Fruit, Friends, & Fun

What a day! We had a wonderful time at Eagles Landing Baptist. My Man preached his heart out, the Holy Spirit did what only He could do, and we were blessed to see over 75 people respond to the Gospel of Christ between the three services. We were encouraged, as always, to see sweet friends, and we were especially blessed to spend the day visiting with some of them.

The afternoon consisted of me and my precious friend, Melanie, talking about homeschooling, ministry, adoption, and Jesus, (some of my favorite topics)! Just as she always does, Mel left me encouraged, challenged, refreshed, and excited about all God has called me to do. I LOVE friends like that!

The kids had a blast playing together and little Ladybug was beyond excited to see her "China buddy", Meeka. It was very late by the time we left, grabbed some quick dinner on the road, and headed home, so we fell rather hard into the bed when we arrived home, but we are all so full of gratitude for the amazing Fruit, Friends, and fun we experienced today!

Sweet Day

Today I enjoyed a sweet time with my Big Girl. We went to an orthodontist appointment, soaked up some time getting our nails done, and then I surprised her and we met some of her friends and their moms for lunch. She was so excited and it was a refreshing time for both of us!

I'm making headway on the school planning, and even took a few breaks this afternoon to read stories with Little Man and Ladybug. I hope to get closer to the "finish line" tomorrow so I can just enjoy a little down time before we start the actual school days....

For now... I'm off to bed cause I just can't make myself do anymore today! : )

Amazing Sunday

We are home once again after a quick, but fabulous trip to TN. We thoroughly enjoyed our day at the New Vision Baptist Church in Murfreesboro, TN. My Man preached four services, three in the morning and one last night. He left it ALL on the altar, pouring everything He had (and then some) out in sharing the undiluted truth of the Gospel. He preached a message the is not popular in our culture, one that covers the reality of death, hell, and the Enemy, but also the amazing grace of our great God and the security of salvation that He offers to ALL who call on His name in faith and surrender to Him as Lord. This "unpopular message" that so many preachers are choosing to shy away from in order to draw a bigger crowd, or be more "liked" among their "flock", is the message that God still uses to draw people to Himself. It is still the Power of God unto salvation for those who believe... and believe they did!

It was an incredible day as there were over 300 decisions for Christ in these four services. There is nothing in the world like hearing people humble themselves, call on the Lord in faith (often times out loud), and take those first steps of faith in their journey with Jesus (many with tender tears streaming down their cheeks). It's priceless and brings everything else in this life into perspective! We were blown away at all God chose to do and we were humbled to be a small part of His activity in the life of this great fellowship of believers.

We were also richly blessed by our time with the Lee family! We were so refreshed by our time with them! We always enjoy so many laughs with this precious couple (and their children). They are treasured friends to us and we thank God for them. The time with them energized our spirits more than words can say!

We went to the event God had "foreordained" for us to be at and through our obedience, we wee privileged to see the Kingdom of Heaven enlarged, hear dozens of testimonies of His faithfulness in the lives of His children, and we were strengthened ourselves by the fellowship with precious friends and fellow "soldiers" in this journey of life!

It was a great Sunday, indeed! Now, it's time to dive back into finishing my school planning.... I'll try to post more this week than I have the past few weeks, but if you don't hear from me consistently.... you'll know where I am and what I'm doing..... : )

Planning Break for a Preaching Trip

I have't blogged much lately due to the amazing getaway I enjoyed with my Man, where I left my camera (on purpose) and only used my computer for movies we brought to watch, and the business of school prep. I have worked countless hours this week on lesson plans. I am so driven to get it done so I can move on to the copies, folder preparations, laminating, etc. It's been crazy and I've pulled a few late nights of working until after midnight, but I am almost done.

Sorry I haven't posted as much as usual....Life is busy, but blessed. Today I head to Murfreesboro, TN with my Man where he will be preaching Sunday. We look forward to all God has in store and to the sweet time we will have with some sweet and dear friends, Russ and Mary Lee!

I won't be posting this weekend, but I'll let you know how things go when I get home.... stay tuned....

Spinning on the Teacups

Once we finished our time in Panama City, we headed to Keystone Heights to join some of my family at a black tie dinner to honor a friend of our family in his retirement. He is a four star General and has served the United States Air Force longer than any other person in History.

We weren't sure we were going until a few days before, so since we were out of town and unprepared, we had to go shopping for "black tie" attire. We found what we needed pretty quickly, but not within the budget we would normally shop in. We were in a pinch and had to get what we could find. We were both happy with our purchases and ready for the night...

