"Busted!"

I have really been feeling "spiritually detached" lately. So yesterday morning I got on my knees & had a heart to heart talk with God. I was surprised by what he "told" me. I have known it all along but I didn't want to admit it. I think we all have something about ourselves that we try to hide or ignore so we won't have to deal with it because we either think it's too ugly to reveal or we're just so comfortable with it we don't know how to act without it.

For those of you who know me really well & know about my childhood, you know that I didn't have an easy one. I am what one calls a "survivor." I have never used that as an excuse for my behavior, however, I can see how it has "bent" me into the very independent, self sufficient person that I think I am. So God was "talking" to me yesterday about my "self sufficiency". He knows that deep down I know that it's just illusion because I know that without Him I am nothing...and I have nothing. But for some reason I still keep living the illusion that I am self sufficient. He told me it's a pride issue. Yuck! I despise that word being associated with me! But I know He's right. Not that I want to be self sufficient so I can say, "Look at me...I am "Miss Independent" & I don't need anyone...but more because I don't like needing help or having to ask for it. It's not something I'm good at or comfortable with.

So as I was "chewing" on all of this yesterday I got a phone call from a friend. She must have had heard my conversation with God because she "called me on the carpet" about the same thing. I told her that I realize I need help in getting some things in preparing to bring our children home but I didn't want to ask anyone for help. So after I listened to her I agreed that I would post on my blog a list of things we could use to help us with that. She suggested that I actually register at places like you would for a baby shower. Although I am really uncomfortable with this idea I am going to do it. I will post the list on my blog after I compile it.
Whew!!! It was really hard to type this post...so glad it's finished!!!

Dress Up!

Take a Look!

If you are a family member or far away friend that just looks at my blog & none of the others listed on my blog list...please take a moment to scroll down the list to "Kristina" & check out her post for Saturday August 25th. It's really good & shows how our Haitian community developed. Thanks!

Church Picnic...

Today was our annual church picnic. The last two years I have been in charge of it & this year will be my last one for awhile as I step down as Family Life Commisioner in November to prepare for getting my three wonderful Haitian children. We were blessed with a beautiful day, good food, & a good turn out. Thanks to all that came!

Cool Slideshows!

Update on the Date...

Several of you have asked me for more information regarding our adoption fundraiser concert that is slated for Friday Sept. 14th at my church. I just heard from my friend & things are "up in the air" right now. The band they want to have will not commit unless there is a backup band due to reasons that may cause a hasty exit by the leader of the band. (Her husband is on a transplant waiting list) They contacted other bands about being back up &/or playing as well & they have said, "Yeah, sure that sounds great" & then they never get back to them which is probably their way of saying, "We really don't want to do it." So please lift this up in prayer. If it's God's will for this happen I know He will provide the resources to make it happen. If you or anyone you know is a member of a Christian music band & would be willing to help out please let me know & I can pass the information on to my friends who are organizing this. Thanks for your prayers & support!

Thank you my friend!

Some of you may have remember from a few posts ago that I had mentioned that I would like to have a glider rocker for Caleb's room. I did not mention that to see if some one would get one for me but instead I was just "talking out loud" about something I wanted & had every intention to go bargain shopping & try to find one.
Enter one of my dear friends...she came up to me the other day & said, "I have a glider rocker chair you can have." I'm like, "Really? That's awesome!" as I'm trying to search my brain how she knew I wanted one...then I remember mentioning it on a blog post.

Thank you my friend for the chair...but I thank you most of all for you being you. I am honored to call you my friend! I would like to have been able to post a picture of her & tell you her name but I won't do that. She would be "horrified" if I did. She is one of the most humble people I have ever met. Not to mention caring, kind, sensitive, gentle & strong (not too many of us can pull that off!), discerning, giving, intelligent, & beautiful on the inside & out. She is a mighty servant of the Lord & I strive to be more like her which is more like Jesus.

I know you read my blog but don't comment & that's ok. I hope I didn't make you blush too much :o) Love ya!

