The Adventures of Taylor and Frankie

Greetings from Africa!

2012-01-26T14:09:00.002-06:00

Check out our new feature via the stamp on the left sidebar! The rhino is a portal to a cool place where we share all the fun letters, pictures, and stories that we get in the mail from our sponsor child via World Vision! Click the rhino again to come back to our home blog. :)

Living Simply To Love Others

2012-01-18T21:06:00.002-06:00

“For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.

For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed; never throw out anyone.

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of each of your arms.

As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries or the way she combs her hair.

The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.

The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mode but the true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives the passion that she shows.

The beauty of a woman grows with the passing years.”

Audrey Hepburn

Happy New Year friends!

2012 is an exciting year for us because we have an idea that we hope to explore all year long. We really wanted to do something different, something that we could throw ourselves into, research, learn, share, and grow from. So we thought of using a theme that has been the subject of a lot of conversations in our marriage- Living Simply to Love Others, and devoting the year to discovering what it really means to live this mantra.

Some of the ways we want to engage in this concept is to read more books and share them with you, interview people that we have met and hope to meet that have changed there job/life to serve people instead of just serving themselves, and find new ways to use our talents to help us in our goal of "Living Simply to Love Others".

Hopefully at the end of the year we will be able to look back at all of these methods, experiences, and knowledge and see how we can better serve the callings and passions of our hearts and continue a life that is devoted to service and love for others. So, as always, we invite you to join us by reading, commenting, reflecting, and sharing in our new adventure of Living Simply to Love Others.

Christmas Fun!

2011-12-25T23:51:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas to all of you!!! Hope you had a wonderful time with family and friends in honor of our King! :)

We had a really great Christmas! Complete with an awesome story to go along with our Toy Closet again this year. So here it is! The story of our second annual Toy Closet Adventure. Ooooo boy, get ready!

As we did last year, we started shopping early, hitting up sales and using our shopping secrets. Although we moved and don't have an actual closet this year, we still managed to stash all our goodies until we were ready to give them away. And if you don't know what I am talking about go here to learn about last year's Toy Closet Adventure that began it all! (Side note- it is my favorite post that I have ever written!)

First, we had to figure out what to do with the toys when the time came... We do donate to toy drives but we also enjoy taking out toys and actually giving them to children. There is something that's missing when you just drop off a toy rather then deliver it to someone. Plus, the look on their faces is just awesome.

So when we were thinking about a place to go we remembered our cousin Kaitlyn when she stayed in the hospital. We happened to visit her on Halloween and they were having a party when we showed up and took all the kids trick-or-treating around to different parts of the hospital. It was a lot of fun and the kids really enjoyed it! We thought that they may do a similar thing for Christmas and wondered if we could assist in providing toys for the kiddos. We thought it would be a great way to give back to the people that helped take care of our family and bring some cheer to families spending their holidays in the hospital. So after a couple calls, we got in touch with Meg, the nurse in charge of organizing the Halloween event. We told her our idea and what we had and asked if there was any opportunity for us to come and give these toys to the kids. She was so excited and said that the best time to do this would be when Santa comes, but that they hadn't been able to find a Santa yet... Taylor so wished she knew a Santa when she hung up the phone... but then remembered.... not only do we know a Santa, we know the best Santa in San Antonio and he goes to our church! After talking to Mrs. Claus and figuring out a date that would work for everyone, we had a Santa booked for them! (Check out his awesomeness here!)

Every little detail was falling into place... any problem that came up quickly worked itself out before we had time to worry about it... it was amazing and obviously carefully coordinated by someone other than ourselves. Funny how God's got your back when you are doing what He made you to do. ;)

When the day finally came (we had to wait all the way til the 23rd!) we all showed up and shared in the excitement of watching the kids (and lots of nurses!) light up with joy as they saw Santa coming down the hall and to their rooms. We delivered gifts and candy canes and lots of giggles to patients in their rooms and then headed to the play room for story time with Mrs. Claus and more kids visiting with Santa. We even went down to the ER to share some smiles! It was so wonderful hearing the kids excitedly thank Santa for the gifts and it really did warm our hearts. Toy Closet - you did it again! What a great way to spend time together sharing God's love! It was a beautiful day and we were all so blessed to be a part of it!

Giveaway Winner!

2011-12-20T22:58:00.002-06:00

Congrats to Kara Starr for winning our "Start Something That Matters" giveaway! She is following her passions and hopes to make a difference! Be looking for your book in the mail soon!

Also, we are so busy this week! Printing last minute LOVE:water shirts to be sent out tomorrow, as well as working on the kid's shirts. Also this week we are delivering our toys from our toy closet! We haven't shared that with you yet but be looking for that post in the next few days. :)

Official TaylorFrankie Christmas List - Part 2!

2011-12-19T15:18:00.005-06:00

1. Hand Drawn Dots Ash - What wish list would be complete without TOMS shoes? These would be a great addition to my collection. Aren't they fun?! TOMS Shoes

2. Classic 301 - New to the TOMS family, these stylish sunglasses look good and do good, too! Each purchase helps give life saving sight to a person in need. So cool!! TOMS Eyewear

3. Jute Pencil Case - This nifty little zipper case is great for any little doo-dads. It's awesome and it provides work for vulnerable women in Cambodia. Love it!! Trade As One

4. The Ultimate Stocking Stuffer - Mints, gum, coffee, and a shirt that all give back to a variety of causes! Plus they look cool and taste yummy! Yes, please!! Project 7

5. Paracord Bracelet for Honduras - A blogger friend's daughter has decided to make these to support Touch a Life Center in Honduras after being moved by their work while on a missions trip. They are super neat and you can order them in a variety of colors! Awesome!! Wherever He Leads Us

6. Kiva Cards - These unique gift cards let the recipient choose a project to loan the money to. From helping Caleb run a green grocery store in Kenya to providing a group of women funds to purchase threads and fabric for their dressmaking shop. Give away!! Kiva

7. Toys - I love toys! And apparently so do kids. :) Children's Hunger Fund wraps and distributes thousands to children in the US and around the world to bring smiles at Christmastime! Anyone can help support this project and others through their gift catalogue. Fun, fun!! Children's Hunger Fund

8. "Kisses from Katie" - This is a story of Christ's grace as Katie serves him with her life in Uganda. Her blog is heart breaking, inspiring, and a beautiful portrait of Christ's love. So moving. Amazima Ministries

9. Feed 10 Bag with Pouch - Fun and flexible, this bag works for all kinds of fun things! With its purchase, 10 meals are provided to school children through United Nations World Food Programme's School Feeding program. Feed me! FEED

10. Faith Shirts - Super excited about this one! Brogan came up with this design (inspired by our LOVE shirts) to benefit Children's Hunger Fund! Each shirt features Faith with an apple symbolizing the good it does for kids and families in need! So proud of him! Faith, Hope, and Love Shirts

Week 4 - Love All

2011-12-18T21:17:00.004-06:00

Love All from Living Water International on Vimeo.

God’s love has no boundaries. Ours does.

That’s why it’s important that we practice love intentionally. Our love starts to look more like God’s when we stretch its boundaries—to the lonely, the imprisoned, the homeless, the hungry, and the thirsty.

We hope this Advent season has prepared you to Love All: your family, the hard-to-love, and the overlooked in your community. We also hope you will join us in demonstrating God’s boundless love by loving people who desperately need safe drinking water, and with it living water, the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Thank you for sharing a bit of your Advent season with us. We hope it has been one filled with all the hope, joy and love that God placed in a manger more than 2,000 years ago.

Wishing you a joyful, peaceful Christmas,
Your Living Water Family

This is our favorite part of Advent Conspiracy and Christmas! We love to love! It's fun and fulfilling. It's what we were made to do. You and me, us, all of us. We were made to love - God and our neighbors. So what better time to remember and celebrate that purpose than for our Savior's birthday?!

And if you believe that the love shouldn't stop when the presents are unwrapped, join us on a journey of love. Next year we have come up with a theme that will take us through the steps of "Living Simply to Love Others". One theme, 12 months, and a whole lot of LOVE!

Remember that this isn't just a Christmas thing... Advent Conspiracy doesn't have to end with the season. There are so many ways to worship fully, spend less, give more, and love all, year round!

Official TaylorFrankie Christmas List 2011 - Part 1!

2011-12-15T01:54:00.001-06:00

Each year we search the internet for some of the coolest gifts that give back. I know we are a little late with the TaylorFrankie lists but there is still time and who wouldn't want these gifts all year round? Some of these products make the list every year but some of them are new and a few are being revealed here on our list for the first time ever! So check out my list and be on the look out for Taylor's coming soon!

1. TOMS - These TOMS are awesome! TOMS gives a pair of shoes for every pair that you buy and start at $45.00 for the classics- that is not a bad deal. TOMS

2. Hello Somebody - This one is new to our blog. We have been keeping it a secret from you for a bit. We heard about them from our friends at Bless Your Heart. For just $25 you get this sweet watch offered in a variety of colors plus kids receive food and education. Hello Somebody

3. Starburst Basket - Hand crafted by women in Uganda, this bowl is stunning! Even more beautiful is that this bowl gives work to a family in Uganda that can now support themselves. "Gifts that bridge worlds and rebuild lives". Women's Peace Collection

4. Bibles - CHF's menu has always made its way on to my list. This year why not give bibles in the name of someone you love? Children's Hunger Fund

5. Hope Shirt - This shirt was designed and is being sold by Taylor's 6 year old sister. She has always had a heart for Haiti and knows the importance of food and shelter for everyone.

6. Project 7 Gum - Did you know for less than $18 you can buy 12 packs of this gum and at the same time 10 fruit trees magically appear on our planet? Project 7

7. TOMS Eye Wear - The newest TOMS product! For each pair of glasses you buy you give sight to someone else. TOMS

8. Feed Bags - There are so many Feed Bags to chose from. Most feed people around the world but with the purchase of this bag, another identical bag is sent to Africa with medical supplies inside! Feed

9. World Vision Bike - You do not receive an actual bike but instead you help a girl continue to go to school safely by giving her transportation. World Vision

10. Holga Camera - $36 goes to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, New York Chapter. And this is just one of many gifts on this site that gives to tons of different causes when you buy products from them. Gifts that Give

For more gift ideas check out last year's TaylorFrankie list.

"Start Something That Matters" Book Review and Give Away!

2011-12-14T22:32:00.002-06:00

We are so thankful to Blake and Spiegel & Grau for sharing this book with us! We both really enjoyed reading it and recommend it for anyone! Even though we are not bookworms we couldn’t put this one down!

Before we tell you about the story we want to tell you how awesome the book itself is. It's already inspiring tons of bloggers across the country who received it for free so we can tell you about it! And 50% of the proceeds from the sales are put into a Start Something That Matters fund to help inspired readers carry out their amazing ideas! How cool right? Now for the stories...

If you’re not familiar with Blake Mycoskie and TOMS (which how could you not be if you follow are blog? ;) then allow us to introduce you… Blake first experienced the need for shoes when he was traveling Argentina. He jotted down his thoughts along with a picture of the popular local shoe that he had been wearing while there. With this exciting new idea and his new Argentinian shoe-making friend, he left for the US with 100 pair of TOMS to see what he could do. This was the beginning of what we now know as the great, the amazing TOMS shoes! The start of something that matters as an idea, a movement, and a new way to do business.

Each chapter reveals a little more of the TOMS story and how the company grew to be the image that they are today. Blake also shares some nifty tricks from life before TOMS and lots of stories of other companies that have started with big ideas.

Another thing that we love about this book is that Blake backs up his strategies of starting something that matters with real life stories of challenges that every business faces when they start out. Like people saying that Wal-Mart would never make it and like Method seeing what’s wrong and doing what’s right. This book will motivate and inspire you to take your ideas, face your fears, and truly start something that matters.

(Check out more book deets and other reviews on the Amazon page!)

-----

Wanna read it? Wanna turn your passions into a movement for others?
Wanna share it? Know someone who has the passion to Start Something That Matters?
Answer these questions from page 36 and you could be the new recipient or giver of Start Something That Matters! :)

If you did not have to worry about money, what would you do with your time?
What kind of work would you want to do?
What cause would you serve?

Answer in a word or two, three sentences, or a paragraph! Just leave us a comment by Sunday and we will choose a winner in time for Christmas! Can't wait to hear what kinds of passions you all have!

Week 3 - Give More

2011-12-12T20:59:00.000-06:00

This week's theme [Give More] is coming at just the right time. Realizing that we are almost a week away from Christmas and we had not bought any gifts we went out shopping... walking around the store looking for something that would show our love to ones receiving them. Not the way I like to shop by the way... I like to know what I am getting for someone before we leave the house and not rush into buying something that could be meaningless and thoughtless. In fact my favorite type of shopping is shopping for things that I can use to make gifts with.
I remember one Christmas when Taylor and I were dating but living in different states we made a plan that for that year we would get each other 10 gifts, but the catch was that we had to make most of them and then the rest couldn't be more then a few dollars. I remember making a door hanger and buying socks and I remember receiving a box of rice crispy treats. The gifts didn't really matter, it was the love that we gave with them and truly the thought that was counted. Taylor knew I loved rice crispy treats and I knew she loved frogs so most of the gifts I got her had frogs on them. Plus seeing each other for the holiday was also nice.
I guess what I am trying to say is that the real special gifts are the ones that connect us and those are not always the kind that fit under the tree. Spending time on something can be so much more valuable then spending money. So this year give more and by taking time to find the things that make the holiday really special.

