My Favorite Cheer

Updates on life to come...

But as I sit and wait for my boys of green and white to play those badgers! I have one thing on my mind...Spartans (sorry George). Here is one of my favorite two-year-olds cheering on my absolute favorite team!

Dear Jack,

This is actually a letter to you Jack! I am not surprised that this moment finally came, it was bound to at some point.

I am wishing you could be here Friday to see your son walk me down the aisle. I am wishing you could bring your Jane, Chuck's Linda and Alfreda's Henry with you too! And whereas I know for sure that won't happen, the 9 year old girl who last hugged you is a little less convinced. If you get a chance celebrate with me, ok?

I love you.

Your baby granddaughter,

Steffie

Nothing like Spartan Stadium...

I love Spartan Stadium
I love The Boys of Fall
I love Green and White
I love Sparty

This past Friday night about two hours before THE game started my Dad got two tickets, from our favorite MSU track coach AKA our neighbor who had a conflict. My Momma said she did not want to go...her lost, MY gain. I never made it to the stadium to watch a game last year and didn't realize how much I missed it! It was hot, but I was glad to be there. Nothing like Spartan Stadium on a Friday night. Although if you go with my Dad don't expect to stay until the clock says 0:00.

PS We WON!!!!

My Help comes from the Lord

I have been kind of discouraged lately.

On Thursday I was working at a house with many children. I was cleaning and as I sometimes do with every mop stroke and surfaced wipe I was over thinking pretty much everything (read-I was feeling reeeeaaallllyyy discouraged). In fact while mopping I was pretty much begging God to send me some encouragement. Not ten minutes later did a four you old boy walk into the room. He has been known to say such things as "you're disgusting" to his favorite neighbors and "you're a stinkpot" to pretty much everyone else (note-his parents are working on this). He walked in the room and said "You're the best". To which of course I picked him up and cried. He noticed and said that my eyes were red and asked if I had burned them....I laughed.

The Lord did in fact answer my prayer for encouragement, using one of the most unlikely sources, as if to say, this is from me. Does this solve all my problems...nope, but it is a great reminder that my Help comes from the Lord.

A look back

Last Wednesday was the very last time I watched these four kids from two different families together. Two of these wonderful kids are moving to Kansas...they will be missed by me. Looking back I must have been a little crazy to say yes to watching 2 two year olds, an almost one year old and a 2 month old, but for what it's worth I would say yes again in a heart beat! They have brought me lots of joy!

All my trust on thee is stayed

So I guess the problem with having the mindset of "These are good days" is things change. I do well with a lot of things, like a double digit amount of kiddos at one time, to do list that could never all be done, mainly I do crazy well. I do not do well with change. And in a time in my life that I am getting ready for a big, but good change (marriage) it seems like in the Lord's good and perfect timing everything around me is changing too.

I mean three of the families I am watching are either getting ready to or just had a baby, three families are moving (one to Kansas :( and the other two locally), two families have kids starting preschool (therefore I won't see the kids as much as I would like), multiple of my good friends have moved a way and now it looks like my brother may join in the changes and move to Colorado :(

Half of me wants to freeze time and stay awhile (or at least throw my hands up and say "really", the other half is just a little sad. I suppose that the good reminder in it all is that my hope is not in these days, but in the Maker of day, the giver of my days. My end is to glorify him. As things change all around me my cornerstone remains steadfast.

Other refuge have I none,
hangs my helpless soul on thee;
leave, ah! leave me not alone,
still support and comfort me.
All my trust on thee is stayed,
all my help from thee I bring;
cover my defenseless head
with the shadow of thy wing.

Thou, O Christ, art all I want,
more than all in thee I find;
raise the fallen, cheer the faint,
heal the sick, and lead the blind.
Just and holy is thy name,
I am all unrighteousness;
false and full of sin I am;

thou art full of truth and grace.

-Wesley

Happy July 4th!

This Fourth of July found me at Young State Park up in the small, but great town of Boyne City...just like usual! I absolutely love it Up North! I love camping with my family. I love the trails, the beach, the smell of campfire, the fireworks. I really liked showing Brad how my family camps. I think he enjoyed it, but then again who wouldn't enjoy the beauty of Lake Charlevoix. This picture is my Mom and I (Shadow too!) watching the sunset on Lake Charlevoix! (Sorry I didn't try to get a picture of the sunset itself...but then again those never turn out as well as the real thing.)

Wedding!

Hey! I am getting married!

