I was going to write about how busy we are lately. How my role as a pastor's wife is stretching me right now in that we have no down time. However, I didn't want it to come out as grumbling and complaining, and I fear it may be read that way.
I was going to write about how excited I am to start Cadi's kindergarten year with her in just 40 days, and how we organized much of her toy/school room this morning. But I just didn't feel like taking pictures or posting them or organizing a post for that matter.
I was going to write about Scotty's nephrology appointment coming up this Friday, and how I have been praying that this would be the last one. Ever.
Or how my sister's due date is Tuesday, and I absolutely cannot wait to meet my nephew and breathe him in.
I was going to answer that email in a post the one about when will you get back to how your blog used to be and stop writing so much about orphans and adoption. Hmmm.
I was going to copy a cute True and False post idea that I saw earlier today, but I came up blank.
Or about how my parents purchased every single adoption book on our required reading list from AWAA for us, and how I really have to get busy reading those.
Or how we are in the midst of training small group leaders for our church, and tonight is one of our meetings, and I have to figure out how to squeeze 14 people into our home.
I was going to write about how our first home study meeting is next Tuesday, and I am so nervous.
Or how next week is our church's VBS, and I am having a really hard time sending Cadi. It seems like so long to have her away - every morning for five days. I know - just get over it.
I've been busy here at home trying to figure out what day of the week it is! Ha! It has been so long since we have gotten away during the week that I am a bit confused. I tried catching up on laundry yesterday, and our washer broke. {bummer} Praying about that one.
I have a lot of thoughts tumbling around in my head, but I am having trouble deciphering which ones to share. Jim and I had some great conversation while traveling this week. We of course talked of adoption and also James 1:27 and advocating for orphans. I think we both are feeling tugged by the Holy Spirit to advocate for fatherless children. You can read my hubby's thoughts on that here.
I guess I am just not sure how to go about it. I know that I need to be gracious and humble, but at the same time I need to speak truth. I guess the key is to speak the truth in love. I need to work on that. This journey that we have been on has just exploded in ways that I could have never imagined, and it is my heart's desire to share this with others. I don't want anyone to miss out.
In October God tugged at us to leave camp ministry.
Sometime in the fall we started reading Francis Chan's Crazy Love.
In January Jim resigned from camp.
In January we started Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover.
In January we were first confronted with adoption thoughts.
In March Jim got voted in as the associate pastor of our church.
In March we decided to sponsor a 4 year old Philippine girl, whose daddy died last year.
In April we could no longer pretend that sponsoring a child was enough and continue to ignore the ministry call of adoption in our life. So we plunged ahead applying to AWAA.
And I remember thinking, wow, this is it. This adoption is why God has been working so hard in our lives the past few months. But now here I sit in July and am realizing more and more that adoption is not the answer or the solution. It is a part of it, but this is bigger. This call on our lives is bigger. I have no idea what the future holds, what this all entails, but for now we continue to work towards getting our sweet Ethiopian baby home and raising awareness for all of the fatherless children everywhere - not just in Ethiopia. Maybe God will call us to adopt many, many children, or maybe this will be it. Maybe we will eventually foster children. Maybe not. Maybe God will call us to begin a James 1:27 ministry, or maybe He really will move our family to Africa. I would have trembled with fear at that sentence only a year ago. Not anymore. God works in such mysterious, exciting ways!
I don't know what lies ahead for our family, but I know that my life is completely different. I am completely different. I am bothered by global things now, where as before I turned a blind eye. I am bothered by our lackadaisical approach to the commands given in the Bible for every believer. I am passionate about lives that only months ago were not even on my radar.
With all these thoughts swirling it is a wonder that anything gets done around here! Just look at my night stand. One of my goals for this summer was to read and read and read.
When you give your life away, particularly in a global setting, you see God in the right size. You realize God is not trapped in a cul-de-sac. God is not limited. You discover a right idea of God, an idea of Him that is unbelievably large. You will find the God of Scripture: King of Kings, Mighty One, Alpha and Omega, Creator, All-sufficient One, All-powerful One, One and Only! A right idea of God is spectacular. Give your life away. Go and let God fill you with wonder. He is so much bigger than you've ever imagined. p.74
I have also been planning out Cadi's kindergarten year! I have planned out our first semester calendar.
And have started some block plans.
The weather has been gorgeous here this week! High 90s and low 100s. This is what I expect from summer, but I am trying to keep my littles cool. I am thankful for the pool at my parents' home!
