The BEST date EVER

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We laughed, we cried, and we danced. And the whole time I couldn’t wipe the cheesy smile off my face. It was the most expensive date I have ever been on, and it was worth every cent! Jesus is the best lover I know.

          

On Friday, June 22nd, I got to go on a date with the lover of my soul, Jesus. He took me back to Illinois State University, my college campus, where, while attending college there, I made my faith my own, accepting Him as the Lord and Savior of my life. That was when I truly fell in love with Him.

Even the drive down from Chicago to the campus was amazing. Just me, driving a rental car, singing loudly to worship music with Jesus! I felt like I was in HS jamming with my best friend. On the drive, as I passed cornfields, Jesus spoke saying, "From the maze of cornfields to where I belong, sharing the gospel to the ends of the World". Only at the end of the date, did I really understand what this phrase meant.

On that Friday, I walked with Jesus through the campus, remembering. I remembered how He protected me and my head, when I was hit by a car my freshman year, and then we came to the place where I had a terrible fall on my roller blades my first week of school and felt I needed to change colleges because it was so embarrassing. These are places on our "date" where we laughed.

Then we went to other places, like the dorm where I said a prayer asking God to come into my heart and surrendering my life to Him. This is where we cried tears of joy for how He "brought me out of darkness into his marvelous light".

There were other places that refreshed old memories like the first time I shared my testimony in an open air evangelism event, on the quad in the middle of a busy transition time between classes. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, the campus ministry I was a part of, hosted this event. I even remembered my first line or "my hook" that I screamed to get people's attention (and it worked), "I WANT TO BE ACCEPTED". I am making that face in the picture, because I remember how nervous I was!

Then there was a street corner where, during college, I felt Holy Spirit stop me and ask me to help a mother and a daughter looking lost on a day when I was already late for a graduate school interview. Obeying the Spirit's voice turned into an amazing testimony of me being an answer to a girl's prayer from a small Christian college. She had told God that she would transfer to ISU if she met a Christian on campus. When I stopped and asked if they needed help, I mentioned that I was a Christian, and she literally started to cry. She did transfer to ISU the next year, and I got to hook her up with a Christian roommate and she became a part of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

The memories continued to flood in when I reached the exact place, where I did evangelism on campus for the first time, with two other people, and the first person we talked to accepted Jesus! I remember when I asked this girl if she wanted to accept Jesus and she said "YES", I looked dumbfounded like, "what do I do now?" Fortunately my Evangelism leader, Aaron, jumped in and took over, explaining the next steps to being a disciple if Jesus.

   

Then Jesus led me past the building where I took ASL classes and learned ASL; falling in love with the Deaf community, culture and language.  Next there was the dining hall where I did evangelism alone for the first time as I felt Jesus ask nudged me to meet a girl named Maria. We became friends, then roommates my junior year, the year which she accepted Jesus. On that day in the dining hall though, I remembered being so nervous to walk up to Maria, who was sitting alone eating. Through obedience to the Spirit, I ended up being "her angel of her day" as she called it.

     

Then there was the rock that I would lay upside down on and watch people walk upside down, when I was having a bad day. This was the strategy Jesus gave me when I was having a day that just was not going well. Just laying there upside down watching, brought so much laughter that my whole day would change. I even would drag some of my other friends to do it, just to try. (I don’t think it was ever something that caught on. ) Jesus and I walked past the place where on my Sabbaths, I would go and just lay down and "soak up the SON (sun)".

I think the most meaningful place on our date, was revisiting the place where God spoke to me through an ugly bush on campus. It was the end of my senior year, my boyfriend had just broken up with me, and I had no idea what I was doing after graduation. Should I attend graduate school in Deaf Education, teach General Education, join IV staff, or become a missionary? I was so confused like my life was upside down.

