A Lot Happens In A Year

Holy laziness! Has it really been a year since I've posted. I blame it on pregnancy. I blame it on old age (I am now nearing 34, after all), I blame it on...life. I chose to spend the past year with people and not sitting at my desk for hours on end. I've lived life. WITHOUT a blog. But I would like to keep up on posting these things that happen in the Slegers home. Here is a little note I had prepared for our 2013 Christmas family newsletter that never went out. I'll do my best to update things that have changed since I wrote this: DATED December, 2013 I am sitting in the car, enjoying the quiet of three littles resting as we travel to Georgia for Mom's graduation. This allows time to reflect on our family and this past year... We started the year, as most do, with great expectations of another year of blessings. Another year of pressing on toward the goals we felt the Lord had called us to. Another year to become closer as a family. Another year to do and be better. 2013 has been a big year in the Slegers household. We have been covered in blessings beyond our imagination and are constantly shaking our heads in disbelief as the Lord answers prayer after prayer. (As if we expect him to fail or just pass by without giving us a second thought.) Chris is our first example of God's favor. The weather in Oklahoma has been unusual this year. As a dent guy, your work is usually based on bad weather. If it doesn't hail, you don't usually get to work! Well, Chris has been so busy this year with hail and occasional dents and dings. God has provided for EVERY need and many wants! We are nearing the end of the year and Chris still has several hail cars lined up for when we get back from Georgia and it's DECEMBER! Who has hail work in December!?! Totally a God thing. Chris is still heading up our church's evangelism ministry, Evangelism Explosion. His desire to teach others how to share their faith is almost as strong as his desire to share the Good News himself. He pours his heart into this ministry and the others involved. I'm sure he would tell you how each individual brings something special to EE and how spending time with them sharpens him. I am one blessed woman to have such an encourager as the head of our home! Hope (that would be me) is still enjoying her role as wife, mother, worship leader, Bible study leader, Mary Kay consultant, teacher...you get the picture! It has been a challenging year for me as we were surprised to find out in early March that I was pregnant...again. With.a.baby. Those who know me well, know this is big - as I don't handle pregnancy well. Once again, God granted us favor and he granted me strength to keep leading Sunday worship at our church throughout my entire pregnancy (up to the weekend before baby arrived)! Collin turned 5 this year! Am I old enough to have a five year old!? He is growing up so quickly. I guess that saying, "Blink and you'll miss it!" is quite appropriate for the childhood years. His favorite things right now are: Legos, Mario (wii) and basketball. This kid loves him some basketball! If he can't play it outside, he pretends to play inside. If he can't play inside he wants to play basketball with Daddy on the wii. His favorite NBA teams are the OKC Thunder and Chicago Bulls. He also loves to swim in our pool and is excited to announce he can now swim (in the shallow end) without his life vest, AND he can jump in AND he can swim UNDER WATER! Collin has also begun Kindergarten this year. He is pretty excited, as we made the decision to homeschool this year. Grandma Pat is doing the majority of the academic studies and she is very happy with how much Collin is learning and retaining in his studies! Little Nicholas celebrated his 1st birthday in April! His favorite things are his "inka" (blanket), his "maw-ma" (Grandma), dancing and BALLS! He can spot a ball a mile away and his dance moves are quite a site to see! Our little "force to be reckoned with". He is Mr. Independent and Mr. Adventure all in one. I consider him my mini me. Nicholas is just like his momma! His strong will and love of music is quite a mirror for me and we are so enjoying the little man he is turning in to. Sweet Audrey made her long-awaited appearance on November 2, in the early morning around 2 am. She is a very good baby! Being so new, her life consists of mostly nursing and a whole lot of sleeping! It's amazing how much she has settled in to being a member of our family. Her big brothers are so good with her and VERY protective. Even Nicholas will say "why-in" to tell Mommy that Audrey is crying and run to her rocker and try to give her the pacifier...although he usually sticks it in her eye or her ear! What a busy, quick, exciting year it has been! We are really looking forward to what the Lord has in store for us next year! OK...just to remind you that was from 2013. I am NOT pregnant, nor do I expect to be in the near future (or ever). Also, Nicholas is now celebrating his "Terrific Two's!" and has a vocabulary that amazes me. Although, most people are sure he's speaking Chinese. Collin is celebrating his 6th Birthday this week and our precious Audrey is now 8 1/2 months old. I suppose I'll end this post with a couple pic's from the past 14 months.

