Vacation Bible School Adventures! Summer Break!

It’s already July! Can you believe it?! We wrapped up June with a week of Vacation Bible School at our church. The week before that, Rogers brother (Mark) came out for a visit.

Roger’s brother came out to visit the day after the kids were done with school. We did some hiking together, went bowling, visited together, and Mark went with Roger to work several of the days he was here. On Thursday of the week of Marks visit, Roger and all the boys went up to northern Maine to visit some friends and go fishing. Emma and I took a spur of the moment trip to Augusta with our friends, Allison and her girls. It was a fun day even if it was raining! Roger and the boys did not catch any fish, but they did have a good time together. Wyatt even came home telling me that he had seen a moose! (It was a dead one, but he had seen a moose!)

So much work for Vacation Bible School has to be done BEFORE the actual event takes place. There has not been very much rest for me until VBS was done. Roger and our pastor worked on the backdrop for our decorations for VBS. On Friday night, June 21, we were all at the church in the evening trying to finish up the backdrop. I ended up taking our kids home while Roger and Mark worked on it. It takes many hands, working on many aspects of VBS, for it to all come together.

We took Mark to Portland on Saturday, June 22. On the way down, we stopped at Fort Popham. We had never been there, but it is free! Although the weather was dreary, God held off the rain while we were looking around at the old fort. We took a walk down the beach, and just enjoyed our time together, God’s creation, and history.


Our Vacation Bible School started on Monday evening, June 24. It’s been a while since our church family has had VBS at night, but by doing it at night we were able to include a few extra volunteers. We spent a good chunk of the morning at the church building putting together the last minute details. I tend to be over-organized when it comes to these types of things, but I’d rather have too much to do, or too many people helping, than to be looking at the clock wondering if it is even moving! Roger and the kids helped me put up verse posters, create games, gather materials, etc. VBS is an event that requires many people to work together. I am so thankful for those who can help with technology, those who are willing to teach or prepare snack, plan and prepare crafts...it all takes so much effort and time! So why do it?! I can think of several reasons, but the main and primary purpose is to point children to Jesus. It is to reach out to our community with the heart cry that “Jesus Saves!”  It is to encourage those children that have already made a profession of faith. VBS provides an opportunity to reach out to families in our community through events for their children. I think that VBS should both encourage children that are already saved as well as give a clear plan of salvation for those children who have never heard the “Good News” that Jesus died and rose again!

Roger had off on Monday and Tuesday, and we did not have a person to do games.  Roger graciously did game time for us, which has to be one of the most challenging jobs. That person doesn’t get a break! There are four sessions of game time and they are back-to-back! We divided the kids into four different age groups, and on the first night we had about 58 kids in the four groups! God is so good!

An older lady in our church agreed to help me with the music time for the kids. Teaching four different age groups music was a bit daunting, but the kids were able to learn the VBS songs so much faster by having individual times. And I think that Mrs. Barbara and I did try to make it fun!


We also did a penny offering every night. We had some ladies come in every night just to help count pennies! We raised pennies for Parakaleo International, which is the mission group that I’ve been  going with to Haiti. I could not believe how many pennies the kids brought in! We had a girls bucket   and a boys bucket, and it was a weight offering. My friend, Allison, told me that when she brought the pennies to the bank this morning (7/1), there were over 18,000 pennies! The kids collected over $500.00 to give to Parakeleo International! Our boys each took some money out of their savings account to give to Haiti. Even a child can understand about another child having less food or clothes than they do. It was exciting to see the kids get involved in giving to this ministry!

On Wednesday the weather was a bit rainy, which God had a hand in that of course. Since it was a bit rainy and foggy, Roger was able to get off of work in time to do games for us! Hooray! On Thursday, God provided another young man from our church too help with game time as Roger was working.

Friday night was our finally night of VBS. All of our kids asked why VBS was so short and only for a week...um, these adults are tired! On Friday night, we invited the families to come for a closing program. The kids did the three songs that they had learned, they quoted the theme verse, and we took the final penny offering. We had a wonderful turn-out of Families. It was very encouraging to see the families stick around for hot dogs, root beer floats, and popcorn. God gave us beautiful weather, and the back lawn was full of kids and parents visiting together. We had also made up presentation boards of other ministries in our church. I think its sometimes easy for families to forget that we have other ministries. We had presentation boards representing our Christian School, our Sunday Childrens Ministries, our teen ministry, and other outreach ministries. While a lot off work and effort had to be made to have the closing program happen, I am so thankful for the opportunities it gave us to reach out to families.

It was a crazy, busy week! It was so crazy that I don’t even think I took more than a few pictures! Running a Vacation Bible School program seems to be much harder than it was ten or fifteen years ago. Nowadays kids are so entertainment driven, and they want everything to be “fun”. Most of the kids that we had come to VBS were not from our church, and most of the kids had the option of   coming or not coming. Ten or fifteen years ago, parents told their kids to “get in the car, you’re  going”. Now it seems that the kids makes many of his/her own decisions. And while I think VBS was “fun”, it was so much more than that. It was an opportunity to plant seeds for eternity. We will never know the impact of such events this side of Heaven, but I do know that God’s Word will not return void. These kids have cemented John 15;13 in their minds. They have learned God’s Word set to music, and they have been given the opportunity to make a personal decision to ask Jesus into their hearts. It was a good week.

And now.....SUMMER BREAK!!! We spent Saturday as a “down” day for our family. We went and had donuts together, and then went for a walk down to the beach and through the woods. The kids set up their tents in the backyard, and went “camping”. Roger set up a tent for Emma, Roger and I. I was about as excited about sleeping in the tent as a bear with his paw in a trap...but I did it anyways! The kids were so excited to have us all camping in the back yard, so I put on my “happy face” and went camping. Well, I made it until about midnight. Then it started raining, and I still hadn’t fallen asleep anyways. I went into the house to make sure the windows were closed...and I decided to climb into my own bed! (Don’t tell!)

The month of July will see Garett and Chandler and Travis off to camp. We are also planning a trip to Wisconsin, and then home in Maine for the entire month of August!

