Brian, Scholar Extraordinaire

Please join me  in celebrating the latest Beattie college graduate, Brian!

Yes, it’s true. My beloved has completed college, and with a GPA of 4.0! Although he made a huge push the last 2 years to make this happen, it’s a journey that started over 30 years ago. He graduated from high school with high grades (graduating 15th in a class of 435 students) and dreamed of going to college, but the money just wasn’t there. Instead, he signed up for the Air Force, being assigned a job as a computer operator. He excelled at that (of course!) and ended up getting assigned as a programmer, writing a program that was used internationally by the Air Force. During this time he took college classes as he was able, and CLEP’ed out of a few other classes.

In 1983 he completed his commitment to the Air Force and got a job  working as a programmer. Now that he was financially stable, we got married and moved to the desert where his new job was. At first he wouldn’t take classes, because he felt bad making a commitment to anything that would interfere with us spending time together, but I encouraged him to go for it, knowing how much it meant to him.

Over the next couple years he took just a class a semester in order to not have his classes be a burden to me (although I wouldn’t have minded). When Amanda was born he took some time off from school in order to be able to with the family as much as possible, but he finally started back, one class at a time. It didn’t take long before he gave it up, not being comfortable not being fully available to his family. I felt bad about it, but he would have it no other way, wanting to be the best, most available husband and father he could be.

Through the years the subject came up now and then, but he refused to entertain the idea of going back to college, feeling the cost to the rest of us would be too high.  During those years money went for our kids to take dance classes, piano lessons, play little league, take gymnastics, and be homeschooled, but no college for Brian. Then it went to put both kids through Bible college. A couple years ago when God miraculously provided money for Brian to return to college, he fought it for a while, knowing there was much good that could be done for others with that money, but I finally convinced him it was his turn.

For the two years since then, Brian continued to work his full-time, high-responsibility job, and spent just about every free minute working on being a full-time student. I razzed him a little about it once, and he said, “I did NOT go back to school to not get A’s!” It’s impossible to not love a heart like that! He held on to that through the whole program, in spite of some dud classes and a couple dud professors.

But, don’t get the idea that Brian turned over a new leaf and started looking out for himself instead of his family. His sacrifice continued right up to the end. After three decades of working on his degree, wouldn’t you know that his graduation was scheduled for the same weekend as our son’s. In typical Brian- fashion, Brian chose to make the trip to Kansas City for Adam’s graduation rather than attend his own. So while his classmates were celebrated in front of hundreds a month ago, he will be celebrated tonight with just me.

Oh, and just so you know, there’s another thing that hasn’t changed in all these years. He’s still class clown…

 

 

Adam Dances!

Yes, it’s true. Although he doesn’t talk about it much these days, Adam took dance lessons for a few years when he was a kid. I think he was about four or five when he started. (He also played the piano for a few years, but you didn’t hear that from me!) I guess being around dance studios and recitals from the time he was a toddler finally got to him.

I still remember the day I signed him up for classes. I walked into the studio and told Ms. Gloria Adam wanted to take dance classes. She turned to him and said, “So you want to learn to dance, do you?” to which he replied,”But Ms. Gloria, I already know how to dance!” She in turn asked him what kind of dance he did. He replied, “Wacky dancing!” then set about proving it. Ms. Gloria and I agreed that his dancing was, in fact, wacky.

Adam soon realized there was a great perk to being the only boy in the studio, namely, he was the center of attention for every dance he was in. His first year he was the teddy bear in “Teddy Bear Parade”. I won’t show you the photo of him in that costume, because I’d really like it if he was still talking to me after I post this! It was either the first or second year he also starred in the production number “Boy from New York City”. Doo wop, doo wop, doo doo dity. There’s something unbearably appealing about a preschooler in a suit and fedora! The dance started with the little girls in the class in a chorus line on stage, and as the music started Adam strutted in from stage right. As he stepped out from behind the wing curtain the crowded auditorium went nuts, with people applauding and cheering at his macho cuteness. He really was quite the dude! Be honest, now; wouldn’t you cheer for this strutting across the stage:

During his dance career, he had happy feet. I remember walking through  Sam’s Club with him tapping his way up and down the aisles. When we switched studios, the new studio required everyone that took classes to include at least one class of clogging, so that got folded into the repertoire. Yes, that’s right. Adam Beattie has appeared on stage wearing a sparkly cowboy shirt and clogging his little heart out. He also wore a shiny black suit to tap to “Men in Black”, and red lycra pants to dance to “Alexander’s Ragtime Band”, among others.

