My last post indicated that I was in a bit “over my head” especially with our big annual dinner auction fundraiser at Jim Elliot Christian High School.  Since that post on April 15th…I literally worked ’round the clock on this spectacular event.  And it was fabulous! You can read about it and see photo’s here – Denim, Diamonds & Dreams.

As with all big events like this, the work does not end with the actual event. I continue to wrap things up with a post auction sale, recognition, appreciation, evaluations and follow up.  Then I get to move on to putting out a quarterly newsletter & planning a 10 year all school reunion picnic. No….it never ends….but is so worth it when I see the hundreds of young people positively impacting the world & loving the Lord.

So hopefully I’ll be getting  back to one of my “loves” – blogging – but here is a quick update on life at the Lambdin’s:

• Daniel’s Birthday – We celebrated Daniel’s 2nd birthday on April 20th. He continues to be such a joy to all of our lives and his hugs and kisses truly bring life to my bones and refreshment to my spirit. I highly recommend everyone having a toddler in their life to love! 
• The “Boys Bedroom” Makeover- Three of our former students (who I often still call “kids” – even though they are 35) – Carrie Elliot, Rachel Fichtner & Leah Kidger decided to come over one Saturday & do a makeover on Daniel’s (the “boys”) bedroom – painting the walls & dressers and adding cute accessories.  It was so nice to spend the day with these lovely ladies and to be the recepient of their blessing.  (Now all we need is a few more boys for the boys bedroom!) 

• College Grads- My beautiful nieces – Kate & Beth Kirchner graduated magna cum laude from Pepperdine University last Saturday and we were able to take a quick trip down to celebrate this milestone with them. We are so blessed to have “elder” cousins like these girls and Janessa & Chrisann Meier for our children to look up to.  They are wonderful role models and examples for those coming behind them to follow.  The graduation was beautiful as the campus overlooks the Pacific Ocean (my favorite place in the world!) and the commencement speaker had some great life lessons to share!
• Adoption Update- Whew!  I know I have been very quiet about our adoption pursuits as of late.  Mostly because there has been nothing to share.  Well here is the latest – the day of the auction (the busiest day of my life) we got a call from the adoption agency that they had a “special needs” baby they wanted us to consider adopting and even though they knew we “wanted” a boy, there was a little girl named Makayla who was born on Daniel’s 2nd birthday for us to consider.  Of course we said unequivocally and without hesitation – YES!(just as we would to any baby we were given by birth).  Well…..we were informed yesterday that Makayla’s Mommy picked another family to raise her.  However that exact day they received a call from the hospital from another transient mother who had decided to choose a family for her child to be raised by….a little girl born on May 2.  So once again we are praying for the Lords perfect plan for this new baby & hoping that we are the chosen ones.  And yes we are still believing for a brother for Daniel but just might have to raise $30,000+ and go to Africa to get a couple orphan boys to love. (10 children sounds like a really great number….of course then there is the thought that it is “cheaper by the dozen” – we are open to whatever God has for us!)
• Trusting God - We have been given yet another opportunity to put our trust in God as our van had a bit of a mechanical problem that set us back by $700.  Since we don’t have an emergency fund for this type of thing – we spent 2/3 of our food and gas money for the month.  It will be awesome to see how the Lord provides for our needs and a great learning lesson on faith and trust  for our kids. 
• Coming Up this Month-  We will be observing National Day of Prayer on Thursday with our local community, my National Scrapbook Day celebration is happening on Saturday, of course Mother’s Day is Sunday with my usual requests – a foot massage & clean house (both of which cost nothing!), a planned camping trip over Memorial Weekend (which has been put on hold pending finances), School ends for the high schoolers & Dan the man at the end of the month, Michelle is coming home for the summer after completing her freshman year at The King’s College (wooohooo, can’t wait to have her back home) and I am ending the month by speaking at a Ladies Retreat in Lake Tahoe for Valley Community Church. 

Life & the Lord are good!

This past weekend fifty two excited students marched across the platform to receive their diplomas and become the 10th graduating class at Jim Elliot Christian High School.  We now have over 350 alumni who are making a difference in this world after  being trained, taught, discipled and mentored at this exceptional school.

Dan and I are proud to have been a part of the beginning of Jim Elliot and each year as we witness another class graduating our hearts overflow with joy and thanksgiving to God for the great things He is doing in and through these incredible young people. 

