Extreme Makeover: Church Edition

Eat your heart out Ty Pennington! The church board voted last Sunday night and its official...youth center construction is underway! We've begun ripping out carpet and the parts of the old stage that we won't be using. After that they'll frame the walls, run the electrical, hang the drywall, paint, and finally lay the new floor. The kids will vote tonight to determine the color scheme for their new space. All of the work will be done by church members and the kids themselves (adult supervision required of course ;) We are blessed to have so many talented electricians, drywall experts, and others who are just good at building things!....it saves the budget in so many ways! Since this is not my area of expertise I'll just show up and let them tell me what to do while I keep the kids from painting each other rather than the walls. Hopefully, (according to our project leader) this won't take more than a month. Until its finished the kids will meet over here at our house on Wednesday nights. Here are our before pics...stay tuned for progress pictures and the finished project!

An Ark or a Snowman?

When we moved here we asked, "Hey, do you guys get a lot of snow here?" We got the same response every time: "Nah, it doesn't snow much down here in the valley." My little heart jumped for joy because it assumed that the bitter cold, snowy, mess of Kansas City was soon to be but a distant memory. And then God started laughing - I mean belly-laughing- as he pointed his finger at Jasper, TN and sent the raindrops and the snowflakes flying....

I know this to be true because lately, there have been some ridiculous weather patterns moving through our little valley. All in the same week we had monsoon-like rains and enough snow to let the kids out of school for days on end (not that it takes more than a forecast of snow...no ACTUAL snowflakes needed for this). Marion County had 12 snow days built in this year and today they have used the last one. I don't think they have gone to school a full week since Christmas break. I'm not sure that has EVER happened before. Their parents have to be going crazy.

At one point I felt like we had a moat around our house and then a few days later it was a white wonderland (okay, it was white AND green since the snow didn't quite cover the grass). So since winter isn't working out so well I say we just move on to spring and hope for the best.

Mandy

Lake Nazarene....in the backyard...

Battle of the Sexes

Recently we invited my Sunday School class - high school students - over to the house for pizza and games. I had planned to do this sooner but the holidays got the best of me and every weekend has been packed since then...you know how those pastors are...only working on weekends and all.

We had a good variety of games to choose from..Taboo (a personal favorite), Apples to Apples, Cranium, etc. In fact, we probably could have just sat there and heckled each other and completely forgotten the whole game thing but since it was the reason for our gathering (other than the fact that I just love those kids AND the "all-you-can-eat" pizza buffet on the kitchen table) we went ahead and indulged in some friendly competition. The game of choice for the afternoon: Battle of the Sexes. Keep in mind that the odds weren't entirely even....4 guys against 3 girls.

I'm terribly sad to report that we lost BIG. I had no idea those boys knew the Maybelline jingle in its entirety (Maybe she's born with it....), or that "Emily" was the most popular girl's name in the U.S. in 1999, or that Susan B. Anthony led the fight to gain women the right to vote. Our downfall was slow and painful...I had never wasted my precious brain cells learning Muhammed Ali's real name or memorizing the fact that the name for a car engine with rounded pistons is a "hemi" and it came back to bite me painfully. (I knew I should have spent more time watching Who Wants to be a Millionaire and paying attention when my dad explained car repairs) In this game there is no "phone a friend" no "lifelines" and no audience vote. Its all about the tiny, useless facts ferreted away in the subconscious gray matter.

Don't worry boys...there will be a rematch and the girls will win. How do I know this?... female intuition (and I plan to memorize EVERY card and watch reruns of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader if that's what it takes)...the same way I know that Kevin will always lose the battle over who has to get up and turn the lights off at bedtime or make sure the house is locked (I'm great at pretending to be narcoleptic and fast asleep in seconds). Its a foregone conclusion...not a question of IF we'll win, but HOW. :)

Stay tuned for "before pictures" of our upcoming remodeling project. The teens are getting a new youth room....which means I get to spend lots of time picking out flooring samples, paint, lighting fixtures....

Mandy

Putting their heads together....literally.

My teammates....Hannah and Christy

A Visit to Antarctica....

Okay, maybe it wasn't Antarctica - just Kansas City under about a foot of snow, but it felt that cold. I think moving south has thinned my blood or something. But you have to give me a little credit...it was a high of 0 on Friday with a low of -30 and I don't care how many layers you put on, frostbite is still iminent. Last weekend Kevin and I flew back to our old home in KC to work on setting up a mission trip for our kids this summer. We're teaming up with two other churches - one in Texas and one in Memphis, TN so their youth pastor's met us in KC and the planning (and BBQ eating) commenced. The guys had several meetings each day to scope out where we might like our kids to serve. Our goal is to connect them with kids their own age who live very different lives from what they're used to. 80% of homeless people are single mothers with 2-3 kids - which means the vast majority of homeless people in general are children. Sure, we'll have them doing some grunt work: painting, cleaning, building, etc. But our main goal is to stretch them a little and move them away from some of the stereotypes they assume are true.

