Baby-Tween-Senior Class of 2026...

 

                Baby                                 Tween                             Senior                   

Tim has grown up entirely too fast💨!

There are no amount of words that can express just how time has flown by with this kid. He has grown into such an amazing young man. As a mom I deeply miss the days when he was little and cuddled with me all the time. When he used me as his jungle gym...LOL! And all the museum and park trips we would take with other homeschooling friends. Time slows down for no one and although I miss those days I'm so incredibly thankful that we made the most of them while we had them. We've cherished every single moment with this kid and are still cherishing the moments. There's never been a dull moment. Watching him grow and become the young man that he has become has been a delight and joy. It's been challenging at times but most definitely a joy nonetheless. Even though he is graduating in like 50 days and turning 18 several days prior we will most definitely still be very involved in his life supporting him as he continues to go hard after his dream of making the USA Weightlifting Team and representing America on the Olympic stage one day. He will always have our support.  

Tim Through The Years!

I've been going through all of Tim's pictures that we've taken since birth to now. It's been a lot to go through in order to pick out pictures for his senior page and family page in the yearbook, to pick out pictures for his bio for graduation, and to pick out his senior picture to go in the slide show. Plus I"m doing a graduation video for through the years as well for all of our family and friends. It's been so much to get done and we have only 50 days til graduation day. These 50 days are going to fly by I'm sure. Tim turns 18 five days before graduation too so there's his birthday thrown in as well. 

We are so proud of Tim and all that he's been able to accomplish in his young life thus far. Satan has tried twice to take Tim out but God's hand is on Tim's life. God has protected him. Tim is about doing something with his life. It's our prayer that he always honors God in all that he does going forward as he goes out into the world and becomes his own man. It's our prayer that he considers God in everything to do with his life. That he doesn't allow Satan to come in and keep him from honoring God in his life. We are so thankful for God having blessed us with Tim in our late 30's. I honestly didn't know if marriage or children were in the cards for me but God knew and now as he graduates in 50 days we give the gift that God so graciously blessed us with back to God to lead, guide and direct him in all that he does for the rest of his life. We know we've missed the mark many times as we've raised Tim but we have loved Tim deeply with a love that only God could give us for him. He is such an amazing young man and I know that God has an amazing future in store for him.

Enjoy these picture collages: 

Dave Ramsey Repost...

I hope everyone will read this Dave Ramsey post about going cashless. It’s a two minute read and NO one has explained it better. Please take 2 minute's and read!

Dave Ramsey repost:

HERE'S WHAT NO CASH ACTUALLY MEANS:

A cashless society means no cash. Zero. It doesn’t mean mostly cashless and you can still use a ‘wee bit of cash here & there’. Cashless means fully digital, fully traceable, fully controlled. I think those who support a cashless society aren’t fully aware of what they are asking for. A cashless society means:

* If you are struggling with your mortgage on a particular month, you can’t do an odd job to get you through.

* Your child can’t go & help the local farmer to earn a bit of summer cash.

* No more cash slipped into the hands of a child as a good luck charm or from their grandparent when going on holidays.

* No more money in birthday cards.

* No more piggy banks for your child to collect pocket money & to learn about the value of earning.

* No more cash for a rainy day fund or for that something special you have been putting $20 a week away for.

* No more little jobs on the side because your wages barely cover the bills or put food on the table.

* No more charity collections.

* No more selling bits & pieces from your home that you no longer want/need for a bit of cash in return.

* No more cash gifts from relatives or loved ones.

What a cashless society does guarantee:

* Banks have full control of every single penny you own.

* Every transaction you make is recorded.

* All your movements & actions are traceable.

* Access to your money can be blocked at the click of a button when/if banks need ‘clarification’ from you which will take about 3 weeks, a thousand questions answered & five thousand passwords.

* You will have no choice but to declare & be taxed on every dollar in your possession.

* The government WILL decide what you can & cannot purchase.

* If your transactions are deemed in any way questionable, by those who create the questions, your money will be frozen, ‘for your own good’.

Forget about cash being dirty. Stop being so easily led. Cash has been around for a very, very, very long time & it gives you control over how you trade with the world. It gives you independence.

If you are a customer, pay with cash. If you are a shop owner, remove those ridiculous signs that ask people to pay by card. Cash is a legal tender, it is our right to pay with cash. Banks are making it increasingly difficult to lodge cash.

