tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21869479000032438432024-03-13T08:25:32.361-06:00SneAdventure...6 Sneads enjoying the adventure of a lifetime...Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09932575423818709135noreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186947900003243843.post-4927131722222411502014-12-04T06:44:00.003-07:002014-12-04T06:47:02.388-07:00the jealousy of God<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: ASimpleLife; font-size: 22.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Ayuthaya;">Exodus 34:14</span></u></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: ASimpleLife; font-size: 22.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Ayuthaya;">
<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: ASimpleLife; font-size: 22.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Ayuthaya;">“Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous,
is a jealous God.”<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, I was sitting in a small
discussion group during Bible Study this morning when God decided to give me an
amazing picture of how I could apply this verse to my own life…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uQ531vt66Vw/VIBjnHoRgQI/AAAAAAAAAUk/GDLxAy1qeYQ/s1600/snuggly.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uQ531vt66Vw/VIBjnHoRgQI/AAAAAAAAAUk/GDLxAy1qeYQ/s1600/snuggly.png" height="200" width="120" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Across the circle from me sat
a mom with a new-born baby girl snuggled up to her chest, held in one of those
new-fangled-hands-free-snuggly-wrap-type things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I’m sure there’s a shorter name for them,
but alas, they did not exist when my 2 bio kids were babies…)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway, because she was held safely and
securely against her mama’s chest, mom was able to use one hand to hold her
Bible Lesson, and with the other, she continually rubbed the baby’s back and gently
patted her cute little tushee. (the baby’s….just clarifyin’)…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, I couldn’t help but
notice how peacefully the baby rested next to the heart-beat of the one who
loved her most passionately, under the affectionate touch of the one who could
meet her every need for comfort and serenity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And then I felt a strange sense of jealousy…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NOT BECAUSE I WANTED A BABY….
(again, just felt the need to clarify!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>but because I know that my 2 adopted kids would not be experiencing the
challenges and struggles they have now if they had had that kind of security,
affection and love their first 3-4 years of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But they didn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were abandoned, neglected and left to
live by their own sheer will.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(Note:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>this is not a criticism of
their birth-mommas, who I am so thankful chose LIFE for these babies to start
with…just stating the facts of their life, pre-family).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My heart ached for what they missed out on,
and the COST it continues to have on their little lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I was jealous for what could have –
SHOULD have - been theirs…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PdVBTNRCHwc/VIBkGofeOEI/AAAAAAAAAUs/_Po7-JW7gZ0/s1600/Samuel%2Band%2BSavanna%2B010810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PdVBTNRCHwc/VIBkGofeOEI/AAAAAAAAAUs/_Po7-JW7gZ0/s1600/Samuel%2Band%2BSavanna%2B010810.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rwanda 2009</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">And that’s when God
spoke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Cause He’s not content to just
“leave well enough alone”</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Shelly, now maybe you get
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s why I am a jealous God for my
own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I KNOW what can be yours when you
stay nestled to my breast, abiding in me, trusting in me, looking to me ALONE
for your affection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I ACHE for what
you miss out on when you DON’T.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would
rather do WHATEVER IT TAKES to keep you close to my heart than for you to
experience the HIGH COST of straying from my presence and my will.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My jealousy does not come from a place of
ego, but from a heart of deep and sacrificial love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want the BEST for you, and I know too well
the struggles and challenges you will face when you are not fully RESTING in my
perfect love.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_oCY-nZ_cgw/VIBkc7XxPEI/AAAAAAAAAU0/9WPB6VBTYI8/s1600/IMG_5316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_oCY-nZ_cgw/VIBkc7XxPEI/AAAAAAAAAU0/9WPB6VBTYI8/s1600/IMG_5316.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w8CKYSAJAO0/VIBkgHOchyI/AAAAAAAAAU8/wvJ1ZoY2j_s/s1600/IMG_5354.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w8CKYSAJAO0/VIBkgHOchyI/AAAAAAAAAU8/wvJ1ZoY2j_s/s1600/IMG_5354.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My thoughts, choices and
attitudes so many times of late have been keeping me from the safety and
security of resting in Him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leading me
away from his best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And there is always
a cost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He loves me too much to sit by
idly and be “okay” with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His name is
JEALOUS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And He is jealous for ME.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12833398025857875918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186947900003243843.post-57898523113675483912014-08-21T08:48:00.001-06:002014-08-21T09:01:44.138-06:00Life Lessons from the Karate Kid<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I was listening to a fabulous song this week, “ Sovereign Over Us” by Aaron Keyes, I was reminded of a recent family night where the hubs and I showed our kiddos a small snippet from the 1984 underdog-kicks-butt movie, “The Karate Kid”. We have been trying to teach them that in spite of the frustrations they experience with each other on a daily basis, our home is actually God’s handpicked training center for them, and every familial relationship they’re in was God-ordained for a purpose. To help them take advantage of this thought, we told them the basic story of the karate kid. But I realized today the application penetrates much deeper….</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So the story goes:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Daniel (Ralph Macchio), a new kid in town keeps getting beaten up by a gang of karate-trained peers. One night, his landlord, Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) comes to his rescue, and with his own incredibly-honed karate skills, pretty much takes down the entire crew. He makes a deal with them to keep their hands off of Daniel until the upcoming Karate tournament. The next morning, Daniel begs Mr. Miyagi to train him in karate so that he has a chance of surviving the tournament. Miyagi finally agrees and tells him to show up in the morning to begin training.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, much to Daniel’s dismay, when he arrives, instead of an actual “karate lesson”, he is given the assignment of waxing every single car in Miyagi’s parking lot. And the movements must be specific and intentional as shown by Miyagi, putting the wax on with a left hand counter-clockwise motion, and wiping it off with a right hand clockwise motion - emphasizing the phrase made famous by this movie, “wax on, wax off”.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Daniel goes home tired, sore, and slightly frustrated by this first unusual day of “training”. When he arrives the following day, Miyagi has a new task ready – “sand the floor”…. Again, specific movements, and a lot of work sanding Mr. Miyagi’s very large deck. The following day is no different, but this time Miyagi doesn’t even show up. Rather, he leaves supplies and instructions in a note...”paint the fence”….</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was at this point of the story we showed the kidz the clip from the movie:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When Miyagi returns that evening, Daniel has had enough, and explodes with an eruption of frustrated expletives (which we did NOT show the kiddos…) where he accuses Mr. Miyagi of giving him menial chores that make him Miyagi’s slave rather than taking the time to train him. Thus commences Mr. Miyagi’s first demonstration of all that Daniel has learned, as he begins to attack Daniel, while calling out the motions of the past few days “Show me wax on!” “Show me sand floor!” “Show me paint the fence!” Daniel is awed by how these actions have helped him learn Miyarn defensive blocks through muscle memory. It is one of those moving cinema moments that make you wanna shake your fist in the air and yell “YEAH! THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKIN’ ABOUT!!!!” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our point was to teach our kids that they had a choice to see each frustrating situation in our home as an opportunity to allow God to train them to be their best (displaying patience, compassion, self-control, etc.) but God had some more to teach me through Daniel and Miyagi…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many times, we are asking God for help, wisdom, change, strength and other things to enable us to rise above our circumstances. But he seems to be absent. Quiet. Uncaring. Uninvolved. Unmoved by our outpourings of desperate cries. But that’s just not his character. We see how he worked in the lives of Abraham, Job, Joseph, Mary, Lazarus, Paul, and JESUS. And if we look closely enough, we will understand that sometimes the trial IS the answer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ll never forget a time in my life about a year after adopting our youngest two children from Rwanda, when I was literally “drowning” in failure, frustration and a total lack of what I felt I needed from God to do all that he had called me to do (a big part of which was homeschooling 4 kids, 3 of which had differing special needs ranging from medical to severe behavioral). I went to Bible Study one evening with an extremely heavy heart, the weight of all I couldn’t do resting on my shoulders. We started with the hymn, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”, and as we began to sing the words “all I have needed, thy hand hath provided”, I just had to stop and practically laugh out loud (more like sneer)…And right there I raised my heart to heaven and said, “God, I get that you’re trying to remind me you’re faithful. But I’ve been begging you to meet these needs and change these circumstances so that I can succeed and thrive – heck, so that I can just keep my head above the water! When are you gonna provide ‘all I have needed’?!?