Hard Decisions and Birthdays!

This week was absolutely crazy...I mean, more crazy than normal, even for me! It was a week full of changes, tough decisions, and it was emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and even physically exhausting. However, God brought us through it all, and I never would have made it without His all-sufficient grace.

 

12,11,10,9, and 6 Years of age!

   

Garett’s Birthday! 

     

Travis’s Birthday 

 

  

A bike for Travis 

Last week I was a member of the school board, and this week I’m an employee of our Christian school! Last week, I was reading through Christmas programs, and this week I was found cleaning out cupboards and helping work on curriculum for the school year. Last week, I was working on my kids school supply lists and this week I was working on a slide show for open house and helping to plan a back-to-school luau picnic! Yes, it’s been a week!


So...where are we now? (Sometimes I wonder myself!) Well, our church has a policy (that I agree with) that you cant be a member of the school board and an employee of the school. However, we were coming down to the wire for school starting, and still God had not brought us a pre-school aide. What did God have in mind? After many, many conversations and prayers with Roger, and many e-mails to various members of the school board, I made the hard and difficult decision to leave the  school board. I have a passion for the Christian school ministry of the school, and I know that God had a perfect plan in allowing me to be on the board, and also perfect timing in providing a job for me. It’s kinda like leaving one thing you really enjoy to do another thing you really enjoy. It’s not always and easy or peaceful decision, but sometimes God places the steps right in front of you. A choice is presented...either walk up the steps or trip and stumble as you refuse to climb the step. Yes, I enjoyed being a member on the school board, and I pray that I was a valuable asset to that for as long as God allowed.


However, I’m also leaving to do something else that I enjoy and that is working with children. Did you know that a child’s view of God and his basic theology is formed between the the ages of three and twelve? What better place to be than to help children understand the very basics of God’s Word than in the pre-school classroom?! I have the privilege to work with a truly wonderful Christian lady who has taken on the job of the classroom teacher. I get to assist her in whatever ways that I can and work with young children. I also have a job that allows me to be available for our children, and I have off on the days that they have off-that was important to me! It’s a ministry job (as are most in Christian schools), but every little bit will help us save for the school bills and for high school education as Garett only has two years left at our Christian school. I am very, very excited about the  job, and I would appreciate your prayers. Please pray that I will be used in a mighty way, not just in the lives of the children, but also in the lives of their families. Pray that God will give me wisdom,     discernment, and grace to deal with situations. Pray that God will help me to be a fantastic fit to work
 alongside of our pre-school teacher.

So, I left the board on Monday evening, and on Tuesday morning I was at the school for CPR/First Aid classes at 9;00 am. Unfortunately, that meant that I missed out on the company that was staying at our house overnight, but Roger had off from work. Roger’s sister, Erin and her husband, Jason, along with their five girls stayed overnight at our house on Monday night. I’m thankful that Roger was able to stay up to greet them since they arrived after I went to bed. They are traveling on a family trip, and will be coming back through the area next week, so I’m looking forward to seeing them all then!

Tuesday was spent with CPR/First Aid training, which I haven’t taken since college. The instructor  asked how long I had been out of college, and I told him over ten years. He couldn’t believe that I  was that old, so that was a GREAT way to start the morning! It was a fun class as seven of us on the school staff took the training together. Somethings have changed, but a lot is the same as it was years ago. After the training the pre-school teacher and I started working on the preschool classroom. Neither of us were quite prepared for all that we would need to do to get ready for the open house on Thursday morning! But it was a day spent in good company, and we laughed our way through it all. The staff came in at one point to have a prayer break, which is always a needed thing.

I’m thankful for Roger as he had off on Tuesday. He took the boys (and Emma) fishing and swimming, and also made breakfast for our guests. He’s been more than understanding of all the hours and time that Ive put in both at school and at home...we are both excited to have school start and to find a routine! We went for a family walk when I came home, and then ate pizza together at a park.

On Wednesday morning, I was back at school for Health training by nine am. My wonderful friend, Claire, had offered to take my kids since Roger was working. I took the three youngest there, but I left Chandler and Garett at home. Chandler was struggling with a migraine, and he needed rest. (He’s been overwhelmed with the thought of going back to school, and he is learning again that his joy  must be found in Jesus, not in our situations or circumstances.) I would appreciate prayers on his behalf.

