Happy 9th Birthday Mattox

Mattox,
I am soooo late writing this. It has been a very busy summer and fall. This summer you turned 9! It’s unreal how big you are. You had a good school year and made some good friends. Ace and Gavin were your best friends at school. Your teacher was very hard on you this year. I think you learned a lot, but it was a rough year. Especially at the end of the year, you started getting into “trouble” every day at school. One day you drew a picture of a bird pooping in one of your classmates (a girl of course). Your teacher didn’t think that was funny.
Over the past year you did wrestling, basketball, and swimming lessons. You wrestled in a tournament and beat a kid in overtime, got pinned the second match and lost the 3rd match after giving it a good try. You just ran out of steam. You are a natural swimmer and love the water. This was your last year at Union Academy. Your dad and I decided we wanted you to be bilingual and so you are going to western union elementary with Sam this upcoming school year.
I feel like every year you grow so much. You are really coming into your own. You are seriously the best big brother I have ever seen. You are kind to Sam and Eli. Is really neat to see how compassionate and responsible you are. You still have a big head full of hair. Big brown eyes, and a big smile with your adult teeth very visible. Mattox, you are easy to love. I am looking forward to spending your 9th year with you. You are my heart!
Love you always and forever!
Mom

Happy 7th Birthday Sam!

Sam,
I am a month late writing this. It's been a busy summer. On June 1, 2018, you turned the big 7! This has been an awesome year for you. This past year, you started dancing. You took hiphop and tap/ballet. You started piano lessons. You finished kindergarten for the 2nd time, but this time all in Spanish. Your Spanish is really good. Your best friends are Alec and Lewis from school, Parker, and of course, Mattox. You are Mattox are still best friends. In fact, you moved in together in the same room this summer. I pray you continue to be best friends in the year to come.
Sam, you are ADORABLE. You are kind and funny and you talk a lot. You are a peach keeper. You hate conflict, and when you see it coming, you do whatever you can to deflate it. You don't have a lot of tolerance for people who don't follow rules. You are skinny, but you want to be really tough and buff. You are mentally strong. You have a strong desire to get into God's word. You are very detailed in everything you do. You actually have an intense personality, but you are a different kind of intense, so you would only see that if you really paid attention. 7 years old looks good on you. You have a super cute body and your smile takes up your entire face. You just lost your front 2 teeth and your smile is so cute.
Sam, as you grow and become the man that God has called you to be, I pray that you will have the courage and strength to actually be the hands and feet of Christ. I pray that you will do great things for His kingdom. I pray that you will be an instrument, used by God, for His glory. I pray that your dad and I can continually point you to Christ.....for everything else in this world is temporary. I love you from the bottom of my heart. Happy 7th Birthday my boy.

Advance 2018

Silence, blank looks, wide eyes, confused faces.
That's what we see in these small circle spaces.

What in the world? Don't they hear what I do?
Then why are they shocked when I ask what I'm supposed to?

I bring up questions, related to God,
They can't think of anything, their thoughts in a fog.

When is this relationship thing going to click?
Some weeks I feel like calling in sick!

This Good News we speak of is foreign to them,
They come to Advance to chill with their friends.

But God, But God shows up in this place,
And over time, creates some space.

He plants a seed. The battle begins.
'Cause Satan is mad and fighting to win.

Kill and destroy is his ultimate plan.
Make them feel hopeless, like stuck in quick sand.

But God, But God, like it or not,
Is over this process and loves them a lot.

God is at work in each student's heart.
His hand in their life from the very start.

Their hearts, minds, talents-He will use for His Glory,
And one day it will all be part of their story.

So what do we do with this week after week?
When it seems we have tried every trick and technique?

Be honest, available, and point them to God.
Show up Sunday nights; let them think we are odd.

Strange we must be in this great commission,
Romans 12:2 actually gives us permission.

God wants our "yes," our, "Ill give it my best."
Give Him that, and He will handle the rest.

And week after week we will watch the progression,
and lay at his feet our personal imperfection.

So let God Be God, and do what He does;
In the life of these students He most certainly loves.

Advance, Advance, let's fight the good fight.
For we know darkness can't overcome the Light.