Church, home schooling, MOPS and more.

Service last Sunday was perfect.  It felt like Pastor Marty was speaking right in to my heart.  His mission currently is to get people serving the Callaway area, planting the Callaway campus and loving people.  He talked about how people can help get the campus up and running, and said that if you could commit to helping launch the campus to write “callaway campus” on the back of a connection card and turn it in. So I filled out another connection card, turned it over and wrote “Callaway campus” in big letters on the back.  HELLOOOO that’s what I moved here for.  Silly Pastor, don’t you know??  I couldn’t help but giggle to myself a little bit a couple times, because everything that has brought us to this point is a very big deal to me, but to everyone around me, I'm just another person in the room.  I’m not complaining about that either, I like it that way.  My short time in Children’s ministry was nice.  My passion is not Children’s ministry.  I definitely do not think that God called me all the way to Callaway, Fl. So that I could serve in Children’s ministry, but I do know that it is a good way to meet people and start getting connected, and I needed to start serving.  I also don’t want to be sitting around, being picky about where to serve and do nothing.  God says to do whatever we do full heartedly (Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. Ecclesiastes 9:10) and that is what I intend to do with Children’s ministry.  For right now, I feel that is what I’m being called to do, whatever the bigger picture is, will come later. So I sat in the toddler room with a couple that has been serving in that room for about 3 years.  They were very nice and I even met a woman whose daughter was in the class that took my card and wants to do a Thirty-one party (which I desperately need to get going on).  I’m looking forward to really starting in a mixed age playroom next week, just for kids who are there for 2 services. 

Monday night Sara and I attended a local home school group meeting.  Other Christian home school mom’s getting together to have a discussion group.  They are reading a book called “The mom you’re meant to be”, it’s a Focus on the Family book.  Listening to the girl who led the discussion read some quotes from the book and shares her struggles with us, I was so uplifted.  I really felt like that was exactly where I was supposed to be. I was really interested in what each one of the women had to share and I was thankful for the wisdom from the women in the group, some had been home schooling for a long time and some for only this school year.  By the end of the night I was feeling connected to these women and a little disappointed that we wouldn't be meeting with them weekly.  

I also had my first MOPS experience this week.  I know there are MOPS groups in Utah, but I had never gone to a meeting and didn’t really know what it was all about.  Tuesday we joined one of the women from the home school meeting and sat in on a MOPs meeting.  I really liked it.  I thought it was great to again be sitting with other women who were passionate about the same things I am and had the same goals as far as being the best wife and mom they can be.  It was great and I again felt right at home.  The talk led me to look for a blog from a woman named Ann Voskamp.  One example that the woman shared was that Ann talks in one of her blogs about how to be a better wife by giving your husband 4 minutes a day.  Here’s an excerpt from the blog:

1. Four Focuses

Four times a day focus on the love you vowed. When I leave the marriage bed, leave the front door, when  I return to front door, return to marriage bed. These are the four critical archways of time in our day. Touch or whisper a sweet nothing when passing through these gate points, and we walk into hours of closeness. It’s the focus that makes old love fresh love.

2. Four Embraces

Four times a day, embrace. Embrace fully and hold each other’s eyes. That’s all. Repeat four times daily. The one flesh breathes best when the skin pores are close; connected.

3. Four Affirmations

Four times during the day, thank him.

For working faithfully, for hanging up his towel, for putting gas in the van, for making this heart skip a wild beat. Look for the ways to thank him and watch how he moves closer.

I often find myself asking for God to show me ways that I can love my husband more and it is something I hope I never stop doing.  I have done similar things before and haven't really made them habitual but even if the variations of the actual tasks that I do ebb and flow in success, I still know that my marriage is my most important relationship next to the relationship I have with the Lord and should continue to be something I work on for the rest of my life.  

Thank you for continuing to read my updates.  There is almost daily excitement right now, so there are lots to share but I’m sure not too long from now things will be slowing down.  On Sunday and Tuesday our small groups start and I’m really excited about that.  One is a fun group, families’ getting together to fellowship, play games and such and the other is a spiritual growth group for married couples and we’ll be going through Love and Respect.