Finding Purpose

Wednesday is our usual day to volunteer at Metro, the kids and I volunteer together.  On Fridays the two younger kids have teen pizza or game night, or English Country Dancing in the evenings.  And on Friday afternoons Caleb and Abigail have Drama Club or Speaker's Club.  This means on Friday's from about 1pm until bed time Sissy is stuck at home with boring, old Mom!  That's tough on a girl who has been an extra Mom, and doesn't like change! 

Fortunately, on Friday mornings we have started picking up for Metro Relief at Tom Thumb.  Today we added a pick up to our route, Starbucks! Caleb made the initial pickup because Sissy wanted to see what this pick up was like before she helped out. I had her use my phone to take a picture! :)   It's a great service, Starbucks donates the pastries from the previous day to Metro, yummy double chocolate brownies, orange cranberry scones, and delicate donuts!  Some days they may only have 4 items and some days there are 20+ items.  

It's like Christmas, Sissy gets so excited to see what is donated! As soon as he was in the van she started counting items and giggling!  I would love, as the kids get older, to be able to spend the day with Sissy doing helpful, needful things! It is a great sense of purpose and usefulness.  Hopefully by our next pick up, or two, Sissy will feel comfortable enough to do the pick up herself.  We'll work on that!! 

I cry out to God Most High,

    to God who fulfills his purpose for me.

Psalm 57:2

My Jersey Shore's Hen

Our school play this year with PEACH will be Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales!  Little Ms. Abigail will be playing the part of Pertelote the hen wife to rooster Chanticleer.  For her character she is a Jersey girl / hen!  For her costume they wanted big over the top bling.   This week Abigail has been working on her costume.  All she needs now is the big hair, faux tan and red lipstick!   

How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! Matthew 23:37 

Warming Hearts

If it's Wednesday, then you know where we were today, at the pantry.  It was a crazy cold day.  The cold weather is tough on a lot of the elderly clients because they don't have transportation and walk to the pantry.  Several of our guests live in the nearby Budget Suites hotel/apartments and are able to car pool to the pantry.  Even our littlest guests were all bundled up.  Caleb and the little boy in the picture played peek-a-boo with his hat while his mom shopped for groceries.  He was a doll!    

in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst,
 often without food, in cold and exposure. 2 Corinthians 11:27

Sixth Floor Museum's Youth Advisory Committee on the Red Carpet

Lights, camera, action! The Sixth Floor Museum's Youth Advisory Committee walked the Red Carpet at Texas Black Film Festival. Their North Texas Student Oral History Challenge video premiered there this weekend at the new Studio Movie Grill!

Allen and Cynthia Mondell of Media Projects, Inc. came out on Saturday to support the Youth Advisory Committee's Oral History Challenge video premier at the Texas Black Film Festival.   The event also screened the Museum's new Legacy video that the Mondell's produced. Aftewards, Allen and Cynthia shared stories of their long relationship with the Museum and encouraged the young filmmakers in the audience to continue telling stories through film and video.

Get wisdom; get insight;  do not forget, 

and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.

Proverbs 4:5

Toilet Paper and Toothpaste

A few weeks ago I put the call out to my Facebook friends for toiletries needed at Metro Relief.  The North Texas Food Bank does a great job of making food affordable for local pantries to help out the homeless and those in need of food.  But the pantries rely on individual donation for things like toilet paper, tooth paste, feminine hygiene products, etc.  And lets face it, no one can do with out those items! 

Our friends responded in great form!  We had to put the back two seats in the van down to carry everything up to Metro! Thanks to everyone for your generosity!!! 

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes,
they received their food with glad and generous hearts Acts 2:46 

Happy Times!

Tonight the kids finished up the Answers in Genesis apologetics DVD series.  The home school teen have been meeting twice a month to watch the DVD series and Bible Study.  Tonight they celebrate Gracie's 13th birthday!   It's been great to see 20+ kids get together to study and examine how biology, geology and astronomy actually confirm the truths of the Bible.  It will be interesting to see what the kids pick for their next topic. 

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handywork.  Psalm 19:1

Harding University Third World Camp

This weekend Caleb and a group of youth from church attended Harding University at Tahkodah (HUT). HUT is a training ground for students to learn to serve the Lord in various capacities all over the world. HUT features housing representative of 7 ethnic groups worldwide. HUT is used to prepare students for ministry to peoples living in poverty worldwide. It helps them gain a more global vision that will equip them to better participate in God’s mission for the world.

Caleb's family stayed in a shack similar to the living conditions in Haiti.  They carried and cut bamboo similar to that portion of the world.  At the end of the day they could take their day wages and for his family of seven they were able to purchase rice, water, 3 bananas, 1 orange, 1 squash, 1 onion and a small bag of green beans for their one meal of the day.  In the world market place Caleb was able to use Spanish to communicate and barter for the food.  The girls prepared the meal without adult supervision and the boys collected fire wood and got the fire going.  

Caleb said the nights were really cold, it got down to 34 degrees and the shacks were not more than wind blocks.  He said he slept in every piece of clothing that he had packed! 

Sunday morning they had worship services similar to African nations.  They also heard missionaries from different parts of the world speak to them.  Caleb came home tired but full of great stories about his three days at the camp. 

Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Mark 16:15

Jeff Dunham's Disorderly Conduct Tour

Jon's company has a beautiful suite at the American Airlines Center and tonight we were able to enjoy all the great amenities.  Jeff Dunham along with Achmed, Walter, Bubba, Peanut, Little Jeff, and Jalapeno on a Stick all brought the house down.  Jeff also introduced a new character, Caffeine Dude, a fast talking, super hyper puppet!  Jeff is from Richardson, so this was a coming home show with his parents, friends and family in the audience.  With it being a Valentine weekend, Walter had quite a few marriage jokes, lots of funny stuff!  What a great date night with my honey, thanks Thomson Reuters! 

. . . and a time to laugh

Ecclesiastes 3:4

Nothing New Under the Sun

We love our Speaker's Club, for each meeting the kids prepare different styles of speeches.  Some speeches utilize props, or drama components; some may include a persuasive elements or require a demonstration of sorts.  The kids are given very specific instructions with time elements.  

Today Abigail presented her interp piece taken from Tom S. Long's The Complete History of the Old Testament.  Caleb performed a different portion at the PEACH Recital in 2012.  I love the voices and expressions, so fun to watch.  Hope you enjoy!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Tonight the kids got together with other home schooled friends for their Valentine's Day party.  There were plenty of sweets and sweet faces.  They ate, decorated cookies, made straw sculptures and played games. The kids had a great time and brought back a cupcake for Sissy! 

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.  

I Corinthians 13:13