Rembering Kenny...

Today would have been Kenny's 52nd birthday. As we still grieve the loss of him on this earth we know that he is rejoicing with Jesus in heaven. We were sitting at the dining room table this morning eating breakfast when I reminded Phoebe & Randy that today is his birthday. Phoebe said, "Can we sing to him?" "Sure we can sing to him", I said. So the three of us sang Happy Birthday to Kenny. When we were done, Phoebe was thoughtfully smiling, I was teary eyed, & Randy was speechless & choked up. Happy Birthday Kenny! We love you!

Please pray that...

I'll hear good news either today or tomorrow about us finally being in MOI. I really need to hear it soon.

Musical Phoebe...

I was looking at some old pictures tonight when I ran across this video clip. It's when Phoebe was one and half years old. Isn't she cute? :o)

Psalm 3

O Lord, I have so many enemies; so many are against me.
So many are saying, "God will never rescue him!"
But you, O Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, & the one who lifts my head high.
I cried out to the Lord, & he answered me from his holy mountain.
I lay down & slept. I woke up in safety, for the Lord was watching over me.
I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies who surround me on every side.
Arise, O Lord! Rescue me, my God!
Slap all my enemies in the face! Shatter the teeth of the wicked!
Victory comes from you, O Lord. May your blessings rest on your people.
Psalm 3 NLT

Footnotes from the NLT Life Application Study Bible:
3:1,2 David felt like he was in the minority. There may have been as many as 10,000 soliders surrounding him at this time. Not only did David's enemies view life differently, they actively sought to harm him. As king, David could have trusted his army to defeat Absalom. Instead, he depended upon God's mercy; therefore, he was at peace with whatever outcome occured, knowing that God's great purposes would prevail. We can overcome fear by trusting God for his protection in our darkest hour.

3:5 Sleep does not come easily during a crisis. David could have had sleepless nights when his son Absalom rebelled & gathered an army to kill him. But he slept peacefully, even during the rebellion. What made the difference? David cried out to the Lord, & the Lord heard him. The assurance of answered prayer brings peace. It is easier to sleep well when we have full assurance that God is in control of circumstances. If you are lying awake at night worrying about circumstances you can't change, pour out your heart to God, & thank him that he is in control. Then sleep will come.

Missing teeth, unpacking, tires, Fall Festival, & magic underwear...

Almost two weeks ago we went to Paducah, KY to help Randy's brother Darrell & his family move there from Florida. We stayed at a hotel the first night & Phoebe got in some swimming. That night she also lost her first tooth. The tooth fairy came that night & when we woke up the next morning there was a dollar under her pillow & her tooth under Mom's pillow so we could have it as a keepsake. We then went to Darrell's house & helped them unpack. During the weekend, Olivia lost her second tooth. The tooth fairy didn't come during the night & had to make a fast stop in the morning with Olivia sitting next to her pillow...pretty sneaky tooth fairy :o) Saturday morning Randy & Darrell went to the van to go to the store & found a nail in my tire...of course it wasn't in the tire that really needed to be replaced. So he bought two new tires. Saturday afternoon Randy & I took the girls to a Fall Festival at a local church so the girls could get out of the house & Darrell & Sandra could take a break & rest. We had lots of fun. Some time during the weekend, Sandra & I were out & about by ourselves & I asked her what was up with the magic underwear since I did not know but had heard about it. She was raised Methodist but switched to the Mormon church somewhere along the road. When we first met we decided to agree to disagree about our faith views since we were having very intense conversations & wasn't getting anywhere with them. She was very informative about the "sacred garments" which makes a lot more sense than "magic underwear."

Better late than never...

Sarah tagged me about 10 moons ago so here's my "fourth" picture. This is a picture of my precious poser posing at the zoo when she was two and a half.

Praising Him...

Catching up...

