You're Invited To... "Bloom Where You're Planted"

"Bloom Where You're Planted"

for

Ladies & Girls

(That includes STUDENTS... you know, teenagers & college!)

Saturday, April 10, 2010

2 - 4 p.m.

Speaker: ME! yikes!

Music by Kent & Jean Jewel (yea!)

craft following

Covenant Baptist Church

Lancaster, SC

Fellowship Hall

FREE!!

I look forward to sharing what the Lord has placed on my heart with the ladies of ALL ages... girls of all ages (well, first or second grade is probably the youngest girl that I would bring). I'm bringing my Olivia (third grade), but my Emma (who just turned 5) will be staying at home. I won't be sharing from my life of perfect blooming (ha ha); instead, I will be sharing what the Holy Spirit has been challenging me with in the present, and how the Lord has given those around me as examples of Blooming! It WILL be relevant to all ages & stages there... from the girls, to young ladies, students, college, career, single, married, moms, grandmothers, empty nesters, everyone...

I think there might be childcare available, but I'm checking on that!

When I know for sure, I'll post the info here!

I'd REALLY appreciate your prayers for this day. Please pray for the Lord to be Glorified in all I say and do. Please pray for me to be sensitive to His leading. Please pray for those attending to hear whatever the Lord wants them to hear. Please pray for all those involved to be healthy that weekend (my family, the Jewels, the women's ministry team).

Thank you!!

I look forward to seeing you on the 10th!!

Blessings,

Melinda =0)

Virginia's Birthday Party

Okay, this is a little late being posted... but we did have a little party for Virginia. Traditionally we go home (to Tennessee) for our kids' first birthdays... but that didn't work out for Virginia since Dano is in orientation. We tried to do it a few weeks early before orientation began... but the weather wouldn't cooperate with us... so... we just waited and had her a party here with our little family! It was still fun! Virginia enjoyed it. I think the other kids enjoyed it more! I'm so glad they love to celebrate their baby sister! Of course, the fact that they got CAKE always helps... especially in a home where sugar is VERY limited. =0) I hope you can endure all the pictures and videos. Remember... our family is in Tennessee... this is the easiest way to share with them! =0) Enjoy! (For some reason, the videos are acting slow when you watch them. If you can endure through the first viewing... click "replay" then it will replay without all the stops.)

I used a friend's suggestion (thanks Diane) of using brown m&m's for the brown polka dots! I'm so glad she mentioned that because I tried a using chocolate icing in a tube... and the polka dots weren't so round. So the m&m's worked GREAT! One cupcake by itself was cute... I thought... but all together, they look a little crazy!

In this picture, you can see a little of Virginia's personality. She's fun! She loved the gift... she wasn't interested in opening it at first. It was great "as is."

She loves her lunch box from Aunt Marcia. Mommy loves it, too! =0) The rest of the gifts were opened on video. I didn't post those here, but I am putting this one of Virginia being silly with a card. (Wesley is singing Happy Birthday in the background near the end.)

Here we're all singing... you can see why we don't sing in public as a family!

These are two "Little People" we gave her. She LOVES to play with "Little People." After 5 kids, we own a village!

I love this picture with her cute lips all puckered up!

Derek (almost 7)

Wesley (3)

Olivia (8 1/2)

Emma (almost 5)

Mommy & Virginia

Daddy & Virginia

Ladies Night Out

THIS FRIDAY

is

Ladies Night Out

at

Covenant Baptist Church

in

Lancaster, SC!!

Do you have a project you keep trying to finish but can't seem to find the time? Do you miss having time to just hang out with your friends? Would you like to make some new friends? Are you craving some snacks?

WELL come spend some time with other Ladies working on your project/hobby... or just visiting!

Drinks are provided, but please bring a snack to share!

6 - 9 p.m.

Come and go as you can!

Covenant Baptist Fellowship Hall

I look forward to seeing YOU there!!

Wesley on Flowers

This evening I took some pictures of the beautiful daffodils in our yard! I just love these flowers! They trumpet the arrival of Spring!! They bloom and look beautiful despite the fact that my thumb is nowhere near GREEN!

Well Wesley wanted to see what I was doing. I told him to smell of the flowers and I would take his picture. He did just that. Then he said, "Mmmmmmmmmm smells like Bubble Gum!" Too funny! Then I thought... what does a daffodil smell like? I leaned over and took a little whiff. MUCH to my surprise, I have to admit that I agree with Wesley!

