It happened.

It happened! It actually happened! Every once in a while you think, well, maybe it might. Just maybe. And then you think oh no, what if it does? What if it does happen? Maybe I should delete it. Maybe I should stop now. No, it's my choice, it's me, it's part of my ministry. It's part of my life and part of who I am and I want to use it to glorify God. In all ways I want it to glorify Him. And I want to be able to share what He has done. For He has done great things! I want to be able to show that children, hurting children, are adoptable and although it may not be the "normal life" that was previously hoped for, it's the life He wants for me and it is being used to shape me, mold us, and to once again totally glorify Him. It becomes an amazing journey, one hoped for and desired. That desire becomes so strong that you don't want to stop, you want to adopt more, for His glory, and you want to tell everyone about it and how good it can be. So I keep writing and I think, maybe it will happen. And then it does. You are worshipping at a new place and someone looks at you like they know you. You rack your brain as to whether or not you should know that person, they sure seem nice. Then, they come up to you eager to introduce themselves and smiling, announce they read your blog! Then you are grateful. Amazed. Humbled. You are glad you keep writing. You get a renewed sense of purpose and hope for great things to write about in the future. And you hope for a few minutes here and there to actually say the things on your heart. So, to my new friend Brandi--Thanks for reading and thanks for extending your friendship! I look forward to getting to know you more. And to the rest of you out there (because now I just know there are thousands;) I look forward to meeting you one day should the Lord provide the opportunity.

Memorial Day...thoughts.

On Friday I watched proudly as my cousin walked the stage at the Navy-Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland to accept his degree in Ocean Engineering and even more impressively, his commission into the United States Navy as a brand new Ensign. It has been 15 years since I watched my husband do the same thing. It was a walk down memory lane and a flood of memories encompassing 15 years worth of marriage, 12 of those years of military duty. I am proud of my cousin. It does not come as surprise to me that he chose this path. In our family, he is one of many. He takes his place in a long line of family members who have answered the call to protect our freedom. This does not make him a number, although he joins the now 76,000 who can call themselves USNA graduates. No, he is not a number, he is an Officer in the United States Navy. He wears his uniform proudly. He is not only an Officer, but a Believer in Jesus Christ and he will wear his duty well. His graduation stands in bright, colorful opposition to the Memorial Day that stands before us. In a video shown at church this morning, we saw a young girl, growing up without her Fallen Hero, her Daddy. The video, which I have now searched for too long, shows her at a young age learning to roller skate, celebrating her 14th birthday, graduating from High School, and getting married, while writing to her Daddy about each event, though he had died. Finally, she visits Arlington with her young daughter and explains the cost of freedom and that some things are worth the cost. I found myself unable to hold back the tears as names of fallen friends raced through my mind. My dear friend lost her husband three weeks before she gave birth to their first and only precious girl. My husband and I have lost many friends through the years and we do not forget them. Tomorrow is Memorial Day and they are forefront in my mind. They fought and died to protect our freedoms. After hearing the Blue Angels fly this past week, our local Librarian mentioned to me that she could not imagine hearing "that" and knowing that bombs were being dropped on her country. Almost all of our wars have been fought in places where we do not hear the pain or terror of bombs, gun fire, and fearful screams. They are fought far away, where you can ignore them. They are fought in places where you can call them not real, or unnecessary. They are fought in places where you can oppose them because the terror is not at your door. You do not have to call jet noise the sound of freedom. You get to call it entertainment. Men and women have died for you, for your freedom, and for your protection. You get to sleep well at night because they have your back. They choose to not let you down. They have died, not letting you down, keeping their promise, and hoping that you will continue to enjoy the freedoms for which their lives were given. On Memorial Day, remember them, thank their families for their sacrifice, and remember to thank a veteran while they are still alive to appreciate your words.

This is a picture of my husband leaving for what was
his final deployment.
I am so grateful to the Lord for His protection over Peter and that He has allowed us to live this life together, raising our kids for His glory,
and enjoying the freedoms which others continue to fight to maintain.

