Intense Conversations with Preschoolers

On the way to school yesterday, the children and I had a great conversation! Chase is the only one who went to school because the others were sick. Thomas started throwing up Saturday night and Mary Frances started on Sunday! They are all fine now, but it made for a great conversation!

I'm not sure how we got started, but we were talking about the devil. I think the kids may have asked what he looked like - no telling where that came from with Halloween right around the corner! Anyway, I proceeded to tell them a few truths about the devil - mainly that the devil doesn't like churches. So, I told them that the devil isn't happy with mommy and daddy because we are starting a new church and telling more people about God. I told them that the devil was trying to make us think about other things and not about our new church this weekend. So, that is why they were sick, we had a car accident that rendered are car useless, and several other more minor things.

Now, if you aren't sure about this whole God thing, this may seem really strange to you, but I can assure you that this is how the devil works, and I try to teach the children in as simple terms as I can about it. I did assure them that God is bigger and stronger than the devil and we had no reason to be concerned as long as we didn't let the devil win. So, we decided to not get a new car until this week, not worry about the kids being sick, but continue on, and to trust that God would work out all the details!

At "Church Planters Boot Camp" in May, Jim Griffith said to us, "If you don't believe in the devil, just plant a church!" We have certain people designated to pray for our family every day for this very reason!

So, after this deep conversation, we moved to cancer. Mary Frances was talking about a friend of Jessie's who just died of cancer recently, Mr. Pete. I told her that is why Grandmary (Ray C.'s mom) died also. So, we talked about how the doctors can usually make you better when you are sick, but sometimes they can't make you better if you have cancer.

We talked about eating healthy, and how fruits and vegetables make the cells in our bodies strong so when we catch germs from other people our healthy cells actually fight the germs and tell them to go away. Yes, I do normally explain things this much. It makes more sense to know why we do things rather than just "because I said so." However, "because I said so" really works well when you are tired of explaining! Anyway, they loved the visual of the healthy cells and germs duking it out!

(I know cancer is not "caught" like other illnesses, but I still believe healthy cells fight off most cancers. So, eat healthy!)

I love having these kind of conversations with the kids! It is so much fun to hear their comments and questions! I especially love it when they say something a week or month later proving to me that they really were listening! It is true that they are sponges!

Fry Road Preview Service

GOD IS AMAZING!! What an incredible morning! I was practicing my music for worship this morning on my way to church. By the time I pulled into the parking lot, I was crying huge tears of joy as I was singing the redone hymn "How Marvelous." You may think it strange that I was driving around before sunrise with a hymn blasting in my car, but it was an awesome way to prepare for what God had in the works.

I pulled in to the theater parking lot and was overwhelmed by the amount of cars already there - the people who were already hard at work preparing for the service!
(This is the cafe area with coffee and donuts!)
Ray C. and I were walking down the hall a little later, and he said, "There is no way we should be able to do this our first Sunday!" It was out of total amazement that he said it because we were watching it unfold before our very eyes.


We had volunteers everywhere. I am still meeting new people who are volunteering!








The party rooms were turned into nursery rooms and then FULL of children.


The theaters were turned into worship rooms for the preschoolers, elementary, and adults.

The preschoolers had clowns in the worship service.

The elementary kids had a magician.

And the adults had an awesome band that I was thrilled to sing with (including my sister)! We had a great preacher (even if I do say so myself), and awesome people everywhere making things happen.


We had so many people in the worship service that we had to ask everyone to move toward the center because people were standing trying to get in!! I think the total count of kids, volunteers , and the rest of the adults was around 320! And we barely advertised for this service!

It was great to have practice because we realized a few things we could do differently, and we know people are a little more forgiving. I can't wait to see our launch service! But after an exhausting weekend, we're glad we have until December 2nd to do it all again!

BIG DAY!!

My day started at 5:15 this morning when Ray C.'s alarm went off and he said, "I can't believe it's today!" What an emotion-filled statement for us and the Foundry family as we prepare to see what this baby is going to look like.
It's kind of like an ultrasound. We all get to see what the baby will look like, but we can't really have it yet! There is still so much to prepare!
So, I am leaving in just a few minutes to join my friends and "family" who have been at the Cinemark since 6:00 setting up for our first preview service at the Foundry Fry Rd.
Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to build God's team and church! This is His thing, and we are so humbled to have been called to be a part of it!
Thanks to the guys at PCI for delivering our trailers (after packing them) and teaching us how to set it all up. They are even at the theater this morning showing us how to do it!

Where do I begin?

With three little ones, there is always something blog-worthy going on!

*Chase has a scratched eye that took us to the Opthamologist's office yesterday for 3 1/2 hours and another 2 hours home (we were in Houston the entire time). By the way, they did nothing for him. It healed on its own overnight! I've been through the same thing with Thomas at this age, but you just can't risk an eye injury! If you ask Chase what happened he says, "Tata shrach my eye!"

*The kids are all doing better in school although Thomas does not like the prayers Ms. Dana says. He is determined the class will learn his superman prayer. He has a fabulous teacher that is working with him so patiently! We are so blessed!

