I'm getting wind burned by how fast this year whipped by. It's funny how when you stop to look at things; if you look forward to something, time creeps by and when you look at the year as a whole, the time just flashes by. Fortunately or unfortunately - depending on how you look at it, Pam and I are at the age where time normally just whips by. Most of life is fairly routine with taking care of the kids, working our "9-to-5" and participating in things at church.
Right after Thanksgiving, Pam and the girls pulled out our Christmas tree and the decorations. And let me tell you, they did up the tree so beautifully that it almost brought tears to my eyes. It is absolutely gorgeous. Simple, balanced and non-thematic. I actually love passing it and just gazing at it. And that's saying something because I'm not much of a Christmas person, (a left over neurosis from a previous marriage) but I'm working on changing it.
This year we plan on making Christmas small, but memorable. As time goes by we're getting to understand the wastefulness of the commercial Christmas and the lack of true giving. Of course I've always hated the part of spending gobs of time, money and effort trying to buy gifts for people when you haven't the slightest clue what they really want or need. That part irks me the most. But that's me.
There is a growing trend that our family and I hope yours will join - instead of spending gobs of time, money and effort on buying those mindless gifts that people don't need (and probably don't want), spend it on charitable causes. There are food banks, health care providers, orphans, shelters (for either people or animals), heck even "tree hugging, earth loving" organizations that could use your money. Send it to them. Send it in the name of a gift recipient. Give to someone who can't give back and truly enjoy the spirit of giving, rather than the spirit of exchanging. Give hope.
THE JOHNSON CHRONICLES: FOLLOW THE JOHNSON FAMILY'S UPS AND DOWNS!
Showing posts with label Wall hanging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wall hanging. Show all posts
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Husbands and wives - commitment
Just a quick thought I wanted to share.
Pam and I have an agreement in our marriage. I believe it is something that all couples should have in order to have a successful marriage. We agree to share everything 50-50. I do all the small, trivial things and Pam does all the hard, important things. Now ever so often, she gets the feelings that this agreement is a little tilted in my favor and I have to remind her that 50-50 means 50-50. I don't know why she complains! For example, I remember to turn the TV on when we want to watch it, and she remembers to pay the cable...50-50. She cooks great tasting nutritious meals, and I stop what I'm doing (which is normally pretty important, let me assure you) and I eat it...LOL
Marriage...isn't it a great institution? I'm committed.
Pam and I have an agreement in our marriage. I believe it is something that all couples should have in order to have a successful marriage. We agree to share everything 50-50. I do all the small, trivial things and Pam does all the hard, important things. Now ever so often, she gets the feelings that this agreement is a little tilted in my favor and I have to remind her that 50-50 means 50-50. I don't know why she complains! For example, I remember to turn the TV on when we want to watch it, and she remembers to pay the cable...50-50. She cooks great tasting nutritious meals, and I stop what I'm doing (which is normally pretty important, let me assure you) and I eat it...LOL
Marriage...isn't it a great institution? I'm committed.
So close we can smell it.
Waiting to hear about our Kids. Oh the wait! Waiting is harder than working, harder than praying, harder than wishing, harder than hoping. We know that God works everything for our own good and waiting builds patience, which builds character, which makes us better tools in God's hands. I always laugh when people ask what they can pray for for us. I always so, whatever you do don't pray for patience. Patience isn't a gift, it's a by product of trials and waiting. So don't pray for patience for me. Pray for resolution, pray for answers, pray for results, NOW!! :o)~
As we're waiting, Pam and I talk more about what it was like when we went to Ethiopia to get our kids 2 1/2 years ago. The pictures above were taken the very day we met them. They were brought to us from the "foster" home in Addis Ababa. We got to spend about 3 hours with them. We talked to them, listened to them, and watched them talk to each other. "L" the oldest, tried to act so mature and serene. "A" the middle was already trying to convince us that she was the smartest, the two of them argues over every answer they tried to give to us when we asked a question. In retrospect, neither of them were answering correctly because they weren't really understanding what the heck was going on. "J", the "baby" just played. He was cool with whatever was going on as long as his sisters were around. Our own "D" was just happy to have a brother and could care less about the sisters. He pretty much still feels that way.
I can't wait for the next set of pictures, especially family pictures.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Orphans - It's not getting better, it's getting WORSE!
I found this article this morning. Come on people, we who have the ability, have the responsibility to do something, anything to help.
Ethiopia to see sharp rise in orphans running households: NGO
Buzz Up
ADDIS ABABA (AFP) – Ethiopia will by 2010 see a four-fold increase in the number of orphaned children aged between nine and 19 who are heading families due to AIDS, poverty and conflict, a local NGO said on Friday.
Some 225,000 households will be run by children, up from 77,000 in 2005, Addis Ababa-based African Child Policy Forum (ACPF) said in a report.
"This is going to be an explosive problem," said Assefa Bequele, the agency's director.
"In some households, the oldest child is also the principal care-giver to a terminally-ill parent," said the report.
Ethiopia is one of the world's poorest countries. The government estimates that 1.5 million Ethiopians are infected with HIV, while the World Health Organization says nearly 2.8 million are infected.
Parenting can be so much fun
Last night we had a fun example of why good spelling is such a necessary skill.
We were sitting around in the family room watching a movie, when our oldest daughter comes in.
"Dad, how do you spell 'cowgirl'?" Now, I'm thinking, this has to be a trick question or something, but then I remember who's asking. Because of her struggling English skills, her spelling skills are dismal. So...
"C - O -W, girl. Why?" At this point she starts laughing hard, and sits down in her favorite spot in the family room. She has a huge comfort pillow in a corner of the room, on the floor. She actually dislikes sitting on the couch or the club chairs.
"I was talking with Corey on the phone and he was asking me what I dressed up like for Halloween." Corey is her big brother, a Marine stationed half way across the state. "When I tried to tell him 'cowgirl', he couldn't understand me, so he said for me to spell it. I didn't know how to spell it, I think. So I said "I think it's C-A-L-L-G-I-R-L." At that point Pam and I started laughing uncontrollably.
"Baby, you need to go call your brother and straighten that one out. There's a big difference between a 'cowgirl' and a 'call girl'."
"Why? What's that mean?" I'm in tears right about then.
"A 'call girl' is a prostitute, baby. Something I'm sure you don't want him thinking you were dressing up like."
