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A new video from our agency, America World Adoption.

Part 2 - Let Your Heart Be Broken - James 2:17

I promised last night that I would explain the random title of the post and how it correlated with saving money.

Like I stated yesterday, I love to read. I am therefore also emotionally connected to books. Truly, I am emotionally connected. I almost never get rid of them. I am willing to lend, but (thanks to a thoughtful friend) they are each stamped with a lovely "From the library of Colleen Daigle" stamp.

While we are going through the process of adoption, I have promised to not buy any books. This has been especially hard, but I have stuck to it pretty closely. After I completed the James Bible study by Pam Gibbs, I squashed the desire to run out and buy another Bible study by relying on something that I heard during the Senior Adult Retreat that our church hosted in the fall. Yes, Larry and I did attend the Senior Adult retreat. All of the church staff and their spouses were invited to attend. It was wonderful to soak up wisdom and I would love to go again. One of the women that spoke, shared about her daily quiet time and how she always starts by reading a hymn from one of the older hymnals. She went on to point out that each of the hymns has a scripture reference under the title.

BINGO!!! Who needs to buy a devotional/Bible study when there are 734 hymns, responsive readings and benedictions in the hymnal, each with a nugget of scripture attached to ponder, stew in and soak up? By going through one per day, I have 2.01095 years worth of devotionals without spending a penny! Isn't that just perfect, considering our adoption agency recently announced that the wait times have been extended to 18-24 months?! ***Please note, I did not steal a hymnal. I have one from one of the churches where we attended which purchased all new hymnals and encouraged each of the members to take one of the old ones homes. Just sayin'!***

An added bonus in all of this came about 3 weeks into my hymnal/devotional journey. Larry came home with a piano one afternoon. Just like that. He just showed up, as if it was as common as the mail. We hadn't discussed my current quiet time literature. He just happened to have a piano donated to the youth group garage sale and knew that I had always wanted one. So, for the bargain price of $100, he bought me a piano. (Just a little FYI, he also sold 2 more pianos...one for $25....so, we paid a fair price...don't be judging!)

The advent of the piano kind of messed up my method of going through the hymn in numerical order. As a little girl, I took piano lessons for several years. So, I was completely distracted from my first plan and took a new approach determined by what key I could sit down and play first. I started hopping around from page to page...willy-nilly style.

I stumbled on this precious jewel. The reference is to James 2:17.

In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Let Your Heart Be Broken

by Bryan Jeffrey Leech

Let your heart be broken for a world in need.

Feed the mouths that hunger,

Soothe the wounds that bleed,

Give the cup of water and the loaf of bread.

Be the hands of Jesus, serving in His stead.

Here on earth applying principles of love,

Visible expression

God still rules above,

Living illustration of the Living Word,

To the minds of all who've never seen or heard.

Add to your believing deeds that prove it true.

Knowing Christ as Savior,

Make Him Master, too.

Follow in His footsteps, Go where He has trod.

In the world's great trouble, risk yourself for God.

Let your heart be tender and your vision clear.

See mankind as God sees,

Serve Him far and near;

Let your heart be broken by another's pain,

Share your rich resources...Give and give again.  

Gorgeous, is it not?! The words were written by Bryan Jeffery Leech. When those stanzas are read and then compared with the scripture in the second chapter of James, I am overwhelmed by the notion that risking ourselves for God, giving, giving again and serving others as a "living illustration of the Living Word" can only be accomplished by putting our faith in Him.

All of the money-saving, coupon-clipping, book-reading, webinar-watching, Karyn Purvis-listening in the world won't accomplish anything, if I am not relying fully for God's patience, provision and protection in this process. While I am still doing all of those things, I am not sure that we could endure this process without absolute confidence that God had put a burden for a world in need in our hearts and more specifically, for a little boy in Ethiopia.

May we be constantly reminded that Jesus is not just our Savior, He is to be our Master, too. Please, Lord, help me to risk myself for You. I want to be a living illustration of Jesus to people who haven't seen or heard. I want to let my heart be broken.

Part 1 - Let Your Heart Be Broken - James 2:17

Like so many adopting mommas, my brain is constantly partially focused on our adoption...even if I am dealing with/planning for/thinking about something that has nothing to do with adoption. Please...if you understand what I mean, comment. Don't leave me hanging here thinking that I'm alone in my bizarre state!

