palm therapy

i was in florida this week for work and some fun. wow- what a little palm tree and salt water can do for a girl's soul! i feel better physically and mentally as a result of just a few short days.

celebrating

authentic friendships. i went to pv to do a talk on celebrating authentic friendships for my old mops (mothers of preschoolers) group. it was so fun to prepare for it and reflect on those really meaningful friendships in my own life. i did a pictorial walk through the stages of friendship. there were pics of many of you--my kids thought the old ones of me and mom and jessica were hilarious. harrison asked me why i was a teenager and tatiana wanted to know why my belly was showing like a brat doll (in my bathing suit). i was tempted to tell her because it was a hot, flat belly back then but i refrained. i digress.

the celebration is really the realization as i looked out at many of those women and talked with them afterwards; they don't really have authentic friendships. some of them even defined authentic as not talking for months or years and then catching up like no time had passed. those are great friendships but i argue that authentic doesn't go years--it is involved. so i celebrate specifically those of you that are involved with me. it is messy, it is hard, it takes time but i thank you!

crazy kid talk

just a couple of funny things lately:

brennan- i am having a piwat (pirate) berfday (birthday) and it only for boooyz, not giwls (girls).

tatiana- i got a growd up toof! (her big tooth came in behind her baby teeth--they aren't even loose!)

harrison- i am having a really bad day! (the day tatiana got her tooth)

sasha- with no headphones for her portable cd player i was trying to explain that she couldn't hear. she insisted she if i would just put the cd in and push play she would put her "eaw weawy cwose to wisten".

missio dei

we got word this week that the college/career group of about 15 or 20 is going to join up with our church. we had been in discussions with their leader and his wife and we had all been praying that we would be able to clearly understand each other's vision and determine what was best for the kingdom. they spoke with the church where they were meeting and determined we share a common vision for reaching the city and it would most glorify god to join together on mission. we just doubled in size!

struggles

this news at missio dei is great for the kingdom and provides missio dei with another leader. the leader of their group desires eventual full-time ministry. he will be able to maintain his administrative job at the church that founded this group for now and he also has funding from the baptists for a start up ministry. he will be able to carry that start up support money into missio dei as our ministry is also a start up (although missio dei can not pursue funding from the baptist planting organization as a result). this provides great leadership with three pastors but still little income coming in. michael has been pursuing teaching opportunities in the area that would allow him to continue to pastor here while bringing in income. so far nothing has come up and we are in a struggle to determine what god would have next for not only our family but this ministry. please continue to pray for michael as he determines how to proceed and for kurt and shannon as we share our struggles with them.

messy lives

as i reflect back on the last just couple of years i am struck with the messiness of life just within our own family and friends. death, disease, difficult marriages, difficult divorces, big decisions, sin, moves, strife etc.. and this is with otherwise pretty normal people. it is such a reminder that we need each other to make it through and how important it is to have hope that one day it won't be like this. i understand anew as i think of these stories that i am really excited about the day when no tears will fall and no pain will be suffered. it spurs me on to share with others of our great god and his provision for us in this life and the life to come. i understand grace for putting one foot in front of the other just as much as i do for eternal life.

bible as epic

christine got me hooked on reading the story of god in chronological order. there is a new bible that has taken the events and placed them in order of occurrence with a reading a day for 365 days so you can get through the whole bible in a year. http://www.amazon.com/Daily-Bible%C2%AE-Compact-LaGard-Smith/dp/0736915826/ref=cm_lmf_tit_1_rsrsrs0/002-5610771-2440833. it puts things into great perspective and is WAY better than those misguided one year bibles that take a hodge podge from the old testament and the new testament and hope that if you are a rocket scientist you might figure out how it all goes together and why. if you have ever wanted to read god's story but struggled to put it all together this is great reading. i have really been in a fiction mode lately and this is even better. a colossal page turning epic with life changing implications. there is supernatural, world destruction, crazy characters, murder, people turning into salt and I am still in genesis! i love it!

