Celebration!!!

Last night was our Celebration Banquet at church. It's become an annual event that everyone looks forward to. We weren't able to have an actual dinner banquet because of the space needed to seat 500+ people, but instead we had a fantastic "dessert buffet." People were able to filter in and out during the evening, have their dessert, and listen to a fabulous concert. The Lesters, from St. Louis, MO, presented the entertainment for the evening. It was an all-around incredible night.

The truly incredible part though, had nothing to do with the dessert or the music. Last night also wrapped up the Imagine campaign at Meadow Heights. The total commitments and total cash from the first fruits offering were announced. Our little church has committed to give over $455,000 in the next year to cover expenses in opening our new AV site. Not only that, but our congregation gave over $106,000 in cash this weekend as our first offering to the project. I'm tearing up even as I type this! How amazing! God can do anything you know--far more than we can ever dream!!! This is big! I can't wait to see who God brings into His family because His people listened to His voice and honored Him with their finances! YEA, GOD!!!

Catch up...

It's been over a week since I last posted, but this time of year is so stinkin' busy it's hard to find time to sit down at the computer. Emma has been sick this week. I guess she's got that foot and mouth virus. Her little mouth is just full of fever blisters. She's been running a low-grade temp all week long and she hasn't really been able to eat much of anything. She's been playing pretty well in between tylenol doses, but she really hasn't eaten anything except chocolate pudding and a little mac and cheese all week long She looks kind of pathetic! If she was going to be sick, though, I'm so glad it happened this week instead of next week over Thanksgiving break!

Last night, Jason and I took went with my mom and dad to see the band Daughtry at the Show-Me Center in Cape. It was an AWESOME concert! My dad really likes Daughtry, so we took him as part of his Christmas present. It's a little early, but still... We had a really good time and it was a nice night with good, clean rock music. What a blast!

I'm looking so forward to this weekend for our Celebration services and banquet at church. (Well, it's not really a banquet this year because of space, but we are having a dessert banquet!) At the banquet we'll find out how much money God has provided for our new AV site and, visit with family and friends, enjoy of cool concert, and eats LOTS of dessert! It's going to be stinkin' awesome!

All good things must end

Last night ended the 2007 Blackcat Football season. The boys lost the Sectional play-off game at New Madrid, 20-30. They really played a good game, it just came down to the fact that the New Madrid team is a REALLY good team, and they seemed to have just out-played us. The Fredericktown boys put up a good fight though and held until the end. It's so hard to see those big Senior boys after the game with huge crocodile tears streaming down their face. It's emotional. That's it, no more football, no more goofing, it's time to grow up. I miss those days when I was in marching band and all really had to worry about was getting to practice on time and what to wear to school. However, looking at the blessings on my life now, there's no way in the world I'd go back! Congratulations to the cats and to a wonderful season! You boys really have proved yourselves as fighters! I'm proud of all of you!

Guilty...

If you read my last post, I indicated that last night wasn't a good evening and that by bedtime Emma was wearing on my last nerve. I have to confess I was having a selfish, not-so-good-Mommy evening and I was so ready for that child to go to bed it wasn't even funny. Don't get me wrong, I love Emma with all my heart and I would give my life for her, as most mothers would. Still, sometimes my nerves get a little frazzled. Anyway, as I was proofreading a Comp II paper for Regina Mills this morning, I read a quote she included at the end of her paper. Here it is:

“…a word about family. You have amply demonstrated that you are achievers willing to work hard, long hours and set aside your personal lives. But it reminds me of that observation that no one was every heard to say on a deathbed, I wish I had spent more time at the office. Balance wisely your professional life and your family life. If you are fortunate enough to have children, your parents will warn you that your children will grow up and be gone before you know it. I can testify that it is true. God only allows us so many opportunities with our children to read a story, go fishing, play catch and say our prayers together. Try not to miss a one of them.”
Vince Foster, Deputy Council to President Clinton

Wow. I had to ask God to forgive me for not giving Emma the time she needed last night. For not taking a few moments to read to her before she went to sleep, and for not laying by her a minute when she asked me to. I think I'll go home tonight and read her a couple books before bed and smile when she asks me to put diapers on every baby doll and stuffed animal in the house, for the millionth time. I think I'll lay in her bed and tell her how much I love her over and over until she gets tired of me and tells me to go away (which she does most nights with a giggle). I owe her a few.

