So...here's a song I've been working on. If I get real fancy, I'll try to record it one day and post it. I'm back, baby! ;)
Maybe I'm just too weak
Or maybe I think I'm strong
When I'm obsessed with me
That's where it all starts to go wrong
The problems seem too big
My faith just seems so small
I'm worried, I'm overwhelmed
Can I make a difference at all
So I give it up, give it up
Give it all to Your hands
I don't know why I'm worrying
Give it up, give it up
As a part of Your plan
You're so much bigger than I am
I give it all, all to You
I trust in you, only You
Seek first His kingdom
Seek first righteousness
When I run after You, Lord
My burdens are less and less
In You there's no condemnation
In You there's peace and rest
You hold the strength and the power
It's in You I've been so blessed
So I give it up, give it up
Give it all to Your hands
I don't know why I'm worrying
Give it up, give it up
As a part of Your plan
You're so much bigger than I am
I give it all, all to You
I trust in You, only You
Stop me in my tracks
Pick me up again
I am such a mess
When I'm out of Your hands
I give it all, all to You
I trust in You, only You
Friday, September 7, 2012
Friday, August 31, 2012
Ummmm....yeah....
I'm thinking about getting back into blogging and I can't even remember how to do anything. Help. Me.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Well, hello blog land! I had a very nice email from my friend Helen the other day...just saying that she missed me and my posts. I'm on vacation this week from work. I'm just staying home and catching up and hanging with my kids. No escape to the tropics or anything grand. Kind of like the good ol' blog days... So I thought I'd give you all a recap on what the fam has been up to in the past...oh...year and a half. ;) I can't say that I'll be updating this regularly once again, but be assured, I do stop by everyone's blogs now and then to see what everyone it up to. Wow, that sounds creepier than I meant it to be.
Thus I give to you: THE 2011 SABELHAUS UPDATE! (Update...update...Pretend like that was in movie announcer voice with echo effect)
Numero Uno: My kids are not so little anymore. Sure, seven, five, and not quite three sound like small children, but they are WORLDS away from a couple years ago when I had an infant, toddler, and preschooler. Annabelle loves to read chapter books and learn anything she can about animals. She's enjoying the Nintendo DS she got for her birthday. All big kid stuff. Dancing, singing, drawing...she loves the artsy stuff, too, and has aspirations of a career in the arts. I'm afraid I have her hooked on HGTV as well. (Gotta love House Hunters.) Joey is getting ready to begin kindergarten next month. How a five year old child could be so smart, logical, and matter of fact and yet still have such a HUGE imagination, I'm not sure. But that's my Joe. He loves his video and computer games and playing in imaginary worlds with his sister. Some days it's frustrating having a kid who tells it like it is. If he's bored, you'll hear about it. If he doesn't want to do it, it probably won't happen. But he's grown up a lot in the past few months and I think he's going to dig school. I suspect that he has determined that preschool life is beneath him. And then there's Jay. Ahhhhhhh, Jay. The sweet easy going baby that didn't do much the first year and half of his life has certainly made up for it in the next year and a half. He's my fireball. And my momma's boy. He's determined to master the universe and do it his way. This can make for a long day when he's throwing the mother of all fits and you have to carry him out of Wal-Mart under your arm football style and somehow he manages to kick you full on in the face. But his sweet moments are that much sweeter. When he sings "Jesus Loves Me" and says a little prayer with an "Ayyyy MEN!" at the end, you just melt into an ewwy gooey puddle of adorable. Jay's current loves are Barney, trains, school buses, playing in the dirt and destroying whatever his brother and sister are doing.
Next Up: I have been married almost 10 years. Yup, the tenth anniversary will be in September. I don't want to get too mushy, but I certainly love, appreciate, and respect Frank more with each year. It's almost funny to look back and see how the things that frustrated me about him those first couple years have become little things, and how he's always had the major things right. He's had a change in jobs this past year and now works for Sony DADC. A step up in pay but also a step up in time at work, so we've all had to adjust a bit. When he's not at work, he's been working on the house- redoing our bedroom, redoing the deck, building a swing set, and trying to convince me that he can build a garage... Anywho, since he's been at Sony, he started working out at the gym there, and I have to say I'm pretty proud of him for sticking with the exercise thing and losing quite a bit of weight. We had to go get him a sweet new wardrobe. He's stylin'.
