A Little Treasure from Ella

I get the biggest kick out my little granddaughters. I had to share what Ella just told me. I was in the kitchen getting a glass of water, when Ella brought me two baby wipes. She said "Grammy, Hunter is poopy! This one's por you and this one's por me. Now open Hunter's diaper." I guess she thought I couldn't wipe him good enough and she needed to help. Poor Hunter, he wasn't even poopy.

I'm Leavin on a Jet Plane

I always think of that song every time a get ready to fly somewhere. Thursday morning, Amy and I are going to fly to Houston and go to the Girls Night Out at Champion Forest Baptist Church. The speakers will be Lysa TerKeurst and Rene Swope from Proverbs 31 ministries and Kate Gosslin. I am so excited to go and get away for a little while and I'm really excited to hear the speakers. I did a Jon and Kate marathon yesterday, since I had recorded several episodes and hadn't watched them yet. I honestly don't know how they do it with all those kids and six of them being the same age. I guess God knew who could handle it and who couldn't. I'm a little bummed because Amy and I couldn't get seats together, but I'm sure we will get to set by some interesting people. There's a reason for everything. Then we will be staying with Amy's aunt Friday night and flying home Saturday.

Nothing like cramming everything into one weekend. Sunday, Justin and I are going to have all of Team Uganda 09 over for lunch after church. It will be the first time we will all be together since we planned the trip. I also invited our local Dr. Laura, who is from Uganda, to join us and share a little bit about her home land. We have recorded two shows about Uganda: The Presidential Tour and Bizarre Foods of Uganda, hopefully we will have time to watch them both and have some time for devotions and prayer. Randy is setting up a time Sunday at the Baptist church to share with them at 9:30 and then at 10:30 have a sending service at our church since this will be the only time we will be able to all be together before we leave in 20 days. It's earlier than we had planned, but you have to do it when we could get everyone here. I have to admit, the jitters are starting to set in a little bit, but it is an adventure and we are taking Jesus with us!

My Birth Verse

Today as I was scrolling through my bookmarks, I notice the website about birth verses that I had forgotten about. So I looked up my birth verse which was found in Jeremiah 1:5. It said "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart, I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." Wow! How appropriate since I am going around the world in a month to do just that. It is an interesting website. To look up your birth verse go to www.birthverse.com. Yesterday at church we had a sending service for Paul and Amanda who are going to plant a church in Kansas City and Wendell Lowen was the speaker. I know he was speaking about Paul and Amanda, but I felt like he was talking directly to me about our trip. He just affirmed what the Lord had already been speaking to my heart in my daily devotions. When you go somewhere to minister to others, it's more about being, rather than doing.

Karen had been reading a workbook from a Beth Moore Study she had done called Stepping Up: A journey through the Psalms of Ascent. She was so excited about what she had read, she brought it to me to read. We had a discussion Saturday about being nervous about different things we will experience on this journey to Uganda, for instance the long flight and our safety once we get there. The daily lesson she had marked for me to read was entitled The Lord Your Keeper. The scripture was taken from Psalm 121:1-8 and The Lord is Your Shelter concentrating on verses 5-6. I see why it meant so much to her. Where does my help come from? The Maker of Heaven and Earth. God is caretaker of us all. He already knows what we will encounter and will hide us beneath the shelter of His Wings.

COUNT DOWN!!

We are on a count down to February 10th when we leave to go to Uganda! One month from today. Pat hosted a brunch this morning to introduce the team and raise awareness about our trip. There were several people there and Pat did an awesome job on the food. She even made an African Peanut soup to wet our appetite for the foods we might be eating while there. It was not quite my favorite taste, kind of sweet. I may end up losing weight after all. I think everyone is getting excited to go and we just enjoyed being together talking about it for a while. The whole team was there with the exception of Diana and Byron.

Back row: Don, Justin, Elton, Leon, Randy. Front row: Lisa, Jodi, Pat, Karen and Betty.
Check out the new blog for our team. I have added it to my blog list at the right.

It's My Birthday!!

Today is my birthday and I have had a wonderful day. I have had lots of phone calls and emails from friends and family. Even a call I wasn't expecting from my cousin Rick, who has always had a special place in my heart. I was so excited to hear from him. He's been more like a brother to me when we were growing up, but I don't see him much anymore, even though we live in the same area. Life just sometimes gets in the way. (Sad, but true). Marshalene and Hunter came by and brought a gift of lotion, bath powder (which I've already used in a long, hot bath) and a gift certificate for a manicure and pedicure to be given by my favorite daughter-in-love (as Justin likes to call her). Speaking of Sara, she and Ella stopped by to wish me a happy birthday also. Glenna took me out for lunch and I could hardly eat my food for doing so much laughing! She gave me a journal to take with me to Uganda and a small, pewter, keepsake cross that opens up and has little charms in it that says things about best friends. Justin took me out for supper Saturday evening since there is usually not much open on Monday's and besides I have a music board meeting at church tonight. That's ok, I like alot of others, have gotten back on the band wagon to lose some weight again (UHG!)

Happy New Year!

We had a wonderful New Year's Day today. We had Mom and Dad, Tim, Lisa and Carson, Austin, Sara, Emma and Ella over for dinner. We don't have a lot of traditions around our house, but one we do have is Ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, and blackeyed peas (YUCK!) for New Year's dinner. Everything else is optional. My dad used to make me eat at least a spoonful of blackeye's every year for good luck. Then several years ago I discovered there is no such thing as luck. You are either blessed or your not. I choose to be blessed and I don't need any luck that some gross blackeyed peas would bring. My dad had to agree, so he doesn't push them anymore. Then after dinner, the women sat around the table making more bracelets for our trip. We have made around 120 so far.

I never make a new year's resolution, because I have broken every one I've ever made. This year I am making a commitment to read the Bible through in a year. I bought a One Year Chronological Bible from Proverbs 31 Ministries and am excited to get it started. I will read today's passage as soon as I get off the computer. Everyone just left and the house is quiet, so this is a good time. As I was reading Marybeth Whalen's blog I noticed that she likes to pick a verse for the year. I really like that idea and I liked the verse she chose to post on her fridge for the month of January. It was 1 Samuel 12:24 "But be sure to fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you." I have been blessed far more than I deserve in my life and I am so grateful for everything He has done for me.

I have several things to look forward to in the next two month. My birthday is Monday, which really is no big deal anymore, I'm not sure why I look forward to it. The end of January I am going to Houston to a conference that includes Lysa TerKeurst and Kate Gosslin (Jon and Kate plus 8) I love that show! And then February 10th we leave for Uganda. I know it will go by in a flash. Anyway the anticipation is so exciting!