Roll Tide!!

Fall football is here! The boys had so much fun at the game! John David really got into the cheering! I think Hut's highlight was to get a jersey like J!!

Pops, Seth, Hut, J, and David walking to the game....Graham stayed behind with Mamaw! Thanks again Papa and Mamaw- We had fun!!

Pictures!!

I can't believe how many pictures I have to choose from!! John David has been enjoying taking pictures lately, so he's been snapping them...and when the camera is just laying around, it sure is a lot easier to pick it up to get a few yourself! So here's some random ones....

John David showing me what to do on a changing table...

Crazy boys before bedtime!!





I love this face!



Hud was in the middle of telling J (not too lovingly) to get out of the way so I could take a picture of him...oh boy....






Greg helping us put the little boys to bed....I thought this was such a sweet picture....

I love times like this!




Hud eating icecream at Dairy Cream with two spoons...it didn't take but a couple of bites until he got a brain freeze.....wish I could've gotten a picture of that face- ouch!!!!

More icecream!

Graham pretending to watch TV like his big brothers.....

Hut got a hair cut!! I should take more pictures in this hallway...look at that tan!! ha!

Got to go to the lake again! Thanks Ms. Suzanne!!

We were able to celebrate Kent's 14th birthday on the lake! So much fun!

Tear Stained Feet, Luke 7

The love of Christ is great. Specifically, the love of God that demonstrates itself in the giving of the revelation of God in SCRIPTURE. The words of God being deeper than any ocean, wider than the horizon, a whole well of unending supply… A waterfall that never dries up, a whole new “depth” of “depth” that you never knew existed ….I am completely in awe. The Life it gives. Real Good Life. The Lord’s given us such a precious gift in this Book. It’s Life that comes off the pages and injects itself in the very being of one’s soul. It gives an insatiable appetite for more. Oh that His Word would be our feasting, Christ our very Life, and eternity our vision! What a Great Father we have! The Word our very Savior!

I have been blessed beyond measure with my earthly father who has shown me what a love for scripture looks like- what it looks like in compassion and love and in the gentle touch of a hand on a little one’s hurt soul…I am so thankful. Now I have also been blessed with another Pastor and Shepherd who the Lord has put in my life- David’s dad, our pastor. We looked at Luke 7 in the Word this morning at church. It’s the passage of the lady who wipes her tears from the feet of Christ with her hair then anoints His feet with perfume. This has been one of my favorite parts of scripture for as long as I can remember- it is so beautiful and rich. As I was reading over it, meditating on it, praying through it, the Spirit again spoke such life through it. I love the picture of this passage. It’s like I can imagine being right there. I can imagine the room, the floor, Christ’s feet, the sandals He wore, the smell of the breeze coming through the windows mixed with the aroma of the perfume, the beauty of the tenderness and sincerity of the lady, and oh the sweet presence of Christ . The Lord initiated a prayer in my heart several years ago about my sin. I simply began to pray that I would recognize the weight of my sin. What my sin really is. What I truly am without His grace on my life. My sin. What does that mean? It brings a smile to my face to know He is and will always be answering that prayer. I am woefully sinful. I don’t just do sin. I am sin. There’s nothing good that lives in me- desperately and utterly without hope, full of sin. Even my good attempts are not good enough. The goodness that people can give out of their own strength…it is as filthy rags....nothing I can do is good enough. And this is where the smile comes in…The Gospel. The person of Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross. The beatings, the thorns, the whippings, the bare ribs staring back at him, yes, all that. All that he suffered physically. But oh that we wouldn’t stop there! Oh that we would be given eyes to see and understand the wrath of Holy God being poured out on the darling of Heaven. (My mind goes to Revelation 5. If you haven't read it lately, go read it; imagine the scene!) Oh what Christ has done for us! Nothing compares with it, nothing! The beatings horrible, but the suffering of soaking up God’s wrath is incomparable. The whole cup, the entirety, the whole thing was poured out on Christ. The weight of our sin, who we truly are. He took the punishment- the equivalent of an eternity without Him. And not just for me, but for the world. Sin. Holy God. Sin. Holy God. We can’t do anything about it. Holy God. Sin. We can’t get to Him. Holy God. But oh how He loves us! The depth of the finished work on the cross goes much beyond the beatings, it goes into the depths of the wrath of a Holy God against sin. But oh how He loves us!! He loves us! He made a way! Through the person of Jesus Christ. God Himself clothed in human flesh, hanging on a cross, soaking up all of the wrath of a Holy God. God came, God Himself came to save us. To save me. To save you. He wills that no one should eternally die. Psalm 70:4 says to those who love His salvation to forever shout, "He is Great!" May our very lives shout it! The sweetness of that new life with Him. It reminds me of the sweetness of that first little flower popping up in early spring. And then that tall oak tree, rooted and grounded in deep deep love. That Resurrection life! How sweet, tender, and strong!

The lady in Luke 7 was a sinful woman, but as we know in scripture, we are all sinful, we all fall short of the glory of God. Even the Pharisee that was there with her- we know he was a sinful man. The deeds of sin become increasingly foolish to compare when we see our conditions before a Holy God. I am sin. No less and no more than anyone else. So, what is the difference between the lady who anoints Jesus with perfume and the Pharisee? I think it is the awareness of her sin. The realization of her sin. She is more aware of her sin than the Pharisee. She realized the weight of her sin- the fullness of her sin. Her desperateness. Her utter hopelessness. She knew what she looked like before God. She knew she had no hope by herself. She knew she needed Someone. She knew she needed Christ. Oh and then that wonderful picture of true worship! She didn’t have to sing a song- her song was her very life. So what did she do? She knelt and with a broken heart cried out to her Savior. Some of the most intimate times of worship for me are times when I cannot speak, I cannot sing, all I can do is kneel and maybe cry and enjoy the very real presence of God Himself. That heart that is so full of gratitude for what He has done. Oh the freedom of such worship. The joy of such worship. It’s almost like all I can do is listen to the Spirit within me, feel the Spirit of God in His temple. It comes from a heart that is perfect before Him. It might be a messy heart- I can imagine the lady’s heart being a bit messy, but oh how little those things matter when we see Christ for who He is. For what He has done. When we see God for who He is. Forgetting oneself and looking onto the perfection of our Savior. His finished work. His perfect, perfect, sweet work. Oh how I love it! I love this way! I love the God who planned it! I love His plan! I love it! We have a good good Father. He is great!

Can’t you see such a beautiful blend of this lady’s heart?! Doesn’t it seem to be a paradox when Christ says blessed be the the poor in spirit, the broken hearted and then says that the fruit of the Spirit is joy. Isn’t this such a beautiful picture of exactly this. That’s worship. This beautiful blend of brokeness and joy! The perfect heart.

Have you ever really thought about how it was the word of God that spoke creation into existence. The galaxies, the sun, light- all things He spoke…..And why do we not pay more attention to the Word of God- the revelation of Himself in Scripture? How do we so many times not make the connection. He spoke….all things created. He speaks…He creates….He speaks….He creates. The words of God….create. The words of God! Oh that we would give him full reign to speak and create in us. Whatever pleases Him, create. How does He create us to be more like Him? How does He create a new person in us? It must be the same way- He speaks. How did He draw us to Him? He spoke. We responded. How did He heal our hearts, He spoke into them. The words of God create. We cannot be created into anything new apart from His words. He speaks….He creates. We don’t create. He creates. How does He create? The same way He created in Genesis 1. By His words. Keep focusing on His Word. He’ll create.

Summer Fun!

Summer is almost over (I feel myself getting super excited to say goodbye to this Alabama heat!), so I thought I'd share a couple more pictures....

J doing some "Preschool"! He's a smart little guy!

Okay- so I must explain...I do not approve of this kind of drinking...but he had never done it before and I had never thought to tell him not to, so after I took the picture I explained that he shouldn't do this anymore.....but I thought it was pretty funny....just right at the lunch table picked it up and went to town drinking it!
Hudson looking cool!

Graham being still for a second- a miracle:-) He really is thoughtfully still and posing for the picture here:-) Eyes closed, but hey, he's not a blur- so we will take it!

