the greatest of these

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. 
But the greatest of these is love."

1 Cor 13:13

There are so many truths and lessons I want my boys to learn while they are young.



But the greatest of them all...



Is that they learn how to LOVE.

Unconditionally.

Sacrificially.

With all their hearts.

love

I love her.

And she loves me.

Deeply.

A beautiful gift from heaven.

deck the living room

We've had a blessed Thanksgiving weekend so far.  Wonderful food, amazing company, and treasured family.  Oh, and a whole lot of food--and our fair share of everything under heaven and earth that can possibly be made with a pumpkin.  One thing I just cannot get used to in this country is pumpkin pie.  Where I come from we eat pumpkin as a vegetable--not a dessert.  Cold, sweet, squishy pumpkin is just too weird.  I'll stick with it as a hot side dish, thank you very much.

I cannot believe how time is flying and Christmas is just around the corner again.  Didn't we just have Christmas?  It sure does feel like it.  Crazy. We are so excited to have our precious new additions with us this Christmas.  So much fun.  Having little ones in the house is just the best ever.

So we promised the kids a real Christmas tree this year.  A "small" real tree--considering the size of our living room.  Kind of like one of those "it's the thought that counts"  kinda trees would do just fine in our little space. Yesterday Anthony set off with the lovies to buy one.

Oh. My. Word.  I should have gone with them. I should have gone with them.  I should have gone with them. I knew it!  Never let husband go shopping alone.  Ever.

They sure did come home with a TREE! Our little living room has been taken over by a Christmas tree.  I kid you not.  There aint anything "small" about our real tree.  We don't even have enough decorations to make it look all snazzy.  Less is definitely more for our dear tree this year.

Sometimes I forget that I married a Texan.  Bigger definitely is better.  Including the Christmas tree.

The kids love our ginormous tree. "It's beast, mom," they tell me. 

Beast?

Where in the world do kids come up with this stuff?  Last week everything was "epic".  This week things are "beast." I guess that means life is good. Or something like that.

They love their Christmas tree...and I get to spend the next month under the tree picking up pine needles (which are already beginning to fall). 

Yes, indeed...life is good.

Sweet memories.  I love making them with the ones the Father has blessed me with.



Counting my beautiful blessings today...and naming them one by one.

Fabulous giveaway coming up next week.  Just in time for Christmas.  A lovely blessing for one of you.

anyone else?

I finally compiled a list of families who are in the process of fundraising to bring their children home. Remember I wrote about it here? Well, it's on the sidebar. There are a few changes I still need to make, but at least it's up and running.

I am so praying that it will bring an awareness to a few adoptions, and highlight specific fundraisers that are happening.  I'll do my best to keep it updated.

If I have missed someone (which is absolutely possible), or if any of you know of a family who would love to be added to my little page there on the side, please send me an e-mail with the information.  I'd be happy to add them.  [email protected]

Also, if your family is included, please be sure to keep me updated with current fundraisers that you have happening so that I can highlight them for you on that page.

I hope this helps in some small way.  My heart is to see each and every adoption fully funded!  I know my God can do it.

Be blessed in all you do, sweet friends.

Thanks for the pic, Connie.

thank(full)

My heart is full. Overflowing.

My blessings are more than I can count.



Like beautiful big brothers who hold baby sisters tight when they cry.

So very thankful.

God has been so good to me.

a bad day at the office

Many years ago, long before children were ever on the radar, I had a job!  Yup...a real job.  Imagine that.  I worked from eight to five, earned my very own money and had a splendid time marketing the city where I lived in South Africa.  I got to do something I loved.  I was with people all day long, got out of the house, and made many beautiful friendships along the way.

Life was dandy.

Well, most of the time it was.  There was the odd crummy day in there too--you know, the "Honey, I had a bad day at the office today" kinda day.  They were few and far between, but they sure did exist.

Then life changed.  And changed.  And changed some more.

We had kids!  A bunch of them.  God kept adding to us beautiful blessings.  And we welcomed them with open arms.  It has been an absolute joy.  We made a decision a long time ago that I would stay home to raise our children, and I have never once regretted it.  I have loved every minute of being home with my children.  They fill my days with love, cuddles, laughter, kisses, and they fill my love tank to overflowing.  There is truly no place I would rather be than right here in my home.

But.

"Honey, today was a really bad day at the office!"

Just as I once had those crummy days in the real office, I have them here too.  I do.  It's no different to what life was like all those years ago.  This is my workplace, my mission field.  It's the job the Father has given me to do.  But that sure does not mean that things are peachy every day of my life.  The bad days?  I have my fair share of them too.  Just in case you thought that my life was always a bed of roses and my children perfectly behaved at all times.  That would be a NO.

This week has been one of those times.  Two sick kids who whine and cry all day long, the dang laundry pile is overflowing (again), the house is a complete disaster, the unanswered emails are too many to count, the bath tub still has a lovely ring around it, homeschool has not quite been a priority, the dust is thick on the bookshelves, the to-do list keeps getting longer, phone calls seldom get returned, the ironing (heck, whatever that is) is piled sky high, the kids have turned the pantry upside down in their constant quest for food, and vacuuming is nothing but a good intention.  I am distracted by too many things.

Aaah, yes, it's been a couple of those days.

Days when I simply feel depleted.  Like I have nothing more to give to anyone. 

Empty!

It's life.  Isn't it?  Just a constant ebb and flow of good days and some very challenging days.

