KENZI FOR KEEPS!!!!

Ok friends I may have officially gone crazy but my sweet friend and workout partner, Brandi, has convinced me to run (jog/walk:) in a half marathon (or a full marathon for you REALLY crazy people) on October the 29th in New Braunfels, Texas!!!

The cool thing...

The race is called "Chosen, a marathon for adoption"!  That is right this marathon is to support adoption and the way that our AWESOME God sets the lonely in families!

So we have put together a team....KENZI FOR KEEPS...and everyone who joins our team will be running (or jogging, or walking) to help bring Kenzi home for keeps!  The money that each team member pays to run will go into a Kenzi fund that will go to our agency to help pay for the adoption of our sweet girl!! 

I have never, ever considered myself a runner!  I have completed 1 5K but other than that I am a total rookie!!  If I can do it than anyone can!!

 We would love for you to join our team and be a part of bringing Kenzi home for keeps!

The cost for the half marathon is $65 and the cost for the full marathon (for you crazies out there) is $85.

To register to run or even to volunteer at the race go to...
http://www.chosenmarathonforadoption.com/

click on "race" and then follow the directions and make sure you sign up to be apart of the "KENZI FOR KEEPS" team!!

What a fun way to raise awareness about adoption, get some good exercise, and help bring some orphans home to their forever families!!

PS. For all of you scaredy cats out there...we have just over 6 hours to finish the race so it totally doable!!:)

30 going on 13....

Can I admit that there are so many days when I still feel like I am 13.

Do you remember that awful age??  Wearing crazy clothes (I am thinking Units JMass and Flo)  just because everyone else was wearing them.  And always, always being concerned about what others thought.

I thought that when I got older, got married, and became a mom I would be done with all of the comparing and worrying about what others thought.  But the truth is....that little jr. high girl is still stuck deep inside of me and she finds her into my thoughts at the most inopportune times.  Can you say welcome totally worn out!!  Let's just say that if I were stranded on a dessert island she would NOT be invited.

Of course she shows up when I am getting dressed or when I am looking in the mirror at these baby bearing hips.  She barges in when I am around others begging me to answer the question..."what do they think of you"?  She is quite pessimistic if I must say so...she is quick to remind me of my failures and has a constant undertone of "you'll never measure up"!

There are many  moments when I am able to over come and somehow silence her little voice.  But there is one area that I have allowed her to speak freely and boy has she wrecked some havoc!

What is that area you ask?

Mothering

For far too long I have allowed her to berate me reminding of things like...

• you let your kids eat way too much McDonald's
• sprite again really?
• are you teaching them enough scripture?
• so and so's child is so well behaved...what happened to your kids?
• so and so's child is reading on a 3rd grade level...what have you taught your kids?
• another tantrum...can't you get some control?

and on and on she goes...she is so mean, don't ya think?

Recently I read this quote and was stuck in my tracks immediately...

"Always thinking negatively about yourself is STILL ALWAYS THINKING OF YOURSELF!!

Would you believe that this 13 year old girl inside of me is just another form of pride...another way to distract me from the promises of God.  I am pretty sure Satan really likes my 13 year old alter identity.  If she can convince me to always think about the ways I am not measuring up than surely I won't have time to reflect on verses like...

"We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before hand, that we should walk in Him."  Eph. 2:10

"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." 2 Peter 1:3 (He has given me all that I need to live a life that pleases Him...why am I always so busy trying to figure it all out instead of just spending time with Him and allowing Him to direct my paths?)

This morning I was so thankful to read this blog that talked about the perfect mom vs. the balanced mom!
It is so worth taking a little time to read it and be encouraged!

Inspired to Action is a great blog to encourage and inspire moms to action...her post today touch my heart deeply!

While I believe that the Lord wants me to work hard and to work as unto Him I also believe that He wants me to rest in His grace, mercy, His sufficiency instead of my own. 

I think it is high time to kick my 13 year old self to the curb and start living confident in the woman and mother God made me to be....what about you, need to say so long to your alter ego??

More Lessons from Summit...TRUTH

I haven't written in over a week.  Usually that means that life has been super busy or that there is something weighing on my heart that I just can't put into words.  While this week was really busy it is the latter of the two that has kept me from writing.

This lesson is one that is full of HARD truths...truths that this girl is still working and processing through...but truths none the less.


No beating around the bush this lesson is about HIV/AIDS.  There are countless children around the world languishing in orphanages and on the brink of death due to HIV/AIDS.  The first hard truth is that we have the ability to make a difference in their lives. 

Summit was not the first time that this subject had come up in life.  In fact I remember over a year ago when I stumbled on this family who had just gotten home with their HIV positive daughter.  I remember thinking they were super heroes and maybe even a little crazy. I mean who does that kind of stuff...and what about their other children?

But then (because I happen to like researching things) I found Project Hopeful, and From HIV to Home, and Positively Adopted where I began to learn the truth about HIV/AIDS and adoption.

