Jan14

Coming Soon: The ABC’s of Being an Influential Mom series.

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Coming Soon: The ABC’s of Being an Influential Mom series.

Once I accepted the challenge of blogging more often the next step was to figure out what I could share that would be of interest to others.  Courtney, my daughter, implored me to share my heart and from my experiences.  Eureka! I’d share from a talk I presented several years ago entitled, The ABC’s of Being an Influential Mom.  Below is what you get to look forward to.

  • A  Admits when she is wrong and humbly seeks forgiveness and restoration.
  • B  Brightly shines as a role model her children desire to follow.  Leads by example knowing more is caught than actually taught.
  • C  Communicates clearly and effectively with her children.
  • …..

Stay tuned.

Jan12

Kind Words Are Powerful and Life Giving

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Kind Words Are Powerful and Life Giving

My attempt at hipster, diva, princess party (bright clothes)

I found the below ode on my Facebook Wall today written by my daughter. It made me smile, reminisce, and mostly cheered me up; Proverbs 12:25 An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.  The photo above was taken on 1/7/12 for Courtney’s 21st birthday party.  The birthday invitation said, “dress up as a hipster, princess, diva.”  So I wore bright colors :-)  Fun times with my girls (Caryn, Cayley, & Courtney) who all keep me young.

WELL, I wanted to write a little ode to my sweet mama, Cherie Werner, because she is such a natural cutie and fun human. By Courtney Werner

Here it goes:

With a twinkle in her eyes, she loves to have fun.

My sweet little mama is such a favored one.

Brown spunky hair and colorful clothes,

My sweet little mama knows how to get all dressed up from her head to her toes.

Baristas adore her,

And people implore of her… sage wisdom,

Because MY sweet little mama knows how to welcome any and everyone.

She is hospitable and great,

My Sweet little mama has lots of amiable traits.

I am proud for anyone to meet her,

My sweet little mama is a true keeper.

Jan9

Happy 21st Birthday Courtney

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Happy 21st Birthday Courtney

Birthdays are a BIG event in our home :-)  I love to celebrate life and today we celebrated the life of Courtney who turned 21, she is gift to our family.  So how do we celebrate birthdays? We have we several traditions.  Some of our birthday traditions include the “birthday person” getting to pick what they want for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and eating on the “You Are Special” red plate.  As our girls have grown they can also pick a favorite restaurant.  We play the Birthday Song by the Beatles and dance together.  Lastly, to honor the person we share what we appreciate about them as the spoken word breathes life.  

What family traditions does your family have? These are the glue that shape your family by creating a sense of unity, warmth and closeness. Traditions create memories that fill your mind with belonging, peace, love, joy, and security. 

It’s hard to believe 21 years have already gone by so Courtney in honor of your special day I want to share twenty-one things I appreciate about you. 

0) You believe in others and encourage them.  You challenged me to blog more often and said, “everyone has something to share.” So here I go :-)

1) You are wise 

2) Your love for Jesus SHINES brightly because you put Him first

3) You love your family & friends well, thus you are loyal

4) You have a way about you that makes everyone feel that they are really important

5) You are a gifted listener

6) You don’t take sides, and know there are two sides to every situation. As Cayley said, “she listens and then will respond so what do you think you should do?” “Do I need to hear this or should you go to the person?”

7) You are a peacemaker

8) Wow! you are so creative musically and artistically 

9) You are enthusiastic 

10) You are passionate 

11) You know who you are spiritually and operate in that truth

12) You are a learner thankfully as you are reading about a book weekly

13) You are a gifted writer

14) You are adventurous and go where God is leading you even when it might not make sense to others

15) You are a Jesus follower not a people pleaser

16) You go deep with a few verses trying to be everything to everyone

17) You understand there are seasons in life

18) You are a giver of life by speaking life into people, even people you don’t know.  I still remember the first time I was with you and you went up to someone you didn’t know to tell them how precious they were to God.  It brought tears to my eyes.

19) You are not afraid to share Gods love with others and live to see His name proclaimed

20) You are beautiful inside and out.  Your smile is so welcoming and breaks down barriers others may have.

21) You are my daughter and I am so proud of all you have become and how you continue to grow more beautiful with each passing year. I Love you and will miss you as you head back to California tomorrow.

