Saturday, March 31, 2007

We're Ba-ack..........

We went out of town for a few days and we really needed the break! We didn't get to go to Florida as we would have liked to, but we did get to go to Cincinnati. We went to the Zoo and then to the Loveland Castle, we even saw some manatees. We had a great time and are blessed to have the rest.
Here are some of the better pics, just ignore the dates, I can't figure out how to fix the date on the camera yet
Love you all bunches and hope to hear from you soon
Amanda

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Just another day

Today Mom and I went out to the JCPenny outlet, she wanted new curtains for the living room and said she wanted to take advantage of my "artistic eye". I'm not sure how good my eyes are, but we did find some pretty things while we were there. I also got some good deals on clothes for all the boys (including Drason) and suits for Easter.

The boys had AWANA's tonight, they all have their vests now and they are so proud, our oldest was all about chatting up the pastor to show his off tonight. Macguines and Marshal have been working really hard to memorize their verses, they worked on them a little bit on the way to Columbus today. Mason needs help with his verses, but he is also doing a great job.

The boys are also in the children's choir and they will be singing this Sunday. Keep your fingers crossed!
Drason has the rest of the week off, being that this is Spring break week for the boys, and I think we may go out of town for a few days.
Well that is enough mindless chatter for now,
Love you all bunches and hope to hear from you soon
Amanda

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Sunday School .....

I went to Sunday school today, and I didn't say much because we are new and I was kind of shy (hard to imagine, I know.)
We were talking about Joshua 23:11-16, disobedience and sin, and how easy it is to get into this.
Something that the teacher pointed out was that sin ensnares us in a sneaky way and I have used this same principal when teaching IOP groups.
1.When you are around sin constantly
2.You will eventually accept it
3. and end up defending it

Somehow we got onto the topic of having alcohol in our homes, and I heard several people say that they do not have alcohol in their homes as a way to show the world that they are different. One might think that this sort of thing would be right up my alley....
I kept wondering, when was the last time I had the world in my home? When I think about "the world", I think non Christians. I would have to say that the last time I had non-Christians in my home would have been last September?? at Macguines' birthday party? I don't really invite a whole lot of non-Christians into my home, so where do I meet people who need the Lord?

As I thought about this I remembered a past job I had where I was the only Christian working there, slowly, sneakily my own values ( caring for individuals, a burden for helping people) were eroded to match those of my co-workers. Then I thought of my present job, and realized I had to work today. I had to leave the morning service early so that I would be on time to work. A light bulb went off...

Instead of just refraining from the use of alcohol in our homes, or at the once a year Christmas party, how about not participating in the water cooler gossip, or being totally upfront and honest in all of our business dealings(even if the boss discourages this), or not allowing work to take precedence over our Lord.

Two examples come to mind about this: I had a lady in one of my groups (recovering from alcoholism) who told me she could not keep from going to bars because her boss and all of the popular crowd at work go to the bars afterwards and make business deals over their 5:00 drinks. I pointed out to her that by participating in this she was willing to risk sobriety and therefore her life.... and she still chose to go. She, as many of us do, seemed to define her values by a paycheck and what the popular crowd might think.

When we refuse to gossip, avoid the after work for drinks, stop participating in shady business dealings, or refuse work during Church times, we set ourselves apart (1 Peter 1:14-16 "As obedient children, do not fashion yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance, but as He who hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of living, because it is written: "Be ye holy, for I am holy." And 1Peter 2:9 "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.")

And we may not be a part of the popular crowd(Romans 8:17 "Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory")

But everything we have is a GIFT from God (James 1:16-17 "Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.")

The second example is something that a co-worker in my profession said to me, she said "You are right to be concerned, but if you don't do as you are instructed, you may be fired."

God has given me everything that I have, it is his to have, to take, to use, however he sees fit. My Boss is in Heaven, not here. How can I act in a way that displeases the pay check giver, rather than the pay check signer. (Matthew 6:26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?)

