Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Britt is playing in March Madness

High school kids have their own March Madness on Zinch.com.  Britt was selected as a State Finalist in Zinch’s March Madness scholarship competition. He has the potential to win $20,000 depending on the number of votes he gets. Over 150,000 students from around the world applied to compete for this scholarship. 64 students were selected as a State Finalist in Texas. Britt is one of them.  If you'd like to help him, click on the link below and vote.  It will only take a second.  The students with the most votes in each state advance to the next round of 32 in Zinch's March Madness. THANKS SO MUCH!


Vote for Britt by clicking here:

http://www.zinch.com/Voting/Regionals.aspx?GroupId=67#Britt-Brandon





Thanks for supporting me in my quest for $20,000!



Britt

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Happy Birthday Baby Blair

UPDATE on Blair's Biopsy: 
The radiologist was not able to perform the full biopsy today due to the size of the growth on Blair's thyroid. The complete biopsy will need to be done out-patient at a hospital.  The radiologist was able to take one sample of tissue and fluid.  Blair did very well tolerating that procedure.  Pathology report will be back in a couple of days.  Thanks so much for praying for her!  Bev

Dear Blair,
Happy 25th Birthday Baby Blair.  I remember the day well.  I bled profusely after giving birth and needed to have a blood transfusion. I didn't want it---who does---but they were not testing blood for AIDS yet.  God protected!  And your daddy went and ran the Cowtown Marathon.

You were the cutest baby girl with an intriguing personality.  Like a blonde Shirley Temple.  Brooke would say that if she ever wanted to meet anyone, she would stand right behind you. Even at an early age, you knew everyone in the neighborhood!  Now, you probably know someone in every state!

I remember your first soccer game as a four-year-old.  You grabbed your teammate's hand and ran off to the playground instead of to the ball.   Do you remember dancing in MayFest?  Stage fright!

You have always adored your sister and brother.  When Britt entered the world when you were 7, you met him at the front door in your clown outfit with rainbow clown hair.  Awww!

You loved school because you loved people.  Teachers would want me to get you to stop trying to help others and do your own work.  You have always had such a big heart for other people!

I can't remember your middle school years??  My mind is blank....hmmm.

High school was so much fun for you!  You'd say, you were grounded for all of high school.  But this mom says you just enjoyed yourself to the max!  You cared deeply when your friends messed up.  You prayed for them.  You talked to them.  You walked with them.  And you followed your God to this very day!  I think your high school days were a dream!

OU was a perfect God-ordained match for you.  You tackled political science and you met many more friends to fill your world with joy and love.  Your dad and I were so proud of the young woman you were becoming!

The Witherspoon Fellowship was another great match!  And then working on Capitol Hill is a calling and love and an opportunity you have seized well.  Your daddy and I have never had to worry about you for you've always been responsible and diligent at whatever you've tackled.

And now you're engaged to the love of your life.  A great guy who adores you and will care for you forever.  A guy who is so committed to you and to making the most of your lives together.  An accomplished guy who knows where he's going in life.  And we love you both more than words can say.

I wish I could upload one of your baby pictures with your gorgeous hair.  Instead, here's one of the last pictures we took before we moved out of our home of 20 years where you found a Secret Room and climbed out of the window behind us to get to school one morning and sang yourself to sleep every night and found a good God and left us with beautiful memories of a young life well lived!  Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!!!!


Pray for Blair on her Birthday:  Blair is having a needle biopsy on her thyroid today.  Pray for our girl on her birthday today that God's Hand once again protects her precious life!  She's a beautiful girl and she'll always be our Baby Blair!

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Lenten Devotionals

Like many, I grew up observing Lent for the first 18 years of my life.  For me, it was more about giving up stuff. But tomorrow, as we begin the Lenten season, it will be more about "letting go" of things and looking truthfully at what is happening in my heart as I walk through life.  It will be about finding God in the midst of my mess.  A Good God.  A Holy God.  A Glorious God.

Larry Crabb has a new book called 66 Love Letters and there are about 20 of us reading through the Bible together and using his 66 Love Letters book as a devo guide to unpack the truth in each book. You can click on AString of Pearls blog in the top left column of this page to still jump in and join us there.  

But I wanted to let you know that Larry is offering daily excerpts from his 66 Love Letters book through a free e-mail service, a short reading for reflection every day during Lent's forty days (except Sundays) starting Wednesday February 17 and ending on Easter April 4th..  Just click (or copy and paste) the following LINK and subscribe by e-mail:  http://www.66loveletters.cgrantandcompany.com/

I am free today in ways I never dreamed because of my friend, Larry Crabb.  Larry has given me courage to face what is going on in my heart and has helped me find God in ways I could have never imagined.  I encourage you to take a look at his new book by subscribing to the free Lenten e-mails as we prepare our hearts for Him!

I'll end with one of the lines from the first chapter of his book 66 Love Letters:  "I want you to realize that I never underestimated how thoroughly you'd mess up your life or how painfully you would struggle and suffer, and I don't want you to underestimate your failures or struggles either.  They're all part of the story I'm telling.  But neither have I underestimated my determination or ability to enter the mess you've made and the pain you feel and turn everything around.  I can, and I will, make everything good again.  Never underestimate Me!"


Thursday, February 4, 2010

A Saved Mess

The radiation oncologist sent a letter last week. After reveiwing my scans and comparing them to the scans from MDAnderson, he changed his January prognosis from suspicious mass to benign mass.  Hmmm. That was the 4th opinion on this scan.  If I put my confidence in a good report or things turning for the better, then I'm missing God.  Isaiah 30:15 - In Quietness and Confidence our Strength is in the LORD, not the solution to our problems.  A quote in 66 Love Letters puts it this way:  "The issue is worship and intimacy with Me, not health or wealth or personal comfort."  They were supposed to do more diagnostic scans but my case has slipped through the cracks as I've lost my oncologists due to current financial trends.  Humana dropped Texas Oncology for the entire state of Texas.

We're back again in Corpus Christi this weekend to play the only team that beat us this season---and it was only by 3 points.  If we win out, we win District.  That would be cool for Britt. He's wrapping up his senior year.  This mom is wrapping up memories of a lifetime as we'll say goodbye to our boy in just a few short months.  I keep wanting to incessantly inundate him with everything he needs to hear before he leaves.  Poor kid!

There's another quote in 66 Love Letters that has so gripped me this day.  "You want me to be holy in any situation more than You want me to figure out what to do to improve my situation."   I spent way too much time yesterday trying to improve a situation I am in.  Improve my friends. Improve my family.  I need to deal with my own stuff!  Isn't it amazing that in all of our MESS, HE delights in us.  He's enthralled with us (Psalm 45:11) and longs to make Himself known (Isaiah 30:18) and make us holy!  I need Him so!  What a saved mess I am!

Praying for Our Friend Joanne Psalm 131:3 Waiting on God. Hope Now. Hope Always.

House of Blessing Tribal Childrens Home

House of Blessing Tribal Childrens Home
"Whoever welcomes a little child in My Name, welcomes Me." Matthew 18:5 We have posted pictures of the orphans receiving their gifts from you. Scroll down to the post entitled "Today Was the Big Day." Many orphans didn't own anything of their own, but now do, because of you.

My Family

My Family
Britt, Blair, Bev, Bob, Brooke, Barrett

Contact

I've met some amazing women through blogging. I would love to hear from you. My personal e-mail is:
sixbrandons@gmail.com
I have another blog where I blog daily as a small group of us read through the New Testament this year. It's called A String of Pearls. We carry each other on mats (when we just can't walk anymore) to Jesus and sweet things like that.

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