Christmastime...

We shot a few 1st day of Advent pictures at church this morning hoping to capture our Christmas card picture early.  I love these the best.

VBS

VBS Surf Shack Week!

First Day of VBS at OBC!

Kindermusik

Miss Melinda is great with the 2-3 year olds in Kindermusik!  I mean, how do you really handle 6-7 of them at once on a Wed night at 6:30pm (bedtime)?

Basketball

Coach Matthew Shelton had our two and Callie this year with a few other fun kids!  What a great basketball year!  They both loved it!

Art's Council Gala

Basketball

Blake and Delaney are so excited to be playing on the same Biddy Basketball team this year, and friend Callie is with them!  They have a cute team that is energetic and fun to watch!  Delaney got to touch the ball many times and Blake made 8 points or more the first game!  Can't wait to see what the season brings!

Belk Bowl

We went to the Belk Bowl with some beautiful friends (and family).  Brian Wacaster invited us and we had a fun, dry lunch and then a rainy day at Panther's Stadium! 

Christmas play at OBC

A beautiful way to hear the Christmas story each year!  Delaney was the girl leading the animals.

Sunday School Christmas Party

I just adore these beautiful friendships!

Speaking in church

As a part of Dr. Shrum's transition to leave Nov 22 several of us are speaking on this phrase...here is what I said this morning.  I felt honored to be chosen to speak.

I hope that you all have seen the most beautiful tree in Rock Hill, it sits on Ebenezer at the corner of the main parking lot.  VERY soon you will see the gorgeous colors it will turn, or will you?  I am already anticipating hearing my children say, like they do every year …

“Mama, look at God’s beautiful artwork!”

Do you ever stop and take in his Masterpieces He paints daily?  I didn’t, not daily at least, until I had kids to remind me of it all the time. They are grateful to God for it and Gratefulness is a life changer! 

I have been a part of OBC since before I was born 35 years ago…literally, my dad was writing down my mom’s contractions right back there during a Christmas service, so I grew up here and always had a definite belief in God.  So, for all that was…Thanks.  Not only did Dr. Shrum teach me how to love and believe in God but so did the Weeks, The Youngs, Miss Lila, Sheldon, and many other Sunday School teachers, GA leaders, choir directors, VBS volunteers, youth ministers, like Christy, my parent’s close friends that are like aunts and uncles to me…PLUS …a majority of my friends were in youth group with me.  So the same beliefs surrounded me during my whole childhood…which I’m grateful for!

But, I left my routine of attending Oakland weekly when I left for college.  I stated to have conversations with other believers that didn’t grow up at Oakland and some that didn’t even grow up in church at all.  I started to “think”…to doubt…and want concrete answers to questions that are only answered by faith.  That Old Testament Professors really challenged me to think deeper and leave my simple childhood faith behind. 

We are all challenged at some point, which leaves an impact on us.  As life continued into young adulthood I met more people that challenged my faith.  Then, I married my wonderful husband Kevin.  Together…we encountered bigger things that challenged our faith together, like years of desiring to carrying a child.  BUT even when faith seemed thin, God was still there and knew what we needed…and it was through adoption He blessed us with our first child, Blake.  The best gift we ever received was from Vegas, so remember, what happens Vegas, doesn’t always stay in Vegas!

But it wasn’t until our children were growing up that I realized how to see God through the eyes of a child again and just have simple faith like Jesus told his disciples to in the book of Matthew.

Jesus said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. “

We should aim to be more childlike the older we get, so why do we doubt when trials come our way? 

My children see things with a trusting and grateful heart, which helps to have more peace and joy in life!  I teach them about God and faith through simple STORIES and simple VERSES and in turn it has brought ME back to a richer and more trusting faith because mine too is much more simple.

I find HOPE while looking at God through my children’s eyes. 

Can you picture it from when you were a child? 

Mom, I think God sits right there on top of that cloud in the sky.

Mom, I know God is with me, I prayed last night when I thought there were monsters in my room and they went away.

Mom, God is real and loves me so much and I know because He tells me he does in the Bible.

God sent me three reminders to help ground me and bring me back to that childhood like faith (Blake and Delaney are right there, we left Lilli Jane in the nursery).  They remind me there are simple answers when it comes to faith.  Yes, God is very real and Yes, he is with me everywhere I go (it says it right there in the book of Joshua).  So… there is nothing to doubt.

Why am I trying to take us back to our childhood faith?  Because it’s easier for me to say, For all that will be, Yes!  I am lucky that I am reminded of my childhood each time I walk through the doors here at OBC … It fills me with childhood memories reminding me of that childhood faith I once had. 

Most of you did not grow up here at Oakland and your faith may not have even come until later in life.  But try to reminder and hold onto a child  like simple faith.

God should be the chair of every committee that is leading us into our future here at Oakland, and I know He’s willing…those severing on those committees, remember the answers are simple and God will give you the answer, you just have to ask and listen like a child and not try to pick it apart and answer it yourself. Like we tend to do as adults.  This simple child like faith will assure us all… our special place in heaven for eternal life.  And assure us a beautiful future at OBC.

In 1st Corinthians 2:9, Paul reminds us that the Scriptures say,

“No one has ever seen,
    no one has ever heard,
no one has ever imagined
    what God has prepared for those who love him.”

God can arrange all sorts of provisions, power, and blessings on our behalf whenever we look at him with the innocent faith of a child.

I hope 35 years from now, that tree will still be here and continue to remind me to use my child like faith to simply say “For all that will be…YES”!

Mary's 40th birthday

Fun night with friends celebrating Mary's 40th birthday!!

Tiger Cubs here we come!

Blake is so excited on his Tiger Cub uniform to be beginning his new journey towards Boy Scouts this year with his dad by his side and a few buddies from school!
Now we are off to sell some Popcorn!

Love our church...

We are so blessed to have such amazing grandparents!  Kevin's parents and my parents, both still living, married, healthy, and happy!  Thanks for the memories and love you share with us!

We also have an amazing church that we love dearly.  Oakland Baptist gives us so much love and support.  We cherish moments we have there weekly.

Sunday morning

Sunday School

The big kids are so excited to be in Sunday school together this year. They have Mrs. Jordan and Mrs. Christie as their teachers. They are fabulous with the kids! We are so lucky to have such supportive adults at Oakland.

April Highlights

Another great fundraiser for the Boy Scouts...Peyton Manning!!!

Surprise!!!  You never know what daddy is going to do!  One of the last bath's all together (had to start to separate boys and girls...they are growing too quick).  

When the tree was put up I was told if we had another kid it had to have a short name...ooops, but they added Lilli Jane to the Children's Museum tree and it looks great!

Lilli Jane will go to sleep in the car pretty easy as long as she has "rara".  ALL the Easter candy the kids got, Whoa!!!!  Too much!!!

Delaney is so excited about her new tunic/bathing suit cover up.  She loves looking pretty, but also loves gymnastics, Lilli Jane is following right behind her!

Dress up princesses! 

Mission Friends on the playground.

Blake in Sra. Kiker's class on computers with friends.

A pirate birthday party for Sophia...I got to hold sweet, Riv Patt.

We love our family and friends, each morning during our devotion time at breakfast we chose a Christmas card and prayed for that family, the kids have enjoyed getting to know some of the families we don't see much or at all.  

Delaney's field trip...we sure will miss Mrs. Taylor, Mrs. Hope and all her friends at ODS!

Summer is not far away!  Sunday School party, Win and Delaney are crazy dress up buddies!