Shhhhhh......don't tell....but I don't believe in Magic!

     If you asked any student at my Elementary School where I worked the last 5 years, "What did Nurse Jenny always give you to feel better?"  The majority would say, "Magic Crackers"!    (I will reveal what the secret ingredient that made them "magic" was here in a minute.)  What I learned very quickly when I first became school nurse was that each and every child needed someone to listen and take them seriously.   So my goal for each of my little patients was to give them validation.  I listened, I assess, I ask questions then I would give them my prescription.....which could be anywhere from a hug, band aid, ice pack, Tylenol or a Magic Cracker!  Sometimes the complaint would be legitimate....sometimes it would be a reason to get out of class.  Either way....there was a reason behind it.  They sometimes didn't get enough sleep, got in a fight with a friend, had a rough morning getting out the door (like we do at my home on many days) or forgot to do their homework..... so I treated them with respect.  Because after all...no matter what our age....isn't that what we want?  Someone to listen to us.  Someone to understand.  Someone to care.  Someone to make us feel safe.  Someone to make us feel loved. 

     So after 5 years of having the tremendous pleasure of loving and helping the students at my school I have stepped down so I can go serve in the same way to the families in the Dominican Republic.  I will have a whole new kind of challenges to help with but I plan on using the same prescriptions on them.....I will validate their complaints....assess how I can help....I will listen....I will understand....I will care and help to make them feel safe.  I will definitely make them feel loved. 

     Now to reveal for the first time in public my "secret ingredient" I added to my "Magic Crackers" ..............was PRAYER.  I would pray that they would fill the students with God's love....God's mercy.....God's healing. 

     One of my favorite quotes I had taped next to my desk was... "Live in such a way that those who know you but don't know God will come to know God because they know you." 

     So now unlike doing this quietly and to myself in a public school system.....I can tell the families in the DR how much God loves them.  I can help HEAL them by the power of HIS REDEMPTION, MERCY and GRACE. 

     And for both my kiddos here at my school and for my future families I will continue to PRAY that they will know that they ALWAYS have someone that listens, understands, loves and wants them to feel safe.......  that is their HEAVENLY FATHER waiting for them to TRUST IN HIM for all their needs. 

Celebrating Tyler and Raegan!

    Why is it we always want events in our life to hurry up and get here?  We can't wait until our babies are potty-trained, able to walk,  can clean up their rooms themselves, and are able to drive themselves to all their activities.  Then all of a sudden we ask, "Where did the time go?"  My babies are all grown up! 

     Right now I want to make time stand still yet I'm excited to move on to the next adventure in our life!  Why can't I have it both??? 

     What God is telling me right now is to embrace, trust, cherish and love.   He is telling me to enjoy every moment, listen to every word, learn from every mistake and laugh at every opportunity. 

     I have two daughters graduating this weekend.  Tyler from Dental Hygiene Program and Raegan from High School.

     I want to tell you what I love about both of these girls. 

     Tyler is one of the hardest working young ladies I have ever met.  She worked constantly while she put herself through college.  She knows how to manage her time and money and takes NOTHING for granted.  She has the most infectious laugh on this planet!  She loves her siblings with her whole heart and is the best role model for them.  She is seeking out what God has in store for her life.  She is the bravest, most compassionate, loving person.  I made her promise me when she was 1 day old that she would be my best friend and she has never failed me.  I know that "distance" is going to be a new factor in our relationship but I know that "closeness" will NEVER be an issue.  My prayer for Tyler is that God puts all the right people in her life, that she stays true to herself and God and that she uses her amazing personality to shine God's light on everyone she meets.

 

 

 

    Raegan is absolutely the most artistic minded person I think I know.  She sees this world differently than most.  I see things simply and she sees the detail and beauty in it.  Raegan has always been the quietest child I have but believe me....she hasn't missed out on anything!  She sits back and enjoys each moment of watching this families chaotic dinner conversations!  She is the calming force in crazy times.  She's MY rock in stressful times.  She's our teacher for all music and crafts.  She is our sweet beautiful light!  My prayer for Raegan is that she embraces ministering to the women and children in the DR before she heads out into the world to pursue her career in art.  I pray that she grows in her relationship with God and that she looks to Him before making all life decisions.

