Lenten Project for Children

If you're looking for ways to get children to give or think about others through Lent this may be helpful. I came across these ideas in our local newspaper.

Using Christ's words from Matthew 25:

Week One: "I was hungry." Children can collect canned good for a local food pantry.

Week Two: "I was thirsty." Collect can or bottles of juice for food pantry.

Week Three: "I was a stranger." Write cards or letters to residents in area nursing homes or retirement centers. 

Week Four: "I was naked." Contribute diapers, wipes or baby care products and clothing to a local women's or homeless shelter.

Week Five: "I was sick." Donate health products such as shampoo, soap, lotions, toothbrushes and tooth paste to a food pantry or shelter.

Week Six: "I was in prison." Donate paper products, tissues, toilet paper, napkins and paper plates.

Is Respite Care for Us? - From BethAnn

BethAnn writes:

I have been thinking about foster respite care. I am not sure why I have been thinking about this a lot the last few months. I have been praying and have discussed this with others too. I have been in the Word as well. I just can't seem to make up my mind. Part is that my husband is only half way on board with this idea. The second is that I am going to have another little one soon. But it is heavy on my heart, which from my past means that my answer to my prayer is 'yes.'

They are looking for care for families who care for special children, which is my speciality. I have been told they need qualified people like me to help this special population. The following words of our Lord in this Bible account is always heavy in my thoughts and prayers.

"And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work." (John 9:2-4)

I think I should wait until I am done nursing my second child before we go through this process. I just want my husband to see that this would be a good opportunity to share our faith, get a little extra money, and have an opportunity to help a child see that God does provide blessings to all.

Please pray for me and my family as we make this decision. I need some clarity.

Matilda Grace Now with Jesus

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for my cousin's family this week. Baby Matilda's heart surgery went as well as it could but her little heart just wasn't strong enough.

My cousin writes:

"Our Lord sent His holy angels to bear home His sweet child tonight around 10:30. There was nothing else that the doctors could do, but Matilda has been healed by the Great Physician. We could ask nothing more."

Please continue to pray for them. 

Prayers Please

My cousin's wife, Kristina, has been admitted to a hospital in Ft. Worth, TX and is scheduled for a C-section in the morning. She is 36 weeks pregnant with their second baby girl, Matilda, who, they learned early in the pregnancy, has a rare heart defect and down syndrome.

Her doctors had hoped Matilda would make it to term but today found signs of heart failure. After the c-section, they will attempt to stabilize her enough to give her the heart surgery she needs.

Much prayer for Matilda, for my cousin Weslie who just began his pastoral call to an LCMS church in Burkburnett, TX and will be away from there a lot during this time, for his sweet wife and for their other baby, Edith who is just 14 months old.

*Update - January 29th - Matilda was born this morning. My cousin writes:

"She's doing better than we had hoped! 5.10 lbs (2530g). Heart rate is in the 140s. Oxygen is in the 80s all by herself."

 Thanks to God for this and continued prayers for what's next.

*Update - January 30th - Matilda's heart surgery began this morning at 8am. Planned to be a 6-8 hour procedure. Hoping to hear how all went soon.

My cousin baptized Matlida yesterday! Praise be to God for all His good gifts.

Welcome Baby Micah!

Renata K. announces the birth of another son! Micah Robert Keith was born at 7:33am on January 7, 2013. 7 lb. 6 oz. 21 inches. Mom & baby doing well. 

 

Meet Sarah

Where do I start?

I suppose I can start by saying how awesome it is to have ladies to be able to relate to. And a huge thank you to Aubri for starting this blog to get us together and help each other through things!

My name is Sarah Seymour. I have no Lutheran roots in my family at all, and it was God's will for me to make them. My husband, Ryan, and I got married January 18, 2003 and I planted my Lutheran roots pretty deep. Having no church in my life as a child, I was so hungry to learn God's Word!

I often compare my husband to Jonah. He knew that God was calling him, but he was running in the other direction, trying to find something else. After the birth of our first son, Caleb (9), I told him he needed to go. Follow God's plan, not his. So when Caleb was 2 (2005), we moved to Mequon, WI for undergrad. 

