I am looking forward to this weekend! Bryan and I are headed to Knoxville for a little get away and to go to Boomsday. If you have never been to Boomsday, you need to make a trip. Boomsday is the Labor Day festival in Knoxville. There is the best fireworks show you have ever seen. We aren't talking 4th of July at Redemption, the Drive Game, or even TigerRama. This is incredible!! As a student at Carson-Newman we would load up and go every year.
I am excited about it for several reasons... 1) Bryan and I need to get away and just hang out without worrying about church stuff. 2) Bryan will get to experience the coolness of Boomsday with me for the first time! 3) Some really cool people are going to join us for dinner and Boomsday.
Bryan has two college interns that work with him, Steve-o and Taylor. Steve-o was a student in our group and then moved into an intern position after graduating. Taylor is from the coast of SC and moved to the upstate to attend North Greenville University. Because we love Taylor and he is a long way from home, Bryan and I have adopted him as our little brother. I try to take care of him and talk some sense into him when he comes up with his famous crazy ideas (driving from SC to Toronto for the weekend).
Taylor introduced Bryan and I to an incredible young woman named Sara. I have pretty much adopted Sara as my little sister also. Sara is from Nashville and she and Taylor have been friends for a few years. They have a really cool relationship! Sara just started her first year at UT. I was able to convince Taylor to come to Knoxville (3 hour drive) and hang out with Sara for the weekend instead of going to Toronto (15-18 hour drive). Sunday night we are going to meet up with Taylor and Sara for dinner and fireworks.
I am really excited to get to hang out with them. We have hung out with just Sara and just Taylor and both of them were on our mission team. This , however, will be the first time just the four of us have hung out together. They are probably our two favorite college students besides Jordan and Katie of course.
Sara said she was looking forward to hanging out with Taylor and his wife. In Memphis, Taylor told one of the kids that he was married to me. The child quickly responded, "you married a fast food joint?"
So, we are off to Knoxville with both of my husbands and one of the coolest girls I know!
Friday, August 29, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Becoming a grown up
Our new refrigerator was delivered today. It takes 24 hours for it to reach the factory preset temp, so I won't be putting anything in it until tomorrow. I must say the process of purchasing this frig has made me do some reflection. I know that sounds ridiculous, but humor me.
My 30th birthday is now less than 30 days away. 30 makes me officially a grown-up, right? It must, because I am reaching milestones. What milestones you may ask?
As a kid (elementary school) my aunt and uncle got a new frig and it was a fancy one. This was the first side-by-side I had ever seen and better than that, it had ice and water in the door. In my eyes this made them rich! They were true adults with GOOD jobs. They had to be to afford that new fangled frig.
It is funny how I associated things as a child. I just knew my friend's family was super rich because they had a satellite (the massive sled/spaceship one) and a claw foot tub. I guess I am a rich grown-up now, because I have my own side-by-side frig and a satellite. (Maybe not since I don't have the claw-foot tub.)
My 30th birthday is now less than 30 days away. 30 makes me officially a grown-up, right? It must, because I am reaching milestones. What milestones you may ask?
As a kid (elementary school) my aunt and uncle got a new frig and it was a fancy one. This was the first side-by-side I had ever seen and better than that, it had ice and water in the door. In my eyes this made them rich! They were true adults with GOOD jobs. They had to be to afford that new fangled frig.
It is funny how I associated things as a child. I just knew my friend's family was super rich because they had a satellite (the massive sled/spaceship one) and a claw foot tub. I guess I am a rich grown-up now, because I have my own side-by-side frig and a satellite. (Maybe not since I don't have the claw-foot tub.)
Monday, August 25, 2008
What A Nice Weekend
We had quite an eventful weekend. It all started on Friday with a day of praise! Friends and family are aware of the rash decision I made a few years ago to buy my dream car. I got a great deal on the silver Volvo I had been dreaming of. It only took about 6 weeks, before my dream turned into a nightmare. I had no idea how much the up keep on a luxury car was. Every car I had or had driven was a practical car (Nissan, Honda, Toyota). Nothing on that car could be serviced for less than $500 or $1000. One thing after another went wrong and the problems got more expensive each time.
We tried to fix the car and sell, but that never worked. I was tired of making payments on a car that I was afraid to drive. Because of the issues with the car, we didn't think we could get a decent trade in value. After thinking practically and doing some research, we found a Honda
C-RV that we were interested in. It just so happened that a friend owns the dealership that was selling the car. Friday morning, Bryan and I drove over to Norris Ford in Pickens and purchased the car. The people there were very nice and gave us the best trade in allowance that we had found. Ryan, the owner of the dealership is a great guy. We will gladly work with them again for our next car purchase.
We left Norris Ford and had lunch together at Michael's Pizzeria in Easley. As you know, I LOVE Michael's!!! The Hedrick's are a great family and we love supporting them. Not to mention the fact that they have GREAT food. Bryan and I went to Sam's to look around and had dinner with his parents. It was a great day! We never get to hang out all day like that. It was a lot of fun.
Saturday, Bryan's day started early with laying Sod at the church. He got bit by an ant and had a bad reaction. For the third time in three months, we had to use the Epi-Pen and call EMS. This is the first time that he has reacted to ants though. He is DEATHLY, can I emphasize DEATHLY, allergic to all stinging insects. I had to rush to the church (20 minutes away) and make sure that he was ok and bring him home.
Later in the day, I went to Sear's and ordered our new refrigerator. It is being delivered this week. We are trying to up grade our appliances as we fix up our house. This is a big and expensive project, so we are doing things a little at a time. We are trying to pay for everything as we go, so that we don't have to worry about paying anything off. Later that evening, we returned some things to Lowe's and got new doors for our room and the nursery. More doors to come later!
Yesterday was a great service at Church. Eddie has been teaching about families and yesterday was probably the best. I was praying for a particular family that is going through some tough times. The husband has been visiting other churches and I had not seen him at Marathon in several months. My prayer was that some how they would hear this service. Guess who was the first person I saw at the end of the service.... the dad. It seemed like he had been moved by the service. Please join me in praying that this family can be restored. They are a great family, and I hate to seem them hurting this way.
