so much to be thankful for... I often don't know where to start!!
We are thankful for our family. Immediate and extended. We both have amazing families that we love and adore. We are so proud of our families. We love these people. They have helped shape us into who we are today. We can confidently follow Christ because of the examples we have from our parents. We are encouraged to go forward because the members of our family support us. We are loved.
We are thankful for our happy, healthy babies. Just can't be thankful enough for these little world changers. We adore our kids. Sure life is challenging at times, but the smiles that we get from these little babies make everything else melt away. They are so precious, so delightful...we love them and are blessed to be a part of their lives.
We are thankful for our support team members. We are so grateful for the sacrifices that are made on our behalf. You are making an impact on the students of UL. Your sacrifice is bringing in a return. We know that you believe in us and what we are doing. We are loved.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Coming in and Going out
The semester is almost over. It's unreal. Things are just flying by. One of the craziest things to me is the constant change that takes place in Chi Alpha every year. It's like a revolving door. Students come in, and within a short amount of time, they are graduating. They are moving on to a different stage of life. And the cycle continues with a group of new students coming in. That is the great thing about discipleship and leaders helping other students become leaders - if it wasn't for that, this ministry would be dead in 4 years. There would be no growth. But we do get to see growth.
Some of these student leaders don't have a clue how much influence they are having on this campus. It's crazy to think that there is a whole group of freshmen who don't know Tyren Snyder, but they are being impacted because of him...because he invested in Tony Jones, who is leading a group of freshmen guys this year. The list will continue to go on and on and on...
Chi Alpha becomes a safe place for these students - those who came to college with a relationship with Christ and those who have began following Christ while here...and it can be hard to move on. Sure they don't want to write papers forever, they want to get at job, get married and have a family, but it is hard to leave this comfortable, encouraging environment. But it must be done. Their new role is to continue this life-style of investing themselves in others as they live life - just like they did in college.
Our goal is not to produce a great student leader who only changes the university while they are here. It is to help that student transform into a great leader in their church, community, and workplace. They will then change the world.
Some of these student leaders don't have a clue how much influence they are having on this campus. It's crazy to think that there is a whole group of freshmen who don't know Tyren Snyder, but they are being impacted because of him...because he invested in Tony Jones, who is leading a group of freshmen guys this year. The list will continue to go on and on and on...
Chi Alpha becomes a safe place for these students - those who came to college with a relationship with Christ and those who have began following Christ while here...and it can be hard to move on. Sure they don't want to write papers forever, they want to get at job, get married and have a family, but it is hard to leave this comfortable, encouraging environment. But it must be done. Their new role is to continue this life-style of investing themselves in others as they live life - just like they did in college.
Our goal is not to produce a great student leader who only changes the university while they are here. It is to help that student transform into a great leader in their church, community, and workplace. They will then change the world.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Smores for the First Time
What a beautiful day it was on Friday!! The weather was just gorgeous. I knew it would be a perfect night for a little fire. Instead of having an international student cook for us tonight, we decided to share some of our culture with them. We had hot dogs, and then we taught them how to make smores. Most of them didn't have a clue what we were talking about. One of the girls from Oman said that she learned about smores last year, and taught her sister when she went home. It was really cool hearing her describe how she taught her sister about the "cookie with the chocolate"...
Everyone was around the fire with wire hangers going everywhere. There were quite a few marshmallows lost to the fire, but it was an enjoyable experience for everyone who was there, especially the international students who had their first taste of a smore. I know they are going to want more after their first one!
That's what it's about. Exchanging cultural experiences. We get to share our culture with them, and they get to share their culture with us. Spending time together is how we get to know each other better. And we get to learn so much in the process!
Everyone was around the fire with wire hangers going everywhere. There were quite a few marshmallows lost to the fire, but it was an enjoyable experience for everyone who was there, especially the international students who had their first taste of a smore. I know they are going to want more after their first one!
That's what it's about. Exchanging cultural experiences. We get to share our culture with them, and they get to share their culture with us. Spending time together is how we get to know each other better. And we get to learn so much in the process!
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Chi Alpha International = Bella's Entertainment Show
We brought our kids to Chi Alpha International last night (let me just interject here that it is really weird writing "kids" - like more than one...). Brennan wasn't feeling too good (he's congested), so I was just going to stay home with both of them. But, it's hard having Lee at home for a little while on a Friday afternoon and then sending him off again. So, we went as a family.
The food was delicious. The interns did a great job cooking fajitas. There was a ton of food. It was great!! Our discussion topic was "Motivation," and there were 5 questions that went with it. Lee and I went to the front of the Chi Alpha house because there's more room up there for Bella to run. The kitchen stayed full, but we had a few students (who've been around for a while) come up to the front with us. It was actually all guys. We tried talking about "motivation," but Bella's show was much more entertaining! She sang her ABC's, Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, Counting to Four and anything else she could think of, along with doing flips and jumping on chairs.
We then got to talk about family. How many kids did these guys want to have...what did they think it would be like raising kids. It ended up being really nice. One of the students actually told Lee that we show them that having kids can be fun. It wears us out at times, but our kids mean so much to us.
