Crazy Love-Crazy life!

This is Olive and God sent her to us so I could learn just how badly I need more patience:) This dog is very naughty and trying. She is 7 months old and chews anything! Mia loves her though and so she will stay and we pray that she grows out of the naughty stage soon!

Well life has been a little busy. We have been planting our fields, sowing in faith. This means lots of single mom days, which make me so thankful for my sweet hubby:) I have gotten part of the garden planted. I have been doing all I can to fundraise for my mission trip! Iam doing a garages sale this weekend, speaking at a church next weekend and probably some more things. My ticket money is due May 31st. Please pray with me that God continues to provide and that I rest in knowing He will!

On the adoption front...More craziness....We will be making two trips to Ethiopia! I am not so excited to have to come up with more money, but so excited that I get to make 3 trips to Ethiopia in the near future. I did figure out how much time I will spend traveling and that didnt sound so fun! I believe we have gotten in all the papers and they are being processed. I am getting excited about a refferal! Mia is going to love having siblings! She is getting so big , so fast. I am just praying for at least one baby from Ethiopia. We will surely have more changes with this adoption. Its just part of adopting from a country that is not a Hague country.

Our missions team is reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan. Very cool book! I think its amazing that a lot of what I read yesterday (just started the book) is just what our Pastor taught on at church! We will see what God has to say.

Okay I think thats all for now! I pray that each of you is blessed and seeking the face of Jesus!

May you be blessed-A

It's a New Day!

Well I have 96 days till I leave for Africa! So I have not been eating real well lately and not exercising at all.....so today starts my "Couch potatoe to 5K" program! Its a 9 week program that I can do and will do. I want to be as healthy as I can be when I leave for Africa, and I have been asking the Lord to bless the trip, but not taking care of the body He gave me. So I had been doing some thinking and realized that I needed to do what I could and He will do the rest:)
On the adoption front...still have not gotten the dossier to Ethiopia. We keep getting request for "one more paper":) This is just a little annoying and I am trying hard not to anxious about it, trusting God and His perfect timing.
Well I pray that your week is blessed beyond measure and that you choose to seek the Lords face and to make time for the one relationship that is the most important!
May you be blessed-A

God is working even when we dont see it!

Hi all~ I just had to post real fast tonight to share a God thing that happened today. We are struggling financially just like most of you are too. On top of that add one adoption of two children, Gods call to go on a mission trip, and finding out that we will make not one ----but two trips to Ethiopia during our adoption. All of this adds up to a wee bit of stress if I barely take my eyes off God and His call for us. I sent out about 30 letters to fundraise for the mission trip. And I have gotten a few back. I was kinda ticked off and freaked out since I was planning on the help for the trip. I was just having a poor-me party and grumping at God. The mail comes and I go get it. In the mail was a very generous check to go towards my mission trip. I sat down and cried and cried. I was so upset that I had doubted the Great Big God that had called me to this. I just felt like He was saying to me "I've got your back"!
So I just wanted to gloat about my Heavenly Father and how He hears my crys and yours, even when it seems like its scary and hopeless-He's Got My Back!
May you be blessed-A

The Week we've been waiting for!

Its finally here! We have been anticipating this week since the beginning of the year! Grandpa and Grandma came in from Washington last night and Aunt Nats wedding is on Saturday! We get to wear fun dresses and new shoes and our little Guatemalan loves the froofy stuff! We had a princess party early this month and that was super fun:) She decided that clip on earrings arent very comfy after all. But she loves to clomp around in heels and she is just so sweet!

On the adoption front....paper work still being processed and one new paper that is needed to complete the dossier.:/ I just want these papers to be in ET and be ready to accept our children who are waiting for us! So once again we will be going to Indy to have something state certified. Hopefully this is it and we will be on our way!

Enjoy Spring-May you be blessed-A

Its a good day!

