Jana

 I think it would be bold and braggish of me to write about my children as if they were geniuses, so just take it from me...that they are.  I can say that. It is my daughter that I would like to tell you about.  She is literally a gift from God that we never saw coming.  No one did, but God.  I did not give birth to her, though she came to us through much pain.
 Her father was Tommy's brother, Ricky.  Ricky was killed in 1993 by an angry employee.  He had been raising his two children, Jana (10) and Denny (9) on his own.  Almost immediately they became ours. Worlds changed forever.  Death does that.
 Though everyone went through a long adjustment period, God showed me His hand through it all. Jana, the daughter I never had, burst into our home bringing much joy with her.  She also brought the biggest change...tighter modesty rules, respect for bedroom privacy, and a willing helper in the household chores.  She was a rare blessing!  I would be working in the garden and she would rush out, eager to dig with me.  If I was cleaning in the kitchen, she took the dirtiest job.  Who was this person?  Believe me, the boys all had chores - including Denny - but no one took them on like she did.  My kindred spirit!
 I always thought that if I had a girl, she would have all these cute hairstyles.  When it came to actually doing it, I was all thumbs.  The basic-est of hairdos sufficed until she could do her own.  I found out quickly that my new daughter was bizarrely creative, to say the least.  She wanted to wear Doc Martin boots with her dresses.  She would stick her hair up with bobby pins into the messiest look possible.  I was undone.  Again, who was this person?
 She came to know the Lord in her teenage years - another life changing event.  Her desire to know Him and love Him grew.  Tommy and I always knew she had wings on her feet.  She asked us one day after high school graduation if she could go with Operation Mobilization for a two year commitment around the world on a ship that shared the gospel in many ports.  "Absolutely not" we said without hesitation. Period. The end...but it was not the end. She never asked again.  We taught our kids to make appeals to God to change our minds on any given issue.  She did, without telling us. And then He did...change our minds. How does God do that?
 Anyway, four months later, we decided to let her go.  Imagine, teenagers and twenty something year olds, boys and girls together on a ship for two years....WERE WE CRAZY?  Yes, but no.  They have the strictest of rules in regards to the boy/girl thing. For some reason, we trusted that.  It was during her second year of service that Matt asked permission to see Jana personally.  She had to be in agreement as well.  So Tommy and I went to England, flew to Ireland, and sailed with the ship to Scotland, in order to meet this Matt.  We liked him instantly. (We still do, by the way)  Have you ever been on a ship with 300+ young people?  It was wonderful...and probably needs its own post one day.

Did I mention that she is beautiful?
Mommy and TJ

Anyway, Jana and Matt now live in Chicago.  Matt is attending Moody Bible Institute, and Jana is raising their four children to love the Lord.  My blood may not flow through her veins, but His blood flows through us both, which is even better.  He takes the worst situations and makes them so very good, when they are given to Him.  We are living proof.

Ricky, Levi, and Addie