Campaigners Christmas Tea

For the last few years I have been doing a Christmas Tea for my Young Life Campaigner girls. We have tea and scones and read the Christmas story and a story from A Christmas Longing. We sit around the table and talk and laugh and remember favorite Christmas memories. It is a fun time away from finals and a joy to be together. This year the girls brought a donation to give to Revive Africa - a ministry of Chris Shabay, one of my old YL club kids. I gave each of them one of my favorite books, Face to Face. It is a wonderful book of prayers that guides you to pray scripture back to God. It has been a huge blessing in my time with the Lord. I love these girls and thank God that I get to be a part of their lives.

The Christmas Squirrel

Caught in the act

Decorating?

Thief

As I was sitting at the computer this morning, I heard the sound of little feet by the window. I went outside and this was what I saw. I am just hoping that he is not going to use my flowers to decorate a nest in my attic!! If he thinks he is going to get something to eat he will be very surprised!

A Christmas Longing

A Christmas Longing
By Joni Eareckson Tada

This has to be my favorite book to read at Christmas. I have had it for many years and I think that I have given it as a gift to quite a few friends. I started reading it again today and remembered how much I love it. I want to quote from the story called" Create Your Christmas Spirit".

Joni begins by asking us to start the season by creating the Christmas Spirit by "adoring, worshiping, thinking, and meditating on all that the birth of the Lord Jesus means to you."
"Maybe that's why God puts those wistful longings in our hearts this time of year. He wants us to find the answer to those longings in the celebration of Jesus. He wants us to define that nostalgia as nothing more than a deep human desire to come home and adore His Son."

Do you have those longings, too? Longings for the perfect Christmas, for peace, for something that you just can't put a finger on. I do- and I try to fulfill it with so many other things. Christmas seems to make it harder because we are so busy deorating, buying and wrapping gifts, getting out our Christmas cards, going to parties, cooking and baking... The list goes on and on. When do we have the time to be "adoring, worshiping, thinking and meditating on all that the birth of our Lord Jesus means" to us?

Here is another quote that I read this morning -

"Modern civilization is so complex as to make the devotional life all but impossible. It wears us out by multiplying distractions and beats us down by destroying our solitude, where otherwise we might drink and renew our strength before going out to face the world again." - A.W. Tozer

I pray that this Christmas season that we will take time to adore our Savior and to let Him be the answer to our Christmas longings.

The Texas Tour

Center of Attention

Time to eat

The Muellers and La Bistro

The Atkins

Heather

Hudsons and Gentrys

The Bracks and Gentrys

Amarillo Friends

The Austins

Old Friends

Yummy

There were so many pictures and I couldn't put them all up. There were some of our friends that I did not get a picture of and I am sorry not to have gotten one. A lot of them are on my Facebook page though.

How do I describe this trip? Maybe the word joyous would sum it up. Seeing so many old friends, Mark getting to say good by to people we love and that love us, seeing the body of Christ work together... I was reminded once again of His great love and the huge blessing that He has poured out on us by giving us such amazing and loving friends. All that will remain in the end is His word and people- and we know some great ones.

I am just to thankful to each one that showed up to spend a little time with us. We got to visit all the places that God has led us over the last 35+ years, from high school buddies in Wichita Falls and Henrietta, to Amarillo, the Mid Cities and Tyler. There was great joy, laughter and a few tears as we talked of our shared history and the future. What a blessing to see old and dear YL club kids (who by the way are not kids anymore!), family, high school and work friends, neighbors and brothers and sisters from former churches and Young Life. It was truly a gift to be able to make the trip and will bring a smile to my face every time I remember this Thanksgiving.

Oh, and that last picture- probably the best dessert ever!

Snow Day

Burke on the sled

Lot's of Snow

We had more snow this weekend and Burke and I got out and enjoyed the storm. I got my workout pulling him in the sled around the back yard. I think he would have liked to go faster!

