Serious.Life Magazine - March 2009 by Tulsa Design Works Inc

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inside features inside features 52 editor editor readers.talk readers.talk serious.life serious.photos serious.life 60 serious.spirit serious.money serious.phot serious.family your comments serious.spiri 68 serious.extras serious.mon serious.fami your comme serious.extra

12 serious.photos

Great photos and captions submitted by our readers.

24 dear.brent

Brent answers a question submitted by a reader

26 serious.reviews

Honest reviews of products, services, blogs & more

Cactus Cuties

Meet the cute girls whose video of the national anthem has been viewed over ten million times

28 serious.spirit

Spiritual growth, answers to life and personal maturity.

44 serious.money

Personal finances and good money management.

One Pound Miracle

Experience the story of Kayleigh Anne Freeman who was born premature and weighed only one pound.

48 serious.family

Great families, great relationships and great stuff about living life!

78 your comments

Interesting comments, feedback and posts from our blogs.

102 serious.extras

All sorts of great stuff, different topics, humor and your blog content.

Living Faith: Bruce Hess

In our “Living Faith” series we meet Bruce Hess, Pastor at Wildwood Community Church in Norman, Oklahoma

Are you a writer or photographer?

We are always looking for people who want to contribute high quality content and photos to the magazine. Shoot me an email if you’re interested: editor@seriouslifemagazine.com

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A Letter froM tHe

ONE MILLION or BUST!

The serious pursuit of a fulfilling, contented and happy life. Publisher Tulsa Design Works, Inc

Editor-in-Chief/Designer Brent Riggs Copy & Proofreading Carolyn Hill Terri Williams

Contributing Writers Steve Cummins John Barnett Jim Nienhuis Brittany Claire Laurel Diacogiannis James Nienhuis

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It was our plan to start actively seeking paying advertisers with the 4th or 5th issue, so here we are, right on plan. We had over 700,000 page views last month, and we are poised to realistically exceed ONE MILLION with this issue. We are now at a level of traffic that makes advertising in Serious.Life a great investment, ESPECIALLY given the low rates. We are NOT going for premium rates, just ad rates that can support the effort and allow us to continue the balance between ministry (giving away most of our ads to charitable groups) and business (making a living). If you have an online business, website, blog, product, publication, service, event or anything else that would benefit from a national Internet savvy audience, be sure to check out the new advertising information on the next page. ONE MILLION page views or bust!

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Of course we certainly hope to turn this magazine into a profitable effort... that way we can continue month after month to give you a great magazine and help them get the word out to more and more people.

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The magazine is just exploding in readers, content, people contributing, subscriptions and excitement. Most of all, I hope that is bursting with exposure for the ministries, agencies and organizations we give free advertising to all throughout the publication.

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Book Preview:

Terrorist to Evangelist

The Story of Kenneth McClinton

SERIOUS.LIFE.MAGAZINE©

MARCH 2009

Chapter One: This Is It

March 24, 1983 “McClinton,” I thought to myself, “this is it.” I had known for quite some time that it was coming. I was keenly sensitive to the inevitable conclusion of being a man marked for death. Walking into the break room of the prison, all of my senses went on red alert sounding the alarm that things were not right. I first noticed the steam floating across the ceiling. The inmate in charge of boiling water had heated gallons and gallons of water to an angry, rolling boil – far more and far hotter than necessary for making tea. The two prison guards who had been assigned to protect me were nowhere to be found. I was now alone and unprotected in a room of convicted murderers and terrorists. I became strangely calm in the face of such imminent danger. Having become a Christian four years earlier while in solitary confinement, it was not my nature now to be the one to start the violence, even though I knew it was coming. I simply took my mug of tea and sat down like usual at the table. Four convicted IRA terrorists slowly moved to block any escape through the entrance or

exit. Each of them was carrying a large redwood plank that looked like a square baseball bat. The ashen color of their faces betrayed their fear and nervousness. I reached for the little Gideon’s New Testament that I carried in my shirt pocket, but my hand never made it. I felt the heat before the boiling water actually touched my skin. In an instant, gallons of scalding liquid were being poured down on my head and back. My first sensation was of the soft skin behind and around my left ear instantly bubbling up and disintegrating. Within a couple of seconds, a large portion of my body had been scalded and burned severely. It seems strange now, but at the time, I felt no immediate pain. With calm resolve I stood upand removed the reading glasses from my eyes. I couldn’t see well because the boiling water had run over my face, but I sensed the danger coming in front of me. “Thud!!” A hammer from the workshop, wielded in cowardly fashion, struck me on the high right-hand side of my face between my temple and jawbone, quickly opening a profusely bleeding wound. My natural survival instincts kicked in as I backed into a corner shaking my head and wiping the water and blood from my eyes. I had not uttered

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a sound up to this point but knew that I was very badly injured by the boiling water and the blow to my head. The first thing I saw after clearing my eyes was a terrorist-prisoner I knew by the name of Becker. He was making his way towards me holding one of the three-bythree, baseball-bat-like sticks, his eyes already focused on where he was going to deliver the “coups de grâce”. In my heightened state of shock and adrenaline, I took the initiative and lunged straight for him, taking the first swing of the bat into the outside of my left bicep. “Whack!” He really nailed me and the pain was excruciating, but I had successfully fended off an otherwise fatal blow. I ducked the next swing, grabbed the surprised Becker by the ankles and with strength that was beyond normal circumstances, I picked him up and tossed him over onto my badly burned back. With Becker flopped over my shoulders, and my head actually between his legs, I was somewhat protected from the next round of hammer blows, baseball bat swings and punches that were now coming from the other attackers. Like a movie scene, everything seemed to happen in slow motion and twenty two years later, I still remember it all in half-speed. One of the terrorists, a

On sale, March 20, 2009.... pre-order your copy today.... www.brentriggs.com/kenny

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On sale, March 20, 2009 Pre-order your printed copy today & receive the eBook for free!

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young guy whom I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know, had slipped on the water that spilled on the floor and was now attempting to get a grip around my ankles to hold me for the others who would finish me off. Four others armed with the bats were still blocking the door and any attempt to escape. I charged them, holding Becker upside down on my back and threw him off me and on top of them. The combined force of our two bodies sent the door guards stumbling backwards against the wall and into the corner like bowling pins being scattered. That bought me an instant of opportunity to dive through the doorway and onto the steps towards the safety of being out in the open where others could see me. Landing face down on the stairs, I thought I had succeeded in escaping when suddenly the door was slammed shut on my foot trapping me. I felt the hands of the terrorists grabbing my ankle and holding me fast so that I could not get free. The door opened and to my horror, another bucket full of boiling water was dumped on my already blistered and burned body. Almost my entire upper torso now bubbled and broiled in the intense heat. The skin just simply melted away in a matter of seconds. I kicked my free foot with all the strength I could summon and suddenly my other foot was unexpectedly released. The door slammed shut. I was left there, as good as dead. The pain rushed over me in waves and consumed every nerve in my body with intense fire. I was still alive. In the coming days, I would wish that I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. ~

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A beautiful porch in Antigua Candy Murnan

expressions. Who else would get so excited about a ham bone? 1momof5.blogspot.com

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Reese, queen of

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serious.life serious.photos serious.spirit serious.money serious.family your comments serious.extras What kid doesn’t like pizza? Jennifer McKinney

Sunshine, the beach, grandma’s old quilt and God’s Word.

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MARCH 2009

ajourneyoffaith.net

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Candy Murnan in Antigua with Kya Blu. Read her story this issue.

Hairdresser Mom whips up a homemade dryer maria-lifeonbeechgroveroad.blogspot.com W R I T E U S AT: L E T T E R S @ S E R I O U S L I F E M A G A Z I N E . C O M

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serious.life serious.photos serious.spirit serious.money serious.family your comments serious.extras Sami & Abby

SERIOUS.LIFE.MAGAZINEÂŠ

MARCH 2009

Brent Riggs

Monkey See, Monkey Do! First time at the zoo! Nikki Cochrane www.endsforyou.blogspot.com

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Simple pleasures at an orphanage for children with special needs in the Dominican Republic Nikki Cochrane www.heroholiday07.blogspot.com

serious.life serious.photos serious.spirit serious.money Submit your photos online here: serious.family www.seriouslifemagazine.com/photos your comments serious.extras

W E WA N T T O P U B L I S H Y O U R G R E AT P H O T O S

We want to show everyone your great pics! Send us your best photos along with a caption, and every month, we will publish some of them for everyone to enjoy.

Wordless Parenting - Lisa-Jo Baker www.lisajosbakerboys.blogspot.com

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MARCH 2009

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Reflecting Brothers -

www.parkersgowest.blogspot.com

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Three month Nick, in deep prayer for all the sick babies and kids out there. Aimee Perry insideaileighsheart.blogspot.com

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One Pound Miracle - Read the story, this issue about Kayleigh Freeman

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MARCH 2009

(photo treatment by Brent Riggs)

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The many happy faces of a child, even when battling cancer. Brent Riggs

Are you cold yet? imghanaadopt.blogspot.com

serious.life serious.photos serious.spirit serious.money serious.family your comments serious.extras How shall I eat Thee?

Let me count the ways.

SERIOUS.LIFE.MAGAZINEÂŠ

MARCH 2009

Brent Riggs

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Harper. www.kellyskornerblog.com

The world sees a child that lacks everything ... God sees a child with eyes that shine with love, and a timid yet powerful smile that radiates joy. W R I T E U S AT: L E T T E R S @ S E R I O U S L I F E M A G A Z I N E . C O M

ajourneyoffaith.net imghanaadopt.blogspot.com

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The Cactus Cuties at the MDA Telethon. See the feature story on them, this issue.

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serious.extras dear.brent serious.reviews

Dear Brent,

A lot of people have told me that my mom is “looking down at me, and she’s so proud of me”, but no one can tell me a Scripture verse that tells me that she can really see me. So my question is, can my mom see me, and do you know a scripture verse that says whether or not she can?

SERIOUS.LIFE.MAGAZINE©

MARCH 2009

A 16 year old reader

To answer your question, people say “I know she’s looking down on you” because it is a nice sounding sentiment. We hear it constantly in movies and TV. It is often attributed to the Bible like “cleanliness is next to Godliness” simply because people have said it for so long without question. Biblically, it’s probably not accurate. The Bible tells us there is a “great gulf fixed” between us and Heaven (Luke 16:26) , which probably doesn’t refer to distance, but that heaven is another dimension. That is why angels (or Jesus when He was on the earth) can appear and disappear because God has allowed them the ability and permission to, at times, cross over one dimension to another. People sometimes use Hebrews 12:1-3 as a supporting verse that we are being “watched” but this verse is NOT talking about a celestial stadium full of people watching “the earth games” as you often hear taught today. This is a POOR translation and understanding of the passage. In context, “witnesses” are those who GIVE TESTIMONY to God’s

What is your question for Brent? Send it to: dearbrent@ seriouslifemagazine.com

faithfulness (like a witness in court who testifies to the facts). It’s not people “witnessing”, as in watching something occur. It is those who have gone on before us proclaiming and testifying to the TRUTH of what God has said. “Cloud of witnesses” refers to the sheer number of people giving testimony, not a “stadium gathering”. However, you can rest assured that your Mom is waiting for you, and my personal opinion is that the Lord probably allows “news” to reach our loved ones in heaven. It makes sense… they would naturally long to know about us, and I see no Biblical reason why your Mom cannot ask the Lord about you. God may even allow angels to convey news about us (but we should NEVER pray and ask an angel to deliver a message;

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we pray to GOD, not angels) I’ve often asked Jesus to say hello to my Grandmothers, and asked Him to tell them how much they meant to me, that I miss them, and that I will come find them as soon as I join them in Heaven. You can bet that if our Abby goes Home early, I will be asking the Lord every day to say “hi” to her, and tell her we love her, miss her and we’ll be there soon. That may sound strange to many because we don’t see heaven as REAL ENOUGH. There is no Biblical reason to think that asking the Lord to convey a message to our loved ones in Heaven is anything but a natural desire. You might want to check out my presentation on heaven: www.seriousheaven.com

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A 730 PAGE, FULL-SIZED BOOK, PACKED WITH HUNDREDS OF BRENT’S TEACHINGS AND BIBLE ANSWERS. WWW.SERIOUSFAITH.COM SERIOUS.LIFE.MAGAZINE

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dear.brent serious.reviews Want serious, honest reviews of products and services? I personally review, read, use, test, etc. the products, services or blogs and give you an honest opinion that you can trust. I tell the owners that good or bad, I’ll tell our readers the truth. Yes, they pay for this review, but they are NOT “buying a guaranteed positive recommendation”. If I tell you I like it, it’s because I do, and I’ve taken the needed time to come to that opinion. I give each a rating of 1 to 5 “diamonds” ◊◊◊◊◊

TASER®C2 Personal Protector - www.Readyaim.com My wife tells me how scary it is just walking through a parking garage late at night with one of our children. We’ve thought about carry-n-conceal, mace, etc but either she was not comfortable with that, or we didn’t think it would be enough deterrent. The TASER®C2 was the perfect answer. It is small enough to carry in a person, pocket or diaper bag. It’s incredibly easy to use. It even looks cool, if that matters to you. We ordered the blue one in the picture. It comes with a training “shot” so you can actually experience firing it. If you do have to use it, you simply replace the cartridge and you’re ready to go. • Quality: ◊◊◊◊◊ • Ease of use: ◊◊◊◊◊ • Appearance: ◊◊◊◊◊ • Price: ◊◊◊◊ • Pros: Attractive, effective, compact, easy to learn and use • Cons: Needs a “teenager” cartridge to help you get their bedrooms clean! • www.readyaim.com

SERIOUS.LIFE.MAGAZINE©

MARCH 2009

“Your Forever Family” by Amy Parker

Amy Parker wrote a children’s book dedicated to her daughter. About 30 pages long, and brightly colored, it is full of sweet sentiment related to the adoption of her daughter, her childhood and what the future holds for her. The book is large and colorful. The illustrations are appropriate and fun for children, although the artwork of the humans is a bit odd, stuck somewhere between carton and realistic. On some pages it is distracting. The other art is clean and fun though. The most negative thing about the book is the hot pink, casual typeface that is almost unreadable on some pages. A nice story for children overall. • Quality: ◊◊ • Ease of use: ◊◊ (readability) • Appearance: ◊◊ • Price: ◊◊ • Pros: Brightly colored, big pages, heartwarming content. • Cons: Hot pink typeface, distracting illustrations of human characters. • http://www.amazon.com/Your-Forever-Family-Amy-Parker/dp/0981590446

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Serious.Life Magazine currently receives over 620,000 page views a month and is growing rapidly. Our readers trust us to bring them high quality and high integrity content and sponsors. A “review” goes beyond an advertisement and gives the readers the confidence of an honest opinion about you. Reviews can be for any product, service, website, blog, offering, book, etc. If you would like your products, service, website, blog or offering reviewed please contact me. We do not accept all reviews. They must be appropriate and relevant to our readership, and I must be able to experience, read, use or evaluate the actual item for review. $199.00 - brent@brentriggs.com

ursHeadwear & Da Holly G Bow

Since Abby got diagnosed with Leukemia and began to lose her hair, there isn’t a day that goes by that she’s not in a scarf and bow from ursHeadwear & Da Holly G Bow. She has a couple of dozen that can be mixed and matched to fit her clothing or mood. She sleeps in the head scarves too. They protect her head from getting irritated, and keep her warm. The bows come in every imaginable design and color. The hearwear too. You can check out our blog and see Abby in many different combinations. The bows are well constructed, and the scarves are high quality and easy to tie. • Quality: ◊◊◊◊◊ • Ease of use: ◊◊◊◊◊ • Appearance: ◊◊◊◊◊ • Price: ◊◊◊◊ • Pros: Variety, high quality, very well made, look GREAT! • Cons: None • dahollygbow.com ursheadwear.com

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I want you to know about two fantastic ladies that I use for all my proofing, copy editing and for reviewing much of what I write. Their names are Carolyn Hill and Terri Williams. They both work from home part time, but there has never been a time when either of them were unresponsive or slow in delivery. They work hard, deliver high quality, get things back in a timely manner and charge a fair price. If you need someone to edit a writing project or proof any kind of content, you can’t wrong with Carolyn or Terri. (Note: they do not proof “blog content” that we publish in Serious.Life. We publish “as is” to retain the personality of the blog author. So don’t hold them responsible for unedited content in this publication.) • Quality: ◊◊◊◊◊ • Ease of use: ◊◊◊◊◊ (ease of working with them) • Appearance: ◊◊◊◊◊ (professional and communicate well) • Price: ◊◊◊◊ • Pros: Responsive, timely, high quality, dependable • Cons: They don’t send homemade cookies back with the work. • Carolyn Hill - hillsarealive@cox.net, Terri Williams - tlwilliams@cox.net

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serious.photos serious.spirit serious.money Good For Evil serious.family your comments serious.extras By Brent Riggs

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MARCH 2009

omans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (NKJV) Picture that person in your mind that you find if most difficult to offer forgiveness. It might be someone that did something terrible to your family. Maybe a family member who has caused extreme pain. Maybe it’s an unfaithful spouse or a co-worker who lied about you and cost you the promotion you deserved. It could be the person at church who is gossiping about you (does that really happen??). Maybe a criminal who caused you great harm or some adversary who seemed to particularly enjoy ruining you.

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If your heart beats, most likely you can immediately picture that person in your life you find it most difficult to forgive; that person you consider your worst enemy. If you don’t have any person that you find difficult to forgive, you are either extremely blessed, or in denial, or you have already learned and put to practice the Biblical model of forgiveness. Most people, including me, still struggle with it. Picture that person. Got the picture? Here’s what Jesus said you and I must do about that person: Matthew 5:44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, (NKJV) Do you love that person or feel bitterness towards them? Do you bless them with kind words asking God to deal mercifully with them? Or do you curse them and long for their misfortune? Do you pray for them? Or do you never miss a chance to tell everyone how bad that person is? Do you offer intercession to God for their welfare, or do you seethe in resentment hoping that the Lord’s punishment will fall quickly? I have learned one thing for sure: no matter how much I can hide my unforgiveness and bitterness from people, there is no reason to try and pretend in front of God that it doesn’t exist. If you struggle with bitterness, unforgiveness or hate, God knows. Better to be honest and ask for the Lord’s help rather than pretend you aren’t guilty of it.

What’s that old saying? You can fool all people, some of the time; some people, all of the time; but not all people, all the time. Well, that’s just a bunch nonsense. There are plenty of people who can fool everyone around them pretty much all time about the hate, bitterness and unforgiveness in their heart. I think a more truthful version of that saying is:

It’s pretty easy to fool all the people, all the time; but you can’t fool God about anything... ever.

By Bob Walters

How’s this for great advice? Read the Gospels. Recently I heard a sermon about another topic entirely, but the pastor made the corollary point, “If you haven’t read them lately, read the Gospels.” What a capital idea. Over the remaining five weeks of Lent, which started last week with Ash Wednesday, Feb. 25, and ends with Easter, April 12, why not take the time (daily if you can) to grab a Bible, sit down and read – or re-read – the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John? Read one book a week – 28 chapters of Matthew, 16 chapters of Mark, 24 chapters of Luke and 21 chapters of John. That’s what I’m going to do, and write about them weekly. I’m “in” the Gospels all the time, but I haven’t read them end-to-end in five years. If you’re not now a regular Bible reader, they say habits form over a period of 21 days. I don’t know of a better habit than daily time spent with God’s word, reading the Bible. We make lots of attempts to break bad habits at the start of each New Year. Why not resolve to create one new good habit at the start of this season of renewed life? This is a “habit” we – Christians or anyone who’s interested in Christ – could work on together, even though many Christian churches don’t

implore their congregations to read the Bible, and many other Christian churches do not celebrate Lent. The good news is … well, the Good News is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But for the purposes of this particular plea, the good news is that all Christian churches celebrate the resurrection of Christ. It’s what we call common ground, and that’s the message of the Gospels. This is a good season to put away sectarian disputes

I DON’T KNOW OF A BETTER HABIT THAN DAILY TIME SPENT WITH GOD’S WORD, READING THE BIBLE.

Blog: believerbob.blogspot.com

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about Biblical origins, versions, translations and interpretations, and just read. Let’s not fight about “The Bible.” What we want as Christians – regardless of doctrine – is for everyone to know the Gospel message, and to read the Bible. So, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John over the next four weeks. Know the best way to start? Pray. Get the Holy Spirit involved. Need a prayer? Try, “Lord Jesus Christ, help me understand what I’m about to read, that it may bring Glory to You. Amen.” Need a Bible? Let me know. ~

(continued next page)

Kick This Habit Up a Notch

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So, if you struggle with unforgiveness towards the person you are picturing in your mind, don’t try to hide it from God; He already knows. Instead, ask God for help. Jesus commands us to do something that seems almost absurd: love your enemies, bless them and pray for them. Think of the person you are picturing.... can you do this for them? Can I? Not in my own strength. I have to pray and admit to God that I don’t feel like it, that I cannot do it and feel sincere about it, nor can I do it and enjoy it. But I don’t remember feelings, sincerity or pleasantness being mentioned by Jesus as an option concerning his commandments. He didn’t say “love your enemies if you feel like you can”; or “pray for those who mistreat you if you can pray and really mean it”. Jesus is fully human. He was horribly persecuted. He knows how it feels.

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He commands us to love our enemies because it demonstrates God’s power in our lives. He tells us to bless those who curse us because it glorifies Christ to do so. He instructs us to pray for our enemies because the same Holy Spirit that indwells us longs to draw the soul of the person you are struggling about. To do these things glorifies God because Satan returns evil for good. Humans return good for good. Only God returns good for evil. I didn’t think that up, I’m not nearly that smart. I don’t remember where I read it, but it has stuck with me. Think about it. You are glorifying God when you love your enemy. You are glorifying man when you love those who love you. You glorify Satan when you despise those who love you. Satan is the father of lies and is purely wicked. He always repays goodness with evil. To repay good with evil is to honor Satan. Humans sometimes repay good with evil too, but this is not typical behavior. What is typical of mankind is to repay good for good, kindness for kindness. Someone does something nice for you, you have no trouble doing something nice for them. The reverse is also generally true... someone hurts you, it’s “okay” to give them a dose of their own medicine. Only God repays evil with good. The ultimate example of that, of course, is God giving His only Son to save a wicked and evil human race. So why has

Spiritual Growth > Truth > Eternal Perspective

the Lord commanded us to do these things? • Because praying for your enemy is not “normal”, and it draws attention to God when we do it. • Because blessing those who

understanding • We can live in happiness despite our circumstances • We develop a greater compassion for all people when we can love those who deserve our hate

SATAN RETURNS EVIL FOR GOOD. HUMANS RETURN GOOD FOR GOOD. ONLY GOD RETURNS GOOD FOR EVIL.

GOD INSTRUCTS US TO PRAY FOR OUR ENEMIES BECAUSE THE SAME HOLY SPIRIT THAT INDWELLS US LONGS FOR THE SOUL OF THE EVIL PERSON TOO.

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(continued next page)

There are also many benefits to us personally: • We enjoy the benefits of a clear conscience • We enjoy the blessings of obedience • We enjoy a release of our hate and unforgiveness • We avoid bitterness that can rot our heart • We enjoy greater opportunity to share Christ • We enjoy a more real and tangible Christian witness • We enjoy the peace of God that surpasses all

• We open ourselves to a greater spiritual fulness from God • We can identify with the person of Jesus Christ who was our ultimate example of loving the enemy • You will inherit a blessing (1 Pet 3.9) • You learn to be even more forgiving each time you practice forgiveness • When you give forgiveness, you get forgiveness (Mark 11.25-26) • When you are kind to the wicked, it convicts them (Rom. 12.17-21) • You will receive great reward from God (Luke 6.35) • If you don’t forgive, you risk punishment (Matthew 18:2135)

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curse you is the opposite of what we feel like doing, and it opens the door to telling people about God. • Because praying for those who persecute creates a natural curiosity about “how” you can do that which leads to telling people about Jesus.

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Okay, let’s get to the down and dirty. Still got that mental picture of your enemy? Like me, you may find it hard to love them. You may find it almost humanly impossible to bless them. It may tie your stomach in a knot to utter a prayer for them... to which I have two very plain words of response: So what? Luke 6:27 “But I (Jesus) say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” (NKJV) Our Lord, who saved us while we were still sinners, who loved us when we were unlovable, who has forgiven us exponentially more than we will ever have to forgive another human.... our Lord

Spiritual Growth > Truth > Eternal Perspective

commands us to love our enemies, bless those who curse us and pray for those who mistreat us. So, let’s get busy doing it. If you don’t feel like it, ask for God’s help. If you think you are incapable, ask God for

commands. Picture that person. Ask God to give you love for them. Picture that person. Pronounce a blessing from God on them. Picture that person. Offer a prayer for them that God will show them the same love that

strength. If you literally can’t begin to form the words in your mouth, ask God for the power to begin. God doesn’t command us to do something that He won’t give us the power to accomplish. If you will but ask God for help, then He will give you what you need to obey His

He showed You. There you did it. THAT... is serious faith! ~

IF YOU DON’T FEEL LIKE IT, ASK GOD.

Brent Riggs is an author, mentor and Bible teacher. For Bible teaching and answers, visit his ministry website at www.seriousfaith.com

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serious.photos serious.spirit serious.money Living Hope: Worship Our God of Hope serious.family your comments serious.extras By John Barnett

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he Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I hope in Him! Lamentations 3:24 Lamentations was written by Jeremiah. As he sat down and looked over the smoldering ruins of his beloved Jerusalem, his voice rose to the wail of sorrow, a lament. That is why the book is called Lamentations, which was a funeral dirge over the City of God. Inspired by the Spirit of God, this serves as a message of encouragement that the next time things crash and burn in your life and your whole world is falling apart—family, health, finances, emotions—look to God as the God of hope! Lamentations is a beautiful master-crafted poem with five stanzas. Chapters 1–2 and 4– 5 each start with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet (twentytwo in all). This form of poetry, called an acrostic, is lovely in form and powerful in communication. Chapter 3, the poem’s centerpiece, has three acrostics, or a total of sixty-six verses. The theme of

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Lamentations and this middle chapter agree: “Great is Your faithfulness, almighty God!” The Lord taught Jeremiah that no matter how the world was falling apart, personally or nationally, he could still hope in God. And that is why we can find living hope for the end of days! For an even clearer picture, let’s go back to where we started in Lamentations. Meet Jeremiah. With his life in shambles—his friends all dead, and the smoke and stench of destruction all around everything he had ever held dear—Jeremiah wrote the poem that explains the pathway of hope. The Pathway of Hope: Have you ever felt that life was too painful to even go on? Jeremiah did, and without the benefits and blessings we have in this church age. He persevered with living hope in the midst of that pain. In Lamentations 3, we can see the pains God uses, manages, allows, and, most of all, handles for us. Note how Jeremiah trusted and endured through the pain of these stresses. • Broken physical health: He has aged my flesh and my skin, and broken my bones (v. 4). • Deep emotional strain: He has besieged me and surrounded me with bitterness and woe (v. 5). • Periods of dark depression: He has set me in dark places like the dead of long ago (v. 6). • Desperation and the burden of being trapped: He has hedged me in so that I cannot get out; He has made my chain heavy (v. 7). • Feeling out of touch and distant from God: Even when I cry and

• •

shout, He shuts out my prayer (v. 8). Frustration and confusion: He has blocked my ways with hewn stone; He has made my paths crooked (v. 9). Anxiety and sadness: You have moved my soul far from peace; I have forgotten prosperity (v. 17). Physical weakness and hopelessness: And I said, “My strength and my hope have perished from the Lord” (v. 18). Bitter affliction and aimlessness: Remember my affliction and roaming, the wormwood and the gall (v. 19).

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troubles increase, let Him bring you a fresh portion of His hope and goodness as you wait enduringly with hope in Christ.

Ezekiel Says to

lived away from his home and his people, he learned that he was never far from his God. God taught him that His presence was not limited to the temple in Jerusalem.

GOD OFFERS LIVING HOPE TO EACH OF HIS CHILDREN

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“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; … I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them” (Ezekiel 36:26–27, emphasis added). Some contemporaries of Ezekiel (593–571 B.C.) were Daniel (605–536 B.C.), Habakkuk (612– 588 B.C.), and Jeremiah (627–586 B.C.). While Jeremiah (forty-one years of ministry, 627–586 B.C.) played the funeral dirge of doom over Jerusalem, a lonely exiled prophet named Ezekiel (twenty years of ministry, 592–572 B.C.) was watching the gathering storm God would use to sweep Judah into captivity. In 598 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar captured Ezekiel along with 10,000 other fellow Judeans. Ezekiel arrived in Babylon at the age of twenty-five (2 Kings 24:8–16; Ezekiel 1:1–2). Deported to 200 miles north of Babylon, Ezekiel was 600 miles from Jeremiah in Jerusalem for the last twelve years of Jeremiah’s ministry. And for twenty-six years Ezekiel was 200 miles north of Daniel (606–533 B.C.) who was in Babylon for his seventy-three years of ministry. These three prophets overlapped parts of their prophetic ministries. As Ezekiel

During the exile, Ezekiel lived in a house to which numerous captives came and sought counsel from him (8:1; 14:1; 20:1). After five silent years of counseling, he began twenty years of speaking for God. At age thirty, Ezekiel, like our Lord Jesus Christ, began his ministry by a river. In an astounding vision he saw cherubim, angelic hosts, and indescribable sights portraying the very throne room of God. Ezekiel was God’s man. He saw God—and it changed his life! Ezekiel saw God’s glorious majesty. All these sights— awesome gleam of crystal … glowing metal … like fire … [like a] rainbow (1:22, 27–28 NASB)—were given to Ezekiel to remind him of how awesome, how glorious, and how indescribably majestic God is! Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. … [For] the Lord sits as King forever (Psalm 29:2, 10b). Ezekiel saw God’s final authority. Seeing God’s throne taught him that He was in control (1:25a). Ezekiel was a POW (Prisoner of War); he was surrounded by numerous enemies who had vandalized his home, dragged him away, and savagely ended the lives of thousands of his people. Yet, in the (continued next page)

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If Jeremiah were to stop with verse 19, we might feel discouraged as we face our own trials. But his list of woes actually crescendoed until it broke forth into overflowing hope in verses 21– 26. After praising God for His daily compassions and great faithfulness, Jeremiah testified: The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord (vv. 25–26, emphasis added). What a God we serve! Just as He offers hope in Lamentations, allow Him to be what you need to make it through life on a hopeless earth. As we speed toward the end of days, God offers living hope to each of His children. Let Him weave your weaknesses, like fragile fibers, in with the countless strands of His promises. Let Him stretch and twist you into waiting hope. And then, when

Worship Our God of the New Heart

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midst of even that, all the fears of life melted in the radiance of God’s sovereign throne. And because God is on His throne, the words of this well-loved song hold true: When peace like a river, attendeth my way, when sorrows like the sea billows roll; whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, “It is well, it is well, with my soul.”2 Ezekiel saw God’s absolute supremacy. The term high up really spoke to him because the throne of God is atop all else (1:26b). As Ezekiel saw the destruction of his nation he learned that God is not thwarted by man’s disobedience. Though God is grieved and saddened, His plan will not fail. Nothing is beyond His throne or above it. God reigns! Ezekiel saw God’s unveiled glory in Christ. The sight of Christ like a man (1:26c) reminds us that our Lord Jesus Christ is … the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the

word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high … (Hebrews 1:3 NASB). Ezekiel got to see Jesus Christ, and now you and I get to see Him in His Book, the Bible. Ezekiel saw God’s unchanging promises. Like … a rainbow (1:28) is given by God as a sign that He keeps His Word. What He says, He will do. Clearly, we can see that God’s servants submit to Him: …The word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and there the hand of the Lord came upon him (Ezekiel 1:3 NASB). Did you know that the Word of the Lord can expressly come to you? I don’t mean visions; He wants to talk to you through His Word. Will you let Him speak to you today? If you are God’s servant, you will be open to God’s Word. This means being attuned to His still small voice so that you can obey His directives as Elijah did on the

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mountaintop after the wind, earthquake, and fire of 1 Kings 19:10-12. Otherwise, you might miss a real treasure from the Lord! Ezekiel waited for the hand of the Lord to lead him— like these angelic beings who followed the Lord’s leading exactly, and were in concert with Him: Wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go in that direction. And the wheels rose close beside them; for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels (Ezekiel 1:20 NASB). I would not want to go anywhere if the hand of the Lord was not on me. Would you? That is what God’s servants are like. Ezekiel demonstrated being in concert with the Lord through the loss of his lovely wife (16:2) who died (24:16– 18). God in His sovereignty took her life as a preaching illustration for Ezekiel to Judah. Though saddened, Ezekiel followed the God of the new heart’s lead to show these people that they needed a new heart. Are you willing to follow His lead regardless of the

personal cost?

Daniel Says to Worship Our God Who Rules

“This decision is by the decree of the watchers, and the sentence by the word of the holy ones, in order that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, gives it to whomever He will, and sets over it the lowest of men” (Daniel 4:17, emphasis added). Some contemporaries of Daniel (605–536 B.C.) were Jeremiah (627–586 B.C.), Habakkuk (612–588 B.C.), and Ezekiel (593–571 B.C.). In God’s opinion of history, the kingdom of Babylon was the richest and most glorious of all the kingdoms of the earth.

Spiritual Growth > Truth > Eternal Perspective

Babylon was the head of gold in the image God revealed to Nebuchadnezzar. As its realm spread across the then-known world, in its wake it left the dust of crushed opponents foolish enough to challenge God’s chosen instrument of prophesied judgment. Nobody could stop the Babylonians because God was empowering them. As God is performing His purposes through His Word, we should not fight against Him. We must be in step with Him. To the helm of that incredible empire rose an incredible young man of God, Daniel. Have you ever considered what it must have been like to be prime minister to the greatest empire in the world in its time? There would

be untold streams of decisions, endless meetings, countless conferences, lavish banquets, and clay tablet work (like our paperwork). And don’t forget the delays on the freeways in your chariot as well as the everyday needs of life such as going to the sandal shop, stopping to have new wheels put on the chariot, and tending to the needs of the horses. Daniel was a very responsible man, committed, and most of all busy. How did he cope with life at the top? He knelt on his knees three times a day to pray, just as he always did. In the midst of his cabinet position in a worldwide empire, and all the pressures that came with such a position, (continued next page)

Living Hope is a 365 Day devotional to take you through the entire book of Revelation in ONE YEAR. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, the very last book of God’s Word to mankind, describes the final chapter in human history, confirming that Christ Jesus is the fulfillment of every promise that God has ever made. Paper Back (672 pages).

“In Living Hope for the End of Days, John Barnett has made the book of Revelation accessible to anyone, casting it in a wonderful, manageable set of daily devotions. These devotions will do far more than merely pique your curiosity about the book’s remarkable imagery. They will serve to enrich both your worship and your walk by prompting you to focus on the central figure of Revelation, Christ himself. So dig in on a regular basis to this mighty treasury that exalts the glory of our Lord.” - John MacArthur Pastor Grace Community Church (Sun Valley, CA)

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Daniel faithfully prayed. Not just at a meal; no, he found a way to stop it all, go to a quiet, private chamber, kneel, and come into the presence of God in thanksgiving. When life is tough, when it seems like the bad guys are winning, remember there is a God in heaven who rules! Having a God in heaven who is in charge should cause each of us to live with conviction. Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself (1:8). Why? Because God wants His children to have standards of holiness in their lives. Make a choice to live in hope. Through the testimonies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel, we find living hope to worship our God of salvation, our God of repentance, our God of hope, our God of the new heart, and our God who rules. As signs of the end of days multiply, never forget that our God rules: … There is a God in heaven who … has made known … what will be in the latter days … (Daniel 2:28). God is in charge! He cares when you are in the midst of the fires in your life: Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, and AbedNego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here.” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire (Daniel

3:26). Just as the Most High God walked beside these three servants in the fire, He will also compassionately walk with you through your fiery trials of faith. Have confidence in Christ (past and future) because our God moves history along: “… the Most High rules in the kingdom of men …” (Daniel 4:17). Because He reigns, it is better to read His Word than to depend upon the news media to interpret what is happening in the world. Then, when you read or hear the news, you will perceive God’s hand in it. For that reason, my interest in the news has been declining. The news is bad and crippling for spiritual lives because we can get addicted to it. As you have communion (constant prayerfulness) with Christ, you will find enduring hope come what may: In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul (Psalm 94:19). Like the psalmist, Daniel knew that if he turned to our Sovereign Lord, that he would find help in time of need. God wants you to bring all your problems and fears to Him: Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to … his companions: that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven …, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon (Daniel

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2:17–18). In Daniel’s night vision, God revealed the secret of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. And Daniel responded in praise: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. … He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding” (Daniel 2:20, 21c). All through the ages, saints have worshiped our mighty God who rules. And we now have the privilege of joining our voices with theirs in praise of our merciful and loving God: Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the Lord is the great God, and the great King above all gods. … Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand (Psalm 95:1–3, 6–7). Once you really see God, nothing else can fully satisfy. Have you ever seen Him? The words of this song beautifully capture the heart of a soul who has truly seen God. I hope it represents yours. ~

John Barnett has been teaching the Word of God for 31 years and is currently the Senior Pastor at Calvary Bible Church in Kalamazoo. Email John: jb@dtbm.org

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serious.photos serious.spirit serious.money Atheist to Evangelist: Pervaz Rehmat Masih serious.family your comments serious.extras By Pervaz Masih

amily Background

[Note: I’ve left the writing in the words of Pervaz rather than trying to make the verbiage sound completely “American”. This gives you more of a feel as if you are hearing directly from Pervaz. BR]

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My name is Evangelist Pervaz Rehmat Masih. I was born in September 02, 1965 in Lahore, Pakistan. I belong to a noble family. My family is religious family and our parents were very careful for our religious aspect. In childhood, we all three brothers and one sister go to church regularly and attend Sunday school, youth meetings, etc. Till grade 10 my personal fellowship with God was very good.

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After going through 10th grade I went to attend college. In college my friends were not religious and so my fellowships with Lord continue to become weak and weakest. In this way I started to be away from God day by day and did not go to church regularly or even worship meetings held at home. I was at stage that when I come to know that today there will be meeting at home, I ran away till meeting is over. In few years I was Atheist and did not even like to listen the name of God and never went to church. This was making me crazy and hyper. Rather few times with friends went to attend summer camps but it was also useless. There was no change in my inner. We friends go to such camps just for enjoyment and outing. We use to sit in last row and

continued to talk and talk on. On the last day we got happy that we will go home tomorrow and wait for any other next camp.

Conversion in Christ: Summer Camps In the same way we went with another summer camp in hilly area. Location was very good surrounding with gardens, mountains, greenery etc. This camp was for one week. On the last day as usual we were happy and thankful at least this summer camp will be over and will go home next day. What happened in last meeting I was never hoping and expecting? There were two missionary brothers from abroad; they shared their testimonies and the gospel message. Oh what was happening with me! While message was being delivered I was trembling and feeling that some thing is happening in my inner as ice is breaking. I got shocked and do not know of this. Slow and steady there were tears in my eyes and I was shivering. In this phase ice continue to break down and I was feeling great comfort strange in body and spirit. Just as the message was finished they invited all those whose lives are changed and touched by the power of Holy Spirit. Few young people went forward and shared about their changing lives. I was feeling shy of my friends what will they say and so I continued to sit on. Again they told that still the Holy Spirit is telling us there is some one whose life is changed and is not coming forward. On 3rd call I stood up bravely and

Spiritual Growth > Truth > Eternal Perspective

went forward and shared my testimony, what I was and how today Jesus Christ has touched me and made me new creature. In this way Salvation came in my life. This was my new

time invitations started to come to people but I did not receive any invitation. One week end I was ready for my rural visit, postman came at door and give me one envelope. When

Spiritual Birth in 1987 at the age of 22 years.

I checked the envelope it was Air ticket of conference. Few days later a phone call came from local office who was to be received to the people. This was great blessing for me and put fire of Evangelism in my life. Till that moment to now on I never sit idle and continue to preach the gospel in every possible way for His glory and kingdom and to bring lost souls to Him.

