A Mushy Heart, Good Light, & Love

 

As I'm folding the laundry, I can't help but think about our weekend in Breathitt County, Kentucky. The faces of the people we met are fresh in my mind and their stories, still fresh on my heart.

For many years (I don't really know how many) a dear family member of our church family has provided a community clothing giveaway at the Jackson Church of Christ in Jackson Kentucky. The people in Breathitt County were always on his heart. He loved them. And I'm pretty sure they loved him. But back in January he unexpectedly went to be the Lord. And although, I didn't know him extremely well, I know the family he left behind and I knew that I wanted to do something in his honor. That's right, the clothing giveaway. So Curtis and I offered to drive the clothes up to Jackson when our church goes up there for vacation bible school in July.

To be honest, I was a little apprehensive about it but I was also a believer in knowing that the Lord makes things work. You see, we have been blessed with a truck that belonged to my dad before he passed away and a trailer that Curtis received as a birthday gift from his parents a few years ago. We had the exact things that would be needed to continue this special work for these special people. We didn't buy either one of them. They were blessings to us, and we were going to use them to bless many others. But God had an even bigger plan than me! We collected so many bags of clothing that we had to rent a uhaul to get it there!

 

Then, God provided a safer and cleaner Motel for us to stay in. Where we usually stay has gotten really nasty and there was a murder there just last week. So instead, we stayed at Paul's Motel and it was a great little place for our families.

Breathitt County is one of the top five economically depressed counties in our country. Nearly 43% of children under 18 are below the poverty line (and many of those are well below). The median income for a family is about $23,000. There are many families without running water or electricity. One of the men from our congregation went out with the Jackson church van to pick up families for vbs and witnessed a young girl (about 10 years old) washing her hair in a drainage ditch. That family had neither water or electricity. After worship on Sunday morning, the Jackson church had a meeting and made plans to reach out to that family this week. The work there is much. And the people living there, doing the work are far better than I could ever hope to be.

The clothing drive was more than a success! It was a greater blessing than I could have ever imagined. The people were given big trash bags as they arrived and I think almost every person filled up there their bag! One man was searching for underwear like he was looking for a treasure. Another man needed work boots desperately and when he saw a brand new pack of white socks, his face lit up with joy. I could tell story after story of the desperation, the love, the kindness, and the needs. I guess in my old age, my heart just continues to soften more and more. At this rate, it'll be pure mush by the time I'm 40. I wept in the bathroom during the giveaway. I wept in my motel room that evening. I wept when I got home. And I'm fighting to keep my composure as I type this. Mush I tell you!

I've been poor. I've never been dirty or hungry but I've had needs that I couldn't meet on my own. I've been a young single mother on food stamps. I've had to ask organizations for free diapers and clothing for my baby. I get it. I was there and I made it out and I want to help. Romans 8:28 tells us that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. I believe that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And let me tell you something about my church family! They're awesome. Awesome in the ways that the Almighty God in Heaven is pleased with. They were willing to do whatever it took to make this mission a blessing to as many people as possible. They taught classes and hugged sweet children and sorted clothes and moved bags and handed out flyers and listened to stories and on and on. Even the youth! They worked just as hard as the adults. 
 

 

 

By the end of the clothing giveaway, one lady said that she wanted to take the rest of the clothes home to her 12 family members. The picture below was taken about 2 hours after the ones above. So, every piece of clothing was put to use and if we would have had more, they would have taken that too.

 

 

We are already collecting clothing for the next giveaway in October. I was sad to see that we didn't have any little boy clothing and very little children's clothing in general. We hope to collect a good variety for the next giveaway. Men's, regular and especially plus size women's, and all children & baby are needed. Also shoes, purses, socks, new underwear, and household & children's items would be appreciated. I want to be respectful by offering items in good condition but I know the need is probably greater than that and we should bring anything useable. Maybe a pretty purse or pair of shoes isn't a life saving item but it can certainly bring someone joy and maybe lift their spirits enough to keep trying. We're to be the light and salt of the world (Matthew 5:13-16). Light and salt make things better. I'm a natural light photographer and everything I do revolves around the light. Good light make all the difference. As I've been off and on the Whole 30 diet, I have come to fully appreciate the way salt can transform a bland vegetable into something I can really enjoy eating. Salt and light!

 

 

Thank you to everyone who cared enough to read this post! May you all be blessed :)

 
 

"I Love You Because...." Valentines

I know there are millions of people out there that despise Valentine's Day but I am not one of them. I love it! What better than a whole day devoted entirely to love?! Nothing :)

So this year we did this very awesome activity with the girls. Each person decorated there own Valentine's Day box with their name on it. Then starting on February 1st, we each had to write one reason why we love each person in our family and put it in their box.

The first 3 or 4 days were easy, but after the obvious reasons were done, we had to do a little more thinking. Why did we love each person? What is so special about them?

