Family on Mission T-Shirts!

T-Shirts to support our trip

are on pre-order for 

$25 each!

This is another way you can support our family going on mission in October. If you want to read more information about it, here are some blog posts that explain. We have a few more posts that will be released before we head out in October.

Family on Mission - PART 1

Family on Mission - PART 2
Family on Mission - PART 3

The first order of shirts is going to take place in the next 2 weeks

so if you want one soon, place an order ASAP! 

They are super soft, dark grey shirts with white writing and a teal/blue outline.

When you place an order, make sure you include a note with how many shirts and what sizes for each shirt are being ordered! This is not tax deductible since you are paying for a good and therefore cannot be written to the church sending us.

If you would like to order a shirt,

you can pay 1 of 3 ways:

1. Mail us a check or money order

*Write in the memo line "Mission T-Shirt(s)"

2. Pay through PayPal

HERE is the link.

You can type in my email address or phone number, then put in the amount you want to pay and submit! If you don't have either of those and want to pay through PayPal, message me or comment below and I will get them to you!

3. Pay in person

*Cash, check, money order, gold, etc. We're not picky!


The t-shirts are $25, but you are welcome to donate more if you would like.
*If you need me to mail the shirt, I'll get you shipping info as well ($3-$5ish).

You can also donate toward the 
trip in general online. 
1. Go to: http://firstirving.org/give
2. Create an account (or login if you have one)
3. Under "give to" scroll down and find "Korea 2014"
4. Then pick one of our names in the next box.
5. Put how much you want to give and method of payment.

Family on Mission - Part 2

 Photo credit: DailytimewithGod.com

Part 1 of this 5 part series (which you can read HERE) shared a little bit about the calling we feel to go on this mission trip. I would like to share more about why we are going as a family.

Most mission trips are made up of independent individuals, unrelated people coming together to form an eclectic group to go somewhere for a week in order to evangelize 1 on 1 about Christ. They connect when opportunities arise, of course. And yes, most of the time they live their lives in front of them in a Christ like manner, but they are individuals living life in their own way. Women might connect with some women, and men to men. But the best connections are when they can see how you operate on all levels in front of them. By this I mean as a wife, as a mom, and as a woman. Going somewhere as a family on missions opens up all of these aspects of my life without me even having to open my mouth. Living life is now a transparent thing and breaks down walls and opens up conversations quicker than you can imagine!

Going on missions as a husband and wife together...
How many trips do spouses go on together? Not many. Most of the time someone has to stay behind to work in order to pay the bills, or take care of the kids, or it is just not financially feasible in their mind. But a lot can be shown as an example of Christ by how a husband loves his wife. And how a wife respects her husband. We can speak without words by simple actions in front of them. If we act in selflessness, we are different. Different in ALL cultures (including America for that matter). We raise questions that we can then answer. It opens doors, and it opens hearts!

Going on missions as a parent with our children...

How many mission trips do parents take their children on with them? Not many. Especially not out of the country! As a mom, I don't ever want to put my children at risk. Traveling out of the country, much less to a place where not a lot of people visit does not seem like the place children should travel to. However, by taking my most precious gifts with me, I am telling the people that I trust them with my children. That I think they are worthy enough to meet some of my most valuable processions! I also get the chance to relate to them. I get to talk about being a mom and a wife. The struggles, the joys, the ways the Lord has provided. I have the chance to model what a selfless mom does for their children (or tries to do....this will need some extra prayer y'all!). I will have the opportunity to model what building my children up looks like and how we laugh, play and love as a whole family! And I get to show them true obedience by following God's instructions for us to go on this trip - no matter what fear I might have.

Be strong and courageous. 
Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, 
for the LORD your God goes with you; 
He will never leave you nor forsake you.
-Deuteronomy 31:6
 
And lastly, I get to share what adoption looks like and means first hand. A concept that they have never heard of, nor can fathom. The PERFECT example of God's love for us! And I get to share that when they ask questions because they are curious. We will get to answer questions about how God has forever changed our hearts and lives through obedience! And that He can do the same for them! We will get go show them how we love our children unconditionally just as if we birthed them. And that our Lord loves us the same way!

Family ministry is something most of us only have the chance to do if it is local. God has impressed upon our hearts that the need is GREAT for us to do this in the hardest to reach places of this world He created.
Psalms 72:17 states that "All nations will be blessed through Him and they will call him Blessed."