"Oh, 'cause he was like, 'are you sure you have that word right? Where did you get that idea?' I told him 'Mom did'. Then he's asking if I'm sure again and again. I said 'yeah'."
Pam and I are laughing so hard we can't see straight. What made it even funnier was that we were at church on Halloween, because our church holds a "Trunk-or-Treat" event for the community and people dress up for it. Then we're having to explain to her little sister what "prostitute" means. The older says to her, "It's a bad girl." That doesn't quite get it, so I ask the older one to explain to the younger one in Amharic because the little brothers are there. She gets it then. Of course that's after one the little brothers asks, "What's a prostitute?"
She finally decides it would be a good idea to go up and call him again. After awhile she comes running into the room with her cell phone and says, "Corey wants to talk to you." She gives the phone to Pam. Pam is laughing so hard she can hardly talk.
When I get on the phone, Corey says, "I normally wouldn't want intrude and tell people how to raise their kids, especially you, but COME ON!" We talk some more and share a good laugh. He says he might be able to come for Thanksgiving. I say, "We'll all dress up for the occassion" and Corey say, "Yeah, I'm coming as a pimp."
Needless to say, it's times like this that all the troubles of being a parent, evaporate.
You gotta love it!
(For those reading this who live in the local area, be kind. Remember she's a teenaged girl)
We were sitting around in the family room watching a movie, when our oldest daughter comes in.
"Dad, how do you spell 'cowgirl'?" Now, I'm thinking, this has to be a trick question or something, but then I remember who's asking. Because of her struggling English skills, her spelling skills are dismal. So...
"C - O -W, girl. Why?" At this point she starts laughing hard, and sits down in her favorite spot in the family room. She has a huge comfort pillow in a corner of the room, on the floor. She actually dislikes sitting on the couch or the club chairs.
"I was talking with Corey on the phone and he was asking me what I dressed up like for Halloween." Corey is her big brother, a Marine stationed half way across the state. "When I tried to tell him 'cowgirl', he couldn't understand me, so he said for me to spell it. I didn't know how to spell it, I think. So I said "I think it's C-A-L-L-G-I-R-L." At that point Pam and I started laughing uncontrollably.
"Baby, you need to go call your brother and straighten that one out. There's a big difference between a 'cowgirl' and a 'call girl'."
"Why? What's that mean?" I'm in tears right about then.
"A 'call girl' is a prostitute, baby. Something I'm sure you don't want him thinking you were dressing up like."
"Oh, 'cause he was like, 'are you sure you have that word right? Where did you get that idea?' I told him 'Mom did'. Then he's asking if I'm sure again and again. I said 'yeah'."
Pam and I are laughing so hard we can't see straight. What made it even funnier was that we were at church on Halloween, because our church holds a "Trunk-or-Treat" event for the community and people dress up for it. Then we're having to explain to her little sister what "prostitute" means. The older says to her, "It's a bad girl." That doesn't quite get it, so I ask the older one to explain to the younger one in Amharic because the little brothers are there. She gets it then. Of course that's after one the little brothers asks, "What's a prostitute?"
She finally decides it would be a good idea to go up and call him again. After awhile she comes running into the room with her cell phone and says, "Corey wants to talk to you." She gives the phone to Pam. Pam is laughing so hard she can hardly talk.
When I get on the phone, Corey says, "I normally wouldn't want intrude and tell people how to raise their kids, especially you, but COME ON!" We talk some more and share a good laugh. He says he might be able to come for Thanksgiving. I say, "We'll all dress up for the occassion" and Corey say, "Yeah, I'm coming as a pimp."
Needless to say, it's times like this that all the troubles of being a parent, evaporate.
You gotta love it!
(For those reading this who live in the local area, be kind. Remember she's a teenaged girl)
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Purpose Driven Life
Today we discussed the 2nd purpose that God designed within our lives - Fellowship/Relationships. God the God of love; in many scriptures He is called love. He made us to have a relationship with him. That part was one of the most difficult for me to fathom. Here is a God so immense, so perfect, omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient and He wants a personal relationship with me. This same God who has created the universe that none can calculate its size. This God created more stars than any human can begin to imagine the total numbers. More stars than we could count. A universe so massive that our closest star is light years away and the farthest stars we can't begin to imagine the millions of light years away. The God who created all of this, cares if I love him or not. This God sent His son to die because He cares about how I will spend eternity. I will never fully get my brain wrapped around that.
But not only does He want us to love Him, he wants us to love one another. Jesus even said that the whole Bible - this book of laws, rules, precepts, and theology could be summed up into two commands from God. Love God with all that we have and all that we are, and to love one another like we love ourselves. Pretty danged simple, but we have the hardest time doing it. Why? Because we love ourselves first; and in so doing we leave little room to love anyone else.
Truly love them.
He doesn't want "Lone Ranger Christians". The ones who think they can go it alone. Yet from the very beginning, He said that it was not good that man exist alone. He even knew that relationships would be hard work - for us. We need to start living without the masks that we develop over the years. The masks that say - Hey, I'm not perfect, but you'll never get me to admit to any unacceptable imperfections. The masks that say, I don't have any problems, I don't need any help, I don't have any doubts. The masks we form for our church family, the other masks for our work relationships, the other masks for our home family, and the masks we have for our friends and relatives. Taking off the masks, and being absolutely transparent is totally counter intuitive. Hold up the shields at all costs. We do that to ourselves and to one another. Take them off, be vulnerable to one another...truly love.
He wants us to be hospitable, accepting, humble, nonjudgmental, friendly to one another; especially to other Christians. "They will know you are my disciples by your love." Love for one another. I think we fail that by our dogmatism in denominations. Some people think that denominations are like salad bowls or soups with differing flavors, something to suit each taste. I personally think that is a crock. We need to work together not against each other.
Why can't we just get along? :o) Because my circle is better than your circle, that's why. If you don't believe me, ask God, He'll tell ya! That is what we do to each other.
Fellowship...get along, share, support, give, take, care...LOVE
But not only does He want us to love Him, he wants us to love one another. Jesus even said that the whole Bible - this book of laws, rules, precepts, and theology could be summed up into two commands from God. Love God with all that we have and all that we are, and to love one another like we love ourselves. Pretty danged simple, but we have the hardest time doing it. Why? Because we love ourselves first; and in so doing we leave little room to love anyone else.
Truly love them.
