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As promised in my “Seasons of Change” post….here are the details that I have been asked to send out by the event chairpersons for this special evening to honor Dan for 25 years in Christian Education.  I am so filled with gratitude to this group of people who desire to honor my wonderful husband in this way.  He truly is a man of character, integrity, faithfulness, commitment, humility and service to others and our Lord….not too mention an amazing husband and father. He is the same man in public that he is behind closed doors and besides adoring him as my beloved, best friend and partner in ministry,  I have deep respect for him as a man of stellar character and tremendous genuine faith! If you can be there to honor him on September 2, I know he will be blessed beyond measure and if you can’t make it there are ways mentioned in the letter below that you can be “virtually” involved in the celebration. Everyone is invited!

Dear friends and family of Dan Lambdin,

We are excited to send you an invitation to a special event to honor someone you know and love…Mr. Dan Lambdin.  Some of you are family who have known him his whole life, others are lifelong friends from his youth, college or church family and many of you are former youth, students, athletes, parents and co-workers who he has faithfully loved, discipled and ministered to for decades. All of you have one thing in common: you know that this special man of God has committed his life to serving and loving others!

Dan has recently been released of his Bible Teacher/Chaplain position at Jim Elliot Christian High School, the school he & Beth founded and that he worked at for the past 16 years. If you had not yet heard this life changing news, you can read about it on Beth’s blog at this link.

A group of us who know first-hand the character, integrity, faithfulness and commitment of Dan Lambdin, have decided to come together and honor him for 25 years of serving the Lord and others in Christian Education. We hope that many of you can join us for this evening of praise & worship, thanksgiving, appreciation, testimonies, special music, photo presentation and a corporate prayer of blessing over the Lambdin family. A time of fellowship & refreshments will follow the service where you can personally greet and show love to the Lambdins. We will also be taking a love offering to bless them and help provide for their needs during this big transition as they seek God’s future direction for their lives.

We know some of you live out of the area or will be unable to make it that evening for various reasons.  We plan to video tape the event for those who would like to watch. We also would invite those of you who can’t be there but would like to participate through sending your own words of appreciation in a card, note or email to do so at the addresses posted below.  Also, if you feel led to contribute financially to the love offering for the Lambdins, you can send a check (made payable to Dan Lambdin) or you can donate through paypal online here. Thank you for being a part of this very special evening for a very special man!

Sincerely, Kelly Hale and Monica Martinez

“An Evening of Honor” Chairpersons

Mailing address for cards, notes and donations:         

• Kelly Hale
• 10762 Pleasant Valley Circle                                                              
• Stockton, CA 95209
• ATTN: Dan Lambdin

Email Address for messages to Dan or questions about event:

• kelanhale@sbcglobal.net

• cprov3@hotmail.com

My dearest “sweet baby” Grace,

Today was your first day of high school!

….and simply nothing about today happened according to our long held expectations.

The year you were born was an amazing time in our lives.  It was filled with both struggles and challenges as well as great joy and miracles. One of the reasons that we named you Grace was because that particular year – 1998 – we had experienced an abundant outpouring of God’s amazing grace in our lives.  Of course, as you know the most significant event of that year was the miraculous beginning of Jim Elliot Christian High School.  A Christian high school we had dreamed about for years, had worked tirelessly to get started and rejoiced greatly when they opened their doors.  You were there that first day of school – September 2, 1998 – safely hidden in my womb as the board president handed us the Founders Plaque at the opening day chapel. Our dream had become a reality!

Several months later during the Founders Banquet you joined in the celebration proudly wearing a button I made you proclaiming – “Future Elliot Eagle Class of 2017”.  It brought smiles to everyone who saw you as well as a few raised eyebrows from some who thought perhaps the school would never make it past its first year.  And yet….it did!

