the love of one

Fun in the Sun

2009-07-13T11:29:00.001-05:00

Anna is 4 weeks old

2009-07-13T11:17:00.004-05:00

Here are the newest pics. Anna is now 4 weeks old! I cannot believe she is so big! Enjoy!

HERE SHE IS!!!

2009-06-17T11:06:00.006-05:00

Anna Gabrielle

Born 6/14/09 2:34am

9 lbs. 1.5oz

20 inches

Isn't she beautiful!!!

Prego Update...

2009-04-02T14:51:00.004-05:00

Here I am now at 7 1/2 months! I am almost to the end! Yippie!

THE READING LESSON BOOK

2009-04-02T14:47:00.002-05:00

Today I happened upon a great reading/phonics lesson that I am going to try on my 7 year old that is in need of some extra help. If you're interested in it to, check them out. http://readinglesson.com
They have simple lessons that do not take to long to use and it seems to really grow the childs confidence because of how easy they are. As a mom, I enjoyed the lesson, too.

Kleenex please...

2009-03-07T08:39:00.002-06:00

Yesturday started off well, then went south for the rest of the day! I was very emotional. One minute I was happy and the next wanting to cry hysterically! My family took it all in stride and my wonderful hubby let me go off by myself for a little while! Thank you Jesus for an understanding man. Now I woke this morning feeling like myself again. I am going to have to just know that days like yesturday do pass and I can get through them with much GRACE!

Just So You Know...

2009-03-06T11:04:00.002-06:00

My husband is recovering quite nicely! He goes to PT 3 days a week and also does his exercises at home 2-3 times per day. His attitude has been amazing-even when the recovery has had good/bad days. I am so proud of him!

My pregnancy is going really well and I am definatly past the stage of people "wondering" if I am pregnant or if I just like to eat! (True on both!)

Baby is moving sooo much. I can not figure out which way she is facing or what part of her I am feeling but she is very active! I love it though, because it is so nice to feel her. We are really excited to have her here with us!

I have 12 weeks of school left. Yes- I am counting! I told the boys and they were excited, too! It has been a great year and I am glad we were here doing it together. I have plans to buy next years curriculum in May so that I can have it and be prepared for the following year before baby comes.

I have again cut sugar from my diet. I really like sugar, but my body doesn't! So out it goes-again.

What a day!

2009-02-20T19:21:00.002-06:00

Today my dear, sweet husband and BF had to have knee surgery. He is a trooper though! I think he prayed more for me than for himself! :-)
The day began early and went like this:

5am-I was up and at em'
515-I did my mile walking video-happy it was still a quiet house!
6am-the troops began to stir
615-kids officially up then dress, make beds, eat. I get up my love.
630-I get ready for the day, pack food for my hungry self and tidy up our home
740-we are out the door to drop kids with a friend
815-check in at hospital
830-we go to pre-op until love is taken back at 10:15 for surgery. Pics taken and many laughs from the lovely attire and get up! The nurses dimiss me right before he gets his happy meds--I was sorry to miss that part :-)
1015-1210-I am in waiting room enjoying my many snacks, crosword puzzles and free decaf coffee and hot cocoa! Dr. consulted me and said all went well, gave me cool pics of inside a knee and then I went to see my still grogy hubby.
1pm-We are released with 7 pages of instructions, crutches, and a really cool ice machine that is suppose to keep knee swelling down.
130-HOME!! We stood in the front yard a while because hubby thought he may get sick, but only phlem:-) inside we go.
200-He is set on the couch, hooked up with remote, h20, saltines, pillows, etc..
I leave to get meds filled.
230-Call from friend who has kiddos--they are ready to come home. We meet there and I go with them to store, pick up meds/food/ice.
420pm-HOME AGAIN! This time hubby is asleep, so we unload food and I get kiddos into showers. I had them after they played at park and football.
6pm-Dinner
630-stories/prayers
715-bed
currently--I am out of steam!!!

Going to bed, but praiseing GOD for his goodness today!

Random Thoughts

2009-02-19T14:57:00.003-06:00

As I am writing this, my youngest is jumping in the corner with his sweatshirt to conquer the cob web he spotted while in time out! He got it and reminded me that I may need to get started on spring cleaning. :-)

I have a bunch of books and some clothes that I want to get rid of, so I found this site. kidscloset.biz I think it may be a fun way to get rid of things that I have been holding on to for a while. I went to the sale last year and found great deals for the boys snow boots. I might even make a little $ to put towards next years school curriculum.