Here are some of the truths I have learned:

• HIV is spread through sex, drug needles, and birth
• HIV is NOT spread through saliva, sweat, urine, tears, or feces
• HIV is NOT spread through kissing, hugging, shaking hands, sharing food or utensils, toilet seats, and pretty much anything else you can think of besides sex, needles, and birth!:)
• HIV is NOT spread through casual household contact
• Without treatment HIV is fatal.  With treatment people with HIV are living almost as long as the average person (Need to be convinced?  Click here)
• No one has contracted HIV through casual house hold contact in the last 17 years (Wondering about blood spill accidents click here)
• In America HIV is no longer considered a fatal disease but instead a chronic illness
• HIV is considered easier to treat than diabetes

Part of the reason that there is such a stigma around HIV/AIDS is because of the fact that we are simply uneducated ( I know I certainly was). It is time for us to educate ourselves and love some of the people who need it most. While the stigma is America is still very much alive it is nothing compared to the sigma that remains in some other countries.  Each time I think about the precious orphaned children in other countries who battle this disease I can't help but to think of the stories about the lepers in the bible.  They were such outcasts that they were forced to live outside of the city.  Others considered them so dirty that the lepers had to shout "unclean, unclean" as they walked among the people.  The HIV/AIDS stigma is very much like this in other countries where innocent children are kept in complete isolation or shipped off to live in institutions where they receive no interaction.  I recently stumbled across the picture of the most beautiful blond headed, blue eyed 12 month old girl living in Europe who had spent the first 11 months of her life in a Plexiglas crib completely isolated from anyone else because she was HIV positive.  I just can't help but to think that Jesus walked among the lepers of his day...he even touched them when no one else was willing to touch them.  Can you imagine just the sensation they must have felt when he touched there skin that most likely hadn't been touched in years.  I am certain that they knew he loved them immediately with his touch.  How many lives that have been wrecked by this disease are out there just longing to be touched.  Remember...we are his hands and his feet and they will know him by our love.

What does this all mean for me personally?  To be completely transparent and honest I am not sure.

I am not sure what God is trying to teach me and tell me through this but I am certain he is up to something.  Just consider the ways he has brought it to the forefront of my mind...

1. Read about it over a year ago on a blog
2. began doing a little research and found more blogs which led to more questions
3. a sweet friend at church brings me a book to read called Dangerous Surrender...it is all about how God was calling the author to love and minister to people with HIV/AIDS
4. Go to the summit and hear this amazing mother of 14 speak about her experience adopting children with HIV
5. This one is crazy...Nathan and I happen to love watching Army Wives and would you believe that one of the main characters and his wife on the show just adopted an HIV positive little boy

While the Lord may not be calling us to adopt a child with HIV I know that he is calling me to love people here and around the world who are struggling with this hurtful disease.  I know that he is calling me to lay the stigma and the unfounded fears to the side and love wholeheartedly exactly the way he loves me.

Now that you know the truth...what is he calling you to do???

I will leave you with some pictures of some of the most beautiful families and children that have been blessed through HIV adoption...

These are a few of the children who are currently waiting to be adopted...

 Rickey

 Max

Carley

 Dean

Celebrating...

With Kaden graduating from Kindergarten, Kolson turning 2, Kaden turning 7, and the start of summer there has been a lot to celebrate around the Lorick house!

Being in the ministry means summer time is busy, busy...between mission trips, youth camp, children's camp, VBS, and conventions our summer can slip away quickly!  This year we decided to celebrate big as a family before things get crazy!

First up...a spontaneous road trip

(of course no road trip would be complete without a happy meal for the road!)

to the beach!!

All three of the boys loved the sand and the water.  Since it was a spontaneous trip we didn't have any shovels or pails...it was just our little family of 5 enjoying God's creation.  Watching the boys enjoy the water was such a precious moment. 

 I was able to capture a few sweet moments Daddy and his boys (of course Karter was way to busy for a sit down!)

One of my favorite memories from our little trip was spending the night in the hotel with the boys.  We were trying to stay within a budget so we stayed at a less than luxurious hotel.  While it wasn't the roach motel it wasn't the Hilton either...non the less we had such fun singing silly songs and laughing together before bed.  In case you don't know this, Nathan writes the most hilarious songs when he is tired!  I love that my husband knows how to just let go and have fun with his family!!

Next Stop...Incredible Pizza (aka Chuckie Cheese on Steroids)!  This fun family spot has everything from glow in the dark mini golf, mini bowling, ice skating, go carts, lazer tag, tons of video games, and a huge pizza and more buffet!!  The boys had a blast!  Kaden and Nathan epically loved lazer tag!

June 1st was Kaden's 7th birthday!!  Of course there were birthday donuts!  Before long I will have to start using 2 donuts to hold all of his candles :(.

We celebrated the day by going swimming and then Nathan took Kaden to their favorite restaurant for lunch.  Believe it or not Kaden's favorite thing at Cheddar's is the Oriental Salad!  After sharing the salad my guys enjoyed a cookie monster (the ultimate in desserts) and headed out to Lowes to get materials for a birthday project.
Nathan Kaden built a huge soccer goal to go in our yard!

We continued the celebration with a trip to Frisco to see a professional soccer game (still thanking God for the blessing of free tickets that came just at the right time)!  It was our first time to go to a professional sporting event as a family and we survived...and actually had fun!!

All of the boys got their faces painted 

 My three big boys enjoying the game! 

 Kolson was just worried about how he was going to hold all of his pizza!

 He finally started cheering when the mascot came out at half time!!

We finished up our celebration last night with a Mav's watching party where we did cupcakes for Kaden.  The house was full of people and completely crazy but I wouldn't have it any other way...we are so thankful to serve with such precious people here in Malakoff!!

Kaden's soccer cupcake cake

Happy Birthday sweet Kaden!  We are so proud of you and can't believe you are 7 already!

Until we find something else to celebrate we are enjoying some lazy summer days before the craziness begins again!