Where Do I Begin?

I am going to attempt to describe what an amazing weekend I just experienced. I know for a fact I won't be able to fully describe the blessings that God delivered to me right from the palm of His mighty hand, but I will do my best. I will try to be descriptive but brief so I don't make this post 10 pages long.

WOW! Is there any way to describe the gift of friendship? I received a call a couple of months ago from my friend, Peggy. She invited me to go to see Beth Moore with her and a mutual friend. It was actually her husband Brad's idea. He said Caleb could come to Georgia and stay with him and the kids while the moms went on to Jacksonville for the LPM event. I told her I'd talk to Caleb about it and call her back. A few minutes later, she called me back instead and said, "I'm on Lifeway's website. There are still tickets available and if it's okay with you, I'm just going to buy you one for you..." How can you say no to that?

Brad and Peggy are a rare caliber of people. We were connected to them through our friend Kris, after his death. Knowing Kris like we did, should have given us some insight to the kind of people the Headleys are. They were dear to Kris which indicates they are special people. They have the same commitment to the Lord and same generosity towards others that Kris had. They made us feel so incredibly welcome in their home with an uncommon level of hospitality. The dads took great care of the kids while us moms were gone and the kids had a blast too. There was a lot of Wi playing going on, pizza was ordered and they even raked the whole yard on Saturday before we arrived back home again. We so appreciated our 2 husbands being brave enough to let us moms head South for 24+ hours while the dads cared for our 5 kids ranging from 12 years to 18 months! Since then, Brad has decided there's a fine line between courage and stupidity. Even still, the guys were so glad they gave us the gift of a weekend away to rejuvenate!

So off to Jacksonville we went. Peggy, Kalie and I went, which was great because we were all in small group for a Beth Moore study, "A Heart Like His" about 3 years ago. We checked into our hotel nice and early. Then we walked around the lovely downtown of Jacksonville, FL. I really like that beautiful city and it smells like coffee because the Maxwell House plant is right in the middle of it. We rode the monorail, walked along the river, checked out Jacksonville Landing and had an incredible dinner at a restaurant called BB's. Don't tell the kids, but we even splurged on an enormous dessert! As great as all that was, our day hadn't even hit it's peak yet.

We headed to the stadium where nearly 15,000 other women would find their way to in the next 2 hours. Yes, we did get there a couple of hours early because this wasn't our first time to go see Beth and we had learned about seating and we wanted good seats. "Good seats" is an understatement. We ended up about 10 seats away from Beth's seat when she was sitting and right near the stage. Travis Cottrel and his team were all around and it was just FUN! I don't think I could ever go back to sitting in the "nose bleeds", which I've done a few times. Beth was on it both Friday and Saturday! Wow! I felt like the entire session was hand picked for me. I have a feeling most of the women felt the same way. The whole thing was perfectly placed in my path for this season of my life. I can't even begin to describe the impact it had on me. It was huge!

We returned to Georgia where there were children and husbands who were clearly happy to see us! I love being missed! We grilled out and chilled for the evening. Sunday morning we woke up and headed to St.Simon's Island Community Church which is where we attended during our 5 months of living in that area. When we attended, it was a remarkable group of Christ followers. They were meeting in a very nice, converted (no pun intended) shopping/business park. Things have changed in the last 3 years! While the people and their focus on God has not changed, their location has! The new campus is seriously breathtaking. The church looked and felt like a resort inside and out! It was really amazing to see the fruit of their labor with our own eyes! The service was amazing too. This church is one of the most prayer-centered churches I've ever seen. Being on St. Simon's Island, it's congregation has a lot of very wealthy people in it. However, they are incredibly generous, not only with their money but with their lives. This church mission-focused. They're continually planning trips to not only poor, but dangerous places like Haiti, India, Asia, etc. They leave their amazing homes and give sacrificially, risking their own well-being all the while. What an example!