I have a lot of posting to do to catch every one up on the happenings of the past couple of weeks but right now I have to "catch up" on laundry, cleaning,Phoebe's home work, sleep, etc. But I did want to thank everyone for their prayers & support during this difficult time. We arrived at the hospital on Wed. at 11:30am. Phoebe & I stayed there until 5:30pm & Randy stayed until 9:45pm that night. Kenny passed away approximately 10 minutes after he, his brother Russ & his wife Mary left. The viewing was Friday night & the funeral was Saturday morning. It was a nice service & many people attended both the viewing & funeral. Please continue to pray for the whole family, especially Randy's parent's as we go through the grieving process. November 3rd will be difficult for us all as that is Kenny's birthday...he would have been 52.

Not there yet...keep praying!!!

We'll try again in the morning with Randy's car. We had a "little" run in with a deer half way to our destination. Praise God that none of us was injured...except of course the deer.

Please pray for us...

This picture is of Randy's family minus one brother, SIL, & their 2 children. Kenny is in the last row, 4th one from the left. He is rapidly declining & we are heading to MO today & plan to return Sunday or Monday. Please pray for us during this difficult time. Thanks!

Our responsibilty...

I think the following devotion from Dr. David Jeremiah goes well with what's going on in our world right now & especially regarding the upcoming election.

Our Part

And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives
wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.
Daniel 2:21

Recommended Reading
Romans 13:1-7


Very soon, Americans will go to the polls and vote for the next president and vice-president of the United States. Hundreds more officials in states and communities will also be elected. But in light of verses like Daniel 2:21—"[God] removes kings and raises up kings"—does it really matter if we vote or not? Doesn't He ultimately choose?

Yes—God ultimately chooses everything. And Yes—it matters that we vote. Everything that happens in God's sovereign economy has two parts: His part and our part. Whether it's salvation or a good marriage or a successful career, both God's grace and our activity is required. From a practical perspective, the Bible is filled with exhortations that depend on our responsibility. The same verse that says God removes and raises up kings says that He gives "wisdom . . . and knowledge." And Proverbs 2:1-8 says that acquiring wisdom is like searching for buried treasure. There is work to be done in order to find it.

"The sovereignty of God never excuses us from responsibility." Will Metzger

Aren't they cute???

I figured this ought to at least a warrant a post from you, if not a phone call, or taking me out to lunch :o)

Not much of an update, update...

I know some of you are waiting for an update regarding my BIL as well as adoption news. Unfortunately there's not a whole lot to report right now. As of last night, Kenny still hadn't waken up although his ammonia level is coming down which is good. It looks like he has a good case of hepatic encephalathy which is what Randy & I suspected all along.

I got a very vague report on the adoptions yesterday so I'll just say that we're still waiting to go into MOI. Please pray for Phoebe. For two weeks straight she asks at least once a day for us to pray for the paper work so her sisters & brother can come home. She has stood up in church & asked for prayers, & yesterday when she was having quiet time in her room I heard her on the monitor talking to God about wanting them home & asking Him for the paperwork to be done. I just cried when I heard it. My heart hurts for her. Please pray that our children will be home by Christmas, & if not that God would have mercy on us & bless us with the money so that Phoebe & I could go to Haiti in December so she can see her siblings. Thanks!

Here we go again...

We just got word tonight that Randy's brother Kenny, is unconscious again & has been transferred back to the Intensive Care Unit. They have no idea what is causing this. Please pray for God's will to be done & for strength, peace, & discernment for Randy's parents, especially his mother.

HBWD!!!

In honor of Jonas being in MOI, I have been doing the HBWD most of the evening. Many of you have asked to see a video of me actually doing the HBWD. You are brave people...very brave!!! :o) I never thought I had anything in common with Shaq but apparently we have similar dancing styles...minus the getting on the floor thing...my floor days are behind me...way back there :o)

7 Quirky things...

This is from a Cara G. tag. I'm suppose to list 7 quirky things about myself so here it goes:
1. I have this thing about putting all the blinds up in the morning & all down in the evening. It's a ritual I have & they have to be "just so."
2. I like to go to restaurants by myself. I like to enjoy other people's cooking & savor each bite without distractions &/or interruptions from others. (No, Kelly that doesn't mean we won't ever go out to lunch together again :o)
3. Buying jeans is a traumatic thing for me due to my thick waist & bird legs. If it fits in the waist it's too big in the legs & if it fits in the legs it's too small in the waist. That's why I don't wear jeans very often :o(
4. I have shrunk one inch since 2002 but I don't have osteoporosis.
5. I have more hair on one side of my head than the other.
6. Every day around 3pm I have to eat a protein snack or I feel "funky."
7. Bats & rats freak me out.

