Tim Tebow: non-abortion and family testimony -

Daily Christian Wisdom:

The reason God wants his glory to be big is because that’s what the world according to the Bible means--a God who has a lifeboat big enough to save us. 

If you don't know who he is....YOU WILL! His name is Tim Tebow, and he is the most famous quarterback in College Football.  He plays for the Florida Gators, is a Heisman's Trophy winner and a walking testimony of how BIG our God is. 

I personally know the Tebow family.  Mark has known Tim Tebow since he was about 12 or 14 years old, giving me the opportunity to have also known the Tebow's for a few years now. While in town to watch Tim, along with the Gators in their Championship Game last month.  I finally got to meet them face to face at their private dinner held at the Diplomat the night before. Also, the same place Mark and I spent our wedding honeymoon night. Tim has 4 siblings, in which his sister Katie married Gannon, a good friend and teammate of Marks. The two of them played for the Jaguars for about 3 years together. Speaking of Gannon, the only person that I have personally met that can actually make my 6'6" husband seem short.  Gannon is 6'8", and the two of them walking around grab a lot of attention because people often are in "awe" of two men of such height.  

I have to say what an impressive family the Tebow's are - all around.  Not only do their love for our God just pour off of them, they have such an admiring presence about them that you can't help but want to rub elbows with them.  Not to even mention just how good looking this entire family is - geez!!  Having been personally invited as a guest to this family dinner, and getting to eat at the table with all of Tim's siblings was such a great time.  It was a night full of laughter, good food and Godly people.  While giving Mark and Gannon time to catch up over years of not seeing one another, Katie and I finally had the opportunity to get to know  the "buddies wife" we had heard so much about from our husbands. What a great person I find Katie to be, and feel we hit it off right away and I have found a friend that I look forward to getting to better know and spiritually grow with. Katie and Gannon were not able to make it to our wedding, because they were in the hospital delivering their first daughter Abby Paige that day 2-11-07.  It was so cute to see how big little Abby had gotten from all the pictures we have seen of her.  When we dropped off Morgan to play with Abby and her cousin Claire, from Tim's other sister, Christie and husband Joey. They were dressed in their little Gator cheerleading outfits and hair-bows.  It was a site too cute for your eyes. They were so excited to see a "baby" in the house, after all they were big girls now, walking and talking two-years and up in age.  They loved giving Morgan lots of kisses, that I knew she would be in great hands while mommy and daddy enjoyed an adult night out.

As if I wasn't already impressed enough by this family.  I recently read and heard the "Tim Tebow" story.  This story will blow the socks off of anyone, believer or not.  Tim's story is a beautiful one, and one that hasn't gotten the attention it deserves.  I think its worthy to be shared and heard, and so I bring you the story of Tim Tebow today! 

Tim in the Philippines 

Today's Quote

They who give have all things; they who withhold have nothing.

Tim's mom, Pam, knows about the pain of considering abortion. (Parents Bob and Pam to right)

More than 21 years ago, she and her husband, Bob, were serving as missionaries to the Philippines and praying for a fifth child. Pam contracted amoebic dysentery, an infection of the intestine caused by a parasite found in a contaminated food or drink.  She entered into a coma and was treated with strong antibiotics before they discovered she was pregnant. Doctors urged her to abort the baby for her own safety and told her that the medicines had caused irreversible damage to her baby. She refused the abortion and cited her Christian faith as the reason for her hope that her son would be born without the devastating disabilities physicians predicted.

The doctors "didn't think of it as a life, they thought of it as a mass of fetal tissue," Pam said. While pregnant, Pam nearly lost their baby four times but refused to consider abortion. She recalled making a pledge to God with her husband, "If you will give us a son, we'll name him 'Timothy,' and we'll make him a preacher."

Pam ultimately spent the last two months of her pregnancy in bed and, eventually, gave birth to a health baby boy August 14, 1987.

Pam's youngest son is indeed a preacher. He preaches in prisons, makes hospital visits, and serves with his father's ministry in the Philippines.

He also plays football.  Pam's son is Tim Tebow.

Tim, the University of Florida's star quarterback, became the first sophomore in history to win college football's highest award, the Heisman Trophy. Tim's notoriety and the family's inspiring story have given Pam numerous opportunities to speak on behalf of women's centers across the country.

