Christmas Poem 2013

The new kids never got a poem

And so. this one, I write

My brain is old and kinda tired

But, I’ll try with all my might

To give a yearly update

That’s not too long or boring

Want to fill you in on life

But don’t want to leave you snoring

2013, quite a year

For little Kali Green

She’s almost always smiling

Cutest thing you’ve ever seen

She’s got more friends than we can count

A social butterfly indeed

She absolutely loves her life

And brings joy to all she sees

Kaleb is a cutie, too

A soccer playing guy

He loves the sport with all his heart

And found it hard to say goodbye

When the season ended way too soon

For a team once undefeated

Hard to lose that playoff game

Don’t want that day repeated

Bennet is a crack up

Adding drama in the house

One way you’d NOT describe her

Is “quiet as a mouse”

She’s doing great in school this year

All A’s and B’s we find

On her report card, sitting pretty

It really blows my mind

So proud of all three younger ones

So grateful that they’re here

They continue to amaze us

With each passing year

They’re smart and strong and funny

And fit so perfectly

In the not-so-structured structure

Of our crazy family

When Gatlin and Cooper were four and six

They were both completely bit

By the acting bug that drew them in

And for years they’ve worked at it

They’ve honed their craft and tweaked their skills

They’ve sung for all to hear

And this year brought a nice surprise

That caused us all to cheer

A call from Nickelodeon

About a show called, “Twang”

Started things in motion

That ended with a bang

Two weeks on set in Hollywood

Could not have been more fun

We’re hoping and we’re praying

That the ride has just begun

To see them get to use their gifts

Together, is a thrill

To watch them grow in grace and love

Is even better still

To have the “littles” proudly watch

Coop and Gat performing

And hear them laugh a belly laugh

Is so very rewarding

Brian’s had a busy year

Both home and on the road

He’s been out with Steven Curtis

In frenzied tour mode

When here, he’s still producing

Songs and records left and right

We’re so very, very grateful

For the work the Lord provides

We did, however, have a loss

In August of this year

When Brian’s dad said goodbye

And took his last breath here

He’s now singing with the angels

And Brian’s mother, too

We couldn’t be more thankful

For that eternal truth

I’m just eating bon bons

ha ha ha ha ha 

You have to laugh or go insane

When you are the Mooooooommmmm (rhyme is lacking, whatevs!!)

To five amazing children

Who keep me on my toes

There’s never a dull moment

As all us Mommas know

I did have one big change this year

On January 17

I started with Rodan + Fields

Cause money had been lean

It’s become the kind of blessing

I couldn’t have imagined

Helping others find it, too

Has now become a passion

As this poem comes to a close

I want to wish you all

A New Year filled with things you love

Both big and very small

The smallest babe was born one night

In that stable far away

My prayer is that you know Him

And that HE will light your way

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

The Greens

Brian, Wendi, Cooper, Gatlin, Bennet, Kaleb and Kali

Things I Never Thought I'd Do...

All those years ago when Brian and I were dealing with the sad reality of infertility, we began talking about adoption.  There was never a time back then that the word adoption was ever put with “more than one child”.  Nope, never.  It was always, adopt “A” child.  So, as many of you already know, we NEVER intended to adopt THREE children.  After we were, miraculously, able to get pregnant, we didn’t talk about adoption for quite a few years.  And then, it wasn’t because we wanted more kids that it came up again...but it was a strong calling on my life that I couldn’t shake...didn’t want to shake.  So, we started talking about it again.  But, it was always one.  And, it was an Asian one.  We had a name picked out, we had a face in our heads, we had a plan.  HA!!!   So, when all that fell through, we stopped talking about adoption again.  But, not for long.  Two years after the original plan fell through, I saw a picture of the twins.  And I couldn’t get it out of my head.  Didn’t want to.  But, then there were three.  THREE!!  Oh my.  Never in a million years did we ever think we would adopt three kids.  But, God knew.  And, yesterday, as I stood next to my precious Ethiopian three in church, singing, “Your Great Name” at the top of my lungs, the words, “the fatherless, find their rest, at the sound of Your great Name” caused a lump in my throat and tears to stream down my cheeks.  And, in that moment, I was reminded again that God had fulfilled a calling on my life by bringing those sweet babies to me.  To us.  What an honor it is to be their mom.  They are precious.  

