Living the Abundant Life!

Thoughts one Sunday morning...

2012-01-15T21:30:00.000-08:00

I've been meditating lately on the goodness of God....

Not long ago I was looking around the sanctuary on a Sunday morning, really noticing the people...(I know, I know, I should probably have been listening to the preacher, or worshiping, or whatever everyone else was doing at the moment.) But, anyway, at this moment, I was noticing the people. The dear people at my church whom I am happy to call my church family. And as my eyes scanned the pews, I saw with new eyes some families that were experiencing marital troubles. One going through a divorce because of some difficult circumstances. The kids in that family sitting there too. I saw a lovely mom of a teen-age son who has seen some very rough times in her life, including being a single parent for many years, and recently having lost her dad to cancer. I noticed teens who come to church without their parents, and I'm not sure why the parents don't come too. I saw a dad who is struggling with very very hard family issues. People who have lost loved ones--some having lost children. People who have sons serving in the military. People who are struggling with daily pain. People who have been through so much...I was amazed when I really let it sink in as my eyes traveled around the room. But what struck me the most as I was thinking about all of this, was that these people sitting together on that Sunday morning, thankful to be there, worshiping together..... They were smiling. Even laughing. They were enjoying the day. Genuinely happy.

And God spoke to my heart again about how good He is. That regardless of what circumstances we are going through, it does not mean that God is not there, or that He is not good. He is with us through the pain. I still remember clearly when we were going through our trial with Sarah the very real experience of peace He provided us--right in the middle of the storm. And oh, how bright the sun shines when the storm is over and we realize He truly never did leave us alone.

And even if the "storm" we are going through may never fully be over until we finally reach Home, even then...just knowing and trusting Him brings such peace that passes understanding.

It's interesting that when I sat down to write this post, it was going to be about the beautiful snow we've finally been enjoying! So, I will leave you with some pictures that really do illustrate the awesome love of God. The perfect winter's day...it just doesn't get much more beautiful. Such a wonderful gift! He is so good to us.

Our backyard

View from our front yard

...Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.--Isa. 1:18

Sarah's birthday--Part 2....GUM!

2012-01-09T21:41:00.000-08:00

I don't know exactly what it is, but our children love gum. Maybe all children are the same, I don't know, but our kids....From the time they know what gum is, they want it, and they want it badly.

It was the same with Sarah. Sweet little thing, almost two years old when she came home--as soon as she started noticing her big brothers chomping away, she knew that that substance had to be good, and she definitely wanted some.

And so it began.

"Mommy, can I have gum?"

"You can when you are four!"

And pretty much every time the boys had some, she would always ask.... "Can I have some?" Smart cookie...she knows that parents have been known to crack from time to time. But in this case the answer was always without fail....."When you are FOUR, sweet, darling girl."

And that's our little tradition in our home. The kids just have to wait for the sticky goodness of gum until they are four. And it makes it so much fun as the happy day is approaching. They just can't wait to be four! And Sarah, who gets excited over things like getting to help stir the scrambled eggs...well, you can just imagine the excitement she was feeling over this monumental occasion rapidly coming upon her.

So, on her birthday, at her party, she had her first taste, and you can see her reaction from the pictures in the last post. But, the really fun part of the tradition, is that we take the kids to the store, and let them pick out their own pack of gum. ANY one they want. I know, the excitement is almost too much to take, but that is exactly what we do. I remember only too well the kind that Josh picked when he was four. Skittles gum. I don't remember ever seeing it again since then, so I'm not sure that little gem of a product made the final cut in the gum brand battles, but I certainly do remember it clearly. Gum that looks and tastes like Skittles. Tiny, little pieces. I'm not sure how he didn't get the concept of disposing of it in the trash can, but he kept spitting it out in the basement. Behind the TV especially. Good times.

So, it was Sarah's big day, (Well, the day after her birthday, because in classic Holly fashion, I just couldn't get everything together on the exact day it was supposed to happen) and off we went to R*te Aid.

Looking for the gum section with Josh, one of the best big brothers in the world...

So many choices!

Do you want the orange one?

No, the yellow one!!!

GUM!! (She takes after her grandma, by the way, with that pick.)

Even got her own little bag. : )

And there you have it! Sarah's trip to get her birthday gum! Aren't you glad you stopped by my little blog today?

Happy birthday, Sarah!

2012-01-07T20:19:00.000-08:00

Oh, yes she is!! Our little girl is FOUR YEARS OLD!!!

Sarah Ting (aka Spider, Clinic, or Red Light, depending on the day) is.... spunky... joyful....make that--EXUBERANT... And just plain FUN! Not to mention cute as a button, funny, smart, and becoming more polite, thoughtful and encouraging by the day. Some of her favorite phrases are, "Don't worry, you can do it!" when someone is frustrated; and, "It's okay, Mom," when something is upsetting me. And if you do something silly like accidentally spill your milk, she will definitely let you know that it is okay!

I can barely type this post without my heart bursting with happiness and gratefulness that she is our daughter, and she is here with us still. Thank You, Jesus, for healing our Sarah and allowing us the amazing privilege of parenting this special girl who lights up the room with her smile wherever she is. Tonight I said jokingly to my hubby, "If there were more Sarahs out there, could we have another one?" And he said, "No, because that would just be too selfish of us!"

So, for your enjoyment, here are some pictures of our little party the other day. She had a lot of fun. Well, of course she did! : )

Hello Kitty!

Cake created by my own talented hubby. Our own cake boss!

Excited birthday girl!

Enjoying listening to her most adoring fans singing to her : )

Make a wish, sweet treasure! : )

Great job!

She got lots of presents, but I think her favorite thing was her Hello Kitty band-aids!

Double happiness!!!

The whole crew sitting at her awesome new table and chairs!

Beautiful sisters

The moment Sarah has been waiting for for a long time...Her first piece of gum! This special treat is reserved in our house for when you turn FOUR!

Thinking about it...

It's hard gum...

She likes it!

Having fun with the birthday gifts!

Everybody have some! It is a birthday party after all! : )

Happy birthday, Sarah. You help make our lives so much fun!!

Our Christmas celebration

2011-12-29T20:38:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas! Unfortunately, Hubby's dad is having cancer treatments in a hospital on the other side of the state, and was still not feeling well, so we could not be with them like we usually are on Christmas day, but we enjoyed the day just with our little family. Here is a little taste of some of what we did this Christmas season...

We had a little get together with our friends. Josh put together a talent show...Sarah sang and danced one of her favorite Barney songs.

Ben did some gymnastics...

They were all fantastic, of course!

Then we played some fun games! My creative hubby made up some of them like this "How many noses can you get in the bowl" game. : )

We went and looked at lights. This street had a programmed lights and music show. Fourteen houses all participated! One of the largest residential shows in the country!

We decorated graham cracker houses. Well, this is Sarah's "clinic." She thought it was hilarious

that Josh made a dog house right next to the clinic for her. : )

And of course, Jacob, realizing that peace on earth still only reins in our hearts, created this battlefield complete with cannons and towers.

We decorated cookies! This is actually painting with frosting. It was fun!

The kids opened their gifts to each other on Christmas Eve. Cassandra got these color-sorted skittles from Ben. Just right for her OCD. : )

We went to church on Christmas morning! Christmas hardly ever happens on a Sunday, so that was a special treat.

After church, the kids all got back in their jammies. : ) Jacob read the Christmas story this year.

And of course we opened presents. : )

Sarah loved her new "I-Pad," just like Grandma's. : )

Our tool man loved his new tool box!

And of course all the boys loved their new video games. Ugh.

We had a merry Christmas celebrating our Savior's birth. I hope you did too!

(And if you didn't watch that adorable video I posted last time, you should really go watch it!)

The Christmas Story

2011-12-25T13:01:00.000-08:00

This is so precious. I know you will love it!

Merry, merry Christmas from us to you!!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2011-12-24T21:08:00.000-08:00

Hello, blog world!

I realize I haven't written on here pretty much all month long. That is because of December hustle and bustle, of course. And also...because...I have been thinking and thinking about what to say to put into words my feelings about Christmas.

But this year for some reason, I have been thinking, how is it even possible to put into words the depth of emotion that I feel at Christmas time?

Honestly. GOD. Coming to earth.

To be with us and to be one of us.

Immanuel.

Wow.

And all around us our senses are saturated with music and lights and tinsel and wrappings and coupons and sales and family and cookies...and more and more cookies... and Santa Clauses and reindeer and reminders to keep Christ in Christmas.

It all seems a bit surreal to me. The world celebrates Christmas.

Yet, so very, very many of those people in all their celebration hoopla are really celebrating--nothing at all.

We watched Jim Carrey's version of the Grinch last night. Little Cindy Lou keeps trying to find out what the true meaning of Christmas is in all the hubbub of the preparations. Finally, at the end when the Grinch has stolen all the presents and even the roast beast, everyone realizes that it wasn't about those things at all.

They all hold hands and sway back and forth singing "Da hoo Do ray," or whatever it is, thinking that they have figured it out. And really, according to much of the world, they were right, I suppose. Christmas is about being together and warm fuzzy feeings. Right? And maybe there was a Baby, and maybe there wasn't, but Christmas (or the "Holidays") is a special time to gather together with people we love.

OR MAYBE....

God made the human race. He made you and He made me, and He loves each one of us with all of His Being.

He loved us so much, in fact, that He gave us our own free will. To decide if we would sin or not, and to decide if we would love Him or not. What is the use of having an intimate, loving relationship with a programmed robot, after all?

And so, He gave us the choice to know and love Him-- or not.

He even knew that we would choose sin that would separate us from Him in His holiness, and He made a plan way back in the beginning.

A crazy plan.

The most loving thing He could possibly do.

He would send His only Son. Part of Himself--perfect and holy in every way. Even starting human life as an embryo...Entering our wicked, fallen world, and being truly one of US. Enduring hunger and sickness and pain and ridicule, and even temptation, so that we could really see Him and understand who He is. And then finally being--Himself, in His death--the ultimate sacrifice.

The ultimate Christmas gift.

The payment for our sin, so that those sins could be covered by that precious blood and forgiven, making it possible for us to be right with Him again. If only we would accept that gift.

If only we would just simply BELIEVE.

And so, with Christmas being tomorrow, we have a choice. Christmas maybe is simply a great big party about love and happiness and good cheer....

Or maybe Christmas really is the celebration of the birth of the one and only Savior of the world.

The most important, life-changing event that ever happened.

Oh, how He loves us.

Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.--2 Corinthians 9:15

Merry Christmas.

December day at the park

2011-12-03T20:28:00.000-08:00

Our Sarah....squeezing every drop of joy out of life!!

Reach for the sky!

Touch your toes!

Silly girl. ; )

Have I mentioned how much I adore this girl? : ) : )

Driveway Delight--Part 2

2011-12-01T20:36:00.000-08:00

So, here is the continuation of my last post....this time it's all from my own head. : )

The other night we were driving home from church, listening to one of our favorite radio programs called Down Gilead Lane. We live a half hour from our church, so we get to listen to a whole program each time. I guess that's the one good thing about our long drive.

Anyway, in this episode, the Morrison family was all in the car on their way to Grandma's for Thanksgiving dinner. It was a long drive, complete with bad weather slowing things down, crabby kids, crabby parents, and an annoying little brother who happily, continually told corny knock knock jokes and kicked the seat in front of him. Everyone was highly annoyed with the little brother, and one sibling eventually ended up saying things that weren't very nice to him, even blaming the horrible time in the car on him.

However, it was finally made clear that during the whole drive, only this little boy had had a thankful spirit. While everyone else whined and complained, he alone had stayed cheerful and thankful for everyone's company. The episode ended with the family realizing that this little brother had been right. Instead of complaining, they should all have been thanking God for the time they had together as a family, even squished together in a car on a long, tiring ride. The mother on the show shed a few tears as she thought of years to come when the family would all be grown and gone from each other. And I admit, that silly little radio show episode was so thought provoking, and so absolutely dead on...that I shed some tears too.

I love that article by Carol Barnier that I shared with you last time. I love it because it is such a reminder to me that we do not have a lot of time. I have been becoming more and more painfully aware lately that my boys are growing older. Twelve and ten years old are ages frightfully close to the teen years. I don't mean I am afraid of the teen years. I am actually excited to discover what kind of young men my boys will be as they grow and mature out of the matchbox cars and sword fighting years! I love the relationship I have with my boys, and I am sure I will continue to enjoy that relationship through the next phase of our lives.

But two things I know for sure about the teen years...they will be very different from the little boy years, and they will fly by very, very quickly. Much too soon, my boys (and Cassandra, and even too quickly, my littler ones) will be leaving our nest.

I want to make these years I have with my children count! I am so often reminded that we only have ONE chance at this. ONE go around. ONE time to be a parent to our children while they are young. I do not want to waste the time...to end up looking back and saying, "I wish....."

God has given us this time to teach them and train them and love them and laugh with them. Heaven forbid we waste it away on selfish pursuits that were not so very important after all.

So let's spend the time to have those talks, play those games, read God's Word and teach those lessons. And let's have some driveway delight with our children.....while we still can.

Driveway Delight

2011-11-29T22:21:00.000-08:00

I wish I wrote this, but I did not. Still, ENJOY!

I was driving down the same winding road from my house that I always take. Clearly, the school bus was due to come along at any minute because at practically every third driveway there was a parent and child, standing, waiting, watching, perhaps talking. But not much else. I continued around another blind curve. There I’d see another child-parent pair looking like statues. Another curve. Another pair.