MY SPIRITUAL BIRTH WAS IN 1987, 22 YEARS OLD

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Admission in Bible College & Decline of US Student Visa After coming back from Haggai Institute in 1999. I was of the view that first I should equip myself with the regular Theological studies to serve more effectively. In next year started to search the colleges in different countries. After struggling a lot at the end of year 2000 my admission was approved in one Bible College in USA. In January 2001 US embassy did not grant student visa. This made me very much upset. After 3 weeks Jesus appeared to me and said, “I cannot give you time for Bible College, learn from Spirit and have fellowship with my servants, this is your bible college.” After this I never thought of Bible College and forgot of this. Rather I was serving during all this time. After few years of serving, God provided an opportunity to

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Calling in Great Commission: Billy Graham Conference After accepting Christ as my personal savior I continued to serve Him as Layman. This continued for 12 years. In 1999 one friend offered me to go to Haggai Institute Singapore for Leadership Training. I was not convinced for that and I asked my friend to stay in prayer for this till I do not get guidance from Lord for this. After few months Lord Jesus Christ appeared to me and said, “I want you to go there and will make you new creature.” In this way I went to Haggai Institute Singapore and during session God called me for Great Commission and said, “I will take you around the world for my sake like prisoner and in year 2000 you will go some where.” I was not known where I will go. I just kept this in my heart. In year 2000 Billy Graham Conference was held in Netherlands. One brother one day came to me and said I want to send your name in that conference. I simply said go ahead. This was done in almost in the ending days when they were closing the process of receiving the applications. I did not take it seriously and forget in few days. After some

(continued next page)

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work with local Bible College “St. John’s Theological Bible College Sargodha.” I was volunteer and representative in my area. After serving one year college offered me the honorary degree of Master of Divinity. In this way God also fulfilled my desire of Bible College.

Hardships in Life and Ministry Immediately after returning from Singapore in 1999 I practically started Evangelistic ministry in villages and different rural areas. I wanted to serve with pure heart, and earning of money was not my goal as few people do. It means that most people make ministerial work or ministry as tool of earning money like business. One serves in such areas where there is big opportunity to get good money and other facilities. Keeping in view all these concerns, I started to serve in rural and backward areas among the less privileged community. These people cannot give you big money but they give much love, prayers and encouragement. Without resources it is hard to go here and there. I was supporting all mission work from my personal salary. I never waited for the local or foreign aid. I continued to serve what can be done in limited resources. Whatever I had in start and today is faith and encouragement from God. You know it is difficult to move from one place to another without vehicle. All the times I have to travel in public transport and few times had to hire a van for few campaigns. Hiring of van is much expensive but it is necessary for

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Outreach Campaigns. As with the team different areas and places are needed to travel and it is not possible in public transport. Most of the times I am traveling in different parts of country by public transport in summer and winter, rainy, windy and stormy. All these hurdles cannot stop Lord’s work. Many times it is also like that we are planning trip, even we got material but at the end trip is cancelled as no money is there for the trip. Some times I also got disappointed of this situation. Some times there other ups and down in many ways and it seems that every thing is finished and no hope of any kind. This situation lasts for short times and God uplifts again in new spirit and strength.

Comparison of New and Old Life The comparison between old and New life is panic few times. For example: When I was serving as Layman I was maintaining good financial status. Before this I bought new clothes every month and had good bank balance. In mission work I never bought new clothes for years and no bank balance at all. I guess in four years I never went to bank, as there was no single penny. Few times as human being I complained to God for this. One day God asked me, “Your trust is in me or bank acount?” And the about the clothes, “I have given you the dress of Righteousness, which never burst or gets old.” Thank God in spite of many tough times I saw, I never remain hungry and out of clothes. As His promise

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Humbly Submitted by: Evg.Pervaz Rehmat Masih Executive Director The Last Age Ministries Pakistan www.thelastageministry.org

No Financial Supporters I worked hard, honestly, and faithfully but not much friends and supporters could be raised. Even then I did not loose heart and continue to do mission work with heart and same spirit. Years and years prayed for financial donors but in 10 years still we have not any single regular donor. Before

this I was working full time as Accountant and Evangelist with international missionary organization “Language Recordings Institute” for 12 years (1992-2004). At least I had every month salary to assist family needs and mission work needs. Now what happened that in 2004 God asked me to resign from this office and do full time mission work. I started to serve full time with The Last Age Ministries, Pakistan. This ministry was established in 1998 and I was already serving as Volunteer from 1998-2004 as part time. This was tough decision, but as God leaded, I followed it and left the job. For your information I want to tell you that The Last Age Ministries is faith and self

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reminds us “Do not to worry for food or clothes but seek His kingdom first and you will get all these things as reward.” This is very much true and practically I have lot of times experienced His blessings in my life. Every time when I got disappointed of support, God provided at the right moment. This is not just once but many times.

support missionary, evangelical and social and community development organization. There is no regular support or salary monthly. So I started full time work with this ministry. My family suffered a lot with the passage of time as it was hard and no financial support for family. At one stage my family asked me to find a job but I was of the view that I will not. God has asked me to do this and I will follow Him. No matter how much we have hard time many times. Thank God for His grace and love and provision. Some friends supported financially one time few times. It was enough support. Some I kept for family needs and some for mission work. Now the family was happy and mission work also continues to expand. As I mentioned earlier, my call is to work among the rejected and less privileged community. Our focus is to develop the community living in rural and backward areas. When I started to serve in villages will you believe the people do not know about Sunday school? Thank God now there is much awareness through media. We set up Sunday schools, hold conventions, seminars, women meetings, etc in those areas, so there can be more and more awareness. We planted few churches and still busy in planting new churches. ~

serious.spirit serious.money serious.family Money: The Good, Bad & Ugly A Series on Personal Finance by Brent Riggs your comments serious.extras

ere’s a bullet point summary for a series on personal finance I wrote called “Money: the Good, the Bad & the Ugly” that outlines Biblical financial principles. The entire series is included in my book “Life Without Debt”.

The Ugly:

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MARCH 2009

• No amount of money will ever make an unhappy person happy or a discontented person content. If you are discontent right this moment, you are a discontented person, period.

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• The pursuit of money never brings satisfaction and can consume your life. • The writer of Ecclesiastes declares this to be a waste of time and a very sad tragedy. • Wealth does not bring security. • Wealth doesn’t secure you from injustice, pestilence, wars, disease or adversaries. “Things” don’t give you security. Being in God’s will does. • Wealth never brings peace of mind. • The more you have, the harder it is to ever relax from the endless needs to maintain, organize, insure, protect, maintain and care for it all. The more you have, the more people will be trying to get you to give it up to them. Someone or something will always be trying to relieve you of your wealth. • Prosperity never decreases need. • The more money you have, the more needs there will be, the more hands that will be held out for it; the more someone will be trying to take it from you. It seems to be completely contrary to logic, but it’s almost universally true. The more you have, the more you need to take care of what you have and the cycle just keeps feeding on itself. • The richest & wisest man who ever lived hated life because his wealth was powerless to bring happiness. • Money is a blessing you can use in three ways: Lose it, spend it, or send it. • Life is risky and uncertain; invest

Personal Finances > Debt Reduction > Stewardship

Prosperity causes us to believe that what we have we deserve. your blessings and time wisely on things that matter eternally.

The Bad:

• Prosperity causes you to “need” what you never needed before. Increased prosperity causes us to “need” things we never needed before, whether individually or as a society. • Prosperity causes us to believe that what we have we deserve. • One of the most common advertising slogans now is

“you deserve.” This idea of “you deserve” appeals to the lowest common denominator of man: pride and greed; which explains why it is such a successful marketing tool. We don’t deserve anything. Everything we have is God’s, and not only that, the very ability to earn wealth in the first place is a gift from God. • Prosperity actually decreases true wealth for most people because we buy more than we need or

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serious.spirit serious.money Money: The Good, Bad & Ugly: cont’d serious.family your comments serious.extras •

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can afford primarily due to advertising. The more things we have, the more things we have to have. Prosperity feeds itself and advertising is like pouring gas on a fire. Advertising has one purpose alone… to make you discontent with what you have, who you are and what others think of you. Prosperity brings the freedom and power to pursue idleness, pleasure, recreation and multitudinous choices rather than being focused on a few primary pursuits. Wealth brings CHOICE OVERLOAD in every area of our life: clothing, vacations, entertainment, pleasure, recreation, etc. The important things in life quickly become “boring:” God, family, work & ministry. The freedom and power that money brings can be every bit as addicting and intoxicating as drugs or sex. Don’t underestimate its effects. Prosperity brings stimulation and sensation, but at a price. The more things we have, the more we can enjoy the sensations and stimulation of worldly pleasures and luxury. The problem is there is always more pleasure, more sensation, more money and more luxury. God wants us to enjoy life. He wants us to experience the wonders of His creation. But not at the cost of our fellowship and

longing for Him. • Prosperity can cause our material possessions to become “statements” instead of tools or simply blessings. • As prosperity increases, our possessions become statements of our so-called success. It’s no longer a blessing simply to have “things”... we must now have nice things, new things and stylish things that tell people how successful we are. Prosperity moves us from functionality and adequacy to image and status. • Prosperity solves some problems while creating others. • Material prosperity brings a mixed bag of blessings. Many things in life are made easier, cured, fixed or solved... but often times it creates a new problem unknown before that time such as stress, depression, boredom, covetousness, etc. Material possessions, wealth, technology and progress are all gifts from God when viewed in Godly perspective. We must be aware of the “price” that comes attached and counter it appropriately with spiritual safeguards. • Other hidden, potential dangers of prosperity that we should be on guard against: • Prosperity can cause you to feel like what you do have is somehow less because of what you can see that you

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don’t have. • Prosperity can cause us to be stressed or bitter about being denied continued prosperous growth. • Prosperity decreases deprivation and physical need but exponentially increases covetousness. • Prosperity increases our lifestyle and comfort but decreases our ability to empathize or care about the truly poor. • Prosperity can increase addictions of all sorts. • Prosperity can cause an increase in human conflict in families, businesses, communities & nations. • Prosperity can cause a society to cheat and distrust. • Prosperity rampantly increases impulsiveness and the short-term gratification mentality. • Prosperity can cause you to trust in, and find contentment in the blessings rather than the One who blesses. • Prosperity can cause us to begin to believe that what we have is ours, not God’s. • Prosperity endears us to this world and makes the glory of heaven diminish. • Prosperity can cause us to lose any cushion or reserves in our time, emotions and money to deal with life; and we become overloaded trying to maintain a lifestyle. • The Good: • Ask God for just the right

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The entire series is included in my book “Life Without Debt”.

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much. Everything we have is God’s; not 10%, not what’s left over, not what you decide to give Him; Even the power to earn money in the first place comes from God! God doesn’t owe us anything; He owns it all. We have no right to think we deserve anything; we should simply be thankful for what we do have!

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Get your mind off money and on to God, and see how quickly “things” fall in to their proper place. God prospers us not to raise our standard of living, but to raise our standard of good works and giving. You will give an account for what you did with your material blessings, and it will affect you for all eternity. If you are rich, then God expects you to be rich in good works. And remember the Biblical definition of rich: having more than you need for one day. We will have no excuse for not having laid up much treasure in heaven! Everything we have is God’s. God can decide what to do with His stuff quite nicely without me, thank you very

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amount – not too much, not too little. Or in other words, “Lord, give me just the right amount of money to live a Godly life and do Your will; but not so much that material possessions hinder my need and love for You.” Material blessings are a gift from God to be enjoyed as long as God remains on the Throne of our lives. There is nothing wrong with having money or having “things.” It’s when “things” have you that the problems begin. Never forget the Giver, and never allow the gifts to receive the adoration, desire and love that belongs only to God. Examine your life and be honest about what your real treasure is. It’s easy to figure out where our “treasures” are in life. Look at a person’s schedule and checkbook and the answer will be clear what is important to them. It is profitable for us to do a selfexamination occasionally to see if our “treasure” is where it should be: in eternity. We love what we pay for or invest in. You are attracted to, and interested in, what you spend your time and money on. Don’t believe me? Show me your checkbook or schedule and I will tell you exactly what you are most interested in. You will begin to be attracted to and more interested in God’s work when you start investing in it. Get your mind off money and on to God. God did not create us to be consumed with His creation.

Personal Finances > Debt Reduction > Stewardship

serious.money serious.family your comments Home Sweet Home serious.extras By Steve Cummings

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MARCH 2009

ohn Howard Payne (9 June 1791 – 10 April 1852) was an American actor, playwright, author and statesman. He is today most remembered as the creator of “Home Sweet Home”, a song he wrote in 1822. In 1842, John Payne was appointed by President Tyler to be the American consul at Tunis in Africa. Payne died in Tunis in 1852. He was buried in St. George’s Protestant Cemetery in Tunis. Due to his love for his country, in 1883, his remains were disinterred, brought

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to the U.S., and reburied in Oak Hill Cemetery in Georgetown section of northwest Washington D.C. The most famous words he probably ever wrote were: “Mid pleasures and palaces, though oft I may roam; be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home.” The dearest place on earth and the nearest place to heaven ought to be the home. But it is increasingly true in another way that there is no place like home. For the home, as we know it, and the home as God meant it to be is becoming more and more like a war zone or an endangered species. A few years ago, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics reported that:

1. 100,000 of America’s children are in prison. (Teenagers and under) 2. 4 out of 10 children in America live in a broken home, and 7 to 14 million of these children will become alcoholics. 3. 55 out of every 1000 children between the ages of 7 and 11 have received some form of psychiatric help. 4. 1 million girls between the ages of 12 and 17 will get pregnant this year. 5. 1 in 5 girls between 12 and 17 use drugs at least twice a week. 6. 10 million minors are infected with venereal diseases and there are 5,000 new cases every day. 7. Between 10% and 15% of children try or contemplate suicide (2nd leading cause of death amongst teenagers), and juvenile delinquency is increasing 7 times faster than the population.

In 1985, for the first time in our nation’s history, families without children outnumbered families with children. Add to this that the divorce rate rose 700% during the 20th Century, with 50% of all first marriages and 60% of all second marriages ending in divorce. It’s not rocket science—the home is in trouble. No nation ever has, ever can, or ever will rise above the quality of its homes. Show me a broken home and I will show you a lot of broken hopes and broken hearts. Scholars have studied the decline of ancient civilizations like Rome and Greece. They have found the patterns to be the same in every instance. Here’s the pattern: 1. Men cease to lead their families in worship.

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2. Men selfishly neglect the care of their wives and children to pursue material wealth, political and military power, and cultural development. 3. Men being preoccupied with business or war begin to neglect their wives and become involved with lower classes of women or homosexuality. 4. The role of women at home and with children lost value and status. 5. Women being neglected and their roles devalued, revolted to gain access to material wealth, and also freedom for carnal relationships outside of marriage. 6. Laws regulating marriage made divorce easy. 7. Husbands and wives compete against each other for money,

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serious.money serious.family Home Sweet Home, cont.d your comments serious.extras

MARCH 2009

home leadership, and the affection of their children, resulting in hostility, frustration, and possible homosexuality in their children. Many marriages end in separation and divorce. 8. Many children are unwanted, aborted, abandoned, molested, and undisciplined. The more undisciplined children become, the more social pressure there is not to have children. The breakdown of the home produces anarchy. 9. Selfish individualism grows and is carried over into society fragmenting it into smaller and smaller group loyalties. The nation is thus weakened by internal conflict. 10. As disbelief in God becomes more complete and parental authority diminishes, ethical and moral principles disappear, affecting the economy and government. Thus by internal weakness and fragmentation, society comes apart.

It is strong families that build a strong civilization. It might sound trite, but it is all so true; as the home goes, so goes the world. The best bailout plan for the current mess weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in is not contained in some stimulus or bailout plan voted on and passed in Washington D.C. by politicians. Godly fathers and mothers have more power to bail the world out than the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the government put together. When we bring back the home as God intended it to be, then many of our problems as a nation will automatically vanish away. Money, military, jobs, choice, politics, strategy, and education will not solve the problems of our nation. The main problems we face in this world are not economic, but fundamentally moral, social, and spiritual! Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only hope is to restore the home where:

1. The father is the head of the home. 2. The mother is the heart of the home. 3. Children are the highlight of the home. 4. Christ is the hope of the home. 5. All together, these produce happiness of the home. ~

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Steve Cummings is a full-time minister and life strategies coach, who conducts family and communication workshops, instructing people on how to improve all aspects of their interpersonal relationships. Email Steve: steve@tusculum.org

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serious.money serious.family The comments Cool, Young & Hip Family: your Hold On a Sec... Responding to Our Children serious.extras

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By Brittany Claire

[Brittany is Mom to six kids and wife, according to her, to a smokin’ hottie. Their blog is fresh, creative and fun. Brit is going to write something for our younger (or young at heart) families! Hope you enjoy. ~ BR] “Yeah, okay honey, hold on a sec!” I don’t know if anyone else around here has noticed, but I am saying that phrase a little… er… a lot too much lately. I am pretty sure I’m sending the wrong message. With four wild boys, infant twins, a husband, a dog, a cat, a revolving kitchen door, a never ending pile of laundry and everything in between, it’s no surprise that I feel pulled in 10, 20, and sometimes 30 different directions all at the same time. It’s one of the glorious perks of having a large family, although I’m sure whether your family is big or small, most of you can relate. Unfortunately, I think I’ve gone a bit too far. The words “hold on a sec” slip from my lips a little too easy lately. It has become my first reaction to almost any question, comment or plead from the little loves in my life. It’s a fact that my moments of simply sitting around and being completely able to just do whatever I am being asked are few and far between. Are

the dishes really more important than my little one asking to be picked up or the boys asking me to read a book to them? With those four little words I am telling my children that what I am doing is more important than them, that it’s okay to not quickly respond to someone asking for your help, urgent or not, and so much more. Now don’t get me wrong... I am there for my children. Most of the time when I say “hold on,” I am there within a minute or two but it’s the fact that I keep saying it over and over... as if I need to impress on them they need to be waiting around for me and I am never available right away. It has become Mom’s canned answer, and I am so done with its excess. There are obviously times telling a wanting child to hold on is more than needed, but abusing it seems to void its effectiveness all together. What about our expectations when we ask our children to do something? First time obedience is kind of a big thing around our house. When we ask a child to do something we expect them to do it. Unlike me, when a child tells us to hold on a second, it’s usually not an accepted answer unless there is a genuinely apparent reason for it.

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What if we’re setting ourselves up for destruction without even knowing it? Is our child’s time not valuable, do they not deserve respect and patience just like we do? Maybe we shouldn’t expect them to do what we are asking them to do right then and there with no regard to what they are already doing unless it is absolutely needed. Instead, we need to teach them to do what we ask, the first time, while helping them to manage their own priorities and time and still respect what Mom and Dad are asking them to do. Sometimes a quick response is a must, but sometimes it’s not. So, the next time I want the boys to do something like putting away their laundry, which is not normally an urgent task, I can ask them to do so while respecting their

Family, Fashion, Kids, Style, Living, Fun time and teaching them to be responsible. I could say, “Boys, when you’re done playing Zingo, please come into the laundry room to get your clean clothes to put away,” to which they should reply, “Okay, Mom.” This is better than the scenerio of “Boys, come get your clean clothes from the laundry room to put away,” to which they might reply, “Hold on, Mom, we’re playing Zingo.” A little different spin on the same question and answer, but with a whole lot more opportunity to teach children important lessons about life. The next time they need something from me, they’ll say, “Mom, when you’re done with the dishes can you help me set up Mouse Trap?” I can reply, “Sure, Honey, I’d love to!” instead of Mom’s old canned answer “Sure, Honey, in a second!” ~

Brittany Claire is a young, artsy, fun loving, sometimes silly, a little hippie, classy-funky-chic,vintage loving, Jesus following mama. Visit her blog: http://www.4littlemen.blogspot.com/

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serious.money serious.family Experiencing Spiritual Reality your comments serious.extras By John Barnett

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e need to pray for reality in the spiritual lives of those in our family. So often we don’t know where to start, and even more—how to pray for them. This chapter (from The Joy of a Word Filled Family by John Barnett) examines elements that measure the depth of spiritual life and make Christ’s life real in them. As we saw in the last chapter, the

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people who were closest to Jesus Christ—those who knew His heart and priorities from watching Him minister as they ate, slept, walked, and talked with Him for 3-plus years—adopted as their first and chief method of ministry the giving of themselves continually to prayer. They understood that God wants to do something great in and through each of us. He wants to do something we can’t plan, program, or calculate so that He gets all the honor and the glory. Those closest to Jesus understood that prayer catapults us to the frontiers of whatever God is doing around the world. Here is a modern day testimony of a real-life drama and subsequent incredible answer to prayer. It came to me from one of our deacons at Tulsa Bible Church in an e-mail from 2002. Do you remember the news in late May of 2001? Reports that two American missionaries in the Philippines were abducted and being held for ransom sent shock waves around the world. Countless numbers of God’s people prayed faithfully for Martin and Gracia Burnham during their tortuous 377-day ordeal in the jungle. As it turned out, Martin was brutally murdered shortly before his wife was freed. At Martin’s memorial service in Rose Hill, Kansas, a dear saint from Tulsa Bible Church, Marilyn Sargent, discovered how our Savior had ministered to Gracia in a very special way throughout her captivity—a direct result of one person’s specific prayer on her behalf.

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Prayer catapults us to the frontiers of whatever God is doing around the world. After the memorial service, Marilyn spotted Gracia sitting in the receiving line. Gracia wept as she grasped Marilyn’s hand and expressed how much of a blessing she, and especially her brother, Ron, had been in her life. All three knew each other in their college years, but Gracia and Ron had ministered together as members of a touring singing ensemble from Calvary Bible College. While on tour, Ron frequently sang a special solo based upon Psalm 18—“Tower of Strength.” Its

message that God is the tower we can flee to for strength during times of great need would later impact Gracia’s life when she was out in the jungle. This became evident when she tearfully expressed to Marilyn, “During a very hard time in the jungle, there were many nights that I needed special encouragement, and it was just like I could hear Ron’s voice in my heart clearly singing ‘Tower of Strength’ to me!” Marilyn couldn’t stop thinking about what Gracia

had said. When she arrived home, she hurriedly called Ron and started to say, “I was just at Martin’s memorial service and you wouldn’t believe what Gracia …” Ron excitedly interrupted her: “You know what? When I first heard about their abduction, and began to pray for them, I was reminded of Gracia’s love of hymns.” “Yes,” Marilyn said, “You always knew where she was in the college dorm because (continued next page)

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she was always singing to the Lord!” “So,” Ron continued, “I went into a room and closed the door, then loudly sang all the hymns and songs I could think of that Gracia knew and loved, and I prayed, ‘Lord please use that to encourage Gracia!’ And I sang and prayed for Gracia many times.” Then Marilyn exclaimed, “Ron do you know what Gracia tearfully told me? She said that she could clearly hear your voice in her heart singing ‘Tower of Strength’ and many other songs, and every night God used music to minister to her, as Martin would sing to her.” Ron himself then started crying with joy over the power of even one person’s faithful praying! Surely, “the effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16b)! Beloved, Godanswering prayers are not only for the Rons of this world but also for those who will diligently pray for their loved ones. It is true! As a result of such faithful prayers, God does indeed want to do something great in and through each of us— something so grand that we cannot even imagine the marvelous things He has in store for our children who are discipled to follow Christ with their whole heart, soul, mind, and strength! With that

thought in mind, we are now going to look at some specific areas to pray over in our children’s lives.

How To Pray For Reality In Your Children’s Lives

To begin with, how can we pray most effectively for our children? The Apostle Paul—who labored in prayer for his children of faith night and day—reveals the answer in Galatians 4:19: “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you.” What an amazing verse! Paul is likening the intensity

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of his praying to the physical act of giving birth. For most women, giving birth requires intense focus and exertion of every part of their will power and strength. In other words, effective praying means laboring in prayer for our children with the same type of strength and focus that it took to bring them into this world. The starting place is to specifically pray that in their spiritual lives Christ will be formed in them. And what is the content of the prayers to be? How do we know what God will respond to or even want us to pray? The answer is obvious—God’s Word!

Word-filled praying is a call for God to sanctify those we are praying for. Jesus told us the means of sanctification in John 17:17: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”

Pray They Will Be Genuinely Saved

“From childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15). We should pray to see our children genuinely saved. What is genuine salvation? In the verse above, Paul is talking to Timothy, his son in the faith. He is saying,

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“Timothy, from the time you were still young enough to have to be fed, dressed, and carried, you have had a knowledge of and been acquainted with the sacred Writings, which are able to instruct you and give you the understanding for salvation which comes through faith in Christ” (av). Exposure to the Word of God opens the heart to make a person wise, which in turn leads to salvation by placing faith in Christ Jesus. We believe in Him, and He transforms us. That is genuine salvation. We ought to regularly pray that our children will know the Holy Scriptures so that they will become wise unto their need of God’s

supernatural work inside of them. It is so easy for our children to just know the facts and not experience the reality of seeing their lostness. Only God at work drawing, convicting, and converting can save them. Do you know what biblical wisdom is? It is Truth in action—Truth that is acted upon, Truth that is lived out. We should pray that they will live out this Truth, this wisdom, leading them through the Scriptures to salvation. Below is a simple but powerful prayer— evangelistic praying— and something we should each be involved in for those we love. Prayer Example: Lord,

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serious.money serious.family Experiencing Spiritual Reality... cont’d your comments serious.extras help my children to know the Scriptures! Give them the wisdom to see that they are lost without Christ, and then help them to have faith in Him.

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MARCH 2009

Pray They Will Love God’s Word

“I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth More than my necessary food” (Job 23:12). We should pray to see our children loving God’s Word. Any spiritual life must be built upon the Scriptures, which are our only real source of nourishment. In the verse above, Job is confessing that he has not departed from the commandments of God’s lips. Isn’t that interesting? When we read the Bible, we are getting instructions from God’s very lips. Isn’t that simply amazing? Through the Scriptures, He is actually talking to us! Job went on to say, “I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.” Have you ever paid attention to how hungry kids eat? Wow! They can eat volumes of food! In fact, I’ve told Bonnie that I don’t know if I can afford raising five sons. It’s unbelievable how much they can eat! But, do you know what? Job 23:12b is saying

that we should hunger for God’s Word with that same voracious appetite. How are you doing in this area? Do you love God’s Word more than food itself? Remember that common saying often heard at Christian camps? “No Bible, no breakfast; no Bible, no bunk.” That adage simply means that we should make it a priority to spend time with the Lord before ever starting or ending our day. God wants us to enjoy being with Him even more than whatever we love to eat. Just as we have to eat to live physically, so we have to eat the Word of God— the Bread of Life—to live spiritually. We should model Psalm 119:97 to our children: “Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.” Meditation is likened to cows that eat grass, chew on it, and then ruminate because they want to get everything possible out of their food, and so should we with our spiritual food—the Bible. We should love it so much that we think about it (keep chewing) all the time. The effect of loving and meditating upon God’s Word is seen in Psalm 119:165: “Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble.” If our children see that spirit in us, and they learn to love the Scriptures in the same manner, they

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will not stumble or fall when faced with new situations. The more they learn to love and meditate upon God’s Word, the more they’ll develop the ability to make wise decisions and have proper responses in all circumstances. While reading through the Bible, a good prayer habit is to write your loved one’s name beside a verse that you want to pray for them. For example, consider Jeremiah 15:16a: “Your words were found, and I ate them.” You might say, “Lord, I pray that [name] would find Your Word and eat it.” What you are asking is that they would get the Bible out and devour it as they would a fine meal. And, just as a prayer of thanksgiving ought to be offered before eating physical food, so we should pray before eating spiritual food: “Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law” (Psalm 119:18). Sometimes readers don’t get anything out of the Bible because they have failed to ask God to prepare them so that they could get something out of it. As parents, we should ask the Lord to help us fully delight in God’s Word and then to see our children do likewise. Prayer Example: Lord, help me be a godly example to my children. May they (continued next page)

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serious.money serious.family Experiencing Spiritual Reality... cont’d your comments serious.extras not want to depart from the commandments of Your lips, and may they treasure the words of Your mouth more than their necessary food! I pray that they will think about Your words all day long and desire to live by them— because they love You so much!

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MARCH 2009

Pray They Will Live Victoriously

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. … Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:32, 36). We should pray to see our children living victoriously. In John 8:32 and 36, Jesus gives us the key to victory. The context of those verses is seen in verse 31: “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.” Christ’s disciples were liberated because they knew “the Truth”—a Person— who had set them free. I recently read an interesting article that illustrates this topic well. A man went to a counselor and confessed that he was a 29-year-old pornography addict. He wanted to know what counsel he would offer. Do you know what that counselor said? He told the man that he did not need counsel or therapy. He didn’t need someone to pray for

him. He just needed to repent. That is exactly what the Bible says. In verse 36 Jesus said, “If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” A lot of people want others to pray for them or give them counsel or therapy. However, they do not really want to change—to repent. Do you know what we should pray? We should pray that those we love will live in victory. Living in victory means that they won’t want to be in bondage to any sin—to be ensnared, to live in the gutter, in the darkness, in the ways of this world. It means that they would rather be led by Christ, to live according to Truth. How do we pray for that? We pray John 8:32 and 36 for them. Verse 32 is another good place to write a loved one’s name as a prayer. Say, “Lord, help [name] to know the Truth.” What does “know” mean? That word means “to intimately experience.” Now

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let’s apply that to verse 32. Who is “the Truth”? It is a Person. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). If you come to know Jesus intimately and personally, He can make you free! We are also asking for God to do what He promised He can do—grant them repentance: “In humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:25-26). “Set the people free” has been the marching order of missionaries for the past 2,000 years. Missionaries have gone to the heart of Africa, to the opium-ravaged lives of China during the 1800s, to India where the people were enmeshed in

should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15). We should not try to put our children in a bubble, or make them wear earplugs, or put blinders on them. Instead, we must pray for their immune system so that they will want to live in victory— want to know the Truth. God’s way to keep children from evil is this: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your Word is truth” (John 17:17). And so we must pray that through intimacy with the Word of God they will learn to live victoriously! Prayer Example: Lord, I pray that I will be a godly example to my children. May they learn to love abiding in Your Word so they will intimately know the Truth who can set them free. Keep them from the evil one. Cause them to hate sin and not want to be in bondage in any way. Wholly sanctify them through Your Truth.

Pray They Will Love Thinking About Heaven

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“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1-2). We should pray to see our children loving to think about heaven. That will not come naturally to them because everyone is born with a desire to seek things here on earth. Proverbs 23:7a says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” In other words, whatever or whomever we think about most is what we

will eventually become. That is how I can always tell where people’s affections are. For instance, avid fans of rock or popular music begin to act in the same fleshly manner as the stars they want to imitate. Others opt to wear a favorite entertainer’s brand of sunglasses, or adopt one of his or her hair styles. Why? They want to be like their heroes and heroines. But God’s way is that His children are to be imitators of Him. To help you prepare your own heart to pray for a heavenly-mindedness in your family, may I suggest a great overview of heaven? Note the footnoted site. According to the Greek, Colossians 3:1a should more literally read: “Since then you were raised with Christ [it’s a fact], seek those things which are above ….” What the Apostle Paul is addressing here is this: Since you have been raised with Christ, change what you are focusing on and start laying up treasures in heaven instead. This involves a willful, conscious choice. Verse 2 tells us how to do that: “Set your mind [affections] on things above, not on things on the earth.” Whatever we love, we will talk about. Whatever we love, we want. Whatever we love, we usually get. Most of us will strive to get anything we really, really want—even at the cost of great sacrifice. Well, God says, “Really, really want Me!” Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth. Wow! That is not

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darkness and demons, and to cannibal infested islands. The only thing they took with them was the Bible, which they preached faithfully. Through the Word, pagans were immediately delivered from cannibalism, demonism, sensuality, Hinduistic and Polytheistic beliefs. Why is that? Because that is how God works; He sets men and women free who come to know the Truth, Jesus Christ, and if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. If you are not personally set free, you haven’t intimately experienced the Truth. For Jesus says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin [practices sin habitually] is a slave of sin” (John 8:34). The ultimate bondage is not political or economic enslavement but spiritual bondage to sin and rebellion against God. We need to hate sin and rebellion: “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, … For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry” (1 Samuel 15:22-23). We therefore ought to faithfully pray for victory in our own lives as well as those we love! The world is a dangerous place, full of temptations aimed at leading our youngsters astray. To protect our families, should we drop out of society—like a child born with no immune system who is forced to continually live within a plastic bubble to avoid exposure to dangerous germs? No, withdrawal is not God’s way. In fact, look at how Jesus actually prayed for us: “I do not pray that You

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(continued next page)

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MARCH 2009

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easy; it is supernatural. So you should pray about it. Colossians 3:1 is another good verse to write a name beside as a prayer. Say, “Lord, I pray that [name] will seek those things which are above, where You are. I pray that they will be drawn to You today.” Beside verse 2, write the name again and say, “God in Heaven, I pray earnestly that they will today set their affection on things above and that their affection for things on earth will be loosened.” Do you know what? You can almost measure your earth-mindedness by how much you love to be in touch with what is going on down here. And what is the primary medium for staying in tune with everything that’s going on? The electronic media of television, internet, and radio? If you are constantly struggling between being heavenly-minded and the lure of the enticing media, then what you are saying is this: “I know this is true, but I really have set my sights down here, and I just want to be totally in touch. I want to know about every flood, every car or plane crash, every murder, every war. That is really where my true affections are—not on things above.” Think about it. What are you drawn to most? While we are on the subject of thinking about heaven, here is another great verse:

“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called …” (1 Timothy 6:12). Knowing that John 11:26 says that whoever lives and believes in Christ will never die ought to motivate us to make each day count for eternity! We should then pray to see this spirit in our children as well. Prayer Example: Dear Lord, I pray that You will help me to make each day count for eternity! Help my children to also be heavenly minded by setting their affections on things above, and not on this earth. May our whole family fight the good fight of faith, and lay hold on eternal life as we should be, for that is what You have called each of us to do.

Pray They Will Find Sin Repulsive

“By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:24-25). As I was writing these words, I was sitting on an airplane ready to take off from Burbank, California. My cell phone rang, and Bonnie told me she was having trouble with one of our children at home. My instantaneous,

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Spirit-prompted response (after I listened to exactly what happened) was to say, “Honey, I will pray right now for God to get a hold of their heart!” More powerful than a stern word from Dad over the phone is the humble cry to the throne of God from a Word-filled dad on behalf of his child! When Bonnie picked me up at the airport, my first question was about that child. She smiled and said, “I know you prayed. They were remarkably quiet and changed from anger to quietness.” I was then able to much more effectively deal with their heart when I returned home. Dads, be men of prayer! Jesus told two prayer stories in Luke 11 and 18. The theme of each was humble persistence. A single earnest prayer will do more for your children than a thousand anxious thoughts or angry words! We should pray to see our children grow by the power of the Spirit of God to find sin repulsive. Some things we all find disgusting—like finding a hair in your salad. Yuk! For me, my most repulsive lesson was learned as a little boy. Our church was built in a courtyard around beautiful apple trees. As soon as church was over, I loved to scurry outside to climb one particular tree. One Sunday,

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Truth together in their lives until they themselves come to the place of finding sin truly repulsive. Another great verse on this subject is Proverbs 20:17: “Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.” What this means is that at first a secret sin may seem to be sweet because nobody knows about it. But those moments can quickly turn sour because of this scriptural principle: “You have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). As a parent, be thankful when God reveals hidden sins in your children’s lives. This gives you both prayer and training opportunities. On more than one occasion over the past 20 years of shepherding our (continued next page)

twitching body. Oh, it was so disgusting! To this day, every time I take a big bite out of an apple I remember that lesson, and I look to make sure there’s no twitching before I chew and swallow. From that point on, eating worms has been repulsive to me! In Hebrews 11:25, we see that Moses chose to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. Somebody had taught Moses that sin has pleasure—like my first bite of that delectable apple. However, he also knew that pleasure is passing— like the shock of quickly finding half of a twitching worm. We need to pray that in our ministry to those we love, God will enable us to build up a wall of Truth in their lives. Truth mixed with the mortar of prayer is what will hold that

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before I even got out the door, my mom warned, “Johnny, don’t eat any of those apples! They haven’t been sprayed, and have worms in them!” Naturally, because I was five, I knew more than she did. I picked an apple, checked for any telltale holes, and it seemed perfectly fine to me. (I thought worms came from the outside-in, eating toward the middle.) I remember the joy of polishing that delectablelooking apple, and then taking a big bite. Chomp, chomp, chomp. Yum! No worm … When Mom caught me eating the apple, I proudly said, “It’s great!” She then asked, “Did it have a worm in it?” Suddenly I looked down and saw twitching—half of a worm remaining … Yuk! Worms taste just awful! I will never forget the sight of seeing what was left of that

serious.money serious.family Experiencing Spiritual Reality... cont’d your comments serious.extras children, we have stepped into their lives at the exact moment that exposed some form of willful disobedience. Each time it was a divine appointment to shepherd their hearts. What an answer to prayer! Are you praying that God will expose hidden sin in your children’s lives? Prayer Example: Lord, once again, I ask You to help me be a godly example to my children. We can’t keep our kids in a bubble, totally isolated from the world. We can’t keep blinders and earplugs on them, or keep them on a leash. But if they ever do stray into sin, I pray that it will be found out and taste like gravel in their mouths. Let them see the ugliness of that twitching worm so that it will become so distasteful, so repulsive, that they’ll never want to taste it again.

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MARCH 2009

Pray They Will Stay Tender Toward God

“The sacrifices of God [are] a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart—These, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). We should pray to see our children stay tender toward God. Have you ever broken a bone and, even after it is healed, you are still protective of it? Perhaps it was a wrist, an arm, or an ankle that

crumpled under you. It is tender. You have an operation, or a cast put on, and it is still tender. In Psalm 51:17, David is likening that scenario to his heart. He is saying, “Lord, I want to keep my heart tender toward You. I want such a broken spirit that You don’t have to knock the door down to get my attention. I want both a broken and contrite heart so that I will humbly come before You and say, ‘Yes, Lord, I fail You often. Yes, I’m sinful and weak. And Lord, I’m not going to think that apart from You I can do anything.’ ” James 4:6b and 10 says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble. … Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” That word “humble” comes from a word meaning “to make oneself low.” Because pride is the root of all sin, and humility is the root of all virtue, we ought to pray that our children will have broken and contrite hearts before the Lord. Prayer Example: Lord, I pray that You will start with me by giving me both a broken and a contrite heart. May pride never rule in my life! Help my children to likewise humble themselves by hating sin and depending upon You alone for victory in every circumstance! Make our family truly honoring to Your name!

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By the way, did you know that you can’t pray any of these things for someone else if in that area you are regarding iniquity in your heart? For God says: “If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear me” (Psalm 66:18). In other words: • If you are not genuinely saved, your prayers cannot be answered. • If you are not loving God’s Word personally, how can you ask God to prompt your children to love God’s Word? • If you are not living in victory, you have no grounds to say, “God, help them to live in victory.” • If you yourself are earthly-minded, how can you possibly, in the name of Jesus and His character and His Person, by faith ask Him to help someone else live in a heavenly-minded way? You see, to have an effective prayer life, it calls for our own lives to be checked out first by our Master “mechanic.” Therefore, we must continually watch out for the need of a tune-up so that we can more effectively pray for our loved ones. ~

John Barnett has been teaching the Word of God for 31 years and is currently the Senior Pastor at Calvary Bible Church in Kalamazoo. Email John: jb@dtbm.org

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MARCH 2009

Marriage - It’s not about being perfect, it’s about perfecting

By Jennifer McKinney Prince Charming and I don’t have a perfect marriage. But the thing is, until rather recently, we had a much less than perfect marriage. (C’mon. I can get really vulnerable and real with you guys, right? I feel safe enough and bold enough to do it tonight, so, before I change my mind, I’ll plow ahead. Plus, in a way similar to Not Me! Mondays, I think great good can come from being willing to be open and honest with others about what life is really like on the inside.) And our marriage was definitely less than perfect. But that, my friends, was then. Now, we have a perfecting marriage. Get it? It’s a verb. We are being made

perfect. By God, of course. And, while we will never see this perfecting come to complete fruition on this side of eternity (In normal people speak: We are human and are never going to be perfect until we die and go to Heaven.), we are reaping grand rewards here on earth for making choices to view our marriage relationship through the lens we believe God intended us to use. It’s been a long road so far and it’s mind blowing to think that, in the grand scheme of things, we are still just in the beginning legs of our marriage journey. Oh, but back to God. He is performing a miracle in our marriage. It is not about us;

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we could never have willed for this to happen. It’s all God. This summer, when we learned that Stellan, as yet unborn, was gravely ill and I was hospitalized for nearly 3 weeks while we alternated between waiting for Stellan to die and waiting for God to reach down and do the impossible, our marital relationship was stretched to say the least. I was used to being in control. Scratch that. I was used to the false sense of being in control that I formerly clung to. But that sense of control I used to need was ripped from me when I could do nothing to alter Stellan’s situation. It was drastically difficult for me. Prince Charming was probably experiencing something similar. Not that I would have known. We were both pushing each other away at that time. Men like to be able to fix things (Their broken three-wheelers, their sick baby, their wounded marriage...). And I liked to think I could control things (My organized kitchen cupboards, our children’s eating habits, my husband’s behavior...) by keeping such a tight grip on them that there was no way to go but my way. It wasn’t until the precious unborn son inside my body and my relationship with the precious husband I made vows to five years earlier

nearly slipped between my grasp that I finally listened to God: It isn’t my grip on things that keeps our little life chugging along so nicely. In fact, it was at my own hands that the life was being drained from my own marriage. It is God’s grip on us, whether we choose to believe in Him or not, that is the only true grip. My grip was just an illusion. There was nothing on earth I could do to fix Stellan, to make sure he didn’t die inside of me. Likewise, there was and is nothing I can do to guarantee a fulfilling marriage with my husband. Nothing, that is, apart from choosing to follow God’s will for my marriage. And, as I almost learned the

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very hard way, God’s will for my marriage is not for me to try to manufacture some false sense of equal partnership with my husband, in that he must meet my needs and honor me and make me happy before I will feel willing to reciprocate the same for him. I am beginning to strive to speak nicely to my husband even when he is not doing the same. I seek to respect him even if he is not acting respectable. After all, I enjoy being loved even when I am unlovable! And Prince Charming very often gifts me with just that kind of love. And God always loves us even when we are unlovable. What if marriage were meant to make us holy and not (simply) happy? What if

by striving to honor Prince Charming even when he hasn’t earned that from me, I then am able to be more like Jesus? Wouldn’t that be an awesome outcome of marriage!? We get so much from God that we do not earn. By learning to give that way to my husband, I thereby honor God. I glorify my Savior when I submit to my husband. Submit is not a word that is in my everyday vocabulary and I know it can rub some folks the wrong way. For goodness sake, it has rubbed me the wrong way for much of my marriage! But I cannot deny that the Bible freely uses the word submit when referring to marriage.

