New Editor

I don't know if most of you know, but I've been the editor of our Friday School Newsletter for about a year give or take. It's going fan-tabulous... I'm writing cover articles, doing layouts and embedding photos. And apparently, I've done too good of a job!

What do I mean by that? The St. Johns, who are the Founders of First Class Homeschool Co-op recently asked me to take on the Members Ezine for First Class Homeschool Ministries! Uhhh, WOW! Well, of course I said "YES." I love the ministry that they have and by taking some load off of them, they can do even more ministry. I really think that every homeschooling family should have access to a co-op for homeschool support and friendships for the moms. As well as the fact that it is a ministry of the gospel of Christ.

So over the next few months, i'll slowly be taking it over. The program that they use is one that I'm learning to work with. It makes my skagit county newsletter look like a piece of cake! But I am happy to serve... and I hear that i'm good at it.

I didn't know the specifics of writing, the specifics of anything. I have grown and been in the hot seat here for awhile. And right now i'm really feeling it! March is my first Ezine, and Heidi is definately helping me with it. I'm learning the ropes, which I didn't think would take this much time, but i'll get it!

The funny thing is, and Rod and I have had these incredible conversations about how the Lord is using us right now... and the way that we are really under spiritual attack... and I really feel that I am using my gifts in a way that is pleasing to the LORD (thanks Jesse). And if you would have asked me a year and a half ago if I knew how to be "the editor" of a newsletter with a 100 family circulation or the principal writer for it... I would have said, UH NO... needless to say that I wouldn't know how to be one to an ezine with over 1000 subscribers!!!! So, I guess you could say i'm kind of excited about this great opportunity to learn something new and to serve in a ministry that I whole heartedly believe in.

Homeschooling parents... Yes, I mean you, my friends... I taking article submissions for the ezine! Crazy, huh? I've printed Rod a few times. He has a real way with words! Who knew? Wouldn't have known if I wouldn't have been willing to stick my neck out and try something new! Keep me in your prayers! We are under spiritual attack.. and it's not easy, but we are survivors! Zindra

FC Masquerade Ball

Howdy Partners! Rod is missing Sean's Xbox 360 night tomorrow night because we are taking 7 girls and another mom down to a First Class Masquerade Ball in Vancouver, WA! As you all know, Rod & I loooveee to Ballroom dance. We get dressed up to go dancing when we go... but we've not had the chance to go all dolled up. We go to Portland a couple of times a year, so we are used to the drive... We've been advertising this event through friday school for weeks and last week it all came together. I was going to throw in the towel... and within a week, we went from taking taking no one to all of us riding in a 15 passenger van!

I went to Goodwill bought a dress (which I love) for $10. (My accessories cost more than my dress!) But I went almost all out! Bought some long black gloves, earrings, necklace, bracelet etc. Even bought a black boa. When else would I ever get to wear one??? And yes, I got a mask!

There will be pictures, so i'm sure you'll get to see all of us... The girls are all going to wear gowns etc. One girl is planning on wearing my poofy underskirt from my wedding gown!

We are leaving tomorrow morning, and I'm seriously hoping that we get down to the St. John's house with enough time for us all to get dressed!!

Mostly there is going to be ballroom and wiggle dancing (no slow dancing for the kids!). One of the concerned moms wanted to know what kind of music/dancing would be. All the music has been screened and i'm hoping we get to teach the kids a few ballroom dances.

The neat thing of this alllll... is that parents at our Friday School get the chance to see that other Christian Homeschooling Parents are putting on a ball for their kids, maybe we could do that for ours! At our Friday School there's a lot of boundaries put up by many of the moms over a the years. Through things like this, we are going to be able to break down some of those walls! Yay! And now there's talk that Zindra needs to plan something like this for our group for the parents. Many of them didn't ever get to go to the Prom & they would like to do something more along the lines of a Formal Dance. We'll see where it goes. Another mom has stepped up to help me out on that one!

