Be Brave!

Judges 18:9-10

The Message (MSG)

 ^9-10 They said, "Let's go for it! Let's attack. We've seen the land and it is excellent. Are you going to just sit on your hands? Don't dawdle! Invade and conquer! When you get there, you'll find they're sitting ducks, totally unsuspecting. Wide open land—God is handing it over to you, everything you could ever ask for."

Not us...we are gonna hold hands and go attack!!!!

I love this picture for many reasons.

  I love the people that I am hand in hand with.

More than that, I love what this picture says. 

 It speaks bravery and joy. 

 I have had to take some brave steps in my life in the last couple of years and the Lord has always provided women to hold my hand and take the scary plunge with, and He always brings JOY with it.

  These women happen to be with me in my adoption journey, and I could not have done it without them. 

These girlfriends have been holding my hand since these kids were in kindergarten together. 

We have been through many years together holding hands through life and now we are taking another "brave" step together and sending our kids off to college.

I honestly don't know how I would do any of these "brave" steps if it wasn't God's absolute provision and grace and goodness of providing beautiful women to hold my hand through these times of needing to be "brave".

These brave ladies are my sisters and mother and they have held my hand in life and in every "brave" step since before I can remember.  

Thank you Lord  women that may not be brave; but together we can join hands with Your Strength and Love and be brave together.

Texas Has Just Gotten Even Better (if that is even possible)

My prayer:

Psalm 144:12-15

The Message (MSG)

 ^12-14 Make our sons in their prime 

      like sturdy oak trees, 

   Our daughters as shapely and bright 

      as fields of wildflowers. 

   Fill our barns with great harvest, 

      fill our fields with huge flocks; 

   Protect us from invasion and exile— 

      eliminate the crime in our streets. 

 ¹⁵ How blessed the people who have all this! 

   How blessed the people who have God for God!

This was the hug I got at the airport as I was dropping Kole off at the airport to head to his new life in Texas as a student of University of Texas.

Hook 'em Horns.

 I feel overwhelmed with gratitude. 

 This kid has blessed my life beyond anything I could ever have imagined.  Kole is just a great person and a son that makes this mamas heart swell as big as it can be. I can't say enough about the good things in Kole.  He is full of good!

 I can't believe God has given us the gift of raising him for 18 years. 

 Now, we still get to be in his life...but we just get to be his biggest cheerleaders in life. 

 We will always be here for him, always supporting in every way we can, but our role has changed, we will be the support  crew, instead of the team leaders. 

 He has made the job of raising him a joy and a pleasure and a gift that I am EXTREMELY thankful for.

Kole has a great head on his shoulders and a heart big and soft and full.

Kole has great buddies...they hung in there until the last second before he left and they all joined hands at 6am and we said a prayer over all these kids.

Part of the hard part of Kole leaving is, he is going so far away, and all these guys..the buddies...are going away as well.  Oh there is a hole the size of Texas in this place!!  With Kole always comes a whole bunch of LIFE!!!

This is what Kole gets to start college with.  

We will miss this in our barn!!!! 

How am I doing????  I am thankful!!!!

We have raised Kole to the best of our ability and we have done things right and we have done things wrong, but we have ALWAYS ALWAYS LOVED HIM AND ALWAYS WILL.  

I am so glad for the Word of God that speaks Truth. 

1 Peter 4:8

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁸ Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

Whoop whoop!!!  God has us covered even when we mess up!!!  Oh I love Him!!!

1 Peter 4:7-11

The Message (MSG)

 ^7-11Everything in the world is about to be wrapped up, so take nothing for granted. Stay wide-awake in prayer. Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless—cheerfully. Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God's words; if help, let it be God's hearty help. That way, God's bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he'll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything—encores to the end of time. Oh, yes!

Fun at the Beach

1 Chronicles 16:31-32

English Standard Version (ESV)

³¹ 

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice,

    and let them say among the nations, “The Lordreigns!”

³² 

Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;

    let the field exult, and everything in it!

We sure had fun at the beach!!  We are dorks.

And our kids are dorks too.  :)

We headed to the beach for a few days.  It was a wonderful time.  We had beautiful weather and some good family time.  Our family has grown by 4 ( I'm counting the Bowen Baby) since we went to the beach 2 years ago.  

We loved the time together. 

We are very grateful that Lashae married Chaney so Kole has somebody to play with, and play, and fight and argue, and play and chase, and compete and play...THEY DID!!! 

THANKFUL!!!!

This is the first time Esther has been to an ocean.  She loved it.

FUN TIMES!!!!

John 15:11-12

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹¹ These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

¹²  “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.