I rebuke…

Recently, I have heard several people ask me or someone else, “Have you rebuked _______?”  The items in question involve such things as gall bladder troubles, feelings of anxiety and other non-person topics.  I have always heard this term used when you are talking about ‘calling down’ a particular person for an ungodly act.  I must admit the concept of rebuking something that is happening in your life is a new one to me.

I think I will put together a much more educated post on this subject, but for now I just want to open the floor to these thoughts.  Has anyone used or heard the word ‘rebuke’ used in a way that is not directed toward another person?

Any thoughts are appreciated.

Kathy

BTW, our modem was zapped by lightening and hopefully this new one will not fall victim to all of our storms. We are experiencing more power outages here than in Oklahoma which I did not think possible in this day and time.  Thanks for your patience with my irregular blogging.

Prayer Request

Most of you who read our blog read Neva Cooper’s Dancing In The Light as well. In case you do not there is a link on our blog roll with more details, but in short we need to pray for her. Tuesday at 10:30am she will be having surgery to deal with a mass found in her spine. Ned and Neva are great friends and she is an awesome prayer warrior. She champions many other’s causes. You may not even know it, but, she has been praying for you. Let’s show them the support they need right now.

Not Bringing Sexy Back

I have worked on this post on and off all week and I have decided not to publish it.  I had a hard time not being too candid.  If you are having a trouble me in this area, email me at jasper-jewels@excite.com and maybe I could help with some private suggestions.

This part of marriage is precious.  It should be kept sacred, and intimate.  It should not hurt nor should it be a psychological burden.  The pressures of procreation or non-procreation should not hinder the marriage bond.  It should be a cooperative effort, benefiting to both parties.

Here is one paragraph out of my now censored  post that I still would like to publish.  If you have been in this situation, (which is where the wife of one of the commenters last week seems to be) then you know exactly what I am talking about.  I am sure there are other parallels to this phenomenon.   For instance, you feel like your work is always on you shoulders…   Maybe one day I will be brave enough to post the rest, but I doubt it.

There is a motherhood phenomenon that I describe as being “over-touched”. I think this is especially true if you have stair step children and you breastfeed. You begin to feel like someone is constantly hanging on or off of you. Your meter for being touched has spun around so many times past your daily limit that by the time the kids are in bed you do not want any one with in 15 feet of you. Maybe this is the reason that people used to sleep in twin beds. This is when the angry feeling of “Doesn’t he know the claustrophobia his touch is causing?” becomes a feeling of guilt for not being able to provide the touch he needs as well. This is when a nice back- rub with no expectations comes into play. A touch that is giving instead of creating another demand is essential in this case. Also, remember, this stage doesn’t last forever.

Ok, so keeping this pg rated, would anyone else like to share why they are not bringing sexy back?  You know maybe we shouldn’t go there.  Feel free to email me.  Comment as you wish.

Kathy

Cottonwood

There are many things I miss about our life in Oklahoma. We were truly blessed by friendships and opportunities. The one thing I must say I miss most is my morning walk. I have yet to establish that special time. I would walk out of my house with ecstatic expectations of my talking time all alone with God. As soon as I exited my back door, I was faced with God’s power in the shape of this cottonwood tree.

It was magnificent! Every morning the tree took my breath away. The feeling of someone flattening me on my back, knocking the wind out of me, made me gasp out loud. I would immediately start my prayer with “Oh Dear God”… it was all I could say as I approached the giant.

Once I was under the cottonwood, I felt like God was answering me.    It was His morning hug of light rays that surrounded my body. The gentle breeze that escaped through the leaves were like whispers of reassurance that He was there and listening.

Unfortunately, I had to turn a corner and walk away. Thus began the rest of my prayer. I would lap at least 6 more times around the tree during my daily walk. Each time looking forward to approaching it again. It was the constant reminder that He was there listening, hearing my praises, my wants, my needs and the petitions for others. He heard my struggles, my successes, gave me brilliant ideas and problem solutions.

I’ve tried walking around my neighborhood here. Although there are many things to look at, I have nothing that automatically greets me like this tree. I know God is here and I can see His beauty in many things. I do miss my cottonwood.

Kathy

One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. Psalm 27:4

Whose Bringing Sexy Back?

I hate to tell Justin Timberlake, but he is not the one bringing sexy back. When I see stars like Paris Hilton saying, “That’s hot”, I not only want to puke, but I want to scream at them - “No, that’s disgusting; you don’t know what ‘hot’ is!”

