The Townsends

Simple Truth from a 2 year old

2011-11-30T05:31:00.000-08:00

I've been struggling with Apathy... complacency... whatever ugly word you want to use. I became aware of it at our girls bible study when we were asked to write on a notecard what our leper spots were. In other words, what are the ugly things about you that you don't really want other people to see? Since then i've been very aware and honestly trying to change that spot into something pretty, but i just can't seem to get there. Key word... I am trying. On my own. Praying to God, but not allowing His spirit to pray for me. Yesterday my sister, Emily was telling me about how Adelle is beginning to grasp the whole Jesus thing. She said they took out the nativity set and Adelle fell in love with baby Jesus immediately. Like wouldn't let Him out of her sight. Would lightly kiss Him, and hold him gently. At that point, God starts speaking to me. "Are you in love with Jesus the way this simple child is?" "Do you long to be with him and kiss his face?" "Do you hold him close and let his sweetness fill every corner of your soul?" Then Adelle grasps the fact that Jesus is the light of the world, and tells her Daddy when he comes home. Already ready and willing to spread the gospel and she doesn't even fully understand. What a punch in the ole gut. Truth is... He IS the light of the world. And I have that light living inside of me. And yet, I dim it. I let the shadows of this world disguise the light. God did not intend for me to live in darkness or in the shadows of sin. His sacrifice was not so that I could receive that light and then let it flicker for the rest of my earthly life. He did not enter this world as a baby, grow up and be tempted by every kind of evil, suffer a horrible death, have the sins of the world and God's wrath layed upon Him so I could just sit here in stagnation.
“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." Matthew 5:14-16
My challenge to myself this Christmas, is to remember the light that Christ provides. To remember that those who are seeking (the shepherds) to worship my King, can see a light in me and follow that light to Christ.

Anxiety, Hope, Fear, Peace, Worry, Assurance, Reslessness

2011-10-28T06:49:00.000-07:00

Anxiety. Fear. Worry. Restlessness. Self absorption.

These are 5 words that I often feel. At different times in my life they are all there for different reasons. Right now, they tend to creep in when I begin thinking about becoming a mother. Being responsible for a little life, and not even just physically... but spiritually I will have the greatest influence on her life. How do I raise a little girl in the filthy sin hole that we live in today? How will I be able to teach her purity and inner beauty when she's attacked at every angle with sexual temptations and self image? Will I be able to juggle being a mother while still being the wife God calls me to be? How will Stephen adjust? Will he pull away? And when I finally am at peace, the serpent reminds me that I, one day, will also be a mother to a child not born of my womb and all the fears and anxieties that go along with that. Will he be emotionally broken? Will I be able to reach through his brokenness and love his hurt and loneliness away? How will I handle all the questions he will ask? Do I have the emotional strength? The answers to all of these questions are either No. Or, I can't. Oh, but wait, there is:

Hope. Faith. Peace. Assurance. Selflessness.

5 words that Christ so fills my soul with when I simply just ask Him to. He, in His loving and so gentle way, places verses like Psalm 32:8 (The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.) in my quiet times. And He sends people along my way to remind me of His perfection. I run into someone who reminds me that my adoptive child is not broken. He is perfect and God has a plan for His life. And then He shows me how to learn from my own mother on how to raise up a daughter the way He desires. He reminds me that I, alone, cannot be successful. But (isn't it great that there's always a but with Christ), with Him I can. He reminds me to daily surrender my fears and anxieties and to daily surrender my Children to Him and He will take care of the rest. He reminds me to keep my focus on heavenly things, things not of this world. Not to focus on what this world is coming to or how to raise a child in this filth, but to remember that this is not our home and what truly matters is what will be for eternity. So my friends, I cling to Romans 5:5 today. And everyday is a journey... everyday is again, another day of surrender and another day in which God pours His grace and mercy over my life.

And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Adoption--heavy on my heart

2011-06-03T07:53:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, Stephen and I have been praying about adoption from Guatemala for about a year now. It has been truly humbling to see how God has changed my prayers throughout the year. I know we are suppose to adopt at some point. Adoption in Guatemala is currently closed due to some very terrible things happening to the children and families. It has also been so humbling to see how every time I start to doubt, or give up praying for these babies, God reaffirms His call for Stephen and I. Of course, I then can never understand why I doubted in the first place. He is faithful. Stephen is patient. Very patient. I am not... so I keep telling God, "i'm not getting any younger here..." "What's the deal God? I thought you wanted us to do this!" In His ever so gentle way, he nudges me and says "my timing is perfect. Submit to my will everyday. My plan is perfect in every way." I pray for our child everyday... whether he/she is born yet or not, I pray for his/her mother. I pray that God will give her peace and comfort in allowing someone else to raise her baby boy or girl. These women... alot of them... are literally unable to care for children. It's not a matter of abuse in a lot of cases, it's a matter of incapability. I pray for her salvation. I pray that if our child is in an orphanage, that God will wrap His arms around him/her and comfort him/her in their loneliness and fill the void that comes with not having a mother or father to nurture and love them everyday. I pray for his/her safety. I pray for the orphanages, that as the rate of orphans grow, that these institutes will grow. That they will be able to have staff and funding to take care of these children. This is heavy on my heart right now. I'm not sure why, but God is calling me to pray continuously for this country, this issue, these babies. Please join me. Please pray for the children, the families, the families that have been waiting since 2007 to go get their child, the orphanages, government. Pray that God will give Stephen and I wisdom and guidance. Peace. Pray that if and when adoption opens up that he will make it clear to us how many to adopt. (Most organizations prefer to keep siblings together). Most of all, pray that all of this will bring glory to His holy name. That souls will be saved, and that He will be sought for wisdom by everyone involved.

If you're ever interested in news about adoption, this site usually has up to date information.

www.guatadopt.com

May Have Monday

2011-05-16T06:51:00.000-07:00

Linking up with Down and Dirty for May Have Monday

This weekend, Stephen and I participated in the Louisiana Dragon Boat Races. I may or may not have been really scary comptetitive. And extremely serious during the actual race time. And I may or may not have had alot of pride in my team when we won two times in a row.

I may or may not have thought stephen looked really sexy in his team shirt.

I may or may not have had the most fun in one weekend that i've had in a long time. I so needed it. God is good. all the time.

Seriously.

