Category: Uncategorized

I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to take a sabbatical following my vacation to be my sister’s matron-of-honor in her wedding. Being introverted, the wedding and events surrounding it were very draining and it was nice to take some time to rest and replenish. Also, during my time away, I was able to work with some other leaders at my church to improve our children’s ministry. I have been a leader in our children’s ministry for many years, and have worked with 3 directors, but our last director stepped down unexpectedly, leaving a gap in processes and knowledge of our curriculum. We were able to go through all of the material and organize it on a Google Drive to give teachers and parents access to what will be presented to their kids on Sundays. This vast improvement will allow parents to engage more with what their children are learning about Jesus. We were also able to update the onboarding process for new volunteers. We created a workflow that will automate part of the process so that we can get them trained and confidently teaching kids about God’s love. It doesn’t sound like much when it’s boiled down to a few sentences, but I know these enhancements will benefit the Kingdom in ways that we can never fully understand. I am so thankful to work at a company that values the Kingdom and the efforts that can advance His purpose.

P.S. I don’t have any pictures of my work for the children’s ministry, since it was mostly on the computer, but Leland’s wife Janie (pictured below in the floral dress at the EOY Party) was a huge help in talking through changes.

Also, here are a few photos from my sister’s wedding day!

This is the first time for me to volunteer with Meals On Wheels. I chose to work in the kitchen rather than deliver as I am somewhat directionally challenged (even in a small, big town like Abilene!). I agreed to be there at 6 am (which is the busiest time).  I go to work each day at FD at 7 am but let me tell you that one hour earlier seems to be extremely early.  This is basically a roll out of bed and roll into the car to get there at 6 am.  No time to smell the coffee!

As I arrive and ring the buzzer to be let into the facility and get shown the ropes of the dos and don’ts in a commercial kitchen, I appreciated the kindness and patience of the staff. Lidia, the supervisor over the kitchen staff runs a tight ship!

The first order of business is to stand at a long metal table for the assembly of the cold food bags.  The contents of which change each day from cottage cheese to whole fruit to jello and other goodies.  We line up and stand on the cushioned pad and the fun begins!  I was in charge of dropping a fortune cookie into each bag.  The lady beside me opening the plastic bag and slipping in the drink then sliding that towards me for my goodie was a Speed Demon! Not only was she fast, but she was also working with an injury.  She had reached to pick up a board in her yard and got bit by a rattlesnake.  Her fourth finger at the first knuckle was bandaged.  She showed it to me and from the first knuckle to the tip was black.  She said she had to undergo anti venom shots and was in the hospital for a week or so. Regardless, she was fast!  I had to be on my toes and get my item in the bag and slide it to the next person before the bags waiting for my treat would pile up, slowing down the process.  I didn’t want to let anyone down. I concentrated on getting my rhythm while the kitchen staff talked about their evenings and plans for the next day, joking and kidding, laughing.  The radio played good music inspiring us to work at a good pace. When the supply of goodies ran out, I had to grab another crate stacked behind me and place the empty crate against the wall. The bags piled up while I was restocking so there was no time to lose!

The heaviest plastic crates (with milk, orange juice) were lifted by the first lady beside me.  I watched her lift crates and place them on the table. This position was filled by two women who took turns switching places in the line to give each other a break from the labor-intensive position.   One of the ladies is an older Hispanic person who is a tiny, shorter person and she would have to really heft the crate up to the table.  The first day, I was concentrating on doing my part and not slowing down the process.  The rest of the week I would keep my eye on her crate supply and would step out of the line around her to lift the crate and put it on the table for her.  She was certainly capable of the task, however I wanted to save her the trouble.  She was surprised the first time I did it. By Wednesday, she was calling me Dear and thanking me each time.  I didn’t always catch it in time, and she would lift the crate, but I did my best.  In the meantime, the bags were piling up at my station and I would rush to get my item into the bag and slide it to my right.

At 8 o’clock (tempis fugit! – I had no idea how the time flew by so fast), we would break and have the breakfast one of the cooks would prepare for us while we worked.  I was offered a warm tortilla and would fill it with the eggs and chorizo or potato or some other delightful filling. Most of us adjourned to the breakroom to sit and relax and catch up on the news on our phones or others would visit. Everyone expressed concern when I shared that my sister and brother-in-law were experiencing their first hurricane in FL. (All is ok, they are fine, and their home was not damaged).

We would go back to the kitchen area and The Line would begin.  The music would be changed to Spanish music with a good beat. They would line up to fill the containers with the hot meal while a gentleman who had been working to fill the metal containers from the cooking vats with hot corn, green beans and the meat from the ovens while we worked filling the cold food bags.  He would lift these containers several times as he would refill the workstation with newly filled containers of food taking away the empty ones.  The compartmentalized trays were placed in slots and rang thru a device which would lay a film of plastic wrap over them.  Two people (of which I was one) would label each food tray with stickers labeling each with their designations such as special low sodium or soft or low potassium, The other person (which was me!) would pick up 5 at a time and place it into a tall metal hot box lined with trays waiting for the delivery people to arrive.  After a bit, I felt like Hansel and Gretel sticking my head into those hot boxes to reach the back of the tray and deposit the goods.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, a couple of men would come volunteer to work off their Community Service duties.  One of the men was a flirt, making the ladies laugh and cut up.  Both men spoke highly of the kitchen staff and seemed to completely be enjoying their time there helping, No one there seemed to judge these men and accepted them into their fold with smiles and gratitude for their service.

On Thursdays, two special needs men would come volunteer.  The staff were very kind and patient with them, even getting Adam (who was working The Line) to dance to the music.  The other man, Kip was an older man and so sweet.  He helped me place cookies onto 38 trays, getting them ready to go into the oven.  I would get the tray started and then we both would add cookies until the tray was filled, being careful to properly space the sweet goodies onto the tray.  I would glance over the cookies and adjust as needed and he would wait for my Good Job! He would giggle each time, just tickled pink that he did it correctly.

Friday came and I worked the assembly line, the ladies more comfortable around me.  A couple of them discussed their love lives amongst themselves. When we came back from the morning break there were several young ladies there prepared to serve, all nurses and therefore I left earlier than normal.  I greatly enjoyed my time there.  These group of people are hard working as well as helpful to each other. Their comradery was to be admired and emulated.

Thank you, Kris, for this opportunity to work with these fine ladies and gentlemen. My time there was enjoyable and inspiring.

Hello World!

Today is the last day of camp. I’ve had an amazing time and have been so blessed by the campers. It’s amazing the things the campers can do and the love of God that they show everyday. We had our Barn Dance last night and it was a big success. Today we had worship and devotion at the church, then everyone was allowed to pick from local eateries for lunch. After lunch the campers could go fishing or shopping or just hang around their rooms and rest. Tonight we met for one last time at the church for a meal and the church held a worship service. It’s always bittersweet on the last night. Saying goodbye to old and new friends and hoping we’ll all see each other next year.

This year was also bittersweet because we lost several campers and volunteers since we last had camp, including Mike Wilson, who along with his wife Charlotte, started Mountain High Camp in 1994. He along with the others that passed away were greatly missed, but we know they were having camp with us in Heaven.

This year I’m volunteering at Mountain High Camp in Red River, NM again. This is the first year since 2019 we have been able to have the camp because of COVID restrictions. I arrived in Red River yesterday (Saturday) afternoon. I went to church this morning at Faith Mountain Fellowship Church. This afternoon I helped get things ready for the campers to arrive. The majority of them fly to Albuquerque from Dallas or Houston. They then have a 4 1/2 hour bus ride to Red River. They arrived around 5:30 and got settled in their rooms. We then loaded back up on the buses and went to the church for supper and a welcoming program from the locals. My camper this year is Ken and he lives in Arizona. He loves to fish, so I’m sure we’ll be spending a lot of time at the town lake.

My Sabbatical this year consisted of volunteering at Meals on Wheels. Last year I switched it up and I worked in the kitchen with the staff. This year I decided I would deliver again so I could have more of an interaction with the clients. I was given routes where they didn’t have their normal drivers come in or were out sick.

Day 1
Today was quite an adventure because as I am getting off my exit on S.7th there are little fires burning everywhere off side of the highway.
The fire department was there and had them under control but it was very smokey. I start my delivery which consisted of many streets and clients all in the same neighborhood. I get it done but there was one little lady, whom I did enjoy talking with about her plants and her yard. I also, had one little dog try to attack me which was suppose to be restrained. I had to open and close the door several times until it jumped off the couch and I was able to set meal down on the couch. Later I was informed she has dementia and her daughter puts dog in the kennel but her mother feels bad for the dog and lets it out. This is the only day I delivered in this neighborhood.

Day 2 & Day 3
I was in the same neighborhood for 2 days in a row. When you get to deliver more than 1 day in a row clients start to get a little more use to you. I spoke with one little lady who was 87 and said her husband had passed 2 years ago. She takes care of her son who is in his 60’s and has had 4 heart attacks. She was sitting outside in her chair and we had a good little chat. The next day one little man was sad I would not be coming to deliver anymore because he said he gets lonely and doesn’t have anyone to talk with.

Day 4
My delivery today was very nice a had a little apartment complex for senior citizens. Everyone was very happy to see me some were waiting outside and could tell I was new because I kept looking at my map. One little man was in his wheelchair next to the bus pickup are where I was parked next to. He asked if he could have my suburban. He wanted it because it would be easy for him to put his wheelchair in the back. He said it still looked very good and for me to be sure to check my belts at least every 2 years.

I enjoy delivering because many of these people don’t have alot of interaction with people and they enjoy conversating. I am very grateful that we are able to take a sabbatical and be able to volunteer and make a difference. I want to thank Kris and the Board for being so generous and giving us this opportunity. -LEO-

I can say this again….Wow what an experience Costa Rica has been! This year in only 2 days a HOME has been built for not one but two families! I am thankful for another amazing experience with co-workers and the beautiful people of Costa Rica. Time away from DOW work to do the Lord’s work.

Traveling: Now this was a new experience to say the least…. from leaving Abilene one morning, spending over 12 hours hanging out in Dallas, to then chilling in Miami… let’s just say we were all happy to get to Costa Rica. As a disclaimer: we saved money, but I think we will all choose to spend it next year! All 5 crazies are in the image below!

