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And I am shaking like crazy right now. My nerves are just going wild. Haha. I took a deep breath, said a quick prayer, and (nervously) walked into Mike's office and said something along the lines of:
"I have some news; I'm not sure how you'll take it. :) But Tony & I have been praying and we have decided that I am going to be a fulltime homemaker in the very near furture... which means no more pickle company. (He laughed at that). I'm willing to stay for a little while to help train up somebody else, if that's what you want. I'm very excited about it, but I know that it will put a lot of stress on you, so I want to make the transition as easy as possible."
Mike's just as calm and collected as ever and confirms my God given role as a wife. "You know, you are a great worker and we have really enjoyed you being here with us. And it does upset me to see you go. But on the other hand, I strongly believe that God has written His Word for us to take literally. And when you read the Bible literally, and obey it... it really goes against culture, but God will provide. That goes with our finances and everything. It is all written in their for our good; to protect us. I'm sure that you and your husband have sought the Lord in prayer about this. And this is especially good, since you two are really involved in ministry. So congratulations." -- That's just a paraphrase of what he said...
I'm still shaking... haha. "Thank you!"
We didn't talk about the time frame or anything along those lines. He said he would write it on his to-do list, as far as hiring someone else. He thanked me for the heads up. I'm just going to put the timing of it all in God's hand. If Mike come's back and says "two-weeks"... that is fine. If he say's "one month"... that is fine too. It will be God's perfect timing!!! Not too early, and not too late. Right on time!
Friday, March 28, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Surprise
When I got off work, I went to run some errands in Goldsboro. Therefore, Tony beat me home today and when I walk in the door he has this surprise for me sitting in the middle of the living room floor. :) I love surprises - especially from my sweet husband!!
I'm going to be...
Entry from my prayer journal:
O gracious Father! Thank you for being patient with me. And thank you for teaching me your scripture! Tuesday night, on our way to and from the gym, we were listening to the first part of Mark Driscoll's sermon, "Saved by Child Bearing". As we pulled in our driveway, Tony said that it's up to me, when I want to give my notice at the pickle company. :) We were both giggly about it. And both very excited about me becoming a full-time homemaker. We have been discussing this topic and praying about it for several months now - and now it is a reality. It's happening now! I came into work yesterday, but Mike actually had the day off. But he is here today - so now I am really nervous about telling him. Trying to figure out my words and thinking of the different scenerios. Ah. Lord, please calm my nerves... give me an open door to speak with my boss about this. May he be understanding. May your will be done. Yes, I'm nervous, but at the same time, very excited! I'm going to be Tony's homemaker. Boy, do I have a lot to learn in this area. I trust that you will continue to teach me and help me to be the help meet you created me to be to Tony Denham!
So there you have it. I'm going to be a homemaker!!
O gracious Father! Thank you for being patient with me. And thank you for teaching me your scripture! Tuesday night, on our way to and from the gym, we were listening to the first part of Mark Driscoll's sermon, "Saved by Child Bearing". As we pulled in our driveway, Tony said that it's up to me, when I want to give my notice at the pickle company. :) We were both giggly about it. And both very excited about me becoming a full-time homemaker. We have been discussing this topic and praying about it for several months now - and now it is a reality. It's happening now! I came into work yesterday, but Mike actually had the day off. But he is here today - so now I am really nervous about telling him. Trying to figure out my words and thinking of the different scenerios. Ah. Lord, please calm my nerves... give me an open door to speak with my boss about this. May he be understanding. May your will be done. Yes, I'm nervous, but at the same time, very excited! I'm going to be Tony's homemaker. Boy, do I have a lot to learn in this area. I trust that you will continue to teach me and help me to be the help meet you created me to be to Tony Denham!
So there you have it. I'm going to be a homemaker!!