2011-03-28T11:11:00.000-07:00

My Sunday night/Monday morning:

10 pm: Goodnight Stephen.
12 am: startled awake by dog barking... lay there... lay there...
12:08 am: Get up to go see what the heck she is so worked up about. Turn on the outside lights... nothing
12:10 am: open the door and scold Palin, the dog.
12:12-12:25 am: toss and turn
1 am: Dog begins barking again
1:15am: Get up and turn the lights on
1:25 am: lay in bed scared, thinking there might be someone trying to break in
1:30 am: Stephen begins to snore
2 am: Dog starts barking again
2:30 am: Get up to spank Palin the dog
2:32 am: "Stephennn... there's a big ole coon eating Palin's food!"
2:35 am: Stephen puts on khakis and boots and pumps up his beebee gun
2:40 am: No sign of the coon
2:42 am: Stephen scares Palin and she goes psycho and poops and pees all over the back porch, while yelping loudly and most likely waking up the entire neighborhood
3:00 am: we lay back down and stephen has no problem falling back asleep.
3:00-3:30am: Palin barks off and on and scratches at the door
5:00 am: I rise to start my day.

Seriously

Old or New?

2011-03-14T06:35:00.000-07:00

Down & Dirty's Mayhave Monday:

I have this old shirt. I got it during my first year of college. It's your typical "COLLEGE" t-shirt. You wear it to the games, or on the weekends, or around campus. Believe me when I say it is the most comfortable T-shirt I have ever had. I kid you not. I, in fact, wore it so often that it now has holes and fray-ings all over it. For some strange reason, I cannot bring myself to throw it away. I was cleaning out my drawers the other day, filling up the good will bag and came across the shirt. I stared at it, thinking to myself "I wish I could still wear this." I didn't throw it away. I folded it back up and placed the holey, faded t-shirt back in its spot. Today I am asking myself what is so significant about that old t-shirt? Why am I hanging on to it? Here it is:

I want to pass the holey t-shirt down to my kids one day. They will probably want it. I'm totally kidding. Although I did use this excuse in my head to try and justify not throwing it away!

Here it really is:

Old T-shirt has been through a lot. I have put her through a lot. I wore her during the darkest time of my life. She experienced drinking binges, hangovers, and sleepless nights. And then experienced regret, disappointment, disobedience, and forgiveness. Poor thing, you'd probably be a little frayed on the edges too. Maybe I keep the shirt as a reminder. Maybe I, somewhere in my subconscious, have a desire to put the old shirt on again. The old self. It's so tempting, with her bright color and soft self. But, and yes, there is a but, when I go dig in that drawer, and pull out old t-shirt, I always see how battered and bruised she became. I see how battered and bruised I became. How spiritually "tossed" around I was. How I was becoming more "holey" not "holy". So I will keep old t-shirt in her spot. She will remind me when I am tempted to slip her on again, "I aint so pretty, and I aint so comfy, what with the holes and all... I might let in a draft. You won't be protected anymore if you slip me back on. " But she will also serve as a reminder of grace, forgiveness, redemption. A reminder that when you’re in your darkest hour, all holey and not holy, God reaches out His hand, dusts you off, patches you up, and offers a gift so sweet, it’s indescribable. A new self. Clothed in Righteousness.

We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. Romans 6:6

throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Ephesians 4:22

Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Colossians 3:9

Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living. Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy. Romans 6:18-19

I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels. Isaiah 61:10

2011-03-09T07:29:00.000-08:00

"Every saved person this side of Heaven OWES the Gospel to every lost person this side of Hell."

Mayhave Monday

2011-03-07T07:51:00.000-08:00

Down and Dirty's Mayhave Monday fun.
I may or may not currently jam to the most ecclectic mix of music. You can call me strange, I don't care. Stephen isn't a fan always of my playlists, so I usually listen to them at work or while cooking. Please enjoy. You MAY or MAY NOT find at least one song that you really love!
These are in no particular order...
1. Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson (what is it about J.A. that gets me hooked on his music?? Maybe bc he's just down home country... and who doesnt love Kelly??)

2. Amos Lee... The KING of chill out, wind down, and maybe even wine down Music! Loving his new album!

3. Brendan James... if you don't know him, you should. That is all.

4. Kalai... a newby to the M. Townsend Playlist, but a keeper!

5. Bob Marley... no, i'm not a hippie. This song just gets me in Beach mood!

6. Say Hey, (I Love you)-- the only song by this artist that I have, but if this song doesnt get your feet moving, there's something wrong with you.

7. Eric Hutchinson... Even Stephen loves this one! I caught him humming it the other day.

8. Zac Brown Band has had my heart since 2006. And they've teamed up with good Ole Alan on this one!!

9. Marc Broussard... I discovered this song on my pandora station. We all love Marc. I mean he is from Louisiana.

10. Kings of Leon.. not a fan of all their music, but there are a few songs that i enjoy. This being one of them.

11. Citizen Cope... For those of you who like a little rap every now and then... a little rolling the windows down bobbing your head kind of music... here it bees.

12. The City Harmonic... Great praise and worship song!

13. JJ Heller... also a newby, but a keeper!! This song gives me a lump in my throat every time!

14. Christian Stanfill... this song snagged me at a time when I was living in fear. I love how the Holy Spirit grabs hold of you so creatively.

15. Last, but not least... a little Billy Joel to end your listening experience :D

So long dixie queens!!

Comfortable.

2011-03-02T08:19:00.000-08:00

In July of 2010, I committed to read through the entire bible in a year. I am a little over halfway and I have to admit that I'm getting weary. I'm just reading words. Reading because I said I would. Not soaking it in, letting it seep into every corner of my thirsty soul. Yesterday while reading words, I mustered up a "God, why am I doing this??" I closed the bible gladly (no disrespect intended here). And began to pray. I then realized that I haven't really been praying. Just saying some words every now and then. Shooting those words somewhere in the corners of the room. I sat on the couch at first, wrapped in a blanket, head leaning on the pillow, comfortable. It's like that word was being shouted at me. Then came a string of similar words... Complacent, stagnate, cozy, sedentary. YUK! That's not where or who I want to be, nor is it where God wants me to be. He wants me to grow, to seek Him Daily. I was overwhelmed with how selfish I have been and how I have been treating Christianity as only a label lately... going with the flow... doing the "Christian" thing. Puke. So fake. Where did I go from there? My knees of course!! Asking for forgiveness, accepting grace, and my prayer abruptly stopped, when I heard the car door slam... my very last words of that prayer were "Show me how to be the follower, daughter, sister, friend, and wife that you have created me to be." Maybe the distraction was to keep my focus on that very prayer? This morning I was again reminded of my DAILY need to ask for guidance and grace thanks to my sweet Sister, whom God uses regularly to teach me things about Himself. So now... I have to re-focus. Focus on asking God to show me truth in his scripture and how to apply it to my life today. He will. He always does. I just havent bothered asking him lately.

And to finish off the morning, I had a double dose of this song by Shawn McDonald:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QE1OrBNleo

Truths Collide

2011-02-18T05:29:00.000-08:00

Fun Friend Friday (I wrote a guest post for my sister today)

Confessions

2011-02-09T06:26:00.000-08:00

I need to get some things off my chest. These are my confessions (singing Usher in my head)

1. I have road rage. Sometimes it's really bad.

2. I was very ugly to a sales lady on the phone last week, so when she called back this week, I gave her all the information she asked for which took approximently 30 minutes and me asking after ever question "Do what? Could you repeat that?"

3. I love bloody mary's.

4. I don't like Stephen's newest hobby. Not one bit. Mostly because it takes his attention off of me (is that selfish of me or what?!)

5. I secretly wish I could move to Guatemala and be a photojournalist. I guess it's not a secret anymore.

6. I really, REALLY, REALLY want to adopt.

7. I am appreciating Stephen Townsend more and more everyday.

8. I love, LOVE how God never let's me get too far from Him.

9. I really like to hear chinese accents.

10. I love that I am from the South, brought up in a family with such diverse members who are always making me laugh and love harder.

What are your confessions?

Down & Dirty's Mayhave Monday- [white lies]

2011-01-31T08:21:00.000-08:00

I am scary protective of my family and the people I love. Don't talk about them. Don't say anything negative, unless I say it's ok. I can be negative... but you can't. My husband, poor thing, learned this early on in our relationship. He picks on me about it still. I think it runs in our family. One time I was telling my sister that I was afraid of people thinking I was a loser for quitting college, and she started crying and told me no they wouldnt, because she would beat them up. Like I said, scary protective.

So as for Mayhave Monday.... I may or may not have told a little white lie about a family member's success level. Do you have someone in your family that hasnt quite gotten it figured out yet? They are still searching for something... for happiness? In the meantime, they are sort of just butchering their way through life? I do. And I feel like everytime someone asks me about this person, I say the same thing. For privacy purposes, i'll say this person's name is Pat. How's Pat? Oh, he's just Pat. Or, my personal fave... "Is Pat still working for ___?" No, that was 4 jobs ago. So this weekend... I may or may not have said that Pat was great and that Pat has been working at his job for a while now. I wanted to say something positive about Pat, and I wanted to protect Pat from any negative or judgemental thoughts or perceptions. Because everyone needs to be protected every now and then. We've all been there, butchering our way through life... searching. Did someone believe in you? Did someone protect you? They sure as heck did for me (refer to the above crazy line from my sister). And I truly believe in Pat. And I want other people to believe in Pat too. So sue me.

Say something about Pat and i'll kill you.

Seriously.

My Thing

2011-01-27T09:06:00.000-08:00

In college, I had a friend who had a thing for Trees. She seemed sort of mesmorized by them. She thought they were beautiful. She took pictures of them. Well, my thing is the sky. I have a thing for the sky. Strange? Perhaps. I get totally swept up in it. I could probably stare at it for hours. I love all types. Cloudy, clear, blue and crisp, sunsets, sunrises. I love driving over tall bridges because I feel like i'm about to fly off into it. The picture above, was the other day on my way to work. I happened to have my fancy camera with me. The picture does it no justice. None. I was swept away at the beauty. Maybe it's that the sky is untouched by humans. It's still pure. Painted perfectly by the Master's hands. And we get to enjoy it's purity. We get to breathe in it's beauty and be amazed and humbled at the creativity of the Author of Life.

Recently, Stephen killed a 10 pt. deer. Apparently, it's kind of a big deal. He wants it mounted. I told him I would be glad for him to hang it in the washroom. Anyway, I went to the Taxidermist with him, and as he was talking about a bunch of stuff i didn't care about, he said something that grabbed my attention. He said, I think of my job as art, a skill that I have been given. I know you are thinking "he mounds dead dear heads on a peice of wood", but bear with me. He went on about the detail he has to put into making these Deer heads look real. Then he said this: "You know, We can try to make these deer look so real and perfect, and we can even succeed in showing some of their beauty, but no one, no human, can make them look as beautiful as thier creator." Because what He created is perfect. He is the Master Artist. The MOST creative that ever was or will be. He IS. And He gives. To us.

Mister Townsend

2011-01-22T07:40:00.000-08:00

This is Stephen aka Mister Townsend aka Mista T aka my husband. He is a hunk of a man!

He thinks it's odd that I like to frame pictures of him and put them around the house (only in places that are mine, example: my bathroom, my bedside, my desk). Lately I have been a little overwhelmed with how blessed I am to have Mister Townsend in my life, as my husband. As a little girl, you dream about your husband. What will he look like? What will his interests be? What will he do for a living? Where will he be from? I was attracted to him immediately. He was tall (to me), dark, and oh so handsome. He was funny. And on top of it all, he was interested in what my dad did for a living. After I got to know him (he lived across the street from one of my best friends), we were looking out the window one day watching them play football and I said to Katie: One day I am going to marry him. No lie. I really did say that. And I really did marry him. Anyway-- back to why I feel so blessed. First of all-- He is the spiritual leader of our family and he takes that role very seriously. He loves God more than he loves me. He prays with me, reads the Word to me, and has conversations about Godly things. Recently we got the opportunity to go on our first overseas mission trip together and it catapulted us into a whole new level in our marriage.

Secondly-- He takes care of me. I am very dependent on him, and probably should be a little less. He is very much concerned with my health, how I feel on a daily basis, my feelings, taking care of things a man should take care of, etc. Recently I broke my foot, so I am hobbling around in a boot and on crutches. Instead of being insensitive to that, he has been the best nurse EVER! He fixes my plate, brings me coffee, washes all the dishes, drops me off at the door, and even carries my purse for me! Now that, my friends, is a real man. :)

And last, but not least-- We get each other. My mom and sister pick on us saying that we are the same person in different bodies. I know that opposites usually attract, but not so much here. We laugh at the same jokes, have alot of the same interests, have the same sense of humor. We are both morning people, which works out quite nicely. He's my very best friend. The other night, he was in rare form. Growing up, I had a mother who acted very silly 80% of the time. So naturally, I am the same way. Stephen is too! HOORAY! I laughed my head off, until I was crying at him, and I love that we can do that for each other.

Mister T has flaws just like we all do, but he's my Mr. T, and not perfect, but perfect for me. Forgive me for the sappiness today.. He's out of town and i'm missing him.

Just Me and My Cupcake

2011-01-11T11:14:00.000-08:00

"It's just me and my cupcake" is what I would imagine he's thinking to himself. What do I love about this picture? First of all... the fact that there is icing on EVERY single finger. Secondly... how it looks like he's taking his sweet time, soaking in every delicious moment. Probably my most favorite part about this photo is the fact that Wee man has his eyes closed. Saying to his audience "I don't even care who's looking... this is my moment with Cupcake." Today friends... enjoy your food. I'm not saying be a greety pig, but I might would like to have this look on my face whenever I eat my supper tonight. Be thankful for the deliciousness you are putting in your mouth. It's a gift. Meant to be enjoyed.

Beautiful Wrinkles

2011-01-10T11:02:00.000-08:00

Because I am not the "blogging" type... and so not a good writer, I have decided to start blogging in pictures. It's what I know. It's how I see. My sister, Emily is the most eloquent writer that I know. I think she sees something and thinks about it in words. In beautiful descriptive words. I on the other hand, see something and I capture the picture in my mind. I see it's colors, I see it's lighting, it's boundaries. I see it's beauty and in my mind, I push the little black button on my camera and capture it... hold it tight, and treasure it in my heart. So instead of desperately trying to think of words to say... I am going to start blogging pictures and i'll write a brief description of the pictures. K? Good... i'm glad you are satisfied too.

Last week I did some work for my a nursing home company for marketing material. I thought his man was so beautiful. He was content, happy, and all smiles. As I was trying to capture the nurse helping him, I couldn't help but snap away every time he looked my way. How can you look at this picture and not want to know his story? Who he was... who he is. There is something about a weathered face that is breath taking and leaves you searching those wrinkles for a history. Ladies and Gentlemen, embrace your wrinkles. They ARE beautiful!

So there it is folks... that's the photo for the day. Hope you enjoyed looking into this man's dancing eyes as much as I did.

Robes and Green Hunting Boots

2010-12-07T08:09:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been feeling sorry for myself. Being that i'm human and a self absorbed sinner, this is common in the everyday life of Molly Purvis Townsend. Mostly i've been telling God that i'm ready for a baby. I keep telling Him that I need for Him to open up adoption in Guatemala or that I need Him to block the birth control (not really, but i kind of wish it sometimes). The other day I was taking a long jog, and steadily praying. Praying for the regulars... and suddenly I was overwhelmed with a realization... Holy Spirit... Yes. As I was praying for our community, our state, and our nation, I began to think about the sacrifice God made during this season. How He allowed His son to be born into a sick world. A sinner's world. It was a bit overwhelming and so I started running harder (it's how I cope). As I continued to praise God for this gift and sacrifice, He told me something else. "As you sit here and moan and groan about how YOU want a child and you want me to do something about it, there are mothers all over the world shedding tear upon tear because they have brought a child into this world that they cannot take care of, they cannot feed, they cannot keep warm. Pray for those women, and i'll give you a child whenever I feel like it's right." PUNCH.ME.IN.THE.GUT. When I got home, I took a shower, put on my robe and green hunting boots, walked outside, looked at my beautiful yard, my beautiful life, gathered my firewood, and thanked God for exactly where He has me at this moment in life.... and began the journey of praying not for God to give me a child, but for God to deliver those women and children that He made me aware of.

Living Large in T-Town!

2010-09-14T19:52:00.000-07:00

Life at the Townsend house has been caaa--rrraaazyy lately! We've started too many house projects and have finished not enough of them... sad. It is coming along slowly. Our weekends have been filled with family, friends, beaches, and WORK.

I've had alot on my mind, so because of the lack of sleep, i've been able to finally complete the foyer and start working on the bathroom. I also switched the office and the dining room. I needed more space in the office because I spend so much time in here. I moved ever piece of furniture by myself. Stephen got mad. I can't help that i'm super strong and determined.

Also in new news... I will be going to work for Intech Studios (Daddy's company). It's going to be a great opportunity and I'm really excited/nervous about it.

I also got a new vacuum cleaner and now i vacuum all the time, just because i love the streaks it makes on the carpet.

Brees, the cat is sick... again. She has the snots and the cough. Poor Kit. As I am typing this, she just hacked.

This morning, I got so excited about how cool it felt outside, that I went and bought patio furniture! Good news: It was on clearance!

Here are some pics of the pad... I forgot to take pictures of "before"... so i only have the after. Just pretend that the old looked so bad and the new looks so good you can't hardly believe your eyes.

poor stevie... this was after he stripped the ceiling and sanded it.

sanding the walls in the foyer...

brees the cat.

the completed foyer!!!

shelves in the kitchen

the living room A

the living room B

Gran gave me that red chair. We had the brown one there (see below), but it made the room way too dark. I LOVE my new treasure! It's my spot. Also... I found that little silver end table at marshalls for $30. Whoop yo whaat?! That's so cheap fo a table!

table behind the couch...

the office A ( a work in progress)

the office B

brees, the cat

and we can't forget how much fun skyping with Adelle and Emily is on Friday mornings!! See?? Hilarious!

forgive me for the fisheye lens pictures... it's what was on my camera at the time.
Pictures of the new shutters stephen built me and my new patio set coming soon!

Pray for the entire world

2010-07-26T12:16:00.000-07:00

Here lately, I have been tossing and turning thoughts around in my head. I get more and more hungry everyday for God's word, for that time with Him, for answers, for wisdom. I don't feel like there is anymore room in my head or heart for any more knowledge, and then BAM... I'm hit with more. It's a bit overwhelming and i'm so very tired, but still so very hungry. I look forward to the time I spend in prayer and reading the Word. Stephen and I are making adjustments and praying and trying to listen. And daily giving up ourselves for His purpose, though we fail so many times throughout the day, we are striving for more. I just got done reading the book Radical by David Platt. All I can say is... it's radical. If you don't want to be challenged spiritually and if you don't want to desire God and if you don't want to feel convicted and if you are perfectly content with where you are, then DON'T read this book. David Platt is not God and any book written by man should be weighed against God's true Word. BUT he has got some strong, solid points that will make you fall to your knees and ready to seek more of God and the book has thrown me into these constant spiritual thoughts, desires, and this constant unfed hunger that is satisfied briefly by reading the Word and spending time in prayer. The Holy Spirit used his words and this book to speak to me and challenge me to make some serious changes in my life. At the end of the book he presents a challenge called the Radical Experiment. Over the course of a year he challenges you to 1. Pray for the entire world. 2. Read through the entire Word. 3. Sacrifice your money for a specific purpose. 4. Spend time in another context. 5. Commit your life to multiplying the community.

1. I thought to myself... pray for the entire world... thats pretty broad. How and where will I even start? He gives you a link to website and/or book called Operation World. It gives you a country a day to pray for and then gives you specific prayer needs, and some information on the country. This particular challenge has truly humbled me and brought me to my knees. This world is much bigger than what I imagined. It's filled with hurt, lost people, confused people, and millions of people who are so much less fortunate than you and I. So why me? Why did I get to be born in America and be brought up in a Christian home, surrounded by Christian friends? Why do I get to be healthy and able to pay my bills and live in a house with a car? No other reason than by the grace of God. That's it. Every gift, every penny, every article of clothing, every job, everything that I have or will have is a gift, not aquired from me or what I did or what I have accomplished, but because God allowed me to have it. What am I to do with this gift? I am to go. I am to share. I am to pray. I am to teach. I have been given the ability and opportunity that so many people around the world do not have. I have been given the ability to read God's Word and study it and know it and research the meaning and so many around the world know nothing of it, or do not have access to it, or have to try and learn it in secret, without someone to teach them or without being able to research it. Humbling. Convicting. So far, I have prayed for Kasakhstan, Lesotho, South Korea, Kenya, and Kuwait. For example: today was Lesotho. This is a country in South Africa... This is what the prayer list looks like for this particular country.

The people of Lesotho are prisoners of their geographical position, the divisions and powerlessness of their politicians and lack of resources. The 1998 South African invasion has left the population angry and frustrated. Pray that God-fearing, honest leaders may be raised up for the good of all.

The Sotho have been largely Christian for generations but traditionalism and nominalism are widespread in both the Catholic Church and the Lesotho Evangelical Church. The latter is the fruit of the great pioneering work of French missionaries of the Paris Missionary Society. The rapid increase in the number of newer churches with evangelistic zeal has challenged the mainline Churches to become more spiritually vital and relevant. Pray for a humble harmony between the different denominations in place of considerable antagonism. Pray also for this land to be changed by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The newer, evangelical, Pentecostal and charismatic denominations and agencies have seen growth (AIM, YWAM, IMB-SBC, and various South African groups). Special items for prayer:

a) Bible teaching. There are four residential Bible schools, including the Apostolic Church Mobile School and the Jesu Evangeli Centre ministry with potential to provide this.
b) Leadership. The mainline, Catholic and Pentecostal churches in Lesotho have been under local leadership for many years, but a new level of leadership is emerging in the charismatic churches that is cooperating to win the nation for Christ.
c) A nation-wide prayer movement has brought a new dynamism to the witness of believers, but this vision needs to be maintained.
d) Empowering of women in Christian leadership – the absence of many men and the lower proportion of committed Christians among them makes this essential for the survival of congregations.

Areas of special challenge in ministry:

a) AIDS has become a terrible reality and the incidence of HIV has risen to 24% of the adult population. Churches have neither the resources nor the vision to tackle the disaster. (24% is absolutely insane to me.)
b) The Sephiri, a secret society to which many churchgoers from most denominations belong. Witchcraft and ancestor worship are taught and practised along with Christian ritual. Pray for both the exposure of this demonic delusion and for its followers to come to a living faith. (result of lack of biblical knowledge?)
c) The more syncretistic, indigenous churches. Many of these groups with their robes, uniforms and ceremonies have little understanding of the Truth and need to be sensitively helped to a more biblical theology.
d) The mountain population of 600,000, most nominally Christian, but having little contact with the life-giving gospel. Various evangelical agencies have initiated outreach to them. Major agencies are AIM, Joy to the World, YWAM, Fill the Gap Ministries, the Full Gospel Church, Zoe Bible Church and Global Evangelism Ministries. Many villages are only accessible on horseback, others by MAF plane.

Migrant labourers in South Africa. Lack of work opportunities in Lesotho forces 37% of the men to seek employment in the mines and on the farms of South Africa. AEF has a fruitful evangelistic ministry in the mine compounds. Pray for lasting conversions and effective discipling follow-through.

Christian support ministries:

a) MAF has a unique and vital role in this land of high mountains and few roads. MAF planes operate on 26 landing strips – many in difficult terrain. They provide support for Christian workers and a flying doctor service. Pray for these pilots, their families/support teams and for their safety.
b) The JESUS film is being widely used in English and Sotho and is effective in planting new churches.
c) Christian radio – TWR Swaziland broadcasts daily in both English and Sotho.

phew...

I will save the other 4 challenges for another time because my thoughts on the next 4 challenges are still a whirlwind of words.

Weekend Fun

2010-07-19T08:15:00.000-07:00

Stephen and I had a grand ole time this weekend. We spent the night Friday night in Bunkie where we got to love on our precious niece and nephew. There were lots and lots of kisses given. I forgot my camera... again. sorry. Then we had a fun time at the twin aunts surprise birthday party. Poor Stephen had a rough day yesterday. He has 2 renters currently moving out and so there is lots of cleanting and painting to do this week. I told him I would help if he really needed me to.... I'm selfless like that.

As most of you know, Stephen works for a company that manages nursing homes around the state. He is their IT guy... so he regularly comes home with stories about residents. This one has been the best by far. This morning I got to work and I get this chat message pop up from Stephen... I cannot directly quote it due to some choice wording, but it went something like this:

"I just had a lady in a wheel chair grab my arm and yelled out to everyone that this is the (choice word) that snuck in my room last night and tried to (choice word) me. She said she had a time pushing me off. She wouldn't let go of my arm. Some nurses ran over to help me. What a morning. Did you make it to work ok?"

Can I tell you I chuckled for at least 5 minutes. Trying to do so quietly so no one would hear me. I keep picturing his face when she screamed this across the facility. Poor Stevey.

Thursday my parents and I are heading to Destin to have a birthday celebration with the Blackwells!! Adelle will be 1! I am pretty pumped!

Sorry for the pointless post... I felt like I needed one in between serious posts... and i have a serious one flying around in my head that I will soon need to write down. So stay tuned folks.

Guatemala 2010

2010-07-13T09:47:00.000-07:00

To start this little story off... I want you to know that yesterday I spent an entire hour writing/uploading pictures to this particular entry. I was very proud of myself... when I hit "publish" it lost it all. Yep... every bit of it. So i'm starting over... with fewer pictures. If you would like to look at the over 500 pictures here are the links.

The Orphanage, Nutritional Center, and Hope of Life ministries in general

The Dump, Construction Sites, and Medical Clinic (in town)

Villages

Stephen and I committed to this trip I guess back in January or February. We had been planning on a trip to Alaska, but after a sermon we heard from our pastor, we felt very led to look at how we were spending our money and where we could better serve. I have always wanted to go on a mission trip with Stephen so this was a dream come true for me! We stayed in prayer about the trip for the most part... I didnt really feel like I was whole-heartily praying about it though. I would pray the same prayer everyday, but looking back now, I was getting consumed with the world, and therefore my time with God was not as intimate and precious as it should've been. I feel like we were getting caught up in the wants and material desires that Satan loves to use to distract you.

Getting ready for the trip, we were (or maybe just me) a big ball of nerves, anxiety, fear, excitement. We traveled with a team of 26 people from Calvary. All of which brought something very different to the table. Talents and personalities were all different, but all essential and all hand picked by God specifically for this trip.