Cadi and I have been devouring the American Girl series this summer. We read one book a week and are on our fourth now.
And I am waiting for the phone call from my sister saying that this little guy in her belly is ready to make his debut!
And for the day when my sweet baby can wear this. (LOVE outlet shopping where it is perfectly normal to find clothes as low as $2.99!!)
If you have not done so yet, please enter the Parlee Pocket give-away. If you do not have a little girl this would make a great baby shower gift for one!! I will announce the winner after 3:00 PM today! See you then! Subscribe in a reader
We are home again, and are re-acclimating to normal life. We had such an amazing time away, but oh how I missed my kiddos. That was the longest I have left Scotty. I guess it was good practice for when we travel to Ethiopia and leave them behind {gulp}. I have nothing to share from our trip. I just want to keep it between Jim and myself.
While I have nothing for a post today- I have a few in the making for later, maybe next week. I have quite enjoyed this respite. However, I do have three posts that I read this morning that resonated deep inside of me. I pray that you take the time to read all three, and that you are as excited as I am regarding how God is opening people's eyes. That is my earnest prayer for each person reading here and for myself - that my eyes would be opened and never again blinded as they once were.
This post talks about the many children still left behind in orphanages. The statistics that she sites were enough to make me sob.
I suppose it is not technically summer, but in our home it is! Cadi is done with preschool and the living is eeeeasy. {grin} Well, that is not really true either. We have been busy, busy, busy hereorganizing and tagging items for our adoption fundraiser yard sale this Saturday and on Memorial Day. We have been blessed with so many donations!! I keep telling myself that I have to take photos, and I will.... The weather forecast for our yard sale looks perfect, and I have just been bathing it in prayer. I am so very excited to see what God will do, and to come back here and share it with you all on Tuesday.
Speaking of dogs... (remember my title?)
She has made herself at home here. She wandered onto our front porch this morning (and even was upstairs in our house (!!) at one point as I unloaded more donations). I have contacted her vet via the number on her rabies tag, and they are going to hopefully help us find her owners. We should receive a phone call sometime this evening. She is the sweetest, calmest dog - an older dog, I think. Right now, my Cadi is out on our back porch whispering sweet nothings into the dog's ear and patting her lovingly. Jim seemed rather smitten when he came home for lunch as well, and instructed me to lock the dog into our back yard. I have given her cold water and a few slices of bread. Cadi prayed before nap that we could keep her. She has named her Pretty. Oh my.
What kind of dog is she? I thought she may have some boxer in her.
I am feeling as disheveled as this post is becoming. It is hot here - 90 degrees, dry and beautiful. I couldn't be happier. We started our eight hour online training courses for our adoption last night. We have printed out our home study packet and need to jump in. I am nervous about the amount of paper work, but I am also anxious to get things rolling. I have been dreaming of meeting my baby. For a while I had been having nightmares about horrible orphanages, but those have melted into sweet dreams about my child. I am glad for that.
I need to apologize. I did not get a chance to read the Momentous Monday entries yesterday. I feel really bad about that, but I will read them. I love that people participate, and I love reading what you write!! Again things have been busy, busy here. I am also behind on sending thank you emails to those who have donated money and purchased coffee. Forgive me. I am carving out time tomorrow morning. We so appreciate the generosity that has been shown to us. I continue to be amazed. I don't want to seem ungrateful in anyway, because I am most definitely not.
I have not been able to keep up with my emails either, and that really bothers me. I love that so many of my readers take the time to email me. Lately I have been receiving a lot of questions regarding our adoption. To help aid me in answering the questions, I am going to do another question and answer post. I have done a few in the past, and have gotten great feedback. So if you have any questions feel free to email me amomentcherished(at)gmail(dot)com or just leave your question here in the comment section. In a few days I will answer them in a post. I suppose it doesn't have to be about adoption either. {grin}
Alrighty friends, have a beautiful day. You are a blessing.
Our days are a bit slower since finishing up Cadi's preschool last week. We are in limbo waiting for our next step to take with our adoption agency, and I am trying to stay occupied. I thought the 9 months of pregnancy was a long wait for a baby, but this 18-24 month possible wait....ooooh it will be a challenge for me.
My best friend came over yesterday evening to help me tag stuff for our adoption yard sale over Memorial weekend. We got a good head start, and it was nice to be preoccupied for those hours. I have been humbled and blessed by the donations we have received. I have some photos that I may put up here tomorrow.