Anyways, Wednesday was another long, but good day. I was helping my friend, Allison with a bulletin board, and she asked how it was going. ..and I started crying. I think by Wednesday, I was just so incredibly overwhelmed and trying to find my balance on a mountain that seemed to be heading for an avalanche! Allison is a dear friend, and I thank God for  her often. Renee (preschool  teacher) and I were able to get enough done on the preschool room that we were ready for the open house on Thursday morning—-Thank you, Jesus! It was another rather long day, and I was kinda emotional at moments, but God was so faithful! Just like He always is!

Thursday was like a 12 hour work day (or so it felt!) I had the preschool open house in the morning, and the elementary open house in the evening. Renee and I enjoyed the preschool open house, and it was good to meet a bunch of the parents. I’m excited about this ministry in this classroom! The energy that oozes out of three and four year olds was apparent, but it was a fun morning. We worked  a bit longer after the open house, and then I ran home to get ready for the next open house...craziness? Oh, yes!

My friend, Claire and I, along with our children, managed to get a Hawaiian themed picnic together. To be honest, Claire did most of the heavy lifting, as I couldn’t remember where I had set down my  coffee or my name by that point in time! I was happy to have her give directions, and I just provided  extra hands. It turned out to be beautiful weather for the picnic, and it was a blessing to see many  parents and students come out for the event. (I’m praying, {along with several others} for 12 more  students by the end of next week.)

And now, its Friday! Today is Garett’s 13th birthday! If I wasn’t emotional enough this week, that’ll make me emotional! My oldest son is a teenager! How the years did fly by! I’m thrilled with the young man he is becoming, and I pray that God will continue to work in his life this school year. Garett has a happy disposition, and a sensitive heart. I’m praying that he will continue to be sweet and sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Roger is working today, but Garett was able to be at the airport for a few hours. Garett told me that next year he would like to fill out an application to work where Dad is working at, and I love that!


Travis also celebrated a birthday earlier this week. Travis turned nine on Sunday, and he told me that Sunday was not his favorite day to have a birthday. However, a lady in our church had two bikes to give our children, and one of them was a great bike for Travis. He was thrilled  to get a bike on his birthday! It didn’t matter to him that it wasn’t new, he was delighted!  I love how God cares about the details in our lives. Travis has wanted his own bike, but bikes are expensive! And this dear lady from our church was getting rid of two. The man who owned the bike previously was also named Travis! How cool is that!?  Travis also  enjoys legos, time outside, swimming, bike riding, and I’m pretty  sure -annoying his sister! We are so blessed by this youngest son of ours. He is a very conscientious worker, and he is a sweet child. Again, we are praying for him to be sensitive to the Holy Spirits leading, and that God will give him a great school year.


So for the last five days, Ive enjoyed the boys being “stair steps”. They were 9,10, 11, and 12 years old in age. And now Garett had a birthday, so I have to try to remember how old they are!

We are wrapping up the summer, and heading back to school on Tuesday. It will be a change with me working, but I’m happy to be on the same schedule as our children. Please pray that God will work in each of their lives, and that God will be glorified in and through us!

 

One Adventure After Another!

Last Thursday we took our church Sunday School kids on an adventure to an amusement park! Yes, we are crazy like that! We had originally planned it for Tuesday, but then the date needed to be moved to Wednesday, and then Thursday worked out the best for everyone. My friend, Allison and I had originally planned to take the twelve kids, but then Allison had a family emergency come up. She needed to be available for her family, and I couldn’t take the twelve kids by myself. Roger had to work a lot of extra days last week as his boss was out of town. I called the person who usually gets called when there is a problem: the pastor! After having a conversation with him, and then a conversation with another good friend of mine, Robin, and having a conversation with Roger, God provided a plan. Pastor Mark was willing to drive the church van, and another young adult in our church was able to go with him. Robin agreed to come along with me and the other children in our van, and Robins daughter, Aili agreed to watch Emma!! Whew!! It was an act that only God could’ve orchestrated, and He brought all the details together as only He can do! It was the perfect opportunity for our children to watch God bring everything together. They were very disappointed at the thought that the Sunday school adventure might not work out, but it did!

