Anyone else feel like their summer has just FLOWN by? Nick and I find ourselves desperately trying to hold onto as much of it as we can and find ourselves wishing we could add on another 12 weeks or more. We have vacations to plan, people to host, places to go, adoption paperwork to conquer, yardwork... the list is unending.
You may have noticed it's been a bit quiet here over the last several months. We had a pretty rough winter. That caused us to shift our focus on just getting through each day for a while. Spring came and with it came a new sense of hope and some much needed refreshment. Yes, we're still marching forward with our adoption. Yes, there is a lot of paperwork involved. And yes, we both really dislike paperwork.
Our goal is to be starting our home study this fall. We've got a few more details to iron out before that can happen, but we are excited to have a deadline to be aiming for. A target to shoot at. A goal. I'm reminded constantly with this process and with my business that a goal requires intentional steps. It isn't just going to happen. It takes work.
It's also been about a year now since I started this adventure with Jamberry and to say the Lord has blessed is an understatement! I so appreciate all my customers and supporters who have allowed this business to flourish. It is SO much fun and so rewarding as I know this adventure is going to be able to fund the bulk of our adoption. WHAT?! That honestly blows me away and causes tears more than I care to admit. What a blessing to find out about this company through a friend and see how the Lord is working.
It's also so very humbling to be on the receiving end of financial gifts from family and friends who are backing us and helping care for orphans through their gift. It is just so amazing to see the Lord work in ways we couldn't have imagined.
Keep praying for us. We neeeed those prayers. Pray for us to be intentional in getting things done, to be wise with our time, to be saving as much as we can, and pray for the kiddos we will bringing home. Pray that ultimately God would be glorified through us in all of us. Thanks!
Friday, August 8, 2014
Sunday, May 11, 2014
From Where I Stand {Motherhood}
The sun is setting behind the trees, and I can see it while sitting in our living room. Nick's on a run and the house is quiet. Yet it's not. I hear laughter. Giggling. And little voices. I'm peeking around the corner at two beautiful children who are calm, happy, and home.
As quickly as that scene came, it's gone. There's a lawnmower cutting the grass next door proving there is life growing and flourishing this spring. There's a dog barking at the people walking by. The sun is still there. Still sinking further and further behind the house in our backyard, the beautiful beams of light dancing behind the leaves. But there isn't the laughter, the giggling, the little voices.
Our children aren't here yet. That is one of the hardest realities we face everyday. We are apart. I never would have thought my heart would feel like it was thousands of miles away with such depth at this point in the journey. I never would have thought that I'd be aching so much to have those children with their giggles and grins here in our home... now.
They aren't here. They're hours away. Perhaps they are giggling or maybe they're crying. "Father, care for them," is sometimes all I can pray. I'm not there to play with them, comfort them, or watch them. I'm left sitting in our home watching the sun set and wondering what I can do next to help get them home faster. I'm being a mother from afar.
And then I hear it. Silence. Stillness. I sense God telling me that it isn't up to me, that He has this. That He is caring for HIS children right now. He can see their smiles and hear their laughter or their frowns and cries. As I think on this I am moved to tears. Suddenly God seeing us in our all our moments is that much clearer. That much more real. That much more of a hope I cling to. I stop completely amazed by the love He has for us.
I watch the sun set, knowing that somewhere beautiful children can see the same sun. Sometimes sharing the sun is all that keeps this mama from afar going.
Check out my friend Emily's take on motherhood.
As quickly as that scene came, it's gone. There's a lawnmower cutting the grass next door proving there is life growing and flourishing this spring. There's a dog barking at the people walking by. The sun is still there. Still sinking further and further behind the house in our backyard, the beautiful beams of light dancing behind the leaves. But there isn't the laughter, the giggling, the little voices.
Our children aren't here yet. That is one of the hardest realities we face everyday. We are apart. I never would have thought my heart would feel like it was thousands of miles away with such depth at this point in the journey. I never would have thought that I'd be aching so much to have those children with their giggles and grins here in our home... now.
They aren't here. They're hours away. Perhaps they are giggling or maybe they're crying. "Father, care for them," is sometimes all I can pray. I'm not there to play with them, comfort them, or watch them. I'm left sitting in our home watching the sun set and wondering what I can do next to help get them home faster. I'm being a mother from afar.