Things I love and am thankful for: (random order)

*warm Spring days
*holding hands with my husband and best friend
*living out life with my husband and best friend
*the feeling of our baby moving in the womb
*my kiddos saying something so smart that they leave me speechless
*watching my kiddos sleeping
*scrapbooking
*bubble baths
*reading the Bible
*revelation
*the way I am loved even when I do not deserve it
*forgiveness
*salvation
*the CROSS and Jesus
*our health
*a good book
*home improvement shows
*friends

Just a few things I wanted to remind myself that I am thankful for and blessed with! It is so good to take stock and keep things in perspective.

Are you there God?

2009-02-19T14:54:00.002-06:00

There are days that I wish that I could hear God more clearly. I wonder what He is up to and what His plan is, but I know He knows and we are not forgotten. But I wonder! He is Good ALL THE TIME!

Adoption update

2009-02-18T06:38:00.002-06:00

We have wanted to adopt for some time now and since our blessed pregnancy, it seems things were put on hold. But last night we received a call about a baby being born--right then! My heart was overjoyed and about leaped out of my chest! I thought for sure the Lord put the adoption on hold, but then it seem opened up again. So here's the kicker--we do not have the funds. We would have to be in Utah today to meet BM and about 15 other things would have to take place besides financing. Details like how would we pay for everything, how would my husband get off work, how would we pay for us all to fly there, resceduling of my husbands surgery on Friday, etc.. I would be required to stay for 2 weeks, with the boys and then I would homeschool in the hotel room, pregnant with a newborn! And yet, I want to do it!

This whole journey of adoption has been a walk of faith. We started with $0. Then after prayer and a fund raiser we received about $4000. Praise to Jesus! Those funds went to our paperwork, the 5 agencies we applied to, fingerprinting, copies of our profile and to Christian Adoption Consultants. Then we were back down to $0. Yet I felt like it was not to big for God. He could provide if a situation came up. We were eventually shown to 7 BM and not selected, then we got pregnant. We were so overjoyed with that news! We said to the Lord that we would still adopt if He had a child for us. No calls came for a couple months. Then the one last night came and blew me out of the water. We said yes we be presented, then pulled that back because of $0. Sometimes I get so frustrated because we are willing and yet we had to say no. I woke this morning heavy burdened and sad and wanting to take care of the little baby if her mom chose to have her adopted.

My prayer is no regret, yet I feel regret because we had no $ and had to say no. Jesus help me to hold my heart right before you and remember that your plans are perfect and you know where I am.

Little Anna

2009-02-12T07:00:00.003-06:00

This morning my little one is very active! I think she likes my bladder area the best and tends to give me a few swift kicks to remind me she is there! I get so excited to meet her and tend to feel time sssslllllllooooowwwwsssss way down because I can't wait to have her in my arms. Oh to learn to be patient! I am a blessed woman who is humbled by the gift God has bestowed upon me.

The Big Switch

2009-02-09T07:09:00.002-06:00

We finally did it. The boys have been moved into one room. The last time it was done was when they could still run out in diapers and pullups! It has gone well, but there has been alot more whispering than sleeping! It is like having a slumber party everynight. We are thankful they are taking it so well. The idea was to put them together to allow for "adjustment" time before Anna gets here. It is going much better than I anticipated. Yippie! I love when things go smooth!

Wake UP!

2009-02-04T07:54:00.003-06:00

Do you think children are programmed to wake at 5am? I'm talking about a 9 and 7 year old- not a newborn! Most days they are up and at em' at 5am. They love life and each day is an adventure for them, but mom would love to pull covers and stay in bed longer! But the life of a mommy is one that requires sacrifice and not pulling covers and going back to sleep! I thank God every day for my boys.

Thank the Lord for this day He has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it!

Please pray

2009-02-03T07:38:00.003-06:00

My friend, Tracie Loux and her family have partnered with the Lord to adopt two sweet children from the Ukraine. They left the U.S. on Sunday to go and get their children. Please pray for favor in the orphanage and the courts. Pray for health for the entire family, safe travels, and for peace for each one as they will be separated for some time.

Adoption update

2009-02-03T07:22:00.001-06:00

Since becoming pregnant many people have asked if we are going to adopt. We would love to! We have continued to pray and ask for guideance and what the Lord's will is. All of the generousity from friends and family was wonderful. We have used all our funds to get to our current position. Our name and profile is still at the adoption agencies and now we are waiting. As of September, we were still getting calls about possible situations to be matched with. But since then we have not heard from one agency. We are trusting the Lord to lead us and and show us what to do next. We believe him to provide a situation and provide the finance to go along with it. That is where we are and we are so thankful for all that has been done in our hearts in the journey. Praise to the Lord!

I love these kiddos

2009-02-03T07:14:00.003-06:00

Here are the boys being little hams for me. I say smile and they do this. It is so fun having my boys!

