Updates and Changes

I know I promised to do frequent updates, but it just ain't happenin'. Unless you've been through it, you wouldn't believe how a paper chase can consume your entire life.  I have made copies, scanned, emailed and requested paperwork of all kinds.  This is kind of what it looks like for me.

(my friend KB tells me I must include pictures as I go through this process)

I have a colored folder for different papers just so I can keep them all straight.  Right now, we are just trying to get through the home study, but then comes the dossier. More on the dossier and what it is at a later date.
  
But right now, here's where we are at...we have had our first home study visit as a couple.  Next week is my one on one visit with the social worker.  The week following is Steve's one on one visit and then the week before I leave for South Africa will be our final home study visit which is in our home with Jenna.

In case you are wondering (and I'm sure all 3 of you are), the home study report written by the social worker (after many interviews and documents gathered) that in essence says we are capable of parenting an adopted child.  The first visit was very low key and we just talked about how we got to this point and why we wanted to adopt.  What is funny is that right before we each started to tell our version of why and how, I made fun of Steve because I knew he'd get all choked up over it (he's getting soft in his old age!).  Well, guess who breaks down sobbing, and I do mean SOBBING, right in the middle of her story?  Yup.  There I sat in Panera bread sobbing away with a bunch of people eating bagels and wondering what in the world is wrong with me.  I don't know...talking about how God has taken care of us especially this year and last and how He brought me here never knowing this is where I'd end up...well, I can't talk about it without getting emotional.  One of the ministers at church says never to apologize for your tears because they are a testimony to what you care about most (paraphrase) and I love that.  Mostly because I cry all the time.

So, what's next?  Well, we both have doctor's forms that need to be filled out, background checks and fingerprinting.  My doctor forms won't be hard because last time I checked, I was healthy as could be.  But since I am overdue for a physical anyway, I have that set up in a couple weeks.  Steve's will be more challenging because he has to account for his insulin and his other medications he takes.  Then finally there are a couple more pieces of paperwork that have to be taken care of for the home study, but that's about it. 

I'm working on a FAQ post now.  That's is coming soon (relatively speaking).  Speaking of coming soon, you may have noticed a title change to the blog.  I've been wanting to re-do my blog for a long time now, but just never taken the time to do it.  My friend Katelyn and I have a mutual love for the Michael Buble song which obviously inspired my title.  Katelyn is a communications guru and so she helped me with the tag line (more like she wrote it with NO help from me).  I love it very much.  And keep watching...there are BIG changes coming soon to my blog.  And for those of you who read through Google Reader, take a minute to hop over and see what my blog looks like now.  That way you can be amazed and awed when the changes are made.  :)

OK, I'm off to love on my babies in the church nursery.  And just in case I haven't mentioned it lately, I LOVE my church.  If you are in the area and don't LOVE your church, allow me to show you why I love mine.  

Happy SUNDAY! 

Donate!

There will be many-a-fundraiser coming soon for the Taylors, however, if you feel led to donate to help bring our little girl home, just click on the "DONATE" button there to your right...you can use your credit card and any donations will go straight to my Paypal account which is connected to our adoption fund here at a local bank.

If donating online is not for you, stay tuned for more exciting fundraising information!

Adoption Fundraiser for the Locals

Some of you may know my friend Rachel.  I might have mentioned her a time or three on this blog.  Well, I'm happy to be able to share some exciting news with you.  She and her family are adopting too!  I am thrilled to have my bestest buddy to share this journey with.  She is adopting a little girl, aged 3 - 4 years from Ethiopia.  Now, just how cool is that?  Our girls now are super good friends and now they will have little sisters who will be just as close!  Isn't our God good?

Here's the deal for you locals who haven't heard...there's a little fundraiser going on for the Millsaps.  And all you have to do is eat dinner.  But not just ANY dinner...CHICK-FIL-A dinner!  And who doesn't LOVE Chick Fil A?

Here are the deets...

When?  Monday, August 30th from 5:00p.m. - 8:00p.m.
What?  A percentage of your purchase will go to the Millsaps
How?  Once you have checked out, please be sure to hand your receipts to Rachel or her husband, David
(They will have to turn those in at the end of the evening)
Where?   Chick-Fil-A 1105 Shadow Green Drive Franklin, TN 37064 615-794-8180

I will be there celebrating with them and I hope to see you there too.

Come on out!  Spread the word to your neighbors! Heck, treat your neighbors to a yummy dinner! And then you can say you were part of bringing their little girl home.  How cool is that?

I think we killed a tree

Adoption Update

Now that we are approved to adopt from China, we have to begin working to complete the homestudy and the dossier (which is a jacked up version of the homestudy that goes to China eventually). 

Yesterday we received an email from our Family Coordinator at AWAA along with 7...yes, SEVEN...attachments.  The combined total pages of all these documents was 65 pages.  And they aren't just forms to fill out.  They are documents and guidelines and lists. All to be read, requested, signed or gathered.  Looking at it all, I thought I might hyperventilate.

Until today.

We just received an email from our Social Worker at AWAA.  This one included 11 attachments and 31 pages.  Some are similar or the same as the dossier paperwork, but I feel like I have murdered a tree.  And if I thought I might hyperventilate last night, now I REALLY think I might.

I know my fellow adoptive friends are laughing because they remember oh so well the overwhelming feeling of drowning in paperwork and wondering how in the world it will ever get done.

Anyway, I just wanted to keep you updated because several of you have asked that I update my blog often to let you know how things are going.  And because I'm a scrapbooker, I want to be sure and use this to keep a journal of what has happened.

So far...

August 5, 2010 - submitted application
August 13, 2010 - received acceptance into China program
August 13, 2010 - received contracts and AWAA documents to sign
August 17, 2010 - documents signed and overnighted back to AWAA
August 19, 2010 - assigned family coordinator "A".  Received dossier prep documents
August 20, 2010 - assigned social worker "S".  Received home study prep documents

And our next steps?  For the dossier it's to read all the papers and make a list of questions.  Next week we will speak with A who will answer all our questions and get us pointed in the right direction to get started.

For the homestudy, we'll review these documents, gather some of the information needed and wait for S to call and set up the first appointment.

I know some of you will have many questions about the process and I would love to answer them.  Just send them to me and I'll answer them here on the blog as best I can.

For now, I'm off to enjoy the weekend and maybe read a little.  :)

Reactions...

Thought you might enjoy seeing some of the first words from emails I received in response to my "We're adopting" email...they made me smile and I hope they make you smile too!  BTW, these are pretty much verbatim...

"so EXCITING"

"WOW"

"WHOA!!!!!!!"

"Congratulations!"

"How exciting!"

"What????!!!?????"

"Wow!  Congratulations!"

"Oh Sandra!"

"Oh wowowowow!!!!!"

"AAAAAAAAAA!!!!"

"HOLY CRAP!!!!"  (this was my favorite)

"Oh....my...gosh!!!!"

"What!!!!!!!!!!!"

"HOLY COW!!!!"

South Africa

I leave for South Africa in a little over a month.  And now that the realization has set in that I'm going on this trip with a bunch of people I don't know very well, I'm starting to get nervous.  I'm counting my PTO days and wondering how the heck I am going to make this all work out.

I'm still more than $1000 short of having the trip paid for and I'm starting to think maybe I should be asking folks for financial support even though a few months ago I felt sure God was telling me not to.  This is where I'm starting to feel Satan's attack.  He has stolen my excitement for the trip and replaced it with doubt and worry.  I'm about to send out my prayer support letters.  Regardless of whether you receive one or not, I covet your prayer support.  In fact, I really need it.

