Live like you mean it...

Moving to Wordpress

2009-08-15T13:15:00.000-07:00

I have moved this blog to http://epfoster.wordpress.com

Come on over!

Family,Friends, and Fun!

2009-07-22T18:43:00.000-07:00

The past couple weeks have been a wonderful whirlwind of visiting friends and family, baby showers, and continuing to prepare for Baby Foster's arrival! My sister bought us the art for the nursery. They were used to decorate at the shower. I already put them up in the nursery, and they look great!
Here are all of Baby Foster's grandmas and great grandmas. He's a lucky little guy!

I had two awesome hosts for my baby shower in Fresno. My sister, Kelly, and best friend, Jenn. They did a great job. It was so much fun. I felt very blessed to be with so many people I love and be showered with so many gifts! We couldn't even fit everything in the car to come back home.

Luke and Sarah Mundy came to visit us. We went to the Coldplay concert! Of course we had to stop at Ghirardelli on the way.

Paul, Jenn, and baby Gracie came to visit us. We had a blast going to San Francisco, showing them around Santa Rosa, and going to Bodega Bay for the afternoon. This is me around 31 weeks pregnant. Micah apparently likes to take pictures of me at Bodega Bay. : )

30 Weeks and Counting!

2009-06-29T20:53:00.001-07:00

I can't believe I am already on my 30th week of pregnancy!! I just keep thinking there is so much to do in the next 10 weeks! ahhhh. We have started our child birth classes, and are learning a lot. We seem to be holding back laughter more than the other couples though...we must be immature. haha. Baby Boy Foster has been extremely active the past few weeks. It's amazing to think of the life growing inside me. We have slowly been preparing the nursery. Last weekend we bought a dresser, and our crib will be coming soon! I am super excited for my upcoming baby showers, and for all the fun the next three months will hold!

This weekend, my mom and sister came up to visit. We had so much fun together going to Bodega Bay, downtown Healdsburg, San Francisco, and showing them around our new home town. Here is a picture Micah took in Bodega Bay.

Some other exciting news is that I will be starting to work part time at the Health Club next week, and will be using my time off to work some hours at New Vintage Church in Children's Ministry. I will be focusing on the parent connection pieces mainly in all areas of Children's Ministry. I am VERY excited to be working in CM again. I have missed it so much since my last job...it's been a very difficuly tranisition for me in this way, so this opportunity is a HUGE answer to prayer! : )

Update!

2009-05-11T22:57:00.000-07:00

If you don't know already...we are having a BOY!! We are very excited to add another Foster boy to the family, and a long awaited boy to the Solberg family!! I have been feeling much better, and enjoying pregnancy while I can before I start getting too uncomfortable.
Last weekend Cheryl and Cheronn, my mom and sis in law, came to visit us. We went to San Francisco one day. Don and Cheryl are here now, and we've been enjoying spending some time with them!
We have started our baby registry. That was a little overwhelming! We had fun though. Other than that, we have been working and preparing for our son to come in September!!

22 Weeks!

Photo Shoot!

Sunny Day in SF!

Life is Good

2009-04-08T19:13:00.001-07:00

For those of you who know me well, you know that I have pretty much been a complainer since we moved to Santa Rosa about where we live. I LOVE the church we are at, and my job is going well, but for some reason, I have been..well a little depressed in the place we live. It could have something to do with the fact that I have seen more of the inside of our toilet bowl than anything else here. haha. Anyway, this week I started looking around me a little bit more, and realized that beauty is all around me, and LIFE IS GOOD. I really have nothing to complain about. Below are some pictures I took this past week. Enjoy! : )

This is what I see when I walk out our front door...Spring is beautiful!

This is the view standing on our bedroom balcony.

This is me 18 weeks pregnant!

Technorati tags: santa, rosa, new, vintage, church, beauty, life, pregnancy

16 weeks!

