Two months...really?

It's quite sad how little I actually update this blog. There are just so many ways to keep people in the loop and Facebook really trumps them all...so this blog takes a backseat, especially since time is a factor - and I don't have much of that. But Novi just went to sleep and I decided to write about a few awesome things that have happened since I last blogged (almost 2 months ago)

November

Novi is coming up on 9 months! I can't believe how fast time has gone. She's crawling all over the place, getting into

everything, and trying to cruise along furniture - and man does she fly as you hold her arms and she takes tiny baby steps. She has tried and like sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, green beans, peas, bananas, and applesauce. She's not that

crazy about peaches, but we're working on it. She doesn't have teeth yet...and tonight we tried to get her to gum some tiny banana chunks. She ended up gagging herself and throwing up. Great. She still nurses tons, but now that we're getting to 9 months, I'll be uping the baby food and slowing down the nursing gradually. Na

than and I really want to go away for more than 3 hours without Novi - just for some time to ourselves, and ride rollercoasters...so I need to start feeding her more solids and letting her drink from a cup more and more. But I will tell you, nursing her may be one of my favorite things now. It's the only time I actually get to hold and cuddle her - she's such a wiry, squirmy baby!

Novi is also talking and communicating so much more! She says, baba, mama, dada, and "buh" for bye! She waves bye and hi...sometimes and makes a badabadadbab sound with her hand

over her mouth. She blows raspberries like crazy and is now doing this elephant sound with her lips. And she's doing a super cute thing, shaking her head up and down and acts like she's trying to say something! Oh, gosh, she's just too adorable...picture time!

Nathan

It's been amazing to see Nathan growing more and more everyday as a father and leader. He works so hard and he really inspires me....to do everything unto the Lord, and not for men. His faith in the work that God has called him to do in Santa Monica challenges me, and his ability to cast that vision is so incredible. Also, his patience in parenting (already Novi is showing us some 'tude!) and with me really blows my mind. I'm seriously amazed by him everyday. It's crazy to see the finger of God on his life...I'm so blessed to be married to this man!

Clarity

God has given us some crazy connections lately with Clarity. Early in March, while at the National AG Children's Conference in St. Louis, MO, Nathan met Pastor Rod Loy and I met Pastor Brian Dollar (the senior pastor and children's pastor at North Little Rock Assembly, respectively). They heard our story (and Brian LOVED Novi) and felt led to bless Clarity Kidz by giving us $5000 worth of stuff - a inflatable stage w/ screen and projector as well as two years of super awesome curriculum. Also, Nathan and Pastor Rod have begun what I think is a God-given friendship for Nathan. I'm really excited to see the influence that Pastor Rod is going to have in Nathan's life - as a leader/pastor and as a person.

While at the Conference, Nathan took a little trip to Springfield (he hadn't been back since being born there!) and met with Steve Pike and did an interview about Clarity for their church planting department. You can watch that video here. From these meetings, and with the blessing of the SoCal district this decision was made...

CMN/AG Trust reach 100th church milestone

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 - 3:09 PM CST

Recently The Church Multiplication Network and AG Trust announced the 100th church plant to benefit from the CMN Matching Fund. Lead planter Nathan Kollar received a check for $30,000 toward the launch of Clarity Church in Santa Monica, California. Nathan and his core team are going into the Hollywood area in an effort to impact the arts and movie industry in the hopes that influencing those who help create culture will eventually have an impact nationwide.

"I'm grateful for the partnership of AG Trust who is raising the monies needed to partner with church planters," says Steve Pike, National Director for the Church Multiplication Network. "The process of a structured partnership between planters, partner churches, districts and the National Office has proven that it really does make for a more effective church."Since implementing the CMN Matching Funds program in Fall of 2007, the impact has been significant. In the two-and-a-half years since the Church Multiplication Network and AG Trust began awarding Matching Funds to church plants, $3,090,000 has been matched to 103 new churches. Churches who participate in the CMN Matching Funds Program have a success rate of 98 percent.

So cool, right? God is just too good.

In early April, we attended SoCal district council. We saw a lot of friends, made some new ones, and realized that we really feel like such a part of this district. We are so thankful for Steve Preston and Superintendent-elect Rich Guerra for their support, their networking, and their advocacy for our Clarity vision. While we were at council, during one of the main sessions, Nathan and I, along with a few other SoCal church planters, were called on the stage and prayed over by those attending council, and a clip from Nate's video above was shown to highlight Clarity and push for more support for church plants in SoCal. What a blessing it is to be in a district that believes in what God has called us to do and is willing to make sacrifices to help us be able to do it! Amen!

