"Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with Thanksgiving and extol him with music and song." Psalms 95:1-2 Well, here we are on the day before Thanksgiving, and I am reflecting on the last couple of months. We have had some major changes and challanges AND we have had some wonderful blessings! So here is my list of some of the things I am thankful for: My Salvation My Family My Church My Home My Health Simple, I know, but really that is what matters the most to me! I can catch myself complaining about the most trivial things, but what I have is worth more than GOLD! We have had plenty and we have had little--going into full time ministry wasn't for the money! However the family time has been incredible. Even when I wonder how we will pay our bills the next month, God has been faithful. So here I am on my knees and I thank you Lord. Through the trials and the triumphs I thank you for mercy, grace and wisdom. Oh, and for the three best looking children in the world... Here is a picture we took today... Aren't they just precious!

Being the mother of three small children under the age of 6, I seem to always make a grand entrance into grocery stores and shopping malls. I usually get the pitiful looks from women whose comments go something like this: “Oh bless your heart! I am sure you have your hands full!” or “Do you and your husband own a T.V?” I usually laugh it off and wonder what all the fuss is about. However, this week has been a challenge. In the course of a couple of days I have been in the doctors office twice, several late night episodes of crying, whining and the like, and well not to get too graphic, enough uncontrollable stomach ailments— that I am starting to think that my choice of carpet colors was not the best! I was feeling pretty sorry for myself, not to mention a little envious of my husband’s life. Why should he get all the glamorous jobs? Preaching, retreats, luncheons, seminars – while I am changing pull-ups, cleaning up spit up, and doing the never ending pile of laundry? Where is the justice in that? I thought God was no respecter of persons?? I mean I was called into this life of ministry too, right? Well into my pity party God showed up. “Believe me, I understand, I am daily cleaning up my children from the dirtiness of this world, and they too whine and complain while I pick up the pieces of their lives!” Ouch, am I one of those children? Party over! Philippains 4:11-13 I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. So I am back to enjoying my season of life, I know that God has something big in store for our family. If all I was put on this earth to do is to see that my children become doers of the word and to help my husband be the leader that he was called to be, then so be it. I am here to serve him- not my pride. Plus, watching my kids from the rear view mirror raising their hands and singing at the top of their lungs to Jesus is pretty cool—in fact its down right awesome.

We just had our men’s retreat at Bonita Camp in the Mountains of New Mexico. God showed up big as we bonded as a group of men committed to have Christ at the center of our lives! Some of the things we did were a low ropes challenge course in the forest, many chapel events, watched part of the Passion of Christ, taught the plan of salvation, and then symbolically burned our sin in a campfire at an outdoor amphitheatre. On the last day we covered the lessons that were learned over the weekend and James 1:22. “Be doers of the word, and not merely hearers of the word who delude themselves.” Each man responded with what he was going to do when he comes off the mountain. Finally, we celebrated communion together and then headed back into the world with a renewed sense of direction and strength for our lives, knowing that we have brothers in Christ to help us along the way.

Promise Keepers I’m late on this blog entry as we did this last month. However, Promise Keepers was a great time of fellowship with the men of our church. We went to Phoenix, Arizona and worshipped with 18,000 other men. It was a great event as we were unleashed as mighty men of God!

I preached at our last men’s gathering about King Asa. God is building a great core of men for our church. Pray that revival sweeps through our church and ignites passion that our men can use for His Kingdom!