Taking some time off...

I had the opportunity to go to a Catalyst church leaders conference this past Monday. There was a lot of great information that quite frankly, I need time to fully process. There was one thing that really stood out to me...that I should be the best wife and mom that I can be as those are the roles that only I can do. With this in mind, I will not be updating the blog for a few weeks. My husband is having shoulder surgery in a few hours and I need to be a full time nurse and as Thanksgiving arrives, I want to be fully focused on my relationship with God and my family. I trust that you too want to be the best you can be for your family in the roles that are uniquely yours. I also pray that you count your many blessings as we celebrate Thanksgiving. Look for a post the first week in December. We are planning a great Christmas activity for December 5th!

Catching up

This morning it was so great to sit in the newly refinished auditorium at church. I was a bit sleepy as I sank into the comfortable chairs, but something Pastor Steve said really caught my attention. You see, I do want to be a genuine Christian and want to be growing in my faith. But being real and genuine, I have to tell you that this past week I faced a few trials and instead of growing through them, I checked out. I didn't spend time in the Word or in prayer like I know I should do. I wasted time that could have been more productively used and I took naps instead of calling on friends to give me hand. I'm thankful for our pastor who is willing to preach the truth of the Word even when it is convicting.

That brings me to the topic I would have blogged about last week. October is Pastor Appreciation Month or ministry appreciation month. I like to use this forum to thank Pastor Steve, Josh our worship leader, Donald our youth pastor, Sherri our Children's ministry director and all the others who serve faithfully in our church. Even though it's November, it is never a bad time to thank those who minister to you and your family and I encourage you to do so!

I also want to remind ladies of our upcoming activities:
FP4H Bible study Saturday, Nov 7th from 9-11 am at the church office
Celebrate Life Open House this Saturday, Nov 7th from 2-4 pm at the church office
Under Grace and Over Coffee with Jessica Ellison Sunday, Nov 8th from 7-8:30pm at Wegmans.

You can get more detailed information on the church website!

Feedback is always welcomed and wanted...

I often wonder if we are meeting the needs of the ladies at LCC. While I know we can never meet every need, I also know that we can't attempt to meet those needs if we don't know what they are. At LCC we have a great group of ladies who serve on the women's ministry leadership team. We spend a great deal of time thinking about activities and Bible studies and then in planning. This fall we have had quite a few opportunities for women to connect - we have three Bible studies and several activities throughout each month. Recently however, we have also had a decline in attendance at our activities and I always wonder why when this happens. I also realize that no one can attend every activity - life happens in most unexpected ways!

What I would love to know is what activities appeal to you, what are the best days and times to meet and any thoughts you'd like to add.

What I'd also like for everyone to know is how thankful I am for all those ladies who are serving in women's ministries. We have two new Bible study leaders this fall, Michelle Boice and Jessica Ellison. They are both doing an outstanding job! Lisa Downing will be starting another First Place for Health group the end of this month. Jessica recently planned and led our prayer walk which Lisa Downing hosted for us. Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate, but God blessed just the same! I appreciate each one who serves the LCC women as well as each of you who attend.

So, thanks and please share with us!

Daddy

This morning I got up with my boys, then decided another hour of sleep would be welcomed in my very busy life. I woke up to Maryn singing. She is in that phase of making up her own songs. She was singing about her Daddy. Her song starts off with "Only a boy named Daddy..." (to the tune of Only a Boy named David) that's as far as the song goes, but she repeats it many times. She was also just singing the word "Daddy" over and over. When she came out of her room she was all smiles and helped her daddy get all the things for his pockets. Rich is a great father and I love watching him interact with each of our children!

As I laid there trying to fully wake up (still working on that about 90 minutes later) I thought of God as my Father and how He must love when we sing praises to Him. Our songs can be as simple as Maryn's or borrowed from our worship time at church.Today or at least this week, let's sing a song of praise to Our Father.

This Week's Laundry Blunder...