There was once a time in my life when I felt as if I had failed horribly as a mom if I had a day like I have had today.  Gosh, and Lord forbid I had two in a row.  That would positively make me the worst mama in the world, I thought.  It would send me scampering after every mothering book on the planet in search of the perfect solution to make every day a great mothering day.  Of course it never worked.  There is no such thing.

These days I see things so differently.  I pray for good days, but accept that some may just not turn out the way I hope they will.  Some days are just darn crummy.  The kids will test my patience more than I ever imagined possible.  The house will be in a shambles. I will fall into bed at night, feeling awful that I was quick with my tongue and that I was not slow to anger.  I will regret certain decisions and wish I had loved and snuggled more and been impatient way less.

I am a work in progress. 

I am human.  I am a mama leaning on my Savior one day at a time.  I am a child of the risen King.  That does not give me a golden ticket to the easy life.  Oh no.  His Word promises me that the trials will come knocking on my door. God tells me that this life will have trials and challenges, and that I need only be concerned about today.  Tomorrow is a whole new story just waiting to unfold--and how it turns out is not my concern.

These days I see my challenging days in my "office" as an opportunity to learn, grow, and become the mother that God would have me be.  I embrace them, actually, for I know that God uses even my worst days to teach me profound lessons and deep truths.  It's on days like this that He reveals my nasty sin--things that need to be weeded out so that more of Him and less of me is all that remains. 

On days like today when I am depleted and running on empty, I know that my God is more than able to fill me right back up again and give me the everything I need to run my race with perseverance.  Never forgetting that He who has called me WILL enable me.

"Honey, I had a really bad day at the office today."

And you know what?  It's quite alright for us mama's to have them too.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 
2 Cor. 12:9

life as usual

~~~  We've had such a beautiful weekend.  My hubby was away for a few days last week.  We welcomed him home with arms wide open on Friday night.  I am so very thankful for the man God gave me.  I am so blessed to love...and be loved.

~~~  Harper has been sick. Poor baby.  It seems that whatever she has is in her lungs.  We may just have to make a trip to the doc tomorrow if things don't improve overnight.  Praying for healing in her sweet little body. 

~~~  My big boys spent the whole weekend camping with their scout troop.  In freezing temperatures at night.  I lay awake for hours wondering if they were warm enough.  The joys of being a mom.  I wonder if I will still do that when they're 40?

~~~  It's thanksgiving week.  I love thanksgiving and we always try to make it meaningful for our children.  But not having extended family around during the holidays never gets easier. 

~~~  I cannot believe Christmas is just around the corner.  We've promised the kids a real Christmas tree this year. I cannot remember when last we had a real one.  Fun.

~~~  Our car broke down.  Again.  Our new [old] van had to be towed away.  We've only had it for about two weeks.  Sometimes we just have to laugh.  Seriously.  This is the forth breakdown we have had in five weeks.  Ridiculous.  I guess we must be doing something right for the enemy to be messing with us the way he has.  How dare he mess with God's beloved? 
 
~~~  Hailee has had a bunch of doctors appointments recently.  Two tests came back positive for celiac.  Now to do a third and final test.  She also has reflux, so we're treating that.  The ENT is concerned about hearing loss, so another thing that she will need to have thoroughly evaluated.  They do a test while she is under anesthetic, I believe.  Her eyes are doing so much better since having the botox injected for strabismus.  Her eyes still flicker and twitch, but apparently there is nothing that can be done about that.  We praise God for every victory in her life.

~~~  I love that winter comes to Virginia later, rather than sooner.  I finally put our cozy sheets on our bed this weekend.  And my heated blanket.  My husband says I'm a wimp.  He's right.  I hate being cold.

~~~  We're looking forward to having a shorter week of school this week.  A little break will be good for us all.

~~~  Anthony and I have recently been talking a lot about how life passes by so fast.  These days the Lord has been reminding us to live purposefully.  We only get one shot at it.  We are being stretched and challenged in so many areas of our lives.  The things we once held onto seem so insignificant. So pointless. It's been a time of reevaluating for us. A time of seeking His face. We don't know what the future holds for our family, but we do know the ONE who holds it.  And that is all we need to know.

~~~  Harper is learning sign language amazingly quickly. Haven imitates her when she does it.  Perhaps Haven will learn new things as Harper does?  That will be amazing.

~~~  I was recently told about an app (huh?) for the iPad for people who are non-verbal.  I plan on taking Haven to the Mac store soon to check it out. I'm so curious to see what she does with it. First though, I guess I'd better learn what the heck an app is so that I don't look like a complete idiot when I get there.  I'm still so like 1990's.

~~~  We have been so abundantly blessed this week.  The generosity of God's people blows me away.

~~  'Tis the season to the thankful.  And how much there is to be thankful for--on the mountain top AND deep down in the valley too. God is so good!

their lives depend on it

Update:

I'm adding two links to this post. It has been brought to my attention that many letters are being sent to members of our own government--urging them to ACT!  The first is for letters which can be written to local congressmen, and the second link is to contact senators.  Please urge your friends and family to flood them with appeals to do whatever they can to get involved.  It all helps.  This sweet mama posted a form letter that can be used. Thanks, friends.

~~~~~~~

I know that many of you who read my blog are familiar with the current happenings in Ukraine.  For those of you who are not, I'll fill you in.  I don't even know if I am able to find the words to stress the urgency of this, but here goes.

On November 3, 2010,  the Ukrainian parliament voted to move forward with voting on legislation that will put a moratorium on ALL international adoptions.  The bill has already passed once. Now it must be voted on one more time before it becomes LAW.  I have heard the second vote will take place sometime this month.

Goodness gracious!

