To Live is Christ and to Die is Gain...

2009-10-05T12:30:00.001+01:00

We had a wonderful holiday this summer! We spent time at the beach with some great friends, we visited an Estate home called the Blikling Hall, we went to Sherringham and saw a really cool steam engine, had a few BBQ's at our house with church family and laughed alot! What a blessing to have had this time as a family.

We had some crazy times just being silly...just look at Maddie's face! Thank you Lord for a good time!

A Peek Into our Romantic Trip to Venice

2009-09-16T10:17:00.008+01:00

We took a Gondala ride!

The next pix is a shot from our room!

Venice is famous for its Masks

Joey and I eating Gelato in front of the Rialto Bridge
Another shot from our room balcony

I love living in a place where I can hop on a plane and be in Venice within a 2 hour ride!

Joey and I skipped out of town for 5 days without the kids and had a wonderful time!

It was an early 10 year ann. gift. Our real ann. is in March but my parents are here now so we booked our flight and left on Sept. 7th. So here are some highlights of our trip. I hope you all enjoy!

the Grande Canal

our first hotel
A bridge along our ride

To school or not to school...

2009-06-22T22:15:00.005+01:00

What a wonderful time to be living in! I know that things look grim on the outside, but on the inside God is doing awesome things in believers around the world. The groaning can be heard if we just open our ears to hear what the Spirit has to say!

Here in Cambridge, people are excited. Excited to see what the Lord has for us today! I look forward to fellowshipping with the people in our fellowship. They are coming expectant that the Lord is gonna move and do great and marvelous things!

We are seeing people get saved and people reaching out to each other. We have had 5 people get baptized 3 months in a row!

The kids are growing as well. Learning memory verses, being challenged by memory play, and enjoying the music time together.

In the midst of all the wonderful news there are moments of struggle and hardship, but it is worth it when you see the fruit of much prayer and commitment to the body.

I am personally blessed and ready to see what the Lord has in store for this next season. My kids are growing up and getting out more. I am finding myself busy with good things, but keeping my perspective with ministry and the family. I have been home schooling Madelyn while Josiah has been in school since Jan. It was a good move for us, but hard for our family time. I have struggled since day one with schooling the kids at home. It has never been a desire of mine and I have fluctuated back and forth between sending them to school or keeping them home.

I have found for myself that a part of letting go has been me now having control over that part of their lives. We are praying about putting Maddie in for the Autumn and are leaning more towards yes than no. There isn't the support out here like we had in America and are seeing some negative traits beginning to manifest in our eldest. She is very social and looooves to be around people. Thankfully she has had more time to play with the neighborhood children, which has helped so much.

I also know that I need a break in the day from being with them all the time. With my responsibilities of doing children's church, I am finding myself with kids most of the time and finding little time to myself to regroup. Soooo with saying all of this I am looking forward to what lies around the corner for next year.

I am looking forward to more time with Joey uninterrupted and time to meet with some of the other ladies one on one for some fellowship time. In a culture that is not pushing for family units to be nutured, we have to guard every minute that we have together as a family. I always want my kids to be able to feel free to talk with me about stuff that is going on in their lives.

So please pray that we can find the balance in this crazy world we live in to keep our family tight.

Till next time...heres a few shots...

The first shot is Junior, Joey and Jeremy

at our first baptism!

So awesome! New believers and

amazing testimonies!

The second pic. is from our first women's retreat in Shipley,Yorkshire!

The last one is of the new meeting place and our first Sunday there!

The Little Carpenter Man!

2009-04-14T23:10:00.004+01:00

Did you know that Josiah has plans to be a carpenter?

He is such a little stud!

If you need a hand just give us a call!

2009-02-10T22:01:00.005Z

It has been too long and I know it. Everytime I sit down to the computer

to punch out my thoughts, a little person follows me and thinks its funny to try

and type just like mommy...Well this is the only time of the day (10:02 pm) that

I have a moment to do this without those fingers that I love so much.

Lately, I have been dwelling on the first 8 verses of James chapter 1.

It has been so good for my heart to meditate on and I have memorized

so much of it just by going over these 8 verses! It has been a while

since I have felt the Holy Spirit directing me to camp out in one book

or chapter for a time and it is such a wonderful feeling to be directed again!

So far, this chapter

has been been like balm to my weary heart and very timely.

I pray that my heart blesses yours, and that you find

yourself searching for what God wants to mature you in.

I spent most of the Fall floundering in my faith and consumed by my circumstances that I failed in the trial God had placed me in. My heart was weary while doing good and I just wanted to flee. I don't know where, but I just wanted out of life. Nothing was fixing the problem, but I knew the answer was time with the Lord. My works were not working

and my "supposed" time with Him in the morning was not working either.

Both were superficial due to my heart developing a callous. So, through much whining and complaining, and complete transparency with God and my husband, I ran to the Lord in true repentance over missing all that He wanted to teach me and mature me in.

When James speaks about being "perfect lacking nothing" he is referring to the mature believer not a "perfect person." I was more disappointed about not being a mature believer than the thought of not being perfect. I don't care about being perfect, I just want to be a God pleaser in every way. I know that perfection can only be achieved through God and by the time I spend with Him. But, without surrender and true brokenness I cannot be effective for the kingdom and grow into a mature believer.

I am leaning on the everlasting arms of my Savior in this walk of life. It is not always easy or physically restful at times, but He always gives me what I need and removes that which I don't or can't handle. My job is to rely on Him and to ask for wisdom, because He says, "[He] gives to all liberally and without reproach..."Jms 1:5

As I ask Him daily for His wisdom and throughout the day, I find that He is answering in every aspect of life! WOW! What a concept. Why didn't I do this more regularly before? {grin}

I love Him with complete resolve and I pray, abandonment. I do desire to be at that place where I do not love my life, but I aim to lose my life that I might gain Christ!

So please pray for me as I continue to pursue Him and pray for the Lord to give you

His heart for this life that we only have one chance to live! Let's live it for His glory!

Redeem the time! God bless!

Christmas 2008

2008-12-27T14:08:00.002Z

The shot above is of us on the Christmas Train.
We have thoroughly enjoyed our Christmas together as a family. We made it to an estate near by where they run a train during the holidays for the kids. There is a Santa near the middle of the ride who hands out teddy bears to all the kids. It was fun and delightful for the kiddos!

Picture on right:Playing in the leaves after the train ride!
Picture on left: The kids and mom having a good time together at the
outreach.
The picture below: Jordan was sooo happy after his 4th cookie of the day! Thanks mom for not looking!!

We held a Christmas outreach in our

local community hosted

by Calvary Chapel Cambridge.

It was such a delight for all who came.

Everyone helped and contributed in some way.

Hearts were touchand all

enjoyed the food and fellowship.

God was glorified in every way.

The week before Christmas we took Maddie and Josiah into the city to see Beauty and the Beast as a surprise along with Georgina, the daughter of some good friends of ours. The kids were so surprised and excited. Jordan was just a bit too young and would've cried through the show so we left him with a friend of ours.

the picture above: We took Maddie and Josiah to see

Beauty and the Beast with their
friend Georgina.
The picture below right: The four of us
in front of the Cambridge Christmas tree.
Nothing like NYC! But it will have to do!

Christmas Eve was spent with friends from the fellowship and watching It's a Wonderful Life.

Being reminded of the gift we have in our Savior and in the life He gave us is so important. May we never forget this and live life for the glory of the Lord!

Our Christmas day was spent here at the house with just us! It was a first for us and we really enjoyed it! The kids played with their new toys and loved having all of our attention to themselves. We are truly enjoying family and the joy of the Lord!

We are looking forward to all that the Lord has in store for us in the New Year. We have grown so much in the last two years here in England we can't imagine what else He has for us! WOW, what an adventure! Thank you Lord! We pray this finds you just as blessed and enjoying your family members, those in Christ and by birth. Love you all!

An afternoon tea.

2008-11-16T14:59:00.007Z

I hosted a fellowship at my house in Oct. This is the

second of many I pray that will naturally develop

into a time of devotional and Bible study time.

This is the setup after the Devonshire cream and jam were consumed as

well as the finger sandwiches. I had made 16 scones; only

4 were left!

Our intimate group of ladies on a Thursday afternoon.

Tiff, Michelle, Kate, and Caroline.

Kate, Michelle and me on a walk after tea!

I had the privilege of being a part of and serving in healthy women's Bible studies for the past 10 years. I came here imagining that we would head in the direction of starting one here sooner than later. I knew it would start small, but it would be in His timing or not at all.

Of course with with the challenges of life being as they are, I have waited.

Well, being here for almost 2 years in Feb. of 09, I can tell you first hand that having a formal study has not been on the agenda. As Joey and I have sought the Lord, we see the need to draw the brethren together outside of a formal setting and create an opportunity for fellowship.

Joey is faithfully teaching the Word to the body, but we see the need for outside friendships to be made. Of course no one can force relationships, but we can create atmosphere that encourages it. So that is the heart behind these hang-out times.