Last night, Bryan and I went over to the Clary's and hung out. This is the first time we have been able to all be together in months. It was great. We love them and miss our time with them. Melissa and I cooked dinner for the boys. For those of you following Isaac's situation, he started school last week for the first time. He is in 4th grade this year and is loving it so far. He did have to miss one day last week due to a stomach bug. He is fine now and went back to school today. Keep praying for his health as his immune system is still rebuilding from the BMT.
Bryan and I have not been together all weekend in a long time and I loved it! It was great to just hang out together and not be rushed. We need more times like that.
We tried to fix the car and sell, but that never worked. I was tired of making payments on a car that I was afraid to drive. Because of the issues with the car, we didn't think we could get a decent trade in value. After thinking practically and doing some research, we found a Honda
C-RV that we were interested in. It just so happened that a friend owns the dealership that was selling the car. Friday morning, Bryan and I drove over to Norris Ford in Pickens and purchased the car. The people there were very nice and gave us the best trade in allowance that we had found. Ryan, the owner of the dealership is a great guy. We will gladly work with them again for our next car purchase.
We left Norris Ford and had lunch together at Michael's Pizzeria in Easley. As you know, I LOVE Michael's!!! The Hedrick's are a great family and we love supporting them. Not to mention the fact that they have GREAT food. Bryan and I went to Sam's to look around and had dinner with his parents. It was a great day! We never get to hang out all day like that. It was a lot of fun.
Saturday, Bryan's day started early with laying Sod at the church. He got bit by an ant and had a bad reaction. For the third time in three months, we had to use the Epi-Pen and call EMS. This is the first time that he has reacted to ants though. He is DEATHLY, can I emphasize DEATHLY, allergic to all stinging insects. I had to rush to the church (20 minutes away) and make sure that he was ok and bring him home.
Later in the day, I went to Sear's and ordered our new refrigerator. It is being delivered this week. We are trying to up grade our appliances as we fix up our house. This is a big and expensive project, so we are doing things a little at a time. We are trying to pay for everything as we go, so that we don't have to worry about paying anything off. Later that evening, we returned some things to Lowe's and got new doors for our room and the nursery. More doors to come later!
Yesterday was a great service at Church. Eddie has been teaching about families and yesterday was probably the best. I was praying for a particular family that is going through some tough times. The husband has been visiting other churches and I had not seen him at Marathon in several months. My prayer was that some how they would hear this service. Guess who was the first person I saw at the end of the service.... the dad. It seemed like he had been moved by the service. Please join me in praying that this family can be restored. They are a great family, and I hate to seem them hurting this way.
Last night, Bryan and I went over to the Clary's and hung out. This is the first time we have been able to all be together in months. It was great. We love them and miss our time with them. Melissa and I cooked dinner for the boys. For those of you following Isaac's situation, he started school last week for the first time. He is in 4th grade this year and is loving it so far. He did have to miss one day last week due to a stomach bug. He is fine now and went back to school today. Keep praying for his health as his immune system is still rebuilding from the BMT.
Bryan and I have not been together all weekend in a long time and I loved it! It was great to just hang out together and not be rushed. We need more times like that.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
BabyLand
Memphis holds a special place in my heart, it has become like a second home to Bryan and I. We love Brinkley Heights Church and the community that they serve. I will be honest though, the heat of a Memphis summer has to be a reminder of what eternity could be like for some! (It is HOT!!!) Earlier this week I got to watch a 20/20 special and they showed previews of the Friday night show. The clips showed the neighborhoods that we have come to love and I was hooked. So last night, Bryan and I watched Babyland. There are a lot of things that Memphis is known for, some good and some bad. Gangs and crime, poverty and drugs, music and ribs, and infant mortality?
I had no idea that Memphis has the highest infant mortality rate in the country. It makes sense though. Most girls do not receive prenatal care and therefore do not carry their babies to term. Watching men from the health department line up tiny wood boxes and burying this precious child in unmarked graves broke my heart. I would highly encourage you to go to the 20/20 website watch for yourself.
A professional woman that was interviewed was asked why the community doesn't step in a help. Her response basically came down to the fact that the middle class (and wealthier) don't want to deal with these people because of the color of their skin and they blame them for their condition. I have encountered this myself in showing people some of the communities in inner city Memphis. I also hear this about people hear in my own community. This infuriates me and the woman being interviewed hit the nail on the head.
The lady explained that there is a shortage of jobs (6000 applicants for every 1000 jobs) and a lack of transportation. One particular girl had to walk 5 blocks to a bus stop and change buses 2 times to make it to a minimum wage job. She was probably spending half of her weeks pay on bus fare. Many areas of these neighborhoods don't have bus stops. Probably because it is too dangerous to send them there. Even those that have jobs often can't afford housing and electricity. One sub standard trailer park charges $900 a month rent. We are talking pull along trailers not nice double wides. Many of these don't have power. That is considerably more than my mortgage.
For those of you who are not necessarily lovers of the people of Memphis like I am, what does this mean to you? Before you pass judgment on those who live on the "over side of the tracks", make sure you take the time to understand where they come from. Before you write them off, consider how you can give them a chance to succeed and excel. I can assure you that 85% of them would gladly change their circumstances if given have a chance. Just like you and I they have simply learned what they live and become victims of circumstance.
Consider inner-city missions, consider putting yourself in their position and loving them where they are. You just might change a life, probably your own!
I had no idea that Memphis has the highest infant mortality rate in the country. It makes sense though. Most girls do not receive prenatal care and therefore do not carry their babies to term. Watching men from the health department line up tiny wood boxes and burying this precious child in unmarked graves broke my heart. I would highly encourage you to go to the 20/20 website watch for yourself.
A professional woman that was interviewed was asked why the community doesn't step in a help. Her response basically came down to the fact that the middle class (and wealthier) don't want to deal with these people because of the color of their skin and they blame them for their condition. I have encountered this myself in showing people some of the communities in inner city Memphis. I also hear this about people hear in my own community. This infuriates me and the woman being interviewed hit the nail on the head.