She was the keynote speaker at the Oct. 23, 2008, benefit banquet for two Louisville ministries. A Woman's Choice Resource Center offers such services as free pregnancy tests, post-abortion counseling, adoption information, and material support. Necole's Place is a companion ministry that provides support services for women in need.

Several Louisville-area Kentucky Baptist churches and Long Run Baptist Association help support both ministries.

A Woman's Choice board chairman, John Schmitt, reported at the banquet that in the 20 years since the resource center opened, 4,500 children have been saved from abortion -- 400 in this year alone.

Speaking of the thousands of lives saved, Pam Tebow said, "That just blows my mind. Every little baby you save matters."

Visit here to learn more about the Tebow Family.

And a little video of Tim serving and sharing the 'Good News'.

*Mute my music to left before playing*

Serious Life Magazine

I wanted you to know about this publication I’m a part of called Serious.Life Magazine. They just published the February issue today, and I am in their Featured Blog Directory. It’s a very high quality magazine… you’ll really like it.

The magazine includes a lot of great content from bloggers you’ll appreciate, as well as great features, photos and other content. The magazine is owned and published by a family who have seven kids, three adopted and one who has Leukemia (RiggsFamilyBlog). The magazine gives away a bunch of ads to charities and ministries. Besides great articles on interesting people, there is a lot about family, adoption, personal finance, spiritual life, humor… all sorts of “life” topics.

Again, the subscription is free, and I know you’ll enjoy the magazine, so take a minute to check it out and sign up to get future issues. Serious.Life.Magazine We are on page 122 "Wind Beneath Our Wings."

Funny Story Time - Laughter Lives etc.

Not sure the rules on that Laughter Lives carnival, but my friend Danielle shared a couple of funny stories, including one about a spray tan experience she had.  It had me laughing out loud, that Mark had to ask me what was so funny.  I read him the story and he also get a giggle from it.  He has never had a spray tan before, so he didn't get just how funny Danielle's story was and why I was really cracking up.  Especially, the "tinkle" part of it.  

She reminded me of a similar story that happened to me while I was VERY pregnant.  For some of those that haven't followed my blog that far back.  I had a VERY hard and sick pregnancy the entire term of my pregnancy.  I was in and out of the E.R., I had vertigo from puking so much and hard. I lost weight, instead of gaining it my first few months because I was so sick. I have home nurses coming to my house, walking around with an IV pole, having stuff constantly fuel me to keep me from throwing up.  It was just awful.  AWFUL!!!

Being a model, comes with it's benefits when pregnant also, because you can shoot maternity stuff.  I booked the cover of Pregnancy and Newborn Magazine, plus a 6 page spread that hit the stand May 2008, exactly one month after I had Morgan.  I was told for this spread I would be modeling maternity swimwear.  Wanting to look presentable and tan for the shoot I got the okay from the doctor to go and have the spay tan put on me.  I always use spray tan for my shoots, and I love them.  

The day arrived, it had been an okay week for pregnancy, for I had only thrown up 4 of the 7 days or something like that.  I get up and I seem to be doing okay. I head over to get my spray tan put on.  My spray tan is actually called "air brushing" tan.  The difference?  Airbrushing, you stand there and have a person spray your entire body, spray tan is a booth that you stand in and it just sprays all over at once.  I am not a big fan of them.  

When I get my airbrush tan, I typically wear a thong of sorts.  I am not allowed to have tan lines because of modeling, so I go in with as little as possible on.  This day was no different, except I stand there 7.5 months pregnant.  She begins spraying me and the spray is a chilled temp. It sort of takes you by surprise the first time it hits you.  As she is spraying I am starting to feel dizzy.  Dizzy enough I ask her to stop for a minute to let me catch my barrings. I realize that I am getting dizzier by the second and need to now sit down.  So she places a towel over the chair because I just had my first layer of spray put on and it was still wet and sticky.  She goes and brings me some juice and applesauce to take in.  I do and I wait about 5 minutes and we begin round two.  Right away I start feeling dizzy again and I decide I can't finish and I want to go home.  