And then I hear it. Silence. Stillness. I sense God telling me that it isn't up to me, that He has this. That He is caring for HIS children right now. He can see their smiles and hear their laughter or their frowns and cries. As I think on this I am moved to tears. Suddenly God seeing us in our all our moments is that much clearer. That much more real. That much more of a hope I cling to. I stop completely amazed by the love He has for us.
I watch the sun set, knowing that somewhere beautiful children can see the same sun. Sometimes sharing the sun is all that keeps this mama from afar going.
Check out my friend Emily's take on motherhood.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
From Where I Stand {Spring}
Spring. Never have I longed for one season so much in my life. Never.
Fall is my favorite season. Sweatshirts, bonfires, my birthday, our anniversary, pumpkins, apple cider... I'm starting to drool just thinking about it. But this year, this year, I just longed for spring to come. To stay.
Winter has lasted forever here in Indy this year. Hibernation took on new meaning to us. I missed church more than I made it, sent Nick grocery shopping more than ever, even tried out PeaPod (which I am a HUGE fan of now), and was the recipient of a few meals from my mom. I would make my way to work a few days a week, come home, and quickly try to get warm in a house with a thermostat set at 65 (brrrr!). Other days I would just lay curled up on the couch thankful I could at least work on Jamberry from the couch. The months of December and February especially are a blur. We didn't even decorate for Christmas this year.
The Lord saw fit to bring some trials our way this winter, things we didn't see coming before one rather uneventful day in December. There were things that made us put much of our plans on hold and hunker down into survival mode. Dishes and laundry piled up. The to-do list sat abandoned and growing longer with each week. I longed for spring, hoping against hope, that it would bring a change in these trials. I watched dear friends going through some of their darkest days and wanted desperately to be more of an encouragement to them, and I wanted spring to come for them, too.
Now that spring has started to peek its head out from behind our cold, grey skies I can say the trials seem to be fading- for now at least. My heart feels a sense of hope again. Dishes and laundry are caught up on. I have been to the grocery more times than I can count in the past few weeks (and enjoyed every second of it). I even turned the thermostat up to 'a balmy 66 degrees' (ha!) since the temps outside won't mean our furnace is working so hard.
So, now that spring is here I feel like I'm coming up to breathe again. There has never been such hope with the coming of a new season and I am thankful God created the beauty of different seasons. Spring, you may just be my favorite this year.
Head over to my friend Christina's blog to get her take on spring this year!
Fall is my favorite season. Sweatshirts, bonfires, my birthday, our anniversary, pumpkins, apple cider... I'm starting to drool just thinking about it. But this year, this year, I just longed for spring to come. To stay.
Winter has lasted forever here in Indy this year. Hibernation took on new meaning to us. I missed church more than I made it, sent Nick grocery shopping more than ever, even tried out PeaPod (which I am a HUGE fan of now), and was the recipient of a few meals from my mom. I would make my way to work a few days a week, come home, and quickly try to get warm in a house with a thermostat set at 65 (brrrr!). Other days I would just lay curled up on the couch thankful I could at least work on Jamberry from the couch. The months of December and February especially are a blur. We didn't even decorate for Christmas this year.
The Lord saw fit to bring some trials our way this winter, things we didn't see coming before one rather uneventful day in December. There were things that made us put much of our plans on hold and hunker down into survival mode. Dishes and laundry piled up. The to-do list sat abandoned and growing longer with each week. I longed for spring, hoping against hope, that it would bring a change in these trials. I watched dear friends going through some of their darkest days and wanted desperately to be more of an encouragement to them, and I wanted spring to come for them, too.
Now that spring has started to peek its head out from behind our cold, grey skies I can say the trials seem to be fading- for now at least. My heart feels a sense of hope again. Dishes and laundry are caught up on. I have been to the grocery more times than I can count in the past few weeks (and enjoyed every second of it). I even turned the thermostat up to 'a balmy 66 degrees' (ha!) since the temps outside won't mean our furnace is working so hard.
So, now that spring is here I feel like I'm coming up to breathe again. There has never been such hope with the coming of a new season and I am thankful God created the beauty of different seasons. Spring, you may just be my favorite this year.
Head over to my friend Christina's blog to get her take on spring this year!
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