The lady explained that there is a shortage of jobs (6000 applicants for every 1000 jobs) and a lack of transportation. One particular girl had to walk 5 blocks to a bus stop and change buses 2 times to make it to a minimum wage job. She was probably spending half of her weeks pay on bus fare. Many areas of these neighborhoods don't have bus stops. Probably because it is too dangerous to send them there. Even those that have jobs often can't afford housing and electricity. One sub standard trailer park charges $900 a month rent. We are talking pull along trailers not nice double wides. Many of these don't have power. That is considerably more than my mortgage.
For those of you who are not necessarily lovers of the people of Memphis like I am, what does this mean to you? Before you pass judgment on those who live on the "over side of the tracks", make sure you take the time to understand where they come from. Before you write them off, consider how you can give them a chance to succeed and excel. I can assure you that 85% of them would gladly change their circumstances if given have a chance. Just like you and I they have simply learned what they live and become victims of circumstance.
Consider inner-city missions, consider putting yourself in their position and loving them where they are. You just might change a life, probably your own!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Adoption Update
Many people have been asking us about the status of our adoption. Unfortunately, there has been no change in our status. Bryan and I have both spoken with DSS over the last month and they can't really give any indication as to your wait. Their goal is to find forever homes for their children , not to find a child for me (as it should be). Currently they have a lot of sibling groups that they are placing and not so many individual children.
I would love more than anything to bring my Little Buddy home today, but I realize that this is not in God's timing right now. God is teaching both of us life long lessons in this process. Bryan is learning to be patient and I am learning how to deal with not being in control.
Looking back over our summer, I can see how it would have been very difficult to bring a new baby home. We were gone so much! There is no way that we could have have any sort of consistency with our crazy summer schedules. Things are much more settled now.
In a effort to prepare myself, I think I may start going to a MOPS group next month. There is one that meets at our church. I am going to talk to the leader about it, but I would like to start meeting other new parents and learning from them. I also need to start preparing Belle for the new arrival. If anyone has suggestions about preparing Yorkies for babies, please let me know. It will break my heart if Belle and Little Buddy can't bond.
Please continue to pray for Brooke and Chris as they are still waiting to bring Dillen home from Vietnam!
I would love more than anything to bring my Little Buddy home today, but I realize that this is not in God's timing right now. God is teaching both of us life long lessons in this process. Bryan is learning to be patient and I am learning how to deal with not being in control.
Looking back over our summer, I can see how it would have been very difficult to bring a new baby home. We were gone so much! There is no way that we could have have any sort of consistency with our crazy summer schedules. Things are much more settled now.
In a effort to prepare myself, I think I may start going to a MOPS group next month. There is one that meets at our church. I am going to talk to the leader about it, but I would like to start meeting other new parents and learning from them. I also need to start preparing Belle for the new arrival. If anyone has suggestions about preparing Yorkies for babies, please let me know. It will break my heart if Belle and Little Buddy can't bond.
Please continue to pray for Brooke and Chris as they are still waiting to bring Dillen home from Vietnam!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
I feel like POOH!
It has been a long time since I have felt this bad. I woke up this morning with a scratchy throat. Being an allergy sufferer that is not uncommon due to the fact that my house is surrounded by woods. I had promised Melissa that I would help her out with some stuff at their church, so I got up and got ready. The throat thing went away after an hour or two, but as it went away, a sinus headache made it's way in. Again, I attributed this to my allergies. (Why doesn't that medicine work?)
Melissa and I went to lunch when we finished our project and I was ok. Not great, but ok. I came home to rest and relax and it has all gone down hill from there. I am now achy and the headache is much worse. On top of all that, I have a 101 degree fever. I never get a fever. This stinks! It's a good thing I didn't have to work today, I would have been good for nothing. Pray it gets better before tomorrow. There are somethings that we have to deal with tomorrow.
Melissa and I went to lunch when we finished our project and I was ok. Not great, but ok. I came home to rest and relax and it has all gone down hill from there. I am now achy and the headache is much worse. On top of all that, I have a 101 degree fever. I never get a fever. This stinks! It's a good thing I didn't have to work today, I would have been good for nothing. Pray it gets better before tomorrow. There are somethings that we have to deal with tomorrow.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Punky Brewster
Yes, I often won Punky Brewster look-a-like contests and I was always Punky for Halloween. Thanks to TV on DVD, I now have my 7 year old neice sharing my love for Punky!
Another blast from the past
This was one of my all time favorites. You may recognize Martika (toy solider)and Stacy (Fergie) Ferguson.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Are all husbands clueless?
My husband always says he doesn't buy me gifts because he doesn't know what to get. Rarely do I get birthday gifts. I will say that he has gotten better about buying a card somewhere nice and not just running in the closest Family Dollar and grabbing the only one that says wife.
My birthday is next month and I thought that I would help him out. In my last blog I ended with the words hint hint. He read my blog and said, "who are you trying to get free stuff out of?" He always says I won't tell him what I want, but he apparently can't take a not so subtle hint.
Am I in this alone, or are other husbands clueless too?
My birthday is next month and I thought that I would help him out. In my last blog I ended with the words hint hint. He read my blog and said, "who are you trying to get free stuff out of?" He always says I won't tell him what I want, but he apparently can't take a not so subtle hint.
Am I in this alone, or are other husbands clueless too?
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Get it over with already!
I am over this whole check thing. The last two weeks of my life have been spent dealing with our mail theft. Everyday this week I have spent about 2 hours doing something in reference to this fiasco. We have a new mailing address now, so if you need it, please let me know.
Since my life has been consumed with our theft/fraud/forgery/identity theft issues, I haven't written much. I do have a few scattered things to share though.
1. Please pray for my friend Brooke. She and her husband, Chris, have been waiting for a travel date to bring their baby girl, Dillen, home from Vietnam. They have been through so much. This has been a very difficult process for them. Unfortunately, many things have gone wrong along the way and their hearts have been broken more than once. They are tired and sick over all the stress this has brought on them. Please pray for them, they need strength and comfort. Also, please pray that things will start moving soon. Dillen will be 8 months old tomorrow.
