Survival Kit

I am a coach for the high school girls tennis team. We have been at it now for 5 weeks, with another 3 to go...and hopefully 4 if anyone goes to state. After our first match of the season, I came home to find a "Tennis Survival Kit" on the kitchen table. This special little surprise was from my supportive husband and sweet girls. As you can see in the picture, other than a tennis balloon and cards, this kit is made up of chocolate. I love chocolate!!! I was so impressed with my family's thoughtfulness. I was thinking to myself, "I will definitely need this chocolate for some extra energy to get through the long days and late nights that the tennis season always brings!"

Fast forward just a few days...I go to grab out of my "survival kit" only to find that "someone" or "someones" have been in MY stash! Most of the candy bars were already gone and I began to wonder..."And who was this survival kit really for anyway???" Apparently, not me.

Well, it's a good thing I am fine with sharing. I didn't really figure I would get all of it anyway. That made me stop and think. There's another kit that we need to have ready at all times, not just during a season, and to be able to share it. It's called the "Spiritual Survival Kit". In order to be able to share our faith with someone, we need to be equipped with what we need to carry this through. The obvious things come to mind...our Bibles, our prayer life, fellowship with other believers and solitude (or aloneness with God). These things are essential in being able to grow or survive in this world that we live in...and not just survive, but to have the ability and tools in order to share with others.

Ephesians 6:10-18 says, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests."

Just like what my "Tennis Survival Kit" was meant to do for me during my tennis season, our "Spiritual Survival Kit" can help protect us from things that our enemy tries to throw our way. It doesn't mean that those things won't ever affect us, in fact, they will and sometimes, it will be very painful. But it's better to be prepared for these things, to have some survival kit in place...so that when those times come, we will be equipped and ready to give an answer for the hope that we have. So in case you haven't done this yet, it's time to go get your survival kit ready...

her first blog...

So this morning, one of my friends (let's call her "Jennie") and I were emailing back and forth. Some things that were talked about are pretty important...some were pretty ridiculous. We got to talking about laundry. I mentioned that I gotta go do laundry. She then gave me a simple suggestion as to how I can get out of that. Here it is..."just don't dry it". You see, my friend "Jennie" just doesn't put the clothes in the dryer...her theory is if you don't dry it, you don't have to get it out of the dryer to actually fold it and put it away. Huh...not a bad idea. (Of course, we all see so many problems with "Jennie's" theory. Shhh, we won't tell her tho'!) I told her that would be a good thing to blog about and that she should start one...after all, my friend "Jennie" is married with 4 kids...yes, 4 (boys in grades 4th and 1st, age 4 and a daughter almost 15 months old)...so if she doesn't ever have anything to write about, somethin's seriously wrong, right? Right! She then emailed me her first blog...I decided to share with you all...and she doesn't know it yet! (Good thing our friendship is a secure one! :) Enjoy...I think the girl's got talent...let me know what you think!

Jennie's BLOG...
"Today I woke up earlier than I wanted...threw on some clothes that didn't match...but who really cares? Put the hair in a ponytail...told the 3 kids who HAVE to get up to get up while ignoring the one who DOESN'T and is up!...walked downstairs, dug around on the couch and floor for some sort of matching socks...because let's face it...I don't fold them either! :) Went back upstairs, pulled off blankets of the 3 who STILL were not out of bed! Changed the one who was and tried to find something not from the tanktop variety..it is a little chilly...HOLLORED at the 3 not out of bed to GET OUT OF BED...made two pb & j's and told the 3 to get dressed, make your lunch, and get in the car..drove ALL over town...back and forth to 3 different locations...thinking yep they are blessings and I DO love them...and why does the person in front of me NOT understand I AM in a HURRY! and I can't WAIT to get them all delivered so I can go home and do laundry!..."

So friends, what do you think? Comment here and let me know if my friend "Jennie" should become a blogger buddy.

P.S. I'm wonderin' why she made the two pb & j's if she then told her 3 older kids to make their own lunch...did you catch that too? :) Also, I wonder if the kids' socks were wet when they put them on?!?!

SonScape

Our comfortable cabin for the week

Seven Falls in Colorado Springs

Matt at ElevenMile Canyon

Our new friends and family in Christ

Last month, Matt and I had the huge blessing of going on a retreat...just the two of us. The last time that we had that much time away together was before kids. And even on our honeymoon, I ended up getting sick, so this made it extra special for us. My in-laws send each of their kids and their spouse on a retreat. It was our turn to go. We were looking for something for quite a while, but couldn't find anything that really suited us. At the last minute, God opened up a spot for us at a place called SonScape in Woodland Park, CO.

SonScape is re-creation ministries..."igniting and restoring Christian leaders worldwide". This is a place to "rest, receive and renew" in the beautiful setting of the Colorado mountains. This was not only good for us for reconnecting in our marriage, but also reconnecting with our amazing God. We got a double blessing that week...it was one of the best weeks in the almost 11 years that we have been married, but also one of the best weeks I have ever experienced in general.

Matt and I learned so many great things that week, too many to type here. Truly things that we needed to hear, or at least be reminded of. God has blessed SonScape ministries with 4 amazing and gifted people...Larry and Barbara Magnuson and Mike and Sandy Schafer. They were our retreat leaders for the week. We spent 7 days with them...we met as strangers and left as treasured friends. "Thank you, Larry and Barb, and Mike and Sandy, for your wisdom, care, leadership, encouragement, compassion and friendship! We learned from you and laughed with you."

The thing that I really loved about SonScape (other than it simply being located in Colorado) is that we had group teaching time (we shared this time with 7 other great people who are now our friends), personal teaching time (with our retreat leaders), but also time to actually reflect on the things that you were learning. They encourage silence and solitude, not just there, but especially in our busy, distracted lives at home. It's so easy to have chaos, isn't it? But Jesus set the example of being alone and spending time with His Father. That's necessary for us too. Our time away allowed for us to have some "free time" as well. Matt and I took full advantage of that being in the great outdoors. One of the best memories I have from that week was when we went to a place called "ElevenMile Canyon". It was absolutely beautiful! It's an eleven mile drive, turn around and drive back out. Except we stopped and spent a while there. We both found 2 huge boulders to sit on with our Bibles and notebooks and spent our day with God...alone.

I don't know how many people from the ministry read my blog...but whoever is reading this, if you have a friend that is in some kind of ministry and needs a time of renewal, refreshment and maybe some restoration in ministry...Sonscape is the place to go. If anyone is interested, you can check them out on the web at www.sonscape.org. It really is an amazing place with amazing people. God is doing a great work there!

"Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." So true...God promises that. We were definitely weary and burdened walking in to SonScape and truly needing some rest...not just the tired kind of rest, but rest from the stresses, frustrations and hurts of ministry. We walked out of there, maybe still burdened, but two totally different people from all that we took away from a place called SonScape. Matt and I are better off because of it...