Micaiah with his Papa and "Rocky"
My jacket just barely still zips over Caeden. Hopefully I can get through the winter without having to button my coats!
My favorite two boys
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Our last hurrah in Chattanooga
The night before we moved, we went with my parents to see the Christmas lights at Rock City. I had heard that it was worth going to, and since Scott and I got in free with our residence passes, and my parents had a BOGO coupon, we agreed that it was definitely worth it. We're pretty sure Micaiah had a good time too. He liked the lights, but he LOVED the moon. Here are some of the few pictures we snapped during the night.
Micaiah with his Papa and "Rocky"
My jacket just barely still zips over Caeden. Hopefully I can get through the winter without having to button my coats!
My favorite two boys
Micaiah with his Papa and "Rocky" My jacket just barely still zips over Caeden. Hopefully I can get through the winter without having to button my coats!My favorite two boys
A Day Away
I am so excited for tomorrow! Scott is giving me a full day off. I don't even know all that I'm going to do to fill my day, but I have been looking forward to it and can't wait. I do know that I will be getting a very looooong overdue hair cut. If you know me well, you know that is one of my very favorite things.
I'm going to end the day with one of my planning retreats. I like to do these 2 or 3 times a year to organize the priorities of my life in an effort to live intentionally. I want to be wise in how I use my time. My theme verse for living intentionally is Ephesians 5:15-16. "Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil."
I am a planner to my very core, but I don't like to do just any old plans and to do list. Instead I look at the 5 main priorities in my life that God has given me, and I look at how those priorities have been going for the last several months and how I need to grow. Then I come up with goals and action steps for the growth that needs to happen. It has been a very beneficial practice for me so far. I use these worksheets from the girltalk blog that I love. I adapted them quite a bit to fit me, but I like having somewhere I can write things down and then refer to them later. Doing a planning retreat brings such clarity to my mission. My seasons of life have been changing quite frequently lately, and I decided to use this most recent change to re-evaluate life once again. So excited! And so thankful for my hubby giving me the day off to recharge and refuel!
I was going to post a video of Micaiah playing chase this morning, but it is taking a really long time to download. I'll post some pictures in a separate post instead. :)
I'm going to end the day with one of my planning retreats. I like to do these 2 or 3 times a year to organize the priorities of my life in an effort to live intentionally. I want to be wise in how I use my time. My theme verse for living intentionally is Ephesians 5:15-16. "Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil."
I am a planner to my very core, but I don't like to do just any old plans and to do list. Instead I look at the 5 main priorities in my life that God has given me, and I look at how those priorities have been going for the last several months and how I need to grow. Then I come up with goals and action steps for the growth that needs to happen. It has been a very beneficial practice for me so far. I use these worksheets from the girltalk blog that I love. I adapted them quite a bit to fit me, but I like having somewhere I can write things down and then refer to them later. Doing a planning retreat brings such clarity to my mission. My seasons of life have been changing quite frequently lately, and I decided to use this most recent change to re-evaluate life once again. So excited! And so thankful for my hubby giving me the day off to recharge and refuel!
I was going to post a video of Micaiah playing chase this morning, but it is taking a really long time to download. I'll post some pictures in a separate post instead. :)
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Thankful
So I'm a little late in getting a Thanksgiving post up, but I did want to say Happy Thanksgiving from the four of us to all of you!!! I have much to be thankful for. A husband who loves the Lord. Family who take us in, let us eat their food (I still wish I had more of that cheesecake, Mama!), sleep in their beds, and use their washing machine to wash poopy diapers. A happy baby boy who is learning so much. I'm thankful for pumpkin spice lattes and peppermint mochas (and especially thankful that they can make it decaf for while I'm pregnant!). I'm thankful for a friend who, though he passed away on Thanksgiving after a viscious fight with cancer, had a life well lived and now he's dwelling with his savior. I'm thankful for new life in Caeden, who we'll get to meet in a few short months! Throw in all of the comforts of suburban America, and I have way too much to list! On top of everything, I'm thankful that God reigns.....whether I acknowledge that fact or not.