2. Everyone needs to be on Facebook! I am really excited about some college friends that I have been able to locate on Facebook. Many of them I had lost touch with. It is really great to be able to see photos of their families and keep up with what is going on in their lives. I want to go on record saying that Facebook is WAY BETTER than my space. I appreciate the fact that I don't have to look at trashy ads and I don't have to read the foul rantings of every teenager in three counties on my home page.
3. After AMP'd last night we went to Michael's Pizzeria in Easley. It is the BEST!!!! We happen to love Michael, Susan, and Blake (the owners) so we would probably go there anyway, but they have the absolute best pizza and Stromboli.
4. Monday was our seventh anniversary. Due to the fact that our checking account was frozen, we didn't get to do much, but I love my Bubby anyway.
5. I got my haircut today and Erin did a great job. To bad I won't ever be able to recreate it. My next appointment is scheduled for September 27th. That is 3 days after my 30th birthday. It would be really nice to get a facial and a manicure that day too. (Hint Hint!)
Since my life has been consumed with our theft/fraud/forgery/identity theft issues, I haven't written much. I do have a few scattered things to share though.
1. Please pray for my friend Brooke. She and her husband, Chris, have been waiting for a travel date to bring their baby girl, Dillen, home from Vietnam. They have been through so much. This has been a very difficult process for them. Unfortunately, many things have gone wrong along the way and their hearts have been broken more than once. They are tired and sick over all the stress this has brought on them. Please pray for them, they need strength and comfort. Also, please pray that things will start moving soon. Dillen will be 8 months old tomorrow.
2. Everyone needs to be on Facebook! I am really excited about some college friends that I have been able to locate on Facebook. Many of them I had lost touch with. It is really great to be able to see photos of their families and keep up with what is going on in their lives. I want to go on record saying that Facebook is WAY BETTER than my space. I appreciate the fact that I don't have to look at trashy ads and I don't have to read the foul rantings of every teenager in three counties on my home page.
3. After AMP'd last night we went to Michael's Pizzeria in Easley. It is the BEST!!!! We happen to love Michael, Susan, and Blake (the owners) so we would probably go there anyway, but they have the absolute best pizza and Stromboli.
4. Monday was our seventh anniversary. Due to the fact that our checking account was frozen, we didn't get to do much, but I love my Bubby anyway.
5. I got my haircut today and Erin did a great job. To bad I won't ever be able to recreate it. My next appointment is scheduled for September 27th. That is 3 days after my 30th birthday. It would be really nice to get a facial and a manicure that day too. (Hint Hint!)
Monday, August 11, 2008
Give Me Your Eyes
"Give me your eyes" This phrase strikes fear in heart of anyone who attended Calhoun St Elementary school in the late 70's and early 80's. Ms. Eugenia Lee, the art teacher, would always say this. I never understood what she meant by the phrase. In my mind, she was expecting me to take out my eye balls and hand them to her. All I could think of was the bad ending of one of those scary choose your own ending books. I now understand that she was asking for our attention. She wanted our eyes focused on her.
Like our Heavenly Father, she knew that we get the instructions and follow them, if we would focus. Last summer I fell in love with a new artist (it just so happens that he won a dove award for new artist of the year) named Brandon Heath. A few weeks ago, I heard those dreaded words, "Give me your eyes", on the radio. All of the sudden that phrase took on a brand new meaning for me. Heath's new song, Give me your eyes, is incredible. I knew immediately that I had to purchase it so I rushed on over to his website and then Itunes. Take a look at these lyrics:
Looked down from a broken sky traced out by the city lights. My world from a mile high best seat in the house tonight. Touched down on the cold black tile hold on for the sudden stop. Breath in the familiar shock of confusion and chaos. Are those people going somewhere? Why have I never cared?
Give me your eyes for just one second. Give me your eyes so I can see everything that I keep missing. Give me your love for humanity. Give me your arms for the broken hearted wasn't it far beyond my reach? Give me your heart for the once forgotten. Give me your eyes so I can see again again yeah yeah.
Step out on a busy street see a girl and our eyes meet. Does her best to smile at me to hide whats underneath. There's a man just to her right black suit and a bright red tie. To ashamed to tell his wife he's out of work he's buying time. Are those people going somewhere? Why have I never cared?
I've Been there a million times. A couple of million eyes just moving past me by. I swear I never thought that I was wrong. Well I want a second glance so give me a second chance to see the way you see the people all alone.
This song hit me like a ton of bricks as we were preparing for Memphis. Without even realizing it, people cross my path everyday that are going somewhere. Their journey has become intertwined with mine. Did I ever stop to think why we intertwined? Did I ever care where they were going? It is so easy to get caught up in our own lives and forget about those around us, especially the ones we don't know. How many opportunities have I missed? How many times could I have been Christ to someone?
I don't want to miss anymore opportunities. I have had plenty in the last few days in dealing with all of this fraud stuff. My prayer is that my attitude has been one of compassion, one of humility, one of Christ. I am counting down the days until I can purchase this whole album. No doubt, it will be incredible! Until then , Lord, give me your eyes!
Like our Heavenly Father, she knew that we get the instructions and follow them, if we would focus. Last summer I fell in love with a new artist (it just so happens that he won a dove award for new artist of the year) named Brandon Heath. A few weeks ago, I heard those dreaded words, "Give me your eyes", on the radio. All of the sudden that phrase took on a brand new meaning for me. Heath's new song, Give me your eyes, is incredible. I knew immediately that I had to purchase it so I rushed on over to his website and then Itunes. Take a look at these lyrics:
Looked down from a broken sky traced out by the city lights. My world from a mile high best seat in the house tonight. Touched down on the cold black tile hold on for the sudden stop. Breath in the familiar shock of confusion and chaos. Are those people going somewhere? Why have I never cared?
Give me your eyes for just one second. Give me your eyes so I can see everything that I keep missing. Give me your love for humanity. Give me your arms for the broken hearted wasn't it far beyond my reach? Give me your heart for the once forgotten. Give me your eyes so I can see again again yeah yeah.
