Last Day!

Today is the last day; the last day of the year; and time to reflex. Well, maybe not!!! 2010 is not a year I want to remember so we will leave it at that. So let's look to the New Year!!

See you tomorrow!!

New Home

Since June I have been scouring the MLS listings in and around Shamong, NJ. Although the market is down we still had sticker shock and wondered how we would ever find a place we could afford to live. But once again the Lord was gratious. He understands we are "but dust" and only gives us what we can handle day by day.

First of all we were offered a 6 month rental agreement for a home that fit our needs perfectly. It sits in the middle of the woods with walking trails and even a small pond. It is so peaceful and the no stress living was just what we needed to refresh ourselves. We were in no hurry to buy a house but knew that until we had a place of our own it would be hard to really settle in and feel at home.

So when Rich headed off to work each day I settled into search mode. With Internet access it was easy to check things out and day after day I scoured the listings trying to keep an open mind. I set up a worksheet that would crunch the numbers and tried to find the best deal. I was trying so hard to be a wise steward of our finances that I forgot one thing ie the "wow" factor. It was like choosing a spouse based on a list of pros and cons and forgetting to fall in love.

Sometimes I think we treat our relationship with the Lord like that. We can be so busy doing, like Martha, that we forget to sit at His feet, like Mary, and learn of Him: not about Him but of Him. This year I plan to re-read "365 Jesus" and sit at His feet once again and learn of Him. I have no expectations of what 2011 might hold as 2010 is still a mystery to me but I have learned to trust His heart and not worry about His plan.

All that thrills my soul is Jesus
He is more than life to me

Thanksgiving

At Mom's Morning Out breakfast the preschoolers were encouraged to tell us something for which they were thankful. As is true of all of us, they immediately ran to the one constant in their life, i.e. Family. As simple as that sounds, family is a profound blessing.

For the first time in 11 years, we were able to spend Thanksgiving dinner with one of our kids. I was overcome with joy as Jason, Sara and Maggie drove into our yard. What fun to enjoy their presence for a whole week as we celebrated this wonderful holiday together.

(check out http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/1phydeau/)

As our children developed into young adults I was not prepared for separation anxiety. Since it was the natural progression, I thought it would be just another twist in the road of life. But the miles between and and inability to be together during the holiday's was harder than I thought. So to all you moms who didn't get to celebrate Thanksgiving with your family, I feel your pain and trust the Lord brought others into your life with whom you could celebrate.

This year we are praising the Lord for:

• His guidance through a difficult year
• Our Adult children who encouraged us through it all
• Our Parents who we could run to in time of emotional distress
• Our grand children who bring such joy to our life
• True friends who stood with us
• A wonderful church family at Shawnee Baptist Church who embraced us with open arms

I have been meditating on Psalm 107 this season. Trust it is a blessing to you as well.

O give thanks to the Lord for he is good,

for his steadfast love endures forever!

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,

. . .

Some wandered in desert wastes

finding no way to a city to dwell in;

hungry and thirsty,

their soul fainted within them.

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, 

and he delivered them from their distress.

. . . 

Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, 

for his wondrous works to the children of man!

. . . 

Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,

prisoners in affliction and in irons,

for they had rebelled against the words of God,

and spurned the counsel of the Most High.

. . . 

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,

and he delivered them from their distress.

. . .

Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,

for his wondrous works to the children of man!

. . .

Some were fools through their sinful ways

. . .

and they drew near to the gates of death.

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,

and he delivered them from their destruction.

. . . 

Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,

for his wondrous works to the children of man!

. . .

Some went down to the sea in ships

doing business on the great waters; 

they saw the deeds of the Lord 

and his wondrous works in the deep

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble 

and he delivered them from their distress

He made the storm be still,

and the waves of the sea were hushed.

. . .

Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love 

for his wondrous works to the children of man!

. . .

Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things;

let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord

Time for Every Purpose

God never moves without purpose or plan
when trying a servant and molding a man
Give thanks to the Lord though your testing seems long
In darkness He giveth a song

Rejoice in the Lord
He makes no mistake
He knoweth the end of each path that I take
For when I am tried and purified
I shall come forth as gold

As this song was sung this morning in church it brought tears to my eyes. I was reminded of the many times in my life when, I didn't understand God's plan. But as another song writer says: when you can't see His hand, trust His heart.

Paul told the Roman's "All things work together for good to them that love God." I was reminded later that it doesn't say "my good" so when I can't understand I pray "Lord make this work together for the good of whoever you have in mind."

Rich has been reading a book on fasting and prayer. So since we have several BIG things in our life right now, we decided to take a day and fast (until dinner time as we had a dinner date) and every time we got hungry, we prayed. We also committed to pray each hour on the hour for three specific needs.

Jesus said: "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27)

I'm praying that today for ME & YOU TOO!

Humbled

Today I stand amazed at answered prayer.

As I mentioned in my last blog I was honored with an invitation to speak at the ladies retreat in Halifax. I wondered at God's timing but in the end believed God knew all about my situation and this wouldn't have come up if He didn't want me to say yes. And besides it gave me an opportunity to see the grandchildren.

A week before I left for Halifax I started to have intense pain in my left knee. I figured it would go away in a few days but it only got worse. Why now? Did God give me this opportunity only to take it away, was Satan trying to discourage me or was it just a result of our sin cursed world and old age creeping in.

As the time drew near I knew I needed some relief or I wouldn't be able to concentrate so I began to ask for prayer. Immediately I felt some relief and I was able get through each session with minimal pain. Within hours after the last meeting, however, the pain returned and I'm looking forward to following through with those Doctor appointments.

Hannah Hurand writes in her book "Hinds Feet on High Places": To learn the secret of victorious living has been the hearts desire of those who love the Lord in every generation. We all want to be able to react to evil, tribulation, sorrow, pain and every wrong thing in such a way that they will be overcome and transformed into something to the praise and glory of God. As Christians we know in theory at least, that in the life of a child of God there are no second causes, that even the most unjust and cruel things as well as all seemly pointless and underserved sufferings have been permitted by God as a glorious opportunity for us to react to them in such a way that our Lord and Savior is able to produce in us, little by little, his own lovely character. ….. The only way is by learning to accept, day by day, the actual conditions and tests permitted by God, by a continually repeated laying down of our own will and acceptance of his as it is presented to us in the form of the lives of the people with whom we live and work and in the things that happen to us.

I trust this set back will direct me towards another laying down of my own will and acceptance of His.

New Opportunities

Today I need to focus: focus on the messages God has laid on my heart to share with the ladies in Halifax, NS. In my change blog, I mentioned that change brings new opportunities. And here is it. Although this is not the first time I speak to a ladies group, it will be the first time I am the featured speaker with three sessions and a Q &  A panel. So since I've done all this study, I thought I'd share a little about each session with you.


The theme of the conference is "Hope through Encouragement." When we first started to talk about this, I began to think about the Resource of Hope we have in Jesus Christ and then the Responsibility we have to not only share this hope, but to encourage others as they make their way down the path God has put in front of them.


My 1st session will focus on Encouragement through Knowing God - Living in High Places

This will be a review of the book Hinds feet on High Places identifying with Much Afraid as she follows the shepherd

• Her Plan: She has an intense desire to follow the Shepherd to the High Places where her crippled feet will be healed
• Her Problem: She had a hard time trusting the Shepherd as He leads her in a different direction than she anticipated
• Her Perseverance: Ultimately she surrendered to the Shepherd's will and because she persevered, she was able to reach her goal

My 2nd session will focus on Encouragement through Mentoring - People Who Influence People

This will be a tribute to a women who mentored me; what I learned and the importance of passing that on to the next generation