In order to make it on time, we had to literally walk straight to the car and hit the road as soon as my Man finished his closing message at Summer Extreme. He made the long drive without stopping for lunch and just snacking on the way, rushed into my Dad's home to change clothes and get all "dressed up" and ready, and then jumped back in the car to drive another hour to the World Golf Village in St. Augustine, FL where the dinner was being held. It had been a long day, we were all tired and hungry, but I was doing okay.

I got the kids situated with their dinner in their room where my sister and her husband were staying and we made our way down to the dinner. We visited and enjoyed dinner and I had barely swallowed my last bite of a delicious red velvet cake when the room started spinning and I couldn't concentrate on the conversations around me. I tried to "breath" it off, but after a few moments I had to excuse myself. I thought a walk in the hallway would help, but it didn't. All I can say is the dinner was not as good the second time.... (Gross, I know!)

I decided to join the kids in their room and let my man enjoy the rest of the presentations and then we headed back to my Dad's. I still felt really dizzy, but nothing like I did earlier in the night. My amazing Man made the decision for us to head home a day early and thought it would be best for us to just be in our own home since we had been gone so long.

When I finally got home, unpacked, and fell into my favorite chair last night, I knew we had made the right decision. It was SO good to be home. It's been a fabulous two weeks for all of us, but my body needed to be home! I'm still spinning and just keep saying I feel like I just walked off the teacup ride, but at least I'm holding down food.

Prayerfully, the spinning will stop soon...crazy thing is I hate the teacup ride and I not only don't ride that, but I didn't even ride the carousel at Disney. I guess just all the driving just got to me....

Fun in the Florida Sun

This afternoon we thoroughly enjoyed time with some of my favorite people in the whole world. My sister, my brother-in-law ("M&M"), & my precious nephew ("P"). They came to enjoy some fun in the sun since they were closing their time here in Orlando as we were starting ours.

We ate a quick lunch here at the incredible home we are staying in and then spent several hours playing/lounging in the pool. The kids had an absolute blast together. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that my kids are close to their cousin. They all play so well together... even my big kids truly enjoy playing with the younger kids and they're so sweet with them. Ladybug swam her heart out, showing everyone all her "tricks" in the water. The boys went back and forth from the pool and the playground. The men laughed, talked, played with the kids, and enjoyed talking and playing with their I-phones, while my sister and I just enjoyed "small talk". I LOVE every minute I get with them.

I love that my Man and my brother-in-law enjoy each other, our kids get along (now that their older... ha!), and that my sister and I can enjoy talking about big issues, a bunch of nothing, or simply enjoying some sweet restful silence while just being together. It was GREAT and, in case you can't read between the lines here, I LOVE my family! : )

After they headed home this evening, we headed to dinner at Red Lobster. The kids enjoyed a peek at the Lobsters in the tank before we were seated and the guy told us they were called the "cockroaches of the sea". Seriously? Good thing I didn't want that for dinner cause he would've ruined that appetite with that piece of information. : ) After dinner we headed to the local Wal~Mart to get a few necessities for tomorrow because, thanks to the Lord and a precious and thoughtful friend, we are heading to the Magic Kingdom tomorrow.... FREE! It'll be a LONG, hot, and prayerfully AMAZING day. Ladybug cannot wait to see where Cinderella lives and all of us are thrilled at the opportunity to go play (since we know it's much more than just a "castle"~ha!)!

Now, I'm off to bed because I'm quite confident that the kids will be waking us up with the sun in the morning! It may take me a day to recover from the LONG day of fun tomorrow, but you can count on photos, so stay tuned later this week....

Ministry and Memories

Today was awesome! After reading about MUST Ministries through my friend, Rebecca, I knew I wanted to get involved. I had never thought about the thousands of kids that receive "free lunches" throughout the school year in our public school system. For many of them, it's the only "good" meal they get each day. I don't know whether their parents are involved in self destructive behavior to the point of not caring for their children or if many of them simply don't have the financial means to get three square meals a day. No matter what the reason is, these children are on the receiving end of the free lunches. I had never stopped to consider what these same kids do during the summer when school is not in session. Where does that one "good meal" come from each day? It was hard to imagine that there were so many children right here in the USA, in my city, that go without food. There is so much we take for granted... the meals, the flavored juices, the snacks of all shapes, sizes, flavors, and colors.

