Monday Morning Recap (through the eyes of the wife).

1) One day I will learn my lesson. I went to bed Saturday night at 1 AM! I paid the price last night though...........I slept from 8 PM last night to 8 AM this morning!

2) We had a great Christmas. There has been lots of baking, wacky behavior and tons of after Christmas shopping. But the best part was spending time with the family.

3) Marc has the whole week off, which means a chance for me to get my honey do list filled out (well hopefully).

4) In case you missed it I attended my first ever candlelight service, received my very own star for Christmas and am now the proud owner of a Christmas Village.

5) Our newest member of WABC arrived this week and Sunday she attended her first Sunday morning worship service (see the picture above). There is nothing my husband loves more then brand new babies.

6) Marc wrapped up his series on "Jesus, The Reason for the Season". His question to us now is now that you know....what are you going to do about it?

7) Marc and I will be leading the Praise and Worship Service at our New Year's Eve Service. It's been many years since we have done this together so please pray for us. And this is after we eat dinner!!!!!

8) So, I have noticed that all of my friends are taking down there Christmas decorations. My friend Kelli takes hers down on Christmas Day! Am I the only person who keeps their decorations up until after New Years Day? I still have my lights on (inside and outside) I guess I want the holidays to last as long as possible.

9) We will be holding our first staff weekend get together this month. I keep getting questions about what this means (lol). I basically said just wait and see. Marc is in charge of the serious stuff but I get to plan the fun stuff. I'm sure it will evolve over time, but this year we plan to keep it simple.

10) We are also hosting our first ever Volunteer appreciation service this month. I would love to hear ideas for this program. It will be fairly simple but the people who volunteer at WABC deserve this.

11) Can't you tell how excited I am about 2009? The last few months have been pretty amazing, which is surprising to me but apparently a few of my friends "knew" all along that WABC would be good for Marc and I.

12) Its a few months down the line, but Marc and I will be attending this marriage ministry event in February and we are encouraging the couples at WABC to attend with us. Several of my friends have attended before and its always received great reviews. You might want to look into it for your marriage ministry (one of the other new things coming to WABC).

13) We will be spending New Years Day with our family (its an annual event for my mom's side of the family).

14) Lastly, please pray for Nicki who will be off on one of her great adventures again. I am going to try real hard not to be a basket case while she is away (so mostly pray for me).

Our Little Chef

Its no secret that I am not known for my fabulous cuisine. Actually every once in a while I can pull together a pretty good meal. But its not at the top of the list of my favorite things. Quisha on the other hand must have inherited her love for baking and cooking from hubby's side of the family. His sister Gina makes a mad sweet potato pie, and his twin Marsha can cook like their mom. Quisha has been on a baking frenzy since the holidays started. Last night she baked sugar cookies and then this morning she decided to make cinnamon rolls from scratch (so not something she learned from me...lol) after she went to her Aunt's home last night and my niece Jasmine was making them (see she gets that disease from his side of the family). I thought she was going to use raisins so I put in a request for some Pillsbury rolls. Good thing too, because the made from scratch have to sit for hours and then you can bake them! Gee! A girl could starve to death by then. I think I will stick to my boxed, microwave, take out menu thank you very much!

Note: Did you notice that Nicki was no where to be found? That's because she inherited my genes. No baking for that girl. She is perfectly happy being the entertainment.

A Message to our Family and Friends

This year has been a bag of mixed emotions. We have had sickness, heartache, sadness, loss of loved ones, great family time, fun fellowship with old and new friends. We have met new people, reconnected with old friends. Said goodbye to a church family that we love and have been embraced by a wonderful new church.

Marc and I feel very blessed to have celebrated 26 years together. Our children are happy and healthy. Our families are doing well, and we thank God every day for the friends that he has placed in our lives. Thank you to all who stood by Marc's beside when he was sick. Thank you to all of you who were there with us to celebrate our 25th Anniversary. Thank you to all of you for the love you showed us when Marc was installed as Pastor at WABC in November (especially those of you who attended the luncheon). Thank you GMZBC for your continued love and support, to WABC for taking our family in and showing us so much love and kindness. Thank you family for being there.......always. To our friends (way to many to name ), thank you for being you. We love you all so much and look forward to what 2009 will bring.

