Monday, December 1, 2008

New paths....

After almost 25 years, we are moving out of our church. Through an amazing set of circumstances that could have only been ordained by our Lord, Crusaders Church of Decatur is in the process of completing the purchase of a new, larger building.

We are so excited. Although our current building has served us well, we desperately need more room for Sunday School and church. I believe that part of our calling is to reach the children of our community whose parents won't bring them to church. To tell them about Jesus and to love them for Jesus, even when they aren't so lovable!

The new building will have 5 rooms downstairs (I'll be recruiting teachers!), plus a large open area. My head is buzzing with ideas of the things we can do and trying to come up with a plan for arranging everything, plus planning the move!!!

The current plan is to close on the 19th of December and our Christmas program will be on the 21st. We desperately want to be in the building on that Sunday! If everything falls into place, we may be able to take possession a week earlier. That should make December interesting!

So. Add to that two sons with December birthdays, a Mom with a December birthday, and this may be a very confusing month!

I will keep reminding myself that all of the things that will make me so busy this month are good things. It won't be worth getting all upset over (would the kids notice if we don't put a tree up at home?), when it's all about the wonderful blessings!

Saturday, November 29, 2008

A very good day

We spent the auspicious Black Friday in Chicago with all of our children. I hope they all had a good time, because for me it was an awesome day.


We started out picking up Andrew and Sarah in Urbana. Sarah volunteered to drive and off we went, headed straight for the Talbot's Outlet Store in Park Ridge. Heaven on earth for Megz and Sarah. They went through that store with a fine toothed comb (hate that analogy), found some great deals, used a coupon and we headed for the minivan.


Then we were off to the Loop, in downtown Chicago. Parked in the underground parking at Grant Park, and ate lunch at a great Italian fast food deli across the street. "No trip to Chicago is complete," says Andrew, "without a visit to the old Marshall Field's (now Macy's) on State Street." Since Grandma Durst worked there in the early 1940's, she always asks if we were there. So we had a walk through the store, rested in the Levenger department in their amazingly over priced chairs and then off to the bargains at Nordstrom Rack (Peggy scored a badly needed winter coat!) and H&M.


We took the free trolley to North Michigan Avenue, shopped at an amazing number of stores and had a great time.


The city was beautifully decorated for the holiday, my family was all together and it could not have been better.


Steve and I had fallen behind the kids (I'm the slow one) as we walked down Michigan Avenue. Ahead of us were: Sarah, Andrew, Meghan, and Charles all walking with arms linked.


That sight was Thanksgiving and Christmas all wrapped up together.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Oh Dear!

My kids are attending the Interchurch Holiness Convention in Dayton next week. We've been as a family several times, and I enjoy it -- especially the opportunity to attend the hugh children's church and watch professional children's church workers in action. It inspires me for months!

But as Meghan was planning what she would wear and how many outfits she would need (the school newsletter said TWO), I was reminded of the time I bought this beautiful navy blue dress and wore it to IHC. I was walking through the lobby and saw a young lady with my dress on! Well, no big surprise, there are like 20,000 people there -- there's bound to be ONE other person with my dress. I walk further. There's another, and another. Oh no! a women's trio must have bought MY DRESS! Oh well, shake it off!

I head for the women's restroom, where a young lady looks at me and says, "Oh! You're wearing our CHOIR dress!" That's right. I was dressed like all of the women in the Hobe Sound Bible College choir!

Me and 40 others!

I've always regretted that I didn't just mozey on over and try to sing with them!