Advent Sunday of Hope

With all the excitement about Christmas and December 25th, we often forget about Advent season. We are trying not to overlook the Christ of Christmas in our house. We want to take time each Sunday to talk about Christ's arrival. However, as we weren't too prepared for this week, we had to make do with what we had - our purple candle was actually white with a purple pony-tail holder around it and we didn't have our full wreath out, but it worked.

Our church has even published a Family Advent Celebration booklet. It has verses, songs and explanations of each candle of the advent wreath. Today was the first day that we brought the family together to discuss advent - the time where we eagerly anticipate Christ's birth.

Today's candle was for hope. This hope is two-fold. The first hope was for those who were anticipating Christ's first arrival on earth - as a small child, born in the manger, 2000 years ago. Now, we hold on to the hope of Christ's return. This is not a hope of a little child hoping she gets a pony for her birthday, but a hope of expectation - we know it will happen, we just don't know when.

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.' "

Matthew 1:1-3

Thanksgiving Weekend

This year's Thanksgiving celebration was a new one for us. Typically, we travel up spend the long weekend with my family in Nashville, TN. However, this year, we headed to Craig's family in Bowdon - for two reasons. Number one, it was going to be the first holiday in his parents' new home. Since a tornado hit it in May, they've been rebuilding and it was scheduled to be completed in time for Thanksgiving. A few months ago, my mom said that if we wanted to be there with them for this special occasion, she would understand (just not to get used to skipping the Bernhardt Thanksgiving) and even actually encouraged us to plan to do that. Number two, my mom was recovering from knee replacement surgery. About a month before Thanksgiving, she decided to schedule this surgery just before Thanksgiving to give her plenty of time with Dad around to help her recover. We felt like it would be dangerous to have our kids around a very fragile new knee.

So, we headed to Bowdon on Wednesday afternoon and arrived just in time to meet the building inspector leaving after giving Craig's parents the permit to move into their new home (nothing like cutting it close). YA!!!!! Then the work began. Most of the new furniture was moved in, but that was about it. We made up beds, hung curtains, and began bringing in the important items like plates, cups and some food inside. That evening we headed out to our second home in Bowdon, Wal-Mart for one more round of replacement shopping. Just think if you had replace most items from your home - could you do it in one trip?

Thursday, Craig's mom had a bit of fun figuring out all her new appliances and testing out her new cookware. Craig spent most of the day landscaping the front of their new home (except for the two hour break he took for dinner - correction for Trinity - lunch). We were excited to see some of the Baughn family - Barry, Donna, Lindsey, Grandma and a brief visit with Robbie and Amberly. Lindsey got sucked into reading to my kids and they greatly appreciated it (Lindsey just didn't know how long she'd be reading when she offered to read the first book). The kids even got a chance to ride around in their Caddy - it survived withoug a scratch!

Friday was spend working - a lot!!!! When the house was hit, most of their belongings were divided up between four different locations - a horse trailer, two sheds and a neighbor's home. So, Friday, Craig and I decided to empty out one location - the horse trailer. We got everything unloaded and put in the basement. Then Craig and his parents went through everything decided what should stay, what should go and what was headed for a yard sale. I must say that I was very impressed by how much got tossed - not necessarily because it was ruined by the storm, but because there was no point in keeping it. We found old girlfriend letters (which I just have to laugh while I read them), newspapers where Craig was photographed, old school papers, way too many receipts and tons of other stuff. They ended up taking two full truckloads to the dump!

Xander watches the men bring in Craig's dad's gun safe from the horse trailer.

Friday evening was also very special because we got to share some great time with one of Craig's high school friends and his wife - Rance and Kayla. I love these two. They are so sweet!! Somehow, whenever we get together with his high school buddies, there are always new high school stories that come out that I enjoy hearing. Rance and Kayla and going to be welcoming their first little baby (a girl) in January and we couldn't be more excited for them!! They will be great parents.

Saturday brought one more round of cleaning for Craig and I. We headed out to shed #1 to attempt to make a path to Craig's mom's grandfather clock. We were hoping that it hadn't been ruined and we could put it in their new home - the first thing (of any significance) from their old house to be put in their new house. After a few hours, we made it and the good news was that other than bits of blown insulation (which had been everywhere after the storm), it was in perfect condition. We brought it into the house and she was so excited. She told us later that when she heard it chime for the first time, the new house really began to seem like home.

We were exhausted when we were done, but it was a very productive and meaningful weekend.

If you'd like to see some pictures of their new house, scroll on through and enjoy!

