Post-Christmas Update

Just thought I'd give you all an update on our Christmas-time fun. We went to Tennessee to visit my granny and papa and spent Christmas with them.
I'm so glad we did that!

My granny is not doing very well. We think she is probably in the mid-stages of Alzheimer's and is losing some of her memory. She knew who we were, but several times while we were there, she grew confused and wasn't sure what was going on. I don't know how many more Christmases we will have with Granny, and I'm just so glad that we went and spent a few days there.

My papa was so excited that we came! He needed to see some happy, healthy faces. He takes care of my granny all on his own, so we were able to be there with him, and help him out some. He really enjoyed spending time with Merry and Kelsey. They really livened up the place!

We had a wonderful Christmas celebration with them, and we just got back home last night. TONIGHT my in-laws are coming into town and spending a few days with us, so I have spent all day trying to get my house organized and clean! Much thanks to MY mom, who came and helped me out today, just so I wouldn't be so stressed out! I really appreciate that, Mommy.

I have a roast in the crockpot, brownies in the oven, and towels in the guest room.
I think I have everything covered.
I'm sure we will have a marvellous time with Mom and Dad Lynn.
So...the Christmas celebration continues!

I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday.

Love,
Kendra

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I'm posting my Christmas post a little bit early because tomorrow morning Scott and the girls, my parents, Brandon and myself will be heading to Tennessee to celebrate Christmas with my mom's parents.
My Papa is so excited that we are coming for Christmas! He and my Granny usually spend Christmas alone, and someone from the family tries to go see them after the holiday. However, this year, I decided that we should try to get to Tennessee and be there for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. So, I arranged it all, and tomorrow we are on our way. :)
I can't wait to spend Christmas with my Granny and Papa, and give them the gifts that I made for them.

Now....

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope that you are able to spend the holidays with your family and friends and that you feel the peace of God all about you this Christmas.
Eat well, laugh well, and live well.

May God bless you and keep you. May He cause His face to shine upon you and give you peace.

Merry Christmas.

Kendra

Fondue for Two

Last night Scott took me on an awesome date! We went to The Melting Pot in Troy for some fondue. Oh my goodness! Talk about an awesome meal! I think we had a four course meal.
It started off with cheese fondue and they gave us bread, veggies and granny smith apples to dip in it.
Then they brought us salads. I'm not usually a salad person, but that salad was unbelievable! It had this great SWEET dressing on it...and slices of ham and mozzarella cheese. Oh my word...it was so good.
Then they brought us the main course. It was a broth with oils and mushrooms and onions, etc. The meats were as follows: Lobster tail, black tiger shrimp, filet mignon medallions, sirloin steak, and cajun chicken. Oh boy! We ate and ate and ate. There were also some veggies to put in the pot, but we barely touched those because the meat was so good!
After we stuffed ourselves on all that, they brought out a chocolate fondue. We decided to try the s'mores version, milk chocolate swirled with marshmellow creme. First our waitress had us make a s'more...then she left us with a plate FULL of strawberries, pineapple, bananas, cheesecake, poundcake and brownie bites. We were so full we could barely move, but we forged ahead and tried it all out!
It was delicious. I highly recommend this place for a very romantic (expensive) date.
It was marvellous.
Thank you, Scott, for such a great night out!

Ten Random Things About Me

Okay...Judy got me started on this one...here goes.

10 RANDOM THINGS ABOUT ME

1. I am an avid reader...when I get the time! (I own at least 400 Christian novels)

2. I LOVE any weird flavor of hot tea.

3. I have road rage...in the LOOSEST sense of that phrase.

4. I have NEVER cut or trimmed my hair.

5. I wear a skirt every single day of my life. (or a dress)

6. I always fold my husband's underwear, even though he takes it and throws it in his drawer with no consideration for my efforts. Its just habit.

