Beautiful Blue Skies and Bittersweet Fall Days

Eighteen years ago, my life forever changed for the better. I gave birth to my firstborn, Clayton Roy Taylor. God blessed Jeff and I with that precious boy and allowed us to be his parents for one short year. In some ways, it seems like yesterday and in some ways it seems like an eternity ago. When the sky magically gets true blue when September hits it brings back those terrifying first days but also the love I felt that I had never felt before. I will always miss him but never wish him back. Clay is with our amazing Abba Father and living the eternal life I hope and dream for. Every year at this time God teaches me something new. I do wonder what it would have been like had he lived a full earthly life....would he be playing football against Hoover tonight, playing in the band, painting his body and running with the OMHS flags down the field, or just being a great fan? But in my heart of hearts, I know that if he had lived he would not be doing any of those things because his body was broken. I am grateful to God for his mercy and grace to take him and let him be whole in heaven rather than broken on earth. This year's lesson is that God needed Clay and because he loves me so, he heard my prayer for one healthy child to raise to love him. He blessed our lives with Ellen and she does love God so much. She can't take her brother's place but she has such a special place of her own. Even as I write this I ache with love for her. To think that our Abba Father loves her more than I ache with love for her. Wow - how overwhelming and uncomprehendible (is that a word??) So on this day, September 10, 2010 - Happy 18th Birthday Sweet Baby Clay. Mama loves and misses you.

I just read my sweet daughter's blog update and thought I would steal her latest blog post because what better way to thank God for all He does for me every day.

things i love....
diet dr pepper
sweet tea
running with my sista chicks
listening to ellen tell me about her day
hugs from my husband
chilling out and shopping with ellen
pep rallies and football (go OM)
watching/listening to cheerleaders eat and have fun together
Honduras
praising God in song
reading
sunshine
fall breezes
having my head rubbed
chocolate cobbler
coffee and the bookstore

these are the ones that top my list. i am so blessed to live the life i live. God makes all that possible. through great times, bad times, happy times, sad times, frustrating times and incredible times...He alone is the only thing that is unchanging. He loves us more than we could ever dream and imagine and is in total control of our lives whether we understand it or like it. nothing that happens is coincidence, He planned it long before time began. I praise you Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

running on faith,
lee

What did ya hear, what did ya see, what did ya touch, what did ya taste, what did ya smell, what did ya feel???

Every night in Honduras after incredible worship to our King with accapella singing Mark would ask this/these questions. We have now been back in the states for two weeks and I can still hear him saying this and still processing the answers. We have been blessed to get some rest - even though Ellen is at it again with the Birmingham Mission trip - visit with a few friends and family to tell about our trip and reflect on the whole experience. I will have to say that it is hard to explain to anyone who has never been. I have friends saying "It is time to be glad to be home" "You are needed here too" etc. I know that and God is showing me that but for those of you who have experienced Honduras whether it be years ago when you stayed at Baxter or this year, you understand what I mean when I say "It was the most incredible thing I have ever experienced" "I can't wait to go back" "It was awesome". So, for you - but mainly for me since I am old and afraid I will forget - I am going to list some of the answers to those questions that were posed to me daily by Marco.

I saw beautiful mountains, naked children, joy in the Honduran faces, meat hanging in windows for purchase, water in sealed bags, sickness, outhouses, people living in shacks with no running water, electricity, doors or windows, human beings and vultures chasing a garbage truck to get food to eat, red mimosa trees, mango trees full of ripe mangos, traffic in a major city with no red lights, mountainside after mountainside of villages full of "houses" that were really only shacks, grateful eyes when we finished a house for a family, excitement when the gringos showed up, overwhelmed teens who had never seen anything like this in their lives, clouds hanging so low or we were so high that I was in them.

I heard the laughter of little children being played with, the laughter of teens and adults building new relationships that would be forged forever, a group of over 100 singing praises to our God in unison, encouraging words being spoken to "newbies" who really didn't know what they were doing, the sound of kids getting sick (sorry - gotta take the good with the bad!), the sound of teens playing all kinds of games and teaching their new friends, Mark yelling "You people are killing me!", the quiet sobbing/crying of people as they are overwhelmed by what they have done that day, groaning from carrying lumber up a mountain or hauling buckets of rock that are too full (no mas!), translators (Rachel, Josue, Steve) telling/asking the Hondurans questions for those of us who know no Spanish, the sound of Honduran children trying to speak English and copying me down to the so Southern accent, 80's music blairing over Enrique's radio on the bus (they are 25 years behind in music so I was back in high school/college), SILENCE - when we left the dump and hospital and were all so sad, the words "I love you" and "I will miss you" being said over and over to our new friends as we leave each other at the airport.