Happy 21st birthday, on your actual day with just a few minutes to spare ;-)

Jan2

Do you live in the PEACE that God promises you?

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Do you live in the PEACE that God promises you?
 

 

God's Promise

 

God’s Promise

As moms we tend to worry about our children’s health and safety from the time we conceive them until they are grown adults. When they are young we fear they will catch some sort of illness, run into the road after a ball, fall to their death, etc…. Once they learn to drive, a whole new set of fears can encapsulate us especially when they miss curfew.

My older daughters have traveled on various mission trips to places I can only dream about (Africa, India, Albania, Thailand). I could fear they would catch some sort of diseases, that they would encounter hostility from the native people, or fear for their safety etc… Thankfully, years ago, God through various trials had me come to the realization that fear was a sin because ultimately I was not trusting Him. You know what? God does a much better job protecting and caring for our children than we ever could.

Austin had it’s 1st homicide of 2012 right next door to where my daughters have lived for the past three years on King St. which is a nice quite street not to far from the UT campus. They weren’t home New Year’s day as they have been staying with us for the Christmas holidays but imagine the shock of their roommate when detectives woke her early Sunday morning asking questions and then informing her about the murder. Needless to say, the news being so close to them makes them reexamine how they do things such as being alone in the house, being out late at night, etc. I think they need to take healthy precautions but not live in fear as it could paralyze them and rob them of joy.

Last year, while Caryn and Courtney were in India they were in a crazy car accident that could have been life changing and it in ways it was, as they walked away unharmed knowing more personally that God is their protector. Someone said, “I’d rather be in India in the will of God, than in Austin, not in His will.”

I really like Philippians 4:8. It’s my antidote for fear which many years ago would consume me. I wasted lots of time fearing things I didn’t need to be thinking about. Things such as “what if ….” or “if only ….” I like what Linda Dillow, author of Calm My Anxious Heart, has said about fear, “fear is like a rocking chair which rocks back and forth but never gets you anywhere.” When I am living in fear I am not trusting God.

I am thankful that I can trust God with ALL details related to the health and safety of my daughters. I know God is with us in every situation as seen in Isaiah 41:10 Do not fear, for I am with you. Also in Psalm 73:23-24 I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with counsel, and afterwards you will take me into glory.

My heart goes out to the family, friends, and students of this young lady whose life was tragically taken. I am trusting police will quickly find who is responsible and for justice be served. More importantly as moms may we live in the peace God promises us.

Dec31

2011 Year End Greetings

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2011 Year End Greetings

Jon @jonw

What a blessing it has been to have our family together under one roof for the Christmas Holidays! I continue to enjoy working at adidas and the freedom to think up new ideas. To sum up 2011 I would have to say: I. Drove. A. Lot. Cherie has summarized the details in her section plus I’ve run out of room to add anything else J

Cherie cherie@thewerners.org http://thewerners.org/ (I hope to blog monthly in 2012)

2011 – WOW! Where did the year go, seriously?  This month has found me in my “mom “ element soaking up precious time with all 3 girls.  Courtney has filled the home with beautiful music playing the piano. Cayley has enjoyed every moment with her sisters.  God willing on 1/10/12, the day after Courtney turns 21, she will head back to San Diego, Caryn will leave for Thailand, and Jon travels to Las Vegas on a business trip.

