A Day of Memories

Today is the anniversary of my uncle's death. If I had to pin point a time in life when I decided to become a mature adult it was that year of 2004. It was such a hard loss for my family. But we grew and over came just like God knew that we would. I have such a strong loving family!! I thank God daily for them all and I can't wait for the day when we will all be with Uncle Brett again in heaven! We love and miss him so much.

Below are a few comments that family and friends have made about him. He was much loved!

 

"I remember when he came to the Children's Home to do a chapel,afterwords I grabbed his arm and said you're in pretty good shape for a guy your age. I don't exactly remember what happened next but Brett had me pinned on the floor, I think I resisted for about .10 of a second. We had a good laugh after that."

"In his younger years, Brett never missed an opportunity to play a prank on someone (though they didn't always appreciate his pranks as much as he and his accomplices). I remember driving through Virginia in Brett's little Chevrolet when we were in college. A couple of us poor college students had hitched a ride with him over the break because we lived near the same area. Whoever was in the back seat had fallen asleep in the quiet of the night. Brett indicated to me non-verbally that he was going to hit the brake and that, when he did, he and I would scream as loud as we could as if we were having an accident. After slowing down to about 30 or 40 miles per hour he pulled the parking break and began swerving back and forth to simulate the car being out of control. We both screamed as loud as we could, and our friend in the backseat awoke wide-eyed, with heart racing and began clutching the seat. It took him a moment to realize that we were no longer screaming suddenly, but now laughing hysterically about our prank as we sat in a cloud of dust on the side of the road in the middle of the night. Brett just loved doing that kind of stuff."

 

"I remember going golfing for the second time in all and it was with Brett and the other guys tried to have a serious game while Brett stole the flags,loosened the golf bags and numerous other things it was the most fun I had had in a long time."

 

"Brett had so many good times at the TN Children's Home. On many occasions he and I would have fire drills (which were mandatory) but when the residents went outside there were times they were pelted with cylindrical objects containing aqueous fluids. The kids loved it and so did we."

 

Aunt Rose: 

"I remember Brett as the best person I have ever known. I admired his confidence, wisdom, compassion and sense of humor.(he always laughed at my jokes) Brett was also the most unselfish person I have ever known. I remember when we were dating that he could never say no when he was asked for help. This was frustrating to me sometimes because it took his time away from me but it also made me love him even more. He gave his time, wisdom,car, money,etc. to anyone that asked and never expected anything in return. One of my strongest memories from FHU is of a "special" Phi Kappa member. Brett always made a point of greeting him and joking with him. Every time the group had an activity, Brett would make sure this person was payed for. Brett was not kind to people for what they could give him or do for him, he was just kind. Brett always stood up for what he believed in. So many times it would have been easy to just let things slide but that was not his way. He did not like conflict but was always looking beyond it to the greater good. He was not afraid to admit when he was wrong and he was quick to forgive when he was wronged. Brett believed that hardships were not an excuse to become a lesser person but a reason to learn, overcome and strengthen. I have never known anyone so alive, full of curiosity, wisdom, laughter and love. I believe he will always remain a big part of who I am and of everyone who has known and loved him."

Please Say a Prayer

Please keep the family of Kyle Ferguson  in your prayers.  Kyle's mother Karen and 21 year old brother Cole were murdered in their home on Monday afternoon. The suspect was found later that afternoon and had taken his own life as well.  Kyle's father, Les Ferguson, Jr., is the minister for the Orange Grove Church of Christ in Gulfport, MS.  Kyle and his wife Karissa (Lupo) were students at Faulkner with me in my first year. Thanks everyone.

The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart,
         And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
       
  Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
         But the LORD delivers him out of them all.

Psalms 34:18-19

Fall is Here!

I'm about to get a pumpkin for my front porch for the fall! I've never really been into all of the scary looking pumpkins that come out at this time of year so here are some ideas that I found. Happy Fall, ya'll!

Please leave comments and tell me which one you like!

Contestant #1





Contestant #2




Contestant #3









Contestant #4

Dallas and I were discussing the destruction of Jericho today, and in my studies I ran across this really good article from AP. :)


http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=11&article=988

"Flower-strewn Pathways"

You know how some people run all day and forget to just take things in and be grateful for the moments that they are given…. I do too. In fact, I tend to be someone like that.