We started the trip off with a tour of Hope of Life. Carlos Vargas is the creator/founder of this organization. His testimony is pretty awesome. He has promised God that if he'll provide, he will devote his life to helping his people. He has since basically purchased a mountain, built an orphanage, a nursing home, a nutrition center, a school, a store, mission homes, green houses, tilapia ponds, a row of homes for the homeless, and is currently building a 5 story hospital. We were so moved/overwhelmed by his dreams. He told us that he never ever wanted to stop dreaming. When one dream was fulfilled, he would dream again and God would provide. He said when he stops dreaming, he'll be dead. WHOA. Kind of convicted us about what we are investing our time and money in... Retirement included.

We visited the nursing home and nutritional center first. Can I tell you that I loved those babies so much? I did. I fell in love with Junior, a little 3 year old who was malnourished and very small because of it. He loved to be held and loved on. They all did. They would all stand up in their baby beds and look at you with those big brown eyes in anticipation. When you'd simply touch them, they'd grin from ear to ear. I'll never forget those faces and i'll also never forget the faces I saw when we had to put them back in their beds. Abandonment.

Carlos described the Nutrition Center and the Nursing home as the "forgotten people". The people left to die because they can't take care of themselves. He has a special place in his heart for these people groups.

Next visit was the Orphanage. These kids came out of the woodwork to greet us. One after another they'd come running up hugging us "hola senorita" "hola senor". So precious. This was Stephen's favorite area. The kids loved him and he loved them. After working in the villages everyday Stephen would go up to the orphanage and play soccer with the kids. It was really really neat to see him in that setting, loving on children of all ages and to see the joy on their faces as they would flock to him. God has opened both of our hearts to adoption through this trip and we are currently praying about the plan that God has for us concerning adoption.

We then toured the rest of the property by bus... and stopped to see the houses that Carlos's teams had built for families who were homeless or living on hardly anything. Calvary's VBS kids raised $4000 in pennies and funded one of these houses which was built while we were there by some of the Calvary team, Carlos's team, and a team from another church. It was a very moving moment when we got to dedicate the house to a family who had just lost their husband/father and therefore lost their income. It may not look like much, and to our standards it's not. There was one room with a bunk bed and a twin bed, a table, four chairs and a section on the side of the house with a shower and a real toilet. Compared to what these people lived in before... this was nice.

Below are some pictures of the children who were running around in this area. They loved candy!

The rest of the day we separated medicines and stuffed bags with food to be distributed in the village that we would be going to the next day.

The next 72 hours were filled with a whirlwind of emotions. On our first trip to the village we arrived, saw the line and the mass amount of people and the bus grew silent. It was overwhelming. It was overwhelming to see how badly they wanted and desired anything from us. Whether that was material or physical. How they were grateful for back washed gatorade bottles, for our half eaten peanut butter sandwiches covered in flies, for half of a cookie, for hot bottles of water half empty, for a torn coloring page, for 2 crayons, for a pat on the back, or a shoulder to lean on, for someone to hold their baby, for someone to SEE them. At the end of the day we would leave a village, most of the time there were people left waiting to see the doctors and those people would wave goodbye to our bus yelling "gracious" and smiling. Telling us thank you when they haven't even been seen. Waving as we drove away going to go eat a hot meal and to throw away what we didnt want, as we left to go take showers with soap and hot water, as we used our bathrooms with toilets that flushed, as we went to sleep on our mattresses with our blankets and our air conditioners on full blast, as we rode in our buses, and vans, and cars to get from point a to point b. As I write this I can see the sights and smell the smells and feel the feelings of that trip. I can see those babies filthy dirty with no shoes, and only one meal a day. Those mamas with 6 children and pregnant with the 7th. Those women, men, and children wearing clothes 2 sizes too big or 2 sizes too small, those children who were passing worms because of lack of hygiene, the kids who grinned from ear to ear when we would give them a jolly rancher or paint their fingernails. The little girls who would stand in line to get their nails painted, wipe it off and stand in line again just to be touched by us. I can see and smell the people at the dump, who literally built their village, if you can even call it that, around a land fill. The grandmother who is trying to feed 12 grand kids by breaking glass and getting paid $3 a month. The baby girl with dirt covering her face and yet her eyes were smiling. The people digging in the garbage for anything and everything. Watching the children come running when we arrived with food... only to fill up their containers found in the garbage with chicken stock soup and a tortilla. Watching babies sit in dirt with no diapers and no clothes. Listening to a baby crying, sitting alone on the concrete, only longing for someone to hold him. Watching girls half my age walk into the clinic 6 months pregnant with their 2nd, 3rd, or 4th child. The little girls who followed me around just so they could hold onto my hand or my arm, the joy the people had when their church was rebuilt... they had a 4 hour church service that night. We get cranky when ours lasts over an hour and a half. The laughter of the little boys when i'd show them the silly pictures i took of them, the silence among the team when the reality of poverty hit us, the passion in Carlos and his team's voices. I pray that I will never ever forget these images, and sounds. The trip was truly life-changing. Stephen and I will be going back as soon as we can. God has softened our hearts through this and we are forever grateful for that.

America, America!

2010-06-16T08:38:00.000-07:00

America, America!
God shed His grace on thee.
And crown thy hood with brotherhood
from sea to shining sea

America as a nation in general is disappointing. We are fat, lazy, selfish, faithless, liars, sinners, thieves, always worried about getting ahead. The internet, TV, billboards, posters, radio is all filled with sex, homosexuality, and filth. Can you tell it's depressing me? I don't know if i'm just now noticing it or what, but it's all over the place, in my face and penetrating right through my heart. For example: I was walking through the mall the other day and passed a H-U-G-E sign on the bath and body works wall of a naked woman. No, I could not see anything because she was covering them up with her arm, but still. I was like what the crap?! Our poor boys and men... they are bombarded with it right and left... can't even walk through the freakin mall without seeing a naked woman. Geez. So then last night I was watching Law and Order SVU, one of my most favorite shows and one of the only shows I ever watch. If you don't know... they are the special victim's unit... so they handle rape cases. After I watched two episodes of disturbing rape cases... i thought to myself "why did I just watch that??" Really... it is not uplifting in the least bit and it only makes me afraid. Stupid. And not only that... they had some really not so right comments about pornography and how it's ok. Anyway... all that to say, I shouldn't watch it anymore. Lately I've seen and heard stuff constantly. I think society, and Christians too have become numb to all of the filth in our lives. Oh, they're sleeping together? Oh well... it's just reality. Oh, there's graphic sex scenes in this movie? Oh well... i'll just fast forward it. Oh, he's gay? Oh well, nothing we can do about it... that's just how he is. Wrong, Wrong, Wrong, Wrong. Yes, there is grace and forgiveness, but there is also still God's wrath. And I am sad thinking about what will happen to our country if we don't start praying and repenting.

