Mountains and Valleys (Highlights and Lowlights)

Where to even begin?! We are quickly wrapping up the school year, and it’s been a year to remember. I still can’t wrap my around the fact that Garett will be a senior in the fall! Where has time gone? I want to soak up the moments and the memories, but sometimes I feel like I’d just like a moment to breathe! 

So much has happened in the month of May, and we are just a few days into the month. First, I want to capitalize on the highlights, cause ya’ll might run off if I start with the overwhelming stuff! So blessings and highlights are at the top of my list.

 Two of our boys, Chandler and Wyatt, competed in a golf tournament on April 29th. This was the final competition for the golf season, and the meet was held in Virginia. Travis and I were able to go to the tournament as we stayed overnight at the Everett’s house in Virginia. The meet started at noon, with it being a nine-hole round of golf. The golf team had come down on Sunday night as originally the meet was scheduled to start at 10:00am. This was the first meet that I had been able to attend as the golf meets are on Mondays, and I’m always busy teaching art classes on Mondays. I watched Wyatt hit his first golf ball, and I was like “oh dear!”. He was off to a really, really rough start, but he managed to overcome and he was the second place golfer for his team. I was thankful that both Justin Everett and his coach, Chance, were willing to talk to him during the meet to encourage him to “keep at it”.  I was proud of him because Wyatt struggles with defeat. Once he messes up or has a bad play, he often can’t overcome to make a comeback, but he did at this meet. The golf team placed third in the meet, so that was exciting for the golf team as this is the first time in a while that the school has had a team. I’m thankful that Chandler and Wyatt had the opportunity to play on the golf team, and they both said that it was kinda nice to be a part of a smaller team for a change. I’m thankful for their coaches that invest in them, help them enjoy the game, and are willing in to give of their time and energy to the golf team. Travis and I left a little early from the golf tournament, so that we could make it back to school for Emma’s piano recital. Wyatt was also supposed to be in the piano recital, but the golf team barely made it back in time. Since Wyatt was dressed in sweat pants and a stinky polo shirt, he escaped having to perform- and he wasn’t crying about it! I’m thankful that Jen was willing to pick up Emma from school to help her pick out a nice dress for the recital, get flowers for her piano teacher, and get Emma back to school for the recital. It was a long and tiring day, but we made it!  

Another highlight would be that the Elementary Fine Arts Competition is behind us! Whew! We entered 29 projects into the competition, and four received ribbons. This was my first year teaching art, and we learned a lot at the competition. Personally, I think the categories are way too broad for elementary students. All the painting is lumped together, but if you’ve ever painted, you know that acrylic paint and watercolor paint are not even close to the same! I was a bit disappointed in some of the placings (or lack thereof), but hopefully we will be a little better prepared in the future. Some of our students art underwent quite the transformation before the event. While their art still may not have placed, I know how hard they worked and how much they’ve improved. I also help with the Bible Sword Drill teams for 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grades. We made it into the second round of playoffs with all the teams except third grade. Our fourth grade team placed third in the competition, so that was exciting for them. And while third grade didn’t place, they’ve come a long ways in a short amount of time! When we first started practicing with them, they were using the table of contents to find the books of the Bible. They improved so much over the past few months! It was an exhausting few days, but I did learn a lot. Hopefully, we will be better prepared for future events. 

Last weekend was the baseball team’s tournament hosted by our school. It was a bit of a crazy weekend with the tournament on Friday and Saturday. The Everett’s came down for the tournament, and we all pitched in to help with concessions, taking admission, and helping pick up trash. Many hands make light work, and thankfully we had seven kids between us to help the Hardisons. The weather was beautiful for the tournament, and the baseball team made it to the championship game! It was a good game, probably my favorite one to watch all season. The team that they played had beaten our team earlier in the season. It was back and forth throughout the seven innings, but at the end of the game, our team won! The score was 8-7! It was fun to watch the team play in the game as they really did work hard and together to win the game. It was a bit of a long and tiring day, but it was a good day. 

Also last week (first week in May), Garett ran for student body president! He worked hard at helping create posters, coming up with ideas, and his brothers helped him come up with slogans for his campaign. Garett was up against some tough competition from two other girls also running for student body president, so he had his work cut out for him. He wrote a speech for his campaign, and I listened to him present it to the student body on Thursday afternoon. He did a good job, and while he didn’t win student body president, he did win Vice President. I asked him if he was disappointed, and he replied that he was a little disappointed, but “Kate is better at speaking to a bunch of people than I am. This way I can just back her up and still be involved. I’m really glad that I got picked for something.” Me too. I am proud of the man he is becoming, and while I often wish he was still a little boy, it’s exciting to see God at work in his life. 

