He is just so sweet....  

Picture of Brooke from today. She wasn't really wanting to take pictures today... fun. 

My most recent photography session with Hunter. I was learning how to use my new camera. Do you like it? 

My sister sent me this and I thought I would share it with ya'll. A little after easter/weekend humor if you will. 

Story For Your Heart

Let me tell you about a little boy.

For the most part of his first five years he lived in a car. After that, his family would temporarily live with friends.

As a young child, crying meant he got locked in a bedroom - often forgotten about for days.

When he was two years old, he fell out of a second story window. He had a massive head injury and when the paramedics arrived they gave him a shot of antibiotics to prevent infection until they could get to the hospital. He had a terrible reaction to the shot. At the hospital, the doctor informed his father that they had to perform surgery to relieve pressure on his little brain. The father said no because they had no insurance. The father took the boy home and a few days later it was obvious he needed the surgery so his father let the doctors do it.

At three years old he was attacked be a dog leaving him with facial deformities the rest of his life.

At five years old he had to get a physical from a doctor to be able to go to school. The doctor found his penis almost severed in half. Apparently his parents had tied a string around him in an attempt to potty train him.

At that point DCFS was notified and the boy was placed in a group home where he was sexually abused.

At the age of nine his great-grandparents (84 years old) adopted him to try to give him a better life. They worry about what will happen to him after they can't keep him anymore.

This same little boy was out with Gary one day when they walked passed a blind person. He looks up at Gary and says, "I feel bad for that person."

It's a Jeep thing...

So, my wonderful husband has decided we should go to a meeting tonight. Go ahead and guess what kind of meeting this is because you never will....

It is a meeting of Jeep Owners. That's right. My awesome husband has decided he wants a Jeep (apparently he has already asked for some of your opinions on the subject). Here is the weird thing - the part I can't explain. What better way to describe it than by a story.

One day, I was putting some leftovers into the fridge and with something I decided to just wrap it in foil and throw it in the fridge. Well, my husband saw this and was not pleased. He turns to me and as loving as possible starts to say, "Maybe we could be a bit more aware of how we use aluminum foil because that stuff isn't cheap. Maybe we could use our tupperware for things like this...." And on it goes. He is so frugal that we need to watch our aluminum foil usage!

So, when he tells me that he thinks we should have three cars, I thought he was joking.

I'm pretty sure he asked for some advice from someone he works with on how to convince me to let him get the Jeep and that person said, "Just tell her that it is either a Jeep or a motorcycle. Not getting anything is not an option."

The sad part is I am starting to think it isn't such a bad idea.

It's Over

So, the lock-in is over obviously. It was really nice. Things really started to crazy fun around midnight. Wow, hide and seek was fun. And how about not going to bed until 8:30am?

Anyway, I had someone I've never seen before stop me on campus today and say "We are having a prayer meeting tomorrow night. Is there anything you want us to pray about for you?"

So, this was totally unexpected but the girl asking me was really cute and you cold tell she was nervous.

This is why I NEVER go to the quad. I only did today because it was nice out and I wanted to see the pretty flowers. Usually there are people handing out flyers telling you to go see their band or sign something against sexual assault or buy a papa john's pizza (no kidding). It drives me crazy. All I want is to peacefuly walk to class and not be attacked by people wanting stuff from me.

The prayer thing wasn't so bad because they are okay with a "No thanks." The other people yell at you at you. Bah..

Pray for...

Lock-In tonight.

Do I really need to say anything else?

And.... TIME!

So, I think most of you have had enough time to comment. I did the math but we won't go into that. Thank you all for your comments. It was very nice of you!

This is what I am thinking about today:

Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

I think this stuck out to me because of what has been said on Chris' blog lately. We act like "good christians" and talk like "good christians" but it isn't about being "good christians." It is about pleasing God and doing all those things in faith. Doing them because we know they give glory to God and because he rewards thoses who seek him.

I'll let you think more about this on your own. What is God saying to you through this verse?

Warning level elevated

Is anyone home?

