An amazing trip...

Wow! As I reflect on our time away as a family I am incredibly overwhelmed and amazed at the blessing of this trip! It was awesome!

I didn't have the opportunity like I had hoped to blog due to limited internet access at the Village where we stayed, but I posted just a couple of the village pictures right now until I finish unpacking and am able to find the disc's and websites to share with you! We had the amazing opportunity to stay at a place called Give Kids the World and you can check it out here. It was absolutely, positively stinkin' awesome (as Bryan would say)! It was quite overwhelming! The pictures or the website really does no justice for the place or the amazing volunteers and hard work that goes on daily 24/7! Our villa was awesome, it was a two bedroom, two bath with a family room and kitchen! AWESOME!

Our trip was truly amazing and as I write, my eyes are filled with tears, tears of joy and thankfulness for this time that God allowed us together, a time to kick back, laugh, cry, enjoy each and every moment and truly reflect on the beautiful life and family God has blessed us with!

So that is enough for today, my plan is to recap each day of our trip in the next few days! Hopefully I will have found my disc's and things by then to share more photos.

My prayer today Father is of overwhelming thanks! Thank you Father for this amazing time with my family, a safe trip, and for awesome prayer warriors right here at home! Father, I pray a prayer of blessing on GKTW and on each and every family who passes through there as well. May their lives be blessed by Your loving presence daily and may they know that You love them and are there for them in each and every moment, through the laughter, tears and with each and every breath we breathe! I thank You for Your love, grace and forgiveness and for your Omnipotent presence in our lives! May you be glorified in and through our lives!

Disney MGM Studios & Epcot

This day was yet another great day filled with fun & adventure! I only posted a couple of pictures just to signify where we were that day! I added the "Tower of Terror" in tribute to Hannah! This was her absolute favorite ride! Crazy child! I myself didn't ride it, but she and Greg tackled it with great enthusiasm! And loved it! Ashtyn and I just chilled out and "people watched" when they went on the rides Ashtyn was unable to. It was great!

We started out at MGM and it was a great park! We spent several hours there and then headed over to Epcot which was great too! Our favorite ride there was called "Soarin"! This is a simulated ride that truly makes you feel like you are "soarin'" over California! It was amazing! After a long day there we headed back to the village and ordered pizza (which was available to us anytime) and let the girls chill & swim and headed to the most awesome place in the village...the Ice Cream Shop! Talk about sweet! You can get ice cream from 730am until 930pm! And let me tell you what we enjoyed one of the best banana splits around! And it wasn't just the girls & I either...Greg enjoyed one as well!

Once again my prayer is of thanksgiving! This trip is a trip that we will cherish forever Father and I am so thankful! I thank you for all the families represented here and I pray that if it is your will Father, You will heal these children in a way that only You can! Thank you for the blessing of life and family God, thank You for being the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords!

Magic Kingdom...

Wow! After arriving late Sunday evening we were up and running at 6:30am Florida time...did I mention that my body was still on Missouri time of 5:30 am (ouch!)! Anyway, what an awesome day it was.

We started our day off early with an amazing breakfast here at the village. And let me tell you what...they go all out for breakfast...not to mention they fix our plates AND carry them to our table for us! Now that is service!

As Greg headed to an orientation about the village the girls and I road an amazing carousel at the village and just got acquainted with everything on the grounds! And it is spectacular! They have done a phenomenal job here! Again, if your interested you can check out the village here. (Blogger is not allowing me to post pictures but I will edit them in later!)

Once Greg was finished we headed out to Magic Kingdom and MAN and was it magical! We were truly amazed at the place! Between Greg, Hannah and I, I think we road almost all the rides in the park...although we started Ashtyn off on the wrong foot with a couple water rides that were a bit intimidating for her size (DUH!) she was a very good, but cautious sport! Did I mention we had the awesome priviledge of no wait for the rides? AWESOME!! Ashtyn has this pin she wore and it allowed us to go right to the front of the line! SWEEEEET!

Hannah amazed us with her braveness! She couldn't get enough of the roller coasters! The faster the better! Thank goodness...because she had to ride them twice, once with Greg and then with me! It was great to hear her giggle and quite hilarious as she would brief me on the rides before, during and after each one! She could not get enough of it!

