Life Goes On?

Hard to believe that life can go on for the Chapmans, but it does. There are appearances to make and concerts to give. In the midst of the grieving, the living must continue. Work for the Chapmans (as much as we all view it as ministry) is doing the concerts. I know that sounds harsh, but they have bills to pay and they generate income by doing concerts and selling CD's. It is ministry, though and in order to minister, they must be filled.

Please, please continue to pray for this precious family as they step out into the public eye again. Pray for Caleb and Will. They both just had their wisdom teeth out!

Here are a few pictures that I found at various sites:


SCC with some scruff! I like it! From Jim Houser's blog.
















A follow up article in People magazine on the family. Also from Jim's blog. Sorry for the blur, but I wanted to make it large enough to read.




















From Kelby's site! Sometimes work is good medicine for the soul. The Following is touring again.

Been on vacation...

Haven't posted since the family and I have been on vacation. Out to Indiana and Minnesota to visit family.
We've had a good time but are looking forward to taking that final trip back home in a couple of days.
I've been offline most of the time. Checked in on the Chapmans via Jim Houser's blog a couple of times just to pray and see how they're doing. Glad to read that they are taking some steps toward the new normal. Not that there will ever be a true normal again.
Just wanted to update on Maria's memorial fund at Shaohannah's Hope. They have collected in excess of $500,000 as of the 17th of June. Pretty impressive for just 27 days!
Here's hoping the Lord continues to minister to this wonderful family through this campaign.
Please remember to continue to pray for Will...

Be Edified and give God the Glory!

Several blog entrys to reference tonight...

The more I read Kerry Hasenbalg's writing, the more I know she is uniquely gifted to speak to God's people. She has been touched by the Lord in her own loss and has offered healing touch to others out of that loss.

Go and read!

Jim Houser has been right beside the Chapman family as they have taken this (normally very private) journey in sorrow and suffering and hope. I am grateful that he was yielded enough to do as the Lord spoke.

Go and read!

Grace (I don't know her last name) has also been a part of this journey with the Chapman's. She was nice enough to post a picture of Shaohannah and Stevey Joy as they had a bit of fun. I know that seems strange to say given the circumstances, but children need to have fun. And even though they have lost their sister, they are still children. I'd imagine that those two have a greater understanding of where Maria is than most of us. They understand adoption on a personal level and know Christ personally. So why wouldn't it be a natural progression of thought and understanding to be able to find some joy in their lives knowing Maria is WITH CHRIST!

Go and read!

Also, for those of you who may be following the comments on the memorial site for Maria, you can go here and see that over 19,000 have left comments. I'd be interested in knowing how many hits the site has had...

News From Franklin

First read about this on Kelby's Blog

It appears that Steven Curtis Chapman will be going back on tour much sooner than was originally believed. Actually, some thought he might never go out again. I was not one of those. This man is a minister of the Gospel and God has called him to a time of suffering and spiritual growth. Watch out for huge impact for the kingdom of Heaven in the future.

Maria's Miracle Fund has raised over $360,000 in about two weeks. That's BIG money! Grants for 120 adoptions!!

According to Scott Hasenbalg, the Chapman family is still going through extreme sorrow. No doubt! But Scott also quotes Steven as saying it is "the resurrection of Jesus that will get us through this, but it doesn't mean it won't be hard."

I still can't even imagine...

Pray for Will!

Maria's Miracle Fund

I've mentioned Maria's Miracle Fund before. This fund was set up to honor the life of Steven and Mary Beth Chapman's daughter who died just 11 short days ago.

Well, folks have really done a work of honoring Maria. There has been somewhere in excess of $275,000 raised so far. This will help close to 100 families with grants of $3000 each. I'm sure the fund will continue to increase.

I'm excited about this! It's hard to still deal with the rawness of the reason this fund exists, but the big picture is for more Marias to be loved and cared for, right?!

And maybe, just maybe, there will be a Maria in my household soon, if the Lord wills.