All day yesterday I was worried about the many different things that I was supposed to get done today. Like:

1. Take my first test of the day at 7am
2. Run from there to work
3. From work run to chapel and work some more
4. From chapel to my second class of the day
5. From class back to my Apartment to study for a second test that I had and eat lunch
6. From lunch to my test
7. From my test to a job interview
8. From the job interview to a meeting with the dean
9. From the dean to getting ready for Inner City Ministries
10. From Inner City to working on my information due for Research Methods tomorrow
11. From studying to bed!

In all of this I noticed a few things were missing: Personal time with God’s word and rest. I’m more bothered by the first one though. It’s so easy to just get caught up in the busy rush of the day and I sometimes forget that without God I would not have any of the blessings that I do have. I keep thinking about the need to “do all in the name of the Lord” and what that means for me. Can others see Christ in me as I rush around like a chicken with my head cut off? It’s hard for anyone to notice anything really. J

In class yesterday morning, after my test, in a rush to get out the door and get the next thing done, I knocked over a bunch of chairs and disrupted the class while they were still taking the test. I think this was my moment of “discovery”. I realized that I needed to slow down and trust God that everything was going to get done without all of the rushing around and worry.

I went back to my Apartment to start the day over. I put my Bible in my book bag and headed of to work. I went ahead and talked to the Dean while at work to mark that off my list and I sat down to read my Bible while the office was not busy. While reading my Bible I found a poem that my grandma gave to me when I had just become a teenager. Back then everything seemed like a tragedy. ;)

“God hath not promised

Skies always blue,

Flower-strewn pathways

All our lives through,

Sun without rain,

Joy without sorrow,

Peace without pain.

But God hath promised

Strength for the day,

Rest for the labor,

Light for the way,

Grace for the trials,

Help from above,

Unfailing sympathy,

Undying love.”

Author Unknown

Other verses that helped today are:

Isaiah 26:3

Proverbs 3:13-17

Philippians 4:6-7

Colossians 3:15

Today I'm Thankful For...

Today I am thankful for my wonderful parents! In class with Dr. Grunzke we are going over divorce and how society feels about it. I keep being reminded about how blessed I am! I thank God daily for my parents. They have watched over me and guided me so well during the past 21 years. They have encouraged me to do the things that I should and corrected me when needed. I think about all of the friends that I know who have not been so blessed with such a good home life and who don't have parents that care enough about them to lead them in the right direction. There are so many families that are broken with single parents trying so hard to raise their kids without the support of another spouse. Parenting is hard work. That is why God had planed for there to be two people involved in the raising of a child.

My Dad

I think about Deuteronomy 11:18-19, and how God wanted His people to always be talking about His commandments to their children. I'm so thankful that I had parents who took this verse to heart. We would talk in the car after church about the lesson that morning, we would talk about God at the dinner table, then there are the memories of sometimes, when my dad would come home from work in the early morning hours I would go to him and talk about Biblical concepts that i was struggling with (the early hours were his best thinking hours when I was little). Growing up like this made us, as children, have lots of questions all the time. We became very curious about the God's word and what it meant to us. I remember feeling overwhelmed sometimes by the knowledge that my dad had about the Bible. He didn't always have an answer right off, but we knew that before the week was out he would have studied his hardest to find one for us. And yet, we were never told that we had to take his word for any of it. We were told that we had to come to know the answers through study ourselves in order to be grounded in our faith.
I remember the night I went to talk to my dad about being baptized. We had a long talk that night about what being a Christian would mean, Lord willing I hope to never forget that night. My Dad was the one who baptized me. How fitting that is, to help bring a child into this world and then be the one to help them be born again in Christ. I would not have had it any other way.
While I have been at school I have had your normal hardships and blessings come my way, and my dad is still the person that i call when i need some good sound spiritual advice. He is very honest and upfront, so he tends to think logically, which is the way that I like to work through things. I think I became that way because of him. In many ways, without getting in the way of the respectful relationship that I should have for my parents, my Dad is one of my best friends.

