Tools or Chains?

Really I just have one question for myself and for you.

Is "it" a tool or a chain?

This "it" can be many things.

It can be your house, your car, your job, your credit card.
It can be Facebook, your blog, games etc.

I just want to consider each thing in my life. Is it burdening me, is it keeping me from doing God's will, is it taking time I need to be spending somewhere else?

Or is it benefiting my family and relationships, it it drawing me closer to God and doing His will.

I truly believe things like Facebook can be used as a tool. It can help us share God's love, we can rekindle relationships and connect with many people, but it can be a chain, it can take up our time, it can open us up to things we don't need to waste our time on. It can be used to hurt others. Lets commit before Christ to only let it be used as a tool.

Another area that is heavy on my heart. Our home. I feel like I walk a tightrope between our home being a chain vs a tool. I so want it to be a tool. I want to use our home to minister to others. I want our home to be a blessing to my family and allow us to be efficient with our time, but it does seem that homes can be such a chain. When my heart begins to just long for a nice house. I get so excited to decorate a real home, but then I quickly go from being excited to being discontent in my present circumstances. Then I feel all wrapped up in my chains again. Needing again to be freed and to keep my eyes on Jesus.

I don't mean to say we can't enjoy anything or that we can't just do something for fun.

We need time of refreshment and these fun things can be tools used to build relationships and to bless our family, we just need to evaluate if it is tying us up or setting us free. Is it adding value to our life and pointing ourselves and others to Christ or is it adding stress to our lives or using up time we need to put toward other things?

Kampala

When I was 6 we had a missionary visit our little church and talk about Africa. I really do not remember anything about it except, that from that day on I had felt like I was supposed to be a missionary to Africa.

I love to hear people's stories of mission trips to Africa and when I have heard of someone going I have always wanted to hide in their suitcase and go with.

Later in college I decided to pursue nursing school, so I could be a medical missionary to Africa.

Before Jeromy and I began dating. Way back when Jeromy was boarding the plane to go off to Alaska, as I was telling him see ya later. I said something to the effect that I was going to be a single missionary to Africa. Thankfully it only took him a week to decide to call me back anyway.

My long standing joke is that I tell God I wanted to go to Africa not Athol.

My late Gpa Dave would tease me every time Africa came up. He would always tell me he was praying I couldn't go to Africa. I would say No Gpa, I want to go and he would just laugh.

Jeromy and I have pursued trips to Africa, but none of them have worked out.

Not until now.....

See I have been following a blog....

...a blog of a very passionate woman, one that loves the orphans and loves Jesus.
A woman that is leading a team to Kampala, Uganda. Linny is quickly becoming one of my greatest heroes here on earth, and I am excited she is quickly becoming a friend through this process of getting ready for the trip.

No, I have never met her, but I love her and I am going to serve along side her, Lord willing.

Another amazing thing is I get to go with 2 wonderful gals from church. (this story I will post separately) We go sometime around April 4-16th and we get to love on little children in the name of Jesus.

Please pray for us as we prepare for the trip.

Terah's passport is going to require a little more work, pray she has time to get it through.

God calls all of us to serve him, to deny ourselves and follow him. For the last 30 years he has called me to Athol and Alaska and back again. Now as I get to be called to Uganda for 2 weeks I pray that God will show us His will. You see I really feel it is for much more than a 2 week trip. I don't think God would have prepared me for 30 years to go if that was all he had for us. I have no idea what his plan is but pray our hearts will be open to His leading.

Happy Birthday to Imagine That!

Dear Imagine That,

Today is your birthday and for me a special day to remember what God has done in my life through you. At first we hoped to share a little about life with kids with disabilities, but I never imagined all God would do through you.

Through blogging this year I have gotten to share what is near and dear to my heart.
I have gotten to share about my children and husband. I have gotten to share about our lives and record special memories. I have had the opportunity to share some of the things God has been teaching me and what He has done in our lives.

