Hangin' with Aunt 'Chelle - Japanese Style

Hanging with Aunt Michelle today in Greenville, SC...meeting the Rice Man, watching "fireworks" and eating with "pork chops".  Incredible Japanese Food - told Ella I felt like I ate twice as much as I really did - her response..."Me too Mommy.  I must go back to Aunt 'Chelle's now and take a rest."

Look forward to another fun day in Greenville tomorrow!

Tagged

Okay Ms. Nay...I guess I'm "IT" now.  Below are the rules:

These are the rules:

1) Link to the person who tagged you.

2) Post the rules on your blog.

3) Write 6 random things about yourself.

4) Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them.

5) Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.

6) Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

6 Random things even you may not know about me...

1.  I love to play Jacks...I Rule!  Don't know what it is about the challenge of bouncing a ball and picking up a hand full of Jacks before catching the ball again, but I love it.  Actually, I love competition - Spades, Dominos - whatever, it doesn't matter.  And yes...I love winning!

2.  I love pottery.  Especially pieces that are pretty but useful.  A great pottery vase and some fresh flowers can change my mood and perspective in a flash!

3.  Speaking of flash...I LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY!  You will rarely see me without a camera in hand.  I currently have 12,000+ photos of my beautiful girl, not to mention the many other subjects I love (flowers, anything outdoors, family, etc.).  Crazy I know...yes, over the top...but through my eyes every moment is an opportunity for the "perfect" pic.  

4.  Speaking of perfect..."Hi my name is Mandy and I'm a perfectionist"... and that's all I'm going to say about that.

5. My dream...land, cape code style house with wrap around porch, full finished basement (kitchen, bath, bedroom or two, and living area), floor plan that has an incredible flow for entertaining, in the mountains - overlooking a lake, in ground pool for the summer, lots of flowers, lots of fruit trees, large garden, huge kitchen table that seats at least 12, large kitchen with commercial stove and double ovens.  A place people desire to hang out at so that Keith and I can love on them, feed them, and even house them when there is a need.  You may not believe it, but I'd love to cook all day, can/freeze my own fruit & veggies, grow my own herbs, have my own pottery studio/photography studio/a large loom for weaving /killer craft room in general-Basically be Martha without all the public pressure and stress...Maybe someday!!  Seriously, Keith & I would love to have a home that is used for ministering to others and meeting not just emotional needs but the physical ones as well.

6.  DISC personality assessment - CD / Strengths Finder assessment - responsibility, significance, achiever, belief, relator.

No one left to tag...so I'm done now : )

Returning Soon to the Blogosphere!!

This blog is currently undergoing a face lift...soooo glad it needed one before I did :D  For those of you who have faithfully been checking my WAY out of date blog for updates, I will be re-entering the blogosphere soon.  Hope you enjoy!

The Exciting Winds of Change

Wow, the winds of change have been blowing in the Devine world lately and I couldn't be more excited than I am right now. As of October 14th (6 years to the date from our 1st official SonLight Fellowship service in 2001), it became official...Race City Church merged with Mosaic Church of Charlotte, NC. It has been a wonderful time of transition and relationship building. Incredibly, everyone at RCC has been excited about the merger and we have not had one single negative response. Outside of a couple of families that simply live too far away to travel to Mosaic (at exit 18) each week, everyone has made the transition - we have such an incredible church family! Why did we merge? So that we could be more effective at accomplishing the mission God has called us to for His Kingdom. With more people volunteering and greater resources, we can make more of difference in our area for Christ. What does RCC have to offer Mosaic? A heart for relationships, our deep family connection, and seasoned leadership. Our people have so much to offer, they all genuinely care for others, and they desire to make a difference for Christ. It doesn't get anymore real than this wonderful group of people.

What does all this mean for the Devine's? As of November 1st, Keith will be part of the Pastoral Staff of Mosaic. It's an awesome opportunity for him and he is excited to get started. We have already been so blessed by the relationships we are building at Mosaic - they have cared for us so well throughout this transition process and the way they have reached out to our RCC family has been incredible. We already feel like part of the family and that means so much to us!

