Obama Rally

The girls went to the Obama Rally today. They were so excited. I am proud of the fact that they are taking this election serious and that this will be their second time voting for a presidential candidate. Whomever your choose please make sure you get out and vote next week. I received an email from the granddaughter of one of our members this week. In her words..."if her 98 year old grandmother can stand in line for two hours to vote absentee in person, and people in Clayton GA can stand in line for 12 hours, we can all do our part and do what we need to do in this election".

I've Been Tagged

I have been tagged! I usually don't participate, but because I like Alida (smile) and the answers were short I thought I would give it a try. I won't tag anyone in particular but if you would like to join in please do.

1. Where is your cell phone? purse

2. Where is your significant other? office

3. Your hair color? black

4. Your mother? Mary

5. Your father? I never knew him

6.Your favorite thing? Internet

7. Your dream last night? none

8. Your dream/goal? host a ministers wives conference

9. The room you’re in? Familyroom

10. Your hobby? Scrapbooking

11. Your fear? driving

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? beside my husband in ministry

13. Where were you last night? Home

14. What you’re not? old

15. One of your wish list items? Sony Digital Reader

16. Where you grew up? all over

17. The last thing you did? Twitter

18. What are you wearing? PJ's

19. Your tv? a must

20. Your pet? none

21. Your computer? Toshiba

22. Your mood? Tired

23. Missing someone? my mom

24. Your car? none

25. Something you’re not wearing? socks

26. Favorite store? CATOS

27. Your summer? crazy

28. Love someone? Hubby

29. Your favorite color? Blue

30. When was the last time you laughed? this morning

31. Last time you cried? last night

Happy Birthday Nicki

I spent the whole day with my baby girl who turned 23 today. We started off by going to have her hair done, then we hit the mall for some shopping and ended the day eating dinner with her cousins and big sister. Happy Birthday Nicki.

Sunday Night Mind Dump (In Pictures)

Its been a long day and I have been to three services in less then a 24 hour period, so tonight my mind dump is in picture form. The girls and I had the opportunity to see Ron Kenoly tonight at NLP. Nicki has been on set with him for the movie "The Bill Collector" and at one point tonight he even called the girls up to be with him during one of his songs (they lead the congregation in the electric slide).

Its been a long day (and its not even Sunday Night yet)!

Today I have completed a handmade greeting card, two layouts, 250 banquet tickets, 60 invites ( I did nearly 200 few nights ago), surfed the net for church pews/chairs, and started moving my Disney website pages here. MSN is closing up shop on their MSN groups so I had a choice of losing nearly 11 years of work or moving it all by February 2009. I choose to move it (now, because I am not sure what my life will be like next month, or the coming months for that matter). Now this girl is going to bed because we have two services tomorrow (and its 12:17 am and we all know what happens when I don't get sleep on Saturday night)! Add in some drama with the girls (less just say Nicki has not had the best time of it in the last 24 hours, and Quisha is not doing much better herself) , well all I have to say is nobody better call me "First Lady" tomorrow (lol) or I can't guarantee to be responsible for my actions. Of course I am joking (wink, wink).

Night folks!

Prayer for Jennifer Hudson

Please keep Jennifer Hudson and her family in your prayers. As many of you know her mom and brother were found dead in their Chicago home on yesterday. Also her young nephew has been reported as being missing. If you are on facebook you can leave a message here.

Live the Dream 2008

Hey ladies, ever want to go to a conference but didn't have the means (or in some cases the time) to do it? Well the Healing Place Church is giving you an opportunity to sit in on the sessions (and the background stuff) for their 2008 Women's Conference. How cool is that? Check it out here. It starts tomorrow (see you there...lol).

I actually found out about Pastor Rizzo when I heard him speak via a live podcast (I want to say it was a during a C3 event). Because I am at home during the day I get a chance to surf the net and because of that I have been introduced to some really neat people and have been able to have access to some really great resources. I love learning and I love information. I especially love it when people share.

This Crazy Life We Lead

Its funny how much I missed the internet when I didn't have access to it, but now that I do have it I don't have time to update. October has always been a crazy month for us. This year more so then usual. Marc wraps up his last month at GMZBC, but in the meantime WABC has been keeping him busy, add in his regular job as a technician and prior commitments. Well let's just say its a bit crazy around here.

Nicki is loving being on a real live movie set and she has been enjoying networking with other cast members and cast.

Quisha's days are filled with little ones, and lots of class planning. By the end of the day she is exhausted and usually crashes by 9 pm (with the exception of the night Grey's Anatomy comes on....lol).

TJ is still TJ (that is usually what I say when some ask about him). He's still working, playing videos and sleeping. I have come to a point in life where now I just pray for him. I will say this much, God is speaking to him in a very loud way. Two Sunday's in a row Pastor Dan may have well have just been talking to him personally ( I know he heard him because you could see it on his face). He basically said if you are over the age of 25 you should be doing more then just hanging out at your mom's home, and playing video games (granted he at least has a job, but I know God has so much more in store for him). Just keep him in prayer.

