Chapman Update

I realized that it has been quite a while since I put an update on the blog as to how we are doing...so here it goes.

We are well! The big picture is still the same...I am still working with USIS three days a week and volunteering two days for Radical Mission at the church (I long for a way to spend less time at USIS and more time with Radical Mission). Jade is still being an awesome mom at home each day. Caleb is developing exponentially with each new day.

Here are some brush strokes within the picture...

Me -

I am quite busy to say the least. Radical Mission is pressing forward and God continues to open up opportunities to love on people.

We are advertising our Hope Pantry (food) throughout Clarksville which serves those who are not able to afford food. We have many volunteers who God has led to assist in this ministry. I am excited to see where God takes this.

Celebrate Recovery for those with hurts, hang-ups, and habits (which is everyone if we are honest about it) is moving along swimmingly. God is impacting and transforming lives through this experience.

Radical Mission's relationship with the Clarksville Day Shelter continues to be fruitful. We helped to facilitate a yard sale which raised over $1200 which all goes to the Day Shelter to be used to help the homeless in Clarksville.

Radical Mission is in the beginning stages of a relationship with Ryan's Hope Ministries which focuses on ministering to the HIV positive population in Clarksville (around 230 people). We are excited to see this new relationship grow.

There are many more ways in which Radical Mission is truly embracing people each and every day. I just do not have the space to tell you about all of it. I am truly blessed to be able to be a part of God sharing His love. I am so thankful that God brought our family back to Clarksville.

I am serving on our church's board of directors (ministry vision team) as well as the Radical Mission board of directors (mentor-leader team). I am amazed and humbled at these opportunities. Please pray that God gives me the wisdom, discernment, compassion, and humility I need to contribute what He would have me to contribute in these roles.

I am currently beginning the application process to hopefully begin a masters program in counseling at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville this January or the following summer. Please pray for guidance in this new step. I am not sure where the time or the money will come from in order to pull this off. But I know that God is leading me in this direction and He will go before me and provide what we need along the way.

Caleb -
What a blessing! He is learning at light speeds right now. He is a wonderful helper. He helps unload the dishwasher, set the table for meals, clean-up the house, helps fold laundry (or maybe I should say unfold laundry), puts laundry away, he is potty training now, he feeds the dogs, and many more things which Jade will tell you in a moment. He is just such a happy, good natured (most of the time) kid. I know that God is creating a miracle before our eyes. He lights up my world each and every day. We are truly blessed to be his parents.


Here is Jade's input...Caleb's vocabulary is exploding! He speaks in sentences, sings along to his Boz CD and DVD and also with his Kids Bible songs CDs. He runs everywhere and super active, which provides me lots of exercise each day! He enjoys the indoor pool at the YMCA and is getting comfortable enough in the water to splash around without me holding on to him (he is in an inner tube swimsuit). He loves playing with the dogs and gives them hugs all of the time (they love it too and are so good with him). He is obsessed with balloons. Fortunately, God has provided him with one after another all summer long pretty much! In short, he is unbelievably cute, smart, cuddly, adorable, and absolutely wonderful (just like his Daddy)! I could not ask for a better kid!

Jade - I am pretty busy myself. There is definitely no reason to be bored as an at home mommy! I try to get Caleb to the pool and library at least one time a week each, then there is grocery shopping, household maintenance, and church!

I am still the nursery director so that keeps me busy playing with and showing God's love to toddlers, infants, and volunteers all Sunday morning.

Now that we have completed the discipleship program at church I have Wednesday evening free to work with the Youth! I am super excited about this as my heart in ministry has always been for the high schoolers due to my own testimony of salvation! Please pray for God to open the doors to their hearts that I might be able to show them God's love.

I was also elected to be on the church Sunday School board. Please pray that my heart would be open to God's purpose for me here and that I would be His willing disciple and ambassador to this ministry.

Now you can consider yourself updated!

As you can see, God is a wonderful artist. He is painting this beautiful picture which we call our life. Some parts of our picture are colored darker and some parts lighter. But with each and every brush stroke, God adds love and grace, which makes each and every color rich with His Glory.

Thank you all for being colors in the brush strokes of our life and for inviting us to be part of your pictures of life.