While I was in this state of indecision walking across campus, I felt like I was supposed to stop and look at this bush on campus so I did. As I looked at this bush, it was so ugly I said, "God, why do you want me to look at these bushes? They are so ugly!" It actually got me more upset, because the bush was all mixed up and tangled. Why did God think this was important? I just sat there for a while looking at this ugly bush and God spoke. He said "I placed every branch and every leaf on this bush exactly where I wanted it, and when I look at this bush I think it’s beautiful." After a few minutes, I understood how it applied to my life. In the midst of uncertainty or while in the maze of the unknown future, God was speaking that He had placed me exactly where He wanted me, and that when He looked at the "mess" of my life, He only saw beauty.

This is where we danced. Jesus has renewed my life from a messy ugly bush into the place where I know I belong; into his presence. Into a deep relationship with him, walking out a crazy life of missions, following him as my Lord and Savior every step of the way.

After I danced I realized that this is the school that I actually did my first internship experience in Deaf Education, an elementary school on campus, Metcalf. I love the way God redeems things. While still in college, this was the place where He spoke to me through an ugly bush and now the place is completely reconstructed. In the place of the ugly bush, there is a beautiful, grown tree next to a garden. He has restored and redeemed, and has made my path straight. Through His masterful, creative hand, He has combined the three things that He introduced into my life here on ISU campus to weave the life I now live: Himself, a life of missions, and the Deaf community.

I understood His analogy. He has led me out of the maze of cornfields into the place where I belong. I belong in His presence, sharing and discipling people in the Deaf community into a relationship with Jesus.

Valor Knight's Name Unveiled

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Valor Knight

We believe that Valor Knight is a Victorious, Trustworthy Bringer of Peace. 

And one who has great courage when facing danger in battle for the Lord.

VALOR

In the Bible the word Valor is used for warriors of the OT. For example, when referring to the mighty men of David, in some versions it says, the men of valor. One of the first and main identity words that we received very early on in pregnancy and was confirmed multiple times from a variety of people was that this child was going to be a warrior. As we prayed into the kind of warrior that he would be and a name that would fit the pieces that God had given us about his identity, Valor was a name that popped into my head. As we prayed and researched more in the Bible, this word stood out in both Dan’s and my mind.

For me, Carole, the two references that really stood out in the Bible that use the word valor were in Joshua 8, the Fall of Ai, as well as first Samuel 30, the Rescue of Ziklag. Both of the armies of Israel had just come off of a huge defeat, and from this place, God calls the men of valor to rise up to victory. In both of the stories, at first it appeared Israel was completely defeated. They had a great loss, but the men of valor rose up believing victory could be won with God on their side.

These stories stood out to me when during the process of trying to get pregnant with our second child, I felt defeated. Then God turned that defeat into victory as Valor was conceived. In addition, throughout the pregnancy there were multiple times when it seemed like our son was experiencing defeat before even being born! For example, our 20 week ultrasound showed that my placenta was attached low and that our baby boy had a cyst in his brain. Praise God that my placenta moved to a normal range, and his cyst dissolved and his brain developed normally. Then later in pregnancy, he was in a very unique position that could have caused difficulties during labor. However, from that place he shifted and moved into a better birthing position.

In contrast to the spirit of defeat, we believe that our son will be fearless and relentless to see the resurrection power of God displayed through victory. He will be one that takes courage and chooses to go on the offensive in battle, in the midst of danger, trusting God will bring a victory.

Once again, just like deciding on Olive’s name, God spoke confirmation to Dan for the name Valor in a different way and through a different Bible verse. The Bible verse that stood out the most to Dan was in Judges 6 when God called out the identity of Gideon through an angel saying as “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor”. As a response, Gideon built an altar and called it, “The Lord is Peace” after God said “Peace be with you.”

In that Biblical story, Gideon asked God for a sign. Then Gideon used reasoning and wisdom, asking that the fleece be wet one day and then be dry the next day. It was simple logic that Gideon asked God for. In return, as Gideon was called, he was confident in God to go into battle. God used that same simple, wise reasoning to reveal to Gideon the 300 men that should stay for the battle, making sure Israel recognized the victory came from God, not from man’s strength. God continued to use wisdom over man’s strength in the battle, using torches in jars to make the enemy believe more Israelites were fighting than there actually were.

