Garden and Simon

Simon, chillin'!




We're excited for all the veggies to come!


Paul and I have green thumbs! We've been enjoying fresh lettuce, spinach, red chard and cilantro from our garden for a couple of weeks now! Yummy! There are two zuccinis on the vine and lots of snap peas!

Simon is surviving the heat. He has his own room now and seems to have forgotten Toby. Paul usually feeds him every morning when he gets up...I love my husband!

Gardening fun

I think Paul and I could be pretty good farmers...ha ha ha! We have planted our garden plots and have realized we need more space! This morning, Paul asked if I'm ready to have a tomato business because we are over-run with tomato plants.

Things I love about gardening: the progress one can see from one day to the next; harvesting things we can eat and that taste fabulous that once were very tiny seeds; the anticipation of what may actually burst forth into its fruit and what may not; working alongside my husband. ;-)

As my dear friend reminded me just yesterday, everything is spiritual and can be worship to God...even gardening! :-)

Video highlights from our wedding!

Click on the title of this blog to see our wedding highlights video! Thank you, David Harder, for your excellent work on this!

Culture of honor?

As my husband and I drove out of our neighborhood yesterday, we decided to count the number of American flags flying in front of people's homes. Yesterday was Memorial Day, a national holiday in our nation, dedicated to honoring all of those who have selflessly given their lives for our country through living, serving and dying in the struggle to keep and maintain the freedoms we all enjoy every day.

In a 1.5 mile stretch of driving, we counted just 12 American flags flying...and that includes flags on side-streets that we craned our necks to find and include in our overall count.

Sad.

This holiday is not about politics; it's about people and their sacrifices that we might still enjoy what much of the world does not have the privilege of enjoying. Flying a flag is not such a difficult thing to do--in fact, it takes very little effort to make a huge statement of honor.

So, my question now is what exactly are we Americans so proud of, really? Having lived in a foreign country for 11 years and heard those people say of Americans: "You are so proud of your country!" and then to see such little regard for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice on this one day of national celebration leaves me wondering: What exactly are we proud of? We often pride ourselves in being honorable, yet some of us do not honor those who have gone before us and died so that we can be free?

I'm in a bit of a quandary. Once again: "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they do."

Wedding pics from our professional photographer

Our first dance as husband and wife!

Below, walking down the aisle with my dad...taking in every face! :-)



Our photographer, Camilla Barrett, captured some wonderful shots!


Our rings!


Yes, that is quite an impish grin I have on, isn't it?


Yes, the room was this stunning!

My precious bridesmaids, Marsha Scott, Marcie Adams and Maria Janney! What treasures these ladies were and are!

Follow-up on phone call to a stranger....

Once again, I must declare to any of you out there in blog land who don't believe in God or believe that He is intimately acquainted with us, knowing our names and phone numbers, please read on...

If you read yesterday's blog below, you will hear of a pretty amazing story; I won't repeat it here, but rather follow-up.

So, not only was the name and phone number which Bob Hartley received from the Lord and gave to me to call accurate, but the woman, who lives half-way across the country from me, and I are now friends! We spoke not once, not twice, but three times yesterday, and the Lord knit our hearts in sweet love and fellowship with each other! We got to "share our stories/histories" with one another, our journeys with the Lord, and encourage each other! I'm so excited to see how BOTH of our hearts have been ignited with the Love of the Father and encouraged in HOPE! I must admit I am still completely blown away by the specificity of God's words to His children, yet I shouldn't be because Scripture teaches that He knows the very number of the hairs on our head.

So, today, while it is still today, inquire of the Lord, seek His face, adore Him for who He is, the God who sees and knows, who hears the cries of our hearts, who loves us intimately...let us love Him in return, the One who will never leave us or forsake us! To the KING!

I am a friend of the God who knows our name and phone number!

This past weekend, I took part in a Hope to the Heart conference here in Kansas City. Deeper Waters Ministries organizes these events about quarterly, offering a business track as well as a prophetic track with the goal of loving God and equipping people with tools to take the message of Hope to every sphere of life!