Here is a little song to finish this thought out... take it away guys!

Week 2 - Spend Less

2011-12-04T22:17:00.006-06:00

Just watched this video and was so excited to see Pastor Chris Seay at Ecclesia! Man, we miss our Houston church. Check out the video and read below as we continue to conspire together and spend less.

Spend Less from Living Water International on Vimeo.

Shopping is filled with a sense of promise. We’re promised comfort, status, better looks, happiness and joy, but do those promises really deliver? And what do they have to do with the promises of Scripture? If you’ve ever felt like we might have lost the point when we turned the birth of Christ into a season of frantic shopping, you will appreciate the second pillar of the Advent Conspiracy: Spend Less.

Spend Less isn’t about being a Scrooge. It’s about being free to celebrate Jesus. We hope you will reflect on the birth of Christ with us, and celebrate the fact that because some believers Spend Less, hundreds of thousands of people around the world are being blessed with safe drinking water, offered in Jesus’ name.

Like they said, you don't have to be a Scrooge to spend less. Try just giving one less gift. Try spending a bit less than last year. Try and make that list a little shorter. As we all conspire together it adds up.

We are forgoing extended family gift exchanges this year for starters. At about $20 per trade x the two of us x three families... that saves about $120! From gifts that aren't really needed to gifts that can mean hope and life for some one in real need. We will spend time with our grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, and spend the money where it really counts. How are you conspiring to spend less this week?

CHF Toy Wrap 2011

2011-12-03T23:58:00.002-06:00

This morning I got to be with the rest of the 300 people wrapping bears in San Antonio, Texas! Check out the video! We had a lot of fun and if you look really close you can see my sister's head when they pan through the SA warehouse.

LOVE:water + $10 Gift Card

2011-12-01T14:44:00.006-06:00

Update: Gift Card to Living Water International have ended for the year.

Now when you order one of these in the month of December....

...you also get one of these!!!

A $10 gift card to Living Water International!

Now you or the gift recipient can decide exactly where your money goes! When you receive the gift card you can go here and pick a project. "Ugandan school kids" or "Unreached people in Peru" are just two causes you can support in addition to a list of 25 countries you can choose from! Each project tracks how much it has raised so you can instantly see what you are a part of!
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So visit our shop, choose a shirt, and get a free $10 gift card! [Give More]

Week 1 - Worship Fully

2011-11-27T00:16:00.004-06:00

Advent starts today! We are so excited to be in this season again as we continue to figure out how to get back to the basics of Christmas. How to celebrate in a way that honors our King, our Immanuel and not stuff. Week 1 with Advent Conspiracy focuses on worship- "Worship fully." But also being conscious of what you are worshipping... are you worshipping the baby Jesus born unto us a Savior? or are you worshipping shopping? checklists? business?

We hope you share your thoughts as we go through this journey of Advent 2011 together! How will you choose to worship fully this week?

Here's a quick vid and devo from [AC] to get your worship juices flowin.

Worship Fully from Living Water International on Vimeo.

Christmas begins with a baby born in a manger. He changed the course of the stars and turned fathers’ hearts to their children. The heavens sang his praise as angels sang glory to God in the highest and on earth his peace. Shepherds praised God and traveled to Bethlehem to see him. Magi journeyed from the East to worship him. His mother treasured these things in her heart. They called him “Immanuel”—“God with us.” He proclaimed his presence to the end of the age.

What we do unto others, we do unto him.

Again this Christmas babies will be born in ramshackle homes. Herod will not try to kill them, but their drinking water will. Again Jesus will turn our hearts to children. We who still hear angels will journey to see Christ in the least of these. Our camels traded for drill rigs, we will bear the gift of life: clean drinking water, offered in Jesus’ name. Mothers will treasure these things in their hearts. This is full worship.

Worship derives from Old-English words meaning “worth-ship.”

What we give worth to is what we worship: possessions, God, shopping, children, money, Jesus. We worship all the time. Advent is a time to consciously direct our worship towards Jesus, Immanuel, God with us. A time to worship fully.

Day Three - Dinner

2011-11-23T19:40:00.003-06:00

Our last dinner. A can of cream of mushroom, chicken, left over mixed veggies, and potatoes. If you want you can throw in the rest of the milk and left over pasta. This was so good!

Day Three - Lunch

2011-11-23T11:10:00.001-06:00

Having tuna again for lunch today as we run around. :)

Day Three - Breakfast

2011-11-23T10:56:00.001-06:00

Did you know that if you take hard granola bars and pour milk on them and then put them in the microwave for about 45 seconds they turn back into oatmeal! Delicious!

The Real Taco Cabana Girl

2011-11-22T21:00:00.003-06:00

We interrupt our meal posts to share with you a great opportunity to help out a friend of ours!

Her name is Kara Beth Starr and she is one of the finalists in the first ever Taco Cabana talent contest! If she wins she will get to hang out with Anjelah Johnson and be in a TC commercial! (Plus free TC for a year!)

You can see her awesome video here!

If you think that Kara should be the winner (why wouldn't you? she is so cool!) then go Vote Here!!! She would be so grateful! :) Thanks, readers!

Day Two - Dessert

2011-11-22T20:53:00.004-06:00

Milk and rice makes rice pudding and it makes it pretty well!

We made dessert tonight and it was good!

3 cups of our nut milk
2 cups cooked white rice
1/2 cup raisins
(we bought some as our dried fruit item in the food pak)
1/3 cup sugar
Ground cinnamon, generous pinch

In a saucepan, combine 3 cups milk, 2 cups cooked white rice, 1/2 cup raisins, 1/3 cup sugar and a generous pinch of ground cinnamon. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the milk is absorbed and the pudding is thickened, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or let cool, press plastic wrap onto the surface and refrigerate until chilled. Makes 3 1/2 cups. Thank Rachael!

One more day of meals!

Tomorrows Menu:

Breakfast:

Oatmeal

Lunch:

Tuna and Crackers

Dinner:

Chicken Noddle Soup

Day Two - Dinner

2011-11-22T20:49:00.000-06:00

Day Two - Lunch

2011-11-22T17:20:00.001-06:00

Day Two - Breakfast

2011-11-22T11:41:00.001-06:00

Nothing complicated about this. Fruit and granola bar.

The Menu for today is

Breakfast

Fruit and Granola Bar

Lunch

Tuna and Crackers

Dinner

Chicken, Beans, and Shells

Dessert

Rice Pudding

If you are just joining us we decided for three days we would eat meals that are easily made from item found in a CHF Food Pak©. Doing this we would remember to be prayerful for the needs of the hungry and maybe raise some funds to feed a few families. If you would like to donate we are asking for $5 sponsors for each meal that we create. Just email us that you would like to help and we will respond back with what you can do. If you just want more information about CHF and the Food Pak© visit their site here.

Dinner Day 1

2011-11-21T21:22:00.002-06:00

We made some pasta for dinner!

Saved some for tomorrow, we will change it up a bit by adding some different ingredients.

Lunch Day 1

2011-11-21T21:21:00.002-06:00

Rice and Veggies

We only used a little bit of the rice and half of the veggies because we plan on using the rest in the next few days.

Nut Milk

2011-11-21T11:44:00.001-06:00

In the list we listed a bag of unsalted nuts. One thing that we have always wanted to have as part of the food pack is milk, for both drinking and cooking with. Thanks to mike+brit for finding this video because now we can make milk!!! We picked up almonds and made some pretty awesome almond milk this morning.

My New Roots - How to Make Nut Milk from My New Roots on Vimeo.

Don't drink to much we are going to try to use this milk for a few things tomorrow and Wednesday. :)

Breakfast Day 1

2011-11-21T11:41:00.001-06:00

We only used half of the can of potatoes because we are going to use the other half for Day 3's dinner.

Prep for day 1

2011-11-20T23:38:00.001-06:00

So tomorrow we start our food challenge so we took our list and headed for the store!

This is what we picked up! One full pak!

Here is a look at what we plan on eating.

The Menu

Breakfast: Beans and diced potatoes

Lunch: Rice and vegetables

Dinner: Pasta

So we set the beans to soak tonight and tomorrow morning I will wake up and finish cooking them!
I'll be sure to share photos of everything we make. I will also share what we are doing with our bag of nuts that we haven't done before, lots of exciting things happening tomorrow. :)

Food Pak Challenge III - The List

2011-11-17T23:11:00.002-06:00

Here is our shopping list!

Everything is pretty basic. We specified a few of the generic items to work with what we have planned but other then that all of these are items that you should find in a typical Food Pak©.

The Invite - Food Pak Challenge III

2011-11-16T15:48:00.004-06:00

As part of our goal to give to CHF this Christmas we are recruiting another holiday to help us spread a little awareness and yummy-ness, and hopefully raise some funds toward our goal.

Okay here is what we are thinking...

Thanksgiving is coming up in a week and a half and just like everyone else we plan on feasting until our bellies are full! But in between the turkey being carved and the pumpkin pie we still remember that there are some people that aren't able to feast on ordinary days. As a matter of fact, 1 out of 4 children go to bed hungry in San Antonio- that is 25%! So to remember and to help we have come up with a plan. And because we want to help these children through CHF we want to use the Food Pak© again.

We have come up with a menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the three days leading up to Thanksgiving (Monday-Wednesday). Each meal is created from the food in the Food Pak©, and for the two of us we plan on only using the amount of food in one Food Pak©. 3 days, 6 meals, and we are inviting you to come along with us. We will be posting instructions, ingredients, and menus in enough time for you to try one meal, one day, or all three days with us. The point isn't to starve yourself but to see the things that this box can do for a family that is hungry. To raise funds we are asking for sponsors to commit to give $5 for any one meal. At the end of the three days we should have $45 and that's just about enough to feed a family for two months!

So this Thanksgiving let's really celebrate and be thankful knowing that we were able to feed the ones that can't quite feed themselves.

Please RSVP and Come back tomorrow and look for the shopping list!

Gearing up for Christmas - 2011

2011-11-10T22:09:00.007-06:00

Christmas is getting closer, and if you don't believe us just take a walk into your local grocery or retail store. And just like everyone else, we too, are getting ready for the season.

For us, getting ready for Christmas looks a lot like....

Working with our church to get local Angel Tree wishes passed out and Haitian orphan shoe boxes distributed. Taylor was there yesterday setting up.

CHF Toy wrap is also on the list and the email was sent on Saturday to sign up for this this year!

Within minutes we (myself, my sister, and her boyfriend) were signed up to ensure our spot. Taylor has class on Saturday mornings this semester (something that she declares she will never do again) and will not be able to make it.

We are also figuring out what we will be doing as a family this year. CHF and Food Banks seems to be at the top of our list.

Don't forget about our Toy Closet! We still have to find what we will be doing with all of the toys we have collected this year.

So many things to do... We also plan on coming out with another TaylorFrankie Christmas List this year to share some ideas of gifts that give back. :)

Last year we made a video as a part of a contest that showed how we did Christmas differently for Advent Conspiracy. Take a look and let us know what you plan on doing this year for Christmas.

Start Something that Matters

2011-11-10T01:04:00.001-06:00

Look what we got today!!! Can't wait to get our book and start reading!
Also, be looking for a giveaway contest soon!

Movember

2011-11-08T23:15:00.002-06:00

During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces, in the US and around the world. With their Mo’s, these men raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men.

The Movember Effect: Awareness & Education, Survivorship, ResearchThe funds raised in the US support prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men. The funds raised are directed to programs run directly by Movember and our men’s health partners, the Prostate Cancer Foundation and LIVESTRONG, the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Together, the three channels work together to ensure that Movember funds are supporting a broad range of innovative, world-class programs in line with our strategic goals in the areas of awareness and education, survivorship and research.
For more information on the programs they are funding please visit the following:Prostate Cancer Foundation LIVESTRONG, The Lance Armstrong Foundation Awareness & Education Global Action Plan

Even TOMS is getting in on the Mo-ness!
Check out the Limited Edition Movember TOMS!

Check out the Movember site for more fun!

Half Birthday

2011-11-08T00:42:00.003-06:00

Well... I just got home and saw that Taylor didn't post anything and now she is asleep.

hmmmm.....

Well, for today we will just wish the love of my life happy HALF Birthday!!!

I love this girl :)

Orphan Sunday

2011-11-06T16:40:00.005-06:00

November is Adoption Awareness Month and today is Orphan Sunday! The Christian's calling to help the orphan is clear. This video says it all!

Why Love Orphans? from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

Sunny Saturday

2011-11-05T22:53:00.002-05:00

Sorry no photos for this Sunny Saturday... instead we'll just have to tell you how we enjoyed the day!

Taylor has class on Saturday mornings so I went to Devine to spend some time with the family. Mom, Kathy, and I headed down to the Devine Fall Festival Parade with some family and friends watching the floats, cars, trucks, and bikes pass by. It's a small town so everything is about the same each year but it is still fun to go out and see everyone. Plus, people walk next to the floats handing out candy...Yay, free candy!

After the parade we headed to Pleasonton to visit my grandparents and to have lunch. Then my sister and I went to see a movie.