 This years class was an awesome example of the kind of sacrificial giving and life of service that we hope to instill in our students.  They were continually giving of their time, talent and resources to bless others.  They volunteered at children’s homes, pregnancy crisis centers, emergency food banks, retirement homes, hospitals, churches, tutoring elementary school students, special olympics to name a few.  They opened up a snack shack during lunch and ran it all year raising over $11,000 for student tuition assistance.  They held a talent show to raise funds for college scholarships for next years senior class.  Several young men spent the entire year helping a handicapped girl learn to ride a bike and roller skate and in the process gave her the confidence to begin to communicate more effectively with everyone around her.  And the list goes on.

One of the best examples of the type of stellar students we have is this -  When I asked the student body president a few months back if he would do me a favor, without hesitation he enthusiastically responded, “Of course!”.  I looked at him and said, “But John, you don’t know what it is I am going to ask you yet.”  To which he replied, “It doesn’t matter what it is Mrs Lambdin, I will do it for you.”  How refreshing!

It is amazing to me that these mere eighteen year olds have often done more to serve and give to others in their four years of high school than many adults have done in a lifetime.  I pray that their legacy of service will touch and inspire others to begin to live a rich life that is centered on God and service rather than self centered pursuits that are ultimately empty and unfulfilling.

Congratulations Jim Elliot Christian High School Class of 2008!

High school sports – there’s nothing quite like ‘em.

I have spent much of my life playing, coaching and now regularly attending high school athletic events.  I was on the swim team and played field hockey in high school (and college too).  As a youth pastor I attended high school sporting events all over the city to cheer on the kids who attended our church. I faithfully sat in the stands almost every Friday night for three years as my fiance and later husband, Dan coached a local high school football team.  When I began to work as a teacher at a Christian High School I got talked into coaching the Varsity Girls Volleyball team (which thankfully my dear darling hubby took over later – and did a far superior job!) and for the past 21 years of working at Christian high schools we have been in the bleachers cheering wildly for countless sporting events.

While I have enjoyed watching my girls (and I am sure all to soon, the boys too) playing youth soccer, swimming on the neighborhood swim team and playing city league softball, I loved going to college football, volleyball and basketball games and I thoroughly enjoy attending a professional baseball game (when we can afford it)….there is still nothing quite like high school sports. 

The emotions run higher - the victories more thrilling and the losses more devastating. The friendships formed often create a bond for life. The fans are more connected to not only the team and the school but to one another as well. The coaches (who get paid very little) are there because they love the kids and they love the game. The entire atmosphere is electrifying.

This past weekend we got to experience yet another exciting high school athletic competition as we attended the softball section finals for our area.  Our beloved Lady Eagles from Jim Elliot were in the championship game for the fifth consecutive year.  Our team was down by one run in the bottom of the seventh with the tying run on second and two outs when the player at bat hit a triple and then ran home to win the game on an overthrow error.  The screams, whistles, wild cheering, hugs, tears of joy, jumping up and down went on for what seemed to be eternity.  Just several feet away, the other bench felt the agony of defeat after being so close to beating this powerhouse team.  The sobbing, down on bended knees, hitting the dirt, consoling in one anothers arms, looks of shock and dismay equaled the emotion of the championship team. For those talented teams, dedicated coaches and devoted fans, it will be a day not too quickly forgotten.

For the vast majority of athletes…that final high school game will be their last time in competitive sports. A few will go on and play in college and then four years later, they too will close that chapter of their lives.  But the lessons learned through athletics will be with them for life! These lessons are some that could benefit our families, our marriages our businesses and our lives.

• You learn the power in having a positive attitude

Every good coach or trainer will tell you that the athlete who wins is the one who believes he is going to win.  The single best predictor of success when two athletic teams have equal ability and talent is what is in their minds before they compete.  We hear it over and over again…but when will we start being diligent at putting positive things into our heart, mind and spirit.  It is the difference maker!