Lest anyone think I have it all together I share yet another blunder and the following adventure that followed. Keep in mind that I'm a bit overwhelmed with the 2 weeks of construction that was going on at the house (two bathroom remodels, painting outside and other outside work). The dust from the construction was mounting by the day and starting to drive me crazy not to mention the sneezing that went along with it. So Friday I set out to start cleaning our bedrooms.

My oldest son wanted to start his laundry before he left for school (just so you don't think I'm a tyrant, he is a senior in high school and going to college next year). I told him I needed the washer during the day that he'd have to wait. But in the midst of all the cleaning I decided to throw his clothes in the washer so they'd be ready to dry when he got home from school. I patted myself on the back thinking what a nice, thoughtful mom I was. It turns out that it wasn't such a helpful thing to do...I washed an entire pack of gum which had made its way onto most every article of clothing in the load. My poor son, he was so upset but realized I was just trying to help.

So, last week book washing, this week I'm on to stickier situations! This story had an easier ending when my mom came and jumped right in to help get the gum off the clothes. I truly don't know what I'd have done without her. She and my dad even took the more difficult clothes home and worked on them, laundered them and returned them about 14 hours later. I'm not sure how they slept.

I will not tell you that the moral to this story is not to help your children, but I do suppose we need to learn our children's routines before we step in and "help."

Tip of the Week...

If you need to wash a book, I'd recommend a damp paper towel. Why you ask? Well last week in my hurry to get a load of laundry in the washer I accidentally left a book in with the clothes and it went through the washer. You can only imagine my surprise when I lifted the lid to transfer the clothes to the dryer and saw all this white stuff on my clothes. I first thought I left a tissue in one of my pockets, that's certainly been known to happen, but this seemed a bit...well not just a big more...like perhaps an entire jumbo package of toilet paper!

I could not imagine what had caused so much mess until I discovered the plastic wrapper of the book...in case you didn't know, the card stock cover is covered with a plastic film that has the picture and information on it. My washer had totally obliterated the entire book into the tiniest little shreds you can imagine and it COVERED everything...especially the darkest clothing.

When I say covered, I mean after the first pass through the dryer, it was still covered. Oh, and just to give you some context, Caleb's marching band show shirt was one of the worst hit items and he needed the shirt in about an hour. He was so angry and frustrated! I ended up vacuuming the shirt to get as much off as I could and then used one of those lint removers, lots of elbow grease, patience and about 90 minutes or so to get it good enough to deliver (late) to the game. When I discovered the mess I literally stood over my washer and dryer and prayed for God's help, well begged for his deliverance from this terrible situation!

I couldn't bear to deal with anymore of the mess until the next day. I had my contractor (who was here all that week) to look at my washer to see how I should best proceed. I took the offended laundry outside to shake as much off as I could. My contractor offered to string up a clothes line, but I decided that I didn't need to share my undergarments with the neighbors! After repeated washing and drying most everything is back to normal. I had friends tell me last week that some day this will be funny...I know it will, but it was a trying experience.

Over the weekend, I resumed my normal laundry...my younger son left some money in his pants pockets. Interestingly, the money remained in tact. My contractors though could not pass up the opportunity to tease me about not only book laundering, but money laundering! :)

So, the lesson learned that I'd like to share with you all is...don't put your books into the laundry! Oh, and for those wondering the book was Missing by Beverly Lewis and yes, it's really missing now!

Kids...

Two weeks ago we had our kick off for our new kids programs at LCC! I was away so I got my first taste of it yesterday and I must say I was impressed! I was impressed by one of our young moms who had her two little ones in tow, an infant who was having her first nursery experience and her two year old...who showed up early to be ready for our elementary students. I was impressed by our little staffer boys who have to come early with their parents, yet they did so well in their classes. I was impressed by the preschool staff who look on my little girl for the first time. When I peeked in on the class they were having a blast with our teen helpers building towers!

And speaking of teens, I think LCC has the best teens in the country...I wonder if there are any other churches who have such a great group of kids who serve their church and their Lord, like ours do! I am so thankful for them as they help care for my little one and because I get to serve right beside them and because God has blessed me with two teens as well!

