When Lily Grows Up...

she wants to be a Ballet Teacher! 

Jonathan and I are praying already for our children's futures and that they will sense the LORD's calling on their lives and their lives would count for His kingdom.  We want them to seek God's will first and that whatever they choose will glorify God in all things.  Lily's First Grade class studied Careers the week of April 12th.  They had to come dressed as what they wanted to be when they grow up.  The LORD has given Lily a love for dance and also blessed her with an amazing teacher and role model at her current dance school, Angela Floyd School for the Dancer.  So there was no doubt in her mind what she would dress as...a Ballet Teacher!  Only God knows the plans He has for Lily and if this is what He has planned for her, then we know that He will help her use this to bring Him glory! 

Lily also had to interview one or both of her parents about their job.  Lily sat down and interviewed her Daddy, and here are the answers to her interview questions:

1.  What is your job title?  Business Analyst

2.  Where do you work?  in a big office building

3.  What do you do at your job?  work with other countries, help others solve problems, study reports, and go to meetings.

4.  What do you like best about your job?  My company helps save lives and treat diseases.

5.  What don't you like about your job?  working indoors

I am so thankful that Lily had this opportunity to study careers as she was able to learn more about her Daddy's job.  I am also thankful for the people that the LORD is placing in Lily's path, especially her teachers who have modeled for her what it means to be a good, godly person. 

O my people, hear my teaching;

listen to the words of my mouth.

I will open my mouth in parables,

I will utter hidden things, things from of old--

what we have heard and known,

what our fathers have told us.

We will not hide them from their children;

we will tell the next generation

the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD,

his power, and the wonders he has done.

He decreed statutes for Jacob

and established the law in Israel,

which he commanded our forefathers

to teach their children,

so the next generation would know them,

even the children yet to be born,

and they in turn would tell their children.

Then they would put their trust in God

and would not forget his deeds

but would keep his commands.

They would not be like their forefathers--

a stubborn and rebellious generation,

whose hearts were not loyal to God,

whose spirits were not faithful to him.

Psalm 78:1-8

Let Your Light Shine

On Tuesday, April 6th, I took my sweet Maddy Faith to Kindergarten Round-Up at Brickey McCloud Elementary School.  Because of her October Birthday, she's been home with me an extra year, but I still can't believe it is time for her to go off to school in August!  Time is flying by way too quickly.  I felt convicted over the last several months to really diligently pray about our school choice for our children.  I had even felt led to possibly homeschool.  But after much prayer together, Jonathan and I are at peace with our children attending public school.  Jonathan brought my attention to the verses in Matthew 5.  You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (vs.14-16)   We do not believe that all the light should be taken out of the darkness.  Right around the time Kindergarten Round-Up was approaching, I was finishing up an amazing book, So Long, Insecurity you've been a bad friend to us, by Beth Moore.  In it she writes, "Each set of parents has the responsibility to pray for wisdom, follow their own healthy convictions, and determine what works best for the individual child." What we are doing with our children might not be what God wants for another family, but we are to be accountable to God alone for our family's decisions.  We are excited for Maddy as she begins a new journey in her life.  Please join me in praying for her and that her light will shine brightly in the darkness.  And may God receive ALL the glory!!!

I love you Maddy!

