okay here we go...

This is still very fresh, but Paul and I have had time to pray and talk it over with friends, family, and mentors.

Paul got in from visiting family briefly in Muskogee on Saturday night. He went to finish setting things up to be ready for service on Sunday. After leading Worship on Sunday, Paul went in to work, which is usually his day off. but because I was coming back into Colorado the next day, Tuesday, and because he was going to have to go to Denver to pick me up. He chose to work Monday. That afternoon, the minister, and one other Elder met with him. They talked to him briefly and said, they thought it is best if Paul would resign. (Just to be clear, there are NO moral issues involved!) This came as a huge shock, we have had our struggles, but it had only been 18 mo.

There are a lot of reasons for resigning most are small and insignificant, the greatest cause was because we are not the fit for Grandview. All in all, I feel that we were not given much time to adjust to the difference in culture. We felt as if we were just coming accustom to things when they asked for us to leave.

We care a great deal for Grandview, and Trust God's hand is in this. Although we are so glade to have served there, our time has come to an end. It has been the hardest most exhausting year and half of our lives. But we have learned a lot being there. I feel as if we have learned 5 yrs worth of experience in just 1 1/2 years.

God is so good and continues to take care of us. They gave Paul a choice of taking the kids to CIY or not, Paul chose to do so. After that our responsibilities were done, but are paid until August. We put our house on the market, packed up what we could, and said some quick goodbyes, then left for Muskogee, with plans to return soon. Here we are at Paul's parents until we see were God is leading us to next. In the mean time Paul is looking for a job both here in Muskogee to get us through the transitional time and one for the future

We are not done with Ministry. We learned too much in this last one to be through, we feel as if we were just getting started with even more to learn.

God has been wonderful in providing encouragement both to Me and Paul.
The beginning of last month before we knew of anything. Paul went to Camp at Camp Como. There he was encouraged greatly by other youth ministers and even by one in particular who talked a long time with him. God knew he would need these as reminders that Paul is in the ministry He had called him too. God had continued to encourage him even after the event through friends, family, and mentors. For this I am VERY thankful.


God has encouraged me too, by giving me scripture or a song on my mind each morning I awoke for the first week. He is ever so faithful and is my comforter. Although it is a scary time, things can look more like an adventure when God is ever so present. When things don't make sense and even seem unfair, We can make it when We know that God is on our side.

CIY

Wow! Is the first words to my mind. It was a great week! Very informative and very inspiring. The weekend before we went to Noah's ark which is a camping, rafting, and rock climbing place. We stayed two nights and had only 3 of our kids with us for the first night. We cooked out on Paul's pocket rocket, because we thought there was burn bane, but found out later there wasn't. The funny thing was the next day we went to get fire wood and the burn bane came in effect that night.
the first day we went white water rafting, which was a BLAST! The kids seemed to really enjoy it too. Later that night the other 2 kids arrived and joined us for frito chilli pie and smores over the pocket rocket. very funny site to see.
After freezing our tails off for two nights we got into Durango to go to the conference. The first day was focused on Samuel, we learned about how he listened to God and then God spoke mighty things through Samuel. Then we learned about Rahab, the prostitute, and how even though we may have a past, God can and will still use us, we need only to be willing. Thursday was the most intense day. We learned about Radshack, Meshack, and Abendigo (spelling is wrong I know) and how they were faithful in the small and became faithful in the big and God showed his great power through them! That night we also got to hear of Awjai Lawll Speak (spelling again is wrong) He is a minister in India, who has planted over 500 churches and has been persecuted for the faith. He shared many amazing, awe-inspiring stories about those who have been faithful for the cause of the Gospel. After He spoke we watched a documentary by CIY called "love cost everything" it is about the persecuted church and how it is the number one persecuted group in the world right now. They mentioned that if you care anything about human rights you should care about the persecuted christians. It was almost overwhelming, but completely eye opening. It made all my troubles seem like nothing. The last day we talked about John the baptist and how his job was to prepare the way for the Lord. How his life pointed to Christ and how ours should too!
The kids that went got a lot out of it, I think. Most of them it was their first time to CIY. I think CIY will have as great an impact in their life as it did ours.
I am very thankful we went to CIY. It was not only a great conference, but it allowed us to have some great time and memories with the kids before we left. Those kids are amazing and we truely love them. I got to see some really neat things that week in the lives of the two girls I was with most of the time. One of the girls whom I have known the whole 18 mo we were in Canon, finally allowed me to see a glimps of her heart this week, and I loved what I saw. She has an amazing spirit and such a desire to serve God and lead others to him. She has such the gift in leadership, I am praying that she uses it this year to lead the youth group since they are now with out a youth paster for a little while. She has been their only constant person and they need her to lead them. The other girl is so sweet and tender, but she realized how quickly she lets other dictate her. She desires now to lead others, she will be a gentle leader, one who will lead more with passion and actions then anything, which is exactly what is needed! I am so thankful for the short time I had with them, they have taught me so much. Lessons that Paul and I will treasure, and may not have been able to see as clearly if things were not happening the way they are.