He doesn't want "Lone Ranger Christians". The ones who think they can go it alone. Yet from the very beginning, He said that it was not good that man exist alone. He even knew that relationships would be hard work - for us. We need to start living without the masks that we develop over the years. The masks that say - Hey, I'm not perfect, but you'll never get me to admit to any unacceptable imperfections. The masks that say, I don't have any problems, I don't need any help, I don't have any doubts. The masks we form for our church family, the other masks for our work relationships, the other masks for our home family, and the masks we have for our friends and relatives. Taking off the masks, and being absolutely transparent is totally counter intuitive. Hold up the shields at all costs. We do that to ourselves and to one another. Take them off, be vulnerable to one another...truly love.
He wants us to be hospitable, accepting, humble, nonjudgmental, friendly to one another; especially to other Christians. "They will know you are my disciples by your love." Love for one another. I think we fail that by our dogmatism in denominations. Some people think that denominations are like salad bowls or soups with differing flavors, something to suit each taste. I personally think that is a crock. We need to work together not against each other.
Why can't we just get along? :o) Because my circle is better than your circle, that's why. If you don't believe me, ask God, He'll tell ya! That is what we do to each other.
Fellowship...get along, share, support, give, take, care...LOVE
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Last step for us in the Adoption
Yesterday we drove to Raleigh-Durham's INS office to be finger printed. A four hour trip each way. We were in and out in about 12 minutes!!!
That is the very last thing for us to do. Now it's the waiting time. Wait and wait and wait. Waiting and working toward something is not so hard; but just waiting is hard.
If you want to pray for something, pray with us that we can get a December court date. Our wish and prayer is to be able to travel and bring them home for Christmas. Can you imagine what kind of Christmas that would be? It would be great too because they could enjoy some down time with the other kids at home during Christmas break.
Please continue to pray with us for financial resources. We're still hoping for adoption grants and/or loans and haven't gotten anywhere yet.
Continue to pray for orphans and widows around the world. Pick a specific country or city and pray for all those that work with and for them.
As the economy continues to drag and struggle, please pray for those without jobs or who own small businesses that are struggling.
Thanks.
That is the very last thing for us to do. Now it's the waiting time. Wait and wait and wait. Waiting and working toward something is not so hard; but just waiting is hard.
If you want to pray for something, pray with us that we can get a December court date. Our wish and prayer is to be able to travel and bring them home for Christmas. Can you imagine what kind of Christmas that would be? It would be great too because they could enjoy some down time with the other kids at home during Christmas break.
Please continue to pray with us for financial resources. We're still hoping for adoption grants and/or loans and haven't gotten anywhere yet.
Continue to pray for orphans and widows around the world. Pick a specific country or city and pray for all those that work with and for them.
As the economy continues to drag and struggle, please pray for those without jobs or who own small businesses that are struggling.
Thanks.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
40 Days of Purpose
Our church, Nags Head Church, is studying the book by Rick Warren, "A Purpose Driven Life". We study the book in our various small group meetings, and our pastor, Rick Lawrence, teaches about it on Sunday. For those who aren't familiar with the book, its basic premise is that as Christians we should not just live our lives in survival mode - existing day to day waiting for Christ's return or our demise. We were put in this earth for a purpose; we should live for that purpose and seek to accomplish that purpose. Of course the difficult part is, discovering that purpose.
The purpose is not found "within", nor can anyone else tell us what it is. It comes only from God our Father. Just as all of creation has its purposes, each of us has a purpose. In my experience, you can sort of see the people who are living in a purpose driven life. It's not about them, it's about what they are doing. It's not about happiness or success. It's about obedience to God's leading.
I remember earlier in my life there were people who used the term "living in the center of God's will". Now as I look back, I believe they were trying to live a purpose driven life, but called it something else. This is not to say that they actually achieved this goal of living in the center of God's will, but they felt as if they were. I was sort of jealous of them. However some of them were fluent speakers of Christianese. You know, they're the ones that use that special set of vocabulary that only "mature" Christians could understand. Sometimes if you sat and listened to them you wanted to just say, speak English! They were so much impressed with themselves and they wanted to impress each other. These were the ones who tended to use the "center of God's will" conversations.
So finding our purpose, is it a journey or is it a goal? I guess a little of both. Once you find your purpose, it simplifies your life because you can drop all the other unimportant things in your life and you can concentrate on living that life. It helps you say "no" to other things that just clutter up and make you busy but not productive. It doesn't guarantee success in life. At least not in the world's definition of "success". But if you know that you are being obedient, you don't look for success, you just look to obey... That is what God is looking for from us.
The purpose is not found "within", nor can anyone else tell us what it is. It comes only from God our Father. Just as all of creation has its purposes, each of us has a purpose. In my experience, you can sort of see the people who are living in a purpose driven life. It's not about them, it's about what they are doing. It's not about happiness or success. It's about obedience to God's leading.
I remember earlier in my life there were people who used the term "living in the center of God's will". Now as I look back, I believe they were trying to live a purpose driven life, but called it something else. This is not to say that they actually achieved this goal of living in the center of God's will, but they felt as if they were. I was sort of jealous of them. However some of them were fluent speakers of Christianese. You know, they're the ones that use that special set of vocabulary that only "mature" Christians could understand. Sometimes if you sat and listened to them you wanted to just say, speak English! They were so much impressed with themselves and they wanted to impress each other. These were the ones who tended to use the "center of God's will" conversations.
So finding our purpose, is it a journey or is it a goal? I guess a little of both. Once you find your purpose, it simplifies your life because you can drop all the other unimportant things in your life and you can concentrate on living that life. It helps you say "no" to other things that just clutter up and make you busy but not productive. It doesn't guarantee success in life. At least not in the world's definition of "success". But if you know that you are being obedient, you don't look for success, you just look to obey... That is what God is looking for from us.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Closer & Closer
Last week we sent our Dossier to DC to be authenticated by the Secretary of State and then the Ethiopian Embassy. It will be returned to our adoption agency. We have to send them a check for the balance of what we owe them (which is a LOT).
We found out that the NC State Department of Health and Human resources sent our paperwork to the wrong INS office. They were kind enough to give us a call and honestly explain what happened. That's a rarity in life - people taking responsibility for errors. So we'll have to wait longer to have our fingerprints done. Thankfully that won't hold up the other paperwork. The fingerprint approval meets up with the dossier in Ethiopia somehow.
