prayers for my friends ....my focus is on them today & their families.  God has really blessed me with good ones.  Thank You God!  as I think about my friends I can't help but smile.  I've been blessed with the kind of friends who seem to "get me".  we all have busy lives yet when we're fortunate enough to get together we're able to pick up where we left off.  I like that.  many of my friends have kids who are preteen or teens and if you take a moment to reflect back when you were one of those folk you're sure to understand why they (&me) might need prayer.  so today i ask that you join with me in lifting up parents & their children. 

spring break is just around the corner.  we. are. going. nowhere. :(  ho humm.  trying to figure out and plan for a little bit of fun over the week is causing me fits.  kids are wanting (& deserving) to do something fun...truth be told, I am too!  who knows...perhaps I'll find something F.U.N.!

today's (&everyday's) <3 list:  God, faimly, church (duh...totally top 3), chirping birds, goofy dogs, laughing babies, smiles, laughing children, white t-shirts, laughing teens, purdue...anything, laughing adults, water, friends, long hot showers, baths with bubbles.  a warm breeze, honeybell oranges, a wood burning fireplace...& the crackling of the fire, salads, hugs. 

what a day today can be.  God has blessed you...give Him all the glory!  ....Blessings to you & yours.
~ kel

done with my least fav. month!

goodbye to february.  i don't much care for that month.  however i did enjoy the snowfall it brought about this year.  that was the highlight of the month for me.  it's so funny how time flies when you're older.  already we're into the 3rd month of the new year!  wow!  march is a favorite for me.  i enjoy the whole st. patty goofiness and the memories i have of many st. patty day celebrations.  it's also a month of basketball!  nothing beats some march madness!  in addition it's a month of celebrations.  matt will celebrate his 13th birthday on the 14th.  kate will celebrate her 15th on the 29th.  my sister-in-law, kim will celebrate on the 24th and my momma on the 25th!  woo hoo & happy birthdays!  

february was gray to say the least and this day, the first of march is oh so sunny!  what a blessing.  sadly most all the snow has melted away leaving behind ....mud!  ick.  last night kate & the OH cheerleaders performed their cheer routine at the 1/2 time of the IWU girls game.  they did a good job!  and IWU won and advanced to the nationals.  it will be the last time this year kate performs as a freshman cheerleader.  : (  i feel certain she'll make a squad for next year but share her anxiety as she awaits tryouts.  it's gonna be a battle this year for sure!  i must say...i'm glad it's all over for now. 

i've zero idea what to do for the kids' birthdays.  sadly matt said he didn't want a party with friends.  i think he's skeptical about "friends".  he's never really felt like he's belonged or has been wanted by any one particular group.  yet whenever we attend an event without him kids always come up to us asking about him and where he is.  kate is somewhat similar.  and i know this, if ever a kid wanted a good, true friend...they'd find one in her.  same goes for matt for that matter.  i've not really asked kate about a party.  however she's not indicated she wanted one.  when andy & i tried talking to the kids to see what they wanted they both struggled to come up with something.  now this tells me a couple of things...1) there's nothing they truly desire 2) they're pretty content.  so in talking to matt he decided he'd like to have a purity ring.  he'd came to me later with a bible verse and asked to have that verse engraved on the ring.  ...i am blessed and love that kid! 

i've decided andy is the one deserving of the rewards and blessings and that i'm just fortunate enough to get to partake in them too.  THANK YOU GOD FOR OUR BLESSINGS

we are at a time in our life when most parents are experiencing rebelling teens we seem to be experiencing the opposite.  i don't know that there's any one thing we're doing right (or wrong) as we've never done this before.  i do know that for my part in the rearing i'm just drawing on my own experiences and memories.  my kids are not perfect and neither am i.  and without a doubt my parenting style is different than most but it works for us.  this i know and this i rely on.  God is in control.  He has a plan.  

i pray daily that i'll do what is right.  i'll say what needs said.  correct what needs correcting. 

so bring on march.  for april follows and may is up next.  may = end of school year!  and the start of summer.  ....exciting huh?

here's to more sunny days, a bit of madness, a bunch of birthdays, and a boat load of blessings. 

While i'm on the subject...

we, as Christians want to grow the church.  translation: grow the body/believers of Christ.  now, i don't believe that just means numbers.  i believe it also means to grow deeper.  but i want to consider both.

when we talk about growing the body of Christ by numbers i think it's vital that we not overlook those who are in attendance on sunday mornings.  weather you've walked through the doors for the 1st time or have returned....the key is you're there.  what should be the obvious way to grow i feel is often overlooked by some.  our children....our youth.

now, our church has a great childrens' ministry and for many adults it is one of the contributing factors for making mt. olive their home.  what we, the church need to remember is that these children grow into teens, the youth!  it is from here the "teenage" mind set that they will leave not only their homes but their home church and go out into the world.  it is my opinion as a church we need to be highly aware of our actions and attitudes toward them as we send them off into the world.  THEY are our future.  THEY are the future of the church.

as we look toward the future, we need to be cognoscente as to how we're impacting them.  not just how the youth pastor and volunteers are but how we as a congregation are doing.

• do we know them?
• do we know what interest them?
• do we know anything about their relationship with the Lord?
• do we consider them in service?
• do we lift them up?
• do we get involved?
• do we allow them to be teens? foggy? confused? excited? weird? 

are we accepting of them, their quirky ways?  for they are our future.  they're not responsible...YET!
but they're getting there. 

