Disney Trip

This post has been sitting in my drafts folder because I lacked pictures to share with you all.  Brandon and Kaitlin were the only ones to take their cameras, I didn't want to have that added responsibility on top of 8 kids in a crowd.  Anyway...thanks to the Lord's provision we were able to take a trip to Disney World the last part of May.  It was one of the best family trips we've ever had!  With 5 days in the parks there wasn't much any rest happening but the memories we have are priceless!  Absolutely priceless!  Enjoy the pictures!!!

All the kids with Lightning McQueen and Mater.

Silas did this when anything was amazing to him.  We called it the "Thrill Factor".

Brandon and Kaitlin took pictures everyday we headed to a new park.  They'll love me for this one.

Silas thought I needed to wear his hat while we waited in line for It's  Small World.

Simeon's hat gained all kinds of attention even the people in the Disney Gift Shops asked where we bought his hat...Wal Mart.  lol.

Adeline and Brandon on Dumbo.  We waited longer in line for this ride than any other.  Crazy!

2nd longest wait was for the Toy Story ride and it was great!  Very interactive and lots of fun.  Even the wait to go in was all decorated like we were toys in a kids bedroom.  An hispanic lady in line in front of us took to Silas because he understood Spanish and share her popcorn with him.  

 

A little, make that big....

...request.  Let's see how do I go about requesting prayer for something while being very vague about it without raising curiosity?  Hmmm, well, if there is a way I can't think of it right now.  So I'm going to stop trying to figure it out and just have out with it.  There are some overwhelming trials in my life for which I need faithful intercessory prayer.  

I can't share any specifics.  The fact that the trials continue on and on, seemingly without any reprieve, is becoming extraordinarily taxing!  I think  believe that I need to call upon those of you who are prayer warriors for me and my family to intercede often on our behalf.  

Please pray:

1. That God would remove the trials completely but if He chooses not to that He would give me the strength to endure.  I am growing very weary in this spiritual battle!  
2. That I would be able to get some good sleep.  I wake up many, many, many times throughout each night.  And have not felt rested for several years now.  
3. That I would know and feel God's love for me through these trials.  
4. And especially that my hope, which is very lacking right now, would be rekindled to a burning fire.      

Thanks in advance for your prayers!

Debbie 

Thoughts from our hearts to yours...

from all your little B's on this special Mother's Day.  And such sweet thoughts they are that grace the pages of a memory book dedicated by each one of my children to me, their mommy!

"I wanna cuddle" is what Silas thinks of and I'm so glad because his cuddles are just the best!

Simeon thinks I'm very pretty and he regularly tells me that so it was no surprise to read his thoughts.

From our eating fiend (Isabel) came these thoughts, "I think she's the bestest because she gives me snacks."

Nehemiah thinks I'm kind because I make delicious food and clean their clothes. :-)

I am "...Everything." to Adeline.  WOW.

Beth recalled things I have done for her to help her... and for taking her shopping.  She is pretty fun to shop with.

Kaitlin also noted some things I've done to encourage her.

While Brandon, among other things, thanked me for enduring his weirdness.  I guess it's my lot in life.  haha.

Things I've done because I love my children, things I've done because I want to have fun with them, things I've done for them because I want to be a good mother, and even things I've done while I've been discouraged and grumbled and complained wondering if anyone notices my sacrifices as a mother all come to the forefront of my mind as I read through these special book!

No doubt they've noticed the good and the bad.  And I'm so thankful that they sought to be a blessing to me this Mother's Day.  Since Brandon will be headed to college this fall this year was my last with all my children at home to celebrate with me.  It helps me to know that even though I fail...often...I have done something in my children's lives to impact them for good and to show them I love them.

One of those precious memories of motherhood...these two were watching TV and decided to fall asleep on each other.    

    

Results of Prayer

For the Cajiuat family the Monday after Thanksgiving was the beginning of a life no one would ask for.  As they headed out in two cars to Christmas shop no doubt their minds were filled with the special gifts they could get for each other.

Plans quickly changed when 17 year old Joshua attempted to cross the road and was t-boned by another vehicle.  He sustained major injuries including brain trauma and a shattered pelvis.  His little brother, in the car with him, had minor injuries in comparison.  They were cut out of the car and Joshua was airlifted to the hospital.

We, along with countless others, began right away to pray for Joshua.  We watched as God answered one prayer after another.  Tears fill our eyes as we read updates written by his dad.  Each letter always having a specific prayer request and a specific praise.  Though we would not wish this on them again we are thankful for the testimony they have kept throughout all this time it has been an encouragement and a rebuke.  I doubt I would have been so faithful in glorifying the Lord.  

