Kirstin was substituting yesterday and so it was my turn to keep Burke. What a fun day we had! Adam was studying and so Burke and I went to Costco, Whole Foods and World Market. He is such a good baby and keeps me in stitches. His scrunchy new smile, his waves with one or both hands, and his happy personality all make keeping him such a joy. I am so thankful for our little bumble bee.

Young Life kids and leaders raising money for camp by picking up trash for donations



There have been many times over the last 38 years that I have wondered why God has continued to keep me in Young Life. This usually happens in the Spring when club gets smaller, campaigners gets hard to schedule and kids just kind of drift away. I usually hear the lies of Satan telling me "Your too old" or "Kids don't want to hang out with you" or other such easily believed but untrue words to discourage and drag me down. I don't think that I am indispensable or that God can't have something else in store for me but I know that the Evil One loves to whisper lies that seem like they could be true, knowing my weaknesses.

What I discovered a few days ago in a conversation was that this spring I have not heard or maybe have not listened to these words of the Father of Lies. What I also discovered was that God has continually and graciously encouraged me this year and I hadn't even thought about it at all!

What brought it to mind, now, was the fact that last week after I had given a YL club talk on the cross, one of the high school guys in our club came up afterward to say thanks and that he got it. We sat down for a while a got to talk about his life and where he is with God. Here was this 55 year old grandmother and this teenage high school guy(who some might describe as a skater) having a conversation about life and the Savior. I just thought- what an amazing God we serve Who surprises us with little gifts of encouragement when we least expect it. I love that about Him!


I am truly blessed to be able to be a part of the lives of high school guys and girls and watch God work in them. He has blessed me with a sweet, sweet group of freshman girls this year that I love and enjoy more than I can say. I can't wait to see how the Lord is going to mature them in the next 3 years of high school.


So, never think that God can't use you and use you in ways that you might not expect. He has a wonderful sense of humor and an unending capacity of love and grace.

Texas and Mississippi trip

Leslie, Aaron and Mom

I took a quick trip to see my Mom and then we drove to Mississippi to see Aaron and Leslie. We had a great time and got to see lots of people there in just a short time. Mom is doing so well and we loved being in Aaron and Leslie's new home.

Images of Easter

Happy Easter!

Place settings for Easter

Nana, Papa, and Burke

Kirstin, Adam and Burke

Carla, Mark and Burke

It may not look like Easter with all the snow (and there was a lot!) but it definitely was. The music at the Easter service was glorious - two of my favorites, In Christ Alone and the Hallelujah Chorus (that I got to sing along with the choir). They both can make me cry. Think what heaven's music will be like! It was a joy to be able to share Burke's first Easter with the kids and Kirstin's parents. I even tried my hand at decorating the table and was pleased with the results.

One last time

Kathy, Me and Mary on our last trip to Breck for the season

It is hard to believe that the season is over. What a fun time with friends. Just thankful that I made it through another one without killing myself or someone else!!

The Great Exchange

I have been working on my YL club talk on the cross for a couple of weeks and also on a Campaigner lesson for the freshman girls. It has focused my thoughts on Good Friday and what actually took place in those hours Christ spent on the cross. Joni Eareckson Tada describes it as the Rescue- it is also described as The Great Exchange.


Did you ever stop to think that the Roman soldier who is nailing Christ to the cross is only kept alive by the power of Jesus Himself? He "who holds all things together" is the one who allows this man to live and to put nails in His hands.


What did Christ's Rescue cost Him? I would like to quote from her book because she says it so much better as she describes Christ on the cross -

"He begins to feel a foreign sensation. Somewhere during this day an unearthly foul odor began to waft, not around his nose, but his heart. He feels dirty. Human wickedness starts to crawl upon his spotless being- the living excrement from our souls. The apple of his Father's eye turns brown with rot. His Father! He must face his Father like this!... Never has the Son seen His Father look at him so... The Father watches as his heart's treasure, the mirror image of himself, sinks drowning into raw, liquid sin.

Father! Father! Why have you forsaken me?

But heaven stops its ears. The Son stares up at the One who cannot, who will not, reach down or reply. Two eternal hearts tear - their intimate friendship shaken to the depths. The Father rejected the Son whom he loved. Jesus, the God-man from Nazareth, perished. The Father accepted his sacrifice for sin and was satisfied. The Rescue was accomplished. God set down his saw. This is who asks us to trust him when he calls on us to suffer."


Whose sin caused this? Mine - my gossip, my greed, my critical spirit, my love for other things more than the Father, my impatience, my anger and bitterness - the list is endless. I will never truly understand what it cost Him to take my place - My sin for His righteousness - The Great Exchange.


"We will never stand in awe of being loved by God until we reckon with the seriousness of our sin and the justice of His wrath against us." John Piper



Image from www.freefoto.com