Blessed!

We're very blessed - living in NZ, being part of a great church and a House of Prayer! Compared to where we used to live where the soil was very hard, it's like we've planted our kids in real good soil! And they're thriving.

And as they are getting blessed, so are we as parents!

A couple of days ago, Kylie came into the kitchen and told me that she'd just seen an angel in her bedroom. She was visibly shaken/touched and a little terrified (in a good way) - kept putting her hand over her mouth - she was in "awe".
I asked her what the angel said and she responded: "Don't be afraid" - Sound familiar?!
Not much has changed since Bible times, aye?!

Last night, we went to a meeting at THOP with Allen Hood from IHOP Kansas City. For lack of a babysitter (everybody wanted to go), we took Shayden and Kylie. And boy I am glad we did!

Kylie told us after the service, all excited: "God touched my heart tonight during worship! I was praying for my friend Julia (ear-ache) and she was praying for me (cough). And then he came and took away all the black in my heart and the emptiness. And it felt so good, and I cried."

By the way, both girls were well today! Praise God! What a blessing!
We've been praying for God to intervene in Kylie's life, as she's been struggling with a few issues over and over again (the ones that make your heart "black"). And we knew that only an encounter with Jesus would take care of them. We're SOOO thrilled!

And Shayden exclaimed last night as we left the building, with clear, loud words:

"GOD" ~ mumble mumble ~ "POWER" ~ mumble mumble ~ "MEANIES".

He kept saying "God" and "Power" over and over again! We were amazed, as he'd never even said the word power before. He must have had some kind of revelation too while he was mostly sleeping through the service.

the two with guinea-pig "Rosebud"

Leilani's has had a couple of powerful prophetic words over her life.

Jeremie is thriving in his Discipleship Training School - soon going on outreach to Tahiti...

I LOVE what God's doing!!! Keep it up, God! We want MOOOORE - revelation - glory - presence - fire - LOVE!!!!

Randominium

Life's been so full-on ~ ~ ~

I'm happy to have Rich back home!!! Our house is full and will stay that way for quite a while- 5 nationalities under one roof (1 American, 2 Germans - 2 half American/half Germans, 1 Maori, 1 Fijian and 1 Tahitian/Chinese). In spite of our big house, one is staying in a caravan outside (at HIS request), since we ran out of rooms.

It's fun! Not a dull moment! We take turns cooking. This week we had Chinese food, Italian, German, tomorrow American and Sunday - hmmm, African (we switched from rice and beans on Sundays to rice and lentils - it's even cheaper and easier to digest, but not sure it's African)?

Anyways, just read something on somebody's blog that struck a cord in me and I wanted to share it. Africa is still VERY MUCH on my horizon - I'm busy preparing for a fundraiser next Saturday.

Maybe I'll share more another time. Tonight, have a look at this excerpt from this blog (a family that adopted a HIV+ child from Uganda)

...I read a quote the other day that said "Today it is very fashionable to talk about the poor. Unfortunately, it is not fashionable to talk with them." WOW! that is such a true statement. How many "humanitarian" projects do we have going on? I bet if we were to do a poll of the people that live in other places that are poverty stricken, they would say that they would rather have people come in and TALK and TOUCH them than anything else. I know this to be true because of the trips that I have taken to Africa, these people want to be held, touched, looked in the eye. They are STARVING for love...

Oh YEAH, that's what I'm longing to do!!!! JUST THAT!!! Sit with them, hold them, touch them, look them in the eye, talk to/with them, and if they're older: listen to their stories, LOVE ON THEM!!! CAN'T WAIT!!!

Have a look...

... at this short video of the evangelistic campaign that Rich had the privilege to help with last month in the Philippines.

It's worth your time - encouraging!

Worth it all

This morning, I was a bit down/sad/teary as I'm really missing Rich ~ ~ ~ it's getting looooong.
He's been gone now for almost 2 weeks and we have 8 more days to go...

The last few days, Shayden has been a bit of a challenge. Lots of tantrums, hitting, biting Kylie and his body that isn't passing stool the way it's supposed to (this has been ongoing - many days, I have to change a dirty diaper up to 10 times and no, potty training is nowhere near on the horizon).

It's pretty much guaranteed that every time I need to leave the house ~ in a hurry ~ I find out he did another smelly "number" and needs to get changed again ~ which he always fights, too.

Anyways, as most moms, I spend a considerable amount of time in the car, driving kids here and there. I usually really enjoy it as I get to worship Jesus ~ with some good worship music playing.

For a few days now, the CD player in the car has been broken and there's been no music - sadly.

So, this morning, on the way back from Kylie's school, I just started singing my favorite song (at the moment) ~ I have been playing that song over and over again in recent times. It's been bringing lots of strength and comfort to me!

As I was getting to the chorus,

"What a faithful God have I,
what a faithful God.
What a faithful God have I,
He's faithful in every way."

... I hear Shayden joining in from the back-seat (in his car seat).

I could hardly believe it! This little boy who barely talks, was singing along with me, right tune and all. And we sang the song over and over again together.

It soooo melted my heart!

Shayden worshiping Jesus with me ~ no greater JOY for this momma!!!

This made my day - and it's only 9am!