Over the following years you watched as each of your big sisters began their season at Jim Elliot.  You got up and had the traditional back to school breakfast with them on the first day of school and drove with them to take the traditional “first day of school” photos in front of the Jim Elliot sign . You laughed and listened to them groan with protest, yet knowing that mom would get that photo taken reminding them…”someday you’ll thank me for this”.  You watched as they played sports as a Lady Eagle…being drug all over Northern California to cheer them on with gusto. You saw the excitement of spirit weeks, dress up days, homecoming, school camp and a host of other student activities that you looked forward to participating in when it was finally your turn to start high school.  You admired their beauty as they dressed up for Winter Formals and Proms.  You listened to the stories they would share about life at school, Dad being “dad” and both the blessings and challenges of being a “Lambdin” at the school your parents founded.  You stayed up with them as they studied late into the night for exams and you cheered them on as they donned their hunter green cap & gown and walked across stage to receive their diploma’s and become JECHS alumni.

And yes, you expected that you would one day do exactly the same thing.

But those expectations did not come to pass.

Today…..

…..there was no traditional back to school breakfast

…..there was no photo in front of the JECHS sign

….there was no Dad (aka: Mr. Lambdin) starting the school year  with prayer at chapel

….there was no familiar faces or places

All that you had hoped for, dreamed of and expected to happen for years did not happen. Your expectations were crushed and shattered and you were forced to give up your hopes and dreams of attending JECHS.

We all have expectations in life from our very earliest memories.  We universally expect to be nurtured, taken care of and loved by our parents. As children we expect to fed, clothed and have a roof over our head. (and in some families the children expect to receive an allowance, a car when they turn 16 and a fully funded college account…but alas you were not born into one of those families!) We all expect to be treated fairly. (or why else would every child I know at some point exclaim – “that’s not fair!”) As parents we expect that our children will behave a certain way, in our marriages we ex[pect that our spouses will treat and love us like we want to be treated & loved and we all  expect friends, family members, leaders, teachers and pastors to be, do and act according to the way we believe is right.  And of course we all have a different definition of what that “right” might be.

I have known many people who have let both unrealistic expectations as well has unfulfilled and unmet expectations destroy their lives and their relationships.  I have seen them get deeply depressed, bitterly angry, allow important relationships to deteriorate and even turn their back on God all as a result of expectations not being met.

You have an opportunity in this moment to learn a great lesson in life…one that many believers have still not grabbed hold of after two, three or even four decades of life. The lesson is…while having expectations of life, people and even yourself is perfectly normal…at some point you will be faced with the potential reality of the depression, anger, bitterness, chaos, and damaged relationships due to unmet expectations.  So what is the answer to this Grace?

Have expectations in your Lord Jesus Christ and in Him alone!

He alone is faithful and true! He alone can meet your every need! He alone can give you perfect peace in the midst of the storm! He alone loves you with a perfect unfailing love!

What does the Word of God say that you can expect?

• You can expect trials and tribulations in this life! (John 16:33 1 Peter 5:12)
• You can expect God to give you the power and strength to overcome everything you face (Philippians 4:13 Psalm 68:35 Isaiah 40:29)
• You can expect to be loved completely and fully by the Lord (Jeremiah 31:3 Romans 8:37-389 John 3:16)
• You can expect the Lord to do abundantly above and beyond all you can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20)
• You can expect to receive eternal life through your trust and faith in Jesus Christ who shed his blood for your sins (1 John 5:13-14 Romans 6:23   1 John 5:13)

So as you start your first year of high school in a new school with new people and new events…remember to put your expectations only in the Lord.  He will always come through every time and fulfill your greatest expectations.

And today give thanks for what you did have but perhaps did not expect…

….Daddy at home (instead of at school) this morning to pray for you personally and bless you as you left for your first day of school

…a big sister to be be your side as you together navigate this new experience at Capital Christian

….a lunch at Chick-fil-a to celebrate the first day

….and a Christian school where the administration all knew you by name this morning and are so excited to have the Lambdins as a part of the CCHS family. A school whose state of the art facilities, amazing fully developed programs, athletics and events; and  whose solid academics are enhanced by staff who love the Lord as well as a school whose desire is to glorify God in everything….this is exactly what your Mom & Dad dreamed of all those years ago when we were blessed with you…our sweet baby Grace!

