Some Things Shouldn't Change, like love and birthday parties

I love birthday parties. I loved planning my parties as a kid. I love planning parties for my kids.  When our kids are invited to other parties,  we don't miss. I love birthday parties.

Parries for my friends have gone from sleep overs, with decorations,  games and cake to nice lunches. For the most part, there is less hoop - la and more heart now.

One of my friends celebrates the anniversary of her 25th birthday.  But she celebrates. The people she cares about get an opportunity to let her know they care for her too.

There is something terrific about celebrating life. A year we'll done... or maybe just a year survived.  A new beginning.

Today I got to celebrate with one of my most special friends for her birthday.  Just lunch. Her beautiful family sat around her as we visited and talked about the adventures of the summer. Every time we're back together,  it's like I only left yesterday. Nothing special and absolutely wonderful all at the same moment.

Celebrating life and friends like that should never change.

Lifelong Friends

Our children are forming friendship with each other now.

Remaining connected to others makes you more alive. It seems to me that my newly created relationships, those made later in life do not have the depth, the character, the trust or the stability that the friendships that go back in time have, those that have remained through the test of time.


I have an amazing circle of friends from my childhood, two went through high school with me and we recently spent time together, with our families, during our 20 year high school reunion. Time has tested each of  of us, but never threatened our friendship. Unequivocal support is the unspoken foundation of our bond. While our conversations typically dwell on happier times, we all clearly remember the sadder ones. One was widowed as a young woman. One divorced in the same months as a job layoff and a major surgery. I moved off away from the others to attend college and still don't live near them; that doesn't stop the support or the love.

We have been there for each other through good and bad, thick and thin. Each one of us has had our hardships, but it's easier when you have friends like these to support you. I can talk to them if I'm anxious, afraid, worried, happy or sad. I am free to be who I am with them. I have known them longer than I have known my husband. They know what made me.

Times like ones when were in grade school attending "whirly-birds" or summer camp at Camp Sooner. Or in high school when on Friday nights we would put on our cutest outfits and cruise up and down 12th Street, tee-pee friends houses together, or worshiping at CIY Conferences with hundreds of other youth.

We grew up in very different households as children, but our love for Jesus and each other make us very similar.

Merry Christmas from the Medleys

Going Green and Emailing the Christmas Letter... enjoy!

From the first coin toss of the year, we kept our eye on the end zone, coaching our little players and cheering every play...

We welcomed a new 9lb 7oz rookie to the team in April—Trenton Todd (#4) is fitting into the team quite nicely. His first season will be complete April 6th. Not long after the initial snap at school, I was on the sidelines watching Clayton (#1) go in for a touchdown at kindergarten graduation. This fall he played his first season of flag football. After finishing a stellar 3rd season at Parents Day Out Preston (#2) became a free agent and was picked up by Shallowater’s Pre-Kindergarten in August. In the red zone of summer, Clayton and Preston played baseball - Clayton played on 3 teams! So as not to cause a personal foul, Addison (#3) took a dance class too and mostly stayed in the pocket to avoid being sacked. She also played her first season of soccer on a team with Preston.

Always quick on the return, Billy is always my MVP, running car pool, fixing everything from appliances to boo boos, and keeping the team morale high. Watching the play clock run out on the year, we are thankful for fans who stick with us calling audibles, running out of bounds, intentionally grounding at times.

So here’s to the extra point and another season full of plays worthy of the highlight reel!

Billy and Heather Medley— Clayton, Preston, Addison and Trenton

Birthday Cards

I just love birthdays, balloons, parties, cards -all of it. I am so glad that I have little one who love birthdays too. They start taking about their next birthday before the wrapping paper from this one is up off the floor! We've done cowboy parties and Elmo Parties and Veggie Tale Parties, Swim Parties, Tea Parties...I just love it. Color coordinating, thinking of great games and unique party favors. I love celebrating my children and getting to have a party makes it even better.

