They are Certified!

This last Friday was a special day for the vicars serving in our congregation!! After 2 years of hard work, studying, and turning in lengthy papers, and giving sermons of their own by God's authority, they have become officially certified to be ordained as pastors in our church. They will be pastors of the specific ministry they are called to do. Craig will be our music pastor. Doug will be the pastor of the school. Aaron will be the pastor of pastoral care. The congregation is so proud of them and has expressed endless support. What a blessing!! Nancy and I were blessed to be a part of this special occasion. We were able to spend alot of time getting to know each other better and how we can support each other in this journey. We missed you dearly Nia!!! Here are some pictures of this blessed occasion!!


We invite you to the special service in which they will be ordained in to the church and committed to their service to the Lord. Mark your calendars for May 27th 2012. There will be a reception to follow.

Praise be to God the Father, whom all blessings flow!!

Baseball and softball season has officially started. This is one of my favorite things to watch!! I'm a proud mama. Derek is earning extra cash as an umpire. I love to watch him but he and Aaron think it is weird to just go to watch him ump a game. Who goes to a game to watch the umpire..lol.  I sneak a peak if Georgia is playing on a field near by..heehee. Georgia's season started in the middle of March. JD just started. They are both off to a great start!! Georgia has started catcher at three out of four games. Second base is mostly where she is if she is not catcher. Today, she pitched her first game of the season! Boy was she excited!! She did really well. She needs more practice but overall did great. Georgia even got a strike out! They both are doing outstanding at batting. JD was able to show off his strong batting skillz in his first game. Impressing us and his coach! When he hits that ball, it goes far. He scored right away!! Here are some pictures so far. I will continue to brag since I am so proud!



You wish you threw like a girl!

Be a wall!!

Proud of their victory!!

By the way, I'm good at this, Back up!

Bring it!

Road Trip to ACU!

This weekend Derek and I took a road trip to take part in a premire weekend at Abilene Christian University. How exciting!! This is the first road trip we have ever taken alone. I'm sure Aaron was worried. I was very proud of my navigating skills! (part map/part woman skills) Anyway, we made it safe and somewhat on time.

After checking in, we went to the World Famous Bean for dinner. This is basically the cafeteria. When we walked in Derek was slightly overwhelmed. At first, all he saw were students. Was he the only one there with his mom??? After we sat down with our plates, he noticed the other parents and was soon relieved he was not a dork. I had no idea he was that nervous. He played it off quite well.

We then headed downtown for the Film Festival. This was neat because it was kind of like there Oscar night for all the film work done throughout the year. It was a great way to showcase this particular department. We closed out our night with Dairy Queen.

The next morning we started with a brief opening session. A guided tour took us through many departments on the campus. We work extremely impressed by the library. It is so well thought out with everything you can think of to help the students be successful. Books, technology, tech support, office center, coffee shop, study rooms, and top of the line programs for group studies as well. Tutoring sections are clearly set up for help. Just wonderful.

The session on Admissions and Scholarships was super helpful. We were encouraged to find that he was already ahead of the game. Boy was that a relief. It really made our day easier.

Finally, we toured the dorms. It's pretty simple but really let us get a picture of what a real one looks like. All freshmen and sophomores are required to stay on campus. There is quite a lot to get involved in socially.

It was a beautiful and simple campus. Easy to get around was a bonus. It was a great trip and we are  looking forward to the next!!

From One Phase to the Next

Boy, we have had a great year so far! We went from mascot and basketball to mascot and baseball/softball. Whew!! This is the season I love the most with the kids. I want to take a look at the old and what is next.

Derek had a great year as one of the mascots for his school. He really out did himself with each creative and spirited skits. He tried tumbling with the cheerleaders and it turns out, he's really good at it. He started with a back handspring and moved on to a tuck and worked on landing a layout. If you don't know what that means, it means awesome! He and the other wonderful mascot tried out and made it!! Their hard work paid off! What a fun senior year it will be for them next year. They have been told buy administration they are the best mascots the school has ever had!! He is also an umpire for the baseball and softball games. He makes great pocket change and he is still involved in the baseball season. (bonus? He drives himself!!!)

