No, we do not have fire ants at our house. But our dogs ate fire ant killer. Isn't that exciting. It happened yesterday around 3:00p.m. The former owners of our house have not retrevied all the mess in the yard that they acquired over the years and are still in the process of cleaning out of our yard. It just so happened that a bag of fire ant killer was left, open. I see my puppies playing with what I thought was a box in the yard - I finished what I was doing and then looked out again and they are still playing with the same box. Well Hurley is still on it chewing it and Cody is sitting and watching. So I walk out to get it thinking they might step on nails or who knows what else could be out there and "viola!" Fire Ant Killer is all over the place and Hurley has his nose all in it. I picked it up and tossed it in the dumpster that was conveniently delievered to our house for us to disposed of the mess we made remodeling the house. I then called the vet who proceeded to tell me to make them drink perioxide! Literally I said "as in hydrogen peroxide, in the brown bottle, that you buy at Wal-Mart?" (WHAT?!?!!?!?! "Yes", came the answer, about 8 ounces or so! This will make them vomit. So I called Brent and asked if he could run home and help me pour the peroxide down their throats. He did, we gave them each about 3 oz. b/c all we had was 6 oz. and about 5 minutes later - they were both vomiting. I know - it was really disgusting! and poor Hurley had little tears - or at least that's what it looked like. They are fine now. The peroxide did the trick - but I cannot believe we poured it down their throats! They must have wondered what in the world were we doing to them!
They did have a bit of fun yesterday - I raked up a bunch of leaves and they had a ball playing in the leaves!
So that was our adventure for yesterday!
Lilypie Waiting to Adopt tickers
3.05.2009
A Lenton Reflection - by Sarah Kerr
This is a message given by friend Sarah. Sarah is a graduated of Wheaton College and Duke University Sarah and I met at Teen Missions International during the summer of 2000. Enjoy.
"This year, Ash Wednesday falls February 25th, about ten days after Valentine’s Daya holiday that is supposedly all about the heart. It’s a day filled with greeting cards covered with hearts, heart-shaped chocolates tucked in heart-shaped boxes, and flowers arranged in heart-shaped vases. If somehow you missed Valentine’s Day this year, though, you’re in luck, because our texts for this Ash Wednesday tell us that today is also a day about the heart. In Matthew 6, Jesus says,
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”And in Psalm 51, which we will read later in the service, the psalmist prays: “Create in me a clean heart, O God...” and,“A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”According to these texts, like Valentine’s Day, Ash Wednesday is also a day about the heart.
Ash Wednesday is different from Valentine’s Day, though; instead of focusing on happy, sweet and sentimental hearts, this day in the church calendar deals with our real three-dimensional hearts, hearts that are sometimes full of joy and gladness, but at other times are empty or broken hearts that feel torn in two.
So what does Ash Wednesday have something to do with our hearts? Today we are starting Lent, a time that in one way focuses on external, physical actions, what Jesus calls “practices of piety” in our gospel reading. If you take a look at our Gospel text, you’ll see that Jesus mentions three different things that his disciples will practice: fasting, praying, and giving. He assumes that his disciples will do these things, saying not “if you fast or pray or give” but “when you fast or pray or give.” Jesus is clear that those three practices must not remain just external actions, things that we do for the sake of appearances: “Do not disfigure your face to show others you are fasting.” “Do not stand and pray to be seen by others.” “Whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you.” Jesus tells us if our Lenten discipline remains on the outside, then we will miss the “reward” that awaits us during this season. There are spiritual rewards that await our hearts during Lent if we are ready to embrace them.
What does each of these three practices have to do with our hearts? The first one he mentions, fasting, is probably the practice we think of first as we get ready for Lent. Lent is the season when we allow the Christian practice of fasting to shape our everyday lives, so for many of us, Lent is about giving up something for several weeks, chocolate or meat or even (gasp!) email. But what does this physical practice of fasting have to do with our hearts? Fasting during Lent is right and good, but we don’t do it just to find out if we have enough willpower to resist that bar of chocolate. If at the end of 40 days, all I have learned is that I can go that long without chocolate, then I’ve missed out on the real purpose of Lenten practices. If we only fast without also praying and giving, we may come to the end of Lent with our hearts untouched.
And that brings us to why the second practice Jesus mentions, prayer, is such a necessary part of what we do during Lent. Putting prayer and fasting togethergives a spiritual dimension to the physical disciplines we take on. Prayer allowsour fasting to touch us on a heart level. Fasting without prayer is like getting your house ready for a guest and then never inviting them to come over. Fasting is the way we make space in our lives for God, and prayer is the way that we ask God to come over, to come into our hearts and change them. When we decide what to give up for Lent, we should think about how giving that thing up will create space for us to encounter God. For example, a friend of mine gives up listening to the radio in the car during Lent. Instead of listening to music or talk radio in the car, she uses that time and space to pray. Other people give up a meal once a week and spend that meal time in prayer or Bible study. Prayer makes our fasting more than just an outwardly observance, more than something to check off our spiritual to- do list; it helps us to remember the real reason for any of this Lent business, which is to grow closer to God and to become more like Jesus.
So Jesus mentions fasting and prayer, and he also mentions one more practice – giving to the needy. This third Lenten practice calls us to move our attention off of ourselves and on to other people. Sometimes during Lent as I fast and pray, hoping for transformation, my contemplation can become self-centered, so that my Lenten practice becomes all about me and my personal piety. Jesus has told elsewhere in the gospels that when we give to the least of these, it’s like we are giving directly to him. If this is so, then praying and fasting without giving is like getting your house ready for a guest, inviting them over, and then never offering them something to eat. The practice of giving reminds us that Lent is about making space in our lives not just for ourselves, not even just for God, but for others, because so much of our sin lies in how we think about and treat our neighbors. When I was in seminary, I saw this Lenten practice of giving in action for the first time. The chapel encouraged students to fast for one meal each week and then give the money that we would have spent on that meal to someone in need. By giving of the time and the resources that we consider “our own,” we learn to imitate Jesus, who gave freely of himself for the sake of others.
And that is the purpose of Lent, to form in us the heart of Jesus, the one who loved God and loved others, not in merely a sentimental way but in a real and deep way. As we walk with Jesus through Lent, we learn the patterns of how his heart responded to God and to those around him, and we begin to take on those same attitudes. During Lent, we will probably discover the ways that our hearts don’t much resemble the heart of Jesus yet. When we fast, we may find that impatience rises to the surface of our hearts after a few extra hours without food. When we pray, we may find how easily we give into distraction and how difficult it is for us to enter into silence. When we give, we may find that our treasure actually lie in earthly things. As we discover what is in our hearts, we are likely to find some sin: brokenness, alienation from God and from others, and self-centeredness.
However, our texts for today, especially Psalm 51, tell us that discovering sin in our hearts is not a matter for despair. For no matter how surprised or disappointed we might be by what we find within us, God will not be surprised. God our Father, who “sees in secret,” knows that our hearts often don’t look like pretty and sentimental Valentine’s Day Hearts. Instead we often have Ash Wednesday hearts, hearts of ash and stone, hearts of sorrow and of sin. And yet God does not look down on such “heart conditions”; as Psalm 51 tells us, “A broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” In our Sunday services every week we hear the call to “Lift up your hearts” to God. Notice that it doesn’t say “Lift up your heart if it’s full of pleasant things; otherwise keep it to yourself.” Unlike on Valentine’s Day, your heart doesn’t have to be in a certain condition for you to join in the celebration. Lift up your hearts, whether they are beautiful or ugly, full or empty, whole or broken, because you lift them up to a God who sees our hearts and is patient with us; because Lent is a journey that eventually ends with the joy and hope of Easter.
As you come forward tonight to receive the ashes, ask God to show you what is in your heart during this Lent; and whatever you discover, lift it to the Lord in prayer and ask for transformation. If you haven’t had a chance yet to think about how you might practice Lent this year, take a few moments to ask God for guidance. As we fast, pray, and give, God will bring us through these 40 days, teaching us truth in our inward beings and creating in us new and clean hearts – hearts that are renewed in love for God and for neighbor, hearts that have been formed to be a little bit more like the heart of Jesus.Amen.
Ash Wednesday Sermon, February 25th, 2009 St. Thomas Episcopal Church, St. Petersburg, Florida Sarah Kerr (also given at St. Luke's in Durham, NC in 2007)"
"This year, Ash Wednesday falls February 25th, about ten days after Valentine’s Daya holiday that is supposedly all about the heart. It’s a day filled with greeting cards covered with hearts, heart-shaped chocolates tucked in heart-shaped boxes, and flowers arranged in heart-shaped vases. If somehow you missed Valentine’s Day this year, though, you’re in luck, because our texts for this Ash Wednesday tell us that today is also a day about the heart. In Matthew 6, Jesus says,
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”And in Psalm 51, which we will read later in the service, the psalmist prays: “Create in me a clean heart, O God...” and,“A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”According to these texts, like Valentine’s Day, Ash Wednesday is also a day about the heart.
Ash Wednesday is different from Valentine’s Day, though; instead of focusing on happy, sweet and sentimental hearts, this day in the church calendar deals with our real three-dimensional hearts, hearts that are sometimes full of joy and gladness, but at other times are empty or broken hearts that feel torn in two.
So what does Ash Wednesday have something to do with our hearts? Today we are starting Lent, a time that in one way focuses on external, physical actions, what Jesus calls “practices of piety” in our gospel reading. If you take a look at our Gospel text, you’ll see that Jesus mentions three different things that his disciples will practice: fasting, praying, and giving. He assumes that his disciples will do these things, saying not “if you fast or pray or give” but “when you fast or pray or give.” Jesus is clear that those three practices must not remain just external actions, things that we do for the sake of appearances: “Do not disfigure your face to show others you are fasting.” “Do not stand and pray to be seen by others.” “Whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you.” Jesus tells us if our Lenten discipline remains on the outside, then we will miss the “reward” that awaits us during this season. There are spiritual rewards that await our hearts during Lent if we are ready to embrace them.
What does each of these three practices have to do with our hearts? The first one he mentions, fasting, is probably the practice we think of first as we get ready for Lent. Lent is the season when we allow the Christian practice of fasting to shape our everyday lives, so for many of us, Lent is about giving up something for several weeks, chocolate or meat or even (gasp!) email. But what does this physical practice of fasting have to do with our hearts? Fasting during Lent is right and good, but we don’t do it just to find out if we have enough willpower to resist that bar of chocolate. If at the end of 40 days, all I have learned is that I can go that long without chocolate, then I’ve missed out on the real purpose of Lenten practices. If we only fast without also praying and giving, we may come to the end of Lent with our hearts untouched.
And that brings us to why the second practice Jesus mentions, prayer, is such a necessary part of what we do during Lent. Putting prayer and fasting togethergives a spiritual dimension to the physical disciplines we take on. Prayer allowsour fasting to touch us on a heart level. Fasting without prayer is like getting your house ready for a guest and then never inviting them to come over. Fasting is the way we make space in our lives for God, and prayer is the way that we ask God to come over, to come into our hearts and change them. When we decide what to give up for Lent, we should think about how giving that thing up will create space for us to encounter God. For example, a friend of mine gives up listening to the radio in the car during Lent. Instead of listening to music or talk radio in the car, she uses that time and space to pray. Other people give up a meal once a week and spend that meal time in prayer or Bible study. Prayer makes our fasting more than just an outwardly observance, more than something to check off our spiritual to- do list; it helps us to remember the real reason for any of this Lent business, which is to grow closer to God and to become more like Jesus.
So Jesus mentions fasting and prayer, and he also mentions one more practice – giving to the needy. This third Lenten practice calls us to move our attention off of ourselves and on to other people. Sometimes during Lent as I fast and pray, hoping for transformation, my contemplation can become self-centered, so that my Lenten practice becomes all about me and my personal piety. Jesus has told elsewhere in the gospels that when we give to the least of these, it’s like we are giving directly to him. If this is so, then praying and fasting without giving is like getting your house ready for a guest, inviting them over, and then never offering them something to eat. The practice of giving reminds us that Lent is about making space in our lives not just for ourselves, not even just for God, but for others, because so much of our sin lies in how we think about and treat our neighbors. When I was in seminary, I saw this Lenten practice of giving in action for the first time. The chapel encouraged students to fast for one meal each week and then give the money that we would have spent on that meal to someone in need. By giving of the time and the resources that we consider “our own,” we learn to imitate Jesus, who gave freely of himself for the sake of others.
