Big Day

Today was a big day for Sandals Church. As I have mentioned in past posts we are buying a home. We have been renting out the CBU gym for 8 years and our time there is up.. essentially we are homeless. By Gods amazing Grace we found a location in this crazy economic time and got the the building for a low 4 million. (That's low for a HUGE HUGE HUGE building). Now comes the hard part. We have the building, but it is a tilt up warehouse, one huge space basically. Insert the people of Sandals... We as a church body have to raise the money to turn that building into a home.
Today was the big day, D Day is what we were calling it. We need to raise 1 million dollars to begin construction. Today all 3000 of us pledged to give, not a specific amount but rather the amount that God would have us give. It was moving to see all those people coming forward to give.
Wow God you really showed up today, now we just wait to see how far He moved us.

Violet

We finally got our second daughter last nigh!
May I introduce you to Violet Ewalt. For those of you who cant tell she is a fawn pug, 8 weeks old. Her first night went well. She played until she passed out and only had one accident. She slept in the soft crate we have down stairs, she cried a little but when I went to check on her a few hours later she was fast asleep. As for her older sister Lilly, well they are still warming up to each other. Violet like to run under her and jump on her, in retrn Lilly just stands there like a statue and flees when she starts to get jumpy.
We are very happy to be parents of two! hehehe

Prayer Post

God help me to let go of the external factors that hold me back from you. Help me to remember that it isn't about me, it isn't about my little life and my little existence. I am here to bring others to you and to become more like you.
Help me God to let go and let you take control

Trusting God

During this time of change and transition at Sandals Church we all are stepping out on faith, trusting what God has in store for us. Yet we are called to do more than just trust that God will provide. Of course he can build this church with no help a all. he can change and fix and do what he wants without any help from us. That isnt the point, he has called his people to do it. To prove that we are faithful with the most important thing to us humans... money. We are driven by money, to pay the mortgage, to buy that new jaket and to feed our families. Those are the normal things that drive us to earn money. But what it, just what if we were driven to put aside ALL those things and simple earn to build a home, a place for people to love God, a building for Sandals? That is what we are doing as a church body, or that is the goal any way.
Can the body of Christ provide the 1 million dollars Sandals needs to start this new endevor?
I think we can, with a little help from our maker...

Another good one

This was a good week for my book...
One of my little girls, 2 years old going on 16, helped me cook on Friday. She is one of those it's a good thing you are so cute kids, she's also amongst the elite group of kids who can get me laughing to tears. We were making cheese enchiladas with green sauce. The older kids were rolling the tortillas and my little peanuts job was going to be to spoon the sauce on top when they were finished. I set up her bowl of sauce and gave her the spoon and told her to wait until all the tortillas were rolled. I then turned around to get a towel and a hear "ewww Jenny she's eating the sauce!" I turn around to see this little doll shoveling the sauce into her mouth, green ozzing down her chin. She smiles and says "Jenny I love your soup, it's so good and spicey"
Thank God we had another can of green sauce!

Teachers dont cry

My primary job during the day is to take care of the little ones, 2-3 year olds. I help with potty trips, missed potty trips, runny noses, developing motor skills, learning to share and when to leave each other alone all the basic human functions. Yesterday was a water day. Every under 3 year old wanted to do a water work. (learning to pour water into cups with out spilling). This entails going from the sink to their work 6-10 feet away with an all too full cup or bowl of water. Spilling occurs... duh. I am usually their to help them clean it up but yesterday a child decided to mix the bean pouring work with her water pouring work creating a sort of a mushy bean soup. As I was caring this concoction to the sink I slipped on the puddle of water. Down down down I went, not able to catch myself due to my failing hip I fell on the concrete floor bumped my knee and cheek on the hard hard ground. As I lay their flat on my face in the pool of water surrounding me a porcelain doll of a child leaned over the table, smiles at me and says " Jenny teachers dont cry and you have to clean that up too". And went back to her cutting work.
There was only one appropriate response, I laughed for a good minute.
All in a days work

I am Italian

Tonight I proved that I am two things, one a true Italian and two an awesome cook!
Home made, raviolis from scratch!!!!!
Recipe:
combine 3 eggs with 2 cups flour in a food processor fitted with the chop attachment
Pulse until it forms a ball
kneed on a floured surface
wrap in plastic wrap, chill for 30 min,

Roll out dough ball on flours surface (don't use your granite counter top, it makes the dough stiff)
Using a rolling pin, roll out a sheet of dough until it is translucent.
Cut into squares and fill with your choice if filling ( I used ricotta and Parmesan cheese)
fold over into triangle shapes
Seal edges with an egg wash and crimp edges with a fork
Boil for 2-3 minutes in salted water