I work with them...and I'm excited about their future, our future, and they're excited about the future of their church...at least they want to be.

we have so much going for us.  new building finally off the blue print and coming to fruition before our eyes, preschool in full swing, VBS that's awesome year after year!  but...we need to keep the momentum. 

our youth have HADs (hopes & dreams)  and believe it or not they have HADs for what is to be their new space.  we as youth leaders have asked them about it and how they feel.  have you?  i've seen tears of joy & thanks roll down their cheeks at the mere size of the space allotted for them and their activities.  i feel we'd be remiss as a church if we didn't tap into our former "teen" years AND have a conversation with them to see what vision they have for mt. olive. 

making a space or designing a service comfortable for us is relatively easy.  factoring in "what will interest the kiddos" ...well that can be tricky!  trust me as the youth night services are constantly needed to be tweaked! 

this i do know...right now those who attend our youth are in love with the Lord!  the relationships run deep.  interestingly many who attend DO NOT attend or call mt. olive their home.  :(  YET they do attend youth group and they're growing in faith and service!  HOW AWESOME IS THAT! 

i also am saddened when i look around at the congregation on sunday morning and see young kids who could attend youth but choose not too.  i know i've personally invited them to join in.  however it's their choice not to.  ....why?  hummm   i don't have an answer ...but can only speculate.  some i've talked to attend youth elsewhere simply because that's where "their friends go". 

again, it's not always about numbers.  we've had the numbers...they've been up and they've been down.  it's about investing time, interest, energy.  we have an awesome youth ministry program, led by a young man with a passion for igniting a spark that fuels the flame of Love for God.  we have adult leaders who take time away from their own families to get to know and mentor these goofy kids. 

i want to invite you to do the same.  andy & i first became involved when our kids were babes.  we did so by providing a meal every once in a while.  as our children grew so did our involvement*.  i challenge you to do the same. 

get to know the youth....get to know the future of our church...i'm s ure they'll surprise you!  for they are oh so on fire for the Lord.  they'll rock out praise in their band!  and they're sure to rock a worship like you've never seen....different?  sure!  AWESOME...yep!  they're teens ...they do things a bit differently!

check it out! 

*  ask me sometime WHY i got involved!  i'd love to share my story!

something to be said about the word HOME

seek & you shall find...

so we sought and successfully found a place to call our HOME church.  mt. olive umc.  located not in our home town, not necessarily near or for that matter too far from anything and comprised of many people from many communities and from many walks of life.

we were looking for a place of worship.  we were looking for friendly faces.  we were looking for others who would also love us, our children.  we were looking for some where to grow.  we were looking for somewhere to take root.  we found it.

we had some welcome us personally.  there were some who invited us back.  there were some it took quite a while to meet & get to know.  and there are some who are only slightly familiar.  there were personal invites to events.  there is a great children's program, mission oppertunities, community involvement, meals hosted, camps, camping...etc. 

we had a desire to grow in our faith.  to grow deeper in love with our God.  we had a desire to belong.  we were hungry for Gods word and we sought it.  we were fed.

however there were times we were not fed.  times we were hungry and longing for more.  we heard many times about the MORE elsewhere.  and many friends/ "family" left in search of more and found it.  i assume as they've yet to return.  we on the other hand took the spoon by the hand and began to feed ourselves.

sometimes, in the beginning especially, it's necessary to be fed.  but as we grow that need becomes one that can be taken on by ones self.  (to an extent)

i think part of this relationship we have with God also has a lot to do with the relationship with have with the rest of His body...the Church.  and in this instance, in your own church.

as with any relationship, the relationship with your church can be ever changing.  new people, new pastors, new procedures, a change in service style, music style, different translations utilized in the message and ....perhaps a sermon received from the seat of a DIFFERENT PEW!(humor)  change happens.  as Christians we should know this and also know that GOD is in control. 

i've not always been 100% happy with my church family or  100% satisfied with my church.  i've at times found myself feeling as though i'd stalled.  and then i shut up, pause, and listen and look at exactly where i am.  physically and spiritually. 

i am 100% about one thing...God planted me at mt. olive umc for a reason.  He knows what it is.  He has brought people into my life and the lives of my loved ones for a reason.  i may not always feel "full" or "fed" after a sunday morning service but that does NOT mean i go hungry.  i want more and more is available right within those walls.  more is available outside those walls also but for me, nothing beats a "home cooked meal surrounded by family". 

sometimes the meal comes in the form of a youth sunday school lesson, youth group, small group, bible study, praise & worship.  sometimes it's served up in the conversation with a sister/brother over coffee & a doughnut.  sometimes it's a side dish of service.

like i tell my kids sometimes...."if you were hungry, then why didn't you eat?  we had all kinds of food in the kitchen!  why did you wait for me to feed you?"  i wonder how many times a pastor asks that question.  "if you were hungry....why did you wait?"   like my kids who become frustrated and all bent out of shape because they're hungry and want fed many Christians become the same way.  and frankly early on in ones faith i get it...the NEED to be fed, but as a baby learns to feed their self we as Christians growing in our faith need to feed ourselves too.  for some this has meant a change in location.  for me this has meant a change in outlook. 

i've been planted.  i've taken root.  i've found a home.  we've found a home.  it's ever changing.  it's been better, it's been worse.  it's been bigger and it's been smaller.  faces have come and gone.  but like home it's doors are always open.  it has my interest at heart.

i love my church.  i miss some family.  i'm excited about all God has in store for us!