Update on Kali Norris

I wanted to update any of those who had been praying for Kali Norris, the 13 year old who had disappeared from Franklinton, NC. She is fine and they are not sure what the circumstances are with everything that happened. Continue to pray for her and her family. She did plan on leaving the night she disappeared, but they are not sure if she is just rebelling, or if she has some other mental issues that are causing the strange behaviors. It's very scary for her parents because this has happened twice now and she is only 13.

Cleaned to the Closets in 4 Hours!!

It can be done!! I cleaned my house all the way to the closets yesterday in 4 hours! Someone emailed me from Craigslist at noon (someone I had communicated with before) and said they wanted to see our house (It is for sale) and asked if they could come by at 4pm. I looked around my house, panicked a little bit... and then said yes. I also began to think I am insane. I always told my husband I could get our house ready to look at in 24 hours... but this was going to be a miracle.

Now the reason I took on this daunting task is because the kids and I have been walking around our house everyday praying for the family that will buy it; thanking God that He knows the day and time it will be sold; and after lunch yesterday I had told the kids I felt like God wanted us to go on the the front porch and pray for the buyers of our house. When I went inside, I had this email waiting for me asking to see the house. It all happened so fast, and in such a way I felt like God was answering our prayers, how could I say no. (plus I have to admit I always like a little bit of a challenge). I have to say, though, it may take me a few days to find everything I stuffed under the beds or threw in a box and stored in the car for a few hours. But man our house is clean. It almost looks like a hotel. I am so impressed with myself... okay, I'm sure God is the one who miraculously helped me think and clean and organize those 4 crazy hours.

So now you all need to join us in prayer. God has taken us to the edge of our faith financially and really there is no other option except that He shows up or we basically do not pay our bills every month... of course we could go without food and electricity... but we sort of like that. It's crazy that in America you can have a really good job, but cannot get a loan to refinance things because of a mistake the bank made, and the credit card companies would rather you go into bankruptcy than work with you.

I am really not complaining because in my world God always shows up and I love it when He takes us to the edge and grows our faith because that means we are defeating Satan once again and often for the encouragement of someone else to see. This time in our lives has also let Ken and I understand what alot of people in America are going through financially and we really have compassion for them... especially if they don't know Christ. I don't see how you don't have a nervous break down without Christ if you're in a situation similar to ours. People are losing their home, some living in cars, some on the street... How does that happen? Now Ken and I know...

14 year old Kali Norris and family

I realize most of you who read this blog are not from the Youngsville/ Franklin County community, so I ask for you to pray for a family that we went to church with for many years. Ken and I were a part of this church for 8 years, and the assistant to the pastor has a daughter who is 13 years old and she has gone missing. Her name is Kali and she has had a recent condition that makes her have seizures and she left her house one time before and went missing for a short time. She was scheduled to see a neurologist this week because of her recent uncharacteristic behavior and instances of memory loss.

This is a precious family in ministry who is walking a road no one ever wants to go down. You can go to this website to see a picture of her and just to know who you're praying for. You can also go to the website for missing and explioted children.

China - A Disaster for Humanity... An Opportunity for God

The missions pastor at Healing Place church posted this from a missionary they are working with on the ground in China. Praise God that everything that He allows can be used to spread the gospel. Remember this the next time your life doesn't make sense or seams to be in shambles... it could just be the open door for millions to come to know Him.

Two weeks after the earthquake, 5 million people are homeless and an expected 80,000 have lost their lives.

The Chinese government have done a commendable job restoring order and providing shelter and food to the victims in the more populated areas.

Aftershocks continue, with one 6.4 killing and destroying homes on Sunday. Meanwhile, dams are threatening to burst as are “lakes” which have formed by falling debris and landslides. Flooding is a serious threat with heavy rains expected these couple of days.

I am in the earthquake zone a team of Disaster Relief trainers. We will be visiting the earthquake site tomorrow then conducting a two day seminar for House Church volunteers Thursday and Friday.

We will also be conducting training for the staff of relief agencies and foreign teams.

We will also be strategizing with House Church leaders about forming a LONG TERM PLAN TO PLANT CHURCHES in the regions where they are conducting relief.

There is an amazing need and an amazing opportunity. Keep praying for the people of this country who on a normal day do not have the opportunity to hear about Jesus.