Do you know what that means?

An absolute catastrophe.  If the bill remains as it is currently written...no more children will be allowed to be adopted from that country.  Just. Like. That.

I know many people read this kind of thing and just click over to the next blog, article, or what ever's next on the agenda.  I used to be like that.  I used to think there was not much I could do about a desperate situation like this.

Click.  Click.  Click.

Perhaps if we had never adopted our two girls from that country, I would still be one of those people.  Perhaps if I never saw the things I saw with my own two eyes I could just let something like this go and never give it a second thought.  Perhaps I could move right along.

But once your life is changed--once you have seen more than your human heart can bear, well, you know that you will go to the ends of the earth to do something.  Anything.  You know that sitting back and doing nothing is no longer an option.

And so I'm coming to you, my dear bloggy friends, pleading for you to stand with me (and countless others) in prayer at this crucial hour--begging God to intercede on behalf of His precious children waiting for forever families in that country. 

Huge decisions are about to be made in Ukraine.  Decisions which will affect umpteen children and many, many families currently in the middle of an adoption.  Even families in the process of adopting may NOT be allowed to move forward with their adoptions.  Court dates will be denied and families will be sent packing back to the USA.

Oh Father.

This kind of thing is not new in the world of international adoptions.  Sadly, we've seen it many times before. Many countries have closed their doors to adoptions.  Vietnam, Guatemala, Romania, Nepal, Cambodia, Liberia, to name a few.  We used to be able to adopt children from all those nations--but sadly no longer can.  My heart breaks when I read the stories that many of you have shared with me about YOUR children still being in those countries and your absolute heartache at not being able to bring them home. Oh God in heaven.

So here we are with yet another country on the brink of doing the exact same thing.  Am I surprised?  Not at all, actually.  When I was in our daughter's country last May there was talk that this may happen.  This is a battle, friends.  This is a WAR!  A battle that rages for the lives of hundreds and hundreds of innocent children who's ONLY hope is an international adoption.  Children who have special needs have no worth or value in their own countries.  None.  Their chances of being adopted in the country of their birth are extremely slim.  Fact.

Right now there are hundreds of families in the process of adopting from Ukraine.  So many sweet children are waiting for mommy and daddy to come.  Some of those kids are hanging on by a thread--their adoption is a matter of life and death. Literally. I have seen it, lived it, breathed it, and had my heart broken by it. 

I believe that the most important thing we can do as the Body of Christ is to pray without ceasing.  I believe my God is able to fight this battle on behalf of every orphan who waits.  He's the ONE who holds the hearts of Kings in His hands.

Pray that the hearts of those making this radical decision will be softened. 

Pray that each and every family in the process of rescuing a child from this country WILL be able to go and get their child. 

Pray that more and more children who have special needs or who are older WILL be able to get out of there--before it is too late. 

Pray that one more country does NOT close it's doors to amazing families who can go and rescue children from their overcrowded, poorly run, heinous orphanages.

Pray that if they sign this as a law, that they make an exemption for all children who have special needs--and they can still be adopted.

Pray that this warfare will come to an end and that the enemy will NOT have the victory in this.  Pray that his evil plans will be thwarted, in the name of Jesus!

Pray, pray, pray. God hears every cry of our hearts. I know that to be truth. Please help to spread the word and get the people of God to rise up and pray for this urgent and desperate need.  Please help us to do whatever it takes to stop this ridiculous ban from moving forward.  My heart cannot fathom what the consequences of a successful outcome will mean for thousands of children.

Their precious lives depend on it!  It's as simple as that.

she rocks!

When we set out to adopt Hailee, we never really knew what to expect.  Other than that the LORD said to go.  That was all that mattered.

We didn't have any experience with Down syndrome.  Neither of us had ever spent any significant amount of time with anyone blessed with the beautiful extra chromosome.  We were seriously clueless.  We knew that Hailee was significantly delayed and very tiny, but that was about it.

Were we nervous about the adoption?  No, not really.  We walked in that glorious peace that passes all understanding.  We knew that she was our baby girl, and that she had to come home as soon as possible.

And that was all we needed to know.  The rest, well, we were quite happy to leave it in the hands of the ONE who would lead and guide us in parenting her.

I'll never forget the day we met.  Malnourished, painfully thin, sores all over her little body, bumps on her head from banging it against the bars of a crib, drugged, and completely out of it.



Six months have passed since Hailee became our daughter.

What an incredible journey it has turned out to be. Oh my goodness. I look back over the last six months and I am truly at a loss for words at what God has done in this little girl's life. 

She is a new creation in every sense.



She has gone from a virtual baby who could hardly even sit up, to a thriving, blossoming little love who has a twinkle in her eyes.  No longer does she cry for hours and hours on end.  In fact, she's the complete opposite.  These days if Hailee cries, we know that something is wrong.  She is so happy and content.



Although the road to getting her stronger and bigger continues, she has come so far. She weighed just sixteen pounds on her fifth birthday last May.  Now she's almost at twenty.  For the first two months she would have nothing to do with solid food.  These days, things are so much better.  We still do have good days and bad days with getting the food to go down, but things are getting easier.  For a little girl who ate nothing but porridge for five years, she is actually doing great.  I keep reminding myself of just how far she has come in such a short period of time.

We rejoice in the baby steps in our family.  Each and every milestone reached is a great celebration around here.  Hailee is constantly being cheered on by her army of loving supporters, her siblings.