Taylor had some fun girl time with Mom and Teddi after her midterm!

The day ended with a quick game of basketball between me and Brogan and then a fajita dinner! Yum! Then we all sat down to watch Cars 2!

Not a bad day. :)

Now I have to go wake Taylor up from her spot on the couch.

Hope your Saturday was good, too!

Thank You Notes

2011-11-05T00:36:00.002-05:00

It's Friday and this is when we like to catch up on a few personal things... check emails, return calls, and write thank you notes. I hope you don't mind....

(James can we get some thank you note writing music, please.)

Thank you Halloween,

For being the one day of the year when it is okay to play with your food.

Thank you Texas,

For cutting back during the recession and letting fall go. Who needs fall? It's not like he did anything anyways.

Thank you Pinterest,

For being Facebook's good looking best friend.

Thank you Five Guys,

For making me feel like I am actually the size of 5 guys...

And last but not least

Thank you Midterms,

For reminding me that the semester is only half over. :(

Thank You Notes is a product of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. We just liked it so much that we decided to do our own version. :)

We love CHF!

2011-11-03T14:23:00.006-05:00

I know, we must have said it a million times, but they are just so great! They are a bunch of really cool people with enourmous hearts of love that pursue God and His love for the poorest children. Children's Hunger Fund fights hunger, malnutrition, abuse, neglect, and disease, but most importanlty they provide hope! Hope found in the promises of a God who is bigger than the poverty they are facing and even better than canned foods and medicines.

It's exciting to share with you this update from Dave Phillips about how CHF is growing and expanding to reach more children in His name in our own cities (and families!) and across the nations. What great news!

(This is the somewhat shortened version that was emailed. Click the link after Dave's name to read the little bit longer but more exciting letter!)

I am very excited to share with you a HUGE development for Children’s Hunger Fund. For several years, we’ve quietly searched for a new building to use as a launching point for greater impact in the lives of suffering children. I am happy to announce that we have found the building! Yesterday, we officially took occupancy of CHF’s Global Distribution Center in Sylmar, California!

If you’ve ever visited our cramped Pacoima facility, you can imagine how much more we could accomplish with more space. This move will double our current warehouse capacity to ship and receive product for needy children. This may be the most exciting growth opportunity we’ve ever pursued, and it is also our greatest step of faith. We are completely dependent on God to move in the hearts of friends like you to fulfill this vision.

As we step out in faith, we NEED you to join us! With worldwide Thanksgiving and Christmas distributions of food and toys ahead, we are facing our greatest financial challenges yet.Will you help?
For the children we serve, Dave Phillips President of Children's Hunger Fund

So neat to see CHF's dependence on and trust in God. Their faith is inspiring! And the cool part is that we can claim the same when we too pursue "God-given visions".

So excited about the plans we are working on to help CHF in the next couple months! Hopefully we can bring awareness to our community of the beautiful work that CHF does and how they can be a part of God's work loving the poor.

"...The LORD is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does. The LORD upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing."
Psalm 145: 13-16

more sweet faces touched by CHF SouthWest

Kaitlyn's Blood Drive

2011-11-03T00:32:00.002-05:00

For those of you who follow us on Facebook you may have seen a little bit about our cousin Kaitlyn.

Kaitlyn and her mom Veronica

Kaitlyn is 11 and recently found out that she has scoliosis. We have been praying for her as she went through the surgery to correct her spine and are happy to announce that after just a week she is home walking around. She is one tough girl! A lot went into getting ready for her surgery, such as a blood drive to provide all the blood that would be needed for the long procedure, another even that will take place is a plate sale to raise money to help pay for it.

While Taylor was not able to be there to give blood, I was. It was scary. For those of you who don't know I have a bit of a fear for needles, and blood... but I have a great love for my family and was going to give it a try.

Here is a video of the day, please forgive the shaking of the video... I was very nervous! Oh and keep an eye out for my mom, she gave with me!

The turn out was so great! At the end of the day they had two trucks with 44 units completed, and we had to turn a few people away because we couldn't fit them all into our time frame. But everyone got a chance to help out. Thank you everyone for your donation, and your prayers. I am sure we will have the same great support when we come around to selling tickets and plates for our great cousin!

We got to visit Kaitlyn in the hospital on Monday just in time to trick or treat floor to floor with some of the kids. It was good to see her and her mom and our uncle Juano! She had tons of balloons and animals and even made a few new friends! This girl has a big heart filled with lots of love!

Praying for you Kaitlyn! And hoping you have a great recovery!

Almost there!

2011-11-01T23:24:00.003-05:00

So exciting! Just updated our water project update over there on the sidebar --->
and guess what is happening in the next few months...

THIS!!!!!

Our well should be finished between now and January! Oh my goodness! When you really think about it, it's incredible. God allowed us to be a part of changing a community forever. Families will experience clean water for the first time. Children will be able to go to school instead of walking miles a day in search of dirty water. Babies will live!

After this phase is completed we should be receiving GPS coordinates of the project. Then we'll know just where it is! How cool, right? Can't wait for that confirmation! Check out our sidebar to see what else will be happening in this process over the next three months!

Memorial Box Monday - Anonymous Blessings

2011-10-31T13:58:00.005-05:00

Linny at A Place Called Simplicity started Memorial Box Mondays.
"In Joshua 4 Almighty God tells the Isrealites to collect stones and set them as a Memorial to remind them of God's power and provision. He then tells the Isrealites to use those stones as a memorial; that every time they see them to tell their children and their children's children the stories over and over again, continually reminding them of God's faithfulness."

To read the full idea and an introduction to Memorial Box Mondays
go here and read Linny's "How about Memorial Box Mondays?
aka We will remember..." post.

So last week we did a few speaking events. The first was at another campus of our church and the second was with a group of kids at CHF. We love sharing God's story and how he uses us to do his work to encourage others, hence the blog... so we had fun!

After a few times of sharing with people we get used to getting asked questions, and even one lady had said that she read our blog during the Food Pak challenge! But last week we were blessed with something that has never really happened before. And we hope that the person doesn't mind us sharing this (we don't actually know who it was). But last week we got a call from our friend Jesse at CHF asking if we were around the office because he had something for us that someone dropped off. Since we live in San Antonio now, it is a lot easier to just hop on over to the the warehouse. :)

When we got there we got to see some of our friends- Char, Paul, and Jesse- a blessing in itself! Then Jesse made us work just a bit...pppsshh typical Jesse. But when we left we got a sweet card, no name signed, but in it was a hundred dollar bill! Someone who was volunteering at CHF when we shared our story was just really blessed and wanted to share their heart with us.

As an unemployed couple this is a huge blessing! But not as a means to pay bills or anything... During the time we were raising money for the well last year we opened up a savings account to keep the money in. After we met our goal we left this account open and continued to put extra money in it creating a "Projects Fund". We did this so no matter what was going on in our lives we would always have money to do the things we love. Like help sponsor someone's mission trip, or donate to an adoption, or buy $200 in toys to hand out for Christmas... just little things like that. ;) But after 6 months of no income that fund has been long depleted.

But now with the opening of our LOVE shop and a sweet $100 blessing, we can start creating some of our ideas for products to help more people- like the hungry, the sick, the orphaned, and the enslaved as well as continuing our LOVE shirts for the thirsty- all in time for Christmas! We are so excited to use this blessing to keep sharing God's love and to continue living to love others!

This is what the card read: The Lord has touched the lives of so many through your service. As you give of your time so lovingly, it's easy to see His light shining through you. May God bless you as you continue to impact lives and light the way to Him.
"Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16 (The same verse we shared in our last MBM post!)

Into our Memorial Box will go a $100 bill! Ha, ha, not the real one - that's gonna be put to use! So thankful for God's blessings lately and to be able to continue to serve Him with our lives.

Tailgating!

2011-10-30T23:10:00.004-05:00

We had a great time tailgating this morning at church and celebrating team spirit! :D Breakfast was complete with sausage wraps, kolaches, tacos, donuts, and yummy muffins! It was nice to be able to just hang out for a while and enjoy the beautiful weather on the church patio. We love our church family!

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

2011-10-29T23:56:00.000-05:00

I am so excited!!! Look what we got in the mail today...

We won!!! I sent in pictures of Brogan and Teddi with a huge Yellow M&M Frankenstein at the Commissary on base, and we won! So cool!!!

So thankful that the Lord is blessing us with the means to bless others when our funds are limited.

Dun duh duhhh...

2011-10-28T20:11:00.004-05:00

We purposely skipped our last blog post... yeah, on purpose... cause we wanted to build suspense... ha, ha. (Oops again.)

Ready for the update?! The 10 Days project so far has raised $62,260!!! How amazing is that?!??!?!? That's enough to fund 6 new wells in Rwanda!!! (Plus, they are leaving the giving line open for one more week so that everyone has time to get all their monies in.)

Visit their website at 10days.cc.

10 Days!

2011-10-26T21:50:00.004-05:00

Teddi and I just finished drinking water for 10 days along with 100s of others across 50 college campuses! We raised money by not buying other drinks throughout the 10 days and donated it toward Living Water's efforts in Rwanda! Their goal was to drill 10 new wells after these 10 days and they are releasing their update tomorrow!!!

Watch the video.

Be challenged.

10.10.11 from Living Water International on Vimeo.

Stay tuned for the update!

2 months 'til Christmas!

2011-10-25T20:07:00.004-05:00

The holidays are near! (With Texas and it's trickery weather, you would never know it!) Thanksgiving is next month then Christmas! I know we just posted about it, but now really is the time to start planning! Before all the hustle and bustle - you know what I'm talking about... Frankie is asleep so we aren't actually planning right this second, but it's on our to-do list!

What are you going to do for Christmas this year? How bout Thanksgiving?

Any special celebrations? Trips? Relatives coming in?

What will you choose to let your holidays look like? feel like? be about?

Our mission to fund a well last year touched the hearts of our family in Michigan who decided to do family projects to help us raise funds as well as all together, forgo less gifts and instead put usually gifting monies toward the water project! This year, the project is food!!! Talks are we may be having a contest to collect non-perishables and build sculptures...

We'll keep you posted for sure! But in the mean time... start brainstorming!

"Christmas can [still] change the world!"

Advent Conspiracy

Annnd... enjoy this picture! :)

Caroline's Thank You

2011-10-24T19:53:00.003-05:00

We got a thank you note today! Back in September charity:water sent out thank you notes and made videos and sent emails thanking people who donated in the first 5 years (How thoughtful!)... because we moved, ours came late. Thought we should share it with you. :)

We Walk Because We Can - Chita's Angel's

2011-10-24T00:02:00.001-05:00

We had a great time walking this weekend at the ALS Walk to Defeat ALS!

Take a look at the group shot from the day.

Thanks to everyone who donated to Taylor's page! She met her goal three times!

Books for Bloggers

2011-10-22T14:25:00.003-05:00

We just entered a contest!

Blake Mycoskie, came out with a book earlier this year called "Do Something That Matters". And as a promotion they are hosting a contest for bloggers. Winner receives 2 copies of the book...

One to read and review.

One to giveaway on their blog!

For those of you who don't know, Blake is the founder of TOMS! And if you are a reader you know how much we love TOMS so we are super excited to be entered into a chance to get to read his book for free.

We will keep you posted when we find anything out.

Drumroll Please!!!

2011-10-21T23:06:00.004-05:00

Introducting my first ever batch of rainbow cupcakes! They are for the Walk to Defeat ALS tomorrow and our team is Fiesta themed. Making these was so stinkin fun. I couldn't help but take a picture of every beautiful step!

mixing the batter

beautiful!

this reminds me of something

but I can't quite figure out what...but it's so pretty!

tada!!! amazing!!!

and dying the frosting!

Aren't they gorgeous?! Golly, I almost can't stand it!!

We'll have to post an updated pic of the insides with our walk update tomorrow after someone takes a bite!! Stay tuned!! lol!!

Oh...and these just may have to be the next baking adventure...

cookie bowls!!

58

2011-10-20T21:58:00.005-05:00

So last week we went to the premier of the 58: The Film.
For those of you who don't know what 58 is, it's a global initiative to end extreme poverty through acts of true fasting (Isaiah 58).

Isaiah 58
¹Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
²Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.
³Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.
⁴Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.
⁵Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?
⁶Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
⁷Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
⁸Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy reward.
⁹Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
¹⁰And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day:
¹¹And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
¹²And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
¹³If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
¹⁴Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

The movie featured different stories of families from Ethiopia, Brazil, India, and Kenya. Each one telling of the daily struggles they face to survive.

One lady with four children lived in a part of the world that hasn't had rain in five years. She lives in a hut that is so bad that her husband left because he couldn't live there anymore. She collects sticks along with her oldest daughter to sell to have money for water and food. But as they collect more and more wood she has to travel farther and farther away from home, all while being 7 months pregnant.

Another story told of a man who works in a stone quarry. He works there to pay off a loan he took from the quarry owner. He is paid very little and when he is ill and cannot come to work his wife and children have to take his place. The physical work is making him sick, but to rest and heal he would get into more debt. He knows that he will die paying off his debt and so will his children and his children's children, all for the $600 that he owes.

Another story of a women who brings home discarded produce from a dumpster that she cleans and sells for money and what is not fit to sell she feeds to her own family. And another of children that are so far from hope that they have even given up on expressing their dreams because they know they will never come true.

Story after story of heartache and extreme poverty, but in the midst of all of these stories there is some good news.

Some 58 Facts

Think ending extreme poverty is impossible? Think again. Consider the following facts:

Over the past eight years, the number of kids dying from measles has declined by 78 percent.
Twenty-two countries have cut their malaria rate in half in only six years.
In the 1990’s the number of children dying from preventable causes dropped from 40,000 to 33,000 per day. In 2008, that number decreased to 24,000. Today, it is 21,000. In one generation, we’ve cut the number of children dying from preventable diseases almost in half!
The number of children dying before their fifth birthday has also decreased even while the number of overall births is increasing.
In less than ten years, a third of children who couldn’t afford to go to school now can. And literacy rates are rising worldwide.
The spread of HIV has been curbed. New HIV infections have been cut 16 percent globally.
Two hundred years ago, the average life expectancy was about 30 years. Today, many of us have a life expectancy of 75 to 80 years.
In the same 200 years, we’ve gone from over 90 percent of the world’s population living in extreme poverty to about 1.4 billion people there as of 2005 (the latest census numbers). That’s still way too many people. But here’s the good news: In 1981 52 percent of the world’s population lived in extreme poverty. By 2005, that number was cut in half down to 26 percent: All in one generation!

How can you help? What is 58 doing?

You can give yourself. Fast one thing. Make a change in your life to make a change in the life of someone else. Live Isaiah 58...

1) Pray. Align your heart with God’s over the suffering of the poor and seek His vision for the unique possibilities of our time.
2) Choose your fast. Commit to go hungry. You might simply forgo a meal, commit to a regular fast, or choose to give up something other than food. There are countless ideas and options.
3) Invite friends to join you or join an existing group to fast together. Grow your church, your fellowship group or other group of friends by fasting together. Sharing this experience with others will be valuable on many levels.
4) Offer whatever you have fasted for the benefit of the poor. If you saved $10 by not eating a meal, give it to help end extreme poverty. If you fasted from television, give that time to advance the cause or learn more.

What 58 does is they partner with organizations like Living Water, Compassion, Hope International, and many more. They ask you to pick your fast, pick your cause, and make a difference.

Here is the preview for the movie that we saw. Please visit the 58 website and read more about what they are doing. Global poverty is curable and it can happen now.

58: THE FILM Trailer from LIVE58NOW on Vimeo.

Wordless Wednesday - We Love CHF!

2011-10-19T21:23:00.001-05:00

Twitter Tuesday and a Video!

2011-10-18T21:08:00.003-05:00

Ooops...we missed one. Only 5 days in and we missed one. Does is help that we spend our Mondays volunteering?! ;)

So tonight we have a Twitter Tuesday to share and a newly released video!

Twitter is a constant encouragement to us. We follow writers, pastors, friends, and organizations. There are many tweets weekly that really inspire us. Here is what is on our minds today.

@livingwater: Love all. Spend less. Give more. This is how the story gets told: http://www.adventconspiracy.org/

It seems like stores start marketing Christmas earlier and earlier every year... so Advent Conspiracy is at it, too! They work to advocate on behalf of the real celebration of Christmas - our Savior born in a stable, who came to Earth out of love for sinners. And for His birthday we usually buy a bunch of pretty meaningless gifts. AC tells the story of what Jesus might really want for his birthday. Watch the video to get a hint! :)

Introducing, Advent Conspiracy's all new (err...updated...) Promo 2011!

[AC] Promo 2011 from Advent Conspiracy on Vimeo.

Time to start thinking about how we can Spend less. Give more. Love all. Worship fully. this Christmas season.

Story Time!

2011-10-16T17:35:00.005-05:00

Today we got to visit the Oak Hills Church, North Central Campus!

We were asked to share a little bit of our story with the church to prepare for their Project FoodPak. It was fun seeing a few friends and meeting some new people!

We were nervous (blogging is so much easier then speaking in public) but we are always so happy to share about the amazing way that God works in our lives. It's so important to always be telling His story to bring glory to His name!

Also, it was really good for us to read old blog posts and remember all the things that God did in us as we lived for Him.

Thank you Oak Hills North Central for having us! It was good to see you. :)

Happy Sunday!

Sunny Saturday - Breakfast and Jell-o!

2011-10-16T00:00:00.001-05:00

Today was a lot of fun!

I had some friends coming into town so we made plans to have breakfast. I have always wanted to go to the Guenther House for their breakfast so the gang met there at 10!

The Guenther House is a historic house that was built in San Antonio.

The Guenthers founded Pioneer Flour.

The house is now available for tours and there is a restaurant in the basement!

We had an hour to kill before our table would be ready so we toured the house and shopped a bit.

It was a beautiful day outside so we took advantage of it and ate in the outdoors dining room.

After an hour wait the food was so good!

Glad to be able to see my two best friends Fal and Daisy. :)

Back at the house Taylor and Brogan were having some fun...

Really cool looking snacks and pretty tasty!

Later on in the evening we headed to my Grandma's 75 birthday party (actually her first birthday party)

Crazy!

It was good to see family too!

Hope you Saturday was sunny and fun!

Good to be Home

2011-10-14T20:42:00.005-05:00

It's been near six months that we have been back in San Antonio and it's been pretty great. Great to be near family, friends, church...community. We know people here. They know us. We get to run in to them at the grocery store, have an impromptu lunch, or help out family any day of the week.

This hit us the other day-

After having lunch with some old friends passing through town, we went to another friend's store to get some new TOMS, where we ran into another family friend who was so excited to run into us! Friends x3. In one day.

The next day we went to the premiere of 58: (a brand new, must see about ending poverty)

and it just so happened our buds from church were going, too! We were sitting chatting together when another friend walked in! So fun! Good thing too, because we ended up waiting about an hour so we had some cool people to chat with! ;)

And today we got to go to Devine to just chill and eat lunch with family.

This is good stuff.

I think it happened once in Houston...some San Antonio friends were in town and we ran into them at the mall! But now we get to see their beautiful faces every Sunday! :)

It's good to be home!

Oh yeah... and we get to see these awesome people everyday...

trick-or-treating at SeaWorld! so fun!

It's been such a blessing to live with my family during our transition time! So very thankful.

World Sight Day 2011

2011-10-13T17:15:00.004-05:00

With so many wrong things in the world that we can't always change, there is one thing that we can do now. World Sight Day is a day to recognize and share the importance of vision in day to day lives. It is a tool that we use to do our jobs, to support our families, and to enjoy God's greatest creations. Right now, 284 million people are visually impaired and it doesn't have to be this way.

Earlier this year we shared with you the movement that TOMS started- they went from being a shoe company to a one for one company. That means when you buy a product from them, they donate similar products to those in need! If you buy a pair of TOMS sunglasses another person receives eye care via prescription glasses, life-saving surgeries, or simple medication. That means they can continue living life without the help of caretakers and stay in the working force to provided food for their family.

TOMS World Sight Day page touches on just a few of the stories of lives they have changed. They also have features for you to see what visual impairment looks like firsthand.

I don't need that feature because I wake up to it everyday. :)

I am fortunate to be able to have glasses to correct my vision.

Being a designer and artist I don't know how I would manage without my sight, though I have often wondered.

Take time today and think about what your sight means to you and know that it can mean the same to so many others. We can change the way someone sees the world!

Happy World Sight Day!

Let it Shine

2011-10-13T12:25:00.003-05:00

Today while I was eating lunch I heard this record on in the background.

I'm hooked.

Emily Riddle - Let it Shine

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://emilyriddle.bandcamp.com/album/let-it-shine"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Let It Shine by Emily Riddle&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

You can listen to the rest of her tracks here.

Fun Fact:

Emily Riddle is the cousin of one of our readers, Lexie Gager!

30 days of blogging

2011-10-12T20:55:00.004-05:00

Hello readers!

We have been distant, not on purpose but life is really scattered right now and it's hard to finish a complete thought. We have videos that need to be edited, photos that need to be loaded, but again it is hard to find a spot to just sit down and work. So with these 30 days of blogging we hope to get back into the habit of blogging.

Some of it will be fun, other days we may just be rambling, but we think that the end result will be worth it. So stay tuned and wish us luck (this will be the longest job we have had in 6 months!)

Adventure is out there!

Taylor and Frankie

Grand Opening! "One Stop" at LAFB

2011-09-28T12:54:00.001-05:00

Today we got to celebrate the Grand Opening of "One Stop" on Lackland AFB! This building conveniently includes the new locations for the Thrift Shop, Loan Locker, Cinderella's Closet, WIC Office, and Airman's Attic. We have been volunteering at Airman's Attic now for a few months and were excited when they moved into this much bigger space! We love helping them out weekly to serve Lackland's Airmen and their families.

Sergeant Hought gave a little bit of Lackland history and explained how before (and usually on other bases) these services are spread out all over the base. Now, in this new building, Airmen and their families can easily utilize all of these services in one location, One Stop.

Frankie and I - their "Dedicated Volunteers", Darlene and Diane - volunteer Co-Managers, and Sergeant Grice and Sergent Hought - overseers and supporters of Airman's Attic

Airman's Attic: "free" thrift store open to all US Active Duty and Families (10 items per week)

Loan Locker: household goods on loan to newly arrived families

Cinderella's Closet: formal dresses on loan

Frankie's beautifully decorated Christmas tree!

Linens and Household

Civilian Clothing

Media Room

Active Duty wear

And my favoritist, most polished room... the baby room! :)

Toddler Clothes

Baby Clothes

Baby and Kid Stuff

We enjoyed getting it all ready this morning and then hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, and sweets afterwards! What a fun, ~~little~~ nice, big building for such great services!

Sunny Saturday: Antique Shopping

2011-09-25T22:54:00.002-05:00

Taylor has class Saturday mornings now so I have to find things to keep myself busy. This weekend my Mom and I headed to Warrenton, Texas to a huge Antique market that they hold twice a year. I packed the camera to take a few picture but when I turned it on the memory card was full and the battery was dead... :/ Here are a few that I snapped with my phone.

I went looking for one thing and I found it! But I will share it some other time...

Hope you had a Sunny Saturday too!

Pretty Chita

2011-09-18T18:09:00.000-05:00

We have been away for a few weeks and it is with sadness that we write this post. As some of you may know, each year around this time we start gearing up to raise awareness and funds for our Tia Chita and the ALS Association through an annual benefit and a 5K walk. Well, this year we did the same but the tone was very different.

Early Saturday morning, September 3rd, our Tia Chita passed away after battling ALS for 6 and 1/2 years. She was at home with her husband and her mom, but the house was soon filled with family and friends for hours, days, and even weeks. She was a deeply loved women who inspired so many people with her life and her love for Christ and others. And per her last wishes we tried to show her just how much we loved her by giving her a "funeral to die for".

I guess to understand her request you must know a little about our Tia Chita. She loved having fun, being around family and friends, and dancing. She loved dressing up and going to parties. Even after her diagnosis she would love it when we would gather at her house for meals and celebrating birthdays. On her last night she had her family and her ACTS brothers and sisters gathered with her at the house singing and dancing and worshiping together. We weren't there but from what we heard she had a blast, tapping her foot and having our cousin raising her arm higher and higher into the air. What a great last night she was blessed with! After that night, she had told Juan, like she had said a few times before, that she was ready to go home (when the time came). It's never easy to lose the ones you love, but knowing this gave us a little more peace.

After she passed she told our family, via a letter left to us, that she wanted us to make sure she was the talk of the town for a few days! Well, we didn't really have to try hard to make that happen. Like I said, she was an inspiration to a lot of people. We had family come in from a lot of different places and friends from all over town. Along with the services that we were planning, our 5th annual benefit for Chita was set to happen the day after the funeral. And the day after she passed the Jerry Louis Telethon was airing on TV and we found out they were going to air an interview that they did with her the year before due to it's success last year. So like I said we didn't have to do much to get people talking!

That week was hard but we made it through as a family and we all cried till we buried her - just as she had asked in her letter. But there was still a lot of work to do in order to pull the benefit together, which was changed a bit in order to be more of a celebration of her life. People quickly gathered tons of smiling, family pictures and a beautiful slideshow was put together with some of Chita's favorite songs to honor her that night.

As our part of the benefit we had said that we would print the shirts for the family. At the time we were only talking about 75 shirts or so, but with all the extra family that was now coming in we ended up printing close to 200 shirts! A blessing in disguise because there would have been no way we could have ordered those extra shirts from a printer to have ready over the next few days.

Everyone did their part and we pulled off a very successful event! We met our goal plus a little extra, all in memory of Chita.

Now it has been two weeks and life is starting to get back to some kind of normal for us. She will always be missed in our hearts but we know we will see her again, and that she is looking down on us when she's not too busy dancing. ;)

We are still raising money to find a cure for ALS because there are still people that need our help and that is why Chita wanted to start having the benefit in the first place. The money that we have raised for research has proven to be really helpful as they have recently found a common cause of the three types of ALS and now know what to look for when testing medication.

If you would like to be a part of finding a cure, please visit Taylor's Walk to Defeat ALS page or any "Chita Angels" member page. All funds go to the the South Texas Chapter of the ALS Association.

Juan, Frankie, Chita, and Taylor at the CHF Banquet 2010

Thanks you all for the support that you have given us through texts, emails, and cards. It has meant a lot to us.