And if you feel LED to give financially, I won't argue!  OK, totally kidding.  But do pray for peace about that part of it.  I'll keep you posted!

A New Addition...

To our family.

Yes, you read right.

We are adopting.

From China.
 
I know what you are thinking. “Wow.” Guess what? ME TOO. I know the news that we are adopting may come as a surprise to many all of my readers.  It certainly has been the emotion of choice for those we have told in person.  Trust me, none of you are any more surprised to find me in this position as I am myself.

And as many adoptive parents find, the main question is “why”. The short answer to why is that we feel it is what God is leading us to do.

Most of you know I have always desired a larger family, but after the very quick and successful IVF to have Jenna, we were unable to produce a sibling. We went through several cycles and a lot of money. After that, we decided we were done trying. Until we found a friend whose husband had a very successful reversal surgery and she ended up getting pregnant. The cost of the surgeon they used was very reasonable, so we figured we might as well try. The surgery was painful for Steve and not successful in a myriad of ways.  I promised Steve when he went through that (God bless him) that I would be done if it wasn't successful. And since we weren’t, I kept my promise.

Almost.

I broached the subject of adoption with Steve several years ago. I even contacted an agency and got some information. But he was definitely not interested and gently reminded me that I had made him a promise. Despite that, I felt like God wasn’t finished with us yet. I felt like I would have another child, but I didn’t know when or how. And when you think of it, there are MANY ways to be a parent.

And after so long, I started to think maybe I’d been wrong about that. I kept asking why God would put that desire in my heart but not fulfill it. After several years passed, I finally came to the place where I could ask God to just help me be content with the size my family was. And amazingly, He was doing that. I started to see all the good things about being a parent to an only child instead of dwelling on the less-than-desirable things. Last summer when Steve lost his job and the economy was so bad, I thought that must be the reason we never had a second child…because how could we afford another? Then last Spring, the Bible study group I’m part of, went through two series back to back that changed my life. The first was Crazy Love by Frances Chan. The next was the Radical series of sermons by David Platt.  Slowly, we begin to think about what we could do to help others when Steve was employed again, rather than what all we could do for ourselves (new computer, new car, bigger house etc.). At the same time, I watched as two couples in our church walked the journey of international adoption. Secretly I hoped that Steve was watching too, but I didn’t dare hope (oh, my faith was SO weak).

About a month ago, on our way home from church, Steve just brought it up in a conversation we were having. I was stunned. I’m a talker, so I don’t normally find myself speechless, but I’ll tell you that day, I WAS.  In fact, I was so stunned that I didn’t mention it again for a couple days because I was afraid I might have misunderstood or that he really hadn’t meant it the way I thought. As the days passed, we opened up with each other and talked about it more. Miraculously, we were on the same page in nearly every aspect. We prayed about it with Jenna and with each other and here we are.

I did once ask him why the change and his answer?  "I don't know".  I guess that's the way God works sometimes.  He changes you slowly so that you don't even know it's happening until you wake up and realize the way you used to be isn't the way you are anymore.

That is the simplified version. We don’t know how we are going to pay for the adoption. We do have some money in savings, but that isn’t going to be nearly enough to cover it all. There are what feels like hundreds of questions that are still to be answered. But we believe with all our hearts that God had opened this door and answered this prayer for us.

The facts for now is that we have been accepted into the China Waiting Children program through America World Adoption Agency. This is the agency that Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife went through to adopt their three girls. It is a wonderful Christian agency and offline, I’d be thrilled to tell you how and why we chose them. It was a God thing all the way (which is just as my friend Jamie told me it would be!) We are now getting ready to start the home study. The step after that will be the dossier. It’s a long process and I’ll explain in more detail in a later post. For now, pray for our new little daughter…wherever she is.

And keep visiting...watch as we bring our girl home!

Vacation...Day 7

Thursday was our last full day at Amelia Island, so we wanted to spend as much time on the beach as we could.  We got up, had breakfast and headed out.  It was a beautiful day.  You could go out very far from the shore and still be only up to your ankles in water.  We found a huge shell and a sand dollar!

Being that it was Shark Week on the Discovery channel, sharks were on my mind and so I had my eyes open for those and didn't venture too far out.  But I wanted to see how far out I could walk before the water got too high.  I was probably about 100 feet from Jenna walking out when I saw a fin go right through the water no more than 50 yards from where I was standing.  I'll admit...I kind of panicked!  I didn't scream, I just started heading back towards Jenna to herd her in to shore as fast as possible, all the while walking backwards and keeping my eyes on the water.  About the time I reached Jenna, I saw it again...this time it surfaced and I could see it was clearly a dolphin!  Actually, there were 2 of them swimming together.  I showed Jenna and she was ecstatic!  We watching them until they were far away and then saw them both jumping completely out of the water!  It was a great way to end our vacation!

We ended up bringing our cooler to the beach and eating lunch out there.  Finally we came in. We had dinner reservations at 7:00 so we decided to do a little more sighting on the resort.  We went to the Nature Center which was really neat.  They have a pond out back and there were turtles and you could feed them.  Katie especially liked them!

After the Nature Center, we wanted to see more of the resort that wasn't in walking distance and this is the way we did it!

We all took turns driving (well, except Jenna, she wasn't allowed!) and there were some beautiful places for sale and rent.  One of these days when I'm rich (ha!), I'm going to own a place on the beach!  I have officially decided I don't want to live there because living there doesn't make it as special as when you only get to go every once in a while.

After riding around for a couple hours, we headed back to the room to get cleaned up for dinner at The Verandah.  It was a great dinner and we had the most delicious dessert.  Some kind of grilled bananas in caramel in a tulip type cup. Oh my word it was a delight!

Back at the room, we started packing up to leave the next morning.  Check out on Friday was at 11:00 and we got out about 10:00 I guess.  We didn't stop 1/2 way coming back the way we did when we were going.  We got home about 7 or 8pm and got all unpacked and the house straightened up before we went to bed.  I had done the laundry before we left, so it was all clean...best thing EVER!!!

We lazed around on Saturday...did a few errands, ate out etc.,  Jenna registers for school on Wednesday and then 1/2 day on Thursday and full day on Friday.  I'm supposed to have this whole week off of work, but I might be going in a couple days just to save up on my PTO for my South Africa trip...

I'm glad to be home, but I sure am gonna miss this place!

Vacation...Day 6

Wednesday we decided to take a break from the water play and go to the Jacksonville Zoo.  By the time we all got up, got dressed and got TO the zoo, it was almost lunchtime.

It was a great zoo and we saw so many neat animals.  Jenna even got to feed a giraffe. 

And pet stingrays...

But it was H-O-T.  I mean, unbearably hot.  We hadn't really noticed the heat before because we were always in the pool or on the beach.  We didn't get lunch until about 2pm and by the time we had seen almost everything in the zoo it was about time for it to close and we were done.  We rode the train back over to the entrance and got the heck outta there.

Back at the resort, we hung out for a bit in the room while still cooling off and then spend a few hours in the pool late in the afternoon (since we'd had a super late lunch, we weren't hungry for dinner until later).  We then ate at the Beach Grille which was on the resort.  It was very good and within walking distance.  For dessert we had chocolate fondue!  OH YUM!  Jenna had never had anything like that before and she was duly impressed.  Granted, it was no Melting Pot, but it was good nonetheless.  We are going to have to take her to Melting Pot soon...just for dessert.

Just to prove I WAS on this vacation...here's one of me and Steve...

Hahahahahahaha....

Vacation...Day 5

I always seemed to wake up at the same time every day...7:30 (and that was Eastern, time so really it was 6:30am), but I figure when you are used to getting up at 5:30am, then sleeping an hour or so later IS sleeping late!  When I'd wake up, I'd get up and sit on the balcony with my magazines and eat breakfast until everyone else got up.  With a view like this, it was one of my favorite parts of the vacation!

On Tuesday, there was more of the same...pool in the morning, lunch in the room and then beach in the afternoon.

Jenna was dying to have some crab legs and there just wasn't anywhere on the resort to get them, so the only place we could find that had them was Red Lobster.  So, that's where we went to dinner.  And on Tuesday night, the place was practically deserted.  But that was cool.  We stopped at Target after to pick up a few more things.

Back at the resort, we all went out crab hunting.  Jenna thought this was really fun...we ended up doing it every night we were there.

 Jenna and Steve watched a movie back in the room, but my sinuses has been acting up (thanks to several mouths/noses full of chlorinated and/or salt water) so I went to bed early.

Vacation...Day 4

On Monday, we decided to visit the pool right outside our window.  So we ate a quick breakfast in the room (much cheaper than room service) and headed out.  It was practically empty for quite a while.  I guess most everyone else headed to the beach first thing.  About 11:30, we went in, got dressed and headed out for some lunch.

We drove to Fernandina Beach and ate at the Subway.  Then we popped into Winn Dixie to buy some lunch food for the rest of the week.

When we got back, we decided to explore some of the shops on the resort.  Jenna went dressed in her bathing suit (for easy beach access when we returned!).

After we explored a little, we went to the beach and ended our day there.  It was great fun and because it was later in the afternoon, there was barely anyone on the beach.  All week the beach was not crowded at all.  We were very pleased.

In the evening, we drove to historic Fernandina (think historic Franklin) and enjoyed some seafood at a little place called the Marina.

This was a picture of the marina (the place, not the restaurant) that I took.  I am very happy with this picture.  I turned the flash off, but used the railing nearby as a tripod and I think it turned out wonderfully!

It was late again when we got back so we hung out at the room.  It was a very relaxing night.

Vacation...Day 3

On Sunday, we had an early dinner planned with our Jacksonville family planned for 3pm, so we wanted to eat a big enough breakfast to tide us over until then so we ordered room service again.  And oh heavens at the food!  I thought about taking a picture of it, but I didn't and now I wish I had.  There were yogurt and pancakes, bacon galore and bagels and cream cheese.  There was really enough food for a family of 5 or more.  And we sat on our balcony and ate breakfast.  It was heavenly.  This was our view from the balcony of our room.  Another view a little to the left and you can actually see the ocean.

We then got ready to go to the beach for the morning.  Jenna played in the waves, Katie played in the waves and Steve played in the sand.

 About noon, Steve headed in to get Katie washed and Jenna and I followed and got showered and cleaned up.  We met Tracey, Charles and Charley at Schooners in St. Augustine.  If you remember (and I'm sure you don't, because no one really cares as much as I do), they introduced me to Schooners last year when Jenna and I spent a week in St. Augustine. They refuse photos, so I hijacked one from their Facebook page.  They very well may unfriend me now, but it's worth it to show you this family I love so much!

After we finished with dinner, we wanted to hang out some more, so we drove to a nearby mall to walk around.  That didn't last long though because on Sundays, the malls close pretty early, so they kicked us out, but not before visiting the chocolate store!  We also stopped at WalMart to pick up a few things for the week like breakfast items and beach chairs.

It poured down rain while we were there and after we left, but when we got back to the resort, it was completely dry and this proved to be true anytime we encountered rain while away from the resort.  Because St. Augustine was an hour and 1/2 away, it was late when we returned and so we just hung out in the room until bed.

Vacation...Day 1 and 2

We just returned from vacation in Amelia Island, Florida.  I didn't post about that because this is a public blog and I didn't want the world to know my house was empty.  But I will share with you a little about our fun vacation before I forget.

My mother would be so disappointed that I wasn’t completely packed for vacation at least 2 weeks before we were set to leave. But I think I did pretty good. I had to work on Friday but had planned to leave after lunch. My thought was that if I could get on the road by 2pm, then I’d feel like we were doing good. Using MapQuest, I found a Hampton Inn in Macon, GA and made a reservation since we were planning to drive about ½ way on Friday afternoon. Steve was going to run the van in to the shop to get a small oil leak fixed before we left. The shop originally told him to be there at 7am so he was going to do that, then come back and pack the van and then pick me up from work and we’d head out. Thursday night, the shop called and said just to come in at 10. So Steve packed up the van before he left, drove all the way out there just to find that the wait was 3 hours to even start on it. NOT. GONNA. WORK. So, he and Jenna got some lunch and then came on to the office. I finished up my work lunch and then we got on the road.

I think we actually got on the road at 1pm Nashville time, so that wasn’t too bad. An hour before my goal and WAY better than an hour behind which is what I figured it would be. However, I had really busted my butt and put in some hours at work that week so I would feel good about leaving. If you can believe it, we hit very little traffic going through Atlanta and found the hotel easily. I gotta give Hampton props (actually, I think Hilton owns them). I have not yet stayed in a bad Hampton. I’m sure plenty of you have, but don’t tell me about it (unless you know I’m going to the same Hampton!). There was some kind of large group staying there with a bunch of teens who play tennis. The lobby was full of adults and kids but the front desk clerk was super friendly and made me laugh. The room was nice and clean and despite the large number of kids, tweens, teens and adults, we never heard any running or loud talking at all.

After checking in, we ate at Cheddars.  I was very excited since I'd never eaten there before.  But the service wasn't great and neither was the food.  We were kind of disappointed.

None of us slept that well, but I guess that’s to be expected when you are in a different bed than your own. I finally got up at 8am (which is 7am home time) because my back was killing me and I couldn’t get comfortable. I showered and by the time I was done Steve, Jenna and Katie were up. We enjoyed a yummy, free continental breakfast at the Hampton, checked out and got on the road. We did OK until the GPS took us down these backroads to get to our destination rather than the interstate. We made a quick backtrack and only lost about 20 minutes.

We arrived to the resort at about 3:15 Eastern time, but the room wasn't ready until after 5pm so we took time to fill up with gas and just look around the resort.  Once we got checked in, we did the obligatory walk to the beach where Jenna pretends she is not going to get wet in her clothes, but ends up getting soaked.

Once we got back to the room and her changed and us unpacked, we ordered room service (which was DELISH!) and then got in bed...

Book Review: Blind Hope

I'm a tiny bit behind on this book review because I had saved it to go with me on vacation, but it was worth the wait!

Blind Hope, written by Kim Meeder and Laurie Sacher, is wonderful book about Laurie and her journey through her broken dreams and the healing that came from rescuing a dog in need.

Without revealing too much of the plot, Laurie's life dreams are shattered when she comes to work for Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch where broken horses and broken children come to find healing.  Laurie ends up rescuing a dog in need but soon realizes that her dog, even though blind,  is rescuing HER.

"As Laurie and her dog, Mia, both learned to follow the lead of a master they couldn't see, Laurie discovered the transforming power of God's grace even for imperfect and selfish people - and she experienced a greater love than she had ever known."

This is the sweetest story and especially touching if you are an animal lover and this book is a TRUE STORY.  It is an easy read.  I started the book when we were leaving the beach and had it finished before we stopped for lunch.

As with all my book reviews, I have a copy to share.  If you are interested, just leave a comment below.  First one to comment gets the book.

If you want to purchase the book, please go here and order...

New Look

So, I gave my blog a new look.  One of these days, I am going to either fork out the cash to have a professional do it or I'm going to win a free makeover.  Yeah.  Someday.

I'm trying to do better about blogging. I realize I have really slacked off.  We have been totally off our schedule this summer.  And speaking of summer...WHERE DID IT GO!?  It's almost over.  I mean, we are literally just a few weeks from school starting again.  Yowzers.

Steve got his books and access to his online classes today.  To say he is overwhelmed is quite an understatement.  It's been a long time since he was in school and so he's a little...well, overwhelmed.  I can tell you we'll be doing a lot of praying over the next year!

I'm very ready for this week to be over.  We have plans on Saturday with an old high school friend and her girls at the Adventure Science Center.  We are looking forward to it.  I just hope it's not too crowded since it will be cool inside!

Delinquent

I am feeling very delinquent this evening.  It's been forever since I posted and there's been quite a bit going on.  Things that I should have blogged about, but just didn't.  Summer is kicking my butt.  I can't seem to get on a good schedule.

I finally got a bunch of my pictures uploaded from my camera, but once I loaded them to Ritzpix, I deleted them from my PC.  So this post is going to be pretty stinkin' boring.  But I guess there are 1 or 2 of you out there that still check to see what's going on with the Taylors so here you go.

Jenna did get baptized back several weeks ago.  We had a fabulous turnout of family and friends.  It was a very exciting time for us. 

Steve has had no luck finding a job even though he continues to try.  Thanks to a friend of ours, he got hooked up with some online classes and by this time next year, he will be a certified professional coder.  With ObamaCare, that's going to be a position that will hopefully be in demand.  The other blessing about this is that the government is paying for his training.  He should start in 2 weeks.  It's going to be tough seeing that he's been out of school for so long.  But he can do it and we are very excited for him to get started.

The upside of unemployment is that Steve and Jenna have gotten to spend quite a bit of time together this summer.  Being the planner I am, before school was out, I sat down and filled the whole calendar with stuff to do almost every day of the week.  From library visits and bowling to swimming and the Adventure Science Center.  Amazingly, it seems to be working.  We are staring down the barrel of school starting again and they haven't killed each other yet!

I've been working a lot since I can get to work super early not having to drop Jenna at school or camp.  It's wearing me out, but I'm getting stuff done.  If there's one thing I can say for Healthcare Reform, it's that it is keeping me gainfully employed.

From a spiritual front, the Lord has been speaking to both Steve and I individually and as a couple.  We have been SO blessed while he's been unemployed.  I know I've said it before, but again, I can't possibly detail all the times God has shown up in remarkable ways.  I still worry though.  Some things are hard to change.  And oh-so-painful!

Other than that, we are looking forward to our family vacation (thank God for vacation accounts that are automatically deducted before I ever see my paycheck!) at the beach.

School starts in a month.  I'll be the mother of a 3rd grader.  So many exciting things going on! 

Sell it!

As many of you know, I have been very convicted on how I am (or am not) supposed to raise money for this mission journey I am taking to South Africa.

I felt like I should not actively solicit funds for this trip.  An opportunity arose recently to host a Gold Party.  If you've ever seen those corny commercials on TV about bringing in or selling your gold and were skeptical, well, then this is for you.

A year or so ago, I found myself in the same place but a friend of mine had a party and in a show of support for her and to check it out myself, I went.  If you knew me as a teenager, you will recall, I wore rings on every finger and sometimes more than one.  So, I loaded up all those rings that I haven't worn since I got engaged (a girl has her priorities!) and took them to this party.

And I walked out with $350 cash.  C-A-S-H!  I'm not joking.  It was stuff I would never have worn again!  So, to help those of you like me and to earn just a little money for this trip, I have decided to have a gold party soon.  Because of the nature of this party, I'm not putting out the details on this public blog, but if you think you might be interested in coming, shoot me an email at sandras_junk@charter.net (or my work email address if you have it) and I'll get you the details.

I will admit, I have invited about 50 folks already by email and have gotten very low response for a variety of reasons.  There is a possibility that I will not have enough folks in attendance to make it worth having, so if you are interested OR if I've sent you an email invite and you haven't RSVP'd, please let me know ASAP.

And finally, I've had several people ask me if they can just donate directly to the trip and the answer is of course.  If this is something you feel led to do, you can do it online at https://public.serviceu.com/payment/default.asp?OrgID=8568&PaymentID=3047 and just select the S. Africa September (VBS) trip and enter my name in the field for the recipient name.  You can also make a check payable to Brentwood Baptist Church and put my name and "South Africa mission journey" in the memo line and send it to myself or the church.

More to come......

A year ago...

I've often used the phrase, "My how time flies!" or "Where does the time go?"  Today is no exception.  A year ago today, my Daddy joined my mother and Mary in heaven.  I remember the day like it was yesterday, mostly because that's what it feels like.

How can you go from celebrating your child's entrance into this world 9 years ago yesterday to mourning the exit of one you love today?

I've had several comments and posts about how we are doing with the recent loss of my brother, Danny.  All I can say is that we are coping.  Each of us in different ways.  But we continue to mourn the loss of what was and what was not.

But in this, I take hope...

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”-Revelation 21:4 (NLT)

Wounded

I've been bad at blogging lately, but summer is kicking my butt.  I am all off my schedule and still struggling to find my groove.

I did some thinking this morning on the drive in.  With Jenna at home during the summer, the drive in can be quite boring.  I think this morning was the first time I really had time to myself to process what happened last week with the loss of my brother.

I find myself vascillating back and forth between being terrified to die and leaving my family prematurely and feeling drawn towards heaven.  I'm not suicidal, so don't misunderstand.  But just the thought of being with family that I love and have lost and not having so much pain is definitely a desire.

I admit, I am good at faking it.  On the outside, I can smile and say I'm fine and thank everyone for their words of sympathy and support.  And occasionally I'm good enough to actually make myself forget for short moments at a time.  But inside, I'm wondering why. 

Wondering what God is wanting me to learn through these last few years. 

Wondering when it will stop. 

Wondering when things will go back to normal for me. 

Wondering if I can even remember what normal is.

Outside I might look "fine".  I say the right words and smile in the right places, but inside...I'm hurting.  I don't like to hurt, but it lets me know that I'm still alive.  As long as I can feel pain, there is life in me.  In the song by Natalie Grant, "Held", she talks about Christians not being exempt from pain in this world.  I'm not the exception.  But I know that God is walking me through all of this.  While I don't understand why, there is a reason.  And at some level, I have no choice but to trust Him.

It's funny, but I find God speaks to me so much through music.  I so missed my calling to be a performer because I do love music.  Today I heard the song "Better Than a Hallelujah" by Amy Grant.  Now, I'll admit, since she went mainstream, I've not been a huge Amy Grant fan (and it had NOTHING to do with her going mainstream...just thought her music changed too much).  But the words to this song just touched me.  Because I have satellite radio, I was able to listen to it several times.  The words spoke to me.  And maybe they speak to you too.

God loves a lullaby

In a mothers tears in the dead of night

Better than a Hallelujah sometimes.