Find our Wedding Website here!

Merry Half Christmas

So I was recently reminded of a story from Christmas that makes me laugh and because Christmas is half way here I thought it was a perfect time to share!

Although my parents always get me gifts from both of them, it's obvious sometimes one of them really thought of the gift...So this Christmas my Dad got me an external hard-drive for my computer. I had been talking about getting one for a long time and even went to Best Buy to look at them, but the combination of no one helping me and the price tag quickly made me walk a way, needless to say I was very excited to receive one from my thoughtful father. My Mom got me a squishy green pillow. Mrs. Boyd (yes, Laura's mom) had got me one in high school at a Hot Rod Car Show and I like to hold it when I sleep. At one point the old pillow got so sad that I stuffed it in a pillowcase and kept using it (which probably just made it sadder!). So this was also a great gift, that I loved (my old pillow went in the trash Christmas morning.)

Okay now to the funny part. After opening my parents gifts, I opened Brad's and lo and behold an external hard-drive. Very thoughtful from Brad too, and I am sure he got to hear the extended version of me going to Best Buy and getting frustrated...so was a great gift!

That was on Christmas Day...the next day was a Sunday, Laura and I were in scheduled in the nursery, so we talked about what we had got for Christmas. Upon hearing of my new squishy green pillow, Laura said "I guess I'll take that back!" That's right she had got me the same thing that my Mom did.

I'm not sure what it says about me that my Fiance got me the same thing my dad did and my best friend got me the same thing my mom did, but I LOVE it and love them all too!

Faithfulness and Okey

These past couple week I have been reminded that my faithfulness comes before what my limited eyes view as success. Not in the "I just sit around and pray hoping God brings me stuff that I don't work for" way, but in the "I work harder then any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me" way. And it's true before any worldly titles I could hold or any other successes, faithfulness is still the thing I cannot do without.

What does being faithful mean for me....it means not rolling my eyes when I need to change my fourth poopy diaper of the morning and am only watching two kids, it means being on time places (I need to really work on this), it means praying before I even leave my house for the blessings and needs of the day, it means doing my work (paid or not) as if the Lord was my only employer. It means all of that and lots more.

Although in some ways I would have been happier without this reminder, it is good for me, and as an added bonus it made me think a lot about a pastor who is one of the best examples of a faithful person I know. Sometimes I wish I was in his small church of 60 or so people, on a humid Sunday morning, just a walk away from the Atlantic Ocean. I would listen to his preaching, hear his congregation members pray and sing, and then leave only to be greeted by his sweaty hug and handshake. This man on a causal weekday night stayed up going chapter by chapter through Revelation and Romans...He would also "host" a Theology night once a week where he would answer any question we college kiddos would have, always using scripture to answer the questions with a Bible in hand, but rarely needing open it, to quote it. His preaching is more faithful and simply put, better than many pastors with congregations in the thousands. He has many struggles in his life, but his faithfulness is steadfast. He is a man who unmistakably has been with the Lord.

His life by some outsiders may be looked upon as lacking success (pastor of a smaller aging church and former real estate agent), but his example to me is one of successful faithfulness in glorifying the Lord. I thank and praise the Lord for Okey and his example of faithfulness.

Gems of Truth

On a weekly basis I have the joy to see around 30 kids...which is a great blessing. I love them all and am slightly sad that my season with a couple of them is slowly winding down. They teach me about life through their young eyes...and a lot about God.

There is a little blonde girl who shows me what it is to look and marvel at God's creation. Just to give you some idea she was sad on the first day of fall when the leaves were not instantly colorful, she sings songs about the rain and the sun and the apple trees, she tries to name all the bird that come to their birds feeder (in fact because of her I know what a Goldfinch is), and she rejoices at the May snow flurry that made me cringe.

There are two blonde twins and their brother that show me how to pray to a God that CAN do anything. They pray consistently for something that my sinful heart says God won't/can't answer. It's that heart that they show me I need to repent of; the heart that judges prayer on the basis of whether I think God can/will answer and then proceeds (or doesn't).

There is a skinny spunky blonde girl who shows me what is it to believe that Jesus is a friend. Most recently it was in her telling me about how she is never lonely, as Jesus is always with her and always will be. Also she corrects my jokes about how today is the best day ever but simply telling me that the best day ever will be when she's with Jesus.

