Basketball Season has begun!

First scrimmage of the season was held at
Shelby Jr. High last night.
Romeo Middle school has a ton of talent
on the court.....
first game will be Dec 4. We will keep you
pasted:)

Tree Hunting

Even though dad could not go with us we had
a great time, the weather was perfect, the setting
was just the right spot for a Kodak moment,
the laughs were plentiful, ask Zach about the
family that cut the tree for us??????
Then ask Aaron about cutting a tree for $5.00....




















Micah thought he was being funny:)
you know this one would never do.
We did however find the perfect
Christmas tree farm just right down
the road on 36 mile.
"Santas Pride" I beleive it is called.
Never knew it was there. It had the
perfect combination of pre-cut and u-cut.




















With daddy having a bum knee it
fell to the rest of the Mabey men
to find the perfect Christmas Tree.
Unfortunatly mom did not do a
great job having the camera ready
a few photos the battery died.....
cameras can't live with 'em, can't
live with out 'em. I guess you will have
to wait for another post to see the finished
product.

Need Washing?

A little girl had been shopping with her Mom in Target. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful red haired, freckle faced image of innocence.

It was pouring outside. The kind of rain that gushes over the top of raingutters, so much in a hurry to hit the earth it has no time to flow down thespout. We all stood there under the awning and just inside the door of theTarget. We waited, some patiently, others irritated because nature messed up theirhurried day.

I am always mesmerized by rainfall. I got lost in the sound andsight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memoriesof running, splashing so carefree as a child came pouring in as a welcome reprieve from the worries of my day.

The little voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance we were allcaught in "Mom let's run through the rain," she said."What?" Mom asked."Lets run through the rain!" She repeated."No, honey. We'll wait until it slows down a bit," Mom replied.This young child waited about another minute and repeated: "Mom, let's runthrough the rain,""We'll get soaked if we do," Mom said."No, we won't, Mom. That's not what you said this morning," the young girl said as she tugged at her Mom's arm.This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?"Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, 'If God can get us through this, he can get us through anything!"

The entire crowd stopped dead silent. I swear you couldn't hear anything butthe rain. We all stood silently. No one came or left in the next fewminutes. Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say. Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might even ignore what wassaid. But this was a moment of affirmation in a young child's life. A time when innocent trust can be nurtured so that it will bloom into faith."Honey, you are absolutely right. Let's run through the rain. If GOD let's us get wet, well maybe we just needed washing," Mom said. Then off they ran.

We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they darted past the cars and yes, through the puddles. They held their shopping bags over their heads just in case. They got soaked. But they were followedby a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars. And yes, I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed washing.

Circumstances or people can take away your material possessions, they can take away your money, and they can take away your health. But no one can ever take away your precious memories...So, don't forget to make time and take the opportunities to make memories everyday.
To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven.I HOPE YOU STILL TAKE THE TIME TO RUN THROUGH THE RAIN.

Keep in touch with your friends and your family, you never know when you'll need each other -- and don't forget to run in the rain!

thanks for passing this one on Jude.......

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am thankful for my immediate family,Matt,
my wonderful AND crazy kids Zach, Aaron,
Noah and Micah, my extended family,good books,
my church,http://lifeoverthebridge.com,
sunshine,a warm fire, cafe Du Monde Coffee,
my friends..............
and the artistic God who has created all that I love.

*what it means to prepare a generation to follow Christ:

*Before the printing press, churches were built in the shape of liturgy (i.e. crosses) and iconic because people who couldn't read needed to understand the truth. One church went as far to make itself into the shape of the cross while making towers that resembled the castle nearby. In a sense we said, "We're like the kingdom of God... and we're like you, too."

*During the Enlightenment Era, we began to present the kingdom of God as truth to be understood and agreed with. The sermons became longer as we wrestled over ideas and concepts just like the culture was. In a sense we said, "We're like the kingdom of God... and we're like you, too."

