Merry, Merry Christmas!

 

Thankful for this dear friend! 

Christmas Break! The last few days before Christmas break are crazy every year, and even with Covid restrictions, the week was full! 

Last Sunday, we attended a small Christmas concert at our church. It was enjoyable and pleasant, and always nice to hear Christmas songs sung at night in a decorated church building. While it was not largely attended (due to our governor’s restrictions at the moment) the crowd that came was happy to be there. It was a fun way to finish out our last teen group meeting of the year. 

Do you know what one of my least favorite Christmas songs is? “Mary, Did You Know?” I know that there are a lot of people that really, really enjoy that Christmas song, but it’s definitely way down there on my list of favorite Christmas songs! Truthfully? Mary DID know! Maybe not all the things listed in the song, but she knew that a lot of those things would come to pass...um, the angel told her! Remember? Anyways, if you love that song- great! A few of my personal favorites would be “Joy to the World” and “Noel” and “Silent Night”. 

The rest of the week was also a flurry of activities! On Monday, our parent group hosted a Christmas shop where students in the school could shop for others. It’s a favorite event for the students, and I always love to see what the little ones pick out for their moms and dads. One little boy was totally convinced that his grandpa would want slime for a Christmas present! Another little girl picked out a journal for her mom. I asked her if her mom liked to write, “No, she doesn’t. But this is so pretty!” Oh, okay! They are just so cute as they pick out gifts for others. It was a busy and full afternoon with helping with that, but thankfully having fun mom friends to work with makes it even more fun! It’s a good experience for the students to think about others. 

Tuesday morning found me a bit frazzled as I realized that the Christmas shop needed to be moved so that gym classes could be held in the space where the Christmas shop had been. Since the kindergartners still needed to do their “Christmas shopping”, we needed to have the items accessible for them to shop on Tuesday morning. So by 6;45am., my boys, Emma and I were moving items from the Christmas shop into another space! It was a bit crazy! On Tuesday afternoon, one of the boys from Travis’ class came home for the afternoon and evening. Ethan stayed overnight which was a super special treat for the boys. Normally, I’d never allow that on a school night, but by Tuesday our whole schedule already felt off, so it was all fine! It was a fun time for the boys. 

We had special music classes on Wednesday that the parents could attend if they wanted to come. Since we were unable to have a school Christmas program this year, we decided to have a special music class that the students could perform a Christmas song for their parents. It was not the same, and it made me really sad to do it this way. However, it was better than nothing, and the parents seemed to appreciate the opportunity to hear their child sing, play an instrument, etc. It also provided an informal opportunity to meet some of the parents, so I did really appreciate that. But....it made for a crazy afternoon of tuning instruments, preparing, and presenting with the students. Both of the classes that I teach did very well, and I was thankful for their efforts. 

Snow day! And it was a real snow day! We have computers so that the students can be taught remotely in the event of a snow day, but I was delighted to hear that Thursday would be an actual snow day (both as a parent and as a teacher!) Every time I start to think about remote learning, I feel my blood pressure start rising, my palms getting sweaty, and a bit of nausea sweep over me. It’s due to thinking about educating my class as well as helping five kids at home get done what they need to get done! However, God gives us grace for every moment, so if we needed to do that, He would help me through it. BUT, please keep praying that we can keep going to school in person and at school! “Lord, please continue to keep us protected and healthy!” We spent our snow day outside, making gifts, laundry, preparing for our class Christmas party, and getting ready for a crazy Friday morning at school. 

Oh, crazy, chaotic Friday! It was a wild morning! The students were wired, and excited for their gift exchange and party. In our kindergarten class, they worked on wrapping their gifts for their parents. I loved how the gifts that they created reflect their personalities. We didn’t get done everything that I wanted to get done before Christmas, but from talking to other teachers, I know I’m not the only one who feels that way! It felt like we were moving into the school when we arrived a little before 7:00am. We had laundry baskets with gifts, food for parties, supplies for games, gift wrapping supplies, and it felt like everything but the kitchen sink! It was a cold, brisk December morning, but a quick one. I personally like the structure and routine of a regular day, but I know how special and fun these party days are for the students. A party day leaves me feeling a bit exhausted and messy (or maybe it was from the “snow” that we created for our sensory bin!?). All the students were dismissed at 11:30am, but it was closer to three pm by the time we arrived home. I needed to take down my classroom Christmas tree so we could use it for a church event, and I wanted to leave my classroom fairly neat and tidy over Christmas break. The boys and Emma were good sports about sticking around after school. They played outside for a few hours,  Came in and ate some more food, helped me sweep and straighten up, climbed into the church attic to find Christmas program costumes, and then ate some more! At least I didn’t have to worry about bringing a lot of food home! 

Roger had off on Saturday, so that was a nice day for our family. The boys were invited to an airsoft party at a friends house, so they spent three hours tromping around in the woods playing air soft. Emma had a hair cut appointment with Roger, and I went to visit an older lady in our church and take her some cookies (she wasn’t home, but I tried!). Then the kids had Christmas program practice. The boys were about as excited about having practice as they were about going to the dentist, but we went anyways! Sometimes we have to do things we don’t necessarily want to do but its to bless someone else. I feel that way as an adult, and we are trying to teach our children that the world does not revolve around them! (There are some adults that also need to learn that lesson!) 

Sunday before Christmas?! How did that come up so quickly? It’s been a busy last few days for sure, so it was a blessing to watch the children participate in a simple Christmas program this morning. Is there anything more cute and lovely than watching a bunch of children participate in an old-fashioned Christmas program? You know...the kind where bathrobes are used for costumes, and half the children’s outfits are held on by safety pins and sashes! Garett was a huge shepherd boy, and I know it was not his favorite thing to dress up and be in a children’s program, but he did it with a willing heart. While we butt heads on occasion, I do love his laid back mannerisms around other people (just not his siblings!). Chandler and Wyatt were part of the wisemen crew along with the pastors son. They were just as rag-tag, but super cute...just don’t tell them I said that! Travis was also a shepherd, but he was okay with that as long as he had a staff to carry! Emma played the part of Mary and she was a very exuberant singer! We had a small Christmas party for the children after the morning service. We played a game, fed them food, sang a carol, gave them a treat baggie, and sent them on their way! Merry Christmas! 

This afternoon (Sunday) our family went to visit the lady from yesterday who wasn’t home. Wyatt and I were the only ones who went to the door because you just don’t know how people feel these days about seven people on their door step. We both wore our masks, but she was delighted to see people. She invited us right in and wanted us to stay for tea. I felt bad when I told her that we couldn’t stay long, but I promised that I would return sometime after the new year to visit with her. I have plenty of things to do every day, but when you start to interact with these older people you can almost feel their desire to have a conversation with people. I told this dear older lady that I would be back, and I would bring my friend, Allison, with me. At least Allison and I can laugh (most of the time) at our adventures together, and hopefully spread some good cheer.  People are lonely, some of them are the loneliest they have been in years. Many are afraid and fearful, but some of them just desire fellowship and conversations with people. We were not created to be an isolated and introverted people! We must be diligent to pray that God will give us opportunities to connect with people, and to encourage other around us. I know that I am often discouraged these days, and I’m never faced with hours and hours of quietness! 

Monday night we had Christmas with Hannah and Josh! Lots of delicious food, good fellowship, and a fun time by all! It was good to catch up with them for a bit before we meet up together in Haiti next month. 

Tuesday afternoon found us hosting a living nativity at our church. While the night was cool, it wasn’t overly cold and it wasn’t raining! It was a crazy and long afternoon trying to get everything set up for that, but at six pm, Mary and Joseph were in their places. (The shepherds, wisemen and Angels might have been a little wound up, but oh well!) While we didn’t have any living animals, the event was lovely against the night sky with white lights. We had carolers, cookies and cocoa, and the community seemed to appreciate the event. We handed out tracts, interacted with people, and hopefully pointed people to the real reason for the season - Jesus! What I pictured in my mind for a living nativity, and what happened at certain moments throughout the evening did collide at several points! However, all I had to do was catch Allison’s eye, and I had a hard time holding back laughter at times! It was a fun memory for 2020...for the most part. My friend, Hannah, kept some of our kids for the afternoon and that was really helpful so that our children didn’t have to spend all afternoon/evening at the church property. People helped to take down and put things away, so it was not as late of an evening as I expected. I’m thankful for those that still have visions and desires to reach out to our communities...of course, we need to do things wisely and smart, but Covid 19 does not give Christians a free pass to bury our heads in the sand and do nothing in the name of “safety”! Need to be careful? Yes! Considerate? Absolutely! Impassive and disinterested? Never! 

There is darkness and gloom all around us in our fallen world. Yet, we have the greatest hope ever offered to mankind...the best that ever was and ever will be! Our hope is in Jesus Christ! That baby that came into the world did not come to stay a baby in the manger. He came to be the Saviour of the World, oh thank you, Jesus! Our prayer for you is that you will be encouraged this Christmas season. It probably looks different for you this year. Christmas is certainly looking different for us this year as has the entire year of 2020!  I’ve cried, fought depression, anger, feelings of injustice and  faced overwhelming floods of emotions this year, far more than any of the other years of my life. Yet through it all the steadfast love of our Lord has never faltered or changed. He is the Giver of Hope, the Peace Bringer, the Light of the World, and He is my Lord. Regardless of what the future holds or what changes, our foundation is on Jesus! Rest in that, dear friends! Merry, Merry Christmas! 

Hustle & Bustle and Quietness!

 

                                                             Beautiful Snow! 

                                                        Asleep by the Christmas tree! 

As the flurry of activities and festivities swirl around us, I’m thankful for quiet reflective moments in God’s Word each morning. I’ve been reading through Paul Tripp’s advent devotional again this year, and I am enjoying my time. We are also reading through the book of Luke as a family, and I treasure those moments with our children.  (I cling to the fact that God’s Word will not return void as twice this week Travis and Emma have fallen asleep while we’ve been reading!) 

I’m also thankful for family moments...getting a Christmas tree, making cookies, Christmas shopping together (which mostly consists of mom giving out ideas to each child about the person they are shopping for!). A few years ago, we decided that each of us would draw names for someone in our family. Roger and I set the limit on how much to spend,  but this way it involves our children, and it doesn’t feel like Roger and I are doing all the gift shopping. Garett and Chandler both have enough money saved that they buy their own gifts for the person who’s named they’ve drawn, but the younger three still get help from mom and dad. Garett had Emma this year, and he came to talk to me one day about a gift for Emma. He handed me twenty dollars and said, “Mom, I know Emma will want something pink, sparkly and probably messy. I know that you can make this twenty dollars stretch really far in gift giving so will you help me?” It was so sweet. We found Emma a pink tent and a very fuzzy pink jacket that Garett thought was terrible, but he knows Emma will love it! 

Travis picked out Rogers name this year, and he’s come up with all kinds of wild ideas! I love hearing his thoughts on what dad might like...usually, he’s right, but way, way out of the budget! Travis did get a wallet for Roger, and he picked out some heat warmers. Travis didn’t realize that they lost their heat and couldn’t be reused, so at first he was going to wrap a whole stack of ones that he had already opened! Haha! Oh, the memories! 

Last week on Friday, I went to a ladies Christmas party. It felt like such a “normal” Christmas thing to do in a year that has been so “not normal”. It was so fun! Garett and Chandler watched three young boys at our house (they are working on raising money for their Haiti missions trip). Allison, Ashley and I all rode together to the Christmas party. We did a Christmas mug exchange, and all the mugs were so different but fun! (Only two mugs out of 16 were the same ones, which isn’t bad in an area where there are not many places for shopping) Our friend, Robin, hosted the party and we had a wonderful time laughing, fellowshipping, and of course, eating! It was a good time of renewing and strengthening friendships. 

                                                              So very thankful for this friend! 

Last Saturday, our family went Christmas shopping. This consisted of a stop at Mardens (a fun discount store) and a discount grocery store, and dinner at Taco Bell. All of our children like Taco Bell, except Emma. The biggest bummer is having to eat a fun dinner in the car. We don’t get to go out to eat very often, and sitting in the van with seven people eating Taco Bell is it’s own kind of adventure! But the boys said that they had a fun time, and even Garett put up with shopping for an afternoon. I’m pretty sure he feels like he’s done his shopping for the year! 

When we came home from our shopping adventure last Saturday, Roger had a phone call. One of his friends was calling to see if our family was interested in any hunting, fishing, camping supplies. Chandler’s eyes swelled up really big, and said “Yes!”. So Roger took Travis and Chandler to go look at some stuff that was free if the boys wanted it. Oh my! Our boys were so excited! I don’t know why I’m amazed sometimes, but God cares about the smallest details in our lives! We weren’t looking for hunting, camping or fishing stuff, per se, but we sure do have some boys that are interested in that! Gary and his wife were so generous in giving to our family. The boys came home with sleeping bags, camping chairs, deer scent (nasty), a tent, fishing lures, and enough treasures that the boys spent hours and hours in the basement this past week looking over their treasures! It was like a Christmas present for the boys. I did nearly have a meltdown when I went into the basement later in the week and saw the stuff e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e , but we managed to get some type of order to their madness. They were thrilled, and I know they’ll talk about “that time when Mr. and Mrs. Peabody gave us all that fishing and  hunting stuff”.   God is in the little things also! 

                                                   The boys are excited and eager to try out this ice fishing equipment! 

It’s been a hard year for most of us, and our family is certainly no exception. I found myself feeling the same kind of depression that I felt back in March. Between the Presidential election, our state governor, and several other disappointments, it’s been quite the week. But one of my dear friends reminded me, “We have Emmanuel! God with us!” Yes, I’m discouraged, disappointed that our country seems to be surrendering to evil, overwhelmed  with concerns for America and our children, but...God is still with us! I can find peace in that. And I will continue to pray, fight against evil, call our senators, and beg God to show Himself strong and mighty! 

We are in our last week before Christmas break! We’ve stayed in school thus far, which is due largely to the fact that so many of you are praying for God’s protection on us. Please, pray that our school will be able to continue with in-person learning, that God will continue to protect us, and that we will be a witness for His honor and glory to those around us. God is faithful. 

We head into a week of busyness with classroom activities, fun events at school, and preparing for our own Christmas. Our church is planning a living nativity for December 22, and we need some animals. Will you please pray that God will help us find someone who can bring some animals? Please also pray for our nation, our states, our church and pastors, families, and the elderly who are especially lonely this year. Also, will you please pray that we can get Chandler’s passport for his missions trip to Haiti? I know that I’ve been convicted to write more cards as of late, as there are so many people who need encouragement. God brought along several people to encourage me this past week. I pray that I can also encourage someone this week. 

Thanksgiving Break...and Haiti!

 We had a break from school last week as we celebrated Thanksgiving. While we had our break days from school, we celebrated Thanksgiving day. I went shopping with my sister, Hannah. We picked out a Christmas tree. I made lesson plans, graded, and prepared for the next week. We decorated my classroom for Christmas. And we spent lots of time together and outside! 

2020 has been full and unusual and different circumstances, and Thanksgiving was no exception. We invited several people and families over to our house, but either due to previous arrangements or Covid, no one was able to come over. It was our first time also in a very long time where  no invitations were extended to us either, as it’s a weird year. Our children were a little disappointed that no one was coming over, but we did take a pumpkin roll dessert over to our new neighbors in Wednesday. It was nice to visit with them for a few minutes, and the older boys were delighted to hear that our neighbor was looking for someone to do some yard work for him in the spring. Garett and Chandler eagerly agreed to help out, and it was nice for them to be asked. 

Thanksgiving day dawned a bit drizzly and overcast, but it provided a nice opportunity for us to sit and visit together for a while before getting started with the day. Originally we had planned to eat our dinner three pm, but it quickly became apparent that all the kids would be “hangry” by then! We ended up eating around one pm, but that’s the beauty of it just being us - we could eat whenever the food was ready! We asked our children what they were most thankful for this year, and what was the hardest thing about 2020. Unanimously, the kids all agreed that Mr. Kevin’s death has been the hardest thing about 2020. The answers of what they were thankful for varied from child to child. School, family, friends, grandparents, church, our home, Roger’s job, their teachers were all things that they are thankful for this year. I’m so thankful that we’ve finished  thirteen weeks of school -in person! We keep praying for God’s hedge of protection, and He’s been merciful and faithful to us. 

Last Sunday, our children and Allison’s girls put together fruit and goodie baskets for some of the older folks in our church. Allison and I always come up with what we call these “good, bad ideas!”. These are ideas that seem great in the moment, but when it’s just us and our families doing the majority of the work or we are tired or it’s getting long, it becomes a bad idea!! However, after over four years of friendship, we manage to laugh our way through most of our ideas! Our children made cards and helped assembly the baskets, and several ladies delivered most of the baskets to the older folks last Monday and Tuesday before thanksgiving. The kids and I had several baskets to deliver after school in Wednesday, and the older folks were so happy to have a visit and a small gift. While they kept their distances and we kept ours, they were still so happy to have someone to talk to. The visits took a bit longer than I had planned, but our kids were good sports about it all. I’m so thankful for our children! 

Some of you may remember that last year, I was planning on going to Haiti on a medical missions trip. However, due to unrest, then Covid, and a host of other things, the missions trip ended up being cancelled.  I had most of the trip paid for, and I was looking forward to going. However, the country of Haiti has also had some difficult challenges over the past year, which have been more starvation than Covid. I ended up giving the money for the missions trip to Parakaleo so that they could give money to the Haitian pastors to buy food for their people.  I have been saving again, and God has abundantly blessed! I have all the money that I need for this missions trip! Also, this year, Garett and Chandler will also be coming to Haiti with me!! They are thrilled with the opportunity, and we are praying for God to show Himself strong in a mighty way to both of them. They are looking for jobs to do to earn some money for the trip, so if anyone local needs some work done, we have two boys that are willing and able to work hard! If you feel so led to give towards their missions trip, I know that both our boys would be extremely grateful. This is an amazing opportunity for them to go on this missions trip, and I am looking forward to this experience for them! My dad is also planning on going on the Haiti missions trip in January, so it will be three generations of us on this missions trip. God is awesome! 

We do appreciate your prayers as we plan and prepare for this missions trip. It means a substitute teacher for kindergarten, a lot more work for Roger, three kids still at home that will need meals, and lots of other important pieces! Whenever I start to feel overwhelmed or stressed out about it, I’m reminded that God is bigger than all my struggles! 

Last night, Roger and I attended a staff Christmas party, which our administrator put together. It was a lovely night with the dear staff and school board members...delicious desserts, fun games, fellowship, and a sweet time of memories together. We are so blessed with the staff members that God has provided for our school this year. There has certainly been plenty of struggles and challenges, but we are almost to week #14 with in-person learning! Thank you to those who pray diligently with us for the hedge of protection around our church and school. God is so good! 

Million MAGA March! A Day to Remember!

Amazing Day!

Prayer on the grass outside the Capital...May God give us mercy!

My friend, Robin 

American Patriots 

This is our friend, Preston 

Washington Monument 

Washington Monument 

Thankful for these friends

Lincoln Memorial

Leaving for Washington, DC.

Almost a million strong! 

Washington DC. 

 This past week I had the opportunity to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience! Last Friday morning, I dropped our children off at school, and I climbed into a car with three other dear ladies from our church. We headed to Washington, DC., to attend the Million MAGA March! 

Regardless of whom you voted for in this past election, you’re kidding yourself if you think that there was not election fraud happening! Last Monday, I happened to see a post about the Million MAGA of march in Washington DC. There was some chatter about it in our ladies group page from church, and I asked, “Who wants to go?” I never really thought that some of us would be able to actually attend! I mentioned it to Roger, but said, “I don’t see how I’d ever be able to go, especially on such short notice.” He replied, “Well, you could try. You could see if any of the other ladies from church can make it work.” I called our school administrator and asked if I could take a day off on Friday. She agreed. One step down! We were able to arrange for lodging near Washington, DC. Two steps down! Our pastor’s wife, Beth, and another dear friend, Robin, were also able to say yes to coming with us. It was truly of God that all the details could be worked out on such short notice! 

We left on Friday morning around 7:30am, and we arrived about 8:00pm near Washington, DC. The day in the car had been spent with great time of fellowship, prayer time, and discussion about the state of our nation. While we were excited to attend this rally and support our President, this is also a somber time in our nation as we look to the future. What a privilege that we can cry out to our Heavenly Father and we know that He hears us! While He may not answer in the way that I am praying, I can rest confidently that He does hear our prayers. 

Around 7;30 am, we left our place of lodging to head into Washington, DC. We were able to find the metro station, and we purchased passes for a day of riding the metro. We got on the metro that was about 25 minutes outside of the city. As soon as we entered the metro, we knew we were headed in the right direction. There were already people inside that were wearing Trump hats, carrying American flags, talking about the election, and patriotism was running high! As we settled into our seats, a gentleman sat behind us. He was probably in his early sixties. He looked so sad that I couldn’t help but smile (yes, I pulled down my mask to smile). He  smiled back, and we struck up a conversation with him. Beth and I talked with him about where he had come from for the rally. He had driven from Kansas City, Missouri, to come to the rally. He had driven seventeen hours by himself. His eyes filled with tears as he talked with us expressing his deep sorrow over the state of our nation. He said he just felt like he needed to come to this rally to show his support. He had no idea how many people would come, but he felt like he needed to come. His comments echoed much of ours as my friends and I had discussed that we hoped it wasn’t going to be a rally for the President with just the four of us! The man introduced himself as Preston, and we continued to talk. He went on to explain that he had spent several years in Washington DC during the Reagan and Bush administration. This man had a wealth of information! As we neared the city, he encouraged us to be sure to stick together and stay on the main streets. As Trump supporters, he wasn’t sure what the atmosphere would be like. 

Preston got off the metro at the same station that we did. He was/is very familiar with the city and he directed us towards the Freedom Plaza. We walked past the Trump hotel, and we encountered more and more Trump supporters (but not close to one million!). Because we were in the city so early and the rally was slated to start until noon, we had planned to wander around a bit and see what we could see. Preston offered to take us to see the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, the WWII Memorial, the White House and the Washington Monument. We agreed! This was a nice older gentleman and certainly none of the four of us knew what we were doing or where we were going! It ended up being Preston and I in the front as we started off walking. We had several deep conversations throughout the morning and at times both of us had tears or were shedding tears. This man has a deep love for America, but what struck me is that he also had a clear knowledge of the Bible. We talked about several parts of the Bible, our relationships with Jesus Christ, and God’s love for His children. I am absolutely convinced that God brought Preston into our life for that day in Washington, DC. 

What a morning! Preston mentioned that he had never seen the city so boarded up or the White House so protected. As we walked past the White House, the motorcade went by! Yes, President Trump! I was only able to see him give a thumbs up, but Robin got to see the President! That was exciting! We enjoyed the opportunities to see the memorials, and there were American Patriots walking around everywhere. It still didn't feel like a million people, but it was probably about the safest day ever to walk in Washington DC! It was truly a day that I will never forget. 

Around 11:45am, we headed back towards Freedom Plaza. As we got closer, we could see throngs and throngs of people! It was an amazing sight of American flags, Trump flags, banners, posters, and the American spirit of patriotism. Preston’s eyes filled with tears almost immediately as he said, “I never expected this. This is amazing! I never thought all these people would come to this rally!” As far as the eyes could see, there were people. People that had never met each other came together in a spirit of togetherness. The atmosphere was pleasant, happy, upbeat, and really, really amazing. As the time loomed closer to noon, we weren’t sure what was going to happen. We knew we were marching to the Supreme Court, but someone had to start the march. Suddenly we heard a voice over a loud speaker. It wasn’t a loud enough microphone for the amount of people, but we managed to ease up closer. Someone from the Concerned Women of America welcomed us to the rally. Next someone prayed which I was not expecting. I have no idea who prayed, but whomever it was, I could agree with as he prayed. He prayed for God to give us mercy as a nation. He prayed that evil would be stopped. He asked for forgiveness on our land as we recognized that we had sinned against a Holy God. Surprisingly enough, people were quiet and respectful for the most part. There was a group of young men who rudely interrupted the prayer every once in a while with their chants of “America First” and that was annoying. But others also found it annoying, and the preacher continued to pray. It was encouraging to hear him pray. Following the prayer we sang the National Anthem. Do you have any idea what it is like to hear almost a million people singing the Star-Spangled Banner?! It’ll give you goosebumps and send tears to your eyes, let me assure you!  Shortly after the National Anthem, there seemed to be a surge to turn around and start walking towards the Supreme Court. It’s about a mile and one-half to the Supreme Court, and there were people everywhere. At every intersection, throngs of people merged with the Main Street to head towards the Supreme Court. So many nationalities of people were represented. We passed a group singing “God Bless America”. We walked with people with signs stating, “Teachers for Trump”, “Stop the Steal”, “God bless the President”, and many many more signs. It was truly magnificent. As we neared the Supreme Court, we could see a group of Antifa on the outer fringes trying to stir up trouble. They were yelling obscenities and trying to engage people. However, no one was engaging them. There were plenty of people taking pictures, but we just walked on by. As we approached the Supreme Court, we weren’t really sure what was going to happen next. We assumed that someone was going to speak, but we had no idea whom. We visited with the people around us and met people from Connecticut, South Carolina, Nevada, Wisconsin, and many other states. Everyone seemed to be saying the same thing, “We had no idea how many people would come to this, but we felt like we needed to be a part of this rally.” We were all really surprised at how many people came. Another lady from the Concerned Women for America got up in front of the microphone to say that the speakers were having trouble getting to the Supreme Court due to the crowds of people. We were near someone who had a wireless speaker playing some worship music. It was beautiful. Preston asked Beth and I if we felt like God could use something like this event to bring a revival to America. Oh, yes, I absolutely do. He said that he felt the same way, and he is also praying for a great revival in American. 

Someone named “Alex Jones” got up to speak, and I was not a huge fan. I can appreciate his heart for America, but I can think of better ways to state the same thing. He doesn’t have the authority to say that we are starting the next “revolution”. He was a little too far right for me to feel comfortable with, but like I said, I can appreciate his enthusiasm. He did pray, and he did pray for many of the same things that I would pray for in America. After he spoke, there seemed to be a lull and no one seemed to know what was next in the order of events. People starting to leave as it was nearing 1:30pm. A lady got up and began to speak. Unfortunately, her voice was so terrible in the microphone that it was awful. Her voice should be used on the enemy not on Patriots!  Preston said that he needed to get headed home, and we also decided to begin to leave the rally. Preston said that he could get us back to the metro station, but we decided that we weren’t quite ready to leave. He said his good byes to us, and he headed toward the metro. We looked at each other for a moment, and then decided that most of us didn’t have a lot of energy left. We sat on the grass outside our national capital building, and we prayed. Nothing magical or mysterious happened, but to pray on the grass outside the capital was a memory for me. I’ll never forget this day. It was about two pm, and we decided to head out of the city. We found the metro station, and headed back to our place of lodging. 

It was good to sit and reflect on the day’s events, and we all felt so glad that God had orchestrated the events so that we could come. We left for Maine around 5:30 am. What a day! I spent most of the day in the car making lesson plans, writing notes, and trying to find out where I could get a Covid test! In my opinion, our governor has no business telling people that they need to have a Covid test when it is so hard to get one! I tried for endless hours to get a rapid test scheduled somewhere in our state, but to no avail! I finally had to ask for a substitute teacher for Monday, as I knew I wasn’t going to be able to get a Covid test before school on Monday morning. 

So on Monday morning, I dropped the kids off at school and began hunting for a place to get a Covid test taken. Every place I called said that because I didn’t have any symptoms they would put me down for a test that you get the results in three to five days! I don’t have three to five days! Ugh! I finally managed to snag an appointment in Portland but it wasn’t a rapid test. The lady at the CVS place told me that it would possibly take up to 48 hours to get my results. Great- not! But what choice did I have? I asked for a substitute for my class again on Tuesday, and checked often for my results...nothing! By Wednesday, I was about to go crazy as I have now used up all my personal days, and I wasn’t even sick or on vacation! I called an area clinic and asked if they had any possible openings. She replied that she could get me in at 2;15pm on Wednesday, but the results might take 24 hours. Seriously? So if I am dying, no one is urgently telling me that! I decided to go ahead and take another Covid test just in case they were able to get my results to me sooner than CVS. Let me assure you, while both Covid tests that I took were different, there is nothing comfortable about anything going that far up your nose! I did not sleep well on Wednesday night, as I was fervent in prayer that I would get these Covid results back. Praise the Lord! By five am. the results were in my email....negative!(Which I suspected I would be negative all along! Not to mention the fact that if I did actually have Covid there is no way that I could’ve caught it while being out of the state for less than 72 hours!) About ten am. on Thursday morning, I got the results from my Covid test at CVS. Another negative test! So, I guess I’m good for hugging for a while! 