And little ol' me? I'm doing well. I'm getting back into running a little bit after taking a few months off. Chug. Chug. My job is good. Summer is a transition time of helping the graduates start life in the real world and getting things ready for my new students. I was really close to the class that just graduated; some of them have been with me since I started the job almost two years ago, so it's going to be strange not to have them in class anymore. But that's one of things I like about my program. I DO get the chance to get to know my students that well! Other than that, I'm not up to much. Work and family tend to fill up the days pretty quickly. I've been trying to take a little time to hang out at the lake or just read this summer.
What about the church? I would say we're in a transition period in ministry right now. We loved being a part of HealingPointe, the church plant we helped start in 2006, but as 2011 began, then Frank's new job began, and some burnout began, we started understanding that it was no longer matching God's vision for us. Living in one community and ministering in another with three kids and two full time jobs wasn't really effective. So we transitioned out in February and have been attending the church we used to attend before HealingPointe. It's strange to just go to church. Frank and I have occasionally played in the worship band, but we're not "in charge" of anything. It's a good and obedient thing, but I do miss leading worship. I miss my friends at HealingPointe and I haven't totally re-kindled relationships at our current church. It's a process, I suppose. Frank and I are waiting and praying on what might be in store for the future. Frank finished up his Master's degree in Church Planting this May (Woo hoo!) and we know that someday we will be a part of another church plant. But what's in store for Frank and I in ministry until then...and where and when that plant will be...we really just don't know yet! That causes some head spinning with the endless exciting possibilities and some impatience. So keep us in your prayers, please. :) Brings me back to one of my all time favorite verses, Isaiah 40:31 "but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
Hope you enjoyed the post, Helen! If you drop me a line in the comments demanding more posts, maybe I'll update again in a more timely manner. :)
Thus I give to you: THE 2011 SABELHAUS UPDATE! (Update...update...Pretend like that was in movie announcer voice with echo effect)
Numero Uno: My kids are not so little anymore. Sure, seven, five, and not quite three sound like small children, but they are WORLDS away from a couple years ago when I had an infant, toddler, and preschooler. Annabelle loves to read chapter books and learn anything she can about animals. She's enjoying the Nintendo DS she got for her birthday. All big kid stuff. Dancing, singing, drawing...she loves the artsy stuff, too, and has aspirations of a career in the arts. I'm afraid I have her hooked on HGTV as well. (Gotta love House Hunters.) Joey is getting ready to begin kindergarten next month. How a five year old child could be so smart, logical, and matter of fact and yet still have such a HUGE imagination, I'm not sure. But that's my Joe. He loves his video and computer games and playing in imaginary worlds with his sister. Some days it's frustrating having a kid who tells it like it is. If he's bored, you'll hear about it. If he doesn't want to do it, it probably won't happen. But he's grown up a lot in the past few months and I think he's going to dig school. I suspect that he has determined that preschool life is beneath him. And then there's Jay. Ahhhhhhh, Jay. The sweet easy going baby that didn't do much the first year and half of his life has certainly made up for it in the next year and a half. He's my fireball. And my momma's boy. He's determined to master the universe and do it his way. This can make for a long day when he's throwing the mother of all fits and you have to carry him out of Wal-Mart under your arm football style and somehow he manages to kick you full on in the face. But his sweet moments are that much sweeter. When he sings "Jesus Loves Me" and says a little prayer with an "Ayyyy MEN!" at the end, you just melt into an ewwy gooey puddle of adorable. Jay's current loves are Barney, trains, school buses, playing in the dirt and destroying whatever his brother and sister are doing.