When it rains, it pours!

Sitting in church this weekend, my dad challenged us to be on our guard because Satan is going to be working over time this week to discourage us. There's too many good things going on at Meadow Heights and in our life for that not to be the case. Well...happy Tuesday! Satan has been doing exactly that in our household this morning, and he's been on the move with a vengeance. Jason and I had a big argument last night that was STUPID, and I spent half the evening annoyed by Emma who has picked up the art of whining. (I think these are the pregnancy hormones talking...at least I hope so...) Anyway, then this morning, on the way to work my car started stinking and smoking like crazy. I pulled over at the neighbor's house so Jason could look under the hood and I'll be darned if there wasn't my cat dead on the highway. Talk about a crappy morning. I don't know what was worse--Emma crying because I was hysterical and trying to explain to her that our cat went to live with Jesus, having to bury the cat and being late to work and then explaining myself to colleagues, or chasing the dog away from Reney's sad little grave because he wanted to dig her up...

Jason says there's something up with the radiator, which could be a really bad thing. Hopefully the hose just slipped off and the antifreeze is just leaking. That shouldn't be too big a deal, but if the antifreeze leaked into the engine, we're in big trouble. And my poor cat...she looked so pitiful laying there in the road. It must've happened sometime this morning because Jason said she wasn't cold yet... Reney was a good old girl. A great mouser and snake cat. I have a lot of fond memories of her peeing in laundry baskets when she got mad at me, bringing snakes to my doorstep and dead rabbits into my house.... No really, I will miss her. She was a sweet cat--when she wasn't mad at me.

I guess Dad was right when he said we better be on our guard. I know Satan wants to keep us from getting a blessing by giving to the Imagine campaign, listening to what God is telling us, or robbing us of our time with Him. I don't want to jinx myself, but I do want to let Satan know that it's going to take a lot more than a smokin' Explorer and a dead cat to keep us from giving God the glory and honoring Him in the Imagine campaign. I'm not asking for any more trouble, that's for sure, but I also know that God will protect us and He'll provide, as long as we're faithful. So faithful we'll be, and we'll lose a few pounds walking in the meantime...

Facing the giants...

Well, last night ended Fredericktown's perfect football record. The Varsity team played the Central Rebels at 7:00 last night and ended up losing the battle 31-33. I must say, I don't really know much about football, but it looked to me like the boys didn't fight as hard as they needed to. There were lots of mistakes and turn overs and most of the extra points were missed. Hopefully, however, the boys will look at it as a learning experience and realize what they're going to have to do to beat New Madrid next Wednesday night. Even though Fredericktown lost last night's game, they're still the District Champions and they're moving on to the State Play-offs. If they can pull off a win against a very good New Madrid team next week, they'll move on the the State Quarter Finals on Monday, November 12. That game will hopefully be played at home. I'll be praying that God will keep all the boys safe, give the coaches wisdom and let the underdog team be victorious in however far they play!!!

I have to also brag on Emma in my post today. On the way home from the babysitter yesterday, she said, "Mommy, listen!" I asked her what she wanted and she said, "We have to pray." We ended up praying for Uncle Jas and his football game on the drive home. I have to say, my heart was full in that moment. Emma is just beginning to understand that we ask God for things and that we love Him and He loves us. Well, as least as much as a two year old can understand. I love the fact that her babysitter, Cindy Ward, is a Christian and that she exposes Emma to things of the Bible on a daily basis. We take Emma to All-Stars at church and talk about God and pray to God at home, but it's really nice to have her coming home from the babysitter singing songs about Jesus and asking me to pray. My biggest prayer for her is that she'll one day learn to love Jesus because she can't imagine doing anything else, and I love the fact that she has that instilled in her life everyday at Cindy's house!

Happy Halloween!

Here's Emma in her Halloween costume. She LOVED trick-or-treating! She was so sweet in her little cowboy outfit. She said, "Trick-or-treat!" at every house and then said, "Thank you!" after she got any candy. That sure does a mom's heart proud!