Today is actually the first day of advent. I am really excited for Christmas this year. Micaiah was only 3 months old at Christmas last year. This year, at 14 months, he is still super young, but his mind is a sponge. He is soaking up anything and everything he sees and hears. I am excited to be able to show with our actions as a family and with the simple words that he can understand just what Christmas is really all about.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
What is church? Part 3
In this post and in the two which will follow, I have quoted extensively from a book called Organic Church, by Neil Cole. I hate to put so much emphasis on a book, but on the other hand it puts words to what Scott and I are thinking so well. So why reinvent the wheel? We'll just use someone else's words that explains what is in our heads!
As we seek to answer "what is church", I think we need to first ask why we would even bother asking that question.
The church is dying at a faster rate than the population of the world is growing. If transformation of the heart is the product of the gospel, is the church doing its job? "It is not enough to fill our churches; we must transform our world. Society and culture should change if the church has been truly effective. Is the church reaching out and seeing lives changed by the Good News of the Kingdom of God?...The measure of the Church's influence is found in society--on the streets, not in the pews" (Organic Church). Are we seeing that kind of heart transformation in our society today?
Think about non-believers. Maybe that's you. If it's not you right now, it used to be you. Why are so many so often turned off by church? Why is it so undesirable to those outside of its circle? Why are many who get into the circle turned off or leave feeling burned? Perhaps it's because there is something very wrong.
"The Church in the West has sacrificed so much of what she is supposed to be about that her relevance is lost to the lost. Para-church organizations, such as seminaries, mission agencies, Christian counseling agencies, and evangelistic ministries, have risen to accomplish so much of what God intended the Church to do. She [the Church] expects others to do evangelism, leadership development, and social care. We send the people with serious problems to the professional counselors" (Organic Church). Now don't hear that I'm saying we should get rid of all professional counselors and do it all ourselves. But are we off in thinking that we should always leave that stuff to other people? 'I'm just not called to do that,' we say.
Well then, what are we called to do? In Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus says, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." That was the Great Commission to the then 11 disciples. But did he also mean that for us as well?
Do we think that Jesus' command to make disciples of all nations is for other people, but when he says in Matthew 11:28 that he will give rest to the weary and burdened that that verse is for us? We must be very careful not to assign the obligations of Christianity to a few while keeping the privileges for us all.
Yes, even though we are all called to make disciples, we do certainly have different gifts. We have different skills and passions. God calls us to different things. For example, I'm a former teacher but a current stay at home mom. Does that mean that because God wanted me to stay at home with my children that ALL teachers should stay at home when they have kids? Of course not. However even with our different gifts and passions, all believers have the same Spirit who gives us the same plan: make disciples of all nations.
Part 4 will be coming soon...
As we seek to answer "what is church", I think we need to first ask why we would even bother asking that question.
The church is dying at a faster rate than the population of the world is growing. If transformation of the heart is the product of the gospel, is the church doing its job? "It is not enough to fill our churches; we must transform our world. Society and culture should change if the church has been truly effective. Is the church reaching out and seeing lives changed by the Good News of the Kingdom of God?...The measure of the Church's influence is found in society--on the streets, not in the pews" (Organic Church). Are we seeing that kind of heart transformation in our society today?
Think about non-believers. Maybe that's you. If it's not you right now, it used to be you. Why are so many so often turned off by church? Why is it so undesirable to those outside of its circle? Why are many who get into the circle turned off or leave feeling burned? Perhaps it's because there is something very wrong.
"The Church in the West has sacrificed so much of what she is supposed to be about that her relevance is lost to the lost. Para-church organizations, such as seminaries, mission agencies, Christian counseling agencies, and evangelistic ministries, have risen to accomplish so much of what God intended the Church to do. She [the Church] expects others to do evangelism, leadership development, and social care. We send the people with serious problems to the professional counselors" (Organic Church). Now don't hear that I'm saying we should get rid of all professional counselors and do it all ourselves. But are we off in thinking that we should always leave that stuff to other people? 'I'm just not called to do that,' we say.
