UPDATE as of September 2010

Hello! I haven't written a blog in over a year, since facebook actually but so much has been going on that I thought this would be therapeutic for me.
Leaving Lifepoint:
Ok so I quit working at Lifepoint back in June. Something Karl and I both felt that God was telling me to do. It was definitely a step out on faith cause there was NO job to go to. We both also felt that I was to take time off to "Be still and Know", a rest period. Not to be lazy but to truly spend time with God. Well I can honestly say I have so loved my time with HIM and the thought of not being able to spend this much time with him when I go back to work, kills me.
Books:
Some books I have read that I would recommend IF you are ready for it: Crazy Love by Francis Chan, Just Enough Light for the Step I'm On by Stormie Omartian, Discerning the voice of God by Priscilla Shirer, Radical by David Platt and last but not lease-the word of God. I started reading thru the Bible on August 12. I am about to finish the book of Numbers. I think reading through the Bible with the pure thought of learning about God and just appreciating that I can read it gives it a totally new perspective. Now I am going to be honest there has been several parts that I am 'seriously', I want to get to some action not numbers and rituals. But He had a point for all of it so I will read it.
Foster care/Adoption
Ok so last October on fall break I spent hours reading about adoptions in TN and foster care. I have always wanted to do foster care AFTER the girls were safely out of the house. Well did you hear that I part and After part well God's time is always best, right. Ok well while talking to my pastor (Pat Hood) he asked me "so Ruthie you don't think God could protect and use the girls if you were to foster now?". It was as if a light went off when he said that and I knew the time was now. Yes, I know I hate it when Pat is right.=) So Karl and I started our PATH classes which is 10 classes and a ton of paperwork/home studies. So we are now just waiting and praying for the children that need us. We feel very excited and so nervous to be doing this. We know this is probably going to be the most difficult thing we have to date done. BUT we so want to be a part of healing a broken child. Our eyes have been opened fully to what is going on all around us. I wish I had not heard so many of the stories we have heard so that I could sleep easier at night with my head in the sand. I wish I had never read the book "There is an urgency" by Gregrhi Love but I did and I will forever be changed. I will hug my children more and thank God that I was born into my family and they were born into ours.
Job/School
I want a job where I am working with hurting children. So either in the foster care world, in an inner city school (LaVergne High School would probably count), youth center......I don't know. I just know I want to be a part of helping hurting children. Also would love to go back to school for a Master in ??? that is the problem. Haven't quite figured that out. B.S. in Psychology so a master in Behavior Mod, counseling, social work, special ed...I don't know.
Prayer Request:
That we would be prepared for the children. For the children right now who need a safe home.
For a job that would fit my passion. For direction on which master's program.

Well I feel better =) thanks for listening to me rant.

China Trip and Pictures

Ok my pictures came up first - Sorry! This young girl whispered "I love Jesus..I think you do too?" what a moment!

The China Team: Allen and Jennifer Bishop, Karl and Ruth Meyer, Spencer Johnson, Leslie Overby and Lisa Mosely. Standing in front of the Forbidden City.

Karl and I standing on the Great Wall of China, what a sight to see.

Karl and all his little friends. They just wanted to touch him and of course he got down and high fived them all. At one point they were so crowded around him that he fell and I thought they may dog pile him. LOL

This little girl was so beautiful and just caught my eye. I had to have my picture with her. She was deaf that is why she was at the special needs school.

Ok so one of my last blogs was about my dream of going to China. I so wish I had blogged daily about the struggle to get to China. In a nut shell I had three things I needed to get in order to go on the trip: Birth Certificate from Ca., Passport, and a Visa.

Started trying to get my BC in January from LA Ca. Sent off for it three different times and two different ways. Finally got it three weeks before the trip. I was giving up, I thought there was no way I could get the Passport and Visa now BUT we went for it. I got our congressman involved in it and got my pass port in a week, then it was about 8 days left paid some lady to go and actually stand in line and get my Visa and next day air it to me. We left on Saturday the 21st of March and my visa came in on Wednesday March the 18th. Gee do you think God was testing my faith or seeing how badly I wanted to go.

