Few more pictures to share!

Josh down on one knee!!!

My beautiful ring..... He did such a great job!

Josh and I celebrating at dinner last night at Chuck's Fish in Birmingham!

Oh Happy Day, I am ENGAGED!!!

I think I am still in disbelief of what all happened yesterday..... BUT I'm getting MARRIED!!! Not only am I engaged and getting married...... but I am getting to spend all the days of my life with the most wonderful guy. God is so GOOD and His plans truly prevail in his timing. Josh and I can see His hands all over us meeting and our relationship. I did not think on Saturday when I woke up that all this would of happened. BOY was I surprised!!!

Stacey and I had made plans to eat lunch together and get some yogurt once we woke up. And I actually slept in until 10a.m. (I don't think I have done that since college!) Woke up and got ready and Stacey offered to pick me up. We ate at Diplomat Deli in Vestavia. Well Josh was supposively working but said he wanted to get yogurt with us later. So I sent him a text while we were finishing up lunch, but no response. O'well we will go shopping. So I asked Stacey if she would want to go to TJ Maxx with me because I had a gift card. She said sure but can we go up here in Vestavia and take a few pictures of a place I use to go a lot (she was borrowing a friends nice camera so she said she wanted to take pictures while she still had this camera). Of course, I say okay whatever I have no set plans today. So we drive up onto Shades Crest Road up to Vestavia Baptist Church. Well behind the church is a huge cross that you can see from downtown as you look up the mountain. There is also a platform area (kinda looks like a balcony) with park benches. Backing up a minute, on the way up there I was telling Stacey that this week I knew of 4 people or so that had gotten engaged and it had made me think more about it but I knew Josh and I wouldn't get engaged for a little while longer. Also as we drove up I kept saying how pretty this area would be for a wedding except the church was a little dated......still no clue what was about to happen. NO clue at all! As we walk up to the platform area that overlooks the city I see flowers on a park bench and AGAIN NO clue. I was like"Oh, Stacey look at the flowers someone's boyfriend is trying to surprise his girlfriend we should maybe go so we don't ruin it." Stacey brushed if off (very well!) and was like no one is here it will only take a few minutes for me to get the pictures and I said okay. As we walked closer to the bench I saw a note and the name Claire...... Kinda had a blonde moment because even then my first thought was "Oh, that girls name is Claire too!" Really NO clue, my first real clue was went i skimmed down the note and saw "Love Always, Joshua Wayne" I walked away from the bench with my hands in my face and started to cry a lot (kinda like the ugly cry)! I turn around and there is Josh walking around from the other side of the church building!!! WOW, I was speechless all I could do was cry. He walks up to me, he's crying, I am crying, cant see Stacey but Im sure she is crying! And he gives me a small white bible with my new name Claire Lawford (sweet to read but kinda strange to say at first because Ive been a Bazemore for 29 years! But it fits :) So Josh cried through his words and read a verse from Colossians 3:12-14

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."

Josh told me he chose this verse because the virtues listed are things that reminded him of me!! (Not sure I am always so patient thats for sure but I do try!) And of course to me vs14 is so fitting because when you are bound together with the love of Christ and the love for each other you begin to create perfect unity! He got on one knee and asked ME TO MARRY HIM!!!! Oh such sweet words coming from the sweetest, most loving guy I know! And of course I said yes and we hugged and kissed!!! And during this whole time I forgot Stacey was there (sorry friend, I was a little taken back!) so we have pictures of the whole thing!!! Anyone that knows me knows how much I LOVE having pictures.....I think it helps me remember all the little moments that my memory sometimes forgets. We sat down and Josh started to tell me how the whole process began, from asking my parents for my hand (that was a complete tear jerker!), looking at rings (thanks to Lauren and Beth who first went with me and Beth and Jeff for going with Josh without me having a clue!), and all the other things that lead to this wonderful day!!! I praise and thank the Lord for giving me Josh and cannot wait to share our lives together!

"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." Matthew 19:4-6

I have been meaning to blog all week:

On Sunday July 11. 2010 a horrific tragedy hit Kampala, Uganda, the place Josh had just spent 8 days with our friends. There were 2 terrorist bomb attack. (And afterward they have found that there were more than 2 bombs but the others were not detonated. The bomb at the other restaurant was a suicide bomb.) Our friends were 5-10 feet away from the explosion, and ALL praise and glory to our Lord, Jesus Christ that each of them survived and are safely now back home in the USA..... sweet home Alabama to be exact. They not only survived but each walked away with no serious injuries, WOW! How Great is our God! Last Sunday afternoon Josh and I spent the afternoon after church at my house watching the World Cup Final. After spending a week in Africa we had really gotten into soccer..... well at least the World Cup:) Little did we know as we were sitting comfortably on my couch watching the game our friends were experiencing their worst nightmare. It wasn't until that evening that we found out all that had happened....and Josh and I were shocked, it all seemed surreal. We had just left Kampala and felt so safe during our stay, how could this be?? We so badly wanted to ensure our friends were okay. After spending 8 days in Uganda we now had our American friends and our friends in Uganda..... Oh and not to mention the kids! Once we knew that each of them had survived we felt a little better but still wanted to understand why?? Why had this happened? Why Kampala? Why that specific restaurant? Its unfathomable for me to try and wrap my brain around these selfish acts of terror. The attack has been linked to Al Qaeda and affiliated with Somalia and the targets were foreigners, yes foreigners. We were all foreigners over there, but why attack Mzungu from Alabama?? Once our friends made it away from the attacks they stayed on lock down until their flights departed. What they have witnessed, encountered, and survived I know is difficult to comprehend and process but I have full faith that the Lord will use this to bring glory to His kingdom. He has a special calling on my friends life and I am blessed to call them my friends. Last night some of us got together to eat dinner with Carrie since she was back and it was great to hug her neck!! I hope to see the boys soon! We have heard from our friends in Uganda and sadly some of there families and friends lost their lives in the bombing attacks. Please pray for them, the orphans, the people's families who lost loved ones, the country of Uganda and its future. The enemy will not prevail in this attack because our God is Greater and He is good ALL of the time even during horrific circumstances and when things don't make sense.

