A Great American Adventure

This week our family has been travelling with my sister and her family out west to South Dakota. We are having a lot of fun. Visiting some of most awe inspiring places such as Mt. Rushmore and Custer State Park. Along the way we have been keenly aware of God's mighty power and His awesome handiwork.

I enjoy traveling with family. My sister takes her family on a vacation to a different state capitol each year. We have enjoyed tagging along. I want my children to have wonderful memories of meaningful family vacations. I read recently vacations are a better way to spend your money than household items or toys, because you make memories that last a lifetime. While if you buy objects they are soon forgotten. I suppose you could say that this was written by someone trying to sell people on vacations but, I can see the validity in it.

This trip has been an education in history and in the magnificence of God's creation. We paid an interesting visit to the South Dakota Capitol of Pierre. We have also had our share of tourist attractions that were simply pure entertainment value. Like the World's Only Corn Palace and The World Famous Wall Drugs.

Lots of fun and great memories. Memories to last a lifetime. Like having a donkey poke his head through my open van window all but demanding to be fed. I gave him what I had handy which was a handful of prunes. He seemed to like it and a second younger donkey joined him in my window. Eventually we ran out and had to shoo them away. We also saw free roaming buffalo. As we were leaving the buffalo, Carson said, "I don't think I can eat buffalo wings after that". Troy and I had a good chuckle and explained that buffalo wings were chicken wings not buffalo.

On our ride out of Custer State Park, Ephraim started making strange coughing noises. I looked back and sensed that he was about to throw up. He denied it, but I managed to get a bag under him before he threw up. I think it was car sickness but Ephraim had a different idea. He said he thought he was allergic. We asked him what he was allergic to and he said "donkeys". Again a good chuckle for us.

So far this Great American Adventure has been an eventful trip and we still have more days to go. We have thanked God for His provision for our safety and the majesty of the land He created.

What a Compliment!

This week I have been helping at VBS (Vacation Bible School). I was serving in the role of story teller. This role is a familiar one to me because of being children's leader at BSF (Bible Study Fellowship), but this was a different setting and a more casual atmosphere. One of the little girls in my group yesterday had been in my BSF classroom this year.

This little girl's mother stopped me in the hallway today and gave me one of the highest compliment I have ever been paid. She said this morning while the little girl was brushing her teeth, that she turned to her and said "Mommy, I love Mrs. Bishop". The mother smiled pleased that her little girl liked coming to VBS and BSF. Then the little girl said "I wish Mrs. Bishop was my mommy". The mother was a little hurt of course.

I told the little girl that she probably wouldn't feel that way if she lived in my house everyday. The mother then replied knowingly with a sweet voice, something to the effect of "Not every mother can be as nice as Mrs. Bishop all of the time". Of course, I am delighted that the little girl loves me so much and thinks so highly of me. I'm sure my boys have days where they would love to trade me in more often than not.

Felt good to know that God had answered my prayer. I had prayed that God would use me as His hands and feet. That I would see the children as He sees them and that I would have His love for them and His patience. I believe that this little girl's compliment shows that God was at work and answered my prayer.

By the way the little girl's mother is a supermom with twice as many kids as I have. She is someone I look up to and know she has her act together in a really big way. The other great thing about her is her smile and the way you know that her joy comes from the LORD. That makes it even more of a compliment. Of course to God be the glory!

Questions for Mama

As the mama of two pretty fantastic and inquisitive boys, I get a lot of questions. Some are as simple as "what are we having for supper?" and some are much deeper. Yesterday's question of the day came from Ephraim...

Ephraim: "Mama, is God sleeping?".

Mama: "Ephraim, the Bible tells us that God never sleeps. Why do you ask?"

Ephraim: "I thought He might be sleeping, because I can't hear Him. God rests
though, right Mama?"

Mama: "Yes, Ephraim, The Bible says God does rest".

Ephraim: "Well, maybe He is resting then Mama."

Mama: "Yes, Ephraim, maybe He is resting".

Have any questions??? I've had a lot lately and while I can not go to my earthly parents to ask, I can go to my Heavenly Father. It is amazing how God's WORD speaks to any circumstance in our life. And I mean ANYTHING. Take a look, you'll be amazed too.

Taking a Break...

It was like I almost forgot I had a blog. Been busy, just let posting get away from me. As of last Wednesday, Carson was officially on Summer break and Ephraim's Children's Morning Out program ended on the Thursday before. They both were ready for Summer. We all have a break from Bible Study Fellowship, but we aren't taking a break from the study of God's WORD.

I may have mentioned in a prior post, but we are studying the book of Ephesians as a family. We started by talking about how that the book of Ephesians was a collection of letters. Given to us by God, written by the Apostle Paul to the people of Ephesus. We did our own rendition of the Blues Clues song "We just got a letter". (You will know this if you have young children).

This week we are studying Ephesians 2 staring with verse 8. Instead of focusing on receiving a letter, we are talking about the gift God gave us in our Savior Jesus. I just love how God uses His WORD to meet us right where we are. I want so very much for God's WORD to be a living and active presence in the life of the boys and us of course.

Speaking of living and active, our sermon series on the book/movie The Ultimate Gift started this past Sunday. Pastor Teike spoke this week on the gift of work. I felt convicted about being more on task and less idle. I suppose I ought to sign off and start my work for the day. Everyone has a job to do, even me.