New News

2009-01-28T14:34:00.002-06:00

We are happy to report that we are having a girl! Anna Gabrielle will make an appearence, hopefully on time, the first week of June 2009. God knows exactly what we need, when we need it and He knows who we need to be in our family. I am at a loss for words because my heart is overflowing with blessings!!

where we are now...

2008-11-24T16:07:00.002-06:00

The Lord is very good. We have found out we are pregnant! This is something we have prayed for---3 years now. Last year we were in prayer for our conception and I felt like I heard "1 year." That was October 2, 2007. One year later in October 2008 I found out I was pregnant!! Praise to Jesus!

Once again...

2008-10-02T17:40:00.004-05:00

Tuesday, we were asked to pray for a little baby boy who may be up for adoption soon and we said yes! We are willing to walk as the Lord leads and if he has a little boy for us before a daughter, then we would LOVE it! The whole situation is in our prayers. ;-)

We have now been presented to three situations and have not been selected for them. This has been really hard for me. It feels like constant pins and needles or standing on the edge and not knowing what is going to happen next! My heart is for my baby and I know that God knows who it is. The wait is hard and I long to have our child home and with us. Is it possible to want to be with someone you have never met? I guess so because that is where I am. I cannot wait to hold, kiss, pray for, take care of and be with our baby. Oh, Lord, please help me today.

For those of you who are wondering I have not figured out how to get pics of my men on this who blog thing, but one day I hope to!

Here we are...

2008-09-17T09:56:00.004-05:00

In the big picture of things we really have not been waiting that long for our baby girl to come home to us. It has been about 9 months and here we are, waiting. I know it seems I have said that alot lately, but I desire our daughter to be with us. In my heart she is already mine and I find waiting to be what the Lord must really want to work out in me! Through it all I have rejoiced in my family and how blessed I am to have them each day to love on, hold, laugh with, train up and talk about Jesus with. I am amazed at what surrendering can do to a persons heart. I said yes to adoption and since then my heart has gone from "Okay Lord, your will is what I desire and I will adopt" to "Oh Lord, my heart is crying out, longing, groaning for this little girl who you named for us, and I can not wait to meet her. Do a quick work and bring her home to us." The Lord is faithful and I know He knows and has done such a sweet work in me. Thank you Jesus.

Bless you.

Adoption update

2008-09-06T07:30:00.002-05:00

Hey there~Oh how the time flies! I have finally gotten all the applications out for the agencies and now I am...you guessed it...waiting! I thought it was hard waiting to fill out the paperwork, but now I am finding that it is harder waiting to be presented to situations and being matched! It has not been my time scale at all. Oh how I trust in the Lord. He knows and is in complete control.

A few weeks ago, during my morning prayer time, I was praying for the adoption. I was asking again for confirmation that we were going the right way. Later that same morning I got a call from an agency telling me that they received our application and that everything was in order for us to be presented to any situations that matched with our family. Yeah! Secondly, in the prayer room that evening a friend came up to me and said she felt like she was to pray for our adoption journey, so we prayed. Last, but not least, my husband was praying for our baby in the PR and got her NAME from the Lord!!!!! Three confirmations in one day...God is so good and kind to hold my hand in this big journey. Bless HIM!

More on our adoption...

2008-08-15T11:21:00.002-05:00

We were able to connect our desire to adopt to a couple more agencies, they have all our paperwork, and we'll hopefully hear something real soon. Waiting is the hardest part! I know our baby is real, she's ours in the spirit and she has a name! We will reveal it to everyone soon!

Adoption update

2008-07-28T07:30:00.006-05:00

As of Friday of last week, I was able to send out 1 application to an agency in Kansas. I was super excited to be able to do that. I feel one step closer to adopting. I hope to get out more applications this week. Yippie!

My Husband

2008-07-28T07:21:00.005-05:00

This morning, in prayer with my husband, I was loved on by him and Jesus.

I prayed for Matt first and had a deep love and respect for him and his role in our family. Now hear me, I am in a place where I am asking the Lord for a deeper understanding of my role as a wife, so to FEEL this love and respect was a gift of revelation from the Lord---an answered prayer.

Then Matt prayed for me. This is awesome--He said I have value!! Can you believe it? I am a blessed woman. I serve a Lord who is so loving and kind and He gave me a man, a husband who sees value in me. My heart was doing cartwheels! I have heard it before, but it was so timly and resinated in my spirit. Thank you Jesus for my husband and your love.

this God we serve

2008-07-28T07:08:00.006-05:00

As I was reading a book on the prophet Amos, I was struck on how dear the Lord is. Here's what got me thinking:

"Amos looked up and imagined the hand of God flinging stars like shining dust across the heavens. No. He was wrong to think such pagen thoughts, for God only had to utter a word and it was done. Only man had He shaped with His hands, using dust He created to form His most precious and amazing creation. Only man was molded and loved into being, the breath of life in his lungs given by God."