Day one of the build: Starting off with the concrete slab, our team quickly got to work! Most of us were on the previous trip last year and worked well as a team together building the home last year. I believe the only new additions were those painting for our home. Our awesome team is pictures above! One great thing about working with people you have already done something like this with is knowing what is happening or about to occur and where to step in and start working. We all quickly found hammers and began framing the house. Once the 4 framed walls were up, the internal framed walls went up and then the exterior and interior walls (painted by our newest team members) were next. Windows were put in and all the trusses for the roof were put up on just day one! The plywood went on the roof and the tar paper was put on before it was time to go due to the rain!!!

Day two of the build: We added the remaining interior walls, as well as the trim inside and outside of the home! The roof was finished on both houses by the awesome roofing team and we all found roles to fill in to wrap up the build. At one point I was painting, and another I was added trim. One minute I was sweeping with the broken broom… while another minute I was trying not to fall off the ladder! The electricity was finished up, everything was looking great with all the touch ups and fresh paint inside and out….and we finished the home in just TWO days! Another thing I truly enjoy about these trips is the laughter. I find so much JOY in working with my co-workers, the moments of hard work followed by acting a fool. See image of FUN below, as well as the final view at the end of two hard working days! 😉

Day three on the build site: Since we finished the building part and all the touch ups yesterday, all we needed to do today was finish up cleaning the work site and prepare the homes for the family to come home. We prepped the home with the built bunk bed, the full size bed, the tables and chairs and once the family returned – all the things that they purchased! It was a beautiful site to see and what a humbling experience to share in His great work in Costa Rica. We ended up having additional time so we got to see parts of Costa Rica we had not seen which was a neat experience!

This is definitely a trip that you have to experience for yourself to fully understand! My hope in the years to come is that more people will step up and step in to doing His GREAT WORK where ever we go!

God is good! ALL the time!

Costa Rica is a beautiful country.  They have people from all walks of life and countries.  It is inexpensive to live there and depending on your circumstances you have everything you could ever want.  We always think of Mexico being poor, however in money exchange 1000 pesos = 49.25 dollars and colones (Costa Rican money) 1000 colones = 1.5 dollars. Compare colones to pesos 1000 colones =30.39 pesos. But despite it all, even the poor seem happy.  They are friendly and kind.  At least that has been my experience.

In the barrios where we go is a step back in time.  Out houses, no direct running water and only some have electricity, but their clothes are clean and so are they.  You don’t hear them complaining, they might, but you don’t hear it.

The climate is warm and humid.  Not unbearably so humid that you just can’t stand it, but humid.  Kids play in the road and dogs and cats are running lose, but people care.  They don’t swerve to run over the dogs in the roads, they stop.  I think something that is very insignificant to most is people walk on the shoulders of the roadways, they walk out in front of cars in town and NO ONE, not one person blows their horn.  I witnessed people stopping mid turn at at a red light to let us cross the road.  As Texans at least, we wait for the all clear and if someone stops to let us cross we give a little wave in thanks.  They aren’t in such a hurry that they can’t be courteous.

Texans say hello to everyone they meet.  Evidently in Costa Rica it isn’t common to just say hello on the street, so I was given some funny looks, but I still said “Buenos Dias”

I’m not saying it is a perfect country it is not.  They still have crime and bad people.  As with anywhere you go including Abilene, you just need to be aware of your surroundings and what you are doing.

I love my trips to Costa Rica and wish more would step out of their comfort zones and go on the mission trip.

It had really poured rain the night before (Tuesday)  The plan was to finish minor clean and pick up while the families were shopping first thing.  Neighbors would be invited and we would be out of their hair and them into their new houses by noon.

The families left, the teams went through the neighbor hood and sites were picked up, tools were loaded and extra materials were sat by the road for the taking.  The even took the wet floppy sheet rock that is sure to mold.  But…..

All was ready, the furniture was assemble, mattresses were placed and beds were made.  The dining table set with new dishes.  A bunson burner was unpacked as was a rice cooker and a coffee maker.  Towels  were laid out and curtains were hung. And we waited and waited and waited.  Finally people from the neighbor hood started showing up and the families arrived and their purchases were put into their houses.  They were prayed over, their houses blessed, bibles presented and keys given.  The houses were theirs.  They were very grateful and happy.  The neighbors were happy for them.

We were done, 2 houses in 2 days, 2 families blessed and hope given, a neighborhood coming together.  Yes we were done, but Jesus?  Well HE started long before we got there.  HIS work will keep going.  HE will never leave them or forsake them.  Yes we accomplished something, but only because we were giving the ability through Jesus to do the work.  He provided us with a wonderful company and the vision to go forth into the world.  He gave each of us the ability to work in whatever task we were given.  He gave each of us the means to get there.  He gave each of us the will.  He gave us team members that took care of work while we were gone.  We are so blessed and so spoiled. I am thankful for AC/heat, running water, indoor bathrooms, electricity, access to groceries and the means to cook them.  I am thankful, that HE has never left me nor forsaken me and no matter what life brings, HE will always be with me and has provided me with a new heaven and new earth.  I certainly won’t be at the top of the good list but hopefully I will not be near the end either!

Wednesday morning was like Tuesday, breakfast at the hotel, meet in the lobby have a devotional and maybe not so bright eyed and bushy tailed, but still raring to go.  Paul D.  threw down the gauntlet.  We could finish both houses on the second day.  We were certain our house could be finished, but the other one, well we would see.  Challenge accepted!

We worked very hard, there was trim to put up, painting to be done, 2 roofs to shingle, doors to be hung and electrical to be finished.  Could we do it?  No one was going to tell us no.  Team Paul was determined.  The roofing teams  joined together and went to the other house.  they were going to get one house done and then the other.  Again, it rained on and off.  I have a video of rain in case you don’t remember what rain looks like!  Both house were going well.  As Paul was doing trim and others were doing the wall strips, the paint team was, well painting.  I have painted for years and I don’t play well with others when painted.  Keep in mind the equipment isn’t the greatest.  Small paint brushes that won’t hold paint, roller frames that won’t hold the nap, no roller poles and no buckets with grids only flimsy plastic roller  pans.  I would not have done well.  the ones doing touch ups were using Solo cups (yes red ones) as their work bucket.  Keep in mind they are painting raw sheetrock and raw wood.  God Bless Kelley and the ladies painting.  I started working on the electrical boxes and putting in receptacles and switches.  I was asked if I knew what I was doing.  Any one that really knows me, knows it was very hard to not say a smarty pants remark.  Of course I knew what I was doing.  Finding the right tools was another issue.  The wire they use is only a common and hot, no ground and it is stranded not solid.  In order to make the wires fit in to the receptacles and switches, it has to be separated and cut.  So you need cutters, a wire stripper or razor knife and screw driver.  I was aggravated but determined.  Paul installed the breaker box and the single bulb lights in the 3 rooms and I did the rest.  Finding ladders was a challenge and well I am kind of not tall.  Another reason Paul and I work well together.  The paint team was  duct taping paint brushes to scrap wood to be able to reach higher areas and they did fantastic.    When I was done Sergio ask if I would go to the other house and work on the electrical.  Of course I would.  I don’t like to sit.  Our house was coming together so nicely.  The team was putting up the outside strips and making sure all touch ups and clean ups were done.

I went to the other house and I’ll be darn, I found a better cutter and a ladder.  However, even with the ladder I could not balance well enough to mount the ceiling boxes even with a drill.  I gave up on that and told the guys they would need to do that part.  I went on with the switches and receptacles.  One room was so dark I had to use the light on my cell phone to see what I was doing.  Someone came in and said the bus is leaving.  I said, well I am not done and this is what we lack doing so I am not leaving.  I thought it was pretty clear.  About that time Paul comes in and said Steve S had asked him to stay and finish the electrical, I was assuming I was chopped liver at that point, but I was still going to stay and finish what I was doing.  Adolfo came in and started on the breaker box and Paul was working on the lights.  Steve comes in and tells me the bus is leaving if I was going to get on it. I told him no I wasn’t finished with what I was doing.  He said ok, he and Nadene would be back to get us and about 30 minutes.  Now remember Paul said 2 houses 2 days.  I wasn’t leaving until I was done.  I held my phone light while one of the guys finished the last light.  Just like that 2 houses done in 2 days.  A little clean up was still needed, but all in all it had been a fast and furious and very fun day.

Tuesday morning started out beautiful.  Slight cloud cover, not to hot, but pretty darn humid.  Our day started with breakfast at the hotel and a devotional.  We had gathered in the lobby area of the hotel.  Bright, mostly awake faces, fresh and eager to get started.  We were going back to the same neighborhood we worked in last year and we were ready to see friends we had made last year.  At the work site the Twins divided us up into two groups and then we decided if we really wanted to be in the that group.  I have worked with Paul D. and we work well together.  It keeps his wife Kelley from getting aggravated with him.  Her dad is a retired contractor and sometimes, Paul doesn’t necessarily do things the way she might!  Their boys wanted to work on the roof.  Kelly is an art teacher and chose to paint.  The house we were working on seem to be going up quickly.  We would lift them 1/2 way and then stand them up and some one would secure them to the concrete.  Once interior walls were up in the interior walls were assemble and secured.  The wood they use is so different than ours.  It isn’t finished or kiln dried, but it is such a beautiful color, somewhere between a cedar and redwood and hard!  It was so wet that driving a nail caused water to come out of it.

Once the walls were up the electrical wire was ran and wall boxes installed.  Windows were installed and then the sheetrock went up.  As the sheetrock went up the roofing trusses were built and nailed securely in place.  By the end of the Tuesday, the day of building, the plywood and felt were on the roof our the our house.  This was fast.  Franklin the dad of our family worked hard all day.  He was so sweet and wanted everything to be right.  He knew this was not something he could do on his own, but was quite knowledgeable and skilled.  His Dad Billy sat under a tree everyday watching.  He never came over and almost seemed that he didn’t care, that was not the case at all.  He was amazed and very thankful.

The other house had a lot of struggles.  They had no air flow, were walking up hill in a semi treacherous way.  It was built very close to an existing structure so light was also a challenge.  One wall didn’t stay put and had to be redone.  The roof was a challenge as well.  The YWAM team stayed after we left and finished the trusses, plywood and felt.  As it had been raining off an all afternoon and sheetrock was on the walls.