Step out on a busy street see a girl and our eyes meet. Does her best to smile at me to hide whats underneath. There's a man just to her right black suit and a bright red tie. To ashamed to tell his wife he's out of work he's buying time. Are those people going somewhere? Why have I never cared?
I've Been there a million times. A couple of million eyes just moving past me by. I swear I never thought that I was wrong. Well I want a second glance so give me a second chance to see the way you see the people all alone.
This song hit me like a ton of bricks as we were preparing for Memphis. Without even realizing it, people cross my path everyday that are going somewhere. Their journey has become intertwined with mine. Did I ever stop to think why we intertwined? Did I ever care where they were going? It is so easy to get caught up in our own lives and forget about those around us, especially the ones we don't know. How many opportunities have I missed? How many times could I have been Christ to someone?
I don't want to miss anymore opportunities. I have had plenty in the last few days in dealing with all of this fraud stuff. My prayer is that my attitude has been one of compassion, one of humility, one of Christ. I am counting down the days until I can purchase this whole album. No doubt, it will be incredible! Until then , Lord, give me your eyes!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
We need your help!
If you happened to be passing by my Williamston home today and saw a Deputy, he wasn't simply turning around. Last week while we were in Memphis, someone decided to steal our mail. The mail included a box of checks. (Yes, I know that was stupid on my part!) I assumed that the checks would be fine for the few hours until our house sitter arrived back for the evening. Boy, was I wrong!
I have been talking with the check company, bank, and post office all week. Everything seemed fine until yesterday. Yesterday afternoon a LARGE deposit was made into my account. Yes that is right a deposit. Because of the large amount of money, there is a hold on the deposit. This morning a $700 check cleared the bank. Until this point the post office and the bank didn't really seem very concerned about helping me.
Last night I talked with a friend at the sheriff''s department. He told me to call this morning and report it. No one would answer the phone on the non emergency number, so I called another friend their directly. He sent a deputy to my house to file a report. I won't go into all the details, but I spent about 30 minutes with the deputy and an hour and a half at the bank.
The crooks have been trying to pass our checks through banks in a town 30 or 45 minutes away. These means that I am going to have to also deal with the police in that town also. The check that they deposited into my account is from yet another county, so I may be dealing with the police there also. Apparently they have also made a fake id using Bryan's information so that they can actually pass the checks.
It is a bit creepy to think that someone has all my info and has been watching my house. As of today, we no longer have that bank account and tomorrow we will have a new address. Please don't send anything to my house. If you would like to send something to us, please send it to the church address until we get the PO Box set up.
This is all a little disheartening after my car was broken into last month at the church. I know God has a lesson in this for us, I just hope it doesn't cost us any more money! Please pray that all of this will work out and that the thieves can be caught. I want to feel safe in my own house!
I have been talking with the check company, bank, and post office all week. Everything seemed fine until yesterday. Yesterday afternoon a LARGE deposit was made into my account. Yes that is right a deposit. Because of the large amount of money, there is a hold on the deposit. This morning a $700 check cleared the bank. Until this point the post office and the bank didn't really seem very concerned about helping me.
Last night I talked with a friend at the sheriff''s department. He told me to call this morning and report it. No one would answer the phone on the non emergency number, so I called another friend their directly. He sent a deputy to my house to file a report. I won't go into all the details, but I spent about 30 minutes with the deputy and an hour and a half at the bank.
The crooks have been trying to pass our checks through banks in a town 30 or 45 minutes away. These means that I am going to have to also deal with the police in that town also. The check that they deposited into my account is from yet another county, so I may be dealing with the police there also. Apparently they have also made a fake id using Bryan's information so that they can actually pass the checks.
It is a bit creepy to think that someone has all my info and has been watching my house. As of today, we no longer have that bank account and tomorrow we will have a new address. Please don't send anything to my house. If you would like to send something to us, please send it to the church address until we get the PO Box set up.
This is all a little disheartening after my car was broken into last month at the church. I know God has a lesson in this for us, I just hope it doesn't cost us any more money! Please pray that all of this will work out and that the thieves can be caught. I want to feel safe in my own house!
Steven Curtis Chapman on Adoption
My friends and family all know that I am a big fan of Steven Curtis Chapman. Chapman is a huge supporter of adoption. This article appeared on CNN online today. Check it out and tun into Larry King Live tonight for more.
Commentary: Our tragedy and God's love for orphans
FRANKLIN, Tennessee (CNN) -- According to UNICEF, there are 143 million children in the world who have lost one or both parents. In America alone, there are half a million children in foster care, and approximately 120,000 of these children are waiting to be adopted. In many countries, children are too often orphaned or abandoned because of poverty, disabilities and disease; every 15 seconds, a child loses a parent because of AIDS. These are staggering facts that can seem overwhelming and discouraging, but I believe that God has a loving plan for each child, and that plan is you and me.
Caring for these children is not the job of governments or institutions; instead, it is the job of families, people and communities. As Christians, our compassion is simply a response to the love that God has already shown us. Mother Teresa would constantly remind those who worked with her that the Bible clearly teaches that whatever we do for the least of these, we do for Jesus. So in a very real sense, caring for orphans is a chance to meet the person of Jesus in "the guise of human suffering." This is an invitation from the heart of God to know him and to experience his love.
Nine years ago, my wife and my eldest daughter, Emily, traveled to Haiti on a mission trip. Having been exposed to extreme poverty for the first time, Emily returned home with a determined passion to make a difference in the lives of at-risk children.
Only 12 years old, Emily went on an all-out campaign to persuade us to adopt. She bought a book on international adoption with her Christmas money and would read it to us regularly. She began fervently praying and writing letters to Mary Beth and me, encouraging us to consider giving a waiting child a home. Emily knew God was leading us in the direction of adoption; however, Mary Beth and I were not yet convinced.
My wife and I had always supported the idea of adoption, and as Christians, we understood the importance of loving and caring for others. But what I had not yet grasped was that adoption is a physical picture of what Jesus has done for me. I did nothing to deserve God's love; in fact, I was living as an orphan, without hope. Yet God chose to pursue a relationship with me, and through the death of his son Jesus, I was adopted into God's family.
