A Blog Worth Reading

Below I copied and pasted a clip from a blog that ministered to me this week. I linked it for you to check out as well. What blog has ministered to you lately?

From the Girl Talk Blog:
"Of the more than 8000 days I spent in this home, there were a few dramatic ones: the day I announced to CJ that “surprise, you’re going to be a father again!” or the day Kristin fainted and we had to call the ambulance, or when Mike serenaded Janelle outside her window at 6am, or when Nicole returned from the hospital after life-saving surgery.

But most of my days looked pretty much the same.

I got out of bed each morning so that I could do everything I did the day before.
I washed the dishes so they could be dirtied again.
I ironed the clothes so they could be worn and wrinkled again
I wiped noses so they could run again.
I picked up toys so they could be played with again.
I mopped the floor so mud could be tracked on it again.
I cooked meals so that I could go to the grocery store again.
I made beds so they could be slept in again.

Some days I wondered: if I do all I do, only to have it undone, am I really doing anything?

Today, as I pack up my home in June of 2008, I can see the answer more clearly than I did in February 1986. Each of my daughters is married to a wonderful, godly man, Chad will be a sophomore in high school this fall, and we’ll welcome our seventh grandchild at the end of August.

I realize that all of the mundane, repetitive days were actually full of significant, enduring work. A home was being built. A family was being knit together. Four souls were being shaped for eternity.

This home has spawned three more homes where the same tedious yet momentous work goes on day in and day out. And God willing, many more homes will one day be built, day by day, so “that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior” (Titus 2:9)."

Titus is Four

Today Titus turns four. I love him more today than ever before. Since the baby has come, I have seen Titus mature by leaps and bounds. He has had to have patience like never before, share his time with us like never before and love, protect and serve a baby that can not comunitcate with him and can not play with him. He is so big. Everytime I hold the baby and see Titus I get teary eyed.

Titus is so fun. Infact, he is ALL fun. The number one rule in our house is: You must have fun. Followed by Vernon saying,"And how do we have fun?" to which Titus responds, "You Obey!"

Titus is a people person. He always wants us to have people over or to go to some ones house. Lately he wants to go to our friends houses and he says, "you can just drop me off." Our friends are his friends...I love it.

Titus is a one on one kinda guy. When people come over it goes something like this: Titus scans the group, picks someone and says, "you want to come see my new toy?" He then proceeds to get that person to play with him in his room for a while. After some time he will nicely ask the person he originally chose to depart from his room and 'send in the guy in the blue shirt.' The 'guy in the blue shirt' comes in and plays for a bit and then he is sent away to retrieve the next person...it is soo funny!

Titus is Loud. He loves to talk. He will talk about anything. He is a questioner, which we are trying to keep him that way. He talks loud, he sings loud, he runs loud, he plays loud. I love it. When he is gone...its sooo quiet.

Titus is an artist. He loves to create 'invenjens." He is all the time getting a new toy and turning it into something different. He loves to draw, paint, color and play play dough. He loves to create.

Titus is an encourager. Atleast once a day he will comment on something I am wearing or how he likes my hair. He is all the time saying, "I love you mom." or "you are a good mom." He is so sweet.

Titus is Clever. He can reason with the best of them. It is really hard not to laugh sometimes when he is trying to reason his way out of a punishment. He knows what to say and when to say it. The other day he burped and we heard no follow up "excuse me" so Vernon said, "Titus." in his fatherly voice, to which Titus replied, "that sound is spanish for excuse me." Of course it is.

Titus is so much more. Titus is so much more than I could ever write here. We love him so much and are so proud of who he is and who he is becoming.

Super Cool Wordle
This is a Wordle of my blog from Jan. 1 until today. This was way fun!
You copy and paste any writings into the browser and it picks the most used words and sizes them based on the amount they are used! So cool!

Justus Is Four Weeks Today


Here's some pics I snapped of Justus this afternoon. Enjoy.