"No despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loves us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow-not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below-indeed, NOTHING in ALL creation will EVER be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:37-39

Happy Belated Birthday America!!!

Hard to believe that we have been back from Uganda for 1 week..... Time flies. Its still good to be back but also sad to be gone. When your eyes are opened to so much need but also SO much more JOY it changes you. Its hard to describe and put into words everything we experienced internally during our trip but I do know that it left me more humbled and wanting to be more "thankful in all circumstances" 1 Thessalonians 5:18. How often do we go through a day (HONESTLY) and NOT give thanks. Regardless of the days "circumstances" (flat tire, bad day at work, traffic, dirty house, etc) the word tells us to give THANKS in ALL circumstances. Not that its easy or comes naturally at times but beyond life's troubles and bumps in the road everyday we serve a sovereign God who is almighty, everlasting, omnipresent, merciful, gracious, and unfailing. He is our a ROCK and even when it doesn't come easy with His strength we can choose to be THANKFUL! His word proclaims that "....His favor last a lifetime. Weeping may last through the night, but JOY comes with the morning." Psalm 30:5 AMEN! Thank God for each day we are given. A new day to wake up and be joyful and thankful!

Even though I miss my friends in Africa and all the people we met. I was able to spend July 4th weekend with my family at the beach...... It was SO great to see everyone and give them their "happy's" from Uganda. But most of all I was able to see with my own eyes my sweet niece WALK!!! She had started to take one or two steps before we left for out trip but while I was gone se ventured out and is now fully walking. I say she started walking on my Birthday...... just makes me feel better since I was away. But I think she truly walked consistently a few days later but whats a few days :) Ill still say my birthday!!! We had a nice relaxing weekend...... there are people and equipment there "searching" for oil but NO OIL that I could see and NO smells either! But because the area around the islands were blocked on the bay we hung out pool side and grilled out for the 4th! Thank you Donnie for always opening up your house to us! You are a great host and we appreciate your kindness. On the way home we got to stop through Elba to see Josh's family and hang out with them. They cooked out a yummy lunch and we got to just relax and visit..... Our next trip will have to be longer!

Here are some pictures from the weekend!

The last picture is of Calleigh walking around with her toy giraffe we got her from Africa! By the smile on her face I think she liked it..... PRICELESS! How blessed am I that she is my niece!!! Such a sweet little girl who is growing fast..... I love you more than you will ever know sweet Calleigh Claire!

Video from our WORSHIP service with the kids!

Video from Africa

Born in the U.S.A.!!!!!

So we are finally back in the United States of America! Its crazy to think that by the time I make it to Birmingham I would of traveled through 3 time zones and gained 8 hours to my life! I am one of those travelers that once Im on the airplane I am READY to be home..... my mindset at that point is the trip is over and I wish I could snap my fingers and be home. But regardless of the long travel days back home and exhaustion its never stopped me from wanting to travel again and again. We have already started to plan other trips...... Next trip to Africa will start in Kenya and we will do a safari and then fly to Uganda again! We definitely want to go for a safari next time but would need to do it first while we still have some energy. Another trip we want to plan is to Australia and visit Hillsong! I would really like to go there by next summer..... then I would of traveled to all continents by the time I'm the big 30!

Although it is wonderful to be back in our country, I am instantly reminded of how we have everything at our disposal within seconds. We don't truly understand what it is to be in need. We are guaranteed a next meal, a place to lay our heads at night, running water and power, air conditioning, transportation, and much more. We have ALL our basic needs met plus a thousand times more. I hate the feeling of being trapped in a society where people consume themselves with pointless things. Im not trying to be harsh or disregard the things that matter to people but when your eyes are opened to how millions of people live around you......somethings that use to seem SO BIG just no longer matter. What matters is that people come to Know Christ, and that we as Christians choose not to be silent or stand still but reach out to those around us, whether its in Africa or down the street, and show the LOVE of Christ. The gift and joy of the Lord is to be shared with EVERYONE not to be kept selfishly to ourselves!

"May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, Selah
that your ways may be known on earth,your salvation among all nations. May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you. May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth. Selah May the peoples praise you, O God may all the peoples praise you."

Psalm 67:1-5

"In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.
The Word gave life to everything that was created,
and his life brought light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.

God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son." John 1:1-14