Sacrifice

This morning Cole had to take child #2 to the urgent care clinic. He woke up with a tummy that felt hard and was tender to the touch. As a mama, I don't wait or mess around with abdominal pain. It's not something that I wait out or ignore. My "what if's" in my brain kick in to high gear, so off to the clinic they went this morning. As of right now, it looks like it is just some bad constipation. So a copy and some suppositories later, here we are sitting on the couch waiting for the meds to kick in and help out boy go, if you know what I mean. 

Every time my kids are sick, I have to work hard to reel in my worse case scenario imagination. My imagination is both a blessing and a curse. So right now as I sit here and watch my little guy moan in pain, I want so badly for it to stop, minor illness though it is. I won't so badly to take it all away. I would take this pain on for him if I could. And that gets me thinking about Jesus. 

Being a parent gives you such a different perspective on the Lord. When your child throws a tantrum, you see your own selfishness and depravity as you think of the many times you have thrown your own spiritual tantrum because God didn't answer your prayers the way you wanted or in your timing. You are reminded of your inability to keep all of God's statues when you see your child make the same bad choice again and again; you realize that you do the same thing with the Lord with your own son patterns. And today I see how much love that Christ had for us as he took on the pain and suffering of our sin on the cross. How amazing! He took on that burden for us! He took on the pain of my sin and died on a cross so I don't have to live a life separated from a holy God. I am now made right with the Lord because of Christ's willingness to take on sin and pain and death for me. So as I sit hear today holding my boy, i  going to let the truth of the gospel wash over me. I am going to let this minor suffering today remind me of the enormous love my Savior has for me, that he took on my sin to set me free. I pray today it will remind me of the weight of my sin and help me love those around me more like Christ does. What about you? What things do you see in your own life that are types and shadows of the gospel? Let them point us to Christ and transform our lives today!

If I Could Write a Letter to Me....

Several years ago, Brad Paisley had a song that played on the radio where he wrote a letter to his teenage self.  I have thought of this song often since I hit my 30's.  The wonderful thing about being 30 is that I lived enough life to realize I am not all wise, but had enough life experience to have some wisdom.  Here's what I would put in my letter to my teenage self. Caution: Sass level is about to increase!

1.  Know that you are not enough.  You were not created to be independent of an all-knowing, all-seeing, outside of time God.  If you were enough, you would have no need of a Savior.  That is why all of the self-love advice that you receive still has you feeling depleted and unsatisfied.  Your worth and beauty comes from being a daughter of the King.  He has taken away your shame and sin and has made you HIS.  And being his is enough!

2.  Don't let good grades become an idol.  Grades are important but are not the most important thing.  When you do your schoolwork, work as unto the Lord and NOT unto man.  And trust if you have been faithful to study, the Lord will be faithful to give you the right grade, which, by the way, may not always be an "A."  And if you do get a bad grade, know that the God that you serve is bigger than an "F."  He is the same one that raised Christ from the dead...do you seriously think he can't overcome a bad grade?  Let HIM define what success looks like.  Remember the story of Joseph...halfway through that story he was imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit...but look how God was glorified in that.

3.  Just because something is advertised as stylish doesn't mean you have to buy into it....oh sister...if you could see some of the pics of you now....and how some of these styles are coming back again.  Make your own decisions on what looks good on you....who cares if it's "in".  You will waste time, money, and energy trying to keep up with the ever changing style of society.  Be modest and be you.

4.  You are bigger than someone's opinion of you.  You, dear girl, are a people pleaser.  You desperately want to be liked...but guess what? Not everyone is going to like you.  Some people are going to hate you.  And that's ok.  But know that just because they don't see your worth, point of view, or talent, does not mean their opinion is right or true.  Again, you will waste too much time worrying and stressing over opinions of people who don't really matter.  Seek truth in the word of God and let your only offense be the gospel of Christ.

5.  Everyone goes through an awkward phase...EVERYONE!  I know you feel like you are in a body that doesn't feel completely like yours.  Everyone has their body issues...too skinny, too big, acne, short, tall....the list goes on and on. Refer back to number one.  The beauty that matters is the beauty that comes from the radiance of the love of Christ that is in you, and no matter what anyone tells you, that is enough.  When you are comfortable with yourself, others will be too.