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was overwhelmed at the still small voice that whispered immediately to my heart…”Child, what if this trial is the VERY THING that you need?” 1 Peter 1:3 says that God, in his divine power, has given us EVERYTHING WE NEED for life and godliness. But sometimes, we forget to trust in the fact that God knows what we need so much more than we do. (If you’re a parent, you can totally grasp this concept! My kiddos have all kinds of distorted conceptions of what they think they “need”, which are in total contrast to what I know is the reality of their needs!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So then, we must come to a decision. (And sometimes, we have to make it a daily, hourly choice!) Are we gonna trust that God’s training program is going to produce more fruit than could ever be harvested in our own wisdom? (2 Corinthians 4:16-18) Are we gonna trust that even when he seems “absent”, he is working for our good? (1 Kings 19:11-13) Are we gonna trust that HIS GLORY is of far greater worth than OUR COMFORT? (Romans 8:18)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“God is a very present help in trouble (Ps. 46:1), but He permits trouble to pursue us, as though He were indifferent to its overwhelming pressure, that we may be brought to the end of ourselves and led to discover the treasure of darkness, the immeasurable gains of tribulation We may be sure that He who PERMITS the suffering is with us IN IT. It may be that we shall see him only when the trial is passing; but we must DARE TO BELIEVE that He never leaves the crucible.” (Mrs. Charles E. Cowman, <i>Streams in the Desert</i>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And one day we’ll get it. We’ll hear “SHOW ME WAX ON!” And be amazed at the godly response instilled in us during the darkest of days we had to endure. We’ll hear “SHOW ME PAINT THE FENCE” and stand back in awe as our service to him has produced fruit we could never have imagined. We’ll hear “SHOW ME SAND FLOOR!” and bow, overwhelmed at a compassionate God, now glorified in us, who never for one moment forgot us, but spent every moment, unbeknownst to us turning to good what the enemy meant for evil.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He is faithful. He is Sovereign. He is present. And He is good. Let the training begin in me.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: ASimpleLife; font-size: 16pt;">“</span><span style="font-family: ASimpleLife; font-size: 16pt;">Your plans are still to prosper,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ASimpleLife; font-size: 16pt;">You have not forgotten us<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ASimpleLife; font-size: 16pt;">You're with us in the fire and the flood<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ASimpleLife; font-size: 16pt;">Faithful forever, Perfect in love<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ASimpleLife; font-size: 16pt;">You are sovereign over us.”</span><br />
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Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12833398025857875918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186947900003243843.post-79294348011717368642013-10-10T09:35:00.002-06:002013-10-10T09:45:20.935-06:00For any parent who's ever messed up...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dear Jesus,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you for including such a long line of screw-ups in
your genealogy: liars, adulterers,
illegitimate children, prostitutes, murderers, law-breakers, home-wreckers and
outcasts, to name a few. I’m finding
some serious grace in that list of names today, and feeling right at home among
them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06aljwmY2g0/UlbInAlZtAI/AAAAAAAAAM0/xukAxBUCtgM/s1600/IMG_3055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06aljwmY2g0/UlbInAlZtAI/AAAAAAAAAM0/xukAxBUCtgM/s200/IMG_3055.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today, I showed up at Samuel’s 1<sup>st</sup> grade school
field trip (upon his request, mind you) only to have him completely ignore me –
I’m talking wouldn’t even say “hi”, clinging to his friends. (I know what you’re thinking, “what’s so
atypical about that?”) Probably nothing,
but coming off the heels of my 3<sup>rd</sup> grader-slash-momma’s boy’s field
trip where the child HELD MY HAND the entire day, it was a little hard for me
to swallow. (see momma's boy pictured on right...)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And there’s also the fact
that this is Samuel’s first year not being homeschooled by me, and not a day
goes by that he doesn’t let me know how much he loves it, hated school BEFORE
this year, wants to live at his school, etc. So I continued on the first 30 minutes, taking photos of all the
kids/teachers, helping when I could, etc.
During a brief lapse of judgment, I decided to take a quick photo of me
and Sam (just like I had with my momma’s boy), I held out the camera and said
“hey, let me take a picture of us real quick” – to which he rudely,
emphatically protested, to the point of groaning and putting his hands over his
face. I put the camera away and
whispered in his ear what any …. 3 year old… might say, “Fine, I don’t want a
picture with you anyway, you’ve been rude to me since I got here”. Yep. I
did. Not proud of that, btw…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know you’re out there thinking, “get over it”, but I’m
just being real with you, I COULDN’T.
See, my love for this kid has come at great personal cost. He’s got so many issues, you’ll want to be on
meds just to READ the list. And I spend
a lot of emotional, physical, spiritual and mental (not to mention financial)
energy to try and help him cope with his early abandonment, perpetual fear of, well, EVERYTHING, adoptive
insecurities, lack of empathy, hyperactivity and extreme insecurity. (And yes, I’m well aware of the fact that my
giving you that list only made you more sympathetic to HIM, and less to ME….
that’s ok. Apparently, I’m the
grown-up).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I did the natural thing that any … 2 year old… would do. I told him goodbye (very solemnly, and sadly
so he’d know how hurt I was) and LEFT.
Yep. Walked right of of the
store. Began to cry. Resisted the urge to text my sweet hubby who
I KNEW would NOT have my back on this one (since, again, I’m apparently the
grown-up), and began the short drive home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A drive which began with me to declaring to God how hard
that incident was for me. I know Sam
won’t have any regrets about it. Because while it very well could have just
been typical behavior among peers, it also was a potentially good indicator of
what I’ve already been thinking lately:
this kid is not experiencing healthy and whole attachment with us
yet. My adopted 6yo (the one who was
suspended TWICE…in KINDERGARTEN….really?) at least knows when she’s crossed the
line with the people in her family and has remorse, even tears at the eventual
knowledge she has alienated or hurt them.
That’s an indicator of attachment – empathy. But after 3 ½ LONG years, we’re not there yet
with Sam.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What should I have done?
Stayed there, avoided Samuel, been thankful that I was dealing with
<i><b>attachment</b></i> and not <i>drug rehab</i> or <i>juvenile incarceration</i>, and said to Sam (by my
actions alone) loudly and clearly:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, I’M NEVER GOING TO LEAVE OR ABANDON
YOU. I LOVE YOU. PERIOD.
NOT FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR ME EMOTIONALLY, BUT BECAUSE OF THIS ONE SIMPLE
TRUTH:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YOU. ARE. MINE.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wasn’t that beautiful?.... You have no idea how I wish that
had been my response, darn you, 20-20 hindsight!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So the rest of the drive included (1) confession – God, I’m an idiot who is
completely selfish and not fit to be this kid’s mom, forgive me for choosing
the toddler response, (2) repentance –
God, help me not make this mistake again!
Help me see beyond the here and now to what WILL BE by your grace and
power as I continue to love him UNCONDITIONALLY, and (3) thankfulness – God,
thank you that the end of my story (and his!) is not dependent on my
non-existent perfection, but on the finished work of the cross where you died
for today’s bout of stupidity and rose again to LEAVE IT THERE!, and (4)
resolve – God, this afternoon when he asks me why I left early (because as I
mentioned earlier, he will be COMPLETELY OBLIVIOUS), help me to say with love
and compassion, “I thought maybe you were embarrassed that I was there. I’m sorry I left, sweetie – I promise I will
never do that again. I love you, and I
want you to feel secure, safe, and happy.”
End of discussion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So thankfull that the walk from my SIN to your HERO HALL OF FAITH is as short as THE CROSS.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are
in Christ Jesus” Romans 8:1. Hallelujah.
Movin’ on…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jWJ3HCZEN_E/UlbIr4liCZI/AAAAAAAAAM8/gBgYRUkCX1A/s1600/IMG_3109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jWJ3HCZEN_E/UlbIr4liCZI/AAAAAAAAAM8/gBgYRUkCX1A/s200/IMG_3109.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
(the one photo I did manage of him - guess it wasn't a complete failure...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
he's the happy black kid in the center...:-)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12833398025857875918noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186947900003243843.post-42257332582894169352013-07-11T15:51:00.002-06:002013-07-11T15:51:19.626-06:00"So, when are you moving?"
