Becoming A Woman of Excellence

2011-10-26T09:51:00.002-04:00

I have heard people talking about pinterest for a while and a few weeks ago I decided to check it out for myself. The result: "Hi, my name is Crystal and I have a problem." I am completely addicted.

Not only do I love it, I have actually been trying some of the things I have found. Here's a list of a few of the things I have tried:

*Monogramming our pumpkin

*Tie Dyed Cake & Cupcakes

*Photo Ideas

* Re purposing empty Clorox & Baby Wipe Containers

What I am most proud of though is the cool orange wreath I made!

This is the original picture that I saw on pinterest. (original post)) I felt certain that I could recreate this and I got pretty close!

The original must have been on a smaller wreath, but I am happy with it. I did learn a couple of things though. 1. Burlap is very messy. (There are little orange strings all of my house!) 2. Buy more fabric than you think you need! (I had to buy more and the colors didn't match up.) 3. If you have multiple shades mix them in together so that they blend.

It took a good bit of time, but I will probably do this again with another color really soon. I can easily change out the ribbon and make it work for a lot of different things.

Daddy + Mommy + Reese = 4-ever

2011-10-10T23:41:00.000-04:00

This weekend we celebrated our adoption by having a dedication service and reception at our church. I put this video together as a part of the service. Please excuse the poor quality.

The Face of Foster Care

2011-10-02T16:25:00.004-04:00

What do you think of when you hear the term foster child?

This is what I think of:

These are two of the most beautiful and energetic kids I know. They were both adopted from foster care this year and the handsome one happens to be mine.

This month consider supporting the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption by purchasing the $1 Frosty coupon books at your local Wendy's. Give the books away to trick-or-treaters and the money goes to help beautiful kids like mine find forever families!

It's been a while

2011-10-02T15:51:00.003-04:00

I didn't realize how long it had been since I last blogged until I logged on and saw the last date. WOW! A lot has happened since December. I won't even attempt to share everything, but here are a few highlights.

*Reese made his wedding debut in our nephew Jeremy's wedding (January).

*We made it through the TPR process with our adoption. (February)

*I changed jobs and now work for one of the pastors at our church. (April)

*Bryan obeyed God's call and was named the Lead Pastor of our the new campus our church is launching.

*We made it through another summer of youth ministry craziness (all without Reese this year).

*Bryan turned 35

*Reese turned 3.

*I turned 33 last week.

And the biggest news of our year;

We finalized our adoption of Reese on Wednesday!!!!!!

Today we launched the new campus and Bryan is officially Pastor of Marathon Pickens. We had close to 200 people and heard lots of good things.

Now that I have gotten you somewhat caught up, I hope to resume a more regular blogging schedule.

Hide Your Trees- (Santa Thief)

2010-12-15T23:18:00.000-05:00

Get In Shape Girl!

2010-08-16T23:05:00.002-04:00

Like every other little girl in 80's I was a fan of Get In Shape Girl. Unfortunately, I haven't held on to that obsession. A few weeks away from 32 and I am in the worst shape of my life. It is so hard for me to get motivated to exercise on my own. However, I went to the Y last week for an orientation and have another appointment next week to check in with a trainer on my progress. Today marked day #3 of exercise. I am hoping that I can stay motivated! If not I may have to pull out that old Teen Steam video. That could get ugly!

Chocolate: the aftermath

2010-08-15T20:47:00.006-04:00

This is what happens when the chocolate is gone!

Chocolate!

2010-08-15T20:34:00.002-04:00

I found this line of chocolate bars in the grocery store this weekend. Due to his dairy allergies, Reese has not been able to eat chocolate. He got his first taste on Saturday. Sunday I made a video of him enjoying the chocolate. As much as he loves the chocolate bars, he won't be getting them very often. They cost $1.77 each!

And then there was none

2010-08-15T20:09:00.002-04:00

You may have noticed that my posts have become few and far between. There are a few reasons for that: 1. I am now the mother of a two year old, enough said! 2. My computer crashed last month and I still don't have it back.

There are posts coming. Hopefully tonight!

SAY YES

2010-08-03T21:40:00.000-04:00

We said yes and our lives are forever changed! It breaks my heart to think my precious child could have been longing for a hug good night and thinking that he would never have a family. There is a child waiting for a home, your home. Are you willing to say YES!

Great Mommy video

2010-08-01T17:09:00.000-04:00

More Friday Fun

2010-07-09T19:36:00.002-04:00

Who knew Happy Birthday was so funny. I turned the camera on him and this is what happened!

Friday night fun

2010-07-09T19:32:00.002-04:00

Mommy and Reese had a little fun with Daddy's mac while he is away at a Lock-In!

I am Second

2010-07-09T15:21:00.000-04:00

Occasionally I get interested in a season of American Idol. Jason Castro is a former contestant that I really liked. I liked his voice, but there was something else I just couldn't put my finger on that drew me to him. Well, today I got my answer. Someone shared this video on Facebook and after watching it everything made sense. Jason's tender and humble demeanor is most likely due to his relationship with Christ. What a cool guy! Not only he is a cool guy, this video is part of an even cooler campaign and worth checking out.

I am a mess!

2010-06-29T12:33:00.000-04:00

Why is it that we as women (and Christians in general) feel like we have to be so perfect? I struggle with this constantly. I am a perfectionist and beat myself up when I don't meet my own standards. So many times, my standards have no foundation in Christ, but in my own need to "look" good.

Unfortunately, this attitude often takes over our churches as well. Someone that I follow on Twitter posted a link to this article. It was MORE than worth the read!

� Building A Messy Church Buzzard Blog

Foster or Adopt Picture Gallery Night

2010-06-24T17:56:00.000-04:00

If you or anyone you know would like info about foster care or adopting check out this event. It is host by local teen who was adopted from foster care herself. Come out and support her and consider giving a child a forever home!

Foste r or Adopt Picture Gallery Night

Jesus Loves Me

2010-06-06T00:04:00.000-04:00

Bedtime Dancing

2010-06-05T23:30:00.000-04:00

Don't forget to vote

2010-06-03T08:43:00.002-04:00

Tuesday is primary voting here in SC. Please go out and vote!!!! Don't just vote, educate yourself. This is an important election. When choosing your state level candidates, please consider (or ask them if you don't know) where they stand on reforming the foster care system. Are they going to stand by the Governor's new law to expedite the adoption process. How are they going to help these children and the families caring for them.

There are thousands of children in this state affected by this everyday. Just this week our family has been greatly affected by this.

Vote and stand up for those that can't stand for themselves!

Tough Day

2010-06-03T08:32:00.003-04:00

I am not a crier, but yesterday was one of those days. I woke up 2 hours before the alarm went off and had a lot on my mind. Met with my student and to say it was a rough session is an understatement. Left the session to drive to a graduation luncheon in Simpsonville. While in route I got a call from Reese's case worker. Somethings have happened with the case and we most likely will not be going to court next week and have no indication as to when we will. This is the third time since the fall that we have thought we were going to court and it didn't happen.

There is still a chance that it will happen, but at this point I am not counting on it. Please pray for us! Pray that things will move on and that we will be at peace about the situation.

Learning to pray

2010-05-29T22:24:00.003-04:00

Every night before bed we read read Reese a Bible story and pray. Usually we pray and he listens and says AMEN. One night earlier in the week Bryan wasn't home at bedtime. I decided to see if Reese would pray. I asked him what he wanted to thank Jesus for and he babbled for a minute. Then, I prayed a simple prayer and let him repeat after me. It was so sweet to hear him pray. We have continued this each night this week. Each time when asked what he is thankful for, we have prompted him. We may say, "what about Nana or your friends?" He would then say a few things and we would pray. Tonight we asked him and surprisingly, he quickly spoke up. The first thing he said was "Joy" and he seemed so happy and proud of himself.

Joy is his babysitter. He loves Joy and often mentions her. He paused for a moment and then smiled and said, "Lily". Lily is our Worship Pastor's daughter and one of the children that Reese plays with during the week. Reese LOVES to talk about Lily. She is the first of his friends that he called by name. He usually talks about Lily and giggles. He followed Lily with Lou Lou, Zoe, Jace, and Lou Lou. Ironically, today is Lou Lou's birthday. I am not sure that he knew or understood that, but something made him think that she needed a little extra today.

No matter how wild he may be, these sweet moments are what ring in my mind. These moments and the moments where he is singing are the most precious things in the world. It is such a blessing to see the Lord already working in his heart.

I have tried for months to get him to learn Jesus Loves Me. He knows the words to most all of the Veggie Tales songs and loves to sing them. He sings all the time (my favorite sound!), but he wouldn't try Jesus Loves Me. Tonight at the dinner table he randomly started singing "the Bible tales me so". When we realized what he was singing we started singing with him and he sang most of the song. This followed by his prayer requests were just another confirmation to me of the HUGE responsibility we have as parents.

Everything we do speaks volumes to them even when we think they are not paying attention. Thank you Lord that I can step out of the way and let you do the leading. I sure couldn't do it on my own.

Thank you!

2010-05-29T22:08:00.002-04:00

As you may know, May is National Foster Care Month. If you follow me by way of this blog, twitter, or Facebook then you know I have tried all month to encourage people to consider foster care. Most of the information that I have shared has been about foster kids and some about foster parents. One thing that I don't want to overlook is the foster care staff. Our Social Service employees take on the task everyday of advocating for these "voiceless" children. The foster care workers give of themselves not only to the children, but to the foster families also.

Thank you for what you do! Much like ministry, I know that it is nearly impossible to walk away at 5pm and not think about the hurting kids. Thank you for standing up for kids even when the system doesn't. Thank you for advocating for change in the system. Thank you for loving our kids and thank you for giving of yourself.

I know you don't get thanked near enough. All too often you hear our complaints and concerns rather than our praise for your time and energy. Yes, not every one loves their job and gives 100%, but for those of you that do, I thank you!

Adoption Update

2010-05-29T21:48:00.002-04:00

It has been a while since I have talked about our adoption status. The main reason for that is because we have been in the "hurry-up and wait" stage. It looks like our patience may be paying off! As of right now, we have a hearing schedule for June 8th.