And that is the purpose of Lent, to form in us the heart of Jesus, the one who loved God and loved others, not in merely a sentimental way but in a real and deep way. As we walk with Jesus through Lent, we learn the patterns of how his heart responded to God and to those around him, and we begin to take on those same attitudes. During Lent, we will probably discover the ways that our hearts don’t much resemble the heart of Jesus yet. When we fast, we may find that impatience rises to the surface of our hearts after a few extra hours without food. When we pray, we may find how easily we give into distraction and how difficult it is for us to enter into silence. When we give, we may find that our treasure actually lie in earthly things. As we discover what is in our hearts, we are likely to find some sin: brokenness, alienation from God and from others, and self-centeredness.
However, our texts for today, especially Psalm 51, tell us that discovering sin in our hearts is not a matter for despair. For no matter how surprised or disappointed we might be by what we find within us, God will not be surprised. God our Father, who “sees in secret,” knows that our hearts often don’t look like pretty and sentimental Valentine’s Day Hearts. Instead we often have Ash Wednesday hearts, hearts of ash and stone, hearts of sorrow and of sin. And yet God does not look down on such “heart conditions”; as Psalm 51 tells us, “A broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” In our Sunday services every week we hear the call to “Lift up your hearts” to God. Notice that it doesn’t say “Lift up your heart if it’s full of pleasant things; otherwise keep it to yourself.” Unlike on Valentine’s Day, your heart doesn’t have to be in a certain condition for you to join in the celebration. Lift up your hearts, whether they are beautiful or ugly, full or empty, whole or broken, because you lift them up to a God who sees our hearts and is patient with us; because Lent is a journey that eventually ends with the joy and hope of Easter.
As you come forward tonight to receive the ashes, ask God to show you what is in your heart during this Lent; and whatever you discover, lift it to the Lord in prayer and ask for transformation. If you haven’t had a chance yet to think about how you might practice Lent this year, take a few moments to ask God for guidance. As we fast, pray, and give, God will bring us through these 40 days, teaching us truth in our inward beings and creating in us new and clean hearts – hearts that are renewed in love for God and for neighbor, hearts that have been formed to be a little bit more like the heart of Jesus.Amen.
Ash Wednesday Sermon, February 25th, 2009 St. Thomas Episcopal Church, St. Petersburg, Florida Sarah Kerr (also given at St. Luke's in Durham, NC in 2007)"
3.02.2009
We're In!
Oh I forgot to say:
We're in! We moved in last week! We spent our first night in our house on Saturday!
Last Thursday was a bit sad for me. The last time I saw our "stuff", it was being packed into a 10x10 storage unit in Texas. So needless to say Thursday was a swirl of memories. I kept seeing boxes that we used from our friends who had just had a baby and moved, they said "black diaper bag", "Charis' room", or a game we played with Rachel and Thomas, the table that sat near the door of our apartment, etc. I was lost in Texas-land and just as the first tear that I had been holding back for an hour was about to fall - I saw the toilet! HA! It was hilarious! The toilet upstairs looks so funny! It's kind of squatty and juts out from the wall - it's very long. I just started laughing. So that was good comic relief! Thank goodness!
I am very slow at unpacking! But it's going to be done soon!
Then you may come for a visit!
We're in! We moved in last week! We spent our first night in our house on Saturday!
Last Thursday was a bit sad for me. The last time I saw our "stuff", it was being packed into a 10x10 storage unit in Texas. So needless to say Thursday was a swirl of memories. I kept seeing boxes that we used from our friends who had just had a baby and moved, they said "black diaper bag", "Charis' room", or a game we played with Rachel and Thomas, the table that sat near the door of our apartment, etc. I was lost in Texas-land and just as the first tear that I had been holding back for an hour was about to fall - I saw the toilet! HA! It was hilarious! The toilet upstairs looks so funny! It's kind of squatty and juts out from the wall - it's very long. I just started laughing. So that was good comic relief! Thank goodness!