Hailee has gained so much strength in six months.  Being confined to a crib for five years left her so frail and weak.  She could put no pressure on her legs whatsoever.  As you all pointed out in this post, she is actually trying hard to stand up.  She gets up onto her legs for a few seconds, and then plops back down again.  But you know what is so amazing?  She is trying!  Hard. 

This little girl, who was written off as being useless, a burden on society, without any abilities, with no hope at all, a mere corpse with breath in a crib....

IS TRYING HARD!!! 

She is proving them all wrong. 

They said she would be nothing in her life.  She's showing them that she WILL be the very best that she can be--God being her helper.

They said that she would never learn a single darn thing.  She's showing them that she has the potential to learn just like any other child.  Sure, it may take her a little longer than the average child--but what's the rush when she has her entire life ahead of her?

They said that her disability was too profound.  She's showing them all of the ABILITIES that she has always had but was never given an opportunity to nurture.

They said, "Put her in a crib in the back room, feed her and change her, and that's all she needs."  She's showing them that with a whole lot of love, good nutrition, sunshine and fresh air...anything is possible!



People tell us all the time, "Hailee is so blessed that you rescued her."

Yeah, whatever.

You know what the truth is?

We're the one's who are blessed!  Seriously. We have been given the gift of a daughter whom we love more than life itself.  A daughter who is a beautiful treasure, created in the image of God.  We have been blessed more than any amount of financial inheritance could ever give us.  No amount of money, wealth, or material possessions could ever have given us the amount of joy that this teeny tiny little girl has given us in the last six months.

We have been given one of the Father's most precious and glorious blessings--the gift of one of the least of these (Matthew 25:45).

I can hardly wait to see what happens in the next six months.  It's breathtaking seeing a miracle unfold before our eyes each and every day.

Hailee girl...you totally ROCK!

the man in the mirror

~~  By Anthony

Been reading a book lately. Adeye was further along than I was and kept saying how it changed her life, that it’s the best book she’s ever read (besides the Bible, of course).

I thought it was very, very good, very thought-provoking, but I wasn’t going that far. Until. I surpassed her in reading it. Then it tore my insides out. I felt like Mel Gibson in the last scene of Braveheart when he was disemboweled alive and still managed to screech out “FREEEEDOOOOM!”

As Adeye told you guys, the book’s called Radical, by David Platt. He put into words everything I’ve been feeling for the past twenty years, something that’s been building and building in me. And he adds things I haven’t even considered but are spot on with truth.

I am the proud father of seven beautiful children, four of whom have special needs. I have also been a minister, missionary, and evangelist for most of my years, but I read a book like that, and I feel like I’m useless, like my life is one big waste. I’m only being honest with all of you, most of whom I’ve never met nor corresponded with. I’m sure most of you, if I updated you on my life, would say, as many have, that I’ve been very productive for the kingdom.

But can I be real for a moment? With 147 million orphans in the world, with 26,000 children dying EVERY DAY from starvation, and with 4.5 billion people in the world (at the most conservative estimate) who are slipping down toward hell, I feel like I’ve been more interested in building my own kingdom than the Father’s.

What am I doing? Where have I been? Is the American dream a nightmare to our Father? Surely I’ve pursued it as a just cause to chase after?

I had lived in South Africa and Australia for eight years as a missionary. Prior to that, I’ve evangelized all over the world, on nearly every continent. One week being back on American soil showed me a stark contrast from what I’ve seen the past several years with the opulence and complacency I noticed right away.  In the first week, I met a Christian man to whom I shared my heart. Mind you, I wasn’t feeling holier-than-thou, but I was sharing the ache in my heart when I blurt out, “Americans are so spoiled!”

“No, we’re ‘blessed,’” the man retorted.

I was taken aback. I had never heard it put that way before. Immediately scriptures downloaded in my mind about how Israel was deliberately “blessed” by God, so that all nations can see that there is a God in heaven. Made sense. So, I let it go. That was in 2004.

Since then those words have haunted me. But I’ve never known why. Why doesn’t it sit right with me, Lord?! It’s scriptural. Why am I tormented by this man's explanation of the blessed life in America?

While pondering Radical, it came to me. Yes, blessing is a gift from God, BUT it shouldn’t end there. He blesses us as we are pouring out our lives as a gift offering to a dying world. He blesses us as we die to ourselves so that others might live! Blessing is a means to an end, not an end of itself.

I have confused divine blessing with the American dream. One is all about being light on a hill as we rescue the lost. The other is a self-serving state of comfort for comfort sake. Where did this come from?

The Declaration of Independence mentions the famous words “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” as an “inalienable right,” or a natural or legal right. The historian Gary Wills writes this pursuit of happiness “supplies us with the ground of human right and the goal of human virtue. It is the basic drive of the self, and the only means given for transcending the self.”

But is it my right to be happy? Did God create me to be happy? Blessed, yes, but happy? The Greek word for blessed means happy, but listen to what God says will bring me happiness:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,…Blessed are those who mourn,…Blessed are the meek,…Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,…Blessed are the merciful,…Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,…

I tell you, friends, just when you think you’ve given your life to God, He holds a mirror up to you, showing you a life that still needs to die to self.

Though I’ve never seen it, I’ve seen trailers for a cable show called “The Big C.” From what I can gather, it’s about a woman who faces her mortality every day due to severe cancer, which causes her to do senseless things she’d never dare to do when she was healthy, and to do them with freedom.

Gracious God, I want to be like that! I want to walk around in a worldy corpse so that your freedom can penetrate my soul to the fullest. So that I can dare to the do things that have scared me to do otherwise—things that are truly “radical” to me, but are simple commands to you.