Anyway, MUST Ministries, has a program called Summer Lunches and they help feed these kids during the summer. We invited a few friends over and spent the morning decorating lunch bags, making sandwiches, and packing lunches. We added some of our favorite snacks, like cookies and fruit roll ups and some tasty juice boxes and then my Man took them to a local high school for delivery. It was the sweetest thing to see my children serving, becoming more mindful of the deep needs of other children (right here at "home"), and seeing that THEY can make a big difference even doing "small" things. My children and their friends practiced being the Body of Christ (practically) and the children in need will be reminded that they are loved, special, and THEY are important! It was priceless!

(here's a few photos....)

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When we were done, all the kids enjoyed swimming in the pool together. It was a fabulous day, with a sweet opportunity to be the "hands and feet" and Jesus to those in need, to teach my kids more about Christ and what our calling is, and to soak in the joys of friendships, making memories that will last a lifetime... Thanks Rebecca for the connection... I'll be reading to see what you do next.... : )

HIS Provisions are Already in Our Future!

I am finalizing school curriculum decisions this week so that the next few weeks can be spent preparing lesson plans, schedules, goals, trips for study, etc. This morning I went to a curriculum fair nearby to order a few things that I was getting from this particular vendor, which enabled me to save about $75 on shipping. I've been so excited about www.retailmenot.com! I have saved so much this week ordering stuff for school through this site. If you are shopping ANYwhere online, check out coupon codes for the store or site you are shopping on. I got coupons (really good ones) for every site I ordered from except one, and there were quite a few.

Anyway, after alot of online shopping, I was done with ordering everything when I left this Fair, except for two subjects. The last two subjects were a little pricey, but I was planning on ordering them tonight just to get everything on its way, but God had another idea.

My kids organized lunch with some precious friends (via texting the kids) and after hearing the pleas of my kids, I agreed to walk through Target and "kill an hour" so that we could meet up with them after they finished up their morning routine. We accomplished some Father's Day shopping, like cards, and grabbed a little nail polish and then headed to Moe's to eat.

We haven't been able to visit with these sweet friends in awhile simply because life has been so busy, so we were all excited for the time to catch up. As we enjoyed lunch and talked non-stop about summer activities, trips, and adoption, the subject of school came up. We are both homeschooling moms, so this is a subject we could probably talk for hours about. : ) I was telling her the direction I was heading for this next school year and sharing what was ordered and what I was preparing to order tonight. I simply couldn't believe it when she said she thought she had the actual curriculum I needed for BOTH of the remaining subjects. I was so excited and it was about to get even better....

She emailed tonight and said she not only had the curriculum, but the actual Volumes and Levels I was planning to order. She also has several extra items she thought I could use that she is going to send my way and I cannot wait to see what all God is going to provide.

You may be reading and thinking, what's the big deal. Well, in case you aren't aware of it... homeschooling can be expensive! It's Priceless, but it does cost money on the front end to get the resources you need. The crazy thing is that all weekend I was working on ordering things. I had the carts ready for these remaining subjects and I can't explain it, except to say, I just didn't have a peace about ordering just yet. It was the weirdest thing. Now, I know it was simply because God's provision was already in my future waiting for me. How cool is that?

I hope to get these items tomorrow and I'm praying ALOT of the other items arrive by mail before Friday so that I can get on with the practical side of planning. I'm so excited and I love it when God, not only directs our steps, but overwhelms us with His peace, assurance, and affirmation of His will through His provisions in our lives as we obey Him.

Thanks, Amy, for your sensitivity to ask, listen, and be willing to take the time to look for these items in your schoolroom, and your willingness to share them with us. We love you and your precious family and thank God for you! : ) You're a rich source of encouragement to me!

Perfect Princess Party

Today was our Ladybug's first experience with a "bird-day" party. She never experienced birthdays in China and certainly not parties (according to her recollection). It was so fun planning this and watching the suspense and excitement build for her. She's been counting the days for weeks and hasn't even known what to expect. She kept thinking Santa Clause was planning her party. I guess she was equating it to Christmas. : )

The decorations were simple, but very pretty. We transformed our garage into a Princess dreamland and the front yard was ready for kids to have a blast. There were over 140 balloons, pink tulle, shiny silver "curtains" as backdrops, pink tablecloths, and lots of Princess decor. We served "Princess Pizza", such as "Pocahontas Pepperoni", "Prince Charming Cheese", "Her Majesty's House", and Belle's Bar-B-Que". Then we had Princess Punch, Cinderella's Chocolate Fountain with "Sleeping Beauty's Banana Bites", "Snow White's Apple Slices", and "Fairy Godmother Fruit Wands" topped with a big pink marshmallows. Everything was topped off with a beautiful Castle Cake decorated with Disney Princesses!

