Fall-Colored Flowers

So it, again, has been a while, but I'm not apologizing...just stating the obvious. :) Last Friday Gary brought me flowers. They were so pretty, that I took pictures of them. You'll have to take a look.


Well...what's been happening...a lot. Stresses of work and church life have kind of overtaken us. But we're hanging in there. We're going home to San Antonio this weekend to visit my family. My aunt Katie and Uncle Gary and their girls are coming in from Seattle for Friday and Saturday, and it's been a while since we last saw them, so it will be lots of fun to spend time with all of them. I'm really excited about seeing little Mollie, too. I haven't seen my niece since July, and it's way past time we made our way there to see everyone.

We've been doing lots of stuff with our small group, in serving in different areas in the community. This past Monday, Gary and I went to what's called the "Bridges Apartment Ministry." Gary was in charge of a whole bunch of rowdy kids for a movie night. I spent some time with a few ladies in a cooking night. We made some healthy recipes and just chatted. It was an interesting evening. I think Gary was a little worn out at the end of the evening, but he was such a good sport.

Last week, at school, we recorded our Holiday CD for this upcoming holiday season. Yea - in October we were already singing about Hanukkah and Christmas...crazy, but that's how it goes. I'm really excited about the fact that Thanksgiving is just two weeks away. That means that I just have another week and a half to go until I get some time off. Yay! Well, I guess I'm taking tomorrow off to go to San Antonio, but Thanksgiving just is all warm and fuzzy. It's all good.

So, recently while I've been working out at our new gym, Fitness 19, they have individual TV screens on different cardio equipment. That's been my time to be connected to what's going on in the world. And I've chosen to "connect" to the Food Channel (hehe!!) and HG-TV. It's given me a lot of motivation to become more domestic...however, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is so weak. I'm just not confident in my cooking abilities...and don't have a whole lot of time right now. But one of these days, I'm going to become superwoman and find the time for all that fun stuff.

Hmm...what else can I say...my mind is blank, so I guess I'll call it quits for now. You can just enjoy looking at the flowers, as I did for a good week or so.

Gotta go pack for our trip to SA...yay!!

It's Inspiring

I just finished looking at an old friend's blog (Kristen Slaughter), and the way she wrote was so inspiring to me. It was so neat to see what they've been up to in the past three years, and I just skimmed over her blog, but saw some of the hard things in their life that she wrote about. More importantly, I saw the love she has for her husband and family. Each picture, each post was such an open book into her life and heart. Brought tears to my eyes. I only hope that my life and words can even touch the level of passion she has for the life that God has blessed her with.

Jennifer Light's blog is like that, too. I love looking at all the pictures she posts of her beautiful boys and their wonderful life there in Florida. Now that I think of it, so is Annie's, Janelle's, Rachel's, Paige's. I am such a cry-baby. When I see how much love is represented on these blogs, it just makes my heart overflow with love for the Lord of our lives. He is so amazingly beautifully creative. Praise You, Jesus, for the life that you bless us with. I love you, Lord.

I updated my music list (on the side), and encourage you - if you'd like a little chuckle - to click on "HypeMan" by TobyMac. So cute - it's his son doing some rapping. I'm not into rap - at all, but this is just too cute to pass up. Check it out.

School has been going well. I let my "Baby Girls" know how much I love them yet again today. They have probably been my best class yet - of beginning treble girls - in the five years I've been there. Every single one in there wants to be there, we always laugh and have fun, and they have a hard-working spirit. Not something that can be said of the girls that are typically in that class. Just today, before class got started, one of the girls (who could have the potential to be on the edge of having a bad attitude) brought in some words that she had written to a song that she has in her head. I was so excited that she would share something like that with me - because it shows her vulnerability to me (her authority) and shows that she is gaining trust with me. It was very personal for her, and she shared with me. It makes my heart swell when these girls entrust me with their oh-so-fragile emotions. I only hope that in taking these girls under my wings, they will see not me, but Christ in me.

Gary and I joined a gym last Friday. Great deal - less than $20 for the both of us! Pretty cool. So I went yesterday to work out after school and one of the personal trainers there did a short lower body workout with me.....I have never felt my calf muscles like I have all day today. But, as always, it's good to every once in a while have some remembrance of the muscles that God gave us to utilize. I only pray that I will be diligent to continue to work out on a regular basis. You really can't beat $20 per month for 2 people!