There is a four year old academic that has been hear saying "no sinful nature, momma told me I have to take a nap." This little boy fights his sin better than my heart does most days. He also at his young age struggles to understand things that adults might not even think twice about (The trinity, original sin etc). This is a good reminder to me that struggling to understand/thinking through theology is a great thing.

There is a young Paleontologist/Zoologist that isn't old enough to read yet, but can name facts and correct my pronunciation at any and all animals (and for some reason he always asks me to read the books that include the scientific names too!) His heart shows me what it is to stand in awe of the creation of my God, the present and the extinct.

There is a five year old world traveler, who has stepped on more foreign soil in his young life they I probably ever will. He is fluent in two languages, as are his parents. He shows me that no matter what language the Gospel is spoken in the truth remains. No truer words about Jesus can ever be spoken, no matter what language he speaks it in.

There is a boy named G2 who is possibly borderline obsessed with the fact that we as sinners don't deserve anything, but the curse of God. At his young age he is starting to understand the grace and mercy God shows us, undeserving sinners. The depth of that grace and mercy is something he and I and all the saints will continue to see clearer until the day of Christ.

It's these reminders and many more the Lord blesses me with on a near daily basis.

and once again

I pretty much feel like I never get what I want and although right now that's making me a little bit more than a little sad, the better news is I don't get what I deserve.

I am a sinner who deserves hell for my sin. End of story. But not so fast, I am a redeemed sinner who's sin was paid in full at the cross of Christ. I don't bear the load I cannot bear, for Christ has already. Not only do I not get what I deserve, I get what I do not deserve...heaven. Praise the Lord.

So once again I get the reminder that the Gospel is good news and my hope is not in this world...here's hoping that the next time this great reminder comes I don't end up crying...although maybe it's not a completely bad price to pay.

Oh Father, use my ransomed life
In any way You choose.
And let my song forever be
My only boast is You.

Gone

There is a house right across the street from where my street dead ends...or there was a house. It got taken down yesterday, this got me thinking about what it look like. The only thing I could come up with is that it was white...I think. This has made me think a couple of things.

One) How things built by man, for the purpose of man, never last.

Two) How could something that I have looked at say more than 5,000 times be so easily forgotten. This has made me think about how the things I become familiar with can seem common and forgettable. I pray that this is not how I view the Gospel of Christ. Not through eyes of familiarity, but through eyes of constant awe. Through eyes that say who am I, Stephanie Hays, that Christ took my blame and born the wrath of God (wrath that was rightly placed on me for my sin).

By the way I really do think it was white.

An open letter to Sparty

Dear Sparty,

I think you know I like you a lot. I mean really what other middle schooler made a picture of you out of streamers (streamers are not easy to work with) and who can forget that rainy fall night I stood on my bleacher, till the clock read 0:00, just to watch our boys lose, or the time you sneaked up (stood) behind me at that volleyball game or the many pictures I have taken with you and your statues throughout the years.

So now the confession...I am working for this family and I like them a lot, five little blonde girls all running around. There is only one problem and that is HE (the father, the one we shall not name) graduated from (gulp) Michigan and (gulp) has the wardrobe to prove it. This may seem like nothing Sparty, but...I have folded some of their laundry...meaning...yes I have folded shirts and sweatshirts of maize and blue. Oh the shame. Every time I think of you and your dedication to the cause seen here in this video and somehow I know I have failed you. Please forgive me and know my love for you.

Your always fan,

Steph

PS I hope to some day gather the courage to throw down the shirts and run.

Annie

Is this picture of

A) Annie's annual kool aid bath

B) Fingerpaint

C) A bloody scene

D) violation of child labor laws through producing strawberry wine

(Note-If you guessed B and have a one year old, two year old, three year old and four year old present, finger painting in a little crazy)

Look

My favorite App on my phone is one that I downloaded by accident. It is from National Geographic and it changes my background every day to a new picture and tells me where it is and a little about it...it shows me things from all over the world (today it's the Rio Negro in Brazil, yesterday the Badab Sourt Spring in Iran, the day before that it was El Capitan in Yellowstone National Park). I have really enjoyed waking up and looking at my phone, I'm met with awe of seeing what God did each morning.

Today I am met in awe again, not just by my a picture on my phone, but of a tomb. An empty tomb. An empty tomb that declares loudly that justice has been satisfied and I have been justified. The punishment for sin has been payed in full, Jesus' blood has satisfied it. Though my sins were like scarlet, they have been made white as snow (Isaiah 1:18). A debt I could not pay, payed for me. It's one of the ultimate look what God did moments and for that I praise God.

