Promises

Here is the entry from my Life Journal today...

S- "Praise be to God who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!" -Psalm 66:20, and "Since we have these promises dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." 2 Cor. 7:1

O- God keeps his promises
His love is NEVER conditional
We should strive to be Holy, set apart from the others
What is contaminating my body and spirit?
How am I set apart from non-believers?
How am I living my life differently?
Do people see Jesus when they see me?

A- I think I need to express more verbally to people about all the great things God has done. I need to apply his word to my life more, and make people wonder what is different about me. I also need to remember that I live in this world, but I am not from the world.

P- Lord, thank you for ALWAYS hearing me, being faithful, and for keeping your promises. Allow me to show the same unconditional love that you have to others.

Life Journals

Today is the day that everyone at The Ridge is starting our Life Journals. It is a plan to read the Bible in one year, use the SOAP method, and really start seeing changes in our lives. I am super excited! I have read the entire Bible before, but not from cover-to-cover, and it mainly was for school. The Bible is not meant to be read from page 1 to the end anyways. That is one reason why people get so frustrated every year when they try to read it all.

We have been going over the SOAP method at church during our "According to Jim" series. We have gone through the entire book of James outlining the SOAP method. Here is the SOAP method for those of you who may want to use it:

S- Scripture, pick a passage, read it all, then go back and pick one specific verse(s) that stands out to you, write it down

O- Observation, observe and write down what you are doing in your life, or what you may not be doing, and see where it can change

A- Application, here is where you apply the scripture in your life, write it all down! what are you going to do differently?

P- Prayer, the key ingredient, not a whole lot is going to change if you do not pray! Write down your prayers.

Another method the journal we are using talks about is LIFE...

L-Listen
I- Inquire
F- Faith
E- Experience

I am not as familiar with this, but I like the acrostic!

I am going to try and blog as much as I can on here, or on my blog to share what I am learning. I am very excited that The Ridge is doing this, and I am looking forward to see what God is going to do in our lives!

...and the beat goes on...

Hey guys!

Happy Spring! We got 9 inches of snow last weekend, and more to come this week! I hope the weather is nice where you are! Sunshine always makes me feel more productive, and in a little better mood.

Here is a little Ferguson Family Update:

*House Hunting- we are still looking! I am sure or realtor is sick of us by now, but we just haven't found what we are looking for yet! I know there is a lot out there, but nothing has struck us quite yet. We are looking at some more today, hopefully we make a little progress. Buying a house is a lot harder now that we have to think about schools, and the safety of Molly. So the beat goes on there...

*Easter Sunday- We are gearing up for Easter Sunday at The Ridge! We have all been praying for 3 friends/people to invite. We are doing our annual Easter Egg Hunt tomorrow. Last year we had over 300 people, I expect nothing less this year!

*Family- We are good! Eric is busy with preaching (a lot), neighborhood groups, students, and life in general. I am 75% finished with school, the last 25% hopefully will be done before August, and Molly is the best! She talking a lot, and interacting a lot too. I feel like I have a mini-me all day long! I am so grateful, and thankful to stay home with her.

*Holly- The visitation for Carleigh is tonight, and the funeral is tomorrow morning. Please pray for Holly and her husband, Anthony. They need a lot of strength right now to get through this. Also, pray for my family, to help them get through this, and just everyone that has been touched by little Carleigh's story. I can't imagine burying my own child. Please pray really hard for them!

Thanks to all of you out there who pray for us, and for our ministry at The Ridge. We wouldn't be here without you! Keep us up to date on your lives also!

Carleigh McKenna

Carleigh McKenna is the daughter my cousin gave birth to this morning. She was stillborn. They knew this day was coming, and they have been preparing for her since August. In December they found out she has a disease that effects her brain. It's long and complicated, but also sad and fatal. The chances of Holly carrying to full-term was a long shot, and the baby living was even longer. I know the doctors talked to Holly about aborting the baby in the beginning, when they found everything out. But Holly told them no, and that the baby was a gift from God, and she was going to honor him with this gift. So the journey began of "Caring for Carleigh" (this is the name of Holly's blog).

