2009 Year in Review

(After you finish this, you will

see why we didn’t mail it!!)

As I looked back over the calendar at what took place during the past year, I couldn’t believe how much we squeezed into it.

In early January, John got baptized. This was a very proud moment for

Dave and I. It was even more emotional for Dave as he got to baptize

his firstborn child.

The boys enjoyed playing basketball during the winter season.

February was busy as we prepared for both the Broad Street Talent Shown and for our 3^rd missions trip to the Josiah and Bethany Children’s Home in Mexico. Dave runs the sound for the talent show

and I assist him so it turns out to be a family affair. With all of our focus on the mission’s trip this past year, we didn’t spend much time coming up with a clown routine for the boys. John wanted to twist balloons to a magical type song. Josiah

wanted to rap to a TobyMac song. In the end, we combined their ideas. John began by twisting balloon dogs. Then Josiah entered the stage wearing his hat backwards, his bling around his neck and carrying a microphone. He changed the music to TobyMac and began rapping. The boys went back and forth fighting over the music and changing it back and forth to suit their own needs. After this went

on for a while, they whispered a new plan to each other. They changed the music once again. The song, “Who let the dogs out?” came on and the boys worked together to throw lots of balloon dogs all over the stage. It is fun to see the elementary kids laugh at the antics of Chuckles and Bobo.

Three short days later, we got on a plane to begin our journey. While it was a wonderful trip, it

was different for our family because many of the kids we had become attached to in previous

years were no longer at the home. Josiah’s special friend Maggie was no longer there. We really

missed her. It was great to spend time with the home’s new director though. Dave and I felt as if we got to encourage her and spend some good discussion time with her. (For a full recap of our trip, see my blog post dated 2/19/09).

As we headed into the Spring, Josiah played baseball again. He enjoyed his season and his team ended up winning the tournament for their level. It’s always rewarding to win a trophy…especially one they

had to work for.

In April, my dad had emergency surgery and I ended up traveling back and forth to West Chester to stay with my mom while my dad was in the hospital, and then helping once he came home. It was a rough road for a while, but thankfully, he is doing great now, walking a couple of miles a day and working out at the gym regularly. He inspires me.

The beginning of May found Dave traveling to Atlanta once again for

the Orange Conference put on by the Rethink Group, whose curriculum

we use in Children’s Ministry. This is always a fun and challenging time for Dave. He learns new ideas and is challenged spiritually by the speakers there and the worship sessions he participates in. Red represents families and Yellow represents God’s light and love and His message to us. Orange is when we connect families to God’s Message.

Also in the spring, we decided to surprise John by submitting a video of

him twisting balloons (actually their clown routine video) to the WJTL

Talent Challenge for consideration. He ended up being selected and in May had the chance to twist a giant balloon Road Runner for their

Talent Challenge at the World’s Largest Chicken BBQ at Long’s Park in Lancaster. He did great!

In June, John began saxophone lessons and turned 11.

And we spent our first week visiting Dave’s family and going to Ocean

City, MD.

July took us to the beach once again. Dave re-injured his knee during

this trip and had surgery shortly thereafter. It was a bit of a rough

recovery as he contracted walking pneumonia. Can you believe that this very same month we found out John needed leg surgery? It was

not great timing to have to digest this news. The month was rounded out by a week of Creative Arts Camp. Dave was a trooper and taught balloons with his knee on ice. I taught the dance track and we learned Miley Cyrus’s “Hoedown Throwdown” in addition to other songs.

At the beginning of August, the boys participated in a Circus Camp

where they got to add to their repertoire of clowning skills. The day the

camp was finished, the boys and I headed to Canaan Valley, WV for a family reunion and vacation with my side of the family. John and I got to go horseback riding with my brother and niece. Lots of fun and

gorgeous scenery. When we returned from that trip, I attended the Beautiful Ones conference that Global Awakening put on. It was an amazing experience of seeing God’s power heal, transform and change lives. It was a very sweet encounter and I didn’t really want it to end.

We couldn’t end the summer without going to the beach one last time. So the week of Josiah’s 8^th birthday, we went for one final summer trip to DE.

After our crazy summer, I was quite ready to get back into the school routine so that we could stay in one place for a while!! HA!