In case I haven’t made my bragging clear enough on this site, I would love to tell you who is really bringing sexy back and who is ‘hot’.

What is hot:

* Getting down and dirty, working hard manual labor all day to create a raised garden bed for the insistent spouse.

* Carrying the kids to bed after working that long day.

* Standing up for what your conscience says instead of going to get along.

* 42 years of experience; the last 20 in giving extra effort to master anger and impulse control.

* Wisdom and God fearing.

What is not:

* Never working hard for a good cause, or at least for a good person.

* Caring only for yourself.

* Not having a noticeable conscience.

* Looking for the next self pleasing activity, no matter who is hurt.

* Immaturity and self-imploding.

OK, so I’ve had another birthday and I see myself drawing further away from the young hip generation. I know that this is my view from where I stand in my maturity, but why can’t these kids see the mess they are creating for the ones looking to them for social definitions? Could their influence be so strong because we are not letting them know what a Godly view of ’sexy’ is?

A few thoughts:

1. Stop avoiding Song of Solomon and normal displays of affection in front of your kids. Let them know that marital sex is healthy and should not be perverted by the world’s views. If your kids are young like ours, of course you are not talking about it yet; but your hand holding, or kisses good-bye shows them what healthy is.

2. Look for sexy in your spouse. Once you get past the burps, the stained t-shirt and the nascar obsession, you might find a real hotty.

3. Help your spouse find sexy in you.

4. Let yourself be ‘faint with love’ over your spouse.

Happy Monday!

Kathy

“Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love.” Song of Solomon 2:5

I’m Just So Proud of Him!

I had a women’s fellowship at my house tonight.  One of the attendees was a divorced single mom we met on Saturday.  Her son is on Josh’s soccer team so James stayed with them at practice and then took all 6 kids (under the age of 10) out to eat at Carino’s (nice, sit down Italian restaurant) by himself.

The Mom really needed a break and adult conversation.  She was a joy to be around and I was so glad she trusted a stranger to take her kids out.

I called to check on James when he had not arrived on time.  He was having a great time and so were the kids.  They finally arrived over an hour after the party was over.  That also gave the Mom and I a good chance to have more adult conversation.

When all was said and done, I could not wait to tell James how proud of him I was.  It is a lot of work taking our kids out alone.  He did it with such joy and a willing heart.  It really meant so much to me that he gave our new friend a time out.  I had no doubt that he was capable - I just enjoyed watching it happen.

Things to learn:

1. Be on the look out for ways you can bless someone’s life.

2. Be courageous enough to fulfill the blessing (ie: take 6 kids out to dinner).

3. Be a mentor Godly Dad to kids in need.

4. Tell your spouse you are proud of them.   Tell them good job!

5. Don’t underestimate your spouse’s ability to step up to an occasion.  They might just surprise you!

Go with God,

Kathy

German Cockroaches

Yes, I am alive!

I thought I would see if I still remembered how to post. I must confess that if I am online, I am not blogging but doing research on: mattresses for a 3 year old, gardens, fish, comparative shopping, soccer lessons, party crafts, strep throat, teaching chore work to kids,…. you get the drift. I miss you guys, but I have lots I want to do off of the computer. God smiles on me every morning, and then turns me loose to my children.

Actually, I was doing research and thought “I have got to share this paragraph with someone.” It is the oddest paragraph I have ever read in my life. James didn’t seem to think it as strange as I did, so I am putting it out to anyone still checking in on our humble blog… does this seem strange to you?

“Medical and Economic Significance Of a German Cockroach

German cockroaches adulterate food or food products with their feces and defensive secretions, physically transport and often harbor pathogenic organisms, may cause severe allergic responses, and in extremely heavy infestations have been reported to bite humans and feed on food residues on the faces of sleeping humans. In addition, some scientists suggest that German cockroach infestations may cause human psychological stress and that the stigma associated with infestations alters human behavior. For example, people with infested houses do less entertaining, and avoid the kitchen at night for fear of encountering a cockroach.”

So what do think? Here are some spiritual implications:

1. Thank God for creating all creatures, but most of all for putting man in charge over them. (ie: we can squash them instead of them squashing us)

2. Be a good steward of the physical blessings God gave you. (ie: clean the dishes and floors or you won’t be able to walk into your kitchen at night).

3. Live a life of purity. (ie: at least wash the food off your face so you won’t have nightmares about a cockroach sucking his midnight snack off your upper lip).

4. Stay away from adulterated food. (ie: you got the picture).

There you have it.