As he got older he decided to end his dance career, concerned that his baseball teammates wouldn’t quite get it, or let him live it down. While I was sad to see it end, I understood, too. Kids can be pretty rotten to each other with very little provocation. But, while he was involved in dance, he was really good, so my guess is it’s still in there somewhere, just waiting for a chance to be released and flourish once again. Maybe I should let someone in charge at Forerunner Arts know if they need a tap dancer, he’s their man… Or maybe not. Like I said, I’d really like it if he continued to like me…

Adam the Superhero

Take a good look at this photo. It’s one of the last photos you’ll see of Adam in a button-up shirt.  It was taken on the Fourth of July in Houston, as we were waiting for the fireworks to start. Sometime in the following couple of years he went on revolt and refused to wear anything but Tshirts, except on the rare occasion when it was required, such as for a costume. It didn’t matter how hard we tried to convince him, he only wanted Tshirts. When he was older I asked him why he didn’t like button-up shirts, and he informed me they were too much work; Tshirts were easier. It wasn’t until he was 17, though, that the truth came out.

He had been working at Subway for a while, a job that required he wear a polo shirt with (gasp!) three buttons. He put up with it, I think because the buttons were nothing compared to the stench of cheap bread and pickles the shirts always carried. Through a woman at church he heard of a Christian bookstore that was hiring, so he applied after work one day. He got the job on the spot, in spite of the fact that he showed up in his Subway uniform, complete with stinky pickle essence! The one drawback to the new job? He had to wear a button-up shirt and tie. Adam made the wise decision that the job was worth it, so we made a quick trip to Kohl’s to buy a couple of shirts and ties.

He looked SO sharp on his first day of the new job! When he came home from the job, though, he was wearing a Tshirt. I didn’t think too much of it until it happened every day. I asked him what was up and he confessed that he was wearing a Tshirt under his work shirt and tie every day, and would pull the business wear off as soon as he got in his car. (You have to understand these weren’t your typical underwear type Tshirts; these were normal wear-on-the-outside kinds of Tshirts. And it was Tulsa, in the summer!) He informed me that the Tshirt was necessary, because it protected him from the shirt buttons. “Because, you know Mom, shirt buttons are my cryptonite!” and with that his secret identity was revealed; he is, in fact, Captain Tshirt. I offered to make him a cape, but he had seen “The Incredibles” and knew that capes are SO last century, so turned down my offer.

Although he doesn’t generally speak of it (because he’s humble like that) he is still Captain Tshirt. His feats of heroism remain a secret well kept, but I have no doubt but what they are amazing indeed.

Adam The Brainiac

If you’ve ever met Adam it goes without saying, but just in case, I’ll say it anyway; Adam is super-smart. From the time he was very little he had a knack for figuring things out. OK, so it was usually how to get into something he wasn’t supposed to, but still…

One of his early brainiac conquests came when he was five. We had just made the decision to be a homeschooling family, so were in the process of bringing “smart” things into the house. For some reason I don’t remember, this included getting a wall map of the world. I put it on the kitchen table, then covered it with a clear plastic tablecloth so meals would be educational. (It’s a homeschool thing…) Adam immediately took an interest in the map, asking what the names of various countries were. Within just a few days he had many of the countries in Africa memorized, and requested a map to go on his bedroom wall. Of course I said yes! In less than two months he had a contribution to  make for our homeschool group’s Young Scholars’ Night. We brought in a world map and he successfully pointed out and named all of the countries in Africa and South America, in front of a room full of total strangers!

