.Snapshots of Life.

.Leaving On A Jet Plane...errrr... In A Mini Van for 30 Hours With 3 Children.

But who's worried? I am not worried!

We are taking our Spring break in Florida with my parents and my sister and her family, and I cannot wait! My parents graciously have opened up one of their beautiful Time Shares for us to stay in for a week with my sister, and my parents will stay in another unit. We are looking so forward to relaxing together as a family. This has been a hard, long winter (albeit very, very green winter for us). I am so thankful that Jim has paid vacation at church and that homeschooling allows us the flexibility to Spring Break whenever we choose to have it.

Jamesy's hair is ready for some fun-in-the-sun! There is something about his hair styled in cornrows that makes me constantly smother his sweet chocolate cheeks in kisses!

Despite my excitement, I am also battling guilt. This will be our first real vacation (we did go to Kentucky for a wedding last summer and squeezed in a day at Creation Museum) since coming home from Ethiopia, and in a lot of ways it feels so wrong to spend money on a vacation after seeing and knowing how so many other people live. I struggle with this just like I struggle with almost every single purchase now-a-days, but at the same time I know that we need to break away from the crazy-pace we have been keeping for months on end. I know the family time will be so good and rejuvenating. I think it is a good thing for me to wrestle with this though, and I hope it makes me more appreciative, more thankful for every single undeserving moment of my trip. And that is enough about that.

(I have hideous toes, I am ALWAYS stubbing them. Jim is constantly laughing at me.) My at-home pedicure for Cadi and myself is done.

Our bags are packed. We are trying to save some money by driving. We are doing three days of ten hours in our minivan. We typically have three very good little travelers, and we are accustomed to traveling. After all, at just six weeks old, Cadi took her very first road trip to Michigan for a camp conference that Jim and I attended. That was a 13 plus hour trip, and she did great. She even began sleeping through the night while in Michigan! Scotty's first road trip was also to a camp conference in Indiana at just 2 months old. And of course Jamesy flew overseas on a 20 plus hour plane ride last year. So they are not novices to travel, but I always get a little antsy wondering how long and far we can push them. I am prepared though - thanks to Pinterest! I found so many great travel ideas, games, and activities. I typically love road trips. I love the opportunity to talk to Jim without other distractions. We tend to have a lot of great conversation when we travel, and I am really anticipating that.

The state cards for the states we will drive through are ready to hang up in our van.

Some of the activities for Scotty's travel bag. So many great ideas on Pinterest!

So we are off tomorrow morning at 4 AM. I do not anticipate blogging while we are away, although we are making a few pit stops for a night at some very special friends' home, one family whom we met on our second trip to Ethiopia when we picked up Jamesy. We love this family. Their son, who I wrote a little bit about here, impacted my life in a huge way, and right now even just typing this, my throat is forming a big burning lump. I just may have to blog about seeing him again, and getting he and Jamesy back together after over a year - they were in the same baby room in Ethiopia. But beside that being a possibility, I do not plan on blogging. I plan on soaking up the sun and my family and returning home the first of May.

See you on the other side sweet friends! (You can follow A Moment Cherished {the blog} on facebook as I may update there with a few posts and photos.)

.I Give Up.

I have two darling little boys who love playing in this cupboard. I believe it gets emptied daily.



I give up. I am not wasting any more time organizing it. I have better things to do - kingdom things -things that impact eternity. Organizing this cupboard does nothing for His kingdom. So I give up.

It feels great!

.Home.

My hubby is home, and all is right with the world again - at least my world. For me, home truly is wherever Jim is.

I will get back to blogging shortly. For now I am just soaking up every detail I can about Ethiopia from Jim. It's wonderful to process with him and learn through him. And it is amazing to have Jim back here. I missed my hubby. I'm just not the same without him.

So, yeah, I am going to get back to that. Thanks for grace in understanding. I'll be back soon!






PS If you feel like doing a little Christmas shopping head over here!

.We are Making It.

