God Knew All Along

2 gymnasts getting married...young and in love. We would joke..."How cool would it be to have our own gym! Me and you! We get to work together in the sport that was our life for so many years!"
God heard...and I think He chuckled a little. He knew we would get saved in a little church in Brookhaven. Find a home nearby. Start a new job with the Philadelphia 76ers and start a family. All the while 4 miles away, a gym school named Delco would be a place where little ones played & learned the sport so familiar to us.
Fast forward to 2009. Bill says he thinks it is a good idea to try to put more money into our savings account. No reason besides...it's good to save money.
Fast forward again to the summer of 2011. I have an impression...out of nowhere.
'Pray for You and Bill to become owners of a gym school'.
HUH? Stop, wait, WHAT??
No that's ok God. Bill has a job. He loves it and  he makes good money! So I told Bill...he had pretty much the same response. And then I started to pray anyway.
It is now October 2011. Bill has a meeting and is told that 'the new Sixers owners are going in a different direction'. He lost his job. What do we do? We don't have millions of dollars to start up our own gym. After gathering advice from dear friends & family, we began to pursue ownership at the gym we were at. At first it seemed like it could really work. But then red flags & stop signs started popping up all over. We prayed harder than ever. We read through the book of Isaiah together....faith, trust, God's faithfulness, His strength, His promises...were all things we focused on.
We sent an email to Delco Gym. It was short sweet, bold & to the point.
'Do you want to sell your business?'
What we the chances that we would hear back from this gym so close to our home with sending such a lame & desperate email?
WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!!!
God knew all along what Bill's gifts are (because He gave them to Bill :) & that he was made for leading & coaching.
God knew all along that my experience homeschooling, administrating and websites (which all began with this little blog:) would come in handy.
God, you knew all along!
We are still in awe of what he has done! Praise HIM from whom all blessings flow!!!!

10:31

10:31. October 31st. The day I was born. I can't tell you how many time I see a digital clock & it says 10:31.
I feel like it's God's way of telling me how much He loves me.
I was saved from my sins in 1996 when Jesus Christ became a real person in my life. His death on the cross became very real to me. His love for me became very real to me. What did I do to deserve this love? Absolutely nothing. What did I do to NOT deserve it? Lots and Lots. Lately I have been filled with such gratefulness and thankfulness in my life. I feel like God has given me so much. He didn't need to bless me. He doesn't need to lavish love on me...but He does...and it hasn't stopped.
Going through this trial with Bill losing his job brought me to my knees. I have not prayed this much in my entire life. And guess what! He has heard my prayers and answered them. He has closed doors and opened one door. Opened it wide and as we walk through we receive confirmation that "this is the way, walk in it". We can't wait to shout it out and tell everyone what He has done!!! But for now we wait  a little...we wait till the papers are signed and an announcement is made. So in the mean time I rejoice and I rest in God's loving arms, in awe of how He loves His children.

Loss of a Job...But it Never Really was a Job.

Hip-Hop, the 76ers mascot is no more. On Thursday as Bill was driving in to work, he was listening to sports radio. The talk show host (I won't name names because his name doesn't deserve to be mentioned on my blog) asked the new owners if Hip-Hop was going to be fired. "I've got a big pot of boiling water, let's have some rabbit stew!".
Bill called me with a feeling that it would be his last day...and it was. He was so thankful to be able to thank all the amazing friends & co workers for 14 years of fun. Bill loved his job. It was the perfect job for my energetic-can't-sit-still- let-me-entertain-you husband. We never saw it as a job...it was a way of life for our whole family. Parades, zoos, movie premieres, dunk shows, games, parties...all these things we were able to do as a family. So many skits on the court involved the kids, me, Bill's mom, Madison's soccer team. It was a family thing...wonderful for that fact.
So on Friday morning as Bill walked downstairs and announced " Well...today is the first day of a new season in our lives!" We all cried. We are still so sad to say goodbye to the friends that we have met along the way & the wonderful opportunities we have had as a family. Some things we are not sad to leave. Game nights...Bill working all day and not arriving home till 11pm. Exhausted. The sheer physicalness (is that even a word?) of the job. Him having to be up and energetic even when he is exhausted...he won't miss. Endless piles of sweaty clothes and sweaty stinky rabbit heads hanging in my house...I won't miss.
I typed up a little history of Hip-Hop HERE. It tells Bill's story. We have kept Hip-Hop's identity secret for 14 years. I feel like people should know what an amazing man he is. I want to send it to the press. Bill said no...so I won't. But if I could I would ask them, along with mister talk radio guy...