After the adoption agency receives our dossier, they send it to Ethiopia to be translated and submitted to the court system there...then we wait. The court system has been closed for about 2 months, so our dossier will be put into the pile of cases waiting for the system to start chugging along again.
Waiting...waiting...waiting.
We found out that the NC State Department of Health and Human resources sent our paperwork to the wrong INS office. They were kind enough to give us a call and honestly explain what happened. That's a rarity in life - people taking responsibility for errors. So we'll have to wait longer to have our fingerprints done. Thankfully that won't hold up the other paperwork. The fingerprint approval meets up with the dossier in Ethiopia somehow.
After the adoption agency receives our dossier, they send it to Ethiopia to be translated and submitted to the court system there...then we wait. The court system has been closed for about 2 months, so our dossier will be put into the pile of cases waiting for the system to start chugging along again.
Waiting...waiting...waiting.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Hiding in Plain sight.
I read through so many blogs; blogs of people who have visited us; blogs of people a lot like us and some not like us. What I've found in too many of them is people hiding in plain sight. Some go so far as to not say their names or even use initials. They leave out where they live, where they're from, what they do or anything remotely able to identify themselves. Our own daughter doesn't want to be specifically identified on our blog. If we do it is to be only by her first initial (the same goes for those of our grandchildren). When she and her husband posted pictures of their son's t-ball practice they blurred out the names on their little t-shirts. So I went back and scrubbed their names out. What's next, blur out all of the faces like they do on Cops (not that I watch Cops, mind you!)
Sad. I'm sad that we live in that kind of world. I'm also perplexed as to what I feel I should do. Should I go back through all my posts and "scrub" them of all of our names? How do I share the wonderfulness of where I live without telling people where I live. How do I share about the wonderful people in my lives? Or should I rely on God, who says He is my protector and will always be with me? If I "scrub" up, I feel like I'm telling God that He can't protect me. If I just go on as usual, I feel like I'm thumbing my nose at the whoevers out there that are plaguing our world so much that we all run and hide from them. I feel like I'm challenging them to a duel. They have such a strangle hold on this world that we have to tell our stories and change the names to protect the innocent.
There's right and there's wrong. We all have rights, etc. But, as I once heard, "The right of right of way doesn't mean a thing until after you get out of the hospital."
What do you think?
Sad. I'm sad that we live in that kind of world. I'm also perplexed as to what I feel I should do. Should I go back through all my posts and "scrub" them of all of our names? How do I share the wonderfulness of where I live without telling people where I live. How do I share about the wonderful people in my lives? Or should I rely on God, who says He is my protector and will always be with me? If I "scrub" up, I feel like I'm telling God that He can't protect me. If I just go on as usual, I feel like I'm thumbing my nose at the whoevers out there that are plaguing our world so much that we all run and hide from them. I feel like I'm challenging them to a duel. They have such a strangle hold on this world that we have to tell our stories and change the names to protect the innocent.
There's right and there's wrong. We all have rights, etc. But, as I once heard, "The right of right of way doesn't mean a thing until after you get out of the hospital."
What do you think?
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
CALLED
A quiet moment at home (notice no one is watching the TV)
WE have been called-
Mark 9:35-38 Reads...35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” 36 Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.”
Juan and I have been called to adopt. We know this, both of us in different ways see what God wants us to be doing. Sometimes people that we know, and some of our family- really do not understand. But when God asks you to do something, He gives you the strength, love and the want/will to it.
It is because of this call that we have been abundantly blessed with each of our children at home today. Looking at my children that are at home- I am the most blessed mother-- they are four of the most loving, generous and beautiful children I have ever seen. Dylan was too young to remember his life before coming home to us and the other three often tell us bits and pieces of things they experienced in their past life in Ethiopia. A past that seemed absent of hope. A past that was nearly void of nutrition. A past that was void of a parent's love.
Three of our four at home have come to know Jesus as their own personal Savior since they have come home- That says it all for me- WE are doing what Jesus wants us to do--
I feel like the luckiest Mom on earth and sometimes can't understand why people find it so odd we continue to bring more children home. We are not following our will, but the calling He has placed on our lives to love each of the children He has brought into our home. God is using each of them in a special way. God is building traits in each of our children that will be used for His glory as they grow-up. God is building traits in us as their parents that could only come from having each of the children He has blessed us with. God has shown me personally that all things are possible with Him. There is no way I could do this without His grace, joy and love daily.
Being a bit older than the average mother of kids that are 7, 9, 13,and 15 soon to add an 8, another 9 and an 11 year old -- It is hard work, and I do get tired- doing laundry, make meals, clean-up with them. -- only God can pull this off! Not everyone is called to have a large family. Not everyone is called to be a parent. Not everyone is called to adopt. But when you hear your calling to "go", GO! It will not only bless those whom you are called to serve, but it will bless you.
Every one of us is called to help the orphans and widows. We are called to take care of each other and be the hands and feet of Jesus here on earth. How will they know we are His? They will know by how we love one another.
Guatemala has closed its doors to all US adoptions and there are thousands of children who will not have the opportunity to live in an orphanage, or a forever family, let alone live to see the age of 2. This breaks our hearts; especially after seeing the reality of life for those in villages where children walk the streets without shoes, dirty, eating scraps they found in the trash and knowing there is no clean water within miles of their homes.
Compassion International is help that is being brought to the villages for the forgotten children. There is hope and through organizations like this we can all make a difference in a child's life - one child at a time. I pray you will consider sponsoring a child in Guatemala.
There are over 4.3 million orphans in Ethiopia today.
Jesus loves the little children of the world...
The total number of orphans worldwide is projected to reach 44 million by 2010
Deuteronomy 10:17-19 For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe. He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Deuteronomy 24:19-21 “When you reap your harvest in your field, and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean it afterward; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow.
Psalm 10:18 To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,That the man of the earth may oppress no more.
Psalm 82:3 Defend the poor and fatherless;Do justice to the afflicted and needy.
Isaiah 1:17 Learn to do good; Seek justice. Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.
Zechariah 7:10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, The alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart Against his brother.’
I hope as I continue to share all that God has done for our family through the lives of the children He brought to us, that your heart is touched and you begin to ask the Lord how you can be used for His glory to help the forgotten children around the world today!
I used a lot of this from my friend Jill, but it is truly the cry of my heart- and the personal facts of of our family and children. I am pleading that the body of Christ comes together to help.
Blessings
Pam for all of the Johnsons - here and on their way here......
