Adventures in Traveling

I've just returned home from a trip that took me to Ohio, then Indiana and back to Ohio again. This trip might even be called the "2nd Annual Shawna-Time Trip." I went to Ohio last year in February to visit my aunts, uncle, cousins and their families. That trip was a trip of discovery for me. I took it about 6 months after a difficult period in my life. It was during that trip that I was able to return to my childhood and spend time with my family in Ohio reminiscing on old memories, laugh-out-loud moments and catch up on life in general. I've been back to Ohio several times as an adult, mostly for funerals, weddings and reunions, but last year was the first time going as an adult by myself for no other reason than to visit. I came home last year feeling renewed and reminded that even though I now go by my married name, I am still a Stuter and my sarcastic humor, fun loving, compassionate personality came from my Stuter family. That trip also reminded me that no matter what happens in life, that I need to allow God to pick me back up and jump right back in again with a new lesson learned and a positive attitude that God is in control and there's still a lot of enjoying life to do. All that said, I had no doubt I wanted to take the trip again this year.

I started my trip in Canal Winchester, just outside of Columbus, staying with my aunt (my dad's sister). I enjoyed time antiquing with my aunt, a big dinner with all my cousins and their spouseand kids, which includes 2 sets of twins and all around the same ages as my girls. It made me miss my family and wish they were with me. We also ate out a lot....my aunt doesn't cook.

Some of my cousins' kids

New to this year's trip, I added in a side trip to Indiana to visit my nephew, Ryely, at college. He is a freshman at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (RHIT), one of the top engineering colleges in the world. RHIT is also known as "Rich Husbands In Training." :) Since I was a college student once, and I remember the dorms well, I made the wise choice to stay in a hotel rather than the dorms. It's a beautiful campus and I enjoyed looking out Ryely's dorm window to the view of a frozen over lake and beautiful chapel. I had so much fun with Ryely! Although we spent some time in serious conversation, there was a whole lot of laughter. With a boy to girl ratio of 4 to 1 at RHIT, I stood out on campus. I was also treated to the hilarious adventures of college boys away from home for the first time. Two of Ryely's friends even went to the local Goodwill to get clothes and dress up as Mario and Luigi. Did I mention one of them was wearing maternity overalls? We pondered duct taping one of the small guys onto the bare wall of Ryely's dorm room. We also pondered painting a meaningless mural on the wall. Instead we settled on writing on the underside of the top bunk so that each time Ryely wakes up he can look up and remind himself of the fun time we had when I came to visit.

It was soon time for the next part of my trip, which entailed a 6 hour drive back to Ohio to a town called Orrville, near Akron. Have you ever driven 6 hours by yourself? It's impossible to stay awake. How do truckers do it? Caffeine became my buddy, which caused me to get dehydrated with a bad headache and sick to my stomach. By the time I made it to my aunt and uncle's house, I felt like death, even though I was greeted with open arms by all my cousins and their families. They were all ready to have fun and all I was ready for was a good nights sleep. My cousin's daughter insisted on tucking me into bed and by morning I felt much better. I spent a few days with that side of the family and as always, it was an adventure! They live in an area heavily populated by the Amish so driving is always interesting. You really have to watch out for Amish buggies while driving. There was one funny moment where I wanted to get a picture of a buggy and so did one of my cousins. I would have been content just taking a picture as we passed by one, but my uncle had the nerve to embarrass us all and stop right next to one on the road and roll down the window. I quickly took the picture while we all kind of ducked our heads and yelled at my uncle to drive. I even got to be with my cousin, Cindy, as she decided to get another tattoo, the scripture from Philippians, "I can do all things through Christ..." on her wrist.












The trip was so much fun and before I knew it, it was time to return home, which proved to be quite a challenge. While I was freezing through winter on the east coast, Southern California experienced some of its worst storms ever. There were even tornado warnings....in So Cal! After 4 canceled flights, being rerouted to Las Vegas, where I was stuck in the airport for well over 8 hours, and 17 hours of travel, I finally made it home, although I had to fly into LA rather than Ontario. My luggage made it the next day to Ontario and I picked it up only to find it soaking wet. Luckily, all that was ruined was a pair of shoes. It was definitely a trip to remember! I'm ready for next year, but I want John and the girls to join me.