It is with a full and grateful heart that I reflect on 2011.   Jon said, “ya’all should just go visit my facebook page (http://facebook.com/Cherie.Werner) ” For those not online here are a few highlights:  Jon and I continue to be honored as we participate in premarital counseling and this year we witnessed three beautiful ceremonies.  I’m blessed through my participation with WholeHearted Ministry http://www.wholeheart.org/ so it is always a highlight to attend the mom conference in Jan. and Feb.  Uncle August and Tante Eli from Norway visited us in March along with Jon’s parents.  Cayley turned 10 on April 6th and to celebrate, her two grandmothers, Jon and & I surprised her by making her dreams come true at Disney World which was a first for all of us.  Towards the end of April we drove to LA for a Bienvenu family reunion on my side of the family.  Courtney graduated Summa Cum Laude from Grand Canyon University in May J  June 1st Jon & I celebrated 26 years of marriage with my in-laws (51 years).  Jon, Courtney, Cayley & I left Austin on June 9 and drove to Kansas City, Denver, then played for a week in the Grand Tetons & Yellowstone National Parks where I was captivated by God’s incredible handiwork. We arrived in Portland, OR July 1st where Cayley & I vacationed while Jon worked until the end of September. What fun it was to have our older daughters, parents, and friends (the Brandt’s) visit us in Portland. Of course we also took many weekend trips to many surrounding areas (Pacific Coast, Seattle, Bend, etc). Living in Portland was fabulous as we escaped the 3-month heat wave in Austin. It was delightful to get back into our Austin home mid October and then the holidays quickly arrived.  We made a whirlwind trip In November to visit family in LA/TX sharing three different Thanksgivings.  Caryn graduated from UT in December J and then we headed to Waikiki Beach to celebrate and steal time away as a family.  It has been nice to be together this month.  I think we drove well over 7000 miles by car and I’m unsure how many air miles.  With each passing year I am more appreciative of the little things (time together as a family, health, friendships near and far, etc).  On Thursday we attended the touching memorial service of Ben Breedlove, an inspiring and brave young man whose death has made global news.  As Christ came at Christmas to give life to those who believe, Ben died on Christmas and his videos have touched millions of lives reminding them of the precious gift of life they have here on earth as well as the eternal life they can have to look forward to. Here’s his link in case you haven’t seen it.   http://www.youtube.com/user/TotalRandomness512

caryn caryn@thewerners.org http://c2wphotography.com/

my life has been (and always will be) full of adventures. i suppose you can say that is my preferred way of living. :)

this year’s adventures included:

-traveling the first 2 weeks of january in india with some of my best friends.

-spending the summer in albania with the romas and gypsies.

-graduating from the university of texas.

-having my first photo exhibit displaying work from my summer with the romas.

-spending Christmas with my fam bam in hawaii

-and now i am getting ready to take a month-long trip to thailand.

life is beautiful and i am having so much fun being alive! since graduating, the number one question i have been asked is “what now!?” maybe i will work with a non-profit or the UN as a photographer overseas or maybe i will just be a coffee barista. haha i have no stinkin’ clue. however, what i DO know is that i will be loving people and loving life wherever God has me–and that is a good enough answer for now. :) i pray 2012 is full of adventure and joy for you and your families! much much loveeeeee!

Courtney courtney@thewerners.org http://courtneywerner.wordpress.com/

This past year I have experienced life in many different places. I spent a couple weeks in India at the beginning of the year, a few months back in Austin after traveling the semester before, some time in Kansas City, Wyoming and Portland with the family, over a month in Pennsylvania with friends, a week in Atlanta helping lead a SCPx (Student Church Planting Experience: http://scpx.org/), a few days in Ohio, and then a couple weeks back in Austin before I moved to San Diego for the remainder of the year in September. In the midst of all of this travel I graduated from Grand Canyon University in June with a degree in Psychology.

Currently I am doing an internship, for lack of a better word, in San Diego through Origins, which is a campus ministry at UCSD. In essence, I am reading a book a week with five others, am learning from the wonderful people that are part of Origins, and am getting more hands on experience in church planting, spiritual family, identity, and evangelism to name a few. I hope to come out of this with a better understanding of what it looks to see the Kingdom lived out in daily life. One of my biggest dreams is to see the Kingdom of Heaven continue to invade earth in every sphere of society. I have seen glimpses of this and long to see even more. It is a beautiful thing to see lives radically transformed by the love of God. Love really is enough.

I wish I could divulge the amazingness of this year n full, but hopefully you got a glimpse of what transpired. Words are not adequate to describe how crazy this year was. All I can say is that I am happy. I love where God has me in this present moment in time. I don’t know what comes next, but I feel content with the unknown, because it will soon greet me with friendly answers and surprises. It always does.

 

Cayley cayley@thewerners.org

I’ve been dragged all around the United States seeing really cool things I’ll remember forever while Mom tried to sneak in some home schooling. I’ve enjoyed spending time with my big sisters all of December.  I enjoy playing with my American Girl dolls, being a mother’s helper, and am always ready for adventure. I’m learning to play the guitar and piano as well as taking voice lessons, as I really like to sing.  It was fun taking cooking, sewing, and an Apple computer class this summer.  I can’t wait to see what we are going to do in 2012 J

 

Jul3

First full week in Portland

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First full week in Portland

 

We moved into our swanky apartment (per Courtney) a week ago Saturday.  I can not lie it’s pretty sweet being on the 19th floor having floor to ceiling windows. I’ve enjoyed watching the sun set in the evening around 9:30pm as we have a westerly view.  Thank you Adidas for for the opportunity to vacation and escape the Texas summer heat.

