Gilead has their cool T-shirts! Here is grandpa's car.

Cruisin' Telegraph

This is the third annual Telegraph Cruise. My dad has his hot rod and a passion for cruisin'. Gilead Baptist Church had thier cars show contest and my dad was one of the judges. It is really great to see so many people coming out and ejoying the cruise. Joshua, Elezabeth and I got up early to go and see the parade of old cars. There were a ton of Edsels. I saw my dream car. It was a purple car of some old make and model. That part is not so important to me. I just love that it was so purpley.

Geauga Lake Vacation Fun!!!

Penny and Lizzie meet Snoopy at the gate.

Lizzie strikes a pose. Joshua and Elizabeth try to shoot someone with the foam balls. Uncle Troy has his own ideas about combat.

Can you find Aiden?
Lizzie becomes fearless and rides all kinds of rides. Daddy joins in the fun.

There were 22 of us that went to Geauga Lake for the weekend. It couldn't have been more fun. Out of the 22 only 8 of us were adults. We had 4 teenagers and the rest were kids. Talk about a mob of children. We never had a lost child scare. Joshua was a roller coster monster. I got to go on roller costers. This is something I probably haven't done in seven years. The weather was beautiful for both the amusement park and the waterpark.

This Is The Headspin.

One of Joshua's new favorite rides.

I like it when they love each other :)

Happy Birthday Michelle!

On Saturday Eric and I had to go to 3 different engagements. The first one was the party that I threw for my 5 year old, Elizabeth. The second was a surprise party for my sister-in-law Michelle. And the last was a wedding reception for my husband's boss's son.

I have appointed myself as the official photographer for any occasion. If you are taking the pictures you usually do not end up in one. I took this picture of Michelle. Isn't she beautiful!

Lizzie has a beach themed birthday party

Each child got their own fishy cupcake.

Auntie made a mermaid cake.

Thank you Aunite!

Lizzie had her party from 12:00-2:00. We had hamburgers, hot dogs, and octopi on a bed of mac-and-cheese "seaweed". Everyone thought that the mac-and-cheese was green beans. The kids made crafts, played games, and swam.

Happy Birthday to You!

Lizzie gets a new bike!

Grandpa runs the grill.

The Budget

Step One on the road to financial freedom

You want a fun and relaxing evening. Just sit on the couch across from your spouse and try to work out a realistic and workable budget. Bare your soul as to where all of your money goes. Let out all of the dirty little secrets about your trip for ice cream and the dollar store. What an oxymoron; the dollar store. Why is it that everytime I go to the "dollar" store I spend at least $10.00? Men and women do really spend differently. My husband enjoys golf. It is quite the expensive hobby. It would be very easy for me to point to that expense, and in the past I have, and say it has to go. But, the reality is I spend just as much money as him on stuff. Mine just happens a little at a time. It goes seemingly unnoticed, that is until we start to bounce checks and have no money left for food and gas. Talk about a humiliating and humbling experience. There were many a times that Eric wanted to stop, but we forged on through the tangle of our financial jungle. We have a ways to go and we will need to tweek and rearrange, but we have made two firm committments: PUT GOD FIRST!, and save our receipts and track our actual spending. TTFN

A Break in the Sports Action

Do I love sports? Not a chance!

Do I love my husband and son?

You betchya!

Eric's softball came to an abrupt end with a double elimination play-off tournament this past Sunday. Joshua's baseball season ended on Monday night with the second loss in a double elimination play-off. Both of these play-off games were brutal and ugly.

Great season for Joshua and his team. They came in 1st place for the regualr season. Nice change after playing on the last place and losing teams for the last 5 seasons. (Stealing the intent of a famous line, "I've been in first and I've been in last---First is better!)

My husband's team started out rocky, but finished up strong. He played with a lot of great guys. He hasn't played ball for at least seven years. The old man still has skills. Right now he is lying upstairs on the couch drugged up on motrin. You don't heal as quickly when you're an old man. He was just glad to get back out there, the fact that he was still good was icing on the cake.

Now a brief reprieve until football starts. Husband coaches and son plays. Beginning August 14th they will be gone five days a week conditioning and practicing. Then the games will begin and once again I will be the ever faithful cheerleader.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

LIZZIE!