I tasted beans with goat cheese, fresh mango, pineapple and watermelon, the most amazing homemade tortilla chips ever, pan de pan (their version of bread pudding that I made myself sick on because I ate so much, Fresca that isn't diet, Coca Light (diet coke but not really), the best rice I have ever put in my mouth, the best french toast I have ever put in my mouth, the Lord's supper at a small church where we actually had to share the cup, a few things I wasn't sure about but I ate anyway......

I smelled sweat (mine and others!), garbage in the villages, the most horrid smell I have ever smelt the day we fed the people at the dump...you cannot imagine and have never smelled anything like it. The amazing thing is once we were actually all the way up the mountain to the place we needed to be the smell was not an issue at all - that was all God, sweet teen girls hair when I would hug them every night at dinner when they had had a shower and I hadn't, stinky little garbage cans beside the toilets(you don't flush anything that doesn't naturally come out of your body), Lysol (Lori and I sprayed down every single thing in a two story dorm after a virus hit), bugspray and sunscreen, sawdust, rain on the mountain.

I touched people who just needed to be touched, teens who needed a hug, lumber, nails, tin, dirty laundry, clean laundry, sick children and babies, parents of sick children and babies, post hole diggers, shovels, buckets, rocks, mud, old box springs with barb wire and a Santa hat stuck in a mountain, hands of people helping each other up and down mountains, cold dishwater in the kitchen because there was no hot water to wash dishes with, cold water in the shower when there was no hot water, lots of wounds (Nurse Lee to the rescue with no gloves!), lots of hand sanitizer and wipes.

I have left out many things I know but these flood my mind. The last question "What did ya feel?" - well, I felt God.

