August 2003
Shelly's Perspective
 Nate
usually gets most of this space to share about what’s going on in ministry. This
month we decided that maybe you’d like to hear my perspective.
Oh, how good it is to be
home again! Getting to travel and live somewhere else for 2 months sounds really
good at first glance. But packing up and basically moving for 2 months is pretty
stressful and I often have to struggle with my attitude during that time.
The first 6 weeks of our
time in Colorado were pretty stressful for me, with Nate gone so much. But I
learned a lot from that time and have ideas about how to make that time less
stressful the next time around. God gave me some really good times with the kids
and often the simplest things that we did, like going to the park, were the ones
they enjoyed the most. I learned how to supervise 2 “non-swimmers” at the same
time, to always have the sand toys in the car, when the playground slides are
the hottest, and what toys and snacks to take along on a bike ride to keep the
kids happy.
The last two weeks were
very refreshing. We had meetings most every morning and night. In the evening we
took the kids until the speaker came up-it was fun to have them be a part of
worshipping the Lord and praising Him through song with us. I also got to attend
a women’s lunch one day. In the afternoons I was able to attend many seminars
while Nate stayed with the kids. These were very beneficial and
thought-provoking.
All-in-all, this is a
summer that I would definitely enjoy doing again. Ft. Collins is very
child-friendly and having a pool at the apartment complex was wonderful! It was
a great time for reconnecting with friends whom I don’t see often during the
school year.
I am looking forward to
our planning time this month. Our staff team will look a little different, with
some people having left and some new people joining us. I am also very excited
about getting back into the ladies’ Bible study at our church and forming closer
friendships with the women there. Through my 2 years in MOPS I have learned
that I need structure and accountability to maintain my study of the Bible. This
Bible study will provide all of that and will give the kids a great chance to
interact with some of their friends whom they normally only see on Sundays.
One thing that I have
wanted to do for a long time and have not seen much fruit with is to connect
with non-Christian women in the community and be able to share my faith with
them in a way that is meaningful to them. Will you please pray that this year
will see me have many of these opportunities? Initiating conversations with
strangers is not an easy thing for me, but I am finding that my children provide
an easy way into conversations with other moms at the playground. I am also
praying that some families will move into our neighborhood and that I will be
able to form friendships with those women.
I share Nate’s
excitement as he looks forward to taking on a new leadership role in running a
weekly meeting time for our leaders on campus. This role really has him
operating in his strengths and I look forward to watching him enjoy this new
role.
As you may have picked
up from the back side of this newsletter, (I know how many of you read about the
kids before you read the front—I do the same thing!) our Christmas proves to be
very eventful and exciting this year, with the birth of our third child. I will
spend some of the fall finding all of the baby clothes and bottles and making
baby food to freeze. Seeing how well Andrew and Lauren get along with each other
(usually!) makes me excited to be able to add another brother or sister to the
mix. So far the pregnancy has gone very well with no real sickness. I have felt
the baby move more often, with the first twinge at 12 weeks. And for those of
you who are hoping, no, I really don’t think it is twins. My doctor says that I
am the right size for my due date, so twins are highly doubtful!
Kids' Corner
Special Third
Edition!
Hi! I am the newest addition to this page.
I won’t be writing every month for a while, but I wanted to introduce
myself. Andrew and Lauren are excited about meeting me. They talk to me through
Mommy’s belly button. I will be making my big arrival around Christmas. The
doctor says I’m due Christmas Eve, but I haven’t decided yet when I should leave
this comfy place. Lauren will be my new roommate. I hear she’s pretty fun and
might try to keep me awake at night—I’ll show her how to keep someone awake!
Daddy and Mommy will be getting a picture of me soon. They are waiting to pick
out names until they see the picture. Now, should I cooperate, or not?! |
