A Day To Remember

This past Thursday was July 17. It served as an extra special day for two reasons. First of all, it was fifteen years ago to the day that Jennifer and I first met. We were set-up to meet at a wedding of mutual friends that, at the time, we didn't know were mutual friends. Jennifer will tell you that the attraction for her was immediate (I'm still puzzled). I will tell you there was no immediate attraction for me (yes, I was young, stupid, & superficial). Three months and several letters later we saw each other for the second time. Six weeks following that (Thanksgiving 1993) we had our first date. Thirteen months later we were married; and now thirteen plus years and four beautiful adopted children later, the rest is proverbial history. When I look back and think of the first time Jennifer and I met, it reminds me of a children's book entitled Tell Me The Secrets by Max Lucado. It is a book of stories that highlights biblical virtues that lead to a secret truth, like "The Secret of Love." In the chapter by the same title, we find out the secret of love: Seek beauty and miss love. Seek love and find both. God gave me both when He blessed me with Jennifer. Thank God for second chances.
A second reason this day will be remembered is because both my boys, Brandon age 8 and Bradley age 7, made professions of faith in Jesus as their personal Savior and Lord Thursday morning. What an overwhelming joy for Jennifer and I to be able to lead our boys to Jesus! We have prayed for this; and God chose to answer our prayer for both our boys on the same day. The day we met each other fifteen years ago is the same day that they met Jesus fifteen years later. God is truly amazing. Please pray for Brandon and Bradley as they begin their journey of faith. I'm astounded at what a great God we serve; and I'm likewise overwhelmed at the task of nurturing the newfound faith of my boys. I'm thankful that God uses broken vessels like me inspite of myself. posted by John

A Fun Week of Day Camp

Last week, Brandon & Bradley had the opportunity to attend Day Camp with their Daddy. A group of 1st - 3rd grade students from our church went to Reunion Ranch in Georgetown. They had a blast! The had Bible studies each morning, followed by fun activities. They had water slides, swimming, paddle boats, obstacle courses, zip lines, crafts, horse-back riding, and I'm sure some things that I've forgotten. Here a few pictures of John and the boys that I thought you'd enjoy.

Ready to go!

Brandon enjoying the obstacle course!

Brandon & Bradley out on the lake (or pond).
Bradley sliding down the water slide!

Update on my friend Lori!

Praise the Lord! My friend Lori has come through her surgery just fine and will be recovering in ICU through tonight. She will possibly go home as soon as Sunday. For those of you who prayed for her, Thank you! Please continue to pray for a quick recovery for her. She has two small children, ages 2 & 4, so she is a busy mom. For those Mom's out there, you know that we don't have much time to be down!

Thank you Lord, for dr.s who are skilled to help us when we are sick. We acknowledge that you are the Great Physician and that You are the One who brings healing to our bodies. Thank you for all you've done in the life of Lori and her family! We trust You to continue to heal her body and we ask for a quick recovery from this surgery today. In Jesus Name....Amen!

Thanks again for praying!
Jennifer

Prayer for my friend Lori

I'm not sure how many people read my blog, but if you are one who reads my posts and looks at the pictures of my sweet children, will you also pray for my friend Lori? She is in surgery right now having a tumor removed from her neck. She has a carotid body mass tumor about the size of a golf ball. From my understanding, the tumor is attached to her carotid artery, making this a very delicate surgery. She had an embolization procedure done yesterday. The purpose of that was to help control the bleeding today. Please pray for her as well as her husband and two small children. Thanks!

July 4th Family Fun!

July 4Th was a great day at the Woods' house. We spent some time at our neighborhood swimming pool. I thought it would be crowded, but for a little while, we had the pool all to ourselves. The kids loved that! We had a yummy barbecue chicken dinner and then headed out for an evening of beautiful fireworks. We sat on the parking lot of the Dell Diamond in Round Rock and could see several fireworks shows in the distance. They were beautiful, especially toward the end of the show. I love it when they shoot lots of fireworks all at the same time.

Before going to the fireworks show, we snapped a few pictures I thought you'd enjoy!

My 4 adorable "BMW's"
What beauties!!!
Is she cute, or what?????
Waiting for the show to begin! Papa John even joined us for some family fun!

God is Faithful!

If there is one thing I've learned about my God, it is that He is faithful and provides for all our needs. This truth has become so much more evident in my life since adopting our children. I've also seen it much more since John and I went through Dave Ramsey's study, "Financial Peace University". God used this series to change our lives financially. I'm telling you this because I want to share with you what God has done this past week. I told you in a previous post, that our dog Daisy had to have surgery. A $500 surgery, Wow! Also, our van needed new tires and a new wheel which was going to cost another $450 or so. We had these unexpected expenses come up all in the same week. John got paid on the 1st, and when he got to the bank to deposit his check, he noticed it was more than normal. After investigating the extra amount, he realized that he had been paid extra for supply preaching for our pastor who had been out of town. Also, 2 days prior to him getting paid, a family approached John with a card that held a $100 check. The card simply said "Thank you for what you do!" This extra money was totally unexpected and God provided it when we had two major expenses come up. So, I'm bragging on God and His faithfulness to provide for His children. Thank you Father, You are good!

By the way, our sweet Chihuahua, Daisy is doing very well. She made it through her surgery just fine and is recovering nicely. Thank you Lord for taking care of her!

I would also like to say "Happy Birthday" to my precious Mom! Mom, you have been an amazing influence in my life and for that, I'm eternally grateful. I love you!

Daisy

John and I have a sweet Chihuahua named "Daisy". For those of you who have known our family for long, you've probably met Daisy. We got Daisy about 3 months after we married. Daisy is now 13 years old and is about to have surgery. She's developed a tumor in her mammary gland and has a significant heart murmur. Because of her age and her heart condition, it puts her at a higher risk of having surgery. But, not removing the tumor and spaying her, is a greater risk, according to the vets we spoke with. So, we're learning that as our pets get older, they cost more to care for. But, as I've also learned from my sweet Mom, that all dogs have is "quality of life", so, if we choose to have pets, it is our responsibility to take the best care of them that we possibly can. So, Daisy is having surgery on Thursday at Hometown Vet Clinic in Pflugerville. It is the nicest vet clinic I've ever been to. We feel very confident in their abilities to perform Daisy's surgery and to treat her like a queen while she's there. So, we will pray for God's best for Daisy and for our family. Thought you might enjoy a picture of Daisy laying in a pile of warm laundry fresh out of the dryer (one of her favorite things to do).