Things that make me smile....

Getting a random text or phone call from one of my boys - just to say hey.

Any episode of Everybody Loves Raymond.

Going down a clothing size.

Daisies.

Preparing for NC State football tailgates.

Getting my hair brushed.

Having all my laundry done.

All my volunteers on Sunday mornings.

Hugs from children in my children's ministry.

Sweet tea.

Five cars in the driveway.

Things that annoy the stink out of me....

When buttons pop off clothes.

Dust.

Walking into a spider web.

Getting into my husband's car and finding the gas light on.

To finish washing dishes only to find one more cup in the den.

Allergies.

Bumping my head on the car door.

When a light bulb burns out just as I flip the switch.

Spilling food on my shirt.

Heartburn.

Watching a show and really enjoying it, not watch it for a while and then when I watch it again it is a rerun of the first time I watched.

Wal-Mart - specifically - having a gazillion check-out registers, but only one check-out person and the one line that is open has called for a price check.

Getting all vowels when playing Words with Friends.

Getting all consonants when playing Words with Friends.

More faith.....

Recently I was praying for a family at my church.  The mom had made a decision to follow Christ, but the dad was not on board.  As a matter of fact, he was fairly antagonistic towards church and Christians.  I spent quite a bit of time praying for the salvation of the dad, not really confident that he would actually come to have a relationship with Christ.  He refused to meet with the pastor and he refused to meet with me.

Then one day, out of the blue, I got a phone call from the mom.  The dad had called her very upset.  She said he was desperate to talk with someone.  I told her if he was truly desperate he would talk with our pastor.  Before the day was done, not only had he called the pastor, he had given his life to Christ.  He immediately asked for some books to read, in addition to the Bible.  He came to church this past Sunday and according to the mom, things are much better with their relationship.

Can I be honest here?  Even though I was fervently praying for the salvation of the dad and the restoration of this family, I really didn’t think it would happen.  I really didn’t have the faith that the dad would really ever give up control of his life.  Why don’t I have more faith?  I wish I knew the reason.  But I do know this – my faith was strengthened by watching God work in this man’s life.  Now when I pray, I pray with the confidence that God is going to do mighty things because that is who He is.  God is in the miracle business.

When I grow up.....

When I grow up...

I want to be like my sister, Melissa Godfrey.  Melissa is almost 5 years younger than me, but she's much wiser.  I want to be as organized as she is.  At her house there is a place for everything and everything is in its place (and probably labeled).  At my house you're lucky if you stumble across the item you need when you need it.  I want to be as compassionate as she is.  Melissa cares deeply for other people.  She cares about women in prison and women who are hurting.  She pours into other people's lives like crazy.  She loves her family and is one of the best moms I know.  I want to be like her when I grow up.

When I grow up...

I want to be like my friend Kay Thomas.  Kay is so incredibly talented.  She sings, she acts, she runs our elementary program at Daystar church like nobody's business!  She is a great wife and mom.  Her husband adores her and her kids love to spend time with her.  People are always seeking her out for advice.  She is a loyal friend and I can't imagine not having her as my best friend and office mate!  Kay keeps the calendar and makes sure I get to where I'm supposed to go on time. :)  I want to be like her when I grow up.

When I grow up....

I want to be like Angela Moran.  Angela is one of the most fun people I know.  She truly enjoys life and has a zest and energy that just draws people to her.  She has compassion for women in crisis.  She started an organization called "Change Purse" that benefits those who have been enslaved in the sex trade.  Change Purse has been recognized in Oprah's magazine!  How cool is that?!  Angela has taken in a girl that needed a place to stay.  I want to be like her when I grow up.

When I grow up....

I want to be like Louise Gettman.  Louise is my mentor in children's ministry.  She taught me all that I know about running a children's ministry.  Louise is older than me, but has way more energy than I do!  I admire her love for her husband and her love for her daughter.  Louise is fun!  I miss her so much!

When I grow up....