Our flight started in Abilene Sunday morning at 1120. We arrived at DFW on schedule only to be told that if your layover was over 12 hours we would have to claim checked bags and recheck for the next flight. We had a 15 hour layover. Yes it was planned because it was a much cheaper flight.  5 of us split the cost of a hotel room and got up at 130 am Monday to fly to Miami. A long flight but not bad considering. Only 1.5 hours in Miami. I was not impressed with the airport at all. None the less the last leg was to Costa Rica and I would tell you how long that flight was but we had already gone from CST to EST to CR time. Right now I am not even sure it is Monday. Tonight is fellowship with the YWAM group and tomorrow starts the real work. Oh and the last two years I have been here, it reminded me of Texas. Dry grass and hot. Not so much this year. It is very green, not so hot as TX but with the green comes the humidity. All is well.

I spent this last Saturday, July 23, 2022 at the PACN center for the orientation requirement to volunteer with this organization.  It was very informative.  I will be volunteering with them again during my Helpers of People week on August 22-26.

Testing my ability to post on the blog

I am planning to take a week in August along with a week of vacation to volunteer with the Pregnancy Resource Center in Conroe TX. I have volunteered here before and am looking forward to my time there.  Update on my time to follow.

Testing for Mini Sabb 2022

Thanks to the Helpers of People leave program (mini sabbatical), I was able to take a much needed break and significantly help Meals on Wheels.

I spent my first week visiting North and South Carolina for the first time with my parents and aunt. My parents are getting older and with my mom’s health, it was nice to get to spend quality time with them while also enjoying new places. It’s a goal of mine to visit (and drink coffee) in all 50 states, so I’m 2 states closer now. Only 9 more to go!

I spent my 2^nd week delivering a double route each day for Meals on Wheels. They were extremely grateful for my time and ability to cover two routes each day. They have been short on volunteers since 2020 and are very appreciative of all the help they can get. One of the days, another volunteer saw me loading up for two routes and called me a “Power Deliverer!” 😊 The 8 week mark for me to be able to donate blood fell during these two weeks, so I was also able to go and donate blood during the week which was nice to be able to do while I was already on that side of town. Just a nice little bonus to my week.

Additionally, I read “Rhythms of Renewal”. Here are some tidbits from that:

“Sabbath is a verb. This practice is essential for our ability to grow in mental, emotional, and spiritual health. We cannot run if we cannot rest. When we intentionally Sabbath – stop striving so much – we create space for healing, wholeness, and refreshment. Restoration replenishes us physically, fortifies our mental health, and enables us to engage emotionally.”

“Importance of play: Researchers are now documenting the benefits of play for adults and finding that ‘play isn’t just about goofing off; it can also be an important means of reducing stress and contributing to overall well-being.’”

“Even a short burst of ten minutes’ brisk walking increases our mental alertness, energy, and positive mood. Studies also show that just 5 minutes of outdoor activity – like hiking, jogging, or even outdoor yoga- can change mood and self-esteem.”

“…it’s true we get in better shape and build muscle tone, but it shouldn’t be our primary motivation. Instead, we exercise to stay mental and emotionally healthy. We exercise to increase our heart rate and stimulate the production of serotonin and dopamine; neurotransmitters God gave us to help us maintain our ideal state of sell-being.”

“When we push ourselves, we discover how much we can accomplish, how brave we can be, and how strong we really are. What happens if I try something new; if I push myself and fail? That’s okay. Even when we fail, we learn new things.”

Thank you DIG for investing in your employees and the community by allowing this great opportunity.

I had the privilege of getting approved for another mini-sabbatical this past November.  It is kind of the same story but 2nd verse.  If you will remember my last mini-sabbatical was in December of 2021, I had just had a minor surgery and my daughter was leaving for her mission for our church.  This round, I was recovering from a major surgery that happened in October and our son was about to leave for his mission.

It started Tyler’s senior year in high school and ALL the emotions that come with that!    Tyler got his mission call to serve a 24 month mission in the Orem, UT area to begin on November 8, 2021.

Since Madey had gotten home from her mission in June 2021 and engaged in September, she decided to get married the Saturday before so Tyler could be there.  So we had a wedding on November 5th.  The wedding took place in UT and the reception was here in Abilene the very next day!  WHEW, I am glad that is over!

Tyler started his training at home on 11/8 and had to report to UT on 11/17.  This is when I decided to ask for my mini-sabbatical.  The week of November 15th Scott and I set off on a journey to take and leave our “baby” in UT for 2 years.  A very emotional journey it was!  We took our time seeing and enjoying God’s beauty.

On our way home we decided to stop in Moab, UT.  What a beautiful place!  We went up on top of the world or so it felt!  It was breathtaking and a little scary I might add! 

We signed up with Meals on Wheels to deliver the next week.  When I called to get us a route for the week, the lady at the front desk asked me if I was willing to deliver, “anywhere”?  I thought about that because in my past, I have told them no – that I would only deliver to certain parts of town, but I felt very compelled to tell them that we would “serve” anywhere they needed.

God doesn’t put limitations on MY BLESSINGS, so why would I put limitations on those that I would have an opportunity to bless?  There were families out there that needed help and I am, we are, called to care for those who are in need.

We went to a really nice, older area on the northside of town and had I not had my eyes opened, I would have missed it.

I am grateful for opportunities I had to serve others and share the love I have with them, even if it was in the form of a hot delivered meal!  Heavenly Father loves ALL of His children, no matter what side of town they live on or how they get their next meal.  I am grateful that He loves me!

I am also grateful for the opportunity I was given in this time to be able to do some traveling and serving this past year!  I am blessed to work for FDLIC and love the Servant Ministry that we have here!

With all this to say, don’t limit your own blessings over something you are scared of!  Look at the bigger picture and know that you play a very important part in His plan!

Love,

Teresa Mansker

Wow what an experience Costa Rica has been! In just 3 days a HOME has been built for not one but two families! It will be hard to put into words my thoughts and my feelings, but I will try to provide for everyone a play by play of each day!

Day one: From a slab of concrete to four wall frames being built and stood up. The start of a roof with half of the trusses put up and three open window holes just waiting for someone to look out of them. I got to spend time holding sweet baby Matias in the early morning when the walls began to be built. For this mama heart – I needed that time holding him. There is something about holding a precious baby, seeing your brothers and sisters in Christ work for God’s glory, and being in the presence of the Lord! I enjoyed singing in broken Spanish (of course) to Baby Matias before getting to work. I have never built walls before, but with much help from others – I can say I have now done that! After a yummy and needed lunch, the team got back to business and moved forward with the behind the scenes of painting the trusses, the trimming, and the exterior walls of the home. Today’s weather was great, spirits were high, and hammers were working hard!

Day two: From four walls frames to a fully enclosed home! Slap on some interior paint and add in the glass windows! From half the trusses being put up yesterday to a full roof with partial shingles today. Man… a lot of hard work went into today! I played several roles today – painter, cleaner, runner, etc. I enjoyed getting to play a part in several jobs over the course of the day which allowed me the opportunity to work with many of my co-workers. It amazes me the way God connects His people to work together for His purpose. During lunch, I spent some time playing soccer with the kiddos which was a lot of fun and brought me back to reality that these kiddos live in. Dirt roads, bare feet, the JOY of having a new soccer ball – this is very humbling. Again, the weather was great for, our teams were trekking along, and I walked away today amazed at how much work was completed within just these past two days!

Day three: From painted walls to trimmed and finished exterior and interior walls, from a few shingles to a fully shingled roof! From a concrete slab to now a beautiful home! Today was all about finishing up, wrapping up final touches to jobs, helping anyone and everyone that needed a runner, cleaner, or just support (sometimes literally holding them up). I enjoyed seeing the final product of three hard days of work, seeing the smiles on co-workers faces, and seeing the beauty of the relationships that had been built internally and with the families in the neighborhood. Today I got to hold sweet Isaac, another precious little boy that God just knew I needed for my mama heart. I prayed over his sweet soul, his future, and his family.

I would have to say again, words are hard. This is definitely a trip that you have to experience for yourself to fully understand the magnitude of the work that is done, but also to understand the amazing opportunity it is to serve a family for His glory. I am thankful for the chance to serve the Lord, to love on these families, and to go physically.

I am thankful for this time of Sabbatical. This time to serve, this time to grow in my relationship with the Lord, and selfishly the time next week to rest for my mental health. It has been a hard year – despite the pandemic, despite the changes in the world. The personal break from work – the mental break from some challenges in my personal life. This coming week I look forward to spending some much needing time with my son and my entire family as we get together for a time of fellowship and refueling.  God is good yall.

I am late with  posting  about my mini sabbatical  but better late than never.  I did my service project this year with Meals on Wheels and decided I wanted to do something different with them .  I wanted to see what goes on behind the scenes so I volunteered to work in the kitchen.  They were very happy to have me help and quickly put me to work.  First thing we have to do is put on our gear an  apron and net over our hair.   We have to be sure to grab the correct  hair net and not make the mistake of putting on a beard net on your head because that doesn’t work very well I found that out.   I helped with laundry consisting of towels and mitts they use everyday.  I only did laundry for a short period of time , going forward I helped with getting meals ready  for delivery.  They have a very well organized system. First group adds food in the tray they have a list that generates and tells them how many meals are needed on that particular day and which type of meals need to prepared.  Then the next person is in charge of the  machine that seals the trays.  The next person and myself had to make sure they were sealed properly so they did not leak and then I had to put them in the big warmers.   They have separate warmers that are sorted by meal type example puree, low sodium, ext.  When it got closer for pickup I helped Nelda , we waited for volunteers to show up and pick up meals, they handed us their number we would pull meals, put them in tubs and hand it to them.   Afterwards was clean up time .

They have everything pretty much planned perfectly each day.   I just helped in whichever area they needed me and I really enjoyed being able to lend a helping hand and seeing all of the volunteers that come in to help out in our community.   They have 1 gentleman who came in everyday with a smiling face. He has the rural route so therefore he had many meals to deliver.  The time I spent in the kitchen really opened up my eyes as to all the work that  goes on beforehand in preparation for everything to go smoothly for the meals to be cooked and prepared for delivery.  I was very happy to be a helper of people for our community it was very fulfilling and made my heart happy.

