A Referral is...

Waiting for a referral is a lot like visiting an amusement park.

Some days, you're on the Lazy River and you don't really stress over it much.

That's when you're trust in God's timing is at an all-time high.

Other days, you're on Diamondback, except you never get off and you just keep going over that huge hill and then back up again.

I'd say you're trust in God's timing is at an all-time low on those days.

A few weeks ago we received an email from our case manager telling us of a little seven month old boy in Ethiopia who was very underweight due to severe malnourishment.

He had been declined by two families already due to concerns over development.

Our case manager was emailing all of her waiting families to see who would be willing to even consider him.

We said we would...

Then she said that other families ahead of us had said they would too, so we'd see what happened.

Either we'd hear another family had accepted him or she'd refer him to us.

Of course a lot of thoughts and emotions went through our heads. Is this the boy God has chosen for us?

What does it say about us if we decline him?

It's a lot of stuff to think about and pray about.

It made me think...Am I really willing to help the "least of these"? Am I really willing to have my comfortable life made less comfortable?

We finally decided that we would definitely consider him and see how God directed us.

Several weeks went by and I began to think of how sad it was that he had probably been declined by other families.

And how thankful I was that I didn't have to be perfect for God to choose me. I didn't have to be the right weight or height.

I didn't have to have the right amount of intelligence or meet all the developmental achievements for my age group.

He just chose me.

Then...we heard that a family had accepted him!

We rejoiced (though I was a little disappointed that he wouldn't be mine) that he had found a family and would be moved to the transition home where he could receive better medical care and enough food.

And...we're back to waiting, but you know Abraham and Sarah waited a REALLY long time for their promised child, so what's a few months or a year?

Boys from Ethiopia

Last Friday, J.O. and I had a playdate in Louisville with my friend's kids. She and her husband recently brought home their little boy from Ethiopia. He's now five and a LOT of fun. I think I had as much fun as John Owen.

Here they are playing in the sandbox. I don't have a picture of John Owen throwing sand in my friend's little girl's eyes.  (He really knows how to pick up the ladies!)

My friend's son, Hooper was "helping" me take pictures of all the fun they were having.

Betcha didn't remember how much fun playing in sand could be?! They all had a great time!

Hosanna's caught on that I'm taking pictures and she isn't too sure if she wants to be photographed. This is before J.O. threw sand in her eyes.

We are still waiting for our sweet boy from Ethiopia to be home with us.

This morning as Zack prayed for us, he asked the Lord for our boy to be in our home. 

Things are not great in Ethiopia right now. I know that's easy for us to forget because it's so far away from us and it's not like it's on the news, but many people are hungry and many children are without moms and dads and the orphanages are overcrowded and understaffed and there's just not ENOUGH money.

But God is aware of all of this and He is in control.

Besides today is ONE day closer to the day when we bring our boy home! (That's something to be excited about!)

A Long Time...

It's been a while, but here goes an update.
We enjoyed Halloween with our little football player.
John Owen especially enjoyed getting so much candy.

He didn't enjoy all the walking through our neighborhood, though.

By the end of our trek through our neighborhood he had a bucket full of candy.

We missed Thanksgiving due to the stomach virus that hit all three of us.
I did set a nice table before I got sick though.

It was pretty to look at.
We also visited Santa. John Owen hates Santa and always cries, but this really does bring a lot of joy to Zack and me. We are those weird parents who enjoy the crazy reactions of our kids.

This is probably my favorite picture of J.O.  No need to worry though. As soon as the picture was snapped, he dried his tears and was his jolly (pun intended) self.

I also did a few photo shoots for some friends. I really do enjoy taking pictures of people. It's just plain fun for me.

The photos below are of some of the cutest kids around and the most fun to shoot.

Aren't they adorable?
That's part of what we've been up to.
I'll post more later so I don't overwhelm you!
We're still waiting for a referral!
Sometimes patiently, sometimes not so much, but always trusting that God's timing is
absolutely the best!

The Waiting Place

"...The Waiting Place...for people just waiting.
       Waiting for a train to go
       Or a bus to come, or a plane to go
       Or the mail to come, or the rain to go
       Or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
       Or waiting around for a Yes or No
       Or waiting for their hair to grow.
       Everyone is just waiting.
  Waiting for the fish to bite
  or waiting for wind to fly a kite
  or waiting around for Friday night
  or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
  or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
  or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
  or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
  Everyone is just waiting." Dr. Seuss

We are somewhat in the waiting place.
Our documents are in Ethiopia. I'm not sure what's happening to them now.
I don't know if they are being processed or if they are just sitting on someone's desk.
Regardless, we are in the waiting place.
Sometimes it's hard--as waiting is usually hard, especially when we're waiting for something
AWESOME!