Our address is 430 SW 13th Avenue, Portland OR 97205      Below photo is a view from the roof top (23 floor) looking out towards Mt. Hood.

 

Courtney flew back to PA early Tuesday morning so Cayley and I began a semi school routine where we plan to do school three morning a week followed by afternoon field trips. We joined the OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry).  They currently have on exhibit Narnia, where one can see creatures, genuine artifacts, and costumes from the movie which was nicely done.  Any time you are in a new city there is so much to see and do which we plan to take full advantage of. This week I’ve purchased, “Portland Happy Hour Guidebook,” “Best Places in Portland,” “Out and About with Kids,” “Portland City Walking Tours.”  Yes, I am ready to have fun.  I have also managed to incorporated home economics into our summer as I signed Cayley up for a week long cooking class this month and a sewing class next month.  What excites me most of all is the physical exercise we get almost daily as we walk everywhere given it’s more efficient and I am terrified to drive here.  In fact we are managing to walk 5 miles daily.  My secret?  If Cayley walks 4 miles without complaining she gets a token worth $3 that she can use to do activities she wants i.e. Children’s museum, bike rentals, movies, etc… How do I measure our daily distance?  I use FitBit www.fitbit.com which keeps track of my distance. My husband & Cayley bought me this for Mothers Day and I have truly enjoyed using it as it is my motivator.

The other cool thing about Portland beside the weather :-) as I actually find 60 degrees cold and must always wear a jacket, are the many farmer markets.  One can buy fresh produce, preserves, flowers, etc…  We are literally two blocks from Whole Foods so we walk there to get our groceries also.

Of course there are the many weird things about Portland.  Sadly it has a huge homeless population of old and young alike.  Jon thought he was watching a man in the park do tai chi and then realized after the man fell over and could get up that he was actually wasted. Yesterday we were walking and a young man kept yelling, “I don’t need knowledge, I just want to find my friend.”

We are only a week into our adventure so everything seems so exciting but I do miss home, friends, and familiarity.  It helps to know that Caryn will be arriving noonish on Thursday for two weeks.  Yes, Caryn returns from Albania tomorrow so if you think of her keep her in your prayers.  Having Courtney for two weeks and soon Caryn certainly has been a blessing in so many ways especially for Cayley as she is creating special sister time with each of them individually.

Trusting you will have a Happy 4th of July.

 

May27

I’m so proud of this young lady

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I’m so proud of this young lady

image

This is a celebratory weekend as Courtney is graduating from Grand Canyon University.  Needless to say we are very proud of all of our daughters but this weekend is about Courtney who is our first to graduate from college. Courtney is graduating at the age of 20 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology,  Summa Cum Laude (this means she’s really smart). Courtney’s determination and dedication these past few years have be inspiring to me.  I’m not sure she knows it but I think she’s a really wise person.  She is a great writer and I enjoy reading her blog confessions of an x-introvert.  She also has a mesmerizing voice and is a budding musician. Check her out on YouTube

 

In August she will be  moving to San Diego where she will be participating in an internship with Origins on the campus of UC San Diego.  She will be sorely missed. However I am excited about going to visit her as San Diego is one of my top three favorite places to be. Congratulations Courtney, I am so proud of you and know God has amazing plans for your life.

 

image

 

Feb20

Stewardship of God’s Children

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Stewardship of God’s Children

Last month I had a vivid dream about my two oldest daughters. I dreamed that the plane they were traveling home on from India crashed. I saw them standing before their Creator with such immense joy and Him delighting in them and I sensed God lovingly whisper, “Cherie MY daughters died living.” I knew the point of this dream was Caryn & Courtney were doing what they were created to do, they did not view this world as their home, and they would have no regrets if they were to die today.

