Works of God Monday

I don't have much time at all, but I thank God that He is good all the time! I really need to get to bed, but I realized that I had not updated today. We've had a rough several days with Emma's being quite sick. She has bronchitis and an ear infection as well as asthma and allergy symptoms. We've not had a good night's sleep since last Thurs. Even in this, God is good and has given the grace and strength needed.

We have dear friends flying in tomorrow from MI, and we are so excited! A fun-filled week is planned for all. Our money is tight with medical bills piling up for me with the upcoming surgery and appts./labs for that and now with Emma's urgent care visit and prescriptions. We wondered what and how much we could do with our friends this week. Well, God provided in a surprising and awesome way today. I found out that our church family here is paying for us to upgrade our Disney passes and take our friends to Disneyland. We had said we would not be able to go because these two weeks of April we have blockout dates on our passes. Wow! What a gift and blessing! This was not a need by any means, but our God even delights in giving us desires that are just for fun. How humbling! We prayed with the girls and thanked God for this special treat that He is allowing for us this week. We also reminded the girls that even though we tend to say, "Wow! Isn't God so good?" when we get news like we did today, He is still just as good to us when we go through sickness and other trials in life. We can and should praise Him just as easily. These are the things I wanted to share before bed tonight. I hope you too are seeing God's goodness in your life today, whether it is a hard day or one filled with fun and excitement. Rom. 8:28

Fun Day in LA

Whew-What a day yesterday was! It was so fun and encouraging to see Kurt and LaDean, even if it was for less than 24 hrs. You wouldn't believe all we packed in during that time. Sorry I didn't make it back to do a "Works of God Monday." I can certainly say that God is working EVERY day though, and I thank Him for allowing us to share time with family yesterday.

Well, we picked up Kurt and LaDean at LAX on Sunday night. Because traffic wasn't bad, we got there between an hour to hour and a half. That was nice! Our drive home was full of talking about how everyone is doing, and we continued that for a while when we came home, but our poor guests needed some sleep. Neither one of them had slept much the night before, and with our 3 hr. time difference, it was 3 AM in their bodies when they got to bed. We didn't stress on getting up early on Mon. A simple breakfast, and then we were off for the day.

LaDean had never been to CA before this trip, and Kurt hadn't been here in years. We started the adventure by driving around our neighborhood and then taking them over to our church. The drive there was an eye-opener for them--seeing some SoCal landscape (although smog clouded the mtns. a good bit), the vast differences of beautiful new to rundown old neighborhoods so close together, diverse cultural influences in just a few miles, etc. After showing them our meeting location, and sharing what God is doing here, we headed towards LA.

Kris and I had not yet been to LA, except to go to LAX. I got some tourist info., and we decided to see Chinatown first. It was definitely like being in the Orient!









After Chinatown we headed up to Santa Monica to the pier. We had lunch at a good Mexican restaurant that sits at the end of the pier, overlooking the Pacific. Because Kurt was on a time schedule, we didn't do any rides. Spending money there was probably a factor too! :-) Here are some pics of what it looks like along the pier and beach there:




We left Santa Monica and headed up to the 405 to drop Kurt and LaDean off to meet their friends who were driving them up to their conference. If I didn't mention it before, that is how/why they were able to be in CA. Kurt is the manager for Soundforth, a division of BJU Press, and there is a Christian music publisher's conference north of LA this week. We won't get to see them again before they fly back to SC. Back to the driving. . .the 405 was "bumper to bumper" traffic, so we looked at the map and saw that Sunset Blvd. could take us to where we needed to go. Again, not having been to LA before, I didn't even realize that the exit we took was taking us right through Bel Air and Beverly Hills. We didn't have time to explore, but we certainly did see some unbelievable homes, at least glimpses. Most homes are not visible due to gates, shrubs, etc. The drive also took us right into Hollywood. We were going to drive by some of the sites there, but we really needed to get to our destination. We met up with the other couple and said goodbye to Kurt and LaDean. All of us wished we had had more time together, but we were so thankful that we got to see each other at all. We didn't even know until the week before that they were coming. It was a blessing!

Kris and I talked about not wanting to fight LA rush hour traffic to get back home, so we drove back into Hollywood and walked along Hollywood Blvd. where we saw Grauman's Chinese Theater, Kodak Theater, the Walk of Fame, and finished with a quick bite to eat at Johnny Rocket's in the Hollywood and Highland outdoor mall. We got a picture of the Hollywood sign from one of the mall balconies. It's not the most clear, but we weren't going to go drive to find a better picture spot with the sun going down and our needing to head home. Honestly we thought a lot of things were interesting, but I was thinking while we were there of the sinful influence and shaping of our current culture that Hollywood has had part of over the years. I wondered, "Why do people idolize, follow, get consumed with these 'stars'--people that they have no relationship with, yet treat like they are so important." The answer came as I remembered that we are all made to worship. The question is, "What or who will we worship?" I'll admit, I get curious, and I'll read headlines on the stupid magazines in the check out line at the grocery store or listen to news that comes across on TV about actors/actresses. But, I pray that I'll much rather be consumed with God and knowing what truths He has graciously given me in His written Word, the book that's WORTH reading!

