• May. 1, 2009
A New and Exciting Idea

There's a new blog that I just recently found and have been following, it's called Nesting Place (you can find it here: http://nestingplacenc.blogspot.com/ ).  I loved her post today about the new DaySpring tableware collection- Life to the Full. Not only are the dishes themselves beautiful, but who wouldn't love dishes with John 10:10 on them!

Nester's post today not only showcased the new collection, but she also inspired a new idea in me. She made a comment about the variety of styles available in this new Life the the Full collection which should be able to match anyone's current collection. The thought suddenly struck me, you mean my "good' dishes don't all have to be the same design or pattern to "match"? As you can imagine, this single idea has opened up a whole new realm of possibilities for me.

 Now to go digging and figure out all that my collection currently consists of, and decide how I could enhance it to make it uniquely mine! I know this seems crazy to some of you , but for me- the idea that I get to be creative with my dishes is thrilling.

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• Apr. 30, 2009
The Lawn (big sigh)

At the risk of sounding like a toddler- I mowed the lawn all by myself- first time ever!   All of it is done, the front yard, the side yard, and the weed patch (soon to be reclaimed as the back yard). I think that when my husband gets home he can have this job back. It's kinda' like the laundry or the dishes- you only do it...  so you'll get to do it again. Or maybe he'd like to trade; he could take over the laundry or dishes and I'll do the lawn. I think he'll like the lawn better- it's only seasonal; the other two are day-in and day-out F-OR-E-V-ER. Anyway just a quick update and a "pat myself on the back" moment. Now off to do the weed-eating; life is SO exciting around here. 

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• Mar. 30, 2009
Praising the Lord!

I was having one of those days; I am fighting off some kind of stomach bug with a really bad headache. I am also feeling worn out, and I was feeling sorry for myself.... my husband is half way around the world, I'm not feeling well, and haven't heard ANYTHING on the adoption in about 4 months. I asked God for strength and rest, and to help me praise Him instead of complaining.

The kids were quiet for about 30 minutes this afternoon and I slept through each one of those quite moments. Then I got up to go out in the sunshine to get the mail this afternoon and found a blessed surprise:  some very generous friends of ours sent us $1000 for the adoption! WOW!!!

I am feeling a little better after that nap, and the money was a wonderful reminder that God is still working- even when it seems as if nothing is going on; God is still in control and He cares.  It was a wonderful gift to receive. I'm very thankful to our friends for their generosity and to the Lord for His provision and the reminder of His love!

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• Feb. 16, 2009
Facebook

I just joined facebook. I'm still getting used to it. I find it an excellent tool for getting in touch with people you knew "back when", or even people you know now but don't run into often enough. It will also be a great tool for my husband to communicate with everyone how he's doing and what he's up to without having to send out a hundred emails.  I 'm still learning my way around though, and wondering why anyone would be interested in "what I'm doing right now" all the time.  That feature eludes me somehow, but perhaps I'll find it more useful as I learn more about the site and more about my friends, old and new.

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• Feb. 8, 2009
The End of Basketball Season

Basketball season is over!! It was crazy, even though my son sat out for three weeks with a broken wrist. It was crazy, but the last game of the season made all the craziness worthwhile.

My son hadn't played much basketball before the season started, so he wasn't as “good” as some of the players on his community team. He also doesn't go to school with any of the players, leaving him sort of the odd man out. The coach kept my son on the bench through most of the games that he was able to play in, and sometimes the other players made fun of him, but his smile never left his face. His determination to learn the game grew, and he practiced harder, rather than complaining.

While I noticed all that was going on throughout his basketball season, I prayed. I prayed that the LORD would protect his spirit, and not allow him to be crushed. God was so good, and answered my prayers. Not only did He help my son keep a great attitude despite the circumstances, He blessed him during this last game of the season.

The coach of the team wasn't able to make it to the last game, so the dad of one of the other players filled in. My son got to play much of the game, even trying out positions that he hadn't gotten to play before. It was amazing! Playing some of the different positions gave him a new perspective on the game, gave him confidence on the court, and helped him to “get” how to play the game (he even made his first basket). It wasn't only him, but some of the other players who hadn't gotten much of a chance to play in games or try new positions were all encouraged to do so in this game. I also noticed before and during the game, my dear son laughing, joking, and playing around with all the other members of the team. He didn't change who he was to earn their friendship, but gained their respect through his perseverance and won their friendship from there.

Can you tell that I am proud of him?! I am proud of his attitude throughout the entire season, and his strength in not changing or compromising who he is to be accepted.

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• Dec. 30, 2008

It's been a while since I've logged in and written. Life got a little out of hand for the last few months. It feels like life is starting to slow down a little, and I can think again. We are beginning to settle into a routine without my dear husband here, and looking forward to when he will come back.