Done!!

It’s over!!! The boys wrapped up the school year on Friday, June 14th! It was a crazy, busy last week of school with the eighth grade graduation, field trips, awards chapel, fun activities, and the last scramble to wrap up the year.

On Monday(June 11), we had our eighth grade graduation in the evening. It was actually fairly well attended, and following the program we had desserts in the fellowship hall. I had offered to make a angel food cake berry roll cake and some gluten free/dairy free dessert. I had shopped for the ingredients in the morning, and after picking up Emma from school, we whipped up our desserts. Yeah, you must pay attention when making lemon curd....otherwise, you’ll quickly end up with lemon scrambled eggs!! I managed to make the second batch without incident, and we finished up the cake. Garett was the only one who wanted to go to the eighth grade graduation, so we went to the graduation. I played the piano for the graduation, and I was certainly blessed by the service. We will miss these eighth graders, and I’m excited to see how God directs their lives.


Tuesday was a field trip for the junior high classes. We had a reservation for an adventure ropes course and zip lines. And it was POURING rain! Needless to say, I woke up with a rather unenthusiastic attitude, as I was supposed to drive and participate at the ropes course. However, just as we pulled into the school yard, I got an e-mail. The director of the ropes course asked if we wanted to re-schedule...um, yes, please!   After talking to Garett’s teacher, contacting the other mom (Allison) that was going to drive also, calling back the director at the ropes course, we scheduled for Wednesday morning. This meant that I would need to switch my music class day, but the teachers were gracious in allowing me to teach on Thursday. Actually, Tuesday was just a gift from God to me! Roger had the day off, and we spent the day at home! I was able to work on various de-cluttering projects around the house, and that made me very happy!

Wednesday dawned a beautiful day to go to the ropes course. Roger had been able to re-work his schedule, so he was able to come with Garett’s class. My friend, Annah, was able to watch Emma after her school day was over. I am so very thankful that God allowed us to be able to re-schedule the field trip for Wednesday. The students seemed to have a great day, and it was so fun. I’m not a huge fan of heights, but I was certainly not going to quit! Josiah and I made it through the course the fastest, and I even went down the high zip line. I was not convinced to do the giant swing! I can still vividly remember the day when I did the giant swing at THE WILDS camp in North Carolina! And that was during my college days!


Thursday was the final awards chapel and music classes for me. Emma did fairly well with the long day probably due in part to the fact that we were having a music class party! The boys each received some type of award during awards chapel. I am thankful for the hard work and good attitudes (most of the time) that they put in during the school year. Garett received an award for Most Improved Student. School work does not come easily to him, so I practically cried when he was awarded this certificate. Chandler was thrilled to find out that he had made honor roll again. He also received an award from his art teacher and music teacher. Wyatt received an award for spelling. He is an excellent speller, and I can see why he was awarded this one. He had a 100% average in the last quarter. Travis didn’t receive an education award, but he did receive an award for Positive Christian Attitude. He is an extremely conscientious student, and he certainly puts forth his best effort.

After the awards chapel, we had our last day of music classes. I would say that overall its been a good year with the students. Sometimes I feel like I’m not a very good motivator, but then other times they surprise me with what they have retained throughout the year. I’m thankful for a break for the summer. If I’m asked to do it again, I would do it again.

Thursday night was spent gathering up our year-end teacher gifts. I wish I would’ve had the time to make something special for each one of them, but the truth is...I didn’t have the time! If I had made the time, it would’ve pulled me away from time spent reading to my kids or spending time to with them. I did have each of the boys write a note to their teachers. I loved reading their notes. We made little baskets or cards for each of their teachers. With having five kids in the school, that was five different notes/gifts! We are so thankful for each of their teachers. Truthfully a small gift card and note seems so insignificant in comparison to how much we love and appreciate each one of them.


On Friday morning we left our house early. I needed to get one more gift card for Garetts teacher. We went through the drive thru at Dunkin Donuts to get a gift card. The cashier had put it in a little gift card envelope. When we got to school, I had Garett put the gift card in the envelope with his note. He pulls out the gift card and says, “this is a weird gift card!’ The gift card read: “If found, please return to one amazing dad!” We had a Father’s Day gift card! Well, we were at school. I needed to play the piano for the last chapel and set up for field day. Oh well! Of course Garett’s teacher was able to laugh with us about the gift card, and it was a memory! Next time we need a gift card, I will be more specific about what I want the card to say!

The final chapel was beautiful. The students have so improved on their singing over the year. I could hardly hold back the tears as I listened to 44 students sing “In Christ Alone”, “Here I am to Worship”, and “Our God is an Awesome God”. It was my privilege to hear them lift their voices to their Heavenly Father.

Friday was a 1/2 day for the students, and it flew by! We had enough parent volunteers to help with a craft station, yard games, water balloons, a foot race, and other fun events. Needless to say, it was an exhausting week, but it was a good week as we wrapped up the school year. This was an extremely fast school year. I learned a lot, prayed a lot, worked a lot, and praised the Lord a lot (still plenty of room for improvement there!). We are so thankful for how God provided financially for the boys to attend the Christian school. We are thankful for their teachers who poured into our children on a daily basis and pointed them to Jesus. We are thankful for how much God continues to answer our prayers. Please, please keep praying that God will both provide 90 students for this next school year, and that He will provide the right staff to fill the positions that need to be filled. We serve an amazing, awesome God!


Roger’s brother, Mark, is here visiting for a few days. We enjoy having guests and family in our home, and Roger has been enjoying some time with his brother. Roger had to work on Sunday (Father’s day) but he and Mark did make it for the evening service at church. We are so very, very thankful for Roger. He works hard to provide for our family, and he works hard to be a great dad to our kids. We made him a rhubarb crisp for Father’s Day, and the kids gave him a nice card.  

 We’ve been having our Sunday night evening services around the fire pit out back. Its a beautiful spot to worship the Lord with the beauty of the harbor, water, sky, and surroundings. It was a great evening of prayer and song. The older I get, the more I realize the importance of prayer. I realize how much room I have for improving upon my prayer life, and that prayer is such an untapped resource and gift from our Good, Good God!