running on faith,
Lee

Sorry I have not posted since last Saturday. Sunday was a busy day and then we did not have internet in LaCeiba. On Sunday we went to church at Los Pinos. Andrew Dorris led singing in English and did an amazing job. We took the opportunity to take lots of pics that day since we were somewhat presentable for a change. After church we went back to Villa Gracia and everyone shared what food they had left for lunch. It was awesome. That afternoon was spent gathering, giving away and packing. Late afternoon we headed to El Patio for our "banquet". Lots of pics, laughter, sharing and food! First they brought us drinks - coke, diet coke, sprite. Then, bean dip with goat cheese that were in these clay pots that were so hot that they made the cheese melt. After that a platter of appetizers that I am not sure about. Maybe some fried cheese, a bread type thing that they say was sweet and plaintain. Then we were each brought a bowl of rice. We had pre-ordered either chicken or beef. I ordered chicken. It came on a long kabob but it was not pieces of boneless chicken like you would make at home. They were actual pieces of rilled chicken! It was enough for at least 2-3 people. I felt so guilty not eating all of it but Mark always thinks ahead. We took all the meat that was left from each big table of people and packaged it up to give to children waiting outside the restaurant and the rest to our bus drivers. Our last devo was in the dark because at the reservoir that serves the entire country the main transformer blew and the ENTIRE COUNTRY was without power. It was a little creepy when we found that out because here we are on top of a mountain in a third world country with one guard with a pistol guarding us. Short-lived fear because the spirit of the Lord was upon me. Before devo was over the power was back on. Then back to our rooms to finish packing and get ready to be outside with everything at 5 to get on the school bus to ride to meet the charter bus to ride 8 hours to LaCeiba. When we got to the gas station Ellen comes to me and says Andrew doesn't feel well. I go over to him and he has that look like he has had after the last two Country Music Marathons. Not good and I start praying! I go back into doctor mode - get out all medicine I can think of, buy him a Ginger Ale, put him on the charter bus first and tell Ellen she is in charge of taking care of him. There was not room on there for me. I was on the coaster bus that held about 20 people. My new friend, Robin Parker, and I talked the entire way there. What a ride! We are not talking interstate here people. Two lane roads at best up hill a lot, traffic, bridges out so you have to detour on gravel roads. The worst was that the air went out quickly into the trip and we were heading away from the mountains to the coast! I have never been so glad to get off a bus. When we arrived it was hot at the resort. I was thinking, "I wish we had just gone home." But, we got into our rooms and there was air conditioning and hot water in the shower that now I only had to share with 3 other people. Piece of cake. The restaurant was a buffet and I was skeptical of the food because there are obviously no health department inspecitons there! There was fountain coke and hot Lipton tea so that was helpful. On Tuesday we spent the day relaxing and enjoying the pool, watching the kids play, participated in a water aerobics class, read a book and sat on a veranda in a big wicker rocker and took a little cat nap. At dinner that night, a couple of my girls weren't feeling well again. I did what I could and know that again they had not drank enough water that day. Since they did not feel well, I ended up staying up until we boarded the bus at 1:30 am to depart for the airport. Right as we were getting ready to leave, my new friend, Stan, a dad with two precious daughters came to me asking for medicine. He ended up being sick on the bus the entire way back. I again was on the coaster bus and felt sorry for another new friend, Steve, who is very tall and had ended up with a seat behind the front passenger seat with no leg room and that didn't recline so I switched with him. Needless to say, I didn't sleep so I prayed for my girls and Stan all the way back to Teguc. It took us 7 and 1/2 hours to to get to the airport. We tried to eat McDonald's - yuck and then went through security and got to our gate. Our Oklahoma, Indiana and Kentucky friends were departing before us and we went to see them off. I cried so much. These people have grown to mean so much to me in such a short time. Men, women, teens and children who have met me and heard my life story and still love me unconditionally. We became a community in 12 days - nobody acted better than anybody else, everyone shared their hearts and possessions, laughed and cried together. It was a community of believers changed by God. The flight to Atlanta was uneventful - praise God! When going through customs of course I was the chosen one to be searched. I was so tired by this time - could not sleep on the plane.
The customs guy called me "Feisty Lady" but ended up being nice. We get to our gate and all the kids and Tim go to eat. I stayed back with Katherine and the bags. I finally got a turn to eat and had a simple turkey sandwich and a real Diet Coke. It was so good! We were all punch drunk by the time the plane took off from Atlanta. Saying crazy things, laughing, etc. When we arrived in Birmingham there was a big contingent waiting for us! How sweet and precious to see them. I was so glad to feel Jeff's strong arms wrapped around me. Sherry brought me sweet tea and Telia made chocolate cake. Yum yum! Even when we got home I still could not wind down. I finally went to bed around 12:30 after being up for 40 hours! I hosted a bridal shower at my house yesterday and on Thursday morning Jeff woke me up to tell me we had a water problem. The ice maker line had busted. No problems I thought. I can go to the bathroom outside and I still have some water in my cup from last night so I can brush my teeth. Guess God wanted to ease me back into the lap of luxury. The "Pre-Honduras Lee" would have been so mad and upset. The "Post-Honduras Lee" just took it in stride and said "It is what it is, whatcha gonna do? It's all good" It is so not about me and things being perfect anymore. I feel so strange not doing manual labor and laying around. I need a mountain to move....thank you to all of you who have prayed for us, supported us by giving of your time, money and gifts. It was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced and I cannot wait until next year....yes, I am going back!

