My New Camera

Picture heavy post to share my new toy. I don’t even really know how to use it yet. I just know that it is really hard to take a blurry picture with it. I thought I’d share a few from this evening just after I picked up this new little cam. Thanks Jeffy.

Family Life And Stuff

It seems like I’ve been all business lately and haven’t shared much about what is going on with the fam. We had a great fourth. From pancake breakfasts to picnics at camp to fireworks at Claire’s it was a full day. The weather was just perfect; not too hot and not too cold. Just call me Goldilocks.

Mom and Dad came down to Eugene for the Olympic Trials. They were officials for the race walk. We eventually joined up with them down at the “Olympic Festival.” After they went home we went around and experienced some of the free things. Here is part of what we did.

The kiddos helped power the event by riding the bikes to charge up the batteries.

After participating in the kid’s mock track and field events they celebrated their victories…

and their defeats…

I took these pics on my camera phone.

I’m excited for a couple of things happening in the next few days.

1. I’m spending time with my very first friend I made when I moved here to go to the U. We’ve known each other for almost 22 years. We go to the same church yet over past few years have only seen each other once a year, on the Fourth of July. So, for her birthday we’re going to have to lunch today and get our nails done.

2. I’m taking a family portrait tomorrow. With my new camera. I don’t have the new camera yet. I will pick it up in less than three hours. Yea! I’m looking forward to adding things to my portfolio.

3. We are going to the beach this weekend for a family reunion. It will be a short trip since the boys have to be back for Sunday-go-to-meetin’-time.

4. There is a fun concert, that I mentioned yesterday, that Jeff and I are involved with Sunday evening.

5. Jman turns 14. I’m excited and dumbfounded. Fourteen years! Fourteen years!

6. I’m hoping to hear about my sister in law’s trip to Romania with Northwest Medical Teams. She made the whole two week trip with nothing but a backpack. The rest of their luggage was filled with donations. I’m thankful that she is home safe and sound.

7. And Solace For The Artist’s Soul is coming up! I am ever hopeful the people will be encouraged by this event.

Music In The Park

***Solace For The Artist’s Soul, July 19th 5-8 p.m. @ the Camp Harlow Amphitheater.***

I forgot to mention that Jeff and I are playing with “The Get Togethers” this Sunday at EBF. It’s a group that our friend Steve Leighter put together. No pun intended. I’m also singing one song with Neil. It’s song that we recorded in our front bathroom while I was pregnant with Em, and pre studio.

It should be a fun afternoon. It’s free!

Solace For The Artist’s Soul

It’s kind a hard to read, huh? I did want to share it with you. It is my first time for a Solace For The Artist’s Soul. And it’s the first time that I’m leading a co-ed Solace. Yeah, men and women together! It’s been on my heart for quite a while. Since I’ve been digging deeper into the Word over the past decade, yikes that’s quite a while, I’ve seen my skills in drawing and painting become an extension of what I read and pray about. I thought that there might be people like me with a talent for drawing and/or painting who would like to use it as an extension of their worship.

It will run similar to a usual Solace. Adoration: Worship, time journaling and in prayer. Confession: Worship, time in prayer and painting or drawing. Thanksgiving: Worship, time in prayer and painting or drawing. Supplication:Worship, time in prayer and painting or drawing. We’ll hang the finished paintings/drawings in the atrium of the church for the Sunday morning services to enjoy.

I am really excited about this. Some people look at me like I am crazy, like they just don’t get it, but then I tell some one like me and they get it. That’s all that matters. I want to minister to fellow artisans and creative types that might not feel like they fit; like they have a place to use their gifts. It just like when I want to minister to those ladies that need to hear a really good old hymn, and I realize I have to skip some of the new songs that I’ve fallen in love with. It’s about meeting people where they are at, so that they are ministered to. They can then, in turn, minister to others.

Jeff and I have a deep desire to “build up not use up.” We want to see people using their talents and gifts for the Lord, so that they don’t feel stale and empty. We’ve been there and done that. It’s not fun. It can be a struggle to use those gifts and talents in amidst the craziness of life. Hopefully this Solace will be an opportunity for people to re-energize from time in God’s Word and by using their artisan muscles. My other hope is that it will be an opportunity for us to meet each other and be inspired by other believers’ works of art.

If you want to know more, you can email me.

Getting Caught Up

By now many of you know that we have a new pastor. Yea! He is already here and working. The vote was cast and passed by a large amount on Sunday morning,and Pastor Ben and his wife accepted the call Sunday afternoon. I am so excited. What a blessing to have new leader in place for our church. He a leader that will shepherd us, and also guide us in ministering to our community.