A lot of 18 year olds believe that they will have happier lives if they don't get married. That's crazy! Lee and I love being together, working together, building a family together. I couldn't be happier! But, if these 18 year olds (and 21 year olds) only see bitter, angry people in marriages that are failing, they wouldn't know how much fun marriage can be!
The students that we work with love us and they love our kids. We know that. And we are happy that we can be a healthy, godly example of what kind of marriage and family they can have for themselves in the future if they choose to put God first in their lives.
The food was delicious. The interns did a great job cooking fajitas. There was a ton of food. It was great!! Our discussion topic was "Motivation," and there were 5 questions that went with it. Lee and I went to the front of the Chi Alpha house because there's more room up there for Bella to run. The kitchen stayed full, but we had a few students (who've been around for a while) come up to the front with us. It was actually all guys. We tried talking about "motivation," but Bella's show was much more entertaining! She sang her ABC's, Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, Counting to Four and anything else she could think of, along with doing flips and jumping on chairs.
We then got to talk about family. How many kids did these guys want to have...what did they think it would be like raising kids. It ended up being really nice. One of the students actually told Lee that we show them that having kids can be fun. It wears us out at times, but our kids mean so much to us.
A lot of 18 year olds believe that they will have happier lives if they don't get married. That's crazy! Lee and I love being together, working together, building a family together. I couldn't be happier! But, if these 18 year olds (and 21 year olds) only see bitter, angry people in marriages that are failing, they wouldn't know how much fun marriage can be!
The students that we work with love us and they love our kids. We know that. And we are happy that we can be a healthy, godly example of what kind of marriage and family they can have for themselves in the future if they choose to put God first in their lives.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Bromance
Lee spoke at one of our Thursday Night Live meetings about "Bromance." It's about men (and women too, but men need more encouragement in this area) having deep friendships. There are 2 guys mentioned in the Bible who have this kind of friendship - Jonathan and David.
According to the story, Jonathan and David should have been enemies. Jonathan was supposed to be the next king of Israel, but because his dad Saul didn't follow God, David was made king. Jonathan's dad hated David, but that didn't stop Jonathan from loving him. I think this story in the Bible is the first "bff" example (best friends forever).
The cool thing is that after Lee spoke on this at the meeting, guys have been coming up to him to tell him that this challenged them in their relationships. Lee and I have even noticed that the guys in leadership (the ones who lead Bible studies on campus) are getting closer to each other.
One of the cool things about Chi Alpha is that you can't join it, you can only experience it. Everyone is welcome. There are students who could have sat next to each other in a classroom and never spoke 2 words to each other for a whole semester, but they are close friends because they sat in a Bible study next to each other, or cleaned the bathrooms together, or played ultimate frisbee every week together. I love looking on facebook and seeing the people who comment on each other's walls knowing that their initial friendship took place at a Chi Alpha related event. That is so awesome to me! It's the beginning of a beautiful, life-long, relationship. A true Bromance.
According to the story, Jonathan and David should have been enemies. Jonathan was supposed to be the next king of Israel, but because his dad Saul didn't follow God, David was made king. Jonathan's dad hated David, but that didn't stop Jonathan from loving him. I think this story in the Bible is the first "bff" example (best friends forever).
The cool thing is that after Lee spoke on this at the meeting, guys have been coming up to him to tell him that this challenged them in their relationships. Lee and I have even noticed that the guys in leadership (the ones who lead Bible studies on campus) are getting closer to each other.
One of the cool things about Chi Alpha is that you can't join it, you can only experience it. Everyone is welcome. There are students who could have sat next to each other in a classroom and never spoke 2 words to each other for a whole semester, but they are close friends because they sat in a Bible study next to each other, or cleaned the bathrooms together, or played ultimate frisbee every week together. I love looking on facebook and seeing the people who comment on each other's walls knowing that their initial friendship took place at a Chi Alpha related event. That is so awesome to me! It's the beginning of a beautiful, life-long, relationship. A true Bromance.
Friday, October 22, 2010
What a Week
It's been a crazy week!!
Highlights and Lowlights:
High: We had a great family weekend. It was our first big outing with Brennan. We went to the Boudin Cookoff downtown Lafayette. It was fun! Bella played in the water at Parc Sans Sauci. Some of the students were there and got to watch!! It was precious.
High: Bella and I went to "Come Learn and Play with Me" today (Friday). She had a great time. It's a safe environment, and I met 2 mommies there. I am definitely going back, and I'm going to do a little investigating...like possibly signing up for the Mother's Day Out program and possibly asking to design the owner's newsletter.
High: I went for my postpartum check up. I'm cleared to do whatever I want! :) It made me thankful for my health, my perfect delivery (which was super fast compared to what I heard while waiting for doctor), and my healthy beautiful babies. I'm one blessed girl.
High: We were super financially blessed this month from supporters and friends! It's amazing to know that people believe in us and what we are doing.
