Joe Jackson... Rest in Peace

This morning at 7:20 AM Joe Jackson passed away. Ever since our trip to PA Joe has been sick. We took him to the emergency vet last night. They gave him some fluids and a %50 chance of making it through the night. Eric was with him when he died this morning. We were able to bury him in a beautiful spot on my dad's land. I miss him terribly. Here are a few photos from his last week. Thanks for your prayers. Christmas with the Hernando family.

Christmas with the Wagner family.

Sun bathing after a long car ride.

Christmas morning...on the back of the couch.

Hanging out with grandpa.

Advent

I remember my first time attending King's Chapel while visiting Eric's family during the christmas season. They started the service with an advent reading and lighting a candle. I leaned over to him and said, " I thought you said you went to an Assemblies of God church?" I had never experienced the whole advent thing. Now I am hooked! I love the whole concept....taking time every week or even every day to focus on the coming of Christ. I just found this awesome website that I wanted to share with you all. I truly hope that you enjoy it as much as I do. The Savior's birthday is coming! Following the Star

Let it snow!

Wow I feel good. I handed in my math final with confidence. I am done with my first semester of college. It feels so great. I am just one step closer to fulfilling my God dream. Just 2 more semesters and I can start the nursing program!
We did not get hit with the ice storm last week very badly..it mostly rained. But they are calling for snow tonight into tomorrow!!!! I can't wait I want lots of snow!

... Major ice storm possible late Saturday into Tuesday...

... Major ice storm possible late Saturday into Tuesday...

Conditions are becoming increasingly favorable for a major ice storm to develop across southeast Kansas and the western and
central Missouri Ozarks.

This is a direct quote taken from the National Weather Service.
Let me just remind you what it looked like in January when a storm like this came through.

our drive way..

Our Back yard....

Not to mention we had no power for 12 days.... I am praying it turns to snow!!! I just want snow!

Catching up

It has been quite a long time since I have blogged so I thought I would do a quick run down of the happenings....

• I got a speeding ticket. I have to go to court tomorrow!!! Yikes!
  
• We are now Wii owners!!! We love to play it. I am so good at bowling. Anyone want to challenge me?
• We had Thanksgiving at our house. I think the total came to 18 people!!! I love it! I love being able to open our home to people. It was great. And I finally mastered a great Sweet potato recipe! The packers won which made most of the people in the house happy!
  
• We went shopping on black friday on three hours of sleep! We got some great deals and can't wait to give our Christmas presents away. We are almost done with our list!
  
• Sunday was our 2 year anniversary. We really have not been able to celebrate it yet. Sundays are a little hard. But our Sunday School class made us a banner that had our pictures on it. It was cute. After finales we are going to try to go on a day trip to celebrate.
• I totally aced my Psychology test last night! Yeah!!!! Now I just have to get through finales!!!

Here is to two years and many more...love you buddy!

we are the pirates!

Ok so this post is long over due. Here are some pics from trunk or treat. Eric, Joe Jackson and I were pirates! Well Joe Jackson was my treasure as you can see in this pic! We made a tunnel around our car out of cardboard boxes. The beginning was the mouth of a whale and the kids had to crawl through to see if the could make it out to the other side. It was a lot of fun! I am still working on my pirate smile!

Here we are getting eaten by the kid eating car!

Just for fun here is Mandy and I at last year's trunk or treat!

happy forget me not day!

Today is Forget me not day!!! Just wanted everyone one to know how much I appreciate you. I just thought I would acknowledge a few great people in my life.

My Dad & Leona- I could not ask for better parents they always have solid, godly advice. I love them very much.

My mom- She is my best friend.

My Grandma- I am so blessed to have a godly grandma. I call her with all my crazy life questions. She always knows what to do. She is also a great dancer!

My Pastor & Annette- Wow.....they are amazing! Truly have done so much to make me feel at home here in Springfield. I love them dearly!

Tony & Jaime Sebastian - These people have changed my life. They are great forever friends. They are going to be missionaries to Greece and change the world for Jesus!

Lisa Brown- Lisa was my host mom while I was in Erie Master's commission. She did an amazing job taking care of me. I was just telling someone today about her and what a great mom she is!

