Journey With Jen

Okay, I just gotta say that, well, this is MY blog and some times a person just has to gripe.  This would be one of those times.  So, if you would like, please feel free to skip to the next blog on your list.  It's okay.  Promise I'll never know and if I do find out, I won't hold it against ya! ;) I am tired of a lot of talk and so little action.  That is what it all boils down to.  I could stop there and be done because the rest of my paragraphs will just reiterate that sentence.  But, my mouth won't let me!  I am not perfect my any means.  I get mad.  I yell when I shouldn't.  A bad word will escape my mouth once in a while.  I like to stick my head in the sand and pretend things are peachy.  BUT, I have taught my kids some good things.  My kids know what it's like not to have it all, but they also know that there are others who would gladly trade them places.  I am a big believer in volunteering.  It is...

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;  therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into   his harvest.”  Matthew 9:37-38 There's a picture that comes to my head when I read Matthew 9.  Jesus went through many busy cities and villages.  He witnessed to many.  People were gathering and learning about God.  Jesus also healed many sick and broken people.  Blind men were allowed to see.  A mute was allowed to speak.  A girl was brought back to life.  So many people in need.  The ESV version describes it as people helpless like "sheep without a shepherd".  I love that description.  In so many ways, times haven't changed.  People are still scared and confused just like they were hundreds and thousands of years ago.  People are God's harvest.  And the harvest is plentiful!  But, we must do the work.  Our harvest i...

I know, I know....It's already July.  Always one step behind it seems like!  It's been so hot this month.  Yes, I do realize it's summer.  My husband reminds me of that.  But, when it says 100 degrees for weeks at a time ...honestly, I don't feel like doing much of anything.  Just being honest! ;D But, we did get to help out this month.  First of  all, the FFA  (Future Farmer's of America) had a fishing tournament in June.  We helped out and grilled hot dogs that day.  okay...okay... I was under a shade tree for a lot of it!  Kent was out there grilling hot dogs.  Kids and I helped with the serving and clean up.  It was soo hot! Just recently, we volunteered a couple nights at the rodeo.  We were selling 'day' sheets with the riders information on it.  Our profits were going towards the youth fund at church.  The kids loved it!  They have never been to the rodeo.  After our ...

Some of the youth of Phillips Chapel FWBC There's my daughter in the middle, Faith (red shirt) There's Luke in the red shirt There is Joey, red shirt (yes, I made my kids matchy-ies! LOL)   Wow, we are on our 5th month of service already!  I think that's wonderful.  We have really enjoyed it.  It's great to step out of our day to day and get involved with things bigger than you.  This month, I got with Darla from our church and we got the youth involved.  Darla is the lady that has been involved in a few of our month of service events.  She is great at stepping up and helping!  This time, we headed to one of our local nursing homes.   There we sang a few songs and then performed a puppet routine for the elderly. Several came up to us while we were putting things away and told how much they enjoyed it.   In just a few days, we will be out of school.  Woo-hoo!!  I...

2nd Annual Fishing Tournament for Children's Hospital Love to see my children serving others! The number of early entries doubled to 150 boats! All proceeds went to the Arkansas Children's Hospital. It was a great Friday the 13th!  I woke up from a NyQuil induced sleep to an upset stomach, stuffy nose, and achy all over.  But, I signed up to help and I was determined to go.  :)  So, a little more slowly than usually, I got ready to go.  Kent and I called in to work.  Kids got to miss school.  This is our second year to participate and we were all looking forward to it. God gave us a beautiful day.  A little cloudy, but no rain.  (which is good...I'm a bit of a wimp once the rain starts!)  The sun wasn't too hot.  Just a good day to serve others.  I love seeing my kids my put their gloves on and get to work.  :)  Very thankful for our church to provide this opportunity to give....

So Beautiful! The cheesy Easter picture! ;) Love those kids! Luke, Abby (my niece), Faith, and Joey The smell and beauty of a rose! The beauty of spring!  Flowers blooming!  Pollen making your eyes water.  Cool breeze with the windows open!  Again with my eyes watering.  Birds singing their own praises to God!  It is a beautiful time of year reminding us that we serve a risen Savior.  It is so easy to look at the majesty of our Lord.  "Yours, O Lord , is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory  and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours  is the kingdom, O Lord , and you are exalted as head above all." 1 Chronicles 29:11 I hope that you have a chance to enjoy this beautiful spring that God has given us.  I've been trying to get spring pictures of my kids for two weeks now and it keeps raining on the days I can.  But ~ even that I am th...

We donated 115 pounds of food with the help of friends! Luke walked this senior dog that is part wolf. Kent and Luke with sweet Teddybear! Joey with my favorite, Ike. Faith helped with giving them Heart worm Medicine. Today we did our March month of service project.  We headed to the Lone Pine Animal Shelter in Centerton.  It's a small, non-profit animal shelter that is run by volunteers.   This time, Kent came with us and we spent the morning together as a family giving animals the attention they need.  The first thing we did was get the animals out and walk them around this large field in front.  Faith and I got this German Shepard that was SO strong.  I think that he walked us.  Didn't even get a picture of him because I was being dragged across the field trying to control him! :)  Luke's dog got out of his collar, jumped over a fence, and ran back to the shelter! After that, Luke got that won...

Today we did our February month of service through Faith In Action. We went into Fayetteville, to a lady's home that is in her 70's. She has diabetes and well as some other issues. She loses her balance easily and cannot get down on the floor or high up to clean. So, another family, the Anderson's, joined mine today and went to help. (Thank you! Thank you!) Some of us worked outside raking up gumballs from her tree that she trips over. I worked inside and cleaned out her kitchen cabinets with a few helpers. She was very appreciative to the work that we did. We were only there until close to noon but in those short hours, we helped her living conditions. I couldn't help feeling disappointed today though. I was hoping to get a couple families to help us out today because we didn't know what we were getting into. After all, we've been talking about service in church for sometime now. So, I sent the e-mail asking for help a couple weeks ago. Then again, last week. I...

Today we went to LifeSource International in Fayetteville to volunteer. They help families of all ages. They have a summer camp in the summer for the kids. They have a food pantry for those in need. The first and third of every month, it is Senior Saturday. They had a young adult class from Trinity Church volunteering to cook in the kitchen today. So, they put us to work creating USDA bags for seniors. We made a line and got to work! We filled two carts full of bags that LifeSource could hand out. We filled two containers full of bags. Once we used all of the bags they could find, lunch was ready to be served. After a blessing over the food, we served food to the seniors that came out for lunch. So many of them come there week after week. (I also learned never to ask a senior how they are doing unless your prepared to hear about gout and the heart attack that might happen!! LOL) It was a good day. We ended today with a birthday party celebrating my niece, Abby. It seems unreal that sh...

I have really been thinking about service hood lately. We've discussed it in church and Sunday school several times lately. (God know's how to connect all those dots doesn't He??) Did you know that the word servant(s) is mentioned in the Bible 965 times in the King James Version? The words service and serve are mentioned 341 in the KJV. Maybe God is trying to tell us something. "For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another . For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ~ Galatians 5:13-14 "Even the Son of Man came not be served, but to serve ..." Matthew 20:28 & Mark 10:45 This isn't the first time that God has brought this to my attention. In 2009, my children and I set out to volunteer once a month a different organizations. This is a picture of the kids at the Veteran's Retirement Home. We did good for the fir...