Brandon and Joshua have been friends for several years.

Tuesday we were able to see them all and as always they were a blessing.  We never fail to laugh out heads off when we are with them.  And we are always sharpened from their walk with the Lord.  Joshua still has a ways to go in his recovery and I'm sure they would appreciate your prayers.  If you have facebook you can join the Praying for Josh Cajiuat and family page or visit Joshua's Caring Bridge

   The last time we were together it was just Brandon and Josh who were teens.  This time there was 5.

Josh is an extraordinary young man as evidenced when he took some time to play air hockey with Simeon.

Youth Award's Banquet 2010

Those of you who follow my blog will remember that we used SIGMA in Uruguay.  The program we modeled ours from is the one featured in the blog.

Every year in the Spring Emmanuel Baptist Church holds their Youth Awards Banquet.  The youth staff decides upon a theme and later goes to work to transform the gym into an entirely different place.  In years past the gym became an ocean bottom, castle court, winter wonderland and this year it was a large cave complete with hanging boulders and bridges, water falls and spiders, and hidden treasure.  

The young people all attend in formal attire.  The ladies always wear formal gowns while the young men are now taking to donning tuxes.  When we knew we would be in the area for the banquet we decided to start looking for a dress for Kaitlin.  We got this at a Goodwill for $6!  The shawl was $12.  I made her necklace around the medallion that my step mom gave her for Christmas.  Her necklace was about the same.  Brandon's suit was decidedly more expensive but we were also getting him set up for college, so technically it was a twofer.  :-)

Kaitlin and Brandon looked so nice!

Kaitlin with some of the other young ladies.

The Nu Delta team giving out their teams character award.  In years past it has been individuals this year it was the team as a whole.  You can see the stage area decorations.

Kaitlin's team won.

This is the team Brandon was on.

I think this picture turned our better than the serious ones.

Here are more pictures of the decorations...

Happy BIrthday Nehemiah

Today is Nehemiah's 8th birthday.  It's hard to believe it was that long ago that I was trying to ignore contractions while I headed up my last Sarah's Daughter meeting as President.

I'll never forget Scott flooring the car on the way to the hospital when he discovered I was having contractions every 3 minutes.  And we were still 45 minutes out.

Nor how God providentially had him born in water so his shorter and wrapped umbilical cord would not cause him any harm at birth.

How can we forget the strong and powerful voice God has blessed our second son with.  Someday he will use it for something...we hope!  It was a blessing to hear him use it for the Lord the other night in church as he sang Jesus Loves Me.

He is a blessing to us and we are ever so thankful for our 5th child.

Civilization

These past couple months our family had the blessing of staying in a very nice home in the South Carolina piedmont (foothills).  The friend of friends made the home available to us.  It certainly was nice to have the space to spread out - Extreme Homemaker style!  The Lord really amazes us with the special ways He cares for our needs and beyond.

Since the house was out in the foothills and on Lake Keowee we enjoyed the beautiful scenery.  A golf course hole was also near the house so we had many laughs at the golfers expense.  No doubt we could not have golfed any better.

Today we "moved out" of that house into a mission house nearby and we are once again enjoying the favor of the Lord.  He is always so good to us!!!  And with that move we are back in civilization, and all it's glorious modern technological advances.  AKA, internet!  You should be hearing more from me again. Hopefully that's a good thing.

When I Grow Up

Our little Simeon is turning 5 this weekend.  He is still such a little guy it’s hard to comprehend that he is already 5.    

I realize, in stating that, that I missed blogging that Kaitlin and Bethany turned 15 and 12, respectively.  Kaitlin was out of town for her birthday.  So we drove over to see her and take her out for her birthday dinner.  Bethany had to wait for Kaitlin and Brandon to get back with us so they could babysit while we took her out to dinner.  

It sure is enjoyable to have the selection again of restaurants.  I’m thankful Simeon’s choice is cheap.

It has been a relief to celebrate their birthdays here in the states.  The ability to find quality toys or gifts at reasonable prices is the biggest plus.  Of course, the variety is great, and we haven’t even gone to Toys R Us...yet!  

My online time is still limited so I’ll close this celebration blog about Simeon with one of his funnies.  

“Daddy, when I grow up and become a Scott and Kere n becomes a Debbie and we have a little boy we are going to name him Simeon.”

Later he had a similar conversation with me saying that he was going to name his son Simeon.  I responded with, “Oh, a Simeon Junior, how nice.”  To which he responded with the same thing he said to Scott.  

