An Afternoon at NASA

Monday we took the kids to NASA's Johnson's Space Center in Houston. Even though they don't have a lot of background in science or aeronautics they had fun. We got to explore what the inside of a space shuttle looks like, including how the astronauts sleep, shower, and eat while they are in space. I tried to explain to the kids how astronauts eat freeze dried food, but they didn't really understand. I ended up buying them freeze dried ice cream. They liked it, but didn't believe that it was ice cream. It didn't look like ice cream or really taste like ice cream, so how could it be ice cream? Explaining the lack of gravity in space also proved to be a challenge and some of the kids were a little freaked out by the realistic looking people that were somersaulting around inside the space shuttle. One of the highlights was experiencing what it would feel like when a shuttle takes off, complete with smoke pouring into the room. I think 3 kids jumped into my arms! As a teacher, the whole afternoon was fascinating to me. I enjoyed learning about the history of NASA and space travel and their plans for the future. I even got to stand inches away from the actual command module from Apollo 17 that went to the moon! So cool!

We wrapped up 3 months of Texas travels today and headed to Louisiana. It's wierd to not be in Texas anymore and see the flag everywhere :) I am looking forward to visiting many new states though in the coming months. Soon after crossing the border we stopped at a rest area by a lake. I was a little disturbed that one of the first things I saw in Louisiana was a "no swimming" sign with an alligator on it! Welcome to Louisiana...yikes!

Small, Unforgettable Moments

This morning I poked my head into the bedroom to find Nelson, Jackson, and Geofrey silently laying in bed reading their Bibles...When I asked if they had read the whole Bible yet this morning they just smiled and said, no..but a lot of chapters. They shared with my what chapters they had been reading in Genesis, Matthew, and Revelation. When I asked Jackson if he understood everything he read he said, "no, but I keep reading the other words around it and then I figure it out!" We prayed together to start our day and I went back to my room smiling and quite humbled. I rolled out of bed this morning and hopped in the shower, but my little boys woke up early and spent time in God's word. Wow. In the midst of my exhaustion this morning was a good reminder to me that it's more important than ever to be immersing myself in God's powerful and active word. Even though the tiredness never seems to really go away and life can be an emotional rollercoaster, I find joy in the little moments with the kids and it keeps me going :). Thank you for your continued prayers and support. I can't do it without you...

An Enjoyable Night of Reflection

Tonight I enjoyed a night out with friends Loren and Chris (who I went to Moody with), here in Houston. I realize what a parent I have become when I say goodbye to my kids and give them all kinds of instructions about how to behave. A night out without the kids is a very rare and wonderful treat for me right now. As I stood in a room full of 300 single people at Second Baptist Church, I could hardly remember the last time I was in a room full of people around my age. To be perfectly honest, I don't miss it. I'd almost rather be around kids and poeple who are in different stages of life. Joining in corporate worship was wonderful and refreshing this evening, but as I was sitting there it gave me an opportunity to sit back and think about what I've been doing and what I've learned in these last few months. After basically living in "church" I've discovered a lot that I haven't actually thought about. I prefer small churches to big ones (though I think there is a place for big churches). I don't feel comfortable in fancy, entertainment oriented churches. I can't stand the segregation and stereotyping that goes on at churches. The expectations at church and church politics drive me crazy. I love serving God in ministry full time, but I don't think I could work full time at a church. I am extremely passionate about reaching the kids and youth and young adults of today, and showing them that the world is a whole lot bigger than they think and it's time to take the head out of the sand and be discontent with mediocrity. So there ya go....thanks for reading the thoughts that are rolling around in my head tonight :). It's been an enjoyable day off..I actually wore a sundress and sat in a rocking chair on the porch most of the day! Tomorrow, it's back to work.

On The Front Lines

Ephesians 6:10-18:

"10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. "

Satan could care less about those Christians who are not living for Christ...it is those who are a threat to him that he worries about. This brings some comfort to me that we are about the Lord's work and we are threatening Satan. He hates what we are doing. I know there is a spiritual battle taking place all around me each day...Satan's demons and God's angels are locked in combat. I'm glad to know that God has already won the ultimate victory and he is our commander and king. Right now I am more keenly aware of that spiritual battle that rages around me. Satan is attacking our team and the spiritual warfare is evident to us all. He would like nothing better than to rip us apart, defeat us, and send us home with our tails between our legs. But we are not about to let that happen. This morning we spent a great deal of time in prayer and in the scriptures together. I am encouraged. Please join with me in prayer for this battle we are in. Pray that God would sustain us, unite us, and not allow us to become discouraged or defeated. I desperately seek your support in this way right now and appreciate your prayers. Let us not forget our place as soldiers in this world....we are fighting the good fight on the front lines with Christ as our commander and chief.

I know these pictures don't really go with my thoughts, but I wanted to share them with you. They are from our delightful stay in Corpus Christi, TX last week (We are in Houston now). Praise God for churches on the beach. That's all I have to say!