The next year a friend introduced our family to the awesome world of AWANA. It’s a sort of Bible version of a scouting program, where kids memorize Bible verses and such to earn badges, buttons, and “jewels”. By the time we heard about AWANA a couple months of the school year were gone, but Adam enjoyed it so much we let him join anyway, knowing he was a little behind. He was in the Cubbie category of the club, being the preschool/kindergarten branch of the organization. Since he would be in first grade the next year this would be his only year to earn Cubbie badges. Not wanting to miss out on any awards, Adam worked extra hard and memorized all the verses in the first book, did the repeat of the book required before going on to the next one, did the same in the next book, and went on to go all the way through the final Cubbie book. What normally takes two full years to accomplish (which is a ton of memorization) Adam got through in less than one! Here he is after the Awards Night at the end of the year, wearing his Cubbie vest, holding his completed books, certificate of merit, and behind him is the ribbon he got for completing his level. He was SO proud that night!

Adam’s brain caused a lot of pain, too. There was the time he was about four or five and he started a theological discussion by asking, “Mom, God loves everybody, right?”

“That’s right, Adam.”

“And God hates evil, right?”

“That’s right.”

“So does God love the devil?”

<stunned silence>

After much head-scratching, stammering, and trying desperately to come up with something wise to say (and hoping it would be truth) I hit upon the perfect answer: “Let’s call Grandpa and ask him!” Funny thing is, Grandpa, who has been teaching adult Sunday School since shortly after Noah built the ark, had exactly the same reaction I did! A few years later when we were visiting Grandma and Grandpa in Oregon Adam chose to sit in on Grandpa’s class with his dad rather than go to a children’s class. Adam’s super brain confounded the masses as Grandpa asked questions of the class based on previous weeks’ lessons, and Adam was ALWAYS the first one (sometimes only one) to raise his hand, always with the correct response. Grandpa and his class of retired ladies were quite impressed!

When you stop to think this is where Adam started his career as a scholar, is it really any surprise that he graduated Bible college with honors? I don’t think so either…

The Natural

Adam has always loved sports. And I mean loved! Anything that even vaguely resembled sports would grab his attention. When he was 2 1/2 we took him to see his first professional baseball game. Nolan Ryan was pitching for the Rangers, and even at his young age, Adam knew this was a big deal. I have no idea how he knew it; he just did. Being a young, single income family, we got cheap seats in the outfield. It was something like, “See that little speck way over there, honey? Not that one! The one by himself in the middle. That’s Nolan Ryan.” Adam was spellbound through the whole game, loving every minute of it. Well, except the interruptions in the game to run to the men’s room. Being in the process of being potty trained, he had the normal little kid fascination with public restrooms. (And yes, Adam, I do know that’s TMI. But I had to be honest, right?)

We were stunned the next day to learn just how much Adam had gotten out of the game the night before. While the normal toddler throws a ball using only their forearm and hand, we found Adam in the backyard mimicking an actual pitchers movements! He had an appropriate wind-up instead of the exaggerated cartoon-style wind-up toddlers usually have, as well as a follow-through. I grabbed my camera and snagged a couple of snapshots. They’re bad quality, but they do show his amazing technique.

This love of baseball led him to a Little league career that started in T-ball and lasted until sometime in high school. As a 4-year-old, Adam had such a reputation as a power hitter the coach for the other team would make his outfielders go deeper into the outfield because there was no question but what that ball way taking a long trip! Later, he had seasons when he played first base, outfielder, pitcher, and catcher. It was playing catcher that really stuck, as I recall.  As far as I know, baseball is still top of his list of pastimes: so much so that he even asked us if we wanted to delay our trip home so we could go see a baseball game with him! Old habits die hard, I guess…

It’s Adam Week!!!

In case the photo didn’t give it away, this week Adam graduated from International House of Prayer University. To celebrate his achievement, I have declared this week Adam Week. All week I’ll be sharing memories of him as he grew from a 7 lb 10 1/2 oz baby to the tall, strong man he is.

