Merry Christmas!!!

Can you believe 2008 is almost gone? Where did the time slip away to? We have had a full year and blessings in our family beyond belief!

We added a grandson to our family in 2008 and will welcome another precious baby in 2009! I am so thankful for my kids, their spouses & my grandchildren. . .Our family continues to enjoy time together when we can. . .watching them work through issues and what life throws at them, makes me even more proud of who they have come to be. I love each of you more than you will ever know!

Cheri, words cannot express how much our friendship means to me! Being able to spend time with you this past year has been so awesome! I love you and your sweet family! Look forward to more time in the coming year!

The friends we have made along the way in our journey continue to enrich our lives! (thank God for Facebook!) We have been able to reconnect with many of you through FB, how wonderful! Never pass up a chance to make friends even if it is for a short time, connecting with people is so important in this day and time.

Know that we love you all and look forward to the coming year and whatever God may bring our way, we will be thankful and give Him all the praise!

Merry Christmas to all of you! And may you not let the business of shopping, wrapping, cooking and running from here to there overwhlem you or keep you from focusing on what really matters! Slow down and enjoy the days and people around you.

Love is pouring from Your heart. . .

Funny how you can be tooling along thinking you are heading your own way or just exisiting, not doing much and then a simple breakfast or need to have a talk with someone can turn into such a God moment. Have had that happen several times in the past couple weeks. I believe God is showing me that He is in control and prooving to me that the saying "You can do nothing to make God love you less OR to make God love you more!" is very evident in my life right now. We can get so caught up in feeling the need to "do" so God will be pleased, that we forget He is the same always. His love never changes.

Love is pouring from Your heart
Hope is in Your hands
Life is in your arms. . .Spirit FALL. . .

What to do? What to do?

Been struggling to find my place of late, at our new place of worship & ministry. Even though it is temporary we know getting connected its vital to our way of life. Have had many conversations with my hubby about just where I feel I am gifted to serve.

Have always struggled because everyone always thinks a minister's wife should be teaching or something like that. . .I like the interaction of teaching, but studying is not my fav thing to do - to be honest I DON'T like it! I am sure you are totally shocked. ;o) I love feeding people in a literal sense. but I feel there should be another aspect to what I am doing for God.

So, every week, I just follow Jeff around and wonder what it might be that I would enjoy doing. He really loves speaking and teaching, it is something he thrives on, enjoys and really feels fulfilled. Through this area we are serving in Saturate weekend connect God began to answer my question. . .

Met a new friend, Amanda, through Saturate and we hit it off immediately, she is in the same boat, only 20 years younger than I. So, we talked, connected and I really enjoy hanging out and talking with her. Looking forward to more conversations. She is a really awesome young lady.

Met another young woman, Rachel, last night, it was instant connection, I was able to talk to her from the other side of a situation she is facing and shed some perspective. Seemed as though we talked for an hour when it was actually only a few minutes. Encouraged her and shed some of the ideas she had about Life Groups. Looking forward to getting to know her more.

Funny how God does that. Lets you form an instant bond with someone and not totally understand why.

Then it hit me. . .That is my ministry. . .one on one. . .sharing life with other women. . . one on one. . . connecting with someone . . .share life . . .and God's wisdom together. But isn't that what it is all about anyway? Connecting. . .doing life together. . .being there for each other. . .enjoying time spent together.

I came away after an amazing Baptism service . . .they bring a swimming pool into the auditorium and those coming for baptism get to share their story with everyone as they are being baptized! Key people in their lives can come into the pool with them and share this special moment at LCBC "Lives Changed By Christ" - http://www.lcbcchurch.com/ cried my eyes out at the sweet stories and special ways God has drawn each of these precious people to Himself! AWESOME!

So, with a lighter spirit and more thoughts on giving it away instead of just existing. We drove away from church last night in the middle of the rain that has set in and enjoyed the ride and thoughts running through my head and heart. Looking forward to what is to come. . .

It just get's better!

I never dreamed that after 27 years of marriage, things would be better and getting better each day. My wonderful husband has become even more precious to me!


We have made this crazy move for my job this time and our roles have become weird. But, we have made it a habit to walk together each day and during these walks our talks are of God and what He is doing. . .our dreams and what we could see possibly happening. . .Our sweet children and how they are doing - seems we tag team on the phone with them at times . . .the desires of sharing life with them and our grandchildren as much as possible. . .we prayer walk past the local college as we have felt from the beginning that we would have a spiritual stake in it somehow. . .deal with a few issues that have come along that are a bit uncomfortable. . .but through it all we join together and stand firm together.


I think that is the key to a good marriage. . .standing firm together in the Lord, but being individual enough to express concerns and issues with love and compassion. . .dream and share the others dreams. Somehow see God work it all out and mesh these two separate lives into one. Things have not always been easy, but even the issues have been worth sticking out and weathering. . .just to wake up another morning to see his sweet face sleeping in the bed beside me. . .to look forward to each morning as he reads the Word over us and as we hold hands and pray. That is so special to me.



As much as he talks about my smile. . .he has this smile that is only for me and I just love to see it, watch it form. And to see him laugh in one of our sparring, sarcastic go-rounds. He has helped me develop a sense of humor and I am so thankful for that. Laughter has kept this home on a level ground.



Jeff, You ARE so precious to me! I love you!

Visitin the grandkids. . .

Just concluded a week long visit with our oldest grandson Jackson! What a wonderful time we had! He rode on the plane back up here with me and the joy on his face watching us go "up on top of the clouds" was awesome! Then we rode 2 trains to get to our house. He thought that was alot of fun. We hit all of the train places here in PA for the next few days. Being on the Grandma side of life is the best thing I could have ever hoped for. The innocence of a child is a wonder to watch. He would say "There is my friend, PopPop!" So cute!

Sure is quiet here now. . . that is why I am picture happy. . . that helps make the distance not seem so far.

Ava & Nannie

Porter - what a QT!