Have a year filled with great expectations in what the Lord is going to do in and through you!

I love you!

Mommy

Dearest  friends & family,

This sudden announcement may come as a bit of a shock to you…as it certainly did to us!

We have loved ministering at Jim Elliot Christian High School.  From its exciting beginnings back in 1997 (which many of you were a part of and for that we will always be grateful), through all the challenges and bumps over the years, to watching it grow and prosper to what it is today,  we have seen God move mightily in and through the school. Some of the best and most memorable years of our lives have been spent at JECHS and the blessings of deep friendships in students, staff and families have been abundant!

It is with both joy and sorrow that we announce that our season at Jim Elliot has come to an end. Sorrow as we will greatly miss ministering to students and their families who we love so dearly; but great joy as we watch God open up the door to new opportunities to use our gifts and talents to pursue our next dream. We know God is up to something really big and it is exciting to be part of His plan!

As we depart from our beloved school we are striving to walk in love, integrity and glory to God! We do earnestly pray that the Lord will continue to prosper and grow the school and bless the wonderful staff (whom we love dearly) as they touch and impact students for Christ!

Always in Jesus,

Dan & Beth Lambdin

Frequently Asked Questions

As word has leaked out, we have found that we are being inundated with questions. Thank you to all of you who have been so loving, supportive and concerned. We thought it best to answer the most common ones with this announcement.

1.       Was it your choice to leave Jim Elliot Christian High School at this time?

No. We had always thought that we would minister at Jim Elliot for life. Dan received notification on July 9, via certified letter, that his contract to teach for the 2013-14 school year was being rescinded.  There was no reason given.   

Despite Dan’s desire to stay and teach, disciple and mentor students, we believe that the Lord uses leadership to move us in the direction He wants us to go and we trust that the Lord has used the board and administration to accomplish His ultimate purpose in our lives. For that we are sincerely grateful to our Lord, as we know this will prove to be one of the greatest blessings of our lives!

2.       What about Rebekah and Grace who are enrolled as students at JECHS?

Of course as parents, of utmost concern are our precious children, every one of them gifts from God.

Rebekah and some of her classmates at a Senior Class Retreat this summer.

Rebekah was to be a senior at JECHS this coming year and was very excited about her position as student chaplain, continuing to lead “The Movement Club” (a student advocate group for orphans); and of course her passion – playing soccer for her final year at Elliot. She has also developed strong friendships over the past three years and was looking forward to graduating with the JECHS class of 2014.

This is Grace at the JECHS Founders Banquet in 1999. She is wearing a button that says “Future Elliot Eagle Class of 2017”

Grace was to enter Jim Elliot as a freshman this year and after nine years of homeschooling was so very excited to enter the world of JECHS: to take new and exciting classes, playing sports, making friends (in addition some of her closest friends who would also be starting as a freshman there) and just being immersed in the Christian high school experience. Of course getting to hang out with her Dad every day was going to be a bonus too!

The board and administration at JECHS recently decided that our children were welcome to attend Jim Elliot providing they met the qualifications and that we paid all the tuition and fees. (One of the benefits of staff members at Jim Elliot is free tuition so this would be a new expense in our lives)

While we would love to have our children sit under the godly mentorship of the teachers and staff at JECHS, be with their friends, as well as have the opportunity to attend a local Christian high school whose goal is to glorify God.  First, let’s state the obvious…with Dan already sacrificing financially to work at a private Christian school where the teachers generally make 30-40% less than public school teachers, there was never any extra money to pay tuition, which is one of the reasons Christian schools often offer a tuition benefit to their staff.   Now with no income at this time…it’s pretty easy to do the math…even if you aren’t great with numbers.  (0 income minus $14,000 in tuition equals negative $14,000)  That said, we know God’s math is very different than ours, and if the girls wanted to be there, we know the Lord would provide the finances to make that happen.  Sadly, both girls already feel that “all eyes are upon them” and there is underlying awkwardness between them and the school.   They have decided that at this time they do not want to be “under a microscope” at JECHS as well as deal with questions about their Dad.  They have both grieved greatly over this ordeal and we are trying to help them walk through this major life change with the proper godly perspective and without allowing bitterness to get a hold of their hearts, as we know that could damage them for years if allowed to grow. It is a daily decision for them to walk in grace and forgiveness and yet we know that the Lord was not caught off guard by this and He will use it greatly in their lives!