We left the church building around 8:15 am. on Thursday morning. God provided beautiful weather, and He provided the perfect number of children to come along, We had six girls and six boys. Robin and I enjoyed great conversations on the ride to the amusement park, and we ended up with just the two older girls in our van. Chandler hopped in our van when we stopped for a bathroom break because he said he other girls were doing too much talking in the other vehicle! It really was a wonderful day spent with twelve great kids. Travis ended up sick by the time we left the park, probably due to too much motion and not enough water. Pastor Mark and D.J. (the young adult) had most of the boys. Pastor Mark said that at one point in time, the five boys shared a drink. They each had a straw and five heads around the cup, and everyone drank as quickly as they could-wish I had a picture of that! Robin and I spent our time with the six girls and one of the younger boys. It was fun to hear their discussions, laughter and fellowship throughout the day. I would love to see an event like this become a “yearly” occurrence. Sometimes, I think, its easy to bog our kids down by many things, but this day was a reminder of how much fun kids can have visiting together (and obviously in a well controlled environment). We had four adults to twelve kids, and I just sit in awe of how God worked out all the details.

On Saturday, Garett and Chandler had the opportunity to work for a friend of ours who was working on a property that needed some cleaning. Roger dropped the boys off at about 6:30am, and they came home a little after 12:30pm. I’m glad that they had the opportunity to work for a great Christian man, and that he was willing to have them help him for a bit. Chandler was delighted with the treasures that he collected during the day...a lawnmower, a propane tank and a few tools-what a crazy kid!

Sunday provided me with the opportunity to play the piano at another local church. It surely pushes me outside my comfort level, but in a good way. I’m always happy to have the opportunity to serve the Lord through music. It was a busy and full day, but I received a blessing by being in the Lord’s house on Sunday... did you?

Roger had off on Monday and Tuesday! Oh, Praise Jesus! We took some much needed family time together and went to the lake. Kevin (Roger’s boss) and his wife (Terry) have a cabin on a lake, and we were able to stay over night on Monday night. Terry had made Emma a chocolate cake with pink frosting! Emma was delighted, of course! And Terry gave Emma a birthday present which included doll clothes, a dress and fancy shoes! Emma put those little black shoes right on because clearly at a lake is where you need black fancy shoes, right?! Roger took the boys fishing (multiple times in 24 hours) and also hooked up the tube behind the boat. Emma enjoyed tubing too, and its was certainly a fun memory for our kids. It was so good to get away and sit by the lake soaking up some late summer sunshine. We weren’t able to stay too late in the day on Tuesday as I had a school board meeting in the evening, and Roger and I wanted to attend the funeral visitation for a dear friend of ours.

On Tuesday evening we took our kids to a funeral visitation. I spent some time explaining to Emma what would happen at the visitation, and her eyes had a glazed over expression. Emma has not yet made a salvation decision to accept Christ as her Savior, but she has been asking many questions lately. Mr. George had been a dear friend to our children and had also given Chandler the opportunity to collect scrap at his house. The children did very well at the visitation, and I was glad that we had brought them along. Wyatt told me later, “So basically at a funeral visitation, you go and give lots of people hugs, look at the pictures, take a mint and leave?” I did smile at his observation, but yes, in a lot of ways that’s what happens. I had the opportunity to attend the funeral on Wednesday afternoon as my friend, Claire, graciously watched our children. It is always a blessing to attend a funeral where the clear plan of salvation is given. I want people to know several things when I die: 1) That I loved my Lord, first and foremost, and also my family. 2) That I am 100% confident that when I die, I will go to Heaven 3) I want a clear plan of the Gospel message given at my funeral 4) I want lots of music at my funeral and I do NOT want any organ music (there’s a place for every instrument, but I just don’t want the organ played at my funeral)

It was a busy and full week with a lot of emotions and life challenges in it. I’m thankful that our confidence is in Jesus Christ. He alone is my rock and my salvation.

Isaiah 26:3 “ Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”

Emma’s 6th Birthday and Summer Memories!

We’ve been back from our adventures outside the state for over a week now, and to be honest, we’ve just been enjoying being home! The kids were able to attend a local Vacation Bible School at another church last week, and I was thankful that they had the opportunity. I was also thankful to drop the kids off at an event that I had nothing to do with...no prep, no clean-up, no responsibilities!

We also had two of our kids get sick last week, which is unusual for our family. Garett and Wyatt both came down with some kind of bug that wiped them out for a few days. They are back to being fully on the mend, and we are thankful for that.

Emma turned six years old last week, and I am just not ready for that! She’s off to kindergarten in a few weeks, and I know that I will miss her terribly. She’s so different in personality from the boys, and we are thankful for her. Its hard to believe that in her six years of life, we’ve had adventures in Arizona, Wisconsin and Maine! I’m including my “birthday interview” with her at the end of this blog.