 On June 2, 2006, our first daughter, Hannah was born. When Hannah was 2(2008), we were FINALLY done with undergrad and moved to Fort Wayne, IN for Seminary. 

 4 weeks before vicarage, on June 28, 2010, Zoe was born. SURPRISE!! 

 Ryan had his vicarage in Lincoln, NE with Pastors Clint Poppe and Lance Berndt. Needless to say, it was an amazing vicarage and I fell completely head over heels for Nebraska. 8 weeks before our FINAL move, April 27, 2012, Jude made his appearance to our family! 

 Talk about keeping it hectic... one week after he was born was graduation, two weeks after was call night. Being emotional is an understatement.   

 

We moved 10 hours away from family and friends to rural Nebraska. Our smallest city has been Danville, IL (our hometown) of 40,000 people... so moving to a tiny town was a culture shock, but a FANTASTIC one! I have fallen in love completely and I'm not sure if i'd recover if we ever moved. But after moving around so much already, I have told people that i'm not going anywhere. Ryan is pastor to two churches, and we have acquired such a huge support system with two fabulous church families. 

My hobbies.... well, when I HAD spare time, I LOVED to paint. Acrylics, Oils, Watercolors... just don't ask me to paint you a person... because I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be able to tell what it was... I LOVE taking pictures. I was blessed to receive a great camera, and I can honestly say I never have to pay for pictures of the kids again! I love to crochet. although trying to find time to do that is a chore, and by the time I get a chance to sit down and do it, I am so tired from the day of four kids, basketball practice, dance class, this, that, and the other things, that I don't even want to. :)

When Jude is in school, I want to start school myself. Ryan and I got married when I was fresh out of high school, and I told him that God's plans were more important than my own, and I'd wait for him to graduate from seminary to go to school, and now, I can't imagine trying to go to school with kids at home. I might find time in a couple of years, but I'm in no rush, my vocation as a stay at home mom is fulfilling enough :)

I love pretty sunsets, which are plentiful here in rural NE, coffee, chocolate, and spending time with my husband. Those moments that we have to actually hear each other in a conversation without a child needing something, or the reminders going off for tomorrow, are so wonderful, that sometimes(most times) we spend those moments in silence. 

I'm excited to have a place to come to for advice and encouragement. I picture needing quite a bit. :)

Care for Us

A pastor's wife writes:

It’s almost midnight and he just left.
I should be sleeping, alone, but instead I am here at my computer with my questions.
God has heard them before, but I ask again:

Why ,God, would you do some miracles for this woman, and then just… not?
Why, God?

I ache for the family suffering out there, where pastor-daddy is. (Care for them,
Father.) I ache for the family here, too, where pastor-daddy is not.

I was the one who read the bedtime stories, said the prayers, and tucked the covered
tightly around the children. They nodded brave faces when I told them that daddy had
to go "be with the sad family" yet again. That's why our plans changed tonight. Yes, I
know he has been gone a lot lately. I miss him, too.

I respect and support this man, and the work God does through him, but that doesn't
mean it isn't hard.

The children do not understand why dark hospital rooms win out over family nights,
but for a pastor, they do, they must. I spare them the details of the sad situation he
faces in the hospital.

They say goodnights without complaint, except for one boy. He cries quietly into
his pillow. When I lean over to kiss him, he clings tightly to my robe, and I hear his
muffled confession, "Mommy, I wish that daddy was something other than a pastor."

Father, what am I to say to this child?

You have promised to be with us always, even in times of suffering. Help your child,
the one who is called to be a pastor to the sad family, because I can see the weariness
in his eyes, and I cannot help him. Uphold him, Father.

And help your child's other children, the little ones who share in the suffering through
tiny sacrifices, the little ones who do not understand. Care for them through other
hands when daddy is away-- through mine, through your Word, through your other
children. Care for their little hearts, that they may learn to lean on you in times of
trial.

The needs are here are more than I can meet, Father.

Care for them, Father.
Care for all of us.
Amen.