How Deep the Father's Love for us

It's a big day for me...I finally figured out how to add a youtube video to my post! (Note-It is rather easy, I was just to stubborn to ask) So to celebrate here are two great videos of Jesus.

Allegiance

So a little known fact about me...sometimes I listen to Christian Radio. Sometimes it is because some of the songs I like, sometimes I like the cheesiness of some song and words spoken (note-so sorry if you listen to Christian radio and don't find anything cheesy...ignore my last statement) and yet other times I forget to change it (this is mostly the funniest when I finally realize that I have been listening to static for quite sometime after driving out of range).

As you may have guessed I am going to talk about lyrics to a song that I find end up somewhere between cheesy and unhelpful. It's lyrics set to an upbeat catchy tune, that I find myself singing along with. They suggested that Christianity should be

More like falling in love
Than something to believe in
More like losing my heart

Than giving my allegiance

It is the second half of that where I find my biggest problem, for the simple reason that it seems to elevate emotions (losing my heart) over the truth (my allegiance). With is incredibly unhelpful especially because my heart sometimes does not feel lost at all, it feels very focused on me, my wants, my needs, me.

It is for that reason I find allegiance more of a comfort and truth. My allegiance is to Christ. My loyalty, as one whose citizenship is of Heaven (Philippians 3:20), is to the Lord of Heaven and earth. This is true when my heart seems lost and when it's focused on me. The Word of my Lord is good news to me either way, when my emotions line up with truth and when that don't.

Here is a song that gets it right.

1. My hope is built on nothing less
   Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
   I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
   But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
   • Refrain:
     On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
     All other ground is sinking sand,
     All other ground is sinking sand.
2. When darkness veils His lovely face,
   I rest on His unchanging grace;
   In every high and stormy gale,
   My anchor holds within the veil.
3. His oath, His covenant, His blood
   Support me in the whelming flood;
   When all around my soul gives way,
   He then is all my hope and stay.
4. When He shall come with trumpet sound,
   Oh, may I then in Him be found;
   Dressed in His righteousness alone,
   Faultless to stand before the throne.

Tears for a Saint

My brother called me on Friday to take advantage of these present times, which he was reminded (and reminded me) how fleeting these times are. His friend died Thursday night. He was a pastor at the church Jake goes to. He died along with his baby son in a house fire. Upon hanging up with him I grabbed one of the toddler twins I was bathing at the time and cried and prayed for the family...I am pretty sure both girls thought I was crazy.

This man, Derek, had come home from Together for the Gospel

Conference, the same conference my pastors were at this week, Picked

up his 5 month old son, as his wife and two daughter were visiting family

in FL, went home, put the baby to bed and that night they both died.

In a sense this is really sad, they leave behind a wife/mother and two little girls and countless family members in Christ. In another sense this is joyous as it always is when a Saint (redeemed sinner/Christian) is buried. Borrowing from the hymn Jesus, I my cross have taking, Derek's hope has changed to glad fruition, his faith to sight and prayers to praise. It has been encouraging and challenging to look at Derek's life, a man who preached the Gospel; the sinless for the sinners, repentance and Christ's love. He leaves a legacy of a man who promoted the truth, a truth that will out last us all.

Here is a link for their obituary. You should read it.

Here is a link to a letter written by Derek's wife. You should probably read it too.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures -1 Corinthians 15:3

Only Grace

There are very few songs that take me back to a particular moment...in fact only two that I can think of. I happened to hear one of those songs today on the radio and like usually it took me back.

It took me back to South Carolina, Summer project (SBP), five summers ago, in the pew at Garden City Baptist Church, turquoise carpet, beautiful wood ceilings, I was probably sitting next to the sweet old lady with the walker (I always did). The pastor's teenage son got up to sing this song, I could see him if I looked straight, but if I turned thru a sea of people I could perfectly see Baja, head in one of his hands he was crying...probably colser to weeping, the other lifted up to the Lord. For his younger brother had died a quite unexpected diving death the day before. Never have I ever witnessed so perfectly visible, utter pain and sorrow met with the complete praise of the Lord. Never has there ever been such an example of how Christians should grieve

Take a listen if you want

Happy Valentine's Day

So I normally would not write a Valentine's Day Blog Post (or maybe I would since I am), but Saturday afternoon I witness something that made me smile.
I was checking out at Meijer and I was in the Express lane (I think I had 15 items don't tell). There was this older woman, maybe 70, in line behind me. Her hubby came next to her a heart shaped brownie cake in his hands, he said "Happy Valentine's Day". If that was not cute enough she ask him when he got that and he said something about seeing it on the way in and then my favorite they discussed how it would be good the next morning, instead of oatmeal, with their coffee! She them processed to check it out herself. It took all I had not to turn around and say, "You guys are adorable!"
They were indeed cute, in the we've been together for a long time and know each other well way!