I had another project that happened to come up exactly during the time of my sabbatical do we call this timing??  My parents had  to have some work done in their 1 and only bathroom.   This was suppose to be taken care of in 4 days and  it lasted  throughout most of my sabbatical.  The shower area had basically a makeover.  A small portion of shower was suppose to be replaced but the dreaded word was discovered!  MOLD was discovered as they pulled tile off and had spread and so down to the stubs it went.   After Meals on Wheels I would go check on the progress that was being made each day  to make sure everything was going smoothly.   My  dad was also,  overseeing all  of the work being done.  Then I would take some meals to my mother  and sister who were at my other sisters house or I would pick up some food.   They had to spend the day there in order to have access to shower and a bathroom.  This was very difficult on my mother who would get confused and wanted to be home.  The shower was finally completed after 9 days was very exhausting but was grateful I had time off and being able to be there during this time.

I was also hoping to take this time also to help in my relationship with my younger sister but due to all the unexpected repairs it seemed like much progress was not made in this area.  My goal is to keep working at it and baby steps are being taken.  Hopefully one day through prayer and perseverance this will be accomplished.

I am very grateful and blessed  to work for our company who encourages us to serve in our community,  allows us to take time to work on our mind, body and soul and that we have opportunity to rest ourselves and recharge.

Blessings!

I had the opportunity and privilege to volunteer this year with Boots on the Ground, a ministry at my church.  This ministry builds ramps at houses for those in need to be able to get in and out of their homes, installs grab bars in the homes of elderly, and helps in many other physical ways within our community.  After volunteering last year for my Helpers of People Leave with Boots on the Ground, I wanted to reach out this again year and see if I could be of service.  They again were pleased and welcomed the opportunity for me to serve in an administrative capacity.  My week started by sitting with the BOG staff and watching/listening/learning about the processes and procedures they regularly perform.  While going through this, I heard a couple phrases of “it would be nice to…” and “I wish we could…” regarding the workflow.  My ears obviously perked up at this as I zeroed in to see how we could improve the efficiency of various processes and help meet their desires.  At first, I created a few reporting capabilities that would quickly provide staff with feedback on the status of projects as well as their next steps for to dos, in addition to a quick breakdown of the location of various projects.  This seemed to be a big help, but I wanted a bigger project to tackle.  As I pressed in more, I learned the process of inputting projects into their tracking system was entirely manual.  Since I love efficiency, hearing the words “manual process” generally makes me cringe.  So, I spent a good deal of time creating a way to automatically have Excel enter new projects from a raw data dump file into their main project-tracking database.  This new process can be run at the user’s desire and only adds new projects to the master list.  Previously, this was a manual check to see what new requests for projects needed to be added, then manually typing in the relevant info for the new request in the master list.  The new process drastically reduces time required of staff in addition to reducing the possibility for errors.  This will allow the staff to spend time in better ways, such as speaking with those in need and getting things in the workflow quicker to solve practical needs in our community.  I’m blessed to have worked with Boots on the Ground again this year.  It’s incredible to use my giftings and have the opportunity to take time away from work to give back and serve in unique ways that help others (and will continue to for a long time)!  I appreciate management for this opportunity as well as my co-workers who picked up the slack so I could be away for this meaningful time.  I am truly blessed and thank Jesus for this opportunity and this company who supports such endeavors.

I will start by saying my 2 weeks did not go anything like I had planned, but they went exactly as they needed to.

My original plan was to spend my first week for my vacation, and my second week working on my relationship with my Grandmother, but knowing her I had contingencies in place if she wasn’t willing to cooperate. Her 70th birthday was July 20th so we left Abilene Friday the 16th to go spend the week with my family celebrating. While we did do that the original plan was to have her come back to Abilene with us and help clean and paint the new house in preparation of the baby on the way. When I originally set this up with her she only tentatively agreed, thus the contingencies. Only a day in to being there I realized she was not going to be coming and helping in any way so I made the effort to spend all the time I could sitting and talking with her.

That sounds like a very small thing, but in fact before that week I could not tell you the last time I ever was alone in a room with her let alone had a full conversation with her. For as long as I can remember she was a constant presence of emotional abuse, from forcing me at 10 years old to drink from a baby bottle saying that all I was was a baby so that’s all I deserved, to making me eat dog biscuits and always calling me inappropriate names saying that I must be pregnant because I didn’t meet her standards in my outward appearance. So for me to just sit down with her was a struggle.

Each time I forced myself to sit with her just a little longer. It started off with a measly five minutes but we worked up to sitting and talking for hours. I just talked to her about her childhood, and how she grew up, which gave me a lot of insight to who she is as a person. She is the youngest of 9, and yet she was the one who held the most responsibilities. She was put in charge of the cleaning and the cooking for the household. She then ended up pregnant with my mother when she was 17. To this day no one will talk about what happened, all I know is that when she found out she told the father leave and never come back. I’m honestly not even sure if he even knew about my mother at the time.

So she found her self raising a baby at 17 in a time when it was extremely frowned upon to have children while unmarried. She eventually found her first husband Rick, got married and had my aunt and uncle. Then when they were still little Rick died in a motorcycle accident, leaving my grandmother again to be a single parent this time to raise 3 children not just one.

Needless to say she went through a lot in her life time. It in no way forgives how she treated me as a child, but it helped me move through my hurt and anger to get to a point where I could forgive her. She’s just like my mother and cannot admit her wrong doings, but this time I spent was not for her it was for me. In the beginning I can honestly say that I would never have felt comfortable letting her hold my daughter, let alone leave her alone in a room with her, but after the week was up and we headed back to Abilene I can say I don’t see any overnight stays happening any time soon, but I would be comfortable letting her babysit her great grand daughter for a few hours.

We returned to Abilene where we found ourselves preparing for our big move. I was originally hoping to have my grandmother’s help with cleaning and painting, but that did not happen so me and Joseph tackled that ourselves. We got moved in with the help of Taylor, Sam, Beth, David and my brother. It ended up being a blessing that my grandmother didn’t come because the entire week I was having to take care of issues with trying to close on the house, from power not being turned on to people not getting a hold of the appraiser and a constant change in the closing date. On top of those issues I had multiple labs I had to keep coming into Abilene for which ultimately resulted in us finding out I have gestational diabetes. Even though I didn’t get very much actual vacation time in I was still able to really dedicate time to working on my relationship with my grandmother as well as get several labs taken care of without interfering with work.

My aunt, me, my grandmother, my sister, my mom

Things never go as planned but they go exactly as they should even when it doesn’t feel like it at the time.

Just testing that I am able to post!

Shout out to the cutie with the snowcone 🙂

Mission of Miracles Food Pantry in Baird, TX

In 2000, the year my father lived with us, I was freelancing from home and discovered that the local food pantry needed volunteers. It was that year that I was allowed the time to help families in Baird. Our church was gathering a group of volunteers and I met a woman by the name of Ruth Fisher (photo at the bottom of this post). She was in her 90s and had opened a food pantry and clothing location in the 1980s. She had been running this non-profit for the last 20 years. I started helping her sack boxes and bags of food for the 65+ families and individuals in Baird. I had no idea there were so many that needed assistance in our small community. Ruth was running a “faith-based mission.” She took orders from no one, except God. She was the most giving woman I have ever known. She taught me that our heavenly Father asked us to care for the needy in our community. A lot of people asked me: “Why do you keep giving that man stuff? He’s a drunk.” OR “That woman as 6 children. She just needs to get a job, or something?” OR “That couple just does drugs? Why do you even bother helping them?” OR “You have been feeding that man for 10 years, he’s a loser, lives in a dump, and smokes too much. He’s never going to change.” OR “That family is just lazy. They need to get a job. They just want free food and free cloths.”

Ruth told me that the Father asked her to do one thing. “Love and feed the people. He will take care of the rest.” This is our job. This is what we do. My friend Mark Hewitt with Love & Care Ministries in Abilene tells the same story. People ask him all the time, “Mark, why do you keep feeding the same drunks, prostitutes, gang bangers, druggies and dealers for the last 25 years?” He tells them, “I’m not doing this for you, I am doing this for the Father because he asked me to.” Because of Mark and Ruth’s relationship with God, they have taught me that when you choose to be a servant, it means we give up the right to feel the need to be in charge. We get ourselves out of the way and make room for the Father’s mission. We become his vessel by caring and loving those that many do not.

People need help. We are not all the same. If we are blessed to provide, then that is what we do. No one knows what difficulties people go through. God does. I am grateful Funeral Directors Life cuts out sabbatical time for their employees to volunteer in their local communities and abroad. The bonds I have with the ladies and gentlemen I work with, and work for, are my neighbors, attend our churches, and volunteer at this Baird mission.

Oh, and that woman we helped with 6 children is now involved in vacation bible school as a teacher in our church this summer. That man with the drinking problem has started a mowing business and is making his own way. That couple that was doing drugs is now in a recovery program and they both volunteer at the food pantry faithfully every week. They also have a small dog walking service. And that man we have been feeding for 10 years volunteers at the local Meals on Wheels for the lady that retired at the age of 92. He has been with them for 5 years now. See, God knew.

This is JJ. He works with his sister and helps run the mission. Their mother, Joann, passed in December of 2020 and ran it before them. They are continuing her legacy.

Food from the food bank in Abilene!

Lana Dobbs, my buddy, and Angie Dobbs mamma!

Church buddies, Carolyn and Penny!

Ruth Fisher, November 23rd, 1911-June 23, 2012 with niece Carrie

Even though I wasn’t able to do my volunteering at PRA this time I wanted to share a really cool story that I would definitely classify as a God thing. It’s not very often that we get to see the full circle effect of our prayers or intentions when we pray over general things. I didn’t do an HOP leave at all last year because of COVID, so the last time I was at PRA was in 2019. That year I blogged about volunteering there and this is a excerpt from what I wrote:

“I did my volunteer work at PRA again this year and every time I do this I leave blessed. I’ve blogged before about the mindless tasks they have for me to do there that seem so minimal but when I really stop to think about it, every single thing I touch there, whether putting together literature folders, replenishing the teddy bears in the patient rooms, making gift baggies for the new moms….is something that I’m doing to help bless a precious new life and their parents. This time I decided to pray over each bear I put away, each diaper I restocked in the closet, each tiny baby sock I put in the gift bags. Such a blessing to know that I’m able to speak life over those things that will be going home with those babies. I always leave there feeling like I’ve done something productive for the Kingdom and that’s a great feeling.”

