My Dad is out of surgery and doing better...but has a long road to recovery. The doctor said he does not know how my Dad dealt with such pain. After doing surgery, he realized just how serious his back problem was. The nerves would have been completely lost if he had gone a few more days. Continue to pray for him. He is such an amazing man and the greatest dad in the world.

Update on My Dad!

Thank you to those who are praying for my Dad. He just went into surgery an hour ago. He went to the ER last night due to extreme pain. The on call doctor happened to be the speciality doctor they wanted to see, but could not get into. So that was a blessing. They gave my dad the max amount of pain killer, because the max of morphine was not even fading him, and even that medicine did not dull the pain. He was in agony. So, the doctor told him that surgery was a must, and they admitted him, and he is being operated on as I type! Please pray for quick healing, and that the surgery will be successful in relieving his pain. My parents and grandparents are supposed to visit us the week after Labor Day. Due to my Dad's back, I doubt they will be able to drive now, not to mention my Dad has missed work a week already, and will miss 2 by the end of all this. I want my Dad to be happy and feel better more than anything else, but we also really want them to come here, so please pray that God would make a way for them to come another time. His back to be good to travel, and his boss to allow him his vacation still at another time. Please, Please Pray........really pray.

Please Pray for my Dad!

It has been so long since I last blogged, and I have so much to share about our summer so far, and so many pictures to post, but time is flying and it probably will not slow down until school starts. However, I am slowing down long enough to ask for your prayers for my dad. He has a long history of back problems, including 3 surgeries. He did something while I was in Alabama, and this week it became much worse. I called home, and I could hear my dad yelling out in agony and crying out in severe pain. It was to say the least heart breaking. His health insurance will not cover what he needs done until he exhausts all conservative options. I have never heard someone in so much pain.....other than women in labor in the movies :). Please pray for relief and pray by some miracle that he will heal somehow without surgery. Thank you to all who will pray. His name is Richard Robinson.

Congrats! Aaron, Anita, Edie, and Nate!

Congratulations on your pregnancy!!!!!! I am so excited for all of you. #3!! WOW! You are the best Mom Anita, and I am so happy you are having another precious baby! We know Edie wants a sister, so Madison really wants you to have a girl, but with a son as sweet as Nate, you will be blessed either way of course. I am so thrilled for you and Aaron! You and Aaron have dealt with so much lately, concerning Aaron's health, and that has to be so overwhelming, but I know Aaron must be on cloud nine now! We will pray for a healthy and wonderful 9 months for all of you, and can't wait to see you soon! I am so excited! Can you imagine Christmas now with 5 grandchildren??? Hahaha! Hopefully 6 grandchildren eventually :). Love you so much Anita and Aaron! I miss you Anita!

Endurance

Last month in Children's Church, we learned about the virtue Endurance.......sticking with something even when it gets tough. I learn as much as the kids. For the past 8 weeks, Sterling and I have been working really hard on becoming healthier and stronger. We have both tried dieting many times before, and never got very far. I am thrilled to say this time has been different. Sterling has lost 22 pounds and gone down one pants size! I have lost 17 lbs and also gone down one pants size! We are working out every day, except Saturday and Sunday, and eating healthy most meals.....a few indulgences here and there! About 3 weeks ago, I got very discouraged because I was not losing quite as fast as before, and I really wanted to give up. Which is what has always happened in the past. God brought to my attention what I had been teaching all last month to the kids at church.....ENDURANCE....sticking with something EVEN WHEN it gets tough! I tell you, eating really healthy and working out 5 days a week or more is HARD! It takes so much discipline, energy, and determination. It does not matter what size you are when you start a diet and exercise program. It does not matter how much you have to lose. It is hard for everyone. It is of course the classic struggle of giving up what the flesh wants, and pleasing the spirit. It is so hard when everyone else is eating what you want. One thing Sterling has taught me in our 14 years of marriage is appreciation for good food. And it is hard to pass up the fried foods and yummy desserts for whole wheat and fruit! But, God has blessed our efforts by giving us both more energy than we have had in many years. I feel better than ever, and I actually get depressed if I have to miss working out, because I love it now! Still hard.....but it makes me feel so good now. My anxiety is so much more under control. I cut my medication in half and I am doing wonderful! I am so proud of Sterling, and he is loving the fact that he needs new clothes now :)! He looks amazing! I have to recommend Leslie Sansone's Walk Slim walking program! She is a fabulous Christian woman who gets you energized and fit fast! Any age at any level can do her program. I love it! I want to encourage anyone out there reading, who maybe keeps putting off starting a good exercise routine, like I did for 34 years :). It is never too late to start and never too late to reap a harvest of great health and strong living! Like Leslie says "Walk Strong"!

Time is Flying!