• You learn that any team can win on any given day

What a great way to live – knowing that no matter what hand you have been dealt, no matter what the odds, no matter what the gloomy prediction – you can win, you can overcome and you can beat the odds!Unfortunatly this lesson can also work against you – that same softball team that won the championship on Saturday learned this lesson the hard way last year when they lost in an agonizing defeat to their biggest rivals who they had beat decisively several times earlier that same season.  They came in with the a relaxed attitude and a bit lazy, knowing that even if they had a bad game they could easily win the section championship.  They did not play their hardest, they made stupid mistakes, they were a bit arrogant and they were not on the offensive costing them their fourth consecutive section championship and the number one ranking in the state.  You have to live life on purpose, on the offensive and always ready to give it your all.

• You learn that you must stay focused even under incredible pressure

This perhaps is one of the greatest lessons competitive sports can offer us.  When the pressures of life come, you must not fall apart but remain calm and focused.  With two outs and the team behind by one, the batter up was under an incredible amount of pressure.  If she had concentrated on that pressure instead of being focused on hitting the ball, she most likely would have failed.  In the same way when the third baseman, on the opposing team, was under extreme pressure trying to prevent the winning run from scoring, she lost her focus and overthrew the ball resulting in the game winning run.  How often do we do the same thing when under pressure with often disastrous results. Extreme pressure has destroyed many a marriage, caused businesses to close and contributed to many health ailments and damaged relationships all because we crumbled under the pressure instead of focusing on the fundamentals and keeping a cool head. 

• You learn that the long hard practices pay off when you win the game

Face it – no one likes to practice.  It is hard work, causes pain, takes lots of time and energy and equires discipline.  It is for the love of the game that people spend hours daily practicing and training.  Yet 90% of an athletes time is spent in practicing and training.  But the 10% is worth it all.  This is not much different than our businesses.  No one loves the hard work, the phone calls, the rejection, the paperwork, the hours spent with seemingly no results….but we all love the pay days, the incentive trips and the rewards of being a business owner.  Our relationships often take lots of hard work, practice and self discipline too.  But what a great reward in the love of a child, a strong solid marriage and life long deep friendships. Almost every area of life takes a large measure of hard work, personal discipline and practice but the rewards are worth it all!

• You learn that it takes more than individual talent – it takes teamwork

No matter how talented you are – you can’t win on your own.  In order to win a championship, you need a team who will work together towards a goal. A team that is committed to the same end. A team who will support, encourage, challenge and hold each other accountable.  In life, in business, in marriage and family – you need to be a team!  You cannot win on your own.

• And on a Christian school team you learn that the most important thing is to glorify God!

Last year when the team lost the section championship and this year when they won – the game ending cheer was the same – “Good game (the opponents), thank you officials,  Glory to God!”  The most important thing we can do in our businesses, in our marriage and family life, in our jobs or careers, in our friendships and in our lives is to bring glory to God.  Whether we win or lose, whether we are number one in our field or just barely hanging in there, whether or marriages are strong and healthy or we are struggling to stay together…the most important thing is that we look to glorify the Lord in everything.  We don’t have control over all the circumstances in our lives (and those that we do have control over we need to do something about) but we do have control over our response to the circumstances.  Are you praising or cursing God? Are you calmly trusting His will or panicking and stressing about life? Will you give God glory no matter what the outcome of your current crisis? Is what you are doing glorifying God?

Congratulations Lady Eagles on your fourth Section Championship. May the lessons you have learned during your years as a high school athlete be a foundation for a life of excellence.

Here is the flyer for the major fundraiser I am currently working non stop on.  Looks like fun doesn’t it?

We are having a silent and live auction and are looking for any items that we may be able to auction off.  I thought I would throw it out there to all my blog readers – you just never know who might want to donate or who may have a connection that could get us a unique or valuable donation. The school is well worth investing in! (if you want to read many wonderful stories about our students, staff and alumni – check out the Elliot blog www.jechs.wordpress.com.)

Jim Elliot Christian High School is a 501(c) (3) non profit organization. Contributions are tax deductible. 

PS – If you are local and would like to attend – let me know – I have tickets!

I don’t usually watch the Academy Awards (or any television for that matter), but last night I caught bits and pieces of this grandiose event.

Why is it that I found myself getting misty eyed everytime the award winners got up on stage to accept their award? After all I don’t know these people personally nor have I even seen most of the films honored. (My two personal favorites in 2007 were -

“Amazing Grace”  and

“The Ultimate Gift”    neither of which received any Oscar nods but are FABULOUS movies that I highly recommend you see on DVD!)

