Time to Celebrate

Sunday evening service of Easter weekend is the opportunity for  our young men to lead the services and put into practice all their hard work and skills.  The young men led singing, prayers, and delivered their gospel messages.  It was so touching to see these young men serving in the Lord's body.

Following worship some of the other groups showcased their talent including sign language, puppets, chorus and drama groups. At the end of the festivities the kids are awarded their plaques and evaluations from each of the events they competed in over the weekend.  

Each division awards a Gold, Silver, Bronze or Participant medal.  It's a great memento of their hard work and a good incentive for the following year.  Next up, I Samuel! 

Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.

Galatians 6:9

Sweet Faces

Easter Sunday, Leadership Training for Christ weekend, what could possibly make it any sweeter? Nursery duty with my baby girl.  

So sweet getting to read and play and love on these sweet faces.  I pulled out my phone to silence it and the little girls came to have their picture taken.  Even this little they love to smile at their own reflection, not much different than when mine were small and loved to smile at their reflection in Granny's mirrored compact. 

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 

I Corinthians 13:12

Sing Unto the Lord

The Church of Christ on McDermott Road where we attend brought 95 youth, grades 3rd-12th to participated in Leadership Training for Christ.  With so many great events to chose from, many of the kids are able to participate in multiple events. 

The video above is our 7th -12th grade chorus.  Abigail is center screen, front row. Thy sounded wonderful, I apologize that it isn't the best recording. 

If you've ever wondered why in the new testament God never included instruments in worship to Him, I think listening to this you will understand why.  Every parent in the room can pick out the beautiful sound of their child's voice, just like God know each of our voices.  The joy I get as a mom hearing one of my kids sing can't compare to the joy God must feel when He hears His children praising Him with the talent He gave them. I think that's why all New Testament examples of worship are singing and not playing.  

Sing and making melody with your heart to the Lord. Ephesians 5:19

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.  Colossians 3:16

Make Him Known

Each year at Leadership Training for Christ one of the other big events for our family has been Speech.  There are separate divisions for girls and guys.  The kids compete in their age bracket and with in their gender. If any of the young ladies are uncomfortable speaking with men in the audience the men are politely asked to wait outside. 

Each of the McDermott youth did a fantastic job!  Many of them have competed together for the last eight years.  It was great to see each of them in the audience encouraging each other. 

Mr. Cooner the gentleman in the top photo with the kids has been our speech coach for the last ten years and the kids adore him.  He works with Hope for Haiti's Children and I wouldn't be surprised to see some of these kids head that direction to do mission work with him. 

This year's LTC theme was 'Make Him Known' from the book of Acts referring to the great commission and the spreading of the gospel. 

“I have made you a light for the Gentiles, 

that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 13:47

Over 40,000 Church of Christ Youth Participate in LTC

While most families are up to their ears in ham-baking, spring dress shopping and basket filling, parents and youth workers are headed for an event to celebrate their skills in spreading the news of a resurrected Savior. 

Easter weekend marks the conventions of two major training programs for Churches of Christ youth in third to 12th grades. The two are Leadership Training for Christ (LTC), which primarily operates in the West and Southwest, and Lads to Leaders and Leaderettes, which operates in the Southeastern United States.

The programs events range from art to Bible quiz to scripture memorization to drama to sermon delivery — 18 main categories for Lads and 26 for LTC. Some events are completed before the conventions; but most are done over the three day weekend.  

And they are big!  The Christian Chronicle tallied participants as follows:  

Convention	Participants
Southeastern LTC in Mobile, Ala.	900
Southwest LTC in Phoenix	1,000
Great Plains LTC in Rogers, Ark.	2,500
Western LTC in San Jose, Calif.	300
Lads to Leaders in Orlando, Fla.	2,064
Lads to Leaders in Atlanta	2,783
Lads to Leaders in Indianapolis	1,384
Midwest LTC in Indianapolis	1,000
Heart of America LTC in Kansas City, Mo.	1,200
Eastern Region LTC in Charlotte, N.C.	389
Lads to Leaders in Nashville, Tenn.	9,987
Lads to Leaders in Memphis, Tenn.	1,892
Central Texas LTC in Houston	1,500
Lads to Leaders in Dallas	918
North Texas LTC in Dallas	12,000
LTC Northwest Region in Richland, Wash.	400
	40,217

Friday night kicks off with the pre-Convention events.  Abigail completed the requirements for Teaching Challenge; Outreach Challenge; Leadership Challenge; Daily Devotional Challenge; and Service Challenge, earning a Gold in each of these events.  Tonight she competed as an individual and as a team member in Bible Bowl.  