The Lord loves us so much that He used His hands to form us. He is amazing and so caring. I am constinatly in awe of how He thinks and feels and I love to discover things like---He formed us with His hands! I know that the Bible says so, but to have revelation of how God works is amazing. For all of creation He spoke, but for us, He formed us with His loving hands.
(From: Sons of Encouragement: The Prophet)

Bound 4 Life

2008-07-21T07:50:00.005-05:00

Eze 22:30
"So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one."

We have to stand in the gap for the lives of the unborn babies. We have to cry out for their lives to be saved. If we do not then their blood is on our hands, and we will be asked by the Lord, "Why did you not stand in the gap for life?"

Bound 4 Life is an organization that is doing just that and we can partner with them and the Lord now. How? Buy life bands, pray, stand with your family, friends, schools, places of business and cry out for justice and life. That is intercession, that is standing in the gap. Here is a quick prayer you could use:

"Jesus I plead your blood over my sins and the sins of my nation, God end abortion and send revival to America"

Bless you!

Book of James

2008-07-21T07:32:00.004-05:00

In light of yesturday's service, I have been provoked to press in more, re-evaluate how much I really help the poor, and confess how far I won't go with the Lord.

Then I open to the book of James...and am blasted with this:

Jam 2:1
MY brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.
Jam 2:2
For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes,
Jam 2:3
and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, "You sit here in a good place," and say to the poor man, "You stand there," or, "Sit here at my footstool,"
Jam 2:4
have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
Jam 2:5
Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
Jam 2:6
But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts?
Jam 2:7
Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?
Jam 2:8
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well;
Jam 2:9
but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
Jam 2:10
For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.

If we show partiality, then we are in sin. Does that strike you? How many times have I shown partiality or even thought better of one person over another. How sad is it that it comes naturally for me. How much have I turned my eyes and ignored those less fortunate than myself. How many times since saying yes to adoption have I tried to put stipulations on the Lord and tried to make God who I wanted Him to be. Oh Lord, please forgive my sin and help me to see through your eyes and your heart. I have to go have a good cry now.
Bless you all.

Adoption stuff

2008-07-20T14:31:00.003-05:00

On Thursday and Friday of this week we had a garage sale at a friends house and it was such a huge success!! We were blessed and praise the Lord for His help in the whole process.

We have been asked if we have exhausted all our financial resources and I must say--yes. Our personal area of finances has no extra right now. However, when we do have our baby placed in our home Matt's job will pay $$$ as a small reimbersment for a portion of the costs involved.

I have been researching grants and have found that most of them want us to be matched with an agency before applying to their programs. We are not yet signed on with any agency so we will have to wait to apply for grants.

WAIT WAIT WAIT---what a journey of faith, trust, patience, love, life, etc...

Blessings!

Goodness of the Lord

2008-07-15T06:52:00.006-05:00

So I was doing my daily devos yesturday and I was so touched by the goodness of the Lord. The devo talked about being happy and joyful and how that makes you strong and being sad and mad makes you weak. Satan isn't after our joy as much as he is our strength. The devil wants us to weak to pray, worn out and burned out. But the Lord will lift our head and shield us from the devil's plot against us, if we put our trust in Him.

2Sa 22:31
“As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.

2Sa 22:3
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn[fn1] of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior—

Neh 8:10" Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Psa 3:3
But you, O Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts my head high.

I rejoiced at how much the Lord wants to take care of us at all times. I went on to share this with my kiddos. We broke it down and talked about what a shield is and a refuge, etc.. We talked about how we can turn to God when we feel mad or sad and that He is faithful to be there for us and be our helper. I am so glad we did it because later that day we practiced what we talked about and it worked. I saw the Lord help when we asked and it is a great encouragement and kiss that our whole family needed. Praise be to Jesus!

THE FAST.....

2008-07-13T20:12:00.003-05:00

Okay- I confess that I broke my fast about once a day for the last 5 days. What have I heard-just hit delete and start again. Oh Lord- please help me start again and end well. You are my strength and all I need. To all you fasters out there may Jesus be your strength and help in the time of temptation!!