My wife and I began moving toward adoption with fear and trembling and asking all the questions people ask. I remember Mary Beth crying herself to sleep at night saying, "What are we doing? I can't do this." However, God kept reassuring us that this was the direction he was leading us. It was a huge journey of faith for us.
In May of 2000, we found ourselves in a hotel room in China's Hunan province, welcoming the newest member of our family, Shaohannah Hope. From that moment, we began our journey into the world of adoption, orphan care and Shaohannah's Hope. We went on to adopt Stevey Joy and Maria. Recently, our youngest daughter, Maria, passed from life on this earth and is now safely in the arms of Jesus. We have been completely overwhelmed by the love and support of so many during this time of deep, deep sadness. Through all that we've experienced, one thing we still know is true: God's heart is for the orphan. Watch Chapman home movies »
In our travels to Latin America, Africa and Asia, we have visited many different orphanages. If you look past the surroundings and into the eyes of the children, they all have the same look. They seem to convey, "I don't think this is what I was made for. Where do I belong?"
These children are crying out for the hope of a family, for the hope of community, for the hope of a permanent love. Our mission, and the mission of our adoption charity, Shaohannah's Hope, is to show hope to these children and to mobilize people, families and communities to be living examples of God's love for them.
We started Shaohannah's Hope in order to connect willing families with waiting children, but the reality is that there are many orphans who cannot be adopted. Even though we may not be able to bring them into our homes, we still have the opportunity to show them the hope we have.
If only 7 percent of the 2 billion Christians in the world would care for a single orphan in distress, there would effectively be no more orphans. If everybody would be willing to simply do something to care for one of these precious treasures, I think we would be amazed by just how much we could change the world.
We can each do something, whether it is donating, adopting, fostering, mentoring, visiting orphans or supporting families that have taken in orphans. You can change the world for an orphan
Commentary: Our tragedy and God's love for orphans
FRANKLIN, Tennessee (CNN) -- According to UNICEF, there are 143 million children in the world who have lost one or both parents. In America alone, there are half a million children in foster care, and approximately 120,000 of these children are waiting to be adopted. In many countries, children are too often orphaned or abandoned because of poverty, disabilities and disease; every 15 seconds, a child loses a parent because of AIDS. These are staggering facts that can seem overwhelming and discouraging, but I believe that God has a loving plan for each child, and that plan is you and me.
Caring for these children is not the job of governments or institutions; instead, it is the job of families, people and communities. As Christians, our compassion is simply a response to the love that God has already shown us. Mother Teresa would constantly remind those who worked with her that the Bible clearly teaches that whatever we do for the least of these, we do for Jesus. So in a very real sense, caring for orphans is a chance to meet the person of Jesus in "the guise of human suffering." This is an invitation from the heart of God to know him and to experience his love.
Nine years ago, my wife and my eldest daughter, Emily, traveled to Haiti on a mission trip. Having been exposed to extreme poverty for the first time, Emily returned home with a determined passion to make a difference in the lives of at-risk children.
Only 12 years old, Emily went on an all-out campaign to persuade us to adopt. She bought a book on international adoption with her Christmas money and would read it to us regularly. She began fervently praying and writing letters to Mary Beth and me, encouraging us to consider giving a waiting child a home. Emily knew God was leading us in the direction of adoption; however, Mary Beth and I were not yet convinced.
My wife and I had always supported the idea of adoption, and as Christians, we understood the importance of loving and caring for others. But what I had not yet grasped was that adoption is a physical picture of what Jesus has done for me. I did nothing to deserve God's love; in fact, I was living as an orphan, without hope. Yet God chose to pursue a relationship with me, and through the death of his son Jesus, I was adopted into God's family.
My wife and I began moving toward adoption with fear and trembling and asking all the questions people ask. I remember Mary Beth crying herself to sleep at night saying, "What are we doing? I can't do this." However, God kept reassuring us that this was the direction he was leading us. It was a huge journey of faith for us.
In May of 2000, we found ourselves in a hotel room in China's Hunan province, welcoming the newest member of our family, Shaohannah Hope. From that moment, we began our journey into the world of adoption, orphan care and Shaohannah's Hope. We went on to adopt Stevey Joy and Maria. Recently, our youngest daughter, Maria, passed from life on this earth and is now safely in the arms of Jesus. We have been completely overwhelmed by the love and support of so many during this time of deep, deep sadness. Through all that we've experienced, one thing we still know is true: God's heart is for the orphan. Watch Chapman home movies »
In our travels to Latin America, Africa and Asia, we have visited many different orphanages. If you look past the surroundings and into the eyes of the children, they all have the same look. They seem to convey, "I don't think this is what I was made for. Where do I belong?"
These children are crying out for the hope of a family, for the hope of community, for the hope of a permanent love. Our mission, and the mission of our adoption charity, Shaohannah's Hope, is to show hope to these children and to mobilize people, families and communities to be living examples of God's love for them.
We started Shaohannah's Hope in order to connect willing families with waiting children, but the reality is that there are many orphans who cannot be adopted. Even though we may not be able to bring them into our homes, we still have the opportunity to show them the hope we have.
If only 7 percent of the 2 billion Christians in the world would care for a single orphan in distress, there would effectively be no more orphans. If everybody would be willing to simply do something to care for one of these precious treasures, I think we would be amazed by just how much we could change the world.
We can each do something, whether it is donating, adopting, fostering, mentoring, visiting orphans or supporting families that have taken in orphans. You can change the world for an orphan
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Memphis Photos
Here is a link to my photos from Memphis. Check out our students in action!
http://picasaweb.google.com/atouchofcrystal/REACH08
You can also see pictures from SURGE on this site.
Enjoy!
http://picasaweb.google.com/atouchofcrystal/REACH08
You can also see pictures from SURGE on this site.
Enjoy!