Following the adoption were the hardest two financial years that Brian and I have had in 20 years.  Doesn’t that just figure.  Listen, I thoroughly believe that Satan comes after us BIG TIME if we’re trying to do something good for the Kingdom of God.  And, our finances were under attack!!   It was very stressful.  There were so many nights that I’d lie in bed and wonder how we were gonna make it.  I had said (while we were making our adoption decision) that we’d eat peanut better and jelly forever if that’s what we needed to do, but in reality, I did NOT want to be forced to do that.  Yet, that’s where we were.  The crazy thing was, only two years prior to the adoption, we had had our very best year, financially.  We had gotten a cut on a Miley Cyrus record and the residual money had started coming in.  It was a little bit more than I made back in my “Sierra” recording/writing days. ha!  It was a huge blessing.  Because we had finally made some great money, we decided to invest in our retirement fund, which had been seriously neglected.  Well, to make a very long story short, the year before the adoption, the company that we had invested with declared bankruptcy, and it was devastating to find out that there had been embezzlement and fraud involved, and money that we thought was very safe, was not.  We lost ALL of our retirement funds.  All of them!   And so, there we were, three more kids, less money than we’d ever made, and no savings or retirement funds to pull from.  It was a little stressful, to say the least.  BUT, Brian and I looked at each other and said, “If the Lord allowed this, then the Lord will provide for us”.  And He did.  Looking back on 2011, we don’t know how we made it.  It was all God.  We laid our rocks of remembrance at the end of that year!

So, this brings us to another thing I never thought I’d do.  I never thought I’d have a job like the one I have now.  Nope, never did.  I’m a song writer, singer, worship leader.  Last year, when my sister started telling me about how well she was doing with Rodan + Fields, and that she wanted me to join with her, I was like, “how about I write them a jingle”.  Cause y’all, seriously, I did NOT think that was the cloth I was cut out of.  Months went by as I watched my sister become very successful in her new business venture.  I would lie in bed and be sick to my stomach wondering if we were going to have enough to pay all our bills, or any extra to do Christmas presents, or pay for Bennet’s school (which is so important to me because she’s doing so well there).  And, as I kept fighting the worry, and as my sister kept singing the praises of Rodan + Fields, I was reminded of this story.  

An old man who had clung to his faith sat on his roof and prayed. "Dear Lord, Please save me from this flood" After a while a boat came by loaded with rescuers and victims. "Come with us, we will take you to safety", they cried. The old man told them, "No Thank you, My Lord will Save me". Once more the same boat came by. "Please sir, let us save you". Again he turned them down. "My Lord will save me" he said. Hours went by and the old man looked around. All of the other families had been taken from their roofs to safety. "Where are you Lord?" He prayed. Just then a helicopter came and lowered a basket. "Please sir, get in the basket and let us take you to dry land" they yelled. "My Lord will save me" he told them and pushed the basket away. The next day the waters rose over the rooftops and the man was swept away and he drowned. When he got to Heaven he asked his Father, "Lord I prayed and prayed, why did you not save me?" The Lord replied, "Old man, I sent you two boats and a helicopter."

So, I decided to jump in the boat.  I had no idea exactly where that boat would take me and I wasn’t exactly sure it was the perfect boat for me, but I made a decision to at least get out of the stressful flood waters!  Don’t worry, I’m not going to try to sell you on Rodan + Fields here, but I will tell you that there’s a point and time where we have to step out in faith and get in the boat.  We have the ability to change our circumstances.  “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind”.  My sound mind was telling me that I needed to participate more to help out with our finances.  Brian has always worked SO hard, but times have changed, and the music industry isn’t what it used to be.  These days, Brian works twice as many hours for half the pay.  So, I needed to step in.  I couldn’t choose just any job because I have five kids and am running around in a million different directions at any given time.  I keep the books for our home and Brian’s business.  I am a part-time worship leader for our church.  I am the scheduler of all things “Cooper and Gatlin” in acting and music land.  Thus, I needed a job that was flexible that I could do from home.  That was my situation and that’s why this was a good choice for me.  I set a few short-term goals when I started, and have met all of them already.  Very blessed, very humbled!! 

Sometimes in life, we have to do the things that we never thought we’d do.  We have to take the chance.  Walk in obedience.  Do.  For real, the two I’ve just written about have taken me out of my comfort zone...they’ve stretched me....but they’ve also blessed me.  Big time.  I pray that you, too, will jump in the boat (whatever boat it is) and not miss what the Lord has in store for you!!