Then after we gave the kids our gifts from us, we all dumped out our boxes and read aloud each little note we were given. We started by saying "I love you because....." and then finished with the note. I was AMAZED at some of the things we came up with. The girls thought of things about their sister that I would have never guessed. Some reasons were funny and some were emotional. But when it was over (and it took like an hour) everyone was happy. The kids begged to do it again next year. It was free and it was special. Isn't that what were all looking for?!

 

For dinner we enjoyed heart shaped pizza and a heart cake. Simple but exciting for the little ones.

 

Valentine's Day- Love and Pretty {Journey's Decorating- Nashville TN}

 

I don't know how many families celebrate Valentine's Day as a kids holiday or a holiday for Mom and Dad, but we like to involve the kids in our Valentine's Day fun. Our anniversary is on February 11th so we usually have a special date day to celebrate our marriage on that day. Then for Valentine's Day, we celebrate with the girls.

 

I thought I'd share some of our Valentine's Day fun from last year as well as our plan for this year.

 

Decorating is a huge part of the fun. We always start with the center of our family room, the mantel! I love a beautifully decorated mantel. I started on ours this week. Here's a picture. As we get a little closer to February, I'll start changing things around and adding more fun decorations.

 

 

We like to "adopt" a special Valentine friend every year.

Someone we can do something nice for. Last year we picked one of my daughter's friends who has been battling cancer for two years now. She is a sweet, adorable little girl. We made her this gift bag and delivered it when she wasn't home. The girls love doing good deeds and serving others. This year our lucky "friend" is going to be Ray (our preacher). We love him dearly and he just may need a cheering up on his first Valentine's Day without his wife.

 

 

Something new, we're starting on February 1st we're calling "I love you because...". Each person in our family will have a box on the counter, which they will decorate and every day we will all write down one reason that we love each person and put it in their box. I feel like we spend so much time correcting the littles and pointing out all of the things they do wrong, so I though it would be a good idea to share with them all of the wonderful things that make each one of us unique and valued. What a fun way to do it! Then on Valentine's Day we can dump out our boxes and see why we're loved so much.

 

I'll share pictures and posts on how it works out.

 

When February 14th finally arrives, I like to surprise the kids with a fun breakfast of some sort. I found this on Pinterest last year. It's literally canned cinnamon rolls shaped like a heart with sprinkles. They were so happy about them, you would have thought I had slaved in the kitchen all morning. It's the little things, the attention to detail that makes life special. Add cute straws, some pretty napkins, and a candle and BAM- It's a Valentine's Day candlelit breakfast for a queen (or four).

 

 

 

When Daddy gets home, the real fun begins!!! We usually surprise the girls with goodies and gifts. But seriously, we only buy them things that they will be needing anyway. The picture below is from last year. Looks like we went all out right? That's the point! But we didn't. I just think it's more fun to give them a new outfit in a special way. I should also mention that my kids rarely get new clothing. We pass down everything we can, so new clothes are special to them. And sometimes, every girl just needs a new outfit.

 

 

 

 This year, I've bought the three little girls coordinating bathing suits with flip flops and mating accessories (I had Gymbucks so I got it all at a great price). The 2 babies also got pajamas and some chocolate. The 2 big girls got a box of chocolates. Mary (7) got a stuffed owl and Taylor (14) I have no idea what else to get her but I'll figure something out. 

 

I hope you'll embrace this little holiday this year and make it extra special for your family too. This is the stuff they'll remember forever :)

 

 

 

Sweet Nectar On Las Olas

The highlight of our vacation was a beautiful perfect lunch date. Like most parents with little children, it's not always easy to make special time for each other. But while we were in Florida, we managed to get out and enjoy a couple of hours on Las Olas Blvd in Fort Lauderdale.

 

 

We decided to have lunch at a little restaurant called Sweet Nectar. We chose to sit outside on the patio, which was right on the street. It was certainly unlike any restaurants in Tennessee, although everything there was cooked on a charcoal grill.

 

 

When I eat out at a unique restaurant like this or in another part of the country, I really enjoy ordering items off the menu EXACTLY the way the chef prepares it. It is so much more fun to experience the full flavor of the dish, the way it was created.

 

So we went with something creative and something simple and shared them.

 

Meal #1

Florida Grilled Snapper Sandwich

with avocado, mango cabbage slaw tomato pesto aioli

 & a side salad with kimchee vinaigrette
 



Meal #2

Grilled Chicken Sandwich

with maple mayo, watercress smoked bacon on ciabatta

& Calamari fries with smoked tomato ketchup









 

They were both unbelievable!!!

 

After lunch we browsed some of the art work displayed in a few galleries and then we hit the candy store for $20 worth of goodies for the girls :)

 

It's so important to make time for your marriage. With all the craziness of life, it's always a good idea to remember the feelings that brought you together. When we're alone, I can look at him and see all of the unique characteristics that attracted me to him in the first place. We can enjoy each other much more when life's distractions are held off for a couple of hours.