I had everything perfect and in place and the one thing we feared began to happen....yep, you see it coming.... RAIN! It was pouring. I was refusing to move the party indoors due to lack of space and brand new carpet and painted walls mixed with pizza, cake, and a chocolate fountain just didn't sound like a good idea. The radar showed the rain set in for a while, so I was quite bummed, but continued to pray.

As I dressed the Princess for her party, she saw the rain and with her hand coming to her mouth, she said, "Mom, the rain is going to ruin my party!" We stopped right there before putting on her Birthday outfit and prayed. We asked God to literally blow the rain away (and I made a "blowing noise" in my prayer). When we entered the "ballroom" (garage) we continued getting ready for the first guests as the rain came down in buckets. The party was scheduled to start at 5pm and was drop in until 9pm. It was remarkable and such a HUGE answer to a simple prayer....

Literally, at 4:55pm the rain completely stopped. Not even a drizzle was falling. The ground seemed to dry up and the inflatable was able to be dried off on the inside with towels. Not one drop of rain fell the entire party. It was PERFECT weather! The guests poured in and filled my garage and driveway, and children filled the yard and inflatable. It was amazing!

We enjoyed the delicious food, Cinderella was a big hit with all the kids, especially the Birthday Princess, and at one point we let all the kids release balloons into the sky. Joy said we were sharing them with Jesus and Nanny, which blessed me to no end to think about the fact that even thought my grandmother is no longer with us, she is still in our thoughts as we enjoy priceless moments in our journey. The entire night was amazing, but one of the favorite highlights was when everyone sang Happy Birthday to the Ladybug and she blew out her candles and the sound of everyone cheering filled the air. The smile on her face was priceless and worth every penny spent on her big party. You could literally see her soaking up the love that she's missed for the past three and a half years. It touched our hearts to the core to see her so blessed by the love of friends and family.

I could probably write a few posts on this special day, but I'll just sum it up and say that it was the Perfect Princess Party. Here are the photos that will share some of the captured fun with you!

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Tummy Update & the Best Medicine

Today my doctor visit went well. Besides running a few tests to check for infections or "allergies" to wheat and things, she simply gave me some medicine to try and decrease the amount of acid in my stomach. She thinks stress could definitely be playing a role in it, which I wanted to ask, 'Ya THINK?" She kinda laughed when I told her what we did. She stopped writing and looked at me.... a 46 city tour.... with FOUR kids? Yep! Ya think that has anything to do with the high levels of tension, acid, and burning in my stomach. HA! Anyway, If the medicine works and I can come off of it in about 6 weeks, then great! I'm done and don't even have to follow up with her. If it doesn't, we'll have to move forward to plan "B".... the upper endoscopy, to see if we can find exactly what it is. I'm okay with it now, if it must be done, thanks to alot of great encouragement and testimonies from those of you that have "been there, done that"! Thanks for all the prayers and encouragement! Please continue to pray with me that the medicine works, though. I would certainly rather NOT have any procedure done, but at least I've heard from enough people that it isn't a BIG deal, that I'm not freaked out about it. : )

After my appointment, I ran to the Party City store to get some things for our Ladybug's birthday party next week! It was so fun. This is going to be one BIG PRINCESS party. I cannot wait to see her face. The party and it's details is a later post all in itself, so I'll move proceed with today.... After my party shopping, I enjoyed lunch with a precious friend and it was so refreshing! She's one of those sweet friends that when you get together you "pick up right where you left off" the last time you were together and the entire conversation (good, bad, and ugly) is all centered around what God is doing through it in our lives and families. I LOVE THAT! A godly friendship like this is rare and if you have ONE, you are blessed. I am fortunate to have a few friends like this and they bring such a "richness" to my life.

I just took my first dose of the medicine for my tummy, so it's too early to tell if it's working just yet. However, my time today with a godly friend, has challenged me in many areas, encouraged me, strengthened my faith, and simply refreshed my spirit! Friendship, mixed with a little laughter, is sure the best medicine! I feel better already.... : )

Wedding, Recital, & Rest

Today we are chillin' out and enjoying a quiet morning. The afternoon consists of a wedding for some sweet friends, the kids' piano/vocal recital, and then (hopefully) a quiet evening home as a family. The kids are already asking to swim, so somehow I think we'll end up in the pool today. Little Ladybug is wanting to show Big Boy and Daddy her "swimming".