My wish for you and yours is that 2009 will be a good year. Remember that no matter what the news may be saying about the world we live in today...we know the one who is really in control. With God all things are possible. From our family to yours we wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

God's Blessings from.......Marc, Cyndi, TJ, Quisha and Nicki.

And the madness continues.......

We moved the madness over to my cousins home after dinner. The one thing I forgot to mention was that I spent most of Christmas Day laying down (at one point even in the floor of my cousins home). For whatever reason my sinus decided to act up. I couldn't stop sneezing, my eyes were itching and running and I just felt miserable most of the time. Throughout all of this my family was great.......my nephew Alex kept giving me kisses, the girls helped my mom and sister in the kitchen and Marc even made me take it easy the next day (at one point he told me to just go take a hot bath and go to bed early). There are many things I love about my family but the one thing that stays with me is the fact that we are there for each other through thick and thin, no matter what.

Christmas Madness!

Try as we might (not), my family just does not know the meaning of a normal holiday celebration! And that is what I love about them!

The Rest of the Gang!

Marc has just about everything! So he is one of those people that it is very hard to shop for. The gift I ordered for him won't be in until next week, so I can't share yet. Que gave him pjs because he has been wearing these pants with dogs on them that Q can't stand. Nicki and TJ plan to hook him up next week. No problem, since the church got him the one thing at the top of his Christmas list (well they didn't get him a car...lol). The man has been walking around singing. Thank you WABC, cause when he is happy my house is a lot more peaceful!

TJ who is the next hardest person to shop for actually loved his gifts (go figure)! He has a new printer, lots of clothing (which his mom is very glad he likes) and work shoes (which he needed almost as much as the clothing).

Nicki received a book on make-up from a friend. This will probably be the only book she will pick up and read besides her college books. We gave her ipod speakers, a camera for her computer and a cordless keyboard/mouse for her computer.

The theme for Que this year was brown. We brought her a coat, shoes, purse, gloves, scarf and an assortment of stuff for her classroom. She really didn't ask for anything in particular but she seems to be happy with what she has gotten so far.

Merry Christmas!

I hope you all are having a blessed day. The presents have been opened and we had my famous waffles for breakfast, now I just need to get my act together and get ready for Christmas dinner.

Last year my daughter caught the expression of surprise I had on my face when my son gave me an ipod nano. This year Quisha was able to catch me being surprised by her with my very own star! Wonder what surprises 2009 will hold for me (LOL).

Note: I did not plan the green outfits for both last year and this year. It just happened! And yes that is my crazy son in the background. Pray for him......he needs a haircut bad (lol)!

Sunday Mind Dump (through the eyes of the wife)

Update: Good Morning! I was so tired last night that I knew the best thing for me to do was go to bed, get some rest and start my list in the morning. We were so busy this weekend that I thought the best way to share was through pictures (enjoy).

1) Nicki snapped this picture of me during the morning service. The one thing that stuck with me from yesterday was the prayers of one of our members who said "thank you Lord, for opening WABC up to ministering outside of these four walls". I knew then that God's vision for WABC was being manifested through Marc's teaching.

2) I snuck into GMZBC on Saturday night to see their Christmas Cantata. Just so you know (all of our GMZBC family who check in here) we miss you all too.

3) Our new Christmas tree at church (yes, its pretty sparse but we will get to add more ornaments next year). My favorite part was "Santa's hat on top (courtesy of one of our deacons)!

4) We ended Sunday service with an altar call. People streamed to the front for prayer.

5) My favorite part of the weekend was wrapping gifts with the youth for our adopted family. It took a minute for some of them to get that the gifts were all for other children, but they kept wrapping anyway.

6) The hit of the Christmas Play were our Senior Angels.

7) Another favorite memory for me yesterday was the Christmas gift exchange that took place after the morning service. Marc and I had been warned that giving out gifts was a big deal at WABC. I don't think either of us were prepared for the overflow of love that was pored out in that place (and not just to the pastor and his family). It still amazes me that such a small church has such a giving heart.

8) Saturday we took the youth Christmas caroling at a Senior citizen center (see the picture above). For many of them it was the first time, but I think they enjoyed themselves.

9) There are many more memories to come. Marc has the coming week off (yeah!!!!) so I am looking forward to spending some time with him, and lots of time with family and friends.

