The Impossible...possible??

Many of you know that Dan and I had signed a contract on a house that was in early construction phases at the beginning of July, then were forced to back out of it last week because the builder was being less than honest (and downright shady) with us. Sad day at the Maciuk house. We are trying desperately to take advantage of this $8K tax credit since I am a first-time home buyer. So, the search for our first home in OKC begins again.

Last week, we found an AMAZING older home that has been "flipped" (for those of you HGTV'ers like myself). I mean, the sucker has been gutted like a dead fish, and is brand new on the inside! Not to mention the fact that is is over 1,000 square feet larger than our house in Fayetteville (and 1,500 sf larger than our current apartment!) I can close my eyes and clearly see our youth group piled in the huge living room, sprawled out on the furniture and floor, hanging out with me in the huge kitchen, and spending the night whenever they want! It is the perfect ministry house for us! The price it is listed at is within our price range, but it is at the high end of the comparables sold in that old neighborhood in the past year, because of the upgrades. However, it still needs new windows throughout, as well as a new air conditioner...two HUGE things!

We have been debating on the price to offer for this house, because we know the owners put a lot of blood, sweat and tears, and are highly unlikely to accept our offer of $10,000 less than asking price (to accommodate for new windows in the next few years), PLUS a new AC...however fair WE think the offer is. And our first offer, is as high as we are willing to go, because we don't want to improve the house above it's market value. Not to mention there are other asthetics we would like to fix...paint the exterior brick, hardwood floors in the living, etc. Ugggh!! Last night, being the hopeless pessimist that I can sometimes be, had myself talked out of even making an offer, for fear of being disappointed. I totally know that with God, all things are possible, and that He is in the business of making the things that seem impossible, totally possible! I know that. However, this is REALLY impossible in my mind! But, my always optimistic husband says, "MAKE THE OFFER, AND SEE!" So we shall! The realtor is on his way to my office as I type for us to submit the formal offer. They have until 5:00pm, tomorrow, Wednesday, to respond. Here are some pics...



All that to say...PRAY WITH US!!!!!!!!! And also to say, God is so stinkin' cool! Look at this devotion that was in my inbox after lunch today...just after I had given the realtor the green light to bring the paperwork to me. Unreal...

FAITH IS SPELLED ‘R-I-S-K’

“And all of these, though they won divine approval by [means of] their faith, did not receive the fulfillment of what was promised.” Hebrews 11:39

It always amazes me how many believers are hesitant to claim God's promises because they're afraid they'll be disappointed. Perhaps they feel that if they don't expect too much from God, they can avoid the pain of being let down. I've heard it said that real faith is spelled "R-I-S-K". I think there's a lot of truth to that. It takes a lot of courage to trust God to come through for us when our senses aren't giving us any support. But that's exactly what the Lord expects from us. If you look at the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, you see that God approves of those who put their faith in His promises, whether or not they come to pass. The verse above confirms this. And so does Hebrews 11:13 (NIV): "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance." The Scriptures reveal that God holds in high esteem those who live by faith and continue to hold on to God's promises, even through long periods of waiting. The fact is, if we really want to please God and reap the rewards He has in store for us, we're going to have to risk putting our faith and trust in Him, even when it looks like the odds are against us. Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) tells us that, "Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists, and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him."

The first verse of Hebrews gives us a biblical definition of faith: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." And the next verse reveals that it's this kind of faith that God esteems: "This is what the ancients were commended for." (Hebrews 11:1-2 NIV) The words "sure" and "certain" make it clear that faith is confidence in God and His Word, even when we don't see any tangible evidence to justify that faith. And the verse that follows reveals why our believing in what we don't see isn't just "pie in the sky": “By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.” (Hebrews 11:3 NLT) The Creator of the universe isn't the least bit hindered when our circumstances look "impossible." Making something out of nothing is what our God does best.