Long post, I know. Hope you enjoyed seeing our LA adventure and hearing about the last couple days of our having the blessing of family to come visit. Hope your week is going well. God bless!

The last couple of months

Wow, well it's amazing to me how the new year seems to have just come, yet we are nearing the end of March. We have already been enjoying 2009 and have several things to look forward to in the next couple of months.

It was fun to start the new year off with a dog being added to our household. Bailey continues to be a great pet, and we all love her!


We were able to spend time with my "Aunt CeeKay" in February because she came out to go to Disneyland on her birthday. They live in AZ. She has been best friends with my mom for over 30 yrs. We are so glad she and my "uncle" could stay with us. It was a joy to celebrate her life, as she has been battling stage 4 ovarian cancer for the last 2 yrs.


You know, everyone can get in at Disneyland for free this year on his/her birthday! We would love to have you come out and stay with us, and then we can take you over to the "magical land." :-) We have the cheapest SoCal resident passes and have very much enjoyed going to both Disneyland and California's Adventure many times since October. It only takes us approx. 45 mins. to get there! :-) Here are some recent pics of us from last weekend--the pirate ship at Disney and A Bug's Land at California's Adventure:





We have recently enjoyed some activities with our homeschool group as well. There was a Valentine's party last month and a trip to a children's museum in Temecula. This month we went on a field trip to the Mission San Juan Capistrano and learned some California history. Kris came with us, and we made a family day of it. After the field trip, the four of us headed to the ocean. We went to Laguna Beach, downtown to Main Beach, where the girls could play on some nice playground equipment and in the sand for a bit. Then, we headed to South Laguna Beach to Treasure Island state park to see the tide pools when the tide was at its lowest--AMAZING!! Here are just a few pics of that wonderful adventure:







I have lots more pics of all these different events. I just need to do some slideshows like I've done in the past. Hope you enjoyed these pics though, as well as knowing a little more about what's going on with us. We are gearing up for visitors this weekend. My brother-in-law and his wife are flying in Sunday night and staying with us one night. We are so excited! He called this week and told us that he is coming out for a music conference (he's manager for Soundforth, BJU Press), so we get to see them Sun. night and Mon. before the conference starts. Also, in less than two weeks we will have very special visitors from MI with us--Kaytlyn and Lydya Bradley. During part of that time, our former pastor and mentor, Eric Sipe, will be visiting and spending Easter with us. We can hardly wait to see all of these dear friends! Right after they all leave is my surgery. :-( BUT, a month after that my SISTER and her family are coming!!!! I get to meet my niece who was born in NOVEMBER! We can hardly wait to see them either. So, that is the news for now. We still appreciate your prayers for our church. That info. will be for another update/post later. Have a wonderful weekend!

Works of God Monday

Yes! I am still alive. I know some of you have wondered what happened to me or maybe just to my blog. It's a long story, but the last month or so has been incredibly busy and full of unexpected things. I want to say that I am thankful that our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever! He is working in my heart to keep trusting, resting, and knowing Him.

Just a quick note of news. . . I have to have surgery again. I am not thrilled about this by any means, but after many doctor appts. in the last month or so, I know this is what is best. I can thank the Lord that He has led me to Loma Linda University Medical Center and I have a specialized surgeon doing the work on me. Wierd thing is, I started this blog during my recovery from the surgery I had in July 2006--the surgery that was supposed to fix things that I am having trouble with again. It's just worse this time, and I have to have more extensive surgery done. I found out that pelvic prolapse repair surgeries have the highest failure rate of "repair surgeries." That is why I am glad that this time I have the surgeon that only does this type of thing every week. Please pray for me as I prepare for all of this and have the surgery on April 16. Also, please pray for Kris and the girls as I will not be my normal self for the first couple of weeks. It's a six week recovery, but I can most likely resume a light normal schedule within a few weeks the surgeon said. Thanks so much!

I will write more and post pics soon. Lots of fun, good, exciting things have been happening in our lives over the last couple of months.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I made this card for my parents and then saw the option to post it, so I thought I would share it with you too. :-) I am most thankful for my Heavenly Father's love, and then my family's and friends' as well! I am also thankful for the opportunity to love back. I miss so many of you and hope you have a wonderful day celebrating the loved ones in your lives.