Praying you home...

Today...

I will savor every moment.

First Report Card...

Phoebe got her first report card last week. She had all satisifactory marks. There was nothing marked for improvement. The teachers comments were, "Phoebe is an excellent student & a very sweet girl! I am impressed with her reading progress."
Bravo, Phoebe, Bravo!!! :o)

Two miracles in a week...thank you Lord!!!

Okay, so those of you who are familiar with the adoption process in Haiti know that time frames really don't mean anything. A week & half ago we were told that it would take two weeks to fix Shakira's birth certificate problem. I know that God could so do that but I know how things usually operate in Haiti so I just prayed & left it in God's hands. Today I sent an reminder Email to our adoption contact person saying that Friday would be the two week mark & I would like a status report on Friday. I got a phone call this afternoon saying that the new birth certificate was issued & now it is being taken back to the judge for approval & signature so our files can be submitted to MOI. Praise God!!! Thank you Jesus!!! Please join me in prayer that the judge signs off on it & our files enter MOI by the end of this week. Thanks!

Do you believe in miracles???

Well, from my previous post some of you may have thought that Kenny had already passed away. Randy's parents went to the hospital today to have him taken off the ventilator & all meds stopped because he had not shown any signs of responsiveness at all & they said his entire brain except for his brain stem was damaged. Well...when they got to the hospital they found him awake. He just woke up & asked for his glasses. He then wanted to know why he was in the hospital. Randy's youngest sister says he is "normal" self. Praise God...the God of second chances!!! Please pray that Kenny uses his second chance very wisely! Thanks for all of your prayers & support!

Sunshine admist the rain...

Randy, Phoebe, & I have had heavy hearts ever since Friday evening when we learned that Randy's oldest brother Kenny became unconscious & was taken to the hospital. Since then we have learned that he had a massive heart attack in addition to multiple other problems. We will be heading to MO soon for his funeral. In the mean time I am trying to focus on happy thoughts & decided to post this picture of my Haitian trio. It was taken yesterday at the orphanage during the September birthday party. The girls liked their baby dolls that we had sent them.

Tasteless Food...

This devotion from Dr. David Jeremiah is perfect timing for me. I hope it is an encouragement to you as well.

Tasteless Food
In everything give thanks.
I Thessalonians 5:18

Recommended Reading
Psalm 136

Noted Christian author and speaker Kent Crockett recounted a time in his life when his father had to receive radiation treatments for throat cancer and in the process lost his sense of taste. Doctors said there was a chance his taste might return, but no one knew for certain and it became a daily struggle to force feed him so he could live. After a year of eating flavorless food, Crockett's father sat down to dinner and reluctantly took a bite of food, expecting once again to taste nothing. To his amazement and joy, his taste had returned and that ordinary dinner became the best meal he had ever eaten. From that day on, he relished each morsel of food as never before.*

As you go through each day, are you mindful of the little blessings God has given you? The air you breathe, the family you have, the reliable car you drive. If you were to sit down and list all of the blessings in your life, big and small, you would begin to cultivate a thankful spirit. Today, look for blessings in unexpected places and be sure to express your gratitude to our loving and gracious Father in heaven.

Indeed a really thankful heart will extract motive for gratitude from everything, making the most even of scanty blessings. J. R. MacDuff

Finding Strength in God Alone...

The song "Voice of Truth" was my theme song at the beginning of this adoption process. "Ever lasting God" has been my theme song at the end of it. I will wait upon the Lord for His perfect timing & I will find strength in Him.

