Thursday, April 30, 2009

Playing catch-up....EASTER!!

This Easter, Northstar decided to have a "Pancake Breakfast"....so, as the head of the Hospitality team, this meant I had quite a busy weekend!!


The weekend started off with an interesting trip to Sam's Club, but when I got home Cody was done with his Worship practice and was such a great Hubs...he helped me cook sausage....ALL-DAY-LONG!!

I think after Easter, we will never eat sausage again!!
We cooked for about 3 hours straight and made over 400 sausage links--Our house smelled lovely!!! I burned my entire supply of candles that weekend--I'm in the market for more!

The next morning, Easter Sunday, we had such an incredible group of volunteers and congregants lending a hand---TRULY allowing themselves to be God's hands and feet! And with needing over 600 pancakes in an hour and a half...it was such a stress relief to me!

For the service we set up round tables instead of the regular "rows" of chairs, lending to a more "coffeehouse" feel--the volunteers did an amazing job setting up and making the place look great!

The stage looked amazing, the cross was faintly lit in the background and Cody had streaming video of sunrises all around the world on the big screen!

A group of our guys enjoying the great food!

Cody leading worship---It was an absolutely Christ-honoring and Holy-Spirit filled worship service!


Cody came up with this great idea to divide the service into 4 sections: Birth, Life, Death and Resurrection. Darryl (speaking in the picture) and Shane each taught mini-sermons on each section and Cody filmed 4 church members talking about how that specific section impacted their life and what it meant to them. (He asked me to speak on the Birth section....it was a pretty cool experience)


-The service ended with the song: "Shout out to God"
The enemy's been defeated
Death couldn't hold You down
We're gonna lift our voice in Victory
We're gonna make Your praises loud!

Shout unto God with a voice of triumph
Shout unto God with a voice of praise
Shout unto God with a voice of triumph
We lift Your name up
We lift Your name up


Seriously, what in INCREDIBLY powerful song after Darryl just talked about the Resurrection of Christ!! Our God is so amazing and ONLY HE is the ONE TRUE GOD, who has risen again!
Wish you were there and could've experienced that!!


Well, I'm sure you're wondering why I have a picture of a cute little boy...but this is, of course, the only picture I have of our Easter Sunday Dinner!!

For our FIRST Easter Sunday as married folks, we were all alone and couldn't spend time with our families! So, one of our favorite couples invited us and a few other couples who are "loaners" (haha) and family-less to come over and share Easter Dinner with them!! We had a great time at the Carver's and loved getting to know Kimberly and Kevin, as well! I came armed with the famous Lee Family Banana Pudding and OF COURSE, Mashed Potatoes for my hard-working hubby!

*This picture is of the Carver's little boy-he was super cute and of course, captured my attention!

Thanks again, Carver Family for having us over and sharing the holiday with us!!

So Blessed,
Cody and LaRae

Monday, April 27, 2009

Camera Cord, where art thou?

I am so bummed that I haven't been able to post any pictures from the past 2 weeks!! I can't find my camera cord!!!! Here's to hoping I find it soon!!

If so, PICTURES TO COME--if not, I'm gonna get them off my camera somehow!!!!

~LaRae

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Controversy.

I'm not sure if many of you have heard of the recent controversy over fellow "celebrity" blogger, Perez Hilton and Miss California 2009, but apparently it's all the rage in the media circuit. In case you weren't one of the 20 million people glued to the tube Saturday evening, here's what you missed....




I'm sure many of you know my stance on this issue, so I'll spare you the soapbox rant, but beyond the content of her answer or even the question, the sad fact of this entire situation is how people, namely Perez Hilton, have responded to her opinion.

Many have said that as a public figure representing America, Miss America should be "inclusive", not dividing the people. People have said that she should have been more "politically correct". My misunderstanding here is, when did America become the land of checking our opinions at the door? We are a democracy, a land founded on the majority vote. Clearly, that means there will be an opposite, or different, minority vote. Case and Point, the President of the United States-are they supposed to be "politically correct" with controversial issues? NO! We vote on politicians based upon their opinions and views of issues, NOT how well they don't offend the public.

Regardless of how Miss California answered, and yes she could have been more eloquent in her response, her opinion should not have "allegedly" cost her the crown. It has been her poise and character throughout this entire controversy that leads me to WANT her to be Miss America. She has been called every name in the book by Perez Hilton and she has taken it in stride and not dished it back.

It is so clear that the reason he is so upset, is because she didn't answer the way he wanted her to answer. I think he was looking for another venue to condone same-sex marriage and when it was shot out of the water, he had no other defenses. Furthermore, I think because he was the one asking the question and he, himself is a self-proclaimed homosexual, he was personally offended that she didn't take that into consideration and sugar coat her answer.

Once again, regardless of who I agree with on the subject, I was so disappointed that just because someone doesn't bow to the "political correctness" of society, it cost them something so significant. I want someone representing America that has a backbone and doesn't back down from what they believe, regardless if I believe in it or not. THAT produces the respect of others, not shifting your opinions just so people will like you or name-calling when they don't. Didn't we learn that when we were little, "stand up for what you believe in"??

Something to think about!

~LaRae

Thursday, April 16, 2009

All in His hands...

So, we've met both candidates, both good guys (I won't publicize my opinion of who I'm voting for), but I'm just super excited to see what God has in store for Northstar in the next few weeks!! Please keep us in your prayers and keep our search team and congregation and the two families of the candidates, as well....lots of decision making will need to be done in the next few weeks and we need God to guide us to where He wants us!!

Now, in the meantime, Cody and I are having a mini-vaca in Ohio with his family....so excited to just relax and enjoy family!!

Love ya'll and i'll keep you posted!!

Blessings,
LaRae

Monday, April 13, 2009

Saturday, April 11, 2009

The Lee Family Banana Pudding

Banana Pudding Recipe


Ingredients:


-1 box of 'Nilla wafers

-5 bananas

-Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk (1 can)

-1.5 cups cold water

-1 pint (2 cups) whipping cream

-1 box Vanilla INSTANT pudding mix


In large bowl combine sweetened condensed milk and cold water, mix well... add pudding mix and beat well, then chill for 5 minutes.


In the meantime, whip 1 pint (2 cups) whipping cream until peaks


fold whipped cream into pudding mixture, softly combine


Layer bananas, cookies, then pudding in a dish until you run out.


chill until ready to serve or eat immediately.



ENJOY!!!

Monday, April 6, 2009

And then there were two...

As I'm sure you have gathered from my various posts, our church is looking for a new Senior Pastor. After the founder and Senior Pastor retired this past August the search began!



Now, after 8 arduous months of sorting through hundreds of resumes, with a few good laughs, we have finally come down to TWO!!! Our final two candidates, and so appropriately on the eve of the NCAA National Championship, will be visiting Blacksburg this week and next.



I am so excited about the next few weeks and to see which of the two, God willing ONE OF THEM, will be the Pastor of our church. Who knows what God will do in the next few weeks/months...but so much prayer for discernment and wisdom has gone into this process, that I am certain it will be God's man for the church...and no one else.



Please keep our church in your prayers the next few weeks as we decide between the final two candidates!!! YAY!!!



Love and Blessings,
LaRae & Cody Davenport