Galatians 6:9

says, "Let us not become weary in doing good for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Brent emailed me this verse earlier in the week. It has been a hard week this week. It seemed like there was discouragement all around us. Even as I type this we do not have a worship leader for tomorrow morning, which is only the icing on the cake. I have really felt like giving up. I know that is not what we are supposed to do, but I am weary. We had a couple visit our church last week who are interested in being church planters. They do not know us and yet they emailed saying they thought we seemed weary. I do not like it at all that people who visit our church can see that. And yet, aren't we supposed to be authentic? But, believe me, I was not trying to let that authenticity show. I have been praying through this all week, knowing that God is my strength. He carries us through these times that are so draining. This verse was an encouragement. Brent underlined the part that says "at the proper time." We don't know when that time is, but there is a time, and God does know it. I might add that we don't know what that harvest looks like either. Not all harvests are the same size. Our harvest could be a small one (like a garden grown in a backyard, rather than a farm!), I don't know, but I do know that I want to be obedient, and I certainly do not want to give up.

The sad part about the whole situation is that there have been so many encouraging things this week as well, but they have been hidden by the discouragement. So, for this moment, I want to document all the amazing things that God has done this week.

• Brent's parents were here this week. I cannot tell you what a blessing it is to have family here, and what a blessing it is that I have great in-laws! It was a very short and unexpected trip, but we enjoyed our 48 hours very much.

• Brent was able to share Jesus with our neighbors - the father, the mother, and the teenage son, and James invited the son to youth group, and he went. Hopefully they will be at church tomorrow.

• Speaking of James, he has been inviting lots and lots of kids to youth on Wednesday nights - I'm proud of him. And I am so thankful to Kevin who decided to lead a youth group, even though when he offered, James was the only teenager in the church.

• We had the opportunity to take the ministry vehicle to Cal State for the first week of classes and hand out ice cream as a support for Intervarsity. Brent was able to talk to some people about the church. There was also another man there who is planning to plant a church in the next few months, who we have become friends with who was also able to make an impact on the campus. The couple who leads Intervarsity stated they will be visiting church tomorrow.

• David's soccer coach from last year was married a while back. We have not had contact with her since last fall, but her new husband is now James soccer coach. They do not have a church and asked us about ours and stated they want to visit.

• I have another friend, who I have known for a few months who stated an interest in visiting also. She, too, is without a church home.

• Brent had his first men's breakfast this morning, and the guys had a great time sharing their stories with each other. Brent was encouraged greatly by this meeting.

• We will be having a women's night on Monday night in order to facilitate the women getting to know each other better. I'm looking forward to this. One of the women in the church took this on and has really done a great job of planning. Thanks Rhiannon!

• The people in our church are really neat, and we are enjoying getting to know them and learning about the way God has worked and is working in their lives. I am thankful for each and every person and am excited to be able to get to know them and have them get to know us better.

• Finally, a cool story . . . Last year we were at a birthday party and met this young couple who we visited with for a little while. A couple months ago we received a message from someone asking about the church. They just wanted to know what we believe and stuff like that. Brent called them back. They have a son, and she said they hadn't visited because services were at the same time as his nap, but they wanted to visit. They haven't come. Last night I was at a friend's house (the same friend from the birthday party a year ago) and there was this gal that Brent and I met last year. We spent the evening talking and hanging out. At some point she asked where we went to church so I told her. Can you believe it? In a city of 450,000+ people, this is the person who called about the church and the fact that her baby sleeps during service times. Isn't God amazing to put us where He puts us when He puts us there? They still have not found a church and have still been planning to attend, so I got to spend a little bit of time telling her about the church. She is nervous about leaving her son, but recently we put a speaker in a room just off the gym, with some toys and colors, for moms to use with their children as we have several who don't like to leave their kids. This sparked an even greater interest.

