Minor Miracle

I have to tell you a hokey story about myself but I need to preface it with this little bit of trivia. About so many years ago, I had the most amazing opportunity. It was one of those things that only God could do, because I certainly wasn't experienced or qualified for it. The owner of a record company came to our church where my friend Joni and I were a part of the worship team. (Lesson #1: The most amazing opportunities come when you serve in your local church!) Long story short, he offered us a record deal and we began the journey of putting an album together. When it was time to lay the tracks down, we met our producer that would be working with us on the project. Because I was a die-hard Christian Music fan from a very early age, what was happening before my very eyes seemed surreal. Our producer, a legend in the music industry, was Jonathan Brown, producer for Petra! When we met, I could hardly speak...in fact, I don't think I did. So he leaned in to shake my hand and said, "Maybe we should start with prayer." I replayed that moment for weeks, wishing I could've handled it with a little more "coolness", but it didn't take him long to figure out that I was pretty goofy! We did the project...Minor Miracle. I had some incredible experiences during that season of my life and I grew as a musician like never before. I don't know how many times I heard in the studio, "DeeDee, you're just a hair flat." It took much patience on Jonathan's part and a few tears on mine, to finally learn what a "hair flat" was. I knew that he could tune my vocals digitally and I would say, "Jonathan, please just fix me". To which he always replied, "I refuse. Sing it again." I still tend to sing a "hair flat", but God has taught me so much through people who are better than me and people who make me better. So I share with you my fifteen minutes of fame, to tell you that a few weeks ago, I found out that Minor Miracle is on itunes and Yahoo Music. A project that I thought was extinct is now in cyberspace and here's the hokey part...I downloaded every song to my ipod! My friends Mandy and Daniel laughed at me because yes, I do have a CD somewhere around here and yes, I could've copied it to my computer and downloaded it for free. But no, I paid to hear myself sing on my own ipod! I hadn't heard those songs in so long and man, it took me back to a time that God showed himself so strong on my behalf. Scripture says that we build our faith by remembering the things God has done in our lives. As I remember this, just one of many great things God has done in my life, I know that there is nothing that is impossible for Him. The dreams I have are just a drop in the bucket for Him and when I recount the mighty works that He has done, my faith is strengthened and I am inspired to believe Him for more. I love living a life of adventure and wondering what could possibly be around the next corner. He never ceases to amaze or surprise me. I'm so glad that I am on this journey with Him!

The music is not so hip anymore, but it is a great testimony to the power of God and His delight to give His children the desires of their hearts. Have a listen and be inspired to believe God for Big Crazy Dreams! P.S. "Sweet Escape" is my favorite...

Minor Miracle

I Know...I Know...

it's been way too long since my last post! Any significant thing in my life that I have achieved has been because someone pushed me or stayed on me to get it done. So, this is for Leslie. Thanks for the push!

It's not that I don't have anything to share with you guys. In fact, it's just the opposite. But it's so overwhelming to try and squeeze it into a couple of paragraphs.

God has blessed me more than I can possibly describe to you. I know it's Father's Day, so I'll start there. I have the most amazing husband who has been the most amazing dad. When we got married, we dedicated our lives to living out God's plan no matter what that meant. We had no idea the joy that would come from that commitment. It doesn't seem that long ago, but the sweetest gift that God gave us was our two boys, Byron and Brennan. Big B and I grew up in pretty disfunctional homes when we were young, so there were some things that we knew from the get-go that we wanted to do differently. One of those "different" things is that our home would be filled with peace. Because of the example and the expectation that Big B set for our boys, I can't think of a time that my children were rude or disrespectful to me. I don't remember them ever raising their voice at me. (Except when Brennan had a brain injury from football and he didn't know what he was saying! I forgave him for that.) I kept waiting for the rebellious years and they never came. (Knock on wood) Byron and Bren are not perfect, so don't think we haven't had stuff to work through. But the relationship I have with my guys is so dear to me and I just can't believe how blessed I am to be their mother.

We moved Brennan to College Station a couple of weeks ago to attend Blinn. It's hard to believe, but he's starting his second year of school and now he's 4 hours from home...and loving it. His goal is to transfer to A&M by next summer. My goal is to pray him into a good job! The boy has got to have a job! He has my personality to a fault. It's the "if I really need it, Jesus (or Mom and Dad) will provide it" philosophy. Ambition was never my strong point. (See first paragraph) When Brennan left, he told us that college kids who live away from home get care packages in the mail. We asked him if he knew what a care package was. He said, "Yeah, it's a box...with money in it". That's my boy! I sent an email to our friends and family letting them know that Brennan would be expecting "care packages" soon! Here are some pics of Bren's new home...


Byron is about 8 weeks away from marrying his high school sweetheart. She is the girl of MY dreams and we love her more than she'll ever know. Meg and Byron have been dating about 4 years and I couldn't have picked a more perfect mate for Byron if I had done it myself. She is precious and I am crazy about her! When they graduated from high school, Meg's church had a senior recognition day and they included Byron since he had been hanging out with them so much...obviously, he was hanging out with Meg! But anyway, Big B and I went to the service and we had the sweetest surprise. At some point in the service I see Byron walk over to the grand piano, sit down and start to play. Then Meg joins him and the two begin singing...together. Yes, I cried. And I do believe this wedding ceremony is just going to be one big boohoo fest! I am so proud of Byron. He has worked hard to make sure that he is prepared to take on the responsibility of being a husband to Meg. I know God has great things in store for those two and I can't wait to see how they live out their lives for their Creator. It is my prayer that my children grow to realize that the most important thing in life is to "know HIM more deeply and intimately, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of HIS person more strongly and more clearly..." Phil. 3:10
Here are some pics of Megan's first wedding shower...such fun!