Things I've learned in this journey
- Patience is not a gift - it is a by-product of going and growing through life's experiences
- Each of our adoptions has been for different reasons, and I couldn't figure out why, until I realized that it was because we were growing closer to understanding God's heart more and more. (Not even close to being there, but closer than we were before)
- I have less fear with each adoption, not more - Jesus helps me overcome them little by little.
- Once I settled on the fact that we will never have any money, it was easier to surrender it all up and just let God do the worrying about it. If He's not worried, I'm not worried. If He starts worrying, than we all have something to worry about.
- Adoption is not for everyone. Every part of the body is needed, and not all can be the mouth or the ear. No part is more important than the other. But all the parts need to help each other in order for the whole body to work successfully.
- Pride is a real creature that has to be fought daily. I have to fight mine every minute.
- Once you get past the fears, you can imagine yourself doing anything. Pam's already talking about more kids. Is she crazy?!? No, just past the fear. Scary, huh?
- I don't love my chosen kids any more or any less than my biological kids. I love them all differently for different reasons. I still don't understand that yet, but I realize it.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Wow!
I found that You Tube on someone else's Ehtiopian Adoption blog. This song blows me away, because it tells my heart.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Continuing on...(Part 4)
After a couple of days of sight seeing in Beijing, we split up into groups going to different parts of China where our children lived (close, but not to the actual cities/towns). DJ was from the Hunan Province in a city called Lodi (I'm not sure of the spelling) it was about a 5-6 hour drive away.
The trip from Beijing to Guango was short, thankfully. The most memorable part was watching the people who were obviously taking a plane ride for the first time. Seats were not assigned, so when we headed to the plan people ran to the plane in rush. Maybe they figured there were more people than seats. Then it was a struggle for the flight attendants to get everyone buckled in. The people were either unable or unwilling to comply. Once the plane started down the run way a bunch jumped up from their seats and ran to windows to watch the the takeoff. The flight attendants had to yell out for them to keep their seats (I'm assuming since it was all in Mandarin).
Well, we get to Guango, get to our hotel and we get Fujian Lo, that night. He was all ours. Ton's more paperwork, a trip to another city for more processing and then home. I've mentioned a lot of this in previous posts.
DJ was a very happy little toddler; and he's still a very happy little boy. His limited environment made for interesting times when we first got home. He'd never seen grass before and was afraid to step on it in fear that it would be like the water at the pool - he'd sink right through it. He screamed the first few times we put him in a car seat. We had to ween him from having the TV on all the time. The hardest thing was getting him to eat anything other than rice, egg, and noodles.
We had our granddaughter spend the summer with us, the following summer and that was a God send. He idolized this "big girl" and would do whatever she did, ate what she ate, watched what she watched. She was the big girl on campus, so whatever she wanted and said was gold for him. By the end of the summer, he had expanded his diet choices 50 fold.
But, the following summer, she had a rude awakening. DJ had been with us for two years by then, and when she tried to assert her superiority over him, she got serious push back. It was HIS house now and he wasn't playing second fiddle to some girl who didn't live there. It was hilarious. When she tried to commandeer Grandma's time or attention or choices, DJ objected. She said, "Well she's MY grandma!" To which DJ proudly responds, "Yeah, but she's MY MOM!" We could only smile and say to ourselves, "Yup, we're a family."
More later.
The trip from Beijing to Guango was short, thankfully. The most memorable part was watching the people who were obviously taking a plane ride for the first time. Seats were not assigned, so when we headed to the plan people ran to the plane in rush. Maybe they figured there were more people than seats. Then it was a struggle for the flight attendants to get everyone buckled in. The people were either unable or unwilling to comply. Once the plane started down the run way a bunch jumped up from their seats and ran to windows to watch the the takeoff. The flight attendants had to yell out for them to keep their seats (I'm assuming since it was all in Mandarin).
Well, we get to Guango, get to our hotel and we get Fujian Lo, that night. He was all ours. Ton's more paperwork, a trip to another city for more processing and then home. I've mentioned a lot of this in previous posts.
DJ was a very happy little toddler; and he's still a very happy little boy. His limited environment made for interesting times when we first got home. He'd never seen grass before and was afraid to step on it in fear that it would be like the water at the pool - he'd sink right through it. He screamed the first few times we put him in a car seat. We had to ween him from having the TV on all the time. The hardest thing was getting him to eat anything other than rice, egg, and noodles.
We had our granddaughter spend the summer with us, the following summer and that was a God send. He idolized this "big girl" and would do whatever she did, ate what she ate, watched what she watched. She was the big girl on campus, so whatever she wanted and said was gold for him. By the end of the summer, he had expanded his diet choices 50 fold.
But, the following summer, she had a rude awakening. DJ had been with us for two years by then, and when she tried to assert her superiority over him, she got serious push back. It was HIS house now and he wasn't playing second fiddle to some girl who didn't live there. It was hilarious. When she tried to commandeer Grandma's time or attention or choices, DJ objected. She said, "Well she's MY grandma!" To which DJ proudly responds, "Yeah, but she's MY MOM!" We could only smile and say to ourselves, "Yup, we're a family."
More later.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Continuing Our Original Story...(Part 3)
We continued our adoption process which included changing some of our paper work to include older children because our original set had infants to 2yrs. Within the next year my job moved us from Louisville KY to Cedar Rapids Iowa to Charlotte North Carolina. I was working for an insurance company at the time. By the time we finally got our notice that we were to go pick up our new son in China I had lost that job just a few weeks before our flight.
Imagine the stress of that - a baby coming, a major trip half way around the world, and no job! Well, as a silver lining, I did get to spend some extended quality time with Pam and DJwhen we got home. We spent 3 weeks in China. We saw the Great Wall, Tianamen Square, The Summer Palace, a pearl factory, a silk embroidery factory, a couple of museums, and tourist shops galore. Unfortunately we didn't have a digital camera back then so all of our pictures in in books or frames around the house. I would love to share them here.
The Great Wall was more amazing in real life, of course. What's not apparent are the steps you walk up and down along the tops of the wall. There are a gazillion of them and they're not uniform in size so you can't set a rhythm. The rises range from only a few inches to around 2 feet with no rhyme of reason as to what the one step will be after the other. I considered myself rather fit (not an athlete by any stretch mind you), but I was absolutely exhausted by the time we got back to the bus.