Crazy Monkey

This has been a pretty tough week around our house but we saw some smiles as Burke dressed up in his monkey costume for Halloween. He was sooo cute going to friend's houses saying Trick or Treat and "tank too" (Thank you). He did love the candy but did not want it in the bag but in his hand so that he could see it and eat it!! I'm with him. Adam and Kirstin have been coming down every weekend to be with us and it has been such a joy to spend time with them and Burke keeps us laughing.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

The Backyard

As you can see it is snowing like crazy here. The bottom picture is the rock wall in the back and the rocks are completely covered in snow. It started snowing Tuesday night and has continued non stop and is still going today (Thursday). I have used the snow blower twice and will probably have to do it again. I tried to take Toby out in the park to try out my new snowshoes and he got to our neighbors house next to the entrance to the park and wouldn't go any farther. I have to admit that it is pretty hard for him to walk in snow deeper than he is!

Well, I am still dressed in my snow duds and better go for a walk if I am ever going to go. Someone said that the wind chill is something below zero and it is not getting any warmer. Hope your day is as beautiful as ours. Looks just like Christmas!

Happy Birthday, Adam

SurpriseGreat Hostesess

Happy Birthday, Dad

I guess once I made Mark's video I just decided to keep going. I made this for Adam for his 30th birthday which is today. We had a surprise party for him last night at Carla and Mark's in Denver. He was very surprised and Kirstin had asked everyone to bring gift cards to fast food places so he can eat out at lunch during school. He loved it! We had lots of wonderful food -ribs, nachos, salad, corn casserole, cake... Mark and Carla did a great job of hosting and cooking and Jordan was there to see to all the crafty details.

It has been a joy to see Adam grow into the godly, caring man that he has become. We are blessed by his servant's heart and love for his family.

Mark's Birthday

I was going to put up a picture but decided to put the video that I made for Mark's birthday. I told someone that I needed to put a disclaimer on it saying the words don't always fit the pictures and that the first two verses need to be switched! I would have done it if I could. The song is Remember When by Alan Jackson and I had thought about making a video from it for our anniversary and didn't get it done. There were so many great pictures of friends and family that I wanted to include but there was not enough time. I am so thankful that I have had the time to do this and to write Mark a long letter for his birthday to tell him how blessed I am to be married to him and how he had made my life so wonderful. He is an amazing, strong, godly man and we are all much better for him being in our life.

Time with Burke

We have gotten to spend some wonderful time with Burke and Adam and Kirstin lately. Burke spent the night Wednesday night and we had a great time and laughed a lot. He is just so much fun.

He is very verbal and we don't always know what he is talking about but the one name that he always gets right is Papa-and Papa loves it. These times are so precious and bring such joy to our hearts.

Frontier Ranch 1969

The summer of 1969 has been called the summer of love. Forty years ago thousands of people flooded into a music festival now known as Woodstock. But for a 16 year old girl from Texas, August of 1969 was truly a summer of love. While others were celebrating at Woodstock, I was being drawn to Christ at Frontier Ranch.

Young Life started my sophomore year at Rider High School in Wichita Falls, Texas, through the efforts of Bob and Gloria Seabury and others who had a vision for bringing Young Life to our town.

When it came time to sign up for camp that first year, I knew that I wanted to be on that bus. The problem was that my parents could not afford to send me. When I found out that there were 10 scholarships available and that I could go to camp for $50, my parents agreed to let me go. I got the last scholarship left!

I often think about the people who made that trip possible and would love for them to know that because of their generosity a young girl came to Christ, went on work crew the next summer, summer staff the next summer and began as a Young Life leader her freshman year in college and now 40 years later still works in a Young Life club sharing the gospel with high school kids in club, campaigners and cabin time.

As I sit on the deck of the Kachina this August, remembering and reflecting, eternally grateful for their gift, I would love for them to know that my life has never been the same and that thousands of teenagers have heard the good news of God's amazing love because of their gift.
I have truly been blessed by all the lives God has let me be a part of and have had the incredible privilege of getting to be a part of God's work in the lives of high school kids. It has been a great 40 years!

Lake City

Lake San Cristobal

The Whole Gang

What a fisherman!

Ghost Dog

Mark teaches Leslie to fly fish

By the stream

Ooops, Burke fell in!

There are lots of pictures that I wanted to put up because this was such a bittersweet week in Lake City. There was lots of laughter, tears, memories, stories told and retold, good food, fellowship, lots of ice cream and reminders of what lies ahead.

This was the first vacation that we have gotten to be with Aaron, Leslie, Adam, Kirstin and Burke all together in Lake City. Add to that our old and dear friends, Steve and Paula, their daughter, Jenni, son-in-law, Steve and grand kids, Bennett and Ana. We enjoyed having them all together so much and it was so much more special knowing that this will most likely be the last time for all of us to be together.

