deeandstacey

Dee Going to Haiti

2010-03-05T17:47:00.003-05:00

A small group of nine will be leaving April 5-10 2010, to partner with church planters Dony and Sharon St. Germain with El Shaddai Ministries. Both my school (Crossroads Charter HS) and the youth group at my church (Christ Central Church) are joining together to help me go and bring relief to the distressed in Haiti. I will be serving alongside six medical professionals and two other missionary volunteers as the "spiritual leader," as we provide medical care to the victims of the recent earthquake. Cost: $1800 (flight plus all accommodations)

Your prayers and contributions are GREATLY appreciated. Checks can be sent directly to

Christ Central Church
P.O. Box 9894
Charlotte, North Carolina 28299

OR

Crossroads Charter HS
5500 N. Tryon Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28213

Please just put in the memo: Haiti- Lanier.

Nothing sweeter...

2009-09-08T13:50:00.005-04:00

There's nothing sweeter than the sunlight shining through the window on a precious little 5-day-old girl.

Well, it's also pretty sweet to see her big sister staring in at her, adoring her.

September 2, 2009

2009-09-01T16:18:00.002-04:00

Well, this will be the birthdate of Landis Alethea Lanier. I am going in tomorrow morning at 7:30 to be induced! I cannot explain how excited I am about this. My appointment today was actually restful and not stressful. I have been anxious about going into labor, being overdue, and this baby continuing to get bigger! Well, today, since I am past my due date, they had to do a non-stress test on the baby to check on her heartrate and movements. So they hooked me up to the monitors and I had the beautiful sound of her heartbeat in the background. Then the in-office music was playing and Stevie Wonder's My Cherie Amor came on. That is the song Dee had played the night we were engaged. So my heart was really at peace and I just layed there listening to Landis' heartbeat. Then the doctor came in and said everything looked good. The baby is really ready and in position. So we're ready to go. Please pray for a safe and quick delivery for both Landis and I.

Whate'er My God Ordains is Right

2009-08-21T08:35:00.004-04:00

We sang this song at church Sunday and it spoke to my heart SO much. It is a very simple old hymn without a lot of musical frills. We have great music at Christ Central, I mean GREAT. We have amazing talent in the musicians in instruments and song-writing & those worship times constantly stir my heart to worship. We listen to Christ Central music in our house almost every day & never tire of it! This song however, was very simple, almost unimpressive, but the words pierced my heart and the Lord spoke to me.

Whate'er my God ordains is right, Holy His will abideth.
I will be still whate'er He does, And follow where He guideth.
He is y God, Though dark my road.
He holds me that I shall not fall wherefore to Him I leave it all.

Whate'er my God ordains is right, He never will deceive me
He leads me by the proper path, I know He will not leave me
I take, content What He hath sent
His hand can turn my griefs away And patiently I wait His day

Whate'er my God ordains is right, Though now this cup in drinking
May bitter seem to my faint heart, I take it all unshrinking
My God is true, Each morn anew
Sweet comfort yet shall fill my heart And pain and sorrow shall depart

Whate'er my God ordains is right, Here shall my stand be taken
Though sorrow, need, or death be mine, yet I am not forsaken
My Fathers care is round me there
He holds me that I shall not fall And so to Him I leave it all.

This is so good for me whether I am waiting for a baby or trying to pay a bill. I need to be content and know that whatever my God has ordained is right.

UPDATE:
Then I read this today in a book about a totally unrelated topic...
"Viewing life through God's sovereignty and goodness is seeing every tiny detai as arranged for you by God. There is no such thing as fate, luck, or chance. God has purpose in your every circumstance. ... God is in control whether you like it or not!
It will help motivate you when you think "Lord, what do you have planned for me today? You are good, and You do all things well. ..." As you view your life through God's sovereignty and goodness, you will be continuously aware of God's purpose and grace in your life. And you will become more motivated to want to please God."
Martha Peace, The Excellent Wife

hmmm...The Lord really is aiming to teach me and direct my heart to be more content. I should listen. :)

Karis' new words

2009-08-20T13:53:00.004-04:00

I think Karis is trying to use some words she's heard lately. It's been pretty funny.
Here are some of the quotes...

"Oh, that's cool."

"Mommy, look at the awesome stuff in that truck." (referring to a lawn mower & other equipment.)

"That is not perfect television." (when the HD channel froze for a moment.)

Mommy - "Karis, do you want something?"
Karis - "No, I want everything."

Good to have a few laughs from her!

"...his own way..."

2009-08-10T13:02:00.002-04:00

The Lord has been so good to meet me today in the midst of so much. It's actually small things, but a lot of them all at once - 38 weeks pregnant & the discomfort that goes along with that, long hours of insomnia the past few nights, a nasty cold & cough, the desire to get so many little things done before I go into labor, & a very challenging little girl today.

I took Tylenol PM last night so I could potentially sleep more & it didn't work at all. I still only slept total for about 4-5 hours. So, I got up not feeling rested, but tired and drugged. Dee has helped me so much this morning giving me more time to rest, but to no avail. I couldn't sleep but for about 30 minutes out of the 2 1/2 hours I tried.

I got up feeling very groggy and walked through my messy house & Karis was having a very hard time with her attitude towards me. It was a very conscious effort to not lose my temper with her after multiple, back-to-back moments of discipline and talks. Even after all of that, she was still challenging me and refusing to obey. I told her again what the expectation was and just sat quiet. It was obvious that more discipline or more talking was not going to change her heart. I sat down to eat lunch and she just stood there. After a few minutes of silence, she said "I want to obey Mommy." And she did. Her attitude and her words completely changed and we talked a little about how God had changed her heart.

Then as I ate lunch, I sat down to write my Scripture Memory verse on a card...
Isaiah 53:6
"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned - everyone - to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."

I am just like my daughter. I want my own way. I turn from him. Sometimes, I just sit quietly, fighting my own sin, and wait for God to change me. God changes my heart, changes my attitude, changes my words.
It's my sin, my iniquity that was laid on Jesus.

Forgive me, Lord for fighting change so much after multiple moments of discipline from you. Help me to hear you in the quiet.

Random thoughts about prepping for the next one

2009-08-03T08:48:00.003-04:00

It has hit me lately that I am spoiled in this stage I am in with one child who is potty trained, communicates pretty well, feeds herself, can mostly dress herself, and loves to "help". But, oh how life is about to change! And although the newborn stage with sleepless nights and lots of clothes changes due to poop & spit up can be challenging, I long to hold this precious little one and do it all over again!

I have typically tried to be consistent with Karis' schedule, getting her up at the same time every day, napping at the same time and training her to stay in her bed until we come to get her. Except the last couple months, I don't sleep too well. I find myself up sometime between 2am and 4am, checking facebook or watching random TV shows (lately ABC world news or Orange County Choppers). So, I sleep as long as I can with no alarm and as long as Karis will stay in her bed content, which can sometimes go until 8:30 or 9. (I know! I know! Landis may not sleep like this at all!)

So, this morning, I really wanted to enjoy a Starbucks biscotti that our dear friend Christy gave me before Karis got up. So, I didn't get Karis up until she stirred and enjoyed a little quiet time with my coffee, biscotti, and computer. Because in case you haven't been around Karis in a while, any waking moment with her is a talking moment! She sits here now in front of her cereal bowl, chatting away!! I know you may be laughing, but oh does it drain me by the end of the day!!

I am "feeling" the imminent arrival of Landis coming on quickly. So, in the next couple days, I will...

pack hospital bags
wash the covers to all the baby gear (bassinet, car seat, bouncy seat, crib bumper, etc)
bake 3-4 loaves of banana bread
make 2 extra meatloaves
make 2-3 extra batches of pizza dough

We'll see what I get accomplished in between all the chatter :) and having to sit down to rest throughout the day.

Funny Things

2009-06-08T08:47:00.002-04:00

Karis is very much a 2-year-old girl these days. Most of the time, she wakes up talking non-stop and comes up with some pretty funny things. So, I thought I would share a few of the comical moments lately.

#1
Mommy telling Karis to follow some instruction.
Karis does not comply.
Mommy uses a more firm voice and tells Karis to get it done "right now."
Karis turns toward Mommy, puts her small hands on each side of Mommy's face, and ever-so-gently says "Calm down."

#2
Karis playing as we visit with some friends and she walks over to me and says, "Mommy, I be right back, ok? You, chill!"
We just laugh and keep talking.
She returns a few seconds later and says, "Mommy, good job bein' chill!"

#3
Karis and I are in her room as I turn her bed back into a crib and make up her new toddler bed. I explain to her that Landis will sleep in the crib now.
She runs over to the empty crib and calls out, "Landis, where are you?"
She turns around and looks at my big tummy and say, "Oh, there you are!"

#4
We have been getting more and more baby things out and even bought a couple packs of diapers this weekend. A few times, Karis will say "This is for Landis, right, Mommy?"
"Yes, Karis."
And she yells out, "Landis is coming out!!"

Addicted to Craig's List

2009-05-20T21:03:00.005-04:00

I find myself checking Craig's List A LOT throughout the day checking baby items and minivans (probably too much).

Here's one of my latest finds that I am so excited about...an Ergo baby carrier. Or as you can see, it can also carry a pretty big toddler (up to 40 lb).

Cooking Ahead

2009-05-14T07:38:00.002-04:00

Now that I am not working, I am enjoying being at home more & more & more. It really can be a full time job to keep up with everything! I have been working on having a better meal plan every day & being better prepared with shopping and such. This week, I spent one morning for a couple hours, just cooking & the results were wonderful! I want to do more of this & I have really been inspired by Crystal in the blog world (www.moneysavingmom.com , www.biblicalwomanhoodonline.com , www.momoflittles.com - yes, she writes ALL of these). I get so many ideas from her about saving money, shopping, meal planning, activities for little ones, daily scheduling at home, and recipes! She just had her third baby and did a great job posting about her list of things she baked/cooked ahead to freeze for after the baby's birth. Well, it motivated me!

I ended up making a few dishes and some sweet tea for our community group that night & a couple make-ahead recipes including a triple batch of waffles for the freezer and the beginnings of a quiche for dinner tomorrow night.
The waffles turned out GREAT and the recipe was one of the easier I have seen (which is typical of moneysavingmom, recipes are easy, simple, healthy, & cheap!)

Here are the recipes I used:
Waffles
Quiche

And if you want to look further, here is the master list that Crystal had for her freezer with lots of links to recipes.

I would really LOVE to get to the point where my freezer is full of meals and such for after Landis comes!

Getting Organized

2009-05-13T08:35:00.004-04:00

I'm trying to take advantage of my 2nd trimester energy with getting organized, having a more consistent routine at home and with Karis, and getting projects done around the house before Landis is born. (By the way, if I haven't told you, that is her name...Landis Alethea Lanier - my home town :) & the Greek word for truth.)

This new chalkboard wall in my kitchen is really helping me! It's chalkboard paint with a frame around it and I love the way it turned out! I realize more and more that I am an "out of sight-out of mind" kind of person with tasks (not people.) So, having a calendar with dinner plan, a To Do list, and a shopping list right in front of me all the time really helps me stay on top of things better. It also really helps me & Dee communicate & stay connected about what's going on in our family (& he likes seeing what's for dinner!).

And here's my big list titled "Before Landis Arrives"

safety latches: kitchen & bathroom cabinets, china cab drawers?
chalkboard wall in kitchen - DONE
curtains & pictures back up (all done except master bedroom curtains)
buy toddler bed - DONE (with an offer to borrow one from a great friend!)
re-do closet shelving
organize kids' clothes (Karis' done)
carpet cleaned
garage cleaned out???
buy garment rack for guest closet
make play area in guest room
clean out guest dresser drawers
painting ceiling in kitchen
painting trim at entry, hall, & guest
dig up garden
get "material" for under swings
fix gates on fence
re-organize dee's closet
new pediatrician?
new insurance
reorganize appliance cabinet
get laundry sorter??