So this is just a peek into what we've been up to. I'll try to keep you updated more than just once a season! Happy Father's Day...

We're Engaged!

It doesn't seem possible, but Byron and Megan are officially engaged! They've been dating almost 4 years now and this Christmas, they finally set a date. So yes, we're planning a Fall wedding and I am thrilled. Meg is everything I could hope for...everything I have prayed for...in a helpmate for Byron and we are so blessed to have her joining our family!

Cheering Me On...

Some of the girls from our women's ministry took a day trip out to the OELS Ropes Course. We've been before and it never disappoints! It's a great event to build team unity and the challenges we face together always send us away feeling like we can conquer just about anything! It is certainly a reminder that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. The last challenge of the day was a 34-foot tall rock wall that we had to climb and once we got to the top, we could ride the zip-line to the bottom. So awesome, but it was a challenge I didn't think I could complete. When it came my turn, the weather was a little drizzly and the rocks (the grips) were a little slick. It was hard to hang on, much less hard to pull yourself up! Almost halfway up, I slipped. You are harnessed, so you don't fall far, but it scared me and I quickly gave up. I had them lower me down and with my arms shaking like jello, I sat and watched the rest of the group complete the challenge. After everyone had a turn, the girls convinced me to try again. I didn't want to. Failing once was bad enough, but to try and then fail again would be even worse. They wouldn't accept that. So I got back on the wall. It was still hard. But the girls were screaming and cheering below as well as calling out directions for my feet. They could see easier moves that from my viewpoint I could not see. One of our JANES had gone before me and she waited at the top for me to make it, making sure that I didn't give up. And our wonderful instructor was at the top, doing the same. About 30 feet in the air, not believing how far I had made it, I looked down at all those faces that were intent on helping me succeed(I wanted to make sure they were taking my picture!) and I thought, "What a great picture of the body of Christ!" This is how it's supposed to be. Rallying around one another and cheering one another on. I made it to the top. But I wouldn't have given it a second try if it wasn't for my team. They were a great reminder that we are stronger than we think and we can overcome challenges with the help and support of those around us. I am so grateful for these girls that challenge me to do the things I think I cannot do. See the proof below!

Saying Goodbye...

My sweet grandad passed away this week after a short battle with cancer. He was the kind of man that everyone loved and wanted to be around. He had children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren that he loved and took great pride in. He was baptist, right down to the suit and tie and though fear tried to creep in during these last days, he never wavered from his faith in Jesus.

He served in the Marines when he was a young man and his dream has always been to have a military funeral. I've posted some pics so that you can see that his dream came true. It was so moving. His grandsons and great-grandsons were the pallbearers and it was a striking sight to see them carry the flag-draped casket to its final resting place. My grandad would have been so proud. I was so proud...of the man he was...of the life he lived...of the legacy he left behind.

We'll miss you Grandad.

JANES

I just need to brag on some of the sweetest girls I know! JANES is the women's ministry of Bay Area Fellowship and the leaders that serve are some of the most creative, talented, generous, fun-loving girls you've ever met. They are bound together by their love for Jesus and for their fellow JANES and they have answered a call to reach out to other women in our church and our community. They have a huge vision and such enthusiasm and I am amazed at the sacrifices they make in order to make sure God's work is accomplished. I am so proud to serve alongside them!

Here's a pic of our JANES coordinators! For more pics of the extraordinary ladies that make up this amazing team, hop over to our new JANES blog and check it out. It's still under construction, but feel free to sneak a peek!

God's Promises

I was heading to work this morning, looked up and saw the most beautiful rainbow. I just happened to have my camera in the car (never happens!), so I grabbed it and started clicking away. It was so spectacular, I applauded God out loud. The pictures do not do it justice, but I promise you that God outdid Himself today! In fact, I think He was showing off! And it was such a sweet reminder that His promises are true and He is faithful. It didn't take long to begin to recount the precious promises that He has fulfilled in my life and to look forward to the ones that are still yet to come. If you're waiting on the delivery of a special promise, have no doubt, He will bring it to pass. This was in my CD player this morning...I played it over and over! Salvation is here...


God above all the world in motion
God above all my hopes and fears
I don't care what the world throws at me now
I'm gonna be alright

Cause I know my God saved the day
And I know His word never fails
And I know my God made a way for me!

Genesis 9:13"I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth."

River Inn

Hey Guys! For those of you who've asked, our vacation was at River Inn near Kerrville. It's a great place for families! Click the link and check it out!

My New Job...

After 14 years of working in the education system (9 years at the same school), I am moving on. I have been blessed with a wonderful career opportunity, working with some great girls I'm just crazy about. There have been sweet blessings along the way already, but the first one happened within 24 hours of accepting the job offer. My new boss took our entire firm and their families to an awesome river resort for a week where we did nothing but have fun and relax! It was amazing and I'm posting some pics to prove it. The adorable girls you see are my nieces and yes, another blessing is that they are part of my new firm family as well! God is so good!

New Blog Buddy!

Hey Girls!

We have a new blogger in the world! Go see Leslie and welcome her to the family! She now joins the ranks of those of us who stay up way too late catching up with our blog buddies!