If you have not yet read Radical and would like to, we'd love to bless TWO readers with a copy of the book.  Just leave a comment indicating that you would like to be entered.  You have until midnight on Wednesday to enter.

today you are...

Learning, growing, and discovering many new things.



Determined to perfect this walking thing. You never give up trying.



A ray of sweet and beautiful sunshine in our lives.



An exquisite creation--wonderfully made just the way you are.



Absolutely and completely perfect in every way.



A blessed addition to our family.  We see life differently since you came along.  We're forever changed.  In a good way, of course.



A treasure we adore.



If you were one of the seven dwarfs--your name would definitely be "Happy."



You're delightfully curious and very, very smart. 



Today I think about how we almost missed out on all this--on you.

Oh my goodness, I cannot even imagine not having you here with us, where you belong.



Today you are THREE.

There truly are no words to describe how blessed we are to have you in our lives, sweet Harper.  You are a beautiful gift to us--a treasure in this life.  Oh how we love you.

Happy, happy birthday beautiful Harpy.

sharing my family

Our amazing small group (which is mainly adoptive families) made this sweet little video about our family for Orphan Sunday.  They just put it on YouTube, so I thought I'd share it with you.

do you see what I see?

Who can possibly say that adoption doesn't change lives?

reckless abandon

Reposting an article I wrote for my friend Laura's blog.  With added thoughts and pictures--because this is my blog and I can say whatever I want to.

~~~~~~

It’s Orphan Awareness Month. Again.

Another month set aside for the church to show orphan related videos, hear testimonies relevant to adoption and orphan care, and an opportunity to listen to sermons where orphans are [possibly] mentioned.

I must confess. Many times I ask myself, “What’s the point of it?” “Is having another time set aside to create an awareness of the orphan crisis even worth the effort?” Is it? Will it make a profound difference?

Perhaps I have become somewhat cynical, or weary of the battle that rages for the lives of millions of children, or frustrated that help seems so slow to come, or desperate to see more and more who are willing to go. I don’t know. I only know the sinking feeling that I feel each time I look into the faces of our four adopted children and remember the millions that are left behind. The ones who are literally without hope, without life.

We’re the Christians doggonit!  We’re God’s beloved church. His beautiful bride. We’re the ones He has already commanded to take care of the orphans.

Yet sadly, we wait.

We wait for God to speak to us in an audible voice, telling us to “GO!”—sometimes He does that audible voice thing, you know.

We wait for the perfect job to come along—orphan care demands a whole lot of money.

We wait for the bills to be paid—can’t be taking on more than we can handle.

We wait for the larger house—because adding children requires a large house.

We wait for a few kids to leave the nest before we add more—can’t be having too many children in the home.

We wait for confirmation with the perfect scripture to drop into our spirits as a sign that we need to act now.

We wait...for someone else to go.

We wait, we wait, we wait.

And while we wait—they perish. The statistics are staggering. I can’t even look anymore.

This is the horrendous reality...

Why do we find every reason under heaven and earth why we should not go? The Bible is as clear as daylight—“care for the widows and the orphans.”

It’s a lot like missions. My heart aches when I see how many churches don’t have a fabulous missions program. God’s Word says to “Go into ALL the world and make disciples of all men.” It’s a command! It’s non- negotiable. Taking care of the orphans is a command too. We’re commanded in His word to care for them—however that may look.

But still we wait for “the call” to come. Kind of like, “I am SO glad Mrs. Jenkins is called to lead children’s church, because that is DEFINITELY NOT my calling.

Ouch!

God hardly ever calls us to do things for Him when everything in our lives is just grand. He never calls us to walk on the water when our circumstances are sweet. When I look in the Bible, I see people doing things for the Lord in the midst of impossible circumstances. Tougher than what my circumstances have ever been in my entire life. Yet, they did it. In obedience. The Lord commanded them--and they went. They accepted the tough task that lay before them—come what may. They never asked the Lord for a re-commission.

So why in the world do we? What makes us so different to the people God gave us to learn from in the Bible?

Why are there so many uncared for orphans in the world when we’re commanded to care for them?

We would be wealthy if someone paid us every time we have been told that we were “called by God” to adopt our four children who have special needs. Or for the many people who have told us that “There is no way we could do what you do.”

I disagree.

You know what that does? It diminishes God’s sovereign power to do the impossible through each one of us, His people. Comments like that tell the Father, “Sorry God, but you don’t have enough power to give me the ability to parent a child who struggles in life.” “So sorry, God. Just go and call someone else.” “Oh God, and that mission field thing? There is no way I could ever do that!”

That’s perilous ground to walk on.

God’s power is absolutely made perfect in our weakness. When He commands us to do something, He equips us with everything we need to fulfill the calling with excellence. Even people like us--ordinary sinners saved by grace who are just average Joes. He does it for His glory! To make Himself famous in the earth. It has absolutely nothing to do with us. Everything God does is for His glory, not ours.

I believe with all my heart that God is raising up an army of crazy people to do the ridiculous. Many believe we are living in the end times. We agree! We sense that more than ever God is looking for those who are willing to do the impossible. Just WILLING! God is seeking out those who will serve Him with reckless abandonment, no matter where that takes them or what He tells them to do in this life.

Reckless abandon for the sake of His orphans...simply because they so desperately need US.  Come what may.

four less...

orphans in the world.



Which is wonderful.

BUT...

Oh how my heart is aching for the millions left behind on this Orphan Sunday (and every other day).

What in the world is the solution to this crisis? 

It's the question that gives me sleepless nights.

"Dear Jesus...please come back quickly! We need you here. Badly!"

when rocks are thrown

It's Orphan Sunday.  My friend in real life Laura and I decided to do a guest post on each other's blogs today.  Laura and her family are missionaries in Thailand. They run an orphanage for abandoned girls.  They are an incredible family with hearts of gold--willing to let their answer to the Lord alsways be "Yes and Amen"--no matter what the cost.  I love Laura so much. She is a true treasure in the Kingdom of God.  Our hearts are knit by the love we share for the fatherless.

