New Family Photo

On Wednesday we got our new family photo made for our forthcoming prayer cards which will have our Wycliffe information on them. Photo shoots with kids are always so much fun! ha! This one actually went pretty well. Of course, getting 4 kids to look at the camera, look "normal" and happy all at the same time (and making sure I'm not blinking or licking my lips) is next to impossible. Dano always looks perfect in every picture. Amazing. Actually, don't tell... but this picture is "doctored." The photographer moved Wesley's head from another picture to this one because I liked his expression better in the other picture than what he really looked like in this picture. =0) Cool, huh? Thanks, David!

David & his wife used to be a part of Wycliffe. Now they have this photo studio in Waxhaw. They offer their services to missionaries for a VERY reasonable fee. He is also designing our new prayer card. You can check out his site by clicking on his link to the right... Photo Edge.

Remember, you can see a "larger" version by clicking on the photo... but maybe smaller is better!

Have a great weekend!

Blessings,

Melinda =0)

PS The heights in the picture are deceptive. Olivia & Emma are standing on wooden boxes. This is mine & Derek's actual heights. He'll be as tall as me soon. Olivia is only about 2 inches taller than Derek. Emma is tall for 3, but she's standing on a small box. I'm not sure how tall it was.

Doodle Pro Genius

Okay, I am kind of feeling like Farmer Zuckerman this morning! You know, he's the one who saw "Some Pig" written in Charlotte's Web above Wilber's pen. Well, this morning Emma drew a picture of Derek on her Doodle Pro. It is a great picture for a three year old, in my opinion. However, what is really amazing is that next to the picture, she wrote his name. Emma knows her ABCs and the sounds of most of them. We have never worked on writing them. I don't believe in pushing kids. =0) Anyway, she learned how to write her name by herself. It is not perfect handwriting... but it says Emma. Now, I have no idea how she knew how to spell or write Derek's name! It isn't perfect. As you can see, sometimes she gets carried away with the lines on her E's. The D is backward, but she's 3! Now, the K might be missing or it might be under the other letters. I have questioned all the kids, and they didn't help her at all! I know this is her handwriting because I recognize her E's and it doesn't look like the other kids' writing! I just thought I would share this cool thing with y'all and brag on my Emma! =0)

Below is a pix of Derek and a masterpiece he made the other night. He's 5, and he's quite the artist, too. (In case you are wondering, that is a moustache on this gentleman.) Yes, Olivia is, too, but I don't have any recent work to post! I'm sure Wesley is following in their footsteps... we just have to make sure he's not doing graffiti at this stage!!

BTW, I am 23 weeks pregnant today. This is a milestone week in some ways because I was 23 weeks along when I delivered Seth. So, keep us in your prayers this week. Thankfully, I continue to feel this little one inside of me growing stronger everyday. Even Dano & the kids have gotten the opportunity to feel this little one kicking, so we're really looking forward to the spring when this little one makes his/her appearance! Thank you for continuing to pray for a safe & healthy pregnancy & delivery.

Have a great day!

Blessings,
Melinda =0)

PS Emma just walked up. I told her again I was so proud of her for writing Derek's name. I said how did you know how to spell Derek's name. Then she just spelled it for me! D-E-R-E-K
cool! =0)

More Changes Regarding Florida!

Alright, I just want you to know, we are not making these changes!

I posted here that we weren't going to FL in January, and many of you are receiving or about to receive a newsletter that says the same thing...

HOWEVER,

things have changed again... and we ARE going to FL in January now!

I'll tell you more later!

We think this is great! So it is no big deal... flexibility is the name of the game in missions!

FYI... there is no cost now for the training, but we will still have to cover travel expenses to and from.

Have a great WEEKEND!!

Love ya,
Melinda =0)

PS Tomorrow is our 17th Wedding Anniversary!!!!!!! WOW! Isn't that hard to believe? We must be getting old! ha! A funny... We were telling the kids that our anniversary was this weekend. Olivia (our 7 year old always looking for a reason to celebrate) said, "Great! What are WE going to do?" ha ha ha! That is exactly what we did. We laughed. I guess she thinks it is a family affair... which in some ways it is. But gosh, we'd like a date ALONE once in a while. =0) We do have a sitter coming. We plan to go out to eat. We don't think we'll be able to add anything else. We'll see.