  My Mom

 My mom was very good at filling our lives with God as well. She we would take a book out of the bible each semester and we would copy it for our handwriting class. I have had a very different relationship with my mom then most daughters have had. I have been blessed with a relationship where I can tell my mom anything. There is not much that I go through or think about that my mom does not know.
I had a really rough semester a while back and my mom made a trip all the way out to Alabama just to take care of me and heal my "homesickness." That was a long drive for her to make just for an "I miss you visit" but she made it! I love her so much for being there for me. My mom is so protective of her children. She would cry when we were hurt right along with us as she patched us up. When our hearts were broken so was hers ( She is still that way now).
My mom has the most compassionate heart that I know of. She is quick to forgive, and just love. Whenever there is something that can be done for someone she is always there to step up. She has been a wonderful example to me when it comes to teaching. I got my love of teaching little ones from her. She is so good at it. I hope one day Lord willing to be half as talented as she is at it.

Another Semester Begins.

These past few weeks have been pretty crazy. They have flown and I hardly even noticed. I get so caught up in the hour to hour activities of the day that I find very few times to just sit and take everything all in.

To be completely honest, most days that is the way that I like it. I have to stay busy, or I do not function well. I find that when I’m idle I can come up with all kinds of reason for why I should just take the day off and do nothing all day. Then I start to feel lazy and that is one of the worst feelings in the world to me.

Anyway, now that I have a second to breathe, I’m taking the time to fill you in on the happenings of the past few weeks.

The Bears are back at Faulkner! This time we brought one more Bear with us. It’s so wonderful to have our brother Zachary here with us. It’s just one more family member that I do not have to miss all the time.

 Faulkner has become a home for me. It’s so weird to think about how long I have been here. I’m so glad that I have though. I have been so blessed to be able to attend a Christian school and have so many Christian friends. Faulkner has presented me with so many opportunities and blessings. I love my home in Virginia but there is something about getting out and starting to make your own home and having to depend on yourself for making the decisions of the day. You get to see just how “grown up” you really are. Your parents get to see how good of a job they did in raising you. I know mine did a wonderful job in raising all five of us kids and I hope I never fail in making them proud. It’s a learning process though. I have made lots of mistakes being on my own. My freshman first semester was a disaster and proof that I had a lot of learning and growing to do. “Practice makes perfect” they say, and with time I learned how to balance things on my own. I would not have known how to do that though without the training that my parents gave me before I left for school.

Anyway…back to what has been going on this week lol!

Three weeks ago was the start of I Start. It’s a weekend full of classes and fun stuff that we put the freshman through. Taylor and I were mentors this year and Zack was a new freshman  J . It was a long weekend for everyone, but we made it through without a hitch. We still have classes for the students once a week that we are required to attend with them as mentors. We usually keep the groups together for the whole first year.

I have a great class this year. Some of them I have known for a long time and others I just met when school started. There tend to be a few troubled moments in the group, but for the most part things run smoothly. My co-mentor is Joe Janning.  He is the best! He keeps up with making sure our group is where they need to be on time and texts them when I need him to (due to my lack in the texting department ;).

School is going great! I find some of my classes to be a little more difficult then I’m use to. Dr. Grunzke is one of our hardest teachers on campus and I’m determined to make a really good grade in his class. I could use lots of prayersJ. I love Dr. Gruzke. He would make a good Santa Claus in the mall. He always has a smile on his face and he is ready to hug you as you walk through the door. I think this makes up for him being so hard on us in class.

Okay, I know what you all really have been waiting on is information on Riley Lynn. She is irresistible I know. Have no fear; Heather and Riley are doing well. Riley gets bigger every time I see her! I know you must love any chance to coo over her like me, so I’m going to give you the opportunity to do so with a few pictures of her ;)

Enjoy!



Such a happy Baby.



Riley Lynn with the new family dog Ellie :)

Today I'm Thankful for...

I always find it amazing how words of encouragement can change my whole perspective. To be honest I have had a really rough week and I was getting a little "down and out."