True

2008-07-12T08:19:00.006-05:00

"The shortest distance between a problem and a solution in the distance between your knees and the floor." Charles Stanley

What I see as a problem, God sees as a opportunity to help and for me to draw near to him. Here is my problem: We need a MIRACLE!!!! As our adoption journey has been rolling along, God has met us every step of the way. We have prayed for money and it has come at just the right time. We have prayed for confirmation to move ahead and the Lord has shown us every single time. Now we are at a critical point: we can turn in our applications to the adoption agencies, but they will not present us to any situations until we have the money to pay for that situation. Well folks, we have just enough money to send off our apps, make about a zillion needed copies and order certified birth certs and marriage license. We will then be out of money. Now, I know that our God is bigger and that is not an obstacle to Him! I only want to grasp that same mindset. We have been praying, so if you feel led, please pray for us as we continue on in this journey of faith.
Be blessed!

random thoughts upon awaking

2008-07-09T08:07:00.007-05:00

"You're simply beautiful, fearfully wonderful, glory unsearchable, HOW I LOVE YOU!!" This morning I woke--rather quickly because we forgot to set the alarm--and I was singing this song. (I think I have it worded correctly:-) Anyway, I am in awe of how great the Lord is!! I quickly got my husband out the door, and made a BIG mug of coffee and sat for daily devos, scriptures and prayer.

I am moved by what I was lead to read. In my devo book it talked about the key to loving others is loving yourself. Sometimes we cannot love others well because our own self-esteem is so low. Jesus thinks highly of us. He calls us kings and we are His delight. Now, I am not talking conceted/prideful love for yourself, but rather seeing the love the Father and Son have for you. We overwhelm Him with one glance of our eyes. If we love ourselves with that in mind, we will humbly worship the living God and be confident not in what we can do in our own strength but in Him and His strength. This spoke to my heart and gently reminded me of who I am and the love and acceptance that is mine. My prayer is that I will have peace to be who I am and love others well.

2Th 3:16
Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way.

2Th 3:5
Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.

I also read :
Psa 62:5
My soul, wait silently for God alone,
For my expectation is from Him.
Psa 62:6
He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be moved.
Psa 62:7
In God is my salvation and my glory;
The rock of my strength,
And my refuge, is in God.

All of my hope, safety, life is in the Lord's hands and He has me learning that my soul can wait for Him and He will help me in all cirrcumstances that life brings.

Be blessed!

Pray for Misty and a Miracle

2008-07-08T20:18:00.004-05:00

I came across an urgent prayer request today and would ask that you all pray along with me for this women, her family (Leblanc's) and a miracle from the Lord.

Misty has stage IV brain cancer and has only been given 2 weeks to live. I believe in miracles and KNOW God hears our prayers. Check out their blog and pray--pray hard and remember that ALL things are possible for those who believe.

Adoption update...

2008-06-26T10:54:00.002-05:00

I have been asked questions like "When will you get your baby?" or "Do you know what baby you are getting?". The answer is we do not know, we are waiting. The way it works is we are going to turn in our applications to adoption agencies with in several states and we could be matched within 3-6 months. That means a birth mother has selected our family to raise her baby girl and we also agree that she is to be our baby. Then we wait for the BIG DAY and go to the state/city she will be born in. Our prayer is that we will be a the delivery and hold our baby immediately. We then stay in that city/state until the courts release us and the birth mom has sign the release. I am sure there may be a few things I am leaving out, but as we walk along this path, I will update.

So once again we are in the throws of paperwork! We have downloaded several adoption agencies applications and are in the process of filling them out. It can be a little intimidating because they are rather large and ask soooo many questions. The apps contain similar quesions that we have already answered for our homestudy and for CAC. I would think it would make it easier, but it is just a lot. One agency I researched had a 44 page application! WOW! So if you think of us, please pray for the paperwork process to move smoothly.

Another testimony...I did get our finished homestudy in the mail (awesome!) and with it a bill...I forgot that we would pay more once receiving the completed hs. So we already paid $ to CAC at a discounted rate, so it left me wih $250 for any more adoption cost to come. The bill for the hs was $450. I was short! Oh no! I prayed and asked the Lord for more $ and left it at that. Two days later, someone came to our home and gave us $500!!!! Praise Jesus! He heard me...again. His faithfulness is amazing!

If you are praying please include our little girl, her birth mom and family. Here's a few things you could highlight: baby to be healthy, whole, complete, lacking nothing, birth mom to have a understanding of the Lord's love and delight for her, safe delivery, etc.. Thanks!!

Thoughts...too beautiful not to share

2008-06-25T09:20:00.001-05:00

Anger is a condition in which The tongue works faster than the mind .
You can't change the past, but you can ruin the present By worrying over the future !
Love...and you shall be loved.
God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him.
All people smile in the same language.
Everyone needs to be loved... especially when they do not deserve it.
The real measure of a man's wealth is what he has invested in eternity.
Laughter is God's sunshine.
Everyone has beauty but not everyone sees it.
It's important for parents to live the same things they teach.
Thank God for what you have, TRUST GOD for what you need.
If you fill your heart with regrets of yesterday and the worries of tomorrow, you have no today to be thankful for.
Man looks at outward appearance but the Lord looks within.
The choice you make today will usually affect tomorrow.
Take time to laugh, for it is the music of the soul.
Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears.
Love is strengthened by working through conflicts together. . Harsh words break no bones but they do break hearts.
To get out of a difficulty, one usually must go through it.
We take for granted the things that we should be giving thanks for.
Love is the only thing that can be divided without being diminished.
Happiness is enhanced by others but does not depend upon others.
For every minute you are angry with someone, you lose 60 seconds of happiness that you can never get back.
Do what you can, for who you can, with what you have, and where you are.