And Now We Pray

1 Timothy 2:1-8
1I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— 2for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time. 7And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles.
8I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.

2 Chronicles 7:13-15
13 "When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.

A good read:
http://randyalcorn.blogspot.com/2008/11/its-over-but-its-not-over-one-day-it.html

Have a blessed day knowing our Lord is in control. May he find us faithful seeking His face.

Blessings,
Melinda =0)

PS Will you pray for my friend Ondrea? She's due with her third son this month. Will you pray for a complication free birth & a healthy Mommy & baby?

Two Hours!

Well, about 10 minutes less than 2 hours is how long Olivia & I waited in line for me to vote. It really didn't seem that long since there were nice folks around to chat with and some wonderful friends from church that we'd get to chat with when our lines met up around the turns. =0)

Thankfully, Dano had the great idea that he'd come home from work after their morning meeting to vote then he'd come home to vote so that I didn't have to take the crew. I was just planning on taking the crew. How bad could it be? ha ha ha ha ha! As soon as I walked in & was at the end of a long line snaking through tables, I was EVEN MORE GRATEFUL for my husband's idea! Yea, Dano! =0) He went back to work when I got home.

Dano waited less than on hour, I think. By the time I got there it was 11:35! Well, it was 1:25 as I was leaving! However, I'd do it all over again! Many people don't have this privilege! Also, I know I did my part!

I was number 435 voting at our precinct. They only had 5 stations set up. I think they might have been surprised by the turnout. The people around me who had voted their "all their lives" had NEVER waited in line. Never! Often, they would come & be the only person there to vote! WOW! I hope the large turn out results in good news!

Something else neat was that there were several first time voters there... I mean people my age. This is sad that they'd never voted before but awesome that they were voting today!

Another wonderful thing is that Olivia never complained! She read her book most the time. She said she wants to do it again next time! =0)

I hope you got to vote... or will before the polls close! How long did you wait in line? Leave a comment and let us all know!

Blessings,
Melinda =0)

Know Where to Vote?

Wherever you live in the USA, I think you can find your voting location here: http://maps.google.com/maps/mpl?moduleurl=http://maps.google.com/mapfiles/mapplets/elections/2008/us-voter-info/us-voter-info.xml&utm_campaign=en&utm_medium=ha&utm_source=en-ha-na-us-sk-mp&utm_term=south%20carolina%20voting

Hopefully by now, you know where to go tomorrow if you haven't already voted. We don't meet the criteria for early voting in SC, so we'll be voting tomorrow!

Have a great day as an America! God BLESS America!!

2 Chronicles 7:13-16
13 "When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. 16 I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.

May the Lord find us on our knees praying and asking forgiveness for our sins as a nation (and individuals). May we be always seeking His face.

Blessings,
Melinda =0)

Meet My Friend

This is my friend, Cindy. This was taken in October on a VERY rainy day at MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers). Cindy has been such a blessing to me since we moved here. I have told you about her before. She is also the mother of four blessings here on earth (all girls), but she also has 4 little blessings waiting in heaven (2 of which were stillborn and 2 were miscarriages). And as you might be able to tell, she is expecting another blessing in January... about 2 months before our little one is due. (Yes, I think she is smaller than me, too.)

She is the one God placed in my life to minister to me before I even knew I needed her. She led the Learning Through Loss Bible study through Caleb Ministries which I attended before I even found out I was pregnant with Seth. She is a wise friend. Thank you, Lord, for my friend, Cindy!

I am going to do another post (hopefully this week) about another way that Cindy is blessing my family & two others! We are doing a supper co-op, I guess that is what you call it. We should come up with a snazzy name or something! I'll let you know more about that in the other post.

In the meantime, as you pray for me and our little one, will you also pray for Cindy and her little one? She is due in January (I think I said that), but she usually delivers early... so she's thinking HE might arrive in December. Thanks for remembering us all for safe & healthy pregnancies and deliveries!

Have a wonderful week!

GO VOTE!!!

Love,

Melinda =0)