2009-03-30T22:23:00.001-07:00

Here I am at 16 weeks. I know this is a big jump from my last blog of us just announcing we were pregnant. All you have missed the past couple months is a lot of being sick, tired, and emotional. haha. I am feeling more like myself now, and am not as sick. I am so thankful for that. I hear that it's all VERY worth it in the end. I am not showing all that much yet, but check back in a few weeks. We should find out if baby Foster is a boy or girl soon too!! : )

Technorati tags: pregnant, micah, erica, foster

Lots of Change for the Fosters

2009-02-07T21:30:00.001-08:00

I feel like such a loser for not blogging in sooo long! Hopefully you got to see this video on Micah's blog. It's been a crazy couple weeks for us. I have done nothing but work and lay on the couch. I have been pretty sick. : ( But, today was a great day! My grandparents came and we went to Bodega Bay for lunch. It felt great to get out!

Embedded Video

Visiting Washington

2009-01-06T17:17:00.001-08:00

Micah and I went to Washington the day after Christmas for a week. (Hence my severe lack of blogging). We had a great time! Micah's entire immediate family lives there. Above is a family picture that we took on New Year's Day! This is Micah's parents, sister, brother, sister in law, and our three AWESOME nephews! We arrived at the Portland Airport around midnight on December 26. Snow covered everything. It was beautiful. The ride home was a little slippery, and we almost got stuck pulling into the driveway. The next morning the whole family got together to open presents and celebrate Christmas. Micah and I havn't been able to go up around the holidays, so this was extra special! I hope we can make an annual tradition out of this! The rest of the week was spent eating great meals and playing games with the nephews. We did get to see Marley and Me with Cheronn. I highly recommend it! : ) We also went to a New Year's Eve party at PUMP church. See a funny video of some people we met there and played games with here. We were very sad to leave. I actually cried! How lame am I? haha. I wish we lived closer, and could be together more. It was an unforgettable trip! I hope you all made some great memories this year too!

Giving Up Christmas

2008-12-23T15:00:00.001-08:00

Buckhead Church is Giving Up Christmas this year. This is inspiring.

Pump It Up

2008-12-18T16:54:00.001-08:00

A couple Sundays ago, our first grade small group leaders took their groups on an outing to Pump It Up. This year we have really worked hard to impress upon our leaders the importance of connecting with their small group outside of Sunday morning. I have been blown away by how our amazing leaders have responded to this challenge! Way to go!
Go here to view pictures from this outing!

My Thoughts Exactly

2008-12-17T16:37:00.001-08:00

See what Randy Elrod has to say about social networking here.

Volunteer Highlight - Meet Daron Crass

2008-12-16T15:00:00.001-08:00

Name: Daron Crass

Volunteer Role: 9am 3rd grade
Environment: Small group leader.
Where did you grow up? Kingsburg California
Family?
Wife Joanie. Son Jordon 8, Daughter Sydney 6, Son Ian 4.
What's your favorite ice cream flavor? Vanilla
What was the first concert you went to? Waylon Jennings when I was 17.
How and when did you get involved serving in Family Life? Summer of 2007. I went to the information meeting when I was told there was a great need for small group leaders.
What's your favorite thing about serving in Family Life? Getting to know the kids in my small group.
Could you tell us about one moment when you were serving you'll always remember? One of the kids in my small group brought a friend with him. During some of the activities we were doing I noticed the he was crying. I asked him if everything was OK and he said yes that he was fine. Later I was told that he was so emotionally moved by what we were learning that it brought him to tears.
What's your favorite message or series from "big church?" Money Talks
What's your favorite Bible verse or Bible story? Psalm 51

WINS - My Life Line

2008-12-09T11:43:00.001-08:00

I am reading a book called “Authentic Faith” by Gary Thomas. I have pretty much had this book attached to my hip this past month. I don’t know each of your specific situations right now, but I know that this time of year is not always a happy time. We all have struggles, and trials we go through, but because we have Jesus we can still find JOY. This is a quote from the book:

“When our happiness is dependent on what happens to us and when our self-focus determines our daily mood, our joy will necessarily be limited to whatever good thing happens to us. But when we learn to truly delight in the welfare of others and rejoice in what God is doing in our lives, the potential for increased joy skyrockets.”