We love you Chita, Always!

2 Years!

2011-08-30T13:00:00.005-05:00

Two years ago today we posted this...

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Eating Beneath Our Means

A new blog and a new project! We thought that a new blog would be a great place for us to share some of the exciting things going on in our newlywed life together! To kick it off, we are sharing our experience with you as we live for a week, eating out of a box. No, it's not pizza, or a happy meal, but a Children's Hunger Fund Food Pak.

These small boxes cost about $25 to fill and provide nutrition and hope for families in need. They are designed to supply meals for a family of four for about a week. We did make a few adjustments to ours (we aren't quite a family of four...although sometimes we eat like we could be) but none the less, we are challenging ourselves to eat beneath our means. Not only will this give us a chance to experience a small taste of what these families go through, but it will also free up some of our budget so that we can help provide some of these Food Paks through CHF.

It's going to be different, that's for sure. And it may be bland. But hopefully it will help us put in to perspective the amount of money we should be spending on food and simplify our eating habits.

Here are the rules:

We only eat food from the Food Pak- breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, fourth meals, etc.
No eating out.
We only drink water.
We pray daily thanking God that He provides for us in abundance and for the families who live on less than what we are currently eating.
We don't grumble and complain...even if we are hungry when we go to bed!

Here is the CHF Food Pak grocery list and the items we purchased:

two canned meat products 12 oz: tuna and chicken
1 bag or box of rice 16oz: enriched, long grain, white rice
1 bag of pinto beans 160z: Goya's frijoles pintos
1 bag or box of pasta 16oz: twirls!
2 small cans of tomato paste or sauce: 1 sm can paste, 1 can cream of broccoli soup
2 canned green vegetables 14oz: green beans and mixed veggies
2 canned fruits: mandarin oranges and peaches
1 bag of salted nuts 6oz: raw Spanish peanuts
1 small box of crackers: saltines
1 box of granola or nutritional bars: crunchy granola bars variety pack
Possible additions: peanut butter (check!), soup 12oz can (broccoli cheddar), trail mix, refried beans, cooking oil, dried fruit (apples and cranberries). We also added oatmeal.

And...we added tortillas...this is Texas, ya'll!

So, stay posted! Frankie is coming up with the recipes and tomorrow we start cookin! :D

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Can someone really live on something like this?

That is a question that we asked two years ago and it started the craziest and most fun two years of our lives!

It took us to the question,

How can we change the way we are living so that we can help others?

and now,

What else can we do with our lives and careers that will have a huge impact for the people that are suffering in this world?

Two years wasn't very long ago, but it was a totally different path we were headed down...we were just settling in to a nice apartment, a great job, a fancy new school...and after two years, we're back in San Antonio where we feel called to love and serve, called to community, and to continue living our lives to love others. No job, different school, bumming off parents as we try to make our savings last...not complaining here, it's just different.

So, what is next?!

Two years of trying to change the lives of the people that we see as suffering has completely changed our own. I am not sure where we would be if we would have continued with our lives without taking the time to think about our first question. This blog and the things we do through it have connected us in ways that we didn't know existed. We both have learned the passion that we have to serve daily and how much we can accomplish when we work together. Our hearts have grown in so many ways and we are so blessed to have all of the opportunities that God has given us as we seek more of Him. We are so grateful for all of the memories and great friends that we have made along the way. Thank you for your continuous support of our projects and our blog! We press on because He is worth it and we hope to inspire you with how God is working in our world and how he wants all of us to be a part of it. :)

Wordless Wednesday: CHF Ugly Christmas Sweater Party/ Volunteer day

2011-08-24T18:41:00.001-05:00

Memorial Box Monday ~ Camp Eagle

2011-08-22T17:35:00.006-05:00

Linny at A Place Called Simplicity started Memorial Box Mondays.

"In Joshua 4 Almighty God tells the Isrealites to collect stones and set them as a Memorial to remind them of God's power and provision. He then tells theIsrealites to use those stones as a memorial; that every time they see them to tell their children and their children's children the stories over and over again, continually reminding them of God's faithfulness."

To read the full idea and an introduction to Memorial Box Mondays go here and read Linny's "How about Memorial Box Mondays? aka We will remember..." post.

We have been blessed this summer to be able to spend time together volunteering and joining our church in the activities that they have been doing. One of the things we got to join in on was Camp Eagle with the middle school students.

Not familiar with Camp Eagle? The website says "...it is a unique and fast-paced week of summer camp for groups, jam-packed full of outdoor adventure activities." And they are not kidding! The best part was the journey that the students took to recognize and tell their stories and to have the chance to align them with God's plan. With the students, the leaders were also along for the ride. We didn't know what the plan was, we didn't have a schedule, we were out of the loop the whole week and it was sweet!

The theme for the week was STORY and at the beginning of the camp we were all asked to find a rock that represented us and our story so far. We were told to hold on to that rock and to take it everywhere we went. Throughout the week we got to tell our stories, decide who the hero was, ponder why we tell our story, and learn how we can tell a better story. At the end of the week we were asked to consider putting our story (rock) down and giving it to God.

When the time came to lay our rocks down I didn't want to give mine up. Not figuratively, because daily I want to lay my life down for God's plan to prevail, but my rock was really cool and I liked how it told my story. But as we ventured out to pray with our groups one last time before giving up our rocks, we sat down in a circle and right there in front of me was another rock. (When we chose our rocks their were literally thousands of rocks around us. There were rocks all over Camp Eagle. Rocks and dirt. But as we found a spot to sit in the grass there were very few rocks around.) This rock was different, too. It was shaped like an arrow! And in the middle of our circle where it was pointing sat a brightly shining lantern. This little rock reminded me why I was letting go of my story- to point to the Light. To live a life that glorifies the God who made me so that others don't have to walk in darkness. Don't tell Camp Eagle, but I picked up the rock! I knew it was for me. I put it in our Memorial Box the day we got back home to remind us daily to lay down the things of this life and to live lives that point to the Light.

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

Matthew 5:16

Check out our adventure at Camp Eagle!

Back to School 2011 with CHF and Chick-fil-A

2011-08-15T14:21:00.009-05:00

It's that time of year again! Time to fill backspacks for Children's Hunger Fund! As an added bonus this year, they teamed up with Chick-fil-A to offer you free food when you donate $10 or 10 items! Wowza!

Just take the 10 items or $10 to any of these participating locations and enjoy a free Chick-fil-A sandwhich!

1. FM78 Chick-fil-A
7010 Fm 78
San Antonio, TX 78244

2. Pavilions Chick-fil-A

27 Ne Loop 410

San Antonio, TX 78216

3. Stone Oak Chick-fil-A
1555 North FM 1604
East San Antonio, TX 78232

Yum! :D

Love Shop and Giveaways!

2011-08-13T20:21:00.000-05:00

Wooooohooooo!!

A new adventure begins today! Today we are launching the official Adventures of Taylor and Frankie Shop! And LOVEwater shirts are up for sale! Don't know what a LOVEwater shirt is? LOVEwater shirts are something we designed when we were fundraising for clean water last year. The "O" is in the shape of a water drop to represent the monies donated from every shirt purchased.

Why do we continue to make LOVE shirts? (Other than they're totally awesome?!) Because even in the middle of uncertainty, we know that God created us to help others so that's what we will do! Every shirt brings us closer to solving the world water crisis and with the help of Living Water International we know that the people we are saving physically are also hearing the gospel and learning about the chance to be saved spirituality!

A lot of work went into getting this shop put together but we are so excited and hope that with your purchases, it can help bring clean water to many people in need!

How do you find our shop? Three ways...

1. Click on the tab under our header that says "Shop".
2. Type "taylorfrankieshop.blogspot.com" into your browser.
3. Find a TaylorFrankie Shop button and click on it!

Want to win a LOVE shirt?!

There are currently two ways to win a LOVE shirt... The first is through our blog. :) We are giving one away for our Grand Opening! Here is how you enter:

1. You can "like" us on Facebook.

2. You can link the shop in an update to share with your friends on Facebook or Twitter.

3. You can share a shop button on your blog. (working on this one)

You get an entry for each thing that you do! (Just let us know in a comment on this post.)

The second way to win a shirt is through One Blessed Nest. Just visit Tina's blog and check out the greatness going on over there! (In short, you can buy a beautiful, hand-made bracelet to support a family bringing home a beautiful 7 year old boy from China who is dying of a heart defect.) By purchasing a bracelet or checking out this family's blog, you will be entered into her own drawing for a custom LOVEwater shirt and the bracelet below.

Also, we are clearing out our current inventory and you can pick out your pre-made LOVE shirt for just $7!

After it comes in make sure to send us a photo of you in your new digs so we can share it in our LOVE gallery! :)

Thanks for always supporting us in everything we do.

Love cares more for others than for self. 1 Corinthians 13:4 MSG

Memorial Box Monday - It is "well" with my soul!

2011-07-04T22:40:00.000-05:00

Linny at A Place Called Simplicity started Memorial Box Mondays.

To read the full idea and an introduction to Memorial Box Mondays go here and read Linny's "How about Memorial Box Mondays? aka We will remember..." post.

A few weeks ago, we logged into our blog e-mail account (we don’t get much mail so we don’t do it that often) and we had some mail! It came from Pastor Fritz, our Uncle in Michigan. He explained that he had given a sermon during Christmas time about bringing our gifts to Jesus and had mentioned what we were doing for clean water. But much like blogging, people often come and go, and leave you wondering, hoping that what you've said meant something to someone.

Well someone was listening to that sermon, but it would take 6 months to find out... Below is the email we found in our inbox. (It's a bit lenghty, but it's worth the read. :)

It is “well” with my soul!
Hey guys, I wanted to share with you a neat story from our church service yesterday. Back in December, for one of my Christmas sermons, I mentioned that you guys where partnering with an organization that provided clean water for those who have none. The sermon wasn't just about the water project, but more down the lines of "bring our gifts to Jesus". Afterwards, our mission treasurer decided to support you and that is where the gift from North Rome came from and for all practical purposes that is where I figured our churches involvement would end.
Move ahead to our service a week ago, and a "Grandma Westgate" came up to me and said her grandson had something he wanted to show me, but he wasn't able to come today, so he would bring it next week. Fast forward again to yesterday. I got the church ready to go and went down to get the mail. On my way back up, I was actually opening up your thank-you note, when grandma Westgate and a very smiley grandson turned the corner and said "Pastor Fritz, we saved up this money ($100.19) and it's for the kids who don't have any water"!!! How cool is that! (I always wonder if anyone is listening to my sermons and apparently at least one kid was!) Any how, I guess grandson was there that day in December and was quite moved by the fact that some kids have no water. He had gone home and discussed it with his grandma and she told him that if he tried hard to put a dollar a week in his bank (a converted orange juice bottle) by the end of the year he would have 52 dollars to send to the "well people". Grandma also promised that if he was faithful to it, she would contribute the difference to make a gift of 75 dollars. A week or so ago, Grandma saw grandson adding more change to the bottle and casually asked him how much he thought he had. Grandson is not an estimating kind of kid, so he dumped it out and started counting. When it was all said and done, He had already saved by himself, 75.19! Grandma was so impressed and excited that she gave him the other 25 dollars right on the spot!
And how cool is Gods timing that at the very moment I an opening your thank-you/update, he is coming with more! As a matter of fact I able to hand him the water drop thank-you and a copy of your newsletter so he would know the well is on the way! To cool! Anywho, just wanted you to know how far reaching God's will is, and that your work is not in vain!
Love ya!
Fritz

It's great to know that something that God has already blessed way beyond what we had imagined is still continuing to glorify Him, but to top it off we had been pretty bad with sending out thank you notes to all of the people that helped us out (6 months late) but God still used it for part of His plan.

And if you don’t think that is cool enough, we have more... We are here visiting family in Michigan and are going by some sort of scheduled/seat-of-our-pants itinerary. So when we showed up unannounced at Fritz's church on Sunday he was just as surprised as we were when he shared with his church the same sweet story and also the exchange of e-mails and our newsletter that he had printed in the church bulletin that day! He also delivered a great sermon about offering to God what we have in our hands so that He can do something beautiful, and told the story of Ivan, his grandma, and the juice bottle of change. Another God thing- putting us at the right place at the right time. How cool is it that we could be there to hear the story right in the place that it happened? :)

What a beautiful, big-picture story of God's great plan and how perfect His timing is, even when we are waaay late. To remind us of this, our King's blessings when we serve Him, and this faithful child of God, we will put in our memorial box a ribbon from North Rome Baptist Church's recent 150th Anniversary.

Vacation!

2011-06-30T11:37:00.000-05:00

Retirement was beginning to become stressful so we are going on a vacation! ;)

We are all packed up- one minivan, two parents, two grown kids, two little kids, and one little dog. And after 24 hours of driving we will be in Michigan! Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! We'll be visiting family for two weeks. (Don't worry we will write.)

On another note... (or two...)

We wanted to thank everyone who donated and helped collect supplies for Airmen's Attic. They were so thankful for what we provided them!

