Thursday, April 28, 2011

WE can do it!

I have a friend that has a heart of gold.
God put us together in Africa - twice!
I would love love LOVE [that is her name ;)] to tell you more about her (and someday soon I will) but for now, I need to share what she is doing and how WE are going to help.

There is a girl that WE [meaning you who are reading right now and me!] are going to help fund her adoption!

Please click HERE to read more.

I am thinking online party.

Can WE raise $200 to do our part?

Let's do our part.  

Let's not know and do nothing about it.

Now you know about a little girl, sitting in an orphanage, waiting for a family and there is something that we can do.

Join me?

Please.

[details of OUR party to come - start saving your pennies]

Morning Perfection.

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Monday, April 25, 2011

Easter 2011


Hope you all had an amazing Easter.

Ours was blessed.

Jesus paid it all. Because of Him I live. He made a way.

[will share more of our sweet day later :)]
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Friday, April 22, 2011

At the Foot of the Cross


At the foot of the cross
Where grace and suffering meet
You have shown me Your love
Through the judgment You received

And You've won my heart
Yes You've won my heart
Now I can

Trade these ashes in for beauty
And wear forgiveness like a crown
Coming to kiss the feet of mercy
I lay every burden down
At the foot of the cross

At the foot of the cross
Where I am made complete
You have given me life
Through the death You bore for me

I'm laying every burden down
I'm laying every burden down

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Holy Spirit or Self Emotion?

I have frustrated a lot of people by saying the big fat "NO" word lately.  I am not good at saying no.
I am a people pleaser.  I want people to like me, be pleased with me and be the one to "get it done" for them.

Having a baby and a large family do one thing very well - force me to ask God where He wants me - it becomes very apparent when I am out of balance.

What that looks like right now is slllllllllowing waaaaaay dowwwwwn.  

So out comes the big NO card.

Ouch, it hurts.

People think I no longer care about  _______ [whatever it may be] and that is just not true.

Hubby and I are very active with Redeemer House and other Ug@ndan ministries.  We love it.  We love those kids.  We fully support my MIL and try to be her biggest cheerleaders [and will continue to].  We love many Ug@ndans and are already looking forward to the next time we get to see them [Lord leading and Lord willing (and you bet I am praying for it!)].

But that is not our God.

Our desire is to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.  In what we do and how we do it.  Just because it may seem like a good thing to do does not mean that God desires for me to do _______.

Last fall I could not stop thinking about leading a womens trip - heavy, heavy burden.  Therefore to my knees I went and cried out to God that it be Him and not me.  Over and over He confirmed for me to GO.  I believe that is where He desired for me be, and do, at that time in my life.  Those were the good works He had prepared for me [Ephesians 2:10].

Right now God has placed a deep desire and burden to focus here at home.  On my husband and children.  This is not to say that my heart was not always there, I have been a stay at home mom for 12 years.  But this is a new deeper burden, new season.

Next year I will be homeschooling the kids.  [talk about needing to focus - hello! :)]

I am growing a garden and trying not to kill it this year [which will be a first - will take focus].

Our family is a part of a milking co-op now.  I am learning all kinds of new things with having fresh raw milk twice a week.  [we love it! and if you want information on raw milk I have spent far too much time in research and can share one of my 10 million websites :)].

God has a reason for this new season too.

I am trusting Him.

My heart is to be Holy Spirit lead.

Lord please help me to keep my eyes on You and what You desire for me to do in this new season.  Oh, and thank you for this new season, I am loving it!  Amen :)

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

a little rain and a little game.

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My parents came to visit for a couple days.
Yesterday a little rain did not stop a little game of softball.
Thanks for coming Meme and Papa!

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Listen and obey.

Powerful passage for me this morning:


1 Samuel 15:17-23 (English Standard Version)

 17And Samuel said, "Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel. 18And the LORD sent you on a mission and said, 'Go, devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.' 19Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the LORD?" 20And Saul said to Samuel, "I have obeyed the voice of the LORD. I have gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. 21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal." 22And Samuel said,

    "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
   as in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
   and to listen than the fat of rams.
23For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
   and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
    he has also rejected you from being king."

[emphasis mine]

Lord please help me to stick to the mission that YOU have given me and not change it because I think I see a better plan.  Amen

Thursday, April 7, 2011

It comes with having a big family.

Comments.
Everywhere we go.
Everywhere.

I went to the grocery store with my 4 youngest and got told 6 times that I "had my hands full."  I was in the store 20 minutes.  My children were being perfect (they are not always but that time they were - God knew this sleep deprived mama would need well behaved children that day :)).

It comes with having a big family.  

Add having a bi-racial family and you just open yourself wide open to every thought that may come to those passing by.

I marvel many times because I do not feel the need to comment to those around me - for no reason, at all, except to air my thought - weird.  

99% of the time I can handle this with grace and engage in conversation.  After all, I have only understood much of adoption and orphans in the last few years.  What a great opportunity.  Many times I have walked away from those "impromptu Q and A sessions" praising God for the opportunity to share God's story in our lives.  We have had flight attendants bawl and hug us and tell us that we have given them hope for the first time in a long time.  We have had many share their deep desires to adopt or have more children and ask us to pray for them.  Many, many beautiful moments that would have never happened had we not been so.... visible.

But then there are the others.

It can be exhausting.  Really.

I read this post and thought it was good and the discussion after was interesting.  

May I learn from this and realize that I have the opportunity to build up and encourage people [even in a short encounter] or bring thoughtless discouragement for no reason at all.

God, help me to live Colossians 4:5-6 in "those moments."  Amen

Colossians 4:5-6

5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Babywearing.

I have always "worn" my babies.
I will try to dig out pics of #1 in a baby bjorn.
She lived in it.
So did 2,3 and 4.

When #4 would not let me put her down, I found the ring sling.  She preferred the front pack so I thought I had wasted $60.00.  Then #5 came along and he loved it!

When we found out about #6 I purchased a moby wrap.  Perfect!!

I love babywearing.
My treasures are only little once.
They feel safe and secure being close to mommy.

Joining the Babywearing Bloggers!


[pic taken last night - no shower in days - but that is life with a newborn ;)]

Friday, April 1, 2011

All 8 on the the mountain!

Last week we had a huge storm that dropped around 10 feet of snow at the ski park.  Today it was clear skies and 60* on.the.mountain!  
Perfect day to go!


Daniel did great and the two little ones had fun playing in the snow.
Next year is their turn!



Friends
[and three of the best dads I know]



The boys skiing with Daddy.  This was #3's first time.  He did well in his lesson so Daddy took him on the lift!

[#1 was hard to get a pic of because she was always on the slopes with her friends.... but she was there :0)]

What a beautiful day.