SB '07- Party till you puke!

you would think it was daytona beach and too many coronas around here. we had a great spring break but three went down with "pooooking" as brennan says.

we did an adventure a day and i am not sure if they had more fun or me. i love having spring break! ice cream shop, swimming, build-a-bear, cheeseburger in paradise, hiking, another snow shower!, train ride on the little engine that could--who has it better than the campbell kids? (oh, maybe the guy i work with who trumped me by taking his 4 kids 8 and under to the cayman islands--jerk!)

celebrating

80s music- i love my ipod and my 80s mix. i listened to ll cool j and prince today while i worked out. i love goin back to cali, i would die for you, raspberry beret and when doves cry. through in a little borderline and holiday by madonna and maybe some milli vanilli and i might actually enjoy a full work out.

pirate mania

those of you that remember the bob the builder phase with harrison and when it seemed superheros would never die--well they are at rest. pirate fever has invaded our lives. harrison and brennan are obsessed! brennan quickly corrects you if you confuse jack sparrow with will turner or heavens- davy jones. i am sure it is not good that my 6 year old prays to God for pirates of the caribbean 3 to hurry and come out right after BEFORE thanking Him for our family and all the blessings we have. brennan yells every time he comes into our room for everyone to get up on the ship (our bed) and out of the water (anything other than the bed) because there are sharks!

we are embarking on a 6th birthday party and harrison wants our deck converted to the black pearl ship. he keeps asking why we can't build onto the deck or playset so it will be multiple stories so he can be up in the top while his "mates" are on deck below. this request to the parents who don't even mow their own lawn or clean their own house. i am humored to think he has such faith in us to build a replica of some multi-million dollar sea craft.

pray we move into a new much more mellow phase like reading or something soon!

ministry

things have been busy. that is the good news and the bad. our church is really solidifying a great ministry, vision and we are seeing much opportunity in this city. michael and kurt have many meetings and much to be excited about. we may have a building given to us in a great location, the potential for funding from a denomination (even though we will remain non-denom) and there is college group meeting now that might want to merge into our core group in the coming weeks. we are having a community information meeting in early may that we are advertising for now. all great things and doors opening that we have prayed for.

as michael looks for work we are coming up short for teaching opportunities at the area colleges. that offered the best opportunity for a flexible schedule that still allow time for him to pastor alongside kurt and enough income to make it worth while. it still looks as though it will be quite some time until the church will be able to support more than one full-time pastor (kurt). we continue to pray for wisdom and discernment.

travel excitement

texas, florida and california all on the horizon- may, june and july respectively. thank goodness for cheap flights and free places to stay! i am super excited to get to the sunny states! we will keep you posted in those great spots and can't wait to re-connect!

BIG NEWS

bonus for those of you that actually read all the way through! sasha got up from the table on her birthday and threw her passy in the trash. she said she was a big girl. totally unprompted by us and all on her own!

wrong i tell you!

it is april and my kids are outside playing in the snow! didn't i just blog that i am not a winter girl no matter how you spin it? let me add-- I AM NOT A SPRING GIRL EITHER IF IT IS SNOWING! wrong, just wrong.

celebrating

resilience- my kids have adapted fine going from shorts to snow boots in the same week. they have done fine going from florida, to texas and now nc in their 6 or less short years. i am watching and trying to learn from them to just be where you are and celebrate what it is. snow or surf, money or not, new house or old, fat or skinny just celebrate.

spring break

we are knee deep. i am loving having a spring break for the first time since college (that was a LONG time ago). every day i wake up and ask "what are we doing today?". i never dreamed my spring break would entail playing in the snow but hey--celebrate where you are and what it is right?!

easter

we are making a point to spend time with the kids on this easter weekend to make sure they know why easter is a celebration. we began with a passover/seder dinner on thursday night and we had harrison sit in with us as we went through the story of how god led his people out of slavery both from egypt and ultimately from sin with christ. he read the part of the youngest child and really seemed to enjoy participating. we took time out yesterday (good friday) to make sure the younger kids understood how bad it was for jesus on that friday and why he was willing to pay that price. sasha even piped in that she remembered jesus had prayed in the garden. we are looking forward to tomorrow. we have a special service at the tavern and then will go with the kids up to my parents for lunch.

the whole thing reminds me of christmas. we stuff their head with an intellectual understanding of the story and they can recite all the "truths " of why we have the holiday but really they just want the bunny, basket and load of candy. what can you do?

good struggles

we are really praying about work for michael. he desires to be in a paying position and we are struggling with how to balance that with the current ministry. things are going well with missio dei but it may be years before they are ready financially for a full-time associate/discipleship pastor. please pray that we will find wisdom, discernment and balance with regards to family, work, finances and ministry.