So, on Thursday morning, I was finally able to return to school. I had certainly missed my class, and I am so thankful to be back at school with them. Yes, I would travel out of state again. Yes, I would set up a rapid Covid test before I left the state. Yes, I will continue to live my life and live it abundantly! Yes, I think the virus is real. No, I do not think it should control my life.  No, I will not be manipulated by fear, chaos and confusion. Yes, I will still love people who disagree with me. No, I don’t need to argue with everyone who does not see my opinion. 

It was an amazing day in Washington, DC. I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to be a part of making history. God is so good!

The weekend reminded me that we are not alone in our prayers for our nation. There are many, many like-minded people who are also praying for our nation. There are still American people who want to do the right thing, who want America to be a God-fearing nation, who desire America to be a place they want to raise their children and families. May God grant us mercy we do not deserve, but so humbly and fervently ask for on our nation! Please continue to pray with us! 

Forts, Fervent Prayers, and Great Expectations!

One of many forts in our yard. 

First snowfall 

Another fine fort! 

Thankful Turkeys...I love the reminders of all that I have to be thankful for in my life!

Fort #3

Fort #4

Fort #5 

I’m going to warn you in advance that this is a heavy blog post. There’s a lot of  heaviness going on around us both in our nation and our state. Christians...we need to be fervent in prayer! 

 I don’t know about you, but it has felt like one very long week! I felt all the emotions this week, and not the positive ones! Disappointment, fear, anger, frustration, heartache, have run away with me at certain points this past week. Thankfully, I have the Fruit of the Spirit, the joy of the Lord, confidence in an Almighty God, and peace from my Heavenly Father to fight against all the emotions that threaten to overwhelm me. 

I don’t know how you voted in the election, and truthfully, I would hope we can still be friends regardless of whether or not we voted the same way. However, as an American, I’m concerned about our election process. Whether or not you think there is a case of fraudulent voting, corruption, and vote stealing, this is a big deal to me. However, to me the bigger deal lies in needing to know the truth. If my vote was corrupted this time, this cycle will continue to repeat itself until our votes really will not matter. Whomever is controlling the strings will be able to determine the election. And that, my friends, should be a cause for alarm! If there happens to not be corruption of the election taking place, then have that truth come to light. But if corruption is happening, then I am also praying that that will come to light. We need truth! But without God, truth is amoral. It’s whatever the next person decides is truth. We used to have enough of a moral compass in people that regardless of whether or not they knew Christ as their personal Savior, they would still hold to moral values. Wow...that’s changed, hasn’t it?! As a country we murder millions of babies every year in the name of “pro-choice”. Marriage is no longer just between a man and a woman. Women marrying women and men marrying men has become accepted. It’s also acceptable to change your sex identity or to identify as a dog if you choose. We certainly do not deserve God’s mercy on our nation, and I am fully aware of that! But as a faith-centered, freedom-loving, Christ- serving mama, I am pleading with God to have mercy on our nation! As I’ve looked into the faces of my students as well as my children this past week, I’ve been moved to tears multiple times as I have cried out to God. “Lord, please send revival. And may it start with me.” 

Today is Veteran’s Day. A day to honor those who have served, fought and protected our freedoms. Our Christian school made Veteran’s Day bags to give to those who have served our country. Each class made a card, book mark or something to add to the bags. The kindergarten class made cookies. They had such fun making no-bake cookies for the Veterans bags (no bake cookies can be made in the microwave, did you know that?) It was a good opportunity to teach the next generation about Veterans Day, and why we should honor and celebrate our Veterans. I am thankful for each one that has served our country. This is an especially hard Veterans Day for us, as Mr. Kevin was a veteran in the Coast Guard. We are unable to give him a card, and that has been hard for us. 

Photo credit: army.mil

In the State of Maine, we did get one victory in the election, in my opinion. Susan Collins was supposedly in the race of her lifetime against Democratic Sara Gideon. However, Susan Collins did win the election, and by quite a bit. That’s a huge praise for us! 

In other, not so good news, from our state, our governor has stated that masks must be worn regardless of the ability to keep social distance. (Side note: two words I cannot stand are “safe” and “social distancing”). Our governor has stated that all businesses (including churches) must put signs on their doors stating that masks are required for entry. Our inside gatherings have limits of 50 people and that is hard on churches also. I don’t keep up on the number of new cases every day because the cases are rising. Honestly, that should not surprise anyone as it is cold and flu season! And we’ve been wearing masks now since June so if masks are really effective, why are the case numbers continuing to rise?! I can appreciate extra hand washing, cleaner surfaces, high-risk shopping hours, grocery pick-up for those who need it, etc. and all that is great. However, this seems to become a matter more of control and not my safety any more and that bothers me. It’s also perfectly acceptable for you to disagree with me, just please do it nicely! 

Good news from the week:

*God is still in control. He is ever-loving and interceding for me. 

* The students were able to complete the first quarter in school! Please continue to pray for the “hedge of protection” around our church and school. 

* I am thankful for like-minded women who are ever willing to pray with me, and for me, and who also are praying passionately and fervently. 

* We rejoice that Susan Collins did keep the Senate Seat.

* We are thankful for all that God continues to do in and through us, and I’m trying to wait patiently. 

Soccer, Victories, Elections!

 

So thankful for these boys! 

Emma was “teaching” school using my teacher’s manual! 

A blessing from a friend. 

I feel like I have so much to write about, and I know I’m going to re-read this post in a few hours and be reminded of everything that I meant to write about! 

What a week it has been! (You probably inserted an eye-roll there thinking, “she says that ALL the time”!)  But we’ve wrapped up the soccer season, prepared a song for Veteran’s Day, had an impromptu supper get together with some friends, finally turned on the heat at our house, and so much more! 

The boys had their last soccer game last Tuesday, and we almost won...but not quite! However, we did get Chinese take-out to celebrate the end of the season, and we ate it at Mrs. Terri’s house. The kids always enjoy their time with Mrs. Terri, and it’s always nice to go to someone else’s house! 

