Retirement Center!

Hey friends,

Some of you may already know that Taylor and I volunteer at a Retirement Center a couple of times a week. There, they have Activities such as worship, Bingo, Card Games and we are now starting a Bible Study. When they attend such activities they receive “Bucks” to spend at their weekly auction. However; their auction prizes consist of boxes of Kleenexes, Toilet Paper, and other non motivating items.  

My goal is to get people to donate some items from around their home that are just going to waste.  Ideas are lotions, socks, flashlights, cologne, candles, bibles, books, gift cards, bag of candy, DVDs, blankets, earrings, really anything!! I’ve gathered over 20 things from my own home that I have never even used!

I feel that if we could improve the auction items it would be a better incentive for them to attend these activities. This means more people hearing about God’s Love, which is the ultimate goal! I'm so excited to love on these elderly people like He loves on us.

I would greatly appreciate it if you had anything you could donate for this cause. Please contact me if you do!

Together we can help prepare others for His Kingdom.

Africa T-shirts Now Available!

Thanks to YouthMerch and the help of Adam Hall I have officially completed my Africa t-shirts! These shirts have been designed to help raise money for my mission’s trip to Burkina Faso, Africa this summer. My team and I will be providing clean water and spreading the love of Jesus.

The amazing part is not only are you helping me and those in Africa, you are also providing a shirt for a child in need. In short, it's a shirt-for-shirt philosophy through the nonprofit organization, Got Your back Movement. 

If you would like to purchase a shirt directly from me the cost is $25. I would love to ship one to you as well. The cost for that would be $30. I have sizes Small to X-Large available.

Please help me spread the word on Facebook, Twitter, (I’d say MySpace but I don’t think anyone would see it) on how you can help Others, Africa, and Me with just one purchase! Together we can make a difference!

Purchase now! http://giveh2ope2africa.bigcartel.com/product/africa-t-shirt
“Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these…” – Jesus
John 14:12

The night I truly gave my life to God--Passion One Day 2003.

I felt compelled to share my story from the “Passion One Day” Event that I attended in Sherman, TX in May of 2003. I went to the 4-day event with the young adult’s class from my church. It called a generation together not for a festival, not to hear bands play, and not for people or personalities. It called people together to say let’s put our faces to the ground and return to Him with all our hearts and see what He does.  I was very excited to see what God had in store for me. To be honest, I was having doubts and questioning if God was real…

The first night we made a camp fire, dinner, and prayed for the weekend before us. It was so beautiful outside. The weather was perfect and we were all enjoying our time together. I was getting ready to head to my tent when I heard a loud roar to my right. When I looked up in the sky, I saw golf ball-sized hail coming toward me from a distance. Words cannot describe how incredible it was to watch it hit the campground section by section like a domino effect.

It stormed that entire night. I was awake most of the time, along with the other girls, because I was sleeping in a soaking wet sleeping bag. I brought my own water proof tent but because there were more girls than guys and my tent was smaller, we decided to trade. Needless to say, they stayed dry and warm. The next day I had to borrow clothes from the guys because everything I owned was drenched.

On the second day, we approached a huge open field where the first services took place. I listed to Beth Moore talk about the storm and how we weren’t going to let it affect our time there to worship God. This had brightened my spirit because I was wearing men’s clothing, I felt embarrassed, and I had begun to wonder why I was even there.

Later that evening, I sat down to watch “Shane and Shane” play. The sky was so beautiful. It was the most amazing sunset I have probably ever seen to this day. I looked around and saw that there were tens of thousands of students there; a sea of worshiping young people. That’s when I really began questioning God; “Are you real?”, “Are you listening to me?”, and “If you are real, how could  you care about me when I see thousands of people here; only a small fraction of people in the world that love you and seek you?”. I began to cry inside feeling so unworthy as I asked all of these questions in my head. I kept hoping that the next speaker, the next worship leader, or the next prayer would set me free from my doubts. I never shared my doubts with anyone. I didn’t want to be told, “My dear, you need assurance. I can settle that for you once and for all. It says right here in 1 John 1:9, ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ You see? You’re saved. So don’t give the devil a foothold by doubting.” I needed and wanted to feel it for myself.

 It was as if the warmth of God’s presence came to me within minutes. It was in that moment when I was desperately calling out to God that He spoke to me and said, “Tiffany, I know every hair on your head and I know your heart, I will never leave you nor forsake you.” That’s when I broke down and fully gave my life to Christ. It’s a moment that I will never forget. I felt so at peace with who I was going to be and who He is. What helped me the most was experiencing God’s real presence.  I felt the bigness of God in the littlest of things that weekend.  I feel as though I am no longer haunted by doubts. I experienced God through nature, through other people, through circumstances, through words and pictures and impressions, and frequently through the Bible.

I heard several speakers throughout the event but the one that stood out to me most was Kirk Cameron. You may have heard of him because he used to be on the show “Growing Pains.” I loved hearing his story about how he came to know and love God. He mentioned that he had to leave his fame behind him to fully live for Christ. The reason being was to make God’s name known and not his own. That’s why he no longer wanted the image of “Kirk Cameron.”  He explained that if you fully seek God, you may lose interest in many other things you thought were important. It's Okay! 

I’ve learned that God never gives up on us, never rejects us, and never leaves us. These things are especially difficult for us to believe if we didn’t grow up in an environment of trust. But God understands our mistrust and invites us to discover, through experience, how trustworthy He is.

I now live my life with these three main focuses:

1.       Know Him—Read His word and explore who He is.

2.       Live for Him—Love others like He loves us.

3.       Tell the Story of Jesus—Share His word and help prepare others for His kingdom.

But most importantly Love Him—Because He loved you first.

Where He leads--I'll follow.

The verdict is in!! This summer I will be going to Burkina Faso, Africa to help provide clean water and spread God’s word with those who have never heard of Him.

Some of the things I will experience in Burkina Faso this summer are Red dirt, ancient tribal peoples, and the largest elephant population in West Africa. It predominantly consists of Muslim and Animist, Burkina is in the middle of the most unreached section of the world.

I will journey to the capital city of Ouagadougou (Wa-ga-du-gu) to reach out to the Burkinabe through evangelism and community development projects. Our ministry will include skits/drama, school presentations, English language training, work projects to provide access to clean water, and assisting in medical clinics. We'll do outreach in the capital as well as in village settings. In this nation, where 60% of the population is under the age of 16, we'll share Christ with a number of children who have never heard the Gospel. Please help me as I share Christ with the Mossi, Fulani, and other tribes in this colorful nation. Imagine being introduced to the “Living Water” and given clean water at the same time!

My goal this summer is to get out and spend the summer loving God and people in ways I never have before. I will keep you updated with my blog throughout this adventure. Please feel free to share it with your friends and I ask for as many prayers as possible for a successful trip!!

Three Significant Words--Mom and Dad.

I sat with my mother this past weekend to discover how I became a part of their family. She told me that she and my dad were unable to have children of their own so they chose to adopt. They adopted a daughter a few years prior to me; her name was Karen. Karen decided that she wanted a younger sister. My parents did all the necessary paperwork and waited patiently for a baby girl. Approximately a year later, just as they were about to give up hope, they received a phone call from DHS. The worker informed my mother that they had two girls who were sisters. My parents didn’t want to separate us, so they agreed to adopt us both with no hesitation. That same day my foster mother gave my sister and me a picture of our new parents. We were so thrilled to meet them!

The following day my new parents Van and Bernice Barkley came to pick us up. They signed all of the legal paperwork before they even got to meet my sister and me. I was ready to go. I packed my tiny suitcase with my favorite blanket and left with just the dress that I was wearing. I still have all three of the possessions I took that day. They are exceptionally precious to me.

We left the adoption facility that afternoon as one. It was the day my life changed FOREVER! I actually had a family; someone to call mom and dad. It was the greatest feeling in the world!
Right away my mother took us for our first family photo.  In fact, it is the earliest picture that I have of myself. Then we were off to shop for new clothes and toys.

                                    First Day with my New Parents!
My mom was a homemaker; she is so admirable. Each day I would arrive home from school and she would always have a snack prepared along with some sort of art project. Perhaps that’s how I became an artist. My mom has taught me how to love, care, nurture, show sincere concern for others, and encourage.  She is my source of advice in dealing with everyday life.

My father was a pastor and also worked for SBC (Southwestern Bell). He is an amazing man of God; a man of integrity, character, and full of wisdom. He was always there when I needed him as well as anyone else. He attended every single wedding and funeral, and visited people in the hospital no matter what time of day it was. He has been my role model in teaching me what the true pursuit of God is.  He has always supported me in whatever I do and has been my driving force, pushing me to be my finest.