I remember back to when I was pregnant with Molly, all the excitement, joy, and anxiousness of meeting this little one. Holly is blessed to have another child, Kyndra. They celebrated her fist birthday in January. So, Holly knows all the joys of pregnancy and motherhood, but this time is different. This time it's not as exciting, it is a little more cautious. When most mothers are making plans for the nursery, Holly was making funeral arrangements so she didn't have to do it after Carleigh was born. When people are picking out patterns for swings, bedding, and car seats, Holly and her husband, Anthony were picking out a casket for their baby girl. And when mothers and fathers are picking out a baby announcement card, my cousin is picking out songs and doing paperwork for a memorial service.

Why do bad things happen to good people? What is God trying to do here? Why is he using a child's life to teach to a lesson? I just don't understand.

Holly had a birth plan, she had everything planned, she has been blogging about this journey, sharing her story everywhere, and connecting with others who have been through the same thing. She is so strong, so faithful, and so amazing. I have learned so much from her through this.

The time came when the baby stopped growing, and they needed to induce labor. This is not what Holly planned, or wanted, but it was necessary to try and save Carleigh. Saving Carleigh became the most important thing. On Friday they induced Holly at 7:30 in the morning. She was slow to labor, then finally a little after 3:40am on Saturday morning, Carleigh McKenna was born. They no longer could save her, God had already taken her home. I don't know the emotions that were in that room, and I am sure none of us ever want to experience some of them. I know I sat crying, while reading it on the blog. I know first hand the physical aspect of labor and delivery, I know what it is like to work so hard, but when you see your baby, it is all worth it in the end. But when your baby is not breathing, not alive, what does that feel like?

I know Holly and Anthony believe in God, I know they are faithful to him, I know they have ministered beyond their wildest imaginations with their story, but I also know they are hurting, they are grieving, and they need your prayers. Please pray for them. I know Holly and Anthony's parents are hurting for their kids, and for the loss of their granddaughter. Please pray for them. Pray everyone around them, just pray.

Holly- you are the stronget, bravest woman that I know. You are a wonderful mother, and you have shown such strength and courage. God will bring you through, he never lets go.

To read Holly's blog please visit...http://carleighmckenna.blogspot.com

It's March, already?!

Hello! How are you all? We hope great! I can't believe it is March already! Time flies! Well a little update-we didn't get the house! Boo! At least for now we didn't get it. The bank would not go down enough, and it needs a lot of work before we ever could move in. So we decided to pass right now. Our realtor said they may come back once they realize no one will pay what they want. So until then, I guess the looking continues. It's hard because nothing compares in my mind to that house, but I know God has something out there for us. I hope soon! The walls of this apartment seem to be closing in on us!

Things at church are going good. We are feeling the economic crunch a little bit with the giving. So please pray for that. Pray for everyone in general, not just the people at The Ridge. I know churches everywhere are being pinched. We just finished a series called "One Month to Live", and I personally thought it was great. I learned a lot about myself, and about God. It was very challenging. Last week we started a new series called "Life According to Jim." We are going through the book of James. Then the church is going to start a reading plan to read the entire Bible together. I am very excited about this. I have read the Bible before, like front to back, but it was all when I was at college and it was homework. So I don't remember a whole lot, I just remember having to read it. We are ordering books with reading plans, if any of you are interested please let us know and we can get you one.

Neighborhood groups are booming! We are starting a new one this week in Muskego. This will be the third one in this tiny little town! It is awesome to see people who are willing to commit to a neighborhood group, and who are committed to doing life with each other. God is awesome!

The Ferguson family is doing well! Eric is busy with church, students, leaders, and life. But God is great and still blesses us daily with stories of people who have been helped by The Ridge. I am officially finished with books and tests! I am seeing clients now, and it is going great. Thank you all my volunteers! Molly is wonderful! She is talking a lot, and is so much fun to be with. She is definitely going through the terrible twos, but we are managing so far. She loves people so much, she is not afraid to go hug someone or kiss little boys, which her dad just loves!

We hope Spring brings new life to you all, and the sunshine reminds you of God's faithfulness. He is so good friends, and we pray that you know that. Blessings to all!

House Hunters

Hello!

