The Countdown is On...
Hi everyone! I just wanted to give you a little update on the progress here. We move one week from today! I can't believe it! We are doing well on getting packed up but I'm not doing well at living in a state of chaos! Things are boxed and stacked and there is clutter everywhere. When I think about loading all of my stuff onto a truck and moving it for the 8th time, I cringe! I take comfort in the fact that the Lord is behind this 100%, and He will help me move again. (But it is still no fun!)
Please pray for Northside. We are praying God will send them a good man to pick up the mantle here and go forward. The people are starting to perk up a little and think about the future, so that's a blessing. They are such sweet people! Whomever God does send is one blessed family! I am really getting excited about our move. I have been setting goals and making plans. It is fun to think about starting over fresh. I have made mistakes here, and I hope to have learned from those mistakes. It's nice to think about having a "clean slate." I know I will make mistakes there, but I hope not the same ones!
As for our move, this is the order in which I do things every time I move: (I've highlighted the step I'm at now)
1. Sort items in drawers, closets, etc. - Here are my categories: give away, throw away, yard sale and storage. After eight moves, I'm very hard-hearted. My throw away, yard sale or give away piles are huge! You wanna know if you should keep something or not? Ask yourself, "Would I be willing to move this eight times?" And you'll have your answer! (Haha!)
2. Pack all items for storage.
3. Clean and pack away items such as fans, seasonal decorations, etc.
4. Remove all items from walls, dust/clean and pack.
5. Pack items from closets. (Blankets, clothes we don't wear a lot, etc.)
6. I save the kitchen and bathrooms for last.
Since about three-four moves ago, I've been buying bubble wrap for the fragile items. It costs more than newspaper, but it's worth it! Things are safer and my dishes do not need to be washed upon unpacking when I use bubble wrap.
I leave these areas for my husband: Garage and Yard. He takes sole ownership of these and I have no say. I'd just like to say that I enjoy having no say over this. I have my hands full with the other 3,200 square feet! (3,800 square feet total)
Another update, we did some checking on local Internet access in Hope. There is a company that offers it, but it is way out of our price range. AT&T, our local phone company there, doesn't even offer dial-up!! We are going to do more checking after we get settled. We may try going wireless to see if that works. Or, we may not have it. :[ If not, that's okay. I know I'll make it. I will miss all of you though! You all have been so great to me to read my blog and comment or email me. Thank you so much.
Just a thought...
We recently found out that a local pastor has resigned his church and left his wife. It is heart breaking. We just saw them at a restaurant recently. She is such a sweet lady and they have two kids. I am reminded of some important things:
1. I need to keep a close walk with the Lord at all times.
2. I need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's nudging and/or screaming. A good rule of thumb is, when in doubt, DON'T!
3. I need to help and encourage my husband in his walk with the Lord in every way I can.
4. I need to pray for my husband and our marriage.
5. I need to be on guard against "the adulteress who hunts for the precious life".
6. I need to be sure that I am not portraying any of the characteristics of the adulteress myself!
This is a wake up call. I think of 1 Cor. 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. I want to take heed now before it's too late!
Showing posts with label family news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family news. Show all posts
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Lauren's Prayers Are Answered!
I've been eagerly awaiting the day when I could make this important announcement. Terry has resigned as Pastor here at Northside Baptist Church and has accepted the pastorate of Grace Baptist Church in Hope, Arkansas. We are taking a church that not only has children, but teenagers as well! Lauren's prayers have been answered! That's right, God heard, and indeed answered, an eight year old girl's prayers! What a mighty God we serve, and how wonderful He is to us!
We usually take our annual trip to Arkansas around the first part of May, but when Terry was asked to preach in view of a call in Hope on April 20th, we moved our vacation up a wee bit.We were not looking for a place to go. In fact, the Lord has really been blessing our work here - oh, not by giving us huge numbers or large offerings, but in baby steps. Here a little, there a little. We have been anticipating great things in 2008 - and trust me, a move was not one of them. Here are a few interesting things about all of this that really meant nothing until we received the call to Grace Baptist Church:
1. As stated before, we were not looking to leave. This was all done in God's timing. An evangelist friend felt he should put our name in at this church, and it was of the Lord. They phoned Terry on April 2nd, and he drove to Hope to meet them on April 4th. They asked him to preach on April 20th. He preached there and we were called, unanimously, on April 27, 2008. That can only be the Lord!
2. We have had a real peace that God would bless our efforts to serve Him here, even when the battles were great. I've been using Hebrews 11:6 as my strength. It says: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Again, I was expecting the rewards to be given here in Burnet, but God had other plans.