Michael W. Smith - funeral for daughter Maria

As a follow up to my last post... our worship leader's brother traveled and recorded with Michael W. Smith for many years, and he (the brother) and another musician friend of Michael W. Smith's went to the funeral of little Maria. This is a letter he wrote in regards to the funeral service. Please continue to keep this family in your prayers, especially the son who backed over little Maria.

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for all your prayers for the Chapman family. They certainly have felt the love of God over the past few days from all those who have lifted them up in prayer during this unimaginably difficult time.

Kari and I are flying back to LA as I write after an amazing two days in Nashville. This was life changing. The name of the Lord was exalted in ways that we could never retell. We are in awe at His grace, compassion and mercy. Little Maria's life, although short, has already moved mightily in peoples lives to bring Him glory.

Last night the entire family stood in the church as a long line of friends and acquaintances greeted them, hugged them, cried with them and loved on them. The Chapman family and Steven's ministry has obviously impacted so many. They stood there for more than 4 hours before one of the pastors finally stopped it and had hundreds still remaining in line just sit down and then Steven apologetically, but so graciously addressed the entire group.

At the funeral, both Michael W. Smith and Matt Redman helped lead everyone in worship. Matt led us in a song we often sing that he wrote, "Blessed Be the Name of the Lord." It was amazing to watch the Chapman family sing with loud voices as they hugged one another, "He gives and takes away. He gives and takes away. My heart will choose to say, 'Lord, blessed be your name.'" This song will never be the same to me personally.

We worshipped and sang for 30-minutes. And then the Chapman's celebrated Maria by sharing stories and talking about her for almost an hour and a half, praising God for her life and acknowledging that she was safe in the arms of Jesus. All the while pictures of Maria flashed on two big screens behind the stage - her little white casket at the foot of the stage. She was buried in the "flower girl" dress she was going to wear in Emily's upcoming wedding.

Jeff Moore sang Steven's song "With Hope" which Steven wrote for a family years ago, going through the same type of tragedy. All of Maria's little friends came forward and placed a flower at the foot of the casket while Jeff sang.

The Chapmans are unwaivering in their love for Christ and doing well. Their entire family was a display of faith in practice at the most difficult time of their lives. No one in the family wore shoes, because the veil had been lifted for Maria. They were on "Holy Ground" and God's presence was felt.

Caleb (19) said in his prayer, "while we've always been excited about Heaven, it seems so much more real now...and gets us that much more excited to be there ourselves someday. So we'll live life on Earth as if each day counts until we get there.". He also said that although they are "confused" they've never been so sure about Christ and His saving grace. Caleb likened this to one of those abstract pictures that when you're up close, you can't see what it is, but as you step back, you start to see what the artist wants you to see. He said, "And this is a big picture, so we may have to stand waaayyy back."... but we will see what the Artist has designed and what the picture is.
He has his dad's wisdom - well beyond his years.

Emily Chapman (22) just got engaged and said that after the proposal, Maria was the only one who asked, "What did you say?". Maria asked it multiple times. (Of course Emily said "yes" to her future husband). But Emily addressed the 3000+ crowd and turned Maria's question back to everyone listening in regards to their answer to Christ's proposal to each of us,. "What did you say?". Powerful under these circumstances. The good news of the Gospel was presented four times throughout the ceremony by the family.

Steven was a rock and just gave all the glory to God. The model of a humble, Godly man. I'm so proud to call him a friend. His humility and appreciation for everyone there, which was a testament to his character and his sincere faith and love for his God and His son, Jesus Christ. As he hugged and cried with Kari and I, he just kept reminding us that "Heaven is real."

Steven shared that after the accident, in the hospital, he held Maria's lifeless body and cried out to God. He cried out, asking to somehow see some kind of sign that she was going to be okay...to see that she was going to be safe. When they got home that night, they found the last picture Maria drew on that Wednesday afternoon on her little art table (she loved to draw!). It was a flower and a butterfly and folded in half like a card. When Steven opened the card up, she had written one word on the inside - a word he didn't even know she knew how to spell. It was "See." A simple answer to his cry to 'see' that she was safe.

