West Virginia Here We Come

We are on the road to West Virginia.

It's our every other year family reunion. I am pretty excited about this one, all of my mom's 5 siblings are going to be there with family.

It's the first time many of them will have met the boys.

Of course it will come with the regular funny family quirks...we all have an aunt so and so or an uncle crazy. :o)

We are all looking forward to some down time, and family time.

Have a wonderful 4th ya'll!

Can't wait to tell you about all the really cool stuff we discussed at the mission meeting last night. God's doing some really awesome stuff, but Satan is also rearing his ugly head as well. So please pray... I see this as an indication that this is gonna be one heck of a trip!!!

More soon...

Planning...

Tonight is our first Ethiopia Mission Trip 2011 planning meeting. I am SO excited!!

If I can't be planning an adoption, this is the next best thing! :)

Last night I was at D's church league softball game and was talking to a young couple that just joined our church. I recruited them to come along. How great is that?! :o) Well, they are coming to the meeting, but want to come along on the trip as well.

I have been in contact with Mark at YWAM and we are already working on a plan for the trip. All the guys that have contacted me though, really want to 'build stuff'. I keep trying to emphasize that building buildings may not be the only thing we do. Building relationships is an amazing adventure as well. :o)

I have also been in touch with our church's main mission office people. There is absolutely no UMC presence in Ethiopia. It seems as though it would be a really great opportunity. Perhaps they will be the ones to help me fulfill God's vision of a mother's and baby's home for hiv patients??!! I am supposed to come up with a proposal and get contacts on the ground. Wow! I have no clue about getting a proposal together...but I can sure work on getting some contacts on the ground. I am thinking that going into Adama where there is still so much stigma, and no real place for them to go would be perfect. Or even Gimbi, which is where there is a huge need as well. I will let God plan that one... :o)

I can't wait to see what He does with this group.

So the planning begins...Ethiopia....here we come!!!

Tunnel

The other fun thing we did this weekend was go to Busch Gardens and volunteer with KLove again and see Third Day. Third Day is one of our very favorite bands. Their songs have been used in countless ways to touch our lives and lift us up. Plus they ROCK! ;o)

God showed me a beautiful picture as I listened to them this time.

Tunnel is one of their songs. It speaks to knowing there are really hard times, but that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.

In Sept 2008 they came to Virginia Beach on tour. It was right after E had been release from the hospital and then D had been gone and I had just had one of the hardest weeks of my life.
We contemplated going, but decided that we really needed the time out. I am so glad we went. I needed the shot in the spiritual arm. They played the song Tunnel then. As I was listening to it I could hear God speaking to me directly. There was indeed a light at the end of the tunnel.

Yesterday Third Day played it again. This time as I listened I had to praise God in a new way. Because the day before we had celebrated E's 5th birthday. He's healthy and strong and life is good.

There is indeed a light at the end of the tunnel. Praise you God!!!





Tunnel
Third Day

I won't pretend to know what you're thinking
I can't begin to know what you're going through
I won't deny the pain that you're feeling
But I'm gonna try and give a little hope to you

Just remember what I've told you
There's so much you're living for

[Chorus]
There's a light at the end of this tunnel
There's a light at the end of this tunnel
For you, for you
There's a light at the end of this tunnel
Shinin' bright at the end of this tunnel
For you, for you

So keep holdin' on

You've got your disappointments and sorrows
You ought to share the weight of that load with me
Then you will find that the light of tomorrow
It brings a new life for your eyes to see

So remember what I've told you
There's so much you're living for
[Chorus]
So keep holdin' on
Keep holding on

[Musical Break]

So remember what I've told you
There's so much you're living for
[Chorus] x2
There's a light at the end of this tunnel
For you, for you
Shinin' bright at the end of this tunnel
For you, for you
So keep holdin' on
Keep holding on
Keep holding on, now.

You've got your disappointments and sorrows
But I'm gonna try and give a little hope to you

E-Man turns 5 Yrs old!!!

I cannot believe he is 5 yrs old already. Look how grown he looks!!! Happy birthday sweet baby boy. I love you!

Getting his Henderson Choir phone call. He loved this!!! He kept asking if Solomon was coming to his party. Man would that have been awesome! :o)
Got my baby fix... sweet little L. Isn't she the cutest little chunk!!
Slip n Slide fun
Daddy showing them how it's done.


