Answered Prayers

Saturday:

Remember the prayer with Mrs. Liz? Well, I couldn't wait to get back to see her the next day so we packed our car with clothes, grills, charcoal, toiletry items, etc. that our family in Nashville had gathered up and we headed back. There in the yard stood Mrs. Liz without the walker she had been using the day before. I walked into the yard and she gave me the biggest hug and said "You've come back! Guess what, your prayer worked! Yesterday, my foot hurt so bad I couldn't walk on it and now after your prayer, don't you see I'm walking without even using my walker. It doesn't hurt anymore. Hun...God sure does listen to your prayers!" I couldn't contain my grin and said, "Well, we said God is the healer and he has a plan for you! By the way, I've brought you back a grill." Tears flowed down her cheeks and she said, "Hun....get that grill set up right over there under the tree and I'll start grillin' everybody hot dogs!" She continued to grill all afternoon for those who spent their day cleaning up. I just loved that even though she had a boot on her foot, she found a way to help. Although the hot dogs were a huge success, I think her most important job was passing out hugs to everyone who walked by. She called them off the street just to give them a hug. My girls went with us and sat in the back of the truck as we drove around passing out Gatorade (huge hit!), cold water, chips, and ham sandwiches. They LOVED getting to scream out the menu and running the convenient store out of the back of the truck!!! It was hilarious.

I came across this areal view of the devastation so you can better see the neighborhood... (click on photos to enlarge)

http://www.sellersphoto.com/tornado/

Next we took another grill and charcoal to Lincoln Village. Everyone was out playing in the streets or hanging out on each others porch. It was a wonderful feeling to be there, everyone was happy and enjoying the simplicity of life. People were grilling and sharing food and it really made you appreciate being without electricity since it brought the entire community together. We wanted to hang out there all day but we had one more stop to make before curfew set in.

Our final stop was taking bedding and toiletries to the Athen's Red Cross Shelter. As Owen walked up with bags of supplies, a guy asked him if he was "checkin' in." Owen smiled and said "No, just bringing a few things that the shelter requested." Then the guy said how much he appreciated the donations; his home had been wiped out with the tornado and his family was staying at the shelter. All in all, it was a great day. I felt very blessed with the opportunity to be God's hands and feet and to see Him at work.

Things I learned today...

• Charcoal grills are extremely really handy and need to be in the emergency kit.
• Electricity numbs the mind, our community, and our hearts.
• I LOVE lovin' people. It's so rewarding!
• All churches need to have a disaster team to makes mobilizing help much faster and easier.
• Disasters can shake us up and wake us up to see what is really important in our lives.
• Another mental note to keep cash on-hand at all times. Several people had checks in their pockets but no way to cash them since the banks weren't open. To make it even worse, all the stores that were opened were cash only. If we hadn't been in Nashville, we wouldn't have been able to get money ourselves.
  
• "God is Good!" "All the Time!" "That's Right!"
  

Our Prayer for Healing

Friday:

Well, we couldn't stay in Nashville when there were so many people hurting so we began the day by formulating a plan. Brad, Jill, Owen, and myself had no idea where we were going or what we would do but we packed the car with 20 cases of water and peanut butter crackers and headed out. God lead us to a little town in-between Ardmore, TN and Huntsville, AL called Harvest. As we drove around police blocked off streets of some of the most damaged areas. We stopped and asked him who needed supplies and he gave us a name of a street name that was hit hard.

This is what we saw when we pulled into the neighborhood....

One of the first families I met was Mrs. Liz and her cousin Mrs. Louis. Mrs Liz, her husband Mr. Haymon, and her grandson were in the below house when the tornado hit. Actually three tornados came through the area on Wednesday. She said Jesus touched her back and had her lay flat on the floor and that is the only reason she was not seriously injured when the chimney fell on her. As we sat in the living room of Mrs. Louis, we talked about Jesus and his greater plan for her life and how blessed she was even though everything she owned was gone. Her foot was in a boot because the chimney fell on her. She told me about what happened and how she thought she was going to drown because she was pinned to the floor when the rain and hail was coming in. Her husband was digging through the dark and the rubble to find her. I can hardly write about this because it brings such sweet tears to my eyes. I wish you could have been in the room to hear her talking with such joy in the midst of such sorrow. I asked if we could pray together and we prayed that God who is the ultimate healer would help her body heal. I'll tell you more of this story tomorrow but today I'll leave you with the below pictures so you can see for yourself what happened....