We had our second evening of camp pastor. They are a sweet bunch of little guys. It difficult to understand how much pain some of these kiddos have experienced in their short lives. One little boy came up to me tonight and said that he prays to God every night that his daddy will come back to life. How sad is that?

Fast Forward to Friday night…I kind of didn’t have time to finish what I started. We spent the first part of the day out at camp finishing up our time of camp pastor. Kids made decisions to become part of God’s family and some kids made decisions to use kind words or just be a good family member. It’s a privilege and honor to be a part this time a camp.

On to something completely different. We watched THE WORST MOVIE EVER MADE. “Why?” you ask. Why did we continue to watch the movie until the end if we knew 5 minutes into the movie that it was indeed THE WORST MOVIE EVER MADE? I told Jeff is was like watching a train wreck. I was in such shock at how bad this movie was that I just kept watching it with the hopes that it would eventually get better. Don’t ever see “Face The Music” with…Molly Ringwald and Patrick Dempsey. I can just hear my brother Andy rolling his eyes and saying, “Amy. Amy. Amy.” Like I should have known better. I think that she had been living in France by the time this movie was made and just wanted to make a movie in France where she could sing the whole time. Eye-yi-yi! Thank goodness I was trying to knit at the time and Jeff was returning emails during most of it. Okay, I’ve got that out of my system.

Have a great Saturday.

The Shack and stuff…

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Holy Schnikes! I just finished up “The Shack.” Holy Schnikes! Lorie we have to talk.
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On another note, Jeffy and I are having a splendid time at the beach celebrating our anniversary. We are thoroughly enjoying our time together, and resting in the fact that our precious family is safe with yayas and papas. I’ll share more later.
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Have a great Saturday!

Happy Anniversary to ME!

Today I’ll have been married for 15 years. 15 years! Where does the time go? So much has happened. I feel like life has just whizzed by! At the same time I still feel like the 17 year old that went off to college. Yikes! I’m glad I’m no longer that 17 year old.

But on to the reason for my post. I love my husband! I am so thankful that he chose me. I sit and wonder why on earth the Lord blessed me with Jeffy. How grateful I am to be married to a man who is so different than myself, yet so much the same.

We process information differently. We load the dishwasher, well, he loads and I don’t. He is a planner. I am not. He would not choose to dance with our daughter out in the rain with no shoes on. I would.

Yet we come together on so many things. We love the Lord. We love to laugh, and laugh at and with each other about the same things. We love to play; music, games, whatever. We love to pray for other people. We rejoice in our children. We believe that family is one the most important things to nourish next to a relationship with Christ.

So, Happy Anniversary my dear sweet husband. Thank you for 15 fabulous and glorious years. Thank you for being an example of Christ’s love for the church in how you love me and our children. I adore you. I abide in you. You are the love of my life.

A Plea For Prayer

Today I received Holt’s E-newsletter. Within that letter was a plea to pray for the children of Vietnam within Holt’s care. I copied it for you to read.

“Just how much international adoption depends on mutual governmental cooperation became apparent again recently when the agreements between the United States and Vietnam unraveled. The U.S. Department of State and the government of Vietnam quickly came to an impasse after a short volley of accusations and counterclaims.

Unfortunately, we’ve been here before–from 2001 to 2004. During this three-year moratorium on international adoption between the United States and Vietnam while the governments slowly worked out an agreement, Holt International and our caring sponsors and donors continued to care for Vietnamese children, continued to improve childcare facilities, continued to preserve birth families whenever possible.

But, ultimately it was some children who paid the highest price for the failure of governments to agree. The children spent months of their childhood apart from the families who eventually adopted them.

And it looks as if some children may have to wait again. And this is despite Holt’s commitment to the kinds of practice that both the U.S. and Vietnamese governments claim to desire. We at Holt will advocate for ethical adoption practices, and we will urge our governments to work together toward an agreement. We also ask you to join us in seeking a higher power to intervene for the sake of orphaned, abandoned and vulnerable children in Vietnam. Please join us in praying for an expedient and effective agreement that will both protect children and facilitate the meeting of their deepest needs–to have the love and belonging of a family.

John Aeby, Holt Director of Communications”

To view the June Holt E-newsletter click here.