Pastor Robby & Amy- They were my youth pastors. I still ask them advice. They are so great.

I have been blessed with amazing people in my life!

My trip home..

I loved every minute of being home! It was so good for me to be able to go home for a bit. I got to do all the great things I love like hang out with my great friends the Sebastians, go on a shopping spree at Gabes, eat Nicoli's pizza with the amazing Helena, have a venison steak dinner, see a PA fall, hang with my bothers, play lots of Phase 10 with the fam, see some great senior interns in action, walk in crunchy leaves, see Jon Krebs and much much more!!! I wish I could have spent more time with everyone but Eric, Joe Jackson and I will be home for two weeks at Christmas!!!!

Funny thing.....I had to add an extra suite case on my way back filled with only one thing, my stash of Middelsworth chips to last me till Christmas....
Leona is doing great! The doctors called to say there is no cancer!!!! PTL!!! There was only a 10% chance of that....what a miracle!!!

I am home!

I can not describe to you how I felt when I heard the pilot say "we are beginning our decent into Harrisburg." I was so excited I announced to my fellow passengers that my dad was on the other side of that plane and that they better let me off that plane. I could not wait to see him. And there he was!!! It was a great father daughter reunion!

Sad news....my luggage got left in Chicago....it will be here in the morning....I guess I can't brush my teeth tonight.

When we pulled in the drive way I just loved being here....lots of leaves falling....oh I love it....

worship

All I need to do is Worship
All I need to do is Say His name out Loud
All I need to do is lift my hands, surrender and bow down and let it fall at your feet
All I need to do is find Him, let His Precence fall
All I need to do is worhship

Rita Springer is one of my favorite worship leaders...she has a new cd coming out. What powerfull lyrics. What truth! listen

tornadoes

I have gotten some phone calls today wondering about my safety through the tornadoes!!! I guess out east the news is saying that there were tornadoes in Springfield. There were tornadoes last night but none that touched down in Springfield. Eric and I went to stay at his parent's house last night so that Allison (my car) could be in the garage. They were calling for hail the size of golf balls!!! We go there just in time to sit in the sun room and watch the second storm come in. It was crazy. The rain was heavy. The wind was nuts. The lightning was blinding. But we all survived. Here is a picture of the tornado closest to Springfield.

Today is an amazing day. It's sunny. In the 70's. And a nice breeze. I love it. Looking forward to coming home next weekend!

I'm coming home!!

For those of you who have not heard the great news....I will be in PA October 26-30!!!!! Leona is having her surgery then. Hope to see you all when I get home!!

battels

God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

Ephesians 6:12-18

I have been learning this week the price of victory. It's a whole lot of constant prayer. Will you take a moment to help me win some battles. Please pray with me for the souls that are being fought over in our youth group. We have some great students that will do great things for the Lord. They just need some battles fought for them.

homesick

I am truly homesick right now. I am have not been home since Christmas last year. My family has been going through a hard time back home. My dad's good friend Robert recently got diagnosed with Leukemia. This has been hard on my dad. And just this week the doctors found cancer on my step mom's thyroid. She has to get the whole thyroid removed.
I really just want to be home with them helping them. I am looking at flights right now and I am hoping to come home for a long weekend during Leona's surgery in October.
Please pray for my family.

embarrassment

Yesterday a friend needed to go to the doctors. So I took her. We were sitting in the room waiting for the doctor to come in when she realized that she forgot her purse. So I went out to my car to get it. When I came back in I walk into the wrong room. I opened the door and there was this man getting his blood pressure checked. Thankfully nothing else!!!!! But I was still so embarrassed! Mandy said when I got into to her room I was sooooo red!