I wanted to give you all an update on the house hunting. After seeing countless homes, we put an offer in on one of them. It is in New Berlin, which we would never be able to afford, but it is a fixer upper. It is also a foreclosure, another reason why we can afford it. We both love it! Eric saw it first and came home so excited. So I of course wanted to see it. The way he described made it seem like we needed hazmat suits to enter in the house. But it wasn't that bad when we went together. It was built in the 1940's, so it has arched doorways, some built-ins, and it has a half acre yard. It's a cape cod style home, so the upstairs is one huge room, which they used it as a master bedroom. I couldn't imagine having that entire room as my bedroom! You could easily make 2-3 small bedrooms for kids and guests up there. There are two bedrooms on the main floor, and a full basement. The basement isn't finished, but we will get there. So the only down side is it has a small kitchen, and hardly a place for a table, but we can manage. We are both excited, but now we have to wait and see if the bank approves our offer. We offered a low number because it does need a lot of work, a whole new kitchen to start with. While it has sat empty for 2 winters now, a water pipe burst and ruined the kitchen. I really hope we get it. The location is great, Eric can get to work in like 3 minutes and you can see one of Milwaukee's largest parks from the front yard. Please pray that we either get this house, and if we don't, then we will know that is not where God wanted us. I am trying to be open about going where God wants us. But sometimes it's hard when you fall in love with something, like this silly house.

One another note, Happy Valentine's Day. I hope you all are doing something special! We are having a nice evening at home, with Molly. She is the love of our lives. I get so emotional just thinking about her, and how much I love her. Please let your kids know how much they mean to you! We are in the trenches of the series, "One Month To Love" at The Ridge and it just has made me realize how much you need to tell others what they mean to you. I hope you all know that you mean the world to Eric and I. We wouldn't be here without you! I truly mean that. You all have supported us from the very first step back in Cincinnati, and I know you will always be along with us for the ride.

Have a great day and remember you have God to thank for the ultimate love sacrifice, Jesus. Remember to tell God how much you love him on this holiday for lovers.

Jan. Update

Hello! We hope you all are doing great. Things here in Milwaukee are cold, snowy, icy, and just plain old wintry! But we are managing, just like the rest of you. I now understand what Mark was talking about when he interviewed us, he told us "Milwaukee is not a sexy city..." I totally agree! There is nothing sexy about snow boots, runny noses, and chapped lips! But we are still so blessed to be here, and still love it!

Here are some updates:

The Ridge- This weekend is the BIG MOVE! We are moving into the largest theater the movie theater has to offer! So please pray that we pack the people in! We are also starting a new series called, "One Month To Live." I think from what I have been hearing, it's going to be awesome! You can listen/watch online...www.theridgecc.com
Our neighborhood groups are also starting up this week. Please pray for more people to get involved, and for our neighborhood group leaders. Our New Berlin group may triple. We already multiplied this fall, now we may have to add another group! Please keep praying for God to provide the people! Our lead pastor, Mark, and his wife, Donna just adopted their 3rd child! Eliana (Hebrew-God who hears us) made her grand appearance last Friday, in the United States. She is so beautiful, and God has truly blessed the Weigt family with her!

Eric- Well, he is busy, busy, busy, but loves his job! He actually is looking for a student minister because with the rate that the neighborhood groups are growing, and the church in general, student ministry was becoming a bit much. So he has been interviewing different people for the job. He has had a great time with the students so far, but we are excited about the possibility of him being the lead pastor at The Ridge's second site. So please pray for a great student minister to come to The Ridge, and for Eric and his leadership with everyone he is involved with.

Kate- I am on my last class for school! And I am now starting to see "clients." Pretty much wonderful friends who are volunteering to help me! So as long as I can find enough volunteers, and see them in a reasonable time frame, I should be all set to graduate by Molly's second birthday. Please pray for an abundant amount of volunteers for me.

Molly- Saved the best for last! She is almost 18 months old! Wow! She is running around like a mad woman and talking up a storm. She is almost always happy, and I love spending my days (and nights) with her! I feel so blessed everyday to be able to read to her, play with her, and just sit and watch her. My heart is overflowing with love for her! We have been going to a playgroup 2 times a month at a local church here. She loves all of the kids there! We spent our first night at urgent care with Molly, about 2 weeks ago. She went down for a nap fine, woke up wheezing. So they diagnosed her with croup/strider. So after spending about 4 hours there and some breathing treatments later, she is fine. She was fine that night. Even though she was wheezing she wouldn't stop running and playing! So she is doing much better now, just a little coughing, but she is great! Thank the Lord for a wonderful, healthy little girl.

Like I said before, we truly hope you all are doing great! We hope you survived Christmas and New Years, and are off to a great 2009 so far! Please let us know how we can be praying for you, and please know that we thank God for you and yours!

Be blessed till next time!