A SHOT FROM SATURDAY

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Can you guess where we spent our day?

A SCENE FOR SATURDAY

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Nature is visible thought.

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Heinrich Heine

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(Photo taken in Swaziland by one of A's teammates.)

DO YOU KNIT OR CROCHET?
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A friend from my college days at MUW is part of a wonderful ministry. I thought that some of you who knit and crochet might like to be a part of "setting the captives free". Here are the details:

“The Spirit of the LORD God is upon us, the body of Christ, to proclaim freedom to the captives.”

I and my fellow sister-in-arms, Mary T., have a ministry called Freedom for the Captives (501c3). Our mission is to raise awareness and work at preventing the enslavement of people through sex trafficking, to rescue those who are already bound, and to see the total release and empowerment of victims by the restoration that comes through the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. We reach out locally and internationally to those who are victims and potential victims of sex trafficking.

One of our local ministry outreaches is called "Heart by Heart". We go into local strip clubs and take in goodies and gifts that express the Love of God to those working there. We spend time every month sharing God's unconditional love and listening to their stories. God has given us favor with the management and we've had opportunities to pray with girls and even the night manager! This specific outreach is about building trust and relationship with them so that they can know that God does not condemn, but is just waiting for them to let Him set them free!

For December we want to take in 40 gift bags with handmade scarves, rhinestone jewelry and other goodies. Anyone who crochets or knits would be such a blessing!

Thank you for your prayers!

Noel

If you would like to help with this act of loving ministry, let me know and I will get you in touch with Noel. And even if you can't make a scarf, I know they'd appreciate your prayers!

SIXTEEN YEARS...LOOKING BACK & FORWARD

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16 years ago, I was begging for an epidural and the reward for my true labor was a beautiful, dark-haired, blue-eyed, baby girl. She was my dream come true as all my life I had looked forward to the day that I would become a mommy.
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Today she is green-eyed, red-headed, and definitely not a baby. In fact, if you're a regular visitor to Graceland, you'll know that she even spent a whole month away from her mama in Swaziland this past summer.

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In fact, I had been doing a series of Swaziland trip interviews but we got busy and have taken a lengthy hiatus. Hopefully, one of these months, we'll get back to them. For now, I'm going to interview my soon-to-be-adult on her life thus far, what's happening now, and what she thinks might happen in the future.
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So with no further dilly-dallying, let the interview begin.
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Happy Birthday, A!
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Thank you.
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What's your birthday been like so far?

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Good.

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What's been going on?

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I got one Batman comic book and a thing of m&m's and money and a whole bunch of "Happy Birthdays" from people.

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And didn't we make you a special birthday breakfast per your request?

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Yep, you did. Orange danishes and sausage.

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What else is planned for today?

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We're going to have ramen noodles at lunch and cake and hamburgers and Oreos and French fries and corn for supper.
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What else are we doing to celebrate you turning the big, sweet 16?
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Going to New Orleans on Saturday. [Said with a big grin in her voice and on her face.]

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What'cha gonna do?

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Explore the French Quarter...

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[Interview momentarily paused while A takes phone call from one of her Swazi trip friends.]

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Okay, so back to what you're going to do in N.O. You said you're going to explore the French Quarter....

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...eat beignets at Cafe Du Monde, window shop and shop shop, take a trolley wherever we end up going, check out the Garden District (and the hot boys there, heh, heh, heh), and go to a cemetary. Maybe we'll leave [Sister B] there.

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A cemetery?

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Yeah, like one of those really old ones with all the cool inscriptions and statues and stuff.

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Who all is going?

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[Sister B], Lillie, Chandler, Megan, Madeline, and Jay, oh, and me, and Mom and Dad.

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Sounds like it's going to be an awesome day.

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Yes, it will be.
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So, let's do a little reflection. What was your life like 10 years ago?

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Where was I living 10 years ago?
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Here.

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Did I have my horse yet?

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Hmmm...not sure.

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Well, I was probably hoping I would get lots of horses for my 6th birthday. Bemoaning the fact that God had made me a girl and not a boy as boys had all the fun in my eyes. And reading Redwall books. I loved Redwall books.

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What would you have been wearing when you were 6?

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Oh gosh. Something ugly. Probably, jeans and a t-shirt with some inane printing on it. And quite possibly a cowboy hat.

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Oh yeah, a cowboy hat and probably cowgirl boots.

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Definitely, boots.

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Okay, skip forward to 5 years ago when you were 11.

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Do we really have to go over when I was 11?

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That bad, huh?

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I was an emo kid who didn't even know to wear the cute emo kid clothes. I just had the annoying emo kid attitude.

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Alright, we'll make do with that.

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Now for present. You've told us how you're celebrating your birthday. But how would you describe this past year?
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Extreme. Everything was taken to the very extreme, good and bad. Not necessarily me, but everything around me.

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Care to share any highlights? Any specific changes or accomplishments or events?

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Let's see. In this past year, I made some of the best friends ever that I plan on keeping for the rest of my life. I got more confidence in myself and my abilities and more trust in people around me. I learned to trust God more, too, and do what He wants even when it's really painful at the time. I also think I learned how to loosen up and be more fun and not worry about things so much. I'm really a chilled, laid-back person as compared to how I have been.
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What do you think the next year will be like?

