New Life



It has been a while since I have contributed to this blog so I was anxious to share our news this time.  We have been away on vacation since July 5th in Kenosha, WI to visit our daughter and son-in-law.  It has been a little more laid back than most of the Burgbacher vacations because we were awaiting the arrival of the newest member of the family.  We drove from Summerville to Cincinnati the first day and spent the night with Larry’s uncle and aunt.  We had a great visit with them, saw Larry’s childhood home and the church he grew up in and later ministered in.  And of course, we had to have the famous Cincinnati Skyline Chili.  Delicious!  The next day we drove the rest of the way to Kenosha and arrived mid-day.

We kept busy while waiting for the baby’s arrival playing games, swimming, working out, shopping, etc.  I did celebrate my birthday on the 7th with a wonderful dinner out and some great gifts from my family.  My girls blessed me on Thursday night  with a surprise birthday dinner at a cute little restaurant with several of my dear girlfriends from Kenosha.

The big day finally came on Monday, July 12th.  Benny Winfield Ferguson III was born at 8:05 pm.  We were so excited to welcome him into the world.  His two big sisters are absolutely thrilled with him.  Mommy and baby are doing great, and Daddy is on cloud nine.

We were also able to drive 5 hours to the little town where I grew up in Minnesota to visit my mother, who is a resident in the nursing home there, and two of my sisters and their husbands.  It was the first time any of them had met Larry.  And of course they just loved him!  It was a very emotional visit for me to see my mother showing her age of 88 years.  She has lost almost all sight and is confined to the wheelchair or easy chair with the assistance of a lift.  It was a week of very mixed emotions for me.

God has truly blessed our family with both a new life this week and reminiscing with Mom about the faithfulness of God in her life.  Times like this make me even more aware of God’s hand on our lives from the beginning to the end.  He is the foundation of our lives and He is who we live our lives for.

Psalm 139:13-17
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!

Thankful for Life In Christ!

Love,

Jeanne

July 19, 2010 | Filed Under Jeanne's Thoughts

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Ladies Retreat 2010

This past weekend was an exciting one for the women of Faith! We had our annual Women’s Retreat in Hilton Head with Dr. Janice Sjostrand as our guest speaker. From the moment the women began arriving to the time we were packing up for home, there was an air of anticipation and expectancy of what God would do in the lives of those who were participating, and we were not disappointed! God’s presence was there in a powerful, life changing way.

This year’s theme was “Run with Fire”, based on Isaiah 40. Dr. Sjostrand shared in such a beautiful way God’s message for us. She talked about those times in our lives when God lifts us up on His wings and and allows us to soar with Him to the heights. The next session she shared about running this race with the people in our lives and how we must run along side each other in our journey. The final thought was about walking out our faith day by day, moment by moment.

We were so blessed to have LaRell and our worship team lead us each session into the throne room of God. They did an amazing job. Dr. Sjostrand also ministered to us in worship from the keyboard and singing.

I cannot adequately describe what happened at the retreat - you would have to have been there. We had an amazing time with the Lord, and with each other. We had a lot of fun and got to know each other better. If you were not able to attend this year, please plan to be there next year. You will not want to miss it!

I am so thankful for all of our ladies that worked so hard to make this happen for us. I know they do this because they love the women of Faith!

Isaiah 40:27-31

29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, 31 But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

27 Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: “ My way is hidden from the LORD, And my just claim is passed over by my God”?  28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.

Running with Fire,

Jeanne

January 11, 2010 | Filed Under Jeanne's Thoughts

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Christmas is Among Us

Wow, just 10 days left until Christmas! Where did the fall go and how did we get to December 15th so quickly? My tree is decorated and the rest of the house is getting there. I have not begun my shopping yet and have just barely begun my baking. But Iʼm not worried, somehow it will all get done.

This will be an exciting Christmas at the Burgbacherʼs home. It is our first Christmas together and almost the entire family will be here during the holidays. Timmy, our college student, arrives this Wednesday. Chad and Amber and family arrive on Friday and then Benny & Kelli and family arrive on Christmas Day. Of course, Jason & Jessicaʼs family is here in town. The only ones missing will be Josh and Lindy. They will be spending Christmas with Joshʼs family. We will miss them, but look forward to seeing them in January. It will be great to have a full house and celebrate Christmas together!

We have already had such a wonderful holiday season with many parties to attend and
the wonderful “Gospel According to Scrooge” program that our very talented Fine Arts
department from Faith presented this past weekend. It was so exciting to see all the
visitors that came through the doors and also to see many decisions for Christ made
each evening. I am so proud of each one who played a part in making this production a great success. Thanks to you all.

As we all rush around with our shopping and baking and making preparations for a
memorable Christmas, be sure to take time to reflect on the real reason for the holiday.
The message of Christmas is “Emmanuel”, God with us. God sent His son Jesus to us,
to live among us, to feel our pain and sorrows, to live a sinless life so He could be the
perfect sacrifice for our sins. Because He came, He lived, He died in our place, and He
rose again, we now have a way to God. We can know Him and know eternal life in His
presence. Iʼm so thankful for the hope that Christmas brings for all who will accept itʼs
message.

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” — Matthew 1:23

May joy, peace and hope be yours because of Christmas!

Jeanne

December 15, 2009 | Filed Under Jeanne's Thoughts

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My First Cruise!

9.15.09



What a fantastic week we have had! After our wedding on Friday, September 4th, we left on a Caribbean cruise for our honeymoon. This was a first for me, and number 12 for Larry. It was bigger and better than I could have imagined. We sailed out of Port Canaveral, Florida on the largest cruise ship on the seas - “The Freedom of the Seas”.

This ship held 3600 passengers plus staff and is over 1100 feet long.  Our first port was CoCo Cay, Bahamas - Royal Caribbeanʼs private island. This is where I had my first snorkeling experience. God bless Larry - he had to be quite patient with me. After encountering many jelly fish and cutting myself up on the coral, I finally got the hang of it. They provided a great bbq on the beach for lunch.

Our next port of call was St. Thomas where we visited three beaches. Magenʼs Bay was my favorite here. Absolutely beautiful and surrounded on three sides by hillsides and palm trees. This is rated in the top 10 beaches in the world. We did some snorkeling at Coki Beach and Bolongo Beach. We also spent some time in the old downtown shopping district and enjoying the historic sites there.

Our last port was St. Martin. We drove over to the French side of the island to a Baie Rouge where Larry had snorkeled before. There are fantastic rock formations and caves along the shore as well as great beaches. The snorkeling was great. The other beach we visited on St Martin was Orient Beach. This beach just seems to go on for ever with the softest, whitest sand.

The rest of our time was spent enjoying the great shows, sports activities, pools and all the great food available on the ship. Larry scaled the huge rock wall twice and braved the “Flowrider” on the boogie board and the surf board. But his proudest moment was winning the Volleyball championship and bringing home a gold medal! We felt totally spoiled and enjoyed every minute.

As hard as it was to end this wonderful honeymoon vacation, it was also good to pull into our driveway last night and know that we are home. We missed our kids and grandkids and we missed our Faith Assembly family. A big thank you to Chad and Pastor Craig for filling the pulpit in our absence.

I am so excited to get to know all of you better and thankful for the opportunity that God has given me to be a part of the Burgbacher family and part of Faith Assembly. I canʼt wait to see what God has in store for all of us!

Ephesians 3:20 & 21

20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Anticipating -

Jeanne

September 15, 2009 | Filed Under Jeanne's Thoughts

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