Monday, March 24, 2008
Yard Sale
Saturday morning we had a much needed yard sale. We are trying to declutter our home and get rid of things that we do not use or don't need. Wednesday afternoon we actually took a LOT of stuff to the land field. And whatever didn't sell at the yard sale, we took to our local Good Will. Only a few items came back into the house. ;) Nice, nice, nice!!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Divine Encounter
Last night we didn't get home until about 2:30am. We had went to church with a couple that we hadn't seen in quite some time. So after the service we went to their house for a little while; then to Waffle House. When Tony got up to pay the bill, he started talking to this older gentleman (Paul) and they ended up talking for about an hour and a half. At the end of the conversation, Tony prayed over him. Paul walked over to our table in tears and just expressed his gratitude for our patience and letting Tony talk to him. Apparently, he has lived a pretty rough life, and God knew that he needed encouragment that night at Waffle House from the wee hours of 12:30-2am. It is so amazing to know that God is in control of our lives... our every step. It leaves me speechless! We are ones that aim to be in bed by 10pm... but God had other plans. :) Isn't HE wonderful??!! Which reminds me of a song:
Isn't HE wonderful,
wonderful, wonderful?
Isn't Jesus my Lord wonderful?
Eyes have seen, ears have heard,
'tis recorded in God's Word.
Isn't Jesus my Lord wonderful?
Isn't HE wonderful,
wonderful, wonderful?
Isn't Jesus my Lord wonderful?
Eyes have seen, ears have heard,
'tis recorded in God's Word.
Isn't Jesus my Lord wonderful?
Monday, March 17, 2008
Green Day
Saturday, several of us went to the St. Patrick's Day Parade & Festival in Raleigh to proclaim the gospel. We were able to cover most of the parade route with gospel tracts. Seeing the reality of how much some people hate and mock God, really causes me to praise HIM even more for opening my eyes to the Truth. I know I don't deserve it!! And if it wasn't for the grace of God, I would be a mocker too. He is so merciful!!! (Pictured above is: Bill, Emmanuel, Tony, Shayna, and James).
Thursday, March 13, 2008
62 Months
Yesterday we celebrated our 62 month anniversary... that is 5 years and 2 months of togetherness. *S* In a way it is hard to imagine that this much time has passed so quickly, but on the other hand it seems like we have known each other forever. God has been so gracious to bless our relationship throughout the years. We are truly each others bestest friend and we wouldn't want it any other way!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
The Influence of Babies on Single Men
By Doug Phillips at visionforum.com
Some of the manliest and most visionary single men I know spend time in the company of babies. And they love it. They love to hold them, play with them, and rejoice in the hope which is new life.
They do this because they have rejected the culture of radical individualism that teaches men to view their lives in isolation of families and Christian community. They do this because they are around other men — now husbands and fathers — who speak of covenant, generational faithfulness, and the duty of men to raise up a godly seed.
They acknowledge that their own mission as men will likely someday be directly tied to their role as fathers. As single men, they prepare for fatherhood and they begin to pray for the babies that the Lord may choose to send to them. They recognize that children are a rich blessing to be greatly desired by any man who is, well — a man!
To this new breed of men, babies are a reminder that we are all heirs to the past and ancestors to the future. They remind them of their priorities in Christ. The presence of babies in the life of single men is an encouragement to pursue a Psalm 127 vision that someday their own families will be mighty in the land. Babies are a reminder that our spiritual fathers, like Abraham, were men who longed for the hope of children. They remind them that the greatest example of manhood in all of history rebuked other men who would not “suffer the children” to come.
The result is that single men who are around babies and family culture become highly motivated to “get their act together.” They experience positive, holy peer-pressure to set aside childish things and to be about the business of men. This means that they must prepare their fields without (Prov. 24:27) so they can start families of their own and have babies. Malachi 2:14 reminds us that “real men” acknowledge that the pursuit of a godly seed is not merely an afterthought. It is one of the key reasons delineated by the Creator for marriage. For all of these reasons, the presence of babies in the life of single men not only tenderizes their hearts to the preciousness of children, but it motivates them to be men of God.