With tears I awoke and wondered how many of us never really live because we are playing it safe? How many of us quench the voice of God in our children, as we desire for them to pursue the safe American dream? We tell them love the Lord and follow Him but first– get a college degree, get a good paying job, get married, you can be a missionary but just not there, etc… GUILTY

If you are like me when your children came into the world you thought look at MY child and began dreaming what their life would look like. However my thinking in purely seeing my girls as mine began changing after Jon and I took a financial class where we asked to signed over ownership of everything we thought we owned to God – our home, cars, saving account, and even our children. Stewardship defines our practical obedience in the administration of everything under our control, everything entrusted to us, especially our children. Our greatest job as Christian parents is laying a solid biblical foundation for our children by making sure they know and love the Lord, thus providing for their well being even after death. 1 Corinthians 4:2 says “it is required in the stewards that one may be found faithful.” So what does that look like? It should look different for each of us. As parents we are to be obedient to the Spirit’s leading, as God didn’t design us as cookie-cutter families. He desires uniqueness and obedience on our part that comes from whole-heartily seeking His will for our families and each child entrusted to us.

Being in God’s word is so vital for us moms, because as we are spiritually nourished we can pour into our children and feel more confident in our job. I am studying the book of Isaiah this year and have found so much encouragement.
Isaiah 40:11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.
I love this verse as it reminded me that He is leading me. I am so thankful that my older girls love the Lord and often times I wonder how they got to where they are as my husband and I both are first generation Christians. There are things I wish I could have done and said differently but He lead me on the journey of parenting them just as He is leading me today with my 10 year old and He is leading each of you moms. My job was and is to seek the good shepherd.

A visual God gave me was that when my children come into the world I was holding on to them like this with clinched fists, as I didn’t want them to get hurt so I was going to protect them. I wasted lots of energy trying to be in control. As a faithful servant I am learning that my grip needs to be more like this with open hands, especially as my older girls have left our nest. Letting go has been a trust and faith building time in all of our lives.

When the girls were young I had them learn and put into practice 1 Timothy 4:1212 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.
It was my desire for them to do great things, to live fully for Jesus and be obedient to His calling. Guess what that’s exactly what they were doing and I was questioning them, call me crazy but it looked different than I imagined and different than what others were doing. Mom’s this is why we must have a vertical focus.

My girl’s obedience, tenacity, and love for Jesus is growing my faith as I watch them running hard after Him having a complete vertical focus. As my faith increases so does my trust because He is trustworthy.

Over Christmas break my girls were in India working with students from a country that is one of the world’s least evangelized nations and where persecution occurs. Unbeknown to us, thankfully, until my girls returned home, something unexpected did happened. The team was headed to the airport to the destination where they would be training. On the drive to the airport the car both my girls were in swerved (in an effort to avoid hitting a rickshaw) and crashed into a tree. They were minorly injured…and their our local friend broke his nose….but Jesus healed him too. Given the speed and congestion it is a wonder that no one got more seriously injured. Here is the cool part, when they hit the tree, Caryn said she saw 4 angels in front of the car and thousands of demons screaming behind the angels. God was totally protecting them!”
During my quite time Monday I came across this verse Pslam 34:7 it say “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.” AMEN!

Indeed God was protecting them and has continually done so. I can praise the Lord that He knows every detail of their lives and this includes the day He will usher them into His presences. They both will finish college this year and who knows what the future holds? I trust that because they daily seek Him in his word and prayer He will direct and they will be faithful to follow. David Platt said, To everyone wanting a safe, untroubled, comfortable life free from danger, stay away from Jesus. The danger in our lives will always increase in proportion to the depth of our relationship with Christ.” As their mom I pray I too will walk in obedience of letting them go joyfully, willingly, and prayerfully because as a steward of my children I will be called to give an account.

The ultimate reward for moms is not money, prestige, or fame but knowing that our children lives are firmly planted on the truths of scripture and that they trust and obey Him.

In closing I echo what Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

Dec28

Christmas has come and gone

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Christmas has come and gone

The anticipation and excitement of Christmas has come and gone. More memories and sweet family time has filled my emotional cup. What I enjoy most about Christmas are the traditions we share as a family.  We open our gifts on Christmas Eve with a twist.  Each time someone opens a gift they share what they appreciate about the giver.  Our sweet Cayley had a stomach bug December 23rd and 24th so we did not attend Christmas Eve service another tradition. We concluded our evening wrapping up our Advent devotion Tabitha’s Travels.