Going around doing all the tourist stuff was fun. As you walked around there were plenty of people selling their wares. Mostly tourist trap stuff like cheap toys, tissues, post card and the like, but hey it's an honest living. We learned a lesson in that if you didn't want to be swarmed with vendors, you had to ignore the first person who approached you. You couldn't even acknowledge that he/she was there. If you so much as looked down to see what was in their hands, you were pegged as interested and 20 others would run over and they all pressed in with their stuff in hand. One person in our party thought it would be funny to tell one of the vendors that I had lots of money and wanted to buy something. He pointed at me and I was swarmed like ants on a dead grasshopper. All I could do was scream over their heads and hands, "I'm gonna get you for this!!" It was hilarious.
More later...
Imagine the stress of that - a baby coming, a major trip half way around the world, and no job! Well, as a silver lining, I did get to spend some extended quality time with Pam and DJwhen we got home. We spent 3 weeks in China. We saw the Great Wall, Tianamen Square, The Summer Palace, a pearl factory, a silk embroidery factory, a couple of museums, and tourist shops galore. Unfortunately we didn't have a digital camera back then so all of our pictures in in books or frames around the house. I would love to share them here.
The Great Wall was more amazing in real life, of course. What's not apparent are the steps you walk up and down along the tops of the wall. There are a gazillion of them and they're not uniform in size so you can't set a rhythm. The rises range from only a few inches to around 2 feet with no rhyme of reason as to what the one step will be after the other. I considered myself rather fit (not an athlete by any stretch mind you), but I was absolutely exhausted by the time we got back to the bus.
Going around doing all the tourist stuff was fun. As you walked around there were plenty of people selling their wares. Mostly tourist trap stuff like cheap toys, tissues, post card and the like, but hey it's an honest living. We learned a lesson in that if you didn't want to be swarmed with vendors, you had to ignore the first person who approached you. You couldn't even acknowledge that he/she was there. If you so much as looked down to see what was in their hands, you were pegged as interested and 20 others would run over and they all pressed in with their stuff in hand. One person in our party thought it would be funny to tell one of the vendors that I had lots of money and wanted to buy something. He pointed at me and I was swarmed like ants on a dead grasshopper. All I could do was scream over their heads and hands, "I'm gonna get you for this!!" It was hilarious.
More later...
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Another Step Closer!!
Yesterday we received one the the greatest pieces of mail that Prospective International Adoptive Parents want to see - the copy of the letter to the INS saying that our family is approved to adopt! This comes from the Department of Social Services and says that we've done all that we need to do to "prove" that we're prepared to take in these children.
Now we send up our dossier into CWA, our adoption agency, to proof the file for errors and omissions. From there we send it up to the State Department in DC and then directly over to the Ethiopian Embassy in DC. From there it goes back to CWA, who sends it over to Ethiopia. We've been tentatively told that we could be looking at mid-December!!
Merry Christmas!!
This was their first Christmas with us. We'd had them with us only 5 months by then. We were living in Ft. Mill South Carolina.
Last night Pam and I were talking about that prospect and we know that we shouldn't put too much stock in a date because nothing ever goes according to schedule. But, I'm thinking about the possibility of having them here for their first Christmas and all the other kids being off for Christmas break (not Winter break, to be politically incorrect). They would have the two weeks to spend all day with each other without the interuption of the school schedule. Of course that would give them an interesting outlook on what life is like in America - is it Christmas all year round here? :o)
Pray people, pray!
To continue (Part 2)
But to continue...
While we were living in KY, we began looking into adopting a child. We were fairly certain that we didn't want an infant, though we wouldn't have turned one down. We first looked into the state run foster/adoption services. There are so, so many children in this system. What tore our hearts more than anything was to see so many older teens looking for forever families. There were kids as old as 17 who have probably been languishing in the system for years.
After going through the processes, and actually applying to adopt children, it never seemed to work out. Several times we had gotten to the stage of being considered among several parents, and another set of parents were chosen. Our age was a factor that we had to get used to. A couple of times, we were even given the opportunity to adopt through a private agency and the birth mothers either chose to keep their children (We pray that this was even a greater blessing for the child) or chose a younger couple.
After a few of these heart wrenching episodes, we decided to pursue international adoption.There are trade-offs for everything. The paperwork is about the same volume or more than foster/adoption, though each country has its on criteria. The cost can be significantly higher and each country has their own costs. After much prayer and looking at the criteria, costs, and length of processes for each country, we settled on China. One other country's system turned us down because we were a bi-racial couple. (Can you believe that?).
We found A Helping Hand, an international adoption agency in Lexington KY. We then began the "Paper Dragon". Wow it absolutely boggles the mind the amount of paperwork and the amount of hassle it takes. You have to provide a thorough background, which for us was a little involved because we'd moved around so much in our adult lives. You do a home study which combines, the background, character references, job references, financial status, health history and status, and self evaluation. Then a social worker visits with us at our home and at their office a couple of times. They then put together a report and give their opinion on our viability as parents. All this paper work must be signed, counter signed, notarized, and then sealed by the Secretary of State. (I'm sure Condolessa Rice is sitting down signing all these documents - NOT. Rubber stamped).
Because we were adopting from China, we were assured that we would be adopting a girl and we asked for child as young as available. Everyone takes it for granted that a Chinese adoption will be a girl because it seems about 95% of the orphans are girls. As a lesson in culture, it is not that the Chinese value girls less, it's because they have no retirement system like we do here in the States. It is the responsibility of the child to care for their parents. If you are only allowed one child - as is the law currently throughout most of China - and that child is a daughter, she will grow, marry and live with her husband. He will care for his parents, but will be ill prepared to care for hers as well. So the parents want a son - to care for them in their old age. That's the general sense of it.
One week we visited family in the DC area. It just so happens that it was on 9/11 when we returned. Yes, that 9/11. Because Pam and I happened to be listening to CD's the whole way we knew nothing about it until later. There were a bunch of phone messages on our machine when we got home that afternoon. We had apparently gone around DC not too long before the one plane crashed into the Pentagon. There were frantic voices asking about our safety and well being. We were clueless; probably a good thing at the time. We had thought it was odd that the flag at the KFC headquarters was at half staff. When we got home our water was off and I saw some men working in the street so I went out to ask how long it would be. Outside one of the trucks I overhead a radio announcer say something to the effect of "...no one has claimed responsibility for the attack". I went home and turned on the TV. When I saw the image of the plane going into one of the Trade Towers, I thought it was just a commercial for some stupid movie. That was until I figured out the video was on every channel and they kept showing it over and over. We figured out that at time that this happened, we were probably somewhere new Quantico. So ten years from now when people ask "where were you when..?", we can shiver in the thought that we just missed being eye witnesses.