One of the classic symptoms is that I have to, Have To, HAVE TO buy everything at a discount. My already weird couponing habits are nearly out of control (only on things that we really use). We've cut our eating out to a miniscule portion of the budget. Speaking of budgets, Good Ol' Dave R would be so proud! We've paid off all of our credit card debt (which wasn't too bad) and should be done with our car payment soon. That will leave us with only our mortgage payment in the debt column! Yee-haw!

If you've been around me, you know that I love to read. It's nearly as overwhelming as the couponing. Hello!!! I found a way to get books for free. Yes, I am aware of the library. But, I'm talking about new, pre-release books. www.bloggingforbooks.org. Check it out!

I also like to rearrange the furniture and redecorate rooms that have already been decorated and redecorated repeatedly. However, that tends to be a big budget buster....meaning that it's out of the picture at this point in time.

Does it stop me? Do you really think that it stops me? I am not dead, I'm just saving money like a crazy woman.

Finally, I couldn't take the heinous brass colored fixtures in our home any longer.

Eeewwwww!!! I just despise them. I'm sure that some number of years in the future, a sweet couple will buy this house and move all of their stuff in and then change all the fixtures to the new trendy brass. But, I'm thinking that's at least 50 years out. So, I did what any nerd would do...I made a spreadsheet.

I found the door handles that I want.

I wrote down the manufacturer, the item number, the UPC...I documented EXACTLY what I WANTED.

I then counted all of the doors in the house...29.

I figured in the different prices for dummy doors, privacy doors (locking) and the doors to the outside.

$874, plus tax. Ugh. I can't replace all of the door handles.

But, I can paint them!

For just $27, I have already painted the 11 doors that are downstairs.

I removed the hardware, sanded (don't skip this step) and then cleaned everything well. I punched holes into a cardboard box to hold the knobs and screws in place.

I primed everything.

Then painted them with this.

Much better! (The chalkboard on my pantry door was completely and unabashedly copied from Bethany's at What's Mine Is Yours. However, I did ask if I could copy it before doing so!)

Tomorrow, I'll post again. I promise! And, as an added bonus, I will tie the seemingly random title in with my money-saving madness! This post was just getting a bit too long to stand!

Donate to Ordinary Hero!

Feel like doing something super awesome today?

You can donate to Ordinary Hero to give Bibles in Amharic to children in Africa, give a blanket, a donkey, 1/2 a donkey and still help out our family raise adoption funds.

Check out the giving options through Ordinary Hero by clicking here.

When you check out, choose my name (Laurie Daigle) from the Affiliates list. Or, if you want to spread the love...choose my cousin's name (Chris Ryan). He and his wife are adopting from Ethiopia as well!

Ordinary Hero will then send a percentage of your donation straight to America World Adoption to help offset the many costs associated with our adoption.

Thanks!

Our Home Study Visit

Last night, we FINALLY had the in-home visit with our precious social worker.

I think that my angst prior to the visit was typical. I cleaned like a crazed woman. I fretted over things that typically don't even enter my thoughts. I imagined all sorts of bizarre comments that the boys could have made. I imagined my explanations for their imaginary bizarre comments. I feel like a nut. (However, sometimes I don't.)

The boys did a great job. They were well behaved and didn't make any of the bizarre comments over which I fretted. They were their normal, silly, happy selves. Joseph was well-spoken and excited. Jeremiah and Gideon would make little jokes with each other and randomly break out with giggles. Caleb sat quietly until someone mentioned our recent trip to San Antonio and SeaWorld. At that point, he made sure that everyone knew that he had taken the opportunity to ride the Shamu Express three times.

Larry and I had individual interviews, as well. Those were interesting. I'm really relieved that we have that visit behind us. I had made it into a much more dramatic issue in my mind. After she left, I was exhausted. It had been a whirlwind day. Not really, as far as reality is concerned. I had spent the day doing laundry and cleaning. I had Caleb and a sweet daughter of a friend. It rained. I cleaned. We played. But, there was a lot going on in my mind.

Once I was done for the day. I was ready for some restorative sleep. Guess what I dreamed about? I dreamed that Mike Holmes of Holmes on Homes came to inspect our home. Good grief, can you say "Vain Imaginations?"

I think at this point I am ready for the dreaded waiting period. At least then I can worry about our new little guy and things that truly matter, not just paper work and processes.

By the way, through this process, I have been doing the Bible study James: Faith Under Pressure by Pam Gibbs of LifeWay. I picked it up to go through before deciding whether to offer it as a Mother/Daughter study for the youth group programs during the summer. I just wanted to make sure that it was something that both adults and teen girls would benefit from going through.

I highly recommend this study.

