Restoration

Our family was in downtown Greenville last night celebrating Addie Gail Brooks first birthday. Now that most of our friends have more than 1 child it seems there is always a birthday to celebrate. It was a great party. While we were there in the area we decided to visit Dave's aunt and uncle who just moved to the area a while back. They bought this old mill home about 5 months ago and decided to gut it and renovate it. I saw this home about 3 months ago when they just started working on it. When I saw it I thought there was no way possible to ever make the thing livable. I'm not the greatest big picture person. When I look at things I most of the time just see the details. And the details on getting this home to the place where I thougth they could live in it seemed impossible. I was totally shocked when we walked through the door. What was once such an eye sore and heap of work, was now a beautiful work in progress and definiteley a wonderful livable space. Who would have known? How could I have doubted?

Thought about a lot of our families mission... finding broken places in this world and making beauty out of them. So many moments I look at the task and can't see the big picture but just the details. I get overwhelmed and even doubt at times that God can take something so broken and barren and make something beautiful out of it. But he does. We constantly bump into lives that he has restored and we watch and reflect in awe of the beauty he has created. I really want to look at things and immediately see the big picture and not just the details. In the end the big picture is a wonderful thing.

Always ways to help

This site is a site I view weekly that always puts my life in perspective. If you all have been reading lately you know I have a heart for Haiti. The thing with today is that in the past if you really wanted a wake up call on the reality of life outside our US bubble you would need to actually go on a trip to be educated on the poverty and need of people all across our world. Now with the Internet we can sit at home and read and see people's lives who are in such need. There are 4 people on this site in need of Visa's to come to the US for surgery. Almost everyday there is a need out there that you can respond to. If this interests you and you feel called to help, please help and if not then find other ways to help others... it does not always have to be financial. It's not fun seeing the brokenness in people's lives but it is a constant reminder to me and my family of the rich blessings we have. The struggle for bigger houses, more money, better cars, time for ourselves could be a much less struggle if people really got a glimpse into the reality of our broken world.

Home for a day and on the road again

Daddy came home last night. We met him at Frankie's Fun Park in Greenville. Emma was so excited she ran from hole to hole and was worn out at the end of 18 holes. Izzie was glad to see her daddy too. It was the first time that when she saw him she started smiling and laughing and reaching for him.

Dave had a good week at Lee University at a Student Life camp and heads out tomorrow to TX for another camp at Austin College, Sherman TX. While at this past camp a guy took some random pictures of Dave and gave him a disk. So here are a few of him. Many are curious as to what Dave actually does for a living. Well this is part of what he does....













It is hard at times having a husband who travels a lot during different seasons of a year. Especially when his biggest time of travel hits during the summer when the kids are at home and most families are spending more time together. However, I would not trade this life of ours for anything. There is nothing more rewarding or fulfilling than living out God given dreams with a community of friends. The sacrifice (if I can even call it that) is nothing compared to the knowing that our family is on a mission and impacting the lives of others so that they can wake up and have life to the fullest. Anyone can be a part of that mission. You've just got to get off your butt and make it happen.

I am still coming up with ideas for my croc plan. I'll keep you posted....