Saturday Snap Shots

Hello, everybody! This week I wanted to share a few photos of our trip to Arkansas.

A view from the Mountain Tower in Hot Springs. I had never been there before!! The view was cloudy, and there were puffs of pollen constantly floating up from the pine trees. My sinuses thanked me for staying inside the enclosure!! :)
This is where Terry and I lived in Hot Springs...307 Richard Street. The house used to be a medium blue color, and the yard wasn't so full of plant life. I think it's too crowded looking, but maybe that's just me.
Here's Nana and the grandkids!! Oh yeah, and me too!

Lauren and Mitchell at the Mid-America Science Museum. The machine in the background was on display here when I was a youngster. It brought back memories.
This is a 500 lb. Quartz!
It was mined in Jessieville, Arkansas. This is the small town where my Mom used to be the Elementary Special Ed. teacher, and later the Elementary Principal. How neat!
This is little waterfall at the science museum. Arkansas does have lots of natural beauty.
The Sunday after we returned home, the church surprised Terry with this cake and a love offering for his 30th birthday! It was so thoughtful of them!

Here's Terry cutting his cake. (I'm talking in the background...as usual!! :] )Laci was trying to write like Daddy and Leslie. I thought it was sweet.Here it really does look like she's writing, but the pen isn't out so she can't really make marks. Didn't seem to bother her though! *sigh* Children are such a joy!

I best get back to packing. See you Monday, everyone!

Fitness Fridays: Moving is a Workout!

I have begun the packing process. I have started going through things for a yard sale, and I have packed up the school room. (Okay, not everything in the school room. My computer is in here!) The first thing I packed yesterday was my stability ball. The kids love rolling around on it, and I just knew it was gonna pop. So, I deflated it and packed it. I also conveniently packed my other weights and exercise videos. Hmmm, wonder why I packed those first? I know! Now I can say "I haven't been able to work out because I'm packing up!"
Nah, really. I am here to testify that packing up your entire house is a workout in and of itself. Not to mention the loss of appetite that accompanies having to say goodbye to friends that you have worked with, cried with, prayed with, etc. for over two years. And the loss of appetite that accompanies the nerves of starting over again in a new place. Thoughts like "What if they don't like me? What if I blow it somehow?" have a way of making you, well, not very hungry. So all of this contributes to weight loss!

But, after 5 hours of nothing put sorting and packing, the stomach has a way of letting you know that it's time to eat!!! My little chicklets have a way letting me know that, too!

Even if I weren't getting any physical exercise, the comic strip below brought me comfort that even working at a computer leads to some weight loss.

Have a great weekend!

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!

Full Circle

The following is a little something I wrote on March 5, 2008. I love to write, and pour out my feelings on paper...or on a screen! ;o) The Lord brought this to mind again, and I wanted to share it with you. It was a lesson that I really needed!

Job 40:2 Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.

Most of you know that my church is small. My husband is the Pastor and we have four kids. My kids are the only ones in the church. My eight year old daughter is often discouraged because she doesn't have any friends. At least once a week she goes forward during the invitation, (and is often the only one there) and asks Terry to pray with her that God will send her friends. As a Mom, this touches my heart.
I was recently explaining to the Lord myself that Lauren really needed friends; I told Him that it was very hard for a girl to not have friends. It was then that Lord said to me that He knew exactly what He was doing, and was I doubting Him? He then brought to my mind a fellow that my husband was friends with when his Dad pastored a small church in Virginia. From what Terry had said about him he wasn't a great influence - but he was all he had! I asked my husband if his life was made better or worse by his one friend and he said "Definitely worse. That guy tried to get me and my brother (a year younger) to do things that could have killed us (i.e. stunts that were dangerous. The Lord graciously protected him during these years). He tried to get me to sneak out of the house one night when he stayed over at our house...my Dad caught us just in time."
It was at that moment that I looked toward Heaven with a tear in my eye and thanked Him for NOT giving my daughter friends. I apologized for questioning His wisdom. I saw clearly that having no friends is better than having one bad friend. The Lord had brought me full circle. I went from being unhappy about a situation, to actually thanking Him for it!
God loves me, and He does know best.

