New Friends and Youth Trip

Last night we spent a very blessed evening with a family that the Lord has providentially set in our path, through friend, family and the internet. We were able to listen to this friend sing his heart out to God... praise God for this family.



This morning we are packing up a church van to set out for Fort Worth Texas... to attend Winterfest. I am very much excited to spend some quality time (6-7 hours drive) with the youth group, worship together, experience poverty and God's love together as we team up with our past youth group in Mesquite Texas to feed the homelesss and the spend Sunday with friends we left behind. God is so good, after all the mourning of leaving them He enables us to visit so soon! Thank you Lord for the privilege.

Today you have been given a priceless and very precious gift... time... savor it and spend it wisely...

JOYfully in Him,

Doxology-David Crowder

JOYfully in Him,

Silent Night

I have packed 8 boxes this afternoon. I sit among them in silence and just think... and listen...



Have a blessed day..

JOYfully in Him,

Oh Come, Oh Come

Our church hosted a Christmas play last Sunday. It was beautiful to see our little children celebrate the coming of Christ. This song always brings such joy when it comes on the radio and reminds me of why we celebrate this holiday. Praise God...

Father, forgive me for my unbelief this morning and restore me for Your glory. Use me this day as I seek to know You and serve You. Thanks be to Your holy name for the Lamb that You sent to take away the sins of the world... May the Love of Christ prevail in the daily lives of Your redeemed children...


JOYfully in Him,

I Believe

I *love* this song.

Christmas among Packing...

I am trying to be thankful and joyful as I follow His plan for my future during this Christmas season. I will CHOOSE (keyword) Joy, JOY found only in Christ. I am looking beyond my feelings and my fears and to the JOY set before me in trusting my Savior and God.

In order for me to do this I must lay out a "plan of action" so I can see it. I have been focused on the boys room right now but with the constant battle of toys in the playroom I am turning my focus to it tomorrow. I am spending the day packing up ALL of the toys, I know it is early to leave my kids with out their source of play but don't worry I will allow them to pack a small bag each of the toys of their choosing. I think that it will help them to appreciate what they have and through this time teach them to look for His blessings in other ways other than the "toys" in their life.

I have a 3 step plan for the boys room and plan to be finished with step 2 today...

Boys Room:
Step 1: Clearing
*Clear out toys
*Clear out trash
*Set aside dirty clothes

Step 2: Boxes (Finish Dec. 10: today)
*Give away/sale
*Unused items
*Unused items
*Sports
*Extra blankets and bags

Step 3: Boxes (Finish sometime next week; Friday?)
*Organize memory box in closet and under bed
*Shoes (seperate Superman and T-Rex)
*Pack winter clothes not kept out for remainder of time
*Books
*Last pieces of decoration (curtains, lamp, shelf, letters & planets) & bedding.

Play Room:
Step 1: Finish by Dec. 11 (tomorrow) Pack...
*Dress up
*Swords & Guns
*Skate boards
*Animals
*Cars & Trucks
*Building Blocks/Toys
*Puzzles & Games
*Play Food and Grill

I plan on packing them in big ziplock baggies if they are small enough to fit. I will sift through them all as I go.I will be significantly down sizing in this area. Some are destined for trash, others for Grandmas and others, the fortunet ones, for their new home.

I figure if I pack some each day until the 19th then I will have made a HUGE chunck of progress by the time we start packing for real to leave. And this way it is not as chaotic and stressful on us. I want to finish by the 19th, have a Garage Sale on the 20th, take the Christmas week off to celebrate Christ as a family and then get busy packing either on the 26th or the 27th and then drive out in our Uhaul on the 29th possibly the 30th. Oh how I pray I will work diligently so that this plan will work. We will see :0). I might be laughing later at my over optimistic plans.

On to one of my favorite Christmas songs preformed by Third Day...



I am hoping to post some of our Christmas crafts we have enjoyed doing as well.

JOYfully in Him,

Blank Thoughts followed by Music

I can not find words to explain how I feel at this time and the Lord is quiet at this time so I am simply going to share some of my favorite Christmas songs this week as I search for Him among the chaos and packing. So until I find the words and time listen...

How Many Kings?

Let us remember to worship Him, our King, this season and not get lost in the red and green decorations, gift wrap and sale tags...




JOYfully in Him,

Hallelujah-Tenth Avenue North

Gratitude and Prayer Request

Baby Noah is experiencing some uncertain medical issues and his parents are asking for our prayers.

Sunday's update from Noah's mom Kate...

We are on our way to the hospital with Noah, who is being admitted. He's running a high fever with sudden onset and looks terrible. He seemed fine at church this morning.

The car is packed and I need to go. Please pray. This looks like the kind of line infection that almost Noah his life a few weeks ago. Please ask others to pray.

Yesterday's update from Kate...

Noah is having periods of alert activity, but is VERY irritable when he's awake. It is extremely difficult to keep him content. He feels well enough not to sleep all of the time, but not really well enough to enjoy doing much of anything. He'll ask (scream) for something, then fall completely apart as soon as he gets what he thought he wanted. Now and then something will get his happy attention for a few minutes at a time. When his fever trends up, he falls back asleep or just lies in bed. He did sit on my lap and paint for a little while earlier, so Child Life is going to bring us more paints for tomorrow. Please pray specically for peace and comfort for Noah.

Also, I just wanted to share this video with you today... I enjoy it so much...



JOYfully in Him,
Kelli

Stained Glass Masquerade...