• Her Exhortation 
• Her Example
• Her Encouragement

My 3rd session will focus on Encouragement through Hospitality - Fulfilling Christ's Command to Make Disciples

      

This will be a recap of how I have used Hospitality in my life and ministry

• Using Hospitality for Evangelism
• Using Hospitality for Discipleship
• Using Hospitality for Fellowship

Now I really need to start to focus, so I'll let you mull this over in your mind this week and maybe I will expand on each of these topics in the coming weeks. Please pray for me as Satan has already tried to discourage me though some physical pain issues that have come up this last week. I'm praying that the pain will be masked while I speak and I'll deal with it when I get home.

Forgiveness

I've never really struggled with forgiveness. When people came to me and said they were sorry for something, it seemed like I  had already forgotten it and tossed it behind my back. But then it happened. Word and deeds were said and done that were designed intentionally to hurt, or so it seemed. People who claimed to love us, stood by and watched it happened and then criticized us for not being stronger. We began protecting ourselves and to pull in and then we were criticized for that. We kept waiting for someone to acknowledge their wrong and change their way or for someone to stand up and say STOP. But the attacks kept coming. We cried out to the Lord with the Psalmist when he said in Psalm 55 "Give ear to my prayer, O God, And do not hide Yourself from my supplication . . . I said Oh, that I had wings like a dove and I would fly away and be at rest."

Now I had a problem. This kind of forgiveness wasn't coming naturally. The only way I could begin to cope was to look at how God forgave us when He sent Jesus to die for us, even when we were sinners (Romans 5:8). And when He forgives he tosses it behind his back and never looks at it again, tossing them into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19). We, on the other hand, when we forgive those that hurt us we want to go pick it up again and keep nursing the wound.

Rich illustrated this recently in a children's message. He gave each child a piece of candy and asked them to throw it behind them. He then talked about how God forgives us and never thinks about it again. Needless to say the kids couldn't walk away without their candy and most picked it up and took it with them.

What a reminder of ourselves. We say we forgive and then keep bringing it up again and again. To truly forgive means that we don't even think about it again. Ouch! This is so easy to say when we are thinking about others forgiving us, but it's a different story when we are the one who needs to do the forgiving.

When Jesus taught His disciples to pray he said to say:
. . .
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespasses against us
. . .

The next time Satan brings something from your past into your mind; some word or action you've already forgiven, grab a piece of candy and throw it behind your back!! When the pile gets big enough, have a "depths of the sea party" and eat them up.

See you there!!

New Beginning

I know I have said this so much lately, but it still fits. The last months of transition have been anything but consistent with traveling to see the kids, following my husband around Rome checking out all the church history stuff, making a major move, participating in a family affair in Michigan in the middle of it all, but now, today, I am hoping to get into a mini routine.

Monday is our day off and I need to keep that open for Rich as he needs a day to relax and clear his mind for the week ahead. It's our "Saturday." Now that I don't have to get up and go, I'm going to try and set Tuesday as my day to: 1) update my blog 2) work on Word for the World stuff and 3) prepare for different speaking/teaching engagements and 4) hopefully finish up my book that has been setting around for about 12 years.

So here goes the blog thing!

When we arrived at our condo in Turkey during our Sabbatical in 2005 our first thought was "where do we get food?" As we watched the miles fly by through the taxi window we knew we were driving away from the city center wondering what our final destination would look like. It turned out to be a nice condo unit, BUT . . . 1) no one spoke english 2) the restaurant was extremely expensive i.e $5 for a coke, $45 pp for dinner, etc and we knew we had to find a way to get to the grocery store or we would be loosing a lot of weight. After a few hands signals we were able to derive that there was bus everyday at 10 a.m that went to town and there we found our food. That's a little how I felt the other day when I forgot to pick up a jar of spaghetti sauce and we were having company for dinner. I jumped in my car and drove and drove and drove and finally came to a store. About an hour later I was home. Guess I need a new strategy.