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serious.money serious.family Submission Is Not A Four-Letter Word!, cont’d your comments serious.extras

Ephesians 5:22 says, “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.” I have neither the time nor the desire to tackle a discussion of all of the misconceptions that abound about the word “submit” in our enlightened (Tongue firmly placed in cheek.) culture. What I do feel a tugging to speak on is how submission (Or honoring, respecting, and putting Prince Charming first in our marriage...) plays out in my relationship with my husband. Oh, but before Biblical submission began to play out in our marriage, first I tried to stamp it to death by demanding my way. Of course, I demanded in ohso-sweet MckMama fashion as to attempt to get my way without Prince Charming realizing I was overstepping my bounds. Um, that did not work. Our marriage derailed and landed in the ditch, due in large part to the havoc I’d wreaked. Instead, as my husband and I are allowing God to now rebuild our marriage brick by brick, God has gone from whispering in my ear and tapping me on my shoulder to gently shaking me with both hands and speaking directly in my face: “Don’t try to demand your way, my daughter! Stop fabricating rules that your husband must follow before

you’ll let yourself be happy. Quit seeking happiness in your marriage by trying to find meaning and emotion in every single cotton pickin’ thing your husband does or doesn’t do. Just relax. Just be. Just serve me with your marriage. Prince Charming can never make you ultimately happy, anyway. Being happy isn’t the goal I even created marriage to help my children attain! Find a true joy, my daughter, a sustainable peace in your marriage from letting go of your need to control your husband and meet him in the middle in all decisions, big and small. Give him leeway to lead you, for I have put your Prince Charming in that role for you.” Okay, God. If You say so. And, to be honest, at first, when God struck me with these principles (I was struck with them through reading the Bible, reading books on marriage, talking things through with my sister and mother, seeing a marriage counselor and developing beautiful relationships with a small handful of more mature mentor wives who have befriended me), I was a bit dethroned. I was willing, but I dragged my heels. “Okay, okay,” it was as if I told God. “I will stop requiring my husband to make me happy, stop sulking when he doesn’t use exactly the right tone

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I wanted him to use, stop reminding him of all the big and small ways he is not succeeding in making me happy. I will. But then, that will really stink. I’ll just be unhappy all the time, while I honor You. I mean, honoring You is great, but what about me!? I’ll be like a doormat, letting my husband do and say whatever he wants, while I have to overlook it just to obey you.” And I was prepared to do just that, because God was asking me to follow Him without any promises of how I would feel or what I would get in return. But lo and behold, friends, when I gave up my claim to require Prince Charming to serve me before I would love him back...when I gave up my so-called right to be made happy by my husband in all things...then I began to find something ever so much better than fleeting happiness. I have begun to find an unspeakable peace, an enduring joy and a lasting satisfaction within my marriage. In surrendering my need to be fulfilled by another human being, I thought I’d be left with a bit of a hollow feeling. But the opposite has been true! In fact, I was just telling Prince Charming yesterday that I feel a weightless freedom that I

have never known before. To not require him to meet my happiness needs doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t leave me feeling unhappy; I feel happier and freer than ever! I simply choose to stay in my marriage now. I am choosing to not force Prince Charming to try to fulfill me or meet my happiness needs. I have been finding so much lasting joy in loving Prince Charming because I decide to, and not always waiting for my feelings to lead me to love him. The feelings come, though, my friends. Oh, boy, do the feelings come. Forsake myself and my desires, follow God by putting Prince Charming first, choose to seek to make him happy instead of myself, and it all flows back down. His desires

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are becoming mine and we are enjoying life as a team now. My husband can hardly wait to meet my needs, now that I am not demanding that he do so! He sees my side of things ever so much more than he ever has. I respect him, he loves me, God is honored all around, and truly, everyone wins! And man alive am I as hot for my charming husband as I have ever been since the day we married each other. Did I really just write that!? Life is still most certainly not perfect. I am not always happy. But I am coming to learn that that is okay. And putting my husband first will never be a bad choice for me. Please, my friends, feel absolutely free to agree or disagree that this is how

marriage ought to work. There have got to be endless scenarios in which the answer to marriage problems is not as simple as this. Women cannot singlehandedly heal marriages by putting their husbands first. There are acts of God involved as well as details too eternal for my finite mind to comprehend. I mean only to share a bit of our journey of love with you. Because for Prince Charming and me, the proof is in the pudding. And neither one of us plan to have our fill of this pudding anytime soon. ~

Jennifer McKinney is a successful blogger and photographer. Visit her blog at mycharmingkids.net and email: mycharmingkids3@gmail.com

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serious.family your comments serious.extras The Funny Things Our Kids Say

ach month we go back and find some of the comments and feedback from our blogs that we think you wil enjoy reading. We never cease to be amazed at the good stuff readers respond with. The following are excerpts from “Funny Things Our Kids Say.”

He, of course, was laughing so hard too. He really just wants to hug you and in no way is trying to say you stink - but who knows that! He has done this to a few of us in public too LOUDLY!

JILL SAID...

Our sweetest one is Dear Heavenly Fodder.

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MARCH 2009

Several of our children are from Guatemala - 5 to be exact. Well, a few words have stayed with them - one is “bo bo” you know for going #2. Well, our 2 yr. old Noah loves to say this all of the time. We know he gets it - but says it for everything. When someone behind gets close he sniffs them and says “BO BO” very loud! Our family can’t help but fall down laughing. I homeschool the children in our kitchen and Noah usually sits in his high chair with things to do. My back is to him most of the time. Well, one day while writing on the board, I got close enough for him to put his head right on my behind -immediately he screams, “Mommy BO BO!” The children and I could barely contain ourselves.

AMY SAID... I still think one of my favorite was when Aleigha was little. She adored her blue ‘overBigMac - MckMama’s oldest alls’ but couldn’t remember the name of them born has been singing from for anything. So she would a young age, so we have had ask me on a daily basislots of mis-spoken lyrics. “Mommy, can I wear my elbows today”. Me- “Um, One that some could likely yes honey, I sure hope you find offensive is from Jesus do!” Loves Me-- “they are weak but he is wrong [instead of strong].” What makes REBECCA SAID... it funny is that we are so appalled but she insists that I had a student who loved her way is correct! going to “arts and craps” as well. It never failed to make She also insists that “No me laugh. Our daughter, one built the Ark” instead of Ruthie, who is Guatemalan Noah.

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JOJO SAID...

The Best of Your Comments & Feedback

When my friend’s daughter (Grace) was 2, my friend had their little boy(George). One day a couple of months after George was born, they were getting ready to go out. George was crying and Mum was trying to get the last few bits sorted, so she put George in his car seat and put him in the car. Dad came downstairs and asked Grace where George was, to which she replied ‘He’s driving up Mummy’s wall’! AMY HARKEY SAID... My older daughter was not a very good milk drinker when she was little. We realized when she was about 2 that she would drink milk for us if we put a couple drops of coffee in it for her. So, long story short, she began asking for a “puck of cocky” instead of a cup of coffee every morning. Instead of saying “love you”, my younger daughter said “ la lu” for a couple years. My precious neighbor had a hard time with the “th” blend, so when he would ask his mother for something, instead of hearing the answer “no” he would always ask her if she would “stink about it” instead of “think about it”. My daughter loved french fries from a particular fast food restaurant here in our area. The name of the restaurant is COMMENT ON THIS PAGE:: http://www.seriouslifemagazine.com/comments?p=030971

serious.family your comments serious.extras Bojangles. Makenna is 7 years old, and still calls it Jingle Bells! PHYLLIS SAID... I finally ordered a 2009 planner and it was delivered to the house yesterday. When Kristen got home she picked it up, not knowing what it was, and here’s how our conversation went: Kristen - “Oh, a journal.” Me - “No, it’s not a journal.” Kristen - “Is it a diarrhea?” Me - “HUH??” Kristen - “You know, the thing you write your secrets in.” Me - “OOOOHHHH...no sweetie, it’s not a diary.”

Aren’t I Funny? - Abby give her “you know that was funny” look.

little girl asked why we are telling Sophie to go away?!!!

ONE HAPPY MOMMA SAID...

Also, we sing a song called ‘Our God is a great, big God’. Another little girl asked why we are calling God a dog!! She thought we were singing ‘Our God is a great, big dog’!!!

My daughter who is 3 with repaired cleft palate has a hard time pronouncing words starting with the letter T. They come out with a hard C sound.

JENILEE SAID...

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MARCH 2009

JOJO SAID... At the end of our Girls’ Brigade evening, we sing a song that goes ‘Go away safely, go away safely, go away safely, the Lord be ever with you, Amen’ At the end of one evening a

We were on our way to my parents’ house for Christmas last year and my daughter Annalise said, “Mommy, I can’t wait to see the kajama fish with the polka-knots.” Translation? My parent have a salt water fish tank with a Polka-Dot Pajama Fish. We all say kajama fish now!

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But by far my favorite thing she says is, when she will ask to watch the movie, Lady and the Tramp. She even misses the M in Tramp. You guessed it, it comes out Lady and the Crap! I laugh every time. SARA SAID... Our 9 year old son was 2 when he asked, “Mom, are you going to use shampoop

The Best of Your Comments & Feedback on my hair?” Our 4 year old daughter likes to draw and write in her “diarrhea” (aka diary). ANONYMOUS SAID... For you’re welcome she says good welcome. For drink she says dip-dee. When she was 2 she could say fork and truck properly, but she could not say frog correctly and it came out every single time exactly how you are thinking it did. This went on for more than 6 months!! CARRIE SAID...

So last night when I put her to bed and I said, “I love you,” she said back to me “I love me.” We couldn’t stop laughing. You want your child to love herself, so I guess it is all okay.

ANONYMOUS SAID... We have 2 lovely little ones, whom we adopted through foster care. Our 2 1/2 year old was quite confused for the longest time. When he was younger, whenever we would have french fries for dinner, we would tell him constantly, “Now, be careful, they’re hot.” So, he thought french fries were called “hots.” And, he’s at that stage where he’s trying to dress himself, and he keeps getting stuck in his sweatshirts.

When my youngest was 5 years old, we were at my mother’s house and in the bonus room was a deer

BETH SAID... My daughter, Katie, is 3-1/2 years old. She can’t

When my son was about four he loved to suck on the lemons that came in my iced tea. One day I ordered a soda. When it came to the table my son looked at it, looked at me (in utter sadness) and told me in his loudest voice “I want women.” The waitress left in tears of laughter and brought him back some “women” and let me know that he is going to be handful when he’s a teenager. K E L LY S A I D . . . My 3 year old son can not say his “k’s” instead he says “t” instead. Of course his older brother (11 y.o.) loves to have him say “kitty”, and “I love kitties”. We have all laughed at him, so of course, he thinks it is funny too!! ~

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LISA SAID...

K AT H L E E N S A I D . . .

He came walking through the house this AM, half in and half out of his sweatshirt, his face totally lost inside the fabric, saying, “Momma, momma... I suck, I suck...” It was a hoot. He so did not understand why my husband and I were laughing.

seem to pronounce “music” correctly. She says “mugus”. However, when she’s talking to someone who doesn’t understand her, they always think she’s saying “mucus”. For example, she told her Grandma the other night that she had been to “mucus class”, which left Grandma wondering what in the world I’m enrolling her in!!

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Savannah is just learning to speak, and she is mixing up her me’s and you’s. She asks me to carry you, change you, tickle you, so I am trying to explain to her that it is carry me, tickle me, etc.

hanging on the wall that my brother had killed. Noah was just looking at the deer and stated, “Uncle Bryan must be an awful good shooter. He’s so good he shot the legs off of that deer.” We laughed so hard. He couldn’t figure out where the legs were...

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The Cactus Cuties:

Baylee, Blaire, Andi and Madeline

he other day my mom emailed me with a video link and said, “You’ve got to see these girls sing. They are incredible.” What timing. She was talking about the Cactus Cuties. Just a few days previous, I had arranged to do a story on them and put them on the cover. My mom was pleasantly shocked when I wrote back and told her this. I was glad it happened, though, because it just confirmed to me how much these little darlings are capturing

the hearts of heartland America. We actually came into contact with the Cactus Cuties and their manager because of Abby (our daughter with Leukemia). Somebody told somebody who told them about her, and we saw a comment from them on our blog. We replied and introduced ourselves, and here we are. I don’t know about you, but I long for more wholesome and endearing things to return to our country. Even the previously innocent Disney channel teaches our kids to be catty, pop culture addicted, and self absorbed. What some of our culture labels “corny,” we embrace as

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MARCH 2009

By Brent Riggs

The Cactus Cuties: Baylee Barrett, Blaire Elbert, Andi Kitten and Madeline Powell 74

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the true spirit of our country and it’s original foundations: goodness, sweetness, patriotism, family and God. That pretty much sums up The Cactus Cuties: Baylee Barrett (14), Blaire Elbert (12), Andi Kitten (12) and Madeline Powell (9). If you haven’t seen them before, take a minute to watch this video:

Fort Worth, TX for Sky Ball VI 2008

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Madeline chimed in with a bit of added emphasis. “We NEVER lip sync.” I felt appropriately and deservedly admonished. Blaire jumps in for the first time, “I really love the sporting events too. The people cheer really loud, and your adrenaline is just pumping. People have always been wonderful to us in their response to our singing.” “Is it always nuts for you guys?” I inquired. “Are you running around juggling schedules and school, or do you live a normal life for your age?” Madeline answers, “We’re just normal every day kids when we aren’t performing. We go to school, and we love playing together at the studio where we record. We’ve created the Cutie Pie Café there and we have aprons and chef hats. We spend a lot of time together there having fun. It’s s-o-o-o-o cool, we loving playing there for hours and hours non-stop.” “We all live in Lubbock,

you all someday soon,” I told them. They responded in a chorus of “wow” and “cool” and “awesome,” which reminded me how much more fun it is to interview kids than adults who guard their responses lest they sound ’uncool.’ “Please tell Abby we are praying for her and we love her very much. She stole our hearts,” Baylee explained. I asked, “What is your favorite type of event to perform at?” “My favorite is sporting events, “ Baylee answered. “When you walk out and all those people are packed in there and cheering for you, it just makes your heart race. The biggest event we’ve performed at was a New Orleans Saints football game, and that was a blast.” “I know I’m not supposed to ask this, but did you have to lip sync because it was a big stadium?” I wondered. “We always sing LIVE,”

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I called the girls the other day and had a fun, informal chat with them, and they just stole my heart. “Hi, girls…” I greeted them. “Hi, Mr. Riggs,” they chimed in, their talking voices almost in harmony like their singing. “Girls, I wanted to tell you first how much Abby appreciated the gifts she received from you. She loved the book, the cards and the autographed photos. Thank you so much. She’s in the hospital today and couldn’t be here to say hi, but she is looking forward to meeting

The Cactus Cuties singing The National Anthem in

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MARCH 2009

About the Cactus Cuties:

By Cami Caldwell In 1994, my parents, Don and Terri Caldwell, opened The Cactus Theater here in Lubbock, Texas. The theater was created as a venue to give opportunities to entertainers/musicians in and around West Texas and to generate local support for entertainment within the community. My mother, Terri Caldwell, created Terri Caldwell Music, a mentorship/ coaching program to encourage, support, and direct students toward reaching their full vocal potential while promoting positive self-esteem and an even greater love for singing. The Cactus Theater houses Terri Caldwell Music vocal recitals and concerts throughout the year providing students with a professional performance environment to gain stage experience. After graduating from high school in 2000, I attended Belmont University in Nashville, TN (Mike Curb School of Music Business), after the first

semester, I knew my heart was with my family in Lubbock, so I transferred to Texas Tech University and began performing at the theater and teaching voice at Terri Caldwell Music. My mother had created a kids’ performance group called The Cactus Kids, and after I got involved in 2001, she suggested I select a younger group of kids and call them The Cactus Cuties. So, in 2001 I selected seven talented kids between the ages of four and seven, and formed The Cactus Cuties. None of the existing four Cuties were in that original group. The Cactus Cuties began performing for civic and private events around the area, and as they gained exposure, more kids began auditioning and were added to the group. At one time, there were as many as nineteen Cactus Cuties, but through the years for various reasons, the group has evolved and been molded into the existing four members, Baylee Barrett (age

14), Andi Kitten (age 12), Blaire Elbert (age 12), and Madeline Powell (age 9). These four girls have been members of The Cactus Cuties for just shy of six years. At the beginning of 2008, we began having requests for The Cactus Cuties to perform The National Anthem as a group, so my mother arranged the parts, and we taught the Cuties the Anthem. In about two weeks, they had the arrangement down and performed it for the first time at The Texas Tech Lady Raiders vs. Texas basketball game on January 20th, 2008. At that time, there were five members in The Cactus Cuties, but shortly after the performance the fifth child’s parents removed her from the group to pursue other opportunities. The audience was truly taken by the Cuties’ performance of The National Anthem, and we were really happy with the performance, but never dreamed what would unfold.

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Texas,” Andi speaks up just as I was wondering when she was going to pipe up. “We see each other at voice and band lessons, as well as our Cutie practice.” “Baylee and I only live two blocks away from each other,” Madeline adds. “So we get to see each other all the time and ride together a lot.” “Do you go to regular schools, or do you have to tutor on the road?” I ask. “We all go to different schools, but we do go to just regular old school like everyone else,” Baylee informs me. “We have to do all our homework like normal but we get to have those times when we go on trips and perform, so it’s really fun.” “How often do you go out to do events?” “We go out three or four times a month,” Baylee replies. Being the oldest I’m starting to see she is probably the natural leader and semi-spokesman for the group. “We try to keep all our performing dates on weekends so it doesn’t interrupt school.” I joked, “That’s because you guys HATE to miss school, RIGHT?” A chorus of giggles gives me the answer I suspected, but since there were adults standing around listening to this interview, I didn’t get any quotes that can be used against them later. “I saw that one of your videos was viewed online over 9 million times or some crazy number. Was this the start of you becoming well known? Was there one event that kind of jumpstarted this whole thing for you?” I inquired. Madeline explained, “I

after hearing The Cactus Cuties’ video of The National Anthem. Many soldiers have contacted us from all over the world after listening to our own little Cactus Cuties. We cried after reading a comment from one soldier who was so moved by The Cactus Cuties that he played them over the loudspeakers at a base in Afghanistan. The Cuties truly have a heart for using their gifts to help others and have been blessed with opportunities to send packages and letters to many sick kids and adults throughout the country. Although we have experienced some amazing developments in the last year, the love we all have for each other is by far the most rewarding thing. We are truly a family. The four girls are BEST FRIENDS and have a love for each other that is much more like sisterhood than friends. We have spent countless hours playing games, slumber parties, shopping, playing Cutie Pie Cafe, and just being together. We are often asked, “I’m sure it is tough with four girls, is there a lot of bickering?” I laugh and say, “Believe it or not, we don’t have any of that.” The Cuties never tire of being together, and even after week long trips of nonstop togetherness, the Cuties STILL don’t want to leave each other! The Cactus Cuties have incredible parents who are doing a beautiful job of raising great kids and are instrumental in keeping the girls grounded. ~

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Madeline’s grandfather, Pop, wanted to show the performance to a family member in South Texas, so he posted the video on YouTube. In less than three months, the video had over five million hits. We began receiving calls from all over the US inquiring about the Cactus Cuties and requesting booking information. In May 2008, the Cuties performed at their first professional game. They performed the National Anthem and halftime show for NBA San Antonio Spurs vs New Orleans Hornets in a huge playoff game. They spent the rest of 2008 performing all over the country. They have been featured on The 700 Club, The Jerry Lewis Telethon, numerous NBA, MLB, and NFL games, and many high profile military events. In December of 2008, we were stunned to receive an invitation from The White House. The Cactus Cuties were thrilled to perform for President (at that time) and Mrs. Bush and their family at a private Holiday Brunch in The White House in Washington D.C. We have been contacted by numerous Record Labels and are currently exploring the possibilities of a record deal. We all feel so blessed with such incredible opportunities and can’t wait to see where God leads us all. We are humbled by the thousands of comments, emails, and letters we have received from people who have been inspired with a new sense of patriotism

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MARCH 2009

The Cactus Cuties performing in New Orleans, LA for the NADA Annual Convention January 2009

called my Grandpa, and he put up a video on YouTube for my uncle to see who lives in Austin. It was our first time to sing the National Anthem. After about three months over 3 million people had viewed it. People left us some amazing comments. A soldier from overseas said he found the video online and decided to play it over the loud speakers at his base in Afghanistan. That was really special to us.” That lead me right into the next question I wanted to ask, “What are some of your favorite memories of this whole experience?” At this point Baylee pops up with a story about them that confirms to me they are normal, rascally kids, but the story was met with some throat clearing by Cami, their manager, and a “Maybe we’ll just stick to memories that

have to do with performing.” As a father of seven kids, I knew the girls would feel right at home with us. Baylee tries again, “My favorite memory was singing at the Spurs game which was our first really big event. It was our first professional game performance and it was so exciting. We were very nervous.” “One my favorite memories,” Blaire explains, “was getting to sing at the White House and meeting the President. He was s-s-so-o-o-o nice.” Apparently it is a requirement to be in the Cuties that the word “so” has to be drawn out for at least three seconds. “Then we got to go on a private tour with the manager of the White House.” “What was it like to meet the President?” I asked pretty much guessing, and getting,

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the answer I expected, “It was s-s-s-o-o-o-o-o-o coo-wul!” For those of you my age, that translates to “It was so cool.” Blaire continued, “When we introduced ourselves and said, ‘I’m Blaire, I’m Baylee…’ he looked right at us and said, ‘I’m George!’ We said to him, ‘We are really excited to meet the President of the United States.’ And he said, ‘I’m really excited to get to meet the Cactus Cuties.’” Andi rounds out the memories with her favorite: “We were singing at the Houston Texans game. The players were warming up, and we were headed out on the field to sing the national anthem. We each had jerseys on with different numbers, and Baylee was shouting at her player, No. 91, ‘Hey, 91!, 91!’ trying to get his attention. After the game No. 91 came to Baylee and took off his helmet

pictures of people like Gary Sinise acting funny with us. It’s s-s-s-o-o-o-o-o-o funny.” I could not have enjoyed talking with these lovely young ladies more. I would be proud to have them as daughters, and even prouder for my own girls to grow up as sweet, polite and gracious as they are. We had great time in the interview. It was s-s-s-o-o-o-o-o-o coo-wul! ~

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about doing that gig. Reba McEntire is going to be there and we heard that she was the one who actually requested us to sing there at a benefit fundraiser for Parkinson’s at the Celebrity Fight Night in Phoenix. That’s gonna be s-s-s-o-o-o-o-o-o coo-wul!” “We have a tradition when we meet someone famous that we take one serious pictures, and then one goofy picture. So we have

and gave it to her. Baylee thought she was just going to get to hold it, and he told her she could have it! It was s-s-so-o-o-o-o-o cool.” “Somebody told me that you guys are going to get to meet Muhammad Ali soon, is that right?” I asked. Madeline jumps in and I’m feeling another “s-s-s-oo-o-o-o-o coo-wul!” coming. I was not disappointed: “We are s-s-s-o-o-o-o-o-o excited

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Cactus Cuties Oh Say Did You Know Book CD Combo - $20 Take the Cactus Cuties home with you with this book and cd combo! Written by Terri Caldwell and illustrated by renowned artist Paul Milosovich, “Oh Say, Did You Know?” tells the beautiful history of our country’s National Anthem and will make you even more proud to be an American. The CD features the Cuties’ rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” plus two bonus tracks, Aretha Franklin’s “Think” and an incredible original song, “Children of America.” Order your copy today: http://thecactuscuties.com/store.html

Serious.Life Magazine is proud to bring you The Cactus Cuties Photo Gallery. We are privileged to include several previously unreleased images. We hope you enjoy them, and be sure to visit their website too: thecactuscuties.com

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The Cactus Cuties with The Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Own Marine Band after performing on the steps of the Capitol in Washington D.C W R I T E U S AT: L E T T E R S @ S E R I O U S L I F E M A G A Z I N E . C O M

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The Cuties celebrating their first Hummer limo ride in Virginia Beach, VA

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MARCH 2009

The Cactus Cuties after their first private jet flight in Erie, PA

Aspiring chefs posing after being presented with aprons and hats for Cutie Pie Cafe!

The Cuties playing Ninja Spies

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Baylee with The Cactus Cuties at the NADA Annual Convention in New Orleans, LA

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Cuties playing dress-up as the “Soul SIstas” in their hotel in Houston, TX.

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MARCH 2009

The Cactus Cuties on stage at The Cactus Theater before the Cactus Family Christmas Show in Lubbock, TX

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Cuties performing at The Texas Tech Lady Raider game in Lubbock, TX.

The Cactus Cuties waiting to perform at the NBA Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Los Angeles Lakers game in Cleveland, OH

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MARCH 2009

The Cuties performing in Lubbock, TX, July 4th 2005

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The Cuties backstage at The Cactus Theater in Lubbock, TX

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One Pound Miracle

The Story of Kayleigh Anne Freeman

y wife, Aimee was balled up in a fetal position in her hospital bed. She couldn’t move, could hardly talk, and let out an occasional groan as the pain in her chest was stabbing her like a dull knife piercing her skin. I could hardly stand to see her in so much agony as the nurses and doctors attended to her needs to ease the pain. Aimee was rushed to labor and delivery with blood pressure off the charts that showed us nothing other than the signs of severe preeclampsia. Aimee’s condition could easily

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MARCH 2009

By Adam Freeman

send her into a seizure that would be so intense that it could take her life. Just 48 hours before, our angel doctor administered a Betamethazone steroid to help Kayleigh grow a little quicker and develop her lungs at a faster pace to breathe our air. This is all after growing an amazing 200 grams in the past week to reach a state of viability. We had been praying to reach a size where the doctors could have a chance to save her life with tubes small enough to fit down her throat to help her breathe. That kind of growth is unheard of in such a short period of time with a baby who is already so growth restricted inside the uterus. Everyone was in complete awe after hearing how much she grew in such a short time. Aimee was on the operating table filled with pain medication and a spinal that blocks all the pain from her chest down. Just minutes before, I was pacing back and forth in the next room praying the spinal would work or I would not have been allowed to be by Aimee’s side. The doctor and at least 10 others, including a neonantologist, respiratory therapists, anesthesiologists, and surgical assistants, were frantically rushing around, preparing for what could be an outcome of life or death. Pain (continued next page)

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Adam & Aimee’s Story

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Aimee and I got married October 7th, 2006. It rained that day and whoever said that rain on a wedding day is good luck, they were right. It was supposed to be an outside wedding, right on the shiny green grass of the country club lawn. Family came in from all over the place and filled the room tightly, but so intimate it was. The wedding was so beautiful…the flowers, the people, and Aimee in her wedding dress. When she walked down the isle, I cried, and when we danced for the very first time, I cried. The day was filled with laughter and tears, but it was a day that solidified our love for each other by the rings we have on our fingers. I couldn’t explain why my life was turned upside down and Aimee couldn’t explain why her marriage fell apart. We couldn’t explain it because we both didn’t have God in our lives to help us understand. God is the answer! He is the one who taught me there is nothing too grand that I can’t handle and no matter how tough life can be, there is a reason for everything and I am supposed to trust God for that. The injury, the breakup, the wrong friends and the downward spiral was only to lead me to Aimee. The Godless marriage, the missing pieces, and the divorce were what lead Aimee to me. I used to think that Aimee changed all of the struggles I dealt with in my life, but it was God who was working through her. Aimee thought that it was me that filled her heart with the love she always longed for, but it was God who was working through me. We are each other’s blessings from God. ~

and determined young man came two years later in April of 2001. Both, Mike and Aimee grew a beautiful family, but lacked the growth that a husband and wife need together. God was not leading their lives, and they were faced to raise two small children separately under one roof. Days turned into nights, and each of them screamed for a change in their lives which was made six short years after they married. Aimee and Mike decided it was time to find that missing piece in their lives and separated paths. During those last remaining days before I moved, Aimee and I spoke about being spontaneous. I think we were just trying to impress each other, but it was a moment that will forever be engraved in my mind. Sitting out on her balcony apartment for hours talking about life, we spoke of how nice it would be to walk on the beach and talk. Even though it was 1:00 in the morning, we hopped in my little brown car and drove over three hours to find ourselves on N 37th Street in North Myrtle Beach, SC. It was warm but breezy as the lightning softly flashed in the far distance over the ocean. We sat on a towel and listened to the waves crashing over and over, both silent as we lost all words for conversation. The lightning was getting closer and it started to drizzle, but even though we had no change of clothes, we didn’t want to abruptly end this beautiful moment. I leaned in and kissed her soft lips, and it was a first kiss moment that swept me off my feet forever.

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We met in April of 2004, a week before I was leaving Charlotte to start my life over in Virginia Beach. I rushed out the door of my work to get her number, not knowing why I was filled with this urge to know this beautiful woman. She had this presence about her that was so strong and powerful. I was compelled to spend the last of my days with this amazing person who pulled on my heart strings just by sight. Charlotte was a place that put a bitter taste in my mouth, and I had to get out as quickly as I could. I really don’t know what was causing me to feel this way, but I felt like I needed to be cleansed from something. Was it because I was not living my life to its fullest and I was depressed because my college baseball career ended due to a devastating shoulder injury? Was it because of the long relationship, 10 months prior, that drastically ended just a few weeks short of my wedding day due to a cheating fiancé? Was it the crowd I was running around with that had my life spiraling out of control with sinful acts? What was I running from and why couldn’t I face it on my own? Was I not strong enough or was God trying to lead me down a different path? Aimee struggled with a strained marriage that was also missing so many important factors that keeps a marriage strong. Shortly after they were married, they had the first of their two children. Allyson, a beautiful young lady, strong willed and independent, was born in April of 1999. Brandon, an intelligent, hilarious,

Kayleigh Ann Freeman, cont’d. shooting so hard through Aimee’s body was no match for any medication. She laid on that table like a true hero, a strong and brave young woman who I am proud to call my wife.

take a step back, and pull out the most beautiful sight I have ever seen. A fragile one pound – one ounce (470 grams) sweet angel was lying motionless, limp and unresponsive. The

All of a sudden, with sweat glistening off her forehead, the doctor cut an incision in Aimee’s abdomen. She patiently used her skilled hands to slice the placenta like an orange, so there is nothing obstructing the path. Curious to see what was going on, I tried to glance through the reflection in the plastic masks worn by both doctors. Holding one of Aimee’s hands, I gently ran my fingers through her hair as I know how much she loves me doing this. Aimee could lie still on the couch at home for hours just as long as I was running my fingers through her hair. Every second that passed by, I would ask Aimee if she was doing okay. I was a nervous wreck, just wanting to take all her pain away and give it to myself. I wanted this to be over quickly because I was so scared and didn’t want anything to happen to either of my girls. After what seemed to be forever, Aimee groaning with every tug and pull, the doctor sighed and I could see the amazement stream across her face. Time stood still for a second when I saw her assistant stop working,

only thing that came out of my mouth was “She’s so small” and I kept repeating myself over and over. It was a sight that no photograph on the internet, no story from other preemie parents, no imagination from my constant working brain could ever prepare me for. To see the small, delicate hands of our angel doctor holding a baby that barely fit in her palm was breathtaking. Tears quickly filled my eyes and blurred my vision as if I was fading out of a dream. With no time for me to cut the umbilical chord, a moment every Daddy longs for, Kayleigh was rushed over to a section where the Neonatal staff was rapidly working on her. Minutes slowly passed by and whispers were being conversed, but nothing was heard as the masks that covered their face muffled the sound even more. “Was the tube, we feared, not small enough for her? Was she dying right before my eyes? Is she dead already and they are trying to revive her?” Then all of a sudden, someone shouted, “She’s breathing!” A sigh of relief

rushed through my body as we made it to a point where many doctors said we wouldn’t. Kayleigh wasn’t supposed to survive the pregnancy that was filled with so many complications. She was born three months early on top of growing six weeks behind. That is the size of a 22 week “fetus,” as doctors call it…and sadly will still grant abortion/termination in some states! She had no amniotic fluid for more than half of the pregnancy. No doctor could explain how she made it this far. No doctor could explain what was wrong with the placenta. No doctor could explain any of it…but God can. Kayleigh is our one pound blessing from God. She was born on June 23, 2008, and is still fighting for her life. She has overcome many obstacles in her shortly lived, eight month life, such as Retinopathy of Prematurity (Stage 3) surgery, Gastrointestinal surgery for motility complications, Arterial Catheter surgery for pulmonary pressures, one of the smallest babies to ever have Open Heart Surgery to repair a VSD (hole in the heart), Severe Pneumonia that nearly took her life, and a recent Tracheostomy surgery to allow her to breath. Not to forget several infections, including a Urinary Tract Infection, she was diagnosed with Pulmonary Hypertension and currently has severe Bronchialmalacia of “both” bronchial tubes.

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MARCH 2009

A FRAGILE ONE POUND, ONE OUNCE SWEET ANGEL LYING MOTIONLESS, LIMP & UNRESPONSIVE

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http://kayleighannefreeman.blogspot.com

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and to save another baby’s life by giving strength to a family who is on the verge of giving up hope. Sharing her story has saved many lives, physically and faithfully, in a way that glorifies God beyond all measures. Join with us in Kayleigh’s journey, bring your prayer,s and be prepared to fall in love with this one pound miracle from God. ~

contact with this precious miracle. God plays a huge part in Kayleigh’s life, and we can see it through the blog He has allowed us to create. People from all over the world are touched by Kayleigh’s story and have grown closer to God, closer to their families, and it gives them hope in their own journey. When we created the blog, my goal was to share her story to friends and family

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However, Kayleigh has been close to going home twice, and the third time will be a charm. She has beaten every battle she has been faced with, and as the strong little fighter that she is, I have no doubt she will continue to beat the odds. She has many battle scars to share her journey for the rest of her life, and her story will be told forever by her entire family and everyone who comes in

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An Interview with Adam Freeman:

Adam, it seems that you and Aimee have created a popular blog that shares Kayleigh’s journey with the world. Tell us about it, and don’t be bashful... Our blog has touched the lives of so many people. God has certainly taught us that no matter how tough something is in our life, we can take that negative and turn it into something positive. People have built or strengthened their faith because of our of how we share what Kayleigh is going through and the strength God gives us when dealing with life’s troubles through this journey. Since you have laid your whole life out there for people to follow, what are some of the wonderful things your blog followers have done to support you through this? Brent, we are the luckiest people in the world to have the support we have been given by so many people. The comments about people coming to have a relationship with Christ are the most overwhelming comments because we feel like we are doing God’s will by sharing Kayleigh’s story. Aimee and I work as Realtors for RE/MAX Executive in Charlotte, NC. Since the real estate market is down and we spend a lot of time with Kayleigh at the hospital, we are facing foreclosure and will lose the beautiful pink room we made just for Kayleigh to come home to. We are also close to losing our car and risking losing insurance

because we have to pay a huge monthly insurance premium for the whole family since we are self- employed. Over Christmas, people donated to help us hold on to our house so we could have a miracle Christmas with our family. It was such a blessing that our children were able to enjoy this wonderful Christmas they deserved. Right now, two awesome followers have put together a donation giveaway (htpp:// www.Give4Kayleigh.blogspot. com) that will begin March 3rd and will end three weeks later. Aubrey and Katie have talked to over 20 small business owners who are donating items to be given away by a random drawing of a lucky winner who donated to help our family. One of the items being donated is a week long free vacation at a beach condo close to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. How awesome is that? We are so blessed these two wonderful people are doing this for us, and we hope and pray this will help our family get back on our feet. While Aimee continued

building back the successful real estate business with http://www. TeamFreemanRealEstate. com at RE/MAX Executive Realty in Charlotte, NC, that we once had, I had to search for a new job since our financial situation has gotten way out of hand. I didn’t know where to go. A good friend that I met through Kayleigh’s blog pointed me in the right direction, and I was blessed with the opportunity to work for Alliance Maintenance. They are a successful Christian-based commercial cleaning company out of Oklahoma. I will be an Area Developer for the Charlotte, NC market and will bid on accounts, hire custodial franchisees, and manage those accounts. Here’s my shameless plug as I work hard to get this busines off the ground: If you are a business in the Charlotte, NC, market and would like to possibly save money in a tough economy or are someone who would like to make extra money cleaning those businesses, visit www. AllianceMaintenance.com or contact me (Adam) at (704) 293-0845. There are so many other wonderful things our followers have done for us through this journey, and we are so blessed by their love and support. We would not have made it through this without each and everyone of them praying and leading the way. Thank you all so very much. God Bless ALL of you! ~

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Living Faith: Bruce Hess

A Man of Grace Who Teaches Grace

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ruce Hess is my friend (me being “Brent”, you know, the Editor of this thing you’re reading.) He is also one of my Shepherds. And a phenomenal Bible teacher. Bruce is, in my opinion, one of the most endearing gentlemen you will ever meet: transparent, engagine, sincere but never superficial. It was my honor that he accepted an invitation to be highlighted in our “Living Faith” series. His busy schedule necessitated that he respond in writing to our questions rather than the usual face-to-face interview. So without further delay, step with me into the living faith of Mr. Bruce Hess:

Tell us a little bit about how you grew up… family life, who influenced you, your spiritual background. I was born in Montgomery, Alabama, although both of my parents were from Pennsylvania. I grew up in a family where my dad was a traveling sales manager, thus we lived many places. Before coming to Oklahoma (my wife and I have been here 29 ½ years) when people would ask me where I was from, I would reply…from around. Our family (I am the oldest of three, two younger sisters)

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attended church nominally until we moved to the Kansas City area. We began attending a new church that had started meeting in my elementary school. It was the first place that emphasized talking about the Gospel message of salvation. Most of my family came to faith in Christ around the same time. I responded to the gospel at the age of 11 in my bedroom after having attended a special Gospel presentation at my church given by Willard and Margaret Grant. The Grants were child evangelists who used some 150 marionettes and colorful costumes to present gospel messages. Over a period of 40 years they traveled over 4 million miles presenting the message of salvation to children. I was one of those who responded. From age 11 to 18 I didn’t grow very much in my spiritual life. I did manage to go through confirmation class. Church was fun when I was with friends, but the content of the services became boring as I kept hearing the same things over and over. When I was about 15 I made a pact with myself…one thing I would never be was a pastor, after all, the Bible was the most boring book I knew. I made detailed plans to be a disc jockey as I loved rock and roll music, (continued next page)

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Pastor Bruce and his wife Janet arrived at Wildwood in July of 1979, following Bruceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s graduation from Dallas Seminary in May 1978.