I know there has been lots of talk about where you are serving. I hope you don't turn a deaf ear to it, because it really does take everyone one of us doing out part to make our church function properly. I also have to tell you of the untold blessings that come from serving. Yesterday I was blessed seeing a husband and wife serving side by side in the nursery...who can say they know a dad who loves to sing Veggie Tale songs?! I saw joy and contentment on the mom who got to hold that precious little infant and rock her to sleep. I saw laughter when our littlest ones smiled. Personally, I got to see little toddler faces light up when I sang their name! And I absolutely love to see when little ones make the connection that our story is from the Bible, God's Word. Yesterday we learned about creation and after every day God said it was very good.

I'd have to echo, very good indeed!

Sometimes you just have to laugh...

What do one (hopefully) potty trained toddler, a niece's wedding in Colorado, a stuffed suitcase - that did meet the 50 pound requirement, barely, on the way out, and a high maintenance mom have in common? That would be me! To keep with the commercial we all know and love, the priceless part was being able to be at the wedding and seeing Becca's bridesmaids gather around her in prayer right before she walked down the aisle!

I did get a lot of flack about all that I packed and I'm sure someone out there has to know what I went through and can identify. You may not want to admit it but...there is just so much one has to take! My boys would disagree, but you never know when you might be cold or when your toddler becomes un-potty trained, which has happened several times. Another necessity is a variety of food and play activities for said toddler, well and the high maintenance mom as well. Can I just say hair product and make up?

I can also report that the hopefully potty trained toddler did excellent with NO accidents so I didn't use all the articles I took "just in case." I did use almost everything else that I packed. I even suncreened the inside of my suitcase on our west bound trip...what? you say. I guess the lid came off and my full bottle of sunscreen was almost empty when I got there. Either I protected the inside of the suitcase or the TSA checker helped himself.

Anyway, the way I figure...it was only 10 pounds a day - that can't be that bad! Right?!

Who is God to you?

This morning I ended my quiet time thinking about who God is, His character and how He manifests different aspects of His being in my every day life. For the most part, I think I miss these various manifestations, but they are there none the less. I took a few minutes to jot down a few. Jesus is our Bridegroom...our niece is getting married this weekend. God is our Healer...He has healed my neck from whiplash. God is Creator...isn't it absolutely beautiful outside this morning!? The air so crisp and refreshing. There is so much to learn about God and we will barely scratch the surface this side of Heaven, but we can sure keep trying.

Who is God to you?

A New Recipe

I am typically one to see a magazine at the check out counter of the store, purchase it and then let it sit in one of my baskets until I get frustrated by the clutter and then I usually throw them away. Or, I may look through them, but rarely if ever try and new recipe. Well, aside from trying to limit these unnecessary purchases, I'm trying to use the magazines that I do have. I came across this recipe a few weeks ago, tried it out on my family this week and for the Feehs family it it a keeper. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Brown 1 pound of ground beef, add salt and pepper to taste. Put in bottom of two quart casserole dish. Mix in a jar of spaghetti sauce (I didn't write the amount down). Top with broccoli (the recipe called for a 10 oz package of chopped frozen broccoli, but I had fresh and that worked well.) Then top with 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese and finally roll out a refrigerated pizza dough crust on top and seal the edges. Bake in 375 degree oven for 20 minutes or until dough is golden brown, let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Mine bubbled over in my oven so I'd recommend putting a baking sheet or something under your casserole dish. Enjoy!

Time in the Sun

Last weekend I had the opportunity to spend the weekend at my parent's house at Lake Anna. They have a beautiful home right on the water. While everyone spent time on the boat, I decided I'd lay out in the sun to get a bit more color. In my former days, I spent hours working on my tan, but I found I grew restless just lying there. I got to thinking of the Son in the spiritual sense and sitting before God...I realize that I often grow restless when I am resting at God's feet, lying exposed to what He wants to teach me. Then I started to wonder why it is so hard. I came up with a few answers for myself...sin, not wanting sin or hidden motives to be exposed to the light, too busy, lots on my mind, fatigue (I've been known to fall asleep while praying). I thought of these things as sunblock, just as we use sunblock to protect ourselves from the sun's harm rays. The difference with God is that we don't need to be protected from Him. He never causes us harm.