*During the Industrial Revolution, the average lifespan of a man decreased as they left their homes and started building cars. Motivational gurus came in to businesses and tried to compare hanging a bumper on a machine to being a part of a team or family. Within the church we began to tell people that we wanted to help them become "profitable for the kingdom." God became a boss, the pastor became a CEO, and sermons became self-help talks to teach us how to become more efficient at living. In a sense we said, "We're like the kingdom of God... and we're like you, too."
*We used to meet in a cross, then a classroom, then a hall, then a conference center, and now in nightclubs. This is not progress.

*The breakdown of the family didn't come about because of hip-hop music and the choices of some Supreme Court Justices. It broke down because we broke our connection with God.
Why did we start to present Jesus as a product who could fix our lives and fill a hole in our heart that nothing else could fill? Christians still have bad days, and so it would seem the "product" doesn't work as intended or we don't understand it.

*"Authority" and "love" will not always going to give me what I want. At times God will allow me to be in pain in order to grow me toward maturity. Meanwhile, Satan comes along and says, "God doesn't work. What you need to do is try harder. Start doing this list of three things..."

*We need to raise a generation of prophets who define life as more than what commercials (inside and outside the church) tell them.
Acts 17 : Paul starts at their meeting place... he went to them. Then he begins with a compliment while we tend to take a Darwinian approach to try and starve out the "sin" and the "sinners."

*Evangelism is easy because no one is doing it. The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few... because they are waiting in their farmhouses for the wheat to come to them.
We have a million programs to strengthen marriage but not any to minister to 40,000 boys without a dad.

*One of the most important aspects of the Gospel is listening.

I don't like saying that Jesus is exclusive, but it's interesting how the more intimate a relationship is the more exclusive it becomes. We understand Christianity from a propositional grid where our conclusions are right and others are wrong.

*The Bible presents relational Christianity - the nature of which is an intimate relationship.

to read more........

http://dontcallmeveronica.blogspot.com/

Great Leaders Have Good Timing

On February 25, nearly 22 months since assuming his post, 69-year-old Donald P. Hodel, president and CEO of Focus on the Family, announced his retirement. His decision was effective immediately.

By 5 p.m. that very day, his successor, Jim Daly, was moving personal belongings into place and by the opening of business Monday morning, the orderly transition was complete.
With Don's initial goals and objectives met, the former Secretary of Energy and Interior noted that "some leaders enjoy their job so much that they end up staying longer than they should." Wary of falling prey to this common temptation, Hodel wisely did what so many never do. Upon arrival, he defined his mission and upon its completion, he knew it was time to bid farewell.
Unfortunately, history suggests this tactic is more unique than it is common. Consider the world of sports. Professional athletes know a thing or two about good timing, but all too often, the lure of past glory and a desire for affirmation and adulation seems to cloud otherwise good judgment about when to leave.

The Great Bambino, Babe Ruth, batted an embarrassing .181 in his final abbreviated season with the Boston Braves. Hall of Fame pitcher Steve Carlton didn't know when to quit either, but it took him two full seasons and an atrocious record of 15 wins and 28 losses on five separate teams to finally decide it was time to pull the plug. The greatest fighter who ever lived, Muhammad Ali, was beaten by "a bum" at 37 years of age. Following NFL legend Jim Thorpe's final game, a newspaper reporter opined that the man who was voted the greatest athlete of the 20th century was "a mere shadow of his former self."

If bad timing is considered a pitfall in the sporting world, it can be an absolute disaster in our capitalistic society. A study conducted by a Boston financial research firm discovered that the average investor didn't realize the full benefits of the last bull market because of one main miscalculation: bad timing!

Which brings to mind a question once asked of Yogi Berra at an airport. "What time is it?" asked the traveler. With a straight face, the former catcher replied, "You mean now?"
For Hodel, there was no such confusion. That's because effective leaders begin preparing for their time of departure soon after they first arrive on scene, often by grooming their successor. In Daly, Hodel saw the seeds of the future and deliberately nurtured and developed the talent present within the organization. When he accepted the role of president and CEO in May of 2003, he didn't know for how long he would be needed - but he knew he wouldn't be needed as soon as the tasks were complete and a replacement was poised to take his place. There was no ego, but simply a burning desire to get the job done.

