2016 in Retrospect

“Let your roots grow down {deeper} into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” - Colossians 2:7

It's been about 365 days since I last made a blog post similar to this, which must mean that a new year is upon us! At the end of each year, it always does my heart good to take time to stop and reflect about the year that is ending and look forward to the one that is coming. 2016 was a year of so many different experiences, opportunities, and challenges. Looking back, though, I wouldn't trade them – even if at the time I may have wanted to – because they have grown me deeper in my relationship and walk with the Father. So, as I take a few minutes to look back, I hope you will rejoice with me at what God has done and pray for me at what He will do as 2017 dawns in just a few short days.

Work

Now that I am coming up on 2 years in, everyone asks me how I like my job. The answer? I wholeheartedly, absolutely, positively, without question, LOVE it! You wouldn't even need to ask me. You could ask any of my coworkers at the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Executive Committee and they would know how to respond....because they think I'm a little crazy (maybe even obsessed) about it...ha ha! I accept that. Truly I love going to work every day because of the blessings and opportunities that abound there. To be a part of Kingdom-building work, see things first-hand, and to be a part of planning some parts of the denomination that I was born and raised into is literally my dream come true and so humbling.

The biggest part of my job centers around the Annual Meeting of the SBC. If you're not familiar with it, this is an event where pastors, church leaders, and more come together to conduct the business of the denomination as well as worship as a body the Savior who unites us. Each year the meeting is in a different US city and so this year we traveled to St. Louis, Missouri. I am responsible for the publications that are a part of this meeting and so I spend half of the year compiling, coordinating, and putting together the items that make up these publications. These items come from all of our various organizations (mission boards, seminaries, etc.) – located all over the US – that make up this denomination and so it's a lot of organizing and keeping track of things. There is one publication that I work on while at the Annual Meeting and it's one that has to happen fast and accurately – think of it like a newspaper where things are dependent on what occurs earlier in the day. It may sound overwhelming, and it is, but it's still fun. At the annual meeting, I am also the Page Coordinator and I make sure all the pages are where they need to be when they need to be there. (Pages are volunteers who assist at microphones during business sessions.) I still have many of the same duties I had when I was a page and I actually prefer it that way because #1) I love it and #2) it is such a reminder of God's faithfulness in bringing me to the SBC Executive Committee.

An Executive Committee Meeting at our SBC headquarters in Nashville

This year I have also had the opportunity to also work on various other projects for my department as well as the Executive Committee President – Dr. Frank Page. I’ve enjoyed creating and researching, it adds a little more flavor to the job! Although I said the exact same thing last year, my coworkers make my job all the richer and it’s such a joy to share these experiences with people who think the same way I think and love the things that I love. I’m literally living my dream by being here and I can’t thank God enough for it!

Ministry

There have been new opportunities for ministry over this past year. The biggest opportunity has been with Christian Women's Job Corps of Middle TN – now called Begin Anew. In last year’s retrospect, I mentioned that I was volunteering with the CWJC childcare program towards the end of 2015. At the beginning of this year, however, I was approached with making this volunteer position an actual employment (part-time, two nights a week) position. This was something I did not see coming and I was so humbled that I would be considered for the opportunity. Since January, I have been the coordinator for the childcare program at the Downtown Nashville CWJC (Begin Anew) site. I am responsible for the children, childcare workers, and also for the programming. While these children's mothers are being tutored to pass their GED tests, I am making sure their children are getting homework help, playing a game, making a craft, and hearing about the Savior who loves them. It's the perfect use of my undergrad degree in elementary education and my passion to reach children who need to know that Jesus loves them. My favorite moments of this ministry are the sweet smiles and hugs I get each night and also the engaging conversations I have with these children about God and Jesus. I won't lie, though, and say this has been an easy position – there have been intense challenges and spiritual warfare wrapped in this position as well. I constantly and consistently have to remind myself that these children did not grow up the way I did or even the way many church kids do now. This means cursing and physical fights happen sometimes, tantrums get thrown just about each night, the race card gets tossed around more often than not, and older children, especially, laugh in my face because I believe in a God I can't see. Some nights I've been able to hold it together and other nights that has been easier said than done. It's in those difficult moments, however, that I hear the words of Jesus remind me that I am His light (Matthew 5:16) and I am here to shine it bright, even in the midst of complete darkness. Although it is hard sometimes, I'm thankful for this opportunity and for each and every child that I get to interact with and love on.