It is such a joy to look around a room and see people engaging in conversation. There is always the nervous twitch in my stomach when I think about having people over and wondering if I will have to carry the conversation. Of course that is stupid and the Lord always takes care of it.

That day flowed so nicely and there was great joy shared by all.

I love these ladies and the ones who were not there as well. My heart

desires to be a blessing to all, but to encourage the

woman in their walks with God especially. What a wonderful

opportunity to serve the Lord this way! It truly is amazing.

Little somethings...

2008-11-09T23:47:00.002Z

My amazing family of five!!!

I know...Jordan wasn't happy, but the

rest of us were!

I am praisin the Lord for every good and perfect gift!

I love it when I wake up and find myself thanking the Lord

for the life I live.

My last post was from a heart that has been very overwhelmed

and drowning in a sea of self-pity.

I allowed my circumstances to dictate

how I was feeling and my heart was failing.

My husband took me aside and shared his heart with me

and encouraged me to get alone with the Lord.

Taking his advice, I found my soul refreshed and

ready for the days ahead.

My circumstances have not changed, but my perspective has.

Instead of viewing certain things in my life as a burden,

I now see them as opportunities for the Lord to use me.

To perfect for His glory and eternal purpose.

I have the chance to pour into three little people

and teach them the ways of the Lord. I have the chance to teach them to

read and write and why things float and why the elephant has wrinkles.

I get to love my husband more everyday and serve him in all the ways the Lord puts on my heart. I am a blessed woman who misses so much by pushing these things aside so often.

I hate regrets and pray I will have fewer and fewer the older I get.

I truly want to be a woman after God's own heart.

So I will continue to pursue His will and trust in His ways.

I will not let down and give up when the pressure is on.

I will trust in His promises...He who has begun a good work in me

will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ!

Our God is an AWEsome God! Don't you forget it!

Blessings to you and yours on this fine day.

Are you overewhelmed?

2008-10-24T15:48:00.004+01:00

There are days when I wonder if life will ever give me a break; if I will forever be doing what I am doing for the rest of my life. Living at a pace that I believe God never intended for His creation to abide by. It is in those moments, especially lately that I can then fall back on how good my God is. How good He is to remind me that we do have an eternal rest that we can have right now. There is nothing out of control for Him. There is nothing to difficult for Him. He often times sits back and waits for us to realize that we can't do it on our own and need Him to sustain us through lifes ups and downs and every day hastle that seem daunting at times.

I yearn for sweet fellowship and sancuary with my Lord that I can't get from this life. The place of escape that allows me to be recharged and geared up for the next day of ministry. The next day of homeschooling with a busy 17 month old. The next day of serving. The next day of loving my family and friends so much that it hurts. I know that my God cares. I know that He holds me with His righteous right hand.

I know, as my mom so faithfully shared with me just the other day from Deuteronomy 33:12 that,

"The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him, who shelters him all the day long;

And he shall dwell between His shoulders."

I am His beloved and He is mine! He shelters me in the most difficult times and reminds me daily. I just need to take the time to hear Him and rest in His promises. And I am covered by His ever loving, secure arms! Can't you hear His heartbeat in this verse? I can, and I love that I can be in that secure place even when the world is in shambles. Even when my heart is overwhelmed (which it has been as of late) I will run to the Rock that is higher than I!

Oh Lord, I need your mercy and your grace. May I rest in the shadow of your wings. May I not look at life as something to get through, but as something to embrace as an opportunity to know You more as I serve others who come into my sphere. Thank You for giving me life and that I can have it more abundantly!

You are so wonderful and gracious! Praise His name and be blessed!

2008-08-27T21:18:00.002+01:00

Okay, so this is where we analyze the 15 month old as he enters the "I want your cell phone now" phase. All of my kids have gone through this stage of life because they have a parent like most who is on it alot! So it is natural to see this and want one too. Of course this want is not limited to the cell only, but the house phone as well. So to accomidate I remove one battery thinking that will cool his desire for a while until he figures out there is no beeping or flashing lights on the phone. At least he's descent enough to find another interest for a short while til he comes around for a snack and the phone that I have now attached to my ear! Don't put anything past little people...they understand more than they can communicate.

But It makes me laugh to think that I never went through this phase because I didn't even know what a cell phone was.

My poor mom never had to deal with this tantrum phase, God bless her!

Anyhow, thought I'd share a mother-son moment with the #3 child who wants his way now...remember that this is right before bedtime to be fair. He is a very good little man, but with a sin nature like all of us. :)

Have fun!

Prayer Warrior.

2008-08-24T20:25:00.008+01:00

My mom and dad are two of the most amazing people in my life. As their daughter I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly. I have watched them deal with two wayward children with strong wills, many job lay offs, recessions, church splits and countless other disappointments or opportunities for the Lord to stretch and grow them up.
My mom has always been a prayer warrior who asked Chad and I every morning if we had, "put out armour on, and have you read your Word today?"
She knew that the enemy was out for blood. Especially kids that loved God.
We got so used to hearing those two questions that we grew numb and began to say "yes" just to get out the door in the morning. Wow how stupid and clueless were we?

She never stopped praying for us though. That was the one thing I could always count on her for...her prayers for me. Even when I was angry and bitter she still loved me and prayed for me. I want to be that kind of mom. To love my kids to the cross.

She told me one time that she would pray that God would do whatever He had to do to save my brother and me. She didn't care what it took just so we wouldn't go to hell. I understand that desperation now that I have kids of my own.

I am currently reading a book called Shepherding a Child's Heart, by Tedd Tripp. The first four chapters have been really good. The premise is to alert parent's to the understanding that to deal with wrong behaviour is to deal with the heart . God wants our heart's and since we are to discipline our kids to love the Lord and to serve Him then we must direct them to the source of love, Jesus. We discipline and teach our kids to obey not because we need to be respected, but because God needs to be obeyed and respected.
Anyways...I have been touched. Joey and I are teaching our kids these things, but it was so good to put it in my face the way this book has. It is encouraging and stirring me up to be a better parent.

I want to love more passionate and completely. I want to do away with my frustration with my kids and relax more. I want them to understand the fear of the Lord and realize how precious the gift of Jesus is. I want them to possess their salvation for their own and not ride on the coattails of their parent's. I don't want them to ever despise the blessing they have of growing up as "PK" missionary kids. I pray they grab the opportunities they will have to pour into people and love them as Christ loves us.

Please Lord, help me to surrender my short comings over to you. Be all that I need to raise these three for You. May I find my hiding place in You when my heart is overwhelmed. Give me the grace to understand their minds and hearts, may I take the time to know their strengths and weaknesses. There is nothing impossible with You, so I ask now that You would keep them in perfect peace as they keep their minds fixed on You and keep them from a rebellious heart.
May they see my mistakes as stepping stones for growth and not as excuses for adventuring from the Truth. May they desire to emulate the Christ in me and not the flesh about me.
Thank You Lord for being a keeping God. I love you with my life. Amen.

encouragement for today

2008-06-27T12:00:00.004+01:00

Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength

A very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear,

Even though the earth be removed,

and though the mountains be carried

into the midst of the sea;...

The Lord of hosts is with us;

The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Be still and know that I am God;...

There is no want for those who fear the Lord.

Be blessed today and rest in Him.

He is surrounding you with His angels and

has a close eye on all your

comings and goings.

Just be STILL!

Don't ever forget!!!

2008-06-16T11:05:00.004+01:00

" Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs." Is. 61:7

This passage is to the Jews, but we can possess this promise as well. Thank you Lord for your blessings on our life. Even though we may experience hardship and pain, you will give us a double portion as we pursue your truths. May we remember that we can have everlasting joy when we set our sights on you!

Be blessed today and know that the Lord of heaven and earth sees you as His glorious bride. He can't wait to spend time with you!

God bless!

Our whirlwind trip to Paris, France.

2008-06-10T13:16:00.002+01:00

We spent 12 hours in France on June 3-4! It was a crazy, yet fun trip. I am blessed beyond measure and can say that I am more in love with my husband today than I was yesterday! This trip allowed us to enjoy some much needed uninterupted time away. We praise the Lord for providing for such a special get-away. These pictures include most of our trip. We took a boat tour along the river Seine which allowed us to see the highlights of Paris, including the Eiffel tower all lit up! We toured the Louvre and Notre Dame. In between we enjoyed the sights, the people, the shopping and the food. The best dessert was a Magnum bar with 2 layers of caramel and dipped in dark chocolate! I was in hog heaven!! Over all it was wonderful and fun. I would do it again if we ever had the chance!

Jordan update...

2008-05-09T23:20:00.005+01:00

Jordan is turning one on May 20th. I have been looking forward to this 3rd baby turning one and the wonderful milestone that it represents in the life of our family of five. He is walking and jabbering on about life around him all the time. His little language includes alot of tongue rolling and gurgling sounds. Maddie will carry on conversations with him in the car which is so cute.

