Below is a link to a news report that will introduce you to each of our amazing kids.
News Story Link
Showing posts with label Introduction Continued. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Introduction Continued. Show all posts
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
Affliction
To be honest "affliction" did not seem like a very positive word to use in my blog title with nice words like "faith, family and joy". In fact, I seriously considered stopping at "faith, family and joy", BUT then I thought of all those sappy sweet Christmas letters. You know the ones, that say all the great things in their lives, but not a mention of what really happened in the past year. I didn't want my blog to be like those letters! Plus afflictions or troubles are a big part of every one's lives and a big part of what changes our priorities, focuses our energies and develops our character.
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding [and] eternal weight of glory; --2 Cor 4:17
How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. --2 Cor 8:2
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding [and] eternal weight of glory; --2 Cor 4:17
How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. --2 Cor 8:2
Thursday, June 24, 2010
J-O-Y!
When I was a pre-teen, I attended a Christian camp in southwest Missouri called Camp Joy. At camp Joy, we learned a camp song that told us "J" is for Jesus, "O" is for others and "Y" is for you. The song explained that Jesus was to be our first priority, then others and lastly ourselves. But even before learning that song, one thing was for sure, I have always had a lot of joy, a lot of smiles and a lot of loud laughter.
I am a happy person, but ironically rarely optimistic which has always puzzled me because one would think optimism and happiness would be linked and perhaps they are for most people. However, I truly believe my happiness is much bigger than just an emotion.
My happiness is motivated by intrinsic joy. Joy that makes me feel thankful and alive and full of energy. Joy that makes me see humor and the good (example: it could always be worse) in even the most uncomfortable or perplexing of situations. Joy that grows even greater when I'm taking care of my spiritual health and wellness. Joy that helps me see the needs of others and joy that gives me the energy to get involved in others needs and help create opportunities for them to have those needs met.
What would happen if I lost my joy? I would lose hope and peace too because they are all tied together. Its a good thing that my hope, peace and joy are not in jeopardy.
(BTW- Now the camp slogan says Y is for yourself, but I'm sure it stood for you in the 70s. Must not have been grammatically correct.)
Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. --Isa. 12:3
Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. --Hab. 3:18
I am a happy person, but ironically rarely optimistic which has always puzzled me because one would think optimism and happiness would be linked and perhaps they are for most people. However, I truly believe my happiness is much bigger than just an emotion.
My happiness is motivated by intrinsic joy. Joy that makes me feel thankful and alive and full of energy. Joy that makes me see humor and the good (example: it could always be worse) in even the most uncomfortable or perplexing of situations. Joy that grows even greater when I'm taking care of my spiritual health and wellness. Joy that helps me see the needs of others and joy that gives me the energy to get involved in others needs and help create opportunities for them to have those needs met.
What would happen if I lost my joy? I would lose hope and peace too because they are all tied together. Its a good thing that my hope, peace and joy are not in jeopardy.
(BTW- Now the camp slogan says Y is for yourself, but I'm sure it stood for you in the 70s. Must not have been grammatically correct.)
Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. --Isa. 12:3
Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. --Hab. 3:18
Family
Our family is blessed with ten amazing and brilliant children. Below is a brief introduction to the kids.
Grace is our oldest. Grace is 14. She was home schooled until 7th grade and then she went to public school because she wanted to play basketball. Grace plans to be a missionary when she is grown. She wants to set up job training programs in 3rd world countries.
Hannah is 10 and we adopted her from Ecuador when she was 3 years old. Hannah is blind and deaf, but has a cochlear implant to help her hear. She is missing brain structures. Hannah is learning to read Braille. Plus Hannah has an amazing ability to play the piano!
Corrine is 10 and she is our brain child. She is still home schooled and I enjoy getting to spend so much time with her. She wants to be a doctor when she grows up.
Vanessa is 7 and was adopted from Haiti when she was 5. Vanessa has schizencephally and some other brain deformities which affect her like cerebral palsy and she uses a communication device to talk. She is just starting to learn to walk with a walker. Vanessa has an amazing smile.
David is 7 and was adopted from Haiti right after he turned 5. David has a big heart for babies and until our recent new additions, he would pray for us to get babies every night. He would always tell me to just go get some from "under the mango tree" (were the babies play at the orphanage he was from).
Jon is 5 and we just got him home in February. We had been trying to get him adopted and home since December 2008. Jon has cerebral palsy. He does not talk and is physically unable to crawl or sit up independently. Like Vanessa, he likes to smile.
Matthew is 3 and we just got him in February too. Matthew knows how to get my attention in good & bad ways! Matthew is a typical toddler. He has developmental delays, but he is making progress. His therapies are helping him catch up.
Mark and Luke are 18 months old and came in February. I call them the "Turbo Twins". They are BIG and rough, definitely boys! Luke is a charmer and is developmentally ahead of Mark. Mark is quieter and likes snuggling more than Luke. They have delays like Matthew and therapies are helping them make progress towards getting caught up.
