Love Brightly

So I've been noticing all these cute patchwork dresses and skirts on etsy . I thought, "I bet I could do that...or at least something similar." I looked at patterns at Hobby Lobby = $13. If I'm going to spend $13, I could just buy a dress (not a Corrina Couture dress, but still). Plus, we don't need dresses. We have two very active and generous grandmothers. My girls have more dresses than they can wear. I decided to scratch that project. One pulling-my-hair-out afternoon, I dialed my good friend hoping for a few moments of adult convo. "What are you doing?" I asked. "I'm on my way to JoAnn's [as in JoAnn's Fabric]. I'm going to buy ribbon. I've started making hair bows as a creative outlet." I felt the envy flood my entire being. I remembered making time for creative outlets...back in the day. If she could do it, SO COULD I!! After we hung up the phone, I abandoned the dishes in the kitchen. I pulled out my fab...

I wrote this note for facebook last semester after watching the "Grilled Cheese-us" epidsode of Glee. They re-ran the episode this week, so I'm posting the review here as well: Sweet Finn—who lost his Daddy when he was a baby, who’s the masculine High School star football player, who stands loyal as boyfriend to the unpopular girl regardless of what others think, who sings & dances like a rock star--Finn, you just root for him, don’t you? While he’s got a lot of talent going for him, it’s obvious that Finn still has a lot to learn (last season his girlfriend convinced him that he got her pregnant without sex). So we say “Sweet Finn” while our heads tilt to the side ever so slightly, maybe with a slight pucker and head-bob. This week is another case in point as he beseeches his grilled-cheese sandwich with prayers for help in football, among other things--ahem. Sweet Finn (head tilt and shake), down on his knees, hands folded and calls his sandwich “Grilled Cheese-us...

I love age 5. My daughter is a butterfly-chaser, wild-flower-bouquet-giver, Mommy's-high-heel-wearer. I wish I could push a pause button on age 5. You know what else I love about age 5? She tells me EVERYTHING that she's thinking. Like her Daddy says, sometimes we think our ears might start to bleed from so much listening, but really, we love it. Case in point, one crisp fall day in November during story time, she began to give commentary of her thoughts at every turn of the page. The story was about Jesus loving little children, and in one illustration, He was bent down on one knee handing a butterfly to a little tot-sized girl with pigtails. Her commentary went something like this: "Look how sweet. Jesus is giving her a butterfly. I bet He knew that she likes butterflies, because He knows everything, and that's why He gave it to her. And it's yellow. Maybe she likes yellow. [pause][sigh of longing] I wish I could have a butterfly. I always chase them, but I...

I set the alarm in order to get up and be ready before the kids. I put on a cute dress with leggings and grabbed my trendy belt. The ensemble is cute by itself, but the belt makes the outfit. I paused, "I'm not trying to impress anyone," I thought, and I put the belt back in the closet. We're exploring all our options for Kindergarten next year. Part of this process is applying to PCA (Prestonwood Christian Academy). It's a 4-step process (5-step if you count our application for financial aid). One part is the Parent Interview. Our interview was Tuesday morning. "This is about seeking the Lord for HER schooling. It's not about me impressing them. We are just going to be ourselves." My belt is really not that impressive, but it was symbolic for me, so I put it back. On the way out the door, little sister wanted to wear her purple socks (of course she did--she asked Santa for purple socks. She has enough purple socks to wear every day and some to spa...

3 Staff and 33 Students from UNT, TCU, and MSU made the 750 mile road trip to Panama City Beach, FL for Big Break, a week of sharing Christ with college students who are there for Spring Break--like THE SPRING BREAK, the one you see on MTV. After the morning rallies with praise & worship, devotions, teaching, and training, the group would pair up and share the message of Christ with the 200,000 visitors at the beach. This is Moises, UNT music student, encouraging the group before heading out. Karl spent his week with these UNT students. Daily, they changed up the pairs in which they went out sharing. One of the coolest stories from the week was when Karl and Sam approached a group of 3 guys who had already been approached several times. The guys told them what they told the others who had come before: "We're Atheists. We're not interested in what you have to say." Later that afternoon, Karl and Sam walked by those same "big dudes" and notic...

I wrote this 2 weeks ago, but held off posting until now. (Didn't want to post on the internet that Karl was leaving us alone for a week). He just got back today. What a great trip they had! Will post pics and update soon. What started out as discouragement in fundraising for Big Break turned into clear leading from the Lord... We usually receive a fair response from our ministry partners and fellow church members when we let them know of a need for missions. OUR PLAN was to use the first donations to book our flights for the trip to Florida, and as the remainder rolled in, we could put it towards our registration/lodging, which wasn't due until March 5. But HIS PLAN was for us to not receive enough for airfare--not even close. Almost a week passed, and we still needed near the full amount. On Thursday, I was praying for OUR PLAN --for God to provide a huge check. But while I was praying, I felt HIS PLAN pressing on me--to relinquish this trip. Karl got home that evenin...

Last fall, 3 students at Texas Women's University (TWU) in Denton showed up at our weekly Bible study at UNT (also in Denton). Having heard of Cru from friends at other universities, they were eager to start a movement at their campus in order to reach out to their peers. They committed to come to our leadership training for the first semester. Fall Retreat and Winter Conference (pictured above on "fun day") gave them a bigger picture of Cru's mission to see the Great Commission fulfilled around the world. People ask us how we can possibly minister to a scope of 280,000 college students in Dallas. The answer is: Students like these. They have the heart, faithfulness, vision, training, and they are willing to sacrifice their time to really own a ministry at their campus. The 2 Timothy 2:2 principle: "Therefore what you've heard me say in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to faithful men who will also in turn be able to teach others."