An additional highlight in the past two weeks would be God’s protection over Emma as she ran into a tree with her bike. Her face was pretty scraped up on Saturday evening, and she stayed home from church on Sunday morning with a black eye, but God protected her as it could’ve been much worse! Boys get all excited about battle scars liked a scraped up face, but Emma was so nervous about school on Monday as she didn’t want to be the center of attention. Her face is almost completely healed up now, so we are thankful for that. God is good. 

Mother’s Day this year was also a highlight for me. We decided to take the day as a family, and do something a bit different as in visiting a different church, and going out to lunch on Mother’s Day. We went to a church in Wilmington, and then ate a nice lunch at a casual place, walked around on the riverwalk in Wilmington, and visited a few thrift stores. It was a very enjoyable day for all of us. The church service was a blessing to me as the pastor talked about moms (pretty typical for Mother’s Day), but he also had all the moms stand while he prayed over the moms. It was a special way to honor the moms, and I appreciated the intentionality of his prayer for moms. The message spoke to me too as the pastor spoke about not letting “your barrenness turn to bitterness”. He was referring to Hannah in First Samuel, and how she held her tongue when Peninnah was provoking her; Hannah waited; Hannah prayed; Hannah worshipped. To be completely honest, I have felt like I’m in a season of “barrenness”- waiting for God to move in a big way. I’m going to move on to touching on a few deep disappointments, so if you only want positive news, just stop reading here. 

Waiting on God and waiting for God to work in and through us to orchestrate His perfect plan is a challenge. As many of you know, we applied for the North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship. Due to the number of hours I’ve worked in the past year, we were over the limit for Tier one families by a mere 4K. Early in April, we had been informed via email that there would not be enough funds for all the families in Award Tier Two, and that the families would be selected by a random drawing and notified via email. We prayed through much of April asking God to provide the scholarship funds for our family, and I really felt like that’s what God was going to do. I mean, why wouldn’t He want to help us continue to give our children Christian education, save for college and retirement, pay off bills, etc.? Surely, this is what God would do…but…it was not God’s perfect plan. Two Fridays ago, on April 26th, we received the email from the state notifying us that the scholarship funds had been depleted, and we had not been selected. I was stunned. But why? Roger and I have sacrificed much over the years (and many have helped along the way!) to keep our children in Christian education, and why wouldn’t God make this easier on us?! I cried - a lot. I’m tired and weary, and I just couldn’t understand God’s plan. I’m not saying that I understand it now, but I’m determined to continually give it over to God. Every.single.day. His plan is still perfect, and He didn’t forget where we are or what we need. I talked with my mom last Sunday morning and poured out my woes to her. She reminded me that we aren’t the only ones praying for God to work, and that they were praying too. And I know that many of you are as well. I guess my prayer in all of this would be that I would remain faithful to do whatever it is that God has for our family. If that means homeschooling, online learning or continuing on, then we will be faithful to do what God directs. Roger reminded me that we’ve wondered what God was doing before and God has always shown up right on time. (It’s also a reminder that I shouldn’t gamble. The opportunity scholarship families were selected through a random drawing, and since we weren’t selected, I clearly shouldn’t gamble- I’m not a lucky person! JK!) 

A lowlight for Travis would be that two of the chickens have disappeared! Somehow the chicken coop wasn’t quite latched, and two chickens escaped during the night. Travis was pretty upset that two chickens are now missing as he’s been so faithful to feed, water, and clean the coop. It may seem trivial to some, but it wasn’t to Travis. The chickens have given Travis something to pour some energy and attention into, and that has helped some with his school anxiety. He still asks me every single day if I will sign him out of school, but having the chickens has helped him press on to finish out the school year. 

There’s been a few other lowlights in the past few weeks, but none of which I’m going to mention currently. We are working to finish well. We are praying diligently for jobs for our children for the summer. Chandler was supposed to be notified on Friday about his job application, but we did not receive any news. So please pray that he will be able to figure out a job. 

Last week was teacher appreciation week, and we worked on teacher appreciation gifts. Emma’s love language is giving gifts, and thankfully her teacher never bats an eye at what Emma might bring for a gift! I had my art students work on teacher appreciation letters, and it was fun to read their responses! (We didn’t finish the letters as we had to get our Mother’s Day projects done, but I’m hoping it’ll provide some laughter and love for the teachers). It was nice to have lunch provided twice this past week and three students surprised me with a small gift- it’s always nice to be remembered. We are quickly approaching the end of the school year, and it’s hard to believe that we only have ten school days left. 