7. I am a major procrastinator...I hate that about me.

8. I am loyal unto death.

9. I would rather read or write than shop or talk.

10. My family is my highest priority, next to God.

Christmas For Christ

Well...we had our Christmas for Christ service yesterday. Wow! It went so well!
I wrote a narration and we had a total of seven special songs/dramatizations in between the Scripture readings.
My Sunday School class did a puppet show that went over REALLY well! They worked so hard at it! I was very proud of them.
My children's choir did AWESOME! Merry sang for the first time with the children's choir. It was so cute! She brought her stuffed dog (that goes EVERYWHERE with her) up on stage and sat it right by her feet while she sang! It was really cute! Scott took some very nice pictures that I will posting, hopefully later on today.

My adult choir did wonderfully well, too! We sang two pretty difficult songs, but they really did a great job.

Our youth group, HeavenBound Youth, did a dramatization to the song "One King" by Point of Grace. It was INCREDIBLE!!!! I got goosebumps watching them sign to that song. Erica Castaldini did an absolutely wonderful job on the solo for that song!

Alissa King and I sang a duet that went very well and then Bro. Vernon Alls sang a solo that was GREAT!

I was so happy that it went so very well. Now that all the stress of putting on that production is over with, I can relax and enjoy the holidays!
I will post some pictures, and possibly some music clips later on.

I hope everyone is having a marvellous time getting ready for Christmas.
Take care!

Kendra

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas...

Well...its white alright! Its been snowing here all day long. I'm not sure how many inches we have, but we got at least one inch, possibly two, in the past hour and a half.
The snow halfway up my calf, and over Kelsey's chubby little knees.
I took the girls out today to play in the snow, and they had a blast! I'm so glad I picked up snowpants for them from WalMart. Now they can roll in the snow as much as they want to!

We're heading to my sister's tomorrow for our family Christmas party. My parents, the girls, my foster brother, and Scott and I are going to be in Tennessee with my grandparents for Christmas. Therefore, we are doing an early Christmas party with my sister and her family.
I can't wait to give Zachariah all his presents. Yes...Auntie Kenna went a little over-budget on Zach. But what can I say? He's sooo cute! I had to buy him three different presents. And one of them is a backpack FULL of stuff!
Ah well...
I did better Christmas shopping for the girls.
Last year I went so overboard! Scott and I had a serious talk about keeping it simple this year...so...I did. All of their gifts are small and simple, and I didn't spend too much money. They will actually play with everything I bought them...for once!

well...the snow isn't going to let up until tomorrow...so we are stuck at home tonight.
Church was cancelled on account of the weather, and I will probably putz around here until the girls go to bed and then settle down to watch a movie. With some hot chocolate...yeah...that sounds great!

Love to you all...stay safe, if you are travelling in this weather!

Love,
Kendra

A Prayer Request

Hey everyone:
Sorry I haven't posted anything recently. We have some virus going around here, and both girls and Scott have been sick. Merry has had a low-grade fever for three days, and I've been pretty busy taking care of some really grouchy girls.

Please pray for us, that we get well soon! I cannot afford to get sick right now. We have our Christmas program at church on Sunday, and I am in charge of it. So...getting sick right now would be really bad!

Thank you for your prayers.
May God bless and keep you this holiday season.

Love,
Kendra

Christmas Caroling

Christmas caroling 

I took our young people Christmas caroling last night and tonight. It was alot of fun, but really cold!
We had a few people who were outright rude to us, and told us to leave, but for the most part, people opened their doors and listened to us sing.
I had never been caroling before, but I've always wanted to do it.
I really enjoyed myself. Plus, I got to spend some quality time with some of my favorite people.

Thanks, guys, for going with me!
I love you!

Kendra

Riverdancing in New Jersey

My girls are really into Riverdance. They have watched our video until Scott and I are SICK of it! We have purchased one other dvd, and then Grammy Lynn bought them a dvd and gave it to them while we were in New Jersey for Thanksgiving.
Obviously, it was a great gift! They are dancing more than ever!
I think I may put Merry in ballet at some point here. I bet she'd love it!


Riverdancing in NJ 

Riverdancing Fanatics!

More Riverdancing 

Kelsey and Her Grammy

I love this picture of Kelsey hugging her Grammy Lynn.
My girls are blessed to have wonderful grandparents!
I am so thankful for all our parents.