Please open your eyes. Please stop believing everything you are being told. Almost every single topic in today’s world is tainted with corruption & hidden agendas.

Pay with cash & please say no to a cashless society while you still have the choice.

More Senior Pics...

I was able to grab some shots during the pro senior photo shoot today.  Tim cleans up sooooo gooood.  Here are some of my faves from what I was able to get.

Was able to get him with the Magnolia trees 

in the background to honor his 

grandmother who passed last summer.

Tim's Graduation Bio...

 

Higher Call Academy 2026 Graduate

through Lighthouse Homeschool Association 

Timothy Scot Neal is the son of Scot and Lisa Neal. Tim has thrived in the flexibility that homeschooling has provided, allowing him to pursue life as an elite athlete with focus and discipline. He trained in TaeKwonDo for 11 years, earning his 3rd-degree black belt along with 53 medals and 10 trophies at competitions.

In 2023, Tim transitioned to Olympic-style weightlifting and quickly found success. He is a multi-time State Champion and, in 2025, earned his first medals at the national level. Highly driven and goal-oriented, Tim also values serving others and has completed 178 hours of community service.

After graduation, Tim plans to work alongside his father while continuing to compete in weightlifting, with the goal of making the USA Weightlifting Team. We are incredibly proud of Tim and look forward to supporting him as he continues to grow as a man (Jeremiah 29:11; Isaiah 40:31).

ALWC March Madness Meet Results!!!

Tim had an amazing day of lifting. He went 4/6 on his lifts. He missed one of his Snatches and one of his Clean & Jerks. He PR'd across the board - Snatch, C&J & Total.  

Results:

Everyone kept coming by Scot & myself all afternoon and evening saying, "He's Unstoppable!" And boy don't we know it. We see it everyday in his attitude & how he is talking more like a man to us about his goals.  

Last night at dinner he says to us,

• I want to be the first person in our family to do something great and do it on a big stage.
• I want to influence those coming up behind me to do great things.
• I want to have put my mark on this world & be remembered for having done something great.

Everything about how Tim talks, his attitude & how he carries himself exudes greatness. Tim is about being a difference maker. We see it daily where others only get to see it every now and then. Getting to have a front row seat to all the God has in store for this amazing young man has been such a blessing for Scot & myself.

Because Scot & I have been intentional with how we have raised Tim he is able to really go after what he wants out of life with gusto. Tim is living out what I could only dream about when I was growing up. My folks just weren't in a place to be for us kids what Scot & I have been able to be for Tim. I'm so thankful to God for that. Tim is living his best life now. He's not waiting for someday. We are so excited for all that is ahead for him. People say, "The skies the limit for Tim." Tim thinks even larger than that. He has a no limit mentality. There really is no limit to what he's going to do. We have watched God's plan unfold in his life all his life & we are still watching it unfold. This Meet was no different. He set goals, reached for them & made them happen. Such exciting times.

Here are some shots that I was able to get:

Tim's 103kg Snatch PR. My favorite shot of the Meet.

His 120kg C&J.

His 125kg C&J that he missed behind.

His 126kg C&J PR.

Here's to reaching for goals 

& hitting them every single time!!!

Verse of the Day...

This was said to encourage believers to "stay the course" in their fight against the influence of the world.

ALWC March Madness Meet 2026...

Tim will be competing in the ALWC March Madness Meet this Saturday. He is looking forward to participating again this year.  It's taking place at the gym that he trains in.  It's always so much fun for us to watch him. If they livestream the event we will post the link on our social media pages.

This is the full schedule of all the athletes that are competing. I will do a separate blog with Tim's results after the Meet.  

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I hope everyone has a wonderful St. Patty's Day celebrating with all your friends, family & colleagues.  

May the Luck of the Irish be with you🍀!

Is Your Child Turning 18 soon? If so this is VERY IMPORTANT!!!

I saw this on social media and wanted to share it here:

When your child turns 18, something important changes that many families don't realize.

Legally, they become an adult, that's already mind-blowing! But this also means schools, hospitals, and financial institutions may not be able to give information to parents without permission.

This includes if they are still living under your roof and on your health insurance. Trust me, my son turned 18 the summer before his senior year in high school, and this was absolutely the case.

Many families choose to put legal documents in place when their child turns 18 so the parents can help if needed.