6.  Create healthy habits now.  Learn how to eat healthy and exercise now.  It won't hit you so hard when you start your freshman year of college if you will learn that man cannot live on pop tarts and diet coke alone;)

7.  Be real.  Your emotions and ability to empathize and be sensitive to the things around you are a gift.  When you are real with others, they learn that it is safe to be real with you.  It's ok to cry...even in front of others.  Tears are not a sign of weakness but the sign of a caring heart.  You do not have to contain your emotions in an attempt to show strength.  It will blow up in your face every time.  At the same time, don't use your emotions as a means of manipulation.  Be pure of heart.

8.  Be ok with being "you."  You love reading.  You are a bookworm.  You love to write.  You dream of being a wife and mom one day (fyi....that dreams comes true and it's the hardest and BEST job you will ever have!).  You can sit at the piano for hours and play.  You love to sit alone outside and daydream.  You love all things old, antique, vintage.  You want to be in bed by 10 and up with the sun.  You like spending time with the senior adults in your church.  You have an old soul already at the age of 15.  You would rather sit at home on Saturday night over anything else.  You love spending time with your family.  BE OKAY WITH ALL OF THIS.....God has uniquely shaped you to be you.  Don't change for anyone accept him if something in your character doesn't match up with His call on your life.

9.  Keep your standards high.  Don't give up because you don't see any guys out there you can hold up to your ideal.  He's out there...I promise!  Be patient and wait for someone who will pursue you and lead you in the way God intended.  The love story God writes for you is so much more amazing than anything you find in a book or your own imagination.  Develop into the woman of God the Lord is calling you to be.  The man (not boy) that God has for you will be along your side and you won't even notice because you will be so focused on the ONE who already is the love of your life...Christ.  He is your prince...the one that has set you free from the curse of sin and death.  He has awakened you to a new life in HIM.  So while you wait for your intended to come along devote yourself to prayer, to being in God's word, and to following hard after the Lord.  Hide yourself in HIM!  Those are the things that will be attractive to the kind of guy you want to pursue you.  And let guys pursue you...(and your question is what if they don't)...and if they don't, then they aren't the one for you anyways.  Let God deal with the consequences of your obedience.  He already knows road.  Let him guide you.

10.  Keep Christ at the center of all things.  He is your truth...he is your guide...he is your everything.  Run to him, cling to him, cry to him....because he know, he sees, and he cares.  He is in all, through all, and in him all things hold together.  Hold fast to him as life seems to be spinning out of control.  At just the right time, he will work, even if that doesn't always match up with the timing you thing he should have.

I'll see you in the mirror in 15ish years......

Fighting Mommy Fatigue

Have you ever just had one of those days where you wake up and already feel depleted as a mom?  I have...especially in the last two weeks.  There just seem to be days as a mom (especially if you have small children)  where you wake up knowing you are already spent and the day has just begun.  As I've had these days lately, I've been trying to find ways to fight this "mommy fatigue." Some of these ideas are my own, but most I've learned from other women in my life who are much wiser than me.

1.  Spend time with the Lord.
The best thing to do any day is to spend time with the Creator, but even more so on a tough day.  We believe the lie so much of the time as mothers that we must muscle through hard days in our own strength.  Isaiah 40:29-31 has been a passage that I have clung to these last couple of weeks.

"He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.  Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

Did you see that....he can give us the strength though we have none.  He IS our strength. Why do we listen to the lies of the enemy and try to go it alone?  Spending time with the Lord can be especially challenging if you have very small children that need lots of attention.  But I believe that the Lord can take even the small bit of the word we digest and multiply it for his glory.  So on those hard days, prayer journal a short prayer or find a short psalm that speaks exactly to your need.  Pray and ask they Lord to be glorified in your life as you seek to be the best wife and mother possible and know he will answer.

2.  Fresh Air
When I had my first child, a friend told me that every day I needed to step outside once and breath in the air outside my front door, even if it was just for a few minutes.  As a stay at home mom sometimes I get so caught up in the world inside my house that I fail to remember that there is a bigger world out there.  My first baby was difficult to soothe in the early months and a terrible sleeper.  There would be times where I had to lay her down in her crib and walk out the front door for just a few minutes to regain my sanity and then, go back into battle. Something about that brief break seemed to help me feel slightly refreshed and able to go on.

3.  Get out of the house.
This is kind of in the same vein as the last tip.  I can get so caught up with everything that there is to do at home...and frankly, sometimes staying put is easier than setting foot outside the house with three that are four and under.  But every once in awhile, the change of pace really helps my stamina as a mama.  You don't even have to get out of the car....just get out of the house!  Sonic and starbucks drink runs seem simple, but can make a big difference on a day that is difficult.  Are the kids crazy?  Go for a walk on a trail or at a park to burn off some energy (maybe after you've already made that starbucks drink run!)