Affirmation with Bigfoot.......Who's crazy now?

     Yep....I was told I was a little bit crazy again today!  (Man I wish I had a sponsor for every time I heard that!  haha.....sorry....had to throw in a little missionary humor there!)  I totally take it as a compliment though.  Anything you do in life that requires faith, usually looks a little unusual to people ....so Praise the Lord for crazy people!

     One of the big things that people think I'm crazy about is taking my kids to serve.....I just have to say.....Are ya SERIOUS??????  I'm thinking this is about the greatest gift I could give them.  Have you hung around many kids these days????   Do you watch TV?    Now....I work at the school and I have to say....I love all those children so much!  SERIOUSLY!  They are sweet, kind, considerate, they have HUGE hearts and they TRULY want to do nice things.  And they usually do!!!  So please don't think I'm slamming any body's children.    But if we had the chance to show them that the world is not revolving around them, their looks, their talents, their popularity.....DO IT.  Looks fade, talents only go so far and being popular is fun...but if we can show our kids how to make a huge impact in this world by feeding the hungry and loving the broken....THAT is something that they can truly feel good about.

     What sparked this randomness of thoughts was my son.... Mario.  Now....I'm not trying to pick on him....I could find a similar story with all of my kids like this.  He's tough and can take it though.  Ok....so he lost a library book probably in the beginning of the school year.  I found out in December and confronted him.  He was pretty much like, "Oh well....I looked and can't find it."  So I told him he had to pay for it.  He asked the librarian how much the book would be.  He came home proudly and said with a smirk, "It's only 3.25."  So when I confirmed that price with Mrs. Swigart she said it was only that much because they stopped publishing it in 1974!  So...it was basically irreplaceable.  And in case you were wondering it was "Track of Bigfoot" haha...of course it was...he's an 8th grade boy.  So Mrs. Swigart and I came up with a plan....quite a genius one I may add.... since we can't buy a new one then Mario should just rewrite it!!!  And only in Mrs. Swigart fashion....she thought if he could get a few snap shots that would awesome too!!!! 
So here we are.....it's May. He lost the book in the Fall!  He was told to write the book in December.  He began writing it and with his good fortune, I forgot about it for awhile.  But....as us good Mommas usually do....I finally remembered to ask if he finished it and turned it in.....to which he replied...."no"  (head hung).   So the last few weeks I have been hounding the boy just a little to get it done before the end of school.  He finished today!  

      What does this story have to do with my previous rant about taking my kids to serve others????    I'm glad you asked.....you see when Mario was done writing the book after losing the book and being hounded by his Mother to write the book for 5 months.  He actually asked me to write a "forward" in it like they do for "famous authors"................................. He wanted praise. 
 (Now my head is hung.)

    So as we live in a society of entitlement......where we all think we deserve praise even for correcting our own mistakes.........I'm going to teach my children to give and expect nothing in return except God's unending love. 

   Yep......crazy.

"This will be easy!".......Said nobody ever!

     "Nobody ever said it would be easy!"  Do you know how many times I have heard this? 

     Today we had an amazing outpouring of love and support from our community at our Walking Taco sale.  The generosity of people and kind words carry us through and keep us lifted in this journey.  Nobody will ever understand how much that means because this is such an emotional roller coaster.  You see we honestly feel like this is not a "choice" for us to move and serve.  Because if it was a choice.....we would probably have changed our minds a hundred times by now. 

     Brian and I both have been blessed with amazing families that we are going to miss SO much.  Our daughters Tyler and Sydney are staying in the U.S.  We are leaving jobs that are literally a part of who we are.  We have so many people telling us we are great at what we do and are going to be missed.  Do you know how hard it is to walk away from family and that kind of love, praise, security and appreciation???  