For the past two days I have been watching a friend's sweet ten month old boy. I wish I could show you his face, but I did not ask permission. You will just have to trust me that he is scrumptious.
His chubby cheeks have gotten lots of love from me! Cadi seems pretty smitten, too. And Scotty keeps walking up to him saying Hi baby. Be still my heart, is this what I have to look forward to? Having this sweet boy has both occupied a bit of my time and stirred up such intense longing for my own sweet baby.
Scotty finds his own unique way to occupy his time. He runs the length of our house.
Back.
Forth.
Down.
Round and Round.
Where he stops
No one
Knows.
Thanks Scotty. You're a joy and the master at occupying your mommy.
When spring blows in so does my creativity. I have more energy, and I get an urgent need to create. My friend Theresa and I will be creating fancy camera straps this Tuesday for our cameras. I am so excited about that and picked out my pretty fabric on Saturday. Although her mad sewing skills will no doubt put me to shame! HA!
Maybe those window treatments for my kitchen will actually get sewn this spring.
Maybe.
I am even thinking about more creative things to do with my blog. That is one of the reasons I love blogging. I have an excuse everyday to create with my words or photos on this blank slate.
I was just thinking about giving another vlog post a try. This time I will use my Cadi as well, and I will demonstrate how we work together in the kitchen by baking a recipe on camera. I have gotten a lot of questions regarding how to incorporate little girls into the kitchen. I keep thinking that might be a nice post to save for the Raising Homemakers blog, though.
I have also been thinking of posting a challenge for myself and other interested women - a challenge to turn off the computer and all things computer related - blogs, email, twitter, facebook, etc. for one week, and really just live in the moment with our children. I was just thinking of calling it "Turn off and Tune in".
And then I have been thinking about redoing my photography site. {bleck} I need to update photos there at least. The site is pretty cheesy right now (although I love my song), and doesn't really "say" what I desire for it to. And I have toyed around with creating a blog entirely for my photography. But honestly, do I need another blog - between A Moment Cherished, and writing for Raising Homemakers, and my Frozen Moments face book page and website??? I think I am pretty busy, and those things mentioned should be enough of an outlet for my creativity.
And speaking of photography. Mmmm....I have been dreaming. I really, at this point anyway, do not want it to be anything besides just a little side business. It can not distract from my family. Jim and I have been discussing ways to make it work, because I truly am passionate about freezing moments for other families. However, I am not as passionate about that as I am about my own family. {grin} I have been thinking about starting some senior shoots. I really like photographing children, but I think seniors could be fun.
Oh, and talk about cheesy. Check out Scotty! This is what he has been doing everytime I get the camera out the past few days! He squeezes his eyes shut so tightly and grins in such a way that his whole body shakes! Hilarious!
Photo credit goes to my husband for this capture! Can anyone tell me where the rest of my 20 month old's teeth are?!
With all of this creativity burning inside of me, I also have this HUGE desire to accomplish a goal that I set forth for myself for this year - organize and declutter EVERY bit of this house! Been working on the childrens' rooms and switching over their wardrobe to summer. I can NOT believe for the first time in their lives I will be putting their summer clothes into their own dressers not suitcases to take to camp! So strange.
Well, I have got to do something with this energy. I think I will attack our bedroom. I have a vision.... Don't want to miss a moment? Subscribe to me here!
Sunshine and giggles and a child's sweet scent Bright lovely mornings of time easily spent Pretty blonde hair all tied up in strings These are a few of my favorite things
Painting and coloring creating with care Singing and dancing and breathing a prayer Wild children running with arms flung like wings These are a few of my favorite things
Girls in princess dresses and boys with a ball These are the moments I hope to recall Stories and make-believe what everyday brings These are a few of my favorite things
When the baby cries When the house is a mess When I'm not feeling wise I simply remember my favorite things And then I don't feel distress
This post could also alternately be titled I Love my Best Friend's Biscuits! Ha! {grin}
And I really do. My best friend Bethany (if she had a blog I would point you there, but she doesn't) gave me a recipe for the most brilliant, buttery biscuits I have ever bitten.
(Okay, I will stop with the alliteration. I am feeling silly!)
