Like Mother, Like Daughter

Today, I have a guest post, written by the little chica, Eve-Marie. I guess I'm just super proud of her cause she's an amazing writer, and I want to show off her article writing skillz.

I swear on the Holy Word of God that she wrote this, and literally all I did was type out what she said. (I did walk her through the process of choosing what details were most important and taught her about the structure of an article, but all the decisions were made by her. Also, some of the quotes came from a book that put drawings to journal entries of men on the trip, so they are actual quotes.)

Here it is:

Lewis and Clark See Ocean, Trade with Indians

circa early 1800's

Today, Lewis and Clark returned from the Pacific Ocean gone for almost three years. It appears that they are successful in making friends with the Indians, seeing the Pacific and discovering new animals in our territory.

They met different Indian tribes and out of the many they met, only one was mean: Teton Sioux. They traded several things with the Indians, which included beads, medals, and alcohol. What they got in return was watermelon, meat, and horses. They learned how the natives lived and learned how to burn out canoes. With these canoes, they passed through many dangerous rapids safely.

“We built dugout canoes and set out past many bad rapids between rugged rocks and cliffs up to 200 feet high,” said John Daley, spokesman for the expedition. “Determined to pass all these rapids, we kept on going and did not turn back. After all, we had a mission.”

On November 18, 1805, they reached the great Pacific. They were all overjoyed. The journey had been long and hard. They had traveled along the Missouri River, into the Bitterroot Mountains. After they crossed the Bitterroot Mountains, they were out of the Louisiana Purchase. They went into the Snake River and they followed that river until they got to the Pacific. They had been hoping to find a complete water way from Camp Wood, in Illinois, to the Pacific Ocean on the west side of the United States. They found that there was no complete water way.

When they finally reached the Pacific, they were completely overjoyed.

“As we approached, this great Pacific Ocean which we had been so long anxious to see, and the roaring noise made by the waves breaking on the rocky shores could be heard distinctly,” Daley said. “We beheld with astonishment the waves dashing against the rocks and this immense ocean. Our goal was reached at last!”

Along the way, Lewis and Clark discovered different animals and plants that hadn’t been seen before. Among them were snow goose, passenger pigeon, and bitterroot flowers. They drew pictures of some animals, and they captured others. They picked plants, and did all of these to report back to President Thomas Jefferson, who sent them out.

Music Monday Review: Christmas with Weezer

There's something in me that recoils when I hear updated Christmas music. I'm one of those people that likes to hear Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra at Christmas time. I hate it when people ruin good ole stand-bys with their updates. And that's pretty much what everyone does.

Except Weezer.

When I saw this on iTunes, I nearly went into a convulsive shock. Not only is it a cheesy thing to make Christmas albums (something I thought would be below the geek rock gods), but it's not real Weezer-y to put all Christian songs on a CD. I guess if I ever thought Weezer would make a Christmas CD, it would include things like "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," or worse, "I Saw Daddy Kissing Santa Claus."

But this CD not only rocks in true Weezer fashion, but it is full of Christian-based songs. Only 1 out of 6 songs isn't Christian, but even that one doesn't mention Satan Claus at all.

Here's the playlist for Christmas with Weezer:

We Wish You a Merry Christmas
O, Come All Ye Faithful
O, Holy Night
The First Noel
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
Silent Night

This one's a winner.

And this post is part of Music Mondays at Bloggable Music Network.

Building Church

Well... today we went to a new church, the first of a few on our list to check out in the next month or so. You know how it goes... you gotta make a lap before you commit to a location. (Bonus points if you know what movie that comes from.)

This is the first time that Billy and I have looked for a church together as people who will sit in the crowd. Two churches we've been in have been ones where he's worked. Another was one that I'd gone to on my own for years before he and I met.

So, we hung out at Building Church today, which meets at the Rave Theatre in south Huntsville. I gotta say, I loved the atmosphere. I mean... it was a pretty hip place. Biggest church bathrooms I've ever seen. Very un-churchy in general. So, that's a bonus.

But bathrooms are not what make or break a church, so let's move on.

We got there about 15 minutes early, and I'm pretty sure we were the first ones there besides set-up volunteers. It was a little awkward for me, cause I'd probably rather be in the shadows and sit back and watch... ya know, just observe how they really are, instead of having to wonder if they're actually as nice as they were to me, or was it just a show they give the newcomers? (Yes... I'm a cynic. Sorry, but I am. And honestly, I'm not even sorry for it, at all.)

Anyway, the service was starting at 10, and I felt like we were still the only ones. Apparently, everyone comes about 15 minutes late, because by then the place was filled a bit more, and I felt more comfortable... I had people around me, so I no longer felt like I had lights shining on me with big arrows saying, "Attention!!! First Time Visitor. HERE!!!"

And honestly, as uncomfortable as I was at first, I ended up really liking the service a lot. I thought the band rocked pretty good. The sermon was really, really good, too. And encouraging. I liked how the pastor focused on the truth that we are fulfilled in Christ. The sermon had a good balance of scriptural encouragement and practical applications.

