Fun - Filled weekend

ask Noah why we are fishing for a 4-wheeler......Then ask him about the alligator!!!! If he tells you the truth it should entail a race, miscalculating how close he was to the pond, how level headed he remained swimming out of the pond and a 3 to 7 foot alligator with beady eyes.....



Did you know Florida is 2nd only to Texas to raising cattle? Who would have thought?



We had fun on the motorcycle, the 4 wheelers and the convertible, not sure who had more fun, and not sure who actually won the 4- wheeler race around the pond and it is still debatable if the alligator was 4 Ft or 7 Ft.

Did you know that alligators could run up to 35 mph?

We did not go back to that pond the rest of the weekend.......
well would you if you had an alligator staring at you?

Christ Community Church

Christ Community Church
in Winter Haven, Florida
Next to Lakeland where the
Tigers have their Spring training.










The mall area is used for
fellowship, coffee and donuts
are served and
people mill around.
Across from
this is the baptism.











The sanctuary, Matt preached
here this past Sunday, the
topic: is passion lately,
Spiritual Parenthood. If you want
to know what he talked about
you will have to ask him.











The baptism in the mall area
looks like a rock wall, complete
with a running water fall into
the pool for the baptism.

Almost Summer

When the flowers start to bloom,the harsh cold bitterness of winter begins to abate
then for me, it is almost summer.
The grass begins to grow and I know my best season is coming.

Summer brings new life, new changes, and new challenges....
Every child of God must go through changes in order to develop and grow.

God uses the bitter, cold winter season to
develop Christ like character, so that the springtime of
blessings may be enjoyed properly.

For me the flowers mean summertime is upon us:
Winter does not last forever-Be not "weary in well doing:
for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not" Galatians 6-9

The spirit of the Lord is saying to me, Get up, square your shoulders,
clear your head and Praise Me! Walk like you have the victory because
your season of blessing is coming.

Days of our Lives

Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
Psalm 139:16

These are the kinds of verses that keep theologians up at night.

If God had already recorded every moment of David’s life before he ever lived it, what does that say for his choices? Does that make him a sort of robot? How can he be made responsible for his actions when God already mapped out his life?

I don’t know. To try and find answers to questions like these seems to me an attempt to play God. I go on the assumption that God is operating on a whole different level of engagement than my little pea brain can negotiate.

How God can have a person’s life mapped out and still make them responsible for the choices they make is one of those things I have come to just believe even though it doesn’t make sense in my head. There are limitations to being human.

What I can know about this, however, is how significant this makes everything in my life. Nothing is happening to me by accident. My moments were all thought up in the mind of God, and they are all geared toward shaping me for a particular service that no one but I can perform.

God uses everything in my life — whatever I’ve experienced, whatever I’ve learned — to make me into a person fit for that which I can do in His Kingdom here on earth.

We are not autonomous, isolated individuals — masters of our own fate and servants of no one. We are actually a part of a grand display wherein the lives of billions upon billions are intertwined together. What we do affects those around us, and God has taken all that into account.

Therefore, if my life is that important, and God has already recorded it and mapped it out, doesn’t that make it even more compelling that I find out what it is that He has for me to do? This is not a chore; it’s a privilege and an adventure.
God does not intend to waste anything in my life, or yours. Our talents, gifts and natural abilities all go together to make someone fit to serve.

Gotta serve somebody
Gotta serve somebody
May be the devil; may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.

- Bob Dylan

We may be small, but we are by no means insignificant.

Capac Community Church

It has been 13 weeks and we have "visited" 12 Churches, from Oxford and Almont, Michigan to Maryland and Florida, and many in between. Some are good, some not so good. We have learned a lot of "what to do's" and a lot of "what not to do's".
but today we stayed close to home. Well.... if you count 45 minutes close to home. Matt is in New Orleans on a kind of "mission" so the boys and I ventured up to Capac where our friends Dennis and Heide Cook have birthed a new church.