You know sometimes it helps just to make it public. I keep adding to this list in my head. I know my energy won't last long...I am 25 weeks into the pregnancy this week and I am starting to feel tired again. But I have a wonderful husband who hasn't minded all the projects and great friends who help me a lot!

2009-05-07T14:09:00.002-04:00

When I was in full-time ministry, I struggled with the pride of believing I could change people, sinfully thinking if I could just get enough time with them and say the right words, they would live differently, think differently, be different. Lately I feel almost the exact opposite. The circumstances that people around me are in are so heavy and they seem so deep that I feel inept at speaking to it at all. Some of that is an appropriate growth in my heart and understanding that only the Lord brings change in people and their lives and some of it points to the severity and depth of the situations I am around right now. All I feel confident to do is pray and wait and love them through it. It's so hard.
From friends stuck in sin and addicted to their idols to young students living in such destructive lifestyles to marriages being ravaged by infidelity to abusive relationships to a friend losing a baby at 18 weeks in their pregnancy and having to go through labor and delivery to a friend going through the grief of losing her mom. There is so much pain, seen and unseen. What do you say? What do you do?
Pray...love...wait, and trust that only the LORD can speak to places of deep sin and deep pain.

5 Things (ok, maybe only 4)

2009-04-21T12:48:00.003-04:00

I have a really hard time getting going in the morning. Once I get moving and productive, I'm ok. But there are more days than I would like to admit that it takes me a while to get anything done. I am not a natural self-starter. So maybe if I write this publicly, it will help me. :) (though I know may of you don't read this anymore because I NEVER update it.)

Things I need to do before Karis is up (not necessarily in this order)
1 - get dressed
2 - make my bed
3 - start my cup of coffee
4 - have some time reading/praying with the Lord (even it's just a short time)

Things I would like to do after Karis is up
1 - start a load of laundry
2 - not turn on Good Morning America
3 - clear dishes from sink/dishwasher
4 - have some quiet reading time with Karis during and after breakfast

(and while I'm at it)
Things I would like to do in the evening
1 - make Dee's lunch for the next day
2 - sweep the kitchen floor
3 - take off my makeup
4 - clear dishes from sink/dishwasher

We'll see if this helps me. I can tend to be great at planning, but not so good at following through.
Are there any things in your morning/evening routine that you do consistently?

Snow Day!

2009-03-02T11:46:00.001-05:00

Appliance/Electronics Graveyard

2008-12-14T21:59:00.003-05:00

This is what Dana, my sister-in-law, has dubbed my house. And today I'm convinced it's true. These are the things that have happened just in the past several weeks...

-Our washer went out, so we replaced it.
-Our dryer and dishwasher were on their last legs also, so we took further advantage of the sale at Sears and replaced them.
-Our television went out AGAIN and Best Buy finally replaced it.
-Our 6 month old Dyson is not acting right, but of course, the repair guy says there's nothing wrong with it (still dealing with that one with Dyson).
-The mustang won't start and won't jump off...pretty sure it's the battery, just haven't gotten around to dealing with that.
-This weekend, our Mac crashed - won't start up at all, took it to the Mac store, and it needs a new hard drive. Dee is working on getting our files off of it.

I told Dee I was going to go ahead and shoot our other car, the oven, & the refrigerator just to put them out of their misery, since they're doomed here.

In the midst of all this, we were driving home from the mall after receiving the dreaded verdict at the Mac store and we were listening to J.R. It was a song I love about leaving all our cares with the Lord and how He dries our tears and gives us joy and peace. Then we passed the scene of a wreck where the ambulance was already there with its doors open ready to take someone away. You know, so much more could happen. It doesn't take away the frustration of all that's happening to our gadgets or our wallet, but it does put it in perspective.

He is faithful even when so much else is not.

Successes and Mishaps!

2008-11-14T13:39:00.002-05:00

I am slowly learning as a parent that really my child is teaching me. I've had some friends ask me, "How did you know to do (that) with her?" "How did you know she was ready for ______?" Ultimately, there are 2 big things other than the Lord's grace to teach me and show me and give me wisdom as a Mommy.

1 - My friends - I see wisdom and faithfulness in my friends as they parent their kids. I see the mom do something or the child do something and I think, "Hmmmm. I should probably try that too. I haven't even thought about encouraging/teaching Karis to do (that)."

2 - Karis - A lot of times she shows me when she's ready for something. I remember the first time she responded to me when I corrected her or gave her an instruction and I said, "Ok?" She said "K." I thought, ...Hmmm, I should probably start consistently making her respond to me verbally when I say something.

Well, with the whole subject of potty training, I have felt at a loss. I don't know how to do this. When is she ready? I don't want to start too soon, etc. Then over the last few months, she does these things...

She brings me the changing pad and a diaper and lays down in front of me for a diaper change.

She helps Bear go potty.

She wants her Baby to have a diaper change first.

Well, I am no parenting expert, but I can see some signs! :) So, I decided to jump in and try it with the book, "Toilet Training in Less than a Day". Amazingly, she is doing SO GOOD! I am now a believer! I have truly been surprised at how fast she's getting it. I know we are just in the beginning but she has a great start. We had an intense morning of training Wednesday. She had 5 accidents that day, 2 of which she came to me saying "Potty" but just didn't make it in time. Yesterday or today she hasn't had an accident yet! So, we'll keep encouraging and helping. We haven't left the house yet, which we will tonight to visit friends and we'll go to church Sunday, so we'll see how it goes.

Well, those are the successes. Here are a couple mishaps (and laughs) of potty training.

The first day she pooped in the potty after peeing a few times. She just kept looking at it and telling me to look at it. She was so proud, but she wouldn't pick up the pot from the little potty to dump it in the toilet. I told her, "Karis, poo-poo goes in the big potty just like pee-pee. Put the poo-poo in the big potty." Well, such a good listener she is, she reached right down there and picked up that poo-poo and turned around to hand it to me!
"NO, NO KARIS! YUCKY, YUCKY!" So we washed hands good after that!

Then yesterday, she was attempting to put the seat back on the little potty after dumping it. She gets it turned around a lot and gets tired of it and just wants me to do it. I've really been trying to encourage her to do it herself. So, as she was trying, I just left the bathroom to leave her to finish. She came into the kitchen a few seconds later, holding up the potty seat with her face in the hole, saying "Look, Mommy." Again, "NO, NO KARIS! YUCKY, YUCKY!"

:) Doesn't parenting stretch us and make us laugh and teach us patience and teach us how to be a teacher??

I love it.

Symphony Tickets!!

2008-10-17T13:19:00.003-04:00

I have 6 tickets available for the Charlotte Symphony! It's the Magic of Christmas performance on Saturday, December 6 at 2:30pm. I have 3 pairs of tickets all on the Orchestra level, mid-level rows. I ended being given 10 of them and am not going to use them all. They sell for $50 online, but you can have them for $25 each. Let em know if you want them!

Potty Training advice

2008-06-18T11:10:00.002-04:00

So I guess we're at the beginning of the process with the potty around here. I realize Karis is barely 18 months and I am not in a rush. However, she is showing some signs of readiness. She's talking about the potty a lot, tells us about pee-pee and poo-poo, though I don't think it always coincides with the act of doing it. We borrowed my mom's little potty and Karis asks to sit on it a lot - a few times every day. Last week she pooped on the potty twice and today jumped up from the potty and peed on the floor. So, with the list of her symptoms :), what would any of you suggest? books, materials, when to start training panties (she has been doing pull-ups during the day), should I just let her go gradually b/c she's young or be more intentional now that she's showing signs? I don't want to start too early when she's not really ready, just to go backwards. I would love to hear some tips and stories from my experienced mom friends!

How do you respond...

2008-05-28T11:18:00.002-04:00

when someone makes a racist comment? I'm not talking about on TV or overheard in the grocery store. I mean in a direct conversation with you and they say it like of course you would agree. I had that happen yesterday. I have noticed that since I married Dee, no one really says anything about blacks anymore. But that doesn't stop them from making really derogatory comments about Hispanics. I feel just as offended when I hear it. I don't have a relationship with anyone right now that is Hispanic, but I feel more sensitive to minorities in general since marrying Dee. It seems (in my unresearched opinion) that a lot of Southerners are conscious of racism against blacks and are more careful about their words. However, there is much freedom in comments against "Mexicans". Because that is the term used for ALL people of Hispanic origin. Dee has even told me that on the west coast, "Hispanic" is not really an accepted term, but you should say "Latino" instead. I have had several instances where people I know make very negative comments about them, saying that they are uneducated, dirty, don't take care of their children, and are here to "take over". AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!! I want to confront it when I hear it, but I really don't know how to do it with a balance of firm clarity and gentleness. Do you ever deal with this?

Ever Been There?

2008-05-23T13:21:00.002-04:00

Have you ever been in that place where you're the new one in the group? You feel awkward, don't really know what to say. You want someone to talk to you, but don't know what to talk about. Ok, ok, I'm talking about myself. Dee & I went to a community group for the first time at the church we've been attending for the last couple months. It really was good and we enjoyed it. They passed out paper and pens and asked everyone to write down a question or topic to discuss. It could be about anything. I could NOT think of anything to write. So I didn't. I know that sounds lame, but I couldn't get away from the thoughts in my head. What's this group like? How do they interact? Are there Christians or non-Christians? In that setting, I tend to get really quiet.

I hate that awkward feeling. But it's required to get to know new people, right?

Motherhood is a Distraction

2008-05-19T15:21:00.002-04:00

Is this just a new mom thing or will it stay with me? Motherhood can be such a distraction to me. I know that sounds terrible like I don't want to be a mom or I'm not enjoying it. That's not the case at all. I LOVE being a mom and I really enjoy being with, teaching, playing with, and training Karis and I really look forward to more children being in the mix with us. But...I feel consumed with it at times. I don't feel nervous/anxious as when Karis was an infant, but much of my mental and emotional energy is wrapped up in being a mom.

It is a distraction from my relationship with the Lord. At the onset of my day, I am thinking about things to prepare and the reality of the hour in the context of our schedule. At the end of the day, I'm tired and trying to process what needs to be done for the next day. I have a really hard time at church lately. It takes me a while for my mind to slow down and stop working from what's happened that morning, how Karis is doing in the nursery (which is not too good lately) and keeping an eye on the screen to see if Karis' number comes up for me to come get her. When I do sit to read or think to pray, it's hard for my mind to settle.

Will it get better? Or is it just a discipline issue? I am so out of the habit of being with the Lord, I just feel rusty.

Earn a Free Eee PC Laptop Through May 15!

2008-04-21T17:51:00.002-04:00

Earn a free Eee PC form D&S Products! Seriously, this is a promotion we are doing with our own business, no scams here! Click this link to find out out how.

Good Stewardship

2008-04-21T12:19:00.002-04:00

Here's another advertisement for something I think is a really good opportunity. To the right is the button for Revolution Money Exchange, which works just like Pay Pal, except that it is absolutely free to not only send money, but receive it as well. We are investigating trying it out on our business website. Signing up is better than free, you actually get $25! Check it out.

Four Generations

2008-04-17T13:53:00.005-04:00

I love this precious picture.
My 93 year old grandmother, Jane Davis, my Mom, and of course, me & Karis
I love to see Karis build relationships with my grandmother and my mom and I love to watch them loving and enjoying her. Karis doesn't yet realize how blessed she is to have 2 wonderful Grammies and 2 wonderful Great-Grandmothers (and one great Pops!)
I treasure these years we all have together.

