I'm finally over whatever I had, but now blogger won't let me load pictures. So, I'll post some pictures soon.

Sunday Blessings...

2011-07-03T23:59:00.001-04:00

As believers I think we've gotten away from the importance of Sundays. God created the world in six days and on the seventh day He rested. I know some people say their day of rest is Saturday (not necessarily for worship, but for rest). But I often wonder, do we really set aside a day of rest? I've been convicted about this since I read a fiction series called Elsie Dinsmore a few years back. It is hard to set aside an entire day to rest, but I plan to work on setting aside Sunday to rest and worship God to the best of my ability. This does not necessarily mean we won't eat out or watch a movie (although on Sundays we try not to turn on the television), but I do plan to make an effort to set Sunday aside to spend more time worshipping the Lord and praising Him through my blog and my life in general.

With that said on Sundays I will be posting my Sunday blessings, and I encourage you to do the same. We serve an amazing God, let's give him glory!

"O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.

For his merciful kindness is great toward us:

and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever.

Praise ye the Lord."

Psalm 117

Sunday Blessings

2011-07-03T19:23:00.001-04:00

I've always wanted to do someting different on my blog on Sundays. I don't like to post normal things. I want it to be uplifting and bring attention to God. I have some things I'm mullling over. Do you know of any good Sunday memes? Today I thought I'd share some Sunday Blessings.

Souls were saved at church this mornings!
Every seat was filled, then eve brought chairs out. What a problem to have!
I feel so blessed to be a part of this, God moving in a little Navajo church.
We had our health exams this past week and they went well!
Cody said, "Mommy, you're my buddy."
He also said this afternoon (with no prompting), "Mommy, I love you."
Safety as we traveled this past week.
I'm also thankful I live in a free country with the freedoms to worship God.
I'm thankful that I was born in this country with the privilege of hearing the Gospel and being saved at a young age.

What are your Sunday Blessings?

Health Exams

2011-07-02T16:43:00.000-04:00

So the final stage of our vi*sa has been completed - our health exams. I was so nervous about them. The doctor was a Christian and he was wonderful. He has done many of these so he knew what to do and we were in and out of his office in no time. The next day we had some lab work done. The nurse was good and it only took one poke for them to draw blood.

We are only waiting on our FBI clearances. As soon as we get them we will send them off to imm*igration and we're all done. Then we just wait for approval. We have heard from others that were applying that after their health exams they were approved three weeks later. We are cautiously optimistic.

We are here on the Navajo Nation until August then we will head back home. My husband's childhood friend is getting married in October, so we're kind of planning that that would be our last big event.

Keep praying that all the paperwork will get to the right places, and that in God's perfect timing all will go through!

The Preacher's Wife: Called Out

2011-07-01T20:19:00.001-04:00

Lisa, The Preacher's Wife

I wrote a devotional awhile back entitled "Being a Barnabas". I submitted it to The Preacher's Wife's weekly "Called Out" posts. She (they, her people) published it last week. Just thought I'd share.

Sweet Shot Tuesday

2011-06-28T15:41:00.002-04:00

Vacation Bible School

2011-06-27T16:31:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite times of the year -

Vacation Bible School!

Last week we helped a church about an hour away from where we are staying with their VBS. On the last day they had over 150 kids and adults! I believe about 50 children were saved! To God be the glory!

Here we are picking up some children in the van. Their record for the amount of children in one van is 52 kids!

We picked up many children who live in hogans like this.

Praise the Lord for the attendance!

I love how many folks out here live in a hogan with dirt floors,

yet they have dish tv.

I am so enjoying our time out here on the rez. It is so great to see God moving. We are helping with VBS this week here in Ganado. This morning we had 91 children! They started out singing "God is not dead, He is alive!" I've been singing it all day!

Fun Times on the Rez

2011-06-26T19:49:00.000-04:00

We are currently staying in Arizona on the Navajo Nation. We have some friends who were somewhat nearby and stopped by to visit us for a few days. We got to show them around the rez. Here are all the kids in front of a hogan.

This lady was selling jewelry and the girls each bought a bracelet.

We took them offroading (which would be on most roads out here).

This is Canyon de Chelly.

We hiked all the way to the bottom.

Saw these Anasazi ruins.

Here is Autumn with two of her friends.

And here is my friend, Kristine, and I.

A Love That Multiplies by Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar

2011-06-22T13:16:00.001-04:00

I recently purchased this book last week for free on Amazon by using my swagbucks. I received it last Friday and finished it last night. I love the way they write, especially from the Christian perspective.

I especially enoyed reading about how they correct and discipline their children. (I need all the advice I can get on that!) It was so refreshing to read about a large family, who admit they are not perfect, but follow God's leading in raising a family. Over and over they stated that their goal is to teach their children to "Love God and Serve Others". This is a theme I've been trying to implement in my life this past year, and pass onto my children.

There were plenty of family pictures and they gave a glimpse into their life during their yongest daughter's premature birth. I also loved all the KJV Scripture verses.

I tend to pass books along when I know I will not read it again (and although I'm letting a friend borrow it) this will definitely be a book I reread. It is a well written "parenting advice" book.

(*I have recently signed up with Amazon to be an affiliate. If you are interested in buying the book please use my link. Thanks!)