He eats through life and doesn't seem to gain the weight you would think he would from the amount he packs into his little body in one sitting. He eats everything! I mean it. He's entertaining to watch. Just don't run out of food unless you mean to pick him up. He will scream at you like a screeching hyena. It definitely gets your attention!

He is very content as long as his basic needs are met, and he always has a smile or a wave to offer anyone in his view. Like any good sibling, he laughs at his crazy sister and brother and wants to chase them around the house when they are crawling around like animals.

At the moment, he enjoys being outside whenever he can and enjoys taking rides in the car. Whenever I open the car to get something and he happens to be in my arms he lunges to get in. So strange. At times when we are at the park or in the front I put out the small soccer ball and I carry him around so he can kick it. He giggles the whole time! So great!

He wants me the most at this time of life. He finds me anywhere and enjoys just hangin out in my arms. He is content being with daddy, but if he has the choice, he's with me. I love it and know it will change before I know it. He holds my ear when he's snuggling me. Its a comfort thing for him. Some kids suck their thumb, some have a blankie; Jordan has "an ear". He holds his own as well. And when he's really tired he'll press his head against my cheek and listen to me sing to him in low tones. So sweet and special. He is very sweet and very good.

I am down to one feeding a day...well at night. I love it. It still makes me stop and realize how time is flying by and just how tired I am as I rest with him.

Jordan fits very well with our family. It has not been much of a transition because he's been so easy. He is a jolly fellow full of life and I love him to pieces.

We are blessed and thank the Lord for our kids every day. They are amazing and never cease to amaze us with their questions and inquiries about the world and the One who made it.

God give us the grace and wisdom of how to answer them.

Love you all.

Strengthen the weak and feeble.

2008-04-16T09:41:00.006+01:00

Isaiah 35:1-4

I was reading this morning in Isaiah again and found myself encouraged once again by the poetic, inspired words that are recorded for our blessing. Isaiah is telling us what the future of Zion is and states,

"The desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose;

it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice,...the glory of Lebanon shall be

given to it,

the excellence of Carmel and Sharon.

They shall see the glory of the Lord. The excellency of our God."

The beauty of these places were considered at the time the most lovey out of all the land. They were the most fruitful and the most beautiful. However, we are told here that they will become even more beautiful and fruitful, showing us God's hand and favor on the nation of Israel. I am looking forward to the day when Israel is blessed in this way. When we will see the Gentile nations that have fought against and slaughtered the innocent, destroyed and humbled as they watch God's hand of blessing.

And for what purpose will God do this? That they may see the glory of the Lord! Yes! It will all be for His glory and excellence that He will exalt the nation of Israel! It is always to bring glory and honor to His name! As you are going about your day, be reminded that all you do should be done unto Him; being reminded that you are to be bringing Him all glory and honor and praise!

After all, doesn't He deserve all we have to give?

After being reminded of how He will increase the fruitfulness of the land, we read how we are to encourage those who are failing or struggling through this Christian walk and difficult times,

"Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.

Say to those who are fearful hearted, be strong and do not fear!

Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God;

He will come and save you."

I was so blessed when I read this. My hearts cry today is just this, to first be strengthened myself in every way by His Spirit and then to go out and share with those who are weak and feeble. I believe many Christians are feeling this way. They need their weak hands strengthened. The way we do this is to hold onto the promises of the Lord. How do we do that? By reading His word and speaking them out!

When you are feeling feeble, just drop down and pray! God loves a broken and humble person! When we recognize that we are feeble and can no longer stand firm, just fall to your knees and God will strengthen you as your spirit communes with His Spirit! We are to be obedient to do this for we are also commanded to stand firm! So Christian, get in the word of God! Speak out the truths of God, and when your knees are feeble, drop down and pray. Stay there until you hear Him say, "Go and be strong in the power of My might!"

"For it is not by might nor by power but by My Spirit" says the Lord! Zech. 4:6

Blessings and love

Resurrection weekend

2008-03-25T15:30:00.009Z

What a wonderful and full weekend we had! It all began with our friend, Patti, from our sending church in NJ, coming to stay with us. She is working with a Wycliffe team up in Oxford for two weeks, so she made her way over for the weekend to Cambridge to be apart of this momentous occasion in our lives. She arrived tired but blessed early Fri. afternoon.

Below: Patti Rechten
Maddie took the shot below. Its not the best but its what I have =)

She quickly settled in and went to work helping me prepare for the Fri. study. She was so blessed to be here and to be apart of the study as we were to have her. The next day we awoke to snow, hail, sleet and rain. After the four types of weather passed through, the sun broke out and it would start all over again within 15 min. or so. Such a crazy day! Joey and Patti attempted going out in this awful weather in order to watch a Passion play that was put together by several of the different Christian churches in the area. They never made it, but were able to walk a bit in the city center and show Patti a bit of our beautiful city here.

Saturday night was mellow for the most part except for our late night rendezvous to the store. In order to purchase items for our lunch after church on Sunday. =)
Now, in the midst of preparing for Sunday and deciding the direction the Lord wanted me to take with the children, I had been functioning off of little sleep. Jordan decided that this would be a good week to start waking in the middle of the night again and needing me.
So with Patti here there was no way of breaking that until our much welcomed guest was gone. So I was soooo tired and a bit anxious wondering how I was going to teach children's ministry every week.

When I woke up on Sunday morn at 6 am, the ground was covered with snow and I was ready. I felt the Lord's peace and hand of guidance over the entire morning.
There was no concern about the weather. In fact it was lovely. Josiah has been praying for snow for weeks now and it was answered. People arrived shortly after the start time and we were on our way. We had a borrowed worship leader from another Calvary, which saved Joey's voice and multitasking. Such a blessing.
I loved the worship. I loved being apart of it! The kids were there as well and were so well behaved! I am excited about being involved with worship. I am hoping that Jon Mac and I will get to do worship together once he is here.

The worship service! J.P. from CCNorwich led the singing portion.

The kids joined in for worship!

Then Joey brought the Word!

AWESOME!

Julie Saggers (pictured below) was there which was such an answer to prayer. If you are not aware of Julie's situation, she has been struggling with depression for quite some time but the last couple of months it has been severe. She woke up one day last week with a lighter countenance so to see her smiling and engaging with people was wonderful.

Julie and Tiff

When the service was all done, everyone enjoyed a cup of something and I got started on lunch. Patti was amazing! She stepped graciously in and helped me in every way as well as the other women.
While I worked, Jordan received lots of cuddles from everyone. Including the men! I am so grateful to have people in my life here that love my kids. I have missed that more than I can say since being here.

Tracy and Tiff

Patti was picked up around 4:30. Before she left, I asked Patti for some advice for the future functions like this since she is a veteran when it comes to hostessing. She shared some pearls with me that I will work on for the future. Thank you my friend!

This is a new couple to our fellowship:

Michelle, Rob, and daughter in Georgina.

Joey and Martin

All went off without a hitch and the fellowship lasted til 6pm! WOW, was I tired, but overwhelmed by God's goodness. What a great thing to have my house full of God's people and to serve them in this way. It truly felt like a family; a new beginning!!!

Thank you all for praying. We could sense God's people doing business with the Lord on our behalf. We know that the attacks will keep coming. They are in our faces all the time. The enemy has been going after our kids and our marriage which is to be expected. He distracts and keeps us from spending time together even though we are in the same house. He stirs up the kids and they begin bickering and fighting. It just keeps recycling itself. So please pray for us as a family to be protected and aware of what is really going on. The battle is not ours!

We love you all!!

Our fellowship meeting

2008-03-10T12:47:00.011Z

What an awesome time of fellowship we all had here yesterday!
Joey and I held our first "Bring and Share" here at our house. We included a time of games, food, an update on how everyone can get involved with serving and a time of communion. It appeared that all had a wonderful time and left feeling uplifted and excited about what the Lord has planned for the future of this fellowship of believers.

The Picture above is Heather, our sitter and friend of course!
The Picture on the right is of Ang., Monika, Heather and Maddie.
The pic. on the bottom right in a group shot with Isaac in front.

Joey and I are so honored that the Lord continues to use us to encourage and bring Jesus to this community. We are amazed at how ignorant so many are here about what the word of God says and those who are numb to what society deems as okay.
It grieves my spirit as I know it does the Lords to know that so many are okay sleeping with their boyfriends or living with their "partner". So many Christians are unaware about what the Bible says about this issue and other controversial topics. We know that the Holy Spirit will correct this in time for those who come to hear what the Lord is guiding Joey to teach about. The Spirit is faithful to do the Lord's bidding and He desires that His children to walk in truth.

We love the people that He has placed in our lives for this season. He continues to place people in our lives without us doing any striving work. AMAZING! We are required to seek Him and be diligent to work the plow. He will bring the increase! Please pray for those who come to the Fri. night fellowship:
Monika
Ang.
Heather
Andrew
Sam
Mike
David
Mike and Tracy, Daniel and Joshua
James and Susan, Carin and Isaac
Shelia
Samuel
Mark and Julie, JJ and CJ
Rob and Michelle, Georgina(nina)

The top bunch are Uni. students and will go on Holiday next week. Please pray the Lord keeps them while they are on break and that the Lord draws them to stay in fellowship and refreshes them.