My Begin Anew kids

Additionally, I have been a part of a few children's events with the TN Baptist Convention in which I've traveled around the state of TN teaching about missions – which does my children’s missions leader heart good. One of these events was JAM (Journey Across Missions) which is basically a missions conference for kids and the other was a weekend, Christmas day-camp at one of the state Baptist retreat centers. These were so much fun and I enjoyed teaching the kids about missions.

JAM Missions Conference

Church

In February of this year, I officially became a member of Brentwood Baptist Church. What a joy it is to be a part of this congregation and watch the church continue to flourish and grow through multiple campuses and missions work. I have been heavily involved over the past year with the Children's Ministry at the main campus. As I mentioned last year, I am the director of the 5th Grade 9:30 Life Group. Because it is the biggest Life Group hour and because 5th grade is where all the three separate graded classes combine, this class averages about 40-50 kids per week. It does seem like a lot, but with my incredible team, we have a good system of managing and teaching this big group. I'm always intrigued by the questions that come up in my Sunday School class – makes my seminary degree come into play quite a bit!

I also continued working in the kids program on Wednesday nights – helping out in the 2nd grade class; and yes, I most definitely notice the age difference on Sundays versus Wednesdays! There have also been opportunities to be involved in other Children's Ministry events, the most recent being a Journey Through Bethlehem event where we dressed up in Biblical costume and walked parents and children through the story of the birth of Jesus. It was a lot of fun and I love how my church values the spiritual growth of children and provides innovative ways for them to learn about Jesus.

It may sound like I do a lot with kids ... and I do ... but I also make time, spiritually, for my own walk with God in a community of those my own age. I attend a wonderful Bible Study each Sunday evening and we have a great time learning from the Lord, as well as from one another. I recently hosted a Pumpkin Painting Party for my Bible Study group and we had a great time hanging out and having fun. I'm thankful for these friends who pray and encourage me each week.

Family

My family has gone through transition and change this year. At the beginning of the year, my grandfather (my mom's dad) passed away from complications from Alzheimer’s. He went down pretty fast at the end of 2015 and so we had a feeling it was going to happen at some point this year. God was so good and allowed me to see him about two weeks before he passed and I'm so glad I got that special moment with him. His funeral was fit exactly for him and, as a veteran, he got a military burial with the folding of the flag and 21 gun salute. I had never been to a service like that before and so it was quite different, but certainly memorable and emotional. I miss my Papaw, but am thankful he has been restored to full health and memory…and because of Jesus, I will see him again one day!

The second transition happened with my parents. In the late half of the year, my dad got a job in Enterprise, Alabama. He is now the Church Administrator for the First Baptist Church there. After 11 years in Morristown, TN, God called him and my mom to this new location where they fit in perfectly. God couldn't have provided a better place for my dad to be. The church is growing so fast and so much that my dad's organizational skills are coming into play quite a bit. I had the opportunity to go when he was presented in view of a call and I was so impressed by the welcoming and warm body of believers. I know God is going to do some amazing things in my parents’ lives through FBC Enterprise and I look forward to seeing what those will be!

My sisters are doing well and staying busy. Meredith became a senior auditor at her accounting firm this year, and Lauren is in the final preparation stages for graduation from Liberty University next year.

As a family, our time together is few and far between. We had the opportunity to gather together for a few extended periods this past year – my grandparents’ house in KY, summer vacation in Atlanta, and the recent holiday gatherings – but we definitely don't see each other all together like we used to due to distance. Next year it may be even fewer due to the distance my parents will be. I am 6 hours from Enterprise so weekend trips may not be doable like they had been when I was traveling to Morristown. If there's one thing I've learned from my parents, however, it is that following the will and way of God is far better and fulfilling than following our own will and way, so I trust and know that God will fill my heart with His blessings in those moments that I am missing my family. I will say, however, thank you God for the person who invented FaceTime ... not quite sure how I'd go extended periods of time without seeing my family!

Home

One of the biggest events that happened to me this year was that I bought my first home! Last year I did the apartment thing, but decided that this year I was ready to make the leap! Thankfully my time living with my parents in Morristown had given me the opportunity to save for this purchase – it would've been honestly impossible without them...so thanks mom and dad! 

It was exciting...and stressful at times...to look at homes and imagine what I would do with the space. I had an amazing realtor, though, who treated me like one of his daughters and made sure I was in a safe location and getting a good deal. After about 2 months of looking, he came across a condo in a neighborhood that I had really wanted to be in, but that was really hard to get into. I went at lunch one day, walked in the first two rooms nearest the front door and immediately told my realtor that I wanted to make an offer. At first he said that we would begin the paperwork when we both got back to our respective offices, but a few minutes later asked if I'd be willing to make an offer right then. I'm so glad I said yes, because as I was signing the official papers, in walked another buyer who was ready to purchase it! I'd already signed my name, though, so it was mine!

I absolutely love my home and can't believe I live there. It suits me perfectly and I've had a blast making it my own by adding furniture and decoration. My sweet coworkers even threw me a surprise housewarming party earlier in the year and provided me items that fit so beautifully in my home!  One of my parents Christmas presents to me was helping me hang pictures on my wall. These pictures are scripture and quotes that are meaningful to me and honestly have made my home feel complete and officially mine.

I love living in Nashville (minus the crazy traffic days) and, with the addition of my beautiful home this year, I feel like I officially can call Nashville, TN my home.

Challenges

Emotions have been raw this year and stem from experiences of 2015 which included major life change, homesickness, hurt, and loss.  Sometimes my feelings would manifest in tears and sometimes they would manifest in anxiety attacks. I had the opportunity this year, though, to talk to a Christian counselor at my church who helped me walk through my feelings and come to a place of peace. I don't share this with you lightly. I haven't shared this with many people because of the thought that maybe people will think I can’t handle life’s challenges or that I’m weak. But you know what, I feel so led to share this with you, my dear blog readers, because it was one of the best decisions I made for myself. Seeing and talking through your feelings with a counselor or someone you trust (who is not necessarily your family) is nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about. They can help you recognize your triggers, listen to you, and also give pointers on how to combat those crazy emotions that come at the most inopportune times. One of my favorite pointers was one that I came up with through the help of my counselor – it’s called the Philippians 4:8 technique. How it works is that when things come up that cause me to feel down or anxiety-filled, I simply recite Philippians 4:8 and do exactly what it says, “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” When I start to think of all the things in my life and around me that meet these qualities, my mind and heart calm down and I begin to feel so much better. It’s really a great technique and I recommend it! My favorite parts of the counseling sessions were the last 2-3 minutes where my counselor prayed over me. To have someone pray over you and to actually hear them do it is such a moving and humbling experience. I’m in such a stronger place because of these sessions and I’m grateful I didn’t listen to the enemy telling me that I was weak for doing it.

Prayer

I have so appreciated your prayers for me and my family over this past year – please continue them! For my family, pray especially for my parents’ house to sell so that they can be together in Alabama. Right now my mom is still in Morristown, TN until this happens. Pray also for their ministry in Enterprise and that God will be honored through it.

As for me, pray for God’s continued guidance at my job with the SBC. My busy season is the first half of the year where I am preparing, at the same time, three publications for the Annual Meeting in June. Pray that everything will come together expediently and efficiently and that God will bless our time at the Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona this summer. I ask for your prayers also with my job with the CWJC Begin Anew childcare program. Pray that God will give me wisdom and patience as I interact with these children. Pray that God will give me the words to say when they ask questions about Him and that they will come to a saving knowledge of Jesus. Lastly, pray for me in the coming year that my heart will continue to have peace and also that God's blessings will continue to abound in my life.

 
Word of the Year

If you’ve followed my retrospect blogs over the past years, you know that I like to close each retrospect by summing up the year in one word. This year my word of the year is … “DEEPER”. Over the course of 2016, I have grown so much deeper in my walk with the Lord, in my job, in my ministry, and in understanding myself more than ever before. Colossians 2:7 says, “Let your roots grow down {deeper} into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” As I read this, I can’t help but smile because I see my 2016 year wrapped up in every word of this verse. Instead of uprooting when the challenges arose, I dug deeper into my faith and the truth that I have been taught these past 29 years of my life…and you know what? Not only am I overflowing with thankfulness, but I am also a stronger and more mature Christian because of it! 

It’s ironic that my word of the year is “deeper” because I have spent most of my time writing this blog on a Florida beach in front of the deep, seemingly never-ending ocean. Every time I hear the waves crash on the shore, I think about the song “Oceans” and the stanza that says, “Your grace abounds in deepest waters. Your sovereign hand will be my guide. Where feet may fail and fear surround me, you’ve never failed and you won’t start now. And I will call upon your name, and keep my eyes upon the waves, when oceans rise, my soul will rest in your embrace for I am Yours and You are mine.” It’s such a peaceful feeling to know that even though oceans will rise in my life, I have the hand of the Father to walk with me and guide me through them and onto the shore. This view is also an amazing reminder of God’s faithfulness in leading and guiding me through this year because the same magnificence He has shown in my life is the same magnificence radiating from the crashing of the waves to the sunshine reflecting across the water.