"Stuck"...

Please pray for all of these precious children, their files, & for their adoptive parents. They have been "stuck" in either IBESR or between Parquet & MOI for months. The children are getting restless...not to mention older & the parents are weary...myself included. Thanks for your prayers!

It's a "God thing!"

That's what I like to call things that there is no question that God was in it, under it, over it, etc.! I don't have time to go into all of the details so I will just say that God has been working mightily in our lives this weekend & today. Thank you Lord for blessing us & speaking to us!!!

Our "current" total from our adoption fundraiser yard sale is $711.18. I say "current" because it has gone up twice since I finished the sale Saturday afternoon. We made $536.18 in sales & so far have been given $175 in donations. Unless there is a huge change in ticket prices we have enough money for one of the girls airplane tickets home. Praise God!!!

I pray that you will hear God speaking to you today & you will commit your ways to him. Be blessed today!

Yard Sale!

Tomorrow we are having an adoption fundraiser yard sale from 7am to noon. Please pray that we have good weather during the sale, lots of people & lots of sales. All proceeds from this sale will go towards the airfare to bring our three children from Haiti home. $500 would be great! $700 would be awesome! And anything over that would be supernatural :o) A big thank you to all of my friends that have donated some really great items including antiques, lawn mowers, sinks, bread machine, home decor, house wares, clothing, toys, etc.!!! We really appreciate it!

Into the light...

We got power back at 10am this morning. Praise God!!! Two days earlier than anticipated!!! Doing the HBWD!!! :o)

In the dark...

If you think this is going to be a deep post regarding spiritual darkness you are wrong. I'll save that for a later date. Today I'm talking about "virtual" darkness. We have been without electricity since Sunday morning. I don't want to sound like I'm complaining because we are fine & have much more than most people in the world. I just wanted to let you all know why I haven't been blogging or E mailing. They say that we should have power Friday. Please pray that we will. I hope that you are having a great week in the Lord!

A rare photo op...

Thanks Megan for this picture!!! I wonder who Shakira was talking to on the phone :o)

Remembering Sept. 11th 2001 & 2002...

I will never forget Sept. 11th 2001. The events of that day will always be etched into my mind. Today I take time to reflect on that day & on the families & friends who lost their loved ones that day.

I will also never forget Sept. 11th 2002 although for very different reasons. On that day I had no idea at the time what that day would mean to me but now, 6 years & a beautiful girl later...one I have yet to spend her birthday with...is forever etched in my heart & mind. Happy Birthday Shakira!!! Mommy & Daddy love you very, very much!!! We pray that you have a joy filled & blessed birthday!

Happy Birthday Handsome Man!!!

Praying that you're having a great day at work. I thank God for you & another year of your life! I love you very much!

"After" clip

Busy bee...

I went to MO this weekend by myself for two reasons. The first one was to see a very good friend of mine that lives in Florida but was in MO for her sister's wedding. She wasn't coming to our home town because the wedding was in Springfield & she was flying in & out of St.Louis & wanted to meet with me on Sunday in St. Louis before she flew back home. I didn't want to drive 3 hours & then meet with her for a couple of hours & then drive 3 hours back home so I decided that I would surprise my mom with something that I have been wanting to do for awhile but have not gotten the chance to do it. My mom's house needs some TLC but when we're there visiting she doesn't want us to do anything to it because she wants to spend our time visiting. She works nights so I decided to leave home Friday night & arrive at her house shortly after she left for work. I arrived about 15 minutes after she had left & I got busy working. I took all her things off the walls of the living room & hallway...she had a lot of stuff...it took me two hours to take every thing down & pull out the nails. After that I had to clean the walls & do some patch work. Then I primed the paneling walls. By the time I did this it was about 4 am. I started painting a section of the wall with the "Cancun Sand" (think cream color) that I had bought but realized that I needed to prime the walls again. By this time it was 5am & all though I wasn't mentally tired my body was saying "Enough already." So I stopped painting & cleaned up my mess. By the time I was done with that & ready to go to bed it was 6:30am. I was really disappointed because I wanted to have everything done before she came home from work. So I left her a note & went to bed. I woke up at 11am & she heard me so she got up. I was afraid she might be upset with me but she was very happy about what I was doing. We had lunch & then I got back to it. By 9pm Sat. night I realized that I was not going to be able to get all that I wanted done before I had to leave Sunday morning. My original plan was to prime & paint the living room & the hallway, paint the ceilings of both, & paint the trim work of both, & then stylishly decorate :o) My wise & very gracious mother knew that I couldn't get it all done & told me not to worry about it & that I could finish it another time. We decided to focus on finishing painting the living room & one side of the hall way. I will finish the hallway, doing the ceiling, & trim work the next time I visit. I finished painting at 3:00am Sunday & went to bed at 3:30am. I woke up at 9am & quickly started working to put furniture back in place, clean, & then to decorate when I realized that there was no way I was going to be able to do all of that, plus pack a lot of stuff...she was letting me take most of the stuff on the walls & on the furniture to sell at a yard sale...and take a shower before leaving at 10:45am. So I went to plan B which was to take a shower & get ready & then instead of heading home from St. Louis I would drive back to my home town which would be another 1 & 15 minutes driving time...finish what I needed to do & then drive home. I pulled out of my mom's driveway at 9:30 with an estimated arrival time of 12:45. I got home at 1am which is not bad considering I had to drive through a lot of fog & ended up missing a turn off & driving 10 miles the wrong way before I figured it out :o( & then had to turn around. I got to bed at 1:30am & "slept in" until 7am. Rushed around to get Phoebe ready for school & then watched Emily & Audrey all day. So I'm thinking I'll go for a quiet "relaxing" weekend this coming weekend :o) I have two video clips of my mom's living room...a before & after clip however for some reason I can't get them to publish on the same post so I will include the before on this one & then post the "after" on a new post.

More pictures...

Happy Birthday Girls!!!

Happy 5th Birthday Phoebe!!! Happy 4th Birthday Samara!!! Praying that you both have a very joy filled & blessed day! Mommy & Daddy love you both very much & can't wait for the time that we will celebrate both of your birthdays together!

No Training Wheels!!!

We took off Phoebe's training wheels today. I think she's doing pretty good so far!

Phoebe's birthday party pictures...

What are they feeding him???

Either my eyes are playing tricks on me or Caleb really does look like he's gained 10 pounds since I saw him in June. I don't know what he's been eating lately but it looks like he's been eating a steady diet of meat & potatoes :o) Thank you Lord for my healthy boy!!!

Mass Chaos without pictures :o(

Sorry it's been a week since I've had a new post. It's not that I don't have anything to say...just a lot going on. Last night we had Phoebe's birthday party to celebrate her 5th birthday this coming Thursday. Last year we had 2 of her friends over along with me & Randy. It was nice & quiet. This year I was not thinking :o) We had 16 kids including Phoebe, & adults for a total of 28 people. It was "mass chaos." I didn't even get a chance to do the games I had planned because we ran out of time. It takes a awhile to feed that large of crowd...not to mention that when Randy went to start up the grill for the hotdogs he found the tank empty :o( Thankgoodness we have amazing neighbors across the street & he was able to use their grill. When it came time for Phoebe to open presents I turned on my camera...and nothing...it was dead. Are you kidding me??? Our neighbors came through again & got their camera but I have not been able to down load them yet. As soon as I get them I will post them. The kids had a great time...the adults were exhausted :o) Next year we're going back to the nice & quiet birthday party :o)

My Shaki...

This is a picture of Shakira leading singing during church service yesterday. I got all teary eyed & choked up when I first saw it. She has grown so much over the past year & a half...I'm not talking physically although she certainly has done that too but what is most noticeable is progress in self control, not being so impulsive, increased attention span, & increased fine & gross motor skills as well as language & social skills. It makes this mama very happy!!!

Croupy night in the hospital...