There is another critical component to finding and maintaining a sense of good timing. As Christians, we should believe and recognize that God ordains and orchestrates even the seemingly insignificant details of our lives. If we're deliberate about attempting to sync our watch with the Lord's, we're more likely to be prepared and available to step into His plan and follow His perfect will.

Prior to Hodel's arrival, Dr. James Dobson, Focus on the Family's founder and chairman, heard God asking him to not move on - but instead, to move over and relinquish the presidency and day to day operations of the ministry. In doing so, he began to model how other people in positions of authority might consider how to let go of what they once held so tightly. As a result of this action, Dobson was freed up to do what the burdens of administrative responsibility prevented him from doing previously - tirelessly championing pro-family candidates and issues on the campaign trail. Even to the most skeptical observer, the results of his contribution were significant.

Indeed, often a leader must say "no" to holding on to power in order to say "yes" to the supreme and sovereign plans of God. It is the wise leader who begins to see the end in the beginning and continuously listens for direction from the Lord for when to move on.

Paul Batura

Twister

Right hand yellow,

left foot blue!

It is a game that provides hours of entertainment,

especially for three rambunctious boys. Cory,

Noah's best friend spent the night AND what a night it was.

We are so proud of Cory too! He rarely likes to spend

the night anywhere including grandmas but is getting

more and more comfortable.

I hope they continue to be good friends,

next year they boys will even be in the middle school together,

that should be fun!

Knee

Okay, so I know it is hard to look at but after one day this is what we've got. Surgery went well, the anesthesia was another story. He did not like it to much. Plus he is a lot more used to being on the other side of the bed visiting than in the bed being the patient. Something about a rain forest in Puerto Rico????? I am not sure you will have to ask him:)

The pain is not so bad today and he is trying to move around. It is proving to be a bit difficult due to the fact he can not put any weight on the knee for a week.

After the doctors actually go in to the knee there were lots of things to fix, ligaments on both the inside of the knee and the outside plus the meniscus and then broken cartilidge. It was a mess. It should be a good 9 months till he has full range of motion again. He has finally given up on the dream of being in the NBA :) unfortunately it comes at the time when Zach and Aaron are old enough and big enough to finally beat him on the court. Aaron made the 7th grade basketball team at RMS and Zach has tryouts for the high school team this week. There have been two days of cuts and so far so good...... Anyway thought I should update you about the knee......

Raking Leaves

After a pretty lousy fall as far as the weather goes
we happened to have a beautiful day last Sunday.
(okay so this post is a little late.....but after a few blogs
about Zach and Aaron I thoughtI better get something
up here about my younger two children.)
The weather was proabably close to 70 this day,
so it was the perfect day for cleaning up the yard
and getting ready for Mr. Winter. While mom was
busy taking in patio furniture and dad organizing the
garage, Noah and Micah took to trying to rake the leaves.
Now mind you we only have two very young trees in
the yard and they certainly do not produce many leaves,
the boys were intent on this job so they could then jump
in the pile. The above photos are the result of their endeavor.
It was fun while it lasted.

RHS Awards Banquet

The soccer team at Romeo High School hosted annual awards banquet at Addison Oaks Country club. The Freshman team as well as the JV and Varsity Teams were all present. The food was outstanding the company was interesting, we met a lot of the team parents we had not previously had chance to talk to and the awards went off with out a hitch. We are very happy to announce that Zach had a great season and to show his improved talent was awarded the most improved player for the season. Needless to say he was pumped. He had no idea he was receiving that award. Now he is on to try puts for basketball. As always we will keep you posted......

Monday night lights.....

The pictures are not the best but we wanted you to see the last game of the season was played under the lights. It was considered the Friendship game between the two middle schools in Romeo. However, we want the record to show.... There was nothing friendly about it. Romeo Middle school did win however. The weather was perfect for a football game, and fun was had by all.