***Testimonial Alert: I can't express how God has used this study (for teens) to work on my heart and prepare it for some of the obstacles that have been thrown in the path of our adoption/life over the course of the last 2 months. I didn't plan on grabbing a Bible study that day that we were "popping in" to the local LifeWay store for some Sunday school items. I hadn't planned on the bumps in the road that Larry and I are currently experiencing. But, God knew what was coming. He knew what I needed. He is awesome that way. I love Him. Who is like Him?***

Another, By The Way: If you click on the link for the study, there is an option to download a free sample. And, it just happens to be the week which spoke to my heart during the onset of a majorly bumpy section of the proverbial road of life. Enjoy!



Enough to make a momma cry...

I found this while I was cleaning out the boys' backpacks.

Yes, I cried.

Gone Postal

I'm pretty sure the lady at the local post office thinks me a lunatic.

I have happened to have the same postal worker each time that I have had to mail something for the adoption. It truly is odd, considering how many workers that there are and how often they take breaks. (Come on, you know it's true.)

A while back, I asked her if I could take her picture with the first two packages that went to the AWAA offices (1 to McLean, VA and 1 to Dallas, TX).

Later, I took her picture when I sent the package with all of our home study questionnaires and docs.

I took her picture today. It was the package going to the Authentication Unit at the Secretary of State's office in Austin.

Maybe I am a lunatic.

Maybe she will give a more genuine smile when I march in one day and ask to take her picture with our little guy. I hope it doesn't take so long that she's retired at that point.

Maybe.

Genesis 1:24 Reflecting on Monday (Part Two)

So, we spent the day at the Houston Zoo. I told you all that yesterday, right?

Here is the moment that stood out.

We were making our way through the relatively new Africa Forest when we came upon the strangest and sweetest thing. In the chimpanzee exhibit there are walls of glass that allow zoo guests the opportunity to observe the chimpanzees nose-to-nose, all while in a gorgeous educational facility that is air-conditioned (a plus in Houston).

At the window, was a group of twenty-somethings. I could be overestimating their age. They were terribly immature and crass. However, one of these fellows had captured the attention of a chimpanzee. From the Chimpanzee Family Tree page of the zoo website, I believe that this particular dearie was Sally.

She stood at the glass, pointed at her head and then pointed to the glass. The young man copied her every move. He was wearing a pair of ripped up jeans and had evidently tripped somewhere and scraped his knee quite severely. His knee was a bloody mess. She kept looking intently at that knee. He didn't pick up on it.

Our family stood there, watching the sweet compassionate chimpanzee check on the obnoxious moron with the bloody knee.

I piped up, "She's worried about your knee."

All of a sudden, it clicked for him. "Ohhh...she sure is!" He quickly propped up his foot on the wall so that she could see the wound better. She moved closer and kept looking at his knee. Then, she squatted down in front of him and pointed at her head again. (I'm pretty sure she wanted to know what on earth he was thinking!)

The doofus got bored before the chimpanzee and he moved on. Her gaze followed him across the window. When he moved out of sight, she got up and went to the next window and watched him leave.

Such compassion.

I hit Biblegateway.com and searched "compassion" in NIV.

Here is the verse that stood out.

You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

Micah 7:19

How many times has God been standing before me, waiting to show compassion, asking "What were you thinking?" How many times have I stood before Him, acted like an immature moron, and walked away?

Nehemiah 4:14 Reflecting on Monday (Part One)

Yesterday, the Daigles ignored all of our earthly responsibilities and went to the Houston Zoo.

We didn't plan on doing so, but instead awoke, ate, packed lunches and dropped the three big guys off to school. That is our usual start to a Monday. Once we delivered the big ones to school, Larry, Caleb and I went to a hole-in-the-wall for a late breakfast. (This is actually part of our regular Monday morning...grin!)

Where we diverted from the norm came on the way back to the house. We had run a quick errand and were commenting on the gorgeous day. "It's a zoo kinda day." Those were the words that Larry said as he looked out the windshield at the road taking us back to the house. "Yup." That was the word I said as I looked out at that same road.

We pulled into the drive way a few minutes later and Larry instructed me to pack a picnic. We were indeed going to make the most of this "Zoo Kinda Day".

The big guys were only at school for an hour and forty-five minutes.

As we made our way to the Houston Zoo, we took the most logical route, I-45. As we began to make our way south, I began to tweet our local paper.

What's going on at the Wilson Rd bridge over 45? Is it a protest?

A few moments later:

Same thing at the 1488 bridge.