But getting older has a way of making birthday less cool -a lot less cool. I'm in my mid-thirties - that is a far cry from being able to tell people, I'm 16 or 21 even. There's nothing to gain at 33 years old - no car, no legal status. My sister reminded me that this is how old Jesus was when he died -now that's comforting! This year we had chocolate cake for breakfast in a hotel room in Corpus; then we went to the beach. It was a great day. I really enjoyed it, but there's just something about a real birthday party that's just amazing.

Maybe it's the wonder of being a child that makes it so special. Everything is bigger and better and all about you - you get to make choices on your birthday - where to go, what to eat....now it's a gift if I don't have to choose. It's great fun when others plan something for me these days. I love to plan things, don't get me wrong, but inviting your friends to your own birthday party nowadays is just awakard.


But this week I was invited to participate in a marvolous birthday idea. A friend of mine from college sent this message to me Tuesday through facebook

Hey everyone!
My wife Amy Earhart is turning 30 in two weeks and I would love to get as many people to send a birthday card to her. You don’t need to send anything else. I’d love to see if we could get 1,000 cards sent to her, maybe one from every state, or even some different countries, I don’t care tons would be fun though. So, please forward to everyone (BUT AMY) that you know, it doesn’t matter that they don’t know her.

Below is her address. Please send a BIRTHDAY CARD TO:
Amy Earhart
1500 Carolina Dr.
Columbia, MO. 65202

Thank you so much,Chris

If you get a chance send her a card. I've never met Amy, but I bet she's well worth the effort. What fun idea to make getting older more fun.

What you mean to me

This weekend I got a Facebook request from a friend from high school. We used to walk home from elementary school together. I really never thought that I'd hear from her again. We'd lost touch so long ago.

We went to dinner at the home of some relatively new friends last night. it was incredible. We ate outside under a canopy, on real dishes, with real cloths napkins. We each brought a dish and a bottle of wine to share, but the company was the fabulous part about the evening.

In our book club last night we talked about this community of friends that came in after the authors father died and before they returned from the hospital to clean the house, stock the pantry, and make life as normal as it could be for this family. And to this day, they still don't know who blessed them so.

Searching for other things in my email files, I ran across as email to a dear friend. It along with a myriad of other things reminded me how blessed we are in these time of $4 gas and $4 milk to have friends that are worth so much more. What a blessing from God our friends are!

We were taking a marriage enrichment seminar and the next day I sent this to our friend:

I wanted to tell you too that last night I was thinking of all of the things that I wanted to say about you during the "longest 60 seconds" exercise, but I couldn't say any of them because I just so choked up just thinking about what you mean to me. I couldn't speak.

I was glad that Jimmy and Billy said what they did about you helping with the kids, but that doesn't even begin to cover it. I value your friendship and care about you and you sweet family so deeply. You are like a sister to me. You allow me to be me - silly or mad or indignant - whatever I am feeling. I know that my heart is safe with you. And in return, you have been so honest and open with me through some of the most difficult times of my life - young wife, new mom, financial struggles, job changes... And you have saved me time and time again with the watching the kids, letting us use the crib and bassinet, and always being ready for whatever I have dreamed up next. You are my most valued partner in crime. I cherish the memories that we have made together - painting and crafting, the Six Flags trip, and who could forget the banquets. I know that they will be some of my most favorite memories of my life.

Thank you for being you, so genuine and so faithful -

Let your friends know how much you care. They are worth so much more than we know.

Who on earth is Kirk?

I just got an email from an former roommate inviting my to her wedding page. Who on earth is Kirk? Where have I been? Granted she moved to Minesota 6 years ago, but still. We kept in touch, or so I thought. What kind of friend have I been?

She was my roommate when I met Billy. I remember the night I came home to tell them that I thought I was "in trouble" after our first date, to talk to them about relationships, to show them my ring.

We threw house parties, birthday parties, dinner parties - you see a theme here?

Isn't it bitter sweet how life moves on?

Ester 4:14 "And who knows but that you have come ... for such a time as this."

The Blessings of Hamburgers

I was having a day, a day when I found myself slipping back into the pit of destructive thinking patterns, not trusting in the promises of Jeremiah 29. Then dear friend called and invited us over for hamburgers after church the next day. I thought, "Wow, I needed that." The Lord knew I need that acceptance at that moment.