Monday was our first official day of no school. The day was beautiful. Garett went out to the airport for a bit with Roger and Mark. The other kids came with me to work on stuff for Vacation Bible School at the church. We worked on cleaning out the music room, and getting ready for next week of VBS. I am excited about Vacation Bible School next week, and at the same time, I am looking forward to being on the other side and having it behind us. My prayer is that through this evangelistic outreach, God will add families to our body of believers. On the final night of VBS, we plan to have a closing program. We plan to invite the families of the children, and then have a time of fellowship afterwards. We are working on various presentation  boards of ministries in our church. I often think that families come for VBS, but perhaps don’t realize that we also have Sunday School, Children’s Church, Nursery, Teen Ministries, and a Christian School. Perhaps God will add to all of those ministries! Please pray that God will bring the children, that we will be prepared, that the seeds of the Gospel will be planted, and that God will be glorified through us.


On Monday afternoon, the kids and I were invited out to the lake. Our friend, Allison, has a cabin on a lake, and its such a pleasant place to spend the afternoon! It was good to sit and relax! There is No way that I was going to go swimming, but the kids certainly enjoyed themselves! I attended a ladies prayer meeting in the evening, and it was an hour well spent. We praised God, and petitioned Him with our requests. I do believe that spiritual revival is possibly in our land, but are we praying often/regularly for that to happen?

Today was/is Tuesday. We spent the day around home. Roger, Mark and the two older boys were able to spend some time hitting some golf balls. We went bowling in the evening, and played tag on the playground. (There might be some sore adults tomorrow!) Ive been unusually tired lately (for me) but I think I just need some extra rest. The boys are already starting to have sun-kissed skin, and 100s of mosquito bites too! We’ve been checking for ticks nightly, and Chandler and Emma seem to acquire the most. We’ve been pulling ticks off of both of them every day...gross!

God is good...all the time.
Sarah

Mishaps, Adventures and a Baptism!

 

Hooray! We are SO close to finishing up the school year! I know that many of you have been done for days, if not weeks, and I am a wee bit jealous! I don’t think I’ll ever understand the way the east coast sets up their school schedules. However, the alternative would be to school all the children myself-so I’m thankful for school!

This was a wild week! Last Monday, Wyatt and Travis had a field trip to the Maine Aquarium. As with most children, they LOVE to go on field trips! When I picked up the boys from school, I could tell that Travis  was not feeling great. We didn’t even make it out of the school driveway before Travis threw up! He said that he had a headache, and then his stomach was hurting. He didn’t want to tell his teacher because he was worried that he would be sent home for the field trip...that kid!

 Travis was feeling much better by Tuesday morning, but I knew that he should probably lay low. However, I had already committed to go on a field trip with Chandlers class! I took Travis out to the airport where Roger was working. I’m thankful that Travis had a place he could go for a few hours. Chandler’s field trip was local, so I knew I wouldn’t be gone too long. We picked up a fifteen passenger van from Roger’s great boss and then went to the school. We took all of the class, and the teacher, Emma, and my friend, Allison, on the field trip. This trip was to a hiking trail, which the kids really seemed to enjoy. Chandler managed to find an iPhone on one of the trails! That kid has an eye for spotting all kinds of things! He did the right thing by turning it in at the front desk. He told me he would’ve liked to have kept it, but he knew that wouldn’t have been the right thing to do. And sure enough, someone had already called looking for their phone. Emma did a great job walking the trails with the boys from Chandler’s class. She was a bit tuckered out, but she did it. After dropping the students back off at school, and helping them with making their own trail mix, Emma and I went to pick up Travis. He was feeling much better, and he was happily sitting in the office drinking soda! I was happy to head home to work on music lessons plans, laundry, VBS plans, and housework. Travis and Emma were happy to head home and play outside together. It was nice to hear them laugh...and make terribly, big, sloppy
messes...not so nice!


Wyatt had an incident on Tuesday night. As the weather has been slowly getting nicer, the boys have been playing hard outside after school every single day. The kids had a little time after supper, so I told them that they could go back outside. I also asked that they please try not to get too dirty! Just a few moments later, I hear Wyatt come running up the porch steps, “MOM! Help me! MOM!” As a mom of four boys, Ive come to recognize cries of anger, hurt, frustration, etc. However, there is a whole different level of cry for REAL hurt! Blood was streaming from all over his face. So much that it was hard to tell where the blood was coming from! I handed him a dish towel, grabbed ice, more towels, and had him sit down. Eventually we were able to figure out that his nose was the cause of the blood. According to Wyatt, his bike ran into a tree ....and he happened to be on the bike when the bike ran into the tree! The handlebars came up and hit him in the nose and just under his eye socket. His nose swelled up so big that I was worried that it was broken. Roger was at work, so I called my
sister, Hannah. She usually answers when I call her because I don’t call her! I generally send a text, but she says that she knows something is up when I call! Since we were able to get the bleeding to stop, and we knew that our only option would be a long wait in the Emergency Room, we decided to just wait until the morning. Wyatt didn’t sleep very well, as his face was so swollen.

Wednesday is my music class day. I also needed to see about getting Wyatt to the pediatrician office. Chandler woke up with a slight headache. I woke up just plain tired! Emma also had a preschool closing program at eleven. Thankfully, the teachers were all very understanding about the fact that I might need to skip or cut short a music class in order to get Wyatt into the pediatrician office. Roger had off on Wednesday, but he certainly wasn’t able to accomplish much! The pediatric office told me that there was an appointment available for 10:20am. This meant that I would need to either skip a music class or skip Emma’s program! Roger and I decided that I would take Wyatt to the doctors office and Roger would go to Emma’s program. I was a bit disappointed to miss Emma’s  program, but I had seen the program last year. Thankfully, the wait at the doctors office was not long.

