What a wild ride the month of August has been! I can't believe my girls have now been back in school for over a week. So much excitement over the start of school since Kaelie was starting high school and Hannah middle school.
I'm so happy to report that it seems to have been a smooth transition for both. I keep thinking back to when they were small, and how exhausting it was to be a mother of a toddler and then a preschooler. It's no less exhausting now, I've decided. It's just a different kind of exhausting. It's also no less of a joy. It's so amazing to watch them grow and change and mature. What a privilege to get to be a part of their lives!
So far they are also both enjoying the sports they're participating in this fall. Hannah is a manager for the middle school volleyball team and seems to be loving it. She's also playing travel soccer, so we have those practices twice a week and then games on the weeekends. Kaelie decided to give cross country a try, and I've been amazed to see how hard she's working and throwing herself into it. Her goal is to train all year through cross country, then both indoor and outdoor track in order to be in extra-good shape by the time volleyball tryouts roll around next summer. So glad to see her setting a goal and working so hard to pursue it. Unforunately, the athletic trainer at the school seems to think Kaelie may have a stress fracture in her foot, so we'll be getting an x-ray on Tuesday. I really hope it's not...she doesn't need that kind of setback right now.
Praying that God will continue to watch after their goings and comings...
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Tryout Update
Well, here's the update as promised. I put it off as long as possible today because it is painful to write. Kaelie got cut from the J-V volleyball team.
It was a really tough afternoon, but I'm so proud of the way she has handled it. She said that she knows God has other things for her to do and that being on this team just isn't one of them. There were some tears, naturally, but overall she's been fine. One of her best friends, Kelsey, also was cut, so it has helped that they have been able to spend the day together, and Kelsey is here for a sleepover tonight.
One really cool thing is that Kaelie has recognized on her own how God used that mission trip she went on last week to prepare her for this disappointment. She sees a much bigger picture, and I am so very grateful to God for showing it to her!
It was a really tough afternoon, but I'm so proud of the way she has handled it. She said that she knows God has other things for her to do and that being on this team just isn't one of them. There were some tears, naturally, but overall she's been fine. One of her best friends, Kelsey, also was cut, so it has helped that they have been able to spend the day together, and Kelsey is here for a sleepover tonight.
One really cool thing is that Kaelie has recognized on her own how God used that mission trip she went on last week to prepare her for this disappointment. She sees a much bigger picture, and I am so very grateful to God for showing it to her!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Unshakable
Okay, so I just got Kaelie to bed and finished praying with her. Volleyball tryouts for the junior varsity team are tomorrow morning at 8:00. She's pretty nervous, but her attitude about the whole thing completely blew me away.
I told her that she just needs to go out there and work her rear end off so that whether she makes the team or not, at least she can leave the court knowing that she gave it her very best effort. "Hopefully that will be enough," I said. "But if it's not, it just means that God has other plans for you this year and it will be exciting to see what's in store."
She smiled, nodded her head in agreement and said the most amazing thing. "The way I'm looking at it is that all this is just earthly kingdom kind of stuff. I need to keep my focus on the unshakable kingdom that counts."
I couldn't hold back a couple of tears. Hearing those words from the mouth of my 14 year-old daughter was such an unbelieveable encouragement to me. I'm so grateful for the beautiful work that God is doing in her. She came back from her Jeremiah Project mission trip yesterday wearing a t-shirt with "unshakable" written on it. That was the theme for the entire week. Taken from the Message version of Hebrews 12:28-29, it obviously gave her just the preparation she needed to face this week.
"Do you see what we've got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander. He's actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won't quit until it's all cleansed. God himself is Fire!"
It's really cool to see my child on fire for the God of fire. No matter what happens tomorrow and Tuesday on the volleyball court, I know that with this kind of faith, she'll be just fine!
I told her that she just needs to go out there and work her rear end off so that whether she makes the team or not, at least she can leave the court knowing that she gave it her very best effort. "Hopefully that will be enough," I said. "But if it's not, it just means that God has other plans for you this year and it will be exciting to see what's in store."
She smiled, nodded her head in agreement and said the most amazing thing. "The way I'm looking at it is that all this is just earthly kingdom kind of stuff. I need to keep my focus on the unshakable kingdom that counts."
I couldn't hold back a couple of tears. Hearing those words from the mouth of my 14 year-old daughter was such an unbelieveable encouragement to me. I'm so grateful for the beautiful work that God is doing in her. She came back from her Jeremiah Project mission trip yesterday wearing a t-shirt with "unshakable" written on it. That was the theme for the entire week. Taken from the Message version of Hebrews 12:28-29, it obviously gave her just the preparation she needed to face this week.
"Do you see what we've got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander. He's actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won't quit until it's all cleansed. God himself is Fire!"
It's really cool to see my child on fire for the God of fire. No matter what happens tomorrow and Tuesday on the volleyball court, I know that with this kind of faith, she'll be just fine!
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