Abundant Life.....Beware of the pirates!

Jesus said in John 10:10: " I came that they may have survive life and make it through the day." WRONG!!!! That's NOT what He said! Sadly, we are often misquoting that in our spirit. What Jesus really said in John 10:10 is: " I came that they may have LIFE and have it ABUNDANTLY." So what are the "pirates" that come? just before the statement above, Jesus speaks of the "Thief" that comes to 'steal, kill and destroy". I know that the pirate (satan) works on me by using such things as: busy-ness, apathy, and the idols I've placed in my life. That's right....IDOLS. Do you have any? They are the things that I allow to consume me. Not always bad things - in fact, often very GOOD things: my children, my church, my work - even food (cooking) - but ANYTHING that is placed in front of my personal growth and commitment to my RELATIONSHIP with Jesus is...well an IDOL. Pirates love idols.. Satan loves my idols, too. What about you? My goal this summer is to get my treasures lined up with God's call and plan. First things first. Jesus - Jesus - Jesus - THEN add in those blessings such as family, church, friends, work, etc.
After all, even Jack Sparrow would agree that it's just no fun if we don't put up a fight! Here's the spoiler alert: Jesus wins!

Can it be??? Already???

Tomorrow is the day of firsts for us... First day as a teacher at MISD's alternative school, Viola M. Coleman HS, First day as a SOPHOMORE for my Tori, and first day of the fifth grade for Brock. Time is just FLYING by with our kids. I am so proud of them and just love them beyond words. I am quite the blessed woman!

We are praying a few specifics for this school year for them:

• Pray that they will walk in the WISDOM of the Father.
• Pray that they will desire to walk with the Lord and love Him more every day.
• Pray that they will be loved and encouraged by teachers and friendships this year.
• Pray that they will excel to their personal 'bests' in education, sports,etc this year.
• Pray that they will lead and serve others by the example of Jesus.
• Pray that they will STAND in BOLDNESS where the Lord leads them and confidently face challenges with faith in Jesus.
• Pray for their health to be good and for them to be strong for the tasks the Lord calls them to.
• Pray that they will hear and obey Jesus daily.
• Pray that they will be grateful and know that they are blessed and that they will have compassion and generosity towards others.
• Pray that WE will be obedient to the Father so that we may be the kind of parents that HE wants us to be.
• Pray that we will all trust Jesus with our tomorrows.
• ETC........

Not a blogger....but here is the latest!

Well....I figured that, if I had to use this blog to comment on Susan's blog, I'd better update mine...Since it has been a year and a half! haha

We are leaving for CAMP tomorrow!  Keep us in your prayers!  Send emails to our students and to US!  Go to www.studentlife.com and click on "Find your student" at the bottom.  Then, look for Orange Beach, Alabama July 5-9 and send us emails!!!  We need them every day!

Pray for safety as we travel (17 hours of DRIVING not counting stops - on a bus and/or van with 70 students!).  Pray that the Lord's Word for us this week would fall on open and receptive hearts and that we would all be drawn to a closer relationship with our beautiful Jesus.  Pray for ppl to accept Christ and for our students to find unity and leadership.  We love these students SO much...they are now OUR kids.  This is when it is really good.  Takes about 2 years to really set the foundation.  We are seeing the fruits of God's work and it is such an amazing and exciting journey!  

Pray also for Susan - my sister in Christ and friend - who had breast cancer surgery Friday.  God is good.  He's got her right in the palm of his great big hand and is carrying her and healing her.  All glory to HIM!

Love to all of my sweet friends!

Donna

Losing Jim

It has been such a long time since I posted and so much has happened since Sept when we moved Rob's parents back out to Midland. So interesting to see God's hand in all of it. It was such a crazy move and we did not quite know what all we were in for with it. The way it happened was shocking and sudden. All the while, our Lord knew what was coming and knew that we needed to get them out here ASAP. Last week, while on the youth ski trip in Colorado, we got a call from Rob's daddy's (Jim's) doctor. He wanted us to bring Jim and Wanda in the next day because the scan they took showed that he has ADVANCED cancer of the liver, pancreas, adrenal glands, lymphoma, etc.....They are only giving him a week from now to maybe a month. I will be surprised if he is with us even for a few days. Each day we are seeing such a downslide. It is horrifying to watch. Today, after not being able to make it down the hall and having to sit on a stool two x to get down the hallway of a two bedroom apt, Jim just cried out, "How Long???" I said, "for what" He said, "Til I die. How much longer do I live like this?" It is hard to let someone go that you love. We do love him. Rob had a sweet time with him on Monday night. Jim played with Tom Landry for the University of Texas in football. Rob went over and joined him for his last Texas game. Sad to think that he won't be there to do that anymore.
We are, however, thankful that we know that Jim's salvation is secure and we will see him again in heaven.
For a very competitive football family, LOSING is never easy....whether it is football or your life. Pray that this comes without pain. As believers, our loss is Christ's gain and Jim will gain eternity with Jesus......no losing matter there......but it is still hard. God is faithful and carries us in these times.