travel fever

we are so excited to have three upcoming trips. michael and i will go back to dallas together in may to celebrate danny's graduation from seminary. it will be awesome to be back with our great friends and my family. this summer we have been blessed with john and jennifer's condo at the beach while they vacation up north. we will take the kids for a beach vacation back to ponte vedra. it will be a great chance to get away and see many good friends and play in the ocean. finally, michael and i will celebrate our ten year anniversary and his 50th with a trip to california in july. we are going to la, carmel/monterrey and ending up in san francisco. we are super excited to get away, refresh our love and commitment and just relax! it is a good trip for us since we have been to all these places before so we won't feel like we have to rush around but can revisit things we enjoy and explore some new things--and sleep in.

think warm sunshiny thoughts....think warm sunshiny thoughts...think warm sunshiny thoughts.

mary why are you crying?

that was the one liner that sasha as an angel had in the easter play they put on today for her church pre-school. they reenacted the story of when mary magdeline comes to the tomb to find the stone rolled away and is distraught that she doesn't know where jesus could be.

we had practiced all week and some times it sounded so sincere and caring: "mary, why are you crying?" and other times like what a dumb &%#(* you are: "MARY-WHY ARE YOU CRYING". it hit me today, i needed to hear the second version. why am i crying inside (and out some days)? it is like i think the problems of my day can't be overcome. god could raise his son from the dead so that power can certainly give me confidence he can handle my piddly issues. nothing like a 3 year old to hit you square in the heart!

celebrating

spring! my kids can play outside, the mountains are coming back to life and there is color popping up everywhere. i am just not a winter gal -- no way you spin it! i am convinced sunshine is good for the soul although i am lamenting the fact that i won't have a sweater to cover my winter butt.

aleksandra's birthday is this week also. 4 years ago this week that sweet thing was left at a police station half way around the world. god saw fit to have in his plans before the beginning of time a spot for her in our family. that just blows me away. she fits perfect here. in all her fiestyness she is a necessary part of our family. she shows me emotions that i know i have never expressed; it is exhausting and exciting. she loves the girly things in life and that makes me smile. she cares for her little brother and begs her sister to be best friends. she prays so openly and passionately and that moves me; even when it is just for her shadow? take a minute this week to thank god for the gift of adoption and pray for the other orphans around the world.

holy week

i am really looking forward to this week. we kicked off the easter season today with palm sunday. they all want to ride on a donkey now with people waving palm fronds at them. we are having a traditional sader/passover dinner at our house for about 15 people and 10 kids. the adults will reenact a traditional passover dinner commemorating how God saves his people from oppression. the kids will participate in a feet washing (each others) as a reminder of jesus washing the feet of his disciples at the last supper to teach about serving one another. the kids start spring break on good friday and then we have a service at the grey eagle music tavern on easter sunday. my parents get back from minneapolis this week so they will be able to join us.

i remember hearing the question "do you live like it is still saturday or does your life celebrate resurrection sunday". i think that is why i am looking forward to this coming week; so i can constantly be reminded we weren't left with the grief of saturday. he did rise and we have much to celebrate and much love and service to do while we remain here.

spring break

i am please to say i am taking spring break this year. i have missed them and while i won't be sipping fruity drinks on the beach like i did in years past, i will be off work. we are taking the kids to knoxville to visit friends and the zoo. our great friends from PVPC the vaughan's are there and the blakeleys who adopted the same time from the same orphanage as we did with tatiana. their daughter is just a couple weeks apart from tatiana in age. it should be a full/fun day. then we have a train ride through the smokey mountains on the little engine that could. the real painted little engine. he travels around the country telling his story and carrying kids on an adventure and he happens to be here that week. it think i can i think i can i think i can...

missio dei

we are at an interesting point in our ministry. the feel of community versus just a sunday group is becoming real and we are seeing people actually experience the vision; not just hear it. we are still desperately in need of more workers for the harvest but it is most important to us that people just belong. they don't have to believe all we do; we just want them to feel loved and valued.

i was encouraged this week as we hosted dinner at our home for kurt, shannon and jeremy and tamara. jeremy works at the rescue mission where michael has been spending some time. they really want to move to downtown asheville and live in a downtown housing project to just love and serve people. they inspired me that this was their vision as they are working to start their own family. they see nothing about the gospel involving their own comfort; rather just a mission to love and serve in the name of jesus. not so people will be converted but just because they want to love and serve. it was a reminder that you never know when you will entertain angels!

friendship

i am preparing a talk for my home mothers of preschoolers group back in florida. i am speaking there in april and am thinking of many of you as i reflect on seasons and friendships that nourished me over the years. i am planning a slide show so send me any digital shots you have of us through the years! please!

HOSANNA!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosanna