The Birkholz Family

Valentine Banquet Tonight!

2011-02-18T09:42:00.000-08:00

Getting ready for the Valentine's Banquet tonight. Marriage is a blessing from the Lord, in spite of the fact that many don't perceive it that way. God knew exactly what Adam needed, and he provided that perfectly when He made Eve. Man is not complete without woman. Marriage is a blessing! Value It! Protect It! Cherish It! Defend It! See you all tonight @ 6:30 in Cornwall.

We Have Moved!

2010-03-23T12:52:00.000-07:00

Blogs are hard to keep up with. Who knew? Since Chris last posted an update so much has happened in our lives. We are so grateful that God has a perfect plan for us and works through us as we trust Him. Almost a month ago now, we moved to the other side of Connecticut and now live in Torrington. A small church here has asked Chris to be the pastor. We see so many opportunities for growth and leadership in the church and are so excited about the future. The people are so welcoming and friendly, and we really feel at home here. Our plans for the near future include many outreach opportunities and spreading the Gospel as much as we can. We have begun monthly youth activities to get the young people involved, have updated the website, and have ordered new Gospel tracts.
Our new apartment here is huge! 1300 square feet can be so overwhelming when you had less than 500 before. :) Not that we are complaining...We are talking about getting a pet. Since we have no yard, I was hoping for a Siamese cat. Chris seems to firmly believe that dogs are much cooler. I would be fine with either.
I have gotten my hair cut! I don't remember the last time I had short hair since I was probably still in diapers, so it's a big change for me. I am enjoying it though. My sister, Grace, was up visiting last week and she decided to get hers cut as well. I think she was instrumental in my courage to actually go through with it. :) I posted a picture of the new 'do here.
It is so exciting to be in a new chapter of our lives! Please stop in and see us if you are in the New England area. We love having visitors! :)

Long Overdue Update!

2009-12-07T06:41:00.000-08:00

      Wow! Time goes by so incredibly fast! Have we not updated our blog since April? Ouch! So much has happened since then. I am at a loss as where to start.

On The Work Scene
       We r still living in our little bungalow here in Groton, CT. I have been working landscaping all summer for Higley's Landscaping keeping the bills paid and getting an incredible farmers tan! As of last week the work is over till spring; now...well, we wait/search somewhat anxiously for a new opportunity. At least we can bring in some unemployment insurance for now.
Beth is still working at a daycare at Ivy Cottage two days a week. She insists that her income goes directly to Christmas gifts! She has appreciated the relationships made while working there, especially her boss Susan.

On The Ministry Scene
      God has closed the door for us at the church in Groton. We have wonderful memories of our two years served there. God allowed us to make many friends and enjoy many great experiences. We are now focusing on future plans.
      New Life Baptist Camp will be holding its 5th snow camp!! I can hardly believe its been 5yrs. In the last few months we have prayed much over the future of this ministry. We are looking for the direction God wants us to take. We have every desire to ensure this needy ministry continues. This summer we had our biggest summer ever with souls saved and young people called into full time ministry!
      Since we left Community Baptist Church, God has opened up the door for us to help with pulpit supply at New Hope Baptist Church in Harwinton, CT Sunday School, Sunday Morning and Sunday Night! We have been over at least a half a dozen times. I have had the opportunity to preach more than ever before! God has been working and we have seen people make decisions for Christ! Please pray for this church as they grow. As with every Baptist Church, there are critical decisions that must be made in order for this ministry to continue and grow.

Moving On
      Right now we need some prayer and definitely guidance from God. Technically we have no job, church or ministry at this present moment. It is a struggle to trust God for what we can't see. We have been exploring opportunities in Maine both for ministry and employment. We have a burden for the Bangor, ME area, but we will see what God does. I have been praying about starting a church in that area. We are open to all opportunities and praying for what God has for us.

Family Visit
      Beth's Dad and Mom were in Connecticut over the past few days. We love it when they visit and always eat well too. A trip to Aldi's and our fridge is now stocked with all sorts of food. Last Friday we took a trip to Newport and took a ton of pictures which I've posted. Thanks Mom and Dad Henricks!

1 YEAR

2009-04-08T08:29:00.000-07:00

Watching our wedding video on Sunday made me remember...

So many details that I often forget. Here are a few pictures by the greatest wedding photographer ever of the greatest wedding ever. :D

I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with the best husband in the world...

February Update

2009-03-02T09:12:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a month! Snow camp was February 12-14th, and it feels like we are still recovering. :) It was a great weekend but thoroughly exhausting. Lucky for us, the marathon had just begun...the following Monday through Wednesday, Chris and I took care of 3 little girls ages 3 and under so their parents could get away for a little bit. Talk about culture shock for a couple with no kids! It was lots of fun, but I was faced with the fact that parents trade kids for sleep when they choose to have kids. :D I would do it again in a heartbeat though Tab!

That weekend, we decided to go to Vermont for a couple of days to take a break. We toured the Ben and Jerry's factory (and partook of free samples, of course) and stayed at a bed & breakfast for the first time. I am sitting here typing still somewhat shocked that it is March 2nd already and Chris and I are creeping up on our 1 year anniversary. Time flies...so trite, but so true!

More of Us

2009-01-17T13:03:00.001-08:00

who votes that Beth and Chris should stop posting pictures of themselves? :D my mother, who has started her own photography business with a friend, took pictures of us when we were home in PA for Christmas. it was a lot of fun and they turned out great...almost professional. :)
it was cold. really really cold. ya know, i don't think we have ever had pictures done when it was warm. hmmm...note to self...

Christmas Pictures!!!

2008-12-13T10:16:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, Chris and I headed up to Manchester to have our good friend Nate take some photos for us. He's not a professional or anything, but his price was pretty good. ;) We have plenty more (somewhere around 3oo or so) but I've only posted a couple. Besides, everyone knows what we look like, right? :D Hope you enjoy...

Victory In New England Day

2008-12-02T12:06:00.000-08:00

Sunday. A day that NFL fans salivate at the mere thought of. The titanic clashes of long-time rivals on the gridiron usually start those rabid fans rattling off numbers and statistics concerning number of sacks or yards per carry that no one else gives a rip about.
As a young lady born in the hills of western Pennsylvania, some of my earliest memories of my father involved the two of us sitting on the couch as he explained the details of a fly pattern, a free safety blitz, or why the Steelers were always so predictable in 3rd down situations. In short, I'm a Steelers fan, born and bred. I'm from the type of town that has Terrible Towels on their front doors and Hines Ward jerseys in every self-respecting Wal-Mart. I grew up learning about and loving every second of talk about trades, injuries, and chances of Super Bowl victory that particular season. So for me to grow up and fall in love with a New Englander was a little strange to me at first.
Moving here to Connecticut, I discovered that the occasional baseball cap with the Steelers logo on it was just that...occasional, and not the norm. What was all this nonsense about Tom Brady anyhow? Doesn't anybody care about Ben Roethlisberger's stats? I found that most of the people I ran into in the store weren't even aware that Pittsburgh was the proud owner of 5 Super Bowl rings!
That is why Sunday, November 30th, was a day of rejoicing, victory, and just a little bit of gloating. My beloved Steelers ran roughshod over the hapless Patriots and proved their worth in the Massachusetts stadium full of bad weather. I may have been the only person in all of New England who was excited about the 5 (count them, 5!!!!) turnovers made by the Pats in the second half alone. Oh, it was indeed a beautiful thing to behold. Except that I didn't behold all of it, because I was at church during most of the second half. :) Listening to the radio announcer here in Connecticut, you would have thought his favorite dog died. He announced the embarrassing score of 33-10 with much chagrin. Interceptions by Timmons and Polamalu, a strong steel curtain defense, and a multi weaponed offense were all too much for the luckless Patriots to handle.
Ah yes...a beautiful thing, this victory in New England. When shall we have the privilege of viewing it again?

2008-11-05T10:28:00.001-08:00

Last night, I stayed up just long enough to see Barack Obama transfer his title from "Senator" to "President-elect". At first, I have to admit, I was very worried about the future...of our country, of our churches, of our families. What was to become of us? How can a country that has "In God We Trust" on its' money and the majority of its' citizens claiming to be Christian elect someone like this to be its' commander in chief? Just in a time when we needed someone with experience who was responsible and knowledgeable, this is what we get? What could we have been thinking? Is God judging us?
These were the thoughts racing through my head before I fell asleep late last night. Certainly, this could not be what God intended.
I am somewhat ashamed to say that those were indeed the words that crossed my mind. Thankfully, God didn't let me wallow in my misery and despair too long. :) He reminded me of all the times that there have been revivals in the past. Was it because there was a Republican in the White House? Or because abortion had been outlawed? Or perhaps because the right people were in Senate seats? No. Revivals came, very simply, when people turned their hearts back to the one true God. Because God's people humbled themselves and prayed and sought His face. When Christians became more concerned about a human soul's eternal destiny than what benefited them economically. These were the times when God sent a true revival.
I awoke this morning with joy in my heart, knowing that the hope for America (praise the LORD) is not in politics, but rather in His church when His people do what they know they should. I say all of that to say that I am so excited to see how God will work in this presidential term. I will do my best to support the office of the presidency and to remain loyal to the principles that made our country the best in the world. And I will pray.
I really believe that God will be pleased to send revival soon. What a time to live.

Randomness

2008-10-15T12:27:00.000-07:00

So life is crazy. Who's isn't, right? I know. It's so hard to believe that Chris and I have been married for over 6 months and that I have officially lived in Connecticut that long. I know I haven't been keeping up with this blog very well, and now my chosen subject for the blog is so silly. Most people are going to say, "why in the world did you post about THAT?" But it was so funny, I just can't help myself! So here goes the story...
The other day, Chris and I were discussing how he has all the worst luck in the world. He's gotten pulled over by cops and given tickets for the smallest infractions that everyone has done in their lifetime and probably do on a daily basis. Things like rolling through a stop sign or not wearing a seatbelt have proven to be infractions of no mercy for my poor husband. So we were discussing these things. The very next day, I get home from work in the early afternoon, well before Chris was home. His bicycle that he has ridden several miles on recently and has owned for several years was out on the porch. Randomly, out of nowhere, I hear a loud pop and hissing for about 30 seconds. It took me a few seconds to figure out that his back bike tire had gone flat for no reason whatsoever. No one was touching it, nothing was poking it, not a thing had changed on the porch. Except that his poor bike tire had apparently had too much and could no longer handle life, and had obviously committed suicide. Well, i laughed for about 20 minutes straight and informed Chris of the death of his inner tube upon his arrival home. He was less than amused and ranted about "the worst luck ever! I'm never going to play the lottery!" :D I'm still laughing about it as I write this. Poor Chris! :D

So I Finally Have Pictures...

2008-07-21T15:09:00.000-07:00

I promised pictures the next time I updated the blog, so here we go. We are getting all geared up for New Life Baptist Camp, August 11-15th. However, we have just a few little things to do before then. Like this Thursday, we are leaving for Cincinatti for a friend's wedding and coming home Saturday. Oh, and next weekend, my best friend is getting married in South Carolina so we're leaving Thursday morning and returning who knows when. Besides the fact that we have...ummm...nothing completely ready for camp yet. :) Who says busy isn't cool?
Anyhow, these pictures are from when my parents came for a quick visit around my birthday. It was great to see them.

Update At the Request of Miss Bonnie

2008-07-05T16:29:00.000-07:00

So, i was putting off the update again, but Miss Bonnie suggested I do it tonight. :) So here it is.
Wednesday, Chris was scheduled to preach at a church in Harwinton, Ct. I have no idea where that is, except that it took about 1 1/2 hours to get there. We took 4 teen girls with us to sing and had a great time. Chris preached a great message and we had fun. It made for a late night, but it was worth it.
I turned 24 on Thursday! I don't really feel that much older. My husband was wonderful and made me breakfast. He got me tons of great gifts and basically spoiled me rotten. I felt loved because so many friends called, texted, or wrote on my facebook wall to wish me a happy birthday. Oh, and I got cards in the mail from both of my best friends, and one from a friend in England! I love cards!! Chris had to work at 3 so I kept myself busy by making dinner for a lady in the church who just had a baby. Chris's schedule has been awful lately because the hotel is in a big transition period with their front desk staff. Hopefully, it will even out soon.
July 4th was rather anticlimactic because I had to work in the morning and Chris worked till 6. No fireworks in the area until July 12th!!!!!! What in the world???? I guess Connecticut does things their own way. Other than that, not much more than usual going on. Crazy busyness and it doesn't slow down. If you think to pray for us, we would much appreciate it. We are praying about making some changes and want the LORD's will only.
I promise some pictures soon!!!

So I Know It's Been A While...

2008-06-26T14:29:00.000-07:00

I kept waiting for life to slow down and THEN I would update the blog. However, I'm still waiting for that to occur...
Does life ever slow down? I kinda hope not. Because what in the world would we be doing with ourselves if we had nothing to do? Lately, Chris and I have been working opposite shifts and have seen little of each other. Not a complaint, just fact...well, okay, maybe it is a complaint. :D
I have begun training for my new summer job at Groton Parks and Recreation as the Assistant Director of Teen Camp. I'm really looking forward to every aspect of it. Isn't it incredible how when you give your life to God He allows you to do just what you love? I'm excited about the prospects of contacts for youth group and just spending time with the kids. Basically, A.J. (the director) and I take the teens on day trips 3 days a week to places like Six Flags and tough places like that. :)
Chris is still working at Holiday Inn. His schedule changes almost daily which is frustrating, but we know it's what God has for us right now and we're thankful for the job. We've been married almost 3 months now...wow. Time really flies. I miss my family and friends back in PA but am so thankful for the new friends God has given me here. I guess I'm feeling contemplative tonight, but God has been good to us, and I want everyone to know. Life isn't always easy, but it sure is a lot of fun. :)

My Crazy Cross-Country Trip

2008-06-14T16:19:00.000-07:00

So, because of the nature of my life, my presence was required at two back to back weddings last weekend...5 hours apart and 12 hours from home. Allow me to clarify...
My darling friend Cristina Baker requested my presence in her wedding on June 6th at 6:00 p.m. in Cincinatti. No problem, right? Right. Until my favorite cousin got engaged and planned her wedding for June 7th at 1:30 p.m...in Pennsylvania. Uh-oh.
I left my wonderful husband on Tuesday and drove to my parents' house in Western PA, about 8 hours away. Early Wednesday morning, i drove 7 hours to Louisville, KY to see my friend Cara for a day. Thursday morning, I drove the 2 hours to Cincinatti and joined the wedding scene once again. Being involved in a wedding reminded me of the last wedding I was in (my own), and it made me miss my husband of 2 months quite a bit. However, the wedding was beautiful and exactly the way Cristina wanted it so everyone was happy. I slept for about 3 hours and headed out of Cincinatti around 2:30 a.m. Saturday morning.
I arrived in Slippery Rock, PA around 8:00 a.m. in time for my hair appointment for Erica's wedding. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing my family and friends from home again. This wedding was also gorgeous and filled with good times and memories. I crashed and got some sleep that night before packing it all up and leaving for CT Sunday morning. I made it back in time for Sunday evening church in Groton and got up early Monday morning for work. WOW! What a crazy week!
I figured out that I drove approximately 30 hours all alone. Not recommended for those who value their sanity, I must say. I'm glad I went, but I'm so glad to be home with my husband again living in this busy, fun craziness we call life. Praise the LORD for safety!

