Family

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Protecting the innocent

God's loveA 6 month old little boy died this week. I saw it on the news last night. His mom’s loser boyfriend neglected him and he died…

Another news story came on right after that one: A mom left her 4 children home alone and the house burned to the ground. Thankfully, all of the children escaped and are now in protective custody. At least they have a chance at a good life now.

I will never understand neglect and abandonment.

How could anyone harm an innocent child?

Children are an inheritance from the Lord. They are precious gifts! The most important thing someone can do is be a parent. When I think of the number of children who are suffering because of negligence and abandonment, my heart breaks.

I remember what it was like to grow up without parents. I had so many unanswered questions and I didn’t even know how to express them.

  • Why wasn’t I good enough for them to stick around?
  • What’s wrong with me?
  • Do they even love me at all?

I wrestled with these questions for years. It wasn’t until I became an adult and allowed God to mend my heart that I finally understood the truth:

  • It was never my fault.
  • There is nothing wrong with me.
  • I am loved deeply by my Heavenly Father.

One of the strongest desires of my heart is to share this truth with children who have been abandoned, abused, or neglected.

These children are not damaged goods. They just need to be told the truth and given some hope.

Psalm 68:5-6 says:

A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy habitation. God sets the solitary in families.

I strongly believe that it is up to Christians to provide love and support for hurting children. Mentorship, foster care, and adoption are three great options that can forever change a child’s life.

 

 

 

 

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Every good gift 

I gotta good deal today!

I needed to replace my brown boots and the sale was amazing. 

Me-maw bought me a new pair of jeans and received a coupon for 50% off a pair of ladies boots. She then turned around and gave me $10 toward the boots, so they only cost me $25. 

The shoes were $65 and I paid $25…

I’m not one to pray for closer parking spots or anything, but it was so exciting to see how everything just worked out. 

And there’s nothing wrong with that happening either.The book of James says that every good gift comes from the Father above. 

We need to keep this scripture in mind because too often God ends up looking like Scrooge. 

He loves us. 

He wants what’s best for us. 

Listen, this post is not meant to make God out to be a slot machine. 

Corvettes won’t fall from the sky and giving an offering to a televangelist won’t make you rich. 

But God does give good gifts to His children. 

He will take care of you. 

So, today I thank God for a good deal on my shoes.

 On top of everything else He’s done, which is much bigger and more important, I am thankful for this fun gift as well. 

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Time for friends 

I had a great day with my friends. We were finally able to get together and hang out. 

My friend Andrea from Marion and my friend Sam from Birmingham met up with me this afternoon at the Galleria. 

We ate lunch at California Pizza Kitchen, got a coffee at Starbucks, and shopped at Old Navy. 

It was so cool to be together because two different aspects of my life are now connected. 

Andrea and Sam have been friends since college and I have been friends with Andrea since she became the librarian at Judson. 

Sam and I met this past January when I started learning sign language. 

I really enjoyed myself today. Hang out times with friends don’t happen as much as I’d like. 

Another goal for 2016 is to schedule more time for important relationships. 

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A sense of satisfaction

I spent most of today soaking wet. 

My personal days are all used up, but the work is done. 

Things have been taken to Goodwill and the dump. 

The gutters are cleaned out. (This happened in the pouring rain by the way.)

But it’s all done!!!!

The only thing left to do is to put together a few bookshelves and get the Reading Room in order. 

Pushing through when you feel out of steam is the only way to get projects finished. 

Then you’re left with an amazing sense of accomplishment. 

I know this is the only thing I’ve talked about since Christmas. 

Bear with me, okay?

Our family is still sending up shouts of victory. I’ll talk about something different tomorrow. 

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Mission Accomplished

 We did it!!!!
Our garage is cleaned up.
Well, one side of the garage is cleaned up, but this is a noteworthy accomplishment. 

All of us worked together to tackle this monster of a project that’s been hanging over our heads for a year. 

Tomorrow dad and I will go to the dump and to Goodwill and to pick up a new dryer (our friends Chad and Megan are giving us their old one).

I’m calling this weekend a success.

It was long and tiring, but that’s okay. Not every weekend is supposed to be like a beach vacation. 

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Christmas memories

Today I ate a Christmas burrito. 

My dad came up with the concept as a fun way to eat leftovers. 

Well, he learned about the English’s version called Bubble and Squeak from our friends, the Vospers. 

The idea of putting it in a tortilla was his own. 

We spent the day packing and purging after a small basement flood on Christmas night. (It came a bad storm that afternoon, which led to an overflow of water on our property.)

No worries, though, because it’s all been cleaned up now. Nothing major was lost to water damage. 

As tiring as the process has been, I’ve enjoyed working with my family and being around our house. 

My favorite part of the day was when my dad found an old journal from his 6th grade year. We read the entries aloud at lunchtime.

Let’s just say that my dad’s always been a funny guy. The journal was filled with pictures, misspelled words, and all the cuteness that comes with childhood. 

I’m not an overly sentimental, let’s keep everything kind of person, but finding this journal has me thinking:

We ought to keep some things from every part of our life. It’ll make for some great conversations later. 

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Christmas Cowboy

Christmas 2015 was a lot of fun! 

Today’s been a whirlwind, so I’ll keep it brief and share a cute picture:

  Here’s a cowboy playing his guitar. 
Courage hadn’t stopped playing it since we gave it to him this morning. 

Our family is blessed beyond measure and we all had a good time eating and opening presents. 

The new year will be here in less than a week!

2016 here we come!

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Christmas Eve Adventures

I didn’t make it into any pictures, but my Christmas Eve was awesome. 

The Kennedy/Neely Christmas parties were a success!

Opening presents with my cousins was fun because they picked out their own gifts for everyone this year. It’s cool to see the people they are becoming. 

My cousin Mathew celebrated his first Christmas as a father and I love his fiancé Kristen. He picked a winner for sure!

I pray that you have a wonderful time with your friends and family over the next few days. 

Merry Christmas!

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Christmas traditions

Do you have a favorite Christmas album? 

There’s one CD that lives in my CD player during the holidays. 

Everyone has certain traditions that make Christmas time special. 

Here are mine:

  1. Watch The Grinch
  2. Go Christmas caroling
  3. Read the Christmas story at least once a week
  4. Eat a few  gingerbread cookies (it’s even better when you make them yourself)

What are some of your favorite holiday traditions?

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When everyday is an adventure

  My dad comes home tomorrow!

We’re all so excited to see him and hear about his adventures in Mexico. 

My dad’s taught me a lot about the spirit of adventure. He’s the kind of man who sees life as the greatest adventure of all. 

And this attitude goes beyond the mission field:

  • Running errands with him becomes completing a top secret mission. 
  • Working in the yard is like hacking through the bush. 

His ability to make mundane tasks fun is the reason big projects aren’t a chore. 

I’m trying to be more like him in this area. My “hurry up and mark things off the list” mentality can keep me from enjoying my work in the process. 

My dad’s company–even when he’s not directly helping me–brightens my mood while I work. 

There are many reasons I miss my dad, but his fun loving attitude about everyday tasks is one of them. 

Hurry up and get home, Dad! Nothing’s the same when you’re not around.