[A picture of the front of Mrs. Liz's house.]

[The back of Mrs. Liz's house.]

[Backyard at Mrs. Liz's house.]

[The house of Mrs. Liz's daughter from the road.]

[The close up photo of her daughter's house.]

Here's the rest of the neighborhood where we handed out water and crackers. While we were here, we heard they just found two more people who had died on the street where we first stopped to talk to the police officer.








Things I learned today...

• Joy can be found in sorrow.
• I can love a stranger like my own family. So much so, I didn't want to leave them. I dreamed about them all night and couldn't wait to get back.
  
• God is at work even when we don't understand the plan.
  
• Our life is just a blip.
• All the stuff we accumulate ends up a heap of useless rubble. Let it go, it's not important.
• Love God. Love Others. It's the only thing that we can take with us in our hearts.
  
• "God is good." "All the time." "That's right."
• I love being called "Hun" by a woman I've just met.
• You can get a whole crew of older men to stop working just by saying "What can I carry?" They all stopped and just stared at me. So I said "Yeah....little girls can work hard and carry things too." Then one of the men replied, "Well, I wasn't goin' to say nothin'." (It still brings a smile to my face!)
• When your passing out bottled water and crackers, you're really passing out love.
  

The Nashville Refugees

Thursday:

Today we woke up at 6:00 am and much to our surprise, the electricity did not come on in the middle of the night. Owen decided to head out to see if Walmart was open to grab some food. As the sun came up, it be came clearer how bad the storm had been the day before. While he was out we found out Tuscaloosa, AL had a F5 Tornado hit and had continued its path throughout the state. Here's the headlines regarding this day in history...

Tornado outbreak that left 342 dead was biggest in history with 226 twisters in just one day

There were more tornadoes in a single day in America last week than any other day in history. The tally in last week's outbreak came to 312 tornadoes, including a record-setting 226 in one day. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the largest previous number on record in a 24-hour period occurred on April 3-4, 1974, with 148 tornadoes.

NOAA says 334 people were killed during the 24-hour-period from 8am Wednesday to Thursday. More people were killed by tornadoes in that period since April 5-6, 1936, when 454 people died, mostly in Tupelo, Mississippi, and Gainesville, Georgia. And it was the deadliest single day for tornadoes since the March 18, 1925, tornado outbreak that had 747 fatalities across seven states.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano toured hard-hit neighbourhoods of Alabama and Mississippi on Sunday to offer condolences and pledge support. "This is not going to be a quick comeback or an immediate (recovery) but it will be, in my view, a complete one,' she said in shattered Smithville, Mississippi, where little was left standing. Federal officials already have said several areas are eligible for disaster relief, including 28 counties in Alabama and four in Tennessee.

Since power wasn't going to be on for 5-7 days, we decided to hit the road and head to Nashville to regroup since we didn't have food or a generator. Luckily, I had just filled up my car so we had a full tank of gas. That was such a blessing since there was no way to get gas. Brad & Jill Cox headed out of town with us. As soon as we got to Nashville we began a quest to get a emergency kit started. On the list was ammo (yep...ammo), lights, batteries, candles, weather radio, generator, gas tanks, gas, water filtration tablets, cash, and an inverter for the car were the top items on our list.

Things I Learned Today:

• I really love my family and I'm very thankful to have Owen as my best friend; we make a great team.
• I really need to be more prepared, including having groceries in the house.
• Take Jill with you when you need to shop...she's great at making the supply list. She's even better at hunting down a generator!!!
• People are a little nervous when your buying ammo, gas tanks, and batteries all at the same time. Ok, maybe a lot nervous.
  
• Generators sell out in record time, even two hours away from the damage area.
  
• When you've just tracked down one of the few generators in the town, don't park your car where it can be blocked in by desperate people.
• God calls you in times of need so get ready to rock & roll!
  

