The Intentional Life

God does funny things. He can take those things that make us the most uncomfortable and those things that make us shake our head and say " no way, uh uh, that is not going to be me " and He can plunk us right down in the middle of it. I disliked high school .  When one mentions high school I get sweaty palms and my breathing speeds up and scary images of awkwardness come to mind.  Don't get me wrong, there were high points. I did marry my high school sweetheart after all. But there were enough of those scary awkward moments that when I finally got out of high school I told myself I am not going back, no way, no how.  I told myself that I cannot be around teenagers.  Because they kinda freak me out.  I always felt like I needed to impress them.  Even when I was years out of high school, I still felt the pull to impress the present day teenagers.  those 'cool' people.  Always hoping that they thought I was 'cool' too. But then God said, '...

Paul.   I really caught myself quite the catch when I married him.   Paul is selfless and humble in every sense of the word. And for the last year has been working like crazy to complete his Masters Degree. And I bet some of you didn’t even know that, and if you did, it’s only because I was the one who told you. Let me paint the picture for you:   Last November Paul enrolled in a Graduate’s Program to obtain his Master’s in Education.   This has been something that he has wanted to do for the last 10 years and he finally was able to make it reality.   So, for the last year, with a fulltime job, demanding wife, and 3 children under 4, Paul worked away at achieving that degree. There were many late nights and hundreds of sighs but the last long haul came in mid-August when school started.   Paul started his student teaching .   Which means he: Got up every morning at 5 AM to do lesson plans and get to school early Taught 6 high school math class...

...great things He has done! I didn't want it to get too far past the day of Paul and I's half-marathon race to give God the praise! Every mile of the race I was thinking of and praising my Creator. He has blessed me with two healthy legs and a healthy body that can be propelled for 13.1 miles. Thank you, Lord, for seeing me through this training season and through the race today. To You, my Lord, be all glory given! (i didn't get much for pictures...Ben (our faithful supporter and spectator) I'm looking to you for that one!)

Five years ago today I became a mommy. A whole new adventure as many of you can relate to. Today we celebrated Owen turning 5 years old. He has waited SOOO long for this day. I think he has been talking about turning 5 for at least 6 months. We were so glad to have both sets of grandparents and my brother Sam be able to join us for supper and cake afterwards. Altogether there were 16 of us around the dinner table. I've been having this thought rolling around in my head lately about these teenagers that we serve here at Gateway. Sometimes I get stuck in the thought that this is my job and that my actual life occurs on the 9 days off I have each month. But I've been reconsidering what my life really consists of. I believe that living at Gateway IS my life. Whew. I said it. That sounds kinda big. But I believe that my family life currently consists of 3 toddlers and 5 teenagers and a wonderful husband. When I start looking at these kids as more than 'residents' so...

How could this ridiculously adorable face bring me such frustration? Very easily. She is very good at it. My struggle lately has been with Madeline. I don't know if she is teething or not getting good sleep at night or feeling neglected or any number of things that the mommy guilt is telling me I am doing wrong, but some days all I can do is sit and have a good cry. It truly does seem like 80% of Maddie's day involves her crying, screaming, or hanging onto my leg. I have been struggling with my anger and I feel some days that my tolerance is so short. I find it hard to put into words exactly how I am feeling because it feels so awful to say these things about one of my children. I have to constantly remind myself that God treasures little children, and even asks us to be like them (not the screaming kind, mind you). I need to remember that God has entrusted this child in my care because He wants me to bring Madeline up to know Him so that He would be glorified through her l...

Love your enemies! Pray for them that persecute you... If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Matthew 5:44,46+47 A minister at our church just finished up a 7-Sunday sermon on Matthew chapter 5. It was so convicting. This last sermon was on the last few verses in chapter 5 and I've put the ones that have convicted me the most at the top of the blog post here. Yeah, I've heard all about loving my enemies and praying for those who persecute me. I've always envisioned that as those faceless people who hate Christians who need Jesus just as much as me. Those people I have never met but I am praying for them anyways. However, this sermon pointed my thoughts in a different direction. It pointed out those unpleasant people in my life. Those people I would just rather avoid because they make me uncomfortable. Or they grate on my nerves just a bit too much. These vers...

This morning we said goodbye to some very dear friends that we have gotten to know over the last 5 years. Nathan and Rachel Mueller, and their four children, packed up their belongings and moved north to Michigan where they will be attending school to be trained to be missionaries. Their plan is to go live in the remotest parts of the world and bring the gospel story to those who have never heard of Jesus. Although this is a few years off, we are sad to have them leave even though they are currently only a state away. I cry for my kids who have become great friends with the Mueller children. Kaine and Owen are only 9 months apart, Halle and Hannah only 6 weeks, and Layla and Maddie 2 months apart. Although they are not nearly as torn up as I am over the Mueller's leaving, I am sad for them and their friendship that will now have to be carried on from a distance. We hope to have our kids be their prayer warriors, each praying specifically for the Mueller kid who...