A City Life For Me

I haven't always made Easter a big celebration.  Usually on Easter we pull out our new spring church outfits.  We always have a nice ham dinner.  But otherwise, Resurrection Sunday is a busy ministry day for our family. Recognizing that celebrating Christ's resurrection is just as important, if not more important, than celebrating His birth, I have been trying to make an effort to make it a special family holiday.  Here are some things I am doing to accomplish this! Sometimes our family celebrates Easter on Monday, when we can focus on it after the minsitry at church is completed.  I spread a nice table with tablecloth and our special dishes. I make a special menu. Sometimes Ben puts together a rough cross and we nail our sins to it, as a visual picture of what Christ did on the cross.  Then we celebrate His resurrection, recognizing that He did not stay dead, but conquered death, the cross, and our sins.  This year we will do t...

On March 11, 2018 Elaine made a very important step in her spiritual growth.  It was an answer to a prayer I have been praying over the space of a couple of years.  Elaine asked to be baptized.  We had talked through baptism on several occasions, but always felt as if she didn’t understand completely, or as though her motives were wrong.  We didn’t push, but we prayed.  Elaine was in the Sunday morning service when Pastor Bickel announced an upcoming baptism.  She came to me and asked if she could be baptized.  We talked through things again and it was different this time.  Elaine called Pastor Bickel to talk to him.  He sent her a packet of information that she had to read and complete before she could be baptized.  It included a written testimony of salvation, and also several passages to look up and study to be sure that the picture and purpose of baptism was understood. Elaine completed her packet and submitted it to Pastor Bic...

Here are some resources and printables for you as you prepare for Resurrection Sunday! My friend MaryEllen shared 15 verses for the Resurrection, and she includes a free printable hymn art.  I love decorating my house with Scripture, so these kind of printables are right up my alley!  Read the post at Imperfect Homemaker HERE . Available in MaryEllen's store, you can get a beautiful printable set of Resurrection verses to use in family devotions, as well as a printable banner (my newest favorite in home decor  is changing out a banner with the season or holiday!), and three printable hymn arts.  Purchase it HERE . The Isaiah 53 study in the Busy Mama's series is excellent. Study the prophecy of Jesus as the Lamb of God.  You can purchase the PDF or paperback HERE .  You will finish after Easter if you start now, but it is still worth the time and effort! When I was studying Isaiah 53 through Doorposts two years ago, I created this picture ...

I, Andrea, take thee Ben, to be my wedded husband.   As the Church is in her relationship to Christ, so will I be to you. I will joyfully give you my life, and in confidence submit myself to your leadership, as to the Lord. I will live for you - loving you, obeying you, learning from you. I will always strengthen, help, comfort, and encourage you. Therefore, Ben, throughout my life, for better, for worse... for richer, for poorer... in sickness and in health... at home or abroad... I pledge you my life, as a loving, faithful, and obedient wife,  to have and to hold from this day forward, 'til death do us part. Happy {ten} year anniversary, Ben.  I still do.  

Four years ago we doubled our kiddos in one shot with the arrival of Liberty & Nehemiah.  I made it to 37 weeks and a day, but I was desperate for them to come long before 36 week (full term for twins!).  It was about 4 a.m. on Tuesday, April 30th (my only pregnancy which did not end on a Thursday) when my water broke and we started preparing to head to the hospital.  As soon as they had me checked into a room and an epidural in place, Liberty was born.  Nehemiah was pretty comfortable where he was, so it was 35 minutes before he arrived.  And yes, Liberty has already started telling him that she is older! The twins wanted macaroni and cheese for dinner (big surprise there!) and a trip to the Bronx Zoo.  It was also the Little League season opener so we went to the zoo after that.  Grandma and Grandpa came down from Massachusetts to go with us!  We rode the monorail for the first time to see the Wild Asian animals, and enjoyed several other e...

Something that we have been working toward for a while is Ben’s Ordination.  We knew that it would need to happen before we could start the church in the Bronx.  But how do you study for ordination while you’re traveling full time through 44 states over three years with five kids? Where do you find quiet when everyone is living in one hotel room space?  The Lord provided for that need when our family separated for the month of July this year.  The kids and I stayed with my parents in Colorado and Ben took some meetings in California on his own.  He spent a couple of weeks living in the library on university campuses.  I remember calling him one day during that time.  He said, “Except for the librarian, you’re the only person who has talked to me all day.  And the silence is  wonderful.”  {I was a little jealous!} Ben had to write a paper on the major doctrines of our faith, backing each statement up with Scripture.  He proofed th...

November 28th, 2016.  I don’t think I will ever forget that day.  Just two days shy of 35 months on the road, and we pulled into the driveway.  For the last time.  Deputation was done.  It was a long haul.  Not as long as many missionaries spend on deputation, but it taxed me to the limit. We started when the twins were but six months old, headed to Alabama to be appointed with Baptist World Mission.  Then I was pregnant with Henry while on the road, and we took only a six week break for his birth.  I have homeschool Elaine in Kindergarten, First Grade, and part of Second Grade.  I started Nolan in Kindergarten. Did not anticipate doing that. I potty trained Liberty at rest areas and in other people’s homes.  I tried to potty train Nehemiah, but we are still walking that road.  Most of deputation has had us with three in diapers, and me nursing at least one baby. We learned a lot of lessons.  We made cherished friendships....