Confess and be healed.

I have a confession to make.

I micro manage baby wipes.

Weird I know.

But who wants all those baby wipes thrown all over the car after five children have eaten peanut butter and jelly with a side of lime tortilla chips?

You make a mess, you can ask for a wipe.

But I refuse to let you have free access to the wipes.

It's just a thing with me.

I have other things, but let's take this slow. One confession at a time.

What's your thing?

Lost tooth

John lost his other front tooth. Needless to say my older kids are singing a famous Christmas song about him. What do you think his apples will look like now?

Other things lost this week include one female hamster. Yet to be found. I am a little freaked out every time I pick up a load of laundry from the floor. Where could she be hiding? No sign of her anywhere. Perhaps she has fled the property due to my inability to really love her. I wonder how long before the other one leaves.

So that we remember.

Deuteronomy 8:18 (NIV)

¹⁸ But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.

Throughout scripture we are told to remember. I write this today in order to remember that my Lord is faithful to speak...when I am willing to listen.

Every once in a while something happens in your life that will be a memory to share with your grandchildren. In my case the something that happened will be retold to my children and to my children's children in order to glorify my Father in heaven. For the past two years Peter and I have felt the urge to move from our home and settle in a place where the children can run, our family can continue to grow and we can afford to live a simple life. God has always spoken to us about debt as well. We purchased cars we could afford with cash that we had saved for this purpose. If we use the credit card then we pay it off, in full, when the bill arrives. We always make sure we have the money in the bank before making any purchase. We use the cash system for groceries and clothing and when it is gone, it is gone. We do not put something on credit in order to have it right now. So, we do not have any debt...or do we?

We have a mortgage. For years we have not seen our house as debt. According to culture it is a tax write-off. "You don't want to pay off your house because it's a tax shelter." But this is worldly advice, not Biblical advice. God was speaking to us about this, but we were not positive about what we should do. So, we fasted and prayed. We fell on our faces before the Living God and asked for guidance. God is so good! He answered before we even had a chance to ask! We have been reading through the Bible with the children this year and this is where God had us for the day of our fast...His timing is perfect. His will is perfect.

His answer to our question of whether we should sell our house was this:

Nehemiah 5:1-5
Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their Jewish brothers. Some were saying, "We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain."
Others were saying, "We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine."
Still others were saying, "We have had to borrow money to pay the king's tax on our fields and vineyards. Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our countrymen and though our sons are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others."

We know this sounds ridiculous to many people. But God spoke so very clearly to us through this passage. He knew that this would be our reading for that day. He knew we would be fasting, seeking Him. He knows the plans He has for us. Are we hurting for money? No. Are we able to feed the kids? Yes. Can we pay the mortgage? Yes. God has blessed Peter with an incredible job! But He also spoke very clearly to us to sell our house as "our fields and vineyards belong to others." So, our house is up for sale. We do not have a sign in the yard. We have not listed it with an agent. We have not put it in the paper. But it is for sale and should someone come knocking on our door asking us if we would like to sell our house, then the answer is yes. Because God told us to. By the way, the sign will go in when we have the house ready to show.

If there is something that the Lord has been talking to you about but you are not totally ready to hear. Please consider fasting and praying and really listening to His voice so that it may go well with you too!

My day.

What I did not accomplish today:
laundry
paperwork
school planning
book reviewing
sewing
cabinet reorganizing


What I did accomplish today:
friend visiting
children playing
snack giving
lots of smiles
popsicle dripping
niece holding
husband phone chat
lots of swimming
sandy feet
meal sharing
laughter hearing
children baby hamster holding
now almost to bed

Modesty

Just because I did it, doesn't make it right. That is my thought as I continue to train my girls to be virtuous, modest, pure young women. Summer is approaching and we are entering that time when we will spend hours by the pool. As a teenager I wore bikinis. Just because I did it, doesn't make it right. I could still be wearing bikinis, but that is not what God has called me to. He has called us to be modest and to do whatever we can to help our fellow brother to not stumble (men to look, women to compare themselves-you know you do it!). Last year the girls and I wore skirted swimsuits and the girls had swim shirts as well. Although they are only 11 and 8, they need to be trained to be modest from the beginning, not just when their curvier parts start to really be noticed!

