FTOH

FTOH- Franktown Open Hearts, is a ministry Jason and I love and hold near to our hearts. This is an inner city ministry, it started with boys and has now grown to have a program for girls also. Jason and i mainly help with the boys however we have become close to some of the girls as well. My sister in law and I have decorated for their Christmas Dinner for the past 4 years. Jason and I started helping regularly with the ministry 2 years ago, we have been blessed by some of the kids in this Ministry greatly. I remember the first time we went, we both decided that this would be something our kids would look back on and remember that it was something we always did as a family. We usually go on Monday nights and help with tutoring, however there are many opportunities to serve in this ministry. We have grown close to many of the kids but i am going to highlight the family we first met and became close to. The very first time we all went to tutoring was just before the Christmas dinner, we went to tutor on Monday and that Friday we were planning to go to Opry Land hotel to see the christmas lights. As the week went on Jason and I decided we wanted to take a franktown kid, but which kid? we didnt really know any of them that well. Then i remembered what about that sweet little boy that gave me a big hug monday night at tutoring? Jason knew instantly who i was talking about. I am terrible with names but Jason is very good with names and really makes a point to know these kids names. That is just something i know i will always be terrible at so i never really try but i suppose it wouldnt hurt for me to try a little harder. Anyways, Jason told me the kids name and i called the director and asked if it would be okay if he gave me a way to contact Xavier to see if he and friend of his choice wanted to come with us. I just knew there was already a family that this sweet kid had grown close to but who cares, whats one more, right? So i called and of course he wanted to go and he asked a friend, his cousin Shawn to come with us. We went to pick them up and another kid Jason had met was leaving to walk home and we just happened to have room for one more and he just happened to have zero plans for the evening so  he came also. It was so much fun! It was so fun to see their faces as they saw all the Christmas lights. It was as fun to see their faces as it was to see my kids faces. It melted my heart to see Shawn carry Gunner around  and help take care of Gunner. That night as we were walking back to the car Trevell had Gunner on his shoulders and Guns drooled all over Trevells head, poor Trevell, he never even acted like it bothered him even though i am sure he wasn't loving it. He kept his sweet, quiet smile on his face the whole time! Little did i know this family would touch my life so much,  the way that they have over the past few years. They have spent holidays with us, my kids ask about Zay, Too, Shawn and Trevell as though they are brothers. They love to see them, my kids light up when they hear that they get to see any of these sweet boys! I met their moms the same night we went to Opry Land and let me just say the first time i met their moms i had no doubt why these boys were such outstanding kids, and i wanted to be their best friends! :D Their moms are awesome! They work hard, very hard, i mentioned above how these guys spent holidays with us well that is because their sweet mommas were working & it warmed my heart to have these guys around our table and i hope it warmed their moms heart to know that their boys were being loved on and taking care of while they were at work wishing they were able to be with their family. I also knew they would do the same thing for me if i ever needed them! They would always call me for anything because they knew i had their boys at my best interest. I can not say enough about how much i love the Starnes family! All of them! They opened up their family to us and i hope that we can always be considered part of their family as i also hope that they always feel like they are part of my family! Since Lyla was born its been a little harder to be as involved in FTOH, but we still consider ourselves to be involved and truly miss it when we have gone to long without seeing any of the kids!
I also have to mention one of the girls who has touched my life tremendously! I hope my Lyla girl turns out half as good and spirit lead as this sweet girl! Her name is Aneshia, just writing her name makes me smile, i am so proud of this young lady! She is a blessing to all she comes in contact with. But here is my story about how i first met her. One monday night we had a guest speaker come speak to the kids so they had the girls come also. I just happened to come in (late of course) and sit beside Aneshia (at the time i didnt know her name), i had seen her a few times but not well enough to say more than the usual "hi, how are you?" After the guy finished speaking he asked a few questions and few of the kids stood up if the question had ever been anything they dealt with or knew anyone who had dealt with, so on one of the questions Aneshia stood up, it literally made my heart hurt to think that she had dealt with such issues that most people go a lifetime without having to think of and here was this beautiful girl facing these issues. I came home tucked my kids in bed and got ready for bed myself, i could not go to sleep i had to find a way to reach out to Aneshia. I text a friend who helps with the girls ministry and she told me who I was talking about and what an awesome girl she was and said that i could find her on facebook. So without wasting anytime i came to the computer found Aneshia on facebook and sent her a friend request and a message. Not even 30 minutes later she responded with the sweetest message and i knew there was something special about this girl. She wanted what we had to offer, Jesus! Most of the kids are on facebook and they all have different status updates which some i would die if it were my kid, but i try to remember that their life is not nearly as sheltered as my kids. I never want them to think they have to hide things from me or cant be real with me so i never place judgement on a facebook post we have all been in highschool and had things we wish we could change. Aneshia however, her facebook status's were all about God and encouraging words. I am telling you this girl is an angel! She opened up to me a lot in the next few days, weeks, months as she learned that she was safe with me, she could trust me, i would never leave her, i will always support her! She graduated from Centinnial high school with honors i might add! She just completed her first year at MTSU and had an awesome first year with great grades! So i have mentioned the Christmas dinner this is a dinner where people sign up to take a child shopping. Ftoh gives each child $, that they have to spend on their family or someone else they are not allowed to spend the money on themselves, usually they all buy for their family and it is a gift in itself taking these kids shopping and seeing how eager they are to give a gift! Well after the Christmas dinner this year, Aneshia sent me a text saying she had something for me. I literally got choked up when i read Jason Aneshias text. My goodness i love her, how can she be so wise and good and God fearing at such a young age?!?! Her mom is sweet as she can be but also works and Aneshia was always home by herself a lot. No one to make her study, she just did it on her own! She knew she wanted a change in pace and she put her head down and she hasn't let up! I am so proud of her! She will always do well in life because she has the discipline, determination and mostly she seeks God! Aneshia if you ever find your self reading this long post i hope you always know what a blessing you are to my life and my family! You are a great example to my kids as well as myself!
I could go on and on story after story of all the kids and the different stories of how i met each one of them and the different ways i have been blessed by knowing them but ill stop here as this post is much longer than i intended!
Now i will post some pictures so you can see these kids that have become part of my heart!

Above: William, tuda, or as guns calls him "too"

Above: Trevell

Above: Lyla and Xavier or Zay

Above: Shawn & Trevell (brothers) & cousin too

(i had to steal this picture from their moms facebook page, because i couldnt find a picture with shawn in it! i know i have one somewhere, but i couldnt leave Shawn out because this is the sweetest kid, i mean look at that sweet smile, cant you just tell he is a good kid?!?!)

Above: Sara Beth, Aneshia, and Me at aneshias graduation

So along with everything else i listed above about Aneshia, when i said she was beautiful i meant everything about her she is just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside.