Youth Christmas

So this year most of our older, responsible (I say that loosely)kids are singing with the Choir so that kind of ties up their time, which is fine. We are having the choir's Christmas program the same night as the youth Christmas program. This program has greatly evolved in the last couple of years. The first year we were here (like a month after we got here) the older kids did this really cheesy play that was all about a poor kid giving the teacher a gift and all the kids joking on her for it, only for the teacher to explain to them that it's not the gift that matters just the thought behind it. Following the play Santa came, old Christmas songs like Santa Claus is coming to town, Rudolf the red nose reindeer ect... were joyfully sang and then Santa handed out gifts to the children whose parents remembered to bring them gifts, while if your parent didn't bring a gift you got nothing from Santa........yeah I was shocked, saddened, and just felt a little sick that no emphasis was put on the true reason for Christmas.

After that I was probably totally against the idea of Santa......I have shifted some in my thinking. Last year I suggested doing away with Santa............ohhhh noooo. I tried to compromise by saying well lets have Santa pass out only "christian gifts" you know, no guns, and crap like that.......oh nooooo we couldn't force families to do that. So thankfully some compromise was given and we sang songs like Joy to the World, and O little town of Bethlehem and someone read a poem about SANTA with each letter talking about Jesus or something to do with Faith.. then Santa passed out gifts.......again from parents who remembered. I bought 5-10 extra's so no one would be left out.

But this year.............Oh I am excited about this year. Still have to plan it out but that's where you come in. After the choir sings their hearts out, we are going to transition into a full out "Birthday Party for Jesus" Santa will push a cake on a cart with lit candles, while the children carry gifts to fill Santa's bag. The gifts will be given to several of the families that have already contacted our church this year for help. After this we will have a full out Birthday Party, with cupcakes and ice cream and other birthday party food, and birthday party games and Santa will be mingling and celebrating Jesus' birthday with the rest of us.

What do you think? What are some games and stuff that we could do during the celebration?

God is good!

What's new right :) Back in early August God opened up the door for me to go to a conference to be spiritually renewed and I was. He has also brought into my life recently some pretty amazing people to encourage me. He has also helped me work through some emotional baggage I have been hanging onto. And He continues to sort things out in my life.

In most recent news

I got a raise above and beyond yearly stuff at work!
I got a much needed weekend away with one of my favorite friends!
I have had some hard but heart to heart conversations with my family!
I have prayed for direction in ministry and gotten answers!
I have seen my husband encouraged!
I have been blessed!
I am extremely thankful!

As far as ministry is concerned I have been worried often about what to do with the teen program. We only have 2 teens that consistently come to the Sunday night program and yet I worry myself weekly with trying to come up with new and improved ways of ministering to them. I know that the ministering really happens by getting into their lives but I just felt this obligation to keep up with this schedule that they have always had. Finally after the advice from several I called a "planning" meeting and even though this is what I wanted I let it come from them. We are going to have a monthly event that includes the whole family on Sunday night. This will be the 3rd Sunday. Several are going to help plan it so I will not have to. We will go to the Path the last Sunday of every month. That's it! throw in some events like CCYC or SNL or things like that and we are done! This makes my heart happy!!!

Great Weekend...........Over

Avrial and I had such a great weekend at the Women of Faith conference. Next year, now that I have been once, I will try to get more people to go. It was really great. Basically it's a weekend full of women sharing their stories. I laughed, I cried, I was convicted, I was uplifted... so many emotions and i just plain relaxed with by buddy. We stayed at a really cute hotel (the Hyatt) try it sometime. We watched movies ate great Thai food, enjoyed each others company.... it was like we were back in college :) Good times. It was funny how many people I saw that I knew... lets see... well obviously we ran into Christ's Church people, but also Towne South peps.... one girl from there even won the grand prize 4 WoF tickets and 2 hotel rooms for next year. Also Ruby from back home, and Jenny Gross....Carson's grandma.......I am sure there are others I just don't remember.

Not being around for Halloween this year has really thrown me off. I didn't see any costumes, pass out any candy, or even carve a pumpkin..........the last part is kind of depressing. We have 3 pumpkins and one especially would have been fantastic for carving! oh well

No I have to get back to normal. I have been looking forward to last weekend for several month.. I think mid August is when I decided to go. So now I have the holidays to look forward to. Man time is flying by.

I need to go be productive at work now. Have a great day bloggy friends.

Copied this from Laura Saufley’s blog and thought it would be fun to play along . . .

8 Things I am passionate about:
1- Jesus
2- my husband
3- my family
4- my church
5- spending time with my friends
6- hanging out with my dog
7- quiet alone time
8- getting in better physical shape

8 words/phrases I often say:
1- i love you
2- whatever
3- oh my goodness
4- shut up (not in a mean way but like no way shut up)
5- that is awesome
6- Gabe go do the business
7- We are so going to be late
8- I am so tired

8 Things I want to do before I die-
1- have children
2- spend more time with my grandpa
3- Travel around the world
4- see the Grand Canyon
5- Run a 5K
6- impact as many people as I can in a positive way
7- Move back to my favorite town
8-retire!