"I'll Praise You in the Storm"

Wednesday:

Today we've woken up to tornado sirens and the kids going to school two hours late. When we were to leave for school, sirens went off again so we decided to go to school late. During a break in the weather, I decided to get a run in so I headed out. The sky was blue but you could tell a storm was brewing. As I began my run, I turned on my iPod and it was set to shuffle the songs. Song #1 was "I'll praise you in the storm" and I smiled as I began the run thinking "OK God, I'm hearing you." Then song #2 begain to play, and yep...."I'll praise you in the storm" by a totally different artist. So I said "OK, God... I'm listening." Little did I know, this day would be the most unforgettable day for our state. Multiple tornados were tracked throughout the day. Several F5 tornados ripped through the southern states. I had no idea how un-prepared I was for an emergency until I can't find candles, batteries, and the only way we ate dinner is because Jill Cox had already prepared a ham and we finished the biscuits on the grill. Since the power was off and it is now dark when the tornado warning ended, we had no idea what awaited us the next morning....

View these maps and images of tornado reports on April 27, satellite images of the destruction in Tuscaloosa, and the storm rotation tracks from the storms.

This map shows Tornado Reports from April 27 (Source: NOAA NWS)


Things I Learned Today:

• Listen when God talks and pray without ceasing.
  
• Be prepared for an emergency!!!!!!!!
• Have gas and keep cash on hand at all times.

Updates: Floors and Cabinets

Wow...It's getting exciting at the LV house! The wood floors have been installed in the front part of the house. The back part of the house is keeping the original floors. We stained the floors a dark color in order for the stains on the original floor to not be seen. The color of the floor really warms up the space. Everyone who comes in says "I really love the floors." :)'


DG & Dat came last weekend to help install the Kitchen cabinets and pick out paint colors. Ricky, Carrie & Little Bit are here this week helping us paint the cabinets. Here's the way the kitchen looks after the cabinets are installed.


I told you it's getting exiting! People who saw the house in the original condition are now coming in and are amazed. I think there were a few moments of doubt not knowing if we could ever get it to feel so cozy but it looks like we are getting there!

Now we have the cabinets to finish painting, then the trim which includes installing baseboards, painting the walls, installing the counter tops, and building Morgan's loft bed. After that, we'll move to painting the outside of the house (yippee....we get to paint the brick!!!!) and are considering installing a picket fence in the front yard to keep the puppies & kiddo's out of the street.

Fresh Manna | Why Pray |

I'm 33 years old and I think I've probably had my entire prayer life wrong. God has been opening my eyes…yes, I have been blind but now I see. I've read this scripture what seems like a thousand times and I seem to always stop mid sentence "You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it…" [John 14:13] In all honesty, I stop there because I'm really not confident in that statement. I've been stuck on those words going "Really God? Are you sure about that? Was that a promise just for them or does it apply to me too?" Then I came across this story that made that scripture come alive for me…

Rick was born in 1962 to Dick and Judy Hoyt. As a result of oxygen deprivation to Rick's brain at the time of his birth, Rick was diagnosed as a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy. Dick and Judy were advised to institutionalize Rick because there was no chance of him recovering, and little hope for Rick to live a "normal" life. In the spring of 1977, Rick told his father that he wanted to participate in a 5-mile benefit run for a Lacrosse player who had been paralyzed in an accident. Far from being a long-distance runner, Dick agreed to push Rick in his wheelchair and they finished all 5 miles, coming in next to last. That night, Rick told his father, "Dad, when I'm running, it feels like I'm not handicapped." This realization was just the beginning of what would become over 1,000 races completed, including marathons, duathlons and triathlons (6 of them being Ironman competitions). Also adding to their list of achievements, Dick and Rick biked and ran across the U.S. in 1992, completing a full 3,735 miles in 45 days.

Before continuing to read, watch the video..

I know this is one of those "duh" moment but it hit me, I've been so focused on wrestling with the first part of the verse that I've missed the ENTIRE point "…so that the Son can bring glory to the Father." [John 14:13] I am like Rick, who can't do it without the Abba Father…My Daddy; I need his strength to get me through. Because I am His child, all I have to do is ask. There's no power in my request, in fact, it shows my perfect weakness. Yet, at that moment, I've asked My Daddy to step and and help me because I acknowledge that I'm insufficient. Because of my request, He will push, and run, and swim, and carry, and strain behind me to help me finish the race. And in the end, everyone who is standing there watching will see the love of the father being poured out for His child and that is what demands the focus and the glory. Isn't it humbling to know that God CHOOSES the weak and the frail to spread His glory so that He will receive all the honor and praise!!!!!!