Some friends of ours asked if we would like to go on their boat for the afternoon! We had such a blast! That's David and J on the tube....J kept giving the thumbs up- which means FASTER!!!

The sky and the mountains were so beautiful!

Hud and I!

David and I! We had such a fun time!

Sweet Hudson and mom!

Hut Hut again!

J thought it was pretty cool to be able to drive!

I got to surf! I had never done it before and it was so so much fun!

My boys....

David surfing!

Thank you Ms. Suzanne and Caleb! We had a great afternoon with you two!

Our little Graham...with a little runny nose...oops....

He's always wanting to brush his teeth!

I can't even get him out of the tub and put his PJ's on before he gets into something!! I like to call him our little Lizard! You can barely catch him!

John David is officially a soccer player now! We have been so proud of him! The first week he was a little timid and shy, but since then he has played so hard! And it's been a great opportunity for him to learn more about how to love on others! It's already been a blessing! And we're having tons of fun! His first game is coming up soon!

Our boys have been blessed with several new "big brothers" here lately! This is Kent- We laugh because we really could claim this one as being ours! just a bigger version :-)!

Karli showing J a new fun website that he can go to! Miss you, Karil!!
For all you moms of preschoolers: J loves this website and I do too! It's starfall.com

The cousins had a "dance party" at my mom and dad's house...they were quite impressive with their pinata! They let Hud get the first good whack at it!

Beautifully Yours

I can only imagine what life could be like with no interest in self- no thought of my well being, comfort! What of being misunderstood? Just a laugh and a chuckle and a fixed gaze on Christ. I can taste it! But it does still look so far in the future! What would it be like to be like the trees? To be so firm and established in His love that all thoughts of self can cease! The wind moves through with such grace and ease! A serious structure, but with such beauty and 'lightness'- that even the gentlest winds can move it's leaves. But how it can stand the biggest of storms! How can this be? They are Yours. And how much more- I am Yours! Put here to glorify You! May I be strong, established and rooted deep in Your love- growing wiser and stronger every year- able to be moved by the slightest breeze of the Spirit, but immovable, strong in the storms. Beautifully Yours. Your workings. Your care. Giving shade to those who need, a restful place to the weary, providing limbs for little ones to play, providing wood for the fire- providing beautiful colors in season. Your wonders are too much for me. You are a beautiful, beautiful God. Lord. My Lord. I am Yours.

Awakening of the Dawn

There are times, like right now…where my heart is in such an awe of God that all I can do is praise Him…I’m quieted….all my requests cease and from my lips only come praise…what more can I ask? I ponder in amazement….Then there are times that my heart is broken and I’m asking hard questions….times when I don’t understand ….The inspired words of God in the Psalms have such power….I’ve yelled it, I’ve whispered it (although I never end in a whisper…ha!) ….I’ve cried through it… I’ve started reading it w/ a hard attitude and as I read it aloud, He began to soften my heart…. my eyes lift off of me and onto Him and His greatness……….Whatever you may be going through- Hope it may be an encouragement to you ….So turn up the music and shout it….or get alone and cry it…. Praise Him! He is Worthy! Say it out loud to Him! We can join with the angels……

"Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things....The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all. Praise the Lord...you His servants who do His will.Praise the Lord, O my soul. Praise the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, you are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty. He wraps Himself in light as with a garment; He stretches out the heavens like a tent...he makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind....Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done. Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts. Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always. Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He pronounced....Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever. Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord or fully declare His praise? Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say this- those He redeemed from the hand of the foe, those He gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south...I will sing and make music with all my soul. I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations...For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth...Praise the Lord. Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised. The Lord is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap... to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live. Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol Him, all you peoples. For great is His love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever...You are my portion, O Lord...Your hands made me and formed me...my soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word. Your word, O Lord is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens...You established the earth, and it endures. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth...I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven...Praise the Lord, Praise the name of the Lord; praise Him, you sevants of the Lord...Praise the Lord for the Lord is good; sing praise to His name...The Lord does whatever pleases Him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths....Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever....I will praise you, O Lord, will all my heart...May the kings of the earth praise you, O Lord...for the glory of the Lord is great...The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever- do not abandon the works of your hands...your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle...I will exult you, my God the King; I will praise your name ever and ever...Let every creature praise His holy name...I will sing praise to my God as long as I live...Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the heights above. Praise Him, all his angels, praise Him, all his heavenly hosts. Praise him, sun and moon, praise Him, all you shining stars. Praise Him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies...He set them in place for ever and ever...kings of the earth and all nations, your princes and all rulers on earth, young men and maidens, old men and children. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; His splendor is above the earth and the heavens. He raised up for His people a horn, the praise of all his saints...the people close to His heart. Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song...May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands...Praise the Lord in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty heavens. Praise Him for His acts of power; praise Him for His surpassing greatness. Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise Him with the harp and lyre, praise Him with the tambourine and dancing, praise Him with the srings and flute, praise Him with the clash of cymbals, praise Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord."
- a collection of praises from the Psalms

Sweet little Kisses

We are back from Haiti! I am unsure of what to tell you really, but will share with you a couple of stories that are most dominant in my heart. There is so much need there- overwhelming, but I am reminded that God deals with individuals- He saw crowds, but had compassion on individuals. That is just what He did there in Haiti this past week. The need is huge, but God showed us just how He works. He had a special purpose for us. One of those purposes was a little girl named Melisa. She is a two year old girl about the size of a one year old here in the states. She was malnourished, crippled, nonrespondant, and very very sick. The first day we got there to the orphanage we went outside to play with the boys and girls. It didn't take long for a couple of girls to take me up to their room in the orphanage. I walked in and saw a little girl lying on the bed. She looked crippled at first look, then I reached to touch her and I knew something was not right- she was extremely hot and her eyes were seizing. I spent some time up there with them and then before dark I prayed with them and then went to meet with our group. I told the nurse with us and we went back to check her out. Long story- but in short Melisa is dying with TB. She has been sick since April and now it has spread to her brain. We did all we could for her while we were there- taking her to hospitals, etc. but it really is too late to do anything for her from a human standpoint. While the nurse was at the pediatric TB ward (finally when we found one) she saw two children die while she was there. We know the need is overwhelming, but God took us to little Melisa and her mother, Wilka, and to the little girls of that orphanage. We loved on them, sang with them, read scripture together- shared Christ's love with them. We cried with them, we laughed with them. Isaiah 58 talks about how when we bring healing to others, God brings healing to us as well. Those little girls were another way of God showing us experientially what that scripture is all about. On Thursday, I walked into the the girls' room to tell them we were going to another school for the day (to share the Gospel there) and that we'd be back later that afternoon. When I walked in, my heart seemed to stop. Melisa was lying on the bed, eyes wide open, chest not moving. Wilka, the widowed mother, was on the opposite side of the room sobbing. I froze and just stared at little Melisa. Then I saw her little eyes seize and her chest struggle for a breath. The nurse and I were able to stay there with Melisa all day....I actually fell asleep midday sitting on the floor beside her bed. Wilka thought that was funny. When the girls got back from school we were reading out of Psalms. One of the girls that could speak English pretty well, told us that Psalms three was her favorite. This was one of the most memorable moments for me. There we were gathered around a little girl who was crippled, brain damaged, and dying with TB, these orphan girls- hearing all they have had to go through and with their future in mind- and this sweet little girl reading to us Psalm three.

"O Lord, how many are my foes!

How many rise up against me!

Many are saying of me, "God will not deliver him."

Selah.

But you are a shield around me, O Lord;

you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.

To the Lord I cry aloud,

and he answers me from his holy hill.

Selah

I lie down and sleep;

I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.

I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.

Arise, O Lord! Deliver me, O my God!

Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.

From the Lord comes deliverance.

May your blessing be on your people.

Selah"

Another one of my favorite moments was when I was able to read to the girls Matthew 12:50 in their own language. A little girl that I got very close to over the week, Tasania, was just standing there with her huge, white, beautiful smile, with tears running down her face. I will never be able to forget the joy and heartache in those tears.

