ARCHIVE GALLERY
October 2007
October 4, 2007
This was an unusual weekend for our family! I went to the annual SoulQuest (our home church) Ladies Retreat at Marantha Bible and Retreat Center in Muskegon, MI while Randy kept the kids with him. I prayed for him as I left because I knew that it was going to be quite a challenge to accomplish school and studio time simultaneously! Well, he did it! The kids had a great day of school sitting on the floor of the studio while Randy worked with the engineer to make some headway on the CD.
I invited my mom to go with me to Maranatha and it was a great time for both of us. Rarely do we get to have time alone together and this was an awesome weekend.
I led worship for the four sessions throughout the weekend and once again, realized how blessed I am with a husband who is so gifted at what he does. I missed him leading worship with me and although the weekend away was a nice break, I much prefer partnering with him.
Even so, I did my best and mostly enjoyed the change in schedule and visiting with friends I rarely get to see. Lake Michigan is so beautiful and four brave ladies plunged beneath the chilly waves for water baptism. Three ladies made first time commitments to the Lord which was, of course, the most exciting part of the weekend.
Connie Bauer, our pastor’s wife, was the speaker for the weekend and did a great job. She has such a passion for declaring who we are in Christ and the power that He has given to us. She is a joy to be around and I soak in the time when we are together.
While I was at the retreat, Randy led worship at our home church in Waterford, MI. It went very well, although he said he missed me leading worship with him and he was very glad to see me return on Sunday night.
Please pray for us as we are in the studio everyday working towards the goal of completing this CD in time for the holidays. There is a lot yet to be done and at times the task looks like a giant. Please pray for all of the workers involved and that the Lord does a greater work in all of us. Thank you!
October 11, 2007
Friday night, after a long day in the studio for Randy, we left for Mackinaw Island, about 4 hours north of Fenton. We were scheduled for a Sunday morning service at the Mackinaw Bible Church with Pastor Ken Strait and his wife, Lori. We were at this church last December for a ladies tea that they hosted for workers on the Island. We were really excited to return for a Sunday service.
Because of the nature of Mackinaw Island, this church gets a lot of visitors throughout the summer. The Island is closed for the winter season, but has about 2000 workers and year-round residents that stay on the Island and brave the winter without cars, using snowmobiles and horses. It is like stepping back in time and the kids absolutely loved it! They kept begging us to move to the Island. Not today, sweeties.
We boarded the ferry Saturday morning and spent the day touring the Island on bikes. Biking eight miles around the island went much better than I anticipated and we all loved the incredible sights of Lake Huron with the beautiful homes nestled in the woods. Randy and Kennedie rode a tandem bike while KC and I preferred our freedom. Even in the rain, it was a much needed family day of laughter and exploration. The Grand Hotel (viewing it from afar, as it costs $12.00 per person for non-guests to walk across the famous porch) didn’t get the kids attention for long as they were pre-occupied figuring out how the island streets stay clean with so many horses!
Saturday night we met Pastor Ken and Lori for dinner and had the best time catching on the last year of ministry. Because the island really has its own culture, it has been an exciting challenge for them. They are perfect for this ministry and the Lord is definitely using them. We wrapped up the evening with two very sleepy kids and walked back to the bed and breakfast where we were staying for the night.
Sunday morning came early and we started the service at 9:30 AM. There were a good number of visitors and it was great to meet them as well as the regular attendees. The service was in a beautiful theater at Mission Point Resort and is the same theater that was used in the movie, “Somewhere In Time” starring Christopher Reeves and Jane Seymour. Since that is one of our favorite movies and because Randy played the theme song of the movie in our wedding 19 years ago, it was special to sing there.
The service went great and we felt freedom in the Spirit to say what He wanted said. The people joined in worship with us and we even got some great comments from the youth! Most of all, we love to see a pastor and his wife sit together with their family and worship. A break is so refreshing and we love being able to give that to a hard worked servant.
After church, we went to dinner with Pastor Ken, Lori and another couple, Don and Dianne from Bay City. They have a condo on the island and stay there as often as they can. They blessed us with a lovely lunch and then Don decided to bless our children abundantly! He signed Kennedie up for a two hour horse-back ride and then took KC to Fort Mackinaw. It was constructed by British soldiers during the American Revolution and is now a National Historical Landmark. KC was chosen to help with the cannon demonstration and wore a leather thumb guard as he helped to light and fire the cannon. Don and Dianne will never know how much this meant to our little eight year old! What a blessing to see your kids experience once in a lifetime moments. So, thank you Don and Dianne!
After buying fudge and peanut brittle, we boarded the afternoon ferry for the trip home. Driving south on 75, I kept thinking (until I fell asleep) about the Lord’s goodness to take such good care of us no matter where we go. The people we meet and how the conversation always seems to be rooted in the foundations of Christ is what motivates us to continue to preach His Word. The fun that He blesses us with is just a thank you from Him to us for serving. He owes us absolutely nothing, yet He promises to bless those who are obedient to Him. He is so generous!
Have a great week!