Then. . .I went round one more curve and was suddenly greeted by a mom and her son, dancing wildly on the driveway. They held onto each others’ hands, and dipped hard to the side. It looked like a jitterbug fest had broken out. They were oblivious to us. They only had eyes for each other. And there was some serious joy going on at that house.

I smiled for a good half mile. I kept thinking back to them. Swirling and giggling. Dipping and laughing. I loved that mother for what she had given that child. What a send-off before heading out to school. What a great positive mindset to give this child before he got on the bus. What a home to want to come back to. What a love language. Her simple moment of Driveway Delight said...I just like being with you.

Determine that you will do something with your child PURELY for the delight factor. It only has to take a few seconds. Nothing has to be learned. Nothing has to be made. It has to be something that delights your child. All it has to say is I just like being with you. And if you don’t get it done by the time bedtime rolls around, then make bedtime special. Blow bubbles on his belly. Tell a bedtime story with her stuffed animals. Do a goodnight dance, holding your child tight while you sing a good night song. Let them know that even when there’s nothing to do, you like sharing that little bit of nothing with them, because you just like being with them. --Carol Barnier

Don't you just love this??!!

I really have more to add to this, but it will have to wait until I have more time. It is after 1, and I think I remember making a New Year's Resolution to go to bed earlier this year.... Ahem... : )

I have been blessed!

2011-11-24T09:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!!

A heart full of praise

2011-11-22T22:23:00.000-08:00

Just thinking about thankfulness tonight...

I am thankful that God has blessed me with the gift of being the kind of person who is thankful by nature. I normally don't have to fight against taking things for granted. I am continually thanking the Lord for the sunshine, the rain, the scents of nature, animals and trees, the beauty in everything around me...

My beautiful family and the blessings I enjoy every day simply because of them...

My home, our full cupboards, our full closets, and even full toy boxes...

Conveniences that are so helpful like automatic dishwashers, washing machines and dryers, cars, telephones, computers...

Digital cameras and video cameras, Craigslist....(some of my very favorite things)

People-----and especially the ones who make this world a better place. You know the kind I am talking about...

Advancements in medical care...hospitals, doctors, nurses, volunteers, researchers, generous givers...

Children and the joy they bring...

Blogs, and Facebook... : )

People who give their lives for the cause of Christ...missionaries here and abroad, pastors, Sunday School teachers, food pantry workers, foster parents and children's home workers...

Friends... Isn't friendship one of God's greatest blessings?

Mercy...Grace...Forgiveness...

I am thankful that even though we are blessed with so many "things" here in America and other well-off countries around the world, true joy does not come from these things. If they all went away tomorrow--and someday, many of them honestly could..... in Jesus we would still have perfect peace.

I am thankful most of all for Him. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. He is truly all we need.

My heart overflows with praise to Him.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends. God bless you!

Plants in Jeopardy! And other news...

2011-11-11T22:21:00.000-08:00

I have several ideas for things to share with you running around in my head, but I thought tonight I would just share about our day because it was fun, and also interesting.

The first exciting news is...it snowed! Well, it actually happened yesterday, not today, but around here it was very, very exciting, so I thought I would add it. The kids went outside, and we actually got a little bit of accumulation--enough to throw a few snowballs! We had a fire going in the fireplace, and this year I have decided to break my cardinal rule of not playing Christmas music until after Thanksgiving. There is just something about the first snow that still makes me happy to this day. But then.....I get over that reeeaaally fast. And I would not mind if we did not see any more snow at all, thank you.

In other news...Cassandra and Sarah tried a new nail polish color. Sarah's got done first, and then she kindly returned the favor so nicely, don't you think? And, notice her HAIR...Yes, she is wearing BRAIDS!!!! : ) : )

This is the kind of scene that I come across sometimes around our house. Makes me happy. : )

We got a hot tub!! Hubby found one for a good price on Craigslist. He has always wanted one, and now his dream has come true. We just got it the other day, and tonight, Sarah got in for the first time. Now our water baby can enjoy the winter. (And no, the water is not that hot. It is safe for kids!) : )

And yes, we finished another unit in our humble little home school. Tonight we played....Plants in Jeopardy!! Do you recognize Alice Trebeck? She is looking lovely, don't you think? Love that hair-do. We had three very clever contestants, and they won quite a bit of money. I believe Mr. Jacob in the middle seat there was the winner with $3,700. All three of them are experts at the subject of plants, I can assure you. The show was recorded in front of a live studio audience including a little girl and a dog. I hope you got to see it. Oh, you missed it? That's too bad.

(Oh, and those messy shelves? All part of my little ploy to help you feel better about yourself. You're welcome.)

And in other news, although I don't have a picture to show you, I took Sarah to the Ear Nose and Throat doctor today. A couple weeks ago, our pediatrician had suggested we go get her checked because her voice is very unusual. If you know her, you know right away what I am talking about. It's low and kind of raspy. She's been called everything from a COPD patient to a robot, to an elf. It's so cute, though, and we love it about her, and we just assumed it was just her normal voice since it has been that way since we got her. Anyway, the doctor said that sometimes it could signal that there is a problem. Maybe there was some damage to her vocal chords along the way before we got her, or sometimes acid reflux could be going on without any noticeable symptoms. So, we went today, and he had to numb her nose and throat and stick that rubber tube with a camera down there, which was not fun...but he found redness and swelling, and little bumps. All signifying irritation from acid reflux! She has never once complained or seemed uncomfortable at all, so we were shocked! So, we will be having that treated, and then we will see how her voice might change. That will be very interesting...

And that was our day! Tomorrow we are going up to visit my wonderful second parents. If you remember, my father-in-law has cancer, and very recently we were given bad news about the severity of it. He starts aggressive treatment for it on Monday. We would so appreciate it if you would pray. If you didn't already see this post, you could read it now and see what kind of person he is. Thank you so much.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Just a couple of quotes, courtesy of my kids...

2011-11-03T21:59:00.000-07:00

The other day, my Josh was in his sign language class that my friend teaches at a nearby elementary school. It is just a twenty minute class that meets during recess time. So, Josh had gone inside, and I normally wait out in the car reading until he gets back. This time I had Ben with me. Soon, all the kids came running outside for recess. Ben looked out the window, and exclaimed, "Mom! There are like a thousand kids at that park!" .....Yeah....it is kind of sad that my son had never seen what recess looks like up close and personal!

And...

The other night I was tucking Sarah into bed. I was smiling at her and singing to her, and we were saying silly things and talking about the day. She reached up and touched my eyelashes and said, "What's this?" "It's my eyelashes." I kept smiling and gazing at her.... Then, "What's this?" "It's my eyelid." And then she pointed to the side of my eye. "What's this?" "What?" She pointed again. "What's this?" "What?" She paused. "....Whiskers?" I never thought of crows' feet looking like whiskers! Lol. : )

Our little red light

2011-11-02T19:58:00.000-07:00

We just passed Halloween, of course! We spent some time in the morning learning about the sordid history of the day, and the reasons why we don't decorate with or dress up like ghosts and goblins and witches...and we learned about how Christians decided to try and do something to help change things by switching "All Saints' Day" which had been celebrated in May, to November 1, thus making October 31 "All Hallows' Eve." It is a day to honor those great people of God who have gone on before us, and we read about George Muller as a special tribute. Then, we talked about how to the world, Halloween is all about witches and ghosts, graveyards, and DEATH, but Christ gives us the exact opposite...Goodness and Holiness, Resurrection and LIFE!

And finally, we carved our pumpkins and went trick or treating, and had a great time. Again, it was extra special this year because it was Sarah's first time enjoying it! Her first year with us, we had JUST gotten back from China, she was little, and it was freezing, so we just bundled her up in her stroller, and came back home within no time. And last year, she was still in the hospital with that pesky bone marrow transplant. Also, some cousins came to join us, and that made it twice the fun! And I think Sarah had the BEST costume in the neighborhood...

Her dream to be a red light came true! (Okay...she's a traffic light-red, yellow and green.) :)

CUTE HAIR! (Done by big sister, Cassandra)

Not so sure about the pumpkin guts...

Fun!

Here we go...

Yuck!

Done!

Cassandra and Sarah did one together..a face on the front, and a face on the back. : )

Lego head!

Spin on the traditional

Fun with cousins!

Our own adorable red light. I could eat her all up. (And isn't my husband incredibly talented??)

Sisters ready to go!

Hooray for candy!

YUM!!

How do we do this??

2011-11-01T19:21:00.000-07:00

I remember years ago, I was part of a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group. I was raising two, or maybe all three of my boys at the time, and they were all preschool/baby age. Three. Boys. Preschool age. And my life was very hard. I remember being shocked at how really difficult it was, and I felt unprepared for the sheer amount of raw energy it took on top of very little sleep. My journal entries from those days are filled with dramatic accounts of feeling like I was treading water-- and sometimes drowning-- in cleaning, laundry, loving, feeding, disciplining, changing diapers, and wiping runny noses. Many entries include quoting Scripture and begging God to help me. Yes, I was joyful and happy with my precious little flock, but I was tired too, and often feeling run down. At MOPS, we would deposit our children in classes around the church where the meetings were held, and gather together for some breakfast and coffee, listen to a speaker we could relate to, and then divide into groups to pray and discuss the topic for the day. I remember crying sometimes at those meetings. Not out of sadness, but out of joy, because I was someplace where PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD what I was going through. It was so encouraging just to know that I was not alone in my journey as a mom. That it really is hard, and I was not crazy, but we could all make it through with God's help.

That was many years ago, and those boys are older, but they are still boys. : ) I still also have a preschooler, and I am also homeschooling. I am not sure my life is any easier than it was then, but at least I am used to it! : )

Anyway, I was thinking today about my life as a wife and mom. About the many hats I wear, and how I feel the need to wear all of them well. I took time today to really think about everything that I do. Everything that is on my plate...all of the plates I have to keep spinning. And I am quite sure that YOU are a whole lot like me!

As Christian wives/moms, We are expected to:
-Have a vibrant relationship with God. Most important!
-Be a good wife. In many different ways....
-Keep an orderly house including...
-Cleaning the kitchen, cleaning it again, and cleaning it again.
-Train our children in the way they should go...in our house we have devotions together and memorize verses
-Provide nutritious meals and snacks each day, and make sure those meals get cleaned up after
-Grocery shop on a budget
-Make sure all the children have clothes to wear for all the different seasons, shopping for and rotating them when needed.
-Schedule and accompany kids to doctor and dentist appointments
-Make sure everyone has clean clothes in their drawers--mounded up on the couch doesn't count--or does it?
-Discipline the kids in love, and not anger : )
-And for homeschool moms--plan for the kids' education, including shopping for and buying all materials needed and...
-Teach all or most of the subjects to multiple aged kids
-Supervise music practice and endure any whining
-Chauffer kids around to Gymnastics, Speech Class, Violin, etc...
-Clean up all manner of messes made by children and animals
-Do fun things as a family
-Plan and spend quality time with each child
-Be a good friend and neighbor
-Serve the Lord in various ministries in and out of church
-Reach out to people in need
-I am sure I am forgetting some!

Yes, the family helps with some of these things, but the responsibilty really feels like it rests with us in the end, doesn't it? I promise I am not having a pity party. The point of this post is to encourage you, not discourage you! Just like at MOPS, I want us all to be reminded that we are all in this together. It makes me feel exhausted just thinking about that list, and yet, I do it. Well, kinda, sorta not really....but I do it! How do we do it??? I'm honestly not sure, but I do know that it is ONLY by God's mighty hand that it happens at all.

I am amazed at the list of things I do, because I know that in my own strength I certainly could not do it all. Somehow God gives me the energy, the patience, the stamina I need to keep going--and the grace, forgiveness, mercy and encouragement I need when I really mess up.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.-- Philippians 4:13

Sweet, tired mom, you are doing a great job! Keep up the good work!!

I spy with my little eye...

2011-10-25T20:41:00.000-07:00

So...two years ago when we brought Sarah home, she was adorable. And fun. And FUNNY! And lovable, and huggable. And she didn't throw temper tantrums or break her brothers' toys, or bother them in any undesirable way, really. And those boys loved...no ADORED...their little sister. They honestly did. They could not get enough of her. And that happy brother/sister bliss lasted and lasted and lasted. I was amazed at the bond between them that did not wear off for such a long time.

And friends.......the honeymoon is now OVER. I am very sad to say.

Well, it's not completely over. Joshua and Sarah have a special relationship that I am sure will stand the test of time. Their personalities just fit together so well, and they really still do adore each other.    And Jacob still loves Sarah too, and tries to be a great big brother to her.

No, the honeymoon is over between Brother number THREE and his not-so-innocent-anymore little sister.

Let's put it this way. Ben gets annoyed by Sarah because Sarah knows exactly what to do and say to get him riled up and push his buttons, thus annoying him more and more. Ben ends up mad at her, and spends his time constantly telling her what to do and tattling on her for every little thing causing her to be annoyed by him...and the cycle goes around and around. And this happens every day! It is enough to make this momma bonkers. (Yes, sometimes Ben still shows love and sweetness to her, because it really is still inside him, but those times are becoming fewer and farther between!)

I am open to suggestions as to ideas about how I can help the odd couple, here, to get along, but this is how I tried to get through to Ben tonight.