I want to be like my friend Janelle.  Janelle is the mom of two wonderful kids, one of which is autistic.  I admire her for being such a champion for her son.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE her sense of humor!  The only strike against her is the fact that she's a Tarheel fan - oh well - nobody's perfect. :) :) :)  I want to be like Janelle when I grow up. : )

When I grow up I want to be like these amazing women who have touched my life along the way.  I can wish, can't I?

Random acts of kindness...

Recently I was talking with a friend of mine about children's ministry.  She was telling me a story about something that one of our preschool teachers experienced.  It made my heart happy!

She told me that one of our preschool teachers was recently at a restaurant with some friends.  This teacher had recently left her job to stay home with her children.  As a former stay-at-home mom I know what this does to the pocketbook.  When the preschool teacher went to the register to pay, the cashier told her that her bill had already been paid by that family over there - and she pointed to another table.  The teacher looked and saw the parents of a little girl in her 4/5s class.  They smiled at her.  She went to them to thank them and they told her that they wanted to bless her for all the times she had blessed them by teaching their child every week in church.

What a blessing!  This particular teacher is one who serves every single week.  We value consistency at Daystar and encourage as many teachers as possible to serve on a weekly basis (understanding that they will be gone on occasion!)  We want our teachers to know that what they do every week is NOT child care - it is MINISTRY.  What goes on in our classrooms is just as important as what goes on in the auditorium.

I am blessed to work in an environment where I feel appreciated and honored.  I want my children's ministry volunteers to feel the same way.  I wish I could buy them all a meal out at their favorite restaurant to show my gratitude!  It means so much to me, though, that parents value those who work with their children and are willing to show it.  I don't expect every family to be able to pay for someone's meal at a restaurant, but I would love to see more parents take the time to just say thank you.  Thank you for being a positive role model in my child's life.  Thank you for allowing me to hear the message from God's Word every Sunday.  Thank you for sharing God's Word with my little ones.  A simple thank you goes a long way.

To any of my volunteers who read this - THANK YOU!!!!  I appreciate you more than you will ever know.  I value the work that you do with our littlest ones.  Matthew 25 says - as you do to the least of mine, you do it to Me.  Every time you comfort a crying baby, play ball with a toddler, smile at a preschooler or patiently listen to an elementary student, you are serving Jesus himself.  What an honor to work alongside you all.  I love you all.

What if......?

What if every time someone told a lie a blue dot appeared on their forehead?  Wouldn't that be awesome?!!!???!!!

I have spent quite a bit of time in court over the past couple of weeks - first on jury duty and then supporting a friend who is going through some tough stuff.  I've sat and listened to quite a few stories - most of them he said/she said.  Even though every person testifying puts their hand on the Bible and swears to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, every single time SOMEBODY is lying!  The two people take the stand and tell their stories and it is amazing to me how vastly different they can be!  Short of being a mind reader, there is no way to tell who is telling the truth.  There are some really good liars out there!

Wouldn't it be so helpful to the judge and jury if a blue dot appeared on the forehead of the person telling the lie?  I can't tell you how many times I had that thought over the past couple of weeks.  A lot of time and money could be saved.  Don't you agree?

Sweet moments.

Yesterday I took my little 7 year old friend, K, to the NC State football game.  She had never been to a football game before and was so excited for the adventure!  K has been through a lot in her seven short years.  Her dad died unexpectedly a little over a year ago and her mom had to go through two brain surgeries in the weeks that followed.  Most recently K had to undergo eye surgery at Duke Hospital.  To say K has reason to be anxious is an understatement!

I have spent the last 6 weeks or so spending the night at K's house to help her mom with K and her little three year old sister.  It has been a blessing to me getting to be a part of this sweet family.  Since K had never been to a football game, I thought she might enjoy the experience.  There is so much that goes on!  We make a day out of it - starting with our tailgate.  K is a really good eater and she seemed to really enjoy the grilled pork chop, brown rice, potato casserole and cole slaw.  Not to mention the cowboy cookies!!!