It is hard to believe that my little Elizabeth is now 5 years old. It seems like just yesterday that I was bringing her home from the hospital in her pretty pink outfit. Both of her grandma's have called her to wish her happy birthday. Elizabeth, Joshua and I rode our bikes to McDonald's for lunch. Lizzie has just learned how to ride a 2 wheeler. What better way than to celebrate than using her new talent to ride to Mickey D's! She did great. We will celebrate her birthday on Saturday at the ShiRobb's house. (My sister's family the Shimaneks live with my mom and dad, the Robb's, hence the name the ShiRobb's house) We are having a beach party theme.

What kind of life are you leading?

One of blessing or one of curse?

How do you use the money the Lord has given you?

8 "Should a person rob God? But you are robbing me. "You ask, 'How have we robbed you?' "You have robbed me in your offerings and the tenth of your crops. 9 So a curse is on you, because the whole nation has robbed me. 10 Bring to the storehouse a full tenth of what you earn so there will be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord All-Powerful. "I will open the windows of heaven for you and pour out all the blessings you need.

Malachi 3:8-10

Using an idea from a sermon, "I would rather live on 90% with God's blessing, than on 100% without God's blessing." I have the desire, now I need to implement the drive.

Fun at Gilead

What a blessing to have such a great family and friends. Last night my family and I attended the fireworks display at the Gilead church. My dad bought us dinner, which started at 5:30. Stephanie and Chris and the kids attended as well. The kids had a great time playing on the water slides. Joshua and Zachary played ball. The music was great. About 8:00 some of Stephanie and Chris' life group came as was as my friend Tracie and her husband John along with daughter Maddie. The fireworks were great, but the company was better. My only regret was that my mom was not able to join us this year. Next year hopefully will be a different story.

Joshua got to go to the 22nd annual Hall of Fame Football Camp. He was on the Cowboys. He learned a lot about the game of football, but he also learned how to be a better person. After standing in line he and Elizabeth were able to meet Lloyd Carr. He also got to meet Glen Steel.

She was a dancing queen!

Wow! I can't believe that it has been almost a month since I last posted. I have started back to school and all is well. God has given me a lighter load this year. I have very nice children, and I am looking forward to a better school year.

I am getting back into the swing of serving God. I am working in an area at church that I said I wanted nothing to do with. I keep trying to tell God where I think I should be serving. God just doesn't seem to listen. I am looking forward tha sll that God has in store for me as I continue to work out where I should be serving.

The Football Blues

(The Saga Continues)

Well I go yesterday to see my son play football for the first time. It was a scrimage against another city's team. The boys were all so cute out there in their gear. My son is the second string quarterback. He looked great. He carried for 20-25 yards. He pitched one to some other player whose official football title escapes me. (not my kid, don't know his title) They got the touchdown. I am quite the proud mom. Things were fabulous until...

The first string quarterback gets tackled and snap, crackle, and a resounding pop; broken leg. The scene that followed was not a pretty one: hysterical mom (wanted to slap her), yelling policeman (at hysterical mom), blood chilling screams (from injured boy), ambulance, fire engine, and me once again wondering about this whole football thing. My husband assures me that my son will not be the replacement.

In my head, I undersand that this was just a freak accident. All of the conditions were just right for this to happen. This isn't a common thing. But that mom thing inside me; the irrational, overprotective, lioness wanting to keep her cub safe from harm, wants to call it quits. "Well you had fun, but now it's done" Obviously Joshua will continue to play. I am interested in marital and family harmony. Seeing as Dad is Joshua's coach and both dad and Joshua are having a great time.

Dear Lord,

Please be with the child whose leg was broken. Be with his family and whatever the situation is there. Lord, please keep Joshua safe while he is playing in this sport. Be with the coaches and the boys. Help them to have a good time and play safe.

Amen

WOW!!!

THERE HAS TO BE SOME THEOLOGY IN HERE SOMEWHERE.

The Football Blues

Well the time has come. My little boy is playing football. Let me start by saying, I don't like sports very much, and I really am not fond of football; the hitting, the shoving, the patting on the butt. Don't get me wrong, I have said it before and I do mean it, sports does serve a great purpose. It teaches teamwork, and gives children discipline. Blah, Blah, Blah.

When I married my husband, probably even before, I always told him, "If I have a son, he will never play football!" I don't know what happened to my resolve. Maybe it happened when I realized my son really wanted to play football, and it was not just my husband's lifelong dream. Maybe it happened when I thought a team sport without undue pressure on my son would just the ticket.