Sometime in Muskogee

After a while of processing what to do while Paul was at camp. We decided to fly me and the girls down to spend some time in Muskogee for Eden's birthday and while Paul did camps. We got in just before Eden's birthday and had an amazing time, all for the fact that her daddy couldn't be there. It was a watermelon theme party with an amazing cake made by one of my friends. We played in the water, even though Eden would screem anytime she was brought near the water.
We then had lots of time with Aunt Haley, cousin Alexa, Aunt Tara, cousin Piper and Miley, Granny, Pepaw, Nana, Papa, and more.
After the first week Nana and Papa left to go on a cruise in the Metateranian. So we spent the next week at Granny and Pewpas. It was fun and we enjoyed it tramendously.
Paul even got to join us for a few days inbetween camps. We went to the aquarium and to the water park. We made sure we had a blast here in Oklahoma before we went back to Colorado.
After 2 1/2 weeks I flew back to Colorado to join Paul and go with him to CIY.
The girls then got to spend another week and half in Muskogee waiting on their mommy and Daddy to get back.

Eden's first birthday

Eden turned one!

She is 17.3 lbs

27 inches long

less the 5th %

She is little, but she eats a lot! Her personality is soo much fun. She maybe shy at first, but if you take a moment to get to know her you realize how sweet she is. She loves to flirt and tease, most of all she loves to be held. She has such a sweet smile that just gets you every time. She also has a stinker smile that she gives when she is being ornery. She is learning to stand up for her self and is a quick crawler to get away from her sister. She may be little but she compensates with how she eats. She loves food, and never seems to get full.. She also compensates for her smallness by being loud when she needs to be. If she doesn't think something is just she will let you know. Such as when she doesn't have your attention or if Haddie is annoying her. She also loves her schedule, but she is doing better with being flexible

so much to say...

There are so many things I need to post and update. So over the next few days or so I will posting updates on our life. A lot has happened over the last month and lot needs to be said! Eden turned one, I spent some time in Muskogee, we left Canon City and we went to CIY, then we moved to Muskogee. These and more will be coming in detail in the next few days.

God is doing something, we may not be sure what just yet, But we trust that it will be good and very much an adventure!

my heart hurts

"It would be such a great day to be rid of those filthy Christians who are obviously every reason that this Earth is in utter chaos at the moment. If we didn't have Christians, we would be in a world with nothing but like-minded, rational people. Since absolutely no rational or intellectual Christian exists on this Earth, it would be best if they just left."

Someone I know posted a video of what if the christians all got raptured and what the world would be like. That was a comment from someone on the video.

It hurts my heart. I hurts my heart, to see that people think so badly of Christians. It hurts my heart that there had been christians who made such a terrible example of us all to this person. It hurts my heart that there are sooo many more christians who care more about themselves then about their love for God. It hurts my heart that so many have met a christian who don't lead their lives to God, but instead away from him. I am crying now thinking of three people I love so very dearly who care nothing for God or his followers because of other who claimed Christianity yet left such a bad taste in their mouth that they want nothing to do with HIM.

I am heart broken to here that unbelievers want us gone because they have met too many who are not nice, but are unkind, even mean.

I am sorry to all of you! I am sorry that someone who carried the banner I live for was not living in the way our Lord asked them to! I am sorry that because of them you think I am just as fake. I am sorry that you think we are all alike! I am sorry that you were not shown the unconditional love that we stand for. I am sorry that you didn't feel God's ever increasing grace, even though we have been given so much more and need it ever still. I am sorry that we did not show you God, yet instead you saw a hypocrite, a fake, someone who is not what a christian should look like.

I hope you meet other Christians, but one that lives true to what we stand for. One that reflects the character and love of God! Several who live as Christ did, the whole reason why we call ourselves christians in the first place. I pray that all the other christians you meet from this day forward are those who point their life to God and live that way. So that you may see what christians should look like...

Spiritual Retreat

It had been a really rough last couple of months. We had been stressed and were worn out. Luckily, Jay, the minister at the church, realized this and made it mandatory that Paul and I go off on a spiritual retreat. We were making planes to go with the kids. When Paul was told that it could not be with the kids.Well, like I said it has been a rough couple of months. I freaked out. The reason I freaked out was because everyone that we know and trust to keep our kids for three nights were very busy, two of them JUST (or was about to) had a baby. I didn't just want to send them off to someone that they don't know very well, and two kids under the age of 3, is a little much. It also would be the first time to stay the night way from Eden. I would not be able to relax if I was worrying about the girls. I told my concerns, Jay then said that in the budget for the retreat is enough to fly someone down from Oklahoma to watch our girls. So of course I called my parents and their wonderful employee's let them go.With this relief we were off to Glen Eyrie Castle.

Glen Eyrie Castle is a retreat, conference center, and (yes) an actual Castle. They have over 800 acres of hiking and walking and just absolute beauty. It is tucked away in Colorado Springs right next to the Garden of the Gods in a little canyon. It is owned by the Navigators, but was built by General Palmer of the Civil War. Beautiful Castle, we took a tour. But we didn't stay in there we stayed in a Cabin with others who were doing the retreat.

The retreat was great. We met with everyone at breakfast and then for worship then we were off to go spend time with the Lord however we saw fit. We went hiking and walking, took naps free to just relaxed and spent the day with the Lord. then that evening we met up with everyone again for Dinner and little devo. We were then free again to go about with what we were doing. It was very relaxed and the schedule was very loose and free. It was so great to have that time to just get away with God.

Both Paul and I really enjoyed it. We want to go back and spend a week next time. I couldn't believe the amazing hospitality. I would recommend it to anyone!

I am very thankful that we got to go on this retreat, very thankful that the church sent me too, and that they flew my parents down to watch the girls.

It reminded of how much I need God and my need to stop and make sure I get quality time with him. It was a great time and a great reminder!