A bigger picture of The Navs

This is taken from a letter from our outgoing Collegiate President of Navs. I thought you might enjoy seeing a bigger view of what God has been doing in Navs the past few years. I consider it a "praise" list in my prayer time and am humbled to be a small part of what He is doing through ministries of all kinds all around the world.

From Mike Jordahl:
Here are a few of the great things we rejoice over God doing…

Thousands of students and graduates who have trusted Christ and who now have life and hope through His faithfulness and your labors.
Thousands more who have gained a heart to live and labor among the lost wherever God takes them in their journeys.
A Collegiate Staff that has grown from
276 staff in 1995
408 staff in 2000
530 in 2005
680 today
A thriving EDGE Corps full of wonderful young men and women who, with the rest of us, truly love Jesus and embrace our Navigator Calling. (552 have served with EDGE Corps since its inception in 1995!)
Hundreds of students attending EDGE Previews where they are introduced to the entire Navigator world, challenged in our Calling and invited to join us in our Calling as EDGErs, overseas or in their chosen career fields.
Over ½ of our staff involved in receiving training or in training others, with most of our staff trainers in their 30’s.
Increasing numbers of volunteers leading 22 established Nav Fusion ministries and 43 developing Nav Fusion ministries – all of which are full partners in their Regions.
Five ethnic student ministries launched in the last few years with help from the Collegiate Ethnic Ministry 1% Charge. (And more ethnic focused ministries in the works right now.)
A growing number of gifted and wonderful ethnic students & staff locking arms with us and helping shape our future!
A growing heart for students of all ethnicities among Collegiate staff all over the country.
75 staff-led ministries in 2003 and 99 staff-led ministries today.
Twelve new Collegiate Regional Leaders over the past six years – and nine former Collegiate Regional Leaders now freed to serve and lead in new and vital arenas!
252 Navigator Staff units (including EDGErs) in their twenties
92 Navigators Staff units in their thirties (75% of Collegiate Staff are in their 20s or 30s!)
444 students and 249 staff who went overseas on USIMG Missions Trips from 2005 – 2008
33 Collegiate Staff sent overseas with USIMG from 2005 - 2008 on mid-term or long-term assignments
33 Collegiate Staff sent into other US Missions from 2003 - 2008
Increasing desire of Collegiate Staff to do our part to help Collegiate grads link with others who can help them continue in our Calling after their student years.
$22,000,000 given to support the ministries of Collegiate Navigators in FY 2007-2008!

As I list these wonderful things I am mindful of two important realities:

· That Psalm 115:1 is true:
“Not to us O Lord, not to us
But to your name be the glory,
Because of your love and faithfulness!
May we never take for ourselves any of the glory or honor for what He has done!
That there is also much we did not do – and therefore much work that remains to be done.

just for laughs

The other day Thing 2 looked longingly into my nose as I put his snow boots on. He then asked, "Do you have any boogers?" To which I replied, "I don't know." And he said, "I want to eat them." I guess he was just looking for a snack.

Bet you are hungry now....not!

When we did make it outside on one of the few 30 degree days with no wind, we all had a great time sledding down the snowdrifts in our neighbors yard. When I figure out how to download photos from our new camera I'll post some.

An "old" reminder of new things to come

Here is a baby picture of Thing 1 that I came across the other day. He is almost 2 months old here. So precious I had to put it up as my wallpaper on my computer.

A few weeks ago after I'd straightened my hair T1 said "Where did your wiggly hair go?" Another day when I was wearing it curly, T2 looked up from his bowl of Ramen noodles and said, "Mom, you have noodley hair."

When the above photo was taken I had NOOOOOO idea (well, about a lot of things actually) how much fun being a mommy would be and how much laughter and joy my boys would bring me. I'm thinking 3 boys would be just fine...but of course we would welcome a little princess too!

That's all for now, Elmo's world is about done and my time is up!

Pregnancy is Preperation

So I've been compiling a mental list lately of ways that pregnancy is a glimpse of things to come not only with toddlers, and my later years in life.

Here are a few thoughts that come to mind:

• I have to get up in the middle of the night to use the facilities
• I need to know that wherever I'm going there is a restroom nearby
• I have to take fiber
• I need frequent snacks to keep my blood sugar up
• I need to wear slip on shoes
• It is getting harder and harder to reach my feet
• When I do get down there I do whatever else I can while I am nearby...like pick up an errant toy, etc.
• Prep. H is my best friend
• I go to the doctor a lot
• I'm pretty forgetful and clumsy
• My body is changing shape against my will (i.e. my backside seems to think it's roll is to act as a counter-weight for my ever expanding belly).
• I wake up at weird times and can't go back to sleep

Well, if you aren't laughing with me then you can just laugh at me. Hope I brought a smile to your face today!

My take from the Word lately

Disclaimer: From time to time I'll share with you what I'm "getting out of the Word" but I'm in know way saying this is the right or only take on what is really being said. This is just a window of what I'm learning....and may learn otherwise later on on my journey. With that said....

Yesterday morning I started off reading Mark 4 in the Phillips translation (my standby lately for a fresh perspective...try it sometime!). Jesus tells the story of the man who sows the seed on different types of soil. The seed represents the message and the different soils represent the different states of men's hearts that hear the message. (all quotes taken from Phillips 4:1-20)

So often I mistakenly think ministry is just the harvest, when the seed brings back a crop 30, 60 or 100 fold. After all, that is what is usually glorified and celebrated (and rightly so). But ministry is so much more often the sowing of seed on the roadsides of life where you are in the thick of enemy territory and he stands ready to "take away what has been sown in their minds" (Phillips 4:15). For me, this is the campus, where false teaching in the classrooms, tv and movie screens full of degrading images, and ipods are at the ready to distract and isolate the average student. The soil is hard and full of distrations as we go back again and again sharing the Good News to anyone who will listen.

Long before we can see any kind of harvest, we must endure the lengthy removal of rocks in the soil of their hearts. Broken homes, abuse, substance addictions, the list goes on. All of these hits taken early on in life make their hearts ready to hear "the message without hesitation and accept it joyfully. But they have no real roots and do not last..." because no roots can go down with all the rocks in the way. The ministry in this soil must start with their woundedness, and letting the gospel slowly work out the rocks one by one. For some this takes months, others years. Eventually though, the soil is ready to reproduce.

And if we aren't dealing with their rocky woundedness, their hearts are often full of the thorny soil which is so abundant in the affluent America. The constant competition with the riches of life and other ambitions that "choke the life out of what they have heard." Only when they grow weary of these empty promises do they turn to hear about Real Life.

Though I live for the highs of seeing a life reproduce, I'm reminded that much of the ministry work I do is tilling the hard soil, removing the rocks and thorny bushes. And when I do stumble upon rich soil that is ready to and willing to receive and reproduce a hundred fold, I know it is only because someone (probably many someones) have labored years before me preparing the soil that I get the joy of harvesting.

Today I read in Jim Petersen's book, "The Insider" that:
"intentionally discipling our children; giving priority to passing on to them the spiritual legacy
we have received, with the vision that they, too, will embrace theri calling to do the same.
This is the greatest gift a parent can give a child. It is the gift of life and hope." (p 54).

While my heart is to invest in the soil of women around me, I cannot ignore my first calling to be preparing the soil of my children's hearts. I hope to send them out with as little rocky wounds as possible (though I know there will be some). I pray that someday someone will invest into their lives in a way they could never receive from me. And that they will be ready and willing to reproduce 30, 60 even 100 fold for the Kingdom of God. If you have a moment, please pray for their spiritual journeys...I'd be ever so grateful!

What We've Been Up To

One of many fun presents the Things were spoiled with this year. Thanks TnA!

Thing 2 at the Science Museum.

Digging for fossils....Grandpa would be so proud!

Hubby couldn't resist messing with the tornado.

I always wondered how my kids did napping for babysitters. Not too long ago the sitter found Thing 1 napping on the stairs. I think this was her attempt at keeping him safe.

One highlight of the year was Thing 1s first experience Ice Fishing. He did great and ate his fill of treats during the 5 hours on the ice! I don't think they could bring enough treats to keep me out there that long!

One last shot of the science museum.

I wanted to put more photos up of our visits with family and friends over break but I don't think I'll ever get this long overdue post done if I wait to download any more! Overall we had wonderful visits with my mom from CA who wanted (and got) a white Christmas. We also enjoyed great time in WI with family and had a fun visit from friends from down south. I would have liked to gone to them (and vise-versa) to have some of their great weather, but they got to experience New Years Eve in negative temps...always a great start to a new year.

We are gearing up to another busy semester as the students will return in just a few days. Of course we will kick it off with our annual Sled Fest and there should be plenty of snow. I'll just pose as the snowman this year and skip the sledding. Speaking of looking like snowman, Thing 3 continues to grow on schedule and I'm officially in my third trimester. Speaking of being 28 weeks along, I think I'll sign off for now and go take a nap while the other Things are still napping!

Happy New year!