No, my heart was stirred because it is very inspiring and touching to see others earn awards, be honored, or achieve a lifetime dream…..there is something simply magical about it. Perhaps it because we all have dreams and desires in our lives and for a small moment we can imagine accomplishing our goals, winning wonderful awards or achieving a lifetime dream.

Recently I had one of those magical moments where a longtime dream became a reality.  One of my passions is Christian education! I believe the impact that a Christian school and faithful Christian educators has on young people can change the world. I have seen the influence first hand as my husband and I have spent over two decades in this life changing ministry. Because of that I have always dreamed of being able to help provide scholarships for students who did not have the financial means to attend Christian schools yet wanted to be there. 

The one obstacle to this dream was…..money. You see when you are in Christian education, more often than not your salary is…well let’s just say…”great is your reward in heaven!”

Just two weeks ago at the Jim Elliot Christian High School Founders Gala, my dream became a reality with the introduction of the Dan and Beth Lambdin Scholarship Fund!  I felt just like one of those Academy Award winners as I stood up in front of hundreds of people amidst the glamour and glitz of this fancy affair, dressed to the hilt and received a plaque announcing this fund that I had been dreaming of for years! It was glorious.

Dan and I are beaming after the scholarship fund announcement!

Why is it that many don’t dream at all, others just continue to dream with no results and some actually achieve their greatest dreams and desires? I believe those who dream, believe and achieve have some things in common:

1. They actually have a specific dream.

Those winning Oscars last night had a specific dream of winning that award. They knew that someday they wanted to be taking that coveted Oscar home. I’m sure many of them had actually visualized themselves up there accepting that honor. None of them had vague hopes or fuzzy fantasies. They knew they someday wanted to be at the top of their field and the “proof” of that would be their nomination or winning of an Oscar.

If you are going to achieve your greatest dreams they must be specific and measurable. They can’t be fuzzy or vague. You have to know exactly what you want. Seven years ago at the National convention for my home business (as I was receiving my Senior Directors Chair – another magical moment achieving a dream) we were challenged by the main stage speaker to write down our specific dream.  It was at that moment that I wrote down that I wanted to have a scholarship fund for JECHS students.

 What is your specific dream? (or dreams – if you are anything like me – you have many!) Take that first step and write them down today.

2. They tell others their dream

One of the single best thing you can do to move your dreams closer to reality is to tell others your dream!  While this is so simple, many people do not do it.  They keep their dreams to themselves, afraid of failure or of looking foolish to others. Telling people your dreams – propels you into action, holds you accountable  and helps solidify your belief in that dream!

I have told hundreds of people over many years my dream of having a scholarship fund.

3. They are committed.

No one achieves great things in life without a rock solid commitment to their dreams & desires. Everyone who won an Oscar was committed to their career. How can you tell what it is you are actually committed to in life? One simple formula:

Time = Commitment

Look a where you spend your time and I promise that is where your commitment lies. There is no way you can expect to have a successful business without putting in time (the same is true for your marriage, parenting or anything else you want to have success in.) It’s not that you can’t do ok or even accomplish a measure of success by just being involved in your career BUT you will never “win an Oscar” by just being involved – you must be committed. (my standard analogy here as to the difference between being “involved” or “committed”….a big yummy bacon & egg breakfast takes two animals…a chicken & a pig…the chicken is involved in making the breakfast, the pig is COMMITTED!)

4. They work hard!

Sorry….there is no way around it. Everyone who has accomplished anything great…..works hard. It takes sacrifice, sweat, shortness of breath, stretching out of your comfort zone and pain while you are working towards your goals & dreams. There is no easy road or short cut to rewards. As the popular saying goes – “no pain, no gain”.

5. They involve others in their dream.

Every one of those receiving Oscars thanked others – the people that helped them get to where they were – friends, family, co-workers, agents.  Not one of them attempted to say they did it on their own.  And likewise none of us will accomplish our dreams without the help, input, coaching, training and support of others.

The Dan and Beth Lambdin scholarship fund already has over $6,500 in it thanks to the generosity of others who believe in Christian education and believe in us!  And the scholarship fund will only continue as others join with us in donating money to help young people attend our school.  My personal goal is to provide 10 full scholarships and 20 partial scholarships each year. That translates to $100,000 – which may seem like a lot to you – but if just the folks who read my blog each week decided to contribute something we would be right there!  I keep dreaming BIG!

