My Soul Sings Saturday

Alex and I like to sing this song together, but sometimes he wants to play a game instead. He points to either me or himself when it is our turn to sing a part. For some reason, his share of the song is always a great deal more than mine when we get done singing. What do we think he is trying to say about my voice?? I guess I won't be auditioning for American Idol.

For more songs, visit Amy at Signs, Miracles, Wonders.

Favorite Foto Friday-Spring Break Slime

Alex and I have had a FUN week visiting my parents. We have spent time with them and some of my Mom's family. It has been wonderful! For the past two days, Alex and I have gone off on my parents' golf cart to explore the city. They live in a planned community with over 100 miles of cart path. Today, we visited FOUR different parks, a fun library, the pizza parlor from my Senior year(when my parents moved there) and lakes/ponds. ALL by golfcart...totally cool fun with AWESOME weather! On the way home, we stopped at the duck ponds for some more fun. It was less crowded than some of the others, so it was nice to sit and relax. The kids here have been open to playing with all ages, so we have really enjoyed that! That isn't something Alex is used to back home. Anyway, I have let him play in the pond spillway both days because I would have been there as a kid. I knew he would eventually get ALL wet, so I wasn't upset at all. I was thrilled that he was having such a great time with other kids. This afternoon, he was playing with two other boys along the edge of the pond. One of them decided to start sliming the others with pond scum. Alex was not a happy camper at first, until he realized how much fun Hide and Slime can be with friends. I almost joined in the fun, but I figured that the green would totally stand out in my blonde hair for the fundraiser we attended tonight. Maybe next time...lucky for me it is supposed to rain tomorrow, so no slime for me!

Thankful Thursday~Love is a GIFT from above!!

1 Corinthians 13:13

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.


Most of my post for Thankful Thursday actually comes from another blog. If you have read some of my earlier posts, then you already know about the mission trip that some of our church members are on to a Childrens' Home in Ongole, India. One of the guys on the trip created a blog so that we could all see the awesome things that God is doing during their time there. I would love to be in India hugging on all those sweet children, but Wes' blog from earlier this week was the next best thing! Be sure to pay close attention to the ways that these children with so little, shared love with so many. I am thankful for their example of how to reflect God's love with others. Here is what Wes wrote...




Children Receive Their Gifts From Their Sponsor Families

Ok, if you ever feel the need to experience first hand what it means to appreciate what you have and see God move in a significant way, give a child who once had nothing a ziplock bag of $1 items with a photo of yourself. . . It was the best 2 bags we checked out of all our luggage by far :0)





Late this evening (Monday), we gathered the children upstairs in the room where the boys sleep. They sat patiently as we called each child up to the front . . . and when I say “called,” I really mean announced with great vigor as the room went crazy nuts for them. They came up and were presented their ziplock bag including things like gum, pencils, stuffed animals, small t-shirts, and little toys. In hindsight, I should have taken a picture of their face as they sat waiting for their name to be called. You would have thought that they were waiting on the last number in a 10 digit lotto ticket that had just matched the first 9 numbers. When their name was announced the smile that came alive inside of them wrapped around their face several times. They then took a picture with Rocky or their respective sponsor if present. For a brief moment, they were Rock Stars! The smile on their face only became brighter as they searched the inside of the bag like it was a ransomed buried treasure. If that were not enough to send our hearts into sensory overload here’s the two kickers from these incredible children:





1. The most treasured possession for them was any and every picture their sponsor family had placed in the bag. They lit up with excitement showing off the picture of their American Mom, Dad, sisters, and brothers. They ran up to everyone saying, “this is my mom, or my sister’s names are. . . . “ So excited to have people to call MY FAMILY. My eyes fill with tears as I recall the experience in my head.





2. Before I write the specifics of number 2, I want you to picture in your mind what this scene would look like in a big city’s inner city, or any places of poverty you ever been, or even better yet Christmas at our own homes. Children who have nothing are given something they absolutely love. These incredible children began taking things out of their new treasured ziplock bags and tried to give some of the items to our team who they have drawn close to. Kids were taking candy out of their bag and literally putting it in our mouths desiring to share with us what little they had. They would take out two pieces of candy and seek out someone to share with. Some of them were even trying to give us the biggest and brightest toys out their newfound gifts. Aside from the Chintapalli family themselves it was the most selfless act I had ever experienced. Truly these children teach us twice over what we are trying to teach them.