Since we live "out" compared to what I am used to and I just can't run to the store and pick up what I need at the last minute, I need to start thinking ahead and stocking up. So yesterday was our day to go exploring. After looking at a few houses with our realtor, we decided to try to find B.J's Wholesale. We had tried once before, but got lost and now with new directions off we went.

Our first stop was, of course, at the Apple store. Rich had promised me an iPad when we sold our house and since papers were signed on Friday, we had gone to purchase one; I just needed some questions answered. What fun! The store was buzzing with excitement. As we left the store behind a gentlemen that had just purchase an 24" iMac, I said "I have one of those." He beamed and said "Now I'm part of the family." As we headed to our car I commented on how owning a Mac computer does put you into a family. Maybe we are all Nerd's, but there is a bond that binds us together that makes one feel they belong.

In our ABF class on Sunday we are studying 1 Peter. Those early Christians were undergoing intense persecution and they needed each others encouragement just to survive. Although Christians today might not be in that intense of a physical battle, we are still in a battle. Ephesians 6:12 says "We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly place." This battle is even more intense as we can't see it and sometimes think we can wing it on our own.

Rich and I have been reading through a pastor's devotional called Pause, Recharge, Refresh by H.B. London, Jr. Page 134 is entitled "When We Shoot Each Other." We've all been shot at and sometimes it causes permanent injury or scars. Here are some verses he shares that were a good reminder to me.

• Proverbs 21:23 "He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity."
• Ephesians 4:29 "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

Some verses I thought of were:

• James 3:5 "Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles"
• Proverbs 16:27 "A worthless man deviseth mischief; And in his lips there is a scorching fire
• Proverbs 26:20 "For lack of wood the fire goes out; And where there is no whisperer, contention ceases."

Whether you are the shooter or the target, join me in making sure the words that roll from our tongue are like a healing balm and not a scorching fire; that they benefit those who listen.

Looking Unto Jesus

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation: old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

One of the wonderful things about becoming a Christian is that we have no past. Old things are gone and everything is new. What a refreshing thought. Those of us who came to the Lord at an early age didn't have too much old to throw off, but if you happen to be someone who has come to know the Lord later in life, you can better understand how precious that truth is.

But what about the time between salvation and now? Where is my "fresh start?" Well, Lamentations 3:23 say that the Lord's mercies are new every morning. "Great is your Faithfulness." What a promise!!

Yesterday we received word that papers were all signed and we were no longer residence of Iowa. Last week we got our New Jersey licenses and registered to vote so we now have a new home. It's now time to plow ahead and stop looking back. I can't begin to understand the process that brought us through this journey, but we have seen the hand of the Lord in so many things that we can only say "Thank You."

We've all read the poem "Footsteps" and have seen it portrayed in so many different way from plaques to jewelry; but I must admit that these last few months I've experienced it. The peace God has given us through this transition has been amazing.

I'm not sure how well I did on "trusting the Lord," but I'm convinced I've made progress in this journey and God has promised to complete the good work He started in me when I called on Him to save me until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6.

Today I'm "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right had of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2.

Change is Good!

As I began to unpack, I ran across some old family photos. What an interesting story they tell. As we traveled through the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, 00’s and now the 10’s, we are reminded that things change. When we left Seminary, our kids were little, as we left Bergen, they were just becoming teenagers, when we left Rochester they were college and young adults. Now as we leave Waterloo, they are all married and with 7 children between the three of them.

Most change is accompanied by emotions and that is why we hold on so tightly. But if we can set that aside, we can say, “Change is good:” for who would like to stay in diaper land forever!!!

So since change is inevitable, let’s take a look at the good side of change. Here are a few things that I have thought just off the top of my head. And as I spark this thought in your mind, you can start to think of your own “good change.”