I post all this hesitantly. Who knows how many of the people I mentioned will visit and when, but what I am learning is that our timing means nothing. God's timing means everything. Only God could have facilitated that meeting last night. It's too cool! Even if they never visit our church, I hope God used us to plant seeds in each of these people's lives. I need to cling to Galatians 6:9, and I need to remember the positives when the negatives seem so big. In reality, there has been way more positive this week than negative, but I failed to see that initially. Please remind me of that when I am down and when I am tired. I need to press on and not grow weary while I wait for the proper timing.

Family and Friends

I have felt incredibly blessed over the past few weeks to be able to spend great time with family and friends and am looking forward to Brent's parents visiting. They arrive tonight. First of all, I went to Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Lookout Mountain, Georgia, for Paige Weichbrodt's wedding. That is a beautiful part of our country that I had never seen. I enjoyed quality time with the Casselberry's, and had fun helping with the wedding. The Weichbrodt family was a little preoccupied, as they should have been, but they were still wonderful and encouraging, and it was fantastic to spend time with them, too. I especially enjoyed the late nights up talking with Caroline, the car ride from the airport with Zach and his girlfriend. Zach surprised me. I don't think I have had a real conversation with him since he became an adult. It was fun!! And the time I had with Becky Casselberry was wonderful. She is challenging and encouraging and makes me think. Plus, it's just fun to hear about her life!!! I also enjoyed seeing Covenant College - seeing Jonathan in his new place and getting to see Katie's dorm. I understand why several of the Weichbrodt and Casselberry kids have gone to school there. Caroline talks about the character of the students (and I am sure that is true and much more important) but it is also just beautiful. It was also very fun to be around Katie, even though my time with her was limited as she was trying to cover so many things at one time. Way to multi-task. I know she was tired, but she kept a beautiful smile and had a lot of fun. Thanks to all of you for letting me be apart of your families over the weekend and for the past 12 or so years.

Upon my return to California, the Rumph's were in Bakersfield. I knew that and thought I was going to miss them, but instead, we enjoyed the whole morning with them on Tuesday before they caught their plane. They were also able to attend church that Sunday, but I was not here. We were able to catch up and talk church stuff, as well as just stuff in the rest of our lives. Being around all three of these families did cause me to miss Bartlesville a bit, but more than that, it reminded me of how blessed I have been to have these families in my life. They are all such amazing role models! Thank you for involving us in your lives and in the lives of your kids. We feel so privileged to even know you!

The very next weekend after I returned from Tennessee, I met my grandmother, aunt and cousins in Palm Springs for a few days of shopping and just hanging out. We had a lot of great meals and spent as much time in whatever store we wanted without husbands or children hurrying us along. We played Uno, and Mary and I enjoyed the pool. We stayed in a nice hotel outside of Palm Springs. It was a nice, relaxing time.

A big thank you to Brent who was here alone two weekends in a row with the kids - not an easy thing these days! I am so thankful for the time away. It was refreshing. Now if Brent and I could just find time to get away together!

I don't have pictures as I didn't have my camera with me, but if you are on facebook, you can see pics from both weekends in my profile.

My Sweet Jason!

This has not been the best week as far as my relationship with my older two kids. It seems that aliens have overtaken their bodies and caused them to make me crazy. They have been in a lot of trouble, just one thing after another - all little things in the whole scheme of life, but constant little things are frustrating. So, in the midst of all this, I was out for breakfast with my dear friend Amberly, who I so appreciate because I can tell her all my frustrations and my failures (in my parenting this week) and know that she still loves me and my boys. Thanks Amberly!!! As we were ending our time together this morning, she was telling me how great my boys are and just giving me a good reminder of that, which keeps things in perspective. As she was telling me that, I recalled a precious conversation I had with Jason last week and just wanted to post it, partly so I can refer back and remember and partly because it was just so wonderful!

We were in the car and for some reason we were talking about foreign exchange students. I said something about talking to James about those opportunities (not that I would really let him go, I don't think!!) because I think I would have liked that as a teenager had an opportunity posed itself. And James is a teenager now. Anyway, Jason said, "James would never go away for a year." We continued to talk about it for a few minutes, and he again said James would never go, so I asked him if he would, and he said he could never be away for that long. I said something like, "When you are older, you might think it would be fun. I would have enjoyed it when I was a teenager." To which he responded, "Mom, we are too connected to you to leave for so long."