*Thomas made a snack for us today while the rest of us were sleeping. While we were taking a nap, he poured (and spilled) orange juice into cups and then diluted it like we usually do. He washed off the plates from breakfast in the bathroom sink, and got out baby carrots for everyone. He also gave Mary Frances an apple since he knows how much she loves them! He even cleaned up what he spilled and put the towel right back in the bathroom. I was really moved by his thoughtfulness. And on top of that, he waited for us to wake up to eat his snack! He has such a sweet heart!

*Chase is still saying, "I na a bebe emor. I bi boy!" Don't dare call him a baby (or a snuggle bunny). He is a big boy!

*Mary Frances has a sweet smile. I am falling more in love with her. She may know how to work the system, but she too has a sweet heart! She is a female after all. Isn't working the system part of our DNA!?! We just need to keep it in check, right!?!

*My husband has been out of town for the week, and I miss him. I thought I would enjoy sleeping in the bed by myself - that BIG king bed, but no such luck - 3 other people keep jumping in at 4:00 in the morning!

*I'm tired! But what's new!?!

Dear Abby...

Thomas wrote a letter to his cousin, Abigail, yesterday. He sat down with the paper and pen and started asking me how to spell things. So, I said, "Why don't you just see if you can sound it out and do it all by yourself?" I was floored that he actually did it. He usually says "I can't" and then just gives up, but he stuck to it! I was so proud of the outcome. Here is the literal interpretation of what he wrote just so you can understand his writing. Under the letter is what it says, in case you can't figure it all out! Remember, he's only 5! This his first ever attempt to write anything other than his name! I did help him a little with the birthday - he wasn't sure about the "th"!

DER ABGAE PLES KUM TO MY BRTHDAY LUV THOMAS
DEAR ABIGAIL, PLEASE COME TO MY BIRTHDAY. LOVE THOMAS

Pretty good, huh? Now, his birthday isn't until September. He just had one, but I guess he just wants her to get it on her calendar!

Coming to a Theater Near You..

I know I used this title a month or so ago, but this time it is without the "maybe."


We are so excited to be having our first "preview" service in the theater in just 3 weeks! I cannot believe this is coming so fast, now. It has been on our hearts for so long, and it is finally coming! We have had 2 launch team meetings with 21 and 30 adults, respectively, and it has been so emotional for me to see people catch this vision and get excited about this new thing we are doing!


We had lunch together yesterday after the team went to the theater to watch another church set up, have their services, and then tear down! I was a little nervous at how people would respond after seeing the amount of work involved, but they were so excited. We discussed the things each person noticed that they liked or that we could improve.


We have so much work ahead of us, but I am grateful that we are doing this at Foundry with the incredible amount of support we have. We have resources available to make things happen and to do them well!


And we have KIDS!! We talked a lot about the children's ministry, and how we will make things secure and inviting for them and their parents! There were 11 kids at the meeting (and 5 more in the nursery at the church).



I could go on and on, but I'll end with God is Good! I am so humbled that He would choose me to be a part of the leadership in this new campus and grateful for the opportunity to show my love for Him in this way.

Rectangle CD's

Thomas is wanting to sing with the karaoke machine today. He asked Ray C. for a CD to play in it, and Ray C. told him to go get one out of Chase's CD player. Thomas said, "No, daddy. Chase's CD's are round. We need a rectangle CD." (That would be a tape - you know the old fashioned things we used before the round CD's were invented!) I love the things that come out of their mouths.

I really enjoy conversations with them because there are so many things that they just cannot comprehend. Like high school. They have no clue what that means. We tell them teenagers go to high school. So, they say, "well when I grow up I want to be a teenager." They just don't understand the order of things. I love it! What a big job we have ahead of us - to put things into proper perspective for their growing minds. One thing we're working on is the law against marrying relatives. You just can't marry your brother. It is so sweet right now, but you will be really grossed out in a few years!

Family and Friends

We've come a long way since Seminary, and look how we've grown! This is a picture of our good friends from Seminary, Kevin and Kerry Henson and Mike and Mary Gammill with all our children! We all met before kids, and now we have 7 between us! It has been so much fun for the children to pick up with friendships that were developed the moment they were born!
A kiss for sissy!
The Hughes' Express!! Choo Choo...
We had to get a new family picture! The kids are supposed to take pictures to school for different things, and the last family picture we took was over a year ago! So, here we are - just before church Sunday morning!

Where did all the babies go?

Chase has just informed me that he is no longer a baby! He cannot form a full sentence that anyone else can understand, but he does insist he is not a baby. He came in the office earlier to hug me because he just loves to snuggle, and I scooped him up saying, "I love my baby!" He looked up at me and said, "No, I not baby. I big boy." Of course, it was not that clear, but I understood him perfectly.

So, we've been going back and forth on this for about an hour, but he is standing firm! He is a big boy, and I have no more babies! Although, life is getting easier without a baby under my arm at all hours, it is sad. We are moving past a special stage. Oh well, God has so much in store for us. It has been a wild ride so far. I have no doubt it will continue to be FUN!