Our time frame changed yesterday---it went from an expected 12 month wait for a referral to a
10 month wait.
This is really exciting! This means that if we have to wait the entire ten months, we will have a referral by June of 2012 and that's not too far away!

You may wonder, "Why is the wait so long? Aren't there like over 4 million orphans in Ethiopia?"
Well, yes, yes there are.
BUT and it's a big but, lots of things have happened in the world of inter-country adoption.

1. Child trafficking and exploitation. (You may or may not be familiar with this, but it's a serious problem in our world and sadly, many children adopted from other countries weren't brought home to loving families; they were used as sex slaves or just house slaves.)

2. How do you determine if a child is truly an Orphan? (Unfortunately, not everyone agrees on this. UNICEF (You know they come around with little boxes at Halloween) has a say in this process, as do the individual countries.
Specifically in Ethiopia there are many children who have not been cleared by government officials to be adopted. This has slowed the process in Ethiopia.

3. The closing of Orphanages. (UNICEF went in to Ethiopia and closed many, many orphanages and those children were sent to other orphanages, which are now overcrowded. Those children's documents have to be looked closely before they are released for referral or their already in process adoption is completed.

These things have contributed to the slowing of adoptions and referrals in Ethiopia.

We must be mindful and faithful to pray for orphans everywhere and to support countries as they work hard to protect children from exploitation.

My heart grieves to think of the many children who are now in slavery to someone or the sex trade.

I know that God will give us a referral when the time is right.

While we're in the Waiting Place, we'll be faithful to pray and prepare for our new son!

Adoption is war. Satan doesn't want these children placed in loving homes.
But God is more powerful and with the power of the Holy Spirit, we (as believers) can make a difference in the world of the fatherless.

The Art of Contentment part two

In Philippians, Paul speaks of contentment and even states that whatever his circumstances, he has learned to be content.

Chapter 4, verses 11-13 are quoted often when referring to difficult circumstances.
I think if you look back closer to the beginning of chapter four, you'll find a nugget of wisdom and perhaps the answer to truly being content whatever your circumstances.

In verse 8 he says, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

Now, some might say that there are circumstances in which there is nothing worthy of praise, there is nothing honorable, there is nothing good to think on.

But I think if we take this verse and another verse in Colossians then we get an answer to our contentment issue. In the third chapter, second verse, Paul writes, "Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth."

These two verses together give us an answer to our contentment issue.

Regardless of our circumstances, if we CHOOSE to think on the things of heaven, on the things of the Lord, then we will have something true and honorable and just and lovely and commendable and excellent and worthy of praise to think on.

And as we all know, our lack of contentment begins in our heads when we begin focusing on what we lack or our less than perfect circumstances.

Ultimately, I think we have to decide if we really believe God's word.
And if we do, then we have to live like we do.

I will say from experience that this is easy to say and hard to do.
Just like athletes train for races or events, we have to train ourselves to finish our journey is this life as we look to the next, eternal life.
It's that thought that makes the pain of losing my daughter easier to bear because when I think of the life that is to come, she is there.
And the first time I see her face, I will never have to say good-bye to it.
In that I can be content to live with this present pain because compared to what my days in eternity will be like, it is just for a day.

The Art of Contentment Part One

Contentment is something most people strive for.
Usually we think about contentment when we aren't content.
It usually goes something like, "If I only had this... or if I were in this place...or if I wasn't here..."
Sound familiar?

We may think of contentment as a lofty aspiration and something that only really wealthy or
incredibly aged people have.

I've met quite a few people who are in their eighth decade and are quite discontent with their lives.
They long for the times when their bodies were healthier or their minds were sharper or their families lived nearer.

Perhaps it's the longing for things not obtained that produces this lack of contentment.

But what if the exact spot we're in in our lives this day is exactly what God intends for us?

What if we chose to live in this day instead of looking at this day and deciding that it's not right because we don't have everything we want or desire or wish for.

It'll require a change in perspective. What if a Jeep with no air conditioning on a 100 degree day is exactly what I need? Or if a bank account that has enough, but not much left over. Or I'm single. Or I'm childless?

I was forced to think about these things a year ago when I was pregnant with our daughter and we learned that she would not live after birth and then a month later at five months pregnant, she died.