Sick to my Stomach

Before you roll your eyes and think, "This girl has got to suck it up and deal with her ailments already", I'm not talking about my morning sickness or pregnancy this time. It's much worse. So. Much. Worse... This morning, as I watched the news, I was sickened by what I heard about our military's stance on proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ between soldiers or even chaplains. Sick to my stomach. At times, I refrain from voicing my opinion on things. Not because I don't have an opinion, but because I don't necessarily know how to properly convey my true feelings in a way where people can make sense of what I'm feeling. But not this time. I'm running across Facebook statuses in my newsfeed that are screaming for...no, DEMANDING...their freedom and right to guns, right to choose (or deny) a life of an unborn child, their right to be homosexual. Sick to my stomach. Very rarely do I see someone praise the name of Jesus Christ. The King of kings and Lord of lords. Sick to my stomach. I want my right to love The Lord my God with all my heart and soul and not be criticized for it. I AM A CHRISTIAN. I AM A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST. I believe the Bible and all it teaches. If you choose to mix the words and take things out of context, that's your problem...your "choice". I'm not going to defend myself just so you can use my words against me. I believe just because. Or maybe it would be better understood if I said I believe because IT IS MY RIGHT!!! ...but here's the thing. It's not my right because the constitution says so. Not because the government says so. It's my right to believe in The Lord Jesus Christ because...the Bible says so. You see, it was written to me! It's a love letter specifically designed and authored for my heart. (And yours too!) This isn't a debate. It. Just. Is. So I want you to know. I am a sinner. I am saved by Grace. I love my Jesus and I want to live as He wants me to live. If you are offended by my "right" then, I understand. I've probably been offended by your right to (fill in the blank). I just think you should know that Jesus loves you. YES YOU! That, my friends, is the best news you will ever hear!

Round Three

This is NOT what I planned. This is not what I expected. This is NOT what I'm ready for! My last post consisted of the amazing journey of welcoming our second child into this great big wonderful world. It's been six mos. Nicholas is 11 mos old now. I should be preparing for a first birthday party for our little man. I should be getting ready to hit the gym hard core to get back to my pre-baby body. I should be planning on our summer trips to tube the "Hooch" and paint Nana's house and camp in the Redwoods and be in a wedding and...you get the idea. It's amazing how our plans seem to get pushed aside by God's plan. We are pleased to share the new plan! Evidently, The Lord feels it best to add another member to the Slegers family. We will be welcoming another baby into our family some time in the late fall. (Oct-Nov) I've got to tell up the thoughts that flood through my mind at this point are totally pregnancy thoughts. Crazy, irrational, selfish thoughts. Yes, I'm sick. Yes, I don't do pregnancy well. But, as my dear husband reminded me, I am pregnant and there is a reason. So here we go for round three. The whole family is excited! Collin keeps praying for mommy to not get the throw ups anymore. He thinks its going to be so cool to have TWO babies in the house. "'Cause Nicholas is going to be a big baby and the new baby is gonna be little!" Obviously, Nicholas is indifferent on the matter as he still feels the world revolves around him. Chris is excited for new life,but concerned for his bride's well-being! (Aww) Gramma is excited and already suggesting we give each child their own room! She's so cool! 'Sure! Take over the whole house!' Haha So now you have the news. Good news. What a blessing to know The Lord entrusts us with his children.