I hope that no matter your situation today, you are joyFULL! Celebrate these WINS with me. : )

1. Pastor Rosenthal’s family started a great Thanksgiving tradition this year. They went to a convalescent home in town and brought cookies. The girls sang songs, and Andrew read a story and showed a display that he made. This family is definitely learning to show GRATEROSITY!!

2. Jane Feist sent me a very encouraging e mail last week about how the Holy Spirit moved in her day when she took time to listen to His leading. I love hearing about how God is moving in your lives! He is always moving, we just have to take the time to figure out how, and move with Him.

3. Sandy Willis said she is really enjoying the curriculum! We are blessed to have such an amazing curriculum for our kids. If you want to watch a video about our curriculum strategy and see why we do what we do, go to this site. http://252basics.org

4. Many of you have been e mailing parents to communicate with them. I got CCed on an e mail that Heather Hayford sent to her kids’ parents and was reminded that this really is a great way to communicate with them! Thanks for taking the time to keep your kids’ parents in the loop and connected!

5. Janelle e mailed me after the first grade Pump It Up Outing and said they all had a great time. About 30 kids attended, which is an amazing turn out!! I can’t wait to see pictures. Our first grade leaders are awesome for planning this event!

6. Our Preschool Coordinator, Rosi Borsch, sent the following two WINS.

- There was a child skipping down the hall waving $2. He asked me, “where is a tithe box? I want to turn in my offering”. We just finished up our series on stewardship in main service and it was clear his family had discussed it and he was ready to join the cheerful giving team. J So cool!

- One new family came yesterday because a New Harvest attendee told them about us on the bus. They are going through a rough spot right now. Our second service nursery volunteers were amazing. Building an initial relationship by listening, asking questions, and offering advice and help. Well done Monica, Jennifer, and Keri!

Have a great week!

Unreleased Star Wars Movie

2008-12-04T09:57:00.001-08:00

This is the best Star Wars movie I have ever seen. My nephews are awesome. I guess my brother-in-law is pretty awesome too since he made this video. : )

Our Clone Wars from Jason Foster on Vimeo.

Meet Andrea Engvall

2008-11-26T15:31:00.000-08:00

Name: Andrea Engvall
Volunteer Role: Small Group Leader 6th grade girls
Environment: Inner Change
Where did you grow up? Fresno, graduated from Chico State, lived in Seattle but moved home to Fresno and stayed.
Family? My husband John and I have two kids: Sven (11) and Erika (10). They are truly blessings!
What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? Mint & Chip
What was the first concert you went to? REO Speedwagon or The Cars, I guess that really dates me.
How and when did you get involved serving in Family Life? I started serving in Family Life in Spring of 2008 after Carole Blomgren from my Community Group invited me to shadow her. At first I was a bit nervous, now I love it and the girls!
What’s your favorite thing about serving in Family Life? Honoring and serving God. Helping my girls grow in their faith with the Lord. Building a trusting relationship that encourages expression of faith and provides a safety net when needed in challenging times.
Could you tell us about one moment when you were serving you’ll always remember? When one of my girls told me I was her BFF.
What’s your favorite message or series from “big church?” Too tough to answer, the teacher appears when the student is ready. Seems I need a lot of “teaching”, I must have a “ready” sign on my heart!
What’s your favorite Bible verse or Bible story? Right now …. Phillippains 4:4-7. “Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

The Fine Line

2008-11-20T10:00:00.001-08:00

The Fine Line Extended Version (HD) from josh franer on Vimeo.

This is a video I found on Anne Jackson's blog this morning. It is about a new book coming out called "The Fine Line" by Kary Oberbrunner. This looks really interesting to me...I may add it to my list. : ) What do you think?

Technorati tags: fine, line, book, anne, jackson, christianity, church

No Greater Love

2008-11-18T16:43:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to give some love to one of my new favorite artists, Casey Darnell. Read what he has to say about this powerful song that God gave him. Pretty AWEsome!

Embedded Video

Technorati tags: casey, darnell, artist, song, God

WINS

2008-11-17T17:17:00.001-08:00

We have some great WINS to celebrate this week in Highway 14 and INNERchange!

