What I am thankful for...

I have so much to be thankful for this holiday season. First, for Christ being born. Second, I am married to the love of my life for going on 18 years. We have actually been together for almost 21 years! That is a long time:) I have two beautiful girls who are the joy of my life. Did I just say the joy of my life? Boy, I do sound old! Thanks go out to my parents, who just picked up there lives and moved here to help and support us. That is what they have always done for me. It has never gone unnoticed! I also am thankful for my brothers. I do not see them very much but I love them and miss them alot. Thank you to my inlaws for your love and support! I am thankful for Elelment Church and all of our new friends. I am thankful for my old friends too! I am thankful for AnnLouise for 40 years of the best times. We aren't always together but we can just pick up where we left off. I want to shout out to my teachers and pastors along the way who have helped me become the woman of God that I am today. That is alot of you, I lived in alot of places:) I appreciate the love and encouragement from Pastor and Becky Leake. We love you very much. Lorie, Deb, Merissa, & Colleen, I would not have made it through some of the tough times without you. Thanks for encourageing me, and standing by me even when I was acting like a brat alot of the time! Thanks to my friends in Monroeville, Hermitage, Michigan and Philly. We miss you! All of you have played a very important part in my life and for all of you, I am truly THANKFUL!

PW Retreat 2009

What an amazing weekend! First of all I turned 40, which I was less than thrilled about:) However, as you can see below my friends made it "special." They really are awesome! I love pastor's wives retreat for many reasons. I love getting to see friends. We are all there to have fun, laugh, maybe cry, but definitely soak in more of God. We can be mentored or we can be the mentorer. Either way, this retreat is a gift from God to ladies that give all year!

I hate getting older!

Very soon, I will be turning another year older. People tell me all the time I don't look it. I am grateful that I still look young; so why is this so hard? I so do not want to get older. I was always like, I am the baby of the family, and the youngest on staff. I was good at it and I liked it. I lost that a long time ago. (well not the youngest in the family thing:) It bothered me and I was only 31 when it happened. Now, 40! Yuck! I wonder, does it change anything? Should it? I have had all the aches and pains of being older for years. I can't stop it, so what do I do? I guess, I realize I have a great family, awesome friends and fantastic future. Thanks God!

17 years!!!

It is hard to believe that Rich and I have been married for 17 years! I remember the first time I saw him. He jumped out in front of me in Harrup hallway at VFCC. He was class President and was inviting all of the new freshment to come to a class social. He had this event so he could meet the new freshmen, by the way. I guess it worked:) I'm glad it did. A short time later we were officially dating. 11 months later we were engaged. We had a beautiful wedding June 6, 1992. Now, we have two beautiful girls and a great future. Rich is loving, sweet, FUNNY and I love him more every year!

Awesome Day!

God is so good! If you would have told me I was going to have a day with the group of friends I was with today, last year.. I would have said you were crazy! I had the perfect day! God did amazing things this year in all of us. We can once again be a solid group! If any of you read this, know that I love you and I pray for you and I thank God for you!

Great week with great friends!

So.. this week, we went back to Monroeville A/G. Rich spoke in big church, lol. Hey you do youth ministry for 20 years and see what you call it when you speak to adults:) Any way, it was great to see old friends (not to say they are old). After service we got to spend time with the Lecocqs. It was awesome. I need my Lorie time, lol! Friday night we went to dinner with the Jenkins. Always alot of fun. If you know Debbie and I you no there were laughs. Tonight we went out with the Uries. We took the motorcycles down to Robinson Town Center. It was so beautiful out tonight. Riding the bike was fun, relaxing and "carefree." I have been pretty stressed lately so it was nice to just ride! Thanks to all of my good friends! I miss ya!

Ever feel like you have no time, no energy and no money? What does that usually do to you? It probably makes you feel like you have no hope. Now, we all know our hope comes from God... so therefore why do I and so many others allow ourselves to feel down? Probably because too often we as human beings rely on feelings not facts. That is where my state of mind is today. I know the facts but I feel frustrated and stressed. I know what I am supposed to want and do but I just want to sit here and do nothing. So, then the feelings move on to guilt for not doing more and spending more time with those people or things that I feel like I neglect. The things become overwhelming. It poses these questions: 1) How can I get it all done? 2) Does it matter; it will only need done again almost immediately? 3) Does what I do matter? 4) What is really important? 5) Is it ever going to end (financial stress, etc)? Okay, I am just being real today.. but that is no way to write a blog, I guess! It is time to stop the pity party:)
I know and must believe that my hope comes from the Lord and he loves me and all of the "little things" in my life. I also know that faith comes from believing; so thats what we must do!