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<span style="font-family: "Noteworthy Light"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Noteworthy Light"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“So, when
are you moving?...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Noteworthy Light"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Noteworthy Light"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">This is the
most-asked Snead question since our last post in February (only slightly more
popular than other FAQ's like "Are you a day care?" And, "Do you
need help out with these?" ... Which always confuses me cause I'm
not sure if they mean the groceries or the kids....course, the answer's the
same for either....)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Noteworthy Light"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Noteworthy Light"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Anyway,
after 6 months of not being quite sure ourselves, we can finally say "As
soon as we find a house!" Art began his new job as Director of
Lifeway's Ridgecrest Conference Center and Summer Camps over a week ago, so we
have hit the ground running preparing for a move to Asheville, NC! As we
said previously, we lived there from 1996-2006, so although we will miss our
Nashville area friends soooo much, we are also excited about this opportunity
as we begin this next leg on our family's faith adventure!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Noteworthy Light"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Noteworthy Light"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I (Shelly)
have had a lot of time to think and reflect over our journey this far, and
stand amazed at where God has taken us - individually and as a family - as we
have begun to yield each area of our lives to him. It hasn’t been an
“all-at-once-surrender” but as we’ve given (and sometimes taken back, then “re-given”)
Christ control (of what he already owns anyway), from agendas to finances, from
fears to family, we’ve had the privilege of experiencing some pretty cool
things! Geographically we’ve been able
to live in places where experiences have included Kayaking the rivers of
Tennessee and North Carolina to exploring ancient ruins and snow skiing in New
Mexico. We've had the honor of meeting and serving some neat people, from
orphans in Haiti and Uganda, to flood victims in Mississippi and Alabama. We have been blessed by and allowed God to use
us however he saw fit in our church families of Biltmore, Christ Church and
Long Hollow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Noteworthy Light"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Noteworthy Light"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We’ve seen
our family grow physically and culturally as we were able to adopt two (quite
active!) children from Rwanda, and be able to help others in small ways who
were adopting as well. Even the
struggles along our journey have produced great opportunities, like the
wonderful relationships with our son’s nurses over the 5 years that he required
home health care, including a precious native American grandmother who read the
Bible for the first time in our home while caring for Josiah.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Noteworthy Light"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Noteworthy Light"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We have
waded the rougher waters of marriage and child-rearing among friends, family
and mentors who have made our family so much richer, and taken risks that have
deepened our faith in God and increased our awareness of his amazing love for us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Noteworthy Light"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Noteworthy Light"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">It really
has been an endless “string” of adventures, which is why I look forward to this
move with great expectancy. His
faithfulness and sovereignty in the life of our family leaves us no other
response than gratitude and trust. And
we can say with the prophet, Habakkuk, “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will
be joyful in God my Savior. The
Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, HE
ENABLES ME TO TREAD ON THE HEIGHTS.” (Hab. 3:18-19)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Noteworthy Light"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Noteworthy Light"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">So now I’ll
turn the question back on you! When are <i>you</i> moving?.... Maybe He’s not calling you to pick up and
move across the country. But maybe it’s
time to take a risk and go out of the comforts of your “safe zone”… this could
be across the ocean or across the street.
It could be releasing your hold on some resources or releasing some
spare time. The result will be SO WORTH
the RISK! He will enable YOU to tread on
the heights as you seek first HIS Kingdom!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Noteworthy Light"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Noteworthy Light"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Many
Blessings, and thanks for stopping by!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Noteworthy Light"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Noteworthy Light"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The Snead
Family 6</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5OlZ8XkTCUU/Ud8oq_SeJ2I/AAAAAAAAAMg/T62JThJ7-XM/s1600/Snead-Plunge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5OlZ8XkTCUU/Ud8oq_SeJ2I/AAAAAAAAAMg/T62JThJ7-XM/s320/Snead-Plunge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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(Art and the 4 kids taking the plunge at Cummins Falls)</div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<!--EndFragment-->Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12833398025857875918noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186947900003243843.post-78684771269532595492013-02-01T20:31:00.000-07:002013-02-01T20:35:58.468-07:00<br />
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So, it's been a long time since our last blog post...well, at least when we post there's big news!</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma;">
The next stage in our SneAdventure will involve moving from our TN home back to the Asheville, NC area! God has opened some doors and we feel this is where He's leading us next. As far as timing goes, that's not finalized at this point, but we anticipate making the move sometime this summer (due to school year, selling our home, finding our next home, and all of the other craziness of our lives right now). Art will still be with LifeWay and will work even more closely with the conference center and camps there in a CFO role. Several of his co-workers in LifeWay's Camps and Conference Centers Department will also be making the move over the next year or so.</div>
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<i style="font-family: Times;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">the "twins" </span></i></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hkh6CFL3e3w/UQyEZAndHvI/AAAAAAAAALc/wMehd3-98yg/s1600/IMG_0641.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hkh6CFL3e3w/UQyEZAndHvI/AAAAAAAAALc/wMehd3-98yg/s200/IMG_0641.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8NaZn1bBpPE/UQyFzsSFVMI/AAAAAAAAAL4/CV9KbShsPBA/s1600/IMG_7645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8NaZn1bBpPE/UQyFzsSFVMI/AAAAAAAAAL4/CV9KbShsPBA/s320/IMG_7645.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> </span><span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">family b-ball in the back yard...</span></i><br />
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X2hDIBbDHGo/UQyF8kcS_PI/AAAAAAAAAME/dgpnZ6e6IkQ/s1600/IMG_7697.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X2hDIBbDHGo/UQyF8kcS_PI/AAAAAAAAAME/dgpnZ6e6IkQ/s200/IMG_7697.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
<br />
<i><span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">silly Savanna </span></i><br />
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma;">
How do we feel? Having lived in (and loved) the Asheville area for 10+ years prior to moving to NM, it feels like we're <i>going home</i> to an area and friends we miss and love, and we're excited about that. However, the hard (very hard) part is that we feel like we're <i>leaving home</i> to go there. We've been in TN for less than 3 years, but we have been blessed beyond measure by our friends, Long Hollow Baptist church, small group, and so many other people and things in the Nashville area. Even with a great opportunity available in Western NC, our love for our friends and church here made the decision to go very, very difficult.</div>
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Some other things you might want to know:</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma;">
- Josiah has visited the Asheville area recently and his health handled it very well...obviously this was a key consideration!</div>
<div style="font-family: Tahoma;">
- While our kids are all handling it well, the news was harder for Silas, who has had so many great opportunities and friends here. He's o.k now, but please pray for all of us through the transition! </div>
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- Where in Asheville area will we live? Probably east or south, but we don't yet know for sure.</div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Silas with some Long Hollow buds</i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D6TOhBDXXnM/UQyEkXRYxlI/AAAAAAAAALs/-99aUZjVn2o/s1600/IMG_0308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D6TOhBDXXnM/UQyEkXRYxlI/AAAAAAAAALs/-99aUZjVn2o/s200/IMG_0308.JPG" width="200" /></a>Well, that's it for now! As we go through the transition, we'll try to do a better job keeping you updated on this blog. However, as parents with 4 kids we often find it easier to provide Twitter (@artsnead and @shellysnead) and Facebook updates more often than the blog, so you might want to follow us on those networks. Thanks!</div>
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<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<br />
<br />
Art Snead<br />
2 Timothy 1:7</div>
Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12833398025857875918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186947900003243843.post-79878843447869689252012-06-18T10:20:00.003-06:002012-06-18T10:20:40.476-06:00Uganda trip, chapter one...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, this will be the first of several blogs about our recent mission trip to Uganda, because this one has a "time-crunch"! Needless to say, as always when you go on a mission to serve others, you end up getting blown away by the blessing you receive in return. This journey was no exception!
Today I want to focus on a special "muzungu" (white person in Africa) we met at the Mbira orphan village. And I'm hoping you'll participate in a special opportunity to help her ministry after I share it with you.<br />
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Her name is April. She is a 20 year old believer (with eleven brothers and sisters back home!) who has given up several years of her life to serve missionary families in several foreign countries. Currently she is serving the Applegate family at the orphan village in Mbira. She lives with them, helps to take care of their 4 children (ages 1-7, and one with substantial physical, special needs), rises early to start washing clothes (no running water while we were there), helps prepare family meals and wash dishes (did I mention no running water?), and helps homeschool the children.<br />
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And if that weren't enough, she also teaches the orphan girls' devotions every night. And we're not talking a little "kum ba ya" and basic Bible stories. These girls scripture memory put ours to SHAME! And she teaches them the whole scripture, tackling hard subjects that resonate with these girls, like why bad things happen if God is good...and the singing they do at the start of these devotions is one of the most beautiful sounds we encountered in Uganda.<br />
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But there's more.... On Sunday's, the children leave the service after the singing and go with April to the schoolroom for Sunday school (shown above...with baby on hip!). This could last for an hour or more, depending on how long pastor J.J. preaches. She sings lots of sings with the 50 or so kids there, teaches them a lesson from scripture (the week we were there it was the story of Noah, and I was just as glued to her as the kids!), plays a game with them to review the scripture and then sings some more. All this teaching is done with an interpreter (one of the older orphan girls) for the kids who come from the village and don't speak much English, and with no power (I.e. no videos, "canned music, etc") and very few supplies. The week I participated, she drew a game board on the wall with chalk for the review.