Next Up: I have been married almost 10 years. Yup, the tenth anniversary will be in September. I don't want to get too mushy, but I certainly love, appreciate, and respect Frank more with each year. It's almost funny to look back and see how the things that frustrated me about him those first couple years have become little things, and how he's always had the major things right. He's had a change in jobs this past year and now works for Sony DADC. A step up in pay but also a step up in time at work, so we've all had to adjust a bit. When he's not at work, he's been working on the house- redoing our bedroom, redoing the deck, building a swing set, and trying to convince me that he can build a garage... Anywho, since he's been at Sony, he started working out at the gym there, and I have to say I'm pretty proud of him for sticking with the exercise thing and losing quite a bit of weight. We had to go get him a sweet new wardrobe. He's stylin'.
And little ol' me? I'm doing well. I'm getting back into running a little bit after taking a few months off. Chug. Chug. My job is good. Summer is a transition time of helping the graduates start life in the real world and getting things ready for my new students. I was really close to the class that just graduated; some of them have been with me since I started the job almost two years ago, so it's going to be strange not to have them in class anymore. But that's one of things I like about my program. I DO get the chance to get to know my students that well! Other than that, I'm not up to much. Work and family tend to fill up the days pretty quickly. I've been trying to take a little time to hang out at the lake or just read this summer.
What about the church? I would say we're in a transition period in ministry right now. We loved being a part of HealingPointe, the church plant we helped start in 2006, but as 2011 began, then Frank's new job began, and some burnout began, we started understanding that it was no longer matching God's vision for us. Living in one community and ministering in another with three kids and two full time jobs wasn't really effective. So we transitioned out in February and have been attending the church we used to attend before HealingPointe. It's strange to just go to church. Frank and I have occasionally played in the worship band, but we're not "in charge" of anything. It's a good and obedient thing, but I do miss leading worship. I miss my friends at HealingPointe and I haven't totally re-kindled relationships at our current church. It's a process, I suppose. Frank and I are waiting and praying on what might be in store for the future. Frank finished up his Master's degree in Church Planting this May (Woo hoo!) and we know that someday we will be a part of another church plant. But what's in store for Frank and I in ministry until then...and where and when that plant will be...we really just don't know yet! That causes some head spinning with the endless exciting possibilities and some impatience. So keep us in your prayers, please. :) Brings me back to one of my all time favorite verses, Isaiah 40:31 "but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
Hope you enjoyed the post, Helen! If you drop me a line in the comments demanding more posts, maybe I'll update again in a more timely manner. :)
Friday, December 18, 2009
I've Written A Thousand Posts in My Head
Yet...
Those posts never get here.
I think maybe Blogger is broken.
Or I've had to significantly re-structure my time since going back to work.
Hmmmm.
Anywho, work is going really well. Love the kiddos I get to work with and how creative I get to be with them! Of course, I'm keeping busy with my own kiddos and church and Girl Scouts when I'm not at work. And the weekends are for catching up on cleaning and chilling! So...most of the writing will have to wait I think. Although I really miss it some days!
One of those days was yesterday when I got to sit in on an interview with a kid for one of our programs. He's pretty much got everything against him in life, and he's made some bad choices, but he's decided he MUST make a change. So he's been walking miles to GED classes every day and wants to be a police officer someday. He wants to get a good job so he can help his single mom struggle less. I got to be a part of telling him, "You're in! And if you do your part to get your GED and attend our training classes...you get your college paid for." The look of hope on his face! He couldn't put gratitude into words. It was a gift he didn't really deserve and a day of redemption of the best kind.
It made me think of Jesus. He is a gift I most definitely do not deserve, but a gift that I am so very grateful for that it's hard to express it accurately. So even though I sat in my business attire as a 30 year old professional of some sort, a teacher, a mom...and he sat in his parka and Packers stocking cap looking pretty sweaty and nervous for a punk kid...there was a thread of redemption that we shared.
