My first grade teacher was Mrs. Devlin, a tiny woman with very flat, calloused heels in her black, slingback shoes. She was nice enough, though not overly warm and by the time we were in 3rd grade she would see us and exclaim, “My, my how you have grown! You’re as tall as me, now.” And we were.
Now the first grandson
Gavin just started all-day school today. He is a first-grader in a new school near his house and he has entered that part of his life (how did it get here so fast?) where he will spend many of the prime hours of his day with children and teachers and people other than his parents (and nonna).
He loves school. He just loves it. I am glad, but I want to keep him surrounded with prayer and godly perspective. I want to protect what has been deposited into his life and guard his heart and mind. I want him to grow in the grace and admonition of the Lord and be made holy despite the secular surroundings he will face.
Gemma thinks she is ready, too
So, I figure, my prayer life just got amped up up as I spend more time praying for my “little red-headed Kelley kid.”
Lord, You know….Gavin’s Nonna
NOTE TO SELF: Keep declaring the awesomeness of our God to the next generation!
pictured: Do teachers always have to wear sweaters even in the heat of August? Is that a rule?
A year and a half ago Elise moved to Denver. I don’t think her parents, my brother Joe and his wife, Robin, of Aberdeen, were as excited as we were because she’d been in Hawaii with YWAM for over 2 years. But we were very happy to have her near.
Elise smiles…these photos swiped from her Facebook…
And Elise has been a joy to have (“ketchup” with her here). She roomed with a childhood friend and about 17 other college girls most of the time and has been crashing at Stef and Wrex’s for the summer, but she infused herself into the life of our family from the start. We’d never lived near Elise, only seeing her at family reunions and occasional visits and the veeeeeeeeeery rare photo her parents might send, but it was as if, when she arrived, we’d always been together.
YWAM.
Elise is taking a leadership position, once again, at the YWAM base in Hawaii until the end of the year and then moving back to Aberdeen to help develop her local church mission focus (where her daddy is the pastor). She is leaving us and Colorado will be a little poorer for her absence. Colorado will be losing a truly genuine, loving and sweet young woman with an easy laugh, a room-lighting smile and a helpful spirit. We will lose a girl who loves God and is devoted to family. Little children all over the metro area will miss her (she has nanny-ed for several families during her time here and her 2nd cousins, my grandbabies, all find her quite delightful).
Engaging.
“Engaging” is the perfect one-word description of Elise. If you have ever had a conversation with her, you know that she speaks very pronouncedly with a slight lift/lilt to the end of all sentences. Every story, every word, every sentence becomes, yet stopping just before, a possible question or response-requirer. Brother Joe told me at reunion that she learned when she was four to be able to talk for 47 straight minutes in a way that simply made it impossible for the hearer to disengage. He said it had become a lifelong art for Elise – the ability to keep you in because you might be called upon to answer…but then again, you might not. So, she has this beautiful set of pearly whites and the full, shapely Moslander lips and she is simply fascinating to listen to and to watch. And every word she says is all the more interesting because it comes from her.
Elise with the orphans of Honduras
I will miss you, Elise. I will miss your enthusiasm about life and your commitment to family. I will miss your loving ways and involvement in our lives. I will miss your cool sense of fashion and your heart for missions and travel. I will miss having the treasure of my brother Joe’s heart here close to me. I will miss your love for my grandchildren and the happy dances you do with them at family gatherings. I will miss your Holy-Spirit-given Gift of Faith and your childlike belief that everything will work out (and hasn’t God proven Himself to you time and again!?). Never give up that kind of trust in the Lord, Elise – it will serve you well.
I don’t think Aberdeen is big enough to contain you, because you have sufficient personality to fill so much more, but that is probably why God has called you to the world and given you such love for people. And today, knowing you are leaving and knowing our sun is losing some brightness, I just thank God for the time He allowed you to be here blessing our lives and infusing our family with joy and delight. We will cherish it always. We will treasure the memories and never forget you were sent as a gift for this time.
I am so proud I can say you are my niece. You are a beautiful girl, both inside and out. I am so proud for the choices you are making in your life. I am so pleased to see you follow the call of God on your life. You are loved and you will be so very much missed! Be blessed when you go out and when you come in. Be blessed in the country and in the city. May your enemies be defeated and may everything you put your hand to prosper and be blessed!
I love you, girl, and I miss you already…Aunt Jeanie
NOTE TO SELF: Learn to smile with total abandon like Elise does. Can that be learned or will it require surgery?
So, we may have doubled from last year. The final count remains to be seen.