Now you need to ask yourself how serious you are about pleasing God. If you're really serious, you aren't going to be able to avoid taking risks with your faith. Yes, you're going to experience some disappointments you might have escaped. But I guarantee you this--you're going to witness some miracles in your life that you would have otherwise missed. Hebrews 11:33 (NLT) tells us that "by faith" some of God's people "received what God had promised them." The bottom line is this--whether or not we receive all the promises we believe God for isn't the issue; the issue is whether or not we are living by faith, trusting God with all of our hearts in every circumstance every day of our lives. When we do, along with God's hearty approval, we'll have a peace and joy in our hearts that will enable us to live the abundant life that Jesus came to give us. Today, my heartfelt prayer for you is that you will dare to believe!

Lord, forgive me for the times I've missed Your perfect will because I was fearful or timid. Give me a holy boldness that will dare to believe in Your promises, and to risk disappointment. Help me to keep my eyes on You and Your Word, instead of on my circumstances. Thank You that as I live by faith each day, I'll impact the lives of others with my peace and joy!

Lovey #1 - Miss Sarah Votaw

So I have decided that I love my friends. I love them so much, I am going to tell you ten reasons why I love a different friend once a week. I will call them "Lovey's"...appropriately.

This week, that one is Miss Sarah Votaw!! Sarah is one of our FAVORITE new friends in OKC...and she just happens to be 10 years old! Here are 10 reasons why we love Miss Sarah!

1. She is THE COOLEST dresser in the world! And she dresses herself!
2. She laughs at everything I say
3. She is really, REALLY cute! Even when she just gets out of bed and comes to the office!
4. She is a great singer, and leads worship in VKIDS, the children's ministry at Victory Church
5. She loves cupcakes...we were destined to be friends
6. Dan and I were the only adults invited to her birthday party this year
7. She has the coolest hamster, Humphrey, and almost bought me one for my birthday this year!
8. She loves her family, and always wants to honor them
9. She has a bit of a giraffe obsession, which is good because Dan and I are really tall
AND
10. She made Dan and I feel so loved when we first moved here, and continues to love us even though she knows us well now!

Sarah really is one of the coolest kids ever! If we could keep her, we would! For now, we'll just invite her and Humphrey over to spend the night!

Now THAT'S a Wedding Processional!

WHY? WHY? WHY?????? Didn't I think of this!?!? Genius, and we totally would have pulled it off. Too bad it's a once-in-a-lifetime deal. : ) Njoy!

There's more where that came from...

Last weekend I got to go home to Arkansas to spend some much needed time with the fam. Some that I haven't seen in too, too long, and other's that I am blessed to talk to and see more often. Regardless of how often I see or hear from them, I love them all, and it was so good to exchange hugs, many laughs, and be at rest with the ones you cherish most.

A vital part of that fam is my Grandpa Chancellor. As I mentioned in my previous post, he turns my heart to absolute mush. I talked to him on the phone Thursday evening and told him I was going to come see him in Malvern on Saturday. He was so excited! I asked him if he wanted me to bring him some "sweetnin'," which is his word for "dessert." He said, in the sweetest voice, "Nah...you just give me a kiss and that'll be sweetnin' enough." Presh!

Here is a picture of my precious Grandpa. Poor thing. He was feeling awful that day. In fact, we found out his blood pressure that day was 90/18, which is dangerous stroke territory! Luckily my little sis, Whit-Whit, is a nurse and she was able to direct him on how to get it back up with his medications. Whew! No matter how bad he felt, he managed to pop off one of his hilarious Grandpa Chancellor-isms, that Whit and I have come to love more than just about anything in this world. The way he shows affection has historically been that of a second grader who pushes girls on the playground to tell them he thinks they are pretty alright. When some might say, "I am so glad you're my granddaughter" followed by an embrace, we have always gotten "Who's girl are you!????" with his dukes up in the air, as if he was looking for a good fight. He also regularly throws out the fact that he is going to "drop kick" one or both of us. I think our all time favorite, though, is when he told us to sit really close to each other on the couch so that he could knock both of us out with one punch! Oh man. I have NEVER laughed that hard in my life! Anyway, this past Saturday, he came at it a different way. Instead of physical harm, he was going to use a scare tactic. Imagine, if you will, an 83-year-old man who talks like Boomhauer from King of the Hill. In all seriousness, he said, "You almost walked in on a stranger!!! I found a long wig out in the shed and was gonna put it on with some earrings, and you'da thought I's a stranger!" I cracked up. The man...never, EVER know what you're going to get. I sure do love him.

