A Christmas like no other!

What a wonderful Christmas season we had at Mid-South Love Home!!  We were able to have our first annual Mid-South Love Home Christmas party and it was a BLAST!!!  It was like a wonderful family reunion!  We had 5 of our 7 girls there and 4 out of 6 babies!  The house was buzzing with stories and laughter and it was a night we will never forget!  We had amazing gifts to give the girls and they were all so very grateful!  Brittany leaned over to me at one point and said, "This will be my only Christmas presents!  Thank you so much!"  Then a little while later, Jakira said, "I have to admit, this is the first Christmas I have had in a very long time...like since I was 13!"  Several of the girls chimed in and said that this was their first Christmas too!  It just thrilled my heart to see them feel excitement and love!  I made each girl a blanket and that was the last gift they opened!  They loved them.  Each one was made to match the girl's favorite color!  I made them open the blankets one at a time so they could see each other's.  I started with Tiffany since she was our first girl ever and I ended with Ayanna since she was our last one so far!  When JP opened hers, it was purple because that is her favorite color!  Ayanna was next and she said, "Oh my goodness!  You got the purple one!  If mine isn't purple, I am going to be so sad!"  It just made me grin inside because I knew Ayanna's was purple too...because I knew that is her favorite color also!  Anyway, she opened it and was so excited that it was purple!  She said under her breath, "You DO know me!"  I am telling you the truth, just as the Word says, it IS more joyful to give than receive!  It was such a blessing to watch these girls opening their presents and feeling so loved!  That is one of the main missions of this ministry!  We want to know these girls and love them with the love of Christ!  The entire night was magical and I posted a few pictures just so you can see the excitement on their faces!!

We had several wonderful groups helping us provide Christmas for the Love Home!  We are forever grateful for how so many people ministered to us and to the young women and babies we have been blessed to help!  Thank you to all the customers of Germantown Chick-fil-A who so generously gave their "change" to bless this ministry!  Thank you to Anthony House for his ongoing support!  Thank you to the ladies at Martha Fleming's church who went above and beyond to provide gifts for the girls and their babies!  Thank you Patti Hallberg for monogramming the blankets for the girls!  It was a most treasured gift!!  Thank you to Jenni, Sherri, Carla, and Liz for providing individual gifts for "Santa" to give!  Thank you Jan for helping once again with the Christmas expenses!  Thank you to those who participated in the Angel Tree ministry at Life Fellowship Church who provided amazing gifts for many involved with this ministry!  Thank you to Central Church for blessing us with all those bags of food!  Thank you to Precision Garage Doors and Chris Kerstall for FIXING OUR GARAGE DOOR!!!!  Thank you to The Courtyard for providing wonderful gifts for us to give!  Thank you to Mrs. Cox, Mrs. Emerson, and Mrs. Burton's classes at Northpoint for blessing us with much needed supplies, gift cards, and money!  Thank you to the Student Council at Northpoint for blessing the girls and this ministry with large gift cards!  Thank you to Tom and Cindy and Three Strands, Experiencing God, and Firm Foundations connect groups at Central for blessing us with monetary gifts!  Thank you to the wonderful members of my mom and dad's Grace group for giving to the Love Home again this year! 

I sure hope I haven't forgotten anyone!  Thank you to everyone who gave to this ministry at Christmas and to all of those who have supported us all year long and enabled us to minister to these precious girls and babies!!  It has been quite a journey and, although it has not been anywhere close to easy, we wouldn't want to be anywhere else doing anything else!!!  To God be the Glory!  Great things He hath done!!!