Whew!  That was a lot of background information to answer the question so many are asking about Rebekah & Grace: “Where will they be going to school?” There is no easy answer.  As Grace said recently: “None of the options are good, Mom.”  We have made a spread sheet, written out all the pros and cons, sought counsel and of course, prayed.  At this point they are leaning towards attending Capital Christian High School in Sacramento (and yes, that is 52 miles from our doorstep…oh my!)  There are so many details that would have to be worked out: tuition (again that would take a God kind of math!) , transportation, athletic eligibility and jumping through all the admissions hoops in record time, not to mention a huge challenging life change for us as a family, having kids creating a life in an entirely different city.  We are confident that if it is the Lord’s will, He will work out all those details, even if it is hard, because God often calls us to do hard things!

Please pray for our girls as they navigate through all this in the upcoming weeks and throughout the year. They are pretty amazing young ladies but we know Satan would like nothing better than to use this to destroy their lives and have them question God.

3.       What will Dan do now?  Does he have a new job?

No, Dan does not have a job or any potential jobs at this point.  This question is perhaps the hardest to answer because of the differences between a “job”, “career” or “profession” and a “ministry”, “calling” or “vocation”.  But we will try.

First …our commitment to Christian education goes far beyond simply a job or profession. We realize perhaps for many Christian school teachers it is more of a career choice or job that pays the bills; which is perfectly acceptable, but for us that has never been the case. Christian school ministry and the discipleship of students is our passion and something the Lord called us to over 26 years ago.  We believe it is a high ministry calling and our vocation.

Secondly…Dan has a Bachelor’s Degree in Biblical Studies, an ACSI teaching credential and is a licensed minister. He has been a Bible teacher for 25 years.  Prior to completing his degree he was a youth minister for two years.  This is all that he has ever done.

With that said…it is obvious that his options within his calling, his training and experience are limited. He teaches Bible – not history or English or math.  He has no public school options as many assume he might. (Unless we are unaware that our public schools are now offering Bible…would love to hear about that!)  He also has no options in San Joaquin County to teach Bible at a Christian school.  That leaves outside the area.  But let’s be real here – it is July – there are literally no job openings for Bible teachers this close to the start of a new school year.  Best case scenario IF he is to continue teaching (and that IF is there) is that he finds a Bible teaching position out of the area next (2014-15) school year.

Now all that could sound pretty depressing or discouraging right?  Well sure maybe….if you don’t know that our God is bigger than any obstacle, that He has orchestrated all of this to complete His ultimate plan for our lives personally; that He is in complete control,  has a wonderful plan for our future and that He is our provider as always!  But we do know all of this about our awesome God and we put our full faith and confidence in Him. There is complete peace and freedom in knowing God!

Please pray for us as we seek Him for the answers to these questions:

• Lord, are you calling us out of Christian education at this time and leading us to a new ministry calling, or do we seek to find a new school to continue to minister to and disciple young people?
• If we are to stay in Christian education, Lord how do you want to provide our basic needs for the upcoming year until we can secure a Christian school job for the 2014-15 school year?
• If we are being called to a new ministry, what is it Lord?  Pastoring?  Missions? Christian Youth Camps? Some type of Chaplaincy? Going full time speaking and counseling with Inspire Ministries and raising monthly support?  We want to use our unique gifts and talents for His glory!
• Lord, are you calling us out of full time paid ministry and into secular employment?

We know that the Lord promises generous wisdom to all who ask him and we certainly need wisdom!  (“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5) We also know that the Lord will provide for all of our needs – financial, emotional and spiritual – according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus! (Philippians 4:19) We hope to be able to communicate with you all very soon what exactly the Lord has for us to do next.