3. We did not notice until after we were asked to go in view of a call that the stationary Terry had printed (at a costly amount) back in February did not have his name as Pastor on it! He did not do this intentionally, but I do not believe it was a coincidence. The church can continue to use this stationary after we are gone.
4. We are almost through with school for the year. This is a blessing! The children will not be uprooted from a school and friends because we home school...another benefit.
5. Terry had just discontinued our website (biblewaytexas.com) in mid March! (Although, as of now, it may still be going.) He simply felt he should end it. Again, it was of the Lord.
6. I have been unable to decide what theme to go with for a Mother/Daughter banquet. The Lord seemed silent on this subject, so I had decided to not have one this year.
7. I had just discontinued my monthly ladies newsletter due to financial and time constraints.
None of the above seemed very extraordinary at the time, but now, it seems clear it was God guiding us all along the way.
We make our move on May 15th! Grace Baptist Church is full of loving people. We had a feeling of being at home from the moment we walked through the door. The thought of packing and moving doesn't exactly thrill me, but at least I've got experience. :o) This will be my 8th move in 10 years of marriage. Yes, please pray for me.The church has a parsonage. I am unsure of the address as of this time, but I'll be posting my new information soon.
I praise the Lord for the success He's granted us here at Northside. We have not accrued any debt in the church's name. We have not seen the church split over something minute. We have seen souls saved on soul winning, and one saved in church. We have conducted a successful VBS (with only a few workers) and saw 7 girls saved. We've held Bible Institute classes, and a Ladies Bible Study. We have started Super Church. We have taken on five new missionaries for a total of 14. We have done a lot of work on the church building and parsonage. We are thankful to be able to say that we are leaving it better than we found it.
It will not be easy to say goodbye. We are dreading it. Please pray for us, the people here, and for the church to find a pastor quickly.I suppose my "Life in the Hill Country" is about to come to a close. I'm thankful that my life hasn't yet! :o) I am not sure if we will have Internet access in Hope. If so, I'll be starting a new blog. If not, well, I guess this will be it for a while.
Thanks for staying with me, guys. I hope we can keep in touch. Until then, I'll be keeping you posted on the joys of packing, moving and starting over...again!
We usually take our annual trip to Arkansas around the first part of May, but when Terry was asked to preach in view of a call in Hope on April 20th, we moved our vacation up a wee bit.We were not looking for a place to go. In fact, the Lord has really been blessing our work here - oh, not by giving us huge numbers or large offerings, but in baby steps. Here a little, there a little. We have been anticipating great things in 2008 - and trust me, a move was not one of them. Here are a few interesting things about all of this that really meant nothing until we received the call to Grace Baptist Church:
1. As stated before, we were not looking to leave. This was all done in God's timing. An evangelist friend felt he should put our name in at this church, and it was of the Lord. They phoned Terry on April 2nd, and he drove to Hope to meet them on April 4th. They asked him to preach on April 20th. He preached there and we were called, unanimously, on April 27, 2008. That can only be the Lord!
2. We have had a real peace that God would bless our efforts to serve Him here, even when the battles were great. I've been using Hebrews 11:6 as my strength. It says: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Again, I was expecting the rewards to be given here in Burnet, but God had other plans.
3. We did not notice until after we were asked to go in view of a call that the stationary Terry had printed (at a costly amount) back in February did not have his name as Pastor on it! He did not do this intentionally, but I do not believe it was a coincidence. The church can continue to use this stationary after we are gone.
4. We are almost through with school for the year. This is a blessing! The children will not be uprooted from a school and friends because we home school...another benefit.
5. Terry had just discontinued our website (biblewaytexas.com) in mid March! (Although, as of now, it may still be going.) He simply felt he should end it. Again, it was of the Lord.
6. I have been unable to decide what theme to go with for a Mother/Daughter banquet. The Lord seemed silent on this subject, so I had decided to not have one this year.
7. I had just discontinued my monthly ladies newsletter due to financial and time constraints.
None of the above seemed very extraordinary at the time, but now, it seems clear it was God guiding us all along the way.
We make our move on May 15th! Grace Baptist Church is full of loving people. We had a feeling of being at home from the moment we walked through the door. The thought of packing and moving doesn't exactly thrill me, but at least I've got experience. :o) This will be my 8th move in 10 years of marriage. Yes, please pray for me.The church has a parsonage. I am unsure of the address as of this time, but I'll be posting my new information soon.