After continuing down the interstate, we began to see that the north bound entrance ramps were blocked by police and state troopers, who were standing outside of their squad cars with their hands behind their back. As we went on, the empty north bound lanes were lined with firetrucks, ambulances, county vehicles, state vehicles and so on. Each parked at an angle with their respective drivers and crews standing with their hands behind their backs. A few were chatting, but there was obviously something big going on.

It must a funeral procession of a member of military or civil servant. 45 is lined with officers. It is a beautiful tribute.

We didn't get to see the procession pass. I had tears in my eyes though. I knew that someone deserving a great deal of honor and respect would be brought up that freeway at any moment. I was so proud of our city and county for the lengths they went to in order to pay respect and to uplift the family of this great person.

A little later, I received a reply from the local newspaper's Twitter account.

it's in honor of Willis Marine Cpl. Joseph Logan

At the zoo, with my four sons, I thought of the loss I would feel if it were one of them. What it I were following behind a hearse, carrying my precious son, and passing the miles of flags, spinning lights, respectful supporters? Never have I been so touched by what a community can do out of respect.

We are praying for the Logan family and we are so grateful that he was willing to fight for us.

I'm also thankful that his family got to bring him home on a beautiful "Zoo Kinda Day" and I pray that God will comfort them with the memories of those kind of days from his childhood as they continue to grieve their extremely great loss.
The Conroe Courier's article can be read here.

This is the day - Psalm 118:24

Happy New Year!

This morning, I mustered all of my will power and emerged from beneath the warm, heavy down comforter. We woke up to the first freeze of the year. Praise God, we woke up! (Isaiah 50:4)

As Larry and I were getting dressed, the family's smallest set of feet came padding down the hall. Caleb walked into the bedroom, eyes squinting at the light and smiling from ear to ear. "Hi, Daddy. Hey, Momma." He went straight to my side of the bed and snuggled into my pillow, all the while smiling.

Next came Gideon. Same squinting eyes and same broad smile. He went straight to Larry's side of the bed and crawled in.

Joseph and Jeremiah were still sleeping. I love waking up my babies. There is nothing more precious than rubbing those skinny backs and watching those eyebrows furrow. I love those first big, deep breaths and those first long stretches. I just love those boys with all that I have and all that I am.

I sang "This is the day, this is the day, that the LORD has made, that the LORD has made...." It bugs the fire out of them. But, they have Psalm 118:24 memorized. They will never forget it.

I'm so glad we all woke up this morning. It's a tiny, little detail. Minutia, really. But, had that one trivial bit of the day been different, there would be all manner of chaos in our home. I shudder to think of it.

God chose to wake me up today. He chose to give us this day of life. Not only that, but He did it on purpose. He did it so that we could learn something, so that we could do something. Not so that we could just go to work, do the laundry or complete assignments at school. He wants us to grow closer to Him and to bring others closer to Him. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.

I am sure that He loves to wake us up. I imagine that He loves those first big, deep breaths and those first long stretches. He loves us with all that He is, with all the I Am.

All of your sons...Isaiah 54:13 NIV84

All of your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be your children's peace. - Isaiah 54:13 (NIV84)

I love these pictures that were taken by Ashley Bell. You can find her contact information here. She was such a joy to hang out with for an afternoon of pictures. Aren't these pictures fun?

We are outside of the old Sparkle Ice plant in Conroe, Tx. It is now a reception hall/ice house. So, if someone tells you that they saw the youth minister and his family loitering around the ice house, it is true. But, it's only because the faded blue paint and all of the old brick is so dern gorgeous.

I think this one with the boys and their silly faces is my favorite. In fact, I would say that this is a pretty accurate snapshot of a typical day in the life of a Daigle.

I love this one, as well. I think my favorite part of this picture is Gideon's expression.

And check out this little guy.

Good grief, am I blessed or what?! We can't wait to have another Daigle in the picture with us!

Ashley, we'll be calling you again.

For everyone else that wants to call her...

A Romantic Blowout

I love Elizabeth George. I have read several of her books: A Woman After God's Own Heart, A Mom After God's Own Heart, A Woman's High Calling, Beautiful In God's Eyes, Breaking the Worry Habit...Forever. That's just a few.

I don't remember in which of her studies she mentioned the need for a date night for parents. However, in it she suggests putting the kids down early and preparing a separate meal for Daddy and Mom. What a great idea, especially when the added cost of paying a babysitter cuts into the savings needed to bring home an adopted child. So, I added it to the list of changes needed to save even more money for the adoption.