Roger has been very, very busy with work. These are the LONG days of summer, where he is gone from about 4:30am until sometimes 9:00pm at night. We’ve adjusted and adapted, but sometimes the days are still long for this mama! We did enjoy a hike in the woods last week on an day that Roger had off. I should say, we tried to enjoy a hike in the woods...the mosquitoes were atrocious, and it was a hurried walk!


The kids and I did enjoy an afternoon at a friends house last week. Sometimes its hard to keep in touch with our school friends, so it was good to spend an afternoon visiting with Claire and her children. While I enjoy the flexibility and freedom of the summer adventures, its nice to have a bit more order and routine during the school year.

Ive been busy reading through Christmas programs again as I prepare for another year of music classes. I feel like my energy has been lacking in recent days, and I’ve procrastinated far more than I usually do. Perhaps its just still trying to recoup from all the driving and the heat of the summer. I tend to get “heat” headaches sometimes, and Ive had a few lately. If you think of it, I could certainly use some prayers as we prepare for another year.

We celebrated Emmas birthday on Thursday. Roger had to work that day, but we enjoyed cake when he came home from work. Emma was so excited to turn six, and she told everyone that it was her birthday! She was a little surprised to find out that the pastor of the church where the kids were
attending VBS had the same birthday. She was a bit confused as he clearly is not going into
kindergarten, but yet they share a birthday! It was a fun moment! Emma enjoyed opening up her
birthday cards, and a gift from Roger and I. While we didn’t do anything extra special, she told me that she had a fun day. She’s a delight to our family, and we are so thankful for her!

This week has produced some warm weather days again in Maine. We are soaking up the sunshine, while beginning the back to school preparation! We still have a few staffing positions that need filling, and we are still asking God to bring us a few more students. We would need 31 more students to get to 90, which is asking for a miracle...but that’s why I ask the God of Miracles!

Last I checked, Roger and I are still happily married, but I haven’t seen much of him! His boss is away to do some training, so Roger has been covering a few more bases than normal. I’m delighted that his boss thinks  so highly of Roger, so we are happy that Roger has the opportunity to be a blessing.

We’ve had two play dates with friends at our house this week. Its been good to catch up with families that we don’t see on a regular basis. I’ve had good conversations with both Bethany and Hannah this week, and its always nice to hear what God is doing in someone else’s life. My kids have enjoyed playing with other children this week, and I’m always happy to have people in our home. As long as they don’t mind the mess and the noice, we’re good! I do get irritated with my self because I forget to take pictures! Oh well!

Anyways, I want to include my “birthday interview” with Emma. I always enjoy asking my kids these questions, because so much changes as they grow!


Emma’s 6 year birthday interview:

1) What would be the perfect present? A: LOL surprise or Hatchimals (both of these contain small pieces! And Emma loves small junk!)

2) How much money would be the perfect amount for a birthday present?
      A: Maybe $20 or $5.00

3) Who is your best friend?
      A; Lucy and Scarlett and Story - (Lucy and Scarlett live in Maine, and Story lives in Wisconsin)

4) What is your favorite color?
     A: PINK


5) What is your favorite food?
     A: Raspberries and spaghetti - (thankfully not mixed together!)

6) Where is your favorite place to eat?
      A: Dairy Queen

7) Where is your favorite place to visit?
     A: Nana and Papa’s house or Mrs. Terri’s cabin

8) What is your favorite thing to do outside?
    A: Swimming

9) What is your favorite animal?
    A; Horse

10) Who is your favorite pet?
    A; Annie (Mr. Kevin and Mrs. Terri’s dog) and Maddie (Sally’s dog) and Mayday and Piper (Hannah and Josh’s dogs)


Hope you all are having a wonderful summer! We appreciate your prayers!
Sarah

 

Creation Museum, Ark Encounter and HOME!

A lot can happen in a week including an adventure to the Creation Museum, a visit to the Ark Encounter, a visit with a friend, and over 25 hours in the mini-van! We are so, so glad to be home!