Bob Hartley is a precious man of God who heads up the Hartley Institute and Deeper Waters. He has cultivated an intimate relationship with the Lord for decades and hears from God for God's people to be encouraged and propelled into their callings and destinies. I am not in any way exalting a man, but rather the God whom that man loves and serves and whose voice Bob heeds.

The apostle Paul encourages every believer to seek the gifts, especially that we would prophesy. Every believer can prophesy, but in some people, this gift is very highly developed and fine-tuned. Bob is one such person. This weekend, during the ministry time on Saturday night at the conference, Bob was telling stories and praying and prophesying when he called out my name. Mind you, he has given me prophetic words in the past which have been spot on, so I was ready. What I wasn't ready for was the odd characteristic of this word and how it would affect me if I followed through on it.

In a nutshell, the Lord's word to me through Bob was the first name of a woman and her phone number as well as two words of encouragement to her. Bob said, "Arden is someone who will actually follow through and call this person." (Amazing how true that statement is!) Of course my first reaction was, "Cool, let me call her right now and see if this is really true." You see, I'd heard that the Lord gives Bob names and phone numbers of people he doesn't even know...but I'd never experienced this myself.

The weekend passed, as did Monday, and this morning, as I was preparing to leave the house, I sensed the Lord quickening my heart to call this number. Of course doubts began to arise: What if it's not really this person? This can't be for real. (By the way, the area code was completely unknown to me) But, BY FAITH, I dialed the number...and got this person's voicemail...no name, no indication if it was a male or female. I chose not to leave a message, and I decided I would call her back later.

Well, as I was walking out the door about 15 minutes later, I noticed a missed call on my phone. It was THE NUMBER! I was floored that this person would call some unknown number back. So, I got in my car, prayed, pulled out the word I was to give this woman, and dialed the number.

A woman picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Um, hello, my name is Arden Czaszewicz and I'm looking for (Name)"

"This is she."

GULP....in that split second, FAITH arose in me!

I continued, "Um, you don't know me, but I live in Kansas City, and I was just at a conference where a gentleman named Bob Hartley was ministering. Have you ever heard of Bob Hartley?"

"Uh, no, I have not."

"Can I ask you if you know the Lord?"

"Yes, I do, I love the Lord with all my heart!"

"Ok, let me tell you more about who I am....."

And the conversation proceeded....she was SOOOOO open from the very first moment we began to speak. When I spoke the words of encouragement to her from the Lord via Bob, she began to weep and said, "You have no idea how much this means to me...you know how you have hills and valleys in life? Well, I've been in a deep valley and to hear these words from a stranger half a continent away, whom the Lord gives my name and phone number to is just blowing me away!"

To make a long story longer, she was JUST pulling in to the parking lot of the house of prayer in Bedford, Oregon when I called. We talked for probably 15 minutes, I was able to pray for her, and the Lord even gave me more words of encouragement which were...surprise, surprise...spot on! We both were floored and amazed at this God of the details, who knows our names and phone numbers and we are planning to stay in contact! God completely knit our hearts and I know there is much more to come! She has always wanted to come to Kansas City and visit the house of prayer here so of course I told her she can come stay with me! (oops, need to clear that with my hubby!)

Needless to say, my faith in God is SOARING right now...His intimate concern for every human being simply boggles my mind. Truly, nothing is impossible with God! Hallelujah!

Contemplating

Recently, some friends came to visit...actually, a large number of friends came to help me and Paul celebrate our union as man and wife in the wedding of the year! Ha!

Some of those friends got a chance to visit a few places here, through which the Lord has dramatically impacted my life and given me greater revelation of Who He is and what He is doing in this world we call earth. Before 2004, I had a nice, compact, tight theology which seemed to work for me. Ok, stop right here. Please note the last word in that sentence: me...ME...ME....a theology that works for me? Wow, if nothing else, I've definitely had the rug of "me" ripped out from underneath my feet more than once in the last 7 years. If I've learned nothing else, I have learned this: no theology is about "me" or about "us"...it's all about God and His glory and what He is doing from eternity through eternity.