Make a Smilebox postcard

Works of God Monday

I come to this post tonight with a very heavy heart. While that is true, and I will explain why, I also know that God is still at work. I may have chosen to make each Monday the day to share of His working, but He is always working. He never slumbers nor sleeps. He makes no mistake. God does not turn His head and miss something that is going on. It is in these truths and many others found in Scripture that bring a peace in the midst of our storms. We can trust our sovereign God while going through unbelievable circumstances and pain. Again Prov. 3:5-6 comes to mind, along with many other verses that I can't begin to list right now.

Last night we received the sad news that one of the teens at Calvary Baptist Academy, the ministry we just moved from, was found yesterday afternoon unconscious. His mother and sister found him. 911 was called, and Grant Neeb was taken to the hospital. Grant showed no brain activity and underwent an unsuccessful surgery to relieve pressure on his brain in hopes that there would be a positive change. He was on life support, but no hope was given that this young man would be able to live on his own. The decision was made today to remove Grant from the life support. Unfortunately, the cause of death was an accidental overdose to mixing narcotics that he was trying. Grant was only 17 yrs. old. Please pray for his mother, Diane, his sister, Faith, and many other family members and friends who are touched deeply right now by this tragedy. Diane works at the school and is involved at the church. She is surrounded by people who love her and are aching for her right now. Pray for a special measure of grace poured out on her by our great God. As Kris and I have experienced, God's grace is sufficient for the unimaginable trials of life. There is no hope in anything or anyone else than in our God. The pain is real, and it is deep, but our God is bigger than it all.

Kris has been memorizing Psalm 42 and found that so appropriate to meditate on today in light of the circumstances. Also, we had opportunity to talk of many aspects of what happened to Grant with our girls today, particularly Emma. She and I had a good time of sharing tonight after she went to bed. Kris and I love the book Shepherding a Child's Heart by Ted Tripp. We've talked about the "circle of blessing" diagram with Emma and the importance of obedience and righteous living before God. Specifically we have dealt with lying, sneaking, etc. in the past. We've shared with her that it is only through God's grace that we can do right, and she has to make the choice to trust in Him for that help. When we start doing things in our own strength and leave God out of the picture, we find ourselves out of that circle of blessing and in a place of danger. We need loving correction and discipline to bring us back to the place of blessing. God's glory is at stake, and we were made for His glory. I wish I had not learned the hard way in these areas when I was younger. . . . I am praying for Emma to learn faster and better! The consequences of sin are devastating. We went down that road tonight, and I shared with her that when Daddy and Mommy are so serious about learning things while she's young, part of it is because the consequences are usually much bigger and far-reaching when we are older and have formed wrong habits. Emma asked me to pray with her tonight as I was about to leave her room. She shared her heart with me about wanting to do right, and together we went before the Throne!

Grant was a senior at the academy this year. I know that kids, not to mention the teachers and others, at the school are reeling with all that has happened. But, I know that God can work good out of this. We look forward to hearing again how God works in a bad situation to bring about good for His glory. Pray for a great working in the lives of all those involved and/or affected by Grant's death. May Jesus Christ be praised this week, as we hear of His working!

Same Blog, Simplified :-)

Okay, so the "Happy New Year" blog background was just annoying me, so sorry if it's been annoying you. I really liked it at first. I LOVE red! I just made things look too busy. Well, I've calmed things down a bit, so I hope you like it. :-)

I hope you also like the pics of our wonderful, little dog, Bailey. The girls have just been thrilled to have her in our home (me too!). She was an unexpected Christmas blessing from my sister-in-law's neighbor. We were GIVEN Bailey while we were on Christmas vacation in CO! She is NOT some mutt either. She is a beautiful, miniature yorkshire terrier, who is in wonderful physical condition and has been fully trained. What a blessing! Her adjustment to being with us has gone so well. Traveling from CO to CA was no problem at all for her, and she has just adapted and fit right in with us. We're so thankful for her (and Daddy's saying "Yes"). :-)

Works of God Monday

Today, I am thankful that God is patient with me. Don't you wish we would struggle with something just once, learn from it, and then never have the same problem again? Hah! Wouldn't we become too self-sufficient though and stop depending on God? I don't want to go it alone in this life! God's ways are always the best. I look at the verse above, under the title of our blog, and I am convicted once again--stop looking at the circumstances that don't make sense, are tough, unwanted even, etc. and get my mind stayed on God! Oh that I would see our faithful, unchanging Rock and rest peacefully in His sovereign will. This is what needs to happen in the everyday, mundane stuff of life--a homeschool day not going according to plan, stiff/painful muscles that don't want to move well, running out of time to do something fun, or whatever it is that just isn't going my way!

Do we really see God in the "small" things? He is there. He is using it all for our good and His glory. It matters to Him. Romans 8:26-39 Oh Lord, conform us to your Son, and give us the grace and strength through Him!