Now when I pray, I'll be asking myself how will this request bring GLORY to my father's name. I'm at peace knowing that If another answer (different that my heart's desires) will bring more glory to God, I need to lay at Jesus feet and honestly say let your will be done. Although this is life changing way to evaluate my prayers I sit here and chuckle because of the simplicity. It's been right infront of me the entire time! :) "He who has ears, let him hear." [Matthew 11:15]

Note: Thank you Laureen for sharing this video on FB it was exactly what I needed today!

Updates: Cabinets

Since Owen has put so much time into the cabinets, I thought they should get a special post of their own! Here goes...

Master Bath

Laundry Room

Above Desk

Kitchen

Dad & Owen created a genius drying rack to hang the cabinet doors....

Painting Cabinet Doors

.....More Doors

Updates: Humpty Dumpty

It seems like we're heading downhill now in regards to the construction. We've addressed all the plumbing, electrical, and foundation repairs so now it's time to put Humpty Dumpty back together again!

The sub-floor, drywall, and tile has been installed....

Before Grout

After Grout

The cabinets are in the process of being installed and there ARE A LOT OF THEM! Geesh!

Storing Them (Before Install)

See there are A LOT of them!

Here's my cute, new front door...

Here's the hardwood being installed...

Blending the new into the hallway

Almost done!

Oh Me of Little Faith...

My family goes to a church in the Nashville area where the members are writing blog post each day. First read the following blog, then I'll explain why I titled mine "Oh Me of Little Faith."

Here's the blog from the Community Church...

I AM is with Us

Key Passage: Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I AM with you; do not be dismayed, for I AM your God. I will strengthen you and help you and uphold you with my righteous right hand.

For the Community Art Show, I had an idea to look for the letters I AM in nature and photograph them. A friend suggested that I ask God himself to show me the letters. Why would God do that for me? Yet, the idea intrigued me. I wanted Him to reveal Himself to me. Just for me. So, I prayed and asked Him to show me the letters for I AM. I didn’t know what to look for or where to look. I kept my camera with me. One day, while driving, I saw a huge lower case “i,” clear as day in the clouds. I pulled over and snapped the photo. I was stunned. No way. In the sky? For me?

About a month later while driving, I saw a lower case “m” in the clouds! I was thrilled! So every day, I looked up at the sky. Where was my A? Nothing. Weeks passed and I began to doubt. Was it just a coincidence? One day something caught my eye; high in the sky, was my “A”! I had tears in my eyes because I knew God had done that for me! There was NO doubt. I had asked God for letters, but I think He knew what I was really asking was, “Are you there, God?” And he answered, “I AM!”

I pray that these photographs will remind you that the Great I AM is with you! He will strengthen you and help you and uphold you; all you have to do is look up!

Kelley Goodman
Kelley lives in Goodlettsville with her husband Ron and three children, enjoys being
an artist and is currently completing her Masters at Trevecca in Elementary Education.

Note from Casey: Because I know the person did not make up this story or edit the photos, I sat there thinking "Oh ME of little faith!" How much do I miss out on just because I don't BELIEVE that I'll see it? I mean seriously...have you ever seen an "m" in the sky? Have you ASKED to see an "m" or better yet...do you BELIEVE the God in heaven, who created the earth, who raises the dead, who says seek me and you will find me would be willing to put an "m" in the sky simply because you need proof the HE ALONE is the I AM.

How do you need God to show you He is the I AM? Are you willing to step out of faith and ask?

...this I love.

Today there was a memorial service for a man with Downs Syndrome who went to The Village Church. I had only met him once but I remembered him because of the pure joy that filled his heart as he worshiped in the row in front of me. The was the prayer he had written, "Through the years we may always be together...Jesus knows me, this I love." How simple. How powerful.

I'm thankful for his example and it reminded me of this scripture, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:16

Let it snow

It's been beautiful here in Alabama with our record amount of snow. First it snowed ON Christmas Day, then a few weeks later the storehouses of snow opened again. This time it measured 8.9 inches at the airport. In the past several years, we've had a light dusting but never enough to make snowballs or really even build a snowman. This year it's a different story...