     After we came home today and relaxed for awhile.  My nephew Keegan began to say his goodbyes to me since he is flying to Guatemala tomorrow to spend the summer with is family that is serving there.  He started to walk away and said, "Aunt Jenny....When am I going to see you again?"
I stood dumbfounded.  I've been so busy with all the plans I hadn't even thought that it may be a long long time.  My other nephew (Keegan's brother) Travis is getting married near Seattle, Washington this fall.  I am praying that I can afford to at least have me fly out to attend his wedding. 

                So you are right "Nobody" THIS ISN'T EASY!"

But again.....Brian and I both know this is not a choice for us.  We firmly believe that we were not put on this Earth to live for our own comfort.  We were made to live our lives for Jesus.  Not to acquire more and more but to GIVE more and HELP more. 

If this was a choice ....trust me I would choose to stay right where I am ....close to my adult children that I could see whenever I want, work at the school where I am "Nurse Jenny" and have people boost my ego about how nice I am, we could see our families all the time and especially for holidays and weddings, we could control how much money we make and spend on any given day, we could hang out with our friends.......I could go on and on.

So we choose the HARD path....but the right path for us.  Because easy isn't always right, living for our own comfort isn't what God had planned.  He designed us to be His hands and feet. 

How can I worry about my comfort when there are so many who live like this?  And as a funny side note....I googled,  "Bible verses about living comfortably" You want to know what it said????  No bible verse exists on this subject.  No surprise there....but yep.....confirmation. 

 

James 2:14-17                    

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

So once again.....we still need monthly support.  You see our effort, sacrifices and willingness.  You see our desire to show God's love and bring hope for the hopeless.  We need from you prayers, encouraging words and monthly support.  We have a long way to go.  We literally raise 100% of our living expenses.  We have been blessed with lots of donors but still need monthly commitments so we have that security to rely on while we serve.  We understand that giving $25, $50, $75, etc monthly is a sacrifice.  We will continue to pray for God to give us all the strength. He will take care of us when we take care of all of His treasures.

If you feel you can make this sacrifice to help us further God's kingdom please click on link on upper right hand side of this page under the yellow Go MAD Ministry sign and follow instructions.  Thank you....and God bless you for blessing others.

Philippians 4:19                    

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

20 Reasons You Should Support A Missionary

 

 

20 Reasons why you should partner monthly with us:

1.  Because it's Biblical.
2.  Because you would have just bought somethings silly with that money and possibly have felt guilty.....we are saving you that anguish.
3.  Because you will be blessed more than you can imagine.
4.  Because it is better to give then to receive.
5.  Because you have been wondering what to do with all you extra money.
6.  Because it's a tax write off. 
7.  Because what if it were you who needed help and you waited and waited for someone to help?
8.  Because you want to really STRENGTHEN your faith....ain't no better way then to trust God with your finances.
9.   Because it's a GREAT example for your children.
10.   Because....We NEED you!
11.  Because it's important to God.
12.  Because you can truly Make A Difference.
13.  Because you are tired of hearing me ask for partners!  ;) 
14.  Because we want YOU on our team.
15.  Because you like us...you really like us!  And you believe that God will use us.
16.  Because it takes senders and goers.
17.  Because we believe in this so much.
18.  Because you have known somebody that has been exploited in their lives and would like to join the fight.
19.  Because there is nothing better than seeing a life changed and you knowing were behind it.
20.  Because we want to tell all the people in the Dominican Republic about all the people that love them so much they sent us to tell them how much God loves ALL His people!!!



We have approximately 77 days until we move and we know God can work miracles.  We still need a huge amount of monthly supporters.  No matter what the amount or which reason you related to above....it all goes to glorify God's kingdom. 

www.gomadministries.com  Click on Make a Donation.  Go to drop down box 'Program Designation' and choose Brian and Jenny Bland. 

Matthew 28:19–20

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with youi always, to the very end of the age.”j

I want....I want....I want!