Thankful for Mom Stephens

Today marks nine years since my mother-in-law went home to be with Jesus. She was an amazing woman who was such a great example to me of a wife (a pastor's wife at that :-) ), mother, and servant for the Lord. I so wish that my girls could have known her, that I could have gotten to know her better, and that Kris still had his mom, but I know God's ways are always best. He makes no mistake! I would have never wanted her to continue suffering in her battle with cancer. We were fortunate to have her for over 3 more yrs. after her cancer diagnosis. What we do have are pictures, stories to tell, and even some video to remind us of her and share who she was with our girls. Our girls have a godly heritage that we desire to pass on. While I write this post through tears, I am reminded that we don't grieve as others who have no hope. I Thessalonians 4:13-14. Mom is with her Lord and Savior. We are not sad for her. We get sad for us because we don't have her here anymore, but who would want to take her from the presence of the Almighty to this sinful world again? I look forward to the time when we will worship God purely with her one day around the throne.

God is good, ALL the time!

Here are some pictures of Mom that Karmen posted on facebook today.

Works of God Monday

Sorry it's taken a while to update anything. God is definitely at work, and we are thankful for Who He is! Amazingly, today marks 6 months from the day we "pulled into town" here in CA. It is hard to believe in a lot of ways that we've already lived out here for half of a year, but in other ways, it seems like we've been gone from MI for a lot longer. I would like to write more of what is going on here, but I'll just share a few thoughts about things I've thanked God for in the last couple of weeks.

First of all, we had ANOTHER earthquake since we have been in CA. This one was much closer to us, and although it was a 4.5 instead of a 5.4, it was louder, longer, and a bit more concerning to me! Kris and I were watching football. I heard this rumbling sound and looked up toward the ceiling. The girls were playing in one of the bedrooms above us. For a split second I thought, "What are they DOING?" Then it "hit" me! Kris and I literally got jolted a bit on the couch, which is against an exterior wall. It sounded and felt like something hit the house. Our CD tower began to sway and the CDs were rattling. The grandfather clock was shaking too. I said, "OH NO! Kris, get the girls!!!" The girls were already on their way down those stairs and "wimpering" a bit. The really cool thing is that the earthquake was already subsiding and Kris said, "Girls, what's our Bible verse for this week?" We had started memorizing Isaiah 41:10 as a family just 4 days before! It says, "Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous, right hand." What wonderful timing God had in drawing us to this particular verse that we had been meditating on and discussing together all week.

Second of all, we did have a visitor come two Sundays ago as a result of getting one of our door hangers. She is an elderly woman who lives close by, and we had a good time of talking with her. She was not able to come back yesterday, but we hope to have more contact with her soon. Unfortunately we did not have any other visitors yesterday, but we are getting 5,000 more door hangers soon and will continue going through the area with those. Thank you for your prayers for these efforts and our need for God's leading in the ministry here. I can't tell you what a phone call, quick comment on the blog or facebook, a card or email has meant to us to know you are praying. God is good, ALL the time! We need to remember that tomorrow (and everyday) when "the wrong seems oft so strong," as the song "This Is My Father's World" reminds us. God IS the ruler yet!!!

The Beautiful End to 2008

We were able to go to Zion National Park in Utah on our way home from Colorado. We stayed in Springdale, UT. Our plan was to get there a lot earlier than we did, but travel across the Rocky Mtns. was VERY slow. It wasn't because of the weather--that was amazing and perfect for travel. We just were in major ski traffic from just north of Denver, all the way to Vail! It was Mon., and the last week of vacation for everyone. The mountains had gotten dumped on the week of Christmas, but the week after was a little warmer with clear, sunny skis. We saw tons of skiers! Anyway, it made us get to our hotel in UT at about 10:30 PM. I could tell by the last 30 mins. of our drive that we were probably in some beautiful area, based on the climbing and curving we were doing. We just couldn't SEE the beauty at the time. Well, here is the view we woke up to out our hotel room window the next morning:

I did nothing to enhance the photo, change the color, or anything. Isn't this amazing?!? We were just in awe the whole day as we drove and explored the national park. The beauty of God's creation all around us was breathtaking! We had such a wonderful time as a family, and Kris and I were excited to talk of God's power and majesty with our girls. For additional pictures of what we saw and experienced in the park, you can go to my facebook album by clicking here. Enjoy!

Works of God Monday

I am so excited to share with you some wonderful blessings that happened yesterday. I mentioned to you in my previous post that we were going to be going out into area neighborhoods to pass out door hangers. You can see a picture of what they look like here in this post. I also mentioned that Tim Lovegrove's church, Grace Bible Church, in Menifee was going to be involved in helping us hang these. Well, the Lord knew that Kris and I needed some extra encouragement, and He certainly did exceedingly, abundantly above all that we could ask or think. Isn't that just like our great God? There was quite a group that showed up from Grace--8 families represented, I was told! Pastor Tim even brought stacks of tracts with our church information on it, which was a special surprise to us.