Please keep praying for them. They are worn out, sad and yet rejoicing in the Lord. Please pray for Will Franklin Chapman. He seems to be the one that is having the hardest time and struggling with the guilt of the accident. It truly was an accident. Will pulled the car into the driveway and because the family was throwing a party that night for Caleb's graduation, he decided to back the car up onto the grass just as Maria ran out behind the car to welcome him home. There was no way for him to know that Maria was behind that car. The Lord was ready to take Maria home. He knew the number of her days. Will stood with Maria's favorite pink blanket draped over his shoulders both days.

All in all God was glorified. Praise Him for His sovereign ways.

Steven Curtis Chapman - Urgent prayer!

For those of you who are close to my age, and maybe even some of the younger generation, who have been listening to Christian music for many years, you have heard of Steven Curtis Chapman. Well, I just read some tragic news from another friend's blog, and all the details have not been released, but he has a son who was pulling into their driveway last night and he hit and killed his 5 year old sister (adopted from China; they have 3 adopted girls from China). I can't even imagine what this family is going through. They have truly poured their life out for Christ and have lead the charge for adoption awareness especially in the Christian community these past many years. How hard it must be to make sense of this.

Please pray for this family as they travel this road for a long time, and that this situation will bring glory to the God they love and trust.

Tim Hawkins talks about Mom's, Parenting, and Homeschoolers

For all you Mom's out there who are still celebrating Mother's Day and Dad's who need a little laugh today... This guy is hysterical! I added another one on the bottom for all of you homeschool mom's, like myself.

Happy Mother's Day!!

I will post an entry later about my mom, but... I just had to post this...

BOSTON — If a stay-at-home mom could be compensated in dollars rather than personal satisfaction and unconditional love, she'd rake in a nifty sum of nearly $117,000 a year.

That's according to a pre-Mother's Day study released Thursday by Salary.com, a Waltham, Mass.-based firm that studies workplace compensation.

The eighth annual survey calculated a mom's market value by studying pay levels for 10 job titles with duties that a typical mom performs, ranging from housekeeper and day care center teacher to van driver, psychologist and chief executive officer.

This year, the annual salary for a stay-at-home mom would be $116,805, while a working mom who also juggles an outside job would get $68,405 for her motherly duties.

One stay-at-home mom said the six-figure salary sounds a little low.

"I think a lot of people think we sit and home and have a lot of fun and don't do a lot of work," said Samantha Russell, a Fremont, N.H., mother who left her job as pastry chef to raise two boys, ages 2 and 4. "But they should try cleaning their house with little kids running around and messing it up right after them."

Read more here.

... and I just want to say, "Where's my paycheck!!"

Life, Kidz Gig, New Job, and "House For Sale"

I have so much to say, but no time to say it... or don't know how to put it into words. God is at work in my life and it is the refining fire that hopefully turns into something beautiful. The highlight of my life right now (besides being with my husband and 4 wonderful kids) is helping in the Kidz Gig at church. I am actually the big group storyteller and sometimes worship leader and I absolutely love it. I don't think I have ever mentioned it, but one of my spiritual gifts is inciting energy in a crowd... and with kids ... well let's just say we are both over the top. I use to work with kids when I was in highschool and a little when I was single, and I forgot how much I love it. With kids you can be as excited and animated as you want to be.

I praise God for pushing me into this situation. I volunteered because they needed helpers, and God has brought me back to something I love and thrive in.

Also If any of you have been reading the last few weeks... Ken did get a job and a great one... the one he wanted out of all the jobs he applied for. It's interesting though, the first day before leaving for work he got a phone call from our contact in France with the IMB (International Mission Board), and he felt like it was just God saying, "Don't forget what I am preparing you for. I have called you to something greater." So now we need all the prayers from all our friends and family to sell our house against all odds in a downward economy... and the sooner the better. We are willing to live in a 2 room shack if God would just sell our house. So I have started praying for that family that is going to buy our house ... and believing that God is going to do more than what we could ask or imagine.

Well, I hope every one is well and I can hardly wait to be back in touch with you.

Welcome to the Blog World Nikki!!