I Saw what I Saw ~ Sara Groves

By Your Side

You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverence. Psalm 32:7 NIV

JOYfully in Him,

Full Attention Part 2

Ignore the video images and just listen...

JOYfully in Him,

True Love

Let the LOVE of Jesus Christ pour out through your life....



JOYfully in Him,

The Prayer

I love this song by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli:

A Musical Thought

I still remember the first time I began listening to christian music, I was in my car and decided to check out the christian radio station and I have to say that I wasn't all that impressed by what I heard. Not sure why, probably because I wasn't sure what to expect and I may have expected to much. Music has always played a huge part in my life reflecting my emotions and stirring them with in me and it wasn't and hasn't always been a good thing. There was music I listened to when anger was stirred up with in me and the music only made it grow deeper. I have learned since then to not feed my anger in those moments with music but to counter act it with a message to redirect my emotions.

Last night we had a chance to experience some music live from a few bands we enjoy at Celebrate Freedom in Frisco Texas, we had an awesome time. It was a free event that we thought we would take advantage of but of course as with all things... NOTHING is free! It was free to get in but not free to park, drink water, eat and play on the GIANT bounce houses and slides that you can see from the road. In all we spent close to 100 to enjoy our freedom, :0). It was a blast and well worth it to see the bands and talk to one of them and to see our littles have a blast with all of the activities.

I was personally siked about listening to Tenth Avenue North who I just recently have become familiar with, they are very encouraging. After we listened to them we ran into the autograph table and asked them if they were going to be there and sure enough in 10 minutes, so we waited. It was very cool when they arrived. Now I have to kind of remind myself that these guys are just normal people who God has placed in the industry of music to spread the gospel and encourage His flock. Rick and I were able to snatch a moment or two with Mike the lead singer and Scott the bass guitarist. They were so laid back and very personable. At the end that humored us by allowing us to grab a memory shot of our meeting.

Later in the evening we were able to listen to Shane and Shane and The David Crowder Band which was such a blessing. I loved being in the presence of the Lord worshiping Him with my family and with so many other beleivers and non believers, I prayed that God would send His Spirit on those who didn't know Him last night.

I love music and around here the radio is usually on. I find it encouraging and very motivating as I go about my calling as a homekeeper and mother.

The boys waiting anxiously in line.

Jason the drummer.

Mike the lead singer.

Jeff the electric guitarist.

The family with Tenth Avenue North.

The fun "monster slide" that they did at least 10 times in a row!!

Superman on his first rock climbing experience.

Shane and...

Shane


Butterfly enjoying a little bounce house with a friend that she later poked in the eye upsetting her mother, I apologized 4 time.

The coolest and biggest slide ever!! Or so they said :0)

The amazing David Crowder Band.

Tenth Avenue North gave a little message before their Love is Here song that I found very encouraging and relative in the moment as we were extremely dehydrated and so thirsty! It made me think about how we become so spiritually thirsty when we deny it the Living Water.

JOYfully in Him,

Love is Here

I love this song by Tenth Avenue North, I always turn it up when it comes on the radio and I like the video of how they are on top of this building singing hope down to the people below who are forced to lift their eyes up and to be distracted from their rush of life, their consuming thoughts, their dispair, their hopelessness, their selves for a moment :



JOYfully in Him,

In Christ Alone

I consider this song to be one of my favorites. I couldn't find a version on Youtube or Godtube that satisfied my liking fully but this one will do, I enjoy Shannon Wexelberge's version, I personally love the power of a woman's voice in this song but it is the lyrics that are so powerful. Newsboys, I think did a beautiful job though here. Enjoy.

In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found

He is my light, my strength, my song

This Cornerstone, this solid ground

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

What heights of love, what depths of peace

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease

My Comforter, my All in All

Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh

Fullness of God in helpless babe

This gift of love and righteousness

Scorned by the ones He came to save

'Till on that cross as Jesus died

The wrath of God was satisfied

For every sin on Him was laid

Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay

Light of the world by darkness slain

Then bursting forth in glorious

DayUp from the grave He rose again

And as He stands in victory

Sin's curse has lost it's grip on me

For I am His and He is mine

Brought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death

This is the power of Christ in me

From life's first cry to final breath

Jesus commands my destiny

No power of hell, no scheme of man

Can ever pluck me from His hand

'Till He returns or calls me home

Here in the power of Christ I'll stand

You Carry Me

Shannon Wexelberg

Insufficient for the task
I will always be
I can't lift a single finger
Without Your grace
To strengthen me
Who am I to think
I could hold my own,
When heaven knows
I'm not alone

You cary me
You point the way
You steady my feet
You hold my hand
You are the Strength
Of who I am
The world down here
May think I am strong
But they're wrong...
You carry me

There are times I've felt alone
Seems I called, but no one came
I couldn't sense the hand of Heaven
But I know it was there just the same
In the darkest moments of my life
I believe You hold me tight

You cary me
You point the way
You steady my feet
You hold my hand
You are the Strength
Of who I am
The world down here
May think I am strong
But they're wrong...

I need You
Oh, I need You
Like the flower needs the rain
I need You
With every breath I take

You cary me
You point the way
You steady my feet
You hold my hand
You are the Strength
Of who I am
Oh, you carry me
You point the way
You steady my feet
You hold my hand
You are the Strength
Of who I am
The world down here
May think I am strong
But they're wrong...

Heaven knows...
Heaven knows...
You carry me