A Pair of Bartletts

The Christmas Gift

Well dear readers, it's here AGAIN!  The time flies when we have such great guest authoring going on!  I'm so glad that you decided to come by today because you are just in time!  It's time again for Bee My Guest and another great post from a sweet friend.  And before I go any further, PLEASE don't forget to leave an encouraging comment for my sweet friend and you'll be entered into a random drawing!  This week, I'll be giving away another copy of my church's newest album, "God Hears".  I felt that the album title was so appropriate for the topic this week, since God does hear us and He answers us.  When we delight in HIM, HE gives us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4).  

I'm very glad to have a dear friend here today that's going to be sharing her story of how adoption has touched she and her husband's lives in a mighty way.  For the sake of anonymity, I am not providing too many details about names and places,  but you know what?  God still has a story to share through this sweet family and the names are not important.  What's important here is how "Heaven Came Down" to this sweet family...just like the old hymn says.  So, please sit down and "sit a spell", as Granny Clampett would have said!  We're glad you made it!  And, don't forget to come back tomorrow to see who the blessed recipient will be in our giveaway.  Don't be alarmed if that post is not up until tomorrow evening.  I have a very busy day at work tomorrow, so if I'm not able to get the drawing done before I leave for the office, then I will be taking care of it as soon as I come home.  So stick around!

THE CHRISTMAS GIFT

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. Ephesians 1:4-6 (NIV)

 

Child adoption…..what image or thought comes to mind when you hear or see this word? Hopefully, you have a wonderful feeling when you hear this word. For us, my husband and I, the first image or thought is unselfish love. Sadly, most people do not view adoption in this light. They see and hear the extreme, rare horror stories on the news or even a sitcom and feel it must be how all adoptions are. They feel that they cannot love someone that is not biologically their child. Do you love your spouse? Do you love your friends? How about your friend’s kids? If you do, then you can love a child that is not biologically yours. There is no difference. Our family went from a family of two to a family of three a little over three years ago due to the blessing of domestic adoption. Here is our story:

 

We were not “matched” with biological parents before our daughter was born as her biological mother had not picked out a family for her daughter before she was born. She knew that she could not raise this little girl, but really and truly did not know what to do. Her family would not support her in raising this baby. The biological dad was no longer in her life. Thankfully, she spoke her concerns while she was in labor and she was able to meet with a social worker. The social worker owned the agency that we were using to adopt through. Our daughter’s biological mother then looked at profiles and wanted to meet us. We met Kali’s biological mother on Christmas Eve and then brought our daughter home with us that evening. We had a wonderful day shopping on Christmas Eve buying all kinds of baby’s things before we met our daughter. Kali was 7 days old. She was the best Christmas present we ever received.

 

We continue to see Kali’s biological mother twice a year, send her pictures and email frequently. She will always be very special to us. She believes, as we do, that God used her to bless all of us with the birth of Kali. Whereas she carried her for 9 months, we are her parents. There will always be a special bond between Kali and her. We wouldn’t want that any other way. Kali has beautiful pictures of her and her biological mother in her room. We also have an adorable picture of the both of them in our living room from our last visit. We want adoption to be something we can always talk about with Kali. An open adoption is like any other relationship, it grows with time. Ours grows stronger each day. Was it hard in the beginning? Yes, there were times that it was indeed hard, more so because it was all new. If you have a chance at an open adoption, I beg you to give it a try and not give up when it is hard. Your child will know that you worked at this relationship and your relationship with your child will be stronger because of it. We pray often for Kali’s biological mother, and the biological parents we have yet to meet since we are waiting to adopt again. Prayer is very powerful. We would not be blessed with this little girl without it.

 

Feel free to follow our next adoption on our blog and ask questions about adoption www.bigsisterkali.blogspot.com

 

If you live in the state of Alabama, please check out APAC for information about many kinds of adoptions. They can help contact you with adoption lawyers, agencies, and tell you about foster adoption. They have counseling services available, books to borrow, advice and all for free. Here are some more Alabama adoption links.

http://www.abchome.org/

http://www.heartgalleryalabama.com/

http://adoptionrocks.net/

Thank you for reading!

 

But these things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day! Habakkuk 2:3 (NLT)

Ding Ding Ding---We Have a Winner!

Hey there everyone!  I'm SO SORRY that I'm SO LATE posting the announcement of the recipient of the giveaway from yesterday's post.  But, better late than never!  Well, do you want to know who it is?  Well, I used a random-- number generator and our very blessed recipient is...LIZ....from Be Encouraged! Congratulations Liz!   Liz has got some great music coming her way!  And, if you would like to own a copy of the music that Liz will be receiving, you can check out 33Miles CD's on their website by clicking here.  AND, you can click here to check out our church's CD's "God Hears" and "Believe".  Liz will be getting a copy of "One Life", from 33Miles and a copy of "Believe, with Jason Breland and the North Mobile Worship Choir"!  YAY LIZ!

And, a HUGE HUGE thank you to everyone else who left some very encouraging and very sweet comments for my sweet guest author, Joy.  Joy, thank you SO MUCH for blessing us with an encouraging and very inspiring word (for the girls and the guys!).  You are a special lady and as one of our readers said before, it gives all of us insight on how we can specifically pray for you as Chris travels.  And Joy....WE MISS YOU HERE AT HOME!  But, we all know the calling that has been placed on you and on Chris and I'm so happy to see what God is doing for both of you for being faithful to His calling!

Well, are you ready for more?  I hope that you are.....because next week, we have another special lady who will be sharing a word with us on Christian adoption.  I will tell you, due to an open relationship with her child's birthmom, we are going to let her post with a little bit of some anonymity.  God knows the details and that's all that matters!  I hope that you will come back and join us for a special time with this sweet friend as she shares her heart and the experiences of her (and her husband's)  journey down the road of adoption.  And guess what?  I know that when this special series started, I guess I had set a time limit of the month of August.  Well, I believe that the Lord still has more that He wants to share with everyone because a door opened up for another friend to do a very special post for us.  So that means that we will spill over into the month of September!  And trust me, YOU CANNOT AFFORD to miss his post!  Yes, I said "his" post.  I will give you a formal introduction later, but for now, I will tell you that he and his wife are friends of ours and I PROMISE that you will be blessed by the word that he has for you!

I pray that the Lord will continue to richly bless all of you!  Thank you again for joining in this special series!

Married to a Musician on the Road

I am SO thrilled to have you here today for Bee My Guest!  We have a super sweet special guest with us today, Joy Lockwood.  Joy is an incredibly gifted vocalist, as is her sweet husband, Chris.  It just so happens that Joy has become the stay at home mom to Ella and help meet to Chris as he travels with 33Miles.  But--that's what she's going to tell you about now!  Grab some coffee, prop your feet up and be ready to be blessed, blessed, blessed!  DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE A COMMENT FOR JOY!  YOU WILL BE ENTERED INTO A RANDOM DRAWING TO WIN "ONE LIFE" BY 33MILES AND "BELIEVE", BY JASON BRELAND AND THE NORTH MOBILE WORSHIP CHOIR!  THE WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED TOMORROW!

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MARRIED TO A MUSICIAN ON THE ROAD

In December of 2005, Chris and I drove up to Nashville to meet with Jason Barton and the beginning of 33 Miles was ignited.  I use the word "ignited" because after that meeting, things started to move pretty fast.  We had no intentions of Chris being a Christian music artist.  Our options were more about serving on staff at a church or graduate school.  Although music has always been Chris's passion and career path, I just don't think either one of us expected him to be called to the world of the Christian music industry.  I use the word called because for us, it had to be a "calling".  Chris traveled on the road once before with another Christian music group, Truth, and so we knew what it meant for him to be "on the road".  We spent several months praying about whether or not this would be the path God had for us.  It was definitely a "calling" not just for Chris, but for the both of us.  

As Chris's "helpmate", my part of the call is more about the home-front, more about being supportive...more about trusting God.  If I'm not fully trusting God for His provision in the moments that I begin to think that my life is lacking something simply because my husband isn't at home, then I'm missing out on the blessings that come with leaning on the Father.  We are designed to help and support each other, yet there is only one that will never fail to meet our needs and to support us.  We have to look to God first before we can fulfill our roles as husband and wife.