But we have to say YES and then GO or support sending others!
 
"And he said to them, 'Go into all the world 
and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.'" -Mark 16:15

None of us are exempt from this command. Our obedience will look different depending on how the Holy Spirit speaks to us.

Our family will be leaving in the Fall to go on this 8 day journey. If you would like to partner with us, you can do so in 1 (or more) of 4 ways:
 
FIRST...
You can pray for our family and our team. We are a small team of 15 traveling to this undisclosed location. We would greatly appreciate your prayers!
More specifically, you can pray that we can get Kiir's citizenship status complete by the time we need to get his Visa!
 
SECOND...
You can support our church missions garage sale! We will start taking donations in our church gym on Monday, June 30 (9am) - Thursday, July 3 (5pm). Clean out your house of everything you don't need.
THEN, come shop on July 4th at the garage sale 
to fill your house back full of stuff!!! :)

THIRD...
You can purchase a t-shirt and the proceeds will go towards our team traveling funds. They will go on sale starting NEXT WEEK! 

If you would like to pre-order a shirt, please let me know ASAP!
Here is a picture in case you wanted to know what it will look like. The awesomely talented Chuck Pope and I worked on the design together. On a side note, it will be on really soft charcoal grey t-shirt material.
You can purchase one for $25.
(but you can always donate more)!

 
FOURTH...
You can give financially! Flying a family of 4 across an ocean is not a cheap endeavor. While we set aside money we have saved, it doesn't cover all of it by any means. If you would like to help us fund the rest of this trip, you can donate through our YouCaring account HERE (the link is on the side of our blog as well.) If we raise more money than we need for our family, the rest will go toward helping fund others going on the trip, along with gifts we will take to the people we will be visiting.

Stay tuned for Part 3 to come soon! :) 

Hello Goodbye

Today I sang this song to work:

You say goodbye and I say hello.

Hello, hello

I don't know why you say goodbye...

I say hello :)

I turned this in today:

It was bittersweet to turn in my letter of resignation.

Never before have I liked a job like this one. It suited me. I enjoyed it and a lot of days LOVED what I was doing! I got to be on the fun side of education. Something I really liked doing. I worked with some awesome teachers and had a great time.

Why then am I leaving?

This is one of them:
 

And the second has to do with our family growing in the future through adoption again as we start the process of training, paperwork, and home study all over again.

I'm nervous, excited, and full of emotion as I say goodbye to what I know and hello to the unknown.

But I can't wait to experience this unknown!
I've heard it's kind of
GREAT!

The Bluebonnet Tradition (and the story behind it)

I was reflecting back and couldn't think of a time when my mom didn't see bluebonnets and say "Look! We should stop and take some pictures!" It is like it is ingrained into Texans (or at least Texas mom's) to want to take pictures of children in bluebonnets. And of course it makes sense. The weather is great, the sky is an amazing backdrop that blends well with the vibrant blue in the flowers and the bright green grass. Mix that with the hills and trees of Texas and you have perfection! "An expanse of those blue and stalwart flowers strewn across a pasture or along a highway prompts such a welling-up of joy—it is to nature what an excellent symphonic passage is to music." -Suzanne Winckler  

And I'm guessing Suzanne is also a mom. :)

This is why it is the state flower of course! In 1901 there was a discussion among the Texas legislature about which flower they should pick. The cotton boll & cactus blossoms were top contenders. Can you imagine?! I'm grateful John Green suggested the bluebonnet. Of course nobody else had heard of them. So members of a women's patriotic society witnessing the debate dashed to an Austin parlor and returned with another incipient Texas institution - a painting of bluebonnets. ‘Deep silence reigned for an instant,’ history records states. ‘Then deafening applause fairly shook the old walls.’”

Kids on the other hand - well, they have no idea why in the world they are placed on the side of a highway with loud cars flying by in flowers that itch. But that's the fun, right? Trying to make them smile to capture just a few good moments on camera!

I think Mrs. A. L. Morgan said it best in a 1941 issue of Texas Parade:

"Springtime is when the sky falls on Texas."

Here is my attempt at getting the traditional bluebonnet photos of Mr. Lex...

 

This has to be one of my favorites. 

Taking it all in...

And regardless of what all of these pictures show, 

he did get tired of me taking pictures. 