MY GIRLS

2008-04-17T13:19:00.003-04:00

I had a very special reunion a few weeks ago that I haven't shared yet. When I was on staff with Campus Outreach, I had the privilege to be in the lives of 8 very special women. They were all college-age, some taking classes part-time or full-time, all working and figuring out life for the future. Most of us lived in a house dubbed, "The Swan Dive" in Matthews. Can you imagine a 4 bedroom house with 6 girls? Yes, it was adventurous... it was intense... it was a lot of fun! I miss those days and the time I had with them. I could tell so much about each girl and their heart and their journey with the Lord and all our journey's with each other. Those years were a HUGE growing time for all of us about relationships, communication, conflict, and forgiveness. (They're laughing if they're reading this.) It was so good to get together and share about old times and catch up about new times. There are a couple marriages, a couple babies, an engagement, lots of moves and new jobs, and so much more to come. I wasn't teaching them or leading them this time at all. I just sat back and listened a lot and watched and praised the Lord for what He's done in all of us!
Here are a couple quotes from emails sent among all of us.

"I wanted to see where God has brought us from the first day we had been introduced. Do ya'll realize just how far we have come?? We still struggle daily but it seems that we all know who to hang onto."

"I was also very encouraged by all of you, by your commitment to the Lord! He is doing alot in our lives and I pray we continue to keep our hands and hearts open for Him."

I hope the Lord will allow me to continue to grow with groups of women throughout my life, but I don't know if any will ever have my heart like these women!

Jen, me, Jessica, Kali, Ali, Michelle, Christy (Shannon & Megan weren't able to come)

Yes, Karis was there and enjoyed ALL the attention from all her aunts! (she was asleep for the picture!)

Country Girl

2008-04-12T12:34:00.002-04:00

We've been on vacation in Mississippi visiting my grandmother, and some time in Florida visiting some family there. We had a great time, and after the scare of losing our flight by Skybus, we made it in and Karis became a full-fledged country-girl.Check out for yourself:

D&S Products

2008-02-13T16:48:00.004-05:00

Technology - Simplified for You

Yes, friends, D&S is for Dee & Stacey - ingenious, right?
So, for those who haven't heard (but probably you have heard), we started a business. Yes, we're combining Dee's techie skills & my detail/admin skills to try and further provide for our family & have fun with some cool products. I realized I haven't mentioned it here on our blog and what better place? :)
So, we're selling Linux-based laptops. Right now, it's just Asus Eee PC's - small laptops. Have you heard of them? Dee & I both have one since they are so affordable & we LOVE them. I won't give you a big sales pitch or anything...just a link to our website:
www.dandsproducts.com
We are spending a lot of time on this and it's going really good! We have several in stock & they're going fast! So, ok, I can't resist - check it out more if you care to, but they come in black & white, and they're only $379.99 without webcam!! I literally carry it in my purse! Spread the word & let us know if you want one! :)

Tis Now, but what about later?

2008-01-27T20:42:00.000-05:00

This morning in church, we sang a great old hymn "If ever I loved thee, my Jesus tis now" I was really worshiping and experiencing the Lord, then we got to this verse...

Ill love The in life, I will love Thee in death
And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath
And say, when the death dew lies cold on my brow
If ever I loved Thee my Jesus tis now

Oh, it so moved me. I am not on death's bed nor admittedly, do I think about death often at a young age and good health. But I have known those who have died in Christ. I quickly thought of our dear friend Linda Longbrook and just cried in worship to the Lord and thankfulness for her and the life she lived. She was not perfect, but she did live a God-honoring life. And she died a God-honoring death. God did lend her breath for many healthy years and He lent her breath during the years she fought cancer. And the death dew did come and it did lie on her brow and that dew did grow cold. She died a God-honoring death, a Christ-exalting death. She loved Jesus so much in her fight and though her body lost, her soul found victory that day! May I live a God-honoring life that shows "'my Jesus I love Thee". And may I die a death like Linda - that exalts Christ and shows my intense love for Jesus as I finally see Him face to face!
Amen.

Remembering Buster

2008-01-20T15:30:00.001-05:00

BUSTER LANIER
1997-2008

It has been an intense week at the Lanier house, especially for Dee. With the incident at his school, making up work from a snow day, and much work on the new business D&S Products, it got more emotional on Thursday when our dog, Buster died. I have to admit, I'm (Stacey) not much of a pet person, but I have grown to like dogs (most of them), prefer Boxers, and love Buster. So, this is a tribute to Buster. I'll tell you his story for those who care to read on.

Dee adopted Buster from a Boxer Rescue in 1998. He was about a year old and had been severely abused and Dee really had the heart to take this needy, emotional dog and bring him back to health. For some of you who met Buster in the early years, he seemed aggressive when he would bark and bark when anyone (especially men) would enter the house. Really he was just scared. In his old age, he grew out of that, but continued to be a very protective dog for Dee.

When Dee & I were dating and talking about marriage, he knew I wasn't much on animals, especially not in the house. So, when we got married, Dee took Buster to Mississippi to stay with his grandmother. Buster was good ol' country dog with acres of land to run in and the adventures of fighting and/or killing possum, armadillo, skunk and all kinds of other animals. He once greeted our car with a deer skull in his mouth that he had found in the woods. He was so proud and I was so disgusted!

Buster played a huge part in Mississippi during Dee's grandfather's illness. He stayed right by his side when he was taking walks on their land outside. Dee's grandmother still tells us the story when Buster kept barking and barking and wouldn't let her walk the way she wanted. She finally followed him and he led her to Grandpa who had fallen and was too weak to make it back to the house. He was better than Lassie! :) She still has his picture in a frame in her house!
We decided to bring Buster back to NC when we bought our house with a fenced-in back yard and we had Noah, our other boxer then, who was just a puppy. Buster didn't like sharing Dee with me and especially not this annoying new puppy. He beat Noah up a lot and wouldn't let him in the dog house. They finally got to be good friends, but they still fought a lot.

After we gave up Noah, Dee convinced me it was too cold and Buster was too old to be outside by himself. So Buster finally got his wish - back inside with Dee. He mostly just laid around and slept and ran away from Karis. She loved him, but I think she was overwhelming to him with all her shrieking and smacking him.

He has been sick for a while, we noticed, and we found him Thursday already gone after he obviously wasn't feeling well. Dee misses him, but he's doing ok.
Here are some pics of Buster at his finest!

Lanier Look-alike Meter

2007-12-24T01:08:00.001-05:00

MyHeritage: Celebrity Collage - Family search

Lanier Look-alike Meter

2007-12-24T00:56:00.001-05:00

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity - Collage - Morph

One Year Old?

2007-12-12T19:27:00.000-05:00

That's right. I really can't believe it! We had a fun family birthday party Saturday and Karis was so precious! She had so much fun with her cousins. She got a walking toy that she loves and has really been practicing! She actually took a couple steps on her own a couple nights ago. I was at the store and I told Dee he should have pushed her down. She can't do that away from me!! I'll post some pictures later, but just wanted to give a quick update!

She is learning new things every day & it has been so fun. Her babbling seems more like words, her fine motor skills are developing, and she understands my words more and more. I remember a friend from church telling me that when her child went for her 12 month checkup, the doctor said they understand about 90% of what we say. That's a little scary and also a good reminder that little ears are always listening.

She has been using her signs for more and please so well lately and it helps us both communicate better! Typically, when she signs "more", she sort of claps instead of putting her fingers together. Last weekend, I was asking her if she wanted more as I signed it to her. She stared at my fingers for a while, then studied her own hands and slowly put her fingers together like mine and did it correctly. It was amazing to watch her have that epiphany of, "Oh, that's how you do it!!"

Today at the doctor, she was really intrigued with the stethoscope as the doctor listened to her breathing. She sat really still and watched very closely. When the doctor finished, she walked away and Karis signed "more, more". It was so funny. I guess she liked it!

I love my little girl!!

Giving Up Noah for Adoption

2007-11-12T09:56:00.000-05:00

Most of you know we recently gave our dog Noah to our friends, Jason & Shawnda. We knew we would have to do something before we move and when they started looking for a dog, we decided it was worth it to go ahead and do it early. He really is happy there & he gets to be inside! He loves that and he loves all the kids and he loves all the attention! Buster is still with us and he got to come inside too! He has very limited roaming space, but Dee convinced me he's too old to be in the cold with his arthritis. So, we lost one and gained one...sort of!

"I'll miss you, Buster!"

The last bath...he hates it!

Karis loves to stand and look at the dogs out the window

Buster still doesn't know what he thinks about being inside with Karis. She loves him & gets so excited! But, as you can see, he usually just walks away. I think the shrieking overwhelms him. It's pretty funny watching them sometimes!

Even More Cousins!

2007-11-12T09:38:00.000-05:00

Yes, it has been a childcare extravaganza around here! Dana and I have been taking turns keeping all the cousins lately. So they have been around each other a lot and Dana and I are seeing what it's like to have 4 kids very close in age! The kids are Kayden: 2 1/2, Isaiah: 15 mo., Karis: 11 mo., and Kayla: 5 1/2 mo.. So it is a busy day when they are all together, but it's fun! Dana and I have definitely gained a greater appreciation for my mom who does this all the time! It's so wonderful to have a mom close by that serves all of us in SO many ways. I know I won't always have that and it's one of the hardest things about moving. But the kids have a lot of fun together. Mealtimes are definitely the most challenging! And since I am starting to slowly wean Karis off her bottle, she does NOT like it when Kayla gets hers and she doesn't get one! But we're all learning to share and be patient....the moms, I mean!

Kayden's usual state all day long...no pants & eating a snack!

He does NOT like it when any of the babies cry. Here, he is telling Karis in the monitor it's going to be ok.

Kayden loves to "hold" Karis.

I had a little photo shoot with Kayla. It's so much easier when they can't move that much!

Typical moment: Kayden telling me what he wants to do next, Isaiah & Karis whining & Kayla was sleeping, I think

Karis loves to laugh!

2007-11-10T14:36:00.000-05:00

Dee says she only laughs like this with me, but I think you just have to know her tickle spots!

More cousins

2007-11-10T10:34:00.000-05:00

We love being Uncle Dee & Aunt Stacey to our dear friends' kids! We have had the privilege of spending a lot of time with them lately while our friends were away for the weekend. So the Lanier house expanded to 4 children for a few days & we had a blast. Karis loved it! Being the first child, I definitely think she gets bored of looking at me! I have always loved being around and taking care of lots of kids like this. In high school, there were 2 different families of 4 that I kept regularly. It has fueled my desire for a family. And I love seeing my husband with other children. He is so good with them, playing, dancing, doing hair, and keeping them in line! It was definitely a lot of work and I see our need to grow as parents, but that will come! Our friends are such an example to us in their heart for adoption and their willingness to be a part of meeting a need for an orphan even when it's hard. The Lord has used them to increase our passion for adoption and she is a great example to me in parenting. I learn a lot from her. Here are a few snapshots of our extended family!

Big brother helping read the bedtime story

BATH TIME!

Helping Aunt Stacey around the house

Uncle Dee loves some cuddle time

Sisters

Karis loved having a playmate!

UPDATE!

2007-11-10T09:40:00.000-05:00

I know it's been so long since I've updated anything! We are still alive! I'll try to post lots to give some of the details of the life of the Laniers and not all at once. Karis has had lots of friends and cousins over lately. She really has loved it! She loves playing with other kids and it has definitely kept me busy. I am so blessed to have so many friends and family so close to spend time with and keep each others' kids. It really is a privilege and a joy to be a part of their families too!

I am very thankful for Karis to be able to spend so much time with her cousins lately. She and Isaiah are like twins in a lot of ways. She chases him all over the place....he's still faster and now that he can walk, she has to work hard to keep up! But they really do have a lot of fun together! We love you Isaiah!

Like I said, they seem like brother and sister sometimes. Here they are sharing?? a toy.