We asked April if she could use any other supplies, and her eyes lit up as she asked for a few basic things. Upon our urging, she went into the other room and wrote out a list. Nothing on her list included things for herself, but all things to help her more creatively teach God's word to these precious kids.<br />
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So, we have another group going back to Uganda in a couple of weeks and I'm hoping to fill a bag with everything on the list! YOU can help! See the list below and go out and buy something from it (or you may even have an extra one at home). Get it to me by this weekend if possible. If you live far away and want to send me money to get a particular item on the list, I'll be glad to do that too! Thanks for serving with me!<br />
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<u><b>April's list<i></i> </b></u><br />
Magnetic alphabet letters<br />
Magnetic boards (the small dry-erase kind)<br />
Dry-erase marker sets<br />
Box of paper clips<br />
Rubber duckies<br />
Food coloring<br />
Bean bags<br />
Indoor bowling ball/pins set (there are some wooden ones at target I think)<br />
Flash cards for teaching Bible (biblical pictures sets, etc)<br />
Crayons<br />
Markers<br />
Tennis balls<br />
Construction paper<br />
Brown paper bags<br />
100 pair of kids scissors<br />
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Many blessings, and more posts to come,<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><i><b> Shelly</b></i></span><br />
<br />Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09932575423818709135noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186947900003243843.post-34397146121869448392012-05-23T21:21:00.000-06:002012-05-23T21:21:33.537-06:00An anniversary trip to....Uganda....So it won't exactly be an Alaskan cruise or Hawaiian vacation, but Art and I will be spending our 17th wedding anniversary in Uganda this year.... And we couldn't be happier about it!<br />
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I know, I know, I haven't posted on our blog in over a year.....<br />
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what can I say?....I 've been incredibly busy <strike>on pinterest</strike> with my 4 amazing kids and talented hubby!<br />
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Anyway, thanks for checking back in! We, along with 13 other team members from Long Hollow Baptist in Hendersonville, TN, will be leaving this Saturday for a 10-day trip to love on some orphans, elderly, and anyone else God puts in our path! Forty-nine percent of Uganda's population is under the age of 15.....there are 2,500,000 orphans there! We will be focusing on 2 orphanages that our church has help build/fund, playing with the kids, giving the "mama's" a break, blessing them with lots of diapers/wipes/formula, and best of all, letting them know with our words and actions that they can be part of an amazing family with a loving, heavenly Father who knows their name and loves them infinitely! I am so pumped! <br />
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We'll also be bringing mosquito nets for the elderly, gifts for the "mama's", and encouraging the American family that lives there full-time, ministering God's grace to these precious people. <br />
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We would LOVE for you to lift us up in prayer as we seek to meet needs, share love and tell others about the Savior who made a way for them to know peace, joy, forgiveness and abundant life!<br />
Some specifics are:<br />
* unity among our group<br />
* safety in our travels, activities, etc.<br />
* our 4 kiddos and their Nana - She is taking them to her house in Florida the entire time we are gone<br />
* our health<br />
* boldness and clarity to communicate God's Word and his love<br />
* patience.....<br />
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Most likely there will be no posts while on the trip, as our location will be pretty remote....there will likely be no showers, power, or quick trips to Mickey D's (I know some of you are wondering how I will make it.....without the latter....hence the petition for your prayers....), but we'll tell you all about it upon our return (or next year when I post again...) Thanks for your prayers and love!<br />
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Many Blessings,<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><strong>Shelly</strong></span><br />
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<br />Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09932575423818709135noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186947900003243843.post-80316131049966691892011-04-13T16:29:00.020-06:002011-04-13T20:33:01.941-06:00My Trip to Haiti - by Silas Snead<div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q9bBe-VGVrg/TaZVP1NLBxI/AAAAAAAAAKE/m9w-2Y_5Uyc/s1600/haiti%2B2011%2B014.JPG">me with some of my new friends in Jeremie, Haiti<img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595253317523146514" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q9bBe-VGVrg/TaZVP1NLBxI/AAAAAAAAAKE/m9w-2Y_5Uyc/s320/haiti%2B2011%2B014.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q_54Y-IAMwk/TaZVC7OfbEI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/dwv9h4gG3wk/s1600/haiti%2B2011%2B011.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595253095800990786" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q_54Y-IAMwk/TaZVC7OfbEI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/dwv9h4gG3wk/s320/haiti%2B2011%2B011.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7JyZHGN_6lI/TaZU2p_3a7I/AAAAAAAAAJ0/NoYKZt7DjRA/s1600/haiti%2B2011%2B070.JPG">"tent-living" in Port au Prince<img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595252885017815986" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7JyZHGN_6lI/TaZU2p_3a7I/AAAAAAAAAJ0/NoYKZt7DjRA/s320/haiti%2B2011%2B070.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w-mA6UdXcAU/TaZUpOyjS9I/AAAAAAAAAJs/g8vU_MPZXwE/s1600/haiti%2B2011%2B027.JPG">me with one of the orphan village's "mamas"<img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595252654375914450" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w-mA6UdXcAU/TaZUpOyjS9I/AAAAAAAAAJs/g8vU_MPZXwE/s320/haiti%2B2011%2B027.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j_H_b5P5v14/TaYlMT4S69I/AAAAAAAAAJk/rvOmoJBR1wg/s1600/silas%2Bwith%2Bsome%2Bkids.jpg">the kids did not speak English, but by the end of the week they all knew the word "SILAS"<img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 214px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595200480479472594" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j_H_b5P5v14/TaYlMT4S69I/AAAAAAAAAJk/rvOmoJBR1wg/s320/silas%2Bwith%2Bsome%2Bkids.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-suYudyu1qXU/TaYk5bfeg8I/AAAAAAAAAJc/9XtwKe_MFLU/s1600/217405_1899406854575_1523764141_2023397_7418383_n.jpg">2 meals a day served in a frisbee and brought back to their room<img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 238px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595200156105343938" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-suYudyu1qXU/TaYk5bfeg8I/AAAAAAAAAJc/9XtwKe_MFLU/s320/217405_1899406854575_1523764141_2023397_7418383_n.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RNiaDbTga3w/TaYkrWSx76I/AAAAAAAAAJU/6PYV7lTl1bE/s1600/206427_1890184224015_1523764141_2009862_5069458_n.jpg">cooling off in the ocean<img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 239px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595199914191744930" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RNiaDbTga3w/TaYkrWSx76I/AAAAAAAAAJU/6PYV7lTl1bE/s320/206427_1890184224015_1523764141_2009862_5069458_n.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pMjQzihW75I/TaYkZj6mczI/AAAAAAAAAJM/C4o7HlR01HE/s1600/207526_1899387814099_1523764141_2023362_5212354_n.jpg">frisbee with one of the "grass cutters"<img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 238px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595199608610779954" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pMjQzihW75I/TaYkZj6mczI/AAAAAAAAAJM/C4o7HlR01HE/s320/207526_1899387814099_1523764141_2023362_5212354_n.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kVHFH6NO6LY/TaYkOcbh11I/AAAAAAAAAJE/z80WKLk3A-w/s1600/206993_1899439015379_1523764141_2023458_1709479_n.jpg">Dou Dou - the "gentle giant"<img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 238px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595199417622845266" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kVHFH6NO6LY/TaYkOcbh11I/AAAAAAAAAJE/z80WKLk3A-w/s320/206993_1899439015379_1523764141_2023458_1709479_n.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="color:#3366ff;">me and Robinson<br /></span></div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 238px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595199196832576962" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i7cR9T6itRY/TaYkBl7BtcI/AAAAAAAAAI8/XNZYAlHTE_k/s320/205653_1899402134457_1523764141_2023390_2748313_n.jpg" border="0" /></div><div><br /><div>The one word that comes to my mind about this whole Haiti trip is GIVE. Giving love. Giving friends to the friendless. God giving me an indescribable experience. During the trip, I met some people that I really enjoyed: The mission team, Dou-Dou (he drove the bus and has big muscles!), Robinson (one of the orphans there), Sonia (another orphan), and many more.<br /></div><div> </div><div> </div><div>The most challenging parts of my trip were mainly when I was tired (the roosters woke us up a lot), and also when Mr. Jason (on our mission team) told me he'd pay me a dollar for every conch I ate (yuck!). I'm proud to say that I earned $3! One of the hardest times was when I was trying to lay down, but the orphans wanted me to play with them at all times. I prayed to God about it, and after that I had an incredible time with them. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>It hurts your heart to see men working all day out in the sun cutting a field of grass with machetes and the only get paid $1/day. My dad threw a frisbee to one of them and then we threw it back and forth with them for a little while.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>I got to film a practice session for Mr. Gerald (our worship pastor). He is teaching the orphan choir original songs to record a CD. They will use the money they make on the CD's to hire a music teacher for the orphans. You could hear the orphans singing "Bondye Bel..." all over the orphan village! ("Bondye Bel" means "Beautiful God" in Haitian Creole.)