This is not good.  I now do not have a full spray on and I didn't have time to let mine dry, so I am sticking to my clothes, to the seat of my car and trying to drive home.  The next thing I know is that I start to REALLY feel sick now (my usual morning during this pregnancy, but usually hits the moment I get out of bed). I have to pull over and get out of my car and start puking on the side of the road. As if that wasn't glamorous enough, when I puked during my pregnancy, I also peed my pants every single time.  Ugh, I told you it was awful.  So, here I am, 7 months pregnant, a fresh one-layer airbrush tan on, on the side of the road puking and now fully and totally peeing may pants.  I also begin to cry because ..... well who wouldn't be by now in my shoes.  Not one person stops to help me.  Not one!!! What's wrong with you people?

I finally get myself together, grab some baby wipes from my car and wipe my hands and mouth off.  I get in my car, sitting on my very soaked peed on pants and finish driving home.  I get home and at this point I am so mad.  I look in the mirror while taking my clothes off of me, to see that I now have white streaks down my face from my tears, a white ring around my mouth from puking and wiping it off with the wipe.  I have white spots all over my feet from the rebound of puke splashing to the ground and I have streaks down my legs from peeing on myself.  I just hopped in the shower and sat down and cried myself a huge pity party. Swearing to never, ever, ever put myself through this again.  

Yea, it all sounds funny and all now, but man was it a horrible experience.  Imagine this very pregnant girl, with a spray tan, puking and peeing on the side of the road, now looking like a human zebra with streaks down my face and legs.  Not cool! 

Oh the things we go through in life!  

Random Picture Challenge 4.0

We are taking the challenge by being forced to post a picture that we may not like, or that may be embarrassing to us or one of nothing much, but sits there in our file of pictures.  We were to find a picture in November 2007, and the 44th picture in that file. If you do not have 44 pictures, then you get the next picture closest to 44 in that file (39,37,28 etc.)  I only have 34 pictures in my November 2007 file, and this is the last picture in that file.  

This picture actually brings back different emotions.  It was the day I was told we were having a little girl, AFTER we were already told a couple a months or so BEFORE we were having a BOY!  On this day, I was in shock, in tears, laughing, happy and disappointed all in matter of seconds.  

I wanted another little boy.  I was told I was having a little boy. We told everyone we were having a boy. We already narrowed down the two names we liked for him.  I was ready for a little boy.  When I saw this on the screen I knew instantly without the tech having to tell me, he was a she.  After the shock set it and I finally reset my mind from boy stuff to girl stuff....it took forever to decide on a girl name. To the point we changed Morgan's name from MacKenzie, the day she was born.  I had a hard time getting into all the pink stuff and girl names.  

Now that she is here, I am so thrilled and so in love and so happy to have my little Butterfly girl.  She is the cherry on top of makes our family complete.  This picture will always be very special to me, to our family forever and ever!!!  

Its kind of funny, I thought for sure I would have had a picture of Hunters birthday or from Thanksgiving as my phone, since his birthday is November 27th.  It was a nice surprise to have landed on this photo and quickly be reminded about the day I knew my little girl was growing inside my belly. 

Now for the RULES: 1. Stick to the Month, year & picture number selected for the week. If you do not have a 13th picture move back to the 12th, 11th, 10th, and so on until you do have a picture in that months folder. 2. Link back here when you put your post up on your blog so others can join in on the fun too! 3. sign up on Mister Linky, only once, and keep the name field short. 4. Have fun!

Truth:

I am playing today!

Thanks Heather for Truth carnival. 

The rules of the TRUTH post:
1. Tell 10 facts about yourself that are interesting or maybe just weird.
2. Tag 7 other bloggers that you think would have better stories than yours.
3. Tell the 7 others that you tagged them so they know in case they stopped reading your blog weeks ago because you have been forgetting to post.
4. Remember what is shared so you can use it in the future in large gatherings like weddings or kids' birthday parties.

I may go over the 10 facts, because I have been asked several questions from readers that I have yet had the chance to sit down and answer them.  So I will get two things done, with one stone.