God loves the drunkards cry,

The soldiers plea not to let him die

Better than a Hallelujah sometimes.

We pour out our miseries

God just hears a melody

Beautiful the mess we are

The honest cries of breaking hearts

Are better than a Hallelujah.

The woman holding on for life,

The dying man giving up the fight

Are better than a Hallelujah sometimes

The tears of shame for what's been done,

The silence when the words won't come

Are better than a Hallelujah sometimes.

We pour out our miseries

God just hears a melody

Beautiful the mess we are

The honest cries of breaking hearts

Are better than a Hallelujah.

Better than a church bell ringing, Better than a choir singing out, singing out.

We pour out our miseries

God just hears a melody

Beautiful the mess we are

The honest cries of breaking hearts

Are better than a Hallelujah.

Another Loss

Yesterday we found out that my brother, Danny, passed away in his sleep. 

Danny and my brother David are the sons of my mother and her first husband, Carl, who was killed in an explosion when my brothers were very young.  When my mother passed away in 1992, Danny basically disappeared from all of our lives.  I guess ultimately, he just didn't know how to handle the loss of his only remaining parent.

For years, I've wondered where he was and what he was doing and whether he was even alive.  He missed my graduation from college, my marriage to Steve and the birth of Jenna Grace. 

Back last September, he found me on Facebook.  He reconnected with me and the rest of my family and while he was living in Indiana, we spoke periodically and he came down after Christmas to see us and meet Jenna.

We received a call yesterday that he had passed away in his sleep probably several days ago.  He was not in great health but he was only 53.  I'm saddened to have lost this brother who I had just reconnected with, but I know he is in a better place.

My remaining brother is devastated.  Please pray for us during this time of loss. 

Blog Review: Life In Spite of Me

It's time for another blog tour.  This one is one that you aren't gonna want to miss!  Life In Spite of Me is written by Kristen Jane Anderson.  It's her life story.

Kristen was only a teenager when she decided she wanted to die.  But God had marvelous, and miraculous, plans for her life...

"Why does my life have to be so painful? What’s wrong with me? It’s not going to get better. It could all be over soon, and then I won’t hurt anymore."

Kristen Anderson thought she had the picture-perfect life until strokes of gray dimmed her outlook: three friends and her grandmother died within two years. Still reeling from these losses, she was raped by a friend she thought she could trust. She soon spiraled into a seemingly bottomless depression. One January night, the seventeen-year-old decided she no longer wanted to deal with the emotional pain that smothered her. She lay down on a set of cold railroad tracks and waited for a freight train to send her to heaven…and peace.

But Kristen's story doesn’t end there. In Life, In Spite of Me this remarkably joyful young woman shares the miracle of her survival, the agonizing aftermath of her failed suicide attempt, and the hope that has completely transformed her life, giving her a powerful purpose for living. Her gripping story of finding joy against all odds provides a vivid and unforgettable reminder that life is a gift to be treasured.

This book is a must read.  I started it on a Friday  night and it was finished by Sunday afternoon.  Kristen's story is one of recovery and redemption.  I wish I could tell you about what happened when she lay down on those railroad tracks that night...but you will need to read it for yourself.

You can read the first chapter here or watch a video about the book here. 

I am giving away my copy of this book.  If you are interested, please leave me a comment or send me an email at sandras_junk@charter.net.  First one gets the book!



This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

YARD SALE TODAY!

After much hard work and help from friends (Emily, Sherri, Susie, Rachel, Lindsey, Steve, Amy, Aimee), the yard sale is about to happen!

If you are a L or XL in women's clothing or 8 1/2 or 9 in shoes, you need to COME OUT!  There is so much good stuff (most of it donated) that you should NOT miss this sale.

Plus, it's for a good cause...sending me to South Africa on a mission trip in the fall.  I'm excited to see how God shows up today.  He's already blessing us with good weather!

Hope to see you!

Weekend plans

Well, the weekend is finally here and I had told myself I was going to enjoy this evening reading and hanging with the family and then tomorrow is going to be spent going through everything and getting ready for the yard sale I'm having next weekend to help fundraise for my mission trip to South Africa. 

As you might have read earlier on my blog, I have ceased "official" fund raising.  I have gotten the question, "Are you still going to accept donations if people want to help" and the answer is "YES!"  I am very much in need of donations and will gladly accept donations.  However...I am not going to actively solicit anymore.  I can't explain why except I had an increasing uneasiness about asking and the minute I made the decision to stop, it was like a huge burden lifted from my shoulders, so I know without a doubt it is the right thing.

Speaking of donations, if you have "stuff" that you'd like to get rid of, you can donate it to me for my yard sale and I will hopefully sell it and the proceeds will go to my mission trip.  Thanks to my friends Susie and Emily who have already donated.  I don't have any grand expectations of how much we'll make next Saturday and honestly, with the way our summer is shaping up, I'm thinking if it rains, we might just have to drop it all off at the Goodwill!!! 

Honestly y'all...I HATE yard sales.  I know, I know...so many good deals to be had, but I just don't have the patience.  My mother was a yard sale queen.  Every spring she had a yard sale and my entire family put stuff in it.  She KNEW how to do it too.  She'd raise tons of money and we were in a great spot at the corner of two roads that pretty much everyone had to cross to get through the neighborhood.  Here, we are in the back of the neighborhood (which we love!) and no one comes through here unless you live back here...so I'm wondering how much foot traffic we'll have.  Whatever.  I can't worry about it.  I'm going to have the yard sale.  And I'm gonig to have it next weekend. 

Unless it's raining. 

And then I'm going to the Goodwill.  :)

But now, I'm off to clean out my closet.

Happy Mother's Day

As most of you know, I lost my mother to cancel when I was 18 and she was a mere 55 years old.  4 years later, my Dad remarried a wonderful angel named Bertie.  And while she'll never be my "mom", she has filled that void since she came into my life and I think of her like a mom.  She is the only "Nana" on my side of the family that Jenna will ever know and unfortunately, the only one she has left.

In 2001, I because a mother myself and my life has never been the same. Outside of finding Steve, Jenna is the best thing that has ever happened to me. 

And then there's my "surrogate" mother, my sister Teresa.  She's old than I am, but she has VERY much taken on the role of "mom" in my life.  She sends me Mother's Day cards, inquires as to the well being of my family, gives me advice (that's usually very good) and sometimes questions my actions (in a Christian way).  I believe she treats me the way my own mother would have treated me had she been alive today.

So, to Bertie, Teresa and all those other moms out there, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!  I hope it is a wonderful one.

We Are Nashville

A friend of mine sent this link to me (thanks Lisa!) and I think for all 3 of you that read my blog (especially my out of town friends), it's worth the read.

The historical flood that hit Nashville has been glossed over by the national media and many of us aren't too happy about it.

This guy puts it into words better than anyone else I've read lately.

Radical Blog Review

Are you ready to get Radical?  I'm not joking.  If you aren't really ready to hear some tough stuff and be changed, then read no further.

A few weeks ago, the Bible Study I'm in on Tuesday nights started watching a series of sermons by David Platt from The Church at Brook Hills, which is a mega-church down in Birmingham, Alabama.  Being from a similarly situated church, let me say, watching these sermons is not easy.  On the tails of Crazy Love, it's hard.  REALLY hard.  And then a few weeks ago, I was presented the opportunity to review David Platt's Book, appropriately entitled Radical:  Taking back your faith from the American Dream.   There is also a companion book called The Radical Question  which is available in small packs for you to hand out to friends, family or church members.