Mark, of course, can fish under any condition, circumstance or health issue. He has no balance, walks with a cane, can no longer wade in the stream and can not stand very long, but he can out fish everyone every time!! He caught a 19 inch brown trout on the side of the road without a net and managed somehow to get him on land and not lose him in the process. Amazing! I on the other hand couldn't seem to catch anything big enough to keep.

Burke, had an unexpected dip in the stream. He was walking on some rocks in a flat area by the water and lost his balance and fell in - into the mud, water and moss. Not so fun in the very cold water!

Aaron had a rough start to the week - spending several hours in the local medical clinic being treated for pneumonia. He finally got some new medications and was feeling better after a few days time.

I put the picture of the Ghost Dog up there because for the last several years every time I go for a walk up to the cemetery behind Rocky Top Lodge this dog will come out of the woods and walk with me and when we are done she will go back. I have loved her company and everyone always said that she wasn't real because they never saw her. But this year everybody saw her. What a great dog - I have asked over the years all along the road who she belongs to and no one has claimed her! I just think that she has been God's special gift to me and I treasure the walks together.

I walk to the cemetery because I have always loved the quiet beauty of the place. It is a primitive, natural spot up on a hill side under huge trees. This is the place that we have chosen to be buried and so this time we met with the county treasurer one morning to pick out our places. We picked out a beautiful spot under two big trees. Because we have spent so much time in Lake City over the years and have such wonderful memories of our times there with family and friends, it was a natural choice for us. I wrote on Caring Bridge that even though I know that we won't really be there, that we wanted a place to mark that we had lived. I love to read the headstones in the cemetery there and see a small part of the history of this place that we love.

We were talking about how many of us there, Mark had taught to fish. Almost everyone! And now Leslie has had a turn at learning from a great man and fisherman. We don't know if she will continue to fish or not but at least she has had a chance to be a part of a long line of students.

Lake City has been the tradition of our family for over 30 years. We have been there with our parents, aunts and uncles, cousins, siblings, kids, now grand son, and friends. We have made great friends there - the Merediths who owned the Texan Resort where we stayed for many years before they sold it; the Hartmans who own the Soda Fountain where we have eaten way too much ice cream; the Inges who own Rocky Top Lodge where we have stayed for the last five or so years; Dan and Marion who own Dan's Fly Shop where we spend a lot of our money on flies and lots of gadgets for me!; Chris and Ken Carter who raise Cairn Terriers and many others. They have all become very dear to us and we feel like we are home while we are there. I know that many of them are praying for us and we are so grateful.

So, all in all it was a great week - hard but good. I know that it will be a week that we will all look back on with great joy and with memories of God's great goodness, kindness and amazing love.

A Day at the Zoo

I went up to Denver yesterday and got to go to the zoo with Adam, Kirstin, Burke and Carla. It was a beautiful day and so fun to watch Burke watching the animals. He doesn't necessarily want to stay very long at one place ( he signs please to mean he is ready to go see more!) but loves the elephants and the monkeys. He can make a sound for the monkey and raise his arm like the trunk of the elephant.

Lots of help

New mulch in our yard!

Many friends came over yesterday evening and in a short time had the mulch down and the edging replaced and some vacuuming done and weeds wacked! We got to sit out on the deck and have some pizza and fellowship after all the hard work.

As you can see by the picture, the yard looks so much better and we are loving it. It is kind of a shock to look out and see red now!! God is so good to give us such wonderful friends who desire to serve Him and us. I love it that God shows His love and care for us in so many ways and through so many people.

All things work together

I have not posted anything lately because I have found that I do not concentrate well with all this back stuff going on. It has really given me a new perspective on chronic pain and on how well Mark has dealt with all his continual struggles with his health. We so take for granted that we can walk, sit, move, etc. without pain. It is amazing how much it changes your life. It is hard to ask for help, feel weak and be dependent on others. I really hate it and I know that Mark does, also, and he has had to live with it much more than I have. I truly admire him and marvel at his grace and will to live. I know that God is using this for my good and that I need to learn something from it and pray that I will glorify Him in this and all situations.