First I explained that Sarah is three, so she is still not as capable of understanding how to mend this problem as he is, so he will have to make most of the peacemaking effort for now. I had him tell Sarah three things he likes about her. (And yes, that stinker at first said he couldn't think of anything! The little booger.) Finally, he did say three things, and after the first one, it wasn't hard for him to think of the next two.

Next I played a little game of "I Spy" with him. He quickly spotted many pink things around the room when I told him that is what I picked. I pointed out that when we want to find something...we find it. It's not rocket science. It's as simple as that little game. When we look for purple, we magically notice everything that is purple in the room, even when we did not notice it before. Even the tiny, purple design on a little doll shirt suddenly jumps out at you when you are looking for it.

It is the same way with people. When we are looking for the bad in someone, we will most definitely find it. We will see it clearly in our children, our spouses, and yes, in our brothers and sisters.  And the more we think about it, the more we will be waiting and expecting to see it again, feeding that ugly monster inside that loves to see relationships fall apart.

But, when we really look for the good in someone, we will see that! And the more we focus on the beauty and fun and wonderful-ness in that person, we will see more and more of that....and the bad will fade away into the background. Kind of like the color blue when you are looking for pink.

So, that is what I told Ben tonight. I know it's not very profound, but I know I need to be reminded of it myself quite often! I am praying for him to get it, and take it to heart, and start focusing on all those wonderful and charming things about Sarah (and for Sarah to stop getting so much joy out of tormenting her brother and thinking it is hilarious.)   Oy...

God bless you all! Wishing many blessings and wonderfully well-behaved children for all of you...    And try playing I Spy with YOUR family this week. : )

Happy birthday to me, and Happy Forever Family Day to Sarah!

2011-10-19T20:17:00.000-07:00

Today is my birthday! And while I admit, that is special and fun, and I am so happy that God blessed me with life, and in particular, MY life..... I am more happy to announce that today is also our wonderful Sarah's Forever Family Day! (Or "Gotcha Day") as some prefer to call it. Two years ago today we met our daughter, and words really can't express the amazing blessing and privilege it is to adopt a child, unless you have adopted a child yourself.

My plea to you today is that you would consider what the Lord might have YOU to do when it comes to caring for orphans and widows--something very near and dear to God's heart. Adoption seems like a huge step, but I really believe everyone should pray about it, and leave their hearts open to hear God's reply. He MAY be tugging at your heart strings and asking you to do it! Or, there are hundreds of ways to get involved in caring for orphans, locally and around the world. Please don't go through life never doing anything to help. You will miss out on the blessings!

This video is straight from my heart to yours. I sang this song, From This Moment, by Shania Twain, at my cousin's wedding last month. And as I was practicing it, it struck me how perfectly so much of it fit for an adoption-themed song. And as I practiced it over and over, Sarah (and the boys) would all join in, and we would sing it sometimes at the tops of our lungs, dancing and dipping each other...(yep, get that picture in your head), and we had the best time. And as a result, we all learned the song, and Sarah loves it, which makes it even more special. : )

Enjoy these pictures of our first two years together with our sweet, funny, happy, spunky, marches-to-her-own-drum, girl............SARAH TING! (aka Red Light, of course.) And get ready for the best part at the very end. : )

Last year....Bone marrow transplant. This year....Happiness!

2011-10-12T16:44:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

Wow, what a difference a year makes!

I was thinking about writing a post today comparing last year to this. I knew that sometime around now last year we were in the hospital where Sarah would endure the toughest part of her cancer journey--her high dose of chemo that necessitated her bone marrow transplant. If you remember, we were in the hospital for three weeks (amazingly short compared to most children). I looked back to check exactly when we went into the hospital, and it was exactly a year ago today! One year ago, we were in the battle for our little girl's life, hoping and praying that this would be the final treatment that would kick the cancer. And it was. : )

We are so thankful. So grateful. I wish I had a much greater vocabulary to express the gratitude we feel...to God, to our friends and family who prayed and helped, and to the doctors and nurses. Even now from time to time, something will bring it to mind, and I will have this strong urge to write another thank-you note to the staff...bake them cookies...I don't know. Do ANYTHING to let them know how much they meant to us and still do. They truly did become like family to us, and Sarah and I still miss them!

So, here is a little trip down Memory Lane again. Sarah always loves to go back and look at her "hospital pictures." Maybe you would like to see them too! (And if you would like to go back and read the whole story, just click the word "cancer" in the topics list on the right side of the page.)

Her favorite "Purple Spider." She still loves him.

She still felt good for a while.

Then she felt lousy.

Feeling better

Dr. Sarah writing out prescriptions ; )

With Rhys, the Child Life specialist. He is awesome!

This is blurry, but it is the day Sarah could leave her room. We were so excited!

And a year later.....

O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever! 1 Chronicles 16:34

Not everyone loves adoption...

2011-10-11T21:37:00.000-07:00

"I love my adoptive parents, but I hate adoption."

"I wish I had been aborted."

"When I see pictures of families with obviously adopted children in them, I cringe."

"I hate 'stranger adoption.'"

"Children who are adopted from other countries are 'bought,' plain and simple."

Are you wincing like I winced when I read these things? I recently happened upon a web page for teen/adult adoptees who want to vent their frustrations about adoption. It was eye-opening and terribly sad, and downright scary for an adoptive mom to read discussion after discussion by these people who are so unhappy with their lives. Many of them did reassure everyone that they are generally happy, but hate much about what it means to be adopted. Some of them had lived years in the foster system, and finally ended up in  adoptive families where they were abused or mistreated.

Several said they would have preferred to have been aborted. Many said they think it would be better for birth moms to abort their unborn babies rather than give them up for adoption.

It was heartbreaking to read those stories. Heartbreaking because we live in a fallen world. And even something as beautiful as adoption has an ugly and sad side.

All of us in the adoption community know and understand that in order for our treasured children to come and be our children, they first had to experience the saddest, most traumatic thing that a child can experience--the loss of their first family. No matter how young they were when it happened, it is the same huge loss. Many also have to leave the country of their birth, leaving them with so many questions that most likely will never be answered. When you really think about that, you can imagine how difficult it would be. Never knowing who your DNA comes from. Wondering if you look like your birth parents. Wondering why they gave you up. Wondering if you are being disloyal to them if you love your adoptive family. Do you have biological siblings? I am sure these questions can be tormenting. And I am sure that children who do not look like their adoptive families often face additional inner struggles. When I was a kid, I just wanted to fit in. How much more difficult is it for these children to feel like they "fit in" in the world? Sometimes there is subtle or not so subtle discrimination out there that they may also have to face, and other things to battle that I can't even imagine, not being an adoptee myself.

Yes, I am sure that as beautiful as adoption is, it does not always feel beautiful to these children. I am painfully aware of that, and I already dread the day that our precious girl will have to find out that she has another mother who for unknown reasons, did hand her over to someone she trusted to take care of her...but never returned for her. I hate it that I will have to tell her that more than anything I can imagine. I hate it that she will have to struggle with issues that I never did. I will always be sensitive to this fact, and will make it my goal to help her in any way I possibly can.

Now to the second part of my thoughts...

First, please know that I never want to appear to make light of or downplay any of these very real problems and feelings that adopted people experience. I hope I've made that very clear. But this is what I would have liked to have added to these angry, hurting people if they would have listened to me.

They are not the only hurting people in this world.

Countless children who live forever with their birth families are abused and neglected by them or others. Birth mothers and fathers sometimes say horrible, hurtful things to their children leaving them with scars that might never heal. Many people live with sicknesses. Children get cancer and other illnesses. Some have it "better" than others in this life, but NO ONE MAKES IT THROUGH untouched by something very difficult. Nobody.

So far this is one horribly grim post, I know, but that is the reality of this life. This earth is not heaven! There is SIN here. Bad things happen because sin entered the world and it is here to stay. Mothers and fathers were never meant to abandon their children, and children were never meant to be abused or neglected by anyone, but these things happen here on the earth. That is the bad, bad news.

BUT....there is also very GOOD news!

God made a way for our sins to be forgiven by sending His Son, Jesus to die on that cross and take our punishment. We can believe it and trust Him to forgive us and save us! AND, He will not allow this evil to go on forever! The Bible clearly tells us that someday He will return and make a new, sinless earth. All will be made right in the end, and vengeance is and will be His. I don't know if you believe in the Bible or not, but if you study, you will find that nothing has ever been known to disprove it. And there are so many prophecies in the Bible that have already come true. If you read and study it, you will see what I mean. If so many prophecies have come true, we can be sure that eventually they all will. The Bible can be trusted!

And in the meantime, God is doing wonderful things here on earth, in spite of so much wickedness going on. Adoption is one of those things. The most heartbreaking thing to me was those people saying they would rather have been aborted than having been allowed to live. I wish I could wrap my arms around them and tell them that they were created by God who loves them and has a purpose for their lives.   That they are infinitely valuable, and nothing that has happened to them can change that. No one should wish they had never been born simply because life here on earth is hard.

Like I said, all of us have had hard things to go through in our lives, but we can ALL overcome those things with God's help, and go on living in spite of, and even USING those things to our advantage and to help other people. God does not waste anything that happens to us. Maybe these adoptees could use their pain to work to make changes in our culture when others couldn't understand how it feels enough to do anything about it. Maybe they could take what has happened to them and use it to choose to be the best mom or dad they can possibly be, or to reach out to other adopted children or birth parents, possibly helping them to keep their children.

The adoptees on that web page only vented anger and frustration. Instead, they could choose to encourage each other and lift each other up. They said they hated it when anyone told them they should be grateful that they were adopted.  But maybe they could CHOOSE to be grateful, and see if it doesn't make them feel better. I am grateful to my parents for raising me. Why would it be so bad for them to be grateful to their parents, or at least grateful to God? Gratefulness is soothing to the soul.  Focusing on being thankful rather than bitter brings huge blessings in all of life!    It all comes down to a choice. We can choose to be bitter. Or we can choose to forgive and live life with joy and purpose. I am praying for these hurting people, that they would find the Giver of true peace, and make the choice to forgive the people who wronged them.

I know this is a different kind of post than I normally write. I wrote it because it's been on my heart, and since it's my blog, I can say what I feel. Please, if you disagree with me, don't leave me a comment. Like I said, I have nothing but compassion for these people, and I fully understand that it can be extremely hard for them in many different ways. I am only trying to help THEM by suggesting they choose joy in the midst of their sadness. (And I realize that some might need professional help and counseling. These are just my thoughts in general.)

So far, our sweet Sarah (aka Red Light--yes, that is what she wants people to call her. She is unique!), is completely happy and safe in her little world with us as her family. We love her as much as we possibly can, and to her, we are Mommy and Daddy, and she loves us and knows nothing different. I know it will become more complicated than that, but my hope and prayer for her is that she will always know that she is infinitely valuable, and that God can and will always bring beauty from ashes. He has a plan for her life, and it is a beautiful plan. She is a priceless treasure.

We love you, sweet girl, and are so very thankful for you!

We might be crazy.....

2011-09-30T22:09:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, my hubby and I were newly married. We were young, naive, somewhat stupid...you know.

And we got it in our heads that we wanted a ferret!

So, silly us, we went to the pet store to buy ourselves a ferret. We took one into a back room. It jumped and played and generally frolicked around with us.

We fell in love! Well, I admit I did. I think Scott did too. She was so adorable and fun!

So, they boxed her up, we paid the nice clerk, and headed out to the car.

And then we stopped.

Ferrets are cute and playful... and also: smelly, mischievous, thieving, mess-making, demanding of attention and somewhat expensive.

And we quickly gathered hold of our senses (we weren't THAT young and stupid, after all,) and marched that brand new ferret right back into the store, collected our money, and hurriedly, if not a little sadly, left.

FAST FORWARD 17 YEARS.....

I was watching Youtube videos of animals with the boys the other day. An otter came on the screen, and Ben said, "I wish I could have an otter for a pet!" "Well," said I... "Otters cannot be had as pets. There is, however a little animal in the otter family that IS a pet." And we watched scores of adorable and fun ferret videos right then and there.

"We want a ferret!!!" came the chorus of sounds all around me.

And as I watched all those ferret videos, I began to feel a little twinge of stirring within me. Along with a sneaking suspicion that I was somehow losing my mind a bit...

And before I knew it, I was somewhat chiming in with them about wanting a ferret, and not discouraging them from asking their dad. Not sure how he lost his mind too, but after much, much research and thought...I promise...

Yep.

I am not sure how it happened that we were so much smarter way back then. But, somehow it is true. We went and got not one, but TWO ferrets. Their names are Flurry and M&M. (Mischief Maker.) They are really, really fun!

But something tells me we just might be crazy.....

School's in!

2011-09-26T21:11:00.000-07:00

Well, folks, I haven't been on here much because SCHOOL STARTED! And when that happens...well...I pretty much start going when my feet hit the floor, and then feel like collapsing at the end of the day. So, I apologize for making your lives so much more boring since you haven't had my blog posts to read lately. So very sorry.

Well, we started school last week. We got a bit of a late start because we went on a family camping trip the week before! It was beautiful and we had a wonderful time.

And then we got school off and running nicely. Here was part of our first day. We went hiking on some nature trails near our house and did some tree and wildflower identification with our friends.

And we have also had some lovely moments so far like this...

During some down time, Jacob made a water spout for Sarah to climb and fall down from. : )

Making some letter cookies on our first official school day. (Did you know that you can't really use cookie cutters with chocolate chip cookie dough? I didn't. It didn't work.)