Blogging on the beach

As the new year begins, I pray that I will continue to walk in the will and way of the Lord and grow even deeper in Him than I have this year. I know there will be blessings. I know there will be challenges. But as 2017 dawns, I carry with me Psalm 37:4 in which the psalmist says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Delighting in Him is what I plan on doing. He is good. He is faithful. He is true. 2016 has taught me that. 2017, now it’s your turn.

"Live Like That" Day

"And He [Jesus] died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him…”  - 2 Corinthians 5:15a

Ice Cream Day, Best Friend Day, Purple Shirt Day…who even comes up with those?  I mean, I know national holidays are instituted by the government, but run-of-the-mill celebration/remembrance days…where do those even originate?  Well, if any ordinary person is the one who develops such days, I have a proposition for July 4.  I know, I know…that day is already taken as Independence Day, but surely to goodness we take part in both.  What is my proposition for July 4?  Let’s make it “Live Like That” Day!

Why July 4?  

On July 4, 2012, two special kids – Nate & Noah – lost their lives in a tragic lake accident.  The days and months that followed were so difficult and challenging (and still are) for the families as they came to terms with what had happened and how to move on with life.  July 4 has become a day that is hard to look at on the calendar, talk about, and most especially live through as it is just tied to the memory of that unforgettable day.  I’m all about taking a negative and turning it into a positive – so how about taking this difficult day and turning it into a day where we make a difference?  Of course we still take time to remember the boys and pray for their families, but let’s make July 4 a day beyond what it is and make it a day to honor them in a positive way!

Why “Live Like That?” 
In the month or so that followed the accident, the Sidewalk Prophet’s song, Live Like That became kind of an anthem of remembrance of the two boys.  The song talks about how Christians should live their lives as one that points to and impacts others for Christ.  Even in their short lives, Nate & Noah impacted their peers & even adults with their talents and personalities.  At their funeral, the stories of their legacies impacted people follow Christ and recommit their lives to Him.  They lived lives that pointed others to Jesus and even through their passing were still pointing the world to Him.  In relation to that, Nate’s family developed red bracelets with the phrase on them to remind people to “Live Like That” which even found their way to the Sidewalk Prophet band with whom the families have had opportunities to meet and share the boys’ story.

Who are we supposed to live like?  

Jesus.  Plain and simple.  2 Corinthians 5:15a cuts straight to the heart of this – “And He [Jesus] died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him…”  In life we all strive for perfection, but we never attain it and frankly will never attain it.  The only perfect person to ever live was Jesus Christ.  1 Peter 2:22 says that Jesus, “committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.”  

What’s the first way we can strive to be like Him?  Giving our lives to Him.  This requires admittance of our sin (all the wrong things we’ve ever done) and the acknowledgment that we are not perfect, belief that Jesus is the Son of God, confession of our sins, and commitment to follow Jesus every day following.  Romans 10:9-10 says, “If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God.”  By doing this we receive a gift – eternal life with Him.    

The second way we can be like Jesus is to follow His example.  In the Bible Jesus told us, “I have given you an example that as I have done, so should you” (John 13:15).  We can see many attributes of Christ as we study the Bible but some that come to the top of my mind are – compassion, serving, grace, mercy, honesty, thoughtfulness, endurance, discernment, and the list goes on and on.  We’re not going to reach the level of Christ…we’re imperfect humans…but we can live our lives as Christ by making His attributes our attributes and by following His example.

What do we do to “Live Like That?”

Honestly anything positive, uplifting, or encouraging to benefit the lives of others.  Maybe it is baking cookies for your neighbor, buying the person’s meal behind you, visiting someone who is lonely, writing an encouraging letter to a friend, serving at the homeless shelter, having a good attitude, sharing Christ with someone….ANYTHING!  Even the apostle Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22, gives us a list of things we can do:

Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. ¹³ Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. ¹⁴ And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. ¹⁵ Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. ¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not treat prophecies with contempt ²¹ but test them all; hold on to what is good, ²² reject every kind of evil.

I can’t think of any better examples of kids that sought to encourage and uplift others than Nate & Noah.  Nate was really into art and loved to draw things for people or teach them how to make some sort of art.  Noah loved to help people.  He would go with his family to give out food on Thanksgiving, was super excited to hand out Christmas gifts to kids who didn’t have any, and even helped me run my computer one day when I taught a missions lesson and didn’t have a computer operator.  These boys had sweet servant hearts and they pointed others to Jesus…they “Lived Like That!”

In Closing
To be honest, every day should be “Live Like That” Day.  We should always strive to grow in our walk with Christ by living like Him.  Our faith in Him should be more than the things we say and the songs we sing – we should always show others the light of Jesus  (I wrote about this in my last blog, click HERE to read it).  BUT let’s set aside this day, July 4...and every July 4 that follows...to strive and do something special or meaningful for someone to honor the legacy of Nate & Noah and ultimately to point others to Christ.   

“I wanna live like that and give it all I have, so that everything I say and do points to You!  If love is who I am, then this is where I stand.  Recklessly abandoned, never holding back.  I wanna live like that.  I wanna LIVE LIKE THAT!”

"Memory Monday" - Joe the Jokester

“A joyful heart is good medicine.” – Proverbs 17:22 

 

Back a couple of months ago, I instituted “Memory Monday,” where I could talk about some favorite memories that came to mind and that I wanted to share with you, my blog readers.   These past couple of months has been one of remembering many, many memories of my grandfather who passed away last month.  I’m always remembering funny times and sayings that we had with him.  All of these memories constantly bring a smile to my face and, let me just say, there was never a dull moment :)

When I close my eyes and remember him, I immediately remember the huge smile and laugh that he had.  He loved to be funny and play jokes on people.  He also loved to laugh…even when things weren’t laughable. 

For example, I think about a story my dad told us from when he got his driver’s license.  My dad was driving for the first time with a driver’s license and his mom was in the car with him.  He stopped at a red light and then was hit (not too hard, though) from the car behind him.  Terrified as this was his first “car accident,” my dad pulled over to the shoulder of the road and the car behind him did the same.  My dad gets out of the car and turns around to see who this person was that had rear-ended him.  Out from the other car steps my grandfather (his dad) laughing uncontrollably!!  My dad said, “DAD!  Why did you do that!?!?!” My grandfather says, “I just wanted to see what would happen!”

After Lauren was born, he and my grandmother picked me & Meredith up from the hospital to take us home.  The hospital was in downtown Louisville and our house was in the suburbs of Louisville.  After not hearing from him in the time that it should’ve taken us to get home, my dad and mom became a bit worried...and these were the days before cell phones.  A couple of hours later, they get a phone call from my grandfather.  He says, “Son, I turned the wrong direction and I’m not sure the right way to your house.”  My dad says, “Well, where are you and I’ll help you get back.”  My grandfather says, laughing, “Well, I saw a sign a few minutes ago that said, ‘Welcome to Indiana.”  Fun times, fun times. :)

A little eccentric is a memorable way to describe him too.  I’ll never forget the time we heard that he had hit roadkill while driving down the road.  He simply got out, threw it in the back of his truck, and took it home to have for dinner.  Like who does that??!?!  He loved visiting the homebound or people who hadn’t been to church in a while, but when he would visit them and they wouldn’t be home, he’d just walk in their house and sit and wait on them until they got back!!  Home invader! :)

He had a huge assortment of sayings that made us burst out laughing.  We shared some of those on his celebration service program.  For those of you who didn’t get one, I’ll share a few here…

• Old age is pit-e-ful.
• How do you feel?  I feel with my fingers!
• Are you tired?  Tired of what…livin’?
• Hey!  Fodder.
• Well…that’s a deep subject.
• Guess what?  Rabbit squats.
• The best part of a chicken is the skin, of course!

The past 6 years that he lived in the same town as us was for me & my sisters, the most memorable out of all the years we’ve known him.  There are SO many memories and funny times…too many to share here.  I’m so grateful that he was able to come live in Tennessee near us.  I wouldn’t trade the past six years for anything.  Many of the funny moments we remembered, we were able to capture on video.  We compiled a bunch of the funny ones and showed them at his celebration service.  He was a hoot and we love to re-watch these videos.  If you haven’t already seen this video, I hope you’ll watch it so you can see his funny side too!

