My litttle man is 11.

Since Ryder is turning 11 on Tuesday I want to share 11 things that I love about my little man! This is also sorta photo summer in review for Him too!

1....His heart for those younger than him is awesome to watch. He is very popular among the 3-5 year old's at our church and he works as a helper in their classroom. Here he is with is cousin but he always great to kneel down and play.....Jesus was like that...I'm glad Ryder is too!2....He loves to be with his Dad. He is growing up..going into Junior High which is crazy but true. It is fun to watch these two develop into great pals. Ryder's always been close to me but the older he gets the more he wants to talk to Dad about it or be with Dad. I so proud of that. A boy should want to be with is Father...Jesus did...I am glad Ryder does too!

3...Ryder is a born leader. People want to be with him. Here he is leading Rylee on a horse this was on there trip to Nana and Papa's house. He is usually pretty good with being responsible with his leadership. He is always watching for the one that is on the edge and giving them a place to belong. We need more good solid Christian men who aren't afraid to lead. Jesus was always reaching out to those on the fringe..I am so glad Ryder is like that too!
4...Ryder understand that often times life is hard. He has a grown soul. I love this picture because you can see the depth of his heart in his eyes (Grandad Norman is with him in the pic). Even when he was little he was always mature. It was like he was born with an old man's soul. He gets the real point of life and and weed out trial things from important things. Jesus was always showing people that something were more important than others....I am glad Ryder is like that too!

5...Ryder is so compassionate. Here Ryder is swinging Regan at the park. He is always making sure Regs is okay....we all know this is a gift from God so nuf said on that!

6...Ryder is a reader. He loves a great story. He loves to read just about anything he can get his eyes on. Here he and Andy are reading Harry Potter while all of Andy's wedding guests are waiting inside for his arrival. I love that Jesus uses stories to teach Ryder so many things about himself.
7...He knows the value of a good friend. Our friends from Dallas, the Werch's came to visit and he was so excited to seem them. No matter how many miles and our how much time comes in between a friendship he seems to know that they are valuable. Jesus loved his friends too...I am so glad Ryder is like that.


8...He is crazy. His personality is so funny! He is always making a funny comment or striking a crazy pose. He makes me laugh. Jesus uses Ryder all the time to draw a smile. Here he is with Nana and Rylee being silly after a long day in the sun.

9.... Ryder still loves legos....I don't know but I think there might be legos in heaven...hours of creative fun!10...Ryder is a great student. Here he is with his favorite teacher from 5th grade. Ryder loves to learn...he loves history. I am glad that he loves to learn. To be a disciple of Jesus is to be a learner of Jesus. No true disciple can check their brain at the door.

11...Mostly I am just glad I get to call him son. This picture was taken this summer at a Peria Chief's game. My birthday prayer for him is that he know Jesus and be known in him.

Happy Birthday Boy! We love you so much.

"Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate." Ps 127.4-5

Immeasurably More

Over the last couple of weeks I have been thinking about eph. 3:20-21

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever Amen!"

When Brian and I were getting married we would pray this scripture a lot. I remember feeling how I felt God's "Immeasurable" power at work in our lives. Brian and I felt our love was beyond what we could have prayed and asked God for. It was so surprising.

This immeasurable that Paul is writing about in this part of the letter refers back to the first part of the letter in 1:19-21 where he writes:

"and his incomparable great power for us who believe, that power is like the working of his mighty strength, which is exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come."


The early church surly thought that the resurrection was beyond what they could have prayed for in a Messiah. That Christ could raise from the dead had to have be mind blowing. God was up to something in the heavenly and earthly realm....in all power through all time. All of this was evidenced in CHRIST. It was so surprising.

Yet this immeasurable more is not limited to the resurrection because it is through all time.....so he is currently showing his immeasurable greatness. He is letting his glory shine through the church in all generations...so that means in us too. He is still working...sometimes that is so surprising.