Wednesday night there were no activities at the church, because of Bethlehem City. I found this to be the perfect opportunity to implement our Daddy/Mom Dinner plan. So, Larry made the boys waffles. (He bought us this waffle maker about a year ago and it's fabulous!) While he was feeding them and getting them settled in upstairs for the night, I made us a separate dinner. Baked salmon, sauteed spinach with onions and some rice (brown, red and wild rice blend). It was marvelous. I even used the china and crystal. As I heard Larry getting them settled in the gameroom for a movie, I thought, "I have time to get out some candles." And, I did.

We had our meal. We lowered the lights, lit the candles and had quiet conversation over our delicious, non-hotdog, non-mac-n-cheese meal. After a while, however, our solitude melted. The boys got bored with the movie and started meandering about the house. We knew it would happen. Jeremiah came down the stairs and asked, "Why are those candles on the table?" Larry's response was as follows: "We are having a romantic dinner." Then, the question of the ages...

"After your romantic dinner, are you going to have a romantic blowout?"

Imagine me and Larry as we both pursed our lips to try to keep from exploding with laughter. What little boy wouldn't associate candles with blowing them out? That's their purpose, right?!

Oh, we couldn't contain ourselves too long. We eventually erupted with giggles. Larry headed back up the stairs with Jeremiah and tucked all four guys into bed. I did the dishes and contemplated the romantic blowout.

The term "blowout" could mean any number of things.

It could mean that our romantic intentions were blown to bits by something unexpected...I'm thinking tire blowout here. You know, as in "we were trying but the boys interrupted". It could be anything really, the boys, the dogs, the bills, the laundry. Anything can interrupt and cause the romantic blowout.

It could mean that our dinner was going to turn into a romantic extravaganza. Or, as we once heard it pronounced by a pizza delivery guy in New Orleans, "Extrava-GAHN-ZAH." He was just talking about pizza though. There was no mention of romance. Thank God.

The next day, Jeremiah asked, "How did your romantic dinner go, last night?" What a neat kid. We told him it was nice and continued on with the morning activities. The long and short of it is that life has some blowouts...good and bad, romantic or not. I am grateful, though, for the sweet time that we had at our breakfast table, with the boys upstairs. So many of our little tasks and brief moments are becoming sweeter in this adoption journey. If we hadn't been "saving money" we would have had a regular dinner at a busy, loud restaurant...with no mention (or hope) of A Romantic Blowout.

Holiday Mayhem

The holidays are upon us and we are soaking it up like a sponge!

We had a super Thanksgiving. On that fabulous smelling Thursday, we went to visit Larry's mom and step-father at their home. MamMaw and Poppa have the best place on earth to play outside. It is absolutely unrivaled. The boys planned out their own version of Mantracker for the month before we were there. The plan was for them to head out and hide, then Larry and I would assume our roles as the Mantracker. (If you haven't seen Mantracker, you obviously don't live in a house with 5 men.) Our nephew is 16 and he accompanied the boys in their hiding. We didn't stand a chance. We searched for what seemed an eternity. Larry and I lost. Completely. We will never live it down.

After a day of playing outside, riding four-wheelers, shooting BB guns and looking at new calves, we headed home. On Friday, we went the opposite direction and visited my grandparents. More fun! We played BINGO for prizes and had so much fun and chicken that we could barely function. We stayed in the area that night and then headed home (along with every other Texan, based on the traffic). We stopped off at the BassProShop in Katy, walked the entire mall, ate a Fuddruckers, talked with the most precious couple and compared our children's Bible names. Let me just add, that woman had the best hair I have ever encountered on earth. Gorgeous.

We are now in the home stretch for the Christmas holiday and the boys are counting down to the break. There are currently four Christmas trees in the house. What am I thinking?! We love it.

Update on Adoption Progress:

We had our physicals the week of Thanksgiving and just got all of those forms done and notarized. Our doctor's office was so excited and helpful. If everyone we meet on this journey is half as helpful as the staff at our doctor's office, we will be supremely blessed! Thank you, Dr. Nguyen and staff!

Give1Save1 - Wednesday

The total right now is $736!

Do you remember the scene from Facing The Giants when the main character is sitting in the living room with his head in his hands? You know, the scene where he gets the best news ever? He said, "I'm overwhelmed!"

I am overwhelmed. I could never have expected such gracious gifts to our Micah, to us, to our family.

I am overwhelmed.

Give1Save1 Update - Tuesday

So, today was our second day on Give1Save1.com. The total comes to $471 as of 7:55pm CST!

I can barely believe it! I can hardly stand it! I am so thankful to each of you who have given and are praying for our family.