A logical place to start is with his basic personality. He would be the first to tell you he’s “quirky”, and proud of it. He has always been one of a kind: a true color outside the box kind of guy. When he was little, I’d ask him “Do you want peanut butter, or grilled cheese” and his answer would be, “Bologna!” You have to understand, it wasn’t because he loved bologna that much, but rather, he wanted to make a decision outside the boundaries given. While that could be frustrating as his mom, it has proven to serve him well as he charts his course through life. It also makes it ironic, or maybe totally predictable, that he was a member of the one and only class that will ever graduate from the Social Justice Program at the school. (Several months ago it was decided this particular curriculum would be folded into another program.) Leave it to Adam to choose a study program that no one else (outside of his 9 classmates) will ever be able to take!

And while we’re at it, here’s Adam as that adorable 7 lb. 10 1/2 oz. baby boy:

A Matching Grant!

As you might know, we have been fundraising for a few months to get a van for John and Tracie Loux . If you aren’t familiar with them, you can read about them here: Even a Hero Needs Heroes . Since we started the fund, they have adopted another little boy, Mattie. Mattie was born with Downs Syndrome and has spent the first three months of his life NICU. Once he comes home (which could be any day now) they will no longer be able to squeeze into their minivan.

All of this means this exciting news came just in time! A matching grant has been offered toward the purchase of their van! Every donation, up to $5000, will be matched, dollar for dollar! So if you have $10 to give, your donation will become $10. Pretty cool, right?  The grant deadline is February 9, 2011. Please consider giving to this great cause! Four former orphans are counting on you!

How to Contribute:

You can give by sending a check made out to Tekoa 211 to:

Tracie Loux,
12312 Askew St.
Grandview, MO 64030.

If you’re sending a check, it would be a good idea to let Tracie know to make sure it gets tallied in time for the grant. Or you can let me know, and I’ll get the message to the grant holder. Together we can make this happen!

Even a Hero Needs Heroes

It is no secret Tracie Loux is amazing. I’m guessing everyone who has ever met her realizes she’s amazing. Who else could champion the cause of a newborn with Down’s Syndrome to the extent that not only did he have adoptive parents before he was discharged from the hospital, but the whole bill for his adoption was paid for by an army of total strangers? Who else would spend the night at a hospital to pray for and love on a newborn baby girl so that she wouldn’t feel alone until her adoptive parents arrived the next day? Who else could have a newborn found for a homestudy ready family even before the family has completed their paperwork? Yeah, she’s like that, and we all know it.

You probably know that Tracie and her husband John, along with their three children, moved to Kansas City, Missouri a few years ago to be part of the International House of Prayer. (This means that, rather than having a full-time good paying job, complete with benefits, they have a full-time ministry job and live on missionary support, which they raise themselves.) You probably also know that three years ago they adopted a newborn baby girl domestically, and then adopted two special needs toddlers from Ukraine a year and half ago. You may even know that while she was busy adopting three little ones herself, she was helping 37 families complete their own adoptions, and has several more families in process, including three that are already matched and waiting for their babies to be born.

What you may not know about Tracie is what kind of vehicle she drives: a ’99 minivan with almost 140,000 miles on it. Yep, a minivan with seating for seven, for a family of eight. Being ever resourceful, Tracie and John ditched the middle two-seater seat and replaced it with a three seater seat, and now they are able to squeeze three teenagers and three toddlers in car seats into the back of their minivan. I can only imagine how fun it is to climb over the middle seat  to get to the back, either to sit or to buckle a toddler into a car seat, realizing that the aisle the manufacturer left to access that back seat is now occupied by seat #8! You probably don’t know the condition of this poor, overworked minivan, either. To be honest, I don’t know any specifics, but I heard how it sounded last year, and even I know a car isn’t supposed to sound like that!