4.  Get Moving
For me personally, I am a much better mom and wife when I exercise.  I can always tell a difference in energy levels the days I get up and get a workout in.  It doesn't have to be anything crazy, but even just a good walk can help you blow off some steam of mommyhood stress.  Find something you like to do and get your blood pumping.

5. Fuel Your Body
My husband has done quite a bit of overseas traveling.  One thing he always advises our students to do is to stay hydrated as they travel and after they return.  Jet lag can be brutal, but dehydration can make it even more miserable.  As a mama, there are seasons we run on little sleep and low energy.  On those days, make sure you drink plenty of water to stay hydrated so as not to make the fatigue you have even worse.  Also, make sure you are eating a healthy diet....lots of whole foods.  Make sure your diet isn't just the crusts of your children's pb and j's and a handful of goldfish.  Take care of yourself so you can take care of your family.

6. Phone a Friend
Do you have friend's that you can text or call on a hard day?  I am very thankful that the Lord has given me some of these friendships as I have become a mom.  I have a handful of friends that I can text and request prayer from anytime I need to.  I also have friends who are willing to come over or meet up so our kids can play and I can get a break.  Don't have those kind of friends yet????  Then, start by being one of those friends.  As believers, we are called to bear one another's burdens and share in one another's joy.  My mother in law says you have to teach people how to treat you.  Maybe sometimes that means making the first move and taking your friend's children on a hard day for her and hopefully she in turn will learn to do the same for you.

7. Read something encouraging
A pastor's wife gave me this idea.  She said take 15 minutes everyday to read something encouraging.  I try to find something that helps renew my perspective on the days that I can't see past all of the discipline I've had to hand out that day.  Find some good books on being a godly wife and mother, something that will give you renewed vigor as you seek to glorify the Lord in raising godly children.

8.  Write yourself encouraging reminders
When I did my student teaching, I had an excellent mentor teacher who gave lots of feedback.  One way she gave feedback was to write little stick it notes while I taught a lesson and leave the notes on my desk for me to look over later.  I have index cards stuck all over the cabinets near my kitchen sink...since I'm there a lot.  Most are verses I am trying to apply to my life (Lots of verses about kindness and patience right now!), but I also have quotes from wise wives and mothers that I want to try to emulate.  It's funny how you glance at those little index cards and the words begin to seep into your mind and prayerfully work themselves out in your life.

This is by no means an extensive list, but one I hope will help you on the days that seem impossibly long and tiring.  Keep up the good fight,  mama's out there....you are doing kingdom work that has ETERNAL VALUE!

Empty

Did anyone else's week last week seem like everyday was a Monday (in the worst way)? Mine did.  It was one of those weeks that leaves you feeling like you just got spit out of a tornado and you're not quite sure where you landed.  It was a week filled with tears, tantrums, and trials. (and alliterations apparently).  

It's not uncommon for us to have stretches of days where we (or just Cole ) has something going.  We actually have 17 day stretch in the next couple of weeks where we (ok, mostly Cole) has an activity, out of town trip, or event planned every day.  They are always challenging, but mostly sanctifying for everyone involved.  

The worst day actually came on Tuesday ( I know, seriously....I couldn't even make it through Tuesday before losing it).  Monday had been long because Cole was out of town.  Tuesday was the first day of Wee Care at our church.  I was super excited for the older kiddos to get some fun time and for me to get a bit of a break; my kiddos, however, missed the excitement train and got on the meltdown wagon instead.  Even my Jitterbug, who is my happy, social girl, had a complete meltdown.  I wish I could say it was one glittering, sorrowful tear, but no...it was a cling to mama, pleading, screaming kind of meltdown.  It was one of those moments where it really stinks to be the adult.  You really just want to pick up your kid and say, "Never mind, this is hard, so we aren't going to do this," but we would just have to go through the same thing again on Thursday if we didn't fight the battle now.  So I bit my lip, pried her off of me, told her I would see her after lunch, and did what any other self-respecting mama would do.....waited until I got into the hallway and melted into a puddle while two of my close friends held me and let me cry.  Talk about humbling...and somewhat humilating, if I'm really honest. Does anyone else hate to cry in front of others, or is it just me?  I just felt like I was showing the world I couldn't keep it together.  

