Our alarm clock changed!

Every morning for the past 5 months our alarm clock has woken us up between 7:15 and 7:30 a.m.  Literally like clock work.  However, the past two mornings our alarm clock has decided 6:45 a.m. is a better time for us to awake.  I'm not so sure about this.

But our alarm clock's name is Selah.  She became our alarm clock when we moved her into a big bed.  And without fail, upon waking, she makes her way downstairs, into our bedroom, and gently wakes mommy and daddy up.   Sweetly she stands there and will ask, "Mommy, can I have some oatmeal?"  Some mornings she walks into our room with an armful of books wanting us to read to her.

Selah, you are a most beautiful, sweet alarm clock.  But please, let's readjust the clock and go back to the alarm going off at 7:15 a.m.  Those extra 30 minutes of sleep are so precious.

Ted's testimony of our compassionate God

 Ted is a friend of ours at church.  He works as an air traffic controller at O'Hare Int'l Airport.   He recently was sent to Haiti to help with air traffic control at the airport.  Here is his testimony:

I received an email at my work, (the Federal Aviation Administration) seeking managers who have either Haiti experience or can speak the Creole language.  The FAA was planning on having a strong presence at the airport in Port-au-Prince as the major recovery and assistance would be staged there as a result of the earthquake of Jan 12th.  I responded with my background as I had been born right in Port-au-Prince while my folks were missionaries, and lived there for the first 9 years or so.  I was fluent in Creole as a child and would be interested in returning if I could be of benefit.  A few days later we’re scrambling to get shots, a flight and communication set up because- I’m going!

Returning after nearly 2 weeks in PAP, here are the comments I made in church on Sun.:

I am asked all the time “was it really as bad as they saw on the news?”.  The answer is yes!  I was even surprised.  I liken it to a Hollywood set shooting a WW II movie.  The buildings were flattened block after block and the ones left standing were unsteady.  People were reluctant to go into the buildings for fear of aftershocks.  The streets are littered with rubble and in some cases impassable.  As bad as it was though, it could have been so much worse.

Had the quake of Jan 12^th taken place at night when all would have been in their homes and response much slower, the death and injury toll could have been double.  Had the quake taken place a few months later when rainy season was at peak, the rescue and recovery effort would be delayed and resulted in more loss.  And here is something you may not have heard on the news.  The quake was centered about 15 mi. s.w. of PAP and ran north right through the capitol city populated by about 3 million people.  It damaged or destroyed everything in its path.  The major pier in the harbor that would handle the load of large container ships was partially destroyed and rendered unusable.  The Palace of the President, a beautiful white building similar to our own White House has collapsed on itself.  The huge Catholic Cathedral has no roof and almost all walls have fallen inward.  Destruction continued all the way to the terminal building of the airport.  It barely stands, scared with deep cracks and the control tower sitting atop is twisted.  The entire facility considered unsafe and unusable. If no ships and no planes, then no aid.  And then…it was as if God himself had stretched out his hand and said “no further”.  You see the airport ramp adjacent to the terminal and runway 500 yards away sustained no damage. How does that happen?  How does a rumbling, heaving earth suddenly stop its motion?  I see the hand of a merciful and compassionate God.

A typical day at PAP airport would see about 50 or so flights.  Two weeks after the quake, more than 400 flights (arrivals and departures) around the clock bringing food, water, medical supplies and medical personnel.  While makeshift tent hospitals and clinics were set up throughout the city, volunteer doctors and nurses began to meet the needs of the injured and dying.  Disease is always stalking in a 3^rd world country like Haiti.  No way around it.  Any open wound is life threatening.  Antibiotics not readily available are cause for amputation.  The line of patients outside the hospitals is long and the doctors and nurses are soon exhausted.  There is no time for rest.

Several thousand military personnel, primarily U.S., have been moving food and water from the cargo planes as fast as they arrive all the while maintaining security at the airport.  Supplies are then loaded on distribution trucks and sent throughout the city and outlying area.  It’s noisy and busy at the airport 24 hours each day and my tent is 200 yards from the runway.  The days are dry and hot but I wake each morning to clear skies and a sunrise that reminds me of a passage in Lamentations 3:21-25:

            But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope.

            The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,

                        His mercies never come to an end;

                        They are new every morning,

 Great is your faithfulness.

            “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,

                        “Therefore I will hope in him”.

            The Lord is good to those who wait on him,

                        To the soul who seeks him.

What is the future of Haiti?  How would I pray for Haiti?

First, that God would raise up men and women of character to rebuild Haiti.  It’s my opinion that the entire city of PAP needs to be rebuilt and only a government that can put the people and country of Haiti first can succeed.

Secondly, that the people of Haiti would recognize that they have been spared despite their difficulty.  That they would turn to the one true God who has not forgotten them.

And third, that God himself would demonstrate again that He is…”gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love to these poor souls.

Ted Anderson

Praying for Bro.

Shortly after the earthquake in Haiti, my brother, Kirk Overstreet, received a phone call from his pastor friend, Val.  Val grew up in Boston but returned to his homeland of Haiti 8 yrs ago to bring the love and hope of Jesus to his people.  Val's phone call to Kirk was one of need.  His flock of 80 people had grown to over 800.  Most of them orphans. 

Kirk, along with his church, Set Free Yucaipa, knew they needed to love on their brother in Christ.  Things were set into motion and Kirk and his wife Tamra were scheduled to leave on Friday, February 12 to head to Haiti for 5 days.

Thursday late evening they received a phone call from their travel agent saying their flight into Port-au-Prince was cancelled.  Kirk and Tamra drove to Ontario airport to speak with a Delta representative.  Due to a snowstorm arriving in Atlanta they needed to leave that night.  In ONE hour to be exact.

They drove home, loaded up their luggage, headed back to Ontario, ran the whole way and made it onto the flight.  There was a slight change in plans.  They would now fly into Santo Domingo, DR, find a way to the border then take a bus to Port-au-Prince where they would meet Pastor Val.  This was doable.  And during their layover in Atlanta, the U.S. Airways representative told them their flight out on February 17 was fine. 

Upon arrival on Friday, God provided a ride for Kirk and Tamra to the border.  It is there that they spent the night, took their last shower, and refreshed before crossing into Haiti.

Saturday Kirk text messaged me to say they had arrived and that things were CRAZY!!! 

That was the last we heard from them until today.  Here is an e-mail message Kirk sent:

We are okay. WE stink and are very tired. We have been sleeping outside with the orphans. We have a rooster we would love to kill that crows from 4am till 6am right by our heads. The orphans are so amazing. They have the greatest smiles and it has been a release for them to have us with them. We had a wedding inside the house and it was the first time they have been in the house. Now they are starting to feel safe and some have slept inside. It was a beautiful wedding.

The sights of destruction is horrifying and the smell is like raw hamburger meat left out for days but it's humans left under the rubble for a month now. The tent citys everywhere have people with smiles and life. The thing that bothered me the most is that we noticed no aid workers or supplies being given out. The people are going into the rubble and building tents out of scraps.

Saturday my wife and I went to the palace and they were having a 3 days of prayer and fasting. They had a big stage with worship and prayers going through the sound systems. I started walking through the crowd and a few people started falling out all around. Few would just start crying out to Jesus with hands raised. Of course I videod.

Preached at a church. The pastor lost his wife and child during the earthquake. His orphanage and school collapsed but all the kids, teachers, and pastor was outside playing soccer during the quake. No one was hurt. The pastor ran to check on his wife and kid to find his 2 story home crushed to the ground.

He was able to dig his wife's body out but couldn't get to his daughter. He showed us the grave of his wife on the property.

We walked 4 miles back to the orphanage we are staying at on Sunday after church. I got my head burned walking in the sun and the humidity was intense. We would gain strength as we would hear worship and preaching every few blocks in yards and tents. Hundreds of people worshipping with their homes they build for years and spent thousands of dollars on.