Yes, that is 9 days away!!! This hearing is to terminate the birth mother's rights. We have been waiting on this for a long time. This is a huge step in our process toward finalization. After this hearing there is a period of up to 90 days for paperwork, etc. to be completed. After that the birth mother will no longer be involved and we will begin the waiting game for finalization. I am not sure exactly how long that will take. It is possible that it could only be a couple of months.

We are not necessarily concerned about the wait at that point, because the BM no longer has the right to request visitation. Of course, the sooner the better!

Please join us in praying about this next step. We ask that you pray that the hearing will happen and that the judge would complete the paperwork quickly. There is the potential that the BM could relinquish her rights that day (this would cut out some of the paperwork and therefore possibly speed things up) though we don't anticipate this. Also, we ask that you pray that we would be able to get our finalization hearing scheduled quickly.

Reese's 2nd birthday is three weeks from today. What an incredible gift it would be to have the TPR over with by that date. December will be our 2nd family anniversary. Again, what a blessing it would be to finalize by then.

Thank you for praying with us!

Problems Foster Kids Face

2010-05-24T21:09:00.000-04:00

This article brings to light just one of the many problems that foster kids face. It also shows how foster kids can thrive a citizens and advocates when being empowered by a loving family. It's time to stand up for foster kids rights!

MinnPost - D.C. Dispatches: Minnesota girl tells senators of school problems foster kids face

Foster Care - The Toughest Job You'll Ever Love (short)

2010-05-07T07:32:00.000-04:00

National Foster Care Month

2010-05-03T22:47:00.002-04:00

On Mother's Day, May 9th, consider this: 123,000 kids are waiting in U.S. foster care for a permanent and loving family to call their own.

Consider becoming a mom or a mom again this mother's day. Give an awesome kid the gift of a mom!

Worth Re-tweeting

2010-05-03T07:55:00.005-04:00

This morning, I was reading my twitter page and came across this tweet: "Remembering when I first was engaged to Walker. He introduced me to one of his friends, who said,'Nice to finally meet you. We've prayed for you for years.' All teary again at the memory!!" from @Missyneedsanap

I too became a little teary just reading that. (Becoming a mom has brought the weepiness out of me. However, I am still not a crier!) What an awesome greeting and blessing. That is the way to start a marriage. I find myself praying for Reese's future friends and bride, though not nearly enough. It is never too early to bring blessings on your child and those that will be such a big influence in their lives.

My little fella isn't even 2 yet, but I know God has an incredible group of people out there for him if he will be faithful to follow Christ's leading. One thing I have to remember... it must be Christ's leading. I can't make his decisions for him. I must let him make his choices and learn from those choices. I can, however, model good choices for him and continue to ask God's blessings on his sweet little life.

It is hard to imagine him walking out my front door with a group of teenagers and even harder to imagine him walking out that door with a ring in his hand. There is no doubt in my mind that God is preparing him for that and preparing those other kids as well. What an incredible blessing we can give that young lady someday if we, as parents, will be faithful to pray for her.

The Body Shop to the Rescue!

2010-04-29T23:21:00.006-04:00

I have EXTREMELY sensitive, dry skin. For a couple of years I had been using The Body Shop's skin care products. A couple of months ago I was running low and decided that I would take the opportunity to try something new. I bought the Rare Minerals cleaner thinking that I wanted to also try the Bare Minerals line of makeup. I had been trying the ULTA minerals with no luck.

My skin did not take well to the Rare Minerals, so I went into ULTA and had one of the ladies test Studio Gear on me. Within a couple of hours my face had totally broken out and was VERY red. I tried some of Reese's baby cream on my face to help with the dryness. Bad idea!!! It immediately burned and made my face even redder. For a couple of days my entire face was very red (like I had burned myself) and covered in bumps. On top of that the skin was flaking due to the dryness.

I bought a couple of cheap things at Wal-Mart and they too reeked havoc on my skin. Rather than keep torturing my skin and being in pain, I headed to the mall. The Body Shop to the rescue! As soon as I got home, I opened up my gift set of Aloe Calming products and went through the steps. I kid you not, within minutes my skin was soft, the redness was gone, and the flakes were gone! My husband even noticed the difference.

What was I thinking? Why did I ever stray? This stuff is like a miracle in a bottle for my skin.

Not only do I like the fact that this stuff works, I love that it is cruelty free, and they use Fair Trade ingredients. The Body Shop is a must for men and women's beauty aids. I don't typically wear makeup (I don't like it and it generally irritates my skin), but I even bought some of their makeup and love the way it feels and looks also with no irritation.

Try The Body Shop, I promise you won't be disappointed!

Report: Foster Kids Face Tough Times After Age 18 : NPR

2010-04-09T09:37:00.000-04:00

Please consider being a foster parent! Don't just give them a place to sleep, be a family for them and teach them as if they are your own. This does not have to happen!

Report: Foster Kids Face Tough Times After Age 18 : NPR

Thanks for the junk!

2010-04-09T08:00:00.005-04:00

In The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren says that God never wastes a hurt. As ironic as it sounds I become more and more thankful for this everyday.

Growing up I had a fairly rough home life. I had to grow up really quickly and be my own parent most of the time. Unfortunately, some of the adults in my life didn't know how to be adults and made many bad decisions of which I often felt the consequences.

On the outside it looked like I had it all together. I was a happy kid and teenager, never rebellious or out of control. My extended family made sure that I had nice clothes, a car, a job, and a house to sleep in. They also made every effort to let me participate in the activities that my friends did (church camp, dance classes and competitions, sports). Most people never knew how poor we really were and what exactly went on at home. For the most part, I blended in at my affluent high school.

Last night Bryan called me just before I got home and asked how far away I was. About a mile from home, I pulled in the driveway just minutes before one of our students. The student had called Bryan earlier upset and needing to talk to someone. Not wanting to leave any room for question or speculation, he wanted to make sure that I was there too.

Wow, I blown away to hear the student's story. I had no idea what was going on in this kids life. Bryan was aware of the situation and had been talking with the student for a while about things. This kid is a strong leader in our group, well put together, good at school, sold out to Christ, and loves to serve. A popular kid, you would never guess what was going on behind that smile and sweet disposition.

My heart broke and I began to cry (I am not a crier). I couldn't help but think of my own teenage years. So many of the things going on were similar to situations I had dealt with in my own life and family as a high school and college student. Anyone would feel sorry for this kid, but I could completely understand what was going on inside. I had been there. Though it was probably 15 years ago when I dealt with those issues, it felt like it was happening all over again.

We didn't have a lot of answers, but we prayed and I let the student in on some of what I had been through. If nothing else, the student left knowing that they had found someone who would listen, understand, and help however possible.

God reminded me of that chapter from The Purpose Driven Life and that all those hurts in my life weren't a waste. You can't truly understand someone until you've been there. He also reminded me of what a huge responsibility we have as parents. Every decision we make not only affects us, but our children also. Exodus 34:6-7 makes it clear that our families will have to pay for our choices.

Thank you God that you don't waste those experiences. I couldn't be who I am today without those moments and I wouldn't have the opportunity to love teenagers with those hurts. It seems odd to be thankful for the junk in your life, but I wouldn't change one thing. Thanks for the junk!

How not to make people feel welcome

2010-03-31T13:41:00.003-04:00

We were invited to attend a special service at another church this past weekend. Due to services at our own church Bryan was not able to go, so Reese and I went alone. Let's just say it was not the most pleasant experience. I hope that I do not offend those that invited us, but I learned a lesson that needs to be passed on.

When we arrived, there was a man standing at the front door. A couple of families walked in before us and the man spoke to those people as they entered. After dragging my 21 month old and his bag of toys up the steps the man simply looked at us. Nothing pleasant, just a look. He did not open the door, he did not welcome us. I had the bag of toys in tow because there was no nursery. No nursery... this was strange to me being that this is a fairly large traditional church.

I don't know if you have ever tried to sit in church with a VERY active 21 month old little boy, but I know that I won't again and it didn't last very long. During the music we managed to remove all the hymnals and Bibles from the pew along with the offering envelopes. He ate all the snacks that I had brought (I felt a little uncomfortable even offering him snacks in this setting) and threw all the crayons. He figured out that the tile floor under the pews was sloped and that the crayons would roll down it. So much for the brand new box of crayons. It also didn't take long before he realized he could fit under the pew.

At that point I realized I was in over my head and we went into the lobby. We were joined in the lobby by a mom with an infant (maybe 3 or 4 months) who was also visiting. Reese quickly moved to the steps that lead to the balcony and the climbing commenced. He was not hurting anything and was being quiet. Soon the man from the front door joined us in the lobby. He seemed to be inspecting what we were doing and he loomed around with his stern face for quite some time. Again, he never smiled or spoke to us or the other mother in the lobby. It wasn't long before a dad and little girl joined us. This man was friendly and asked us our names and tried to get his daughter to play with Reese. Apparently they were regular attenders of the church. Soon the stern man reappeared and he began to talk with the nice gentleman.

Over the course of the service we were joined by two more women and two more children. That brings the total children to 5. These were visitors also. The stern man kept appearing in the lobby glaring at all of us never speaking to anyone except the church member.

At first I thought he must be disapproving of the fact that I appeared to be a single mother. Then I wondered if his attitude was because my child is bi-racial. Since he knew nothing about me the possibility of the erroneous judgement calls made me angry. It made me even angrier when he was so callous to the other visitors that had gathered around.

Near the end of the service the man opened the front door to check the weather and a rough looking gentleman was walking up the steps. He wasn't dressed nice or even clean and you could smell the smoke on him from yards away. I expected this man to get the same treatment I had gotten. Boy was I surprised when the stern man held the door for him and somewhat greeted him. They were apparently familiar with one another.

When the service was over I returned to the sanctuary to gather our things. Hardly anyone from the church even spoke to me except the people that invited me. There were many people there that I know and they did not speak. The guests that had come to lead the service were the friendliest people there and I already knew these people.

For a few moments I stood beside the pastor and his wife. I was waiting to speak to the family that had invited us. Neither of them spoke to us either, although they did smile and seem pleasant. Once I got to speak to the family we had come with I pointed out the stern man and asked who he was. I was quite shocked to hear that he is the associate pastor.

I learned some sure fire ways to turn people away from a church that night. 1. Offer no nursery so that you alienate a whole demographic of people. 2. Make those who don't know you have no nursery and bring small children feel ashamed and uncomfortable for showing up for church. 3. Make no effort to speak to new people. 4. Have an intimidating and unfriendly staff.