Many people said that I only had to believe and ask God for a healing and miracle and it would happen.
I prayed for a miracle.
I believed it could happen.
It didn't.

When she died, I remember feeling and even saying to a friend that I wasn't ready to let her go.

So how do I marry that God gives us exactly what we need when we need it and the fact that my heart wasn't ready to let go?
Seems like a contradiction, right?
If getting pregnant with a baby that was going to die was exactly what I needed and what glorified God the most, then why did it hurt so stinking much?
For that matter why does it still hurt?

The answer isn't simple and I'm not even sure I fully understand it myself.

I have to go back to the beginning---to Genesis when Adam and Eve had everything they needed in the Garden and through deception they introduced sin into the world.

I am a child of Adam, but through Jesus Christ, I've been adopted into God's family.

Because of that adoption, I can carry a child that is going to die and be at peace through the pain that this is indeed God's best for me.

For that matter I can continue to live everyday after her death knowing that God did what was best and it's in that changing of my perspective, that dying to my deceptive emotions and feelings, that focus on my Creator and the life to come that I can choose to be content with whatever my circumstances are.

Family Dates

Life's a busy roller-coaster. Not many people say, "Man, I just don't have enough to do today."
Our life plates are usually overflowing making us look like that person at a buffet who seems
to think he won't eat again this decade.
So how do families find time for each other in the midst of life's chaos?

Family Dates!

Many couples designate a certain night of the week as the infamous DATE NIGHT.
I'm fan and think this is a Good thing.

But often we forget how fleeting the time we have with our children is and we never set aside a night,
or part of a day or even an hour as a Family Date.
Maybe we just don't think about it, but I think it's as important as the sacred DATE NIGHT.

We take Family Dates.
Not every week, but usually a few times a month.
This doesn't mean this date is the only time we spend together, but it's
special.
We do something special or silly, like go get an ice cream or go the park or
go to our favorite pizza place downtown.

They're usually nothing expensive, but it's time that we put our cell phones away and
really focus on our family.

I know I'll treasure those dates as much as I treasure the ones with my husband because
I know my time with my sweet boy is fleeting. One day I'll wake up and he'll be grown and moved away busy with the chaos of his own life.

A Family of Unseen Faces

We set a date---a family date.
There are no highheels and fancy clothes on family dates.
There's just ordinary clothes and everyday shoes.

We may visit the park
or just get an ice cream or two!

We don't set high expectations
We only desire that we are all together.

For now there are only three
But all around us are the whispers of the
unseen faces
that all belong in this family.

Three are those that have gone ahead
Already living in the life that's to come.

One (the loudest whisper) has yet to
join this family.

Yet, he's there and we wonder
What he looks like
What he smells like
What his laugh sounds like.
If he'll like us and maybe one
day love us.

For now, we have our family dates with only the
hope of him.

But soon, we have the reality of him.

Until then...

we wait.

Colors

Colors are everywhere.

We usually have a favorite or favorites

And think it sad when someone can't see colors

Because they miss out the beauty of things.

We teach our small children or are taught as small children to

differentiate among colors.

It's an important skill that we must master.

We also are taught to notice sameness and differentness.

Another skill considered of great importance.

At some point in our education though, we acquire the habit of 

Prejudice.

We begin to think that Round is significantly less than Square

And Tall is better than short.

Or that white is greater than black,

though white is really the absence of color and not like black at all.

It is our pride that causes us to do this.

You see God doesn't make such distinctions or make such declarations.

And He's the creator.

He's the one who first called round, round and square, square

and tall, tall and short, short

and white, white and black, black.

So, yes, there is differentness

but not

betterness because of our size, or height, or skin color.

For God loved All the world...All.

Birthdays, Colors, and Waits

John Owen Thurman will turn a grand two years old in exactly 14 days!

He's lived A LOT of life in those almost two years.
He knows how to say the letter "A" and how to count to 3 and if you ask him what his name is, he'll
say, "Me!"
He's had almost ten haircuts, visited nine states, fallen an innumerable amount of times, swam in the ocean and pools.
His best friend is his dog, June. She's a black lab.

He loves fruit and juice and especially Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. (They are his favorite!)
He's learning to use the big boy potty.
He still sleeps in his crib.
He makes me smile, laugh, cry, and want to scream all in the same day.

He is my third child of four and the only one I have been given the privilege to walk this life on earth with. (The others I'll see in eternity.)

