A Month in the Life

A Lesson Learned
When a caller to the Dr Laura radio program is disgruntled by her spouse’s behavior or attitudes, one of the first questions she usually asks the caller is “Did you know this about them before you got married?” You see, marriage is a contract, for better or for worse. When you sign your name on the dotted line, you agree to take this person ‘as is’. You don’t marry them for what you want to mold them into. ( The Scripture unfortunately does not say ‘Train up a husband in the way he should go’) Therefore, nagging, pouting, or complaining about something you knew about before marriage is not only detrimental but futile.

I admit, I knew about my husband’s taste in music before marriage. As a teenager, if I was feeling a bit rebellious, I would let my radio drift from my 24 hour Sandi Patti and Larnelle Harris station, to the wild rock station playing Boy George and Michael Jackson’s latest. (Man, am I dating myself or what!) However, if Steve and his Mennonite buddies were feeling rebellious, they would loosen the suspenders, curl up the brim of their straw hats, rig up an 8 track player in their buggies, and play – get this - blue grass! Now that’s rebellion! Old Order Mennonites dress plainly, and are not allowed to have televisions, radios, or tape players, and now CD players, VHS/DVD - so he was really drifting far from his normal realm.

Admittedly, my husband is probably the only <40year old Pentecostal that knows all the old blue grass lyrics (but it’s so cute when he sings them, you gotta love him!). I enjoy going to IBC Music Festival or Gateway’s Unprecedented Praise, and can’t wait to sift through the CDs for new material. However, I know for true harmony to be in my home when my husband arrives, the CD is turned off. I also realize after I’m pumped up about the jammin Pentecostal service we just had, Steve may be going home with a headache.

The Show
RDF/ABC ate it up! They loved the idea of Steve being strongly opposed to the lyrical content, lifestyle of musicians, AND the style of rock music itself. When questions were asked about music, I usually let Steve answer them. I was actually giving God a high five when I found out I was in with a rock family and they had young children. Music was something I could handle, and hopefully change for the good.
I had wild ideas about bringing in some Pentecostal greats to allow the family to sample the joys of Holy Spirit anointed music. The producers wouldn’t allow the rule changes I really pushed for. We ended up singing in a coffee shop, a song that no longer has copyrights, ‘Amazing Grace.’

I’m so glad the old songs are still power packed!

Yipeee!
This afternoon was Bible Study at the Hoover House. There were four ladies besides myself. We had an awesome prayer time and study. It started with just one lady shortly after our episode aired in February, and today there were four! I’ve also had another study on Mondays with a different viewer of the show. God is so amazing!

Today Steve and I received a request to speak to group one week after the rerun airs. This guy has great ideas of making the most of the rerun. His excitement is contagious.

Kristin

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

It’s said one doesn’t appreciate something until it is taken away, and maybe it’s true. To have a genuine appreciation for America, one should travel abroad (but not to France!). Not until eating cabbage borsht for a week in Russia, can you pull up to McDonalds in Moscow and eat 14 cheeseburgers (I’m speaking of Steve, not me).
Last year we were able to add a new country to our experience as we traveled to Italy. We were part of the American delegation of chimney sweeps to Spazzacamino, the international chimney sweep festival held in the small Alpine village of Santa Maria Maggiore. The week’s highlight is when sweeps from around the world form the parade and throw out souvenirs to the crowds lining the streets. When the sweeps from America came through the crowds went wild. People stopped and asked us to kiss them and take pictures. A cherished moment of the parade was when I and another Pentecostal sweep’s wife from Minnesota were asked to carry the American banner. We held our banner up, waved our flags and sang “God Bless America!” as we walked the remaining route of the parade.