--Pray for our families. For wisdom as they raise their kids and as they pour into them spiritually.
-Pray for Julie's healing from depression and for restored joy and motivation.
-Pray for healing for Shelia and Samuel due to lack of father influence and lack of Godly guidance. Praise the Lord for their hearts for intercessory prayer!
-Pray for David, an American who has become a dear friend of the family and needs direction on where the Lord wants him to be. He needs provision for a place to stay here in England and for his business to take off and be successful.
Last but not least, for Joey and I to remain focused on the Lord, for Maddie, Josiah and Jordan to love the ministry and never feel second to the work God is doing. To fall deeper in love with each other and the Lord!
Love you all!
picture of David, Joey and Sam.

A wonderful quiet moment

2008-02-24T11:56:00.005Z

I was blessed this morning to have a quiet house all to myself. Joey took the kids to church and I stayed home with a baby sleeping, my Bible, a journal and a heart ready to receive from the Lord.
I am currently studying the book of Isaiah and it is proving to be a wonderful journey.
The poetry in this book is amazing and beautiful to my soul. I feel like I am experiencing his life as he pleads with the people to repent and come back to the Lord:

"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease
to do evil..." Is. 1:16

Then he goes on and says in the Spirit,

"Come, let us reason together."
Says the Lord,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. If you
are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land." Is.1:18-19

First, I am just blown away once again at how much the Lord loves this nation. He calls them to repentance all the time. He reminds them of what they are doing that is grieving His heart... They were worshipping idols, marrying the pagans, participating in disgusting things that perverted their worship to the Lord. But He loves them so just as He loves those who have been grafted in.
So He offers them a pardon, a way of escape to those whom He loves. We just need to choose it. We reap what we sow, but He still offers goodness and freedom when we choose His ways.
To be cleansed from all unrighteousness:

"Say to the righteous that it shall be well with
them for they shall eat the fruit of their doings."Is. 3:10

And you know why? Two things come to mind,

1. Because He loves His kids and wants the best for us.
2. But ultimately He desires to bring glory to Himself in every way.

When He sets us back onto the straight and narrow, people will notice and will rejoice or get saved! We are giving honor to Him when our lives are renewed and put back where they belong, in His loving and powerful hands!

AWESOME!!

I was also blessed by another passage in Isaiah,

"He will lift up a banner to the nations from afar, and will whistle to them from the
end of the earth...no one will be weary or stumble among them,
No one will slumber or sleep nor will the belt on their loins be loosed
nor the strap of their sandals be broken."Is.5:26

That word banner reminds me of the song His banner over me is love from the book of Song of Sol.
I was meditating for quite some time on what it means to have His banner over me. The first thing that came to my mind was how an army goes forth under a banner or a flag of colors which represents what they are fighting for. I have never seen a war movie or history book on war that did not show an army without their banner.
There is a powerful presence when you see an army well trained and lined up orderly ready to fight with their colors or banners waving in the wind, (see Joel 2:7-8). They know what they are fighting for or getting behind in a sense. They have purpose and a goal. Both demonstrated this sense of determination and pride in a belief.
The Lord also uses a banner to show His protection over us. He covers us with His banner of love. That gives me a security that nothing else can give me. That is powerful!

I am blessed to know that my belief in the Lord God, is unwavering and worth fighting for.
His banner which offers me protection, a purpose, and a sense of security makes me motivated to share this hope with others.
Some other references to His banner are found in:

Ps. 60:4-.You have given a banner to those who fear You, it will be displayed because of truth! (love that!)
Ps20:5
Song of Sol. 2:4, 6:4
Is. 13:2-Lift up a banner on a high mountain , raise your voice to them wave your hand,
that they may enter the gate of the nobles.
Is 5:26
I wrote out the two I like the best knowing that some of you won't bother to look up the passages. I know I
don't always :)

The last thing that I will leave you with today is from Joel 2:15-16, 18

"Blow the trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly;
gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the
children and nursing babies...then the Lord will be zealous for His land, and
pity His people."

God desires a people to be set apart! To pray and seek Him to come together in one accord, fasting and praying. This is really on my heart and I know the heart of my husband, especially being on the verge of a church plant. The call is to consecrate, to gather, and to assemble. To consecrate is to give your whole heart. Rom.12:1 states,

"I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service."

Proverbs 23:26 is a good ref as well.

And of course when we gather in unity under the banner of Jesus Christ there will be victory or should I say the recognition of the victory we already have! Praise the Lord!
I pray this blessed you today and restores your soul.
SEEK HIM! Pray with us as we move forward in His will.

We will be fasting and praying every Tues. so if you would, please remember us in your prayers and if the Lord puts it on your heart, fast with us as we seek His will concerning Cambridge and the work He wants to do here.

God bless and I love you all.

Our wonderful family having some fun.

2008-02-15T13:25:00.000Z

Laugh for the week part II: Josiah gets a hair cut.

2008-02-09T22:18:00.000Z

We had Bible study last night.
My kids were the only children I had to watch, so
I carried on and taught the lesson I had
prepared.
As we read through the story of Jesus and Nicodemus
I notice that Josiah has a bald spot on the top of his head.
I kept thinking that it was just bed head or something,
but noooo it was a bald spot!! But wait...not just one, but two
bald spots and a side burn cut off as well!!

I had to hold back the giggle and mental image
of my mom scolding my brother for playing "barber"
with my head of hair as I stared down Maddie in
disbelief that she would do something so irresponsible.

This is the dialouge...
"Josiah, what happened to your hair?"

Josiah responds,
"Maddie took your razor thing and cut it.
"I told her not to but she didn't whisten(listen)"

I ask, (with a slight smirk on my face),
"Oh, so you just sat there and let her cut into your hair, almost
cutting you, after you told her not too?"
"It sounds like you wanted her too."

"Weeelll, I told her not too."

So I turn my gaze upon Maddie,
She is standing sheepishly with her head lowered.
Of course my heart was a bowl of mush, but I still
had to let her know that she is not a hairdresser and
should never do that again.
So I say,
"What were you thinking? You know better!
Now he has funny looking hair."

"I know. I'm sorry. But he cut mine too! Only a little."

You must promise to never do that again okay?

"Okay mommy. Please don't be mad at me. I'm sorry."

Of course I forgave her and then proceeded to tell her about my barber
experience with uncle Chaddy. He took scissors to my bangs and cut
them into a mountain range! And then took off a huge chunk of my long
locks! Needless to say, my mom flipped out on him. She wasn't as gracious
due to the long hair thing and it being the front of my hair and all. I would've
been a bit more miffed had she done the front of his hair.
So we will wait for it to grow back and thank the Lord that she didn't cut his
scalp because she came awfully close!!!
Gotta laugh!!

Just getting some water, mom!

2008-02-07T21:19:00.001Z

"Okay where are you Josiah?"

I ask for the 3rd time.

"Didn't I ask you to come here?"

As I shove baby food into the yelling little person in front
of me.

"Coming mom. I'm just getting some water!"

Then I hear the sound that every mom cringes at.

"Splash, crash, glugg glugg glugg!"
"What was that?"

I calmly exclaim as I get up.
Josiah's eyes were about the size of golf balls;

"OH it was just an accident mom!"
"I didn't mean to do it."

Okay breathe...
I slowly walk into the kitchen and there on the floor
is a large bottle of sunflower oil nicely spread accross
the floor. Gushing torrents of slick oil for me to clean up
before we have people over. Have you ever tried to clean up oil?
It is next to impossible. After the sopping of towels,
you mop. After you mop, you get on your hands and
knees to find any left over residue. After the hands on experience,
you take another go at it with the mop.
Needless to say, 2 days later, we are just now walking on the kitchen floor
without slipping all over the place.
I have to say it has been funny watching Jordan(the baby)
crawl accross the slippery floor.
His legs kept sliding out from under him.

So of course I forgave him, until he took a marker and decided
the bathroom door downstairs needed a little red marker on it
to livin up the color. And then Maddie knocked over her cup in
the living room the next day and then Joey knocked the tea pot spilling tea
all over the counter...I know it will never end, because I go with
me everywhere and I make disasters all the time.
So thank God for forgiveness, laughter and lots of Bounty paper towels. :)

America the Beautiful part III, CA. Part I

2008-01-31T20:51:00.001Z

Landing in CA. on Dec. 31st was such a relief. The planeride was uneventful, but we were still glad to get there.
The weather was wonderful! Warm and sunny, so we decided to hit the beach! We drove down to Balboa and take the ferry to Balboa Island where we walked the pier and put our names in at the Ruby's Diner which is a 40's diner (not like a typical NJ diner at all!). They have the best burgers around (my personal opionion of course=>)
It was so great to feel the sand and watch our kids go nuts. They have been deprived of the coastal enjoyments for quite a while so it was such a treat for them.