In contrast, individualistic cultures prioritize lifestyles that have the tendency of inoculating young men against healthy, manly feelings toward babies and children. Our modern culture is radically individualistic. Not all of the expressions of individualism are inherently wrong, but the net effect has been devastating for our view of babies and manhood. For example, the modern trend of never-ending formal education tends to give men a “dormitory” vision of life, and to push marriages back later and later. The Bible encourages husbands to rejoice in the wife of their youth, which is why Christian culture self-consciously prepares men for marriage and family leadership sooner, rather than later in life.
Individualistic cultures breed materialism, the great foe of manly maturity. Materialism is poison to the single man. Success is defined by the acquisition of things, rather than obedience and the pursuit of spiritual objectives. Marriage and babies are largely viewed as an encumbrance to personal freedom. In addition, materialism trains men to demand immediate gratification. This leads to sexual impropriety, indebtedness, and even impatience and anger. In contrast, cultures that force men to deal with babies and children tend to encourage the manly disciplines of self-sacrifice, patience, and kindness.
Individualistic cultures are family-fragmenting by nature. The consequence is that the hearts of our single men become invested in destructive peer culture, rather than a balanced, multi-generational Christian community.
The simple truth is this: The longer men are away from babies, the more selfish they tend to become.
Single men need to be engaged in manly pursuits. They need the company of sturdy men and the influence of older, wiser men around them. But they also need to be around babies.
Frankly, men are designed to battle, but they need to know for what it is they are fighting. They fight for the King and for His Kingdom. This fight includes the defense of women and the little ones our wives have brought into the world (Neh. 4:14). But how will our men know the preciousness of the treasure they seek to guard if their love for babies is never cultivated?
We need men who learn early in their lives to treasure children. Men who love children tend to be the most visionary, stable, and self-sacrificing. We need a new generation of visionary young men. Visionary young men aspire to live lives of significance that transcend the here and now. This is why we need to place babies in the hands of our young men, and then talk to them about the true dreams and aspirations of the righteous man (Psalm 112, 127, 128).
Posted by Doug Phillips on January 30, 2007 Permalink
Some of the manliest and most visionary single men I know spend time in the company of babies. And they love it. They love to hold them, play with them, and rejoice in the hope which is new life.
They do this because they have rejected the culture of radical individualism that teaches men to view their lives in isolation of families and Christian community. They do this because they are around other men — now husbands and fathers — who speak of covenant, generational faithfulness, and the duty of men to raise up a godly seed.
They acknowledge that their own mission as men will likely someday be directly tied to their role as fathers. As single men, they prepare for fatherhood and they begin to pray for the babies that the Lord may choose to send to them. They recognize that children are a rich blessing to be greatly desired by any man who is, well — a man!
To this new breed of men, babies are a reminder that we are all heirs to the past and ancestors to the future. They remind them of their priorities in Christ. The presence of babies in the life of single men is an encouragement to pursue a Psalm 127 vision that someday their own families will be mighty in the land. Babies are a reminder that our spiritual fathers, like Abraham, were men who longed for the hope of children. They remind them that the greatest example of manhood in all of history rebuked other men who would not “suffer the children” to come.
The result is that single men who are around babies and family culture become highly motivated to “get their act together.” They experience positive, holy peer-pressure to set aside childish things and to be about the business of men. This means that they must prepare their fields without (Prov. 24:27) so they can start families of their own and have babies. Malachi 2:14 reminds us that “real men” acknowledge that the pursuit of a godly seed is not merely an afterthought. It is one of the key reasons delineated by the Creator for marriage. For all of these reasons, the presence of babies in the life of single men not only tenderizes their hearts to the preciousness of children, but it motivates them to be men of God.
In contrast, individualistic cultures prioritize lifestyles that have the tendency of inoculating young men against healthy, manly feelings toward babies and children. Our modern culture is radically individualistic. Not all of the expressions of individualism are inherently wrong, but the net effect has been devastating for our view of babies and manhood. For example, the modern trend of never-ending formal education tends to give men a “dormitory” vision of life, and to push marriages back later and later. The Bible encourages husbands to rejoice in the wife of their youth, which is why Christian culture self-consciously prepares men for marriage and family leadership sooner, rather than later in life.
