The Once-A-Year Update

Well, I'm at my parent's house and they have internet so I guess it's time for an update!

My chillens are growing too fast! Emery's in her 2nd year of preschool. She goes Monday-Thursday 12:30-3:30. She absolutely loves it. Her teacher is really great too, so that makes it even better! I really can't believe she's starting kindergarten next year. Time really does fly.

Eladie is eligible to go to preschool next year and she's started talking about going to school, so I (reluctantly) filled out the paperwork for her to go. She's excited. I'm not sure how I feel!

Ryan is doing great. He's continually planning and working and God had definitely blessed all his hard work. A lot of people don't realize that he plans events months in advance. As soon as one is over, say, camp, the next week we're talking about next year. I love the way he lets God lead what he does. I love the way he strives to get others involved so that event are community-wide. No matter what church you attend we're still striving for the same goal so let's strive together! Ryan really is the bomb and I have been overly blessed to be able to call him husband and the father of our girlies!

I've been doing some extra things this year. I joined a team around Halloween time to plan a Fall Festival to remember at our church this year. The theme was "Where's Waldo" and everyone dressed in red and white and stripes. It was the team's goal to be intentional with sharing the gospel with the people who came in the doors on Halloween night. So besides having carnival games, a bounce house and food, we played a real life game of Where's Waldo. I don't know if you know this but there are 5 Waldo characters: Waldo, Wenda, Wizard Whitebeard, Woof, and Odlaw. For our purposes, each character (wearing their costume, of course) had a bag of beads. When people came in the doors after they registered they were given a paper with our characters picture on it. And the game begins. Each character gave a bead to make up the salvation bracelet and their signature. When they got all the beads to complete their bracelet and all the signatures they could hit up the prize table.

 All the characters

 Prize table 

He accepted Christ as his Savior that night. Even if it was just for him, all the work was worth it!

I had a great time working with the team and enjoyed getting to know them better! This was a super fun event!

The Story of the Colors:

Gold/Yellow

God has prepared heaven for us. Rev. 21:21b

Black

Sin separates us from God and keeps us out of heaven.
Rom. 3:23, 6:23

Red

Jesus shed his blood on the cross to pay for our sin.
Ro. 5:8, I Pete. 3:18a

White

If we accept Jesus and turn from our sins, our hearts are made clean. John 1:12, Romans 10:9

Green

After believing and receiving what Jesus did we need to grow in our relationship with Him by reading the Bible, praying,and attending a church where the Bible is taught.
Matt. 18:20 John 1:7

Right after the Fall Festival, a team and I began working on a home mission event for November. Every Sunday of November members of the church went out in town to hand out cookies and an invitation for The Village of Lights parade in town and a preview for our Music Ministry's Christmas performance (which was AWESOME). With the help of A LOT of people, we were able to visit every house in Mt Vernon plus some. We delivered 1663 bags of cookies. 

In both of these events, God really showed up and showed off! The blessings of letting Him take the lead and take control is immense! Neither of these events could have happened as well as they did with us working on our own. God really gets all the credit. Follow His call! Do as He leads! This has been my anthem, as it will ever be!

Here's to a God-filled 2014!

A Little of Everything

It sure has been a while. I guess that's what happens when you don't have internet at your house. I'm not sure exactly what the point of this will be. Maybe just a recap of recent events. Maybe a little of my heart. Both are allowed. This is my blog space after all.

The McMillian family is great.

In October, Emery started preschool. For some reason we got a little grief about the fact that we don't plan on homeschooling. It's okay. But here are my reasons why we chose public education:
1. Ryan and I both went to public school.
2. Emery and I are too much alike. Nothing would get done.
3. I don't have a degree in education.
4. (One of the most important points): We are striving to teach our girls to be missionaries. To not be afraid of other people. To choose right from wrong. To help others choose right, and ultimately choose Jesus. Not to say this won't be difficult. It will. But it's okay. God is on our side.
5. As much as it scares me to send her out some days, I can't live in fear. My kids can't either.
Emery loves school. She is thriving, she is learning, she is helping others. I am so blessed to call her my daughter.

Eladie is growing like crazy. She's on the verge of talking and is experimenting with new words everyday. She is potty training herself. She disappears, I hear the toilet flush, then an Eladie runs out of the bathroom with a dry diaper to put back on. I'm confident I'm being rewarded for having such a difficult time with Emery. Eladie is such a joy to my heart.

Both of them love to do any kind of art. They love to have their picture taken. I am so thankful God gave me the task of raising them.

For the past year for three days a week a 21 year old named Karley comes to my house. She is autistic and she is beautiful. Together we work on things that need to be done on a regular basis in a home. She has made such improvements in the last year! She has taught me so much this past year. She has taught my daughters so much this past year. I am so glad she is in our lives!

I feel also like I have grown so much this past year as well. I've learned to be confident in who I am in Christ.  To find my identity in Him alone. My relationship with Christ has grown exponentially this past year. It takes a lot of surrender on my part. What's so good about that is God is faithful and He ALWAYS will be! I'm still a wreck most of the time and I'm always learning, but I'm leaning on Christ instead of anything else. I am so blessed by my friends here who are encouraging me, pushing me and teaching me. I am so very blessed. (Thanks ladies! I love Thursdays!)

And of course, Ryan and I are doing great. With Valentine's Day just last week, I took the chance to spend more time than usual thinking about awesome God is to give me Ryan. I am so glad he chose me. I am so glad I chose him. I am so glad God chose us for each other. He is my ultimate earthly soul mate. He is my best friend. He loves Christ completely and our home is the way it is because of that. He leads as he should. Thanks Ry. I love you so so much. (Never pass out again, please)

Well, I think the overall theme here is I sure am blessed. I am working hard to run the race which God has called me.
I'm hoping to get to a computer more frequently. That may not happen.
So if that's the case, see you next year!