The most wonderful and memorable time of our visit to the Magic Kingdom was the awesome meet and greet session the girls had the opportunity to have with each of the characters, but mostly with the "Princesses". That was Ashtyn's main wish...to meet them. So once we arrived to the area, the hosts sweeped us right up and cleared the room allowing the girls time to visit with the princesses. It was amazing! The caring and compassionate hearts of these ladies blessed my heart so much! Ashtyn was in total awe of them, they played "Ring around the rosie" with the girls and instead of singing, "Ashes, ashes we all fall down", they sang, "Ashtyn, Ashtyn we all fall down". Whew...talk about tears streaming! Hannah enjoyed it too, but she's more into the "older" stuff like Hannah Montana, etc. so although she thought it was cool, she had her specks on much greater things while we were there!

As if that wasn't enough excitement for all of us, Greg surprised us with an amazing dinner at Cinderella's castle! It was wonderful! The girls became princesses not only to Greg & I, but to the waiters as well, I became "My lady" and Greg became "My lord". Quite magical and the food was delicious.

To end our evening we enjoyed the most amazing fireworks display I have ever seen! It was stinkin' awesome! They go above and beyond awesome! (I really wish the pictures would upload!)

This day was amazingly memorable and one I will cherish for the rest of my days here on earth!

My prayer is of utmost praise to the awesome God I love and serve...not just for this amazing day but for His every loving presence in our lives and for the love He blesses me with each and every moment of the day! May You be glorified in and through our lives Father, may our actions and words point directly to You!

One day and counting...

Woooo-Whoooo! One more day and we are on a jetplane headed for Disney! We are all excited and ready to go! After lots of prayers from some awesome people we are destined for some relaxation and totally living for the moment! I am half packed and headed to work tonight, but that isn't seeming to phase my joy a bit (THANK YOU LORD!)!

Today was a blessing, Ashtyn & I had the opportunity to join the "Young at Heart's" for lunch at church. We had some amazing food and best of all I was able to finally put some face's with names....names I had prayed for or have received prayer from, it was great! I truly look forward to the next one. These people are the foundation of our church and are so incredibly in sync with the church's vision and supportive of the future of our church! They blessed my heart tremendously!

I am looking forward to blogging from Disney and plan to place some of our pictures from each day. That is pretty risky to say since I'm not very tech savvy, but with a little help and the Lord willing, I'm sure it will be fine!

My prayer today is of thankfulness, not only for the peace you have given me, but for the beautiful people I had the opportunity to meet today. Guide us today and keep us in line with your will Father. May we never forget those who paved the road before us and cherish their mentorship that they are so eager to share. I love you Lord, and I lift my voice, to worship you, Oh my soul rejoice, take joy my King, in what you hear, may it be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear...

I'm SO excited!!

Wow! Two posts in one day...that is a record breaker for me. But I was so excited to try my new link trick that Mel taught me that I had to post again. So here it goes....cross your fingers...let's see if it works!!

I had two wonderful phone calls today, one from Penny & one from Mel (it worked!). These ladies uplift my heart so much. We can talk about anything! God truly has blessed me with them so much! Mel and I talked so much about our husbands and how we should truly cover them in prayer daily as we encourage them in their job and in their walk. We live life together daily, so it is important to keep one another strong and accountable. So I wanted to post my prayer for them, so if you are reading I ask that you pray for the staff at Meadow Heights , they are courageously heading up the vision God has for the church and are doing an amazing job. I also encourage you to check our Mel's blog and check out her blog's from yesterday and today and link to the blogs she talks about, they are pretty cool!

My prayer: I pray a hedge of strength and protection around the staff at Meadow Heights, around their hearts and around their friendships. Father I pray that You would bind them together through Your Word, strength and love. Bless them in a way that only You can Heavenly Father. May they be filled with Your peace and Your strength today and always as they seek your wisdom, knowledge and understanding in their pursuit to fulfill your vision for Meadow Heights church. I thank you for them God and I thank you in advance for all your going to do in and through their lives and hard work. May their vision always be clear and their focus forever on you, fill them with the endurance to run this race Lord in a way that only You can. Once again, your awesome Father and I love and thank you.

A new beginning...

Our LifeGroup just gave birth to two beautiful groups, which was quite emotional, we have lived life so much together, they have been with us through some pretty rough times and we love each of them SO much, but we had to let go...get out of our comfort zones...step into what God intends for our groups...walk across the room...so, last night was our first group since the new beginning (I'm not fond of the term "split" so I will avoid it, because it is a growth, a new beginning). I am so incredibly proud of my friend Nancy who totally stepped out of her comfort zone into the Zone of the Unknown to lead our new group! She took a step of faith, trusting totally in God to lead and guide through her! BEAUTIFUL! I love to watch the beautiful growth in people and am humbled by the opportunity to watch her blossom and glow with the love of God. It just truly touches my heart and continues to ingnite my fire for God and encourages me to live a more missional life! I am so excited to see how God is going to move in and through our new groups!