The living room and kitchen

The master bedroom and Craig's and my room

The kids' rooms

Kalyn's Thanksgiving Show

This week was the annual Thanksgiving program for our Kalyn's preschool. I love watching the little kids perform their hearts out during their songs and motions. We've always gone into these programs a tad apprehensive of what our children will do for their own performances, but it's never boring.

We had planned to post the video of Kalyn's portion of the show (about 7 minutes long), but unfortunately, when we went back to view the video, we found out that our video camera has begun acting up again. We'll record something, but it will only record a black space. And before you ask, yes we did take the lens cap off and yes, it was actually recording. This is the second or third time it has happened, so we're pretty familiar with the issue. However, we do have some cute pictures to share for your enjoyment!!

Kalyn Raine Makes It To Four

Dear Kalyn,

Today you turned four years old. We are really excited that you have made it to this point. It has been amazing watching you grow and develop. You are such a creative little person, continually wanting to do things your way. You enjoy trying to keep up with the bigger, older kids. No limitations are going to stop you. You have such a unique way at looking at things. Your comments and conversations always keep us on our toes and more often than not a smile on our faces.

We've been through some tough times. You persevered when you had to wear patches on your eyes to strengthened them. You made it through surgery when the patches weren't enough. You gave us a scare when you decided to try some Tylenol you found laying around - which has made us much more careful about locking up cabinets and drawers. We weren't sure if you were going to be potty trained in time to head to three-year old preschool. But you made it. Through all of it.

You always want to do all the things Trinity does, ignoring the almost three year gap between you. You try to teach Xander the things you know. You love being with your friends. You love to be loud and rambunctious. You love to run. You love to dance. You love to laugh. You love to put on the Nemo CD and "read" along in the book. You'll stand your ground against anyone. You are your own individual.

It will be interesting to watch you grow, develop and challenge even more. We'll keep on praying for you. We will try to lead you down the right path, but we know the final decision is up to you. We hope to give you the tools you'll need when you get older. There will be struggles as you try to do things yourself under your guidelines. Remember that we always love you, more than we can put into words.

Happy Fourth Birthday. We look forward to celebrating many more with you.

Love,
Daddy and Mommy

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Operation Christmas Child

Each year, our church participates in Operation Christmas Child - a program through Samaritan's Purse which takes boxes of gifts to children in need worldwide. I can't quite remember how long we've been doing it, but it's been a while. We usually try to do two teenage kids and then the ages and sexes of our own kids, so Trinity and Kalyn (and eventually Xander) will shop for gifts to give to kids just like themselves.

Tuesday evening, we headed out for our annual shoebox shopping trip to Dollar Tree and WalMart - we are blessed that they are right next to one another. That way, we can pick up most of our shopping at Dollar Tree and then pick up the remaining items at WalMart. It is always fun picking out special item for very special kids.

The true fun came Saturday night when we tried to actually fit what we've bought into the boxes. It usually takes quite a bit of careful item placement and at least two to three attempts to be able to close the top.

It's been fun to watch the kids get to be more and more a part of it each year. We love the opportunity we have to teach them about sharing and giving to others!

Central Asia Summit

Thursday and Friday, I was given a great opportunity to attend the Central Asia Summit. What was it? A chance for Christians to come together and find out more about how we can minister to the Muslim population and the wide variety of people groups in Central Asia (CA). You may be asking, why did I go? Well, a few months ago, I was asked to join a ministry trip to Southeast Asia. In preparation for that trip, the trip participants signed up for this conference. We knew that much of the information that applies to CA would also apply to South Asia. Unfortunately, due to various things, the ministry trip has since been postponed until further time.

I have to be honest, as last week began, I wasn't really looking forward to the trip. I had been very excited about heading out on a mission trip - the first time since Trinity was born almost seven years ago. Therefore, I was quite disappointed when the trip was postponed. The new dates have not been set and I'm not sure if I'll be able to participate in the new trip. (A bridge we'll have to cross when we get there.) So, as Thursday morning began, my prayer was that I wouldn't waste this opportunity to learn about a unique set of people groups.

Wow. What a conference. It was amazing to hear from people who live in the CA region. It was a privilege to pray for these people who I will probably never meet. It was enlightening to see the various resources out there to partner up with those who are serving. It was interesting to hear about missionaries who went decades ago. It was such a gift of a conference. At the end, I was just ready to go - anywhere. What I need to remember is that I have a mission field within my own house (with three small children who have not made decisions to follow Christ yet), within my own neighborhood and within many of my circles of friends. Missions is not just for those who go to far off places - it is for any of us who have made the decision to make Christ our our Lord and Savior.

