"Clean Slate" - by Women's ministry at TCABC

About 3 years ago, Brian & I served a great church in Tulsa, OK; The Church at BattleCreek.

Such a great place with life transforming stories! I love to hear what God is continuing to do there. Denise Lopez, Dir. of Women's Minstries, there at TCABC is such a creative lady and is always hosting/organizing the neatest events! Their latest endevour was called "Clean Slate".

Here is an email I received tonight from Denise:

D is a single mom with triplett 9 year old girls. The girls are with their dad this summer and were not able to be there. We did an
"Extreme Home Make-Over--Clean Sweep--What Not to Wear" all wrapped into one this weekend for D. She lives in a 2 bedroom duplex. She and her daughters had been sleeping in the same room in a bunk bed--she and one of the triplett slept on the bottom that was a full bed and then the other two slept in the twin bed on top--for the past two years! We have a team that has been working with her for the past month and then this weekend had over 50 volunteers go in and give her a "Clean Slate". We were also able to go in and take care of some other areas & really give her a Clean Slate--even financially!
We started on Thursday night. D had already started cleaning out a few things so we were not able to get on camera the FULL starting point. Then we worked all day Friday along with D until 5 pm.

We then sent her to the Renassaince for the night and gave her a gift card to Carabba's for dinner. The next day our "Family Friend" Liz and myself took D to lunch at Panera after she had her hair done (highlights and all!!!) and then took her shopping with her $200 gift card to Cato's. She had not been shopping in 10 years! She went to a friend's house to change into one of her new outfits before the big reveal at her house at 4:30. She pulled into the driveway with BattleCreek on either side clapping her on and with smiles from ear to ear.
Wanted to share with you all what God did. Our next Clean Slate will be later this summer. For more info on Clean Slate you can go to our website tcabc.com and click on minstries and then go to Women. There is a short powerpoint presentation.

Here is the link you can click on and see a small glimpse of what happened.
http://www.ashleyannphotography.com/6.08CleanSlateSlideshow/

What a great church & a great story of how that church loves on, and ministers to, that community! I loved this story! It really touched me!

Be sure to check out the slideshow link about and watch it! :)

So good!

"Kelly's Korner"

If you have never stopped by my sweet blog friend, Kelly's blog...go check it out! She always has such a fun & exciting blog that I check frequently! Kelly & I were at Ouachita Baptist a few years apart, but we were both Tri Chi's and we have lots of mutual friends, however we "met" through our blogs! So fun!! Now for the exciting news!!!
Kelly & her hubby are expecting their first baby after a long journey of waiting for this precious little one! I am so excited for her and Scott and wish them all the best in this new journey of life, there isn't a better blessing out there than can beat the blessings of parenthood!
Congrats Kelly & Scott! I am so excited for you guys!

Read about their journey here.

PS: She has some great recipes also!! Good stuff!

Summertime fun!

Here are a few pic's of my precious kiddos from Wednesday at the pool!!

We LOVE summertime! :)

McKenna w/ her goggles & an "apple juice slush" -

her 2 summer "must-haves"

Our sweet lil' friend Caden!

Parker scarfing down a PB&J!

My BIG BOY - he LOVES the water!

(Thanks Lindsey for the pic's!!)

Silly McKenna

Every night can get interesting putting McKenna Grace to bed... she is a little comic & at bedtime is her favorite "chatty" time. Last night as I was putting McKenna to bed, she was in yet another silly mood and I had just finished reading her a story and I began to pray with her when she said that she wanted to pray. This isn't a new thing - she has been praying for meals and at bedtime but last night she started using silly words that sounded like made up "gibberish" as part of her prayer, associated with outbursts of laughter... I stopped her and calmly said, "Sweetie, when we talk to Jesus it isn't a time for you to be silly & use funny words."
To which she replied, "But Mommy, Jesus made me funny!"
I almost burst out in laughter, although, we did continue our talk about her "comedy" coming across disrespectful at times...
But it was so precious to me because we tell her all the time that she was 'fearfully & wonderfully made' - Psalm 139:14. I have that verse painted on her wall.
It was just a reminder to me to have that "faith like a child" and to know that we are all uniquely designed by our Creator!

A boy & his passy!

I just received a copy of this picture from my sweet friend Lindsey who came across this picture that she took of my precious Parker a few months ago at our trip to the Houston zoo. I just love it & had to share!! This totally captures his stage of life with his beloved passy....

A little this, a little that....

It's SO good to be home!!!

The kids and I returned from Arkansas on Friday & they were exstatic to go to the church that evening to pick up their daddy from Jhigh Beach retreat. They had such a great week but we are so glad that he is home. Friday night I headed out after dinner for a Ladies Retreat that our West Campus women's ministry held here in town at the Omni Hotel. I was reluctant to go due to our hectic past 2 weeks but I went and the Lord blessed our time together there. We had 3 great speakers who did a fabulous job...they talked on "Taming the Tongue", "Mending the Mind", & "Healing the Heart". So good & I was so glad I went. We had a great time!