Closing out 2009

For many people, New Year's Eve is a celebration of closing out a difficult year. I can understand that. I couldn't have been more happy to say goodbye to 2008, one of my most difficult years. However, 2009 was one of the best years of my life! Don't get me wrong, there were some hard times, but overall, it was such an amazing year and that's an understatement! At the start of the year, we were only a few months into attending our new church, CCV. God has used this church to TRANSFORM our lives in so many incredible ways! This year, all four of us have grown closer to the Lord more than any other single year. God showed us what it's truly like to live in Christian community with other people. He connected us to an awesome small group where we feel so loved and open to share our lives. The worship team there is beyond anything I've ever experienced in my life! They rock that church and help bring us into the presence of the Holy Spirit. Our senior pastor, Jeff Vines, has truly been touched by the Hand of God with the gift of teaching. CCV is the most amazing place and community to be a part of, again, that's an understatement! God is my everything, the center of my life and I know he brought my family to CCV to teach, show and help me put every single aspect of my life in His precious Hands.

John and I started 2009 by answering the call to baptism. It was an amazing moment, unplanned, that I've already blogged about, so I won't repeat myself, just look back in my blog to January 2009. I just want to add that we were baptized by Pastor David Sill, who we didn't really know then, but now call him "friend" and he's also in our small group.

In February, I turned another year older and also took a little trip that was more like a trip of redemption rather than a physical trip. With only about 2 weeks of planning, I traveled to Ohio to visit family. It was the first time, since my childhood that I had gone there by myself. I spent some unbelievable time with my aunts, uncles and cousins, some of which I hadn't seen in over 5 years. It was during that trip, that I finally felt at peace with myself and my role in my family. I don't know how to explain it, but God transformed me on that trip and now I'm looking forward to going again in just 2 short weeks.

Friendships! God brought me some incredible new friends in 2009. Jackie and Christina, you both are amazing women of God and I'm so, so blessed to know you. I'm a better person because of you. God also took friendships I already had and grew them into even more incredible friendships. Suzi, I've know you for a very long time, but your gift of friendship is so special to me and I'm so glad we've come to know each other so much better. The same is true for Stephanie. We've walked our kids to and from school together for 7 years now and you have TRULY been there for me through so much! I love you lots. I'm also so grateful for all the friendships I've reconnected with through Facebook. I also attended a women's retreat through church where I met some of the greatest women I'll ever know. Katrine, I still want to "wrap you up and bring you home with me." My swim team family also became such a big part of my life this year. I don't just think of them as "people at the pool" but as friends. There's just way too many to list, but you all know who you are. Finally, Derek and Christiana, our relationship has grown so much in 2009 and I'm so proud of the ministry you are doing in San Diego and I'm so happy to be a part of it. I thank God for the way He's carried me through 2009 with my friends!

2009 brought about the start of my new mural business with my best friend, Janet, AKA "Bestie." We work so well together and she is such a gift from God. I love creating rooms with her! Check out our website at http://www.muralyourroom.com/. We are so fortunate to have supportive husbands that want to see our business succeed and are willing to chip in and help when needed.

This was also the year that our friendship with the O'Malleys grounded us in our faith both in God and people. We had closed 2008 with hurt caused by several hard experiences, including hurt caused by people we called friends. The O'Malleys have been with us every step of the way and have been there for us at the drop of a hat. We camp together, worship God together, live life together.... They are great people and we love calling them "family" and together we've become the "Mooralleys."

Healing happened in 2009. God healed us of the pain left behind from 2008, He healed us spiritually and physically. After 2 years of diabetes, I finally tested negative! What a miracle! Although John still feels the physical pain from his injury in the accident, God healed him and gave him peace in his attitude towards the pain. He's learned a lot through the Apostle Paul and the thorn in his side. John's pain keeps him looking towards God.

There's so much I could say about the beauty of 2009, but I'll condense the rest to this list:

* We watched our nephew graduate from high school and go off to college.

* We've seen our beautiful daughter, Kiley, blossom into a sweet young lady.

* We've learned determination from Makenna's drive to be the best swimmer she can be.

* Despite my reservations, I competed AND completed the LaJolla Rough Water Swim for the second year in a row!

* I saw John find that joy in his job again after several years of unhappiness of where it left him after his accident.

* The healing of a relationship with my mother. PRAISE GOD!

I know there's so much that I'm forgetting, but it's time to end this blog and enjoy the last few hours of 2009 with my family. Goodbye 2009, you were a great year and I pray 2010 is just as wonderful!

The Best of Christmas

There's so much to say about our Christmas, where do I begin? I'll just give the basics: we did our normal routine of Christmas Eve with John's side of the family, Christmas day at home and the day after Christmas with my side of the family. Then the day after that, Dec. 27th, was Makenna's 10th birthday. Yes, my baby turned double digits! This was by far the most difficult birthday for me. It was the end of an era of having children with single digit ages.

Favorite Gifts: Kiley's favorites were a hockey stick signed by her favorite Ducks goalie, JS Giguerre and a tennis ball hopper (it picks up tennis balls on the court and holds them nicely inside). Makenna's favorites were a hockey stick signed by her favorite Ducks player, Corey Perry, a new tennis racket and new pink kick board for swimming. John's favorite was glass seats for a Ducks game and mine was an Amazon Kindle (my new favorite gadget for downloading books and reading). The greatest family gift, the new tether ball in the backyard.

I'll let this video I made & posted to youtube tell the rest about our Christmas:
http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=a54rvBIZ2_8

Seussical the Musical!

It's amazing how quickly events can come and go. Before you know it, all the planning and hard work that goes into an event is suddenly over. In our family, that event was "Seussical the Musical." Makenna rehearsed for this show for over four months, two hour rehearsals, twice a week. The final week before the show had more rehearsals, lasting 3-4 hours a night. This brought about endless trips to and from the church for me! I did use some of the rehearsals as my "quiet time." I would curl up in the car with a book or work on swim team treasury paperwork. I can't complain too much, I did benefit from the time a little. M was cast in the show as a "Jungle Citizen" and she chose to be a tarantula (I think she chose this to freak out her spider-hating sister). This meant lots of sewing on my part to create this costume WITHOUT a pattern. I was fortunate enough to come across a lady's blog from the east coast whose son was a tarantula for Halloween. I felt like I was stalking her blog as I would keep looking at it to see the costume until I finally just printed the picture of her son in the costume. I worked endless hours on that costume, finishing just 1 hour before the first dress rehearsal. Needless to say, I insist that she is a tarantula for Halloween next year.

Finally, it was show time. Her first show was Dec. 22nd and final show the next night on Dec. 23rd. M did a great job! She knew all her songs, dance moves, everything! We were so proud!
The show itself was BEYOND AMAZING! Briana, the shows producer, did such a great job managing 42 kids for a first class performance. The scenery, the choreography, lighting, everything was at the level of a Broadway show. M did a great job and we were all so proud that her grandparents, friends and other family were either able to attend or watch the live feed of the show on the internet. Great job Makenna and thank you Lord that it's over!

On stage performing

M with her sister, aunt, uncle, cousins and me, of course!

Great costume mom!

M and producer, Briana

Mary's Journey

Merry Christmas everyone! As we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, I've been reflecting on that moment over 2000 years ago that our Savior came to us as a baby. I've gone to church my whole life, even though I haven't been a Christian my whole life, and have many memories of how the birth of Christ has been presented to me throughout my life. I can still remember my preschool Sunday School teacher telling us the story of Christmas on a flannel board with a little baby in a manger and all the other flannel "characters" in the Christmas story. As I got older, the story took on more meaning. I most certainly had a whole new respect for Mary after giving birth to my own children! Mary had no hospital, no monitors, no doctor and NO DRUGS! This past year I really reflected on the logistics of it all. Mary, a child herself, stands in the presence of God and is told that her virgin body will be with child. Imagine a teenager trying to tell her parents that today. "Mom, Dad, I'm pregnant, but really, I'm still a virgin. Seriously, it's okay, God told me I'm going to have His child." It sounds so absurd! I imagine, that most people didn't buy it when Joseph and Mary told people that all those years ago. If someone told me that, I'd wonder what drug they were high on. Mary's my idol! She trusted God and I'm sure that's why God chose her to give birth to His Son. My admiration for Joseph is no less. He could have easily walked away and gone on with life, but He didn't. God spoke to him too and Joseph's faith in God was stronger than any other outside influence.

Now I turn to the journey to Bethlehem. Mary traveled to Bethlehem on a donkey IN LABOR! I don't know about you, but when I was in labor, one of the last places I would want to be would be on a donkey! I can't imagine the pain she endured and the fear in her heart, remember, she was just a child herself. As if the pain wasn't enough, she had to give birth outside. Anyone who has ever been on a farm knows that it stinks! Not only does it stink, but it's not exactly sanitary. That cute little stable that is part of your Nativity Set at home is everything but the real stable where she gave birth. She gave birth in filth, where the animals lived. Really think about that....seriously think about the details and reality of that. That is how God chose for His one and only son to come into this world. God could have sent His son to be born in the finest facilities, to be raised like a King, to have everything at His disposal. However, what would that have accomplished? God came to save the poor, the broken, the lowest of society. There is no better way to reach those people than to live among them and love them. I imagine that's why the wealthy, the noble people had such a problem with Jesus. They thought they had it all together and God found favor in them for their riches. They couldn't be more wrong. What better way to teach them humility, gentleness, grace, patience, acceptance, kindness, than to come into the world as an innocent baby that would live among the poor.

Christ's birth and humble upbringing is why I love missions so much. It's what I loved about traveling to Guatemala and working among the poorest of people, the forgotten people. What better way to show them love than to invest in their lives. It's why I yearn to go to Africa. God love everyone, especially the poor, the marginalized, those seen as the lowest of society. It's God's call on me to reach them and love them the same way Christ lived and loved the lowest of society. What an incredible love He has for us!

Reaching Gilgal

Last week my incredibly awesome church celebrated "Vision Weekend." There are no words to describe what an amazing worship service we had. Our pastors shared all our church has accomplished this year, where God has lead us, where He continues to lead us and His constant faithfulness and blessings He's poured out on our church. Every second of that service was planned out perfectly, nothing left untouched, perfectly put together by the power of the Holy Spirit. I was moved to tears. If you would have told me a year ago what all God would accomplish that year at our church, I would have been very sceptical, but I have learned to NEVER doubt God! Several times during the service, my "Bestie" leaned over to me to say, "Can you believe this?" It's amazing how much God wants to do in our lives, IF we're just willing to let Him, to surrender to His plans instead of our plans. After the service, Bestie said to me, "What a difference a year makes." That statement is so true that it's an understatement!

One year ago, I was closing out a year that had been filled with change and disappointment. Then something amazing happened one year ago in November. That was the month we began to call CCV "home." That was the month Pastor Jeff preached a life changing sermon, "Divine Interruptions." It was then that God spoke so clearly to me that He was about to deliver me. He was going to move me beyond the uncomfortable changes He was making in my life and lead me to the "Promised Land." Now, here I stand, one year later, overwhelmed with joy for all God has accomplished in my life through the last year. Everything I had to go through, every battle I fought, my struggle to bring justice, my grasping on to God's promise for me, has now come full circle.

This reminds of the Children of Israel. After suffering in slavery in Egypt, God promised His children that He would lead them to a "Land of milk and honey," the Promised Land. It most certainly didn't come quickly or easily. They wandered in the desert for 40 years! When they finally entered the Promised Land, they came to a place called "Gilgal," meaning "circle" or "wheel." The Israelites had come full circle. God moved them from slavery to victory. God has moved me from "slavery" to victory. My slavery was a different kind of slavery though. My slavery was settling for comfortable, the mundane, in other words....boring. God used hurt and pain to move me towards change. That bold step of faith I made into change lead to PURE JOY! I too, like the Israelites, have come full circle, I have reached my Gilgal!

As I look ahead, only two weeks away from a new year, 2010, I'm so thankful for God's redemption and so excited to see what He has for me next. God has taught me a lot about embracing change. Change is God's way of growing me and molding me for good, to empower me to serve Him and live out His purpose for me in life. I am choosing not to settle, to believe that God is capable of doing what may seem impossible in the earthly realm. I'm believing God to work miracles in me just as He has at my church, because God can do more than I could ever imagine!

Swim Team Awards Banquet

Last weekend we enjoyed one of my favorite events of the holidays, the swim team's Annual Awards Banquet. This year the board decided to take all the work off of ourselves, THANK GOD, and hold it at a restaurant. The past few years we've held it in a banquet hall and all the board members had to do the setup and cleanup, at least we hired a caterer! We held the event at a local pizza place, and although it was louder, it was so much more relaxing for the board members. There are so many things I love about this event. Seeing the swimmers get awarded for all of their hard work brings joy to my soul. Many of these swimmers, including my daughter, swim 4-5 nights a week, 1 1/2 hours each night and travel near and far to compete in USA sanctioned swim meets. These are some incredibly disciplined kids! I also love interacting with all of the families. I see parents on the pool deck and there's always a little talking between events at meets, but I rarely get to socialize with the other parents and get to know what's going on in their lives. It's also a special time that I don't have to talk money with parents! (I'm the treasurer.) Makenna was awarded the "Persistence Award" for her hard work in the pool, her constant drive to do better and doing it all because she LOVES it! Years past, she's won the "Encouragement Award" for her encouragement to the other swimmers and her greatest award, "The Coach's Award" two years ago. That's the award of all awards for her overall hard work. We are so proud of her, proud to serve as board member for this swim club and proud that it's truly a family event with Kiley as Makenna's biggest (and LOUDEST) fan!

Makenna, Kiley & Alyssa with Coach Sharayah

Makenna wins the "Persistence Award" from Coaches Wade, Andrew & Sharayah

All the Board Members & Coaches