K has really taken to my boys too.  She loves teasing with Joel especially.  At first Joel wasn't too keen on me staying overnight with another family - even though he is almost 21!  He likes having his mama at home. :)  But once he met K he told me, "Mama, you stay as long as you want - she needs you more than I do."  Since K has never been to a NC State game she didn't have the proper attire - an NC State t-shirt!  I had planned to take her to the fan zone and purchase a t-shirt before the game started.  Joel didn't know this.  While we were sitting at the tailgate eating and talking, K noticed Joel was missing.  We thought maybe he had just gone to the restroom and didn't think any more of it.  A little while later Joel walks up to the tailgate tent with a plastic shopping bag in hand and hands it over to K.  Inside was a Wolfpack t-shirt just K's size!  What a sweetheart!  That boy is going to make a great daddy someday!

K and I decided to head over to the walk of champions to see the band, cheerleaders and team.  We just barely made it in time.  It was so fun to watch K jump up and down squealing and shaking the pom-poms she brought as the band marched past, followed by the cheerleaders, dance team and football players.  We then walked over to the big wolf statue/fountain.  K oohed and ahhed over the huge wolves.  We plated games in the fan zone where K won a football, a flag and a frisbee.  She really racked up in prizes!

Once inside the stadium K took in all the sights - the players warming up on the field, the majorettes practicing right in front of us and the stands filling up with people - mostly wearing red! :)  She laughed and cheered the hardest when Mr. and Mrs. Wuf rode out onto the field on the giant helmet and the fireworks popped as the players ran onto the field.  Her belly laugh alone was worth the price of admission to the game.  We were fortunate to be on the front row so she could see all of the action close up.  She learned to show the wolf hand signal and to cheer for "another Wolfpack - FIRST DOWN!"  I couldn't believe she stayed awake for the whole game!  Her bedtime is 7:30 and we were still in the stadium at 9:30!  She didn't miss a minute of the action though!  I was surprised at how well she paid attention and seemed to follow most of what was going on.  I'll make a Wolfpacker out of her yet!

I am so blessed to be able to be a children's ministry director and to have relationships with awesome families.  Sometimes I have to pinch myself that God has allowed me to serve this way.  What a blessing to have such a wonderful family and to experience such sweet moments.

Well, at least it isn't raining.

Yesterday was quite the day for me.  Not much went according to plan.  I started the day with jury duty and ended it by locking the keys to the car in the trunk - which was filled with all the groceries I had just bought - including a bag of ice!

I like to think of myself as a fairly positive person - in The Hundred Acre Wood I would like to think I lean more towards the Tigger side than the Eeyore side.  Although, many of you would probably call me rabbit (I do tend to be a little bossy at times. :) )  Yesterday evening, however, I found myself being an Eeyore. :)  As the locksmith worked to try and get the trunk open, I was bemoaning all the things that had gone wrong that day - jury duty, late to the classes I teach on Fridays, no lunch, locking my keys in the trunk, etc.  Without even looking up, he said, "Well at least it isn't raining".  Good point!  I was standing in the parking lot on a very pleasant day- neither too hot nor too cold, and it wasn't raining on us!  What a great attitude!  I quickly changed mine. :)

The locksmith wasn't able to get the trunk open, so I called my friend who had loaned the car to me. (My car is in the shop.)  She had already told me I had the only key to the car, but at her house was a bag full of keys and there was a very remote chance there was a key that would open the trunk but not start the car.  That's all the encouragement I needed!  I headed to her house and found the bag of keys.  All the way back I prayed that I would find favor and a key in that bag would work.

I tried every key in the bag - no go.  There was one key that fit easily in the lock, but didn't open the trunk.  I decided to try that key one more time before giving up.  Thank you Lord!!!  It worked!!!  The trunk popped open and I once again had the keys and all my groceries!!!!

I headed home to start preparing for today's tailgate at the NC State football game.  Cooking for the tailgate is one of my favorite things to do!  I could now go about my preparations with a happy heart and thankfulness to God.

Can't wait to get to Carter Finley and hey - It isn't raining!!! :)

Be as kind as you can be.....

This week I had a new experience – I attended court with a friend to be a support  for her.  At issue was the 50B – also known as a restraining order.  For those of you, like me, who have never done anything like this,  you basically sit in the courtroom with everyone else who is having a 50B hearing and wait for the judge to call you up to discuss your case.  One by one people were called to appear before the judge and tell their stories.  After listening for about an hour it hit me that I had had wonderful training to be a judge!