I met with our Classroom Facilitators before services yesterday, and introduced a new Sunday morning checklist. I hoped this would be a helpful tool to remind them of their Sunday morning responsibilities. They do so much that it can be hard to remember everything! Anyway, I noticed that Nick Smith was doing a great job fulfilling these tasks. He was very welcoming to families and kids as they walked through the door! Great job Nick! All of our Classroom Facilitators are AWESOME. Be sure to thank them for what they do.
We are working hard to do a better job of bridging the gap between INNERchange and Turnpike (jr. high). One way to do this better is to introduce the kids to our Student Ministries Director, Micah FosterI, a couple times each year. Yesterday, Micah was the host in INNERchange and we received some feedback that the kids loved it! You could also tell they were very engaged and responsive.
Russ Lee’s fifth grade boys group went to Compass Pizza together on Saturday. Russ said they had a great time, and he already has some ideas about their next outing. These outings are making a HUGE difference. The connections you can make with your kids outside of Sunday morning will impact the time you have with them on Sunday morning in a great way! If you havn’t done an outing yet, try it…I will help you plan it!
Jill Hanson told me a great story about a little girl (2 or 3 years old) who was hanging around the Family Life Center one week and didn’t want to leave. Jill finally asked what was wrong, and she said that she really wanted to meet the band (meaning the students who play for Turnpike and Catalyst). Jill took the little girl to meet the band, and they all got down on their knees to meet the little girl. She was thrilled! It’s so great for these kids to be looking up to students who are serving!
I have been getting requests for more stationary. Thanks for taking the time to send cards to your kids! Way to go!
The small group leaders have been a great help to me in keeping good records of our small groups! I am getting lots of feedback about kids who need to be added, changed, and dropped. This tells me that you really know your kids! Thank you for investing, and keeping me informed.
Donna Cooper was gone this weekend, and Large Group still went great, minus a few technical difficulties. Thank you to Mike Feist and Russ Lee for stepping up to take on some extra tech. responsibilities! Our large group leaders did a great job. We are blessed to have you!
We ended our canned food drive on Sunday. I havn’t counted how many cans we collected, but WOW…there are two big piles on our stages! I have more in the office too. Our INNERchange kids especially took this ministry project seriously. Thanks for promoting this in your small groups!

Have a wonderful week!

Technorati tags: INNERchange, Highway14, small, group, leaders, Micah, Foster, Family, Life, food, drive

Opportunities...You have them, so use them

2008-11-11T14:43:00.001-08:00

Every month, at least once a month, I get this hand written letter in my box at work. It's from a man named Bernie. He is awaiting deportation to Mexico in prison, and has been for many months now. His family is in the U.S., and he is seperated from them because of some paperwork mix ups (to the best of my knowledge). Most people would look at his situation and only see hoplessness. Bernie however sees something else. He sees opportunity. For the past month, I keep hearing God speak to me in various ways to use every opportunity He gives me to be a light in this world...to make a difference. Bernie has learned this lesson well. In his letter last month he says

"It's easy to complain about my situation, lately the phones don't work, they have changed our schedule, we are locked down more often and longer amounts of time, they've been having plumbing problems so they turn the water off and we never know when it will be turned on again. I've learned that through everything you have to find the positive in the situation and be patient, patient, patient...If you look hard enough you will find the blessing even in the harshest of times. Sometimes we don't see them and certainly don't feel blessed, but they are there. Like after they turn the water off for a couple of days, you sure feel blessed when that water comes on."

Maybe God needs to turn my water off, so that I can appreciate life more, and the opportunities that are right in front of me. Bernie is leading a bible study that is growing every week. He wrote once that

"God works in mysterious ways and in mysterious places. Even in a prison cell or in a make shift chapel in the middle of the desert in a federal prison. God will manifest himself if you open up your heart and surrender all unto Him."