Water hopscotch
My brother and his wife on the back deck.
more baby...only this time my m-i-l stole her

My God daughter...isn't she beautiful?!
E and M(my niece)

Buds
Strawberry Shortcake was the request. Like our fancy table cloths? :o) We are nothing if not classy
Boo
Pinata


Daddy had to kill it.... he's really kinda cute for an old guy huh?
yay candy!
Can you believe how grown he looks in this picture?
Presents!
It was a good day. Lots of fun and good friends. Even if the U.S. did lose... going to have to route for Ghana now. :o)

His ways are bigger..

His way are just bigger than my ways. He even says so.

I trust God with all my heart...there are just days when I have to ask Him, 'Why'.

I know there is a reason I was able to hold and love on Baby M. She was precious. Perfect. Beautiful.

I whispered in her ears that God loved her. That HE thought she was perfect and beautiful and amazing. He knew her name and had plans for her. I told her that she was wanted and loved. I told her that no matter what God would never leave her or abandon her.

When the nannies looked at me funny...knowing she may be hiv+... I held her closer and loved on her stronger. I wanted them to know it was ok. I wasn't afraid. I wasn't concerned about 'catching it'.

There is a family out there for her....it breaks my heart that it's not us. Truly it does.

YWAM is letting me be her prayer partner. Officially...since I haven't ever stopped praying for her since the day I left her. :)

Some day she will be with a family that will cherish her and love her and tell her that God loves her too. I can't wait to hear about them.

His ways are always bigger...and better than mine.... always....

On a way happy note my E turned 5 yrs old yesterday. Can you believe he's already 5 yrs old?! I can't!

His party is today. I will post pics later. Be prepared for too much cuteness....

Why? Because He said so...

Sorry for being cryptic yesterday...had to work out some stuff with God and Hubby.

God wins.

I found out yesterday that one of the sweetest babies that I got to love on while in ET is now a waiting child. She doesn't have a family to love her. There were no waiting families that wanted her.

Shoot writing this is harder than I imagined....

When I found out I thought perhaps I had misread God's leading that now is not the time to adopt again. How could I have been given the joy of holding her and loving her and praying over her, only to find out that she could actually be mine?! Was it too good to be true?!

My heart hurts for her... I HATE that she's still there waiting. I can still feel her tiny little body in my arms.

I spoke to D about it and he still says no. He still feels as though this is not the plan for us. He's still sure.

There's a part of me that truly knows that too... I just don't understand it. I don't understand why!!!

Why aren't we supposed to adopt again...I know HE knows how many children need homes. I know HE knows that I would take another child in a heart beat. I know HE knows we still have a room in our home that could use filling.

I also know that HE knows that there's another family out there that will love that sweet baby girl.

Just this morning while I was still praying about this…I felt like God was stirring some other thoughts. Moving me towards the plan He has for us. A plan I think D would be …and is willing to stand with me on.

It’s not that D doesn’t feel for the children that are waiting…he does…he just is not feeling God’s plan is to adopt them ourselves.

So we move forward with the mission team… we move forward in showing others the need that’s out there. We move forward in praying for His leading in how best to care for the poor and hurting and lonely.

He is:
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing... Psalm 68: 5&6

So we do not get to love a sweet baby girl, that I cannot forget…but we move forward knowing someone else will. Knowing God loved her first…and will love her last…and another family will get to in between.

If you would like to know more information about her contact Adoption Ministry of YWAM - Ethiopia ...or email me and I will put you in touch with the person you need to speak to.

Wondering.....

So do you ever give something up to God.

Just let it go...

Then have that thing come back to you full force in the matter of minutes?

Wonder if it's God? Or just interesting circumstances that placed this new opportunity in my lap?

So God...wondering...what's your plan? Gonna need a road sign here....

Father's Day in Pictures

Daddy and his kids. :o)
Our beautiful S...goodness she's growing up too fast!
Me and my gal
He's a little goofy :)
The furry kids
Silly E-man
N playing his computer. He loves this thing!
Hey! You're squishing me!!! E wormed his way under Z while I was laying down :)
My Dad
With his gifts...
My older 2 acting like ....well...my younger 2 :)





Yum! Corn on the cob!!
It was a good day.....

He ain't heavy...he's my daddy

Happy Father's Day to all Father's today...

The Power of Your Name

Our God is Amazing!

Do you ever just sit back and think... "Man... God is truly amazing!"