What I've learned so far through this book and watching the series of sermons is that we have modernized scripture and somehow made that OK because it's the scripture that makes us uncomfortable.  My friend Leigh Ann explains it better than I can in this post. 

"It's easy for American Christians to forget how Jesus said his followers would actually live, what their new lifestyle would actually look like. They would, he said, leave behind security, money, convenience, even family for him. They would abandon everything for the gospel. They would take up their crosses daily... BUT WHO DO YOU KNOW WHO LIVES LIKE THAT? DO YOU?"  Certainly not I!  (ok, maybe I'm a little closer to it since Steve's been unemployed!)

"In this book, David Platt challenges you to consider with an open heart how we have manipulated the gospel to fit our cultural preferences. He shows what Jesus actually said about being his disciple--then invites you to believe and obey what you have heard. And he tells the dramatic story of what is happening as a "successful" suburban church decides to get serious about the gospel according to Jesus. Finally, he urges you to join in The Radical Experiment --a one-year journey in authentic discipleship that will transform how you live in a world that desperately needs the Good News Jesus came to bring."

So the question is, will you do it?  Are you ready to get Radical?  Because if you are, then you need to get this book.  But I will again warn you...be prepared for change.  We did not get to where we are today overnight.  It's taken generations to develop this love of materialism "stuff".  It will take generations to move the dial the other direction where things no longer matter, but the lost and suffering do.  Why not let it start with you?  With us?  Let's do it.  Let's get Radical!

Normally I would have an additional copy of the book to give away, but this time I only have one copy and I'm bequeathing it to my dear friend and Bible Study leader for introducing me to this Radical way of life!  Thanks LAS!

However, if you are interested, you can read the 1st chapter of Radical here.  And if you just aren't sure, you can actually request a FREE copy of The Radical Question here.

Disclaimer:  This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

A few things on my mind...

There is so much more I want to say about these thoughts in my head, but I don't think I'm where I need to be to feel comfortable spewing ALL my thoughts.  :)  So, for your reading pleasure (no sarcasm there!), here are my random thoughts and questions...

*I think people are more mean than they used to be.  I don't know if it just seems that way because God is dealing with me on being nicer or what.  But some people around me who used to be nice are now meaner than before and the mean people seems substantially meaner.  Again, probably not best to elaborate much here.

*Why is it that the blogs I follow (and there are a lot of them...I'm a blog 'ho) are just now starting to realize the devastation in Tennesee?  I know this isn't Katrina, but to the people whose homes and worlds were washed away, it's their Katrina.  That bothers me.  I do read a couple blogs that have noticed...check out MckMama's blog and what she's doing to help. 

*Does it seem that people are taking this Crazy Love and Radical (stay tuned for more Radical) stuff to heart?  I mean, everywhere I look there are people changing their lives.  I read a variety of blogs whose authors come from every part of the nation so it's not just the Church at Station Hill or my Bible study girls...it's everywhere.  Several of the blogs I read are downsizing their homes, cars or adoption needy children.  I am wondering...what is my part in this?

*Fundraising...I'm feeling quite guilty (?) about asking folks for money for South Africa.  I'm not sure that "guilty" is the right word...uneasy maybe?  I'm feeling increasingly uncomfortable about asking for monetary donations, donations for yard sales or to buy something.  I'm still praying about this but I'm thinking perhaps I will have my yard sale, close out my Scentsy party (thanks for your orders by the way!) and then maybe do a gold party mainly because a) my friends are buyers so I know it's legit and b) because it actually makes YOU money.  And yes, I've done this before and so has Rachel and we both walked away with a pocket full o cash.  So it's legitimate and gold prices are high right now.  Anyway...I think you will see less of me asking for donations.  I'm feeling like maybe God is telling me to just trust Him.

*My good friend Katelyn is traveling to China today to visit a friend who teaches English there.  She's not a fan of flying and so she's asked for prayers.  Pray for her to have a safe flight and trip.  She's pretty special to me for a variety of reasons so indulge me in this if you will.

OK, that's it...now stay tuned for something RADICAL!

Got Junk?

Because if you do, I want it!  And if you don't, then now is the time to clean out those closests and garages!!!

In order to raise money for my mission trip to South Africa, I'm having a yard sale in which all the proceeds will go towards my account!

I have decided (just moments ago) that I'm going to have the sale on Saturday, May 22.  I know several of you have been doing some spring cleaning and have lots of "stuff" that you need to get rid of.  If you had just planned on throwing it out or taking it to the Goodwill, please consider allowing me to put it in my yard sale.  If it doesn't sell, then I will gladly take it to the Goodwill for you.

No items too big or too small.  You don't have to price it or hang it or anything.  The only thing you have to do is figure out what you don't want or need in your house and that's it.  We'll do all the rest.  The only thing I ask is that if you have something that doesn't work, please let me know.  I don't want to sell someone something that doesn't work and not tell them that up front.

Because I have lots to do (including cleaning out my own closets and garage!), if you could let me know if you have stuff for me no later than the weekend of May 15, that would be great!  I can arrange for a pick up at your convenience.

Of course, I would love for you to come shop my yard sale as well!  :)

Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head...and Thanks....

Well, it's still raining here in Nashville...Right now in the Hill, it is still coming down hard.  There is a forming lake in my neighbor's yard, but hopefully it will stay far down the hill from us.  I never have feared flooding much, until now.

I have watched hours of news footage and you would not believe the flooding...I wouldn't believe it if I wasn't seeing it with my own eyes.  We drove around yesterday afternoon while it wasn't raining as hard and even in our area, there are many flooded areas and washed out streets and driveways.  I just found out that Centennial Hospital is under 3 feet of water.  Almost every interstate is closed at some point.  This is unlike anything I've ever experienced before.

Has anyone else noticed that the world has experienced almost every natural disaster in the space of about 6 months time?  Earthquakes, flooding, volcanic activity, tornadoes etc.  It's a little freaky if you ask me.

Of course, yesterday afternoon, Jenna and I ventured out in the virtual monsoon to buy groceries.  Because you know...we're crazy like that.  We visited CVS, Walgreens, Publix and Kroger.  And we got wet.  Anyway, on our way out, I drove past the mailbox and grabbed the mail because I knew no one was going to be walking out to get it.  I just threw it in the passenger seat and drove on.  When we got to the first stop (Walgreens), I decided to get all my coupons together so I could jump out as quickly as possible.  I flipped quickly through the mail and that's when I saw it...

Someone reading is smiling to themselves right now because they know what's coming next.  I "recognized" the handwriting immediately.  I put recognized in quotes because the writing really is unrecognizable.  It is very obviously written awkwardly to keep us from knowing the author.  But it was the same writing as the first time we saw it.  It was a card...with not only another $100 gift card to Kroger, but also a $25 card to BP.  I was once again humbled and thankful.  God has used someone to teach not only Steve and I about provision, but also Jenna.  She was with me and immediately started shouting, "Is it another one?  Is it another one?  Open it!  Open it!"

I don't know who this person (people) is (are), but if you are reading, "THANK YOU".  Through your generosity, God is teaching us about letting go of the control and trusting Him.  I have started  "pay it forward" list so that sometime after Steve gets a job and we get back on our feet, we can begin thanking people by paying it forward to someone else in need.  And I am so anxious to get started!  So many generous friends have stepped up to help us out.