So, we have had some fun and rewarding learning time already. AND we have had some bad attitudes and complaining as well. I didn't take pictures of those times, but maybe I should.

Sometimes I read blogs and get the feeling that these families I read about are all perfect, and the children look like they are all well-behaved and loving to each other constantly. And maybe they are...but just in case you are reading this and you think MY children are all well-behaved and loving each other constantly, I just want you to know that that just ain't true. They are awesome, fantastic kids, and they DO love each other--even if they don't admit it-- and we do have a lot of fun together. But trust me, they are sinners too. : ) (Just like all of us!)

So, if you think about it, please pray for me as we plunge into another year of school and battle the attitude monster! I am adding pre-school for Sarah into the mix, too! (but she loves it of course.)

By the way, we saw Dr. Aaberg for her routine eye exam recently, and everything still looks great! Praise the Lord!

I hope you all are having a great school year so far!

Ten years later...Please watch this amazing video of Sujo John, 9/11 Survivor

2011-09-11T19:59:00.000-07:00

Waving farewell to summer...

2011-09-09T19:26:00.000-07:00

It's September! It's getting cooler...the yellow school buses have been set in motion...but here at our house, we haven't been quite ready to give up this...

And this...

And this... (Okay, the boys are probably ready to give this up.)

And this...

Sweet Ben was so loving to Sarah when she was afraid on the "dinosaur ride."

And this...(petting the animals at the fair)

Yes, I am just really sad to say good-bye to summer. But I do really love fall, and the boys are actually semi-looking forward to starting school. And we WILL be starting very soon. I promise. So don't go calling some truant officer or something.

Have a wonderful school year, everybody!

Introducing...my wonderful second dad!

2011-08-31T21:10:00.000-07:00

After my earlier post, I thought now would be the perfect time to introduce you to the man I am honored to call Dad. (Yes, I also have my own dad that I love so much as well. Hi, Dad!)

When I got married, I not only married my wonderful husband, but I also gained the privilege of being grafted into his family. I can honestly say that I could not be more blessed! My father-in-law was a building trades teacher in a public school system for at least 30 years . Each year the kids would build a house and auction it off at the end. He used that time not only to teach kids how to do a job and do it right, but he also gave them opportunities to learn more about Jesus if they wanted to. (After school hours, of course.) He also spent a lot of time wrestling with and working with his three sons, being a deacon at his church, and teaching adult Sunday School classes. When he retired from his teacher job, he slowed way down....NOT. He just started spending lots and lots more time helping Scott's oldest brother who is the director at a Christian camp. Finally, he and his amazing wife just up and moved there to help full time. I'm not sure how many hours he spends cutting grass, power washing, weed whacking, building, and everything else under the sun each week.

He is hard-working (and that is the understatement of a lifetime), kind, loving to everyone, playful, the best grandpa you can imagine, and the best dad and husband. All three of his sons asked him to be the best man at their weddings. Oh, and he plays piano and has been writing songs! He can barely get through singing them without tearing up, just thinking about how much He loves the Lord. He is committed to God and spending every minute he can serving Him. When I see him with the grandkids, encouraging them to give everything they have to the Lord, and giving each one of them undivided attention, letting them all know how very important they are and how much he loves them, I am just overcome with how blessed we all are to have him.

And since a picture is worth a thousand words they say... Here is our dad and grandpa. Enjoy.

Enjoying life together

Never too big...: )

Splashing with us

Helping with projects

Unveiling a big surprise...

Always wrestling...

At the zoo

Checking out something interesting

Camping and fishing together

Never complaining that these boys never lest you rest...; )

Always loving our kids

Giver of 4-wheeler rides...lots and lots of them

Helping our kids learn the importance of working hard

Father and sons working together

You're never too old to sit on Grandpa's lap

Expert snuggler.

Everyone loves Grandma and Grandpa...oldest to the youngest

Still a kid at heart

Time out for fishing

Never too old to hold Grandpa's hand

Singing for Jesus

He's been a horsie, I don't know how many times...

After so many years, still happy in love

Enjoying God's creation

Dad and two of his boys

Simply the best

Sarah loves her grandpa

Cassandra does too.

Always there for us

Letting them know what is most important

No need for words.

We love this man! Thank you for praying!

In everything give thanks....

2011-08-31T07:58:00.000-07:00

Cancer.

Have you heard that word much lately?

Our daughter, our friend, and now our precious father-in-law....have heard that they have these ugly cells lurking in their body.

Two Sundays ago, my father-in-law went to the ER with severe stomach pains. A CT scan showed enlarged lymph nodes behind his stomach. They hoped it might be an infection, but the doctors were almost certain it was cancer. That Tuesday he had a biopsy, and yesterday he had an appointment with an oncologist confirming that he does indeed have Lymphoma. It is at an advanced stage, but thankfully, they are saying it is highly treatable.

Sooooo.......here we go again.

I am left wondering, what in the world is going on with all this cancer? I've heard it said, well, people are living longer now, so that is why we are seeing more cases. But these cases are not in really old people! Most cases of cancer I've heard about lately are people that are really not old at all.

Maybe the devil has asked permission if he can use it to wreak havoc, and God has said yes...knowing that He can use it in amazing ways to draw people closer to Him.

I have no idea. But what I do know is, no matter what is the cause of all this cancer everywhere, God has already used it in my life so profoundly. With each new diagnosis I hear, I am reminded how very much we NEED God. We can think we have it all together. Make our plans, go about our busy lives, keep all the plates spinning...and so easily forget that quite literally, we can do nothing without Him. He will never show us His power if we are always contentedly relying on our own puny selves to make it through. Especially here in cushy America, we are in desperate need of reminders of who is the real Source of power. We honestly and truly need HIM.

On facebook today, one of my friends reminded me that we are called to be thankful for EVERYTHING. Even cancer, cancer, and cancer again is something to be thankful for when it keeps us on our knees, leaving it in the ultimate Healer's hands once again. He is so good...so loving...so worthy of all our praise. I will admit, I did question Him. I can't understand for the life of me why He would choose one of the most loved, most godly men on this earth to battle this awful disease. But we do not have to understand.

We only have to trust.

We are praying for our beloved father and grandpa and our dear mom and grandma. If only you could meet them, you would know how blessed we are to have them, and honestly, how blessed is everyone who knows them or who is touched by their lives in some way. Please pray for them and our whole family as we stand together with our sweet Jesus to fight cancer again.

In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus, concerning you.-- 1 Thessalonians 5:18

2,500 letters

2011-08-26T20:53:00.000-07:00

I just felt I had to share this with you today.

I was driving and listening to Focus on the Family today, and I was so moved by the program, I literally smiled the entire time, and was even brought to tears a few times. And I am normally not the type who cries easily. It was just really special.

The story was about a man--a teacher at a Christian middle school named Mr. Dan Stroup--who has a unique way of reaching out to his students. Since he got the idea back in 1985, (again...that is 1985...) he has been writing letters to his students on their birthdays. EVERY SINGLE STUDENT he has now and has ever had in his class, (he is able to keep in touch with 98% of them) gets a personal, hand-written letter on his or her birthday, every single year! He encourages them, lets them know he still cares about them and their families, adds Bible verses.... All of them. At the beginning of the radio segment about him, they played a recording of so many of these students, many of them men and women now, telling what this teacher means to them and has meant to them over the years--how he was such an amazing teacher, and how he went out of his way to make sure that each child knew they were special and loved. One of them went so far as to say there is no one like Mr Stroup in the entire world. The host interviewed him then, and he said he writes about 2,500 letters a year. Every night he works on them. Such a beautiful labor of love.

Well, I was so greatly touched by that. I thought about what middle school was like for me, and that special science teacher I had in the seventh grade who went out of HIS way to make us feel special. I will never forget him. He gave us nick-names and decorated our ditto sheets with silly drawings. We knew he truly and honestly cared about us. He sent me a birthday card once that I treasure to this day. I can't even imagine getting one every single year. Simply amazing.

That story about Mr Stroup (and the memory of my 7th grade science teacher) helped me to remember how really easy it is to make a difference in people's lives. It's truly the small things. A special nick-name, an encouraging word, a letter on a birthday...can make such a huge difference, especially to children. We might not have time to write so many birthday letters each year, but we can all do something to make someone's day brighter. We'll never know the impact our words and actions have on people until we get to heaven. The new school year is kind of like New Year's Eve, isn't it? I am committing to make it my goal to be a blessing to as many people, and especially children, as I possibly can this year. Who's with me?

Have a wonderful rest of the summer! It sure is fading fast!

Family...the most precious gift God's given to us

2011-08-23T22:50:00.000-07:00

I mentioned in my last post that we just returned from Family Camp up at Fort Faith Camp where my brother-in-law is the director.
So Spiritually filling, the weather was perfect, and it was fun!

And it was treasured time with our family--Mom, Dad, brothers, sisters, cousins, aunt, uncle, grandparents and special friends. Valuable... Priceless, really... Time.

The boys slept in a tent, and loved it. : )

Dear friends...Cherish your family!

This week

2011-08-20T20:41:00.000-07:00

This week we went to Family Camp. We had a wonderful time together, enjoyed each other's company, and loved having Sarah there to have fun the whole week, since last year we had doctor appointments part of the time.

And this week, while we were celebrating our family being all together, our sweet little buddy, Micah, went home to be with Jesus.

Dear friends, it has been one emotional week for me.

Micah went in for his surgery, and so many were praying. The surgery went very well, although the surgeon found when he went in there, that things were worse than he had originally thought. He had to put in an artificial artery, since Micah's was so full of cancer, he had to delicately work around some tiny new ones that the body had started creating (isn't the human body incredible?? Hmmm...I wonder what kind of crazy, miracle mutation could have caused that in the evolutionary process...) And he ended up needing a whole lot of blood. But after all was said and done, the surgery was a success, and all the cancer in the liver was gone. We heard the news and rejoiced, praying that all would be well as the scary recovery time began.

But, so sadly, all was not well. Micah did not stay with us even until the sun came up the next day. There were some complications, and his family had to say good-bye.

First, let me tell you that his family is doing well. They know the Lord, He is definitely comforting them and helping them through this, and today at the funeral, I could see that they are making it through.

I am just struggling to make sense out of something that simply doesn't make sense to me at all.

Why did God allow two 2-year-olds in one relatively small church to both have rare types of cancer within a year's time?
And why did God leave one family with a beautiful story that ended in healing, and the other family with empty arms?

We will never know the answers until we join Micah in heaven someday, but one thing we do know is that Micah is healed. God answered all of our prayers in the best way, even though it definitely doesn't seem like the best way to us. We know it is best because God is only good, always loving, and ALWAYS has what will ultimately be best for us in His plan. Once more, we just have to trust Him.

I took a walk around my neighborhood tonight. It was a beautiful evening, after a storm. A soft breeze was blowing, the clouds were tinted pink, the trees were dark green silhouettes against the dusky sky, and the fireflies were just starting their nightly show. And as I breathed in that sweet, fresh air, I thought about Micah, and about Steve and Elizabeth, and I remembered again how much God loves us.

Good bye, precious little Micah. We will see you soon.

Remember Micah?

2011-08-13T20:17:00.000-07:00

Hello friends!

I am writing tonight asking for urgent prayer for my sweet friends, Elizabeth and Steve, and their precious two year old boy, Micah. If you don't remember, I wrote about him here and here and here.

Well, Micah's story is so unusual. First, because the type of cancer he has is so rare, and second, because the stinking tumors are not going away, but he has been feeling better and better! For a while he had been so sad and sick so much of the time it was heartbreaking. Now, the good news is that his strength, energy and joy have been returning, but unfortunately, the news about the cancer is not good.

Steve and Elizabeth recently traveled to Chicago where surgeons will be operating on Micah's liver. The optimal choice would have been a liver transplant, but since there are still tumors in the lungs, he is not a candidate. The chemo has seemed to stop being effective at shrinking the tumors, so their only option now is to try to remove the cancer from the liver. It's a very risky procedure based on where the tumor is located, and when all is said and done, only 25% of the liver will remain. The doctor is confident that the surgery will be successful, but he is concerned about the time he will spend in recovery in the ICU, since his liver will be functioning at such a low level. Elizabeth will be in Chicago for a long while while he recovers, and from what I was told by family members, no visitors will be allowed because of the chance of infection. I feel for her having to be there alone for so long, as Steve will have to go back to work after a time.

When all of that is done, there will still be the tumors on the lungs to tackle. I believe they are planning on surgery to remove those as well.

Dear friends, I remember when Sarah was battling her disease and we were in the midst of the fight, the very, very best thing of all was knowing that people were praying for us. We could feel God's presence, and we knew without a shadow of a doubt that God was answering all those prayers that people around the world were offering up on our behalf. I know that most of you haven't been following Micah's journey all along, and sometimes it's harder to pray for someone you don't feel a connection to. But I am asking you from the bottom of my heart to pray and pray fervently for this sweet boy. Quite honestly, by the world's standards, it doesn't look really good. BUT... GOD is in control. The very same God who formed this entire universe with mere words, and keeps everything going so marvelously and miraculously, who healed our own sweet girl, and made little Micah...He can heal his body as well. I love how that would amaze those skeptical doctors! Please, please pray tomorrow as they travel to Chicago, and especially Monday as the surgery is done, and then in the days following as he moves into the scary recovery phase. I just know that my friend would be so glad to know even more people are praying. The address to his Carepage is here. I hope you can get to it easily. The name of his page is WatchHimWork. I love that title!