running on faith,
Lee

Everyone seems to be well now. They are not eating very much but I am making sure they drink. Today the Homewood group (minus Alex and Catherine Aust) went to build a house with the DF group. Our own Lindsey Voelker was the crew leader and she did a great job! We had a tough time getting the posts set but once we did it all went pretty smoothly. The house was for a man named Carlos. It is hard to believe that today was our last work day here. In some ways it feels like we have been gone forever but at the same time, it has flown by. The group from Almeda Church in Norman, Oklahoma has really bonded with all of us. They are so nice and fun. Two of them are my roommates and we act like a bunch of kids even though the youngest one is 30. We even talked today that the Homewood group needs to road trip to Norman to visit. I have really made some great friends and so have the kids. We have all shared so much and it is so cool to be in this environment with total strangers but have the common bond of the love of Christ. Today when we were leaving Ellen came and asked me if she could give her shoes to a little boy who had attached himself to her all day. I told her of course she could. She tried to give them to him and he wouldn't take them but then we told him he could give them to his mother and he immediately took them. Once we got on the bus a few of us handed our shoes off the front of the bus via Pedro (the night guard at Villa Gracia). Yesterday I came to the room and tried to pack up some things and organize my suitcase and I got everything I could find and took it in a bag to the ladies in the laundry. You just feel so guilty for having anything or wasting anything. I was cleaning up the worksite today and there were a bunch of empty Gatorade bottles. I was looking for a place to put them and some of the women watching us asked if they could have them. These people will use or sell anything they can to take care of their families. Tomorrow we go to Los Pinos to church and then back here to start packing. We go to El Patio tomorrow night for a banquet and then leave early Monday am for La Ceiba for our decompression time. God is so awesome and faithful...praise his holy name.

running on faith,
Lee

Yesterday I went to build a house for a neighbor of the guard, Pedro. We had to move everything out of her current house, tear it down and then build. There was no shade and I think it was the hottest day we have had. It was my first experience with being in a house. It was so sad and she even had a stove and a refrigerator and "bootlegged" power. The woman, Letti, had three boys - Michael, Christian and Sole. She and I connected right away. She had a little kitchen area and then a sleep area with some old mattresses. There were random little pieces of furniture - a small chest, some open iron bookshelves and a baby cradle that she kept clothes in. She did have a concrete floor which was great but everything was so dirty. Our crew was full of experienced men so it went really smoothly. They were very patient with me and let me help hammer the nails on the entire floor. There are six people that nail and I was one of them. The last wall we ran out of good boards and had to piece them. We swung by Wendy's and had a little Frosty. Then we went to the warehouse where another group was moving boxes of food from one room down the breezeway to another. We helped do that and got back just in time for a rain storm. I helped unload all the tools with a bunch of guys and then it was time for dinner. When I got my food I could tell Ellen wasn't eating. The girls told me that Kellum had just gotten sick and I thought here we go.... Ellen took some Pepto and went on to devo. Kellum was really sick all night. Ellen got sick during devo but only threw up one time. I finally got a shower around ten and parked myself downstairs with the girls. I was up some with Kellum. Ellen finally went to sleep I just stayed up and prayed all night that she would not throw up again. God is merciful...she didn't. She says she feels better today but I am staying here with her, Kellum and a girl from Indiana who is feelingqueasy. Lori is bringing Lysol back in the afternoon and we are going to spray the place down. I so wish I had brought gloves from school - Nurse Greene would be lecturing me right now! You Oak Mtn. people know what I mean! I also am going to help the ladies in the laundry - there are mounds of bags to be done.
I think we are all tired, letting our guard down, not eating and drinking enough. I have preached to our kids already this morning. I am doing the best I can to take care of them. I am not feeling very successful right now:( Please continue to pray for us and that God will build a hedge around us. He has truly been with us and His presence is felt.