When I look back on Christmas 2010 I will remember the fun dinner we had Christmas day with over 20 people.  We were blessed to share Christmas evening with our immediate family, my in-laws, the Flatlin Band members who recently moved here from Sacramento, CA, the Nellie family plus one, who attend church with us, and we also had several international students who responded to Caryn’s FB post “hello sweet friends! if you are in austin and plan on spending christmas all by your lonesome, please dismiss that idea right now! i have the perfect solution! come hang out with my family and friends! we are eating a lot and promise to lather you with love and joy. :) soooo lemme know!!.”   We had food galore with a turducken being the highlight – thanks Moz & Far.  We had all guest bring a wrapped gift of $10 and did a white elephant to add to the fun. We had several snuggies, gifts cards and other fun items.  I believe fun was had by all.

What goes up must come down :-(  I will miss the warmth of our Christmas tree which holds many stories of places we have’ve travled to, activities and/or interest we have or had; all reflected through our ornaments on the tree.  We add an ornament or two yearly for each daughter so they will one day have a box filled with meaningful ornaments once they start their own family but for now our tree reflects all.

Our house is quite as Caryn and Courtney left for a mission trip on Sunday.  My in laws drove home yesterday and now it be us three.

Trust your Christmas was also full of sweet memories and you were surrounded by those you love.

Dec22

Christmas 2010 Greetings from The Werner Family

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Christmas 2010 Greetings from The Werner Family

Trusting this finds your family well.  As I reflect on another year, I realize that we are indeed blessed; thus thankfulness fills my heart for our family, friends, faith, health, and Jon’s job.  However, it is to Him, the giver of all, and the reason for the season, that I truly give thanks.

CHARISMATIC Caryn has used her extroverted personality to make many friends wherever she goes.  She is about a year away from obtaining a degree in photojournalism with a minor in international development for non-profits.  Her freelance photography business continues to provide income for her passion of travel and recognition among her peers and teachers. Check out her blog to see her artistic talents at http://c2wphotography.com

CREATIVE Courtney so wonderfully shares her heart and life through her blog at http://courtneywerner.wordpress.com [confessions of an x-introvert]. Courtney joined the traveling team for http://studentcpx.org/ and has had the opportunity to see the country and be part of a ministry encouraging and showing Jesus’ love to other students. Her creativity is reflected in her art, music, and attire J. She is scheduled to finish college in May with a degree in psychology.

PASSIONATE CarynCourtney, as we fondly refer to them, are involved in their house church and Student CPX . They still live and experience so much of life together. During their Christmas break they and a team are headed to share the love of Jesus plus conduct training for about 40 students in Southeast Asia. They will be traveling from Dec. 27 to Jan. 17.  If you think of them I know they would appreciate your prayers.  If you are interested in knowing more about their adventures I’m sure you can inquire on their blogs.

ADAPATABLE Cayley is full of life and a joy to have around as she brings laughter to most situations so we capitalized on this fact and enrolled her in acting classes. She is in 4th grade at a university-modeled school (classes on Monday/Wednesday) and I home school her on the other days.  Her adaptability is appreciated at home, school, traveling, and with the punches life can sometimes throw.  Being the youngest has its advantages but can also mature one quicker than their peers.

FAITHFUL Cherie’s greatest highlight was celebrating 25 years of marriage to my beloved on June 1st. From June to August we managed to escape the Texas heat by traveling for Jon’s work and taking a much-appreciated vacation to Germany and Norway. Currently I am really enjoying BSF as we are studying the book of Isaiah. I continue to serve in various ways at our church and really enjoy encouraging couples about to get married as well as younger moms.  Wish I could say I was more faithful at keeping up with our family blog http://thewerners.org/ thankful there’s always next year J as this is a more efficient way to share not to mention saving the trees.  You can also find us on Facebook and email.

INNOVATIVE Jon has been blessed with a job he greatly enjoys allowing him to use the creativity and knowledge God has given him.  The biggest draw back has been the travel as he reports into the Portland office but thankfully he works with some great folks. Also Portland seems to be our escape from the Texas heat in 2011 as we plan to spend June to October in Portland.  Having the Saints play and WIN the Superbowl plus scoring two tickets for he and his dad was indeed a highlight for him this year.

To Him be the glory,

Our Love and best wishes

Jon, Cherie, Caryn, Courtney & Cayley