Technorati tags: bernie, salado, prison, opportunity, god

When my husband is sick, the world stops

2008-11-10T17:02:00.001-08:00

I saw this video on Ragamuffin Soul's blog. I think he and Micah Foster have something in common. I told Micah last night after he was finally feeling better that I wasn't sure he loved me anymore these past few days. He barely spoke...it was aweful. haha. Glad he's feeling better now. I am understanding why the mood change now after this video. I had no idea sickness was so much worse for guys! : ) Love you babe.

Embedded Video

Technorati tags: micah, foster, sick, ragamuffin, soul, video, husband

Weekly WINS

2008-11-10T13:38:00.001-08:00

Here are some WINS I heard about this past week in Highway 14 and INNERchange.

Our first graders are planning an outing to Pump It Up. Jan Coon told me that her grandson Skylar was chanting “Pump it up!” Pump it up!” after church last week. Jan said that Skylar is very excited about going to Pump It Up with his leader Janelle!
Russ Lee’s 5^th grade boys group helped serve a spaghetti dinner to our marathon runners on Saturday night! What a great idea and way to serve the community together as a small group! Way to go 5^th grade boys!
We have some very dedicated Coaches and Classroom Facilitators in INNERchange and Highway 14! We couldn’t set up during the week, so we did it all on Sunday morning. Thank you so much to Dawn Wheaton, Darbee Whipple, Rocky Whipple and Blake Stephens for coming early to help get all of our rooms set up in time for service! You are all such willing servants, and saved me from getting here in the middle of the night to get it all done. Haha
Our kids have collected a TON of cans for the Thanksgiving Boxes we will be giving out as a New Harvest Church family! I was amazed at what I saw on Sunday, and we still have one more Sunday to collect. : )
Joanie Crass found me after first service, and told me that Sydney, her first grade daughter, accepted Christ that morning! Because of a conversation Sydney had with her brother, Jordon, she started asking her parents some questions. Daron was able to lead her in the prayer to accept Jesus. What a great father, daughter moment, and definitely a reason to CELEBRATE!

Have a great week! It seems that I have been reminded over and over again this past month to make the most of every opportunity God has given me. I encourage you to do the same. Your ministry doesn’t end on Sunday morning. Look for ways this week that God can use you to impact someone else’s life in big ways and small. : )

Technorati tags: wins, highway14, innerchange, new, harvest, church, two, cities, marathon, small, group, jesus

Fee Concert...Still on my Mind

2008-11-04T16:50:00.001-08:00

Here is a little clip of what this awesome worship experience was like. Steve Fee not only led us in some amazing worship, but God spoke through him. Watch this clip.

Embedded Video

Technorati tags: steve, fee, worship, god

Fee Concert...Changed me again

2008-10-30T17:48:00.001-07:00

Last night I got to go to the Fee concert in Bakersfield, CA! I was SUPER excited to go because I had been to North Point several times when Steve Fee led worship, I listen to his CD all the time, and we play his music a lot in Turnpike and Catalyst. So, I knew it would be awesome, but I didn't know it would rock my world...again. The reason I say again is because every once in awhile a song, experience, speaker, some reminder from God hits me and changes me from the inside out reminding me of what I am created for. Each time this happens, I am changed in this way a little bit more than the last time. Do you know what I am talking about, or am I just crazy? Fee has a new song "Glory to God." The bridge (I think that's what it is...sorry I'm not musical) is AMAZING!
Take my life and let it be
All for you and for your glory
Take my life and let it be
Yours
I sang those words, and I swear I have never meant anything more than that. There is a part of me that just wants to settle down, buy a house, have kids, be normal. And, I do think someday I will do all of those things...but then there is this other part of me that just wants to surrender completely and let God use me however He has planned. That is more about an adventure...not settling for what the world expects of you, but accepting that God might have something different in store.... and then, get out of the boat! I don't know about you, but I am determined to get out of the boat. What could this world look like if we all just surrendered to Him? WE COULD CHANGE THE WORLD!

Go to Micah's blog to see pictures and hear about his experience last night too.

Technorati tags: fee, north, point, turnpike, catalyst, micah, foster, god, bakersfield

WINS

2008-10-28T11:49:00.001-07:00

Wow! What an awesome Sunday we had. As I watched the baptisms and heard the testimonies, I was overwhelmed by how our amazing God works to transform lives completely! It reminded me that nothing and no one is beyond what He can do!! This gives me great hope. : ) I want to share some WINs we have experienced in our department this past week.