Thank you, faithful bloggy friends!! You guys are awesome!!

When he wasn't feeling well, Micah liked to be pulled around the hospital floor in a wagon.

Enjoying time at the Hematology/Oncology picnic with Daddy and brother!

Having fun feeding pie to Rhys, the Child Life Specialist : )

Oh how this little girl makes me smile. : )

2011-08-09T21:14:00.000-07:00

Sarah and I play a little game every day. I say, "Do you know how much I love you?" And she grins so hard she can barely stop the giggles and answers, "a little!" And I yell, "NO! I love you a lot!" And tickle, tickle, tickle her. And then between belly laughs, she squeaks out, "a little!" And I yell, "NO! A lot!!" And tickle her some more. And she laughs, and I squeeze her, and I tell her how happy she makes me just because she is Sarah. And she says, "I make you SAD!" And I say "NO!" And tickle her some more. : )

I love that little girl so much, sometimes I can barely stand it. If I didn't think it would bore you all to death, I would post pictures of her (and all my kids) on here every single day. : ) I just can't help it.

So, just because they make me smile, here are some pictures of Sarah, simply because she is wonderful.

(These were taken back in June. Her hair is even longer now!)

Sprinklers??

Can't wait!

Woo Hoo! Cold!

Love it!

And one of the best brothers in the world...

She is absolutely beautiful, isn't she? My precious, water lovin' girl. : )

Happy anniversary to my honey and me!

2011-08-06T21:11:00.000-07:00

Today is my hubby's and my 17th wedding anniversary! How these years have flown by...

Marriage is funny, isn't it? Only God could have created such a relationship--it's downright amazing, really, when you think about it. We are born into a family. We automatically have parents, brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles, grandparents...and we love our immediate family members, usually unconditionally, because God created this bond between parent and child. When we have children of our own, we normally automatically love them too. They are from our own flesh, after all (and adopted children become grafted in just like our biological children.)

But marriage is different. Here is a person who was a stranger. You meet, decide you like this person, feel attracted to them, "fall in love" with them, and ultimately decide and make a covenant to spend the rest of your life together. You become "one flesh" with this person whom you did not even know just a relatively short time before. Through the mountains and valleys of life you weather the storms together, even when you, yourselves in your sinful natures are the embodiment of those very storms. And through it all you love each other with the most intimate love God has given us to experience on this earth aside from Himself. This person you once didn't even know. Isn't that interesting when you think about it? I think it is.

Of course it makes sense that marriage is not easy. It would be a miracle if it were. But isn't it sweet when you are relying on Him to help you, and deciding that come what may, you are going to be committed to this person, that God is going to bless you so abundantly? And isn't it a little bit of heaven when we are enjoying our marriage the way God intends it to be...such a beautiful picture of God's love for us. He is the bridegroom, and we are the bride.

I hope you will commit yourself again to your spouse today. Do something special for him or her, and be thankful for your life's partner-- even if you're going through a rough patch. Pray and trust God. He can do amazing things, and He will bless you when you honor Him and your commitment to each other!

I know this song is kind of old now, and I'm sure just about everyone has heard it, but I still really like it. So just in case you haven't heard it, or even if you have, listen and enjoy!

Andrew Peterson (One of my very favorite singer/songwriters)--Dancing in the Minefields. http://youtu.be/_Gs3fg_WsEg

Book reviews! Book reviews! Need something to read??

2011-08-05T23:25:00.000-07:00

On my recent vacation with my mom, I finished two books. Both were EXCELLENT. You know the kind when you finish, you just want to flip to the front and start again? And I'm so lame, I actually did that with one of them, (but no, I didn't finish the whole thing that time.) And the other, I started reading to my kids as soon as I could.

The first great book is:

I don't want to go into a big, detailed review, but I'll just tell you, I was riveted. And I will never look at American history the same way again. I recommend this book to you! (I admit I didn't like it at first. If you don't get into it right away, hang in there. It gets better!)

I also read:

Okay. This lady's story is absolutely amazing. As I read I kept thinking, someone couldn't possibly even write fiction as exciting and unpredictable as this. God's fingerprints are all over every instance in Gladys Aylward's life. I challenge a non-believer to read these Christian heroes of the faith biographies and still not believe that God is real and Christianity is true! This whole series of books is excellent, and I intend to collect them all. That is if my hubby will let me get more shelves. : ) I am reading this to the boys right now, and they are loving every minute as much as I did. When I stop for the night they groan, and sometimes get downright angry at me. Hee Hee Hee...It's fun to be a mom.

Before the Gladys book, I read to the boys:

I am always on the lookout for novels that boys will find exciting. This one came highly recommended, and I was not disappointed. It is a really great story of a family working to succeed on a Colorado farm. I thought it was very good. It teaches a hard work ethic and gives a wonderful example of a father/son relationship that ought to be sought after. I admit I found a lot of the cowboy and farming blah blah blah boring. But the boys loved it. Lots of cowboy stuff. Lots.

Alert: There is swearing in this book. I'm not sure why an author would put swearing in a book written for children. It is a true story, and I suppose he wanted to be make the story as accurate as possible, but frankly, I was annoyed and thought it completely unneccesary. Since I read it aloud, I of course skipped right over it. You might want to do that too.

Happy reading!!

Pictures of Josh : )

2011-08-02T22:47:00.000-07:00

I was going to post these pictures of Josh with my last post, but it was long enough already, and I have a lot of pictures. : )

Probably my favorite picture of Josh ever...my handsome boy. ; )

He loves to be out there working in the yard.

Always trying to catch some critter.

We went geo-caching once, and could not find that pesky box! Jacob, Ben and I all gave up, but Daddy and Josh kept looking for a really, really long time at the end there. As usual, Josh's persistence was rewarded. : )

He's always making something or other. He made this fun fountain a couple years back.

Creating different shows with brothers and friends is a favorite thing to do.

This time a music concert!

He loves Laser Tag, Nerf guns, air soft guns--any kind of gun!

Another little play in the backyard : )

He loves to practice his business skills. Here he's taking our lunch orders in his restaurant.

Learning how to tie a cool knot

He absolutely loves his little Sister!

Lemonade stand...and why not try to unload some of these books, too?

Working up at camp

He loves to be building something.

Helping make the fire on a camping trip.

I think you can see why Josh is so special. We love you, buddy!

Joshua!

2011-07-31T21:48:00.000-07:00

HELLO!

Did you miss me?!

I took a long break, as you can see. I was trying to decide whether or not to keep writing my blog. I spend quite a bit of time reading blogs and writing mine. Sometimes I'm not sure whether it's always a great use of my time, you know? Anyway, I took a hiatus, and now I am back...at least for today. : )

And today is an important day because..........it's my Joshua's birthday!!!

And he turned 10, which as everyone knows, is a very important milestone indeed. Double digits! How can it be so?? I'm so not old enough to have these very big kids running around here. Anyway...

So, today's post is dedicated to Joshua. And let me tell you, that boy totally deserves a post completely dedicated to him. All of my children are awesome and special, and that is the truth. But I can honestly say that Josh is a really unique kid. I don't think I have ever met another child like him. I know God has something out of the ordinary in store for him in his plan for his life. Something really, really cool!

From the time Josh was a little tyke, he had this incredible smile. I mean, when he smiled, it took over his entire face! And his eyes just twinkled like little stars that had something mischievous up their sleeves. He was a cuddler, and from those early, early days, that boy was happiest if he was WRESTLING. Picture the smile as big as his face, those twinkling eyes, and these chubby little legs running at you as fast as they could, trying to knock you down. That was Josh. And he is still happiest today if he is in contact with you in some way. Be it wrestling or hugging, or trying to show me how strong he is by showing how he can pick me up, he is not bothered by personal space issues.

Josh is our most driven child. By that I mean, if he gets a goal in his head, he will accomplish that goal. The boy loves sweets more than life itself, but not long ago, he set the goal for himself that he would not eat more than two sweets a week, and he would not break that goal. He even took carrots to a class where he knew they would have cookies. He amazes me. Right now the boys are all in a summer reading program. He wasn't my most eager reader, but now that there is a goal to be reached, he is far, far ahead of everyone else. I am always surprised by his willpower. He has a very strong will, and he knows how to use that will for good. (And sometimes not so good, but that is for a different post.) ; )

Josh also loves him some good, hard work. He is happiest when he is doing man's work. You know--dishes and vacuuming are not his favorites. He wants to be outside mowing the lawn, chopping wood, whacking weeds...whatever Dad typically does. He loves to help his grandpa work up at camp. Whatever needs to be done, Josh will do it, and do it heartily. His dream is to spend summers up there working with Grandpa and Uncle Jimmy, and he hopes ten years old is old enough. : ) He is also an amazing organizer! He will spend hours cleaning and organizing his room. Once, he had to stay home from the park because he had had a bad attitude. When I got home, I thought he would be sad or angry. Instead, he greeted me with, "Mom, close your eyes, and don't open them until I tell you." His room was spotless, and everything was in its place, including the closet, desk and shelves, everything. He spent hours cleaning and scrubbing the bathroom not long ago just because he wanted to do a great job. I'm not sure he's actually my biological son...

Josh is also my entrepreneur-in-the-making. He loves lemonade stands, garage sales... any kind of money making venture. Not long ago I had to spend the day at a homeschool used book sale, selling my old stuff. Josh wanted to come. I explained that I would have to be there all day, there would likely not be lots of customers at this particular sale, and that it would be BORING. He insisted on coming. So, he came and was a huge help. He helped carry boxes, helped set up, and sat, sat, sat there with me, even though the sale was largely a dud. And when we left hours later, he said, "That was fun."

Does he like to play? Yes. But he typically doesn't like to play with cars and trains, Star Wars and Legos as much as the other boys and most of the friends do who come to call. Josh would rather be building a fort, or stringing up a high ropes course on the swingset, or fashioning a parade float out of things he finds in the garage. He loves to shoot guns and whittle with knives, but he also loves to put on magic shows for his friends, and create shows on the trampoline or on skates in the driveway. He just got a great puppet for his birthday. I have an idea what will be brewing in that boy's mind in the coming days.

He collects rocks. He loves his little sister so very much. He wants to play the violin and the guitar. He loves to sing, and especially loves singing southern gospel harmony with our family. How many boys do you know who love to wear ties? And better yet, a suit and a tie? On the flip side, he has very little fear, including when it comes to catching all kinds of critters and frogs... and snakes--snakes that bite and even draw blood. It doesn't faze him. He loves it!

He loves to spend time with you. Spend the afternoon playing a board game with him or hanging out at the mall, and it will make his day.

He gets really, really excited over little things. Those eyes still light up like mischievous little stars on a regular basis.

And he is goofy and downright silly.

He is one of a kind. He is our own JOSHUA!

Happy birthday, wonderful boy!! We love you so much, and are so very proud of you!!!

p.s.. I want to post pictures on here, but I ran out of time tonight. Check back tomorrow, and I will add them. : )

Happy Independence Day!!!

2011-07-04T22:17:00.000-07:00

I am working on a post about our nation's forefathers, but it is taking a long time to do all my research!

So, in the meantime, here are some fun pictures of our 4th of July festivities from yesterday and today. We are so very blessed to be American citizens! God has blessed our nation. May our nation always praise and glorify Him.

Smoke bombs!

They love these things. Can't figure out why...

Fun popping thingys!

Ben was going to march in the parade with the his Gymnastiks Unlimited float...but then he got too nervous.

They give away CANDY at these parades?!

My red, white and blue kids at the parade. : ) (Jacob is away at camp this week, and Cassandra was working.)

We had friends over for dinner...fireworks hotdogs, and red, white and blue snacks. : )

We even had a patriotic drink! Kool aid ice cubes in 7 up. : )

After dinner...a magic show!

by Joshua the Magnificent!

And we made fun t-shirts!

Then...some backyard fireworks with our friends!

They were a hit!

Even though many of them were from the dollar store and looked like this...; )

This little American girl loved them!

Then we went and saw the real ones! (Sarah wasn't really out of it. She just liked the blanket when we first laid it down.) ; )

But we hadn't been on the road long, when it got very quiet in the backseat. : )

We had a wonderful Independence Day. We are so thankful!!

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD...Psalm 33:12

Cassandra!

2011-06-25T21:55:00.000-07:00

TA DA!!!!

This is a post about my blog neglected child...a mystery to you, bloggy world...hidden in the shadows of my blog...but now brought out to the bloggy light.................CASSANDRA!!! ; )

I don't talk a whole lot about our oldest girl, but not because she is not ever present in our lives. She is just not around as much as the others, I suppose, because she is busy in many ways as most big girls are. But Cassandra is a very special young lady. And when I say that, I don't mean it in a "everyone is special" kind of way, a la the Barney song that Sarah loves to sing. She is really and truly special in the truest sense of that word. With her permission, I would love to share some of her story with you.

Cassandra grew up in the inner city. The church we were members of ran buses to bring kids in her area to our church on Sunday mornings. I taught the 3-4th grade "bus" girls' Sunday school class, and Scott taught the children's church service for all the "bus kids." It was a special ministry set up so that we could help meet those kids' unique needs. Their prayer requests were different...I remember listening to their stories of gunshots outside their homes, and gangs and drugs in their neighborhoods. It was a sometimes difficult but rewarding ministry to be involved with, and we really loved those kids. Cassandra was in my Sunday school class. We could tell something was different about her from those early days. She really wanted to learn and grow.