Nicholas James Slegers

Everyone told me, but I couldn't believe it. That is, until April 16 when I fell in love for the third time. I suppose I should back up a bit and start from "the beginning".... It was Sunday morning and I was preparing for church. I was quite discouraged because I was STILL pregnant and was feeling like I would never have this baby. But I chose to set aside my personal feelings and to stay true to the call of ministry. Now don't get me wrong. I did not want to be in church. I did not want to sing. I did not want to socialize and be polite as everyone said, "Any day now!" in that annoying sing-song voice. I wanted my baby. I wanted to feel his soft skin and gaze into his (what I assumed to be) big blue eyes. I wanted to cuddle and embrace my little one in my arms as he peacefully nursed at my breast. I was ready. Wasn't I? So we went to church; Daddy, Mommy, Collin, Grandma and Miss Marie. I'd like to say it was nice to see everyone and to lead a great worship service, but I would be telling a lie. But I did it anyway as I've learned it's not about how I feel. Sometimes we just have to do it anyway. When church was over, I was walking down the stairs when I felt like there was an "emergency". I'm a grown woman! Grown women don't "wet" themselves. I didn't believe this was my water breaking. It was nothing like it shows in the movies or on tv. So I didn't tell anyone. I just figured contractions would come if it was real. So I continued my day as usual. We went to lunch and then Chris headed out for the last day of FriendQuest for the semester. I did give him a heads-up about the possibility of a trip to the hospital, just in case. I took Collin home and put him in bed for his afternoon nap and Pat suggested I lay down and rest. I figured it would be good, because I had started very slightyly contracting. After laying down for a whole five minutes I decided to send my mom a text that read something like this: me: THEORETICALLY SPEAKING, IF MY WATER BROKE, WOULD I START HAVING CONTRACTIONS? Mom: NOT necessarily. WHAT'S WRONG? Me: WELL...MINE MIGHT HAVE BROKE AT CHURCH, BUT NO CONTRACTIONS. I'M SURE IT'S A FALSE ALARM. Mom: GO TO THE HOSPITAL! Me: I THINK IM GONNA TAKE A NAP FIRST...DON'T TELL ANYONE OK? Mom: I ALREADY TOLD DAD, RUSTY, GRANDPA AND GRAMMA. WE ALL THINK YOU SHOULD GO TO THE HOSPITAL. Me: YES MAM. I went downstairs and told Pat all that was going on and she said, let's go! I woke Collin up from his nap, and we headed to the hospital for what I was sure was a false alarm. Nicholas James Slegers arrived the following morning (if you can call it that) at around 2 in the morning! The on-call doctor delivered him and placed him on my abdomen and I think my first words were "Hi little man!... Why isn't he crying?" he wasn't crying. He just looked at me and then the nurses took him to the warmer. Something wasn't right. One of his arms didn't seem to be moving. It was limp. The nurses called a specialist in to check on him and she said he seemed to be ok. They just kept an eye on him for the rest of the hospital stay. I am happy to say Nicholas was doing quite well by the time we left the hospital! After a whirlwind of visitors, friends and family, we have been able to settle into our new normal. I am always amazed at how deeply we are loved. It shows through the outpouring of love and prayers we receive during these most treasured moments! I'm learning how to be a wife, mother of two, daughter, friend, organizer, accountant, and Godly woman I can be with help from the Father! I am so forever blessed!

Come on BABY!

I'm in the stage of pregnancy where I.AM.DONE.
Those of you who have been there know what I'm talking about. I'm talking about waking up each morning, looking down at my ever-growing mid-section and thinking "Darn, still pregnant." Now don't get me wrong. I feel so blessed to be able to even carry a child to full term. (I am, after all, 37 1/2 weeks.) Praise God for that...I'm just struggling with the "Praise God for the discomfort and sickness and lovely side-effects of pregnancy" part. I'm ready to meet this kid. I'm ready to be able to see my feet...or at least be able to bend over and TOUCH them! I think I'm even ready to look like I'm still pregnant even though I had a baby 14 weeks ago...okay, okay. THAT is a little exaggerated, but you get my drift.
Chris is ready for a more pleasant wife.
Collin would like his mommy's lap back.
Oh yeah, and I was informed by my precious gift (Collin) that he really didn't think he wanted a boy baby anymore. A girl will be just fine! Uh...hate to disappoint you kiddo!
The joys of pregnancy seem to skip this mommy-to-be. I am not a good pregnant person. But I am still me...sort-of. Perhaps I need to be writing down what I am thankful for this time around? Let's see:
1. Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to keep up with my commitments. I not only lead worship every Sunday morning, but I've taken up the Ladies Bible Study. I've not had to skip my Sunday's (except for the one Sunday after an ER visit).
2. Thank you, Lord, for allowing me the opportunity to minister at Heart Attack! This was big deal for me with the demand on my health (voice and physical) AND this was the first camp I didn't have to deal with sinus problems.
3. Thank you, Lord, for two baby showers! I have several friends who want to celebrate and feel this baby is just as special as my first and therefore, needs to be showered too! So I had two baby showers in March. WHAT A BLESSING!!!
4. I'm thankful I have been able to take a prenatal vitamin this time around. I wasn't able to keep ANYTHING down with my first pregnancy so I'm pretty pumped this kid will be well nourished.
5. Thank you, Lord, for revealing how much I do NOT know. It makes me rely on HIM more and not myself. It amazes me, the strength that comes from my hope in Him.
Theres much more I AM thankful for, but I need a nap! OH! So I am thankful for all the naps I've been able to take too!
More to come once this baby arrives! I'll post pics too!

And so it begins...

What an incredible past year! As January comes to a close, I wonder what new and exciting events the Lord has in store for our family for 2012. I am not a "new year's resolution" kind of girl, but I do believe we should always be striving to be better. More Christ-like. Do I reflect Him more today than I did yesterday? When I look in the mirror, am I more concerend about outward beauty, or the beautiful Life that should be within? I want others to see Jesus. Don't get me wrong, I still very much want to be pleasing to others...just not at the expense of my salvation. Jesus just wants my heart (yours too) and it amazes me how much more beautiful a lover of Jesus looks to me! THAT's what I resolve this year. I got a great album this Christmas and there is a song that the Slegers family has decided will be our family's mission statement. I highly encourage you and your family to make one as well. It doesn't have to be a song or poem, just what you want your family to be known for! (Feel free to use this one. I did.)