Keep on praying!

To those of you who know my extended family...My mom heard from my dad this morning. He left Houston on 11/1 to go to Nigeria and then Sierra Leone to train pastors for upcoming projects through International Commission (where he is the VP of African Evangelism). We had not heard from him since he left, which is a little odd. This morning, he was finally able to call Mom. She said he was calling from a ferry, on the way to Freetown.

Keep on praying for Africa. Pray for Micah, in Ethiopia. Pray for the churches in/around Lagos, Nigeria. Pray for Sierra Leone. Pray for Dad to get home safely this weekend.

Thank you for checking in. I didn't cry today. This is actually surprising. But, I have a terrific headache and crying would have made it worse. So, I will probably compensate tomorrow. ;-)

Give1Save1

This week our family is being featured on Give1Save1.com!

I can't begin to tell you how humbled we are by this experience thus far. My phone keeps letting me know that I've got an email. Most of the day, those emails have been from PayPal, alerting me to a donation being made.

So far, I have cried in Lowe's, HomeDepot, the doctor's office, in my car, in our office and in my room.

If you can't tell or if you've never met me before...I am a crier. God didn't make Larry in this same fashion. However, after being married for 12 years (anniversary was yesterday), Larry knows just how to reach over and rub my shoulder to let me know that he would cry, too...if he was the type. What a great guy I have!!!

As of right now, you all have given $389! That's 1.3% of our total costs raised in just one day! I am overwhelmed!

My current favorite verse is Deuteronomy 10:21 NASB, which says, "He is your praise and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen." Amen and Amen!!!

I will keep the blog updated each evening with totals and more locations in which I cry! Just in case you're interested!!!

Dear Micah,

Am I a Kate Gosselin or a Michelle Duggar? Prov 14:1

Larry and I are TV junkies. Our kids are in bed promptly at 8pm...maybe 8:30pm. However, it's not necessarily because we are good parents. More than likely we are tucking them in so that we can watch Burn Notice, Psych, The Deadliest Catch, Chopped or any other thing that has caught our fancy. (Confession: I went through an obsessive phase of watching Finding Bigfoot.)

With our adoption process just under way, it has occurred to me that we are currently on the edge of being "that family with all the kids." Adding another Daigle, especially in a long, expensive, no-way-it's-an-oops kind of way, will certainly make us stand out even further. My mind went straight to two women who have been made household names by their reality shows, Kate Gosselin and Michelle Duggar.

Two polar opposites with a striking similarity, Kids!

Would I rather be one or the other? Heck, No! For one thing, I don't want 19, 20, however many children. Although, if I did, I would adore each one. And for another thing, I don't want to be obsessed with order and schedules. Although, I do tend to have Kate moments on occasion and if someone were editing my life into a 1 hour show, I'm sure those would be the juiciest bits and therefore would make the cut.

Truly, I don't want to be Kate or Michelle. I want to be Colleen. I have to face each day with Proverbs 14:1 on my mind and in my heart and on my lips before God.

The wise woman builds her house,

But the foolish pulls it down with her hands.

Proverbs 14:1 NKJV

I can choose to edify and fortify my family.
I can choose to uplift and uphold my family.
Or, I could choose to put their needs off while I pursue my own plans. Just one set of poor decisions could cause our lives together to crumble into a mess. Please, Lord, don't ever let it be so!

No, I don't want to be Kate or Michelle.

I am Colleen. And I want to be a wise woman.

What shall we eat? - Luke 11:11-13

Today, I sat at the table with Caleb and we had lunch. It was a plain ol' PB&J, chips and apples kind of lunch. We had fun.

After lunch, I cleaned the table and Caleb watched Clifford on television. This is a regular occurrence. After cleaning up our dishes, I put ribs in the CrockPot. This is super easy and delicious. I found this recipe on the back of a spicy mustard bottle. Again, so easy...just make sure to use a Reynolds Slow Cooker Liner. By the way, there is a $1 coupon on that website. Trust me, if you haven't used these yet, they will change your life.

Anyway, here's the recipe:

• 1 - 18oz bottle of barbecue sauce - It doesn't matter which, just pick your favorite.
• 1/2 cup of spicy brown mustard
• 1 rack of pork baby back ribs - I divide ours into sections of 2-3 ribs each

Mix BBQ sauce and mustard. Dip rib sections into sauce mixture. Place in slow-cooker. Cover with remaining sauce. Cook on High 4 hours. (I put mine in at 11:45 on High and will switch it to Low at 3:45. They will stay there until Larry is home around 5. They are done after 4 hours on high, but they are mega-tender this way.)