All I can say about this experience is that I am glad that I did not go there looking for a new church. If you are looking for a church, I would be glad to give you the names of a couple that will welcome you with open arms children or not!

Adoption Update

2010-03-20T19:02:00.003-04:00

Our monthly home visit was last Friday. I realize that I never filled you in on what happened at our February visit, so this will update you on both months.

Our March 25th TPR date was thrown out. We think that this is due to the fact that our case was lumped together with another one against the same birth mother. The other child in the case has a known father and it appears that the father may have asked for time to work on getting his child back. There is no connection between Reese and this man, so this does not affect us other than slowing down our time line. (We don't know for sure that this is what changed the date, but with the info we have this is our best guess.)

Our adoption worker is/was pregnant and left on maternity leave this month (I am not sure if she has had the baby yet). Due to where we are in the process, we got a new case worker rather than a substitute. This was our first month with our new worker. In February, both ladies worked with us to make a smooth transition. Our new case worker was leaving us to go and sign adoption agreements with another family and said that she hoped to be doing that with us soon! After TPR that will be our next step. That means that foster care is out of the case and we are officially waiting for a finalization date.

The new TPR date is tentatively set for June 8th. Please pray for that date. Pray that we would go to court on that date and that the birth mother would choose to relinquish that date. If she chooses to relinquish (rather than the judge order her to be terminated) we can finalize almost immediately as this will cut out most of the paperwork we will have to wait for otherwise. We have no doubt that the judge will terminate her rights, but there is an appeal period we have to wait through among other things. There would be a minimum of 90 days after termination that we would have to wait. Realistically, it would probably be at least 120+ days.

She could relinquish at any time and does not have to wait until June. Please pray that she would realize what is best for her child and that the most loving thing is to make this easier so that we can all move on with our lives. We know that God is in control and that His hand is in all of this. We also know that he honors the prayers of his children, so please join us in praying!

I haven't disappeared, but my time has...

2010-03-20T18:48:00.004-04:00

I know that I am really behind on blogging. For someone who is generally super organized and on top of things, my life has gotten a little overwhelming. My work schedule has been crazy and my little one has become more and more demanding of my time. He has given up his morning nap and is staying up later at night. All of that means that this Mom has very little down time or time to my self. My house is a DISASTER!!! I somewhat dread being in the house because it forces me to think about all that needs to be done (laundry, dishes, sweeping, mopping, scrubbing, etc.).

Reese thinks that if Mommy is awake and in the same location as him that she needs to be holding him. He wants all of my time and attention. Please don't think I am complaining, because I am not. I love holding him and snuggling with him. God is teaching me a lot, and I do mean A LOT!

I am learning how to let things go (for the moment) and to be ok with chaos (for a moment). My lists aren't getting checked off and that has to be ok for now. He needs my attention and I want to give it to him. No matter how frustrating it is at times, I have to stop checking my facebook, replying to emails, writing, cleaning, etc to spend those fleeting moments with him.

He will only be little once and he won't always think that Mommy's time is so valuable and precious. So, for now, please forgive me if you don't hear from me often. As much as I love writing, I have a greater purpose to serve. There is a little life that is being shaped by each moment that I devote to it and I am changing his world one little heartbeat at a time. May those moments be full of Jesus!

What is better than happiness

2010-03-20T18:29:00.002-04:00

I always get excited to find other people that are passionate about adoption. Through friends and acquaintances, I have found many websites and blogs about adoption. Today I found a new one and it is definitely worth the read.

As parents we want the best for our children. What is "The Best"? I would hope that my idea of "the best" would look like Christ. This adoptive mom shares that hope and share it with her children. Please read her explanation to her children about her lack of concern for their happiness. It is well worth it! I don't want my kids to be happy!

2010-02-17T16:58:00.002-05:00

I try not to talk about political issues too much. The two main reasons for this: 1. I usually need to do more research to make sure I know what I am talking about and 2. I don't want anyone to mistake my opinion as that of our ministry or our church.

However, I have to share this. Today I read an article about a law that is being proposed in our state (SC). It's not like we haven't had enough attention with actions of our Governor and recent comments made by our Lt. Gov. This new info is over the top. State Rep. Mike Pitts wants to ban the use of federal currency, paper money, in SC. His plan is that we go to only silver and gold coins. Though I understand his reasoning and agree that our current economic structure/national debt needs help, I can't help but ask, "what are you thinking?" Better yet is he thinking?

He even says in the article that he knows the bill won't pass. Why then sir are you wasting our time and money. There are plenty of things in our state that need reform and could use your time and energy. How about turning your attention to our education, welfare, or foster care systems?!?!

The Bible is clear that God intends for us to respect those in authority over us and that includes government officials. I do support our Governor and Lt. Governor and pray that God gives them wisdom and that they will follow His leading. It doesn't mean, however, that we are supposed to idly sit by and let them waste our time and money though. One of the privileges of being an American citizen is our right to vote and have our voice heard. We need to make sure that our voice is heard at election time and that we choose our leaders wisely.

My challenge to you (and my self) is to get more involved in the political process and make sure that we are supporting candidates that hold our same views and goals. Don't just go out on election day, do your homework! If I lived in Rep. Pitts district that choice would be a no brainer!

Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy

2010-02-11T11:47:00.001-05:00

Silver Ring Thing

2010-01-31T20:34:00.004-05:00

Marathon is hosting The Silver Ring Thing on Friday, March 5th. This is a live event that promotes abstinence. We are partnering with other churches in the area to offer this to as many students as possible in the Anderson, Pickens, and Greenville county areas. Being the host church, we are responsible for providing volunteers for the event (approximately 35) and host homes for the team putting on the event. Please consider helping us! If you would like to help, please contact me and I will make sure you are put to use. Volunteers are needed for registration, merchandise/ring sales, security, concessions, and ticket takers.

If you are willing to open up your home to the team members the guidelines are below. Housing will be needed for Thursday and Friday night. The team members are typically college students. If you are willing but don't meet all the guidelines let me know and we may be able to work out the details. Thanks for helping us make this happen for the students in our community.

Housing guidelines:

1. Each team member has his or her own bed
2. Minimum of 2 members of the same sex at each host home
3. No more than 15 min from the venue
4. Transportation to and from venue
5. Internet access available
6. Laundry access available
7. Opportunity to sleep in (time based on next event)

I'm Yours(ukulele)

2009-12-15T18:38:00.001-05:00

Too cute!

Adoption Update

2009-12-14T10:37:00.003-05:00

Friday was the anniversary of the date that we first met with DSS and chose to add Reese to our family. This past Friday we had our monthly home visit with DSS and she came bearing Christmas gifts. It is almost as good as the gift we got last year!

We have a TPR date! This hearing is to terminate the birth mother's rights. It is set for March 25th with the possibility of being moved up sooner! If all goes smoothly and as planned there will be one more court date following this one (probably summer) to finalize our adoption!

This is a huge step! Thank you Lord!

What I really want for Christmas

2009-12-03T15:11:00.003-05:00

What better gift could you give a child this Christmas? There really are thousands of children out there that need a home this Christmas. A family and the chance to meet our Savior...what better gift is there?!?!?

New Addition

2009-12-02T10:42:00.003-05:00

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, we discovered that there is a new addition to the Holder family.

Apparently, this groundhog is living under our storage building. He keeps popping out and grazing in the back yard. Who knew there were ground hogs in SC?!?!?

Any suggestions on a name?

Crafts!

2009-11-24T14:27:00.002-05:00

This weekend I finally got around to a project that I have been wanting to work on for a month. I found some chipboard letters at Hobby Lobby and wanted to use them as wall art in Reese's room. Here are the results:

Before

After

Now the next step is actually getting them on the wall. We'll see how long that takes!

David Crowder*Band - "How He Loves" OFFICIAL Music Video

2009-11-16T18:44:00.001-05:00

Vote for Reese

2009-11-07T22:45:00.002-05:00

Reese Is Entered in the Gap Casting Call

Gap is holding a nationwide contest to find the next faces of babyGap and GapKids, and Reese is entered into the contest. Check out Reese's entry here:

http://family.go.com/gapcastingcall/entries/crystalholder/392778526/

Go to the website above and vote for Reese. The baby with the most votes wins a trip to Disney World. You can vote once a day until November 17th.

Ask everyone you know to vote for Reese!

Party Time

2009-11-06T10:52:00.006-05:00

If you didn't know, I love event planning. For sometime now I have been working on starting my own event (party/wedding) planning business. I have done several weddings and parties over the last couple of years. My next wedding is coming up in December and I am really excited about it.

Right now I am working on a baby shower for my dear friend Kelley. Yesterday I mailed out the invitations. I had a lot of fun working on them, so I wanted to share them with you. The pictures aren't great due to my camera. (The only white surface I could find was the blanket of my bed. Ignore the the edges.) You won't be able to tell from the pictures, but the pink and blue dots are raised off the page.

I am working on an event planning website, but if you or someone you know needs a great planner please contact me. My specialties are wedding and children's events. As soon as the website is complete I will share the link.

Adoption Update

2009-11-03T10:02:00.004-05:00

In the last couple of months God has made it very clear to me that I need to pray differently concerning our adoption. Pray specifically, very specifically. Of course I have been praying for things to go smoothly and quickly, but that was not specific enough. You may remember that we originally had a court date scheduled for August. We never got a explanation of what happened, but that hearing had to be rescheduled. To make a long story short, after a long wait and finally praying very specifically, we got a new court date.

November 10th will be our pre-trial hearing. My understanding is that the birth mother will be appointed an attorney at that time and the judge will make sure that DSS has all the necessary paperwork in place to continue. Please join us in praying SPECIFICALLY that our caseworker and the DSS attorney will have taken all the steps necessary to move forward on that date and that we will be given our next court date at that time. The next date would be for the TPR (termination) hearing.

This is the HUGE one that we have been so anxiously awaiting. Most likely that date will be set for January or February, but what an incredible Christmas gift it would be to have it scheduled for December. December 22nd will be our 1st anniversary with our sweet baby and it would be so much sweeter to know that we were one step closer to legally making him ours!

