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.