In His Face: part 2

2008-06-25T08:58:00.005-05:00

So as I am reading this book I have decided that throwing it across the room would not be the right way to handle my feelings, therefore I put it down for a day, processed what I read and returned this morning ready to read on. Here are my nuggets:

~Mat 11:15
"He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

The gospels were meant for us to simply hear what God is saying.

~Those who say they can't hear God are not in His word. (That may bring on debate in many hearts) We fill our time with other things: TV, movies, music, busy work.

~Jesus wanted on thing from his disciples..."that they might be with Him" (Mark 3:14) also check out Luke 10:38-42

~If you think of it, it doesn't resemble God's thoughts...unless you received it from Him.

I have been thinking that all of these nuggets are rather irritating! Why I wonder...because they are true and have pierced my flesh to get to my heart. I am rejoicing at the truth being spoken in this book and I am going to press on in reading the remainder of it.

Be blessed in th journey!

Dating my man

2008-06-23T08:20:00.003-05:00

Matt & I were able to go on date last night and we had a wonderful time. The weather was great so we headed for the plaza. Our drive there was on a road that is housed with homes that I only have dreamed of! On the plaza we wondered and laughed at the outrageous cost of pretty items. Our thoughts came out in whispers... I just cannot believe that a bed comforter cost $175 on a 75% off table! It was a beautiful one and I would have bought it for less. Okay I'll stop now...it just does not seem right. Think~ in heaven we will not have to purchase. It will be given by the Lord! He is already preparing a place for us. And the beauty will be unlike anything we see here. All that said we continued on to dinner and ate at the Cheesecake Factory--yummy--then walked around longer...arm in arm. There is something special about being close to my man and being loved on by him. After that we took a drive to a pretty little lake in Blue Springs, Mo. A great fishing hole I hear. From there we went to see a movie--Indiana Jones. It was pretty good and had a few weird parts but overall an awesome evening out dating my man.

In His Face: Part 1

2008-06-21T08:17:00.006-05:00

The timing of the Lord is truly perfect. I am reading the book called: In His Face by Bob Sorge. I got the book about 2 months ago, started it, put it down and now have picked it back up again. The book is a "prophetic call to renewed focus." The focus: Jesus. Being in His face, learning who He is, knowing your identity before Him and trusting His goodness, faithfulness & leadership.

Following are a few nuggets I have enjoyed and am pondering thus far. (for more detail you'll have to get the book!)

~God wants us to have passion, purity, and perseverance.

~The more time we spend with the Lord in His word and in His face, the more we will be like Him.

~God desires us to have passion for Him and for His church body. Psalm 42:1-As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God.

Psalm 69:9-for zeal for your house consumes me...

~The biggest disease of American Christianity is apathy. It means: NO PASSION!

~We must have passion with purity... moral purity.

~In emotional and dark times we can turn to other things to fuel our hearts. If we give into the temptations we can fall to false moral compromise.
Isa 50:10-11-Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant?
Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God. But now, all you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze. This is what you shall receive from my hand: You will lie down in torment.

~We must have perseverance! God is not in a hurry or on our time table! From pg. 32 of book:
"The New Testament word "perseverance" describes the capacity to bear up under difficult circumstances, not with a passive complacency, but with a hopeful fortitude that actively resists weariness and defeat."

Isa 30:18-Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him.

Isa 49:23-For they shall not be ashamed who wait for Me.

I am in the process of waiting on the Lord, learning how to be still and above all I desire to have passion, purity, and perseverance.

Be blessed in the journey!

Some fun pics of loved ones

2008-06-20T16:56:00.010-05:00

Great Grandpa Dick w/Alex & Noah

Papa, Mama & Alex

Grandma Bea, (mom) & Lisa

Got you, Alex

Friends L-R:Matt & I, Desta & Eric, Nathan & Kristi

One of my favorites!

