Spring Break!

Last week was our spring break week from school here in New England. It seems so late compared to everyone else in the country! This year my parents invited us to join them in South Carolina. Unfortunately, Ken could not join us due to work obligations, but the kids and I were able to go.

Love Delta Mileage Points!

What a blessing to have the opportunity to spend some quality time with my parents and build some memories with them both! As time marches forward, we are all very aware that spending time with parents and grandparents is a delicate process.

My parents have traveled to the Charleston area for many years in the springtime. They have tried so many different activities and know all the good places to stay and fun things to do! We stayed on the Isle of Palms all the way at the end of the island! What a beautiful place!

Both of them were teachers at one time and it was cute to see them plan out our educational adventures everyday. Charleston is very beautiful and is extremely rich with history. Josh loved the architectural parts, history and food. Emily loved the all of the flowers and the horses. We took a narrated carriage tour around Charleston, then shopped at the city market.

"Steve" the horse. :-)

Trumpet flowering tree!

We took a ferry out to Fort Sumter and learned all about it's construction and the significant historical events that happened there.

Another day we toured Magnolia Plantation and witnessed first hand the beauty of the ol' south. Spring was in full bloom and all of us were in awe of how gorgeous it is there.

camellia

Wisteria

We had a wonderful visit with my parents in the south. It was a much needed break and change of scenery. Our weather was great and the memories we made with them are priceless.

Date please....

Oh my goodness. What has happened to this year? The time is flying by so fast!

I was shocked to look at this blog today and find that I hadn't posted in a long while. Truth is that I've been meaning to post more, but time and the schedules in my life are a bit overwhelming.

Enough excuses....

Blogging is a lot of fun and I enjoy writing. Tomorrow is a new day and I will share some pics from our spring break trip.

11 Questions Church Leaders Should Be Asking

I copied this blog post from Willow Creek Association. Please pass this along to your church leaders if you feel prompted from the Lord to do so.  If you don't feel comfortable, maybe this will be a good tool to help you decide if you are attending the kind of church the Lord intended for you to attend.


11 Questions Church Leaders Should Be Asking:

Re-post by Tony Morgan:

A friend in ministry recently asked me what questions church leaders should be asking. I thought about the types of questions I try to help answer when I’m working with them in the church consulting or coaching relationships. Here are the first questions and some bonus thoughts that came to mind:

1. When was the last time I heard from God? Am I doing what he called me to do? This is the “Acts 6″ question. Acts 6 is a great reminder that it’s possible to be doing the ministry of God without doing the ministry God has called us to do.


2. What should our church be known for in this community? For a moment, ignore anyone who attends your church. What does the rest of the community know about your church?  That’s a better reflection of whether or not you’re really accomplishing your vision.


3. Are we really focusing our time, money, leadership, prayer behind the things that will produce life change and community impact? If not, there’s a good chance that “fairness” is driving these decisions. Fairness never produces revolution.


4. Is our church growing both spiritually and in numbers? Churches that are stuck and not bearing fruit hate this question. As I’ve shared before, I don’t believe healthy churches are necessarily big churches, but healthy churches aregrowing churches.


5. Is there a clear path to help people take steps in their faith with the ultimate goal of them becoming fully-devoted followers of Christ? Having a vibrant Sunday worship experience is only one component of that. I’m amazed at how many churches haven’t really established a discipleship strategy beyond Sunday morning.


6. Have you taken the time to identify what a fully-devoted follower of Christ looks like? Most churches haven’t done this, so they end up just “doing church” without any intentionality of purpose or process.


7. Are you empowering the people of God to do God’s work? This is the “Ephesians 4:12-13″ question. Declining churches pay people to do all the ministry. Growing churches challenge people to use their gifts.


8. Are you developing leaders? This includes both spiritual discipleship and leadership mentoring, and I think it’s what’s going to distinguish the churches that last longer than one generation.


9. Is my community any different because of my ministry? We may need a whole new set of measures to confirm whether or not our churches are really making an impact.


10. Do believers see their ministry happening only at the church or have they become missionaries to their families, their neighborhoods, their workplaces, their schools, etc.? Honestly, I’m really tired of Christians thinking God saved them to go church on Sunday and then eventually experience Heaven. Our purpose is much bigger than that.


11. Do I have the right leaders around me to accomplish the vision? Read Exodus 18:18-23. This isn’t some new business leadership principle. This is biblical advice that’s been around for thousands of years and still applies today.