They really can't stay away from each other. Whenever one is eating, the other one stays right there to eat the crumbs that fall!! :)

This is one of their favorite toys. It's funny to watch Karis smack his hand or for Isaiah to move her hand from what he wants to play with.

The stairs is one their favorite places to sneak off to, so now we use a gate all the time!

Here's Isaiah playing a game. He likes to throw things (ie my flip flops) to the other side of the gate & then try to get them back. Here he got his arm stuck!

Karis follows Isaiah in a lot of things. Watch this! He is really enjoying showing her how to drum! (Karis really was ok in the end...she didn't get hurt!)

Amazing Aquabatic baby!

2007-10-18T11:01:00.000-04:00

From Dee:
I am definitely the type to delete forwards as soon as they hit my inbox. It's a shame, but I have reported family members for spam alert on my email server. Well, every now and then I open one of these things up, and what I saw amazed me. I'm sure many of you are already aware of infant swimming lessons, and Stacey may even be well aware of the importance of it. But after watching this video I was blown away.

Google Apps is Cool

2007-09-11T18:02:00.001-04:00

Let me start by saying that my wife already calls me a "walking commercial." Seeing that this is true, I might as well live up to my name and start advertising. I have been big on Google Apps for a little while, and now I have to share the joy. This past week I started using Google Apps almost exclusively, since I tend to have files and preferences spread amongst 4 different computers that I use daily (and 3 different platforms at that)! After really giving it a test drive, I have to say that I am sold-- wait, it's free! Could you imagine how churches, and missionaries, and schools could use this? Truly amazing.

Click here if you're a business or organization and want to see a more detailed look.

Go Karis...Get Loose Now!

2007-08-18T15:24:00.000-04:00

And away we go...

2007-08-18T15:16:00.000-04:00

Alright,
It's official-- the Lord has seen fit to move our hearts to Philly! OK, the tough part will be moving our actual selves, but that'll come. No set timeline yet, but we're praying and planning (soon enough) to start moving in that direction. To sum it up, we loved Epiphany, and the many families that we got to spend time with. And overall we loved the city. We felt the burden of the distressed in the target area, and we breathed in the rich history of the city as a whole. On top of that we got to see some really nice chill areas to get away to commune with the Lord and with each other, just to regroup and hit it back hard in the community. Details to come, but we just wanted y'all to know!

Much love,
Dee (Phil 3:13-14)

In Philly-- Sunday

2007-07-29T21:58:00.000-04:00

We're here for the week, spending time with Pastor Duce and his wonderful wife, Missy, and the kids. We had a great time at Epiphany this morning, as well as time of fellowship afterwards. We are here four more full days. Pray that we seek the Lord's face and continue to evaluate objectively.

Much love,
Dee

Up and Down

2007-07-03T13:29:00.000-04:00

That's basically where our emotions are these days...up and down. It has been an eventful few days which started Thursday afternoon. After leaving work and picking up Karis, I took a quick pregnancy test since I was a few days late. Two tests quickly came out positive. Dee and I spent the next few days in shock, talking about this huge unexpected change in our family! Yet we were excited though amazed at the reality of this. We were trying to get time with my parents to deliver the news on Sunday. That afternoon, I started what I believed was the beginning of a miscarriage. Yesterday at the doctor, they agreed with me and said it was probably what they call a "chemical pregnancy". It's basically where fertilization happens but implantation does not and your body expels it just like a normal cycle.
So I've basically had a normal monthly experience, just heavier and a little more painful. We're doing ok and have had lots of love and prayers from the few who knew. I don't know if we've really processed all this. I've been keeping myself busy. The Lord is faithful. I do know that.

UNBELIEVABLE

2007-06-18T18:53:00.000-04:00

This is my reaction that I OFTEN have when I drive by church marquees. Per my husband's suggestion, I will start a new series on this. I have a MAJOR pet peeve about church signs because they very seldom have real meaning or value nor do I believe they make a lot of difference in people's lives. I'm not saying there are no exceptions. I know of a story where a billboard with a Christian message was used to bring a man to faith. I have seen a couple that have been impactful, but mostly, I see phrases and quotes that are cheesy or meant to produce guilt. I hate when the church represents guilt and condemnation. That is NOT the message of Jesus! Others are just really cheesy which is another element I don't like the church taking on.
So, I will start with the one that I saw a few years back that created my pet peeve for this and invoked so much anger.

"Get Filled or Get Grilled"

I did a triple take in disbelief that a church would actually display this for passersby to see, thinking that it may have some impact on the world???? or bring some to Christ??!!??!?

So, that was the beginning...
Dee saw another today that was just plain cheesy.

"To Save Face, Shut the Lower Part"

Ok, that's not even creative or catchy. Just funny to me. I'm sure there's a book out there of 101 Church Sign Messages. AAAAHH! So, sorry if I'm on a rant, but these things really bother me because I want the body of Christ to represent so much more! I would rather the church sign be merely informational. That's more attractive to me. At least it helps me get in the door. I know when to show up!

Ok, off my soap box for now... I'm sure I will see another soon that I will share.

Please Read

2007-06-05T10:27:00.000-04:00

Please read Dee's blog for some big prayer requests concerning not only Dee, but our whole family.

Oh yeah, super praise reports concerning Karis:
1) She's 21lbs, 2oz today (she's about to turn 6 months old)
2) She's picking herself up to stand if she holds your fingers. "Scoots" backwards, and rolls over on both sides with ease.
3) Is getting fussy for no apparent reason at times. Can you say, "teething"?

She's a joy, and growing too fast!

Cuuuuuuuutttee!!!

2007-05-31T22:30:00.000-04:00

Thanks Jason, these are wonderful shots of our baby girl. You have a gift of photography!

Kayla Jane Hartness

2007-05-28T13:31:00.001-04:00

Kayla was born 1 week ago at 9:32 am. 6 lb, 12 oz, 18 1/2 inches long. She has a proud family, with Mommy, Daddy (my brother Chris), Big Brother Kayden, 2 cousins (on our side), and aunts, uncles, Grammie and Pops!! She's so tiny that my baby looks so big now! I know, I know, she IS big. But she REALLY looks big now!!
We love you Kayla!

Old Pics--Karis' first wedding

2007-05-28T13:17:00.001-04:00

I have meaning to post these and haven't gotten around to doing it until now. This was a couple months ago, but I really wanted to share these sweet pics of our little girl all dressed up. My good friend, Kali, who lived with us for about 6 or 7 months, got married. I was in the wedding (15th Bridesmaid appearance for me!!!!). Karis was a real trooper for such a long day and it was fun to dance with Daddy and Karis.

Tagged

2007-05-26T12:31:00.000-04:00

I was tagged by Kelly and I am going to break the rules. I'll fulfill my tag and not tag anyone else. So, if you read this and you haven't been tagged, go ahead and do it!

Ok, it's 8 things most people don't know about me...

1-My childhood nickname was Lucy Goosey. (My parents still call me Lucy or Goose every once in a while. I don't where it came from.)

2-My top 2 favorite music genres are Country & 80's music. (My husband and I have an ongoing battle where he argues that 80's music has no real instrumental talent because it's all electric. I like it anyway.)

3-I have never been on a foreign mission trip, but I have been to Norway twice to visit my friend. (ok, a lot of you probably knew that one.)

4-I played the piano for 6 years.

5-I played middle school basketball. (Seventh grade-we lost no games, Eighth grade-I don't remember winning one. Oh yeah, in the seventh grade, our whole county was under a measles quarantine so we didn't PLAY any games!)

6-I met 3 friends in the same major on my hall my Freshman year of college who became my roommates for the next 2 years. We still get together 5-6 times a year for every birthday, Christmas, and summer trips with our families.

7-I really love putting puzzles together. I could sit and do that for hours.

8-Born on the first day of Spring in 1976 and my parents coming from the Hippie era, my first name choice was not Stacey, but my name was ALMOST....Spring Hartness!!!
(I have often wondered if that would have changed my personality entirely!)

Pics at the Park

2007-05-12T11:00:00.000-04:00

Braggin'

2007-04-27T16:28:00.000-04:00

Just a quick brag on my husband...check out this post from his blog. Read his words and hear his heart! I love you, Dee & I love your heart!

From Matt Bradner, in Blacksburg

2007-04-19T08:15:00.000-04:00

This is from the Campus Outreach, Virginia Director, Matt Bradner. Stacey and I both went to school together, and served on staff with "Matty B" and a few other staff members of CO-Virginia. Please be in prayer for them:

Blacksburg, Virginia – 4/18/07 – 11:02pm

Supporters, friends and family, (feel free to forward this to anyone you like)

As I sit to try and write you an update on the past 36 hours, I begin to recognize how mentally and emotionally exhausted I am. It seems like there are both an enormous amount of things to say and report…yet at the same time it feels like silence might very well say it best.

First of all I want to sincerely thank all of you for the calls, emails and text messages over the past couple of days. Your encouragement, perspective and counsel have really been of great value to me and my team. God tells us that “two are better than one” and we have definitely experienced that through your help.

Monday’s event is truly as dark and as evil as anything I have known. This is not the way things are supposed to be. Even so, we believe that God can and will take what was meant for evil and turn it for good. We are not thinking that this will happen overnight. Saying that, we appreciate your continued care and concern as we move forward.

I dream of the days ahead when men and women from Virginia Tech will point back to 4.16.07 and not only think about death, but also about how that horrible day was the catalyst that pressed them towards a relationship with Jesus Christ.

In this email, I will try to give you a picture into our day on Monday, the current scene here in Blacksburg, how we as a family and team are doing, and how you can be of continued help to us.

4.16.07

It was a whirlwind. We were in the middle of a staff meeting at our office (at edge of campus) on Monday morning when my VT Campus Director, Doug Rose, began receiving text messages about the shooting in West AJ. We paused the meeting to pray and then all began calling students we are connected to from the West AJ and surrounding dorms to check on their safety. As we were talking to students, we received report of a second shooting. At that point I ended the staff meeting because the sirens and ambulances were blaring constantly down Main Street and the Emergency Response Intercom was notifying everyone of the presence of a gunman and telling everyone to “Remain indoors and stay away from windows.”

The ride from the office to my house takes me even closer to where the shootings took place. I was passed by nearly 15 ambulances with sirens and lights blaring. At this point the report was that there were three people shot and my honest thought was that the Ambulances were called on the scene to help look for a gunman on the loose. Little did I know that they would all be very much needed in the moments that followed.

I arrived at my house to find the coverage well under way on every major news channel. Throughout the morning, the reports got worse and worse.

One of the most shocking moments for us was when the news channels changed the fatality number from one to 22. We were all sure it was an error.

As the news unfolded, including the shooter, the death total ended at 33 with over 15 others wounded.

Our house began to take on the feel of a “rescue mission” throughout the afternoon with our staff and various students showing up. Julia had plenty of food and drinks for everyone who was up for eating.

Perhaps the most memorable thing through the afternoon was the sight of students scanning through “Facebook” (social internet site) and frantically searching to see that there friends were not among the wounded or killed. Due to the amount of cell phone usage, many circuits were jammed for hours which made the internet the main source of contact for students.

As the day went on, it became clear that none of the students killed were deeply involved with us. We do have a few students that we are working with that did lose a close friend or faculty and many of them lost someone from their same dorm.

At about 5pm I received an email from the Dean of Students whom I work with through an organization known as the VT Campus Ministers Association. He requested help at Squires Student Center because they were opening a room up for students to go if they needed to talk. I went over with another of my staff, Andrew Schwartz. It was not to our surprise that there were not many students seeking out counseling. Most students will tend to start within their network of relationships when seeking help. (That is why we believe so strongly in building relationships at a grassroots level.) Nevertheless, we were happy to show our support for the department of Student Services.

