Hangin' with Our Peeps

What happens at Metro Relief stays at Metro Relief, or gets posted to Facebook, my blog or random social media.  The best part of the blog is sharing our ordinary days with our family who are all in other states. 

Jon's mom often hears the stories of the friends we've made at the pantry and today I took a few pictures just for her!  This is Che' with Abigail, he is the Overcomers Director and a great guy.  After I took one photo, he said one more and then he kissed her forehead.  I was so tickled, I didn't even notice her reaction until I uploaded them to my laptop.    

Caleb, out back! 

Abigail is probably the youngest regular volunteer at the pantry and she and Caleb get special treatment when we volunteer.  Lots of great people looking out for the kids while I finish up paperwork in the office.  

The photo in the lower left corner is a group of about 15 volunteers from today having lunch today after the pantry closed.  Some help with the pantry and others work exclusively with the bus ministry, others work on fund raising and donations.  Many hands make light work. 

The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry

Proverbs 10:3

A Little Volunteer Work & Good Friends

Another busy Monday, the best part about today was that Caleb didn't have to work so he was able to join us for five hours at Metro Relief.  The pantry and bus ministry have been shutdown for the past two weeks allowing volunteers some time off.  The week before the shut down we served 118 families through the pantry, I was really concerned about how busy today would be with some of our guests unable to get help with their food. 

We served about 45 families today, we'll see more through the week on Wednesday and Thursday.  Fortunately several donors came through with some of the pantries biggest needs, toiletries and canned meats! It was great to be back at the pantry with our friends! 

Later in the day, the kids ran over to Ms. Ramona's to say good bye to her foreign exchange student, Ali.  Ali has been here the entire school year and has attended church with us.  She heads back to Italy tomorrow, we're sad to see her go.  Caleb took her an American and Texas flag back in her luggage! 

Tonight was also Teen Bible Study for the PEACH youth.  They are now going through the Answers in Genesis' Demolishing Strongholds DVD series.   

So every one of the people cut down his bundle and following Abimelech put it against the stronghold, and they set the stronghold on fire over them  Judges 9:49

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

Today we visited a church in Arlington because we knew we couldn't make it from Plano to Mansfield for Abigail's tournament by eleven this morning.  As it turned out, we had plenty of time.  When we arrived at the tournament the schedules were running thirty minutes behind, then an hour behind, and finally after sitting for two hours the tournament was cancelled.  

Sissy, Caleb and I brought books with us, knowing we would have time to kill while Abigail and Jon and the rest of the team warmed up.  So the three of us sat comfortably in the cafe reading while Jon and Abigail were bored, bored, bored!  

She looks well to the ways of her household

    and does not eat the bread of idleness.

28 

Her children rise up and call her blessed;

    her husband also, and he praises her:

Proverbs 31:27-28

Softball Tournament at Big League Dreams

Another weekend of tournament games!  Abigail's Frisco Fusion played in two games and have two more games tomorrow, if they win their bracket they will advance to another one or two games.  

Realistically because her Frisco Fusion are newly formed tournament league they are still learning to play together.  Most of the team is still getting acclimated to the higher level of play, but who knows maybe they'll advance.

This weekends tournament is at Big League Dreams in Mansfield, Texas.  This field has replica fields to big league stadiums, a round indoor club house that over looks the fields, stadium seating and practice indoor field house! 

During the first game Abigail played second base but she was much more comfortable behind home plate on the second game.  

Ball games pic up again tomorrow at 11 am! 

Hanging Out at Hawaiian Falls

Hooray, our first day of no school, no VBS, no church camp, no work, and no Metro Relief!!!  So we enjoyed the benefits of our family passes at Hawaiian Falls.  This was the first day that Caleb actually got to hang out in the lazy river and ride down slides!  

Notice what we are snacking on, yep, that's some of that yummy cotton candy.  Caleb said it would be inappropriate to snack on cotton candy while working but every day he comes home talking about how good it smells.  Caleb even comes home smelling like sugary goodness.

Tonight Abigail does have batting practice, and Caleb ended up mowing for three of his regular customers, but for four hours we were carefree and in no hurry!!! 

For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;

    my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.  Psalm 32:4

VBS Moses: Night 4

Big finale night!  The Israelites are packing up and heading out of Egypt!!!  