Okay, doesn't that sound easy? It was. While I was doing all of that, I thought, "What will our new guy eat? What will he be used to eating? What if he won't eat anything that we eat?" And, of course, my crazy mind went haywire with worry. So, what did I do? I thought about something that I saw on the Orphan Sunday website. Check it out at http://orphansunday.org/.

While I was looking for some resources for our Orphan Sunday booth, I ran across something that I am excited about.

The Orphan's Table

The Orphan's Table is an excellent way to share with your friends and family the burden that is on your heart for orphans. The program provides a DVD to show to your guests and an easy-to-cook meal similar to the ones provided to orphans around the world. If you would like to participate in The Orphan's Table, check out the website and request a package be sent to your address. The packet feeds approximately 4 people, so make sure that you order enough. They suggest a donation of $5 to cover the cost of processing and shipping the packet. I ordered our packet on Friday. Can't wait!

Thinking about what my boys here are eating in comparison to what my boy is eating in Ethiopia has captivated my thoughts today. Luke 11:11-13 never made my heart ache like this. Aching with the idea that my child could be somewhere eating something less than what I would love to feed him. And, how often have I, myself, settled for a pitiful bowl of spiritual mash or earthly garbage, when God wants to give me so much more?

Here is the Orphan Sunday 2011 video. Just because!


Tell me what you think! I have watched this video a dozen times.

Give1Save1

Don't you just love when you find something that makes you more excited about something you were already excited about? (Did I just sound like Michael Scott?)

I was searching for other blogs by families that are adopting from Ethiopia and I ran across Give1Save1.com.

I am in awe. I love it.

Beth is a mom in the Houston area. Her family is expanding through Ethiopian adoption. However, Beth is not out to help just her family bring babies home. She is helping others at the same time. I love it.

The concept of Give1Save1 is that each Monday an adopting family or ministry to orphans is featured. She asks that her readers donate $1 each Monday. And, it's easily done...just click on "donate your $1 right here" at the top right of her page. You will be directed to PayPal, where you will donate $1, which is sent directly to that family. Beth doesn't receive anything. Selfless. I love it.

Another fantastic aspect of this project is that each family that is featured has either a blog or another way to follow-up, contact and pray for their adoption journey. I love it.

Visit Give1Save1. You will love it, too!

A says "aa, aa, Africa" - Psalm 68:31b-32 (NASB)

Our boys have been excitement personified when it has come to adopting.

This week Jeremiah entered a new era of life. He was assigned homework. We had requested Gideon's kindergarten teacher, Mrs. W, but ended up with the most precious kindergarten teacher on the earth, Mrs. S.

(I feel compelled at this point to say that "the most precious kindergarten teacher" award would most definitely go to Grammy, if she were still teaching. Love you, Mom!)

Mrs. S sent home a book in which Jeremiah must complete two pages per week. Each week, she will send it home, with the two letters of the alphabet he should work on. For each letter, there is a page on which he will practice writing the letter and then attach four pictures of items that start with said letter. This week the letters were M and A.

We got busy flipping through magazines and the expired coupon inserts that I was about to take out to the recycle bin.

M was pretty easy...Man, Mom, Mice and Milk.

A was more of a stretch, just because of the availability of A pictures. We had to go to the computer for some printed images. At that point, with a world wide web of available images, I prompted Jeremiah. "A says..."

Africa.

His first response. Be still my heart!

What has caused our family to have a heart for Africa? Well, my dad has been working for International Commission for the last several years as the VP of African evangelism. So we have been praying for projects that the group has conducted in dozens of countries.

I even went on one of the trips to Rwanda. There is no way for me to convey the change that it brought about in my heart. I have always lived an extremely sheltered life. God used that trip to say, "Your American struggle is a lavish extravagant life. You don't need 1% of what you have. Get over yourself and do something. You are not the good news, I AM."

My sister just got back from a trip with Dad in August of this year. She went to Tanzania and shared about it here.

We have been praying for Africa for almost 6 years. God has been working on our hearts to adopt for about 8 years, around the time that we had our first miscarriage.

With those prayers combined, I don't know why we didn't arrive at this conclusion earlier. I'm sure we irritate the fire out of God sometimes.

For our family, A is for Adopt Africa.

Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God.

Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth,
Sing praises to the Lord,

Selah.

Psalm 68:31b-32 (NASB)

The Price of Adoption

I just ran across this excellent article and thought I would share it.