John began 5^th grade and Josiah 2^nd grade. John joined the Green Team, Chorus, Band (saxophone) and the Jump Team at church. 5^th

grade brings lots of new opportunities.

In October, Dave and I both taught at a Children’s Ministry Workers Conference held in Mechanicsburg. Dave taught 3 workshops and I taught 1. It was a new challenge for me (Dave loves to challenge me and stretch my comfort zone). This is sometimes appreciated and sometimes not. HA HA Dave also designed the website for the

conference so he had many hours invested in this venture. And I can't forget to add that the boys helped

us in teaching balloon twisting to interested conference-goers in the resource area.

October was also our first night to take Kidstuf (our Family Service at church) to a local elementary school…called KidJam. We have now done this 3 times (1x/month). It has been a great opportunity to connect with the community.

November 10 came way too fast. After much praying and pleading with God for healing, I realized that John’s surgery was going to be a reality. John has had a ½ inch leg length difference since birth. Over time, his body

compensated for this difference. His left foot rolled inward and the bones in that foot began growing improperly as a result. Also, his right heel would never hit the ground so his right calf muscle was not developed at all. It is about half the size of his left calf muscle. So John’s surgery was done on both legs at the same time. They placed an implant in his left foot to keep his foot from rolling inward. They also cut his right tendon and lengthened it.

Currently, John has two casts on his legs and is temporarily in a wheelchair. The wheelchair is a power chair that my cousin so graciously provided for us from the company that he works for. (Golden Technologies rocks!!) The chair has given John so much freedom and has been a bright spot in an otherwise difficult time. John should be getting his left cast off and a walking boot put on very soon. Then he will begin physical therapy on the left foot. In about 5 weeks, John will be able to put weight on the right leg and will begin 2-3 months of physical

therapy on that leg.

This is a long process but one in which we pray will make him stronger and correct the problems that he had with his legs.

It has been interesting rearranging our home to make it handicap accessible. I am thankful that God led us to this home 6 years ago that has very wide doorways and a downstairs bathroom. It also has a room that had been our playroom downstairs. We converted that room into John’s bedroom. John has been living downstairs for the past 3 weeks now. This whole experience is making us much more compassionate toward those who live like this on a daily basis throughout life. It is also giving us a new empathy and new eyes to see those who sometimes get overlooked in our society. And we are grateful for legs that work. I am praying that God will help us to gain all that He wants to teach us during this experience. Who knows how this will shape our children’s future job choices? How is it changing their hearts? I pray that this experience will change us and not be in vain.

Ahhhh….December. We pray that your holiday will be filled with looking up and seeing God’s power. When I stop and look up, He shows me His glory and I sit in awe and wonder. This world has heartache and disappointments, stress and financial worries, physical decline. When we stop and see God, those things fall away. Some day, they will all fall away. He will return for His people and we will be with Him forevermore. There will be no more tears, sorrow or longing. We will be fully filled. How I long for that day.

May God bless you with eyes to see Him more clearly this holiday.

A Promise

A few months ago we were told that John needs surgery on his legs. History: he was born 12 weeks premature, weighing only 2 lbs. 1 oz. From the start, he has been our miracle baby. People across the nation prayed for him. He fought and grew and beat many odds. After three years of intense therapies, we were told that he had progressed enough to be released from therapy--physical, speech and occupational. John's main struggles that he moved on with were a tight right heel cord and the potential for eye surgeries due to his exposure to oxygen for many months when he was first born. He's had 3 eye surgeries now. The third one seemed to correct his muscles to align his eyes. We've been doing annual check-ups on John's legs and feet. He has worn orthotics for a number of years and has had his shoes built up within the last year. The new foot doctors we have begun seeing are incredible and have shown a real concern for getting John's feet and legs to a place of proper bone and muscle alignment and development. Thus, the decision to have surgery was laid before us. The surgeon will put an insert in John's left foot so that his foot cannot roll inward. This will allow the bones in that foot to grow properly. The surgeon will also cut and lengthen his right calf muscle so that his right heel can hit the ground and then his right calf should be able to be used and further develop. Right now, his right calf is about half the size of his left calf.