One interesting story about the event. They conference had set up a prayer labyrinth - a room with designation prayer "stations" where you are lead through a prayer for a specific people group. We had heard great things about this and I was really looking forward to praying through this room. I got to the first banner with the first group to pray for and began reading and praying. All of a sudden, we heard this collective tapping. Not a quiet tapping, but what turned out to be a tap dance class right next door. Between that and the quiet worship music in the background (which had words) and a video leading you through one prayer section about 5 feet away, it was too much. I got up, walked out and sat in the hallway until the dance class was done. About 30 minutes later, I saw a little girl (probably about 9) walk out of the dance studio and sit down on a bench. Here was our conversation:

Me: Were you dancing in that class? I heard you and it sounded very fun. What were you doing?

Her: Yes I was. We were doing tap.

Me: Oh. Is that class done? Is there another one after it?

Her: Yes, we're done. The next one is ballet.

Yes!! I can pray during ballet. Tap, no. Ballet, yes. But that's not too far off from general life. I want to be focused on God throughout my day, not letting my time with Him end when I finish my morning prayer time, but too often, the outside distractions are just that - distractions pulling me away from what my heart wants. Just one more thing I'm working through.

Here are some pictures from the exhibits of the summit.

This exhibit was to remind us just how unreached the people of CA are for Christ. The one light represents the one evangelical believer for every 2,500 people (the remaining unlit candles). The room included so many people groups, their populations and how many believers there are in that group.
Can you imagine being the one believer among 3000 people or you and two others among 1.5 million people?

Here is yurt - it is the home for many CA people.

Let the Leaves Fall

For the past week or so, each day as we walked by our front yard on the way to the door, Trinity has asked for a leaf pile to jump and play in. Our schedule did not allowed it until this week. What a pile it was!! Our neighbors have a great leaf-pile tree which brings tons of leaves to the ground each autumn season. However, I was unable to narrow down the pictures for the blog (mostly because we took a number of frame-by-frame shots), so I decided to make a video. Enjoy!!!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Weekend Fun

It's time to start this weekend, but it's now time to get an updated from last weekend. We had a great weekend last time.

Saturday began with a call from one of our good friends, Jennifer. She and a few other friends were in a 5K run and the race took them just past our street. We gathered up the kids, pulled out some pompoms and went to the street to cheer on the racers. Not only did we see the people we knew were in the race (Chris, Jennifer, Kathy and Teri), but we also saw a woman from my MOPS table, another woman from our Sunday school, a mom of one of the girls in Kalyn's preschool and Trinity's principal. We had lots of fun cheering on the runners as they hit the half-way mark of the race.

Saturday afternoon was Kalyn's & Trinity's Joint Party, Part 2. This one went off without a problem. We had a great, relaxing time with some friends. We pulled out our jumpy house and let the kids run around outside - it was a beautiful fall day!!

After the party, we headed up to our church for our Fall Festival. It's always lots a fun chance for our kids to play games and win valuable prizes!!! We also use it as big outreach to our community. I think I heard that we had over 500 people come through. Yet one for chance to fellowship with our dear friends and have fun doing it!!

Like I said, we had a great Saturday!!

Exciting News

Each afternoon, my phone alarm goes off, I grab my shoes and a book and head down to the bus stop to meet Trinity as she gets off the bus. However, today was not just an ordinary day. As she stepped around the bus, she called out, "Mom, I have exciting news to tell you." (Yes, that's a direct quote from her.)

It turned out that during school today, she got her first loose tooth. She is so excited about it. She showed me which one and yes, I can confirm that it is clearly loose. We immediately called Craig, followed soon by other family.

We had great drama in our house around the beginning of school because she had not had a loose tooth yet. But, ahhh - the agony has been diverted for now. Now, the agony is simply waiting for that tooth to come out. Apparently she has already been told (by her classmates who are seasoned at loosing teeth) that the tooth fairy comes and brings dollars. Yep, that would be dollars - with an s, plural, more than one. Well, that won't be the case in our house, but we'll get to that when we get there.

The Woman with the Baby

This morning was a special "treat" for me. As I was concocting my to-do list for the day, I realized that I had few items that I would need to get at the store. Not a lot, but enough. I decided that if I left the house pretty early in the morning, I could get to the store, pick up my items and be back home before Craig left for work, meaning that I could leave the kids here and shop alone. Even one of the customer service guys made a comment about me being in there all by myself.