Yesterday was a whole different day in lots of ways. I went to the dump with Tim, Andrew, Ellen, Savannah, Liza, Lizzie and 4 other people. We rode through town in lots of traffic and stopped at the bottom of the hill to go up to the dump. We were met by Mark Tindal who told us what we would be doing and then hopped in the back of two pickup trucks and headed up. Remember, everything you do is UP! What a ride! At one point I said "I don't like roller coasters!!!!" We had gone up, up, up and then it went down - I was in the truck with the food and water also so we were heavy. The wheels were sliding and away we went. Then we went through "poo mud" and that is when the smell started. I had a bandana around my neck but realized that was rude to the people so I didn't put it over my face. Those of you who work with me - think of a trip to the bathroom at school with friends and multiply by 1000 - really! I cannot even begin to explain what I saw. So much garbage all the way up the hill and then an ocean of it. And the people....everywhere...hundreds including men, women, teens, children and even babies. These people LIVE here. Some of them just come in for the day to work but a lot live there. I was in charge of serving rice. We sat in the back of the truck, had one big cooker of rice and one of beans. A tub of small tortillas and bags of water. We gave them a bowl of rice and beans with 3 tortillas. Then the rest of the people handed them water. There were so many with coverings on their faces - that was our sign that they are sniffing glue to survive their hunger. There were flies and huge black vultures everywhere. Right before we left a garbage truck came and it was so hard to watch dogs, vultures and human beings rushing toward the same thing - survival. They were searching for food to eat and the humans were also looking for plastic to sell and clothes to wear. People....they don't wear gloves here!!!! It is the dirtiest place I have ever been. When we left and got back on the bus we tried to use wet wipes to wash our faces, hands, arms off but all day Savannah kept saying "I still smell the dump" Itold her it was in her soul and mind. I will never forget it. We then purchased Gatorade and rode all through downtown looking for city workers to give it to. We would see some, grab Gatorade, jump off the bus and run to give it to them (yes on a city street!) and say to them "In el nombre de Jesus" "In the name of Jesus" I practiced saying it over and over....Then we went to the warehouse and packed 40 boxes of rice soup packets on the bus and headed back up the mountain past Villa Gracia and went up, up, up stopping to get out and give people food. It was really starting to get to us because we had been on the bus for about 4 hours now. Where we were going was not meant for a bus. I finally got out and started running/walking just to get fresh air. Then we got a call to go back down and then back up to pick up the work crews. When we finally got there another bus had picked them up! I wanted to scream!!!!!!!!!!!!! We made it back and I actually got a shower early since I had been to the dump early and had not washed my hands or gone to the bathroom all day. Our devo was amazing last night. The spirit of God was so on me. He is breaking me and piercing my heart. To all of you Homewood people: I want to let you know that Tim is doing an amazing job taking care of us, checking on us not only physically but emotionally and spiritually. I am seeing a side of him I have never seen and I have new appreciation for him. Your children are AMAZING! They are not complaining, interacting with the Hondurans so well, working hard physically and making new friends from lots of places. I love hearing them laugh at night playing games with kids and adults from other places. I would not trade this time with them for anything in the world. Saying from yesterday from Tim "This gives a whole new meaning to middle of nowhere" Again, some things you cannot explain. I love you all and covet your prayers. God is alive and well in Honduras. Can't wait to see what today holds.....

running on faith,
Lee

Not sure if my last post worked so I will say a little about Monday and then move on. I went back to the leveling site with Liza Johnson. Instead of 10 people we had 5 people so the work went slower but we accomplished a lot. Liza worked so hard and was great with the children. I actually interacted a lot more with the kids today trying to teach and learn. It was a long, exhausting day but I am glad I went. Yesterday our whole group with the exception of Catherine, Alex, Lizzie and Colin went to the hospital. It was harder than anything I have done so far. Try to imagine a hospital with an armed guard out front (gun stuck in his pants) deciding who gets in the gate. We go in and it is full of people everywhere. It is about 40 years behind in looks besides the fact that there is no air conditioning and it is not clean. A huge shortage of nurses, medicine, bedding, furniture, etc. No clean water - warnings everywhere. There are about 5-6 children in a room with usually one parent with them. I saw everything from spina bifida to kids waiting for a heart surgery; a little boy who had gotten attacked by a dog, an infant maybe 2 months old with Down Syndrome, many infiltrated IV's, dirty bandages, etc. We went to the cancer unit. It actually had air conditioning but was soooooo cold and they patients had little to no blankets unless they brought them themselves. It was one big room with a few beds and the reclining chairs. Some were there for the day but one father that was with his daughter said that they come twice a month for 5 days. His daughter had hardly any covering and was shivering. I asked if they stay in that one spot for the 5 days and he said yes. The only place for him was a plastic patio chair beside her bed. That was so hard for me. I tried to pray with every person I could individually. One mother saw me praying with another and asked our translator if I could pray with her and her son. Wow - God is showing himself to me and how some things are universal. I prayed with several in English and had no interpreter with me and when we finished they would be crying and tell me Gracias as if they understood every word. I wasn't in the same group as our kids and when they came out they were crying and praying together. I talked to them about what they had seen and tried to comfort them. When I came out I got pretty emotional and those sweet teen girls in turn comforted me. We went last night to a little town on top of yet another mountain called Santa Lucia to have devo in the oldest church in the western hemisphere. It was built in the 1500's and has no nails in it. It was beautiful. They are doing some restoration on it and when they started to scrape the walls to repaint found old artwork on them so now they are trying to uncover it all. Shortly after we arrived the lady who let us in called Mark into her office. He came out as we were singing (how awesome it sounded) and said that the priest had called her and said he had a call that was a threat and that we needed to leave. Mark was very cautious and wise and we left rapido! He said that the Ctholic church stood by the uprising of the government last year and now is targeted a lot. I don't know what today holds but I do know our kids for now are happy, sweet, healthy and being changed just as I am. God keeps telling me "Do not fear, for I am with you."

