Winter In the City

Are you willing to forget what you have done for other people,
and to remember what other people have done for you...
to remember the weakness and loneliness of people who are growing old...
Are you willing to believe that love is the strongest thing in the world...
stronger then hate, stronger than evil, stronger then death...
THAN YOU CAN KEEP CHRISTMAS !!
But you can never keep it alone.
            Henry van Dyke

Winter is on the way.....
The trees that where so beautiful with colored leaves are bare...and the beautiful flowers are fading....
Reminds me of seasons of life that we go through...Like the tree that is bare we can see no fruit ..so we go through "winter" seasons in our life. The exciting thing that we can not see is the root and the life inside of the "tree". The root is deep and ever growing deeper and the sap that runs through the tree to give it life!!! So our life is. Times we wonder what is going on ...maybe we feel and "cold". We need to keep "hang on". Drink from the well of life....God is getting us ready for the next season!!!

....and so is Christmas....

I enjoy getting out of the "house" and walking ....especially at the malls right now...where you can't help but feel "happy" when you see all the lights etc.!!!!
I enjoy this time of year :)...only one thing wrong with it....the season is not "long" enough....
However the exciting news is...I can have Christmas all year!!! Christ has done so much for me there are a "million" things I can do for Him through out the whole year... here are a few..

• A smile you can give in any language...
• A hand to hold the door open for someone...and in so many other things you can do that does we can do so "quickly" and not to go to college for...
• A word of encouragement ....we all like that :)
• Hugs to the kids...
• Share the "good news"....

..and SOOO many more things.....

Am excited to spend a week up state over Thanksgiving..and 2 weeks at home over Christmas..God has "supplied" me with very cheap bus tickets for both times :)  .and then it is time to "settle in" here :) Am ready to do that. God has given me a heart for the City and I am in the process of committing to a 2 year term. Am excited to see what all God has for me during that time...And the kids are excited too that I have gotten to know here on the "block". And there are a LOT more I want to "get to know" and invest in there life :)

Fall LTO is history. It was a "big" adjustment to have them leave ...after they where here for 6 weeks..did not take long for them to fell like family. Had an amazing group.

The last Friday night we had a special meal ...they got their diplomas...and they did "skids"

Had grilled chicken breast, potatoes, green beans, salad, dinner rolls, and the dessert was the best :) CHEESE CAKES :)

Cookies with the girls..they made for themselves any size and shape they wanted :)

Day care center one day for a couple hrs.

Kids Ministry we visited.....

Went to "retreat"for a couple days...was great to enjoy God's GREAT outdoors:)

We burned a lot of wood :)

Singing....

Games...

Bursting the ballons....and 

counting to see who had the most on them 

Food and a birthday party.....




............now you got a little glimpse of what has been happening on my side of the world!!!! Am in the process of making a 2 year commitment. Am excited to see what all God has for those 2 years !!!!