Kris was looking forward to the first Sunday of the new year and being able to present our theme of knowing our God. He preached from Phil. 3. The new SS study I mentioned last post was starting yesterday too. Well, we were down in numbers dramatically yesterday for SS and church--12 of us. Some were still out of town, and we had no visitors show up. That was somewhat discouraging. We also had a potluck planned for after the service. Only the Fox family and our family were able to stay for the lunch, but we had a wonderful time. Between us and the group from Grace, all 1,000 door hangers were distributed in the Grand Terrace community near our church. Praise the Lord! I've not been on that side of the church much at all. We live the other direction and do most everything further into Riverside. It is an amazing community nearby. I've driven near there on the freeways. I just had not been IN the neighborhoods. Our goal was just to go from door to door hanging the information on a knob and then move on to the next house. There was some interaction with people that I heard about afterward, and one man was able to be given the Gospel. Please pray that people will come visit in the weeks ahead as a result of yesterday's efforts. Thank you so much!

OK, bear with me, 'cause I know I can write long posts. . . .One other special thing that happened last night was that we took the girls to the Mission Inn's Festival of Lights final evening. We had only driven by previously. The girls knew that there were these beautifully decorated "Cinderella" horse-drawn carriages that went around downtown. Emma asked if we were going to be able to do that. :-) The answer was "no" because of the cost. She asked how much it would cost, and Kris told her that it didn't matter. We just weren't going to be able to do it. After walking around and through the beautiful inn, we were about ready to leave. We saw two horse and carriages left, and Emma went running to go see them. An older gentleman was there, and she asked him how much it cost. "$35" was the reply! We were approaching when Emma turned around, and in a half shocked sound, half laugh said, "OOOHHHHH, NO WAY!!! Daddy will definitely not do THAT!" and told us the price. The man was listening, and Emma then turned to him and asked with this sweet voice, "How much would it be for just TWO people?" The man asked then where we were parked. We told him and thought he was going to give us a ride to the van. It was actually better than that! He told Kris that they were "closing up shop" for the night and taking the horses and carriages to a parking lot pretty far from where we were. He offered to give the girls and me a ride there for FREE if Kris would drive over and pick us up!!! It was so awesome to see the girls' excited faces and hear their squeals. :-) Emma was especially excited! We were the last ride of the season. We shared with her on the way home that God had done special things for us that day that weren't even really important, but that He takes joy in His children and gives those extra blessings sometimes. Emma actually cried a bit at being overjoyed, and we ended our day thankful to God for the extra encouragement that He gave us.

Happy New Year 2009!!!

It's hard to believe that nearly a decade has gone by since everyone was freaking out about Y2K. Remember those days? LOL It's just hard to believe that we are 9 yrs. into this century, you know? But, here we are again. It's another new year, and for us, we are in a new place this time. We never seem to have a dull moment in life. I'm sure you can agree and relate yourself. Who would want "dull" anyway? Sometimes a little stability and/or consistency would be nice for a while. Unfortunately we, or at least I'll speak for myself, become less dependent on God when everything is just going along the same way. I don't want that! In fact, I want to depend whole-heartedly on God and desire to know Him better each passing year. I want to learn through the sovereignly planned circumstances He brings into my life. This is done only by His grace! II Cor. 12:9-10

Kris is excited to present a new theme to our church tomorrow--"Know your God!" We are going to be going through A.W. Tozer's book The Knowledge of the Holy, which teaches on the attributes of our God--a great book! Pray for us as we desire to see the ministry here in CA grow. Yes, we would like to see more people come to our church, but we mostly we want to see people grow--in knowledge of and a relationship with God as well as in building relationships and serving others. Love God and love people--Matthew 22:37-40! We will be going out tomorrow afternoon to place our church door hangers in area neighborhoods. Tim Lovegrove's church people are coming to help us with this. Please pray for us in this effort to reach the community for Christ. We also are supposed to have a neighborhood Bible study called Explaining Christianity that Kris found through Pastor Mark Dever's church website. We are supposed to be starting this Thurs., but we've received no phone calls from interested people--just one prank call. :-( We are trusting God for the people to come or for Him to show us another direction to go with this type of outreach. We also have a lead on a possible outreach to college students in the area. These are all things we would ask you to please pray about as we seek to serve God and serve people here in SoCal. Thank you so much!

Well, I've started to get my pictures together and posted a bunch on Facebook. It had been quite a while since I had done that. I usually post a slideshow here on my blog, but you can see the pics by clicking here.