I have been reading the New Testemant, but wanted a little break. I was ready to read some stories. So I landed on 1 Kings (The Message). Odd book to just land on right? It has really been a breath of fresh air and quite convicting for me. It starts out with David on his death bed and him passing the crown on to his son, Solomon. So then Solomon asks for wisdom from God and God is really happy that he asked for that instead of wealth or long life... so God decides He will give him the wisdom and also throws in the wealth and long life because He was so pleased with Solomon's request. It then goes into the story of how Solomon builds the Temple. In great detail it describes the extravagance of this place. It sounds really beautiful and Solomon says in 8:12 that God will dwell in this place. It took him 7 years to build the Temple. At first, I closed my bible and sat there on the couch... legs crossed, ready for work and started praying... "God, thank you for this day... " and I stopped... all of the sudden the words I read began to stir my heart. I fell to my knees and told God I was sorry for not giving Him the praise he deserves. That I just read how Solomon and David loved and worshiped God and were in constant Awe of Him and His beauty and His power, and I should too. It was one of those moments in life where you stop, step back, and re-evaluate how you do things, how you pray.

On a little lighter note... We are headed for Guatemala on Saturday. I am excited and nervous at the same time. I think it will be life changing and I'm so excited to be able to experience a mission trip with Stephen. This is his first overseas trip. Please be praying for our team and the people we will be ministering to.

May Madness

2010-06-01T08:12:00.000-07:00

First of all thank you Emily for the new and improved blog!! I am going to try my very hardest to update it more often. Maybe twice a month instead of twice a year :)

May has been full of some madness! From bachelorette parties, to picture editing, to family time, to birthdays, to remodeling, to weddings... it's been crazy, but fun! We are enjoying our yard so much right now. I planted a little garden.. which has turned out to be a failure. We are getting a few tiny tomatoes, but that's about it. All the other stuff is dead or not producing anything but leaves.

Stephen's birthday was on the 17th. At the beginning of May a neighbor had an old 1985 Toyota 4-runner sitting in his front yard with a big fat for sale sign on it. That night Stephen came home and without coming out and bluntly begging me for it... told me that this was a deal of a lifetime and he has wanted one of these since he was a little boy, "just ask my dad". In the back of my head I was tossing around the idea, but I didn't want to let him know... so I said that it would be a stupid purchase and another expense we don't need to pay. He agreed and left it at that. The next morning I bought the 4 runner. Bad decision.

why was this a bad decision you ask? Because now the transmission is out and it's sitting in my yard, killing my grass. Psh. Oh well, it was fun to see him get excited. Not so fun to see the look on his face when he realized he would have to replace the transmission.

In other news... Adelle and Emily came to visit! It was so fun to see them and be able to just hang out. She is crawling around and looking oh so cute. We get to see them again in July and I can hardly wait!!

We also had a fun time with Mark and Esther in may. They came for mothers day weekend and stayed with us. It was so good to spend some time with them. And like Adelle, Hadassah and Liam are growing like crazy! Liam laughs all the time. at everything. And Hadassah is now up to my hip! TALL! Liam is doing very well and has had great check-ups. We are so very thankful for that!

Katie's wedding was also in May. And It was B-E-A-utiful! She looked absolutely stunning. Everything magically fell into place. I had so much fun hanging out with all the girls. It was very refreshing. Below are a few pictures I stole from someone else from the wedding.

We also had our frist trip to the Vet... which is another post in itself. So we'll leave that one for the next post.

That's the month of May in a nutshell folks.

Emily, are you proud?

Crazy Love

2010-02-03T08:28:00.000-08:00

1. I know I stink at the whole blogging thing... When I actually think of something to write about, it's not the most opportune time.

I just finished "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. By far one of the most convicting books I have EVER read. Each chapter left me in deep thought and deep prayer. It inspired me to take the bible literally. Be a radical Christian... give more... love more... seek Christ more. It also made me realize how little time we have to share Jesus' love with others. Our days are numbered (Lamentations 4:18). We dodge death everyday, and yet think that we will live to be 90. We live as though we have plenty of time when we should be living as though we only have today.
The other night I was watching the grammy awards. Normally I wouldn't think twice about watching it, but for some reason I kept getting that squirmy feeling... like maybe I should turn this off, but I kept resisting so I could watch the Michael Jackson tribute... which turned out to be a flop I might add. Anyway after MJ was worshiped I turned it off and thought "what if Jesus would have come back while I was watching that.." Not really what I want to be doing when He returns. It really convicted me. Made me aware of what I do throughout the day... what my thoughts are... what I watch and listen to. Now I am not saying I'm going to throw away my tv and never watch it again... just made me aware.
This morning I read Matthew 24. To sum up it up... Jesus is warning his disciples about the end of the ages, about His second coming. He tells them more than once to be on watch, to stand guard. He talks about how we'll be at work and one of us we'll be taken and the other left behind (vs 40-41). I don't know about you, but I really don't want my neighbor to be left. Reading that really convicted me to do all I can to witness to those I come in contact with. Do you want to look Jesus in the eye when He asks you "what did you do with what I gave you?" and say "Nothing. I didn't even tell anyone about the gift of your Son." I don't. That sort of terrifies me and humbles me at the same time.
So my new goal for 2010 is to live like today is my last. Join me?

Grace

2009-11-05T12:19:00.000-08:00

"Put Bluntly, the American church today accepts grace in theory, but denies it in practice. We say we believe that the fundamental structure of reality is grace, not works--but our lives refute our faith. By and large, the gospel of grace is neither proclaimed, understood, nor lived. Too many christians are living in the house of fear, and not in the house of love." - Brennan Manning, The Ragmuffin Gospel

How true is that! We are told to accept grace, but do we practice it? He talks about how the word "grace" has lost its flaire. It is misused and overused. We live in a world that teaches us to earn everything, to work for everything, that we get what we deserve, that we have to earn love. To God, grace is his gift to us. I cannot do anything that makes grace "more deserved". He also talked about how we tell others about grace and love and blah blah blah, but we dont accept the homosexuals, the "sluts", the drunks, or the poor. We give them cold stares when they walk through the church doors or we become obviously uncomfortable. We have become "wounders of the healed, rather than healers of the wounded". We are trying too hard to impress God, we try so hard to find another way to get to heaven, another way to have a relationship with Christ instead of simply accepting his gift. We rely on ourselves, because its just too hard to trust in the God who made us. It's too hard to trust our Father, the one who GAVE us our hands, eyes, and minds that help us to "earn" everything else that we have. A gift. Everything is a gift from God. Not deserved, not paid for by anything we can give, not a debt held over our heads that God expects us to pay back. Its just simply a gift. ... he gave us grace because he loves us and He wants to have a relationship with us. Plain and simple.

By denying grace... by trying to get to Heaven by our good works we are telling God "The blood wasn't enough.. I need to do more." Ouch.

Just some food for thought.