Around dinner time, we ordered pizza at the house and everyone agreed to turn off the TV for a little while, which was a great move. We had people over at the house until midnight while other staff spent time on campus with students.

The Scene in Blacksburg

I have never experienced anything like this. Every single major news channel currently calls Blacksburg home. CNN, FOX News, NBC, MSNBC, ABC, CBS…they are all here. It is truly a madhouse. There are news trucks, cameras and reporters everywhere. It is hard to go anywhere without getting a microphone put in your face and a reporter asking you questions about Mondays events.

President Bush and Governor Kaine were on campus yesterday.

I just came from a prayer gathering on the Drill Field (center of campus and yards away from Norris Hall) involving all the various campus ministries. There were literally dozens of camera crews shooting the prayer time. Every time I opened my eyes there was a camera in my face or beneath me at my shoes looking upwards. After our final prayer time (we prayed for four different areas of need) I opened my eyes to see Franklin Graham standing a few feet away. He walked up and asked if he could share a few words to all present.

Police are everywhere. A number of buildings are still yellow taped.

Memorials, flowers, notes and candles dominate the main areas of campus that would be filled with college students playing football, soccer and talking on a beautiful day like today.

The scene is very much surreal. Like a Hollywood movie is being filmed with all the top news personalities in the world. Though we know this is very much real.

We are, and will continue to use our homes as places of refuge where students can remove themselves from the madness of the campus. It seems that our best and clearest conversations with students and each other have occurred around our dinner table or while in the front yard playing with our boys.

Students are beginning to leave town and go home since all classes have been cancelled until Monday. With the swarming presence of the media, I tend to think that it could be a good thing for the students to get away for a few days. I don’t think they realize that the frenzy of reporters will still be waiting for them on Monday morning when things are supposed to be “normal” again.

As for us, we are staying here. We believe that the greatest work lies in the weeks ahead as students return to school and the shock of everything wears off. We want to be here and be ready. We are meeting tomorrow as a staff team to talk about our follow up plan for the rest of the semester and how God might desire to direct us in the coming weeks.

To be honest with you, every Christian ministry that I know of on campus is putting together things to invite people to come to. For the most part, the students that come to those events are students who already know they are interested in God.

We desire that God might use us in the coming days to reach men and women that are interested in dialoguing about Christ, yet for one reason or another won’t go seek out help. How do we do that? We go to them.

Through our current network of relationships we believe that we can reach many students in East and West Ambler Johnston dorm. Please pray for this.

How we are doing:

I think we are doing fairly well. We are all pretty exhausted mentally and emotionally. Our exhaustion isn't necessarily from having tons of intense people contact...a normal week for us actually consists of much more people time. This is due to the fact that after the shootings on Monday, the campus was on lockdown and most of the on campus students and freshman that we are working with took off Monday evening or Tuesday morning.

Our exhaustion is more from the combination of conversations, lack of sleep, the constant news coverage and the ever present environment/reminder of loss and hurt and evil.

We also are aware of how great the need is going to be when the students return for class on Monday and so we are spending good amounts of time thinking/praying for that.

I am trying to give my best to Julia and our boys (Isaiah and Toby) when I am around. Isaiah definitely has felt the event in various ways. We have tried to help him interpret this in a way that would be beneficial for a three year old.

I am really sensitive towards my VT Campus Director, Doug Rose. He has invested deeply in the students at Tech all year long and has had many men in Bible Studies throughout the year that will need much comfort in the days ahead. Please pray for him.

John 16:33 has been a rock for me. In Christ we have peace. In the world we will have trouble. Take heart, He has overcome the world.

How you can help:

Pray for our daily time with Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 is a good passage to pray through for us. That the comfort we receive from God will be the comfort we pass on to others.
Pray for our physical rest and comfort. Many of our staff are showing physical signs of stress already.
Pray for wisdom in the days ahead. God tells us in James if we lack wisdom we are to ask Him for it (1:5). We greatly feel the need for wisdom! Wisdom for when to speak and when to listen. Wisdom for where to extend ourselves for the good of this community.
Pray our follow up plan for the rest of the semester. We will be seeking to make contact with every person that we have spent time with this year and we are praying that many would come to faith in Christ.
Pray for continued unity among Christians on campus. Today was a wonderful demonstration of this as we had a joint prayer gathering in the center of Tech’s Drill Field. (John 17:20-21)

Beyond Prayer

If you feel led, please send an encouraging note to one of my staff below. I know that it would mean a lot to them.

Doug Rose- drose@campusoutreach.org
Adriana Pariz- apariz@campusoutreach.org
Collin Setterberg- csetterberg@campusoutreach.org
Andrew Schwartz- aschwartz@campusoutreach.org

· Many of you have asked about sending a financial donation. We do anticipate needing some additional funding in the upcoming weeks for providing meals and putting on a few gathering events. Beyond that, our greatest funding needs are more long term in nature as our entire ministry is 100% support funded through churches/individuals/businesses. You can reply back to me if you are interested in hearing more about our long term needs. For immediate donations, all checks can be made payable to Campus Outreach Virginia and sent to the address below.

Thank you for your partnership,

Matt Bradner

Campus Outreach Virginia Director

mbradner@campusoutreach.org

814 Cambridge Road

Blacksburg, Va. 24060

CO Virgina Staff OK

2007-04-16T13:26:00.000-04:00

From Dee:
As many of you know, Stacey and I used to be on staff with Campus Outreach Charlotte. Upon hearing about the tragedy at V-Tech this afternoon I called my old area director, Matt Bradner, who heads up CO-Virginia based out of Blacksburg. He said the staff team is ok. Be praying for them and the entire campus as they attempt to bring answers to questions like, "where was God in all of this?"

Stomach virus...yuck!

2007-04-13T13:15:00.000-04:00

Yes, our sweet Karis has a stomach virus. This morning, we were met with a yucky mess when I went to get her out of her crib. So, Dee started our first load of laundry today at 7:30am. She took about 3oz of formula, then slept for about 2 1/2 hours immediately after she ate, which is unusual. Other than the mess and the sleeping (and the doctor's visit), she has acted really happy, playing and talking/cooing, and smiling a lot. You would never know she's sick.

And again, my little girl teaches me a lesson. I made the comment to my mom this morning, "She's the happiest sick baby I've seen." Mom reminded me, it's not like babies think, "Oh, I'm sick." They just know when it hurts and when it doesn't. It made me think of how many negative emotions and anxieties I have just from thinking about my situation, whether it's sickness, events of the day, or the most popular one in the Lanier house, lack of $. Karis only frets or cries when she is actually experiencing discomfort, not in the anticipation of it. And you know, my fretting and her lack of it doesn't change the outcome of events. So her sick day is much more enjoyable than mine would be, because she at least plays and is happy in the waning of her symptoms. The only thing that can change the events of my life or my emotions about it is the grace and work of the Lord. So, instead of being anxious or miserable, why not pray? That is the only means that He gives us to change things, not my emotions or thoughts. And then I can rest in HIS wisdom and not my own. I can trust His way instead of me trying to figure out what to do! Then no matter what happens, I can be completely secure and happy in Him!!

Oh the lessons of motherhood!

On Philly

2007-04-11T17:49:00.000-04:00

Dee posted a review, if you will, on our experience at church on Easter. If you have 5 mins, take a read here.

DC, Baltimore, Gaithersburg, Philadelphia

2007-04-10T13:34:00.000-04:00

These are all the places we have been in the last week. Dee had Spring Break so we decided to take a trip to DC to visit his mom who has just moved into a house there. It's actually in Fort Washington, MD right outside DC. It really was a great trip full of so much encouragement for us. We realized we know more people in that part of the country than we realized. We had lunch with a guy that Dee discipled who now lives in Baltimore. We had dinner in Gaithersburg 2 different nights with the Swans from our church who are at the Pastor's College and the Nelsons who are great friends and mentors of ours who used to live in Atlanta. On Sunday, we drove up to Philly and went to church at Epiphany Fellowship, a plant that the one of the guys from Cross Movement is helping to plant. Duce (The Ambassador) is one of the pastors there along with Eric Mason. Manny (Da' TRUTH), Brady (Phanatik), and Shai Linn also attend there. It was a very worshipful service presented in very different means. We'll have a whole other post just about Philly real soon.
Of course, we had a great time with Grammie Lanier and she just ate up her time with Karis. Karis did SO good considering us dragging her all over the place. She slept great and was really happy pretty much the whole time. Dee's mom has a great house there and she is still getting set up. There's lots of room for us and Karis and the 2 dogs!! Yes, Noah & Buster went also and we left them there for a while. We totally neglect them now that Karis is here and Dee's mom has a great place for them. They have a huge yard to run around in (& escape from!) AND they get to stay inside! They don't get that privilege here. We're going to work on our yard, I mean mud pit, maybe have a garden, then bring them back later. I know, I know, they will mess it all up again. Oh well, we'll give it a shot.
It was really cold there all week, so we didn't visit many sites since most things in DC are outside. We went to the Pentagon, but got there too late to see anything. So, mostly we just ate, visited friends, watched a movie or 2, got in the hot tub at the house in 40 degree weather, and hung out with Grammie! It was a wonderful trip! Here are a few pictures...

This is Karis putting herself to sleep after we had laid her down to play while we got things together to go out. She literally covers her eyes, sucks her thumb and goes to sleep wherever she is.

Karis in the car...again and again and again!

Karis and Grammie (I mean Chaplain Lanier) at the Pentagon

Oooooh, it's cold out here!
I'm not sure that's under regulation for uniformed officers!

Easter Sunday

Can we go with you?

Dee's goodbyes to the Boys

Karis is ready to go home!

Prayer Request

2007-03-30T09:59:00.000-04:00

From Dee:

Hey all,
I want to request that you pray for a student that goes to my school. His name is DeAndre, and I occasionally give him a ride the second half of his commute to school, whenever I see him walking up the road while I'm driving. Our time is brief, but I typically listen to a sermon or the ESV audio in the mornings, but I always get my MP3 player ready to switch fast to some Cross Movement just in case I see DeAndre. Well, he definitely likes the beats, and asks me questions all of the time about why I listen to Christian rap versus, "violent rap" (his term). We get around 5 mins during our quick trip up the road maybe twice a week. The conversation is not very fluid because he is in speech therapy and can be pretty hard to understand at times, and I have to ask him to repeat himself often. The other day he asked when did I started listening to Christian hip-hop, and why did I start listening to it. I proceeded to tell him that 10 years ago I prayed to receive Christ, that I told God that I believe His Son died for me, and that I wanted to stop resisting Him. I then told him that it was shortly after that God began changing my desires, and that included what I listened to. As DeAndre was getting out of the car, without flinching, and with the clearest speech he replied, "I like violent rap. I like shooting and sex. That's what I like." Door closes, and he's off to class. Can you pray for him, and that I would faithfully continue to pursue him? Thanks.

No TV Day

2007-03-15T20:52:00.000-04:00

OK, so I know this sounds so petty and probably reveals a lot about me, but today I didn't turn on the television once. That usually doesn't happen when I am at home all day with no visitors. I don't think I am a TV junkie nor do I spend endless hours in front of it. But admittedly, I usually do have it on either in the morning or afternoon...(sometimes both). It usually starts with watching the news or GMA or Regis & Kelly while I eat breakfast or something while I eat lunch. I am one of those who doesn't like silence. I enjoy music, but when I am just sitting, I don't want to look at nothing. (I know! I know! I could look at a book! And I actually love to read.) And I don't have little ones running around yet...Karis still takes 3-4 naps a day. So it can start with sitting down for a meal and then sometimes it just stays on. Certain days I am around the house doing other things sometimes tuning in and sometimes ignoring it. Other times I find myself at the end of a program seeing what will come on next.
But today was great! Now don't get me wrong I don't think TV is bad or watching it is terrible. I just think I have spent too much time there. So today it didn't come on at all. I really enjoyed the day filled with exercise, playtime with Karis, reading, great conversations with dear friends, catching up on others' lives through blogs and a little cleaning. I do these things on other days as well, but not as much. I spent more time thinking through what I was reading and really seeking the Lord over some issues in my heart. I can see where they say TV has a loose link to ADD. Multitasking can be the death of mental sharpness.
I am not vowing to never watch TV again, (we are pretty big fans of American Idol around here), but I was encouraged today at what can be accomplished mentally, relationally, and spiritually without it!

YESTERDAY

2007-03-15T11:02:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a fun day with the camera. So here are some pics of our afternoon & evening...

Reading in the Bumbo seat...yes, the book's upside down. We're working on that! :)

You talking to me?

Some cute faces

Dee playing with his favorite boys...

Karis' usual spot at dinner

K.B.B.K.

2007-03-12T14:59:00.000-04:00

Kare-Bear-Bad-Kold. She actually has a respiratory virus and an ear infection. Please pray for our little sweetie, and her mom as well. Thanks.

--Dee

THINGS KARIS DOESN’T CARE ABOUT…

2007-03-06T13:25:00.000-05:00

1. If I don’t get out of my pajamas until 2:00
2. That the kitchen floor needs to be mopped, the furniture is dusty, I need to clean the bathrooms, and the laundry is piling up
3. When I’m having a bad hair day
4. When we are late to appointments
5. That we’re almost out of toilet paper
6. That the dogs bark…a lot!
7. If I don’t know what we’re having for dinner
8. My to do list
9. That we have NO money!
10. The future

She really cares about right now…if her tummy is full (of milk, not gas!), her bottom is clean and dry, her sleep is adequate, and if Mommy and Daddy are paying attention to her, giving her love and hugs and kisses, knowing that they will take care of the future.

Why can’t I be more like her? My only concern being that my present needs are more than taken care of and I have my Daddy’s full attention and He will take care of the future…the next moment, the next day, the next bank statement, and the next year.

At 3 months, that little girl can teach me a lot!

Who Does She Look Like?

2007-03-06T08:46:00.000-05:00

One of the first questions we all get when we have a baby is "Who does she look like?" With our precious little Karis, we have gotten a mixed response. There have been a few "just like Daddy" or "just like Mommy" comments, but mostly it's been "I really can't tell" or "She's a really good mix of you both". Well, as I was browsing some pictures the other day, I thought I would share some baby pictures of all of us and let you decide? What do you think?

New Pics!

2007-02-05T10:16:00.001-05:00

Flash Slideshow

Answered Prayer

2006-12-16T11:18:00.000-05:00

From Dee:
Thanks for all of those praying for my job situation. Last week my principal let me know that he was able to procure enough funds to offer me a full-time teaching position with benefits for next semester. Praise God. Future aspirations of course continue. Keep posted and keep praying. It's my desire to fully enjoy and spread the joy of Him.

What happened to your hair?

2006-12-07T09:08:00.000-05:00

Growing...

Going...

Gone...

So I decided to cut my hair, again. It has been amusing to get the reactions of shock from my colleagues and students. Bottom line, I have been interviewing for several sales jobs and though that may or may not be where God lands me, I recognize that stereotypes do exist, and I have bigger battles to fight than to stake my identity in a hair style. I believe that was the final time with locks!

Speaking of bigger things, Stacey and I go to the hospital tonight. Karis is coming!!!

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

2006-12-05T11:32:00.000-05:00

well, doctor's report from yesterday is...i have not progressed at all from last week and they will induce labor. we will go in thursday night for them to start prepping me and start meds for induction friday morning. so we will have a baby by saturday at the latest. definitely pray for strength for me & karis to go through this and for her to be completely healthy. pray for us as we try to rest these last few days. of course, we could go into labor before thursday and i would not be upset about that!

PLOTTING FOR HELP...:)

2006-12-02T11:32:00.000-05:00

Well, we had a bit of an adventure this week in our house. As some of you know, I have been nesting in a major way for quite some time getting everything ready for Karis, I have had wonderful help from friends and my mom cleaning and getting everything we need/want for her. So, I have felt very restful and peaceful about the house...until this week. My husband had a great plan to get even more help! Maybe he didn't think it was clean enough around here, so here's what he did...
He has been making the last finishing touches on the tile job from the summer. Unknown to us, the edges of the tile where it meets the carpet have to be perfectly straight and cleaned up in order the carpet to be tacked properly. So...with no other option, he cut the edges of the tile and cleaned up the morter. So, now the tile looks great and we are able to really finish it off. Oh, wait, then there's the rest of the house. Cutting ceramic tile does create quite a cloud of dust...everywhere! He had 4 places to cut in the foyer, living room, kitchen, and bath, so basically every square inch of the house from ceiling to floor in EVERY room (yes, the nursery too) was COVERED in tile dust. So, Wednesday night, I made some calls to the troops to come in and help clean/dust the house. So, three precious friends, Christy, Dana, and Ali came in at different times from morning to night and helped. They dusted the walls from top to bottom. Every surface and item in our house was touched. All fabrics, blankets, sheets, towels, clothes, pillows, stuffed animals, were washed. All furniture and curtains were vacuumed. Every surface in the entire house was wiped down. Floors were swept and mopped multiple times. Blinds were cleaned multiple times. Every item in every room was picked up and cleaned. EVERYTHING was cleaned. So, basically our house is cleaner than it ever has been right now and I feel even better about it :) Dee said at the end of the day when all the furniture was being put back into place and our last help was leaving around 9pm, "Wasn't that a good plan, honey? I messed up the whole house and now it's ALL clean!"
How wonderful of my husband to serve me like that. See, he understands my nesting finally and knows how clean I need things and he knows I need help right now. What an amazing way to make it all happen! ;)

STILL WAITING

2006-12-01T08:55:00.000-05:00

Well, no baby yet! We are 2 days past our due date and we are patiently (well, sometimes) waiting. The Doctor on Wednesday said everything looks fine...everything is moving in the right direction, just moving slowly. We have another appt on Monday where they will do a 20 minute heartrate test on the baby and if still nothing is happening, we'll schedule an induction for sometime next week. I really would like to deliver on my own without an induction, so we will be praying for that, but we will take whatever the Lord gives. We are ready to meet our little girl. She is moving so much these days and definitley running out of room! We're pretty sure she will be a big, healthy girl! We'll keep everyone updated!

The Definition of Ready!

2006-11-17T23:58:00.000-05:00

read‧y: adjective, read‧i‧er, read‧i‧est, verb, read‧ied, read‧y‧ing, noun, interjection
–adjective
1. completely prepared or in fit condition for immediate action or use: troops ready for battle; Dinner is ready. Stacey is ready to have Karis!

It's so fresh!

2006-10-19T16:09:00.000-04:00

From Dee--

My wife is going to make fun of me for writing this. But As I'm writing you all, I'm also listening to Christian Hip-Hop in the background. This blog is supposed to be more universal, involving both Stacey and I and mainly about our family life. I'm supposed to reserve all of my hip-hop-slang-pontifications for my personal website. That is still mostly the case, but as I wanted to brag on God about our church the best word I can think of (at this very moment) to describe it is, FRESH. That is old school slang, for "good." Think, the opposite of "wack," if you need a point of reference. Anyway, really quickly, I wanted to update you and let you know that the second greatest highlight in our lives right now, second to the expected birth of our daughter, is our church. Each and every Sunday I look forward to the worship, fellowship, and Word. God has definitely been putting us through the press, but in our weakness He has marvelously displayed His strength Sunday to Sunday. Note, I am not speaking simply about Sunday worship services, or even Care Group, but the lasting effects throughout the week, the significant relationships we have formed, and the expectation to meet with Him at every gathering with His people. Today I received a short little note from our pastors with them saying that they have been praying for us. In God's providence, this small gesture has strengthened my faith. I thank God for His church universal, and I especially am thankful for CrossWay Community Church. It's so fresh!

Working Like Crazy!

2006-09-01T10:50:00.000-04:00

I know we haven't posted in forever. I have been working like crazy at Starbucks early and at Crossroads an hour later, and then staying late and doing lesson pans. It might take a while to get used to this new schedule, but thank God for the provision.

-- Dee (Phil 3:13-14)

New Nephew!

2006-08-14T10:36:00.000-04:00

Last Sunday at around 3:00 am we got a call from Patti, Stacey's mom, telling us that Josh and Dana just went to the hospital. Well, to make a very long story short, at around 11:30 pm, beautiful, ruddy, Isaiah Steven Hartness was born. He was 7lbs 11ounces, all cute. Mommy and daddy were pretty tired when we saw them on Friday. I'm sure it will be a while before Dana blogs on it, but check this link periodically to read on updates directly from them. We're so thankful to God for this new addition to our family.

Dee, for the Laniers

Job?!

2006-08-14T10:31:00.000-04:00

From Dee:
Last week I got a call from Crossroads Charter asking if I was interested in teaching part-time and coaching track in the Spring. The answer of course was, yes and yes. I feel great about the freedom they are giving me as well to continue to look at other options if they come up. I love those kids, and look forward to being in a teaching capacity. I'm teaching "Teen Living" and "Parenting." FYI, around 20% of the girls there are pregnant or have already had a child. I'm also looking into something like Starbucks in the morning, because they have good benefits for part-timers. We'll see what God does.

Redoing My resume

2006-08-04T09:55:00.000-04:00

Dee:
So I spent the better part of my morning working on my resume as recommended by one of my old professors. Anyone else find it frustrating to spend such considerable amount of time making yourself look more appealing? Or interviews: "So why are you the best candidate for the job?"

One of these times I might slip up and say, "Actually I'm not, I'm the worst of sinners!"

Please pray for me!

Phil 3:13-14

Fighting Confusion

2006-07-24T10:33:00.000-04:00

From Dee:
Today I spent time in the word from Hebrews 9:1-10, and as an act of confession and application, had this idea: Our identity is never to be caught up in our jobs. Ok, I know some may be thinking, how did he come to those conclusions? Maybe I'll post on CrossCultured my exegesis, but by way of summary, let me just say, God had an intention behind the Law, but the author of Hebrews in chapters 8 and 9 especially seems to be saying, "it was never for the purposes in which you have made them." The works of the Law are clearly (inherently) limited.

Unfortunately, I have made literal work my identity, and I am being called to repent of such thinking. How many of us ask or are asked by way of introduction, "so, what do you do?" There is nothing wrong with that, but whenever I answer that question nowadays, I find myself cringing to respond, "I'm currently looking for work." What does that say? I have no worth if my identity is in my occupation? But look at the flip-side, let's say I worked as a physician. If my entire identity was wrapped up in that, then I would be a person of worth as long as I was still of working age, with physical and mental ability to perform my duties, and having a place of employment. So what happens when (not if) any of those things cease to exist? These are the sort of conjectures that have been swirling in my head while trying to apply the wonderful truths of Hebrews to my present reality of unemployment. Job statuses are meant to change! It makes no sense to put all of our worth in something that is meant to have a limited timeline as well as limited function behind it. No, my primary identity is a child of God. My primary aim in life is to Glorify Him by enjoying Him. Consequently, my main objective in life is to cultivate and exude that identity in all of the temporary, albeit significant, duties that I am assigned throughout my entire life. Please be praying that I find a job that I can most gladly do this, but also that I would recognize the sovereignty of God in this waiting period. Thanks so much!

Big Job!

2006-07-11T18:32:00.000-04:00

Look what the Laniers have been up to! Special thanks to the Lehmers and Jonathan Mitchell in helping us get this project underway. Dee had no clue where to even start without the experienced workmanship of Marco and Jonathan. Kind of reminds you of discipleship, huh? Now he's making nifty little cuts and starting on the front entrance. We hope that the tile proves as a good addition whenever we decide to resell.

