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Friday was a day filled with playing for chapel, attending Bible study, getting ready for company on Sunday, and attending a benefit variety show in the evening. A young woman we know is having a kidney transplant on Thursday, May 11, and a fundraising benefit was put on for her behalf. Roger ended up meeting me there, as he was working. I had been asked to play some piano selections before the start of the event, so I had to be there early. Thankfully, Roger was walking in the door when we arrived, so the Lord's timing was in that. It was fun for me to pick out piano selections, but I certainly did not realize I would be so nervous! I was thrown back to my high school days of playing a piano solo and my leg shaking so badly that it looked like I was twitching! Oh well! It was good for me. 😳
The variety show consistent of just that a variety of different types of singing or performances. Since not every performance was from a Christian perspective, Roger and I knew that we would probably be having some interesting family discussions at home. 😀 The Kid's choir from church was asked to sing, and that was a good opportunity for our children and others from our church to sing for Jesus. One of the events was a dance group from the area, and although they were modestly dressed for dancers, I knew it would be an interesting discussion at home. Sure enough, I asked the boys what they thought of the performances, and Garett's response was, "Well, it was a bit awkward. I just sank down in my chair and closed my eyes. " Attending this event was a way for us to show our support for this family, and I was thankful for the opportunity it provided to talk with our kids about why we do what we do and who we are in Christ.
Saturday was a day spent at home...hoping for the sun to come out! We have had a lot of rainy days, and I'm ready for some sunshiny weather. While the boys still go outside when it's wet or rainy, they don't stay out as long. I also feel that after several rainy, cloudy days in a row it leads to more arguments and fighting. The boys have constructed a dirt bike track in the back yard which has kept them entertained. It also means that when the yard dries out a bit, they will have the opportunity to plant grass seed! We have a stream flowing on the side of our yard (it only runs in the spring time) and that has also kept them busy with building dams, floating items downstream, and making sure that their rubber boots will hold water!😜 Roger did get home a few hours earlier than normal on Saturday due to the weather, so that was definitely a pleasant surprise. I took Chandler and Travis with me to the grocery store and Goodwill, while the other boys and Emma stayed at home and burned trash. It was a productive day, and it's a nice feeling to go to be tired knowing that you've worked hard.
Memories
Since we would be having a family over for lunch after church, I decided to make crockpot lasagna, bread and salad for Sunday dinner. Generally I plan for a simple meal on Sunday, but I wanted to put some extra effort into it for our guests. I also had the privilege of playing the piano for church services on Sunday which always brings joy and peace to my soul. It's very soothing and refreshing for me to play the piano, and I'm thankful my parents invested in giving me piano lessons. I want our kids to have the same opportunity if possible, so please pray that God will provide a way for that to happen. I'm willing to teach them, but I'd also like peace that is what I need to do. Anyways back to the church service! During the communion service, I noticed a bit of commotion down towards the front pews. A dear older gentleman was clearly having some health issues, and a few people were trying to assist him. From the piano, I could see that he was not a healthy color, and I was concerned. Another lady ended up calling an ambulance, so we did not finish the communion service. I was reminded of how dear these older people are to our church, and yes, they are aging every day! These older men and women have stood in the gap and begged God to send families to this church. They've been faithfully praying and serving God for many years now, and are we raising the next generation to stand up and fill that gap? Am I raising our boys to become prayer warriors and faithful soldiers of the cross? Am I raising a daughter that will also be a prayer warrior and committed to Jesus Christ? Having an experience like that in church was just another reminder of how much I love these dear older folks, and how fervent I need to be in raising our children for Jesus. ( The older man was taken to the hospital, but he was released and sent home the next day. Praise the Lord!)
We had a good afternoon getting to know another family from this area. Nick is one of our pastor's sons and his wife is Hannah. They have two little children, and it was a fun afternoon getting to know them better. The afternoon was cut a bit short as we did have to leave early for church. On Sunday night we had our last night of the kids program for this year. While I've very much enjoyed helping and teaching the 3-5 year olds, I'm thankful that we are having a break from that for a season! The boys and Emma have enjoyed the Childrens program, and we are thankful that we had the opportunity to help out with this ministry. However... Hooray for a break!!
On Monday the weather was...rainy! Emma and I spent the morning at home after dropping the boys off at school. It's always nice to have some time with just Emma, and the laundry pile appreciated my undivided attention for a few hours! 😀
Tuesday was a bit of a break in the rain and clouds. Yay for sunshine! Roger took the kids to school, while I managed to squeeze in a short run. I'm thankful for whatever opportunities I have to run outside, and the weather was very nice. When Roger came home from dropping off kids, we decided to go on an actual date! We tried out this local cafe in our small town. It was actually quite impressive and we would definitely visit there again. I had lunch duty at the school today. Since Roger had the day off, we surprised the boys with Subway sandwiches for lunch. They always enjoy when Roger is able to join them for lunch break, and I'm glad the boys love to spend time with him. Travis had some special testing with his teacher after lunch, so I waited for him for a while. We are concerned about his progress, and we want to help him succeed in education. We will see what transpires, but we are praying for Gods clear direction.