I praise the Lord for the success He's granted us here at Northside. We have not accrued any debt in the church's name. We have not seen the church split over something minute. We have seen souls saved on soul winning, and one saved in church. We have conducted a successful VBS (with only a few workers) and saw 7 girls saved. We've held Bible Institute classes, and a Ladies Bible Study. We have started Super Church. We have taken on five new missionaries for a total of 14. We have done a lot of work on the church building and parsonage. We are thankful to be able to say that we are leaving it better than we found it.
It will not be easy to say goodbye. We are dreading it. Please pray for us, the people here, and for the church to find a pastor quickly.I suppose my "Life in the Hill Country" is about to come to a close. I'm thankful that my life hasn't yet! :o) I am not sure if we will have Internet access in Hope. If so, I'll be starting a new blog. If not, well, I guess this will be it for a while.
Thanks for staying with me, guys. I hope we can keep in touch. Until then, I'll be keeping you posted on the joys of packing, moving and starting over...again!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Arkansas is Calling My Name
Yes, it's that time of year again! The changing of the seasons is barely noticeable here in Texas. Things look browner in winter and greener in spring, but that's about it. The weather is slowly getting warmer, and in winter it will slowly get cooler. With every changing season, I suppose I long for home! Not just the natural beauty of the natural state, but home. You know, seeing the smiling face of my Mom and enjoying the flood of happy memories that wrap their arms around me as I cross that threshold on 2811 Karen Street in Benton. My childhood greets me as I walk through the garage and remember coasting in on my bike and hopping off for a cold drink. And it just gets better as I enter the kitchen, the den, and of course, my room! It's as though I never grew up. (Okay, no comments please about my not having grown up in reality!)
Terry also longs for good ol' Arkansas. He loves fishing in the Saline River. He has decided this would be a good time of year to visit the River once again. We are all heading out on Saturday, April 19th, for home sweet home.
I can feel Arkansas, or home, calling my name. The Lord is graciously allowing me to answer!
Please pray for us as we travel. We've had another smaller bout with a stomach virus. I am praying we'll all be 100% for the trip on Saturday. We'll be coming home on Friday, April 25th. I'll be posting that day for sure. A very special guy has a birthday that day!! I'll give you a hint, he's the one who's wanting to go fishing in Arkansas. Yep, Terry will be the big 3-0 on Friday the 25th.
Thanks for your prayers and friendship.
See you tomorrow!!
Terry also longs for good ol' Arkansas. He loves fishing in the Saline River. He has decided this would be a good time of year to visit the River once again. We are all heading out on Saturday, April 19th, for home sweet home.
I can feel Arkansas, or home, calling my name. The Lord is graciously allowing me to answer!
Please pray for us as we travel. We've had another smaller bout with a stomach virus. I am praying we'll all be 100% for the trip on Saturday. We'll be coming home on Friday, April 25th. I'll be posting that day for sure. A very special guy has a birthday that day!! I'll give you a hint, he's the one who's wanting to go fishing in Arkansas. Yep, Terry will be the big 3-0 on Friday the 25th.
Thanks for your prayers and friendship.
See you tomorrow!!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Oh Boy...
Well, readers, it has been a very bad Monday and Tuesday. I apologize for being unavailable the past two days. I have been *very* ill. On Monday morning, I awoke at my usual 5:15AM to get started on my day and felt very sick to my stomach. I got up, thought to myself, "I'll splash some water in my face and then I'll feel better". This did not work. I stayed in bed very late and around 8:30AM began to be very sick. I have had a high fever and everything else that goes with a stomach virus. Praise the Lord for a husband who has a flexible schedule, and who is willing to pinch hit when necessary. What a blessing!
I now feel so much better, but am very weak. This hit me completely out of the blue. None of my kids have been ill, and I pray they don't start now! I don't know anyone who has been this sick.
Oh, well, and Oh boy...what a way to start the week!
Please keep me and my family in your prayers. I hope this starts and stops with me!
I now feel so much better, but am very weak. This hit me completely out of the blue. None of my kids have been ill, and I pray they don't start now! I don't know anyone who has been this sick.
Oh, well, and Oh boy...what a way to start the week!
Please keep me and my family in your prayers. I hope this starts and stops with me!