Our monthly visit with the caseworkers is scheduled for this week, so maybe we will have more info then. Thank you for joining us on this journey and keep praying!

It's been too long!

2009-11-02T18:52:00.002-05:00

Wow, I can't believe it has been a month since I have written anything. So much has happened and there are so many things to share. I guess there will be a lot of posts in November to make up for October.

Let's start it off with two tid bits on Reese:

1. Last night Reese saw a Fisher Price commercial on tv and discovered their "theme song". It was so cute. As soon as the lady finished singing he sang it right back to her, "play, laugh, grow". Play and laugh are a little hard to make out but grow comes out loud and clear. He has been singing it (in perfect pitch I might add) over and over ever since.

2. When I got out of the shower this morning I could hear Reese on the baby monitor. I put some clothes on and went to get him. As I walked through the living room the lights started doing crazy things. When I opened the bedroom door I found my 16 month old had pulled the remote to his fan/light off the wall and was playing with it. Somehow he has reprogrammed his remote to control the fan/light in the living room instead of his!

Are your hands full?

2009-10-07T11:12:00.003-04:00

This week has been crazy and hectic. We have appointments today, tomorrow, and Friday as well as a wedding this weekend. Monday Reese started the week off with a bang and a good laugh. Check out the details here.

On my way home from work Monday night I was listening to the Billy Graham radio station 106.9. Charles Stanley or Chuck Swindoll was on (sorry, I heard both that evening and don't remember which was on at the time). He was talking about a book that he had read and quoted this line, "God can not pour His richest blessings into hands that are full."

This really struck me. I couldn't help but think of all the times I have held onto things and probably missed the blessings that God had for me. It was just one more reminder to me to LET IT GO! Let go of the grudges, let go of the hurt, let go of being in control, etc. LET IT GO and let Him richly bless your obedience.

Spaghetti up the Nose

2009-09-25T22:28:00.001-04:00

Little Beyonce

2009-09-25T22:24:00.001-04:00

green bean standoff

2009-09-25T22:05:00.001-04:00

I saw this video on America's Funniest Home Videos a few years ago. It is too funny!

Something to think about

2009-09-24T15:39:00.003-04:00

I came across this quote today and thought I would share.

Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember that what you now have was once among the things only hoped for. -Epicurus

Personality Profile

2009-09-23T15:55:00.004-04:00

Robert Fortner recently posted on his blog that he had done a personality profile test. I have done the Myers Briggs before, but this one was a little different. Here are the top ten traits that characterize my personality:

Scrupulous
You are an honest, fair person. You don't lie or cheat to get ahead. You treat others with respect and hope for the same in return.
You do not feel that you are above the rules that everyone else follows; you are definitely not willing to do whatever it takes to get ahead.

Responsible
You fulfill your obligations and responsibilities, are true to your word, and generally obey the rules. While the majority of those who have a high score on the "responsible" trait enjoy traveling, they are usually very happy to return home — and don’t mind staying put for a while.
You're opposed to making hasty decisions, you don't insist that you're above the rules, nor do you feel compelled to color outside the lines.

Conscientious
You feel it's important to work according to a plan and finish every task, to do things correctly and thoroughly.
You are not the kind of person who abandons a project before finishing it, or slacks off when you've lost interest.

Organized
You like to think a task through before you embark on it. If it's the slightest bit complicated, you make a list (even if it's only in your mind) and methodically work your way through it. When you have a goal in mind, you're not satisfied until you reach it.
You are not one of those people who ignore the details, and you don't understand how anyone can get anything accomplished without thoughtful planning ahead of time.

Centered
You often feel balanced and on top of things, even when those around you are freaking out. You're in a pretty good state all the time, and not subject to drastic mood swings.
You don't usually react before you think; you're not ruled by your emotions.

Aesthetic
You appreciate art, beauty, and design; you know that they are not superficial but absolutely crucial to living the good life. You have good taste, and you're proud of it. Those with a high score on the "aesthetic" trait are often employed in literary or artistic professions, enjoy domestic activities — doing things around the house — and are enthusiastic about the arts, reading, and travel.
You don't think it's pretentious to be moved by art and beauty. You're not one of those who believe it doesn't matter what something looks like as long as it does its job.

Buttoned-Down
You like to know that everything is in its place; it's somehow empowering to know that the world around you is neat and organized. For you, schedules and timelines are great ways to stay on track, and mowing down the items on your "to do" list is a source of happiness.
You do not believe that a clean, orderly desk is the sign of a person who doesn't have enough to do; you don't thrive on a sense of personal anarchy.

Focused
You know how to lock in on what's important. You quickly prepare yourself for a task, you don't procrastinate, and you don't let up until the job is done to your satisfaction.
You are the opposite of scattered. You don't procrastinate before starting a task, and you almost never lose track of what you're doing.

Prudent
You look before you leap, think before you act, consider what you're about to say before you open your mouth to speak; that's why you rarely have to eat your words.
You usually don't get excited easily or blurt out the first thing that comes to mind without considering the consequences.

Sympathetic
You have a knack for knowing what's going on in the hearts and minds of those around you, without their having to tell you explicitly. People tend to turn to you with their problems because they know you care, and that you will likely offer good advice and a helping hand.
You do not feel that people with sad stories are just looking for attention, or have brought their problems upon themselves.

© 2008-2009 Signal Patterns. All Rights Reserved. Patents Pending.'Signal Patterns' ®, and the Signal Patterns ® logo are trademarks of Signal Patterns.

Instructions for Baby

2009-09-23T15:31:00.001-04:00

One of my college roomates posted an incredibly funny blog today. If you are a parent or grandparent, you need to check it out. I promise you will get a good laugh!

Baby Instructions

Ministry Wives

2009-09-23T15:11:00.003-04:00

I follow the Married to a Youth Pastor blog and this week a great question came up. If you had the opportunity to attend a women's Bible study, would you prefer to go to one at your own church or a different church? (You can read the original post by clicking here. ) I read the comments and then added my own. Here was my response...

First of all, I would love to be a part of a women's Bible study. I would choose one outside of my church though. My first choice would be to have a Bible study made up of pastor's wives from our area. I have been in ministry about 10 years (8 of them with my husband). Though my husband is the paid staffer, we generally serve as a team and the people in our church know that. That being said, they think that I am the inside track to the staff.

Many times when I am involved with other women at our church I get asked a million questions about private staff matters. I also get an earful about anything people aren't happy about. It is very draining and awkward. There really isn't a tactful way to tell people to mind their own business in certain situations.

Women outside of ministry don't understand the fishbowl and stress that we live under. Our whole family is on call 24/7. (Yes, we knew this was the case when we chose to follow God's call.) Often we sacrifice family time to deal with someone else's crisis. It would be such a blessing to have a connection with other women that understand the dynamics of a ministry family.

It has been my desire for quite a while to form a support team of ministry wives in our area. If anybody out there is in upstate SC look me up. I would love to get to know you!

The Marshmallow Test

2009-09-21T18:27:00.001-04:00

How many times have we passed on God's best for what seems good right now? Unfortunately, we are to often like the red headed girl and don't even attempt to wait on God. How much more rewarding is it to be like the little boy and get the double blessing when we don't settle?

Somethings to think about

2009-09-17T16:03:00.003-04:00

A few months ago I bought a new Bible. It was a $5 special at Lifeway, so I thought I would check it out. What a great purchase... I love it! The Holman Student Bible has some great resources. It would be a great purchase for any student (young or old). One of my favorite resources included are the quotes that accompany some scriptures. Here are a few that struck me today.

"You may as well quit reading and hearing the Word of God, and give it to the devil if you do not desire to live according to it." - Martin Luther

"If you're seeking God in the middle of shattered dreams, if you've become aware of your desire for Him but are having trouble finding Him, be encouraged that it bothers you. The more you're bothered by not finding Him, the more aware you're becoming of how badly you want Him." - Larry Crabb

A Little Encouragement

2009-09-15T18:26:00.004-04:00

"One Heartbeat At A Time"

by Steven Curtis Chapman from the album This Moment

You're up all night with a screaming baby. You run all day at the speed of life and every day you feel a little bit less like the beautiful woman you are. So you fall into bed when you run out of hours and you wonder if anything worth doing got done. Oh, maybe you just don't know or maybe you've forgotten... You, you are changing the world one little heartbeat at a time. Making history with every touch and every smile. Oh, you, you may not see it now but I believe that time will tell how you, you are changing the world one little heartbeat at a time. With every "I know you can do it." Every tear that you kiss away. So many little things that seem to go unnoticed. They're just like the drops of rain over time they become a river. You’re beautiful, so beautiful how you’re changing the world, yeah you’re changing the world.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

2009-09-15T17:47:00.005-04:00

A teacher, astronaut, fashion designer, model, dance teacher, and flight attendant. Those were my answers to that question through my elementary school years. In middle school I stuck with the dance theme and I wanted to be a professional dancer and own a dance school. High School brought about the idea of being a counselor or psychologist. On my college application I declared psychology as my major. (I graduated with a degree in Communications and Sociology.)

The college years came with the thoughts of being a music producer or entertainment management. Then I became "socially aware" and wanted to be Miss America (yes I was a pageant girl) and then become a politician. You know there are so many former Miss America's turned politician out there. The goal was to use my influence to change the world. Though I did not pursue politics, I did the next best thing... I went to work for a non profit agency.

Honestly, the only thing I ever knew for certain was that God had called me to ministry. I didn't know what ministry, but I was willing to try as many as possible to find out. My freshman year of college Dr. Susan Underwood at Carson Newman College (Go Eagles!) assigned a research paper to her English 101 students about their career goals. Since ministry was the only thing I was sure of, that is what I wrote about. I wrote about being a pastor's wife to be exact. My associate pastor's wife was the focus of my research. I further explored ministry by taking an internship with a local church the summer between my junior and senior year. (That was probably the best summer of my life!)

Like I said before, upon graduation I took a job with a non profit and after a few years I went to another non profit. I have considered many other jobs: event planner, graphic design, child care, teaching, acting, and a few more. It never made sense to me that I couldn't put my finger on my ministry and I could never find the "perfect" job for me. Don't get me wrong, I like my job and enjoyed most of the others that I have had, but nothing has ever seemed perfect. I was never making that huge impact on the world that I felt I should be.

Then came December...