Fast forward to May of 2020; the mother of my now grand baby found out she was pregnant. She had a friend take her to PRA to confirm pregnancy and was given a literature folder and a teddy bear to bring home after she was told about her choices and the support they would give her there. Let that sink in. The chances of those items she brought home being very items that I previously prayed over is nothing short of God’s miracle. I would never have thought as I was praying over those things in 2019 I would be potentially praying for my very own grandchild. Just thinking about it and typing it out gives me chills all over again. PRA is a blessing to so many but now they have been a direct blessing to my family and I will forever be grateful for the work they do and look forward to continuing to volunteer with them every chance I get.

Mini-sabbaticals have changed this year along with the advent of the COVID pandemic. Those of us who are honored to participate in this sabbatical process are trying to find ways to serve our community in more creative, thoughtful and less invasive ways. Honoring our neighbors and social distancing have clearly given us time to think about what our community’s needs are during these times. Our Baird Community Coat Drive committee did determine that coats will always be a tangible item that kids, seniors, and needy families need during the approaching winter season. Last year we served 57 families/individuals in Baird..mostly kids. And with the donations from the 5 churches in Baird and the local businesses, we had several large boxes of coats left over from last year that we placed in storage for this year. Also, we had $300.00 cash reserved for special needs or coats that we did not have that we could purchase.

The question this year was how were we going to get the coats to the people? Last year we left coat forms with our churches, several local businesses, the school, and the senior citizen meeting spot along with 8 large coat drops boxes for people that wanted to make donations. We had several of our volunteers visit local businesses for financial donations. Last year everyone came by our Community Center and picked out what they wanted. But since we are being respectful about social distancing this year, we needed to keep person-to-person contact minimal. So, we had to think out-of-the-box about how to reach these families and individuals differently this year in 2020.

We simplified the process and decided to have one form that had all of their personal information and what coats they needed. We had them include their cell numbers and addresses. Our drop off location for the forms was where we left the forms. The school. The churches. The bank. City Hall. It simply says if you need a coat or know family or friends that need coats, then please fill out this form completely and we would fulfill these orders and have them delivered to you. Simple. And that is how it will go until the end of January. Baird First Baptist Church is allowing us to use their fellowship hall to organize the coats we currently have in stock and to package and fulfill the orders still coming in.

We are grateful to the local businesses for supporting this Baird Community Coat Drive and to our local churches who have supported this call. Thankful to my hubby, Dennis, and our daughter, Ivy, for helping me sort and organize coats. Thank you to an anonymous volunteer who donated scarves and cloves for the kids. There was another anonymous volunteer who knitted hats for us. Inside each hat has a piece of cloth sewn in that simply says, “GOD LOVES YOU.”

The Baird Community Coat Drive will be serving families until January 15th, 2021, officially, but we always pull items for those that know us and have a need.

I am so thankful to FDLIC for allowing me and my family and my small group of ladies here in Baird to have the time to take this task and give me time to organize this charity that God has called us to lead. Everyone has been so grateful for the coats that we have delivered to so far. It is good to know that God has directed us to do this and that we have so many willing to help volunteer and help us financially.

Thank you FDLIC for being the arm of God in so many ways. Thank you, Father, for letting us be your hands and feet and providing for us. Amen.

I returned to work Monday from a mini Sabbatical which was much needed this year. I had one planned for the spring which got cancelled and I think this one changed about 3 times by the time it rolled around! There hasn’t been much activity this year, so it was good to get away and do something new!

I was able to spend a week in Oregon (and a bit in Idaho and Washington) with my parents and my Aunt Betty. They had already been there a week when they picked me up in Portland. Our main itinerary was heavy on the outdoors/nature, so COVID-19 wasn’t as much of an issue as the fires in the few weeks leading up to the trip. They witnessed smoking trees a couple of times, but by the time I was there, we didn’t have any issues. We were obviously grateful for that for our trip, but more so for those who live there and were greatly impacted by the fires. There was one hotel that was pretty busy because a lot of people were there who were unable to be in their houses due to the fires. Even though the fires have died down, there are still families hurting and rebuilding their lives that could use your prayers!

We traveled down the coast a bit, to the highest peak in the OR coast range, over to and up the Willamette Valley, and east along the Columbia River. We pretty much ended our trip with a jet boat tour through Hell’s Canyon, North America’s deepest river gorge, which runs between Idaho and Oregon/Washington. God makes some awesome stuff!!! It was refreshing to get out and see and do things especially in a part of the US I haven’t seen much of.

When I returned, I did Meals on Wheels. My dad knows all the streets in Abilene, so I was grateful for his assistance! He helped all but Friday when he does his normal route, so my mom helped that day. We had an easy route where most of the stops were in the same apartment complex, so I didn’t have to know too many streets! Back in January, when I submitted my sabbatical form, things were a bit different and I had planned on assisting with the Alzheimer walk as well. It was virtual this year, so I did my walk at the airport! Because of the shirt, I was able to have a little chat with a lady who does the walk every year in her city too.

I checked with AYSA to see if they needed my assistance while I was off. They didn’t, but I was able to go over there after Meals on Wheels and play games during their lunch break 4 days. I enjoyed having them housed at FD while their building was being built and have missed seeing their faces around the office. Aaron, Michelle, and I would play board games at lunch about once a week while they worked here, so it was good for the soul to get to do that again!

On Tuesday, I got my teeth cleaned and because I had to reschedule since my trip changed dates, I didn’t have my normal dental hygienist. This lady had the same name of my friend who use to be a dental hygienist, so I texted my friend. Turns out, she has covid! I was able to go to the store and then drop off groceries for her and then for her mom because she’s in quarantine. One of those things you can definitely see God’s hand in since I wouldn’t have texted her before my trip to HEB except for them having the same name. I also worked in a blood donation to the Hendrick blood center. They’re in desperate need right now and would love your blood! If you gave when the blood mobile was last at FD, it’s time to give again!

During my time off, I also read “The Road Back to You (an Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery)” by Ian Cron and Suzanne Stabile. I’d become interested in the enneagram after hearing Ian Cron speak at a Leadercast event. This book helps you realize your core motivations and how to grow to live out your best life. As stated in the book, “It’s full of wisdom for people who want to get out of their own way and become who they were created to be.” What I like about the enneagram is that it’s not about putting yourself and others in a box and saying, “This is who I am and I can’t change, so deal with it.” They encourage you to see your strengths and weaknesses and grow in that spiritually to better assist yourself on life’s journey and in connection with and to have compassion for others. Even if you’ve never heard of the enneagram, I’d recommend this book. It gives a brief intro of the enneagram (which you should definitely read even if you’ve heard of the enneagram) and then goes through each of the 9 types. Even though you’re only 1 type, reading about the others gives insight into how to better interact with others not like you. When I returned to the office, I was discussing the book with Ryan Carlson and he gave me some other enneagram resources that I’m excited to look into!

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More photos of God’s amazing creations!

    Checked off another state visited and another state capitol visited!

The color of these berries is still blowing my mind! I’d never seen anything like it!

Multnomah Falls – the tallest waterfall in OR.

These grapes and the lavender smelled soooo good!

At the end of the Oregon trail one day and walking in the wagon wheel grooves on a different part a few days later!

Hell’s Canyon

Throughout the trip, we picked apples, prunes (Italian Prunes are a variety of plum often dried to make prunes), blackberries, grapes, and figs. I found the ripest fig I could find which wasn’t very ripe and tasted like grass, but I really wanted to be able to eat a fig right off the tree! 🙂

Love and Care Ministries has been a passion of mine for years now. I am thankful that Mark Hewitt, the Executive Director, and his people are doing great work for the kingdom of God. Hundreds of poor and homeless are being provided for with food, clothing, showers, with personal and spiritual support from good people who know how to help. I was blessed to spend 4 days with Janet in the kitchen and Mike in clothing. We are thankful for the Love & Care volunteers who pickup food from the local restaurants and grocery stores. Because of their generosity they are able to  provide everything from mountains of bread and pastries to containers full of fried chicken, casseroles, and tons of fresh veggies for salads. It was good to see the walk-in freezer in Janet’s kitchen full of food ready to be served.

During this COVID time in Abilene, I was glad to see that everyone was taking precautions from food handling to wiping down counters and spraying areas where people were gathering to eat and in areas where they hand out clothes, hygiene kits, and other necessities. Mark’s daughter Magan helps operate Love & Care Ministries. Her two children, Branson and Trinity, have spent this summer helping as needed in all areas of the facilities. It’s a family operation. Mark’s mother, Carolyn, works in the front office. Maxine, Carolyn’s sister, works in the kitchen. Robert and his wife Paula, work in clothing and have been here for the best part of a decade or more. Tina is responsible for washing and hanging clothes, and then organizing them by size for men, women, and children. Mike runs the clothing and shower area. He and I spent 3 days getting clothes together for the homeless and poor that came to visit. The clothes are given to them. We give each person a large bag to carry all they could put in a bag. You see, they have a lot of clothing to move before Mission Thanksgiving this November. There is an abundance of clothing. For this, we are thankful to God and thankful for everyone who donates. The need will still be here this fall. Please think of them when you are cleaning out your closets. Their main needs for the winter are socks, blankets, sleeping bags, coats and warm clothes for all ages, men and women, boys and girls. Someone is always asking for a backpack. And food.

Probably the highlight of my 4-day visit was having Mayor Anthony Williams come and visit us and praying with us during his tour of Love & Care on Thursday. He had a good word of encouragement for everyone. After my day was finished that Thursday, I went home with a slight fever. Dennis watched over me for the rest of the weekend and on Monday my doctor decided I needed to get tested for COVID. I was positive. We immediately called Mark Hewitt and let the mayor know we had all been exposed. Needless to say, I was “THAT volunteer at THAT non-profit” he talked about in his press release announcing that he had COVID too. We found out that Mike and his wife and child also had it. Luckily, no one else got it during this time. As of today, we have all recovered, and we are all back at work, including the mayor.

I am thankful that Funeral Directors Life (Kris, the Executive Staff, Supervisors, and the Board of Directors) allows us to have these opportunities to minister to one another at whatever level we know best. I am thankful for the opportunity to serve the poor and homeless of the Big Country. I am thankful to all of the employees and volunteers who keep the Love & Care wheel turning. I am thankful for Mark Hewitt and his executive staff for their hard work. I am thankful for the doctors and nurses who took care of us during our quarantine. I am thankful for the medicines we were given that made us feel better and quickly recover. I am thankful that I didn’t have to go to the hospital. And I pray for those who are struggling because of this virus. I am also thankful to be back with my FD family who have supported me as I recovered. And I am especially thankful for the marketing department and it’s peeps who helped me continue to work remotely during this time by supporting me and helping continue to push projects along. We are supremely blessed here at this company. These are things I will take with me for the rest of my life. And thankful that God is in the center of us all.

You know that phrase, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans”? Looking back on my mini sabbatical, that’s the phrase that comes to mind. I had all of these grand plans to knock out dozens of projects in and around the house, wake up early every day and work out, read a few books, etc. Don’t get me wrong – I did complete some of these things, but what I came to realize I needed most out of this time off was rest. This year has thrown me (and all of us, am I right?) for a loop, and I didn’t realize how much it affected me until I had time to slow down and rest. I had time to check in on myself and on others who were feeling the weight of the pandemic, too.

Another thing that will stay with me from this mini sabbatical is my time volunteering at Meals on Wheels. I have done the delivery route with FD for a few years, but there was something about the joy on their faces this time around that really made it an impactful experience for me. Even a short conversation with a stranger had the weight to make their day and mine, and that’s something I’ll never forget.

Thank you to Kris for allowing me this time off to rest and reflect, and to Rob, David, and John who covered for me while I was away. Now, more than ever, I feel very thankful to be working at FD.

I am so thankful to have the opportunity to give back and serve in meaningful ways.  This year for my Helpers of People Leave I worked with Beltway’s Boots on the ground ministry.  My plan at the beginning of the year was to serve at my church’s (Beltway) kids camp but COVID happened and things changed.  God wasn’t surprised though!  When summer began drawing closer, I began to panic because I didn’t have a plan and couldn’t think of a meaningful way to serve in this mess.  In one of my attempts to find a way to serve, I reached out to Jeff Smith (aka Fuzzy) who heads up Boots on the Ground.  I imagined physical labor and serving in a manual capacity since that is what this ministry does at it’s heart.  However, the Lord (and Fuzzy) had other plans in mind.  When asking Fuzzy if there was a way I could serve I began offering ideas, but he immediately jumped at the opportunity and responded “Excel!”  I’ve done some volunteer work with Beltway’s men’s ministry in the past and Fuzzy has watched my handiwork, so he knew he was asking something I was capable and willing to do.  It’s incredible to see the Lord use me uniquely in a way I’m gifted and aligns with the needs of others.  Fuzzy had been thinking for a while he needed some time of inventory management system for Boots on the Ground and it wasn’t until we connected that he realized I could help.  Let me start by saying he had nothing at all but a warehouse full of things and some thoughts.  So we had to start from the ground up and find a way to track what Boots on the Ground has in inventory and consider a way to convert raw inventory to products in some cases (such as making a ramp out of lumber).  So my service time was spent getting inside the head of Fuzzy (it’s scary in there!) and figuring out what he needed and wanted and making something that would incorporate into his workflow and was also very user friendly.  After some back and forth, we ended on a project that will help him tremendously by letting him be able to track inventory as well as create project sheets (and even has some fancy user interfaces to make things simple while minimizing the manipulation of the workbook itself).  To see the smile on his face and the appreciation in his eyes was truly a rewarding sight.  It is amazing how Jesus orchestrated our working together and in the end how fun and fulfilling it was to be able to give from a place the Lord has blessed me and help others for the benefit of His kingdom.  I’m blessed for the opportunity to serve and will be checking in on Fuzzy soon to see what else I can do to help him.

I was able to take a mini-sabbatical in December.

My two weeks consisted of having a minor surgery, delivering MOW and taking our daughter to Utah.

I had surgery on Monday (all went well).  I rested the remainder of that day & Tuesday.  Then on Wednesday my daughter and I delivered MOW.  Our day Wednesday started with the lady at MOW not having us down to deliver.  She was subbing in for someone else and told us that we weren’t going to be able to deliver but she would get us a route for Thursday & Friday.  After a bit of paperwork for Madey, I saw my name printed on a route sheet with a route assigned.  After all that, we were able to deliver all three days.

Madey & I got our meals together (28) and found that our route was in an area that wasn’t known for being great.  So, I called my husband and asked if he would go with us and if all was well, we would be fine to deliver without him on Thursday & Friday.  We went & picked Scott up from his shop and we set out on our journey.  Scott decided that he would be the one to actually get out and deliver the meals to those on our route.  Madey made sure we delivered the correct meal to the correct individual and I was the navigator.  With each meal delivered Scott became a little quieter until about halfway through, he came back to the truck with tears in his eyes.  Madey & I both asked what was wrong and he had just been touched.  He stated that he just didn’t understand how some people were just left on their own with no family.  He visited with each individual and even helped load stuff in their cars.

On Thursday, Scott asked if he was going to get to go with us to deliver.  This day was the same as Wednesday; he delivered, he visited, and he helped.  WOW, what a tearjerker to watch.  He was teaching Madey and me how to serve and love people who needed it.  No matter our circumstance, we are all God’s children and He loves each one of us.

Friday when we got to MOW we found that our route had already been taken so we were given another route.  This route was in a good area and on the other side of town from the first route and where Scott was.  I told Scott that we would be okay, and we set out to deliver on our own.  This route also had 28 stops, and all were in an apartment complex.  Everything was laid out nicely.  I drove as Madey wanted to be the one to deliver.  We were almost done when Madey had been gone a little longer than expected.  I texted her to see if all was well and she told me she was coming.  When she got to the truck she stated that the lady had fallen and couldn’t get up.

I parked and had Madey call MOW as I went to see if I could help her.  Long story short, I was unable to help, and we had to call 911.  We stayed in the home with the lady until help arrived but by now my Madey was pretty shaken up.  We didn’t know what was wrong and she had never seen anything like this.  She called her dad, who came to her rescue.  He delivered the rest of the meals and loved on those who he delivered to as well as he loved on Madey.

What an adventure we had taken!  We are so blessed to have the things we have and to have the people we have in our lives!  I appreciate the time I had to spend with Madey & Scott while we were able to serve others.  We have made it a goal to serve as a family at least once a month.  Tyler will join us as we prepare to serve monthly and Madey will be serving in another capacity.

The next week we took off to Utah.  Our daughter, Madey, was leaving for training as she prepared to serve a mission for our church.  Her mission is actually in Orlando, Florida but her training was in Provo, Utah.  As we left, I didn’t feel too well but wasn’t sure if I was sick or if I was just worn out; surgery, stress, exhaustion, etc.  I was very emotional as I knew that we would be leaving our beautiful girl in Utah and coming home without her.  We made it to Farmington, New Mexico and stopped for the night.  I still didn’t feel well but blamed it on being worn out.  The next morning, we were on our way to Utah.  Talk about beautiful!  Mountains and snow and cold, oh my!

We finally made it to Utah and went to Salt Lake City to go see Temple Square and all the Christmas lights.  It is beautiful there.  It was freezing.  Scott kept telling me he was starting to feel bad too.  We ended up rushing through Temple Square and leaving, heading to Provo for the night.  About 10:30 pm, Tyler tells me that Scott is burning hot.  I found a walk-in clinic that was open so we both went.  We both had the flu, in Utah!  The doctor gave us a prescription and told us to go home and rest for 2-3 days.  We both laughed and told him that home was in Texas.  We got our medicine and decided that we would need to stay an extra night before heading home the next day.

We took Madey to the MTC (missionary training center) the next day, December 18^th (one week before Christmas).  We said our good-byes with many tears.  We went back to our hotel and rested as much as we could.  Neither Madey or Tyler got sick!  What a blessing!  Scott and I rested the remainder of that day so that we could begin our journey home.  We had several loved ones offer to fly to Utah to drive us home.  We felt that with a little rest we would be able to make it home on our own.  The next morning, we hit the road.  We drove straight through without stopping.

It was a long drive home with a lot of tears still (actually there are still a lot of tears, but they are happy tears).  We know our girl in where she needs to be.  She is happy, she looks great and sounds wonderful.  She is now in Florida.  She is so excited to be able to serve the people in Orlando.

I am truly touched by the opportunity I was given to be able to take this time to serve others and spend precious time with my family.  What a great company we work for!  I am blessed, not only by a great company but also by little tender mercies from my Father in Heaven.  I know He is aware of me and how my eyes and heart have been opened to see that.  Mahatma Gandhi said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

Thank you again from the bottom of my heart!

More Help for the Needy Families of Baird

Acts 20:35 ESV

“In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Matthew Reynold’s, a deacon in our church (First Baptist Church in Baird), also works for Mark Hewitt at Love and Care Ministries in Abilene. One of Matt’s jobs is to distribute non-perishable food in the Care Pack for Kids at Abilene ISD and many other surrounding community’s schools, including Baird. We have 47 children that we give food bags to every Friday just in Bird. These are prepared by Matt’s team at the local Abilene Love and Care facilities.

Step back to November of this year, Matt and I were handing out Thanksgiving food baskets to the Care Pack for Kids and their families at Baird ISD on a Sunday afternoon after church. Matt and I were talking to some of the parents and asked them if they had any specific needs and many of them were asking for coats. As we handed out the food, we took coat orders at the same time. There are so many needy moms and dads and grandparents and uncles and aunts and older siblings. The needs are many in Baird. So, we decided to start a coat drive for mid-late January.