But wait what is that, it's Pharaoh and he has now lost his son, his slaves, his kingdom and he is mad!  He is headed to get those slaves back!  

The Israelites panic but God is faithful and raises the Red Sea allowing every Hebrew to cross on dry land.  When the pillar moves the Egyptians follow only to have the walls of the Red Sea fall in on them.  

We finish up with great celebration by the Israelites, and a final big production song with the entire cast.  

After the play the cast were available in the education building to have pictures taken with the kids.  

For tonight, Abigail and I both played the part of Egyptian sorcerers, and Caleb was a member of Pharaoh's army that charged the Israelites across the Red Sea.
Tonight's story was taken from Exodus 12:33 - 15:18 

VBS Moses: Night 3

Our story continues tonight with Moses returning to Egypt and meeting up with Aaron the two of them delivered the message to the elders that God was going to deliver them.

Tonight's play ran through all ten plagues ending in Pharaoh agreeing to release the Isrealites.  This evening Abigail played the role of one of Pharaoh's sorcerers who duplicated the staff to a snake trick.  Caleb was a giant frog during second plague.  I was a back up singer as we went through the musical numbers including, "There's lots of blood in the N - I - L - E," sung to the "It's lots of fun at the Y.M.C.A." Village People song. 

The singing ability and voice quality in our congregation is incredible!  In my wildest dreams I sound like that when I sing, but the truth is, the back up vocals were recorded and I stood on stage and lip synced!! 

Tonight's story is taken from Exodus 4:29 - 11:10 and 12:29-32  

VBS Moses: Night 2

Tonight's story picked up with Moses being 40 years old having grown up in Pharaoh's palace.   Caleb was the Egyptian Task Master whom Pharaoh interrupts beating a Hebrew slave, then Moses killed Caleb and buried him in the sand.  

Pharaoh of course issues a decree that Moses must be killed for his treachery.  Moses then flees to Midian where he meets Jethro and his seven daughters.  Abigail and I played the part of two of Jethro's daughters, but not Zipporah.  

Jethro gives Moses his daughter Zipporah in marriage and by the close of Night 2, Moses is eighty years old and speaks to a burning bush! 

Caleb worked today, and got off work in time to shower and head to VBS.  I know he is looking forward to a chance to catch up on some sleep but I don't think his first day off isn't until Thursday.  

Tonight story was taken from Exodus 2:11 - 4:31

VBS Moses: Night 1

Things never slow down, it doesn't matter that less than 24 hours ago the kids just got in from a ten hour bus ride; or that Abigail has spent the afternoon in a softball tournament; or that Caleb has spent the afternoon working at Hawaiian Falls.  Today was the first day or our Vacation Bible School musical production.  

I finished writing the script back in February and then Ms. Jennifer adds these amazing songs.  Each night has four to five songs with popular music like the Disney movie Frozen's 'Let it Snow' with the lyric changed to 'Let us Go,' to be sung by the Israelites.  

On top of that we have wonderfully talented ladies who take care of our backdrops and costumes!  It is so much fun to see everyone's hard work.  We began tonight's story with the telling of the Pharaoh who knew nothing of Joseph or what he had done for Egypt.  Next we moved into the decree to kill each male Hebrew child, leading to Miriam hiding Moses then Pharaoh's daughter finding him in the Nile.  

In tonight's production Caleb played an Egyptian Task Master, Abigail was hungry crocodile in the Nile River and I was Moses' mother Jocabed.  Sissy was in the audience with her favorite four year old class; and Jon, well he was taking pictures of all the fun!  

Tonight's story was taken from Exodus 1:1 - 2:10

Back to Reality: Softball Tournament in Garland

After a wonderful week at church camp, the kids are back to reality.  For Caleb, reality means that he is spending the afternoon spinning cotton candy at Hawaiian Falls.  For Abigail, reality means her first tournament softball game in Garland with her select Frisco Fusion softball team.  

They both had a rather rude awakening after spending eight days in the mountains with cool fifty-five degree temperatures to the one-hundred degree temps plus added humidity.  Abigail suffered some pretty sever leg cramps adjusting to the much hotter temperature, plus wearing all the catchers protective gear.  

Her team didn't win this weekend but with being a newly formed team, hopefully they will begin to gel quickly and start having some wins!  Besides, the next tournament is only a week away! 

I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with.  Ecclesiastes 3:10