Sometimes Obedience is Bittersweet

The Lord is constantly working in our lives and for that I am extremely thankful.  If you have followed my blog for any length of time, you know that I'm a firm believer in the fact that everything in our life has a purpose.  Absolutely nothing is wasted by God.  He uses everything to change us and grow us closer to Him.  Sometimes these things are in the forms of trials and difficulty.  Other times they are in the forms of blessings and grace.  And every once in a while things come into our lives that fall in the middle of the two.

From the beginning of our marriage, we have prayed and asked God to use us in His ministry.   We have surrendered our family - our lives  - to His will.  If you have read The Story of Us, you can see how God has taken us several different places in the last 15 years of marriage.  We firmly believe that God uses each one as the stepping stone to the next thing He has for us.  I realized several years ago, through the wisdom of a good friend, that even though we are not a military family in the sense of the U.S. Army or Navy, etc. - we are part of God's Army and He has the right to move us around and assign us where He wants us.

All of that said, I'm writing to inform you of our newest "assignment". 

To help explain things, let me start by including Russell's newsletter article this week:

     Cami, Jarod, Anne, and I came to Ocean Park nearly three years ago with excitement about what God was going to do in and through this church body. Our goal was to move here to the beach as soon as we could, and commute back and forth from Clay County in the meantime. We took our house off the market after ten months without any bites. We interpreted this as God telling us to continue commuting longer than anticipated. During this season of commuting, I have sought to serve Ocean Park as best I could while living several communities away. 

     In January of this year, Hickory Grove Baptist Church in Clay County contacted me about being their pastor. I had no desire to leave, but told them I was willing to “look through the door” with them. Through search team interviews and other discussions, it became clear that God was leading them to me and me to them. I had the opportunity to preach in view of a call last Sunday and they voted 100% to call me as their pastor and I have accepted. I am resigning as pastor of Ocean Park, effective Sunday, April first. Cami will also step down from her role as secretary on that date. Please know that I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here at Ocean Park and I am confident that God has great things in store in the years to come. I will be praying for you and I ask that you pray for us during this time of transition.

In His Grace,

Russell

This is where our obedience becomes bittersweet.  We are very excited about where God is taking us and the new journey He is beginning in our ministry, but also sad about what we are leaving behind.  This has been especially hard for us.  We have prayed and sought the Lord for weeks.  We have struggled through the decision and sought outside council.  Another sweet friend reminded me a few years ago that God's will is like a swift current.  When that current starts moving - it pulls everything in with it - everything flows in the same direction and there is no stopping it.  I love that word picture.  When we are in the middle of God's will, everything just flows and falls into place. There is no denying it - God's peace and direction are unmistakable.  We have experienced this with each and every ministry move that we have been directed to.  Isn't God good?  He gives us clarity and peace of mind so when there are doubts and opposition, we can go back to this place where we KNOW we are making the right decision.  We experienced this current when God called us to Ocean Park and now He is closing that door and leading us to a new place of service.  One that is closer to home - one that is in the community where we live.

Please pray with us as we make this transition.  Like I said, we are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead but also have a love for the sweet people at Ocean Park.  We realize that this move affects more than just our family and we pray that God will use this in everyone's life to continue to grow and change us all into the people He has created us to be.  

Until next time.......

 

ApParent Project - Stateside

I've blogged a lot about ApParent Project in Haiti, but now I'd like to focus a bit on all that happens here in the states to make AP so successful.  Specifically in Lacey, Washington. 

This is Marilyn Monoghan, Shelley's mom.  And of course, her wonderful grandchildren, Keziah, Zebedee, Jackson and Ember.

When ApParent Project began to take off a few years ago and Shelley started promoting the jewelry parties, she asked her mom if she would be willing to deposit some checks stateside for her.  Marilyn agreed.  No big deal, right? Little did she know how much of an important role she would play.

Originally, the jewelry came directly from Haiti.  When I ordered my first box in Nov. 2010, Shelley shipped it to me from Haiti.  Basically what that meant was, Shelley had to find someone who was flying out of Haiti and was willing to take a box of jewelry home and then ship it to me.  It took a few weeks and oddly enough - my original box went all the way to California and then back across the country to me.

During this time, they were working out some logistics and every other box I have received has come from Marilyn in Washington.  The jewelry parties took off like crazy and they soon realized that they needed to have a "warehouse" here in the states so that it can get into the hands of the people willing to sell it for them a lot faster.

So Marilyn makes several trips to Haiti each year to visit her daughter and all of those lovely grandchildren, of course.  But also to load her suitcases up with jewelry!  Shelley also ships things to her throughout the year as well and those who visit fill suitcases also.  Marilyn was excited that I was going to bring my own stuff back this time so I would quit bugging her for it!  Ha!!!!  She is one busy lady!

On any given day, her living room looks like this:

or this:

Jewelry EVERYWHERE!

"I've been up to my eyeballs in AP stuff for over 2 years now. I keep adding "helpers" but the work load hasn't decreased yet. Right now, there is grace to do what I'm doing. And I LOVE what I'm doing... building an infrastructure that will sustain what God is doing. I have had the most amazing people come alongside me to help! We now have 4 paid staff in WA (part-time) & some volunteers, plus me!"  ~ Marilyn

Meet some of the staff:

This is Keri the "Warehouse Manager" and packing / sorting / labeling, etc person

 

This is Sandy, the "Shipping Manager" alias expert at packing our custom and any other orders

 

 

This week Marilyn posted some photos on Facebook that gave some insight into her "post office runs".  This is just a SMALL part of the process.  

 

 Boxes of bracelets from Haiti

These boxes are emptied and then sorted into other boxes ready to ship across the U.S.

 "Our "normal" Party box contains 100+ items. Our "large" Party box contains 150+ items. And, now we have the fundraiser bracelet boxes going out like crazy." 

"My average post office run depends on the time of year. This Fall was absolutely crazy. I think my record was 33 orders in one day - but that included Market Haiti (lots of individual item orders) and Apparent Project (full boxes.) Right now... during the slow time, there are at least 2 post office runs per week, often 3. It is rare to only have 5-6 boxes. I often have 2 luggage carriers full of boxes - maybe 12-15 boxes, plus a large bag of small MH orders & the paperwork I carry to keep track of what orders were sent."

Postmaster George and Marilyn

Like I said, this is just a small part of the process!  I wish I could got to Washington for a week and follow her around like I did Shelley!  It would be so much fun to help out with this part of it too.  

Marilyn and I are going to collaborate in the next few weeks and I'm going to continue to blog about her side of things here in the states.  I am excited to learn more and I hope you are too!

Until next time.......

Missing Teeth and Other Tid Bits

This picture was the first picture I ever took with my new Smart Phone.  It was a year ago - March 2011. 

Anne climbed in the car after school that day and announced that she had finally lost her very first tooth!  I was excited and then quickly disappointed once I realized that she had swallowed it.

You can read that post here.

This picture was taken tonight.  Anne worked and worked all evening to get tooth number 5 to come out!  She managed it and was quite excited. 

When I was looking through my phone to pull up the photo, I went the wrong way and discovered the first photo.  She's changed a lot in the last year.

Crazy.

Spring Break has begun here at the Franklin house.  Russ and Jarod are camping tonight with the Boy Scouts.  It's their Annual Merritt Badge Fair.  Jarod has a big honor coming to him tomorrow night.  He doesn't know about it yet - so I will wait and blog about it later.  But we are very excited for him and very proud.

Anne and I had a "girls night" tonight.  It was pretty uneventful except for the tooth.

I received a phone call from our family doctor today.  He and his wife are coming over to purchase ApParent Project jewelry tomorrow.  I wore it to Jarod's appointment a few weeks ago and started talking to Dr. Gill about it.  He went home and told his wife, they looked up AP on the internet and then she let him know that she wanted jewelry for her anniversary gift this year!  HA!!!!  I just never know!!!!!  It's awesome!!!!!

Gathering some info right now - hoping to blog more about AP from the perspective of Shelley's mom.  She runs AP here in the states - from her home in Washington.  When you order a box of jewelry for a party or purchase something from Market Haiti - that's where it comes from. She is one busy lady.  Can't wait to tell you more about it!

That's about it for now.  Guess the Tooth Fairy needs to go find a dollar or two somewhere.......

Until next time....

Got Cereal Boxes?

Love this post (Got Cereal Boxes?) from Heather Hendrick today.  I am honored to be included in her blog as she has a huge audience.

Heather is the one who introduced me to ApParent Project to begin with and I've been hooked every since!

Check out all her recent posts about AP - she's an awesome writer!!!!

ApParent Project

How to Buy ApParent Project Jewelry

Got Cereal Boxes?

Feel free to share these with friends and family - let's get the word out!

Thanks!!!!

Happy Birthday Jarod

Eight years ago today, Jarod gave his life to Christ and began his lifelong journey as a Christian.

He was only 4 1/2 at the time but already had a deep grasp of eternal things after watching his Grandma die from Lou Gherrig's disease.

He was Baptized on Easter Sunday, 2005.  We were so proud.

Normally we celebrate his physical birthday on September 8, but every March, we take time out to celebrate what we like to call, his "Spiritual Birthday."

Happy Birthday Jarod!  We love you and we are very proud of you!  We know that God has great plans for you and He is already at work in your life.  Continue to seek Him and follow Him in all you do.  You will never be happier and more content than in His perfect will.

That I Might Be The Praise of His Glory

"In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the purpose of His will,  so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be for the praise of his glory."                             Ephesians 1:11-12

  

This verse has served as a great reminder for me this week.  Being a Pastor's wife, I often come face to face with expectations.  Expectations that others place on me.  Expectations that I place on me.  And sometimes it's as complicated as "what I think others think" I should be doing.  UGH!  Talk about the mind games! And the sad thing is that none of it has been verbally communicated.  It's just there.  Below the surface.  And if I am not careful, I can allow it to control me.  I can allow it to get to me.  My human nature wants to make everyone happy.  If only I were as spiritual as they think I am - or even as they think I should be!

I hate expectations.  I have decided that what screws us up most in life is the picture in our head of how it's supposed to be.  We do nothing but hurt ourselves by thinking that way.  I can get so caught up in the mind game that I lose the important stuff.  What really is.  

Why do I give others so much power?  I can play games in my head all day about what people think, what is being said, thought and expected by others.  But, when it boils right down to it, the only One I answer to is Christ.  Like the verse above says, I was chosen.  Predestined for His purpose.  For His will.  For the praise of His glory. I am here to enhance God's reputation.  To bring Him glory.  Not to fulfill the expectations of others.  Not even to fulfill my expectations.  I shouldn't have any.  I gave up my rights when I became a child of Christ.  I live for Him and Him alone.  

Russ told me when we were first married to "Learn how to say no".  To only take on the things that I KNOW God wants me to do. I have done so.  It's not always easy because I never want to disappoint anyone.  And I find that many times, I am misunderstood.  I have learned that each time someone approaches me with a new "ministry" idea that I need to pray about it.  I have said no often because I don't have a peace about it.  I don't always have a why.  So many things within the church are "good" things, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it is what God wants ME to do.  IF I am always stepping up and taking up the slack somewhere then I am not allowing someone else in the church to have that blessing.  To step out on faith and do the task that God has called THEM to do - not ME.  God has something very specific planned for me and if I am busy doing all the other "stuff" just because it's expected or I'm trying to please people - then I will miss out completely.

As a pastor's wife, my first and highest priority is to Russell.  I am his helpmate.  My job is to make sure that our house is orderly and scheduled so that when he comes home, he can turn his brain off.  As pastor, he is pulled in several different directions all day, helping people, ministering, solving problems, preaching, teaching, encouraging.  It is physically and spiritually exhausting.  My job is to be his encourager.

My second priority is being a mom. Whereas Russ and I are a team when it comes to parenting, I handle as much at home as I can to help keep our house orderly and scheduled.

Next, I believe, comes my roll in the church.  But I only take on the things that the Lord has clearly shown me to do and will not interfere with the top priorities listed above.  When that interference happens, our house is in chaos and I don't know which end is up.  I become stressed out and I never feel like I do anything "well".  I just wind up hurrying up to get to the "next thing".   I speak from experience on this one - it's not fun!  I tried doing too much a while back and we were out of control.  That is NOT what God's purpose is.  How does that bring Him glory?  How does that enhance His reputation?

When I am doing exactly what He calls me to do - no more - no less - everything runs smoothly.  Everything gets finished well and He is glorified.  

But I am human and I still fight with my thoughts.  I still wonder what people think.  I still want to make people happy.  I am hurt when I am misunderstood.  I get defensive.  I get angry.  And in the end, I wind up on my knees, giving it to God, asking for forgiveness because His plan for my life is the ONLY one I need to worry about.  I make no apologies for that.  I will not stand before congregations of churches one day - I will stand before my Savior.  Only what I have done for Him and His kingdom will matter.

 May He find me faithful to be the "Praise of His Glory".