we're getting ready

“The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.” Romans 11:29

Update on the Rapach family!

Hello friends! We are doing well here in snowy and slushy western PA! Just yesterday we built the best snowman (well, actually a snowwoman according to Abby) of the season and are always on the lookout for the biggest icicles on the houses.

We have had a wonderful time with our families – it’s been a gift to be near them after 10 years of living away. The kids are loving being with their grandmas. Sarah is doing a lot better with the pregnancy and we look forward to June when our little one will be born. (still don’t know if boy or girl). Thanks for all of your prayers through the months of sickness!

It has been a challenging few months, for sure, as we wait on God to open the door for our next ministry assignment. The opportunities we had when we left Boston, for various reasons, have not worked out. We continue to pursue others, believing in faith that God knows what He’s doing, and He will provide. We are ‘getting ready’ for whatever comes next, and know that God is teaching and preparing us in ways we never expected.

As we have prayed, we have a sense that there will be a strong relational connection to the place we end up serving, and that the opportunity we are looking for may very well come from someone we know. So…if you are in a church or a ministry and you need someone who can lead worship, take people on missions trips, administrate, and generally pitch in to the overall team, please let us know! You never know what may happen…

‘The gifts and calling of God’ in our lives still are burning and churning within us! There are many things we could do in life, but we want to invest our gifts and lives in a way that brings people to know and love Jesus Christ. Pray with us this week for a breakthrough!

Conversations with my Girl!

So my Mom wanted to have the kids stay at her house for a few days. My kids love going to their Grandparents house. Last night before my Mom came to pick the kids up, Abby and I had this conversation -

Sarah: Abby, make sure you are very good for grandma and pap.

Abby: Mommy, I am always good for grandma.

Sarah: Remember, if she asks you to do something, do not talk back, you need to listen to her.

Abby: Mommy, I never talk back to Grandma Fyock.

Sarah: Really, then why do you talk back to Mommy and Daddy sometimes?

Abby: Because Grandma never makes me do anything I don't want to do. I don't have to do any jobs or favors. Ohhhh...I just love going there.

So....there you have it from the horse's mouth - My little girl is spoiled by her grandparents :)
Where do they come up with this stuff? I told Matt this clever answer must come from the Rapach side of the family :)

Today, before, my quiet time, I thought about how I missed my kids eventhough they have only really been gone for a few hours. I can not wait to hold them and kiss them and talk to them. As I was thinking about that, I thought "how much does our Father in Heaven miss us when we do not spend time with Him, even for one day?" Just like me wanting to kiss and hug my kids, how much more does He want to lavish His love on us?

WARRIORS!

BOYS! Sometimes I just don't understand. My mom got David this soft sword for Christmas, and of course, he (AND his Daddy) love it. I'm very thankful that my Mom got us a soft sword compared to the loud plastic swords they got the cousins.

Now...I could be creative and write something about boys having this "instinct" in them because they are to be Warriors for Christ, but I think you all get the picture ;)

Blizzard 2010

15 inches of snow


3 hours of snow blowing




Morning Snow FUN


Even Grandma went out to play


Hot Chocolate

Afternoon Snow FUN







Great Sledding

clarity

Psalm 19:8
The commands of the LORD are clear, giving insight to life. NLT

7-9 The revelation of GOD is whole
and pulls our lives together.
The signposts of GOD are clear
and point out the right road.
The life-maps of GOD are right,
showing the way to joy.
The directions of GOD are plain
and easy on the eyes.
GOD's reputation is twenty-four-carat gold,
with a lifetime guarantee.
The decisions of GOD are accurate
down to the nth degree. (Message)


Ok so I’m having a great moment of clarity here. We are called to abide in Christ. That may sound very elementary, but I think that a lot of us don’t really do it. But we do long for it. And I think we all recognize it when we meet someone who really is abiding. Who is giving free reign to the Holy Spirit in their life.

Now I realize that I’m an idealist and that I long for the perfect moments in life. I am slowly learning to cope with this in my life and see the good moments in the ‘less than ideal’ and realize that perfectionism is not the answer, but a life of making excellent offerings to our God is good (check this out for more on perfectionism from JD Walt).

For most of my life I have been taught, been mentored in, and generally witnessed the grin and bear it style of life. That at best we can hope for a life of toil and moderate achievement and at the end of the day we get critical of what could have been better. I am good at criticism. Really good. ‘well that was good but this or that could have been better…’

But my soul is hungry, starving even, for a better way. A way that is thankful as a child is for ice cream or mac and cheese. A way that abides in the goodness of God (which is never not present) and has a heart wide open to that goodness – to receive revelation and guidance for every moment, and to work, live, love, and do ministry out of a place of abiding in the Holy Spirit.

To dream, and work to bring those dreams to reality. To live above circumstance, not in an escapist kind of way, but in a way that sees the Way and follows that, not reacting to moments but following the lead of a Good Shepherd.

So where does hard work come in? It is still required! I can work hard for the commands of my LORD, and at the end of the day I have a satisfaction that is life giving, not life draining. A hired hand will walk away at the end of the day collecting only his pay, but a true son, who I desperately want to be, is forever invested in the interests of his Father.

This is what I want to invest my life in. I could spend it on many things, but I freely choose, gladly and joyfully, with a true heart of thanks, to be available, abiding in the Father’s love, the Son’s friendship and sacrifice for me, and the Holy Spirit’s presence.

Yeah.