10) Christmas Eve we are heading to NLP for their Family Christmas Eve program, then Christmas Day will be spent with my mom and sister. I'm hoping to update throughout the week but just in case life get in the way I wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Groundbreaking News from Disney!

You will have to mute the music on my page to hear this (just scroll to the bottom and hit pause).

Christmas Tree Traditions

The last tree went up today. Sorry the pictures are not that great. One day I will learn how to take pics of lit trees.

This is the main tree that is in my familyroom (the presents will go under this tree). Lots of green, gold and white going on. I have had this tree since I was seven years old when my mom and I lived alone. Mom gave it to me when Marc and I went overseas to live, so its the only tree our kids have ever had until a few years ago. Some of the original balls are on the tree this year.

Marc brought this tree a while ago. I think it reminded him of the tree his mom had. From the time we first dated she always had a big white tree in the livingroom. The first year we were together I remember all of the gifts under that tree that flowed out into the next room (you couldn't get in the livingroom because there were so many gifts). This is also where my hubby gets his love of gift giving ( there was even a gift under the tree for me and we had only been dating a few months!). My children loved that about their grandmother.

One year we couldn't get to our tree because it was in storage. My mom brought this little tree and over the years it has become the children's tree. It has loads of Disney ornaments (you should have seen that one coming) on it and the ornaments my mom use to give the kids each year when they were small. Its also the tree we used to put our Christmas Eve gifts under (each year we would allow them to open one gift on Christmas Eve. We have talked about starting that back up now that everyone is grown up).

There is a fourth tree but that thing (which is huge) takes forever to put together. One of my friends gave it to me when she brought a new tree (probably because she got tired of putting that other tree together ....lol). I will tackle that one next year.

I just realized I have never actually brought my own tree, they all have been gifts! So what are your Christmas tree traditions (if any)?

Playing Santa

Yes Charlie Brown I do believe (lol). I'm not going to debate anyone on the Santa Clause issue. Hello....my name is DisneyCyndi. I believe in Santa, Mickey Mouse and the Tooth Fairy! And I believe in Jesus Christ.

Today Nicki and I hit the streets searching for the perfect gift. Actually we were shopping for gifts for our adopted family. I had the best time (Nicki did too, although she might never admit to it). I forgot what it was like to shop for little ones. On Saturday we are taking the youth Christmas Caroling at a local Senior Citizen Center. Afterwards we are going back to the church to eat a light snack and wrap the gifts.

Next week we will be packing boxes of food up to give out to families for Christmas. I'm so excited about the next couple of weeks. Not just about Christmas Day with my family but for the opportunity to minister to others. Now that's what Christmas is really about!

Sunday Mind Dump (through the eyes of the wife).

1) I went to bed early last night (yah), but I woke up late this morning! Think my body is trying to tell me something?

2) I didn't go to 8:30 AM service with the kids, somehow things seemed off after that. I guess I have gotten use to the routine.

3) The main part of Marc's message that stuck with me today was "you don't have to let your hurt of yesterday effect your celebration of today". That one was for people like me who have let the stresses of the season keep us from celebrating the birth of Jesus and all that it entails.

4) WABC had been intentional about giving to others this season. Today we made a commitment to give up the cost of lunch for 4 weeks to give to a special ministry that sends the bible translated in different languages to far away countries (we even get to choose which country we want to send the bible to).

5) Marc and I had a date night. We went to dinner and then to see a play at NLP with some special friends.

6) We took our Christmas photo, but you will have to wait until Christmas Day to actually see it.

7) I still need to shop this week for the family we have adopted. Its been forever since I have brought toys. Should make for an interesting experience (lol).

8) Friday we took the youth at WABC to see an interactive experience at NLP (A Night in Bethlehem). They had a great time (everyone agreed the warm fresh bread was the best part). Nicki's favorite was seeing the animals.

9) We will be busy this week at WABC. Saturday morning the youth and adults will be Christmas caroling at a Senior Citizen center. Afterwards we will have refreshments, wrap gifts for our adopted family and prepare for the annual Christmas program. WABC may be a small church but they have a big heart.

10) I still have loads of Christmas decorating left to do. So I am going to have to be intentional about the time I spend on the net in the next few days. Pray for me because I'm not sure how good I will be at that!