I am so excited to be introducing you to the best sister-in-law in the whole world... who has now entered the blogging world. My brother married her last year and it feels like she has been in the family forever. She is one of those people who will tell you what she thinks, good and bad, and have you laughing the next minute. She is organized, anal retentive, you will never find her house a mess, wants to be in charge (the exact opposite of me ... and to think of it my brother also), yet a lot of fun to be around. If you want to read great stories and get a good laugh you have to check out her blog.

Tricia Lawrenson discharged today at 10:30!!!

I cannot believe I am putting a post up about Tricia being discharged from the hospital today. If you have no idea what I am talking about you have to go to her husbands blog and read about a modern day miracle. Having a double lung transplant only a few weeks ago after carrying a baby for 6 months against the advice of her doctors if she wanted to live, and then being told she would probably never make the transplant list again, delivering the baby at 25 weeks while under sedation not being sure that either one could survive the delivery... they decided to choose life for their baby against all odds, and God has chosen to let us see a modern day miracle through someone who, like Abraham in the Bible, sacrificed it all even when it didn't make sense.

How many of us can really say, I lay everything down... even if it doesn't make sense... even if we look like fools... even if it means losing our life. Tricia can truly say she laid her life down for another life, and God gave her "life" back.

The Last Lecture

This is one of the other inspirational stories I mentioned from last week. My husband and I sat and were very inspired by this man's amazing story. This 47 year old Carnegie Mellon professor, father of 3, and adored husband, Randy Pausch, expects to die from cancer in a couple of months, so he delivered a hopeful last lecture on his life's lessons. This is just part of the lecture and interview with Barbara Walters. You can go to his website/blog to watch the Lecture or the interview in full (it is definitely worth it) and to look around at other interesting things about his life.

What Do You Really Believe

Have you ever had your faith tested to the very edge of sanity?...

Many of my friends and fellow bloggers have probably noticed my husband and I have not blogged quite as much this year as we had in the following year. Many things have been going on in our lives that we have just chosen to wait to share.

As many of you know we stepped down from the missions organization we were going to go to France with last spring. There were some differences in philosophy and implementation, and a number of mentors encouraged Ken down this road. We immediately under the counsel of a number of pastors created an organization, "Catalyst France", that really held to what we believed would work in France and Europe in reaching this generation. Things no other organization had done as of yet.

After we had done this we began receiving emails and phone calls from a guy Ken had met in France the year before with the IMB (International Mission Board with the Southern Baptist) who was really wanting to change the way things are being done in Europe to reach this new generation. He and Ken talked a number of times and he told us he wanted us to really pray about coming and working with him and the IMB in Europe to plant a church, and then recruit, raise up, and train pastors and church planters/missionaries to implement the ideas we had been talking about.

The exciting thing about the IMB is that if you can make it through the interview process (b/c it is long and grueling) they pay your salary to live anywhere in the world to reach the population you need to reach. Yes, that meant they would pay for us to live in the most expensive city in the world if we had to and never worry about a single bill. They will even pay extra for things like a special school for your child or tutoring if you showed that it would help your family.

Anyway, we began trepidly walking down this path because we knew the process, and had been through some of it before. God continued to appear to open every door through the process this time up until recently. In this process you have to have serious medical clearance. If you have ever had a pain in your life or in your family history you have to have it looked into and resolved before you can go. Now this is where our life has gotten interesting.

Ken has heart problems in his family and has to get thoroughly checked out to get his medical clearance. Well, Ken has not gotten insurance yet after stepping down from our initial missions organization, b/c he had been working part time jobs while waiting for God to show clearly his path for us. Therefore he began putting out resumes knowing we will probably be here a year going through the IMB process.

To make a long story short, he has been putting out resumes for several months with very few responses, and we also put our house on the market knowing we would eventually have to sell it and to help out with bills in the meantime. As of yesterday Satan dealt his biggest blow yet financially and we have found ourselves where alot of Americans have found themselves in this downward spiraling market. We realize we could be one month away from losing our house and going into a great financial hole that could disqualify us from continuing the process with the IMB to France.

I do not say all this for anyone to send us money or for people to feel sorry for us. It has been an amazing time of really finding out what we believe about God and what His word says. I had a few minutes of panic yesterday, but I sat the kids down and began "preaching" to them what I needed to hear about God and asking them if we really believe this.

