Livin' it up in the Motor CIty!

This past weekend I had a chance to go up to Detroit and visit Elizabeth. It was really good to see her and get to hang out with her for the weekend.I had a wonderful time seeing the ministry she works with. Lifebuilders is a really cool ministry and the people who are in charge are really great. I got to meet some of the kids that they minister to in the local area, help with the resale shop and then go to church with the whole group on Sunday.

Here is a pic of me with a bunch of the kids from the neighborhood. Right after I arrived on Friday, we went down this one block in the bus and just honked the horn and these kids  just came pouring out of 3 different houses ready to go not even knowing where we were going :)  They were such a joy to be around and so happy.

On Saturday we hun out in the resale shop in the morning then went to the mall in the afternoon and got pedicures and just spent girl time talking and catching up. Later that evening we caught up with Steve and went to dinner and then a Tiger's game. I'm not one to be super into baseball but it was fun.

On Sunday we went to church at an inner city church where the pastor had been connected with LIfebuilders. The service was different than I am used to but it was really good. I love seeing th different ways people worship God. The sermon was so convicting but so good. It was about sharing the Gospel with people we come in contact with everyday. I felt so encouraged after church.

I had a wonderful time in Detroit with Elizabeth. I was so encouraged and it was nice to get away and rest and relax.Life at home this summer has been good but lliving with my big family nothing is really relaxing or restful. It was a nice break.

JOin me in praying for:

• Elizabeth as she finishes up her last few days in Detroit.
• The teens @ lifebuilders that have made desicions to give their lives to Christ recently and need encouragement as they grow in their faith.

Give me Your eyes for just one second.

As I come to the last few weeks of my internship I have noticed that my attitude has some times has not been up to par. I find myself at times labeling, judging and sometimes simply hearing but not listening to the women I am serving at the CWC. I have felt really convicted about this and I so badly want to love these women with my whole heart not just as an action of helping them. The song Give Me Your Eyes by Brandon Heath came on the Radio this week and brought me to tears. As I listened to the song I realized that my attitude should be that of which is reflected in the song. I want to see those who are hurting through eyes that aren't judgmental. I want to love on these people. The chorus of the song has really been my prayer this week:

Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me you heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see




Prayer requests:

• Please pray for me as I have to submit the plans for my project tomorrow during the all staff meeting. I have been working hard planning and prepping for it and I would like for the staff to be as excited as I am.
• Please pray for the ladies in the Connect 2 Care program at the CWC. These are women with mental or physical disabilities and their floor has been having a hard time lately with lots of changes and stuff. I have really connected with a lot of the ladies on this floor and talking with them I see their confusion and uncertainty amongst the chaos.

Happy Birthday Jason!!!!

Happy 5th Birthday Jason!!! 

Here's Jason with his snare drum cake that I made him. It decided to melt during dinner so I didn't get a picture when it looked its best.

We enjoyed pizza & games at Incredible Pizza Company to celebrate!! 

I am so glad that God put Jason, Timmy and Craig into our home 3 1/2 years ago and then allowed the adoption to go through 2 years ago. Our family is definitely blessed by Jason. 3 years ago today we thought we were saying goodbye to them for good but God is good and brought them back to our family for good.  

Sun,Sand & Boogie Boards

Vacation last week with my family was wonderful! We all had a lot fun enjoying the beach and what Daytona Beach had to offer. Here are some pictures and highlights from the trip.

This is Will & I at the Coke Zero 400 at the Daytona International Speedway. We went with my dad and Craig and enjoyed a fun night of race festivities and watching the race.

Here's Jason, Ayanna, and Landon trying their hand at boogie boarding. They liked to think of them as surf boards.

One morning Meme and I went out at sunrise to look for shells and walk the beach. It was my absolute favorite part of the trip. It was so quiet and peaceful and we were able to just talk and relax. My baby sister is growing up so fast and times like this are too few. 

One day we ventured over to Disney World and spent the day in Downtown Disney (The free part of Disney). While there we rented a boat and took the kids on a boat ride through Disney. It was so much fun! I even got to drive for awhile.