running on faith,
Lee

First Two Days

Wow! I know I will leave things out so ask me questions when I get home! The first day I went to build a house for a man with three children. His wife left him. We drove a long way on the bus to a village. Then walked up and down and then REALLY down to the site. We had to tear down their old house - sticks and mud. Then built the house - 16 feet x 16 feet x 19 feet. The walls and floor are like laying laminate flooring and the roof is tin. We had a dedication ceremony as a family with us paid for the house in memory of the guy's dad who just died 3 weeks ago. We said a prayer and then the man told us how much he appreciated us. To see the joy on the children's faces was priceless. Then yesterday I went with a crew to dig out a spot on a mountain to build a house for a woman and her 13 year old son who is in a wheelchair....you know that is where my heart is. I have NEVER worked that hard. No shade and hauling buckets of rock and mud down a line for almost 6 hours - I used muscles I never knew existed. We had the best time! We had to walk down to the little village town to wait for the bus and I was so tired that Liza Johnson and I were laying down on the side of the dirt street with our heads on our backpacks! On the way back we went to shop at Mi Esperanza (Lori's non-profit that teaches women a skill) and I won the prize for spending the most money! Not really honey! On the bus ride back we were stopped by the police - for no particular reason than we were a bus full of white people. There are no road rules here - it is a free for all and everywhere you go is uphill - literally - We are staying at the most amazing camp but it is at the top of a mountain! Today we are going to be touristas and then go to church in the afternoon. God is showing me so many things about myself and our kids. They are doing a great job and I have not heard one of them complain at all. They are loving every minute of it! More later - internet is sketchy.

running on faith,
Lee

First Morning in Honduras

We arrived safe and sound in Honduras yesterday at lunchtime. Lori picked us up from the airport, gave us Honduran money and took us to a restaurant for lunch. I was leary but she assured us everything was safe. I had a Sprite in a real bottle, grilled chicken, rice and pico which I rolled into a flour tortilla. Very good. I also tried one of Andrew's plaintain chips - bland - no taste. Then on to Villa Gracia up the mountain. What a bus ride! There are no traffic lights or stop signs in town - free for all with horns blaring. Pretty comical. Then up the mountain - the views were amazing! Lori oriented us and gave us room assignments. I am in a room with three nice ladies who are younger than me. Ellen is with her buds and that is good. Tried to get organized - No space but I arranged my suitcase so it would fit under the bed and my carryon has just enough room at the end of the bed. Then a huge storm kicked up and we lost power. Dinner was baked chicken, bread and spaghetti seasoned with broth. Then devo which was amazing. Beautiful singing and I had forgotten how much I love to hear Mark Connell sing! I got a shower - maybe 2 minutes and hit the bed since I had been up for over 18 hours. Please pray that God will use me and remind me that it is about me and him and not me having friends. I feel pretty alone right now.

running on faith,
Lee

Satan is still on steroids but I am winning because I am not giving up or in. Sunday our worship leader, Kev, planned an incredible time of worship in song. Some of my favorite songs including my Sweet Ellen's Everywhere I Look that she wrote when she was 7! The one that touched my heart the most was Give Me Jesus - it goes like this -

In the morning when I rise,
In the morning when I rise,
In the morning when I rise
Give me Jesus.

Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus,
You can have all this world
Give me Jesus.

Oh when I am alone
Oh when I am alone
Oh when I am alone give me Jesus

Oh when I come to die
Oh when I come to die
Oh when I come to die
Give me Jesus,

Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
You can have all this world
Give me Jesus

Throughout all of the end of the year stress, uncertainty about work responsibilities for next year, preparing physically and mentally for the trip, my baby turning 15 - all of it is so insignificant if I just live that song. I want to be clay in His hands, ready to serve no matter what, no matter when, no matter where. Just give me Jesus.

running on faith,
Lee

Preparing my heart and mind...

