Superbowl

No,  I am not referring to the Superbowl in February! The Word of Life ministry that our church is taking part in has an event for the Youth in November named "Superbowl". Nope, I don't know exactly why but I know the groups we have taken enjoy the event. Usually it is a basketball game (it has been both pro and college basketball) followed by lots of pizza,games and a speaker that shares the Gospel with the students. 

So last Friday, November 9, we headed off to Liberty University for this year's Superbowl. This event was headed up by our new Youth Ministry Team (thanks to Peggy, Bruce, Darrell and Deborah for chaperoning this event!). Our family just went along to enjoy the event and we were able to get the girls back before so late (the rest of the group got home between 1 and 2 am!!)

Remember, I said it is usually a basketball game. Well, this year it was ice hockey. Brent and I had been to a hockey game before but our girls had not. I was a little surprised-both were really interested in what was going on and not scared a bit even when two separate players hit the glass right in front of us (sure am glad that glass was sturdy!)

We even got a chance to catch up with some of our friends who are college students at Liberty. Thanks for coming by to visit with us for a little bit!
                             

After the game, we headed to the student center for the pizza and rally. Our girls were winding down by then, so we headed out around the time the speaker began to talk. We did hear that two of the guests our youth brought chose to believe in Jesus. What awesome news!

We had a great time at Superbowl and enjoyed hanging out with our FMBC youth!

                            
                                   " Let no one look down on your youthfulness,
                                                           but rather  in speech, 
                                                      conduct, love, faith and  purity, 
                                            show yourself an example of those who believe."
                                                                    1 Timothy 4:12

     

Happy Birthday, Brent

On Thursday, November 8, Brent celebrated his birthday!  

Brent enjoying his birthday cupcake

 We were blessed to be able to go out on a date, just the two of us, for his birthday. One of our college students, Kaitlin, had offered to keep our girls for us for Pastor Appreciation Month. Our girls love visiting with Kaitlin, Debbie and Tom.  Our FMBC deacons had given Brent a gift card to Ruby Tuesdays for Pastor Appreciation Month as well. Thank you all!

Birthday date night

 We headed to Ruby Tuesdays up in Waynesboro. Brent has a friend from seminary, who is a bi-vocational pastor in Grottoes and also works at Ruby Tuesdays. Brent didn't know if he would be working, but he was, and actually we were able to sit to his section. Brent and I enjoyed hearing all about his family, his church in Grottoes and their new home. 

Pastor Mark and Pastor Brent

                                                 

One of his favorite things

After we picked up the girls from the Doreys', we headed home and gave Brent his gifts. Rachel is holding our gift card "tree" made with the girls' hands. It was made to give Brent one of his gifts, his gift card to Shreckhise Shubbery. Little did we know that he may have to apply it toward a new evergreen for the front yard. We got home Saturday and found one of our evergreen trees, just planted this spring, had been plowed over and uprooted by a roving deer!

Happy Birthday, Brent! We Love You Very Much! We are so thankful for you as the head of our family and are blessed by you daily!

                               “Blessed  is the man who trusts in the Lord,
                                            And whose hope is the Lord.
                                           For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,
                                             Which spreads out its roots by the river,
                                           And will not fear when heat comes;
                                              But its leaf will be green,
                                And will not be anxious in the year of drought,
                                           Nor will cease from yielding fruit."                                                                                                                   Jeremiah 17:7-8

One Year

On Sunday, November 4th, we celebrated ONE year at Faith Mountain Baptist Church. We are so blessed to have been here this past year and looking forward to all God is going to do in the future of His Church here. We thank God for each of our church family and the opportunity to serve with you!

                                        

Brent preaching God's Word at FMBC

Our family, November 4, 2012

We thank God for how He has worked in each of us, in our family as a whole and through His plan for our family in this past year. We thank Him also for blessing us and His faithful provision for our family!

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."                           Ephesians 3:20-21
                        

Faith Mountain Baptist Fall Festival

  Saturday, November 3rd, we held our Children's Fall Festival at Faith Mountain. We had both indoor and outdoor activities for the kids. Inside, we had crafts, cupcake walk, and pumpkin carving done by Brent while sharing the Gospel using the pumpkin for illustration.
Outside, we had musical hay bales (a variation of musical chairs), inflatables and a hay ride.