Kathy

ReInventing the Wheel

Solomon made the observation “there is nothing new under the sun”. There is truth to this fact. People also repeat the old adage “don’t reinvent the wheel”. Again, this has some validity.

On the other hand, was the wheel always as it is?  We as a nation encourage imagination and ingenuity. The wheel of the ’stone age’ probably looked nothing like the wheel of today. Yes they were both round and rolled moving something else. But does a log used in this way constitute a wheel? My point is not to be philosophical but to say we need to rethink everything at some point.

Our (Kathy and James) world is presently full of that rethinking. My ministry, our house, raising kids, this blog. As I indicated last post we are in transition.

A brief glimpse at my work. My job description has as it’s major focus family. I am responsible for education, small groups, worship, outreach, integration, administration and spiritual development particularly as it relates to family. There are others who more specifically focus on children’s education, women’s ministry, worship, etc. But I work in concert with them. We have someone who is responsible for senior adults and the Senior Minister, who is responsible for vision, the pulpit and the overall ministry.

My job description could be overwhelming. What does education look like. The new facilities we are building don’t have the traditional class room spaces, and we don’t have spaces like that on the drawing board for the next two phases. What does small groups mean? How do we implement that? The questions could go on and on. There is a reason why we are planting this new congregation. We are, to a certain extent, planning on re-inventing the wheel. We believe God has called us to lead a new work relevant to the people in our area. We are not in the business of sheep stealing and don’t intend to do something that would draw those people. But, there are programs that are effective and we don’t need to try to reinvent them.

So, the point for this blog is to share some of the inner activity of my world at present. I have been spending time developing our small groups program, education, new member classes, promotional literature, meetings and experiences of worship as we explore how we will be implement this,  building relationships in our community, paying attention to my family lest I loose them in this pursuit… You get the picture.  And they say preachers only work two days a week.

I will post some other thoughts about our family and other areas I see being re-invented later. Blessings to you and yours.

What Ever Happened to James & Kathy

Several people have stopped by to write notes of encouragement or have sent e-mails asking about how we are and when we will be blogging.  This is just a note to say we have not fallen off the planet.  Josh is busy with school and Kathy is busy with ‘mommy school’ with Kobi and Kyli (heavy on Kobi). I have been busy with work and all the accoutrements that are part of starting a new work.

We hope you pray for us and know we think of you and pray for you. Kathy’s last post included some details about some illnesses. This move has been quite an adjustment. Josh’s strep throat cleared up but resurfaced a couple of weeks ago.  We went to Lubbock for Christmas and then returned roughly a week later when I officiated the wedding of Kathy’s sister. In January Josh, Kyli and Kathy were
all on antibiotics. I have had a cold or allergies for over three weeks. We run a vaporizer and Kyli was bleeding in her nose but it cleared up. But, for two weeks my sinuses have been bleeding. Kathy is pushing for a doctor. I will try to get an appointment after the holiday.

We are hosting a small group at our home as we are getting started up. We are also working on a variety of programs including  a mother’s night out Kathy is putting together.

Both Kathy and I read some blogs and I comment occasionally. We will get back in the hang of things. Kathy is considering revamping her efforts.  So this site may become mine or Kathy may change it and I may have to actually start the blog I kinda developed for this side of the move.

Again, know you are loved and missed (at least most of you)

Adair ‘07 Christmas letter

Whew! We’ve been busy! To say I am overwhelmed is an understatement.  Yes, I am going to blog again and I appreciate you guys checking in with me.  I have missed you as well.  I have also found myself in front of the computer no more than once a week and most of that time I spend cleaning my email.  I am sure that things will slow down.

If you wonder what is keeping me away from the computer, here is the short list:

1. Kobi is not in school so I spend a lot of time with the girls.  When she was in school, Kyli would entertain herself, Kobi is just not like that.  She has also had a rough adjustment with the move.

2.  James is officing from the house so short of knocking him out of my chair, I have little chance.  This also means I have to keep the girls from disturbing him.

3.  We have thankfully had lots of company and have lots more scheduled.  I love it!

4.  Unfortunately, I am on the OCD side of having the house in order for this company and Christmas.

5. I am in charge of putting together a Christmas program with the kids.  It is short but has been a challenge.

6.  The most exciting reason that my time has been occupied is that my sister is getting married in January and I am enjoying getting to assist her.  She had a very short engagement.  We are glad because we are as ready to have him in the family as she is.  I will say that shopping while my daughters go in and out of the $200 dresses is nerve racking.  We took more time going to the dressing room for “time outs” (yeah right) than I did trying on dresses.

