lessons learned through VBS, and updates..

Sorry I haven't written in a while. Honestly I have been at a loss for topics. The ideas just weren't flowing for a while. But I did want to take a moment to share about the vacation bible school we just did at our church. I cannot even begin to tell you everything I learned from doing this VBS. I had this idea (not really, I should say God laid it on my heart) a couple months ago. I had no idea how it would get done. I just knew we needed to do it. I knew the children in this area needed to have this experience and hear what God had to say to them. First I learned just how much work would go into doing such a production. I think almost every person in our church was involved in some way. It was amazing to see how people gave so much to this cause. People donated supplies, helped set up, taught children, cleaned up, made snacks, put on bandaids, and just about every other job you could think of. And most were doing more than one job. It wasn't until the VBS started that we would truly see the rewards of the hard work we had done. To see the reactions these kids had to what we did, and what God was showing them was amazing. I have never been so touched. You could see them not only having fun, but learning something. They learned so much about how God loves them. During that week I "just happened" to read Galatians 6:9 which says:

"So lets not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up."

 That verse really hit home for me at that time. There were times when preparing when I was tired, when I wanted to give up and say I didn't think it could be done. But at just the right time, I got such a huge blessing from what happened at the VBS. I also learned that with God's help anything can be done!!

On Friday night we taught the kids about sacrifice and they made a backpack that was to be sent to a child in Latin America. They worked hard on the backpacks. They colored them with fabric markers, and made them look very nice. Even the preschoolers did this. The next day Grant asked me about the backpack. He wanted to know why he couldn't keep it. I explained it to him again, and told him about the child it would go to and how they didn't have a backpack. He said to me, "but mommy I only have 2 backpacks, I need another one". How often are we like that? I know I am. We are so richly blessed in this country, and yet we still don't give to others. Not just to people in other countries, but helping others in our own neighborhoods as well. After we talked more about the little boy who didn't have a backpack for school at all, Grant understood a little more what it meant to give his up. Then he was very excited about someone getting the one he specially made.

My biggest lesson came when a few days after VBS, Grant got in trouble for something, and afterwards asked me if God still loved him. And I said, "God loves you no matter what". Which I didn't even think about at the time, but it was a sort of chant, or saying they had been doing at VBS which was followed by putting your fist in the air and yelling "thank you God". The kids had a blast doing it all week. So when I said that, not even realizing it, to Grant, he said very quietly as if only to God, "thank you God". It was the sweetest thing ever. I knew at that point that even a child 3 years old could get it. He understood what he had learned and he remembered it. That was so rewarding.

Now to update you a little on our lives. We, as you know, have been making many changes in the past few weeks. Richie has started his new/old job at Morton's. He has not had an easy time as there is MUCH to know. He has to memorize the menu. At Morton's they say the entire menu almost, to each table before actually giving it to them. He also has to know a lot of other details there that will take some time to memorize. That combined with the fact that he started school today, means he won't be getting a lot of sleep. He started at Louisville Bible College to go into ministry. Please pray for him, as he has a tough road ahead. And pray for me as I have to adjust to a different schedule of the time I have with him. It hasn't been easy on Grant and I the past week, not having him at bed time. Both of us have had a hard time going to sleep without him.

For me, I am officially starting at Portland Christian this week. I have orientation on Thursday. I have already been there some getting the rooms set up. But this will be the first real training. I am so excited. I know this is where I am supposed to be. The ministry and the people there are truly doing the work of God by taking care of his children. Every person who is there is there because they love God, love the kids, and really believe in the ministry. It is going to be awesome!! Grant can't wait to go to school there. He is so excited to have his mommy, Pappaw and soon Aunt Jennifer, just right down the hall. Poor boy, he will never be able to get away with anything!!

I also got a new tattoo last week. I was very excited to get this one. It is Eli's handprint. For those of you who didn't see it on facebook, I will share it with you. It is very special to me because it is just a small symbol of the handprint he left on my life. Not a day goes by that I don't miss him or think about him. And now I have an actual piece of him with me all the time. A big thank you to my step dad Chris who made this possible, and who also got a tattoo of his own along with me and my brother Jaxon. They also got memorial tattoos about Eli, which means the world to me. The fact that they were so touched by that little boy, to do that was incredible.






That's it for now, but stay tuned as there are some more changes happening in our lives. God is letting us in on a little bit of the path He has planned for us, and it is so exciting (and a little scary) to see where it is leading. Thanks again for reading, I will be writing more soon, promise!!

Brooke