I have had one of those weeks. Started last week and has just been continuing. I will admit to falling into a few pits...but God was right there pulling me out by my toes. :o)

Life isn't perfect. And it's about to get crazier again as we start ramping up the mission team preparations. But God has gone out of His way this week to show me His glory...despite some grumbling and unbelief on a few of those days.

He's placed people in my life that have blessed me beyond belief. He's shown me His grace. He's shown without a doubt that He provides.

"Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think." Eph 3:20

I was on the treadmill last night (not reading this time :o)) and I just had to give a shout of joy at the amazing ways He provides.

We have been struggling financially for a couple of months. We have been getting by, and God has been providing as we need it. We have also been cutting back a ton. Last night we received a call that a family member is going to share some help monetarily. What a huge gift! It's not a fortune, but it's enough to get us up out of the hole and into a place of less stress. When I text my friend to tell her of my joy she said "It's a burning bush!" I SO love her for that!!! :o) But I will in all honesty say that God has shown me that His plan right now isn't an adoption... I am totally at peace with not moving forward right now. I prayed that if it was not His will, that He would give me a peace. He has honored that. Thank you God!

That peace has given me room to be able to pursue other avenues of blessing. In helping others see the world, to see a piece of Ethiopia and the life of an Orphan in other ways. I am not stressed that we don't have money to pay bills...which means no money for adoption...which means no money for anything else...oh the stress.

I know God will provide for the plan He has in mind. :o) And right now I am ok with it being life in general with a mission trip thrown in. :o)

Are you feeling stressed or blessed today? Praying you will feel His hands on your life and know that He loves you with all His heart.

May I close in asking for prayer for a group of kids in Ethiopia now...Music For Korah is their ministry. Lift them up as they serve the children and people in the Leper Colony in Addis.

Also please pray for Shea. He's a young man in who went to Ethiopia with the intent to stay for 6 months serving the boys at the Mercy Development center in ET. The embassy is giving him a hard time about his Visa. Apparently there's been alot of that going on recently. Please pray that he get an extension and can stay and work with these kids.

Blessings to each of you today....

Ethiopia Here We Come Again!

Yee haw! Woo Hoo and Happy dance!

We are going back to Ethiopia...with the church's blessing!

There was some interesting push back happening over the last week or so...so I was worried that we would have to make this trip happen without the support of the church. But I braved torrential rains last night (not kidding I was SOAKED) to get to the church to give my proposal to the Commission on Missions board. It was accepted and we can move forward now.

So excited!

So much to do...so little time. We are going in March so it will be a fast turn around. I am working with our district to try to get a United Methodist presence in Ethiopia. There is none. Crazy to me... but they haven't had any real contacts there. I am working with them to see if we can be the contact with the people that we know there. Perhaps we can get some projects funded and make this an ongoing program. Really excited to see where it all goes.

Also working on the finishing touches of a new project my mother and I are starting to help fund our trip. It's really cute. Can't wait to show you when it's all put together. We are going to work on getting an Etsy store done. We will also be choosing a charity a month to donate 10% of our earnings to... so it will be a win win situation.

Any suggestions on what the first charity should be? :o)

We will be opening by the beginning of July so will need someone to support that first month.

So LOT's happening here. Hope you all are well. Thanks for hanging in there...those of you that still come back.

More soon.... ;o)

Most Amazing Weekend!

This past weekend was such a great weekend! I will have to share some pictures later...but just had to share the joy I feel in the blessings God has shared.

Friday I took S deep sea fishing! Yep just us gals. The best part was that it was free!! I was on FB, saw a post from a local radio station that I am 'friends' with about a contest they were running, I replied...and WON! Seriously I never win things...lol There are things I have really wanted to win in the past... this wasn't high on my list, although it sounded fun. :o) And it was. It was a glorious day, kind of cool out on the water, but sunny and clear. We didn't catch 1 darn fish, but had fun trying. A funny side benefit was that we got to watch the first World Cup game on the boats satellite tv. :o)

We also won 2 of the raffles they were having that afternoon. It was a fun girls day out.

Saturday honey and I celebrated our 17th anniversary by taking the boys to the beach and then taking ourselves out to dinner. Ok, we didn't really pay for it. My mom in law gave us gift certificates to a Ruth's Chris Steak House. Ever heard of it?! It's a rather ritzy place! And so so not inexpensive. What we found is that while we loved the food...oh my goodness it was yummy... we are so not glamorous, ritzy restaurant people...lol :o)

It was a lovely dinner though. And we were home in time to tuck the boys into bed.