As for me...I have the opporunity to focus on being my husband's wife and Ella's Mommy first and foremost, with waaay fewer distractions. I will be able to take the time to seek out where God would have me serve as a part of Mosaic and how I can be most effective for the Kingdom without being spread too thin. My prayer is that it means more peace, more productivity, and an opportunity to go deeper in my walk with Christ - on a personal level first and then as a part of the Mosaic family.

God confirmed this merger in our hearts and the hearts of those we have been working with at Mosaic in so many ways, one of which was to provide us a buyer for our building before we even put the building on the market. How huge!!! We close this Friday, November 2nd. Another huge confirmation was a prophecy given to Keith at a Wednesday morning prayer meeting with other local Pastors. A man visited that morning and gave several words of prophecy. He gave Keith a scripture...Ezekiel 37:15-28, you can read it here. This came in the midst of our discussions with Naeem and as we were praying for confirmation that this was the direction God would have us take RCC. Doesn't get anymore clear than that!

All I can say is, "Thank you God for your blessings and provision. Thank you for your direction. Thank you for your confirmation. Thank you for blessing our family (not just Keith, Ella, and I - our RCC family). Thank you for the lives that have been changed through this ministry and thank you for the lives that are going to be changed as we move forward. Here we are Lord...use us for your glory!"

BTW, you can read more about the merger here. Also, take time to check out my friend Andrea's blog about the merger here...It's called "Family" and it really blessed me!

Perspective...

Well this certainly has been an eventful month. First we celebrated Father's Day - a great but very busy weekend. Then we made plans to celebrate our 14th anniversary (Tuesday, June 26th) with a trip to Charleston for the week and a nice dinner out while my sister spent some quality time with Ella. As it often seems to be with great plans, we ran into a pretty big snag on Saturday the 23rd. Some friends came by to pick up our 4-wheeler (we had sold it to them). Keith pulled it out of the garage to help them load it and decided to run it down the street right in front of the house to make sure all systems were a go. Don't know how it happened because I was inside giving Ella a bath and our friends didn't see the whole thing either, but somehow Keith lost control of the ATV and had a face to face confrontation with the asphalt. He managed to get up, come inside and call me downstairs. I found him covered in blood, obviously needing stitches in his nose. Then, the questions started. What happened? What did I do? Why didn't Mandy come down when I called her? Sure signs of a head injury...(his second). Needless to say, I grabbed Ella out of the tub, threw some clothes on her and rushed him to the emergency room. BTW, outside of a slightly bent handle bar, the 4-wheeler made it through the accident just fine - which of course means that Keith took the brunt of the fall. His injuries included a broken nose with stitches in it, lots of bad looking road rash, a very sore right arm and shoulder with a possible fracture in his hand, bruised kidneys, and a head injury reflected by a large bruise on his forehead. So we spent the night in the hospital and settled in at home on Sunday for a week of recovery rather than a week of celebration in Charleston. I must say, it could have been so much worse than it was and after 14 years I'm pretty attached to my man, so I was just glad to have him here with me on our anniversary. Now we are in the process of recovery and praying that the lingering affects of the head injury and his other injuries will soon pass and he will be good as new! Keith's birthday is coming up on July 25th and hopefully we will be able to find some beach time to celebrate then.

It's amazing how a freak accident like this puts everything in perspective. I realize how blessed I am to have my husband by my side even for a moment. Even the things that we considered "big things" going on look so much smaller now from my viewpoint. You know, the Lord doesn't promise us tomorrow. He doesn't promise us that we will have our loved ones tomorrow. The only thing we can bank on is that we have this moment - right now - and what we do with it really does matter. Keith and I found a quote the other day that said, "What I do today is important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it." If I take a look at my life and put everything in perspective, are my priorites in line? Am I spending my time on the really valuable things in the this life? Am I loving and encouraging my spouse? Am I training up my child in the Lord? Am I operating as a light in the darkness of everyday life for others? Am I going about the busyness of the day...or am I going about God's business for me today?

