Pondering Patrick!

If you know the Stewart Clan....than you probably know that we all LOVE a good party.  I particularly have been known to make up reasons to celebrate.  To me parties are like the sprinkles of life.  They add color, fun, and ta-da to otherwise normal days.  So I decided we needed to celebrate St. Patrick's Day this year....but first we needed to find out why....
So in my research I found this post at Focus on the Family concerning St. Patrick.  I've included it because I found it very informative and very inspiring:

"It’s widely known that St. Patrick was actually not Irish. He was born in Britain. When he was 16 he was captured by thieves looting his parent’s estate. He was taken to Ireland and enslaved for six years, escaped and retreated back to Britain. Although some accounts of his life differ, the History Channel summed up the remaining years of post-enslavement life this way:

Soon after (his escape), Patrick began religious training, a course of study that lasted more than fifteen years. After his ordination as a priest, he was sent to Ireland with a dual mission-to minister to Christians already living in Ireland and to begin to convert the Irish.

Familiar with the Irish language and culture, Patrick chose to incorporate traditional ritual into his lessons of Christianity instead of attempting to eradicate native Irish beliefs. For instance, he used bonfires to celebrate Easter since the Irish were used to honoring their gods with fire. He also superimposed a sun, a powerful Irish symbol, onto the Christian cross to create what is now called a Celtic cross, so that veneration of the symbol would seem more natural to the Irish.

So there is Saint Patrick, a man ahead of his time, attempting to be real and relevant, climbing inside the pagan worldview of another country and culture in order to gain credibility and win converts for Christ. "

WOW!  That speaks my heart.  Now I just love me some St. Patrick!  How cool was he?  Meeting people where they were.  Not just any people but people who had enslaved him.  Whoa!  Yep....they had kidnapped him, enslaved him....and yet he went back....and didn't try to change them but met them where they were and INVESTED in them and became RELEVANT to them.  And to think I just wanted a reason to party.....
So yes....we are going to have special St. Patrick's Day after dinner treats...

and yes we are going to make cool preschool crafts.....

and yes we are definitely donning green today.....BUT we will also be having a very cool family time tonight discussing how we like St. Patrick can be daring and brave and real and relevant to reach the world for Christ! 

I am still Pondering and I am feeling VERY loved and VERY cherished by my Father.  God awed me this week in how he worked in our family...BUT I'm not ready to post about that yet.....SO I decided to post on St. Patrick today instead.

A few funnies I want to remember from today:
In my attempt to be Irish I made Brussel Sprouts for dinner:

my family assured me that potatoes would be Irish enough next year! :)

ALSO

The Twinkies and The Baby cannot for the life of them say "Saint Patrick's Day" they have been telling everyone it is "Green Patrick Day"

So from my family to yours "Happy Green Patrick Day!"
Love-
Kim

Just Life

Life is slowing down in my neck of the woods and I must admit I am enjoying the change of pace. 

We've had our cheerleading and basketball awards ceremony...which was a lot of fun!

Which also means....no more games on Saturdays or practices on Monday night!!!

The girls got to do a cheer on stage and my little girls LOVED that.  The 2 younguns are NOT shy!

THE GIRL really misses Basketball.  She had a fantastic coach and really seems to have a gift and passion for playing ball...who would have guessed.  She averaged 14 points a game.....and a lot of rebounds, assists, and steals too!

Jackson liked playing basketball too....but he REALLY liked making friends!  He is a people person:

We've ended our year at Odyssey.  Which means no more all day Saturday's or all morning Monday's or all the in-between practices....ahhh....TIME

Will I coach next year?  That is the question!

I want to say...NO
BUT......

The oppurtunity to INVEST hours in your teenage son and his peer group and them WANT to hang out with you.....doesn't come around but so often.  Is there a cost.....YES.....Is it worth it....PROBABLY!

So with all my extra time.....I've been doing SCHOOL....especially PRESCHOOL....it's catch up TIME!

Yes....I do let them sit on the table :)

We've been adjusting to life with a teenager!

We've been watching THE BOY grow way too fast.....He's been on the go.....middle school formals. 
Getting braces....ahhh......tooooooooooo  FAST!

the kids have spent MANY hours out in the backyard.

we've been watching with delight as the daffodils we planted this fall come bursting forth!  LOVE SPRING!

We've been having fashion crisis.....what to wear....one day it's cold and one day it's hot.  TWINKIE BOY may be on to something with this look.

The days are still full but I like the change of pace!

Happy spring!
Kim

Things that Make you go Hmmmmmm

It's Thursday....so you know what that means: Pondering Passages with Shay.

This week we pondered Galatians 2:20
"I have been crucified with Christ, I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

As I pondered this once again familiar passage I noticed several phrases  that confused me.
From the get go: "I have been crucified with Christ" seemed strange.  I know Christ was crucified for me and I know that my sin was nailed to the cross....but I don't think I knew that I was crucified with Christ....and I'm not sure I completely get what that means. 

So I started reading the verses around it....and there are all these verses about the law...and being justified by faith...not by observing the law. 

As I wrestled with this phrase several things became apparent. 
First off, Paul was not saying he was literally crucified with Christ....because he wasn't. 
However it is also equally apparent that Paul is identifying with Christ's death. 
Taking all this in context with the surrounding verses I think Paul is saying....When Christ was crucified....so was our bondage to the law.  We are not slaves to the law.  We are FREE because the price Jesus paid!  In a sense I think Paul was dying to himself, his sinfulness, and to the law. 

"I no longer live but Christ lives in me"
This to me reinforces the earlier idea of Paul saying "I've died to myself" so....it's as if he is saying, "now it's not about me....it is all about Christ."

 "the life I live in the body"  just clarifies that he is still literally alive.
"I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
To this I say...
Do I live out this kind of faith?
 Do I walk around in my flesh and live with my faith firmly planted in my Savior?
Or is my faith in circumstances, other people, familiar surroundings, financial security, health....where is my faith?
Hmmm....
"who loved me and gave himself for me."
I can honestly say he is the only person who has ever died for me.  He is the only person who loved me so much he gave himself up to a shameful, disgraceful, embarrassing, humiliating death....for me. 

Yes my Mama might die for me....Randy might die for me.....but Jesus DID die for me.  AMAZING LOVE. 

Wow!

So where does that leave me?  What do I have in my life that needs to be crucified?   In whom is my faith....or should I say in what is my faith? What is too much of a sacrifice for this God and Savior who died for me?  Who lives in me?  Christ or my own selfish desires?
Hmmmmm.....
Unfortunately some of these questions don't require much pondering on my part!  I have so much of self in me I make my own self sick! I can't imagine how it must make a perfect, holy, always good God feel who doesn't just love me....but gave his own Son for me.  I did NOTHING to earn this love.  I did NOTHING to deserve this love.  I can do NOTHING to lose this love.  Who is this Savior?  Ohhhh I long to KNOW him!

Love spending time in the word.  Good stuff!
Kim
I would love to hear others thoughts as well.  I am just a ponderer.  I DON"T know all this stuff....I'm just learning and I hope I'm not too far off base.  Please don't take my word as TRUTH (I am so not a professional) please PONDER for yourself!

Tastey Tuesday

So today I've been hanging out here at the house.  Doing a bunch of thinking.  Asking myself a bunch of questions.  Wishing I had some answers.  Feeling in limbo. 

So.....I started cooking.

I made a big ole dinner for the family.  I don't usually make such fancy dinners....but we are nearing grocery shopping day and I started trying to use up some things....and the kids were outside playing so nicely with the neighbors....that I just kept on cooking.

So for dinner we are having: meatloaf, deviled eggs, sauted squash and onions, sweet tea, green beans, and homemade Giant Cherry White Chocolate Chip Cookies....YUMMY.  I love cooking on days like this. 

As I cooked I started wishing I had new dinner ideas and new cookie recipes.  So I thought I'd share the cookie recipe I stole of My Life on the Taffy Pull blog http://mylifeonataffypull.blogspot.com/ and hope that in the comment section I could get some new cookie recipes or dinner ideas.....nothing fancy please....just regular, easy, yummy ideas :)

1 cup butter-softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. apple pie spice (or 1/2 tsp. cin., 1/2 tsp. all spice & 1/4 tsp. nutmeg)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups dried cherries-chopped
1 bag of white chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugars, add eggs and vanilla. Add next 6 ingredients, mixing well. Stir in cherries and white chocolate chips. Drop by great big spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 9-12 minutes. Let cookies rest on sheet of a minute after removing from oven, transfer to a wire wrack.

Thanks. 
Happy Tuesday!
Kim

A Journey....

Odyssey of the Mind....an odyssey is defined by Webster as a "long, wandering, and eventful journey".  I would say that definitely describes our year at Odyssey.

Long....YES
We have been meeting since August for at least 2 hours a week....and since January....for a lot more hours a week! We have been meeting for a long time.  We have spent long hours, and we have had some long days. 

Wandering.....YES
We have definitely wandered.  We've wandered from house to house for practice.  We have wandered what on earth we are doing.  We have wandered around high school campuses.  We wandered how to make an inantimate object become antimated.  We've wandered how to get a sheet to hang from PVC without sagging or falling.  We've wandered around Home Depot.  We have wandered what the outcome of regionals will be and if we will ever find out.  We've wandered what a spy, santa clause, the blue fairy, Pinochio, an ad dude, the FBI and a lawyer have to do with each other....yes we wander.