We were blessed to be able to visit the Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter with my parents, as well as with my mom’s sister (Lisa) and two of her grandchildren. It was an extremely full two and 1/2 days, but I am so glad that we made the effort to go to these places. Our kids have already been to the Creation Museum twice, but this was their first trip to the Ark. It was an amazing experience to see what the Ark might have been like and what life might have been like on the Ark. Truly these moments are when the “Bible can come alive” for both our kids and for me. I only wish these types of things weren’t so expensive for larger families! Truly one of the biggest hinderance to having more of these types of experiences where the kids can learn about our nation’s history or the Bible is the cost! I’m thankful that my parents see the value in taking our children to the Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter, as we all created some wonderful memories. I will say that both of these places involve A LOT of reading! It would be nice if they offered some type of audio tour via an app with headphones or something. July is a busy tourist season, and Emma had some moments of distress on the Ark when she lost sight of me a few times. However, we did manage to keep track of seven kids, two adults and two seniors-Hooray! The Ark encounter also has a very nice gift shop, and my sister (Jen) had thought ahead to give each of the kids some money to spend at the gift shop if they would like. Travis picked out a notebook, as he has been writing all kinds of notes this summer. Emma picked out a stuffed snake. Wyatt picked out a hat. Garett picked out a rope bracelet with his name on it. And Chandler decided that everything was overpriced, and that he would save his money-no surprise there!


We all traveled down, over or towards the museum  area on Monday. Myself, Travis and Emma were the last to arrive as we had waited for the mini van to be fixed. Then on Tuesday we spent all day at the Ark Encounter, and we spent half of a day at the Creation Museum on Wednesday before each of us heading back to either Wisconsin, Maine or North Carolina. I’m thankful that our kids were able to spend some time with their second cousins, and for the extra time with my parents and my aunt.

  

 

 

We left the Creation Museum on Wednesday around one pm, and everyone was tired before we even started driving! Its about 17 hours from the Creation Museum to home in Maine, and I knew we would need at least one hotel stop. The traffic was pretty terrible so we actually only made it to outside of Cleveland before stopping for the night. I’m thankful for hotels with swimming pools! When we woke up on Thursday morning, we still had about thirteen hours to home. That’s a long day of travel with five tired kids and one tired mama. I remembered that I have a college friend that lives on the outskirts of Boston, and that would only be about a ten hour drive. I sent Carrie a message asking if we could stop by to visit and telling her that we could get a hotel near her. She graciously called me back and said that if we didn’t mind a small house, we were welcome to stay at their house. Yes, praise the Lord! We traveled pretty steady all day long and arrived at their house a little after seven pm. Chandler was suffering from a migraine which I’m pretty sure was caused by not enough water and car sickness! Carrie had made some chicken soup for supper, and the kids were thankful for food and to be out of the car. It was a short visit as we were on the road again by 9;00 the next morning but I am so thankful for Carrie’s hospitality. Chandler hadn’t slept good, so he was ready to head home. I was also ready to be home, sleep in my own bed, and just enjoy not quite so much snug time in the car with our children! We did stop at Aldi on the way home. If you’re not familiar with that, it’s a fabulous grocery store. We don’t have any Aldi stores in the entire state of Maine, so I wanted to stop and get fruit, vegetables, milk, eggs, and other staples before leaving the area. We made it home in the early afternoon, and we were all delighted to be home! I’m thankful for God’s protection, His safety, and His traveling mercies.

It has been good to be home, and adjust to life at home again. Emma had another screening for kindergarten today, and I was pleased to hear that she has improved by leaps and bounds! She did a great job, and passed with flying colors- thank you, Jesus! The boys have enjoyed puttering around the year, building and creating stuff, and living outdoors. It doesn’t seem possible that school will be starting up again in a few short weeks, but we are almost there again! I will be teaching music again, so Ive begun the process of reading through many, many Christmas programs! If anyone knows of a good one, please let me know! Roger has been working pretty hard and steady. We arrived home on Friday afternoon, and he was working. He worked the next three days, but we are thankful that he has off on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

You know what else I’m thankful for? Godly counsel. “In the multitude of counselors, there is safety”. I had recently confided in some dear friends about a decision that I was needing to make. It was one that would have affect our family financially (in a positive way), but the other affects might not have been so positive. It was a position that I probably would have been very good at, but through a series of conversations and many, many conversations with Roger, we decided that it was not “for such a time as this”. Maybe at another time, another year that door of opportunity will open again, but for now we both have peace about the decision. That is not to say that it was an easy decision to make-it was not! However, God gives peace for every step as we walk in His ways. (Perhaps I will write the story behind that someday).

God is so faithful to us.