Finally Using My BSJ!

BSJ stands for "Bachelor of Science in Journalism"...aka, the degree that I got in May of 2000 after being at Ole Miss for 4 years! I was a "Journalism and Advertising" major through the business school, and I took business and journalism classes with the hopes of one day working in public relations for a large company or non-profit organization. BUT, God had other plans, and I never really ended up "using my major", so to speak.

I have a really cool story to tell, but first let's travel back in time to May of the year 2000...


Me and my sweet mom on Graduation Day!


Here I am with both of my awesome parents...this was taken right after the business school graduation ceremony in the coliseum.


Jody and I look SO YOUNG here! :) After dating for 4 years, we graduated together and got married about a month later!

So, here's the story...a few weeks ago, my sister-in-law, Laura, was in town for a jewelry show. She had recently been featured in an issue of a great, local publication, Metro Christian Living. The associate editor, who had done the interview, came to the jewelry show to meet Laura in person. So, Laura starts telling her about the adoption journey we are on to bring Caroline Faith home from Ethiopia, and she told her about our blog too. Then the editor asked Laura if she thought I would be interested in writing an article about our adoption journey in the next issue of the magazine!!

Oh my goodness!!  I have loved going back to my "journalism roots" with this blog! It has really helped to re-instill my LOVE for writing! But most importantly, I was excited about being able to "share our story", with the hopes that it might encourage another family to start their own adoption journey!! So, Laura gave me the editor's info, and I sent her an email that night telling her that I would be very interested in writing the article!

Early the next morning, I was walking around our neighborhood, and I started praying about this situation. I prayed, "God, if this is YOUR will for me to write this article, then please let all the details work out. I don't want this to be about me at all. I want it to be all about glorifying YOU, sharing about the daughter YOU have called us to, and encouraging others to consider adoption. Please show me if this is something that YOU want me to move forward with."

As I was praying, I was walking up a big hill. And when I reached the top of the hill, I looked up in the sky and saw it! A hot air balloon right above me in the sky! It was a bright blue color with huge yellow CROSSES all around it! Amazing! It was such a beautiful sight! I almost started crying, and I was wishing I had my camera! In all my years of walking around neighborhoods in all the places we've lived, I have never once looked up and seen a hot air ballon...especially one with crosses on it!

Well, I definitely took this as a sign from the Lord, that this was something HE was calling me to do. But I still heard nothing back from the editor...hmmmm. The next day we left for the Fair. As I was shopping for bows with the girls, I ran into a friend who works at our church. She introduced me to her friend she was with who "just happened" to be the associate editor for the magazine!! Yep, the very girl I had just emailed...met her face to face at the Neshoba County Fair, of all places! :) So LOVE how God works!

I love watching God put all the pieces together in such amazing ways! Well, she was so sweet, and said she got my email and definitely wanted me to write the article. She said that she would email me the following Monday with all the details...word count, deadlines, pictures, etc. And she did!!

So, I started working on telling our adoption story...in 600-700 words. Not easy for someone like me! I had to really condense everything, but I pray that I wrote the words that God wanted me to write. I emailed it too her last week! I pray that God will be glorified, and that He will use this according to His perfect plan! The article will be in the September issue of the magazine.

Love how God takes a stay-at-home mom/part-time preschool teacher and calls her to finally use her BSJ from 10 years ago! And it just makes me smile thinking about how He confirmed it all...with a hot air balloon!