How can I be a good wife, mom and pastor's wife too?

Things are changing in my life all the time! Element Church is a reality!!! It is why I live here. But... how do I follow the call God has on my life and work 40 hours a week (more when you consider I have to go downtown) and still try to be a mom and maintain a house. I have been working 4 tens. That is incredibly hard because I am too tired to do what I need to do. I force myself to do it all anyway. But.. I am not always cheerful to say the least. However, at least I get a day off this way. So.. I am thinking well once summer gets here I will make the best of it and spend time with my kids, etc. Nope now for more changes......... no more tens allowed! If I work 5 days I am still gone all day, away from my kids all I get out of the deal is no day off! This just doesn't work for someone who is in full time ministry and parenting too! I don't live here to work at a credit union; I live here to be the pastor's wife at Element Church! I am excited about what God is doing in Millvale and I'm excited about what he wants to do in me and through me!

Wow, I'm a pastor's wife!

The other day, I was working at the credit union. I was really excited because Element Church was opening in only 2 days. I decided to tell a couple of members all about it. There response was not only positive but slightly comical. They loved the idea of Element church and wanted to be on the prayer team, and.... they said wow, you really can't judge someone on how they look. Now, previously I may have been insulted by this but not this time. I am not sure what they thought a pastor's wife should look like but they meant it as a compliment. I am proud to represent Christ there and at Element church!

Debbie Jenkins is awesome!

I have a great friend and her name is Debbie Jenkins. I mean it, she is awesome! I just spent the last few hours with her. We used to spend so much time together but in the past four years our lives have changed, ALOT! It hasn't always been easy for either of us, but one thing I can always count on is Debbie! One thing I hope Debbie will always know is that no matter what either of us go through there are two people she can count on! One is Jesus and the other is me! You are NEVER alone!

That's MY Girl!!!

JoLyn has been one busy girl! Beginning on Thursday, JoLyn was scheduled to go to her dress rehearsal for Aladdin Jr at school. Monday through Thursdays for a couple months she has been practicing for that. Sundays, all day, she has been practicing for Fine Arts. On Thursday afternoon, she hurt her elbow and has been in a sling since Friday. On Friday night she played a royal gurad in Aladdin. She and her friends were awesome! Saturday morning at 8 we arrived at SouthHills AG for Fine Arts.

Although JoLyn was exhausted, overwhelmed and in pain she just kept going. She participated in 2 human videos and a drama solo all before 1:00 pm. In the picture to the right you see her in her small human video. She did a fantastic job in all of the events but in this one she even reinjured her arm but finished. Following that, we jumped in the car so she could do her play for a final time. She actually fell asleep on the way to the school. JoLyn finished everything with a fantastic attitude! I was so proud of her! JoLyn has had some rough times in past few years. It was so exciting to see her just flourish. SHe is so happy and that makes me happy! Way to go JoLyn!

Great service!

This mornings message was awesome! It was something that I have been told more than once by more than one spiritual mentor, lol! It was all about your attitude being your choice. Attitude is something I have on occasion, struggled with. I feel that God has helped me come pretty far from where I once was. In 1992, at Valley Forge Christian College, my senior year wasn't 'FAIR." But as Pastor Jeff said this morning, life isn't always fair. I chodse, for a better part of the year to be pretty miserable. That is a year I will never get back. The dean of women, Jen Weinholt, told me then "choose to be happy!" I thought she was crazy. I mean, come on, so much was wrong that year and it wasn't my fault. But, I was the only one who could make that choice. I did not make that choice that year. Since then others have helped me realize that attitiude was a choice. I hope I have learned my lessons well! Pastor Jeff's sermon was so great and I hope that people listened. It is not worth sacrificing the time you won't get back. You can choose to be mad at the people or circumstances that you feel were unfair or you can change your own attitude and let God change you! God wants to use all of us but if we are unwilling to take responsibility for our own attitudes and actions, we won't be able to be used at all! I am not taking that chance again!