In 2004, God began to rattle my cage, shake my world and rip the rugs out from underneath me, and my 'religious spirits' didn't like it one bit. However, my spirit-man inside of me LOVED IT! Something began stirring deep inside of me, and I knew I was beginning a journey of discovery that would lead to greater love for the Father, relationship with the Son, Jesus, and intense and intimate fellowship with Holy Spirit.

Without departing from the Bible, I began this journey. In 2009, that journey landed me in Kansas City, MO where I've been stretched even further by 3 specific ministries, all of which God has used to burst open every box I've ever consciously or unconsciously tried to place God in...back to the problem that can arise when I limit God to 'my' theology.

Has it been uncomfortable? You bet! Has it caused tensions with others? For sure! Has my spirit-man been awakened to the living God of hope, who loves, I think almost more than anything, to pour out His affections on His children? Like never before! Have my biblical views changed? Indeed, they have as I have pondered and studied and realized that God is much, much bigger and much, much more involved in the nitty gritty of everything on this planet. Nothing is outside of His grasp, view, or the intentions of His heart. I've learned that I tended toward that heretical thinking of separating things into the spiritual and the secular, when truly, as Brother Lawrence clearly states, all of life is spiritual and has spiritual significance in eternity.

And so, here I stand, humbled to the core, and realizing that I need even more humility because if I begin to think that I have a 'clue' or have a corner on any market of anything to do with God, then I run the risk of placing my mind above the mind of God. Instead, I will submit everything within me to the triune God-head, bow low, and carry out the two greatest commandments as Holy Spirit leads me: Loving the Lord my God with everything, and loving my neighbor as myself.

As far as theology and all connected with it, I stand in the fear of the Lord, realizing that Matthew 24-25 and the entire book of Revelation is true, and I need to be prepared as a believer for all that is going to happen, with the end goal of loving people and pointing them to their messiah, Jesus, Yeshua, the God-man! In the process, Jesus prayed: Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. So, there is a biblical mandate to live lives here according to the Kingdom, bringing hope to the hopeless, and, as the old gospel song states: People get ready, Jesus is coming!

May God give ALL of us the spirit of wisdom and revelation from His throne room! Amen and amen.

Fun candid shots from our wedding!

Paul's parents!

Tom and Anna Foley dancing up a storm!

The Campbell sisters (minus one) and the Czaszewicz sisters all singing "We are Family!" FUN! Love the light orb around us too!

FABULOUS friends Anissa Ferris and Chris Seaton...travelled many miles to be with us on our big day! LOVE THEM!

Mom and dad steal a moment. :-)

Fun was had by ALL!

More wedding pictures

Gotta love the first dance: "Dance with me, oh, lover of my soul...."

The setting and decorations were phenomenal!

Many gave me this advice: walk slowly down the aisle and take it all in! I tried to make eye-contact with every person I knew...and about half-way down the aisle, my dad whispered to me, "is it you or me who is stumbling cuz we are walking so slowly?!" I answered: "I'm just drinking it all in!"

Oh what fun we had!

New name...same person...deeply in love!

Paul and I standing on one of the many balconies at the Loose Mansion!

We love doing this! ;-)

SUCH sweet moments all through the weekend with my daddy! This was just before walking down the aisle...precious few moments!

Our cake!

I really LOVE my dress! woo hoo!

Sunday, May 1, 2011 is a day that will go down in my personal history as one of THE greatest days of my entire life! At approximately 4:30 p.m., I pledged my commitment for life to Mr. Paul Czaszewicz (Chaz-wick) and became Mrs. Chaz! Cheers erupted, some guests practically leapt out of their seats and most importantly, the Lord was smiling over this incredible day!

Here are just a few of the comments I've heard from guests:

"THIS is what a wedding should be like! It was holy, solemn, honoring, fun, and full of joy, and the Lord was VERY present!"

"This was one of the most awesomest weddings I've ever been to!"

"That was the BEST wedding ever!"

And, from the owner of the venue: "I've seen a LOT of weddings here and this one was THE most meaningful one I've ever seen or experienced." (Apparently, she doesn't readily say things like that!)

I had sooooooooooooo much fun...as did Paul....and we only wish it could have gone on for another couple of hours...we were just getting going on the dance floor when we were whisked away to change and depart. Alas...it certainly made me appreciate weddings in Hungary, which last until the following morning!