(playing in the snow)

As I watched the early morning snow falling I came across this scripture: "God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’ So that everyone he has made may know his work, he stops all people from their labor." Job 37:5-7

Since this was such a wonderful sight, we took advantage of the time together as a family. We spent from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm just playing. Our day began with preparing for the epic snowball battle: complete with snow built barriers and a wheel barrel of snow balls. The competition was between us and our neighbors.

(preparing for battle)

(prepared!)

(epic showdown)

Then we created the biggest snowman ever! It measured 10'6" tall & was built IN our street! When we were done, other neighbors walked dogs down or drove thier family over just to take a picture in front of the snowman. Of course, the kids helped for about 15 minutes and the remaining three hours Owen, Brad (our neighbor), and myself finished what we had started. A few neighbors even came over to help: carving the waist or hoisting the massive head to the top. The funny thing is this is the first snowman I've ever built!

(Starting the Snowman)

(The finished product)

(His cute face)

(Our friends built a snow truck)

I think it was one of my most favorite days ever! I hope you enjoy the pictures.

~ Casey

PS: Morgan wasn't a huge fan of the snow day. She spent most of her time looking like this... I think she's more at home when on a beach. :)

(Morgan crying)

(oh look, here's another picture of Mo)

Fresh Manna | Daily Bread |

Luke 11:3 “Give us each day our daily bread.”

Thought for the Day: “More than a million people had been led straight into the desert. It was clearly a deliverance, but to what? There was no food. But God had a solution. He always does. Manna, a mysterious bread from heaven, would fall to them daily. They could gather only enough for one day, no more (except on the day before Sabbath). If they gathered more, it would rot. It could not be hoarded. They would just have to trust, at the end of each day, that the manna would come again on the next day. They would just have to believe God for tomorrow. “In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions, “God said (Exodus 16:4). Saving up was not an option. Saving up is not an option for us, either. Yes, we can buy a week’s worth of groceries at a time, but that’s not what Jesus is talking about.

True bread, heavenly bread, is given on a day-by-day basis. We cannot pray or worship enough for the whole week on Sunday. The directions we got yesterday won’t apply today. We cannot tithe the first portion of our paychecks and think that our sacrifice is done for the month. The daily bread principle is unalterable. You can’t store up the things you need from God. You have to keep coming back for them, keep trusting Him for them, day after day after day. Why is this so? Because God insists – absolutely insists – that we have a relationship with Him. Relationships must be maintained. He knows well that if He gives us our supplies for a week or a month we will only seek Him once a week or once a month. The temptation is great to gather in all that we can today – physically, psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually. But the daily bread principle is always at work, in all areas. There is not loving trust when there’s a full storeroom. Just as our loved ones are not content with one “I love you” for the year, God is not content with a periodic appearance before Him. Manna doesn’t work that way, and neither do relationships. Ask for daily bread in every area of life. And come back again tomorrow. (Chris Tiegreen)

Illustrators of the 1728 Figures de la Bible, Gerard Hoet (1648–1733) and others, published by P. de Hondt in The Hague in 1728

All Growns Up

| the first "phone" call|

Today it happened....my soon to be, pre-teen (aka 9 yr old) has spent the entire night chatting on the phone with her girlfriend. I was not ready for this. :|

I thought I had more time...I didn't think this started until somewhere more like 14!!! (Wait, I had my first boyfriend by then...oh no...this is not good.) Is it that every parent has a dawning moment that their kid is actually growing up way to quickly?!?!?!?

Even in wrestling tonight, she pulled a few good moves on me. I know I'll still have a few more years just with my intimidating look alone. This look will back any girl down in a wrestling match but seriously...smooth moves and talking to friends all in one night. I just don't think I can take it!

I will have to say that since the entire conversation was on speaker phone (she hasn't figured out that everyone hears what's going on that way), the girl seems very sweet. She even wanted to say hello to Morgan. I'm proud that Maddie knows how to pick good people to be friends with...maybe we're doing OK after all. (Still...no dating until at least 18 and I'm not backing down from that one.)