The organizers of this coat drive start with 7 individuals:
1. Myself
2. Matthew (First Baptist Church)
3. Carrie (Church of Christ)
4. Leslie (Church of God)
5. Debbie (Presbyterian Church)
6. Cathy (Methodist Church)
7. Dela (City of Baird)

Many of these local Baird businesses are helping:
1. Seth Goldsmith Enterprises
2. Hanner Chevrolet
3. Dairy Queen
4. Allsup’s
5. I-Hop
6. Love’s Truck Stop
7. Doller General
8. Clay Jacobs Parker Funeral Home
9. Baird Drive In
10. AM Donut Shop
11. Don Louis Restaurant
12. Mary’s Restaurant
13. Baird City Hall
14. Baird ISD
15. 1820 Restaurant
16. Baird Motor Inn
17. Senior Citizen Center
18. Baird Police Department
19. Baird Volunteer Fire Department
20. Callahan Appraisal District
21. Callahan County Clerk’s Office
22. Dr. Raul Calvo, MD
23. City of Baird
24. Brian and Monique Wheat
25. Grumpie’s Specialties
26. Billy Harris Auto Repair & Service
27. Kelton Flower Shop
28. Market Street Beverage
29. Robert McCool
30. Old Shoppe Antique Dealers
31. Mike Parker, Attorney
32. Robertson’s Hams
33. Shady Oaks Golf Course
34. Texas Department of Public Safety
35. Texas Farm Bureau Insurance

We have lined up the Baird Light Plant (it’s a giant venue in Baird for parties and such) as the distribution center for the day we give the coats out. Nearly all of the local businesses have promised to participate in one way or another. We are happy that financial donations are coming in. We have been blessed. We are still working through the details of the time of distribution, but the process is moving along. Trying to get everyone together is easier now that Christmas and New Year’s is over. Everyone is excited to start a new project.

I am thankful for Kris Seale and the Board of Directors of Funeral Directors Life for allowing us as employees to have these opportunities to spend time reaching out to families in this capacity. I am also very thankful for the fellowship we have as a team by building our community with the love of Jesus.

This week I am volunteering at First Baptist Church in Baird, and in my community. My pastor has given me a “laundry list” of thigs to do. I am happy to serve him. 😊 They are as follows:

1. Tidy up the VBS rooms upstairs. Trash anything torn or unusable.
2. Straighten the craft supply room upstairs. Sort and trash the old supplies.
3. Shop for fresh supplies for craft room and VBS room.
4. Paint old table with brown spray paint for Pastors office.
5. Retouch black paintings of Jesus and cheerleader and basketball player in the youth room upstairs.
6. Organize and re-hang the costumes in the costume closet. Rearrange in logical order according to adult and child sizes.
7. Help the music minister update 2 years of library archiving of sheet music and books. He is behind and needs help.
8. Visit and welcome the new family (Bob and Cheryl Arbuckle) across the street in Mrs. Gillette’s old house.
9. Go to the nursing home in Clyde and visit with Shorty. See if she needs anything.
10. Wednesday night help with the meal they are serving for “Jesus Table”.

I painted that 6-foot Jesus on the green wall in the high school youth room a few years ago and he had taken on some damage from the last few VBS activities we had and scratches from just normal kid stuff. So, taking care of him and the cheerleader and a basketball player was a nice time to spend painting alone in the kids room where I had not been a Sunday School teacher for a while since Ivy was younger. She is now 26. Lots of good memories in these rooms and halls. Shuffling and herding her friends and new kids that didn’t know Jesus. There was always some kid who got hauled in last minute and just came to eat a grilled cheese sandwich and ended up coming again next week. We have some pretty welcoming kids in our youth group. To make 100 grilled cheese sandwiches on a Wednesday evening was my job. But there is nothing better than having a group of starving football players and cheerleaders and track runners or basketball players running in the fellowship hall because Miss Kathy will make you as many grilled cheese sandwiches as you can eat! Every Wednesday night this happened when Ivy was in middle school and high school. I had a good 6 year run of it. I miss that!

Aside from the random cleaning of the VBS rooms and restocking new paints and glue and construction paper, markers and crayons, and foam craft kits. These are the times I think I miss the most with the little kids. I think I was the craft leader since Ivy was in Kindergarten until she went off to college in 2012. In the 6^th grade she was too big for VBS, so she was the music leader for her dad, and she led the VBS music until she graduated. Oh, because Dennis, her dad and my husband is music director. He has been since 2000. Those were busy years.

“Jesus Table” is a ministry the deacons wives have in our church for the surrounding community. This week they made delicious pots of stew and pans of homemade cornbread, along with homemade cookies and tea and coffee. Every Wednesday evening, they invite anyone and everyone that wants a hot meal. Most of them are the poor and low income in our community. It’s heart warming to see these families and individuals come in and cool off during the heat in July and rest themselves in our air conditioning and get a hot meal. Aside from a handful of church members eating, the fellowship hall is full of people I have never met before that live here in Baird. They all come through the line and the deacons wives make sure each plate has a healthy serving of everything. Once they are all seated, my favorite thing to do is walk around with the tea jug and make conversation. There are some mighty sweet and appreciative people every time we do this. It’s heart-warming to see this. At the end of the meal, we send them home with as much food as they can carry. By the time we have our bible study, most of them stay with us and get a great lesson, plus Dennis always sings a couple of great praise songs. My last-minute job while we clean up is to pack cookie bags for the kids that hang around. They know when I head for the kitchen at the end of the night that I always make sure they have treats to take home. Love these kids.

Today is another day and I am heading over to the Clyde Nursing Home to visit Carol Maddy, we just call her “Shorty”! She is 73 and her husband just passed away a few months ago. She is happy to be in the nursing home because this gives her a chance to visit with the other elderly folks who are not as mobile as she is or clients that have very little family contact. She is the “social butterfly” of the nursing home. She is a member of our church in Baird and taught me to sing alto in Dennis’s choir 20 years ago. She is a masterful vocalist. I know God sent her to us when we joined this church to minister to her and her husband. First Baptist Church Baird has cared for her and Harold, her husband who passed, for as long as they have lived here. She loves to go for walks, so I am picking her up today to walk in the Clyde park which is just across the street from the nursing home. She hasn’t walked in a while and we make a few stops as she catches her breath in our one-mile circle. We talk about Harold a lot and she is lonely for him but is adjusting with all her new friends at the nursing home. We finally stop and sit at a picnic table and talk about some of the things she needs. So, I take down her sizes of clothes and some articles she needs and promise to make a visit to Walmart and get her some comfy socks and a new rob and pajamas. I feel like this helps with her transition. She is so appreciative. Shorty will always be a part of our life.

Today, I ran across the street from my house in Baird to meet the new neighbors, Bob and Cheryl Arbuckle. I take a cherry pie and find out that they are from Colorado. They left because of the legalization of marijuana and the complications of life and attitudes and culture. They have custody of their two teenage grandchildren. It’s complicated and intense. Cheryl stays home with the kids and is unpacking boxes after their move in. Bob works three weeks out of the month in Midland for an electrical company. He is looking for work in Abilene. But they are a cheerful and happy couple. It is hilarious how God sends new friends to us. She is an artist and a little bit crazy like me. Bob is an electrician and rides a Harley like Dennis rides a Harley and is an electrician by trade! And he and Bob look like BROTHERS! We have lots in common, and we are all close to the same age. Looking forward to developing this relationship. Making plans to have them and the kids over for dinner soon.

Just want to say how blessed I am to work side by side with my husband in this church. He is associate pastor now and leads worship through his music. He is well loved by our members. So, I feel like this task my pastor gave me was to help Dennis get his office in order. One major task I have is to archive 2 years of sheet music and books that have been piled on shelves and in boxes gathering dust. This is one of his least favorite tasks to maintain. So, it literally takes me a day and a half to recover his office for him as these white boxes are filled and titled according to their rightful placement on these shelves, along with entry into a log book as to where they are and what they are called. It is not an activity I look forward to, but I find that it rattles my artistic need for something “crafty” to have such an analytical activity. I find myself enjoying the work as dreadful as it presented itself. Needless to say, it was done, and Dennis looked at me like “who is this woman?” Enough said. I love how God shows us new things we learn about each other just as we think we know each other so well. Thirty-four years together can sometimes create comfort that can become everyday life, but Dennis and I have artistic impressions of each other and ourselves and we love it when these moments happen. The situation is embraced. The task was a blessing, even though I went into it with great dread!

Painting a table for the pastor…uh, yeah!

I am thankful that FDLIC has allowed me to take this time to serve my community, minister to church family, meet new neighbors, and enrich my marriage. I am truly blessed to be a part of this company and will forever be indebted.

This mini sabbatical was exactly what I needed to regroup, recharge and get me through the rest of the year. I’m so thankful to work for a company that values their employees enough to invest this kind of benefit to them.

The best part of leaving home is returning!  Israel was incredible and the experiences were priceless…but landing on US soil this morning feels incredible as well😍

God is helping me navigate this new season in my life and I was reminded many people on our trip have new seasons they are adjusting to as well (divorce, loss of parents, marriage issues, new parenting challenges, addictions, family members trying to commit suicide,…).  Problems and unexpected life issues really throw us off track……but God can be in it if we let HIM.  My ABBA Father reminded me of that over and over again these past weeks.

The Israel people were blessed but I was blessed by them as well.

What a gift to be totally focused on missions for 2 weeks.  And I’m glad I’ve got a weekend to recuperate before Monday FdLIC work!

getting to hear the testimonies of my fellow kitchen workers was so ministering.  It’s a great reminder that every person has a past.  Every persons past contributes to their belief system and choices they make now.  And when we submit to God and listen to HIS voice, our future can and should look so different.

We joined the congregation of Tents of Mercy on Shabbat….Saturday.  What a fun reunion getting to see many of the adults and kids at camp and then participating in the service.  Wow!  Goodbyes were also difficult.  The “Camp high” is still lingering.

One of the coolest events was seeing my kiddo lead worship on the Sea of Galilee.  Goodness!  Tucker has many talents….music is one of them.

My prayer today is God…..show me who you are.  I want to know you better.

What a gift to be given time off of work for 2 weeks…..and to be in Israel.

My daughter, Scotty, loves oatmeal. She eats it nearly every morning she’s home with me. We’re each having a bowl as I type this.

The past two weeks off work have been such a treat – an exhausting, much-needed treat.  Connor and Scotty have been with me for almost a month now.  Even though our time has been chock-full of fun activities (we went to a place called Rainbow Vomit, and it’s every bit as cool and weird as the name suggests), my favorite times have been sharing breakfast with the kids.  The quiet moments before the day starts are the ones I treasure most, and the ones I miss the most when the kids aren’t with me.

On Wednesday this week we got to deliver Meals on Wheels to folks who couldn’t otherwise get out and get food. I remember my grandmother delivering MoW through her church when I was a kid, and I always thought it was cool that she gave back in that way.  Now, I get to show Connor and Scotty that same example – how important simply delivering a warm meal can be, and how a smile can brighten someone’s day.  I’ll admit, the recipients are much cheerier when they see two cute kids with their meals than when it’s just Ruben and me who show up (ha!).  Our route wasn’t the usual “FD” route, either – we were in abjectly poor neighborhoods – which was eye-opening for all three of us.  Connor navigated our way, and made observations about the environment and people that were intelligent, compassionate, and telling that he understands how lucky he is to have all that he does in life.  He’s a smart one.