Kelsey and Grammy Lynn at Thanksgiving 

Even MORE Cousin pics!

Kelsey and Ethan, peas in a pod.


Kelsey and Ethan  

More Cousin pictures

Merry and Caleb 

Merry and her pal, Caleb, had a blast playing together!

Time with the Cousins

Kelsey and Micah 

These next few pictures are of the girls with their cousins, Micah, Ethan and Caleb Lynn.
They love their cousins! The older boys tolerate the girls pretty well. Although, Kelsey drives Ethan crazy! She loves him so much, and he is pretty good about letting her hang on him and hug him and follow him around. (they are two peas in a pod! Identical personalities.)
Caleb really likes hanging with the girls. He is right in between them, age-wise, and they all get along really well.
We had a wonderful time getting together with Mark, Maiya, Micah, Ethan and Caleb at Thanksgiving in New Jersey.

Zachariah's Blooming Personality

Zach is turning into QUITE a character! (as you can see by his grin in this photo!)
He really hams it up for the camera now, and I can always get good pics of him.
Next year it might not be quite as easy...you know...after he turns two...and things get wild!
But for now, he is the sweetest little boy ever.


Zachariah 

Merry and Kelsey's Christmas picture

This is the best shot I got of the girls for Christmas. Hey, when you have to deal with a two year old and a three year old, its crazy! I'm lucky I got even one half-way decent picture! Oh well...they are cuties, no matter what.


Merry and Kelsey's Christmas picture 

My Girls and Me

Here we are, in front of our LED Christmas tree. The girls love their candycane shirts that Mom Lynn got for them. I love the fact that we actually managed to get them to sit with me for a picture!


The girls and me 

Our First Christmas Together

Here is a picture that Scott took when I flew to New Jersey to meet "the folks". We had only been dating a little over a month, and were only about 25 days from being engaged...so I was a bit nervous.
But the picture turned out okay.

Oh, to be that skinny again!!! Maybe someday. Yeah right...I don't see this happening unitl I am walking the Streets of Gold!


Me, before marriage and kids 

Can You See the Glow of Love?

Here is a great picture that Scott took a day or two after we were engaged. I was quite self-concious, but he kept reassuring me that I was beautiful. I was glowing and obviously in love. :)
(and for those of you who are wondering, I'm still just as in love, or more so, than I was in this picture!)


Me, newly engaged 

Sisters and Best Friends

Here is a picture of my sister and me, one year after her marriage, and half a year into mine. Katie and I are best friends. I don't know what I'd do without her.
Her birthday is coming up, and I just want her to know that I love her and am so thankful to have her as my sister and my best friend.
You are wonderful, Kate.
I love you.


Katie and Kendra (circa 2000) 

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

Oh my goodness! Its so beautiful here! We could get up to eight inches of snow tonight, and its gorgeous outside! The girls and I drove home from church VERY carefully, and as soon as we got home, changed into our snowpants and headed out for a few minutes. Merry insisted that Mommy make "Christmas Angels" in the snow. I came in quite wet and cold, but I had a very happy little girl because I actually laid down to make snow angels!
The girls look so cute in their pink and purple snow pants and jackets...they are so excited about winter!
If we ever DO move to Traverse City, they are going to LOVE the winter weather!

Well, the bedtime "bell" is about to ring, so I better wrap it up and get the girlys to bed.

Goodnight, All!

When They were Babies

Here they are, as babies, last summer. Wow...I look back at this picture and remember how much fun they had that day at the zoo. But look how small they were!
Boy, were they excited about that duck! Scott got the perfect picture there. I will treasure it always. It captures the innocence and awe of babyhood.



Merry and Kelsey with the duck 

Little Girls

I just found this picture of the girls, taken in October at our church.
Scott and I were looking at it, and he remarked, "They are little girls. They just aren't babies anymore."
Its so true. I love this stage, but I miss those chubby little babies!
But aren't they just so cute?



