Resonate... launched!

Has it really been 10 days since my last post? The past 10 days have been incredibly busy with preparations for launching Resonate, the new College & Young Adult Ministry at our church. This weekend has been full of activity, and now at the end of Sunday, I can look back in amazement at how things came together.

Last night we hosted a Chili Cookout for the group as a sort of celebration of the brand new class. We paired it with watching the OSU - Penn State game which was favorable for the majority of attendees... I think we only had 1 Penn State fan, and a couple of Red Sox fans who would have rather been watching that game! The night ended well past midnight, and no --- Dylan and Brooklyn were not there the entire time! We packed it all up, headed home, and set the alarms for a very early start.

The young adults are pretty used to going to the 11:00 service only, so this morning they were all in need of some good coffee to make it through the 9:00 am service. Community Coffee was the requested brew, but due to logistics issues, we had to settle for that which is provided in Bert's Cafe. Trust me, the day Community Coffee makes it up here to Ohio, there will much rejoicing in our household and by those friends of ours who have been introduced to CC's Dark Roast!

Between services, we got our room set up, and while putting the prayer request cards on the tables, I rather seriously said to one of my friends, "We'll probably only need these 2 front tables. I don't think we'll have that many people." To my surprise and delight, we needed 7 tables for the more than 30 people that came. The turnout was far more than any of us were expecting, and there were many who expressed an interest in getting plugged into a Small Group.

I could say so much more, but it's been a long weekend! Just know that God is working in this group and that we are just excited to be joining him where he is already working!

More to come later... but right now I'm planning to wrap up the evening. Mama doesn't do too well with less than 4 hours of sleep a night!

Direct Quote...

"Mom... When I'm an architect, I'm going to need some white wood and some brown wood... to build a tower for the hospital. Can we go get some? But not right now, Mom, because I'm not an architect yet."

~ Dylan, following a visit to Children's Hospital where he saw a very detailed architectural model of the hospital complex. Obviously, it was lacking a tower, and who knows, maybe someday he'll design and build them one.

Back to the Patch...

Our good friend Andrew came to visit us this past weekend, and we decided to head out to the Pumpkin Patch on Saturday morning. It was a beautiful day, and one of the only days lately to actually feel like autumn. The air was cool, crisp, and very slightly breezy... a perfect fall day!

For days leading up to our trip, Dylan was sure to remind us of last year's mishap at the pumpkin patch, and we're pleased to report that while the bees were plentiful, we ended up with no stings and no oversized lips! We did enjoy a hayride (while snacking on Kettle Corn... that stuff is so good!), a bonfire on which we roasted hot dogs, and of course, the arduous undertaking of selecting pumpkins from the patch --- 7 in total --- one for Mommy, one for Daddy, one for Dylan, one for Brooklyn, one for Riley, one for Unca Drew, and one that somehow just managed to get into the wheelbarrow! I guess they say you should always decorate in odd numbers, so maybe we're on the right track. The majority of them were small --- an important thing to note when paying by the pound!

Brooklyn was a little unsettled at first. After all, her only other trip to the pumpkin patch basically involved riding around in the sling all day, and I doubt that was very memorable for her. So she was hesitant at first, but after she decided that the patch looked like a field full of orange balls, she was fine... a busy body that ran Unca Drew all around the patch while Dylan and Brian picked out pumpkins and I went into the Country Market to look for pumpkin coffee. Eventually, we had to pry her out of the patch.

Somehow despite the constant movement of the two of them, we finally snapped a shot of them together.

And a bonus pic... from a return trip to the patch a couple of days later for some wonderful Amish cheese!

To see the more pictures from the patch, click here.

Apple Crisp...

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wed to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking successive autumns."

~ George Eliot

Apples... apples... apples... Once the air gets a bit chilly and it's time to pullout the turtle necks and sweaters, then it must also be time to crank up the warm oven and bake a nice, hot apple crisp!

Andrew, or Unca Drew as the children refer to him, is in town this weekend, and we're lazily catching up and enjoying the brisk autumn weather. So, last night we heated up the stove and popped an apple crisp in to enjoy after dinner. Comfort food... at its very best!

Apple Crisp

8 apples (I used a combination of Granny Smith and Gala Apples), peeled, cored, and sliced
2-3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 cup regular oats
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup butter, cut into small cubes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Toss sliced apples gently with 2-3 tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Place in prepared baking dish.

In another bowl, mix together flour, sugar, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Add to this mixture the melted butter. Stir until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over the top of the apples, and dot with cubed butter.

Bake for 50 minutes until crisp is lightly browned and apples are tender. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Last night, the only thing our apple crisp was lacking was a side of Bluebell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream!

Song --- 'Cause I am the Mom

Hey Moms... check out this video to get your day off to a laughing start.

Comedian Anita Renfroe has come up with the many things a mom says in a 24 hour period and set it to the tune of the William Tell Overture!