While the guys were in meetings....I was visiting my KC friends after 5 months away from them. I may not miss Kansas City but I do miss my friends. All their babies are getting so big! Emma, Luke, and Grayson didn't remember us since they were still teeny tinies when we moved. I was sooo relieved that Parker and Lukas remembered us. When I knocked at the Tharp house, Lukey's feet came running and when he saw me it was like we had never left...he didn't look shocked at all. Emmy was a little leary at first but she warmed up after a bit. Parker jumped right in and told me all about his dinosaurs (a recent obsession....so cute!). Luke looked so grown up and handsome. It was wonderful to get to sit and talk and eat and laugh with all of them again. I wish we could do it more often....we have many friends here but not so many right near my age and I miss my KC girls terribly! I'm hoping the Leagues can make a roadtrip in May to casa Knight. Any of the rest of the KC crew is welcome too! We'll see you all at the end of June....only another 5 months away. I can deal with that. Let the countdown begin!

Mandy

View of Union Station from my warm hotel room.

Downtown KC from our hotel.

Emma Claire engaged in my favorite pastime....snacking. She carried that bag around with her all afternoon.

Lukas and Kevin reunited at last. Let the wrestling, sword fighting, and pillow fighting begin!

Did you hear that mom?! Kevin is a pastor now. Hahhahhaahaha.

Parker and Lukas playing WWF on the couch.

Steps for Kids

Just before Christmas (Yes, I know this post is late....just consider it a belated Christmas gift from me to you) Kevin and I had the privilege of interacting with a local organization called Steps for Kids. A couple from our church is highly involved and extended an invitation for us to come and read the Christmas story at the annual Christmas party. This organization provides Christmas gifts for children in Marion County who otherwise would have none. Each family undergoes a screening process and there are some guidelines that must be met. 1. No family is helped more than once...simply because there are too many children out there who need assistance. 2. The child and at least one parent or guardian must attend the annual Christmas party and all gifts must be opened on the premesis. This makes it harder for parents or anyone else to sell the gifts later. 3. Each family must provide a list of clothing and necessities as well as toys that each child would like.

The week before Christmas we met at the local elementary school where the kids got their pictures taken with Santa and recieved a gift from him. Some liked it and some didn't....you know how that goes. Then they moved on to devour pizza and snacks. Once their bellies were full, Kevin told them the Christmas story (they're less squirmy if they're full) and prayed with them. Finally, when their little hearts could take no more...the gifts came. Each child recieves $200 worth of gifts and for most it was the biggest and best Christmas ever! We had a wonderful time passing out gifts, ooohhing and aaahhhing, wading through the wrapping paper wonderland, and carrying gifts out to the cars.

Generally, Steps for Kids helps about 105 kids each Christmas. Due to a lack of funds and help they were only able to help 34 kids this year. As a result this will be the last year that Steps for Kids is in operation. We hate to see such a good thing end. Jasper Church of the Nazarene may not be able to do all that Steps for Kids did but hopefully next Christmas we can take a more active role in helping Marion County kids.

Check out the pictures....

A mountain of presents!

This is Mack...he is one of our churchgoers and he loves helping out the kids...one of the kindest guys you'll ever meet.

Patricia Simmons and Carol Leathers. Carol is Mack's wife and Patricia is her mother. Carol has been in leadership with Steps for Kids for many years. She's so sad to see it end!

May we all strive to be generous and kind in the new year,

Kevin and Mandy

Why Southern Small Town Life is Great

When we moved to Jasper several people asked, "How do you like living in a small town?" Answer: WE LOVE IT! We were both born and raised in small, rural, towns but moved to the city for a few years while we were working on our education. And although we loved the convenience and culture of urban areas we've found there are many reasons to love life in the small town. Here are some of our favorites:


1. It only takes about 5 minutes to get anywhere in Jasper (the downside is there just aren't that many places to go!)


2. Wal-Mart is never crowded no matter what time it is. I used to dread going to Wal-Mart like going to the dentist for a root canal, but here its never that bad. Sure, they still need to learn to open more than 2 registers at any one time but that's just the Wal-Mart phenomenon. At least no one is pitching a fit in line or running you over with their cart.


3. Small-town, Southern people are infinitely more polite than anywhere else in the United States....lots of maam's, sir's, darlin's, sweetie's, honey's, and sugar's.