I've been thinking lately about the realization that in another year, Gary and I may not be living here...He'll be finished with school next August, which is when his internship at the church will be coming to a close. We don't know if they will be offering him a position at the church then, or not, but we're not depending on that (we're trying to be realistic, and not depend solely on one idea), and are thinking that there will be a huge chance of having to move somewhere else...don't know if I'm ready for that yet, or not...You can pray that God would give me peace in whatever He brings our way. This place (Spring/Houston, Northside Christian Church) has become my home. I love our church - they have truly become our family here, and it would be so extremely difficult to move away. I like to think that because I grew up in a military family, moving is in my blood, and it won't affect me like some people, but I have really come to absolutely love where we are right now. I pray that my life will reflect the scripture, "I have learned to be content in every circumstance..." Phil 4:something...Lord, give me comfort in facing the unknown...

We're also still trying for a little Luedecke...no news yet, however I assure you, you'll be one of the first to know (I can say that on this because I'll most likely be in communication with all the people who read this regularly...)

Anyway, that's it for now. Gotta go fold laundry...

The Past Couple of Weeks...

Wow - it's been quite a while since we've posted pictures on this blog. So sorry about that. I know that I always like to see pictures on other peoples' blogs, and I've been so bad at keeping up with that on ours...

Anyway, here's a little of what we've done in the past month or so...

On Friday, Sept 28, Gary and I went to an Astros baseball game. It was Craig Biggio's last weekend to play for the Astros before retiring, so we got a couple of pictures of him playing. We were all the way up in the view deck seats behind home plate, but our trusty little camera has a great zoom! The Astros were playing the Braves, and lost pretty badly that night...

Here he is at bat (above) and playing his Second Base position (below).

Recently, our youth minister Brandon asked Gary if he wanted to play on a church indoor-soccer team with some of the other ministers and some other guys from the church. Here's the group after their third game. Not all of the guys are there, but we haven't been able to get the whole team together yet. Gary's really loved it, and it's kind of helped him see how he needs to start getting back into shape. The team plays pretty well together, but just needs to get into better shape as a whole. :) It's great seeing all these guys in a different light now, and it's been great getting to hang out with all of their wives/girlfriends on the sidelines. I've gotten to know some other ladies from the church that I haven't had a chance to hang out much with until now.

There's Gary - ready for whatever comes his way!

Here they are getting ready to go out for the second half of the game. It's so fun watching a game that I've actually never known much about (even though it's, like, the most universally played game in the world...)

Here are some of the guys after their third game - all sweaty and stinky. They're not all here because we haven't been able to get the whole "team" together at a game yet. These guys lead busy lives, but the game has been so fun for all of them.

This past Tuesday, October 9, I conducted my choirs at our Fall Concert. It went really well, but I was most happy for the fact that it was finished. I had gotten tired of the music way before the concert, and it took every ounce of effort to continue teaching it day after day. I didn't do a very good job of programming this concert, unfortunately. My little girls sang an SSA version of "Wild Mountain Thyme" and an SA version of Moses Hogan's "Ev'ry Time I Feel the Spirit." My advanced women sang "La Violette" with a triangle and hand drum accompaniment as well as a choral arrangement of "Loveliest of Trees" by John Duke (beautiful melody!). I would have to say that the choirs all sounded really good that evening.




Just today, our small group participated in a service project that is known nationwide as "Meals on Wheels." Here's Gary putting the groceries in our car at the Northwest Assistance Ministries building before we drove out to the seven homes to deliver them to the shut-in elderly people. It was a very fulfilling day, and it's always good to get a perspective adjustment on what some people in this city are living in - complete hopelessness and loneliness. Many of the people had stories to tell and just wanted a listening ear. If I had the time to go and just sit with some of these people, I would spend all day with them. One man shared how his wife had just passed away in March, and he just wanted to go right along with her. I was only able to squeak out something like, "This food will give you physical sustenance, but only God's love will keep you going." ...and then we left...it was pretty heart-breaking, but I know that this food will be a blessing to these people.

Well, I think that's about it for now. So sorry that it's been so long since pictures, but you know how life can get...
Let me know what you think!! ~Krissy

Discipleship

So I have been thinking a whole lot on discipleship, particularly the role of the local church in making disciples of Christ. There are so many questions surrounding this question. What is a disciple, what does a disciple look like? Furthermore, how do we make a disciple? How do we measure whether one is growing into a disciple and where they are in their growth? I have been discussing this with one of my professors who has made this his very intent in the church he is leading.

I began this by asking myself this question: what is the end, the goal, of discipleship? What is it that I am trying to become by being a disciple? To me the answer is fairly simple. After all we are called to make disciples of Jesus Christ, and Ephesians 5:1 says to be imitators of God. Romans 8:29 says disciples are predestined to be conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ. Therefore, the end of discipleship is Jesus Christ. (Maybe a topic for another post, but I find it interesting that the end of discipleship is Christ, but quite similarly, Romans 10:4 says Christ is the end of the law)

So how do we make a disciple? That can be found in the Great Commission itself. We must: go, baptize, and teach everything Christ has commanded. It seems quite simple, but how easy is it to teach anyone everything that Christ commanded? There has to be some outside help for this one, which would explain why Christ told the apostles to wait until they received power from the Holy Spirit, and THEN they would be witnesses. We need to submit ourselves to the power of the Holy Spirit in order to truly make disciples. Let the Spirit work in our lives, so that He can work in their lives. However, we must also realize that this is a cyclical process. I consider myself a disciple. As a disciple, my job is to become like Christ. But this has to be in community because I must then help others begin to become like Christ. Therefore, we must continually be learning, going, baptizing, and teaching.

