Counting Down for Christmas!

One more month until we pick up our Christmas girls again!!!!!!!! We are so excited! It has been a LONG year of waiting to have these girls in our home again. Check out this website for a link to learn more about the orphan hosting program: http://www.active.com/donate/Christmas2010/mashadasha.

Eric's Birthday

It was fitting that we could see the Georgia Dome from our dinner table, because Eric's gift from me was tickets to his very first Falcon's game on November 11th!

Outdoor Adventures

Church and Community

Family Fun

This post and the next several posts are difficult to read, but I took them from a recent letter that Eric and I sent to our Christmas girls. I thought I would update everyone all at once. Let me know if you can't read it. If nothing else, you will be able to see some pictures! :)

Trot Training

It's Knight Time!

It's knight time again, but this time with different armor! The school I taught at last year had knights as the mascot, and so does my new school! Dominion Christian School is currently a 6th-12th grade school. I am teaching 8th and 9th grade English. As with my other moves, I'm starting from scratch, so this year will require additional time with planning and preparing (not to mention the grading). :) I am very thankful that God led me to Dominion. It is a great school with a clear emphasis on Christ!

In addition to teaching, I just finished up coaching Cross Country. The team of both middle school and high school girls and guys had a great season! Student athletes were able to learn not only about running a Cross Country race, but also how to run life's race for Christ. An emphasis was also placed on the importance and difference it makes to keep one's eyes focused on Christ.

They're Coming Back!

Check out the following website to see an updated picture of our Christmas girls - they're coming again!!!!!!!!!! Christmas Girls Website

31 years old today !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chiang Mai - Orphanage

While in Chiang Mai our group went to a Christian orphanage to spend time with the children there. After playing games with them, we had dinner with them, followed by a program from the kids and then a worship service. It was very evident at this orphanage that Jesus is the focus. Although the facilities did not look that nice, the children were genuinely happy. The video below includes pictures of the orphanage, pictures of our group interacting with the children, and video segments of the children singing Christian worship songs in Thai.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Chiang Mai - Monk Chat

Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 5:00-7:00 was the opportunity to attend Monk Chat. During the specified times, anyone was welcome to come in and engage Buddhist monks in conversation. For our group, our conversations opened many doors for the gospel to be shared.

Chiang Mai - Concert

Two free Christian concerts were held for the community. The first was at a small venue where I was able to speak to a Thai college student about Jesus. The other concert was held at a church. The Tim Johnson Band from America and several Thai musical groups performed as a means to reach the community for Christ.

Chiang Mai - Class

The morning until lunch time was spent in worship and in class. Worship consisted of The Tim Johnson Band leading us in song and a Helen, GA pastor leading the devotion. Class followed the time of worship. Class was held in our hotel conference room. The first week we studied Buddhism, and the second week we studied Islam. Part of class was also spent hands-on when we went to Buddhist temples.

Chiang Mai - Church in the Village

Most of our time was spent in the city, but one Sunday we went to a church in the village. We attended the worship service where they sang songs we knew, but in their own language. After the service we ate lunch with the kids and spent time with them for several hours.

Chiang Mai - Transportation

One of the three planes that transported us to Thailand.

Riding in a Tuk Tuk - one of our main types of transportation. The Tuk Tuk reminded me of a wanna-be golf cart, but was driven like a motorcycle.

The Sung-tow was our other main type of transportation. It was a truck with two benches in the back. About 12 people could fit in a Sung-tow.

Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is only .08% Christian! The population majority is Buddhist, since “To be Thai is to be Buddhist.” Muslims and atheist were also encountered on the trip. With such few Christians, there is much work to be done in Chiang Mai!

Eric and I spent July 7-26 in Thailand with five of our KFBC college students. Our KFBC team of seven joined up with Truett McConnell College and Southwestern Seminary, forming a group of around sixty people. Due to extensive travel time, we only had 2½ weeks in Thailand. The first several days were spent immersed in Thai culture and learning our way around the city so that we would know how to best reach out to the people. The first full week was spent focusing on Buddhism and Buddhist evangelism. The mornings were spent in a class learning about Buddhism, and the afternoons and evenings were spent out in the community building relationships with people in efforts to share Jesus with them. The second full week consisted of the same schedule, but with an emphasis on Islam and Islam evangelism. For both weeks, we engaged the culture and people by visiting universities, restaurants, local shops, malls, mosques, temples, and monk chat. At all these locations, the Lord opened doors for us to share the gospel with others. We also had the opportunity to work with children at a village church and at an orphanage.

Since February

Hi, Everyone!