Hello again to all my friends. I'm glad you came to play. Oour fun and learning never ends. Here's what we did today.

Five imaginary dollars for anyone that can correctly identify where the previous is from.

Okay anyway, I was just looking at my blog and I recently put the website counter at the bottom (don't know if you noticed). And to my suprise, there are a lot more people reading this than I ever thought. I figured there were maybe a couple of people who read this thing. However, maybe there is someone throwing the data off by going to my blog 80 times a day. So here is the thing: If you are reading this will you respond one time only. Remain anonymous if you would like but please just leave a comment so I can see how many people really read this thing. I think it would be interesting.

I know there are a lot of blogs I read but don't usually comment on. Hmmm.....

My Commitment as a Christian

I'm part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I'm a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me--my banner will be clear!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

So, our nursing student should be leaving Chicago tomorrow to go back to Britian. Very sad. We loved her so much and both the students that came were a lot of fun.

But, when I think about her, I get sad (four year old word choice- I know). She lived with us so obviously she could see how involved we were in the church and our belief in Jesus and everything else that goes along with being christian. But, she wouldn't come to church with us. This was weird because our other students wanted to. They wanted to see what it was about because it was so different from their culture. But not Nikki.

Well, our cultures are pretty similar so church isn't a big shock. She said it wasn't because she doesn't believe in God - she does believe God is there. It is that she doesn't believe God is good. That is hard for me to hear for some reason.

It is nothing personally in her life - she has been rather blessed. She just can't look at the world and believe that God is good.

So, this is just weird for me because the person that is saying this to me is someone I've grown close to and think highly of - but then she tells me that God isn't good.

I don't know.

Warning!

Blogging Makes Headlines

All I have for today is this news article about blogging.

Is that my brain you are drilling?

So,

Today I went to the dentist. I had my first cavity. He filled it up with white stuff.

Let me tell you about this dentists though. He is awesome. First, you walk in and they are playing christian music and everyone is happy. Seriously.... they all have smiles and really want to make you feel comfortable and get to know you. Also, the dentists does some mission kind of work where he goes to other countries and offers his services.

Its not easy getting into see him because so many people go to him and he is sometimes in another country but well worth the wait. Let me know if you are looking for a dentist.

And then we’d be happy .... Wouldn't it be nice

SO,

Shasa has prompted me to blog about something I was thinking today.

I came home and it was beautiful outside. And while I did have a few essays I should be writing, I decided it would be nice to take a few minutes to sit outside. My world of corn fields has been dark and cold for so long with bitter winds and icy snows. But not today.

Today, I got to sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. I felt the sun on my skin, something I had almost forgotten about. Don't you know that feeling? When it isn't necessarily hot outside but you feel your skin getting warmed by the sun?

Well, you can probably see where this is going. Our walk with God is like this. There are cold days where I have a bad attitude and just complain about being cold. There are other days where it is so easy to be happy. Why can't I be happy everyday? Don't I know what is on the other side of those clouds? Don't I know that God is always shining on my heart? Why do I let the clouds get in the way of reflecting that wonderful sunshine?

April Fools Day

When I was little, my friends would not always believe that yesterday was my birthday because they thought it was an April Fools trick. Anyway....

April Fools Day. Why are we still mentioning it? How did it ever get on our calendar? I don't know the answers to these questions but I can give a short history lesson.

A long, long time ago, the beginning of the year was April 1 (something about the first day of spring and the year should start at spring because that is when you can start growing food again). But, some pope decided that new years should be Jan. 1 instead (not sure why). So, some countries started to change over but there were people who didn't want to change (imagine that). These people were given a hard time. The French were especially hard on their traditionalists. They called April 1st "April Fish Day" because as a joke they would draw pictures of fish and but them on people's back because that makes a lot of sense. They would also try to get the traditionalists to go on bogus errands and tell them things that weren't true to try to get them to believe them. Weird.

And here we are, with people talking about how it is April Fools day 500 years later. Awesome.


Warning: Your posts may be monitered!