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Bruce Hess

Living Faith, cont’d.

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especially from the years of 1964—1967. I considered skipping college and going to a broadcasting institute, but was talked out of that plan after interviewing numerous on-air radio personalities. Most of my junior and senior high years were spent in the KC area. My family moved back to New Jersey midway through my junior year…I went reluctantly, my heart was back in KC.

At what point did your life take a spiritual turn? When did you become committed to your current beliefs? Like many people, my life took a major turn in college. I traveled from New Jersey to the University of Nebraska having picked that college in part because of its proximity to KC and in part because of its outstanding journalism school. To be honest, my primary goal my first semester was to meet a nice girl and settle into a steady relationship. Nothing seemed to work. I was a kid from New Jersey with no car. Then while in my dorm over semester break, a man by the name of Dean Hatfield walked into my room. I still vividly remember the question he posed: If you were to die tonight, do you know where you’d spend eternity? I quickly quoted John 3:16 (one of two verses I knew by heart…the other was Ephesians 6:11 which I had learned from the Grants). Dean got a little misty and told me he visited the dorms sharing the gospel with students and he wanted to adopt me spiritually and help me grow. My immediate thought was… oh, no, a religious fanatic. I

immediately made plans to systematically avoid this man. We had 88 men on our dorm floor with a figure 8 pattern floor plan…the elevators where in the middle. I had many of my acquaintances look out for Dean’s arrival. When he came, they would tell me and I would sprint off in the other direction and down the stairs. I managed to avoid him for several weeks. One day, my scouts missed Dean’s arrival. He appeared in my doorway, trapping me in my room. I politely allowed him to come in. He told me he wanted to invite me to a Bible conference for a weekend. This was my internal response…a Bible conference?…you’ve got to be kidding me. No way I’m going to a Bible conference. I managed to mutter something like, I don’t know. And then he said, let me tell you where it is. Now he could have mentioned a plethora of cities anywhere in America and I would have refused to go. But, in the sovereignty of God, he told me it was in Kansas City. He immediately had my attention. I plotted to myself…just go, you can ditch the conference and call up your old friends, hang with them for the weekend, then show up at the end and get your ride three hours back to the University. I agreed to go. The conference was held at BethHaven church in North Kansas City where a guy by the name of Chet McCally, who had attended Dallas Theological Seminary, was the pastor. The theme for the weekend was the Grace of God. I still remember that first session. My jaw hit the floor. I had never heard anyone teach the Bible like that. He systematically

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worked through a survey of God’s grace, walking us through each passage and explaining the meaning of the verses. I was mesmerized. Never once did I think of leaving. I sat through each session from Friday evening through Saturday and on into Sunday morning. For the first time I began to understand the Bible and what it meant to live as a Christian. I was never the same after that. I spent the next three years immersing myself in learning the Bible. I remember one summer trip I took with some buds and listened to the exposition of the whole book of Romans by Hal Lindsey. Dean would often say to me, Bruce you were like a starved baby, once you began to get some nourishment you couldn’t get enough. I took off like a rocket. As the years passed I thought about my teenage pledge…to never be a pastor. I thought of some of my exposure to church, how there was so little clear Bible teaching. This seemed to be a problem in many churches. I began to think, I could help provide a solution to that! Slowly I began to make plans to go to seminary to learn how to better understand and teach the Bible. God worked in my heart, and the thing I once wanted to avoid at all costs now became my new dream. As it says in Philippians 2:13, God is at work in you both to will and to do His good pleasure. God also rewarded me while at the University of Nebraska by allowing me to meet my future wife, Janet. When I thought about which seminary I should attend, I realized that a majority of those who most imprinted my life were from

Dallas Seminary. Thus I headed off to tackle their four year program in 1974. Tell about your work, professional history, education and/or military service… As a kid I worked at various jobs from grocery clerk to field hand at a wood treatment plant to building metal electronic enclosures and desks. I graduated from Nebraska with a degree in broadcast journalism (I’ve always had an affinity and

been here now for going on 30 years. I had planned to go somewhere “long term,” but never dreamed that it would be three decades. By the way, my coming to Wildwood is another amazing story of God’s sovereignty in my life. Tell us about your family now… We were blessed with four young lives. Rebekah, now 30, was born in Dallas. Our other three, Emily, Kyle and Jennifer (28, 26, 20) were born in Norman. Janet

influential in your life, and why? Wow, so many. I wouldn’t be where I am now without the Grants and Dean Hatfield. Dean was so gracious to continue to pursue me even when I was avoiding him. He still shares the gospel (at the age of 77) and is a master at personally discipling young believers. He was just what I needed. A number of Bible teachers had pivotal influence in my life. Chet McCally was a master at conversational Bible teaching. John MacArthur taught me the importance of being thorough and theological. From Gene Getz I learned the importance of personal application. From Dr. Ryrie at Dallas I learned the importance of humility and being irenic in interacting with people. The most gifted Bible teacher I ever heard was Hal Lindsey in the days before he chose to concentrate primarily on Bible prophecy. He was the master of clarity. Those and others have helped shaped my style and approach in teaching truth. I buy any books by Robert Gromacki, R. Kent Hughes, D. Edmond Hiebert, and Robert L. Thomas. Howard Hendricks taught me to believe God for big things…things only He could do. He would often ask, What are you believing God for (and praying for) that only He could do? That principle has certainly spiced up my life and

AS THE YEARS PASSED I THOUGHT ABOUT MY TEENAGE PLEDGE…TO NEVER BE A PASTOR. I THOUGHT OF SOME OF MY EXPOSURE TO CHURCH, HOW THERE WAS SO LITTLE CLEAR BIBLE TEACHING. THIS SEEMED TO BE A PROBLEM IN MANY CHURCHES.

Name a couple of people who have been most

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and I have been married 35 years. Rebekah is married to Nick Key who works in IT at OU and they have two sons, Aiden (4) and Landen (7 mos). Emily is a surg tech at OU Medical Center. Kyle just graduated with a BS in business, and Jennifer is a junior at OU aiming towards the physicians assistant program.

love for radio). I was in line to be drafted into the military after college (I had a lower draft number...#48) and was making plans to enlist instead when suddenly the draft was ended. I went on with Janet to Dallas Seminary and graduated with a degree in New Testament. A year after graduation I came to Norman, Oklahoma, to pastor a small church of less than 75 called Wildwood Community Church…and I’ve

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I BEGAN TO THINK, I COULD HELP PROVIDE A SOLUTION TO THAT! SLOWLY I BEGAN TO MAKE PLANS TO GO TO SEMINARY TO LEARN HOW TO BETTER UNDERSTAND AND TEACH THE BIBLE.

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God has done things I could never have imagined. My first experience was as a poor married seminary student who desired to go to Holy Land. God answered that one amazingly in 1976 before my third year of seminary.

You must have many great memories and stories... can you share one or two of your favorites with us? A few stand out as illustrations of the sovereignty and grace of God in my life. One was our coming to Norman. The year after graduating from seminary was our first experience with an elongated trial. In those days 60% of a class had jobs by August. I figured I’d be in place by July (I am still working on the humility thing). Janet and I both remember the confusion, pain and doubt when we floundered looking for a job. What made it worse is that I had turned down several opportunities that summer because I sensed that God wasn’t leading us there. I first heard about the opening at Wildwood in October after my graduation. I was buddies with the placement director. He sent my resume up to Norman. By the time December arrived I was getting anxious. I turned to Janet and said, How’d you like to go to church in Norman on Sunday? So we got up around 4:30 am and drove three hours to Norman to attend the service. Afterwards, I introduced myself to the elders (there were two) and stated that I’d like to be considered. They seemed overwhelmingly uninterested. As we walked out of the building we looked

at each other, thinking to ourselves about the other, what do you think? We both had the same conviction, an unusually strong conviction— this was where God was sending us. Chet McCally had

commitments or obligations at all…and we can just talk? He agreed and said if you’re driving up, how about preaching on Sunday? The rest is history. Our hearts knit together as we talked over lunch, and they

taught me a lot about the interrelationship between the sovereignty of God and human responsibility. Sensing God’s leading, I couldn’t let go of my sense of conviction. Finally, in January I called one of the Elders and inquired again about the job. He said I didn’t fit their profile. They were looking for someone with at least 10 years experience (their first full time pastor had been a newby). I was informed that since I had no pastoral experience they were not considering me. Just as I was about to hang up, Elder Jim Nickel told me, Bruce, if we ever change our profile, we’ll give you a call. Janet and I continued to seek opportunities. February went by, then March, then April and half of May. We just couldn’t get Wildwood off of our mind. Finally, I decided that if God is at work in us to will His good pleasure, then I needed to call the elders at Wildwood again. When I managed to reach Jim Nickel and reminded him about me, he said, Wow, we lost your resume (I later found out they had put it in the round file). He further informed me that they had lowered their minimum qualifications for the job. I told him, how about if I drive up for lunch…no

invited me back to candidate in June, a little more than a year after I had graduated. We officially became pastor at Wildwood July 1, 1979. Another illustration of God’s sovereignty and grace is our involvement with Latvia. We have been ministering there since 1990 when it was still part of the Soviet Union. How that happened is quite a story. In the later 1980s a man and his family came to Wildwood. His name was Ilgvars Vermelis…a strange sounding name. As I got to know Ilgvars I learned that his family was from a place called Latvia (I’d never heard of it, nor was I that interested), part of the Soviet Union. His family had fled Latvia and he had been raised in a Latvian community in New York, being thoroughly trained in Latvian culture and being fully fluent in Latvian. Ilgvars was then a house painter, but a very educated guy. He kept telling me that his dream was to one day help minister to Latvia. I remember praying with him asking God to guide him and open a door of opportunity for him (What are you believing God for that only He can do?). As God would have it,

GOD HAS DONE THINGS I WOULD HAVE NEVER IMAGINED COULD HAPPEN IN MY LIFE.

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late in 1990 I heard about Campus Crusade planning their first trip into the Baltic region of the Soviet Union, to a place called Latvia. Hmmm. I did some investigating and informed the Crusade team that I knew of someone who could be their translator. Thus was the first step in God’s sovereign plan. In January of 1990, Ilgvars traveled with that first Crusade team into Latvia serving as translator. When he left for Latvia, I told him to check around and see if there was any interest in some church starting a sister relationship with a USA church. When he returned he informed me that those in Latvia wanted me to come and minister. Frankly, I thought, no way. I have little interest in such a place and no time to go. I had never entertained going there myself. However, God was at work. I rather reluctantly agreed, and sure enough, for some three weeks in November/December of 1990 we traveled to Latvia. Ilgvars served as my translator and body guard. We had startling experiences from seeing the hostile Soviet army up close to having a bomb explode two blocks from where we were sleeping. Over the years we have made numerous trips and have spoken in 42 different cities in Latvia (it is the size of West Virginia with two million people). I remember being awed my first visit there as we stood outside the Riga train station. You see, Ilgvars’ grandfather had been the railroad bookkeeper. When the Soviet Union was re-

invading the country in 1944, everyone with means was fleeing the country. Though their family had very limited means, as bookkeeper the railroad granted his grandfather, grandmother and their daughter (Ilgvars’ mom) a seat on the last train out of Riga. Immediately after leaving, the Soviet Air Force bombed all the railroad bridges. The family migrated to Germany where Ilgvars’ mom met and married his dad. Ilgvars was born in Germany and then the family emigrated to the US landing at Ellis Island and then moving to New York state. Years later Ilgvars just “happened” to show up at Wildwood (just like Ruth “happened” to come to the field of Boaz -- Ruth 2:3) What God has done in Latvia still amazes me. I remember traveling with native Latvian Talis Talbergs in the early years. Talis was the first contemporary Christian artist in Latvia. We held meetings together with Talis providing music and myself and Ilgvars (as translator) providing the messages. Ilgvars was highly steeped in Latvian culture and he could speak Latvian without an American sounding accent. In many places we were the first Americans to travel there since the formation of the Soviet Union. On one trip, as we stayed in an abandoned building, I remember asking Talis his ministry dream. What would you like do if God would provide and allow it?… don’t be afraid to dream big (what are you believing God for that only He can do?). He told me his dream was to have a Christian radio station in Latvia. I suggested we get

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on our knees and ask God to make that dream come true. Little did I know how God was listening. Over the next number of years the dream began to become a reality. Wildwood played an intimate assistance role every step of the way. People from Wildwood trucked in the first used radio equipment. The station began broadcasting in 1993. Today, Latvian Christian Radio is one of the leaders in Christian radio in all of Europe. It now has a broadcast footprint covering the entire nation. Eventually I got to reflecting about how difficult and tiring it was to travel to cities and speak. What if we could have a presence in Latvia every week? With Talis’ assistance we launched a radio program called Treasures for Every Day. Our messages at Wildwood are transcribed, sent to Latvia for translation, then read in Latvian by one of the leading national actors, Janis Paukstello. The program is broadcast twice weekly to LKR’s 100,000 listeners. God’s grace and sovereignty are amazing! One final illustration is God’s gracious calling of Janet and me into ministry with FamilyLife. In 1996 my sister and brother-in-law, Laurie and Rob Kopf, left Norman to go on staff with FamilyLife in Little Rock to run their warehouse operation. How Laurie and Rob got to FamilyLife is another fascinating story. Anyway, after they had been on a staff a few years they kept suggesting they we look into becoming speakers for FamilyLife’s Weekend to Remember marriage conferences. As honestly as I can put it—I thought such

ideas were foolish. Afterall, most of the speakers at these conferences were authors of books on marriage and I had never written any book on marriage. Repeatedly I kept putting off Laurie and Rob. Then I was teaching a series on Knowing the Will of God. One of the principles I shared is that sometimes God uses the believing family around us to give us godly counsel and direction from the Father. The Holy Spirit communicated to me (not audibly), Well, Mr. Bible teacher, you teach principles, but you don’t always follow them. I immediately made the connection. I had been dismissing the counsel of Laurie and Rob and perhaps I was missing part of God’s will for my life. I immediately contacted the Kopfs and gave them the go ahead to submit our names for consideration. We are now in our 13th year of speaking at the Weekend to Remember conferences as Wildwood graciously tithes us out five Sundays a year to speak to couples around the country about God’s plan for marriage. Such is the overwhelming grace of God.

experiences that he allows into our lives are used by Him to shape us to serve Him and others more effectively, in addition to causing us to grow up and grow closer to Him. When I was diagnosed

OVER THE NEXT NUMBER OF YEARS THE DREAM BEGAN TO BECOME A REALITY. WILDWOOD PLAYED AN INTIMATE ASSISTANCE ROLE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.

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Last word… what advice, encouragement or lesson would you like to leave our readers with? I guess I would point them to the two truths that have so deeply impacted my life. God is sovereign. There are no accidents or surprises with Him. You do a great job of conveying that to your readers, Brent. God always has a plan even when we can’t see it. He wastes nothing. That is why even the negative

with prostate cancer (due to surgery I am now cancer-free by His grace) I had no idea the avenues of ministry and encouragement to others that would open, nor how it would refresh my own appreciation of life. The second principle is the grace of God. None of us deserves to be where we are, to have what we have, nor to know and serve Him. It is all grace…everything…one’s intelligence, health, abilities, opportunities. I’m reminded of the principle from Romans where it says that grace teaches us to not think more highly of ourselves (and our entire life situation) than we ought to think (Romans 12:3). Truly, who we are, what we are, and even the salvation we enjoy is totally by the grace of God. I resonate with the Apostle Paul when he declared—by the grace of God I am what I am (1 Corinthians 15:10). The Lord Jesus truly deserves all the honor and all the praise. ~

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By Laurel Diacogiannis

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MARCH 2009

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

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On a hot summer night, in August 1982, Jim and I professed our love for, and commitment to, each other. We were young and in love, with each other, and with the Lord. We knew this verse in Jeremiah, and we were glad that the Lord had a plan for our lives. Yet, at the same time, we had our own plans, which we hoped would also turn out to be the Lord’s plans. Our plans were, actually, quite simple. We planned to have six children and we planned to “live happily ever after”. All of our friends, of course, told us that we would certainly change our plans, once we had children; because, we obviously didn’t know how difficult parenting really was. Now, we just laugh and say, “Yes, the Lord changed our plans. We didn’t stop at only six.” I’m glad that the Lord didn’t reveal his whole plan to us all at once. At age twenty it might

have been a bit overwhelming to hear that the Lord planned to make me a mother of thirteen children. Yes, I loved children; and I definitely wanted a “large family”. But, I don’t think I had ever met a family with more than 4 or 5 children. Less than a year after our wedding, with our vivid dreams of a large family still fully intact, we were given devastating news. I had severe endometriosis, and was told to have an immediate hysterectomy. What about our plans? I quickly made an appointment with a new doctor. The diagnosis was the same; yet this doctor told me that he would hold off on doing the surgery for a short time, so that we could pray about the situation. He did, however, tell me that I had a 2% chance to ever get pregnant. While I boldly told everyone that “God doesn’t care about percentages.” Jim and I also began to discuss the possibility of adoption. We knew that we were called to have a large family, and we weren’t hesitant at all about the adoption option. The Lord answered our prayers, and only two weeks after the diagnosis, I was pregnant with our first child. The adoption discussions disappeared, as we prepared for the joys and responsibilities of parenthood. Despite the endometriosis, we were able to fulfill our dreams

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of a large family very quickly. In just six years, we met our goal … we had six children under seven years old. Life was a crazy whirlwind; but I was filled with joy beyond belief. The craziest thing, however, was that I didn’t really feel that we were done. We slowed down the pregnancy pace a bit, but our family continued to grow. Baby #10 was born the day before my 40th birthday, and the year our oldest child became an “adult”. Jim and I both felt happy and content with our extra-large family. The Lord had surely blessed us. “Yes,” I thought, “maybe we are done. Maybe ten is the perfect number for our family.” Several years passed. Jim was very happy with our family size, and didn’t see any need to discuss the possibility of adding more children. However, I began to dialogue with the Lord. For two full years, I carried on this discussion. “Lord … do you want us to have more children? Aren’t 10 enough? It really seems like we’ve done our part. I’m really busy with homeschooling the children and working full-time. A baby just wouldn’t fit into my schedule, would it?” But … for two years, I didn’t feel at peace. God was definitely stirring in my heart. Now, for 4 years, Jim’s response if the subject even came up was, “We’ll already be “old” when the younger ones grow up. I want to be able to

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emails at work to respond to. Upon arriving home that evening, I popped into my office to quickly check my emails. Jim followed. As I read the email, I didn’t dare look at Jim. Here in front of me was a picture of three beautiful children in Africa. A woman from our church was in Ghana adopting two children, when she met these three. Every time she was with them, she felt strongly that they were supposed to come

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and prayed for wisdom. I felt strongly that we were to adopt a large sibling group. If this was truly the Lord’s calling, He would have to make it clear to Jim. I was out of town for the day, when a most unusual email arrived at our house. Even more unusual, was the fact that my dear husband decided to go onto my computer and check our family email account that day. This was a very rare occurrence, as he felt that he got enough

enjoy their teen years with them.” End of discussion. In November 2006, while visiting friends, the wife mentioned that she, too, had had a stirring in her heart, and that she had begun looking into the possibility of adoption. Instantly, Jim’s concern was answered. If we adopt children older than our youngest, we will still be parenting the same amount of years. It was so clear … to me, but not to Jim. For six months, I perused adoption websites

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Ten Is Enough - After 10 children, we thought that our family was complete.

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home to our little farming town in Washington. And, she couldn’t shake our name from her mind. Before I could even think about how to respond (knowing that Jim was still adamantly saying “No.” to an adoption), he suddenly asked, “What are you going to tell her?” “What would you like me to tell her?” I barely could find my voice to respond, fearing the answer. “Tell her we will adopt them.” Jim went on to explain that the moment he read the email, the Lord told him that Jacob, Sarah, and Rachel were to be our children. While I was out of town, he had already told all of our children and shown them the pictures of “their new brother and sisters”. And, so, the adoption journey began. “... let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:1-3 The adoption adventure is definitely one of life’s races; and we can only win that race if we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, so that we do not grow weary and lose heart. We have

been on this adventure for 19 months. At the 8 month point, I wrote a blog post, using this scripture, and compared the adoption journey with a marathon. Now, however, I’ve changed my mind. This is definitely the Ironman Triathlon. There are 3 parts to the Ironman Triathlon: a 26.2 mile marathon run along the coast of the Big Island, a 2.4 mile ocean swim in LailuaKona Bay, and a 112 mile bike ride across the Hawaiian lava desert. There are also three parts to the adoption process: the wait, the travel, and the transition.

The Marathon Our adoption adventure started with the marathon. We had some stretches of smooth, flat running, at times even sprinting. Things looked good, and we thought we’d have the children home for Thanksgiving. Yet, we also encountered unexpected hills to climb and valleys to trudge through. Things started out with a sprint. We found a social worker and had our first home visit. We took pictures of the family and our community, and made personalized family scrapbooks for each of the children. We bought them clothes and sent them letters. This was a very exciting time for all of us. At the same time, we had

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no idea how quickly we would hit our first bumps in the road. We mailed off our final homestudy paperwork the day before leaving for a week long vacation, expecting everything to be processed by the time we got home. However, upon our return home, we found the original envelope in our mailbox … returned for lack of an extra .23 postage. This, then, delayed our timeline for traveling across the state to file our I600A. Yes … very disappointing … but only the beginning of the delays. Just a few days later, we were again recharged and filled with unbelievable excitement, when we received a dvd of our children talking to us. I still get goosebumps when I recall watching it over and over; showing it to anyone that would watch. All three children told us, “God bless you, for all that you have done for us.” in their most precious British accents. Jacob told us that his favorite present from us was the “beezeball” (baseball). After tossing and turning most of the night, I finally figured out the best bedroom configuration for the eleven children that would be living at home (our eldest 2 were already gone). This brought about a very exciting time of painting, decorating, and buying new furniture. We bought 2 sets of bunkbeds, 1

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Your Children - Immediately upon seeing this picture, the Lord spoke to Jim and said, “These are your children.”

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“Okay. Can someone take it?” I was told that in order to have my blood pressure taken at the doctor’s office, I would need to make an appt., and therefore, pay for it. I was then instructed to go to the fire department or the grocery store. By that time, I told the receptionist that it was probably good that a nurse couldn’t take it for me, because I was sure that it was quite high at the moment. We finally sent all of the medical forms off to Ghana; and they proceeded to get lost in the mail. Sigh … Soon we realized that not only was a Thanksgiving homecoming not likely, but we weren’t

adoption; but this was beyond our wildest dreams. After the excitement of the first few months, the delays got more frustrating, and suddenly, instead of running a 26 mile marathon, it looked like we were going to be running twice that far before bringing the children home. Our doctor’s office took a full 2 weeks to get our doctor’s signature on 4 pieces of paper. Each day that the papers sat on our doctor’s desk, was a one day delay (or longer) in bringing the children home. When I finally went to the doctor’s office to pick up the paperwork, I was told that I needed my blood pressure taken again (as it had been a bit elevated). When I said,

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loftbed, 5 new dressers, an extra-large dining table (we already had a large one, but not large enough), and 14 dining chairs, from a café that had re-decorated. Much fun! We had an amazing 25th anniversary celebration, at the cabin in Idaho that we had gotten engaged at in 1981. After reminiscing with the children about all of the miracles that the Lord had done for our family, we were able to share with them an amazing adoption miracle: an anonymous donor had given $15,000 to our church, to be distributed to us for our adoption expenses. Unbelievable! We hadn’t had any idea how the Lord was planning to pay for the

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MARCH 2009

even sure if we would have them home before Christmas. Then, the most disheartening delay of all came along: just when our case was supposed to go to court in Ghana, the judge presiding over our case decided to take a 6 week holiday. If only our doctor hadn’t made the two week delay, then we wouldn’t have faced this further delay. To offset the disappointments, though, we continued to get updates from the children, with pictures and letters.

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Dear Family, Thank you for giving me the clothes. And the necklace. We love it. I am glad to come your place. I like to play traffic light (red light, green light). I love to eat chicken with rice. I love to play with toys. Mom, you are pretty to me. I am happy to go to America. The things that you give me is nice. I will meet you soon. I love you Dad. I am glad to see you Dad. And Mom. I love Hosanna. She is pretty. I will meet you. Love, Rachel (age 6) Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years came and went, with our African children still waiting to meet us. This marathon had definitely taken us longer than we had been told to expect. However, we kept our eyes on Jesus, and He

helped us to persevere, and to keep running. We had our eye on the prize … we were going to bring those children home.

The Ocean Swim In the overall perspective of the Ironman Triathalon, the ocean swim is very short, just 2.5 miles (compared to the 26.2 mile marathon and the 112 mile bike ride). However, that doesn’t mean it is easy. For this part of the race, you must keep your eyes focused clearly on the goal. You must not fear the unknown (what is swimming below me?); you cannot escape the rough water; you must plow straight through the waves. February 3rd found Jim and I finally boarding an airplane to Africa. The excitement was beyond compare; yet the unknowns were everywhere. This was our first international trip, aside from road trips to Canada and Mexico. Not only were we facing the unknowns of “Will our children be excited to meet us? Will they bond with us?”, but also the unknowns of “Can we survive the heat? What will we eat? Will we be safe as we travel north, to the village?” We arrived in Accra after over 20 hours of travel. With an 8 hour time difference, our arrival at 8:00 am seemed like just midnight. Our bodies were ready to head to bed; yet we had to shake off the

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exhaustion, call a taxi, and head to the orphanage instead. We were already dripping in sweat when we pulled up outside the tall orange concrete walls bordering the complex. I had so wanted to look nice when it was time to meet my children for the first time; but the sweat dripping from my face, added to the airplane hair, was beyond help. Oh well, they’re going to have to learn to love me even when I don’t look my best. We heard children’s excited voices … we heard the voices of friends from home (having arrived to meet their children just a week earlier) … and, slowly, the large gates opened. As we entered the yard, our friends had cameras and video cameras rolling for this most precious moment of our lives. As Rachel jumped into Jim’s open arms, I wrapped my arms around Sarah (9) and Jacob (11). Soon, we traded children … Jacob was in Jim’s arms and the girls were wrapped around my waist. There was no ackwardness, no hesitation, no cultural divide … we were family; we belonged together; and nothing or noone was going to separate us. It couldn’t have been any better. One unknown to check off the list: “Will our children be excited to meet us?” Yes! When we flew to Ghana, we knew that delays might

www.seriouslifemagazine.com/subscribe happen; but we really expected things to go pretty smoothly. We had known three families that traveled in December, and each family had brought their children home in two short weeks. So, we booked our plane tickets and told our children at home (the eight children that we left “home alone” with the 21 year old brother) that we would see them in two weeks. The realization that things might get difficult set in very quickly. After getting settled at the GILBT Guest House on our first day; we got up bright and early the next day to visit the U.S. Embassy. The outside guard, however, wouldn’t even let us through the first set of doors. We tried all of the tips our friends had given (the ones that brought their children home in December); yet nothing worked. Our hearts were heavy as we returned to

the guest house. That night, as the children slept, I sat in the living room and the tears began to flow. Tears … of exhaustion, multiplied by humidity. I felt like I was in a convection oven, with the fans just spinning the heat through the room, as it penetrated my entire body. Tears … of love and joy. We had 3 new children, and our love for them was more than imaginable after only “knowing” them for 2 days. Tears … of frustration. The “sweet children” that we had heard about for 8 months had another side to them, as do all the rest of our children. We just weren’t expecting the misbehavior so quickly. Yet, I only had to look at sweet Rachel and remind myself that I had another 6 year old at home who could also challenge me. Tears … filled with

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New Clothes - The children liked the new clothes that we sent.

questions. Do they understand what we mean when we tell them how much we love them? Jacob, sadly, told Jim, “You cannot love me. Mom did not born me.” Of course, this was just a random thought/ question in the midst of many loving moments. How can we explain what “Dad” and “Mom” are, when they have not experienced a true father figure, and the orphanage has many “Moms”? How can we explain that we are their “forever” family, when they come from such instability? After the tears of darkness, came the light of day with a renewed energy and commitment to keep pushing on. We were allowed into the Embassy the next afternoon, and were completely blessed by a beautiful woman security guard who regularly checked on us as we sat in the waiting room, moved us from window to window to try to talk to the right person, and even made phone calls on our behalf. This was a time of seemingly “smooth waters” in our ocean swim. After our I600 paperwork was filed, we were ready to explore the country of our children’s heritage. What an amazing 4 days we had! We hired a driver, rented a 4x4 SUV, and headed north. While riding in a car going 160 kph is a bit nerve-wracking (okay … in actuality, I learned how to pray for 12 hours straight), we learned later why we had to “arrive by 6:00 pm” as directed by the Tour Director. After dark, the dangers of these remote highways became (continued next page)

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much worse than the potholes and animals that driving in the daylight presented. We visited the village where our children had been raised. Our driver had to trust Jacob to guide us down the proper donkey paths, after we got to the end of the dirt roads. We met the children’s two older half-brothers, and Jim and I had a very special time of sharing and prayer with them. We brought Beanie Baby stuffed animals for all of the children, but quickly realized that the village adults were just as excited about them. We were so thankful for the donation of a suitcase full of these that we had received from a dear friend. While one of our unknown fears was that Jacob might not want to leave his big brothers (whom he is very close to), he was actually the first one to jump in the car when it was time to leave. Yes, he was ready to leave his village behind, and be a part of our family. We will keep in touch with these brothers; but the children were ready to meet their new brothers and sisters. The day after our trip to the village, we visited the Mole National Park, and took a 3 hour walking Safari tour. Our first “Family Picture” with our new children was taken in front of the elephants in their watering hole. And, the following day we visited the

Our First Picture - With the children, and the elephants at Mole National Park. city of Kumasi, and took a tour of the King’s Palace. What a special opportunity we had, to visit so many areas of Ghana, and to introduce our children to their country, a country that they had never traveled nor learned much about. Back to Accra we went, ready to push forward through the ocean waves of the paperwork process. One moment we were riding high, almost carried towards our goal by the waves. Other times, the white caps seemed to be pushing us backwards, and we wondered if we would ever make it through the storm. Nearing the end of two weeks, we had to let our children at home know that our paperwork was not even close to being done. Jeremiah got to make the call as to whether or not mom needed to come home, or whether I

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should stay in Accra with Papa and the children. Thankfully, things were going well at home, and Jeremiah told me, without a shadow of a doubt, that I needed to stay in Africa. The next two weeks brought unimaginable delays and frustrations. Our paperwork had moved no further than the pile on the desk it had ended up in the first day we filed. We had a full week’s delay due to a visit to Accra by President Bush. This, obviously, kept the Embassy personnel busy. The following week, the Embassy personnel were given a day off for their hard work while the President was in town, and then they had to catch up from all the work missed during his visit. When they finally returned to work, the man in charge of approving our paperwork, left town for two weeks. There was nothing that could be done now.

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home. It took him a little while to figure out exactly where he fit in this new family. The big brothers, though, have turned out to be a huge blessing for Jacob. They love him, but they hold him accountable to “be a big boy”, and they set great examples for him of what a godly young man looks/acts like. While still in Accra, we realized that much of the training needed was in areas that we had trained our bio. children during toddlerhood. While our new children were school-age, they had missed the 6-12 years of training that our other children had received. We taught the children how to hold silverware, how to hold a glass without dropping it, how to take a shower, how to knock on a door before entering, etc… While much training was accomplished during the 6 weeks in Accra, there was obviously still more to do after arriving home. One of the first major bumps in the road during the transition phase was our children’s sense of entitlement and lack of appreciation. We had thought that the children would be very appreciative of everything that was available to them in America (the clothes, the toys, the books, etc…). However, we realized very quickly that their high expectations were actually not fulfilled when they arrived here. Due to the fact that the children watched daily Hollywood movies during their years at the orphanage, our children came with an

The Lava Desert Bike Ride Just as the Bike Ride is the longest part of the Ironman Triathalon, so too is the transition phase of adoption. While there are many long and smooth parts to the ride, you never quite know what bumps are ahead, or when they will appear. Our children have been home, now, for 10 months. In some ways it seems like just yesterday that we were in Ghana. In other ways, it feels like the children have always been a part of our family. While we have definitely encountered our share of

bumpy roads, overall the transition has gone very smoothly. When we brought the children home, they were 6, 9, and 12; whereas the youngest 3 of our 10 biological children were 6, 8, and 11. So, the new kids on the block fit right in with their new siblings. They each matched up with a special new brother or sister. In many ways this was a huge positive; yet sometimes it also created a unique competitiveness, which was to be expected. After Rachel’s birthday this summer, our 6 youngest children were 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12. The interesting thing about this is that we had our first 6 children (now ages 18-24) in 6 years, and that set of kids was also 3 boys and 3 girls. So, we do have experience with this type of age range and gender mix. The biggest sibling challenges during the first couple of months were with Jacob. First of all, he was used to being the only sibling in Rachel and Sarah’s everyday life (they do, however, have 3 adult siblings). While the girls were very excited about their new “virtual twins” (they each had a new brother just their size), Jacob was a little jealous about these relationships. So, this was a bumpy road for awhile. Now, however, the 3 boys love playing together and, hopefully, have no memory of those first few months. Jacob was also used to being the oldest child at the orphanage. This brought him much attention and praise. Upon arrival in America, however, Jacob suddenly found himself with 3 older brothers and 2 older sisters living at

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In the midst of the frustrations of paperwork delays, we did, however, have many memory-making days and trips. We enjoyed a few shopping trips to the markets and to the annual International Trade Show. We relaxed at our weekly swimming days at the La Palm Resort. We learned a lot more about Ghanaian history in a 3 day trip to Cape Coast and the Elmina Slave Castle. And, we simply enjoyed days at the guest house, getting to know the children. Knowing that our children at home had already gone a month without Mom and Dad, and knowing that the process was going to take at least another two weeks, we finally made the difficult decision to send me home. Jim would stay in Accra with the children, until he could bring them home. I returned to the U.S. on March 3rd and “patiently” awaited Jim and the children’s arrival on March 18th (six weeks after arriving in Accra).

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expectation that their “wealthy American parents” could and would buy them anything and everything. They also did not have any understanding of the need to take care of the things that were given to them. (Rips and stains on brand new clothing didn’t phase them.) This was definitely an area that we were surprised by, but we navigated through it pretty well. Amongst the bumps, however, were beautiful sunny days filled with love and laughter. While I have celebrated Mother’s Day for 23 years, this year brought a new perspective. I was so blessed by notes from each of the children. Here is Jacobs:

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Hi mom. Happy Mother Day. I love you. You are the best mother in this house. I hope God be with you and God like you because you treat us like the way God want you to treat us. God love you very very much because of that. Do you know that I like the way you treat me? I am sorry that I can’t buy something nice for you. When I grow up I will buy something nice for you. Do you know that when you walk, God is with you? Jacob loves Mom. Mom loves Jacob. Our spring and summer were filled with excursions and adventures, each bringing

new “firsts” for the children … … their first trip to the Washington Coast. … their first trip to the Zoo. … their first trip to the Lake (with innertubing behind the ski boat). … their first camping trip. … their first trip to Family Camp. It was amazing to see each of these experiences through the eyes of these precious children, who’s minds could have never comprehended all that “living in America” would mean. Fall brought homeschooling, and many new challenges. While we had done some schooling during the first months home, we hadn’t focused too much on the academics. We were now amazed (and challenged) when we realized how much the children were still missing, academically. When we first met the children, we had been surprised at how good they were at reading. Now, however, we realized that there was very little comprehension. They could “read”, but understood little of what they were reading. For months, we knew that the children could “tell time”. Now, however, we realized that they didn’t have any understanding of time. They could tell you what time it was on the clock, but they

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couldn’t tell you what time it was 10 minutes ago, or an hour ago, nor could they tell you what time it would be in 10 minutes, or an hour. The times on the clock really didn’t mean anything to them. If I told them we were leaving in 5 minutes, or 5 hours, they didn’t understand the difference. The same was true in nearly every area, academically. They had memorized a lot of facts; yet they understood little of the concepts behind those facts. As a homeschooling mom for 18 years, I can honestly say that this has probably been my most challenging year. But, they are learning. They want to learn. They are diligent with their studies. And, we are slowly working through the many areas of deficiencies. I am blessed beyond belief to have the opportunity to teach them at home. I can’t imagine if I would have had to put them right into school upon their arrival in America. It has been almost a year since the day we held our breath and walked through the orange concrete walls of the orphanage complex … wondering what was in store for us. We never could have imagined … the joys have been even greater than envisioned, and the challenges more difficult. However, just as the children jumped into

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In addition to being the homeschooling mother of 13 children, Laurel Diacogiannis has a passion for encouraging women as they walk through their own journeys of faith. She loves to minister at Women’s Retreats, Family Camps, Homeschool Conventions, and Women’s Ministry Events. To find out more about Laurel’s ministry, please visit: http://ajourneyoffaith.net

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through now in our daily life are just … family challenges, children challenges, sibling challenges … not adoption challenges. And, we know that whatever challenges we face in the years ahead (whether family, child, or adoption) the Lord will give us wisdom and guidance as we … “run with perseverance the race marked out for us … (and) fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” ~

our arms and held on tight, last February 4th, so too have we jumped into our Father’s arms and held on tight. He has guided us through each step of this amazing triathalon. I believe that we are near the end of this Lava Desert Bike Ride. While we have many years of parenting left (more marathons, more ocean swims, more desert bike rides), with all 13 of our children, this triathalon has gone well. Most of the challenges that we walk

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Magazine Monday

Each month we choose blog posts that are submitted for MAGAZINE MONDAY and publish them, unedited, just like it appears on the blog. If you would like to have something from your blog considered, visit www.seriouslifemagazine.com and look for the MAGAZINE MONDAY link.

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Our Journey

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Blog: Dimples & Stars (guateawonderfulworld. blogspot.com) Our adoption journey started on July 12th 2005, my 29th birthday. We took the first step into international adoption by going to an adoption seminar put on by a local agency. We knew when we left that meeting that God was leading us to the country of Guatemala to find our daughter. After doing some research online, I found out there were a few agencies that had attorneys in Guatemala that allowed the adoptive parent to go live in Guatemala while the adoption was in process to Foster the baby themselves. Now I knew two things, I not only had a daughter that would be born in Guatemala but I would be living there with her while we completed her adoption. Fostering Kya is something I decided within minutes of learning it was option with Guatemalan Adoptions. It

was totally God moving in me because first of all I never make decisions that fast and second I had never been that far away from home and third I did not even speak Spanish. I look back now and I see why people were a little skeptical and were like WHAT ARE YOU THINKING a first time mom, in a third world country, bonding with a baby that up until the very end of the process the Birth Mom could take back. I am sure if I would have been thinking with my brain only I would have asked

Kya Blu - I love my daddy.