When I got home Sunday night, we had Questions and Answers night with our small group of teenagers. (I say small, but it's really about 40 kids) Q&A night is where they can ask ANY question that's on their mind, and we'll try to answer it to the best of our ability. One girl asked if we thought someone could really die of a broken heart when someone they love passes away before them. That hit close to home after my visit with my Grandpa. He has gone downhill significantly in health since my Grandma passed away last September. That question combined with being a newlywed, has really made me think a lot this week about losing someone you love, whether a spouse, a child, a parent, a sibling...even a close friend. Of course I believe that our death is written in our book of life from the beginning. It comes as no surprise to our God if someone passes away soon after the loss of a loved one. However, more than a broken heart could devastate you to the point of death, I think a broken spirit is the cause of it all. My Grandpa and Grandma had been together their whole lives basically. In her last years, he cared for her in the most admirable, loving, committed way...the way all of us long to be loved and cared for. I am so thankful I have grown up with that example of commitment and marriage before me. So thankful. I know that when my Grandma was finally gone, his tired spirit went with her....that was his lifeblood, and I believe what caused his heart to beat. Without your heartbeat, the body shuts down. I believe it's the same without the spirit.

I also looked through old family photos at my Grandpa's house for a Chancellor family history web site we recently found. It was so fun to ask my Grandpa who everyone was, what they were doing, where they were, what happened to them, etc. It did my heart good to see that spirit back in him as he relived moments and relationships while looking at those photos with my dad, mom, and me. It sweetly reminded me that we were created for relationships and fellowship. We were created to love one another and do life together. To care for each other and hold each other up, no matter the distance between us. It also reminded me that families are such a gift from God. My family is wonderful. On both sides, and I am blessed for that. All that to say, love on each other...tell each other you love one another and why...laugh together, and let your spirit soak up every moment together on this side of Heaven. Life is short, but life is precious, and life is good.

Tears

Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they
are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts.
~Charles Dickens, Great Expectations, 1860

Not sure what the cause, but I am SO weepy lately. I can't decide if I am in a season where I am surrounded by more sorrowful situations, or if my heart is just overflowing with sensitivity and compassion, more than ever before. Either way, poor Dan. He has to hear it and see it all the time. Some of the things making me flow like a faucet lately...

1. Old men. I can't handle them. I bawl...immediately. They hurt my heart in unexplainable ways. It really, truthfully feels like someone is standing on my chest when I see an elderly man. I have to turn away. I tell this story all the time, but when I was younger, I was banned from going on children's choir trips to nursing homes to sing Christmas carols because I would cry the entire time. It's so bad, that the girls in my youth group wrote a song about my old man "handicap" entitled, "Oh, the little old man!"
   
   
2. Going hand-in-hand with old men, is my Grandpa, Raymond Chancellor. He absolutely breaks my heart. He is (with the exception of my Dad) the best man alive. He is the sweetest, most loving, generous, hard-working, God-fearing, "salt of the earth", obedient, funniest man I have ever met. I could spend every day, all day with him and never grow tired or bored. He has provided for my dad's brothers and their children, his whole life...giving them anything and everything they have ever needed to survive in life. He cared for my Grandma, the love of his life that he married when she was 15, so willingly and selflessly until she passed away last September with Lupus and Parkinson's. Today, he is still working heavy machinery to repair roads in southern Arkansas at the age of 83 to care for my dad's brothers and their kids. (Don't even get me started on that!) Dan had to comfort me a week or so ago when I heard that he was seen picking up and paying for the prescriptions for all who live under his roof after a long hard day at work. I was sobbing on the couch out of helplessness. I would move in with him tomorrow and care for him until he goes to be with my Grandma, if I could. I love that man with every bit of my aching heart. It pains me to not be able to help him and love him every day. I have tears now.
   
   
3. The thought of not being able to have kids. Now, I have ZERO idea why I even think about this. Dan and I have just begun "trying" (whatever that means) to start a family. However, I, at times, am completely crippled with the fear of not being able to have kids. I just can't imagine the pain. I am one who has wanted kids since I was a kid myself. Getting married later in life presents a sense of urgency in that. I know God has such a plan for us though. His ways and timing are always WAY more exciting and perfect than mine, so we shall wait to see what He has!
   
