Born To Die

December 24, 2009

I have just one question. Where did 2009 go? So many things happened in such a short amount of time I can hardly believe a year has come and gone. As with any year, we had the good and the bad as always. But lots of big events took place this For starters we sold mom’s house in Texas. This obviously was a very hard thing to do. Not physically, but emotionally. Initially we thought that a friend of moms was going to buy her house, so she didn’t bother with putting the house on the market and instead focused all her attention on doing some packing and retiring from the Texas school system. But, just before it was time to move, plans had changed and mom needed to locate a Realtor.

We put her house on the market and would you believe that the house had a contract on it in just 3 days! The LORD took care of that one in a heart beat. He is so amazing! We witnessed His mighty hand at work all around us during the entire process. The move went very well and mom was on her way to Alabama. We moved her in with us in early June and at that point spent the entire summer looking for houses that would work for all of us to live in together. But to no avail. In the mean time, the LORD was continuing His hand of provision in landing mom a new job at the middle school here (just before the school year started) doing what she loves most…teaching Special Ed. students. And while it was evident we weren’t going to find that perfect home for us, the LORD had something different planned all along. He was building us a house.

I wish I could tell you all of the details that go along with that statement. They are truly amazing. This house is exactly what we were looking for all along. (Of course it is, The LORD is building it!) Another neat thing about this house is that it not only has the perfect set up for mom, but it has lots of extra bedrooms for kids! And since we only have 2 kids….you may be wondering (if you don’t already know) that we are expecting more! The LORD has drawn our hearts toward adoption over the last year and we’ve got our sights set for a baby girl in India! We have been through the most interesting journey of our lives going through the process of adopting a child. We have filled out mounds of paper work and had our family raked over with a fine tooth comb. It has been interesting to say the least.

But we have learned so much about the LORD than we ever expected in this journey of adoption. We’ve learned more about the Father’s heart for the orphan as well as the whole concept of our own spiritual adoption in Christ Jesus. It’s been a mind blowing awakening. In my statement earlier I mentioned “kids”. We are working through the possibility of getting a sibling group of girls from India, but if the LORD wills just for us to have one this time around….then we plan to adopt again. There are too many babies out there that need a home for us just to stop with one. We’ll leave all the rest up to the LORD and just walk forward in obedience as He leads. I hope to be writing this time next year about a new member of our family!

So, lots of good as I mentioned this year but along with the good, came the bad. We had to endure yet another loss this year. I wasn’t sure my heart could actually take losing another loved one. This makes three years in a row that we’ve had to say goodbye to one of my closest family members. First it was my mamaw, then my father and this year it was my papaw. That’s too tough to even absorb. When we lost my papaw, we lost one of the kindest and most gentle souls I’ve ever known. He was a man who gave of himself to others all the time. I watched him literally give up the things on earth that he dearly enjoyed to care for my mamaw when her health was declining. With what little he did have he was always sending me checks in the mail letting me know that “he couldn’t think of anyone he’d rather give his money to”. He probably did that with everyone. Such a precious man. My papaw was loved by everyone and he is dearly missed.

The last few days, I have been reflecting on yet another who gave himself for others. My mind races to Philippians 2:6-9 that says, “Though he (Jesus) was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a servant and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” (NLT) Our pastor says every year “that the main emphasis of Christmas is not on the infancy of Jesus but on the deity of Jesus.” When you look at it like that you begin to realize (as much as humanly possible) all that He gave up to be born in human likeness. Jesus Christ gave up all that was rightly His to step into time to be born as a human being and ultimately humbled himself in obedience unto death.

Let’s be honest. When we think of Christmas, do we just see a baby lying in a manger, or do we see the King of the universe stepping out of heaven, giving up all His privileges to become an ordinary baby headed for the cross? Yes, He was born in Bethlehem but He was headed for Calvary. Putting it another way, He was born to die. Why? Love. It was love that drove Christ to such a humble state for our sinful account so that for all who truly believe might be saved! It’s one of those things you have to ponder deeply to even begin to conceive the slightest bit of its profundity. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around it. Ephesians 3:18-19 That you may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Trees, lights, presents, family and food are all nice at Christmas. But, I’ll take the humble King. Will you worship Jesus with us this Christmas? Not as an infant but as King, born to die so that we might be saved!

Merry Christmas!

God cannot bless a nation that turns away from Him

I dare you to pray this

I had no idea, REALLY!

Click this link here!

National Day of Prayer 2009

Get ready to hit your knees!

2009 Nashville Country Music 1/2 Marathon Recap

So many of you have ask for a play by play detailed description of our day. So, here you go.

