I Can't Look Away

I grabbed this pic off of Carole's post today. This is a pic from the homeless breakfast outreach that our church does every Thursday morning. I wish I could go and be a part of this outreach, but I have to work.

I remember probably the first time I saw a homeless person (and knew that they were homeless) was when I was 18 and had moved to California. CULTURE SHOCK! I cried and cried. I always wanted to give all of my money away. After I lived there a while and realized that I couldn't help every homeless person that I saw everyday I started to look away. It was easier not to make eye contact, because if I did my heart would just break. Of course I'm a different person now than I was then. If seeing a homeless person broke my heart before I was a Christian, imagine what it does to me now. Now, I can't look away no matter what. I know that I can't help everyone, but if I can help just one then that's what matters. Take a good close look at their faces, look them in the eyes, touch their hearts with the love of Christ, let them know that their lives matter. They matter to God and they should matter to us also. I am thankful that even though I can't physically go to this outreach every Thursday morning I can still be a part through my giving. I can see pictures, read blogs, and hear stories about when they first started this outreach they fed about 20 homeless people every week and now they feed close to 300. Wow...that is awesome! God, just keep sending them and we'll keep feeding them!

Field Day '08

Well today is not a pretty day for field day. Rainy & muggy! These pics are of Taryn getting ready at 6am this morning. The men's conference also starts tonight. So I'm believing for this rain to stop and the sun to come out and make everything beautiful. I'm also believing that my brother-n-law will decide to go to the conference and meet up with Rich and Eric. It's really not his thing so I made it sound less like a "church event" and more like fun guy time where they will be grilling, looking at cars and talking about sports. (b/c they are going to be doing all of that too) I pray that nothing will distract him from going , and that he will go and big seeds will be planted into his life. Go Jesus! You can get him there! My sister also seems to coming around. She mentioned going to church with me, and my mouth dropped. Of course I go at 10am on Sunday and she wants to go to 12pm, she's always been difficult...but I don't care, I'll stay for 2 services if it means she will go. I've brought my niece Payton with me a few times and she loves it. I think Payton has been working on her mommy and that's good. I'll use whatever means necessary to get through to them.

Soccer & Pom Poms

Thanks to a good friend we were blessed with a dryer the day that ours decided to have a break down. So all is good and clothes are getting dry. Taryn and Landri had soccer practice Saturday, and their first game is this Saturday the 19th. Here are couple of pictures of Landri at practice. I couldn't really watch Taryn practice too much because I had to stay close by the little one. I did notice that Taryn is the only girl on her team. Those boys better watch out and not get too rough with her, or this parent will be joining them on the field. I'm sure Taryn can handle her own though. She's very competitive! But she's also fragile! There is also a pic of Taryn with her pom poms. She brought them home yesterday and is sooooo excited about them. They are doing the dance they tried out to at field day tomorrow. Her and her friend Rachel went shopping for matching outfits to wear at field day. They got green shirts with their names on the front and "field day '08" air brushed on the back. They also got these white Bermuda shorts with "Pirette" air brushed across the butt. (very cute) I'll take a picture in the morning before she leaves and post it tomorrow. For now enjoy these!

Leave us Alone devil!

So last night before bed I put some towels in the dryer and Taryn's school uniforms in the washing machine. Taryn wakes up at 5:30 this morning, knowing that her uniforms need to be dry so she can wear one of them to school I get my very tired self out of bed to put them in the dryer. Open the dryer, towels are dry...GREAT! Take them out, put wet uniforms in, choose the setting, press start....NOTHING! SAY WHAT? Make sure the dryer door is completely closed, press start again...NOTHING! OK, DON"T PANIC! Press start about ten times, because surely that will let the dryer know that I am desperate for it to work...NOTHING! OK, WHAT AM I GOING TO DO? Taryn remembers she paid $1 the other day to be able to wear jeans today. AWESOME! What about a shirt? Hummmm...found a very wrinkled one in her dresser that is one size too small. OH WELL, IT WILL HAVE TO WORK! She put on a jacket because she gets cold in class...PERFECT! Oh wait a minute...the dryer is still broken...not perfect! Rich gets up, checks the breaker, messes with it for a minute and says, "looks like the dryer is broken." NAW...REALLY! My first feelings were, WHY ME? Our central heat went out in December. (still not fixed, but not like we need it now) Our central air went out about the same time. (still not fixed...but suppose to be getting fixed today) We bought a small window unit and have all been sleeping in one room together. Not romantic, sleeping on a day bed and trundle with the kids! Now the dryer...we don't have the money for all of this. Leave us alone devil...you stink! If anyone is getting rid of a dryer let me know! :)

This is How She ROLLS!

This would be Landri Claire all comfy in the buggy at Lowe's on Saturday. She's pretty smart. I even get tired walking around that big store. She had two blankets. One to cover with and one folded up underneath her head. We were by ourselves this day picking up a couple of things that Rich needed. A girls trip to Lowe's...FUN! I hate going to a store like that looking for a certain size staple for a certain staple gun, a certain size nail or screw. Does he really think I'm a girl that knows about all that? I always have to ask for help! I guess I should be grateful that he wasn't with us. I found help, got we needed and left. He would have drug us around the store for hours. Sorry Rich, I love you but you don't like to go sit in a movie theatre for 2 hours and I don't like to go on excursions in Lowe's with you for 2 hours. :)

Landri said it best, "Wake me up when we leave."

Spring Car Prep at HPC!

It's that time again! The Spring car prep at Healing Place is scheduled for Saturday, May 3rd from 8:00am - 1:00pm. This is such a wonderful ministry. If you are a single mom, widow or military wife you can register here to have your car serviced, and it's FREE. They will be changing oil, filters and air filters, servicing PCV valves, wipers, topping off all fluids and doing minor repairs. My husband volunteered last year and felt so blessed to have been a part, even after he was told by a fellow believer that, "your church does the weirdest things". Really?? Hummm...weird or practical? However you look at, yes we do think outside the box and I feel honored to be a part of a church that is not just playing church, but being the church to a lost and hurting world!