Poor Opie

Sunday, May 17th, was a day full of scary fears and many prayerful tears. The day before we had left Brady with Cody's mom and dad in Levelland for the evening so that we could bring back the last few things to Midland. We decided to spend the night in Midland, child-less, and drive back the next morning and pick him up. As we were leaving our condo Cody and I were chatting about the day ahead when a Chevy Tahoe ran a red light. I was driving and only had time to say "Oh my God" and slam on the brakes. I never actually knew what it meant when you "T-bone" someone, but now I do. Luckily everyone walked away with only a few injuries. I have been very sore and am pretty sure my knee that I've already had surgery on three times is going to need surgery again, but I am okay.

About five minutes after the accident I became almost hysterical. It hit me that Cody and I were in the car together. At first (and I still am) so thankful that my Brady-bug wasn't with us, but then I went down that horrible path of what ifs. What if Cody or I would have died or been seriously injuried? What if Cody and I both would have been? Who would have raised Brady? Would Brady ever know how much his mommy and daddy loved him and how much they prayed for him while he was in his mommy's tummy? And then as if God knew (oh, because he DID KNOW) that satan himself was using this opportunity to creep in my mind, I felt HIS warm hands on my shoulders right there in the middle of the intersection telling me that if any of those What ifs would have happened Brady would have known that his mommy and daddy loved the Lord. Brady would have known, because his parents KNOW God's love. That at even two years old, Brady knows his mommy and daddy love him and that friends and family would have never let that wash away with the years. I began crying, not in hysterics, but in a peacefuly loving way because my heavenly Father knew I needed His love at that very second in the intersection of Wadley and Midkiff in Midland, Texas. Don't get me wrong, I am SOOOOO thankful that the what ifs didn't happen, but I am also thankful that Cody and I have publicly professed our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and that should something happen, Brady will know where his mommy and daddy went.

For those of you who don't know, we name our vehicles. Cody's red truck was named Opie and the only paid off vehicle we owned! Now it is the truck graveyard a.k.a. tow yard waiting for a determination from the insurance company.

Brandi

P.S. Haylee P. this is why we didn't make it by Sunday. I needed just to hug my baby and sit still.

Going Green!

The Youngs are going green! Okay, before you die laughing let me clarify a little bit. A co-worker of mine has been on a kick to get our office to start recycling. Let me tell you folks, our office kills a TON of trees, so she definately has a point. SO, a couple of weeks ago I started a paper box and a plastic box in my office. It is amazing to see how much just I seem to consume in resources. All of this to say, then I really started thinking about how much we are consuming at home. So three labeled trash cans later, the Youngs condo is trying to go green. Brady is 100% on board (mostly because he LOVES to throw trash away) and Cody is tolerating the change. I know it is not much, but hey everyone has to start somewhere.

It's Official

The Youngs are officially moved!! Cody, Brady, and I found out in early January that my background check was cleared and I was officially accepted as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. We've been in Midland for a little over a month now and loving it. Wilson transfered Cody to Odessa which is only 20 or so miles from Midland. Brady had to leave Nanny in Levelland, but is now a proud kiddo at Toddler Tech here in Midland. I will update as soon as I can with more details.

Amarillo

A few weeks ago we went to Amarillo for the weekend. We took Brady to the zoo and to an Amarillo Dillas baseball game. We had a great family weekend and thought we would share a few pictures with you all!

Our first stop was the Amarillo Zoo. It is a really small zoo, but just perfect for a first timer!

Brady LOVED the kangaroos!! This little guy was his favorite!

The donkeys loved Brady! Brady wasn't so sure about them at first, but then he decided they were really cool!

After the zoo (and a nap), we went to the Amarillo Dillas baseball game.

The Dillas are a semi-pro team and the game was really fun!

Future Blogger or Duck Surfer?

Brady has decided that although he hates the ducky in the bath tub, he loves it in the livingroom!

He was standing there saying "ish, ish...Momma, ish." Sometimes they are just too cute!

"I do it...I do it, Momma."

Blueberry Brady

So Brady has discovered a new passion in life....Blueberry gumballs. A local restraunt here in town has a huge gumball machine. You know, one of those that the gumball spins round and around before you finally get it at the bottom. Well, Brady Hunter, has discovered this machine and now anytime we walk in the door he heads straight for it. (Thanks daddy and paw paw!) Usually he gets his gumball, takes a few licks, and gives it back to me. Well, a few days ago he got a blue gumball for the first time. Needless to say, he liked it, ALOT.

How judgmental are you?

I have been reading http://tampabaptistchurch.blogspot.com/ daily blog on and off for some time now. I try to read it everyday b/c it is easy to understand and so often applies to something in my life. As a sit here tonight, unable to sleep, I wondered over to this blog and BAM, it was just what I needed to hear. No one likes to feel judged, but even more so, no one likes to think they are judging others, especially friends, family, spouses, etc. I struggle with this issue and at times I am way too quick to make a decision about someone or something. I often ask myself this question and so now I am asking you "How judgemental are you?"

from http://tampabaptistchurch.blogspot.com/:
Scripture Romans 14
1 Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2 One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4 Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.16 Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. 19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall. 22 So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23 But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.
Observation
How judgmental are you? Do you look down on some believers because they may have a practice that you think is wrong? In Paul’s day eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols was considered wrong by some Christians, but considered just fine by others. Paul didn’t have a problem with it, but if he was around some believers that did have a problem with eating this meat then Paul didn’t do it. There are some areas in the Bible that are not black and white, but are grey. For some today it may be going to a movie theater, or a dance, or playing pool, or cards, or drinking a beer or a glass of wine. Going to a movie theater is not such a big deal anymore, yet in today’s sex crazed culture it really should be and dances for the most part aren’t too big of a deal either. Drinking a beer or a glass of wine would be an issue like Paul is talking about in Romans 14. I don’t drink beer or wine and I don’t think it is a good idea for anyone to start, but if another believer drinks a beer or a glass of wine then I am not to judge him or look down on him. If he or she drinks the beer or wine in front of someone that believes this habit is wrong and offensive (maybe a recovering alcoholic) and they do it knowing that the person has an issue with the drinking of alcohol then their drinking becomes sin because they have become a stumbling block. When we served as missionaries to North Africa and had joint meetings with all the other Great Commission Christian Organizations that worked in our area we Southern Baptist were the only ones that did not drink wine with their meal. All the other Christian leaders got a good laugh at our abstinence and thought our belief about drinking wine was ridiculous, but then they didn’t live in a country or come from a country that was destroying itself on drugs and alcohol. And yes, drunkenness is a sin no matter where you live, but then so is gluttony! Somehow we in the North American church don’t see gluttony as an issue…do we!
Application
I will be concerned more about the log in my eye and less concerned about the speck in someone else’s.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we are a faultfinding people and it is so easy for us to criticize other believers. Lord, you know that I have enough defects of my own to work on that I don’t need to start pointing out everyone else’s problems. Help me to be tolerant of people in those grey areas of life. Help me not be so judgmental today. Help me to see and focus on the good things in people’s lives and not their weaknesses or their character defects.