After posting the last blog with all the inside jokes, I could not go to bed until I balanced it out by sharing this experience with all of you. Again, the prayers are felt in a powerful way and the e-mail notes of encouragement mean a great deal, so keep ‘em coming!





Love to all --





wes

You can read more about this fantastic and uplifting journey here.

For more Thankful Thursday, visit Iris at Sting My Heart. By the way, I have been "tagged" and I promise to complete that post soon as Spring Break comes to an end.

Then Sings My Soul Saturday~India Mission Group

I was looking for a song tonight in honor of our mission group that left for Ongole, India yesterday. Imagine my surprise when I ran across two videos made by Wes, one of the guys on the trip to the childrens' home. His sense of humor is evident in both of these videos, so be sure and check them both out for a laugh. The second video is a music video of a Telegu song with the mission group added to the mix. Hilarious! I can't wait to see the highlights of their trip and all of the childrens' ecstatic faces.


Here is the Grace Chapel "dance team"!




For more Then Sings My Soul Saturday, visit Angela.

Favorite Foto Friday-Celebrating My Papa

Today would have been my Papa's 80th birthday! He passed away almost 11 years ago, but I still miss him everyday. Papa was a treasure to everyone that knew him. He was so much fun, yet he taught me so much throughout my childhood. Playing with him was always a lark because he was such a big kid himself. He would act like he was going to tickle me and that alone would send me into gales of laughter. We spent many afternoons boxing with his boxing gloves. In an attempt to teach me music, he tried to give me guitar lessons. It turned out that I did not have a natural talent for playing the guitar. :)

He and my grandmother(Muner) have been the best earthly examples of unconditional love in my life. The two of them planted the seeds the faith I hold dear today by talking about Jesus and taking me to church with them whenever they had the chance. He was indispensable to me during a tumultuous period in my life and I owe so much to him for what he did. It was only after he died, that I learned how much my grandfather had given to others. Two years into my grief, God surprised me with a job at the company where my grandfather had spent 40 years of his life prior to retirement. It never failed that on the days that I missed him the most and memories of him at work overshadowed me, someone would arrive at my desk with a funny story about him or how he had helped them at a difficult time in their life. He was a gift to everyone!

One of his favorite things to do was to teach people how to water ski. He taught countless numbers of us how to ski without ever getting into the water. His patience was unparalleled. For this reason, I eagerly jumped at his offer to teach me how to drive. He would travel the 30 minute distance to my house and take me for lessons in the country. I learned more than just driving on those Saturdays! Whenever I hear the song "Drive" by Alan Jackson, it takes me back to our road trips.

He wasn't perfect and he did have his flaws, just like the rest of us. His two biggest drawbacks in my eyes were his love for HeeHaw and his admiration for Dolly Parton. His affinity for HeeHaw interfered with my desire to watch The Muppet Show on the Saturday nights that I got to spend with my grandparents. He also seemed to have a continual craving for ice cream, which in itself isn't bad. For a skinny man, he could polish off an entire homemade ice cream freezer by himself! There were always two freezers at family gatherings...one for him and one for the rest of us!!

Some other things that remind me of him are Candy Corn, the Oak Ridge Boys, and the word "Girl". When I was 3, my grandmother left him in charge while she went to the grocery store. Papa let me eat an entire bag of Candy Corn while he polished off a bag of Orange Slices. I got violently sick after my grandmother arrived back home and his secret was then out! My papa also loved country music such as the Oak Ridge Boys and the Statler Brothers. He was a little irritated when my sister was discovered ripping his beloved eight track tapes while muttering,"hate county, hate country, hate country...". But my sister and I knew that he loved us despite our own shortcomings. He would always greet us with a warm hug and a "Hey Girl". In fact those were the last words that he spoke to me before he took an unexpected turn toward eternity.

Papa, your patient guidance continues to influence me to be a better mom to the spunky grandson that you never got to meet on this Earth. Alex and I tickle each other everyday because I know that is what you would do with him if you were here. I am wanting to learn guitar again and this time, I will pass on what I learn to Alex. You made me laugh every time I was with you! I also know how much you treasured me. I only hope that you knew how much I cherished you! I am looking forward to the day that you greet me with your loving "Hey Girl". Then, as the song below says, "there will be no more sad farewells"!