So Satan is still on steroids trying to rock my world. I REFUSE to let him win this one. This morning when I was talking to God I asked "What is it you want me to get from this?" (unspoken situation) He said "I am trying to prepare you to yearn to be in Honduras." I udnerstand now. I am excited but as I have shared before I am very nervous and apprehensive. God is using a situation to make me want to be away from everything for a while - to yearn to not have telephones and text messages, Facebook and television. I am craving to be away and that is good. I am trying to listen to him and trust him in all situations.

running on faith,
Lee

I have been really emotional today...don't know why...could be that I am too tired, too busy, ran out of time to do anything productive...who knows. Our baccalaureate service was today at church. So hard to believe these babies are graduating. At the end of service our worship leader, Kevin Kilpatrick, had the seniors come up to the front. Then, he had everyone who sings on praise team join him...then the congregation. We sang Revelation Song and it was amazing to have those voices so close together - blending as one to sing praises to our God. Kevin told his graduating daughter, KK, during the sermon that he wanted her to sing the lead...she has an amazing voice and just stepped right in there and did an awesome job. Tonight I got an email from my oldest and dearest friend in the world, Lisa. She just returned from her first weeklong mission trip. God truly used her to spread his word and spoke to her. I am so thankful for her, her heart and her love for our God. Have a great week everyone.

running on faith,
Lee

worrying about the little things

It hit me today that 3 weeks from today I will have arrived on foreign soil for the first time in my almost 49 years. It made me dizzy to think about all the things I have to do in 21 days and made my heart beat a little faster with excitement and apprehension. I have been worrying about little things like how will Izzy (our shih tsu) do without Ellen for two weeks? will Jeff eat right? can he get his laundry done? how will he get along without us? We will miss him so much but I can only imagine how he will feel coming into an empty, quiet house every night - Ellen and I are anything BUT quiet! Satan has been working overtime but right now I am winning the game 2-1. Just gotta keep asking God to go before me every day. I am so blessed to have this opportunity - 2010 has truly been a banner year thus far...ran my first full marathon, going on a mission trip for the first time ever, got a passport - I may even train for another marathon, who knows? I do know that I am a very blessed woman - I have a husband who loves me and makes me laugh, an incredible daughter who I love more than the grains on sand in the ocean and I most importantly I am a redeemed daughter of the King of Kings. Praise Him, Praise Him, Jesus our Blessed Redeemer.

running on faith -

22 days until we leave for Honduras. I can't believe it. We have talked about it, raised money for it, dreamed about it, prayed about it and now here we are so close. We had a dinner last Saturday at the Dorris' house to have questions and answers. The kids who have been had so much good advice and information and great stories to tell. Those of us who have not been were so attentive and soaking it all up. One thing that has meant so much to me is how supportive everyone has been. All my running buddies, school buddies, family and church family want to help in any way they can and it is so appreciated and I am humbled at the way we have been showered with monetary gifts. So, to all of you, a heartfelt thank you! Satan continues to try to wear me down - stress over school for me and Ellen, things to do, my house is a mess, etc..I will not let him rob me of my joy! Last Thursday night I watched a video from a link that Mark Connell (our friend who lives in Honduras and runs TORCH Missions) put on Facebook. It was about 20 minutes long and was real footage from The Dump in Honduras. The Dump is just what it says it is but people live there. I saw pictures of small, dirty children filling torn plastic bags with plastic bottles to resell. Women gathering around a dump truck of garbage as it dumped its load to look for food to eat, clothes to wear, things they could sell. I saw men, women and children competing with buzzards flying over head for food. As I sat on my couch in my comfortable home - clean, belly full and my comfy bed waiting for me, I realized that I am so not prepared to go to Honduras. I have seen a lot of things in my almost 49 years on this earth but nothing compared to this - in movies and on TV sure, but not face to face in real life. I am praying that God will continue to prick my heart and make me stronger physically, spiritually and emotionally so that I can do the work he has for me to the best of my ability.