Here's one to prove it:

 

Happy Bluebonnet picture season!

From our family to yours.

P.S.

Sorry that there are no pictures of Kiir in the bluebonnets. I didn't even try to ask. I think I would have gotten one of those looks like only 21 year old can give. Maybe one day I'll be able to trick him into tagging along.

#probablynot

#wishfulthinking

#onedayhewillhavekidsandillgetmypictures

#insertevilmomlaughhere

Family on Mission - Part 1

Missions have always had a special place in my heart. I remember going to GA's (Girls in Action) every week and learning about missionaries around the world. And I remember thinking that if I didn't find someone to marry; I would just move to Africa and work in an orphanage, being the mom to all of the children without parents. But I did find someone to marry, someone to start a family with, and yet my desire to serve God through missions is still stronger than ever.

This year that special man and I will celebrate 10 years of marriage together!

The Lord has been so good to us!

5 years ago we wanted to travel to Europe and started putting some money away so the 2 of us could take that trip when we reached 10 years. Then, last Fall I was sitting in a church service listening to the sermon when all of a sudden I could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. He was telling me that my desire to travel to Europe was very selfish. If I truly loved missions and wanted to serve Him as much as I say I do then why am I not using that travel money for just that. And whose money was this really?

Punch to the gut!

Ouch!

I left church a little angry to be honest. We had worked so hard to pay off our debt, including all of our student loans. We were good and faithful stewards. In my head I selfishly deserved to go, but in my heart I knew He was right. I ate lunch in silence and when I could bring myself to tell my husband what the Lord put on my heart he just laughed and said he didn't think we should go to Europe anyway. It was a little extravagant just go spend money on sightseeing. Why not take a more simple, less costly trip to celebrate 10 years and put the rest toward missions.

Seriously?

A little late in the game to tell me my dreams were off our path since I'd been planning for a while now, but better late than never I guess. 

Next time a little earlier would be nice babe ;)

So with that confirmation, I knew what we had to do. We needed to start praying about where the money we saved should go.

Through prayer, it was quickly revealed that it needed to be invested in relational missions. “What do you mean ‘relational missions’" you ask? I mean sharing the gospel by building relations with non-believers. Living life with them. Sharing our family with them! Plainly speaking, love them.

As we continued praying, we were drawn to a specific region of the world where the people that live there struggle with relations. They do not rely on anyone around them, much less understand relationships. Their hearts are hardened to the outside world and they believe that God does not exist. Trust is something they do not practice. Adoption is a word they have never heard of, nor understand.

And for this reason, we are going to trust them with our children. We are going to trust them with our family. We are going to go over there as a whole family unit and love them, talk to them, hold their hands, and tell them they are beautiful! We are going to let them hold our toddler; let our older son play soccer with their teenagers. Show them how a father treats his children and how a husband treats his wife. And we are going to share our story of adoption with them. Explain how following Him with obedience to adopt a teenage son forever changed his life and ours. And that He does the same by adopting us!

We are saying yes to a trip that is not easy, not cheap, and not what we had originally planned. But we are saying yes to Him who asks this of us.

2 John 1:6 says "And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love."

And so, we walk in obedience and love,

following Him to the ends of the earth.

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." -Acts 1:8

We would love to have you partner with us

in 1 (or more) of 3 ways...

First,

You can pray for us and our team.

It is a small team traveling to this undisclosed location.

We would greatly appreciate your prayers!

Second,

You can purchase a t-shirt.

All of the proceeds will go towards our team traveling funds.

They will go on sale sometime in the upcoming weeks,

so look for a link to purchase in some of the future blog posts.

Third,

You can give! 

Flying a family of 4 across an ocean is not a cheap endeavor. While we set aside money we have saved, it doesn't cover all of it by any means. If you would like to help us fund the rest of this trip, you can donate through our fundraising site HERE. If we raise more money than we need for our family, the rest will go toward helping fund others going on the trip; along with supplies we will take to the people we will be visiting.

If you so desire, please feel free to repost/share this blog with friends you think might want to partner with us as well.

And don't worry,

this is just Part 1

of a series of blog posts

about our trip. 

Stay tuned for more!