So, while the rain comes down (and yes, it's still coming down), I'm counting my blessings.

"There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.

Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.

There shall be showers of blessing,
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.

There shall be showers of blessing;
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing,
Come, and now honor Thy Word.

There shall be showers of blessing:
Oh, that today they might fall,
Now as to God we’re confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call!

There shall be showers of blessing,
If we but trust and obey;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
If we let God have His way."

Words: Dan­i­el W. Whit­tle, 1883; first ap­peared in Gos­pel Hymns No. 4.
Music: James Mc­Gran­a­han

Scentsy!

Fundraiser for South Africa!

As many of you know, I am going to Cape Town, South Africa in September on a mission trip (ok, y'all...to be honest, when I sit and dwell on that sentence, I almost hyperventilate!). If you haven’t heard and want more information, you can read about that here or here.

I have to raise $2600 for the trip so as part of my fundraising efforts, my friend Carrie has offered to let me use her new business! She has just begun selling Scentsy and let me tell you, these things are pretty cool!

Scentsy began in 2003 with the powerfully simple idea of aromatic candles…but they aren’t the traditional candle. With traditional candles you have to worry about making sure they are blown out, keeping your kids away and quite honestly, some just don’t hold their smell while burning. Scentsy candles solve all that. With Scentsy, you purchase a warmer which melts the wax heated, not by a dangerous flame, but by a light bulb.

The warmers are very reasonable and come in a variety of designs for every taste. The candle blocks are $5 for 8 blocks and there are TONS of scents! These look great in homes, but also for offices where you can’t burn a candle. I have had one in my office for a while and even with the bulb turned off, the scent lingers weeks after.

Carrie has generously offered to give me a portion of the proceeds from everything I sell to my South Africa account! If this is something you are interested in, please let me know and I’ll be happy to answer any questions! I have catalogs and a sample of every scent available, so if you would like to try something before buying, let me know!

If you are local, you can order online at https://carriegermain.scentsy.us/Home. On the left side of the home page under the heading “My Open Parties” is my fundraiser. Click on the “buy from party” and anything you order will be credited to me. If you order online, you will have to pay minimal shipping charges but this is a great way to order a Mother’s Day gift or have it delivered to your home for out of town friends that want to help out! You can also order directly through me and avoid shipping. We do have the ability to accept checks, credit cards or cash!

Thanks you in advance for your support and PLEASE forward this blog address to your friends who might be interested in buying. The party closes next Wednesday (May 5), so order now! There is no obligation to buy…if you wish to help but can’t right now, there will be other opportunities!

P.S. For my Bible Study girls, I can bring the sample scents to study Tuesday night or they will be at Rachel’s Pampered Chef party on Saturday!!

To My Daughters*

This is a great piece of advice that a friend of mine, Pam, re-posted on her blog recently.  I liked it so much, I thought I would copy it down for my daughters*.

Find a guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot, who calls you back when you hang up on him, who will lie under the stars and listen to your heart beat, or will stay awake to watch you sleep, wait for the boy who kisses your forehead, who wants to show you off to the world when you're just in sweats, who holds your hand in front of his friends. Who thinks that you're just as pretty without make-up on, one who is constantly reminding you of how much he cares and how lucky he is to have you...The one who turns to his friends with a smile and says, "She's the one!" - Unknown

And never lose yourself in the pursuit of someone else. He will like you more for it. - Angie Evans

*the fact that "daughters" is plural is not a mistake.  I have this wish for my stepdaughter Micah as much as I have it for Jenna.

I Hate Doing This...

I hate asking folks for money.  I understand (better than most!) that times are tough right now and lots of folks don't have a dime to spare.  However, I know there are those of you out there that want to, and will, help regardless.  So here goes...

I am writing to you because you are important to me.  As many of you will remember, in 2007 I was part of a wonderful team from Brentwood Baptist Church (BBC) that went to Thailand on a mission trip. Through much prayer, the Lord has asked me to travel to Cape Town, South Africa. I will be leaving September 24 and returning October 3. Our team will be working with Living Hope Ministries and the Life Skills Educators in conducting a Holiday Club, much like a Vacation Bible School, for the children in several different townships.

You may be asking the question “Why? Why now?” And the answer is “I don’t know”.  All I know is that this is what I feel like God is asking me to do and I have chosen to be obedient. This is a definitely step outside my comfort zone so I am asking for your support as I prepare and as I travel.

You can support me in a couple of ways: 

1. You can give financial support. The total cost of my trip is $2,600. I have stepped out in faith, not knowing how God will provide for me, but believing that He will. Giving is an important way that you can participate in mission work. I am asking 100 families to sponsor me for just $25 each. Although you may not ever go to South Africa, you can send others, as well as encourage and equip missionaries by committing to sponsor me. If you feel led, you can donate by writing a check to Brentwood Baptist Church. Please designate on your check “South Africa”. You may designate your money to support me by specifying my name in the memo line. If you so choose, you can request that your gift remain anonymous and send it directly to Brentwood Baptist Church Missions Office at 7777 Concord Road, Brentwood, TN 37027. If you are a Brentwood Baptist church member, you also have the option of giving your money during the regular Sunday morning offering; just remember to designate it for me if that is your desire. No matter what amount you are able to give, please know that every dollar is needed and is gratefully received.

2. You can give me your prayers. If you are unable to give financially, you can pray. Please pray for me as I prepare. There is so much to be done. I also need extra time for Bible study and prayer for myself. I will be seeing to the many details of family and work that must be taken care of in my absence. I need to go healthy, rested and ready to hit the ground running. Our team knows that because we are entering into real, spiritual warfare, Satan will discourage and distract us. Crises always arise. Team members get sick. Family members get sick. It is often hard for team members to sleep well. And sometimes we are downright afraid. I am afraid. When you pray for us, you are literally joining our team, standing along side us. I thank you in advance for all the ways you will support me.

I will admit, I have been plagued by doubts since I first wrote this letter/post/email.  I feel like I have asked and asked for money.  I really do NOT want to ask anymore.  And I have tried to talk God and myself out of even doing this trip.  It is really not good timing for our family.  But God has made it clear to me that He wants me to do this.

If you cannot afford or prefer not to give a monetary donation right now, I will be posting information about my Scentsy Party Fundraiser (look for my party) and a Yard Sale Fundraiser here soon, so stay tuned. 

A Special Day and YOU Are Invited!

As you might have read here,  Jenna made the decision to ask Jesus into her heart at home on March 18th.  Now, we are so excited to finally have a date for her baptism on the calendar!

Jenna will be baptized in our new church home at The Church at Station Hill at the 11:00am service on Sunday, May 23rd.  And each of you are invited.  I know some of you reading may be wondering if this invitation (though very impersonal) is for you and I can tell you...if you are asking yourself that, then the answer is YES!  This is for you!!!

I know this is quite a drive for so many of you, so we will understand if you cannot attend and please do NOT feel obligated. We do however, ask for your prayers during that time. You do not have to RSVP, but if you are coming and would like for me to try and save seats, let me know. If you are interested, email me and I can email you a link for directions.

Each of you are special to Jenna, Steve and I and we would be honored if you could share this special day with us.

The Couponing Panel

I have been promising several readers that I would tell about my coupon panel from Thursday.  I'll start by saying it was probably one of the cooler things I have ever done.  And I made some really easy money for just speaking up a few times.