Isn't it wonderful that Jesus reveals His love for us through others? He invites us to be a part of His plan to encourage and help His children. I've heard people who do this called, "Jesus with skin." Isn't that what He did? Encourage His children. In our world today it has become far too easy to become self-absorbed. Our lives move so fast that we can't see the needs others have, much less a word of encouragement.

Encouraging others does not have a monetary cost. My friend did not have to spend a dime to make me feel encouraged - just the phone call, wanting to spend time with my family, knowing the she was thinking of us meant so much. What she did took very little time out of her busy day. God took that invitation to help me change my focus and redirect my thoughts.

It made me think:

• Do I hear and understand what God is saying to me?
• Do I spend time trying to learn how to understand and hear God?
• What keeps me so busy that I don't take time to encourage others with a note or call?

As if the invitation alone wasn't enough of a blessing, the time in fellowship with our sweet friends was so relaxing. It was such a blessing. It was an absolute joy to spend the afternoon with them. They are having house built and are a family of 5 living in a two bedroom apartment who invited a family of 5 over for a meal. It was only a few hours of time together, but the thoughtfulness... The kids played in the courtyard; the men stood watch over the grill. And I didn't do much of anything. The vegetables were chopped, the condiments out - even dessert was ready! I am so grateful for the blessing of hamburgers.

I pray that I find someone might need some encouragement tomorrow. It won't be difficult to find, if I'll only look. It will only take a few minutes of my time. I pray that God will invite me to help Him encourage one of His own.

Romans 12:8, “If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging….” (NLB)

Proverbs 12:25, "An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up." (NIV)

1 Thessalonians 5:11, "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." (NIV)

Galatians 5:22, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness." (NIV)

Ice Cream Date

Yesterday we went out to eat. One of Clayton's friends from his class was there and when she saw him she yelled out his name. They talked a little bit, surprised to see each other outside of school - like 5 years old do. Their family sat at a booth a few tables over from us so the kids continued to talk - loudly over the other tables between us. "What did you get to eat?" "My mom got fish! yucky, huh!"

We redirected and concentrated on eating. But when he was finished asked to be excused. Got down and went to asked her mom if she could go with us to get the free ice cream after meal. I helped them get their ice cream cones and we walked back to our part of the restaurant. The two of them choose to sit at their own booth together - just the two of them.

They talked and laughed while I visited with her family. They got embarrassed because we were talking about them - it was too cute not to. It was their first boy/girl "thing."

When they were almost finished she decided that it was time for Clayton to meet her family. She quizzed her mom about how old she was and where she worked. And told Clayton all about her big sister, who is almost finished with high school, is 17 and will be going to college soon - in another year.

Both kids will be going to different schools next year for kindergarten. They don't want to loose touch. So at their prompting, I called her mothers' cell phone so that she could save our number and we could plan a play date for the two of them.

He's only 5, but he has his fathers charm!

Ministry: It Begins

Because of Travis and his experience with the Llano Chrysalis Community, I am compelled to write to you - this is the first blog on the llano chrysalis myspace account. I first met Travis when his family came to our church around 2000 or so. Travis is fun-loving, light-hearted, and a people person. He can carry on a convesation, let me tell you.
Later Travis became one of my students. I was an English teacher. I saw Travis in a different light then. He was beginning one of the roughest periods in his young life.

I belive in the law of sowing and reaping. We make choices. You sow love and joy; you will reap love and joy. Deuteronomy 30:19 says, "I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life." It was so painful to watch as Travis choose death. His choices brought destruction.

But God never let go. He was constantly persuing Travis. Chasing him because He loves him. He ran after Travis until he had no place else to run and he fell on his knees before the Lord and just like a man in the Bible Travis begged, "If You are willing, You can make me clean." Christ, "filled with compassion" replied, "I am willing; be clean" (Mark 1:40-41).

We too can fall on our knees and acknowledge God’s only provision for our sins. We too can hear, "I am willing; be clean." Christ willingly took God’s righteous indignation upon Himself so that you don’t have to; whoever accepts His death upon the cross as payment for their sins will be reconciled to the God whom they’ve offended.

"All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ…God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them…God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:18-19, 21).
God is in the business of transformation. Travis in now ministering to youth. God stayed with Travis through his trials, loved him through it, and is now goingto alow him to use those experiences for His glory. What Satan intends for evil, God intends for good.

On behalf of Travis, let me ask you: Will you accept God’s love today?

Visit the new www.llanochrysalis.blogspot.com page and catch them on myspace.com at http://www.myspace.com/llanochrysalis

Guns and Roses

My almost two year old daughter calls him, "Hug-ens." I guess it's a combination of his name and the word hug...because that's what she wants when she sees him - a big hug. At first sight she runs towards him and usually as she approaches, he gently bends downs to scoop her up. Her smile widens when she knows he sees her coming. And when he hoists her into the air to hold her, he's smiling too.

'Hug-ens" and his wife were guests at one of our friends - a three-year old - princess party last night. He was thrilled to be there amidst the pink fu-fu crowns and wands. He unloaded tables and help set-up the picnic in the park and then cheered and hoo-rahed appropriately at the pretty clothes, the Dora the Explorer pre-school toys and the brand new dolls as tissue paper flew out of the gift bags.

This is a "wild at heart" man, a hunter, the father of three boys, a builder. But when those kids start running towards him, he's melted. It's a transformation. Such a sweet moment to share in from the back ground.

Preston made one of his dearest friends at four months old when he lunged at the dirty sweaty working man, draped himself over his shoulder and snuggled in. Working outside in the morning during Vacation Bible School, the men came in for a break. Dressed to work outside, looking like he had been working outside and with stench to match, I gasped as my baby, unblemished, smelling of baby powder, and dressed in one of his cutest outfits, drew his legs in under him and nuzzled into his new friends neck. The gruff man closed his eyes and sighed, enjoying the unconditional love from my little one.

My heart swelled, knowing that someone else could glean as much joy as I from my child.

And at my son's first birthday party, his new heart connection was right there in the middle of the bright orange construction themed party.

This oxymoronic man has decorated tables for a children's nursery shower, counseled with my husband and I, dressed up like and old man to greet scavenger hunters, and never given less then his best for us. What a treasure!

This father of three boys, construction worker, and avid hunter, waited to catch a peak at our daughter on her first Sunday at church. When he walked in for evening services that night I handed him the baby, a pacifier and a blanket. A smile drew his cheeks up. My daughter, clad in pink and ruffles, melted the manly exterior. The large hands that enjoy holding guns, hunting for sport, became soft and delicate holding our little girl, only days old.

“You were blessed to be a blessing,” he said softly. As tears welled up

First Friendships

As an educator, I know that for a child's first few years, most children are exposed largely to family members and close family friends. Being on the receiving end of the unconditional love and acceptance that family provides gives children a solid base of confidence and self-esteem from which they are able to build further social attachments. Personally, my children's very first true "friends" were the other children that they met at church.

As friendships develop, kids become increasingly aware of the feelings of other people, expressing happiness when their friends are happy and showing empathy for a friend's hurt feelings. They will also seek out their similarities, instinctively knowing that sharing common bonds is important to maintaining friendships. They'll focus on favourite colours, foods, or games, and delight in the fact that they are alike in many ways. Another common development as friendship capacity develops is a child's desire to protect their friends. Friends stick together. Further bonded by their common experience, their loyalty to the friendship deepens.

My first child's first friend is an amazing boy. He is just a part of the family. My son has even wanted to change his last name to theirs! There is a definite bond between the two boys. Even if it has been weeks since they have seen each other, even if there are other children there from different parts of their lives, they are still a pair, a team. They stick together.

At times they've played "remember when" to my amusement. Remember when we went to Six Flags? Remember when we played tee ball? Remember when we played at the park that time? They have shared experiences.

Our friend was born a week before our wedding and our son was born almost a year after our wedding. Their bond started before they knew it. Our friend was our "practice kid." We'd babysitt, take him to play, sit by him when we'd all go out -we'd practice taking care of a baby together as a couple. When I was pregnant, our friend would ride on my protruding belly as I'd carry him.