I received a sweet note in my mailbox from my other friend named  Laura this week. It was a good reminder that others are lifting my name before the Lord in prayer. Prayer truly is our greatest resource, and the older I get the more I realize what a special privilege it is to bring all our concerns and praises before our great God. “Heavenly Father help me to lean on you more. Thank you for the blessing of being able to boldly approach your throne.” This song has especially encouraged Roger and I over the past couple of weeks. 

Suits, Strawberries, and Spring Break (It’s still coming!)

 I know that I’ve probably sounded like a broken record, but it’s finally almost true! Spring break starts at 3:00pm on Thursday afternoon!! The kids (and I) can hardly wait for Thursday to get here! I have a very lengthy to-do list for break week, and I know that we probably won’t even make much of a dent. I want to wash and stain the deck, paint our bedroom, put up some trim, hang some curtains, spring clean my house, pick fresh strawberries, and read several books. Also, there is a Good Friday service, Easter on Sunday, dinner at our house with several families on Sunday afternoon, a baseball game, and my sister and her family are coming to visit for a few days! Check back with me next week on how I did on my to-do list. I’m guessing we will have made lots of memories but possibly not a huge dent in the list! Roger will be working every day except Tuesday next week, so that’s a bit of a bummer. However, last Easter we weren’t even in the same state on Easter Sunday, so we are making progress! 

The past week has been busy with lots of baseball practices and games, Garett’s first date, a church out-reach event and life. Almost two weeks ago was Roger’s birthday. We didn’t really have a proper opportunity to celebrate his birthday as it was on a Wednesday, and he was working. However, I really do have reason to celebrate his birthday as he is such a blessing to me. Roger is a man of character and quiet integrity. He doesn’t talk a lot and does not like to be the center of attention, but he’s faithful and diligent in areas that matter. He helps with making school lunches almost every day, he works diligently to be available for our family, and he loves Jesus in a quiet consistent way. I am so blessed. We do hope to go out on a date to celebrate his birthday- some day. 

Last Wednesday was a very special Wednesday night service for me. We spent the majority of the time praying for people and various ministries of the church. The pastor leading the service invited all the teens to stand in the front of the church, and parents and those involved in their lives surrounded them and prayed for them. Prayer is the greatest untapped resource that we have as Christians. I am convinced that if we spent as much time praying for our young people as we do complaining about them, we would see a change. God’s power hasn’t changed since the beginning of time. The same God that brought about revival during the Great Awakening is the same God at work today! He hasn’t changed! But I think that Christians have become lazy and indifferent in our prayer lives. I wish that we had far more services like last Wednesday night and that teens would see us praying over them and for them rather than just hearing us say, “we are praying for you.” There is power in the name of Jesus! 

Last Thursday the boys had a baseball game- both the middle school and the varsity team. The middle school team has not yet won a game, but they continue to improve. The varsity team has only lost one game this season. 

On Friday Garett had his first official date! How did this happen so quickly?! Anyone going to the Junior/Senior banquet was able to leave school at lunch time. Garett was a little confused about why the students got to leave at lunch and I told him it was because the girls needed to get ready. “What on earth can possibly take that long? I am glad that I am a boy!” Haha- well, it takes a bit of time for hair, makeup, nails and get dress up! Regardless, he was happy to get out of school at noon! I ran him home to our house and dropped him off. My friend, Laura, picked him up and brought him back to school for me around three as the students were meeting for pictures at four pm. He looked so handsome!  

Garett was invited to the Junior/Senior banquet by his friend, Danni. Underclassmen can only go to the Junior/Senior banquet if they are invited by an upperclassman. Danni asked our permission to ask Garett to the Junior/Senior banquet, and we agreed. He looked so grown up in his new suit. Boy, he’s a good lookin kid! (I might be a bit biased, but he’s handsome!). I dropped him off in downtown so that he could get pictures taken with the other students attending the event. Garett said that there were “a lot of pictures taken”, but he’s a good sport, and I’m so thankful that Danni’s mom was willing to take all those pictures. When we get old, at least we will have pictures to look at and be reminded of the moments! Garett had a great time with his friend, and he came home with lots of stories and laughter. I still struggle to think that he is old enough to go to the junior/senior banquet, but we are so proud of him and thankful.  We are still very much a work in progress, but we are endeavoring to raise this young man to love and serve Jesus with all of his heart and to be a man of character and integrity. 

