Thursday, April 29, 2010
Keith's going to Elevate!!!
Elevate is our church's discipleship training school. I went through it the year before Keith and I were married. It has been on his heart for several years, but for some reason, we both felt like this was the year. Not sure why, exactly because his business is really picking up, which is great, but it will be a lot to balance.
He will start the school in August. It is Monday and Thursday nights from 6-10 and lots of reading and verses to memorize. Hopefully I will get to go with him some to class as well. I am excited about what we will learn and how we will be stretched. Everyone talks (in our world) about "Elevate-grace". It's like you can't imagine how you will do it, but when you are in the middle of it- it's ok. I told Keith the other night that I want to take a snapshot of our life now as the "before". Just like you do before a big diet or something, because I can't wait to see what the "after" will look like. I know the Lord will do some major transformations in him and us as a family.
Ultimately, Keith would love to be involved in a bigger capacity at the Mercy House (the drug recovery home that he graduated from). This is the first step in the process, so we will see where the journey goes.
Please pray... He will need $2300 by August to start the school. Our God has always been PROVIDER- HE is Faithful!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Our Story... In honor of our 2 year anniversary...
Our Story
AnnaBeth: I grew up as the oldest of five, in a Christian family very much involved in the church. I choose to follow Jesus at a young age and continually learned more and more what surrender meant as I grew in the Lord. I went college at Baylor University, after being homeschooled from 6th-12th grades. I studied Elementary Education to become a teacher, but really I wanted to be a mom and/or go into the ministry. After finishing school, a teaching job was dropped in my lap. I loved kids and had been very involved with children’s ministries throughout my life, so it was a good fit. I enjoyed teaching, my heart for the poor and our city grew as I basically parented/taught these precious children in my Waco classroom. However, there was always a nagging pull in my heart to be married and have my own children to love and teach. The Lord met me so much during my years of singleness; I wouldn’t trade them for anything. It was in those dark, lonely times that I came to know the heart of Jesus as my intimate companion and true satisfaction. Through it all, I knew He had spoken that he would bring that husband that I had been writing and saving letters for since I was 8 years old. I could trust my good Father, that in His timing, he was coming.
Keith (written by AB): Keith grew up in a small Texas town, the youngest of two, with a devoted Christian mother and a father who wanted little to do with God, but loved his family. However, at the age of 10, Keith’s dad didn’t want to love his mom anymore and left. Keith was forced to grow up quick, with his sister being 8 years older; caring for his mom became his responsibility. He kind of raised himself hanging out with friends around town, and before his sophomore year of high school, his mom moved to Waco. He would then go hit the parties back in Comanche on the weekends and summers staying with his dad and stepmom. After graduating from high school, he went on to attend nursing school and became “the nurse with a mullet” at Providence hospital. He was a nurse at the hospital and various clinics for over 10 years.
Towards the end of his nursing career, struggling with major allergies, he tried some cough syrup with hydrocodone in it and got hooked. This began a long spiral downward of addiction to prescription drugs which eventually led to losing his nursing license, some serious infection and hospitalization, the loss of his first marriage, and eventually to harder street drugs. He tried many rehabs and would get out and begin to spiral down again. In one rehab, he met a girl, she got pregnant, they got married and Jace was born. This marriage was terrible, she was abusive and they were both drowning in drug addiction. A little over a year later, she left and went back to Oklahoma, his second marriage ended; leaving Jace in the custody of Keith’s parents. Keith tried to be a good dad, but was strung out most of the time and so deeply depressed. Long story short, he was facing prison with 2 drug charges, when one night, he just fell to his knees and begged God to show him that He was real and cared about him. He heard about the Mercy House at Antioch and the next morning went and interviewed. Upon being accepted to live in the house, he was given probation instead of prison- God had answered his prayer!
AB: After graduating from college, I was working in the college group of a local church. Then, they hired a new college minister, and simply put, he and I didn’t see eye-to-eye on some very foundational things; community, the nations, Holy Spirit, etc. So, after many discussions and my willingness to submit and just pray for and love the church, he asked me to leave. It was very painful to pour your life in a place and a group of students and then be essentially alone looking for a new place to plug in as a single. But, the Lord had great plans and called me almost immediately to Antioch. It was a healing place for me, so refreshing to experience the presence of God and His real truth. I could trust this place and these people- so healing.
As I said before, I have always had a heart for the poor, so one thing I loved about ACC was their huge heart and involvement with the poor. My roommates and I would go the “Friday Morning Breakfast” that happens early each Friday morning at the Lutheran church downtown to serve the homeless a hot b-fast. At the breakfast, I met some men that were in the Mercy House at ACC. I was so new that I didn’t know what that was, but was intrigued as these men shared their stories of how they were being freed from drugs and alcohol. Keith was not there for the first few months I spoke with these men, he actually had to do a few months in jail due to previous charges. Later I found out that they thought I was cool and told Keith as soon as he got out that he needed to meet me. So, I met Keith at the b-fast and then the feast and didn’t think anything of him, except, just as I said intrigued that God could heal and restore people. (There is a huge side story here of me coming to really know for the first time the Holy Spirit and all that He could and was doing.)