7.  Did I mention my family will be here for Christmas, and we will be going to see 3 other sets of families for Christmas?  Most people are getting money because I have not been able to shop.  I am cooking a minimum amount of goodies and I am buying store bought rolls partly because of time and partly because of wanting to look decent beside the bride when I have already gained weight because of our move.  I usually do lots of baking.

8.  On a very serious side of my not writing, I have not been able to go for my walks.  That is a time when I am given inspiration.  I have had lots of thoughts but I haven’t put them down on my computer.  ]

9.  I have also been thinking about starting up a blog that goes in a different direction.  We no longer live in 900 square feet, nor does James preach.  It could be the teacher’s house, or Sista Kath’s Soliloquies…  but I think I will change directions.  I’ll let you all know.

 

10.  I have managed to complete our Christmas letter. No, they are not mailed yet - maybe that will happen today.  Here it is, I hope you enjoy!

A year in the life of Us:

January: Kathy started a blog at preachershouse.wordpress.com. You can check out more of their family happenings of the past year there. She continued to lead the local library story time. A big snow storm allowed us to have tubing fun in the church parking lot.

February: Josh won an awesome match at a wrestling meet.

Kobi cheered during the half-time of a Varsity Basketball game.

March: We added to our Route 66 site seeing list by visiting the Blue Whale and a historic dinner during our trip to the Tulsa Workshop. Josh also started his careers in magic and puppetry.

April: We celebrated Easter with James’ family at the new home of his sister Sharla in Frisco.

May: Josh received the most points for Accelerated Reader in his school’s history. He also learned that playing catcher on his machine pitch baseball team was easier if he caught the ball with his glove instead of mask/glasses. Kobi led the Pledge of Allegiance at a National Day of Prayer Gathering.

June: The kids welcomed the summer with a new backyard pool. Kyli loves turning flips, Josh plays water football and Kobi enjoys floating.

July: We went on a vacation that included seeing the Route 66 site Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, family in Lubbock and Frisco, and the Star Wars Exhibit at the Fort Worth Museum.

August: We helped with the community VBS – Avalanche Ranch.

Kyli became Queen of the House again when she sent her kids back to school.

We also sent off 5 loved graduating seniors from our churches.

September: We were honored to be part of the merger of our two churches.

Kyli started her two month stretch of watching Toy Story 2 every day and began going by the name Jessie the Cowgirl.

October: James was hired as the new Family Minister for a church in Texas. We celebrated by buying a beautiful house!

Josh loves his new school; Kobi wishes she could go to school; and Kyli is glad that she has another student with her in Mommy School.

They celebrated a 6 month tv service sabbatical with a PBS fest.

November: Josh entered the world of pro football as a HUGE Dallas Cowboys fan. (He asked Santa for a Tony Romo signed football.)  He plays football outside, on Nintendo, and on a game table everyday.

The girls attend two different library story times.

Kathy started working with the Children’s ministry.

At the beginning of the month, Josh had strep throat that led to pneumonia and caused him to miss 1 ½ weeks of school. Kobi had an e coli based infection that required adult medicine to cure. (We ground the bitter pill up, put in peanut butter and followed with an oatmeal cookie.) To top off this two week medical crisis, Kyli fell on our ceramic tile floor and cracked her skull above the soft spot on the back of her head. She is our first child to experience a seizure, cat scan, and EEG.

December: Josh and James cheered the Shattuck football team on to their 5^th consecutive State Victory. They have only lost one game in the last 6 years. They were able to meet up with Josh’s friend Nolan for dinner before the game.

Kobi sang Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer on stage with the Cowtown Opry. Miss Devon Dawson (the singing voice of Jessie the Cowgirl) serenaded a ‘Jessie’ dressed Kyli with the Jessie song from the movie. She also signed her Jessie doll.

Hopes for 08: We will begin worshiping in our new church building. Josh hopes to play flag football as well as build his Star Wars Legos and continue to keep the Dark Side (his sisters) out of his room. The girls hope to enroll in soccer and tumbling/dance as soon as Jessie’s crack heals. Kobi can’t wait to start school and sing on stage again!

 

“Christmas began in the heart of God.

It is complete only when it reaches the heart of man.”

Our prayer for this coming year is that you are richly blessed when God reaches your heart and that your thanksgiving is a beautiful praise to Him.

Merry Christmas,

 

James, Kathy, Josh, Kobi and Kyli