~~~~~~

I watched her tonight out at the orphanage. A five-year-old body and a twenty-something-soul--though the age on her legal papers claims ten. She ran out, clutching a blue worn teddy bear in dark brown hands. It was the quality of toy handed over at a fair after winning a 50- cent game of darts. But, she doesn't care, because it is hers.

And an older girl takes it away.

Because even the cheap and the worn are treasures on this patch of soil.

And I stumble through my newly-acquired Thai with someone else, but I watch from the corner of my eye--the two girls and the bear. The owner whines and chases. But the older is too fast, too quick, too powerful. She acts play, but the younger isn't buying it. This is her treasure, after all. And I watch the little victim glance for help; I watch her call for someone older to Rescue.

But she's on her own.

So she picks up a rock. She yells. She throws. Hard. And she misses. And fills her hands with another.

And then I intervene in broken tongue. The sought-after lovey is returned to younger hands with a gentle, "Not kind," to the older. And the next rock is tossed back to the dirt. For now.

But I am left wondering if the mini-drama just witnessed is a true picture of the orphan-story. She feels powerless and weak, unable to fight for herself. And she looks around for someone bigger to Rescue.

But there is no one who comes.

And so she picks up a rock. She learns to fight for herself. She dries her tears, and she grows older,too early.

And I wonder how a childhood full of these moments affects her heart. I wonder how it translates into the way she views God and others. I imagine the sweetness of the Rescue, should it come for this little one, in the form of a family who loves, anyway. And I wonder what her fight will look like in future years, should the only father known be a Heavenly One.

And surrounded by the chattering of little-girl voices and the sticky Tropical heat, I'm left asking, grieving, doubting, broken.

I'm broken for the reality that is her world, and I'm left scanning the horizon for God's rescue, for her.

But I'm left believing, too. I'm left believing that Rescue can take a hundred different faces and that the God who sees this orphan, loves her like mad--even when she's throwing rocks.

