AmilyFay

Hello Faithful Friends & Family!

I hope this letter finds you enjoying this holiday season and anticipating all God has in store for you in 2012!

You all have been so faithful to support and encourage [ca]dre as well as myself and my family.  I know that some of you have started hearing about the shift that is coming here in Arkansas, so I wanted to keep you up to date on a couple changes in Codi and my world.

Over the past few months, Codi and I have had the opportunity to get involved at one of New Life Church’s extension campus in Cabot.  The more we have spent time there, the more God has stirred our heart that the people there need a shepherd.  They need someone who will be there for them; someone to teach them Truth.  Codi and I believe God has chosen us for thsi endeavor!  As of this weekend, we have officially been announced as NLC Cabot’s new campus pastors.  It is quite an exciting time.  We do not yet know what to expect completely, but we do know God is faithful to those who are obedient.  We have taken this first step, so we trust God to continue leading us through the process.

So what does this look like in regards to the world of Cadre Acadmey?  Great question!

My new pastoring role will come alongside my role in [ca]dre.  Aaron Kruse and Katie Watts will continue overseeing the day in and day out schedule of the program.  I will still act as Director and meet with staff and leadership on a consistent basis.  Chapels, big events and workouts will be where I continue to get face time with all the students.  My heart is to see this vision flourish, and I will do all I can to make sure this happens.

For next year… We are hoping to have [ca]dre campus directors at all three campuses: Conway, Little Rock and Cabot!  As God continues to grow this vision, we know students will need more direct, focussed leading.  Having specific directors over each campus will aloow more students to be discipled by staff on a regular basis.

I thank you for your continued prayers as my family and the students make these transitions.  It is such an exciting time, and I am thankful for such a great support system!

Making the Most,

James Bennett

-cjb-

cadre academy: brought to you by risk
In September we welcomed a new class of Cadre Students; the team immediately hit the ground running with classes, ministries, events and diving into relationships.  Every year I’m amazed how quickly the students step into their new roles and each class takes on a new identity of their own.  Each year at Orientation I look across the sea of faces as the students circle their necks with the new Cadre lanyard - remembering, I too once donned that lanyard in anticipation and expectancy.  It’s a great risk stepping away from your parents umbrella and going beyond the expected norm of community college or a state school and opening yourself up to new possibilities and new people.  Shaking hands with the unknown can be quite intimidating.

baby #4: brought to you by marriage

As stated earlier - in August we discovered we were pregnant.  Of course we are incredibly thankful to God for His will and new creation in my body.  To be honest - in that moment of discovery - my attitude did not reflect thankfulness.  I was somewhat panic-stricken at the thought of having 4 children in 5 years - That’s 4 children, age 5 and under.  I mean - how is that even possible!?  I must admit I had a season of distress while I couldn’t understand why the Lord would choose to hand us this situation at a time that seemed so inappropriate.

Secretly and selfishly I was unsettled and arrogantly suggested to the Lord the timing was off.  I didn’t feel ready to be a mother of 4.  Financially, it seemed like the worst possible time to take on the expense of another life.  I thought James would be particularly upset to receive the news, and most of all - my altruistic [insert sarcasm] self just didn’t want to be pregnant again...right now anyway.

In spite of my uncertainty, I told Mr. Bennett the momentous news and immediately broke down into tears...actually, I believe the tears preceded my words.  In my expectation of James to be wolverine-ish in response; he was astonishingly calm and comforting.  He reassured me it was God’s timing and His provision would cover us.  He affirmed the Lord’s sovereignty in this situation and our family.  He’s just solid like that.  I, conversely, continued to sob - knowing he was right but honestly still facing the reality of it.  

On August 24 2011 Mr.Bennett and I celebrated 9 years of marriage.  hooray!  Of course I’m thankful for my husband - I can definitely attribute 9 successful and God-honoring years of wedded brilliance to him.  However - much more so I know it has nothing to do with him - or I, but the decision to surrender our relationship to the Holy Spirit.  I seriously cannot fathom how marriages survive without Him.  I know ours wouldn’t.  Granted I accept that not every individual has the personalities that coincide with that of James and I, nonetheless, there’s no doubt our marriage would collapse on our skillfullness alone. 