Also, we want to wish our friend Adrienne a safe trip home to visit family! She is a member of the PAIS Team and just finished her year at Journey. She has been such an inspiration and encouragement to us and others! The very first thing we did when we moved to San Antonio (literally, we drove here, arrived at 2 a.m., changed, and drove to her house) was help her with a yard sale to buy a plane ticket for her to take this trip and obviously she met her goal with GOD's great help!

Have fun in England, and come back soon!

Next time we write we will be up north, lake side, surrounded by family and friends. Ahhhh. :)

Airmen's Attic Part 2 - Supply Drive

2011-06-23T12:00:00.001-05:00

We went back to visit our friends at Airmen's Attic Tuesday and had so much fun!

Annnd... some exciting news for them and the families they serve...

They are moving to a bigger location! The date is set for the 28th of July! Not too much time to move a whole store that serves a base as big as Lackland. So there was a lot to do... We packed up all the uniform raincoats, put away the pants, hung up uniforms, closed the media room that we organized last week, and started moving items that were ready to go to the designated moving area. Busy, busy, busy!

Here are a few shots of what we did last week and a few of the areas from today...

Our work in the media room from last week.

We straightened up the cables and cords and electronics.

Hanging uniforms...

And a view of some of the home items.

Plus there is so much more that these photos don't show! And the whole thing is run by unpaid volunteers. People donate the items and Airmen come and volunteer in shifts along with the staff that usually consists of 2 or so volunteers a day plus the also unpaid manager. But they are always happy to be there! Not much money goes into this place, I think I heard maybe $500 a year to help it run. Kind of a sorry situation for something that helps so many men and women in our military. This place offers free items to all US active duty and their families if they happen to need it- clothes, baby items, uniforms, mattresses, sheets, blankets, dishes, televisions, and other furniture and yet they don't even have all the supplies to run a business. They have been doing pretty well so far and we really do have fun when we go help out. But we feel like we (together with you!) can help bless the sweet people that give up 4 days out of the week to be there going through bag of items, sorting the good from the bad, making and answering phone calls, and organizing and managing the volunteers. We feel like we can take care of at lease some of their needs with very little money...

We would like to ask you to help us by pitching in for a supply drive. Nothing big, just for a week, we will be collecting items that you would find in every office and bathroom/laundry room as well as some moving items:

Rubber Bands

Markers

Tape

Packing Tape
Boxes
String/rope
Ziploc Bags (large and small)
Brown Paper Bags
Bathroom Towels
Trash Bags
Plastic Hangers
Laundry Detergent (They wash a lot of the donations before the put them out.)
Dryer Sheets

The only supplies that they have are items that come in as donations. Boxes are a big need when you move and if everyone donates clothes in bags that day then that means we don't have boxes to pack with on the next day. So lets try and do this! If you read our blog and you go to Journey Fellowship we will be there most of the day on Sunday for 11am service and Family Game Night at 4pm so feel free to find us and and drop of any items that you may have! And if you live farther away we have set up a PayPal account that would love to be filled for Airmen's Attic! (send money to buff23_7@yahoo.com) Most of the items on their list don't cost very much so if you have just a few dollars to spare it would certainly go a long way :) I know Lucky (the manager) would love this little surprise when we show up to help next week!

Thank you readers, for keeping up with us and sharing our love to serve others by encouraging us to keep doing what we do! It is what we love to do, with all of our hearts, and we are so happy that we can continue to share God's love with people in big and small ways.

Our Nest at One Blessed Nest

2011-06-16T21:37:00.005-05:00

We moved to San Antonio a month and a half ago and have been busy making it our (for now) home. Here are a few photos of one of the rooms that we claim... introducing our bathroom!

A big part of our style is finding great pieces at thrift stores, garage sales, and on the side of the street. The yellow pompoms on sticks came from Uncommon Objects in Austin, TX as well as our "R" next to Taylor's wedding photo. I have my boutonniere from our wedding framed on my side. The gray bowl was picked up at Goodwill for a buck, and the antique table was just $7 at a big market near Round Top, TX. The dresser came from our Morning Star garage sale. Tina was selling it so I moved it to the back, painted it grey, and moved in into our bathroom the same day. Oh, and the art I did myself. :)

(Are you starting to notice a theme in our choice of colors?)

This is just part of our new world... and we will have to clean the bedroom before we let you in there. It is surprising how messy one room can get so quickly, but we did downsize from a one bedroom apartment to a 9 X 10 room. Yikes! So stay tuned and we will update our bed/office/hangout/home theater/library room. ;)

Airmen's Attic

2011-06-16T21:05:00.002-05:00

Today is Thursday and normally we would tell you about how much fun we had serving with our church's youth, but this week they are away on a mission trip to New Orleans!

So we went down the street to serve on our own!

Airmen's Attic was our destination.

What is Airmen's Attic?

The airmen's attic is staffed by volunteers from the community and offers members ranks E-5 and below used, serviceable appliances, furniture, household items, children's clothing and more free of charge.

Basically it is a resale shop but they don't sell anything. People bring items that they no longer need or want and they sort through it all and organize it so other people can come by and shop around for whatever they need free of charge. There are some limitations and you must be active duty. The items range from clothes, dishes, mattresses, sheets, uniforms, chairs, desks, televisions, computers, printers, toys, books, DVDs, VHSs, books, phones, and anything else that you need in your home!

So the first part of what we did was loading up our truck with a few items to donate. Second was to sign up as volunteers and to get to work! We were there for about 4 hours and we organized the whole media room! Sorted books, restacked videos, untangled wires, found a new home for the games and puzzles and boxed up the overflow to send out to Salvation Army. It was a good day and hard work but it sure did pay off, the place looked great!

Sorry no pictures this time, we were working to hard to take a break but hopefully next week we will be back with our crew for some more fun! :)

Memorial Box Monday ~ Iphamna

2011-06-13T18:13:00.001-05:00

Linny at A Place Called Simplicity started Memorial Box Mondays.

To read the full idea and an introduction to Memorial Box Mondays go here and read Linny's "How about Memorial Box Mondays? aka We will remember..." post.

Now about that little shoe...

Last weekend we watched the kids while Mom and Dad went to a graduation lunch with some friends. So like any other awesomely cool siblings we packed our bags and headed to Sea World! We watched shows, played at the water park, and rode a few rides. On the way out we hunted for a smashed penny machine to remember the day by, why did I bring my camera? While the kids were cranking I was waiting in the shade and happened to look down to find a dime. Lucky me! So I threw it in the stroller cup holder and shuffled out to the car.

That night we drove to Devine with the kids because the next morning we would be helping out with a garage sale. We all got a good nights rest (NOT!) and woke up bright and early to get things ready, load up the car, and place the still pajamaed children in their car seats for the drive. After we set up and got breakfast our next goal was to find something to keep the kids busy and so I employed them. I offered to match a nickel for every high-five they sold. Sounded like a great idea! Except for the fact that high-fives seem to be out of season. Brogan still helped me sell a few glasses of lemonade so I gave him the dime I found the day earlier.

We found a nice indoor sale that had enough junk to really poke around for something good in, and Teddi and Brogan sure did poke. Teddi now has the ability to smell like Cotton Candy any time she wants to for the mere price of 10 cents! And Brogan bought us something! :) He walked out smiling with his 10 cent purchase- a baby bottle! "This is for your baby!" he proudly exclaimed as he handed it to us. We were grateful but assured him that that time wouldn't come for awhile...

Fast foward to Sunday after church. We were scheduled for a meeting that got cancelled and by the time we decided to invite someone to lunch everyone had left. So we thought lunch together would also be nice and headed down the street to eat. We also found our way to Target, Home Depot, and Family Christian. We were just stepping into the last place to grab a CD with Taylor's birthday money, or so we thought. As soon as we walked in we were confronted with a tower of smiling faces. Each one was 3"x4", came with a name, where they were from, and the opportunity to change a life. World Vision was doing a campaign and we were well over due... We had always talked about sponsoring a child but couldn't seem to fit it into our budget... but now with no budget at all it just seemed right for some reason. (God is so funny.) Sorta resetting our budget with priorities in place. ;)

So after looking through so many photos and once again being overwhelmed at the number of children needing sponsored and the difficulty of just choosing one, a nice cashier comes over and shows us a sweet little boy who's birthday is coming up! "He's still a baby!" she says, and her excitement is almost enough to sign us up on the spot. But we tucked him behind a couple others and do our shopping before reaching a decision. We grabbed our CDs and decided that we just couldn't leave that little guy behind! It's his birthday next month AND he is wearing our number on his shirt! So we brought his smiling little face home. :) Ummm... Where did we put that baby bottle? And does Brogan also pick lotto numbers cause I now have a kid to feed...

Here are photos of the delivery of our new baby. ;)

(The Doctor errrr.... I mean cashier who helped us pick)

And, announcing the arrival of sweet baby Iphamna!

(Well I guess he arrived about a year ago, but now he has a special place in our hearts and in our lives!)

Into our Memorial Box will go this baby bottle, given to us at just the right time, to remind us that even though situations may not be perfect, there is never a wrong time to follow God's plan!

(Especially when you've been putting it off long enough to get beat by your little brother! ;) Proud of you Brady for making a difference with your love for Christ! Now we have little sponsor cousins! ;)

To find out more about sponsoring children through World Vision go here!

House Work

2011-06-09T18:13:00.001-05:00

Every Thursday during the summer we are teaming up with Journey Fellowship Youth and will be doing a different project in our community. This will be a great way to see the needs that our city has and to lovingly serve our brothers and sisters!

A need came to our church from a stay at home mother of four who needed a little help around the house.
And we are here to serve every need, big and small, so we loaded up and headed out to see what we could do...

There was a lot of work to do but with 7 people, and 5 more on the way, we were well covered!

We cleaned the kitchen.
We watched and played with the kids.
Hung out with the dogs.
Mowed the grass.
Trimmed the bushes.
Installed a soaker hose (twice).
Found a snake!
Trimmed a tree.
Cleaned the back porch.
and
Installed a new doggie door!

We spent about three hours working and made a good dent in someones really long honey-do list!

We were happy to help this family, and thankful for the great weather and cool breeze! Looking forward to the next opportunity to serve in our community!

TOMS: One for One

2011-06-08T12:33:00.000-05:00

Yesterday TOMS revealed their next product in their journey to becoming a One for One company rather than a shoe company. We gathered with a handful of people at a local Whole Earth Provisions Co. to witness the opening of one of many mystery boxes around the nation that was keeping the new product top secret. A representative from TOMS was there to show a short film and she held the key in her pocket. Take a look at the new TOMS product!

Wow! I was sort of getting caught up in the excitement of what the next product would be, maybe clothes, maybe a backpack, maybe something really awesome that I WANTED to have that would also help someone else out. So once I watched the video I was in awe because it was a real need, and I feel like the question wasn't what else can we sell but what else do people need. Sight is something that people REALLY NEED! I depend on glasses to see everyday and if I ever wanted to know how people with poor eye sight feel all I have to do is take them off. That made it feel so much more real for me.

So check out the new line of TOMS sunglasses and why not get a pair!

(And if you feeling a bit generous get us a pair too! ;)

I like these!

Congrats TOMS for announcing your new product! Glad we can continue this journey with you as you find ways to meet needs around the world, One for One!

Now I am going to go get contacts so I can actually enjoy them... :)

Just wanted to share this picture because it is perfect for our next announcement :)
[But it's not that kind of announcement...]

Christan Hope Resource Center

2011-06-02T17:04:00.000-05:00

This summer TaylorFrankie is teaming up with Journey Fellowship Youth and we are taking on the City of San Antonio one Thursday at a time!

Every Thursday during the summer we will be doing a different project in our community. This will be a great way to see the needs that our city has and to lovingly serve our brothers and sisters!

This morning we all met up at Christan Hope Resource Center...

CHRC is a non-profit organization that helps "meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the poor in San Antonio, while promoting Christian community values, affirming individual worth, and standing up for what is right." They partner with the SA Food Bank and local farmers and grocers to provide food assistance and they also offer clothing assistance, health services, education and Bible classes, mentoring, and parenting programs. They currently serve 5,000 families a month with their food assistance. Our jobs today involved unpacking palattes of each food, transferring them to the assembly line, and filling bags/boxes of assorted foods to be picked up by families that need them. At the end of our morning we completed 300 boxes (7 palletes).

It was hard work but we were glad to serve those in need! Thank you CHRC for your work, we were happy to serve alongside you today!

Twitter Tuesday

2011-05-31T00:01:00.001-05:00

Twitter is a constant encouragement to us. We follow writers, pastors, friends, and organizations. There are many tweets weekly that really inspire us. Here is what is on our mind today.

@ihategluten: Wait. What? I'm supposed to be a grown up?

Ok, now I'm really confused!

This seems to sum up our summer days, as we stay up late, sleep in, have Nerf wars, get in trouble for playing ball in the house and knocking over a glass of milk...

Things sure are different today than they were last month. No jobs, no income, no meetings, no school... we haven't even unpacked the alarm clock. Finding work is slow but hopeful, but the longer it takes the harder it is to remember that we are adults and still have bills to pay.

We are so thankful to have a place to stay and that we don't have to worry about where the food is going to come from. (Thanks Mom and Dad!) But this is still just a transition... we have plans and goals that depend on us getting a place closer to our church and funds to continue to minister like we love to do. So hopefully this week we will get some good news involving employment and resume growing up. :) But until then...