Our 1st Trip Home

Immediately after SoCal Dist. Council, Nathan, Novi and I flew home to spend a few days in the Poconos with the family, Nathan preach, see Ryan and Katrina get married, and then head to Salisbury to spend time with family there. It was tiring traveling like crazy, but such a good time! The grandparents (and aunts & uncles) were definitely excited having us there...we were too! It was such a blessing the way God provided for our trip to be paid in full! It was also so awesome watching out parents and siblings interact with Novi - man, do they love her!

It was a bittersweet trip, coming back and seeing everything that we left - but God, again, confirmed in both Nathan's and my heart that what we're doing here in LA is what we are to be doing right now. We're seeking first His Kingdom...and even though it's been difficult being away from family and friends, God is seeing us through and allowing His grace to flood our lives especially during the days when we miss everyone the most...AND I feel like God has blessed us with Facebook, and Skype, and iChat, and unlimited long distance, and email, and SMS/MMS texting, and so many other ways to connect - it is a sacrifice, but these technological advances sure do make it a bit easier.

But to wrap this section up, the trip was amazing, and such a blessing for us. We were totally encouraged and refreshed. We have an awesome family!

Last, but not least - God hasn't forgotten...me

So, the past couple months haven't been the easiest, but God has been doing things, small things, but big things for me, nonetheless, that allow me to see that He has a close eye on my life. I'm not alone, He's right here with me. The past few months have been huge transition for me. Not only did I move across the entire country, small town girl to big time city, but I've made a transition into full-on, completely consuming "mom-dom." I no longer have a job where I punch in numbers, cross things off of my list, get a paycheck every two weeks, and receive affirmation and encouragement from a boss, but I spend my days in our spacious (yes, it's true and I take it as a blessing) bedroom, required to keep no schedule other than one for feeding, playing with a precious, creeping, poopy, hungry, at times demanding, moody, curious, for whatever reason waking up at night, slobber-faced boss who never tells me I'm doing a good job, except for the occasional toothless grin. It's hard for me to admit it, this really hurts my pride, but this whole thing (moving, motherhood, church-planting, etc.) has been a lot harder than I thought. I told Nathan that I need to be here. What God is doing in my life, growing me, stretching me, teaching me, would have taken years back home in PA. But the process has been far from easy.. At times I have felt unhappy, misunderstood, angry, bitter, misguided, anxious, and extremely lonely. But God hasn't forgotten me...

How am I sure of this? It's just in the little things. For example, my favorite place to eat is Olive Garden. I just can't get enough of those breadsticks. Back in PA, Nathan and I would eat there every so often, and I kind of got use to that. Now, that's not the case. But God has blessed me, in such a little way, but it's huge to me, with a few meals at Olive Garden! One lady from a church that we ministered at just a few weeks after moving here wanted to bless us but didn't have any money, so she handed us a gift card...to Olive Garden! Last month, one of our closest pastor friends in LA took Nathan and I out to lunch....to Olive Garden! Thanks to having to purchase stuff for the church plant, we have been racking up points on our credit card - we cashed them in for a gift card....to Olive Garden! Man, God is too good.

While at District Council and at Catalyst, I signed up for a few freebies....I won a purse, four $25 restaurant gift cards (all one prize), and GET THIS --> A KINDLE plus $50 amazon gift card! Crazy, right? I NEVER win anything! You could say I'm on a roll...but it's just this: God hasn't forgotten me...or my prayers...or the desires of my heart, even if it's Olive Garden!

One more cool story about the Kindle... Earlier this year, I overhead Nathan talking about wanting a Kindle, but they're not cheap, so it wasn't going to happen. That night I prayed and asked God to help me save or find a way to be able to get a Kindle for Nathan for his birthday or Christmas...both are far enough away that I thought it may have been possible, especially if God blessed us with a little bit of extra cash. Well, who needs extra cash when God just gets you what you ask for free! Man, I couldn't believe it... Ask and you will receive right? And who says God's not into getting you an early birthday present?

I know that getting stuff isn't the point...but just this story shows that God cares. He really does. When you're obedient and make sacrifices (hello, leave comfort, family, security, home, great job, etc.) HE SEES THAT...

I'm so blessed. I have a Maker. And not only did He see me before...He SEES ME NOW!

God has not forgotten me.

God has not forgotten you.

And sometimes it takes just a little something to make you realize that...

...and who wouldn't want a gift card to Olive Garden?