Friday, March 28, 2008
Our Easter Photos ~
Here are our Easter photos. I'm getting lots of mileage out of the matching dresses I bought the girls for Christmas! Laci's is the only one that is too small, and it's only in the sleeves. They come above her wrist now, but hey, she's only a year old. Who's gonna notice?? Sorry about the ugly background in these first few photos. We were cleaning up some of the debris from our remodeling and had it piled on the back porch. It has since been hauled away, so next Easter, I won't have this problem! ;o)
This last one is the dress Laci wore Sunday night. I thought the collar on it was so pretty, but she wouldn't keep her hands down so we could see it! Oh well. I guess you can use your imagination...it's cute. It has a very "old fashioned" look to it.
Today, I plan on enjoying my last day of Spring break. (sigh) Yes, all good things must come to an end. Terry has nursing home services and a funeral to attend, so I'll be enjoying my day here at home with the kiddos. We purchased them a trampoline (complete with enclosure) and so they've been having a big time! I'll try to post photos of that soon.
Have a happy Friday!! :o)
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Fun in the Sun
Happy Spring, EVERYBODY! Yes, we made it! Today is the "official" first day of spring! I realize, however, that it may or may not feel like it, depending upon your location! Here, we are enjoying cold nights with *glorious* daytime temps. Right now, it's 70 degrees, zero humidity, and oh, so lovely!
I love the spring so much! It's a time of new growth, and new births. It is a time of a fresh start. I love New Year's day for that same reason! I love starting over. Everyday I fail my Heavenly Father, and everyday that He allows me to "start over" is such a gift. It is another day to strive to do better.
I am so thankful for the changing seasons of climate, and of life. Each season of the year brings new things, as does each new season of our lives: new beginnings, new challenges, and even new battles. I am equally thankful for things that never change: God and His Word. With each new season of climate, and of life, I can lean upon His everlasting arms to see me safely through the many changes that surely await me.
Here are some photos of our family enjoying the sunny - and warm - days in the Texas hill country...
The girls enjoying the swing set on a sunny afternoon.
Mitch in our homemade tree swing
Laci in her swing
Heeeeere's Leslie!
I LOVE the sunshine!! :o)
I love the spring so much! It's a time of new growth, and new births. It is a time of a fresh start. I love New Year's day for that same reason! I love starting over. Everyday I fail my Heavenly Father, and everyday that He allows me to "start over" is such a gift. It is another day to strive to do better.
I am so thankful for the changing seasons of climate, and of life. Each season of the year brings new things, as does each new season of our lives: new beginnings, new challenges, and even new battles. I am equally thankful for things that never change: God and His Word. With each new season of climate, and of life, I can lean upon His everlasting arms to see me safely through the many changes that surely await me.
Here are some photos of our family enjoying the sunny - and warm - days in the Texas hill country...
The girls enjoying the swing set on a sunny afternoon.
Mitch in our homemade tree swingLaci in her swing
Heeeeere's Leslie!
I LOVE the sunshine!! :o)
Terry removing dead branches from one of our pecan trees.
Leslie wants a turn in Laci's swing!
Mitchell and Laci share a hug
Monday, March 17, 2008
Load 'em Up, Move 'em Out...
Well, the Bashams have left the promised land, uh, I mean Texas! They headed out last Thursday around 4 PM for northern Missouri to visit their other son, Joel, for a while before going on to Illinois. Thank you all for praying for my kids! They are doing really well. There were many tears on Thursday, and few since then, but it has been much easier for them than I had expected. Mitchell is the most tender-hearted of the bunch, but even he has handled it well.
We had a going away party for them at church this past Wednesday. I made the cake, which was supposed to have red accents and writing , but it came out more of a coral color! In spite of that, the party was a big success. The church gave them a generous love offering, which was a blessing!
Below are some photos of the party, and of the day they left. A couple of things eased the pain of separation for the kids: 1. Terry and Kathy bought "goodbye gifts" for all the kids. 2. We told the kids we plan to take a trip this summer to North Carolina to see my sister's family. They've never been there, and they are VERY excited. Melanie has three boys and a trampoline...need I say more?
We had a going away party for them at church this past Wednesday. I made the cake, which was supposed to have red accents and writing , but it came out more of a coral color! In spite of that, the party was a big success. The church gave them a generous love offering, which was a blessing!
Below are some photos of the party, and of the day they left. A couple of things eased the pain of separation for the kids: 1. Terry and Kathy bought "goodbye gifts" for all the kids. 2. We told the kids we plan to take a trip this summer to North Carolina to see my sister's family. They've never been there, and they are VERY excited. Melanie has three boys and a trampoline...need I say more?
The Party...
The kids had fun playing on the two wheeler!
Moving day...
Leslie got a doll that she can take a bath with!