 

One day we visited a Chocolate shop and took their factory tour. It was really fun and we got to taste their specialty..chocolate covered potato chips which were our faves! We even had fun playing out the scene from I LOVE LUCY. Don't we make great Lucy, Boss lady and Ethel!

On our way home from FL we stopped in Pigeon Forge,TN for a couple days. One of the days we went tubing and then to our favorite place in the Smokies...Cades Cove! It was a fun day and nice way to end our vacation.

Vacation was good but now its back to my internship. I only have a few weeks left and so I want to soak it all in and really learn a lot. God has been so good and has given me incredible women to learn under.

Wow! This is a long post! What can I say I really enjoyed Vaca and wanted to share the pics! Check out my FB for more pics soon!

ooohhh what a day!!!!

Today was a really hard day at the CWC. There was lots of fighting going on between the women and it lead to a lot of women being asked to leave. It was hard because I was doing case managing with Tonya and so I had to sit in on lots of move out notice meetings. Along with that came lots of screaming and arguing. I helped move out 6 ladies today.By the time is was time for me to go home, I was emotionally exhausted. I am still processing the day.

T-minus one week until I am in Florida!

A week from today I will be in Daytona Beach, Florida, looking at this beautiful scenery!!!

And this beach bum will be with me too!! As well as the rest of my family!!

I am really excited to get away and relax on the beach for a week! I look forward and count down to this every year!

Week 3!!

This week was really routine at the internship. Nothing crazy or out of the ordinary....well at least not for out of the ordinary there. But I did learn some valuable lessons this week that I thought I'd share

Lesson 1~ I often wear my emotions on my face and that is not always good.
     I was in charge of  childcare on Wednesday afternoon for an all staff training and I wasn't too happy about having to sit and for 2 hours and just watch kids take their naps and then get them all up ready to go and fed before their moms came by myself. After the kids woke up I was putting shoes on and cleaning up the cots and blankets when Tequan (age 3) came over to get his shoes on and said "Miss Gabby you don't look happy? What's wrong?" I had been trying to put on a happy face and act like I didn't mind being put down in childcare because of being understaffed but between 4screaming preschoolers, lost shoes and a sneaky 15 year I had lost the smile on my face. Taqan's words really hit me because I know that these kids really know what it means not to be happy for real reasons and not just personal preferences. Yet I had chosen to have a bad attitude because I was the one "stuck" in childcare and yet these kids and women at the CWC choose to have a good attitude despite being homeless and without many of the things that we take for granted. I needed that reminder to know that I should always be thankful no matter what because God has blessed me with so much.

Lesson 2~ If you give a CWC guest some need items she just might try to steal want items and then cuss you out! :)

Ok so I have dealt with a lot of people here in the inner city including kids, cussing me out over different things over the years even when you are trying to help. But this week this lady at the CWC just really struck me because I had helped her so much that day. I had helped her case manager get things together for her to get some new clothes, new glasses and  a  ride to doctor appointments, I had sat and listened to her story just hours before and heard her weep as she reflected on a life that was less than perfect.
I was sitting in the office filling out my paper work before I left for the day and she had came in trying to get in the Meds cabinet to get some pain meds but it was locked. SHe became angry and just stomped around the office. Well then she thought no one was looking...and they weren't cause I was the only one in there and I wasn't looking :) I looked up when I heard the door start to open again and she was trying to get out the door with a bunch of the newly donated items that were sitting in the office. I told her that she couldn't have them because they weren't hers. She became very upset and through the bag down and then proceeded to call me every name in the book. God really granted me patience to just stop and pray for her. SHe needs prayer and that is  the biggest and only  thing I can really offer her.

Things to pray about:
* I am working on my special project for my internship and am trying to get things ready for a surprise/secret event that I am planning for the entire CWC. I am in  need of craft supplies, meals, prizes and other event supplies. Please pray that these things will be donated so the event can take place successfully and with all the planned activities that go with it. (More to come on this special project when the secret can be told :0 )

*Pray for me as this next week I will be allowed to do some case managing /intakes on my own with the supervision of the case managers. I am a little nervous and I want to make sure I am really a help and not just waisting their and my time.

*Pray for my family as we get ready to go on vacation next week. We are leaving on Friday and this week is packed with things that need to get done.