6. They stick with it.

Quitting is not an option. They are like super glue – holding fast to their dreams despite what is happening around them. No matter what disappointments, discouragement’s, or road blocks they had to endure, they did not quit. This tenacity and perseverance alone is one of the single most important qualities you can develop in your life to ensure your success!

It took seven years from the time I wrote down my dream of a scholarship fund for it to become a reality.  There were many roadblocks standing in the way, many discouraging days, many detours and times when I just couldn’t see how it was going to happen but I just kept pressing on, believing and working to make the dream a reality.

Are you ready to begin to make your dreams a reality?   

Can’t you picture it? Wouldn’t it be great? Your time to shine & sparkle like the stars!

Decide today what your dream is. Write it down, tell someone (I would love to hear your dream!) - then make the commitment, work hard, involve others & don’t quit! And soon you too will be hearing -

“And the winner is…YOU!”

PS – If you would like join me and contribute to to the new Dan and Beth Lambdin Scholarship Fund to help students attend a fabulous Christian High School and have their lives influenced to go out and positively impact the world – you would bless me beyond measure!  Just click here to donate to this fund!  Or you can send a check to (please specify it is for the Lambdin Scholarship Fund):

Jim Elliot Christian High School

2695 West Vine St

Lodi, CA 95242

You will receive a tax deductible receipt.

After yesterdays Tea Time Tuesday exhortation to make the choice to live an “uncommon” life…I am posting my daughter Michelle’s valedictorian speech she gave this past June at JECHS graduation.  I hope it inspires you to live an uncommon life!

Michelle’s Valedictorian Graduation Message

I have been brought up in a home of girls. Not only do I have five sisters, but on my mom’s side of the family there are 14 granddaughters and until just recently there were no grandsons. I know – it is almost unbelievable that after my parents had six girls that this year on April 20 they had a boy! We have always felt unique in being all girls! In fact whenever we go out shopping or to the movies we always wear our crowns and tiaras. We know we are princesses, and now we definitely have a prince – but don’t worry we won’t make him join the tradition of going around in a tiara!

We are all royalty!

1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God”

• We are not orphans…….We are children of the King
• We are not common……We have blue blood running through our veins
• We are not peasants……We are royalty!

Yes – We were once commoners, we were once peasants, we were once orphans until we were brought into the King’s palace and made part of His royal family. We have been crowned by the King of Kings!

So welcome kings, queens, princes and princesses to this celebration of the graduating class of 2007.

Now, what is our place in the King’s court? What has been given to us as our royal duty?

The answer is found in the second part of our scripture 1 Peter 2:9. The Message Bible says it this way, “We are God’s instruments to do His work and speak out for Him – to tell others of the night & day difference He made for us – from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted” and we could add from common to uncommon.We are called to live an uncommon life among the common to show others Christ and make a difference in the world for Him! We are all asked to do God’s work and to tell others about what He has done for us all. He has done so much!

Over 2000 years ago God sent His Son to die for the sin of all mankind. Each of us has sinned, none of us can make it to heaven on our own. We are weak, but the Lord is strong. He came down to earth in the form of a man to make a way for us to know Him and spend eternity in heaven. Most of us know the words, “For God so loved the world He sent His one and only Son” – His name is Jesus.

• We were not created to live an “average” life for God.
• We were not made to live a common life, but an uncommon life.
• We are not here to survive in our world, but to make a profound difference in our world

One of my heroes was most uncommon in his day. William Wilberforce was born the son of a wealthy merchant, and at the young age of 21 became a member of the English parliament. As an adult convert to Christianity, he penned these words in his personal journal, “God Almighty has set before me two great objects, the suppression of the Slave Trade and the Reformation of society.” It was not until after William asked Christ into His life that he knew he had an uncommon life to live. In 1807, the Slave Trade Act led by Wilberforce passed with a vote of 283 to 16.

Amy Carmichael was called to the mission field, she was called to save the lives of women and children. Amy started an orphanage for children on the streets of India. Because of the uncommon life Amy chose to live, her orphanage was a sanctuary to over a thousand children. She served in India without furlough for 55 years.