Then I noticed this large bush with blooms all over it. (Remember I don't have a green thumb... so I have NO idea what this bush is.) From inside the house (where we've been for so long...) I thought these blooms were just red leaves! LOL! I KNOW I'm ignorant... just don't laugh too hard! Anyway, I told Wesley to see what these flowers smelled like.

He took a big whiff and said, "YUCK, it smells like ANTS!" ha ha! How funny is that!? I think it is pretty funny! BUT if anyone would know what an ant smells like, it would be my Wesley! During the summer (and spring and fall) when the fire ants rule... Wesley stands over them and studies them. Unfortunately for him, he often suffers the consequences of his curiosity! Thankfully, he's not a cat! I'm hoping this year in his wise age of THREE that he'll be LESS interested in these evil little insects that can cause more pain than ANYTHING else I've ever experienced! I'm sure we'll find out soon!

Have a blessed SPRING! Thank you, Lord, for the reminder that just as new life comes forth from the earth, you offer us new life through your Son, Jesus Christ... the old has passed away!! Thank you, thank you! May we LIVE this truth in every detail of our life! Lord, help us CLAIM this promise for YOUR Glory! In Jesus name... AMEN!

Love,

Melinda =0)

Virginia is ONE!!

Sweet Virginia just out of bed on her birthday! She's officially one year old!! She was greeted by the HAPPY BIRTHDAY song from the kids & me. She loved it. I even think she said "happy" when I was singing to her. Sweet!

Derek made a Happy B-Day Virginia sign and taped it to himself! Olivia gave her a gift (one of her stuffed animals) and an outfit she bought with her own money from all the kids. How thoughtful.

We weren't planning anything else this day (we're having her "party" on Saturday), BUT when Dano came home from work, he wanted to run out for some birthday ice cream after supper for the family. Of course, Virginia doesn't eat ice cream... hmmmmmmmmmm... =0) It was a fun celebration of her birthday though!! Enjoy some pix below! (I just realized I didn't get Emma's picture!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so bummed!! She went to the bathroom, and I was going to take it when she got back... well, I guess I forgot! boo hoo!!)

notice WHO has the biggest ice cream!!!

Whited Update - Praises

I just wanted to share some answered prayers with you! We are so GRATEFUL for your faithful prayers for our family. =0)

So far, Dano’s orientation is going GREAT! =0)

We got the results of Virginia’s CT scan on her birthday (Thursday), and the bump is NOTHING to be concerned about. It is a dermoid cyst that most likely has been present since birth, and it shouldn’t change at all. We’ll just keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t grow! YEA!! (They don’t expect it go away either… but we wouldn’t be opposed to anyone praying for it to VANISH!!)

Daddy’s chemo treatment went great, and he is doing very well right now… but he still needs prayers!! http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/richardmcdonald

Also, we are getting lots done as we prepare to go overseas. I have ordered everyone’s birth certificates (except Dano’s) so that we can apply for our passports (Dano already has one). We are planning on getting all the kids’ blood work done at the end of the month. Dano & I already have ours completed. We’ve checked out some Indonesian lessons (Pimsleur) from here at JAARS to give us a jump start on our language learning. We hope to complete these and eventually purchase the homeschool version of the Rosetta Stone program for Indonesian for the whole family. Thank you for your continued support of us in prayers and finances as we still have our “normal” monthly expenses and now additional expenses as we are preparing to leave. If you would like to give a tax-deductible gift, please see the link at the bottom of this e-mail. Soon we should have further information about one-time expenses for moving overseas.

Thank you for your continued interest in our ministry! Thank you for your friendship. We are soooooooo thankful to have you standing beside us in service!

Please continue to pray for God’s perfect timing in all areas.

Please pray for Wesley’s breathing. With Spring approaching, it seems he is having some difficulties with breathing. He started wheezing and needed some breathing treatments. =0( I thought we were done with them. Please pray for his lungs to clear… and while you are at it, pray for his eczema to be healed!! Thank you!!

Blessings,

Melinda for Dano & the gang =0)

Olivia, Derek, Emma, Wesley, & Virginia

Have you visited our website?

No experience required…just click the link:

http://whited-underhiswings.blogspot.com/

For tax-deductible gifts, you can give online by going to:

http://www.wycliffe.org/Give/MissionaryMinistries.aspx

You can enter Dano or Melinda Whited, and our account number is: 215422.

You can also call 1-800-Wycliffe and use our same account number to direct the gift into our account.

Or you can mail in gifts to:

Wycliffe Bible Translators
P.O. Box 628211
Orlando, FL 32862-8211

Please include a separate note indicating your gift for Dano & Melinda Whited account # 215422.