Ø Change gives you an opportunity to unclutter your life. As we got ready to make a move, it’s amazing often we said, “I’m not bringing that.” As we started to clean out, I wondered why we thought we really need so much stuff. It’s been said that an empty desk is an empty mind, but I’m not sure that is true. Have you ever considered that an empty desk could be a focused mind? In truth, clutter not only clutters your closets and walls, it clutters your mind as well. Hebrews 12 talks about setting our eyes on the goal i.e. looking to Jesus. The author goes on to say that we are to lay aside every weight and sin and easily ensnares us. Clutter is one of those weights that can ensnare us.

Ø Change gives you an opportunity to start fresh. It’s true that wherever you go, there you are, but it is also true that with a fresh start you can change your focus. Recently I’ve heard myself say, “When I get to New Jersey, I’m going to . . .” A new environment brings opportunities that might not have been available before.

Ø Change gives you an opportunity to meet and minister to new people. With time we develop friendships that carry responsibility. If we are not careful, we will spend all our time with old friends and forget that the Lord has called us to reach out, share the gospel and then help those new believers to grow in God’s grace.

Ø Change gives you an opportunity to see a new part of God’s creation. As I stood on my front porch, I looked around at approximately 500 trees. Living in the woods is a far cry from the cornfields of Iowa. Both are beautiful. I’m so thankful that the Lord has allowed us to live in different parts of the world and get to know and minister to a host of different people.

I’ve often said it’s never hard to say “hello” to new opportunities, it only saying “good-bye” that really hurts. But our “good-byes” can also free up our friends and family so that they can also minister to a new group of people.

So I’m determined to embrace this change and look forward to what God will do in and through me as I look ahead.

Butterfly's - a new beginning

Fresh Start:

Some people buy jewelry just because they like it. I tend to buy things that have some significance, something that is a memento to a specific time or event in my life. For example, one day, shortly after our move to Waterloo, we were walking the mall and as we past a jewelry store we noticed it was advertising the “necklace of the month” featuring that months stone. It wasn’t a spectacular piece, but Rich just said “would you like that?” Since he had never done this before, I looked at him and said “yes.” This started a monthly trip to the jewelry store. This was our 30^th year of marriage so this was a good memento of that year. I plan to give one of these to the grand-girls when they turn 10 years old.

Another jewelry collection that has accumulated over the years is gems from countries we have visited. It started with our trip to Greece in 2005 when Rich bought a necklace with the blue stone (don’t know the name off hand) that apparently is mined in Greece for each of the girls. Then he surprised me and bought some earrings and a necklace with the Greek Key. From then on, I have tried to get something from each country we visit: Argentina:Rose……?, Bolivia:Bolivianita, Fresh Pearls from Bangladesh, Camanite and a Flip Flop from Grand Cayman, Africa shaped pendent from South Africa. I also have a necklace from Arizona in memory of taking a husband with a broken foot on vacation, a mother of pearl necklace from Becky McDonald’s organization to help women in need from one of my sister’s weekends and come carved earrings from The Gambia.

In 2008, we spent a week in Grand Cayman when we needed to make a decision to accept a call to another church or stay at Walnut Ridge. We were torn, but in the end believed that the Lord needed us in Waterloo for a few more years and we made a commitment to go back and see what God would do. At that time we both bought black coral bracelets to remind us of that commitment. We went back, knowing they would not be easy years, and they weren’t, but now these bracelets are a reminder that we did what we could and now it is time to move on.

Now, at the outset of this new adventure, I have taken the butterfly as a symbol to a new life, i.e. fresh start. With this in mind, as we searched for a stone from Italy, we found a Swarkski butterfly necklace and decided that this would be my memento. However, on our trip south to Pompeii, we found that the Cameo is made there and hence, a Cameo ring.

You might think this is an extravagant hobby, but since the first 20 years of our marriage there were few gifts, flowers, etc. I look at this short window of our life as a time to relax a bit and have fun.