So much has happened since my last blog entry. Sterling and I had a wonderful anniversary. He picked me up in a porsche, and we went to a romantic place for dinner and a movie. We actually got to go out on several dates the past few weeks and it has been great. I am used to talking to him on the phone through out each day and of course living next door to his office, allows me to see him all the time. When groups are here though, I see a lot less of him, and I really start to miss him.....so a few dates here and there make up for it!
Madison turned 9 on June 3. She had a Hannah Montana Pop Star Slumber Party on Friday June 1. She invited her two closest friends, which happen to go to Crossroads, and they had a blast. Maretta, from next door, came over all decked out, and gave them a manicure/pedicure. The girls had so much fun with her! They spray painted their hair pink, and enjoyed Hannah Montana cupcakes. The next morning, we had smiley face pancakes to bring the party to a close.
A precious lady at our church, treated the 4 of us to center stage orchestra seats to the Lion King on Broadway. The day ended up falling on June 2, so it made Madison's Birthday weekend all the better. It was Sterling's first show and he really enjoyed it. It was fabulous! When we were leaving, I spotted "Abby" from the TV show ER. She was right behind us. We did not want to bother her, but I did take a picture of her from afar. Another celebrity sighting....always fun. We topped off the weekend with a wonderful day at church, and I cooked Madison's favorite meal that night, and attempted to make her my Mamaw's famous red velvet cake. The icing however is very tricky......it turned out OK.....but not like my Mamaw's, so I will try again on Emma's Birthday :). It is the best cake ever! I can't believe my baby is one year away from being a preteen. She is so precious and has the best heart. Emma will be 4 on June 18. She is having a puppy party....so that should be fun. She warms my heart more every day. I will post pictures of everything soon.
There is so much to be done here at Crossroads cosmetically. So overwhelming, and it is weighing us down. But, God has really spoken to my heart, through His word, and through Sterling's wisdom, that it is all about people. Nothing else really matters. Yes, we have to get things completed. Everything needing to be done will better the ministry here. But, letting the time frame and stress get ahead of just loving people and being accessible, defeats our whole purpose. God is drawing people to Him. He is softening hearts. He is awakening hearts. He is all over the place.....and watching Him work, and being apart of it, is greater than accomplishing anything else. It is hard to stay focused on the main thing sometimes. It is so easy to get weighed down by every day worries. But, I know that God will bring it all to completion in His time, as long as we continue to place first things first.........and that is people. People come before a clean house, before finishing basement floors, before painting, before exercising, before sleep, before rest, and anything else that takes our focus off the mission.
Pray for the list of things to shorten a little more each week, each month. Pray for financial means to cover expenses. But, more than that, pray that we will continue to show God's love to all around us. We are excited for and praying for one of our most favorite people, "Mr. Pat" as our girls call him......Astronaut Pat Forrester, who is going up in space this Friday! We love you Pat!

And We Call it Love

Sterling and I began our journey together 14 years ago today. It has been a journey filled with joy, tears, laughter, sadness, renewal, restoration, happiness, and many many blessings.....the two greatest being, Madison and Emma Grace. My life....our marriage, is a testimony of not only God's great love and amazing grace, but of His Believable POWER to change lives. Most of you reading our blog, have walked with us at one point or another during our journey. In the good and bad, and some actually carrying us through the valley. I am blessed beyond measure to have such a man of God as my husband. He is my best friend and the greatest man I have ever known.
Love washes over a multitude of things and makes us whole. Praise God! Thank you Sterling for standing by me for 14 years, even when times got tough, for exemplifying God's mercy and grace, and always seeing God's very best in me. I love you more today than I ever thought possible.
Happy Anniversary!

Work is Great but Laborers are Few!

Please be praying. We have so much to be done! Right now especially, we need some men who can lay new tile flooring in the church basement and fellowship hall. We have money to purchase the flooring, but no money to pay someone to remove old flooring and lay new flooring. Please pray for men who would be willing to give of their time to remove and lay floor, and pray for funding to hire professionals to do the work needed. This is a hard and tiring job. Sterling and I removed the floor in the children's church room, and it was a huge task. Harder than we imagined and to big a job for the two of us. And we do not even have extra time to be doing this to begin with, but there is no one else to do it. And it needs done now. And that was just one room, and just the removal of the tile. We need help! We need funds! Please Pray!

Update!

Thanks for praying! Sterling and Andrew had coffee at Starbucks Wednesday night and had a great talk. Andrew is a very nice guy. They are playing golf next Wednesday! Keep praying! God is good.

Expect the Unexpected!

