Chips and Dip Night

 

After services Sunday Night we had a chip and dip fellowship

 and we had so much fun!  We are always looking for new ideas for fellowships and when someone suggested having a chips and dip

 night we thought it was a great idea.  

 

Our church is blessed with so any good cooks and everyone loved

 trying all the sweet and savory dips that were brought.

 

 

 

I even caught one of our teens licking all the dip

off his plate  as it was so good!

 

For services Sunday Night we had seventy people and trying

 to fit seventy people in the little room we are currently using as the fellowship hall was a huge stretch!  We have stopped putting tables up and just try to fit enough chairs n the room for as many as we can fit.

 

 

People ended up finding a seat wherever they could. 

I love our older ladies who found a table in preschool Sunday School room.   

They happily sat and laughed and joked with the kids and teens as they ate.

 

 

We had so many bags of chips and so much dip I thought

 there was going to be a lot left but by the end of the night bowl were being scraped clean and only a couple of bags of chips remained.  Everyone loved the fellowship and I had several people ask me if we could turn it into a chip and dip cook-off for next year.  Definitely an good idea! 

 

Sunday Night we also had the Vong family, missionaries to Cambodia,

 with us.  Their video was very so touching and his preaching was so good.  My husband had several people approach him and tell him how they had been convicted through this man and his families burden.

 

 

His children blessed us by singing "I am Blessed" and not only are his children adorable but they have amazing voices!

 

It was another wonderful Sunday in God's house and I was truly blessed to once again be in God's house to be fed spiritually and physically.

 



Monthly Ladies Paper

When I was in Maine a few years ago, I visited this wonderful little church and was greeted by the pastor's wife who, although she was older,

she was still full of energy and loved serving the Lord.  The Sunday we visited was the first of the month and she gave all the ladies a Ladies Paper.  The paper had some encouragement from the Pastor's wife, a recipe and a few other tidbits to encourage the ladies in her church.  I loved the idea and decided it would be something I would like to do for my ladies.

 

 

I make the Ladies Paper using two to three sheets of paper (depending on how much I have to say!),that has two columns on the front and back and then fold them to make up a six to eight page paper.  I usually hand this out to the ladies on the Sunday of the week that has our ladies meeting.  On the front page I give info about our monthly meeting, what to bring and if we are having a special guest or special activity.   I also encourage the ladies to pray for each other and our ladies group and let them know I am available to them when ever they need a cup of coffee and someone to talk to.

  

 

On the first page on the inside I write a special "From My Heart to Yours".  Here I share what the Lord has been teaching me and showing me in my life.  Sometimes it may be a verse or sometimes it may be a story of what happened last week that taught me something.

 

On the other pages on the inside I might share a short devotion, a few quotes that really touched me, a funny cartoon, ways to save money, a review of a book I think they should read,or advice on raising kids or marriage or numerous other things that God lays on my heart.

 

 

 

I finish the Ladies paper by putting as recipe on the back that fits the season or month.  The ladies seem to like this paper and when I have an especially busy month and don't put a paper out, I always get comments from a few ladies asking where that month's paper was.

 

(I apologize for the pictures in this post.  For some reason they are clear on my camera but you can't read the writing clearly on them when I post them.)

 

 

Praying for Our Church People

Last year I was challenged by a sermon to be more like Daniel

and truly devote at least an hour in the morning, at noon and at night to prayer. I'm not talking praying as you wash the dishes or are driving doing errands but totally stopping what you are doing, locking yourself away in your prayer closet or other quiet place and praying with no distractions.  I have come to love my noon prayer time as it is so calming and peaceful to shut the world out during the busiest part of my day and helps

me keep my focus where it needs to be, totally on God!

I have found that my afternoon prayer time is a wonderful time to go and sit in the church and pray for the church and our people.  Some days I will go into the sanctuary and sit in each pew and pray for each person that sits in that spot.  (If your people are like ours, they have their seat and sit in it every service and it throws them for a total loop if anyone else sits there!) 