Memphis: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly (Part 3)
So far, I have given you a break down of our daily schedule and told you a little about the hurdles some of our students faced. I've told you about our bad Monday morning with the broken window. I've told you about the ugly heat we faced and the ugly stereotypes some of our kids had. So now for the good (there is so much, where do I start!).
Let's start with a funny thing... One morning we were at Brinkley Heights preparing for send off and a family them some tricks. Labardo, the little boy, flips over onto his hands and starts walking. He challenged Jon, one of our students, to walk on his hands also. Jon flipped over onto his hands and walked about a foot before he fell over. Labardo immediately pointed right in Jon's face and said, "ha ha, you suck!" Everyone around was laughing hysterically. Jon is our biggest jokester, so this was classic. He is usually the one laughing at everybody else. Many funny things were said over the course of the week, but I can't remember them all. One thing that we can always count on is a lot of laughter with our students.
One afternoon we were driving and the girls started talking about their families. We had a girl van and a boy bus. No we don't think it is bad for them to mix, but we learned last year, that it is a lot easier to keep them focused this way. It proved to be a great idea. This group was comprised of about half of our 30-40 core students. We spend a good bit of time with these kids and thought we knew a lot about them. I had no idea the struggles these girls were facing at home. Of the 5 one has divorced parents, one has parents getting divorced (we knew about both of these), one has a parent that is often absent and struggles with drugs, one has parents with huge financial issues who are on the verge of divorce, and the other has a parent with anger issues and they have been on the verge of divorce also. We had no clue. I truly believe that these girls would never have shared this in a larger group or in front of the boys. This proved to me, that God was allowing them to bond on this trip.
We also saw students abandon their fears and embrace Christ. He really moved in these students and taught them a lot about themselves and loving others. Before we left, we asked the kids to write about what they experienced and learned. Here are some things that they had to say:
So I came to Street Reach as someone who looked down on poverty and blacks. I have a problem with racism and knew that we were working with little kids. ... I knew I had a problem and knew that it was wrong. After the trip I learned not to look down on people who have nothing, no one, and no money. ...Learned that race should not matter. -17 y/o male
...I first saw Courtney on Tuesday. ...We played together all day and as I walked her home, on my shoulders of course, she said a sentence to me that I will never forget, "This is the best day of my life." -16 y/o girl
So, there you have it...The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly. We, and our students, can't wait for Street Reach 09!
Let's start with a funny thing... One morning we were at Brinkley Heights preparing for send off and a family them some tricks. Labardo, the little boy, flips over onto his hands and starts walking. He challenged Jon, one of our students, to walk on his hands also. Jon flipped over onto his hands and walked about a foot before he fell over. Labardo immediately pointed right in Jon's face and said, "ha ha, you suck!" Everyone around was laughing hysterically. Jon is our biggest jokester, so this was classic. He is usually the one laughing at everybody else. Many funny things were said over the course of the week, but I can't remember them all. One thing that we can always count on is a lot of laughter with our students.
One afternoon we were driving and the girls started talking about their families. We had a girl van and a boy bus. No we don't think it is bad for them to mix, but we learned last year, that it is a lot easier to keep them focused this way. It proved to be a great idea. This group was comprised of about half of our 30-40 core students. We spend a good bit of time with these kids and thought we knew a lot about them. I had no idea the struggles these girls were facing at home. Of the 5 one has divorced parents, one has parents getting divorced (we knew about both of these), one has a parent that is often absent and struggles with drugs, one has parents with huge financial issues who are on the verge of divorce, and the other has a parent with anger issues and they have been on the verge of divorce also. We had no clue. I truly believe that these girls would never have shared this in a larger group or in front of the boys. This proved to me, that God was allowing them to bond on this trip.
We also saw students abandon their fears and embrace Christ. He really moved in these students and taught them a lot about themselves and loving others. Before we left, we asked the kids to write about what they experienced and learned. Here are some things that they had to say:
So I came to Street Reach as someone who looked down on poverty and blacks. I have a problem with racism and knew that we were working with little kids. ... I knew I had a problem and knew that it was wrong. After the trip I learned not to look down on people who have nothing, no one, and no money. ...Learned that race should not matter. -17 y/o male
...I first saw Courtney on Tuesday. ...We played together all day and as I walked her home, on my shoulders of course, she said a sentence to me that I will never forget, "This is the best day of my life." -16 y/o girl
So, there you have it...The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly. We, and our students, can't wait for Street Reach 09!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Memphis: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly (Part 2)
Monday was our first day on the site. Since only 5 of our students were returners, most of the kids had no idea what to expect. I think that it is safe to say that they were a little nervous. After about 15 minutes of set up, we saw our students coming around the corner with little ones on their backs, their shoulders (necks), and in their arms. It took 10 or 15 minutes to get all the children registered and then we got started.
Our students immediately jumped in and got started. They were all playing with children, talking to them, and teaching them. It looked so natural for them all. We were really proud of them! That busted window could have put a damper on the day, but we totally knew it was just a sign of better (incredible) things to come.
During our worship time that night Jason, the director of Street Reach, asked the teams to share how they saw God move that day. One of our girls blew me away. She shared that she was afraid of kids and was hesitant to even be there. She didn't know how to interact with them and thought they would pull her hair,etc. All day long, she had kids surrounding her. She smiled the whole time that she played with them and helped them with their crafts. Watching her on the site, you would have thought that she loved kids and worked with them everyday.
Like I said yesterday, most of our students have very little contact with people of other ethnicities. Unfortunately, this perpetuates stereotypical views of African Americans that we Southerners have ignorantly held onto for years. Our church strives to Love All, Serve All and this is the attitude that we try to pass on to our students. Sometimes I am so naive to the fact that racism exists in the people around me. I assume that people have the same view of others that I do. During share time, one of our boys shared that he had always had a problem with African Americans. (It didn't come out quite the way he meant it, and he offended one of the staff members.) Throughout the week, several of the students shared that they were afraid they weren't prepared and were worried about being effective.