Did you know that the man in the costume prayed each and every time before he walked out on the court?
Did you know that he was a national champion and the first man to score a perfect 10 in National Championship history?
Did you know he cried inside his rabbit costume when he visited a sick child in the hospital?
Did you know he endured 3 major surgeries during the 14 years and risked his life at times to entertain you?

So what will we do now? We are not sure. Bill will be coaching at the girls gymnastics club more often. His resume is complete and we will be sending it out. We have been praying alot. Praying that the Lord would show us the way. He answered us as I read in Isaiah 30:


"He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as He hears it He answers you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you saying 'This is the way, walk in it'.


Teacher, Our Lord, we will wait to hear your voice from behind us saying "This is the way, walk in it."

Emma Rose

My heart is heavy for my dear friend Steph. 

She lost her 3 year old daughter Emma on Friday. 

Please pray for her, her husband Ken and Gavin & Mason her brothers. 

Lord we do not understand it all. 

Your ways are not our ways. 

You give & take away but we trust you have a greater plan.

Her Memorial Website

The Dancing Old Man

I Love church. I love it because it is there where I experience God in a very real way. There is a man at my church. In his 70's I think. He wears suspenders with a suit every Sunday. He is usually sitting alone. But when that worship music begins...he is no longer sitting. When the music picks up, faster, louder... he starts dancing. And last week, he did it again...and it made me cry. To see this man dance with his arms raised & his face lit up with pure joy...it's like witnessing a little bit of heaven, right there in front of me. I can't look away. Why is he so filled up with joy? He knows a great love. He has been forgiven much so he loves God much. And watching him makes me love God more too.

My Thoughts on Heaven

Happy Easter Everyone! I am looking forward to having my parents, my sister, John, Jordyn & Jenna visit this weekend. I am a little sad that Bill will be working on Saturday and Easter Sunday...but I am also aware that we are not limited to one day of celebrating the death & resurrection of our Savior. It is something we should celebrate every day!
Sunday's message was about our own resurrection & what our bodies will be like when we rise from the dead. It had me thinking about heaven.
 I have this vision of me entering heaven...beautiful light, beautiful place...so beautiful that it takes my breath away. I see a man coming towards me. He is beautiful. He looks at me like He has known me my whole life...because He has. He is smiling & glowing. He hugs me & I am engulfed in His arms. He steps back and holds out his hands to me. I look down & see the holes where the nails were. But I also see in glowing script engraved on his hand my name...Christina Lynne. I cannot stand because I am overwhelmed by this love and this joy. He stands me up. Brushes the tears away from my eyes, puts his arm around me & shows me around. This is just the beginning...the rest of it...I do not know now...but I will. Not sure when. Hopefully when I am very old  & had the chance to tell my great grandchildren about Jesus. All I know is...my life is in His hands. And I should not fear, but anticipate that day with hope & joy.

Am I a Fool?

Found this great post HERE.

1. A foolish woman is easily enticed by the world. "If sinners entice you, do not consent. If they say . . . ‘We shall find all precious goods, we shall fill our houses with plunder; throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse” . . . do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their paths” (1:10–15). A woman easily enticed by the world is also often materialistic and ambitious for success by the world’s standards. She allows worldly philosophies to shape her understanding about everything. For such a woman, self-esteem and self-worth can seem to her more valuable than following Christ in a lifestyle of self-denial.



