Answered Prayer

We have been looking for a church on and off for the last few months. For the record...I HATE church shopping!

I want good worship...EXCELLENT worship...good preaching...friendly people...I want to feel connected...to God...to other people...feel like I belong...and I realized yesterday the foundational thing I'm looking for. I want to find a church that accurately describes God...His TRUE nature...from the Bible...as depicted in the life of Jesus. I desperately need that...because it's way too easy to let my mind wander when things start heading south...and to see God as a big, mean, judgmental jerk who just wants to make my life miserable cuz I made a mistake. Granted...there are consequences when I make mistakes...but that's different from being punished...and sometimes it's hard to tell the difference...especially when I forget who God REALLY is.

Yesterday we decided to try City Church in Chattanooga. We'd heard good things about it...from several people...and their *Ethos* service sounded like it would be a good fit...especially with the worship.

On the way to church I was complaining to David about how I was begging God to show me what I was missing...why things seem to be going rotten right now...what about *me* is causing us to keep repeating this cycle??? And why wasn't He answering me???

So...we get to church...for the last few minutes of the 9:15 service. It was good. God was talking to me immediately. We saw the pastor in the hallway afterward and he was very friendly. He took the time to stop and talk to us...shake our hands...make a connection. Honestly...most times *pastors* only have time for people if they get in their faces or stand in a line...yk? So THAT impressed me.

We sat with friends in the Ethos service. I was prepared for the music to be deafening loud...but it wasn't. I didn't know the songs...and that was a little frustrating...cuz I like to sing when I worship...and they were hard to follow in that respect. BUT...God was talking to me anyway. And somewhere in there I realized that I had made the comment that I wanted Him to scream at me so that I could hear Him...and HE DID!!! I know what the point of the message was...and I did understand it...but what I heard more than anything else was...

I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

Simplistic? Yes! Necessary? ABSOLUTELY!!!!

The funny thing was...as we discussed the service on the way home, David said he thought the message that knowing God's love and allowing that to compel us to love others was...a bit naive. Ya know...I agree...and yet...I also know...somewhere deep inside...that it's really not. Remember...He said He would use the simple to confound the wise.

So...we'll be visiting again...trying the early service...deciding which one we like from there. I know we were where we were supposed to be yesterday...and I would like to have found a church home. But we'll take it one step at a time...and trust that we will know when it's time to commit...and where.

Looking Ahead

Happy New Year 2009!!!

This year Kaelyn will get her driver's license, graduate from high school, and turn 18...where did the time go?!

This year Chandler will get his learner's permit and turn 16...for real?!

This year Corey will turn 13...and we will have 3 teenagers in the house...eeeekkk!!!!

This year Chris will become a Webelo and turn 10...4 in double digits!

This year Kyle will turn 7...seriously?!

This year Joshie will turn 5...holy cow!

This year Noelle will turn 2...thankfully at the END of the year...lol

This year David will be 44 and I will be 42...sure doesn't feel like it!

This year David and I will celebrate our 20th Wedding Anniversary...has it really been that long?! (We're planning to renew our vows...woohoo!!!)

Now that the *givens* are out of the way...these things will happen no matter what...on to goals for the year....

Get all of our debt (except the house) paid off. (The house would be nice, too...but that would DEFINITELY be a God-thing!)

We're getting a second car...for cash...NO PAYMENTS!!!

Get our house renovations done...new LCD TV in the living room...new living room furniture...walls finished and painted...floor finished (haven't figured out how yet, though)...school area redone...playroom completed...new curtains in the living room.

That's not all...but it's a start...

Looking Back

We say this every year...but I just can't believe it's gone by so fast! I think it was just June yesterday when I woke up...where did the time go?

This year we've watched Noelle smile, turn over, sit up, crawl, walk, and get some teeth...Kyle, Josh, and Chris have all completed at least 1 phonics book... Chris, Kyle, Corey, and Chandler have all completed a math book...we've moved from the life of Jesus to the Dark Ages in history...Chandler and Corey have each gotten a rank advancement in Scouts...Chris moved up to a Bear... Kyle became a Tiger...all 4 boys went to Summer Camp...Kaelyn has completed 10th and 11th grades...she also got her permit...and her first boyfriend...David began working his dream job...and has just changed all around (for the better)

Me...it seems I've just been caught up in the whirlwind of change...jobs... finances...children growing up.... Sometimes I wish it would all slow down... well...the good stuff, anyway...it wouldn't hurt my feelings any if the bad stuff moved a little faster...lol

Overall...it's been a good year. I've learned a lot...grown a lot...and I'm ready to move on to 2009...ready to savor each and every moment with my children... remembering that this is the last few months of childhood for Kaelyn...and how quickly it goes...I don't want to miss a moment...don't want to be too busy.

I went to sleep last night dreaming of the *me* I want to be this coming year. I won't say it's a resolution...Michelle is right...that word just stinks of failure! I want to be more laid back...get things done...but not in a chaotic, forceful way, if that makes sense. I want to be with my husband and children...enjoy them... not be so anxious to do my own thing...

We have a lot to be grateful for this year. God has been so faithful...even though at times we couldn't *see* His faithfulness...we've known it in our hearts...and caught a glimpse here and there.

Mary, Did You Know?

This is David's favorite Christmas song...and here it's done by Chandler's and my favorite group...Kutless.


Enjoy!

Today's Funny

David was sitting at the table making his PB&J sandwiches for lunch with Kyle (6) and Joshie (4) looking on. Kyle was telling David about a time when he was 1 and threw up a PB&J. (I know...way gross!) David looked at Joshie and said, "I think he's pulling my leg." Joshie looked down, looked back at David, and said, "No...that's the dog."

Maybe it's one of those "you had to be there" things...or maybe you just have to know Joshie...but it's been making me smile all morning.

Do They REALLY Get It?

I was just reading an article about the Big 3 automakers' plea to Congress to get bailout money to save their companies. I noticed that they drove fuel-efficient cars rather than flying in on their company jets. I noticed, in fact, that at least 2 of them said they'd sell their company jets. I noticed, too, that the United Auto Workers president was there, rallying for the car companies to get their money. The thing that hit me the most, though, was that they are asking for more money this time than they did the last time.

There was a time when I thought the *help* we needed was money. I thought if I could get a little bit of money to help with this problem, then we'd be ok. And for a while, we had friends and family that thought that, too...at least, they gave or loaned us money at the time. But about 5 years ago I realized that *money* wasn't really our problem. To be honest, I'm not sure exactly *what* the problem has been...but it wasn't having or not having money. There was something we had to change about the way we handled money...although I'm still not sure I know what that *something* is. But I digress....

The point is...I see the same problem here. More money is NOT going to help the Big 3. I agree with those who have said they just need to declare Chapter 11 Bankruptcy and move on from there. Granted, I don't understand all of the details...and I CERTAINLY do NOT have the experience of running a company to back me up. But I do know that when something isn't working right, it is simply INSANITY to try to do the same thing and expect it to change. I see the same issue with Wall Street. MORE MONEY isn't going to help. Things need to CHANGE!!!

Just my not-so-humble opinion.

Advent Calendar

This is our Advent Calendar...with a twist. I had one growing up, and I loved counting the days until Christmas. I did not want to make 5 separate calendars...so we made 1 big one. And rather than having candy attached to the calendar, we wrote out clues for each day for each child. So they will have a treasure for the day's candy or treat.