Missionary Service Training

For the least fifteen days, I have been living in New York with fourteen others from all over the world who will be embarking on missionary service around the world.  It has been a great time of fellowship, learning and experiencing the delights of other cultures.  I will be blogging more over the next  couple of weeks but wanted you to see who has been my "missionary family" these past few weeks.

Countries represented:  Chile, Mexico, Congo, Hong Kong, Korea, Brazil, Puerto Rico, United States, Philippines, Costa Rica

Going to:  Senegal, Mexico, Bolivia, Dominican Republic, United States, Japan

WOW!  How privileged I am to serve with these folks!

Vacation Bible School Week

So....I have been absent from the blog-o-sphere for a bit, but for a good reason!  It's Vacation Bible School Week here!  And what a week it has been!

Six days of fun and faith stories

Seven churches working together

Six meals

Tons of kids

Lots of adults

I have had the joy of being the storyteller.  Of course, I haven't done it myself!  We have told the story of King David, Queen Esther, Nehemiah, Jesus and Josiah.  The stories have been great.  The fellowship has been wonderful and the work has been rewarding.

Here are just a few pics from the week....

Each church involved took a night to provide dinner for the kids and the workers

Some of our decorations for story telling

Rev. Aaron Atchley as David.  What a good sport!

Vacation Bible School is a great week, but I am tired.

A Word for Wednesday

If you want to be miserable think about yourself, about what you want, what you like, what respect people ought to pay you and what people think of you.

Charles Kingsley

Charles Kingsley 

I couldn't say it better myself! What is a favorite quote of yours? 

The Adventures of Chicken Farming: Coyotes

Yesterday, there came a frantic knock on the front door.  It was my neighbor alerting me to the fact that this animal had been seen in the yard:

Coyote (not a friend to chickens or cats!)

Fortune

Pumpkin

It was just a few minutes and the place was swarming with men who looked for the coyote to shoot it (including the sheriff).  We were encouraged to gather our animals and get them inside.  The cats were pretty easy to get in the house.

(Aren't they cute!?) 

The chickens were another story...we tried bribing them with food and then with treats.  I ended up feeding them a bunch of meal worms without getting one single,solitary chicken back into the coop.  Aaron chased them out of the woods and Anna and I tried to "encourage" them to go into the coop.

Part of our little flock

We spent about an hour trying to catch our six chickens to make sure they would be safe from the big, bad coyote.  We were not successful.  However, I am sure that the gang of folks who had gathered to eradicate the coyote enjoyed watching the pastor and his family chase chickens!  We never did get those chickens back in the coop, but we did get a good cardio workout and a good laugh!

The chickens finally made their way back to the coop at the normal time and not a minute earlier.  I learned a few valuable lessons today:

1.  Chickens will do what chickens want to do
2.  I am severely out of shape
3.  I loathe coyotes
4.  I need a shotgun

Living Life Today!

I have to apologize.  There are not profound thoughts here.  No goofy pictures of my kids, chickens, cats, husband....I am busy living life today.  I am going to be busy driving my oldest to pickup a dear friend from Kentucky who is coming for a visit, busy planning for  my youngest birthday party, busy loving on dear friends who are celebrating the life of their mother, busy learning about addictions so that I can better love those who suffer with them, and busy being a mother, wife, missionary, friend....

This is my prayer today:

Freedom to serve...

Happy Independence Day!

The girls several years ago at the Wilmore Veteran's Day Parade.

Today we celebrate the birth of our nation, the freedoms we enjoy and those who have defended those freedoms and this very soil on which we stand. It is a debt that can never be repaid.  I absolutely love Fourth of July celebrations!  It's one of those days that the country comes together regardless of political affiliation, differing beliefs, socio-economic status, education level, etc. to celebrate what we have in common:  freedom!

The question that comes to mind for me on this day is "What are we free from?" and "What are we free to do?"  I think the first one is answered pretty easily...we are free from the fear of religious persecution, free to pursue dreams, free to own property, free from the fear that our homes will be invaded....free from political violence and unrest.  The list goes on and on ...but what are we free to do?  Live our lives worthy of that freedom...

Which reminds me of Galatians 5:13:

You were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only don’t let this freedom be an opportunity to indulge your selfish impulses but serve each other through love.

So as an American Christian, I am especially reminded today that I am free politically but also spiritually.  My freedom to express my religious beliefs has been given to me by my fellow Americans.  My freedom to love others has been given to me by the atoning acts of Christ.  I am free to love and I am free to serve. Serving is not an obligation or a burden...it is a joy.  It is freeing to put others before self.  I encourage you today to think about how you can serve others in love.  We are free not to pursue our own selfish desires, but to serve one another.

 

The girls are back...

The girls spent ten days with their grandparents.  They swam, played with puppies, shopped, rode horses, tubed the Little River, went bowling, shopped, saw a few movies, went to a play, etc...

Their dad and I spent the week cleaning the house (because you know the saying...cleaning house with children is like brushing your teeth while eating oreos....), working on projects and just getting some much-needed rest.  We have always been fortunate to have family who have been willing to give us little respites from parenting.

The girls are back...here's the proof...

So much for the clean house...oh well...glad they are home!