What I know is I don't want to miss the truly important things of life...not a moment with my husband, my daughter, or my family...not a moment of God's plan for my life. I want to live the abundant life I have been given right here and right now. I want to experience the true joys of life rather than focusing on the minors!

We are So Blessed!

It's Father's Day...the day we honor the men in our lives for the love, support, and commitment they pour out on their children. I grew up with an incredible Dad who was always an integral part of my life. He's always been my hero & example - a man of character who walks in integrity and teaches His children to love and respond to the Lord. Of course, as most girls do, I desired to marry a man as much like my Dad as possible. Let me tell you...I believe the Lord placed that desire in me, and 14 years ago this month gave me the desire of my heart. While Keith and my Dad are very different in a lot of ways, they are so much alike in the things that really matter in this life - men who's lives belong to Christ, men of character, true to their word, walking in integrity, living out humility, taking responsibility for their mistakes, standing strong in the face of adversity, and standing firm in the midst of war waged by the enemy.

I am amazed as I watch my husband love and pour into our beautiful little girl. He is an incredible Dad and I know that one day she too will be looking to spend the rest of her life with a man like her father. I am even more amazed as I watch him love, pastor, and disciple the people God has placed his life.

They say, "If you want to know a man...really know who he is...ask His wife." I say, "you live with someone for 14 years and you know...really know who he is." Without question, my husband is a wonderful, loving husband and father, a faithful friend, a man of God, a wonderful teacher, a loving pastor, a great example of what it means to 'walk the walk', a humble servant leader, and a trustworthy partner in Christ!

So Keith, your girls say to you today...be encouraged, know that you are loved beyond measure, know that you are honored today for being all of these things and more. We love you, we stand with you, we lift up your arms, we praise God for you, and we celebrate you! We are so Blessed!!

Great Weekend!

This past weekend was great! There was a lot going on, but it was all so much fun. First, my sister came in on Friday night and stayed with us until Saturday. She wanted to practice some preschool assessments on Ella before she began doing them officially on Monday. It was really a neat thing to watch and I am proud to say that my girl is a pretty smart little cookie! She knew things I didn't realize she knew. We had a really good time with Michelle and wish she could of stayed longer.

Saturday was my niece Kaitlyn's High School graduation. My niece Jordyn had graduated the Thursday night before. Props to my girls for all their hard work! I can't wait to see where the Lord takes them from here. They are incredible young ladies. This week they are cruising to the Bahamas to celebrate. Hope they are having a blast! (btw, they were four when Keith & I got married - 14 years ago). Okay, I feel oollllddd. We enjoyed the graduation ceremony and the family time after.

Then Saturday night we went to a cookout at the home of some friends along with the other ladies from our Thursday morning bible study and their families. It was a blast. Tad & Leah Beth are great hosts. We ate some awesome food, played some kickball, talked and laughed. It was great!

Unbelievable! My girl is almost 2 years old

It's hard to believe I am already planning for Ella's 2nd birthday party. She is growing up so fast, and there is absolutely nothing she doesn't say at this point. We have decided to spend a couple days at a park in the area that has tons of great things for kids. We will camp with the grandparents (Keith's parents) on the lake 3 nights and, on Saturday, we have rented a shelter to have her official party. Everyone coming can plan a full family day if they want and meet us at the shelter for a lunch cookout and celebration. It is going to be so much fun for Ella and her friends. Train rides, a carosel, paddle boats, nature center, petting barn, aquarium, mini golf...you name it.

Fun! and the cost is minimal...

Street Bikes, Leather, and Weekend Rides

My husband and I spent some time this past month taking a look at our life together and realizing that we have come to a place over the last couple years where we have absolutely nothing that we enjoy doing together just for fun and, simply put, Keith & Mandy time. We do a lot of things together, but nothing just for the sheer enjoyment of it. He presented some options and asked what I thought (one of which I have always wanted to do). So, it looks like it's official...we are entering the world of street bikes, leather, and weekend rides. YES, a motorcycle...Sweet! We prayed for the Lord to provide us with something we could afford without going into debt for it. We have decided on a '82 Honda cb900custom (just like the one in the picture above)...it's an older bike, in great condition, low mileage, a good "first time" street bike for us. God has blessed us with a great bike at a great price. It's georgeous! And I must say, "My man really looks hot riding it!!"