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.  Acts1:8

Little Boy Blue

I wanted to update everyone on what has been going on with my sweet boy.  It has been awhile since I have posted on Parker, and I am thankful for that because things have been pretty calm up until recently.  We have been so careful not to expose him to germs and keeping him home as much as possible.  We met with the Gastrointestinal specialist on March 19th.  It was not a good visit, and I was treated as if Parker was my first born and that I was just being a "nervous" mom.  I was told that Parker's constant diarrhea was nothing more than "Toddler Diarrhea."  The look on the Doctors face when I told her that Parker was my fourth child was priceless.  Things seemed to change somewhat after that, but then we were sent over to Children's Hospital for more repeat testing and new testing.  Parker had 7 viles of blood drawn and we were asked to take stool samples over the next 48 hours.  (Oh the things we do for our children!).  A week later I was told that everything came back normal.  I questioned this information and was told again that all of his levels were normal including his IGa which had been extremely low (0.8 out of 60 just at the end of January.)  I was in shock, but knew that God could work miracles and had to trust that the Doctors were being careful with double checking his immune system levels. So we had been keeping Parker away from childcare situations, including church, and decided that we would all go to church as a family on Easter Sunday.  Jonathan and I prayed over this decision and prayed that God would put a hedge of protection around him.  Well, by Monday evening Parker started coming down with what I was hoping was just a simple cold, even though in my heart I knew even a cold could turn bad for Parker. He progressively got worse and I finally took him to the Doctor and he was diagnosed with strep throat.  This broke my heart!  I felt as if I had failed him as a Mommy because I was the one who had exposed his body to germs.  Then on April 6th, I got a call from the GI specialist and they said that they had overlooked some test results and that his stool samples were abnormal.  They showed that one of his intestines was extremely enlarged but they couldn't tell me which one (large or small) and what the cause was.  They are wanting a repeat sample done a month out from the last one which would be anytime after today (April 20).  They will hopefully be able to determine the cause and if it is viral, bacterial, or something more serious.  After receiving this information I decided to take matters into my own hands and have the hospital print out all of his test results for me.  If they had overlooked this, then they could have overlooked the other ones too.  I broke down in tears when I saw that all of Parker's levels were still so low.  Not because they were low, but because we had not been told the truth.  We forget that Doctors are just human and that God is the ultimate Physician and that our faith should be in Him alone.  So, we are again keeping Parker home until at least the summertime.  On Feb. 1st the ENT said that Parker would need his tonsils out if he had any more cases of strep.  So since he has had it again, Parker is possibly facing a tonsillectomy.  Please continue to pray for Parker and that he will stay well and that his immune system will get stronger.  Only God can heal his body and I know that He will do it in His own time.  We are praying for patience as we wait on God's perfect plan for our precious boy.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Romans 12:12

The LORD is My Strength

Last week was one of the most difficult times in my life.  I sat and watched Kristi, one of my dearest friends and sister in Christ, lose her beloved.  Kristi's husband went to be with the Lord on Wednesday morning, April 14th.  Even though I know that God has our plans already written out for us, it is still amazing to me when I reflect upon the events that led me to where I am today.  God knew the plans that He had for the Hopwood family, and He chose me to be a friend for Kristi as she endured the pain and suffering of losing her husband.  Kristi and I have known each other for less than a year, but the LORD has used hardships in both of our lives to draw us close together.  For example, our family has  battled with Parker's health since last April and his immune deficiency disorder mimics almost identically to what Kristi's son Cole has endured.  God opened up a door for me when the Codirector position in the Children's Department at our church needed to be filled.  I felt led to take the position in which I would be working side by side with Kristi.  God knew that I would need someone to lean on and talk to about Parker's health issues and He graciously gave me that friend in Kristi.  God knew that He was going to take her husband away to be with Him, and that she would need someone to be there for her.  I could not have made it through last week without the LORD.  Friday morning I actually had trouble even getting out of bed and facing the day for the first time in my life. I had signed up as a chaperone for Lily's field trip to the Aquarium, and my heart just wasn't there.  I had asked a friend to ride with me and it fell through, but as I was driving alone, I became so grateful for that alone time that God had blessed me with.  I had over an hour to pray and worship and I kept crying out, "I can't do this Lord. I am not strong enough. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to say." And I could feel the peace coming over me as if God was saying, "No, YOU can't do this, but I can and I WILL." Verses that I have held onto over the last several months are 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." There fore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.  I am a very independent person and the LORD uses tough times to draw me closer to Him.  I always have loved the song by Mercy Me, "Bring the Rain." 

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain

The Lord knows exactly what I need and most of the time it is not what I want. But I have learned to try and delight in the hard times because He has chosen me.   I am so thankful for the strength that the LORD continues to provide and the neverending grace that he gives.  I know that He will be glorified through all of this.  Please continue to pray for my dear friend, Kristi, and her five year old son, Cole, and that they will be comforted and given a peace that surpasses all understanding.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world." John 16:33

Basketful of Fun!

I love Easter baskets!  My mom and dad always made sure I had an Easter basket full of goodies to wake up to on Easter Sunday.  It was a tradition they kept up all the way through my college years and I hope to do the same with my kids.  This year the theme of the baskets was "Pool Fun."  Each of my sweeties got a new bathing suit, flip flops, and sunglasses to get them all ready for our favorite season...SUMMER!

Lily

Maddy

Katy

Parker

Look at those shades!

Eight stylin' feet!

Hurry up summer!

They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

Psalm 145:7

Easter Egg Hunt

Our sweet friends, the Houk family, invited us to join them on Saturday, April 3 for an Easter Egg Hunt and picnic at their church, Zion United Methodist.  It was a rather blustery day (as Winnie the Pooh would say!), but we had a wonderful time of fellowship and fun.  They had an inflatable bunny perfect for pictures! 

Lily enjoyed the warmth of the sun before the egg hunt:

Then she was off to find eggs!  The precious women

 at Zion UMC hid over 700 eggs for the children!

