Today is my 20th Gotcha Day!

Define Gotcha Day:  The day that adoptive families celebrate the exact day they received their child into their family....the day they were "born" into their family...

I had been staying with different families that lived on my block.  Here a few nights, there a few nights... because I didn't want to go "home" to the house where I was living.  I didn't want to go back to that life. (You need to read the post right before this one to see what just happened in my life!)  I had just spent the last year of my life (14 years old) consuming more alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs than any 14 year old should ever even see.

That's when I did something VERY brave.  (It had only been about a week since God RADICALLY touched my life...see the previous post for those details!)  I asked the pastors if I could stay the night with them.  I didn't want to go home that night.

Then I stayed another night....and another night...and another night...  Then 2 weeks later they sat me down and said, "Glenda, we love you.  We want you to be our daughter.  We want to adopt you.  We have never been able to have children and we believe God has brought you into our lives."

I should have been shouting from the rooftops.  But instead I was sad.  "Yeah, you think you want me, but you'll get tired of me soon just like everyone else has" was my response.  I really did not believe I was lovable.

Yet through their LOVE for me, and God's WORK in me, I was changed.  I eventually was won over by their love and God wove us together like an incredible tapestry...you can't really distinguish where one thread ends and another begins.  We became one.  We became a family.

And today, 20 years later, I SAVOR the memories.  I celebrate my adoption.

My mom and dad, Rusty and Dorinda Blann, are THE most incredible people I have ever known.  They were able to conceive after they had me - and I now have a 17 year old brother, a 14 year old sister, and another 11 year old sister.

So 3 siblings, one husband, 2 of my own kids  - and 20 years later - we still CELEBRATE TODAY!  Happy Gotcha Day  Me!  And thanks again God!

Spiritual Birthday!

I recently celebrated my 20th spiritual birthday.  It has been 20 YEARS ago that God truly revolutionized my life!

Twenty years ago... I was 15.  In some ways I was still so young, immature, silly, obnoxious, giddy, and childlike.  In other ways - I had lived a life with experiences that no 15 year old should know about.

At this point in my life - I was so EMPTY.  I had never lived in a "normal" family...being raised by my grandmother...who when I fell into trouble as a pre-teen...turned against me like a mean, hateful, bitter serpant would.  I had begun living with different relatives, but no one really felt like they could "handle" me.  I was troubled and looking for trouble.

I remember the night ( I think it was August 31st, 1990 - but I am still verifying this date) - when the captain of our cheer squad invited us to a sleepover at her house after the first home football game.

What she DIDN'T tell us... was that we had to go to her church for a "5th Quarter" after the game.  I was declaring that the roof of the church would cave in if I went in.

That night the speaker wore a football helmet as he shared from the Scriptures about how much God loved us.  I didn't really believe it.  HOW could God love ME?  I had done too many bad things.  I had not lived for Him.  Yet... I was DRAWN.

I went forward to the altars to pray afterwards...praying, crying, weeping, begging God to forgive me and to accept me.  I was so EMPTY.  But I left full of something.  A spark.  A spark that ignited over the coming days and weeks into a flame...and then a fire... and then an all consuming blaze...that consumed my soul and CHANGED me into a completely, radically different person.  "...behold all things HAD become NEW."

School Calendar

This map shows which part of Arkansas we now live in.  From the Mississippi River on the far right, to the far left hand corner - we have migrated once again this August!

Macy is attending a "non-traditional calendar" elementary in Bentonville this year.  They started August 2 and go through mid- June, but they get more breaks throughout the year.  Which is great for us since we travel so much while we are itinerating!

We are looking forward to the October intermission b/c we are scheduled to do a service back in DC!  Can't wait to see our friends there again!