Lazy Days of Summer/Pastor Ben

Yesterday actually felt like summer. It was fabulous! The sun was out, and as you can see we enjoyed being outside in different ways. We still have some book work to finish up for the year, but the extras are not there. The kiddos have to be tested this summer. It’s required for every 3rd, 5th, 8th, and 10th grader, and we don’t want to have problems with a truancy officer.

Today I’ve accomplished everything on my to do list accept for the bathrooms, and it’s not even noon. I’ll finish that up and then spend time on our elementary overnight talk for next week. It’s great to be able to cross things off a list the same day I write them down.

This morning I went to the new exercise time at church. It was great! We stretched, walked for a half an hour, and then did some light exercise and stretching. During our walking time we traded walking partners and prayed for our church. It was a really nice time. I knew more than half of the people there, but was able to meet three new people from our church. I want to encourage gals to come. There is childcare for people up to 5th grade. You do need to call and let Marianne know if you are bringing kiddos with you. It is free, and is going to be a great way of meeting my goal of getting in shape by my big 4-0! If people want to join me send me an email and I’ll get you hooked up.

The other thing that I wanted to mention is that Pastor Ben’s Q & A’s are all posted here on line. Jeff made sure that they are under the pod casts for people to listen to. IT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE TAKE THE TIME TO HEAR HIS HEART. He is so ready to serve our church and to serve our community. He is a leader, with a heart to develop more leaders.

We need to come together as a church under the authority of our elders, who through the recommendations of the search committee, placed Pastor Ben before us as the candidate for our next senior pastor. This was a decision not taken lightly by any of them. Men AND women chosen by our elders spent countless hours on this. They prayerfully considered this. They didn’t talk about the candidate at any time accept for when they met. They spent the time in between meetings praying for the Lord’s guidance. WE MUST NOT LIVE IN FEAR OF HAVING A NEW PASTOR. WE MUST EMBRACE HAVING A NEW PASTOR, AND A PASTOR WHO DESIRES TO SHEPHERD US. Isn’t that what we’ve hoped for since Pastor Kim stepped down?

Again I am reminded of Psalm 37, and that we need to continue to pray this Psalm for ourselves and for our church.

Psalm 37
Of David.
1 Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of those who do wrong;

2 for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.

3 Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

4 Delight yourself in the LORD
and He will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in Him and He will do this:

6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him;
do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.

9 For evil men will be cut off,
but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

Do not fret but trust the Lord for what is going to happen. Take your eyes off of men and what the world tells you. I say these things to myself too!

Happy Father’s Day and Random Stuff

We just got back from spending a couple of hours with Mom and Dad to celebrate Father’s Day. It was nice to see them. Hopefully I will get a copy of the picture the kiddos took with Papa Jim and his new “Super Papa” t-shirt. We spent yesterday with Jeff’s family. It was a mellow time, which was nice. So, to all those Dads out there, “Happy Father’s Day.”
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Okay, a couple of answers to questions from recent posts.

1. Anderson Cooper “goin’ 360″ is a reference to his CNN show called “Anderson Cooper 360.”
2. C.G. stands for computer graphics.
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Conversation from lunch today.

Mom: Hey kids, I just got an email from the library saying that that movie we requested is in..

Em: Oh, yeah, Mr. Emporium’s…

Jman: Yeah, Mr. Magic Magorium’s…

Mom: Hmm…Mr. Emporium’s Magic…

Jman: No, Mr. Magorium’s Magic Emporium.

Em: No, it’s Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium.

Jman/Mom: Oh yeah, that’s it.

Mom: Anyway, we can pick it up tomorrow.

Jman: Cool.
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We found the coolest show on TV right now. It’s called “When We Left Earth.” It’s put out by NASA in honor of the 50th anniversary of the space program. It’s on every Sunday night at 9 p.m. We watched a replay of it last night. I stayed up late to see it. I almost cried it was so good. Well, I should say that if you aren’t into space stuff then it won’t be as impressive. However, if you are then you will really enjoy it.

I have a great memory of all things about the space shuttle program, but I don’t have a great memory of things having to do with Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions. I was born 6 months before the big space walk by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. It was really neat to see footage of the those first missions and to hear the astronauts talk about their experiences.

Okay, enough of the nerdy side of me…
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We are heading into the week where we vote on the pastoral candidate. Much prayer is needed. This is a decision that we cannot take lightly. I’ve liked what I’ve heard so far. He seemed to be a very personable person. He also seems to embrace the idea of ministering in our city, our county and our state. His wife seems to be there right along side him. I will continue to pray and seek the Lord’s face on how to pray. I told the Lord that I would not make a hasty decision. I told the Lord that I would pray it through to the end.