Our Family Circus

I know, I have been quiet....but welcome 2nd trimester...that is enough explanation.   I am once again able to prepare a meal for my family and able to lift my head off of the arm of the couch to teach school....it is good!   I am growing and the girls like to check out how "HUGE" I am every night.   Billy is getting a few fat jokes in on me.   So, we are good....now on to the rest of our lives! If you follow me on FB, you know about this little lady.   Dolly has her own goat, Johannahlee Purdue (named after some of Dolly's friends and the college the gentleman who bought the goat is attempting to persuade Dolly to go to) was a gift to Dolly from a team from our sending church.   Those children's ministry volunteers  are still loving on our kiddos from our sending church.      The kids are as excited about this team coming as they are ab...

Sorting through donated clothing from the summer, I came upon a tshirt that said "UNEXPECTED." I began to reflect on the word. Christ was The UNEXPECTED Messiah. Jonah was rescued UNEXPECTANTLY by a large fish. The big boat that Noah was building was UNEXPECTANTLY needed. When King Darius went to the Lions' Den the sound of Daniel's voice was UNEXPECTED. Lazarus was UNEXPECTANTLY raised from the dead. The Lord UNEXPECTANTLY pulled me from my pit that I did not even know I was in. The Lord has brought us through much UNEXPECTED in our lives....some good and some bad. Again, we find ourselves in a place of the UNEXPECTED. I jotted these words down as I lay in bed feeling less than great:       I have grey hair.      He was just diagnosed with a kidney disease.      I have bi-focals.      He has high blood pressure.      I no longer dress for style but f...

 I was a little girl in Girls in Action, a mission organization in the Southern Baptist Convention.  Each Sunday night that we gathered, we would read over the prayer calendar.   The prayer calendar included the names and countries of missionaries serving and we prayed for them on their birthdays.   The calendar would also share how they were serving on the field.....you know, summed up in one or 2 words. Just throwing this out there, but they are no longer able to post where most missionaries are serving nor are they able to share their names because of the safety of where they serve....times have changed! Oh, how they have changed!   I recall as a little girl thinking about the title "home evangelism" after a lady's name.   Years later, working at a missions camp, I asked the missionary there.   She told me it is basically meant that the lady was at home caring for the family, on the field. ...

Vacation week was both a year long BUT has flown by!   I am sure it feels that way because of the ground that we covered and that you never have enough time with the people you love. To fully understand, I need to back peddle.  A month or so before we left Haiti for the states.   Hassan stopped by ready to try out his new "toys" as we called them.   He had a stethoscope, reflex hammer, and a blood pressure cuff.   He tried all of the toys out on My Dear and it was confirmed, as we assumed, he was in good shape.  The plan when we reached the states was for My Dear to get a physical that he needed to keep his CDL license for driving a large truck so it would transfer to his driver's license in Haiti.  A stop in TN with our favorite truck driver Pops, the appointment was made...pretty much a done deal!    OR so we thought.... My Dear failed the physical.   Nothing like this had every happened ...

After the last blog post, we hit the road to the following adventures.... 1.  HAIRCUTS!!!!!!!!   It has been since February!                           (You can see the new layer and the old layer right before it is clipped!) 2.   Taking a bath in an actual bathtub.   The bathtub even won out over swimming. 3.  My Dear officiated a BEAUTIFUL wedding!   Beautiful because of the ceremony the bride and groom created, the God they honored and celebrated, the handsome groom and his love for his bride and the incredible, young woman we love so much.  Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Back!  (Look who caught the bouquet!  Her daddy yelled, "Do Over!" 4.  Hugs and tears. 5.  Kiddos picking up right where they left off with their friends. 6.  Worshipping, cry...

You may have been out of the country for a year if.... 1.  Your 7-year-old is confused by a side-by-side refrigerator and puts yogurt in the freezer and she can't find the cheese in the freezer. 2.  You rode in a car going 70mph on the interstate and that is the fastest you have driven in a year.   Actually 55 mph might have won the same title. 3.  You have to remind yourself to flush the toilet after each use and not "mellow til it's yellow." 4.   Your 7-year-old is excited to eat at a fast food chain but leans toward your ear to ask, "What did I used to order here?"   5.  The sound of running water in a faucet makes you want to sprint to turn it off. 6.   You go to the grocery store only to walk the perimeter of the store just like the health professionals say to do.   We can get all of that other stuff imported so what does that tell you about shelf life and nutrients?    Our sh...

Our furlough is coming quickly and our time in the states will go even faster!   We would enjoy seeing so many of you who have encouraged us in our new home and new journey.   We will be speaking in KY, IN, and TN.   Here is where you can find us sharing.   You would be welcome to join us in any of the following places. Sunday, June 28th     Bible Baptist Church, NV   10:30 Sunday, July 5th     FBC, NV 9 and 10:30 services Sunday, July 5th     Trinity United Methodist, Murfreesboro  pm Sunday, July 12th     FBC, Paris     am service Sunday, July 12th     Central Baptist Church, Paris  pm Sunday, July 19th     FBC, Crothersville   9:30am Wednesday, July  22nd  New Bethel Baptist, Noorwood Sunday, July 26th     Risen Sav...