The doctor examined Wyatt’s nose and eye, and she confirmed that Wyatt’s nose was not broken. She was a bit worried about the eye socket bone, so she wanted him to get that X-rayed. The back of Wyatts neck was sensitive to the touch, so she was a bit worried about his neck vertebra. So instead of being done, and able to head back to school, we instead headed to the hospital for x-rays. WHILE we were at the doctors office, Roger sent me a picture. Apparently Travis had scraped his fingers on the pavement, and his fingers looked liked he had grated them on a cheese grater!

Off to the hospital we went for X-rays. We were both delighted to find out that we didn’t have a terribly long time to wait. The X-rays were done quickly, and we were on our way. I was pretty sure that the xrays would show that everything was fine, but it would be good to have confirmation of that. Roger and I were both glad to hear that Wyatt had not broken his nose!

We dropped Wyatt back off at school, and picked up Emma. Emma had been glad that Roger had been able to see her program. We were about to head home, but instead decided to turn around and take our boys home. Since Roger had the day off and Wyatt was supposed to lay low; Travis had grated his fingers; Chandler had a headache, it seemed like a good day to go home! All of their teachers were willing to let the boys go home early as we are close to the end of the school year. Chandler’s teacher mentioned that he didn’t seem to be feeling well. Chandler had told his teacher that  he had a headache. Chandler was quiet on the way home, and he immediately crawled into his bed. When he gets these migraines, they seem to wipe him out completely! He threw up a couple of times, slept all afternoon, and then finally started to feel better. I wish we could find out what causes Chandler to get such migraines. He shows no other symptoms other than a terrible headache and then throws up. A few hours later, he will feel better. There was nothing wrong with Garett, but he was happy to come home anyways!

On Thursday it was Garett’s turn to have a field trip. His field trip was out to his teachers home for the day. Emma and I came along and although the day started out dreary, it turned into a beautiful day! We had a great time visiting, playing ball, hiking, and enjoying our time together. When I went to pick up other boys from school, my friend, Claire, brought me a bouquet of flowers. I do enjoy cut flowers, and they were a fun treat for me! I’m so blessed to have loving friends that love me and love our kids.

Friday...it was Friday! Chapel, Hot lunch, prepping for the last week of school, and all the other activities of a Friday.

Saturday we had the opportunity to go to the lake. Roger’s boss and wife have a cabin on the lake, and we were able to go there for part of the day. We raked leaves, had a cookout, and enjoyed one of the first days that felt like summer. The kids got in the lake to go swimming after working, but the water was frigid! It’ll be a while before the water warms up enough for me to want to go in it! I think we were able to be a blessing, and it was good to work together.

Sunday- I had the opportunity to play the piano for the last two Sundays at church, so that has been a special blessing to me. This Sunday Roger had off of work, so he led the singing at church. Its been a long, long time since I’ve played the piano and Roger has led the singing, but it was good to do it again.

After church we headed to the lake for the baptismal service. Our church had four young people that were going to be baptized. Travis had talked with Roger earlier this week about getting baptized. Travis talked with Pastor Mark. Travis doesn’t display a whole lot of emotions but it was a delight to my heart to have him be baptized. He is our fourth son to be baptized, and our hearts desire and prayer is that he would grow in his love for the Lord, and that he would desire to serve Jesus with all of his heart.

It was a busy, busy crazy week! So many experiences that I hadn’t planned on having, but we are blessed!

Our love,
Sarah

May Showers of Blessings!

There is so much I could write about that has happened since my last blog post, but I’ve decided to just hit upon some of our highlights. (After all...who wants to read a book about our lives!?)

June is almost upon us, and we are praising the Lord that the end of another school year is just nine and 1/2 more days of school away! It has been a wonderful year albeit a bit challenging at times. Our kids have been faced with some of their own struggles at school this year, and I’ve been reminded more than once to ask them if they’ve prayed about something or just complained about it. (A good reminder for me also!) Garett and Travis continue to struggle in a few areas of education, but both of their teachers have commented on how hard both boys work at school. I’m proud of them for “sticking the course” and finishing the year strong. Chandler was thrilled to make honor roll last quarter, and he’s working hard to make it for this final quarter. Wyatt continues to sail along through school excelling in most areas. He has other struggles in his life, but school work has come easily for him this year.

A few blessings:
1) Garett and Chandler have been removed from the camp waiting list, and are now scheduled to attend camp in July. Roger and I both have a passion for camp, and we are thrilled to see them have the opportunity to go. It will mean making monetary sacrifices, but camp can change your life. We are already praying that God would do a work in their lives at camp. Will you pray with us?

2) On May 18, the day after my birthday, we took a day as a family. We went to Portland and found some beautiful trails to walk on, as well as a nice park to play at. It was so good to just soak up some time with our family. We are entering the time of year where Roger is gone before the kids get up, and he’s not home until the sun is setting (which is late in the evening!) We are thankful for his job  though, and we rejoice in the great boss that God provided for Roger.


3) Emma and I had a play date with some friends at a park last week. We enjoyed a moment of sunshine! I treasure deep friendships where we can talk the hard stuff in life like parenting moments, failures, music and worship, theological discussions, and so much more. Hannah has been a good friend to me in having those conversations.

4) My friend from college came to visit last week! Elizabeth has been my friend for almost eighteen years! We met at college in the fall of 2001. We have failed to keep in touch as much as we thought we would, but we can pick up right where we left off. Emma and I traveled down to Portland last Thursday to pick up Elizabeth. We were a few minutes early at the bus station, and Emma needed to use the bathroom. While we were in the bathroom the thought crossed my mind, “I bet we will come out of this bathroom stall and meet Elizabeth in here”. Sure enough! I haven’t seen Elizabeth in over seven years, and we met up in the bathroom! Oh well! It was such a fun few days! We visited lighthouses, hiked through the woods, visited little cafes, window shopped, went on an airplane ride, made lobster rolls, and talked for hours! Even after all these years, I can finish her sentences, and she can read my mind sometimes. I treasured the moments and the memories.

