The El Salvador team has been back for a few days now so I have only been back in my house for a brief time. This means that there is very little food in my fridge. I was starving today on my way home from worship practice so I swung by a local grill and ordered some chicken wings to go. As I was sitting in the restaurant waiting for my food this precious little lady walked by. She had an oxygen tank that she was wheeling along and was balancing 3 to go boxes on top along with her purse. As she walked by she caught my eye and I asked if she needed help. She said no, then wheeled herself around and stood and waited for the rest of her party by me. That's when this started.

"This bag is the juicy one" she said as she set the first bag of take out down. "And this is my peach cobbler. I'm diabetic so I am going to eat it slowly over the next few days. But this is the juicy one, it was Chicken Picatta, you know the chicken with the lemon sauce on it?"

"I have never had that here but I love chicken picatta."

"The lady I am with had .....(I forget what she said), and the gentleman had ....."

She went on to tell me what everyone had.

"Sounds good."

"Well I had walking pneumonia..."

"Oh my goodness."

"You see I was born in 1936" (I must interject at this point and say that I had to concentrate not to laugh out loud) "and I was premature. The doctor told my mom that she could put me in an incubator and leave me in the hospital for a month or take me and put me in a little box and stay in a hotel room for a month. She decided to take the hotel room. But I was premature, that's why I got walking pneumonia. So between that, the oxygen and the diabetes I don't get out much. But it takes me longer so I started out here earlier than them."

Somewhere around this time her friends showed up. She thanked me and left.

Dear all,
I have decided to leave Briana. Please do not judge me for this decision. I have tried to make this work for years but she does not appreciate me at all. She constantly abuses me. She is always ignoring me or overworking me. I can't take it anymore. I am leaving.

Sincerely,
Briana's Brain

VBS day 1 went off great! We had 66 kids in attendance. I was Esterina the Emporer's wife :)

We have about 95 kids signed up???? WHAT??? I only planned for 70. So pray that that all works out. I am good on crafts tomorrow so we are going to wait until then. I may be shopping tomorrow last minute for some alternate crafts. YIKES!!!

Pray pray pray!!!
Bri

I bought a gift today and went ahead and bought the $1 bag and the $1 package of matching tissue paper. Well, I went to wrap the gift and on the package of tissue paper are these instructions:
What do I do with the gift??? It doesn't tell me that!!!

My cousin recently posted the following: Experimental and Strange and I read it and I have to totally agree.

Since she has taught our family so much about biomedical intervention and diet and intolerances and all of those things we have, as a family, grown so much. Her children are all doing fabulously, not just Nathan but all of them are healthier and able to live lives that are free of stomach problems, coping with OCD, allergy free etc. but her siblings have learned things they are allergic or intolerant to. My mom and myself are learning things that affect us negatively. Personally I have learned I have a horrible emotional reaction to certain foods. By learning this I have come out of a time of huge insecurity into a time of my life where I feel much lighter and more able to handle normal emotions.

All that to say that the burden she speaks of carrying for children with autism is in all of us now. Julee, one area you have touched very much is to create quite a few advocates for searching for the diet issues that most people overlook. I know my mom and myself have become spokespeople quite often.

But there is that burden and the oftentimes barrier of feeling as if you shouldn't say something. What do we do with that? It is such a simple solution in the sense that if that it works it is hugely helpful. Why do we keep silent? How do you tell the mother living on disability with very little money to do this that her child would probably have a whole lot less problems with ADHD if he was able to eat a diet that wasn't full of preservatives and sugar? How do you help someone who's child possibly has OCD to go spend $300 to get a food test done when money is tight and the test may do them no good?

This is sounding a lot like witnessing. Here we have the solution for eternity and yet we often keep silent. But at the same time we have to wait for the right opening. You can't just go in and slam someone with the Gospel or it will not be in love and not be accepted. Similarly you can't just go to a parent and say, "you should do it this way," you have to wait for the right opening and the right heart.

Its hard, the answer seems so obvious to us who have seen its effects (this is speaking on both topics now). We have seen changed lives, we have seen the freedom that comes with knowledge. But sometimes, we have to be silent because people expect us to preach and are already defensive before we even open our mouths.

I will end this now. I just couldn't help but relating to my cousins post so much so (obviously) that I had to write something! Please read her post. If only to learn more so that you too maybe one day can be an advocate as well. If you can help one person you have changed someone's entire life!

Last night I had the unique privilege and honor of attending a very private memorial service. For the past several weeks there has been a class held at our church. It is called PACE, or Post Abortion Counseling Eduction. This was a Bible study for woman who had abortions and were searching for healing.

There was something about just knowing this class was meeting at our church that made each of these women dear to me. I did not know some of them but as we would prepare the room for them my heart cried out that they would find healing and forgiveness in Christ.

About 2 weeks ago I was asked to run the logistical side of their final class. I was honored because I loved these women and had wanted so badly to hear their stories. It was a strange desire because there was nothing vicious in it, but simply wanting to hear the preciousness of the freedom they had found.

Last night was a memorial service that is held at the end of the class. It was absolutely precious. The women came in and were given a white rose representing each child that is in the hands of Jesus (miscarriages as well as abortions). This class had caused them to take a long hard look at abortion. It was not an easy class for them. But they had made it this far, had received a chance to give names to their babies, had looked at the fact that their children are in heaven and had received healing. During the evening they lit a candle representing each child and dedicated their children to God. While each woman knew their child was already with the Lord this service was to acknowledge and honor that fact.

Somewhere during this time something occurred to me that made me slightly jealous of these ladies. That might sound strange but I suddenly realized that they knew forgiveness in a way that I might never understand. They had gone through a very difficult study that caused them to take long hard looks at their hearts and come out with such gratefulness for the blood of the cross. Then the Lord reminded me that at the foot of the cross the ground is level. All sin is separating from Him and that I too could know that type of forgiveness. I just needed to confront my sin as honestly as they did theirs.

What a beautiful picture. Last night will forever be burned in my memory. Not only did I have the honor of hearing the stories of these precious women, loving them, spending time with them, but I was able to take a fresh look at the gift of salvation. Oh thank you Lord Jesus!

***Please note, if you or anyone you know is struggling from a past abortion, please call your local community pregnancy center and ask about the PACE program, or a similar Post Abortion Counseling. It is confidential and could change your life. I heard a couple testimonies last night from ladies who did not realize that the even needed something like this and how much freedom they have found.

Well...I had great plans...obviously they didn't make it far.

Not to dwell on my failures though...

We had a fabulous visit with my cousin Julee, her five kids and my Auntie Bev. The kids are precious. It was so fun to spend time with them. Timothy and I played games together. Katie Ann wrote stories that I read for her. I played Josiah like a guitar. Nathan and I got to talk and laugh a lot. And Maury I got to push in a stroller which, sounds boring, but I had a lot of fun moments with him during that time.

I will post pics on my facebook here in the next couple of days.