There ended up being 9 panelists.  Most of us were women, but there were 2 men as well.  The panelists were all different levels of couponing...some heavy (that would be me), some moderate and some light.  We met at the hotel (the downtown Hilton) about an hour before the panel was supposed to start.  The moderator had us all introduce ourselves and then she told us a little about how the panel would work.  There were 3 or 4 main questions she shared with us that she would ask the panel.  And then any of us that had something could say would just speak up.

Before we went on, two representatives from All You magazine (which if you don't read, you have no idea what you are missing!) came in and gave us some goodies.  I love All You magazine so this was pretty exciting.

After we discussed her questions, they took questions from the audience.  I would guess there were about 125-150 folks there. There were representatives from Family Dollar, the Dollar Tree, Dole etc.

One question was about what we really liked or disliked about coupons, what our frustrations were and what we felt about the promotions (like March to Madness at Kroger) and rebates.  The general frustrations were coupons that are $.55 or the like because of the lack of doubling along with coupons in which you have to purchase multiple items to get a quarter off (that would be mine).  Everyone agreed their favorites were the coupons that offered an item free.  The only rebates that panelists found it worthwhile to send in were the ones for cell phones and laptops where the return was $50 or more.

Another question was regarding the economy and how it has affected our couponing habits and if those would stay the same if the economy (or our personal situations) improved.  There were a couple of us who had (or will have) a one income family and so the moderator was  especially interested in our situations and how we thought they would change if our personal situations changed.

The final question from the moderator was about loyalty...brand loyalty to be exact.  Most of the panelists were brand loyal to something.  There was one person who was not brand loyal to anything...none of us were brand loyal to much though.

The audience wanted to know things like what would it take for us to try one of their items (free trial etc.), how we felt about dollar stores (Family Dollar, Dollar General, Everything's A Dollar), our feelings about coupons on smart phones, internet printable coupons etc.

The moderator questions took us about 30-40 minutes to answer by the time 5-6 of us spoke to each question.  The last 20 minutes was for audience questions.  Several of the audience members came up to us after the panel and gave us coupons and goodies.

So, that was it. It was fun and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to take part.  Thanks for those of you that left comments and questions.  I tried to work them in where I could. 

Hope you all are enjoying your weekend!!

Attn Fellow Couponers!

I have the privilege of being invited to be part of a panel discussion tomorrow on coupon usage.  It's a long story about how I was chosen that I don't have time to share now, but I will be one of a panel of about 8 men and women in all stages of couponing (light, moderate, heavy).  We will be sitting in a room full of about 150-200 marketing executives from manufacturers like SC Johnson Wax and Proctor and Gamble.  We will be the mouthpiece of the people...

So, I'm inviting your comments.  I have to be at the hotel tomorrow at 10am, but if you have thoughts, likes, dislikes, just comments in general about coupons or couponing, what you'd like to see more of, less of etc., then email me or leave me a comment.  I will be your mouthpiece tomorrow...all comments are welcome.  I don't know how many of them I will get to ask, share or use, but I want to be prepared!

I know I am going to say how I dislike coupons for $.50 off when you buy 2 of something...that really only makes it a quarter off each and that's hardly worth it unless I just really NEED two of them.  Another question came was why do some regions have better coupons than others?  These are just examples...let me hear from you!

Happy Easter!

Matthew 28

The Resurrection

 ¹ Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb.

 ² Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. ³ His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. ⁴ The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.

 ⁵ Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶ He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying.”

Matthew 28:1-6 (NLT)

A Good Friday Indeed...

This might be a bit lengthy, but I ask you to please read all the way through.  There is a special message for one of you here...

Many of you know that Steve has been unemployed since last August.  The Lord has provided over and over again financially and in other ways.  I've taken up couponing and just this morning sat down to add up all my savings over the past 2 months.  Since the first of February, I have saved over $500.  Because I have been in stockpiling mode, I am just getting to the point of being able to reduce my grocery budget.  In other words, up until now, I've spent the same amount of dollars but just gotten MORE groceries for my buck.  Now, I have plenty of most everything except perishables and just having to buy those will help to reduce the money I spend at the grocery store tremendously.  I started really couponing when my friend Darlene taught me her method.  Then I started researching, added some blogs (my favorites being www.faithfulprovisions.com and www.iheartpublix.com) and went to a couple of seminars.  I have now fine tuned my couponing method. 

Anyway, last month was tough for us.  I only get paid once a month and that's on the last business day of the month.  February was wonderful because I got paid on the 26th, but then waiting for March 31 was a nightmare.  To be honest, we didn't realize the month would be so long (very poor planning on our part) and there was just not enough money in the bank.  I honestly didn't know how we were going to make ends meet.  Steve and I had several really bad days.  I won't go into what those consisted of, but it did entail crying at work and at home for both of us.

But the point of this story (yes, I promise there IS one), is to tell you how God showed up.  I finally got paid and our money came in to pay our taxes (long story there) and so for the time being, we had some breathing room.  I found time Thursday night to sit down and balance our checkbook, get our April budget down on paper and pay our bills.  I sat for a while and stared at the budget line that says "tithe".  I will admit, I reduced our tithe when Steve lost his job, but did not reduce it further when his part time job at the church ended.  I had prayed over my last tithe check before putting it in the plate a few weeks ago because I knew the rest of March would be rough.  Sure enough, I was right.  But anyway, I sat here and debated on whether or not I would write my tithe out.  And after just a short time, I knew I had to.  My friend Amy told me recently, "You can't outgive God".  And I believe that to be true.  So, I wrote the check out and stuck in my check book without further thought. 

On Friday morning, I got a call from my neighbor Tim.  You might remember Tim and Aimee were instrumental in helping us raise money to get Katie.  Tim works for a local well-known physical therapy company and they had put their name behind the fundraising pancake breakfast.  I could not figure out why Tim would be calling me on Friday morning at work, so I answered a little unnerved worrying that maybe something had happened to Steve (who was home with Jenna and most likely still in bed).  Tim tells me that he was at the office for an early morning meeting and the staff was asking about his "friend with the dog".  Tim told them about Steve getting Katie and how it's changed our life.  They then pulled out an envelope with $200 cash in it that they had raised last summer and just never given to us.  EXCUSE ME?!  Yes...Happy Easter no doubt.  So, God had basically given me back almost every dime in tithe that I had budgeted to give.  But He wasn't done yet.

Yesterday at noon, Steve and Jenna are leaving to go to the movies (while I'm slaving away at work) when they stop by the mailbox to collect the mail.  In the mailbox, there is an envelope addressed to us in what is clearly meant to be unrecognizable handwriting.  Inside is an Easter card with $100 gift card to Kroger.  I'm just tearing up writing this.  No name, no signature.  Nothing to tell me who my generous benefactor might be.  At this point, God has not only given me back my tithe, but now gone above and beyond.  The $100 will be spent on meat that can be frozen to further reduce my grocery budget.  Now, I know not everyone who reads my blog believes the way I do, but there is no way you are going to convince me this was anything other than God's providence.  I had only shared with a couple friends about our dilemma.  And while I honestly don't have any idea of who sent this, I do have a message for them that I hope they read:

Thank you.  Thank you for allowing yourself to be used by God to teach me further about the love of friends and God's providence for our needs when we are faithful.  I do not know who you are to repay you, but please be assured, I will pay it forward when we are able.  Thank you for your generosity.  Not only did Steve and I see God's hand at work, but so did my new little Christian Jenna.  I pray that you are exceedingly and abundantly blessed for your extraordinary act of kindness.

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." Malachi 3:10 NIV