As we have been praying about the identity of this child, we believe that he will have the same characteristics of God found in Gideon in the Old Testament: simple logic and clear wisdom. He will be a wise leader in battle who brings peace wherever He goes.

KNIGHT

We also prayed into the kind of warrior that our son would be. The character that God actually envisioned in my mind was William Wallace from the movie Braveheart. He was one that didn’t want war but recognized when war needed to happen for others to have freedom. His uncle taught him how to fight with his mind and use wisdom not only physical strength.

As we were trying to find a name that fit this identity piece, Dan felt that Knight, or Knighthood, was the kind of warrior that I was describing. We believe our son will be wise, a warrior that brings truth and justice, one who is trustworthy, faithful, and kind- hearted, and a warrior who uses his mind in battle, not only his physical might. Valor Knight would be a man of honor, courage, and mercy, showing humility and grace. Knight embraced the essence of these characteristics.

In conclusion, there were a total of 15 identity pieces that we received over our son during this pregnancy that we are declaring and believing for him: visionary, bringer of balance, warrior, a storyteller, surrendered, relentless, wise leader, a man of understanding, speaker of truth, confident, victorious in the face of defeat, kind-hearted, peacemaker, a man of rest, and a rock from intimacy.

Arriving Home to His Big Sister who was eagerly waiting 

Olive's first glance series 

A big thank you to Grandma McClelland, 

who arrived a day before Valor was born to help with Olive

and Valor actually shares a birthday with her, July 22nd! 

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

Olive has had loads of fun with grandma. 

They have gone to the park, drawn pictures, and cooked delicious meals!! 

On a final note, my beloved Grandmother Edith, my dad's mother in Chicago, passed away this week, four days after Valor Knight was born.  I am so grateful that she was able to see pictures of Valor and hear his birth story before she passed. She lived a full life and loved God and her family well.  

She will be dearly missed. I love you, Grandma.

 

Spring Travels: Trip #2: Boston and a Quick Stop in NY

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Our second trip to Boston, we were blessed to have Daddy with us! 

We visited a good friend of ours, Alissa and her husband, Chris! Alissa and I only attended one year at Illinois State University together, but loved each other so much we have kept in touch since 2006. She is an amazing friend but also has blessed our ministry by coming and interpreting for our Discipleship Training School on multiple occasions. While we were there, Alissa and Chris opened the door for us in Boston to share about what we do with people from their church. We are so grateful for both of them. 

One of Olive's favorite things of the weekend was watching Chris's soccer game. She cheered for him so loudly, and when he happened to come near where we were seated to throw the ball back in the game, she screamed with excitement! She was his biggest fan!

We also got to visit Alissa's work, "The Learning Center for the Deaf". Alissa had many books in her office that she signed to Olive, which our daughter loved!

In Boston, we had the opportunity to share about our ministry with Chris and Alissa's Bible study. We loved meeting this fun group, which showed us such amazing community and hospitality. After attending their church on Sunday morning, we had the opportunity to meet and encourage Mike and Renae who are in the process of moving to Burkina Faso to be missionaries for the Deaf. It was so easy to chat with them as they have the same heart and spirit as us. Dan, Olive, and I had a great time connecting with old and new friends in Boston.

We also got a family day in Boston. Yay! We walked the Freedom Trail and saw beautiful parks. 

In addition, we got to see good friends, Jonathan and Priscilla and meet their son, Oz, for the first time. They are an amazing family who taught in the first ASL DTS we led, and we are so excited to share that they will be coming back this Fall and teaching in this school. We also got to see Brandon, who was a student in the first ASL DTS and staffed with us for 2 years. He was and is amazing with Olive, and it was so good to get a good hug from him. To us, he is family. It was amazing to catch up and walk through a National Park, which was literally in Jonathan and Pricilla's backyard. 

On our way to Boston and back, we had the opportunity to make our dinner stop in NJ with Dan's brother and our sister- in- law, Grant and Sarah. Olive got to play with her cousins, Talia and Tanner, for her car break. It was a fun and refreshing stop. We even learned a few new tricks from this amazing mama on how to keep walking in the city exciting. We are so glad that NY was halfway to Boston, and so blessed to call them family!