Pray for us as we meet with a few pastors that want to be a Set Free church. We are going down to Cir Soliel. A notorious slum known to be the most dangerous area of all of Haiti. They are even known for cannibalism. The pastor said the quake has brought so many to Jesus and he has never seen anything like what God is doing in his entire life. We leave in an hour.

Pray we get home. Not sure about our flight.

God is at work!  Join us as we continue to pray for the people of Haiti, the Church, and for Kirk and Tamra.

And please pray for Pastor Val.  The wedding Kirk mentioned was Pastor Val to his fiancee (now wife).  They were to be married this summer in Boston but asked their family to use the money for feeding the people who are living on their church grounds.  Pastor Val and his fiancee, had even sold their rings for food.

Needed: A coal of heavenly fire

Kevin DeYoung shares a penetrating excerpt from a letter by John Newton, who authored Amazing Grace.  Like Newton, but to a much greater degree, I am prone to inconsistency and found wanting in many important areas.  Yet, by His grace, the Lord keeps me and wants to use me for his purposes.  

Yes, Lord, send a chunk of coal from the heavenly fire my way, so that I can worship you as you deserve (Romans 12:1).

Sickness and Un-sweetness

Kev here.

Keri is in California for a few days. The sickness is going around. Keri left for southern California yesterday afternoon not feeling her best. She flew to southern California to help train Cal Baptist students on their short-term mission trips this year. I hope she is quickly recovering from the symptoms she was experiencing.

This morning Sofia woke up with a sore stomach and a high temperature. Poor thing, she misses her mommy, and daddy is doing his best to comfort her. I am trying to convince her that if she "throws up" it will actually help her. (Yeah, that's going about as well as expected.)

Meanwhile, Selah is on an antibiotic for a virus that produced a rash on her arms. She is feeling fine, but according to the doctor she is still contagious.

Please pray that I don't get sick in the next couple of days, and if it is God's will that I do, then please ask that He will give me supernatural strength. My wife will tell you that I do not handle sickness very well. When I do get sick then I like to be treated like... well, every other man. However, my bride will not be here to care for her "poor little bunny".

Sickness and sweetness.

Last night (or rather early this morning) our almost 2 1/2 year old woke up crying.  Kevin ran upstairs to find her in her bed covered with throw-up.  Ugh!  Our poor baby.  This is her first bout with the flu.  Mommy took over cleaning up and soothing Selah while daddy set about getting the bed cleaned up.  

About 30 minutes later mommy and Selah crawled into the guest bed.  Thank goodness we have extra sheets and towels because we had the same scenario happen three times.  Finally around 3 a.m. sleep found us comfortable and feeling better.

Unfortunately this morning Selah is still feeling sick.  No more throwing up but a fever has taken over her body (which is good) and  she is simply lethargic.  For the first time ever in her life she has just lain on the couch watching PBS.  Finally she fell asleep for some more rest.

Here is a picture of her after her rest.  You can see how her cheeks are red.

The sweetness throughout this experience has been Sofia's desire to take care of her little sister.  Last night Sofia was up with us all in the middle of the night asking how she could help.  Her prayers for Selah were so sweet.

Throughout the morning we've had to keep  Sofia upstairs playing because she has simply wanted to sit and stare at her little sister.  We didn't want her to wake her up though.

Finally when Selah woke up Sofia was able to read books to Selah.   Selah loved this.

Lord, we pray for complete healing in Selah's body.  Thank you for allowing us as a family to love on her.  

Sanctity of Human Life Sunday

Join us on Sunday, January 24th in asking the Lord that in His vast mercy He

1.  End abortion

2.  Bring compassionate forgiveness to women who've undergone abortion and men who encouraged those women

3.  Establish protection of unborn children under American law

4. Spread the gospel in such a way that respect for the sacredness of and desire to protect life from conception to natural death would be re-born in the United States.

We know!

Yesterday was our Family Fun Friday and we began it at the doctor's office.  As shared in the previous post I was scheduled for my 20th week ultrasound.  It was so much fun having the girls in the room as we viewed our baby.

Here is a pic of the girls with me and our baby in the background.  The girls were simply being uncooperative about getting their pic taken so this is as good as it gets.