;)

Sunny Saturday - Dye Wars

2011-05-29T07:51:00.000-05:00

This Saturday we got to hang out with Journey Youth in an epic battle of Dye Wars. It was so much fun! Here are just a few pictures of the day. (Our friend Adrienne took them, we were not brave enough to bring out our camera).

The war is over, and after water balloons, squirt guns, catapults, cups, and buckets all filled with dye we proudly wear our colors. :)

Wordless Wednesday: Jumping

2011-05-25T20:41:00.000-05:00

WE GOT MARRIED!!!!

2011-05-23T09:46:00.000-05:00

May 23rd 2009

We are going to sneak away for a couple of days. :)

Hope we get out of this just moved/sleeping in/too lazy to post on our own blog funk.

Run Brady Run!

2011-05-11T22:02:00.000-05:00

So we have been away a bit- moving, getting adjusted, hangin out... But we have been busy! In our two weeks that we have been in San Antonio we have helped with two garage sales (third one this weekend), volunteered at CHF (head back next week), celebrated Taylor's Birthday!, celebrated Mother's Day, looked for jobs, unpacked, and unpacked some more, and even stepped in to teach a few homeschool lessons!

We have a lot of catching up to do...

And we are going to start by telling you how awesome Brady is! Brady is Taylor's middle brother and the most musically-creative, self-motivated person we know. Here is a little about him:

Brady Winder
Age: 19
Lives in: Spokane, Washington
Occupation: Walmart/Musician
Website: http://bradywinder.com/
About me: "I love making music, listening to music, playing music, recording music, dancing to music, discussing music, and thinking about music. I love running, especially long distances, dreaming about running, and reading about running. I love going new places, roadtripping places, visiting places, reading about places, and talking about places. I love growing, emotionally growing, physically growing, faithfully growing, mentally growing, spiritually growing, educationally growing, relationally growing. I love people, talking to people, growing with people, sharing with people, having fun with people, laughing with people, eating with people, learning from people, being with people.
The one thing that makes everything else so unimportant is my relationship with God. I try to base my beliefs, thoughts, emotions, relationships, and decisions on what God taught us when he walked the earth as a man. He is the only way I've found for a broken man, such as myself, to feel so whole... Through him I strive for life."

One more thing about Brady is that he sponsors a child through World Vision. This is something we have always wanted to do but were beat out by our little brother. Even when we were being supported by a full- time job we felt like we didn't have enough to consistently sponsor someone, but Brady doesn't let excuses stop him. He thrives in the moments that others see as difficult. Even when money gets tight, he finds enough to help, and he doesn't stop there. On top of his monthly sponsorship Brady runs to raise awareness and money for World Vision.

{World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.}

Here is a note from Brady about what he is doing this time around-

Months of training, reading, eating, thinking, and breathing for running... and it all comes down to one month. I'll be training and racing for 145 miles in May. For those of you who don't know how this works, it's pretty simple. This month I will be running in 3 different races in my area. At each of these races, I'll be wearing a bright orange Team World Vision jersey. This helps in letting people know that I'm running for one of the best causes out there. During all of my training and racing, I'm collecting donations of any amount to help save lives around the world. This time around I'm setting a new goal of $1,000! This will be my second time running for World Vision. Last October I raised $300 for a half marathon that I placed 3rd in, for my age division. Please join with me and be a part of something life changing!

Three separate races on three separate weekends.
First - was two weekends ago, Bloomsday 7.5 miles
Second - this weekend May 14th , Windermere Half Marathon 13.1 miles
Third - May 29th, Couer d'Alene Marathon 26.2 miles

He is truly inspiring to us :) Brady we are proud of you and are behind you 100%!
Run Brady Run!

If you would like to help Brady reach his goal or just check in to see how he is doing go here!

Cinco de Mayo!

2011-05-05T23:13:00.000-05:00

It seems we are adjusting well here at Casa de Winder! More to come on that later, but for now Feliz Cinco de Mayo!!! We cooked a fun dinner for Mom and the kiddos and gave a mini history lesson, too! So, just in case you didn't know... ;)

Cinco de mayo is celebrated on the 5th of May. Contrary to what many people believe, Cinco de mayo is not Mexico's independence day from Spain. Rather, it's a remembrance of a David and Goliath-like fight. In 1862, as the French invasion of Mexico began, Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza's force of 4,000 soldiers defeated twice as many French soldiers in the Battle of Puebla. The French occupation would continue until 1866. But the Mexican soldiers' courage and determination inspired Mexican Americans. - apples4theteachers.com

Enjoy the pics!

Wordless Wednesday - Goodbye Old Farm!

2011-04-27T16:38:00.001-05:00

Twitter Tuesday - Max On Life

2011-04-26T16:26:00.005-05:00

Twitter is a constant encouragement to us. We follow writers, pastors, friends, and organizations. There are many tweets weekly that really inspire us. Here is what is on our mind today.

@MaxLucado: Marriage is God's idea. He created it because most of us are better God-followers with a partner than we are alone #maxonlife

I have been dwelling on this tweet for a few weeks now... Taylor assigned it to me after I said the same thing to her when she had come back from a week in SA for Spring Break. Mine wasn't phrased as nicely as Max's, it was more like-

"I don't like it when you are gone..."

but the idea behind it is the same. :)

But really. I become a slacker when left alone to do my own thing. Not on purpose but I don't have the reinforcement that Taylor gives me. All my life I have had ideas and have started projects but I've always second guessed myself and didn't really finish anything. When I married Taylor she was someone I could talk to, someone that would listen, she encouraged me, focused me, loved me. She made me make sense.

I have always known that the Food Pak ® project that we did was never the result of either of us as individuals. I had the idea but Taylor had the ear to hear me and the love to talk, grow, and plan the idea into a doable challenge. This is how our marriage works. We each bring what we know and who we are to the table and then we can prepare ourselves as a whole for Him. That is what the goal is, to live life to please him. And without my wife I don't even come close.

"We are one but not the same, we get to carry each other". U2

Just to put some facts to what I am saying I copied at few lines from the book "Do Hard Things" by Alex and Brett Harris-

"A study of horses revealed that a single horse could pull an average of 2,500 pounds. The test was repeated with two horses. You'd expect the weight pulled to double--to about 5,000 pounds. Not so. Two horses working together pulled 12,500 pounds! That's five times the amount one could pull alone. There's something inside a living being that rises to accomplish exponentially greater things when part of a team."

So you see, what I said was just what Max tweeted... I just needed my wife's help to explain it. ;)

Sunny Saturday - Houston

2011-04-24T01:08:00.000-05:00

We spent the day enjoying Houston and a few of the attractions near by...

After the farmer's market we went home changed and then went out for lunch.

(Today is 1 year and 11 months)

Back home for a nap, a wardrobe change, and some ice cream then out of a walk around town...

It was a nice day to spend together, hope yours was too. Don't forget to enter the giveaway! The winner will be announced today.

Transitions and Giveaway

2011-04-23T14:43:00.001-05:00

We are down to just one week left in Houston. Mixed feelings.

We moved out of our very first place together on Tuesday and became roamers... living out of bags and the back of our truck. But we have some great friends that offered us a place to stay while we finish up work and school. So we have a place to sleep and eat and spend time with people we like. :) God has really blessed us with friends in Houston.

Did we mention that they live walking distance from Frankie's office?! So helpful since we drove his car to San Antonio last weekend and left it there... We can also walk to a ton of restaurants, shops, and even our farmers market! :) And we're only 10 minutes from Ecclesia! Easy peasy compared to the 35 minute drive we had before..we might want to just move in here! ;)

Change is coming fast, in fact it has already started. It feels nice to be going through this at the same time as Easter. It's like BIG things are happening everywhere. :) We are happy that we can follow Christ wherever he leads us, thought it can be scary.

Next week starts a new transition, we will no longer be homeless but we will be jobless... and that is extremely scary. But we try to remind ourselves of Matthew 6:25-34

If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds. (MSG)

This passage always brings us comfort, especially in the vulnerable times. Knowing that he will provide our every need, makes it all seem so small but His purpose and His plans that much bigger.

So because this is our last weekend to be here we decided to have some fun and do some things we are going to miss... we'll update all about it in this weeks Sunny Saturday post! :) But to hold you over, we've got a giveaway! Yup, right from our very own farmer's market and our soap friend Cammie......

Easter Soap!

With a fresh grapefruit scent! How refreshing! Happy Easter, friends! He is risen! :)

To enter this giveaway, leave a comment on our Sunny Saturday post (to come)! Let us know your favorite thing about your part of town, your hometown, your favorite Saturday fun, or what you're doing to celebrate the Risen King! Winner will be announced at the end of Easter, so stay close.

Memorial Box Monday ~ Blessed by Boxes

2011-04-11T15:16:00.010-05:00

Linny at A Place Called Simplicity started Memorial Box Mondays.

"In Joshua 4 Almighty God tells the Isrealites to collect stones and set them as a Memorial to remind them of God's power and provision. He then tells the Isrealites to use those stones as a memorial; that every time they see them to tell their children and their children's children the stories over and over again, continually reminding them of God's faithfulness."

To read the full idea and an introduction to Memorial Box Mondays go here and read Linny's "How about Memorial Box Mondays? aka We will remember..." post.

If you'll remember back to our MBM post about Sweet Tea and Chocolate, you'll remember that making a decision to move back to San Antonio was kinda a big deal for us. Lots and lots of prayer was involved as well as petitioning for wisdom from elders, ending in a prayer that we could find peace and confidence in our decision. Well God certainly heard that prayer and sealed it with Sweet Tea and Chocolate, but he continues to comfort us and bring certainty to our decision.

Now that the moving process has begun, we have looked at things with a new lens, realizing how much work it really is to relocate from a third story apartment to a single bedroom 300 some miles away. Yet through these times even, God has been with us...

A friend of Frankie's boss had been moving and as he unpacked, Frankie's boss brought car load after car load, day after day, of [expensive] moving boxes (and tons of bubble wrap) to the office for us to use! We didn't realize what God had provided until we stepped back and looked...

and stacked...

(there are many more flattened boxes behind these) We had about 30 quality moving boxes sitting in our living room the week we were ready to start packing! Not three weeks before, not two weeks later, and of no charge to us! We were blessed!

To add to it, when we finally got around to calling UHaul to figure out how to rent a trailer, there were only two of three options left- the two options we hadn't decided on after much thought and wrestling with a decision. We had decided to go for the medium size and figure out what to do with anything that didn't fit the next week. So when we called, and all that was left was the small and the large, we opted for the larger knowing that the small would have been way to small. We weren't planning on paying that much but God knew just what we needed- we loaded that baby full and it towed just fine! Needless stress removed from the coming weekend!

And to end it, we had not found a storage place yet...yes, we are slackers. (But, maybe out of ignorance, we are not worriers!) Frankie had taken a quick peek around the area to find out average prices and Mom looked, too. All were pretty steep. So Saturday morning, while unloading the UHaul at the Winder's house, we began to take out the items that were staying in our one room. Then we were going to take the rest...ummm...who knows were...and try to find a storage place not too far away. But in that big old house (with tiny bedrooms) God allowed Mom and Dad to bless us with abundant space for ALL of our belongings! All of their stuff they had moved two weeks prior fit nicely into the garage, leaving empty a room off the back of the garage twice the size of a typical storage facility! These lovely parents delegated us space in this room for the cheap price of being part-time summer school teachers! ;)

It's been a lot of work, but seeing God through every detail of our move is simply joyful. Into our Memorial Box will go this [adorable] miniature moving box to remind us that God is truly taking care of us and is definitely a God who "cares right down to the last detail." James 5:11 MSG

Sunny Saturday "Littles Edition" - Moving Boxes

2011-04-09T18:54:00.005-05:00

Of course the best part of moving is playing in the boxes! ;)

Wordless Wednesday - Brandon Heath and Dave Barnes

2011-04-06T10:06:00.002-05:00

One Day Without Shoes

2011-04-05T11:30:00.000-05:00

Memorial Box Monday - TOMS

2011-04-04T21:14:00.000-05:00

Linny at A Place Called Simplicity started Memorial Box Mondays.

"In Joshua 4 Almighty God tells the Isrealites to collect stones and set them as a Memorial to remind them of God's power and provision. He then tells the Isrealites to use those stones as a memorial; that everytime they see them to tell their children and their children's children the stories over and over again, continually reminding them of God's faithfulness."

To read the full idea and an introduction to Memorial Box Mondays go here and read Linny's "How about Memorial Box Mondays? aka We will remember..." post.

We didn't hear about TOMS until a few years ago... I think Taylor's brother Brady, was the first to have them of the people we knew. But when we heard about them and the movement that they created, we had to have a pair of our own! So for Christmas we got giftcards for TOMS from Taylor's grandparents and were so excited to pick out our first pair! We each bought our shoes and (with a coupon code of course) even had some change left over on the cards.

After we we had them awhile Frankie's sister, Kathy, wanted a pair so we gave here a left over giftcard to help with part of the shipping costs. Well she ended up buying them in a store and didn't use it, which left us with a couple of floating around giftcards with a couple of dollars each. We kinda forgot about them until the time came for our blogger birthday and 100th post! That day we wanted to thank everyone who had been reading and encouraging us throughout the year so we did giveaways all day- books from Max Lucado and Chris Seay, a CHF T-shirt and bracelet, tickets to the ALS benefit, and of course a pair of TOMS! It was a busy day and we mailed prizes everywhere from San Antonio to Canada!