A day in the life of the Townsends

2009-10-27T10:52:00.000-07:00

Sunday Stephen tells me that he was invited to a "work" baby shower but that the invitation (email) said he didn't have to bring a gift. I quickly told him that it would be rude to attend the baby shower and bring nothing... so I told him to get a box of wipes or diapers and a card... "and not the off brand!".

Yesterday afternoon Stephen comes home and says:
Well, I attended the baby shower. "oh yeah, how was it?" . I walked into a room full of women and once they saw that I was there WITH A GIFT they ran over to me saying "awwwww, he brought something!" They quickly pulled a chair over to the circle and told me to have a seat. I was stuck in the middle of them watching this girl open all her gifts and saying "awwww" everytime a new one was opened. (I'm rolling by this point). Then there was a pause and Stephen says: Theyre naming their little girl Emily Claire.

Story #2
So we're house hunting right now. Yesterday we were scheduled to look at a house at 6:00 pm. I made chili for supper so that I could just leave it in the pot cooking while we were gone. So the tea and rice is made by 5:30 and the chili is on the stove cooking. I'm feeling pretty good about myself. The phone rings... it's Stephen. "Hey, i'm running a little late... i have to stop and get gas so could you just meet me there?" I guess. We have driven to this house twice... two different ways. Now before I go on I need you to know something about me. Nothing stresses me out or frustrates me more than being lost by myself. Nothing. So with that in mind... here it goes. I leave deciding I would take the route that we took 6 months ago thinking it would be quicker. "Oh shoot, i'm almost out of gas... I can make it there and back." So off I go... down Shreveport Hwy. I see a familiar sign and decide with much confidence that this road will lead to Ates Rd. I then enter a neighborhood that I have never seen before. Frustrated, I try to wiggle my way out. It's now 6:03. Late. As i'm wiggling my way out of this neighborhood, I begin seeing the same houses over and over again. Crap. At this point, I felt my neck and back start getting hot. (this means im getting ticked off). Finally I find my way out... Ok... I'll just stay on Shreveport Hwy and it will eventually take me to the service road. Wrong. I end up at Pineville High School. When I realize where I am (pretty much back to where I started) Stephen calls. The whole time I was lost, I was saying things out loud like "This is all Stephen's fault"... "Yeah, this is what you get Stephen for not coming to pick me up".... "cuss word".... "cuss word".
So when he calls, this is how our conversation went:
"HELLO?"
"Molly? Where are you?"
"IM LOST STEPHEN"
"Where are you now?"
"IM AT PINEVILLE HIGHSCHOOL STEPHEN!"
"Molly, calm down."
"I HAVE TO GO... I'M TRYING TO GET THERE"
"Did you come the way we came last weekend?"
"NO I DID'NT WANT TO COME THAT WAY"
"Well, I can explain it to you if you just come the way we came"
"I'M NOT DRIVING ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE EXPRESSWAY."
"That's the only way I know how to tell you"
"I'LL FIGURE IT OUT STEPHEN... I'LL GET THERE WHEN I GET THERE. BYE!"
(I knew I had to go the other way, but was too prideful to sit on the phone and have him explain it to me)
Dingg.... gas light
cuss word, cuss word

At this point it was pouring down rain and I arrived at 6:38. Yep... drove around for 40 minutes. I was still mad as heck at Stephen. Poor guy. We ended up liking the house alot so that significantly helped my mood. When we got home, I explained to Stephen that if he wouldve just picked me up... i never wouldve gotten lost. Again... I know... poor guy. He said he didn't think it would be hard for me to find the house being that we just drove over there 2 days ago. In all reality... I was just mad that I was lost and I needed someone to blame, so poor little Stephen got thrown into the line of fire. We laughed about it later... but he still couldve picked me up. ;)

Why?

2009-10-20T14:24:00.000-07:00

I watched a video today about a group that travels through Africa in the "brush" to find remote villages that no one knows about. The group came up on 2 starving children laying in the dirt. Both suffered from polio. A few minutes later, their sister comes out from the bushes. She had just walked miles and carried a bucket of water with her. She had no access to food, but knew she could access water. She bathed both her brother and her sister. This video basically ripped my heart out. I will post the video at the end of the post, but fair warning... if you are bothered easily, don't watch it.

I started thinking about it. Asking God how do we reach them all? Why these tiny children? Why do I get to be loved and full and sleep in a bed, but they don't? The video has a good ending. The children are taken to a hospital and nursed back to health. But you can't help but think about the millions who arent helped... who arent discovered and nursed back to health. When I started getting upset about this God reminded me that I cannot change the sadness in this world. I cannot feed millions of people... so take what I give you... talents, gifts, money, and use it to glorify me. I will take care of what needs to be taken care of... trust Me. He also brought this verse to my mind... and it showed me my part, as well as these little children's situation.

But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Luke 12:48

Just some food for thought... here's the video:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=576631493#/video/video.php?v=1058106391442&ref=share

One Year!

2009-10-08T12:24:00.000-07:00

Well, Because my sister keeps bugging me about writing on this thing, I am. Here's to you Emily...

Warning: We have no children or animals, so this blog could get boring.

We will be married for a whole year on Sunday! How exciting! We're going to Hot Springs for our anniversary... not spectacular, but a great get-away. I'll post pics after the trip. Here are the high-lights of our first year of marital bliss (in no particualr order)!
1. Learning to live with the opposite sex... I am truly a lucky woman. Stephen is a very clean man. He washes the dishes every night after dinner if I cooked. We have also learned each other's funny quirks. Such as... Stephen likes for me to put the whole toilet seat lid down after every sitting for fear of something falling into the toilet. I don't like for Stephen to put his feet on me. Stephen had to learn to wash out the sink of any shaving cream puffs left over from his shave... it gets in my hair when i'm brushing my teeth and I smell like a man the rest of the day. I had to learn to pick up my makeup,hair dryer, and anything else off of the counter... Stevie likes it to be clean and clear!
2. Stephen got a new job in July! WHOO! He works for Central Management Company (a company who owns and manages nursing homes around the state of LA). He got a company car and gets to travel all over the state every week... not to mention a pay raise. He loves it and I love to see him happy with his work.
3. Learning how to enjoy each other's hobbies. I love to run... Stephen doesn't. But he goes with me anyway. Stephen loves to bike... I only kind of like to bike, but we do that together too. Stephen loves to hunt... I do not. And we rarely share that hobby but i try to go with him once a year even though climbing in a stand scares the mess out of me.
4. I love quality time. Stephen loves to be affirmed by my words. We are still working on that one daily, but getting better!
5. Adelle was born!! (Our neice)
6. It's the best feeling in the world to know that you get to wake up to your very best friend for the rest of your life.

That is all. I'll try and be better at this. Happy Thursday!!