Hopefully, I'll get some good photos today since we're getting dressed for the wedding. If so, I'll post them soon. Hope you all have a super Saturday. I am blessed by the four amazing treasures and the priceless husband God has entrusted to me. I love Mother's Day weekend, not because I get gifts or get pampered a little, but because I am reminded of the sweetest gifts God has given to me!

Friday Night at the Fox

Tonight we were blessed with tickets to join some dear friends for the showing of Mary Poppins at the Fabulous Fox Theater in Atlanta. We enjoyed dinner with them (and ten kids between the two of us) at the Mellow Mushroom. The pizza was delicious, not within my "healthy eating" rules, but great, nonetheless.

We walked into the Fox Theater (my kids had never been) and my Little Man said, "It looks like we're at the Magic Kingdom!" Suffice it to say, they were all excited to be there. We filled an entire row on the floor with our large "herd". The show was amazing and everyone enjoyed it. All the kids, older and younger alike, talked about it all the way home (at almost midnight)! I enjoyed the production, but my two favorite moments were:

1. I looked down the aisle at one point during the show, which was during a part when they were singing a fun song, to see my Little Man with a LARGE empty popcorn tub on his head. It was hilarious! All I could think was, "We're at the Fox and he has the popcorn tub ON HIS HEAD as he sings with the performers!" I wish I would have had my camera and been able to capture the moment because it was quite comical. It blessed me to see my Little Man enjoying himself with his buddies.

2. The other sweet moment was at the end when Mary Poppins actually flew over the audience. It was really cool and I glanced down at my kids to see each of them beaming with smiles and my Little Man was wide eyed and had his mouth wide open. It was priceless to see the moment through their eyes.

We loved the time with the Harris family and savored the memories made with all our kids. It was a Fun Friday night at the Fabulous Fox Theater!

Awaited Winter Jam 2010 Photos

Here are a few photos from the first quarter of 2010, which we spent traveling this country. We traveled over 16,000 miles, stopped in 44 cities, saw over 70,000 people respond to the Gospel of Christ, and over 10,000 orphans receive sponsorship. We met new friends, enjoyed seeing old friends, and had priceless family time on the road. Here are a few photo highlights in no particular order...

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VERY LONG Days

Yesterday was a normal Sunday on the road. The day started with coffee, quiet time with Jesus in my bunk, Jam church, school with the kids (yes, we do school on the weekends when we're touring to keep up), and naps. We had a great night and got to see our sweet friends, David and Jennifer Nasser.

As soon as our responsibilities were done for the night, we hopped on our bus and headed for home. Since we were only in Birmingham, we decided we would come home and sleep in our own beds an extra night. It sounded good, anyway. We FINALLY got loaded in our car about 1:30AM, got home, unloaded the car and all FOUR kids (which feels like a small baseball team at this hour), and nestled into the comforts of HOME! Most of us took showers/baths before going to bed and I finally fell asleep about 3AM hoping for a restful morning of sleep.

About 4:15AM our Ladybug woke up sick. She was very warm and said she didn't feel good. I gave her Tylenol and I rocked her until I simply couldn't hold my head up. Then, I laid in her bed beside her until my eyes couldn't stay open. I headed back to my own bed about 5:30AM. We did all sleep until after 10AM, but that LONG day (and night) was tough on the body throughout the day today!

She has been very clinging and grumpy today, so I can totally tell she isn't feeling well, but can't quite tell what it is yet. She says her tummy hurts and isn't eating much at all. I'm praying hard it isn't that nasty bug! She is such a sweet little thing when she's sick. She still smiles the sweetest smile, says "thank you" for her grapes, juice, blankets, etc., and snuggles in when she is rocked. She slept quite a bit today, as well.

Despite the many "rocking breaks" I've taken today, it's been productive! I've managed to get the laundry done and the repacking just about done, the house is clean, and thanks to our amazing friend Michele, dinner is being delivered again tonight. WHAT A GIFT SHE IS!!

It's been two VERY LONG days, but God is gracing me with strength, peace, and endurance for the tasks at hand. I pray my Ladybug wakes up happy and healthy tomorrow....