GIRL!!!

2006-06-27T21:58:00.000-04:00

From Daddy:
Karis Faye Lanier, the name of our soon to be born child has already been a marvelous blessing to us. I can hardly write these words without getting emotional. I am so excited that God has graced (Charis, means grace) us with a child, and a precious girl at that. For a while now, we have speculated with many that we were having a girl. As a matter of fact, God had given me a special confidence that we were having a girl and that she was going to be o.k. during the time of our scare when we thought we had miscarried. I look forward to being "Daddy" to this precious child, on lend from the Lord. Pray that her and Mommy remain healthy and graciously cared for by our Dad.

PS. I know what you may be thinking. Yes, the Kovacs and the Laniers are naming their daughters Karis. It's actually quite funny. We were having dinner with them a couple weeks ago when Shawnda asked us what names we were thinking and we said Silas or Karis and Shawnda's eyes lit up and we knew "You guys are thinking Karis as well, aren't you?" So we had great conversation about all of it and are joyful to be able to share yet another part of our lives with our dear friends.

From Mommy:
Well, I know what many of you are thinking..."I knew it was a girl!" My dad's comment was, "How much did it cost for them to tell you that? I could have told you for free." We had a great dinner with my family tonight and gave them the news by showing them a little girl doll, the first doll that Daddy has bought his little girl. Of course, we are just so excited and love being able to say 'she" instead of "the baby". And we are thrilled to be able to pray for her and call her by name! So, as soon as we fix a couple of computer glitches we are having, we will share our latest ultrasound picture. It was wonderful to see her today, big and healthy and moving all around. Well actually, it took a long time to see if she was a boy or girl because she had her legs completely crossed. The nurse kept saying she was stubborn. We like to say she was being modest...:) So, the nurse left the room and I walked around and jumped around and pushed on my belly a lot to get her to move. And it worked! The doctor came right in and saw it immediately. So exciting!! Also, the other update is that the growth I had was completely undetectable today. They said it's just gone...don't know what it was or why it's not there anymore, or where it went. We know the Lord just healed my body and is keeping our little Karis safe and healthy! So, thanks for celebrating with us!

LAST DAY!!

2006-06-14T17:17:00.000-04:00

Well, today was the LAST DAY for Dee and I both at our jobs. This brings along a lot of mixed emotions for us. Let me start with mine... :) It hit me today around 4:30 when I was driving to the grocery store. I thought, "I am not going back to school tomorrow...wow!" Right now, my car is full, literally to the ceiling, of school boxes. Dee hasn't unpacked it yet and he doesn't realize just how much school stuff I have. I am a packrat and don't/can't throw away anything. I really am thankful to be finished with the year. It was a very stressful position and not very supportive from the administration, professionally or personally.
     All in all, I feel good about where the students left. I did all I could with and for them. They are all really excited about the baby and I promised them updates as well as a picture when the baby is born. (One student asked, "Mrs. Lanier, could you hold the baby when you take the picture so we can have a picture of you too?" They can be sweet.) I left with some good connections with a few of the parents and I think we will stay in touch which I am excited about. The last day of school was funny as we hit the last 20 minutes of the day before the buses started being called. One very emotional girl started really crying and it led into a cryfest for about 6 or 7 other students. By the end, I had 5 girls and 2 boys crying and literally wailing! They were all laying on me and on the floor and my shirt was soaked with tears. They can have such sweet hearts. We had lots of hugs while I had to push them out the door as to not miss their bus. It was an emotional ending!
     My new thing is a job at my dad's office in Harrisburg. It's an office/admin position for a subcontractor. I really do enjoy that kind of work and I start full time there next week. It's such a change of pace from teaching and I like it! My plan right now is to stay there until the baby's born. I'm excited about the job and being closer to my dad while I'm pregnant.
     Speaking of the pregnancy, I'm feeling great and I love the 2nd trimester! I'm definitely in need of maternity clothes and am going shopping this weekend. It is a challenge every morning to find something that fits and looks decent. But I'm doing well. I go to the doctor tomorrow and then have a checkup with the specialist in 2 weeks, which is when I think we'll be able to find out the gender! (We think it's a girl.)
     As for Dee, he is excited to be finished with his job, but it also starts the heavy job hunt! As we all know, searching for jobs can be draining and it is already getting that way. Please pray for him/us as he is pursuing several different things right now. It can feel like a big waiting game.
    Our big plan for the rest of this week is the BEACH! We'll be there with the rest of my family, which is usually lots of fun! We are eager for the rest and play with them and each other.
     So here we go on another adventure!

Baby Lanier at 11 weeks

2006-05-29T11:34:00.000-04:00

This ultrasound was taken 3 weeks ago. P.S., that's a hand, not an extra-large nose!

These are funny...

2006-05-26T14:37:00.000-04:00

From Dee:
I know that Stacey typically writes the funny school stories, but I have an installation to add. A teacher came into the hallway yesterday laughing hysterically, just to tell me about some comical responses to a quiz she had just given. The students studied different proverbial statements and then had to fill in the blanks in a quiz. Here are the questions and top responses:

1. If you lie down with the dogs... "you'll get stinky"
2. Don't bite the hand... "that's dirty"
3. A penny saved... "ain't worth your time"
4. Children should be seen and not... "smacked"

And the best (and saddest) of all:
5. Better late... "than pregnant"

Updates, updates, updates

2006-05-20T09:29:00.000-04:00

From Stacey:
Ok, so I know some updates are due. I'm not very consistent in this blog thing. (sounds like some other things in my life...) Well, we have had an eventful 1st trimester with our little one. After the last big scare, the doctors were checking on me almost every week with an ultrasound b/c they saw a growth there, which they thought at first was a fibroid, which is common and can coexist with the baby just fine. Then, I had one of those fun comments from the doctor, "Well, I really don't know what it is or if it's a concern. You'll have to go to the specialist." You know, the whole time, he's not really acting concerned, but it freaks me out! Also, by this time, the growth really looks like it's in the sac with the baby! So, my mom and I go to the specialist and it was very relieving. He said it's definitely not a fibroid and doesn't look like a placental tumor which can also grow in the sac near where the cord atttaches (which is where this thing is). He doesn't really know what it is, but it's not affecting my baby, so don't worry about it. We saw a great picture of the baby with the high-tech ultrasound machine. The baby had grown so much and looked like it was doing flips in there, kicking and waving its arms. It was so fun to see that! So, it sounded like one of those typical Hartness doctor's appts. "You're growing something, we don't know what it is, and we've never seen anything like it. I'm sure you'll be fine." (Me and my family have had several interesting reports like that!) The doctor also said I should have a normal pregnancy, normal delivery, the growth is not permanent, and will come out with the baby, whatever it is!
Other than all that, I am feeling better, coming in on the 13th week. Food is still an issue, but Dee is being very patient with that! You never what I might want or what turns my stomach. Also, I told my students that I'm expecting, and they were excited. I have a few parents calling and asking if it's really true. They ask about the baby all the time and come up and act like they're listening to my stomach. One funny instance...after I told the kids, I explained that's why I eat crackers in class sometimes because "my baby makes me sick". I had no comments then, but about an hour later, in the middle of a lesson, one student raised his hand and said "Mrs. Lanier, how are you going to have a baby in your house every day?" "What do you mean, of course the baby will be with me every day." "But if babies make you sick, how are you going to be around it all the time?" I laughed and retold him, it's not that I don't like babies, but being pregnant makes my stomach feel sick. "Ooooooh" he says. I have to watch how I explain things!

Looking For Work

2006-05-17T18:03:00.000-04:00

From Dee:
Ok,
What's going on with the Laniers? Well, we need to post some more baby pics and news for sure! But at very least, you all can be praying for us as I look for a new job. Since April I have been working at Crossroads Charter High School in a security/counseling position. It has been enjoyable, but it will only continue for the next 3 weeks before school is out. Our future relies a lot on wherever God sees fit to grant us employment. One major lead has been for the Department of Juvenile Justice in North Carolina. I have applied for positions in both Raleigh and Charlotte, and just recently I received a call from the one in Charlotte today! So could God be leading us to stay put??? To be continued...

Big Scare, Bigger God

2006-04-19T02:37:00.000-04:00

At around 9:30 pm last night, Stacey experienced what we thought was a miscarriage. We went to the ER and had an ultrasound and saw our little "peanut" alive and well. We are going to bed at 2:40 am, tired, yet very relieved. God is gracious.

Worth a 1000 words...

2006-04-14T13:12:00.000-04:00

Gender: ?
Approximate Arrival date: 11/29/06
Feeling of Parents: Ecstatic in the Lord!

P.S., look real closely. X marks the spot.

Famous Quotes

2006-03-23T19:47:00.000-05:00

Well, my husband has been on the verge of nagging me to blog, so here I am! Usually, my excuse is being so tired from teaching 24 6 and 7-year-olds all day. They wear me out! So, my new (and hopefully repeating) update will be famous quotes from my students. They can come up with some great things sometimes! Here is one recent story from a student who started out as my most challenging and has grown so much in his behavior control, that he's become one of my favorite students to be around and talk to. He and another student were joking around with me as they were waiting for their buses, saying they wanted me to give them money for a drink. After, of course, telling them no, they joked they would steal it from my purse. I told them that people who steal have to go to jail and then they couldn't fulfill their dreams, namely professional football and basketball. Well, one of them quickly replies, "My mom works at the prison and when I go there, I see them playing basketball all the time!" HA! I laughed so hard and informed him that they don't get paid quite the same. He said, "The lunch lady does." My response, "Do you want to go to prison just to play basketball?" Student: "I'd be close to my mom!" (His mom is a nurse at the prison in Charlotte.) Such the sweet words from a boy whose favorite woman is still his mom!
So, that's the famous quote for today. More to come soon! However, I did just begin Spring Break! I'm convinced God created Spring Break! I need it!!

Destination Known and Unknown

2006-03-23T17:12:00.000-05:00

If you've been wondering what's going on with the Laniers in the job search journey, here's a copy of an update just recently sent to the members at Desiring God Community Church. You may also note that we've asked Bethlehem Baptist to take us off of their candidtate list for their evangelism position. Without getting into details now, we just sensed deep confirmation from the Lord that He was not leading us there. But He is leading us still! Read on:

Dear fellow church members,
It is with joy that I write you and let you know how God has answered many of your prayers in relation to our future. As of the beginning of April, I will be taking a job as a Behavioral Modification Technician at Crossroads Charter High School. Bottom line, I help keep the kids orderly on their way to class, and I talk to them through issues they may be having, either on their initiative, or by recommendation by a teacher because of conduct. I am very excited about this opportunity, and allow me to explain how all of this came about.

A few of you may know that I began volunteering on Tuesday afternoons at the high school leading a discussion group for a program called CHAT (Character Helps Achieve Triumph). These kids are considered “at risk” and are in a Title I alternative school, so the issues they face are obviously considerable. We use our discussion to talk on topics that they are interested in, and that I facilitate with intention of incorporating biblical principles, and hopefully prepare them to hear the Gospel from myself or someone else in the future. I have thoroughly enjoyed this time, and find it very rewarding.

Last week, after the principal had observed the program, I received a phone call with an inquiry to job employment. This came as a complete surprise, and was a clear move of God. I simply received a phone call, then had a conversation with the principal and the security supervisor, and next thing you know they were offering me a job! The most humbling part about it all is that they are willing to work around my Thursday class schedule. Praise God!

Of course this may be bittersweet for some to read, as it means an early departure in employment at DGCC. Thank you, on behalf of Stacey and I, for your concern, love, and hopes concerning us. We have been flattered by many of your comments made to us. Again, thank you.

What this means for our long-term future is still uncertain. I will only be working definitely until the middle of June at CRCHS. After that, we are still unsure. We continue to explore options in Raleigh, and will be there this Sunday morning. Though not on staff, we remain active members of DGCC, and will participate regularly in the Racial Harmony Roundtable, small group, and when not visiting other places, Sunday morning services.

Thanks again for your prayers, and though we know this is pretty big news, please continue to ask us about other relevant issues in our lives, our spiritual walks, our service to our neighbors, and our family life. We look forward to doing the same.

In His care,

Dee Lanier (Phil 3:13-14)

The Second Chance

2006-03-08T07:58:00.000-05:00

Sorry you guys it has been a long time. I have been itching to write and let you know about a really well done movie on the topic of race relations and inner-city ministry. Do not get thrown off by the star of the movie, Michael W. Smith. He can actually act much better than sing, in my opinion. Smith, and jeff obafemi carr (that's right, he prefers all lowercase letters), do a great job of depicting the many tensions that exist between the white church and black church, even when they are supposed partners in the work of the Gospel. My wife and I were urged to go see it by a few friends, and we ended up going with two fellow members in our Racial Harmony Roundtable discussion (more on that to come). To say the least, we did not know exactly what to expect. Would it be bad acting, or cheesy, or so tame that it was worse than fictional, borderline comical? It was none of those things. The movie was honest and intense. It gets a PG-13 rating because it did not aim to make it "family friendly" and mushy. Instead it was hard-edged and it showed some of the brutal realities of urban street life, and the social phenomenon that plague any city near you. It also showed white apathy and black distrust and personal relational tensions. Most importantly, it showed change, and how the Holy Spirit continues to work in the lives of even the most stubborn of pupils. In short, I have a recommendation for you-- GO SEE THIS MOVIE! Click on the link above to view the trailer. Showing times and locations are limited, so you may need to do some searching, or get it when it hits the video store.

Show some love!

2006-02-18T17:22:00.000-05:00

Quick favor for those of you who read our blog. Please post a quick comment and let us know that you are out there. If you want us to expound on any issues, or if you just want to encourage us to keep the updates and opinions coming, let us know. Notice I keep saying, "us" as if Stacey has actually blogged yet. Well, your comments could also serve as a petition to her! We love you guys, we would love to hear from you.

Dee, for, "us"
(Phil 3:13-14)

Hip Hop Wars

2006-02-15T17:23:00.000-05:00

If you are in Charlotte, check this event out being hosted by Christ Central Church:
http://www.nodafilmfestival.org/

If you are or are not in Charlotte, check this out as Truth goes against the grain on TBN:
http://www.datruth.net/video/DaTruth_TBN_2.wmv

See how the two are blended. Christ, and the culture. One must define the other. One must dictate the other. One must be deployed to the other.

One.

Actually quite warm!

2006-02-15T16:10:00.000-05:00

So MN wasn't as cold as we were expecting. They were having a mild winter, and we enjoyed temperatures in the mid 40s. Not bad! It was great seeing several old friends from Campus Outreach up there. Super thanks to the White's for having us! Our most exciting moment: getting a Dodge Charger for the price of a budget car because they were out! Our most embarrassing moment: driving around Bethlehem Baptist meeting with people about a position in urban evangelism driving a Dodge Charger! I'm wanting to justify the car everywhere we went, "it was only $15 a day!!"

We really enjoyed the city and for the most part, the church. It is big, though. I mean, really big. So we're continuing to pray on our end for what we would most enjoy about church first, a job second. Our interviews went well, nothing formal yet. I guess we'll keep you posted as to how the story unravels.

PS, check out the Desiring God webpage soon to download conference lectures. Might I highlight Michael Campbell's.

It's cold up there!!

2006-01-26T11:56:00.000-05:00

Alrighty then...
This is big news for some of you, but unfortunately I need to keep it short. My mother-in-law is picking Stacey and I up in less than a half an hour to take us to the airport to travel to the original home of the Lakers, and current abode of the Big Ticket. For you not-so-much basketball fans, we're headed to Minneapolis, MN. I have an interview with a search committee for a staff opening in the area of evangelism. Yes, I entreaty your prayers. We also look forward to catching up with many of our friends from Campus Outreach, who are up there. Stacey is only with me through the weekend :( , and I will be staying for the Pastor's conference which is Jan 30-Feb 1. Please be in prayer for not only God's direction for our future, but satisfaction in His person in the present.

PS,
For all of you that have inquired about the Cross Movement Track cds, they are currently unavailable. Cross Movement Ministries (not the group, or the record label!) discontinued at the end of 2005. Kim Gordon, with CM said that they need to figure out who gets reproduction rights for the cds. The former president of the ministry, Deuce(AKA, Ambassador), is starting a church in Philly, Epiphany, so be on the lookout for how they keep the Cross on the move...

A Katrina Christmas

2006-01-03T16:41:00.000-05:00

We took a trip down to New Orleans a couple of days after Christmas. More on this soon...

One of our new favorite places, Cafe Du Monde. We love their coffee!

The sight was devastating on the streets. We even saw a couple of boats on the side of the road in the middle of downtown.

One more thing...

2005-12-13T16:36:00.000-05:00

From Dee:
One more thing to say about Cross Movement,
Since I promised to give some explanation to who they are and what they do. Let me break it down like this and tell you through my story.

I was first introduced to hip-hop music when I was seven years old in 1984, when my foster brother introduced me to the radio station 1580 KDAY, in Los Angeles. I started listening to rappers such as UTFO, Run DMC, Doug E Fresh, and LL Cool J. In short, I was hooked. I was later enthralled by the cult film, Crush Groove, and even had my own pair of Addidas with thick shoe-laces and all (at least I think I had Addias, they may have been Diadoras or Pumas). It was in 1987 I started hearing of more underground groups, some vulgar, like 2 Live Crew, and Too Short, and some, of an entirely new phenomenon called gangsta rap, local products out of Ruthless Records, such as N.W.A., Easy E, and the DOC. Slowly, I became not just a fan of rap music. I became rap music. I began writing rhymes, heading up dancing crews, and sometimes deejaying a few parties. Eventually I had the desire to even become a radio deejay. Music was my life.

It was in college that I began listening to the messages in the music very intently, and even gaining my clues for social acceptance and attitudes towards authority, women, and "enemies" as well. It was while listening to a song by 2Pac that I recall turning to my roommate and asking, "do you want to try and get high?" And from there the cycle really began spiraling downward. I became infatuated with not only the sound of the music, but the messages in the words. I was a walking contradiction, going to church, on Sundays, immediately after leaving the party scene on Saturday. "My life is in denial/and when I die/baptized in eternal fire/shed so many tears," 2Pac.

When I gave my life to Christ in 1997, I had an experience that changed my life dramatically. Immediately I began ridding myself of the things that I was aware of that was hindering my walk with Christ. I stowed away all of my hip-hop CDs waiting to hear from the Lord what I should do with them. We're talking like 200 CDs here! It was a matter of months before I gained the courage through the help of some friends at a Christian retreat camp that I had a "music bash", destroying all of my CD collection, except my two Kirk Franklin CDs. I even felt the need to get rid of my Motown collection. "distant lover...," Marvin Gaye.

Someone introduced me to a Christian hip-hop group called GRITS, and I listened to that tape at least twice a day. It was the only connection I had-- a hybrid of the style of music I most loved, and the message that brought life. I began investigating and buying Christian hip-hop CDs by the droves. I was pretty indiscriminate in this process until I heard a group, on accident. I bought a CD called Heaven's Mentality, by this East Coast group called Cross Movement, as part of a Christmas promotional package. The sound was different than my preference, but having relocated to the Southeast, by now my style preferences became more diversified. What grabbed me the most was the depth of the content paired with beats and skill that rivaled even secular artists. Now I was hooked! "like, what's this new thing/looking like a Christian Wu-Tang/my crew hangs loosely/ but we tied tighter than a shoe-string," Phanatik.

Since then I have become an extreme advocate for CM, trying to tell any unbelievers that doubt the relevance of the Gospel, "yo listen to this;" and to the believer who has been trying to find a music to replace their old idols, "yo, listen to this!" So in short, I promote Cross Movement, because they promote Christ to the fullest, and in a day when our entire culture is being influenced by this sub-culture and musical genre called hip-hop, we need this. Recently our church purchased a bulk order of 25 evangelistic CDs at $3 a piece from Cross Movement called, The Track. With joy I encourage you to consider this ministry resource to reach young people (meaning those 30 and younger) with this evangelistic tool. It is blazing in content, consisting of both songs and discussion over the need of Christ. So, I may finally calm down some of my promo on this blog, but I wanted you to all know some of the in-depth reasoning behind some of my apparent obsession with this record label and ministry. "I'm a F.A.N.A.T.I.C/I rep' Christ 'till I d.i.e./ I'm not extreme, I'm redeemed with faith/ to serve a God who's extremely great/ I'm a fanatic," Lecrae

http://www.crossmovement.org

--Phil 3:13-14

Flame's New CD

2005-12-06T21:41:00.000-05:00

Until Stacey finds the time to finally blog, I'm going to keep posting! Flame's new cd is out, and it is real!! If you have any interest at all in Christian hip-hop cop this cd. That means buy it! I love Flame's rawness, and realness, and integrity with the Gospel and the music. Flame once again delivers on this one, displaying even more vulnerability of personal struggle with sin, strong defense for the doctrine of the Trinity and the sufficiency of the scriptures. He definitely will win over a lot new fans from this sophomore release, as well as cause some others frustration. But what believers that stand for truth do you know who have not experienced this? If you're on Amazon or Best Buy already trying to find some gifts for loved ones, add this one to your shopping cart!

Click here to check out his new site

2005-12-01T19:01:00.000-05:00

My partner T-Byrd is going back to South Africa!

Da T.R.U.T.H. on TBN

2005-11-30T12:38:00.000-05:00

Ok,
So I have plenty of work to do, and an assignment I'm in the process of completing right now, but I have to mention this. My favorite hip-hop artist, and friend, TRUTH, is going to be on TBN's Praise the Lord tonight at 10 pm (EST). I'm not the biggest TBN fan (do I foresee some comments on that one?), but I do love the ministry and music of TRUTH, Kirk, and Fred, who will all be featured tonight. I'll update this site soon enough to do more features of Cross Movement artists and their mission, but just trust me on this one, my man, Manny lays it down for Christ! If he performs "Legacy", be prepared to be convicted to the core.

--One!
Phil 3:13-14

Brand-new

2005-11-29T12:39:00.000-05:00

Ok,
So we're brand-new to the blogging scene, so please be patient. I (Dee) will probably be the one who does the most posting here, since I tend to have more time on my hands, well, at least in front of a computer. Stacey and I are doing really well. We just came back from Myrtle Beach with her family, which was really good. The tradition is that we have Thanksgiving with the extended family in NC, then the Hartnesses hit the road that night to the small apartment building they own (4 apts). Then the festivities begin Friday morning at Dino's for breakfast, then the outlet malls to do Christmas shopping. It's here that Stacey and I sneak around each other and use other family members as decoys for hiding gifts we may have picked up for one another. As you can imagine, it's hard fighting the temptations of secularism, greed, and idolatry while also purchasing gifts. Well, I could go on about that, but I'm sure you know the struggle as well.
This week I'm back in front of the CPU trying to get some church work done. I have a ton of youth Sunday school stuff to do, a load of reimbursements to submit, and this weekend is our monthly Racial Harmony Roundtable discussion as well. Not to mention seminary winding down. I'm thinking about taking either Apologetics this Winter term, or Systematics III in the Spring. This will be my last semester paid for by DGCC, and potentially my last class taken at RTS-Charlotte. So please be praying for me. I could say much more, but as a first post I'll keep it short. Keep checking here every few and I'll keep you updated on our lives and ministry.

Bless you guys,
Dee (Phil 3:13-14)