I hope that I have the courage to live in such a way, (everyday, not just at the once a year Christmas party)that people will see in me something worth living everyday for; that Christ is glorified and I am permitted to be a vessel filled with irresistible presence of the Lord, that the world will desire to have that same light within.

I had to tell my boss today that I won't be working during Church times anymore, and she was pretty understanding.

Love you all bunches and hope to hear from you soon,
Amanda

Friday, March 23, 2007

PRAISE GOD!

Thank you to everyone who has been praying for Grandma Keen. She seems to be doing well. I went to see her this morning and she has her doctors baffled, turns out they can not find any signs of the "quite possibly a major stroke" she suffered on Tuesday. Wonder why? Prayer is power! (Matthew 21:22 And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." )
I have to admit that with everyone being sick it is easy to allow myself to get down in the dumps.
I had one last praise come to my attention last night, that I wanted to share.
It is amazing to me how God works, I am still awed each time I see it.

Macguines, our oldest, has been attending AWANA's and he is proud of this, not at all shy, telling the people in his life about it. (He told the doctor earlier this week) Apparently he went to school and told his classmates about AWANA's and about how much fun he had there. He was just telling his buddies what a good time he had. A boy in his class has a grandmother who attends First Baptist Heath, and she told us that she had been inviting her grandson to AWANA's for quite some time, but he would never go. This boy happens to be in Macguines' class and his good friend, and went home from school and asked his grandma to take him to AWANA's because Macguines had told him it was so cool.
So on Wednesday we show up, late (long story see previous posts), but apparently on time for God's watch, because who do we run into in the parking lot but the boy and his grandma. He and Macguines were able to be on the same team/group because he came in with Macguines and they both had a really good time. All of this because Macguines told his classmate about how much fun he had.
I feel so blessed,God is good!
Love you all bunches and hope to hear from you soon,
Amanda

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Busy today....

We had a lot to do today. Mason got to go to the doctor today. I almost took him with Mac yesterday, but he insisted he was fine. This morning he woke up with 102* temperature and said "my ear is burning". Poor kid!
Macguines had baseball and Awana's tonight. He is doing well with baseball, he needs to learn how to field the ball a bit better, but he tries hard. He is also doing well with his Awana's verses (he is up to red jewel 2-whoo hoo)
Marshal is also doing well in Awana's (he is up to red jewel 1).
I was able to see Grandma today, she is in room 203 at LMH. She is still in the ICU, but I was able to sneak her in some flowers. Her favorites are daffodils and tulips. Since they are in season I thought a pretty bunch might cheer her up.
That's all for now,
Amanda

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Latest News

I just wasn't feeling up to the weather today, I felt off all day.
I had to take Mac to the doctor, he has an ear infection and it turns out I have a sinus infection. YUCK! I knew I should have called off work for tonight when I woke up this morning, but I didn't listen. One of these days ....
We found out around 4pm that Grandma Keen had a stroke( at about 9am) and that she will be admitted to LMH or possibly Mt. Carmel. I was supposed to be at work at 5pm, so I called off as soon as I found this out. I later learned that Grandpa had also been in the ER for chest pains. The doctors think that this may have been caused by the news that Grandma was being taken to the hospital and that although the symptoms looked like a heart arrhythmia, they were probably caused by an anxiety attack. We are not sure what effect, if any, the stroke has had on Grandma. Her doctors can't agree and they say it will be anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks before we know the full extent.
In light of all of this, we will not be going to Florida, with everyone in the hospital and not really knowing for how long, we think it is probably best if we hang around for awhile. The manatees aren't going anywhere. We had to break this to the kids and they took it pretty well.
Today has just been a long and exhausting day. It is hard to see positive things going on with everything else that has happened, but I will try.
Macguines is learning his verses for AWANA's he said 3 or 4 to the doctor today, kids just come out with it, wouldn't it be great if we were all like that! Dr. Hanna said hearing him quote the verses made her "heart smile" she said her kids had been in AWANA's when they were little and that he had made her day brighter :-)
Drason was able to set up all of his classes this quarter for the Internet, he was happy. He does well with these, I'm so proud of him, I'm not sure how he does it.
That's all for now,
Love you all bunches and hope to hear from you soon!
Amanda

Sunday, March 18, 2007

What to do.....