Saturday morning rolled around and found us at a church event on Saturday morning. Our church was hosting an out reach event in which they invited the church folks to come and pass our door hangers inviting people to Easter services. Roger had to work on Saturday, but the kids and I went to pass out door hangers. Both Garett and Chandler made the comment to me later that they were surprised that more people weren’t at the church event. It was a teaching opportunity that I pounced on. Yes, sometimes it’s a lot easier to get people to come out for food, fellowship and fun, but a lot harder when it involves work. (Hmm…sometimes that is evident in our family too, isn’t it?!) Actually, I think the boys and Emma had a lot of fun passing out door hangers. There were our five kids, Everett’s three, Hardison’s three, Carillo two, and the pastor’s son for kids in our group- we got a lot of flyers handed out! There were 22 people total in our group with adults, teens, and kids, and we covered a lot of houses in a short period of time. The kids all told me that it was fun for them, but it was probably mostly fun because of the people that hey were with. Usually work is a lot more fun with friends, and this was a good service opportunity for our kids to be involved in our community. 

We picked up a tray of fresh strawberries on the way home from church on Saturday morning. It’s hard to believe but the strawberry season has started! We are looking forward to going to pick some fresh strawberries over spring break. The berries were delicious and five pounds of berries were gone by supper time! 

We’ve had a busy and full week as we enter the final few days until spring break. I held a checkers and chess tournament for students that will be competing in a school event in a few weeks. I’ve been working with some elementary students in preparing them for a Bible Sword drill competition. I’ve been tutoring a few students, as well as all the other day to day school activities. I’ve needed a calendar on an hourly basis to remember where I’m supposed to be and when, but break is coming! 

Last night, the middle school had their last official game. They did still lose, but they are improving. Then there was a JV game in which 9th and 10th graders got to play. This was a lot of fun for Garett and Chandler and their favorite game of the season by far. (It was also my favorite game to watch this season as the boys were playing!) Chandler got to play in center field and Garett was on first base. They had a lot of fun playing, and I was thankful that they had this opportunity. The bummer part was that Roger was working, and he wasn’t able to watch the boys play. 

As I mentioned in my last post, Travis has had a bit of a rough school year. Part of it is academically, but part of it is just classroom dynamics. Many thanks to all of you that have been praying for him! My friend, Laura, gave him a little gift and note last night and that was a special encouragement to his heart. We are so blessed to have people that invest in the lives of our kids through prayer, notes, words of encouragement, speaking truth and pointing them to Jesus. 

                                                            Thankful for this boy! 

                                                   Lots of memories at baseball games! 

We are looking forward to a few days off of school and visiting with friends and family. But more importantly, we are looking forward to Resurrection Sunday and celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior. I am so glad that this world is not my final home. Because of His death and resurrection, my eternal life is secure. I rest in the fact that Jesus’s sinless blood was poured out for me, and He paid the penalty for my sin. My hope is in Jesus, and I rest in Him and Him alone. If you are unsure about where you will spend eternity, I implore you to get it settled today. Jesus loves you.  

Here’s another favorite song of mine: Listen to the words. 

September Moments- God is Faithful!

 Half-way through September already! On one hand the month is flying by and on the other hand, it’s felt like one very long month where every day is Monday! Garett and Chandler had a good time on the High school retreat last weekend, but they came back really tired! (Read that as grouchy!) Our kids tend to go to bed earlier than most teens, but we’ve found that it works for our family. The kids are generally in bed by about 8:30pm and get up around 5:30am. It’s what has worked for years for our kids, so when we find the kids go several days with late bedtimes, it affects all of us! Anyways, Garett and Chandler said that the retreat was fun. It was an opportunity for fun, fellowship and preaching. We are thankful that the school puts the retreat in the calendar.

Travis and Emma have  been playing in a school league for soccer on Saturday mornings. Travis finds it a little bit boring as it’s a lot of younger students, but Emma does enjoy it. Last Saturday several of the boys went to work for the farmer bagging corn, while Travis, Emma and I went to soccer. It was an overcast day, but that was kinda nice. I feel like most of the soccer games we’ve spent sweltering in the heat, so it was nice to not feel overheated! 

On Sunday we re-visited the church that we went to last Sunday. We went to a different adult Sunday School class and this one had couples closer to our ages. The one last week was a great Sunday School lesson, but Roger and I were about the youngest ones in the class! (And we aren’t that young anymore!) We enjoyed the opportunity to interact with couples our age. The boys are in two different Sunday School classes, but they are in pairs of two. Wyatt and Travis are together in a class and Garett and Chandler are together in a class. What did surprise me was how few middle schoolers and high schoolers come to Sunday School? Is that a pattern across the nation? Do you think Sunday School is an effective means of reaching kids and families with the teaching of God’s Word? A lot of older people still go to Sunday School, but what happens when the older generation dies off? Is there a better way to minister to those around us for discipleship and evangelism? Are churches being as effective as possible in reaching the community around them by offering Sunday School? Is the purpose of Sunday School for discipleship or evangelism or both? If both, how is that happening? Sometimes…don’t overreact now…I think that Sunday School for kids has become a repetition of the same Bible stories over and over again. How many times have kids in Sunday school heard the story of Noah’s Ark by fifth grade? But do the know the attributes of God? His character? How to lead a friend to Christ? I don’t have a solution, but it is something that I spend some time thinking about. Roger and I want to be actively involved in our children’s Christian education, as we are the ones responsible, but it’s also important that the church we settle down in have a plan to help come alongside our children to encourage them in their relationship with Jesus Christ. Anyways, that was a little bit of a rabbit trail, and one that I probably have more questions than answers to. 