Those are the first questions that popped to my mind. What are the questions you are asking as a leader in the church?

Tony is the Chief Strategic Officer and founder of TonyMorganLive.com. He’s a consultant, leadership coach and writer who helps churches get unstuck and have a bigger impact.

Here is the direct link to the author's blog:
11 Questions Church Leaders Should Be Asking | Willow Creek Association Blog

What's on the Horizon?

A new year! A new chapter ~ 2013!

I love the holidays but I can honestly say I am glad the hustle and bustle is behind us. Today I put the last of the lingering Christmas decorations away and cleaned the whole house. What in the world got into me today? I think it was somewhat of a panic cleaning because Emily had the flu all last week. For those of you who know Emily, she is normally extremely energetic and bursting with life! Well, not this week. She was down and out for the last 6 days and she had the flu shot in October. I think my burst of energy was a mission to rid the house of remnants of flu and also partly in fear that I might be next in line. Praying for healing and protection for the rest of us not to catch the flu!

So what's on the horizon for the new year?

*Major project completion for Ken at work.
*Home school, college testing with search, and air soft hang-outs for Josh.
*Basketball, youth group, and dog training for Em.
*Sewing, teenage taxi service, home making, and a new online Bible study for me!

HelloMornings is the name of the group of women I will be joining in just a few short weeks. After being put in a group of accountability partners we will encourage each other to have daily quiet time in God's word, exercise and plan the day - all before the day officially begins. Over the years I've heard different pastors say that we should give the Lord our best when we are freshest in the morning...not give Him our time when we are tired and at the end of the day. He wants our best - He deserves our best! It's not too much to ask, especially after all He's done for me!

I'd like to invite you to join me and HelloMornings! The winter session study runs January 28th through April 26th and the study is entitled Abounding Hope.

Here is some information from their site and a link to follow for even more information and to register:

What is HelloMornings?

The HelloMornings Challenge was birthed to encourage Christian women toward the life-giving habit of waking up early.

Inspired by the (free) ebook, Maximize Your Mornings, thousands of women from all over the world have joined the challenge. Through our tri-annual online community groups, these women are inspired to action as they receive encouragement and accountability.

Our hope is that over time HelloMornings participants will:

1. Experience quality time with God
2. Intentionally plan their days
3. Exercise regularly

—all before the day gets going! God. Plan. Move.

http://www.hellomornings.org/info/

Hope to see you on HelloMornings and Happy New Year to you and your family from ours!

Healing for Newtown

Night of Hope and Healing for Newtown

Tonight 6-8pm EST 

You can still worship and pray with us tonight, even if you were unable to get tickets to a Night of Hope and Healing.This event is for the victims and community of Newtown hosted by Max Lucado on Tuesday, January 15 in Bridgeport, Connecticut.The event will include Christian artists Chris Tomlin, Mandisa, Casting Crowns, Tobymac, Steve Curtis Chapman and his wife MaryBeth, Bldg 429,and Laura Story. Author and Pastor Max Lucado will share messages of encouragement, along with Louie Giglio.

This free event is designed to bring comfort to the community through music, prayer, and uplifting messages. 10,000 tickets were given to thevictims' families and citizens of the local area.A Night of Hope & Healing tomorrow night. Please spread the word about the LiveStream event to those who were unable to get tickets. All they need to watch is the link below and a connection to the internet!

http://bit.ly/hopehealing http://bit.ly/hopehealing>

PS - Our school's 4 & 5th graders are singing Amazing Grace with Chris Tomlin. (Christian Heritage School)

Christmas Blessings

First Corinthians 13 - The Christmas Version

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights

 and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another 

decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing

gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at meal time, but 

do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I 

have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing. 

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, 

attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata but do not

 focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child; Love sets aside the decorating to kiss 

the spouse; Love is kind, even when harried and tired. 

Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and

table linens.

Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are 

there to be in the way.

Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in 

giving to those who can't.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.

Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust. But 

giving the gift of LOVE will endure.

Middle School Christmas Concert 2012

The excitement is building as we get closer and closer to the holidays! It seems like the school Christmas concert is earlier and earlier every year! I think they are always concerned about inclement weather because they automatically schedule a snow date along with the concert date. These are the joys of living in the northeast.

The middle school concert was excellent! Here are the three songs Em's class performed, Enjoy!

A Baby Will Come

Carol of the Bells

A Classic Christmas