Remember Thanksgiving

from Focus on your child; a ministry of Focus on the Family

For many Americans, Thanksgiving is nothing more than a time to prepare a gift list for a manic Christmas shopping spree. For others, Thanksgiving signifies a day of self-indulgent gorging.
But in the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims weren’t thinking about any of these things. They were clinging to life, having lost more than half their friends and family through disease or starvation in less than a year’s time. A celebration of survival, with gratitude to God for His provision, prompted them to host the first feast. Giving thanks to God motivated their meal.
Refocus your family toward gratitude this November by trying these ideas:

Week 1-As a family, make a list of your blessings. In the coming weeks, if a family member complains or expresses ingratitude about something, have that person place an agreed-upon amount of money in a jar. Donate the money to a soup kitchen or local charity to help with Thanksgiving meals.

Week 2 – Write Bible verses that describe the attributes of God (such as John 3:16, Psalm 85:2, Psalm 107:8-9, Deuteronomy 33:27 and 1 John 3:16) on fruit-shaped cutouts. Put them in a cornucopia or basket. Let family members select a piece of fruit from the basket during a time of devotions or at a meal, and read the verse aloud. Discuss ways your family has experienced each of God’s qualities.

Week 3 – List people you appreciate but rarely see. Plan to call, send a card or visit these individuals. Ask about pressing needs, pray with the person and provide materially or bless with an act of service.

Week 4 – Focus on praising God. Have each family member select a praise chorus or hymn. Sing a different one at meals instead of saying a blessing. Thank God for physical health, spiritual and material blessings, our country, your church and your family.

Leadershipwreck

I write books. Not actually that any of them make it to paper, develop into chapters, or find publication. Maybe someday. For now, I write books in my head. And the one I've been thinking of for the last few days really needs to be written. Or greater still, the message of Leadershipwreck needs to be heeded by all. Let me explain.

Not long ago, I stood with a school leader on the eve of the final days of school before the kids started summer vacation. I appreciated this leader, and had seen them work hard all year to make their school a productive, pleasant environment for students, teachers, and administrators. They were highly regarded by the parents I had conversed with over the course of the year, and they were receiving appreciation from many that night for a job well done. Although I myself was a parent, I chose a different approach in my private comments to this leader at a chosen moment. I approached this person, and began with this statement, "Leadership is hard." I went on to let them know that I understood the difficulties they faced in leadership, and yet wanted to remind them that what they did was worth it no matter how hard these difficulties might be. I don't really know if this leader heard all that I said, because once I made my first statement to them, this person began to weep. Although it may have made for an awkward moment for this leader, their response did not surprise me in the least. In my life I have found that I have had the most compassion for two groups of people; those on the bottom, the cast-offs of society that our culture (and unfortunately too often the church) tends to have no use for, and the leadership of a culture that at the same time it places its leaders on pedastals for all to see, undermine the foundation of that same pedastal, such that he who is a in the glory of leadership one day, is the goat the next. I have termed this problem, "Leadershipwreck" and I see it characterized by a few things I will share here.
1. Leadershipwreck operates in idiot hopes and idiot despairs - Malcolm Muggeridge coined these two terms, and in the arena of leadership, it applies to our need for a leader who will answer all of our problems, who when hired is the savior of the organization, whether CEO, Principal, Police chief, or pastor. We operate in the idiot hope that one person has it all and can do it all. The only thing more heartbreaking than this lie is the reality the organization will face in the future in idiot despair. Now that the leaders has not all, and cannot do it all, it becomes time for idiot despair. The critics come out of the woodwork, declaring that the Emporer has no clothes, not realizing that they were the ones who dressed that leader in this garb in the first place. Despair sets in, and all eyes set upon the leader, who becomes the sacrificial lamb of the corporation.
2. Leadershipwreck operates in the "doing" and not the "being" - In today's culture, we are very quick to have a "what have you done for us lately" approach to leadership. The leader that is heralded operates in a "doing" mentality because that is where they gather the most accolades from those they lead. Accomplishment has trumped character as the most important trait of a leader in our world, and unfortunately often in the church as well. If the leader delivers success to the organization, they are cheered; if the leader works to develop in character, well, do it on your own time. The long-term consequences of this characteristic of leadershipwreck in the church are openly evident; the pastoral attrition rate is 50%; shipwrecked lives, families and churches coming as a result of leaders moral failures, the latest of which made the front page of USA Today.
3. Leadershipwreck has generational consequences - Everytime we operate in leadershipwreck, we teach the generation behind us something untrue; that leadership is not worth it. I listened recently to two teachers discussing the problems in today's classroom, first discussing the students role in the problem, then the parents role. I found myself asking on the inside; "Whose fault is it?" Whose fault is it when the classroom becomes uncontrollable? Whose fault is it when the teacher loses interest? Whose fault is it when the parent no longer cares? The answer is found in the shortest essay ever written. G.K. Chesterton once wrote an essay for an English newspaper's contest that asked writers to answer the question, "What's wrong with the world?" He replied in the essay, "To your question, 'What is wrong with the world?' I give my answer: I am." When so many can't get their own act together, how can any lead those who live today, and those who come behind us to a brighter day?
Is there any answer to "Leadershipwreck"? Only one. And believe it or not, it is hidden in the words of G.K. Chesterton's essay, whether he ever meant for it to be or not. "I Am." Look it up. Someone uses these two words in the Bible to describe himself. When we start following the "I Am", rather than expecting a human being to be the "I Am" for us, we will begin to understand what leadership really is, one of many gifts in the body of Christ, not the only one. We will look to the Holy Spirit to be "the man" rather than a human being. We'll realize that Jesus already went down with the ship for each one of us, and that leadership is not a solo voyage, but rather takes a crew, pulling together in the direction the wind of the Holy Spirit is blowing. God save us from "Leadershipwreck" Just Thinking