The last eight months have brought a lot of things to light for me. I have finally found my niche. As much as I like my current job and enjoy the children's and youth ministries that I am involved in, nothing is a better fit for me than being mom. Don't get me wrong, I am learning a lot as I go. I don't have it all figured out and never will. What I do know is that I am changing the world everyday. Changing the world of one little fella who knows that his Mommy and Daddy love him more than he can imagine. My ministry is my family.

It all became very real to me this weekend when I asked my 15 month old, "Who loves Reese?" Without prompting, his reply was, "God." There is no other job I would rather have!

200

2009-09-15T17:40:00.001-04:00

This is my 200th blog. Just thought I would share my milestone with you.

It's NEGATIVE!

2009-09-11T14:19:00.005-04:00

Those long awaited words just came on the other side of my cell phone. In December we were presented with information about our potential child. After leaving that meeting, we had A LOT to consider. One thing we never expected to hear was that this child may have a potentially life threatening disease. You see, Reese's birth mother has a disease and up to that point, there were traces of the disease in his blood.

After consulting with several medical professionals and much prayer, we decided to proceed. We have been seeing a wonderful specialist every three months to have lab work done. The first two tests showed that there were still antibodies of the disease. Dr. Johnson had assured us that he expected these to have flushed out of his system by 12-18 months. The 12 month test was negative, but Dr. Johnson wanted one more negative before he cleared Reese. On Tuesday we had the 15 month test. Well, the call just came and Praise the Lord... It is NEGATIVE!

Our God is so good! Thanks Dr. Johnson and nurse Helen. The next time we see you will simply be a visit to say hello!

Lessons from a child

2009-09-09T16:21:00.003-04:00

Yesterday Reese had his first official play date. He was worn out and seemed to have enjoyed himself. I don't know about him, but mom learned a few lessons from the experience. The morning started with a visit to Dr. Johnson for a check up and blood work. My little man was such a trooper. He behaved so well. Dr. Johnson was checking his ears and was planning to check his throat. Before the Dr. had a chance to say anything, Reese opened up wide and kept saying "Ahh". It was so cute and totally caught Dr. Johnson off guard. After the exam, nurse Helen put some cream on his little arms to get him numbed up for blood work.

I am always nervous about blood work, but I was even more on edge this time (for several reasons). The child before Reese was FREAKING out. He made quite a scene and you could feel the tension in the waiting room. I just knew that Reese would follow suit and flip out. Boy was I surprised. He didn't make a peep. We laid him on the table, the nurse stuck him and it was over. She bandaged him up and we were gone without a tear.

We got in the car and headed to the mall to meet my friend Natalie and her boys. In the 5 minutes it took us to get to the mall he had stripped the bandage off. "I'm a tough guy mom. I don't need no stinking bandage!"

Lesson 1: Don't worry about what may be. Focus on the now!

The little boy ahead of Reese was probably 4 or 5 and apparently knew what was coming when he entered the lab. He was thinking about it way too much and freaked out before the nurse ever touched him. Reese, on the other hand, had no idea what was coming next. He was concerned about the cookies I was feeding him at the moment. He did not allow himself to worry about what may be coming. Because his focus was on the here and now, he didn't have any need to freak out.

Matthew 6:34 (The Message)
Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

After a quick visit with cousin Brant at GAP kids we headed to the play area. There was a little girl playing that looked about 2. Reese kept watching her and trying to play near her. She was a cute little girl (he has good taste). I wish I could say she was a sweet as she was cute. Natalie, Brant, and I watched this little girl shove Reese several times. This was not an accident, it was almost like she was on a search and destroy mission. My goal was to keep Reese away from her, but like most boys, he was drawn to the pretty girl.

Were I in his place, my first reaction would have been to go right back at her. I know, turn the other cheek, do unto others, yadda yadda yadda. I wish I were strong enough that those were my first thoughts. No, I don't typically act on them, but they are my initial thoughts. If you were really honest with yourself, that would probably be your initial reaction as well. Not my boy. Each time she pushed him, he would get up and giggle, then he would give the little girl the biggest hug.

Lesson 2: Love speaks volumes

I am ashamed to say that my 15 month old handles things in a more Christ like manner than I do. Somehow, I can't see Jesus shoving the little girl back. Like Reese, He would have found a way to respond in love. For Reese, the only way he knows to show love is hugs and kisses and that is exactly what he did. That little girl did not stop pushing Reese as a result of his hugs, but that didn't stop him from giving the hugs either. Christ doesn't stop loving us because we don't show Him love back. THANK GOODNESS!

How many times have I shoved Him or even spit in His face and His response was to turn around and embrace me. Like Reese's "friend", I am undeserving of His love, but how blessed I am by it.

My prayer is that I can be a little more like Reese, and in turn more like my Savior. Oh, the lessons I am learning from my little one.

The Biggest Loser's Amy Parham talks about the value of LearningRx

2009-09-08T17:13:00.001-04:00

If you would like more information about LearningRx, please contact me. We have locations all over the country and 3 in upstate SC.

A New Law

2009-09-03T18:29:00.001-04:00

Repost of Sept 1. The video is lost on the original post, but read my thoughts there.

Memphis 09

2009-09-03T17:22:00.004-04:00

I can't believe that I am just now getting to this. Sorry! Our mission trip to Memphis was incredible as usual. God never ceases to amaze me. I took (literally) hundreds of pictures. I have included links to the pictures. ( Album 1, Album 2)You can also find them in my facebook albums. There is so much that I could share, but I will give you my highlights.

Every year as we prepare and help our students prepare, we always think about how we are going to change those children and their community. Every year God changes us! You would think that we would get it by now, but apparently we are slow learners. There was one student that we thought would be a great part of the team, so Bryan approached him about going. After some consideration (and I am sure parental consultation) he decided to go. I knew that he was afraid of kids, but thought that he would enjoy other aspects of the week. The first day he was a little reserved on the site, but he began warming up on the second day.

That night we took the team to WalMart. On the way back I heard the student talking to his parents on the phone. "I'm pretty sure I am not afraid of kids anymore." The tears began to flow as I thought about how HUGE a thing that was for him. I am tearing up now just thinking about it. God is so faithful to use us and change us to be more like Himself if we will just be willing to step outside of ourselves.

On Thursday, we were sure that our Bible Club was going to be rained out. Determined not to give up on the next to the last day (Friday was the close of the summer), our site missionary Austin, told us that we could go door to door and just talk to the kids or play with them on their porches where it was dry. Our team was so excited and immediately figured out ways to adjust their jobs for the day. After dropping our students off at various locations in the neighborhood, Bryan and I drove over to an apartment complex where we dropped some students off earlier. Some of our students were sitting in a covered area in front of one of the apartments with several kids making salvation bracelets.

The rain was letting up, so we started driving around telling our other students to come over to the apartments. Within 20 minutes or so, the rain had stopped and we had filled the parking lot with kids. There were bicycle games going on, crafts, Frisbee games, and ball games. Kids we had not seen all week were hanging out with us. Since our story that day included a gospel presentation, we didn't want to miss that opportunity. The boys leading that day, adjusted and did GREAT!!! The kids were more attentive than any other day. (If you look at the pictures you will see the apartments and some of the houses surrounding them. These apartments are luxurious compared to the rest of the neighborhood. Don't let them fool you. We are in one of the 5 poorest neighborhoods in America.)

The last thing that I want to share is probably the most important. Our kids were truly changed! There was a fire ignited in them to change their own community. Before we made it back to Powdersville they had plans and weren't going to let us talk them out of it. On Saturday, August 15th (2 weeks after our return) they got together and canvased the neighborhood around the church. They made fliers and handed them out inviting all the kids to a Saturday Bible Club at Marathon. The next Saturday 17 high school students (there were only 14 on the mission team) arrived at the church at 9:00am, prayed, walked the neighborhood collecting kids, and had a Bible club.

There were 16 kids and only one of them was a child that comes to our church. They have a club planned for one Saturday every month with hopes for more during the summer. It was a great day! The kids enjoyed it and our students did an incredible job. We were so proud of them. There were 6 or 7 adults there to help, but it was completely student led. Our students are amazing and are serious about serving their community. Several more projects are in the making, so be on the look out for more doting!

The hands and feet of Jesus, that is what our students are becoming and we couldn't be prouder!

*We made friends with some very cool Vietnamese students from Houston. (There are a lot of pictures of them as well.)

Confession!

2009-09-03T17:12:00.003-04:00

If you have followed this blog very long, you may remember that last summer during our mission trip to Memphis our mail was stolen. Someone stole a box of checks from our mailbox. (Yes, I learned a lesson and we have the mail stopped during trips and we got a PO box for important mail.) Thanks to the WONDERFUL (and yes I mean that!) folks at our sheriff's department, we had a suspects name within a week or so. What we didn't know was that this fella had been on an ID theft spree. Ends up that he was linked to numerous cases of mail theft and identity theft in multiple states.

Last night one of those awesome detectives told me that our suspect had finally be extradited to SC from TN. On Tuesday the suspect was brought into the detectives office for questioning. The detective said that my name was the first one he asked about and the suspect confessed. Because we had reported the incident to the postal inspector it became a federal crime. Our suspect will soon be facing a judge and spending about 10 years in prison for his little crime spree.

While it gives me satisfaction to have closure to the incident, I really hope this guy has learned a lesson. He is only in his early 20's. Pray for him that he will spend those next few years getting himself together.

A New Law

2009-09-01T16:21:00.002-04:00

A Facebook friend posted this video. I couldn't help but think about how often I walk through life blind and begging for a new law rather than living in GRACE!

More local coverage of signing day

2009-08-19T16:46:00.002-04:00

T.L. Hanna's Hall signs with Brewers : High School : Anderson Independent-Mail

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Offically Brewers Fans!

2009-08-19T16:32:00.003-04:00

Monday was an exciting day for my family. We all had the privilege of being part of my cousin's MLB signing. Brook's was a 4th round draft pick of the Milwaukee Brewer's. Monday it was made official with his contract signing. Here are links to the local news stories:

WYFF 4

Brooks Hall Signs Contract with Brewers WSPA

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Local Stats on Foster Care

2009-08-04T15:51:00.003-04:00

These are some statistics that I found today on the number of kids entering foster care.