Ahh the beach at last! My little sunshine Girl!

Jordan and Poppa bonding.

It was Jordan's first time, not that he even cared, but it was fun. A good first day I must say.
My parent's really enjoyed the interaction with the kids and it was so wonderful to see them with Jordan. It really was a great first day.

Chad, Sarah, Tiff and Joey out for Dad and Chad.
the night!

The next couple of days were full of spending time with my parents, brother Chad, wife Sarah and my neices, Hope, 6 and Naomi, 2 (in Feb.). It was so good to be together and watch the kids play and giggle. Maddie and Hope play so well together.
Hope loooooves horses so they imagine themselves as horses and prace around together including Josiah. Naomi in an independant explorer and Jordan is just discovering the world around him, so they were in their own worlds.

We have been blessed with the opportunity every Jan. since leaving CA. to go to Disneyland as a family. This is a highlight of our trip most of the time, and this time was no exception.
We went on the new Nemo ride, went on It's A Small World, Bugs life, the ropes course, had ice cream, watched the High School musical show,...the list goes on.
Grammies bought the kids hats and a toy for Josiah. They were spoiled, but had a wonderful time. Chad and Sarah met up with us in the middle of the day and we hung out for the afternoon. It was good.

We got a shot with Mickey!

Maddie and Hope in their new hats!

Another tradition is to drive to Los Angeles and have lunch at the American Girl store where the girls can indulge their girly fantasies. Hair salon, a doll hospial, tea time, theater and of course loads of outfits to wear for every occassion. They had such a lovely time with their auntie's and Grammies. Thanks again mom!

Maddie and Emmalyn.

Maddie, Hope and Grammie Pammie.

We spent one evening with good friend of ours, Katie and Craig, Erin and Andrew and their parents. They are such a blessing and pray for our ministry all the time. We had a wonderful time of fellowship with them. Thank you again for dinner Kate!

This was such good family time and ministry time, but there was of course the main reason why we even came out in Jan. It was to attend the Missions Conference, hosted by CCCosta Mesa. We spent half of our second week in CA. in the city of Murrieta and enjoyed messages by Godly men and met so many wonderful missionaries as well as those who are praying about going out and those who just support. I will talk about that in my next blog.
It is sure alot of work trying to keep up with all this goings on. =)

In the mean time...God is doing amazing things here.
The Friday night study is growing and is such a blessing in our weekly life.
The Tues night pray time was so refreshing and liberating. Julie came out for it and she seemed to be refreshed as well. Its a wonderful feeling to know that you have done business with God on behalf of yourself and others around you.
Homeschooling went well this week, thanks be to God!
My kids are healthy for now!
My frigerator is full and our home is warm!
I was able to encourage another pastor's wife today and pray with her.
My marriage is awesome.
AND...

Last week I had spent a coulple of days on my spiritual reserves, not taking a moment to just rest with my Lord waiting for Him to speak to me. Until the moment I finally did and WOW!
Just like that my soul was nourshed. It felt like dehydration during a good workout or soccer game and as you take a good swig of water or suck down an orange slice, you feel the sudden revival of your senses and energy. I felt so pumped! The Lord spoke to my heart right away. HE was just waiting there with some wonderful nuggets just for that moment. The fresh manna of the day and I had missed it for 2 days I think. Not good.
So thank you Lord for reminding me that I am not sufficient on my own. I need to be saturated by Your word of Life. May I desire them more than the physical wants in my life or needs. You sustain me. I love You, Lord.
May you all be blessed and remember...He wants aaalll of you not just bits of you. Take time for Him.
There were so many other moments that I could share, but this will have to be enough for now.
Thank you Lord for all that you do and bless us with!

America the Beautiful part II, NC

2008-01-27T16:16:00.001Z

On Christmas Eve. Joey, the kids and I, hopped into our rented SUV and drove 8 hours down south to N. Carolina to spend Christmas with Joey's side of the family.

Our first stop was Mom and Dad Rozek's where we feasted on a delicious meal and spent time with Grandma Connie, Joey's grandma who was visiting from Fla. and the rest of the gang.

Mom is the hostess with the mostest! She always make everyone feel very welcome and well fed! I love watching her interact with the kids and still manage to serve the food and clean up. She truly is an amazing woman. Dad seemed relaxed as he watched the grandkids run around their new place. It was a great sight! After several hours we left ther and headed over to Joey's sister Kim's place.

Kim and Steve have 3 kids. Noah is 8 going on 13, Karenna is 6, Luke is 4.

-Noah can't wait to play sports and chess with uncle Joey. He enjoys adult conversation and engaging in adult games. He is such an intelligent young man.
He asked for a WII(WEE) for Christmas and received one which resulted in 2 days of no shower or change of pj's (I think he peeled his pj's off at the end of the 2nd day)=>. That one kept us laughing for a while!

-Karenna and Maddie play as many girlie things as they can get their hands on,

-The two mischief makers, Luke and Josiah are just waiting for the next silly thing they can do just to get a laugh.

The cousin's played so well together and even slept well in the same rooms! That was truly amazing! We laughed so much watching Josiah and Luke discover the art of being twin boys. It was so fun. We know we've crossed into a new season with our kids, because they were able to play and sleep so well together. WOW! Time really does fly!

The Willson's have a tradition every year where they read an advent book and light candles every night until Christmas Eve. We have been blessed to be apart of the final lighting the last two years. It is wonderful to have such special traditions.

Afterwards Auntie Kim allowed the kids to open one present before they went to bed on Christmas Eve. which was as you can see...Christmas jammies! Go Aunt Kim!!

Speaking of Kim...we have such an amazing relationship. We have become prayer buddies, confidants, laughing buddies, silly story buddies, homeschooling crazies, but most of all sister's in life and death. I praise the Lord for the sister I have found in her and I appreciate the wisdom that pours out of her mouth. It blesses me all the time. From the day Joey and I met she has done nothing but accept me and treat me as her friend. It has been a wonderful journey together so far and I am looking forward to the years ahead as we both grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Of course Jordan was scooped up and enjoyed to the fullest by everyone. Noah had a blast watching Jordan explore. I believe he asked mom if they could have another baby. I don't think they disagreed! Noah is loving the game of American football so he thought it would be great to take a shot of Jordan with the football. What do you think? It looks good in his hands doesn't it? If daddy has anything to do with it he will love the game as well as baseball!

Well to end a wonderful stay and many nights of "chicken foot", we went out for dinner with the adults and then headed out to the movies. It was such a good time had by all and we pray we get to do it again soon.

Part III, Dec.31st, ON TO CALI!!!

America the Beautiful part I, NJ.

2008-01-23T08:30:00.001Z

Nic and Mads. Maddie, Lloyd and Josiah.

Joel, Tim, Joey and Jordan. Me and Victoria.

Patty, me and Tammy. Many of the kids we ministered to.

Jon Mac and Mike praisin Jesus. Celebrating Katrina's bithday.

We started out on our journey west on Dec. 17th, 2007 we landed in New Jersey where we stayed with the Ducane family who are basically family to us in every way, and ventured around the area seeing friends and visiting our sending church, CCOB. It was so wonderful being with everyone again. We were able to pick up as if we had never left. What a blessing!

It was so good to share with our family here in NJ all that God has been doing in our hearts since leaving America. Its hard to articulate in words the internal changes that He has done, so it was quite the learning experience for us as well. Needless to say, it became an evolving process as the Lord gave us what to share. We pray it blessed those who heard as we were blessed to share and learn all that God is doing in Calvary Chapel there in Old Bridge.

I was able to catch up a bit with a few of the girls I used to minister to in the high school group at CCOB and I am filled with joy as I think upon each one. Most are walking with the Lord and pursuing His will. I love you girls!

I feel like the highlight for me in NJ was just relaxing with my girlfriends over a cup of tea and casually moving in and out of conversations as if life had never changed. It brought tears to my eyes realizing how blessed my life was and is. God places people in our lives for diffent reasons and for different seasons. Some are forever friends and some are just there to help you along on your way through life with the Lord. Either way, all are used to refine and challenge your growth.

I have been blessed with some of the most wonderful friends in the world...of course some might argue, but that's okay. The distance doesn't hinder our growth together, but is used to draw us closer as we pray and seek Him over the phone or over the internet. I am blessed to know that nothing will ever change in the sense of unfamiliar grounds. The familiar will always be there whenever or wherever we are together in His name.

I know that Jesus uses them in my life to show me glimpses of Him and how much He loves me. What a fantastic gift it is. I pray that I am able to bless them in the same way. (just to clarify...this means friends all over);>

Joey was blessed to share at CCOB the Wed. before we took off. The Lord gave him a wonderful word of encouragement for the church and the response was humbling. We thank the Lord for using these vessels to pour out to the church. What an amazing church we are blessed to be supported by.

There were many tears and laughs, tales told and thoughts given, many questions and some answers, but most of all...great fellowship all around.

Stay tuned for part II of our trip...

Kristen, Shannon, Liz and me. Me and Christine Loures.