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myself the same thing. Thank goodness I was not thinking with MY brain and I was instead listening to God speak to my heart. Now let me tell you I would not ever take back a second of the six months I spent (four months in the Guatemala City Marriott, and another Two months at the Lion’s Inn Bed and Breakfast in Antigua) with Kya in her Birth Country. I can now see that God used this time in my life to break me out of the “BUBBLE” I had grown up in and I truly learned

Want us to publish a post from your blog? www.seriouslifemagazine.com/yourblog to love people, all people not just people who were like me or believed like me. I also was put in many situations where I had no choice but to trust in and believe that God was there and that everything was going to be OK. Really it was an unbelievable opportunity to spend six months of time just bonding with my baby girl. How many people get that opportunity to have to do NOTHING but just BOND with their baby for that amount of time? I did not have to worry about those everyday household chores. I got to spend every minute of every day with Kya Blu from the May 18th 2006 until November 1st 2006 and that is one of the most precious gifts God has ever given me. I can

say all of this now; because now I can see the whole picture God had laid out before me. I will tell you at the time my faith in God waivered. When I went to Guatemala we were told that I would at the most be there for three months. So we planned for three months. I thought â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oh no problem I can make it for three months.â&#x20AC;? My dear husband planned to come visit us every three weeks, which only happened the first time and then he ended up coming to see us every other weekend. I will say my time fostering was harder on him than it was on me. He hurt so much the 17 times he had to get on a shuttle and leave us standing there with tears in our eyes. I

did not understand his side and his pain until our second adoption when I had to walk away from my son and hand him back to his foster Mom 7 times before getting to bring him home with us. I know that God gave me the gift of fostering but I also know that my Husband provided a way to make that happen for me and for that I will always be grateful. When I first got to Guatemala my case went so fast I got there on May 18th and by May 29th my case seemed to be half way complete. Then the PGN system in Guatemala that has to approve your case got a new director and everything shut

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down. I spent June and July on the NEW EXPERIENCE HIGH. I was living large at the Marriott. I had met ton of adoptive parents and had a wide network of friends from adoption forums and Blogs that were down, meeting, picking up, or visiting their babies. It was really like going back to collage with your baby. I always had someone to chat with, eat with, swim with, and we were all in the same situation. Towards the end of July PGN was back up and running and we received our first of Kick Out…that means that they found a mistake with our case and our attorney had to pick it up fix the mistake and then resubmit us at the bottom of the pile. A mistake can be as minor as a misspelled word to a stamp in the wrong place on a document. Well a week later we got our 2nd Kick Out. I was upset but still remained composure. At this time in Guatemalan adoptions most people at the most usually got two Kick Outs and most babies were still going home around six months old. Then came the third Kick Out in late August and I had to accept the fact that I would not be going home in August like planned. This is where I let my feelings take over and I really crashed and burned in the Faith department. We also found out around this time that our Attorney was really not an Attorney and that she was only a Facilitator and really could do nothing about our case as in going into

PGN and talking with our case reviewer. I had also caught her in a few lies and wanted to get all the facts of the case myself. We are not the kind of people to just sit back and let things happen and to let people take advantage of us. A good friend of mine that I met in Guatemala agreed to take us to PGN to speak with the director to see what was really going on with our case. When we got to PGN we were very respectful and got a good response from them. He had our case on his desk and he told us that if we did not get anymore Kick Outs we would be approved the first week of September. We thought Wonderful I should be home by the end of September. My husband could see my spirit was down and I needed a change. At this point I had been living in a Hotel for almost three months and because we were told by our Agency that Guatemala was so unsafe I had only left the hotel a total of 8 times and most trips out of the hotel were to take Kya to the Doctor’s office and then straight back to the Marriott. In Mid August my Guatemalan friend Velveth had me convinced that it was safe and If I had the opportunity to experience “HER GUATEMALA” and the country of my daughter’s birth I needed to take advantage of it. So my first “fun” outing I went with her to a store called Price Smart which is the Guatemalan version of Costco or Sams. I cannot tell you how freeing this trip was and the huge release I felt just feeling

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normal again. I see now that I really was like a caged animal and I needed fresh air and some freedom to get my spirit back. On the way back the hotel Velveth convinced me that she knew the perfect place for me to go and soak in the fresh air and beauty of Guatemala. That day she called a hotel in Antigua Guatemala called the Casa Santa Domingo and made me a weekend reservation. I had made a few friends that had lived in Antigua fostering their babies so I put a call in to let them know I would be coming to visit. So here I was, this little blond, non Spanish speaking, first time Mommy getting in the van with my driver Hugo and driving off into the land of Volcano’s. I am sure my husband was about to have a heart attack back home, but I was determined to get out of the slump I was in and make the most of the rest of my time in Guatemala. Thankfully again I was listening with my heart not my brain and even though at this point my faith was weak. I still want to soak in every minute of that mini vacation, just mommy and daughter surrounded by all the beauty and awe that God created in Guatemala. I have never in my life felt God the way I did on that trip. Antigua is the most beautiful place I have ever been. You literally see God’s masterpieces everywhere you look. The sky in bluer, the grass is greener, the sun is brighter and the flowers are so magnificent you really can’t

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Mom & Daughter - Candy smiles as Kya Blu was playing dress up with the Riggs kids. (photo: Brent Riggs)

Blog: Forever-n-Always (forevernevernalways1.

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Would they take it?

blogspot.com) Not sure why but the song from Willie Wonka has been in my head today - “I have a golden ticket, I have a golden ticket of my own.” Sometimes I feel like I found one just like this one! A one way ticket into His Kingdom and family! Then I think about all of the other people like you who have one too. Then I think about all the other people who have one but have yet to turn it in or accept it. I think about all the people who have yet to take the ticket. They know about it but refuse

that God wanted me to spend my last months in Antigua. I was thrilled because of the beauty I was going to get to enjoy everyday….but I had no idea I was going to get a lot more than just beauty. I got the opportunity to see God open doors and change my heart in a way that I never expected. Thank you God for STRETCHING me. Candy Murnan- otherwise known as Mommy to Kya Blu and Jagger Jett

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believe your eyes. I remember so clearly climbing up to the top of the Casa Santa Domingo hotel to view the Volcano’s and the view of the small colorful town. I just remember tears rolling down my face, tears of sorrow, tears of joy, tears of wonder…all my emotions hitting me at once as I stood there holding my daughter the daughter I had dreamed of my whole life, praying to God please let me take this baby girl home now and then looking out and realizing something is about to happen, God is about to move in my life in a way I cannot see right now. I knew at that moment

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to see this really is The Way, The Truth, The Life. I struggle to remember what life was like before I was offered this golden ticket. I vaguely remember the pain, the way I felt without hope, the years of failing as a wife, a mother and friend. God brings back some memories every now and again to show me just how far He has brought me and our family. Lately, I have been shown just how far I have yet to go and how little of His golden ticket I have used. The depth of His love, joy, peace, rest, hope and goodness is vast beyond anything you and I will ever be able to fully utilize here in this lifetime and yet, He says I have given you everything for godliness and contentment. God has been so good to me. God has taught me so much and given me wisdom to teach our children things I never knew or understood at their ages. God continues to give me grace and mercy to understand their needs and teaches me so much about forgiveness - things I never knew as a child, let alone most of my life. You see this ticket never stops giving and you can use it every single day for the rest of your life! Don’t lose it - cherish it - bless others with it - share it and enjoy all that He desires to give you!

Pass The Salt

Blog: Psalm 104:24 (pridelandsmommy.blogspot. com) So Sunday we had a great pastor visit and preach. I am

always so excited when I see Pastor Felix sitting up front knowing that powerful stuff is coming. He got into a great message about how Jesus came to mend the broken-hearted.....not so much in the sense of broken heart associated with a breakup or personal relationship. But talking about the broken center or core of man. He talked about how we must be secure in who we are in the outside without the need to be assured/noticed/honored on the outside. It was a deep, but easy to understand message as this man knows how to preach it. But what really pierced into my heart, was how he started out his sermon referencing to how as Christians.......we are to be leaders. The city on the hill, the light in a dark place..... the salt of the earth. He made this excellent reference about how when you cook or bake.... you don’t need a large amount of salt as you would other ingredients. A little bit of salt goes a long way. It is very influential and can affect the whole recipe. So, I started thinking about how I want to make sure I am doing my best to be the salt in this life. I want to be that addition in people’s life and season it. I don’t want to just go through the motions, but really live the life that God has called me to live. I want Jesus’s love and glory to radiate through my everyday life. Even better.......I want people to see Jesus when they see me, but not because I am wearing

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a cool Christian t-shirt (even though I do have some pretty awesome ones) Wow, that seems like such a huge unobtainable feat, doesn’t it? But you know what? This all can happen because He is in me! And He tells (commands) me to love and treat people the way Jesus did (would). As His servant, I am commanded to go out and teach others about Him. And who am I to doubt what He says I can do (and that He expects me to do). This is something that I cannot let my own insecurities or junk that I am harboring in my heart to stop me. So I am jotting down just a few things that I want to hold myself accountable for: I want people to “meet” Jesus when they meet me. I want teachers to know there is something different about my children. I want to choose being kind over being right. I want to give that stranger a smile when they didn’t even realize that they needed one. I want to inspire others to keep the faith, even when it looks like there is no hope. I want to be kind to that cashier, even when she if she is rude to me. I want to radiate God’s glory, even when I am in a dark place. I want to encourage others to seek Him when they are the furthest away from Him. I want people to ask me why I have such a burning desire for God. I want to show that you can see God’s artistic ways in

www.seriouslifemagazine.com/subscribe every insect to the highest of mountains. I want to lead the broken hearted to The Ultimate Physician. I want to be able to have the perfect words land on someones’ heart. I want to display the confidence God gives me to face anyone or anything that tries to bring me down. I want to do all these things

(and I can, The Word tells me so....Phillipians 4:13) ......not to get any personal satisfaction/reward. My reward has already been given to me. Eternal life. Jesus living in me. The joy. The peace. The forgiveness. The hope. The strength.

MLK Day 2008 vs. MLK Day 2009

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Blog: Breathing Sounds So Easy (breathingsoundssoeasy. blogspot.com) So, a year ago today (DAY wise, not DATE wise) was TOTALLY different for us. I’m posting this at 3:00 pm and last year at this time Grady had already stopped breathing, my MIL and I had called 911 and done CPR, the EMTs had taken Grady to St. Francis and we were either headed to Riley or already there (I lost a few hours in there somewhere, forgive me!) Anyway, if you want to know more about Grady’s journey (or just want to refresh yourself) please see this link http://breathingsoundssoeasy. blogspot.com/2008/12/i-hadplanned-on-posting-this-injan.html So, today is full of all sorts of memories for me. Of course, there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t have memories of the hospital and all that Grady went through during his 40+ days at Riley. Today, Taylor has strep throat and I’ll be missing school tomorrow to be home with her. I hate that she’s sick but all in all this is a much better MLK Day than last year! Here’s a video of Grady’s progress this past year. Oh, and by the way, Grady wasn’t

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......the love of Christ. I want to be the perfect dash of salt that God has created me to be in this world.

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born premature or have any kind of problems at birth. He was perfect. It wasn’t until he was 2 wks old and then into 7 wks-4 months old that he had his problems. Just click on the picture!

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MARCH 2009

She Just Kissed Me

Blog: Faith 4 the Journey (faith4thejourney.blogspot. com) These words continue to linger in my heart and burden my soul... As our Muaz becomes more comfortable with us, he often shares about his mama Medina

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and life in Ethiopia. I count this as a precious blessing for us - for him to remember & for me to learn of the life he was gifted with in Ethiopia. I once asked him what ‘mama’ liked to do and he quickly responded “she worked - she liked to work”. When I tried to dig deeper to find something else, I was burdened by the reality that all she was able to do was work (all the time) just to be able to feed her children (sometimes). She had no luxury of free time or ‘hobbies’ - she worked. So, in his 7 year old mind, ‘she liked to work’. From what he has shared, she worked until it was dark outside and came home in time to cook dinner (when there was food to cook) and then they went to bed. He recently shared a story that was by no means profound in its content, but revealed something beautiful in its meaning. ‘Mama’ would sometimes come home from work for lunch and Muaz would go home for lunch (from school) each day in hopes that mama would be there. This was a very special treat because she worked so much, he did not get to see her much. Often he would wait for her and “she did not get to come home, so I couldn’t see her.” When I asked him how that made him feel, he said “sad, I miss her”. So I asked him if he told her that he missed her and he said yes. When I asked what ‘mama’s’ response was, he said, “She just kissed me & hug me”. I have had the priviledge of meeting mama Medina, but

www.seriouslifemagazine.com/subscribe molding my character - she is teaching me to appreciate the ‘togetherness’ that at times can be overwhelming. I have often stepped back in a moment of chaos and felt the cry of her heart (to have so much togetherness that it becomes a challenge would never have been a priviledge of hers) & humbled myself before the Lord in thanksgiving for the life He has gifted me with. One last thought - when he shared that story with me, I immediately thought of Mary in Luke 2:19, “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” I wonder how long mama Medina pondered the fate of her children in her heart before making the ultimate sacrifice for them...?

Opportunities

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Blog: Jack’s Journey and Then Some (jack-schrooten.blogspot.com) As the parent of a medically fragile and disabled child, I occupy many roles, some of which are suited to my personality and some of which are not. My personality is well suited to be Jack’s advocate. I crave knowledge, I enjoy researching and I am up for the challenge when it comes to dealing with the insurance company, the school district, the equipment company and the medical profession to ensure that Jack is getting the best care and the best services possible. I work well with words on paper. As the parent of a child whose disease renders him

essentially a quadriplegic, I also occupy the roles of respiratory therapist, nurse and personal care attendant. I find these roles much more difficult roles to fulfill. Anyone who knows me well can attest to the fact that I am not a touchy feely person, I’m not outwardly emotional and I’m not a nurturer. It’s just not in my makeup. Remember, I’m an ISTJ. When our children are babies, we expect to provide for their every need. We expect to feed them, change their diaper, dress them, pick them up and physically move them from Point A to Point B. But we also welcome the freedom we regain when our children become independent and self sufficient. Diapering, feeding and dressing your child become demanding, relentless and exhausting tasks after ten years, especially when you add to the list the daily stoma care, dressing changes, trach tie changes, breathing treatments, and the never ending suctioning, suctioning and more suctioning. There are times when I just really dislike (okay, hate) doing all the medical stuff and personal care that Jack requires. However, when I find myself losing patience or rushing through these tiresome tasks, I make every effort to stop myself and reflect on the words found in the first paragraph of this entry – words that really hit home with me the first time I read them many years ago. I

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have not known her except from piecing together her character from the recollection of the son we share. From what I can guess, she was often quiet, of few words and thoughtful...she was affectionate and taught him to love well from loving him well...worked very hard for her children & yet it was never hard enough... I can picture very clearly the look on her face as she heard his words and felt them pierce her soul - I imagine she longed for time to love her children. So, instead of saying a single word...she kissed him... what a beautiful picture of her love for him. I do not know the burden of devastating poverty...my cupboards are full, my children are healthy, we drink clean water, we live in a home with locks on the doors and a roof that does not leak over our heads. I have the great priviledge of waking every morning and spending every minute of every day with my children. I feed them (until they are full, every time they ask for food), I play with them, I hold them in my lap & sit next to them on the couch, I educate them, I am the last person they see before they go down for a nap and the first one they see when they wake up, I dry their tears and laugh with them until our bellies ache. I have always counted this a priviledge, but have become keenly aware of this precious, precious gift since learning of life in Ethiopia and the joys/ sorrows of mama Medina. She may never know that she is

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Getting There

is one that all three of us have to go through together. Yes, I got there first, but I missed out on the joy of the journey. I wonder, can I go back a little?

In Print

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Blog: I Get To!! (i-get-to.blogspot.com) UPS made an unexpected delivery to my house today. When I opened it, I was surprised to find 3 copies of Home Life magazine. They send copies to you when you have an article published. I had sold them this particular article over a year ago, but never put it on the blog because they bought the rights to it...and seeing how I’m not an attorney and all, I didn’t want to violate any agreements that I couldn’t defend myself against. So, it was a welcome surprise to receive that package and I’m now free to post it here! I never got around to the “Darla Stories” for the week, so in lieu of the traditional, here is instead, a now published “Story by Darla”! Wet Ink I have found lots of things in my children’s backpacks… rocks from the playground or forgotten snacks. So often when I want to throw something away they cry, “NO! That’s a treasure.” Yesterday I found my own treasure in my daughters backpack. I pulled out a worn looking piece of paper. The writing on it wasn’t

Blog: God Given Passions (godgivenpassions.blogspot. com) I wrote the following back on July 5th. I was beginning to get frustrated because LaRue wasn’t quite as enthusiastic as I was about adopting. I had become somewhat obsessed with the idea and, to be truthful, I wasn’t being very prayerful about it. I forgot

to go to God for the plan; I was just making it up on my own. LaRue was much more cautious - a quality that I have come to realize I really need in a husband. I have been having this feeling that I am standing on the edge of a cliff, with Jesus below telling me to jump. I am ready and willing, but when I try to take a step forward, something is holding me back. I look behind, and it is LaRue, with a firm grasp on the rope that is restraining me. I get frustrated. Then I realize that God placed this man in my life to be my forever husband. He is the leader; God would not want me to go off that cliff without him. So, I have another picture now. There is a door - I think that Jesus is behind it, calling to me to come through. I run to the door as fast as I can, like a child, but it is locked. I am frustrated again. I know that LaRue has the key and why won’t he hurry up? I look behind, thinking that I need to encourage LaRue to move faster and I see that he is walking very slowly - but with Jesus by his side. Jesus is talking to him, explaining the plan, giving the reassurance and encouragement that he needs to keep walking toward the door. Jesus is casting the vision of our future to LaRue, and I’m missing it! I realize that in my hurry to get to the good thing on the other side of the door, I have missed the opportunity for this time of closeness with Jesus and LaRue. I realize that this door

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remind myself that my touch is Jack’s only opportunity to feel the world around him. He cannot reach out and touch me, he must wait for me to reach out and touch him. If I’m feeling impatient, rushed and bothered with the care I’m providing to Jack, he will most certainly sense this in my touch. I remind myself that the tasks of changing his diaper, getting him dressed, adjusting and re-adjusting ventilator circuits and positioning his legs and arms as he settles in for the night are all opportunities for me to show Jack how much I love him. I force myself to slow down and carry out these tasks with a gentle touch and a soothing voice. And while there will always be those times when I’m tired and I just want to get the task done (or not do it at all), I strive each day to seize these opportunities to touch Jack with love. After all, Jack will never read the words I write when advocating for him, but he will always feel my touch in those moments of providing for his physical needs.

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particularly neat; it was bent and folded several times, and words were scribbled all over it. Before throwing away what might be another “treasure,” I asked my daughter about it. She said, “Mom, that’s wet ink.” “Wet ink?” I asked, fearing what might be stained down deeper in her backpack. “Yes,” she said, “wet ink. It’s a writing exercise we did in school.” Intrigued by this, I asked her to tell me more. She explained that to come up with the best stories, you have to keep writing all your thoughts and that you never, ever want to put down your pen because the ink will dry, and you may have to scribble a little to start it running again. “What if you can’t think of anything else to write?” I asked. “Oh, that’s easy,” she replied. “That’s when you put a ‘dot, dot, dot.’ Those dots [or ellipses] are for the times you want to keep the ink wet; you want to keep thinking and writing, but you aren’t really sure what to say.” I had her tell me about it again because as she was talking I was so overwhelmed by the thought of how our Christian lives should be just that… wet ink. There are days, weeks, months, or even years when we may be able to fill page after page or book after book with the things God is doing in our lives, the ways He is working. It may be that things are going well and you are so full of praise for His blessings.

It may be that you are going through the most difficult thing you have ever faced in your life, and you feel God walking right beside you. Or perhaps in these times, you have picked up your pen, and the ink has begun to dry. Or it could be, if you are anything like me, that sometimes you don’t fall into any of these categories. It’s not that your faith has lessened or you don’t love Him any less; it’s just that there are times we put down the pen. Maybe we feel we are too busy, we forget, we become disappointed… whatever the case, our ink – the ink that is God’s work and voice in our lives – begins to dry. BUT! These are the times we need the “dot, dot, dots” on our paper. These are the times we can’t let the ink dry. These are the times we have to dip ourselves into the Word, strengthen our faith, and keep the ink – or Jesus’ work in our lives – wet. Ink can stain. And how great is that for us! Let our lives become stained by the ink of God writing His story for our lives and in our lives. It’s a story He is desperate to write. He is, after all, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

“24” goes to Africa!

Blog: Living Freely (brandisthoughts.com) We are “24” nuts around here! In fact, it has been said that if you don’t watch “24” you may not want to be on

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our church staff. We all watch in Monday nights and discuss it at staff meetings and lunch on Tuesdays. . .so, the return of Jack Bauer (who my Pastor thinks should really remind everyone of HIM!) last night was a much awaited event. I even made it a party at my house. Small group ended at 8:45 and everyone got to our house just in time for me to lay the kids down, order pizza for the group and tune in. It started at 8, so we knew we wanted to start later anyways so that we could watch it without commercials! If you’ve never watched “24” before. . .there are usually 2-4 main things happening that they will switch back and forth between. There is the main conflict, whatever Jack is doing, the Washtington angle with some kind of political corruption and a witness or spy. Last night, we uncovered what will be the main conflict this season. . .a military coup in Sengala (a fictional African country). Let me just say that I have never cried while watching “24” until this week. It was heartbreaking on a number of levels. The main story last night was about the rebel commander needing more soldiers and going to the villages to collect children to be used. They showed part of the indoctrination and the brainwashing to teach the children how to be killers. Ok, I know this is just a show. . .but that’s not entirely true. This is really going on in Africa today. It really went on in Liberia and in Sierra Leone and in Uganda.

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about. Particularly heartbreaking for me were the scenes at the embassy. While the rebel army advances on the capital, instead of helping, the US decides to evacuate it’s citizens. There is a line at the embassy, people begging to get in and be sent to America. One woman is clinging to her baby and trying to get out of Sengala. She tells the embassy official, “I have a sister in Chicago” but doesn’t have the paperwork to go to the states. He denies her access. She looks at him, sobbing and says “Please, I will do ANYTHING you want me to do. Just don’t leave me here. It will most assuredly mean death for my

inauguration and people arriving in stretch limos and then clip over to what was happening at that time in Sengala with utter devastation, people running for their lives and children’s lives being ruined. This reminded me once again that while I may continue my life here. . .the devastation continues at this very moment. One scene showed the president being briefed on this situation and replying, “No, we will not offer military assistance. It does not endanger us in any way. There is not even anything to protect there! No resources or anything that is of any value to us” This was a shocking statement. . but so true of what America protects and cares

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The truth is that I can’t help but think that this is a fate that my son could have faced in Liberia. My heart broke for these boys which represent children all over Africa. It also featured a school for these boys to give them their lives back (a school that Jack had to defend to keep the boys out of the rebel army). This school and these boys reminded me of our time in Oteboi. I have looked into the eyes of former child soldiers and seen them weep. The interesting thing about “24” is that it hops back and forth between scenes in “real time”. This was hard to watch on another level. They would show a scene in the US of a presidential

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son” He shuts the gate. The scene ends with white people climbing into the helicopter and scores of black arms and hands reaching through the gates in desparation. I allowed tears to slip down my face, knowing that particular scene has happened across the nations of Africa. I encourage you to watch “24” this season. (it starts in January) Use the time you are watching it to allow it to be more than a tv show. . but a reminder of what IS happening across Africa right now. The show kept me up for a couple of hours last night after watching it. I ended up flipping through the channels and landing on “Feed the Children”. The president of Feed the Children said, “ I do not know what it will take for America to move from Apathy, to Sympathy, to Empathy to Action in the crisis here in Africa” I truly am praying that a simple, fiction, actionadventure show will be used by God to spread light about the devastion going on right now and how we CAN move to do something.

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The Opposite Side of the Spectrum!

Dana Burk As I was chasing Serenity from one mess to another around our house... then at my parents house... then at Wal-Mart, then at... well..... you get the idea. My mind drifted back to sitting beside her hospital bed, praying for

just one tiny movement. All I needed at the time was just one tiny movement, to prove that my baby was more than a breathing machine. As my mind began pondering that thought, God suddenly brought Ephesians 3:20 to memory. “And unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” Serenity is the complete opposite of that ill little baby. She is by far the most active out of our five children. She is constantly keeping me on my toes. I hardly go a moment without wondering what mess she’s making and if I do slack off for a brief minute..I definitely regret it later. Yes, she is the exact opposite of the baby she once was. How awesome is our God?! I am so very grateful for my Savior.... not only does He swoop in and deliver us from the darkness... but He always carries us to the complete opposite side of the spectrum!

A Little Boy One Year

(momof3darlings@yahoo.com) I had a little boy in class one year that ALL the teachers has warned me about. He was a trouble-maker, bad behavior issues, poor socialization skills, and came from a horrible home. All the knowledge needed for a poor teacher to make his life and classroom experience miserable. All the teachers previously were

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MORE than happy to ship him off to the next class, very pleased to be RID of Fred. As soon as he entered the class, I saw immediately what they were talking about. Fred made it his goal to make everyone around him unhappy and for a solid WEEK I tried all my best teaching skills on him, to no avail. Then I looked passed all the baggage of labels placed on Fred and saw him as a CHILD. A child of ONLY 3! He never smiled. He NEVER laughed. He did not do what a normal 3 year old did. And there HAD to be a reason. And there was. He was unloved. He was unloved by all the teachers previous and unloved at home. He had no idea what it was to be precious in someone’s eyes. He was unlovely because he was different, and he, in his young years, had no idea how to cope with that knowledge. So that began my mission: I was to make Fred smile. Just smile! That’s IT! So everyday, I would go out of my way to try to make Fred smile, whether it was a special toy brought to school for him, having him be my helper, have him sit on my lap for story time, sitting next to him at lunch time or nap time. Just pat him on his back or the top of his little head as I walked by. I started looking at him as more than just a teacher, but as a parent. How would I talk to my children? How would I show my children I loved them? Can a child who feels unlovely and unlovable, be shown love? Could I do it?

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Several days went by of still no smile, and my heart broke for this little boy. I sat next to him at the table and turned our chairs so we were face to face, eye to eye and told him what my mission way. I told him that I found him fascinating, fun, and I loved him, but my heart was sad because he wouldn’t smile. No response. Nothing. Not a word, just big brown eyes staring at me, waiting. After no response at all, I did something totally unconventional and decidedly gross and disgusting. Looking in those big brown eyes, I told Fred he looked like he should taste like chocolate and I licked his forehead. Yes, I DID it! One big tongue lick to the forehead. Yes, yes, gross and not appropriate for a teacher to do and went totally against my germ-phobia, but it was necessary. But, it worked. After the look of shock, he not only smiled and showed ALL of his teeth, but he laughed! He laughed long and hard and LOUD! And that one dumb lick to the forehead broke that ice. That was the beginning of a Fred that smiled daily, laughed all the time, and discovered that he WAS lovely and lovable. Fred was by far my most favorite student ever. To this day, I miss him. We had a bond as student/teacher that was unbreakable. Every morning he would run to my class and hug me and every night he would wave goodbye to me, even after he was out of my classroom. I wanted him to

KNOW he was loved and he was special to someone and it didn’t matter where he came from, what his socio-economic background was, or that his skin was dark chocolate and mine was vanilla, HE was special. And he was a different person after that. He was a different student, he had changed because someone loved him. I have been lucky all my life to know I had parents that loved me. Even when I was unlovely and unlovable (those horrid teen years), my parents loved me. And I am lucky to have friends that love me. Even when I’m crabby and moody and my favorite phrase is “suck it”, they love me.

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Those type of friends are few and far between and not easy to come by. But, I have a Savior that loves me above and beyond that. He takes my faults and my grouchiness and He knows my innermost UGLY and He DECIDEDLY loves me anyway. And He loved me FIRST. I find that fascinating. How many times in our humanness have we loved someone FIRST while they were still misbehaving, stomping on other peoples block houses, tipping over other kids milk cups at lunch time, or spitting on people? Not many times. OK, stomping on block houses may have been exclusive to Fred, but you get the idea. ~

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Featured Blog: 4 Little Men & Girly Twins www.4littlemen.blogspot.com

About Me: I am a young, artsy, fun loving, sometimes silly, a little hippie, classy-funky-chic,vintage loving, Jesus following mama & I am married to my soul-mate, best friend, highschool sweetheart & all together the best husband & father, oh and defiantly smokin’ Hot. Together we have 4 wild, crazy, adorable & lovable little boys... Grayson [7] Vance [6] Gavin [4] Ozzie [1] and 2 of the most beautiful identical twin girls, Eliza & Nolia [0] I love my life and feel so blessed each and every day. Type: (Family Blog) A post Serious.Life picked to share with you (unedited from the blog):

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MARCH 2009

Oh Dear... My Little Girls

Thank you SO much for all of your prayers... it was so comforting to know prayers were being lifted to God from all over the world. I can not tell you how much it touches me and my family to know so many of you care so deeply for our family. We are home now... we were discharged from the hospital yesterday afternoon and made it home just in time for the dinner crazies! Lucky for us Papa Jeff bought us Chipotle and I didn’t have to worry about making dinner. I’m trying to catch up today and hopefully get so sleep. Up for 40 hours is TOO much for me. {grin}

After a tough night with Nolia... she was obviously uncomfortable, had a slight fever, a cough, a wheeze and was not sleeping soundly, I called the pedi first thing in the morning. He was out for the morning and couldn’t see us until later that afternoon. I made the appointment for both girls because they are both sick, Nolia was just worse.

:The Story:

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We weighed and measured them {they are the SAME size... within 2 oz.} talked with the nurse a little bit and then waited for the pedi to come in. While we were waiting Nolia fell asleep so I laid her down on a chair on Ozzie’s coat {I brought her in in the pouch} while I sat there and dressed Eliza. When the pedi walked in she was still sleeping and he

www.seriouslifemagazine.com/subscribe be going to the hospital and by squad at that. My amazing friend Shelly, who already had Grayson, Vance, Gavin and her own 3 kids rushed over to pick up Eliza and Ozzie so I could go with Nolia. She arrived seconds after the squad did. It was all such a rush, everyone else was so panicked it made me panic. Once I was in the ambulance I was able to calm down, call Paul, call my mom and start making arrangements. Nolia fell asleep in the ambulance.. it was 35 minutes down to Childrens

hospital. They kept her on o2 {by just taping the tube to her car seat strap... which is MUCH better than what the hospital was about to do} and gave her a breathing treatment that did nothing because it was for asthma mainly. Paul met me in the ER and we began our 4 wait in the ER. They put a nasal o2 tube on her {which she HATED} and

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started checker her out which woke her up and apparently started her because she began screaming. I couldn’t pick her up yet because I was still trying to dress Eliza, he gave her ‘sugar water’ which PISSED her off. I laid Eliza down and picked Nolia up trying to calm her down but she was really mad {this is completely unlike her}. He told me that I had to calm her down so we could check her o2 levels so I started to nurse her and she quit crying right away. He did the o2 right then and it was 85%... which sent him in a flurry of action... getting oxygen into the room, instructing me to hold it up to her nose while I was feeding her and then calling squad. He told me to get someone to take the other kids now because squad was coming and they couldn’t come with so if someone wasn’t here to take them Nolia was going on her own. I was in complete shock... what the heck just happened. I mean I thought she was sick, not horrible, but sick, but I never thought that we’d

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your comments serious.extras 4 Little Men & Girly Twins www.4littlemen.blogspot.com

to keep watching her. They then told us that she would be admitted and Eliza wasn’t able to stay. UM WHAT? That wasn’t going to fly so after begging and pleading and lots of checking they said that Eliza could stay too. Thank goodness! Finally at about 10:30 we were admitted into a room upstairs. I did NOT want to stay there, I was feeling very bitter and upset. I didn’t think Nolia was that sick, she

SERIOUS.LIFE.MAGAZINE©

MARCH 2009

was checked out by NO LESS than 15 people. Like learning hospitals... not so much! Meanwhile Shelly was making her way to us with Eliza because I knew I needed to be with both of them. They have never taken a bottle, I don’t pump and they do so much better together. While in the ER they gave her a different kind of breathing treatment and it really seemed to work. She kept rubbing the o2 tube out of her nose so Paul and I let it stay out and see how she was doing. {she was on monitoring so we could see her o2 levels. She was holding her own at 92-97% so we had hope that we might be going home. Unfortunately the doctors didn’t think so... she tested positive for Bronchiolitis which is caused by the RSV virus and they said that RSV can turn for the worst very easily and they wanted

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had pulled out her o2 2 hours ago and was still on room air and holding her own just fine. We really thought about just leaving but didn’t. What if she dropped low again... I would have felt horrible if we left and then had to bring her back. At 1am they made her go back on o2 because they wanted her to stay above 93 and she was staying at 92 while sleeping. I was annoyed, I was alone, I was tired, I had

www.seriouslifemagazine.com/subscribe no food or water, I had 2 sick babies to take care of and I just wanted to go home! Earlier I had already fought the battle of the IV and I was just worn out! IV was protocol... but she

there with my hardly sick daughters... one of which who was only on O2 and there were so many other children that were REALLY sick, children that were dying, it could have been so much worse. If you have a moment, please pray for all of the sick children... there are so many... so many hurting children. And they need our prayers, their parents need our prayers, and the doctors need our prayers. So now we are home... Nolia and Eliza are both still sick. Nolia is on the better half now and Eliza is probably peaking right now and should be getting better soon. Please pray that Eliza doesn’t get worse and we don’t have to repeat this all over again! Mama just can’t do that!!!!! The doctor at the ER did say that Nolia was most likely having trouble getting enough O2 because of being premature... her airways were smaller when she was born because they didn’t have more time. Just another piece to throw on the pile of accident crap! ~

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didn’t need it. She was still eating wonderfully, her o2 actually went up to 97-100 while nursing, and an IV was just going to make her even more upset. So they agreed that they would leave it alone if I kept track of all of her feedings and weighed all of her diapers to make sure she was getting enough... WELL worth the extra effort! And she indeed was getting enough fluid. Oh the other deal with IV was that I wouldn’t be allowed to nurse if she was on IV because they supplement through that. Tell me that is BETTER for her... ummm NO! So I spent a long night alone with hourly checks and bells and alarms galore {this is pure torture... seriously... torture!}. There was a child next door that screamed ALL NIGHT... no exaggeration. The environment was really making me feel down. I spent a good 2 hours praying for the children there that night... I could hear so many cries, screams, yelling to stop, hollering for mama, it was so humbling. Here I was annoyed and whining about being

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Featured Blog: Kelly’s Korner

www.kellyskornerblog.com

About Me: I have been married for five years to a wonderful guy that I met on a blind date (they do work!) We have one furry child, Dawson, that we love more than two people should and one miracle daughter. I love reality TV, Razorback Sports, Sonic vanilla diet cokes, magazines, fashion, Jesus, friends, my church, David Crowder, the color brown, cooking, decorating, all thing SOUTHERN, the SEC (best conference EVER), the BEACH, people who went to OBU, and laughing. After more than two years of trying,waiting and praying and a 3 week stay in the NICU- God has blessed us with a beautiful baby daughter, Harper Brown, born in January 2009! I am amazed every day at the love and mercy that my wonderful Savior has given me and the life more abundant that He lets me live! Type: (Family Blog) A post Serious.Life picked to share with you (unedited from the blog):

Question & Answer

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MARCH 2009

Okay - here a few answers to your questions with some pictures of a cutie in between!

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1. Several of you wanted to know about my infertility and announcing I was pregnant. We started trying in fall of 2005. I got pregnant in July 2006 but miscarried pretty quickly. We kept trying and then in fall 2007 started fertility treatments. I did Clomid (still trying to lose the 20 lbs I gained on that) and several IUI’s. Then God did a miracle in April 2008. You can read more here. I’m also 35 so I was no spring chicken trying to get pregnant.

2. You wanted to know about my pregnancy and delivery and more about what happened to Harper. I had a great pregnancy. I was very sick for about 15 weeks and I had a lot of back pain and heartburn and towards the end I could barely move.........but I loved every minute. :-) My labor and delivery were actually great until we found out something was wrong with Harper. I was induced and I got my epidural before I ever felt a thing. It was GLORIOUS! I recommend it to everyone. It was a great day - all of our family was there and we were enjoying hanging out. I pushed for an hour and little Miss H just wasn’t coming out. So they had to do a forceps delivery. When she came out - she was blue, wasn’t crying or breathing. I didn’t panic at first because I thought it was just

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a hard delivery and she would be okay. A bunch of nurses and NICU nurses came running in and were working on her. I started to get nervous but still didn’t think it was serious. A couple of hours later the NICU doctor came in to tell us that she was VERY, VERY critically ill and there was nothing he

www.seriouslifemagazine.com/subscribe could do for her there - he had to get her air lifted and basically he didn’t know if she would make it. I’ll never forget how I felt at that moment. Time just stood still. Harper had pneumonia in her lungs. It was never determined exactly why - I had a fever towards the end of my delivery and it’s possible I passed on an infection to her. I don’t spend a lot of time worrying about HOW this happened. God has used this whole story for His glory and Harper is home and healthy and that’s all that matters.

4. You want to know about my faith and testimony (and hopefully this answers the question of if my parents are as great as they seem): I was raised in a Christian home. My dad actually wasn’t a Christian when I was born. My mom was. She would beg him to go to church and he told her “she should

have married a preacher if she wanted someone to go to church with her”........(God SO has a sense of humor). When I was probably 3 or 4 - my dad got saved. And he has lived his life for Christ ever since. He went to seminary when I was 9 and has been a pastor for almost 25 years. My parents are two of the most Godly people I know which is one

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3. I laugh REALLY hard at this one but several of you wanted to know where I shop. First of all - I have never felt MORE unstylish and frumpy than I have in the last year. I’m old and out of style and I know it. I love clothes but I’m tight. I get most of my clothes (SERIOUSLY) at Wal-Mart. Or Forever 21 or T J Maxx. If I’m feeling crazy and want to spend a little more - my favorite store lately has been

Gap. So it doesn’t take a lot of money to look cute. I’m also totally a dress girl. I rarely wear pants or jeans. (except for right now and I rarely wear anything but pj’s and yoga pants). ha!

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reason my faith is so strong. I was saved when I was 6 years old (January 13 (my due date), 1980). (I hadn’t thought about that until just now how those dates matched up). ha! I spent my whole life in church but when I went to college (and I went to a Baptist college) ......I think I kind of started to drift away. I didn’t go wild but I only went to church on Sunday mornings, really didn’t have a quiet time, I was just a laid back Christian. That carried on through my single years. I felt like I didn’t belong at church when I was single. (I’m sure a lot of you feel that way). I hated Singles Sunday School so I dropped out and I was actually pretty mad at God during those years. I was a spoiled brat who wanted a husband. Sometimes I think if my faith would have been stronger then.....He would have brought me a husband sooner. But in the last few years God has been working in my life. Scott realized he wasn’t saved a few years ago and after he accepted Christ - that started a big change in our lives. And God just keeps building my faith. He has NEVER left me. Everything that happens ......just prepares me for what is next. I could go on and on and on about this subject but maybe I’ll elaborate more later. I will say that all that I’ve been through - I’ve never loved Jesus more. If

you want to know more on this subject - e-mail me - I’d love to share more with you. 4. What about Dawson? Dawson is still with my parents. He is SOOOO happy there. We miss him and he will be coming home soon. I just wanted to get in a groove with Harper before I brought Dawson into the mix. I’m finally feeling comfortable with taking care of H by myself

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and we have a schedule so Dawson will probably come home soon. He may not want to - the country is WAY more fun than here.

5. Will we have more kids? Right now - my answer would be no. I’m so happy to have Harper and we went through so much to get her. I never thought I would have an only child but most of my close friends are only children and

www.seriouslifemagazine.com/subscribe are very happy. We’ll wait until Harper is at least a year and then make a decision. I’m just so thankful for one beautiful daughter. 6. How do I find time for blogging/facebook/e-mail? Right now - I’m nursing a lot and we spend a lot of time on the couch and I have my laptop next to me and I do a lot of one hand typing. It gives me something to do while I’m feeding her. Also I want to try hard to keep up with it because I will NEVER scrapbook (just don’t have it in me) so this is the way I can keep a record of our lives. I also take advantage of her naptimes to clean, do laundry, put on lipstick (I used Merle Norman spice sachet lip pencil - best color ever), or use the computer.

because of it - why not? If they take off the ads - I’ll still keep blogging every day so it’s just extra. I filled out an application (I think they aren’t taking applicants any more right now but keep watching) and basically it is based off of your traffic. I’m not getting rich by any means but it’s just a little extra money to shop for clothes at Wal-Mart with. ha! It’s a great program if you get the chance to use it!

8. Last one for now... How did we get Harper’s name and where do I get all of her monogrammed stuff? Go back to this post to read about the names. I get all of her monogrammed stuff off ebay or etsy. I don’t have a “favorite” place to get them. I usually look for inexpensive custom things. A lot of what she has were gifts. Since we may only have one child - hand me downs aren’t that big of an issue. I’ll find a few lucky people who name their babies Harper and they can hit the jackpot. ha! ~

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7. How did I get “Blog Famous” and what’s the deal with ads? I hate this question because I am NOT famous. It’s really bizarre to me why anyone would want to read my blog. I started it about 3 years ago because I wanted a way to scrapbook our lives and I thought MAYBE our parents would want to read it. For the first 2 years or so - I never had any comments and I probably had 50-100 hits a day. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the prayer of Jabez. In 1 Chronicles 4:10, Jabez prayed “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request. That kind of sums up

my blog to me. For the last year - I have prayed that God would let me be a light for Him and that He would give me away to share about Him. Out of no where - I started having more and more people on my blog. I have no idea how it happened. Before I had Harper - I had about 5000 hits a day on my blog. I honestly believe God knew it would help me to have people praying for me through a trial and that I would try to use it for his glory..........so the day after Harper was born - out of NOWHERE - I had 100,000 hits in one day. And it’s been incredible ever since. I have heard from people all over the world. It is NOT about me or even Harper. God just has been able to use our story to show his Love. He likes to use (VERY) ordinary people to do extraordinary things. And I’m as ordinary as they come. :-) A few months ago - I thought I would try out BlogHer and see what would happen. I would blog every day no matter what and if I could make a little money

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About Me: For your birthday, your aunt gave you a maple syrup dispenser shaped like a rooster. Please write her a thank-you note. “Dear Auntie, Thank you so much for the maple syrup dispenser shaped like a rooster. I will think of you everytime the Rooster vomits brown maple syrup onto my pancakes. See you at the reunion. Love, Suz” Type: (Family Blog) A post Serious.Life picked to share with you (unedited from the blog):

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MARCH 2009

Believe it or not...

