My Hero

Ok, first of all, I know that most EVERYONE is TIRED of the Tiger W**ds media attention. But, I do have to say that I was VERY disappointed to hear about it! I felt that he was a good role model to young people and that finally there was an athlete that kids could look up to. There is a lot of controversy about whether famous people should be held to a higher standard than others and whether they are entitled to their privacy.
My position is that the standard is the same for all and is set not by man, but by God through His Word and by the example that Jesus set while on earth. And, just as there are known hazards for skydiving there are known hazards for being famous...people will want to know every little detail (good and bad; right or wrong) of your life. Does that mean famous people should be or appear perfect?...No, BUT I would like for them to understand that there is responsibility that comes with having millions of young impressionable eyes watching them!
With that said, I do have a bigger responsibility to help my children know what traits and characteristics make a person a good role model. Not money, not athleticism, not talent! Jesus set the example for us to follow and therefore, surrounding themselves with those that try to be Christ-like are the good role models.


Soooo.... Tonight I watched a person work in a way that made her a hero in my eyes. I watched a 7 year old with physical limitations work her hardest on her homework. Homework that she had because it takes her a lot longer to complete pencil/paper tasks than most of her peers.
She brought home a reading assignment because she has to miss a portion of her recess to go to a literacy group for extra reading help. Keep in mind that she has learned the English language in less than a year and has a speech impairment that limits her pronunciation of words, therefore making it hard to sound out words. But, because of her hardwork she is still able to read alomost on grade level!
She brought home a math assignment because she had to WRITE her numbers 1-100 and did not complete it in time to complete the other math worksheet in class. Keep in mind that she can verbally count to 100 and completed the SKIP counting homework with no assistance, except for me transcribing exactly what she told me to.
She may have physical limitations, but she does work as if there were no difference between her and president (couldn't think of a better example...)It is next to impossible to "modify" or shorten any of her assignments, because she doesn't see why she can't do what everyone else does!
That little girl AMAZES me and teaches me so much more than any "famous" person on tv, in a magazine, or anywhere else. She loves God with all her being, gives 100% at everything and continues to want to learn more. That is what makes a hero!

Thanksgiving 2009

This year we headed south and had Thanksgiving with grandparents, great-grandparents, cousins, and an aunt and uncle.



I LOVE this picture!!!



This picture was at a roadside stop where we got out to stretch our legs and eat a sack lunch. We try this almost trip down south, but hardly ever have such pretty weather!


Spent time with Memaw and Papa and then headed to Papa's house... The kids paused for this picture after they all climbed the tree at Papa's.




Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I know our family has sooo much to be thankful for, we just don't pause enough to reflect.

I do thank God for all that he has blessed me with!

Gotcha Day- Year 1

A year ago today, this was our first photo of a beautiful but scared little girl. Amid the mass of paperwork and the translation, we were trying to take baby steps towards comforting her. She was sooo brave and from the very first minute we saw her we were awed by her!

By day two- we had a GENUINE smile! It was beautiful! It was really at that point that things relaxed and we began to get to know each other. I still wonder what she must have thought!


So, today after a year of small trials and many joys, we celebrate with what else- A CHOCOLATE CAKE! This little girl who came to us not sure about dessert has developed quite the fondness for sweets.


Lilly has also learned about God over the last year and has been very persistent in asking for her very own Bible (she was not content with her Bible storybook). So, inside of the fuzzy Bob the Tomato bible case is her very own Bible. One thing that has not changed since we brought her home is her fondness for red. Thanks to Veggie Tales we found a red bible cover that she calls Bob! She was EXCITED!


I asked the girls tonight if they remember what is was like before Lilly. None of us could remember- well, Emily did say that she remembered not having to share a room!

Miss Lilly,
You have made us so proud! We thank God everyday for you and your sisters and are so blessed! I know that there are great things in your future!
Lots of Love,
Mom and Daddy

It's A Boy!

Those are 3 words we have never said before. It was fun to say but now let me explain...
I recently went to a Natalie Grant/Jeremy Camp concert and it was GREAT! I love their music. During intermission Bebo Norman (we missed him) came onstage to discuss Compassion International. I had briefly heard of it before, but the timing of this was perfect as Jay and I have realized that we have not been serving even close to what we are able to do.
From what I understand, Compassion International works with many third world or undeveloped countries to provide aid to children around the world. In the foyer were MANY pictures of children that needed a sponsor. There is a lot more to it than that, but I haven't researched it yet. I just needed to choose a child's packet. My choice was easy, I wanted a boy and I found one with Jay's birthdate.
So, I brought home the packet and showed Jay. I then showed the girls. Their first question was, "Oh are we going to adopt him?" I wish I could say that we are, but NO! (He does have a family too)I just can't physically get it together right now to add to our family right now. I have to figure out how to be in multiple places at one time first! But, the coolest part of sponsoring a child is that we get a picture, AND we can send letters and photos of us to him. The girls can be an active part of the process.
BTW- This post is not at all about "tooting my own horn"! It is to try and bring awareness to others about organizations such as Compassion International. We are so blessed, but I often feel that we don't DO enough for others, especially the ones Jesus calls "the least of these." Our decision to sponsor a child is ONLY a VERY SMALL step to be more of a servant. We can do so much more! But just imagine of all Christians took a small step towards doing more???
Bebo said something that really stung, especially at a time that I get soooo frustrated with our government. He was talking about how he gets angry with other governments as well, but then he has realized something. "It is not the governments calling to do something, to help the poor, to take care of the widows and orphans. It is OUR (God's people)calling. It is US that should answer the call."

One other thing- someone at the concert mentioned IJM (?), an organization that helps stop the buying and selling of young children. Is anyone out there familiar with this or a similar organization?