Love Demonstrated...

Our Sunday School class volunteered to host our church Valentine banquet this year.  It was a way for us to serve our church family and to demonstrate to them how much we love and appreicate them. 

Our theme.... wasn't about couples.  Nor marriage.

It was about our OneTrueLove.

Christ.

1 John 4:19

We love because He first loved us.

So everyone was welcome and we celebrated our One True Love with those others we love.

In talking about love, I want to remind you that LOVE, must be demonstrated.

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

I like how the Amplified Bible puts it:

But God shows and CLEARLY PROVES...

We can say LOVE LOVE LOVE all the time, but until we demonstate it, show and clearly prove it... it can be doubted.

Now.

That all being said.

I want to tell you all about some CRAZY LOVE my friend Renea is demonstrating!

Her sister bet her $100 that she wouldn't eat 5 live crickets.

What do you think?

Hmmm.... not for a $100 for myself. 

No WAY!!!

But.

For $100 to give to impoverished children in Bugaboo Africa?

Now we're talking!

You can read all about it below, but here's the jist of the idea...

Renea is leaving no doubt of her love for those in Africa.

She is showing... and clearly PROVING that they are dear to her!

By chipping in, you can not only make Renea eat MORE crickets...

but also demonstrate your LOVE for the least of these!

BTW...I'm glad I don't have a sister!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

Here's CHIP IN information!

FEAR FACTOR

It's On! My sister has decided she will pay me $100 to eat 6 crickets. We watched Fear Factor reruns one afternoon and somehow ended up in a challenge that she would pay me to eat live, squishy crickets. I told her I would! Thinking she wouldn't pay me.......
Then she said, I have $100. Do you have your crickets? Uh oh. What had I gotten myself into? Then I realized, with that $100 I could sponsor another child from Bugabo Village, Uganda where my friend Christie Cotney is living and serving the Lord by serving the people of Bugabo.
So...it's on!! I have FINALLY found live crickets. Hard to do in a rural area in the middle of winter. My friend Robert has a small pet business that he runs online and from his home and has graciously offered me crickets (how nice Robert).
So I got to thinking. If it was this easy to get my sister to pay me to eat crickets, I wonder if others would pay me to be that crazy. After all, it was a popular show! ;) So, I'm taking pledges. Once I reach $100 in addition to my sister's donation I will double my cricket count and chuck down 12 of those little suckers. :P Gross...
But, that 5 minutes of misery for me equals two children being sponsored for ONE year. Being able to attend school, have medical and dental check ups, and a guaranteed meal at least once a day when they are attending school. That's worth 12 crickets to me.
Join with me! I'm taking pledges until February 21st! And then it's chow time! Video footage will follow. My sister said she wanted to see and hear the crunch (since she lives in another state it was the only way to guarantee I was keeping my end of the deal).
So.....who's with me? Support Bugabo and watch this crazy redneck girl from nowhere, USA eat crickets (and most likely gag), all to serve HIS people. God is good! All the time. ;)

1st Responder

Jory = First Responder

About 2AM this morning I heard Jia crying and getting 'sick'.

I jumped out of bed and dashed to her bedroom.

Jory was already on the scene!

Jia was throwing up and while I had my 'hands full' Jory went after a bowl.

Then he took over holding the bowl for Jia while I washed my hands and got a washcloth.

When I got back to her room Jory was holding her hair back and getting a barrette to hold her bangs back.

Then he decided that was enough and asked if he could go back to bed!

It's nice to know that as much as Jory torments Jia during the day, he truly does love her and watches out for her!

BTW, Jack and Jacen slept through the whole thing!

Thanks Jory for being a helper in the middle of the night!

I love you!

Mom

Where'd my Christmas present go???

Momma got an Ipad for Christmas!

But I very seldom get to use it!

Miss SmartyPants has taken it over!

It wasn't even noon yet, Christmas Day and she knew how to run it better than me!

She always comes up to me with this adorable little face and says, "Can I play on your Ipad"??

How could I refuse?

One Saturday she spent the morning snuggled in our bed wearing her tutu dress and playing on mom's Ipad.

So, if you have an Ipad.... What apps do you love??

Party Pics!!!

Jia's Birthday is Jan 7th, but we couldn't get a party time at the skating rink until the 16th.  The wait for the party was excruciating for Jia!

On her actual birthday we made Bakarella's cakeball cupcakes to share with her friends.

She came home with a Birthday Crown and had a really special day! 

That night we took her to Applebee's for Mac N Chz (her request).

I do have mobile a mobile upload from that night I'll have to add.

We made Jia's birthday cake and of course she had to sample the batter...

and the frosting

I was horrified to see her squirting the frosting straight into her mouth.

Her big brother Jacen showed her how, but he turned away before I could get his picture!

Here's the cake!

Jia wanted Mermaids.

I think it's a bit, well.... much.

Jia would've had it to be much muchier!

She loves the 'stuff'!

We had to get every mermaid on there.

And lots of sparkles!

Party table at Roll A Rama

Birthday girl and her cake

Trying to roller skate with Daddy

Jia's BFF's!

I wish this pic of Jia and Daddy was clearer

New earrings and necklace from Grandma and Grandpa!

Red Butterlies!

Jia's favorite color and her birthstone

I love Cambree's face in this picture!

She is such a sweet little girl and always excited!

More 'bling' from Uncle Rob!

This girl can never get enough jewels!

At one point in China, I actually wondered if there was more wrong with Jia's mouth as she didn't seem to open it very wide.

As you can see.... those were unfounded fears!

Helping carry out her presents, not happy about leaving the skating rink!

Jory had a great time also!

Jacen didn't want to go because he didn't think he'd want to spend the afternoon surrounded by all the little girls! 

Jory has gotten really good on the roller blades! 

He had a great time!

I forgot to show you the 'ladybug' hidden on the cake.  I bought a bunch of these at a cake store in the city before we travelled to get Jia.  I love sticking them on cakes I make and seeing if people spot them.  I only have 2 left, so I'm gonna need to make a trip to Overland Park and hope that little store is still there!

Jia had a great birthday!  She felt so special, just like a princess!

Thanks everyone for the wishes and helping us celebrate!

Jory's School Christmas Program

Let's travel back to December.  Jory had a Christmas program at school. 

He's always so thrilled to participate in these....not

Can you spot him?

How about now?

He definately enjoys running around on the bleachers after the program is over.

It is always mass chaos trying to get everyone out of the gym, so we always seem to stand around visiting and avoided the rush of people exiting.

I did get Jory and Jia to stop running around long enough to catch a photo.

And a close up....

Snow Day

So, you would think that when school is cancelled for a snow day, you would find us all nestled in our warm clothes, snuggled up on the couch under blankets....

But no.

Jia spent the day in her tutu dress.

She would have been freezin'

if she had stood still long enough.

However, she danced the day away and played princess and never slowed down long enough to get cold!

(i love how her blue undies are sticking out below her dance suit)

She spend the entire day just being adorable!