The lucky winner of the TOMS was a sweet blogger family-friend from San Antonio, Lexie (She and her Mom blog here!). She was so excited to win those shoes, and we were so excited that she did, too! We exchanged emails and ordered her shoes of choice. As we were checking out online we called Kathy to get that card number to cover part of the cost. We entered it in and checked the total... $8.61...

Wait a minute!... WHAT? How is that possible? We spent those giftcards on our own TOMS, but somehow it was reading $50.00! All we had to pay was the shipping... and after a day of giveaways the blessing was very much appreciated! :) So in our Memorial Box we will place our TOMS giftcard to remind us that sometimes when you bless others you find that you are the ones being blessed! (And also to double check our giftcards!)

To go along with our Memorial Box Monday post we also have a date to share with you... April 5, 2011. Yep, it's tomorrow!

April, 5th is TOMS's "A Day Without Shoes". And if you don't know what that is we will explain....it is a day when you don't wear shoes... ;) to bring awareness to children that don't have shoes. We will be going to work/school without shoes and invite you to join us for the day or just part of the day. We also invite you to read why shoes matter to people who have none!

So don't forget tomorrow to trim and paint your nails because tomorrow we will bare our soles!

Sunny Saturday - Birthday

2011-04-03T19:08:00.000-05:00

Today is Frankie's 25th Birthday so this Saturday we celebrated with family, games, homemade pizza, and some music!

For presents Frankie asked for people to match his $25 donation to CHF for Food Paks, he set his goal to $250 and we met it that night!

Thanks everyone for coming out and for helping other families have a chance to gather around a table together to eat well. Thank you Lord for 25 great years of life filled with blessings and love.

Your Kingdom Come

2011-03-29T11:25:00.005-05:00

Twitter is a constant encouragement to us. We follow writers, pastors, friends, and organizations. There are many tweets weekly that really inspire us. Here is what is on our mind today.

@advntconspiracy: Kingdom change always begins with loving those who never thought they were worth the kingdom.

Even though Advent Conspiracy is about changing the world through Christmas, they still speak out throughout the year to encourage us to continue what begins each year at Christmastime. It makes sense rather than just showing up again next year without living it daily and it's a helpful reminder of why we make the changes we make.

This tweet came in this morning and just struck my fancy. It's different than what's been being said lately and I actually had to read it a few times through before I could start thinking about it. But once you begin to understand it, it's pretty self-explanatory. In order for His kingdom to come and His will be done, we must love those He loves aka "those who never thought they were worth the kingdom". Those who feel so certain that they are not worth God's love are the ones who need His love the most.

I'm going to keep reading this throughout the day in order to really understand it. But here's a music video that I think helps. And we can all take comfort in the chorus.

But don't you know who you are, What's been done for you? Yeah don't you know who you are?
You are more than the choices that you've made, You are more than the sum of your past mistakes, You are more than the problems you create, You've been remade.

Tenth Avenue North

Justice League Project - CHF

2011-03-27T22:15:00.001-05:00

Today we went to TriPoint where they were just into their first week of The Justice League Project! CHF was the first organization they featured. This was the first ever mobile CHF Food Pak experience ever! There were so many people there, and KLOVE was also there set up with prizes and stickers! It was a beautiful day to do some great things. We took Brogan along with us and grabbed the Flip so we could share with you how much fun we had!

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If you want to know more about TriPoint and their young adult ministry, Segue, check them out here. And if you are free the next few Sunday afternoons work your way over to see them and be a part of The Justice League Project! They are also teaming up with TOMS for a Style Your Sole party next week, then Strong Foundation to help the homeless, and are hosting a South Texas Blood & Tissue Center blood drive after that! While you are there stay for the Sunday night service and check them out!

CHF also has a new website and it is awesome! They worked really hard and it definitely shows. It is our new favorite website to explore. As a matter of fact, to celebrate we would like to invite you to do as many of the Social Media Fan actions on this page. If you are the first one to tell us that you did any 5 and can share some links to where we can see it, we will send you a CHF shirt of your choice! Also, if you can spot us on the site let us know and for the first few we will send out a CHF bracelet!

Sunny Saturday - CHF and Pirates

2011-03-27T13:48:00.000-05:00

Busy Bees

2011-03-23T11:27:00.003-05:00

World Water Day

2011-03-22T12:34:00.003-05:00

Check out what water can change here.

I Refuse Not to Move

2011-03-16T23:48:00.006-05:00

I don't want to live like I don't care

I don't want to say another empty prayer

Oh, I refuse to sit around and wait for someone else

To do what God has called me to do myself

I could choose not to move

But I refuse

Now is the time. So many right now need a voice of hope across the globe. What is God calling YOU to do? What do YOU need to refuse to not do?

Wordless Wednesday: Rodeo Houston and Sugarland

2011-03-09T10:02:00.002-06:00

Lenten Journey

2011-03-08T12:16:00.012-06:00

Twitter is a constant encouragement to us. We follow writers, pastors, friends, and organizations. There are many tweets weekly that really inspire us. Here is what is on our mind today.

@PastorChrisSeay: During Lent I'll be giving up foods other than the staple foods that make up the diet of the @compassion children we sponsor. Wanna join me?

Chris tweeted this on Sunday as we were making breakfast and as soon as we read it we began to think about how we could participate. We immediately remembered our similar Food Pak experience and how that changed us. We then wondered what Chris would be eating and about participating by eating rice and beans since that is a staple food in many places. And as if he was in conversation with us, with out skipping a beat, he twittered again...

@PastorChrisSeay: Rice & Beans are primary staple foods. In many regions this could also include mixed veg/salad, potato, chicken, tortillas, & bananas

This started another conversation about how people in different parts of the world season food and if we would allow ourselves to use our seasonings. In the heat of things we wondered what Teddi (Taylor's sister) ate when living in the orphanage in China- mostly a rice cereal type of dish. From there, we decided to take on this challenge and journey along with Chris while engaging in the diet of Chinese orphans. (Update on what exactly that turns out to be, later...)

Chris also posted a note to Facebook where he shares some thoughts and reasons for why he is doing this. Below are some of those thoughts. (To read the entire note click here.)

Our hearts, minds, and yes, even our bodies need a time of preparation and molding that lead us joyously to the feast, reluctantly to the garden, solemnly to the cross, and rejoicing at the empty tomb. If you chose to join me on this journey that begins in self-examination and focuses unmistakably on Jesus, we will be changed forever.

So I invite you to set out on this journey with me to rediscover what the bible says about food, life, love, and grace and to connect with the poor in hopes that I might become a different man—a grateful man.

The primary change in my life will be the time and energy gained as I lay down the vain pursuit of constantly asking myself: What do I want to eat today?

As we change our eating patterns we will also have the chance to identify with the thirsty. I plan to drink water, tea, coffee and natural juices during my fast. I am also very aware that I take for granted the fact that clean water flows directly into my house and at no time in my life have I ever had to search and travel to find it as most of the world does. During these 40 days I challenge you to join me on a one mile prayer walk each day when we can join the plight of the thirsty, pray for the water crisis, and seek ways to respond to bring clean water to so many in need.

Memorial Box Monday ~ Sweet Tea and Chocolate

2011-03-07T09:29:00.003-06:00

Linny at A Place Called Simplicity started Memorial Box Mondays.

"In Joshua 4 Almighty God tells the Isrealites to collect stones and set them as a Memorial to remind them of God's power and provision. He then tells the Isrealites to use those stones as a memorial; that everytime they see them to tell their children and their children's children the stories over and over again, continually reminding them of God's faithfulness."

To read the full idea and an introduction to Memorial Box Mondays go here and read Linny's "How about Memorial Box Mondays? aka We will remember..." post.

We are excited to share with you our story about the very first few objects that will go into our memorial box! But first, we need to give you a little background... Once upon a time, about seven years ago, a boy met a girl in a small town. They grew in love with each other. They had family and friends and great fun. But after a few years, he went away to college and she to Florida. The two remained together but in different states. Finally the day came when the two would live in the same state once again- no more long trips and no more missing birthdays and other special events. They were soon engaged, married, and looking for a place to live… and this is where the real story begins.

Deciding where we would live after we got married was a big decision for us. Taylor had a job with the church and was going to school. Frankie had just got a raise and that promised them a more stable lifestyle. We both had family in San Antonio. But, we decided on Houston as a way to be a little more independent and to start our own lives. That was decision number one.

After a while in Houston, and months and months of driving back to San Antonio for the weekends and birthdays and benefits and such, we started to miss what we had. We grew at Journey and started to get involved with CHF. These were things that we were having a hard time doing in Houston. We found a church in Houston, and we love Ecclesia, but it didn’t feel like home. We joined a small group too, but even that felt like it was missing something. So after one and a half years we thought and prayed about moving back to San Antonio. We talked to elders and parents and God… and after talking to our apartment complex (because we would have to end our lease early) we felt like it wasn’t the right time. Decision number two.

Here we are three months later. The end of our lease is coming up, Taylor is about to finish her spring semester, and we find ourselves asking the same question. Can we go home? We’ve prayed and prayed and prayed. Our parents prayed. We went to meet with elders at Journey to pray. Where were we supposed to be? What is God calling us to do? We met with schools about transferring; we met with bosses about leaving. Neither provided a quick and easy answer, but only more options to consider. Houston is so good to us- one year left of school and a job that again offered another raise to stay- an easy choice from most people’s point of view. But, we really felt like our hearts and all of our time and efforts were being invested in San Antonio and a move there would be a leap of faith, with a change of degree plan, finding a new job, and a place to stay. This would come to be decision number three.

We finally felt like we were ready to commit to a decision and then a few ideas made us unsettled. So back and forth and back and forth and finally we decided to fast until we found an answer, a clear sign. So we prayed and fasted (along with Taylor’s mom) for the morning. For lunch we met up at a museum that we like to visit for a walk and some talk and to see how we were feeling. When we arrived we were tempted by a street vendor selling tacos…but we continued to fast… We started in a new exhibit, then walked to a small chapel, then to another. Lots of talk and quite a bit of frustration later, we were walking back to the car pretty sure knowing the decision we were going to make but still feeling a bit uneasy. With our decision made, we feasted! And those were seriously the best tacos ever!

So here we were scared and excited (not at the same time, one of us was actually scared and the other was so excited) and we had to part ways, digesting all that had just happened (and those delicious tacos!). This is where our Memorial Box Monday objects come in… We prayed on our way back to the office for God to confirm that this was the right decision. (Others were also praying that we would be confident in our decision once it was made and have peace once we decided.) We shared a Coke with our tacos although Taylor drank most of it, since Frankie knew he had some sweet tea at the office. So once he got there he popped open a bottle and smiled. God knows exactly what we need to see and when we need to see it. On the inside of his tea cap was a unique quote just like every other bottle of Granny’s Sweet Tea, but this one spoke directly to his heart- “Spend more time on what makes you happy”. That was it. The sign that he had been waiting for, a confirmation. But HE doesn’t just stop there because that same afternoon as Taylor was enjoying a little piece of chocolate, she also received a little confirmation on the inside of her wrapper. Dove wrappers seem to always have something witty to say as well, but this one spoke straight to her heart- “Go where your heart takes you”. Just what we each needed to see when we need to see it.

So decision number three has been made, and if it wasn’t worth telling you about we wouldn’t be posting this. Can you guess where we will be living by the end of April? San Antonio here we come and we are excited to see how God will use us in our new/old home town! There is so much more to this God story, little bits and pieces that we will hold dear to our hearts, but for now we will place our tea cap and Dove wrapper in our memorial box to remind us of how God always hears us and provides in His perfect timing.

"Spend more time on what makes you happy."

"Go where you hear takes you."

Knowledge is Power

2011-03-01T13:34:00.001-06:00

Twitter is a constant encouragement to us. We follow writers, pastors, friends, and organizations. There are many tweets weekly that really inspire us. Here is what is on our mind today.
Another beauty of Twitter is the wonderful "RT" (re-tweet). This allows us not only to connect with our friends but with their friends as well. Occasionally, those we follow will share a significant tweet, by retweeting it to their followers.

@ihategluten: RT @BeautyFrmAshes In the #UnitedStates alone, 15,000 to 18,000 people are #trafficked into the country each year http://fb.me/IjqjHKBu

Our friend Rhonda (who is allergic to gluten, hence the user name "ihategluten") is a passionate anti-Human Trafficking advocate! Although we don't talk about this issue much on our blog, we are glad to have friends who keep the issue real and relevant to us. We get to hear about statistics, news stories, and success stories via Rhonda from her friends at Beauty from Ashes and other advocates and organizations.

The statistic within this tweet can be quite a shocker for some. It's amazing the number of slaves we have in our very own nation, and around the world. People think slavery was abolished long ago, but it is truly alive, even in our own neighborhoods - it just has a new face.

The article within the tweet is a quick read. Take a look at some eye-opening numbers and break the unawareness pattern that it speaks of. We are failing our brothers and sisters by not being aware of their light.

Thank you for reading this. We hope you realize now that you are one more person who knows this much more about human trafficking, and knowledge is power. To find out more, click on any of the links within this post. :)