Well then, what are we called to do? In Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus says, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." That was the Great Commission to the then 11 disciples. But did he also mean that for us as well?
Do we think that Jesus' command to make disciples of all nations is for other people, but when he says in Matthew 11:28 that he will give rest to the weary and burdened that that verse is for us? We must be very careful not to assign the obligations of Christianity to a few while keeping the privileges for us all.
Yes, even though we are all called to make disciples, we do certainly have different gifts. We have different skills and passions. God calls us to different things. For example, I'm a former teacher but a current stay at home mom. Does that mean that because God wanted me to stay at home with my children that ALL teachers should stay at home when they have kids? Of course not. However even with our different gifts and passions, all believers have the same Spirit who gives us the same plan: make disciples of all nations.
Part 4 will be coming soon...
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
What is church? Part 2
What comes to mind when you think of church? Do you think of the body of Christ? A gathering of believers? People bringing the kingdom to the world? A building you can go to to learn about God? Sunday school? Sunday morning services with worship and preaching? Pot luck suppers in the fellowship hall? Mission outreaches in the community? Organs? Rock bands? A small intimate setting? Overcrowded parking lots? Boring? What comes to your mind?
For me, you would always hear me answer that question by saying that the "capital C" Church is the body of believers...worldwide. All of us put together. We make up the body of Christ, of which he is the head. And I still believe that's biblical.
But what about when you think of the "lowercase c" church. Like in going to church. What do you think of then? I would always answer that question by saying it is a gathering of believers, typically on a Sunday, where they meet to worship the Lord. They develop and experience fellowship together. They listen to the Word and (hopefully) are encouraged and empowered to take the love of Jesus out into the world around them. The church may even have groups and outings to facilitate that.
I stand challenged, and I have been rethinking what is "church." Why don't you think along with me?
For me, you would always hear me answer that question by saying that the "capital C" Church is the body of believers...worldwide. All of us put together. We make up the body of Christ, of which he is the head. And I still believe that's biblical.
But what about when you think of the "lowercase c" church. Like in going to church. What do you think of then? I would always answer that question by saying it is a gathering of believers, typically on a Sunday, where they meet to worship the Lord. They develop and experience fellowship together. They listen to the Word and (hopefully) are encouraged and empowered to take the love of Jesus out into the world around them. The church may even have groups and outings to facilitate that.
I stand challenged, and I have been rethinking what is "church." Why don't you think along with me?
Monday, November 22, 2010
What is church? Part 1
I knew we were going to plant a church. I knew we were going to do it in Augusta. I knew we were looking to move before the end of the year to get started. I knew I would be a church planter's/pastor's wife which would be very different than being a coach's wife. I didn't know it would be different than anything I'd known before.
When Scott first talked to me about our church plant looking different than anything I'm used to, I balked. Actually I didn't just balk, I cried. A lot. Very fearful tears. Talk about resistant and hesistant. That was me. I did NOT want to do something different. I wanted church to be the same as it always has been. I wanted a place where I could go on Sundays just like always to be encouraged in the Word and meet like minded people that I could be friends with. I wanted to head up the women's ministry. Or maybe the nursery. I'm a creature of comfort. The ways things have always been done are good ways because they're tried and true. But are they really?
Scott and I have talked a lot since that first conversation about what this will look like for us to plant a church. He is challenging the heck out of me. I've learned so much. I know God is not a God of comfort zones. (Why must I learn the same lessons, like this one, over and over?) Everything He asks of us isn't necessarily going to line up perfectly with what we are comfortable with. Does that make what He asks of us somehow more holy? No. But is it about me? Am I able to put aside what I want and my comfort?
I want to preface this and the other posts in this little series with mentioning that I am still on a journey. I am still learning, and God is still working on my thought processes. I have in no way arrived. What will this all look like exactly? I wish I knew. Whereas I can't answer that question exactly, the goal of this series is to share a bit of our journey, what we're thinking and how we feel God is leading us in this right now. I don't share this to say that it is the end all be all of how we should "do" church and that we should all abandon the traditional structure and do it Scott and Ashley's way. I share this simply to explain how God is leading us right now and so you can know how to pray for our family as we step into this next season of life.
