Prayers for the Steven Curtis Chapman family

I am sure by now most of you know that Steven and Mary Beth Chapman's daughter, Maria, went to meet her Creator Wednesday night (http://www.stevencurtischapman.com/). My heart has been broken all day by this and I have prayed every time I think about them and what they must be going through.

Please continue to pray for this precious, God-fearing family. They have done GREAT things for so many who wanted to adopt but didn't have the financial resources available to them (something close to my heart). We don't know why things happen the way they do but we have to always know that God sees and created the big picture and He has a perfect plan.

You can see a video of Steven and Maria together here http://chapmanchannel.typepad.com/inmemoryofmaria/.

Just wanted to tell all of you that I LOVE YOU. Life is too short not to!!!

Convictions of the Heart

This was written last night but something happened to it and I couldn't post it like I wanted to.


I have been so convicted recently about how we Americans (or I) DO church and Christianity. You know what I mean (those of you who have gone to church most of your lives or for a long period of time), when I say DO church. Let me explain by saying that we tend to go to church and do what we do.....sing, listen to the sermon, teach classes, serve in other ways and come home. Sometimes thinking it was a good day in church today, sometimes not thinking about it again in that day much less the rest of the week. We get in a rut that sometimes becomes comfortable and we "think" we are doing SO much for the church.

Before any of you go postal on me about this entry please know that I have been just as guilty of doing all of what I mentioned above. God has opened my eyes to many things recently and it is my job to "fix" them or find a way to change things.

In our small group we have been studying the book of Acts. It is just a fantastic book and I am enjoying it greatly. That is the first place this started brewing in my heart (really it started in the Drowning Elephants class on Wednesday nights). I started learning about thinking outside of the box (or church) on what Christ would want from me. Before then, it was always where does God want me to serve in the church ( serving in the church is great, don't get me wrong). Then I "stumbled" upon Angel's blog and started to see some of her passion for orphans and people who live in extreme poverty. Her passion and love is overflowing...talking about cup running over (she also got me hooked up with the book Dangerous Surrender). Then (yes, there is more) I started going to a Worship class at church on Wednesday nights. Guess what verse is read at the end of each class.....Acts 2:42-47

42They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

I have read this scripture many times but it has recently developed a new meaning to me. If there is a need that needs to be met and I don't have the means to meet the need, then if I need to sell something of my own to meet the need.....so be it!!! (from Tom Davis' blog) I am seeing responsibility of others in a whole new light. It is really starting to hit home with all the stuff I am getting rid of so we can move. It is ridiculous how much stuff we as Americans have. Before you all get your panties in a wad, I am not saying you shouldn't have stuff if you are a Christian, I AM saying we could do without many of the things we own. Look at all the storage buildings in America. It is stinkin' amazing how many storage building companies we passed from AR to MD when we moved here. I think this is something we should consider since the buildings that house our stuff (most of which is not used at all) is something that someone who lives in another country would love to live in (and it houses stuff....people.....stuff....with my hands thrown up in the air).


Understand that I am not just on a soapbox here. This is serious business. Our responsibility is to take care of church members, people in our community, our neighbors, our co-workers, people who are "unlovable", single moms, widows, and orphans.


As in the message on Sunday morning, IT has to start somewhere with someone but then it grows and expands (just like the drop and the ripples). It (the gospel) started out in a very small location with 11 disciples and is now all over the world. YOU can also start something or jump on one of the ripples that someone else has started. The Red Letters Campaign is just starting if you would like to jump on and help to eliminate extreme poverty.


We as Christians have sat in our pews (or chairs) and "talked" about saving the world too often. Now lets LIVE Christianity instead of "doing" it.

Crawling Dirt?????

Just a quick post about a moment I never want to forget. Mili was using the potty and she started screaming. Brian came running and asked her what was wrong. This is how their conversation went.....

Mili: "Daddy, there is a bug....get it!!!"

Daddy: "Mili that is just a piece of dirt, don't worry about it."

Mili: "Crawling Dirt, Daddy???"


We burst into laughter and Brian admitted he was wrong and then flushed the bug. It was a tiny bug but it was crawling.

The cute things these kids do. I love my life being a Mommy. These are the things that keep me going from day to day.

There is another new post with pictures under this one.

Random Catch Up

If you have been reading my blog then you know that our little family of four will be moving back to Arkansas at the end of July. We are ecstatic about moving back to be with family and friends but are very sad to leave our wonderful church and great friends we have made here (the people here became our family because we had none here).



Because we will be moving so soon, I am busy with so many details and trying to throw out half the apartment so we don't have to move it. I haven't had tons of time to take pictures or post them lately.



Here are few pictures of the girls from the past couple of days.





Sadie is trying to crawl but still not in full force yet. This look says, "Am I doing something wrong?" I have a feeling I will see more of this look than not in the future.




Happy to be free from the playpen. Since Mommy has been so busy, I have been caged a lot.





Come On.....I am irresistible!!!






Mili likes her time outside, especially blowing bubbles.




To blow good bubbles "ju got to pucker jur lips like dis!"

Standing with Mommy and my mouth's help. I put her in this position and she stayed for a couple of minutes.

Gotta have the back view. Take a look at those chubby, edible legs.

Love You All!!