Sometimes I forget that God is suppose to be immeasurably more.... I am a person who likes to figure things out. How to fix the mower, how to make a blog, how to manage Regan's health, how to make Pesto myself, how to study the Bible.....I want to know! Sometimes I can trick myself into thinking I can know God. If I just read enough of the right thing for the right amount of time I will know Him. Yet he is IMMEASURABLY MORE!

I am currently looking for ways that God can show me immeasurably more of himself. I want to trust that Paul is right...HE IS ABLE. Sadly sometimes that reality surprises me!
So I'll make Paul's prayer my own.

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurable more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever Amen!"

Our little Cherrio.

Regan has had spin trouble for several years. She wears a brace to try and stop it. There is really no other alternative to the brace except extreme surgery that is just not a good option for her because of all of her other health problems. So we have watched her slowly curl up so we lovingly refer to her as our little Cherrio. She recently developed a sore on her back because of her brace and so she is unable to wear it until it is better. It seems to be worse than at any other time. Could you please pray for her. It does not cause her pain but as the curve continue to get worse it can cause other health problems.

Thanks for all your support.

The Blog

This blog is sometimes a mystery to me. Recently I have been blessed with the opportunity to meet people who faithful read this blog...most of whom I have never met.

Last week we were visiting Brian's family in Kansas City. They attend a very large church (several thousand members) and after church was over a lady tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Chantell, I'm so happy to met you, I'm Patti." Tears began to roll down her checks as she told me about how she reads the blog each week and how she has been praying for our family. I tried to introduce her to Ryder but she said, "Oh, I already know all your family .I know who Ryder is an what he looks like." We chatted for a few minutes. I cried as she shared about how she has been affected by reading this blog. Patti is in the "Life" group with my Sister and Brother-in-law....and a part of God's family..so it makes her my sister in grace.

I also spoke with a lady on the phone last week that I have met a couple of times. She thanked me for the blog. She is a good friend of my mother-in-law, Vera. They both lost their best friend Barb to cancer that week. Barb has been a faithful reader of the blog and even referenced it in her blog. More than anything Barb was a prayer warrior for Regan. Though I don't know Gail or Barb extremely well I feel close to them because I know they are praying and reading. We are bonded together...we are sister's in grace.

Regan received bows in the mail a couple of months ago from a woman who reads the blog. She is the friend of a wife of a guy I grew up with. She reads and prays for us. I've never met her but she made Regan two hair bows and wrote a wonderful card to let us know how our journey is affecting her journey. We will probably never met until heaven...but I look forward to it...we too are sister's in grace.

A month ago Brian's step mom Janice has a family reunion in Indy. Brian, Ryder, Regan and I went (Rylee was at camp). It has been five years since we have seen this part of the extended family (three generations). One of the cousin's who is five and lives in CA saw Regan as we walked in and she exclaimed "I know her, that's Regan, I pray for her." We are family but we she and Regan are sister's of grace too!

Last week I was talking to a long time family friend of Brian's family her name is Sue. She just lost her husband to Parkinson's. She has with a woman I have never met...I heard her say, "So, this is the little girl I've been praying for."

Most of the time when I set down to write I think...will anyone check it...does what I have to say make sense....is everyone tired of my ramblings...but something in me (I think it is the Holy Spirit) moves me to think about something which leads me to write about something. I feel strengthened to move through difficult moments knowing that people are with us...people we don't even know and people we know very well....people from Lincoln, Texas, South Korea, Colorado, Mexico, Oklahoma, Ukraine, Kansas, Indiana, Tennessee, Egypt........
Some how knowing that God is using this for something more than just our own family gives me peace. Sometimes I wonder why Regan didn't die on that Monday...maybe it was for this to happen. For a Sister-in-law to tell a friend and in that share a miracle and watch God's grace in action. Maybe it was for a little girl in CA to learn to pray. Maybe it was for a woman dying of cancer to pray and remember someone else's need. Maybe it was for me to regain my faith in the body of Christ. So, thanks for reading, responding and most of all "bearing-up" our burden with us.

. . . o o o . . .

