ARCHIVE GALLERY
November 2006
November 8, 2006
Our daughter, Kennedie Morgan, turned ten years old on Sunday! Unbelievable that we have had her for an entire decade! Friday night she had her first birthday slumber party with five of her friends and they had a great time. The party had a dog theme to it, so everything we did followed the canine idea. We even went to a nearby pet store where they host parties and let the kids pick out puppies to play with! They learn about each breed and get the play with as many puppies as 45 minutes allows. What an adorable evening as the kids sat in this big kennel and were able to hold these fluffy little creatures!
We made it through the night without any problems and even had a birthday message played on the radio to Kennedie while we were driving the girls home. We gave here a scrapbook of the first ten years of her life. It turned out great, but she guessed the surprise before we gave it to her! I told her that it is to remind her of her awesome childhood in the rare occurrence that she forgets. It was definitely a tenth birthday she will remember for a long time.
Saturday was spent with the Franzen's, great friends who we rarely get to see. We just laugh constantly when we are with them and the years of friendship are piling up, so the memories become more and more precious.
Sunday morning we ministered at New Life Christian Church in Attica, MI, about an hour and a half from home. This was our first time there and we immediately felt welcomed and very comfortable with this church family. Pastor Tim was quite welcoming and he told us several times how good it felt to just sit and worship. At the end of a wonderful service, he opened the altar and many people came forward to spend time with the Lord. It wasn’t so much an invitation for salvation, although that was presented, it was about seeking the Lord and honoring Him at the altar.
Unfortunately, Pastor Tim’s wife was out of town, but we met six of their seven children! What polite and well-behaved kids! KC and Victoria, his youngest played together and we discussed prearranged marriages….
A couple at the church (she is a caterer) provided dinner for us and it was lovely! We were served the most delicious meal and everything was top-notch. It was a very practical example of the gift of hospitality in use!
Thank you New Life! We look forward to the next time…
November 15, 2006
Once again, I apologize for the lateness of these last journal entries! 5th grade is harder than I remember….
Seriously, the kids are doing well with home schooling, but I just have to prioritize my time and sometimes there just isn’t enough of it!
Friday night we attended a “Church Ladies” couples dinner in Lake Orion, MI. This ministry is comprised of women from various churches that come together and meet to fellowship and encourage one another in their walk with Christ. The testimonies of how God has used this ministry were fantastic!
Sunday morning we returned to Open Arms Church in Livonia, MI, not far from home. It is a little church that we came across last year and just fell in love with Pastor Goodrow and his people. Mainly an older congregation, or I should say wiser and mature…only if more congregations knew the freedom and fun that being in the presence of the Lord can be! Randy and I had a rough morning, and we just begged the Lord to work in spite of us. It was so overwhelming to watch Him work in the lives of these precious people, but even more wonderful to experience His work in our lives, once again!
We love small churches and look forward to worshipping with Open Arms Church again, very soon! Their name describes them well.
From there we drove to Clarkston, about an hour away, and worshipped with Clarkston Free Methodist Church. Associate Pastor Kyle and his wife Carrie, are so sweet and we really enjoyed our time with them. Because Clarkston is home to many of our friends, the evening was filled with hugs and quick conversations playing catch-up of days gone by! One friend that I was really excited to see was Debbie (Isackson) Rumstadt (I hope I spelled that right), who I grew up with in Brighton, MI. What a beautiful family she has and we hope to get together for dinner soon. The whole evening was just wonderful and I have to say, I thought Randy played especially well. They have a nice piano and he always enjoys playing a real piano! We were all exhausted on the drive home and fell into bed only to get up early and drive Randy to the train station for a quick trip to Chicago for an Evangelical Church Alliance board meeting.
Randy is home now and the week is half over as we prepare for the BUCKS game on Saturday. We leave for Columbus on Friday night to watch the game in “God’s country”…as Randy would say, with his older brother and his family.