The time with the Headleys was steeped in generosity. Their girls gave our girls a toy set that they had outgrown (but still looked brand new) which included a My Little Pony castle, about 20-30 new ponies and many accessories. Brad sent us home with a case of MonaVie, a juice, which is probably the greatest "super food" known in the world today. This stuff is NOT CHEAP! It retails at $45 a bottle! They insisted that we go home with not 1, but 4 bottles! They have experienced such great things by consuming only 2-4 ounces a day. So, they wanted to share it so we could try it for ourselves. Have you ever heard of such unnecessary kindness? I want to give to others like that!

The trip home was quiet and a good chance for Caleb and I to reconnect after being so busy and apart for a short time. We got home early enough to eat sandwiches for dinner, bath time and our bedtime routine. I'm certain I will never forget this weekend as a gift!

I just found this recap on Beth's blog and my friend Peggy is actually on it!

Here are just a handful of pictures from our weekend. If the slideshow below doesn't work, click on the X in the upper RIGHT corner 2 times...

Still Hard but So Worth It

I'm digging into an old project that I've neglected for awhile. I forgot just how hard this project is for me. I'm putting together a tribute with many peoples' writings for a dear friend and brother who went home to be with the Lord over 5 years ago. Kris Eggle was one of the greatest people I have ever known. He was a friend and a brother to both Caleb and I. He lost his life to an illegal immigrant who sniped him from the brush while Kris was serving us as a Federal Law Enforcement Ranger for the National Park Service. We were supposed to have Kris for dinner that evening as we had many other nights. The news was nothing short of devastating. Thousands grieved the loss of a friend that was so dynamic, so selfless and loving. He was such an amazing earthly example of His Lord. Kris stirred something in all of us that made us want to live better, give more, and complain less.
I started this project back in 2003 and still haven't completed it. As I jump in with both feet again, I remember why this is so incredibly hard. Because Kris was so incredibly special to us. I just came across a letter from my little sister who loved Kris and it nearly knocked me off my feet. We all still miss him so much. You would think this would get easier after 5 and a half years, but in many ways, it hasn't.
I know I have disappointed so many people in not finishing this book sooner. Quite honestly, I've disappointed myself. When I began this feat, I had no idea what crazy turns laid ahead on mine and Caleb's journey of life. It has not been very conducive to this type of in-depth project. This is such a worthy assignment and I so desperately want to see it's completion. I have taken this storage container with all the books' contents in it from Arizona, to Georgia, to South Dakota, back to Arizona and now to South Carolina. I found a note in there to myself, with a to do list that said "Go back to Arizona with a finished book!". I wrote that in 2005 but I'm claiming that for 2008.
Please pray that I can be focused (with my many, many, many distractions) to put this book together in a way that truly shows who Kris was. I need to balance caring for my family and staying focused on this book. Honestly, it has been impossible for me up to this point. I would GREATLY appreciate your prayers and support while I press on towards this finishing this goal that is so honorable.

Give me your honest opinion

I've been growing my hair out to look like this:

...but it's going to take at least another year to reach that length. I'm tempted to go really SHORT again. I had my hair like the one below about 9 years ago (15 pounds thinner) and I loved it. I grew it out simply for our wedding but I'm thinking about going way short again with this cut:


So friends, leave a comment with your honest thoughts. I really do want to hear what you think about these 2 extreme do's. If you don't know how to leave a comment, shoot me an e-mail because I want your opinion. If you know me at all, you'll know ultimately I'm going to go with my instinct (and what Caleb will like most- since he's the main one I'm out to impress) but I'd still like to get other people's thoughts.

To me, the longer do says "youthful, s*xy (can I say that on a family blog?), funky, sassy" The short do says, "sofisticated, smart, fun, sensible, good hair for photography days". My only reservation with the short one is that it will make me look pear-shaped. Okay, your turn... What do they say to you? Which suits me best and would look best on me? What are your thougths? Be honest.

Nutrional Education

Bryant at dinner tonight: Mom, is coca-cola like a fruit... or something?

Me and Caleb in unison: No, it's not a fruit.

Bryant: Oh, it just tastes a little fruity.

Me: No, soda isn't healthy at all. This is cherry coke and you're tasting the artificial cherry flavor but even that isn't made from real fruit.

Bryant: Oh, that's why it's fruity.