Pre- Season Pistons

Our next door neighbors
The Ganfields, had tickets to
the last pre-season game last week
but due to their children's other activities
were unable to attend. They came over about
3 hours before the game and asked
if we wanted the tickets.

Now in a house of 4 boys and 2 parents
when you are given 4 tickets total:
what are you suppose to do?

Naturally 2 people had to stay home,
with moms work schedule she was the
first volunteer but which child would get left behind?

You guessed it, the baby......
so Micah and I stayed home while the older
boys enjoyed the game. Mom sent the camera
with the clan as they headed off to the game
these are the pictures that resulted of the guys
taking the camera without the photographer........
need I say more?

A few days later Zach got invited by another friend
to go to the first game of the regular season, he was
pumped.....The tickets were in the 6th row, (he had
never sat that close before) to bad the Pistons
lost, and bad: according to Zach.

Crosswalk Masquerade Pictures

Crosswalk is the name for our brand new youth group!
It Launched this past Sunday with a first annual
Masquerade party! Of course only a few teens dressed up
but for those that did there were prizes!



There were tournaments such as foosball,
ping pong and dance, dance revolution and
prizes from the local Hollywood Video and
Best Buy, Thanks Tracey for your donation!





This Scotland the Brave had a hard time fitting through
the door but took his costume off after a bit and it did not hinder
him the rest of the evening. You should have seen his backside:)










There were 35 kids in attendance and only about 9 of them had home churches! Pastor Matt thanked them for coming let them know about the launch of Crosswalk and told them to stay tuned! Many of them seemed interested





There was plenty of food, fun a soccer game and a bonfire, just about something for every one, although we have to do better in the Karaoke department. The microphone was MIA so we promise to remedy that situation for the next event!

Speaking of the next event; it looks like a Sunday afternoon of football. Check back soon for more details!

Harvest Party Pictures

The 1st Harvest party for the Bridge was sucessful!
We had a few first time families join us for service
and then we a had a family come just for the lunch
and the party! They had picked up a postcard from
the community center inviting them to a
FREE Harvest celebration!



We decided we did not care if they came to church
or just to party we wanted the community to
know we were there!









Bobbing for apples was a HUGE hit!
There was ring toss and a ball drop,
face painting and more.....







A parade of costumes which led them right outside for our
first annual Trunk or Treat! The weather was absolutly perfect for the Last Sunday in October.

The Logo

Thought you might like to see.......

The business cards are done; and we have a lot.

We are looking into shirts and letterhead.......

the signs have been done for several weeks now

and as of today have been sent to channel 6 in

Romeo so all will begin to see and know

He who is the way......

Thanks for praying for The Bridge