Just 10 years ago a group of uncommon Christians came together with the dream to start a high school. The vision was to start a discipleship school to train up young people to serve God and make a difference in the world. Jim Elliot Christian High School is a training ground to be uncommon amongst a common world.

The namesake of our school, Jim Elliot, lived with a passion that was uncommon to those around him. God called him to the Auca tribe down in the jungles of Ecuador, a tribe that was yet to be reached with the gospel. It took a man like Jim Elliot and those with him to take on the daunting task of reaching such a fierce tribe.

What will you do to make a difference? Like these men and women what is God calling you to do?

Whether you are 17 or 70 God is calling you to an uncommon life. He has a great adventure for you, a plan to use you to show others how He brought you from the darkness into the light.

Let me assure you that this will not be easy, and you will face many obstacles and much opposition. Some of the opposition will even come from your closest friends and family, maybe even other Christians.

Wilberforce struggled for 20 long years to abolish the slave trade; his health suffered and he faced opposition not only from those against him in Parliament but eventually even from his closest friend and supporter, William Pitt.

Amy Carmichael was not the best candidate for the mission field. From birth she struggled with a disease of the nervous system that caused her much pain and forced her to be on bed rest for long periods of time.

I remember very well the year that Elliot was founded. There were many doubters that this school would ever exist. People commented “It will never happen”, “No one will apply for a school that doesn’t have a building yet!”, and “You will never have enough money”. But, here we are years later and the students sitting before you are the 9^th graduating class of Jim Elliot Christian High school.

As God was with these men and women so He is with you. This is His plan for your life and if He is for you than who can be against you.

Graduates, I hope to one day see Jana Wall rescuing orphaned children overseas, Ernie DeLosAngeles touching the lives of young people, and Amanda Collins using her photography skills to show the hunger and need in the world.

As some of you know we also have an ambassador of Christ in our class going to Norway. I can’t wait to hear how Cecilia Hallberg is changing her homeland for the Lord!

I hope that one day my name will be among those responsible for the saving of millions of babies from the atrocity of abortion. Or maybe I will be an investigator with International Justice Mission working to end oppression across the nations.

And so I ask what will you do to make a difference? How will you affect this world to further the kingdom of God? How is God calling you to stand out and be different?

This is not a time of common men; this your time to be uncommon!

“The Lord declares…those who honor Me, I will honor”   I Samuel 3:20

Last Wednesday I shared with you about a young Christian man who was having to trust the Lord’s plan for his life after a potentially season ending football injury (see Word for Wednesday on Sept 19) Well the story continues….

After accepting Gods will for his football season, RJ went to the doctor to see what could be done for his injury.  Amazingly, the doctor cleared him to play, assuring him that although he would experience incredible pain he would not further injure his shoulder.  RJ did play on Saturday in what the newspaper called an “inspirational performance”.  He scored 4 touchdowns and led the Elliot Eagles to their first victory of the season!  But more importantly than that He gave God the glory!

“The doctor said if I could tolerate the pain, I couldn’t hurt it any worse. I will need surgery after the season, but right now I am just thankful to the Lord to be playing again. I give all the glory to God.”
(Read the rest of the article here)

“The Lord declares…those who honor Me, I will honor”   I Samuel 3:20

RJ has honored the Lord and this week he has been honored by being chosen as “Athlete of the Week” in the Lodi News Sentinel.  (Read story here) When we give God honor & glory, He promises to honor us.  We may not see it as quickly as RJ has, perhaps not even in this life here on earth, but He promises in His word that it will happen.

How are you honoring the Lord with your life?

• Are you using the gifts, talents & strengths He has blessed you with to bring Him glory? 
• Do you give Him the credit for your gifts, talents & strengths and all you accomplish because of His blessing? 
• Do others know that He is held with great distinction, reverence, respect & awe in your life?
• Do you worship Him?

Let us all strive to live lives that honor the Lord and bring Him glory!

“Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him & He will direct your paths”  Proverbs 3:5

We don’t always understand why the Lord does or allows certain things into our lives and yet we often try hard to find the answers to the “WHY” question.  The word clearly says…NOT to look to our own understanding but to TRUST in God and to acknowledge Him. The young man in the following news article is a young Christian who is being challenged to trust God thru disapointing circumstances and in my opinion is passing that challenge with flying colors!