There are so many things to recall from yesterday. So many things almost made me burst into tears, in a good way. Things like…
Like walking through the hip-hop stage auditorium and seeing hundreds of kids, wall-to-wall, shoulder-to-shoulder belting out, “Our God is an Awesome God.” I was seriously catapulted into the Presence within seconds.
Or coming out of the finance office and looking out, from my high staircase vantage point, and seeing a 3-mile long line of cars to the west, another one to the north and crossing east as far as I could see, no end of them in sight. Then, looking around the yard just below me and seeing small groups of people in circles praying for one another while just a few yards away, professional skateboarders were preaching the gospel to a lot of young men and they were responding to the invitation to follow Christ.
Then there was almost running out of parking (we only had space for 7000 cars or so) and having the farmer right next to the HF offer his land to us at the last possible second for a very low fee. That is grace! That is a miracle! And for a couple of hours, Dave and Tara and Luke and Tredessa and Kyle-O got out in the dusty field (yes, the festival “big wigs”) and directed cars like any parking volunteer would.
Tireless volunteers (so many) who worked themselves sick to make the Name of Jesus glorious. Leadership who had to “go with the flow” when things fell through the cracks and they did it with great humility and longsuffering. I saw the “leaders” serving and sweeping floors and picking up trash and pounding fence posts and I saw them work around the clock (still there in the middle of the night, for goodness’ sake), going above and beyond what we could ever have asked because God called them to it. If I mention names, I will miss some one, but will you know yourself when you read this? I hope so…
The Sacred Assembly – hearing the crowd behind me chant “Jesus…Jesus…” with the sky being electrically lit up in the offing, watching low fog clouds roll in while a fresh breeze cooled us. And seeing husbands and wives and youth groups serve each other communion and just stay and worship…long after Third Day and Skillet had rolled off the property.
The Kid’s area was a happening place! There was a mini-brob for the kids and jumpy castles-so much great stuff.
Kent Henry – my favorite worship leader of all time…got to hear him preach it up (very prophetic) and lead worship (Tristan played drums for him) and he prayed over my kids and spoke into their lives. He was there as a spiritual father, a worshiper who has impacted the worshipers who are putting HF on. We were so honored that he came.
Oh, it was a good day.
But mainly? I love that making the Name of Jesus glorious was what every. single. thing. was. all. about! Yes, Lord! Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven!
I am so loving and praising God for His faithfulness…Jeanie
NOTE TO SELF: Thank all the people who made this happen – no matter how long that takes. Watch for and tend to the fruit…
“The LORD has done this and it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118.23-24 NIV
Here we are, the staff with Pam and Tasia (Robert was unavailable for the photo), the world’s most incredible interns ever! They worked tirelessly and devotedly with all of their strength and they just brought an incredible level of excellence! THANK-YOU for making our HF world sooooo much better, you guys!
And wow, am I tired and achy and grateful and awed and speechless and graced and …I need a nap now.
O-there will be more!…Jeanie
This was already posted this morning from the hip-hop stage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jh5IZGPin0s (which, by the way, was a hot stage all day – very cool stuff going on in there!
The story goes that Carol Ann was leading worship in The Tent-Heaven Fest/88-hours of continuous worship, prayer and intercession, and as she was joyfully belting out her version of the Delirious song, “Rain Down,” rain it did! The wind began to blow, the sky turned green and the downpour was torrential – no other word for it.
The day was going well, main stage being set up, snow fencing installed, porta-potties lining the grounds
Back at the farm – quality work being done:
Elise-the-Niece and Ste-with-an-“f”
Suddenly, with no warning, the rains came down as the floods came up
At almost the exact same moment, a hose broke in The Garage and was spewing water everywhere.
Carol Ann got a little bit wet!
We will be cutting Carol Ann’s clothes – (yes, the very ones she is wearing in this picture and was wearing when she brought the rain), into squares and for just $29.95 you can get some of this anointed fabric and all your prayers will be answered! (btw – j/k)
What in the ever-loving world?
The aftermath
this is what the bottom of port-a-potties look like apparently
the “brob” went down, too
It happened in the late afternoon (4:30??) and within minutes, the tireless volunteers were back out there cleaning up and righting all wrongs.
40 Nights of Worship and Intercession at the HF grounds.
Every night we pray to make the Name of Jesus glorious. We declare His faithfulness. Then the heavens start declaring His glory right back at us. Then, we are in awe and praise Him even more. And the colors get richer and deeper and more swirly and amazing and it just becomes a contest between man and the heavens to just try to tell God how wonderful, how amazing, how exalted He is.
These are untouched scenes from Tuesday night (4 days before), while the 88-Hour Tent was being raised*, taken from my spot on the veranda. Beautiful musical worship and praise was being offered up led by Josh Holleran and a young adult small group from the Arvada Vineyard. A youth group from Aurora joined us and a smattering of die-hard Jesus-lovers of all ages, as well.
The Tent-Heaven Fest goes up. The skies are singing!
‘Tis true, the sky I was seeing was actually brighter than these photos can depict (hey, it is a digital camera), but it was a showy, vibrant, colorful sky that went on and on and danced brightly forever!
One of the most amazing parts of the whole experience is how we get to see not only the sunset itself, but the reflection it makes on the water: double blessing!
BTW-I always HATE “scenery” pictures. I loathe seeing photo albums filled with people’s scenic drives in the mountains. But last night? I could not help myself! Ha! Mea culpa!
Whew. It was beautiful. Even now, I am thanking God for meeting us there, for receiving our praise, for opening up the heavens to us to show us His love.
*The Tent – Heaven Fest: 88-straight hours of worship, intercession and reading of the Word Wednesday August 5 at 4pm through Sunday August 9 at 8am.
The Northern Hills Church building is a-buzz with full-swing prep for Heaven Fest 2009. Our friends and ministry partners are working their heads off, relentlessly committed to Jesus and this festival. We remind each other over and over that it is to make His Name glorious.
The pace is so hectic I forget to take pictures, but I want to remember, when it is all passed, with gratefulness. Here are a few things I will remember from 4 days before:
Stef-with-an-“f” and her crew lining up a thousand volunteers; Rocky on-the-go
Lots and lots of materials being delivered (including 10,000 mis-printed programs – yikes!)and Pam-the-intern making it all happen!
25 or so of us gathered on the veranda for 40 Nights of Worship and Intercession, praying, singing, reading the Word
O God, bless these people! Show up again and show Your glory and may these who have sweat and cried and toiled be blessed with the fruit of their labors. May they get to see that all of it has been worth it and that Your Name has indeed been made glorious!
The night of Heaven Fest, some radical, socially-conscious and caring individuals will gather to fast and pray for the homeless while they raise money by sleeping in cardboard tents.
I have had the honor of working closely, worshiping and praying with a group of these people this summer, especially Patrick Kennedy, Tia Anderson, and Jerad McMinamen and wow! They are such a blessing! Their serving hearts flow from the overflow of their love for Jesus!
The first video just went online today. The one below is an earlier piece they did. Both of them make me glad for people with hearts like Jesus!
Is. 58.6-10
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
“Full many a glorious morning have I seen
Flatter the mountain-tops with sovereign eye,
Kissing with golden face the meadows green,
Gilding pale streams with heavenly alchemy…”
From William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 33
Update on Life.
It is a Monday, a glorious, beautiful Monday morning. Heaven Fest is 5 days away. Robbin and Jake’s wedding on Saturday was a delightful and joyful event, going off without a hitch. There will surely be facebook pics posted soon, somewhere?…
My friend Pearl’s dad died Friday. He had been ill for some time, but it is still never easy. I only met him once or twice, but I know him through the big, loving family he raised, through his daughter, who is a woman to be praised. He is whole now, and with the Lord, he has gained life.
The Great Outdoors.
Last week’s late afternoon or nighttime thunder showers have saturated our yard to a new level of green, it being August in the arid-Rocky-Mountain-region, and all. Dave mowed and trimmed yesterday and I have spent the morning enjoying the bird-song, the gentle breeze and my time with the Lover of my soul, pulling a weed or two, harvesting a few tomatoes (leftover quesadilla with thick, juicy slices of red goodness for breakfast) and an armful of beets (to be roasted for dinner…I will try to enjoy them). The upside-down tomato, now in its’ place for about 5 1/2 weeks is boasting 5 little spheres of future deliciousness.
Dwight Schrute on The Office: “First rule in roadside beet sales, put the most attractive beets on top. The ones that make you pull the car over and go “Wow, I need this beet right now.” Those are the money beets.”
I’m reading a provocative and poetic book.
From Eternity to Here – Rediscovering the Ageless Purpose of God by Frank Viola. I started before family reunion and am just entering part two (about halfway through). It is so good. I have so little time, but I am enjoying it thoroughly everytime I open it. Fresh revelation. Resonating reminders. Goooooooood stuff. Join me?
Gemma thinks she is ready, too
Elise-the-Niece and Ste-with-an-“f”
Carol Ann got a little bit wet!