YES, everything we pour into our children's lives ~ and mostly the example we give ~ is NOT lost or wasted!

All the nitty-gritty, unpleasant part of caring for little ones day in day out, training them, sacrificing so much (it seems sometimes) -

IT'S ALL WORTH IT!!! YES!!!

This is what I woke up to this morning.

Last night, I hadn't had a very good night and didn't feel like getting up right at 6am, when Kylie and Shayden woke up - especially on this rainy, dreary, cold winter Saturday...

So Kylie had mercy on me and told me to rest a little longer. She got Shayden changed, dressed and played with him for a while. When I got up she told me not to come out into the living area but to stay in the bedroom for a little longer.

Suspense ~ ~ ~ what was "cooking"? Definitely not breakfast, I could tell that much.

When she finally allowed me to come out, she had prepared a treasure hunt (too cute, with arrows showing different directions!). The treasure hunt brought me to this:


She had made a huge welcome poster for John, our friend who arrived last last night (while she was sleeping) ~ all her initiative, all her idea, glitter and all ~ and Shayden even got to participate in the artwork ~ see scribbles on the bottom.


How precious is that?! LOVED it!!!! (and I think John liked it, too)

A YWAM base crippled by theft

Just read this - what a tragedy - and what a contrast to the DTS that Jeremie is doing at the moment...

Can't help but feel for our African brothers and sisters ~ ~ ~ let's pray for them, shall we?!

A YWAM base crippled by theft / News / News & Stories / ywam.org / Home - YWAM

Proud mama

I've just GOT to brag on two of my daughters today. They both blew me away yesterday!

Here's Leilani ~ quite upset at me (how can anybody be upset at ME?!! LOL) just before I leave the house with Shayden.

I come back home after 1 1/2 hours and find that she has taken laundry down the line (we don't use dryers in NZ), folded it up and put it where it belongs. I hadn't asked her to do this.

THEN ~ I venture into Rich's and my bedroom ~ and there was our bed ~ MADE (yes, I didn't make it first thing in the morning)

Not only that, but on top of the duvet were pretty flower petals everywhere...

and 2 flowers from the garden in the middle (yes, we do get some flowers here even in the winter!)...

and a beautiful, very touching poem, giving me the highest praises as a mother...

That I was shocked is an understatement!!!

When I asked her WHY she did this, she answered:"I felt angry at you ~ and so I decided to do something nice for you."

WOW!!!

I can learn a lesson or two from my 15-year-old!
And if we all reacted that way every time we were mad at somebody, this world would be a whole lot of a better place - dontchathink?!!!

Way to go, Leilani! I couldn't be prouder of you!!! And I'm not even talking about all your huge help with Kylie's birthday - cake, decoration and all!!!!

Thank you so much for all you ARE and all you DO to make this family what it is!

Later in the day, Kylie reported to me that Shayden had filled his infamous diaper (yes, he's not potty-trained yet and it will be a while still). As I didn't react immediately (many days he does IT up to 10 times) Kylie took matters into her own hands.

I didn't know what she was up to until I was getting concerned because it was so quiet in the house. I asked Leilani to check up on the 2. And there was Kylie with Shayden, in Shayden's room, changing mat on the floor and changing all the big-D-yuckiness - without saying a word.

A am a very blessed woman!!! THANK YOU, WONDERFUL GIRLS!!!

My heart has been gripped...

... and at times ripped, by the situation in a Ugandan "orphanage" talked about on this website.

If you don't read anything, please just have a look at this short video ~ ~ ~ and join me in prayer for these oh SOOOO precious children in need of the basics of life - including somebody to love them!

Rich and I are hoping to be able to visit there when we go. We'll see...

Amazing Study Tips

For some of you, this may be news:

I am going to home school Leilani again - starting ~ ~ ~ TOMORROW!!!

It was her who insisted on coming back home, as she really wants to concentrate on her studies and gets too distracted by fellow-students at school.

So here we go - another adventure!

It's been a VERY intense 5-6 weeks since we made that decision, getting ready, having to do a crash course as her supervisor, getting an exemption from the ministry of education, ordering materials etc.

I never wanted to home school. Thought I'm not cut out for it.

And I have already home schooled for 6 years (in the past).

I never thought - EVER - that I could home school a high school level! NEVER wanted to do that!

And now we're doing it.

Hmmmmm ~ ~ ~ amazing how we can get stretched ~ ~ ~ and learn SO MUCH in the process!

I'm actually quite excited about it! We are under the umbrella of Home Schooling NZ and the materials we will use will permit Leilani to work mostly on her own. OUFF!
Through this programme, she will be able to gain university entrance - both in NZ as well as in the USA.

In the process of preparation, I came across some outstanding information on different study tips from Terry Small.

Leave me a comment (or send me an email - as some of you do) - and I'll send you a word file with a summary of the most interesting facts and tips for studying more effectively and efficiently! Just HAD to share... It is FASCINATING and I wish I had known this information a LONG time ago!!!

Rich is back home!!!

Rich left Manila just hours before a bad typhoon hit - once again.

I feel so bad for the people there - they have to go through so much!

On the other hand, I am grateful to have Rich back home with us!!!!

Here are a few photos of our trip to Auckland to pick Rich up - and you'll get to see what we did after that :)

Enjoy!

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