Hezekiah

2011-06-21T13:08:00.002-04:00

This past Sunday we heard one of the best Father's Day sermons I have ever heard. It was taken from II Chronicles 29-33 on the life of Hezekiah.

Hezekiah's father began to reign when he was only 20 years old and did evil in the sight of the Lord. You can read about Hezekiah's father and the evil he did (including closing the church doors) in II Chronicles 28 & II Kings 18. He only reigned for 16 years, but the legacy he left his son, Hezekiah, was a shame.

Hezekiah began to reign when he was 25 years old. The Bible says he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. In his first year he reopened the church doors. He cleansed the house of the Lord and brought burnt offerings to the Lord. The Bible says all those that were there bowed their heads and worshipped. King Hezekiah helped turn the hearts of the people back to the Lord.

Later we read that he (with God's help, of course) destroyed the Assyrian army. I encourage you to read the story in II Chronicles 32.

During the war with Assyria Hezekiah was sick, nearly dying. He prayed unto the Lord. The Lord spared his life giving him 15 more years.

Instead of praising the Lord, he got proud. The Bible says "Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him." Approximately 3 years after the Lord spared his life, Hezekiah had a son name Manasseh. Manasseh never saw his father "do that which was right in the sight of the Lord." He saw the pride.

The point of the sermon was "What kind of legacy are you leaving for your children?". Hezekiah reigned as a godly king for 14 years. The last 15 years he became selfish and proud. Sadly that's all his son saw.

This was meant as a Father's Day message, but the Lord really spoke to my heart. My children hear me talk about loving God and serving others, but do they see that in my life? I want to leave a godly legacy for my children, an example for them to follow the Lord.

We are told that Manasseh did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did what he was taught. Later in Manasseh's life he humbled himself to the Lord, but the damage was also passed onto his son, Amon, who also did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.

I pray that my life will be one that pleases my Savior, and encourages my children to love God above all else.

Update with lots of Praises!!

2011-06-20T13:17:00.001-04:00

As most of you know, my husband and I have raised support to go to Aus*tralia and since then we've been doing a lot of waiting. I try not to write too much on my blog because I don't want to hurt our vis*as in any way.

We are on our third try. After we waited a few months on the first application we were told it wasn't the right one. So we reapplied and the people we were working with were not approved (but we were still charged!). Now we are on our third try. The pastor we are planning to work with this time has dual citizenship and has helped other to come into the country.

Last week we received an email from immigr*ation. They were asking for more information. We were kind of frustrated because we thought we had sent everything they needed, but then we realized they were asking us for our health exam - this is the LAST stage of the vi*sa!!

We've been told after they receive the health exams that people were approved in three weeks. This has been quite overwhelming to us and we are cautiously optimistic. We could be there in just a few short months!

Another huge praise is that of scheduling our health exam. There are only a select handful of doctors that are approved to do the exam. I went online and was surprised to find that there was only one in Arizona and it is in Scottsdale. We are near there occasionally to help a church there on the reservation. I called the doctor and as I was scheduling an appointment he asked me why we were going to Aus*tralia, and I said my husband was going to be a pastor. He was thrilled to hear that and said that for those in the ministry he will do everything at his cost - $300. Without this discount it would be near $1500! God is so good.

This has been an amazing month of blessings from God reminding us that He loves us and is taking very good care of us. We were a bit finacially strapped this month and I wasn't sure how we'd get through this month. But the Lord has supplied our needs...as always. When will I learn not to worry!

Be Thou Exalted

Sundays!

Our Library

Missionary Monday

My Reading List From 2011

Tour of My Home - Part 3

Back Online!

Delurking Day

Boxes and Christmas

Tour of My Home - Part 2

Packages from home

Tour our Home

Still no internet...

Welcome to our Home!

Merry Christmas!

My future kitchen...

Our First Christmas in Australia

Things I'm Learning...

House Hunting

Missionary Monday

We Are Here!

Japan

And We're Off...

Missionary Monday

Christmas Blog Hop

9 Days!

We Have A Winner!

Home, Sweet Home

Just Because Blog Party!

Beautiful Girlhood Review & GIVEAWAY!

A Blogger's Prayer

I met the Money Saving Mom!

Australia Bound

Blog Bash 2011

Marley and Me

Hmmmm...

Misson's Conference and other things

Jeff's Senior Portraits

25 Ways to Wear a Scarf

Missionary Monday

Thought I'd Share

37 days and counting!

The Learning Parent Review

Family Portraits

Count it All Joy

Good-byes

A New Blog to Check Out

Fall is in the Air

Gratitude

God's Hand of Protection

Winners!

Packing, Packing, and More Packing

The Printable Homeschool Planner - Review and Giveaway!

Sunday Blessings & 9/11

Missing Ganado

VISA APPROVAL!!

Ministry Friends

Happy Birthday, Patrick!!

Radiator Springs

The Hoover Dam

Bury My Heart On the Mission Field

Sunday Blessings

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Some Thoughts....

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Sunday Blessings

One reason I homeschool...

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp - GIVEAWAY!!

Missionary Monday

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The Better Mom

Sunday Blessings

This and That

Free Book by Francis Chan!

Sunday Blessings

Thought for the Day...