Lovin' the changes we are seeing in our teen group!!!! Zindra

Nelson Update

Hi! Tonight i'm struggling... A couple of things have been going on... First, stuff is complicated at Rod's work. One of the girls is pulling the senority bit.. and making everyone's life unfun. We set a date for us to have a teens night at the church, and we don't even know if Rod can go.. because of the scheduling issues this girl is causing. She's been a problem since she transferred in over a year ago. It makes me frustrated, I think b'c when Rod was senior (for a couple of years) he didn't try to wave that flag to intimidate anyone into getting what he wanted.

We went to our bible study tonight at our friends church. When we got there Rod said he hasn't felt well today. Friends at work have been sick. 20 minutes or so later I asked him about his leg & the cellulitis. He said his leg wasn't sore. I looked at it, it might have been a little pink. Waited 20 minutes and it was a bit pinker. So he left (we had driven seperately) and went to the urgent care clinic hoping to get in before they closed so he wouldn't have to go to the ER. When he has cellulitis, they give him a huge shot in the you know where with a heavy antibiotic. He got over to urgent care and was able to get in. Phew #1. Got the perscriptions and got them filled before the pharmacy closed. Phew #2. Otherwise I would have had to drive to bellingham to get meds. Cellulitis can be serious and we take it seriously. He hasn't had it for about a year... If he gets it it's usually between October and Feb. Anyway, so he's on bedrest for three days. We know the drill. Glad we caught it really early, shouldn't be as bad this time because of how soon we caught it.

On a good note... We took the boys to the Mariner Fan Fest on Sunday. Had a great time again this year. We don't do pictures with Santa on an annual basis, but we do do one with the Mariner Moose!!! too funny, huh? Josiah, Garrett and Rod were all proud after catching their pop-flys. (Josiah can't wait for baseball season to start again this year...)

On a great note! Verizon got my mom & dad's phone hooked up today. So all of the utilities are officially in. Rod was going to transfer their dish tomorrow (I guess that will wait a couple of days) and then the repairman has to fix their gas fireplace. Looking forward to it being done, done, done.

Friday School registration is this friday. Rod's going to teach backyard ballistics with a friend. Build & Blow up! I'll have to post some pictures, that'll be a good one. I think i'll still be making espresso in the fireside break room. We'll be doing registration via computer again. I'm going to be using my laptop. We're hoping that this time it'll go a bit more smoothly, since last term's registration was a bit of an experiment!!! I am really looking forward to seeing all of my friends consistently for a few weeks again..

I guess that's all for the nelson update! Could you pray for Rod's health? We thought we had figured out the cause of the cellulitis, yet it continues to come back about once a year. He finds it frustrating... as well as my parents finishing up getting into their new place.. and the stuff with Rod's work. Maybe my attitude with dealing with all of this... Thanks so much! (Cheryl, would love an update on your mom!)

First Class Teens Update

Woohoo! I'm so excited! Rod and I officially have permission from the Board of First Class Skagit County to work with our teen group! They are ages 12-18. Why am I sooo excited?

We had a Board Meeting tonight where they prayed over us! We feel like we have been "sent out" with the blessing of the board... almost to the point of feeling commissioned!

Most of you know that I was involved with Youth Dynamics as a student, student leader and as a college youth leader. I helped out at His Place with the Jr. High Youth for a couple of years. Those were some of the best memories... I loved most everything about it. It was a huge time of growth in my life. I have always thought that one day, if I ever had the chance, I would give back the way that I was given to.. but I didnt' think that that chance would ever come.

About a year ago, we started talking with the Teens. Rod & I noticed that they are not traditionally schooled kids. They have different issues. Most of them are christian kids that need to grab ahold of the faith they already have. Most of them have parent issues rather than morality or drug issues. Because of all of this, they don't necessarily fit into the traditional youth group mold. We realized this and said some things to a few different people. Told some people that we were interested in helping. Mostly they didn't know our background of youth ministry and we don't have teens. So, at the time they thought that we wouldn't fit.