Another blessing through blogging is being able to network. I have connected with other bloggers that love God and serve him each day and challenge me to do the same. God has used these blogs to open my eyes even wider to the needs of people around the world. He has quickened my heart to want to be part of reaching the poor and needy and the orphans and the widows. He has used blogging to rekindle a passion in my heart to fast and to pray for others.
Through you, Imagine That, God has also strengthened and rekindled relationships with friends and family. I feel God has used you to help me to be known and to know others deeper. I love how we can all follow each other and learn from one another and "spur one another on to love and good deeds".


"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus through out all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

So, thank you, Imagine That, and I hope this coming year God continues to do more through you than I ever asked or imagined.

What's Eli Up To?

Eli is getting so active these days.

Eli is in a power wheelchair with a head array. When he moves his head from side to side he can make the wheelchair go in circles. He loves this and it is a great way for him to get more head control.

Eli in his Lycra swing. This swing is great for movement, sensory work and encouraging verbal responses.
We often stop bouncing him and try to get him to say "more".

Scooter time is fun for Eli, sometimes frustrating, but he can move his legs and make himself move. He is getting a better crawling pattern.

We went to a fall party @ our therapists house and Eli got painted.
Now he really is our little E-lion.

RipStik

"Are you a dipstick or do you RipStik?" by Jeromy Scheel

Well what else can one do when it is freezing outside. Why not ride some wheels around the house. We are going to name our house "The House of Wheels".

Kali perfecting her ride.

Ayla is really getting the hang of it.

Gavin is on his wheel too.

Even Gpa Mike has gotten into the fun.

No Cards for Christmas!

We didn't get around to cards this year but if we had it would have been something like this...

(photo by Aimee Vandenberg)

If you can't read it, it says,

Have yourself a Mary Christmas!
.....Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet....
Luke 10:38-42

I never made the card but got the idea from a book I heard about on one of my favorite radio stations, KMBI 107.9.

Can Martha Have a Mary Christmas? by Brenda Poinsett

It really just made me think, that is what I want. I want a Mary Christmas, I want to sit at Jesus' feet and be with Him.

Around the same time a friend posted on FB about their families advent book. She gave me the info and we ordered it @ www.adventbook.com

Most nights we open the doors in the book and read the Christmas Story, one exciting moment at a time. It has been wonderful to re-read each day over again as we work our way to day 25. To ponder each detail of the Christmas story is fun.
*To think of how willing Jesus' mother Mary was.
*To think of what it would be like to have angels come and speak to me.
*To think of how John the Baptist leaped in the womb when Mary entered the home.
*To think of becoming a mother at an old age like Elizabeth.

After we read we turn off the lights and sing carols in the candle light and light of the tree. It doesn't really sound pretty to any human ears, but I know Jesus is smiling.

The kids love it. They love the mystery of what is behind the unopened doors. They love time together and they love when we do a little extra and top off the night with cider or hot cocoa. Eli sings with us and gets so excited when he helps open a door. Gavin even asks to do advent. He is often difficult when we try to do family devotions. He doesn't want to participate and be quiet, but with this book and the songs he is fully engaged and loving every minute of it.

We love to do fun Christmas stuff, buying gifts for the kids and watching them hide in their room while they make gifts for us. We love decorating and eating cookies. And We loved being part of a beautiful Christmas Drama at church. These really are great things, but as it comes closer to the celebration of Jesus' birth, I really do just want to sit at his feet, just like Mary.

"Slow Obedience is Disobedience"

This saying has been going through my head so much over the last 6 months and I am reminded of it daily. I am reminded every time I need to put the dog in the kennel. I say, "Lucy, kennel" and she looks at me and begins to move as slowly as possible to the kennel. I again say, "Lucy, kennel" and she continues on in the slowest possible manner. She is in no hurry to obey and I know if I walked away she would turn around and go bark at something again. It isn't really obedience, it is more like discipline prevention.

So, last night I read one of my favorite blogs and I love this blog post I just want you all to read it if you haven't already. I could not say it in such great words.

God is working among His people, He is calling disciples, He is calling us. He is calling us to obey, to follow, to lay down what hinders us and run the race He has set before us. What race is He calling me to today?

I want to obey immediately. I want to follow at once.

Just in case the race God is calling you to is ministering to the orphan, ( I think that includes all of us) here is another great blog post to read.