But just like in every other part of my life, God continues to bless me by helping me through. Today I'm thankful to Him for good friends. One of those very good friends wrote me a letter today. I don't think she realized just how needed it was! It wasn't much, just a few sweet lines but it had the effect of changing my whole day. Encouraging words can go a long way in helping a friend. No wonder God talks about exhorting and edifying one another so much. :)

"Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our natural lives."
- C.S. Lewis

 

 "Two are better than one,
      Because they have a good reward for their labor.
        For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.
      But woe to him who is alone when he falls,
      For he has no one to help him up.
        Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm;
      But how can one be warm alone?
        Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.
      And a threefold cord is not quickly broken."

Ecc. 4:9-11

 "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.  And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,  not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."

Hebrews 10:23-25

What is Beauty?

"Beauty is not in a magazine, it's not in Webster's Dictionary or in a perfect face. It is in knowing God. Beauty is being satisfied with who God created you to be and then actively pursuing looking not like the world, but like Christ."

A friend of mine shared this with me this week and I thought I would share it with you! :)

Have a good rest of the week.

God Bless,
India

Sister Day Out and Harry Potter Thoughts

Heather and I decided we needed a day out the other day, and when Heather and I go out to town there are bound to be some interesting happenings. This trip did not let us down. One of the main events of the day happened in the bathroom of a department store. I was holding a sleepy Riley for Heather and trying to open a sprite at the same time. In a normal situation this would have turned out all right, but the sprite had been shaken up pretty badly in Heather's diaper bag, so when I opened it up I was surprised with a sprite shower. Don't worry Riley was not harmed in the making of this blog post. I was left pretty sticky though. Over in the corner of the bathroom was a "Caution, Wet Floor" sign. Heather said that it was providence. So, I cleaned up and set up the sign to warn the next bathroom victims.

What I learned through all of this was never open up a sprite while holding Riley. Two, life is made so much more enjoyable for others when you are clumsy, and three having a sense of humor is a must sometimes. I'm so thankful that God has blessed me and my sister with one. :)

After all that fun, My sister and I went and saw Harry Potter. I remember when I was little how everyone around me was going crazy over the books and I was never allowed to read them. I wasn't missing much. It's a wonder what we are letting into the hearts of our youngsters these days. They are so impressionable and so willing to go along with ideas that are presented to them. Harry Potter is a far cry from being the example that kids need. It's scary to look back into my past and think about how Little House on the Prairie, use to be a family favorite. Now families are going to see PG-13 movies together for family fun. I can't sit through most PG-13 movies and I'm 21.

I pray that God gives me the wisdom to know what is acceptable to put before my kids eyes. God warns us to be careful about what we put before our eyes. I started to think, if I won't let my future kids watch that stuff the why I'm I watching it? I shouldn't ask something of them and not require it of myself. Really, the same reason that I have for not wanting them to watch it are the same ones that I have for myself.

These are some of the verses I was reminded of today...

"Keep your heart with all diligence,
      For out of it spring the issues of life." Proverbs 4:23

"I will set nothing wicked before my eyes;
         I hate the work of those who fall away;
         It shall not cling to me." -Psalms 101:3

God Bless!

Taylor and Being Home

As some of you know, Taylor is now 20!

My family is so blessed to have her in our lives. She keeps us entertained, life with her is never boring. We are not having her birthday celebration until tomorrow, so I will have more to say about her special day then. In honor of being home and Taylor's birthday though, Taylor and I decided to take some pictures around the homestead!

Such a pretty girl!

I love taking her picture! They always turn out so nice.

The Closing of a Door and the Opening of Another

I hardly know where to start when talking about the past week. I have so many emotions wrapped up into it that its hard to work them out, I'm giving it a try though.

On Wednesday my family headed out of town in two vehicles. Mom drove the rental car and I drove the van. We were headed to the Home Educators Association of Virginia Convention. My family has been working at the convention for the past eleven years, six of which we have been the exhibit hall coordinators. It has been a wonderful experience for our family. We have made so many good friends whom we consider family and many great homeschooling ideas have come from lessons learned there. Heather, Taylor and I have all graduated at the homeschool graduation ceremony that is held at this convention every year and Zachary graduated there this year.