I missed two weeks of Primetime (Wednesday night bible study) at NLP (in part because of commitments to ministry) so I was worried last night that I would feel out of place. But God is amazing....he knows what you need to hear when you need to hear it (a few weeks ago it was letting go and forgiving). Last night the women were asked to let go of so many things that hold us back, cause us to react in fear, keep us from doing what God has called us to do.

A big one for me has been letting go of some past hurts. As a child I had someone speak some really bad seeds into my life, into my mind and into my heart. I believed those lies and for a long time have not been able to let go of both the physical and emotional scars from this. Its taken me a lot of years to except that this person had their own issues that had nothing to do with me and so I had to let go and forgive that person. What I didn't understand was how much of this still effected my life and how much of it I still carried around.

My lies were: I would never amount to anything and that I would never be loved (yes, he actually said these things to a 10 year old child). Last night I learned that God's truth was: I am special to God, he loves me. He actually made me to stand out, and he has a purpose and plan for my life.

Over the next 30 days my assignment is to say this out loud (we all know it takes 30 days to establish a new habit). So my question to you is what lies has the enemy been telling you? Now listen to your heavenly father and wait to hear his truth's.

Sunday Mind Dump (through the eyes of the wife)

1) I'm tired (and I'm not even the one preaching). I have said this several times over the last few months (today even more so). Our calender has been very full this month.

2) We have Youth Revival at our home church this week. The youth at WABC are attending to support their pastor.

3) WABC will be fellowshipping at my adopted church NLP this week also. I love the fact that the youth and the youth leaders at WABC are so open to new experiences.

4) Pastor Dan spoke this morning on ministering on the job, Marc preached on a similiar topic in his evening service. Coincidence? I think not!

5) In the next month WABC will be making some major changes. We are a Real Church, Serving the Real God, Reaching Out To Real People, to Effect Real Change.

6) I'm still going to be working with the youth and women of WABC, but I plan to concentrate on Young Adults, especially the college age. There is a great opportunity in our area to connect with them.

7) I'm still looking for a few good women (Pastors and Ministers Wives) who may be interested in helping me form a conference or workshop for Wives of Pastors and Ministers.

8) I got to see Secret Life of Bees this weekend. Make sure you take tissues when you go (I'm just saying).

9) I didn't make it to bed early last night. I won't be making that mistake again.

10) I have a special prayer request for my friend Kelli and baby Abe. Please keep them in your prayers. Especially spiritually for Kelli and physically for Abe.

Disclaimer: Marc really is a nice guy, I don't know why he looks like he is swallowing lemons in this photo (lol).

The Company Picnic

Here are the pictures as promised. Marc and I just set back and watched. Of course Nicki was in the middle of everything!

Hello World!

I'm back up (yah). It feels soo good to have Internet service again. Thank goodness we only had to use dial up for a few days! If I look a little stressed its because I am working on the installation service and luncheon. Seems like I do fine if I am planning an event for someone else, but because its for my hubby..well let's just say I am a little frazzled!

Sunday Mind Dump (through the eyes of the wife)

Sorry its late. Still having issues with our server (so this will be short and sweet).

1)I am resigned to the fact that I will be called a "First Lady".

2) We had a great service on Sunday and even some of the pews were filled with guest.

3) WABC is growing on me. It helped that we attended a luncheon with some of the members on Saturday. I got to have conversation with people.

4) We had a potluck "Meet and Greet" with the new pastor and his family (that's us ...lol) on Sunday. The food was awesome, but the fellowship was better.

5) After we left church we went to Nicki's company picnic. Now that was funny. I can't wait to post pictures.

6) It was great having a bit of downtime on Sunday, my family looked relaxed and happy (especially my husband). It just confirmed to me the importance of family time.

7) I hate being without the Internet. I felt like I missed out on the happenings of everyone's life (lol).

8) I had more stuff but it got lost when dial up kicked me off the net! And because its been a couple of days I forgot everything!!

I just wanted to check in. Nicki is texting this from her phone because our internet is down and it may be down for up to 10 days!! We're getting a new server and they have yet to show up!!!! I will update when the internet is back up.

Filming Begins

Filming begins today on "The Bill Collector". Nicki is so excited(so much so that we are not sure how long we will be able to stand it...lol). She got a call last night that she has been given a larger part, so a few more days of filming have been added to her schedule. This increases the likely hood that she won't be left on the cutting room floor. Please keep her in your prayers today and over the coming month. She is also working on a new song in the studio and has another song that has been finished for her to sing ( it's also a gospel song....yeah!).

Sunday Mind Dump (through the eyes of the wife)

Today just seemed like a long day, so I am doing this early and hitting the sack.