5) Roger’s boss was honored at the Portland Seadogs baseball game on Memorial Day. It was a special privilege to attend the game and watch him pitch the opening pitch. Kevin and Terri have supported our family in so many school events, and it was great that we could attend this event that honored Kevin. The day included a lunch for all of our family, beautiful weather, and seven base balls that the boys came home with. We all had a wonderful day!

6) I enjoy getting mail, and this week I received a package for my birthday! Jenna sent me some treats, lip balm, and some headbands for my birthday. It was a pleasant surprise, and it delighted my heart. Jenna is a dear, dear friend, and I am thankful for her thoughtfulness to me.

7) While the school year is wrapping up, along with that comes the deluge of field trips, events, and
 of course, Vacation Bible School is right on the heels of school! Sometimes I just need a listening ear
 to help me through all my jumbled up thoughts and 500 lists that I have going. Allison was able  to come over for coffee and lunch on Thursday, and we talked through many things. We didn’t solve all of the worlds problems, but at least we were able to sort out some lists in our minds!

As we wrap up the month of May, I am thankful for all the blessings that God pours out upon us. We have hard moments, of course, and trials and struggles, but I rejoice in the mountain top experiences also. I’ve been reading through Romans in my Bible reading, and I have been meditating on quite a few passages of Scripture. The one that really “jumped” out at me this week is from Roman 12:10-16 “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you; bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.”   

 These verses are not “suggestions” for Christian living. As a believer these are commands that are given for us to follow in our daily lives. My hearts desire is to live in such a way that people see my testimony and it points them to Jesus. I fail...daily! But I rejoice that His mercies are new every morning!
Our love
Sarah

The Blessings and ...the rest!

(I started this blog post on Thursday, May 16)

It’s the eve of my 36th birthday (gasp)! Somehow I thought that by the time I was this age, I would have figured out how to be a better parent; that I would not  still struggle with getting frustrated and upset with our children; that I would be wiser, skinnier, wealthier, etc.!! Ha! You know what though, in spite of what “I thought” way back when I was in my early twenties, God has blessed me beyond measure! I wouldn’t have ever dreamed that I would be doing life in mid-Coast Maine, with five kiddos! The only part that is exactly as I imagined  is that I am still married to the wonderful man that I loved in my early twenties! By God’s Grace, Roger puts up with me and loves me!

I’m now approaching the middle-age category...or maybe I’m already there!? My life is full, and I am blessed. I’ve been reflecting on a few things in recent days, and I’ve decided that I need to make some changes in this 36th year of life. For one, God doesn’t give out extra brownie points for business. He wants us to be willing vessels, but that may mean that I have to say “no” to something in order to not stretch myself too thin for what God has called me to do...be a wife and a mother. I tend to be a “doer”, God uses that for His honor and glory for sure. However, at times I need to take the time to sit and be still. I always think it’ll be after this one more event, or one more task, or one more opportunity to serve, but yet there is always another need. Are some of these God-orchestrated? Absolutely, yes! Good night, there are way too many pew warmers!! Are you one of them?! But just because the need is there, does not necessarily mean that it’s what God wants Sarah to do with her time and life.


The above paragraph was written on Thursday night, when I was exhausted, tired, and overwhelmed.  Not saying that some of those above statements aren’t true...they surely are! However, it’s amazing         what an encouraging day, some sunshine, friends that love me and pray with me, and an amazing staff
to serve alongside at our Christians school can do for my spirit.

Roger has originally thought that he might be in California on my birthday. His cousin, whom Roger hasn’t seen in years, was getting married. While I knew that the kids and I would miss him, I encouraged Roger to go if it would work out. However, last week Roger decided that the timely was just ill-timed to go to California, so he would stay home.  I was thankful for this as the week    progressed.

Last week was a bit like a tornado, but God is in control of those too! On Monday, I was faced with another student telling me that they weren’t sure if they would be able to make it to the program, and a bit of chaos over the program happening on Friday night. I about wanted to scream, but instead, I  made a few phone calls, a few emails, and God gave grace. Some of the chaos was smoothed over,   and I felt like all the fires were at least under control for a bit!


Emma had Kindergarten screening after school on Monday. The boys played outside while Emma did her screening. I’m not sure if Emma was having a bad day, a rough moment, or if it’s just going to be another child that will struggle with education. I was caught a bit off guard as the screening indicates that Emma is behind on a few things. She seems to do fine at home with numbers and letters and sounds, but she struggled with the screening. It was all so disheartening to me, and I cried the entire way home. Emma had no idea why I was crying, the boys didn’t know how to offer comfort, and it was a long ride home. Mostly I had a battle with the Lord over wanting MY way. I don’t want another child who struggles with education and learning all that is needed for a certain grade. I want something to be EASY! I want Emma to excel in Kindergarten and learning because she’s our child.   Yet in my frustration and tears, I knew that the Holy Spirit was pointing me back to the truth of God’s  Word. As much as I love our children, God loves them more. As much as I want what I think is best
 for them, God KNOWS what is best for them. As much as my mama's heart was/is hurting, God has  a plan that is bigger than I can see. The opportunity to trust Him has presented itself once more. I need to trust Him. The other side of that equation is that we need a lot of wisdom. We need some clear direction on how to help Emma and what steps we can take to try to get her as ready as possible for kindergarten....without either of us losing our minds! I think Emma’s screening was just another dart that Satan threw at me at a terribly discouraging day to start with, and he wanted to see me defeated. But just on Monday morning, I had read from Romans 8. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, and to them that are the called according to his purpose.” Get out of the way, Satan....I’m going to trust my Heavenly Father!


 On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to get coffee with a friend from school. Rachelle is a new mom to our Christian school, and I’ve been wanting to just spend time with her. I was able to practice some parts of the  patriotic Program with the oldest class, and then Emma and I went to have coffee with Rachelle. Allison was able to join us also, and what a sweet, sweet time of fellowship God provided over coffee. A friend had given us a gift card to the coffee shop, and we spent a quick couple of hours just visiting and chatting. It was so refreshing to just sit and visit. We shared burdens, laughter, prayer requests, and some sweet time in prayer before we needed to get on with our day.  I’m thankful that God opened up that door for a visit in Tuesday.