Hanging on...Still

Note: you may want to look back to Hanging on...

So a very similar thing happened today, Helen was over and I realized the dogs had not been outside yet. I figured I could let them upstairs to go straight outside and then send them back down, maybe Helen would not even realize. NO CHANCE! That little girl cried and cried and cried. And again, even after the dogs were on the other side of the door to the basement she still cried.

I said something to her about how there was a door and knocked on it, as if to show her how solid the door is...which then got me thinking about how there is a door in life that the Lord has provided between me and what I am afraid of. There are many doors that the Lord puts up for my safety, none as complete though as the Gospel of Christ. That although, I am a sinner and God cannot be with sin, that Christ the sinless, died my death so I could live. No matter what situation/fears I face in this life, a solid door in the Gospel separates me.

Jonathan

I met this boy in a basement dorm room early our freshman year and he has become a dear brother. I am grateful to know him. He has seen me crazy and stayed for tea. He has encouraged me to go on SBP (I am so glad for this) and then encouraged me by writing letters all summer. He has left me both phone messages directing me to scripture and lifting me up in his prayers. He has walked me places and filled my gas tank after dark. He has left encouraging comments here in this very blog. He has seen me grow and I have seen him grow. The Lord was indeed kind to let us do this whole college and post college thing together.

I have known for quite some time his heart is attached to New York and that this state can not hold him here. And in fact Michigan's time with him is drawing to an end. In some ways this is sad (for me), but in other ways this is joyful. I am excited to see and hear stories of my dear brother seeking and professing the name of Jesus, my Lord in New York City and who knows where else. I am exciting to get emails, texts and phone calls telling me of his ministry and how I can be praying for it, both in the highs and lows. And those prayers will be a joy to pray, for as Paul says we are partners in this great Gospel.

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. -Philippians 1:3-6

Only J Wells himself will know how happy I was to find a photo of the green chair! This is one of the key spot were we cemented our friendship.

This is the other...apparently he did not like it much (I found more then one photo like this)

This is prove he enjoys hanging out with me (or maybe he just enjoys studying)

This is an artsy photo of him...

THE END

Faithfulness Take Two

Here it is again...another reminder of the Lord's faithfulness to me when I see it not. I recently have been stressing over the fact the I lost around 10+ hours of work between the fall and the spring. At times it was sadness over the change and other times (sad to say, but truly the majority) it was doubting what God has provided me (read-sin). The crazy thing is I already pointed out to myself multiple times, that my schedule fit together in such a way that could only be explained as a blessing from the Lord and I was still questioning what he provided.

So now I write, saying yet again, the Lord provides (please remember self). I now have most of those hours back and am blessed to see into the lives of two more dear families, who love the Lord and want to raise their children to love the Lord as well. This is such an undeserved blessing, especially when I see how much I didn't trust God to provide.

Lord, Help my unbelief and thank you for all that you have provided for me.

My Team

Here's the story: to me there is only one team that places sports. I love my team. It's the team that as a ten year old I made homemade posters for (back in the day of Herb Haygood, Tyrell Dortch, TJ Duckett, Little John Flowers, Jeff Smoker). It's the team that hung in my room my whole life (I hung up any and all posters I could get my hands on). It's the team, whose stadium I learned football in (thanks to my father who took me and answered all my silly questions). It's the team that I have stood in the beating sun, the freezing snow and the pouring rain for (I would refuse to leave the game before the time read 0:00). It's Michigan State University. I've never cared, at the end of the day, whether my boys in green, earn a L or a W. I love them the same. Now I am not sure whether that really makes sense, but it's true.

I am watching them right now and it's breaking my heart...not that they are losing (though we really ARE). I hate that they keep getting hurt, I almost want to start a fight with both Alabama's Offensive and Defensive lines...I'll hold back though. I also am hating the "fans" that don't want to watch my team lose or just the people that talk bad about State (I always have hated those people). Any ways I have enjoyed this season and I'll be back next year to watch my Spartans play some football, in the mean time I'll watch Izzo's boys.