The race officially started at 7:00am. But we were assigned to corrals since all 31,000+ could not start at the same time. We were assigned to corral 16. I believe our start time was about 7:36am. I must say it was a gorgeous day for a run, not a cloud in the sky but it started out very warm. Can I just say right off the bat that our entire training was done in temperatures in the 30's 40's and 50's....but NOT in the 70's and 80's which is how our run started and ended. Ugh!

The first 5 miles weren't terribly bad. Aside from a few side stitches and a little sweat, it was a fairly good run. At mile 8, things began to change a little. There weren't many shady areas and there were a lot of hills and it seemed the water stations got fewer and fewer as our miles got longer and longer. Let me just say it was a scorcher! We felt like we were dying.

The entertainment along the way was fabulous and a great distractions. Country music bands, a gazillion fans and cheer leading squads cheering us on and a flat out mob that we were running with. When we came upon an area that had water stations, it was almost like herding cattle down the road because of the congestion. It was insane.

Our team was determined not to stop for a walk until mile 10 which is what we did, but I don't know if it was a mistake or a lifesaver. Immediately after we stopped running and started walking, every muscle our bodies tightened. It caused terrible pain. It felt impossible to begin running again. However, had we pushed our selves in the heat, I am afraid it could have been life threatening. We were all suffering from cramping, dizziness, light-headedness, nausea and stomach issues. We were joined in the suffering with many others who were passing out and throwing up all along the way. I realized somewhere around mile 11 that my left heel was kicking my right ankle bone because of fatigue which caused a nasty bruise as well.

We pushed ourselves best we could to run across the finish line. It was a proud moment of accomplishment. I sure wish it would have been a better run for us. We worked so hard to be prepared. We were prepared for everything but the heat. It did us in. But we made it.

We checked our pace at the 5, 8 and 10 mile marker and we we right on track with our training. It wasn't until mile 11, 12, and 13 that we lagged behind causing us to finish at 2 hours and 36 minutes total. We're happy though.

I must say... just to give you an example of the heat that we all were badly sunburned when it was over. We finished at 10:00am. I have never gotten a sunburn early in the morning like that. Also, I say this lightly as it was a terrible tragedy, but as we watched a few people being wheeled off on stretches that we learned that one of the guys (26 yo male) tragically died when paramedics got him to the hospital. It was a really hard day in the heat to do a marathon.

But, just like child birth (aka- the valley of the shadow of death) when we look back on that painful and difficult day, we can usually say.....ahh, it wasn't so bad and it was totally worth it. And so it is with my 1/2 marathon.

Thanks to all for praying for us.

Here are some pics. We should have some more pics up soon. There is also a link that shows live footage of our finish line if anyone is interested. Here


Here is a picture of our team shirts. We were known as "Team Pink" during the race.
































































Here we are kissing our medals and very thankful for a finished race.

The Life I Planned by Beth Moore

Has someone seen the life I planned?
It seems it's been misplaced
I've looked in every corner
It's lost without a trace
I've found one I don't recognize
Things missing that were dear
Promises I'd hope to keep
And dreams I'd dreamed aren't here
Faces I had planned to see
Hands I planned to hold
Now absent in the pictures
Not the way I told
Has someone seen the life I planned?
Did it get thrown away?
God took my hand from searching
Then I heard him say,

"Child, your ears have never heard
Your eyes have never seen
Eternal plans I have for you
Are more than you could dream.
"You long to walk by sight
But I'm teaching eyes to see.
I know what I am doing
'Til then, you must believe."
He's done so much, I felt ashamed
To know He heard my moans
To think I'd trade in all He's done
For plans made on my own.
I wept over His faithfulness
And how He'd proved Himself
How He'd gone beyond my dreams
And said to Him myself,

"No, my ears have never heard
My eyes have never seen
Eternal plans you have for me
Are more than I could dream.
"Yes, I long to walk by sight
But You're teaching eyes to see
You know what You are doing
'Til then, I must believe."
I felt His great compassion
Mercy unrestrained
He let me mourn my losses
And showed me to my gains.
I offered Him my future
And released to Him my past
I traded in my dreams
For a plan He said would last.
I get no glimpse ahead
No certainties at all
Except the presence of the One
Who will not let me fall.
Are you also searching
For a life you planned yourself?
Have you looked in every corner?
Have you checked on every shelf?

Child, your ears have never heard
Your eyes have never seen
Eternal plans He has for you
Are more than you could dream.
Perhaps you long to walk by faith
But He's teaching eyes to see
He knows what He is doing
Child, step out and believe.

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind
has conceived what God has prepared
for those that love Him." 1 Corinthians 2:9