Until next time - I am

running on faith,
Lee

Convicted to live for Jesus

Most of my readers know that I work at an elementary school. We earn "blue jean" passes for different things that allow us to wear jeans on another day other than the designated "first Friday of every month". I am not a big blue jean fan but my friend, Melanie, and I wanted to be "twinkies" today and wear our finisher shirts from the race. I told Melanie I didn't have a pass - she reminded me that I did indeed posted on the wall outside her room. Back in January we were asked to use descriptive words about the people on our teams - my team is the Special Ed team and there are about 12-15 people on our team. During Valentine's week every person in the school found a red heart in their mailbox with the words that had been used to describe them. Today when I used my pass, I re-read the words my peers had used to describe me. Wow - what a compliment but at the same time what conviction! It brings tears to my eyes to read these words but also makes me feel guilty because I know that I don't always live up to these things. The words they used were: reliable, determined, dedicated, energetic, passionate, efficient, trustworthy, motivated, cute (??really??) and faithful. I wanted to post these on my blog as a reminder to myself that God wants me to be these things to people. I want to serve him and be a light to others. Thank you to my sweet friends who think I exhibit these qualities - I am humbled. Forgive me when I have failed you. Until next time, I am running on faith.

Wow - what a morning! We get up and the news says they are starting the marathon at 6:45 instead of 7:00. We run out the door and Justin drives us. Every road we try to go down is already closed - woops! Justin finally gets us close and we can see the Elite runners already going. We jump out of the car and walk until we get to corral 9 people - I see my friend, Melanie, husband and he tells me she is way ahead of me. We jump in the corral and start moving and before we know it here we go. I find her at mile 2 and away we go. I am so proud of her - she did a great job for her first half marathon!! Way to go Mel - you rock! We went across the finish line holding hands raisesd in the air. 2:36. It doesn't rain on us at all. Shortly after it starts to thunder, lighten and rain. We find shelter and are in contact with Jim. He is running the full. They close the course at mile 21 but Jim is determined to run the entire way. He turns around to run back and gets stopped by the police. He turns back around and heads to LP Field - he runs the rest of his miles in the parking lot! Crazy, stubborn, determined friend! We leave before he finishes. We are all back now. Dry, clean and tired. God is so good - no major storms and we got the race in! Thank you Jesus.

We are in Nashville with our good friends, the Dorris family, for the Country Music Marathon this week-end. We stay with Jim's brother and his family, Charles, Rebecca and the Z girls. This is our third year to do this race week-end together. We get to the expo today and are looking around. I always like to buy a shirt, coffee mug or something to remember the week-end. I was looking at a jewelry booth and saw a necklace with a charm that said Running on Faith with a 26.2 on the flip side. The second charm on the necklace was a cross. I couldn't believe it!! I got Jeff's attention and said "This is it, this is what I want. It is the name of my blog! I have never seen a charm like that at any of the expos I have been to. He purchased it for me and I immediately put it on. When I found Ellen a few minutes later she said, "Aw, you got a necklace." Then she saw what it said and her eyes got really big and she said "Wow!" It was such a confirmation from God about my choice for my blog name! I feel his presence really strong right now:)

Up and Running

So, I decided that I needed a blog to record all my thoughts, prayers, hopes, dreams, fears and adventures of my very first mission trip. So here we go - 40 days and counting until I leave Birmingham with my daughter, Ellen and several other teens to Tegucigalpa, Honduras for 2 weeks of house building, hospital visiting, feeding residents of the city dump food and growing my faith and relationship with Jesus Christ. Ellen has said since 6th grade that she was going to Honduras but last summer God really pricked my heart that even if she changed her mind, he wanted me to go. At Christmas, we broached Jeff with our desire to "just apply for passports". He wasn't very keen on the idea but finally agreed. Then, passports in hand we committed to go to Honduras. We began to raise money and over the last 4 months our excitement has grown. I cannot even imagine all that God has in store for us. I waver between total excitement to total fear. So many people who have gone before me have said to me "I wish I could go to see you with those babies" or "I wish I could go to see you worship every night" or "I wish I could go to see you on the bus rides every day" - hmmm, that one worries me. My prayer every day is that God prepares me physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally for this grand adventure. For a little girl from Gadsden that has never left the US - this is just huge on so many levels.