8 Things I currently want or need:
1- Some clothes
2- A new coffee table
3-A new dining room table
4-to learn to be content
5-to be a better wife
6- discipline in my life
7-people at church to step up
8-to let go of some things

8 favorite T.V. shows:
1-Super Nanny
2-American Idol
3-House
4-Biggest Loser
5-America's Next Top Model
6-Amazing Race
7-Survivor
8-Jon and Kate plus 8

8 favorite restaurants:
1- Thai Kitchen
2-La Fiesta Mexican
3-Olive Garden
4-Chicos
5-Anywhere with friends
6-Korean in Newport News
7-Anderson's Home and Garden Showplace cafe
8-Anywhere with family

8 things that happened today:
1-The day is young
2-drove to work
3-talked to my mom
4-found out Avrial is going to Women of Faith with me
5-Saw pictures of Teri's new baby girl... so cute
6-ate grapes for breakfast
7-froze to death walking to work
8-blogged

8 things to look forward to:
1-Women of Faith this weekend
2-Girl time this weekend
3-the election to be OVER
4-Marty's birthday
5-Thanksgiving with Marty's dad and mom
6-Painting the house
7- Marty's mom coming to visit next weekend
8-spending some quality time with my husband. I think he is feeling neglected :)

Anyone else out there wanna play? How about Lindsey? Emilie? Becky? Amanda? Anyone???!!!

quick week

I can always tell when I over extend myself :0 some weeks are pretty set I have things going on Sundays all day, tuesday night and wednesday night. This in general is not too much. Most of the time I save Monday nights as my one free at home night and Thursdays is our "get together with friends night", Friday is another night we can get together with folks but we are bad at planning in advance so most people already have things going on so we don't do much with others on friday nights. If we planned a little further in advance we could so that's why we usually hang out on Thursdays. Saturday is the typical............housework, church work, or special activity. We used to try to visit on saturdays with family but we have been very bad at planning that lately! This week we had an extra full (but good) day sunday, then monday spent a few hours with Emilie (one day I will figure out how to spell her name) Tuesday was typicall (though I did play hooky from work to get some much needed yard work done. I couldn't have Marty's dad seeing our yard in shambles. To me that is disrespectful since he gave us all the stuff to make it beautiful and we just have to maintain it. So since they were coming into town tuesday evening I felt a great burden for getting cleaned up out there. Probably felt like the yard was more important than the house :) I know I am crazy but that's what I thought. So anyway they came into town Tuesday night stayed over, left their two dogs with us so they could go to a furniture show and should be back tonight to stay and leave tomorrow am for Florida. wish I could hide in their back seat and go to the sunny keys too. I can't complain I have had some delightful vacation time this year with special people. Last night I watch a couple from our church's kids while they went to the crisis pregnancy banquet. Got home about 9:45 and HAD to watch Survivor :) but that put me in bed way past my bedtime. Marty and I went to bed at the same time.......I was asleep before he even finished taking his contacts out :)

Lesson from this week: Leave yourself one evening! It's necissary for sanity :) I don't think we have any major plans this weekend so I should be able to catch up on massive loads of laundry.....I am waaaay behind on laundry.

Marty is speaking at The Path in Washington sunday night so I don't have to plan anything for youth group :) I hope we have a good crowd that goes.

All in all this week has been a good one just need to look at the whole week as I plan :) I even double booked thursday and had to cancel one thing b/c I forgot about the other :)

Anyway........

This weekend was Pastor appreciation Sunday at our church and it was lovely. I think it's fair to say that we really haven't felt very appreciated lately and so it was very nice of the group to make a little bit of fuss over Marty and me for that matter :)

He got the gadget he has always wanted........It's a Pearl gray Pro 600 Kitchen Aid Mixer.........he's been asking for one for christmas for 6 years but it was too expensive......it was definately a wish list item that stayed a wish list item. (it won't let me post a picture).


They gave me a gift card and gave us a gift card for dinner at the University Chophouse. Def. a place we wouldn't be able to afford. :) All it all very thoughtful gifts.

Then we had a scavenger hunt last night for Youth Group 15 showed up :) It was great. We need to rename it from Youth Group to something else because it has college kids, young adults alike.

Lots going on that has blessed my heart lately, including time getting to know Brent and Emiley.

Thanks you Lord, for provision and placing special people in our path.

Overwhelmed

I just feel like I don't have alot of good ideas lately.

This is a great place to post some brainstorming

Tuesday night: Need to come up with our next study. Due after Thanksgiving (probably around the new year actually if I am fair. I should get Kim to look into a few things for me when things slow down a little for her. I just asked Kim to be thinking about it.

Wednesday: Nothing new really here just pitch in where I can.

Sunday morning: keep working with the Bible Bucks they seem to work well and the kids like them............. print out several weeks ahead of time and make copies then I won't have to worry about it on saturday night........duuhhh

Sunday morning 3 year old class: definitely need to work out the logistics on this. hmmmmmmm.... DVD? maybe use Standard curriculum probably best yeah probably.

Need to get the account set up for the light bookstore.... ugggg (went ahead and emailed marty to look for the sheet and scan it to Jenny, hopefully he can find it).

Start thinking now about Youth Christmas program.

Not to mention sunday night youth program.............just writing that stressed me out :) committee : Marty, Exie, Ted, Lisa, Carson, Steven..... I don't know should you have a ton of people on a committee or just a few........I just don't know.

ok nouph for now!