 “Hale is more than a football player to our team, he is the ultimate leader that every team needs to succeed,” Davis said. “But there is more to life than just football. He is a strong young man who loves the Lord. That is the great thing about coaching these guys.”

An avid cowboy and rodeo fan who once had dreams of joining the Professional Bull Riders tour, Hale would settle for his shoulder fully healing and playing collegiate football.

Hale, who is deeply religious, knows that staying healthy, working and being able to support a family is his first priority.

“I want to continue playing football, but maybe my shoulder injury is God’s way of telling me he has something else in mind,” Hale said. “If it doesn’t work out, I would like to settle down with my family and be a pastor of a church.”  Read here for the rest of the story

Keep seeking the Lord R.J. Hale and trust Him with your future. Your testimony here is bringing glory to God. He will direct your future path! 

How about you? Are you trusting the Lord even when things don’t go your way?

 What was I thinking??

Have you ever muttered those words or had them flash across your brain like a neon light?  I have had a knack for doing a few not so brilliant things in my life where those words were not just said or thought by me, but by many others as well.  A few examples (at the risk of seeming like a big idiot) -

Slicing a 1 inch hole in my knee with a pair of manicure scissors while attempting to cut my toenails. (and I still have the scar to prove it!)

Holding a metal ruler with my mouth while needing two hands to do something else & then banging it on the table….shoving it back into my throat & cutting it severely…….ahhhhhhhhh!! (didn’t Mom always tell you not to put things in your mouth?)

Teaching a high school class a day after my due date while having contractions 3 minutes apart! (my water broke minutes after leaving the class..that would have been a great deterrent to teen pregnancy!)

Deciding I could handle the black triangle ski run (even though I was not an expert skier) and after crashing & tumbling half way down the steep hill…taking off my ski’s and walking the rest of the way down. (To the condesending glances of those riding the ski lift above me)

Ok….that’s enough! (Believe me there are plenty more but I’ll save some of my pride)

Then there are other moments, seasons & decisions in my life that I could have filed under the – “What was I thinking?” category (& certainly everyone else was thinking that!)….however, while they seemed crazy to others & even at times to myself, they were really steps of faith…overlooking the obstacles and realities of my life & seeing the vast potential of the opportunity ahead of me while relying on God to give me the strength to move forward with His supernatural power & wisdom.

The time I signed a “part time” contract (with a part time salary) to do many different full time jobs at the high school where I was employed – guidance counseling, admissions director, student activity director, yearbook & journalism advisor and leadership teacher. (They hired 5 different people when I left!)

What was I thinking?

I often wonder that exact thing but that season of life resulted in a wealth of experience & knowledge that has benefited me greatly in everything I have done since that time.  The relationships I developed during those years with my students, their parents & the staff has enriched my life like none other.  In fact rarely a day goes by where I do not come face to face with the reality of those relationships.  It was a good thing that I wasn’t thinking or I would have missed out on this awesome blessing!

Then there was the time I decided to begin my own home based business at a period in my life when I had four children….whose ages were…. 6, 3, 18 months and a newborn!

What was I thinking?

I wasn’t thinking! (and who is when they are postpartum & have several tiny ones under foot…you don’t have time to think, your brain is in a fog & you are just trying to survive!)  However, that business was and is a huge blessing to my life.  Not only was I able to provide a much needed income for my growing family but I learned to blend my family with my business and we all benefited greatly.  Here eleven years later those children are 17, 14, 131/2, and 11 (and there are three more now - 8, 4 and the baby) – the skills they have developed and the confidence, as well as awesome people skills are a direct result of being involved in Mommy’s business.  I’m glad I didn’t do much thinking about my life situation and obstacles!

Another example is when my dear darling husband and I were facing an unprecedented financial crisis in our lives & we had no income. Instead of taking one of the many job opportunities that came our way, we decided to “live by faith” and start a much needed Christian high school in our area. Other than a handful of people everyone else thought we had lost our minds!

What were we thinking?

We were only thinking of the incredible vision & dream we had of a fabulous, thriving high school that would touch the lives of young people in such a way that they would in turn go out & make a huge and positive impact on the world! And am I ever glad we didn’t do much thinking or perhaps the school (where my husband loves serving as Chaplain, where one daughter has graduated from & is already out impacting the world, another daughter has just begun there & two girls follow close behind in the next few years) may not even exist. I am thankful that we didn’t let our logical thinking process drown out our faith!