Picture of my fun roomies from the women's mini-retreat (Christine, Kenzie, & Lezlie)

Saturday afternoon we took the kiddos swimming and then Sunday was of course, church and naptime! We went to eat lunch w/ friends and then headed back up to church Sunday night for our "Small Town Summer Nights" that our church is hosting every Sunday night this summer. Just fun time to hang out together!

Today, Brian took the day off to stay home w/ us!! What fun we've had with Daddy back home. The kids & I missed him so much and it seemed so much longer than just 2 weeks that he was away...We started our morning today with breakfast together at Cracker Barrel and then went swimming at a friends neighborhood pool that has 3 pools, 2 being fabulous kids pools!! So the kids had a blast and are worn out - they are now down for naps so I thought I'd update my blog since I was horrible at updating the past few weeks!

Pic's from Arkansas this week...

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2025238&l=d8bd8&id=82202106

Pictures from BR 2008!!

Here are a few pictures from last week's high school beach retreat in Gulf Shores.
Our West Campus took almost 600 9th graders to graduates & we had an amazing week!

My group of Girls!! Condo: 7701!!

The kids & I are in Arkansas this week ~

After returning from Gulf Shores on Friday evening and Brian turning right around and leaving for JHigh beach retreat on Saturday morning, I decided a while back to drive with my mother-in-law back to Arkansas and spend the week visiting some of our family here. So the kids & I have been here in Hot Springs since Saturday and spent the day yesterday in Little Rock w/ my parents visiting my grandparents & my great-grandmother who is almost 100 years old. The kids have done great... I am PRAYING that it stays that way! :) They are loving spending some time with both sets of grandparents & it's been nice having the help! My parents came with me back to Hot Springs last night from Little Rock & spent the day with us here swimming, playing, and loving on their grandkids! We've had a blast but we're all exhausted!

I'm having problems uploading my pic's so check back again soon... (Sorry Brian!)

Click here for a link for pictures from our week...
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2025238&l=d8bd8&id=82202106

Beach Retreat 2008

What a week!! Beach Retreat was amazing & I am so blessed that I got to be a part of it! My mother-in-law came down to Katy to keep our kids so I could go, and we are so grateful for her keeping them.
Brian took a lot of pictures this week, go to his blog to check them out or to read more about it...he is also at JHigh beach retreat in South Padre this week until Friday, so he is also updating his blog about that week.

Baby gifts...

I needed to finish these two jobs up before I left town...

~

The frame I did for a friend from college who is serving the Lord overseas with her husband as missionaries! She ordered this for her friend in North Carolina for their new baby boy, "Asher" (I love that name!).

Another baby gift I just completed is this 11x14 canvas for a baby girls room, "Avery," whose nursery is done in the "oh so ever precious" - pink & brown!!

Sorry about the wrapping already around them both... I forgot to take pictures of them before I was getting them ready for delivery!

Just have to share...

Just have to share...

Okay, so I came across a two new blogs today that I have absolutely fallen in love with!! http://nestingplacenc.blogspot.com/

The cutest and actually "frugal" decorating ideas for your "nesting place"! Seriously, go check it out, but I will warn you, you will spend a lot of time there reading back on her previous posts.

&

http://www.blissfullydomestic.com/

~

Like this is what I need to be doing (reading blogs)... I have laundry to finish and bags to get packed. Brian & I are off to Beach Retreat in Gulf Shores on Sunday!! We are taking almost 600 high school students to High School retreat!! God is SO good!!

The Pre-Beach Retreat Rally we held last Wednesday night was amazing...

check out Brian's blog for pictures!!

Great dinner tonight & upcoming Beach Retreat 08!

Brian & I just got in from a FABULOUS dinner at Pappas Steakhouse!! What a wonderful meal and great fellowship. We took his ministry assistant, Connie & her husband, Tommy out tonight to just love on them and thank them for all they do for 210 Student Ministries! Connie, as well as all of the youth staff are working endless hours getting ready for BEACH RETREAT 08!

We leave THIS Sunday for High School beach retreat in Gulf Shores, AL, and then Brian will go on the next week to South Padre Island with our J-High beach retreat! What an exciting but BUSY and crazy time of the year.

For those of you reading this, keep our students (& counselors) in your prayers these next 2 weeks for the Lord to do something radical and life-changing in the hearts & lives of HIS people!

Huge thanks to Brittney who kept our kiddos tonight. They had such a great time & again...I'm sorry we were so late getting back home!! :)

"The Shack"

I have written a little bit previously about reading the new book that's out called, "The Shack". This was my reading material while Brian & I were on our trip to METRO back in April.
However, today I checked my friend Kathryn's blog only to find a great excerpt from the same book. She just finished reading it also....

Read her excerpt here:
http://theaylors.blogspot.com/2008/05/shack.html

I highly recommend it...but beware, it will challenge your thinking.