Something has been on my mind for awhile and I'm just not sure what to do with it.
Drason bought me a gift certificate to a recording studio for Christmas. When I asked him why he would do this, he said it had occurred to him and he knew I would finally record something if he did this.
Before we were married it was a dream of mine to record music professionally, I wasn't sure how to do that, but I went to school to try to learn. Long story short, I was in love with Drason, and very homesick, so I left before learning much. After the births of the kids I always considered that chapter of my life closed. Now I'm not so sure.
I began to sing again in church a few years ago. I really enjoyed it, I felt led to do this, and the people there seemed to enjoy it. Some of them told me things like "You should try to do this professionally" and I just dismissed them as being nice.
This past Christmas I was happy when I received Drason's gift, but also scared to death. I think that when things keep coming up there is a reason and you need to deal with them, so I feel like I need to try this, but I'm not really sure how to do it.
I have no music, no lyrics, just a few hours at a recording studio in Columbus that I need to use before December 31, 2007.
Ideas?

Friday, March 16, 2007

The Latest News

Ok, I'm going to bed right after this....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Drason is working for an industrial security company and he is basically responsible for about 1/3 of the state. We are still into the renaissance festival thing, and I have started making costumes. I hope that we can go back to Ravenwood for our anniversary this year. We have been married 8 years in April, time flies!
I am still working as a counselor, and I love it. I have started scrap booking, I think I should have started the day Macguines was born! At least I don't have an old TV box full of pictures sitting around, yet. We have started attending a new church and we like it there. They have some great evening Bible studies and even Grandpa has stopped by a fw times. (As usual he knew everyone there, you can't take him anywhere :-)

Macguines is 7, he is in first grade, and is doing very well in school. He is now taking Karate and Swimming Lessons at the YMCA, goes to AWANA's at First Baptist Heath and will be starting baseball this spring. He is super busy and it is a great outlet for his energy and talents.

Marshal is 5, he is in Kindergarten, he is also doing well in school. He is also taking swimming lessons at the YMCA, going to AWANA's and will start t-ball in the spring. Marshal is going to turn 6 in a few weeks, and he is really into Hotwheels and CareBears (odd combination, we know).
Mason is 4, he is in Pre School, he loves his bus driver, she is so nice to him.
This year for Christmas his class had a "gift of giving" project. The kids would do chores around the house to earn a quarter, then they take their quarters to school to donate to a project that they chose. It was really a neat idea. Mason helped with decorating, picked up his toys, and fed the cat, all told he earned about a dollar.
About a week later he comes home with a big packet of information, it turns out that the class raised so much money that they adopted a manatee.
Mason is now manatee obsessed! He wears a giant manatee that he made in school, all around the house. He tells us all about manatees, how they get hurt on boat propellers, how they eat only vegetables..... We started telling other people about this because we thought it was so cute, turns out there are a whole lot of manatee loving people (we think it might be a manatee conspiracy). If we can swing it we might take a trip to Florida and swim with the manatees later this year.
"Jason the cat" is still scared of the boys, we only see him after they have all gone to bed. Shelter cats are so nice, we love him anyways!
That's all for now
Love you all bunches and hope to hear from you soon!
Amanda, Drason, and Boys

What is a blog anyways?

Hi Everyone,
Some of you may be wondering to yourself, "Self, what the heck are they doing with a blog, and what exactly is a blog?"
Well, for those of you who are wondering, yes we do think we are totally cool enough that people will want to read our blog; however, that is not why we are doing this.
More and more our families keep saying to us, "We never see you." or "I didn't know that....." hopefully this blog site will help with that and will help us all keep in touch.
I guess what I'm getting at is a blog is a sort of like an open to everyone chat, and we hope that you not only find it enlightening (They have three kids???) but also a good way to keep in touch.
Feel free to post your own comments here and to let us know what is going on in your lives as well.
Love you bunches and hope to hear from you all soon!!!!
Amanda