   
4. Another hand-in-hand is the idea of adopting babies. I have such a heart for the hurting and less fortunate. Dan and I have always said we would like to have two or three of our own, and then adopt one or two from another country. We even talk about where we would want them to be from. Given my love for Africa, I always say somewhere in Africa. Dan being from South America, always says Paraguay, etc. However, yesterday I became Facebook friends with a sweet friend that I used to work with in college. She and her husband have adopted two little girls from an orphanage in Vietnam in the past three years. She is a professional photographer, and has done a beautiful job of documenting their story and their little lives as they unfold. In one day, I am obsessed. Check out her blog, and you will be too. Needless to say, if we ever adopt, I will be contacting my friend Kelly, and heading to Vietnam. Done, and done.

Those are just a few things that are top of the mind, but I also cried today watching "16 and Pregnant" on MTV, and "Wedding Day" on TLC. I teared up on Friday when I found out that a man that I reached out to on Facebook to help me with the geneaology on my dad's side of the family was in fact, my second cousin. Oh, and I cried in the movie "Up" last week, but it's about a little old man, so that was a given.

Again, not sure what is going on, but I love to cry, so I'm okay with it. It shows my heart is still working, and in a family chock-full of heart disease, that is a GOOOOOOD thing!

Those who do not know how to weep with their whole heart don't know how to laugh either.
~Golda Meir

Too Much of a Good Thing!

So, I'm a TOTAL TLC JUNKIE!!!! From What Not To Wear, Say Yes to the Dress, Jon & Kate Plus Eight, Cake Boss, 18 Kids and Counting, Toddlers and Tiaras, Baby Story, Mystery Diagnosis, Little Couple to all of the Biggest, Tallest Person(s) shows. You name it, I watch it...and make my husband watch them too. God love him!


Well, last Friday night, I had a dream. I had a dream that Dan and I found out we were pregnant. The way I found out was that I was somehow hanging out with Michelle Duggar, the mom from 18 Kids and Counting: The Duggar Story. Many of you know that the Duggar's are from northwest Arkansas, where we used to live. Anyway, they are like local celebs to us, and I think they are the absolute SWEETEST family in the world! But, back to the dream. I was hanging out with Mrs. Duggar, who OWNED her own ultrasound machine. Why wouldn't you after 18 kids???? I mean, sounds reasonable enough! She was giving herself an ultrasound, which is how she always found out she was pregnant (in the dream), and decided to give me one where she found that I too, was preggers!

So I woke up to tell Dan, thinking he would laugh hysterically at what I have resulted to dreaming about. After he laughed, he officially grounded me from watching TLC, citing an overdose. I told him it could be worse! I could be dreaming about us getting a divorce from watching Jon & Kate Plus Eight! ; ) So he's asleep now...and I'm watching TLC. Shhhhh! ; )

Do You Know?

First, I apologize immensely for the "blogging sabbatical"! So much has happened! So much! There are a couple of reasons for the absence. The first of which is lack of words. One of my bestie's, Milt, put it best in her recent blog "On Creating and Resistance". For us creative kind, words can be overwhelming at times. We put so much weight into each individual one, that it's hard to find the *perfect* word to describe each feeling, emotion, thought, etc. to accurately depict the story going on in our heads. And I think that's what they call good 'ol writer's block. All that to say, I've been a bit overwhelmed with all the BIG THINGS that have transpired in our lives over the past month or more, and the thought of just dedicating a few less than *perfect* words to them, makes me want to not write about them at all. That may have to do with the perfectionist in me as well, but that's a whole 'notha blog!

The second reason for my absence is that I get a little blogged-out sometimes. I think we, generally, believe our own lives are WAY more interesting than everyone else does. At times I feel like blogs are posted every time someone goes to the bathroom or gets stuck in traffic. Now, not to deem anyone's life and its happenings less than "important," I just choose to use discretion on what, in my life, is blog-worthy. That way I won't water down the really good stuff, which there IS some, and I'll post about all of that a little later!