Let me explain. For the last three years in both the spring and fall, my son has played baseball. Not only did he play baseball, he was usually the pitcher. Talk about pressure. In his mind the game depended upon how he threw. Did he walk too many? Was his game "on" that day? Will he stirke them out? That is a lot of pressure on a little boy. Not to mention his mom. Now that I have explained the situation, guess what position my son has been chosen to play...

THE QUARTERBACK :(

What is an abundant life?

Today as I was listening to my radio, I happened upon a broadcast by Dr. Dobson. He had on a guest from Compassion International. I came into the conversation when the question was posed, "What is the opposite of poor?" The first thing that comes to my mind is rich. He went on to say that the opposite of poor is adequate or having enough to live.

John 10:10b
I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.(NKJV)

I think it would be interesting to take a survey and find out how many christians feel that they are leading a life of abundance. I would venture to say that not many feel this way. Living this fleshly life always seems to have its focus on what we wnat or what we do no have.

According to the speaker we need to get ourselves to a place of just enough so that we can then reach out and bring another human being to a place of adequacy from poverty. Only then can we truly know what a life of abuandance really is.

Deuteronomy 15:4-11
4 But there should be no poor people among you, because the Lord your God will richly bless you in the land he is giving you as your own. 5 He will bless you if you obey the Lord your God completely, but you must be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. 6 The Lord your God will bless you as he promised, and you will lend to other nations, but you will not need to borrow from them. You will rule over many nations, but none will rule over you. 7 If there are poor among you, in one of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be selfish or greedy toward them. 8 But give freely to them, and freely lend them whatever they need. 9 Beware of evil thoughts. Don't think, "The seventh year is near, the year to cancel what people owe." You might be mean to the needy and not give them anything. Then they will complain to the Lord about you, and he will find you guilty of sin. 10 Give freely to the poor person, and do not wish that you didn't have to give. The Lord your God will bless your work and everything you touch. 11 There will always be poor people in the land, so I command you to give freely to your neighbors and to the poor and needy in your land. (NCV)

Psalm 41:1
Happy is the person who thinks about the poor. When trouble comes, the Lord will save him. (NCV)

Pr 14:31
Whoever mistreats the poor insults their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God. (NCV)

Pr 22:9
Generous people will be blessed, because they share their food with the poor. (NCV)

Isa 58:7
Share your food with the hungry and bring poor, homeless people into your own homes. When you see someone who has no clothes, give him yours, and don't refuse to help your own relatives. (NCV)

Interview from Focus on the Family

Am I a user?

I just dropped my children off at a church that I no longer attend so that they could have the pleasure of going to vacation bible school. As a child, I just loved going to vacation bible school (VBS). My parents were not christians at the time and my neighbors would take me or I would have a friend that would let me tag along. I still remember the lessons of the wordless book and how our hearts are black with sin, but because of the red blood of Jesus our sins are washed white a snow. VBS was such an important part of my childhood experiences. My church cannot provide this experience for my children because of the fact, we do not own a building and cannot use it's facility during the week.

When I attended the church that my children have just gone to bible school at, they slowly began doing away with children's ministries. They informed us to take our children to other churches and use thier programs. I was angered by this statement. Mostly because I felt that they didn't want to be bothered with the burden of providing thier own programming. I could not believe that a pastor (not the lead pastor) was telling us to esentially "use" another church without belonging to it's fold. To use another church that is building up their own flock or wishing to outreach to it's community. To use that church without financially supporting it or without supporting it with our time or talents. It just seemed wrong to take advantage of a church like this.

All of that being said. I feel like it is important for my children to go to VBS. I don't feel like I left this church and burned all of my bridges. There are many great people there. I can think of no place else that I would like to send my children to VBS. However this begs the question, "AM I WRONG TO USE THIS CHURCH'S PROGRAMMING WITHOUT ANY INTENTION OF GOING TO CHURCH THERE?"

IamNan

My son Joshua has played baseball forthe last three years. This is his last year in the farm league. Every year he had played on a losing team. He has had great coaches (2 of the years my husband was his coach). This year he had really great coaches and I will be forever thankful for the way they coach their players. That being said, this year he was chosen to play on the 7-8 year old All-Star team for Taylor Northwest. He was out of this world excited. Yes, he did have to practice every day for three hours rain or shine. Yes, this coach embraced the firmer approach to coaching these precious little boys. And yes, I did begin to hate baseball just a little bit. However if you look into my son's eyes as he holds up the championship trophy it was all worth it.