the mouse

I would first like to dedicate this blog to three men; my dad, Ryan, and Eric. They have been there for me during bad mouse days.
Well last night I got this urge to deep clean my house. I finished Joe's room and the bathroom and was moving on to the kitchen. I was reorganizing my pantry when I discovered little frays of paper every where. A little more investigation and I knew my fear was true. We had a mouse. I cleaned it all up. But saw no sign of the little fellow. So I was thinking that he was long gone.
Then I heard it. Something chewing it was coming from in between my dishwasher and refrigerator. I let Eric know we had company. But since it was after midnight he was not sure what we could do about it so he went to bed. I was not satisfied. I didn't want him to chew wires to our dishwasher so I did what anyone would do in my shoes.....I got out the Ant & Roach killer. I aimed the can right in the crack and sprayed. To my surprise the mouse came charging out at me. I screamed like I never screamed before. And I continued to scream till Eric got out of bed and came to my rescue. The mouse was long gone...but where. I thought he went in Joe's room. That had me worried I was not sure who would eat who.
Needless to say I did not go back in the kitchen. I slept with a night light and I had nightmares all night that the mouse was in our bed or eating Joe.
I don't know why I have such a fear of a little mouse.

i made him cry

I woke up this morning and grabbed my Lambert's Mug and filled it to the brim with coffee...I knew it was going to be one of those days. Today I was a quizmaster for a Junior Bible Quiz match. My biggest fear was that I would make a kid cry. Well we were in round three of the day. It started when the quiz box started to go wacko so I had to go get another one and set it up. This added a little stress in the room. Then we began the match.
His name was Ethan. He sat in the Green one seat. He was cute as a button with his Drew Carry glasses. He had done so well the match before. In fact he had a quiz out. But this was not his match. He kept interrupting my questions but was unable to finish them correctly. Question after question I had to say I am sorry that is incorrect for a negative 5 points. At one point the coach called for a time out . At this point he had a break down. "I can't do this." he kept saying. And then it happened he incorrectly answered a question and quizzed out backwards. And the tears flowed. Followed by sobs. We had to finish the match and the whole time I kept hearing the poor boys sobs. I felt horrible. The crazy thing was he was still the high scorer for the round.
Well cheers to my first quizmaster experience in JBQ! At least it was just one kid.

the breakthrough

It happened tonight. The thing that I have been praying for since we have come to King's Chapel....the breakthrough. The Lord has just burdened my heart in the last week to talk about the heart. So we have been doing little studies on it through out the week. Yesterday I was preparing for tonight and I came across the parable of the sower. As I read the description of the different soils my heart became very heavy because I could see faces of our students as it described the hardened soil, the rocky soil and the soil filled with weeds. I knew this was what the Lord wanted me to preach on tonight. And so I did. There was no media, no drama, no amazing sermon illustrations I just read the Parable and then dissected it and let them respond. God's word is so powerful! Our students have never responded like this before. There was brokenness, repentance and God Dreams being birthed. It was a breakthrough.....as Mark 4 describes beyond my wildest dreams. Will you pray with me that the Lord will continue to do a work?

do I look like a man?

These are pictures from the latest Hillbilly Olympics here in Springfield. Up top you can see me and my young husband with our swine. To the left is me....Some people said these words to me on that day, "I never knew you could look so ugly. You look like a man."
I was going for the old lady Hillbilly. Do I really look like a man?

Taming the fly

The kids and I love to go on picnics. We bring our big waterproof blanket and go to a park. The strangest thing always happens when it's time to dive into the yummy PB& J sandwiches........every fly in the park is there. William and Kylie have become great fly tamers. At one point Kylie had three flies just sitting on her recently peanut butter covered hand. Right now I am getting rather annoyed at the flies that some how manage to get into my house. They make so much noise, they are always there when I am trying to have a peaceful dinner and they are so hard to catch cause they are just so quick. The fly really reminds me of my tongue. What a hard thing it is to tame. James 3 says:

7-10This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can't tame a tongue—it's never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth!

10-12My friends, this can't go on. A spring doesn't gush fresh water one day and brackish the next, does it? Apple trees don't bear strawberries, do they? Raspberry bushes don't bear apples, do they? You're not going to dip into a polluted mud hole and get a cup of clear, cool water, are you?

What can be our Peanut butter that can help us tame our tongues? perhaps reading more of God's word than the gossip column. Maybe putting in that new worship CD instead of that newest song with the swear word every few minutes. How about talking about the latest thing that the Lord has been doing in you instead of what that person had done to hurt you????

So what is your Peanut butter? How are you taming your tongue today?