West Michigan Christian music fans are expressing their sympathy for Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Steven Curtis Chapman after the death of his 5-year-old daughter in an accident Wednesday in the family's driveway.

"We opened up the phone lines and people called in and wanted to pray right over the air," said Troy West, morning show co-host on contemporary Christian music radio station WJQK-FM (99).

Maria Sue Chapman was struck by a car driven by one of her teenage brothers, according to authorities in Franklin, Tenn., who added they believe no charges will result from what they termed "a tragic accident."

The child died 10 days after her fifth birthday. Chapman's manager, Jim Houser, also noted in a Web site posting the family had been hours away from hosting a high school graduation party for their son Caleb when the accident occurred.

Maria was the youngest of three Chinese girls the family had adopted, two of them through the the Nashville, Tenn., office of Bethany Christian Services. Chapman and his wife, Mary Beth, also have three biological children -- two teenage sons and a 21-year-old daughter.

"They are loving and wonderful parents and a great family -- they must be devastated," said Brian De Vos, manager of Michigan operations for Bethany Christian Services. "He's been such an advocate for adoption -- I know their commitment to kids."

DeVos has known the Chapmans for eight years and worked with them on Shaohannah's Hope, a foundation the couple named for one of their adopted daughters and established to help families through the often expensive adoption process.

During Chapman's most recent concert tour -- which included a stop at Sunshine Community Church last September -- the singer raised $340,000 for the foundation. While here, he awarded a grant of about $3,000 to a local family for adoption expenses.
He also has raised funds for construction of an orphanage in China for special-needs children who likely will never be adopted.

Chapman, 45, has sold more than 10 million albums, has had dozens of No. 1 Christian radio hits, and has won more than 50 Dove Awards -- exceeding any other individual artist.
Yet he would much rather talk about his family or his work with adoptions and orphans.
"I have sung a lot of his songs," said local Christian singer Marty Miller, of Belmont, posting comments on an area Christian musicians' Web site. "Please be in prayer for the family."
Chapman's current hit song on Christian radio is "Cinderella," a ballad about precious times spent together by father and daughter. It was inspired by a real family moment.

Article courtesy of www.mlive.com.

Every night for a long time, Mason has said the "Now I lay me down to sleep" prayer before bed. After he says the entire prayer he adds his own prayer requests. Help all the sick people in the world..... Help me do good at t-ball..... PaPa and MaMa...... Buster, our dog who is already in doggie Heaven...... He even prays for God. On and on he will go about all sorts of things. He sits in his bed and basically has a very detailed conversation with God. One night last week as he was praying, he said, "And God please help all the people with breath cancer." He was very serious so I held in my giggle. I left the room thinking that maybe I needed to brush my teeth again.

As I am typing this, my heart feels like it is breaking into pieces. My grandmother is very sick and in the hospital. She has been in and out of the hospital since November. I tell her all the time that she is one of the strongest women that I will ever know. She has been through so much these past few months and she continues to fight. If I just had a small peice of her strength, I would be set for the rest of my life.

My MaMa has always been so special to me. I can remember vividly spending day after day at her house. We lived across the street for MaMa so it was easy for me to sneak over. Our babysitter always knew that if she couldn't find me, I was at MaMa and PaPa's house. When I was young I would lay on her couch and watch cartoons. We would go in the yard and pick flowers or collect pears from her pear tree. Sometimes we would go to Roses or Sky City. I remember her taking me many times to get my pictures done at Roses.... even when I was a teenager, she still took me to get my picture done.

She has a special corner in my heart that will always be just hers. My prayer is that she pulls through this sickness that she is facing but if that is not God's will, then I pray that she will be comfortable and at peace. She has suffered for so long.... most would have already given up. But she is a fighter. Please pray for my MaMa as you read this post.

Easter Pictures

Happy Easter!!!

I know it has been a long, long, long time since I have blogged. I think that I have blogger burn out! But here are a few pictures of Mason and some of our furry kids. I hope that everyone has a blessed Easter!

P.S. Mason had a fight with his bike.... as you can see, the bike won!

Teen Challenge Video

Answered Prayers

Isn't it just amazing how God answers prayers? You spend so much time praying and waiting for a "sign" that God is really listening..... and then it happens. And most of the time it doesn't happen like you think it should or even when you think it should. It happens when you least expect it to.... when you are surrounded by sadness and tears. When you feel totally helpless and confused. God answers prayers in His time.... not ours. And let me tell you, He has perfect timing. He knows when we have had enough. He knows when we just can't take another step. He knows when to pick us up and carry us. He takes us to the edge and then He pulls us back to Him. He lines up people, places and things to show us that He is in charge. In the midst of a disaster, He opens doors. Tonight I am praising God for being a forgiving God who ALWAYS shows up.

Tonight I took Mason downtown to trick or treat. There were so many kids running around and even more gnats. He really had fun trick or treating from store to store and looking at what all the other kids were dressed up as. He was the Ghost Rider. Several of the kids were afraid of him. I had to keep taking his mask off to show them that he was just a boy.

Pirate Jackson


Butterfly Jordan

McKenzie, Mason and Gabby

Now that Mason's hair is growing, we can do all kinds of funky styles in the tub.

I Googled "Lori needs" to see what would come up. Here is my list of needs according to Google....

Lori needs ideas and volunteers.
Lori needs to be aware of her own anger.
Lori needs help.
Lori needs a change.
Lori needs to cut her mom some slack.
Lori needs a little hocus-pocus from dear departed Aunt.
LORI NEEDS CAFFEINE TO STAY AWAKE!!!