Today we worshipped with familiar faces as "Hearts Desire" a ladies trio which formed out of Washington Community was .......In concert........
as well as families we knew at CWC that went "up" to Capac to help in the work there as the church was forming, it was good to see them all.

This week I think, (do not quote me on this) but they may have been over a hundred with many young families including children and teens. We visited for a bit and then had lunch with some friends.

Thanks guys; It was a good day!

Painting with the Princess

Megan and Maddison paint my nails,
if you can see close up they look "Pretty" :)















First the finger nails















Second the toe nails
















The finished product.

A New Band Forming

Move over Damascus Road the boys are
practicing in the basement

Integrity and Honesty

Beloved,

I am reminding you of the importance of integrity and honesty in everything you say and do. Refuse to allow the fear of rejection to tempt you to use deception as a means of escape. You must set a watch in every situation and choose to be honest and above board.

Do not under any circumstance take advantage of someone else. Be willing to admit your errors and short-comings. Conversely, be on the alert for scams and misrepresented agendas. Hidden motives will be masked by false responses, insincerity, pretense, and flattery. Things are not what they seem.

Be sensitive to My leading, and I will bring to light that which is hidden. Seek Me for truth, and I will reveal and expose every lie, says the Lord.

Mark 4:22 "For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light."

God is First

Today's Prayer

Dear God, You are great and You are powerful. Show me the way, give me the insight, help me to know what to do and say to reach the lost around me. I pray for wisdom, for boldness, for the words to say, for understanding of their cultures, their situations, and their needs.
Please give me the means and the knowledge to influence their minds, stir their emotions, engage their spirits, that Your Holy Spirit might prick their consciences and move upon them that they will call upon You to save their souls.
Please examine my life and show me any unclean thing that I may repent and ask Your forgiveness. I do not want anything to stand in the way of
Building a Solid Foundation

Today God Is First,

But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. - Matthew 7:26

There were two kinds of people in the days of Jesus. Some heard the words that Jesus spoke and were awed by His wisdom and understanding, but did nothing about what they heard.

Others heard those words and acted on them. Jesus said that those who heard the words but failed to put them into practice were foolish and likened them to building a house on sand. How foolish, indeed, it would be to build a house on sand.

The person who followed what Jesus taught was a person who would be sure to weather life's storms.Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock (Matthew 7:24-25).

You never know how well your house is built until it is tested by the elements. Torrential rains reveal the quality of your roof. Wind and cold reveal how well your home is insulated. Heat and sun reveal the quality of your paint and siding. All these elements reveal whether a solid foundation has been laid to make your home a secure and lasting place to live.Many of us find that we have given only lip service to God's commands. We are faced with the reality that our foundations are not strong enough to weather life's storms. How do we react when the trials come? Do we fret and worry? Do we take life into our hands? Do we respond inappropriately when we don't get what we want? The Lord uses these times to help us recognize whether our foundations are sand or rock.

Ask the Lord today if you have built on His rock. If so, you can be comforted to know that you can weather any storm that may come your way.

Thank you Shari:)

Mega Meet

Taking a break from all that shopping at the
food court in the Rock Financial center.
Melodie, Debbie, Joelle, Julie, Tracy and Donna.
(Edith, Christine and Anna joined us later)
The consensus is we like the Novi center
better for the mega meet.














Dinner at "Red, Hot and Blue". It was my first
time there and it was pretty good. The food
was good the company great and our waitress
took this picture. Thanks ladies it was fun!














How many layouts can you get done on the floor?
A lot lore than you can at your tiny bit of table
space.......Can you say 36? Yeah! That is almost
a whole album. I may not work on them again
for another 3 months so it was worth it.
If you want to see my albums, call, come on over,
we would love to have you!

The Snyders

Daniella and Joelle




















Matt and Andreas making funny faces















Daniella took this pictures in her back yard,
and was amazed with the digital camera and took
many pictures after this. I am sure she is a budding
scrapbooker as well as photographer.















She took this one as well, don't let him fool you,
he would never let his mother take one where
he is looking and smiling at the same time.















