2017 in Review

We have been very blessed over the past year! Here are some highlights from 2017:

Adam- Continued to enjoy and thrive in his position at Mayo Clinic. In the past month he has transitioned to a new and exciting role developing partnerships to expand the reach of Mayo Clinic. He is very excited about it!

Jill- Graduated her 7th grade student in the spring and retired from homeschooling. ;-) You can read more about her thriving student below. She maintains her position as the Family Legacy Director for Inheritance of Hope and enjoys encouraging and equipping young families facing the loss of a parent through IoH's signature Legacy Retreat. She celebrated her 40th birthday this year with a special trip to Ireland and Scotland with her mom and twin sister!

Liz- Finished her freshman year as an honor roll student and 3-varsity-sport athlete. She keeps very busy with cheerleading, weight-lifting and track and enjoys setting high goals and achieving them. In her spare time she babysits and hangs out with many friends. She is very excited to be an independent driver now and we are excited that she can begin getting herself to and from her many events.

Cael- Played basketball in the winter and volleyball in the fall. It seems like he gets taller every single day and he is very happy when he is outside on a court with a ball and a few friends. He is a great conversationalist and that makes him a favorite among teachers and administrators at school. Thankfully, he also keeps his grades up and makes good choices with friends and activities. He was very thankful to go on a special 13-year-old trip with Adam to Norway over Spring Break. They both had a blast making lifelong memories together!

Gabe- Worked so hard to get caught up to his peers. After enduring 7 surgical procedures in 2016 he was very happy to have a hospital-free year (almost). He had one trip to the ER for a fractured pelvis but it healed well after several weeks on crutches. After much prayer and discussion, Gabriel's wish came true when we enrolled him in public school with Cael. He is working very hard in 8th grade and comes home exhausted but smiling every afternoon. He has a lot of catching up to do but his school is extremely helpful and accommodating and he is making strides everyday. He is also popular among all the kids at school, especially the ladies. That smile! Those muscles! That accent! (insert eye roll here). Gabriel made the most important choice to be baptized this summer at church camp. He had surrendered his life to Christ while in a orphanage in Ghana but this summer he felt like the time was right to make a public profession of that faith in his heart. He was proud to have his cabin leader/Uncle B.J. baptize him.

Grace- Finished 2nd grade strong and has been enjoying her third grade class and teacher. She gets so much special attention at her wonderful elementary school and we feel very thankful and blessed. Every meeting starts out with so many wonderful compliments regarding Grace's kindness, helpfulness, and friendliness. She has many wonderful friends and is well-liked everywhere. She loves to nurture all her younger cousins and neighbors and is happiest when she is playing with dolls and watching cartoons. She also enjoys weekly tennis lessons with some sweet friends in the neighborhood.

Here is a short video of capturing many of the highlights listed above. Enjoy!

Superheroes!!!

On August 6th 2017, I encountered three real life superheroes. One was fast, like lightning, in his physical speed and his mental response. He heard a lady screaming for help and his IMMEDIATE response was to run to her aid. (Thank you Derek Moore!)

After lunch on the Daytona boardwalk I decided to head back up to the hotel pool. As I was walking toward the steps of the hotel pool a man came behind me and forcibly grabbed my wallet and ran. The wallet had many credit cards, identification cards, a little cash and the key fab to drive the van that would get us all home.

I began chasing him as fast as I could but he was VERY fast. I screamed the whole time I ran "HE STOLE MY WALLET! HE STOLE MY WALLET! HE STOLE MY WALLET!"

He ran out from the beach to the side road and kept running down and across the main street. I kept running after him and screaming.

The next thing I knew a VERY fast man came running from in front of me. When the thief saw him he threw my wallet and its contents all over the sidewalk and kept running. My new hero proceeded to tackle the thief to the ground while two other nearby heroes came to assist. They nailed this guy facedown to the ground while I called the police. When the criminal tried to get up one of the guys picked him up and slammed him back to the ground and they made sure he couldn't move after that until the police came. (Thank you Spencer Adams and Brandon Sellers!)

A kind lady who had started running beside me helped me gather my wallet and the spilled contents. She also helped talk to the 911 operator when my tears began to flow.

It turns out this man is on probation for assault and battery with a weapon. Thank God he did not have a weapon this time. These three men that came to my rescue did not care if he had a weapon or not. Their response was immediate and brave. They took control of the situation and made sure that I was safe and justice was served.

After the robber was arrested and put into the vehicle, he asked the police officer if he could talk to me. From the back of the police car the window was lowered and between the bars he said " I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry". I said, "You're young. You still have a lot of life to live. You need to make a change and start making better choices. If you were one of my kids I would want to shake you and remind you that you have a choice. It makes me sad that your life is so bad that you think you have to steal someone else's money to survive. You should know that Jesus loves you and He can give you a fresh start. I mess up every single day and Jesus forgives me."

He said, " I wish it could be different. I'm so sorry."

I said, "It definitely can be different. If Jesus died for you then anything is possible. Think about that from jail and make a change in the way you live. There is hope. And I forgive you."

Will I still press charges? Absolutely! I pray that the time behind bars will be the greatest thing that ever happened in this man's life. I pray that by robbing me today in Daytona Beach that his entire eternity could be changed.

I got to share Jesus with a criminal today. I still have all my credit cards, money and keys. And I have some new amazing friends that happen to be real-life super heroes disguised as wrestling coaches from California and Kentucky. I think robbing a lady outside a hotel that is hosting a national conference for wrestling coaches is not the stupidest thing this man ever did but it certainly wasn’t smart. I guess he wasn’t counting on the fact that not only do these guys have strength, speed and amazing submission moves, but they also have tremendous bravery and an authentic desire to serve and help others with their talents. I thank God for bringing us all together on Daytona’s strip for a life-changing encounter.