Tuesday afternoon came with a battle of wills during naptime.  And in my mind I knew Tuesday night was coming...with at least 10 college students coming into our home to have a small group.  I already felt so incredibly undone.  How in the world can I keep it together while we try to minister to these students?  I'm supposed to hold it together, right?!  Tuesday night came with students in our home who had great discussion on community and stayed afterward to hang out.  But while the discussion was going on, I was in the back room dealing with a two year old and a four year old who had forgotten that they liked each other and were screaming at each other instead.  I came away Tuesday evening feeling so defeated.  My kids had put their worst behavior on display, I hadn't gotten to host the way I wanted, and I had cried in public.  I had let the world know I didn't have it all together.

The rest of the week went similarly.  Being poured out again and again and feeling like their was nothing left to give and that what you did have to give wasn't good enough.  Struggles with my looks, doubts of my parenting skills, feeling trapped by the duties of motherhood...I was drowning in doubt and hopelessness.  And I feel like the Lord let me stay there for awhile, and it wasn't until today that I realized why.  I NEEDED to be allowed to run on empty for awhile.  Why? Because it reminded me of my need of Jesus.  If I forget to eat breakfast in the morning, my body eventually starts sending me signals that I am in need of energy...tiredness, dizziness, shakiness, headaches...all of which point to fatigue.  It reminds me I need to fuel my body with something to keep me going.  It's the same way in our spiritual walk....the Lord will let us run ourselves into the ground sometimes because it points to our humanness and our inability to minister outside of His power.  And in our weakness His power is shown.  

The funny thing is that THIS week, I've had so much encouragement and reassurance in ministry.  I actually got a conversation in with our small group.  Someone complimented and admired my parenting that they witnessed on a day when i felt more like Miss Hannigan and less like Mary Poppins.  God is so good to not only use us in spite of our weakness but also our weaknesses themselves to point others to Him.  Are you running on empty? Run to Him!  Let your weaknesses remind you and point others to Christ's surpassing power and worth! Let's be willing to be emptied of ourselves to be filled back up with Him!

They're All Our Students

Before I was a stay-at-home mom, I was an elementary music teacher.  I taught in a district that had a high ESL population and also a growing population of poverty.  I loved my kiddos.  It was a tough environment to work in sometimes, knowing the baggage these kids carried, but incredibly rewarding.  While working there, I heard our superintendent say something one day that really stuck with me: "Whether they come from across the street or across the ocean, when they come through our doors they're our kids.  They're all our kids."  It was a great perspective when the going got tough. 

I had forgotten about this little nugget of truth until last spring.  It had been a particularly rough day (kind of like the afternoon we are currently having) and in order to make the time until Daddy got home tick away faster, I decided to take the kiddos on a walk around campus.  At the time I was six months pregnant and growing larger by the day.  My kiddos were less than thankful for this outing and were a bit....rambunctious.  Anytime we go on campus during the school day, we get a few looks because we are a little out of place on a college campus.  This particular day, we seemed to stick out even more.  A pregnant woman, messy hair and no makeup, two kids, crying and screaming, and our radio flyer wagon...yes, the song "Which of These Things Is Not Like the Other" was playing in the back of my mind.  To top off our afternoon constitutional, a group of girls we passed started giggling. It was just too much. 

As I recounted our "adventure" to Cole that night, I stated between sobs that I was done and I really wanted to talk about living somewhere else not so close to campus.  I was tired of sticking out like a sore thumb.  Cole pointed out that college students needed to witness what a family looks like, because so many come from broken or unhealthy ones. That they needed to see what a mom enjoying (or disciplining) her kids looked like.  "Well, it doesn't bother me when our (BCM) students see that," I stated flatly.  And Cole looked at me and said, "They're ALL our students.  We are called to minister to all college students, not just the ones that darken the door of our ministry.  All of them, including the silly eighteen year olds that would giggle at a mom having a frustrating day with two children."  Whoa...just whoa.  Those words of my superintendent came back to me and hit me in the heart.  I had lost my perspective! How callous my heart had become to only want to minister to the students in our ministry.

So this morning while I worked sorority recruitment and had moments of, "Does this really matter? Will any of these conversations pan out to anything more?  Will any of these girls come to our ministry?", the Lord brought these words back to me again....THEY'RE ALL OUR STUDENTS.  I will love them, because God has called me to bring the gospel to ALL PEOPLE.  They are our people...and people are frustrating and complicated and messy, but so am I.  And if anything our students need to know that I do not hold all the answers and do not have it all together, but I know the one that does! Pray with me that we will see fruit from our efforts helping with recruitment this week, but even if we don't, we will rejoice in the opportunity to serve and that we will be blessed to be a blessing. 