4. Housing is MUCH cheaper here....you get a lot more for the money! We hope to buy a house in the next few years and about fell over when we scanned the real estate ads. It was a nice change from big city prices!


5. There are no traffic jams (could be due to having only 3 stoplights in town) and road rage is kept to a minimum (at no point is the speed limit higher than 45 mph within Jasper city limits). There's also a smaller chance that I'm going to get lost while driving somewhere. My GPS (Gertrude Garmin) isn't seeing as much action as she did in Kansas City.


6. The waiters at local restaurants know you by name and can usually remember what you order. For example: At Rafael's they know I always order Chicken Slouvaki with Cucumber Dip on the side. The waitress doesn't even have to ask me anymore! I love it!


7. I know my postman's name (Paul) and the sweet little lady who own's the drycleaners knows Kevin and has his order ready when she sees him walk in. What service!


8. Locally owned shops have unique items and low prices. I can get a Marion County Warriors t-shirt at Maximum Sports (on the town square) for $7. I can go to Hammers and get anything (really, I mean anything) for CHHEEAAPPP.


9. The sweet tea is perfection (ask Kevin!) and we lay claim to come of the best cooks anywhere. About once a week Ms. Maudie cooks for some of the older folks in town who can't get out and she always bring a plate over for Kevin and me (its a pastor perk). Her meatloaf may be the best thing I've ever put in my mouth...this is coming from someone who usually feels that the word "loaf" is bad news when attached to "meat." People here take eating seriously and since its our main hobby we fit right in.


10. We've made so many friends that we're getting to know well because life is slower here...people have a little more time for each other. For example, some of my little church girls were in a wedding on Saturday and they came by the house just so I could see them all dolled up with their hair curled. A weekend never goes by that we aren't invited to dinner with a family we know, out to look at Christmas lights, or to one of our kid's sporting events or school plays. Very few rush off after church on Sundays. Everyone sticks around a while to talk and catch up on the week. If your car breaks down, you need a new doctor, dentist, or hairdresser, or your house needs fixing there's always someone who "knows someone" that can fix it for you.


We realize small town life isn't for everyone but we like it. We like it because we're loved by the people here and we love them back. Come see us and you can experience it yourself.


Now we know why Andy loved life in Mayberry,


Mandy

We're Bad at Taking Vacations

Back in November Kevin and I had planned to go and visit Dollywood with some of our church folks during the Christmas season because its beautiful and we hadn't ever been. So we set the date for the weekend of December 19th and were anxiously awaiting a few days off in Gatlinburg. Our friends had heard rain and cold weather were coming and decided not to go but Kevin and I were determined to have a couple of days of relaxation.

We left home last Friday morning and the rain was pouring so hard all the way to Knoxville we couldn't hear ourselves think! Once we got past Knoxville the rain turned to dense, wet, snowflakes. Gatlinburg was beautiful in its white winter-wear; however, a semi had jack-knifed on Ski Mountain Rd. and we were unable to get up the mountain to our condo. Making the best of winter's cruel joke, we rented a hotel room on the main drag in town and went in search of dinner. I usually make fun of Kevin for packing everything we own "just in case we get stranded" I have to admit I was glad he packed my gloves and snow boots! The snow kept coming and we had about an inch on the ground by dinnertime.

Our dinner at the Brass Lantern was disappointing (sadly misused plastic greenery, over-cooked steak, and funky tasting Diet Coke). And just as we were paying for the overpriced fare the power went out ALL OVER TOWN...not so much as a "Don't Walk" sign flickered anywhere in sight. All the shops shut their doors for the night and the place was completely deserted! You would think they'd never seen snow before. AND IT WAS ONLY AN INCH! I was more than a little annoyed that Mother Nature was winning with so little effort.

So, we debated what to do and trudged back to the car through the slush so we could see if our hotel had electricity. Unfortunately, our room was like a cave...cold and pitch black. No one knew how long it would take to get power back because a tree was down somewhere in the national park. Instead of waiting out the cold we reluctantly packed up by flashlight (yet another handy item Kevin insists on keeping in the car) and headed back to home-sweet-home in Jasper. After an unsuccessful hunt for ice cream (Hush! It IS an appropriate comfort food regardless of weather) and a 20 minute detour to a Cleveland Starbucks we made it home by 10:30pm and got to sleep in our own bed.

Oh well, it was a good try. Next time - to the beach....less chance of snow. But then again they do have hurricanes.

I hope your holiday travels are more successful. We're headed to Georgia on Wednesday....and it better not snow!

Mandy

P.S. No pictures....because we weren't there long enough to see anything picture worthy...and it was dark. Really dark.