JD had a great season of basketball. They really came together as a team and learned soo much. They began to really learn plays and skill. It was really fun!! He was praised by the coach for his hard work and major improvement. His party included a game of basketball fathers vs dads! He then got out all his baseball equipment and prepared for his baseball season. He is playing for the school team. They have begun practice and games are soon to come. I can't wait to see the season start and JD's strengths. He is super excited!!

Georgia also had a great season! The girls really enjoyed the game which worked in there favor. Proving it does not just have to be about plays. She even showed some of aggression in the games and we told her that she needed to control that so she can also still play well. She displayed great self-control when the aggression was directed at her. She was such a valuable player! But now it is time for her favorite sport!! (mine too :)) She has really grown in her skills. They have put her as catcher and did well. Lots of practice will make her better. In her first game she got a single and a double. What a great game!!!

I'm very proud of there accomplishments! They work hard and play well. I love this time of year and can't wait to see what it brings!!

Is it worth it?

Well, it's almost 11p.m.. I am so tired but glad the day has come to an end. This is the story of my life these days. But it is so worth it. Since we decided to go ahead and put the kids in school I don't mind chasing toddlers all morning (which is fun by the way). It is important that we chose a school that gives the kids a christian education and they have teachers that genuinely care about them. They are very busy with school and sports. I don't mind taking them to 2 hour practices and some how making it work when they have games at the same time in different locations. ( and the nasty laundry that comes with it). I think it is worth it to have them involved with the life around them, learn teamwork, respect for coaches, and what it means to work hard for something. I love our church and the business that comes with it. Some of our biggest blessings have come from our church family. So, at the end of the day, I sit tired and sometimes stressed. I look to the only refuge that keeps me going. The Father above. My rock, shield, sustainer, and savior.

Next weekend I will stand in front of the first of several college campuses to visit. This will be a day I have waited for. 17 years ago, I wondered if my son would have a chance to really be something.Having him so young left me wondering what he would be like. I am so proud of him. Sometimes I am prideful and give myself a pat on the back for pushing so hard to shape him into the man he is. God ultimately gets the credit. He cared for him, gave him wisdom, and opened doors for him to pursue Him. I prayed so hard that God would have big plans for him. I know He will. This all reminds me everything I do, every time I'm tired, and every time I keep going, it is worth it.

How about you? What keeps you going?

Fundraising!!!

Fundraising has begun!! Each team member is responsible for raising the funds to go on the trip. Since there are five of us going, we have to get to work. We kicked off our sales in December with hot chocolate sales. We got to school early with our coats and gloves ready and sold hot chocolate. We got a great response! Tacos are a big part of our Shepherd family on Sundays. The whole team has taken this task on. This is great for fundraising but it also serves the needs of our family here at Shepherd. . Georgia led a fundraiser in her 4th grade class. The coin drive was quite a success!! The children donated all the coins they could find. She also had a friend each day for a week take donations in our parent pick up after school. I am so proud of her dedication!

We are soo thankful for the donations that have come to us in response to our letter to you!! God has made your gift a part of his plan in this mission. You are on our team as well by your support. If you have not received a letter it is because I don't have your address. Please let me know I can send you the information about how to be a part of this mission!

Coming soon is a talent show. If you have a talent begin practicing, we cannot wait to see it!!

Please continue to pray for our preparations and for the mission God has set before us.

Humbly in His name,

Amy

Food for the Poor

Many of you already know that our family is going on a mission trip this summer with members of our church. Many of you have already shared with us your support financially and/or with prayer, for that we are so very thankful!!We are really excited about this mission and the opportunity to be a part of the team. We will be working with Food for the Poor. They will show us the needs of the people and how we can serve to help meet those needs. I will use my blog to keep everyone posted on the journey we will be on for the next several months. I would like to share a video of a similar mission trip. It is a short term mission trip to Jamaica. We are not going there but the set up is the same and you will get an introduction to Food for the Poor.

Please stay tuned for more updates. I will blog about everything I can. And always, keep us in your prayers.