Hello everyone,

I just had to let you all know that our beautiful miracles turned 10 years old today.  Zach was the first to point out to me (last month) that now all of our kids are in double digits.  Wasn't that so sweet of him?

As I was walking Noah and Alexis to class yesterday I went to chat with some of Alexis's teachers.  We were sharing about how well she is doing (she is now in the regular classroom for language so she is only being pulled for math (Praise God!).  One of her teachers from last year shared a story with me that touched me in such an amazing way.  She told me about a 4^th grade girl in her classroom who was really down about herself on Monday.  She was crying and didn't feel like she fit in anywhere.  As the teacher was sitting with her at recess, Alexis noticed the girl crying.  She came over, put her arm around her and asked what was wrong.  When her teacher shared with Alexis, Alexis looked at the little girl, rubbed her shoulder with her hand and told her that "it‚s okay".  She gave her some encouragement, words of wisdom and hugs.  Alexis's teacher told me that in all of her many years teaching (I think she said 14) and thousands of children she's worked with, she has never been as effected by any other child as Alexis.  She went home that night and shared with her husband everything that happened and the impact Alexis's life has made in her life. When I picked up the kids today, she told me that Alexis has taught her so much in the past year that she should be thanking me for allowing Alexis to be her teacher. 

I am sharing this story for several different reasons.  One reason that story affected me so greatly is how much God has used this 10 year old little girl to speak into so many lives.  Even before His miracle, people's lives were being touched by God's Spirit inside her.   I also see how many lives Noah and Zach have changed with their sensitivity, caring and loving hearts. They reach out to people who are in pain, to those who don't fit in and to people who are just having a bad day. I believe that there are people that have turned to the Lord because of His light that shines so brightly through each one of them. 

Another reason I'm sharing is to encourage each one of us to know that the words that we use and our gestures to other people can have a great impact, good or bad.  We are each given opportunities, every day, to speak words of encouragement into other lives and they could be the only words of encouragement that person may hear.  I will pray that God will give each one of us the courage and boldness to speak truth and life into people's hearts.

Happy Birthday, Noah and Alexis!  We love you!

Love

Retta (otherwise known as mom)