What a busy year it has been so far! Here is a quick update, because if I don't give you a quick update now, you might not see one for a while. :)

Since February:

- Erin graded and graded and graded and graded and graded and graded research papers!
- We went on a quick Spring Break trip to FDR State Park to camp with family.
- We went to two Braves games (one with the college group and one with 75 people from our church).
- Had a huge July 3rd celebration at church like last year. Thousands of people were on our church campus . . . it was amazing! MANY of our college students came out to help, too, so that was incredible!
- Eric had his first college intern this summer!
- Our church is changing services: what was two worship services and one Sunday School hour will become two worship services and two Sunday School hours. Since Eric is also the Education Pastor, he has been very busy getting everything lined up for Aug. 1st when all this takes place. (more information located at kfbc.org)
- We have had the opportunity to visit with family: granddad's house for Memorial Day, Eric's parents came to visit, Erin's parents came to visit, and Erin's siblings and niece and nephew came to visit.
- Went to a rock climbing gym with the college group.
- Our church staffed a community 5K. Eric and I were course marshals.
- Erin has a new job: moved from King's Academy to Dominion Christian School (the Lord really taught me many lessons during the transition). I will be coaching Cross Country and teaching three classes. (Check it out: dominionchristian.org)
- We have been preparing for a mission trip to Thailand. We will accompany five of our college students but meet up with some other groups while there. In two weeks God provided the money needed for the trip. The weeks to follow brought spending money and money needed for supplies. AMAZING! Eric and I have really seen God at work as our Provider!
- Had the opportunity to talk to our Christmas girls on skype!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Erin took care of a baby for a week.
- Had the recent opportunity to hang out with friends.

Obviously, most of our activities have been with church. God has been doing so much at KFBC, and we are so thankful, honored, and humbled to be a part of it all. Check out our new college website. One of the college students made the logo and another college student set up the web page. (www.kfbc.org Go to the ministries tab and select college and career.)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

I'm so thankful that Jesus Christ demonstrated the greatest example of love! He gave up His life for us. Mankind is sinful and in need of a Savior . . . Jesus is that Savior! Because of Christ's sacrifice on the cross, our sin debt has once and for all been paid in full! That is love!!!!!!!!!!! This love is for you to partake of. Recognize that you do wrong things and that your punishment for sin is death. Know that Christ took your place on the cross. Christ, who knew no sin, became sin for us. Three days later Christ rose from the dead. Christ conquered death, which allows those who surrender their lives to Christ to spend eternity in heaven with Him! I chose to turn my life over to Christ as a little girl, and I am so thankful! Jesus still continues to pour his grace upon grace all over me. Never have I known such unconditional love! Thank You, Jesus, for Your love!!!!!!!!I'm also thankful that God blessed me with an earthly love, my handsome husband. I love you, Eric!

Birthday Blessings

My birthday celebration began one day early when Eric surprised me at our college Bible study. He made a birthday powerpoint slide, had the group sing "Happy Birthday" to me, and then pulled out a birthday cake! I was so surprised and loved all of my handsome husband's thoughtfulness!

Eric's thoughtfulness did not end there. On my actual birthday, the birthday fairy came! I woke up to find the most special birthday card ever that was made by my husband. The card was accompanied by a prayer journal and Keith and Kristyn Getty's new cd. That was only the start to an amazing day!

Ever since I was in high school, it seems like something always came up on my birthday. I remember one birthday when I was snowed in with my youth group in a school gym. What a birthday! My second married birthday was spent cleaning out our apartment because we were switching seminary apartments . . . cleaning included slicing my finger open with a curtain rod! Most birthdays either Eric or I had to work. Last year at work I kept forgetting it was my birthday. This year I told Eric that all I wanted for my birthday was for him to be off work so he could spend the day with me. I do not work on Thursdays and Eric took the day off, so we had such a special time together. This was one of my favorite birthdays of all!

Eric and I picked up lunch and ate it in the car at the top of Kennesaw Mountain. This was our lunch view!

We walked from the parking lot look-out point to the very top of the mountain. These pictures capture the view we saw.


You can see Atlanta from the top of the mountain.


What a blessing it was to be surrounded by the Lord's AMAZING creation on my birthday. His fingerprints were all over his handiwork!

The day continued with the start to our new hobby: cycling! Eric and I plan on riding in a bike race in May. Riding bikes that day really reminded me how out of shape I am and that I have a lot of work to do!

We stopped by REI on my birthday, and the bag below just caught my eye. I'm a pretty picky shopper, so it was a big deal that something jumped out at me.
When I went over to examine the bag closer, I saw the label and knew I had to get it!
I loved having birthday money to spend on a special treat!

Treats continued when Eric took me for a romantic birthday dinner.
To our surprise, we discovered that birthday guests receive a free meal! To make our visit to the restaurant even better, we were seated at a curtain booth! The table was surrounded by walls with a small opening for the waitress to serve us. A curtain completely enclosed our table once the waitress had brought us our food. How fun is that . . . a curtain booth! I felt like we were in a little train car or something.


The main meal was delicious, and my free birthday dessert just topped it all off!

A stop at Starbucks began our trip back home. Once at home, we chilled and played Sequence.

The entire day was so special and relaxing. Thanks, Handsome, for my birthday blessings!