me, a proud Baptist...ha

I have to admit that there have been times I've been ashamed to call myself a Baptist, and a Southern Baptist at that. It just puts me into a sterotype I'd rather not be linked with. The sterotype goes something like this....."cold hearted, joyless, holier than thou, lets play dress up for church, but not care for the single Mom across the street," sure you can find that within any Christian denomination, but growing up in an anti-Baptist home I had a special dislike already formed in my mind. Then I actually meet some of these kind of people and it sent me futher into my shame and disgrace. Most of the time when people ask me what "religon" I am, I just say "a Christian" or "Christ follower". I just keeps the junk out of the conversation.

TODAY, however......I've just had my proudest Baptist moment to date. The Southern Baptist Convention was held last week in Louisville, KY as Southern Seminary celebrated 150 yrs of its history. The convention adopted a resolution (which just says, "we as a denomination reslove that we believe this to be true"), the resolution states that we are to care for the fatherless, the orphans of the world. To have taken us this long as a church to say that we should be doing this is a shame, but better late than never.

Brad and I are both adopted children in some sense (very long and complicated story). I grew up with foster children. I always wondered even as a child why the state cared for these children when it was the church who should be doing the job. I've always believed in adoption, and being a foster parent. Not everyone is in a position to adopt, but those who are, should! And those who are not should help in whatever way God allows to help the life of a helpless child who has absolutly no one to care for them. A quote from Mother Teresa says, "having a hungry stomach is bearable, having no one to love you is a deeper hunger.....going without food rots your body, not having love kills your soul"....its so true.

"Bella Blue"

The house was so lonely without a pet! So now, we have a kitten to play with, and she loves to play. Attacking our feet seems to be her favorite past time. She is so small and so very cute!

Family Pets

When my Dad called me to ask me if I'd like to own a golden retriever, I have to admit I was a little reluctant. I have a soft spot for dachshunds, I couldn't imagine liking a big dog. But I knew the kids would love to have a family pet to play fetch with (the 2 yr old little brother gets tired easily...LOL) So, Brad and I said, "sure, we'll take him". Little did I know he'd sneak into my heart and find a soft spot to land. In the short time we had "Bodie" he was a pleasure. Full of fun and excitement. He loved us, and we loved him. He was an amazing dog. One of the first nights he was here, Bodie brought Brad's shoes over to him as a way of saying, "hey Dad, take me outside" and then went and sat beside the door waiting patiently for Brad to fulfill his request. I could tell so many more stories, but my heart is still filled with so much sadness to have to loose a sweet and special dog so quick and so tragic. Rest In Peace, Bodie Dog, may you chase ducks and rubber balls for all eternity, until I see you again, I love you!

Baylee the butterfly

Baylee's class at school had a performance last week. She dressed as a beautiful butterfly. She did such a good job!

encouragement

This should give us all some encouragement weather you are "called" into ministry or not. This applies in some fashion to all believers. This was only part of the speech, but the best part, I thought!

They go out in power. Not the power of profession or the power of wealth. They may not look to the world like an intimidating militia, but they are the army of God -- "soldiers of Christ, in truth arrayed." They are the powerless made powerful in Christ; the weak through whom the Lord will show his strength. The gates of hell shall not prevail against the church they shall serve, and the forces of evil will flee their proclamation of the Gospel and the Word of God.

They are arrayed in glory. Not an earthly glory accompanied by office and status and entourage, but the glory of the crucified, risen, ascended, and reigning Christ -- a glory hidden now from the world but one day revealed to every bended knee and each confessing tongue. They are vessels of clay who bear the glory of the incorruptible Christ, who show his wounds and bear his scars and will both live and die to the glory of God alone. Death holds no sting and Satan holds no scepter to them.

They will go out to preach and to teach and to tell a lost world about Jesus and his love. They will break bread and share the cup and proclaim the Lord's death for sinners until He comes. They will baptize in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They will preach the Word, in season and out of season. They will teach, preach, correct, rebuke, lead, serve, follow, guide, and encourage. They will tend to the flock of God and serve churches. They will preach and pray as the saints are laid to rest. They will push back against the darkness as the children of light. They will plant and water and sometimes reap, and their labor will never be in vain.

How is all this secured? We send them out, knowing that all these promises are secured in Christ and in Christ alone. We know so because Christ has taught us to pray, "For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."

__________________________

This is a commencement address and charge to graduates of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, delivered May 15, 2009 by R. Albert Mohler, Jr., President.

My Nanny

I couldn't let Mother's Day go by and not give a nod to my grandmother, Nanny. To call her my grandmother seems a little to formal for me. She has been everything to me at some point in my life. She cared for me when no one else would, she witnessed my first word, my first choir performance, my first heart break, she was there and still is.

She is the most beautiful person I know. Since becoming a foster parent after her husband died, she basically died to self and lived for others. I've never known her to wear designer clothes, or buy "nice" things for herself, but she managed to shave $20 off the grocery budget one summer to buy me something so silly that I thought I'd die without. She is amazing, such a testament to selfless giving. She is not attached to worldly possessions like the rest of us folk. We might think we're not attached but we are. She'd go without so that you could have and she'd give you her best china (if she had any) without batting an eye if she thought it might make you smile. We disagree at times and she has made some mistakes along the way, but her heart is bigger than Texas and she'd walk 20 miles in the rain to come see me if I needed her, that is love. I love her more than words, she has given me so much!

I love you, Nanny!!!!!!!!

Ode to Pooh

(me and Pooh at the 2004 Easter Play)

An ode to a Pooh Bear

Well its mothers day and I'm broke
hum, what to do
thought I'd sit at my puter
and write a little poem for you

Childish, yes, it might be
funny, well maybe, we'll see

I'll try to pour out my heart
and make you laugh at the same time
So buckle up and hold on tight, it
could be a long blogging night

You can into my life and took me by surprise
Someone like you loving someone like me
I asked God, Lord how could this be
You were so pretty, and wore nice clothes
Lord, what if she doesn't love me
Will she see through the lies

Lies I had been told all my life
about who I was and who I would someday be
Lies little girls like us tend to believe
yea, you saw through lies for sure, and
helped me replace them with truth
It was only later that I learned you
had once believed those lies too

Putting up with a teenager,
goodness that was a mess
plates broken, angry words spoken
How we survived I'll never know
In about 3 years, I'll need to learn
your secret though

You've always been there for me
You've never walked out
Our family loves you, Pooh
beyond a shadow of a doubt

So on this Mother's Day, I'd like to say "thanks"........for loving me, letting me learn from the school of hard knocks, for encouraging my dreams, believing in me, listening to me fuss about life, making me clean the house, coming to my house at midnight to hold me while I cried, hunting down the person who made me cry in the first place, loving my children and being the best Pooh ever.
"you are braver than you are, and smarter than you think"-Christopher Robin