I had one of those mornings, where it took me an unusually long time to figure out what day it was. With my dear husband here, all I have to do is think, “Did he work yesterday?” The answer to that question automatically narrows down the options. I suppose that if I had been thinking clearly, first thing this morning, I could have just turned on the computer and looked. Alas, I am not one of those few blessed people who can jump out of bed with a smile and all my wits about me. It takes a few... well, a while.

Though I do regret that I am not a truly morning person, like the rest of the family I was raised in, I am learning to be comfortable with who God made me to be. I may not wake up with a smile, but, once it shows up, it's usually there the rest of the day. God made each of us unique and I need to be thankful that He made me my groggy self in the morning. (Maybe that will bring the smile sooner; I'm not sure it will help with the grogginess though.)

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• Oct. 12, 2008
Adoption Seminar

Yesterday was a great day! My Hero and I were not looking forward to having to drop everything and go to the adoption seminar that was required for us to be able to continue with the adoption. We have been especially dreading it since my Hero got his deployment orders.

The trip started out badly. The hotel I had booked for us for Friday night had been switched to one in another town (30 min in the direction from which we had just traveled). The night in the hotel room was not good either. Our neighbor came into his room around 2 am and called someone- we could hear the loud conversation in our room. Then despite the fact that all the rooms were "non-smoking", someone next to us was definitely smoking shortly after the loud phone conversation. Of course after all that we heard every noise around us (toilets flushing, snoring, etc.) for the rest of the night.

When we woke up on Saturday, neither of us was planning for the day to go any better than our night had just gone. We were sorely mistaken. Praise the LORD!   Yesterday was great! It was not at all what we had expected. We are adopting through the African American Infant Adoption program. Part of the seminar was on hair and skin issues for our baby. Another part was gaining perspective from a birthmother who had chosen to give her baby to another family to raise. We also went through legal issues and so much more.

It was fun to get out of the house and focus completely on something other than the looming deployment for a while. It was great to be able to express some of our fears about the adoption and hear from other couples who were feeling the same way. It was wonderful to get a more clear understanding of how this adoption works from the legal perspective. The information we got from the class on hair and skin issues was amazing and so valuable.

I didn't think it was possible to get any more excited about this adoption than I already was. This seminar, that we initially felt dragged into, was great and fueled the fire of our passion and excitement for our newest family member. Now if only we didn't still have to WAIT an unknown amount of time.   I guess I need to practice patience and remember that the baby God has picked out to join our family is most definitely worth the wait!

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• Sep. 23, 2008
A household under orders

My children and I are lounging around the house today. We are picking up and cleaning, from a long weekend at the coast, a little here and there. But mostly we are all tired after our vacation.

It wasn't really the vacation that wore us out, as much as the news that we received on our way out the door on Friday afternoon. My dear husband is being deployed to war.

This is only the second deployment in 4 yrs, so we are very ready for it...on paper. Being emotionally ready to receive those orders is a totally different thing.

At least we have more warning than last time. Last time we had three days, this time we get six weeks.

The question all of our family keeps asking me is, "How do you feel about all this?" That is a very difficult question to answer. I feel a whole lot of different emotions all at once. I am excited for my "warrior" husband to get to do what God made him to do. I am upset and sad about the thought of months and months without him. I am thankful for the blessing of our family and their willingness to help and encourage us. I am also thankful that our kids are out of diapers (unlike last time when they were all in diapers ), until our adopted baby joins our family. I am apprehensive about finishing the adoption process by myself...I am tired from feeling all these things and so much more.

Mostly, I am thankful that no matter how I feel, God is in control of all things, including war and those who stay home and pine.

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• Sep. 1, 2008
Yesterday

I like blogging; the reflection that goes on when I write about what has transpired often feels therapeutic.

Yesterday was a busy day which started out with teaching Sunday School. Then many of our extended family members arrived at our church to watch our oldest son, Caelen, get baptized. What a special and blessed day! It brought tears to my eyes to watch my son turn his personal experience of faith into a public expression of that faith and commitment.

The day was not over yet. Yesterday was also my son's birthday. So after going out to a big lunch with our family, we had about an hour to clean the house (you know how the house can get in the get- out- the-door- to -church rush ), and frost cupcakes for the birthday party. Birthday parties around here mostly just consist of extended family and a friend or two with their families. We had 23 people at our house to celebrate Caelen on his birthday!

Still, the day was not over. As everyone left our house we scrambled to clean up a little, and I had some school assignments due that I needed to put the finishing touches on before we could head off to evening church. Our evening service was not the usual service yesterday. Every time there is a fifth Sunday in the month all the churches in the surrounding areas of the same association get together for “Fifth Sunday Sing”. I LOVE fifth Sunday Sing. We get to see people we've known for years, but don't get to see often enough, and it's a tremendous time of praise, prayer, and joy.

After the Fifth Sunday Sing there was an ice cream feast at the hosting church, which the kids loved (and come to think of it I never did make dinner last night, so no wonder they were so ready for an ice cream feast). There was plenty of fellowship after the service last night. My mother-in-law had stayed after the birthday party to travel with us to the Fifth Sunday Sing; we got home at about 9:00 pm and we were all exhausted. We convinced mom to stay the night with us rather than travel the 30 minutes to her home. We then stayed up for a couple of hours just talking together; it was very relaxing after such a busy day.