A recap of the weekend goes something like this...

Wednesday:

We came in on Wednesday to look over the exhibit hall layout and make sure everything was in order. We had a few things messed up here and there, but nothing too awful. After the run through was over we all went back to the hotel because some of us had food poison from earlier that day. Travis, Heather and Riley made it in sometime after one in the morning. We spent a little while catching up then all went straight to bed. We had a log day ahead of us.

Thursday:

We awoke at 6:30am and headed over to the convention center to check in vendors and help them set up. The ALERT guys were very helpful this year, as always.

A big thanks goes out to Joseph Miller who helped out a lot during check-in and check-out. He liked our purple flower pens and wanted to wear one. :)



Taylor and Joseph checking vendors in.



Joseph Miller and his Purple flower pen.

Noah Knight, one of our vendors' little kids came to see us a lot at the check-in table. He brought over his snake book so he could show us which snakes to stay away from. He is one of nine Knight kids. Knights Book Knook is the name of their company it has always been a favorite of the families.

Noah Knight

Noah is one of my very special convention friends. He is so much fun to talk to and play with. He is eight years old and has Gelastic Epilepsy. It is caused by an inoperable brain tumor on the hypothalamus (the base of the brain). But he doesn't let that stop him from being a very active young man. Noah has always held a special place in my family's heart.

After check-in was over and the vendors all set up. We headed to the front of the hall to open up the exhibit hall! The first day went off without any hitches. The Knight kids kept us entertained the whole evening by coming to visit us at the front of the hall a lot.

Friday:

Friday was the first day of a full on convention.

One of the other Knight kids Sarah, was a frequent visitor. She would find her way to our table and we would take her back to her momma only to have her show up again a few minutes later. We called her our homing pigeon all weekend. Sarah is the youngest Knight child at 3 years old.

Sarah Knight

 

It was really rare moments when we knew where mom was. If you know the book series Where in the World is Waldo, you understand what I'm talking about. She would run from place to place in that hall, dealing with this and that. She works really hard at the convention.

Saturday:

The day of Zachary's graduation! I must tell the truth and say that I cried a lot during his graduation. I'm so proud of him and the man that he is becoming. He is going to be attending Faulkner with Taylor and I in the fall.

 

Uncle Zachary

The Family and Sarah :)

After graduation we rushed back to the exhibit hall to close it out for the last time. Many tears were shed that night by the Bear family and vendors alike.

Mrs. Ginny has been a wonderful family friend the past six years. We all see her as more like family then a vendor. She is such a wonderful person. Her company name is Homeschoolmania. She sells homeschooling t-shirts, cups and bags.

Mrs. Ginny and Mom

On the last night mom and Mrs. Ginny wanted to get away from the rush of the vendors packing up so they hid away in Mrs. Ginny's trailer. Her Daughter, Juliet found them and tried to pull them out. It took a little effort, but they came around.

Lord willing we will be keeping in touch with Mrs. Ginny still as the years go on.

Packing up the vending hall is always a little stressful and a bit of an organized chaos. We once again had the help of the ALERT team and a few of the Millers pitched in as well. Taylor, Dad and I ran the process trying to get everyone out in the best way possible.

Dad checking Vendors out.

Zack and Jake help load up.

Micah Miller giving a hand.

Travis worked really hard at convention

The Knight kids!

Ben is looking really sleepy at this point.

When all of the vendors were gone except the Knights (they are usually the last ones out), Benjamin and I took some silly pictures to keep him entertained while his mom and the guys were loading them up. Benjamin is 6 and full of energy!



He is such a cutie!



Later, we had a rubber band war to continue to keep them preoccupied.



Ouch!



Michaela Knight

Then it was time to tell the Knights good-bye. It was really hard to leave them all. They have been a blessing to our family. Lord willing, I hope to get the chance to see them in the future. I am grateful for the years we have been able to get to know them.



Naomi Knight



Well that about wraps up the week! It has been really hard for our family to close the door on the convention, but we felt it was time. It was a wonderful experience, and we will miss so many. When one door closes though others open. I'm very excited to see what the Lord has planed for the Bear family's future!

Until next time!

India Bear