We were also happy to hear about the missional projects that the church was taking on for the season, including making and delivering build-a-bears (they called them "Building Bears," which I thought they pulled off pretty well... didn't come across as cheesy at all, honestly) to kids in Huntsville Hospital over Christmas.

Honestly, I wanted to sign up to take some of the bears. I know very clearly that they are going at 1:00 on Wednesday. But, I want to take time to see where we fit in, and I'm not really sure how much we should do at a church before we commit to it, ya know.

So, I took my free shirt and my candle - they were giving these to everyone, not just visitors - and we headed out. I feel pretty certain that when I burn the candles, or when I wear the shirt, I'll have fond thoughts of the church, even if we don't end up there. And I certainly feel like it's a place I'd tell others to check out to see if God has a place for them there.

You can read Billy's take on the experience here.

An Uncomfortable Gospel

A friend of mine recently sent me a facebook message thanking me for being her friend. She said that there weren't many people in the context in we met in that had taken an interest in her. So, she appreciated that I did.

I loved that she wrote this because it helped to encourage me to do it again for someone else. Still, I was a little sad that others hadn't shown her love because we met at a church. And a church ought to be a place where interest is shown in people.

Of course, interest should also be shown other places, too. After all, we're not just Christians in one location for 1 hour a week, right?

But for a lot of people, this is an uncomfortable thing - inviting others over, or out, or just asking about their lives. For a long time, it was an uncomfortable thing for me. A lot of days, it still is.

When I was in college, my roomie and I both struggled with some pretty severe shyness. Now, around each other, we could talk for hours. But with people we'd never met, it was very difficult to strike up a conversation, or even introduce ourselves, for that matter.

She once told me something that I've never forgotten. Something that I remind myself of often.

"The heart of shyness is selfishness."

She went on to explain that when we are shy, we're mostly shy because we wonder what the other person will think of us. Will they accept me? Do I have anything to offer? Will they think I'm strange?

Now, I know that some people are predisposed to shyness, so that statement can be offensive. I'm predisposed to it, myself. But I see this as a convicting statement, personally.

The Gospel of Christ calls us out of our comfort zones. It doesn't call us out of our personalities, so I may never be the loud mouth that Billy is. (Which I absolutely adore about him!) But the gospel calls us to love. And more than that, to show that love.

I recently took some Christmas cookies to my neighbors. I'll admit... the first neighbor was tough. She barely opened the door and looked at me strange. I thought for a second that she wasn't going to even take them. But she did, and then I left. The next neighbor invited me in and we chatted for about 30 minutes. The next neighbor was also nice, and I found out she has a daughter just a few months younger than Ashlyn. We agreed to talk after the holidays and get together in my home for some playtime.

So, the response was varied, but in each one, it was up to me to start relationships with these women. I can't control how others will respond to me. But I can take God's call seriously and love my neighbors regardless of how they respond to me.

And if the Gospel of God is important, then I need to be willing to get over myself and my shyness and let God save some souls through me.

My Man and the Money

I've developed a habit of listening to Dave Ramsey online lately. Ever since our small group started going through his book Total Money Makeover, I've really wanted to saturate myself in the concept of gazelle intensity.

Today, I heard a woman calling (~16 min. mark) who was very scared about their finances, and Ramsey walked her through a budget form, but in the end told her she needed to sit down with her husband and get him to join in on the budgeting. He told her to take his hands, look him in the eye and say, "I need to see a new level of your manhood right now. I need you to sit down with me and figure this out. I can't do it alone anymore. I need you to care about me this way."

It broke my heart to hear her reply that she's tried that several times, and her husband just isn't stepping up. There wasn't much that Ramsey could say to that because you can't make a man be a man.

So, it made me really grateful for my man and how much he's been stepping up lately to lead our family financially, spiritually, emotionally. God really blessed me when He brought us together.

Not Much to Say

So.... here's the big news that none of you actually knew that I had anyway.

Billy has resigned as the Worship Arts Pastor of Chase Valley. There's a lot of prayer, thinking, discussing, seeking counsel that went into that decision.

He wrote about it here.

It's probably a bit close to the situation for me to say much about it (plus I'm super tired right now), but we are both at peace with it, and we're looking forward to see where God places us next.

Sarah is a Centerfold (and a Debt-Free advocate, too)

Errr.... okay. More like a centerpiece. Maybe cover story is an even better description. But anyway, my latest article for Evansville Parent is available online. I'm super proud because Billy and I have been working hard at paying down debt and living within our means. This month, I got a chance to share that with the city of Evansville - and surrounding areas. ;)

Check it out and let me know what to think. (pg. 12 of this electronic version)

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Wow..... it's been forever.

This has been a crazy season for us. Kids have been sick; homeschooling (without pre-made curriculum) has been consuming; church has been precarious.

But now, we're in the holidays, and I'm all about relaxing during them. I'm all about enjoying the celebration of both Jesus' birth (Christmas, duh) and God's provision (Hanukkah). If you don't celebrate Hanukkah, btw, you're totally missing out. C'mon... the whole holiday is about eating food fried in oil. Jelly donuts, fried apple rings. Steak fondue. Oh, yeah... I'm totally excited.

So, yeah.... this is definitely the most wonderful time of the year.