 I move around the sanctuary and pray for each individual and their physical and spiritual needs and then move to the next spot and pray for the next person.  I also stand behind the pulpit and pray for my husband that as he preaches, that God would fill him with His spirit and fill him with His words and that the service would glorify God as it convicts, challenges, and encourages people.  Other days I go into the Sunday School classrooms and pray for the children that come to class each week and their teacher.  I also go into the nursery and pray for all the babies and toddlers as they are just starting to grow physically and also spiritually as they learn about God and His great love.  There are also days I walk around the church property and pray for the building, pray for people to see our sign and pray for people to come and visit and hear the gospel and get saved. 

The more time I spend praying, the more precious my prayer time becomes to me.  Not only does my prayer time become more precious but the more time I spend praying for our church people, the more I love them and want to help them as I see their needs and burdens more clearly.  And the more I pray for them the more I see their struggles and the things they are battling and am able to minister and help them more.  God has blessed us with such wonderful people in our church and I thank Him for allowing me the privilege of bringing them before His throne of grace!

A Few Things I Love About Idaho

After a quick few days Idaho, we got back home late last night. 

 Today we were off and running with foodbank arriving early this morning and several things that needed done at church.  Even though we were only in Idaho a few days and we had so much to get accomplished we still fitted in some shopping and visiting with our favorite people.

 

 

We stayed with my mom and she of course spoiled me! 

She cooked breakfast, lunch and dinner for us and I say my mom is the best cook ever!  We stayed up late talking and looking at old pictures and laughing about so many things!

 

 

We can never go to Idaho and not go to Artic Circle for a Swiss Mushroom burger and fries.  Of course they have the best fry sauce ever!

 

Keith met his cousins for the first time and absolutely loved them! 

At one point Damien came out in the living room and asked Saraina why Keith had Uncle Chep's face.  Sariana was a little confused until she realized he was saying Keith looked like just his Pappa.

  So funny for a ten year old to notice!

 

Of course we could never go back and not see my Uncle Allen.  A driveway is the only thing that seperated our house from his so I was always at his house or working outside in the yard with him.  He truly is my second dad!

 

I was able to squeeze in a quick visit with my very best friend from school.  Even now, after all these years, she is the only one I confide in

and truly share my heart with! 

 

My husband spoiled me and let me buy as many Mallo-Nut bars as I wanted!  After you have tasted a Farr's candy bar you will never be happy with any other!  They are amazing! 

 

My baby brother stopped at my mom's house so he could meet his nefew.  He is such a nut and always makes me laugh!  Love Him!

 

My beautiful neice was one of the nurses at the nursing home Chep's mom was in.  She was trying to ignore me and not laugh as I followed

her around taking pictures of her "hard at work".

 

We were able to do a little shoppioing at a couple of our favorite stores.  Winco is our favorite grocery store with barrels and barrels of bulk stuff.  Such good stuff at such good prices and we bought a bunch

 of goodies for our drive home.

 

Before leaving we stopped and visited with my spiritual mom.  Margaret is a lady who you can not be around for any amount of time without being uplifted and edified.  She is a total ball of happiness and excitement as she shares the goodness of God.  She is the one I call when I do not know what to do or I need prayer about something and she fills me with verses and wise counsel from the Bible.   She is the Biblical woman I strive to be!

 

Taking one last look out the window at the beautiful Idaho mountains I was sad to leave behind such wonderful people but as always, am excited to get back home to the ministry and people God has given us in Wyoming!



A Quick Trip Home

Because my mother-in-law's health has rapidly declined in the last couple of weeks my husband decided last night that we needed to make a quick trip home to see her and help make decisions for her future care. 

I love driving the long drive in the middle of the night!  My husband usually drives the first five hours and after I have napped while he has drove, I drive the last three hours as he sleeps.  I love driving through the mountains and valleys with only the stars and moon for light.  I use this quiet time to sing and pray and there are always tears as God and I do business.  I had such a sweet time of fellowship with God and was actually a little sad when we pulled into town a little after three in the morning and my time with God had to end. My mom had beds made up and ready for us and we crashed for a few hours of sleep before heading to see my husbands mom. 

Before today, Patty had never met her grandson.  As her health has declined, she has asked over and over and especially in the last few days, for us to bring Keith to meet her.  Saraina is the sweetest daughter-in-law and packed on a minutes notice to go with us.  Patty was so happy to finally meet her grand baby and it light up her face with joy.  