11) Marc just told me he has tomorrow off. Hallelujah!!!!! We have been saying for days that we needed just one day so that we could take care of a few things around the house (including putting up the last of the outdoor decorations and some things that need to be fixed on Nicki's car).

12) This last one is for all of the bargain shoppers out there. I have been wanting a nice big tree skirt for years but each time I saw one it ran for around $40.00 or more ( I have this gift since I was a small child for being able to pick out the most expensive item in a store without even seeing the price tag. I also am one of those people that hates searching through stuff for that bargain item (Marc on the other hand loves doing this). Tonight I picked up my dream tree skirt at Kmart of all places for only $10.00 (it was a good thing...lol). Lesson learned for me was that sometimes you have to wade through what appears to be a bunch of mess, in order to obtain a jewel!

Countdown to Christmas

Can you believe Christmas is right around the corner? In the last few years we have really scaled back on Christmas. Three years ago Marc lost his job (twice within one year) and last year he suffered a setback when he became sick (thank goodness for disability insurance and a loving group of family and friends). This year we are a lot better off then we were a while back, but something has changed. The "kids" don't have a long list of "wants" and I have learned to simplify and not stress over the big stuff (like a perfectly decorated home, the perfect Christmas dinner, the perfect Christmas photo, or even the perfect gift). God gave the most perfect gift of all in the form of Jesus, and nothing we do can ever top that. I have so many things to be thankful for this holiday and those things that use to make me stress (especially when I look at the number of days left until Christmas Day) seem insignificant now. I even accept the fact that my wonderful hubby has yet to remove the plywood off of my front porch for a project yet undone, or the box filled with giveaway items for Samaritan House that has been there since early fall (she says with a smile on her face)!

Sunday Mind Dump (through the eyes of the wife)

1) Its been a busy week ( and weekend ) despite the fact that we were suppose to be taking it easy!

2) The girls and I went shopping for Christmas decorations yesterday (my Christmas gift to myself ). We actually got a few stuff up (only to have the wind blow it down this afternoon). I will be back to square one in the morning (ugh)!

3) Marc and I both were up at 5 am this morning. He was looking over his sermon and I got up early to catch on some chores that fell by the wayside because of the Christmas decorating yesterday.

4) We had a guest speaker at NLP today (Pastor Christopher Cunnigham). When I got to WABC later that morning Marc spoke on the same subject as the guest Pastor at NLP. I'm thinking God has a special message in mind for us all (lol).

5) Marc will be speaking on the "Jesus, The Reason for the Season" this month. Yes, its an old message but its still relevant today. Sometimes old is new again, and sometimes it just good to remind people who we should be celebrating without all of the fancy stuff attached.

6) Marc and I attended a dedication service for a friend who has started a new church plant. We are praying for them because we know they have a lot of work ahead of them.

7) WABC is adopting a special family for Christmas (we may not have the means to adopt a large group, but we can make a difference even if just for the one). The young mother passed away last week and now the grandmother has to step up to the plate and raise her three grandchildren on her own. I love the heart that WABC has for those in need.

8) We also plan to provide some local families with Christmas dinner fixings just like we did for Thanksgiving. In addition we are going to continue the food drive that benefits our local Food Bank (they have seen an increase in numbers this year and have been asking for help....so please check with your local facility). Times are tough and even though WABC is small we still want to be the church that we have been called to be ( A Real Church, Serving the Real God, Reaching Out to Real People, to Effect Real Change).

9) This week we are taking the youth to see a special production at NLP called "A Night in Bethlehem" ( I heard about this last year from a friend and her kids loved it. As a matter of fact I think it was one of the things that sealed the deal on them becoming members at NLP), then just before Christmas we will visit a local nursing home and sing Christmas Carols. Our motto has become WABC Youth are on the Move!

10) Marc and I took professional pics today. Should make for an interesting Christmas card this year (yes we were in Pastor and First Lady mode). I'm thinking I will have to have Nicki do some casual fun ones over the holiday for the New Year.

11) Marc is determined that WABC will be an outwardly focused church and every indication we have gotten so far from the members is that they are on board with his plans. I say that is a blessing in disguise. Yes, we want to provide a time of fellowship for those who are within the church....but our main goal is to reach out beyond these four walls.