To enjoy more Favorite Foto Fridays, hop on over to Kiss the Frog 4 Me.

Thankful Thursday~Thankful for Laughter

Today and everyday, I am grateful for the laughter that my son brings into my life. When he was a baby, I used to play all kinds of silly made-up games so that I could hear his infectious laugh. Now the tables have turned and there isn't a day that goes by that he doesn't make me crack up about something. Yes, he is high energy and sometimes exhausting, but more fun than I could have ever imagined!

Sometimes, his ability to make me laugh is intentional. Like when he sneaks up on me to strip off my socks and tickle my feet. Oh, that elicits loud, uncontrollable laughter from me. And when we play the "let's see who can go the longest without laughing while being tickled" game...well, we can assume that it is NOT me that wins.
Recently he started telling corny jokes for a laugh. "Dad, I have a joke for you." My husband replied, "Alex, is it a dirty joke?" I gave my husband a scowl because I certainly don't want to explain the difference between a clean or dirty joke at 5! Alex immediately said,"Yes, it is a dirty joke!" Okay, by now I am worried about what he is learning at his CHURCH preschool. "Why did 500 pigs jump in the mud?" Give up?? "To get DIRTY".

Alex also makes me laugh at the unintentional things he does. For instance, today I heard the phone ring about the time that my husband would be calling to say that he is on his way home. I kept waiting to hear a conversation between father and son, but that didn't happen. Instead, I heard Alex say,"He is at work right now." Then I hear him say, "Well, she is in the potty, but you can still talk to her while she is in the bathroom!" I burst out laughing and prayed hard that it wasn't someone that I knew. Fortunately, it was a telemarketer that had hung up(while laughing) before I could even say a word. Phew!

Now, I am off to lecture Alex about what not to say on the telephone. But first, I better wipe this BIG grin off of my face.

To find out what others are thankful for visit Iris at Sting My Heart.

Word Filled Wednesdays

This verse spoke to me this week. Sometimes the plans that God has for us are so different than what we envisioned for ourselves. I never imagined that I would start a blog about drawing closer to Him, but that is where I am. Recently, I have shared this blog with some treasured friends. Several of them approached me this weekend to tell me that they feel that I am beginning to write my book. Funny, I never told them that I have always had a passion for writing nor did I mention that God began urging me to put my story on paper about four years ago. I kept that secret because then I could change my mind and tell myself that I was just imagining that prompting from Him.

Back in August of 2007, I desperately wanted to change churches. I told myself that I needed to sing in a choir, experience contemporary worship, and be exposed to a different denomination altogether. Please don't take that I am now condemning anyone for participating in those paths of worship. I was just using those as part of my escape plan. We left our church quietly and began attending another local church. The people were friendly and I was counting down the days until I could join the choir because I thought that this was the place for us(ME). My husband and I decided to take a class that would describe what life at that church would be like. I was excited about all of that, plus the opportunity to meet new people. God had other plans!!

The class that we attended was a three week class and was limited to 10 people. Guess what! In this enormous church, we were the only couple in this class. The teacher(we will call him John) would later tell us that he felt that was God's intention all along.

As the class continued, the content of the class was less about different ministry options and instead, focused on becoming a disciple of Christ. There were several topics covered that rocked my boat. I realized that I had been more concerned with what others thought of me and less focused on reaching those that I was trying to impress. That was the first chink in my armour! It was at that moment that I knew where God was leading us and I did not like it one little bit! Several uncomfortable, yet necessary, weeks passed in that class. I was wrestling with this decision to switch churches in a mighty way. John closed in prayer that week by saying,"Lord, I feel that David and Stephanie are so in LOVE with YOU..." He went on to express many things in that prayer, but I felt moved in a way that I can't explain. I had never realized that I was in love with Him, but was terrified of what that meant and where it would take me.

It was clear after that class, although the church we had been attending was a great church, it was not where God was leading us. I fought Him on that as hard as I have ever fought anything and yearned for a different answer even after we went back to our church. Now, several months later, I am beginning to see why He led us back. For me, it has become a place of unconditional love and support for the person that I am and the story that I have to tell. This was His plan all along.

For more Word Filled Wednesdays, visit The 160 Acre Woods here.