Hey all..Just a quick update to say that the Dossier has left the house!!!! I am so thankful to have the 3 pounds of paper work on its way. Now we wait fot the next step in this grand adventure that God has called us on!
May you be blessed-A

Thoughts from my heart

I am so happy to have a new camera! I love that it can capture the blue of winter mornings!:)
Well I have been thinking about some things. I thought maybe it would be good to get them out of my head and down so they may be a little clearer for me. We will see:)
I have been thinking a lot of my trip to Africa this summer and what all it means to me. I got chronic fatigue when I was 14. It ruled my life till about 4 years ago. It made me afraid to be the person I felt I was to be. I was so scared to do anything for fear of the life draining exhaustion. There was also the silent depression that came with it that I would try to cover with sarcastic humor. You know, Christians are supposed to be happy-that kept me questioning my walk. Then there was the fear of stepping out due to the church we went to and all the said and unsaid rules. This was all very hard to combat. I had such a desire to go and do and be for Jesus! God has sent things into my life and has healed me of the fatigue. I still have to be careful, but I can for the most part lead a very normal life.
So, going to Africa on this mission trip is stretching my faith already! I am trusting God to keep me healthy while I am gone. I am so scared-to be honest-scared to death that I will fall apart or catch something that will send me back to fatigue land. But, I said YES to God and I am going. I feel like He has told me He will keep me well and most days I have total peace about this:)
The next step is this....Next year I will be 30! I don't want to go into my 30's wenching and moaning that I am getting old! I want to be sold out for the work that God has placed in my heart and fill my home with His kids that will call me "mommy"! One thing that I feel very strongly about..is being a living example. That's another reason for my going on this trip. That's another reason why we are adopting again. I tell people that Gods word says to go and do, but I truly feel that I need to go and do if I am going to say these things, plus Gods word says too. So that's a little of whats been on my heart lately. I am so thankful to be able to go! I am also so happy that my mom will be joining me on this trip! We are going to have a awesome time together. Mom and I have done so much together and I am so thankful to have a mom that is sold out for Jesus and who has instilled these values into my life! Its so amazing! Its also this relationship that propels me to be sold out for Jesus in front of my little gal! I want her to have a burden for the lost and to desire to be the hands and feet of Jesus to others. I want to direct you to www.familylifetoday.com . There is a Cd that I gave to all my gal friends at Christmas that is just awesome. Its 3 Essentials for every married women. Its good for those of you who are not married also:) Barbara Rainey talks about being a world changer on this Cd and its my new motto! I want to encourage you to be a world changer in whatever way God has called you to. Don't let fear stop you! One thing that I like to say is this..."When my times up, I want to break the tape at full speed"! I want to RUN my race and finish well! While God continues to bless me with breath in my lungs-I am going to be sold out! I hope this inspires you to be doing what you can in your community! God is awesome-He will make a way for you to do what He has placed on your heart! May you be blessed-A

P.S. took Mia to the chiropractor and she sleeps soundly ALL night long!

Late Nights

She looks so darling when she is sleeping! We have been having a lot of conversation in the middle of the night. Around 5 hrs after she has gone to bed, she will wake up screaming my name. I fly out of bed, zoom upstairs with my heart pounding, and when I get there she becomes totally quiet and just looks at me. I will ask what is wrong, comfort her and hold her tight-all the while trying to breath normally agian. Usually she just wants to see me:) Yay. So last night around 1:30 A.M. I told her that I had enough of this just wanting to look at mommy in the middle of the night! So at 4:00 A.M. she starts screaming "unka Benny, Unka Benny"! I totally cracked up! She knew not to say my name enough to come up with "Unka Benny" who is 2300 miles away. This game has come to a end. Welcome to mommy life, where children scream in the night, where husbands dont have a clue that you've been running up and down the stairs at 1 and 4 in the morning while they stay sound asleep in the nice warm bed:) I love her! She is such a sweet heart and she just loves us so much too! May you be blessed this day-A