Cassandra grew up with a single mom (and a stepdad for a time), and two half brothers. Those were the siblings who grew up with her in her house. But all together she has a lot of half siblings-- several on her mom's side, and several more on her dad's. She hardly saw her dad growing up, since he was in prison until she was around 13. I won't go into a whole lot about her family. Suffice it to say that her mom had a rough life, and did what she could. We have gotten to know her well over the years, and we love her and Cassandra's brothers and sisters that we know. Most of Cassandra's family, immediate and extended, still live in the same area. Most of them struggle to get along in the world for various reasons, and we wish we could help them all. We wish many of them would realize their need for help and their need for a Savior.

Anyway....Cassandra moved in with us when she was seventeen. We already loved her like part of our family at that point, and when the need arose, we were happy to add her to our family--while sharing her with her first family.

Cassandra is 23 now, and God has done and continues to do amazing things in this precious girl's life. From a young age, she has had a special love for children and orphans, and decided long ago that she wanted to devote her life to working with them in an orphanage somewhere someday. She is in the process now of praying and preparing for when and where that will be. She loves her family--her adopted one and her biological one! She has a very special place in her heart for her nieces and nephews that she grew up with (they are only a bit younger than her), and her little half sister. She often goes out of her way to spend time with them and help them in any way she can. Her mom has been sick after battling cancer and a surgery that didn't turn out well, and she often spends time with her. She takes time out for her younger siblings here, too, and does special little outings with them that she calls "sister days."

Cassandra at her high school open house in our backyard with her mom, brothers (left and front) and uncle. (Paul is the one on the left. He was such a wonderful brother to her growing up, and is such a great guy.) As you can see, Cassandra doesn't really look like she fits in in her family! They are Mexican, but Cassandra's blue eyes and pale skin kind of set her apart, don't you think?

A recent picture of Cassandra and her little sister on her dad's side. We think they look a lot alike! (Their dad is half African American. But you can't tell by looking at them! We love Cassandra's diverse family background!)

Cassandra and her niece, Brittney, at her high school graduation last month. She loves Brittney like a sister.

Doing what she loves best--holding a baby. : ) This is one of her baby cousins.

In Ch*na in the foster-type home where she worked with special needs babies last year

Lovin' life with a precious bunch of babies. : )

Our boys love their big sister. : )

This is an old picture now, but I've always liked it.

Up at camp, ready to climb the rock wall/high ropes course. She is fearless about almost everything!

In her dorm at New Tribes Bible Institute

She loves to climb trees! This was as far as she could get up in this one! ; )

Cassandra loves Sarah and the feeling is mutual. She is honestly the best big sister Sarah could have hoped for.

They're twins!

Ben loves a good hug now and then, too!

Family fun!

She loves Grandma and Grandpa too. (Of course she does...it would be impossible not to.) She is so thankful to have them in her life!

We have often said over the years that we know that God has a great plan for Cassandra. Her unique start in life has prepared and equipped her, and given her a unique perspective that most of us simply don't have. We cannot wait to see what will be in store for our girl.

Happy birthday, Cassandra! WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!

We love Dad!!

2011-06-20T21:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a special day. Yes, it was Father's Day, and it was my hubby's birthday!!

I interviewed all the kids and put their answers in a big card. Here are some high-lites:

If I could get or do anything for Dad for Father's Day, it would be... "a 71" flat screen LCD TV." --Jacob

Dad's a great dad because... "he wrestles with us, and he lets me mow the lawn." --Josh

Dad is funny when he... "is around Uncle Greg." --Cassandra (They are brothers, and she is right. They are something else when they get together.)

Dad's a great dad because... "he buys us, like, the Wii, and he lets us go in the pool, and he swims in the pool with us, and he made us our log cabin room." --Ben

If I could get or do anything for Dad for Father's Day, it would be... "a phone, and a briefcase." --Ben

Dad's a great dad because... "he's great because he's great!" --Sarah

What do you like to do with Daddy? "I like to Dad tickle me." --Sarah

When is Daddy funny? "That's so crazy, Daddy. He's crazy." --Sarah

What would you like to get Daddy for a present? "Hmmmm, hmmmmm, how 'bout a present?"

What kind of present? "A purple present."

I am so thankful for my wonderful husband! A man who loves the Lord and strives to live for Him.. Who makes me laugh...Who can work on the engine, paint a picture, plant a garden, fix stuff that breaks, program a computer, teach science, and bake a cake! One who prays with our kids and plays with our kids, and teaches our boys what it means to be a man. Happy birthday and Father's Day, Man of Mine. I love you!!!

He's great at Nerf fights...even though he kind of cheats...

He makes cool stuff like working, hospital "light fingers!"

He doesn't mind a rubber band fight--3 against one.

He's a great story teller.

He knows how to program robots!

He's great at wrestling.

Don't ask. ; )

He makes stuff with us.

He's good at snuggling.

He spends time with us.

He plays video games.

He teaches us how to plant things,

And use our hands to make things...

He plays with us.

And swims with us.

And lets us help.

We love you, Dad!!!

Thoughts about peonies...and little surprises from God

2011-06-15T22:23:00.000-07:00

I do not have a green thumb. I don't even have a kind-of green thumb. I really just can't grow flowers. Well, to be honest, I don't really try that hard, even though I truly love them. I wish I had a yard full of them, but I know they would probably die a sad death of dehydration, or nutrient starvation, or just simply bug-devouration.

Anyway, that said, you can probably guess that we don't have many flowers in our yard. None, really, except a couple straggly looking perrenials in the front that try their best to survive my neglectfulness each year, and a couple of hanging baskets given to me by my sweet hubby because he knows I love them...that typically last a good half of the summer. Almost.

And we also have peony bushes.

And this beautiful flower actually grows in our backyard! This is a real, honest-to-goodness picture of one of our own peonies!

Late May to early June is peak peony season in our yard. They truly are gorgeous. I enjoy them outside, and I love the vases full of them that we bring in the house. You see, the reason why we have such beautiful peonies is because you pretty much cannot kill them. They are perfect for me! Bushes full of vibrant color, and they take very little care.......for about 2 or 3 weeks. After that, they droop, and then they are done for the summer. No more blooms. Just green bushes. Which are nice, but not very colorful.

We have lived here in this house for 6 summers now, and the peonies came with the house. Every year I debate over whether or not I really want to keep our beloved flowers, or if we should pull them up and replant something that would give me more joy for the entire summer. That is, if I could keep something alive.

Well, I consider those choices every year, and I honestly had been leaning toward saying good-bye to our peonies. Until we traveled to China when we went to get Sarah. That is where I learned something special about peonies, and it made me see again how God delights in surprising us in big and small ways.

I learned that the peony is China's most loved flower--widely considered its national flower. It is known as the queen of flowers, and the flower of riches and honor. Not only is it special to the Chinese people, but it is most highly revered in Henan Province, where the city of Luoyang is famous for them and hosts a grand peony festival every spring.

It just so happens that our daughter is not only from China, but hails from Henan Province as well.

Needless to say, our sweet peony flowers are a little more precious to us these days, as year after year they grace our yard with beauty (and they are the only thing that does...). Just to think years ago when someone was planting those bushes, they would have had no idea that God was going to use them to bless someone in a special way. A little reminder that He always has a plan, and His plan was for a little girl from Henan to come and be our daughter.

I think we'll keep them.

All we need is a parade!

2011-06-13T19:28:00.000-07:00

Here is what Josh does when school is done...

He was out there a long time rigging up this 4th of July float! (Don't worry, he had that chair secured pretty well, and I was always within reach when someone was sitting in it!)

Cutest little passenger!

Everyone gets a turn around the driveway!

Mr. Red in the back there is made of a cardboard box and pvc pipe, and a balloon tied in place somehow. Josh is available to construct your float as well, if you would like. Just meet us on our street on the 4th of July, since I am pretty sure there will be a parade........and we kinda need more floats. : )

How beautiful Heaven must be...

2011-06-10T21:59:00.000-07:00

Ed Kosten liked to wear bow ties. : ) He blessed us with his amazing saxophone playing. He had a twinkle in his eye and a seemingly permanent smile. He was quick to laugh and tease, and always had an encouraging word to say. He loved the Lord. And I mean he truly loved the Lord with all his heart. He praised God with everything he had in him. He lived for Him, and loved to tell others about Him. Ed was one of those people. You know--the real deal. I didn't know him that well, but I KNEW him. He walked with the Lord.

And today, I sang at his funeral.

This past Sunday evening at church, the sermon was about Heaven. I was in the nursery, so I didn't get to hear it, but our pastor told us that after the service that night, Ed came up to him and proclaimed, "Sounds great! Let's go!" The next day he had a heart attack, and on Tuesday, that is exactly what he did. He went to Heaven to walk with Jesus in Person.

Ed left behind a wife, a daughter, and something like 5 married sons, and they are all grieving today, as well as our church family... but Ed is home. Doesn't that sound wonderful? Finally HOME....

Do you ever stop and really think about what happens after we leave this earth? Sometimes I look around me and pay attention to the people passing by. Everyone going about their business. We are all busy with something--running to Little League, helping the kids with homework, work issues, endless cleaning, honey-do lists and bill paying....busy, busy, dreadfully busy. But sometimes we need to stop--
and realize that this is not all there is. We are only on our path to eternity. What is that going to look like? How can we be sure of WHERE we will spend it? Can we really know?

Well, I have good news. We really can know! 1 John 5:13 says, "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; THAT YE MAY KNOW that ye have eternal life." We don't have to hope we have it. The Bible says we can know for sure. : )

You see, it all comes down to one thing, and that is our problem with sin. We all do it because we were born into it. We are all guilty of sin, which keeps us apart from God in His holiness. And according to the Bible in Romans 6:23, "the wages of sin (our payment for sin) is death." (Meaning eternal separation from God. Other passages explain it to be a place of torment eternally.) "But the gift of God is eternal life!" Did you catch that? The GIFT of God. It is a gift, not something we earn. Once you do something to earn a gift, it ceases to be one. It can't be a gift if you work for it! God loves us. He loves YOU. He made the ultimate sacrifice out of His great love, and that was sending His beloved Son, Jesus, to take the punishment for our sins as He died the death of crucifixion on a Roman cross. And then he defeated death three days later as He came to life again. He died for everyone's sins who ever lived, but each one of us has to decide if we will accept the gift of His salvation. or not.

I love John chapter 10. Here is some of it: v.9-11, 27-30--"I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep...My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them to me is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one." How awesome is that?? Do you want to go back and read it again? Go ahead. :)

Someday, those of us who know Him will spend forever with Him. I don't know exactly what Heaven will be like, but I do know it will be good! Imagine a place with no tears, pain or fear. 1 Corinthians 2:9 says, "But as it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him." So we have no earthly idea what is in store for us...but our friend Ed is experiencing it now. I am so happy for him!

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog! If you have any questions about all of this, or just want to know more, you can go here for a start. : )

How beautiful Heaven must be... See you soon, Ed...

Enjoy your weekend, friends!!

Filling up the pool...

2011-06-06T21:16:00.000-07:00

Ice cold out of the hose...

She does not mind the arctic chill...not one bit.

Brave? Or crazy?

Bellies in the water...1-2-3!

Updates...

2011-06-04T20:03:00.000-07:00

Hi there!

I remembered that I had mentioned some precious kids in previous posts, and thought you might like to know some updates about them.

In this post I told you about Corrie and Vanya. As far as I know, Corrie still doesn't have a family. Please keep praying for her. (To be honest, I am praying that God would call US to adopt her!! But maybe you are her family??) But Vanya DOES have a family committed to him!! God is good, and He totally came through for that sweet boy. Now we can pray that all will go well with his adoption and transition.

And here I told you about a sweet little boy from our church named Micah, who is battling stage 4 liver/lung cancer. Well, if you have been wondering, his story has truly been a roller coaster ride. At first everything was looking really great. The cancer in his liver shrunk dramatically, and the 20 tumors in his lungs were reduced to 4! However, later, while the cancer in his liver has continued to shrink, and that is incredibly awesome, the number of tumors in his lungs increased to around 8 or 10, and now those have begun to grow.

He loves penguins!!

Micah is still not able to eat normally...I'm not quite sure why that is, but he has a feeding tube down his nose at all times. : ( And he has been sick off and on with his rounds of chemo. I know that is typically normal, but normal or not, it is so hard to watch your child suffering, so our friends are having a hard time. They are trusting God, but they are also discouraged that those tumors are not leaving or shrinking. Please pray for them.

I hope you are all having a great weekend! God has been teaching me so much lately about what it really means to pray and serve Him. The time is short. Let's not waste our time while we are here. We only have one shot at this life. Let's make it count! I can't wait to go to go to church tomorrow. I hope you have a wonderful Lord's Day too!

ONE YEAR LATER!

2011-06-01T20:21:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

Today we had a typical school day, the kids played outside, I did laundry, Sarah jumped on the trampoline, we ate left-overs........

In short, we had a very normal day. And a really beautiful one, I might add.

But to our family, June 1 will forever be etched in our memories. One year ago this evening, we were told that Sarah had cancer, and our world seemed to stop spinning. My mind continally goes back to these days just last year. Beginning a few days earlier, Sarah had started crying a lot. By June 1, she was absolutely miserable. I remember her lying on the couch, just sobbing nonstop. When she wasn't crying, she was sleeping. I had never seen anything like it. I guess her body would just shut down, and she slept for hours, only waking to cry again. So, we knew we had to take her in for that cat scan the doctor had said she would need, even though we had planned on taking her later in the week. The doctor was thinking they would find that the problem was glaucoma, or something like that. We were shocked when the diagnosis was cancer. And not only in the one eye where it was quite visible, but there were tiny tumors in her good eye as well.