Hat tip to Carolyn McCulley at Solo Feminity for the drop dead funny find!

An ER kind of morning...

It's Monday, and as of this morning, my schedule was full of things to do to get ready for our friend Andrew who is coming up from Houston to visit this weekend. He took us up on our offer to enjoy fall in Ohio, and we're really excited to see him again.

But back to Monday... now those of you who have known me for a while may somewhat recall that prior to becoming a mother and homemaker, I was an engineer. I love math and science... there I admit it!! That is important to know because you will understand my reaction when Brian came down to the basement this morning and said "I think Brooklyn might have eaten a battery!"

My first thought was "You've got to be kidding me... how in the world did she get hold of a battery?"

Brian said something like "She was playing with this light thing, and I'm pretty sure there were 3 batteries in it. I pulled one out of her mouth, and I have one in my hand, but I can't find the third one. I think she ate it." Immediately, I went into Mommy/former-Chemical Engineer mode and thought of all the problems that might result from eating a battery. In the base case, water and electricity just never mix... and that includes a battery inside your throat!

So... we searched the house and couldn't find the 3rd battery. Not wanting to waste too much time, I loaded the kids in the car and drove off to Children's Hospital. We checked in and the nurses at the front desk seemed rather concerned, expressing their need to get us back to triage as soon as possible. We waited maybe only 45 seconds before they took us back. They got her vitals, ordered an x-ray, and sent us across the very short hall to Radiology.

In Radiology, we sat... and sat... and sat... and sat. Obviously, they were not as concerned as the folks in the ER. Eventually, they got us to the x-ray room and we pinned Brooklyn down. This took only 6 adults --- one to operate the x-ray, three to hold down Brooklyn, and two to occupy Dylan.

That done... we were told to wait out in the hallway for the results. Meanwhile, the ER nurses found us in the hallway and were freaked out by why this x-ray was taking so long. They rushed us back to one of the ER rooms and did a few more evaluations of Brooklyn.

By this time, the kids were way past done with the whole ER/Hospital thing, and they were starting to get really restless. So... we read a book about Madeline going to Texas... and sang some hymns... and Dylan prayed for Brooklyn... and we read some book about a pig... and then one about a tree... and then the resident came in.

"Mam... we've looked over the x-rays, and we can't find a battery inside your daughter. I think she's going to be just fine." Brooklyn looked up at him, reached up for him, and jumped in his lap. He picked her up and she hugged him... it was really precious. He asked me how she got a hold of a battery, and I recounted the story (again!). He said, "You know, I've heard about this happening before, but had never seen it up until last week. I had another baby come in who swallowed the same kind of battery, and it's giving him a lot of serious problems."

As it turns out, those ChE instincts were not entirely inaccurate. A battery is among one of the most dangerous things a child can swallow. The saliva in their mouth and esophagus can react with the battery, causing it to short. When this happens, it can actually heat up and burn through the esophagus. So... beware of the gadgets around your home and be thankful that you have to get the screwdriver out every time the batteries go out on one of your kid's toys!

Now... they're all down for a nap, and I'm on a mission to find that 3rd battery!

"Like a shepherd He tends His flock,

In His arm He will gather the lambs

And carry them in His bosom;

He will gently lead those that have young."

Isaiah 40:11

((( resonate )))

For the past several months, Brian and I, along with a team of wonderful young adults, have been working to begin a new ministry to the College & Young Adults at New Life. As a leadership team, we've been seeking the Lord for His vision and direction for this ministry, and after much prayer, thought, and hard work, we are almost ready to launch!

So...on Sunday, October 28th during the 9:00 hour, we will officially begin meeting as ((( resonate ))). Here's a glimpse into what we want to be all about...

((( resonate)))

WE EXIST to glorify God by pursuing Christ and proclaiming His renown in our generation and our world.

WE AIM to fulfill this calling

... through primary dependence on intentional prayer

... through engaging outreach to college students and young professionals

... through strategic fellowship events

... through regular exploration and application of God's Word

... through a zealous love for people, both locally and abroad

As a celebration of the beginning of this new ministry, we are also planning a Chili Cookout the night before we launch, and at this time, there are still many more things that need to be completed before that first class. As we cross your mind, we would appreciate your prayers

... that all obstacles to launching on the 28th will be removed or worked through

... that God would give Brian direction, energy, and insight as he begins to prepare the weekly lessons

... that those among us would awaken to God's glory and that their lives would reflect this

... that we would be a group who perseveres and endures for the sake of the Lord

By the way, the graphic above is just a "test" I've been working on. I'll post what becomes our official graphic later on... just for fun!

A New Pet Peeve...

when you discover the most delightful new blog and there is no feed detected! The use of subscriptions makes keeping up with several blogs much easier, so everyone should be obligated to provide one to their readers, right?!?