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I am finally getting back to answering some of the questions you guys asked me back on my “Questions for the Quad Mom” post in May ‘08. I’ve been in a bit of a “blogging funk” lately and decided that it was time to share some things that are close to my heart. How do you manage to keep it in perspective all the time? Do you ever get completely overwhelmed and if so, what do you do? When you fall into bed at night, do you ever want to cry if it has been a nutty day? Where do you get your energy? How do you look so together in pictures? ATTITUDE. I believe it is all about my attitude. (And before I start my novel...I would just like you to know that I have NOT been like this my whole life--I have

changed tremendously in the last 2 years) I have the power to CHOSE to be positive or negative--we all do. I chose the positive route. It is almost as easy as that! We keep things in perspective b/c we know life doesn’t begin and end with the Steece Quads---our hearts are constantly out there with those who need prayers or who are struggling. We have four healthy babies, what can we complain about? Of COURSE I get overwhelmed! Especially during the pregnancy and immediately following! I remember how it was VERY difficult to stay positive when I had not yet reached my 24th week of pregnancy--knowing that my four babies would have zero viability outside of the womb...that was rough. I cried for a full week one time--I could NOT shake those bad thoughts! But, then, I gave it all over to God and just forced negative thoughts out of my head. It is SOOOO very important to surround yourself with POSITIVE people!--and that’s what I try

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to do on a daily basis. Those first 4 months of the quads’ lives was the hardest thing we have ever been through. (Just bringing ONE baby home is SO ridiculously difficult). Every once in a while we would have someone to help with the night feeds--other than that, it was me, Joe, and my mom. Church volunteers began taking day shifts when my mom left (around week 6 (?) of the quads being home). We were EXHAUSTED---mentally,

www.seriouslifemagazine.com/subscribe and being overwhelmed are few and far between nowadays...I guess you learn how to roll with it the longer you do something--and the positive attitude helps a lot. Someone once gave me some good advice: I try to start every day as a prayer--it begins in the morning, and I talk to God throughout the day, and ends at night-right as I’m falling asleep--each day is one long prayer. Joe is another HUGE part of my sanity. Every day after a long day at work, he comes home, changes clothes and

immediately goes upstairs to “relieve me of my duties”: playtime, night bottles, diaper changes x 4, and bedtime. I go work out at the gym for an hour (my recent boost of energy lately), run errands, or make dinner. Needless to say, Joe is an amazing husband and father- love him SO much! Family, friends, and church are major support systems in our lives. During quarantine, (continued next page)

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physically, emotionally... POOPED! We fed the babies every 3 hours around the clock--by the time you get finished feeding all four, you have about 30-40 minutes before it starts all over again... and the spit up/reflux?...OMG.... the reflux! COMPLETELY DRAINING. I was barely eating, sleeping, showering, brushing teeth, etc. To keep things in perspective: Joe and I would cherish those few MINUTES when the babies were silent. I remember turning to each other occasionally and saying, “Do you hear that?.....ah....... nothing.....peace and quiet”-and it would last for MINUTES, but it was a beautiful sound. Joe and I would live for those quiet moments in bed, just cuddling before the next feed. We made time for each other and found joy in the tiniest of moments. It is all about attitude and making the choice to find those moments each day---because the day is FULL of them. I must admit, the days of complete and utter exhaustion

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the Diaper Darlings are going to make weekly visits to play with the kiddies so I can run errands and what not. I also lean heavily on my other quad mama sistas! They have been such a blessing in my life and we can vent/laugh/cry/ encourage/keep accountable/ be silly with each other every day when we find brief seconds on the computer! “Looking together in pictures” is all about attitude-for example, immediately after having quads, I was definitely NOT in the best shape of my life...but it felt good to take care of myself. I would put on a cute outfit and throw on a little powder to go see our babies in the NICU. I truly believe that what you are feeling on the inside is totally a reflection of how you look on the outside. (And NO, to answer another question- I do NOT “look cute” and wear make-up and do my hair every day! OMG! On any given day, you will find me

make-up-less with a T-shirt on, scrub pants, and my hair pulled back in a clip! In fact, when I first read this question back in May, I laughed outloud and immediately made Joe take of picture of what I looked like at that very moment!) So gorgeous! Ha! This is my work attire--I am a FULL TIME MOM!--Ready to jump in and get those hands dirty! ;) How do you balance making time for day-to-day fun and combat stress? How much time for yourself do you have? Do you ever just grab a cup of coffee with a girlfriend? Do you ever get “me” time by yourself? What is your favorite thing to do with it? See above--Joe and I are a team. I let HIM go play with his boys, and he lets ME go play with my girls. I’ve just recently started working out and feel GREAT! I never used to get that “good-exhausted-everymuscle-hurts” type feeling when I used to work out--but

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I think it was all about the attitude thing. Now, I LOVE it! It is a chance for me to get out of the house and focus on being healthy. I want to be the best mom I can be and that starts with taking care of myself and my body...I plan on sticking around for a long time, haha! ;) Yes, I occasionally get out with friends--in fact, I have a hot date tonight with my buddy, Liz (on the left)! We have the BEST friends who travel (usually from Dallas 30~45 minutes) to come see us and who come over for Saturday barbecues, etc. They know it is difficult for us to get out with 4 little ones...so many times, they just come to us! Great friends... As far as “me” time...I’ve always preferred being around people--I’m very much a people person. However, it is funny how motherhood makes you view that “alone” time in a whole different

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around the house and do absolutely nothing---but the following day, I will have a “mad-cleaning-frenzy” of a day and will do 5 loads of laundry, scrub all the bathrooms, organize closets and pantries, etc! It is insane! What doesn’t get done today, will get done tomorrow---so I’m not worried about it. I always make the bed...I dunno, its one of those things that “you know, the house may be a wreck...but if that bed is made, it makes it all better! ha!”...just a little quirk, I guess. Once again, I have an amazing husband who has somewhat of a “cleaning obsession”--to put it mildly (my friends and family are laughing right about now). He actually enjoys cleaning---so, Joe is the MAIN reason our house is always tidy! How do you deal with the crazy things people ask you in public? How do you stay positive and not let rudeness bug you. What are some tips on staying positive? Hmm...I just always try to be gracious. I know that the

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light! It is the little things: like driving around in the burb, by myself, listening to music while running errands! The “Old Suz” (pre-quads) used to go out to eat with Joe/family/ friends & go to movies all the time. Those are two of my most favorite things to do! How do you get everything done like housework, yard work, cooking, etc? What does the rest of your house look like? Is it perfectly tidy? How do you avoid getting frustrated/defeated when you get behind on the “to-do’s”? Don’t sweat the small stuff! When the kids are awake, I am playing with them. It is a great piece of advice that has been given to me time and time again. The dishes can wait, the cleaning can wait. Babies/children grow up so fast--really cherish every moment you have with them. So, that is what I try to do... every day. When the babies go down for their naps, that is when I do dishes, prepare food, tidy up, do laundry, etc. Also, it is not an every day thing---some days, I just lay

majority of the time people don’t INTEND to say things that might be taken as a rude comment. For example: • mumbling: “Better you than me!” • looking at the quads, shaking their heads and saying: “I feel sorry for you” • or just blatant laughing at me, while standing in a check-out line, paying for 100 tubs of baby food to last me a couple of days (pointing, snickering) • looking at the quads, laughing and saying: “NO THANKS!” ...stuff like that happens all the time. I just smile and say, “Yes, we are blessed!” A favorite motto to live by is: “You have been blessed, now go be a blessing”...and that’s what I try to do. We get rude blog comments all the time (attacking me, Joe, my family, my children) but I always skim over the comments before reading them word-by-word and delete them immediately when I can tell that they are negative. I don’t even read the them! DELETE COMMENT- and move on. ;) I don’t understand the people who take the time to read my blog, just so they can attack us (and my friends, for that matter). We both just make a choice every day to be positive. Joe goes running in the mornings and uses that time to spend quiet-time with God, reflect on his blessings, and focus on positive things he wants for his life...what a great way to start the day! We have a certain joy that cannot be extinguished-God has blessed us beyond our dreams. ~

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Featured Blog: Riggs Family Blog

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About Me: We have seven kids and this blog is to journal and record the stuff we want to remember later on about life. Kind of a fun, heartwarming, memorable scrapbook that we can look back on later in life. Type: (Family Blog) A post Serious.Life picked to share with you (unedited from the blog):

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MARCH 2009

Open Season Question & Answers

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I knew the “open season” questions would be interesting and scary. I was right. You’ll probably find out some stuff you didn’t know, and some stuff you don’t want to know. Let me start with one thing you probably don’t know… I call Michelle, “Maria”. That is her first name. I’m the only one that calls her Maria, so it’s special to me. Sometimes I slip and write “Maria” on the blog or in an email, and I have been privately asked on more than one occasion “who is Maria? Are you having marital problems?” which is always good for a laugh. Here’s a few from the “things people don’t know about us” department: • We play tennis (not much lately). I’ve played competitively for over 20 years, and Maria, my wife not my secret girlfriend, played in college

• Michelle was a pediatric, and labor & delivery nurse for a long time. • I’ve sang in southern gospel groups most of my life (typically male quartets). • Michelle’s family maiden name is “Riggs” too. So the first time she took me to her family reunion, I told her “if I run into anyone I know, I’m OUTTA HERE”. We often joke about having threeheaded children with twelve fingers (and no I’m not being insensitive to children with defects; can’t we all decide its okay to have a sense of humor again?). • I was a Drill Sergeant and a Black Belt though you couldn’t tell by looking at me now. • Michelle has traveled to and wandered around Guatemala and Ethiopia by herself.

We live in a dinky little town, in a modest house that has six bedrooms but only because they are small and I built on three of them (including the family room) myself; we drive two used cars with a combined 180K miles on them; I rarely wear anything but shorts and

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t-shirts because I work from home, and if Michelle had a buck for every time someone said “you have to live with him?” we’d drive brand new cars and have a huge expensive house. Hope that doesn’t shatter any preconceived notions about us, but we are about as average and normal as it gets. We purposely live a modest lifestyle as part of our life philosophy and ministry. What you see on the blog is the real “us” in every day life. We don’t polish up things for the public. What you see, is what you get no matter how unflattering it

www.seriouslifemagazine.com/subscribe may be. We really do have a lot of laughs almost every day. Humor is a big part of what keeps life enjoyable even when it’s tough. Now on to your questions. You’ll probably end up asking me to NEVER answer personal questions again!

possible. They haven’t voiced an opinion one way or another about being on the blog. I have been writing publicly for many years and I don’t tell personal stories about the older kids without their permission. I often tell stories about them but do it generically or in third person.

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Liz asked... How do your four older children respond to your three younger children’s “blog fame?” Do they opt to stay out of the blog light? In most ways it doesn’t really affect them because like most teens and young adults, they have their own friends and life. There is enough age difference that the everyday events with Abby don’t have much overlap with their life, particularly the two grown kids who don’t live at home. Overall, I’d say they are happy for Abby, and for us, knowing the whole “blog thing” gives us some needed spiritual and emotional support. I would say there is almost no negative feelings

from them except we don’t get to do a lot of “normal” or extra things with them for the last several months. They know things aren’t “normal” and we don’t pretend to try and make them completely “normal”. This is part of life, part of growing up. So we let them experience this with us and do not try to shield them or create a false sense of “normal”. To balance , we don’t simply ignore “normal” either. We try to balance the reality of dealing with cancer with the need to continue parenting involvement with all the kids as much as

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You and Michelle demonstrate an amazing reliance on God during your season of trial. How do your kids respond to this season? Like most kids, they take their cues from us. We just try to be an example to them. Again, since they are teenagers and have their own friends and activities, the everyday life of dealing with cancer doesn’t have a huge affect on them in the sense of depriving them of a “normal” teenage day.

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Kathrin asked... If you could go anywhere in the world (when all of you children are well) where would you go? We would probably take them to Africa or Guatemala or some struggling country to allow them to see how blessed they are in America and how much opportunity there is for them to help others. It’s not unlike most American or Western parents who wish their children had a realistic grasp on how good life really is for them, especially when they are having a pity party.

Do you still have time to have friends over at night for a meal or something? Not as much as we would like obviously, but occasionally. The hard part is we have to be so careful about sickness and vaccinations around Abby (she can’t be around

live vaccines for 4 weeks after being administered). When people come over, they have to be comfortable around Abby if she suddenly needs to throw up or is in pain. We have several families of dear friends who are very comfortable with all of this and we love to have them over but it probably only happens once every 2-3 months right now. Probably the biggest reason is we just don’t have time. Several times a week our days are eaten up going to the hospital and caring for Abby.

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Often we are up all night with Abby, so we are frequently just too tired to want to go anywhere or have anyone over. We’ve been in the hospital 21 times since July, so you can imagine how much of our life that has taken up. One of us (me or Michelle and the other kids) will get to go to church 2-3 times a month. Abby has only been three times since July. We do feel pretty isolated much of the time but that is a sacrifice we are willing to make for the gift God gave us

www.seriouslifemagazine.com/subscribe to care for (Abby). The blog is a big part of helping us to stay connected and have some interaction with people on a regular basis.

How did you all come to the decision to adopt? It was just something we both always wanted to do. I’m a baby fanatic. I love having younger children around the house (yes, I love the older children too, I just want to knock them up side the head while I love them). Michelle had adopted Abby a couple of months before we met and was starting the process of adopting Landis. This was just another reason I fell in love with her, because of her love for kids. Of course I fell in love with Abby the instant I saw her. We went to a restaurant, just Abby, Michelle and I. Me and Abby traded licking salsa off tortilla chips and I was hooked. She was about a year old and I can’t even imagine not being her Dad. Mary (in MN) asked... What is your occupation Brent? That’s hard to answer because it depends on what I’m doing. So let me see if I can put it in a short explanation: I’ve always been an artist.

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Michelle and I were both single parents, not by our own choice. We both had friends bugging us to do eHarmony

When did you decide she was the one you were going to marry? We both suspected we would end up getting married by the time we met the first time, unless something remarkably weird happened in person. I’m still amazed that putting my bare feet up on the table in the restaurant didn’t bother her.

Sarah asked... How did you and Michelle meet? I was hoping nobody would ask but I guess we’ll have to answer it some day. eHarmony. Okay? There, now you know.

and I still wash my white with my colors, but other than that, we couldn’t be happier.

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Are you sometimes angry at God? No, never. And if you’ve been a reader of our blogs or my writing for very long, you know I would tell you if we were. We don’t have any reason to be mad at God. God has blessed us and cared for us beyond anything we could ever deserve. We’ve never gone hungry, He brought us together, He gave us three beautiful adopted children and four biological. We have friends who love us and family who care about us. What is there to be angry about? Because Abby is sick? Sickness is part of the curse of sin. WE did that, not God. Instead of being angry when the curse comes to bite US, we see it as a time to rejoice because unlike those who have no hope, we know God is watching over us every second and the very worse that can ever happen, is we get to go Home to be with Him forever. What is there to be angry about?

and neither of us had any interest. Her friends badgered her into it, and my friends told me they were going to do it and IMPERSONATE me. So both of us gave in. We met through the service, and talked for hundreds of hours over several weeks before deciding to meet in person. If there has ever been REAL “love at first sight” it was us simply because the foundation of our relationship was built on hundreds of hours of conversation first. I know that is impractical for most people, but we were pretty much in love before we ever met the first time. Compare that to the typical dating relationship today. You meet, go on a couple of dates, start making out, get physical... and then your judgment is clouded by your hormones and passion. People “fall in love” because of the physical ecstasy when in reality it’s just a tremendous fleshly attraction. We felt really good and confident about our relationship because it was built on a such a solid original foundation of communication and seriously getting to know each other before meeting. It helped that we lived 2 hours apart too. That forced most of our interaction to be verbal even after meeting. We are deeply in love and even though it’s only been three years together, we have lived a lifetime of experience. We are totally committed to each other and have a marriage built on the Godly love of sacrifice and service to each other. Michelle doesn’t squeeze the toothpaste out correctly,

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Even when young, it was obvious. I’ve been doing graphic design for 25 years. The Internet came around and led me to designing websites. Designing websites led me to want to learn how to make websites functional as well as look good. So I tackled programming, database development and systems engineering. The graphic design led me to clients who needed magazine publishing. So I learned the publishing world which led to the creation of new magazines and a need to develop photography skills which are natural fit for my artistic side anyway. Being creative, I love to write, even when I was a kid. That writing skill was first used in business then about ten years ago I started writing alot of website material, Bible teaching and books. The sheer act of writing every day for years allowed me to become a prolific writer and I can easily churn out on average several thousand words a day in an hour or so, and well over 10K words if I’m working on a project. This post, which took about three hours to write is over 8500 words, just to give you an example. Where I’m at professionally right now: I have a full time job, but I also have to do side work of graphic design and web development to pay the

bills, and eventually I hope my writing and magazine work will be our full time source of income. My dream is to one day be able to simply say I am an “author” but I won’t consider that accomplished until it is truly an adequate and primary source of income.

I have read on your blog Michelle is a nurse, does she work outside of the home in this occupation? Michelle is a nurse, but is not working at a hospital. Before we married, we agreed no matter what it took, she would stay at home and be there full time for all our children, and especially the adopted young ones who especially need it. Taylor asked... I guess other people have sorta asked this already, but I too was wondering about your other kids. How do they deal with Abby’s Leukemia?

The kids understand her cancer. They know how serious it is, except for Landis. Landis know’s Abby is “sick”. Sami knows full well Abby could die, and she has been a wonderful sister to Abby. She is there by her side constantly caring for her. Sami, Garrett and Christian have all known people who have died from cancer, so they understand the situation.

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As I previously stated, the older kids daily routine is not affected much by Abby. They understand her condition and do whatever we ask them to do to help.

Nancy asked... How did you develop (not sure that is the word I want to use) such a deep faith in God? How do you seem so upbeat when things are so grim especially with Abby? Do you ever wonder why me? That’s simple: God gave it to us, as He will give it to anyone of His children. The depth is dependent on our willingness to accept opportunities for faith (often trials and suffering) and respond to them in faith (trust in and focus on God). As we reach a new level of faith under one set of circumstances, we become ready to go to the next level but we must be willing to do it God’s way. What you describe as “upbeat” is just the joy we get from having an eternal perspective. How can your joy be robbed when you know soon you’ll be heaven where all sickness, pain and sorrow will disappear? How you can you not be joyful when you realize this life is but a whisper in time compared to eternity? How can we not be joyful when God has never failed us, never neglected us and never

www.seriouslifemagazine.com/subscribe left us without hope? We are “upbeat” because our whole eternity awaits us. Abby might get to go on ahead of us, but pretty soon, we’ll be there with her. Anonymous asked... How do you find time for just you and Michelle? How do you keep your marriage alive even after many years? You have so many challenges facing you and yet seem to have such a strong marriage.

We had the biggest laugh over that stress test: “Over 65 points means you’re experiencing an extreme level of stress.” Hah! What does 435 mean? We should be in a coma by now evidently! It was kind of like “Mr. Johnny Comes Knockin’”... it’s just so far past any level of normal it becomes funny. We certainly feel like God has given us a lot of opportunity for faith. Yes, we feel a strained, and often tired… okay, I admit it, sometimes we even say “I am so stressed out…” but we don’t have any “poor me” feelings. We consider it ALL JOY God has counted us worthy to have so much

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We just have to carve out time, and yes, it’s hard sometimes. One thing that helps, is I work from home. So rather than leaving in the morning, and coming home at night, I get to see her in little spurts all day long. We are actually together at home almost all the time except when Abby is in the hospital. Often, I can sit next to her on the couch and work. Even though I’m working, we are still getting to be near each other which we really enjoy too. As for keeping our marriage alive, for us it hasn’t been many years in TIME, but it’s been many years in experience and opportunities to trust God. The “life” in our marriage comes from our commitment to life-long fidelity and loyalty, our commonly shared goals, and our unconditional love for each other. True story: not long ago, we saw a “stress test” in a magazine, and decided we would have some fun and take it. At the end of the test, we realized in the last three years we’ve experienced most of the top ten or twenty stressful

events. The “scoring” scale said: “Over 65 points, you are experiencing an extreme level of stress and may see indications of stress in your life”. We scored 435. And that was BEFORE Abby got sick. No, that is not a joke. It’s not my humor coming out. We scored 435 pre-Leukemia diagnosis… getting married, changing jobs, moving, major disease, death in the family, adoption, medical problems, etc. It seemed like we had simply gone down the checklist and made sure we hit them all. We didn’t check off the one about discovering we are really brother and sister, but we haven’t ruled it out yet either.

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opportunity to exercise faith in Him. God brought Michelle and I together at just the right time, when we would be the right parents, and the right friends He needed for all of our children, and many other people in our lives that we’ve been blessed to minister to.

Our other kids, starting at the top: Dane is 21; lives in Norman, goes to OU. Works, pays his own way... truly a blessing and someone we are ridiculously proud of. Jordan is almost 20 and lives in Tulsa; works, is totally independent. She is incredibly creative and is our drama queen. She has excellent

MARCH 2009

Anonymous asked... What about your other kids? You never talk about them or what they do while you are all at the hospital. Who takes

care of them and why not any pictures?

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sales skills and is extremely intelligent. Christian, 17, lives at home with us. He loves athletics and is the most shy of all our kids (maybe the ONLY shy one). He is quiet, is great at working with his hands, and is beginning to show an interest in writing too. Garrett, 16, is our musician. He loves youth group and reading. He is especially close to Abby and is always a very willing help with her, and around the house. While Abby is at the hospital with Michelle, I am home most of the time taking care of the kids and house. Sami spends a lot of time at the hospital with Abby, and Landis has a couple of families who have quasi-adopted him. Pics? Christian doesn’t really like to be in them, Garrett is busy alot with his own activities, Jordan lives in Tulsa and Dane is working and going to school. DJ Holly Rock asked... Does it bother you when people refer to your children separately? Do people ever ask you if you love your children who were adopted as much as you love your biological children? We’ve never been asked if we “love them as much”, and it doesn’t really bother us for people to refer to them as our “adopted children” because they are. We haven’t had many rude comments though we get

www.seriouslifemagazine.com/subscribe quite a lot of stares when our little U.N. delegation walks into a restaurant. I think the only question/ comment that really causes us to grit our teeth is when people say, “so these three are adopted, and the other four are your real children.” That grates on us pretty good. Where did you and Michelle go to college? Michelle went to several colleges. I went to one semester of college in the ‘80’s and saw the future of computer graphics and the Internet (which were still relatively unknown). I left college to pursue and self educate about technology which was the single smartest thing I ever did professionally. I was well ahead of the curve getting into computer graphics and the web. I hold several professional certifications in technology and design, but never went back to college.

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Kristine asked... I’ve always wondered where you find the time to blog and write and run a publication, and, and, and. :) I have one blog and follow several and I have a HARD TIME finding the time for that! Here’s the best way I can answer WHY I do so much: I have a full time job that doesn’t pay all the bills, but does have Abby’s insurance. My “side work” (graphics and website development) is needed to make up the rest of the income we need. The magazine, blogs and writing is what I’m wanting my FUTURE to be, so that is why I continue to invest in that effort. Here’s the best way I can answer HOW I do it: Turn off

Michelle is with her more than anyone during those times, and her approach is to NEVER lie to Abby. If Abby asks about getting a “poke” Michelle tells her the truth. Even when Abby doesn’t ask, Michelle will let her know what to expect so that overall Abby does not have to fear the

It is unfortunate and sad some children are allowed to simply become out of control “self-centered” during the cancer process. I feel sorry for them and their parents who simply feel so sorry for the child, they cannot bring themselves to require any standard of self control from them. Of course, this just makes the whole thing even more unbearable for parent and child. Scared, angry or out of control children get very anxious during procedures and have more difficulty dealing with the discomfort. Abby knows she is loved and feels “safe” because we treat her just like the other kids when it comes to parenting (with the addition of the care she needs of course). I still laugh every time I picture her standing with her nose in the corner while holding her I.V. pole. Classic... priceless.

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oneblessedlife asked... My question is about Abby. With her getting so many torturous needles, visits to the hospital, drugs and absolute pain, does she ever just rebel against having things done to her? How do you all help her deal with it all over and over again?

unknown. We role play alot of the procedures and teach her the terminology so that the Doctors words are not scary and strange. We work hard to keep things calm and quiet at the hospital and spend a lot of one on one time doing comforting things with Abby. No, she is not rebellious about the treatment. When she is at her very worse condition, and on scary amounts of pain medicine, she can get to be a little impatient and grouchy. Even still, she is cooperative with the doctors and procedures, and never fights back or refuses what has to be done, no matter how painful. When Abby first got sick, we committed ourselves to PARENTING her, no matter what. We would not indulge her. She would not be allowed to be demanding or selfish. We constantly teach her to be polite, obedient and respectful no matter what condition she is in. Abby cannot be spanked because of her physical condition, but beyond that, she loses privileges, gets timeouts, stands in the corner, etc. We hate that she is going through this but we can parent her from self pity as doing so would only hurt her. The security of good parenting and being treated like a normal part of the family helps give her the emotional strength she needs to battle cancer. This has allowed her to stay happy and feel secure. Of course, this parenting comes with lucrative amounts of patience, comforting, hugs, rocking, caring for her, and doing everything possible to make her comfortable.

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your comments serious.extras Riggs Family Blog www.riggsfamilyblog.com

the TV. Prioritize your day. Be extremely focused. Work hard at becoming fast AND good at what you do. I take no credit for any ability I may have. God alone gives the talent and opportunity. I’ve been blessed with a prolific writing skill so the blogs and books are FUN, not work. Okay, they are work... but it is fun. I’ve been doing the graphics and web work for 20+ years so I’ve become extremely fast at it. Speed has alot to do with being able to be involved in various efforts. Passion for what you do gives you the drive to do it.

MARCH 2009

Malia’sMama asked... I am curious as to why you seem to want to “socially network” so much beyond prayers for Abby. It’s seems you’re always asking for tie ins to your blogs (again, beyond getting Abby’s cause known) offering to link others, making up contests and special days to keep people here, asking

readers to involve themselves actively, to go to your facebook, twitter etc. I have never come across another blogger who does this (and I am the total opposite), so it’s very foreign to me. Care to address my curiousity? All of the things you list are of course just different ways to harness technology to spread a message and create a community which is our goal concerning Abby. We have received untold amounts of comments, encouragement and contact with people that have helped us through this difficult journey. Along side that, blogging, writing and teaching are what I do, none of which is very useful without someone to read it. What you don’t see behind the scenes, is all our social networking (and the other things you describe) have allowed our path to intersect with countless people we have helped, advised and shared experience

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with. Beyond letting people know about Abby, my ministry is to take the life lessons we are learning and communicate them. The vast majority of my writing, teaching and answering questions is, and will remain, absolutely free ministry to people. As I pursue my passion and dream of eventually being a full time author and blogger, I will create and offer books and products for sale that compliment my free content. I create a “network” of all my blogs, websites and social applications for the exact reason you state: to give people more reason than just Abby’s story to want to remain loyal readers. Anyone who has been around my sites/blogs for very long knows I have no hidden agendas or “sales tricks”. I was blogging, writing books and creating products YEARS before Abby got sick. It is no different than what someone like James Dobson or Dave

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Ramsey does. And the “Riggs Family Blog” was the Riggs Family Blog before Abby got sick.

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Anonymous asked... I know one time you mentioned your income got cut in half after Abby got sick. You don’t ever ask for donations on your blog. How are you doing with all the expenses? Could you use help? You might not be comfortable answering publicly, but I thought I would ask since its “open season”. Now this gets into stuff we are least comfortable with. I’ve been “public” for many years, and I know how quick people are to criticize and question

Anonymous asked... How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop? Landis? One. But more important is this question: What about supralapsarianism and its effects on the social fabric of the emerging church and the contradictory tensions originating from its inevitable collision with the postmodern Darwinian influence on Christian worldview in general? ----------That’s it. I’m questioned out. Hello? Anyone still there? Hello? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller? ~ Brent Riggs

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Tony, Lisa and Kendall asked... It seems as though you are constantly coming up with material to write about. How do you think of it all the time? Are you writing blog and magazine entries days in advance to keep up? Or are you just a pretty creative person? The ideas just come from life and experience. Again, I take no credit for it. If I get ideas, it’s because God blesses me with them, and the creativity that comes with it. It’s hard to say HOW I get ideas, they just come to me. There are some common questions and lists you can refer to if you are STUCK

for ideas, but that rarely is a problem for me. I’ve got mountains of lists of ideas I’ve jotted down over time for things I want to write and can’t find time. No, I do not write in advance. I write on the fly every day.

your motives once the issue of money comes up. We get asked this type of question privately on a routine basis and we are just honest when asked. Yes, due to the recession, my income was cut in half a few months ago. The magazine and my “side work” are my efforts to rebuild that income. I work a full time job as well as what you see me do online. All of it is to support our family and pay the medical expenses. God has never failed to care for us. We haven’t missed a meal, or not been able to pay a bill. Yes, people have stepped up and blessed us on many occassions with financial help. We don’t want to pretend the need doesn’t exist, nor do we parade it around soliciting help publicly. So having said that, yes, we accept and appreciate financial blessings for those who feel led in that way. If you want our mailing address, email me: brent@brentriggs.com Nuff said.

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Featured Blog: Faithful Froggers

faithfulfroggers.blogspot.com

About Me: I am a wife - happily married for 13 years to my soul mate and best friend. And I am a mom blessed with 5 amazing children . . . 3 are triplets, 1 in Heaven and 1 adopted from Guatemala. We have faced many hardships in our life, yet we know our blessings are abundant. We live each day only by the grace of God - praising Him in all things and giving Him all the glory. Type: (Family Blog) A post Serious.Life picked to share with you (unedited from the blog):

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MARCH 2009

Facing the Past

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I admit it. I am addicted to Facebook. I just love it! I love how quick it is to check on friends and easy it is to download pictures. It has been so fun the past 2 weeks reconnecting with old friends. It is really amazing how it can bring everyone together and I have found friends from all periods of my life - as far back as 7th grade. So odd to have not talked to some people in over 20 years and now all of a sudden I know what they are doing on a daily basis. Blows my mind! And it has been so fun getting to know all of my blog friends a little better, too. I am finally getting

pretty good at putting names with faces and I LOVE getting to know you and your families. However, I do apologize for not visiting and signing blogs lately . . . I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem to keep up with BOTH blogging and FB. :) But, I have to also admit that FB has been hard for me. I thought that everyone knew about Jacob . . . and I am finding that many friends from

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my past do not know about him at all. It is hard to share that part of my life . . . yet how can I not? Jacob is such an important part of my life story and when people ask me how many kids I have, then I have to tell them about Jacob and share his story. And in sharing his story, I must also share our loss and our faith and our hope. Do I mind? Not at all!

www.seriouslifemagazine.com/subscribe and compassion. Their genuine concern overwhelms me at times and touches my heart. And typically this reaction comes from those I least expect it. :) I have definitely learned over the past 4 years that everyone is different - and that’s okay. :) But it has been an odd 2 weeks . . . facing the past, sharing Jacob’s story and processing everyone’s reaction . . . so many emotions flooding my heart! Thank goodness that through it all, God is there and HE understands always. He is the reason life is

good even when it is hard. Other than my new FB addiction, life is good right now.

Jacob

After a most courageous battle with cancer for 28 months, Jacob landed safely in the arms of God and was healed forever on June 12, 2006. He will forever be 6

(continued next page)

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I can seriously talk about Jacob all day . . . and most days I can do it without tears. But even if the tears fall - it doesn’t mean that I don’t want to talk about it. No, it just means that I miss him so much! And you guys know that I can always talk about our faith and hope - that’s what gets me through most days. :) I am learning, though, that sometimes other people don’t want to talk about it. It’s hard to face such a harsh reality . . . Some people don’t want to hear that I’ve lost a child. It makes them sad and scared and it is so much easier to ignore the fact. I am never offended when this happens . . . because I understand completely how difficult it is to comprehend our loss. There are many days I still struggle to understand myself. I also know how hard it is to find the right words and know what to say. And quite honestly, no words are necessary. But then there are some people that completely surprise me . . . they open their hearts and listen with such empathy

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your comments serious.extras Faithful Froggers

faithfulfroggers.blogspot.com

a miracle, a hero, the most Amazing Jacob. He will live in our hearts forever. Jacob has an older brother, Kyle, who is 9, triplet brothers Brandon & Devin who are 7 and a baby sister, Allie, who we adopted from Guatemala. She was born on February 20, 2007 - which just happens to be the same date that Jacob was diagnosed with cancer. The boys & Allie are such a blessing in our life! We would like to thank everyone for all the love and support. We are overwhelmed by your generosity and you have touched our hearts and blessed our lives with your compassion, your encouragement and your prayers. May you always know how much your kindness has meant to us. May God bless each of you as you have so graciously blessed our family. ~

SERIOUS.LIFE.MAGAZINEÂŠ

MARCH 2009

years old. In February 2004, Jacob was diagnosed at the age of 3 with adrenocortical carcinoma, a rare cancer of the adrenal gland affecting only 15-20 children in the US a year. To read his diagnosis story and journal history please CLICK HERE. Jacob was truly an amazing child who lived life to the fullest. He loved singing, dancing, fishing, swimming and going to Walt Disney World. But most of all he loved his brothers. Jacob had a heart of gold and taught us all so much during his short time on earth. He taught us to celebrate life, to walk in faith, to never give up and to always believe in miracles. He touched many lives with his contagious smile and silliness, and he was deeply loved by all who knew him. He was a most precious gift from God,

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Serious Blog Directory

There are LOTS of great blogs out there that cover every imaginable topic. Visiting blogs is a great way to make friends, build a community, and discover what is going on in other families and lives. We encourage you to look through this directory and find some of the great blogs that make up the Serious.Life Community of friends!

MARCH 2009

Brent Riggs Blog (Advice, mentoring, Christian) http://www.brentriggs.com The serious pursuit of a happy, fulfilling, meaningful life. Great advice, questions answered. Weaving Families Blog (Adoption, Family) http://www.weavingfamilies.com/ blog The official blog of Weaving Families Adoption Ministry where we will be comforting each other throughout the lifelong journey of adoption. Faithful Froggers (Family) http://faithfulfroggers.blogspot.com I am a wife - happily married for 13 years to my soul mate and best friend. And I am a mom blessed with 5 amazing children . . . 3 are triplets, 1 in Heaven and 1 adopted from Guatemala.

4 Little Men & Girly Twins (Family) http://www.4littlemen.blogspot.com I am a young, artsy, fun loving, sometimes silly, a little hippie, classy-funky-chic,vintage loving, Jesus following mama & I am married to my soul-mate, best friend, highschool sweetheart & all together the best husband. Steece’s Pieces (Family) http://thelifeofsuz.blogspot.com Quad Mom’s blog Standing on the Mountain of God (Christian, Inspirational, Family) http://www. standingonthemountainofgod. blogspot.com During the last months of 2006, God bestowed a mirclous healing on our daughter. Since then we feel we have been called to encourage those

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struggling with their own trials. This is our life AFTER the Valley of Serenity! Inside Aileigh’s Heart (Family) http://insideaileighsheart.blogspot. com/ Join me, a working mom of two boys, as I try to find the humor in life and aspire to be a photographer. I may not be the perfect parent, but I love my kids and my husband! Me, Him and Them (Family) http://mehimthem.blogspot.com/ A simple blog of a normal English (UK) Mum trying to find her way in the world and keep her sanity while raising three lovely children! In His Hands ~ Our Adoption Journey (Christian Adoption/Ministry Life)

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We check our traffic statistics each month, and find the top 15 blogs that refer traffic to either www.seriouslifemagazine.com, www.riggsfamilyblog.com, www.seriousfaith.com or www.brentriggs.com. Those fifteen blogs get a blog banner and enjoy the exposure that 700,000 page views (and growing!) can bring you as our way of saying “thanks!”

How do you refer traffic to us?

Link to our blog from your blog. Participate in weekly features like Laughter Lives Tuesday. Display one of our blog or magazine badges on your blog. Use Twitter and Facebook to tell people about our family of blogs. Write posts to your readers and ask them to check our blogs or the magazine. Or all the above! We track where every visit comes from, and we reward our friends by continuing to find ways to get them seen in the magazine, and on our blog.

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your comments serious.extras Serious Blog Directory... cont’d http://inhishandsouradoptionjourney.blogspot.com/ My pastor-to-be husband and I are adopting our first baby from South Korea! Join me as I share my feelings on growing our family, daily happenings, and life on the road to the ministry...it’s all In His Hands! A Voice For Moms (Conservative, Chrisitan, Politics) http://avoiceformoms.blogspot.com A conservative voice for moms in our ever changing political world. A place to learn what is happening but also how we each can make a difference. Impressed Upon Our Hearts (adoption) http://impresseduponourhearts. blogspot.com Follow our Ethiopian adoption journey and our quest to discover more about how God wants to use us to care for His children. A Day with Jake (family) http://www.adaywithjake.blogspot. com Do you hear giggling? Is that a dirty diaper? Why is marker on my newly painted wall? Oh, it’s just another Day with Jake. Stop on by and read about our hilarious life and trials between two almost newlyweds and our rambunctious, life-loving toddler!

MARCH 2009

God Given Passions (Christian, Adoption, Family, HIV) http://godgivenpassions.blogspot. com/ Follow our journey as we follow God’s call to adopt a little boy who just happens to be HIV+. Jessies Home (Adoption, Family, Special Needs, Cleft Palate) http://www.freewebs.com/ jessieshome/apps/blog/ You can’t change the world by adopting one child, but you can change the world for one child... We live a simple life, but one child in college and one in kindergarten keep us on our toes. We love this crazy little life we lead.

The Blessed Country Mom (Christian, Family) http://theblessedcountrymom. blogspot.com Join this Christian cloth diapering, baby wearing, horse loving super frugal mom on her journey as a wife and mommy of a 1 year old son. Read stories of happenings on the “farm,” share her favorite recipes, frugal tips and more! Bopeys blog (Siblings, big family, homeschooling) http://bopeysblog.blogspot.com A 12 year old girls humble writings My GuatAngels (Adoption) http://guatangels.blogspot.com Our Journey through Life, with my 2 children God granted me through International Adoption. Knot-Them-Again (Family,sewing,adoption, and giving back) http://www.knotthemagain.blogspot. com Sewing dentist, American born mom with quiet, Irish born husband and two entertaining Guatemalan born daughters open their door to virtual visiters. Failte,welcome, and bienvenido! Little Miss Hannah - Our Fight Against Gaucher’s Disease (rare disease, terminal illness, neurologic involvement, physical symptoms) http://www.littlemisshannah.com Hannah was born on with hepatosplenomegaly and low platelets. At 5mo, she was diagnosed with Gaucher’s disease, most likely type 3, a debilitating physical and neurological disease which will try to take her away from us in 15 to 20 years our so. Learning by Faith (mothering/christianity) http://learningbyfaith.blogspot.com My blog is a narrative of my daily live raising my two boys. And how my faith is growing right along with them. Join me as I learn what god has in store for my life as a mother, wife, and daughter of the King.