I'm very tired so I'm going to make a long story short which is Phoebe began having problems breathing yesterday around noon. By 6pm she had had 3 breathing treatments & was getting worse. We arrived at the after hours clinic around 6:30pm & she was admitted to the hospital for croup around 7:30pm. We're home now & she's doing much better except that we're both tired because we didn't get much sleep last night. Please pray that she continues to recover quickly. Thanks!

Too sweet...

Apparently I am too sweet...unfortunately I'm not talking about my personality or dispostition. I'm talking about my glucose level. I went to the mail box today to find a copy of my lab results that were from my yearly physical. My results are always good but today was the exception. All of my results except for one were good. In the commnent section was "early diabetes, please follow a 1500 calorie ADA diet." Are you kidding me? Really? At age 40 I have to start doing this? Usually that doesn't happen until late 50's or in the 60's. But I should not be surprised. Diabetes runs in my family & my childhood doctor warned me that I could get it earlier & even had me test my urine for glucose when I was a child. But I am suprised. Actually I'm in denial. I don't like it...not one bit. I don't have a problem with the caloric restriction because I try to stay under 1500-1600 calories a day anyway...it's how those calories are to be restricted is what I don't like...especially when it comes to sweets...especially when it comes to chocolate.
So I'm trying to shake myself out of the denial mode & move into the motivation mode to follow this diet. Please pray for me...and Randy and Phoebe (they are going to need it :o) because I get cranky without sweets on a regular basis.

Got stuff???

So as most of you who are in the adoption process know...it takes money to adopt :o) Then take that amount & multiple that times three minus a little for non duplication of some services, etc. & that still equals more money than we had at the beginning :o) but God has been faithful to provide what we needed when we needed it. As the time draws near for them to come home we are putting whatever we can toward the actual bringing them home such as 4 last minute airplane tickets(which are not cheap), hotel costs, etc. In so doing it has left us little "other" money. There are some things that would be nice to have or have done before they come home although they are not a necessity hence we haven't bought them or had them done.

I know that a lot of us have things laying around our house that we don't use anymore or don't need so I'm going to throw out "my list" in hopes that God will bless us with your "don't need or use anymore things." I'm also listing some services that someone may be able to bless us with as well. Thanks so much!

*** 4 bar stools 29 inches tall...color doesn't matter because there's not much I can't paint or recover
*** chocolate brown slip covers for a loveseat & sofa
*** 2-4 cherry wood or other dark color wood color or black display shelves
*** 2 wine type color lamp shades...one for a table lamp & one for a floor lamp
*** 4-8 patterned or textured accent pillows...half wine type color & half deep purple
*** regular size futon frame
*** round wood table big enough for at least 2 people to play games on but not big enough to "swallow up" the sitting area in front of the living room window
*** 2 Parson type chairs
*** one half to one gallon of exterior white paint
*** wood decking cleaner &/or sealer
*** boys room activity rug in bright or primary colors
*** girls room activity rug that would complement pink walls with purple, yellow, red, & lime green accents
*** simple plumbing services
*** simple electrical services
*** converting a gas dryer hook up to an electric one
*** removing a gas furnace

15 months today...

My "little man" is 15 months old today!

Your turn is coming!!!

Soon...my beautiful children...soon!!!

Glory's Homecoming Pictures...

"Glorious Homecoming"

Happy Birthday!

Today is a busy birthday day. We wish a big Happy & Blessed day to my cousin Chad, Randy's niece Hannah, & our two good friends Kathy & Rush! We love you!

Hard lessons...

Well my "baby" started kindergarten this week. I still can't believe it! It's not like it "snuck" up on me. I've had all summer to prepare for this week...but came up miserably short in the "emotions" section. I did great in the organized section...having all of her supplies when she needed them, getting her on a routine before the first week of school, getting her to the bus stop in plenty of time to catch the bus, reading every single piece of paper that has been sent home...which has been alot (I don't remember my mom getting any papers when I started kindergarten...now they have student handbooks, agenda books, etc.)...signing up for PAT,etc.