Eventful.....YES
I'd say.....We started off with Nerf Wars in a church and ended up with playing cards at Chapel Hill Highschool Commons area...and we've had pizza parties, movie nights, work days, challanges, problems, issues, laughs, emails, memories, rehersals, meals, carpools, sewing classes.....yes I'd say it has been eventful!

It was not easy....but it was not bad.....It was not always fun.....it was definitely an Odyssey.

We all grew, we all learned.....and now we all wait.......The Journey Continues......

The Boy

Happy Birthday to You!  What a year it has been.  You are really growing up and becoming a really fun and cool person.  You make us all very proud.  It is official....you are a TEENAGER!

I love how you can have fun....no matter what you are doing.  You make eVeRyThInG Fun!

I love that in general, we ALL have our moments, you are VERY tolerant of your younger brothers and sisters.  God is using them to make you, and me, more patient!

I love that you are learning to listen to others ideas and to work well with other people.  Which is hard-even for grownups.....but such an important life skill!

I love that you willingly serve others.

I love how you love your little sisters and are helping to model for them the way they should expect to be treated by guys.

I love that you love church.

I really love that you are facing you fears.  We all have fears.....but I love that you are CHOOSING not to be controlled by yours.  That is a sign of maturity and the mark of the kind of man you are becoming.  I pray that you will continue to reject passivity and FACE the giants!

You are THE MAN!

Awesome!

Remember....that GREAT risk=GREAT reward!

I love that you are my guinea pig.  You've been a great one :)  You have gone easy on your old mom!  Thanks for letting me mess up....and make mistakes....and allowing me to be a very imperfect parent!

I love that you are my FIRSTBORN!

I love your smile.

I love your sense of adventure.

I love the people you have chosen to look up to.

I pray that God will continue to bring good, Godly role models into your life.

I love that you take time for your brother.

I love that you like to learn.

I love that you are making wise choices in your friendships.

I love how passionate you get about what you love.

GO STEELERS!

I love the example you are setting for TWINKIE BOY.  I love that you allow him to be a part of your life.

I love that you are starting to sacrifice what you want in the moment for what is in the future and are willing to work and to wait.  I pray that this will continue to be developed in your life over the years.  Good things are so worth waiting for.  DON"T short change yourself.....WAIT for the BEST!

I LOVE BEING YOUR MOM!

Happy Birthday Big A!

Out with the Old and In with the New

I love this picture!  I love it because it has my man and my kids....but I also love it because it has my "old pastor" and my "new pastor."

I am so going to miss Pastor Chasteen!  I met him around the time I turned 14.  That's been a LOOONG time ago.  He has spoken truth into my life on a consistent basis.  He performed

Randy and my wedding.  He was one of the first people to meet each of our children.  He walked with us during some dark days and he has walked with us through some joyful times.  I'm going to miss sweet Scarlet.  I'm going to miss his kids...and his grandkids.....I just LOVE me some Chasteens....they are GOOD people.....oh how I am blessed by knowing them.  I will be forever grateful for the season of life that I got to share with them.

HOWEVER....

I am so excited about Marc.  I guess we met Marc for the first time when he came to a Q & A at the church about 4 years ago.  I was VERY pregnant with THE BABY and I remember thinking he seemed nice. 

BUT

 Oh...I had no idea then that I would come to LOVE this family.  I L.O.V.E the whole clan.  They are my kind of people...

1.  Marc LOVES God.  So much.  You can't know Marc (or have known Joan, or know Ben, Tera, or Rae and not know that they love God.)

2.  He LOVES his family.  They ooze love for one another.  I love when families love each other!

3.  He LOVES people.  He is so kind and accepting of people.

4.  He is FUNNY! 

5.  He is REAL.  I get really easily irritated by fake people (it's an area I need to work on)  Marc (and his whole crew) are REAL....I love real!

6.  He is NICE.  Real is cool....But Real and Nice....is REALLY NICE!

7.  He has allowed us to know them.  He patiently lets my kids attack him and hug him and my kids love him.... which I love!

8.  He has invested in THE BOY.  He has prayed for THE BOY and participated in meaningful events in his life and for that I am VERY grateful.

9.  Marc is really good at getting people comfortable with change.  Change is hard.  People (like me) don't generally like change....yet Marc has a way of making it appealing.

10.  I think Marc would literally do pretty much ANYTHING to bring people to the Lord.  I think he is really open to being creative to win people to Christ.

So....though I don't like change and I am REALLY going to miss Pastor....I do like Marc and am so excited about how God is going to use him to lead Ridgecrest.

On a final note....

The service at Ridgecrest on Sunday was absolutely beautiful.  I am not a crier....and I wept.  It was an AMAZING display of the way church should work.  I watched my old pastor wash my new pastors feet.  He washed them not only with water but with tears.  It was the most beautiful picture of humility, love, and  service I have ever witnessed....a BEAUTIFUL, HOLY MOMENT.  I am awed by the love and honored to go to a church where this is the norm.

I love THE CHURCH.