Wednesday was music class and our “dress” rehearsal for the Patriotic Program on Friday. As par for the course, we were missing more students on Wednesday than we have in a long time! Chandler woke Roger and I up on Tuesday night complaining of his headache. He took some medicine, and he  laid down on the couch for a bit. He threw up several times during the night due to his headaches, and I knew he was exhausted on Wednesday morning. He was happy to stay home and get some extra  rest, while I went to school to have program practice. Chandler’s headaches seem to come in waves, and when he gets one, it wipes him out. He didn’t run a fever or have any other symptoms, but he  couldn’t sleep and he threw up about three times. Overall program practice went well, I think. The  kids know mostly what I want them to do, and the teachers are there to provide a leading hand.  Allison said that she would make a program schedule for me if I gave her the information. Oh yes! One less thing for me to do! (She gave it to me to proofread. I forgot a student and she fixed it for  Friday night. The one error that I didn’t catch was the Garett’s name was misspelled! Oh well! I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t caught that one! Chalk it up to a tired, overstimulated brain! )


I was supposed to have a meeting on Wednesday afternoon, but instead Emma and I went home to check on Chandler. He was clearly feeling better as he had eaten about half a pound of bacon, some cereal, oatmeal, and some fruit! That  was just for breakfast! I was happy to see that he was feeling better.

Travis and Emma had doctors appointments on Wednesday after school. They are both healthy and growing well. Emma is tall and skinny, and Travis is tall and skinnier! But after hearing all that Travis likes to eat, the doctor said he has no concerns about his eating habits. Travis plays hard, eats well, and sleeps as soon as his head hits the pillow!



Thursday morning I woke up early. As I do almost every my, I drank coffee, read my Bible, and did my workout. I did have to stop several times and write down somethings  on my to do list! It was a busy and full day of preparing for Friday’s program and hot lunch. I was thankful for Claire and Allison as they both pitched in to help with various things. Roger made a flag holder for me, and  Allison was able to find some patriotic decorations for the program. Emma and I went out to the airport after dropping the boys off at school. Sometimes I pack a lunch for Roger and Emma and I drop it off. Roger was getting ready to head out to one of the islands, but he had some extra room in the plane. He asked if Emma and I would want to come along. I felt like I had 400 things to do, but I could tell this was important to Roger. Besides God had just thrown me an opportunity to slow down, and what was I going to do with it?! Emma and I decided to go on the flight. It was such a good investment of our time. I was able to spend time with some of my favorite people, and it was a beautiful morning!

Friday morning was my birthday...number 36! But who’s counting?! I probably would have forgotten it was my birthday except my kids did remember! I was thankful that Roger was home on Friday morning to help calm nerves, find ties, and help out in so many ways. Although Friday night would be our official performance, the students did a run through of the program for Friday’s chapel.  

When we arrived at school on Friday morning, Mrs. Wheelis gave me a gift for my birthday. It was a great way to start the morning! She’s been a great teacher for Wyatt and Travis and we are so thankful for her. She gave me a birthday bag filled with wonderful smelling body wash, lotions, a candle and chocolate! Emma was thrilled to see the chocolate as that is one of her favorites! It was a very special surprise.

The students did a great job on their chapel performance. I accidentally started to play the wrong song for one of the classes, but we quickly remedied the situation! After the chapel service, Allison gave me a card from the PBA for my birthday. I knew what was in this one, as I had helped buy the gift cards on one of our coffee dates! But a gift card to TJMAXX is always a fun gift!

After hot lunch, Allison and Claire took me out for lunch for my birthday. We could’ve eaten the  hot lunch we made for the students, but I certainly enjoyed the opportunity for fellowship and food. I’m so very thankful for these two mamas! Emma and Lucy (Claire’s daughter) came with us to lunch. As we were leaving the church for my birthday lunch, I noticed some money was missing from the offering plate by the sanctuary. The offering plates were set out for donations to the schools scholarship fund. I had noticed four quarters in the morning, but the quarters were missing as we left the church. I asked Emma about it, and she instantly denied knowing anything about the quarters....but her hands were in her pockets. The little sinner had stolen the offering!  It was not the way I wanted to start off my birthday lunch, and I was a bit discouraged about parenting and disappointed in Emma’s choice of actions. This was not the time or place to deal with the actions, so I made her apologize to Allison (it was Allison that had put the money in there and she had asked  Emma about it also) for taking the offering and for lying about it. Emma also had to tell Roger about  it on Friday afternoon, and then the consequences were dealt out for lying and stealing!


Roger and I had already decided to celebrate my birthday another day as I had a lot going on already on Friday. Roger has provided hours of listening support for me and helping me create some simple decorations.

The staff from the school gave me a very nice birthday card as well as a gift card to a restaurant in appreciation for the Patriotic Program. Hooray! Roger and I can have a date to celebrate my birthday!
Garett’s teacher had her students sign a card and she bought me a corsage to wear for the program. She is such a wonderful leader by example to her junior high class, and I am so appreciative of her. She also gave me a gift card from her class...but we all know who really made that happen! Mrs. Martz  has been a gift from God for Garett’s education this year. I love how God orchestrates exactly what we need.

The PBA  gave me a beautiful bouquet of flowers after the program. While it was a busy and full day, I certainly did feel loved and appreciated! I was exhausted and tired, but so happy and content on Friday night.

The students did a fantastic job on Friday, as their hard work paid off. They sang, participated, and quoted their pieces. The sanctuary was quite full with families and friends. I was thrilled to see Rogers boss and wife there. I was happy with the veterans that we were able to honor. I do believe God was honored as we honored Him and our Country. Our Pastor brought a short devotional  challenge, and the program is complete! I think my favorite part was the playing of the “Armed Forces” medley and seeing the veterans stand. We had at least one veteran from each branch of the service. I hope to see the tradition of a Patriotic Program continue as this is a need in our country.