We are excited about the year ahead and look forward to what God has for us. I pray you are off to a good start in 2009 and that you too will see God do great and mighty things in your life. Please keep in touch and share with us how things are going and how we can pray for you too!

Christmas Letter 2008

Dear Family and Friends,

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We have had a special time with our girls this Christmas season reflecting on the greatest gift of all, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Back at Grace Bible Church in SC, our pastor, Eric Sipe, introduced celebrating advent as a church by having Scripture readings and an advent wreath with candles. I had never really thought about doing it at home as a family. The idea came to me recently as I was reading from a booklet about starting family traditions during the holidays. For the last several weeks, our family has been enjoying celebrating advent with a wreath and candles that we bought at a local Christian bookstore, and reading the Bible passages that are listed for each day. We had great discussions with the girls about the verses and how our great God loved us so much that He sent us Jesus to be our Savior. We pray that you all have had a joyous Christmas season and have been able to be overwhelmed once again in the gift of Christ.

This is a very different Christmas for us. It is the first Christmas of my life that I have not shared Christmas in person with my family. We weren't always together on Christmas day, but we did have our own special time of exchanging gifts and celebrating Christmas around that time. Living in MI these last 4 yrs., we would drive down to SC to be with my parents and sister's family. Then Kris and I would go to NC for a music conference the first week of January and leave the girls in SC with my family. They always had a blast with them. Now that we live in CA, we won't be driving (or flying) to SC. Also, Kris is not a music pastor anymore, so we're not going to the music conference. My girls, especially Emma, has voiced her sadness about the change. I have had my own emotions for sure, but we are thankful for what God is doing in our lives. His leading has been so evident. The changes can be hard, but they are not bad. It's about God. I love my family and am so thankful that we have other ways of staying in close contact--phones, email, blogs, digital cameras, webcams, etc.! I especially am glad for those last couple of things now that I have a new niece that I can't see in person. :-)

By the way, I am excited to say that with gas prices so low, we were able to drive to CO to see Kris's sister, Karmen, and we are having a blast out here with her family. We are so thankful that it worked out to be with family at all this Christmas. Unfortunately Kris's three siblings are all spread out around the country and they have lost both their parents, so we don't have one gathering spot that we all go to each year. In fact we don't get all four families together very often, let alone a couple of the families, so it was really good for us to do this trip. Family is very important to us, and we know Karmen was really excited about our coming too, so this is great!

So, those of you who read my blog know the changes that have occurred in our lives this year. If you are just visiting, I will try to do a recap:

January started out cold and snowy of course, living in MI. :-) We came back from a wonderful time with my family in SC. Unfortunately I let my blog "slide" and didn't do much at the beginning of this year. There were several reasons for that. One is that I had surgery the second week of Jan.--a tonsillectomy and nose surgery--not fun! I couldn't think well enough through that to write, I guess. Then, I needed to catch up on things, get back into teaching, etc. I put off getting back to writing on the blog.

February is when we received an email about the potential pastor position for Kris in a church planting type work in Southern California. What a surprise! It was an exciting surprise, actually. Kris loves to study God's word and teach it. He loved teaching in our SS class in MI, teaching Prime Time classes there, and also working with some people in counseling situations. His burden for this kind of focus in ministry was growing. His love for the music side of ministry was still there, but the teaching side was overpowering that. God was obviously working in his heart for a reason. Basically we began earnestly praying, seeking counsel, and talking all the time about the possibility of going to CA. I really didn't write on my blog then either, because I couldn't say anything about CA yet, and it was about all that was on my mind. I just stayed silent for awhile. I know, who ME, silent?!

March was very busy with Easter being so early and planning for our cantata. Our plan was for Kris and me to go to CA for a survey visit at the end of March, but Kris got his appendicitis two days before flying out, then he had two infections, so his recovery was long and crazy. Thankfully he ended up healing and getting back to normal! We did go out to CA in April instead. It was a great visit, and we definitely felt that the possibility of God's leading us there was being confirmed. The church did ask Kris to candidate, and he accepted.

During the middle of May, in the midst of end-of-the-year school concerts, recitals, etc., we made the candidating trip! It was such a busy, crazy time, but it really was the best time to go. Calvary needed to know if they should start looking for a new music guy for the church and next school year. Also, the church in CA had been without a pastor since Nov. 2007, so they were eager to proceed with the process. We took the girls with us and had a full and exciting several days exploring Riverside. We looked at neighborhoods, Christian schools, the area in general, and enjoyed getting to know the people of Heritage Bible Church a little more. Candidating went well, the people voted, and Kris was called to be the pastor.

The months of June and July were spent preparing for the move across the country. Praise the Lord--we had a buyer for our house in MI 16 days after putting it on the market! That is unheard of in MI with such a bad economy, and it was just another sign to us that God was in all the change that was happening in our lives. We did get to go to SC in June for Father's Day and my dad's 60th birthday celebration. How fun! We got home from that trip and had less than a month until the big move. We had wonderful packing help from friends and an amazing, emotional send-off from our church in MI.