Then Sunday we went to Busch Garden's for their Glory in the Garden's series. They do weekly christian concerts. We were able to be there to help our local KLove station again. JD Chandler and Mike Novak from KLove were there. Nice guys! Building 429 and Steven Curtis Chapman were playing. It was HOT HOT HOT and muggy as all get out. We had a blast though. So much fun getting to talk to all the people that come out and talk to us.

We got to meet a couple whose church is on the mission field in South America and they have been many times themselves. It was great to speak with them and share passion about mission work.

THEN the total whipped cream icing on the cake!!! We were allowed to go back stage and meet Steven Curtis Chapman. I just cried! The concert he played in November here in Norfolk in 2004 changed our lives forever. As I stood there in line thinking of all the ways that his words and then God's movement changed our lives I couldn't even believe it.

We were the last one’s to get back. No worries though it gave me time to think of what I wanted to say …then we got in the room. And I lost all thought. Such a dork! He takes the time to speak to each person separately, such an amazing gracious man. I walked in and just said “ Am I allowed to hug you?” He smiled and said “Sure!” And he gives amazing hugs. I am not really sure what I said after that other than thank you…like 100 times. D showed him pics of the boys. We hugged him again. Got our pic taken with him and were escorted out.

I walked out the door and just jumped up and down like some weirdo…lol The chick standing outside to show where to go just laughed at me.

I had just felt so very blessed all weekend and then to be able to hug SCC’s neck and thank him for changing our lives in ways I don’t even know yet, capped it all off.

There are just moments some times that I cannot believe the gifts that God gives me. I sure don’t deserve any of what He chooses to grace me with!!!

Happy 17 yr Anniversary!

17 yrs ago today I married my best friend!

I remember the day well! I was so very excited. I could not wait to get married to this guy.

I woke up a bit early. The wedding was at 2pm in my parents back yard so there was so much to do.

I had a 10 am hair appointment and then a 12pm face appointment. Do you have a Meryl Norman near you? I had gone in for a pre-wedding face practice a week before so we would know that they were the right ones to do my face for the amazing day.

I should have had a dry run with my hair dresser guy...lol I knew what I wanted but I guess it didn't translate. It also took about an hour longer than I had planned. Good thing was that the face place was in the same mall as the hair place to I literally ran around the corner to the face place and thank the Lord she was there and ready and calming :o).

I ran out of the mall and broke many a land speed record to get home. As I was coming to the last light that I needed to cross to get down my road, I saw the limo D was in coming down the road. My light was turning red, I slammed on the gas and sped through the light and down that 25 mph road at about 50 mph. (Children do not try this at home!)

I pulled into my driveway, jumped out of the car and threw my keys at my friend B who was standing there looking confused...lol B did not remember that a man cannot see his bride on the day of her wedding!

I flew up the stairs to my room to find my waiting matron of honor and mother. We plugged in my curling iron ( to fix the mess of hair that took more than 2 hrs to do...) and stuffed me into my dress.

Then..... we waited. :o)

The day was perfect. June in Virginia Beach can be HOT, but it was gorgeous, almost cool.

The wedding was wonderful. The day was wonderful. I married my best friend.

No one thought we would last, some days we wondered the same. We met in a bar on dollar pitcher night. We were party-ers. He liked girls, they liked him...lol I had just broken up with a guy the day before... who knew this relationship would last? No one thought it would.

God did. We sure weren't consulting him at the time, but He knew what He was doing.

I cannot tell you how excited I am to see what God will do with our next 17 yrs.. 30 yrs...50 yrs... however many He gives us. :o)

Thank you God for D. Happy Anniversary honey!

(I have changed my song today to be 'our' song. Every time we hear it on the radio we call each other and let the other hear it. Enjoy with us)

Planning the Future

While riding in the van last night:

N: Mommy, I am going to be a 'struction builder when I grow up!

Me: Awesome! :o)

Pause...can hear mind gears working...
N: Mommy?

Me: Yes N?

N: Do they get lunch breaks?

Oh, how his little mind makes me smile. :o)

UN-believeable....

I think the map and individual numbers are what get me the most.... all the more reason to care for the momma, and stop the number of orphans from increasing!

http://jonieu.wordpress.com/2010/05/26/african-aids-orphans/#more-524

Burning Bushes...

So the standing 'joke' with my hubby and I has been we need a burning bush to help us decide that it's God that's speaking to us.

When we were praying about adopting N, the bush was in the form of a couple from our church that shared during service that they were adopting a child.