But the sweetest times are those times when I see a solid base of confidence and self-esteem growing for these two. Not a bse grounded in accomplishment, but rooted in their common similarities - their faith in Christ. When they learn Bible stories together, pray together, worship together, they are building bonds that will run deeper than they can imagine.

If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Ecc 4:10

In the Beginning

I first heard of The Springs Fellowship in 2000 when my roommate at the time, Angie Lundberg, asked if I wanted to try it on Sunday instead of where we usually had attended. Our friend, a former single sister, and our beloved hair stylist, Anicia and her new family had been visiting there for a few weeks, really enjoying it.

When we pulled up to the red barn, I know that I laughed out loud. How Texas can you get? The open mind that I’d been working up all morning was slowly closing. My "formal" church and Bible College background made me skeptical of any thing non-traditional. As we entered and discovered there was not hay on the floor, we settled into what would become "our seats" for the next year.

We were comfortable in those seats, filling them on Sundays, rushing out the back doors with the final amen, content that we had fulfilled out weekly “do not forsake the gathering together of the saints” obligation. After a while, we began hosting a college girls study at our house, connecting and ministering on a weekly basis.

We began to fall in love - in love with the barn and the people in it.

Barbecue and Lukemia

After we had Preston in January of 2006, Jamie and Mickie Spearman brought Barbecue from Abernathy for one of our evening meals. It sort of a tradition in our church to get meals together after a family comes home from the hospital. They just had been to visit Mickie’s parents. It was getting late in the evening when they called to assure us that they were in fact planning on coming over. The Barbecue from Abernathy was legendary, one of their families favorites.

We sat and visited for hours while Jamie played on the floor with Clayton and Mickie snuggled with our little one. They talked warmly about Mickie’s sister who was going to have baby soon and shared with us plans and dreams they had for their own family. It was endearing to watch this young couple love on my children as they talked about the blessings they prayed for. The chill of the January evening blew through that house as they also told us that some of the tests Jamie had taken recently came back abnormal, looking like the beginning stages of leukemia. But they weren't really worries, they were going for more tests.

Before Preston turned nine months old Jamie was gone. Today would have been his birthday.

Surprises

As the close of the semester neared with finals and all that brings in addition to the normal holiday stressors, we were weeks away from meeting our second son. I was tired and overwhelmed. I knew that it would be easier to relax the evening away at home, but we were supposed to go to Home Group that night. And Billy was unusually excited about that prospect of getting out.

You never know what the host family has planned for Home Group. At times it is extravagant and at other times its simple, but it is always a blessing to be with our church family. This night we were even suppose to bring a camera for the evenings festivities, just what every pregnant gal wants within reach.

Parking at the house, Billy jumped out of the car and bolted in the house, leaving me in the car to finish my make-up by myself. I knew something was going on. He was just too giddy.

It was a surprise shower for us.

It being our second baby, I never expected any such thing. But knowing our financial situation, it blessed me beyond words. I’m not sure how I managed to open the gifts of love without crying uncontrollably. The people in our home group will never know what that meant to us, to know that others loved our child already, to know we would make it financially after coming home from the hospital, to know that we were accepted.

Starting a Family

After church one Sunday morning Billy called me over to meet people who had invited us to the park where their home group was going to meet. The home group leaders were married, had kids, and just were not in our demographic. She was pregnant and we were barely dating. But Billy assured them we would love to meet them as the park.

We did and it was actually fun. We got the third degree about how we met and where we were from. And Billy, who has never met a stranger was in his element. Chatting with them like old folks at the coffee shop.

A few weeks later we met the home group gang at the leaders home for a game night. Their daughter, still in diapers, decided that Billy was her type of guy. Billy had never been around little kids. Even though he was a teacher, he wasn't sure what to do with her - she was just little. Without warning, she clawled up into his lap. He flashed me a look of distress so I moved his hand around his new little friends back to help brace her on his lap.

She was his shadow the entire evening. He loosened up a bit and she never let him out of her line of vision.