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Lots of traveling. I'm planning a trip out west where I will stay with my Grandma Chris, my friends Allie, Ray, and Lydia; go to San Francisco and hopefully see my friends Lindsay and Noelle; go to Washington, tour colleges, see my friends Rachel and Chris, and visit my Aunt Cathi. I would also like to go to Swaziland in September with my parents but I don't know if that is going to happen.

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Wow! That's going to be some year. So where do you envision yourself when you celebrate your 21st birthday in 5 years?

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I'm thinking probably Washington State or Colorado as those states hold the colleges I'm most interested in. But, who knows. 5 years is a while away.
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What do you think you'll be majoring in if you are in college?

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Psychology, social work, and global social studies...something along those lines.

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And then in 10 years?

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AH! I could be married by then and have a kid! Or two!!! Or even three...gasp! I'll probably be married and have at least one kid.

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Give me 5 words in closing to describe your life so far.

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Will you describe me when I'm done? I mean you don't have to but...

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Okay, I will but first, the 5 words:

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Only 5?

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Yes.

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About me?

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Yes.

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About your life. What 5 words would best describe your life and/or you.

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Wild child. That's 2. I have 3 more.

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You can count that as 1.

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Oh okay. Adventurous. And....? Intense. Ready. Miss Independent.

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That's you alright, Miss Independent. From the time you were old enough to wiggle off of my lap you wanted to be down and doing your own thing. The first day I dropped you off at Mommy's Morning Out I boo-hoo'ed because you were having too much fun to even take the time to say goodbye to your mommy. That's basically been your life story since. First born, smart, willing to walk your own path, strong-willed,loyal, intensely passionate, rocker chick. That's my beautiful girl.

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Happy Birthday, Punkie. I love you.

NEVER TOO YOUNG
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I want to introduce you to my friend. Despite her name and her age, she is not too young to change the world. She has a passion for God and helping children and women trapped in human trafficking and the sex trade. But she needs help.

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Hello.
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I'm Lydia Young, 15 years of age. I go to a church called One Life, the youth group is called The Attic and we're going on a missions trip next summer to Cambodia.
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I've been making a ridiculously amount of bracelets lately. Just for myself and all my friends who are demanding them.
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I've also been trying to think of ways to raise money for Cambodia for next summer. It's going to be about $3,000/Person.

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I haven't been wanting to charge people for making these bracelets for them because, technically.. they're called "Friendship Bracelets" but they look so darn good, I'm guessing because everyone wants one. I'm going to start selling them for $4 to raise money for Cambodia.

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If you would like a bracelet, I'd love to make you one. Please help me get to Cambodia! I've been wanting to go there and didn't get the chance to this year, but next year looks like a door that God's opening for us. They look something like this...

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Just let me know!

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Thanks.

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Lydia

If you would like to support Lydia in this endeavor, let me know and I'll put you in contact with her. She is definitely willing to ship and these bracelets would make great stocking stuffers and "happy" gifts for your kids' friends, that faithful babysitter, etc.

HAPPINESS

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A sight of happiness is happiness.
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Thomas Traherne
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(Enaleni Carepoint in Swaziland, 2008)

SCENES FROM OUR CHURCH's FALL FESTIVAL

IN THE EVENING OF LIFE

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In the evening of life we shall be judged on love.

St. John of the Cross

DON'T GIVE INTO FEARFUL HYSTERIA...

...this Halloween season or beyond!

Several weeks ago, I had to take my kids to a local Party City store to buy birthday party supplies. There was this horrid, Halloween mannequin near the front of the store that moved and truly was very, very creepy. It freaked my preschooler out and nearly put her in hysterics. No matter how much I tried to tell her that it wasn't real, it was just a fake statue, she didn't care. It totally freaked her out.

Sadly, we grown-ups are often that way. We let ourselves give way to fear...often times fear that is irrational and life controlling. The publisher of Five in a Row, Steve Lambert, addressed just this issue yesterday, and in light of all the ghouls and skeletons and other scary things that often come with this time of year, I thought it was very apropos. Steve is specifically writing to homeschool parents, but the principle applies to us all:

It was 71 years ago to day that Orson Welles narrated H.G. Wells “War of the Worlds” on CBS radio- a broadcast which sent the whole nation into terror as listeners believed the United States had actually been invaded by Martians. The first 40 minutes of the one hour broadcast was simulated news bulletins which sounded absolutely real to terrified listeners on October 30, 1938.


I often see fear bordering on hysteria running through homeschool circles: fear of
government intervention, fear of our children not being able to get into college, fear of “worldliness” infecting our children, fear of what others think of our choice to homeschool, fear about the subject of socialization- the list is endless. The enemy will terrorize you with all sorts of “drama” that isn’t real- just like “War of the Worlds.”

In Hebrews 13:5-6 we read these words: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.‘”


Did you catch that? As those who love the Lord we have NOTHING to fear. God is with us and will never forsake us. That doesn’t mean we won’t face trials- even
difficult trials at times. But we have nothing to fear; the Lord is our helper.