Touched By The Body

We have been so blessed! We have so many amazing friends and fellow servants of the Lord in our lives! God has blessed us with amazing teachers and tutors that help with our homeschooling on the road, others that deliver important documents each week and keep us "in the loop", and those that send the most encouraging and needed texts, emails, and voice mails.

For the past three weeks we have been incredibly blessed by our dear friend, Michele Helms. Mondays are absolute chaos for us as you know if you follow this blog at all. I am slammed with laundry, repacking, cleaning, answering office messages, doing accounting, sorting mail, etc. and meal preparation is the LAST thing I want to think about. I usually come home to zero food and anything I can make needs to be fast because we aren't always home at an early hour. Well, much to my incredible surprise, Michele offered to bring us dinner Monday night (three weeks ago). At first, I must say that my pride said, "Absolutely not". She has a family of five kids, she home schools all her children, serves at church, and is incredibly busy herself. BUT, I am so grateful that: 1) the Spirit convicted me on not being able to receive help and 2) Michele was persistent and wouldn't take NO for an answer. We enjoyed the most amazing meal and it was all HOME COOKED (and that's a BIG deal when you travel on tour and get "catering" day after day, that isn't usually all that appetizing) Now, as if this wasn't enough, she has blessed me for the last three consecutive Mondays by bringing a full meal and they have ALL been fabulous! This woman can COOK! Tonight the meal was the MOST amazing pork we've ever tasted! It was so tender I cut it with a fork! It was delivered with green beans, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, salad (even her salad is better than mine), and a tasty dessert with OREOS (my crew's favorite)! If you don't follow her blog, you must! She has so many amazing tips, recipes, and insights on the home, parenting, marriage, cooking, home schooling, etc. Go check her out on her blog... you'll be glad you stopped by!

There are times when you are blessed by the Body of Christ and then there are those special times when you feel like you've been touched directly by the hand of God through a part of HIS Body! This tour has definitely brought many moments where we've sensed His touch! Being Touched by the Body of Christ, not only brings refreshment to your Spirit and encouragement to your soul, but it also compels you to want to reach out and touch others even more intentionally through your "role" in the body!

So, are you a part of this amazing Body of Christ? Have you been touched by another part of the Body recently? Who are YOU going to touch this week?

Michele, you are amazing! You have blessed me more than words can say and made my homecoming days SO MUCH smoother! My family is already spoiled just after three meals from you, so we're either going to have to start coming to your home when the tour is over OR you are going to have to pass on some recipes with CLEAR directions! : ) We sure love you and your family and thank God for the investment you have made in our life and ministry through your gracious act of love toward us!

Delightful Dallas Date

My incredible husband rented a car today and took me strolling down memory lane in the big city of Dallas, Texas. We have many wonderful memories here, as well as, many hardships that we can remember God's faithfulness through. It was in Dallas, in the early years of our marriage, that God showed us His incredible provisions, His faithfulness, and His amazing blessings that comes if we will obey Him no matter the cost.

I still wasn't feeling very strong, so we didn't eat. We enjoying talking about "where it all began", seeing the spot where he proposed & I emphatically said YES, our first home (which was 15 feet by 15 feet), and his college. The highlight of our sightseeing was visiting our precious friend, Anne. Anne and her husband, Murray, spent many a nights pouring into our lives. They would have us into their home weekly for some food and fellowship. We would enjoy dinner talking and then we would split up with Murray taking Tony in one area and Anne and I talking elsewhere. Then we would all come together and close the night with more sweet conversation and prayer. Words cannot express what this amazing godly couple invested in us. Our marriage is stronger, our walks with Christ are stronger, and even our children are benefactors of the investment this dear couple made in our lives. Murray went home to be with Jesus about 6 months ago, leaving his dear wife of 64 years, Anne, to finish her life's journey without him. It was bittersweet to see her. We LOVED reconnecting, hearing more of her journey and how God has been faithful even in her loss. It was also a bit sad to not get to see Murray and to know that it may be the last time we get to see Anne, as she is 88 years old. It was such a blessing to take her flowers and just thank her for pouring into our lives and letting her know that the investment her and Murray made in our lives will not be wasted. It's just a gift to give back to those that God has used to make us who we are! My husband often says, "We are no more than what God gifts us to be and what those around us pour into us". This is so true and this dear couple is definitely precious saints that God has used to mold and shape us.