We dropped Garett off at school at 7:00am on Monday morning for his trip to Washington, DC. He was both excited and nervous to go. It’s a tenth grade trip, so the whole class was going. Garett doesn’t have a cell phone, so we haven’t heard from him all week. I think he might prefer that he had a cellphone this week, but ya know…we want to hold off on giving our kids a cellphone as long as possible. Teens are becoming increasingly attached to their cellphones, and seem to be struggling to have real, personal relationships with actual real people. I have to put my phone on silent at times and remind myself that not every text needs to be answered immediately-I’ll apologize now to those friends of mine that have to go days before randomly hearing from me out of the blue! We are thankful that Garett had the opportunity to go to Washington DC, and we are looking forward to hearing about his experiences. 

This has been a rough week for Emma and her momma! Emma is struggling so much with school. She is struggling far more than we thought that she would. School has never come easily for her, but she has liked school so far. This year it’s been a difficult transition for her to a new school, new curriculum, new friends, etc. She likes her teacher, and Emma is a pretty social child. However, most of the kids in her class have been in this school for several years or all of their lives, so sometimes finding a close friend can be a challenge. I’m worried about Emma, but the Bible clearly tells us that we cannot add height to our stature by worrying…I’d probably be 90 feet tall if that was the case! I worry and then pray. Then I battle with wanting to pick up my worry again, and again, and again. I’m thankful that God does not become weary with me. We are praying and working towards coming up with a solution to hopefully help Emma not be so overwhelmed and weary with her school work. 

This week, Chandler came to school and opened his locker door. Sitting on the shelf starting at him was a mouse! Chandler slammed the locker door and told Wyatt he needed his lunch box container to catch the mouse. Chandler opened the door and the mouse escaped down the hall! Several of the boys in the hall managed to snag the mouse, and the mouse’s life quickly came to an end. The next day, it was discovered that the mouse had had babies, so that caused quite a stir! Thankfully, I think the mouse problems are behind us now! It did provide for a funny topic at the dinner table that night. I’m thankful for laughter! I’m also thankful that I was not a part of being in the hallway when the mouse was being chased around. 

Chandler had another cross-country race last Monday. I seriously do not know how they run in the heat as I think I’d be throwing up! But anyways, Roger was able to get off in time to come to Chandler’s meet. The girls ran first this week, so we were there in plenty of time. Chandler took off with the pack, but by the 1/2 mile marker he was falling behind. He told me he had a cramp in his side. Well about the only thing you can do during a race is keep running, try to regulate your breathing, and keep moving. It worked itself out, but Chandler was in about the sixth spot. He managed to pull off a win with a time of 21:01. It wasn’t his best time this year, but he ran hard and worked through the cramp. We had left Wyatt and Travis at soccer practice which is normally done by 6:00pm. When we pulled up to the school it was 6:03pm, and Wyatt and Travis had been waiting for almost an hour! The coach had dismissed practice early, and there was an assumption that all the kids either had rides or a way to call their parents. However, Wyatt and Travis just had to wait patiently for us to arrive so that they could be picked up from practice. It probably wasn’t their favorite memory from this year, but they survived it! 

I helped with art classes again this week. I’m not an artsy person, but I can generally follow directions. I clean up, pick up and set up for the next class while the teacher begins instructions. We have over 200 kids that come to art classes in one day, so it’s a long day. By the time the last class rolls around, we are tired but it’s like a well-oiled machine. I enjoy working with the art teacher, so that makes the day more fun. 

I do the library classes on Tuesday and Thursday and those are some full mornings also! I have the opportunity to work with a great lady who helps me out a lot! It seems like every time we turn around there is a pile of books that need repairing or sorting, books to be shelved or something else to do! I’m thankful that Jennifer and I also seem to work well together and the time goes by smoothly.  We’ve brainstormed a lot of library ideas,

Garett arrived home from Washington DC around 6:00pm on Friday. He was happy to be home, and we were happy to have him back. Actually, Roger and I were happy to have him back. I’m not sure his brothers missed him too much! Garett was full of stories and adventures from his week away, and we had some good times of laughter and discussion. We are thankful for this opportunity for him. God has been so good to America, and we have been blessed. I pray often and fervently that God will send a revival to America, and that God will use our young people to bring revival. Sometimes it’s easy to feel like the evil has already won, but God’s Word tells us to be faithful, make disciples, be fervent in prayer, and to trust in the Lord. Until the Lord calls me home, I want to be faithful to do what God has called me to do today and that includes loving Jesus, loving my spouse, loving my children, loving other and doing the next right thing. I am so thankful for the promises from my Heavenly Father. What an awesome God we serve!