Mitchell and Lauren got a gun. Mitch wanted to put on his western outfit for the photo!
Laci Elizabeth got a doll baby! She loves dolls! :o)
It was a sad day. We miss you, already, Grandma & Grandad!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Basham Family Fun Day!
We took a holiday on President's Day and explored the Inks Lake State Park. My in-laws stayed with the two youngest kiddos so they could get their naps in, and the rest of us headed out for a hike! It was so nice. We hiked along the Pecan Flats Trail at Ink Lake State Park. Here's a little photo-journal of our hike.
Lauren with the cacti!
Okay, that's ME with the ever present prickly pear cacti. We saw lots of patches of them. They grow quite abundantly.
Not sure what kind of grass this is, but you can see that a child could easily get lost in it. No, ours didn't! :o)
This is the Falkenstien Wedding Castle. I zoomed in as far as I could, and it's still just a speck! You can't tour it, unfortunately, but we've looked at it closer up on other expeditions. It is amazingly huge!
Ever had mesquite BBQ? Well, here's the tree that it is flavored from! These are everywhere also.
The kids on top of the rock!!
I made it, too!
The view from the top of the rock. (Inks Lake)
Another view ~
Terry tossing a rock into the Lake. It was very peaceful out in the woods! The splash from the rock sounded loud!
Here's Mitch by the Lake.
He's balancing on a tree trunk! He had so much fun running and climbing on this trail.
Spanish Bayonet. VERY SHARP! Of course, nearly everything out here will poke, pinch, sting or bite you! :o)
MISTLETOE! And it's not even close to Christmas!
These are the lovely (I say sarcastically) Cedar trees that pollinate in DECEMBER and leave us with terrible allergy trouble! It is nice to see some green in an otherwise brown world! :o)
We found this very tall rock and Terry couldn't wait to see the view from there!
The kids made it, too!
Hello up there!
I couldn't get to the top of the rock, but close enough!
The view from the high rock.
Yet another view...
Inks Lake.
Lauren taking a rest from the hike...now we're getting tired!
The campsite area of Inks Lake.
Inks Lake, or the "Lake of Shining Waters", to quote Anne of Green Gables!
We enjoyed our little getaway so much. Inks Lake is only 10 minutes away, but we hadn't been! Some of the greatest beauty, and fun, are truly in our backyards! After the cold weather, sickness and injuries, it was a gift from the Lord to be able to get away and enjoy ourselves, and God's creation. We're going to try to go back when everything is bursting out in various shades of green and our gorgious wildflowers are in bloom!
Lauren with the cacti!
Okay, that's ME with the ever present prickly pear cacti. We saw lots of patches of them. They grow quite abundantly.
Not sure what kind of grass this is, but you can see that a child could easily get lost in it. No, ours didn't! :o)
This is the Falkenstien Wedding Castle. I zoomed in as far as I could, and it's still just a speck! You can't tour it, unfortunately, but we've looked at it closer up on other expeditions. It is amazingly huge!
Ever had mesquite BBQ? Well, here's the tree that it is flavored from! These are everywhere also.
The kids on top of the rock!!
I made it, too!
The view from the top of the rock. (Inks Lake)
Another view ~
Terry tossing a rock into the Lake. It was very peaceful out in the woods! The splash from the rock sounded loud!
Here's Mitch by the Lake.
He's balancing on a tree trunk! He had so much fun running and climbing on this trail.
Spanish Bayonet. VERY SHARP! Of course, nearly everything out here will poke, pinch, sting or bite you! :o)
MISTLETOE! And it's not even close to Christmas!
These are the lovely (I say sarcastically) Cedar trees that pollinate in DECEMBER and leave us with terrible allergy trouble! It is nice to see some green in an otherwise brown world! :o)
We found this very tall rock and Terry couldn't wait to see the view from there!
The kids made it, too!
Hello up there!
I couldn't get to the top of the rock, but close enough!
The view from the high rock.
Yet another view...
Inks Lake.
Lauren taking a rest from the hike...now we're getting tired!
The campsite area of Inks Lake.
Inks Lake, or the "Lake of Shining Waters", to quote Anne of Green Gables!
We enjoyed our little getaway so much. Inks Lake is only 10 minutes away, but we hadn't been! Some of the greatest beauty, and fun, are truly in our backyards! After the cold weather, sickness and injuries, it was a gift from the Lord to be able to get away and enjoy ourselves, and God's creation. We're going to try to go back when everything is bursting out in various shades of green and our gorgious wildflowers are in bloom!