The Vern's Return and other Randomness

Vernon made it back safe from Sudan. Praise God!
The day he was leaving Sudan I opened up my laptop to check the news. My Aunt Martha, whose husband was also in Sudan, was sitting next to me. We opened Fox news and in big headline letters we read, "Plane crash out of Sudan." Stunned, we looked at each other, took a deep breath and I clicked open the article. We soon found out that the plane was flying from Syria to Northern Sudan. We were relieved that this was not the plane our husbands were to board that day, but I couldn't get it out of my mind the next two days. Knowing the places this plane had been and where this plane was to land, it is very likely that the majority of the people on this flight were practicing Muslims. I began to pray for the Muslims in Northern Sudan to hear the Gospel and be bold enough to believe in the midst of persecution. May the Lord show Himself in dreams, visions and through missionaries to the people of Northern Sudan!

Life since The Vern's return has been busy (hence the lack of posting). Vernon had a bit of sickness, but is doing great now. He came back with the plan of action for His Voice for Sudan and how we would fit in to the vision of EPC (the church we work with in Sudan) for the next year. So as soon as he was well enough, we hit the ground running. Planning and implementing, emailing and calling, and praying ALOT.

Titus is loving summer. He is writing most of his letters and on the verge of reading small words. He is beginning to sound out things...its so fun! He still loves art. He would paint and draw all day if we let him. Yesterday he came to us with a painting that was blue with yellow spots and said, "this is starry night." He thinks he is VanGogh apparently.

Justus is almost 4 weeks old. What? how did that happen! He is eating and sleeping really well. We are so grateful. He is beginning to Coo and Ahh and we love it.

Father's day was good, although I totally bombed this year. Vernon's father's day gift is still sitting at Walgreen's! (and needs to be framed) We went to Andrea and Eric's new house on Saturday night and then went to the Village. It was spectacular as always. Andrea's new house is so great...she even has a red kitchen! LOVE IT! Sunday we went to our church and then to Fuddruckers. That was then extent of our Father's day extravaganza.

That is plenty for now...pics to come soon!

Just Me and The Boys

Only 24 hours until Vernon lands in America. Just one more day of just me and the boys. Its been a great experience, challenging but great. Thanks to all who prayed, called, came to help, took Titus out and gave me adult interaction. Vernon's time in Sudan he said was "invaluable." Lots of vision casting for the future took place. The meetings with all the partners were smooth and clear. We are so excited about what God is doing in Southern Sudan. May the Gospel be spread there, loud and clear.

Two Weeks and One More Week

Justus is Two Weeks Old today. I can hardly believe it. He is a great baby and I am overwhelmed with gratefulness. Titus is totally in love with his baby brother so far. He wants to take him and show him to everyone. He wants to hold him all the time and is constantly kissing on him. It is so great. We are praying this doesn't wear off! He keeps saying things like, "Look at my baby brother, he's cute isn't he" and "when baby Justus gets bigger we will be Best Friends!" or if when we are driving down the road, about every ten minutes Titus says, "the baby's doin' fine mom." Isn't that so funny!

Most of you know Vernon is in Sudan. We prayed hard that God would allow us to have Justus before he was scheduled to leave. God heard our pleas and let Vernon be here for Justus' first 10 days! AMEN. I had to take Vernon and my mom to the airport on the same day. It was pretty brutal but a good dose of reality... we now have 2 children...we travel back and forth to SUDAN...sometimes all of us, sometimes just Vernon...my family lives in Missouri...we live in Texas...reality check. I had a choice to make on the drive home, will I bask in my self pity and poor me's or Sing praise to the Lord for all that He is doing and all that he has done....in Sudan, in my life, in my husbands lives and in our children. By God's grace I chose the latter. This time apart from Vernon has been different than any before... I mean, we have another child...but God's grace has poured out us and overflowed. To Him we are grateful!

One more week until Vernon returns, Lord willing. May the Name of our Lord be made known in Sudan. Thank you so much for all the prayers during the last week. Our family has been blessed by each of you who have interceded for us. Yall are wonderful. I will load up some pictures if/when i get a second!