All this Live Earth stuff has me thinking....where is the Christian voice? Where to WE stand in all of this. I consider myself a moderate environmentalist. Since High school I have been aware of the waste I create. As a mother I feel a great responsibility to be an example and teach my children to be a great citizen of the world. The greatest way we do this is to share Jesus...but we can do more. I have always tried not to shelter them from the pain of the world. We must be aware of issues around the world, across the street and in my opinion all Christian's should be GREEN.
I wanted to share a few things I do. I have along way to go but I believe in small steps and doing what I can.

• Recycling is an easy way to start. This costs no money but helps greatly.
  
• Since putting in my cloths line 4 weeks ago I have only ran 2 loads in the dryer. This is better for my cloths and the environment. Also having us re-wear things that are not really dirty (jeans, shirts, pj's...but never underwear!) This also helps because your cloths don't wear out as fast.
  
• Buying food at farmers markets, or growing your own food cuts down on packaging, emissions from trucks hauling..plus it is better for you.
  
• I use refillable water bottles as much as I can. Especially in my kids lunch. Also trying to use reusable plastic instead of baggies for everything in their lunches is good too!
• Insurance pays for Regan to have one feeding bag each day but we have started using them for three. This just cuts down a little but it is something. (It offsets all those diapers she is creating. And I do have friends that use cloth but I not quite ready for make that leap!)
• Also trying not to use paper products. If I have a party at my house I try not to use paper products. How hard is it to just put it in the dishwasher (which is energy efficient). Plus it saves money.

If you have any tips of things that you do I would love you to post them on the blog for our 615 readers to read. I do not need this to sound wacky but would love to hear your ideas.

Open Wounds

I hate for my knees to show. I only own two pairs of shorts that I rarely ware in public. Last summer I wore one pair to Wal-mart and Ryder said, "Mom you know you have your shorts on don't you." One of the main reasons I don't like my knees to show is because I have a scar on my knee. I tripped and landed on a glass soda bottle and sliced it right open. My mom only put a butterfly band-aid on it but it probably needed stitches....(after years of therapy on this I am no longer bitter at my mom! :) So, for better or for worse I have a reminder of a childhood wound.

Ryder has a scar in his eye brow from hitting his head on a coffee table at his Uncle Paul's house. He had 12 stitches with no anesthetic. His scar is smaller but a much better story because of how brave his was. Recently that scar brought comfort to one of Ryder's friends who had to get stitches and was a little nervous about the scarring. When I see Ryder's little scar I remember how brave he was and how God was with Ryder and helped him endure without anesthetic and it brings me hope that God is with me when I have no pain relief.

Brennan my nephew has a scar that wraps around his back from a surgery he had when he was just a couple months old. The scar represents more than just a surgery but the tender care of doctors who recognized a problem. His parents have lovingly endured a very difficult journey with him. When I see Brennan's scar I am comforted because I know GOD was the protector of Brennan's life and that God is my protector too~!

Regan has many scars...all of them represent a small leg of her journey. When I see them I remember that there was a health issue that brought us to the surgery and in each of Regan's surgeries it eventually brought some relief. Each time she has been better off than before she went in because the surgery helped...the scar is worth it!

We all have wounds...as I have said many times...pain is the great equalizer. Jesus himself had scars to prove He was who He said He was...it was as if he was saying..."See these scars..remember the cross...but I am here..I conquered that...I have the scars to prove it." It seems this wound...which became a scar brought the ultimate healing.

My man Henri says this "Open wounds stink and do not heal." (Nouwen "The Wounded Healer") We all know what these open wounds look like..we have been around people who "stink" because they have left thier wounds take over their life...they are rotten. Some say "time heals" I say.."Time just makes you bitter...only Jesus heals." We all have wounds....it would be impossible to go through life without it...I think what is most important is that we not be afraid to let the wounds heal...then not be afraid to bear our scars to one another....An open wound don't help anyone much but a scar can provide courage, can be a reminder of God's care or maybe help us remember the wound was worth it.