Perserverance...

I've been thinking about it a lot lately for many reasons. God has really been "speaking" to me lately in my devotion times. This devotion was really encouraging to me & I hope it is to you as well. It's from "Quiet Moments With God" for Couples by Honor Books.

"The story is told of a diamond prospector in Venezuela named Rafael Solano. He was one of many impoverished natives & fortune seekers who came to sift through the rocks of a dried up riverbed reputed to have diamonds. No one, however, had any luck for some time in finding any diamonds in the sand & pebbles. One by one, those who came left the site-their dreams shattered, & their bodies drained.

Discouraged & exhausted, Solano had just about decided it was time for him to give up too. He had nothing to show for months of hard work. Then he stooped down one last time & scooped up a handful of pebbles, if only so he could say he had personally inspected every pebble in his claim. From the pebbles in his hand, he pulled out one that seemed a little different. He weighed it in his other hand. It seemed heavy. He measured it & weighed it on a scale. Could it be?

Sure enough, Solano had found a diamond in the rough! New York jewerly dealer Harry Winston paid Solano $200,000 for that stone. When it was cut & polished, it became known as the Liberator, & it is considered the largest & purest unmined diamond in the world.

You may have been plugging away at a project for weeks, even months or years, without seeing much progress. Today may be the day. Don't give up! The Scriptures are filled with examples of men & women who, on the verge of disaster or failure, experienced God's creative work in their lives. Remind yourself of the following things:

*** God's Word is true.
*** God can part the sea.
*** God can heal the incurable.
*** God can provide water from a rock & manna from the heavens.
*** God can conquer your enemies.
*** God can still deliver from the fiery furnace & the lion's den.

Persevere in what He has asked you to do today because your rewards will be more than you can think or imagine!"

"Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world." Revelation 3:10

Keep on keeping on!!! :o)

Focus...

Ever get the feeling that God is trying to tell you something that you have been "discreetly" trying to ignore? Well, that is what has been going on with me & my "focus". I know He has been prodding me lately about it. I guess I haven't responded in the way He wanted so now He's being more direct. Last night I was reading a book & the section was on focusing. Today I read my devotional book & it was about your focus. So I guess I can't ignore it anymore...well, I could but that would not be good. Below is an excerpt of what I was reading last night. It's from the book "Creative Correction" by Lisa Whelchel.

Focusing

Imagine walking down a gold-paved path toward a majestic castle. It's a lovely day-the birds are singing, the breeze is gently blowing, the sky is blue, & the flowers are blooming. The day is so beautiful that you're tempted to leave the path & turn cartwheels in the meadow. But your goal is to visit the castle, so you stick to the path.
Just when you've decided to stay the course, however, a yellow & black butterfly flits right in front of your nose & lands on a flower just ahead of you. You love butterflies, & quietly you sneak toward it. Just as you reach it, the butterfly sails into the air & lands on another flower. Again, you tiptoe up to it, wanting desperately to catch it. This continues for minutes, then hours-and before you know it, you've wandered too far from the path to reach the castle that day. Frustrated, you flop onto the grass. The day is gone, & you have nothing to show for it.
How often do we start chasing "butterflies" when we should be sticking to our path? This story helps illustrate how easily we can get distracted from our goal-and why it's important to stay focused.

This really spoke to me. I use to be "too" focused, where I would continue on with some thing no matter if I didn't sleep, eat, etc. Now I have swung to the other extreme where my focus is easily distracted & distorted. Dear Jesus, please help me to regain my proper focus on life & what you want me to do each day. Please redirect me when I wander off course. Thank you for this beautiful day! Amen!

The first time we met...

Here are some pictures that I got from a friend today of when we first arrived at the orphanage.

Three Months...

Our son turned three months old yesterday. We love & miss you Caleb!!!

Hurricane Dean...