Then there is my peanut Nate who is 20 months old. He came in October and we were supposed to host him temporarily. Things changed after he got here and he needed adopted to get surgery so we thought for sure God would bring another family his way, but no one applied with insurance that could cover him completely immediately. My husband's insurance does these things so we realized God was giving Nate to us...which was a good thing we were already VERY attached! Nate has a web site of his progress at www.caringbridge.org/visit/nateworkman
Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it. Psalm 127:1a
Grace is our oldest. Grace is 14. She was home schooled until 7th grade and then she went to public school because she wanted to play basketball. Grace plans to be a missionary when she is grown. She wants to set up job training programs in 3rd world countries.
Hannah is 10 and we adopted her from Ecuador when she was 3 years old. Hannah is blind and deaf, but has a cochlear implant to help her hear. She is missing brain structures. Hannah is learning to read Braille. Plus Hannah has an amazing ability to play the piano!
Corrine is 10 and she is our brain child. She is still home schooled and I enjoy getting to spend so much time with her. She wants to be a doctor when she grows up.
Vanessa is 7 and was adopted from Haiti when she was 5. Vanessa has schizencephally and some other brain deformities which affect her like cerebral palsy and she uses a communication device to talk. She is just starting to learn to walk with a walker. Vanessa has an amazing smile.
David is 7 and was adopted from Haiti right after he turned 5. David has a big heart for babies and until our recent new additions, he would pray for us to get babies every night. He would always tell me to just go get some from "under the mango tree" (were the babies play at the orphanage he was from).
Jon is 5 and we just got him home in February. We had been trying to get him adopted and home since December 2008. Jon has cerebral palsy. He does not talk and is physically unable to crawl or sit up independently. Like Vanessa, he likes to smile.
Matthew is 3 and we just got him in February too. Matthew knows how to get my attention in good & bad ways! Matthew is a typical toddler. He has developmental delays, but he is making progress. His therapies are helping him catch up.
Mark and Luke are 18 months old and came in February. I call them the "Turbo Twins". They are BIG and rough, definitely boys! Luke is a charmer and is developmentally ahead of Mark. Mark is quieter and likes snuggling more than Luke. They have delays like Matthew and therapies are helping them make progress towards getting caught up.
Then there is my peanut Nate who is 20 months old. He came in October and we were supposed to host him temporarily. Things changed after he got here and he needed adopted to get surgery so we thought for sure God would bring another family his way, but no one applied with insurance that could cover him completely immediately. My husband's insurance does these things so we realized God was giving Nate to us...which was a good thing we were already VERY attached! Nate has a web site of his progress at www.caringbridge.org/visit/nateworkman
Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it. Psalm 127:1a
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
The Purpose of Faith
Do you have any great recipes? Any secret recipes? Any that are so good that even if no one asks you for a recipe, then you are telling friends about the great dish that you have found?
For me, talking (or in this case blogging) about my faith is as natural as talking about a great recipe. To me faith is a key ingredient in the recipe for a well-lived life. Some aspects of my faith are like a secret family recipe because they are so unique to me that others might misunderstand or not appreciate the sweetness or bitterness. However, most aspects of my faith cannot be secret as it is part of my purpose and the foundation of my satisfaction with life.
So as you read my blogs, you will read about my faith. It is not meant to offend you anymore than my giving you a recipe that you don't like, just accept that it's one of my favorites. It does not have to be your favorite recipe too (but I would be lying if I lead you to believe that I am not hoping you will like it too).
(BTW-You are welcome to share any and all good recipes with me, especially crock pot meals.)
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.--Hebrews 11:6
For me, talking (or in this case blogging) about my faith is as natural as talking about a great recipe. To me faith is a key ingredient in the recipe for a well-lived life. Some aspects of my faith are like a secret family recipe because they are so unique to me that others might misunderstand or not appreciate the sweetness or bitterness. However, most aspects of my faith cannot be secret as it is part of my purpose and the foundation of my satisfaction with life.
So as you read my blogs, you will read about my faith. It is not meant to offend you anymore than my giving you a recipe that you don't like, just accept that it's one of my favorites. It does not have to be your favorite recipe too (but I would be lying if I lead you to believe that I am not hoping you will like it too).
(BTW-You are welcome to share any and all good recipes with me, especially crock pot meals.)
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.--Hebrews 11:6
Introduction
"It wasn't supposed to be" this way or that way....is such an odd phrase. In some ways, I feel like this odd phrase has been pursuing me since birth. Sometimes it brought good news, sometimes it brought bad news, sometimes it delivered unexpected changes...BUT many times "it wasn't supposed to be" turned out to be just what I needed. Even more than that, sometimes "it wasn't supposed to be" prepared me for the unknown challenges ahead or it filled a desire that I did not even know I had!
If you decide to read my blog, don't be alarmed when "it wasn't supposed to be" happens. Join me in being content and see what we discover about faith, family, joy and affliction.
If you decide to read my blog, don't be alarmed when "it wasn't supposed to be" happens. Join me in being content and see what we discover about faith, family, joy and affliction.
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