Today marks the 50th birthday of one of the greatest men I know, Bo Lindley! Bo, along with his beautiful family (Kay, Chase & Mary Katherine)have blessed our life so much! From the first time I met them (years ago) they have truly had an impact on my life! Although I've known them for years, I have to say the last year and a half of being in their LifeGroup has been the biggest impacting time. Bo's knowledge of the Bible inspires and challenges me to get in there and dig deep and truly understand what it was that Jesus faced in all the days He walked on this earth! That southern drawl keeps us smiling, yet comforts us in times when we need encouragement! Thanks Bo and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! We love you lots!

My prayer today: Father I come to you today thanking you for the gift of friendship, I thank you for uniting us in your love. I lift up each and every LifeGroup today Lord, praying that we would step up and live up to your calling for us, live missionaly and truly walk across the room, give each the strength to break out of those comfort zones and remind us, it's not about us, it's all about You Lord, break each of our hearts for the lost, give us a hunger to reach out and walk across the room like never before. I love you so much Father God, I am incredibly humbled by the love, grace and forgiveness you bless me with each and every moment of the day, I pray that I would bless each and everyone I come in contact with, with the same love, grace and forgiveness you give me. We truly serve and love an awesome God!

Life is but a vapor...

James 4:14 couldn't be clearer to me today as I have been reflecting on my life over the last couple of weeks. Where did that time go? I have been challenged in many different areas of my life and have taken some steps to really get my life and my families lives in line with the will of God for our lives. It hasn't been easy and I have really battled pride throughout the process. I long to truly live out God's calling for my life and have been finding so many obstacles in the way, nothing major, just lots of little things that tend to get in the way. After a lot of prayer, I was able to give my notice at work that I wanted to move from part-time to PRN (as needed). I have struggled so much with this decision, but God had continued to give me confirmation on my decision and remind me...it's not about me, it's about Him!

My family & I are on the countdown...5 days until we leave for Disneyworld! We are truly a bundle of emotions! We had Ashtyn's "Send off party" this past Saturday with the Make-A-Wish foundation and let me tell you what, it was all we could do to not cry the entire time. It's one of those bitter-sweet moments in life, your excited to go & have this opportunity with your family, but in the mean time, you would rather be there paying your own way with a totally healthy child. Yet, on the other hand, we are so humbled and thankful for the opportunities God has given us with this trial. We have been blessed by so many amazing people in our lives, who have joined us in this battle, prayed for us, cried with us, encouraged us and totally loved us with the love of the Lord. It is truly humbling. We are truly blessed beyond compare.

As I watch the girls each day their anticipation and excitement continue to grow & grow & grow. They are so precious! Ashtyn is packing and unpacking everyday. She'll pack her favorite blanky that she sleeps with each day in hopes that the next time she unpacks it we will be at Disneyworld. I look so forward to the time with them, to allow them to be totally kids, away with just Greg & I, a family blessed by God and our church family!

This new series at church is awesome! Greg & I read the book back in March or April and it truly blessed & encouraged us, I cannot wait to see how it ignites MH's and blesses the Parkland as we all walk across the room! Our church is incredibly blessed by an amazing staff who continues to encourage us, motivate us and feed us with the Word of God! So to you Bryan, MAC, Michael, J-miah, Greg P, Brent and last but certainly not least Greg A. (my best friend & husband) THANK YOU for loving us, loving God and living a missional life that challenges and encourages each of us!

Father God, I thank You for the beautiful life you have blessed me with, my family, friends, church and church family! I thank you for your calling not only for my life, but for the lives of my family and I pray that you would continue to use us to glorify You, that people will see us and know that You are a God who lives within us, strengthens us, loves us, heals us and fills us with a peace that passes all understanding. May they see You in not only our trial, but in the challenges they face daily and know that all they have to do is call on Your name. I pray that you will bless our staff and their tremendous efforts, may they be filled with Your peace, strength, knowledge, wisdom and understanding in the coming months, guide and direct them Father in a way that only You can. I love you so much, and I thank you for your amazing grace and love!

A beautiful rain...

As I sit to blog, I am completely soaked, but blessed by the beautiful rain that is finally nourishing the earth.

As Ashtyn & I were waiting for Hannah after school the rain began to fall on us. Everyone around was huddling under their umbrellas, but as for Ashtyn and I....we intentionally left them in the car. We wanted to not just see the rain, but to feel the rain. And as Hannah came out she asked where the umbrellas were and my only answer was that they were in the car and that we were going to "play in the rain" and enjoy the blessing God was giving us. So as we got home it was raining even harder and out we went to play in the rain, to rid & refresh our souls as the rain fell on us. And what a teachable moment!!! Although we may have looked silly dancing around in the rain, our hearts were full of thanksgiving as we danced around singing "Thank you Jesus for the rain". Not only was it teachable for the kids, but as for me as well!

Once again God sends us a humble reminder that He knows not only our needs, but the needs of the very earth that He made. That in His time He will quench the earth and all the beauty that He has given us, just as He quenches our souls thirst with the Living Water.

God uses amazing things, whether great or small, to send the most abundant peace throughout my body & soul! Not to mention the time I needed just to let go of everything, be a kid again, and most of all to see & feel another miracle of the awesome God I love & serve.

My prayer today Father is of thanksgiving, not just for today, but for life and for the awesome gift of everlasting life that you have given each of through the death of your precious Son Jesus on the cross and the only thing you ask Father is that we acknowledge that we are sinners and ask you to come into our hearts and love you...Wow! Your love is amazing! I lift up those who don't know you and I pray that they would take the step of faith to invite you into their hearts and that they would allow you to invade their lives like never before, that they would not just invite you in Father, but that they would truly experience a life-changing relationship with you. And Father God, I pray that you would use our church and the staff as they see your vision for Meadow Heights and they feel the hurt of the lost. Give them a strength that can only come from You. I pray that you would use my life to reach others for you, that you would continue to place people before me and that you would continue to break my heart for those who are hurting & in need for you and fill me with a hunger for your Word like none other! Thank you Jesus for your love, grace & forgiveness and for being the omnipotent God who was, is and is to come!

Pumped & ready to go...

OH MY GOODNESS! What an amazing weekend to be at Meadow Heights, it was so incredibly hard for me to contain myself!! Wow! I am truly almost speechless (and it is really hard for me to picture that myself.)

Bryan's vision cast added fuel to my heart & soul's fire! God truly knew what my heart was needing and as I looked back at my last post, my prayer was that He would allow me to see His calling for my life with new clarity and WOW!! has He been refreshing my calling not only this weekend, but over the last week as I had the opportunity to spend some amazing times with two amazing women that I am able to live life with (Penny & Mel)! (Thanks girls for being my sista's and for supporting/encouraging me, praying for me, and living life together!) You bless me tremedously!

As Greg & I were driving home last night, we both were so excited! I think I could have ran 10 miles on pure adrenaline! We talked of God's amazingness the whole drive and how AWESOME it was that He brought two of the most amazing people to worship with us. Scot & Kay have been with us through all of life's up & down's, they have laughed with us, cried with us, prayed with us, encouraged us and grew with us! We have been anticipating their presence with us at a service for SO long, we have planned several times and something has always came up, but as Greg & I talked, we aren't one bit surprised that God arranged the perfect timing to be on "Vision Weekend 2007", we're quite pumped to see what God has in store & are so incredibly thankful for their presence not only Saturday night, but in our lives daily!!

My heart was pumping with the beat of anticipation, excitement and thankfulness the entire service. To hear the word "missions" sets me totally on fire! I've always known "missions" was something was calling me to do , but with new clarity! I'm psyched & cannot wait!!!!!!!!!!!! I get so excited that I have to remind my self , that each day is a mission, we are called to live missionaly, in our homes, at the store, on the street, in our jobs...each and everywhere we go, we are to shine our lights and sprinkle our salts that come from God & God alone. Imagine...

My prayer today Father is that you would forgive me for limiting you with a thimble, Lord I bring you a bucket and I pray that You would fill it in a way that only You can, Lord that you would use my life to ignite the Parkland and Your world. I pray that you would continue to open my heart & eyes to see the hurt & the hearts of each person I come in contact with and I pray that you would bless our church, the staff and our vision beyond all compare! Keep us humble & strong in the battle of life, that when people see us, they will see You! I can only imagine!!!