Beach Bums

After the Summit, we headed south to the beach! I have such fond memories of the little camper in the campground by the ocean. It is always such a treat to take my family down to that same little place for a few days of beach fun! My grandparents own this little place and supply almost of all our necessities, so we are so thankful for their generosity. One of the best parts of this year's vacation was watching each of the kids enjoy the beach in their own way. Rachel liked riding the wave boards or swimming. Abby swam some, but preferred to look for pretty shells. Keenan was really getting more comfortable in the water and played with daddy or jumped waves closer to the shore. Micah liked to look for shells and play in the waves as they hit the beach. Silas didn't want anything to do with the water and so spent most of his time playing in the sand or throwing a ball or frisbee. We also enjoyed the pool. Silas didn't like the ocean, but he really liked the pool! He thought he could swim on his own and fearlessly jumped time and time again from the side of the pool. He would have preferred to jump without David and I and often tried to wiggle out of our arms. Fun times. Here are a few pictures from our fun time.

The Summit 2010

In July, the mission agency that we are a part of, had all of their missionaries come to Wilmore for several days of worship, prayer, teaching, training, and fellowship. As Intercessory Missionaries at the House of Prayer, we spend several hours each week praying for these missionaries. Some we had met before the Summit and some we were just getting to know, but we felt instantly connected to them because of our participation in their ministries through prayer. As home staff, we helped with the planning, set-up, food coordination, welcoming, etc... It was a fruitful time for all of us. I enjoyed getting to know some of the missionaries better and hearing what God is doing in their part of the world. I enjoyed praying with the missionaries and not just for them. I enjoyed the evenings of worship and teaching. I am so thankful to be part of this great organization whose mission statement includes this: "a missions organization fueled by prayer and worship, mobilizing people to evangelize the world, loving and serving Jesus Christ."

Over the River and Through the Woods, Part 1

In June, Grandma and Papa came over the Rivers and over the mountains and across the country to visit us from Oregon. We really enjoyed the time we had with them! Mostly we just enjoyed being together. I think the kids would say the best thing they did while Grandma and Papa were here was to go out on special outings with them. First they took the boys to the park, to DQ for ice cream, to the library and then out for lunch! Wow, what an afternoon! A day or so later, they took the girls near Cincinnati to the Creation Museum. They were tired after being away early morning til late at night, but were very talkative about all the exhibits the next day! Thanks, Grandma and Papa for making special memories with the kids!

Camping in the Red River Gorge

We had so much fun on our camping trip last week! We were soooo busy during the month of May with school and work, that we decided to take some time during the first week off and spend some quality time together. We spent a few days at "the Gorge" as it is known around here. After setting up camp, we cooked our special dinner (steak, potatoes and salad, mmmm......), then went for a hike. On our hike the kids discovered some wild blueberries, so we picked berries to add to our pancakes the next morning! What a treat!! Then we enjoyed s'mores around the campfire. The next day after breakfast, we headed out of the campground to explore. We saw some beautiful scenery, including the one lane rock tunnel that was blasted through with dynamite during the early 1900s. Our destination that morning was Rock Bridge Trail, where we were told there was a waterfall and a creek where we could play. It was a beautiful hike and the creek and waterfall were all that we expected! We had a great time playing in the creek. The hike back up the mountain was HOT but worth it, especially with the m&m trail mix! After returning to the camp, some of us rested, some of us explored the woods around our site, and some of us had a water fight. you'll have to guess which one did what activity! We had dinner, played cards, and roasted marshmellows (again!!). The next morning it was raining so we made breakfast in the drizzle over the fire and then packed up. It poured as we were leaving so we just headed back toward home. We stopped at a park for lunch, playing and feeding the ducks! What great memories we made!

Distraction

Recently I was reading the account of Jesus' visit to Martha and Mary's home in Luke 10. Some of the words used to describe Martha really stood out to me: Distracted, Worried, Troubled. And as I meditated on this passage, it occurred to me how fittingly they describe most people in our culture today, even people in the Church. Distraction comes in so many forms. We are distracted by entertainment, such as movies, television, social activities, etc... We can be distracted by daily chores, work, money, other people, religious activity, and many more. How much diligence it takes to fight these to go after the One Thing that is essential!
Likewise, how many are "worried and troubled about many things"? We mostly worry about things we are not sure will happen or things out of our control. Jesus said we should not worry about anything, but seek Him and His kingdom and He will provide for us, He will protect us or give us strength to endure what ever may come. He has a perfect plan that we can trust! However it is not guaranteed to be pain free. In fact, we are told to be ready for trials and suffering, and to face them with joy.
So if we are so like Martha, how do we become like Mary? Jesus is gentle in his correction with Martha, just as He is with us, pointing her to what is best. Jesus told Martha that one thing is needed and Mary had chosen that good thing. And what is that one thing that is needed? Sitting with Jesus, hearing His word, obeying His commands. We must learn to put aside distraction, worry and things that trouble us just to be with Jesus and soak in His truth and love, to align ourselves with God's purposes. That is what I think Mary was doing that day, and I am committed to going after that myself! Come along with me. It's not easy, but it's worth it. It's the one thing that is essential!

Awana Awards Night

Our kids participate in Awana during the school year. For those of you who do not know what that is, it is a Bible club where the kids do Bible lessons each week and memorize Bible verses, play games and hopefully grow in their love for God and His Word. They all worked very hard this year and each one completed their book plus a little extra work. Here are the pictures from the Awards night where they received recognition for their work and an award. Rachel and Abby have been in Awana for many years. They both won special awards this year. Rachel in particular won the Timothy Award, for completing all 4 books in her class. She is now finished with this level and is ready to move onto the next level. She is really growing up fast!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame...

We had so much fun this Spring with the local T-ball league. David coached Keenan's team, which was really an intro to coach pitch. During the games, David pitched up to 5 balls to each player on his team. If the batter missed all 5, then they could hit off of the Tee. Micah was on a team of kids his age and he had great coaches. His favorite thing about T-ball was not batting or throwing, but having snack after the game! This league is very laid back and lots of fun. We kind of miss it, but we have some great memories and we're looking forward to next year.