</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>I had a really great time on the trip when I played a soccer game with the kids. One thing I ate that I really liked was goat. (yum!) During the week my dad and I had silly bands and candy in our pockets to hand out to the kids. They really liked it. I made friends with an orphan named Robinson, and on the last day, I gave him my sunglasses.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Me and my dad climbed up on top of a sunken submarine...COOL! The ocean was the bluest ocean I'd ever seen, and I loved getting drenched by the humongous waves.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Something I learned about myself on the mission trip is that God can use even the smallest people to do his will (I was the only kid on the trip). It was also incredible to me that I could use my ability of playing to serve God. When you're trying to be a servant of God, be a servant to others. If there is another mission trip to Haiti, I would love to go. After the trip I committed to God that I would do whatever I can to go on another mission trip, and that I would do the best I can to serve Him here in Tennessee.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Thanks again for all your support and prayers!</div><div>Silas Snead, age 9</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12833398025857875918noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186947900003243843.post-29010872358082965652011-03-31T12:20:00.005-06:002011-03-31T12:48:50.794-06:00We're off to Haiti!<div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UEU7X_b1_Hw/TZTHQqOn4JI/AAAAAAAAAI0/pDdu-Lp5Lyk/s1600/IMG_0936.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 300px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590312126501085330" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UEU7X_b1_Hw/TZTHQqOn4JI/AAAAAAAAAI0/pDdu-Lp5Lyk/s400/IMG_0936.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Dear Friends,</div><div> </div><div>Thank you so much for helping me to go on this mission trip! I was able to give $281 to my church for the "Crazy Love" offering, and over $1000 toward my trip. I will be leaving with my dad this sunday (April 3), and I will be returning the next Saturday (April 9). Thank you all for your kindness and support. I will be building, playing with the kids in the orphan village, and helping the kids to know more about Jesus. Please pray that I will have a safe trip and a great experience. I'll be posting an update of my trip when I get home. Above is a picture of me pointing to Jeremie, where I will be working. </div><div> </div><div>Thank you all, </div><div>Silas Snead</div><div> </div></div></div>Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12833398025857875918noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186947900003243843.post-14232474277936831562011-01-27T07:16:00.005-07:002011-01-27T09:48:54.250-07:00Silas' "Crazy Love" adventure!<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_flzZef--X0s/TUGMBGHqkzI/AAAAAAAAAJg/vzY9yiimCwA/s1600/IMG_9682.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 133px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566884564857164594" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_flzZef--X0s/TUGMBGHqkzI/AAAAAAAAAJg/vzY9yiimCwA/s200/IMG_9682.JPG" /></a><br /><div><div><div><div>The following post was written by Silas, our eldest, who has a love for painting/drawing and a heart for orphans. Please read his post and pray about being a part of his "Crazy Love" adventure....<br /><br />"Hello. I'm Silas Snead. I'm 8 years old. I have decided to raise money for the orphan village my church is building in Haiti. I will be selling notecards made from pictures I have painted. This is one way that I can use my talents for God, even though I'm just a kid. I have been to the orphanage where my brother and sister used to live in Rwanda. I wished I could do more, and now I can.<br /><br />Here's what God says we should do: 'Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of the orphans.' (Isaiah 1:17) All the money I make will go to help the orphans in Haiti, and to help me be able to go there with my dad this spring to help as well. The money will help them have a school to go to, food to eat, a home to live in, and to learn about Jesus. By buying my cards, you will be able to help these kids too. </div><div> </div><div><strong>Please cklick on the "buy now" button to the right to purchase with a credit card, or email my mom at </strong><a href="mailto:shellys1216@yahoo.com"><strong>shellys1216@yahoo.com</strong></a><strong> if you would like to order by check.</strong></div><div><strong></strong> </div><div></div></div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566885668461615458" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_flzZef--X0s/TUGNBVXeGWI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/ZHNHiNCHdgM/s200/IMG_0620.JPG" /><br /><div><p align="left"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566883308748578258" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_flzZef--X0s/TUGK3-wCndI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/l86pG7pkaME/s200/IMG_0622.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566883582203901090" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_flzZef--X0s/TUGLH5c3tKI/AAAAAAAAAJY/dSmsZDCho70/s200/IMG_0621.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566883294265329906" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_flzZef--X0s/TUGK3Iy9yPI/AAAAAAAAAI4/Otixo7glZI4/s200/IMG_0619.JPG" /><br /></p><div><br /><br />Also, your prayers can be powerful and effective, so please keep not only this endeavor in your prayers, but the orphan village as well, as the cholera has finally reached Jeremie. Two of our orphans there have died, and 8 others are sick. We are sending out an emergency medical team this week to help. Having the clinic there has already been a huge blessing! Thanks again!</div></div></div></div></div>Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09932575423818709135noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186947900003243843.post-82421208814187272792011-01-23T20:50:00.007-07:002011-01-23T21:33:43.806-07:00"Gotcha Day" one year anniversary!<div>What a fun day! "Gotcha Day" is the adoption word for the day we "got" our two newest family members, Savanna and Samuel. Today was the one year anniversary of that day and we set out to make it special and memorable!<br /><br /><br /><br /><div>We began our day by wearing matching shirts that proudly displayed the Rwandan flag...<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565595520379151906" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TTz3o1O0ZiI/AAAAAAAAAIM/l0qD478726k/s400/IMG_0598.JPG" /><br /></div><br /><br /><p>Though we "stuck out" at church, we were also congratulated by so many in our church who love, support and participate in adoption. Then we came home for lunch and enjoyed Africa-shaped cookies.....with a "heart" right on Rwanda (or close to it, anyway! Its a pretty small country!)</p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565596377960902258" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TTz4av-PbnI/AAAAAAAAAIU/AbEYeO5K8cQ/s400/IMG_0604.JPG" /><br /><br /><br /><div>We had a relaxing afternoon preparing a Rwandan meal (Rwandan Beef Stew, prepared by Art and the boys, and Rwandan Honey Bread prepared by Shelly - Savanna slept through most of this...hence the "relaxing afternoon"! ) Then we played some games and read books and began dinner! The only thing we regret is not having Orange Fanta bottles, which is what the kids drank with every meal while in Rwanda! ...on the list for next year...</div><br /><br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565597581394265170" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TTz5gzHHRFI/AAAAAAAAAIc/GK_CbNCQA0k/s400/IMG_0633.JPG" /><br /></div><br /><br /><div>Finally, we watched videos of our first meeting with Savanna and Samuel, and some of our time in Africa. We also enjoyed a FABULOUS slide show put together by one of the other moms who adopted from Rwanda when we did. It was great to see how everyone's Rwandan babies have grown so much over the last year in so many ways!</div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565599834862475794" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TTz7j97zWhI/AAAAAAAAAIk/VZ9THRzsXZE/s400/IMG_0628.JPG" /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>This has been such a whirlwind of a year, and it was so good to slow down today and take a look at all the progress that has been made, the bonds that have formed between parent and child as well as between siblings, and the positive changes that have occurred due to time, growth and God's amazing faithfulness. We look forward to this new year with great expectations and anticipation over what God will do next in our family to draw us closer together and make us more like Jesus. If you have the time, sit back and enjoy the following slide show of our first gotcha day, today's celebration, and some favorite photos of the last year! Thanks for all your prayers and support!</div></div><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwDzqzMPGyBvJHluILpkSaEYGgiGi7ePyJ59ld6MlkmnRC7Dbju6PNexUO-nt1ULN9ROkFUDgNAWBWWXZ7n4g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12833398025857875918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186947900003243843.post-64556386083084724132010-11-27T13:05:00.010-07:002010-11-27T14:21:52.185-07:00Happy Birthday Savanna girl!<div align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TPFrzlX3wqI/AAAAAAAAAIA/1SBr3VXCY1I/s1600/dowloaded%2Bnov%2B27%2B2010%2B057.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544331150219526818" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TPFrzlX3wqI/AAAAAAAAAIA/1SBr3VXCY1I/s400/dowloaded%2Bnov%2B27%2B2010%2B057.JPG" /></a> the princess and her royal subjects...aka brothers...<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TPFrooZbpDI/AAAAAAAAAH4/yuTjk2I7Fwc/s1600/dowloaded%2Bnov%2B27%2B2010%2B082.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544330962052817970" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TPFrooZbpDI/AAAAAAAAAH4/yuTjk2I7Fwc/s400/dowloaded%2Bnov%2B27%2B2010%2B082.JPG" /></a> her new dollhouse (goodwill, $10...sorry, I'm just so proud of myself...)<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TPFrRMuGLNI/AAAAAAAAAHo/edHGKIFev2g/s1600/dowloaded%2Bnov%2B27%2B2010%2B068.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544330559486307538" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TPFrRMuGLNI/AAAAAAAAAHo/edHGKIFev2g/s400/dowloaded%2Bnov%2B27%2B2010%2B068.JPG" /></a> the flower ceremony - each of her "men" gave her a pink carnation and told her<br />why they loved her...<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TPFrQ5FvDwI/AAAAAAAAAHg/4RnTlVsqH6w/s1600/dowloaded%2Bnov%2B27%2B2010%2B064.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544330554216746754" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TPFrQ5FvDwI/AAAAAAAAAHg/4RnTlVsqH6w/s400/dowloaded%2Bnov%2B27%2B2010%2B064.JPG" /></a> Silas - a sweet speech about how glad he is that she is in our family, and he loves her for enjoying things they like to do (ie, she's not TOO girly)<br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TPFq-P3rDeI/AAAAAAAAAHY/NsZ8gFFgVFg/s1600/dowloaded%2Bnov%2B27%2B2010%2B067.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544330233914265058" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TPFq-P3rDeI/AAAAAAAAAHY/NsZ8gFFgVFg/s400/dowloaded%2Bnov%2B27%2B2010%2B067.JPG" /></a> Josiah - loves her b/c she is kind and pretty<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TPFq97XHcmI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/txN-EaTGp8Q/s1600/dowloaded%2Bnov%2B27%2B2010%2B066.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544330228409004642" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TPFq97XHcmI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/txN-EaTGp8Q/s400/dowloaded%2Bnov%2B27%2B2010%2B066.JPG" /></a> Samuel - got a little too shy to speak, but LOVES to play with Savanna<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>After 8 years of Thomas the Train, Bob the Builder, Legos and Star Wars parties, the Snead family enjoyed its first "Princess" Birthday today for our very own princess, Savanna Komera Snead. Though we've only known her for 10 months, Savanna turned 4 years old today, and we hope that she was made to feel "one of a kind" special and loved! She recently asked me where her baby pictures were while looking at her brothers' baby albums. It was very sad to tell her that we don't have any photos of her before the age of 3. But I determined then to try to make her feel just as special and loved as her older two brothers whom we've had since birth. So today I'm sharing with you all a slide show that gives you glimpses of her first year with us. The first 4 photos or so were taken before we ever met her....you'll be able to see the progression of her smile in the photos that follow. Many of the photos show a head with no hair, as hers was pulled out by jealous girls in the orphanage upon hearing that Savanna was being placed in a family....you'll be able to see the progression of her beautiful locks in the photos that follow. You'll also see many "firsts" for Savanna - first dance with daddy, first swim in the ocean, first summer in a swimming pool, first Easter, first Halloween, ...and you'll be able to see the progression of her love for us and our love for her.</div><br /><br /><div>Happy birthday, "baby girl". You are loved beyond belief...and YOU BELONG!<br /></div></div></div><br /><br /><br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx3Ks81oy8nkgnGa3keItFy-izBEBb6xrza8DdFu4XdRVTKeQ4KC0BZiOy_YdQEN5CnumfL3OE6KIDPHrHT_g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12833398025857875918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186947900003243843.post-45021040182740900802010-11-23T11:51:00.002-07:002010-11-23T11:55:04.303-07:00Cardboard Testimonies from Long Hollow Baptist ChurchCheck out this video from our services last weekend at Long Hollow Baptist Church...half are members of Long Hollow (and the testimonies are really their own!), and half are from kids at the orphanage our church started in Jeremie, Haiti. God is good!<br /><br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/17089084" width="400" height="220" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/17089084">Compelled: Cardboard Testimonies</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/lhbccreative">Long Hollow Creative</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Arthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09932575423818709135noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186947900003243843.post-87065981772588187342010-11-06T21:50:00.004-06:002010-11-06T21:57:34.957-06:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TNYieu5JU3I/AAAAAAAAAG4/rxDUN2f83dQ/s1600/IMG_9343.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536650703277740914" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TNYieu5JU3I/AAAAAAAAAG4/rxDUN2f83dQ/s400/IMG_9343.JPG" /></a><br /><div>"Charm is deceptive and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised." Proverbs 31</div><br /><br />Oh God, though I fail at so many other areas of life in word and deed, let me succeed at this one, and instilling it in this precious (however strong-willed!) little princess! For ultimately she is yours - YOUR workmanship, created in YOUR image to be YOUR daughter and accomplish the things YOU have created her to do... don't let me or my silly little plans or my preconceived ideas, or my multiple moments of daily insanity get in your way!<br /><div></div><br /><div></div>Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12833398025857875918noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186947900003243843.post-84540894220499121902010-09-20T20:13:00.004-06:002010-09-20T20:55:59.948-06:00Tired...but blessedI know, I know. Its been a LONG time since I've written any gut-wrenching, motivating, personal blog entry. I've got 3 words for you....<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;">I AM TIRED!</span></em></strong><br /><br /><br /><br />Tired from...<br /><br /><br /><br />homeschooling, cooking, cleaning (okay, so I haven't been doing that one), trying to get highlighter drawings off of my bed sheets (no, I did not draw them myself, or I would have chosen a lighter color than florescent orange), attempting to teach one of our kids to count in English...to ONE...unsuccessfully, almost lighting the kitchen table on fire after teaching about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,<br /><br /><br /><br />taking 3 kids to baseball practices and games where I try to shout to Samuel where his "knees" are (cause the coach is wondering why he's not bending them while at bat), cleaning candle wax out of Savanna's hair (if you know her, you don't have to ask), making sure to pour the right kind of milk for each child (one needs extra calories, one does not, one needs lactose free, and one gets whatever is leftover at that point),<br /><br /><br /><br />realizing that the temporary still and quiet moment I am experiencing is only because Savanna has found my makeup again and is pouring the base all into the bag, trying to explain to her the reason I can TELL she had my makeup is because she has put it on her face, and we have slightly different skin colors...., searching for shoes - not even matching, just any 2 shoes that will fit the child making us late b/c he can't find any, taking ibuprofen, cleaning out Goodwill, smiling at the employees of Publix who now greet us all by name, wondering why they know our names?...<br /><br /><br /><br />enjoying visits from family and friends, learning 3-4 new songs each week for kids' worship at church, scheduling and enduring doctors and dentists appointments for 5 (sorry Art, you're on your own), collecting more stool samples from Samuel (or as we call it around here, "pooping in the hat"), tending to Josiah's continuous tube-feeds during the night and calculating how many calories he has taken in during the day, taking a little more ibuprofen,<br /><br /><br /><br />Drinking more caffeine than I should, yelling more than I'd like, laughing a lot, crying occasionally, sleeping really hard when I can, clinging helplessly to power and wisdom from the Holy Spirit (when I remember to call upon God cause I can't do this in my own strength)...<br /><br /><br /><br />THANKING GOD THAT THE REASONS I'M EXHAUSTED ARE NOT BECAUSE I'M HUNGRY, HOMELESS, OPPRESSED, POVERTY-STRICKEN, LONELY OR LIVING WITH A LACK OF PURPOSE.<br /><br /><br /><br />I'm THIS TIRED, because I'm THIS BLESSED...<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='326' height='264' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzJEoWPy__Kbr0-eNJigTQLXmro4UyBe8T2YIX2TxYdX7QxugqwLaWffdlPnLzo_AViLtt07HTu1od4iyzlwg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12833398025857875918noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186947900003243843.post-82746803365683450512010-09-11T14:57:00.001-06:002010-09-11T14:59:20.786-06:00BUILDING THE BLOCKS...: While we wait...A neat post I came across this week - something to think about! Also want to shout out a LOUD congrats to our cousins Curt and Lanaea who have just become adoptive parents to a precious baby girl! One less "fatherless" child in America! Praise God!<br /><br /><a href="http://buildingtheblocks.blogspot.com/2010/09/while-we-wait.html">BUILDING THE BLOCKS...: While we wait...</a>Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12833398025857875918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186947900003243843.post-4940608962819526212010-08-12T16:01:00.002-06:002010-08-12T16:05:54.720-06:00Why, God?<span style="font-size:180%;">"Sometimes I would like to ask God why he allows poverty, famine and injustice in the world when he could do something about it...but I'm afriad he might ask me the same question" - Anonymous</span><br /><br />This is the incredible quote on the back of a great T-shirt you can order to help support another new friend's adoption! Please visit <a href="http://www.livingtolove.com/">www.livingtolove.com</a> and check out their journey, their t-shirts (kids sizes too!) and be a part of changing the world, one life at a time by participating in their fundraising and keeping them in their prayers. (They already have one adorable son from Tawain, and are in the starting stages of adopting sibling group from Ethiopia!)<br /><br />God bless you and yours today!Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12833398025857875918noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186947900003243843.post-82287459525321998772010-08-11T12:08:00.005-06:002010-08-11T12:35:41.191-06:00HELP BRING ANOTHER ORPHAN HOME!