The first several months in CA have really just involved adjusting to a new life. God provided a great home for us to rent for this first year. Kris works from home. I am homeschooling the girls for the first time. We are learning the area and seeing we are in a new culture. It's a different world out here! :-) We are in such a huge mission field. Check out the sidebar link to LAhope. That gives some great info. We would so love for anyone who is burdened for church planting type work to come join us in what God is doing in SoCal. It would be especially wonderful if you spoke Spanish and could help us reach the largest ethnic group in SoCal. We have approx. 20 people in our church right now. Kris has gotten a church logo, business cards, a website, and doorhangers for area neighborhoods all made in the last few months. Also, we will be starting a neighborhood Bible study in Jan. to reach people for Christ. It has taken time and some roadblocks along the way, but we are now going to be able to get the word out more that we exist. :-)

We did get to enjoy a visit from my parents in October. Many of you know that two days after my parents flew home to SC, my dad ended up in the ER. A few days after that, he was having open-heart surgery. I did get to go to SC to be with my parents. I also got to see my sister and her family. She was due with her second baby, and we hoped maybe by the end of my time there that she would go into labor. That was not to be. Poor Sarah went 10 days OVER her due date, but we are excited that she had a healthy baby girl, and all has been going well over the last six weeks. You can read more about my dad's recovery and my new niece by going to the links on my sidebar from my mom and sister.

We look forward to seeing what God does in this upcoming new year and hope to see many people come to Christ. We appreciate your prayers for us as we continue to settle in out here in CA and serve God at Heritage Bible Church. We seek to see people, including ourselves, know God better this year. We hope to stay in touch with those we love and miss who are so far from us now. We also look forward to new friendships growing that God has already started and new ones that He will bring into our lives too. Keep in touch and let us know how you are and how we can be praying for you. Hopefully we will get to see some of you who have talked about coming out for a visit to CA in 2009. We would love to have visitors! :-) Well, until next time, Merry Christmas, and God's grace and blessings to you in the new year!

Love,

Kris, Andrea, Emma and Olivia

Birthday fun at Disneyland

Okay, I am up for the second night in a row, not able to sleep. I figured that this was a good time to do something I haven't been making much time for lately (months, really). I have had people, dear friends and family, "on my case" now for quite some time for not posting many pictures anymore. You've all been right. With homeschooling and all things new in CA though, posting pics and doing much fun stuff on the computer for me hasn't been priority. :-) Well, here are some slide shows of Emma's birthday weekend. I hope you enjoy!

Works of God Monday

I thank God for the most wonderful opportunity of being a mom--what a blessing!!! This gift was given to me almost a decade ago now, which is hard to believe. Our sweet Emma turned 9 yrs. old yesterday, and we just had a fabulous time celebrating her life.

Over the weekend we started our celebration at Disneyland. We enjoyed spending the whole day going to some of both parks--Disneyland and California's Adventure. Some new friends, Ruth and Elizabeth Fox, from church here joined us in the afternoon. Ruth is a teenager that our girls have really created a special bond with since we've moved to CA. She has helped me with teaching the girls Sunday school and plays with them after every service. Elizabeth and Ruth made the girls' stay with their family one weekend last month a blast. The sisters thought it would be neat to take the girls over to Disney the weekend of Emma's birthday, but they weren't going to be able to go until the afternoon. Well, Kris and I thought we would go ahead and take them in the morning and just meet up with the Fox girls later and let our girls go on with them for a while. We actually had a surprise character dinner planned for Emma that night where she would get to see the princesses. BTW, I know Olivia certainly didn't mind being the sister of the birthday girl. Hee hee Normally we've had some sort of birthday party with friends, but since we've not met many children her age here yet, the dinner was in place of a party. What a great experience for all of us! The food was absolutely amazing from start to finish. Of course the atmosphere and experience was tons of fun too! Oh, and I forgot to mention, but earlier in the day, when we first arrived, we took Emma to the Disneyland City Hall to get a birthday button. One of the cast members called us aside and asked if that is what we were in line for, and then he went on to surprise us. He selected Emma to receive a private meeting with one of the princesses that afternoon. He told her he would not know which one, and it could end up being two or three. We were given a special invitation with the appt. time. He asked about how many would be in our party, and we told him the Fox sisters would be joining us by then. He said, "No problem" and took each person's name down so that all six of us could go in. It was quite special! We got to see Cinderella and Princess Aurora--aka, Sleeping Beauty or Briar Rose. :-)

Yesterday we had the Fox family over for dinner after church. Emma chose to have stuffed shells, which was a real hit with everyone! I had stayed up incredibly too late on Sat. night working on a cake, stuffing the shells and finishing some things around the house. The cake was a nightmare experience (breaking, frosting issues, etc.), but it tasted quite good. :-) I had been so sad and upset about it before I went to bed, thinking it looked terrible, but Emma made that all subside the next morning when she saw it and thought it was the best ever. I thought she was going to wonder what in the world happened to our little plan of how it would look, but no, she thought it was amazing. What a sweetheart!