Individualistic cultures breed materialism, the great foe of manly maturity. Materialism is poison to the single man. Success is defined by the acquisition of things, rather than obedience and the pursuit of spiritual objectives. Marriage and babies are largely viewed as an encumbrance to personal freedom. In addition, materialism trains men to demand immediate gratification. This leads to sexual impropriety, indebtedness, and even impatience and anger. In contrast, cultures that force men to deal with babies and children tend to encourage the manly disciplines of self-sacrifice, patience, and kindness.
Individualistic cultures are family-fragmenting by nature. The consequence is that the hearts of our single men become invested in destructive peer culture, rather than a balanced, multi-generational Christian community.
The simple truth is this: The longer men are away from babies, the more selfish they tend to become.
Single men need to be engaged in manly pursuits. They need the company of sturdy men and the influence of older, wiser men around them. But they also need to be around babies.
Frankly, men are designed to battle, but they need to know for what it is they are fighting. They fight for the King and for His Kingdom. This fight includes the defense of women and the little ones our wives have brought into the world (Neh. 4:14). But how will our men know the preciousness of the treasure they seek to guard if their love for babies is never cultivated?
We need men who learn early in their lives to treasure children. Men who love children tend to be the most visionary, stable, and self-sacrificing. We need a new generation of visionary young men. Visionary young men aspire to live lives of significance that transcend the here and now. This is why we need to place babies in the hands of our young men, and then talk to them about the true dreams and aspirations of the righteous man (Psalm 112, 127, 128).
Posted by Doug Phillips on January 30, 2007 Permalink
Simple Hospitality
We are planning to have guests over in the very near future to fellowship with and practice hospitality toward them. Dear Lord, please continue to teach us in this area of our lives.
Here is a wonderful article about the basics to hospitality.
Here is a wonderful article about the basics to hospitality.
Monday, March 10, 2008
A Full Weekend
We had an incredible weekend!! Saturday morning we went to have Marianne cut Tony's hair. Mom called to let us know that Sears was having a really good sale... so we went there and bought Tony two button down dress shirts and myself three shirts that will be good for layering. I praise God for good sales! :)
From there we went to our Bible study at Wilber's BBQ. This was our third meeting and we had 11 people in attendance: Harlan & Blair, Hilton, Roger, Paul, Kevin, Emmanuel & Chrystal, Miriam, Tony & myself. The fellowship was so sweet!! Paul brought forth the message; I'm still looking back on my notes and am amazed out how much Truth is in that one verse: John 1:14. Jesus is the God man! This truth should effect our Worship, Witness, Weakness, Humility... We also recieved the great news that God has led Paul to "a sweetie" named Lisa. This news was just so exciting to our ears!!
We then went to my parents house to visit. Dad & Mom had both been sick with the flu, so we hadn't seen them in a couple weeks. We enjoyed a piece of yummy chocolate cake and talked about lots of different things. We were waiting for Brittany to get home from work too. Beecher (her boyfriend as of Wednesday) was supposed to be picking her up for a date that night. Brittany had went through the trouble of switching her schedule with someone in order to have the night off... and he ended up ditching her. She was heartbroken. So I decided that we could have a sister night instead. I know it's not the same, but I tried to comfort her. We dropped Tony off at Books A Million (where James Taylor joined him to discuss theology), and we went "shopping". We didn't actually buy anything, but it was still fun. We ended the night back at Books A Million. I ordered a Strawberry Smoothie; Brittany wanted a frappe, but they were out of the frappe base. So instead she got the Joe's frozen drink. It was really gross! We think that the machine wasn't mixing it right because it just tasted like air. So the guy was nice enough to let her exchange it for a Strawberry Smoothing like mine. Much better! :) Back at my parents house, Matthew and Anthony were cooking shrimp and chicken on the grill (I know, it's a weird combination, but it was really good!). Then Joey came home, so we were able to talk a while with him. It was a great time of fellowship with my siblings. I pray that we will continue to each be strengthened in the faith and become the best of friends! We didn't get to bed that night until 2am... considering the time change.