"I'm done building my own kingdom.
No more seeking worthless idols.
Like sheep, we have all gone astray
we must choose this day whom we will serve.

As for me and my house
We will serve the Lord
Idols raised - tear them down
We will serve the Lord

TO ONE KING WE BOW DOWN
AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE
WE WILL ONLY SERVE THE LORD!

I'm done with powerless religion
No more living in deception
Like sheep, we have all gone astray
we must choose this day whom we will serve.

And we will not give our
hearts to another
We will not give our
hearts to another
We will ONLY SERVE THE LORD"
-John Waller AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE

Slegers Christmas Newsletter 2011

Greetings Family and Friends!
Can you believe another year has come and gone? It amazes me how much changes in the small window of one year. I love to watch how God works in our lives and in the lives of others through different events, big or small as they seem. Let me try to give a short recap of the Slegers family’s year and what is happening in our lives.
Chris is still working his dent business, 82nd Dent Repair, and is doing wonderfully! The Lord has been so good to us and continues to provide for our family through Chris’s work. Chris is also heading up our church’s FriendQuest ministry as he trains believers how to share their faith and the Good News. This is where his passion is and it fits Chris’s personality perfectly! (Ask anyone.)
I (Hope) am enjoying the life of a stay at home mommy. I didn’t realize the “work” that goes into this home business! I figured a few games, educational television programs and a healthy snack was all I’d need. Little did I know that along with the title of homemaker came financial administrator, full time housekeeper, short-order cook, nurse, pharmacist and teacher were also in the job description. (Along with many other tasks. The list is just too long to type it all out! LOL) Mom’s out there, thank you, for your example of how to keep sane in the midst of chaos! I’m still selling Mary Kay and enjoy the experience and the friendships that come with it. My passion, however, is still the music ministry I’ve been heading up for the last 10 years! I love our little church with the most genuine fellowship of believers. How God still blesses me and these people minister to me as I lead worship with our worship team!
Little Collin is now 3 years old! He is just…amazing! (Forgive me for gushing, but have you MET him!?!) He currently loves to read “the Jesus book” aka the Bible. He likes soccer, basketball and baseball. Collin was able to join a 6 and under soccer team this fall and loved getting a trophy at the end of the season! He was so proud of himself. Needless to say, so were his Mommy and Daddy! Our sweet boy is growing up so fast.
I said, I’d give you a recap of our year so here we go: Our year started out pretty hectic, but things slowed down after a bit. We had a great camp Heart Attack in March. In June, Collin and I were able to go visit Nana and B-pa in Georgia. Aunt


Chrissy and the kiddos met us there too! July was crazy busy. And hard. And sad. It started off with a trip to Idaho for a camp that was beyond amazing! We met so many great people there and have such fond memories that I’m sure will be cherished for a long time. It was a great time of ministry but also difficult as we found out a dear friend had passed away and we would not be home for the memorial service. We spent two weeks on our ministry trip and then after being home not even a week, I got the dreaded call that my Grampy had passed away. What a challenging time. Why in the world would God allow such heartache as a loss as great as these? What a precious time. How God brought me such peace in the midst of a loss as great! He is forever FAITHFUL, friends! What love and hope he brings those who seek it!
Out of such pain and loss there is hope. Ours came with the news that Collin is going to be a Big Brother to a little boy!!! I think this came to remind us that there can be joy in the midst of sorrow. Collin REALLY wanted a girl baby, but when I explained all the fun that brothers could have…he’s not quite as disappointed. Baby boy Slegers is due in April and we would greatly appreciate your prayers for our growing family.
I suppose the past months seem to blend in together. Our church celebrated it’s 10th Anniversary in September. I suppose a milestone for me is I celebrated (I use that term loosely) my…gulp…30th birthday. I actually think I got another gray hair just typing that message… Okay deep breath, moving on! At the beginning of this month the three of us took our last “family of 3 vacation” to Branson, MO. We took Collin to the Dixie Stampede. His highlight, the “free” pre-show, where a young man juggled. But we all enjoyed the dinner and show as well! On our way home, we stopped at the Talking Rocks Cavern and took their tour down into the cavern.
So that’s it! We plan on celebrating Christmas in Georgia this year so I have a bit of packing to do. I hope this note finds you blessed and full of God’s grace. May your Christmas be one to remember this year as we celebrate the greatest Gift the world could ever know, Emmanuel, GOD WITH US!

Peace and Love to you,
Chris, Hope and Collin Slegers