However, today I have something that IS blog-worthy. So blog-worthy my heart is about to jump out of my chest. NO, we are NOT pregnant! (but that would DEFINITELY be blog-worthy, and I hope to write on that sooner than later!) Since I believe in Jesus, and I believe in the Holy Spirit (don't quit on me now those of you who aren't sure...this is gonna get good!), I know that recurring "heart themes", or things that continue to affect my heart, are often movements of the Holy Spirit prompting something. I've had one of these lately, and it just keeps on keepin' on. It all started at the Wonder Tour a few weeks ago in Osawatomie, KS. Our friend Mandy Scholz was stopped in this small town for speeding. Her 4-year-old, London, is one of our all time favorite kids. If there ever were to be a star on the show "Kid's Say the Darndest Things," this is your gal! Anyway, as the policeman was questioning Mandy about her lack of knowledge of the speed limit, little Londey-poo was in the back seat shouting, "Mommy! Does that policeman know Jesus!??????" She was dying to know, and they just might have gotten out of a ticket because of her preciousness. Later that night, London was sitting on my lap in a large group of HS students, listening to the run-down for the week ahead. She pointed to a boy sitting next to me, leaned to my ear and whispered, "Does that boy know Jesus?" I just couldn't believe that this 4-year-old was so concerned with whether or not everyone around her knew Jesus like she did, and was willing to ask, and even shout it out! They just happened to all be boys she wasn't sure about, but again, that's a whole 'notha blog! ; ) KIDDING! Conviction delivered through a 4-year-old...priceless.

Fast forward to this past Sunday. The sermon series at Victory Church (or as I like to call it, "Bomb Church" because it's the most bomb church ever!!) has been "What If" for the past four weeks. This past Sunday, it was "What If We Loved the Lost"? Now, I've never really been a fan of the word "lost" when referring to non-believers for a few personal reasons. I would rather say "those who don't know yet." This video by the magician Penn Jillette, from Penn & Teller, says it all to me. Penn is an atheist, as he will tell you in this video, but you can TOTALLY see the work of the Holy Spirit in his heart here. All because ONE MAN cared for "those who don't know yet." Those of us who DO believe, this should convict us and feel like a bit of a cane beating at best. If not, you might check your pulse. Check it out...


I'll just close with these two thoughts.

1. If you profess to believe that Jesus Christ did in fact hang on a cross and die for our sins, so that we can spend eternity in heaven, and that all others will spend eternity in hell...HOW MUCH DO YOU HAVE TO HATE SOMEONE TO NOT SHARE THAT WITH THEM? Would you not push them out of the way if they were standing in the middle of the street and a bus was about to hit them?? When do we stop being like London, and letting the first question out of our mouths when we meet a stranger be, "Do they know Jesus?" if we truly believe they will spend eternity in hell if they don't? If we believe that we, as believers, hold the secret to everlasting life, why do we KEEP it a secret? I challenge you to think about those questions, as I have been for weeks, and then make a bold, important statement to the world. Don't be quiet anymore.
   
2. If asked the question, "Do you know Jesus?" you would have to answer "No," I want to share with you the love that brought me out of a life of perpetual lies, deceit, addiction, immorality and loneliness. Jesus Christ died on a the cross for my sins, and for yours, so that we never have to think about those things again. I am made completely new...every single day. Because I know Him, I never have to be ashamed again, and I will get to spend eternity with someone who loved me more than ever imaginable. I want you to know Him too. My hurt aches for you to know Him. Please contact me through this blog, or click here, or call 1-888-NEED HIM if you want to know more, and I pray that you will!
   

I will not be quiet anymore!

Keep Up With Us!

So many people have blogs these days, it's hard to check them all for updates! Since we aren't very good at updating regularly, now you can subscribe to our blog via RSS feed or email notification by clicking on one of the links to the right. If you subscribe via email, you will simply enter your email address, and the system will generate an authorization email to that address. When you open that email, click the link it gives, and you will begin receiving an email each time we post to let you know there is something new out there. It's a totally safe and easy way to keep up with us...should you want to! : )

Huntin' eggs gots NOTHIN' on our Easter weekend!!