As Christians, at least for myself, we have a tendency to take life too seriously. We’re often told to “make every moment count,” and we should. I know we are to work hard, help those in need, sacrifice for the sake of the gospel, etc., but Ecclesiastes also says to “eat, drink and enjoy life, for this is the gift of God.” I trust as we continue our walk with the Lord, we “seize the day,” “Carpe Diem”: Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of your time. Col. 4:5.

Official End/Beginning

September 1, 2010

Well, it’s official! Yesterday was the official ending of our time at Walnut Ridge Baptist Church in Waterloo, IA and today is the official beginning of a new adventure at Shawnee Baptist Church in Shamong, NJ.

The month of August has been filled with highs and lows as we said goodbye to so many we love. As I stood in the center of an empty house, I reveled in the grace of God.

Ten years ago I walked into this house and felt immediately at home: This was my house. It was made for me and I loved every inch of it. Many times we would get up in the morning and say as we watched the sun rise over the eastern prairie “I love this house.” Because of this love, I have been able to weather the many storms that characterized this past ministry as it gave sanctuary during times of discouragement and loneliness. Saying good-bye was one of my great fears.

Now, realizing God’s grace in leading us to a new ministry, I feel peace concerning this move. There were no tears as we walked out the door for the last time, only anticipation as to what door the Lord will open for us to walk through.

It won’t be long and we will be winding up our travels and head toward the east coast. I’ve posted pictures of these on http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/1phydeau and Rich has commented on our time in Rome on the blog at www.wordfortheworld.net. You are welcome to follow along through those venues.

Once again, thanks to all who have been praying for me during this time.

Final Good Byes

Sunday was a day of farewells. They are never easy for in every chapter the Lord has brought precious people into our life with whom we wish to never part. But alas God's plan is always best and today we start chapter four.

This past summer we have tried to visit each of our kids. The first part of July we were with Brad and Melissa and the kids. What fun! As usual Brad had a project for Rich but this time he was on vacation so together they were able to get a lot done with time for fun too.

The kids had fun too. Riley and Naomi thought it great fun to sleep in our room and when we told them we had to leave Naomi. Said "but I will be lonely." I m looking forward to being close enough to making that loneliness disappear.

The end of July was spent in NC with Jason Sara and Maggie. Once again Rich and Jason spent time on projects and of course we still had time for ice cream. Maggie knows every landmark and made sure we got to the ice cream store.

Now as we begin our first leg of our new life we are headed up to Halifax. Papa plans to build a tree house for the boys and I'm sure Breannea will want in on the action.

Now at the end of these last few month of indecision we are finally at peace with God's plan for our future. It's like a burden has been lifted and we are ready to fly ahead. Today we are praising the Lord for his goodness and for his continual care.

Where ever you are in your life's journey I trust you will revel on His goodness as well. I know that that is easier said than done and I struggle as much as anyone with that concept but the truth is we need to be like a palm tree. We bend with the wind but our roots are strong and when the storm clears we spring right back.

Let's continue down the path God has chosen praying for each other as we stand rooted and grounded in HIM!

Faviorite Movie

Do you remember the old 70's TV series "Remington Steel?" He was always quoting a movie clip or using a movie scene to fit the current situation. Interestingly enough, that's how I watch movies too. I'm always trying to listen to the details and apply it.

So what are my favorite movies and why? Well the all time top of the list is "What About Bob?" If you really want to get to know us, watch this movie. It has become so much a part of our conversation that if you haven't seen it, you won't catch what we are saying. Another movie that I like is "Regarding Henry." Its a story about new beginnings; how a random situation can change your whole focus on life. In "Sabrina" Harrison Ford changes from a logical, calculating man to a man willing to give it all up for love. In fact, I love all Harrison Ford movies, including Indiana Jones movies.

Together we love the classics of Agatha Christi's Poirot and Miss Marple. They are both great at solving crimes through observing details of human behavior.