Proverbs 17:22 says, “A joyful heart is good medicine.”  My grandfather definitely had a joyful heart!  In fact, “J.O.Y.” was his initials, Joseph O. Young!  So I guess joy was just in his DNA! :)  I’m so thankful for his joyful heart.  His joy brought such joy to our hearts and I will never forget these moments. 

He is With Us...One Year Later

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” - Joshua 1:9

So this blog is a little different.  Recently a new group called The Love & the Outcome came out with a song called “He is With Us.”  I absolutely love this song!  I’m pretty sure it will be one of my song anthems :)  Anyway…I have put the lyrics as part of this blog and have put some personal reflections about this day one year ago in between.  At the end of the blog will be a link to the YouTube video of the song.  Please listen to it and pray that these words will touch the hearts of the Lynam and Winstead families today.  Be blessed. 

 

Remember when your hope is lost and faith is shaken
Remember when you wonder if you're gonna make it
There's a hand stretched out through your deepest doubt
We can't pretend to see the ending or what's coming up ahead
To know the story of tomorrow
But we can stay close to the One who knows

One year ago.  I remember.  Two friends of mine lost their sons on this day one year ago.  Two boys full of life, love, and spunk.  Two boys who were pretty close buds.  Two friends who were celebrating a birthday and a fun holiday.  Lives cut short in the blink of an eye.  I’ll never forget the phone call I got from another mutual friend who told me what all had happened – I didn’t believe it, in fact, I had her repeat it twice just in case I wasn’t hearing it right.  It was a surreal phone call, one I hope I never hear again.  That pales in comparison, however, to the reality of what my friends went through one year ago day.  Over the that next week and throughout this past year, I have watched as my friends and their families grieved the loss of these boys.  One year ago it was hard.  One year ago we did wonder if we would make it. 

We can trust our God
He knows what He's doing
Though it might hurt now
We won't be ruined
It might seem there's an ocean in between
But He's holding on to you and me
And He's never gonna leave, no
He is with us, He is with us
Always, always
He is with us, He is with us
Always

I have never seen people live out the chorus of this song than the families of these boys.  To have your boys taken from you in such a tragic way and to come out from it stronger in your faith and love – that takes courage and so much trust in God.  It has been so inspiring over the past year to see these families grow in their faith in Jesus.  They are true testaments to placing your trust fully and solely in God and letting Him guide your life.  Yes, there have been days that were harder than others, but the families made it through them.  I’ll never forget hearing Joshua 1:9 prayed over these families before the boys’ funeral began.  It says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  These families have taken this verse to heart.  They have exuded strength and courageousness this past year, even in the midst of so much loss and God has been/continues to be with them every single step of the way.

We believe there is purpose, there is meaning in everything
We surrender to His leading
He wants nothing more than to have us close

 I miss Nate and Noah.  When I’m teaching missions in AWANA, I half expect them to be sitting in the back of the room, one of them listening intently and the other one cutting up :)  Noah’s mom and I have a desk next to each other at work and so I would often see him there.  In fact the last time I saw him was at work making a paper clip chain (of which I now keep on the wall next to my desk).  I have such sweet memories of the boys and I’m so thankful for that.  One of the verses of this song says “We believe there is purpose, there is meaning in everything.”  How in the world can there be purpose and meaning in the loss of these boys?  I can’t answer that – only God can, but I’ve seen kids come to know Jesus through this situation.  I’ve seen people recommit their lives to Him because of this.  Many around the world watched their funeral and heard the Truth.  I’ve also seen individuals be inspired to “Live Like That” and they have.  Nate and Noah have inspired so many…they have truly left a legacy that will never be forgotten!

Our faith is sealed
Our hope is real
Come what may
We're not afraid
Our faith is sealed
Our hope is real
Come what may
We're not afraid
We're not afraid

I think for many of us, our faith and hope has grown as a result of what happened.  What Satan intended for hurt and anger, God intended for us to grow in our hope and trust in Him.  I wish beyond wish that it didn’t have to be through this situation, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned through this it’s that God is God and I am not.  I pray for many of you that your faith is sealed.  That’s definitely what Nate & Noah would have wanted for you…to know that Jesus loves you, died for you, and wants you to have His gift of everlasting life.  Following Jesus is really as easy as “ABC.”  A- Admit to God that you are a sinner.  B- Believe that Jesus is your Savior and that He died for your sins.  C- Confess to others that Jesus is the Lord of your life.  Live Like That!  Give Jesus all your life!  Surrender it all to HIM!  Even though they were little boys, Nate and Noah made this extremely important decision to believe in and accept Christ and because of that, we as believers will get to rejoice with them and Jesus in heaven when God calls us there.