Events will continue over the next two days.  The youth have spent months developing skills they can use to minister in the Lord's body and in the community.  I can't imagine a better time to apply those skills than the weekend when the world stop to recognize the risen Savior! 

How can a young person stay on the path of purity?

    By living according to your word.

I seek you with all my heart;

    do not let me stray from your commands.

I have hidden your word in my heart

    that I might not sin against you.

Psalm 119:9-11

Chargers Grab the Lead

The CHANT Chargers defeated Greenhill 14-11 today after taking the lead late in the game. The game was tied at four with Chargers batting in the top of the sixth when Sarah Durham doubled off of #9, driving in two runs.

Hailey went 4-for-4 at the plate, including a home run in the fourth.

We scored four runs in the eighth inning including a double by Hailey, and a single by Heather and Abigail. 

Abigail player second base for the entire game and you can see her just behind the pitcher in the two picture on the bottom row.  I filmed one of her at bats, my apologies for the audio sometimes I get excited and forget I'm filming!  The wind was crazy today and the balls kept getting a lot of hang time giving the opponent plenty of time to catch the ball! 

After the game the team went out for rolled ice cream to celebrate their hard fought victory! 

Let love and faithfulness never leave you;

bind them around your neck,

write them on the tablet of your heart.

Then you will win favor and a good name

in the sight of God and man.

Proverbs 3:3-4

Picnics and Play Time

After several weeks of busyness we took off a few hours today to play! We met up with church friends at the park for a sack lunch and play time. 

The kids were some of the sweet kids that Abigail enjoys babysitting or as one of them calls it, his 'Abigail Date Night.' 

The older kids played a little baseball while Frankie and the younger boys hung out on the play ground equipment.  Later we all met up at the picnic tables for lunch and a couple of card games. 

Those who trust in their riches will fall,

    but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.

Proverbs 11:28

Canning Barbacoa Beef

Our family are big fans of Chipotle's Barbacoa Beef.  We love it on their salads, burritos and bowls.  Today I found a copy cat recipe for Mexican favorite. 

I had two four pound round bottom roasts in the freezer. With my Instant Pot I can cook them from frozen to shredded and falling apart in 90 minutes. 

Working with (1) four pound roast at a time, I added:

5 cloves garlic

1/2 medium onion

1 lime, juice

2-4 tbsp chiptoles in adobo sauce

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp ground oregano

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 cup water

2 1/2 teaspoons Morton Canning and Pickling Salt

black pepper

1 tsp oil

Place garlic, onion, lime juice, cumin, oregano, chipotles, cloves and water in a blender and puree until smooth.  I set the Instant Pot for meat at 90 minutes. Once cooked and the meat is tender, remove the meat and place in a dish. Shred with two forks, and reserve the liquid for later.

Because I was working with two roasts, I shredded the first and added it to the 6-Quart Crock Pot to keep warm while the second roast was cooking.  When all the meat was cooked and shredded, I strained the juice and placed the meat into sterilized Ball Pint Jars with 3/4" inch head space, remove air bubbles, put on heated lids and caps, process for 75 minutes in a Pressure Canner at 10 pounds of pressure.

These jars are now shelf stable for three years.  I can open a jar, heat and make street tacos, burritos, stuffed baked potato, or a taco salad!  

For He satisfies the thirsty

and fills the hungry with good things.

Psalms 107:9 

Canned Seasoned Hamburger Meat

I like to keep food on hand that can transition to quick and easy meals. I've learned that about a pound of meat fits into a pint jar.  

I like to watch for a sale on high quality lean beef.  Today I purchased about eight pounds of beef.  To it I added two pounds of pork sausage, two chopped onions, two chopped bell peppers, one cup of banana peppers, six cloves of garlic, fresh cilantro, and fresh dill.  

I seasoned the meat with Morton Canning and Pickling Salt and pepper, but no other spices. This way the meat could be used in enchiladas, spaghetti, chili, tacos, etc.  I drain the fat off the meat before packing it into jars and then pack into sterilized jars, seal and  process in Pressure Canner at 10# pressure for 75 minutes (for pints).  General health guidelines say this canned ground hamburger will have a shelf life of 3-5 year.  I prepared ten Ball Pint Jars and this will probably last us a couple of months. 

the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand while the meat was being boiled and would plunge the fork into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot. Whatever the fork brought up the priest would take for himself.  I Samuel 2:13-14

A Little Testing

Every once in a while we try to squeeze in a little school! Today the girl got to see the PSAT 10. She will take the actual PSAT in October of her junior year but because we home school she hasn't seen standardized test.  Abigail joined a few other home school friends at the testing facility. I guess if you're going through three hours of torture you might as well do it with a buddy! 

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. James 1:2-3