What are you thinking about doing?

Is there something looming in front of you that seems bigger than life, impossible or perhaps just too crazy to even try? Does it keep coming to the forefront of your mind but you want to write it off as insane?

Sometimes you need to stop thinking. Sometimes analyzing every side of a situation can paralyze you and keep you from jumping into something that just might be life changing! Sometimes you need to ignore the voices inside your head or around you from others and do something that might be “outside the box”, different, crazy or even impossible to everyone but God.

I find myself once again on the threshold of a “What are you thinking?” moment and getting ready to jump into something that is a bit crazy with obstacles to overcome and realities to deal with.  But I will press forward with Gods strength and power in the hope that when I look back on my life I will rejoice that I didn’t “think” too much but rather jumped in and experienced incredible, life changing  & miraculous things!

What are you thinking about?

 Life is flying by…at an increasing speed!

Tomorrow morning my fun loving, beautiful, crazy, blonde baby….my “Amy Girl” will begin her first year of high school. As she opens up her lunch bag she will find this note (along with some homemade cookies!)….may it inspire, encourage & challenge you today in whatever season of life you are speeding thru. (and yes…it will be going into the scrapbook!)

My dearest “Amy Girl”,

Today is a milestone!  You are beginning your freshman year at Jim Elliot Christian High School. Ten years ago this week (when you were just a playful, carefree adorable four year old!) your Dad and I set out on a journey that was bigger than anything we could have ever dreamed of accomplishing.  We decided to start a Christian high school that would glorify God, while training & discipling young people to graduate and make a profound difference in the world!

We began with prayer. We asked for wisdom, guidance and Gods blessing on this endeavor.

We surrounded ourselves with people who would inspire, encourage, support & pray for our success!

We knew it was going to cost us our time, our talent & our treasure.  We worked HARD round the clock using the skills & talents we were blessed with & our experience of a combined 20 years in Christian education.  We sacrificed our incomes & job security…stepping out in faith to make this dream a reality.

We faced fear, doubt & discouragement. We were even ridiculed. (Comments like – “It will never happen”, “How do you think you are going to start a high school?”, “No one is going to sign up for a school that doesn’t exist!”, “You’ll never raise enough money”)

We kept the faith and pressed on toward the goal and….

….one year later, on September 2, 1998…the vision became a reality! Jim Elliot Christian High School began their first day of school with 42 students!  It was one stellar day!

Now today …you are joining a student body of over 200 hundred students at a fabulous & successful Christian High School with the dream of graduating in four years with a good education, a strong vibrant faith & a clear direction for Gods plan for your life!  I want to encourage you today to follow the same plan & principles that were instrumental in starting the school you now attend.

Begin with prayer!  Pray for wisdom, guidance & success. Give each & every day, semester & year to God. Know that Dad & I along with all your sisters are praying for you as well.

Surround yourself with positive friends who will encourage, inspire, motivate & support you!  We do become like the company we keep. Choose wisely!  Amy, you are such a shining example of having a positive attitude & seeing things on the bright side of life.  You are always quoting Zig Ziglar or Amanda Gore…this is so impressive for a young person your age. Don’t lose your zest & enthusiasm for life! It is contagious.

If you are going to be successful it will cost you something. Work hard to be everything you were created to be.  This requires sacrifice, self discipline & determination.  Don’t look back with regret & wish you would have done things differently.  Strive for excellence in everything you do.

You will face fear, doubts & discouragement….you may even be ridiculed along the way.  Fight your fears with faith. Drive the doubt away with hope.  Do not give in to discouragement…. keep trying despite what may come your way. Pray for those who ridicule or make fun of you and don’t let others stand in the way of your dreams!

Have faith and press on towards the goal!  We believe in you Amy & know that your four years of high school will be everything you hope & dream of them being and more.  You are a strong leader, smart, talented, athletic, super creative and an incredible actress! 

You are fun, energetic & enthusiastic! You are kind, compassionate, friendly and loving! You love the Lord & want to please Him in everything. You are my awesome #2 Amy girl (which we both know is the best number! )

Know that I love you dearly & am so very proud of who you are & who you are going to become during the next four years.  I will miss having you here everyday.

Zoot! Zoot! Zoot!

Always,

Mommy