Me and Michelle. Joel and Joey.

Maddie, Micheala, Chloe. Mike and Chrissy Ducane.

Too Quiet...

2007-11-25T07:26:00.001Z

Today my brother and his family are leaving on an 11 hour journey that will take them back to California, USA after a wonderful eight days of tears, exhaustion, laughs, dirty diapers, dirty clothes, a run down washing machine, loads of food consumed, loads of dishes to do every minute of the day, partial sleepless nights, adventures in the cold to Canterbury, the park, Cambridge, Ely, and around the neighborhood and lots of hugs and kisses.

I love the open conversations and vulnerability that always seems to come so easily when we are all together. It was nearly impossible to have a complete conversation with all the kids around, but in those rare moments it was great!

The kids had a blast playing together and making memories. They made forts, played pet shop, ran around the house pretending to be horses and then dogs. Naomi, who is only 22 months, tried her best to keep up with the play and Jordan just hung out whenever he was awake. The adults just meshed into the craziness and then laughed at the end of the day.

I was able to observe and enjoy my two nieces. Hope is amazing and brilliant. She is almost 6 and reading wonderfully. She loves to color and draw with perfection. She engages in imaginary play with ease and creativity and enjoys both of her cousins immensely. She is a bundle of energy and is fascinated with life. She was amazed by the large cathedrals that she was privileged to see while here and bore the traveling around quite well.

Naomi who will be 2 in Feb. had moments of sheer exhilaration when she was free to roam wherever her little heart delighted in going and moments of frustration when contained or overtired. She is precious and delightful to watch and engage with. She talks very well and enjoys crafts and movies! I was blessed to have a craft time with here where she opened up the glitter and it went everywhere! I just giggled and cleaned it up as she said, "hearts, stars!" through her pacified mouth. Her favorite thing to do is play outside I believe which is difficult to do here when its so cold, but she survived.

Now it is quiet. Josiah is playing with his trains uninterrupted, Jordan is able to sit in the middle of the room without disturbance and I am able to sit and write for a few minutes. I am melancholy at the moment. Not horribly sad, just melancholy. I miss having family in close proximity. Family is such a wonderful thing to have around that when they are here it feels as though we were never apart and that they have always been in my daily life.

I have to say though that God has always provided family type figures in our lives as we've moved from place to place. The body of Christ is wonderful like that. There is such rich fellowship to be had by all those who live for the Kingdom of God that we seem to forget to partake at times. So I praise the Lord today in the midst of my sorrow for the blood family and the family in Christ that He has so richly blessed me with wherever I go. I could go to the farthest reaches of the world, meet a fellow beliver and there would be and instant connection due to the One Father that we all have in common. WONDERFUL!

I believe that is what I am most thankful for on a day like today when there are so many things that I could probably spend the day moping about, but instead I will glory in the fact that my name is written in the Lambs book of Life just like countless others around the world that I get to call brother's and sister's in Christ.
Speaking about brother's...today a brother in our little fellowship here is getting baptized! We are all (about 17 of us) going over to a baptist church where friends there have prepared the baptismal for our use. Mark will be baptized and then we will celebrate here at my house afterwards. We are so blessed and looking forward to this moment. Mark and Julie were our first "family" here when we started our journey back in Feb. So it is a significant moment for all of us.

So another moment has come and gone in my life. The month we geared up for has passed quicker than I would have liked, which was expected, so I will perk up and prepare for the next couple of weeks while we look forward to holidays with friends and family in America. The Lord always gives us something else to look forward to, but most of all the day that we will be united with Him and He with all His children.
I look forward to that day for it will mean no more goodbyes and it will never again be TOO QUIET!

-Please pray that the Lord would continue to touch Mark and fill him with wisdom and integrity as he pursues the Lord and moves his family to Spain due to work.
-Please pray that we adjust to "normal" life after a month of visitors before we zip off to America on Dec. 17th. To manage our schedule there with wisdom while there.
-Please pray for more opportunities to minister here in the city for Joey and I.
To stay focused on our purpose here and listen and wait for the Lord's leading.
-For me to get my house in order. And for school, that I would get on track after some time off.

God Bless!

A window into my world.

2007-11-06T23:03:00.000Z

I suppose I should have a thousand and one exuses for not blogging. I really don't have any except that I have been in rebellion. There is so much on the internet that I found myself consumed by reading blogs and looking up info. So I decided that I would just stop for a while and not write anything. It has worked well for this season. With homeschool, the ministry in my home on Friday nights, serving my family and taking care of a baby, I thought it right to pause and take a breath away from the blog thing.

However, I know that it does help to let others know how I am doing and the rest of the crew since most of the newsletters are written by Joey's hand. So in a nutshell before I go to bed...I have been going through many days of asking God why I have to homeschool, why I can't find enough time in the day to do all that I want to do( which I know most people feel that way), and why can't I follow through and be more organized? Well His answer to that is...My grace is sufficient for you. So I will go back to that place of contentment again and surrender knowing that He will never give me more than I can handle.

I am blessed to be where I am. I feel the stretching and growth down to the bone. In every fiber of my makeup He is causing amazing growth to occur and it hurts. I love the fact that I will never be the same as I travel this journey called the Christian walk. And I love being led by the Spirit even if it leads me to places I don't really want to be. I will walk this road with Him leading the way, walking beside me holding my hand and walking behind me holding me up. Thank You Lord!

Maddie is doing well. She struggles with doing school work just like every kid. Dreads the idea of being sent to a traditional school where she would have to be away all day from home. So I know she loves being home, but is just getting the fact that all kids have to go to school whether its at home or away. She is doing very well when she puts her heart into it.
She is washing dishes for me and making her bed and straightening up when asked.
She looooves Jordan to bits! She picks him up and walks him around the room when he's fussy (which is not often). She plays with him all the time. She is a joy to watch as she grows into a young lady who is curious and full of the joy of the Lord.

Josiah and Maddie were able to see a fireworks show here on Nov. 5 for
something they celebrate here called Guy Fawke day. '
A plan to blow up parliment was foiled on this day in the
1500's so that's what this day was about.

Josiah is a very emotional little guy. He is still learning how to verbalize his feelings so I am working with him in that area. He is very bright for his age, but still very immature and strange at times. He does not handle being out and about for too long and gets lost in his world of trains most of the time. We are praying that he will balance out soon and learn to love the things of God.
He squirms whenever we talk about things of the Lord. He can sit still for any train book, but can't sit still for a Bible story or worship. I am praying its just a stage, and yet we are not taking it lightly. Please pray for his heart.
He is still so fun and silly. He still blows me away with some of the things he understands. It is fun to engage in converstion with him when he's ready to talk.

Jordan is great! He is joyful all the time, very easy going and is sleeping well. He is beginning to sit up and crawl! We started feeding him solids, but he's not completely sure of it yet. He eats it, but isn't overly excited like Josiah was. I gave him an apple to suck on the other day and he thought that was delicious! His eyes were as big as saucers! So funny.

So life is full and busy. I am doing what I can to minister to the women God has placed in my life. He has given me some great friends out here which I knew He would. I am also planning weekly what Bible lesson to teach the kids on Friday nights while Joey is teaching. It is stretching me because by Fri. I am exhausted.
But I am always blessed!!
We have a month of guests coming that I have been preparing for. I am looking forward to having some friends from New Jersey and then my brother and his family. It will be fun.
Well I must be off to bed now.

thanks for reading and praying.

From Him all blessings flow

2007-10-07T17:01:00.000+01:00

What a wonderful gift we have in Christ that even when life serves us the
bum lot we have a hope beyond our circumstances.

Last week was an exhausting week physically and spiritually.
We experienced spiritual warfare consistently.
There was hardly any let up for 7 days solid and we were sleepless and worn out.
We had moments when our spirits were weary and down, but we kept hoping in our Lord. When Joey was discouraged I was okay, and visa versa.
I love how God does that. One of us needs to be okay in order to make it through times like that.

We knew that we would make it through, but it was so difficult to see the light at times.
Our kids were a bit wacky as well. I truly believe that they could sense the battle even though they couldn't explain it. As we pulled through the week, Joey and I prayed as we dealt with the oppression and disillusionment. He ministered to us through our circumstances and showed us that He is our hope and would come to aid us in times of distress.

Is. 50:7 states,
"For the Lord God will help Me; therefore I will not be disgraced;
Therefore I have set My face like a flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed."

Is. 50:10 also states,
"Who among you fears the Lord?
Who obeys the voice of His Servant?(Jesus)
Who walks in darkness
And has no light?
Let him trust in the name of the Lord
And rely upon his God."

As always, we came out of this week with a wealth of understanding and wisdom concerning spiritual warfare and how to recognize the enemy so much quicker than before.