1.  I was a major tomboy growing up.  Whatever the boys did I did.  That included when going over to my boy cousin's to play or sleepover, I would get to run around with no shirt on just like them.  After all there was absolutely no difference in what they had and I had under our shirts.  That finally changed when I paid for mine.  YIKES!! Truth does hurt! I was also once mistaken for a boy in the 1st or 2nd grade by the principle at school, due to my mullet hair cut and 4 top missing teeth.  She said when trying to get past me in the office "excuse me little boy." HA! 

2.  I have bunions and I hate them.  They make it very hard to enjoy a beautiful shoe.  I can't wear shoes with straps.  I do plan on removing these annoying suckers within in the next year or so.  Oh my I have flaws!

3.  I do not like horror movies, and like my friend Heather, I can not look out any window that is looking out into the dark.  Being afraid that some creepy face is going to jump out at me and scare me, and same reason as to why I hate shower curtains.  Besides the fact that they touch you and stick to your arms or legs when showering and that is just gross!!! 

4.  I have never tried or experienced with any drug.  In truth I was afraid to, not because of making my parents upset, but because my biolgical dad killed himself when I was 11 or 13 years old (drug related). He was heavily into drugs.  He was a musician and in a band. I was afraid that if I tried any kind of drug that I would lose control and become addicted as so many people do.  I just didn't want to take the risk and stayed away from them.

5.  Although the file of my biological dad says he killed himself.  His case file is still open as unsolved, because all his family believe that he was set up and murdered., Possibly due to being in debt for unpaid for drugs.  I wish they had the answers to be able to have peace on the truth in this matter.  I never knew him, but I have been to his grave and I forgave him for not being able to be the father he should have been for me and my half brother. However, because of his actions I was blessed with a wonderful and loving step-father, in which I call dad.' 

6.  I have never been on a diet in my entire life.  I am naturally skinny.  In fact, I am one of those ridiculously blessed genetically skinny people.  I have to eat to keep my weight on so to not get too skinny.  If you tell me I look skinny, its almost like telling a fat person they are fat. I don't like to be called skinny.  

7.  I also hate salads or just about any type of vegetables.  To have an idea of what my diet is like, just look at a kids menu at any place.  I know, ridiculous right?  I typically do not like to talk about this stuff because I have lost friends over this before.  Women tend to be way sensitive and judgemental over this subject.  I have learned that if you are going to be jealous or judgemental over the way my God has designed me, then you probably weren't much of a friend of mine to begin with.  The last question I want to be asked is "what is my secret for losing the baby weight so fast." I often find myself tiptoeing around my answer to not hurt their feelings, and say something along the line "oh I don't know, I am just busy running around so much I never stop to eat." Well, that isn't the real TRUTH.  This is about telling the truth.  I am blessed beyond words that I can eat anything in the world at my hearts desire and not have to lose sleep over it.  I don't do that though (eat whatever I want at my hearts desire).  I am not a big desert or sweet eating girl.  Occasionally, I will have a cheesecake or something.  At home I sometimes have honey buns or sugar cereal for a snack, but that is the most of that stuff I eat. I love eating bologna sandwiches.  I put mayo on just about anything that uses any type of bread to go with it.  Sorry girls, but its the truth!! 

8.  I use the Canon Rebel EOS XT Digital camera.  Other than that I can't tell you much more than that.  I can't answer your camera questions or give you photographing advice.  I hardly know much myself.  I think I just get lucky with a lot of my images.  I am self taught when it comes to my photographs.  I want to learn it, I look it up, I try it out and I learn then.  I do have an advantage because I have modeled for 13 years.  Allowing me to understand the importance of lighting, watching for shadows and being able to see things in a creative way through the lens.  I love POV's (different point of views). 

9.  I do work out sometimes, but not all the time, and surely not as often as I'd like to or should.  However, I stay busy, I am chasing and picking up a 20+ pound mobile baby 24/7  We ride our bikes a lot and Mark and I recently started going back to the gym together.  Well, we did once last week anyways.  LOL.... And we hope to maybe get in at least 3 times a week to the gym and run and bike the other days.  Let's just say that it didn't happen this week...so we will try again next week.  Ugh!!!  I like to work out, I just hate working out at gyms. I don't like people eyeing up each other in the gyms, constantly sizing one another up.  It is the worst meat market place on the planet, aside from clubs. One day I hope to have our own private little gym at the house. 