Heart-felt thanks go out to ALL of my precious friends who flew in from all over the country (and even from Israel!) to be a part of this momentous occasion! Having you there with me and Paul made everything worth it!

I must admit, I am really enjoying married life already! :-)

So, what now? Well, Paul is working full-time, my part-time job has just ended...and I will be looking for another as I await the September re-start of my online job...and we are getting settled in to our home! I will spend a couple of weeks getting settled in with Paul, then ease my way back in to ministry, and writing.

Yes, I finally want to publish (for real) my book The Senders (not just a kinko's type of printing) and I truly believe the Lord wants me to write a book about my journey toward marriage at age 47! As I was driving this morning, I believe the Lord gave me the title:........you thought I'd tell you.....muahahaha! No way!

So, enjoy these pictures...more to come both here and on facebook!

Thank you to everyone for your love, encouragement, support and prayers! Paul and I bless you back in Jesus' mighty name!

KNOCK-OUT!

I realized that I didn't put this story about me and Paul on the wedding website, and I believe it needs to be heard as it will encourage many, I know! This is a very personal blog entry...

In November of 2009, I was going through an inner healing program called Pure Heart. I'd been dealing with some "junk" in my heart, forgiving individuals and receiving more of God's healing. During a large-group ministry session, my friend Donna was praying for me quietly when she said, "I've never heard the Lord say this about someone before, but God says, "Arden, you are a knock-out! You're a KNOCK-OUT!" He just keeps saying that about you!" I laughed, having battled in my singleness with self-image issues and not really feeling much like a knock-out...cuz if I was really a knock-out, then why wasn't I married? Something in God's words to me through Donna, though, broke into my heart and brought tremendous healing to those wounded places.

In early December of 2009, I got facebook friended by some guy named Paul Czaszewicz....and I wrote back to him: "Remind me how I know you?" The instant I hit "send", I remembered: CHAZ! (That's what we all called Paul in college!) So, it turns out he is in Kansas City, he is single, he loves the Lord, and, and, and.....then we meet! There was pretty much instant attraction on both of our parts (we now know) but we both stayed pretty low-key, til February of 2010 when we decided to begin dating.

As with many couples, we faced some hurdles and chose to break up...and during that time, which was spring time, I began doing some landscaping in front of my house. A good friend suggested I get day lilies and these roses that are super easy and beautiful. She said, "They're called KNOCK-OUT Roses." At the moment, I didn't make the connection, but once they were planted and I was watering them one day, God reminded me: "Remember Donna's word for you? I want you to remember EVERY DAY when you come home what I think of you!" I nearly started crying as I watered my knock-outs and chuckled at the same time at God's personalness in speaking to His daughter!

Now, fast-forward...it's October 2010, and Paul and I have re-established our friendship and are "dating". We decided we need to have a "fish or cut bait" discussion, so he came to my house one afternoon to have the serious DTR talk. (That's define the relationship for those who don't know!) As we talked, I looked at this amazing man and asked, "Paul, I just don't get it, you are an incredible man of God...why haven't you gotten married before now?" To which Paul replied:

"I told the Lord years ago that He would have to give me a knock-out."

My eyes widened and my jaw dropped.

"What did you just say?" I asked.

"I told the Lord He would have to give me a knock-out!"

"Did I tell you about Donna's word for me nearly a year ago?"

"Um, I don't think so, but if you did, I don't remember it. I was just asking the Lord in the car ride down here today to give me His words to say to you today."

Some say there is something significant in the number 3...hee hee hee.

In all of this, the Lord has worked tremendous healing...I was told by some boys when I was a little girl that I was ugly and I would never get married. God, in His amazing grace and goodness, healed those deep wounds in me, calls me a knock-out, reminds me every day, and has given me a fiance, who will be my husband in just 6 days, who calls me a knock-out!

Let the readers of this blog hear: take heed to the love that the Father is pouring out on you through His people!

Spring preparations!

We built a new bed next to last year's bed! :-)

Praying this produces much for us and our friends!