Last Wednesday I taught music classes, and we worked on the song “God Bless America”. I don’t know if you know, but that song is actually written as a prayer for our nation. The verse to the song is not very well-known, but the words to that song can bring me to tears almost every time. In fact, we sang the song in our church on Sunday morning, and I just had to stop singing. “God bless America, Land that I love. Stand beside her and guide her through the night with a light from above...” Even as I write this, I’m reminded of how truly blessed I am to live in America. There is chaos, confusion, and destruction running rampant in parts of our country, but seriously, I love America. It’s not my God, it’s not my Savior, but it is the land that I love. 

Garett caught a cold on Thursday, so he had to miss the end-of the season barbecue for the soccer team on Friday. He was disappointed, and I was disappointed for him. However, he had a good attitude about it, and I’m thankful that he is old enough to be left at home on his own for a bit! It was about 39 degrees on Friday afternoon, but we still gathered after school for a parent/player scrimmage. It was a lot of fun, and I’m thankful that we could run around and be warm! It was also nice to wrap up the season with a fun event, and I am thankful that the season is over! It’s going to be glorious to go home on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays right after school! 

Roger caught a cold on Saturday, so he and Garett were both kinda down for the day. It was nice to have a low -key day. It was Halloween, but the only one that remembered was Emma. I’ll just look for some Halloween candy on clearance. A dear lady in our church gave our children some money for Halloween candy, and the kids decided that they would rather wait until after Halloween to spend it as then they can get twice as much! One of Travis’s friends asked him what he was going to be for Halloween. Travis gave his standard yearly reply, “I’ll be myself, of course. Why would I want to be anything else?!” Yes, that sounds like Travis! 

Earlier this week, Travis asked for a refund on his quarter. We have these snack boxes at school in which the students can pay a quarter and then pick out a snack. Travis had asked me for a quarter for a snack, so I had given him one last week. A few days later he asked me for a refund on his quarter! “What? Why?” He replied that he had picked out a snack and it was “terrible”. I asked him what was wrong with his snack, and he replied that his cookies tasted like “Church cookies”! He said that sometimes “church cookies” taste pretty bad, and the cookies from the snack box tasted like those. I about spit out my water as I listened to him describe his impression and his need for a refund on his quarter! 

Roger and Garett both stayed home from church on Sunday, as they were still congested. This is a year that we need to be very careful with colds and germs, so as much as they were disappointed to miss church, it was necessary. As we sang “God Bless America”, I caught the eye of one of the oldest gentlemen in our congregation. This man is a WWII veteran, and one of my friends. His eye closed but not before I noticed the tears forming, and that was my undoing too. This man had fought for our countries freedoms, his wife died about two years ago, and I know he is very concerned for our country. These are the heroes of our country, in my opinion. Our school is creating small “thank-you” bags for veterans, and I hope we can be a small blessing to those who have given so much to our country. 

I was also blessed to discover two loaves of homemade bread and a jar of jam with my name on it at school last week. A dear friend, Robin, has made bread for the staff at our school, and it was my turn for fresh bread. It was perfect timing too as we’ve been studying the food pyramid in our class. It was a delightful treat, and such a sweet reminder of how much God loves me. 

Last week, Chandler had our new staff member, Mr. Waugh, as his teacher for a few days. Chandler’s teacher was not feeling well, so Mr. Waugh subbed in the seventh grade class. Garett was happy because his teacher let him be in the seventh grade class on Thursday. Mr. Waugh has been such a great addition to our school, and I am so thankful for his positive mentorship on our sons. While we recognize that we, as parents, have the most influence on our children,  it’s always so wonderful when they can have Christ-like mentorship in their lives. Mr. Waugh has also taken on teaching the seventh and eighth grade boys Sunday school class, and our boys have certainly been enjoying that. It’s a wonderful thing when our boys want to go to church and Sunday school, and I know that they are being challenged through God’s Word. As parents, we are very thankful for these positive changes in our boys lives. It’s been a rough start to the school year for several of our children, so it’s a balm to a weary soul to see God still at work. 

Election....tomorrow! Our students will be singing, “God Bless America” tomorrow, and it’s fitting that this will take place on voting day. You’ve read all the articles, you’re probably fed up with politics, you’ve probably already decided who you are going to vote for, and maybe you’re over the whole thing! I’ve been praying fervently for the election tomorrow. I’m praying for a landslide victory, and I’m praying for President Trump to win! I’ll always vote for the candidate who is pro-life, protects our second amendment, wants to protect our borders, and is for the American people. Perfect? Far from it! I hope that you can separate the man from the politics. The lives of literally millions of unborn babies are dependent upon someone defending them! Whatever you do tomorrow, please exercise your right to vote! It’s a right that we may not have for very long if we don’t protect it and preserve it. Here in Maine we are up against ranked choice voting, which is wrong and unconstitutional! 

Also, in other news in Maine...our governor has declared another state of emergency! What?! Oh, yes! This is number seven or is it eight? I cant remember anymore! It’s a money grabbing scheme, and while I believe that Covid is real and active, I believe that the governor should have checks and balances for her actions. While we don’t get to vote on a governor tomorrow, I am praying for several small local elections that perhaps can influence some of our governors decisions. 

Regardless of what happens tomorrow, God is already there! I am so thankful that He sees the storm from the other side. He knows what tomorrow looks like, and He goes before us. Let us be diligent to storm the gates of heaven with our prayers. And please....vote! 

Blessings!

School, Soccer, Fish, and Blessings!

Chandler caught a bunch of minnows in his homemade minnow trap! 

Our school soccer field is right on the ocean bay- its a beautiful spot!

Saw these deer in our driveway! 

Our own children also enjoy the kindergarten room! 

The fish tank! 

Rough moments but sometimes we have to do things we don’t really want to do! Life! 