Monday was her orientation day. Randy & I went with her to meet her teacher & to see her classroom. She really liked it & waved at me & said, "You can go now." I had to remind her that it was only orientation day & that we both had to leave but that she would come back tomorrow by herself. Tuesday morning I walked her to the bus stop. As she got on the bus I was overcome with worry & said a quick prayer. As the bus drove away & I walked toward my house I had a couple of tears stream down my cheek. I didn't have much time to dwell on the bittersweetness of it all because as soon as I got home I had to start working. I am watching Mama Sarah & Papa Tim's two littlest ones when they are both working. Sarah was there with Audrey & Emily waiting for me so I switched gears quickly. I had a great time with them. They are so cute! It was 10:45am before I knew it. It was time to head out & pick Phoebe up from school (we have half day kindergarten).

Phoebe was all smiles when she climed into the van. She said she had a great day but she didn't give me many details because she was to busy talking to Audrey & Emily. Later that night at dinner she told Randy & I all about her day. The only thing she was disappointed about was that she didn't wear tennis shoes that day & couldn't play on the climbing wall :o(

Yesterday was a different story. I walked her to the bus stop again. It wasn't any easier yesterday or today. Although Phoebe & I have been "butting heads" all summer & we really needed a break from each other...I am somewhat saddened now that I have it. For almost 5 years it has been just the two of us most of the time when Randy is at work. She goes to school & learns new things & plays with friends. I come home to an empty house on the days I'm not babysitting. I know that won't be for much longer...my house will soon be a very loud & busy place but in the mean time I must learn how to appreciate the silence & aloneness.

So I picked Phoebe up from school yesterday & she happily got into the van & said "Good bye" to several classmates. As we started to drive off I asked her about her day & then asked her about a classmate who she had in her preschool class one year & has been friends with for two years. Her whole countenance changed & she got really quiet. I asked her if something had happened between the two of them but she kept telling me "No." Then I told her that I knew something was wrong & I really wanted to know what it was & she said, "Somebody bleeded today." I tried to get her to tell me about that but couldn't make any sense out of it. She couldn't tell me who it was or what had happened & she said she didn't see it. After about 15 minutes of quietness & not being herself, she was back to herself.

Later yesterday afternoon I took her to McDonalds to play. There were a lot of kids there & no one she knew except for two that left as soon as we were coming in. I had brought in a "pile" of papers from school to read while she was playing. I watched her play for awhile but realized it was better for me to read & not to watch because I always find myself wanting to get up & "help" her to communicate & play well with others. So this time I fought the urge & did not interfere. After she was done & we were leaving she told me that she did have fun but that one person called her a "big farty butt." My heart sank & I felt sick to my stomach. She looked so sad as she said it. I asked her how she responded & she said, "I walked away but also said, "I don't like you." I told her that she was right in walking away but that next time she should not say anything or say, "That's not a nice thing to say."

I know this is just the beginning of many learning experiences for her...and me. There will be good days & bad days. We will have happy times & times of sadness & joy. Please pray for me as I struggle with all of the insecurities & difficulties I faced as a child & how to best guide Phoebe & all of my children as they grow.

Happy Anniversary Honey!!!

I thank God for the 19 years of marriage that he has blessed us with so far. Thank you for being my soul mate & solid ground. Thank you for letting me be "me" & loving me for it. Thank you for being a wonderful husband & an amazing father to our children. I love you!

"Glorious" update :o)

Glory's mama called me tonight & left a voice message saying that Glory's visa appt. went well today & they will have her visa tomorrow. Praise God!!! Thanks to everyone for their prayers! HBWD time!!! :o)

"Glorious" Appointment...

Please pray for Glory & her visa appointment which is scheduled for tomorrow. Please pray that it goes smoothly & they will have her visa in hand by the end of the day. Thanks!

In this world...not of it

Christians hear & say that often but is it really easy to be in this world & not of it? For me, it varies. Sometimes it seems effortless & other times it feels like I'm failing miserably at it. The following devotion by Dr. David Jeremiah speaks to this. I hope it blesses you.