Ever since finding out about the surgery, I have had a hard time accepting it. The idea of our child being in a wheelchair for one to two months is not one that is appealing, to say the least. We are moving ahead with surgery plans, but praying for supernatural healing at the same time. My father was healed of a 1/2" leg length difference as a young adult. I know of one other person who was healed of the same, and another person was healed right before my eyes at a recent women's conference. God is powerful and able. Sometimes He heals supernaturally, sometimes through doctors and surgeries. We have seen some change in John's legs as we have prayed, but not enough at this point to cancel the surgery. I must say that I don't completely understand the idea of incremental healing. My faith is definitely growing as I have seen these things happen. Trusting God with the overall outcome is still a challenge for me. It doesn't make sense to my human analytical brain. I am being reminded of the scripture in Isaiah 5, verses 8 & 9 that say,

⁸ "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,"

declares the LORD.

⁹ "As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

This is something that I know, but don't always live out. I know that the Creator of the Universe has a plan that is so much greater than mine. If I could figure Him out, wouldn't I then be His equal? Do I really want a God who is as limited as I am? Why do I foolishly think that I will understand all of His ways? This humbling reminder is reassuring as I lay my precious first-born son at his feet and say, "Not my will, but Yours be done, oh powerful God."

Even though I don't understand it, today I feel as if we were given a promise. It is International Walk to School Day. The kids who participated in the school's walk-a-thon program were put in for a drawing for a new bike. Guess whose name was chosen to receive the new bike? That's right, our John. I do sense that there is something so much more significant to him winning this bike than chance and coincidence. God has spoken a promise to me. I pray that God will reveal His promise to John also. God loves John so much and knows what is on our schedule for him to endure over the next few months. The bike is the hope, the reward, the incentive, the promise. Again, I don't fully understand it. But I pray that John will know the great love our heavenly Father has for him.

Hello blog!

Wow, it has been two months since I have blogged. Much has happened in the last two months. Lots of vacationing and spending family time together. The short of it is two more trips to my in-laws(in DE near Ocean City, MD) and one trip to Canaan Valley, WV with my side of the family for a family reunion and vacation in the mountains. I also attended the "Beautiful Ones" conference put on by Global Awakenings. The first word that comes to mind about the conference is power. God moved in amazingly powerful ways (why would he not, He's God, right?) I joined women in worshiping all out and in total freedom--some dancing, some on their faces on the floor, some crying, some laughing. It is amazing to be in the presence of Almighty God like that. I also saw many people get healed of different physical, emotional and spiritual affirmities. So cool!!!!!!!!! We are all very loved by the creator of the universe.

Psalm 63: 2-5 says,

"I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you."

And I say Amen, I agree. His love is better than life and He is worthy of my praise.

An anecdote from today: I went to the grocery store and was hoping as I entered that I didn't run into someone I know who works there. It is not because I don't care for this person--quite the opposite really-- but just because I haven't seen them in a long time and I really don't enjoy running into people and having to make conversation. What to say does not come easily to me. It tends to stress me. After a couple minutes of thinking like this, I asked God to give me His perspective and to be open to blessing other people. Like maybe if I would stop thinking of myself and how uncomfortable I would feel, I could see beyond that and realize that God may want to bless someone else through me. Maybe someone who has a need. So my new prayer became, "Lord, use me to bless someone on this trip if You want me to. And if you want me to bless this person I haven't seen for a while, use me in their life today." After that, I continued shopping and got everything that I needed. I prayed the prayer a couple of more times as I was shopping. Well, I made it out to the van and put my groceries in and was getting ready to return my cart. At that point, a man began walking by me and going into his nearby car. He passed me and as he was getting into his car, he sneezed. I remained silent. Then I thought, "I could've said, 'Bless you' to him" At that moment, I just started laughing as I realized that God had given me an opportunity to literally "bless" someone verbally. HA HA

Well, I missed that opporunity, but I hope that as I go about the rest of my week (and beyond) that I will be more in tune to what God wants to do through me in everyday situations. I know He's got so much to say. I am trying to learn how to slow down and expectantly listen.

Well, day 3 of the new school year has flown by once again. It is already time to go get the kids and to hear about their adventures from today. See ya!

Creativity and Jello Salad

John has been in creative mode lately. It does his mama good to see him creating balloon creations and creations in the kitchen. Last evening, he made a jello salad. Now this may not seem like much, but it is not something I ever make. Dave actually makes fun of me because of how easy jello is, but yet I never make it. My mom makes yummy jello salads with fruit in them. So...John and I thought we'd try one last night. He did all the work. Yeah! It turned out and is yummy! Extra good with fresh strawberries that we picked.