The day was finally over. As I look back on yesterday and all that transpired, I realize that though Caelen's birthday did not go as I had originally planned (it was much busier), I believe he had a good day and it will be a very special day for him to remember. Praise the Lord for days such as this one, where not much goes as planned, but everything turns out “right”, just as God had it planned all along. 

 

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• Aug. 25, 2008
Adoption Update II

We finished our homestudy for the adoption today!    The social worker assigned to our family will hopefully have her report typed and in to the adoption agency by the end of the week. The next step for us is to put together a portfolio of our family to present to birth mothers. After that, we wait to be chosen by a birth mother. That may be the hardest part of the process, but we are praying for patience as we await our newest family member.

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• Aug. 21, 2008
Just slow down

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• Aug. 12, 2008
The Man Without the Military?

When my husband told me that he was thinking of getting out of the military- for a little while- I was shocked!  He's been in the reserves for almost 10 yrs and he has been working toward becoming a full-time military Chaplain.
The shock was not only from his news, but also from my own response to his news. I wasn't always supportive of his being in the military. In fact, when he first decided he should join the reserves (three months after we were married), I was quite upset. Being newlyweds, I didn't know how I should let him know how much I didn't want him to join... so, I prayed about it (kind of).  Rather than praying that God would show us His will in the matter, I basically spent the next month telling God how he could stop my husband from making such a foolish mistake. Not surprisingly, God did a lot of work on my heart at that point, about the way I was approaching Him in prayer, about the plans that He has for our family, and about submitting whole-heartedly to my husband's leadership.
I spent the first 5 yrs, learning to deal with our new adjustment to life (these first 5 yrs also included 3 children, and a deployment). These last few years have been less of an adjustment and more of a time of becoming content with where we are, where we are headed, and the sacrifices necessary to get there.
For the last 3 1/2 years my husband has been working a full-time civilian job (working with the local mentally ill population- very stressful), going to school (distance learning through Liberty University),  involved in our local church as Education director, and working with the reserves (which requires at least one weekend a month and any training that they desire to send him to- he was gone for most of three months this spring, making his civilian employer pretty unhappy).  His desire to get out of the reserves at the end of this enlistment is for the purpose of being able to step back and focus more on his schooling and church involvement in order to fulfill the requirements for Chaplaincy. Of course, scaling back somewhere in his schedule will hopefully help him to spend more time with our family through this process of reaching his goal.

My reaction was different than I ever thought it would be. It's still hard for me to grasp the idea of my husband for any length of time not being a soldier. This has become who he is, even though he is a part- time soldier at the moment. So my initial reaction was  shock, fear, doubt, and stubbornness. Now that I think about it though,  this may be the best way, even if it doesn't seem like it at first.  God has shown us over and over that His ways are not our ways. His way is often something we would never have thought of on our own, or opposite of the way we planned on going. Stepping back from the reserves at this point may also provide my dear husband with a different perspective as he looks toward a life in full-time military service; those two worlds are vastly different. 

So, as you can see I am still working on trusting God with His plans for our family and submitting to my husband's leadership decisions. At least this time it didn't take me a month of pride and a chastisement from  our Maker to come around... that's improvement, isn't it? 

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• Aug. 11, 2008
Adoption Update

We have just received an update from our adoption agency. We were told that our fingerprint reviews would take 8-10 weeks to come back, but they only took 2 weeks!! Our homestudy can now begin, as we prepare our family's portfolio to present to prospective birth mothers. We are one step closer to our new family member(s).  I am so excited! Our children are now bouncing around the house singing at the top of their lungs in excitement.  God is so good! He alone knows how we are going to pay for the rest of this adoption, but He's gotten us this far. I believe He will provide the rest of the way, too. I can't wait to see Him work it out.

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him... Do not fret—it only causes harm.  ^{Psalm 37: 7a, 8b} 

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• Aug. 6, 2008
God is Good

    Today was another good day... though I was a little distracted. Well, maybe a little more than distracted. I was terrified of the dentist today! I was to have a crown taken off today.  This crown was supposed to have been a temporary- just through childhood... long story short, 20 yrs later it was finally removed this afternoon. The dentist had not been sure of what would be under this "temporary" crown which was too big for my tooth. So the morning went very smoothly considering my mind was preoccupied with trying not to be overcome by fear.
      Praise the LORD! He not only helped us through our homeschooling day, but He made my visit to the dentist not so bad. The temporary crown was removed, and revealed a tooth that didn't need a root canal! God has been so good to me!  Not only did this news brighten my day and make the visit to the dentist actually enjoyable, it saved us some money too.  

     I need to have record of when things like this happen, when God blesses me and blows me away with the depth of His grace and mercy. He is so patient and loving;  I am so feeble and fearful.  I praise Him for His faithfulness!

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