If I Could Travel All Over the World
All 3 kiddos had their well visits last week. Somehow Aiden's got bumped from May and we just waited until fall to take him as well.
Happy Birthday to the Avester today! Avery means full of wisdom, counsel, or sage. You are growing into such a young man, sensitive and full of love. You promised me the other day that you would always sit on my lap and cuddle with me! We can't believe you are 6 years old, starting 1st grade in two days. You read 76 books this summer and are such a math whiz. We love you very much and can't wait to see what this sixth year brings.
Now, some of you might think that the title here is an oxymoron, Summer Reading Fun! But I just wanted to list a few books I've read in the last month or so that I really enjoyed. People ask me all the time what I have been reading or what's good or what's new. And people ask me , when do you have time to read??? (usually I stay up really late, if I have a really good book!)
These are some books that I really enjoyed...
Sarah Pekkanen
Skipping a Beat
The Opposite of Me
Liza Palmer
A field guide to burying your parents
Conversations with the Fat Girl
Mary Kay Andrews
Summer Rental
Denise Hildreth
Savannah from Savannah
Savannah Comes Undone
Savannah By the Sea
Hope you enjoy! And yes, I'll be up til midnight or 1:00 am reading tonight again!
A friend just posted this article from relevant magazine on Facebook. I took the liberty of taking the final excerpt from it, it has a great message on marriage!
Had we studied our Bibles more carefully, we might have discovered this marriage-and-ministry mystery a lot sooner.
The Book of Genesis, for instance, takes us back to God's drawing board, where we see what He designed for man and woman. Marriage was meant for companionship—"It's not good for the man to be alone" (Genesis 2:18 NASB). It was meant for raising children—''Be fruitful and multiply" (Genesis 1:28 NASB). Most Christians would agree on those two goals. But Genesis assigns a third meaning to marriage: joint, fulfilling service. God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden and said: "Take care of this, you two. It's a big job, and you'll need each other. Together—till, plant, replenish, create" (see Genesis 2:15; 1:28).
We hunger for this today: cooperating together, meshing, working like a mountain climbing team, ascending the peak of our dream, and then holding each other at the end of the day. God has planted this hunger deep within every married couple. It's more than a hunger for companionship. It's more than a hunger to create new life. It's a third hunger, a hunger to do something significant together. According to God's Word, we were joined to make a difference. We were married for a mission.
Marriage expert Dennis Rainey says, "One of the missing ingredients of couples today is they do not have a mission; they do not have a sense of God having called them together to do something as a couple."
But often, as we begin to feel this basic longing, we don't know what it is. We get the "seven-year itch" or the "12-year anger" or the "18-year blahs." We think: What's wrong with us? Our companionship may not be perfect, but we have each other. So what are we missing?
We may be missing one-third of what God created marriage for—serving Him together. Counselor James H. Olthuis writes, “To try to keep love just for us ... is to kill it slowly .... We are not made just for each other; we are called to a ministry of love to everyone we meet and in all we do. In marriage, too, Jesus' words hold true: in saving our lives we lose them, and in losing our lives in love to others, we drink of life more deeply."
Recently a wife in San Diego expressed this experience when she wrote to the editor of Marriage Partnershipmagazine. "Over 10 years of marriage, I have found that when my husband and I focus on our own needs, and whether they're being met, our marriage begins to self-destruct. But when we are ministering together, we experience, to the greatest extent we've known, that 'the two shall become one.'"
Our television never told us about this. Our parents probably didn't mention it. Premarital counseling may not have covered it. Regardless, God has given every Christian couple a desire to serve Him together. He has placed you in your home, your family, your work, your church, your neighborhood and has said, in essence: "All this is yours. I'm giving you a mission together to care for the people around you. It's a big job, and you'll need each other. Together, join hands and make a difference."
Your mission may not be a youth group. It might be inviting people for dinner, letting someone stay in your home or helping neighbors pack a moving van. Perhaps one will help with a crisis-pregnancy center while the other watches the children. The possibilities are limitless.
But whatever marriage mission God has for you and your spouse, it will refresh your marriage and will re-ignite your reason for being together. As you venture out on your marriage's mission, you will discover your marriage's meaning.
This article is excerpted from More Than You & Me by Kevin and Karen Miller (© Kevin and Karen Miller). Used by permission.
Here is an exciting twist to 2011!
January 12, 2011
Dear Friends and Family,
Almost one year ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Africa. What an amazing and life- changing trip this was for me. Once again, I am heading to Africa. This time, however, Aaron and I have the amazing opportunity to travel together. This has been a dream of mine for several years, for us to serve together.
In March, we are heading to Ethiopia, Africa with a small medical team. Aaron will be the trip photographer. We will have many amazing opportunities: teaching English, passing out supplies, ministering to the sick and elderly, and playing and loving on many children. We will be working with Project 61 Ministries. Project 61 is the ministry that supports the children I met in the dump last year. Now 256 of these children live at a Christian boarding school, have their own bed, eat three meals a day, and go to school. You can learn more about this ministry by visiting www.p61.org. We will travel to the boarding school and spend a few days with the children as well. We will get to see Askaley, the young girl we sponsor. We have enclosed a picture from my first trip to Ethiopia.
We are writing to ask you to partner with us on this trip by praying, encouraging, and financially supporting our family. 2010 has been a difficult year for us as Aaron has gone through two job lay-offs and is currently trying to start his own business. It is a hard time for us to commit to this trip, but we both feel called to do so and trust that God will provide the financial support we need.
My trip to Africa, April 2010, changed our lives. Our priorities, our outlook on life, and many decisions we have made this year were greatly influenced by it. The greatest legacy we can leave our children is to GO, to GIVE, and to be OBEDIENT! When I told Abi, our seven year old, that we were traveling to Africa in March, her first response was what she could to raise money to buy things for the children. It is so precious to me how God is already molding her life and giving her a heart to serve.
The cost for us to attend this trip is $2500 each. This includes all of our travel, lodging and meals. This money is due by February. Thank you for considering being a part of our support team. Please feel free to contact us with any questions. If you’re able to help support us, please send checks to our address below. All donations are tax deductible and should be made out to Thompson Station Church.
Blessings,
Pamelasue1977@yahoo.com (615) 533-1661
aaronjohnsonis@gmail.com (615) 618-6003
Happy 2011!
