If you actually read this blog

would you mind leaving a "Hello" comment here?  I would LOVE to know if anyone out there even is interested in all of my ramblings.  I think I like blogging (I love reading the blogs on my sidebar!), but sometimes I wonder if it is really worth the time - especially as I think about trying to be a more consistent blogger.  PLUS, I would just love to say Hello to all of you "lurkers" out there!  So, if you have just a quick second. . . 

Thanks!

Just in case you missed my post a few days ago. . .

Will you PLEASE lift these three precious children up when you pray. 

 I am LONGING for them to have a home and I would LOVE it if we could adopt them into our family.  I believe that, statistically speaking, these children have a less than 5% chance of being adopted since there are 3 of them together, two of them are boys, and two of them are over age 5.  It is especially low b/c so many people are scared of adopting a 9 year old boy (which is a post and discussion for another day).  Isn't this sad?  

However,  I don't much care what the statistics say (LOL!). . . I BELIEVE that God has a plan for their lives and wants them to have a loving family to be a part of and to be raised up to be warriors for Christ so I am trusting that He is already working it out even if we can't see it.

My husband and I have prayed and talked and we are definitely ready to bring them home if that is what the Lord wills and provides.   Whether it is us, or another family, will you join us in praying for Peter, Esther, and Nehemiah?  

Fantastic List of Homeschooling Resources

I've been thinking for a while about making a list of my favorite homeschooling resources and posting them here on my blog.  Someday, this might actually happen. . . but, for today, here are my "TOP TWO" recommendations (I read or refer to both of these multiple times every year):  

"The Three R's" 

by Ruth Beechick 

(the older version is actually 3 small booklets; newer version is all in one)

I can't say enough about this VERY short, VERY comprehensive book.  Ruth Beechick is incredibly knowledgeable and gifted in teaching children the basics!  If I was stranded on a desert island or (more likely) a missionary living in a mud hut in Africa, this book and the Bible would be all I would NEED to educate my children very well!  If you are new to homeschooling, or if you are homeschooling a birth-10 year old and struggling and/or overwhelmed with too many resources, PLEASE get this book right away.  It will be an invaluable tool!

"Educating the Whole-hearted Child" 

by Clay and Sally Clarkson

A very good friend first gave me this book when Mr. Z was almost 5 after listening to me lament about how we wanted to homeschool BUT were so worried that he would never ride the bus, carry a lunchbox, go to prom, etc. . . LOL!   Praise the Lord that He knew just what I needed at that moment because this book confirmed everything I knew that I knew but just couldn't put into words.  What an encouragement!  What a challenge to raise my children to be whole-heartedly devoted to the Lord.  Even if you're not a homeschooler, many of the thoughts and ideas in this book about intentionally discipling your children make this a book worth having on your shelf!

And, since we're talking about great resources. . . 

Check out this post from Kendra over at Preschoolers and Peace.  It is all about basically free homeschooling resources available via the internet.  BTW, Preschoolers and Peace is a great resource itself!  You can even help to support P&P by purchasing one of the above resources through their site (I am not being paid to say this!).

Pictures, Old and New

Someone asked for some pictures, so I thought it might be fun to show our pictures from last year and this year!  

My, how the kids have grown.  

So, here is our Fall 07 picture 

with (L-R):  Big Jo, Little Missy, Mr. Z, and Speedy Mo.  

Aren't they cute?  

AND. . . 

Here they are now!  

This picture was taken about a month ago. 

 Can you tell who is who?  

Fall 08 

Kudos to one of the best photographers ever!  If you want to know who she is, email me privately and I'll tell you!

A Time Audit

One of my good friends (an IRL, or "in real life" friend, as my husband calls them) had this great idea to do a time audit.  You can read her great post HERE.  I just LOVE this because as I have been working on my "time audit," I can really see where I have been wasting time, where I want to be spending my time, where I do not need to be spending time, etc. . . 

My official "time audit" will be posted soon, but I would love for everyone to go over and add their "time audit" thoughts to the original post over at "We Lift Our Eyes!"

My latest "crazy" idea

Well, not entirely crazy, only a little bit crazy - depending on who you ask!

