Holy Week

Here I am again, needing to catch you all up on a few weeks of happenings. A lot can happen in a week. Holy Week was one of those weeks.

Monday was our friend, Liz's funeral. I was honored to have the opportunity to dance. It's a really awesome story, so you'll have to bear with me. On Wednesday, the week prior, the day before she passed away, I was driving to the gym with the kids. I was praying for Liz and her family. All of a sudden I had this thought about dancing at her funeral. (We'd been told by hospice that she would probably not make it through the week.) I was just having this conversation with God thinking about what song I would dance to. See, I ministered through dance a lot on our mission trip to Costa Rica with Liz in '06. She often asked me to dance specials as part of worship, and she was really encouraging and supportive of me using that gift for the Lord. The song "I Can Only Imagine" came to mind. It was the song that I danced to the most in Costa Rica, and it also is the perfect song for a homegoing celebration because it ponders what we will do when we are in the presence of God in heaven for the first time. As I was thinking about this, I felt like it was the perfect selection. THEN that very song came on the radio. It was a newer version that Mercy Me released not too long ago and it is so triumphant with added orchestration. I immediately started crying and thanking God for such a sweet and prompt confirmation of what He'd been stirring inside me.

Fast forward to Thursday. We found out that she'd passed. I decided to email her mom, Marian, to tell her what happened on Wednesday, and offer up the possibility of me dancing to honor my friend. I knew she'd be swamped with calls and emails. I didn't expect her to get back to me quickly. I didn't hear anything back, but I knew that it was in God's hands to arrange for it to happen or not. I didn't want to bother Marian or put any undue pressure on her. I could always dance in her honor to that song another day, if it wasn't to happen for her funeral.

Saturday, I worked all morning at our MOMC Consignment sale. (I made more money off this sale than the other two I've sold stuff in! Woohoo!) As I was loading up to leave, I got a text from one of Liz's best friends, Carol, who used to go to our church, and who also went to CR with us. Her text said how excited she was that I was going to dance and that I needed to call her. I was really excited, but a little confused since I had never heard back from Marian.

So, I called Carol. We figured out that Marian must have not emailed me until earlier that day when I was already at the sale. She said that they had talked about having me dance while she and another friend, Lisa, sang "I Can Only Imagine." This was BEFORE they ever got my email!!! She said that when she saw the email that Marian had forwarded her, she went to tears too. That song was the only one Liz had requested by name for her service. Carol, Lisa and Marian had all agreed that they should sing and I should dance, but they just got so caught up in the preparations, that they forgot to get back to me after I emailed.

Well, it all worked out. They sang, and I danced, and it was an honor. Maybe the thought of dancing in church is odd to you, let alone the thought of dancing at a funeral. But I can tell you that it is a sincere form of worship, and it was a way to honor my friend.

Wednesday we prepared for our church's Passover Seder Dinner. It's the first time we've ever hosted one. We have a family in the church that is VERY educated in the Hebrew movement, and they coordinated it. I cooked two massive roasts for the feast and also helped lead the dancing. We danced the "Hine Ma Tov" and the "Kadosh." We had practice Wednesday night for that, as well as practice for Easter Sunday (which I was also dancing for).

Thursday was the actual Seder Dinner. It was fantastic. We learned so much about the Jewish traditions, and why they do what they do at the meal, and what everything symbollized. It was a wonderful way to celebrate Passover.

Friday was another funeral. One of our fellow worship team members' mother passed away. So, I attended that service as well. Later that night we took the kids to their first movie in the theater, RIO. So cute! When we got out the rain started. And there was a tornado warning. And a tornado was spotted north of Cave Springs.

Saturday, we had a 9:30am birthday party at Chuck E Cheese for one of the kids' MDO classmates, and then swimming lessons at the gym. I had to go to Walmart at 7am to get a gift, since I'd put it off. I ended up sitting under the gas station canopy for 20 mins while one of about 10 ridiculous storms blew through. SIDEWAYS RAIN. It was a tiring morning. The kids have been asking to go back to Chuck E Cheese everyday since. Oy!

Sunday, EASTER! Still raining. All day. We had a lovely service. I danced to "In Christ Alone." Went to some friends' house afterward for Easter dinner and indoor egg hunt. Also got to see Tangled. Cute! Got home about 4pm exhausted.

That was Holy Week. Very holy and very full and very emotional in many ways. I hope that you and yours enjoyed a fantastic Easter.

I Can Only Imagine

Liz Jones

November 24, 1963-April 14, 2011

Today, a very special friend of ours, Liz Jones, went to be with Jesus. We attended church with Liz for 8 1/2 years, served with her on various outreach projects, a mission trip to Costa Rica, and alongside and under her leadership on the worship team. But perhaps the most wonderful experience we had with Liz was watching her show the love of Jesus by living a life of missions every single day. It wasn't just on "the mission field" abroad. It was in our community, in our church, in her prison ministry, through her gift of music, and through her life experiences that gave her special grace and understanding.

Liz was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002. She underwent treatment, and it went into remission. In 2009 it was discovered that the cancer had metastasized to her liver. She began a very harsh course of chemo treatment again. Eventually, she decided that she could not endure the ravages to her body caused by the chemo, and discontinued treatment. Earlier in March of this year, she began to have headaches and it was discovered that she had several tumors on her brain. She was unable to undergo anymore treatment, and from that point on, her conditions quickly progressed. Hospice was called in, and they assured that she was kept comfortable, and her final days were peaceful and pain free.

Liz loved to talk and quickly befriended anyone. She was known for striking up a conversation about Jesus or giving an invitation to church or a ministry event to just about anyone: the cashier at Sam's, the cab driver, a person standing in line with her...anyone. She loved all things Latino and spoke Spanish fluently. She had attended language school in Costa Rica and served in missions there for several years, as well as being a part of many missions teams to various countries.