They have instilled in me the importance of love and serving God with all that I am. I feel so blessed to be a part of this family and couldn’t be grateful enough that they took me in as their own. No matter where I go in this life or what I may become, I have achieved the greatest riches because of the love they have given me.
I am not angry or upset in any way towards my birth mother. I actually am so thankful that she gave me life. I feel extremely fortunate everyday to take a breath of air and I will never take one breath for granted.  I know that every single day is a gift from God.  I do not deserve to be saved by Grace. I am far from perfect, but mercifully forgiven by a God who is.  God is rich in mercy and compassion and that’s the God I have fallen in love with.  I see significance in every single day that I am alive and I will live to glorify Him for the rest of my life.

I have a heart for children and people in general. This is one of many experiences in my life that has pressed me to work with Crisis/Teen Pregnancy Centers and promote adoption. I encourage others to love and choose life, like was done for me. This has also directed me to do Missionary work as well. Missions are not just a task. They gather people who are willing to worship the one worthy of being worshiped. We have to let Christ come and rid us of all rival loves and all lesser loves. His love is better than life. We are all placed on this earth to serve and love ONE God!

First. Three. Years.

I decided to try my hand at blogging. I’m doing this is in hopes of encouraging others to forgive, love, live, dream, inspire, and most importantly serve. I know that I don’t want to just exist; I want to be a servant for God.

It may take me several days/weeks/months to get to where I am today, but eventually we’ll get there. Let me start from the beginning…

I was born on December 18, 1981 in Oklahoma City, OK. I would love to tell you all the amazing things that happened over the course of my first 3 years of life, but unfortunately my beginning started differently than most. I was first hospitalized for “failure-to-thrive” 3 days after birth. Throughout the course of my first year, I visited the hospital over a dozen times for that same reason due to neglect of being feed from my birth mother, stated DHS. Each time I was admitted to the hospital, the nurses would take great care of me and I would gain weight by proper feeding. However, when I would go home with my birth mom I would lose all the weight plus more.

On February 12, 1982, a child abuse/neglect referral was received alleging neglect of my sister Sharon and me. At the time of the report my sister, my birth mother, and I were homeless.  I was hospitalized for bruises and bite marks all over my body. The allegations were ruled uncertain.

On March 24, 1982, I was admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of “non-organic failure-to-thrive”. While at the hospital, my birth mother roomed with me. Several times the nurses were unable to wake her during the night to feed me. She stated that she had been feeding me beef and vegetables along with cereal and formula in my bottle. The nurses had previously told my birth mother to only feed me formula because I was only three months old and seriously underweight.

A petition was filed alleging that my birth mother was unable to provide the necessary care for my sister and me. When she was confronted by the court about my biological father she stated that I was conceived by rape.

In May of 1982, I was adjudicated a deprived child and returned to my birth mother. Beginning in June, she was ordered to provide a stable home and participate in counseling and parenting skills program. She was also referred for counseling.

In late June, another child neglect referral was received alleging that the apartment was a mess, neighbors had complained of my birth mother kicking my sister and me to the ground, and there were a lot of men coming in and out of our home. DHS workers said that my body was dirty, my hair matted, and I smelled of urine. It was evident to the worker that I had not had a bath in several days. Once again I was hospitalized.
The day I got out of the hospital, my sister and I were removed from the home and placed in a shelter. The Court wrote that my birth mom used profanity and would take out her frustrations on my sister and me by kicking and slapping us. Only two months later the court placed us back with our birth mom giving her yet another chance.

From December 1981 to January 1984, I had moved over 2 dozen times going back and forth to shelters, foster homes, living with my birth mother, family members, and even on the street. Over that course of time I had also been hospitalized a couple dozen times along with my sister for different types of abuse. My birth mother admitted herself into rehab on several occasions for drug and alcohol abuse.

At age 2 ½, I had a psychological/developmental assessment to aid in adoption planning. I was described as a delightful, happy, bright little girl who was always smiling and waited patiently for directions. They said I was also strong willed and determined to do whatever task they gave me.  I think my friends and family would state that is still my personality to this day…

Finally, on January 26, 1984, my birth mother’s parental rights were terminated. At this time my sister and I were prepared for adoption and were so excited about a new home and family!