The Dump Truck at my Door

I awoke to the loud beeping of a reverse alarm and an engine noise near my house. This truck sounded strangely close. It wasn't trash day. There was no construction going on in my area. What could this be? I reached for my bathrobe on the bedpost, and without even stopping by a mirror to comb my hair, I went to the front window. Before my eyes, and my front door, was a large dump truck. My heart started pounding. What in the world was this?! I heard the hydraulic lift raising the bed of the dump truck. Just then, a knock on my door. I ran to open the door, despite my "sleepy head" appearance. A man stood before me in cover-alls to guard against the nippy start to the day. "Hi ya, lady. Where do want the load today?" The man had a kind of northern accent, and was chewing gum. (I thought this to be quite odd at 6 AM. I hadn't even had a cup of coffee yet!) Pushing these thoughts aside, I stared at him rather blankly. "Load?" I asked. "Yeah." he replied. "Ya know, your load of benefits for the day? Just tell me where ya want 'em and sign here." He said, shoving a clipboard with an attached pen in my face.
"Oh. Of course!" I said, looking down at the paper before me. It read:
Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.
This was my daily load of benefits from my Father! I hastily signed my name and smiled. "I'll take them right here." I said pointing at my office, where I read my Bible every day, and talked to my Father. "Okey dokey!" the man said to me while smacking his gum. He released the back of the truck and I watched in amazement as the benefits poured into my home! There was good health for the day. I saw "love, joy, peace, gentleness, long-suffering, meekness, goodness, faith and temperance". There was the Holy Spirit! I saw "good husband, Mother, children, sister, brother, and in-laws" pass by me. I smiled at "godly and praying friends" as it rolled past me. I had a tear to my eye when I watched "a goodly heritage" come inside my home. It was a blessing to my heart to open a small package that contained "God's compassion for the day. Lamentations 3:22-23" There were so many more, that I haven't time to tell you all of them! I did not earn any of these benefits! They are all just perks to the Christian life.
How could I forget that these benefits would be arriving? This was something that the Lord gave me everyday! Probably because, like all of us, I tend to take things for granted. Nevertheless, the Lord is there everyday, with His "dump truck" load of benefits and blessings. Today, however, I was reminded to thank Him for them.

Of course, this story is fictional, springing forth from my overly-active imagination! I thought that if I could literally receive a "load of benefits" at my front door everyday, then maybe I would be more grateful for that which I already do receive everyday! Because they aren't always visible, I often forget about the benefits and blessings that the Lord bestows upon me every single day of my life, and for eternity! Why, even during times of trial and testing, His "load of benefits" still arrives at my "door" every morning.
I thank the Lord for this unspeakable gift!

He Makes My Home Heaven on Earth

I was through with guys for quite some time, at least I thought so. Little did I know the man of my dreams, the man that I never thought I could get, would come along during a deep valley in my life and literally sweep me off me feet. No, he did not buy me a huge diamond. I don't drive an SUV. I don't get the latest fashions or live in a condo on the beach. Instead, I had a man pursue me with all that was in him. He never gave up on trying to win my heart. And he succeeded. Today, I live a home where I am loved and even adored. This love and admiration I know I do not deserve, yet Terry looks past my faults and sees the good. He is a wonderful picture of Christ. Christ loved me in spite of my faults. Christ loved me so much that He gave me a home in heaven someday, and a home that is heaven on Earth today. Terry is the reason for my heavenly abode!

I have a husband who is honest with me about myself. Yes, this sometimes hurts. But sometimes, love hurts. He is loving. He is thoughtful. He is hard working. He is wise beyond his years. He is faithful to the Lord first, to me second, our kids third, his parents fourth and to our church family fifth. He has his priorities in order. He fixes brakes for our church people for free. He takes me on dates to the Olive Garden!! (YES!) He takes the kids fishing. He cleans my Mom's gutters. He works on her car, in the hot sun. He bathes the kids when I am running late, or just to give me a break. He babysits our church kids so the ladies can attend our ladies fellowships or the Bible Study.

Terry doesn't go out and shake hands with the Mayor or the Chief of Police. He isn't trying to get in good with big name preachers. He isn't wanting a full page story in the newspaper. He is content with serving, working and loving behind the scenes.

Someday, I'll tell you all just how wonderful he is. I'll tell you how we met at 14 and couldn't stand each other!! I'll tell you about how his life took a detour from the Lord, and how the Lord righted his vessel. I'll tell you how he finally convinced me, and my Dad, to give him a chance. I'll tell you how he's weathered betrayal, disappointment, and even threats on his life for the cause of Christ. For now, I'll just tell you that I am so unworthy to be loved by such a wonderful man. He often tells me how he "married above himself in the caste system". The truth is, I'm the pauper in this relationship. I'm the beggar who married a prince.

Happy birthday, Terry.

I love you.

Happy Birthday To a Great Gal in Illinois

Misty, left, with her friend Melissa. I got this photo from her blog!!

Terry's cousin, (and my friend for many years prior to our marriage), Misty, had a birthday yesterday!! I'm still in Arkansas, and felt terrible yesterday when I remembered it was her birthday. I couldn't get on the computer to wish her a happy birthday then, so here is a belated birthday wish.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISTY! So sorry I missed you yesterday. I hope you had a wonderful day. I hope you got to watch the fights, eat cake and ice cream, and get waited on hand and foot!!
Thanks for keeping in touch with me through the Internet and thanks for being a great cousin to all of us! I only wish we were closer to you so we could celebrate together!!!
We miss you!

Love from the whole gang:
Terry, Valerie, Lauren, Mitchell, Leslie and Laci