I am the mom of 3 boys who were all born within 3.5 years.  The majority of their growing up years I spent at least a portion of each day hearing their complaints with each other and doling out decisions and punishments.  I remember more often than not, there was blame on both sides – much like I saw in the courtroom.

I would look each boy in the eyes and ask them, “Are you being as kind as you can possibly be?”  Each one would inevitably answer No.  I would look each boy in the eye again and my reply would always be, “If YOU are as kind as you can possibly be and YOU are as kind as you can possibly be there will be no more problems, right?”  Off I would send them to play and life would go on. J

Oh how much more pleasant life would be if we could all learn that lesson.  I watched one lady in the courtroom use very poor judgment.  When the judge called for a recess the lady decided to talk very ugly across the room to the gentleman that had the restraining order against her.  This was a violation of the restraining order.  Oh how foolish!  The other people in the gallery overheard the interaction and were asked to testify to what they had seen.  The judge held the lady in contempt of court and sentenced her to 30 days in jail.  She was handcuffed right there in front of everyone and escorted to jail.  What if she had been as kind as she could possibly be?  She would not be sitting in jail for 30 days!

In our 252 Basics curriculum in our Elementary program at Daystar we stress every week as one of our points – Make the Wise Choice, Trust God No Matter What and Treat Others the Way You Want to be Treated.  If all of those folks I saw yesterday in that courtroom had followed those three points we would have empty courtrooms.  What I saw was an incredible waste of time and an embarrassment for all those who call themselves adults. 

So, take a lesson from my three boys – always be as kind as you can possibly be. J

This is an e-mail I sent to the children's ministry team at Daystar Church on August 7.  I wanted to share it here. :)

I was reading in the One Year Bible today and this passage spoke to me -

1 Corinthians 3:5-9

5 After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. 6 I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. 7 It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. 9 For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.

 

I was just thinking about our ministry to children and how we are truly “waterers” for the kingdom.

 

This summer I went on a missions trip to Orlando, Florida.  I was in charge of meals for 300 people who were doing the actual work.  It was hot – really hot.  We were at a camp that has no running water and no kitchen.  My team cooked on grills and propane burners.  We had to have our water brought in in tanks.  The first day they did not have the tanks ready, so we had to take twenty 10 gallon water coolers and fill them from an outdoor spigot way on the other side of the camp (too far to walk).  The next day the water tank was delivered and we were so excited to have water close by.  We fixed our water coolers, made sweet tea and lemonade with the water and began cooking with it.  As I made 10 batches of stir fry over the propane burner someone brought be a cool cup of water.  I couldn’t wait to drink it!  I was so hot and sweaty and the cup was so cool to the touch.  I chugged it all in one gulp.  As it hit my tummy I thought I would gag.  The water tasted HORRIBLE!!!  They had brought us bleach water by mistake!!!!  Bleach water is used to sanitize the cooking pots and utensils.  We had made all our drinks with that horrible water and everyone was upset. 

 

I realized that day – more than ever- how VITAL water is!!!  I knew it in my head, but that day it became more real to me.  I had experienced thirst before, but never like that day.  I had experienced disappointment before, but that disappointment was on a whole new level.  Oh, to have cool, fresh, clean, drinkable water!  I’ll never look at water the same way again.

 

Many who come to our church are desperate for the Living Water.  What a privilege it is to be a part of the team that provides the means for someone to experience a quenching of their spiritual thirst!  Please, please, don’t ever think what you do as a part of children’s ministry is somehow not as important as what any other team does on Sunday morning.  It is vital that parents feel comfortable leaving their precious little ones with us.  When they are comfortable, it lessens the distraction to hearing the message – that life-giving message!  Every time someone lifts their hand and declares that they have gone from death to life – YOU are a part of that.  Every time you hug a little one, or share a verse, or even a cup of cold water – you are planting seeds in little children’s minds that God loves them and cares for them.

 

Thank you so much for being a part of this team!  Thank you for being “waterers” alongside me. J