update on "k", tough love?

I need yall's advice, i don't know if you read "super tuesday" when i was all exited about getting to see my church help the young pregnant girl I met at choose life with her rent and stuff. Well, since then she's called me for help with the dr. which my friend, and the receptionist at choose life, helped her with along with a little extra. I took her where she needed to go and was glad she contacted me and I was able to see she was doing alright.
My dilemma is that the other day she asked to see me and she wanted to know if the church would pay her rent again, so I took her there and their policy is to only pay a person's rent once every 6mo., understandable, but they gave her some #s to call of other places that could help, they also offered to place her in "operation restoration" (a hotel they restored for Katrina refugees) but she doesn't want to lose her apartment and she's worried about her stuff. This frustrates me but I understand, she's already dilated to 1 and having contractions, and she's so young and says she doesn't have anybody but then she says she's gonna go live with her aunt in a month, so i don't understand why she doesn't go now or why the aunt doesn't help. It's beginning to sound bizarre, like she's not telling me everything. I feel like hey she chose life, she told me how she almost had an abortion, she was at the clinic with the money and when the nurse asked her to come back she changed her mind. My concern is for her child, whom she's gonna name Nevaeh, because it is heaven spelled backwards. I feel like giving up. The lady at The Rock invited her to come to a Recovery Group but she refuses, I've offered to bring her to church with me but she doesn't want to. I know if she would seek God all of her needs would be met. She said she didn't know what He was trying to teach her and I said it's just a matter of a series of bad choices and the more good choices you make the more good will happen. I really hate when people try to blame God and they treat him like some cosmic santa clause (gimme gimme gimme, cause my name's jimmy). They don't realize that the only reason the church can pay their rent is because of the tithes and offerings that are brought in by all of the members, yet coming to church to praise God is too much trouble, but coming to get rent money ain't. I've bout decided to give her an ultimatum, and that is I'll help you only if you come to church. What do ya'll think? I'm supposed to go get her mon. morning but my job called and said they have work for me now, so i'm actually gonna have to tell her i have to work instead.

boat ride

wow! we actually got mike's dad's boat up and running. our first adventure was a "date" me and mike had. It was great we left the kids with his parents and on a glorious Monday afternoon, we stopped and bought junk food and a bucket o' crickets and headed for ditto. We fished or actually we drowned a couple of crickets then we stopped at a cool little beach filled with shells that i collected, then we rode off into the sunset and headed back to get the kids.
Last week for Father's day Mike took his dad fishing, then he called me and said to bring the kids down for a test drive, well, they loved it!! even Ariel, we left Michael back with Grandpa, but then decided to see how he'd do and then they both joined us. It was glorious! and Michael did great, next time we're taking the inner-tube, I think Amy said it best when she told Tom, "thanks for having this boat", i echo that "thanks for having the boat and letting us take it out".

baby boyz first buzz

that's right i'm bad 

two peas in a pod

Taylor and Ariel absolutely love each other, whenever they are together, it's like no one else is around. 

mcalister family reunion

Satur-day we went to the annual McAlister Family Reunion, it was fun as always. I just the love the people and the food is great! They always have an auction and there are lots of old pictures of everyone and chicken coop displays that someone in the clan used to make. They are a really sweet group of people, I'm glad they are my family too!  

melvin and toya

This is Melvin with his wife Toya. Melvin rapped some of the songs, while we all tried to work a crossword puzzle, the answers were in the songs so we had to listen real close. If anyone would like a copy of this CD you can just drop us an e-mail and we'd be happy to send you as many as you'd like, even if you aren't interested maybe you know someone who really likes hiphop and could use a more positive version of it. 

studio144 presents....

"Out of Season" volume 1, God told Melvin to make a CD and not sell it, on the CD it says "for God's promotion only" and he told everyone to make as many copies as they like because he just wants to get the message and the music to the people who need it. Mike recorded, mixed and mastered it here in our little studio.

We know God has divinely connected us to them and we are all working together for the highest and most lofty goal, to see Heaven full and Hell empty! I'd like to encourage all of you to get outsided of yourself and reach out! There is a lost and dying world out there. And only you can do what you were called to do. Don't let anything this world has to offer distract you from God's plan for your life. Be an inspiration and be with people who are inspiring!

listening party

Friday night Mike and I had the priviledge of attending Melvin (the proverbalist's) listening party. It was at a little Christian coffee house named cafe rhema and it was hosted by two very special young ladies. Lots of our planet rock peeps were there and once again we just felt blessed to be around people of such wisdom, with so much anointing and vision. 

wedding worship

This was another beautiful aspect of their wedding, they actually had "worship" and all of the guests joined in, it was so beautiful! Some people are such a blessing you feel blessed to know them. 

wedding dance

Saturday night Mike and I went to the most wonderful wedding. It was truly a celebration of God and His Grace. Courtney stars in my video "Who Are You In Christ" where she gives her testimony of how she overcame the world and how she and Josh have had a relationship that is pure. It was so sweet when he gave his vows he was so choked up he could barely speak, then he asked "now can i kiss her". After they were pronounced man and wife they danced as their processional and there was more dancing to come. At the reception as their first dance together they "got down" it was awesome and then everbody danced. Me and Mike finally got to use our dance lessons and we got to swing dance. It was so much fun. I got to do the electric slide and we even danced to "come on ride that train" in a train. Here's to Josh and Courtney I know God will bless this union!! 

Mike's Cousin is a New Mommy

Amanda and Travis welcome little Jack into the world, I love his name. I don't think two people could look any happier, they should add this picture to Webter's dictionary, so when you look up joy, this is what you know it looks like. Congratulations ya'll! and little Jack, Welcome to the planet! (i got that swithcfoot song in my head) 

outdoor kitchen

ya'll know i watch alot of hgtv and can't afford all that stuff, so I have to improvise, this is the start of my outdoor kitchen. Mike found a sink on the side of the road, yes i will confess we are dumpster divers, some one else's trash is usually my treasure, the legs on the sink were also a find and the wood around it was from one of Tom's diving adventures. I found this grill at a yard sale and we fixed it up. If only I could find pavers on the side of the road I could finish the flooring!
Me and Amy had a great time painting the sink together, I paint everything, we even made a bench and painted it together too! under the sink we painted our names and the date. I'm pretty sure she got my painting gene.

 

one project down 20 to go

remember the pictures of Michael helping Mike build boxes? well, they are finally done and now I can put my feet up and relax, for about 2 min. then get up, then relax, then get up, then relax, then get up and give up. Anyway I thought this picture was cute because I didn't notice until after I downloaded it that Michael was in it, he's coming out of the doggie door like he always does, he is such a joy, and there's our cat Destiny who is the coolest cat in the world. She is so sweet, yesterday, while we were sitting out here, she brought us a bird and it's little mouth was still moving, Mike tossed onto the greass and she dropped it, then it flew away, phew! he saved the birds's life, my hero!

memory day

Michael went for a ride with Grandma on her power chair on Memorial day. We all got together to grill out and play in the pvc sprinkler. It was great we got to see the B'ham Bunch and have birthday cake for Janet and Abby. 

daddy's pvc sprinlkler system

okay so after the mud pit we thought maybe we should get 'em a pool, and Abby's birthday just so happen to be comin' up. She turned 8 on May 24th! We bought her a Six Flags Pool that had a sprinkler attached (see orange thing in back ground, which is now a float) it didn't work so great so Mike made this awesome one out of PVC. Now isn't he clever. Abby kept saying my dad is the best! of course I knew that!

The kids across the street came over and everybody had a blast! We eventually had to take them to a real pool but it's great for just gettin' wet and in the south, in the summer ya gotta stay wet or stay inside!

 

Straight A Abby

Abby got a plaque at her awards day for having Straight A's all year,
she's looking forward to learning cursive and division next year.
I'm so glad learning comes natural to her.

 

mud girls

only a kid would think this was fun. we have a big dirt spot in our back yard where we've tried to fill in a hole from construction waste that has decomposed, but it's not a flaw it's a feature! It was super hot and the girls were playing in the sprinkler, then, the dirt got a little wet and Abby decided to make the whole thing wet and then they started bathing in it. Thank goodness Michael was asleep, it's amazing what I'll do for a little peace and quiet, I figured hey if they're having fun then I can lay out in the sun, of course Abby kept saying come on mom you gotta try it, so I'll admit I stuck my toes in but that was enough! 

my sweet abigail

 

Pink French Poodles

Backstage Amy and Ariel, my little superstars!

 

dance recital

The girls had their dance recital last Saturday night and it was awesome! Have you ever laughed and cried at the same time? It was such a joy to watch them I couldn't stop smiling. They all did so good and we were so proud. Tom and Janet had front row seats and Grandpa took pictures while Mike video taped so hopefully I'll have more live shots soon. But here's all of us with them after they got their awards, flowers from Grandma and Grandpa and toy flowers from mom and dad.

Abby was definately in her element. She sang a solo to Jessie McCartney's '"Beautiful Soul". She sang 2 songs with her group It's Not Easy from Pete's Dragon and Top of The World, and she did a hip-hop dance to "lose control". Amy and Ariel did a dance to Do the dog from the Rugrats, it was too cute! Then they all did the finale together. What a night! We are definately doing this again next year. Being back stage was so much fun. All the moms were helping all the other moms, there was glitter spray flying everywhere and the girls loved that they got to wear my make-up Amy and Abby kept saying "I need more lipstick, no the bright one".