thoughts to click on

This is a great movie.















This is an amazing ministry with a very cool website.
One quote from the video that really struck a chord with me: "They don't act like christians or religion people...they act like friends; people you can count on"






My baby boy is getting so big! My heart aches to think about how fast this goes by and yet every moment with him, watching him discover the world, is an absolute joy.
















SOME OF MY FAVORITE TUNES RIGHT NOW:















































This precious boy deserves his miracle. Get a bracelet like ours and continue to pray that the Lord will bring peace and healing to the Hays family.

hurricane poster project

My sweet and talented husband directed me to this very cool website.

heartache

This week has been full of much heartache and sadness over one who has lost her life. I did not even know this woman personally, but knew of her because she was also a theatre major at ACU, and because my uncle is an elder at the church where her husband ministers. I can remember hearing about her in the theatre department when I was there, and she was only 4 years older than I am right now. She lost her devastating battle with depression this week tragically and so many are grieving. I have not been able to get it out of my mind or heart this week. It is my prayer that people will begin to realize how real this disease of mental illness and depression is and how devastating it can be to more people's lives than we could probably imagine. I pray that, of all places, the church will be one that is safe for those who wage war with this attack of the devil on their minds and souls.

It is my prayer that Jehovah Shammah will be ever present in the lives of this precious woman's family, especially that of her husband and her two precious girls. I have been thinking of many verses this week, but one that stuck out in my mind was Psalm 130. I pray that those who are sinking into the depths will have the strength that they need to cry out to Jehovah Raphae for healing, and that as their brothers and sisters that we will be a constant source of encouragement and reminder of Jehovah Nissi; the Lord who is our banner and our hope.

Psalm 130

Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
O Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.
If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins,
O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness;
therefore you are feared.
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope.

My soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.

O Israel, put your hope in the LORD,
for with the LORD is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.

He himself will redeem Israel
from all their sins.

some of my favorite words from MLK, Jr

Any religion that professes to be concerned about the souls of men and is not concerned about the slums that damn them, the economic conditions that strangle them and the social conditions that cripple them is a spiritually moribund religion awaiting burial.

Modern psychology has a word that is probably used more than any other word. It is the word "maladjusted." Now we should all seek to live a well adjusted life...but there are some things within our social order to which I am proud to be maladjusted and to which I call upon you to be maladjusted. I never intend to adjust myself to segregation and discrimination...to religious bigotry...to economic conditions that will take neccesities from the many and give luxuries to the few. I never intend to adjust myself to mob rule. I never intend to adjust myself to the tragic effects of the methods of physical violence and to tragic militarism. I call upon you to be maladjusted to such things...because it may well be that the salvation of our world lies in the hands of the maladjusted.
I call upon you to be as maladjusted as Amos who in the midst of the injustices of his day cried out in words that echo across the generation, "Let judgment run down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream." As maladjusted as Abraham Lincoln who had the vision to see that this nation could not exist half slave and half free. As maladjusted as Jefferson, who in the midst of an age amazingly adjusted to slavery could cry out, " All men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights and that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." As maladjusted as Jesus of Nazareth who dreamed a dream of the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man, who could look into the eyes of the men and women of his generation and cry out, "Love your enemies. Bless them that curse you. Pray for them that despitefully use you."
God grant that we will be so maladjusted that we will be able to go out and change our world and our civilization. And then we will be able to move from the bleak and desolate midnight of man's inhumanity to man to the bright and glittering daybreak of freedom and justice.

Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better.

I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become reality. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.

If a man is called to be a streetsweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michaelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the host of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great streetsweeper who did his job well.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

such a texan...he's already a crazy football fan!

This kid stayed up till the end cheering for Vince Young! It was an exciting game, and even though mommy is an Aggie fan, it was nice to see the home state win in the end, especially with how cocky USC seems to be...i'm kind of sad that there's no more college football for awhile...i definitely prefer it to pro, but hey, at least the season ended on an exciting note!


speaking of crazy football fans...he does get it honestly! check out his Uncle Brad's blog for today...

fort worth zoo...in JANUARY!

There was lots of fun to be had at the Fort Worth Zoo today, and Jack, Hayley, John and Bella took advantage of that. Baby Anna Claire and Baby Garrett made us all smile too and somehow I ended up with no pictures of those sweet ones. Although I have personally been a little bitter about this weird weather we are having in January, Jack and I have had lots of fun outside, spending yesterday at the park and today at the zoo...I can't believe that all of these sweet babies born together are now all running around...it was so fun to watch Jack ooh and ahh and make all of his animal sounds...we look forward to many more trips to the zoo!

Jack loved the petting zoo...













Here, you can see him here making a "kiss kiss" noise to try to get the lazy goats' attention!






Here's Jack and mama watching the lion cubs play...That Mama Lion looks pretty tired, and by this point in the day, I was identifying with her pretty well!






Jack and Hayley chillin with the flamingos




Here's Jack and his friend John enjoying some time with the pigs...they are going to have to stick together in the coming years, because they are sorely outnumbered by the girls!







More hanging out with the pigs...











Jack and Isabella...so cute!








Jack and John hanging out with the goats...are these boys gonna be heartbreakers or what?











Sweet Hayley playing peekaboo!

God is no fool

I am so glad that this wonderful book by Lois Cheney is back in print. I don't know if I could count how many times I checked it out of the ACU library or how many times it spoke directly to my soul, but I am hoping that soon I can have my very own copy (hint, hint...wish I had thought of this BEFORE Christmas!)

...I need a word,
A good, solid word.

That shows how I feel
When the day is over
And I've worked well
And I'm glad to be so tired.

I need a word for when
I've spent hours and hours
With those I love, and I'm
Talk-sore and smile-aching.

I need a word for when
I'm alone, and over the miles
Are parts of my heart, deep in others
Who are warm, and safe, and at peace.

I need a word for when
A job looms like a greyhound
And I can do it, and I want to do it
And I tingle to get at it.

I need a word for that
Warm, gentle flow that
Covers every corner of my being,
And says, "Lo, I am with you always."

I need a word
Real bad,
And I think it might be
"joy"

Or maybe it's
"God."
Then again, maybe,
They're the same
Word.

i love this kid...

for anyone who didn't get the christmas card, here is the picture that was on it...and, sorry!
i am looking forward to playing with my new digital camera more and hopefully posting more pictures soon...
Happy 2006!