You can always expect the unexpected with God. Being church planters, has really taught us to be mission minded 24/7. No matter where we are, a grocery store, a bank, a post office, a park, God gives us opportunities to show His love. Sterling is always looking for ways to carry on conversation with anyone, anywhere. While the UBC group was here in March, Sterling and I went on a dinner date to Red Lobster. Our waiter accidentally spilt water all over Sterling, and was very embarrassed. The incident created a great atmosphere to talk to him for a few minutes longer than we could have if it had not happened. The restaurant was busy that night, and waiters do not have time to talk a lot to their customers. Sterling told him we had just moved here, and were excited to find a Red Lobster nearby. That always get's a "What made you move to Long Island?" question back to us. Sterling shared he was the new pastor to a new church up the road. Andrew told us to bring our girls next time, and he sent them a bag of biscuits home with us. Sterling did not give him contact info then, because he was busy when we left. About 3 weeks ago, we went back to Red Lobster with Jessica and Luis, and Andrew was our waiter again. I recognized him right away, and said, "We brought our girls this time". Andrew quickly remembered spilling the water and said "Oh yeah, you are a priest or something, right?" We laughed, and explained he was not a priest. We talked a few more minutes and talked and joked around each time he came to the table. When leaving, Sterling gave him his business card.
This morning, Sterling got a voicemail. It was Andrew!!!!!!!! He reminded Sterling of who he was, and said he was calling to see how our family was doing. We were just BLOWN AWAY. I mean................IS THAT GOD OR WHAT!!!!!!!!!! Who expects a waiter to contact you after waiting on you twice????? GOD DOES! I mean you give the business card, because after all we are church planters, and always on mission, but did we really expect him to ever call???When you are faithful to show God's love and take a risk of reaching out, even in awkward territory, GOD MOVES! Wow! I can't even put into words how Awe struck I am by the BIG GOD we serve. He is capable of doing far more than we can imagine. God is working on the hearts of people on Long Island. Pray for Sterling and Andrew to be able to meet together for coffee or something so Sterling can see what is on Andrew's heart, and continue to show him God's amazing love. Praise God!

Extreme Makeover: Church Home Edition

Extreme Makeover is back at Crossroads. A great new crew from FBC Pampa, Texas is here this week. They are doing an Extreme Makeover in our fellowship hall, turning it into Acts Cafe. In one day, it already looks completely different. They ripped out all the old appliances, cabinets, walls....just like they do on the TV show. It was great. They are also completely remodeling and creating two new bathrooms, with a shower in each one. FBC Pampa, under the supervision of our faithful friend, Carl Novian, has generously funded this project. We are all so grateful, and can't wait to see the finished results. I will post pictures this weekend. The idea of Acts Cafe is basically a Starbucks like atmosphere, where people can fellowship. The next mission group coming at the end of May will complete Acts Cafe, by painting the entire building, and laying the new floor. It will be awesome. Thank you FBC Pampa for your love, prayers, and financial support.

First Things First!

Sterling is in North Carolina right now on a Mission for NAMB. The girls and I never like it when he leaves. But, we are making the most of the week!
Sunday Afternoon the girls and I went bowling with 2
lady friends, Maretta and Christine, and their boys. It was a lot of fun. It was Emma's
first time to bowl, and she loved it. Afterwards, we came home and blew bubbles and played on the church field with everyone until time for dinner. We had a great time together.
This morning, Emma and I were headed for the store, when I realized I locked my keys in the house! I had skipped ladies bible study this morning, because I felt overwhelmed with all I needed to do today before small group tonight. The ladies were still at church, when I locked myself out, and luckily Betty had a key to Maretta's house next door, which had a spare key. God knew I needed to have a little time with my precious friends, and so He had to lock me out of my house to get my attention. They are so good to me. They told me they were in the middle of praying for me, and they wanted to help me in any way they could this week. They wanted to clean my house, and help get ready for the mission team coming this weekend, and help me paint signs for the children's church room. Basically, take some off my plate, because they know my plate is overflowing. How wonderful it is to have people who want to help carry your load. I tell you the women of this church body are so special and so refreshing. Fellowship with other believers is so vital to ones walk. We can't get through this race without it. I will make sure my time with them each Monday morning is a top priority from now on. Everything else can wait.

God is Good!

God knows our needs before we even ask. He also knows our wants and desires. He is always faithful to provide everything we need, and sometimes He chooses to bless us with what we want. Thank you God for being our provider and making our dreams come true.

Happy Birthday Dad/Poppy!

Dad,

We hope you have a WONDERFUL birthday!

We wish we were there with you to celebrate!

We love you and can't wait for you to come to New York in the fall!

Easter Weekend Photos!

Madison is Excited about Easter Weekend!

Get on your mark, Get set, GO!!!




Fellowship Hall for Lunch!

Games in New Children's Church Room!

Fun Easter Crafts!

Easter Sunday Children's Sermon!

Children's Choir Sang "He is Alive and I'm Free!"

Happy Easter!

This morning was a very exciting time at Crossroads Church of Long Island. A little over 70 people attended our Easter Egg Hunt. 44 were visitors, and the remaining 30+ were church members. 35 kids in all, both visitors and members. Amazing turnout! Exciting and so encouraging! Emma and I watched the kids hunt eggs from our upstairs bedroom window. She had her own Easter egg hunt in our living room. Everyone stayed around for hamburgers and hot dogs, games, and crafts. It was a wonderful morning! We look forward to a wonderful service and celebration tomorrow. Happy Easter!

We've Got the Blues!

Please pray for Emma. She has a horrible cold. Her nose is running so much that her entire lip area is swollen & chapped. She is coughing terribly, and the virus has moved back in her eye again. (She just got over viral pink eye last week). This is the worst possible time for her to be sick. Tonight begins our Easter weekend at Crossroads. There is no way I can go tonight with her, and I just don't think she will be able to go to the Easter Egg Hunt tomorrow either. I am in charge of Children's Church on Sunday, so please pray for a miracle of healing between now and Sunday morning! Pray for Madison as well, because she is beginning to cough. We do not want to miss the celebration of our Lord at Crossroads, so please pray, pray, pray!