Merry and Kelsey at church 

Nathan, Katie and Zachariah

I've had a few people asking about Katie lately, so I am posting a fairly recent picture of her family for you all. She lives in Gowen, MI, which is a 30 or 40 minute drive from Grand Rapids. She works as a legal secretary in a great law firm in downtown GR. She and her family go to a church in Rockford, MI that is pastored by her father-in-law and she is very involved there with the youth group and the music.
Zachariah is now almost 15 months old and a real sweetie, although he keeps his mommy and daddy on their toes now that he can walk!

So, there you go, an update on my sweet sister and her awesome family.
If you want to get in touch with Kate, contact me and I will give you her info.



Nate, Kate and Zach 

Merry's First Day of School

I finally downloaded pictures from Merry's first day of school. She was so so excited! Here she is, ready with her "undecorated" totebag. (you can read all about that little mistake in my September archives.) Look at her smile! I'm so glad she likes school. She asks if she's going almost every morning.



Merry's First day of School 

Little Drummer Boy

Here is my baby boy, nephew Zachariah. Oh, he's so precious! I went to Grand Rapids and watched him a couple weeks ago for my sister. I dolled him all up as you can see. His daddy is a drummer, and Zach seems to already have a knack for banging on things. I decided to style his hair to match his newfound talent. Cute, huh?


Little Drummer Boy 

Umbrella Girls

Here are the girls with their beloved umbrellas. They are very spoiled. My mom, sister, myself, and all the kids went shopping one day, and Merry saw "THE UMBRELLA". My mom finds it hard to say "no" sometimes...and Merry was so excited...so, both girls ended up with umbrellas.
They begged me to play in the rain with their umbrellas, and I got some awesome pictures of them! This is my favorite.
Aren't they cute little ladybugs?


My Cuties 

What a Doll!

Scott just downloaded this picture of Merry from his camera phone. I LOVE her smile! What a doll! She looks so grownup now...not many traces of my baby left.


What a Doll! 

My Geek and Me

Here's a great picture of Scott and me when we went up to Traverse City in late August. He's such a geek...I tease him because he can't go anywhere without his laptop, but he's such a great husband, that it doesn't even matter!
As you can tell by my t-shirt, "I Love My Geek".



My Geek and Me 

Its the Best Time of the Year

Well, the holidays are here! We had a marvellous Thanksgiving in New Jersey with Scott's family, and as usual, my mom-in-law spoiled us something fierce! Thanks, Mom, you are a sweetheart! :)

Now we are back home, and rushing to get things ready for "the Best Time of the Year". At least, that's how I think of it!
Scott is putting up Christmas lights on our house as I write this, and loving the fact that, because he is using LED lights, all the lights are actually LIT!

I am busy trying to get our Christmas program together for church, and get my house in order for Christmas...those two alone take up all of my free time! I haven't even really started my Christmas shopping.

But, it will, as usual, all come together.
I hope that all of you, my friends and family, are enjoying the hustle and bustle of the season.
I will be posting some pictures from our New Jersey trip as time allows.

Love,
Kendra

Conveniently Yours Part Two

Okay...sorry it took me so long to finish this story, guys!

Conveniently Yours Lawn Care came back yesterday and finished our shrubs. ABOUT TIME!!! Anyway, it turns out that they don't usually prune green shrubs/trees. Apparently they only prune things that AREN'T green.
Scott pointed out to "Ron" that all of our neighbors had their green shrubs pruned. He also pointed out that CYLC didn't state that particular fact in their advertisement or when they were doing an estimate. Scott suggested that "Ron" consider putting that little fact in their paperwork.

So, we convinced them to prune the green shrubs, and FINALLY my house looks ready for the winter!
Whew...thank goodness that ordeal is behind us!

My Knight in Shining Armor

This is an older picture of Scott and me, before the girls came along. I LOVE this picture. Scott is my knight in shining armor...there is NO doubt about it. :)
For any of my unmarried friends out there, YOU WANT TO FIND A MAN LIKE HIM! Don't EVER forget it!
I love you, Scott, and I'm so thankful that God brought us together.


Scott and Kendra (before our lovely children arrived) 

A Thankful Heart

My heart is full this Thanksgiving Holiday. I have a beautiful family and God has blessed us beyond belief!
The girls are growing up and are such a joy to Scott and I, and I thank God for that.
I wish you all a very happy and loving Thanksgiving Holiday. May He bless and keep each and every one of you.



