Well…I made it!  This past Saturday I completed my ordination process culminating in a questioning session in various catagories of theology.  Below are the men that sat on my council and “grilled” me with some good questions.

I did enjoy the whole process and liken it to a motor boat going through shallow water (does that mean I’m shallow??) …as I did this, it stirred up so much more that I want to be learning about God’s characteristics and his works.  Sometimes we get stuck doing the same thing over and over and aren’t challenging ourselves to yearn for God in deeper ways through various experiences.  I hope to pursue God with greater determination and process my understandings of him more often in “council” type settings.  Where people can “grill” each other in a communal sort of way for a greater understanding in all of us.  God has made us diverse so that we can know some of his vastness even more.
Anyway, after June 18th when I have the recognition service you definitely don’t  have to call me “reverened”!!! (everyone asks me that…)
It was a very special time, both confriming/encouraging and chanllenging…but it doesn’t make me any more special (that makes it sound like i think i’m special…i guess we all are ) than I was on Friday.   Same ol’ me!

Happy Mother’s Day to all you mom’s out there. I know that I have been blessed in my life by my mom!!

The month of May is a big celebration time for our family…Mandy’s birthday and mothers day both come at the beginning half of the month. This year for Mandy’s birthday, the girls and I woke up early and made breakfast while she was still asleep. The girls were SO Excited to suprise mommy in bed with a tray of breakfast!

Yesterday for mother’s day we went to Church…Johnny preached a great sermon on widows that also applied to mothers. (although Mandy and I were wondering why the Bible was so specific about some of the qualifications of a widow…shouldn’t we merely take care of all widows in need?? maybe for another discussion sometime)…then we got some Boston Market for lunch (gotta love the sirloin!)…then Mandy napped while the girls and I made her favorite – carrot cake…then we loaded in the car and went to get some potted flowers for Mandy to put on the back patio (here’s a pic of one of the roses on the rosebush Mandy picked out).

After getting some flowers, we joined some friends for a mothers day grill-out and shared our carrot cake with all (don’t worry, there is still some left to bring home and enjoy later)

We want to congratulate and join Sarah and Clint (my sister and brother-in-law) in welcoming Timothy to the larger family!! He was born today at 2:29 a.m. weighing in at 7lbs. 6oz.! We are glad to hear that all is well.

Today it is National Day of Prayer, the first Thursday in May designated during Ronald Regan’s term, and I must admit we were drawn to our local prayer gathering by a big name speaker Louie Giglio. If you are not familiar with Louie he is a pastor in Georga and has helped begin and shape the Passion worship “movement”. (that would be a pretty lame description so check it out on your own http://www.christnotes.org/_louie-giglio.asp ) So we found ourselves at Long’s Park enjoying the spring time sunshine in our faces, the crisp grass beneath our feet, sitting in those colapsable chairs, eating sandwiches and drinking root beer. All the while our girls are running around talking with friends and checking out what others are getting to eat. Soon the evening’s activities begin on the stage of this outdoor ampatheater. There is a choir and several government officials doing official things (“so in so can’t be here tonight but he sent me and I am so priveledge to be here” yada yada yada…) We have a good prayer time with small groups and then return to the choir. Still being true to my divided heart I am thinking “when does Louie come on”. My girls on the other hand have found great interest in watching a group of flag dancers who have come to worship along with the music. As the night progresses the girls pick up their own blanket (since we don’t have flags) and begin mimicing the flag dances. One friend noted “you have some very charasmatic girls” And finally Louie takes the stage. He challenged us this evening with his well known heart cry “Life is not about us, it is all about God! Live for God’s glory not for our own”. When all is done and most people are headed home Brian heads down to try to talk with Louie and invite him to speak at our Vision Conference. We actually have the opportunity to speak with him for a little bit and the conversation does not go as I would have assumed, before we can even get to the confernce info Louie notices my Texas Ranger Tshirt and hat and makes note of it asking if I am a fan all the way up here in PA. Well yes I am Louie, in fact maybe a little obssesed (we have not had our TV on in weeks but I have only missed listening to a few of the Ranger games this sesson.) Louie tells me that when I see Kevin Mench (Rangers outfielder who had a string of games with homeruns in it recently and gave the credit to finally getting the right size shoe) that I should think of Louie because Kevin is on Louie’s fantasy baseball team. We then sit and talk fantasy baseball for awhile – now that is just amazing I was struck by Louie’s incredible ability to conect with people in a short amount of time. My friend Beau asked Louie “so how do you play fantasy baseball to the gloryof God?” and Louie said “well I am not sure and don’t ask my wife that one” We did get to talk to him about Vision so maybe he will be coming our way again and we can sit and talk deep theology and baseball, what better things to talk about on a cool spring night in May.
-Mandy

We have had several beautiful days recently and have enjoyed being outside, or as they say here “out of doors”.  Last year we had a small garden of three tomato plants and had great fun with it!  The girls loved watering the plants and harvesting the red tomatos.  So this year we decided to plant five plants and three pepper plants.  Should be fun and yummy!!

Here are the girls after their proud work.  Addie and Emma had great fun digging in the dirt and filling the holes with compost dirt and the plants.  Of course in the process they had to race each other and throw dirt all over the place ( I often found myself being covered in dirt).   Isabelle loves playing in dirt!!  She happily sat feeling the dirt and putting handfull after handful on her head.