Criss Cross

Today we started the new children's church program. Thank you to all who were praying for me to find the best curriculum for the kids of Long Island. After researching many options, I chose 252 Basics. I love it! There are 3 main points they desire for all kids to leave children's ministry with: 1) WISDOM= Always Make the Right Choice; 2)FAITH= You can Trust God No Matter What; and 3) FRIENDSHIP= Treat someone the way you want to be treated.
Each Month there is a different virtue taught. Everything centers around one virtue all month, while reinforcing the 3 main lessons. One thing I am thrilled about, is every week there is a 4 day quite time book to send home with each child. It is a short scripture, thought, and application. It is wonderful, and I am excited about Madison doing it every day. And the quiet times all relate to the virtue of the month. I can not say enough great things about this curriculum. It is so relevant and so perfect for our community.
We already have such an amazing core group of kids. They are all so eager to learn and they love everything you put in front of them. I tell you, the people of Farmingdale Baptist have worked hard to invest in their kids for the past many years. The same ones sacrifice their time and energy to put together a children's church where kids learn about God's love while being loved on! Maretta is a special lady who has grown up in the church here. Her mother used to work the nursery, and now for many years, she has organized and taken care of everything needing to be done for the children. I am always blown away at all she does. She never stops! She works full time, while raising her son, and still finds energy to meet so many of the needs of the church. She is very faithful and God will bless her beyond measure for her time, energy, and most of all, love. I am very thankful for her. Because of her love, we have such an amazing group of kids to begin the new journey of Criss Cross Children's Ministry. Please pray as we continue to make changes and grow.

Happy Feet!

We are excited about tonight at the Edwards House! This is the first weekend in almost 2 months that we actually get to have family night! Either Sterling has had church events or we have had company. We have missed our family time so much! We are going out to dinner somewhere, and then we are coming home to watch Happy Feet. Sterling is so excited that he told the girls everyone had to wear black and white to the movie....Emma loved the idea, but Madison, growing up way to fast, thought it was a little weird :). I am sure Sterling will still show up for the movie looking like a penguin! Madison has the next week and a half off from school for Spring Break. I am thrilled. It will be so wonderful having her home! I hope to discover some more of Long Island with the girls next week. So much fun to be had!

Spring is Coming!

Yesterday, it was 70 degrees outside. Beautiful day! When Madison came home from school, Sterling helped her ride her bike, and I helped Emma on her tricycle. Sterling and I talked about how wonderful life is for our family living here on Long Island. The church parsonage is beautiful.....a dream house for us, and having all the church property surrounding us, makes us feel like were on a farm kinda......without the animals :)......if that makes any sense. So much land for the girls to explore. It is hard to put into words really, but we just feel like this is the best time of our lives.....and yet there is still so much more to come!
This morning I was reading in Deuteronomy, chapters 7 & 8. It is talking about how God has chosen us, and how He is the faithful God who keeps His covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes His unfailing love on those who love Him and obey His commands.
As I was reading that passage, I could not help but think of my conversation with Sterling just yesterday. About how happy we are, happier than ever before, and how much God has blessed us.
If you keep reading through chapter 8, it speaks about not forgetting who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. In verse 17 it says "HE did all this so you would never say to yourself, 'I achieved this with my own strength and energy'."
I am not so far along in my walk with God, that I forget where I once was. I remember far more often than I would like actually. I never want to forget where I was, because it reminds me I never want to go back there again.
However, when on the mountain top, it can become easy to forget who carried you up from the valley.
When I STOP, slow down, and ponder on God's grace and how He truly RESCUED me from slavery.....I am Overwhelmed, broken, humbled, speechless, and so aware of my nothingness without Him.
It is so good to be reminded, that we are rescued from the PIT, and that everything in our lives comes from Him alone and is because of Him and for His glory.
I get so caught up in day to day tasks, that I forget what I am here for. I forget who I am serving. I forget the ressurection POWER that saved me. I forget to tap into my energy source. And I slowly begin living for me again. I become casual in my walk.
Does that ever happen to any of you? You get so comfortable in your life and how great you think it is, that you slowly begin living it in your own strength and wisdom.
How good God is to remind us that we can't make it one second without Him and His word.

Sterling & Baseball!