Too often, I find that we depend on our husbands or other people to meet our needs and fulfill our expectations.  That only leads to disappointment and bitterness.  We have to rise to the occasion of seeking God first (then all these things will be added, Matthew 6:33).  For me, sometimes, it's a need of feeling like I'm not alone in this.  Other times it's an emotional need.  Sometimes it's the need for peace on a restless night as I'm praying that Chris is safe as they are driving through the night; or peace in knowing that even though there's a raging storm outside, that God is our ultimate protector.  Often it's the need for strength to get through the day with a toddler and never getting the relief from a husband coming home that evening to at least entertain the kid for five minutes!  But in those moments I continually discover that God is my provider - He is my strength!

One thing that is particularly important to me is that the guys in 33 Miles are all committed to their families and most importantly to God.  They are the real deal.  They all have a vibrant relationship with the Lord, and they all hold each other accountable.  That means a lot to me because I appreciate the fact that Chris is on the road with committed Christians.  It's important that they have boundaries and that they are trustworthy.  I don't know if I could handle the thought of Chris being on the road without the peace of knowing that, amidst a tempting world, he is completely and totally committed first to God and thus, to us.  His devotion to the Lord is my ticket in knowing that I can trust him with our marriage.  Praise God for a godly husband!!!

The challenges of being the wife of a guy that is on the road have been magnified for me lately because we moved to Nashville leaving family and friends that have been a huge support and diversion.  The weekends and the evenings are always the loneliest.  Everyone else is doing things with their families so it's easy to feel somewhat estranged from the rest of the world because our lifestyle is different.  I probably struggle even more because this lifestyle can be an emotional roller coaster.  Almost every week is different.  There's not really a consistent schedule of when Chris is home and on the road, so when Chris is home, it's the highest point of "Yay!  Daddy is home!", and then when he is gone, it's a downer.  I'm often envious of the consistency of other families of knowing that Daddy is home every night and home on the weekends (the way it always was in my home growing up).  Sometimes there is the perk of Chris being home for an entire week...only to have him gone all the next week.  I'm not a "fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants" personality, so I long for a consistent schedule.  However, God reminds me that happiness and order are not found in a schedule or in knowing what to expect...  happiness and order are found in Him, even when things feel completely OUT of order and unsettled.  

It all comes back to trusting in God and relying on Him for our joy and our peace.  Throughout the past few years, friends have said in a well-meaning manner, "I wouldn't want to do it"...or "I wouldn't let him do it" referring to their husbands being gone all of the time, but the difference is that this is God's will for us.  I have found that when God calls you to something He provides in every way that is needed...He also blesses us beyond our needs.  Sure, I wish Chris came home every evening and that we could have dinner as a family every night.   I have also found that whatever pleasures you think you're missing out on because you have been deprived of something you want, that you can trust that God is able to make it up to you.  He is able to be your help, your company, and your strength.  It doesn't matter what kind of lifestyle you have or what your situation is - there are ALWAYS pro's and con's.  Always.  There are always things that you wish could be different.  It's our fleshly nature to think the grass is greener on the other side.  I challenge you to let your delight be in the Lord regardless of your circumstance.  Whether your husband is home every night (or you wish he wasn't sometimes, lol!), or whether your husband travels a lot, or whether you are a single parent with nobody coming home to help at all - may we all be able to say with Paul, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:11-13)."

Blessings in Christ,

Joy Lockwood

You can keep up with Joy and Chris and their family adventures at chrockwood.blogspot.com. 

To learn more about 33 Miles and to preview their music, please visit 33milesonline.com.

Today's Bee My Guest Article Submitted, Courtesy of Joy Lockwood.

Don't forget tomorrow!

Are you ready for a BIG BLESSING and a BIG GIVEAWAY tomorrow?  Join us right here tomorrow for "Bee My Guest!   You will be blessed!

"Bee" With Me In Week 3! (and a 33Miles giveaway!)

Week Three! It's here!  Bee My Guest has another great post coming to your inbox! Up until now, it's YOU--all of you readers that have made this possible!

My sweet friend, Joy Lockwood, will be joining us this week....and gracious, are you IN FOR A TREAT!  Joy will be sharing her heart this week about her special position in her home of wife and mother. But, she's not just any wife and mom. You see, Joy and her husband both have a VERY unique calling from the Lord on their lives.  Since Chris is a traveling musician with the newest Christian band on the scene, 33Miles, Joy has the special task of being at home somewhat  "solo" sometimes while Chris is on the road.  To some, they may say "that's not fair"!  But to Joy....she approaches the task with a God given calling and a very sweet attitude that could only come from her walk with the Lord.  I can't wait for you to read her post and hear her very special perspective!  We all know how much work marriage is on a daily basis.  And, even being a Christian, it's still full of it's daily challenges and struggles.  Struggles and challenges aside, Chris and Joy approach their circumstances with the grace that only their Lord can provide to them.  Folks, this couple is SOLD OUT TO CHRIST!  Did you hear me?  I mean--SOLD OUT! Chris is sold out to ministry for the Lord and Joy is too as the sweet help meet of her precious mate. They are both called and they are both being obedient to the Lord's calling.  

I hope that you will come back on Tuesday to hear from Joy.  I can promise you that you will be blessed.  And, THERE WILL BE A GIVEAWAY TOO!  What Bee My Guest post would be complete without a giveaway?  So, by leaving an encouraging comment for Joy on Tuesday, you will be entered into a random drawing to receive 2 great CD's!  NOT 1 BUT 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  The random person chosen will receive a copy of 33Miles CD, "One Life" and also a copy of "Believe", with Jason Breland and the North Mobile Worship Choir!  You don't want to miss this! 

The Blessing of the Blow

Thank you so much for coming today!  I am so happy to have you here today, and I'm sure that Heather is too.  Speaking of Heather, I would like to introduce you to Heather (Fath) Messick .  Heather and I have known each other for many years (I won't count them....it makes me feel old!) since meeting in choir at Mobile College, which is now University of Mobile.  As long as I've known her, Heather's heart has been one for praising the Lord Jesus Christ.  Little did we know all those years ago as college students that one day, Heather's heart for true praise would be put to the test.  Well, dear readers, as you are about to see, Heather has given God all the glory....but I'll let her tell you the story.  So, with that, please grab your coffee (and probably some kleenex) and sit down and join us for Heather's guest post today at Bee My Guest.  And don't forget to leave an encouraging comment for Heather!  All of those commenting will be entered into a random drawing to receive a copy of Heather's CD, "Wonder" and ALSO a copy of our church's newest CD, "God Hears"!  I will announce the winner tomorrow, so make sure and come back to check!  Get ready to be blessed!

The Blessing of the Blow

Have you ever felt that you were dealt a serious blow in life?  Something you didn't think you could recover from?  That is exactly what I was facing on Monday, September 17^th, 2007.  At the eleventh week of my pregnancy, I had visited my OBGYN for the first ultrasound of my third baby.  I was so excited to see the first pictures of this new little creation that God had given Mark and me!  After my ultrasound, my doctor informed me that something was wrong with my baby.  She listed off several genetic disorders that my baby could have, Down syndrome being among them.  Never in a million years did I expect to hear this sort of news.  This was a devastating blow and I didn’t know how I would deal with it. 

Over the course of my pregnancy, I had many ultrasounds by an obstetric specialist.  More and more I heard the words Down syndrome.  And, if that wasn’t enough, Mark and I were told that our baby girl had several major heart defects that would require open-heart surgery shortly after she was born.  I had such difficulty processing all of the information that was being thrown at me.  I could only cling to one thing during such a difficult time in my life.  I clung to the Savior of my heart, the Lord Jesus Christ. 

A passage that came to have new meaning for me was Psalm 139:13-17.  It says, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.  When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.  All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.  How precious are your thoughts toward me, O God!  How vast is the sum of them!”  While I was being told by so many doctors that my baby was not forming “correctly,” I had to believe that God had a purpose for her.  I trusted in my heart that God knew her long before I did and that He made no mistake when He formed her in my womb. 

Mark and I felt that God led us to a wonderful name for our little girl.  We gave her the name Victoria Jayne which means “victorious victory.”  We prayed “victory” for Victoria Jayne during my entire pregnancy.

When Victoria Jayne was born on March 10, 2008, she was, indeed, born with Down syndrome and several major heart defects.  Though it was so emotionally difficult to accept that our little girl was “different,” we still loved her and wanted to be the best parents we could be to her. 

It is hard to explain the grieving process you go through when you have a child with special needs.  You realize dreams that you had for your child may not come to pass.  You realize that many things in your life have suddenly changed and there is no going back to what use to be “normal.”  You have a new “norm” to adjust to and it just takes time to get there mentally and emotionally. 

At 7 weeks of age, Victoria required emergency surgery at University of Alabama Hospital in Birmingham, AL.  We were told by the heart surgeon that Victoria's heart repair was very difficult, however, God blessed and she came through the delicate procedure successfully.

 

Through the course of Victoria’s little life, Mark and I have realized one important thing.  We “get” to experience life in a way that most people don’t.  We will be blessed to live our life with a little girl who will, most likely, love unconditionally in a way that we struggle to.  We will be able to see life through a little different slant than most.  You see, what we originally thought to be a serious blow in our lives has turned out to be a huge blessing.  When we questioned God’s hand and plan, He knew that what He was giving us was a true treasure.  We never imagined that one day we would be the parents of a special-needs child, but we are thankful that God gave us our own little piece of Heaven by sending us an angel by the name of Victoria Jayne. 

Jeremiah 29:11 

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

 

PS - Shortly after Victoria was born, I penned a song about her that, I believe, was God-inspired.  The song is called “She Is God’s Child.”  A great friend, Dave Simpson, compiled some photos into a moving video for me that I use when I have speaking engagements.  This video has already touched many hearts and I pray it warms yours a little today as you watch it!  To begin the video, please click on "She Is God's Child".    

SHE IS GOD'S CHILD

© 2008 Heather Messick

VERSE 1

Her little face is not the same

As yours and mine they say

But God took the time to fashion her

In such a special way

She may not learn just like I do

Or play the way I play

But she was made especially

For me to know one day

CHANNEL

That God is good

And He is kind

She’s always there

Ever on His mind

 

CHORUS

She is God's child

Crafted and made by Him

She is God's child

Her life magnifies Him

She is God's child

Let our praise begin

And thank Him

For she is God's child

VERSE 2

Her life came no surprise to Him

He knew that she'd be here

This span of time was made for her

So there should be no fear

Whatever struggles come her way

The Lord will see her through

He'll hold her hand and guide her steps

He’s faithful and He’s true

CHANNEL

'Cause He is good

And He is kind

She’s always there

Ever on His mind

CHORUS

 

BRIDGE

Who’s to say her little life

Wasn’t meant to be this way?

To show the world the Savior’s hand

His miracles displayed

 

CHORUS 2X

Bee My Guest article courtesy of Heather Messick

Bee Aware!

Can you believe it?  It's almost here again!  Another great installment of "Bee My Guest" will be back on Tuesday...and you are in for a real blessing.  My dear friend, Heather (Fath) Messick  will be sharing her heart with us specifically regarding the birth of her youngest daughter, Victoria, who was born with Down's Syndrome and a heart defect.  You do not want to miss out on this!  And, as with the last post, there will be a great giveaway!  As always, to be eligible for the giveaway, all you have to do is leave an encouraging comment for my guest author--and that's it!  Then just sit back and be blessed!  Once the comments are in, I will enter all of them into a random drawing.  This week, we will be giving away a copy of Heather's CD, "Wonder".  As a BONUS, I will also be giving away a copy of our church's  newest CD that was released July 7th called "God Hears" (Jason Breland and the North Mobile Worship Choir).  If you love praise and worship music, then you DON'T WANT TO MISS this giveaway!  So, please come back and visit with us on Tuesday (August 11th).  You will be most blessed, I'm sure!   For now, here is a picture of our lovely guest, Heather and her dear little Victoria Jayne.  I am praying that we'll have another great crowd as we welcome Heather to "Bee My Guest"!

And mark your calendars for Tuesday, August 18th when we will welcome the very precious Joy Lockwood, wife to Chris of 33Miles and Mommy to sweet little Ella.  Joy will be giving us a peek into the life of a wife and mother who has a husband on the road.  Then on August 25th (my Mom's birthday!), we will be  welcoming another very special guest who will be talking to us about the joys (and challenges) of adoption.  Folks...there are some GREAT things coming your way!  I hope that you will mark your calendars for these very special ladies who have taken time out of their busy schedules to bless us and encourage us.  

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!  See you soon!