 We gathered together in the sanctuary to begin, divided the kids into groups and off we went!

Brent shared the Gospel with each group of children as they came through his station. Using a pumpkin and carving while he talked (talk about multitasking!), he talked about when God comes into our lives, God Himself cleans out what is messy within us (thoughts, actions, habits that don't honor Jesus now that we are His) and gives us eyes and a heart for the people around us who don't know Jesus. Using the pumpkin, he also placed a candle inside the pumpkin and talked with the kids about how God as He changes us He will be seen working in our lives as that candle is seen shining out from within the pumpkin.
 Matthew 5:14-16 says "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

 

 

 During craft time, the children made a fall picture frame. Or in Rebekah's case, she used the leaves as a fan. Thanks to Savanna for helping her during this event!

 When we headed outside, our first station was Musical Hay Bales. This is like musical chairs except as hay bales are removed when the music stops, all the participants must fit on fewer and fewer hay bales. This goes all the way down to one hay bale for the entire group at the end.

Our whole group on one hay bale!

 Next it was wagon ride time. This was a favorite of a lot of our groups.

 Then on to the inflatables...

 Finally we finished up at the cupcake walk and refreshment station. Rebekah was the first winner of the cupcake walk in the younger group. She proceeded to polish off her entire cupcake and the bottom of 2 other cupcakes (sorry, this mommy was only giving her one cupcake's worth of icing!) Rachel won a cupcake and then decided she wanted cotton candy instead. Yes, there were cupcakes, cotton candy, sno-cones and popcorn to choose from (or eat one of each!)

Can you say sugar rush ?!

Brent enjoying a sno-cone

Balloon time

Our view for the final hayride

                            

Thanks to our Events Team for planning this great event. Our girls had a blast! Looking forward to this being an annual event!

Supper with Friends

Last Friday evening, we finally got a chance to have some new friends over for supper. Brent and Matt meet with a Pastor's group for prayer a couple times each month and Molly and I got a chance to meet at a Pastor's Appreciation Dinner hosted by our local Gideons a little over a month ago. We talked about getting together then, but you know how life tends to get busy! We finally just picked a time and it worked out that the Coiners were available to come over. I was looking forward to this since we actually live close to each other, are both in ministry and have children close in age.

Matt and Hannah with Rebekah and Rachel

 I didn't get very many pictures because we were all visiting and playing with the girls. My girls enjoyed playing with Mrs. Molly and Hannah liked to sit with me as long as I kept reading her the "squeaky" book. Brent and Matt enjoyed talking about their journeys in ministry to where each is serving now.
Matt, Molly and Hannah, we had a great time with you! We look forward to getting together again soon!

Matt, Molly and Hannah with our girls

  

Pumpkin Patch

 Last Saturday, we spent most of the day just relaxing at home and visiting with Uncle Jason and Aunt Brittany. We did head out in the afternoon for just a little while for two special events. On Thursday, when we got home we had received an invitation on our door to Trunk or Treat at Vesuvius Baptist Church on Saturday afternoon. None of our family had ever been to a Trunk or Treat before so we headed there on Saturday afternoon. Vesuvius Baptist is the church where our friends, Matt, Molly and Hannah Coiner serve, so we got a chance to see them while we were there too.

Rachel saying Hi to Baby Hannah

Sound asleep

Trying to climb in the trunk to pick her piece of candy!

Rachel thought Trunk or Treat was really neat and she got a really nice treat bag and lots of candy to fill it. Our littlest pumpkin slept through all the fun. Aunt Brittany, who is studying to be a dentist, thought it was awesome that they gave out a toothbrush and toothpaste to the kids as well with their candy. 

Thanks, Matt and Molly, for the invitation! Trunk or Treat was a lot of fun!

After we left Trunk or Treat, we headed down Route 56 to the Pumpkin Patch. This was a neat pumpkin patch in that the pumpkins were still in the field, instead of already being picked and some of them were still on the vine so you could pick one yourself too.

Uncle Jason, Aunt Brittany and the girls

The girls with the one little pumpkin we picked

 Thanks, Uncle Jason, for hanging in there on the curvy mountain roads! Thank you, Aunt Brittany, for all you did to help me get both girls looking in the same direction (at the camera) so I could get a few pictures! That doesn't happen very often!
We had a great Saturday with you!

Happy Fall to All!