My husband has been gone now for 9 days. We have 2 days left without him. I wasn't sure what to expect or how it would go, but we are making it. We've had help along the way with a few meals, a few visits from family and friends (mostly for my sake so that I could get in a bit of adult conversation), my parents have taken the older children for a few hours, and I have one friend who has called me every single day. (I am not sure how people do this without the body of Christ.) All in all it has not been bad. We have had sickness run its course through our home, and I have had van troubles, and have dealt with nightmares, and kiddos in my bed late at night and early in the morning, and all of the other various things that come with the territory.

But I can see so much of God's grace in my life and even growth in me. A year ago if Jim had told me that he felt God was nudging him to go to Ethiopia and leave his family behind, I am embarrassed to admit that I would have completely flipped out. Now let me be clear, I did have a few panicky moments before Jim left. There were a few times when I over thought the situation and was sure I couldn't do it, but overall I felt such a peace knowing this was exactly what Jim was supposed to be doing. And God has really made that especially clear in this week and a half by myself. I never imagined myself capable of doing this, and truthfully I am not, it was all Christ in me. It is amazing for me to give up trying to control things and just let God completely take over. I know I have talked about that so, so much, but God continues to grow me and stretch me in this area. Every time I surrender another little corner of my life, I am just completely blown away by how freeing and wonderful and at peace it makes me feel. I will say it doesn't really get easier, at least it hasn't for me yet. It is such a battle for me to daily surrender in every area.

And God blessed me these past several days. This verse is such a beautiful, poignant verse. Have you ever really stopped to think about it? His grace is SUFFICIENT - it is enough - it is all that we need. God showed me that over and over while Jim has been away.

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

So, while we have had our own fun here at home. Jim has been across the world getting his heart tugged and stretched beyond recognition. When I talk to him via skype I can hear the passion and the brokenness in his voice. He loves the people of Ethiopia. God has placed a great burden in his heart for the true gospel to be spread in that country. Jim learned so much on the trip, and I know that he will be processing for weeks and even months to come. I am praying for his transition back here, as the culture shock is like a severe slap in the face. And he has to jump right back into his normal.

Since Jim has had my beloved Roxie (my dslr) on his trip, I have no photos of my cutie-patooties. Instead I will leave you with photos from Ethiopia that my husband took. What strikes me in these photos, and when I was in Ethiopia myself, was the joy and the beauty. Yes, there is severe suffering and unimaginable poverty and heartache like we cannot even describe here, but umbrella-ing everything is this beauty that I cannot quite put into words. So instead I will let you peak through the lens.

Here is a taste of the heart of Ethiopia: the people. People like you and me that need a Savior.





I often see Jamesy's eyes in the eyes of photos like these. This one especially.




There is absolutely nothing like an African sky. It is breathtaking.



Africa is a cruel country; it takes your heart and grinds it into powdered stone - and no one minds. Elspeth Huxley

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PS I ended up switching to disqus. My commenting was completely wonky. I had double the comments in my email than what was on the blog. People were telling me they could see comments on posts, others were telling me they could not. In order to streamline I went to disqus. (Although I have yet to figure out how to import old comments) I do not write for comments. Honestly, I would write even if no one else was reading, because I was created to write. Having said that, I do enjoy, and feel so blessed and encouraged, by your sweet comments, and I thank you for reading and interacting. I hope that this system works well for everyone involved. Please let me know if you encounter a problem. Thank you.

.Finding Rest.

The fear is creeping in again. I rock him, and I feel his body stiffen and refuse my touch. It started the night we came home from the children's hospital, and then it accelerated this weekend after his blood draw.

It hurts watching him battle.

He is trying a new self soothing destructive behavior. Every time we lay him down he bangs his sweet little head, over, and over.

Yesterday I felt such frustration as I reached for him and rocked him and tried to make him understand that there is no need for that anymore. Daddy and I can comfort you now. I whispered to my precious third child. My tears slipped over the contours of my cheeks and mingled in his soft curls. It was then that my heart heard His whispers.

But daughter, you have been doing the very same thing that your son is doing right now. Each night you go to bed, and I offer you My comfort, My peace. My arms reach out for you, and you stiffen and turn away. You mentally list your worries and fears. Over and over you shuffle through them in your mind imagining scenarios that could make life situations better, and in a most destructive way imagining terrible scenarios that could be.

There is no need for that anymore. You have been redeemed. You are no longer alone.