Sunday morning we went to church with Paul at Antioch. Then we laughed a LOT at Andy's! It was so much fun. Later we went to Tony's parents house to celebrate Wes' 20th birthday. They talked of how Tony used to always sleep on the couch with his mom sleeping on the other end and how he used to run around with a little flag singing "Born in the USA". I teasingly said that he still does that. Haha. Nathan & Mary came down to look at a travel trailor, so we joined them for dinner at El Koritas. It was a good time of fellowship and we look forward to seeing them again next weekend for the St. Patrick's Day parade. Yay!
From there we went to our Bible study at Wilber's BBQ. This was our third meeting and we had 11 people in attendance: Harlan & Blair, Hilton, Roger, Paul, Kevin, Emmanuel & Chrystal, Miriam, Tony & myself. The fellowship was so sweet!! Paul brought forth the message; I'm still looking back on my notes and am amazed out how much Truth is in that one verse: John 1:14. Jesus is the God man! This truth should effect our Worship, Witness, Weakness, Humility... We also recieved the great news that God has led Paul to "a sweetie" named Lisa. This news was just so exciting to our ears!!
We then went to my parents house to visit. Dad & Mom had both been sick with the flu, so we hadn't seen them in a couple weeks. We enjoyed a piece of yummy chocolate cake and talked about lots of different things. We were waiting for Brittany to get home from work too. Beecher (her boyfriend as of Wednesday) was supposed to be picking her up for a date that night. Brittany had went through the trouble of switching her schedule with someone in order to have the night off... and he ended up ditching her. She was heartbroken. So I decided that we could have a sister night instead. I know it's not the same, but I tried to comfort her. We dropped Tony off at Books A Million (where James Taylor joined him to discuss theology), and we went "shopping". We didn't actually buy anything, but it was still fun. We ended the night back at Books A Million. I ordered a Strawberry Smoothie; Brittany wanted a frappe, but they were out of the frappe base. So instead she got the Joe's frozen drink. It was really gross! We think that the machine wasn't mixing it right because it just tasted like air. So the guy was nice enough to let her exchange it for a Strawberry Smoothing like mine. Much better! :) Back at my parents house, Matthew and Anthony were cooking shrimp and chicken on the grill (I know, it's a weird combination, but it was really good!). Then Joey came home, so we were able to talk a while with him. It was a great time of fellowship with my siblings. I pray that we will continue to each be strengthened in the faith and become the best of friends! We didn't get to bed that night until 2am... considering the time change.
Sunday morning we went to church with Paul at Antioch. Then we laughed a LOT at Andy's! It was so much fun. Later we went to Tony's parents house to celebrate Wes' 20th birthday. They talked of how Tony used to always sleep on the couch with his mom sleeping on the other end and how he used to run around with a little flag singing "Born in the USA". I teasingly said that he still does that. Haha. Nathan & Mary came down to look at a travel trailor, so we joined them for dinner at El Koritas. It was a good time of fellowship and we look forward to seeing them again next weekend for the St. Patrick's Day parade. Yay!
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Lots of Sun
I awoke around 11am and saw that the sun was shining bright in the backyard. So I setup one of the lawn chairs, poured a glass of water, and went outside. I soaked up the rays and the wind while reading Leviticus 21-22 and some of "When Sinners Say I Do". It felt great! We are learning that getting fresh air and plenty of sunshine is vital to our health. I praise God for all the things He is teaching us!! I walked around the back yard and examined the buds on our tulip and bradford pear tree. Then I carried some juicer pulp to the compost pile. Tony woke up around 1pm. We ate a bowl of cereal and took our "new" multi-vitamins. Yay! While Tony finished updating Bob's computer, I cleaned the kitchen. Then we went to the Cliffs of the Neuse to enjoy the beautiful weather that God gave to us! We have so much fun together and decided that we should go back real soon and have a picnic. :) Around 3:30 we sat on the front porch and enjoyed a bowl of organic tomato soup with peanut butter; and we decided to have James over for dinner tonight (we're waiting for him to get here right now). I've straightened up the house and baked a yellow cake. Tony has spent most of the evening updating the Versatile Printer website. I thank God for my husband - who works so hard for the glory of God! 