I am very slow at unpacking! But it's going to be done soon!
Then you may come for a visit!
2.22.2009
Destin's First Haircut
My nephew, Destin, got his first haircut yesterday. He is 15 months old. My mom took the pictures. Destin cried the whole time. Even though Britt sat in the chair with him, he did not understand why my mom and brother would not pick him up out of the seat. Poor thing, but he survived.
Sweetness itself.
Playing
Sweetness itself.
Playing
Getting a sip of coke
Torture begins
This is worth 1,000 words!
After the whole ordeal
2.19.2009
At Last: COLOR!
It's the moment you've all been waiting for!!! Our walls with color! Hope you like it!
Living Room - someday a new stair rail!
Kitchen - the red is going to be gone though and there is a purple accent wall - see above.
Sunroom
Our room - it's grey (and sink for our bathroom)
Upstairs bedroom 1 - I love the brown!
Upstairs bedroom 2
Not pictured are the bathrooms - but they are a nice tan color.
We have a new countertop in the kitchen now that looks amazing and soon there will be a backsplash where the red is - although the red looks good with the yellow.
Also - there is carpet in the upstairs bedrooms and our bedroom and the living room and hallways now have hardwood. We hope to finish the hardwood this week!
Someday I will post new pictures and maybe there will be some funiture in the house!
I've bought a few new items to decorate with and Brent and I bought a new couch for the sunroom, along with a set of bistro table and two chairs for the sunroom. We also got a new chair to go in the living room - all we have is a couch!
2.16.2009
Pagan Christianity
Well I am on the 3rd chapter of this book. It's about the sermon, formation of it, and a few great orators. I've been reading this book for about a month now and it has been a very slow read.
I do not have the book in front of me right now, so I will not be able to put a few quotes that I thought were good. There are really interesting history bites in this book, such as pews. When they were first invented they were sold to families. Each family would sit and decorate their bench. No one else was allowed to sit there. It became almost a competition to see who could decorate their bench as the best with pillows, curtains, and such. It became a source that caused fighting between the church members. So finally they quite selling the pews and decorating and just had benches. I think that it is pretty funny that still today people have "their" pew or section, or side of the church that they always sit on and you better not sit in "their" seat. I guess that traditon has not completely died out.
Also Sunday night church. I have been in churches that have Sunday night church, churches that do not have it, or churches that just meet once a month on Sunday nights. I must tell you am a fan of either not having it at all or just meeting once a month. Viola and Barna point out that Sunday night meetings were first started by John Wesley, who lived in the 1800s, I think. When I read this I laughed and said "so it's your fault, thanks, John". Haha! (i don't mean any disrepect to Mr. Wesley.)
There are more history bites like these, such as how the steeple was invented, why churches have graveyards - this is really interesting, the architecture of the building, and even the definition of the word "church".
So far what I have gathered from the book so far is that our church is so completely rooted in tradition that sometimes we cannot tell the difference between following Christ and his commands or following tradition that someone began or took from someone else practices.
I hope to finish the book by March - so I have a lot of reading to do. Let me know if you have thoughts.
I do not have the book in front of me right now, so I will not be able to put a few quotes that I thought were good. There are really interesting history bites in this book, such as pews. When they were first invented they were sold to families. Each family would sit and decorate their bench. No one else was allowed to sit there. It became almost a competition to see who could decorate their bench as the best with pillows, curtains, and such. It became a source that caused fighting between the church members. So finally they quite selling the pews and decorating and just had benches. I think that it is pretty funny that still today people have "their" pew or section, or side of the church that they always sit on and you better not sit in "their" seat. I guess that traditon has not completely died out.
Also Sunday night church. I have been in churches that have Sunday night church, churches that do not have it, or churches that just meet once a month on Sunday nights. I must tell you am a fan of either not having it at all or just meeting once a month. Viola and Barna point out that Sunday night meetings were first started by John Wesley, who lived in the 1800s, I think. When I read this I laughed and said "so it's your fault, thanks, John". Haha! (i don't mean any disrepect to Mr. Wesley.)
There are more history bites like these, such as how the steeple was invented, why churches have graveyards - this is really interesting, the architecture of the building, and even the definition of the word "church".
So far what I have gathered from the book so far is that our church is so completely rooted in tradition that sometimes we cannot tell the difference between following Christ and his commands or following tradition that someone began or took from someone else practices.
I hope to finish the book by March - so I have a lot of reading to do. Let me know if you have thoughts.
2.14.2009
Happy Valentine's Day
I actually got Brent a present for today. It's amazing, really, an accomplishment.
See, my birthday is tomorrow and today is my brother's birthday - so growing up Valentine's day was not real big around our house because we were always busy celebrating birthdays. This is not a big deal to me, but for poor Brent it could be. He's lucky to even get a card for today.
Last year was the worst - I even forgot to get a card - (although I think card are dumb and pointless, esp. if they are empty, so don't even think about sending me a card, unless you put something in it, thank you.) And so at 9:00 at night there I was trying to make my own card "because it's more special" - whatever - that's a crock - even more so because it was 9:00 at night. So - well that was over with - onward to next year!
This year I was determined to get a gift for him! And mission accomplished! It was great! I even got it 3 days early - with a card. I can't wait to give him the gift. I got him a deep tissue massage at a local spa and salon. He's been working so hard on our house and it's Valentines, so I though it would be perfect for him! I think he will like it!!
I hope you have a happy valentine's day!
See, my birthday is tomorrow and today is my brother's birthday - so growing up Valentine's day was not real big around our house because we were always busy celebrating birthdays. This is not a big deal to me, but for poor Brent it could be. He's lucky to even get a card for today.
Last year was the worst - I even forgot to get a card - (although I think card are dumb and pointless, esp. if they are empty, so don't even think about sending me a card, unless you put something in it, thank you.) And so at 9:00 at night there I was trying to make my own card "because it's more special" - whatever - that's a crock - even more so because it was 9:00 at night. So - well that was over with - onward to next year!
This year I was determined to get a gift for him! And mission accomplished! It was great! I even got it 3 days early - with a card. I can't wait to give him the gift. I got him a deep tissue massage at a local spa and salon. He's been working so hard on our house and it's Valentines, so I though it would be perfect for him! I think he will like it!!
I hope you have a happy valentine's day!
2.12.2009
Little Children
The week after Christmas we took some of our youth to the Scott Dawson conference - Strength to Stand. It was a really great time. In fact, it was one of the best youth conferences I've been on in my entire history of youth conferences.
One of the speakers at the conference mentioned the verses in the Bible where Jesus is speaking to His disciples. He's telling them they must become like a little child. I've heard all the analogies about having pure and simple trust and faith like a child and that we should not be childish, but childlike with humble and sincere hearts. I agree with this. But this speaker gave a new thought on it - at least I have never thought of in that way. He said that in the days of Jesus, children were considered insignificant (insignficance - the lack of importance or consequence). So if we are to do great things for the Lord, we (ourselves) need to become insignificant compared to Him and His plans.
One of the speakers at the conference mentioned the verses in the Bible where Jesus is speaking to His disciples. He's telling them they must become like a little child. I've heard all the analogies about having pure and simple trust and faith like a child and that we should not be childish, but childlike with humble and sincere hearts. I agree with this. But this speaker gave a new thought on it - at least I have never thought of in that way. He said that in the days of Jesus, children were considered insignificant (insignficance - the lack of importance or consequence). So if we are to do great things for the Lord, we (ourselves) need to become insignificant compared to Him and His plans.
2.09.2009
Well I have new pictures to show you of our house - but alas I forgot my camera cord, so I cannot upload them on this computer. So you must wait in anticipation! Perhaps they will appear on Wednesday!
Brent is going to the doctor tomorrow. His ankle is not moving and he cannot walk without the help of crutches or a wheelchair! (the wheelchair was used to go to the Winter Jam concert Saturday - it was hilarious!!) So hopefully Dr. Layton will be able to find something.
