Gabby Claire

Here are photos of my 3rd great niece born in 2008. Gabby Claire belongs to Ashley and Byron Allred.

Snow Day

It seems I blog less and less since joining facebook.com. But today is significant in that it snowed in Florence, MS. I am including some snow photos for your viewing pleasure.

School

Well, as you can see, I haven't blogged in a long while. School has begun and so has the nightly homework, football games and the busy social lives of my girls. Tomorrow is the day to receive the first report cards so school has been in session for nine weeks.

Adrienne is a freshman and slowly adjusting to high school. The first few weeks were challenging and my theme song for her was, "I Had a Bad Day," from Alvin & the Chipmunks. Fortunately, she is settling in and doing well (except for the dreaded PE class). She can't be perfect at everything!

Brooke's transition to Middle School was easy. She has adjusted to changing classes, the block schedule and multiple teachers. As always, her major is socializing! We'll see how the grades are tomorrow.

There are photos to post but they haven't made it on my computer yet. So keep visiting.....maybe I'll have them added by Christmas.

New Great Niece

My second great niece for the year was born last week...Eowyn Christine Abaloz. She was a bit premature but is doing well. Above are some beautiful photos of her.

Kelly

Kelly, my niece, recently sang at a benefit for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. I can hardly believe that she is 20 years old! I think you will agree she has grown into a beautiful young woman....

Fireproof - The Movie

Through my job, I was blessed to be able to preview the new movie, Fireproof, prior to the September 26, 2008, opening in theaters nation-wide. The movie speaks directly to problems in marriages and relationships and attests to the fact that marriages are not fireproof without God. I encourage you to go see the movie when it is released and take your friends. I believe God can use this movie to restore broken relationships and mend homes.

The book, The Love Dare, resulted from this movie. It plays a key role in the movie but actually did not exist until previewing audiences demanded it. The Kendrick brothers responded with the writing of the book, to be released when the movie premieres. I am including a link here to a sample chapter.

http://thelovedarebook.com/love-dare-sample-chapter.pdf

If you loved Facing the Giants, you do not want to miss "Fireproof."

Answered Prayer

This is an excerpt from an email from Kim, a two-year worker, that serves with Michael in Thailand.

"Praise God for His work in the lives of many people in our community! You prayed for the new series, 'The Keys to Removing Stress from Your Daily Life' that we started and the first Sunday around 20 people gave their life to Christ!! One of these was a Chinese student at the nearby University whose name is, C. He came to our University English Camp in June and since that time has been attending our church. It has been awesome seeing God work in his life over the past couple of months!! (Below is a picture of C, he's the guy next to me-the American girl)"

A Better Use for Obama Campaign Signs

According to reports on all the major news networks this morning, Barack Obama's campaign headquarters has issued a statement to cease all distribution of campaign signs in Alabama. According to the statement, the Obama campaign has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to replace campaign signs that keep disappearing all over the state. Upon further investigation, it became apparent why this is happening.

Thailand Story Photos

Thailand Story

This is an email I received from one of my Thai friends. I hope you are as amazed by God's greatness as I am. I will post some of the photos she sent later.

"I don't like to write email but because of God, so i have to write this longest email that i ever wrote before!

Hello y'all! I hope y'all are doing well. It's 9.48 pm. hear in Thailand and i'm so tried from the English Fun Day Camp! I suppose to go to bed and get some rest, but i just want to share something that God had blessed me today. Well i don't know how to start it, if y'all were here with me, i'm sure that i will talk talk talk and talk for more than hour about today. I am very thankful God. He is so so good to me and to everyone too! Well, last week we were plan to have English day camp for the school around CR. because we have the team from Texas with us this two weeks, so we are plan to go to four schools which include the school that my mom teach there (it's in my hometown which is one hour far from CR.) As some of you know that this time is rainy season in Thailand and it has been raining everyday this week. And today was the day that we were schedule to go to my mom school. So last night was a prayer meeting night, we were pray about the camp and the weather. We had ask God for His mercy and bless us with no rain tomorrow while we are having the activities because we have to do about the sports outside. Anyway God send the rain so hard last night. Well today when i woke up about 5.30 am. (we have to leave church about 6.45 am. to get to my mom school about 8 o'clock, so we have to get ready early.) I remember that i pray that "Please no rain today God" but it was rain until 6.30 am. and so cloudy which mean it gonna rain again soon. When i got to Songtaew, i start pray again about rain and I believe that everyone in my team also pray about that too! We took 1 hour to get to my mom school and when we get there, the weather was so good, but a little bit cloud. And when we start the activities, the sky was start clear and have sunshine... not too hot...feel so good! Then at noon it was very strong sunshine... and got too hot! (Kim got so bad sun burned because she play soccer with the students.) About 1 pm. we had 1 more station need to do. It was very hot so we have to move one of the station into the building. While we moved, i just say "God, it is too hot!" by myself...then 5 mins later the weather start change..no sunshine and have wind, but not strong.. the weather just perfect!!!!!!!! Then we run the activities and we had plan to finish our station at 2.30 pm. and finish everything by 3 o'clock. At 2.30 pm. the sky start get cloudy again. It was black clouds and it seem like it was ready to rain now! When i saw that i keep pray to God agian and ask Him to wait for 10 more mins. Our God is full of mercy, He wait until we finish everything, then it was rain immediately after that! When i saw the rain, i am feel so thankful. God is so good to me. He cares me a lot. Even though the thing that i ask from Him is just a small thing, He listen to me! All the way back to Church, I was so happy about this day that God had bless me with many things. Pii Michael said he got to talk to my mom a lot today and he tell me that God is working in my mom's heart. That made me wonder and excited in the same time! BUT GOD LOVE AND MERCY to me is not just only that blessed. This evening we had Cell Group at church and we normally eat supper together around 6 o'clock. And it was stil rain a little bit and had black cloud all over the sky at that time. I told nong Tek and nong Ball that it's not rain today at the camp. They said it was rain all day here in CR. Praise the Lord was the first thing that i thought. After we ate, i just walk out and clean my plate... guess what i saw?????? I SAW RAINBOW (it had 2 rainbows) WHICH IS SO PRETTY I NEVER SAW EVER!!!!!!!! It was so bright in the begining (The head) and it was a haft of cercle, so beautiful... I ran into the room and told Allison amd Kim and everyone and i ran to Pii Michael's house and told them (the Johnson had dinner with the team from texas tonight) to come see. At that moment, I can feel God love and mercy so clear!!!!!!!! I want to tell everyone that how God is so good to us!!!! So i can't keep this feeling inside. I need to tell all my friends. I want to tell my family too but they are not Christian yet, so please keep my family in your prayer! Wow this is gonna be the longest email that i ever worte before! Thank you God for His love and thank you for y'all love and kindness to me too! I LOVE Y'ALL!