A few other blessings:
1) On Friday after school, I took the kids through the McDonald’s drive thru for a quick snack on the way home. Another mom from school was ahead of us in line, and she bought the kids treats! What a special blessing!

2) My friend, Allison, had given me a beautiful pair of earring that I wore on Friday night. However, I lost one of them! I was upset as it was the first time I had worn them, and they were a gift. But God allowed that missing earring to show up!

3) Laughter is good medicine. Garett and Chandler would like to go to camp this summer. Garett had the opportunity to go last year, and they would, both like to go this summer. We’ve stepped out in  Faith a bit and have signed them up for camp. However, there is a wait list.  I was discussing this with the boys. Chandler wanted to know why they were in a wait list. He asked if it had something to do with heavier (he used the word fatter) kids being on the top bunk. Were there too many skinny kids and not enough heavier ones to balance out the bunk beds? I was completely lost at sea until I realized that Chandler was hearing “WEIGHT” list!   He thought that it had to do with weight and not with wait! I about fell off my chair, and we all got a good laugh!

4) Another funny moment: A few weeks ago, Emma copied the title off of a book. The letters weren’t all formed correctly, but it was clear she had copied it. She proudly brought it down stairs to show  Roger. Travis was in the kitchen as well, and when he saw Emma’s letters, he told her, “Well, you’re going to jail!” Emma was about to cry, and Roger and I just stared at Travis. Travis repeated, “Yes, my teacher said that if you copy out of books it is illegal! People can go to jail for illegal stuff!” I’m sure that his teacher had been stressing the importance of the students doing their own work for the academic fair, but Travis was convinced that Emma was going to jail! Once we got Emma to stop wailing about going to jail, and Travis to calm down, Roger and I sure did get a chuckle!

It was a busy and full week! The state of Maine legislation made some horrific decisions this week. They have agreed to allow taxpayer dollars to fund abortions. They’ve made vaccinations mandatory for public education. (I’m not opposed to vaccinations. I’m opposed to the government forcing parents to do it.) And they agreed to go with the National popular vote for elections. It’s all very disheartening, and it’s easy to get discouraged. However, I want to end with this passage from Romans 8 (the book of the Bible I’m reading right now).

37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Waiting and Praying

Ever have moments where you realize you are just weary? Then you find yourself clinging to the promises from God’s Word? I am beyond thankful for God and His Word. Without Him, my life would feel empty and meaningless. I am thankful that He is the “great I AM”. I am doing a Bible study online with a few other ladies in our online virtual gym. We’ve been studying the “I am” statements, and it has been refreshing and encouraging.

Last week was so crazy that I’m really not even going to tell all the details that I might normally tell. It was teacher appreciation week, and while I’m happy to have served, it was tiring! A few of us planted succulents, made a luncheon, bought coffee cards, made a breakfast,  and created baskets of little odds and ends.  Because our parent group is a tad small, I had the opportunity to serve on many occasions last week...as well as enjoy a luncheon, a coffee gift card, a succulent, and a basket of goodies. All in all, it was a great teachers week, and by the time Friday rolled around, I was so thankful!

Our students continue to prepare and work hard on the Patriotic Program. Its hard to believe that it will take place this Friday...also my 36th birthday! I am so thankful for all of the students that have done what I have asked, even when it was hard! I wish I knew how to encourage a few to give it their 100% best effort, but I think that becomes an issue of the heart and obedience, and not something that can be solved in music class. They are a great group of kids, and I’m so proud of them. They’ll be singing the “Star-Spangled Banner”, “This is My Country”, “This Land is Your Land”, “Flag of the Free”,  and the “Statue of Liberty”. Several of the older students are working on Scripture passages, and quotes from Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, Francis Scott Key, and Ronald Reagan. I am really looking forward to it all coming together. And I’d be lying if I said I was not nervous about it! Roger
 has been my sounding board for so many things. My friend, Allison, has provided many moments of
listening ears as I think and work through ideas.

I am not sure what God has in store for the Patriotic Program, but the attacks from Satan have been strong and steady on this one! It’s been one hurdle after another, and just when I think we’ve hit smooth sailing, something else has popped up. Perhaps after the program, I’ll be able to give a few more details. For now though, I would just covet your prayers. I’m asking that first and foremost that God will be glorified. I’m asking that the students would give their best efforts, and let God work through them. I’m asking God to allow the message of salvation to go forward unhindered, and that the seeds of Good News will be planted. I’m asking for calmness of heart for me as well as peace of mind. God is good, and He is faithful!

Friday provided us with the opportunity to help the ladies in our church set up some tables for the Give-Away Sale. Every year, our church hosts a give away sale, where everything is free. I never know where all the stuff come from, but every year there is an abundance! The kids helped haul in boxes from the garage, set stuff on table, and of course, they found a few treasures in the process! We did bring more stuff to the give-away than we brought home!  Oh well, it was fun for them. I found a beautiful quilt at the give away that I was delighted to bring home.



Also on Friday, I was given a bouquet of flowers from our administrator. I do enjoy tulips!

On Saturday morning, I had the rare opportunity to go out with my sister, Hannah, for a bit. I don’t
get to see her nearly as often as I’d like, so I savor the opportunities! Emma came with me, as Roger had many things that he was trying to get done around the house. Emma did very, very well, but its not quite the same as when its just Hannah and I. I was thankful for the time spent together shopping and finding some bargains. As usual, the majority of what I purchased was food!!

On Saturday evening, we went to the Philbrook’s for a birthday party. Their oldest girl, Emma, is in Garetts class at school. And we are friends with their family, so it was nice to go to a low-key, casual event! It was a fun evening.

Roger had also taken the boys fishing on Saturday, and Chandler was stoked that he had caught a trout! It was a fun time for the boys and Roger.


Last Wednesday, we had an early release day from school. Roger also had the day off, and the weather was beautiful! We spent the afternoon tromping around on some trails at a park near our house. The boys stuck their feet in the water, but not this mama! It was a fun afternoon. The ticks are bad again this year, so we spend time every evening looking through heads of hair for ticks. Not very fun, but kinda necessary right now!