2. A foolish woman believes the lie that security lies in material blessings: "Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf" (11:28).


3. A foolish woman hates knowledge. She is one who shuns, ignores, disdains, scorns, or rationalizes away biblical wisdom and counsel. She lives by the dictates of her emotions, and she insists on fulfilling her personal desires and believes that her way of thinking is always the right way. To such a woman Proverbs asks, “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?” (1:22).


4. A foolish woman is complacent. A complacent woman is contented with a mediocre Christian life. She fails to grasp the truth that there is no middle road, no fence-sitting, when it comes to discipleship; we are at all times either going forward or going backward. “The complacency of fools will destroy them” (1:32).

5. A foolish woman is lazy. Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise" (6:6). The ant-like principle of industriousness applies equally to spiritual matters and to every other area of our lives. Proverbs issues a call to exercise ourselves toward wisdom and good judgment in all our ways and relationships. Foolish women tend to sit back and wait for it all to just magically happen.


6. A foolish woman is sinfully independent. She seeks autonomy from God and others. “A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; he rages against all wise judgment” (18:1)

Merry Christmas!

I'm convinced that no matter how early I begin preparing for Christmas...I am ALWAYS rushing around last minute to get the last stocking stuffers. I am ready now...I think. Gifts wrapped. Cookies made. Cards sent. Crafts finished. And now we are all excited. I am 38 years old & still get giddy opening presents! Bring it on!!! I have another reason to feel giddy...full of joy.
Every Christmas I think about my salvation. 14 years ago...my new life in Christ began...and it gives Christmas a greater meaning to me than ever before. That day, an amzing gift was offered to me. I opened it. And it changed me inside and out. And HE continues to change me...thank you Lord...for this amazing gift...your Son...fully man and fully God...this gives us a reason to celebrate!
MERRY JOYFUL GIDDY HAPPY CHRISTMAS!
Love,
The Happy Five

Hiding it in My Heart

As a Christian I want God to use me.
I want my life to be fruitful and to be able to love my family & friends.
I want my life to reflect God's love...His truth, His grace & His mercy.
I have learned recently that if I am not reading God's Word, the bible, regularly, how can I expect to live a fruitful life?
How can I help my children and love my husband if God's Word is not in me?
Psalm 119:11 says "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."
So I have decided to be more diligent in memorizing scripture.
Pslam 63 came to mind...so here it goes...the first part anyway:
"Oh God you are my God, earnestly I seek you.
My soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you;
in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
I have seen you in the sanctuary, and beheld your power and your glory;
because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I lift up my hands.
My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
With singing lips my mouth will praise you.
On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night."

TO BE CONTINUED...

Thank You...

Thank you Jesus for saving me...

Why I Read & Thoughts on Marriage

I was never a reader. My mom would tell you. I would rather be doing something else. I always wished I could love it like my sister & my mom. Just sit with a good book in my lap and devour it happily. The reason for this is probably that my comprehension of what I read is pretty poor, so I have to slow down and really focus. Otherwise I end up reading the same paragraph over & over again. As I grew older I learned how to cope. In PA school I learned how to skim my medical books and highlite the important info I would need to learn for the test & actually was very successful doing this.
After I became a Christian and began reading the bible I realized that I had been missing out on alot of wisdom. The bible was full of it. Other books too. So now when I read I really want it to count. A good fictional book that has a great life lesson in it or one that makes me cry in the end...I love those. But mostly I read books that I can use to encourage me along as a Christian. To help me be a better wife to Bill and a mom to Mad, A, and Matthew. I want to grow & learn. I hate feeling complacent and stuck...so I read.
My girlfriend Barb gave me a wonderful book on marriage called Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas. The title says this, "What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than happy?" Interesting concept huh?
In Ch. 2 the author says this: "Strong Christian marriages will still be struck by lightning- sexual temptation, communication problems, frustrations, unrealized expectations- but if marriages are heavily watered with an unwavering commitment to please God above everything else, the conditions won't be ripe for a devastating fire to follow the lightning strike. If I'm married only for happiness, and my happiness wanes for whatever reason, one little spark will burn the entire forest of my relationship. But if my aim is to proclaim and model God's ministry of reconciliation, my endurance will be fireproof."
Some really important pieces of wisdom right there. I'm grateful for the little reminders God gives me when I read. And here's the amazing thing. As I strive to become more holy as God calls me to...in His strength & grace...He gives me JOY!!! WOW...pretty amazing!