When we picked up our mail at the post office that day, we received a letter from A Helping Hand that included a photo list of Waiting Children. These children were those that the agency was trying to strum the heartstrings of adopting parents. They are generally older and/or had medical problems of some sort. In the adoption world, healthy babies are first choice. As Pam and I were looking over the pictures of these little ones, we saw this little cherub with the cutest tiny pout and we both instantly pointed at him -him! FujianLo, a little boy about 2 years old. He was born with a cleft palate. We found out that he'd had the first surgery to close the lip by a Surgeon from Operation Smile. (More about that later) We thought that he was so cute, and the letter had been sitting in the post office for so long, he was probably already "taken". We called A Helping Hand the next day anyway. God is great!! He had not been chosen yet and we told them that he was ours now.
To be continued.....................
While we were living in KY, we began looking into adopting a child. We were fairly certain that we didn't want an infant, though we wouldn't have turned one down. We first looked into the state run foster/adoption services. There are so, so many children in this system. What tore our hearts more than anything was to see so many older teens looking for forever families. There were kids as old as 17 who have probably been languishing in the system for years.
After going through the processes, and actually applying to adopt children, it never seemed to work out. Several times we had gotten to the stage of being considered among several parents, and another set of parents were chosen. Our age was a factor that we had to get used to. A couple of times, we were even given the opportunity to adopt through a private agency and the birth mothers either chose to keep their children (We pray that this was even a greater blessing for the child) or chose a younger couple.
After a few of these heart wrenching episodes, we decided to pursue international adoption.There are trade-offs for everything. The paperwork is about the same volume or more than foster/adoption, though each country has its on criteria. The cost can be significantly higher and each country has their own costs. After much prayer and looking at the criteria, costs, and length of processes for each country, we settled on China. One other country's system turned us down because we were a bi-racial couple. (Can you believe that?).
We found A Helping Hand, an international adoption agency in Lexington KY. We then began the "Paper Dragon". Wow it absolutely boggles the mind the amount of paperwork and the amount of hassle it takes. You have to provide a thorough background, which for us was a little involved because we'd moved around so much in our adult lives. You do a home study which combines, the background, character references, job references, financial status, health history and status, and self evaluation. Then a social worker visits with us at our home and at their office a couple of times. They then put together a report and give their opinion on our viability as parents. All this paper work must be signed, counter signed, notarized, and then sealed by the Secretary of State. (I'm sure Condolessa Rice is sitting down signing all these documents - NOT. Rubber stamped).
Because we were adopting from China, we were assured that we would be adopting a girl and we asked for child as young as available. Everyone takes it for granted that a Chinese adoption will be a girl because it seems about 95% of the orphans are girls. As a lesson in culture, it is not that the Chinese value girls less, it's because they have no retirement system like we do here in the States. It is the responsibility of the child to care for their parents. If you are only allowed one child - as is the law currently throughout most of China - and that child is a daughter, she will grow, marry and live with her husband. He will care for his parents, but will be ill prepared to care for hers as well. So the parents want a son - to care for them in their old age. That's the general sense of it.
One week we visited family in the DC area. It just so happens that it was on 9/11 when we returned. Yes, that 9/11. Because Pam and I happened to be listening to CD's the whole way we knew nothing about it until later. There were a bunch of phone messages on our machine when we got home that afternoon. We had apparently gone around DC not too long before the one plane crashed into the Pentagon. There were frantic voices asking about our safety and well being. We were clueless; probably a good thing at the time. We had thought it was odd that the flag at the KFC headquarters was at half staff. When we got home our water was off and I saw some men working in the street so I went out to ask how long it would be. Outside one of the trucks I overhead a radio announcer say something to the effect of "...no one has claimed responsibility for the attack". I went home and turned on the TV. When I saw the image of the plane going into one of the Trade Towers, I thought it was just a commercial for some stupid movie. That was until I figured out the video was on every channel and they kept showing it over and over. We figured out that at time that this happened, we were probably somewhere new Quantico. So ten years from now when people ask "where were you when..?", we can shiver in the thought that we just missed being eye witnesses.
When we picked up our mail at the post office that day, we received a letter from A Helping Hand that included a photo list of Waiting Children. These children were those that the agency was trying to strum the heartstrings of adopting parents. They are generally older and/or had medical problems of some sort. In the adoption world, healthy babies are first choice. As Pam and I were looking over the pictures of these little ones, we saw this little cherub with the cutest tiny pout and we both instantly pointed at him -him! FujianLo, a little boy about 2 years old. He was born with a cleft palate. We found out that he'd had the first surgery to close the lip by a Surgeon from Operation Smile. (More about that later) We thought that he was so cute, and the letter had been sitting in the post office for so long, he was probably already "taken". We called A Helping Hand the next day anyway. God is great!! He had not been chosen yet and we told them that he was ours now.
To be continued.....................
Monday, September 15, 2008
Re posting from our original blog post
(Part 1)
We thought that is would be a nice idea to tell some of our story- the before!!
So, Here goes.......
We're reluctantly being pulled into the 21st Century with all the other Bloggers.
I'm sure that many families out there that consider themselves and their lives unusual and are using the Blogging media as a therapeutic release. What can it hurt, right? This first post will be a bit lengthy, but how else does one start a story, but to begin with the beginning and that takes a bit.So what makes us think that we are so "unusual" that others would be interested in reading about our lives and our thoughts?
Our family is made of an African-American husband/father (Juan), a Caucasian wife/mother(Pam), one Chinese son(DJ), and a set of one son and two daughters from Ethiopia. Those are just the children at home.
Pam has two daughters , both of whom are adults with their own children. So that's nine children between us.Juan was born and raised an Army brat, had his own Air Force career and is now an accountant. Pam was born and raised in Upstate New York and is now an accountant. We know, the epitome of excitement, huh?
We're actually not your run of the mill shy and reserved accountant types, we sort of just fell into these roles over a course of adventure or misadventure.As mentioned before, we've both been previously married but we technically didn't bring kids into the mix because they were either already adults or living with the ex. We met at work 11 years ago. Actually Pam interviewed me for a job and the rest is history in the making. When our relationship developed to the point of talking marriage I told Pam that I wanted children to be part of our lives. Hers were adults and mine lived half a nation a way, so that left a few options to explore. Giving birth to them was already out for both of us; so that left adoption and or foster parenting. We prayed about it and felt that adoption would be the best for our lives and for the children who would come into it.