The Friday night study that we hold here at the house was wonderful. We questioned for a moment whether or not to have it due to exhaustion and just having come out of the illnesses, but we trudged on knowing that the Lord would be the strength we both needed to get through the night.
We had a new family come and 3 college students who were so blessed to be here. We have been praying for an opportunity to minister to the college students here in the city and the Lord has birthed something. These 3 said they knew of others who are looking for meaty studies in the Word and most likey would want to come! We will see and just be available.
Oh God You are faithful to honor those who just will do your will. To just be flexable even when our flesh is crying out for a break. Thank You!

So we have gained alot through this week. Just wanted to share what an awesome and faithful God we serve.
Blessings to you all and we'll chat soon.

How's the baby?

2007-09-21T14:51:00.000+01:00

Jordan is now 4 months old. He is a delight and so easy going.

He meshes into our family very well.

He is intrigued by most things around him and is

loving being able to move a bit.

When he is on his tummy he lifts his head very

well and inches forward like a caterpillar.

This last bit makes me a bit nervous for I am in no

hurry to see him mobile.

I find him twisted around in his crib most of the time

and

often find him turned over on his back when

I have placed him on his tummy.

He delights in his siblings especially Maddie. When she enters into a room and

happens to spot her he grins large enough to brighten any ones day.

He is drooling like a mad man and sucks on his hands like hes trying to get something out of them. He is grabbing onto things and not letting go due to having no idea how. And he is beginning to notice our food when we are at the table together for meals.

He giggles when you fly him through the air and enjoys a good tickle.

He goes to sleep like a champ and wakes up happy unless he has gas or a burp

waiting to come out.

He is so precious and I am so blessed that God gave us Jordan.

I love you sunshine.

Josiah's special day.

2007-09-17T20:33:00.000+01:00

Josiah blowing out his candle.

from grammies and poppa.

What a wonderful day we had on September 12th!

Joey and I decided against a home birthday party and called the Brown's(other missionaries out here) to come join us at an amusement park by the coast.

As you can see in the picture that we allowed Josiah to enjoy a cupcake for breakfast.

It was fun to do this. He wanted his bowl of cereal afterwards though so that made me feel better about the sugar intake that early in the day. :)

The weather was expected to be nice (at least it said so, but that doesn't mean much here) so we packed lunches and headed out for the day.

Of course all the way there we heard from Jo Jo, "Are we there yet?" non-stop until we drove through the entrance. School was in session so there was nobody there which was wonderful!

We walked on every ride and enjoyed the fellowship. The sun was shining and the breeze was beautiful. The Lord really blessed the day.

At lunch time we all sat around the lunch tables and ate our lunches and then feasted on somemore yummy chocolate cupcakes.

There was much to do, but Josiah really wanted to go on the choo-choo train which took you around the park. So the Rozek's and the Brown's hopped on and took a ride.

If you don't know the Brown's they have five kids of their own so we took up the entire kiddie train. It was great.

After we left the park around 5ish we headed for Pizza Hut and indulged in some good times.

Over all the day was a success and we left tired, but blessed.

Thank you Lord for such a good day!

A little bit of sweat

2007-09-02T16:35:00.000+01:00

I needed to clear my head this afternoon so I took the opportunity to get out of the house.

I took a good fast walk down to the river Cam which runs through our town on into the city center of Cambridge and nodded at a few passersby as I wiped the sweat from my brow.

As I journeyed to my destination I began to cry a bit. Nothing to draw attention to myself, but enough to look a bit distraught.

I am blessed to be in the place I am, but I am also struggling with a million emotions.

My son is going through a stage I am not too sure how to handle. He can be just as emotional if not worse than a girl at times. He is soooooooo whiny. I can handle just about anything except whining! I know drama was bound to be found in my kids, but not so much in my son.
I really struggle with enjoying this season with him. I am exhausted from midnight feedings and looong days with my Josiah. I am praying that preschool will help straighten him out as well as my prayers.
Maddie is trying to balance being a 61/2 year old with no real girlfriends nearby and having a brother who is very dependant on her companionship. She is at the stage where she gets bored with the same movie or toy. Trying to teach contentment in a "gimme"world is hard to say the least.
My husband and I are daily laying our concerns before the Lord of why we are here. We fall on the promises He gave us from the beginning and look back on 7 months of our lives and know that we will never be the same. He has done an amazing work in our hearts since coming to this apathetic country. The longer we are here and the more churches we attend, the more we see the need for intercessors and for the love of Christ to be discovered again. It is dark at times. Depressing as well.
However, we know that His hand is guiding us and knows our needs.
I lack nothing when I measure my griefs next to His will for me. I have the opportunity to live in the fullness of life right now. Eternity is now, not just when I see Him face to face. When I walk in the Spirit I experience Christ in me as He dwells in my life.
So my tears today were out of frustration of why I can't figure out how I feel most of the time, because I know I'm suppose to be here and keep allowing Him to refine me. Refining lasts forever here on earth. And then it will be done. Thank you Lord!!!!!

There are 60 churches in the 6 mile diameter that make up the city of Cambridge. That doesn't include the numerous villages that make up Cambridgeshire as a whole. We so yearn to be a part of their communities and lives that we don't know where to begin at times.

I know that my feelings are genuine and credible, but they are felt deeply in light of this revelation. I have such deep hopes and desires for our lives here. I know that we are gonna be used in a great way for some purpose if only to encourage the broken church here to turn back to Jesus and His words of life.

An hour and a little bit of sweat later, I had obviously regained my composure and resolve to "be all that I can be" as He shines through me.
I do need prayer so desperately these days and know I will have it. Thank you saints :).

pack rat

2007-08-31T11:24:00.000+01:00

If you walk into my daughter's room you will find in the corner a bunch of ecclectic things: Headless dolls, random clips, lip gloss and lost toys of all sorts. She has taken my body pillow that has lost most of its fluff and has managed to create a sort of covering over these items.

She is a classic pack rat. If I need to find a missing toy I go to her make shift tent. It drives me crazy so I don't look at it often, but it is her own. I need to respect the things she makes her own. To encourage her individual expression in life.

When I do take the time to glance at her "tent" I smile, for I know she will not always have this little corner of goods, and one day her mess won't be there anymore. What will my little "pack rat" become I do not know. But I pray she always remembers that I let her be a little girl with eccentric qualities and a curiosity for life that I need to steer and encourage.

What are your pillars?

2007-08-28T07:51:00.000+01:00

One of the benefits of living in England is that we have the opportunity to fly for a fair price around the EU. Joey's grandma is visiting relatives in Italy for the month of Aug. and Joey thought it would be special to take Maddie and go visit. It was a very special trip for it allowed one on one time with grandma and established connections with distant relations in Italy as well.

During the trip, Joey and Grandma Connie took the train into Rome where they spent the day admiring the city and its sights.
Now if any of you know my Joey well you would know that he is obsessed with pillars. I know it seems strange when you first hear it, but there is something very significant and cool about his fascination with them.

I have been reading through the books of Ezra and Nehemiah in the last week or so and am so blessed by the lives of these men. They both had a burden to lead the people of Israel back to a place of worship to the Lord. They both were motivated to rebuild the temple and the walls around the city of Jerusalem. Up until this point the children of Israel had been in captivity in Babylon and some had compromised in their faith. There was worship of other gods and marrying pagan women. There needed to be a purification.

So Nehemiah commanded the people to put away the foreign women and purify themselves before the Lord their God and prepare their hearts to worship Him. So they obeyed.

In Ezra you see King Darius' approval of the rebuilding and gave favor to the Jews. He gave permission to take from the kings treasury anything they needed to pay for the provisions of the temple. Now as the Jews obeyed God and the men in charge there was great favor. They had opposition, but God was so delighted in what they were doing that He took care of the opposition.

These men of faith, Ezra and Nehemiah, based there strength on the Lord. He was their pillar. The support to their existence. They understood the need to be focused on God and the need to worship Him. They understood that the temple represented this purpose as it was to be built in the center of the city and as they looked upon the temple it gave the people the right mindset of what they were to do on a daily basis; to worship God and to pray always to Him.

The only way they were able to accomplish the task of rebuilding was to determine that they would not be moved, work together as one, and seek God's favor and direction. I really believe this is essential to any kind of ministry and personal walk with God.

Our pillars in this life are Christ first, His word, prayer and then the people that make up the body of Christ. As we utilize our pillars our building will remain solid. The main structure may ruin at times, but it can always be rebuilt around the pillars.

So my question to you today is "who or what are you building your life around?" Is it Christ and Him crucified? If not I pray that you find yourself at the place where you are looking upon the temple, knowing that you need to get back to a place of worship with Him. He is your solid support and foundation in this life. He desires complete surrender and worship from His children.

What a wonderful thing to be allowed to worship the Creator of the universe. Be blessed today. Take time to pray today and encourage someone.

Utmost for His Highest, Aug. 28th

"prayer is the way the life of God is nourished"

"It is not so true that prayer changes things as that prayer changes me and I change things."

Rain drops and mud puddles

2007-08-19T21:06:00.000+01:00

Today was the beginning of a 3 day journey with just my boys and me.
I have been looking forward to having this time alone with Josiah in particular since he is the second child so being alone with him rarely happens.
He is creative, quirky, bright and overly sensitive.
He has been putting difficult puzzles together since the age of 2 3/4.
He has taught himself his letter sounds, how to write the letters and how to sound out words with the help of leapster. He understands addition and subtraction and cares about the precision of his car line up.