Me and Sweet Anne

Criswell College

Sweet Proposal Spot

Master Home that sits in front of where our small "servant's quarters" home once stood

It's so good for the soul to just remember where God has brought you from, the miles He has brought you across, and the storms He has brought you through. Our journey has been amazing thus far, lots of highs and lows, and God has been more than faithful every step of the way! He is SO Worthy!

Jam Church, Chaos, PF Chang's & Cupcakes

This morning, after very little sleep last night due to a sick child, I managed to get a quick shower in the dressing room and at least look rested as we prepared for Jam Church. Each Sunday on tour, we meet for worship with all the artists on Winter Jam and then hear a message from one of the band pastors or my Man. We had guests today for Jam Church and it was great! The worship was led by Sidewalk prophet and it was sweet and then Nigel, who is the pastor for Third Day, brought a great challenge to all of us.

We were blessed by some amazing cupcakes from some sweet friends from Texas that came and I cannot wait to dive into those. This afternoon I am feeling a little woozy still from the long night last night and all the talk of this crazy "bug" spreading through our midst, so I'm refraining from much eating right now. Nerves, I guess....

After a short nap with the Ladybug, the evening started with a bang. Because the show tonight is in Nashville (also known as "Nash-Vegas") there are throngs of people backstage. It is chaos everywhere with promoters, managers, "label" people, and lots of family of friends of those that call this home. It's quiet in catering as only the "tour" personnel have access to that room, so we go in there or the dressing room for a little refuge from the hustle and bustle. It's so fun to see so many friends and to hear the chatter and laughter, but it's a bit crazy, too and makes for a LONG night! We loved having the Harris family there and it was fun watching their son get to exchange his penny for $50 in the message opening illustration. (you'll have to get the DVD or come to a show) : )

The concert was awesome with lots of "extra" treats for Nashville. From extra balloons, confetti, and even "bombs", it was spectacular. My Man brought the simply truth of the Gospel and TONS of people responded and then there were over 300 orphans sponsored! GO GOD!

We were also surprised by another friend, Dan, who we've known for over 20 years. He and his wife are precious friends and we live in different states, but they are the kind of friends you just pick up where you left off no matter how many years go by between visits! He blessed us by coming and deeply encouraged my Man. He "dogged" him enough to keep his head from swelling, too, though (like only Dan can do!) HA! We enjoyed some HARD therapeutic laughs on the bus before he left.

At the close of the night, we were greeted with a special treat of PF Chang's on the bus! We devoured some Spring Rolls and Lettuce Wraps, I finally tasted some of the delicious cupcakes, and then crawled in the bed way too late. It was another great weekend, even with illness, but I am, once again, a very tired Momma and looking forward to getting HOME for a few days!!!

More Joy Than My Heart Can Contain

It was a great day! We arrived this morning and literally went straight into church from the bus. I had the tired "stinging" eyes going, but the service was fabulous and spiritually refreshing! We have an amazing Pastor and he preached the Word this morning in its undiluted sternness!

After church, we enjoyed lunch with my Dad (whose been in our home this weekend for a Men's Conference) and some dear friends. The food was GREAT, after a weekend of bad catering on the road, and the fellowship was great! On the way home, we picked up Tink (our smallest family member) and headed home for the rest of the day. Despite the fun offers to celebrate the Super Bowl festivities with several friends, we decided to bunker down at HOME for the night!

My Dad took my Little Man to the store to get some snacks (big mistake) and came back with LOADS of stuff. My kitchen was filled with crab legs, shrimp, wings, popcorn, donuts, nuts, sodas, dips, salsa, chips, cookies, and the ingredients for our favorite Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies. I'm not sure who was really responsible for all the junk food purchased, but suffice it to say we had a ton of snacks! SO, for the ONLY other man in my life that I would spend time in the kitchen on an arrival day at home with so many other things to do, I mixed up some dip, made some fresh cookies, and made sure the men were good to go for the start of their "big game"!