~~ Laura Parker

~~~~~~

Please go here to follow Laura and her precious family as they seek the Kingdom of God above all things.  You will be so incredibly blessed by their unfolding journey. Laura is such a gifted writer.

Their ministry is always in need of sponsors and many other things.  So many of the precious girls who live there are still in need of someone to sponsor them.  This is their website at Breanna's House of Joy.  We are not all called to bring children into our home through adoption, but we ARE all called to do something to help the orphan crisis. 

protecting virtue

Oh my. Times have changed. I'm sure we can all agree that things are so very different to what they were twenty (or even ten) years ago. Gosh, I was a high schooler in the eighties. Looking back, those years seem like paradise compared to what kids in high school have to deal with today.

Times have changed. And are still changing.

Things are getting tougher by the day as the battle for the hearts and minds of our children intensifies.  This is serious business. 

A few days ago my oldest son, Connor, wanted to show me a skateboarding video on YouTube. He sat at our computer and I stood behind him as he did a search on YouTube for the video he was was looking for. I watched as he typed in a phrase which included the words "skateboard tricks". Within seconds the most vile image was before my eyes...and Connor's. Just like that. Completely uninvited.

I almost had heart failure.

Even with a parental filter on the computer!  Are you kidding me?

The experience shocked me. I could not believe that filth like that had made it's way through the filter we have on our computer. 

It really has had me thinking a lot about what parents are up against as we try to raise our children in the ways of the Lord. My son is eleven years old. He is just a child. When I was eleven I never even knew what the word "pornography" meant, Tracy never married Jessica, and drugs were never in schools.  The most rebellious thing a high schooler could do was smoke a cigarette or get drunk--which today is considered normal. 

We do everything we can to protect our children on the internet.  We have very firm boundaries in place about what they can or cannot look at.  Our computer is in our family room so that we can see what our kids are looking at at all times.  Our kids are never home alone. And we obviously have a filter on our computer.

But still evil finds a way to make itself seen. 

The internet sure has been a blessing in so many ways.  It has, in many respects, made the world a much smaller place.  But it has also been one of this century's greatest evils.  Men and women have fallen into sexual temptation.  Children have been robbed of their innocence.  The battle rages.

How in the world do we raise children in the ways of the Lord these days?  Heck, I can't even stand to take them to the grocery store with me.  The magazines in the check out lines make my hair stand up!  For the longest time I got away with telling my young children that "gay" meant happy when they read it in HUGE letters on at least three magazines while we waited in line.  These days they're older and wiser and know better.

The lifestyle of the Amish has never sounded more appealing to me as it does these days.

I don't know about you, but some days I long for days gone by.  I long for the times when life was simpler.  I know that even the good old days had it's challenges, but it sure does seem simpler .  I can't even imagine what will come twenty years down the line.  I fear for my grandchildren.  And I fear for my children who will have to raise them.  Lord have mercy.

I feel like there are so many things we say "no" to our kids about.  No, they are no allowed to sit at the TV and watch anything they please.  No, they are not allowed to ride their bikes alone around the neighborhood.  No, they are not allowed to sleep over at someone's house who we have never met.  No, they are not allowed to surf the internet.

But I also know that there has to be a balance.  Truthfully, it is one I struggle to find at times.  I know I cannot wrap them in cotton wool and protect them from the world all the time. We take our role as their protectors very seriously.  Our children are very seldom away from us.  If we're in a public place and a little one needs the rest room, we always use the buddy system. 

Raising children in 2010 is so different.  Times have changed.  Honestly, this stuff terrifies me. 

So I'm wondering....how do YOU protect your children on the computer?

What internet filters work well for you?

What boundaries do you have in your home regarding some of the things I have mentioned?

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

One thing I love about blogging is the community of women who meet here.  I love how many of you share your hearts, your stories, and your lives with me.  I love that we can share ideas and learn from each other. 

Most of the time I just do not have the answers.  Raising children of virtue is one of our greatest challenges.  Getting truth in their hearts takes times, effort, and much energy.

How do we protect virtue in a world gone crazy?

life as usual

Today was busy.  But oh so very blessed.  We are the proud owners of a new [old] van!  It's an older van, but will suit us just perfectly.  It had been sitting on a car lot for nine months.  The nice country dealer was more than happy to let it go at a ridiculous price.  I think he figured that not many quiet country town folks are in need of super large vans.  Actually, he probably would have paid us to take it off his hands.

We drove away feeling so blessed.  The LORD had once again gone before us.

Awesome God!

What was even more wonderful than actually buying a car was the sweet conversation I was able to have with one of the ladies who works at the dealership.  Can you believe that she had never heard of anyone adopting a child with special needs?  Ever.  She never even knew that such a thing was possible--or that anyone would even consider doing it.  She was amazed.  Her heart was so moved as she loved on Hailee and Harper.  She got emotional as we shared while sitting on the grassy strip near the car lot.  Her only experience with people who have Down syndrome had been "awkward" and "uncomfortable" she told me. She never knew how to relate to them.  Until today.  The walls came tumbling down as I watched her love on my two hunnies.  God used them to touch her heart and to show her how precious "special needs" truly is.  Her eyes were opened and I have no doubt that in the future she will take more time to acknowledge a child in a grocery store or in the library who has needs.  I know she will.

God can move anywhere--even in a used car lot in the absolute back end of nowhere.

Hailee and Harper started their once-a-week physical therapy sessions today.  One hour of intense therapy.  They were absolutely beat by the end of it.  Poor Harper was in tears, she was just so tired.  She'll get used to it, I know. 

I absolutely love, love, love going to the children's hospital where the girls have their therapy.  The highlight for me is sitting in the waiting room and observing all the precious children who come and go.  So many of them have such profound struggles in life.  Many are in wheelchairs or have feeding tubes.  You know what I love?  They are ALL so happy.  It stands out every single time I am there.  They are the happiest, smiliest children around.  They never complain or grumble.  They never whine for no reason.  They are just so absolutely sweet in every way imaginable.  It truly does something in my heart every time.  I cannot help but sit there and smile.  They touch me so deeply.  I can't even imagine how desperately the Father loves them.

So I totally laughed at some of your sweet stories about forgetting kids in different places.  Oh my!  All of a sudden I don't feel so alone.  Maybe it happens more often than any of us care to admit--but only a few are crazy enough to admit that it actually happened to them.  Funny.

I have been trying to take my kids to the library for the last month.  Every day I tell myself that this will be the day I do it.  But life happens and I just never seem to get there.  Oh well.

I am so looking forward to hearing what the doctor has to say tomorrow at Hailee's follow-up appointment after having Botox injected into her eyes.  We see a slight difference in the way her eyes align.  But only slight.  Her eyes still flicker and twitch.  I don't know what's up with that.  Tomorrow will hopefully tell.  Baby steps is the way we have learned to do things with our sweet children.  I have days when I wish I could just take every little problem away and make everything better for Hailee.  But then I remember that God's pace is perfect--and my hundred-mile-a-second pace is not a good thing.