Here are the 4 most important legal protections to consider as soon as your student turns 18:

1. Medical Power of Attorney & Advanced Directive - Installs you (or another trusted adult as directed) as the decision-maker for the young adult if they're medically unable to make those decisions for themselves.
2. Durable Power of Attorney - Allows authority over financial or legal obligations if your student is unable to make those payments or other contractual obligations.
3. HIPAA Authorization - Makes it possible to receive important information on their health and speak with doctors on their behalf.
4. FERPA Release (optional and academic only) - Gives you access to essential academic records, like grades or transcripts.

This is not about you being in control.  It's about being able to help them if they are unable to speak or act for themselves.

We will be talking to our families attorney about all this in the days ahead.  It's better to be in the know than not.  I'd encourage all parents to do the same if you have a child approaching 18 like we do.

Level 4 Storms....

We have level 4 storms blowing through the area today. What that means is there is going to be high winds, heavy rain and a possibility of  tornadoes. We've battened down the hatches and done all that we can do in preparation for what's coming. We have our safe space ready to go to incase we have need of it. I'll get back on later and update this post after it passes through if there's anything to report.  

Athletic Accomplishments...

✨ For years, many of us have been led to believe that if you don’t win gold, you’re just the “first or second loser.” But that kind of thinking couldn’t be further from the truth.

When our kids step onto the platform and compete at an elite level, they’ve already accomplished something extraordinary. Earning a medal—whether it’s gold, silver, or bronze—is a remarkable achievement and something they, and we as parents, should always be proud of. 

Our athletes should never feel less than simply because the medal isn’t gold. A silver & bronze medal means they stood among the very best. It means they fought their way onto the podium. And at the end of the day, they walk away with a medal while many others leave empty-handed.

But even more important than the medal itself is the journey. Every competition, every improvement, every gain builds character and shapes who they will become in life. Strength isn’t just measured in numbers on a bar—it’s measured in dedication, perseverance, and the courage to keep pushing forward💪.

So celebrate every accomplishment. Be proud of every step forward. Because showing up, competing, and continuing to grow is something truly worth honoring—every single time!  ✨

Tim's Weightlifting Goals...

Tim's weightlifting goals:

He wants to get to these goals as quickly as possible and improve on them so that he's at the top of his division by the time he's a last year Junior. These numbers will probably adjust come August though when the weight divisions adjust to the New Weight Divisions. -71kg will become -70kg and -79kg will become -75kg. Tim will land in one of these two weight divisions. I don't think -70kg is an olympic/world weight division though??? He may have to go up to -75kg or down to -65kg weight divisions in order to be in an olympic/world weight division??? I'm still learning that side of the sport as he grows in it so I'm not 100% sure on where he will need to be in order to be able to contend for a World's spot yet. 

It's challenging learning a new sport after doing the other one for so many years. I know the sport he came from really well and where Tim needs to be to be a contender but with this sport I'm a fish out of water so to speak. We just keep making gains and learning as we go. We just love that he loves this sport so much. 

Here’s to shooting for the moon as Tim chases his goals of becoming the best lifter that he can be — earning a Team USA spot, competing at Worlds, and one day stepping onto the Olympic stage. The journey is just beginning💪🏋.

GOALS! GOALS! GOALS!

Pro Pics from VWS1/The Arnold 2026...

I'm only going to share a few of the pro pictures with you here.  There are too many to share them all.

The first two are what the coach shared on social media when he was sharing the teams schedule for lifting.

This happened March 5th - 8th.

These next ones are the actual pro shots that I want to share with you.  It's only a few from his best Snatch lift & Clean & Jerk lift:

This is Tim before he stands up with the lift.

My absolute favorite shot!  This is his 101kg Snatch PR lift.

That's how high the bar bounced after he got the down signal.
He knew that he got the lift and was just waiting for the judges decision.

                                                                                                              

UPDATE: (3/18/2026)

Tim's 123kg PR C&J lift in the Clean position.

Tim standing up with his 123kg C&J PR lift after his jerk.

The moment Tim knew he had went 6 for 6 (got all 6 of his lifts) & PR’d at The Arnold.  Such a great shot from the photographer @liftinglife (instagram).

                                                                       

Such a fun time at this Meet.  Watching Tim do his lifts and his excitement over being there just blesses us so very much.  We are so proud of him.