Children Entering Foster Care State Fiscal Years 2008 and 2009Statistics are from July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009.

Anderson County 132
Greenville County 380
Pickens County 125

These are the three counties closest to me and that our church reaches. Again these are the numbers of children entering foster care. It does not include the children that were already in care.

These numbers show you the importance of good foster homes. Please consider opening your heart and home to one of these deserving children. Remember, they are in care because their parents can't properly care for them, not by any fault of their own!

We have a preliminary hearing on our case this week, so please pray that things go well!

Something to think about

2009-08-03T17:14:00.001-04:00

I love great quotes. Here are a couple that I have come across lately:

Character is like a tree, and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing. Abraham Lincoln

Wise men talk because they have something to say, fools talk because they have to say something. Plato

Waiting Children

2009-07-24T17:10:00.004-04:00

A facebook friend sent out the following message today:

"FYI - Amy Wood with News Channel 7 will air a special report on the kids in SC waiting to be adopted this coming Monday July 27th @ 6pm. She also plans to feature a new child each week on her blog theribbit. This is exactly the kind of coverage the waiting children in our state need. Kudos to Amy and her station!"

I want to encourage everyone to check out the report if you live in upstate SC. If you live outside the GSP area follow the story on line at http://www.wspa.com/.

There are so many children out there waiting for great homes. You don't have to be wealthy or even live in a large house. All you need is a little room and love to share.

If you have ever considered adoption, this may be just what you need to get you moving in the right direction. Private adoption is not the only option out there and you can adopt for VERY little money!

Check this story out and pass the word along.

Memphis or Bust

2009-07-22T18:41:00.003-04:00

We are inching closer to our Memphis trip. This is my favorite trip that we do with our students every year. I am very excited about returning and can't wait to jump right in. This year, the trip will be bittersweet for me.

After a lot of thought and discussion, we decided not to take Reese with us. My heart is breaking! I have to leave my sweet baby for 7 days. I am dreading that! Please pray for me. I am not a worrier and don't stress easily, but I am already emotionally bogged down about this. We know that he is being left in more than capable hands and will be treated like a king.

I know that this is a natural feeling for most moms, but I don't want Satan to use this as a way to distract me. Thanks to the wonderful media guys at our church we will be able to iChat with him while we are gone. Hopefully that will ease this mommy's nerves a little.

My biggest concern is that he will fear that he is being moved to a new family again. Please pray for us and Reese. Also, please pray for our mission team. We want to make sure that we are all focused and prepared to put ourselves aside.

Be prepared... I have no doubt that I will have much to share!

Mommy help needed!

2009-07-20T09:10:00.011-04:00

I need some advice! My little Houdini has figured out how to pull the covers out of the electric sockets. I have put a baby gate in front of them, covered them with tape, and moved furniture. All with no success. Reese has managed to figure them all out. Here is what I just caught him doing as I am writing this:

Any suggestions? Please help me before my little one shocks himself!

That was tough!

2009-07-13T16:34:00.007-04:00

Bryan and some of the other staff guys have been working out together in the mornings. For a while they were doing P90X. They would often talk about how tough of a work out it is, but they got results. Over the past couple of years Bryan has lost about 20 pounds and dropped 2 or 3 pant sizes. I have been so proud of him.

Unfortunately, I can't say the same for myself. For a long time I have been unhappy with my current state of physical fitness. The older I get, the lazier I seem to get and the more junk I eat. The days of wearing size 1's & 0's and walking everywhere I went slowly began to fade away after I walked across the stage at CU and received my degree nearly 9 years ago. I am at least 20lbs heavier and 3 sizes bigger than then (I found everything Bryan lost). Any hopes of fitting into my wedding dress for our 10 year anniversary seem to be fleeting dreams. For the longest time I have complained, but that is all I have done. There just never seems to be any motivation to change.

After seeing the results of P90X, I considered it myself... then I thought better of it. Not having exercised in some time and being asthmatic, I thought that may be a little much. Soon I saw the infomercial for 10 minute trainer which was created by Tony Horton (the P90X guy). I thought this may be my answer. Being the working mother of an infant, I don't have a lot of down time, and I don't want to leave my baby anymore than I have too. Not being one to buy something from an infomercial, I went online to check it out. I ordered 10 minuter trainer online with the best of intentions. It has sat at my house for weeks now untouched.

Sunday morning I woke up at 5 am and couldn't go back to sleep. What better time to start? Oh my gosh... that lower body workout kicked my tail! I seriously thought that I was going to throw up. I never thought 10 minutes could be so intense. I didn't let it get me down though, today I did the cardio workout. It didn't get me quite as bad, but still intense. Hopefully I will stay faithful to this.

Horton encourages you to weigh & measure yourself before you begin the program. He also encourages you to take a before picture. I would rather not share those with you right now. Maybe if I get some awesome results I will put them up as a testimonial.

Pray for me... I really want to stick to this (and not let it kill me!).

Skating Babies - Evian

2009-07-13T16:34:00.001-04:00

This is really funny. Some one sent this to Bryan because they thought one of the babies looks like Reese. Too cute!

Monthly Update

2009-07-11T13:37:00.004-04:00

Reese had his 12 month check up this week. Our chunky monkey seems to be growing into himself. He is now 30 inches long and 22.10 pounds. At his 6 month check up he was in the 90-95% percentile. At 9 months he was in the 75%. He is now in the 30-50%. We were a little surprised that he didn't weigh more, but he has started walking a good bit and has gotten so long. I guess it all evens out. He had grown nearly a full inch and only 1/2 a pound.

It is kind of sad when I look back in the car. I am starting to see a little boy instead of a baby. It is just a reminder to cherish everyday because they grow up so fast.

We had our monthly visit yesterday. Things are still on track for a pre-trial hearing in early August. It is not necessary for us to be at this hearing, so most likely we will not attend. If that date goes well, we may have a TPR hearing as early as September, but most likely October. After that hearing, the BM has 30 days to appeal and then the judge has 30 more days to review her appeal and the paperwork that DSS's attorney draws up. At that point we are turned over completely to adoptions and will not deal with foster care any more.

Unfortunately, we miss understood what happens next. We were under the impression that we would be able to finalize almost immediately at that point. We now know that it may take another 4-6 months to finalize after that. Of course, our hope is for the shorter time frame. In our minds we would be final by the end of the year. It now seems that the spring is a more accurate guess, but a guess is all that it is. (God is in control and anything is possible!)

Consequences to follow

2009-06-29T11:00:00.009-04:00

As a supporter of Mark Sanford, I was disappointed when the news broke last week about his affair. I must say that I respect the fact that he released this information on his own rather than waiting until he was forced to address it. Yes, often we hold people in the public eye to a higher standard. I don't necessarily agree with that, but we do expect more from our leaders and icons than we expect from ourselves.

This incident just goes to show that no one is immune from making mistakes. It also shows that no one is immune from grace. Regardless of the standard we set for others and the repercussions we think should be placed on them, Grace is the ultimate standard.

The night that this news broke, my devotion happened to be about repentance and consequences. In 2 Chronicles 12 we see that King Rehoboam has turned his back on God and is ruling in his own power. The King of Egypt rises up to destroy Israel. Rehoboam realizes that he and his people are going to die as a result of his disobedience. In verse 6 we see that he is sorry for what he has done and says that the Lord does what is right.

King Rehoboam wasn't trying to get out of his consequences, he simply saw that this was what was due to him. He didn't admit his fault to get out of anything. As a matter of fact, the Egyptians continued to attack. However, no one was destroyed and Rehoboam went on to rule, this time trusting in God.

Many times we admit our wrongs in an effort to get ourselves out of trouble and usually this tactic does not work. We can't cry a few tears and bat our eye lashes and get out of everything (despite the fact that many of our parents have perpetuated this belief in us). People get hurt and bridges are burned as a result of our bad decisions. However, grace still abounds and it is by grace that we are given the opportunity for a second chance.

Romans 5:20 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
The law came along to multiply the trespass. But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more,

Romans 5:20 (The Message)
All that passing laws against sin did was produce more lawbreakers. But sin didn't, and doesn't, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace. When it's sin versus grace, grace wins hands down. All sin can do is threaten us with death, and that's the end of it. (Emphasis mine)

As believers, regardless of our social status, we are held to the highest of standards, Christ's standard. Because of this we can expect that we will face much more scrutiny for our actions as we have seen with Gov. Sanford. This means that we have to be even more careful of everything that we do and count the cost of all of our decisions. It is of utmost importance that we live our lives above reproach.

Luke 12:48 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
But the one who did not know and did things deserving of blows will be beaten lightly. Much will be required of everyone who has been given much. And even more will be expected of the one who has been entrusted with more.

Guard your heart and count the cost! There will be consequences to follow.

Monthly Adoption Update

2009-06-25T11:03:00.002-04:00

We had a visit with our Foster Care worker this morning and things are moving along. Foster Care Review Board is next week and we have a pre-trial court date in early August. My understanding was that this is a time for the birth parent's lawyer to ask for an extension of the treatment plan if they feel it is necessary. Due to the fact that BM is still incarcerated and we expect that she will be at that time as well (and for some time beyond), this doesn't seem likely. Part of her treatment plan was to stay out of legal trouble, so she has obviously not followed through. However, I am not the one in control and anything is possible. Our case worker should be able to give us the TPR (termination of parental rights) date by this trial date. She thinks that it will be before the end of the year.

At this point we would ask you to join us in praying that there will not be an extension or appeal and that we would be able to get a TPR date quickly. Thank you for your prayers and support. We know that God is in control and that His plan is perfect.

The Storm Before the Calm

2009-06-10T11:15:00.003-04:00

Yes, you read that right...the storm before the calm, at least I hope that is what is going on. Our students camps start this Friday (Middle School Friday-Sunday and HS Sunday-Friday). Last year on the first night of HS camp Bryan and two students ended up in the ER. The next day we had one more in the ER and one at the Dr. At MS camp Bryan got bit/stung again and almost ended up in the ER.

I am hoping that yesterday's visit to the ER is making up for any at camp. Bryan often plays basketball with other staff guys and students on our new outdoor court at the church. While playing yesterday, Bryan somehow tore his calf muscle. He was in a lot of pain and afraid that he had torn his Achilles. We were in the ER for a few hours. It looked like it was going to be a fairly quick trip, but the ER doc decided to call in the orthopedic doc and it took him over an hour to get there. (Of course we had already been there over an hour when he was called.) We ended up with a pair of crutches and a couple of prescriptions.