Please Pray for Virginia

This Tuesday is Virginia's CT scan!

I thought I would explain a little more for those of you who are curious what I'm talking about. I also thought I'd add some pix of my little princess since it has been so long since doing so! She's 11 months old in these pix. She'll be a year old on THURSDAY!! (more pix at the bottom)

When we were in Texas in October/November, Virginia fell and bumped her head (next to her eye) on the coffee table (a normal occurrence for babies who are learning to pull up). Well, after that (the same day? the next day? I'm not sure) I noticed a bump on her head right next to her eye, next to her brow. =0( We assumed it would go away. It didn't. At her 9 month appointment in December, I asked the nurse practitioner about it. She said it could take about a month to go away… so if it didn't go away soon, we should have it looked at. Well, it didn't go away… but it didn't seem to bother her. It wasn't getting bigger or smaller that we could tell. Well, we finally decided to make another appointment to have it looked at. That was in February. The doc we saw wanted to send her to a specialist, a pediatric ophthalmologist. Our doc thought it could be a swollen gland that is in that area.

Well, I got the appointment with the pediatric ophthalmologist (about an hour away) in February. I wasn't too concerned. Actually, I expected her to confirm what our doc said and send us home with "no worries." INSTEAD, she wanted Virginia to have a CT scan! AND Virginia has to be put to sleep for the scan!! I was pretty bummed.

She still thinks it is nothing to worry about. She thinks it feels like a cyst… most likely a dermatoid cyst which is harmless. It might be something we have removed, but right now… you can't even tell it is there unless you know it is there, if you know what I mean.

Of course, there are times when the thoughts can seem a bit overwhelming. I'm not a worrier. But I have to be honest; there have been a couple of times that my thoughts have run away. Thankfully, I remember to come back to the throne and give these crazy thoughts to God. No matter what it is or what happens… I know God is in control. I know He loves Virginia even more than I do (which is hard to believe).

Scripture that helps in times like these?

In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. Ephesians 3:12 (How awesome that my God is approachable... and I can approach him with freedom and confidence!!)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:6-8 (I just think these verses are soooooooooo good for everything for every situation… give everything to God… and focus on good things!)

Now, I know that God doesn't always say "YES" to our prayers. I know he always answers… we all know that, right? He sometimes says, "yes, no, or wait." That is okay with me. I'm thankful He doesn't allow us to boss Him around. I'm glad I can't understand Him all the time. I mean… sure, I wish I could get a handle on the big picture sometimes, but REALLY??? Could I handle the big picture? Probably not! If I could completely understand God, would he be a God worth worshipping? I don't think so. And in the end… the BIG PICTURE is all about HIM, right… bringing HIM GLORY… no matter the circumstances. This life is temporary. If we cling too tightly to this world, we lose perspective. I think that even includes people. If I cling too tightly to my Virginia, I lose perspective. She's not really mine anyway, right? She's God's.

Well, I didn't mean for this post to get so long. I just wanted to ask you to PRAY with me for this truly to be NOTHING that we have to be concerned about. Please pray for her safety during the test with the drugs, etc. Please pray that she would be content before the test. She can't eat anything until after the test. Normally she gets up around 9 a.m., and I nurse her. On this day, we have to leave at 6 a.m. to arrive at the children's hospital by 7:30 a.m. for an 8:30 a.m. scan. Hopefully we'll be done & ready to go by 9:30 a.m. Dano plans to go, too. We've hired someone to come stay with the other kids. She's going to spend the night Monday night so she doesn't have to come so early Tuesday. Please pray for our kids to be safe while they are with the sitter. ABOVE ALL… pray for the Lord's will to be done!

Thank you!!

Love,

Melinda & gang =0) See the pix below.

I did the goofy hair on top to see how long her hair is!

Pa came for a weekend visit the last weekend in February. She wouldn't let him hold her until Sunday! When she did though, she had fun! =0) I think Pa enjoyed it even more!

Snow on the Farm

I was looking through some pictures and found some that Dano took around the house on February 13th when we had a "big" snow... big for here, anyway! Enjoy! Remember, you can click on them to make them bigger. Oh, some of the pictures show where the deer had a party running around in our yard!

Virginia's first time in the snow.

Dano & Virginia watching us sled.

The snowman Dano built.

The snowman Olivia built by herself (well Dano stacked the balls she rolled up).

Dano and Wesley worked on this one together.

(Notice how all the snow is almost gone after all the snowman making!)