a marvelous Christmas

We have had a wonderful Christmas, family, church, gifts to share and eating - oh, so much eating!

Take a look!

Eric and Alyssa

An unbelievably beautiful impromptu picture at church of beautiful Trinity! 

Jocelyn, Jared and Trinity

I love my momma and sister Cristy!

Family gift frenzy

All of us at Crossroads together for the Christmas services, below as well - so special!

One of my favorite Christmas pictures~  Just love them more than I can say~

We tuck our family Christmas in between church responsibilities and it always seems to fit, just right!  

These pictures sum up what's most important to us, our own children Eric and Jocelyn are blessings we still can't believe the Lord chose to give to us.  And then you add beautiful Alyssa our daughter-in-law, the woman that the God of the Universe created just for our son - they compliment each other perfectly!

Next you consider Jared, the most unexpected blessing this year.  The story of his discovery of Jocelyn and the way he speaks of God's calling toward fostering and possibly adopting children - the very thing that caused him to begin the conversation with our daughter.   It cannot be dismissed as chance! We're excited about what the future holds for them.

So thankful also to the Lord to still have our mom's with us this year - enjoying good health and many great times this year with them!

Then the adoption of precious Trinity - our newest granddaughter...thankfulness to the Lord for her never ceases to end as we enjoy getting to know her more and more - falling madly in love with her as her adoption into our family became final in 2017.

And Oliver and Margot...they are continued blessings on blessings.  From the minute they enter a room, open their mouth reach out a hand to touch you...you fall deeper and deeper in love with them too.  

As a new year begins I pledge to cherish each minute I get to have with each of our family, taking nothing for granted and praising Him!

the most important thing

The funniest thing happened today.  When I arrived home I found an envelope in the mail from Jocelyn's former high school soccer coach.

He said he was cleaning out his office at home and came across 2 certificates he had never given to her!  So he sent them to us.

It got me to thinking, how important those certificates were back in 2006, and how unimportant  

they are now.

Isn't that the way of most everything in our lives - at least here in the US?

I know so many people who claim the name of Christ and yet are so unsatisfied with their lives, with what they have and the job they are currently doing.  Why is this?  

Friends overseas are content to work ANY job - and spend each day working for just enough to put food on the table and MAYBE a couple pieces of clothing occasionally.  Still they are content.

My guess is when you HAVE to trust the Lord for EVERYTHING - you worship and praise Him as each need is met.  They watch those around them who don't know the Lord struggle and lay their last pieces of food and hand-full of nearly worthless coins at the feet of idols. They watch each of their lost friends' days become completely full of hopelessness without the Savior they love.

But don't we do the same?  I have some friends who go to jobs they're not thankful for,  just to work their lives away to try to pay off things they should have never bought in the first place - and suddenly they look around and realize they've allowed themselves to become slaves to stuff.  It's easy to do here.  And that of course brings no satisfaction at all.

Soccer teams are important, they teach you discipline and certainly keep you physically in shape, but as that era passes and you move on- certificates become paper memories that get laid aside and seldom thought about.  

My longing is that nothing temporary will distract me from what the Lord has ordained for my life to become.  I want to abide in Him fully and focus on why He placed me here and what He has 

for me to invest my life in.

May my most important thing always be moving closer and closer toward Him and always discerning what 'the most important thing' is in His eyes.

a daughter's words

My daughter Jocelyn is many things. A committed follower of Jesus Christ with spiritual understanding that puts those of us twice her age to shame at times. She is extremely talented in many areas; musician, vocalist, extraordinary athlete, committed to family, excellent friend, obedient respectful daughter.

But, today I was moved by her words. She is a very, very gifted journalist and creative writer. She just wrote about the relationship she has with her soon to be husband and the way they have survived the literal distance between them. Read her most recent blog post by clicking here: Jocelyn Biddle

I would like to comment on the distance they have overcome from my point of view.

I have watched their relationship with apprehension at times uncertain whether any relationship can survive this amount of time away from one another. This apprehension has slowly but surely been replaced by admiration for both she and her fiance Aaron.

They have developed a verbal depth that I have not seen in any other couples I have ever been around. Forced to communicate solely by speaking - they have a deep understanding and familiarity that would have taken years to foster if they had physically been together.

My husband and I began dating in high school and were together every single day until we were married. Physical closeness does not encourage communication. It can quickly become a lazy relationship - just hanging out -knowing you will see one another the next day...

I have watched them cherish each moment of face time on Skype doing devotions together, watching movies together - he in Boston she in Mansfield. Just anything they could think of to be together.

I am convinced this marriage is of God and blessed by God and has one of the strongest foundations I have witnessed.

I confess now, that in the beginning when Aaron moved to Boston my husband and I both were very sure it would never last - even though we loved Aaron.

It has not only lasted, but we feel with God's blessing will last for the rest of their lives.

They keep saying when Aaron arrives next week, "we have conquered the distance", and they truly have. It has been an extraordinary journey - and as my daughter's words explain, "she wouldn't change a thing"...and neither would I!

weekend report

It was a night of changes on Saturday and amazing results on Sunday thanks to flexible - talented volunteers and staff working side by side!

We cut a song, completely reversed the order of worship, and presented nearly perfect services on Sunday! The thematic flow was clear and the message was strong, God was so good to us!

Stephanie McAuley was our AMAZING actress and Steve Browning was the voice of God and chisel sound effect from the wings backstage.

God's Chisel from Steve Browning on Vimeo.

This drama was supposed to be performed by two live actors, but, our male actors were not available so we placed the voice backstage. It was magnificent!

The final special was performed by my daughter Jocelyn, who was home from college for the weekend. So fun!

Have Your Way from Steve Browning on Vimeo.

Our setlist:

Instrumental: China Grove
Announcements: Wendell Anderson (stewardship pastor)
Worship: Rescue - Desperation Band
Praise: Trading My Sorrows - Darrell Evans
Praise: Lift the Name - Anderson
Message: Ephesians: Deconstruction/Reconstruction Pt. 5 - Sr. Pastor Tim Armstrong
Drama: God's Chisel - The Skit Guys Actress: Stephanie McAuley (the voice - Steve Browning our amazing Tech Coordinator on staff).
Special Music: Have Your Way - Britt Nicole performed by - Jocelyn Biddle (yes...MY daughter!)

To see what other ministries around the country used in their services go to www.theworshipcommunity.com

To watch our services on Monday go to the Crossroads website.

The Woman

I am very excited to post this music video! This is a video created downtown Mansfield to go with a song that my daughter Jocelyn wrote last year called "The Woman".

The song is based on the story of the woman in the Bible that was sick with a bleeding disorder for 12 years. In her desperation she decides her only hope is Jesus. So in a throng of pushing, pulling desperate people she followed Him until the time was right. And as many, many others pushed to be near Him she crawled through the dirt, stuck her hand through the crowd and touched the hem of Jesus garment.

Immediately she was healed! She was moved from the darkness of despair to healing with just a touch!

Jesus stopped dead in His tracks and asked, who touched me? For despite the closeness of the crowd He felt the power leave Him...and without seeing her He knew. She believed and she was healed.
This is just one of the songs that Jocelyn and Olivia will include in their Sing for Company CD release show this Sunday night. Enjoy!