Of course the first question asked by the tech was, "Do you want to know the gender?"  Kevin and I looked at each other and without hesitation we both said, "Yes."  However, our baby since day one is quite the wiggler and was moving all around the place.  Because of this the umbilical cord was in-between the legs and at first (I said at first) we weren't able to tell.  The tech said we would try again later and went on to see the growth of the baby and take measurements.

My due date is May 30.  This would put the baby at 20 weeks 4 days but according to the measurements the baby is measuring 21 weeks 6 days.  So either the due date is off or we are going to have one big baby.  More than anything everything is developing quite nicely and we have a healthy baby.

Here is a pic of our baby.  It took about 10 minutes to get this pic again because of our baby's activity.  The baby's arms were constantly in front of the face.  Camera shy just like their daddy.  Finally this is the pic we got.  The face is in the upper right hand corner.

Then, finally, the baby moved into the right position and without a doubt the tech was able to tell us whether we were having a boy or a girl.

Here is a picture drawn by the girls for their new sibling.  This should give you the hints needed.  Sofia drew a fire truck, a baseball bat, all kinds of balls, and a rocket.  Selah drew a lot of circles and squiggles, the posterboard is BLUE, and at the very bottom Sofia wrote, "I love you brother".

That's right!

We are having a son!

We're half way there!

I am in my 20th week of pregnancy and considering Sofia came at 35 weeks and Selah came at 38 weeks I may be more than half way there.:)

Thankfully I have felt pretty good ever since week 16.  Our baby reminds me with its flutters that he/she is growing and developing.  Such a wonderful feeling.   I look forward to when Kevin and the girls will be able to feel the baby kick and see my belly move.

This Friday we have the 20th week ultrasound but honestly we have not decided if we are going to find out the gender of the baby as yet.  We have pros one way or the other.  We are going to have the girls join us for this ultrasound so they can see the baby in mommy's belly.:)

We are thankful for the many prayers and encouragement we receive daily.  The Lord is preparing us to become a family of 5!

 

Snow play and friends!

I know I've blogged quite a few times about the girls playing in the snow but guess what?  It's winter time here in the midwest and that is what we do!

Last week we had a playdate with our friends the Hanburys.  Miles and his daddy had put together a sled run in their backyard.  So on Thursday, I packed up the girls and all of their gear and headed over to their house for some fun time in the snow.

Here is Miles.  He is 5 yrs old and very proud of his sled run.  He should be.  Especially considering he and his family just moved here a couple of months ago from Florida.

Here are the girls observing Miles while he showed them how to sled on his run.

Sofia LOVED it!!!!

Here's Miles going down backwards.

Selah went "down" a couple of times and opted to play on the swingset.  Valerie (who is 4 yrs old and one of Sofia's good buddies) was so sweet and helped push Selah on the swings.

Here's the gang:

Mommy Dina

Kids l to r:  George (2), Selah (2), Sofia (5), Miles (5), and Valerie (4).  Baby Nora (4 mos.) was inside sleeping.

Oh, and Mommy Keri?  I'm behind the camera.:)

Our Frosty

The snow was a bit soft but on New Year's Eve daddy and the girls went out to build a snowman. As you can see from the first pic the girls were a lot of "help" to daddy. And being that it was pretty cold the snowman turned into a cute little pudgy of a fellow. Sofia and Selah gave him an original name of...Frosty!!!

Frosty gives us something fun to look out at through the back window now that we are homebound for a few days. On New Year's Day an artic blast blew in and due to the windchill, temperatures won't be rising above zero for the next few days. BRRRR!!! At least this guarantees Frosty will be around for awhile.

Christmas 2009

We left in the afternoon of Christmas Adam (Dec. 23) and headed over to the Grand Rapids, MI area. Around 6:30 p.m. we arrived in Hudsonville where we spent a few hours with Aunt Kelli and cousins Caleb and Hannah. Gift opening began that night with gifts that Aunt Kelli had brought back from her trip to OK. The girls had gifts from Gramma and Papa Bill, Uncle Kirk and Aunt Tamra, and from Aunt Kelli and kids. It was fun BUT UNFORTUNATELY I DIDN'T HAVE MY CAMERA AND AUNT KELLI TOOK ALL THE PICS.

Christmas Eve we attended Christmas Eve service at the church Kevin grew up in as a child. We went with Grandpa Sheck, Uncle Jim and his family, Aunt Kerri and her family, and Uncle Paul.

After the service we went over to Uncle Jim and Aunt Sunde's house for chili, pie and games. Cousins Jimmy and Christina joined us. Unfortunately Uncle Tom and family weren't able to make it due to the very icy roads.

Christmas Day the girls woke up to finding stockings filled by Santa. Thankfully this year they were more thrilled about being with family then opening gifts. Sofia actually slept until 10 a.m. that morning and was in no hurry to check her stocking. We had a fun-filled day with most of the family coming over to Grandpa's for a ham dinner and gift opening.

After-dinner activities included lots of game playing and for some...a winter's nap. Sofia "taught" her uncles Glen, Bruce, Paul, and cousins Aaron and Ben how to play Creatures & Features. Selah enjoyed playing with cousins Jordyn and Hayley.

Late Christmas night we made the 4 hour trek back to Illinois. Saturday morning the girls woke to find the gifts Santa left at our house. Sofia couldn't believe she really got a Barbie doll. It was fun watching the girls play together with their new toys. They also had a special time of eating pancakes on the couch and watching a Christmas show.

More than anything this Christmas we enjoyed being able to share with our girls the true meaning of Christmas. It is a gift to us to see them act out the Nativity during their own play time and to gain a step of understanding in knowing that Christmas is a time for us to celebrate the birth of Christ!!!

"Edith Bunker" Practice Session

First piano lessons, then maybe voice lessons will come later.

Sofia's 1st Piano Recital

We're proud of our little girl!

Making Disciples - Sometimes Humiliating, Always Humbling

This commercial is hilarious, but it also packs a poignant punch. The clueless guy with the huge stain had no chance of being heard by his interviewer because the stain on his shirt spoke volumes.

About fifteen years ago, I went golfing with a guy who the Lord had brought into my life to help disciple. To make a long story short, I ended up using a lot of really nasty words at the foursome behind us that really dishonored the Lord. Thankfully, the guy I was with, was far enough along in his walk with the Lord to pray with me, forgive me, and to this day still loves the Lord, and me! But, oh, how humiliating!

I wonder if we Christians, who are called to be disciples of Christ, and commissioned to make disciples of Christ, couldn't learn a lesson from the shirt-stained guy in the commercial? I wonder if the reason our witness for the Lord, and efforts in discipleship fall on suspecting deaf ears, really has nothing do with other people being deaf after all? Perhaps those we are seeking to disciple hear just fine, but perhaps our lives are filled with unchecked stains of sin which speak volumes above anything that we might try to teach others?

The way I see it is that we have two options really. We can give up on our commission, and many have, or we can evaluate ourselves humbly and seek God's grace to train us to renounce ungodliness and worldliness and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age (Titus 2:12).

The evaluation process is truly humbling, and never really ends on this side of heaven, but it is the most rewarding course.

The belly's growing!

Between Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year, many waistbands expand. Mine is not an exception. But thankfully it is because of Baby Sheck #3!!!

Tomorrow marks week 17. Unbelievable. Baby Sheck #3 didn't let me forget, however, that he/she is growing and making themselves comfortable in my belly. From week #6 to week #15 I experienced morning sickness every afternoon and evening. Some evenings were really bad. A couple of times I struggled trying to take care of the girls and prepare dinner for the family so by 4:30 I was calling Kevin to come home. Can I just say that I have a most amazing husband.

Then poof! Last Monday I woke up with this new energy and have yet to experience nauseousness. Oh it is a wonderful feeling. I've also noticed this week that my regular size clothing is beginning to get a little snug. No doubt come January I will be moving onto maternity clothes.