Crazy Summer Days Begin

2008-06-02T13:39:00.000-07:00

Well, Friday night was the most fun (with the least amount of sleep) that I've had in a while. Chris went and spent the night at a friend's house while I invited 7 teenage girls to the apartment for a movie night sleepover. It was chaos! :D My friend Candace came and helped deflect some of the insanity, but we thoroughly enjoyed watching the Newsies and the Phantom of the Opera. Candace definitely pooped out halfway through the first movie, but I stayed awake through both. The girls are all asking when we're doing it again. I asked for a few days of recovery first since my grand total of sleep amounted to about 2 hours, but it's definitely on the "To Do Again" list for youth group.
I'm off to Cincinatti this week for my dear friend Cristina's wedding followed by my favorite cousin's wedding in PA the day after. Lots of driving and time away from Chris, but it's for a good cause. I leave on Tuesday after work and don't plan to return until the following Monday. Pray for safety for me and lower gas prices. Yeah right. ;)

Paid In Full

2008-05-28T14:34:00.000-07:00

God is so good. A few days ago, Chris got a letter in the mail from the place that did our car repairs. He was at work until 11 p.m., and I was just sitting there staring at the unopened letter that was not addressed to me wondering what was in it. Finally, I could stand it no longer, figuring I would apologize later. I opened it to find that someone had anonymously paid the remaining balance of our car repairs and we owed nothing! How awesome is that? We had made it a serious matter of prayer and knew this could only be the LORD answering and nothing else.
This past Saturday, we took the teenagers to play paintball. It was quite an experience, and I left somewhat disappointed in my lack of battle wounds. Some of the teens, though, made up for my lack. Several of them still have bruises. :) One of the teenager's dad came. He is unsaved and very angry about God in general, so just seeing him at a "church" function was encouraging. Chris was able to give a brief explanation of the Gospel, and we know he heard. I'm adding a picture of our crazy teens at paintball. Enjoy!

BETH IS NOW EMPLOYED!

2008-05-22T14:06:00.000-07:00

Well, I have kind of been looking for a job off and on since I moved up here, but nothing showed up immediately. I finally got rather fed up with sitting at home all the time and feeling lazy. Therefore, Monday morning found me dropping off my resume at different places. I left my resume at Waterford Corporate, the company that owns Chris's hotel and several others, and within an hour, I got a call from Scott. He is the General Manager of the Residence Inn Marriott in Mystic, and he asked me if I were available today to come and interview. Well, I was, and had the job a half hour later. I'm pretty sure the resume was nothing special, but when God has a plan, He makes it very clear. I'm excited to find opportunities to witness to my coworkers, learn the new computer system, and still make a little money. :) Tentatively, I will be working between 30 and 40 hours weekly. We make jokes about who's hotel is better now, but I'm pretty sure mine is slightly less ghetto. Praise the LORD for making His will clear and providing for His own!

$600+ Car Repair

2008-05-10T05:53:00.000-07:00

The car is fixed! Yesterday, we had the car towed to the mechanic to be diagnosed. From 10:30 till 5:00 we waited for the phone call. Finaly, we got the call; our fuel pump needed to be replaced. We were told the part alone retailed at $595. Ouch! Well a little later we had our car back, along with an nice bill. Praise the Lord for giving overtime this week!

Welcome to May!

2008-05-08T15:30:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe its already May. On the 5th I realized that it had already been a month since my marriage day. I know...only a month, but boy, time does go by fast! Beth and I have started to settle in to life together here in CT. The little apartment didn't take long to fill with all our stuff. Beth has been making some changes in the apartment and we have been scrapping things together to cover rent and things. Why is living in CT so expensive?
I had this morning off from work and we decided to have a leisurely morning including a late breakfast and a few episodes of Hogan's Heroes. Next we meandered over to BJs to get chicken and some other food, just enjoying a relaxing day. We left BJ's and headed to the car to leave and the car WOULDN'T START! It would turn over and fire, but then would die moments later. I opened the hood, looked inside, closed the hood and tried again, still nothing. I was supposed to be at work in ten minutes....long story short, the car is still there, and tomorrow will most likely be busy and expensive.
I guess these are the things that make life interesting...