Adoption update: We are back at square one. For a few reasons:1. this house thing is taking longer than we thought and we are pretty sure that instead of domestic we are going to adopt internationally. Peru being the country of choice. :) I'm really stinkin' excited about this.
But you should know that I was really beginning to struggle with adopting in the first place. Esp. since I feel like we haven't even gotten the ball rolling. Our friends Jay and Tanya are adopting a little boy from Nepal. They started the whole process I think almost the same time Brent and I met with the agency in Birmingham. When Jay told Brent in November, they were about to have their first homestudy. Their adoption seems to be speeding along. Click here to see Tanya's blog.
I though maybe it was just an emotional thing since Brent and I do not have kids yet. Nothing was taking off for us it seemed. Maybe we were just trying to do this ourselves and what we wanted and not what God wanted at all. I was praying through it one day and just asking the Lord and telling Him about all my concerns and worries and the next day - what comes in the mail - Southwestern News - what is the WHOLE. ENTIRE. magazine about - ADOPTION. I am not kidding. Plus the rest of week it seemed like everything I saw or picked up - was about adoption. It just happened. I didn't plan any of it. I thought okay Lord - I got it now. Thanks. :)
Now we are just waiting until we are in our house and ready to fill out the application form. This will probably be March or April, but as soon as possible. :)
I am also apply for a job this week. I'd really love to work at this job. So please pray that the Lord might see fit that I get the job. Thanks!! :)
Brent is going to the doctor tomorrow. His ankle is not moving and he cannot walk without the help of crutches or a wheelchair! (the wheelchair was used to go to the Winter Jam concert Saturday - it was hilarious!!) So hopefully Dr. Layton will be able to find something.
Adoption update: We are back at square one. For a few reasons:1. this house thing is taking longer than we thought and we are pretty sure that instead of domestic we are going to adopt internationally. Peru being the country of choice. :) I'm really stinkin' excited about this.
But you should know that I was really beginning to struggle with adopting in the first place. Esp. since I feel like we haven't even gotten the ball rolling. Our friends Jay and Tanya are adopting a little boy from Nepal. They started the whole process I think almost the same time Brent and I met with the agency in Birmingham. When Jay told Brent in November, they were about to have their first homestudy. Their adoption seems to be speeding along. Click here to see Tanya's blog.
I though maybe it was just an emotional thing since Brent and I do not have kids yet. Nothing was taking off for us it seemed. Maybe we were just trying to do this ourselves and what we wanted and not what God wanted at all. I was praying through it one day and just asking the Lord and telling Him about all my concerns and worries and the next day - what comes in the mail - Southwestern News - what is the WHOLE. ENTIRE. magazine about - ADOPTION. I am not kidding. Plus the rest of week it seemed like everything I saw or picked up - was about adoption. It just happened. I didn't plan any of it. I thought okay Lord - I got it now. Thanks. :)
Now we are just waiting until we are in our house and ready to fill out the application form. This will probably be March or April, but as soon as possible. :)
I am also apply for a job this week. I'd really love to work at this job. So please pray that the Lord might see fit that I get the job. Thanks!! :)
2.03.2009
It's finished!
Well the painter finishes today anyway!! It looks like a completely different house! Amazing! I hope to take pictures today or tomorrow and hopefully i can post them by this weekend! We also have a few new furniture items! A couch and a bistro table and chairs for the sunroom and a new chair for the living room! We will one day buy the matching chair for the couch in the sunroom and we are looking for an ottoman that opens to put in the living room - but we are waiting for our tax return! Also did you know that if you buy a house, the next year on your taxes there is a 1st time home buyer credit where the governement will send you money to help on the new house? Granted it will be paid back to them. They automatically take it out of your refund the next few years. So I guess it's a good thing. It does help with a few things though!
I have a couple of things to blog about.
Adoption update and something I learned over Christmas. But I am working on a few things for Wednesday and Sunday night, so I will have to wait and blog later.
Have a great day!
I have a couple of things to blog about.
Adoption update and something I learned over Christmas. But I am working on a few things for Wednesday and Sunday night, so I will have to wait and blog later.
Have a great day!
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