This last week we were gifted with a new book on the Holy Spirit and I’m charged up to dive into it - I’m sure it will be a great look into who the Holy Spirit is and how effective and integral He must be in order for us to live life to the full as stated in John 10:10.  I encourage you to dive into the Word and learn more about the Holy Spirit.  Pick up Robert Morris’ book and educate yourself on who He is.  And most importantly, seek Him.  The Holy Spirit is a gentleman and as such, will not be controlling or forceful.  He patiently waits on us to make the first move.  Respond in a way that demonstrates James 4:8. “Come near to God and He will come near to you.“

For a while I’ve been ‘off the map’ so to speak and with good reason.  As children, we were well taught; ‘if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all.’  Hence - my stillness.  There’s a certain occurrence in a woman’s life that in my experience has the tendency to steal one’s personality and that occurrence just happened to befall this woman late this summer.

Pregnancy. [insert dramatic music]

On August 28 I discovered I was pregnant with baby number four and was able to give explanation to why I had been feeling so disconnected with myself, inexplicably nauseous and had yes, misplaced my personality.

I have good news; pregnancy doesn’t always shoplift ones disposition indefinitely - in my exposure to this creature of fallen nature it’s typically most disruptive of just the first few months - well known as the first trimester.  I have officially broken the tape of the first trimester and graduated to phase two so am confidently regaining the reigns to my presence and temperament.  And all the people said, “Amen”.

In light of my sabbatical from mass communication, updates, twitters, facebooks, blogs, extended phone conversations and held tongue (in effort to remain kind and creditable) I would like to commence an official update to apprise you of the recent happenings amongst the Bennett Tribe.  I’ve learned through my brief and inexperienced path of blogging and writing that I have a tendency to be somewhat lengthy in my discourse so I have aptly chosen to distribute this update in a series.

Stay tuned.

honorable mention:

What’s your fave parenting book?

I think every day after surgery for probably a good 3 weeks I would show James something [on my body] and ask him if he thought it was ‘normal’.  For some reason this intense paranoia set in and I thought everything that was anything had to be something!  My doctor was somewhat reassuring, but also left it open-ended when he ‘reassured’ me by saying - “Codi, you’ve just been cut into - there is no “normal”.

I essentially spent the next several days in bed.  I rarely ventured past my bedroom - and when I did I usually only made it to the kitchen.  Thankfully one of our third year [ca]dre students, who has been an amazing support to our family this year, Laurie Hinson, came to stay with us.  She did everything from get the kids up in the morning [or rather, they got her up] to making their meals [and mine] to my laundry and house cleaning.  I am forever indebted to her unselfish service of our family during that time of recovery.

I had a number friends come visit, send flowers, send food, call, text, etc.  It made me realize how much I value people caring for me.  I’ve learned that I can have a tendency to appear to ‘have it altogether’ and by default give people the notion that I don’t need or want their help.  That’s the farthest thing from the truth and couldn’t have been more false during this chapter of my life.  I needed the warmth of my friends.  I needed the encouragement of my mom.  I needed the tenderness of my husband.  I needed the experience of my sisters.  I needed the laughter of my children.

I am so grateful for the friends and family the Lord has positioned in my life to remind me of Himself and draw me nearer His heart when I’m liable to drift.

I’ve been back to see both my dermatologist and surgeon twice now since the diagnosis and surgery.  Each consultation has solidified the truth not only in my physical body, but in my sometimes apprehensive heart; I am healed.  I do not have cancer.  Cancer does not have me.  The word says His Words are LIFE to those who find them and bring health to our actual physical beings.

 Proverbs 4:22 – For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. (KJV)

That’s the story.  It feels good getting it all out there in the open.  It’s a difficult thing to communicate because as soon as you drop the word ‘cancer’ into a conversation people get so somber and we all tend to think of it ending in death.  So it’s not anything I’ve communicated much about because I want people to have context and not worry about me.  I’m healthy.  We are healthy.   This definitely changed our outlook on some things in life and we are absolutely making some paramount changes in our lifestyles and nutrition, but most days we continue to carry on as if this never happened.  I will update you of any developments but plan on that being a continued testimony of health.  

I’ll continue to blog about all the other randomness that crosses into my path, so stay tuned!


[click here to start from beginning]

 It was following our annual Staff Christmas Party and we had communicated to Rick + Michelle the details of my situation. We gathered a few people to pray with us and it was a powerful time for not just James and myself, but for all those involved, I believe. I was anointed with oil and the Lord was petitioned to move. He showed up, His presence was powerful in that room that evening. It wasn’t overelaborate or conjured - it was genuine and fervent. I believe the Lord responded likewise.


The morning of December 15, 2010, James and I headed to Conway Regional Hospital. My emotions were the most interesting mix of apprehension and eagerness. I was apprehensive because of the new experience, and eager due to the fact that I had so much anticipation stirring for what God was accomplishing through the raw situation. I was propelled by several scriptures throughout this entire experience. At this point I was holding to two specifically in Psalms 27 and Romans 8: