"Great is Thy Faithfulness"----Legacy by Leta

***Note:  Chris wrote this 5 years ago after my grandmother's 90th bday celebration.  Now 5 years later I am reposting it.  She is in heaven celebrating with Jesus.  No lady deserves it more.  I am so grateful for everything my grandma stood for.  Family. Faith. Grace. Grandma.

"You will not read about her in a history book, she will not be heralded by the media. Though her influence is widespread and continues to grow. Born to David and Dorthy Dotson,  her mother passed away when she was seven, leaving her to be raised by her father and grandparents. Later in life she would marry her sweetheart, Asa. Even though her husband did not attend church, she remained faithful. Seeing her husband go and come back from war, she leaned on her Heavenly Father to give her support as she worked in a factory making gunpowder for the war. Working in the factory, farming, or as a seamstress, she helped provide for her 7 children with financial support as well as making clothes for all the children, providing delicious meals, and making sure her children knew they were loved. She not only talked about the love of God, but was the practical, day to day, hands of God in the distribution of love and grace. Would it not be fitting, that on her 90th birthday last Sunday, she would sing with her 4 daughters a hymn of declaration that she has lived out. "Great is Thy faithfulness, morning by morning new mercies I see, all I have needed Thy hand hath provided. Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me." A great testimony of faith to her loving church, her children, 20 grandchildren, and 18 great grandchildren.In these turbulent times, when the stock market is up and down, in a time of war, where the future is dim and unclear, thank you Leta Bell Malcom. Thank you for reminding me to continue to place my trust in God. Thank you for sharing that with your children and grandchildren, especially to your grandaughter, Amber, who will help me pass on this legacy to our children. No, her name won't be known by millions but her faithfulness to God is her legacy that will continue to be handed down to generations."---Chris Strickland

My beloved Grandma--Leta Bell Malcom. A true saint in heaven.

Her Legacy: Grandma had 7 children, 20 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren.  (If I can count!)

BRING ON 2014!

So, I've had tunnel vision so to speak for the last 3 years.....for the most part focused on paper chasing, waiting, and bringing Chloe home.  Obviously life didn't stop, I enjoyed Eden, Eli, and Tobe as well and all the joy they bring our family in different ways.  I've also enjoyed and grown in my marriage the last few years.  I've enjoyed new depths in my friendships and experienced generosity beyond comprehension.  On this blog, and in some ways in life, I fear it has mainly been about our adoption process.  It is true, our lives have drastically changed for the better because of adoption.  But there is so much more to our daily lives than that, isn't there?  I want to be healthy. I want to have a healthy, growing relationship with my Lord.  I want to be part of a healthy church. I want to have a healthy body (and self-image). I want to have a healthy bank account/finiancial life. I want a healthy house (where CHAOS doesn't sit on the throne). I want to have healthy parent-child relationships and a healthy peace within our home's walls. I want to have healthy friendships.  I WANT TO HAVE DISCIPLINE.  After sitting on the sidelines and watching 2 of my friends fast several things this entire year---I am spurred on to do somethings differently--finally.  Now that is not to say I've sat on my butt for these 3 years, cause I haven't. I have seen my prayer life grow by leaps and bounds these past few years. I have mastered the art of putting on a 5K as a fundraising event and held 5 different 5K's and 3 other fundraisers. I also have worked either as a paraprofessional, substitute teacher, interim Children's Minister, and a MOPS co-coordinator. I ran my first half marathon in September 2011, my 2nd one in May 2012, and 3rd one in October of 2012.  I didn't run much in 2013.  As proof of that I got this lovely email, which made me laugh because I really didn't "kick laziness in the butt"......

BUT (no pun intended), I WANT TO KICK IT'S BUTT IN 2014!  I will give myself some grace because the last three years have taken perserverance, faith, trust, courage, and strength.  But I continue (my life long story) to lack in the discipline department.  So I feel that I am motivated to "BRING IT ON" this year.  Discipline.  Healthiness. Consistency.  To develop these traits will still take perserverance, faith, trust, courage, and strength.  But I am ready.  Are you ready to help me?  Encourage me?  I hope so.  There are lots of specific things I'm going to change, that are some small details to some of these big picture discipline goals......and perhaps I will share some of them soon.  But for now, this is my goal for 2014: KICK LAZINESS IN THE BUTT!

" Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think."   (Romans 12:2 NLT  is my theme verse for the year.)

Merry 2013

Today marks 3 years since we publically announced our intentions to bring home a little girl from Ethiopia.  You can read the blog post here (A Revolution).  So as you can see in 2013 we saw this dream become a reality after almost 3 years.  We were so blessed to celebrate Chloe's first Christmas Home.  I'm embarrassed I haven't blogged in 2 months, but I have been reminded that life with a very spunky, active, mobile toddler is exhausting.  I'm not saying it isn't totally WORTH IT!  Just saying, that I'm not as toddler-proof as I should have been after that wait.  July 5th-Oct was a whirlwind in this house and since Oct. 24th a different kind of whirlwind has occurred.  And this one we are so blessed with.  Thank you all so much for praising God with us as we brought this girl home!  Her siblings adore her, Chris and I pinch ourselves still, and she fits the "Strickland" family perfectly!