Uncomfortable with the Culture

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2

Recommended Reading
1 Peter 1:13-16


It's happened more than once—missionaries leave the United States and, in time, become more comfortable in a foreign land than in their native country. They give various reasons: "It's quieter," "less materialism," "less peer pressure on our children," "the people are more receptive to the Gospel." When they return to America to visit, they talk about "returning home" in a new way—they've exchanged their old home for a new one.

That's what it means to be a citizen of the kingdom of God. Paul says our "citizenship is in heaven," not in this world (Philippians 3:20). It's why, over time, Christians begin to feel more and more out of place with the cultures of this world; why they speak of God's eternal kingdom as "going home." When we exchange our earthly home for our kingdom home is up to God. In the interim, our job is to so walk in the Spirit that we aren't "conformed to this world"; that we aren't squeezed into the world's mold, as Bible translator J. B. Phillips put it. When you leave home today, let it remind you of where your true home is—in Christ Jesus, now and for eternity.

"If you stand on the Word you do not stand with the world." Vance Havner

Larry King Live...

Okay, I will admit that I'm not a big CNN fan but I do occassionally watch Larry King Live. Tonight Steven Curtis Chapman will be on his show at 8pm CT. I am going to be prepared...with a box of kleenaxes at my side.

Romantical fingerprints...

Don't know if there is such a thing but that's what we're calling our very short get away. This afternoon we will leave Phoebe with good friends of ours & head to Louisville. Our refingerprinting appt. is for 8am ET tomorrow which is 7am here & we did not want to get up at 3am to get there in time so we decided to leave today & spend the night by ourselves to celebrate our wedding anniversary one week early since we won't have the oppportunity to get away next Tuesday. We haven't had a night by ourselves without children for a year & a half so we are really looking forward to this even though we have to end our trip with an intimidating trip to the DHS office to get fingerprinted :o) Please pray that my pretty significant paper cut on one of my fingers won't be cause for them to reschedule our appointment.

On my heart...

Noah continues to be on my heart & in my thoughts a lot right now which I am thanking God because I think that it's a "sign" of good things to come. Please continue to pray with me that he will come home soon. I have been praying for his birth family as well. The following is a prayer from the book "The Power of a Praying Parent" by Stormie Omartian that I am praying on the behalf of Noah & his birth family.
Dear Lord,
Your Word says, "I sought the Lord, & He heard me, & delivered me from all my fears" (Psalm 34:4). I seek You this day, believing that You hear me, & I pray that You will deliver (Noah & his birth family) from any fear that threatens to overtake (them). You said You have "not given us a spirit of fear, but of power & of love & of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7). Flood (them) with Your love & wash away all fear & doubt. Give (them)a sense of Your loving presence that fars outweighs any fear that would threaten to overtake (them). Help (them)to rely on Your power in such a manner that it establishes strong confidence & faith in You. Give (them) a mind so sound that (they) can recognize any false evidence the devil presents to (them) & identify it as having no basis in reality.
Wherever there is real danger or good reason to fear, give (them) wisdom, protect (them), & draw (them) close to You. Help (them) not to deny (their) fears, but take them to You in prayer & seek deliverance from them. I pray that as (they) draw close to You, Your love will penetrate (their) lives & crowd out all fear. Plant Your Word in (their) hearts. Let faith take root in (their) mind & soul as (they) grow in Your Word.
Thank you, Lord, for Your promise to deliver us from all our fears. In Jesus' name I pray for freedom from fear on behalf of (Noah & his birth family) this day.

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

"He shall cover you with His feathers, & under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield & buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terrors by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday." Psalm 91:4-6

"The Lord is my light & my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" Psalm 27:1

Please pray that God will continue to fill Michelle & Jeremy with His peace & strength. "Thus says the Lord: Restrain your voice from weeping & your eyes from tears, for your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord; & your children shall return from the enemy's land. And there is hope for your future, says the Lord; your children shall come back." Jeremiah 31:16-17