Jeremiah 29:11, "for I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

Are you waiting?

We often find ourselves in times of waiting. Waiting for military orders to come, waiting for a child to be born, waiting for the kids to go back to school, waiting for your toddler to be potty trained, waiting to fall asleep, the list is endless. I remember a little over two years ago when I was waiting for Maryn's adoption referral. We waited for almost 2 years and it was so frustrating!

The question we need to ask ourselves is what are we supposed to do while we wait. We are told in scripture to "wait upon the Lord." I don't know about you, but I'm not the most patient person and I don't like waiting...even in a line at Walmart. I recently heard a song on the radio that you may be familiar with, but it was new to me. It is called "While I'm Waiting" by John Waller. It is from the movie Fireproof. It answers the question of what we should do while we're waiting.

Here's a link to the song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFwZ7Ekg080

Together, let's obey, serve and worship God in whatever circumstance we find ourselves in today.

Not too difficult...

I've been involved with the First Place for Health program since we started it at LCC last fall. I did well in the first session, terrible in the second and this week we started the third. Truth be told, I regained most of the weight I lost in the first session which is very frustrating. I'm now trying to get myself back on track. I'd really like to see the numbers decreasing on the scale, but it hasn't budged much, again frustrating.

Part of FP4H is memorizing scripture. This week's verse has really resonated with me. It is Deut. 30:11: "Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach." I tend to lump things together like wanting to lose all the weight in one week, getting the entire house cleaned, etc. What I've learned this week is that God has specific things planned for me for today and that is what He wants me to do today. Today's tasks are not too difficult or beyond my reach...like exercising today, eating healthy today, cleaning the living room today. Tomorrow there will be a new set of tasks and eventually in God's time, the whole thing will be done.

I know we each have our larger tasks that seem too difficult and beyond our reach, but what about today? I encourage you to ask our Heavenly Father for wisdom and guidance.

Enjoy

On my weekly to-do list is to update this blog. Sometimes I never get to check off that box, other times I have an idea and have no trouble posting it. Today I have a few minutes and not much on my mind, well that's not exactly true there is always something on our minds, but not necessarily something insightful. I'm still trying to decide what to do today, knowing that it will be busy once Maryn and Garrett wake up (adorable Garret Wells spends his weekdays with us). It is so beautiful outside that I know we'll be out there swinging, taking a walk and probably blowing bubbles, all while trying to solicit smiles from Garrett! I guess the thing that God is impressing on my heart this morning is to just enjoy! Enjoy whatever it is you are doing today, whether it is work, school, being home with kids...find some speck of joy in what you have accomplished. Of course, I'd recommend getting outside a few minutes to enjoy the beauty of God's creation! Let me know what you enjoyed today!

FINE

I read an interesting quote this morning in my devotional time. The author (Catherine Martin) spoke of our common response of "fine" when asked how we are doing. She then gave two acronyms for the word fine. The first is Freaked out, Insecure, Neurotic and Emotional. The second is achieved only with prayer: Faithful, Inspired, Nourished and Empowered. (Faithful to God, Inspired by Him, Nourished by the Word and Empowered by the Holy Spirit.)

I know that most often when I say I'm fine, it would be more accurate to describe myself with the freaked out, etc. version. Oh, how I wish that at least some of the time, the second acronym would be true. How about you?

Sticks and ...

not tying you sneakers in PE will break your bones. For those of you who don't know, Caleb broke his foot in PE last week. We thought it was a sprain and he insisted on staying (and walking on his foot) in school for the remainder of the day. He has always wanted to "need" crutches and was very happy when we borrowed some. Rich and I tend to play it safe and take our kids to the doctors "just to make sure." The nurse practitioner who saw him ordered the xray "just to make sure" though she was all but certain it was a sprain. We were all surprised when the radiologist told us his foot was broken. Caleb is now sporting a fancy boot and is able to walk without crutches.

It's been fun to hear him tell of the story, how he was making a great shot in the PE basketball game...he jumped 10 feet off the ground...come to think of it, I don't know if the shot went in or not, but regardless, he didn't return safely to earth...definitely needs to work on his landings.