Not too long ago, it was agreed upon that that the direction of the teen group needed to change. That's when Rod & I began to talk about our experiences and we decided to take seriously having fun with the kids. We took some sledding in December. Took some ice skating in February. The feedback from parents & kids involved has been tremendous. For the first time we've heard the teens say that they do want their own first class teen group, and they are excited about it! Yay!

It looks as if we will be doing one or two fun activities a month (ie: ice skating, skeet shooting) and then one activity night at the church. This of course is open to change. it may need to be adjusted or changed altogether. But we do *have permission* to do all of this. Got a facility use form from EBC today... that's new territory!

What's going to be interesting to see, is that since these kids are homeschooled and most already have a faith in God.. that we should be able to do more with them spiritually than what you would do with most youth groups. I'm interested in seeing where this will take us. I hope that starting something like this in our own co-op will mean that in the future that we will be able to get together and do things with the teens of other first class co-ops. We're also hoping that by the time that Josiah is able to attend (2.5 years) that there will be a foundation laid down for our group!

So pray for us, as we begin this journey. I'm really looking forward to what we have to share with the kids! Zindra

A New Year's Update

Hi! Just thought I might give everyone a little heads up about life lately...

Christmas was fabulous.. We had Christmas dinner with my parents in their new house with my brother Zane, his wife Shannon and my niece Katelin. They are visiting from Maryland. Funny thing is, until yesterday... they had no electricity! We had a hallelujah breakdown yesterday afternoon after the electricity was installed. My dad called and had me bring out the camera! We took a picture of my mom turning on the power to the house! Then, we installed the 37" flat screen that Mom & I found on Black Friday. It took Rod and Dad a bit of time to figure out how to get it to hang on the hanger that hangs on the wall. Then Rod and Garrett went to their 'old' house and got the 360 and we watched 20 minutes of Ratatouille on the big screen tv. Yah, all of us, even my parents, sitting on couches in front of the new tv in the new house. Making new memories.

At least the heat is on now. I suppose they could officially move in!

Their phone was supposed to be transferred today... but of course that couldn't go as planned. Not sure about a date for the phone.

I've had a cold since the day after Christmas. Rod had the week off. I guess it was a good thing, because I was sick most of his time off. Even though I was sick, we managed to take some of the kids from our Friday School group sledding as well as we took our own kids sledding.

Rod and I are getting involved with the Teens from our Friday School group. Sledding was the first official thing we planned. We are going to go Ice Skating in January. Then, we are going (and whoever wants to come is invited) to go see Toby Mac (from DC Talk) in February at Overlake Christian Church. (Have you ever seen their sanctuary??!!) That should be a ton of fun. Once Friday School has started the spring term, we are most likely going to begin a Youth night... we're thinking of starting it once a month. I know most of you know but Rod and I were really involved with Youth Ministry in our college and early married days. We've noticed that there is a need in our own Co-op. Since we both have a youth ministry background, we thought we'd do it. And our teen group includes 7th & up... which means that in a couple of years, Josiah will be in it. So we thought we'd try to get it started so it will be established by the time our own kids are involved!

I'm doing the newsletter for our Co-op. Each month writing a cover story/letter gets easier and easier. I didn't think I would ever write one at all. I thought I'd stick filler in it and not really worry about writing something. But I've come to enjoy it. The St. John's who started friday school have invited me to write for their ezine... Haven't submitted anything there yet, but I'm sure I will.

Still meeting on fridays with my prayer group. It started out we were reading a christian book together. Now we are doing a bible video series by Ken Hamm. It's a little bit older of a video series, but excellent content.

It's the New Year, which means I have to get Rod's vacation schedule scheduled for this year on his work calendar. It took me a couple of years to feel okay with scheduling out the entire year. I'm used to it now... but it's something that needs to be done in the next few days.

Since we took the Holidays off from homeschooling, I guess it's time to get going again. I really like schooling... I just don't like the getting going part!

I guess that's all for now :) Happy New Year! Zindra