Wednesday morning Emma and I hosted our friend, Bethany and her two young kids. We had originally planned to go on a walk, but guess what?! The weather was misty and overcast! Bethany stopped and picked up coffee for us, which I definitely enjoyed! We spent the morning visiting, sharing, and chasing three small children. I'm thankful for the developing friendships I have with moms such as Bethany. Their children are similar in ages to ours, so we share a lot of common interests and parenting concerns. Emma and I left early to pick up Travis so that I could help with hot lunch. Although it wasn't my particular hot lunch day responsibility, there was a need for a few extra moms to help out. I helped wherever needed, and then ended up having a good visit with another dear friend. It's helpful to bear each other's burdens, and I can see why this is a Scriptural command given in Galatians. I'm thankful for the moms that have come along side me in this first year of so many transitions and changes to encourage and pray for me.
Emma was supposed to go to school this morning, but she had an odd fever yesterday afternoon. She took a long nap yesterday afternoon, woke up very warm, and she acted tired. She had a fever until about three in the morning, and after that, she slept fine. She woke up a bit grouchy this morning, but she was fever free. I, of course, still kept her home from school. She was happy to go on a walk with her mama and my friend, Allison. It was a good morning of meaningful conversations to good laughs to just enjoying memories together. Allison tends to be more of an introvert and I tend to be more of an extrovert. So together we are good friends! 😀
Since I didn't finish up this post yesterday, I'll go ahead and add the activities from today. 🙂 Roger had off of work, but he had a busy day with taking trash to the dump, fixing some things around the house, and driving to Bangor. One of our pilot friends from Arizona was in Bangor for the afternoon. As much fun as it would have been for us all to go, it would have been a long afternoon for the kids. Since we didn't want to get the kids out of school early, we decided that it would be best for just Roger to go to Bangor. I was able to g t some things ready for our company on Sunday afternoon, and I headed black to school a bit early. Tomorrow our church is hosting a give away sale. Everything will be free, and it's a wide variety of items. We have quite a few older ladies that I knew might need a hand with moving tables or setting up items, so Travis, Emma, and I helped with that for a bit. The only downside was that Emma and Travis discovered all the stuff that I had collected from our HOUSE! I kept reminding them that we were not taking our stuff back home!! After the older boys were done with school, they helped out for a while also. It was a good way for the kids to get involved in a little project to help someone else.
We were also given a riding lawnmower today! That wasn't even an item on my urgent prayer request list, but God chose to bless us. It's an older mower, and the blade is currently causing some problems it. However, it does run! Roger is planning to fix the blade, and we should have a riding lawn mower for the summer! It's exciting to see how God works out all the details, and I'm glad the boys will be able to have the pushmower and the riding lawnmower for cutting the grass this summer. I actually like to use the pushmower...it's excercise! The boys are looking forward to trying out the riding lawnmower as soon as possible. Hopefully Roger will be able to fix it with some tools from work.
A few fun memories:
Travis was discussing something he missed in Wisconsin. I asked what he was missing about Wisconsin. He replied, "I'd like to go to that restaurant again where we ate with the tweezers." I was a bit lost until I realized he meant chopsticks and not tweezers!
We were discussing heaven with the boys. We had discussed hell and why God didn't want us to go there. Chandler pops up with, "I know I'm saved. I'm glad I'm not going to hell, but do you think we will get to do things in heaven besides sing all day?!" He is concerned that he might be bored in heaven. So although I don't know what all we will be doing in heaven, we won't be bored!
Although these days of parenting are long and challenging, this is also an exciting time for me. The boys are growing and maturing, our conversations are changing, and I am so blessed to be their mama! Each day provides new mercies from the Lord as well as reminders that He is faithful. I'm thankful to be a mom, but these days we live in are dark in our society. It's encouraging to know that we have the Light of The World in our lives, and I can rest in him.
We are praying for Travis and Emma to come to know Jesus as their personal Savior. Travis has been asking many questions about heaven and hell. He knows that Jesus died on the cross for us sin, but he has yet to make a decision about placing his trust in Christ. I want to be sensitive to his needs, but I want him to make the decision. Please pray that he will understand that Jesus died for his sins, Jesus rose from the dead, and a home in heaven can be his by asking Jesus to forgive his sins and come into his heart. (That is decision that can be yours also!)
Our love, Sarah
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