Sunday was Mothers Day. Who decided that Mothers Day should be on a Sunday?! I had the opportunity to to play the piano at another local church. Although I was nervous, God helped me through it all. I had the opportunity to play a piano special for the offertory, and I was reminded that it has been quite a LONG time since I have done that!


It was just another day in paradise, but that’s okay. Roger is a great father to our children, and I am thankful for the balance he provides in our home and in our marriage. Its not all roses, but it is a work in progress. The older I get, the more I realize that the most precious gift I could ever be given for Mothers Day is not a tangible one. Its knowing our children have asked Christ into their hearts. It’s seeing our children love and serve God with all of their hearts. (It might not look exactly how I think it should, but knowing God is at work in their lives is a gift.) Those aren’t tangible gifts, but those are the desires of my heart. I’m continuing to pray for our children.

3 John 1:4

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” 

Blessings and Our Children’s Requests

Here we are in May already! I feel like I just posted that we were now in April!! May and June are the crazy, busy downhill, all-out race to the finish line of the last day of school! The kids are ready to be done;  the teachers are quickly approaching that point also, and it looks like we might even get a few days that feel like spring!

Last week we had a lot of rain (again). However, God gave us many blessings last week also. The kids had been praying specifically about some recess/playground situations at school. As their parents  we had the opportunity to help them work on their attitudes, be respectful, and pray about the situation. As the students, it is there job to honor and respect their authorities. As their parents, it’s our job to help them with their situations. God provided opportunities for both of us. I was delighted to hear the kids come home one day later in the week and describe to us their excitement over how God answered their prayers. It was exciting to hear them praise the Lord in their prayers over how He had answered them.

I had the unexpected opportunity to accompany Wyatt and Travis’s class on a field trip to the candle making shop. I had not planned on going on this field trip simply because well, I do a lot already...and Roger was working....so Emma was with me! However, my friend, Claire, called me to see if I could drive as there was an issue with one of the vehicles  that was supposed to take the children. As I usually do in a pinch, I called Roger! Rogers boss graciously offered to let us use a van for the field trip. Emma was able to come with me, and the problem was solved! It was a fun field trip to learn about hand dipped candles, and all the work that goes into that process! The shop even let the children pour a candle, and it was so fun for them.

I am feeling a bit overwhelmed by the Patriotic Program next week. I envisioned this easy and simple plan, but it’s not been quite as simple as I dreamed! The students are doing a fantastic job of memorizing songs, poems, Bible verses, and handbell pieces. This will be an event to honor our veterans and those that have served in the Armed Forces as well as a time to point people to Jesus  through this program. I’m thankful that our pastor is willing to share the Good News that Jesus came  to seek and to save us from our sins at every opportunity. I would appreciate your prayers as I work through many small but important details over the next ten days. We live in a great country, and we are so blessed to  be Americans!

Allison and I were able to squeeze in a coffee date on Friday, but it was more of an “errand” date. We had to buy some things for teacher appreciation week this week, purchase a few things for hot lunch, and the time flew by! I told Allison that it really wasn’t a good date, and we needed another one  soon!

After hot lunch, Claire and I planted succulents for the teachers appreciation week. Claire had found that little pots, and we were able to get the job done quickly. The parents group has something planned for the teachers every day next week. (May 6-10) We are giving them plants on Monday. We are having a teacher luncheon on Tuesday. On Wednesday we have coffee gift cards for each teacher.  Thursday will be a breakfast. And on Friday we have made baskets of goodies and treats for each teacher. Being small in number in the parents group means that I have the opportunity to both help and be on the receiving end of the gifts.

Saturday morning found us at the church for a work day. People came out in droves to help us clean up the church yard, pick up trash, and clean windows! Okay, that’s a lie, but it was still a productive morning! We had about eight kids (five of them being ours) and about seven adults. However, the spirit of unity was present. It really was a good morning. The kids were thrilled to have donuts and chocolate milk as a reward for their labor.

Chandler had been invited to a birthday party on Saturday afternoon. I knew Allison was planning to take her daughter, so I originally planned to drop chandler off and go grocery shopping. But God had  other plans. When I dropped off Chandler, I just felt such a sense that I should stay at the party. It was
 held at an indoor gym place, and Chandler was excited to go. Another mom from the school came also, and it was a sweet time of visiting as the kids played at the party. It really was a good use of my time, and Chandler told me that he was glad that I had stayed at the party. (Even though then he had to go grocery shopping afterwards!)

A few blessings from this week:
1) We wrapped up our children’s program at church. I was able to find an app that allowed me to design my own certificates for the children in my group. I wanted to give them a small gift, but we are on a limited budget. I decided to see if McDonald’s would give me coupons for ice cream cones. The first McDonald’s we went to was unable to help me as the store manager wasn’t available. Chandler and I decided to ask at the other McDonald’s in the next town. The manager was helpful and offered to go and look for some coupons. She found ten coupons for free ice cream. Guess how many coupons I needed?! Yes, ten! Praise the Lord!

2) We had a prayer breakfast on Sunday morning at church. We also had a little continental breakfast before the prayer meeting. Our children are FAR from perfect,  but it was a special blessing to me to see them wait for the older folks in church to go through the food line first. Far too often, it seems that children are rushing to be the first in line for dinners...and it drives me crazy! Even if...that’s a big if...we did run out of food before the children got in the line, they still would not starve.   It’s taken literally years of work, but I was delighted to not have to remind the kids to wait for the older folks...they did it in their own.

3) Someone gave a generous gift of money towards our children’s school bill! It is a great and wonderful privilege for our children to attend the Christian school, and I am just in awe of how many ways God has provided for their education! God is so good!

4) I wrote down four blessings, but now I can’t remember what this one was. So I’ll close with just how wonderful God is to us. He bountifully bestows His blessings on His children. His mercies are new every morning, and Great is His faithfulness!

I will be playing the piano for another local church on Sunday. While I enjoy this opportunity, I am always a bit nervous about messing up some of the songs. Please just pray with me that God will be glorified.

Our love,
Sarah