Thank you again for tried your best to read my English which is very bad in Grammar 555...I MISS YOU ALL SO MUCH. Hope y'all have a great experiences with our God too! I am waiting to hear from y'all too! Have a great time! Bye bye..

PS. I sent some pictures from the camp today and the rainbow for y'all to see how great is our God!!!

....wow i took an hour to wrote this email!!!!!....

Puppy Renamed

This puppy has had several names. Who knew that when she awoke today that she would be renamed? Not me and not her. Her new name is Addie.

New Member of the Bridges Family

Today the Bridges family welcomes our newest member, a baby girl that is 2 1/2 months old. She is blackish-silverish, very hairy, has sad eyes and white feet. She is part bloodhound and who knows what else. Her name is Zoey.

Thailand-The Journey

For the past two weeks, I have wanted to create a youtube.com video that captured our mission in photos and music. Well, I finally created a slideshow but it is 28 minutes long! That is way too long to upload to youtube.com

So for now.....I will recap our trip in words only. I must do some thinking to figure out how to narrow down the photos to the most important ones.

I'll begin with The Journey to Thailand.

We left Jackson about 9 a.m. on Sunday, June 22. We made a short 3 hour flight to Detroit, waited a short time, made a very long 13 hour flight to Tokyo, followed by an 8 hour flight to Bangkok. We spent the night there and flew to Chiang Rai the following day.

After settling in to our hotel in Chiang Rai, we had a traditional Thai dinner of rice and chicken and some veggies. We visited several of the English classes in session at the Grace Language School. We then spent the remainder of the evening playing Scrabble and Boggle with Michael, his family and the staff of the Baan Athitaan and the Grace Language School.

END OF DAY ONE!

English Camp Video-Thailand

Here is a video that was posted on youtube.com by one of the staff we worked with in Thailand. Enjoy!

Rambo Bridges

Our beloved dog, Rambo, passed away at 9:50 p.m. on Saturday, July 12. We adopted Rambo in January, 1993, from the Mississippi Animal Rescue League. We adopted him after our two black labs, Obie and Taylor, were killed on Highway 49 in December after trailing a deer scent.

We've had several dogs come and go during Rambo's life, mostly strays that wandered to our house. We adopted Jake about 3 years ago and Rambo never adjusted to having a puppy around. Jake jumped the fence and was hit by a car when he was only 5 months old.

Rambo helped raise our children. Adrienne was born just 11 months after Rambo was adopted. He had some difficulty adjusting to his new life but quickly became her protector. By the time Brooke came along, Rambo had learned to adapt pretty easily to whatever changes happened.

Several months ago, Rambo began to show signs of slowing way down. He mostly just ate and slept. When we began taking our summer trips, he took a turn for the worse. At first, I thought he was just on a hunger strike but then his body began to shut down. For the past two days, he hasn't been able to get up or eat. He died peacefully with all of us present.

For now, there will not be another dog. Rambo was a part of our family and a fixture in our home. He was, in fact, the greatest dog of all time!

Friends in Thailand

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More Photos of Thailand

I am hopeful tonight to create a youtube.com video of some of my Thailand photos. For now I am adding some of me and my new friends!

My New Best Friend and Me

Above is a photo of me and my new best friend. She's a little weighty and her skin is awfully dry, but what she lacks in looks, she makes up for in personality. How do I know it's a she? I have learned that female Asian elephants do not have tusks. Now you know what I know.

We're Home

WOW! What a great 10 days we had in Thailand. There is so much to tell and time does not permit me today. I am hopeful I can share some highlights of our experience soon. Above is a photo of our team and the campers.

Thailand

The time is almost here! I leave Sunday morning for Thailand. Thank you to all that have supported me with words of encouragement, funds to travel and prayers. I know that this will be a life-changing experience for me.

I wanted to let you know that the weather is very similar there as it is here. One major adjustment I will have to make regards time. Thailand is 12 hours ahead of Florence, MS, time so when you pray or check email, remember I am probably asleep. As I write this blog, it is 1:30 a.m. tomorrow in Thailand.

Again, thank you for praying for me and for my family as I am away from them.