Editor's Response

I feel it is necessary for me to respond to Jeremy's comment on my most recent blog entry...in part because it was a piece of tabloid genius and also because it was almost entirely true. Let's take it a piece at a time...

"Crazy New Life Church Member" - Now, I could go for Crazy (COMMA) New Life Church Member. After all, I do choose to spend my days with middle school students. And, I did willingly leave the great Republic to live amongst a society of people who do not appreciate the importance of good queso or Whataburger ketchup. For these reasons, I could agree with "crazy". However, I do not think I qualify as a Crazy New Life Church Member until I arrive at church bearing streamers and a tambourine. And a bun.

"Abandons bi-racial family started in rural Africa" - It's no big secret that Jeremy and I share an African child. Her name is Delvin, and she is an absolute doll. She gets the great smile from me, and if her hair was longer you would see that she gets it from Jeremy's side of the family. I won't go into the details of her adoption, but let's just say that World Hope thought it best that we send money instead of attempting to bring her into the dysfunction of American life. It could also have something to do with the fact that I am "crazy", and Jeremy has an obsession with chihuahua's that wear toupee's...but I'm going with the dysfunctional American story. That's just easier.



Delvin



"To pursue the perfect pedicure" - I'll give you this one...except that my pursuit began long before I arrived in Africa.

"Leaves only soccer ball to neglected daughter" - This was hardly any soccer ball. It was an evange-soccer ball that brilliantly illustrated the Gospel message. One glance at my WWJD bracelet confirms to me that I hit it out of the park on this one. I really don't think further justification is necessary.



The Evange-Ball in action



Jeremy playing with the giraffes. Delvin was most likely at home playing with her soccer ball.

Big hug, Jeremy!

Horse's, Snuggies, and New Life Church

An early morning snowfall prevented me from following through with my outdoor running plans, so I defaulted to Plan B and went for a quick jog on the treadmill at my local gym. I usually listen to my iPod while I run, but I plugged into the local news instead so I could get an update on the weather. I'm learning that watching the weather around here is about as accurate as referencing a magic eight ball. As it turns out, the magic eight ball was wrong again.

Anyhow, I stayed tuned to the news after the informative weather report because the upcoming story happened to be about my church...again. The media has been such a frequent guest of our church in the past two years that I'm considering hiring an agent. It only makes sense.

As it turns out, our former pastor has again made a name for himself in the national news. We learned a few weeks ago that the prestigious and highly acclaimed HBO is set to air an interview with him at the end of this month. Then, a "new" set of allegations were brought to light this week when our local ABC station announced its plans to air an interview with a member of our congregation who apparently had an inappropriate relationship with our former pastor.

For those of you who don't know, Ted Haggard, the founding pastor of my church was fired a couple of years ago as a result of a scandal that was broadcast all over national news. By the time I arrived in Colorado, Ted was already gone. He was never my pastor. The church has spent two years trying to pick up the pieces in addition to coping with the tragic event of December 9, 2007. But, the media loves a story...and it seems that a healing, thriving, tenacious, God-centered church doesn't boost ratings. Even worse, Colorado Springs news anchors have little else to talk about. Case in point...the New Life story was followed by a piece on a retiring police horse and a brilliant segment about Snuggies, the blanket you can wear. Now, there's news you can use!

I'm not sure what the media hopes to accomplish with this latest headline. Truth be told, most people in our congregation moved on a long time ago. We are not surprised by the latest allegations, and we won't be surprised if more stories surface in the future. Like every one of us, Ted is a sinner and he obviously had more than his fair share of secrets. The church has gone to great lengths to offer him (and those who were affected by his poor choices) counseling, assistance, financial support, and forgiveness. So, let us move on already. Otherwise, we need to make plans to negotiate my contract.

One Can Never Learn Eghnofe

As most of you know, I have a nineteen year old brother who is severely handicapped and in need of 24-hour care. My parents have a wonderful caregiver (Debbie) who helps them as much as possible, but my mom has been searching for an additional person to provide assistance when Debbie is unavailable. Of course, this is no easy task. Today, she consulted Craig's List to see if there might be any listings for someone seeking this type of employment. She came across the following gem and was kind enough to share it with me. This is COPIED AND PASTED from Craig's List for your enjoyment...

Hi my name is _______ .I have experience in taking care of a elderly person ,I took care of my friend he had bone cancer a very painful cancer. He could not help him self he wood not even know when he dirty him self I cleaned him up gave him bath and some days were harder for him so we did sponge baths . Washed what needed to be washed cooked his food and kept him company .Im not a nurse ,so I can not provide you with medical skills, there are some classes I will be take, So I will be more help full .Im a women with experience ,im intelligent patient, caring, loving person . I can prepare all most any meal ,also I m very clean I love my house clean and so I will kip yours .Im a good companion I love learning one can never learn eghnofe (You've got that right, Sister!), I like playing games cards, chest..... I love taking walks I just love the out doors ,and I love Animals if you have any I be glad to feed them .If you hire me you will be satisfeigth and your loved one will be happy with me .You will have a peas off mind . My 400-500 for 5 days. Please give me a chance . My email is


My admiration for the service this precious lady provides is the only reason I will neglect to comment on this passage. That, and the fact that there are so many thoughts swimming around in my head right now...I wouldn't even know where to begin.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Happy Birthday Dad!

I wish you the very best on your special day. Thank you for the many truths you have poured into my life. I can't remember a time when you didn't lead by example. You taught us the value of working hard and finishing well. You showed us how to persevere in the face of opposition and how to trust God in spite of our circumstances. You are a good steward of all things, including your time. You have taught us how to approach challenges and disappointment with relentless determination, and you showed us how to move forward regardless of the opposition. Above all, you have been consistent. It seems that regardless of the situation, you tenaciously and passionately pursue Christ. I am blessed to have a father like you.

I love you!

Happy New Year!

As is evident by my lack of blog posts during the past couple of weeks, I enjoyed a wonderful but busy vacation in Houston. I had a great Christmas with my family, and I even managed to see a few of my friends while I was home. In the spirit of Texas, I also made it a priority to eat and shop as much as humanly possible.

I haven't forgotten my roots.

I don't know about you, but I am looking forward to 2009. I'll be honest and tell you that the 2008 dating scene left much to be desired. I even went against my better judgment and joined Match.com late last summer. My experience left me wondering if perhaps I should make preparations to purchase a muumuu and a cat. And a carton of Marlboro's. I fear they are in my future. However, I did enjoy the complicated, formulaic way in which "Match" chose the potential love of my life. After weeks of careful scrutiny, I decided that "smoking preference" was the determining factor in who would appear on my list of possible mates. Apparently, BigTaz...


and this gentleman who seems to have misplaced his bagpipes...


are both non-smokers.

So, it is with open arms that I welcome 2009 and the many opportunities that are yet to be discovered. I trust that the coming year is full of blessings and wonderful surprises!

Happy New Year!