Friday, July 18, 2008

"Gideon Stories" is ready for editing!

Some of you may know that my darling mother is a consultant with Heritage Makers. I have been creating a fun digital storybook through HM about the last boy I nannied for for quite some time. "Gideon Stories" is a collection of funny and special things Gideon said and did while I watch him. It has been quite a process making this book, but I am really impressed with my mom's company and will be so excited to have this special book complete and the chance to give a book to Gideon as well. Check out my mom's website! You can get a code and try making your own things. You only need to pay if you publish. I am hooked now and am brainstorming of my next project now! Blessings to you all of this warm summer morning!

Thursday, July 10, 2008

The process of Surrendering the womb

How does someone show they care about something when they don't have physical stock in what they care about? Say you live in downtown NYC and love gardening. Chances are you don't have a huge garden, so how can we really KNOW you enjoy growing flowers?


We live is such a fast moving culture and sadly assumptions are made in seconds. Shopping in a grocery store one can look in carts and in seconds assume we have totally figured out another's life. By the car one drives, the clothes one wears, the tone of voice used speaking to a child, even fingernails... Yes, it is easy to make assumptions about all things! So, I imagine that many of you could make assumptions about me.

As you know from a previous post, Brandon and I were married in December of 2004. You may have also gathered from my profile that since I don't mention being a mom and since I work as a nanny that we don't have children. That would be a correct assumption. We have no children. Many people assume that we are choosing not to have children. Many people even tell us it is wise not to have children while Brandon is in seminary. Well, our lack of children is actually not our choice. Oh how I long to be a mommy! I long to teach the things I am endlessly teaching to the dear boys I nanny to our children! You see a few short months after we were married Brandon and I decided that we needed to surrender another area to the Lord. Together we tore off the birth control patch I was wearing and stuck it in Brandon's prayer journal. At first, there was a bit of fear in this surrender. We were doing some calculations about the number of children possible and knowing that it could be over 20 I was nervous, but God calmed every fear and grew my heart more and more for a large family. I began to realize His deep love for children and honestly felt horrible that for 4 months we had prevented that from being possible. Well, a few months went by... a year went by and our arms were empty... two years... three years... Our house continues to be the same quiet environment it was when we were first married. Yes, we KNOW God has called us to be parents, but we will not be able to start the home study process of adoption until Brandon finishes seminary in a year and has a full-time job. As you might be aware, the adoption process can be a bit (hmmm... is that an understatement) long so we are looking at a few years before an adopted child can be placed into our arms. As we wait we trust that God knows if my womb will open and that God knows how each child will enter our family. We are excited to watch our family grow in God's perfect way and time!

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Thank you Lord for the gift of Summer!!!

Yes, I do thank our great God almost daily for summer, I think I thank Him for summer even in winter! As I sit here and type I can hear the fan buzzing away and I can feel the moist warm air on my face. That is right, I am not freezing, my skin is not dry, there is no static in the air. I am not wearing five layers as I do in the winter... and most wonderfully... my nose has stopped dripping!!
We have yet to run the air conditioner this summer. I suppose we will run it sometime, basically to make sure it still works! I am so thankful for the rich, warm, cozy, inviting heat that it would be so sad to waste it with cold, stale, dry air! Whoa, I have to watch myself, I am not trying to
come across as anti-air conditioner, I just REALLY like summer! The last two mornings I have been awake before my alarm, feeling refreshed for the day. My morning times in God's Word have been so special and honestly, I think much of it comes from my thankful heart. Oh, how I yearn to have a thankful heart EACH morning in warmth of sum
mer of the cold of winter! I guess that is something I shall work on in the fall, but for now... THANK YOU LORD FOR THIS WONDERFUL DAY YOU HAVE MADE!!!

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Reflections from an AMAZING week!

It has been quite some time since I have done a post... with good reason. I have been attending an amazing youth event with 131 Sr. High Youth from my church. We joined several other churches with several 100 other youth for a great week of speakers, worship, music, arts, sports, laughs, prayers, games... Every element of the week went well. The speaker was amazing and I think the youth and adult leaders resonated with all he shared. We had several students within our youth group make first time decisions for Christ. Many of the conversions had been in the making for several years. With each new brother in Christ came many tears from those who have long been praying. Our final night there we met as a group to share ways that we had seen God work. When those new believers shared my heart felt like it would burst. I never get tired of hearing stories of those leaving the life of sin and turning to LIFE in Christ! God allowed me to lead an amazing small group of beautiful young women. It was a joy to watch them grow and digest the things the speaker shared! God ordained a few special conversations with girls which I hope He was given much glory in! I also had so much fun laughing with my floor mates until all hours of the night! There is something that is so special about college dorms that I can't even describe.
I pray for these young women and young men who are now back at home, back to the places where they are tempted. Please join me in prayer as I know that the powers of darkness are not too happy about all of the amazing things God did at camp! May they continue to grow, develop accountability, and shine brightly in the darkness!
As for me... I am still in the physical recovery mode. I am not as young as I once was and 5 days with 2 to 3 hours of sleep has a way of creeping up on a person. I am so thankful to have been part of this special outpouring of Grace, and at the same time so blessed to now be at home with my wonderful and amazing husband!