4.       Will there be any type of recognition or acknowledgement  from the school for Dan’s part in founding the school and his subsequent 16 years of ministry there?

We have been told that the school officially has no plans at this time.  We have no expectations or disappointment.  In fact, we have always been so blessed to be showered with love and appreciation by those that we have ministered to over the years that our hearts are filled to overflowing!  We could ask for no more than the amazing love and support we have had from all of you over the course of our ministry. We should be thanking you as it has strengthened, encouraged and kept us going for decades!

The plaque we were presented on September 2, 1998, the first day of classes at JECHS

However, a group of friends have recently asked if they could do something special to give recognition and honor  to Dan for his 25 years in Christian Education.  That event will be held on Monday, September 2, 2013  which is exactly 15 years to the day that Jim Elliot Christian High School began their first day of school with a beautiful chapel service. What a perfect day to honor Dan.  Everyone is invited! More details to come out soon. We hope that many of you will be able to join us in this special time together to thank the Lord for what He has done in and through Dan Lambdin, and to celebrate the great things he has in store for the future!

To God be the glory!

I just ran across an article on people who live to be 100.    Of course there were the obvious things like eating “heart healthy” and watching your waistline  —  but look at this one —

Giving birth after age 40 more than quadruples a woman’s chances of living to 100.

You can read the article here

Wow!  Who knew?  I have had two sweet babies after age 40 – I wonder if that means I have eight times the chance of living to be 100?  🙂

I am always saying that having kids at my age keeps you young!  I guess I was right.  I often wonder if I only had two children (Michelle & Amy) and I was on the home stretch towards an “empty nest” like many of my peers, if I would feel like slowing down and taking it easy?  Perhaps I would “feel”older.  Of course when you are chasing a one year old (and are trying to adopt another baby) slowing down does not even enter your mind, nor is it an option.  Perhaps aging has a lot to do with your mindset. I can’t think of slowing down for at least 20 more years.

Just thought I would share that fun fact with you today.  My daughter Rebekah who is always saying “Mom, You have to live to be 100”  was simply thrilled to hear this information (and being the strong willed choleric child that she is she will now settle for nothing less than my living to be 100!).

For now….I will keep living and enjoying my life as if today was the last day.

One more thing –  The article also said –  Coffee is another potential “health drink,” with studies showing that moderate coffee intake is helpful in preventing diabetes, gallstones, Parkinson’s disease, cirrhosis, kidney stones and even heart disease.  You don’t even know how happy that made me!  As soon as I reach my goal weight, I will be adding coffee back into my regular routine (in moderation of course!) along with a splurge of dark chocolate also said to add years! (it is TRUE – read it here & here)

Many of you have been asking how the adoption is coming along.  For an update as of last week – go to www.babybrother.wordpress.com.  Please pray for us :

• as we are ready to begin the last thing we have to accomplish – our home study.  We have no idea what to expect.
• for the remaining money to be provided through donations, adoption grants or other creative fund raising ideas.  After paying for the home study, it looks like we are going to need another $7,000. We are believing!
• and as always…for the Lord’s will to be done.

For those of you who read this by subscription – you need to go to the site and see my new blog header – the most darling baby with big blue eyes – it makes my heart melt!  www.bethlambdin.net.

We are still enjoying immensely our time at the beach – here is what I am looking at as I write this morning – does it get any better than that? God is good to me.

I’m off to take my daily walk on the shore with the sweet baby while the big girlies enjoy sleeping in.

Blessings to you all,

Beth

As promised…I have posted about many of our Christmas season family traditions. (not all believe it or not – so you will just have to wait until next Christmas to hear about the remaining few!)  I have back dated the posts to when they actually happened – so if you want to see them all,  you can –  simply by going to the Categories section and clicking on “Christmas Season” and it will give you all eight postings. (or just click here)

Enjoy! I hope to be back in a regular routine with my blog this week.

Blessings,

Beth