GOOD Friday

Why is it good? 2000 years ago Jesus died a horrible death to rescue His precious beloved ones...me and you. Thank you Jesus...for saving me! Thank you that you gave me a new life on that day! Thank you that you give us hope...real hope. The kind that brings joy...real joy.
Happy EASTER!!

Why The Bible?

Last weekend, our friends Lloyd & Amy visited us & spent the night. We really enjoyed the sweet fellowship we had that night. Lloyd is in seminary at Liberty University in Virginia and Amy is expecting their first child...Congrats guys!! We can't wait to meet the little one!!
We were discussing the fact that many people have a hard time believing in what the bible says as Truth. He told me about this guy Ravi Zacharias who speaks all over the world and answers really tough questions to very educated people. His response in this video was so clear...and difficult to argue with. He says, "No other piece of literature ever in history matches it". So to all of you intellectuals out there that have a hard time grasping Truth from the bible...you must listen to this guy.

For more videos of Mr. Zacharias explaining other topics like atheism and creationism vs evolution, click HERE.

It's REAL...not a Fairytale

I have heard it said of the story of Christ & Christianity..."it's not real, just a story, a fairytale."
"It's just a tradition, something we do on Sundays. "
"It's a crutch for the weak people of this world."
"An excuse for the dumb people who aren't smart enough to know better. "
Watch this video and see how God is very real. How he has changed lives. How He has changed people lost and alone and given them life.
The cardboard says it all...what would your piece of cardboard say?

The Girl I Used To Be

"She came tonight as I sat alone, the girl I used to be...
And she gazed at me with her earnest eye and questioned reproachfully;
Have you forgotten the many plans and hopes that I had for you?
The career, the splendid fame, and all the wonderful things to do?
Where is the mansion of stately height with all of its gardens rare?
The silken robes that I dreamed for you and the jewels in your hair?

And as I spoke, I was very sad for I wanted her pleased with me...
This slender girl from the shadowy past the girl that I used to be
So gently rising, I took her hand, and guided her up the stair
Where peacefully sleeping, my babies lay innocent, sweet and fair.

And I told her that these are my only gems, and precious they are to me;
That silken robe is my motherhood of costly simplicity.
And my mansion of stately height is love, and the only career I know
Is serving each day in these sheltered walls for the dear ones who come and go.

As I spoke to my shadowy guest, she smiled through her tears at me.
And I saw that the woman that I am now, pleased the girl I used to be."

Author Unknown
Poem taken from "Womanly Dominion" by Mark Chanski

The BEST Bible for Kids

Every morning since September I have read the Jesus Storybook Bible to the kids while they happily slurp down their cereal. It is a great book. The pictures are so colorful and each bible story always ties into the gospel. We finished the final story yesterday. It was from the book of Revelation where the apostle John, while in prison, receives a vision from the Lord. It tells of a new heaven and a new earth...no more pain...no more suffering. The last page paraphrased John 1:12-13.
"For anyone who says yes to Jesus
For anyone who believes what Jesus said
For anyone who will just reach out to take it
Then God will give them this wonderful gift:
To be born into A whole new life
To be who they really are
Who God always made them to be-
Their own true selves-
God's dear child.
Because you see, the most wonderful thing about this story is- it's your story too!"