We had some kids on the site that were tough to love. Many of the older kids have learned that putting on a tough and street wise front makes them untouchable. It can be intimidating. These kids are surrounded by poverty, gangs, and crime. The toughest guy wins in their world, so it is often hard to get close enough to really love on them. Bryan and Eric (our other adult male) took on the challenge of loving them. They worked to build relationships with them and be Jesus to these kids. One kid in particular, DeAngelo, seems to be the leader of the pack. He doesn't look intimidating, but he can take on the persona of a bully really quickly.
It is funny how everyone bonds with a particular child almost immediately. Bryan bonded with DeAngelo and his goal was to keep DeAngelo there all week and show him how to use his influence to be a positive role model.
There is plenty more to share, so come back tomorrow!
Our students immediately jumped in and got started. They were all playing with children, talking to them, and teaching them. It looked so natural for them all. We were really proud of them! That busted window could have put a damper on the day, but we totally knew it was just a sign of better (incredible) things to come.
During our worship time that night Jason, the director of Street Reach, asked the teams to share how they saw God move that day. One of our girls blew me away. She shared that she was afraid of kids and was hesitant to even be there. She didn't know how to interact with them and thought they would pull her hair,etc. All day long, she had kids surrounding her. She smiled the whole time that she played with them and helped them with their crafts. Watching her on the site, you would have thought that she loved kids and worked with them everyday.
Like I said yesterday, most of our students have very little contact with people of other ethnicities. Unfortunately, this perpetuates stereotypical views of African Americans that we Southerners have ignorantly held onto for years. Our church strives to Love All, Serve All and this is the attitude that we try to pass on to our students. Sometimes I am so naive to the fact that racism exists in the people around me. I assume that people have the same view of others that I do. During share time, one of our boys shared that he had always had a problem with African Americans. (It didn't come out quite the way he meant it, and he offended one of the staff members.) Throughout the week, several of the students shared that they were afraid they weren't prepared and were worried about being effective.
We had some kids on the site that were tough to love. Many of the older kids have learned that putting on a tough and street wise front makes them untouchable. It can be intimidating. These kids are surrounded by poverty, gangs, and crime. The toughest guy wins in their world, so it is often hard to get close enough to really love on them. Bryan and Eric (our other adult male) took on the challenge of loving them. They worked to build relationships with them and be Jesus to these kids. One kid in particular, DeAngelo, seems to be the leader of the pack. He doesn't look intimidating, but he can take on the persona of a bully really quickly.
It is funny how everyone bonds with a particular child almost immediately. Bryan bonded with DeAngelo and his goal was to keep DeAngelo there all week and show him how to use his influence to be a positive role model.
There is plenty more to share, so come back tomorrow!
Monday, August 4, 2008
Memphis: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly (Part 1)
Where do I even start? Have you ever been somewhere that no matter how many times you visit you always leave changed? This was my fourth visit to Memphis and my fourth life changing experience in Memphis. God never fails to show up and amaze me.
I was a bit frustrated as we prepared for the trip. Some of our students weren't prepared and they didn't seem focused. Bryan was also feeling this way. We loaded up on Sunday morning at 6 am. We finally made it to Memphis around 4 pm their time, making it an 11 hour trip. After dinner and orientation, Bryan kept our kids aside and laid it out for them. He hates those hard talks, but realizes that they are necessary with teenagers sometimes.
To carry on our theme from SURGE, we awoke Monday morning to a bus with busted glass. God proved to us at SURGE that these things are nothing more than Satan's feeble attempts at stopping His mighty moving in our students. Needless to say, things got off to a slow start, but we didn't let it stop us and not a single kid complained or freaked out (our kids have freaking out mastered!).
Each morning we went to our site (Johnson Ave) in the roughest and poorest neighborhood in inner city Memphis. We spent several hours at the site running backyard bible clubs. We would then go to Brinkley Heights for lunch and then load up for afternoon projects in the community. In the evenings we had dinner at Leawood with the Street Reach staff and the 2 other groups serving. After dinner was worship and share time (this strikes fear in MSM leaders; our kids love to hog the share time) followed by team meetings.
Many/Most of our students have had very little contact with children unlike themselves (middle class and white), so working in a neighborhood that is 100% African American and well below the poverty line was a first for most of them. It was also tough to ask guitar playing, video game loving teenagers to spend 4 to 6 hours of their day working outside in 106 degree temperatures with 100% humidity. On top of that, they constantly had kids on their backs or "on yo neck".
Despite the less than ideal conditions, God moved and I can't wait to share it with you. For the sake of time and the fact that I am at work, I will continue this tomorrow. So, stay tuned!
I was a bit frustrated as we prepared for the trip. Some of our students weren't prepared and they didn't seem focused. Bryan was also feeling this way. We loaded up on Sunday morning at 6 am. We finally made it to Memphis around 4 pm their time, making it an 11 hour trip. After dinner and orientation, Bryan kept our kids aside and laid it out for them. He hates those hard talks, but realizes that they are necessary with teenagers sometimes.
To carry on our theme from SURGE, we awoke Monday morning to a bus with busted glass. God proved to us at SURGE that these things are nothing more than Satan's feeble attempts at stopping His mighty moving in our students. Needless to say, things got off to a slow start, but we didn't let it stop us and not a single kid complained or freaked out (our kids have freaking out mastered!).
Each morning we went to our site (Johnson Ave) in the roughest and poorest neighborhood in inner city Memphis. We spent several hours at the site running backyard bible clubs. We would then go to Brinkley Heights for lunch and then load up for afternoon projects in the community. In the evenings we had dinner at Leawood with the Street Reach staff and the 2 other groups serving. After dinner was worship and share time (this strikes fear in MSM leaders; our kids love to hog the share time) followed by team meetings.
Many/Most of our students have had very little contact with children unlike themselves (middle class and white), so working in a neighborhood that is 100% African American and well below the poverty line was a first for most of them. It was also tough to ask guitar playing, video game loving teenagers to spend 4 to 6 hours of their day working outside in 106 degree temperatures with 100% humidity. On top of that, they constantly had kids on their backs or "on yo neck".
Despite the less than ideal conditions, God moved and I can't wait to share it with you. For the sake of time and the fact that I am at work, I will continue this tomorrow. So, stay tuned!
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