The of course others wanted to get in the action
as well, take their pictures then quick let them
it. This one turned out really cute.

Noah

Okay so Noah does not live in a bubble.
After the week we had two weeks ago with
Micah's surgery and Aaron's stitches, Zach's
eye doctor appointment, I was putting Noah
in a bubble. It did not work. After a great
save as keeper in last weeks soccer game,
Noah sprained his arm. It could have been
worse, so we praise God that is was not.
After a few more days this thing can come off
and he will be back to new. 4 boys are incedibly
awesome but every once in a while mom needs
a break:)no pun inteneded! Coffee anyone?

The Party Continues

They had so much fun last year for the big "13"
Every one wanted to play again this year on "14"
Even though it was not Zachs year to have a party,
we caved for a few rounds of Paintball.
















Especially since Zach got a new Spider Electra
2006 with a rocking trigger for his birthday.
See he wanted it for Christmas, we found one
on the internet, then he changed his mind and
wanted a cell hone instead, so mom had a new
Spider Electra 2006 with a Rocking trigger.......














it stayed under the bed till Thursday, so today
was the first day he actually got to play,
thanks Mel and Jen, your property was just
right.....We'll be back:)
















While the big boys played paintball the younger
two found the pond with the paddle boat,
this kept them occupied for a while, they even
used the nets for turtles and fishing, it was a great day.















The woods provided just the right amount of
cover for a few rounds of capture the flag and
already had the hideouts in place for several
rounds of speedball as well. Thanks to Mr Barry
and Mrs Susanne for the water, it's a jungle in
there.




















Micah was on his own recon mission
when he took a shot to the chin,
he won't get that close again with out
a helmet:(















This years Motley Crew;
Daniel, Jacob, Aaron, Jason, Robert, Jacob,
Peter, John, Craig and Zach

Happy Birthday Zach!

The birthday boy! Before you even say it;
No! I can not believe he is 14.
















We had a game today and a meet Friday, so to
fit in a celebration we hulled the grill and a table
to the soccer field and grilled hot dogs, had
watermelon for halftime snack and shared his day
with his team.

........By the way he is taller than me even
when I am standing straight up..........
















Not quite as tall as his dad but close to the same
shoe size........ and to think he began this life as
an 8 lbs 7 ounce, 21 inch baby.

















Zach had to provide snack for the game tonight,
well we volunteered since it was his b-day, so
cupcakes it was.
















Some of his friends came to cheer him on.
The Haupts were there, Randy and Jude Hall
and Luke Paraventi.

















Tonight Zach was the only one to score, we won
1-0 with 2 min. left in the game, but normally
these guys are what we call the PK Factor.
They are all on the same team, they are Pastors
Kids and do most of the scoring. You can't see it
in this photo but they even have the shirts.
"The PK Factor"

gotta love 'em!

Stitches

In Aaron's quest to keep up with the Mitchell
boys he received 2 stitches in his head last night.

The story goes something like this:

He and his twin, Jacob Haupt along with his
brothers Noah and Micah moved the basketball
hoop next to the trampoline and while trying to
slam dunk he hit his head on the rim thus sending
us into a mad rush to the ER where he promptly
received 2 stitches in his head thus concluding our
evening.

Never a dull moment in the Mabey household:)

Micahs' surgery

Micah, mommy and daddy waiting Micahs turn
in the pre - op room. We have already met with
the anesthesiologist and Dr. Scapini, now just
waiting until 10:00 am our scheduled surgery hour.





























The nurse has been in and checked his blood
pressure and temperature also looked at loose
teeth. (he has two)
















dad's favorite hat almost went into surgery
but at the last minute, Micah gave it back.




















Finally after a kiddie cocktail he finally
started to relax, every one was a bit tense
until that kicked in. We asked if we could
get a few to go??????:)















The surgery itself was only a few minutes long,
maybe five at the most. The hardest part was
waking up...
















but when he did he had his choice, orange or
green popsicles. You can see what his choice was.