Loving Sisters 

Merry and Kelsey, Best Friends 

Conveniently Yours

Okay...so here's my latest gripe.
We have this "great" lawn service. We really haven't had much problem with them for the past two years, but the past two weeks have been absolutely UNBELIVABLE!

I got our bill from Conveniently Yours Lawn Care two weeks ago. The statement said I owe them $185.00. Well, I paid a big chunk of change to them last month, so I know this is not correct. I put the bill in a pile and decided to call them in a day or two when I got the time.
I noticed that they put a flyer in with the statement announcing that they do fall pruning and leaf removal. Great! I'll ask for an estimate when I call.

I finally got around to calling them two days later. I got an answering machine. I left a nice little message stating that I wanted to know how much I owe them and that I was interested in the fall pruning.

THREE days later, someone finally called me. "Ron", the owner, called and said that he'd be out the next day to give me an estimate on the pruning. Great! Sounds marvellous. I asked him about my bill, and this is what he told me; "Oh, my mom takes care of the financial side of things! She'll get back to you when she can."
Okay. So he comes out and gives me an estimate. $65.00. I can handle that.

"We'll be out on Wednesday to take care of the pruning and leaf removal, " says Ron.

I came home on Wednesday and walked in the house. I said, "Hey, Scott, looks like Conveniently Yours didn't come prune yet, huh?"
Scott said, "Oh no, they were here YESTERDAY, and I saw a guy working on the shrubs."
EXCUSE ME? My shrubs were NOT pruned! We have NINE shrubs in the front of our house. THREE of them MIGHT have been pruned. The leaves were mostly gone, but my shrubs were NOT pruned!

(Oh, by the way, I tried calling "Ron's" mom three times in between talking to him and the "pruning". NO RETURN CALL.)

So, I get on the phone and leave yet another message (the fifth one)telling Ron that my shrubs were not pruned.
I must have sounded angry because he called me back within two hours and apologized for making me mad. LOL...MAD???? NO...I AM FURIOUS!
He told me that they would be out TODAY, November 18th to prune the rest of the shrubs.

So...I hear the guys come prune the shrubs. I'm in the basement, Scott's office, working on a website for one of his clients, and I can hear them working out there. They worked for about 5-10 minutes. I told Scott that I'd feel better if he went out to check on them. As he was opening the door, they were driving off. And guess what? MY SHRUBS WERE NOT PRUNED! The three piddly little ones they "pruned" last time are hacked to bits, but the remaining six are still as overgrown as ever.

I AM SO PEEVED!!!! Can you believe it? Scott called TWICE today to tell them how mad we are...and no call back yet. LOL. I think I am NOT paying a penny of that bill until they come and do the shrubs...and there is NO way I'm paying the $65.00 fee for fall pruning if they have to come back and do it THREE TIMES TO GET IT RIGHT!
Any of you living in the Canton area, FIND ANOTHER LAWN SERVICE. This one does NOT live up to its name!!!! CONVENIENT??? YEAH RIGHT.

New Milestones

Well, its been awhile since I posted. Sorry about that. Life gets hectic sometimes. :) We are all busy around here getting ready for our Christmas service at church, and it seems to be an all-consuming job.
But that's not what I wanted to post!

Merry has been learning something new every week since starting preschool. She knows her colors, some of her letters, and she's learning how to play with other kids. I love watching her grow up a little more each day.
Last week she surprised me by spelling her name for me! I was showing her to make the letter "M" and I said, "Your name starts with the letter "M". "M"..." And she said, "E-R-Y". At first I thought that she was just saying a bunch of letters, but when I asked her if she could spell her name, she said, "M-E-R-Y". She consistently leaves out that second "R", but she KNOWS how to spell her name! I could not believe it!