The following is a section of the February 24 post from Is This Modest. To read the entire article click here.

"I saw them, front and center, in my local retail store last week; those small colorful pieces of material that masquerade as clothing. The articles of clothing that somehow cause even Christians to justify undressing with the rest of the world simply because they have sand under their feet. Yes, you know what I’m talking about: swimsuits!

I must admit I felt a little dread inside when I saw them out of the corner of my eye. Now, most Americans that find swimsuits distressing find them that way because they don’t like how they look in them. Me, I found myself feeling unsettled when I saw them because this year I have a different decision to make than past years. You see my journey to modesty began just 4 months ago. In the past couple years I loved swimsuit shopping and the only decision making involved was what one complimented my figure and drew the most attention to the assets I wanted to draw attention to. Well, much has changed in the past few months. God showed me how impure my thinking was and how much the motives behind my clothing choices had been corrupted by the thinking of the world. I now embrace a new, modest standard of dress that brings me to a new decision to make: Is there even reason for me to own or wear a swimsuit this year? Certainly none of them I have seen meet the standard of coverage God has put on my heart. I wonder do I even need one?

You would think swim suits would be for actually swimming in..."

The wagon we fell off... Peter Quote

This morning during family devotions, directly after breakfast, while gathered around the dining room table.

Peter: "Daniel, get off your bike, come over here, sit down and eat your candy."


It has been almost a year since I posted about this.
Since Summer The Holy Days we have been gorging on nibbling bits of treats. It's a good thing we got Wii Fit for Christmas. Now we can shock ourselves carefully weigh in every day to ensure we are making better choices. Now, no more sugar...at least until the 3 birthdays coming up in February!

My house is shrinking

Yes, I am convinced. It's shrinking. The good news is we can move part of the stuff, or people, or maybe the Christmas tree out to the van, because frankly, it's huge. I l-o-v-e it! I was overwhelmed today with that same feeling that has been hitting me recently. We need more space, a better flow, room for the kids to run... My boys spent their day riding tricycles around the "circle" (hallway that connects the main living spaces of our house) while pulling their suitcases. They were playing "We are going to the airport!" Hmmmm, any idea where they might get that game idea? (See photo right.) I think the game might have been more fun and perhaps more quiet had they been in an unfinished basement. It's cold outside and we happen to live on a fairly busy street so no bike riding unless Mom is standing there and frankly I just didn't feel like doing that today. No, today I wanted to stay in my pjs, eat bon-bons and watch the snow fall. No, "they" don't make bon-bons anymore and yes, that is a proper noun and should thus be capitalized. Instead I got dressed and attempted a short schooling day in order to make up for all that we missed during our wonderful family reunion the past few weeks. I didn't accomplish much for school and I didn't eat bon-bons. I did get dressed and the snow fell for an hour. Beautiful. I remain thankful knowing that "He makes all things beautiful in His time." Ecclesiastes 3:11

Adoption: AFA Journal

This months issue of the AFA Journal had an article about adoption entitled, Like Father, Like Son, which included many informative links.

A quote from the article:

“A large number of Christians – at some point in their journey – consider adopting, but they don’t know where to go or who to trust in that process,” Sandberg said. “I always say to them: ‘Of course you would consider adopting. You’re just like your Father because He adopted you. If you’re a child of God, naturally you would want to reflect Him.’” Encountering the Father and becoming a true reflection of His glory is what it’s all about for His children.

I thought that was so neat. As we grow more in knowledge of and relationship to God, we want to reflect Him. Adoption is one way that people are called to reflect Him.