Pretty funny!!

This Sums It Up For Me Right Now.....

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried;
Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate...
and the Master so gently said,"Wait."

"Wait? you say wait?" my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!"
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By faith I have asked, and I'm claiming your Word.

My future and all to which I relate
hangs in the balance and you tell me to Wait?"
I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign.
Or even a 'no,' to which I'll resign.

You promised, dear Lord, that if we believe,
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry:
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply.

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
as my Master replied again, "Wait."
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut,
and grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting...for what?"

He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes met with mine...
and He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run.

I could give all you seek and pleased you would be.
You'd have what you want, but you wouldn't know Me.
You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint.
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint.

You'd not learn to see through clouds of despair;
you'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there.
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me
when darkness and silence are all you can see.

You'd never experience the fullness of love
when the peace of My spirit descends like a dove.
You would know that I give, and I save, for a start,
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.

The glow of My comfort late into the night,
the faith that I give when you walk without sight.
The depth that's beyond getting just what you ask
From an infinite God who makes what you have last.

You'd never know should your pain quickly flee,
what it means that My grace is sufficient for thee.
Yes, your dearest dreams overnight would come true,
but oh, the loss if I lost what I'm doing in you.

So, be silent, my child, and in time you will see
that the greatest of gifts is to truly know me.
And though oft My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still "WAIT".

Author Unknown

Pumpkins

Saturday we took Mason and our niece, Jordan to the pumpkin patch. They had fun running around looking for the perfect pumpkin. Mason can't wait to carve it!
My sweet Jordan Pie

After I picked Mason up from school today, I took him to the Port Royal sands to look for sharks teeth. Although we didn't find any sharks teeth, Mason found some tiny hermit crabs. He picked one up, laid it in the palm of his hand and said, very sweetly, "Mommy, it's so cute. I want to keep it forever. Ahhhhh, he's so sweet." Then he said he needed to find another one. When I asked him why he needed a second one he said, in a totally different tone of voice, "I wanna make them fight." Boys will be boys!
We walked all the way up the tower and had a stranger take our picture at the top. We looked like tourists but I don't care! It was fun!
Today is Ivette's birthday! Mason wanted to get her a cake and a candle that plays the Happy Birthday song. He loves his Aunt Ivette so much and so do I!
This is my Layla girl wearing her Halloween costume. She was giving me the evil eye..... can you tell?

The Glory Of His Works

Last night Brett, Mason and I went out for a boat ride with my brother. On the way back, the sun was setting and the sky in front of us was red. It was a red that I had never seen before. Absolutely gorgeous! I looked back at the sky behind us and is was almost purple. It was so perfect and beautiful. I started thinking about the glory of His works. Who else could create a sunset like that one but God? The entire ride back to the dock, I thought about all things that are going on my life. I have a good life but there are always days that go by when I want a "do over". For instance, I raise my voice to Mason when it really wasn't necessary. Or I don't pay enough attention to the people that I love. I started thinking about the fact that I am not guaranteed tomorrow or even my next breath. That sunset was so gorgeous but it only lasted a few minutes and then it was over. I am really going to try to live in the moment more instead of concentrating on what tomorrow may bring. The moments in life past just as fast as that sunset but it was beautiful while it lasted because I took the time to watch it. It's funny how God works. He used that big sunset to open my eyes to the little things in life.

Happy Fall!

Today the weather is perfect! The skies are so blue and the temp is just right! I love Fall. I open my windows and let the fresh air drift through. Love it!

I haven't blogged in a long time. We have been busy living life and I just haven't taken the time to update my blog. Sorry!

Mason turned 5 in September. I can't believe that we have a 5 year old. It doesn't seem possible that that much time has passed since I had him. He is growing fast. That makes me sad in a strange way. He is my baby... I don't want him to grow up.

Brett is good besides being covered in poison oak. I guess we have it growing in our backyard and now it is spreading all over Brett.... even between his eyes. Poor baby!!

There are a lot of different things going on in my life.... some happy and some sad... but nevertheless, I praise God for all that He gives me.

I have found a blog that has really touched my heart. Go read some and you will see what I am talking about. I have added this sweet baby girl to my daily prayers. I hope that everyone who reads her blog will do the same.

My friend Bonnie just found out that she is having a baby boy! Congratulations to her!!

I guess this post is just a lot of rambling but at least I am blogging, right?

A Special Kind Of Love

My grandparents just celebrated 61 years of marriage. Can you imagine? They have stuck by each other through all the trials of life and are still standing strong, together. It takes a special kind of love to last all these years. God has blessed them with a love that lasts forever. It is a love that is unbreakable. When I grow up, I want to be where they today.... in love. Happy Anniversary Mot Mot and SkeeBo!

Love You Forever

Last night Mason choose the book "Love You Forever" as his bedtime story. I haven't read him this book in a really long time. He listened as I read about the mommy who would sneak into her son's room, crawl across the floor, pick him up and rock him back and forth singing, "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always. As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be."

After I finished the book, he wanted me to pretend that he was sleeping so I could crawl across the floor, pick him up and rock him back and forth, singing the song. He thought it was pretty funny. So, we said our prayers and I thought that he was about asleep..... until I felt his arms go around my neck and he started to rock me back and forth while singing a pretty good version of the song in the book. He sang, "I'll love you forever. I like you every day. As long as I'm living, my mommy you will be." He thought I was really sleeping so I didn't say a word. He rolled over and went to sleep. I lay there with big fat tears in my eyes, thanking God for giving me such an amazing child.

Pictures From The Weekend