Liz had the gift of music...abundantly. She led our worship team, played piano, drums, marimba, guitar...and probably some other instruments of which I'm not even aware! And she could sing. She led coutless people into the throne room through her heartfelt worship.

Liz had the gift of prayer. She loved to pray for people. Even when she was going through her last round of chemo, that hit her the hardest, she came to worship practice and spent about 30 minutes praying for each of us on the team. She was a great intercessor. In her last days of being coherent, she was getting regular speech jumbled, but she would quote scripture perfectly...it was hidden so deeply in her heart.

I appreciate Liz so much for the love and encouragement she showed to me. She didn't have a husband or children, but she treated everyone like family. She prayed some of the most beautiful prayers over my children, for which I will always be grateful. She made everyone around her feel special and loved.

Liz's greatest legacy is the strength, courage, and faith that she showed even in the most discouraging of circumstances. I believe that our witness is powerful in good times, but even more profound in seasons of hardship. I know that the question of why a loving God allows suffering, especially to good people, is a stumbling block for many. My understanding is that suffering is a natural consequence of the rebellion of Adam and Eve, a natural consequence of the fall of Lucifer because of his pride, because he is the source of all evil. It is also a way for our character to be developped so that we can have gratitude for all our blessings, something that allows us to relate to others in similar situations to bring them comfort and encouragement, and something that makes us realize that we truly have need of a Savior because this world is not really our home.

I have been blessed to have had very little death to deal with in my life. Liz is the closest friend that I've ever lost. I am deeply saddened, and yet also deeply joyful because I know that she is in the presence of our Lord. I am completely confident of this. Watching her live well and finish well makes me want to do the same. I pray that my legacy brings glory to God the way hers has.

A Few other Pics

Some of you may have seen my post on facebook last week regarding making banana bread with the kids. We had a little "lesson" with our banana bread project. Talked about all kinds of stuff while we stirred it up. Ingredients, colors, wet and dry, counted eggs, bananas, cups and teaspoons, even talked about how it goes from being mushy liquid batter to solid bread in the oven when it gets baked. We had fun!

These pictures are from a philanthropy project that my Moms of Multiples Club is doing this Spring. We have donated copies of a book on healthy multiple pregnancy to all the NW Arkansas area libraries. The kids and I have made a few of the drops.

Springdale Public Library with the Children's Librarian, Ms. Trudy and the Young Adult Coordinator, Ms. Sharon

Bella Vista Library with their Director Ms. Joni

Birthday Pics

Here are the bday pics I've been promising! Some are from the party and some are from our trip to Leonardo's! Enjoy!

Alec had to try on his Spidey outfit asap!

Emma was excited about the Dora toy...just not about the picture.

Post cupcake attack!

Kylie turned 7 on St. Patty's Day. We celebrated with her too.

Alec's Spiderman cake/cupcakes.

Emma's Dora cake and cupcakes

Leonardo's Adventure Quest

The Three Musketeers

Coming across a little suspension bridge...I think she looks like she's doing Irish step dancing.

I think she looks like such a big kid in the picture.

POOP!

I realize that you are all still anxiously awaiting birthday pictures...and I will eventually get them uploaded, but I had to just tell you that both of my children have POOPED IN THE POTTY last week and this week! This is major! Emma went on her birthday, then used a pull up on Tuesday, and then I got gutsy and didn't give her one on Wednesday to see if she would run to the potty or poop on the floor. Luckily,she ran to the potty. Alec has been doing well too. We are so stoked, because it's looking like we almost have this potty training thing conquered...except for night time...but that will come eventually.

I have to tag for consignment sale. Everything has to be done by Thursday, and until I get this done there will be no time for waiting for the pics to upload. I promise they will get here...soon.

THREE!

While I'm not prepared to complete this post right at this minute, I do want to at least pop on here and give a brief rundown of what went on this weekend. Friday, after Aaron got home from work, we drove to Mimi's house in Enid. We spent the weekend with her, Papa James, Aunt Chrissy, cousin Kylie and Nana Joan.

Saturday, we went to Leonardo's...and this time we got to do the outdoor Adventure Quest. SO FUN! There is a HUGE castle with mazes, bridges, stairs, slides and all sorts of stuff, a sand pit, and playgrounds. We all had a blast. We did the indoor stuff too...they had a moving air exhibit that the kids loved.

the time we finished at Leonardo's, it was after 4pm, waaaay past naptime. But we went ahead and took a snooze when we got home. The kids and I slept until 6:15 and then we got the party started. We had pizza, Dora cake, Spiderman cake and LOTS of presents. The kids had an awesome time and loved all of the toys, games and clothes that they got.

Aunt Chrissy cut Alec's, Emma's and Aaron's hair that night. Sunday morning I went into work with her and she cut and highlighted mine. She is THE BEST! The kids had so much fun playing with Kylie and seeing all of their family. They had been begging to go to Mimi's for months. I wish we lived closer...to all our family!

Yesterday, the kids had MDO, but Aaron took the day off. We both got to drop them off and pick them up. We took Toy Story cupcakes for their class. Aaron and I got to have lunch together and just enjoy the day. After school, we got blizzards at DQ and came home to play with new toys. I had to teach last night, but Daddy kept them busy all birthday long.

OH! And the biggest hallelujah! Emma trotted into the bathroom and POOPED ON THE POTTY FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER without saying a work and without a word from us...what?!?! We threw the biggest party when she did that. YAY!

Anyways, I have pics and video to upload, but it will be a bit before I get to that. So stay tuned!