So, as I finished up, I selected the self-checkout. Not abnormal for me. However, the conversation I overheard completely left me speechless.

checkout-woman #1: Do we have the Christmas stamps in yet? Did we get the snowmen?
checkout-woman #2: Yes. We had to choose and we got the snowflakes and the . . . who's the woman with the baby?
checkout-woman #1: Madonna?
checkout-woman #2: Yeah, that's it - Madonna. We got her.

The woman with the baby? That's how she referred to Mary, the mother of Jesus, the Son of God. The baby is not just an ordinary baby. He is the One who has taken our (well-deserved) punishment to allow us an open path to spend eternity with the Creator of all creation. He stepped out of heaven down into our sin-filled, selfish, ugly world to show us what true love, true sacrifice is.

Has our society come so far that we don't know Mary's (and therefore Jesus') importance to our eternity? Have we drifted so far that we can't remember her name? Have we failed to teach and show others that Christmas is not just about presents or some story about just another baby?

It hurt me so much to hear Mary and Jesus referred to so flippantly, so nonchalantly, to be mentioned as just "the woman with the baby". It stung my heart and my ears. Yet, I know that I go through each day and the sin that I struggle with and view so flippantly and nonchalantly hurts God so much more than I could ever imagine.

I hope that this year, this crazy holiday season will still give you time to ponder and appreciate the true meaning of the season - God's display of grace, mercy and love in the form of a precious, perfect child, a child set to grow and teach and die for our wrongdoings.

Election '08

It's currently 7:30 in the evening. The kids are in bed and we are beginning a night of watching the presidential election results. (Actually, we were just debating how long we are going to watch it verses simply checking in from time to time.)

I hope that you made the time to vote this year - whether is was with early voting or voting today, I hope that you took advantage of the privilege we have to make our voice heard in this democratic process. I had planned to do an early voting, however after seeing the lines and hearing wait times of over two hours, I decided that I would take my chances on election day. This morning, Craig and I decided that I would hit the polling place first, while he stayed home with the kids. Not knowing how long the wait would be, we weren't going to chance three active kids in the line. Thankfully, the wait was only 40 minutes. I had a book and got a bit of reading done. I came home and we traded out. Craig's wait was even less.

In our area, a number of voting places are schools. To avoid any safety issues, our schools are closed, which meant Trinity was home with us all day. I really wanted to make the day special and do something fun as a full family. We had discussed heading to the zoo for the 1/2 price for voters (and their parties) special, but we change our plans to go to a movie. We had been told of a very inexpensive theater not far and off we went. An added bonus, Tuesday is $.75 movie day - yep, our family of 5 got to watch Kung Fu Panda for less than $4!!!! Okay, so Kung Fu Panda has been out for quite a while, but our kids didn't know the difference.

What ever the outcome of the election, I am confident that my future is in the hands of Someone larger than the president. I am grateful that God holds me and gives me the faith, strength and all that I need to wake up each morning. If you want to know how you can have that same peace, let me know. I'll be glad to share with you.

Halloween Happenings

We aren't a family that goes all out for Halloween, but we do use it as a reason to have fun. We do carve out a pumpkin, get the kids dressed up - in fun costumes, hop in the car to visit a few houses for some trick-or-treating, and join in on a friend trick-or-truck event. Here's some pictures from our fun this year.

We visited the Picture People for the fourth time this month for our Halloween pictures (the other trips were for Xander's birthday, Kalyn's birthday, and the Sugar Beats performance). Here's the official, professional costume shot. Trinity decided to be an eighties girl (even though I'm not sure she ever really got what an 80's girl was), Kalyn was Winnie the Pooh and Xander was a giraffe (yes, I do love the irony of any of our short kids being a giraffe).

We got a great pumpkin from Target for only $5! We had a blast watching Craig carve out the face for it!

Kalyn's preschool had a fun event called the Pumpkin Path. All the kids got to dress up for the entire day of school and then travel down a sidewalk gathering candy from all the teachers. It was so cute and fun.

We hit two houses for trick or treating Halloween night (some we usually visit were out for the night). The kids really just enjoyed showing off their costumes.

Saturday was the second annual trick-or-trunk event at our friends' house. We began it last year because Halloween was on Wednesday and we still wanted to give our kids the fun of dressing up and getting candy without skipping our church's Wednesday night activities. So, we gathered a bunch of friends and parked our cars in one backyard (it's a big backyard) and let the kids go from car trunk to car trunk getting candy. It was a great time last year, so we did it again this year. We all had a blast watching the kids play, roasting marshmallows, exchanging candy and simply hanging out. Thanks Steve and Erica for loaning out your backyard again!!