This continues to make everyone laugh much to Simeon’s dismay as he doesn’t understand the funny part.  Someday he will.  I hope he forgives me for this blog. :-)

The Potter's Wheel

I have had good intentions to blog but really have not had the opportunity.  As I write I’m without internet, so I find myself wondering what was it that I last blogged about?  I recall blogging about a furlough meeting, but now I wonder, “Did I really blog that or just think I needed to.”  

Oh, well!  I guess I’ll find out when I get online again, and post this blog.  :-)

The Lord has really been working in my heart the past few weeks.  I do not always appreciate the pressure He has applies as He molds me into the image of Jesus Christ.  It is never easy to be thankful through trials, heartaches, fears, frustrations, and even the results or consequences of our own sin!  Is it?  

I wish I could even say that I am always thankful when He allows me a little glimpse of what He is making me to be.  I can say I’m thankful for His mercy, and lovingkindness as He patiently works with this often hardened lump of clay.  

As I have pondered the work of the Lord in my life and heart lately, the words of the song The Potter’s House have come to mind, almost daily.  I heard this song for the first time during a Sara’s Daughters couples retreat while we were at Ambassador.   

The sounds are so familiar I’ve heard them before

There’ve been days before today, I’ve walked through this same door.

The crushing of the hardened clay, the grinding of the wheel

And out behind the potter’s house there is always the field, always the field

The field is such a sad place all covered with gloom

The vessels who are thrown there n’er see flowers bloom

They fought against the potter and rejected His wheel

Now there’s no place left to put them but out in the field, out in the field.

Make me again precious Lord, I understand

That the Potter Who works with me, toils with nail scarred hands.

Here I am, take me Lord, place me on your wheel,

I’ll gladly stay inside the potter’s house, to stay out of his field, out of his field.

Thanks to the Lord, for taking us to Israel, I have a clear image of the potter’s field which sits outside the walls of the lower city of David.  It is a barren and worthless plot of land.  Nothing about it is appealing.  Sitting on a part of the field is the cliff where, tradition says, Judas Iscariot took his own life after betraying Jesus.  

It is such a sad place!  Why would we choose to be there, when we could sit at the Saviors feet and worship Him?  Why would we choose the hardships and pain of walking apart from Christ, with nothing to show for it afterwards but being thrown into the potter’s field; when we, instead, could choose to allow ourselves to be molded by the nail scarred hands of the One Who died for us?  I don’t know why we choose it, but sadly, we do.

As believers we need to make the choice, daily, or every moment, to place ourselves into the hands of Jesus.  We must yield our will to Him or we mar what Christ is attempting to make of us.  

Pliable.  Flexible.  Supple.  Yielded. Surrendered.  Submissive.  Compliant. Obedient.  Are all words that show us how we need to be on His wheel.   

Do you know that if you have not yet trusted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior you are walking apart from Him?  You have rejected His wheel and there is no place for you in Heaven.  What a shame it would be if you are reading this blog, as an unbeliever, to choose not to place your life into His hands by agreeing with God about your sin and asking His forgiveness!  Will you reject the free gift of salvation being held out to you right now?  Or will you believe that Christ died and rose again, conquering death... for you!!!

He wants to make a masterpiece out of us.  We merely need to trust Him as He molds and shapes us on His wheel.    

Gantt Street

Our relationship as missionaries with Gantt Street began several years ago during Bible College.  Scott had stayed faithful to the course of school but he still had about a 1 1/2 of studies to go because he was limited by finances and no regular work.  

That particular summer he had felt it was necessary to do some summer school even though that meant he wouldn't have money saved up for the fall semester.  Though there was some trepidation over this we always had the money when we needed it, and so, believed it would be no different that time.  Little did we know that Scott was about to become the beneficiary of a scholarship.  

Not only did this scholarship come from Gantt Street but a commitment to prayer.  We added them to our prayer letter list (Yes, we even sent those out in Bible college.) and they saw first hand the blessing their gift was to us.  

Six years ago we were in their missions conference and were blessed again.  I'm not sure when they picked us for support but they have been faithful to our family.  They have encouraged us in word and in prayer.  So it was a blessing to be back "home" with them this past Sunday.  And just like family everyone remarked about how much our children had grown.   

Our presentation was not shown because we had a hard time with the sound.  Something about their system being wireless.  (Don't ask me, I just put the display up. :-)  So they listened to a brief 5 minute report from Scott.  Then later Scott gave the DVD to Pastor so he could see the presentation later.