Newer movies I've seen and love are: Julie and Julia and Letters to Juliet.

In reality, this all means nothing, and yet remember the line in "A Mirror with Two Faces?" when Barbara Striesand says "I'd love it if someone knew me, really knew me; what I like, what I'm afraid of, what kind of toothpaste I use. I think that would really be wonderful."

We all crave a relationship where someone really know us and loves us anyway. It's so refreshing to me to know that the God of this universe does just that. In fact, Jeremiah tells us that he knew us before we were even conceived in our mothers womb. And in Romans it tells us that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

I'm so thankful I don't have to do any thing or be anything for God to love me. When I feel the expectations of others squeezing me into their box, I take comfort in the fact the Jesus Loves Me!

Interests

Since this is a "Get to Know Me" blog, I thought I'd take each of the profile categories and write a short note about them. So here goes. . . Interests!

After traveling as an adult through the 70's, 80's, 90's and 00's, it's hard to describe my interests. Although those interests played a big part in "Who am I?," they are truly a part of my past, not my present or future. The truth is, my basic interest in business and organizational management is the one interest that has a common thread through it all. I once had a dream that I started a business called S.O.S. (Ship-Shape Organizational Services). Maybe someday that dream will come true.

Another interest that I have had throughout the years is technology. One of my first jobs was at an office supply store. One of the perks was that I was able to experiment with the new equipment that came in stock. I thoroughly enjoyed going from manuel typewriters to electric typewriters, to computerized typewriters and then to computers. Ever since I have been obsessed with new technology. Now, at my stage of life, I feel this interest has enabled me to connect with the younger age group as technology is such a big part of their life.

Finally, here are some short bullets that describe our life:

• We are minimalists: you won't see our home cluttered with a lot of things.
  
• "This is our life" memento's will consist of people not accomplishments or things
• We love to travel and experience new things. You can keep track of our travels through www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/1phydeau/
  
• I like shoes and purses
• I believe traditions and rules are the cornerstone for living outside the box
• My favorite phrase is "What do you think about . . . " and "change is good"

Any comments?

Ready - Set - GO!

On our wedding invitations, 37 years ago, it said: Today is the first day of the rest of your life. That is a good way to describe my life. I have had many first days and we are now about to embark on another "first day."

There have been a lot of factors that have lead us to this day, but needless to say, first days are always filled with excitement and fear. Now at age 56, I still feel this excitement and fear as we venture into our new life in New Jersey.

But before I get started I would like to reminisce. I'll try not to get too nostalgic, but our past has so much to do with who we are today that I think it will help us all get a real glimpse of "Who am I?"

Rich and I both grew up in homes that taught us to love the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind. That had great impact in our life as young adults as we sensed the Lord was leading us into full time christian service. Whenever an opportunity came to serve the Lord, we always said "I'll go!" "We'll do it!" I always thought we would end up on the mission field, but Rich always wanted to preach in the local church so that is where we have served for all these years.

Our first church consisted of about 40 people. We had to work hard at evangelism just to survive. The Lord was gracious and added many to His kingdom during our 8 years there. As we moved on to our second church, our role began to change and yet it always is the same, i.e. sharing Christ with those God has put into our path. And once again God added to His kingdom during our 8 years there. It was during these years that our children grew up and moved into their own worlds. Chapter Three brought new challenges but once again, God added to His kingdom. I don't want to start naming names, but we are still in touch with many who hold a special place in our heart.

Now as we leave behind all those that God allowed us to influence for his kingdom, I wonder, "who is that next neighbor, acquaintance, friend that God wants me to influence for eternity?" As you travel this road with me, I trust you continue to pray, as Jesus taught His disciples:

Our Father Who Art in Heaven
Hallowed be Your Name
Your kingdom come
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day
Our daily bread
And forgive us our debts
As we forgive our debtors
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil
For Yours is the Kingdom
And the Glory and the Honor
Forever!!!

Amen