Others First

Sometimes God has to teach us things that are HARD. We are THERE. After a sad event in which my mother in law felt the need to use her walking utensil to discipline the woman that she, in her very mixed up mind, thinks is stealing things from her....(go ahead..it's okay. laugh.......we are laughing to keep from crying...and we've done quite a bit of that, too.....it's funny until you have to clean up the mess it leaves......) ....We now have three weeks to move them from Ft. Worth to Midland. Looking at this overwhelming task is humbling, to say the least. Still, we know it will work....why? Because this is one of those God sized tasks that is IMPOSSIBLE to do in our own strength. In the past month we have had FOUR DIFFERENT MAJOR events with them.....including ........law suits, canings, car repairs, evictions, drama, Jim's cancer, EEEEETTTTCCCCC.
We had really been trying to set some boundaries. We had said that we would get us settled first (we are still in the church house) and THEN work on moving them next year.......NOT!!!!! God said, "Others first." That simple childhood lesson - ironically - taught to us BY our parents - is now needing to be put into place FOR Rob's parents. ...and it will.....God provided an apartment today. Good part of town, lower level, two bedroom. Two people were waiting in line for it after me. I prayed for wisdom....with that quick decision, I hope it was HIS will and wisdom at work. After calling around for days, touring places all Sat., etc.....I KNOW that this was our only option. ...Here's the tough part....Wanda's response, "I really wanted a condo" and "Did you get to see the caret? Is it as bad as this place?" Such gratitude. Thankfully, I determined a long time ago that these things are done "for the Lord and not for man."
Pray for continued wisdom, and for LOTS Of patience, mercy and grace. We are going to need an extra measure! My happy birthday will be on MOVING DAY....YEA!!!! What did you get??????I am getting my INLAWS!!!!! =0)
God is sovereign. Even in this....I WILL TRUST HIM! His faithfulness endures.
Love you all!
d

Ministry or Madness???

We are still learning. Yes, after 15 years in youth ministry, still learning. We overbooked the summer. pure and simple. It is so great to be home. Rob will be home from Creel, Mex on the 8th. In spite of our exhaustion and overbooked schedule, God has graciously demonstrated his LOVE, POWER and WORK in our lives and in the lives of others. What a blessing to be able to serve HIM. Between Community Rehab in Commanche, Super Summer sessions 2 & 4, DFW Dive, Camp Red Cloud and Creel, MEx mission trip, God HAS our attention. We want to make sure that our ministry is one of "BEING" not just "DOING" - Since this was our first summer in Midland, the summer was a combination of the "old" meets the "new". Next summer we will pare it down and listen for what the Lord wants us to cut/add.....We pray that our ministry will become more family friendly, as well, where we are ministering to the family instead of robbing students from their families. Look this year for our ministry to reflect more of the Deuteronomy model of family ministry. Parents will be called up to serve, lead and teach - especially in their own homes. Plan to see Crestview's student ministry as more of an EQUIPPING ministry for the families of students to redirect to the model that God set before us.
We are looking forward to what God is going to do through this commitment to a truly BIBLICAL model of ministry!!!! His revelation is real and our family is the one who will first feel the freedom in this commitment. Sometimes having an "OLD" youth pastor has its perks....we see how you, the parents are feeling and what you are dealing with. We miss our family time. We want time to BE what God calls us to BE as parents - and we know that you agree!
It is going to be a GREAT YEAR!!!

Home? Where is Home?

Monday we arrived at our house in Keller for the last stay. It is so weird how excited we always got as we drove into the neighborhood. Even the dogs were up and wagging with apparent doggie smiles.....Brock would say "we're home, we're home" - Tori would be texting every DFW friend in high anticipation of reuniting.....Rob and I both get a warm fuzzy feeling when we drive in to see the pretty landscape lights on the house and the manicured yard.....But, the question is...."Is it home?" - we then got out of the car and rushed in to find an empty shell where memories are the only richness that still exist. It's not 'home' any more....morein...it is just a house. God has new things for us. New adventures, new walls to paint and curtains to sew. New memories to create...all of them in a new place. It is so hard to make a temporary location feel like home for me. I need to refresh my understanding of what makes it a 'home'. It is the laughter and smiles, the sturggles and tears. It is the family time playing games and jumping on the trampoline. the early morning coffee and Bible reading, the late night times when Rob and I pray together. It is the things, as the cliche' says...'of the heart'......Home IS where the heart is.......It's true. ...and I am the most blessed of all homemakers!
"He who started a good work will be faithful to complete it....." amen