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In God’s Time...Not Mine (Pastors wife, Adoption, Infant loss) http://ingodstimenotmine.blogspot. com Life hasn’t turned out exactly the way I thought it would. My first baby died in my arms 14 hours after she was born. I am married to my best friend who is the pastor of a Presbyterian Church and we are officially waiting to adopt a baby from Korea. God’s Faithfulness Through Infertility (Infertility) http://twosheldons.blogspot.com Walking the road of infertility and learned more everyday that God’s Plan is far better and far bigger than anything I can plan for myself. Calling all prayer warriors to pray as we are about to walk through the IVF door, clearly opened by God. Life With My Special Ks (Down syndrome, Adoption, Leukemia, Military) http://www.myspecialks.com This blog is about our 4 children, Kassidy, Kameron, Kennedy & Keeghan. We talk about life in the Military, our adoption process to our new daughter Kellsey, and the blessings of kids with Special Needs. Kennedy is also in remission with Leukemia. Forever n Ever n Always (Adoption, Christian, Family) http://forevernevernalways1. blogspot.com Join us as we follow hard and fast after Him! We are a blessed family of 10 built by the grace of God and Inernational Adoption! Looking forward to meeting you! The Q Family Adventure (family life) http://theqfamilyadventure.blogspot. com/ The story of our day to day life. Raising 5 children, 6 and under, in a military family is, well, quite an adventure! We strive to serve God and find fun in all that we do. This is our life, good and bad, it is all part of the adventure! Created for His Glory

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Serious Blog Directory... cont’d

(missionary family) http://www.pracharfamily.blogspot. com We document our lives here for our friends and family in Iowa who sent us to the mission field, who support us spiritually and financially. Our family blog has turned into a record of God’s faithfulness and ability to provide for our every need! Welcome to the jungle (Life) http://faithfullyhis-fmattso.blogspot. com/ I am a mom of four amazing kids and grandma to the cutest little girl ever! I am in an every day battle to lose weight and be healthy. I adore my family. But most of all I love God! I love seeing the amazing miracles he performs every day! Stubborn Fish Tales (Family, Christian, Adoption, Infertility) http://www.stubbornfishtales.com This blog is the recording of the journey to becoming the “me” God wants me to be. I am a God-loving, kid-adoring, animal-cuddling, mama-wanna-be who loves to write and would love sharing my thoughts with you.

MARCH 2009

Grace Like Rain (Christian, Family, Humor, Faith) http://gracelikerainfallsdown. blogspot.com/ A little glimpse into our life together that God created. He shows His mercy and His grace anew every morning (and through the day, ahem). “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” ~ Ephesians 2:8 Faith, Family & Adoption (Family, Christian, Adoption) http://jasonandkam.blogspot.com Married 12 years, a Youth/Education minister and a stay home mom parent two biological daughters and await the arrival of a son from Thailand. Psalm 104:24-Random thoughts from a not so random mom (Christian family) http://pridelandsmommy.blogspot. com/

I am a...Believer, wife, mama, treehuggin’, freespirit, peacemakin’, dreamin, tattoo lovin’, nature lovin’,music lovin’ child of The King. Making the most out of every day that God blesses me with. :) Life in the Fast Lane (Family, Laughter, Children) http://jayefamily.blogspot.com My blog started simply as a way to share our busy life with our family. Now, however, it is so much more. It’s enabled my family to reach out to pray for and help others in need. And - it’s allowed me to make new friends all over the world. leeleenews.blogspot.com (Family, Meningitis, Miracles, Obstacles) http://leeleenews.blogspot.com Katie battled Bacterial Meningitis and fought very hard to survive. We have witnessed so many miracles with Katie and pray that it continues. This is her story of illness, brain injury, giggles, reflux, eating issues, infant development and more. Tennyson Talk (family) http://www.tennysontalk.blogspot. com Our blog is one that updates pictures of the kids and what is going on in our lives. It is to keep family and friends up on our day to day lives. We want to glorify the Lord in all we do as a family. We also post prayer requests for family/friends. Mommy’s Lil’ Blessings (family, adoption, Guatemala missions) http://www.mommyslilblessings. blogspot.com My blog is related to our journey as a family with a child adopted from Guatemala. Join us as we embark on our journey to give back to the country that gave us so much!!

(Family,Adoption,Foster Care) http://www.dearestjessica.blogspot. com I am a Christian, wife and mother. My blog details the ups and downs of parenting,the foster care system,adoption! His Heart (Christian Adoption) http://his-heart.blogspot.com/ Reflections of my personal journey to follow Jesus Christ since the day I recognized Him as more than Savior, but also as LORD! It is also the account of how God has worked in our life through infertility and adoption to draw us closer to Him. The Backwards Blog (student, grad school, humor) http://yasdnilbackwards.blogspot. com A first-year grad student working toward a Master’s degree in Mass Communication blogs about school and life while trying (and often failing) to be funny. Crazy Days...Sleepless Nights (Home Life) http://bethanylbishop.blogspot.com I blog to keep my sanity! I love to use my blog to find the humor in the everyday. Which in our house can be crazy.I blog about almost anything. Daily life is where I find my joy. Come join me as I laugh, live, and hang on to sanity for dear life. smithsoup (large family, adoption) http://smithsoup.blogspot.com Share the love and personalities which make up “Smithsoup” from the family stories to prayer requests and praises to the journey which is our adotpion of two new ingredients to “Smithsoup”: a brother and sister waiting for us in Liberia

Fellows Familt Farm (Family) http://www.mfellows.blogspot.com/ The life of a family with a busy 14mo old!

“Heart...Soul...” (family, fun, adoption, Christian) http://littlemissmimi.blogspot.com A blog originally created to keep family & friends up to date with our trip to China to adopt our daughter... now it is kept up just for fun!

Dearest Jessica...my journey of life.

Cloud Nine and Counting (Love, Life, Military)

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Serious Blog Directory... cont’d

http://cloudnineandcounting. blogspot.com/ Cloud Nine is a collection of musings on life, love, loving an Airman, college, and all that surrounds it. Making Our Mark (Family) http://minishfamily.blogspot.com A blog about our family after losing an infant son and then having another with an incurable eye condition that once slowed him down but doesn’t any more! The Simply Made (Craft) http://thesimplymade.blogspot.com About trying to start my own fabric business to help support my family through Etsy. Living Freely (orphan care, Africa, Adoption, Learning about Jesus) http://brandisthoughts.com I’ll send it later!

MARCH 2009

bergsnest (Adoption and Christian Family) http://www.bergsnest.blogspot.com This blog shares the story of Emma’s adoption from China and our journey as a family. We are a Christian family with 7 children, 3 living in New England, 3 grandchildren & 4 at home. We are in full time ministry. www. achildshopeintl.org from chaos to Grace (Family Christian) http://momof3darlings.wordpress. com/ It’s the blog about LIFE, about FAITH and trusting God. It’s the blog about being a Mom and working full time, about photography, about what God is bringing us to next. About my growing faith in Christ. It’s a humble blog about a family. Serving A Mighty King... Reaching The World For Jesus (Christian, Ministry) http://sebcintern.blogspot.com I’m a girl who is a part of leading the largest youth movement in the nations who is trying to please God

with every part of life. I invite you to join me on this journey from death to life, from the hand of Satan to the Hand of God! I am heading towards my destiny! (christian, adoption, family) http://bethinnc.blogspot.com/ I am a wife, mother, and daughter of elderly parents. I enjoy recording my laughter and tears on this journey. Come join me as I head toward’s my destiny in Christ! Night Light Stories (Family) http://www.nightlightstories. blogspot.com Night Light Stories is a podcast featuring original children’s stories. These stories were all originally told by the friendly glow of a child’s night light. We invite you now to share these stories with your own children, anytime, anywhere. 3 Kids and Us (Parenting, Family, Pregnancy, Mom) http://3kidsandus.com The journey of a pregnant mom blogger sharing real stories of parenting 3 kids from infant to toddler to pre-teen, while promoting my favorite mom blogs, giveaways, and reviews. I’m Ghana Adopt (Large Christian Adoptive Family) http://imghanaadopt.blogspot.com With 13 children, we are a FUN and FAITH- FILLED family, always seeking the LORD for His very best for our lives. My blog talks about Living LIfe as a Large Family, Living on Less, What’s Cooking, Parenting, Marriage, and just daily “stuff”. My Roller Coaster Life (prayers, humor, recipes, life) http://www.ugottafriend.com Painter. Writer. Dreamer. Insomniac. 30-something and single again from the U.S. Gulf Coast. Dealing with chronic pain and illness the best way I know how, by embracing life, finding humor in every day, and counting my blessings.

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Owen’s Heart Journey (HLHS, Heart Transplant, Chemo) http://simmonsfamilyupdate. blogspot.com Owen was born with 1/2 a heart. He has had 2 open heart surgeries, four cardiac caths, and is now waiting for his NEW heart!! He has chemo once every two weeks to help lower his antibody levels so when his PERFECT heart arrives, he won’t reject it! Keeper of the Cheerios (Family, Christian) http://www.keeperofthecheerios. com Keeper of the Cheerios is a family friendly blog with reviews, giveaways, recipes, craft ideas, parenting ideas and articles, a forum and more. So, You Don’t Get Any Phone Calls From Me (life family food photography) http://www.suzannesez.blogspot. com I write about life with my husband and two children in Central Florida. Each week, I feature “What’s For Dinner Wednesday” about food and “Suzanne’s Soundtrack Sunday” about music. I also write Tasty Thursdays at MomDot.com. Salzwedel Family Adventures (Adoption/Family) http://salzwedeladventures.blogspot. com Sharing our family, faith & the journey of adoption. Praying through the highs and lows and seeking His wisdom in all that we do. Join us to learn more about our family and the world of adoption as we walk by faith and not by sight. I Get To!!! (Family and Christian and Fun) http://www.i-get-to.blogspot.com A few years ago I was tired of my to do list. I enjoyed my family but the work was endless! Then God revealed to me that I was viewing the work as a “have to” vs. a “get to.” Now I GET TO! serve my family & by serving them, I’m serving Him. Woohoo! Rumo Family: An Adoption

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your comments serious.extras Serious Blog Directory... cont’d Journey (christian, homeschool, adoption, haiti) http://www.rumofamily.com We are the Rumo Family, Paul, Julie, Zachary & Emily ( and Moe & Kiara our pups) We are a Godloving, Christ-following family. . We have emabarked on the journey of international adoption. We can’t wait to have our 3 boys from Haiti home with us. Life with Miss Magoo (China Adoption) http://lifewithmissmagoo.blogspot. com/ To keep updates about our daughter we adopted from China and to help raise funds for our son that we are currently in the process of adopting. Notes from the Toilet Bowl (News, Humor, Woman’s Health) http://isawitinbluewater.blogspot. com Sometimes my brain swirls faster than the toilet water on a good flush. This is where it all sorts out from my personal battle with depression to my take on the news events of the day. It’s all swirled with a healthy dose of humor.

MARCH 2009

New Kind Of Normal (special needs/differently abled) http://www.newkindofnormal. blogspot.com when our third son Alex was born pulmonary hypertension took over, and he was flown to a NICU for ecmo. There he was diagnosed with a rare syndrome (RTS). Our lives changed for the better, and he is teaching the world to love differently abled people My Father The King (Christian Homeschooling) http://www.homeschoolblogger. com/DragonflyPrincess I am a homeschooling mom of three, blogging about our homeschool journey, kids, life, and sometimes a current event or two. Come visit me! My Trendy Tykes (Parenting, mommy blogger, mom blogs) http://mytrendytykes.blogspot.com A kid chasing, face wiping,

dish washing, laundry folding, homeschooling, boo boo kissin’, blog lovin’ stay at home mom. You can find me blogging about my children, crafts, fun kid friendly recipes, awesome products and just life in general. The Working Mom (Family) http://fromaworkingmom.today.com Documenting the ups and downs of my life as a working mother, and all the little tricks I use along the way to make life easier. Ryter Rytes (Adoption) http://ryterrytes.wordpress.com Random thoughts from out of my mind... which is usually where I am! I’m The Momma, That’s Why! (family, pets, fun, stuff) http://imdamomma.blogspot.com Just whatever is on my mind. I try to see the humor in life - and enjoy sharing what I can. I’ve found that life is a lot more fun when I’m smiling! Come visit me and see if I’ve found anything that will get you smiling today! The Newsome Family (Christian, Savings, Recipes) http://ericandmistynewsome. blogspot.com Our blog started as a family blog, but has turned into our journey through this life, following God, saving money and raising our beautiful children. Life at the Lunds (adoption, twins, Down syndrome) http://lund7.blogspot.com We are a family with 5 children; 4 bios and one adopted from Guatemala. We deal with issues relating to Down syndrome(one twin has this), adoption, and teen issues along with every day struggles and triumphs as we live for the Lord! The Mud Bug (Review, Giveaways, Family) http://www.mud-bug.com The Mud Bug is a family oriented review, giveaway and all-over topic blog. There is something for

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everyone! Random Thoughts (Family, Society, Moral Questions) http://deanne-randomthoughts. blogspot.com This blog is literally random thoughts. Sometimes it covers family issues, sometimes it provides thought about current issues in society and morality, sometimes it just voices an opinion or asks a question. Totally random thoughts. Nevaeh Kaylene’s Journey (CHD survivor) http://nevaehkaylenewalp.blogspot. com/ This blog is about our families journey through the world of congential heart defects with our daughter, Nevaeh. Autumn Asks Why (Family) http://autumnaskswhy.blogspot.com Christian SAHM trying to live frugally. We are a military family with children by birth and adoption. Our life is all growing spiritually, surviving deployments and TDY’s and living on a budget. My Sippy Cup Runneth Over (Family, Parenting, Christian, Mothering) http://www.saralifeinwords. blogspot.com My Sippy Cup, indeed, runneth over. It’s the ups, downs, and in betweens of mother three small children, a wife, friend, and daughter, and battling the imperfection of it all. snowboarding future vet (life) http://my.opera.com/jajinka1/blog/ just one post each day...about dreams, life and hopes...anout Faith, smiles and love... Our Life With Dylan (Family, Christian) http://ourlifewithdylan.blogspot. com/ Our blog was originally for out of town family to keep up with Dylan, but it is quickly growing. This is our journey from Our Lift to Our Life With Dylan. We want to share how

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God has blessed our life and let our light shine! Momma Findings (Family, Product Reviews, Review Blogger, Shopping) http://www.mommafindings.com Here at Momma findings we know kid friendly and Momma Approved products are hard to find. From kitchen cleaner to toilet paper, toys, and snacks..Check out our product reviews and hear, first hand, what this Momma and family have to say. My Fabulous Baker Boys (International Family) http://lisajosbakerboys.blogspot. com/ A melting pot of stories from our American-South African marriage and the kids that have come along for the ride to all the continents in between. Readyaim.com (Family and TASER protection) http://readyaim.blogspot.com Retired Chippie Mom and family stories. Information about the TASER C2 Personal Protector.

MARCH 2009

Expectant Hearts (Christian, familly, grief) http://www.expectanthearts. blogspot.com The journey of our family, expectantly waiting for and observing the miracles provided by our Lord. Raising our 3 children and missing our son in Heaven. The Story Of A Princess And Her Hair (Family, Hairstyles, Parenting) http://hair4myprincess.blogspot.com Hairstyle ideas for your little princess. Including step by step pictures and videos. The Mommy Diaries (Family, Christian, Parenting) http://www.ethanzachemma. blogspot.com I am a: LCMS Lutheran pastor’s wife/ 6, 3, and 1 year old’s mom/ cloth diaperer/ church organist/ friend/ daughter/ sister/ neice/ aunt/ flutist/ oboist/ former teacher/ non-duster/ Green Bay Packer fan/ near-sighted/ blogger/ And most

importantly: Child Of God My life as a CFers WIfe - Between a Whisper and a Roar (Family) http://lifeasacferswife.blogspot.com My husband has a chronic lung disease called Cystic Fibrosis and in April of 2008 was diagnosed with Stage 4 Recurrent Colon Cancer. We have 2 young sons and I blog about this journey we are on giving praise to God along the way. Ask Miss Mommy (Parenting, Reviews) http://www.askmissmommy.com I am a mommy to two little girls and a savvy shopper. I am constantly finding new things to try and when I’m not busy with that I’m busy with life. So! Join me! Ask Miss Mommy... then pass it on. Phoenix’s Fight (Cystic Fibrosis Journey) http://www.phoenixsfight.blogspot. com Phoenix is a nine month old little boy that struggles to do one of lifes simplest tasks, breath due to Cystic Fibrosis. Together with family and friends Phoenix braves the days ahead, and we will make CF stand for cure found!This is his journey! Following God To... (Adoption) http://www.followinggodto. blogspot.com Join us on our journey of adopting a little girl from Ethiopia. Momstart (Family) http://www.momstart.com I love to write review and have giveaway for my readers. I also love to share savings tip and talk about my children. Every Sunday I do a roundup of blogs that have savings advice. Valeroni (Family) http://melliemelo.blogspot.com/ About my two girls ~ Valerie and Veronica and our life The New Norm (Family)

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http://not-the-norm.blogspot.com The life of a 27 year old Active Duty Air Force mom. I’m raising a 5 year old girl and a step-mother to a 7 year old girl. Married to my best friend and living in the Nation’s Capital. Annachka (Health) http://www.annafinley.blogspot.com Our blog about our daughter who is fighting rare disease Atypical HUS. Our Journey Home (Adoption, Christian) http://ourjourneyhome-lagorga. blogspot.com/ Our blog is used to update our family & friends on our adoption journey, to network with people who may be able to help us and allow a glimpse into our life as a young married couple desiring God’s will for us and the family we long for. Four Plus More (adoption, family, christian) http://www.fourplusmore.com Chronicling the journey of our family as we’ve added two children from Ethiopia to our children. Ohana Mama (Mom Reviews Mompreneurs) http://www.ohanamamablog.com Ohana Mama, written form Maui, is where you can find reviews, giveaways, interviews and other fun stuff, all with a touch of aloha! The Adventures of Cat and Bambam (Life after NICU) http:// theadventuresofcatandbambam. blogspot.com Daily living for two preemies A Day In My Life (“Orphan Care Ministry,” “Christian,” ) http://guatemolly1.blogspot.com Look into A Day In My Life, as I strive to follow our Father in everyday life and in the call to care for the orphans. my journey through weight loss surgery (Health)

www.seriouslifemagazine.com/subscribe http://nancygene.blogspot.com Follow my journey through weight loss surgery. Created to keep family and friends informed of my progress.

to help people know an honest opinion on a product. I also blog about life as a stay-at-home mom to a toddler, and anything else I feel like!

For Such As These (Adoption, Africa) http://www.forsuchasthese.blogspot. com A blot to share our family’s heart for Africa and her people and our journey in adoption.

Emily’s Adventures 08 (Christian, Semi-Terminal Illness) www.emilysadventures08.blogspot. com My blog is all about how I deal with life having a very rare disease and a semi-terminal illness. I talk about how God is working in my life and what I am going through medically.

The Kramers (family) www.kramers1234.blogspot.com the ups and downs of our life, crafting, and i have started my own business with my mom BlueCastle (Decorating) http://www.sarahsbluecastle.com A homeschooling, Jesus-loving mom’s adventures in decorating on a half-shoe string budget while holding onto her sanity in a house of boys. Giggles N Grins (Family) http://gigglengrin.blogspot.com I am a christian,mother,wife,sister ,daughter,and photographer. I love that my hobby has turned into a little business. I love to photograph outdoors and children. Best of all I love to see parents faces when they see the pictures for the 1st time!

Kim’s Cuisine (Family, Recipes, Weight Loss) http://www.kimscuisine.blogspot. com/ A blog collection of recipes being tested in my household. Some are weight loss surgery friendly, some kid friendly - ALL are yummy! Come and cook with me. Thoughts by Kim (Christian, Family, Weight Loss, Infertility) http://www.kbhawkins00.blogspot. com/ A look at life through Kim’s eyes: a woman trying to lose weight through weight loss surgery, a woman suffering from fertility problems, and a woman on an amazing spiritual journey.

One Breath at a Time... ... (Christain, parenting, humor, widow) http://txmomx6.blogspot.com The open-book of my life, as a new widow and mother of 6. Sometimes painful, most times humorous, always honest. I am learning to live life one breath at a time. Brent, I was thinking of using the Dec. 2007 post, “Score One for Mom!” Mountaintop Memories (Christian, Adoption, Family, Homeschooling) http://www.mountaintopmemories. blogspot.com Adopted by the Creator of the universe and trying daily to bring glory and honor to His name. Married to my knight in shining armor. Homeschooling momma to 6 wonderful, creative, challenging children, four of which are adopted. We see our family as a beautiful symphony created and conducted by the Master’s hand. Join us and listen to the music of our lives...sometimes beautiful... sometimes off-key...but always pointing Heavenward.

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Sweet ‘n’ Sassy Girls (family, mom, reviews, giveaways) http://sweetnsassygirls.blogspot.com Sweet ‘n’ Sassy Girls is a blog for moms, written by a mom. I love to do product reviews and giveaways

The Drays Today (Christian, Home Daycare) http://www.thedraystoday.blogspot. com Our blog is about day to day life which includes an in home daycare. Life is never boring here with the Drays...so come see that the Drays are doing today!

Confessions of a Student Nurse (college, christian living, healthcare) http://futurenursenotes.blogspot.com The random ramblings of a Christian student nurse trying to keep her sanity throughout all the ups and downs of pursing her degree. I am very candid and open about my struggles, but also quick in sharing my victories.

Petit (Family) http://www.petitcomau.blogspot. com Petit blog is all about our range of children’s toiletries for all ages as well as introducing businesses with children products to our readers with reviews and giveaways.

The Sikes Family (Christian, homemaking, mothering) http://thesikesfamily.blogspot.com I am a homeschooling, Christian mother to four kids (NB-6), and wife to a pastoring husband. I am striving to train my children to serve God. I cook, bake, garden, cloth diaper and baby wear. I LOVE to encourage woman in their walk with my Savior.

Blog 4 Mom (moms, family, kids, military) http://www.blog4mom.com Soccer mom of 3boys ages 21 months to 17 years, military wife and mommy blogger. I keep up with the latest deals and offers for the military community. I also offer recipes and product reviews and giveaways, as well as daily life blogging.

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Breathing Sounds So Easy (children, respiratory illness) http://breathingsoundssoeasy. blogspot.com Just my blog about my kids and my son’s rough journey with respiratory illnesses, ventillators, transfusions, hospitalizations, etc. and our road to just breathing easy!

The Bailey Family (Family) http://www.maxabbyandlucy. blogspot.com Our lives in a family of five. We live, we laugh, we love.

Blessed Beyond Measure (Adoption, Christian Family) http://www.blessedpauls.blogspot. com We are a family of six, soon to be seven, when we welcome our little girl home from Ethiopia. We feel that God has truly blessed our family and we pray that we can be a blessing to others.

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Serious Blog Directory... cont’d

http://www.pennywisefamily. blogspot.com This is a family-finance web log about saving money, doing more with less, and being debt-free. Needham Family 5 (Adoption; family; Christian) http://www.needhamfamily5. blogspot.com “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:1819 A record of how God is doing something new and making the way so that our family can experience the miracle of adoption. Matters of the Heart (Family) http://www.elainecarter24.blogspot. com The simple, and not so simple, moments to remember. Good Golly Miss Blondie (Mom) http://goodgollymissblondie. blogspot.com I am a single working mom to one little boy. I blog about my crazy, eventful days, and the adventures of being a single mom in the dating world. I’m sarcastic and goofy and try to keep it as lighthearted as possible. So come and have a laugh on me!

MARCH 2009

All For Lucy (Christian,international/domestic adoption) http://www.all4lucy.blogspot.com Our blessed life with our Chinese born daughter Lucy, and soon to be child via domestic adoption. Nut Free Living (Allergies) http://www.nutfreeliving.blogspot. com Our Journey with life threatening allergies. Mama Monoblogs (family,christian,natural living, journey) http://www.melsmommyblog. typepad.com

Former missionary kid, pastor’s kid and preschool teacher turned SAHM and my journey to a more content, healthy, green, natural and simple lifestyle. I blog about my faith, my family,living in New England and how God is still working on me. Mommy Cracked (Parenting,Family,Christian,Revie ws) http://mommycracked.net Life and motherhood in small town Mississippi.

Every day, we’re learning how to better reflect God’s love for the church through our marriage. Bringing Home Ava (Adoption) www.bringinghomeava.com Our adoption journey to Ethiopia.

the Mom Buzz (Parenting) http://www.themombuzz.com Buzzing parenting tips, trends, reviews and contest to moms.

Dillon’s Adoption (Adoption) http://www.hanksadoption.blogspot. com Our blog is about our family of 5. It starts with our adoption journey. Our son Dillon came home from Guatemala on January 15, 2008 and joined his sisters, Chloe and Hannah. It continues with our everyday “life”.

MOGUATE Families (Adoption Family Support Guatemala) http://moguate.blogspot.com We are a group of families who have been blessed with children from Guatemala. Each year, we will meet at the Tan-tar-a Resort at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri for a funfilled weekend together. (You don’t have to live in Missouri to join us.)

Bringing Bella Home (Adoption) http://www.bringingbellahome. wordpress.com This is about our 6 1/2 year struggle to bring home our daughter from Guatemala. We will not give up. We love her and she is OUR daughter. We have known her since she is 6 weeks old. We have visited 6 times and she is 6 1/2 yrs old.

The Wild Wild Wests (Family) http://thebestofthewests.blogspot. com This blog is about raising my children while enduring the loss of our third child halfway through pregnancy. It tells the journey we took through grief onto acceptance with quite a few laughs in there from my living children.

I Heart Bowheads (Family, Christian, Children, ) http://iheartbowheads.blogspot.com A Mommy to three writes about day to day life with 2 girl bowheads and a baby boy ( who is now 2 and we are all in complete denial :) I love blogging and I love blogs. Please stop by and be sure to leave me a comment so I can come and visit you!

Ramblings Of A Wannabe Writer (Family,christian,crafts) http://minilegs.blogspot.com A mom and wife, husband, toddler and step-son’s day in the life. Beginning to do product reviews and enjoying networking with other bloggers!

Steele (the Day) (http://tooblessed4myowngood. blogspot.com/) http:// Ramblings on living the life of an empty nester who loves the Lord and in her heart feels like she’s still 35 (and all too frequently acts like it).

SoJo Blog (Family, Christian, Travel, Military) http://sojoblog.com We’re a newlywed couple temporarily living in Germany while our hearts are back in Austin, Texas.

Paper Glue Etc. (Family) http://paperglueetc.wordpress.com/ A blog written by a mom about life as a mom, includes decorating, church, paper crafts, organizational

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www.seriouslifemagazine.com/subscribe tips, links to other blogs. Life After Ukraine (Adoption) http://lifeafterukraine.blogspot.com/ This blog is about life since our 2005 Ukraine adoption. In a tragic twist of fate, my husband became ill during our trip and died six days after returning home. Our life was forever changed. Sisterly Shenanigans (http://www.ourguatemalanbaby. blogspot.com/) http:// Sisterly Shenanigans Adoption Giveaways & Fundraising Orphans & Guatemala Joyfull Living (Christian, Women, Encouragement) http://www.joybright.blogspot.com Joyfull Living is an upbeat and fun place to visit where extraordinary joy is shared through ordinary life experiences. Come visit and meet our family and take with you a dose of joy and encouragement to live an abundant life of joy in the Lord! Kathy’s Krew (Family, Christian) http://www.kathykellogg.blogspot. com Blog follows the daily life of a Christian mom and her Krew.

Profoundly Seth (Family, Christian, Hearing Loss, Stillbirth) http://www.profoundlyseth.com The journey of our family as we celebrate our four children even as we grieve the death of our son Eli. Join us on the roller coaster ride to cochlear implant surgery with our profoundly deaf son, Seth, as we seek to glorify God above all else. Our Big Crazy Family (Ethiopian Adoption Christian Family) http://welovebigfamilies.blogspot. com With seven kids - four birth kids and three from Ethiopia - there is always a lot going on in this big family. Stop by to see what life is like in our home. Asperger’s Faith Journey (Faith, Family & Adoption) http://www.faith4thejourney. blogspot.com Join the life journey of the ‘Asperger 8’. We are a beautifully blended American, Guatemalan & Ethiopian family. We have six children: 3 biological, 1 Guatemalan & 2 Ethiopian. We are passionate about our faith, family & adoption. Life with the Hewitt Family

mommyesquire (Christian Work-Life Balance) http://themommyesquire.wordpress. com My journey raising my baby in a Christian home while working fulltime as an attorney. The Owens’ Crew (Family, Photography) http://owenscrew.blogspot.com Just your run of the mill family blog! Mommy runs around with a camera in her hand, and daddy is coaching most of the time...with a 3 year old and a 6 month old, we stay on our toes! The Amicks (Christian, Family, Down syndrome, Humor) http://www.theamicks-angela. blogspot.com/ I am a stay-at-home mom, former teacher with a wonderful husband and two gorgeous sons, one of whom happens to have Down syndrome. God has been nothing but faithful to us as we have been down this new path. Join us through laughs, tears, and honesty. Counting My Abundant Blessings (Family Life) http://http:// countingmyabundantblessings. blogspot.com/ Just the day to day ramblings of a Wife, Mom, Nana, and sister caring for my brother with kidney cancer. Waiting on Avery Kate (Family, Christian, Church Planting) http://williamandmegan.blogspot. com Chronicles of the life of our familyour new little girl, and planting a church in Indiana

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Fish With Trish (Evangelism) http://www.FishWithTrish.com Fish With Trish is a ministry of Trisha Ramos (assistant to Ray

too {blessed} to be stressed (family, christian, life) http://stierjohnson.blogspot.com As a mom of four, the owner of a small business {www. broadwaypaper.com}, the wife of an executive, and a child of God...I’ve found I have plenty to ‘journal’ about! This blog is my journal to my family. You’ll find struggles, laughter, & inspiration.

Chase’s Page (Family, blindness, brain disease) http://chasebritton.blogspot.com/ A blog dedicated to our very strong 17 month old, born legally blind, with cerebral palsy and just diagnosed with an absent cerebellum.

Whispered Suppory (Supporting bereaved parents) http://whisperedsupport.blogspot. com/ Whispered Support is dedicated to providing practical and emotional support, in the immediate days after the death of a baby. There is a wealth of advice based on guidance from parents around the world and “Carly’s letter”

Good Times Delgado Style (conjoined twins/ infant death) http://www.goodtimesdelgadostyle. blogspot.com In November of 2008 Jason and I delivered conjoined twin girls Melody Joy and Madison Hope. After and hour they went home to be with the Lord. Come join us as we learn to say “Blessed be the name of the Lord” who gives and takes away.

(Family) http://www.dcphewitt.blogspot.com Our family blog is about what goes on in our daily lives. We are at a stage in our life where we are settling into our careers of choice and trying to grow our family the best way we possibly can.

W R I T E U S AT: L E T T E R S @ S E R I O U S L I F E M A G A Z I N E . C O M

What’s That Smell? (parenting, mom blog, reviews, giveaways) http://accidentalmommies.com The adventures in life and parenting of two “accidental mommies” which probably doesn’t mean what you think it means. All poop, all the time - with some advice, reviews and giveaways thrown in for fun (don’t worry, we clean the stuff off).

Comfort of the award winning television program “The Way of the Master” with Kirk Cameron). Fish With Trish exists to equip Christians to share their faith the way Jesus did.

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The Benner Daily (Family) http://shealynnbenner.blogspot.com/ This blog is where I put my thoughts, ideas and we have some fun too! Annual Preemie Onesie Drive (charity, premature babies, NICU) http://preemieonesiedrive.blogspot. com A drive that was set up to collect preemie clothing for babies who have to live in the NICU at Levine Children’s Hospital. This is being done in memory of my first daughter Carly who passed away at 4 months old in March 2008. Annual Preemie Onesie Drive (charity, premature babies, NICU) http://preemieonesiedrive.blogspot. com A drive that was set up to collect preemie clothing for babies who have to live in the NICU at Levine Children’s Hospital. This is being done in memory of my first daughter Carly who passed away at 4 months old in March 2008.

MARCH 2009

Hannah Kathlean Elliotte... My Angel In Heaven (Christian, pregnancy, stillbirth, healing) http://hannahkathleanelliotte. blogspot.com A blog that was started as my pregnancy blog, but my pregnancy ended with a stillbirth in November 2008. This is a blog of my journey through God healing power. She was my second daughter, and is now with my first daughter Carly in heaven. Carly Nicole Elliotte...My Micro Preemie (Christian, premature, baby, death) http://carlynicoleelliotte.blogspot. com A journey through my 1st daughters 4 months in the neonatal ICU. She sadly passed away at 4 months old from a heart defect. Little Did I Know (Christian Adoption Family HIV+) http://little-did-i-know.blogspot.com As a single parent, this is the story of growing my family through

foster care and adoption, with lots of laughs and tears along the way. We rely on God and each other to build us up as we become a family one child at a time. Love Always and Forever (Family, Chronic illness) http://www.jaimeandrick.blogspot. com My husband has crohn’s disease. Unfortunatly he has developed some rare side effects, including a terminal liver disease. He suffers everyday and is currently waiting on back surgery. It has been a bumpy road for us and our two young daughters. Wade’s World (Family, Christian, parenting, toddler) http://www.jeremyandamywade. blogspot.com Wade’s World is where Jeremy and Amy are just the parents, Macy is the B-A-D dog, and our Jackson is the real star of the show. We are Christian conservatives who love Jesus, our families, and each other. We live in the South, and love it! Like a Fish Out of Water (Family, Adoption, Christian) http://stephanie-fishoutofwater. blogspot.com/ I am taking a journey with God as He leads me out of my comfort zone and into His presence. I am a wife, mother and child of God. I enjoy sharing our everyday family life, as well as our journey to our new Ethiopian blessing. Yielding Family (Family) http://yieldingfamily.blogspot.com We’re just keeping a record of our daily lives for our family and friends’ reading enjoyment. Its Twins Again, Oh My (twins,family,boys,sahm) http://itstwinsagain.blogspot.com I am a sahm who just welcomed my 2nd set of twin boys into this world. Every Day is a Crazee Day (Family, Raising Girls, Laughter) www.crazeescotts.blogspot.com Our journey raising our girls to be

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strong independent women who have faith that is unending in their Lord and Savior. Every day is a “crazee” day around around house, as we try to keep up with our tween daughters! Cure Cystic Fibrosis for Reilly (Family/Health) http://curecf4reilly.blogspot.com My daughter Reilly, age 5 has Cystic Fibrosis, a deadly, life shortening disease. This blog is about our daily life and struggles with living a normal life. The average life expectancy is only 37, so my main goal is to made CF stand for CURE FOUND! Heart Choices (Health, Christian, Exercise, Diet) http://www.heartchoices.com Your day to day choices determine what your tomorrows will become. Heart Choices addresses body, mind and spirit. K Leclercq (Adoption) http://kleclercq.blogspot.com Single mom who adopted her son (18 mo) from Guatemala and has started a second adoption from Ethiopia. Twin Girls- One Dad’s Perspective (Twin Girls) http://www.thewhitetwins.blogspot. com A peek into what our life is like with our identical twin girls Tyler & Harper! One Egg Short of a Dozen (Family/ Adoption/Orphans) http://oneeggshortofadozen. blogspot.com With eleven people in this family the title of the blog is obvious. Some people may say we are “one egg short of a dozen” for having this many kids! Well, we just might be a bunch of cracked eggs who fell off a wall but we have fun and call ourselves a FAMILY. Join us on the adventures that we seem to fall into on our adoption journeys and family life! You never know what concoction this carton of eggs will come up with.

www.seriouslifemagazine.com/subscribe Lots of Love for Lily (Love for my Family) http://lotsofloveforlily.blogspot.com The daily tales of a Southern fulltime working mom and her love for her husband and their precious daughter, Lily.

http://kyleapoole.blogspot.com/ Sharing the journey of adopting a blind puppy and truly discovering what Faith is all about. “Now Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1

Harris Quest... Our Daily Walk with Christ (family, Christian, Guatemalan Adoption) http://www.harrisquest.blogspot. com We have 3 sons (ages 18, 16 and 14). God laid it on our hearts to bring a baby girl into our family, and she happened to be born in Guatemala. The blog is my account of OUR LIFE... LIVING IT BIG!!!

Waiting For Mercy (adoption and family life) http://www.journeytomercy. blogspot.com Waiting for mercy waiting. Hoping. Wishing. Praying for our daughter. Loving. Laughing. Playing. Living to the fullest until we meet her. Mercy is coming.

The Munoz Family (Family ) http://EricSummerandBella. blogspot.com Life and times of some twenty something couple with a beautiful 2 year old daughter. Walking in Christ together. Like Potter’s Clay (Christian Family) http://www.likepottersclay.blogspot. com Here we share some fun pictures and experiences in the life of our family, as well as some deeper thoughts about seeking to live for the glory of God!

Innocent Joy (Family) http://innocentjoy.blogspot.com This is my small place on the internet where I can share the “Innocent Joys” my family and friends bring me.

Now We Are Complete (adoption, guatemala) http://niccoborsa.blogspot.com Our Families wonderful journey to Guatemala to bring our son home. The Adventures of Gabby and Hunter (Family, adoption) www.gabbycita.blogspot.com We brought home our beautiful baby girl home from Guatemala in 2006 and now she has a brother who surprised us all born in 2008.

Jansens Journey (Our Family and my son journey with Atresia Microtia) www.jansens-journey.blogspot.com I started this blog to keep family and friends updated with things going on in Jansens life. He was born with Atresia Microtia, which is a rare birth defect of his ear. I want people to become aware of the word Microtia. Our Adoption Adventure (Adoption) http://ethiopianbaby-waitingarms. blogspot.com Oh, what an adventure when you decide to obey the still quiet voice and put your faith into action. In a year, our family of 3 has grown to a family of 5 and by the year’s end, will be a family of 6! Any ideas on fitting 3 carseats into a Corolla? Our Journey... Whats Next ?!.. (Family, Special Needs Child) http:// lifeandtimesofthehudsonfamily. blogspot.com/ Our Family Blog. This is a journal of our lives, our struggles, our journey raising two children - one of which is a Special Needs Child Life on the Reflux Rollercoaster (Family, Adoption, Reflux Support) http://kritterkrit.blogspot.com/ You really can survive the Pukeo-rama Ride without alcohol, little white pills, or a straight jacket. But without the help of our Almighty Savior, you’re just plum up a creek without a paddle. Stop by for advice, support, and lots ‘o laughs!

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Faith’s Vision (Pets, Christian)

Journey for Jordan (Adoption and Family) www.journeyforjordan.blogspot. com After 3 years of waiting, we finally have our son home from Vietnam! We are enjoying our days as a complete family...Although we can’t wait for more :) We are truly blessed!

The Gavin Chronicles (Family, Premie, Baby, Prematurity) http://www.thegavinchronicles. blogspot.com Gavin is our 17 month old son who was born at 25 weeks. He was 1lb 3oz at birth. He had had 5 surgeries and still more to come. This is the story of his life. We update often.

to the moon and back (Family) http://www.giddenslove.blogspot. com I started writing this blog as a way to keep my family informed of all the going ons at the Giddens house. And to forever have my thoughts on life and love on paper (so to speak).

Dani’s Mind- Dare to Enter (Christian Reflections) http://danirupp03.blogspot.com I really enjoy writing and feel God has given me this gift. I want to share the words He has given me with others. I mostly write poetry, but also like to write reflections and silly stuff my mind comes up with. Hope you enjoy!

Because I said so (Family) http://sandersstories.blogspot.com Two Children, Two Cats, oh what fun!

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Mom To the Third Power (Family) http://www.momtothethirdpower. blogspot.com My crazy lucky life as a mom and wife.

The McKaughan Family (Christian Family) http://www.themckaughanfamily. blogspot.com Thank you for stopping by to visit our online Family Scrapebook. We have been so blessed by our fellow blogger buddies and we enjoying getting to know so many wonderful people through it. God Bless All, The McKaughan Family Mt. Pleasant, TX

I love natural health and natural mothering. Follow along our journey!

A Day in the life... (family) 171

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Serious Blog Directory... cont’d

http://jncheung.blogspot.com/ Ramblings about my journey to TTC, recipes, and other things going on in my life. The Dynamic Duo Brothers!! (Family) http://thedynamicduobrothers. blogspot.com/ This blog is about my two awesome boys and our adventures in life. We have been able to stay in touch with our friends and family both near and far through our blog. Maya and Odessa (Family) http://www.odessatylermele. blogspot.com I write about my family, my two beautiful, rambunctious daughters, about photography, I post pictures I take often, mostly of my kids, my cooking and NYC. Occasionally I write about baby care, specifically baby products, their safety and efficiency. Mahaffey Manner (Family) http://www.mahaffeymanner. blogspot.com My blog is about my daily life. My husband is in law enforcement, and I am a stay at home mom pursuing a teaching credential and Masters in Education. We have a 20 month old son, and a baby girl due in July.