I have to tell you my quiet time was telling me to trust Him he was in control and knew what the future held. Well I took that to mean that he didn't want me to go on this trip or he would make it all come together and it wouldn't be this hard. Well Melanie Hill my tell you like it is bff, said "what if God is just testing you to see how badly you want to go on trip for the kids in China".

It was that statement that kept me going.

China was amazing. Being there with Karl was amazing. Seeing all those happy sweet faces was amazing. Lots of tears were shed that week. But they were good tears of joy and happiness-to be there and to love on those kids, was such an honor. We were suppose to be there to bring them happiness but it was me that felt happy. I promised lots of kids I would be back and I sure pray that I can.

Here are a few of the hundreds of pictures we took. We took lots of pictures of their sweet faces that will forever being in my heart.

Oh by the way, I would say "come Lord Jesus come" before I went to China. Then the Sunday we were in China I cried during service "don't come yet Lord, so many more need you".

Karly's Mommy Poem

Moms are a robot that do anything you want them to do, they do it.
Moms are the sun that warms you up on a cold winters day.
Moms are chocolate that you can always get enough sweetness.
Moms are angels sent from heaven to Earth to share God's love.

From my Karly
From my 5th grader
To her mom who needed to know that she knows I would do anything for her.
To her mom who needed to know that she feels warm with me.
To her mom who needed to know that she thinks I am sweet as chocolate.
To her mom who needed to know that she knows who sent me to love her.

Thanks Karly, I love you and love being your mom. Thanks for writing about me today. I am honored!

China Trip

Karl and I have the opportunity to go on a trip to China. On this trip we are going to be serving in three orphanages. I have been given the duty of planning an Easter Egg hunt and using the Resurrection Eggs. I am so excited. This is a dream come true to be able to go on this mission trip.
Ok so the reason I am writing about this is because I need whoever reads my blog to PRAY hard. I am having a problem with my birth certificate coming certified from California. We need it to come this week so we can send off for the pass ports and then off for the visa. So PRAY!!!!
My heart aches for the orphans in China and all around the world but China has become more real to me due to all my friends who have adopted from there. We want to adopt from there but have become discourage due to the length of time it is taking now. So we decided to go there and help and hold as many kids as we can get our hands on.
I know that if this is the trip we are suppose to go on that the paper work will come in.
Oh and if you know my husband at all, you know how terrified he is of flying. So for Karl to feel that God wants him to get on a plane and fly for 21 hours to serve the children in China - this in itself is a MIRACLE!!
I heard him tell someone the other day that he wants a picture of himself surround by little Asian children. I just fell more in love with him at that moment.

New Year's Day 2009

This is a great picture of me by Lydia Chapman, watch out Alyson!
Madie, Jordan, Karly and Bethany New Year's Day.

Izzy and Madie celebrating the new year with a little sparkling grape juice.

Lydia's new piano!

Karly and Cannan Chapman. He was pouring it on thick that day with her. She was so embarrassed but it was to funny!!

We spent New Year's Day with the Chapman family and several other families. Good food, good fun.

New Year's Eve 2009

New Year's Eve was spent at the Noe's House this year.This is Mason Noes, I could not get the picture to flip. Oh well.
DICE!! So much fun. I really got into this game and ended up being pretty good.

Jody and Kathi were our first friends in Nashville when we moved here in September of 1995. We have done a lot of "life" together the good and the bad times. Jody trained Karl in security. We were in church together and the same small group for years. Good old friends!!

Me and My Man!!!

Cheers!! Karly, Madie and Lexie Noes!! Lexie is a great friend to both of my girls. They just love her. She is one of those friends that they both can hang out with and have a good time.

We had a great time playing games and eating all night!! Thanks Jody and Kathi for a great new year's eve!!

Christmas with the Derrick and Rebecca

More presents for the girls. Karly got a cool shirt and scarf and Madie got a Paula Deen cookbook, measuring cups and the cutest cow print mixing bowls.

Derrick and Karl playing a little Wii tennis.

Madie and her Mr. Derrick.

Rebecca and Karly, they look more alike then Karly and I. Not fair!

Madie Moo!!