Lily and her sweet friend, Madeline:

Maddy was in deep thought before the egg hunt!

Maddy loved looking for eggs!

Maddy with her basket full of eggs!

Katy couldn't decide where to start!

Her basket was getting heavy!

Katy was so excited to tell everyone last week that, "Jesus is Alive!" so we thought this would be a perfect spot for a picture!

This was Parker's first Egg Hunt.  Jonathan helped show Parker what to do.

I thought it was funny that Parker's first egg he picked up on his own was pink!  But he kept saying, "Sissy...Sissy..." He knows it's her favorite color and he wanted to give it to her! 

When Parker picked up the green egg and it came open, he immediately wanted Jonathan to "Fix...please!" (He's a little OCD like his Daddy!)

After the Egg Hunt, the kids had devotion time where they got to listen to the Easter story by doing Resurrection eggs.

We had a wonderful time spending the day with friends and celebrating Christ's Resurrection together.  We love you Houk Family! 

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.  They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.  In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?  He is not here; he has risen!

Luke 24:1-6

God is My Hero!

God provided my family with an opportunity to go on a Mission Trip during the week of Spring Break.  I had been praying for the Lord to open a door for the girls and I to do some type of ministry work in order to serve Him.  My sweet friend, Melanie McCarty, started talking about working at one of FBC Powell's Mobile Home Parks and doing VBS during Spring Break.  God placed the desire on my heart to ask her if they needed any help.  She immediately said, "Yes!  We would love to have you help!  We need someone to be in charge of crafts."  Wow!  Doing crafts with children is what I love to do!  Isn't God amazing?  I told Melanie that Lily, Maddy, and I would be working together.  I couldn't wait to tell the girls about this opportunity.  When I first told the girls that we would be going on a Mission Trip, they immediately asked if we would be going out of the country.  Jonathan went to China on a Mission Trip in October 2007, so it would only be natural for them to ask that question.  I was glad to be able to share with them that we don't need to travel far to be on a Mission for God.  There are people right here in Powell that don't know Jesus!  The girls were shocked to learn this since Jesus is a name that we talk about daily in our home.  Our Mission Team was commissioned on Sunday, March 28, and we began our mission work on Monday, March 29.  Every day that week we met at Gamble Community Church at 5:30 and ate supper with the children.  Then we had VBS from 6:00-8:00. 

Our VBS curriculum this year is called Hero Headquarters and the goal is to teach children that anyone can be a hero for God.  We had between 6 and 15 children come each night.   We would have praise and worship time, story time, recreation time, and then craft time.  Here are the children working on our first craft, windsocks:

The girls loved being with Melanie.  Maddy was eager to help her:

There was only one little girl that came that week and she and my girls quickly became friends!

Our memory verse for the week was 1Timothy 4:12 and it was perfect!  I prayed that God would help my girls feel comfortable and that they would be good examples of God's love by what they said and did.  He definitely answered my prayer!  My girls jumped right in and participated in all of the activities.  Here they are unscrambling capes to make a word:

Maddy being a Hero during Recreation time!  Can you tell she is having a great time?

One of our stories was about the shepherds and how they were unnamed heroes.  The kids got to pretend they were shepherds herding their sheep:

I loved seeing and hearing the children reading from the Bible

 (Please keep Kayla in your prayers!)

One night for craft time we made prayer books out of paper bag scrapbooks!

All the kids loved Recreation Time and the Lord provided us with such beautiful weather:

I loved watching my girls sing praise and worship songs with the motions! 

The kids unwrapped the secret message for the night:

Here is Maddy being a "Hero" and helping set up the cans for "bowling." The 40 cans represented the 40 people that were against Paul:

Me, my girls, and our new friend, K.K.

We had an ice cream party on the last night. 

Lily and her pink cone!

The night was bittersweet.  We were sad that VBS had to end, but also happy with all of the friends we made and the opportunity that the Lord provided us to minister to the children of Gamble.  The Mission Trip was such a blessing to us, and it came at just the perfect time.  We were able to not only share the love of Jesus with the children, but also prepare our hearts for Easter by spending our Spring Break doing Christ-centered activities.  The girls absolutely loved it and have been asking to go back.  I am praying that we will get an opportunity to visit and worship with them one Sunday morning.  Please pray for all of the children that we met last week and that they will continue to learn more about our Savior.  I am so thankful for this opportunity to glorify the Lord and I am praying that He will provide more opportunities for me and my family to be heroes for God!

Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for other followers in what you say and do, as well as by your love, faith, and purity.  

1Timothy 4:12