Sterling and I took the girls, my Mom, and my niece to the mall on Saturday to eat lunch and play on the indoor playground. Sterling noticed a poster advertising the New York Blood Drive that day in the mall. Was it the words Blood Drive that caught his eye? No. The opportunity to possibly save someones life? Not so much. It was the words at the bottom of the poster that drew him in......2 FREE METS TICKETS with blood donation!
You know Sterling is truly a baseball fan, when he gives blood in exchange for tickets to a game.
Sterling hates needles....blood....and anything in between. I remember when we were first married and he had to get a finger prick. He flew back against the wall when the nurse came near him.....and nearly passed out afterwards. It was pretty funny actually :). When he told me he was going to give blood, I said "yeah, right", under my breath. What was I thinking, free baseball tickets were up for grabs, of course he was going to give blood.
It got me thinking this weekend. We will do just about anything, even face a major fear, for something we truly want or love. I want to be that way about my walk with the Lord. Willing to face any fear, at any cost, to follow God with everything in me. I am a fearful person. Always have been. I am better than I used to be (pre-Sterling I call it). He has helped me to fear less and trust more. Still, it is hard for me. I have crazy fears that get in my way of completely surrendering each day to God. Fears that become death gripping strongholds. I have to consciously make an effort to not fear. It most definitely does not come naturally for me.
But, I so want it to. And I know that I know that I know GOD can rid me of all my fears. I want to have such a passion for God, that I am willing to do anything, at any cost, to die to myself, to follow Him.
Sterling did good giving blood. He actually got more attention from the nurses than any other donor there. One donor said to the nurse, "What did he do?, because I want to be him." The nurses liked him so much, because he took the time to reach out to them while giving blood, that he got the royal treatment. Sterling has such a way with people. I ended up giving blood as well, so Sterling could have 4 tickets. It will be great for Sterling to be able to take 3 people with him, that he can get to know better. That is what it is all about after all.....and a baseball game is a great place for just that! The game is in April. Pray that Sterling would know just the right people to invite.

Update!

I went to the doctor this morning. I went back to the same office, except this time I saw the doctor instead of her practitioner. I loved her! She is a Christian and attends another church on Long Island. She was very patient and let me tell her everything I needed to say. She switched my prescription to the one I wanted, and is helping me slowly come off the other one, while starting the new one. She is wonderful and I am so thankful she helped me get what I needed. Thank you to all who were praying for me.
My Mom and niece, Anne Blye, are on there way to my house as I blog. Sterling and Emma went to pick them up, since I was at the doctor. I am very happy they are coming, because my Mom can help me get things back to normal around here, after the UBC group leaving. Also, she is babysitting so Sterling and I can go on a date.....and not just a trip to Walmart either :). We might actually get to go out 2 nights, to a movie and dinner. I am so excited. We never get any alone time. Never. So, I am thrilled. My girls are thrilled to have their Nana babysitting.
This will be my Mom's first visit since we moved to Farmingdale, so I am anxious to show her around. She will love it. We will have fun while they are here.
Pictures of the remodeling are coming very soon.....almost have them uploaded. :).

Clear the Stage

The most watched show on TV is American Idol. I have not watched any season all the way through from start to finish until this season. I usually jump in at the top 12 or less and choose my favorite. It is very entertaining. Not so much the singing really, but Simon! I like him because he tells them like it is, even if it is not what they want to hear. 37 million people cast their votes each week for a new idol. In reality, the last thing in the world we need is another idol.
Sterling shared some passages tonight in our Life Group from Acts. We were discussing different idols people have in their lives. Some said money, spouses, kids, careers, TV, Internet.
To me, the best way to define an idol is, anything that takes our focus off the Lord Jesus Christ.
One idol no one mentioned was ourselves. Every store I go in has some shirt or something that says "It's All About Me". I refuse to buy anything with that statement on it. I hate those shirts.
Ironically, I think my biggest idol is ME. I did not get to share that with the group because Emma needed my attention. I get so caught up in myself and what I want or need that I end up losing sight of who it is really all about.....JESUS. If I spent as much time reading my bible as I spend planning my next diet, I would have many books memorized.
One of my favorite songs is "Clear the Stage", by Ross King. The words say it all. I hope they minister to your heart the way they do mine:

Clear the stage and set the sound and lights ablaze,
If that's the measure that it takes to crush the idols.
Chuck the pews and all the decorations too,
Until the congregations few then have revival.
Tell your friends that this is where the party ends until you're broken for your sins you can't be social.
Then seek the Lord and wait for what he has in store and know that great is your reward and just be hopeful.
Cause you can sing all you want to. Yes you can sing all you want to, you can sing all you want to And don't get me wrong, worship is more than a song.
Take a break from all the plans that you made ,
And sit at home alone and wait for God to whisper.
Beg Him please to open up his mouth and speak
And pray for real upon your knees until they blister.
Shine the light on every corner of your life Until the pride and lust and lies are in the open.
Then read the word and put to test the things you've heard Until your heart and soul are stirred and rocked and broken.
Cause you can sing all you want to. Yes you can sing all you want to, you can sing all you want to
And don't get me wrong, worship is more than a song.
Anything I put before my God is an idol.
Anything I want with all my heart is an idol.
Anything I can't stop thinking of is an idol.
Anything that I give all my love is an idol.
We must not worship something that's not even worth it.
Clear the stage and make some space for the one who deserves it.

The words break me every time.

Hard to Say Goodbye!

The group from UBC has been here a full 9 days now and counting. They are all scheduled to depart tomorrow. Some as early as 5:30 am and the rest by 1:30pm. It looks like all will go well, and they will actually take off. You would think we would be so ready for them to go....just to get back to a normal routine. But, I am sad to see them leave. It has been so wonderful having them here. They have helped us so much and have gone above and beyond to take care of us. UBC is very blessed to have Jason Gadman on staff. He is wonderful! I wish Sterling could have worked with him at UBC. The students have been so sweet and worked so hard. It is hard to believe they are graduating. The sponsors.....well I can't say enough. They happen to be some of our very favorite Texans. I hope all the UBC students and student workers get to come see us eventually. We did not realize just how much we missed all of them, until we had some of them back with us again!
We had a fun night tonight with everyone at Dave & Busters. We are all so tired. I feel like I am running on fumes.....I can't imagine how Sterling must feel, because he was running on fumes before they arrived. He never stops working. He is amazing. I am so blessed. My girls were so sweet with everyone and enjoyed all the love and attention. I have two precious girls. I just feel so blessed. God is so good. I can never get over how GOOD God IS!
I will post pictures soon of the work done this past week. The children were in awe when they saw the nursery this morning. It was worth all the hard work, just to see the looks on their faces.

This is Crazy!

The weather here is getting bad. Our wonderful 25 friends from UBC are stuck here. Their flight this morning was canceled. Jet Blue is supposed to fly 13 of them home tomorrow afternoon, 2 more tomorrow evening, and the remaining 10 on Monday! I feel so horrible for them. More nights on air mattresses after all the work they have done. Not to mention nothing to do here because the weather is getting worse and will keep us all here at Crossroads. They are all trying to have a positive attitude, but it is not easy. Please pray for their safe return asap.
My Mom and niece got stranded in Chicago this morning on their flight to Long Island from Birmingham, Alabama. Southwest Airlines finally agreed to pay their way back home to Alabama. They are in the air right now. My niece is already crying, and Madison will be crying when she comes home from school today to find her Nana and cousin not here.
OK, I have been on hold with Southwest Airlines while writing this blog, and they just agreed to fly them back here next Wednesday through Sunday! They are not obligated to do anything because it is an act of nature.....as the airline states. So, praise God from whom all blessings flow! My sweet niece breaks my heart to know she is so sad not to get here today, so I am so happy they will come next week. This is her spring break, so this was the only time my Mom could bring her.
Pray for all of this.......this is going to be a LONG weekend. God is good.

Breaking Free

God has allowed me to break free from many strongholds in the past. I am forever grateful for His mercy and grace. Breaking free is not always easy though. In fact, sometimes it is painful and miserable. I have been on an anxiety disorder medication for a little over 3 years now due to post par-tum after Emma was born. I was having daily heart palpitations, triggered by the extreme anxiety. For those of you who know anything about anxiety disorders, they are extremely uncontrollable on your own. I tried to avoid all medications for the first 6 months after Emma was born, but the longer I went, the worse my symptoms got, and the more me and my family suffered. Most people do not understand what some women go through after having a baby. People are shocked when a woman kills her children. But no one pays attention to their cries for help, long before they lost control. Post par-tum depression/anxiety turns you into a different person. And with no support, I can only imagine what some women go through. It is very sad.
Thankfully, I have a loving, supportive husband who puts up with my baggage and helps me carry it. Anyway, I will get off my soap box :).
I have been wanting to come off my medication for over a year now. I am not depressed. But, I still have so much anxiety. My medication is very strong and impossible for most people to wean off successfully. The side effects are horrible. Beyond horrible. I am having the hardest time finding a good doctor here. If I was in Houston, Dr. Joe would have already helped me so much. I went to a doctor a month ago, and explained I wanted to come off my stronger prescription. I explained to her that I had researched extensively and the side effects were supposed to be terrible. 99% of patients go right back on the medicine. Many suggest going on a different med that is not so strong, to help ease the side effects, and after about 6 months, wean off that one. This doctor informed me that she would not switch me unless and I came off my med completely for 2 weeks. I told her I did not think I could do that, but she said I would just have to deal with it. (This is coming from a doctor who does not believe in any of these medications. She said I should be able to go to a counselor for all my anxiety needs.) I laugh at that! She has no clue. I would love to get off my medication and allow God to help me deal with every day stress, BUT, it is not that simple.
However, what am I supposed to do. She cut my dose in half for 7 days, and then cut me cold turkey, the week UBC arrived :). Great timing! I thought I was doing OK the past 5 days. Keeping busy helping the mission team. I was having phases of vertigo through out each day, but I was managing. Then last night, the vertigo got worse, and my body began to hurt. Then this morning came, and it hit hard. I woke up a different person. On edge. Rude. Mean. Sick. Unstable. Dizzy. Blurred vision. Severe body aches. I told, or yelled at Sterling that I could not take care of anyone but myself today. I did not like who I was being this morning. I am ashamed and embarrassed. Sterling watched Emma all day. Thankfully UBC was in Manhattan today. (Logan was here though, and is probably scared to come back now :).) I slept from 8:45 this morning until 4pm. I could not believe it. I woke up a mess, crying at everything. I finally realized I could not break free from this drug the way this doctor wanted me to. It was not worth what it was doing to me and more importantly Sterling and the girls. I called the doctor and they said they could see me Friday. I told the office lady I could not wait until Friday. That I was a complete mess and could not continue to feel this way. They called me back and told me to take another dose and come see them on Friday to figure out what to do.
I have to care for my family, and reach the lost of Long Island, and help build a church, and help remodel a church, and host people in my home....the list goes on and on. I do not have 2 weeks to stay locked in a room, while the medicine leaves my system. And that is what would have to happen. Because I will not subject my family to my crazy self again!
I took the dose, and still feel horrible. It will take about 48 hours to feel better. PLEASE PRAY FOR ME. Please pray that on Friday this doctor will HEAR me, and will place me on a different medicine that I can eventually wean off without the severe side effects. I am so tired. So so tired. I am so discouraged. I will not allow Satan to have victory over me in this battle. I will break free. Just a lot slower and saner for me and my family. Pray I will find someone to help me. I miss Dr. Joe in Houston. I miss having a wonderful Christian doctor, who you know you can trust to take care of you. I am going to call him tomorrow to see if he can help me all the way in New York. I will keep you posted. Thanks for listening. Blogging is such a great release for me in times like these, and so wonderful to know the people who read will pray for me. Some would think I am crazy for even sharing such personal thoughts, but I learned a long time ago, that I do not need or want to hide my down falls, my sin, my struggles. I want to be real. I want to be honest. It is the only way to experience true freedom from the grip of Satan. Do not be afraid to be real, to share, to put yourself out there in front of others. Do not be ashamed, for their is NO MORE condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus! Thank you God! God is so good.