Noah Isaac

Brothers!

waiting is the hardest

2008-06-20T13:45:00.005-05:00

On to the next leg of the journey. We turned in our paperwork yesturday to CAC and now I will be gathering the many applications and paperwork needed to give the adoption agencies. It is definatly stretching my patience muscle! Oh, I know that waiting is the hardest part, but I think that the uncertainty of how it will all look at the end is hard. The Lord has called us on this journey and in doing so, we wait. I have so many what if's and questions that as soon as I leave the Lord's side-even for a moment, I lose my peace. I desire to wait on Him and trust His leadership. As I am wiriting this here is what I am reminded of:
Jer 29:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Pro 3:5
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

Pro 3:6
In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct* your paths.

There are thoughts I have about the sin in my own heart that may prohibit me in parenting a child not of my own flesh. I know that my own strength is false and I can only lean upon Jesus for help. Will I love our baby girl the same? How will I treat her compared to my other kiddos? Will I be able to defend her and show her she is wanted and desired in our home. Can we show her heritage and help teach her where she came from. We will always point her to the cross and the one true love who will never fail her. I am sure He is able to help me with all these things and I must rest in the shadow of His wings for my help and refreshment. For now waiting is the hardest part.

He did it again

2008-06-19T10:11:00.002-05:00

Each time I ask Jesus for His provision for our adoption and that I may "see" His work He has shown up and done it!

As of last week we needed $60 to turn in our paperwork to CAC to continue our journey for our baby. I prayed and last Thursday Matt called and said he just was given $30 for our little one. Yesturday I asked for the rest and in the mail came $30 with a note saying, "I pray this will help in God's plan for our baby girl!!" Thank you Lord for hearing my prayers and being so faithful. On May 31st, we had a fund raiser to raise support for the adoption costs and God showed up! It was a night we had been eagerly awaiting and all the ideas I had about how it would be went out the window. The Lord was in contol, not me! Originally, it was planned fo a venue at a church and we had invited about 150 people. Then after a small response we moved it to our home. Through that transition, Matt and I disussed what we really wanted the night to be about. Our conclusion was that we needed PRAYER! So we all gathered, all 16 of us and prayed for our baby girl, our family, the birth mom, and for the Lord's will to be done. He is so kind and the prayer time was sweet--we even had it recored for us to hear in the furture. On top of that we receieved many monetary gifts that helped us get enough $ to turn in our papers to CAC! I rejoiced in the Lord's faithfulness and love for our family. He did it again...he showed up and loved all over me!!!!

So, so long

2008-05-31T07:37:00.006-05:00

It has been so long since my last post but I am back! I have a deep desire for more compassion. I want to weep like Jesus did and cry out in prayer for others as Jesus did. Honestly there are so many times that I do not do that. In fact I am more selfish than I ever thought. Just saying that out is hard. But my heart is asking, seeking, needing, made for more. More is good and it is what I want. One place I have looked is adoption connect ... check it out and see how you can be touched and how you can pray today.

Out of the box

2008-04-13T12:36:00.003-05:00

Sometimes we need to step out of our box and let God do His will. That is where I am now. I have a way of thinking that is my own---but I have asked God to allow His will to be done in my life. Now my way of thinking has been revolutionized. It is being turned around and I am seeing things from a whole new lens. God is opening up new avenues of doing my daily life and helping me to do it HIS way. Praise to Jesus.

Jesus' heart

2008-03-28T16:03:00.004-05:00

This season has been one of great peering into my heart. I have asked the Lord to show me areas of compromise and sin. He is so faithful. As I have been overcome with the darkness in there, I have also had a deeper revelation of Jesus' heart for me. His banner over me is love. He is completely delighted in me and he see beauty for my ashes. Lovely for my dark. I am a blessed woman to serve a Lord whom I can be in a relationship with and who loves me too much to keep me the same. I am being transformed--daily. I am leaning on my beloved and soaking in His goodness and love.

Things kids say...

2008-03-28T16:00:00.003-05:00

As I was listening to my Noah play a game with his grandma, he was being quite cute. He had just won connect four in 2 spots and they were about to play another game. Noah told grandma the following: "I will go easy on you this time, grandma!"

Adoption update

2008-03-16T20:43:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow we are going to our first official interview with our social worker. This is part of the home study process. I must admit I am a little nervous but I am looking foward to getting started with this part of the journey. The meeting should last about 4-5 hours! Then Wednesday we meet with her again. These are both separate interviews for Matt & I. On April 1st the interview will be in our home. At that time, she will watch us as a family and talk with the boys about how they feel about adoption. Our hope is to be done and have a completed home study by the first part of May. Then we will continue to have our prayers go up for the remainder of the finance to come in. Pray for us--we need it! :-)

Remember when...