So why am I telling you this? Because this family has been praying for a larger, more appropriate van ever since they became a family of eight, and I believe it’s time. They don’t just WANT a new van; they truly NEED a new van. As I wrote in my last post, so much good be done when we all get together and give even small amounts. Let’s join forces and get this family the van they so desperately need! What they really need is a 15 passenger van because, not surprisingly, they hope to rescue more orphans. When the right van becomes available it will be important to act fast, so I’m starting the money end of things right away. Our initial goal is to raise $10,000, but the more we raise the better van we will be able to get them.

There are a couple ways you can give to the Loux van fund. The first is to use the PayPal button on Tracie’s blog. The second, in case you need your gift to be tax deductible, a check can be sent to: Tekoa 211, PO Box 214, Beaver Crossing NE 68313. Attach a note to the check (don’t write ON the check) that the check is for “Loux Van”. Whichever way you choose to donate please contact me with the amount you gave so we know when we know what we have to work with. You can contact me on Facebook (Dorean Beattie) or through email (dorcb@yahoo.com).

Tracie has been such a hero to so many of us, and this time she is the one that needs some heroes. Together we can do this!

Stone Soup Babies

It’s common knowledge that there are many children who have no permanent home and no “forever family”. Worldwide the estimates are in the millions. In the United States, numbers run upwards of 100,000. Like many Christians, I want to be part of the solution for these little ones, but have found it a daunting task to figure out how to help. The need is so big, and what we are equipped to do seems so small. While costs vary widely, the average range for an adoption in the U.S. is about $20,000-$40,000.

In the last week, I witnessed a financial “miracle” which enabled a family to do an emergency adoption. There was no wealthy benefactor that paid for the adoption; there were 182 heroes. These people gave anywhere from $5-$1200, with about half of them giving less than $30. All together, it was enough to fully ransom this little life, saving him from a life potentially spent in foster homes. Watching the Facebook updates posted by the amazing Tracie Loux over the course of a week, and seeing just how quickly we all could find money when properly motivated was amazing. (Click to visit Tracie’s personal blog here , and click here to see her adoption blog, where you can find information on newborns needing familes.)

All this got me thinking. Sure, $40,000 is a ton of money, but if we all consistently did a small part, we could make a major difference. For instance, the community at the Intertnational House of Prayer in Kansas City is made up of about 4000 people. This  includes IHOP-KC staff, IHOPU students, and FCF congregants. Sure, the missionaries don’t have piles of money, and the students don’t either. But, I’m guessing nearly everyone would find an extra $10 a month to throw in the adoption pot. Do you realize, if all 4000 of us gave $10 a month that would be $40,000, or one adoption a month fully paid for? When you add in the fact that some adoptions are closer to $20,000, just this one community could fully fund anywhere from 12-24 adoptions a year!

I realize that when you’re living on a tight budget even $10 can be a stretch, but think of it this way: The following are all about $10. Make one of these sacrifices in your monthly budget, and you could be part of a couple dozen kids having homes this year.

Things that cost about $10

a trip to Chipotle
two trips to Starbucks
a movie ticket
a sale price pizza
an everyday Tshirt
a cheap seat at a Royals (or other team) game
a car wash (with wax)
1/3 of getting highlights in your hair
1/2 a pedicure

Things $10 is less than

a  CD
 a bargain video game
a cheap haircut
a DVD
a trip to the zoo
a monthly gym membership
a shirt from American Eagle

So, what do you say? Can you spare a pizza to give a kid a home?

A New Year’s Challenge

Well, here we are again. A new year, full of promise, hope, and dreams. At least for this week. If all goes as normal, by this time next week everyone will have gone back to thinking and feeling just like they did last year, and the year before that. My guess is that this happens because we get all excited at the chance to “start over”, only to discover that this year is pretty much like last, failing to realize that it is our decisions that shape how the year goes. One of my favorite bloggers, Randy Bohlender, founder of The Zoe Foundation, has an awesome idea of how to make this year better than last year. He published a challenge which, if you are brave enough to try, will not only change your year, but your life and the lives of others for years to come. Read about it here, and then give it a try. You’ll be glad you did!