Of course Little Man got very bored of sitting and talking to his grandma and stole her walker and stared pushing it down the hallway.  It brought a smile to his grandma's face and kept him quiet and entertained for little while.  

Tomorrow is going to a long and emotional day as many decisions need to be made before we head back to Wyoming later this week. 

A New Stage of Ministry



Church today was a rough in many ways. 

 

 

Little Man got to church this morning and the first thing he did was go to Pappa's office.  He pushed on the door, banged on the door and even yelled at the door but no one opened it for him. 

 He was heartbroken not to be able to see his Pappa!

 

 

His Pappa was filling in on the bus today.  Our bus captain called this morning to let my husband know he was stuck in a blizzard and would not be able to make it in time for church.  Since my husband is the only other one who can drive the bus, he ran to get the bus and run the bus route. 





  We also had two Sunday School teachers call in at the last minute this morning to let us know they were sick and unable to make it.  Thankfully we have some very talented and marvelous people who were willing and able to teach those classes this morning.

 

 

In between Sunday School and main service, as all the kids were using the restroom before Jr. Church, one of the toilets plugged.  As the kids lined up impatiently in the hallway waiting for the other restroom, one of our wonderful teens offered to fix the toilet. Thank You Ryan!

 

 

This morning I taught Jr. Church for the last time.  For the last year God has impressed on my heart that I needed to step down from Jr. Church and be more of a helpmeet to my husband during morning services by meeting and greeting people as they come in and also be there to help with salvation's during the invitation.   We have had no one that could (or wanted) to teach Jr. Church in my place until Jeff and Becky moved here last week.  They are so excited to be teaching this age group and I know they will do great.  It actually was very emotional for me as I have been teaching Jr. Church for the last twenty years!  I have loved the kids I have taught over these many years and have always thought it was a great privilege and and awesome responsibility to share the gospel with these kids each week.  I am so sad to have this season of my ministry over but I am also looking forward to this new stage of ministry and seeing how God will use it in my life. 

 

A Little of Everything

It was a very busy week and although I did not have a lot of time to post,
I thought I'd share a few pictures of our week.

 

 

Our week started off with a wonderful day at church. 

We had visitors in adult services and several visitors from the bus too! 

In the older Jr. Church we had a lesson on salvation and two kids got saved! 

 

On Monday our new Music director and his wife moved
here from Oklahoma.  We had lots of men show up to help them unload and get moved into their house.  Our guys always have such a good time together no matter what they're doing and everyone was laughing and joking of course eating pizza.  (We can't do anything without eating!) 
We have know Becky for many, many years and just love her and her husband Jeff and we are so excited they are here. 

 



  As soon as Keith gets into the church he takes off his coat and shoes and runs up and down the hallways looking for people to talk to or something to do.  When people started arriving at church on Wednesday, he was sitting in the hallway playing with the muffins from the little kitchen in the nursery. 

 

Our nursery was full Wednesday night!  So glad to see so many little ones!

 

 

Friday Night the teens were scattered all over the sanctuary

as they studied for the upcoming Bible quizzing next week.  Mr. Mason turned Hebrews 13 into a game and the teens had so much fun!

 

Today the men got together to continue working on the new building. 

They talked and measured and talked some more as they

figured out how big to make the sound box.

 

 

Measuring and putting up the lines for the ceiling.

 

 

Putting up the sound booth walls.

 

It is so exciting to see everything they do! 

We are anxiously awaiting a truck from back east that has more building materials on it.  Prayerfully we will be able to finish everything soon and then we will begin turning the old sanctuary into much needed

Sunday School classrooms and a fellowship hall.

 

It has been a very busy week but I am so looking forward

 to being in God's house tomorrow to rest and worship Him as we start

another week of service for Him!