<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TGLryHfzgKI/AAAAAAAAAGo/74RjqU8yGUY/s1600/IMG_8845.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504220940838600866" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TGLryHfzgKI/AAAAAAAAAGo/74RjqU8yGUY/s320/IMG_8845.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TGLqqUDDToI/AAAAAAAAAGg/00SEbhET0ww/s1600/IMG_8844.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 167px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 212px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504219707257081474" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TGLqqUDDToI/AAAAAAAAAGg/00SEbhET0ww/s320/IMG_8844.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><div>Adoption is one of greatest things we can be apart of, whether bringing a child into our own home, or helping someone else do it through prayer, financial contributions or just practical service to the family. </div><div></div><div></div><div>Not only is it a scriptural mandate for believers, its an amazing way to change a life FOREVER.</div><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div>Many of you have supported us through prayer and encouraging words over the last year and a half as we journeyed through miles of paperwork, homestudies, approvals and finally across the ocean to bring home Samuel and Savanna. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.</div><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div>And now I'd like to ask you to help a friend do the same! A precious little 10 month old girl in Ethiopia is waiting for her newly adopted parents to come back and pick her up! (They have already been once for the court ruling - and had to leave Lucy behind, as the new laws in Ethiopia require parents to travel there a second time to pick up the child). While they will relish your prayers, they would also appreciate your financial contributions (still need around $3600 for the trip back to Africa to pick up Lucy). Please go to their blog where you can actually make a contribution right away - no matter how small, every dollar counts! As Jennifer states in her blog post, if 360 people gave $10, it would be done!<br /></div><br /><div><a href="http://www.my-crazy-wonderful-life.blogspot.com/">http://www.my-crazy-wonderful-life.blogspot.com</a><br /><br /><br /></div><div>Many Blessings!</div><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div>The Sneads</div>Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12833398025857875918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186947900003243843.post-49503356173490363872010-07-24T17:50:00.006-06:002010-07-24T18:50:19.810-06:00Happy Birthday, sweet Samuelli!<div><br /><div> </div><div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497628400117917394" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TEt_5vggptI/AAAAAAAAAFw/9r7mWqGh91U/s320/IMG_9675.jpg" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Fittingly, today's post will be all about Samuel (or "Samuelli" as he calls himself, and was called in Rwanda). I could tell a lot of funny stories, (like how he loves dancing naked), brag on his athleticism (like how he does perfect cartwheels with no prior training, and dribbles a basketball quite well, again with no prior training) or try to describe his fabulous laugh that lights a room, but instead, I've decided to give you some "one-word" descriptions of our precious gift from God, Samuel Irambona Snead. ("Irambona", by the way, is a word meaning "God sees me" - which fits him quite well. He is still overcoming fears of the dark and being left alone, and we can't wait until He finally meets the one whose eyes have been on him his whole life and been His Father even while his earthly father was not yet in his life...)</div><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 251px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 173px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497628079939222690" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TEt_nGv9fKI/AAAAAAAAAFo/f8DnHJqA3U4/s320/IMG_9674.JPG" /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><em><strong>SWEET </strong></em></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><em><strong>EASY-GOING</strong></em></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><em><strong>SHY</strong></em></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><em><strong>ENERGETIC</strong></em></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><em><strong>ACTIVE</strong></em></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><em><strong>HILARIOUS</strong></em></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><em><strong>MUSICAL</strong></em></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><em><strong>FUN</strong></em></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><em><strong>FEARFUL</strong></em></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><em><strong>COMPLIANT</strong></em></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><em><strong>KIND</strong></em></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><em><strong>SMART</strong></em></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><em><strong>HANDSOME</strong></em></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><em><strong>BLESSING</strong></em></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><em><strong>...OURS...</strong></em></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497629861319923762" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TEuBOy6N2DI/AAAAAAAAAF4/2gvkPgoLWU4/s320/IMG_9727.jpg" /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">And now some highlights from his happy day:</span></strong></div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><div><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TEuDrO5LFHI/AAAAAAAAAGA/o_YXZO5ktEE/s1600/IMG_8766.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497632548891333746" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TEuDrO5LFHI/AAAAAAAAAGA/o_YXZO5ktEE/s320/IMG_8766.JPG" /></a><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /></div><p align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TEuDrO5LFHI/AAAAAAAAAGA/o_YXZO5ktEE/s1600/IMG_8766.JPG"></a></p><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /><br />Samuel, Savanna, mommy and the cake (not the leaning tower of pisa, but the "yellow hat" from Curious George...)<br /><br /><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TEuD625HhwI/AAAAAAAAAGI/VAQnE9nkqjE/s1600/IMG_8783.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 303px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497632817326556930" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TEuD625HhwI/AAAAAAAAAGI/VAQnE9nkqjE/s320/IMG_8783.JPG" /></a></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>Blowing out my candles and laughing hysterically when everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to me</div><div></div><div></div><div>shooting on his new goal!</div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TEuFN7RzkNI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/jb4sMBYfhu4/s1600/IMG_8799.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497634244432990418" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TEuFN7RzkNI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/jb4sMBYfhu4/s320/IMG_8799.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TEuFXaQLMtI/AAAAAAAAAGY/ohmu2UVtzrM/s1600/IMG_8805.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 419px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 255px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497634407366472402" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TEuFXaQLMtI/AAAAAAAAAGY/ohmu2UVtzrM/s320/IMG_8805.JPG" /></a></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>sliding backwards with Josiah at Monkey Joes (we call Samuel and Josiah "the twins"...for obvious reasons....they look so much alike...)</div></div></div>Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12833398025857875918noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186947900003243843.post-1917182365311767232010-07-05T09:32:00.003-06:002010-07-05T09:35:03.659-06:00Happy Fourth of July!<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TDH7f0coNQI/AAAAAAAAAFg/byKJps_IxcY/s1600/IMG_8717.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490445944814580994" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TDH7f0coNQI/AAAAAAAAAFg/byKJps_IxcY/s320/IMG_8717.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TDH7ZmyPHTI/AAAAAAAAAFY/Jl2mka4RCnQ/s1600/IMG_8715.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490445838067899698" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TDH7ZmyPHTI/AAAAAAAAAFY/Jl2mka4RCnQ/s320/IMG_8715.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div>S & S's first July 4th! They're not technically U.S. citizens yet, but sure had a great time celebrating and watching the fireworks!</div></div>Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12833398025857875918noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186947900003243843.post-90956912265892141582010-07-03T21:03:00.003-06:002010-07-03T21:15:37.217-06:00Going crazy. Wanna come?Thought I'd send out a transcript of a comical, yet quite typical, car conversation that ocurred in the Snead van yesterday. I accidentally got on the freeway instead of the road right next to it which leads to our subdivision (don't ask....distracted and still getting used to a new city...) and somehow Samuel noticed....<br /><br />Samuel: Mama, where goin'?<br />Me: Crazy!<br />Samuel: I wan' go!!!<br />Me: okay, Samuel, come on!<br />Savanna: Mama, where crazy?<br />Me: Anywhere we all are, sweetie.<br />Savanna: Oh. Okay.<br /><br />And as if that conversation had made complete sense to them, they contentedly went right back to singing their rendition of "Days of Elijah" (which features their favorite lyric, "There no Gah like JehoBa"....)<br /><br />So glad God has a sense of humor. Otherwise, taking a wrong turn would not have been so much fun!<br /><br />Blessings!Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12833398025857875918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186947900003243843.post-37342164500915025312010-06-26T12:46:00.005-06:002010-06-26T13:16:26.889-06:00Family-isms...."Put on my baby soup?".....no, this is not a type of stew Savanna is suggesting, but rather what she calls her "bathing suit"! The kids have so many funny pronunciations of things, that some of them have just stuck, and we find ourselves all 6 using these "Savanna and Samuel - isms" - just for fun!