Waiting for Baby Jack!

My sister, Kerri, and her husband, Derek, are expecting their first baby boy (Jack) any day now. Kerri has asked me to be in the delivery room with her for the big event. Seeing that all I ever wanted to be when I grew up was a teacher or an OB doctor, you can only imagine how excited I am! There is just something so special about having a sister and even more special about sharing one of the biggest days of your lives together...the birth of your first child. She was here when Ansley made her debut and now I will hopefully make it to Atlanta in time to be there with her and watch him "arrive"! I have two nephews (on Jon's side of the family) whom I adore and love dearly but I have heard there is just something indescribable about your own sister having a baby. If I can be as in love with Jack as Kerri is with Ansley...then that is some love!! Ansley and Jack will only be 6 1/2 months apart. I hope they can make lots of memories together! Well, look for pictures soon! She is not in labor yet. Her due date is Tuesday. I am hoping he comes this weekend or that she can schedule an induction towards the end of next week so I can stay longer and not miss too much school. We cannot wait to meet you Jack!
Love,
Uncle Jon, Aunt Karen, and Cousin Ansley

Ansley's Fall Portraits

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

The leaves are falling down...

Fall is in the air here in Birmingham on this chilly Friday! This is our family's favorite time of year. This weekend, we are looking forward to spending time with our friends at supper club, watching the Bama homecoming game, seeing old friends on Sunday, and hopefully finding time to take Ansley to the pumpkin patch....watch for pictures soon! Enjoy your weekend among His beautiful creation!

Serving Kings

Jon and I are recipients of Oz Hillman's "Daily Workplace Inspiration". I usually use this blog to write updates on the happenings of our family but loved today's post so much I had to share it. What an inspiration and challenge that wherever the Lord has called us to "work" we should be persistent and skilled at what we are working towards! Lord, help us to be this bold in our workplaces and with those we come in contact with everyday! Check out the post by Oz Hillman...

"Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men" (Proverbs 22:29).
I was sitting in a room of 400 business people from 75 different nations to begin an international conference. After a time of worship, a man stood up and exhorted Christians in the United States to pray for their president. It was a difficult time in our nation because president Bill Clinton was in the midst of a scandal.

The man who challenged us to pray was pastor Romain Zannou from the small African nation of Benin. Romain had earned the right to exhort us. Many years ago, God had given him a burden to pray for his Marxist dictator president, Mathieu Kerekou. For 10 years, he prayed for two hours a day for Kerekou's salvation and for God to give Kerekou wisdom to lead the nation. One day while he was praying, Romain felt that the Lord had a message for the president. Within 24 hours, he was standing in a room with Kerekou to deliver the word of the Lord.

Though he and Romain had agreed to meet after their first free elections for a time of Bible study, the former president refused to meet with Romain after only a few meetings. Almost every day after that, Romain went to Kerekou's home, only to be told that Kerekou did not wish to see him. Each day he said, "I will wait," and stood outside the wall for hours, many times in the rain and heat, in hopes that Kerekou would let him in.

After a year and a half of these unsuccessful visits, the former president finally received him and greeted him with the words, "Pastor Zannou, you are a very persistent man." They began an in-depth study of the Bible. Through this study of the word of God, the former president received Christ!

Romain Zannou is one of many unknown leaders being used to impact nations through their own workplace calling. They are an unlikely group of people - pastors, flower shop owners, builders, industrialists and even a former golf pro (me).

Be skilled in what you do. You may be standing before a king in the future.

Ansley Month 6

Make a Smilebox photobook

Celebrate The Joy of Reading!

I hope this is not too "teachery" of me! Just wanted to invite my friends and family to join "Jumpstart’s Read for the Record" on October 8th! My kindergarten class will be participating and we will also participate as a family at home with Ansley! This year, Jumpstart invites everyone to read the classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, on October 8th. We are reading the book and doing some fun activities that coorelate with the story at school, and I figured why not share the idea with my friends and family so they can do the same whether they are teachers or are at home with their kids? There are some suggested activities on their website (www.readfortherecord.org).

Jumpstart's Read for the Record is an international campaign to bring children together with valued grownups in their lives to read the same book, on the same day, in communities all over the world! How cool is that? In 2008, they broke their own world record as nearly 700,000 readers shared the classic children’s tale, Corduroy! To quote from the website, "On one historic day, one amazing book will be read aloud in classrooms, libraries and homes from Japan, Germany and Brazil to cities and rural communities across America. Hushed with wonder and tickled with giggles, children around the world will simultaneously experience the joy of reading!"