They are seriously amazing and terribly unhealthy, but that has not stopped me from baking them over and over. {sigh} Her secret is to keep the butter in large chunks when mixing the dough; that way the biscuits will bake with those lovely, buttery, flaky layers that we all look for in a great biscuit. I have discovered that the less I work the dough, the lighter and flakier my biscuits turn out. I have made this recipe for both sweet and savory recipes - from chicken and biscuits to strawberries and whipped cream over biscuits. However, my favorite way to eat these is warm out of the oven with honey drizzled on top. Mmmmm. Bethany also tells me that adding some garlic and cheddar cheese into the dough will turn these into biscuits similar to the cheddar bay ones served at Red Lobster. If you are interested in this great (and easy) recipe click here.
Thank you for all of the interest and encouragement shown regarding my blog hop Momentous Monday. I am really excited for it to kick off next Monday. Please spread the word on your blog and if you are going to join feel free to add the button to your sidebar. (You can get the code for the button by scrolling to the bottom of my left hand sidebar.)
And speaking of buttons thanks for grabbing my new A Moment Cherished blog button! It makes me smile to read your blog and see my little button featured there. {grin}
We are getting back into the swing of things this week after all being sick with the stomach bug last. It rained this morning, but now it has cleared off and is a bit humid even. Cadi and I had a great morning doing school. She impresses me so with her reading and her love for learning. What a little blessing she is. Our video camera died a few years back. There is so much I wish I could capture - Cadi reading, Scotty's cute little walk and sweet words, etc. Maybe someday. My still camera is pretty great at capturing moments right now. {grin}
I hope you have a blessed Tuesday. Your comments are such a blessing to me - thank you for taking the time to read my words and encourage my heart.
PS ~Welcome to all of the visitors from Lynette's blog! I am so glad to have you here as a guest at A Moment Cherished. Feel free to have a cup of coffee with me and look around. I love to meet other passionate mommies! I am starting a new blog hop that you can read all about below. And I would so love to have you join us. You have brightened my day by visiting - thanks! {grin}
I decided to free write today. If you are not familiar with free writing it is an exercise in which one writes whatever comes to mind for a predetermined amount of time and doesn't go back and read it or correct the grammar while writing. I used to love doing this in my journal. It emptied my head, as I basically spewed it all onto paper. Graphic, yes, but true. I have not done this in awhile, and I have certainly never done this on my blog. I was inspired by MckMama who has been writing several posts titled "stream of consciousness" lately. Basically they are free writing posts. I wanted to give it a try, so bare with me. Here I go. Time (5 minutes) starts now.
The rain kind of follows my mood today. Bleak. dreary. I am in a mood. Grumpy. I told Jim I needed a break today, and he gave me one. He taught school to Cadi. I felt guilty. Jim, unintentionally, made me feel guilty. He asked me "Isn't this life you always wanted?" Yes, it is, but Mommy still needs a break. I don't ask for them often. I drank my coffee, read my Bible, and wrote. Then I cleaned. I feel better - sort of.
I still don't have window treatments on my kitchen windows. Why? The fabric is right here in the kitchen - sitting on my dryer. I cannot get motivated to sew them. I think it is because I think I do not have enough fabric. That stinks. It will really stink if I start sewing them and run out of fabric.
My Christmas decor is still up. Oh my word. This is the longest I have kept it up. My mom's is still up too. She has a real tree even. I can remember the tree being up at Valentine's day when I was a girl. Mom denies that, though.
I don't want to run today. I ate way too many homemade wheat thins for lunch. I am in the middle of my period and feeling it - bleck. Jim kept dreaming I was pregnant this past week. I'm not. No, we were not trying. I am trying to get down to 110-115 pounds before trying for another. Is that selfish? Is that self-absorbed? I probably won't get there anyway. Not if I keep eating homemade crackers anyway! Ha!
We take Cadi to the eye doctor's this afternoon. I have noticed her holding her books really close to her face when reading. And she puts her head close to her papers when coloring and writing. I really hope she does not need glasses. If she does I hope we can get her a really cute, trendy pair. Wow, I am sounding shallow today.
This week is Jim's last paycheck for camp. We will go the entire month of February with no pay. I am scared and excited. I wonder how God will provide? I know He will.
Mmm, I really wish I could have just one piece of coffee cake, but then I would have to run an extra mile. It's good coffee cake, but not that good!
Times up. That went by really fast. I could have written for another five or ten minutes! You should give it a try. Write a post with no intended purpose. If you do, leave me a comment letting me know that you did. I would love to read it!
This blog is my story - well God's story - of how He is taking a scared, shy girl on the adventure of a life time. He is writing a story over me that I didn't ask for, but it is more breath taking that I could have imagined. This is where I pen my story - all for God's glory. You are welcome here. The ending of this story will be a surprise for us both.
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