"For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

Another sweet memory was each night when we would tell the girls goodnight and pray with them. After prayer, we would kiss them on the cheek or on the forehead. It reminded me of all the blessings we take for granted. Our God is a Good Father, a Father of Love and compassion. It was such an honor and blessing to be able to be a little part of what God is doing in Haiti. It brings such a smile to my heart to know that all the hours we spent loving on little Melisa, all the hours we spent holding her and trying to care for her, and all the time we spent with those girls in the little upper room of that orphanage, we were really doing it to Christ. What a joy!

While I was going to sleep each night I was able to look up at the stars and think about how mighty God is. At any moment, He could heal baby Melisa, at any moment, he could do anything. He is the one who spoke the galaxies into existence and flung the beauty of the stars in the heavens. We serve a mighty God, a jealous God. He is jealous for His Glory, His renown. Only when we are most satisfied in Him alone is He most glorified. And only when He's most glorified, can our hearts and lives live out our songs! Oh how my heart leaps with joy!

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life." 2 Corinthians 2:14-16

The pastor there said that since the earthquake, they can see God working in such a powerful way. The sounds of voodoo drums once permeated the night- and now a national day of prayer! The sound of the young guys in the orphanage singing to God at night was a reminder of the very real presence of God. The Spirit reminded me often of Psalm 29 during the trip.

"The voice of the Lord twists the oaks and strips the forests bare.

And in his temple all cry, "Glory!"

The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King forever.

The Lord gives strength to his people;

the Lord blesses his people with peace."

Praise God for His workings!

Port-Au-Prince, Haiti

These pictures are just a handful of the ones from my camera...They really do a poor job of representing the need there and how God is working. We serve such a mighty and powerful God!

Some pictures of the city...

We stayed at New Life Orphanage and School. Pastor Edmond is a Haitian national who oversees 22 schools, 11,000 students, one orphanage, and a number of churches. We were able to go class to class and share the Gospel with five of these schools. Our group was made up of 11 from our church, two ladies from Washington DC, and two men and a lady nurse from Canada.

The kids in their uniforms. Before their teachers would gather them in their classes the kids would flock to where we were. In the mornings before school I would go down under a tent and read scripture- this was such a special time b/c near the end of my quiet time the kids would be getting there and often there would be several that would come and sit with me and I would go to John 3:16 and we could read that together- before school started. I enjoyed that early morning time, loving on them.

We were able to sleep under an awning. We tried tents, but the heat in the tents were unbearable. A man in our group slept by us as our guard.

Precious little Melisa.

One of the girls took this while we were hanging out in their room one day. We were drawing pictures when this pic was taken.

The girls really enjoyed making friendship bracelets. We made Melisa a tiny little anklet.

Tasania, Tamara, Sondra, and the nurse with our group from Canada, Patty.

This specific chalkboard had not been used since the earthquake, January 12th. You can see the date at the top. They were afraid to go inside of this specific room b/c of the damage done. This is where we actually stayed...we set up tents inside of this set of classrooms, but ended up outside where the heat was a bit more tolerable.

Precious Tasania.

Melisa. This is where we sat around her bed and would sing to her, touch her, pray for her, read scripture.

I cut up the towel I had brought and we were able to use them as rags to try to keep her cooled as much as possible. I have never seen our towels look more beautiful.

Every once in a while the baby's mom, Willka, would get really upset. It would happen mostly when Melisa's fever would go up and she felt really hot to the touch. We would stop and pray each time the mother would get this upset. The mom couldn't even look at Melisa at this moment. Melisa has been sick since April. This young mom was widowed by the earthquake and now losing her little girl. It was such a joy to put our arms around her, pray with her, and just be with her. She wanted us just to be there. It didn't matter we couldn't communicate well, it was just our presence- or really His presence.

This was a small battery operated fan that one of the girls from our group had brought. The batteries lasted the whole week! You can tell how small she is beside the fan. She is two yrs. old.

Precious Tasania.

The day before we left, the nurse and I stayed behind and spent the day with Melisa and the girls in that little upper room. I was able to hold her and sing to her while I looked out that window there in the background.