Sandberg also states:

“Adoption isn’t ministry,” Sandberg said. “Adoption is choosing to parent and choosing to love and calling a child my own, as God calls me His own. “So if you’re looking for a ministry, you shouldn’t adopt,” she added. “You should … care for orphans … [in some way].”

This statement is true in some ways, but in one specific way I disagree. Adoption is choosing to love and parent a child that is not biologically yours. It is treating that child like they are biologically yours in every way without being blind to their needs to discuss their adoption. In an adoption court hearing you swear to treat them "as if your own" including promising them their share of inheritance. Cool, huh? Adoption is not rescuing a child. It is not treating them like you are their great blessing or with an "if it weren't for me" attitude. But, it certainly can be a ministry. God has led our family to adopt through the foster care system. Children from the system have varied backgrounds and suffer huge, sometimes life-long, consequences due to other peoples behavior. But why do children get into the system in the first place? It is not typically due to their birth parents "choosing an adoption plan" for their kids. They are taken from their parents, usually due to their parents negative behavior (drugs, various abuse, neglect, homelessness, not protecting them from others). Due to the backgrounds of some of the children from the system I think it can be a ministry. However, it must be balanced. An adoptive parent must make sure they are loving, nurturing, disciplining, caring for, feeding, teaching and discipling their children. You can't spend each day looking at your child as a ministry, but some days certainly can feel that way. Each day must be loving them completely in order to bring them to complete healing through Christ. I can do nothing apart from Him. I can't even love my children completely but for Christ.

Adoption poll is soon to end...

I have had my adoption poll on my sidebar for almost a year. It is amazing how quickly the time went. If you haven't voted, please do so. My purpose in asking those specific questions was to understand who I may be reaching through my blog that I may encourage you, answer questions and just be here should you decide to adopt. So, my poll is ending and I am kicking off my adoption posts. I want to point you in the direction that you may need to go in order to pursue what God has placed on your heart. If He has not shown you that His plan for you is to adopt, please don't leave! Read along with us and see where our discussion may take you. I welcome questions, so feel free to post them in the comments section of the latest post and I will answer. You may even give me motivation for an in depth posting.

Although this is the official "kick off" to talking in depth. I kind of started on Friday when I posted about our sweet Daniel and his retelling of his adoption story. If you haven't read it, please read below or if you are joining us late, click the link above.

I hope you enjoy reading my thoughts and encouragement to you. Stay tuned!

I've been tagged...

Ashley over at HelpMeetInTraining has tagged me.

Here are my instructions:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 (ok, I am only doing 6 and out of those I don't want you to feel pressured or annoyed, ok?!) people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Kristen facts:

1. I attended 7 different colleges before finally getting my degree. I was a junior at the college that I thought I would graduate from when I met and married my wonderful husband. When he asked, my Dad said, "Yes, as long as you promise she will finish her degree." I did, but I have a feeling my father didn't think I would because that promise took MANY years to fulfill as we traveled around the country. I did it Dad!

2. Peter was in the Navy when we married. We moved 11 times in the 12 years that he was active duty. Some of those moves were within the same city. I have many different size curtains.

3. Some thought we were crazy when we moved 6 houses down the street from my parents upon Peter's entrance into civilian life. We didn't think we were as we have a great relationship with them! I feel so sad for people who don't have good relationships with their parents and in-laws...

4. In the winter I love my crockpot.

5. I take mommy minutes. They are not what you think! I hide in the pantry and eat chocolate chips right out of the bag. I don't know how many, 20, 40 maybe, and then I am reset and ready to take on the rest of my day. Shhh, don't tell.

6. My favorite color growing up was purple and people still think it is, so they buy me purple stuff!

7. When I don't have the kids with me at the grocery store I buy myself something at the impulse aisle--something chocolate and really yummy--and then I leave the wrapper tucked into the steering wheel so that Peter will have a good laugh. He always does! Shhh, don't tell the kids!


I am tagging:
The Peterson Clan
A Second Generation of Homeschooling
50 Toes
Quilt of Grace
Steppin' Heavenward
Sadlier Adventures