Paul, my mighty man, digging a place for the mighty oak tree!

Yep, the bushes got very well-trimmed by Mr. Chaz!

Paul and I have had a blast doing yard work, building and planting our garden, and getting the house ready for US as a married couple! :-) It's so much fun working together... I think I'm gonna like being married!

Wedding showers and parties

I have been incredibly blessed by friends here in Kansas City with a couple of wedding showers where there's been laughter, love, tears, joy, and prayers for me and for Paul!

Just 6 days from now, I will have a last name with 3, yes THREE, "Z"s in it! Arden Campbell Czaszewicz! Woo hoo!

Just 6 days and I will be a married woman!

As Paul and I worked on our ceremony program last night, we realized that this time next week, we'll be married!

Have a look at our website: http://weddings.theknot.com/pwp/pwp2/view/MemberPage.aspx?coupleId=5653261325251124

Can't wait to celebrate with friends near and far in the next few months!

Conversations

Yesterday, I was blessed to have a wonderful conversation with a dear, long-time friend of mine who has helped me in countless ways to navigate the ever-changing financial waters of our times. He is like a brother to me, and seeks to take care of me like his very own family.

Our conversation yesterday turned to this question: "Where do you think this is all going?" And the other major question: "Do you think it is too late? Or can "people" get their acts together and dig us out of this downward spiraling mess we are in?"

What struck me most is that my friend, who is brilliant, godly, and wonderful, was asking me...which opened up a sweet dialogue, moving into important subjects like preparedness for what is inevitably coming (according to the Bible), and what we really need in the U.S., and that is: hearts turned in repentance and humility to the God of the universe, who is slow to anger and abounding in love, but who will not withhold His merciful judgements forever.

I loved our practical conversation, sharing ideas, not out of fear, but out of concern for family, friends and loved ones...and the reality of what we need to be doing daily: praying for our leaders and leaders world-wide, that the fear of the Lord would grip their spirits and minds and they would take the lead in humility and repentance before the Lord...but not before WE ourselves walk down that same path. God, have mercy on me, a sinner saved solely by Your grace, needing Your very breath to stay alive...let me bow my heart and mind before You alone, heed Your voice alone, and rejoice in You, the One who sees the end from the beginning, and will cause ALL THINGS to work together for good for those who LOVE YOU and are called according to Your purpose!

Hallelujah, God will make all things new...but the reality of the refiner's fire is upon us, so will we walk in His ways, heeding His voice, or will we continue on that very wide path? Narrow is the way that leads to life...and few will find it. Jesus said, "I am the way."

2 weeks!

Two weeks from today, I will be a married woman! Tonight, one of those surreal moments struck me as I was trying on some of the gifts some gals gave me today for one of my wedding showers. Life is going to be very different in just two weeks! Paul and I look at each other, both of us having been single our entire lives, and we smile, knowing how right it is but also wondering how do we make this transition? It's times like these that we don't feel like we are in our late 40s, but rather more like we are in our 20s...all the anticipation and excitement of finally sharing our lives with each other! Two weeks.... Two weeks.... It's gonna be fun!

Change

This is a season of huge change for me. In just 24 days, I will change my name. Whoa! The reality of that hit me this week when Paul and I went to get our marriage license. The woman helping us asked: "So, will you be changing your name?" Out of my mouth came the word: "Yes"...and then it hit me...I'm taking Paul's name...wow...wow...wow. I've been Arden Jan Campbell for 47+ years and now I will be Arden Campbell Czaszewicz! Whoa! Change is happening in my home as well. Years ago...in fact probably 40 years ago, I inherited a beautiful set of china and glassware from my great, great aunt Grace. My parents GENEROUSLY stored it all these years and then shipped it to me recently; my friends and I have been unpacking the boxes and finding places for everything...including displaying the china in a beautiful cabinet I found on craigslist! I am stunned by the beauty of these pieces, and cannot wait to entertain! In addition, my Herend village pottery which I brought from Hungary is now beautifully displayed in my kitchen! Finally, the living room, bedrooms and office space are undergoing radical transformations as well, all with the help of some precious friends of mine here! Change....exciting and challenging all at the same time. Finally, Paul and I are building a larger garden plot, and getting prepared for what will come in the future, not if, but when challenging times hit our land! Oh, and in the midst of all of this, I'm trying to plan a wedding! Needless to say, the stressors have been off the charts of late, and I'm very much looking forward to celebrating with many friends and family very soon, when Paul and I become one! With change in our physical lives, it is amazingly reassuring to know that our God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob NEVER changes and is the solid rock upon which I/we can stand, even when everything around us is changing and sometimes being shaken. One of the worship songs the sing quite regularly in the prayer room here has this line: "You are my rock and there is no other, You are my rock!" I thank God that He is the rock, because truly, all else is just shifting sand. :-)