His other project has been a unique "report" on Abraham Lincoln, one of his favorite people in history. He twisted balloons of various stages of Abe Lincoln's life. The first is Abraham as a baby:

The second phase is Abraham as a young boy with an ax in his hand:

And finally, John himself is dressed as a much older Abraham Lincoln with a wild black beard and a cane:

His own unique version of history.

Beach Time

What a nice week! We spent the last week at Dave's mom and step-dad's in Delaware. Five out of the seven days we were there we went to Ocean City, MD. The boys are old enough now to both go in the ocean by themselves and body surf and dive through the waves. They loved it. Dave and John could spend hours out in the ocean. Josiah likes it too, but also likes to spend a lot of time digging and building creations in the sand. In addition to swimming, laying in the sun, reading and just plain relaxing, we enjoyed walking the boardwalk and continuing our yearly skee-ball tournament. Josiah and I were the champs last year. This year, our title was taken away. Dave and John beat us 6 out of 7 games. Ouch! Think Josiah and I will sneak away to Chuck E's or the Coliseum to get some extra practice in before our trip back to DE next month. Hee hee hee...

Overnight at Grandma and Grandpa's

The boys and I just returned from an overnight visit to Grandma and Grandpa's house. It was amazing to see the difference in my dad. Last time I saw him was the end of April. Now it is June, just two short months later. When I left, he was shuffling around, with his shoulders bent over. He was recovering from major abdominal surgery and was going to begin physical therapy. He has since finished his physical therapy and the change is drastic. He is now walking again--up to 1.5 miles/day at this point. My mom says she cannot keep up with him. He looks great and is joking around once again. It really makes me smile to think of how far he has come. Thanks for all of the prayers.

Long Time No Post

A brand new day...what a blessing to be able to begin again and experience God's mercies anew each day. The kids are finishing school in 2 short days. Wowza! Today Dave and I go into the 4th grade classes to do some ballooning. I will read the story while Dave twists balloons. Then we might teach them something simple to do on their own. The teachers and kids really seem to love this. And it is fun because we can take a book or story that the teachers want the kids to hear and make our own animation out of balloons. Today the kids will be seeing a chicken, a duck and a pig. We are reading "Chicks and Salsa". We also might read "Dogzilla". Cute book, but less creations that can be made from the story.

Last night was amazing. A very powerful storm went through our area at about 1:30 AM. I don't remember a storm hitting so close in a long time. The sky continued to flash repeatedly. The booms were loud. I expected the ground to shake and trees to begin falling around us. It made me stop and ask God if Jesus was returning right then. It was that kind of sobering storm. It reminded me of how powerful God is. It made me bow to Him and ask Him for forgiveness for forgetting how majestic He is. How can I get so caught up in life that I forget these things? We can be wiped off the face of this earth in an instant. I actually love to be reminded of that so that I am sent to my knees. And there I am reminded that through anything...anything at all...God is with me still. Even through death.

This morning I read Isaiah chapter 6. The storm last night allowed me to relate on a small scale to what Isaiah witnessed when he "saw the Lord". It says, "In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Hovering around him were mighty seraphim, each with six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with the remaining two they flew. In a great chorus they sang, ""Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty! The whole earth is filled with his glory!"" The glorious singing shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire sanctuary was filled with smoke." (Just like the thunder rumbled the ground and lightning lit up the sky)

Verse 5 shows Isaiah's response to this power. "Then I said, ""My destruction is sealed, for I am a sinful man and a member of a sinful race. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord Almighty!""
Then one of the seraphim flew over to the altar, and he picked up a burning coal with a pair of tongs. He touched my lips with it and said, ""See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed and your sins are forgiven."
"Then I heard the Lord asking, "Whom should I send as a messenger to my people? Who will go for us?"
"And I said, ""Lord, I'll go! Send me."

What a blessing to see God in all His power. It is so easy to lose sight of how powerful He truly is. What an insult to our mighty Creator. What a gift when we are reminded of who He truly is and when we get to see more of Him. He is love...and He is power. I will bow to Him because He is God.