I treasure my time with him and know that he is on loan to me.
I try everyday to drink in everything about him, even the temper tantrums and hard-headedness.

He has a brother in Ethiopia that we haven't met yet!

We hope to meet him soon.

But until we do,

We wait...

The WO Project

This past Saturday we completed the WO Project.

We will confess--the concept is not ours originally.

In all truth it's God's, but a friend told us about an organization that does something similar to what we did and we thought it was a great idea for a fundraiser.

So... hence the WO Project.

If you're thoroughly confused about the WO it simply means for the Widow and the Orphan and is 

based off of a little (big) scripture in James 1:27--when James points out that we (Christians) should be looking out for, taking care of widows and orphans in their distress.

In case you're reading this and didn't know---We're adopting a little boy from Ethiopia!

We are very close to sending our dossier (all the documents you must gather when you adopt) to Ethiopia and then we'll just wait for a referral (a name and picture of a child that you could adopt if you so choose).

We are waiting on one little piece of paper from the United States Immigration Department. (They do not move quickly AT ALL)

And we have to have the rest of our agency and country expenses.

We chose to help Susan King who was widowed a few years ago when her husband died in a tragic accident.

Her home was in great need of a paint job and so we asked twenty of our friends and some students from the youth ministry to help us fundraise by sending out sponsor letters in essence asking their family and friends to "sponsor" them to work eight hours to paint Susan's house.

The Lord blessed us and we were able to prime and paint Susan's home in a little over eight hours.

Zack and several students from the youth ministry put in many hours of prep work last week enabling the large group of workers to be able to just prime and paint.

The house looks fabulous I might say! (I forgot to take my camera or I'd post a picture.)

So that's the WO Project in a nutshell! Though it's much bigger than painting a house.

It's putting feet to the gospel and actually walking in obedience to Christ.

It's looking after the widow and the orphan in their distress.

As we worked yesterday (and as I sew and make purses to sell for our adoption) I always think of our little boy who is may or may not be in an orphanage and who may or may not have enough food, water, or attention and I know that all of our work brings us one day closer to welcoming him into his new family.

We still have a ways to go on the fundraising, but God has shown Himself ever faithful and in His time, I know we will have all of the money and our little (big) immigration form and our dossier will be on its way to Ethiopia.

Until then we are waiting...

The Elephant

It's still here...
But much, much smaller.
We are very close to being finished with our document collection.
Actually we're waiting on ONE little document called a passport.
(Not really a little document at all, right?)

Life has been steadily moving along.

And we're always thinking of our boy across the world knowing
that one day (hopefully soon) he'll be with us.

In the meantime, we'll keep waiting to eat those last few bites
of Elephant and trust that God's timing is indeed the best timing.

It's All About the Timing

That's life, isn't it?

Timing.

Pork has to be cooked a certain amount of time or it's dry and tough.

Children have to wait a certain amount of time to do "big people" things.

Big people have to wait a certain amount of time to have a day off, or get a promotion.

You have to wait in the drive-thru line or at a buffet or at the bank or in the grocery line.

As many babies and children have come home from Ethiopia to their forever families, it's made me
anxious for our own homecoming.

But--this is most likely still a ways away.

We're still on the paper chase--documents and money.

But all in due time.

When I'm anxious for something to occur or for God to do something, I'm reminded of Abraham and Sarah.

They waited  A LONG time for the fulfillment of God's covenant to Abraham.

God has called us to seek out a little child far away and to make him (or her) a part of our family here.

He is faithful and I can rest in His timing.

He knows best--always.

A Big Fat Paper Chase

That's what adopting is...

A BIG FAT PAPER CHASE.

But a worthwhile one.

It actually helps with the waiting--chasing papers.

If you keep up with us on Facebook then you probably heard about our first home visit with our homestudy provider.

Let me just say...Toddlers are unpredictable.

John Owen definitely stole the show and probably gave the kind woman a reason to scratch her head wondering about those crazy Thurmans!

He walked into the kitchen with batteries in his mouth, something that he's never done.

Then he decided to show off how he could stand up on the ottoman.

Of course then he had to prove to us all that he really could scream loud enough for our friends in Europe to hear him.

But then he redeemed himself when he proceeded to show her every room in our house as if he were a real estate agent. (It's amazing how observant he is.)

All in all our home visit went well.
It made me more excited to be on this journey
And...gave me even more paperwork to chase.

But in the end I'm really chasing to bring my boy (or girl or both or two of each or who knows) home.

The chase is more than worth it.

