Posting a Picture

It cannot be that hard - do ya think?
Here we are in CA:
OKAY - not sure where the pix went. Anyway . . . study for VBS and finish up strong. Thank you Jesus for this opportunity. Please help me to share with the kids what You want! Thank You for loving me!!!

VBS

I believe I was rudely interrupted when i was posting last time and this one will not be long either as Vacation Bible School is underway aaannnnddd i need to be there early! And, why aren't my girls up yet? Ryan's at an early morning meeting aaannnnddd he leaves tomorrow for 2 1/2 weeks - ugh!
He is going to Spain, Russia & New Zealand - I am excited for him; but i am totally missing him already:( Life is just not how it should be when he is gone . . . but I am so grateful that my God stands in that gap for us!
VBS is going great - mom & I are teaching the 5th & 6th graders and it is totally fun! Alas, just very busy as well.
Sandy Miller is no longer with us at Kirk's which has left extra duties for me to take care of . . . not bad, just busy.
Erin's game was cancelled last night due to a rainy day and it is again overcast, so I am wondering about Ellen's tonight!
The girls have piano practice at Newton today at 5:00 and a recital tomorrow at 7:00 I believe (Ryan will be gone).
Dear Lord Jesus, Heavenly Father, Precious Holy Spirit . . . guide these sweet children to know Your love for them. Please help us to be a guide for Your light to shine through. Help us display a portion of the passion & love You have for them this week and every time we might encounter one of them. Thank You for displaying your awesomeness to us - Praises and Blessings to you!!!

Summer Sun, Californ I A, and life at the ball park.

Yes, yes, it has been again too long of a time. So sad . . . hard habit to break i guess.
Okay - we did our first every 5 person family vacation--i.e. Ryan, I and the girls. So very, very fun. We went to LA & San Diego from Sunday May 17th returning Sunday May 23rd. We had an awesome time. God so blessed us and protected us. I am so often reminded of Luke 12:48.
News & noteworthy vacation notes: we all became totally sick of lines and people and
(although i am not racist) being surrounded by different languages! I cannot imagine the tower of babel.
My girls have no fear of rides or heights or things that make one's stomach flip, fall and temporarily shut down; their mother, on the other hand, has a healthy respect for these rides.
Ellen & Erin rode front seat of the biggest roller coaster/ride at Disneyland. They are a few sheets short.
Emily enjoyed the Tower of Terror - her mother hoped she was not going to die on it.
The Pacific ocean (which we saw/played in at Santa Monica, Oceanside, Coronado Island and Mission Bay) is an awesome thing to witness! The ocean is alive and moving and constant--truly amazing.
The ocean was very cold. The girls picked seashells, played in the water, dug in the sand, took a picture with a surfer, walked the boardwalk, touched the kelp, watched a baby crab scuttle along, nearly clogged a toilet with mom:) They just loved it!
We did Universal Studios in LA then headed to San Diego and did Sea World, USS Midway, Coranado Island (cool bridge to get there), San Diego Zoo and pool play at the hotel.
More to come . . .

Think on these things

Okay . . . am the only one that is so tempted to think on things I shouldn't. I get my panties in such a ruffle about the dumbest things. Thank you Lord Jesus for calling to mind Phillipians 4:8-9 . . . "finally, brethern, whatever is Pure, noble, just, true, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good report if there is anything excellent or praiseworthy - THINK ON THESE THINGS! Dear God, help me to THINK ON THESE THINGS. Thank You so very much for Your word - that is sharper than any two-edged sword. For Your spirit that goes before me and makes straight my path. Thank you for all things pure, and true and noble and just and lovely - thank You for so many, many wonderful things - my girls, my husband, my health, my soul, Your spirit within me. Thank you . . .

Finished CS Lewis's Narnia Chronicles - soooo good! THe last book in the series "The Last Battle" is just awesome. Clive Staples Lewis was one brillant man.

Ran in OKC Memorial Marathon - awesome! God, you blessed me again. Thank you for allowing me to do what I can do through You. I do not take it for granted and I feel so very blessed to be able to do it - thank YOU, thank YOu, thank YOu!

Loser

Okay - after reading Sara's blog - that is totally what I feel like - big-time, uncreative, never doing what I intend to loser! Ugh. She is so creative - love their house; love how she just 'does stuff'. Ugh - very neat.

In Christ ~ 4/3/2010

Well . . . it is past my bedtime, but I had to record this in written form somewhere to most likely last forever. This Easter weekend 2010, our oldest daughter, Ellen Janelle Durst, accepted Jesus Christ as her personal saviour. Praise You God! Thank You Jesus. Seal her Holy Spirit. Amen!
We have been attending New Spring Saturday nights and we went for the Good Friday service. Then we went Saturday night and while Ellen was at Kidzworld, they asked if anyone would like to make the most important decision of their life? And Ellen raised her hand and went out with Miss Becky and accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord & Saviour. I can hardly type the words without tearing up because I feel so honored that God has allowed me to experience flesh of my flesh become a christian. Lord God almighty - hallowed be Your name. Blessed be Your name. Praises to Your name.

God just worked it out so perfectly and Ryan & I are completely full of joy! We pray that God works His will in her life; that Ellen walks in His ways, and is obedient to His calling. Speaking of obedience, we had just gone to church Friday night and I worked all day Sat.; Ryan worked hard outside moving dirt and rocks and it was a rush to get out the door so we would be there on time and it would have been so much easier to just stay home; however, we were obedient and went . . . and look how God moves. Where there is faith, God will always move. Thank you Lord for moving in this sweet girls life. I pray she always moves with You.

Amen.

b/t/w - side notes: Duke just won the NCAA championship.
I still hope Ellen marries a baseball player :)

Am i the only one?

Today is Sunday, March 20, 2010.
Today has been a very lonely day for me.
At church this morning, Pastor Dave gave the message and he again stated something I find quite profound: "Belonging is very powerful."

Belonging IS very powerful.
Belonging is VERY powerful.
Belonging is very POWERFUL.

Where do I belong?

Have you ever felt like you exist, but don't really belong anywhere per se? I think maybe I feel just 'not special' and I just want to feel 'special'. I want to feel like I am adored, like I am loved because I am me. I want to feel the specialness of being the only daughter still alive. I want to feel like I am loved because her son chose me and for no other reason. I want to feel loved plurally. I feel very, very singular.

I am very glad I have no sons and therefore, will have no 'daughters-in-laws'. I will strive very hard to teach my daughters to love their husband's mothers & fathers . . . to walk in love . . . I want so much to set the example, I am just confounded with how hard it is to walk that way.
I am amazed how the world entices us with its pleasures and we are so easily 'ensnared'. Hebrews 12:1-2 "Because we are surrounded by a community of believers, let us put off everything that hinders and the sin which so easily ensnares and let us run with perservance the race marked out for us."

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for loving me while I was still your enemy. Thank you for your atoning death for my sin. Thank you for hearing my cries. Thank you for always loving me, no matter what. Thank you Lord Jesus for being my plural. You are my "exceedinly great reward"!