Snow???

This past week it was in the 60's and beautiful and this morning we got 5 inches of snow. Though we did venture out to IHOP for pancakes as a special mommy weekend treat, we did not make it downtown to Union Station. That would have to wait until Daddy comes home and the snow melts. Nonetheless, it is a beautiful day and the largest snow of the winter. On the last day of March. Candace, when can we come to visit? Isn't it warm there????

Shout out-

Okay, so some really cool people I know do a shout out at regularly planned intervals and all, but I just like to do them when I get the whim. AND, lo and behold I got a whim today. Our dear friends Daniel, Kayla, Bright, Zion, and baby-to-be are in a far-off land, but they are amazing people. She is also a phenomenal blogger. I love to read them and I love her heart. BUT, for all you friends out there who may be in a similiar line of work, or who know someone who is, AND if you have babies or are having some more you have to look at this. (especially you Emily!) It is totally cool.

The AMS Community. . . .and exercise.

Okay, so we all know the Harrigan Family doesn't like to exercise all that much. (at least the big people) Well, lately I've been inspired. My sister has taken to the gym almost daily, which is really cool and makes me jealous. And my friend Candace runs like 100 miles a day (okay, not that many, but it seems like it when you're me and you don't run AT ALL cause you might fall over and die). Of course they are both learning wonderful spiritual lessons from the Lord in the midst of it all and looking wonderful. See Candace's blog (read them all) here and Erin's blog here All that to say we have turned over a new leaf. I have found that I really like to go to zumba class. AND if our friend Kelly is working that night, Samuel will actually stay with her. John on the other hand has started playing floor hockey with the students and some teachers from the Missions School. It's pretty fun and the first time we went to watch. The boys had so much fun they couldn't take it. The fellowship was amazing, new protective gear will be bought for the next time, and they quickly formed a bleeders club. So, here's to exercise, and LOSING a baby belly, and bleeding with the boys when you play hockey. All while learning more and more the heart of the Father. May we grow in love daily.

Videos anyone??

Okay, Okay. I know. I've been gone for like forever. I am truly sorry. And even at this point in the game, I don't have much to say. BUT, have no fear. I have some really funny videos of the kids at my mom and dad's house. You remember, like forever ago when we met the Chaney's in Arkansas and played all weekend long??? Yeah, those kids. Anyway, one is of them running up and down the hallway laughing more than you would think possible. The other one is just the boys, but who ever thought an air mattress could be so much fun????

The Fellowship of Believers, Part 3

So this past weekend we had a reunion with our friends the Chaneys, and all things said it was wonderful. The Lord was good and protected our health (just say no to Chariganitis!). His grace and peace was felt as our kids played so well together. You'll have to look at Candace's post to hear more about that, but I was struck by something else. The act of service with other believers. You see, on Saturday afternoon, we spent time together cleaning up sticks from my parents yard. They had an atrocious ice storm last week, lost power for 6 days, and were left with wreckage equaled only by tornadoes. Praise the Lord their house and health were not effected, but the damage to the yard was crazy. See above. That's my dad standing in their front yard.

The kids helped pick up tons of sticks and we were all basically happy for close to 3 1/2 hours! Even the little ones. I guess that's what started my thinking. I mean really, Samuel and Zeke (both almost 2 yrs old) stayed outside with everyone and played the whole time! And Benjamin and Anna Grace (not known for their 4-year old ability to follow through) stayed outside and worked almost the whole time, excluding a short snack break. :) Why is it that I have to fight to get them to clean up the blocks, and yet they helped in the yard for close to three hours? What is that dynamic that motivated all of us to serve and have loads of fun!?


"Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does," Ephesians 6:7-8
Jesus himself says, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:40
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with alll your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than this." Mark 12: 30-31

Doesn't it look like fun? I don't know the dynamics of this, but I do know a couple of things.
I know from my own experience and from the testimony of the bible, that serving others, and putting them before ourselves is very important to the heart of the Father. I know also that he has designed us to live together in love, to be bound to each other as we are bound to him. I also know that doing something together binds our hearts. There's got to be something to it- if it wasn't an important aspect of a believing community of people, then the Lord wouldn't have mentioned it. And I can tell you, this weekend was possibly one of the best we have had. We loved on each other, we loved on my parents, we played together, we ate together, we prayed together, and we served together. We will stand before the Father one day, knowing that we obeyed his heart this time, and that he has used obedience to him to bring us all closer. We know the Father better because of it, and we know each other better because of it. Thank you dear friends! Let us continue to serve Him together, to run the race to which we have been called, and to love wholeheartedly all the days of our lives.

p.s. I totally wish I had a better before and after pic to show you, but the difference was truly amazing!

Shout Out Sunday!

Hello all, there will soon be more photos and posts about the previous weekend, but I would like to make a public shout-out to fantastic people. This weekend we met our friends the Chaneys in Arkansas along with my sister, from Conway. We spent Saturday morning at "Wild Wilderness Drive-Through Safari" in Gentry, Arkansas. It was loads of fun with the kids and then we came home and worked all afternoon in the yard- cleaning up the sticks from the massive ice storm in Fayetteville. Hard work with people you love is always really cool, totally rewarding, and really productive. After a bit of birthday cake and kids dinner, we put the kids to bed early graciously, my mom and dad kept all 4 kids while we went out to dinner. And what a wonderful dinner it was. I came home and said, "That was a really fun day." You know? When all things go well, everyone is basically happy, and you do really cool things with really cool people. I am grateful. For family, for friends, and for the kindness of the Lord to unite hearts together.

More pics to follow soon. . .