Happy 28th Birthday John!

So today is John's 28th birthday. I was just thinking about the fact that he was born 28 years ago, and I started thinking about all of the things that could have kept him from being here, and in turn growing up, asking me to marry him, and us having kids together one day and all of that kind of stuff. I mean, if his parents had not met in middle school and fallen in love, he might not be here. If they had decided this was not the right time for them to have a baby, they could have aborted him (it happens), if they had not done the dirty deed on the day that they did the dirty deed, he might look different or act different or be a GIRL!! Its just amazing to think about how God has everything orchestrated. Before we were born, he knew that we would meet and fall in love. He knew we would get married, and he knows about the children we will have (or adopt) in the future. It gives me chills to know that we serve a God who knows all of that and has all of that planned. Anyway, I say all of this to say that I am so glad that John was born 28 years ago. I cannot imagine what my life would look like if he had not been born. Thank you Tricia and Steve for having him! He is the best gift I will ever receive!

Here are 28 reasons why I love him.

1.He's hot
2.He makes me laugh
3.He is so good at ending a fight and I can never stay mad at him for more than a few minutes. He always apologizes when he needs to.
4. He loves Jesus so much and is really striving to serve Him in his life.
5. He has pretty eyes.
6. He dresses well

7. He has a kind heart towards all people
8. He has ugly toes (I even love his ugly toes)
9. He loves our dogs so much
10. He pretends that our dogs talk just like I do. We have conversations with our dogs together
11. He wants to lead me in our marriage in a Godly way
12. He likes the same foods that I do.
13. To piggy back off of that, he LOVES On the Border, but shortens it to OTB
14. My family is in love with him and he loves them too.
15. He has great hair...I don't foresee him going balled in the future
16. He gets soo excited about Fantasy football. its cute.
17. He is so amazing when we go to Guatemala and he plays with the little kids. He wants to put them in his suitcase just like I do.
18. He biked across the country for kids with disabilities
19. He tries to remember not to work too much and be home at a descent hour.
20. He works sooo hard on our house and the backyard and does not complain
21. He strives to show others Christ's love and truth
22. He secretly likes some of the same shows that I do
23. He would do anything for me
24. He honors his mom and dad and has his grandparents wrapped around his finger because he is so darn sweet to them
25. He is giving up a month of work to go live in Guatemala with me..that's a big deal for someone who works as much as he does
26. He calls me pooperface and isn't ashamed about it:)
27. He loves me
28. He is just fabulous and that's all there is to it.

John, Thanks for being born 28 years ago and growing up to be a man that loves and serves God. Thank you for falling in love with me and letting me be a part of your life. You are a rock star!

~pooperface

The Dallas Pregnancy Resource Center

OK, so I complain about my job a lot. I don't like a good amount of people that I work with, and sometimes it feels like people's priorities are out of whack. That's the part you probably hear, at least that's what you hear if we are close and I'm honest with you. But, lately, God has been showing me how absolutely amazing this place is. He is showing me how very real He is by the things that He is doing in this place. I am constantly amazed at the people that He brings here. Just today I had a woman call on the phone and ask if we do abortions here. She has two kids and does not think that she can take care of another one. I told her that we could give her a free sonogram to find out how far along she is and to make sure that the pregnancy is viable. Right after I say that she starts telling me that she is not really sure that she wants to have an abortion and might want to keep the baby. Now, what is the chance that she would call this place, assuming that we do abortions (which none of our adds say we do), and then admit that she might not want one? If she had actually called an abortion clinic, they might have helped talk her in to getting an abortion or at least coming in for an appointment there. Its so ordained that she called us. Based on what I have seen here in my two years working at the DPRC, she will most likely keep her baby when she comes in. It's just God doing these amazing things all the time! It is so clear that God is working here in each one of these women that he brings. Its so cool to know that each person that walks through our door, was sent here by God. He has ordained all of this. He sends them here and for some reason, He has picked me to be here when they walk in. What an amazing opportunity and what an amazing burden that I am thrilled to carry. I just pray that God will give me patience, mercy, grace, and understanding. I pray that He will take away any pride that I have and help me to not judge. Finally, I pray that He will give me the courage and wisdom to speak truth into the lives of these women! "I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage, so that now, as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die, is gain. " Philippians 1:20 and 21

PRAISE GOD!!!

Ok, so Norah, the girl that I posted about two posts below, just called me. I had not heard from her all week and was so worried that she was upset with me. (I was kind of firm with her when I talked about where her life was headed if she kept going down the same path she was going down.) I was so upset, because I felt like we finally felt like we were willing to open up our house to her, and we were finally like "Ok God, we will do what you want." and then right that second, he took it all away. ANYWAY, she just called me. She was so excited to tell me that she is moving out of her boyfriends house and moving in with a distant aunt. I am going to get to watch her son on Fridays and Saturdays, and then maybe, when we get back from Guatemala, she might move in with us. We will see what God has planned, but for now, Im just really excited that we get to help her and that she wants our help. God is good. Its amazing how often I forget that He is in control, that we are precious to Him, and that prayer works!

Is this a look into my future?

So, last night I couldn't find my cell phone. I realized that I had not had it since Saturday night. John and I were about to go to bed, so I decided to call it from his phone to see where in the house it was. So, the phone is ringing and I can here that it is in the kitchen. I walk out to the kitchen and John is standing there. He looks over at me and says, "why is the fridge ringing?" We open the door up and here the song, "Brown Eyed Girl" get louder (my eyes are brown) I look to the door of the fridge, and there is my phone sitting right next to the butter. How did this happen? I have no idea, but I think this might be a view into the future....scary.

Need Advice!!!

So, I have a client. Lets call her Norah. She came in here about one year and nine months ago. She was 16 and had just gotten out of the hospital because her dad had beat her up. She came into the counseling room with a black eye and an arm brace. She was pregnant, her dad was going to jail, and the father of her baby was no help at all. She started doing parenting classes with me, and we became really good friends. She was living with her grandmother and still going to high school. At six months pregnant, her grandmother died. She was now living with her aunt and her aunts girlfriend. She had her son and continued in high school. During this time we became friends, and I started to feel a responsibility for her. She had no one to teach her what was right and what was wrong. For a long time we went out to lunch or grabbed dessert. After that, we kind of went separate ways. Basically, I dropped the ball. It wasn't until today that I heard from her. She called the Pregnancy center and wanted to come back in for a pregnancy test. It was positive, but she is miscarrying. The father of this baby is 21. She is 17. Her aunt has kicked her out and she has no where to stay but her "boyfriends" house. This is where your prayers come in. John and I have both fallen in love with Norah. We kind of look at her as our adopted child and we have felt God calling us to do something for her or with her to help her out in some way. We aren't sure what this looks like. At the same time we have been asking God to show us how He wants us to use this house. Just yesterday John said that he had been thinking about Norah and praying for her. He told me that he was thinking that we needed to ask her and her son to come move in with us. That next day is when she called me. So here is the problem. We leave for Guatemala in 6 weeks and will be gone for an entire month. She cannot live with us until we get back from that. I don't know where she can go, but I don't want her staying at her boyfriends house. I'm not sure if we should get her an apartment close by our house, or if we should just wait until we get back or what. Pray for us to make the right choices on everything and pray for us to follow God's will and please please please pray for God to make it clear to us what His will for us is!!! Thanks!!!!