We went back to the church we visited last Sunday. The kids seem to really be enjoying the services and the boys have asked about going to a teen activity this Friday. We’ve been going to the Sunday night service as well which has been a reminder to us that Emma has not sat as much in church services as the boys have! During our time in Maine, Roger and I were involved with teen group which happened on Sunday nights. Emma would come along with us to teen group, so she didn’t have the opportunity to sit in Sunday evening service. We had to have a discussion about our expectations after the first week, but we are seeing improvements. We don’t go to church to be entertained, and sometimes boredom is not a bad thing. Even when bored, children need to learn to sit still, not disrupt others, and be polite. I see some adults and teens still struggling with those same concepts!

It was a wearying week, but God was faithful just as He always has been. I am thankful for the wearying valleys as they give me another opportunity to grow in my faith. I don’t always like the experiences in the moment, but God gives grace for every moment. It’s still been really warm here, and it’s odd to see people decorating for fall with the temps still in the high 80s! 

In closing, God is good, and He is faithful. I am thankful that He loves me unconditionally and that I am forever His child. 

                                                           Fields of Cotton

Our Four Boys

                                                Chandler and Roger at the last Cross-country meet. 

Church Adventures, Life and Freebies!

 The past ten days have flown by with my parents here and then my sister, Jen, from South Dakota. We’ve enjoyed our time with family, and the kids have certainly enjoyed the week with my sister too. In the past ten days, Roger and I got away for an overnight; we took a family day to the beach; we visited a new church last Sunday; the boys have worked a lot for the neighbor; and we have gotten a little rain! Praise the Lord! 

Garett told me the other day that one thing that North Carolina does not have is medium sized bugs! He said that it seems like the bugs are super little, like lots of annoying gnats, or the bugs are large sized, like big beetles and spiders! I guess I kinda would have to agree! When it is dry, we have lots of the tiny annoying gnats. They go away for a day or two after it rains, and it’s pleasant outside in the evenings. We are blessed to live on a property with trees so we do get somewhat of a breeze in our yard. 

Jen arrived at our house last Thursday, and we’ve been enjoying spending time with her.  She bought most of the kids school supply list as well as contributed to their school bill- we are so thankful for her investing in our children. She’s played lots of games, helped with yard work, and done lots of grocery shopping with me. It’s been a good week, and she has a long drive back ahead of her. 

On Saturday night, we spent some time discussing which church we would visit on Sunday. We’ve been here for five Sundays. The first Sunday, Roger was working so the kids and I visited a church. The second Sunday, we were visiting Roger’s family in South Carolina, picking up Garett’s car and visiting my aunt and uncle. The third Sunday we went to the church associated with the school. The fourth Sunday, we were staying with my Aunt and Uncle for Saturday/Sunday as my parents were heading back to Wisconsin. And then the fifth Sunday, we visited another church. One challenge is that often church websites are outdated, as well as their Facebook pages. So when you check out either of those for information and the last post was from two years ago, it’s not exactly inviting to visitors. Anyways, we did a google search for area churches and came up with a bunch. We decided to visit “Miller’s Chapel” as it was about nine minutes away, the information seemed to be fairly up to date, and it said that they were a P. F.W.B. Church. I know what F.W.B. Stands for as it’s an abbreviation for Free Will Baptist. I wasn’t sure what the “P” stood for, but we would find out. We pulled into the parking lot a little before 10:00am for the service. The pastors name on the sign was not the same one that was listed on the website, but it was a man so that was a good start! Here’s a suggestion- if your church congregation is not meeting in the main sanctuary, it would probably be a good idea to direct visitors to which part of the building they ARE meeting in! Anyways, we found the spot. We stepped in and we were warmly greeted by the people standing near the entrance. The pastor introduced himself and told us to help ourselves to the snacks before the service began. It wasn’t snacks- it was like a meal! Sausage biscuits, muffins, chips, drinks, etc! The boys always seem a bit shy around food when it’s around people that they don’t know, but Emma has no such qualms. She spotted a juice box and a sausage biscuit, and she was happy. The boys took a minute, but the cans of soda caught their eye. Great! Anyways, we found a place to sit which wasn’t a challenge as there were plenty of open seats! We settled in and people came and said hello to us. The church was friendly. And the service began with a children’s devotional up at the front, which none of our kids were comfortable with going up to the front. Then they had some congregational singing which was to lyric videos. I completely understand that not all churches have accomplished musicians to help with music, so I can appreciate the fact that they had found a way to worship through song. Then the preaching began, and it was long. Those cans of soda and juice boxes had made their way to the bladder section! The preacher used his ipad (and I’m not against technology in church), but it would’ve been nice if he had asked the congregation to open their Bibles to certain passages of Scripture. Maybe it’s weird, but I like to use my Bible at church! Towards the end of the service, we found out what the “P” stood for- Pentecostal. The pastor had people that wanted prayer to come forward to the front, and then those that wanted to went up to lay hands on them and to pray. But not one at a time, everyone at one time. Clearly God can still understand us if we all pray at one time, but it can be hard to focus or is that just me?! Anyways, to close this story, we won’t be going back. There are a lot of other reasons that aren’t listed here, and I think there are people that are serving God in that church. Roger and I just don’t happen to think that it would be the best fit for our family. Moving on…