2008-03-16T20:34:00.003-05:00

I remember when I used to run around in make believe and dress up. Or when my brother and I would "drive" our bikes and pretend we were the fastest in town! Well, today my boys entered that familiar world together. Noah was "Batman with a capital B" and Alex came bounding out as a red Power Ranger (the suit that fit last summer--now looks more like a capri outfit!). They proceeded to run as fast as they could through the house and then wrestle in front of momma and papa. Amoung the flying limbs and drop kicks were loads of giggles and the joy of being brothers. It took me back to remembering when.

Elbow Licking ...Part 2

2008-03-12T20:59:00.003-05:00

Okay--IT IS POSSIBLE to lick your elbow!! It has been done...

Noah said...

2008-03-11T13:56:00.003-05:00

On the drive home from church Sunday we talked to the boys about what they learned. We are always hoping to reinterate the values learned and we want to be sure that they understood everything being taught. This week they talked about turning the other cheek. I think something may have been misunderstood this time...

Noah said, "It is not nice when someone slaps you on the cheek..."
I said, "What do you do when that happens?"
Noah said, "Slap them on the other cheek!"

We laughed all the way home.

(However, we did explain what Jesus REALLY wants us to do)

God's Faithfulness

2008-03-11T13:43:00.004-05:00

So as I was driving to Curves yesturday I was praying to the Lord for our baby. I spoke out and said I trusted Him and His plan for our lives. I also asked for some encouragement from Him. SO-- As I was working out, the sweet lady at Curves told me a story about he sister who prayed for years to receive a child. The sisters were together one year on New Years and prayed intensly for a baby. 10 days later they got a call that someone wanted to have the sister adopt a baby boy. So she did and 10 days later she found out she was pregnant! Awesome, huh! Well I knew that the Lord was talking to my heart and encouraging me along. And because he cares so much He encouraged me later that night. I was at a meeting and someone walked up and gave me a check to go towards our adoption! Thank you Jesus!

Elbow Licking Anyone?

2008-03-03T21:57:00.005-06:00

The night is winding down and we sit to have family prayer time. It goes well...the boys are engaged and we all praise God. IMMEDIATELY after we are done the topic of converstion changes. Alex asked if we could all try to lick our elbows. So do you think we did it? OF COURSE! Wouldn't you if you saw your kiddos doing it to?!!! (I recall hearing all my 2nd graders talkng about it in class last week.) It really is humanly impossible to do it. But we laughed and had fun in trying.

HOP

2008-03-02T14:23:00.003-06:00

Today in service I was struck at how the Lord wants so much to partner with us. He is so kind to not push himself on us and how patient he is to wait for us to say yes. We can be so into our comforts and when those run out, He is there waiting for us to sk Him for our true needs. We are all called to the House of Prayer. In our homes, in our churches, in public, in private--We are called to partner with God and pray. Ask and you shall receive. We have the chief intercessor praying for us and He wants us to pray to Him. He hears all, knows all, sees all and will deliver all--we just have to speak up and ask.

Garage Sale/Fund Raiser

2008-02-29T12:11:00.001-06:00

It is so exciting to move foward. So we are making plans for a fund raiser and a garage sale to help fund the all of the adoptions. There are 5 or 6 other families in the process to adopt right now! Amazing ideas are springing forth from all of the women involved. Please keep us in your prayers and may the favor of the Lord be released as we continue in the journey. Thank you all for your help and input. More to come...

Alex said...

2008-02-28T21:06:00.001-06:00

At dinner last night Alex informed us that he has had buffalo to eat. Matt and I looked at each other...wondering?! I asked where he had eaten buffalo before. He said you know mom, those buffalo wing nuggets we ate! (Boneless buffalo wings--from Tyson) Too cute!

Prayer WORKS

2008-02-26T12:43:00.001-06:00

After much prayer for 4 days for Noah's fever to break and for his body to heal, last night it happened! I took his temperature one last time before bed and it was completely normal after being 99.5 all day. He walked around the house telling us all that Jesus heard him and now he is healed. He was behaving as if he was never sick! God hears our prayers and thanks to you who lifted our Noah up before the Lord.

Boys will be boys!

2008-02-25T21:56:00.004-06:00

The Beginning...

2008-02-25T21:43:00.001-06:00

Here we are in our second blog site in the same day and I REALLY excited to get started! The theme: To share our story on the journey to adopt, and our journey in life. It has been a road well traveled lately. Between prayer, paperwork, laughter, tears, more prayer, more paperwork we have partnered with the Lord and do not want to stop. We are saying "Yes" to caring for more of His liitle ones and we are beliving Him to provide a means to do so.

Family...Finally!

2008-02-25T20:24:00.001-06:00

This is Christmas 07' at Big Cedar

After hours of trying to post pictures on my last blog, I gave up and switched to this site! I finally was able to get this picture to show up and be a decent size! I am totally new at blogging so it is going to be a trial run for some time. It will hopefully improve with age...like us!