May God truly bless our country!
Happy 4th! Kristin


Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

My Little Bible Heroes
One downside is the 23rd, Emily and I were going to be away from the family. Emily’s first day for Nationals in Jr. Bible Quizzing starts on the 23rd in Branson, Mo. But somehow even that is appropriate. The quizzers have been learning passages of Bible Heroes. Before RDF/ABC pulled in our driveway, during Bible time, I told the story found in Daniel of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Even though the Hebrew boys no longer had their parents giving them advice, they continued to stand for what their parents had taught them, and what they themselves believed in. They were not afraid to do what was right.
I came back home a week later and found that my children had stood up to the camera crew (and in front of 9 million Americans) and the pressure to go against our family rules. I was so proud of them! I gave them a group hug and said, “You are just like the Bible Heroes. I think I’ll change your names to Rack, Shack, and Benni!”

Perhaps, here I should say, the response that poured in afterward gave the girls two thumbs up. Several said when they watched our girls on the show, tears began to flow. Some that had fallen away were drawn to Christ when they witnessed our girls standing strong. They are indeed my little Bible Heroes!

Daily Routine Stuff
The girls and I went to the library today for story time. Our library has a cool summer program with lots of fun activities for the kiddos. Their theme is, “Get a Clue” with lots of mystery and detectives. They have had lessons on fingerprinting, talks with the Sheriff, and a mystery hunt in the darkened library using flashlights to find clues. The culmination comes next week when they all come in disguise to a party, and the one who has read the most books gets the prize of $50 savings bond. We are a competitive bunch, and so far we are in the lead for all three age groups. It does come at a price, though. They have all read over 200 books in one months time. Whew!

We’ve had friends over today. My ‘WifeSwap’ bible study partner, Anna, needed someone to watch her kidlets. For those who haven’t kept up with our story, Anna contacted me after watching our episode back in February. We started a Bible Study together and she was baptized and received the the Holy Spirit. Last Sunday she brought a friend to church who wants to join up in our bible study group. Cool beans!

While the kids rode bikes together I clipped the parsley from our herb garden and prepared it for the freezer. I tried drying it before, but it only ended up moldy. My Mennonite sister in law said she freezes it, so I think I’ll try it. Anyway, it just so happened that I could work on parsley and listen to Dr Laura’s radio program at the same time. Ahhh…. A bright spot in my day, much better than a quad shot of espresso!

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

I am excited to give a glimpse of our family life to our extended 90&9 family! During our recent, life changing adventures on ABC’s Wife Swap, we enjoyed sharing our stories with you, and are glad to be joining up again for this month as bloggers.


‘Who am I that you are mindful of me?’ is the real question.

I am a 4th generation Pentecostal with roots that go deeply in the organization of the UPCI. My parents, grandparents and great grandparents have helped to shape our organization in America and abroad. I am overjoyed that God didn’t stop with them, but is still using us as we link into the next generation. We are active in our church, Harvest Tabernacle of Lebanon, Mo. I serve on the church leadership committee, and assist with music as choir director. I also direct the annual Easter Drama. (BTW Steve is the meanest Pharisee you ever saw!)

The joys in life are my children (introduced by Steve), my husband and my home. Ten years ago we bought a 100 year old Victorian home, and while it remains a work in progress, we have it mostly refurbished. I’m not much for buying a new pair of shoes or the latest trend of clothing, but if you put me in a store full of hand carved furniture I’m in heaven! My home is full of these graven images.

I home school my three girls and am very proud of their learning achievements - I have a 3 year old that can read any short vowel word! They are involved in Bible Quizzing (Emily’s team will be going to nationals later this month), Girl Scouts, Soccer (we’re having a revival among soccer moms), T-ball, home school group, and their local library summer reading program.

I am a Registered Nurse working the last 6 years of my career in Pediatrics. After years of listening to Dr Laura’s http://www.drlaura.com/ radio program, and through the support of my husband, I decided to become a stay-at-home mom. It’s not always the easiest, or the greatest choice financially, but I think it is God’s will for a mother with young children. I’m sure you’ll hear more about that later this month.

We are excited to share our, sometimes uneventful daily routines, why being participants in the television show Wife Swap has changed our lives, and how God is continuing to amaze us.

Stay Tuned, Kristin




Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!