So how do you measure one's growth in this process of discipleship? How do you measure where one is at in this process? This is tricky. In order to truly observe someone, and to be able to measure their growth, you have to be close enough to them for them to be transparent with you. That can only happen if you are transparent with them. You can only measure someone's heart if they reveal it to you. I was told about an assessment that exists to this end. It is called the Christian Life Profile. It was developed by Randy Frazee, who was the pastor of Pantego Bible Church, but is now teaching minister at Willow Creek. It is a 120 question self assessment, but there are also 40 questions you give to three of your closest friends to assess you. This assessment will probably be best suited for a small group in which everyone has become transparent with each other. I like it, but I don't think it is the end all be all. I believe that this assessment, if administered to the leadership of a church once, and then again a year later, would be a great way for the church leadership to develop a well-suited way to measure growth in their own congregation.

The purpose of doing something like this is not to substitute for Biblical development of a disciple. We have gotten so far from understanding this that we need something to bring us back to it. The Christian Life Profile is a sort of step stool to get us back to where we can see the Biblical means for making disciples. In 1 Thessalonians 1&2, Paul says several times that the Thessalonians saw certain aspects of his life because he was among them. Is that not how we are to teach people, by example? It seems that it would make sense that only disciples can make other disciples.

So making disciples is the Great Commission. We must go (evangelize), baptize and teach (equip). Now Jesus said that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love our neighbor. It seems to me that making disciples incorporates these two commandments into one. Let's go make disciples! Only through Christ...Amen!

Books

So, as of lately, I've been on a reading kick. I devoured 4 books while on our vacation (3 of which were Francine Rivers), and just this past weekend, while I was sick with strep throat - I'm all better now! - I started and finished another of hers. I read Redeeming Love last summer, and that really stole my heart. She's just a really good author. I do have to say, though, that if I had read the one I read this past weekend first, I would not have been totally sold on her, like I was after reading Redeeming Love. The four books I read on vacation were: Elizabeth Clark Higgs' Thorn in my Heart, and then Francine Rivers' The Last Sin Eater, And the Shofar Blew, and Leota's Garden. The one I read of hers this past weekend was The Scarlet Thread. It was an interesting story, but I'm just not that into stories about women whose lives are completely falling apart because her husband is acting like a jerk, and she's too quiet and meek to communicate with him about what's happening. Then she discovers in the last third of the book that she's the one with the problem, and they realize that they both need to stop being so self-centered, and make God the center of their lives, and then everyone lives happily ever after... I read one of Karen Kingsbury's fiction novels, and that was the whole story - blah blah blah...
I realize that we all have problems, and yeah, life and marriage aren't always going to be grand, but I don't necessarily want to read about how another (completely fictional) couple can't communicate. I want to read about how God transforms peoples' lives, and about how they surrender their whole life to him. Leota's Garden was like that. I enjoyed Redeeming Love because it was a historical fiction in more recent times in America (mid-1800's) of the story of Hosea and his wife Gomer. So good!
Anyway, I've really enjoyed just losing myself in these books, and I hope to continue in this desire.
I also got quite a bit done on Gary's quilt this weekend. I almost have the top comletely done. Then, after that, it's just a matter of sandwiching the top, batting, and backing, and then quilting, and binding the completed blanket. It's been a long time in coming, also seeing as I messed up on one of the patterns, and had to rip out a whole bunch of seams and do lots more ironing. Needless to say, the quilt took the back burner for about a month, until I had the patience built up enough to pull it out and work on it again. Our quilting ministry's motto at Northside is "Not perfect, just forgiven..." That couldn't be more true. I can't wait for the time that I can finally post pictures of this (soon-to-be) beautiful quilt.

You know, I love coming to my blog because it gives me the chance to link up to the other blogs that our friends have. Seeing all of your blogs just gives me such happiness, and shows me just how amazingly blessed we are to have such wonderful friends with such beautiful families. I love to see how much you guys are adoring your beautiful babies (and older children) and how the Lord is working in and through you. I love to read the scriptures that God has laid on your hearts, and how He is working around and in you through His Word. Praise the Lord for His blessings on us!! What a wonderful God we serve!!

Thanks for reading!!
K