Well, before I tell you about our Sunday morning worship concert, I must mention our trip to Columbus, Ohio, for the big game! For those of you not from Michigan or Ohio, or those who are just plain clueless to the college football world, this weekend held one of the biggest games of the centuries! In fact, it was called "the game of the century." Randy, being from Cleveland, Ohio, and one of the biggest Buckeye fans ever, was invited by his brother to attend a Buckeye party to watch the game. The party was at Rick’s church in the Columbus area and the entire point was, of course, to root OSU on to a victory! During halftime, Randy spoke a bit about being a Buckeye living in enemy territory (we live about 30 minutes northeast of Ann Arbor) and how he has adjusted over the years! He then made a smooth transition and talked about the seriousness of knowing the Lord…as we all witnessed the quick passing of Bo Schembechler. He was even able to give the plan of salvation, as there were non-believers in attendance. I was sitting by a Buddhist family that told me they wanted to come to church on Sunday and get their kids to Sunday School! All ended well and we had a great drive home…largely in part to the Buckeye’s win. We have some great pictures from the party we will post.
Sunday morning we worshipped with Union Lake Baptist Church, in Commerce, MI, not far from home. Pastor Dick and Barb Griffin have become dear friends and we meet occasionally for dinner. Both Randy and I were tired from our drive home and our voices (mostly his) a bit raspy from cheering for the game. We added in some Southern gospel numbers that we don’t normally do, as a special gift to Pastor Dick. He loves Southern gospel and I have to admit, I enjoyed it!
The whole service went quite smoothly and it appeared as though the Lord met with many people in a special way. That is so exciting to be a part of. After the service ended, a few individuals handed me prayer requests written down and asked me to pray about their situations. I love that! It is one way we can stay connected even though we move on to the next church. Two different ladies came to me afterward and hugged me tightly and told me how encouraged they were during the service. I know that in my life the Lord has used certain people to encourage me and it has “turned my ship around.” We are so grateful to be able to do that in other people’s lives!
Thank you for praying for us…we need it!
Have a blessed Thanksgiving and enjoy the time with your loved ones. Last year, our meal wasn’t very good (I cooked) but the company was great! We are very thankful for your support and interest in our ministry. We pray that the Lord continues to bless and use you for His glory!
Happy Thanksgiving…and “Go Bucks!”
November 29, 2006
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day at our apartment with Blythe Bieber (my “adopted sister”), my parents and good friends Harry and Melinda Holmes (Randy’s folks were unable to be with us.) This year, I was determined to have a better meal than last year, as 2005’s Thanksgiving dinner just did not turn out very well. This year was fabulous! That was just one thing I was grateful for last Thursday. As we were getting ready for family and friends, I was thinking about how the Lord has blessed us so abundantly with people and opportunities. I was just kind of quietly thinking about all of the people and places we get to see, and the enormity of the Lord’s plan in all of our lives. That is what I am really thankful for.
Yes, we went shopping on Friday. My mom, Blythe and I left at 6:00 AM and got home that evening. I love it. Randy thinks I am crazy…I know nothing different.
Saturday we traveled to Battle Creek, MI (about 2 ½ hours away) and stayed the night with Jonny and Carissa Hawkins. Jonny and Randy were college roommates and have remained very good friends since. He is a cartoonist and you have probably seen his work in Chicken Soup For the Soul, The Awesome Book Of Heavenly Humor and a myriad of other publications. Look for his books. He is hilarious and we all love to be with the Hawkins, as the entire family has become special to us. I loved getting to know Carissa over the weekend and found that she is a lovely woman with a great sense of humor. Neither of us could believe how much two grown men could talk about football!
Sunday morning we sang at Crossroads Bible Church with Pastor Trent and Robin Hammond. Great service, great people, great morning! After church, we spent the entire afternoon sitting at the Hammond’s dining room table talking about ministry and how the Lord uses all of us despite our shortcomings. Robin made the best rolls (secret recipe) and ginger snap cookies that we have ever tasted. Her rolls even won the county fair blue ribbon three years running! What a wonderful time we have with them and always look forward to the conversation and fellowship.
From there, we traveled 20 minutes up the road to Burlington Church of God. It was our first time there and hopefully not our last. The people were so precious and welcoming and we thoroughly enjoyed encouraging them. We have started to include Christmas music and I have to say that the arrangements Randy has come up with are just beautiful. It sets such a wonderful atmosphere for prayer and worship. Randy then drove two hours back home with two exhausted kids in the back seat snoozing away and a wife in the front seat catching up on her beauty sleep. So, it was a super weekend and we pray that your Holiday was just as wonderful and fulfilling.