 

 



Just One More Tract

 

One of my goals this year is to hand out one tract a day.  Over the past twenty years I have gone out door knocking weekly and handed out thousands of tracts, witnessed to random people I meet and given them all a tract but for some reason I am having the worst time walking up to people and just handing them a tract!  Every day I go to the store and as I come out, I walk to my car and scan the parking lot and ask God to show me who He wants me to hand the tract too.  I really haven't felt God directly show me anyone so I walk up to the closest person I see and ask them if they'll accept this tract from me and explain I have promised God I would hand one out every day this year.  A few people have looked a little weary of taking it but when I tell them I promised something to God they all take it. 

 

Monday night around eleven o'clock, I was finishing my nightly

 Bible study and getting ready to head to bed when I realized that I had not given out a tract that day!  With the wind chill it was almost -30 degrees out and freezing cold!  I seriously sat there thinking,

 would it hurt if just today, just this once I skipped handing out a tract.  I was instantly convicted I had to go hand out a tract because if I skipped one day it would be so easy to skip another.  I went and told my wonderfully sweet husband who drove me to the nearest store so we could find someone in the parking lot so I could hand my tract out. 

Do you know who is walking out in the parking lot in -30 degree weather?  No one!  In the shopping complex there was a Silver Mine Sub shop so I asked my husband to stop and I ran and handed the tract to the cashier there.  He was seriously looking at me like I was crazy but he took the tract! 

 

So after today and handing a tract to a cable guy who was at my friends house, I have 356 days left to hand out just one more tract!



My 2014 Goal List

A couple of years ago I got the idea to make a goal list from Money Saving Mom.  I am a list person and love having a list of goals to reach for daily, weekly or monthly.  At the end of every year I really try to look at myself and see what areas I need to grow spiritually in or what things I need to get done but I am just not getting to.  After several weeks or months, the goals become habit for me and I see a change in my life in these areas.

 

 

Although my daily list looks long and most days we are usually very busy with the ministry, my list fits me and I am able to accomplish everything on it, IF I get up by a decent time in the morning. 

Since we don't get to bed until almost midnight most nights, 6:30 is my goal time every morning and I usually do well with that. 

 

Some of the things on list are basic and just there to keep

me accountable to myself such as my Bible and Prayer time but others are things I really need to work on like calling or texting my family daily. 

My family is spread all over the US and my mom is always telling me how hurt everyone is because I am too busy to talk to them. 

Too often this is true,(Sadly weeks and weeks go by sometimes without me talking to them!) so it is my goal to make my family more

of a priority by calling or texting someone everyday. 

 

In church I am very youth and kid oriented and teach Jr. Church and Wednesday Night Bible Adventures and it seems I am always busy with kids.  I have had several older ladies tell me they wish I more time for them so that also is my goal this year, to call or text one of our church ladies every day to give encouragement or just a listening ear.

 

I also have told God I would hand out one tract a day,

every day for the whole year.  I am generally a shy person so it has been difficult for me to walk up to someone I don't know in the store parking lot and hand them a tract.  I am praying that as I do this everyday it will be easier and it will turn into a joy instead of such a burden to just get it done and over!  I also have a goal of blogging at least 3 to 5 times a week, definitely a goal I will need to work on!

 

I am really excited to work on my goals everyday and seeing how these goals change me and help me be a better vessel for God's use!

 

Have you set any goals this year to help you grow as a wife, mother, or Christian?  I would love hear what they are! 

 

Ringing in the New Year

To me there is no better way to ring in the New Year than with our church family!  Every New Years Eve we gather at the church to watch a slideshow of pictures from the past year which is one of the highlights of the night.  (Sadly I can't get it to upload here!)  Of course we have tables and tables of food and we ate and fellowshipped with one another before getting into the rest of the night.

 

Chandler and Nel had us rolling (literally dying!) on the floor with laughter as they did their skit on "side effects".

 

 

We had several of our men, both young and old preach wonderful messages. 

 

Many people got up and sang beautiful songs of worship!

We then played a few games, watched a Christian comedy video and at 11:30 PM we started praying and prayed in the New Year.  Seriously one of my favorite activities of the year!

 

For New Year's Day we had several people off work

and they came to work on the building. 

 

 

They got a lot done and it is so exciting so much progress!

It has been a wonderful start to the New Year and we are looking forward to see what God does with Fellowship Baptist Church in 2014!