I can't tell you how that warmed my heart. I know over the next seven years, he will grow and be ready to spread his wings and fly, but it brings me great joy that right now, he is so connected to us that he cannot fathom being anywhere else! What a sweet kid! I love him! I love them all, even when the weeks are difficult! This too will pass, but my relationship with my kids never will. They are still grounded, but I think after some time of venting with a friend and thinking through what's important, I owe them an apology and big hugs when they get home in a few minutes!!! Parenting is tough stuff! Those little glimpses that I am doing something right are precious!

I Proved Him Right!

This evening while I was driving the kids home from swimming/gymnastics, James made the comment that he thinks technology makes us "dumber." His point being that we use so much technology that we don't have to use our brains like previous generations of people had to. I argued with him, though I did not have a good rebuttal. A few minutes ago, I was helping him with his algebra. I had no idea how to figure out the problem he was on, and none of the examples jogged my memory. In a very sweet voice, he said, "This is what I meant earlier when I said we are getting dumber. If you didn't have a computer to help you do all of this, I bet you would remember from when you were in school - no offense mom." I don't think he realized what he was saying until it had already left his mouth. Kind of funny! He caught me between a rock and a hard place because what I wanted to say is that I would never use that math even if there wasn't technology because, practically, it is unnecessary, but I don't want to say that and give him an argument for not liking math! I guess on some level he realizes it's not real practical because some where along the line he said, " . . . like when you do your taxes and stuff." I hope I am not making him seem sassy because he was really being sweet and just matter of fact in the conversation, not at all mouthy!

I don't know if James is right or not, but I definitely don't get an intelligence boost when I am helping the boys with math, either one of them, and Jason is only in 5th grade. And the thing is, I liked math and did well in it when I was in school. UGHH!!! How will I help them through high school, and how little will I remember when Sarah is going through all of this???

How Cool is Facebook!

Several months ago, our great friends, Jeff and Courtney, got us signed up with Facebook. Some of our younger friends laughed at us after we joined because we are not using it for the intended purpose. I guess it wasn't so much set up to find long lost friends as it was to see what is going on and when and where the next event is, but I love it for the purpose that I use it. I love it when I find people I haven't heard from in a long time.

Yesterday I located a friend from high school, who I had not had contact with in probably 16 years - she's a little younger than I am, so I mentioned to her that it was half of her lifetime ago. The last time I saw her, she visited me at college my Freshman year. Years ago, finding people like her was unheard of, and yet we connected yesterday and got caught up on each other's lives. I heard about how God has been working in her and shared about how He has been working in me. We have both had a significant amount of heartache in the past 16 years and some amazing joys as well! I love the internet, and I love Facebook! Just wanted to share this fun little connection in my life that makes me smile!

If you happen to read this, Jenn, I'm praying for you, and I am so excited to have connected!!

First Day of School

Here are a few pictures of our first day of school, which went very well. The first two are taken at home before they left for the day.



This was in his classroom at his desk. It was hard to believe David was going to kindergarten. He really liked it. My favorite part of the day was picking him up. I asked him how it was, he said, "It was awesome! But I missed you mom!" It made my day. I couldn't have asked him to say anything more perfect.
Sarah missed him terribly. She kind of just moped around the house. At one point I asked if there was anything I could do for her, she said, "Go pick up David." It was sweet and sad. She did better today.

Pics from Avila Beach

Today we had a nice final family day before school starts - we went to Avila Beach, recommended by some friends. It was a really nice beach! The waves were not very big at all, which is a bummer for the older boys but nice for David and Sarah. While Sarah still wasn't sure about the water, she did get in up to her chest eventually. We had a lot of fun climbing in tide pools, finding sea urchins, swimming and digging deep holes. We finished with snow cones and a long walk down the pier. We had fun watching the pelicans diving straight down into the water after fish. I never realized that they sunk their whole bodies when they went after fish. It was fun to watch. We also saw a seal out in the water swimming. It was a fun day!