Extreme Makeover!

Today was the first day the UBC group began working on the long list of jobs needing to be done at Crossroads. I spent the entire morning instructing them on what was to stay and what was to throw to the dumpster! I have never seen a HUGE dumpster filled to the top so quick :). We threw more away than we saved. After cleaning out, the painting was to begin. I left for about 4 hours to take my friends, Carl and Dale Ann, to Ikea and Home Depot so that Carl could figure out what he needs for his mission team, who is coming in April to remodel our fellowship hall. (turning it into a coffee house style atmosphere....going to be so great.....but will fill you in on more of that in April). Anyway, Emma and I shopped for new items for the children's ministry rooms. Ikea is just a blast! We got so many cool things for the kids room. When we got back to the church, I was blown away. I thought Extreme Makeover had been there :). 4 rooms were completely painted (and looked amazing), our shed from Levittown was put together and in place, both potholes in the circle drive were repaired, the other rooms to be painted were taped and ready to go for tomorrow, and the education building had been cleaned out of all it's dumpster items! These seniors and adults have worked so hard today and have made a huge difference in the appearance of our building! We are all so excited. I can't wait to fix up the nursery with all the new stuff before Sunday morning. Emma and the other little ones will love it. Will post pictures of the transformations when everything is complete this week! They are off to Manhattan tomorrow and Wednesday. They will be exhausted when this is all over. It is so wonderful having our UBC family here with us....just encourages us so much to be surrounded by their love for us and our Lord.

Company is Coming!

This is going to be a very busy week for Crossroads Church of Long Island. In just a few minutes, Sterling will be home from the airport with our special friends, Carl and DaleAnn Novian, from Pampa, Texas. We are excited they are coming. They will be here through the weekend. One hour from now, 25 senior students and adults will be arriving from UBC in Clear Lake. They are coming to help us paint our children classrooms and lots of other stuff needing to be done. They are all sleeping at the church. I am excited to see them! On Monday, Logan Carpenter is coming to spend a few days with us as well! Sterling is especially excited to have one of his favorite buddies coming.
Next Friday morning, the day the UBC group leaves, my mom and neice are coming for a week.
Crazy! But, fun! We are excited for the company and all that will be accomplished for His glory.
Keep us in your prayers. Emma and Madison just came through a virus, and I have been hunched over the trash can half the day today :).

Unexpected Excitement!

My family received some very unexpected, yet exciting news this past weekend. My sister called and shared with me that her and my brother in law, Jeff, were feeling God calling them to Africa! A shocker to us to say the least. They went to Africa in January to visit some close friends serving as Missionaries. They loved it! This is not something all of the sudden. They have been feeling God moving in that direction for some time now, but in recent weeks, have felt a complete certainty that this is where God is leading. They met with the IMB already and are beginning the necessary steps to serve as IMB Missionaries in Africa. It is a long process and a lot of training, so they actually will not relocate to Africa for 2 years. Which is a really good thing, because that gives us all time to get used to the idea ourselves. They will live their 3 years before returning to the US for 3 months and then go back again. Pray for the adjustment that will be on my family. It will be hard, but their new journey will be worth the sacrifice!
I am so overwhelmed with joy for Jeff, Taryn and my sweet niece Anne Blye. God is good. It looks like Crossroads Church of Long Island will have to take a mission trip to Africa in the future! :).

Pictures for Nana and Granna

Welcome Home Lily! PART 2

The newest member to the Edwards family has arrived!!

Her name is Lily......and yes it is named after the character 'Lily' on tv show Hannah Montana! She is a Poosh....which is a Shih tzu mixed with a poodle. She is 10 weeks old and will be a small dog...10lbs full grown....she is precious. I would say more.....but we just brought her home and we are all playing with her. She is adorable! Madison and Emma are two happy girls! She is a hypoallergenic dog breed that does not shed and has no dog odor! Perfect for our allergies! Come see her soon!