So as we gather with friends and family and live the joyful highs and the stressed out lows of Christmas...may we be reminded that a little baby boy born in Bethlehem gave us true gifts of mercy...grace...and the hope of a redeemed future. Merry Christmas everybody!
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Those posts never get here.
I think maybe Blogger is broken.
Or I've had to significantly re-structure my time since going back to work.
Hmmmm.
Anywho, work is going really well. Love the kiddos I get to work with and how creative I get to be with them! Of course, I'm keeping busy with my own kiddos and church and Girl Scouts when I'm not at work. And the weekends are for catching up on cleaning and chilling! So...most of the writing will have to wait I think. Although I really miss it some days!
One of those days was yesterday when I got to sit in on an interview with a kid for one of our programs. He's pretty much got everything against him in life, and he's made some bad choices, but he's decided he MUST make a change. So he's been walking miles to GED classes every day and wants to be a police officer someday. He wants to get a good job so he can help his single mom struggle less. I got to be a part of telling him, "You're in! And if you do your part to get your GED and attend our training classes...you get your college paid for." The look of hope on his face! He couldn't put gratitude into words. It was a gift he didn't really deserve and a day of redemption of the best kind.
It made me think of Jesus. He is a gift I most definitely do not deserve, but a gift that I am so very grateful for that it's hard to express it accurately. So even though I sat in my business attire as a 30 year old professional of some sort, a teacher, a mom...and he sat in his parka and Packers stocking cap looking pretty sweaty and nervous for a punk kid...there was a thread of redemption that we shared.
So as we gather with friends and family and live the joyful highs and the stressed out lows of Christmas...may we be reminded that a little baby boy born in Bethlehem gave us true gifts of mercy...grace...and the hope of a redeemed future. Merry Christmas everybody!
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Monday, October 26, 2009
Don't Hate Me Because I'm Awesome
Okay, I'm not really that awesome.
But I did get to have a really fun weekend. Which was awesome. So maybe some of the awesome rubbed off on me.
We packed up the kids and went to stay with my sister-in-law in the Nashville area for the weekend. We took the kiddos to a pumpkin patch and they had lots of fun with a hay maze, seeing farm animals, going on a hay ride and picking out pumpkins and such. The absolute highlight was probably playing in the big bins of corn. Yup. We know how to party.
Then, I got to go see Jim Gaffigan on Saturday at the historic Ryman theater in Nashville, Tennessee. And I got to get all prettied up and go on a real date with the Frankster. And be all downtown and cool and stuff in a big city. And somehow we ended up at a BW3's eating a lot of chicken wings and watching UFC fighting with a bunch of crazy Tennessee people...?? A random but lovely evening. Which is pretty much us at our best.
So in case you don't know who Jim Gaffigan is...and you really should, I give you....HOOOOOT POCKEEEET:
But I did get to have a really fun weekend. Which was awesome. So maybe some of the awesome rubbed off on me.
We packed up the kids and went to stay with my sister-in-law in the Nashville area for the weekend. We took the kiddos to a pumpkin patch and they had lots of fun with a hay maze, seeing farm animals, going on a hay ride and picking out pumpkins and such. The absolute highlight was probably playing in the big bins of corn. Yup. We know how to party.
Then, I got to go see Jim Gaffigan on Saturday at the historic Ryman theater in Nashville, Tennessee. And I got to get all prettied up and go on a real date with the Frankster. And be all downtown and cool and stuff in a big city. And somehow we ended up at a BW3's eating a lot of chicken wings and watching UFC fighting with a bunch of crazy Tennessee people...?? A random but lovely evening. Which is pretty much us at our best.
So in case you don't know who Jim Gaffigan is...and you really should, I give you....HOOOOOT POCKEEEET:
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Seasons Change...God Doesn't
We have a big maple tree in our front yard. Every year around this time, the leaves turn to a brilliant yellow and then fall to the ground in a great golden piles. I love to jump in the piles...but raking them? Not my cup o' tea. ;)
As the leaf color hits its peak this year, I find that the season in my life is also changing. I will be starting a new job! Weighing the pros and cons to working full-time again (outside the home...the kids are a 24/7 job- ha!) was tough. But as childcare quickly fell into place and much encouragement came from friends and family...God seemed to say, "I've got a new challenge just for you, Beth..." I'm not sure I even got totally comfortable with my season of being at home or working part-time at the pre-school! But...God never promised us comfort, did he?