A Different Kind of Christmas

Yesterday, on Christmas Eve, we went and served as a family. Kelly and I talked a few weeks ago about how we wanted to change how we celebrated Christmas. It had been bugging me for quite a while how every year I made a list of material items that I don't really need. While I had already handed a list to family as requested, we could still change how our immediate family celebrated Christmas this year. So we told our older son that we did not want him to buy us anything for Christmas. Instead, with the money he would spend we wanted to support a ministry that feeds the homeless and he could purchase blankets and sleeping bags in our name for them. So his gift to us would be to go buy those items, and then on Christmas Eve we would go serve as a family and feed the homeless in downtown Dallas. To my surprise, he thought it was a pretty cool idea. So we went shopping for blankets and set them aside for Christmas Eve. 

When last night came, I was a little excited, but a little worried about going as a whole family. You see, we have 2 sons; an almost 21 yr old and a 1 yr old. I was really worried that our 1 yr old would be a distraction and get fussy since it would be past his bedtime. I tried to carefully plan out meals so he wouldn't be hungry, but I knew when we got there he would want to get down and run around and that would not be allowed. But I kept feeling pushed by the Holy Spirit for all 4 of us to go.

Now I know you must be asking if I was scared to take a 1 yr old into a shady part of downtown Dallas around people that could be aggressive or on drugs or just a little not there. Honestly, I wasn't. You see, I have learned since becoming a parent that I cannot protect my children from everything, but that my God can. So before we stepped out of the car to go inside I prayed that the Lord would protect our family and everyone else from anything Satan wanted to throw our way. And then I left any fear right there in His hands. Let me tell you, if you have never done this, it is the most freeing thing! 

Isaiah 41:10 says "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

Psalm 188:6

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

2 Timothy 1:7

So afraid or fearful, I was not. I stood in strong belief that if the Holy Spirit was telling me we should go, then He would take care of us. But I was still worried about being a distraction, about the 1 yr old interrupting as they prayed or read scripture or sang.

What I didn't realize was that God had a specific purpose for us being there and it unfolded right before my very eyes.

As the men and women came into the building and sat down, the 1 year old was pretty quiet. New people, a new place and a lot to look at. But when scripture started to be read and songs were sang, he had a lot to say as well. When I finally stopped being worried about him enough to look up, I saw at least half of the crowd of people watching him...with a smile.

I decided we would stand in the open (instead of behind the tables serving), greeting them before they walked through to get food, shaking their hands, telling them Merry Christmas and looking them in the eye to show that we love them and see them as a human being worthy to be loved. As they all filed through the line, I realized that a huge percent of them had a stone cold face as they were greeted by other adults. They would shake hands and some would smile, but a lot just looked tired, battered from the outside cold and world they lived in. They were here for just a meal and that was it.

But as they walked up to my 1 yr old and I wished them a Merry Christmas, they smiled...every single one of them! They tried to get my son to smile. They talked to him and asked me questions about him and tried to play with him. 

Most babies and children shy away from strangers, especially men in hats. But since Lex was born, his daddy has been putting hats on him and wears hats frequently and so that didn't bother Lex. His older brother is also a very dark shade of black so the color of other people's skin doesn't scare him either. He is also very much an extrovert child and doesn't shy away from strangers, but instead looks them in the eye and most of the time smiles at them.

And he did just that last night. He looked at them as if they were any other person and smiled. 

And they smiled back. 

It was in that moment that I realized his purpose for coming. To bring hope, to show love, and to give me the ability to tell them that I love them enough to share and trust my family with them even in their dire circumstances.

A wise friend once told me if you go somewhere as a family unit where most people are scared to go as an individual, you are telling them that you love them enough to trust them with your most precious assets and the doors it opens to share and show the love of Christ are endless! Thanks Anthony for such challenging truth!

Last night that became a reality. As Lex and I walked around, I was able to talk with several of the homeless individuals about their life. It was eye opening, gut wrenching stuff.

I imagine Jesus saw much of this during His ministry on Earth. He didn't spend his ministry in the warmth of his home, constantly surrounded by family. No, he spent it with the people nobody else wanted to be around. The people others were scared of. The people you would never bring your children into the presence of.

It made me think of the verse from Proverbs 22:6 that a lot of parents can quote from heart: "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."

Most parents that I know of use this verse in regards to discipline or obedience. What hit me last night is that we don't use this verse in all aspects of what we are called to do as believers. When we are called to serve in various roles, how often to we leave our children behind out of protection or because they might get in the way/be a distraction?

Boy did the Lord set me straight on this last night. If I want to train my children up in the way they should go, that means they have to see me serving and they have to get their hands dirty as well. Jesus loved all people; the crippled, blind, diseased, deaf, widowed, orphaned, the sinner. I need my children to see this and to see that we are all sinners helping others in need, showing Christ's love to them.

They cannot see this through a blindfold, protected behind the walls of my home. They can only see this by working beside me.

Last night I was blessed to see Jesus actively at work and challenged to be a more biblical parent. Will it be hard? Of course! Worth it? No doubt in my mind!

So today as you celebrate Christ's birth, I pray that you will remember His life, His mission, and His calling for you. Each of us have our own role, our own part to do while we are still breathing. It all started before God even created the Earth. The question is will we obey like Christ did?

I pray that 2014 will be a challenging year for you. That you will count the cost and say yes anyway! Because that little baby died on a cross so that you have the chance to stand in His presence as His child one day! Make 2014 a year like none before - trusting Him with everything you have because He is worth it!

Merry Christmas y'all!

The Day Before

One year ago today I received a phone call that a birth mom had picked us. Ten hours later I found out she went into early labor and we needed to book a flight because our son was going to be born soon. The next morning he came into this world and I was holding his hand after lunch!

Let me rewind 1 day prior to all of that excitement.

I was sitting across from my dear friend in her play room telling her what I was praying for. My prayers lately had been extraordinarily deep, almost unending, as if I was constantly talking to the Lord. I felt His presence so close to me and it was such a sweet time that I will never forget. It is hard to explain, but I felt like He was sitting next to me and we just talked. I opened my heart, and His Spirit responded. Almost as if we didn't need words to communicate. I was utterly dependent on Him and I knew my heart was aligned with His!

I had always struggled to understand the will of God. I mean, how do we know if we are following His will or walking in His will? It was such a foreign concept and such an abstract thought. We make decisions all of the time, every single day, and they might or might not be what the Lord wanted us to do. But how do we know?

"I desire to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart." 

Psalm 40:8

"Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may Your good Spirit lead me on level ground."

Psalm 143:10

On that day, however, I learned exactly what that meant. You see, as I sat and waited, talked with, and prayed to the Lord, I felt so deeply that He was telling me "yes!" Everything I was praying, He was encouraging me, speaking to me, and helping me understand His goodness and will. 

So I shared with my friend the following:

I have been praying and the Lord has told me He is going to give me a baby before Christmas. It is going to be a boy like I have asked for, and it is going to be sudden. Also, it will not be close to our home so that we will have some extra bonding time just the 3 of us before anyone else meets him.

Yes, those were my prayers, my outcries, my desires.

As crazy as it seems, I had reasons for all of them and I was going to pray BIG prayers because what did I have to lose? I knew God could do it and He already knew my desires, why not ask for them?

"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

And as I sat there, letting the Spirit do the talking for me, I felt a "yes child, yes." 

Only in that moment did I understand "I desire to do Your will" and "Teach me to do Your will". Only when I was walking that closely with the Lord did I understand how my will and His will can be one in the same.

So I shared what the Lord was telling me. I shared with a handful of people, and all thought I was setting myself up for potential disappointment, but were excited with me the same. Of course, all of these people were praying with and for me. And the Lord knew. I'm sure He was smiling because only He knew what was about to happen.

When I received the phone call that our son was on the way, tears of excitement, joy and praise were streaming down my face. You see, when the Lord answers every single prayer down to the smallest detail, He and only He receives the praise! Only He could grant this, orchestrate this, and pull this off in a manner where all of the glory would be given to Him.

It was through this experience that I realized my God is one who can move mountains. He can grant miracles. He, and only He, can answer prayers. Nothing is outside of His control. He is just sitting there waiting for you to ask. Waiting to sit and talk. Waiting for you to come to Him humbly and say "I delight in You Lord! I desire to do Your will...and only Your will."

It is in those moments where you will see His unmistakeable power, love, and grace.

It is right there where He will gently align your heart with His.

My testimony is forever changed by trusting Him and watching Him move mountains for me.

I am forever blessed by His love.

P.S.

If you wanted to read more about Lex's adoption story, you can read about it here:

Part 1: One Crazy Day

Part 2: Our Crazy Weekend

Part 3: Our Crazy Vacation...I Mean Adoption