Visiting missionaries

Penka and Hari Atanasova, native missionaries from Bulgaria. They are artists and evangelists and church planters!

My dear friend, George Ainsworth, Penka, Hari and myself outside my home in Kansas City!

Hari and Penka sharing their stories, God's work in Bulgaria and their art work with a small group of friends.

We enjoyed lunch together with these wonderful people!

Many of us here in Kansas City were very blessed to have visiting missionaries here from Virginia and Bulgaria! George Ainsworth (from VA) and Hari and Penka Atanasova (from Bulgaria) graced us with their presence and their incredible art work, as well as stories of how the Lord is moving in Bulgaria!

A dear friend of mine here said this: "I've met hundreds and hundreds of missionaries, but something struck me about Hari and Penka. The Lord is ALL over them and I am committing to praying for them. I have never had such a burden from the Lord to partner with missionaries before like I do with Hari and Penka!"

I pray you too will remember to pray for them as they minister in primarily southern Bulgaria to many unreached groups of people!

Human Trafficking

http://index.hu/bulvar/2011/03/21/elkabitott_csecsemoket_akartak_atcsempeszni/

I lead a sideroom here at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, and on Wednesdays, we pray for the ending of human traffiking in eastern europe. The article above is in Hungarian, but the gist of it is this: two French citizens were stopped at the border of Ukraine and Hungary and were discovered to have stolen two newborn babies and drugged them.

For weeks now, as we have sought the Lord as to how to pray for eastern europe, He highlights: borders, border guards, truckers, cars, busses....transporting people across borders. Each time I go in the side room, I wonder why the Lord continues to keep us on this particular topic, and this is a small testimony as to why.

My prayer for this French couple is that they would encounter the love of God in their hearts, for them and for these babies, and they would come to know Jesus! I pray that God continues to open the eyes of border guards...that has been a prayer focus...that more people would be rescued!

I rejoice today and give glory to the God of the universe, who has His eye on two little newborns in eastern europe and He came to their rescue! What a great and mighty God we serve!

Texas Ministry Trip with the John Four Group

How fun and exciting it is to see God unlock hearts and set them free to enter in to all that He believes about them and sees in them for His glory and impact in this world!

The John Four Group!

Practicum time: women praying and prophesying over each other!

Hearts unlocked!

Kristi teaching on Identity.

Teresa introducing the entire conference.

Texas Ministry trip - The John Four Group

Teaching on Impact, from John chapter 4.

The founder and leader of The John Four Group, Selenia Vera, teaching on Intercession.

Nathan Stogsdill teaching on Intimacy with God.

Nathan and Kristi Stogsdill and Kathy Farley leading worship.

Ah, the shofar!

We had a super weekend ministering in Johnson City, Texas! Praise God for His good fruit!

Simon is mourning

This is my boy, Simon. As you can see, he is waiting patiently, looking out the window for Toby to come home. Even as I type these words, he is sitting smack in front of the cat door...it's so sad....

"Toby, where are you? I miss you!"

My precious housemate, Whitney, is giving Simon extra hugs and holds.

Anyone who knows Simon knows that THIS is not typical...he would not let people hold him for more than about 5 seconds...he is needing special hugs these days.

Anyone who says that animals don't mourn when their buddies die is wrong. Just look at these pictures of my boy, Simon, who spent his entire life with Toby and is grieving the loss.

I captured him looking out the window, waiting for Toby to come home. He's also a bit more cuddly...