Isaiah 43 has been a special verse for me for many years. When I was pregnant with our second child I had a great deal of fear about labor and delivery. My first labor was long and her delivery had complications. God impressed the first two verses of Isaiah 43 on my heart and this brought me peace while I was still pregnant with our second. During labor I had a very painful contraction and I began to sing the verse out loud.
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Home is Where Love Lives [Printable]
Over time, I am learning that love can be messy and not always easy. That there is constant tension and never enough space. That it can look pretty on the outside but dust and dirt resides under the rugs and clutter is in the closets. That there is no such thing as picture perfect because we are broken and something is always in need of repair. Even so, we call it home and love lives here.
Living Water
How thankful I am for the rain we received this last week. To watch as it came down and soaked our parched, dry earth. It has been too long. This reminded me of how I can begin to feel at times. Thirsty and near empty with nothing left to give.
Love My Coffee [Printable]
Just the smell of coffee brings back a flood of happy memories of a simpler time. Cherished times spent at my grandparents home. I have vivid memories of early morning, sun beginning to peak through the window, classical music playing downstairs and the rich aroma of coffee beginning to brew. My grandpa was a predictable, loyal and proud man. He took walks early every morning, ate cereal and drank his coffee while reading the daily newspaper. He was mostly serious but had a way of telling stories about his past that made them come to life again and always made you smile. I could sit for hours and talk with him.
Our Great Provider
My husband likes to joke with me that I have a direct line to God when I need or want something. I need only to say it out loud and through someone else’s generosity God provides. This has happened on more occasions than I can count. One example, a few months ago I said to my husband, “Wouldn’t it be nice to have a picnic table for the backyard”. Before I had the chance to look for one on Craigslist or anywhere else, someone asked us if we could use a picnic table. With a sideways glance and a slight smile to my husband, I said “Yes, we would love one!” and inwardly I praised God for this gift. Many times a neighbor has brought over a bag of fresh fruit or veggies when we had just ran out. When we are most in need of clothing, a friend or family member shows up with bags of hand-me-downs. When money is short my husband is offered a side job and the amount he makes is how much we were short.
Making Room
When I was pregnant with our second child I had my doubts on whither I had enough room in my heart for another child. Could I love another child as much as I loved my daughter? When my son was born, the instant I held him close, I felt my heart growing. My love was new and complete for this precious child that God had given me. With my third and fourth child I felt exactly the same. It was like a new addition was added on to my heart each time and there was always plenty of room.
Taking the Leap
How will we RESPOND?
How will our family take a LEAP of faith?
After years of talking about it, months of praying and many sleepless nights my husband and I both feel compelled to respond. As a family we are taking the leap and moving forward to pursue adoption. We feel that God is calling us to begin this journey and we desire to obey this call.
Stirring the Heart to Leap
For both my husband and I there has been a constant stirring of the heart for a few years now without a clear idea of what we were to do about the desires we had. They were vague at best. We both felt pulled towards orphans and Eastern Europe and felt we wanted to serve in some capacity in helping with this great need. I also had another desire and hope for our family that my husband did not. I prayed for more than a year and a half that God would change my husband’s heart or take the desire away. Little did we both know that God would change [Read more…] about Stirring the Heart to Leap
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