I’m grateful for a company who allows me this time to relax and spend time with my kids. I’m grateful for the opportunity and ability to give back to others who aren’t as fortunate. Mostly, though, I’m grateful to have some amazing people in my life who love and support me.

Today, Emily will join us to deliver MoW again!  We’re sure to start an ongoing game of counting how many cats we encounter on the route, and which ones are cutest.  Scotty and Emily will probably win.

Cheers,

P

Instead of my typical helpers of people leave service where I go to kids camp or youth camp or even volunteer physical efforts at Live and Care, I wanted to do something different this year. So I began months ago putting out feelers with people I know to volunteer using my administrative giftings. Turns out there are people who need help with spreadsheets. I couldn’t imagine a better fit for me. In case you’re not familiar with Prepare International, they develop and encourage leaders and churches work around the globe. My friend Tommy connected me with Beth who works in their home office. Working with Beth, I had the opportunity to learn of some workbooks that needed a little attention. One specific example, they needed an efficient way to keep track of petty cash and the deposits and withdrawals. However, being a ministry that travels all over the world, the maintain balances in numerous currencies. This was just one project of a handful that I helped with, al of the objectives being to improve a process they were doing or create a way for them to analyze and digest data. All things considered, it was a fantastic way for me to serve and I pray my efforts and work is helpful for many years to come! I do hope to maintain a relationship with the people of PI and I even volunteered to be available going forward as other workbook needs arise.

As I reflect on my time this week, it was a sweet combination of peaceful, rewarding and fun.  I sometimes take for granted my administrative abilities and gifting in Excel but this week I am praising Jesus for blessing me with talents and opening opportunities to use them to benefit His kingdom. I’m also grateful to have the opportunity to serve in new ways and I am blessed to work for a company that encourages this opportunity.

I’ve been back from my trip to Israel for a few days now. It was a wonderful trip. The highlight of the trip was being able to be baptized in the Jordan River. On the day we left, we stopped in Akko to visit with Susan Heagy from Abundant Hope International. This organization serves Holocaust Survivors in Israel. Susan always lives in a house where she can let volunteers stay while they are there. She is having to move into another place because the beautiful house she is renting now has been sold. While we were there we helped her disassemble some of the beds in the house and pack up some of her dishes, books, etc. It was a joy to visit with her and learn about her ministry to the Holocaust Survivors and their families. Thank you Kris and the board for allowing me to take extra time off to take this trip of a lifetime. I was so blessed. I would also like to thank the accounting department for all they did for me while I was gone. Not only did they get my financials done, they also went to visit my mother at the rehab hospital across the street from the office. She really enjoyed having them stop by to check on her. FDLIC is truly the greatest company to work for. Thanks again.

As I type the title of this blog, I’m reminded in Proverbs – “We make our plans, but God determines our steps” (Proverbs 16:9).  The last time I blogged was last July when I was taking off of work to host the TX SLAM Tennis Tournament.  But, God had a different plan.  My husband Jon landed up in ICU.  I never made it to the tournament.  So, it’s with great reserve I say I’m leaving for Israel in 3 days….at least I think I am!

Our daughter, Tucker, and I determined after Jon died to keep a journal for a year.  We wrote all the character traits Jon possessed that made him Christ-like and incredible.  Then, we both picked one of those “Jon” traits to work on through the year as a tribute to his lasting legacy.  We decided we would need to compare our journals on a trip that commemorated his death.  Well, our church takes a group to Israel annually and well, it just seemed the right thing to do.  We’ll be working a kids camp the first week in Israel, then touring the 2nd week.  Of course, we’re planning on talking a lot about our journals on the long plane ride.  (Just so you know, Jon Smith was one of the most kind persons I know.  He really never let his emotions get the best of him and always treated people with respect.  This was an obvious trait for me to work on this past year because I can be very unkind at times & I hate that flaw. My journal is full of successes and failures in this area! And yes….I’ll be working on it the rest of my life!

Can I tell you how grateful I am to be making this trip with my daughter?  I’m excited for what God will reveal to us and how much we’ll learn about God’s country, people, HIS character,….  I’m also looking forward to serving with other members of church that I hardly know and getting to know the people in Israel.

Thank you Kris and FDLIC for allowing me this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Nadene

I’m sitting by the pool at our hotel in Tiberias by the Sea of Galilee. We came her on Saturday and will spend the remainder of our trip here. On the way from Jerusalem, we were able to stop at Jacob’s Well in Samaria. This is where Jesus spoke with the Samaritan woman about living water. We also went to Caesarea Maritima on the Mediterranean Sea. Yesterday we sailed on the Sea of Galilee worshiping on the boat with Danny the boat captain. Today we went to Magdala where Mary Magdalene was from. We also went to Capernaum. It’s been a blessing to be able to go to all these places and worship.

It’s been a fast, furious, tiring and glorious first 4 days of my mini-sabbatical. I left for Israel on Monday morning and we arrived here on Tuesday about 4:30 pm local time. I was able to sleep some on the 10 hour flight and I still had no trouble sleeping thru the night Tuesday. Wednesday morning we wanted no time getting started on our adventure. We boarded our bus and headed out of Jerusalem to Masada, En Gedi, Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Then we went to the Dead Sea where floated in the salty water. I even found a camel there to ride. We got back to the hotel in Jerusalem and ate our evening meal then we had a worship and praise time before turning in for the night. Thursday we headed to old Jerusalem (City of David). We walked through Hezekiah’s tunnels. We also went to the Temple Mount and the Western Wall. We also went to tunnels that run along the Western Walls under the Temple Mount. It was a long and exhausting day, but totally worth it. Tomorrow we will walk in the footsteps of Jesus.

I am so very thankful for the Helper’s of People week that I was able to take.  I went back to camp this year as a counselor but not as a kids counselor-I went as a middle school counselor.  I must admit I was just a tad bit nervous to be an 8th grade girls counselor.  Originally I had not planned on going to camp this year.  I told myself that I would only go IF they needed counselors and guess what they still needed counselors at the parent meeting in early May.  So that was my sign to say, Okay I am going to camp.  Thankfully, the other counselor, Cara, that was with me just happen to be a friend of mine as well as a junior high teacher.

Once at camp we met our girls in our cabin and the hustle and bustle of camp began.  I enjoy camp because it is a time to witness the younger generation worship and let down their guards they are all slowly and quietly building up throughout the year.  Camp is also a time for me to slow down and not worry about the everyday, but to refocus and have more conversations than normal with God.

From the moment I walked out of the cabin each morning my glasses fogged up-gotta love the humidity.  Days were fill with games, free time, worship, family group Bible study, evening service, and finally coming back to the cabin with 15 teenage girls.  There was a lot of eye-rolling and huffing, but I would not trade it for anything because the message each day was powerful and to see the message through their eyes was very worth a sweat filled week.

Of course I did get to see my own child at camp as well.  He would find me after each meal and ask for money for candy and ice cream at the store-yep that is definitely why enjoys having me go to camp.  My trade-off is seeing him worship with his friends and not caring who is watching.

One of the best lines I picked up from camp was: “The Bible and God’s word is like deodorant.  It does not work unless you do”……yes this is odd but I do have a middle-school aged boy who let’s just admit does not smell the best a lot of times.  This was a great description and really caught their attention.

The week flew by.  I do enjoy camp greatly, but I so enjoy coming home to my own bed!

Well, we knew to expect the unexpected when we started on this road trip with three babies, but little did we expect that they would be champs… and that the rest of us would end up getting sick for the rest of the week. My dad, brother, sister-in-law, and I all got sick for the majority of our time in Durango. A bummer, to say the least, but sometimes I’ve found that God just tends to find a way to knock you off your feet when you’re trying to do too much, too fast. I will admit that some of the time I spent reading and talking with family–when there was nothing else I could do–was very refreshing and encouraging time that I probably wouldn’t have had otherwise. Yet I think we were all a bit disappointed that we didn’t get to do more while we were there. Thankfully all of the kids stayed healthy, though, and my mom and wife were absolute heroes helping pick up the slack for all of us sick people!

We planned on stopping back in Albuquerque on the way back home to spend more time with that part of our family, but since we were still sick and some of them had actually gotten sick during the week as well, we decided to just come home a day early. We drove through one of the craziest hail storms I’ve ever been in near Clovis, New Mexico, but eventually we made it back and are ever so happy to be home.

Overall, it’s been a really special time off for me. A time to pour into others and reconnect with God myself, and a time to let him teach me as I realize I can always use more teaching 🙂

Lastly, I want to thank Kris and FDLIC for allowing me to make this sabbatical happen. I probably wouldn’t have gone to camp otherwise, so it’s just amazing that my company would support me so fully on this endeavor. I hope and expect that from this time there will be tangible impacts in his kingdom that we will all get to find out about someday!

The first two days in Durango have been great. The weather is as fantastic as we all hoped it would be, and we even successfully completed a 4-ish mile hike with all 3 babies in tow! We also rode a mini section of the Durango-Silverton train and saw some incredible views of the Animas river that winds all around the area. Being in the mountains always reminds me of God’s creativity, power, and beauty all at the same time, and I’ve definitely felt his grace with us so far on this trip.

Riding the train

It’s a quick turnaround from my week at camp to family vacation. The way it worked out, I arrived back home at 5pm and left at 8am the next day. I think it’ll be worth it, though, for an escape to the cool weather of Colorado.

We’re probably crazy for attempting this, but it’ll be my family (with a potty-training 2 year old and 7 month old), my parents, and my brother’s family (with a 6 month old). We had originally reserved a 15 passenger van and planned to ride all together but thankfully it was sketchy looking and also broken when my parents went to pick it up. Instead we took two cars with my kids in one and my brother’s in the other.

We stopped overnight in Albuquerque to visit some extended family, which was a great bonus. Then the next day we finished the remaining 3 hours to Durango! Overall the drive was pleasantly uneventful, even with having to stop frequently for the babies.

Hopefully the rest of the week will be full of adventure and relaxation!

These three cousins rocked their road trip!