When he gets dressed in the morning, he makes sure his shirt has some kind of blue in it and he prefers shorts over pants (which must be blue as well). He will not allow his hair to be touched and hates to have wet clothes on unless its a bathing suit.

He enjoys staying home, which I do as well.
His favorite hobbies are train track building and trains. Specifically Thomas the Tank Engine.
He walks around humming the tune or making up words to the tune of Thomas and Friends.
He loves to sing worship music and dances when there is some cool beat on.
He is joyful, funny, bouncy and he loves food!
He is a Tigger for sure.
This is my Josiah.

I fell in love with him the minute he came out. The bond between a mother and a son is indescribable. He was a typical gassy baby which extended well into his first year of life and left me sleep deprived most of the time, but he stole my heart. He was so joyful and made me feel like I was the most important person in the world when he would look at me.
I remember the day he started playing with my hair. He never pulled it he would just run his fingers through it. Oh my heart would melt.

Don't get me wrong, I love my girl. But I suppose what Joey experienced with Maddie is what I experienced with Jo Jo. I had a mom say to me once that she could see the love streaming through my eyes as I looked upon Josiah. It sounds a bit cheesy, but that's how I felt when I would look at him.
My little man.
Well he is on the brink of turning 4 and he no longer holds still long enough for me to look into his eyes or play with my hair. I usually chase him and ask for a hug or a kiss.
He is a typical boy full of energy and curiosity. I love it. He is predictable and crazy. Total boy.

Which brings me to today...
My friend rang me up and asked me if I wanted to go to the local park today. Well, on any other day I wouldn't of hesitated, but today was a rainy, wet, soggy day. I like to hibernate on days like this. But wanting to be adventureous, I packed up and prepared for the soggy adventure.

She has two kids of her own so as we got out, they all made a mad dash for the first huge puddle.
Josiah was a bit more hesitant, but finally caught on. He thought it was great to break free and splash. Its a bit like being allowed to jump on the bed for the first time. You're told no for so long that when you finally get the chance you can't let go and just do it.
It was great to watch.
I enjoyed watching him play and interact without his sister dictating how he was gonna be.
Kids are so different when they are away from their sibling. They compete for eachother's attention and for their friend's as well.
We played hide and go seek in the woods and fed the swans for a bit. They climbed muddy hills and pretended to be king of the mountain.

After a while the kids were soaked and muddy, but happy.
We left feeling like we'd accomplished something. There was nothing to hold us back
from getting messy and from just being free. It is a memory I will forever cherish.

We went home and we had a cuddle on the couch just him and me, and you know what? He played with my hair. (Sigh)

Thank you God for little boys.

tea party

2007-08-16T15:43:00.000+01:00

I am listening to the rain pound on my windows as I write this and smile. My Maddie has been going through a very difficult time adjusting to the lack of friends out here in the UK and has been a mess emotionally. She has been difficult and disagreeable most of the time for about a month now, so today I decided to beat the attitude with kindness instead of frustration.

I told her to bring her dolls down and place them at the table. We then proceeded to make scones together and place them in the oven. She went off to play while I brought out her ceramic tea set and set them on the table at each place, including one for Josiah.
I mixed hot chocolate and milk together and place the pot of "tea" on the table.
When the timer went off we all sat at the table with our scones and cups of "tea" and just giggled.

They thought it was great as Maddie popped in and out of her newly discovered English accent and Josiah kept remarking how, "this was the best tea party ever."

I have won her heart for a brief moment in time, but it has retaught me a valuable lesson...we only have a short time in this life to play with our kids and be silly with them. The moment will be gone soon enough and she will be embarrassed to be with me and play time will be forever over.

So I suppose I am thankful for moments of attitude that help adjust my view on parenting and give me the right perspective again...beat that attitude with kindness and love.

The stillness

2007-08-15T16:35:00.000+01:00

Have you ever had the privilege of holding a newborn when they are calm and content? It is magical. They seem to be floating as their limbs slowly move around. Their sweet noises are not as frequent at this stage so their quiet is so peaceful. I often wonder what they are thinking about in this magical moment as they observe their surroundings. It causes you to take a moment and inhale deeply and then release it ever so slowly, allowing the frustrations of the day to take a back seat for the time being. If you have ever experienced this moment then you know what I'm talking about.

The stillness only lasts for the first 3 months, maybe part of the 4th. But it is wonderful.
I stare at my little Jordan who is just about to turn 3 months and I cherish these quiet moments. They bring me to a place of rest and peace in my heart and mind, allowing me to focus on my life and my King.

He is always wanting us to be at a place of rest with our lives and the plans that He has set in motion for us. I am blessed to know the plans He has for me and that there is no want in my life.

I home school my girl of 6 and watch her eyes light up when she begins to understand something for the first time.
I assemble a train track with my boy of 4 and see the amazing details that he puts into making it turn out perfect.
And right now I steal moments with my boy of 3 months where I place my nose to his warm soft cheek and whisper how much I love him and hear him sigh with contentment.

This is the plan for me right now beyond the redemption plan. As I pour into these little ones who are being raised as little soldiers for Christ, I find myself at a place of rest again, that still moment where all is right with my world.

Every moment is special and brings rest to my soul. My God is so pleased when we are in this place of rest. It is the hardest place for a person to be, that is why you will find so many verses in the Word that speak about resting, casting your cares on Him and being anxious for nothing.
He took all of our worries to the cross and said "it is finished" and yet resting is still the hardest thing for us to do even with our new nature in Christ.

The constant daily battle of surrender is always before us. The "Let go and Let God" mentality that we are told to have most of our Christian lives, but spend the majority of it ignoring this nice saying, is so difficult to master. We have the choice now by the power of the Holy Spirit to cast our cares upon Him and never take them back. Isn't that a wonderful thing?

That's the magical moment that I enjoy with my King. When I am at complete rest and peace with Him and He is whispering "Tiff, I love you. There is no need to worry. I did it all for you."
WOW!
Beautiful isn't it?

So today take advantage of that complete rest in Him. The moment when all is still and the world fades. He desires to have constant communion with us in this fashion.

Enter into His rest and be still.
"Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
Matt. 11:28
"Be still, and know that I am God..."
Ps. 46:10

Being sent out

2007-08-12T15:03:00.000+01:00

My family and I left the States six months ago and moved to Cambridge, England

where we knew no one in order to share the love of Jesus with the people here. There seems to be a loss of understanding and fear of God among the English that we have seen and desire to reintroduce them to the One who created us all.

There was such a strong heritage rooted here in Christianity. Missionaries from the UK used to venture to the States in order to win souls for Christ and now it has reversed. Not that America isn't far behind, but there is a great need here.

We have experienced great moments of joy and revelation as well as dispairing moments of lonliness and sorrow.

I am reminded of the time when King David had numbered the people against God's will so the Lord commanded him to build an altar at the threshing floor that belonged to Araunah. Araunah wanted to give the land to David fo free but David replied, "No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that which costs me nothing."

That is exactly how I feel at this moment in my life.

Life is so valuable and my time is so precious that I don't want to waste it. I also know that what I have given up was costly to me, but it needed to be in order for the call to be worth it. It is so beautiful to Him. He desires to see us give up that which costs us something in order to see what is in our hearts. And why not? He gave us everything when He stooped down and became a human and died for us that we might spend eternity with Him.

I know that this season in my life has changed me forever for the better.

My heart has enlarged towards people. I have more compassion for others, I have a deeper intamacy with the Father, I know my husband in a deeper way and I appreciate those who have left all for the sake of the gospel more than I did before.

However, the tears still come especially when I'm over tired from being up with a new born and from dealing with my 6 and 4 year old during the day. Besides the Lord and my husband, they give me purpose and fulfillment. They are my ministry and I'm greatful to have them. Life is not easy, but I pray alot more fevently and I rely on Him so much more.

I know it will pass quickly and I will look back and be blessed that I went through this time. I pray I come out refined and ready for the next adventure. It is wonderful to be counted worthy even when I don't feel like I am. He does remind me through His word and other people that we are in His will and to be patient. Which brings me to my next thought...

I am so thankful that He sends people our way just when we need it.

Joey's parents were here when Jordan was born and then a bit later my parents arrived. God ordainded the visits for sure. There was wonderful fellowship and we got to know eachother on a whole new level. Now we are enjoying two young adults who are taking turns visiting us. We have Monica here now and Stephanie is coming in 2 weeks time.

We are greatful that God loves us so much. He is good.

So that is a bit of my life. I love the Lord and I love serving Him no matter where I am living.
My Uttmost for His Highest, Aug. 11 speaks volumes of where my heart is today. If you have a copy pick it up and take a look. Then examine your heart and ask the Lord to speak to you. This is where I am so pray for me.

Blessings to you all.

Tiffany