 We will be starting week #8 of school tomorrow! God has protected us in a mighty way, and He has put a hedge of protection around our church/school property. We pray daily for His continued protection, and I know that many of you pray with us- thank you! 

We thought that last week was going to be the last week of soccer.  But since a team forgot to show up last Tuesday, we have one more game this week! The boys certainly don’t mind that they get to have a few extra soccer practices and another game. And while I am very, very happy that the boys had the opportunity to play, I’m looking forward to being able to come right home after school on Monday, Wednesday and Friday! 

Last Monday we had a home game. The team did not have one of their better playing experiences, and it showed in how they played together. They lost the game, but it was another opportunity to learn something. No soccer game has every been won by one player- work together! On Tuesday we were supposed to have another home game, but the team forgot to show up! Apparently they had forgotten to put the game on their schedule, so they did not show up to play. It was disappointing, for sure, but we got to go home a little early- yay! 

Wednesday was an early release day for the students. We have an early release day once a month where the students are released around lunchtime, and the teachers get an afternoon to have a staff meeting and work on classroom stuff. We always can use more time in our classrooms! Our administrator has three young kids, whom our children adore! All of our children were happy to spend an hour in the kindergarten room eating pizza, playing with the toys, and visiting with each other. I’m so glad that our children enjoy spending time with our administrators children, as that is just an added blessing! Roger was able to pick up our children around 1:30, so that meant that I had the opportunity to do some additional preparing and planning for the school week. I even managed to update one of my bulletin boards- hooray!

Thursday marked the day for an away soccer game. The game was going to be played about an hour from the school, and nearer to a larger city. Since this city has a Sam’s Club, Target and other shopping places, I had planned to leave after my morning kindergarten class to run a few errands before the game. When I mentioned my plans, I was surprised to hear that all five of our children wanted to come with me! Garett told me that he really didn’t want to go shopping too much, but since I was leaving at 11:45am, and the rest of the team was leaving around 2;15pm, he wanted to come with me. That’s a Garett statement right there! The boys asked me if they could invite Austin to come with us on Thursday, so I ended up taking five boys and one little girl with me on errands. The boys were happy to have a friend along, and I am so very thankful that Chandler has Austin in his class. Austin is a good friend to our boys, and it was fun to hear them laugh and visit together as we wandered through Sam’s Club, Walmart, Five Below, and Dick’s Sporting Goods. It was a fun afternoon, and I’m glad I brought them with me. We arrived at the playing field just as the soccer team from school pulled into the parking lot! Perfect timing! The team ended up winning the soccer game on Thursday, so that was exciting for the team. I am very thankful that I’ve been able to be a part of being involved with the team. Due to Covid, we can’t take the team to McDonalds or some fast food place after the game, so my friend, Ashley, and I have made up sack suppers for each away game. Honestly, it’s worked out so well that I think I’d want to continue doing it this way even after Covid. It saves so much time (and money) to just hand a sack supper to each player after the game. The suppers include a sandwich, piece of fruit, bag of chips, dessert and a Gatorade. I’m sure that some players could do with a more substantial supper, but it’ll hold them until they get home! 

Roger has had a few more days off this past week due to weather and scheduling. I asked him if he was working at all this week, and he replied that he was working his “normal” work load of four days a week. It’s been since June 29th that Roger has had a four-day week, so no wonder we wondered if he was working! Last Sunday Roger was able to come to church with us which was the first time since mid-June. I think it was one of the first times that he wasn’t wearing a work uniform or going out to the airport since the end of June! It’s been a long summer (actually a long year!) but now that the float plane is done for the season, we may be able to get a sense of some type of “normalcy” again. We were/are happy to make sacrifices for the good of the company, and we will continue to do so. It was also nice to have Roger around a bit more. Because of the work schedule this week, Roger was able to go on a hike with the junior high boys on Friday afternoon. I never thought we’d be the kid with a child that didn’t want to go on a hike, but we had one this past week. Chandler did not want to go on the hike. I know it was largely due to personality differences, but guess what? Difficult people are everywhere and at every stage of our lives. Roger and I had several discussions with him about the hike, but at the end of the day we had to force him to go, tell him that he was to have a good attitude, and he was to do his best to work with the people that were challenging to him. I was in tears as much as Chandler, but Roger and I both knew that we needed to make him go. And since God worked out the details that Roger could go on the hike, that was even better! I think both Chandler and Garett ended up having a good time, and it was a good experience for the junior high boys to climb a mountain on Friday afternoon! 

The school board recently hired another person to help out at the school. This person does maintenance, tutors students, helps with lunch and recess duty, and so much more. This man is a member of our church, and he has been such a blessing to our boys. Mr. Waugh has worked in a Christian School in the past and also with junior high boys. Mr. Waugh helps with students that may need additional learning help, and Garett is one of those students that will benefit from that. Wyatt asked me this week what he needed to do to get to have a conversation with Mr. Waugh! I was like what?! Wyatt replied that he liked Mr. Waugh, and he would like to have some one-on-one time with Mr. Waugh too. (Wyatt’s grades indicated that he is doing just fine in school!) It was a blessing to hear though that our other boys like and appreciate Mr. Waugh, and they treasure their time with him. I am so thankful that God brought Mr. Waugh to the school. We’ve been needing some more positive male presence in the school, and we are rejoicing in what God continues to do. 

Chandler caught me some minnows for the fish tank, and the kindergarten class is thrilled with their fish! So far, we’ve kept them all alive, and that free fish tank has been such a blessing! I love how God provides little things along the paths of our lives to encourage us, strengthen us, and bless us. What an amazing God we serve! 

Yes, we’ve been busy with school, church and family activities. We’ve also been in fervent prayer for our nation, as I trust you have been also! Much of our nation is living in fear, confusion and chaos. I am so thankful that as believers we can leave all of that at the foot of the cross! God promises that He will raise us up on wings as eagles. He promises that he will hold us in the cleft of the Rock. He promises that He holds tomorrow! Let us pray, fast and ask God to work in a mighty way!