Emma's ninth birthday is definitely one to be remembered--so many new experiences, new people to share it with, and her last year of being a single digit in life. How I praise God for her life and pray that she will grow into a wonderful woman one day. It's an awesome responsibility to raise a child, and by God's grace we are trying to raise our girls for His glory. May Emma have many more years of growing, having fun, being stretched, learning, and knowing her God more as time goes on. We love her so much!!!

Works of God Monday

What a wonderful Thanksgiving we ended up having! Kris's cousin, Rick, and his family were able to join us for dinner. They have four kids, the newest of the crew being only two weeks old. You can see her here. What a sweetie! There is nothing like a snuggly newborn. Rick and Kim's other kids range in age from 7 down to 2 yrs. old. Our girls had a great time playing with them. They were able to keep themselves occupied most of the time, but I did have some organized activities for them too. They did a cookie craft that looked like turkeys when they were done, and they also made turkey headbands out of construction paper. Fun times! I would show you pics, but my camera is not connecting with my computer right now. :-( I dropped the camera at Disneyland a couple of weeks ago, and I think I loosened the connector for our cable or something. We are still taking good pictures, but I can't get them on the computer--not good!

After we had dinner, Rick and Kim were able to take food to Uncle Dave and Aunt Carol--Rick's parents. Carol is adjusting to being home after months of being in the hospital and the rehabilitation center following her cancer surgery and the stroke that took place. She was just not ready to be out of the house and over to our place for Thanksgiving, nor was she up to having a house full of company. We are just glad that we could send some Thanksgiving dinner over to them and their other son who was visiting from Fresno, so that they could at least feel somewhat a part of the holiday. We thank God for how He is working in Aunt Carol's recovery!

Over the last several days, we have enjoyed reflecting on God's goodness and grace in our lives. Everyone was able to share something they were thankful for when Rick and Kim were over for Thanksgiving, but we also did more in-depth sharing with our girls and our new church family on other days this past week. Kris read most of Psalm 107 during our Thanksgiving praise service. We sang and spoke in between his reading sections of the Psalm, and it was wonderful to hear people giving testimony of God's working in their lives.

We enjoyed watching some home movies this weekend too and looking back over the last several years of our girls growing up and changing so much. Wow--time sure does fly, and we need to treasure every moment together! A big thank you goes out to Kris's brother, Kurt, and his wife for inspiring us to pull out our home videos. We called them this past week and heard lots of laughter in the background, and we found out it was from their watching their own videos of years gone by. We hadn't done that ourselves in way too long, and what a blessing it was to do together as a family.

Before I go, I have to say again how thankful I am for the homeschool group that God led me to here in Riverside. We moms met for our first Mon. of the month meeting tonight but made it a bit of a Christmas party at one of the ladies' houses. By the way it is weird to be having a Christmas party on a day that was 85 degrees! Decorating for Christmas in shorts and t-shirts these last two days is different for sure. Ha ha Anyway, what a wonderful time of fellowship it was tonight, getting to know these ladies better and being able to share God's blessings in our lives.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, I am happy to say that while we were resigned and happy with Thanksgiving Day looking to include just the four of us here, God has given us an extra blessing. Kris's cousin, Rick, who lives only 45 mins. away in the high desert, is coming down with his family and having Thanksgiving dinner at our house. We are very excited! They have a new baby girl that we haven't met yet. They also have a daughter that's around Emma's age and two little boys. The kids will have so much fun playing together. The sad thing is that Aunt Carol and Uncle Dave will not be able to join us. While we are thrilled that Aunt Carol came home Friday, for the first time in months due to all that has happened with her physically, she is not doing so well with eating or being up out of bed. Rick and Kim are going to take food over to them though after we eat. They will spend a little time with them before heading to Kim's parents' house for the evening. We are just thrilled to be able to host Thanksgiving at our home and get to know this part of Kris's family better.

Some of you asked about our door hangers that we had done for the church. Here is a picture of the front and back:

You can see there is an address for our church web page. Kris is still working on the site, and a man from our church is putting Kris's messages on it for people to be able to listen to. Not all of them are up yet. The whole thing is a work in progress. Please pray that as we "get our name out there" now, that it would be Christ that is seen and exalted. This is His ministry, and we are excited to see what He will do in the surrounding community here in Riverside.