Now on to business.
You can now buy my purses directly from me.
Just message me if you're interested and I can deliver it to you!

Eatin' Elephants

There's an elephant in the room---our whole house actually.
It's so large that it's saturated every part of our life.
We wake up thinking about it.
Go about our daily routines---thinking about it.
We go to sleep thinking and sometimes even dreaming about it.

Our elephant---what is it?

Somewhere there's a boy, maybe he's entered this world already, maybe he hasn't.
I do know that He is a thought in our Lord's mind because HE has placed this little boy
in our hearts.

This boy is living or will be living in Ethiopia.
A place so far away from here it takes 24 hours to get there.

It's a different place than here.
Life is...different.

Regardless, there's a little boy there
And he's ours.

We just have to go get him.

But that's easier said than done.

There's a little paperwork(or elephant)---well,
A LOT (and I mean A LOT) of paperwork to
complete and check and double check and triple check.

Because everything has to be right and complete and NOTARIZED.

But we will eat the elephant one bite at a time and some days
a couple of bites at a time.
We may even chew with our mouths open somedays. (You'll have to forgive us that.)

One day we'll board a plane and fly to a place far away where our little boy waits for us.

Join us in praying.

Join us in getting him home.

Visit my Etsy store, buy a purse or two. This is my labor (so to speak). I make them to bring my boy home.

Mostly, pray.
Pray for us.
Pray for our son.

A Lament

Today I'm choosing to remember all that God has done.

But first I will lament. (Humor Me)

Today is the official due date for Ella Grace Thurman.

But there will be no delivery today.

There will be no newborn cries.

No pink and white dress.

No polka dots or balloons announcing her arrival.

I will get no epidural.

I will not push or be prepped for another c-section.

There will be no congratulations.

John Owen will not wear an "I'm the Big Brother" shirt.

There will be no wrinkled pink skin

Or eyes to wonder at their color.

Today will just be---silent.

BUT (And I wish I could proclaim this "but")

I will lament no longer.

Someone said (today actually) that when we obey God, we see Him.

Today I remember the supernatural, large, incredible, indescribable

GRACE OF GOD

I experienced during my pregnancy with my daughter.

Today I rejoice at the greatness of God

At His reality

At His realness

At His mercy

At His truth

At His kindness

At His glory

I received a knowledge of our Creator, of the great Conductor of Life when He first formed

my daughter in my womb, revealed the knowledge of her birth defect and eventually called her back to Himself that I did not have before.

Nor could I have this knowledge without the deep, deep, deep, deep pain of hearing your daughter will die, praying, no begging that she be healed, and then hearing silence as an ultrasound tech listens for a heartbeat.

There are no mountaintops without valleys.

Some valleys are deeper than others.

But there is sweet, sweet knowledge of our Savior to be acquired for those willing to keep their eyes

open to the pain and see the Father through it all.

God does what God does for His glory.

I rejoice that He chooses to use me.

For my daughter, Ella Grace Thurman, September 30, 2010

Counting It All Joy

I follow several pastors on Twitter.

Recently I have read many posts and blogs that mention hurting people.

People with brain tumors. Children with brain tumors. Others with cancer or hurting.

I've wept for them.

I've prayed for them.

I've wanted to call each one of them and say, "I've been to the valley of the shadow of death and I've found His Grace is More than sufficient."

But you know...there are hurting people all around us.

One of my greatest sins is being so caught up in myself and my life and my routine that I miss opportunities to share the burdens of others.

I hope if you're reading this and you're hurting that you see God's grace in my life--even if it's just through my words.

I hope you can also see that NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING else matters except Glorifying Him.

I hope you can know Him--really know Him.

Because He is indescribable.

Choosing to See God First

Today was a BSF day for me (and John Owen).

This is what I came away with (I have to say it was MUCH needed).

The speaker asked us a question: Do we see God first or our struggle first?

That's quite the nugget!

I understood in the moment she asked that questions, that most days I see my struggle, my pain, my sorrow first and then I later look to God.

You see, when I choose to see God first--my Afflictions are Eclipsed by His Glory!

And that is something to be excited about!

Counted Worthy

Oh February... the month of hearts, flowers, candy, and love.

I have to be honest again and say that I've been struggling with my fleshly desire to wallow in my sadness and the need to walk everyday in God's truth and grace.

Because the truth is there is no time to spare on this earth for my self-pity or wallowing.

Here I am with a hope and a future and billions of people all over the world live each day without it. 