With my little kids bouncing off the walls and enjoying their toys, my Big Boy nestled in MY favorite chair, Big Girl playing on the computer and designing cards for the Winter Jam team for Valentine's Day, and the two most amazing men in my life laughing, talking, watching TV and waiting for the game to start, I tackled my To Do List that I run through after every "run"! It looks a little something like this:

* Unload the car (with everyone helping)
* Immediately start the laundry that is piled in a bag almost as tall as me (ha!)
* Repack items like socks, underwear, PJ's, etc.
* Clean all blankets, pillowcases, etc. that were used on the bus
* Spray bags down with Lysol (yes, I'm a clean freak!)
* Keep laundry running ALL day until the last load is done (repacking bags straight from the dryer)
* Clean bathrooms & Dust if needed (which it usually does)
* Restock medicine bag as needed for next "run" (I take EVERYTHING you could think of with us)
* Do accounting work in office to close out one weekend and prepare for another
* Sort mail (which brings on a whole separate list of work that's too long to list)
* Bathe kids (really good) since it could have been 48 hours or more since their last good shower!
* Make New "Bus List" for items needed to be restocked on the bus
* Make Meal / Grocery List for the few days we're eating at home
* Unpack school stuff and prepare for the next HOME schooling day
* Answer questions on my desk from my assistant and process date requests
* Take a LONG hot bath as soon as I can (even though I desperately need to wash my hair) because I just want to enjoy a Lava Bath in my own tub!
* Print kid's school work for the week so we're ready for school in the morning
* Answer last few emails
* Post on my blog (IF I have the energy and can keep my eyes open)
* Fall into my NON MOVING bed and pray for extra rest!!

That's it in a nutshell. I'm sure I forgot something, but I'm getting tired typing it! HA! I love what we do and God graces me with strength, peace, organization, and assistance when needed! It is through Him, by Him, and FOR Him that we do what we do!

Today was a little busier with lunch plans, and a house guest, but I LOVED every minute of it! I always enjoy my Dad being here and I know my Man enjoyed him being here to enjoy this Super Bowl Sunday with us! I'm nestled in my bed next to the most amazing husband in the world (yes, we're both on our computers in bed...quite funny), four incredible kids are snuggled in their beds falling asleep (or trying to even though their clocks are still on "bus time"), and my Dad is comfy in his room downstairs. I'm just about ready to call it a day, and it's been SUPER, not because my team won the Super Bowl (I'm not sure I could tell you who played), and not because I accomplished a TON on my To Do List, but because God has given me life.... real life, with a purpose, a passion, and more joy than my heart can contain!

Refreshing Day

Today was so refreshing!! After tackling several items on my "To Do" list, I was blessed to have lunch with two precious friends. I enjoyed a great meal accompanied with encouraging fellowship, sweet testimonies, and edifying conversation. It was LONG overdue for me since I don't get time much this time of year to just go "exhale" from the "chaos" and enjoy friends (without kids).

After lunch, I grabbed the kids and headed home to meet my Man. We enjoyed a sweet quiet dinner (sushi), grabbed a Starbuck's, and then soaked up a LONG pedicure together. It was FABULOUS! We actually had pedicures, manicures, and I had my eyebrows done, which was great because the lady massaged my head. WOW! We were so relaxed!

Then, we closed the relaxing date like any married couple....we went to WalMart! HA! YES, I had to run to Walmart for a few things for the next Winter Jam run and that was the ONLY time I had. It almost felt wrong to walk on our relaxed feet. It would have been nice to have been wheeled into bed and just go right to sleep, but that would be in a "perfect world". HA! For me, it was awesome.... I enjoyed time with my Man, a tasty dinner and my favorite coffee, a relaxing hour at the spa, and then I got to mark off a major item on my To Do List. That is a perfect date!!!!

Fabulous Friends

Today Winter Jam came to Atlanta! We were so excited to have so many friends join us for the concert. It's always a bit chaotic getting guests in prior to the show, making sure they are seated comfortably, and still do our evening routine, but it is so worth it. We love knowing they enjoy it and we love giving our dear friends a little extra "fun" during these type tours.

The kids were thrilled that their friends came and, of course, for them the highlights are taking them "backstage", to "Dad's dressing room", and then enjoying the music together. I LOVE seeing my kids so excited and soaking in the moments and memories with their sweet friends. These are the type experiences that they will carry with them forever, to replay over and over in the video archives of their minds.

After the concert, and the incredible preaching, we gave our guests a tour of the bus. They enjoyed seeing what our life is like a little "behind the scenes, and what our "home on wheels" looks like when we are touring. The kids loved showing their friends their bunks (or their "rooms" as our Ladybug calls them) and then I snapped a few photos of each family before they left.

It was astounding to see the people respond again during the Gospel invitation and then we were blessed with the amount of children that received a sponsor! It was a long day, a very late night, but a day filled with priceless spiritual fruit and cherished moments with many of our Fabulous Friends!