Low: Lee's truck broke down. Wouldn't start at all. He was not far from our house getting cardboard for the homecoming float, and he called me to come to the rescue. I towed his truck with our suburban back to our house. THEN I towed it to the mechanic's across town. CRAZY! (and that might be a part of a high). The mechanic told us it would cost one price, and then the next day his brother told us it would cost $300 more! When I told my dad (a diesel mechanic himself), he freaked out and told us to go tow the truck back because we were being ripped off. Luckily, the truck started and I didn't have to tow it back home. Now we are trying to figure out where we're going to take it. At least we didn't pay the $750 we were told it's going to take.
Sometimes when I think about my lows, I don't want to put them because they seem so petty. My 3 day headache doesn't compare to some of the other things that my friends are going through. We are a blessed family, no matter what goes wrong...or how rough the week may seem. God is so good to us. He wants good things for us. I want to be like the Apostle Paul in the Bible and learn to be content and have joy no matter what circumstances a week may bring.
Highlights and Lowlights:
High: We had a great family weekend. It was our first big outing with Brennan. We went to the Boudin Cookoff downtown Lafayette. It was fun! Bella played in the water at Parc Sans Sauci. Some of the students were there and got to watch!! It was precious.
High: Bella and I went to "Come Learn and Play with Me" today (Friday). She had a great time. It's a safe environment, and I met 2 mommies there. I am definitely going back, and I'm going to do a little investigating...like possibly signing up for the Mother's Day Out program and possibly asking to design the owner's newsletter.
High: I went for my postpartum check up. I'm cleared to do whatever I want! :) It made me thankful for my health, my perfect delivery (which was super fast compared to what I heard while waiting for doctor), and my healthy beautiful babies. I'm one blessed girl.
High: We were super financially blessed this month from supporters and friends! It's amazing to know that people believe in us and what we are doing.
Low: Lee's truck broke down. Wouldn't start at all. He was not far from our house getting cardboard for the homecoming float, and he called me to come to the rescue. I towed his truck with our suburban back to our house. THEN I towed it to the mechanic's across town. CRAZY! (and that might be a part of a high). The mechanic told us it would cost one price, and then the next day his brother told us it would cost $300 more! When I told my dad (a diesel mechanic himself), he freaked out and told us to go tow the truck back because we were being ripped off. Luckily, the truck started and I didn't have to tow it back home. Now we are trying to figure out where we're going to take it. At least we didn't pay the $750 we were told it's going to take.
Sometimes when I think about my lows, I don't want to put them because they seem so petty. My 3 day headache doesn't compare to some of the other things that my friends are going through. We are a blessed family, no matter what goes wrong...or how rough the week may seem. God is so good to us. He wants good things for us. I want to be like the Apostle Paul in the Bible and learn to be content and have joy no matter what circumstances a week may bring.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Nap Time
Two months ago, Bella and I were in a pretty good routine. She took her nap around 1:30-3:30 pm with a little variation, and I could decide what I wanted to do during that time. I would often read my Bible and pray, catch up on a tv show, clean our house, or take a nap myself.
Now, things are different. It's almost rare for both babies to take a nap at the same time. It seems like when I get Bella down, Brennan is starting to wake up. On the days that their naps overlap, I don't know what to do with myself. I know the rule of "sleep when the baby sleeps," but there are so many other things that need to be done!!
I also know that this is just a season. I keep thinking how it seems like we just brought Bella home from the hospital and now she's a mini-adult :o) Things happen so quickly. Brennan is almost 2 months old already. That's just craziness. And that is what is getting me through life right now. I know that this season is going to pass by very quickly. The Bible even says that our lives are but "a vapor." Mists don't last for long.
The next stage will be here soon. He's already laughing and cooing. He'll be rolling over in no time - to get away from Bella. Bella's using reason and logic and using it to communicate with us. That's just insane. When the students see her at the cafe, they say they can't believe how much she's grown and how she communicates. They are the ones who say she's a mini-adult.
So, I may not get as many naps as I would like right now, but I know that soon enough, I can have as many as I want. And I will sleep through the night again. It's just a matter of time.
Now, things are different. It's almost rare for both babies to take a nap at the same time. It seems like when I get Bella down, Brennan is starting to wake up. On the days that their naps overlap, I don't know what to do with myself. I know the rule of "sleep when the baby sleeps," but there are so many other things that need to be done!!
I also know that this is just a season. I keep thinking how it seems like we just brought Bella home from the hospital and now she's a mini-adult :o) Things happen so quickly. Brennan is almost 2 months old already. That's just craziness. And that is what is getting me through life right now. I know that this season is going to pass by very quickly. The Bible even says that our lives are but "a vapor." Mists don't last for long.
The next stage will be here soon. He's already laughing and cooing. He'll be rolling over in no time - to get away from Bella. Bella's using reason and logic and using it to communicate with us. That's just insane. When the students see her at the cafe, they say they can't believe how much she's grown and how she communicates. They are the ones who say she's a mini-adult.
So, I may not get as many naps as I would like right now, but I know that soon enough, I can have as many as I want. And I will sleep through the night again. It's just a matter of time.
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