The large tumor was growing so quickly. Day by day we would watch it changing, and within just a few days that eye that had been tiny and blind had grown so much, it looked downright scary to me. The tumor filled up her entire eyeball.

And that was the beginning of our cancer journey. You can read the whole story over on the right if you haven't been with me long. Just scroll down in the archives to the very beginning--June 2010. It's a good story. A really good story! God did AMAZING things for Sarah and for us!

Memorial Day weekend last year...

Memorial Day weekend this year!

Then...

Now!

First days in the hospital...

Not in the hospital anymore!

She was such a trooper. We were amazed at how well she did.

Playing at the park after her first round of chemo..

And loving life today. : )

We are so thankful every day for our sweet and wonderful girl! How blessed we are! Thank you everyone who prayed for us during Sarah's cancer journey. What Satan intended for evil, God intended for good, and we are rejoicing today. : )

Praise the Lord!

Memorial Day blessings...

2011-05-31T20:29:00.000-07:00

It was Memorial Day weekend!

We spent the weekend at one of our very favorite places...Fort Faith Camp! My brother-in-law and his family direct the camp, and my wonderful second parents live and help out there, and we just get the biggest blessings out of being there, enjoying God, His creation, and being with the greatest gift of all--our family.

The Saturday before Memorial Day is always work day up there. People come and help clean, fix, paint, plant, rake, and anything else that needs to be done. Some of us planted flowers...

And some of us helped make this boardwalk through some swampy trails! (The boys helped Daddy and Uncle Greg. They worked hard.)

We caught snakes! (Well, Josh did. He is fearless, that boy...)

And some caught frogs!

And we thanked God for simple gifts...and for those who served and gave their lives for our freedom.

We enjoyed precious time with Grandma and Grandpa,

each other...

and cousins.

We praised God for Sarah's good health. She is a treasure!

We rowed boats,

fished,

hunted for critters,

and played in the water.

We praised God...for He is good...

The cousins slept on the porch!

We laughed...

and we loved.

We had a wonderful time. We are so very blessed.

Last year, Memorial Day weekend was the very last time we enjoyed together before Sarah's diagnosis of cancer. She was in so much pain and we had no idea why. What a difference a year makes! Join me tomorrow night as we remember the day that changed our lives, and celebrate His goodness.

Have a blessed day, friends. Enjoy your family and be thankful for them, even the little things that might drive you crazy. Life is an adventure, and every day is a gift.

And most of all, remember to thank the One who is worthy to be praised!

Smoking causes cancer.

2011-05-25T20:31:00.000-07:00

I feel like sharing my heart with you tonight.

As you know if you have been following this blog a while, or if you know me in "real life," our precious Sarah had cancer, and she does not have it anymore. (Praise the Lord!) Well, you may or may not know that the type of cancer Sarah had is a genetic type that has a chance of returning while she is still a child up to age 5...and then if it does not, there is a chance that it will return as another form of cancer when she is an adult. There is also a good chance that it will not return at all, but the doctor told me that we should help her to make wise decisions about her health. For example, the doctor said, Tell her that she shouldn't smoke.

REALLY? Smoking causes cancer? Oh yeah...I knew that.

Well, here is my burden. I honestly try to live without carrying many burdens. Truly, Christ has made it so very clear that we do not need to. He has much stronger shoulders than we do, and He has offered to carry those burdens for us. Normally I find I can give Him whatever is weighing me down (although I won't lie, sometimes it takes a while for me to finally let Him pry it out of my tightly clenched fingers,) but eventually I get to that place where I can let go and stop worrying about whatever it is. And it is such a fantastic feeling. Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus! It's so good to rest in Him.

However, my problem is, smoking is not the only thing that causes cancer these days.

There are pesticides on our fruits and vegetables,
growth hormones and whatever else in our meat,
pollution in our air,
hormones in our milk,
artificial junk in our food,
plastic chemicals leaching into our water,
chemicals in our lotions and soaps and shampoos...

and pretty much, if you search long and hard enough, you can find a study to prove that pretty much EVERYTHING causes cancer in some way, shape or form. I did a search using the words eggs and cancer because Sarah loves them. Guess what? Someone did a study and found that even they are linked to cancer.

I try to prepare healthy meals and snacks for my family. But we are not one of these families who only eats organic/vegan/etc. Maybe someone who reads this will tell me we really should be, and I often think we probably should, but I honestly don't know if I could do all that preparation. And more importantly, we simply don't have the budget to buy all organic and free range.

And so, this is my burden. As much as I try to give this area of our lives over to God, it is really difficult-- because I feel like my daughter's future health in part depends on me, and I have to act within the boundaries of this physical world. For example, I can say, Oh, it doesn't matter what I feed her because God will take care of her...but then again, I couldn't jump off a tall building and say, Oh, it doesn't matter if I do this because God will take care of me. Understand what I'm trying to say? Pretty much everything I give her to eat, I wonder for a minute if it's going to be bad for her. I wonder if I will ever be able to stop worrying about it.

I know that God ultimately is in control. But I also know that He will allow us to experience the consequences of our actions. I just pray that my actions in taking care of my Sarah will be good enough to spare her from cancer again--if it even depends on that at all.

And I will also never stop praying that God will continue to have mercy on our precious girl.

Snakes and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

2011-05-17T20:51:00.000-07:00

I love little boys.

I have three of them, and I have cherished every minute of being a mom to them. I loved the years when my Jacob was obsessed with construction equipment, and knew the names of every machine by the time he was two. I loved how he called the cement mixer a "mixger" and a bulldozer something like "bu-dizzer." I love it how Josh's favorite things have always been tools and "man" things like brief cases and clipboards. One year his very favorite Christmas gift was a box of wood, some grown up tools, and some how-to-build-things books. I loved Ben's toddler obsession with balls--any kind of ball--and his love of "having adventures." I loved the superhero years, tying blankets around little necks and watching them zoom around the house. I love our home full of ruckus and silliness and daring feats of all kinds. I love the toy cars and trains and transformers and legos-- everywhere. I love it that all kinds of sound effects can be heard coming from little boy lips at all hours of the day.... shooting sounds, vehicle sounds, crashing sounds, and space ship sounds.

I just love being a mom to little boys! (and girls...but that's a different post.)

And now I find myself cherishing these days of having three "little" boys more than ever. Because my Jacob is twelve years old.... and I know what will be coming soon. Jacob has some childhood friends who recently became about a foot taller than him. Some of their voices are changing. I recently ran into an old friend of mine I hadn't seen in a long time, and I barely recognized her 13 year old son. He practically looked like a MAN! It cannot be avoided that in a relatively short time, the sands of time will be marching through our home and taking my little boy with them, leaving a teenager in his place. A teenager who will be taller than me, and who will look different and sound different, and eventually will not be interested in the same things anymore that he always has been. And I know it will be fine, and I will love him just as much, and I believe I will cherish those years the same as I have the little boy stage of his life. But it will be different.

Today the boys played "Survival" most of the day. They put up a small tent in the backyard, took backpacks out there full of necessary supplies, wrote about their adventures about meeting wild animals and an Indian girl (Sarah) in a journal, and enjoyed the day, wishing they could sleep out there tonight. This evening we went to the park, and the boys played a game about Ninja warrior training, scaling the monkey bars and bounding up the slides.

And I listened and watched and did school in the tent with them, soaking in every minute I possibly can of these loud, happy, and crazy days with my three "little" boys.

Whatcha been doing? I'll tell you!

2011-05-15T21:11:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody! I hope you've been doing well lately. I have been rejoicing because it is SPRING!! Okay. It was 85 degrees a few days ago, and less than 50 today. Not kidding. But still, it is spring. Everything is green, I love listening to the rain on rainy days and feeling the warmth on sunny days...the kids play outside, we walk and spend time at the park... I love, love, love spring. And everything is so amazingly green! The grass looks like sprawling green carpets on people's lawns, and the trees are all filling up with rustling leaves. Is there anything better than spring? I'm not sure. Everything I see just makes me think about how truly wonderful God is. He is so good to us.

I just thought I would share a bit of our springtime so far with you...

We've been jumping on the trampoline.

Rain,

Or shine.

We've been doing school. Here is the boys' rendition of Julius Caesar crossing over the Rubicon into Rome with his men. Yeah, so I let them take a few creative liberties with the script...

We've been enjoying each other's company. (And just so you know, they are not always this angelic, but I don't take pictures of that.)

Josh made this sweet picture for Sarah. He copied the professionally done one in China on the right, and made it larger on the left. I think he did a great job!

We've--I mean THEY'VE--been having airsoft wars. Lots of airsoft wars.

Check out the injured Josh in the background. ; )

We've been playing at the park! Sarah's very, very favorite thing to do!

We've been doing yardwork. Okay, Daddy and the kids have been doing yardwork. Sarah loved helping pick up sticks. Jacob took these cute pictures of her helping.

The boys have been whittling. Ben is especially happy since at our house, seven years old is deemed old enough to get a knife to whittle with. (Don't worry. They are seriously not very sharp!)

And we have been garage sale-ing! It's the most wonderful time of the year, you know. (Or is that Christmas?) Anyway, Ben really loves this little treasure we found at a garage sale for 25 cents.

I am ready for another week of springtime! Enjoy your week, everyone!

Sarah's eyes these days...

2011-05-09T20:07:00.000-07:00

I speak English. So do you! ; ) Don't you wish there were MORE WORDS in the English language to express the range of emotions we human beings feel? (And especially we human beings of the female variety...)

I am speaking in particular today about the way I felt this morning when I took Sarah to her exam with Dr. Aaberg, and heard once again that there are STILL NO TUMORS growing in those beautiful eyes of hers. Not one.

Every few months she goes to get an exam, and every time I see Dr. Aaberg's smiling face and thumbs up sign coming toward me as I sit with my coffee in the waiting room, I feel exactly the same way. Totally ELATED! Today happened to be a perfect, sunny day as it was, and I couldn't help but sing praises to God all the way to the car..and all the way home. I do sing quietly though, as to avoid being carried off to the looney bin...

Keep soaring, sweet girl!

On a more serious note, every time we get in the car to go for an exam, I think about what God has done for us, and praise Him for every single day we have had with our precious girl. And then I prepare my heart for the exam, and commit her to him again. Today as I was praying on the way to the appointment, telling Him that once again I trust Him, no matter the outcome of the exam, I felt that familiar peace wash over me. He is always good, friends. Today we rejoice again for the blessing of Sarah's good health. But no matter what God brings into our lives, we can be sure that He loves us, and we just have to rest in Him, knowing that He always, always does or allows what is good for us.

Squeeze your kids a little tighter today, and thank God for them! They are such precious gifts to us!

Praise ye the LORD. Oh give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good: for His mercy endureth forever!!! Psalm 106:1

Ben

2011-05-08T19:56:00.000-07:00

Today is Mother's Day! Happy Mother's Day to me! (and you...) I am so thankful that God granted me the privilege of having children. I hope you enjoyed the day if you are a mom. If you are a dad, daughter or son, I hope you spoiled that mom in your life.

But I'm not going to talk about moms today. I'm going to talk about sons. One son, actually. My sweet little guy, Benjamin, who is really not so little anymore. He just turned seven last week, and I just want to tell you about him.

By the way, this is a ball pit cake. The balls are dippin' dots, and there is a little lego guy with Ben's face on it in there, and there is a mesh net around those wooden dowels. It was a great cake, created by my talented hubby!

Ben was our youngest for 5 years, so he had to put up with lots of extra hugs and kisses from me for a long time. I tried not to baby him, or smother him with smooches, but the kid is CUTE, kissable and huggable. And I am a sucker for a cute little boy, especially when that little boy happens to be my own kid. Well, he did get tired of being the baby around the house, and he was more than happy to give up the title when Sarah came to join us. However, as much as he says he doesn't like hugs and kisses, he is not shy to hand them over himself when he is in the mood. : )

One of my favorite things about Ben is that his little mind is always going, and the things it comes up with are...unique, let's just say. Who wouldn't love a kid who says things like this:

"Texas is a lot different than it used to be. It used to have all not good houses, and mostly all beer stores. Now, the houses are much nicer and painted, and they don't sell so much beer and cigarettes. And it used to be all dusty...now it's more like Florida." : )

Ben is very friendly! He is shy around adults when he first meets them, but when we go anywhere where there will be kids, the first thing he says is, "I hope I meet a friend!" And most likely he will. And he's a talker. He carries his end of a conversation with adults he knows like he's 17 instead of 7.

Ben is Funny! He loves to be goofy and silly, and has a great sense of humor. He has always kept us laughing.

He is fearless! Yesterday he was telling me how he wished he had a parachute. Not to bounce balls on and hide under with other kids, but to actually jump down from the clubhouse with. Yeah... When he was about 4 years old, we were at open gym time at the gymnastics place near our house, and he was the only one out of all of my boys to do front flips into the big, squishy foam blocks pit. He is in a gymnastics class now, and the teacher is amazed at how he will try anything. His dream is to do a back handspring, and he is almost there. Here he is doing back flips on our trampoline...

and jumping into the pond (or ocean...)

and doing stunts like the big kids...