When all those around you are being terrified of the next “drama” the enemy unfolds among homeschoolers- see that you’re the exception to the mass hysteria which so often accompanies these stories. YOU be firmly planted in faith and don’t fall for the hysteria which terrorizes those around you.

To read more of Steve's writings, visit his blog: http://homeschoolheaven.wordpress.com/

FLASHBACK FRIDAY....FALL FESTIVALS PAST

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With our church's fall festival coming up this weekend, I thought a look back at past fall festivals would be fun.

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Here's Daughter B at one when she was about 6 or 7.

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And here she is a few years later in her big sister's Liberty's Kids dress made especially by their Nana Rose.

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Son P was Alfalfa from the Little Rascal's that same year. He won in the costume contest. And Son D was an astronaut as you can see. Okay, not. He was the good ole classic cowboy.

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And the oldest daughter A sported a look that was definitely for a costume party only, that of a jock!

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BEAUTY IN THE EVERYDAY

Juice bottles at a grocery store in Swaziland, Africa, taken by one of Anna's teammates.

CONVICTED BY A THREE YEAR OLD

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Sydney Sample is a leader of an Adventure's In Missions "Real Life" Team in Nsoko, Swaziland. Nsoko is one of the very poorest areas of that country. Here is a recent post from her blog:

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Yesterday we had children from several of the care points we work at come to our base to work on an art project. The compound was covered with children that I had never seen before.

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Immediately there was one child that caught my eye. Only about three years old, he was wearing a tattered shirt, had no pants and was dowsed in dirt. Many of the children laughed at him because he was covered in his own filth; having no bladder control, every time he stood he would wet himself. He was just a baby but was old enough to be hurt by the laughter.

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I was standing behind him as we were getting organized for the art project and I watched as another little boy, also about three, held his hand and sat with him. I saw this little boy reach out in ways that, not only the other children wouldn't, but that many of us wouldn't.

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As I watched this three year old reach out to the untouched, unsought-out, filthy and beautiful little boy I was convicted.

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I saw Jesus.

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Our arms were made to embrace, to love, to touch and to reach out to those that are shunned.

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Had I forgotten?

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I knew what I was called to do. I took the beautiful little boy by the hand and brought him inside. I got to bathe him and clothe him, it was a beautiful and holy moment. We wrapped him up in an oversized towel and gave him a new shirt that fully covered him.

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Reaching out to the untouched, restoring dignity, seeing a little boy who holds the hand of his unclothed, untouched peer... this is love and this is Christ. I don't believe that boy saw the nakedness of his friend, I think that he saw a beautiful, beloved child of God. He had Christ's eyes.

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May we all see as that little boy, may we reach out to the unclothed and unloved and show them the immense love and acceptance of Christ.

To read more about Sydney's life amongh the precious little ones of Swaziland, venture over to her blog: http://sydneysample.myadventures.org/

CHECK OUT DAUGHTER B's ROMANIA BLOG!

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Her team blog is up and running. You can read her intro blog post plus the short biographies of her teammates. You'll also find things you can pray about and as time progresses, news about the trip.

Here's the link:



http://10ro0616amb4.myadventures.org/index.asp?filename=hey&tuid=1376452



Thanks for your interest in her trip and support of my girl!

INTRODUCING THE NEWEST MEMBER OF OUR MENAGERIE

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My 3rd daughter LG would like you to become acquainted with the newest member of our family. This new member is very tiny, very furry, and very, very fat.

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His name is Logan Seal and he's a kitten but we just like to call him Logan for short.

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Who named him that and why?

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"A" because she likes seals.

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What about the Logan part?

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I don't know where she got that from, I think that she just added that name on.
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Okay, go on.

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And he really likes to roll and claw and bite but sometimes his biting tickles. Though he's real cute and good with tricks.

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What kind?

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Well, he can roll. And he can fight. And he can run real fast. And he can walk backwards. But he's real cute when he walks up to you and starts cuddling up with you. It's so cute. And his mom abandoned him when he was less than a week old so we had to take him inside because none of the other cats would take him that were girls and already had another litter. Oh, and also, he's 3 weeks or 3 and a half weeks.

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What do you do to take care of him?

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I feed him, play with him, send him to bed, turn on music. He loves SPIRIT music. It's about this horse. His name is Spirit.
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And Logan Seal likes music?

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Yeah. But he doesn't like to play with yarn but he does like to play. When you shake your finger around he follows it.

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What's your favorite thing about having a tiny kitten to take care of?

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He's real cute and you can play with him.

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What's your LEAST favorite thing about having a tiny kitten to take care of?

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He wakes me up in the middle of the night.

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Do you think having Logan Seal will help you be a better mommy when you grow up?

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Eh, I don't think so that much.

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Why don't you think it will help you?

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Because he's just a kitten and also you do other things with kittens than you do with babies. That's why I don't think that. But do you know what I do not like at all?

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No, what?

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[My sister A], she lays these towels over all this poop in the box so then it smells so terrible I just have to plug my nose so hard to get all the smell away.

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Wow.

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I know.....

Hmmmmm....maybe we need to give Big Sister A equal air time for her rebuttal.