Feed the Kids for Summer

Last night a few of our life groups as well as our youth decided they wanted to volunteer for a local program called "Feed the Kids for Summer." This is a ministry put together by a network of churches in the area for children that are on free or reduced meals during the school year. The local school nurses have said that many of these children return to school in the fall very malnourished because they have not had proper nutrition during the summer. Our church held a golf tournament as a fundraiser for this program back in May. It was both awesome and heartbreaking at the same time as we helped last night by stuffing bags full of food to be passed out to children around the community. It was awesome watching people joyfully serve together for such a good purpose. It was awesome listening to our friend's 5 year old and 4 year old fill the bags with such enthusiasm knowing that they were helping children less fortunate than themselves. While I wanted to be happy knowing we were doing a good thing my joy was overshadowed by the pain I felt in my heart for these children. We have heard a few negative comments about the program such as "how do they know that these families are truthful and really don't have the money." I know some people may also think "their parent's have the money and just spend it on drugs or alcohol." While this may be true in some cases, who are we to judge? Either way the children are going without food and that is not ok. After we had all of the bags filled I was discussing with a friend how much food each child was going to receive. What was supposed to last them a week would last many of us two days at the most. I realize that I have been blessed beyond what I deserve. I am often not as grateful as I should be for what we consider "the little things." There are children (and adults) all over our the world and in our backyard that don't know where their next meal is going to come from. Please pray for them and pray for what you can do to help. I know I will be.

9 month update

Kadynce had her 9 month check up today. She is 19 lbs 10 oz (75th%) and 29.25 inches long (94th%). The doctor says she is doing great! She got two shots and a toe prick and was such a big girl. She is not yet crawling, but is learning to get around in her own way. Dr. Daniels called it the monkey crawl. She sits on her bottom and uses her arms and legs to move around like a monkey. It's actually pretty funny. He said that her speech is pretty advanced for her age. She says Mama, Dada, Ada (all done), Ana (Nana), Hi, and Ella for Bella our dog (she actually yells this at all dogs including her stuffed one). She is eating more and more table foods every day and has just learned to pick up small pieces of food and put it in her mouth. I praise the Lord each day for blessing us with our sweet Kadynce Lynne. He has entrusted us with a huge responsibility and my hope is that we raise her in a way that brings all the glory to Him.

Perspective

My baby girl is growing up too fast. She rarely lets me rock her anymore because she knows it'll put her to sleep. She is quite the social butterfly and doesn't like to miss anything. I used to rock her to sleep all the time. I would worry that I was creating a habit that would be hard to kick, but I didn't want to miss that sweet time with my baby. I knew she wouldn't stay so small for long. On this past Monday she fell asleep as I was giving her a bottle and I just rocked her for a while trying to soak up every second. Things have really seemed to be put into perspective lately. A mother that I know has had to say goodbye to not only the love of her life, her husband, and the father of her children, but her youngest daughter as well. My heart breaks for her. I just can't imagine the pain that she is feeling. I pray for a peace for her and her older daughter that can only come from our heavenly Father.

I have been thinking a lot about this verse in Matthew 6 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Where are our hearts? Aur we focusing on the things that will someday be gone in the blink of an eye or are we focusing on things with eternal value? My prayer is that I will focus on the things that God treasures and not the treasures of this world.

My Heart

I have tried to start a blog many times before. I thought that recording our activities as a family would be a great way for our family to keep up with what we are doing and how much our sweet little Kadynce is growing. Each time before I have failed because I always find something that I believe takes priority over writing a blog. This time I believe it will last since my motivation for blogging is a little different. While I do intend to write updates on our family and about what is going on in our lives, the main purpose of this blog is going to be to share my heart. I believe that God has really been reshaping the way I think and the way I live my life. Over the past few days I feel that he has convicted me to not just keep these thoughts to myself, but to share them with others. I will be the first to admit that writing is not one of my strong points so please try to ignore any errors in spelling or grammar that may occur. My desire is to share what the Lord is doing in my life and in my heart.

With that said, here we go. Our pastor has been encouraging us to read the book Radical by David Platt. I had been told not to expect coming away from reading this book the same as I was going in. I knew that it has drastically changed the lives of many people. I am on chapter 3 and already believe that to be true. I have been burdened for a while about how we live in America, but have I done anything about it? No, nothing other than complain. We live in a society in which I believe has their priorities totally and completely mixed up. We are too comfortable in the lives we live. We will spend who knows how much money on whatever tickles our fancy, but yet we shudder at the thought of sponsoring a child who needs shoes on their feet and clean water to drink. We look at those that don't even have food to eat, or worse yet don't know the Lord and think "oh somebody else will take care of them." What if everyone says that? Who is going to take care of the needy then? A change must be made. What does that look like for my family? I'm not sure yet, but I know it must happen sooner than later.