Roger and I left on Sunday afternoon for an overnight get-away. The kids are almost old enough to stay by themselves overnight, but since none of them have cell phones and no one drives, we aren’t there yet. Roger and I didn’t really have any big plans other than to spend time together and exploring the state of North Carolina. We went up the coast a ways and visited an old fort, we walked along the beach, we ate at a quaint restaurant, and enjoyed our get away. We came back on Monday afternoon as we were taking a family day to the beach on Tuesday. On our getaway, we spotted 100’s of these shade tents along the beach. We thought that getting one of those would help make our Tuesday beach day more enjoyable if we weren’t frying in the sun. However, $250.00 is more than we wanted to pay for some beach shade! Roger figured that perhaps he and the boys could improvise. 

Monday afternoon found the boys and Roger rigging up a shade tent. Roger had this old parachute, and after looking at the design of the shade tents that were so expensive, they came up with a plan. Using a piece from our tent, part of the parachute, a tent spike and some paracord, they came up with a beach shade tent. We would have no problems finding our on the beach, but maybe we should get to the beach early so no one could see us setting up our redneck shade tent. Just Kidding! We headed to the beach around 7:00am. It’s just over an hour to the beach, and it’s an easy route. The kids were excited about the day, and we had packed plenty of snacks, water, Gatorade, and more snacks! We found a spot to park (not hard in the morning) and set up our place on the beach. The kids were delighted to feel how warm the ocean water is/was and it’s hard to believe that this is the same frigid water on the beaches in Maine. Roger and the boys set up our shade tent, and we will need to make a few modifications for next time. However, it worked out for our adventure, and it was free! There were probably about 60 of the shade tents that we could see by the time we left, and as far as the eyes could see they were up and down the beaches. Could we have spent the money? Yes, but then the boys would’ve missed out on improvising, being creative, managing money and resources well, learning to not be embarrassed when things look different, and a whole host of other lessons. We had plenty of shade, learned that we can make a few changes to make it better, and enjoyed our morning at the beach. Emma is not fearful at all of the waves, and we just had to remind her that she needed to be by Roger or Garett. She did lose her googles and that was a bit hard, but she still went back out. I’m thankful that Roger was able to take Tuesday off of work so that we could have a valuable family day making memories. 

The boys have been working hard for the neighbor. They do all kinds of odd jobs including picking melons, hauling trash to the burn pile, selling cantaloupe and watermelon and whatever else needs doing. Last week they spent several days selling melons. One of the boys came home and announced that he’s never been called “sugar” or “honey” so much in his life! Haha! Chandler is not intimidated to ask anyone at the gas station if they want to buy a melon, and together they’ve sold quite a few! The lady at the gas station has been kind to the  boys and told them that they could have free re-fills on drinks while they were working. Then the boys came up with this game. You get one gulp from the cup if you don’t make a sale, but you can get two gulps from the cup if you sell a melon! Sounds like boys being boys! They come home with all kinds of fun stories and it’s fun to listen to them as we sit around the dinner table. We are thankful that they had this opportunity this summer, as it’s provided them with some money to earn as well as a time when we don’t have any friends in the area, so we are thankful! 

Garett and Chandler both start drivers ed next week. It’s a full week of class, but then it will be done. The course is offered for free for students that are going to school in that county whether private, homeschool or public. It was an unexpected blessing to find out that they could take driver’s ed for free. It’ll be a bit of a wait before they can do driver instructed time behind the wheel, but we are just taking this one step at a time. 