10.  Several of you have asked about my marriage and I have failed to give you guys an update. Partly because I didn't want to speak too soon, and wanted to give my marriage a little time to show itself in healing and mending privately.  While also giving my husband the respect and privacy he also deserved in all of this. Although I like to be an open book, and I am as transparent as they come.  I didn't take into consideration that others just aren't like that with their lives.  It was not right of me with out asking my husband to share all that I did on my blog to many strangers we never met, and as well as exposing our marriage and my husband to people that he rather not have known.  Not that he has anything to hide, but simply to keep his matters private, protected and not deal with questions from everyone.  

Please know that I am very thankful for all of those that have been supportive and concerned during these hard times for us.  We have felt your prayers and are blessed to have so many people praying and caring for our marriage and or family unit.  Thank you.  

With that being said, Mark is back home. We are doing wonderful. We are learning to love and respect each other the right way, not our way.  As well as TRUSTING each other that we have our spouses best interest in mind and heart, with every choice we make. I am thankful that my marriage is not over and my family is together under one roof.  I am also blessed to have many of you share and tell me how my blog and situation helped you and yours.  I love knowing that so much good came out of hard times. 

Look at that....I did 10! So here are some questions I have been asked and Ill answer now.

Q and A's 

1. What camera do I use?  Canon Rebel EOS XT - That's seriously all I know about it. 
2. What lens do you have and use? I use different types of lens, it depends on what I am shooting. 
3. What is your favorite lens?  This is my new favorite one for shooting people. 
4. What settings do you most use when shooting? I have only been really focusing on photography for less than a year now.  Before that it was automatic point and click.  Now I am exploring with my white balance, IOS numbers, My F-stops and I use the AV mode.  In truth, I need to go look up again, what exactly does AV mean. I just know that is the mode to use when I want to blur my background. See I really am clueless about my camera. 

Okay it means "aperture priority mode" AV! 

5. How are you and Mark? Great, thanks! 
6.  Are you the Misty Rice, from HD Net's travel show "Get Out!"? Um, yes, that would be me.  I know they have been showing my shows a lot lately.  Every day to be exact and so some of you are either just putting the two together, or seeing the shows for the first time.  My roommate Lindsay still host the show and it has been mentioned I may go back for a few guest episodes, which would be a blast.  I just can't travel as much now that I have two babies and a husband.  It was a great show to host and I miss so much about it, but I am thankful for where I am now in life and the experiences and world travels I got to do while I did host Get Out!. 
7. What is your secret to slim down so fast after having babies? 
8.  Do you have a strict diet? Yes, a lot of carbs, protein, little sweets, no veggies and no salads.  Meat and potato girl. 
9.  What is your workout secrets? Chasing two kids, playing in any sport activity I can, if it be beach volleyball, softball, biking, swimming, hip-hop etc. 
10.  Is that picture of Morgan with the seagull a photo shop image? No. That picture of Morgan with the seagull is a real image I captured while in Marco Island. In truth I do not know how to cut out and paste images onto one another in photoshop to make such an image as that with the seagull.  I only tweak lighting and colors of my images. I do not distort or completely change them.  Why do that? 
11. What programs do you use most when doing digital imaging? I have only been using the small editing program on my MAC, but lately I have been exploring with layers in photoshop. I have NOT edit anything in my photoshop program yet. I do not know how, and haven't yet tried.  Like I said, I keep all my images as close to the original as possible.  
12. How can I get a blog makeover?  I use Blogs By Danielle.  However if you like the basic ones I have done and are more interested in that, I can help for a very small price and or donation to m charities.  If you want to talk more about blog makeovers, email me.  

Well, I hope that answers everyone questions I can think of off the top of my head.  If I missed anyone or any questions, send it again please and I will do my best to respond. 

Thanks for asking, and letting me play in the TRUTH carnival today.  Now that you got to know a little A LOT about me today, let me get to know a little about YOU.  I am suppose to pick 7 others to play the game so I will list 7 names, but in truth, I like for anyone that was up to play along.  

Have fun telling the raw TRUTH!!

You're up --

Allison

Danielle 

Jennifer 

Courtney

Michelle

Meagan

Tiffany