Check this out...

Our church launched their new website...it is really cool! Lyndsey needs some kudos as it was a big task! Please pray for our new building and staff as we approach the big move. It is so cool to see how God is working in this church. You can check our testimony on the website too!

Lights,Camera...

Action. We had our first family movie night at CCJ. It was great. It was the second event for our new area of ministry. We rented out the local middle school cafeteria/ auditorium and set up a large movie screen. Everyone brought blankets, pillows and drinks. We provided popcorn. The kiddos had a blast, some watched, some at popcorn, some played ball, other kiddos wandered around. Parents talked, played, relaxed and fellowshipped. Total stressfee event for all ages! It was such a blessing to spend time with my family and others. It was a great start to the summer and this awesome ministry!

Kickball and summer fun

Wohoo, summer is on its way. Growing up a native in south florida, I am one of the few that LOVE summer time! I love the really long days, sitting in the pool, going to the beach, grilling out almost every day, Annie's ice, hot runs in the early morning, the anticipation of college football, vacations... and on and on. Most of my best childhood memories are from summer. And after the last few nights, I think my kids' best memories will be from summer too!
We are blessed to live on a cul de sac that we share with my brother and sister in- law. They have three kids. During these late afternoons, the kids will play until 8 at night. They build forts, play toss up and tackle, ride bikes and everything else they can think of. No TV, no video games, ipods or anything else electronic!!! For the past three years we have had nightly kickball games. Last night we had adults vs. kids. Even Trent's parents got in on the action. We had people riding by on their bikes stopping in and getting in on the action. The youngest player was Dash (2 1/2) and the oldest was Charlie (wont say his age- but he is the patriarch of the Edwards' family). We had 3 generations going at it. We played forever and laughed hysterically. There were tears, high fives, giggles, hugs and everything else that comes with healthy competition. Memories aren't bought, or given as reward for good behavior and they aren't going to go out of style. Memories are one of the best gifts you can give your children. They are the things that your children look back at and grasp onto when they begin to doubt their place in the world. They are the things that show them God's love. They are the things they will use to teach the next generation about family ties. Memories are all we have to hold onto when time keeps ticking. Make sure yours are ones your children and parents will treasure.

Yikes...its been a while

It has been a while since my last post... yikes, I have become one of the awol bloggers! things have been quite a roller coaster here and I have not found too much time to write, seems a lot of people are having the same problem...we have been plagued by a miscarriage, the death of our dog, and a lot of sickness BUT we have also been blessed by many teachable moments for both us and our children about God's promise in our lives and God's unwavering faithfulness. I don't even know which topic to blog about since it has been so long... should I blog about the disappointing start to The Office Season, the exciting news out of spring practice up in gainesville, the hopes of an awesome summer, thankfulness in friends, the new family ministry stuff going on at Calvary Jupiter... too many things. I guess I will write about my promise to never let my blog go this long without a post!

What is her father thinking?

Last night we watched Idol Gives Back... I was enjoying the show until something really blew my mind. Miley Cirus came bounding on stage and I could not believe it. This cute little 15 year old girls was dressed and made up to be a 23 year old woman. She began singing a song ( along with all the 6- 10 year olds in the audience) about some guy she cant wait to see again, this guys that rocks her world, takes her breath away, on and on and on... they had guys all around her dancing, she was all over the stage in this crazy seductive way, I mean come on she is fifteen! Her father was backstage watching this? His little girl transforming into some kind of sex symbol? Where did cute Hannah Montana go? Why is it that these young girls get swooped up into singing songs about everything from "oops I did again" to " I can wait to see you again" . From the best of my knowledge Ashley Simpsom even did one called "you make me want to la la"... what happened to father's protecting their daughter's hearts, preparing them for the groom God created for them? have we not learned enough from watching Brittney, Paris, Lyndsey derail? Shame on dad and his achey brachey heart!

Really Funny Blog

Check out my friend's Paul and Elise's blog here. They are hysterical! First time parents and awesome writers! You will get a big kick out of it! Enjoy.

Run Emily, Run

Some girls shop, some do spas, me? I run. When I was pregnant, people always wanted to give me a jogging stroller. Even now, people say "so can you recommend a good jogging stroller?". No way. Running is when mom is off duty. Running is my time to be with the girls. Through running, I am able to really bond with other women, we can talk about our kids, marriages, sports, faith, pop- issues, politics, anything and there are no kids to interrupt, no phones to answer, no email to respond to. Just us, the pavement and the gift of gab. I love running with the girls. I love knowing that we all have different walks of life, that we all can be completely honest and up front with each other about our opinions. I love that when I come home, I am refreshed, I have sorted out all the junk that girls need to sort out, I am ready to be a wife, mom and friend. I don't know what it is that running does or why it feels so good when you are done. Maybe it is the camaraderie of getting up at the crack of dawn with someone and hearing each others joints crack and watching each others bodies awake. Maybe it is the ability to just talk and to just listen. Maybe it is knowing that no matter what happens the rest of the day, you accomplished one goal. Maybe it is knowing you burned off the mid- afternoon snack that is definitely not going to be the perfect " protein to carb diet food". Maybe it is just knowing that as you put one foot in front of the other, you have put time into friendships but also distance between you and the junk in your life. I love running and I love the girls I run with. Each of them has a unique and important role in my life. One is my best friend, I could write a post just on her, she downright rocks! She will always be honest, she will always put me in check, she knows when I am not be true to my God and myself, she supports me and pushes me when I want to give up not only in running but in many other endeavors.. I love her for all this. One of my other running girls is the queen of " style". I say this because, you never know what she will show up to run in. I love this about her, because it so truly represents her personality. You never know what you are going to get when we run as far as conversation, advice and humor. But you will always get optimism, unwavering truth about her opinion and sincerity. She is the truest friend in that she will tell you like it is but will love you through it all. She has awesome quirks and awesome knowledge about all kinds of cool things, nature, plants, travel... She is always in a good mood even when she shouldn't be. My newest running buddy is " mini- sports me". Yeah, this chickadee loves sports like me. That makes her "a chosen running buddy" just on the merit that she can talk sports. We differ on teams but not on too many other things. She will listen to my endless gab without getting too annoyed and has years of wisdom to offer in my areas of struggle even though she is ? years my junior. She gives me hope that my kids have a fighting chance to grow up with a biblical mindset and with a pure heart. She loves to push herself and isn't afraid to try something new. Competition drives her.. .this is key.
Like I said, some women shop, some women spa. Me? I run. I run so that I don't race through life without girlfriends and the amazing things they teach me in these early " girls morning's out".