While I fell bad about the break and the discomfort of his injury, I just have to wonder if he would have broken the foot if his shoes were tied. For those of you without kids or young kids, it's "un-cool" to tie your shoes properly (and think of all the time we as moms spend teaching out kids how to tie their shoes before kindergarten!). I gave up the fight many years ago, do I go there again? Hmmm...a thought for another day.

All that to say, there are just things that happen in our lives that we cannot plan. It throws us off with lots of things. The encouragement for me is those of you who have been praying for Caleb and my family and the fact that God is always there for me. He's there for you too!

New Blog

There is an excitement in the air to be more consistent in studying God's Word, the Bible at LCC!To help in that process I've started another blog that is title "LCC Women Study the Word." Look for the link under "helpful links" and hop on over. You can join a Bible study group to enhance your learning or follow along at home. Either way you will be blessed as you spend time in the Word.

It's A Bling Thing!

I think I can say for all those who attended "It's a Bling Thing!" was definitely a "God Thing!" God was certainly present this weekend in a BIG way! The words "thank you" seem so inadequate to express my appreciation...first to God - He was with us each step of the way...to the retreat committee who did such an outstanding job...and to each lady who attended! I pray that God would continue to lay things on your heart to make life changes and to share with others the lessons learned. I pray that this will be a spring board for women's ministries and all God is doing in the life of LCC.

Please use the comment section of this blog to share with others the things God taught you this weekend...it will be an encouragement to everyone!

Did you get your bling, I mean rings cleaned today? If you did, you know there was a buzz about the church after service this morning all to make sure you know about our upcoming retreat!

Feel like you’ve lost a little of your God-given luster? Need a “time-out” to get your sparkle back? Join friends or make new ones at the LCC Women’s Retreat March 6 and 7th. One night away in a comfy hotel to play, chat, relax, and fill your God-tank might help you feel shiny and new again! Register by February 22nd to receive the discounted price!

Not sure about the retreat and would be more comfortable if you knew a few more women from LCC? Join us for our PMS Night (Popcorn, Movie and Sundae) this coming Saturday at 7 pm at Dannielle Hough's home, in Lorton.

More information and RSVP via the church website www.lifecc.us.

In and Out Rule

I'm a collector of stuff. I like to try out various crafts so I have my collection of scrapbooking and jewelry making supplies. I love to read so I have lots of books (BTW I love to loan out my books so keep that in mind.) And then there is my clothes, well, let's just say that I love clothes and do like to look my best and I do keep up with advice on What Not to Wear. BUT, I also have a finite amount of space to store all my stuff and I am one of 5 people and 1 puppy in my home so what does one do with all my stuff?



Kathy Peel has a good rule...Every time a new item comes into the house, show an old item the door.



I frequently remind myself that there are many people who could really use (or need) some of the things that I store for a once or twice a year use. I also need to keep working on my heart and be content with what God has blessed me with.

Simplify Your LIfe

Several times a year I feel the need to simplify my life, my house, how I schedule things, etc. Marcia Ramsland has a book entitled "Simplify Your Life." There are many great books that give great time saving and organizing advice. Over the next several weeks I'll share with you some of the things that stood out to me as I read through this book.

"The people who are most successful in managing their time make appointments with themselves to complete tasks." Barbara Hemphill, Taming the Paper Tiger

This reminded me that I do have to work at maintaining organization - that it is a process or a journey, one that can be refined and improved, but never perfected this side of heaven. And, when we get to heaven, I don't think we'll care! So over the next few weeks I'm going to work at fine tuning my schedule, hopefully rid myself of some junk and simplify when I can. I know I'd rather spend time with my family creating memories than managing my stuff.

If you have any suggestions, add to the blog. Let me know if you're on the same journey, we can encourage each other!

Hosea 6:3

Today as I was preparing for Bible study I came across a verse tucked in the minor prophets or those short books towards the end of your Old Testament that are easy to miss if flipping the pages quickly. Hosea 6:3: "Oh, that we might know the LORD! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as sure as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring." This is my prayer for us, the ladies of LCC!