Can't wait to hug you in person!!!

Dangerous Surrender - Chapter 2

Ok....WOW....where to start. This chapter is about the Kingdom of Me (Kay Warren explains how selfish she has been over the years about different things)



If I am totally honest with myself, God and all of you then I will say that this was a very difficult chapter to read. I tend to want things to be about Me (you can ask Brian if you doubt that....smile). As many of you know, we have been in a little bit of a limbo stage a good part of the last four years of our lives (what am I saying....most of our lives together). When I say limbo, I really mean WAITING!!!



Oh, how I LOATHE waiting!!!! Just a little background on us (Brian and I). We started dating when we were around 13 years old and so we, of course, had a lot of waiting before we could car date (16 years old). Then we had a long time to wait until we could get married. Brian is a year younger than me and while all my other friends were getting married I was still WAITING on that day. I would cry about not being able to get married and my Mom would leave me these little sticky notes on the mirror in the bathroom that said Isaiah 40:31. That darn sticky note showed up on my clothes, shoes, in my car, on my backpack, basically every place I looked.



Brian went away to college for two years (more WAITING) and then we finally were married after almost 8 years of dating. We were both full time college students struggling to make it financially so we used credit cards and student loans to make ends meet (not smart, I recommend it to NO ONE). I graduated college and started working full time while Brian decided to pursue a Doctorate degree......You got it......MORE WAITING for Alice to have some sort of financial security. Not long after Brian graduated we were able to have our first child. Four months after Mili was born we moved many miles away from the only home I had ever known for Brian to do a Post-Doctoral Fellowship which usually last anywhere from 1-3 years. You guessed it....ours would, of course, be three years because Alice wants financial stability with a house someday.



All of this background to say.....I totally understand Kay's comments about feeling as if God is some how showing favoritism to others over ME. We were still on the road to a PhD when most of my friends owned their own house with two cars and CHILDREN (my heart's BIG desire) to play in their back yard.



Since Christmas we have known that there was a possibility to get a job back home in Arkansas. We have been again....WAITING.....for answers on that for many months. Brian was recently offered the job and we are ecstatic about the opportunities for our little family of four (forgot to mention that God also blessed us with another daughter, Sadie 8 months ago).



To be honest, I have bellyached and complained more than I should have about our WAITING games. It is when we decided to be OKAY with WAITING when we started seeing the good in it. God has so graciously provided for us in EVERY stage of our lives. He IS a God of many BLESSINGS to us even though we don't deserve any of it.



I can do nothing about the time I have wasted complaining to God and others about how much I hate waiting, but I can start NOW to make a difference. My problem with doing this is that I too want the things I do for Christ in MY timing. God is teaching me through many thing (many listed above) that it is ALL in HIS timing.



As I went to the Christian bookstore to purchase books for our life group on Saturday, God gave me some, what I like to call "NEON moments". You know, those moments that are a little scary because they are so clear. I went to the bookstore to pick up the books and spend a little bit of time by myself (no kids in tow). As I looked at one shelf there was a bookmark that said, "Be still and know that I am God." I smiled and walked on. Then as I got closer to the counter to check out. There was a plaque that said, "Be still and know that I am God." I said, "Okay, God...I get it!" Then as I laid the books on the counter I looked up at the wall and another three plaques on the wall said.....guess what??? " Be still and know that I am God." Then on Sunday morning Pastor Bryan sang a song that had "Be still and know that I am God" in the chorus. I was a blubbering mess by the time the song ended and I was trying to tell God that I totally GET IT, but God knows me best and knows I have a hard time waiting, even with service to Him so He must think He has to SCREAM it to me. As if that was not enough, Pastor Tim's message hit home with just his outline (not to mention what came in between) 1. Don't expect the opposition to make your life as a Christian easy (I have unfortunately had Christan friends try to make my efforts to serve more difficult at times by saying that I am too involved or trying to save the world...I thought that was what we were put here to do?). 2. When you get the chance to speak up for your Lord, you have to make the most of it (powerful.....it may be the only time). 3. If you remember the resurrection of Jesus your courage will overwhelm your fears (I SO needed to hear this).



Another "God Moment" this week was while taking a bath (by myself, with no worries about the kids....I have a great husband that lets me do this), I noticed the drop from the faucet. It was almost as if God said, "Alice, BE the DROP". You all know what a drop in water does.....the ripple affect. As I watched the drop, the ripple extended the entire bathtub and all I could think of was how one tiny drop did ALL that. I began to cry (surprise...I cry about everything) and after I had a short talk with God...surrendering myself to HIS service again (it is a daily thing for me) the faucet stopped dripping.....hmmmmm??!!



If you ever feel like YOU can't do anything for Christ.....just BE the DROP!!! (or the ripples....it takes both to get the job done). Angel, thanks for being the DROP and I hope to be part of the ripples in this ministry. Take a look at the Red Letters Campaign if you want to get involved with something.



All of this writing to say that God has blessed us with this new job and financially he is answering our prayer to pay off debt and be more financially able to help others. We still have a long way to go to be free from financial restraints but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and it makes me incredibly excited about the possibilities in ministry in our future (adopting being number one on my list).



I want to live a disturbed life for Christ, see and do all that Christ wants me to!!!



Hugs and Kisses!!!