We appreciate your continued prayers for us as we prepare for school that will start in three weeks! Garett’s class is taking a trip to Washington DC in September, so we are praying that he will have made a good friend by then. The boys have all be going to soccer practice, and they will probably all make the soccer team. Chandler was undecided if he wanted to do soccer or cross-country, but for this year, he’s decided to do soccer. They’ll need to keep up their grades to play, and I have a few that are concerned about that. Please pray that the transition to a new school, new classmates, new teachers, new rules, etc., will be as smooth as possible both for them and their parents! 

We are still looking for a church “home”, so please be in prayer for that also. Thank you!

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. 

CHURCH (and in the church building!)

Church! I very much wanted to write on the blog yesterday to tell everyone how wonderful it was to be back in church yesterday, but by the end of the day I was too tired!

Yesterday was a full and glorious day of being the CHURCH in the church building! It was like an emotional mountain top experience as we sang and worshipped together. I had the rare opportunity to be able to help with the music on Sunday, so that was just an added treat to being in the church building. While many of the older people did not come, we still did have some of the older folks come out. One older gentleman, who is a WWII veteran came and sat in on the service. I had the opportunity to speak to him, and he told me how incredibly lonely he’s been these last few weeks. These weeks have take a toll on our older people due to the isolation and loneliness that happens when life is “normal” much less when life is turned upside down as it has been in the last few weeks.

We had communion at church yesterday, which of course looked different than before COVID. All the bread was in little individual baggies, and the ushers wore masks and gloves, and handed the juice to us. However, you know you have a big family, when it’s time for communion, and they hand you a baggie that has a lot of pieces of bread in it! I was reminded that it’s going to take a bit for our children to readjust to church routines. We had a bit of discussion over whether its more important to remember our Bibles or our bikes. We had a discussion about proper protocol during communion. We had a discussion about leaving on our shoes and socks during the service. And we had a discussion about what church means to them. All that makes it sound like we had really big issues at church...we did not. However, I firmly believe in addressing a problem before the molehill becomes a mountain!

Roger was working, but we stuck around for a picnic on the back lawn of the church. Again, it was different as we all brought our own lunches, but the fellowship was surely sweet! It was lovely to hear children’s voices on the playground, kids riding bikes, some playing soccer and signs of rejoicing all around us. It made for a short afternoon, but it was worth it all!

We had youth group last night. We did not have a whole lot of teens come out, but as we have more and more of our own children approaching the teen years, I am thankful for our church teens. God has been so good to us in allowing us to raise these children for His honor and glory. While the decision ultimately lies in the hearts of each of our children, we cannot shirk our responsibility in investing in their lives and pointing them to Jesus. I don’t know about you, but the recent events in our nation have again reminded me the importance of raising the next generation for Christ. May we raise up a generation that will stand fast, be strong, be courageous, love others, serve, and be on fire for God.

This morning I got in an argument with two of our sons. I know you’re thinking, how?! Well, I am very imperfect and raising imperfect children -that’s how! I said some angry words as did they. These arguments usually happen because someone thinks that they were wronged, and they want justice. I become angry because they’re being selfish and unreasonable in thinking that they were wronged.  Feelings get hurt, tempers become hot, and words can fly. It was an emotional morning that resulted in me going on a long walk with two of our sons...separately. At the end of it all, we asked for forgiveness, admitted failures and moved on. I told my sons that I don’t think it the mistakes that are remembered, but more often the response to the mistakes. We will mess up. We will fail people. We will be unkind. We will be hurt. But at the end of the day, what is our response? We are imperfect people serving a perfect God! We serve a God who never, ever fails us. I pray that some day the boys will become best friends with each other and their parents! I told one of my sons that I wanted to be his best friend in life. He replied, “I don’t think today is that day, Mom.” He was not disrespectful about it, but he was just telling me his thoughts. I’ve got plenty of room for improvement over here!

Coronavirus news: 18 new cases today. No new deaths today. 27 new recoveries today. And our governor has revealed another step in her ‘re-open” Maine plan. You can read about it Here

I have a lot I could say on recent events in our nation, but I’ll save it for another time. I will say this: If America is going to survive as a nation build on capitalism, then we must start thinking for ourselves. The media has no checks and balances, and all it takes is a little research to figure out there is more than just one side. We’ve got to start reading and educating ourselves! Are there problems in our nation? Yes! Mankind was born a sinner! We love darkness rather than Light! However, that does not mean we wallow in self-pity that our nation is falling apart! Get up! Be the Light! (That was a long statement for telling you I’d save it for another day!)

Emma was enjoying the swings yesterday 

This one doesn’t often take pictures with me...love him!

Loved seeing the kids and adults playing after church.