12) I was blessed today by something that happened in church that has been an unanswered prayer until this morning. It gave me the incentive I needed to keep praying until change comes. Thank you Lord for answering my prayers.

13) We received several offerings today from non members who have felt compelled to help the ministry of WABC. Now how cool is that?

14) Well, my rambling has been longer then usual. Guess I had a lot to say and a lot to be thankful for. I will admit that my bed is calling my name (so if my writing is off a bit, then you know why). That is what happens when you are up at 5 AM!

Crazy Ramblings and a change in the wind!

Today has been a strange, long day (heck, the last couple of days have been crazy. And here I was thinking I could rest). We started off the morning by looking at a car. Marc was tired of paying for a rental car so we decided since Nicki needed a car we might as well look for a second car since we were not having any luck finding our dream car yet (it also gives us a chance to really look instead of just settling for new car we wouldn't really want). Then we left for a friends retirement service, set at a chapel for over an hour only to find out Marc had the wrong date and time! After that we went to DMV got the title on the car and went and got Nicki from home so that she could try it out (she blew her engine in her car last summer). After we returned the rental car (bye bye PT Cruiser) Nicki and I hopped in the car so that she could take me to my aunts home so that I could go with her and one of our friends to the ministers wives meeting (which we were an hour late for because someone gave us the wrong time). Now I am back at home (in my pj's) trying to chill. Unfortunately that is not what has happened. My head is full of thoughts and I feel like I am spinning out of control.

Last night we had a chance to meet some missionaries from India. Please keep this country in your thoughts and prayers. We also have a friend who is leaving in a few weeks for India for two weeks. For some reason India is just sticking out as a place Marc and I need to be praying for and I have also asked him if we can sponsor the family in some way. I recently read the book by Kay Warren called Dangerous Surrender. At the time I was not sure how it would effect me, but in the last few months I have been dealing with a lot of changes, including my families role in ministry. For some reason I believe God is calling for a change in our life (and I not just talking about the new church). What that change is I do not know, I just know the same old, same old....just won't do. Maybe it has to do with the coming new year. Maybe its the fact that this time last year Marc was laying in a hospital bed and we didn't have a clue what the future would hold. Maybe there is no explanation accept for God trying to get my attention. Have you ever felt like there was a change coming and you couldn't put your finger on it...you just new it was big?

Now if none of this made a bit of sense, well charge it to my head (lol). That and the fact that I am bone tired.

Monday Morning Ramblings (through the eyes of the wife)

1) I know everyone wants to see pictures and I promise they are coming (just not today. Well unless I feel like it later ...lol). I am taking the day off (maybe even the week).

2) This weekend was very humbling. We have been tasked with a big responsibility and Marc and I both realize that we will need to rely totally on God for direction.

3) Our pastor from Kansas who licensed Marc to preach nearly 16 years ago traveled from Riley to surprise Marc (we had been planning it for months and it was worth it just to see Marc's face when he realized they were here). It was the highlight of the weekend for us.

4) My family and friends showed up and showed out this weekend. Thank you so much.

5) The luncheon was great and the food was delicious. Special thanks goes out to Ricky and Roy's Catering who provided food for the entire weekend.

6) I think Marc did more crying then me this weekend. It couldn't have happened to a nicer man.

7) I know everyone wanted to know about the outfit (lol). My sister Cori did an awesome job.

8) Speaking of food. We had way to much food left over. Just a suggestion to anyone who is ever asked to attend an event where food is involved...if you are asked to join someone for a meal please go an partake. A lot of work goes into things like this, and in most cases some hard earned money (I'm just saying).

9) On several occasions I was told in no uncertain terms that I am a First Lady (whether I like it or not). Just so you all know I understand that and accept it. I just don't have to do it the same old way its been done before. And I think most of the women of WABC have figured that out.

10) Lastly I have to give a special shout out to Pastor Beamon who was our speaker on Sunday afternoon. He was off the chain (Nicki is going to kill me when she reads this). He kept it real, and maybe even stepped on a few toes (who am I kidding...he stepped on some knees). It fit perfectly with the mission for WABC which is to be a Real Church, Serving the Real God, Reaching Out to Real People, to Effect Real Change.

Update: there are a bunch of pics from the weekend in the church gallery.