  Most of us as kids would have temper tantrums at some point in our lives and yell, "I want____" (fill in the blank).  I want it ....I want it ....I want it!!!!!  As we grew we stopped having temper tantrums but we as a whole haven't grown out of the, "I want" stage.  What I have noticed about myself in my journey in faith is that my "I wants" have changed.  But sometimes....I want to have a tantrum because I want these so very badly!

I WANT all children to have a safe home.
I WANT all people to have food....every single day.
I WANT people on House Hunters to stop complaining about not having a big enough closet.  I want them to just stop buying things they don't need!!!
I WANT quality heath care for everybody.
I WANT us to give to needy BEFORE we give more to ourselves.
I WANT children to keep their innocence and not be used as sex slaves.
I WANT all God's children to TRULY LOVE each other.
I WANT everyone to have an education so they have a choice in what kind of work they can do.
I WANT EVERYBODY TO HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS!!!
I WANT us to treat people how we want to be treated.
I WANT all of us to work together as "senders and goers".
I WANT people to teach their children that true happiness is giving to other's NOT receiving want they want for themselves.
I WANT to get my way on everyone of my wants!  :)

Why I am going to miss my life in Le Roy!

 

As we get ready to load up the van tomorrow and head to O'Hare I thought this post was worth a re-run. 

     

     The fondest memories we will take with us of our "Life In Le Roy" for the past 13 years.

Beautiful pictures that will forever run through my head -

 My children jumping on the trampoline in our backyard with all the neighbor kids.  The laughter, static hair and remembering Taryn breaking her arm.  (Thank you Kim for not suing!)

 Maddie at age 2 running down the street naked as can be and all the neighbors out watering their flowers and laughing at me in my flip flops try to catch up with her.  And at age 3 when she couldn't find her sister's when they were on the front porch and she took off out the back door and ran a few houses down and began knocking on doors.....thank you Linda for bringing her home!

 So many ballgames, softball, basketball, baseball, volleyball, cheering at football, watching and listening to the marching/pep bands.

 The bunnies we would find in the yard and try to raise.

 Going to the swimming pool....riding bikes.

 Friends that got me going back to church....Life Saving Decision!!!!!

Going to the Princess Theatre where my Mom went when she was a little girl.

  Parades, parades and more parades.  Playing bells at the library.

   Le Roy Fall Festival!!!!!

 All the amazing teacher's that loved, taught, nurtured and help me raise my children to be the wonderful people they are!

 All my friends that I know I could call and in an instant and they would be there for me.

 Best veterinarian and staff ever....Dr. Bane and girls!

 The football camps, cheer camps, golf camps, volleyball camps, church camps, brownies, girl scouts.

 The musicals....oh the musicals!  I will miss watching my kids perform....those were truly SPECTACULAR!  Thank you Mary!

 Band concerts, chorus concerts, plays.  Thank you Bridgette!

 People helping when we took in our 3 foster kids and needed beds, clothes and toys to make them feel loved and like they truly belonged. 

 The closeness of the community when disasters stuck our town.

 The homecomings, the proms, the graduations and award ceremonies.

 Roma Ralph's pizza and for employing the girls!

 Trick or Treating!

 Going to the IGA and Dollar General and always seeing friendly faces. 

 The short lines in the drive-thru's. 

 Only ONE stop light!!!

 The safety of my children walking wherever they need to go. 

 The Cross Guards who kept my kids safe and SMILED and WAVED....every....single....morning without fail!  You ROCK Dixie, Linda and Kathy!

  All the people who have supported us by hosting fundraisers, garage sales, donated items to raise money, given us platforms to share about our ministry, churches who loved, supported and prayed for us, friends who gave us rides, apartments, TJ for letting us wear out our welcome, neighbors who came to our rescue and tons of families that trusted me to take care of their kids at school.

 Raising my family in Le Roy was one of the best decisions in my life.  We have TRULY been blessed.  I will never forget the feeling of living in a small town full of big hearted people. 

 I will take the warmth and love that I have been given and share it with the children that long for that feeling of safety, protection and the knowledge that people will step in and help them at any given moment. 




 "Living in a small town...is like living in a large family." - Jenny Bland :)