So, then maybe 2 months later, we were at a Feast volunteer party and Jace was there. I had seen Jace and “met” him, but not really interacted with him, he was almost 3 at the time. At this party, I played with Jace and he wet his pants, I took care of him, etc and I was like, oh no- I think I love this guy’s kid! I think I could like this guy!?? I went home and told one of my roommates that I might like this guy Keith from the MH. She said, and I quote, “AB- NO- that is so stupid- he has been married twice and was a drug addict and he has a kid- NO way!” So, I dropped it, I tried to make it go away and tell myself that it was stupid- I didn’t tell anyone about how I felt for 3-4 months. It was constantly in my mind and heart and I daily had to hand it to the Lord, but began to really just pray for Keith and his freedom and full restoration. We usually interacted somewhat weekly at the feast and sometimes at certain events Jace would be there and strangely, he and I had a connection, so we always played together. But, Keith was not allowed to really even talk to me alone much less date, so it wasn’t an option, just a place for me to meet with Jesus in my growing desire.
Eventually, I felt like I needed to let a few women that I trusted into my “secret” and gain wisdom and advice from others. Among those I knew I was to tell, was the director Dean Lessman and his wife, Sherri. It had begun feeling like I was hiding something from them because I had ended up in their lifegroup and Keith was in there as well and I didn’t want to distract him from his pursuit of Jesus and freedom. So, I will never forget what they said when I told them that I was interested in Keith and even told them I would leave the LG if they wanted me to; I just wanted what was best for Keith. Dean said, “We know that you like him- what you need to do is to pray into him what you want in a husband, and if he is the one, we support you all the way.” I felt so loved and supported and that is just what I did.
So, to spare you ALL of the details, eventually Keith graduated from the program and asked me out. (And FYI- my roommate from earlier- s he didn’t think it was stupid anymore) He was my fi rst kiss, which he finally got after several attempts, (which I didn’t know were attempts until he later told me:). We dated for about 2 months before he asked me to marry him. We had no money for a ring, which I was ok with. But, someone he knew as a nurse randomly gave him my beautiful ring for FREE. I am so silly- I took it to the jeweler to see if they could simplify it- to which she responded, “Girl- someone gave you this- put it on your finger and wear it proudly!” at the same time the Lord said to my heart, “You are worth it to me, I love to give lavishly!” So often, I l ook at my ring and the Lord reminds me that He is my provider and He loves to give lavishly. He showed us His lavishness over and over as our wedding came together because our community lovingly gave of themselves as an extension of our Father.
He set these “lonelies” in a family. We got custody of Jace 1 year ago (another long story) and although there are little bumps with his birth mom every now and then, we are believing for her salvation.
So, as for our new journey I will use an excerpt from my blog…
It's obviously been hard to lose 2 pregnancies and to only have bad news every time a doctor looks at my reproductive system. I have held to and believed to the core of me as the psalmist said, "He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD." Psalm 112:7. Even in the face of lots of "bad news", I know that my God is BIG and so good, He does have plans for our good, even if that is through pain. I have experienced so much of God's heart in this whole journey and I know there is more to come. I LOVE the heart of God for adoption. I love that God is establishing in my heart that HE IS GOOD! He really does give us the medicine of JOY in the midst of pain.
There is fear of the unknown, fear of Keith's past records, fear of fostering and then losing the baby before adoption, but in the midst of all the fear and questions, in my heart there is hope in God. He is not bound to those things He is limitless, so why would I limit Him in my fears? I know the Lord has promised us more children and I'm not sure how He will do it.
I love that God is bigger than our wants and our disappointments. I love that if I put my hope in anything else, no matter how good, I will be disappointed. I love that hope in God will never disappoint me (Isaiah 49:23).
So, here we go, another unknown adventure... maybe God will heal my womb and allow space for a baby to grow, or maybe He will give us a baby that needs to be healed and a home to grow in, maybe both, but we want to be willing ultimately to meet God in all of this, whatever the outcome.
As of now, I am unable to carry a baby and we have been turned down for adoption due to Keith’s record, but we are still believing God for a miracle- we have seen His hand and His face through each step of our journey thus far.
So, there is a taste of our story… our God is a faithful Rescuer and Provider! There will be so much more to testify of His goodness- we can be sure!
Thanks for sharing this season of our life with us.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
A broken plant and a broken heart
I hear "Mom, I'm so sorry...I'm so so sorry." I walk outside and he is trying to hold the pieces of the pot together. It was the "textbook moment"- do I value my child or the plant more? He didn't deliberately do anything and he wasn't disobeying. It was just a plain and simple accident. So, I said that it was ok- it's just a plant and I knew it was an accident. He hugged me and then ran upstairs and brought back a handful of his money. My sweet boy. He tried to "pay" me for the plant. I told him he could keep his money it was just an accident and I was glad he was ok- it was just a plant. He just grabbed hold of me and cried, "Mom, I'm so sorry- I know it was special to you and you wanted to see what it looked like and so did I." He cried and cried.
I just held him and assured him that it really was ok- and then we tried to fix it with a rubber band and a new pot.
The most precious part however, was to see the healing happening in our son's broken heart. He cried out of sorrow- he has NEVER cried from sorrow before. This is something we have prayed over him for years for the Lord to soften his heart and him to connect with the emotions of others and how his actions make others feel. It was precious to see the healing taking place. Maybe this is now our prophetic plant that will be "healed" and grow strong just as our son is healed and grows strong. It was a precious experience.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Happy Easter!
We don't like the whole Easter bunny thing, but we still have fun with eggs and hiding them.
Jace and his good friend, Tashi, had a blast dyeing eggs.
There were some pretty tricky hiding places...