Most days this isn't a struggle for me, but as we draw close to February 23rd, my brain keeps reminding me that it will come and go as just a regular day.

There'll be no visit to the hospital, no labor pains, no anticipation or joy of holding her for the first time, no comparing her face to John Owen's.

February 23rd will just be February 23rd. 

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "Most men live lives of quiet desperation." 

As I've walked this journey ordained by God, I've often thought of my past and ways in which I may have hurt others with my careless words or my lack of speaking to their pain and sorrow, my ignoring it because it wasn't mine.

In my own desperation, I feel like I'm drowning in the emptiness and ache that is always with me. 

But then the truth of the Gospel sounds clearly and loudly--I have a hope in Christ. This life is merely a journey and one day (hopefully soon) it will be over and my eternity will begin and in my eternity my tears will be wiped away, my emptiness filled completely, my ache removed, my heart healed.

As I walk this journey on earth, there will be days when I'm swallowed by my grief, but I never have to end my days in the depths of despair. I have only to look up and see that He counted me worthy to suffer that He may be glorified in this world.

And that is something to rejoice over.

Un-slumping

I can't believe it's the 27th of January!
Twenty-six days in 2011 have passed and the 27th is quickly drawing to a close.
I wish I could tell you that a lot of exciting things have happened since the beginning of January.
But the only thing that has happened in our daily life.
I really like our daily life, so it's been nice to just "do life."

John Owen is becoming his own little man. He's much more like a little boy than a baby.
He still likes to snuggle every now and then, but he doesn't like me to just sit and hold him.
This is sad to me and exciting at the same time.
He's such a busy little person, always into this or that.

I've learned a few things in the twenty-six days that have passed in 2011.
First, that God wants me to always trust in Him, not just when really bad things happen to me.
I'm a "fixer" and a "planner". Maybe you are too. But I like to order things in my life and home and I like for them to work out neatly and nicely with no frayed edges or loose ends.

If my life was always neat and tidy, I'd never get sanctified. I'd never grow.

So, I'm learning to trust Him in ALL things.

Sunday will be January 30th--four months since Ella Grace was here and then gone.
We are actually nearing her due date--February 23rd.
I will confess that in my humanness, I am feeling weak and SAD.

Sometimes I wonder what I'd be doing with time if the word anencephaly had never been said, if she'd lived. Then if I "wonder" too long, I find myself in a slump. It's not a fun place to be.
BUT! I can happily say that the Word of God is the greatest un-slumping tool I've ever come across.
Therefore, I use it daily. I hope you do too!
I have to include these lines from Dr. Seuss's Oh the Places You'll Go! I think it describes it best!

I'm sorry to say so

but, sadly, it's true

that Bang-ups

and Hang-ups

can happen to you.

You can get all hung up

in a prickle-ly perch.

And your gang will fly on.

You'll be left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurch

with an unpleasant bump.

And the chances are, then,

that you'll be in a Slump.

And when you're in a Slump,

you're not in for much fun.

Un-slumping yourself

is not easily done.

But I can't leave you without sharing my hope:

Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. Is. 40:31

This Thing Called Love

Today I have to write about the man--not just any man, but MY man!

It's our four year anniversary and sometimes it seems like just yesterday we got married and sometimes it seems like we've been together forever.

This morning we traveled down memory lane and reviewed our first four years together.
Not all of them have been pretty, I'm a little ashamed to say.

It was still pretty neat to reflect back and realize just how far we'd come, how much we've grown as people and as Christians.

I remember the day we got married and I never would have thought we would be beginning 2011 with the experiences that we have.

We have so much to be thankful for.

But I'm especially thankful for my husband who is a lot of things I'm not (this can be a source of frustration sometimes), but who is what I need.

I'm very glad to have him to walk this journey with. I wouldn't want to walk it with anyone else.

Goodbye 2010!

I was glad---no ecstatic to say goodbye to 2010!
It brings me one year closer to Jesus' return.
It brings me a fresh start.
It brings closure to a year of sorrow, joy, and Grace.

That's how I'd sum up my 2010--the year of Grace.

Now to focus on 2011.

I hope I grow more.
I hope we add to our family or at least start the process.
I hope people in our youth group and church come to know Christ as their savior.
I hope...
I hope to write a book.
I hope to take a lot more pictures and maybe start my own photography business.
I hope I read--a lot.
And cook a lot.

And most of all, I hope I glorify Christ even more this year than I ever have.

But I can't do it without His Grace.
So maybe 2011 will be another year of Grace.
That's not so bad.