I can't wait to get out and go riding with our friends!

Living Worship

I attended the Wednesday night Life Group held at the church tonight...we took a break from the Rooted Study to watch a video teaching by Louie Giglio on worship, "It's what we do" (you can view it here. GREAT Stuff!! What I got out of it: 1) We were all created to worship and will worship something or someone 2) Who & what we worship is not defined by what we say, but by the way we live ("we don't say to God our worship, we live to God our worship") 3)We are all great worshippers...the question, - What is the object of our worship? 4)If worship is determined by our walk, then we must take an honest look at the trail of our time, affection, emotion, investment, allegiance, devotion, belongings, etc. - at the end we find a throne with someone or something on it - Is that someone the God of the Universe? or myself, my family, my achievements, my goals, etc.?

What a great reminder and opportunity to evaluate my personal worship and move closer to becoming the "True Worshipper" God seeks. (John 4: 23-24) "someone who has the thing of ultimate value (God) in the center of their affections. Who, with their life, is a light declaring the greatness of God to a fallen world and living a lifestyle that will show that he is God in heaven and worthy of all praise." (Louie Giglio)

Question...What holds the place of highest value in your life? Take the time to honestly evaluate the trail to your life's throne, repent of any "little gods" you have placed on that throne rather than the only true and worthy God, pray and begin the process of making God the center of your affections.

Let's worship with our lives, not just our words!

Missing My Peeps, but so Happy for Them!

Tomorrow our dear friends, Alan & Tywonn Davidson, leave for a two week trip to Nairobi, Kenya. This trip marks the next exciting step in their journey to long term missions in Africa. We are so excited to see God opening so many doors for them. He has certainly shown himself strong!

That said, I've really been missing them lately - wishing we could get in some deck time - yet, I know God's plan for their lives is a great one and I am praying His blessing on them during this trip, their safety, and for wisdom and clear direction to come as they return and process their experience.

We love you guys so much!!

If only Life WERE a Beach...Minus the sand (of course)

Wednesday, Ella & I made the 4 hour drive to Charleston for a few days of play. My younger sister is graduating from her Masters program at the Citadel (Way to go Michelle). I am so proud of her! The ceremony isn't until Sunday afternoon, but there was no way I could pass up a couple extra days of fun in the sun. Kim (my older sister) and Harry left for a cruise to the Bahamas today, so Ella and I get the house to ourselves until Friday night when the rest of my family comes down.

So, back to the beach...I was laying on the beach today (Ella was napping) just thinking about how different it feels from the everyday grind. A great breeze, warm sun, the relaxation of listening to the waves breaking, the breathtaking beauty of it all. If only everyday life could be/feel like this! The only thing I would choose to lose is the sand, or at least it's annoying qualities (grit, stick-to-itiveness, etc.) My question...Why in the midst of all that beauty, relaxation, and soul comfort, would God use grit to top it off? Doesn't he realize that mothers of toddlers will be coming (mothers that really struggle with the feeling of sand)? Doesn't he know that those toddlers are going to dig themselves a hole, dive in head first, and come out saying "hold you Mommy"... a request no loving mother can possibly say "NO" to. Doesn't he know that Mommy is going to pick up the toddler, who feels like sandpaper, and rub herself raw as she proceeds toward the water to rinse them both off (an effort that goes very unappreciated by the toddler who often prefers sand to water). What was He thinking??

Seriously...we had a great time at the beach today, relaxed, played, jumped waves, began reading a new book (God's Favorite House by Tommy Tenney - so far, really good), ate lunch, napped, and more! Ella was fearless and loved the water and of course...the SAND. Me...water was great, sand - not so much! Really missed my hubby though and Ella talked about Daddy all day. Wish he were able to be here with us!

Have a great pic, but can't add it until I get home.