You see, a few weeks ago I was "farting around" on the computer (as my dear friend's husband calls it!) and I thought I'd check out the Addy's Hope Waiting Children page.  For those of you who don't know, we adopted three of our children just over a year and a half ago through Addy's Hope Adoption Ministry.  We have stayed in contact with the ministry founders and directors and I am always praying for the new waiting children to find homes soon SO, I thought I'd just check in and see what was going on. . . 

and then I saw them

and they look just like my kids

and their eyes penetrate my very soul

and I want to fly there tomorrow and carry them home

SNAP!  Back to reality here, girl!  You have 4 children, you have debt, your husband is a pastor and you are a stay at home mom, people will think you are crazy. . . heck, your husband will think you are crazy.  

O.K.  just pray for them to find an adoptive family. . . 

BUT, a few weeks later, I just happen to show my husband their picture and somewhat flippantly say "well, should we adopt them?"

and he says. . . 

"Yeah, let's do it."  

Hold on. . . what?!  You were supposed to say "are you crazy?  we can hardly keep up now, how will we afford it?  etc. . . . . "  

aughh - this is what happens when two "visionaries" get married - there's just no one to talk any "common sense" into anyone else!  LOL!  But, you know what?  I'm SO glad!  Because I'm so tired of "common."  I don't want to live a common life.  I want to live a Christ-filled, overflowing, hard, blessed, completely dependent, crazy life!  And,by the way,  I've obviously not arrived at this yet since, like Paul, what I want to do I don't do and what I don't want to do I find myself doing. . . but we're all a work in progress, right?

So, here they are - the children whose picture has captured our hearts in the same way a picture captured our hearts just over two and a half years ago and brought three wonderful blessings into our life.  

And, I guess we are crazy (a little), but we are praying and knowing that if it is the Lord's will, that he will make a way for us to bring them into our family.  At the same time we trust that His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways and so we are praying that He will make it clear to us, also, if there is another family He has chosen for them.  BUT, we are hopeful and ready to adopt them if it is His will.  

It will take almost 10,000.00 just for the initial adoption fees (plus almost another 8000.00 later, plus travel) of which we have none right now.  So, we are waiting and praying because that much money is like a drop in the ocean in the Lord's economy and since it is all His anyways, we know that He will provide if He so chooses!

I feel strangely peaceful and content. . . 

- not knowing if they are "ours". . .  wanting them to be, yet happy if God has another family for them.

- having debt we are working to pay off, yet knowing he will provide the needed resources to raise 3 more children

- knowing that an almost 9 year old boy is on the "scary" end of adoption in most people's minds, but loving him already

- feeling happy that Little Missy might have a sister, yet happy if she is the only girl we ever raise

- wanting to experience the joy of having a newborn again, yet thrilled at the prospect of potentially adding 3 more older children to our family

-knowing we need close to 35,000.00 to adopt them which happens to be WAY more than any car we have ever driven - which reminds me that we will also need a bigger vehicle. . . 

I'm just content.  Crazy and content.  It is a good place to be!

I think I am understanding a little better that "godliness with contentment (truly) is GREAT gain." 

And while I'm sure I'll be working on the godliness part for a LONG time to come, I pray that the Lord will continue to help me foster this wonderful contentment I find in Him.  

Content in where we are, content in what is to come, knowing that it is in Him we are truly content.

Truly Blessed and truly thankful

As I sit and contemplate the many conversations I've had the past few days, I have just been reminded of how thankful I am that this world is not our home. . . 

that there is something better that we hope for. . . 

but, for today, I find myself here in this broken world crying tears of sorrow as I pray for dear friends who are facing tough, desperate, and seemingly hopeless situations.

And yet, 

in the midst of pain and heartache, 

in the midst of struggles and confusion, 

in the midst of ugliness and frustrations -  

Beauty is there, 

Comfort is there, 

Friendship is there, 

Forgiveness is there, 

Peace is there, 

Love is there, 

Hope is there. . . 

because HE is there.

And because He is there my soul is strengthened and I am reminded of His many blessings and of his undeserved and unreserved Grace and my heart can truly say "blessed be the name of the Lord."