<br /><br /><br /><br />Another great one is "I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">beeya</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">beeya</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">beeya</span> ..." for "I'll be right back"....Evidently, when we first got the kids, if we ever left a room temporarily we would be careful to say "I'll be RIGHT BACK". Because one day, Savanna was about to exit a room, but she stopped, looked at us meaningfully, and said "I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">beeya</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">beeya</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">beeya</span> ..."....<br /><br /><br /><br />"Si-lay" has turned into a new nick name for Silas because it was how Samuel and Savanna pronounced it for so long... He even calls himself that a lot now...<br /><br /><br /><br />"<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">moto</span> car" - not many Americans call their vehicles this, but again, when S & S used it over and over (and sang it over and over <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">every time</span> we got in the van), it just stuck...<br /><br /><br /><br />"Mama, I wan' play train-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">guh</span>!" = seems like it'd be easier for him to say "train", but he just can't stop adding the "<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">guh</span>" at the end...so of course, Josiah has adopted the new pronunciation!....<br /><br /><br /><br />some others include:<br /><br />"Wallow" ("water")<br /><br />"<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">sitee</span>" (sit)<br /><br />"<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">sockies</span>" (socks - which by the way, I can't seem to pry off of Samuel. Everyday he comes down the stairs dressed in socks and tennis shoes, and everyday I send him back up to put on sandals telling him its too hot for "<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">sockies</span>"....To which he usually replies "Samuel no <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">ot</span>!" b/c he also has trouble with <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">h's</span> at the start of words - just ask Mrs. "Ah-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">ddy</span>")<br /><br />"book-ah" (again, Samuel always has to add an extra <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">syllable</span>!)<br /><br />"<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">Sho</span>-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">siah</span>" (Josiah)<br /><br />"Music no too loud!" - Please turn up the music!<br /><br />Words they have NO trouble <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">pronouncing</span> include: TV, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">cool aid</span>, and Bible Study...go figure?<br /><br /><br /><br />Hope you enjoyed a taste of our little "isms" .... we've had a lot of fun (along with many challenges) listening to their English come along, and are very amazed at how far they've come. But I must say I'll be sad when Savanna stops asking to put on her "baby soup"....its just so sweet and so "Savanna"....<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487161277761216754" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TCZQHCI8YPI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/FH6Oa8AY_uc/s320/IMG_8667.JPG" />This is Savanna with her newest cousin "baby Finn" (whose parents, Doug and Julie, she renamed "Papa Finn" and "Mama Finn")...Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12833398025857875918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186947900003243843.post-84826317535094175022010-06-11T22:00:00.004-06:002010-06-11T22:16:13.077-06:00Samuel and Savanna's first views of the ocean!<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TBMHI4G5l3I/AAAAAAAAAFI/y5xitVgtNv4/s1600/IMG_8632.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481733020521699186" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TBMHI4G5l3I/AAAAAAAAAFI/y5xitVgtNv4/s320/IMG_8632.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TBMG47QXbJI/AAAAAAAAAFA/Pi6K_UqYk1s/s1600/IMG_8621.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481732746488802450" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TBMG47QXbJI/AAAAAAAAAFA/Pi6K_UqYk1s/s320/IMG_8621.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TBMGuoeDaAI/AAAAAAAAAE4/q4OPc6UzZjQ/s1600/IMG_8615.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481732569647245314" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TBMGuoeDaAI/AAAAAAAAAE4/q4OPc6UzZjQ/s320/IMG_8615.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TBMGgoM0ROI/AAAAAAAAAEw/g7CV78WoaDk/s1600/IMG_8611.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481732329056781538" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TBMGgoM0ROI/AAAAAAAAAEw/g7CV78WoaDk/s320/IMG_8611.JPG" /></a> Yesterday evening we arrived at Orange Beach in AL and our two newest children experienced the ocean for the first time....and loved it! But on top of that, our second oldest, Josiah has been to the beach a few times, but never been allowed to go in the water due to his trach (waves are too unpredictable and the water would've gone straight into his lungs!). So it was a cool experience for Art and I to have and watch them have! We were only able to enjoy the beach last night and today, though, as the oil has finally made its way to the shore now, and we'll most likely be staying away from the beach and hanging out at the pool. </div><div> </div><div>But we're here with a large number of extended family and having a ball! (As my Aunt Linda pointed out today, S & S are probably thinking, "wow, we've moved in with some crazy people, and now they've brought us here to meet a whole bunch of other crazy people!")..... </div><div> </div><div>Savanna is completely captivated by her newest cousin, "Finn", constantly asking, "Where baby Finn?...".....Samuel is in love with the pool and cousin Doug's "claw" routine....... Josiah is enjoying getting some loving attention from his Sipes cousins.....Silas is enjoying his "twin" cousin (they are 3 months apart) ..... And tomorrow they will meet about 60 more cousins they've never met at the Headrick family reunion in Pensacola! </div><div> </div><div>Made contact with a neat African Adoption Fellowship Group here in Nashville that meets once a month and can't wait to get to know them soon! (and hopefully get some help with Savanna's hair once it finally grows long enough to braid!!!)</div><div> </div><div>Thanks for checking in! <br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div></div></div>Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12833398025857875918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186947900003243843.post-7489542420181769162010-06-08T18:22:00.002-06:002010-06-08T18:37:12.801-06:00We are here!<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TA7fPF-0NlI/AAAAAAAAAEo/XuEs3My9PIs/s1600/IMG_9645.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480563246953150034" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__V3t1wJrfB8/TA7fPF-0NlI/AAAAAAAAAEo/XuEs3My9PIs/s320/IMG_9645.JPG" /></a> Like the "Who's" in Who-ville (Dr. Seuss), we feel like shouting "WE ARE HERE!"<br /><div>Still have many boxes to unpack and "junk" to sort, but have been enjoying the warmth of the climate and the people here in Nashville, TN for one week now! The kids have been swimming in the neighborhood pool everyday, attending VBS at a local church (Longhollow), and hanging out with their Uncle Jonathon and cousin Samantha who came for a few days to visit!</div><div> </div><div>The first couple of days at the pool, I thought I would never be able to take all four of them by myself (Samuel and Savanna's fearlessness + their complete inability to swim = disaster!!!). But now after 5 or 6 days, they are both swimming underwater and having a ball! It's been amazing to watch them - especially Savanna who apparantly is a little "water bug"! </div><div> </div><div>We certainly miss all of our friends and "family" in the Southwest, but Josiah has not worn oxygen ONCE since leaving the Sangre de Cristo mountains which were our home for the last 3 1/2 years, so we know the decision to move was definitely the RIGHT one. Silas came home from VBS the first day saying "I've met my new best friend", and they have all been calling the church we have visited here once "our new church".....all in all, everyone is doing well. Art is adjusting to work here, although putting in some long hours to catch up from the move and anticipating a little vacation we're taking this weekend to the beach with my side of the family.</div><div> </div><div>Unfortunately we don't have internet hooked up yet so I'm writing this from Chick-fil-a while the kids are going wild....I'll try to post some new photos of my "swimmers" this weekend from the beach!.... thanks for checking in and thanks most of all for your prayers during this time of transition for us!</div><div> </div>Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12833398025857875918noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2186947900003243843.post-85262058672184953012010-05-30T07:55:00.002-06:002010-05-30T08:02:20.556-06:00Really LONG road trip!We have not dropped off the face of the earth.... just dropped off the face of the computer for a few days! (little time or access to on-line). But we're having many fun adventures along the way to Nashville, TN, where Art and Silas are waiting for us (and the moving truck) at our new home! (The truck will not arrive with our things until Tuesday, so the 3 younger kids, myself and my mom made a detour to my hometown of Auburn, AL for a few days).<br /><br />I'll try to post some photos later, but we've made stops at Cadillac Ranch, many McDonald's playgrounds, Holiday Inn Expresses, and a water park to name a few. We have currently taken over a friend's home in Auburn until Monday afternoon when we'll re-load the car and head for Nashville.<br /><br />Please pray for Savanna, who has had a cold and is having a rough few days of crying, clinging and overall frustration..... Everyone else is holding up, and we'll keep you posted as we can!Shellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12833398025857875918noreply@blogger.com1