Have you not heard me tell you before how to find rest? Let me invite you again.

Come to me, [Tiffany] who is weary and carries heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your soul. (Matthew 11:28-29)

Last night we found rest.

Jamesy snug in the arms of his Mama, and both Mama and Jamesy snug in the arms of Jesus.



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.I am That Worst Sinner.

But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of His great patience with even the worst sinners! Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in Him and receive eternal life! I Timothy 1:16

That verse is talking about me. I am that worst sinner. Yes, God is good and gracious and has allowed me to accept His free gift of eternal life, but I have not arrived. I am not anywhere close to arriving actually.

I feel as if I have discovered a whole new side of God and the Jesus of the Bible this past year and a half, and I feel no closer to arriving. My eyes have been opened to many things in the Bible that I had simply glossed over and ignored, but deep in my heart I know I continue to have many, many blind spots. I know I still see through a glass dimly.

My relationship with my Daddy in heaven has deepened and grown, but in doing so I can more clearly see how very far I have yet to go. I yearn for more, for better, for sweeter with Him. And yet I fail time and time again to go to Him, even when His arms are outstretched, waiting, when He is calling I turn my head and go my own way.

Many times I am weary, angry, cynical, self-righteous, fearful, reluctant, filled with doubts, sharp-tongued, prideful, and lazy - especially when it comes to my relationship with God and what He is continually calling me to.

I want to emphasize the fact (that may have come across muddled here before and I sincerely apologize) that just because we adopted does not make us more spiritual or a better Christian. It doesn't take a super Christian to adopt. In our case, it took two broken sinners who merely wanted to replicate the redemption that had been handed to us. But we are not better or more godly because of it. Being a Pastor's wife and having a degree in Bible doesn't make me special either. Jesus doesn't ask super Christians to follow Him. Jesus asked the worst sinners to follow Him.

I am the worst sinner that God had mercy on, and I pray that he uses me - my flaws and imperfections all of the mess that I make of myself - as an example. Because if He can use me, He can certainly use anyone.

If there is anything that even appears good in me - it's nothing of my own - it has and always will be all Jesus.
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.My Privilege.

There was a moment in my life when I thought that maybe I did not want to be a mommy. I am so thankful that God, in His sovereign grace, did not choose that path for me. Being a mommy is a privilege and blessing, and one that I do not take for granted. It is a high calling and a huge responsibility.

Having these three beautiful children to mommy is beyond wonderful. This is not what I would have written into the plot of my life. I couldn't have. I had no capacity for something so marvelous. It is so much more than I could have ever dreamed for my own life. I am thankful for the One who knew my heart's desires, before I even knew them.

A year ago, I posted and announced our desire to add to our family through adoption. I remember sitting in a church pew last year, wondering about who it was that God was knitting into our hearts and our family. And today, as I sat in the very same pew, that little person - my son - was bouncing in my lap. How great is our God!

I came to this day a different Mommy than a year ago when I dreamed of what the future would hold. I pray that I am a better Mommy, and I am more accurately mirroring a picture of Jesus - to my children and the world around me. I expected much from Mother's Day this year. I walked into it excited to celebrate what God had done in our family. I was not disappointed. How could I be when I awoke to the smiling faces of three wide-eyed children snuggled into my bed? Three of the best blessings I have ever recieved.

I looked into their eyes - two piercingly blue and clear and one dark brown and mesmerizing. My heart beat loud and clear, and the only words echoing my thoughts were It's my privilege.



To the women whose arms ached yesterday (and everyday) for children to hold and someone to call them Mommy, may the arms of Jesus tightly wrap around you, and may you know His perfect peace.

.Sixteen Years Ago.

What Satan meant for evil, for harm, for destruction, God meant for good.

Sixteen years ago today, my husband and his oldest sister were in a very serious car accident that could have easily snuffed out their lives. God spared both of them, and has used the accident to shape and mold both of their lives. The accident also melded these two siblings together in an unexplainable way. I have never seen any other sibling relationship like theirs.

My life could have been very different today had the accident gone another direction. I cannot even imagine such a life.

Today I will hold my husband a little closer and praise my God for His sovereignty and hand of protection over two people whom I love very, very much.

Jill shares her story here.