Please pray for Haiti...especially the southern part of the country...where the orphanage is...as Hurricane Dean heads it way there. Please pray for everyone's safety & minimal damage of any sort to the country. Please pray for Jamacia as well as it looks like they may get the major brunt of the storm. Thanks in advance for your prayers!

PreSchool...

This is Phoebe's first week of her 2nd year of preschool. Can you tell she's excited about it? :o)

Regrets...

I know we all have regrets from time to time. I know I do. I usually try not to dwell on them but to learn from my mistakes & correct anything that is in my power to correct. Since arriving home from Haiti I have had a lot of regrets. I regret playing less & working more. I regret not spending time to get to know you you, Carsen, Anne, the nannies, & the rest of the orphanage staff. I regret letting a language barrier get in the way of my communication when it didn't have to. I regret not talking to more of the Haitian people & getting to know them. I regret putting my children to bed at their normal time instead of spending more time with them. I regret not having more diapers with me for "massive bouts of diarrhea" :o)
But what I regret most is not letting the light of Jesus shine through me brightly...and for that I am very sorry & ask forgiveness.

My children...

Sleepless in Indiana...

I know it's not as catchy as "Sleepless in Seattle" but I don't live in Seattle so I couldn't use that line. I should be asleep. It's past my bedtime which is 9:30ish most nights but I just can't sleep. I can't stop thinking about Haiti & my children. I miss them sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much that it hurts. I want to hold my baby. I want to cuddle with Samara. I want to sing to Shakira.
I desperately want to go back to visit them in October but at the moment do not feel that it's God's plan for me to do so.

Phoebe talks about them like they are already here. She stares at the computer screen for long periods of time looking at the picture of her baby brother on the desktop background. We are in the process of decorating the girls room. It's painted a "Sweet Taffy" pink. Phoebe's bed which will become Shakira's bed has been moved into the room as well as a set of bunk beds which will sleep Samara on the bottom & Phoebe on the top. We still have to get mattresses for the bunks & coordinating bedding for all 3 beds as well as window treatments, a rug, & a curtain for their closet.

I had gotten rid of most of Phoebe's younger clothing that Samara & Shakira could wear because Phoebe is 3-4 sizes bigger than they are except in socks & shoes :o). We have already been blessed by several people donating clothes in the sizes that Samara & Shakira will need...and it's really "nice" clothing. Thank you Jesus!

I didn't have any boy things to start out with but I did hold onto to things that Caleb will be using such as a crib, pack N play, & high chair. I will be repainting his yellow room yellow & decorating it with light blue Baby Snoopy accents. I managed to pick up a changing table for $5 at a yard sale. Something I never had with Phoebe & would like to have with Caleb is a glider rocking chair. Maybe I can find a good deal on one of those in the next few weeks.

I thank God for my beautiful children...all 4 of them!

Toyota Man!

I don't know who brought the Toyota shirt or who put it on Caleb (Brandy??) while I was there but I love this picture! Do you think he has a future at Toyota? :o)

Happy Anniversary Honey!!!

I thank God for him choosing you as my husband! Thank you for 18 years of marriage & 20 years of being in my life!!! I look forward to many, many more! You will always be my "handsome prince!" I love you Randy!

Getting together...

Here are some pictures from another one of our Haiti adoptive parents "get together's"

Cool Slideshows!

17 Blessings...

I "borrowed" these pictures from a friend's blog so I could share with our family & far away friends the 17 blessings from Haiti that are coming to our area. They are in order of who started the adoption process first although some of us added another one or two along the way :o)

To Jeremy & Michelle: Noah, Mia, & Hope











To Todd & Kristina: Jonas & Ellie










To Shawn & Angela: Steven & Belle:







To Troy & Cathy: Manthania & Isaac







To Derek & Tanya: Glory




To Randy & Kathy: Samara, Shakira, & Caleb









To Don & Teresa: Samendia & Jefferson








To Tim & Sarah: Isaiah "Daniel"




To Jason & Amy: Reece "Richecard"

What not to do with paint...