We can trust our God
Always, always
We can trust our God
Always, always

I am so proud of you Lynam and Winstead families.  Your lives, through this loss, have shown such strength and trust in God.  I pray these lyrics will be the lyrics of your entire lives and I know they are – “We can trust our God – Always.”  I’m so blessed to have known your boys.  I’m so thankful to know you guys.  Each day you are covered in prayer by so many.  Each day the boys are always remembered.  Each day, because of them, people are inspired to live their lives to the fullest, trust God, and never give up.

We can trust our God
He knows what He's doing
Though it might hurt now
We won't be ruined
It might seem there's an ocean in between
But He's holding on to you and me
And He's never gonna leave, no
He is with us, He is with us
Always, always
He is with us, He is with us
Always, always
He is with us, He is with us
Always, always
He is with us, He is with us
Always
Our God is with us

God was with us one year ago today, He is with us today, and He will be with us each day from here on out.  We can trust Him, ALWAYS.  Listen to this song below and pray these words for the families today.  Remembering, Praying, and Trusting…

Remembering My Grandfather ("Pa")

“[He has] fought the good fight, [he has] finished the race, [he has] kept the faith.  Now there is in store for [him] the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, [awarded] to [him] on that day—and not only to [him], but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”
-2 Timothy 4:7-8

“We’re not put here to stay….we’re just passin’ through.”  This was a quote that my grandfather (aka “Pa”) said oh, so often, and yesterday, that pilgrim passed through this life into the next one – into the joy that awaited him for so long.  Into the arms of so many friends whom he had made over the past 96 years.  Into the arms of those loved ones – my grandmother, my step-grandmother, his parents, his sisters and others that he literally hadn’t seen in over 30 years.  Into the arms of six children whom he never met as they were all miscarried before my dad was born.  Into the arms of Jesus – the Savior he so dearly loved and lived out his life for since he was a young man.

96 years.  It’s so hard to even fathom that number…to be alive since the year 1917…wow.  When you think about it, SO many things have changed since then.  He would talk about how he remembered the first car, the first TV, and so on and so forth.  Ha…we even got him a cell phone once back 7 years ago or so in order to keep up with him because he was always on the go…he never used it. :)  He always said that old age was "pityful" and that he never knew what old was until he hit 90…so word to the wise!

Mentally, I have prepared myself for his passing for a while.  6 years ago, my dad and I found him at his home in North Carolina, lying on the floor after he had fallen a little over a day earlier.  That was one of the scariest things I’ve ever experienced.  I honestly didn’t think he would make it then…but he proved me wrong.  We moved him to live at the assisted living home in our town and over the past six years later, we were able to have new and hilarious memories.  Over the past six years later I was able to have hundreds more kisses from him.  Over the past six years, God gave us a gift…time with our Pa and I can’t thank God enough for that.  Every single day has been a blessing.

I can’t be sad.  Pa lived a looooong and fulfilling life.  He/his story touched the hearts of so many people in so many different places…North Carolina, Kentucky, Alabama, Tennessee, Hong Kong….just to name a few :)  He shared Jesus with those whom he visited/worked with.  He served his home church through his gifts and talents as he literally built a good part of the church with his hands.  Pa truly lived with a servant’s heart and passed his love of service to us.

There are SO many stories (96 years worth) and I’m sure from here on out, I’ll be reflective and write some funny/poignant posts about things I remember or things that remind me of him, but for now, I wanted to just let you all know that Joe Young was one of the most special men in my life.  My “birthday buddy” and I had a bond that not many really understand.  Born on his birthday, he always said I was the best birthday gift he’d ever gotten.  See the post entitled “Birthday Buddies” for more on that.  Many times I tried to turn this into the whole “so does that mean I’m your favorite granddaughter?” question.  Not once did he ever fall for that trick…he’d say, “Well I can’t say that.  There’s three of ya” :)

So today I’m thankful.  Thankful that he’s no longer in pain and suffering.  Thankful that he can now walk AND EVEN run!  Thankful that no one’s having to yell in his ear anymore because he can’t hear them (LOL).  Thankful that he’s with friends and family that he’s longed to see for so long.  Thankful that he’s worshipping at the feet of Jesus.  Thankful for the memories and legacy he’s left for my family.  Thankful that I…Allison Young…got the amazing privilege to be this man’s GRANDdaughter.