For those of you who read this entry already, you probably wonder why you keep seeing the dog's name changed. This poor puppy is confused after 3 names. It went from Biggio (named wanted by Sterling after Astros Craig Biggio), seeing that our puppy is a GIRL, that name was trumped by us girls for Miley, named by Madison after Miley Cyrus of Hannah Montana, and finally Emma named the dog Lily.....considering no matter what we called her, Emma called her Lily :). Lily is Miley's best friend on Hannah Montana, so Madison was just as happy with that, especially when I reminded her that her American Girl doll is also named Miley! Anyway, we plan to stick with Lily Biggio Edwards.....a.k.a.......Lily! :)

Catching My Breath!

Life is crazy busy right now......I finally decided to put down the list of things to do, and just breathe..........which motivated me to blog!

So much has happened in 2007! We moved into the house in Farmingdale two weeks before Christmas! It is truly a dream house for us. The house was in good condition but needed a deep cleaning, after being vacant for over 6 months, and needed new paint throughout every room, door, and trim. So basically, I painted until I could paint no more! Still several rooms to paint, but I will have to wait for some help. I am going to a doctor right now, who is trying to determine if I have carpal tunnel or muscle/nerve problems. Either way, my painting days are numbered. I will post pictures of the house soon! It was built in the early 1940's and it is just amazing!

I struggled with the decision of whether or not to let Madison finish out the school year in Levittown or transfer at the New Year to Farmingdale. Madison was very upset and did not want to leave her friends in Levittown......and that was breaking my heart in two. My anxiety was through the roof. After much prayer, and talking with school counselors, I felt we should transfer to Farmingdale. Madison was upset, but handled it with much grace and maturity. Her Christmas party in Levittown was her last day of school there. At the party, one of the moms asked about us moving. She told me in front of the teacher, other moms, and Madison, that she would never do that to her daughter. She expressed how hard that is for a child, and she would just have to tell her husband to move without her until the end of the school year. She went on and on.......and the more she talked.......the sicker I felt.........and less air I began to breathe! I left there emotionally torn apart and second guessing it all. The next day, Sterling and I went to enroll Madison at Woodward Parkway Elementary School, in Farmingdale. I was so stressed out. We went to the Middle School to sign up in the district, and every one was so nice and it just so happened that Madison's bus driver was sitting in the office. Not only was Madison riding a small mini-van bus with a sweet driver, but the bus would be picking her up at our house! Then we went over to her new school........the largest elementary school on Long Island, with over 1500 students......3 stories high! We met the principal, who was very nice. I asked if we could meet the teacher, but they said it was too crazy of a day, being the last day of school before Christmas.......as they were saying that......Madison's teacher walked in the office! We turned around as the principal said ,"speaking of her teacher, this is Mrs. Kushner". I turned around, and there stood this beautiful young lady all decked out in New York Style! She told me she also had a second grade daughter, so she understood the anxiety Madison might feel moving mid-year. She said the girls in the class were so sweet, and she would make sure Madison had an easy adjustment! INSTANTLY, I felt peace! There stood this lady, who we would later find out, knows all about Hannah Montana and High School Musical......which is important to any 2nd grade girl these days...and I felt peace! God knew my need........and He placed all the right people at just the right time to let me know I was following His plan.

The first day of school, Jan.2, I was still very nervous, because I knew it was hard on Madison.

When I picked her up from school, I asked her how her day was, and she said good. She began telling me how nice her teacher was, and how cool the school was. She even got her very own locker....so cool! I asked her if she thought after some time, she would like her new school better than her old one......and she looked at me and said "Oh Mom! I already do!" Now, that is a miracle of God! She absolutely loves everything about her new school......especially the fact that her new teacher gives less homework! When we follow and trust in God's will, no matter how hard or unfair it seems, He brings us through better than before. What a treasure of gold for us to find and even more for our young 8 year old to see God moving and working in her life. Such grace.

We are running non stop but having a blast! We had a Superbowl party last night at our house and had 29 people come! It was great! We had 12 visitors last Sunday, all of which plan to come back! We love the people of Farmingdale Baptist Church.....and it won't be too much longer before we are all members of Crossroads Church of Long Island. The people are wonderful! So much to tell you about each of them, but I have to prepare for company coming this afternoon and our 1st small group, which begins in our home tonight. The next small group will meet on Wednesday night in our home! Please pray for these groups as they begin. Here are some pictures from the party last night! I continue to update on all God is doing soon!

Also pray for our Children's Ministry. I am going to begin a new Children's Church program in April.....pray for direction and the right materials! It is exciting but very new to me.....so a little scary! But I have two precious angels that keep me motivated!

Here is a picture of Madison and Michelle, at the party last night. Michelle is Tommy's sister!

Aren't They Precious!

Happy New Year!

Time is flying by and I am finding it hard to make time to blog. So much to catch everyone up on! In a few weeks, I will be blogging about all the ways we have seen God move the past few months. I can't go in to everything right now, but I can tell you that God is moving every day and it is amazing to see the things He is doing for us and those around us! God is good. Will fill you in very soon!