A New President

Today we watched the inauguration of our new President. We were watching history in the making. Those who flocked to the national mall looked so excited to be there, if perhaps a bit cold, it didn't show in their enthusiasm. President Obama may not be the man you voted for and you may be skeptical as he takes office. The thing that seems imperative to me is the vital significance of our prayers for our new president, his cabinet and for our nation! Let's be a prayerful people!

I'm fine

How often do we say those words when someone asks how we are doing? Well, Maryn has started saying it, but when she does it's usually a dead give away that there is something amiss. Her favorite use of the "it's fine" comment is when you ask if her diaper is dirty. She very politely says, "Mommy, it's fine!" It makes us laugh when she says it, but it got me to thinking about how often we say we're fine when we're really not. Sometimes its hard to be honest and we think the "time is not right" to share our burdens which can be true. But, how are we responding to God? Are we telling Him we're fine when we're really not? Are we bringing him our burdens? I know I don't like I should. How about you?

New information...

It's taken me a while to get all the dates ironed out, but now it's time to get the word out. If you were at church this morning, hopefully you received an envelope containing information for all our upcoming activities. You'll also be receiving an email in the next day or so with the same information. I hope you'll be able to be at many of the upcoming activities. Invite your friends!

Six Secrets to a Powerful Quiet Time Bible study - daytime 9:30-11:30 Wednesdays, starting this week, 1/14. Evening group 7-8:30 Mondays, starting next Monday, 1/19.

Beat Winter Blues with Bunco - Friday, January 30th from 7:30-9:30 pm.

PMS Night - Popcorn, Movie and Sundaes Saturday, February 21st

It's A Bling Thing! Annual retreat March 6th and 7th. Comfort Inn in Stafford. Cost $75

Sign up on the church website!

Heavy Heart

Today my heart is heavy as I take two of my friends before the Lord. I ask that you would join me if God lays Kathy or Carol on your hearts as well. My friend Kathy had a double mastectomy on Friday for breast cancer. She home and healing well, but her journey with cancer and the reconstruction from her surgery will be with her for a long time to come.

My friend Carol is expecting her 6th child, but faces an extremely uncertain future. Because of the health of Carol and the anomalies of the baby, Carol is scheduled to have a C-section on Wednesday at 33 weeks. The doctors don't know how much time Carol and Jeff will have with their baby...none, hours, etc.

Both these ladies are strong in their faith and both attest to the power and presence of God as they have gone through their difficulties and uncertain future. Both have talked about how God has brought others into their lives to help comfort and encourage. As I was having my quiet time this morning I was reading in Exodus 33 and 34. The following verses really stood out to me. "Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations."

Are you going through any struggles or difficulties today? I'm still on the soggy journey of potty training and my house is rather messy. What I sense God impressing on my heart this morning is that just as He is faithful to Kathy and Carol in their very difficult circumstances, He is faithful to me with my seemingly minor things. And just as I've been praying for Kathy and Carol, I need to praying about potty training and a messy house.

Let's allow our great God to lavish His unfailing love on us today. Spend a few moments in prayer. And let's praise God for his faithfulness in our lives!

Sleepless in Lorton

No fancy love story here, just plain can't sleep. What do you do when you can't sleep? I often try to pray and hope that somewhere in my prayers my mind will drift off. Tonight I remember some things that I was very, very late in completing and knew I wouldn't fall asleep until I got up and did them. That's all done now, including a few emails that I needed to send and I'm still not sleepy. I hesitate to go back upstairs and read...I make wake up Rich and he just worked a 16 hour day and faces another tomorrow and the next day...any suggestions?

Our of Excuses

I'm all out of excuses for not keeping up with this blog. I'm tempted to make a resolution to be better, but know there will be times I break that resolution and then I'll feel guilty. So, what I'll do is apologize (yet again) and start a new. I'm sorry and appreciate all of you who faithfully check this blog only to be disappointed.

On to the new...you'll soon be hearing about lots of exciting things coming up in women's ministries. You'll be hearing about things that sparkle and shine. Here's some of my inspiration...