Bryan had already been at the hospital that day visiting with our friends Chris & Kathy. They too were supposed to be a part of our HS camp. Kathy's dad is not doing well and the Dr has suggested that they not leave town.

Last year we had a lot of crazy things happen at camp, but God also showed up in ways that our kids had never experienced before. On top of the hospital issues yesterday, we had to change our camp plans three times before finalizing about 3 weeks ago (we usually have this done by January). As much as this adds to the hecticness of getting ready for camp, it excites me. Why? God is up to something. I just want to get out of the way and let Him do His thing!

Please pray for our camps and for Kathy's dad.

By the way... I have come to the conclusion that student ministry is hazardous to Bryan's health.

What more can I say?

2009-05-28T17:35:00.003-04:00

I saw several of these signs on my way to work this week. I wonder what the name says about his politics? Let's just say I'm glad I don't live in Pelzer.

Welcome Baby Carson

2009-05-22T10:47:00.002-04:00

I have a new nephew. My sister, Kristi, gave birth to her first child on Wednesday around 7:55pm. Carson Vance King was 9lb 1oz and nearly 21 inches long. We went to visit him yesterday, but Reese had to wait outside. Little ones are not allowed. We are looking forward to visiting Baby Carson at home. Aunt Kristi promised he wouldn't have to wait outside.

Kris Allen singing God of this City

2009-05-21T15:38:00.002-04:00

Kris was my favorite early on this season. I didn't know until last week that he was a Christian and an incredible worship leader. Let's pray for this young man as he has enters this new part of his life. Just imagine the awesome ways that God can use him!

Sleepless Nights

2009-05-20T09:28:00.003-04:00

We were so blessed that Reese was already sleeping through the night when he came home to us. There had only been a couple of rough nights... until Sunday.

Last week Reese started showing some signs of separation anxiety. According to all of the books I have read, this is common at this age. I had no idea that it carried over into the night. Sunday night Reese went to sleep at his regular time and everything seemed normal. Bryan and I went to sleep as normal. 12:30 came and normal went out the door. Reese was wide awake and screaming with panic. I went into his room and held him. We laid on the couch until he went back to sleep. I put him back in the bed, and as soon as he hit the mattress he was up and screaming again.

This went on all night. Bryan and I took turns holding him. This was the only way he would sleep. One of us had to be touching him all night. His preference was to have his arms wrapped around my neck in a death grip. He hardly napped on Monday, and feel asleep nearly an hour and a half early that night. Monday night was a repeat. The problem is that we don't sleep if he is in our bed. We both worry about rolling on him or him getting caught in the covers.

Tuesday I did a lot of research, talked to a lot of parents, and my friend Crystal who is a child psychologist (she has been an invaluable resource!). I got many suggestions on ways to handle it, and determined that he was either having nightmares or the separation anxiety was carrying over into the night. We had a plan for what to try last night, but that will have to wait.

Before I went to bed last night, I went into Reese's room and prayed for him. THANK YOU LORD! He slept all night! I didn't because I kept anticipating him waking up. Hopefully tonight will be good for us all.

Monthly Adoption Update

2009-05-15T16:34:00.004-04:00

We had our monthly meeting with our case workers this morning. Little Buddy put on a show for them today. He was full of smiles, squeaks, giggles, and plops as he tested out his new standing skills. We were glad to see him show off that personality of his.

I am amazed at how God continues to make His hand in this process so clear. You may remember that the grant paying for DSS's lawyer had run out. We were concerned that this was going to slow things down. Yesterday we were told that the lawyer has continued to work on our case despite the fact that she is not being paid. She has never lost a TPR (Termination of Parental Rights) case and is confident that our case is cut and dry. This was blessing #1 of the day.

Blessing #2 came when the foster care worker told us that cases are being pushed through very quickly right now. She is filing the TPR paperwork for our case on May 22nd and it could be as quick as three to four months to finalize. This is incredible news to us since other cases we know of have taken MUCH longer.

Blessing #3 is one that I will not share the details of for now, but our case worker got a phone call while she was here. If all goes well, this call could mean that things would move even faster. Someone outside the case is willing to intervene and try to speed things up. We don't know this person and they don't know us.

We were both overwhelmed by this news and would like for you to pray! Please join us in thanking God for the lawyer and her servant heart. Thank Him for making things speedy in court and thank Him for this stranger that is willing to help. Also, please for Reese's birth mother.

Thank you for your love and support. We appreciate it more than you will ever know!

I love my boys!

2009-05-05T16:16:00.004-04:00

Here are some recent photos I have taken of my boys. I am very blessed!

The Little Things

2009-04-30T21:42:00.003-04:00

Tonight Reese and I went to the grocery store. Usually I make an effort to go when he is not with me because it is easier that way. At first he was talking loudly. I don't mind that, as a matter of fact, I think that it is sweet that he babbles so empathicly. The longer we were in the store, it turned into loud fussing. He was hungry and tired. I got to the dairy section and picked up a small can of biscuits. (By this time Reese has been fussing really loudly for 15 minutes.) I put the biscuits in the cart. He proceeded to take the biscuits out of the cart and started eating the can. EUREKA! He giggled and chewed on those biscuits the rest of the trip. I hated to take them away from him in the check out lane.

Next time you need a quick fix in the grocery store, grab a can of biscuits!

Walking in Memphis

2009-04-24T09:25:00.003-04:00

Well, we are not technically walking in Memphis. At the moment I am sitting and Reese doesn't know how to walk. Reese is actually sleeping. I guess he has adjusted to the change of time zone well because we still have 30 minutes before he would be awake at home.

We could not have been more proud of him yesterday. He was a trooper dealing with the airport, the plane, and all the craziness of settling into a new place for a few days. Even the TSA people at ATL commented about how cute and sweet he was. You know those TSA people aren't always friendly especially at 8:30 am in the country's busiest airport. I guess this is why it surprised me when two different sets of people asked to be moved from the seats behind us on the plane.

Reese got a little fussy in the terminal, but that was because it was time to eat. He is always a little fussy at meal times, especially if you don't feed him fast enough. Once we boarded we gave him some snacks and a bottle and he was good. I was very concerned about his ears, but it didn't seem to bother him. He never got upset, but was excited and laughed a lot. If you have ever been around this child, you know everything he does is full speed ahead... even laughing. He was a little loud, but that is the sweetest sound to me.

We started out with a man behind us and before we even took off, he asked to be moved. Soon two ladies were behind us. About half way into the flight we realized that they had moved also. I am not sure why, they missed seeing my sweet baby sleep. He went to sleep about half way through the flight which was his regular nap time.

He was a real trooper yesterday and had a lot of first experiences. You can check out his blog to see the photos of those. Well, it is time to feed the Reese man then we're off to Mississippi to the outlet mall. (Bryan is playing golf. We'll do some serious tourist stuff when he returns!)

It was a crying day

2009-04-20T15:26:00.002-04:00

A friend posted this article on her blog this weekend. It was written by a man in her church for the Elk Grove Citizen (Elk Grove, CA). It is definitely worth sharing.

Many of us have friends and family serving in the military. Personally, my nephew and brother-in-law both have served in Iraq. I couldn't help but think of them when I read this.

It was a crying day

Published: Friday, April 17, 2009 7:59 AM PDT

Every day at the Air Force Theatre Hospital has been a little different for me. I’ve had rewarding days. I’ve had boring days. I’ve had angry days. I’ve had indifferent days. I’ve even had a few happy days.

However, in the three months I’ve been here, I haven’t really had a crying day.

Last week, I finally cried. There had been so many reasons to shed tears on this 120-day deployment, but as precious as water is in the desert, I suppose I thought I needed to conserve them until the end.

The tears started as I sat at my office desk. I think they caught my chaplain assistant off guard.

What had brought the tears? Both of us had a lot of guesses. Perhaps my tears came while thinking of the soldier who recently lost his arms and legs. Both he and his battle buddy had been “med evac’d” out of the country so quickly that none of us really had time to cry for them.

As quickly as they left, another wounded squad arrived to replace them. They too, had been blown apart by an IED. Among them was a wounded medic who was tearfully asking if she had done everything possible to save her battle buddy -- an expectant father. He had pled with her to save him even as he bled to death.

Or were my tears for her other battle buddy who lay in a nearby bed begging me to explain God’s purpose in all of this? His shoulders heaved as he asked for a new Bible to replace the one that had been blown up. Could I share with him a purpose?

Perhaps the tears were for the soldier who told me last month that he was worried he’d grown used to killing insurgents. His eyes moistened as he told me how his parents saw him as a hero. “They wouldn’t call me a hero if they knew what I do,” he declared. “Is it normal to see killing as routine?” he asked. I assured him that he wasn’t crazy or he wouldn’t have come to me. While some of my tears were for him, I was likely thinking of my son who joined the Marines two years ago. “Dad, we’re learning to kill from 500 yards,” he wrote from boot camp, “Is it wrong to kill?”

I answered him with an ancient scripture: “There is a time to kill.” Sometimes we are compelled to eradicate evil with deadly force. In so doing, we run a risk of destroying our own moral fiber.

In the process tears will come. They are a way of protecting our core being. If we didn’t shed tears for such horrendous losses, we wouldn’t be human. That’s the simple difference between the “good guys” and the “bad guys” -- we cry when we are forced to use violence, they don’t.

As I considered my tears, it occurred to me that maybe they were proud tears. We were asking so much of our young heroes. Most of them knew the price they’d pay and many of them had overpaid. “You going to be alright?” my chaplain assistant asked as the office phone rang.

It was the ICU. The soldier who asked about the purpose of all this wanted to see me again.“I want you to pray, chaplain” he said. “I want you to pray for the insurgents that did this.”

“What should I pray?” I asked.The soldier responded by telling me to pray the prayer that Jesus prayed from the cross,” – “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

I’m not sure I’m finished crying.

Chaplain Norris returns home next month and will be available to do community speaking. Feel free to contact him at Norris@thechaplain.net or write him at Norris Burkes P.O. Box 19522 Sacramento CA 95819-0522

No matter where you stand on the war, our men and women (someones brother, son, nephew, father, husband) are putting their lives on the line because they chose to. They deserve our prayers and support. They make sacrifices everyday so that we don't have to. Many of them make the ultimate sacrifice.