Dan and I were in OKC for our first full weekend! I am still living in Arkansas, but I was there Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We stayed with our sweet friends, Adam and Kristy Starling. Kristy is an AMAZING Christian Music artist, who leads worship at our church, and Adam is the college pastor at Victory.

If you know me at all, you probably quickly learned that the way to my heart is through cake of any kind...especially cupcakes! Since Dan is a man after my own heart, he took me to two of my new favorite places on earth! One is a cupcakery (I LOVE that word!) in an old, renovated house in downtown OKC called Sara Sara Cupcakes. The owner is Sara's mother. Sara died suddenly at a young age from a heart dysrhythmia. Before she passed away, she loved baking...especially cupcakes. After her death, her mother decided to honor her by opening Sara Sara Cupcakes, in which most of the proceeds go to fund a researcher at OU Medical Center, who is researching Sara's condition. So sweet...in more ways than one! It was such a neat vibe at 9:00 on Friday night! It was packed, and they had acoustic live music, and best of all...a milk bar! You could self-serve plain white milk, strawberry milk or chocolate milk from an old chrome refrigerated dispenser. Love it! The decor was very retro with lots of clear plexi-glass, and white...very clean and lots of white...with splashes of hot pink and silver to accessorize. And the marketer in me has to say, their branding was top notch!

As if that weren't heaven enough, Saturday night after church we hit up ANOTHER cupcakery called Cuppies and Joe! Appropriately named since we had cupcakes and coffee! This little place was hoppin'...and I don't mean just in time for Easter. It is located right in the middle of the Asian District in an old remodeled bungalo house. There wasn't a seat to be had, so we had to park it with a girl who was working on her laptop alone at a table for four. Again, they had live music, but this place had more of an Indie, Anthropologie-ish vibe than our stop the night before. Right up my alley! Very, very hip, and obviously the place to see and be seen for young peeps in OKC! This was the crowd fave for sure! If you come visit us in OKC, you can bet we will have some "Cuppies and Joe" before you leave!

Well, we rounded out our weekend with Easter Sunday at Victory Church. Wow. That's all I can say. What a blessing it is to be part of what is going on there. Our pastor, Mark Crow, is an AMAZING communicator. The sermon was not your typical Easter Sunday sermon where we walk through the death and resurection of Jesus Christ for all of those who come to church on Easter Sunday and Christmas only...God love 'em. ; ) Mark taught on "Jesus the Revolutionary"...and boy did he BRING IT! I was in the 12:00 service and saw over 100 people come to know the Lord in that service alone. And they weren't just your average Joe or Jane. They were hard-core, tatted-up, worn down by life looking people, who as pastor Crow said, "might have just missed hell by a minute." I was moved to tears to say the least. If you want to watch the service we experienced on Easter Sunday, you can do so by clicking here.

Ode to Milt!

Today I get to celebrate another friend! Another friend in the group of girls I mentioned in my previous post. Elizabeth Vaught, often, and more preferably known as "Milton" (her maiden name), pretty much rocks my face off. At least she makes me laugh until I feel like my face is going to fall off. She is the friend that gives you the sore cheeks from laughing so hard. She can dance with the best of 'em...she's super creative and always makes great gifts...she's so thoughtful...she's so ghetto, but so wallflower all at the same time (how does one even accomplish that?)...I could go on for days!

But most importantly, and what Milt has poured into my life, is loads of wisdom and truth. She is a wise sage at a very youthful age, and she is so Proverbs 31 to the point that I'm jealous! She loves Jesus and it shows by the way she lives her life as a true friend, a loving mother, and an awesome wife (I think Christian would second that!). Instead of a WWJD bracelet, I want a WWMD bracelet for "What Would Milt Do?" ; )

Milt, I've learned so much from you in the time we have been friends, and you are one of my very best friends...near and dear to the heart. Thank you for loving me (always!), for sharing your heart with me, and for being the amazing you that you are! So tonight, we shall go fill our bellies with pizza and shake our booties to some 80's at Boom Kinetic in YOUR honor, celebrating YOU, friend! Can't wait!

Happy Birthday, Milt!