To be continued...
(Part 1)
We thought that is would be a nice idea to tell some of our story- the before!!
So, Here goes.......
We're reluctantly being pulled into the 21st Century with all the other Bloggers.
I'm sure that many families out there that consider themselves and their lives unusual and are using the Blogging media as a therapeutic release. What can it hurt, right? This first post will be a bit lengthy, but how else does one start a story, but to begin with the beginning and that takes a bit.So what makes us think that we are so "unusual" that others would be interested in reading about our lives and our thoughts?
Our family is made of an African-American husband/father (Juan), a Caucasian wife/mother(Pam), one Chinese son(DJ), and a set of one son and two daughters from Ethiopia. Those are just the children at home.
Pam has two daughters , both of whom are adults with their own children. So that's nine children between us.Juan was born and raised an Army brat, had his own Air Force career and is now an accountant. Pam was born and raised in Upstate New York and is now an accountant. We know, the epitome of excitement, huh?
We're actually not your run of the mill shy and reserved accountant types, we sort of just fell into these roles over a course of adventure or misadventure.As mentioned before, we've both been previously married but we technically didn't bring kids into the mix because they were either already adults or living with the ex. We met at work 11 years ago. Actually Pam interviewed me for a job and the rest is history in the making. When our relationship developed to the point of talking marriage I told Pam that I wanted children to be part of our lives. Hers were adults and mine lived half a nation a way, so that left a few options to explore. Giving birth to them was already out for both of us; so that left adoption and or foster parenting. We prayed about it and felt that adoption would be the best for our lives and for the children who would come into it.
To be continued...
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
The past 2 weeks for me have been extremely frustrating. I am not one of those people that think that the devil is behind every tree, bush etc., but I do strongly believe that Satan is alive and well in this world trying to make every Christian fall. And fall hard. He wants to totally ruin our testimony and our lives. The thing is I have read to the end of the Book and we WIN- It has still been a hard couple of weeks.
I know that my God is on the throne in my heart and in Heaven, and I know that as His child, He is rooting for me to make the right choices. I am so glad that He is on my side.
We have started a 40 days of prayer at church about a week and a half ago. And I am praying for 15 minutes (above my normal quiet time) along with the rest of the body of believers. So there is prayer going on all 24 hours each day for the 40 days. I see this commitment as a direct correlation to the frustrating 2 weeks! When we are serious for God, Satan is seriously busy around our lives. I am so thankful for the blood of Jesus and that Satan is no longer in control of my life. He does however mess around it...
Several things for our adoption have taken a lot longer than I had planned. And we found out that there is an extra step in the paperwork that was not there for the last adoption, or the first adoption for that matter!! I want my new babies here, not there going hungry. (babies, 8,9 and 12!) This extra step may be as quick as 2 weeks, but most likely more like 2 months...
Another area of frustration for me has been getting the kids and myself back into the school routine. Each child has an extra after school "thing". For a couple of the kids it is everyday, good for them, bad for mom, and the other 2 the classes meet just one time a week. It is getting better each day, but by the time we get it all down pat it will probably be Thanksgiving break!
I guess my most frustrating part of my life is my weight issue. I have been watching my weight, in my case watching it go up- This summer, I have been very careful, and have been working on staying the same weight or losing some and it has been slow going and very frustrating. This 40 days of prayer has been good for me- It is making me stop at that time of day- and focus on the Lord. It is making me more mindful of the needs at the church. It has given me a great time of worship after the prayer time that I didn't take daily before, and it is refreshing for that time!
I am praying that the frustrating things will go easier in the next days. Thank you blog family and readers for your prayer support of us and the whole adoption process. Blessings...p
I know that my God is on the throne in my heart and in Heaven, and I know that as His child, He is rooting for me to make the right choices. I am so glad that He is on my side.
We have started a 40 days of prayer at church about a week and a half ago. And I am praying for 15 minutes (above my normal quiet time) along with the rest of the body of believers. So there is prayer going on all 24 hours each day for the 40 days. I see this commitment as a direct correlation to the frustrating 2 weeks! When we are serious for God, Satan is seriously busy around our lives. I am so thankful for the blood of Jesus and that Satan is no longer in control of my life. He does however mess around it...
Several things for our adoption have taken a lot longer than I had planned. And we found out that there is an extra step in the paperwork that was not there for the last adoption, or the first adoption for that matter!! I want my new babies here, not there going hungry. (babies, 8,9 and 12!) This extra step may be as quick as 2 weeks, but most likely more like 2 months...
Another area of frustration for me has been getting the kids and myself back into the school routine. Each child has an extra after school "thing". For a couple of the kids it is everyday, good for them, bad for mom, and the other 2 the classes meet just one time a week. It is getting better each day, but by the time we get it all down pat it will probably be Thanksgiving break!
I guess my most frustrating part of my life is my weight issue. I have been watching my weight, in my case watching it go up- This summer, I have been very careful, and have been working on staying the same weight or losing some and it has been slow going and very frustrating. This 40 days of prayer has been good for me- It is making me stop at that time of day- and focus on the Lord. It is making me more mindful of the needs at the church. It has given me a great time of worship after the prayer time that I didn't take daily before, and it is refreshing for that time!
I am praying that the frustrating things will go easier in the next days. Thank you blog family and readers for your prayer support of us and the whole adoption process. Blessings...p
Friday, September 5, 2008
Hurricanes are coming
This was on a stormy day. If you look close you'll see two ducks at the end of the pier, trying to take refuge. The dark border at the top is the Mainland across the sound from us.
This was taken from our bedroom, I love waking up to that everyday.
DJ and JJ playing in the sound during the summer. We have a HUGE pool, it has to be about 2 miles to the other side. ;o)The Please pray for all of us residents along the coast. Hannah and her boyfriend Ike are barreling toward the coastline. The people who have lived here on the OBX all of their lives are poo pooing Hannah, but are looking at Ike as a more serious threat. After Hannah goes through, I'm seriously considering boarding up for Ike. With our house only about 50 feet from the water, we foresee the possibility of water damage. But, we're sound side, so that may be some saving grace - I hope.
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