DT Greenville
Last night we went street preaching with Kerrigan, John, Jesse, Gary, and Ross. The weather was chilly with a little bit of rain toward the end of the night, but this did not stop the college students from lining outside of the various clubs. This was the first time that Tony wore his sandwich board downtown Greenville; it is just amazing how many people read it to themselves and even out loud (usually in a mocking manner, but it still amazes me). Then there are those that just stare at the words on the sandwich board... which usually prompts the question "So what do you think about that statement?" It is a great conversation starter.
I (Shayna) offered two guys a gospel tract. They said they had already rec'd several that night. There names were Patton and Jesse (not James... Patton kept calling him James during the conversation. It was funny!). They had just met that night and during our conversation discovered that they are both from Richmond, VA AND that they graduated from the same high school, just different years. Jesse graduated in 2003 - just like me. He said he couldn't imagine already being married; he was raised catholic; knew some scripture; and was very talkative! He kept interrupting (in a polite kind of way). A couple of his friends came over and distracted him and they ended up going to one of the bars across the street. Patton stayed to talk with me. He was very interested and asked several questions, one being "so what does one have to do to be born again?" He was glad that I wasn't "forceful"... he had went to a couple Young Life camps and they were very focused on getting a decision and were not able to answer his questions. He was so grateful for the conversation and accepted the little book titled "How to Live Forever, Without Being Religious".
Ryan was a guy that had stared at the sandwich board and was kind of pacing back and forth. He was also raised catholic. It was as if he was trying to ease his conscience during our conversation. "But I am a good person and I think God will understand that I am just having a good time." We had a lengthy talk and he took a gospel of John and put it in his pocket. He had a lot to think about...
The cops tried really hard to put a stop to us, but because of our first amendment right, we have the freedom to be there. They had told us that if we were going to stay on the sidewalk, we had to "keep moving". So we decided to stand in one of the alley ways, which is also public property.
Tracy was one of the girls standing in line to get into the club. She came over to me and with tears in her eyes, expressed how grateful she was for us to be there. "Keep doing what your doing. Don't take anything these people say personally. I'm a Christian too. I'm just here to protect my friends. I'm the responsible one." She knew that she shouldn't be entangling herself with the world and her conscience was heavy.
I (Shayna) offered two guys a gospel tract. They said they had already rec'd several that night. There names were Patton and Jesse (not James... Patton kept calling him James during the conversation. It was funny!). They had just met that night and during our conversation discovered that they are both from Richmond, VA AND that they graduated from the same high school, just different years. Jesse graduated in 2003 - just like me. He said he couldn't imagine already being married; he was raised catholic; knew some scripture; and was very talkative! He kept interrupting (in a polite kind of way). A couple of his friends came over and distracted him and they ended up going to one of the bars across the street. Patton stayed to talk with me. He was very interested and asked several questions, one being "so what does one have to do to be born again?" He was glad that I wasn't "forceful"... he had went to a couple Young Life camps and they were very focused on getting a decision and were not able to answer his questions. He was so grateful for the conversation and accepted the little book titled "How to Live Forever, Without Being Religious".Ryan was a guy that had stared at the sandwich board and was kind of pacing back and forth. He was also raised catholic. It was as if he was trying to ease his conscience during our conversation. "But I am a good person and I think God will understand that I am just having a good time." We had a lengthy talk and he took a gospel of John and put it in his pocket. He had a lot to think about...
The cops tried really hard to put a stop to us, but because of our first amendment right, we have the freedom to be there. They had told us that if we were going to stay on the sidewalk, we had to "keep moving". So we decided to stand in one of the alley ways, which is also public property.
Tracy was one of the girls standing in line to get into the club. She came over to me and with tears in her eyes, expressed how grateful she was for us to be there. "Keep doing what your doing. Don't take anything these people say personally. I'm a Christian too. I'm just here to protect my friends. I'm the responsible one." She knew that she shouldn't be entangling herself with the world and her conscience was heavy.
