Its just geography

Dave is from California.

And I am from the Carolinas, I don't even say North or South, because I lived so close to the line. . .

We met in Romania.

Crazy, huh?

Who but God could orchestrate something like that.

Our new address will be Costa Rica.


These are all just places on the map. Just geography.

We have lived on both sides of the country, SC when we were first married, then moved to Cali, and then back to SC.

It is all pretty simple, until we applied to be missionaries, and the directors asked us where we were from. Well, Dave is an ordained minister from the Northern California district, and I am licensed in South Carolina.

So we said we were from both.

And that is the truth.
Dave grew up under Royal Ranger Commanders, then grew spiritually under the leadership of the Nor Cal Nevada, and graduated from Bethany in Santa Cruz.

And I grew up under the awesome children's and youth programs of SC, and attended a few years of school at Southeastern.

We both felt we were "from" the perspective sides of the country.

We actually had to declare one district as our home district. Easy right?

Well. . . we were endorsed from South Carolina, but according to the leadership in the Assemblies of God, we had to declare Dave's district as our sending district.

Then it got tricky.

But we serve a God, who has all these details worked out.

As it turns out, the leadership in California accepted our endorsement from South Carolina, and welcomed us in their district AND South Carolina embraced us as being from here as well.

So I guess our Father knew that we would need both sides of the country to pray for us.

We have been blessed to start our itineration process here in South Carolina, and I have had the unique opportunity to be able to go to the churches here in SC to say Thank You. Thank you for giving to the young people. Giving them the opportunity to go to summer camps, to go on AIM trips, and to Southeastern. For praying for the youth, and the providing the leadership in the state that poured into my life.

And this week, we were announced as one of the new missionaries from the Northern California Nevada District, at their district council. We felt so humbled to stand before the men and women who serve in that district. From the children's department, the Women's Ministry (and the invitation to speak at luncheons. . . and to participate in retreats and meetings), to the Pastors, and the leadership of Sup. Braddy, we were overwhelmed.

I was overwhelmed by a friend who gave me a special gift with a handmade journal, a veteran missionary who tucked me under her wing, to the family who anonymously bought our dinner, through it all, you overwhelmed us.

We feel so loved, from both sides of the country. After all, where we are from, and where we are going. . . its just geography.

Quilting

"Create a quilt of memories to keep me warm
An inner warmth that comes from light of happy times
Weave in the threads of holidays of friends and families. . .
Delights of seashore, fields of city parks.
The simpliest happenings threaded out in love
become a pattern for my quilt of memories."

author unknown

Lavish

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!"

I John 3:1


I feel "lavished" on.
So many sweet things happened on this Valentine's Day.
Dave let me sleep in, but HE got up early to take the girls to school. I heard him tiptoe through the room to get Emma's matching bow. (that makes mom and Emma happy. The girls had to be at school today early for an extra practice which meant he had them at school at 7:05! That was better than a store bought card.

He then made my favorite breakfast (which ofcourse involve potatoes)

I got to go to the girls school and help out in their classroom parties! I love doing that. But as soon as Emma saw me she said, "daddy made us heart shaped pancakes for breakfast, what did he make for you?" Then scene was repeated in Maggi's classroom, She added "I knew yours was going to be really good cuz he loves you so much".

There in the fourth grade class room, in the middle of redvelvet cupcakes and stinky silly fourth grade boys MY HEART MELTED. For real. My girls were so excited about the love that their Father lavished on them.

I am proud that my husband thinks it is just as important to show my girls how importnant they are in his life, and instead of looking for a special sweetheart from their classroom, my girls were bragging on their daddy.

It made my day complete. Really. There was more, I am looking at fresh flowers in three rooms, and have a hot date planned as soon as we can find a free babysitter and save some money.

But my before the day was over. . . I got something extra.

Emma said she needed some new jazz shoes, that the ones she had hurt her feet. Well money is tight right now as we are transitioning to a missionaries budget. Dave asked Emma if she could make them work for 3 or 4 more months. Dave didn't realize that these were the shoes from last year, and that her toes really were crammed in them. I emailed a few moms to see if I could swap or borrow them for a while, to no avail. Well I asked our beautiful Ballet teacher if she had any extra shoes in the shoe exchange? Emma started trying on the shoes, and found a pair with MAGGI's name written in them. We had let a friend borrow them, and I guess she donated them, and so since they were obviously once ours, Miss Stacia GAVE them to us.

That my friends is how MY Father has lavished his love on me. Answered prayers.


I know that My Father has Lavished good gifts on you to.

Happy Valentines Day

Is it really 2011?

I can't believe it is 2011.

The month of December just disappeared.
We filled it with lots of good stuff though.

We enjoyed friends and family, food and fellowship, laughter and giggling, decorations and pine needles, and lots of traditions.

























We are so blessed to be going into a new year, with such rich warm memories.

Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house that you have brought me this far?
II Samuel 7:18

Cheerful Giver

Lessons Learned.

Don't underestimate what God puts on your children's heart.

At the beginning of this year, Maggi had to make a pledge for the Boys and Girls Missionary Club at church. This is a program that teaches children to give money to foreign missions. They collect the money in "buddy barrels". The first week in each month the children return their barrels to the church, filled with change, and that money goes toward special projects (like digging wells for clean water). In Jan. Maggi wanted to pledge $1,000. Dave and I tried to explain to her that $1,000 was alot of money for an eight year old little girl. Dave and I talked her into pledging $500, as that seemed like a reasonable goal.

Immediately Dave and I felt guilty. Who were we to put limits on God. God placed a number on Maggi's heart, and why should we try to change it.

Being a parent is a hard thing.

On the flip side, we wanted her to be able to meet the goal she had pledged.

We were torn.

She went with the $500 dollars, but we decided we would not limit what God wanted to do.

Maggi gave buddy barrels to anyone she could think of.

When her birthday rolled around, she asked her friends to give money to her, so she could give it to missions. She called it her Birthday Sacrifice.

She put the money her grandparents gave her for her birthday in her barrel.

She put her toothfairy money in.

She put the change she found in the street in her buddy barrel.

Spare change around the house was placed in the barrel.

Even a missionary couple we meet this summer placed a sacrificial gift in the barrel, all you have to do is share your vision. (this act humbled everyone in our family)

She and her sister helped make and then serve breakfast to raise money.

This Sunday, Maggi turned in her buddy barrel.

She had raised, $1007.00.

unbelievable. A nine year old who is learning what sacrifice is all about. She was willing to sell toys, rake leaves, clean out a pool, sweep garages, to boldly ask her neighbors. . . to fulfill a need.

She has taught our family so much.
Emma now has her very own buddy barrel. She is thinking of ways to give and raise money.
She taught her parents to believe that God uses and speaks to children.
We as a family watched people give sacrificial to something we are passionate about. We watched the girls carry their yellow buddy barrels to church with excitement.

This Jan. we will have 2 little girls making pledges. You can bet, whatever the pledge, mom and dad will remain silent.

.

Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

It is official!

We have finally started!
It is official.

Yesterday we were accepted as fully appointed missinoaries of the Assemblies of God to the country of Costa Rica.

It was a really big day here!

We are so humbled, and excited, and a little scared. . .

We are getting ready for a new way to view things. And learn alot about iteneration, a double OO account, booking services, promoting ourselves, prayer cards, etc.

And we are ready. We are excited to watch and see what God is going to do. And how He is going to do it. We have converted the dinning room in to a home office, and learned excel, how to print envelopes, design stationary, etc.

The girls are working on their own blog, and working through their own fears, excitement, and futre plans.

But we as a family are so in need of God to prepare us.
Prepare our steps, Prepare on hearts, Prepare our hands, Prepare the way, Prepare the Cartwrights.

We accepted the call to missions with humble hearts, wanting to serve God, and answer a call He placed on us. We are excited to discover some of the great things God has for us. So our prayer is that we are guided by his voice, and not a paper trial through iteneration, and that we share His passion for the lost and hurting people of Latin America, not our personal agenda and our budget, that young children, families, and older saints are inspired to answer the call to missions, and that we continue to look to our Father for the answers.

We are excited to share this journey with you.

" to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up." Ephesians 4:12


Oh by the way. . . we got the call on my birthday, just another way my father lavishes gifts on me. . . Oh How He Loves Me. . .

Location Location Location

"Father, Give me your eyes to see others around me, to see their needs and their hurts. Fill my heart with your compassion for my lost neighbors, colleagues and family members. And Lord, May my location always be in the center of your will."

Amen

From the book, Voices of the Faithful.

What an awesome reminder today, that no matter where I am, Costa Rica, Clover, Springfield, or California, may I always desire to be where He wants me to be, and to be reaching out to hurting people.

God puts each one of us in a place for a specific purpose. We may not be able to see it now, but as time and circumstances begin to reveal themselves, we will see we are part of His bigger plan.

I look back at all the things he has woven into my life at a particular time, but it didn't reveal itself till years later.

Things like

. . . A friendship made at the age of seven at summer camp, became my college roommate, and then her dad the minister that married me.

. . . A few classes at Bible College seemed like it didn't fit into the degree I earned, but became what I needed to become licsenced with the Assemblies of God 15 years later.

. . . that a house we bought 9 1/2 years ago, after seeing it at dusk, placing an offer on it the next day and remodeling it would bring us financial stability and a beautiful home a few years down the road.

. . . That the beauty of country I had worked in as a young teenager, would become the country my family will begin a new life in 20 years later.

. . . the list is endless and I have gotten way off track. . .

All that to say, that whatever your physical,financial, spiritual, or mental location right now, God has a reason for it.

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" I Corinthians 2:9