Adrienne shouted "Read it again!"...and they all clapped and cheered...so did I.
(Here's the link to the book on Amazon.com)

Praying for Amanda

This weekend was quite busy for the Roths. Bill's sister Jennifer arrived with her daughter Taleah & son Efrem from Florida so yesterday we went to get family pictures taken...but one family was missing. Amanda was admitted to the hospital with a fever and belly pain to rule out appendicitis. Hopefully all the tests will show that it is just a UTI. We all went to visit her in the hospital since she was pretty upset she couldn't be with all her cousins. After that we went to Nana and Poppy's house to have a party for Taleah who turned 6 on the 16th and Efrem who will turn 4 on Dec 1st. The kids had a blast...but we missed you Amanda! We pray you feel better today!
UPDATE**Amanda was released from the Hospital just in time to celebrate Thanksgiving with us! God answers prayers! Wednesday night we prayed before dinner that her fever would end & the doctors would release her...and that is what happened! Praise God!**

Lessons From the Soccer Field

Soccer season for the girls seems never ending as they have had to reschedule games and reschedule the rescheduled games due to rain every Saturday morning. I have enjoyed seeing Madison and Adrienne improve with each game. Adrienne's team especially. The girls have learned how to play their positions instead of running all over the field exhausted. This made me think of the book I am reading by Mark Chanski called "Womanly Dominion". He talks about the importance of women playing their positions.
On p.21 he says, "everyday, women, unlike men, face an additional fierce life challenge. Due to high-powered feminist social pressures, they've got to keep telling themselves, 'Play your position!' On the field of life, women hear constant shouts from unprincipled sideline voices telling them to leave their God-assigned posts. These voices are much like the voices of misguided parents telling their goalie daughter to 'Get the ball, honey, and try to dribble down the field and score!'" Then he goes on to say..."She's been assigned a glorious and important position in this world. But the sideline voices attempt to drown out her Lord's words of instruction."
Could this be a reason why women are less happy these days? TIME magazine reported that "Among the most confounding changes of all is the evidence, tracked by numerous surveys, that as women have gained more freedom, more education and more economic power, they have become less happy". Today, as traditional, conservative values are mocked as being old fashioned, irrelevent, ancient and not "progressive" enough...it surely makes you think...maybe many "old fashioned" views and values weren't so wrong or "ancient" after all. Could it be that many women are finding a fulfilling life right at home, caring for their families...I think so. I am one of them.

Bye Bye Facebook

After a difficult discussion with Bill last night, I decided to deactivate my Facebook account. This was a very hard decision for me. I loved seeing old friends, pictures of new babies, and reading friends comments & status. The problem was...I loved it too much. I have to confess, I was not a casual facebooker like many I know who check it once a week or so or post a picture every now and then. I checked facebook atleast 3 times a day, and maybe twice on weekends. It began to take time away from teaching the kids, correcting the kids, enjoying the kids, talking with Bill, greeting him at the door, making phone calls, cleaning the house...you get the point. If I had more self control (the Lord knows I have been praying for more for some time now), I could keep my account and just not be on the computer so much. So I thought this would be a good way to guard my time better...just get rid of the temptation all together. I am a bit bummed I won't be able to check up on all my friends and family...I guess I will just start using the telephone and email again!!!

Wasting Time

As the weather gets colder and we spend more time inside I have a tendancy to waste time. By nature I am a procrastinator and an excellent waster of time. I love a good nap, time to rest, time to relax under a warm blanket, figuring out a way to keep my hand warm as I endlessly switch channels on the TV. I don't mind rainy days because they give me more of a reason to rest and relax. The computer sort of follows this pattern as I can really enjoy reading my favorite blogs, reading comments, facebook, searching websites for a cute pair of jeans or finding the best deal on home furnishings. Computer time is just another outlet for me to relax, tune out...waste time. Don't get me wrong, much that I do on the computer is for good things...homeschooling resources, COMPASS responsibilities, emails, staying in touch with family. I think this video really helped me understand how I need to be careful and guard my time better and have more self control to do the things that God would consider important. Check out the point Joshua Harris makes about time on the computer. I thought it was an excellent point...especially for someone like me.