When we were praying about adopting E it was several different bushes, a book, a verse, and for D it was a radio show he was listening to when he was driving.

Some times the bushes are small shrubs some times they are infernos.

Over the last year or so I have been praying for D to see his bush so that we could move forward in another adoption...several times I could not figure out why the vision I was seeing wasn't an inferno for him. But as is the way of the Lord, my plan has not apparently been His....at least not in the way that I thought.

I believe now that I have been able to look at this in a more objective way, that my feeling that God wanted me to care for more children wasn't wrong...I just perceived it as another adoption. And my mother's longing heart prayed for her arms to be filled.

Perhaps what God truly wants from me is to care for more than just the child...

I was reading a book this morning while I was on the treadmill. Gosh it's amazing how far you can walk when you are reading...good thing there are no obstacles...lol

Anyway, the book I was reading was When God Whispers Your Name, by Max Lucado. I have read it before, but this morning I felt led to pick it back up again. The first chapter is about Moses and the burning bush. A couple of weeks ago I would have run to D and say ...LOOK!... it's the bush! Do you see it burning?! This time I looked at it objectively. This time I took the time to read the whole chapter, savor it and pray about what God may be saying to me specifically.

Are you searching for answers? Are you looking for that bush? Praying with you.

I have a ton of pics to share with you from this past week...more coming soon.

New Direction?

One of the things God has been showing me in these last couple of months that I have been trying to ignore the burning bush …is the scope of what orphan care looks like.

I have focusing my desires on bringing more children into my home, and while honestly I would still do that in a heart beat, I think God’s plan is bigger than that. Maybe not bigger, but certainly different.

I learned on this past trip, and since then, that the care of orphans isn’t limited to caring for the child.

Almost a year ago to the day I wrote this post: What am I missing?.

Funny how God works isn’t it? What is it about June that has me thinking about this subject?

I am currently in the throws of planning the beginnings of our next mission team. There was a part of me that didn’t want to plan it. I didn’t want to get caught up in planning another trip when I so wanted to be planning an adoption. However after we gave the mission trip presentation, Tim and I both felt more convicted to go back. Then my mother and brother both approached me and said they want to go along. If you have read my blog for any length of time you know that our relationship has been an interesting one. I love him dearly and he’s a truly great guy, but we have had some falling out moments. His wanting to come along is pretty huge.

Honestly my mom wanting to come is kind of huger. My mom is awesome don’t get me wrong. She’s got a HUGE heart and fully supported our trip. Even went as far as putting together 25 medical care bags for the widows of the Orphans and Widows Home in Adama. She had been pretty adamant that she didn’t think she was ‘cut out’ to go though, and now she feels like God is telling her other wise.

And of course D is all about going this time as well. yay!

I have changed the focus of my prayer to have Him show me how He wants to use me this time, instead of “Please change His heart Lord! Please give me a child Lord!” :o)

I can still envision a place where mother’s can go that will care for them, support them, and help them to live, so there are less orphans. Holding those sweet tiny little babies while in Ethiopia I couldn’t help but think of mother’s and what it took for them to leave those sweet souls under a tree, or by the side of the road. Or if perhaps they had died in child birth and the father had to make that decision. What if those mothers had had care? What if they had had resources, would I have been holding those babies?

I still don’t know what it looks like, but I know He’s leading me, and it feels more and more like I am actually going in the right direction this time.

Babies...

So yesterday I post about 'giving up my dream' or the change in plans and then I find out my next door neighbor is preggers.

D comes in all happy for them, tells me the news and I promptly burst into tears...lol She is the 4th person this week that I have found is pregnant. I am more than happy for her...darn it!

Last night we took our dog to the vet because he's in pain. We still don't know why, but he's certainly happier on his pain meds. So while we were there, there was a female dog who was trying to birth her last puppy, but having difficulties. I looked at D and said"Good grief even the dog is pregnant!"

Now I would give my right arm to be pregnant again, but I am more than willing to follow God's lead to adoption as well...not a second choice...just alternate. :o) All these babies being born around me is not helping my resolve to trust Him. ;o)

I DO know His ways are better than our ways.
I DO know His plans are always better.
I DO know He knows my heart and loves me, and wants what's best for us all.

Thank you all so much for the comments and emails. I do trust Him. I Do. But who in us likes to be told no about something so very dear to our hearts. :o)

So on the subject of babies I will leave you with this check these babies out!!!