Welcome Weeks

  

    Welcome weeks....the very phrase can cause a college minister's wife to feel both elation and utter panic all at once.  "Welcome Weeks" is the term used by the University of Arkansas to classify the week before the fall semester begins and the first week of  classes.  If you are in college ministry, this is PRIME TIME to meet new students and get connected with them.  If you are a college minister's wife, it means that your husband will be occupied a LOT for the next two weeks.... 

Activities the week before classes start includes sorority recruitment (more on how we are involved in this later this week), move-in, early week for the Razorback Marching Band, and various other activities on campus hosted by various groups in order to get students plugged in and adjusted to life at their new "home."

For BCM staff, it means they are pushing themselves and our students all week long to get out and meet students on campus.  For several years, we did a big block party to welcome back students and introduce them to the BCM.  We realized however, we weren't pushing our students to go to the campus.  We kept expecting the campus to come to us.  So, we switched gears and came up with a plan that gave us the opportunity to interact with students where they are already at.  Our new game plan involved going to different parts of campus every evening and hosting a low-cost, high-invitation (meaning students have to get out during the day and invite students) event.  Most of these events encourage conversation and building relationships with new students.  This year our activities include yard games near a dorm, glow in the dark ultimate frisbee on Old Main lawn, a trip to the Drive-In, attending Friday Night Live (a university sponsored event that is populated by freshman and international students) and hiking in Devils Den.  We encourage our students to get phone numbers of the people they make good connections with and to CONTACT THEM...facebook, twitter, vine, text message or just a good ol' phone call is sometimes all a person needs to encourage them to come give the BCM a try.

And that's just this week....next week includes the launch of Villages (our BCM small groups and our main focus this year), Razorbash (a big event with booths of local businesses, churches, campus ministries, and student organizations), Freshman Pep Rally, and....oh yeah....classes start!  And in between all of those things, staff and students alike are trying to reconnect with anyone they met in the last week.  Reconnecting could involve meeting up for a meal in the cafeteria or union, grabbing coffee, getting ice cream, or offering to take students on a run to the store. 

Can you see why this time of year is so exciting and exhausting at the same time?  It is so thrilling to get to meet new students and get to see our upperclassmen grow in leadership and ministry as they reach out to underclassmen.  But the days are long for everyone involved.  Cole is up and out the door by 9 and comes home for dinner, only to go back out again until 10 or later. 

So back to the BCM wife....what does this mean for me?  Lots of long days at home with small kiddos (we have three that are four and under).  And my prayer for myself this year is that I wouldn't just seek to survive, but to THRIVE.  I am NOT a staff minister of the BCM;  my first responsibility is to minister well to our family, and then to our students.  Ministry for me right now mostly happens within the walls of our home.  Sometimes that can be hosting a small group or discipling college girls.  Sometimes ministry for me is simply letting our home be a haven for Cole when he comes home. And I want to do this well. I desperately want to not be a heap on the floor when my husband comes home.  I don't want the words that come out of my mouth to be harsh and angry because I am exhausted by the long days.  I don't want my children to dread these weeks because it means mom is on edge and short tempered.

So I am trying to gear up for battle these next two weeks....I am in the word at some point in the day (I'm not fixated on a time as long as it happens). I am in prayer over our current students and the ones the Lord will bring to us this year.  I am trying to get out of the house when I can so my kiddos don't get cabin fever.  I am eating well and drinking lots of water and getting in a workout when I can.  And most of all...I am giving myself and my husband and my kids lots of mercy and grace because the enemy would like nothing more than to distract from the work of the kingdom than by causing conflict in our home.  Will this be the week someone gets sick...YES! It's already happened.  Is my house a war zone from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. while I try to entertain kiddos? Absolutely! Do I have a stash of dark chocolate hidden for my personal consumption when I need a break...you know it!  But the fruit that will come out of my husband and his staff/students pushing hard these first two weeks will hopefully be ETERNAL!  ETERNAL.....isn't that amazing?!  We are doing eternal work for the kingdom as we engage with college students! We are fighting for the souls of these students as we engage them in gospel conversation over yard games or dinner in the Union.  And that is worth two hard weeks out of my year....the souls of students who one day I'll get to stand beside as we sing, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty...who was and is and is to come!"

Living Among Our People Group

A little over two years ago, we were expecting our second child.  We were living in a two bedroom apartment that had been our home for several years.  Cole and I knew we needed to find a new place to live before baby boy came.  At the time, Cole was the interim director of the Baptist Collegiate Ministry.  We weren't sure if the job would pan out into anything more permanent.  With that in mind, we did not want to buy a house, not knowing how much longer our stay would be in Fayetteville.  

 

One day, Cole came home from work and said, "Ok, I have a crazy idea.  What if we moved into one of the BCM houses?"  Our ministry owns several houses where we house students.  They in turn use their houses for ministry to other students on campus by inviting them to hang out there or hosting a small group.  Seriously, I thought.  This is a terrible idea.  We won't have any privacy.  It will be like living in a glass house.  The kitchen is so small.  There's hardly any storage space or counter space.  There's no garbage disposal or dishwasher.  A long list of cons kept coming to mind.  "Could you make it work for one year?" Cole asked.  Well, yes.  You can do anything for a year.  

 

So we did it.  We moved into a house built in the 1930's that is essentially on campus.  And at first it was hard.  The kitchen was....ummm, unique.  Not a lot of storage space and no garbage disposal or dishwasher.  Then, there were the smokers that like to smoke on the sidewalk in front of our house.  There was only one bathroom.  I felt a lot like Mary Bailey in "What a Wonderful Life."  I was tasked with making this old house a home.  

 

But one day I read an article on missionary wives and mothers and it changed my whole perspective.  It talked about what it was like to live among a people group and blessings and challenges for families who were called to live among the people that they ministered to.  Whoa....that is what God had called us to do.  Our people group is college students and God has called us to do life, day in and day out, with this group of people that we so passionately love and live to serve for the gospel's sake. Our living in the house was recently reconfirmed; I had an itch to start looking elsewhere for a house...something that was "ours."   Then, I heard an interview with a pastor where he was asked about how he shepherds people he is tasked with ministering to. His response was, "How can I shepherd a people I don't know?  I can't know them unless I am among them."  And once again God took away my desire for having what everyone else seems to have that I don't and he made me satified in the plans he has (for know) for our family.  

Honestly, if I sit down with a paper and pencil and list the things I want in a home, this place actually hits a lot of them.  On my wish list would be: older home with character, mature trees in yard/neighborhood, close enough to university for students to come over, close to our church, a decent sized yard, access to trail system, and sidewalks so I can take kiddos for walks.  THIS PLACE HOLDS ALL OF THOSE THINGS!  Isn't God good?  And isn't it like him to give us our hearts desire but in a different way than we thought. Besides that, there are opportunities for picnics and bike rides on campus, interacting with students when we are in our yard, being close to the action during home football games and so many more benefits!

Now, there are still days when I feel the tug of not being satisfied....this house has put us through the wringer a few times.  Flooded basement, flea infestation, dead possum under the house, rewiring of entire home, kitchen remodel (intentional), broken heater have all been par for the course.  But I know that as long as the Lord wants us here I will strive to find the humor and blessing of living in our home.

 

 

Why I Am Blogging Again

Remember back in 2005...when everyone blogged and it was cool.  Yeah, me too.  I've never been on top trends so of course I'm not going to start blogging until it's not the thing anymore.  I have felt the call to start a blog about our life as a family in ministry.  

For anyone who is reading this and doesn't know us personally, my husband is a campus minister.  We live our lives to reach college students for the gospel's sake, point them toward Christ connect them with the local church.  We love college ministry because we see it as a very formative time when students are making decisions that can affect the rest of their lives.  Students are making decisions about careers, marriage, friends and finances all during this 4 to 5 year period (or longer).  What a time to get to be involved in?!

I have felt the need and desire to blog about our life since last fall, but dismissed it as a silly notion.  Our life is crazy and at the time I found out I was pregnant with our third child.  Not a time when I felt like I had extra energy to expend.  Plus, does anyone read these things anymore?  Am I going to come off as pretentious?  Who really cares what I have to say? But time and time again for the last year, God has confirmed that this is what he wants through His word written and spoken and even really random things like the movie "Mom's Night Out." 

I have let the fear of rejection and criticism hold me back for far too long...so here it goes.  Here is my humble offering of what the Lord is doing in the lives of our family and our students.  Enjoy the window into our world!