At our church I have been helping out in the Children's ministry as a large group teacher and worship leader and this month the theme is JOY and just last week the phrase for the week is "I can have JOY in any circumstance b/c God has a plan for my life." That has been ringing in my head even before all this happened. I have been so stretched by what I have been learning with the children and if as adults we cannot walk in what we are teaching our children what are we really saying to our kids and a lost world. So, I chose yesterday that Satan was not going to steal our joy... and we have walked around our house quoting the truth of scripture and singing wild praise songs b/c we know God is going to show up. We just know it.

We have been praising HIM for all the things he is going to do, and all the things HE is doing that we cannot see, and if we lose our house and if God shuts down every visible avenue for us to follow the dream He has put in our hearts. We can trust God and have JOY because HE is a good God and Father and promises that HE has a plan for our lives.

"Thank you Jesus that we can trust you, and that You have an awesome plan for our lives even if it does not look exactly like we planned or expected... It will be better... for a lost and dying world. I love you so much today and I pray our situation can encourage someone else in a similar situation. Life can be scary, but YOU are not and have more to give us than we can ever imagine."

The True Test of a Procrastinator

... Driving all the way across town on April 15 to turn in their taxes 7 minutes before midnight...

Guess where my husband was tonight (LOL) ... You gotta love 'em or they might just drive you crazy.

Team Hoyt - I Can !

I have been motivated in a new way these past couple of days by some stories of some incredible people. I am going to be sharing them with you over the next few days, and my question to myself and to you as you hear these stories is: How are you living your life? Is it making a difference in someone else's? How will you be remembered?

Here is the first story: (be sure to get your kleenexes out)

Tenness Lady Vols claim 2nd straight NCAA Title

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Though bruised and braced, an injured left shoulder hardly prevented Candace Parker from hoisting that championship trophy on high for one last time.

Parker scored 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds to help Tennessee capture its eighth NCAA women's basketball title with a 64-48 victory over Stanford on Tuesday night. The Lady Vols also became the first repeat champs since Connecticut won three straight from 2002-04.

Bring The Rain

God's miracles sometimes comes in different sizes and colors and outcomes. I have met a new family just yesterday through some other blogs who just this afternoon at 4:30pm got to meet their 4th daughter for the first time. She was born with a number of health problems, and the family knew that unless God chose to heal her she would be in heaven probably within the day. Well, Audrey did pass into heaven at 6:45pm just two hours after she was born. (to read more about this beautiful family go to "Bring the Rain".

I love how the internet, especially the blog world, opens my eyes to those around me and reminds me that there are so many hurting people around me... many without Christ. It makes me look at what I think is suffering and changes my perspective to thankfulness. It lets me join in the chorus of prayers that are lifting up people like this family and so many others. It has become a place to meet knew friends and to share a little bit of life from a distance... and I can say that these friendships mean so much to me, and I always look forward to a post to see how they are and how I might pray for them... to laugh and cry with them...

Thank you Lord for the freshness of this new blog I found yesterday. I pray for this family that you would continue to pour out your peace on them and that their loss and sorrow would be used for Your glory. I pray I could only be half as humble and gentle and precious as Todd and Kate are (If you read their blog you will see what I mean). Please help me to get from here to there. You know where I want to be. I want my life to make a difference in the population of heaven and for there to be a footprint if only a small one that I existed, not so that I can receive any glory, but that you would be raised up because of my life. Please Lord let my life count for something even if I don't see it in my lifetime. Let my character reflect you so that others want what I have.

A Modern Day Miracle

I haven't known exactly what to say in the last 24 hours... so much has happened with Nate & Tricia, and everything has happened so fast. If you want to believe in a God of miracles, go to Nate & Tricia's blog and read about a modern day miracle. Who would ever have thought that a girl on the verge of a lung transplant could carry a baby against the advice of her doctors, the baby surviving after being born at only 25 weeks utero, and has amazed the doctors at how uneventful her first two months have been. Then Tricia, being told if she survived the delivery would never make the transplant list again... and if she made the transplant list it would be at least 7 months down the road. Well, Tricia made the transplant list after only 2 months delivering her child and being in a drug induced coma for two weeks after her delivery.