- There is a boy who has been coming with Stone Preheim. His family doesn’t attend church, but he continues to come with the Preheims! Amy, Stone’s mom, asked the boys how small group was, and the boy said that he got a tear in his eye when they were talking in small group. Then he said that actually he always feels that way when he comes to our church. This really touched Amy. She told his parents what he said, and they also were moved. They said they know they need to come to church too. I pray that they will follow through, and God will continue to work in that family so that one day they can all be worshipping God together as a family!!

- Daron Crass and Chris Hovda took the 9am third graders to Cobb’s Ranch over the weekend. Chris said they had a great time!

- Kelsey and Lindsay Noble, Stone Preheim, Delane Ribera, and Jackson Ribera were all baptized on Sunday!!!

- Russ Lee’s fifth grade boys’ group is planning an outing to Compass Pizza in Clovis! I love hearing about these small group outings…they are so important for building strong relationships with the kids.

- I walked into main service on Sunday, and Lauren Phanco handed me a bulletin with a big smile. I watched for several minutes as she excitedly handed bulletins to everyone walking in one by one. She is 2 years old!! Needless to say, every person walking through that door got a very warm welcome, and saw a 2 year old’s heart for serving!

- Linda Stephens, one of our CM staff witnessed two very cute things that happened in main service: “At the 10:45 service, I enjoyed watching two boys “take it all in”. One boy, Aidan Glasener, was insistent that he was NOT going to be baptized because, “I’m not ready to go to Heaven yet.” His mom tried to explain that most did not leave for Heaven immediately after baptism. But still, I think Aidan remained worried about the timeline. Imagine how reassured he became as he saw both children and adults celebrate their baptisms AND exit the tub without leaving immediately for Heaven. The older brother, Declan Glasener, was a quiet observer until Pastor Mitch had us do the “Word Up!” routine and show our Bibles by lifting them in the air. When Pastor reiterated the offer that we, at New Harvest, are serious about everyone having a Bible, Declan said out loud, “Mom, I want a Bible!” We made sure that Declan had a Bible of his own before he left the building on Sunday.

- We had our INNERchange Ignite event on Sunday afternoon. The kids who came had a ton of fun carving pumpkins, eating pizza, decorating cookies, and bobbing for donuts in whip cream!! Russ Lee took some great pictures, so we can put together a slideshow to help advertise for the next Ignite event. Thank you to the Allen’s for opening their home!

Technorati tags: new, harvest, church, WINS, baptism, small, groups, sunday, INNERchange

Volunteer Highlight - Meet Robyn Smith

2008-10-23T15:44:00.001-07:00

Robyn Smith.JPG

Name: Robyn Smith

Volunteer Role: 2^nd Grade Small Group Leader

Environment: Highway 14

Where did you grow up? Washington, California, Oregon, New Mexico

Family? Vance, Justin, Nicholas, and Zachary

What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? Cold Stone Founder’s Favorite

What was the first concert you went to? Jason Upton

How and when did you get involved serving in Family Life? Tara Smith was talking about how short handed they are and I started towards the end of 07-08 school year.

What’s your favorite thing about serving in Family Life? I’m learning God’s word as a child learns and watching children learn and sing brings me so much joy and love in my heart. It makes me want to be a kid again.

Could you tell us about one moment when you were serving you’ll always remember? We were in large group singing and during our praising Him behind me I heard children singing with the most beautiful voices. I became speechless. To feel the Lord’s presence in the room was overwhelming. No words could describe.

What’s your favorite message or series from “big church?” This one is hard for me. Since I’ve been coming the message has always been about what I’ve been going through, and this time is no different. So, if I had to choose a favorite it would be “contending for the faith.” God is truly preparing me for his battle.

What’s your favorite Bible verse or Bible story? Isaiah 49: 15-18 NKJV

Technorati tags: Robyn, Smith, small, group, leader, new, harvest, church, highway14, volunteer, highlight