MARCH 2009

Reading Rosie (Faith, Southern Humor, Family, Homeschool) http://www.parkersgowest.blogspot. com/ A 40ish homeschooling wife and mom proving daily that “normal” is just a setting on your dryer. Positivechaos (family) http://www.positivechaos. wordpress.com My Blog is about day to day like of a stay at home mom of three. I mainly talk about my family, my health issues and my Orthodox faith and many moany other topics. Ava Rose Isabel (Adoption) http://avaroseisabel.blogspot.com

Life with my toddler who arrived from Guatemala in 2007. A LITTLE OF THIS...A PINCH OF THAT (Family) http://www.grangrandaddycarroll. blogspot.com A place to show off my grandchildren and to share some of the struggles of having a son with an addiction problem. Welcome to the Zoo (Family) http://www.kelliebeans-zoo. blogspot.com There’s always something going on in The Zoo - 3 kids, parents who occasionally act like kids, a doghating cat & a cat-loving dog. Come join us on our wildly fun journey - we laugh with our kids, need therapy for our pets, & praise God for it all! Room For More (Christian Adoption Homeschooling) http://www.roomformorekiddos. com/ We are a Christian homeschooling family of six. We are in the process of adopting a SN child from China. We pray God will continue to bless us with more children through adoption over the years to come. We’d love you to come by our blog for a visit! Believing in faith (Cancer , adoption) http://www.believinginfaith. blogspot.com I fought Hodgkins Lymphoma and this was my way of journaling and keeping the faith, while having others pray for me. My husband also had a heart attack during my chemo treat Now we are adopting our 8th child! Mommy Snacks (Frugal) http://mommysnacks.net I share Snacks to Save, Earn, Live and Learn! I provide money-saving tips as well as ways to earn money online too. Other pieces of my life float into my posts, such as my faith and my desire to be the wife and

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mother God wants for my life! Somewhere Over The Rainbow (Christian, Faith through Adversity) http://melindafancher@blogspot. com My life adventure against the odds and my faith throughout difficulty so that God’s ways may be made mainfest through my actions. Loving Life with Lucy (Family, Military, Christian) http://welovelucymichaela.blogspot. com/ Follow us on our journey as an Army family of 3! We’ve endured long separations that have only made our bond as a couple and a family stronger. This blog is dedicated to the sunshine of our life...our baby girl Lucy Michaela. Life Beyond Laundry (Large Family, Health, Farm) http://luvmy12kids.blogspot.com Eclectic musings of a mom with twelve children, challenged to find life beyond laundry. I am also a wellness consultant and weight managment coach, so you may find that I sneak in a few posts trying to help you be healthier. P Hannahmade Soaps & Scrubs Pamper Yourself, Your Skin will Thank You (natural handcrafted goatmilk soap) http://hannahmadesoaps.blogspot. com Hannahmade Soaps is a cottage industry and is very family oriented. Hannah is 13 years old, and making natural soaps, salts, and scrubs is her brainchild. The blog is still very much in development stages. Low cost luxuries have to save on overhead. Bring Maylin Home (Adoption) http://www.bringmaylinhome. blogspot.com Welcome to my journey to bring home my daughter Maylin from China. I am trying to adopt in an unconventional way as I am single and looking for a husband. Keep us in your prayers. Heavenly Creations by Monique

www.seriouslifemagazine.com/subscribe (Crafts) http://heavenlycreationsbymonique. blogspot.com Welcome to my blog! Here you will see all the creations I come up with and little tidbits about me. I look forward to hearing from you and sharing my love of crafting with you. Just one moment in forever (“christian” “youth pastor” “mother “ “suicide survivor”) http://www.justonemomentinforever. blogspot.com picking up the pieces of a broken childhood and allowing God to put the back together, learning to be a better mother wife and mentor, and learning to live in freedom from all the things everyone/I thought i would be burdened with. Following HIM (Christian, supporter) http://liveandlearn711.blogspot.com Christian and College gal working towards a goal of a SPED teacher. Supporting fellow bloggers is my goal and if you comment, you will have a comment(s) in return!

The Riggs Family (Family, Prayer, Blood of Jesus) http://ibuilagreatlife.com The article is about your precious family. You may check it out at http://ibuildagreatlife.com. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your wonderful magazine.

Neither Here Nor There (adoption) http://www. peachneitherherenorthere.blogspot. com Adult adoptee in reunion with my first family for almost 20 years. How adoption has impacted my life. Be Thou a Knight (Infertility) http://bethouaknight.blogspot.com I started my blog to connect with other women experiencing infertility. I have several ideas that I post about in hopes of creating an awareness for infertility. Home of the Petersonclan (Family, Homeschool, Adoption) http://www.petersonclan.com Come visit our Home on the web, where we share all that God has been teaching us in our walk with our 9 children, one with medical needs. Life is Sweet (Family, photography, children) http://1momof5.blogspot.com/ Life as a mother to five young kids can be pretty crazy at times, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. With five kids, there’s a neverending supply of interesting things to blog about! INfertile Myrtle (trying to conceive, infertility, family, christian) http://meganswishingwell.blogspot. com Our life as an infertile couple and life in general. Geeez, a Blog Now? Seriously? (Family) http://geeezblog.blogspot.com My take on life: Sometimes

Superchikk (Family, Motherhood, Boys, Christian) http://www.superchikk.com I’m the wife of one man, the mom to one son, wrangler of one dog. I’m not really a superhero, but somebody around here has to leap tall loads of laundry in a single bound and be faster than a toddler with mischief on his mind. Many Blessings Equals Busy Life (Christian family children homeschool) http://jent-manyblessings.blogspot. com/ Our home is central to our life. This blog is to record the things that go on in our life and the journeys we take, be they short or long. TEAMThompson (Family) http://teamthompson.wordpress. com/ Recaps of the mundane and “extra special” happenings in our family of six. Living, laughing, and loving as we celebrate triumph and struggle through adversity, all the while, hoping to live lives pleasing to our Lord Jesus Christ. these are the days (Christian, Young Adult, Humor ) www.jennababe.blogspot.com I’m a twenty-something, single woman living life to the fullest while I work on figuring out God’s plan for my life. I am young, happy, confused, and crazy - and I am loving every minute of it! Busy Hands Busy Minds (large Christian homeschool family) http://busyhandsbusyminds. blogspot.com We are a busy homeschooling family of parents, 4 boys, and 3 daughters. Our second grandchild is due in March. We live in the country

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D Campbell Photography / Unique Childrens Photographs (business)

The Borg Brood (Family) http://theborgbrood.blogspot.com This is the story of a Mama, Daddy, 3 dogs & one baby boy...it’s our life!

Because of Love (Christian Family/Police wife) http://bcuzoflove.blogspot.com/ A glimpse into the life of a North Carolina family. Josh and Stephanie are High School sweethearts. Josh is a police officer. Stephanie is a stay at home mom to Alyse, their 2 yr old little girl. Lots of stories and photos. We’d love to have you over

K K’s Kreations (Christian Gifts) http://kkskreations.blogspot.com Personalized engraved gifts for all occasions. Featuring engraved tile, leather, acrylic & wood. I enjoy mixing in some family life on my blog also. Thanks for stopping by! Blessings always, Kaye Matthew 21:22

Rylee For Life (Family, Adoption, Christian) http://ryleeforlife.blogspot.com Our journey through adoption and beyond from Mom’s point of view, with a little humor tossed in.

spiritual, sometimes laughable. Sometimes a little of both-- Thank You God for the gift of Laughter!

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African Apologetics (Missions, Apologetics, Christian) http://africacfar.blogspot.com Our ministry seeks to glorify God through advancing biblical discernment in East Africa. We want to help our African brothers and sisters in Christ “to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

http://www.dcampbellphotography. blogspot.com My Photography business blog that I post exciting news or great pictures

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and do lots of hands-on learning in our school time. The children also are involved with musical activities. Confessions of an Intercessory Missionary (Glorifying God) http://www.amandaslade.wordpress. com I am an intercessory missionary. This is my full time occupation. I do this for about 40 hours a week. I am part of a House of Prayer. This blog is blogging about my life, and what the Lord is teaching me as I sit at His feet in lovesickness! Me and My House (Christian, Family, Homeschool) http://www.squeeli2.blogspot.com Our families daily happenings. Tips on things that work for me. What the Lord is doing in our lives. Blessed Mama 2 (Christian Adoption Family) http://www.blessedmama2.blogspot. com My family’s journey as we seek to become the people that the Lord has called us to be.

MARCH 2009

Better World (Adoption ) http://betterworldlovelyday. blogspot.com A journal of our Ethiopian adoption journey to our third child. We are also advocates for social justice and all things concerning the poor. Ceaseless Praises (Christian Parenting) http://ceaselesspraises.blogspot.com My passion is to serve God by serving my family and by serving others at the Christian camp where God has led us. I use my blog as a platform to share what God is teaching me on this journey through life, as I try to parent my son His way. Believing In Miracles (Family, Miracles, and Infertility) http://danaspeaker.blogspot.com/ This is a blog about mine and my families life. Good and bad. My struggle with infertility and being blessed with many miracles from God.

Joy (christian) http://Joy-kelli.blogspot.com Searching for the source of joy that only God can give. Let’s do it together!

Family with 9 kids and our daily life serving Jesus and loving each other. You never know what the day may bring in the Holcombe Household. With seven daughters each day is an emotion in it’s self.

Our Family (Christian,Family,Adoption) http://www,fantasticfenwickfamily. blogspot.com We are a family of four,waiting to be a family of five.On our blog you will find inspiration,updates on us as a family and our adoption journey to India. Everything we have and are is because of our Lord Jesus and his grace,love,and mercy.

Reece’s Rainbow (international adoption, special needs, down syndrome) http://reecesrainbow.blogspot.com Serving as an outlet to share the plight of children with special needs in orphanages abroad, this blog highlights adoptive families, children that are waiting, and the organization, Reece’s Rainbow, which works to put those families together!

The WillcuttGirls (Everyday Life Christian Family) http://www.thewillcuttgirls.blogspot. com I started my blog to use as a scrapbook. It has been a great way chronicle the everyday life of my little girls, share our life with friends and family, and a way to “shine the light” of Christianity. God is so good...ALL OF THE TIME! The Oliver’s Twist (Special Needs) http://oliversfamilytwist.blogspot. com A blog shadowing a family whose youngest son was born with a rare genetic disorder called RubinsteinTaybi Syndrome. It’s a place to witness real life challenges and victories as this family raises a son whose future is markedly unknown. Cornish Adoption Journey (Family, Adoption, Christian, special needs, down syndrome) http://cornishadoptionjourney. blogspot.com Our family’s adoption journey to bring home two children with Down syndrome from Ukraine and a year now home! On to the next adventure... a new baby due in September. Life with a 6,5,3, and 2 year old, 3 of whom have Down syndrome. Holcombe Happenings (Family) http://www.holcombehappenings. blogspot.com

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To the Philippines and Back: Life, Love, Laughter, and Lots of Kids (Children Orphans) http://heartforthephilippines. blogspot.com Missions work in the Philippines and life as a Bible College student. Heartchild (Family life, adoption, Christian) http://www.heartchild-am.blogspot. com Read about the daily life of an adoptive family. Heartchild and her husband have 5 children through birth and adoption. They lost their first daughter at 10 days old after an uxexplained early arrival. Join heartchild and her family on their journey. The Dust Bunny Chronicles (Family, Christian, Pregnancy Loss, Cancer) http://thedustbunnychronicles. blogspot.com Right now, my blog chronicles my recent journey from pre-diagnosis through treatment for lymphoma. It covers everything from symptoms, treatment, and side-effect to the everyday. It is a testimony to the faithfulness of God in hard times. From Our Front Porch Looking In (family, parenting, children, life) http://www.tinasgang.blogspot.com A glimpse into the craziness that is my life with 3 little boys, an

www.seriouslifemagazine.com/subscribe awesome husband and Jesus on my side!

and Jesus. Just don’t touch my candy stash!

LIFE ON BEECH GROVE ROAD (Family) http://maria-lifeonbeechgroveroad. blogspot.com/ I am a Mother of 3 and a wife to the sweetest man on earth. We live in a small town in Kentucky. I own my own Salon and have a passion for cooking...We never have a dull moment in our home so set back and stay awhile on Beech Grove Road.

Dandelion Wishes (Christian, Teen, Family) http://www.dandelionwishes93. blogspot.com Hi! I am a christian teen blogger. My blog is about life in general, and my family, including my one year old brother, Max! My blog is fairly new. I love photography and post a lot of pictures. Thanks for taking the time to check out my blog!

Life’s a Beach with the Tanimoto’s (family) http://www.Tanimototrio.blogspot. com This families struggles with infertility, family medical issues and still remains optimistic through it all. Great ideas and praise are shared.

HintzsHappenings (Family) http://www.hintzshappenings. blogspot.com This is our family journey through life at the seminary in St. Louis and now here in OK after the loss of our 5th child, Samuel Mark, last October 29th, 2008. We are navigating this new life mixed with grief and hope for the future God has for us.

bringing home God’s Addition 2 (christian family adoption) http://antiguajourney.blogspot.com this is our everday family life and our adventures in following God’s call.

Whispers of Grace (adoption/life/faith) http://ordinarydayslw.blogspot.com/ Adoption, life, faith, children Random Thoughts- International Blog (Inspirational/Motivational) http://melavilaalarilla.blogspot.com/ Random Thoughts- International Blog is a feel good blog that features articles that are uplifting and inspirational. Topics are mostly on how we can cope with all the problems in life and how we can walk in the will of the LORD to glorify His name.

The FULLNESS of LIFE (Family,Christian,Children,Marria ge) http://teamlockwood@blogspot.com Life as I know it. Living, and loving everyday to it’s fullness. Daily searching for truth, love, authenticity, laughter, faith and beauty-plus so much more. And lots of pictures of my adorable kids.

La Pàgina de Horus (Tecnology) http://www.horusint.com.ar This is a site about SO, like Ubuntu, Windows, Common configuration problems. New Gadgets. And other things like this. (Spanish)

Live Laugh Love (Personal, Family, Writings, Knitting) http://livelaughlove-christine. blogspot.com A Place For a Little of This and a Little of That of All My Passions; Musings on Family, Friends & Knitting. Isabellas Journey Continues (Guatemala Adoption) http://www.isabellasjourney. blogspot.com This blog follows our journey up to, and now following, the Adoption of Isabella Grace. Parris Ponderings (Family) http://jmparris.blogspot.com Just a breif glimpse into the daily life of the Parris Family. Our joys, struggles and our faith. Ramblings of my life (Current Affairs, Africa, Family) http://ponderingsinsa.blogspot.com/ I live in Africa and the rest of the world only sees what the media wants you to see, so I blog about current affairs from the ground. My blog is a place for me to discuss everything and anything that is on my mind - including my beautiful family.

Colossians 3:14 (Marriage) http://colossians314.blogspot.com We are newly engaged and planning

Through the Eyes of the Creator (family) http://throughtheeyesofthecreator. blogspot.com

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Life With The Queen (Familly, Christian) http://lifewiththequeens.blogspot. com It is a blog about our family living in the country, homeschooling, gardening, baking, and trying to live more frugally.

Ramblings of my life (Current Affairs, Africa, Family) http://ponderingsinsa.blogspot.com/ I live in Africa and the rest of the world only sees what the media wants you to see, so I blog about current affairs from the ground. My blog is a place for me to discuss everything and anything that is on my mind - including my beautiful family.

Runningamuck (Christian, Motherhood, Humor, Cooking) http://runningamuck.wordpress.com As a married, stay at home, homeschooling, mother of four munchkins, my blog is as random as my life. Everything is fair game... from tampons, green hair, and LOST to cooking, child training, gardening

Annachka (Family) http://annafinley.blogspot.com Our daughter Anna has rare disease called Atypical HUS. This is about her jouney to fight this untill Gods healing

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Jack’s Journey and ThenSome (Family) http://www.jack-schrooten.blogspot. com A mother’s blog about her journey as the parent of a medically fragile child - Jack, who was born with a congenital muscular dystrophy and is ventilator dependent. The blog is also about the goings on of the whole family, including Jack’s three sibs.

a marriage and a wedding. Follow us as we learn God’s design for marriage and continue falling in love with each other and the grace and mercy of our Lord.l

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Erratic, zany postings from a mother of four boys, trying to get it together. Parents, Kids & Schnoodles - Oh My! (Adoption, Christian, Family) http://doylemania.blogspot.com A surprise domestic adoption of an older child - smackdab in the middle of our international adoption wait (a young girl from China). Two completely different stories, unexpectedly woven together, creating our wonderful family. A Day In The Life (Family) http://www.jsguerra.blogspot.com A place to catch up on what is going on in our life. The good, the bad, and the ugly...Pictures, ramblings, adventures...never a dull moment. Julie Gillies (Christian, Women, Encouragement, Devotional) http://www.juliegillies.com Thoughts from a busy mom (Christian & Family) http://sharminj.blogspot.com Ramblings from the mind of a busy mom of 3 who knows there is no way I could make it through the day but for the grace of God.

MARCH 2009

Happily Ever After with Mr. McB (Life, Christian, Marriage) http://happilyeverafterwithmrmcb. blogspot.com This blog is about my newlywed life. My Hands Dance (Family, Christian) http://www.handsdance.blogspot. com I’m deaf & my husband is nearly blind.. Join us on our daily journey as we discover what God has in store for us. McMillan Miracles (family, christian, SAHM) http://mcmillanmiracles08.blogspot. com All about our life with our Vasa Previa Miracle, Maggie, and our current pregnancy with another baby girl.

ADVENTURES IN INSANITY (daily life) http://beejei.blogspot.com/ A blog about two friends who met on-line, both born with a rare syndrome called Hajdu-Cheney. They are about to start the adventure of becoming room mates. ModernMommyBlog (Parenting, Multi Racial Families) http://www.modernmommyblog. com Parenting in the 21st century comes with it’s own set of challenges. This Blog gives me a place to share my knowledge of early childhood development as well as my own parenting experiences to open dialogue and discussion with other parents. And Keeghan makes 6 (China Adoption) http://destinedtomeet@blogspot. com This blog has chronicled the time spent in China to bring home our fourth and final child...Keeghan NianShuang and is now keeping up with our family of 6. Purdy Press (Marriage and Ministry) http://purdypress.wordpress.com Purdy Press documents the life of a newlywed couple that is striving to love God, love people, and love the world. We are passionate about His Word and sharing His love with people around the world. We are currently in Seminar preparing for ministry. One Single Minute (Christian, Biblical Wife, Family) http://www.onesingleminute. blogspot.com The main goal of my blog is to mentor and encourage being a submissive, godly wife. I also try to address raising godly children as God lays it on my heart along with a smattering of ramblings and everyday life. Blessings... The Life of Princess Emma (Family, children, preemie, Mom) http://titsworthfamily.blogspot.com My blog is full of pictures and details my daughter’s everyday life.

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She was born 3.5 months premature weighing only 1 lb 7 oz and I hope we can provide hope and support for others experiencing premature births. Exalting God (Christian) http://exaltinggod.com/ My theme is “Embracing Life for the Glory of Christ”. My goal with this blog is simple encourage others to worship God by developing a better understanding of the gospel and how God intends for it to change our lives. Life from the “Zoo” (Homeschooling, Large Family, Menu Planning, Christian) http://www.lifefromthezoo.blogspot. com The random thoughts, perspectives and struggles of a “30 something” woman of God, wife and homeschooling mom of five. The Karels (family, recipes, motherhood) http://thekarels.blogspot.com/ I am really ne w to the blogging world. I follow several blogs so I thought that I would start my own blog about my life and what it means for me to be working full time and also be a loving wife and mother. The Adams Family (Family) http://www.adamskjtm.blogspot. com HappyAsCanB (Family, Christian, Newlywed, Girlie) http://happyascanb.blogspot.com Happenings of a small town Southern bell who is happily living the life God’s given me. His grace amazes me more every single day! Better Than Normal (Family) http://danielspranger.com Here you will hopefully find a very informative blog on dealing with the issues of Infantile Spasms (a.k.a. West Syndrome), Bilateral Perisylvian Polymicrogyria (a.k.a. Congenital Bilateral Perisylvian

www.seriouslifemagazine.com/subscribe Syndrome), Cerebral Palsy, and dealing emotional Little Bites of Heaven (parenting, multiples, triplets) http://schiranotriplets.blogspot.com I am a wife + a mother to toddler triplets (bgg) and a 13 year old daughter. I love photography + am just really getting to know my camera. My life is busy + my heart is full. Stop by, there is rarely a dull moment. The Tomecko Echo (Family, micro preemies, disabilities) http://mtomecko.blogspot.com/ This blog is about the life and times of raising a large family and giving birth to twins at 23 weeks gestation. The struggles that we face daily. From losing Nick to the hard times of Kenny’s disabilities to the adversities of having a large family. Faithfully Yours (Christian, College, Teenager) http://faithfullyyours1989.blogspot. com/ My Crazy Oklahoma Life (Life) http://erink007.blogspot.com Amidst the medical chaos this Oklahoma college girl still finds time for dating, friends, family and a little bit of fun & laughter.

Fladung Family Fun (Christian Family) http://fladungfamilyfun.blogspot.

have kids and God blessed us with two miracles!! They grow so fast so I try to blog to remember all the wonderful things God has done for us!

One Egg Short of a Dozen (family/adoption) http://oneeggshortofadozen. blogspot.com We are a large family mainly made up through adoption. Life is crazy but it is our normal! We have 11 people in our family, hence the blog name.

The McCarls (Family) http://matandjessmccarl.blogspot. com/ Hop on by to the McCarl’s blog! We (okay just Jess- the wife) use this blog to keep all of our family and friends updated on our life. We hope that you’ll stop by and become a bloggy friend.

1st Time Mama (adoption, Christian, family, CHOCOLATE!) http://1sttimemama.blogspot.com The highs and lows of being a 1st time mama all wrapped together with a big dose of God’s grace. Our son was born in Taiwan, and we are LID 8-06 with China. Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman (college, sororities, life changes) http://patrice0x0x.blogspot.com The triumphs and trials of entering into womanhood and leaving high school behind and starting a new life at college. Raising Olives (Family, Christian) http://www.raisingolives.blogspot. com A blog about life and love in a young family of 11. Practical hints and daily happenings. Marbles from Heaven (family) http://www.marblesfromheaven. blogspot.com I started this blog as a way to document life with my 2 wonderful boys. We were told we couldn’t

Smithsoup (VERY large bio-adopti Family) http://smithsoup.blogspot.com Life is never boring on a homestead farm! Our story of adoption, growing our family, serving our country in the military & being homeschooling farm folk makes for lots to share as we serve the Lord Jesus in all we do, growing in our walk with Him A Quiver Full (Christian, Family, Grandma, Horse Lover) http://oldqueen44.blogspot.com My fun place to share stories about my life as a Christian, a grandma of 16, a horse lover, and the antics of my great dane Titus. And of course My Knight whom I adore. Jet to Thailand (family, adoption) http://jettothailand.blogspot.com A blog chronicling our journey to bring our 3rd child home. Included topics are adoption, older child adoption, infertility, fund raising, family, faith, attachment and more! Come follow along!!

Why YOU want to be part of our blog directory each month:

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You have to enter your blog each month. We do this to keep the listings fresh, and change the order of the directory. You’ll be notified when you sign up for next month.

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Reading Rosie (Humor, Faith, ) http://www.parkersgowest.blogspot. com/ Proving Daily That “Normal” Is Just a Setting On Your Dryer

com We’re a Christ loving family who strive to honor Him in all we do, and our blog is simply a glimpse into our everyday life.

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Science

Did The Big Bang Create the Universe Billions Of Years Ago?

MARCH 2009

Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt from “Old Earth? Why Not!” by James Nienhuis. Be sure to visit his blog: www. dancingfromgenesis.com. ~BR

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ld earthers are usually old universe adherents because they believe the earth and cosmos were formed billions of years ago. They say that since stars are multiple trillions of miles away, billions of years are needed for the starlight to reach us (so we can see the star); therefore, the distant stars and galaxies must be billions of years old. (The forthcoming explanation of a model that superiorly incorporates astronomical observations is gleaned from Dr. Russell Humphrey’s book Starlight and Time. Please consult it for more details.) The usual old universe logic is seriously flawed because it assumes the universe was “formed” from a cosmic explosion, a “Big Bang” that caused matter to expand outward. However, to say “expand outward” necessitates that there is an inward, a center if you will. Therefore, as matter expanded (or is expanding) outward, there remains the center,

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Get a FREE subscription: www.seriouslifemagazine.com/subscribe and therefore, obviously, the edge of the outward expanded (or possibly still expanding) matter, also. Old universers derive this “Big Bang” conclusion from the assumption that the universe is boundless, a direct contradiction of the just stated necessity of a center, and thus, the necessity of an edge of the matter (an edge of the universe), and so, a bounded universe, not boundless.

The Big Bang adherents must use their presupposition of a difficult to imagine (and contradictory), boundless universe, because if they said

there is then the possibility of gravitational influence on the expanding matter, and on the speed of light, and thus, the possibility of much less

there is an outward edge of matter (a bounded universe), then they are admitting there is a center. If there is center,

time than billions of years for starlight to reach us. A clock at sea level ticks slower than a clock on top of a mountain. This is because of a stronger gravitational pull on the clock at sea level than on the mountaintop clock, which receives less gravitational pull, because it is further away from earth’s center of mass. Now suppose the universe is bounded, as the evidence suggests, and has expanded outward from its center. According to Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity, gravitational time dilation greatly accelerated rates of star formation (as in aging; that is, clocks ticking faster, away from gravity), and accelerated the speed of light. This notion of acceleration is the opposite of the deceleration of light speed and matter aging, as they approach a theoretical “black hole” (scientists think they actually have located three of these in the universe), where matter and light are being drawn into a gravitational vortex. There is an expanding invisible gravitation sphere surrounding a black hole; this sphere is called the event horizon. As light and

SCIENTISTS BELIEVE THEY HAVE LOCATED THREE BLACK HOLES

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(continued next page) 179

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MARCH 2009

Science... cont’d

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matter are drawn to the black hole, they penetrate the event horizon, at which point the speed of light and rate of aging of matter drastically decrease. As more and more matter penetrates this event horizon, it expands, because the gravitational pull exerted by the black hole increases as it gains matter (mass). Similarly, if the earth’s material density mysteriously halved (thus halving its mass), the mountain top clock would speed up, due to less gravity. (So, the clock would need to descend to a lower location as to slow back down.) In corollary, if the earth’s density (mass) were mysteriously doubled, the mountain top clock would slow down because of more

gravitational pull on it, so the clock would need to be “expanded out” away from the earth’s center for it to speed back up. Therefore, as matter moves away from gravity, it ages (moves toward entropy, randomness), at a greater rate. This is analogous to what may have happened during the formation of the universe. Matter and light expanded out, so the “white hole” (opposite of black hole) lost mass, and thus, its event horizon collapsed, as more and more matter escaped out past this collapsing event horizon. Therefore, while light speed and matter aging rates drastically decrease when they approach a black hole event horizon, they sped up drastically when they escaped

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out of the white hole event horizon, during creation. The drastically accelerated speed of light and aging rates continued until the event horizon collapsed to zero, and thus, all matter and light were outside of it, at which point, the speed of light and rate of aging normalized. As the event horizon collapsed to zero, coalescence of expanded matter caused thermonuclear fusion in the newly formed stars; they aged billions of years, and light from them traveled at greatly accelerated velocities (in accordance with the Einstein’s Theory of General Relatively), until the event horizon collapsed to zero. Dr. Russell Humphreys, a renowned astrophysicist who

www.seriouslifemagazine.com/subscribe interpolated this white hole theory, predicted the Voyager space probe’s measurements of the magnetic fields of the planets Neptune and Uranus. His predictions were predicated upon his theory that a white hole, at creation, was a ball of water two light years in diameter; at the Creation, God brooded over “the Deep” (deep translates bottomless water), as recorded in Genesis 1:2. Then this watermatter expanded out rapidly, coalesced into stars that aged billions of “earth time” years, sending light at hyper-speed to earth, all in a matter of hours (a few days, as suggested in the Bible). Thermonuclear fusion turned the water-matter into the

mineralogy of the planets. The planets’ compositions resulted from thermonuclearized water, thus, Humphreys accurately predicted their composition and their magnetic field strength. According to Einstein’s theory, and the high probability that the universe is bounded, the distant stars could have formed and aged billions of years in a matter of hours, and the light from them arrived to earth also in a matter of hours. The starlight did not need billions of years to reach us, because the speed of starlight was ultra-accelerated during the expansion of matter, and the resultant formation of the universe. Thus a theory, from

probably the most revered physicist in history, provides an excellent framework with which to explain the development and young age of the universe. Supernovas are stars that explode, launching debris out into space, in all directions. The longer ago a supernova occurred, the farther away from the explosion point will the star debris have traveled. This ever expanding debris field is called a supernova remnant. If the universe is billions of years old, we should expect many supernova remnants to be of great diameters, as to evidence supernovas that happened millions of years ago. However, (continued next page)

Sarasvati River Paleodrainage

Imagine the combined riverflows of the Ganges, Indus, and Jamuna Rivers of India, in one river, flowing down from the Himalayas to the Arabian Sea off Pakistan, that was the flow of the ancient Sarasvati River of ancient hindu vedic literature, which was said to have flowed so wide that one could not see the other bank.

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MARCH 2009

Science... cont’d

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all the observed supernova remnants are so small that the supernovas must have exploded only a few thousand years ago, not millions. If the solar system and the galaxies are truly billions of years old, there should not be any spiral shaped galaxies. The variable speeds of the stars of these spirals of stars would have caused them to break the spiral formation billions of years ago. The spirals of stars (galaxies) have not dispersed, so the spirals must be young. Most astrophysicists think that the fire of the sun is heat from thermonuclear conversion of hydrogen into helium. Sub-atomic particles, called neutrinos, are emitted from the sun as this thermonuclear

conversion occurs. Some of these neutrinos strike the earth. These neutrino strikes can be measured in cobalt rock. Scientists utilize cobalt to estimate the amount of neutrinos that have emitted from the sun. If the sun is old, many neutrinos have emitted. As it turns out, astonishingly few neutrinos have emitted from the sun because conversion of hydrogen into helium has been going on for a short time, only thousands of years. The earth is spinning about one second slower every year. At this rate of spin slowdown, only 30 million years ago, the earth would have spun so fast that a day would have been four hours long. If our solar system is

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billions of years old, there should be no comets or meteors orbiting within it. The famous the Hale-Bop comet, Haley’s comet, and “shooting stars,” all these are objects orbiting in our solar system but which should be long gone if the solar system is millions or billions in age. These orbiting entities should have collided with a planet, or come near enough to planets, enough times, to burn up, or reached an escape velocity for ejection from their orbits and been forced out of our solar system. In fact, all of these orbiting objects should have disappeared from our solar system within 10,000 years. (Old earthers and universers say that the mysterious and unobserved “Oort Cloud” somehow resupplies our solar system with comets.) The observable evidences absolutely do not require an old universe model to rationalize them. To the contrary, they fit quite nicely within the Biblical framework, as do the geological and biological evidences for a young earth, as well as the anthropological, and cultural evidences discussed later. Nothing in the Bible as been disproved, and corroborating evidences for Biblical inerrancy are abundant. ~

Author and speaker, James Nienhuis has a B.Sc. in Earth Sciences from Dartmouth College. His blog is www.dancingfromgenesis.com

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Humor

Perks Of Being Over The Hill A There is nothing left anymore to learn the hard way. Things that you buy now won’t wear out. Your supply of brain cells is finally down to a manageable size. You no longer think of the speed limit as a challenge.

Your investment in health insurance is finally paying off. You can quit trying to hold in your stomach no matter who walks into the room.

Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can’t remember them anyway. You can sing along with elevator music.

Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the guy on the television.

You are no longer viewed as a hypochondriac.

Funny Insurance Claim Comments Car Accidents...

I collided with a stationary truck coming the other way.

As I approached an intersection a sign suddenly appeared in a place where no stop sign had ever appeared before. I was unable to stop in time to avoid the accident. My car was legally parked as it backed into another vehicle. The other car collided with mine without giving warning of its intention.

Your eyes won’t get too much worse. Kidnappers are not very interested in you.

People call you at 9 p.m. and ask, “Did I wake you???? “

You can get into a heated argument about pension plans. You can eat dinner at 4:00 in the afternoon.

In a hostage situation you are the most likely to be released first. No one expects you to run -anywhere. You are no longer viewed as a hypochondriac.

A truck backed through my windshield into my wife’’s face.

I had been shopping for plants all day and was on my way home. As I reached an intersection a hedge sprang up, obscuring my vision and I did not see the other car.

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I was on the way to the doctor with rear end trouble when my universal joint gave way causing me to have an accident. I told the police that I was not injured, but on removing my hat found that I had a fractured skull.

The indirect cause of the accident was a little guy in a small car with a big mouth. I started to slow

Got something funny you want us to include? Email it to editor@seriouslifemagazine.com down but the traffic was more stationary than I thought. Incidents with Pedestrians

The guy was all over the road. I had to swerve a number of times before I hit him.

I was sure the old fellow would never make it to the other side of the road when I struck him. To avoid hitting the bumper of the car in front I struck a pedestrian.

The pedestrian had no idea which way to run as I ran over him.

The car in front hit the pedestrian but he got up so I hit him again.

vehicles in sight...

Coming home I drove into the wrong house and collided with a tree I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have.

I pulled away from the side of the road, glanced at my mother-in-law and headed over the embankment. I thought my window was down, but I found it was up when I put my head through it. In an attempt to kill a fly, I drove into a telephone pole.

The gentleman behind me struck me on the backside. He

then went to rest in a bush with just his rear end showing. I was thrown from my car as it left the road. I was later found in a ditch by some stray cows.

The telephone pole was approaching. I was attempting to swerve out of the way when I struck the front end. www.cleanjoke.com

Hilarious!

Click on the video image below to watch.

I saw a slow moving, sad faced old gentleman as he bounced off the roof of my car. A pedestrian hit me and went under my car.

I saw her look at me twice. She appeared to be making slow progress when we met on impact.

Collision and Calamity Some drivers can have accidents even when there are no pedestrians or other

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Reader Recipes

The following recipes were taken from the “Adoption Cookbook”. The pics are from the cookbok. If you would like to purchase it, go here.

Chinese Raindrop Soup Ingredients: 6 Water Chestnuts 2 Scallions 1 tbsp. Sherry 3 c Chicken Stock 6 oz. diced cooked Chicken Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions: Slice the water chestnuts and slice the spring onions (scallions) finely. Put these in a saucepan with the chicken stock and the chicken. Bring to the boil and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Add the sherry and season to taste. Submitted by Karen, mother of Kaitlyn, China

Queso Dip Ingredients: (16 ounce) container sour cream 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix 2 cups shredded Pepper Jack cheese 1 cup salsa 1 teaspoon dried, crushed Mexican oregano salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, blend sour cream and cream cheese until smooth. Mix in taco seasoning mix. Stir in salsa, Mexican oregano, salt and pepper. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with Pepper Jack cheese. Bake in the preheated oven 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Submitted by Rosemary, friend of Emily, Guatemala

Cranberry Salsa

MARCH 2009

Ingredients: 1 pkg. of cranberries (chop), 1 cup of sugar 1/2 jar to 1 full jar Jalapeños (chop) 1 cup of sugar.

Brook, Joshua (USA) and Taylor 188

Directions: Mix altogether the

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package of Cranberries and cup of sugar and let sit overnight. Drain the next day and then add Jalapenos. (1/2 to full jar- depending on how hot you like things). Then add 1 cup of sugar. Let it set for 3 hours. Serve on Ritz crackers with cream cheese. (excellent around Thanksgiving)

Submitted by Tami, mother of Alexis, Guatemala

Avocado Corn Salsa

Ingredients: 2 small to medium ripe avocados, peeled, seeded, and finely diced 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and finely diced 2 to 3 tablespoons lime juice 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro 1/2 to 1 teaspoon minced hot green chile peppers 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions: In a medium bowl, gently combine avocado, corn kernels, tomatoes, lime juice, cilantro, chile peppers, and salt. Cover and refrigerate until ready to be served. Submitted by Patty, mother of Kaden, Philippines

Yaki Soba

Ingredients: ½ lb. ground beef ½ lb. sausage

Got a recipe you want us to print? Email it to recipes@seriouslifemagazine.com 2 carrots, shredded ¼ head of cabbage, cubed 2-3 pkg. crushed ramen noodles

Directions: Fry meat together and drain. Add ramen noodles seasoning packets to meat. Add carrots and cabbage and cook. Cook ramen noodles and add to the meat mixture. Submitted by Kim, mother of Joshua, USA

Hawaiian Turkey Burgers

Ingredients: 1 8 oz. can sliced pineapple ½ c. dry bread crumbs ½ c. sliced green onion ½ c. chopped red pepper, opt. 1 Tbsp. soy sauce ¼ tsp. salt 1 lb. ground turkey ¼ c. teriyaki sauce 4 hamburger buns

Taco Mac

Ingredients: 2 6 oz. boxes shells and cheese 1 lb. ground beef, cooked ad drained 1/3 c. taco sauce ½ Tbsp. taco seasoning Shredded lettuce Chopped tomatoes Shredded cheddar cheese, optional

Submitted by Kim, mother of

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Directions: Prepare shells and cheese according to package directions. Stir in ground beef, taco sauce, and seasoning. Top each serving with lettuce, tomatoes and cheese.

Martha, Anderson (Guatemala) and Tim

Submitted by Kim, mother of Joshua, USA

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Directions: Coat grill tack with nonstick

cooking spray before starting the grill. Drain pineapple, reserving ¼ c. juice; set pineapple aside. In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs, onions, red pepper, soy sauce, salt and reserved pineapple juice. Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well. Shape into four patties. Grill over medium heat for 3 minutes on each side. Brush with teriyaki sauce. Grill 4-6 minut4s longer on each side or until meat is no longer pink and a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees. Grill pineapple slices for 2 minutes on each side, basting occasionally with teriyaki sauce. Top each burger with a pineapple slice.

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One Morning at Dante General

My Own Personal “H”, “E”, Double Toothpicks

Brent Riggs

blog’s good fortune because the only quiet and sane thing I can do now is write about Dante’s dance of the revolving hospital room door that has become my own private “h”, “e”, “double toothpicks”. Okay, that’s an exaggeration too, but I’m a writer, I’m tired, and it’s my blog, so whatcha ya gonna do? The least I can do is make the most of the morning by making up a good story and booby-trapping the hospital room door. Whew... I’m actually getting sleepy again... I think I’ll go ahead and catch a few more winks.... zz... zzzz... zzzzzzzzzzz.... “Da-dee... I have to pah-tee...” ~

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When she is this tired, you could drive a beer truck with snow chains over her, and she wouldn’t even roll over. “Yeah, that’s right... her port entry has a bad infection”, I groaned, one eye opened, retina burning, not sure if the Tribulation had begun and the “Mid/Post” folks were right. “Well, let’s take a look,” Mr Cheery Young Doctor says and proceeds to lifting Abby’s shirt... with Mom still in a slumber coma about 2 ft away. I cringed as he fiddled around with Abby’s feeding tube thinking any minute she would plunge

MY BLOG WAS THE BENEFICIARY OF MY MISERY

once again into shrieks of pain. Mercifully, she didn’t wake up. An hour of sleep and enough pain killers to sedate an elephant will do that to a four year old. “Okay, well, I’ll let’em know...” he announces and walks out. “I’ll let’em know????” Let who know what? Didn’t he just examine her? Turns out, Mr Morning Sunshine With Apparently No Sense of Grasping the Obvious Slumber Misery In Front Of Him isn’t “the” doctor. He was just coming to check on our request to have “them” (the right Doctors evidently) take a look. I turn out the lights, silently thank God that all this didn’t wake up Abby, and return to my backache machine. I close my eyes.... I’m drifting... drifting... Skip ahead an ENTIRE ten minutes... the nurses have changed shifts, so now the new nurse is here checking vitals and my last hope of going to sleep became our

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luorescent lights and a sing-songey “good morning” disintegrates my hoursof exhaustioninduced sleep with the same traumatic effect of banging metal pots and a bullhorn. “Good morning, folks”, I hear a second time, room lights at full nuclear glare now. I’m in one torture rack (code: hospital bed); Michelle and Abby are on another. I sit up on an elbow, “um, yeah, hey, she didn’t fall asleep until about 5.30am... so if we could not wake her....” That didn’t phase him for a quantum split second as he rang out, “I understand you want the surgery team to look at her feeding tube site?” Normally we don’t hear from anyone resembling a doctor until late morning, but here’s this guy invading what little sleep we had promptly at oh-dark-thirty. Michelle has not even blinked.

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