I just sort of stand in shock at everything that has happened with this family and how flawlessly it is all happening. I think 99.9% of the world would have aborted the baby, and would have just gone on with their plans for their own life... but Nate and Tricia (especially Tricia) decided to trust God with her life and her child's life and have shown the world a modern day miracle for thousands to see again the power of God... and maybe just begin to believe what God could do in our lives if we would be able to trust our lives in His hands just like Nate and Tricia.

Lady Vols Advance to the Final Four!!

I know all you reading this are dying to know what happened in the game...

Tennessee came out looking very strong. The commentators were talking about how Tennessee had 7 National Championships, had been to the final game 7 out of last 8 years, have won 101 games in the NCAA tournament to Texas A&M's 6. This was definitely a David against Goliath even though Texas A&M has a great team this year. This was the first year A&M had made it this far in the tournament. They had held their opponents to %30 shooting in all of their games this season, but Tennesse in the first half was already hitting was hitting 78% of what they were shooting.

Candice Parker, who is just a Jr., is Tennessee's newest superstar and they say she is the female equivalent to a Michael Jordan. She is very tall and very athletic. She can vertically jump higher than anyone in Women's college basketball, and she can shoot from anywhere on the court in any position.

That being said Tennessee was beginning to slightly pull away mid-way through the first half. They certainly weren't running over Texas A&M though, A&M had still made it to the elite 8. Anyway, Candice Parker in true form was blocking and rebounding everything in her reach, but on one successful steal as Tennessee was really beginning to make a substantial run and take a big lead, Candice Parker reached her arm in, got the ball and began to dribble down the court when she finally had to stop and began wincing and holding her left arm. She had knocked her left shoulder out of socket. It looked horrible.

The training staff popped it back in and she was back in within just a few minutes... but that didn't last for long. Once you pop your arm out of socket, it loosens the joint making it more likely to happen again... And it did happen again while reaching up to block a pass and she was pulled out of the game and sent to the locker room.

With her being out of the game made it was a much more even playing field. I began to imagine the ribbing I would take for years to come if Tennessee didn't win this game. I am much kinder when my team wins. They took Candice Parker back to the training room and did some therapy on her, while Tennessee and Texas A&M played a pretty even game, with Tennessee actually struggling to stay ahead. Candice finally came back out in the second half with a brace on her shoulder and came back into the game. You could tell she was not %100 percent. She missed a few baskets from awkward angles under the basket, but these were baskets she normally could make in her sleep, but just having her presence and long arms to help blocking helped the team.

She got fouled a number of times and made %60 her free throws even though you could see her wincing every time her left arm went up in the air with the follow-through. She basically played the last quarter of the game at about %50... but having her at %50 was better than anyone else at %100. At one point Texas A&M took the lead, but the rest of the Tennesse team rallied around Candice, and with their experience and leadership in the last couple of minutes Sr. Horbuckle's 3 point shot from the "parking lot" pretty much solidified the lead. :-) The Lady Vols looked very relieved at the buzzer to have made it to the next round.

I am so proud to be a Lady Vol! Sorry Honey...

Tennesee Lady Vols vs. Texas A&M!!!!!

Tonight is the big night! For those of you who know me I graduated from the University of Tennessee and was a Track & Field Lady Vol (it's what they call their women athletes). For those of you who might not know, the Lady Vol Basketball team is, I think, the winningest NCAA women's basketball team in women's athletics today. They have had many Olympians and girls who went pro after college. Pat Head Summit (the coach) is the winningest coach in women's college basketball. They have never not been to the "Sweet 16" and have only missed the final 8 a couple of times (if that... I know of one). They have at least 3 national titles to their name and have played in the final game numerous times.... and they were National Champions this past year.

Now for those of you who know my marriage... my husband graduated from Texas A&M and is a die hard Texas A&M fan in any sport and is one of those annoying fans who is always looking to rib someone about their team. Our teams, whether it be football basketball or any other sport don't get to play very often, but so far when they have played, Tennessee has been the victor.

So tonight Texas A&M and Tennessee women match up to play for a Final Four spot. Texas A&M is definitely the underdog going into this game because this is the first year they have made it to the "Elite 8". Tennessee is the powerhouse of college women's basketball, so needless to say my husband is having a blast ribbing me about he game tonight. And all I have to say is yes, I have been giving him a hard time, and I just hope I don't have to eat my words. :-)