And he loves a great "adventure in the woods," as he tells me. He loves spending time up at the camp his uncle runs, catching frogs in the creek and helping his brothers and cousins build forts.

Here he is at camp, coming back from one of his adventures...with a stick, of course.

Let's see...and I can't do a post about Ben without mentioning his dream of someday moving out to the "prairie, in Texas" with a couple of horses. He always used to say they would be named Prairie and Texas. But then he said he would have one horse named Saturn. Anyway, to the prairie he will go. Whether I like it or not, I guess.

And so, here he is practicing for that day...

Ben is a delight to my heart. He is all boy, through and through, and you will doubtless find him at any time playing with toy vehicles of some kind or other and making sound effects as they shoot and crash and whatever else goes on in that imagination of his. Or he will be building with legos or riding his bike, or having Nerf wars

or doing flips and more flips--on the trampoline, the couch, or wherever he possibly can. Or he might be playing baseball with his team...

I am so in love with that little boy. I am so thankful that God chose me to be his mom.

And his daddy feels the same way...

We love you, Ben. We might have to move out to Texas too, if that's where you're going. But I think I might name my horse Daisy... Have a wonderful year being 7, sweet boy!

Let us pray...

2011-04-28T22:03:00.000-07:00

Tonight I just need to say that I am weary! I am tired from hearing of so many people, especially children, who are sick with serious things like cancer lately, and tired from all of the creation groanings going on in such a short period of time. Earthquakes, the tsunami, tornadoes, destruction from this and that. If these things don't all point to the fact that the Bible is true and Jesus is coming soon, I don't know what does! Today I was in my car alone with God, listening to two different radio programs, and I found it interesting that both hosts said the same thing. And I mean the exact same words! All of these things that seem to be disasters going on around us have at least one positive thing that we can see. They shout to us that LIFE IS FRAGILE. They both used those three words. And they pointed out that it takes these types of tragedies to make it sink into us sometimes that we all need to remember how fragile life really is. Be ready, friends!

I am so thankful that the National Day of Prayer is going to happen this year as it always has in the past. As I sat in the car today thinking and listening to the Lord, I felt Him telling me that what is really important right now is PRAYER. I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Ukraine on a missions trip when I was in college. It was in 1993, and the wall had recently fallen, leaving those believers free to worship as they chose. I could not believe my eyes and ears as I worshiped with those precious brothers and sisters in Christ, packed like sardines in the church with many more worshiping outside. They sang and prayed and cried out to God like I had never seen. And when they spoke to you about Jesus, tears would stream down their faces, or their eyes would light up with joy. They would not dream of placing a Bible on the floor. I remember thinking that if they came to America, they would be shocked at our brand of Christianity. I am ashamed at the small amount of time I really spend on my knees in fervent prayer to Him for our broken world. I honestly don't think I am that different from most American Christians today, although I do hope I'm wrong. How would things be different if we would ALL devote our entire lives to Him and really pray every day?!

I am looking at these sad happenings around us as my wake up call to pray, pray, pray while there is still time. Let's pray for our families, our children, our nation, and our lost world, because life is so fragile! And I just know that Jesus is coming soon!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T21:14:00.000-07:00

He Lives! He Lives! Christ Jesus lives today!!

I hope you had a wonderful, blessed Resurrection Day! Just knowing Christ has defeated death makes it a wonderful day, because He has power over anything we may be going through. Praise His Name!!

And here is our weekend in pictures, in case you would like to peek...

Cassandra making Sarah's egg into Humpty Dumpty--next to Itsy Bitsy Spider and the mouse who ran up the clock, he is her main man!

Humpty had a sad face and a happy face...and Sarah thought he was just grand. She especially got a kick out of the crack on his head. : )

Ben showcasing some of the masterpieces.

Then, after a wonderful morning worshiping at church, it was picture time. The boys do not enjoy picture time unless it's pictures like this...

Not sure what this was about...

My handsome boys. : )

Sarah's gorgeous Easter dress came with a matching one for a doll, which Grandma supplied for her. : )

Aren't my girls beautiful?!

The whole crew

Here's all of us!

Then of course it was egg hunt time. We finally had a nice day after so many cold and rainy ones. Thank you, Lord! This year was nice because Jacob wanted to hide the eggs. Aaah...it's nice having big kids.

Cute Sarah, even from the back...

And we ended the evening with the Easter story told with Resurrection Eggs. A family tradition. : )

Happy Easter from us to you!!

Guilty, guilty, guilty...

2011-04-22T21:36:00.000-07:00

I was sitting drinking some coffee and reading a book today. I had a few short moments to try to relax after school time and before the dinner preparations. And as I sat there, I listened to the sounds of my boys laughing and playing together like they didn't have a care in the world. And really, aside from being forced to do math and chores, they really do not have many cares in this world.

At times like these, I realize again how much we can learn from our children. I wish I could trust, forgive, and love unconditionally the way they do. But something else made me pause and wish I could be more like children today.

I am good at feeling guilty about things. I guess we women are typically great at that. I feel guilty if I don't spend enough time with my kids or my husband, guilty if all the laundry's not done or if the house isn't clean enough, guilty for not cooking more nutritious meals, guilty for this, and guilty for that. And if I do something that is a bona fide sin...well, I have got the repentance part DOWN. No problems realizing that I am guilty. My problem resides sometimes in remembering that I am forgiven!

Well, one of my boys did something wrong the other day. I know, it's suprising that my children are not perfect, but it's true. It happened to be a pretty big deal, and a great teaching moment came out of it. Scott talked to him, and I talked to him. We talked about the importance of repentance, and assured him of our forgiveness and God's forgiveness. We also used the opportunity to teach about temptation, and how we have to be prepared to fight against it, using our greatest weapon, God's Word. He truly was repentant, and we prayed together, and I was thankful for that part of it.

And then I kept thinking about it. I began to be haunted by thoughts like, "What could I have done to have helped him to avoid that mistake ahead of time?" And "How could he have done such a stupid thing?" And I kept thinking and thinking about it, and feeling somehow responsible, and sorry for my son, because certainly this might ruin his sense of self worth or something...

And my boy? He went off and played.

It's not that he wasn't truly sorry. We could tell he really was. It was because he gets it that when God says it's done, it's done. If He says we are forgiven when we ask, then we are. It's not rocket science. Part of having an abundant life is knowing that God loves us no matter what, that He does not keep a record of wrongs, and that things are great between us again, every time we come to Him and tell Him we know we blew it and we are sorry.

Today is Good Friday...the day we remember the amazing thing God did for us. The fact that He loved us so much, even knowing we were dirty rotten sinners, that He came down here to be one of us, putting up with all the junk down here, and giving everything He had--His very life--To pay the penalty for our sins, and to give us the gift of a relationship with Him, here on earth, and forever! Such amazing love. Oh, how I hope you can grasp it! And invite Him into your life if you haven't already.

This is abundant life, friends. It doesn't mean that we will always be perfect, or that everything will always go our way. I am laughing just thinking about that! What it means is that even on our worst days, when we feel guilt ridden, or down in the dumps, or angry or pouty or whatever...we can remember that God loves us and died for us--even though we are downright ugly sometimes, and He knows it! And if we remember that, we simply can't stay down for long.

We might as well grab someone and go play.

If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed. John 8:36

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

Two precious treasures...

2011-04-13T21:30:00.000-07:00

I normally use my blog to share something about my life. But today I want to share about two different lives. Two precious little angels who both need a mommy and daddy like every child does.

First...Corrie.

Last year, our Cassandra went to China. She spent six months over there pouring her life into the lives of some very special babies. These babies live in The Morning Star Children's Home, run by a family and nannies dedicated to taking care of babies who are in need of some special medical help. The link to their website is on the side of my page, or you can access it HERE.

Well, Cassandra loves all babies, especially orphans, but she certainly fell in love with the babies in the home.

And most of all, she fell in love with Corrie.

I can honestly say that Cassandra talked about Corrie (and still does a year later) with almost reverent tones. She just loves that little girl with all her heart. She can't even mention her name without smiling, saying how much she misses her, how much she longs to see her again, and how she would adopt her if she possibly could. All the babies she worked with are adorable and sweet. Corrie does not seem to stand out in the pictures, and she has many special needs. But Cassandra insists that there is something so special about her. She said that Corrie charms everyone who comes to visit, and many of them claim her as their favorite.

And now, Corrie has the possibility of finding a family of her very own! Her orphanage is working on her paperwork to release to adoption agencies! It is exciting, and I am so certain that God is going to bring the perfect family to this sweet angel. Could it possibly be you? Or maybe someone you know?

HERE is the link to the post her "mommy" in China wrote about her. If you cannot adopt her, please pray that she finds her family soon!

Cassandra and her precious Corrie

I love this picture of her and her "daddy"

Another one of my favorite pictures of her. Looking so stylin', ready to shop!

With all her friends! (Pretty in pink back there) : )

Sweet Corrie : )

And next, meet Vanya.

I can't write as much about him, because I don't know as much. But, a fellow blog friend, Adeye, is doing an awesome thing for this sweet boy who so desperately needs a family.

As I write this, there is not a family committed to bringing him home. But Adeye felt the Lord leading her to do something for him to help change that! She is having an amazing fundraiser over at her blog site, raising funds for his adoption. And, there is a cool give-away you can get in on too as a bonus! Already in the short time she has had it running, she has raised over $15,000! That was her goal...but the adoption expenses will top that figure. Please go over there and check out how you can get involved. I was so excited to be part of something so close to God's heart! Here is the LINK.

Dear friends, I believe with all my heart that caring for orphans is one of the most important things we can do while we have time here on earth. I hope you will pray about what God would have YOU to do to help a precious little boy or girl today.

So many books...So little time...

2011-04-12T20:22:00.000-07:00

I do not profess to be really great at many things. Truly I am not, although my mother, I know, would disagree. But the facts are, I am not a great cook or housekeeper. I am not crafty or super creative. I am not very organized, I can't sew, drive a stick shift, fix anything that breaks unless duct tape counts, I do not like to bake. Hmmm...I forget to send thank you cards. How horrible is that?? I am hoping I am making you feel better about yourself. Is it working? ; )

Really, I'm not the greatest at much of anything! BUT...I do really, really, really love God and my family, and if they go through life and to the grave knowing that, then I will feel like I succeeded!

However, in spite of the things I haven't done very well, there are a few that I am really happy I've done. And one of those is, I read to the kids. Just about every night. Since the kids have been very little, I have chosen a book and read it to them, and for a long time now, we have been reading through children's novels. It is one of my (and their) favorite times of the day.

I thought I would share some of our favorites with you, to give you some ideas about where to start in case you would like to start this tradition, or if you already read, to add to your list. I am going to list them from memory, so in most cases I do not remember the author right off the top of my head. I don't have time to go hunting on my shelves for the books right now, and some were from the library.

So, here you go for a start:

Mr Pudgins This was one of my absolute favorites when I was a kid! I highly recommend you find this, although it is difficult to find. Full of zany adventures of a family of children and their eccentric babysitter, Mr. Pudgins. I know you will be glad you got it.

Pinnochio I do not mean the Disney version. There really is a classic book with this title, and it is such a good story about making right choices. We read it years ago, and I am going to check it out from the library again.

The Trumpet of the Swan Some of the books I've picked, I've chosen because they stand out in my mind from when I was a kid. I remember our librarian at school read this to us, and it was a fun story to read to my boys.

Sideways Stories from Wayside School Some books we read are just plain fun and silly. This is the first book in a series like that. I loved them when I was little, and I still do, and so do my kids.

The Indian in the Cupboard This was a great book, well written and interesting. However, I was annoyed that there was a bad word in it! So I was glad I was reading it TO the kids, and I could edit that out, and that I hadn't just handed it to them to read.

The Boxcar Children Series I loved the first one in the series. After that, I could have taken or left these, but my boys liked them, and one of them really LOVED them. So, give them a try.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn I don't remember the exact titles, but these two books were excellent. We read the real ones, and not any watered down kids' versions. They use more difficult language, but the kids got used to the writing style, and I felt it was really good for them to stretch their brains a bit.

The Littles Cute series. So far we have just read one of these

Lemony Snicket--a Series of Unfortunate Events We love these books! Enough said.

The Wizard of Oz We just got finished reading this oldy but goody for the second time. Much better than the movie!

Eric Liddell I want to read more biographies to the kids, but so far I have had trouble finding ones that hold their interest that well. Eric Liddell (and I might have that spelling wrong) is a great hero of the faith, and just happens to be the main character in "Chariots of Fire."

The Chronicles of Narnia Please read these books if you haven't already. They are excellent literature for children (and I loved them too!) and they present truths of Scripture in such a compelling way.

Stories of the Pilgrims by Margaret B. Pumphrey I often try to read something that goes along with what we are studying. When we were learning early American history, I pulled this out, and I thought it was just excellent. It tells the Pilgrims' story in much more detail than is normally told, from their beginnings in England until their days in the new colony.

Scout Forgive me if this is not the entire title, but I think this is it. It's a riveting tale of a boy and his dog during the Nazi era in Europe. A great book for boys!

I am sure there have been many more, but these are the ones that are coming to mind right now, so that's a good start for you! I must confess that one of my favorite parts about being a mom is that I get to enjoy all these great children's books again without feeling silly. It's a great excuse to read them! : ) I will probably write another post someday as I think of more great books we have read, and by all means, if you have favorites you've read, please leave a comment and share!