Long Days, Scans, and Shopping For Fun

 Lot's of little things going on around here.

Beth and I went shopping a couple weeks ago and she bought quite a few things. I had been to JC Penney earlier and saw a lot of clothes I knew she'd like. We're planning a trip this summer and I realized she doesn't have any shorts, plus she wanted to get a dress for Easter... she didn't find a dress but she did try on a bunch of things. She bought some shorts and t shirts, plus a yellow sweater that she hasn't worn yet. I think she's saving it for Easter.

The birds are making a nest in the wreath again. It's been fun listening to them chirp right outside the door.

We had a big conference at work last week. Lots of preparation, then three back-to-back 14-hour days. It took hundreds of us to make it happen and it was a huge success - pastors from all over the country were encouraged and pampered - and afterward I spent two full days in my recliner! This was my desk the week before the conference...

I put up a few Easter decorations... and so far this is all I've done! I got the wreath years ago at Michaels. It's one of those unfinished wreaths that you're supposed to fill with flowers or ribbon... But it looked so much like the Crown of Thorns, that's what I've been using it for. 

Chuck had his yearly scans last week, an MRI and CT scan to check for cancer. He's had panic attacks the last couple of MRI's so this time they gave him some anxiety meds to take at home. They worked! 

When he got in there he found it was a much bigger machine, with mirrors on the 'mask' that allowed him to see waterfalls and lakes, it was so much better for him! And, the report on My Chart was normal all around! 

I have a meeting with some of the people from the Chinese Fellowship on Sunday. Just to find out ways I can help with their event planning. Beth has a dentist appointment on Monday... just keeping busy. 

I pray you are healthy, and that spring is in full swing at your house!

Sister Memories, Dressed Up, and Huge Success

 The conference was a huge success, thank you for your prayers! The pastors all commented on the dinner Wednesday night and said they felt spoiled, which is exactly what we wanted. On Friday, the last day of the conference, one of the speakers felt led to pray for people who were drained and needed a fresh touch of the Lord. H-u-n-d-r-e-d-s of people came to the altar and he spent the next two and a half hours anointing those pastors and praying over each one. It was very emotional to watch!

 

Look at that homemade cookie!

 Not much else has been happening around here. Tomorrow, March 21st was my sister Kathy's birthday. She would have been 70, but died just a little over a year ago.

 

I surprised her at Disneyland. 

She had no idea I was coming and it's a moment I will never forget!

Hiking here in WA State. She had come up to visit one summer.

 

Visiting her and Ken in CO

Beth had last week off due to the conference and she was thrilled! She stayed home those two days and told me she sang, and danced, and "moved around." The weather was sunny and in the 60's on Saturday so we went out to the backyard and she helped me clean off the patio. We moved the furniture, scrubbed off the moss, and swept everything. It's so nice now, I just want to sit and stare at it!

 

Diana's been sending us regular updates on the family. She starts back to work (remotely) this week... today in fact! I guess she goes back into the office in a few months. 

 On her first road trip

 

At home on the east coast. All decked out for St. Patrick's Day!

 Sharaya and Ally are planning to visit them in a few weeks and I must say I'm a little jealous! But, everyone in our family is healthy and doing well so I am one happy mom!

Grateful for An Hour

 Our church hosted Missions Fest this weekend. It's an organization that gathers various missions groups into one place and they all share about what God is doing around the world. MF comes in and completely transforms the church, setting up booths for the groups to promote their ministries. There were general sessions in the Sanctuary, then almost every classroom had breakout sessions with various speakers throughout the day. From a facility end of things it's exhausting. And MF is aware of that so they move to different churches every two years. I wasn't able to attend any of the sessions but I heard they were powerful. 

 

We did all the room set ups on Wednesday and Thursday, then the conference was Friday and Saturday. When the conference ended at 4:30 Saturday evening, my custodial crew began cleaning every classroom, foyer, and bathroom, to get things ready for Sunday morning classes and events. When I walked in the house at 9:30 Saturday night, I was SO grateful for that extra hour of Daylight Savings!

 

This was my step count from Saturday only -

 

 

Our main foyer and gym. 

They were still setting up pipes and drapes in the gym so I only got a picture of half of it but that's what the entire thing looked like!

 

Got up this morning and went back to church, then everyone came over for lunch. After watching the first half of the Seahawks game, we played Mexican Train. It was so good to be together. And I didn't get a single picture.

 

Do you keep track of your step count?  