I'll be working with high school students in Vincennes, Indiana. I really, really love this age group and miss working with teenagers a lot. Pray for us as we make the transition as a family...things might get a little bumpy as we iron out the new normal! There's also a little funny feeling in my stomach that happens when you walk into something unfamiliar...what will it REALLY be like...so hopefully that will disappear soon. But I'm confident that God has some good stuff for me in the road ahead...to impact some lives at the crucial point of childhood meets adulthood...and to teach ME more than I can imagine right now.
And the blog? I hope to keep posting from time to time. I do try to keep up with the blogs and friends I have come to love so much in the past 15 months or so...but if I don't comment for awhile, I still love ya! :)
So...to recap: the me that was me when I started the blog...not me anymore. Again.
Ecclesiastes 3 comes to mind (good chapter!).
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
P.S. In case I don't get the change to devote a real post to it...Happy 3 years to HealingPointe Community Church!
As the leaf color hits its peak this year, I find that the season in my life is also changing. I will be starting a new job! Weighing the pros and cons to working full-time again (outside the home...the kids are a 24/7 job- ha!) was tough. But as childcare quickly fell into place and much encouragement came from friends and family...God seemed to say, "I've got a new challenge just for you, Beth..." I'm not sure I even got totally comfortable with my season of being at home or working part-time at the pre-school! But...God never promised us comfort, did he?
I'll be working with high school students in Vincennes, Indiana. I really, really love this age group and miss working with teenagers a lot. Pray for us as we make the transition as a family...things might get a little bumpy as we iron out the new normal! There's also a little funny feeling in my stomach that happens when you walk into something unfamiliar...what will it REALLY be like...so hopefully that will disappear soon. But I'm confident that God has some good stuff for me in the road ahead...to impact some lives at the crucial point of childhood meets adulthood...and to teach ME more than I can imagine right now.
And the blog? I hope to keep posting from time to time. I do try to keep up with the blogs and friends I have come to love so much in the past 15 months or so...but if I don't comment for awhile, I still love ya! :)
So...to recap: the me that was me when I started the blog...not me anymore. Again.
Ecclesiastes 3 comes to mind (good chapter!).
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
P.S. In case I don't get the change to devote a real post to it...Happy 3 years to HealingPointe Community Church!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Before the Day
Couldn't have written a more fitting song for my heart this week!
Psalm 46:10
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.
Before the Day- NewSong
Last night when I was sleeping
You were watching over me
While I dreamt about tomorrow
You knew my every need
Now another day is waiting
For me to make it through
And there's no way that I could face it without You
Before the day slips away
I want to stop and say
I love You I love You
Before the world rushes in again
I want to stop and say there's none above You
There's none above You
I'll just be still and know You are God
Be still and know You are God
There's something about the morning
The stillness of it all
It calms my heart to hear You
When You gently call
Here I am in Your presence
Where I long to be
Alone with You in the silence
Bring down Your love and Your mercy
Whisper softly to me
Psalm 46:10
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.
Before the Day- NewSong
Last night when I was sleeping
You were watching over me
While I dreamt about tomorrow
You knew my every need
Now another day is waiting
For me to make it through
And there's no way that I could face it without You
Before the day slips away
I want to stop and say
I love You I love You
Before the world rushes in again
I want to stop and say there's none above You
There's none above You
I'll just be still and know You are God
Be still and know You are God
There's something about the morning
The stillness of it all
It calms my heart to hear You
When You gently call
Here I am in Your presence
Where I long to be
Alone with You in the silence
Bring down Your love and Your mercy
Whisper softly to me
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