A Great Week

Cabin Uniforms

It was a wonderful week at Malibu with these girls. They were so much fun to be with and share this experience with that I could not ask for more. I did struggle with my back the whole week but with the prayers of everyone and God's grace I got to do most things at camp with only little to moderate pain. I am so grateful for the gift of this time at Malibu.

This is such a special group of girls. They are very thoughtful, kind and fun to be with. I don't know that I have ever had a cabin like them. What a blessing and a joy to be around them and watch them interact with others. It was truly a gift to get to spend the week with them.

Even though camp is wild and crazy, it was still peaceful and relaxing and just so beautiful. The group of people that were there for the month as the assigned team were so amazing. I have never felt so loved and encouraged and prayed for by a group of people at camp before. They went out of their way to serve and show me God's incredible love. God knew exactly what I needed and even though camp is not for me, He blessed me in so many ways while I was there.

Malibu Club - British Columbia

Malibu Club

Well, tomorrow is the day that we take off for Malibu and today is the day that I am trying figure out - if all my stuff will fit in my suitcase and still be under 50 lbs., if I am going to be able to make it all week with my newly found disc problems in my back and if I can groom Toby before I go!!!

It is with some trepidation that I think about this next week. I have been in a lot of pain the last two days and have truly wondered if I could really do this. Today has been somewhat better and I am encouraged at the moment. I know that I won't be able to do a lot at camp but I am hoping that I can just be with the girls and have some great talks and times together. I have never gone into camp injured - only come back that way!

It certainly is a blow to my ego and pride that I won't be able to do what everyone else can. And for those of you who know me very well, you know that I am just a tad competitive! I know that God is going to use this for my good and for His glory. I may not like it but it is His best for me. Let us hope that I will bring glory to Him this week and that others will be drawn to Him through my weakness.

Happy Anniversary, Aaron and Leslie

Aaron and Leslie

I can't believe that it has been 10 years since Aaron and Leslie were married. We had just moved into our house in Colorado Springs, Aaron had graduated from Belhaven and we were planning a wedding long distance with no phone service!!! Was that ever crazy.

We continue to be blessed by two of our favorite people and thank God that we get to be a part of their lives.

Not so good news

Mark has just been to the doctor and gotten the results of his PET scan and it doesn't look great. The tumors are showing up more and there are more of them there. It kind of makes me have this pit in my stomach when I think about it. I think that I was in the denial stage for a while thinking that he was looking so much better and beginning to feel better that it was all going to go away...
I think that you have to live somewhat in another place, not really denial, but just as much as normal as you can. If you just sat around and thought about the reality of it all, all the time, it would be really depressing. It just seems so unreal and I can't really put my brain around it all.

I wish that I was not leaving the day after his chemo next week. I don't see any way not to go to camp - one leader has already dropped out and there are 20 girls going, half of them the girls that I work with. I just am praying that Mark will not feel bad and that if he really needs something there will be people who can help that week. That makes me really crazy, too.

I am so glad that Burke is here today and tonight. He has made us laugh and laugh. What a gift from the Lord and a great distraction from all the other.

Happy 35th Anniversary

In Santa Fe this weekend

Boy, do we look young!

May 25, 1974
All the family

It's the big 35 for us today. We got to spend the weekend in Santa Fe with our dear friends, Mike and Cynthia Mahon. We had a great time eating lots of Mexican food and catching up with the Mahons. It rained most of the weekend but it was still great fun and I am sure Mark is thrilled that it cut down on the shopping!!

I can hardly believe that it has been 35 years. The time has gone by so fast and we have experienced so much together. Mark continues to be my hero - he has remained strong in the Lord through all he has gone through and has always remained steady and dependable. He has been a wonderful father and now grandfather and has blessed my life and helped me become what the Lord wants me to be. (There is still a lot of work to go for me!) Happy Anniversary, Mark. I love you.

Mother's Day

Nana apron and lunch at P.F. Chang's




I am way behind in my posts to this blog! It has been really crazy the last few weeks and I am just now getting a few minutes to sit down and think!

This was on Mother's Day at P.F. Chang's. We got to spend it with Adam and Kirstin and Burke having lunch. Kirstin and Adam had given me some really tasty coffee gifts and Kirstin surprised me with this beautiful "Nana" apron. I just love it! Aaron and Leslie sent me a really funny card that had me laughing out loud. I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful family.