But for now I am enjoying the belly expanison...a wonderful reminder of the miracle that is taking place in my body. God is knitting together our child.

We look forward to our child arriving around Memorial Day Weekend.

Is Santa real or fake?

According to Sofia we believe in the fake Santa. I guess this means that she knows he isn't really real but he used to be real because he helped people know that they should give gifts. You see, Santa Claus, or St. Nick, was a man who desired to show people love. He desired to show love just as God did by giving us a gift...the greatest gift of all...His Son Jesus Christ. So St. Nick began to give gifts to show love.

The belief in Santa continues to be magical in our household even if he is fake (but she really does believe he is real). This past Monday night we took the girls to see Santa. Selah actually wasn't scared this year and went right up to Santa and said, "Merry Christmas". Sofia on the other hand was nervous to see Santa. Her reason was that she had been naughty that day (no arguments from mommy).

At dinner time Sofia had shared that she wanted to tell Santa she wanted a Barbi for Christmas. But when Santa asked what she wanted, she just kept saying, "I don't know." Finally Santa asked, "Would you like a Barbi?" WOW!!! How did he know? Maybe Santa is real.

Here is a pic of the girls sitting on Santa's lap.

Then they snapped this pic while the girls were giving their hugs.
And then Santa called mommy and daddy over for a family pic.

P.S. Santa pics are free at Bass Pro.

Winter Play

When you live somewhere cold it is so much easier to accept when there is snow. Of course, this comes from a stay-at-home mom who doesn't have to get out and shovel or drive on precarious roads.

Snow decorates the outside with a beautiful white blanket. So lovely to look at and so lovely to enjoy when the wind isn't blowing. Yes, when the wind isn't blowing. Yesterday was one of those nice snow days when the temps were around 34 degrees, the snow was lightly falling, and the wind wasn't blowing (at least it was this way for a couple of hours in the morning). And when it's like this....that means WINTER PLAY.

I bundled the girls up in their snow suits and we headed out for about an hour. They had so much fun and I loved seeing them enjoy making snow angels and having snowball fights.

After a walk around the subdivision we headed to the beach. I was surprised to see five swans swimming across the lake. Maybe they were getting one last swim in before the lake totally freezes. The lake's edges are already beginning to do so.

Snow fun!!!

Gift of (Learning) Music

We as parents don't necessarily know whether or not our girls have the gift of music but we do know that we can give them the gift of learning music.

Sofia began piano lessons the second week of September. Now just three months later, she played in her first piano recital.

I've attached a couple of pictures (and will try to post a video later).

This is Sofia at her very first lesson with Mrs. Hibdon. Mrs. Hibdon by the way is the most talented piano player and teacher. She teaches 65 students each week, is organized, patient, and fun. Mrs. Hibdon has a great love for the Lord and for music and seeks to pass both loves on to her students.

The recital was held at The Piano Co., a local piano store that has a Java Cafe' attached that served as the concert hall. On borrow is a 9 ft. Sauter piano worth $250,000 that the students were allowed to use for the recital.

Faces of Thanksgiving

The day before Thanksgiving we made the 4 hour drive to Sparta, MI to be with the Sheckler side of the family. Each year Uncle Jim (Kevin's oldest brother) and Aunt Sunde host the family gathering. It is always such a fun time of eating, playing games, and telling of stories.

This year Sofia was official photographer. She captured the faces of those who were able to make it this year.

Top L: Greg (Aunt Sunde's bro) Top R: Kevin's Aunt Dorothy

Middle L: Aunt Sunde's 93 yr. old mom Middle R: Kevin's Aunt Joyce

Bottom L: Kevin's Uncle Ron Bottom R: Kevin's Uncle Bob

Clockwise from left to right: Uncle Paul, Uncle Glen (who was busy cooking), Uncle Todd, Uncle Jim, and Uncle Bruce and Aunt Kerri

Clockwise from l to r: The girls watching Grandpa make dressing then stuff the bird; cousin Aaron, Aunt Sunde sporting a moustache acquired during one of the games; and cousin Ben.

Family. We are so thankful for family.