What's the rush anyway?

My precious littlest boy totally melts my heart.  He has decided that his mommy is quite alright.  He walks around all day telling me, "Mommy, I really love you.  You're so cute!"

Be still my heart. 

I did vote yesterday.  And it felt fabulous!  I am so glad I had to become a citizen in order to adopt Hailee and Harper.  I believe that every vote counts.

These days, I feel so incredibly blessed.  In some areas of our lives, things are definitely not going the way we would love them to.  The trials and challenges remain the same.  But we are in a season of learning to embrace them with everything that is within us. 

Why? 

Simply because God is who He says He is.  And that is all I need to know.

apples, imperfection, and pure joy

Fall in Virginia is absolutely stunning.  I cannot help but marvel at God's creation at this time of year.  It really does take my breath away when I consider that everything I see, He did for our pleasure.  Every changing color, every leaf that falls to the ground, every rainy day to water the dry ground after a long, hot summer.  It blows me away when I ponder how very well the Father did it all.  Instead of giving us one season, He gave us four to enjoy.  It truly is one of the incredible wonders of God.

On Saturday we went out for the day.  I needed time with my friend Rachel, and my kids needed time out of the house after a busy week of school.

The Apple orchard.  Just an hour from where we live.



Three little treasures enjoyed their very first year at the apple farm.  Whew, was I thankful that I actually remembered to take warm clothes at the very last minute.  I literally ran back into the house once all the kids were loaded in the car and grabbed a few woollies.  It was by far the coolest day we have had in months.



I totally laugh when I get e-mails from friends asking me, "How do you do it?  How do you keep everything together so well."

Ummm....that would be a no.  I'm here to tell you that I hardly ever have things together all the time.  Hardly a day goes by when I don't forget something at home (usually diapers, wipes, or sippy cups).  Or...ahem...forget a child.

Yep.  I confess.  It happened.  Last week I popped over to have a cuppa with Rachel.  It was getting late and I still needed to get a meal (of the frozen kind) on the table.  I literally shoved all the kids into the bus, and off we went on our merry little way.  We were heading out of the driveway, when one of my kids said, "Hey Mom, where's Haven?"

"She's right there at the back," I said confidently.

Surely she must be there.  I mean, what kind of mother would forget their kid at their friend's house? 

Surely not I.

So I keep driving.

"Mom, seriously, Haven is so not in the car!"

Ooops.

I reversed and sent one of the kids to run back in and find the missing member of the family.

There she was, playing quietly in the bedroom with some toys.  She never even realized we had left, nor did Rachel know she was still there.

The joys of having a silent child...and a very imperfect mother.

I hardly ever have it all together, friends.  If it looks like I do, I'm really just faking it.



We loved our apple picking time.  The scenery was beautiful, and the company perfect.  Even though I was missing one of my big boys who had his first ever Scout camping trip all on his own, with no one else in his family with him. 

Heck, I must seriously have been missing him because we bought some lunch at the apple farm (who can resist some junk food every now and then?) and I kid you not, I bought seven meals for my kids.  Seven.  One whole meal for a kid who was not even there.

Ay-yi-yi!  Sometimes I do the dorkiest things.

I'm sure we humans give God so many chuckles as He watches over us.



The workers hauling the fruit of their labor up the hill.



The biggest pink marshmallow in the northern hemisphere.  Aint she sweet?



Harper has definitely hit the toddler years, I'll have you know.  She is into every cupboard, every computer, every make-up drawer, every toy she is not meant to have, e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g.  Harper has become curious about the world around her.  She cannot sit still for a single second.  Up, down, up, down, up, down.  As she begins to find her feet and learn to walk, I'm thinking that a few more months on the ground may actually not be such a bad thing. 

The time has come for everything to be lifted up and placed on higher ground...Harper is almost walking.

Look out world--the cutest marshmallow is breaking loose.



Thankfully she has two big sisters to run after her.  Well, make that one big sister--the other is not really into the babysitting thing.  Haven much prefers to sit and observe...and laugh at the silly things her baby sisters are learning to do.  She is learning from her little sisters.  I love it.

How blessed I am to have these two beautiful girls in my life.  They just make life simply lovely.



So, as I shared in my post on Sunday, we spent some time at the Schwenzer's church.  It was such a sweet time in the Lord.  I probably should have told you though that Carey and I are not wearing matching shirts.  I know it looks that way.  In this photo we're actually standing in front of their computer which is projecting their blog onto a screen behind us.  Matching shirts would have been pretty cute though.

We headed home in the afternoon, making our way down the busiest interstate in VA.  All of a sudden we hear this huge bang, and the next thing smoke starts coming out of the hood.  Not a good thing--even dummies like us, who know less than zero about cars and the way they work, know that smoke coming from the engine means serious business.

As we made our way over to the verge, Anthony and I could only but laugh.  This was the third time we have broken down in less than a month.  This time was just a little trickier considering we were stranded on an ultra busy highway with seven kids in the car. 

Thankfully, one call to the AAA (who know us by name by now), and help was on it's way.  In a short while we saw him pull up in front of us.

Alrighty then...slight problem.  You cannot take our bus and leave us stranded on the side of the road as we wait for our friend to come and pick us up.  Surely not?

And all nine of us are NOT going to fit into that cab thingy at the back of the truck.



Next thing we knew, the nice man was calling for back up to help with multitudes who needed transportation.

Whew. Help arrived and we were on our way.



I think about this often--sometimes yukky things happen to God's people.  As of today we are without a large car for our family.  The cost of the repair far exceeded what the van was worth.  It was not worth putting any more money into that car. And so here we sit with no vehicle for our family--and very limited means to purchase another one.

But God! 

There really are no guarantees in life, are there?  Other than the absolute assurance we have that someday we will be reunited with Christ, everything else in life is so absolutely uncertain.  We never know from one day to the next what will come our way.  There is no guarantee that life will not throw us a curveball every now and then.  On the contrary, the Word of God promises us that the trials will come our way.  We're warned about it.

But here's the thing.  When things get a bit wobbly and life is not going as smoothly as we would like, we're commanded to "consider it pure joy" .  A few translations say to "count it all joy" whenever we face trials of any kind.

I fail.

Fail again.  And again.

Pure joy?   All joy?

So. Not. Easy.  I'm not just talking about our lack of a car--that is such a small thing to be concerned about in the bigger picture of life. But finding joy in all hardships.  Getting to that place where the joy of the Lord truly is our strength. To that place where absolutely nothing can steal our joy! I have such a long way to go before I am there--where my faith is so rock solid that it cannot be shaken.

I am reminded today to not only praise God in the storm, but to trust Him for the impossible, with joy in my heart.  And that's exactly what we're doing.  Praising God for His faithfulness in advance.  Trusting Him for His perfect provision in our lives.  After all, He has never, ever, not once, ever, let us down.

This really is just another amazing opportunity to trust Him for something which, in the natural, is impossible. 

Trials are such a great faith builders.  We're learning to embrace them.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,  because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.   James 1:2-4

~~~~~~~

Today is a huge day for me.  I get to vote!  Woohooo.  I'm an American now.  What an honor it is to be able to vote today.