"Memory Monday" - Memories of a Purple Dinosaur

Memories are cool things aren’t they?  Things that make you smile when you think about them…things that make you warm and fuzzy inside…and things that can cause you to burst out laughing for seemingly no apparent reason.  I’ve definitely had a lot of those kinds of memories J  I would love to be able to share some of those with you.  So…I’ve decided to institute “Memory Monday.”  Not that this will happen EVERY single Monday…but on Mondays once and a while I will do my best to share a special memory with all of you my dear blog readers.

Today on our first installment of “Memory Monday,” I want to share a special memory I have about a purple dinosaur and a young boy’s lifelong dream to meet said dinosaur.  Ok, you know in your mind who this purple dino is, right?  Yup, good ‘ole Barney.  I grew up as a kid watching the TV show Barney because it was both of my younger sisters’ favorite TV show.  I knew all the songs and dances, and could recite them by memory because frankly when you have two sisters who are four years apart, you pretty much go through about 6-7 years of Barney non-stop.  Not complaining at all…just stating a fact.

Who knew that all this Barney knowledge would come in handy as a teenager?!  Yes…I said a teenager.  Now don’t go thinking I had a mid-teen crisis and suddenly became an avid Barney watcher…I didn’t.  Here’s the story…

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My junior year of high school, while living in Birmingham, Alabama, the pastor’s wife of my church, Traci, told me about a very sick boy whose life-long wish was to meet Barney the Dinosaur.  This boy had severe cystic fibrosis, mental challenges (which made him talk and act like a young child), and he had recently had surgery.  It was going to be his fourteenth birthday and his family didn’t think that he would make it to his next birthday so they asked Traci if she could help them fulfill his wish.

Traci was able to get one of the real-life Barney costumes donated for this special surprise.  The costume was very similar to the one on the actual television show...not the cheap Halloween-looking ones.  All she needed was someone to bring Barney to life.  She asked me if I would be interested and of course after I heard his story, I most definitely was!

I was so excited, I went out and bought a Barney CD that I could play for him.  I also planned to do the motions to many of the songs I knew from those days of watching the show as a loving and dear sister in those early childhood years J

So one day after school, Traci and I made our way to Children’s Hospital in Birmingham.  When we got to the parking garage, she unloaded the costume and began putting it on me.  We figured it was best to do it this way so as not to traumatize other kids we would pass if we had walked through the hospital with the costume in our hands.

Do I make a convincing Barney? :)

I will never forget walking through the hospital in the Barney costume to get to this boy’s room.  The gasps and happy screams of so many kids filled the hallways and there were times that parents had to pry their kids off my tail so I could walk J  There were literally 5 children on me at one point...two around my legs, two on my tail and one by the hand!  “Barney!  I love you” was a sweet phrase I heard as I passed many of the kids, most especially the preschool aged ones.

We were soon ushered by one of the hospital staff into the area where this precious boy was staying.  There was a small, black-mesh partition in the costume which allowed me to see everything around me.  As I entered the room, the boy’s mother said, “Sweetheart, look who is here to see you!”  I watched the boy turn his head and when he realized who was at the door, his fragile body began to tremble uncontrollably.  “Baney!” he said, his alert eyes glowing.  Traci turned on the Barney CD I brought, and as I danced along to the words of the songs, his face began to light up.  I ended my performance with the popular song “I Love You” and when the song ended, this sweet boy reached out for my hand. 

Holding the sweet boy's hand

As I held his weak hand, he said to me “Baney, I can’t believe you came all this way to see me.  Tank you Baney.”  Those thirty, joyous minutes went by so fast.  I wished I could've stayed longer.  We said goodbye and as I turned and left the room; I knew his family felt blessed, just as I was, to see him smile and laugh because he had not done these things in a long time.  I went home that night so humbled and thankful for the opportunity to be a part of making this sweet boy’s dream come true.

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What a sweet, sweet memory I have of that experience!  You never know what kind of opportunities will come your way for you to brighten up someone’s day.  The Bible says to “encourage one another” (1 Thessalonians 5:11) and that encouragement could come in the form of ANYTHING!  It could be something simple like speaking encouraging words or a giving someone a vase of flowers.  I could be something you do like an act of service.  It could even be through dressing up as a purple dinosaur!  You never know! J God works in mysterious ways!!! J