Then, while my dad was keeping her earlier this week, she learned how to play a game on his laptop...all by herself! Its an alphabet game. Part of the game is learning how to distinguish between capital and lower-case letters. She's learning how to do that! But this is not as impressive as what I'm going to tell you about next. Meredith learned how to POSITION THE ARROW OF THE MOUSE ON THE SCREEN WHERE SHE WANTED IT AND SHE LEARNED HOW TO CLICK TO CHOOSE SOMETHING. Okay...so..maybe lots of three year olds know how to do this...I really have no idea. What I was impressed about was that she can use the mouse on a LAPTOP. Something that I, the MOMMY, still struggle with!
Kids these days...I tell ya.

Well...I'll post more later.

p.s. Kelsey is making milestones as well...learning to count and bargain and trying to spell her name. I will have more on her next time.

Imagine Him

This is really a Christmas article that I just wrote; but I felt like sharing it with all of my readers. I know its a little early, but I hope that you all enjoy it.
To Sis. Kinney: Feel free to print this in the Digest if you like.

Love to you all.
Kendra


Imagine Him

Close your eyes and imagine a dark, cool night in the tiny town of Bethlehem.
Imagine a dark, smelly stable, a cave, really; filled with animals. Imagine the strong smell of animal sweat and droppings, mixing with the sweet scent of fresh hay.
If you let your mind see, you will find in that stable a young woman and her husband, tired from a long journey. The woman is pregnant, ready to deliver, and her husband is anxious and worried about their lodgings.
But they cannot stop the inevitable. The baby will be born, HERE, among the most humble of beasts.
Imagine the hillsides around Bethlehem. The night is cool, and the shepherds are huddled among their flocks, watching over them and stealing a few moments of sleep here and there. It is just like any other night in Bethlehem. ALMOST.
Suddenly, radiance fills the midnight sky! The shepherds rouse from their slumber, awakened by the brightest of lights! They stare in fear and awe at the sky, mouths dropping open in astonishment! Imagine a light, brighter than anything you have ever seen, and celestial beings all around you! Imagine the glory and the presence of God as the angels spoke the good news.
Can you see it? Can you feel it? The shepherds did. They were frightened, but the angels said, “Fear not, we bring you tidings of great joy!” They told the men of a baby, born in a humble stable. They said, “He is Christ the Lord.”
They told the shepherds where to find the baby and then disappeared into the heavens. And the shepherds hurried to find the baby, the Savior, lying in a manger.
Imagine how they must have felt, as they came into that tiny stable, and saw the Messiah lying in a manger wrapped in swaddling clothes. Picture that scene in your mind for a moment. A tiny baby, holding the salvation of the world in his hands. The shepherds worshipped Him and then went their way, telling everyone of what they had seen and heard!
Oh, what a night! What a miracle! The Messiah of the world, the One spoken of in many prophecies, born to a young woman in a smelly stable.
Unbelievable, you may say. And yes, to our human minds, it is.
But IMAGINE it…let your heart see what the truth is!
Around the same time of the baby’s birth, some wise men arrived in Jerusalem. They went to King Herod and asked him where the newborn King of the Jews was. “We have seen His star as it arose and have come to worship Him, “ they said. Herod told the wise men to go to Bethlehem and find the baby. “Worship Him and then come tell me where to find Him, so that I may worship Him as well.”
Imagine the wise men, as they followed His star. Imagine their joy as it stopped over the place where the baby was! They worshipped Him there, bringing Him gifts of gold, myrrh and frankincense. And they basked in the presence of the King.
The wise men were warned in dreams to return home by a different route because Herod wanted to kill the baby Jesus. Mary and Joseph were also warned in dreams and fled to Egypt with the Messiah, and His life was spared.
Imagine how that small boy grew. He watched Joseph build and became a carpenter. Imagine how His mother loved Him and how His father taught Him. He was like any other boy. ALMOST.
Then one day, when He was grown, He turned water into wine at a wedding feast. From that moment forth, He was no ordinary man. He traveled and preached to the people. He taught in the synagogue. He had followers that believed that He truly was the Messiah.
Imagine Him, now, healing the sick and raising the dead. The people had never witnessed such acts, and were in awe! His following grew, as did the number of His enemies.
Imagine Him, sitting at the Last Supper. Breaking bread with His disciples, He told them that one of them would betray Him. Imagine Judas, dipping his bread in the same bowl as Jesus, and then leaving the gathering to betray his Master.
Let your heart see Jesus, in agonizing prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. His sweat appeared to be great drops of blood as He prayed for God to let this cup pass from Him. And then He said, “Not my will, but Thine be done.”
Then Judas and the soldiers came, and Judas betrayed Him with a kiss. The soldiers led Him away to be tried, and ultimately, crucified.
Imagine, if you can, Him being beaten and spit upon. The cat ‘o nine tails tearing the skin from His back, and the crown of thorns being thrust upon His head.
Oh, what pain, what agony, what humiliation! But that was what He was born for; to humble Himself and take on the sins of the whole world.
From humble stable to humbling cross, the King of Kings went. He stumbled up the path to Golgotha, carrying the heavy cross on His bleeding shoulder. His mother and brothers and disciples followed, weeping at His pain.
Imagine the nails, piercing the tender flesh of His hands. Imagine them being pounded into His feet.
Too much, you say? We don’t like to imagine this part. We don’t want our hearts to see the tiny baby, grown into a strong man, being beaten and crucified. But that was His purpose. His only reason for putting on flesh was to die. He didn’t have to do it.
But now, imagine His love; His unending, undying love for all of mankind. It reached out, even from Calvary as He said, “Father, forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing!”
Imagine now, how His arms, stretched out on that cross, enfolded the whole world. Imagine how His feet, now nailed to that tree, trekked across the countryside, taking Him from town to town, so that He was able to preach of love and forgiveness. Imagine how His hands, now suspended by cruel nails, reached out to touch the leper and the prostitute, bring healing and forgiveness.
Oh, what amazing love He had for us, for all of humanity! And yet, we hung Him on that tree. We took that innocent, marvelous baby, now an innocent and loving Man, and claimed His life. We took what was NOT ours to take, and in return, He took what was NOT His. He took our sins. He took our filthy lives and extended to us mercy that was undeserved.
Imagine Him, in all of His glory. Imagine Him in all of His wonder. Imagine Him and His unbelievable mercy, that He now holds out to us.
This Christmas, as we celebrate His birth, let us also celebrate His unending love toward us. And as we gather with our friends and families this year, let us imagine our lives, filled with Christ.
Imagine HIM.