I'm not really sure how to feel about that question. We very rarely have soda in our house but I can't help but think, when your 7 year-old asks if Coca-cola is a fruit, you may want to feed your children more fruit... just a thought.

Getting Ready To Smile

So I had a dentist appointment yesterday and even though I really liked him and it went very well, I got home and bawled my eyes out. I think it was because my smile has been such a source of emotional pain for most of my life. I think part of me was happy and relieved with the visit and part of me just needed a good cry. Having broken my two front permanent teeth when I was only 7 has really affected me. I feel like a nice smile says so much about a person. I feel like a yucky smile says a lot too- even though the assumptions can be false. I feel like people assume one's hygiene isn't good if their smile isn't gleaming white and that sort of thing. Have you ever noticed on movies and cartoons the bad guys always have less than desirable smiles? I've always been very self conscious of my smile and go through seasons of depression and doubt because I hate my teeth so much. (You're probably thinking I'm silly, but it's true) I'm so glad God looks at the heart and not the outward appearance- not that my heart is always perfect but I'm glad I don't have to get His favor based on how I look. He takes me right where I am.

So, I found out yesterday that I've got to get my much needed dental work done as soon as possible. It will take a couple of months and will cost a lot- I have no idea how we'll pay for it or if we're supposed to finance it. But the dentist said we really need to get this stuff done now because if I wait I'm going to have bone damage, if I don't already. I think overall this is a blessing because I can't put it off due to finances any longer. Really, I shouldn't have put it off this long. I don't know why I always put my needs last and I haven't really been honest with Caleb about how badly I wanted/needed to have all this done. I've just stuffed it down, thinking it would happen someday. Well, thanks be to God because I think that day has finally come!

So, we'll start by whitening all my teeth (Can I get an AMEN?). This will make my front two teeth look much worse in comparison to the others because they aren't natural tooth and won't whiten. So basically, for about 2 weeks I will be laying very low so I wont be seen much with my mismatched tooth color. Next he will replace my front two teeth with beautiful ceramics!!! You have no idea how excited this makes me. He said by the time we're all done I am going to love my smile. Honestly, if that happens, it will be the first time in my whole life that I will feel good about my smile.

I was a 7 year old, with brand new permanent teeth (little bumps still on the bottoms of them and all) when I slipped and fell on wet concrete. It was very traumatic for me and even more traumatic for my poor mom who heard me crying and came running to a bloody mouth and two broken teeth. We went straight to the dentist after hours. The dentist was very kind I remember and he bonded my teeth for me. The problem with bonding is it stains quickly and over time it cracks. Thankfully, dentistry has come a long way since then and I shouldn't ever have to have "bonding" again! (Can I get another AMEN?)

I'm so serious about this, if I were ever blessed with a lot of money, I would set up some kind of dental scholarship for people who need dental work and can't afford it. Friends, hold me to this if I ever by chance ended up wealthy, okay?

So I guess in all this, I want to ask for prayer that first of all it would all go smoothly and that I would in fact be happy with my new smile. I guess anything is an upgrade but I've waited this long, I hope it is a good experience. Next, that God would give us wisdom on how to afford this and/or if we should finance it.
I'm sure you didn't plan on a dental update when you logged on to my blog today. I won't start the whole process probably for another month because that is how long it takes the insurance company to give an estimate of their coverage. Then hopefully it will all begin. If I'm brave enough, I will post before and after pictures when it's all said and done. Okay, thanks for reading.

I did the personality test thing, do you agree with the results?...

You Are An ENFJ

The Giver You strive to maintain harmony in relationships, and usually succeed. Articulate and enthusiastic, you are good at making personal connections. Sometimes you idealize relationships too much - and end up being let down. You find the most energy and comfort in social situations ... where you shine. In love, you are very protective and supporting. However, you do need to "feel special" - and it's quite easy for you to get jealous. At work, you are a natural leader. You can help people discover their greatest potential. You would make a good writer, human resources director, or psychologist. How you see yourself: Trusting, idealistic, and expressive When other people don't get you, they see you as: Bossy, inappropriate, and loud

What's Your Personality Type?