We can not imagine the things that they see and live with everyday. Pray for their safety and that God gives them a way to process the things that they deal with. Next time you see a solider, offer them the honor and respect that they deserve.

Info on visit with birth mom

2009-04-17T09:20:00.003-04:00

Our case worker just called to give us an update. She visited with BM on Wednesday at the jail. Unfortunately, at this point she is still adamantly opposed to relinquishing her rights. She says that she is going to get herself together and get her baby back. She believes that she will be able to make bond within a few months and will then have a period of time before she is sentenced on her charges and returns to prison. The case worker says that BM told her that she didn't do all the things they have her charged for. According to the Guardian Ad Litem, this is always the case. BM never believes that she actually did the things the police catch her doing. When she is charged, she will be serving at least a few years. The sheriff's department has told us that it could be 5-15 years, but some of that could be suspended down to probation.

Crystal, our caseworker, assured us that this is typical with birth parents. BM can still chose at any time to relinquish. Please continue to pray that she will realize that this is best and make that decision. With BM's track record, we have no reason to believe that anything is going to change in her personal life. I hate that for her, but I also know that even if she does make that effort, she will be in prison. No matter how sincere she is, she can not parent from prison.

The formal complaint is scheduled to be filed on May 20th unless she relinquishes before then. Thank you for your prayers and please continue!

No news

2009-04-15T22:31:00.002-04:00

We have no news for now about the adoption. Our case worker has been out of the office so she has not been able to meet with BM yet. Please continue to pray!

Update on Reese

2009-04-11T09:03:00.003-04:00

You may have noticed that it has been a couple of weeks since I last posted. There are many reasons for that, but the main one is a sick baby. Last week we had our first round of the stomach bug. NO FUN!!! We had 6 days of nasty poo poo. Nasty, runny poo poo.

There was no time to write because I had to bathe Reese every time he pooped due to the fact that it was running down his legs. We visited the Dr. and got some dietary supplements that were pretty much a wonder drug! I will give it up for Culturelle! We used it for two days. Almost immediately solidified the stools and cleared up the problem in 2 days.

It is an understatement to say that we were very excited to get over this issue.

Prayer Warriors Needed: Adoption Update

2009-04-10T10:28:00.002-04:00

This morning we had our monthly visits with both of Reese's case workers. The state is proceeding with the termination of parental rights. The formal complaint will be filed on May 20th. At that point the birth mother (BM) will have had 6 months to comply with the stipulations DSS gave her. She has failed to comply or attempt to comply with any of them.

Next week (probably Tuesday) our foster care worker will be visiting her at the county jail to let her know that the state is proceeding with the case. She will also let BM know that she has the option to relinquish her rights. By law she can not "talk her into" this, but she can offer the option. If, by the grace of God, she chooses to do this our process would move forward quickly.

Please pray that BM would consider this step. Pray that she will think about the best interest of Reese. Pray for Crystal (the case worker) that God would give her the words that she needs when dealing with BM.

Crystal is supposed to contact us after the visit. I will post as soon as we have more info.

God is good and He is in control!

Help Please!

2009-03-26T22:53:00.002-04:00

My I Tunes has been "screaming" at me for weeks about downloading the newest version. I finally gave in on Tuesday. I took my laptop to my office (we have dial up at home) and gave in to the constant harassing. To my surprise, the new version wiped out my library. More than 1000 songs gone. All my podcasts...gone. All my apps and photos... gone!

How do I get my library back? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Mommy made me mad

2009-03-25T10:41:00.002-04:00

I love magazines. We generally have 3-5 coming to our house on a regular basis. The line up of magazines has changed though. Currently, I have 3 infant & toddler related ones coming and one family related one. New issues came this week, so I skimmed one of them last night.

Several children were asked this question, "what did mommy do that made you mad?" There was one answer that cracked me up. Three year old Jason said, "She makes me poop in the potty. It's dangerous."

I am sure we will soon have our fair share of mommy made me mad stories. In the meantime, I will continue to laugh at the mishaps of others. I may regret this!

Opinion Poll

2009-03-19T22:18:00.006-04:00

Last weekend I purchased a pair of shorts for Reese to wear for Easter and family photos. So far I haven't found the perfect shirt yet. I really want a green shirt, but no luck yet. Bryan is wearing a white polo shirt and brown shorts. I have brown carpi's and a white polo, though I am looking for a button down shirt. Please help me. Below are Reese's options. Tell me what you think...Choice 1: Brown safari style polo

Choice 2: White linen

Also, if you know anyone with bunnies or lambs, please let me know. I would like to have his picture made with either a bunny or lamb.

They Are My Students Too!

2009-03-17T11:09:00.003-04:00

Maybe it is just me, but I feel like the students in our youth group are just as much mine as they are my husband's. Over the years, I have gotten to know many of the students and been involved in their lives. I love these kids and enjoy the time that I get to spend with them.

One of my gifts, or faults as it may be, is that I often see what people can't see in themselves. Maybe it's the mother in me or maybe it truly is a gift from God. Despite their immaturity and mistakes, it is easy for me to see what God can do with their lives. I don't mean this in a prophetic way or anything. When I see their struggles, I can just imagine the ways that God is shaping them to use that experience in the future.

Knowing what they can be makes it hard to see them fall. I know that I had to learn my lessons on my own and so do they, but that doesn't make it any easier to see them hurt. Recently a student whom we love dearly and are very close to, came to Bryan with some tough news. The student was broken and and honest. A bad decision had been made and the consequences were coming quickly. Unfortunately, the student wasn't alone in this decision or the consequences. Bryan cried with the student as they discussed the situation. When he came home and shared with me, I broke down. It broke my heart not that the student had made a bad decision, but knowing how the world would respond to this decision. I wasn't hurt or disappointed in the student, but hurting for him.

I want to shelter all of our students from the dangers of the world, but I can't. I want to guard their hearts for them, but I can't. I want to take their burdens for them, but I can't. What I can do, is love them through it and give them every chance possible to make wise decisions. I can also be an ear to listen and hands to hold as they face the consequences of their decisions.

Our challenge now is to learn how to support them and love them through these things , without down playing the seriousness of their decisions. We can't ignore their sins, but we can show them the same GRACE that our Father showed us. It is our job to be Christ to these kids and show them not how Christian's respond, but how Christ responds to their situations.

Please pray for our students. They face some huge things everyday. Our students have some heavy burdens. Pray that Christ would give us what we as a ministry team and church need to reach them and support them.

Adoption=Frustration

2009-03-17T10:56:00.004-04:00

Our friends Brooke and Chris are STILL waiting for information about their adoption. Dillen was a year old in December. They have gotten no updates or information about Dillen since Thanksgiving. Please pray for them! They have been waiting over a year to bring her home and many people from their agency have already brought their children home. Some of those people started the process long after Brooke and Chris. They were recently informed that their paperwork has reached the government agency and is in line. This makes it seem like they are back tracking. It breaks my heart to know the pain that they must feel everyday when they think of Dillen and the fact that she is not with them.

As for our adoption, we were supposed to meet our caseworker for the first time last week. (She has been on maternity leave since the day Reese was placed with us.) Due to some miscommunication that did not happen. It has been rescheduled for this week. We are hoping that she will have information for us as far as a timeline. Since we know that the birth mother has gotten into more trouble, we think things could move faster. Originally, we were told that April could play a significant role in our process. We are hoping that she can give us some info on that.

Please keep praying for us and the Myers. Also, pray for the children who are waiting. Ask God if He may intend one of those for you!

Blessings of Heartache

2009-03-05T09:04:00.005-05:00

In Genesis 37 Joseph's brothers throw him into a well and then sell him as a slave to the Ishmaelites. You can imagine the heartache and abandonment that he felt. These are very much the same feelings that orphans feel. It is so important to remember that God knows each one of us individually, including orphans. He knows their circumstances and He has a unique plan for each one of them, just as he did Joseph.

Often God allows our heartache because He has something much bigger in mind. In The Purpose Driven Life Rick Warren says that God never wastes a hurt. Through the pain, we gain character and learn any number of virtues. These invaluable lessons could not be learned any other way. However, it is not His intent for these precious little ones to face these lessons alone. You may think that helping one orphan is insignificant. There couldn't be a bigger lie.

Your love and support makes a huge difference in the life of that child and in turn all the lives that he touches. You are becoming Christ to that child. What greater gift could you give?!

In Hope For The Journey Kerry Hasenbalg says, "Let us imagine God's perspective. When someone adopts one of these orphans, it is as though God is saying, 'Little one, you are so special to me. I knew where you were, and I picked you out and placed you here- I knew you would be here from the beginning of time.' "

God is fatihful and will bless us through our circumstances, if only we will allow Him. What an incredible gift to know that God intended for little Reese to be with us before the beginning of time and He has an incredible plan for his life.

Psalm 138:8 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
The LORD will fulfill [His purpose] for me. LORD, Your love is eternal; do not abandon the work of Your hands

Love and Respect

2009-03-05T08:41:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we got some new information about Reese's birth mother. It seems to be good news for us. The crazy thing is, I couldn't help but feel a little sad. Why?! That seems ridiculous since we are waiting on her rights to be terminated so that we can finalize our adoption. The more trouble she gets into, the more chances we have for the process to be hurried along.

Despite this, I can't get past feeling sorry for her that she can't get her life in line. It is so sad to think that people can be so trapped in destructive lifestyles. Looking at my baby's face everyday, I can't imagine being separated from him. I can't imagine him not being the motivation to break away from addictions. She is in my prayers. She has a long road ahead of her as she will likely be incarcerated for several years.

I know that God is bigger than any addiction and He can restore her. I know that He loves her and wants her to live a healthy lifestyle. My prayer is that she would come to that realization and be able to live a productive life in the future. We will always be indebted to her for giving us our sweet baby (even though it is not willingly). Though she will probably never know us, she will always be a part of our lives and we can't ignore that. It is important to me to make sure that Reese understands that as well. He doesn't need to know all the details right away, but he does need to know that she deserves his respect and love. Please pray for us as we learn how to teach him that.

Becoming A Woman of Excellence

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