How I Almost Attended the Decision America Tour but Didn't

Today Franklin Graham's Decision America Tour stops in my state of South Carolina.  I've had it written on my calendar for weeks.  Thousands of Bible-believing Christians will gather on the steps of our state capitol building to pray for our nation and seek God's face to ask for forgiveness and restoration of our country.  I have invited everyone I know.  It is an event that I've been counting down the days to in my mind.  I made arrangements for my mom to babysit my younger kids so I could take my oldest two. But now that the day has arrived, we are staying home.

Last Thursday, I began feeling sick.  Was it food poisoning? The stomach bug?  I had several things scheduled on this week's calendar including the prayer rally which I did not want to miss.  Why would the Lord let our family get sick now?  My one-year-old Sully had vaccination shots last Monday and by Wednesday, he had started throwing up.  I attributed it to the shots and believed we would not all be getting sick.  The next day, that Thursday I was also feeling nauseous.  My oldest two, Philip and Braewyn, mentioned their stomachs hurting too but I was mentally determined that we were attending the prayer rally so kind of dismissed it.

All symptoms pointed to food poisoning for me. You can make anything appear as you want if you only look for the things you're looking for, right?  I thought we could go ahead with our already made plans. Then the Lord threw another curve ball.  Reading through my BSF lesson notes on Sunday afternoon, I came to this statement.

"Are you more excited by seeing a famous, man or woman, even in the Christian world, than by the message he or she gives?" (lesson 17, page 5)

Jesus was telling me like it was. I had gotten caught up in the hype of the rally more than wanting to be there for the sake of praying.  I have been receiving mailings and viewing the online photos from the first four rallies at other states.  I was considering what kind of posters we could make to possibly be photographed and appear in an upcoming publication.  I thought if someone from the Decision America Tour saw the kids with me, I could tell them how we are tracking the events as they travel around the country.  That would surely make it into an upcoming "Decision" magazine article.  I was going to attend this prayer rally for all the wrong reasons.

"The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” I Samuel 16:7

Yesterday morning, I began seeking God personally and asking for forgiveness for my own heart's condition.  This tour is a nation-wide event calling out to God to heal our nation. If we come to Him in any manner other than complete humility, He will know.  There is a lot at stake.  I cannot account for the motives of any one else in attendance, but I know my heart was not where it should be.  After confessing my pride over selfish reasons for attending, I began to ask if we should still attend.  This is a chance for Christians to be counted in large groups in standing for the Gospel message in America.  Franklin Graham himself had been sending mass emails asking for Christians to stand with him in this effort.  Now that my heart was right before God, should we still go?

Sometimes when the answer seems to be an easy yes, God is still God and we are not.  I had repented but with sin comes consequences.  My heart is fickle and there is still a good chance that the tour bus, the crowds and cameras would have brought me back to that place of "Wow! I'm really here in the midst of all the excitement!"  I'm stubborn and so He needed to give me a definite no.  My daugther Braewyn confirmed to me that she did in deed have a stomach bug.  When it comes down to it, I am a Christian first, Mommy second and prayer rally attender somewhere down the list.  We will be staying home today so  I can care for my children who need me most.  At noon, we will pray for our nation as that is the point of the Decision America Tour after all.

God teaches us things in all sorts of ways.  Some through encouraging friends, some through a harsh slap of reality.  I trust Him always.

Firsts and Lasts in a Baby's Birthday

When your little baby turns one, there are so many emotions involved with his birthday.  Do I want him to grow up?  He seems to be growing so fast!  What will the second year bring?  Where did the year go?  I was thinking all of that and more this past January when our little Sully celebrated his first birthday.  The day came and I thought, Really I don't have the heart to do much.  What?!  I couldn't pinpoint it.  Just because he is baby #5 doesn't mean he shouldn't have a great party like the others did.  Was I just feeling overwhelmed because the big plans in my mind don't always pan out?  Finally a friend nailed it for me.  She sent a text saying how bittersweet all of my children's birthdays will be this year.  This first year without Papa coming to their birthday parties.  That was it.  Grief had reared its ugly head again and I just didn't recognize it.  I hugged Sully a little tighter the rest of the day.  I showed him the picture in my room of my Dad and me.  I told him to say, "Hi, Papa," even though I know he hasn't even said "Mama" yet.

Thankfully, Sully's birthday was on a Tuesday so we didn't celebrate on that day.  By the weekend, I had climbed out of that place I was in and ready to make some memories for this precious baby boy. Before we remember his birthday, let's look at his first year.

 Here we have the inside and out photos of Sully from a year ago!

One month old Sully at Philip's basketball game.

Two and three month old Sully!  Figuring out his eyes and checking out his feet.

 Four month old Sully at his first time to Waffle House celebrating Braewyn's birthday.

Five month old Sully and a memory I always want to remember.  Saying goodbye to Papa.

 Six and seven month old Sully.

 Eight and nine month old Sully.

First Thanksgiving at ten months old being snuggled by Cousin Marie.

Eleven months old and sitting on the steps of our state capitol building.  Fun family trip!

More fun on our trip at the EdVenture children's museum.  He's a big kid now!

So now, on to the birthday photos!

I had been holding him off all year from chocolate.  Chocolate chips for breakfast sounds good on your birthday, right?

Little guy would not take a bottle until the week before his birthday.  It seemed tough then, but now I'm thankful I could nurse him all those months.  How strange for something I did several times a day to seem so very long ago now.

This is the everybody cake.  That white blur in the middle is "1st" written in drippy icing.

And this was the Sully cake!  Can you believe I forgot to take the all important "after" picture??

I'd say Sully enjoyed his first birthday as well as anyone can who doesn't understand what birthdays are.

Thank you for this precious gift named Sully.  You knew so much more than we did just how much we would need his baby snuggles, baby firsts and baby joy this year.  I miss my Dad, but will enjoy telling Sully all about him throughout his life.

Backup to Last Fall, Part 2

Just a few more photos from just a few more memories I don't want to forget.  Here we go...

To celebrate my 40th birthday, I wanted to visit my Grandma.  Mom and I loaded up with the kids and drove Georgia.  The drive down went great and again I was so thankful to have happy van-riding children and this van doesn't even have a DVD player!  First stop, QT for a potty and snack break.  And there was just enough "lawn" to get some energy out.

It was wonderful seeing my Grandma again.  I had not been to visit in over a year and the first time since my Grandpa passed away.  Even at 85 years young, Grandma played and snuggled the kids the whole weekend.

I told Philip and Braewyn to pack church clothes as we would be visiting Sherwood Baptist Church, home of Sherwood Pictures which has made the movies, "Fireproof", "Courageous" and the most recent "War Room".

My head told me to play it cool, but my emotions got the best of me when Philip noticed Alex Kendrick sitting a few pews behind us.  I wasn't going to pass on that chance so I did speak to him briefly when the service ended and we were leaving.  Just a few words to say thank you for the great movies which have motivated our family so much!   Between visiting with Grandma and my aunts and enjoying worship at Sherwood Baptist, we had a great weekend.