A Wonderful Retreat

I went on a Ladies' Retreat this past weekend with my mom and another lady from our church. The Saginaw Valley United Pentecostal Church has a retreat every October and we try to go every year.

This year it was AWESOME! Nancy Grandquist and Donna Linville were the speakers this year. They are both incredible speakers and God really used them to deliver words of wisdom to us all.

It was so refreshing to sit and listen to these ladies and KNOW that God was speaking through them! I had so many things confirmed in my spirit, and I was refreshed and ready to move forward and do great things for God.

I thank God for women that listen to His voice and follow the urgings of the Spirit.
It was an awesome time of worship. I encourage everyone who can to go next October and hear the word of the Lord!

p.s. The church is located VERY close to the Birch Run Outlet Malls...BONUS! :)

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED

A good friend of our family sent me this today. I thought you would all enjoy it, it really DOES make you stop and wonder why doctors today are so paranoid!



TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED

the 1930's 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's !!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored

lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we

rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took

hitchhiking.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE

actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back

when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down

the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the

bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no

99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell

phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat

rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no

lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays,

made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang

the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't

had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They

actually sided with the law!

This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers

and inventors ever!

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned

HOW TO

DEAL WITH IT ALL!

And YOU are one of them! CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as

kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives for our own good.

and while you are at it, share it with your kids so they will know how brave their parents were.

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!

Sweet, Sweet Bekah

My sweet friend, Bekah, called me from California tonight.
I thank God for Bekah.
I know that if I need her, she is there. She is always ready to give an encouraging word to me, and uplift me if I'm down. (which I have been recently)
I wish you ALL could meet her! She is the strongest, most loving girl I know, and I am proud to have her as a friend and sister!

I love you, Bekah! Thank you for reminding me that God is working whether I see it or not!

Love,
Kendra



Bekah, our sister and friend