More thoughts on this tomorrow...
When Scott first talked to me about our church plant looking different than anything I'm used to, I balked. Actually I didn't just balk, I cried. A lot. Very fearful tears. Talk about resistant and hesistant. That was me. I did NOT want to do something different. I wanted church to be the same as it always has been. I wanted a place where I could go on Sundays just like always to be encouraged in the Word and meet like minded people that I could be friends with. I wanted to head up the women's ministry. Or maybe the nursery. I'm a creature of comfort. The ways things have always been done are good ways because they're tried and true. But are they really?
Scott and I have talked a lot since that first conversation about what this will look like for us to plant a church. He is challenging the heck out of me. I've learned so much. I know God is not a God of comfort zones. (Why must I learn the same lessons, like this one, over and over?) Everything He asks of us isn't necessarily going to line up perfectly with what we are comfortable with. Does that make what He asks of us somehow more holy? No. But is it about me? Am I able to put aside what I want and my comfort?
I want to preface this and the other posts in this little series with mentioning that I am still on a journey. I am still learning, and God is still working on my thought processes. I have in no way arrived. What will this all look like exactly? I wish I knew. Whereas I can't answer that question exactly, the goal of this series is to share a bit of our journey, what we're thinking and how we feel God is leading us in this right now. I don't share this to say that it is the end all be all of how we should "do" church and that we should all abandon the traditional structure and do it Scott and Ashley's way. I share this simply to explain how God is leading us right now and so you can know how to pray for our family as we step into this next season of life.
More thoughts on this tomorrow...
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Inspired
If you've never read Kat over at Inspired to Action, you really should check it out. She has a way of writing that just really does inspire me to action!
This is a guest post she wrote at Passionate Homemaking, which is another blog I spend way too much time reading. Loved it.
This is a guest post she wrote at Passionate Homemaking, which is another blog I spend way too much time reading. Loved it.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Little Two
Baby boy #2 finally has a name! He is Caden Elijah. We’re still not 100% sure if we’ll spell it like that or “Caeden.” Since a big part of our name choices is the meaning, we took that into account as well. We take the liberty of blending meanings and putting them together to fit in a way that we like. From the two meanings of Caden and Elijah, we have “The LORD my God fights for me.” It was so hard for us to decide on a name for him; if we ever have a third boy we’ll really be in trouble. We are so excited to meet him! I’m 21 weeks along and feeling great. I truly do love being pregnant.
We're on the move!
As the title suggests, we are moving yet again! As quickly as we breezed into Chattanooga, we are breezing right back out. It’s a long story that I will probably tell more of in the days to come. For now, suffice to say that we are moving to Augusta to start a church. It will probably look different than what most of you think of when you think of church. That’s a whole other post for another day. We are over the moon excited about all that God is doing and what he is going to do in Augusta. It seems ridiculous to most people to quit your job in times like these. Why do that and start something that pays nothing all while you have a family and a house you’re trying to sell? So many people have asked us why we’re doing this. Again, that’s another post. For now I’ll just say that though it seems risky and doesn’t make much sense to many, God’s ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are his ways higher than our ways, and his thoughts than our thoughts. We don’t need to attempt to shield ourselves from every conceivable risk in life. Yes, God protects us and covers us, but that doesn’t always mean that where he leads us is safe in the eyes of the world. In the words of C.S. Lewis, “Safe? Whoever said anything about safe? Of course he isn’t safe, but he’s GOOD.” In a season of life full of transition and change with many questions, we know our God and we know He is good. And for that we will follow him where he leads us.
We invite you to follow along this adventure of life with us! My goal is to get into a habit of posting so that we can all keep in touch. But let’s be honest, perhaps you just care about following our blog to see baby pictures. That’s ok too. Those are sure to come.
We invite you to follow along this adventure of life with us! My goal is to get into a habit of posting so that we can all keep in touch. But let’s be honest, perhaps you just care about following our blog to see baby pictures. That’s ok too. Those are sure to come.
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