 

I hope you had a good weekend. And I hope you got to enjoy that extra hour of sleep!  

Love in the Shadows

This has been one of the hardest, and most exhilarating two weeks I've had in a long time. This will be a short post but I wanted to get on here and let you know I'm still around.

This post will be about the exhilarating part ~

We hosted a pastors conference last week and I was on my feet non-stop for 3 days. Pastors came from all over the country to be fed spiritually, to be pampered and just have time to rest. We had over 500 pastors attend! It was powerful! 

We hosted a dinner for them the first night they arrived

 We served over 620 box lunches each day of the conference

(For the pastors and volunteers)

There were a lot of volunteers, they prayed throughout the day and worked so hard to make sure everything went smoothly.

The Sanctuary was full for every day and evening session

 

It was so good to be able to bless these hard working men and women. When we were setting up and preparing for it all, I was helping my team with the tables and chairs in the Commons (gym) and something happened that I have never seen before. I've attended this church for more than 30 years, have eaten a whole lot of food here but last week for the first time:

Love appeared in the shadows.

It was a sign to me that the Lord knew exactly what I needed at exactly the moment I needed it. More on that next time.

Stress And Loss, What A Week

At 1:30 Tuesday morning I got a call from a friend telling me her mom had died. I met Vera more than 25 years ago when we did ministry together at our church. She had dementia so the last few years I've been hanging out with her while her husband went out for lunch or bowling. It was hard to watch that disease slowly steal her away from us. I went over and spent the morning with Vern and we talked and cried and looked through pictures. We know she's in a better place now, our loss is bittersweet.

  
Late that same night Sharaya called me from the airport - in London! - to say the airline had cancelled her flight home!! It's kind of a long story but we stayed in contact through texts and at 2AM she was finally able to get new tickets and then head to the new gate for their flight home. Of course that made them arrive a few hours later than they hoped but I picked them up at the airport and they were so glad to be home!  

Our church held a women's conference this weekend with Havilah Cunnington called Awaken 2018. I usually don't go to these things but for some reason I just felt led to volunteer this year. Had a 3 hour training last Saturday, then was at the church from 4-10:30 on Friday night, then 7am-5 yesterday. By the time I got home I was SO tired! My fitbit says I took 18,000 steps yesterday alone! It was a wonderful conference though, a lot of women were ministered to, prayed for and just able to sit and talk with other women about 'girl stuff'!

Plus this week we've learned that one of our beloved pastors and our facility manager are both moving out of state! Pastor K has been at our church for 17 years and the FM (I'm his admin) for almost 15. They are both going to leave such huge holes! On Thursday I was sitting at my desk at work and just began to cry. I think the realization of all of this loss just, bam! hit me. I know the Lord will see us through this but these next few months are gonna be hard.

Dumping

I'm sorry. I know this blog has been completely neglected lately. Things have been, well, unusually busy. For us anyway. We're typically not your average busy family with therapy appointments and school plays and soccer practice and IEP meetings... but lately it seems life is just dumping on us. Not necessarily all bad just... full.

We had a change of plans this week due to our son-in-law ending up in the ER. He's back home and doing okay. Not out of the woods yet though.

Our church hosted and we volunteered at a pastors conference on Thursday and Friday where Anne Graham Lotz (Billy Graham's daughter) spoke about the need to wake up the church. Thursday we had over 3000 people attend, a lot more than we were expecting! A good problem to have but we were exhausted by the end of the night. We had to be back very early the next morning and when you factor in the 45 minute drive each way, it didn't leave much time for sleep! A lot of pastors re-dedicated their lives to the work of Christ and many of them spent quite a while in the altar, praying and seeking the Lord. It was truly an amazing two days that changed the lives and hearts of many. God is so good.

The good news: our Sunday school class is going well.
The bad news: our Sunday school class is going well.

We often have 6-8 kids in class each week and as thankful as I am to serve these families, we've been doing it now for more than 3 years without a break. It's getting to the point where I barely pick up my feet when we leave. I'm so, so tired and basically drag myself out to the car. Even today, I'm embarrassed to admit this but I thought I smelled smoke during the first service and my thought was, 'Maybe if we hear the fire alarm, we won't have to teach Sunday school!' Yea, not good. I definitely need a break. There are two other teachers who have stepped forward to volunteer and I'M SO GRATEFUL!! They've been helping in the class for the last few weeks, getting to the know kids and the routine.

This week is just beginning and it's going to be busy as well. I'll really try to post more next week.

I know, I think I said that last week...