1) Sundays are kicking my butt and I am not even the one preaching! Please pray for all of the pastors out there who do this each week, several times during the day. It's a lot of work.

2) Last night I stayed up an extra 1/2 hour. I'm feeling it tonight.

3) Pastor Dan was speaking to my son today. I hope (and pray) he was listening.

4) The message was about The Difference Between a Job and a Vocation. We should do everything to the Glory of God (1st Corinthians 10:31). Rely on God's Power (1st Peter 4:1), and Commit to Excellence (Philippians 1:10). Sitting there I realized my vocation is working in ministry beside my husband.

5) At some point I will have to go over to WABC full time and visit my son at his church occasionally. I have enjoyed my quiet time at NLP, but there is work to do and God expects me beside my husband.

6) Marc revealed his vision to WABC today. They are are on fire and ready to move forward. Its exciting to see.

7) The planning for the Installation Service is coming together. Marc and I both have been amazed at how many of our friends and family are excited at the prospect of being a part of this.

8) Marc is looking for a few good men and women who are interested in helping with the ministry. If you know any potential leaders who would be willing to work for free give us a holler (lol).

9) I think I finally figured out why I have been so drawn to church planter husbands and wives. Marc and I feel as if we are planting a church. The only difference is that we already have a building, eager volunteers and leaders who are ready to work.

10) On our way home from the second service Marc leans over and says......Cyndi, I'm a pastor! He is soo funny. I love him.

Pastor Steven's Words

A day later I am still thinking about the message.

“Between the promise and the payoff, there is always a process". We forget the promise, and forfeit the payoff because we have fainted in the process. What if the whole time God was preparing you for what he was preparing for you in the process? The process wasn't pointless! The process was the point!

Steven Furtick

I heard Pastor Steven for the first time today. Granger Community Church has posted a link to their Innovate 08 Conference. So much of what he said reminded me of some of the things we have been going through. His message actually brought me to tears. I plan to share this with Marc. If you are a leader in any capacity, you need to hear this (Session 7).

Forgiveness

The lesson tonight in Primetime at NLP was "forgiveness". If you knew what was happening in my life right now you would laugh. But tonight I had a light bulb moment. These are some of my notes from the night:

If you want the Lord's forgiveness for you then you have to forgive.

When the pain is as fresh today as it was the day it happened then that is bitterness.

When you can't forgive you are harboring bitterness.

At the end of the class we were asked to come down to the altar and ask for forgiveness and to freely let go of some bitterness way may have been harboring. Then we were asked to leave it at the altar.

When we forgive we become released. Tonight I released some things from my pass (and my present) that has been a hinder. Now the test will be if I can leave it there.

I Can Feel The Presence of the Lord

Shaun in the City shared this story and I had to share it with others.

Sunday Mind Dump (through the eyes of the wife)

Marc gave his final message to the members of GMZBC this morning. To say that it wasn't emotional is an understatement. We both got a little choked up.......I basically cried like a big baby. I can honestly say for the first time in a longtime I felt comfortable with the direction that God is taking us as a couple and a family. His message was "Praise Ye the Lord", from Psalms 150.

1) Its very hard to say goodbye to people that you consider family, but unlike other pastors and wives who usually have to relocate to a new town or state our home church is just over the bridge from WABC.

2) What God has for you, really is for you. I get it now why God is moving us.

3) I made it through two services at my home church. It felt good to know that we are loved and will be missed. Sometimes people just need to hear it and feel it. It has taught me a very important lesson about unconditional love.

4) I learned today that some of my family and friends read my blog without having to be lead there via a link.

5) I'm learning how protective my kids are of Marc and I. They would go to blows with people over their mom and dad. Thankfully its not needed very often.

6) It really is to my family's best interest for me to go to bed at a decent hour on Saturday nights. It makes for a lot happier mom, which makes for a lot happier family on Sunday morning.

7) Waking up at 5:30 am on Sunday morning means I need to be in bed early on Sunday night!

8) The folks at WABC are not playing. They don't like it when their pastor is away.

9) We need a vacation break, fast! I'm thinking Disney (lol).

10) Planning an installation service takes a lot of time an attention to detail.

11) Black stockings work a lot better then tan!

12) This new "job"" is going to require a new wardrobe (granted it won't be matching suits and shoes), but the number of events we are expected to attend is wearing out my limited fall wardrobe. Besides what girl needs a reason to shop?

13) I will miss the youth at GMZBC. Which leaves this youth leader with a dilemma. I will have to meditate on what my new role will be in ministry. After nearly 14 years in youth ministry I am not sure that this is the direction God is taking me at WABC. Only time will tell.

14) Glad to be home in time for Sunday night TV.

15) Learned my lesson last week about posting the Sunday mind dump late....hence the reason its early tonight.

Until next week...........Cyndi (AKADisneyqueen, AKAScrapper, AKAPreacherwife).