The Price of Adoption

Jeremiah 23:29 - Garage Sale and Wildfire

This morning, I awoke in my parents' home. I had spent the night there so that I could be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for their community wide garage sale. Mom and Dad were so sweet to let us use one half of their driveway to sell some stuff and start chipping away at the costly journey to adopt our little Ethiopian darling.

Everything went smoothly. People were nice. The driveway gradually emerged from under it's odd assortment of accessories. The blue bank bag began to look less flat. The boys sold Kool-Aid. They were diligent in their sales pitch. As a car would drive down the street approaching the house, Gideon, in a fashion reminiscent of Sally on Cars, would call out, "Customers! Customers!" They sold $18 worth of half-dollar cups of the reddest Kool-Aid I have ever seen.

We were able to raise over $300 for our upcoming expenses! Praise the Lord! Mom and Dad also did well on their side of the driveway. We even bartered some items between ourselves while Dad and Larry weren't looking!

After the fun wore off and the sun bore down, we gathered our few remaining items and came home. Larry unloaded the trailer and off we went to get six haircuts. (Side Note: I got my every-once-in-a-while Ramona Quimby haircut. I love it!)

On the way home from our afternoon excursion, we saw the large DC 10 plane that is currently in our area assisting with the control of the Magnolia wildfires. (Please pray for the families affected by this fire.) We thought that it was probably landing at the local airport for refueling. It never occurred to us that it might be dropping fire retardant on our neighborhood. But, it pretty much was.

The fire was quickly contained. There doesn't seem to be any reason to sit up tonight and watch, although I probably will.

Larry and I were discussing on Thursday morning that the visual imagery of fire used in the Bible will not be the same to us any longer.

"It only takes a spark to get a fire going..." Come on, you know that you want to bust out in 80s era praise music, don't you?

If we were to really have a revival that burned in us like fire, wouldn't people around be forced to take notice? Wouldn't people for miles around be aware of what was going on in our area?

Our God is an all consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24). Do we really believe that? Do we really understand that His influence on our live takes over every single inch of our being? Can we truly grasp that there will not be any place that remains untouched?

I love God's question in Jeremiah 23:29, "Is not my word like fire?"

Yes, LORD, let it be so. Let it be so in our lives and in our hearts. Ruin us for any other purpose but to follow You. Ensure in our hearts that the only provision for Your calling on our lives is Your strength and Your Spirit. Help us to fully rely on You alone as we continue to follow.

Unrelated

This has nothing to do with our adoption. However, it just about made me jump up and down with anticipation of God's work.

Living Proof Ministries introduced a new employee here. She is going to be working on media ministry and Youth Girls ministry!

***Jumping up and down while clapping hands***

I can't wait to see what God is going to do through Lindsee!

Grow in grace - 2 Peter 3:18

Today, we have been enjoying the holiday together.

Our first activity was to mark everyone's height on the door of the office.  Neither Larry nor I grew. However, we did not shrink! Good news, indeed. I don't know that I will announce when that begins happening.

Our little guys are getting bigger as each moment passes. The winner of the growth spurt race was Caleb at 4.5  inches over the course of the last year. This was, of course, expected since he is the youngest. However, Joseph's change was almost 4% of his height at this point last year. As of today, Joseph is exactly 12 inches shorter than his mother. In fact, the day is coming and has now come when my eldest's foot shall be the same size as mine!

Today's focus on growth caused me to think of how our family will grow and change through this process of adoption. I have pondered the prospect of change and growth all day. Honestly, it's been on our minds the last several months.

We've passed some big milestones in the last few months.

We started a new school year with Joseph, Gideon and Jeremiah all attending the same school.

We ditched the diaper scene and moved on to the Land o' Big Boy Britches.

We said goodbye to a faithful old friend at the car dealership and Larry got to leave in a vehicle with a working radio and air conditioning system.

We decided to move forward and send in our application for adoption.

Growing our family in this way is so different than how we have previously experienced family growth. (That will be a future post, I am sure.) Growing our family through adoption is definitely growing our faith as well. We have already asked ourselves a ton of questions. A few of those questions, we have asked repeatedly!

Please continue to pray for us as we begin to tackle the heaps of paperwork that are required. Pray for God to show Himself strong in providing the resources to fund this process. Larry is working after his ministry job for a friend and I have returned to selling Avon as a means to generate some additional funds. So, you can Be Cute For A Cause by purchasing your skincare/makeup products from me.



Pray, Pray, Pray!!! We will update you all soon!



Psalm 127:3-5

Having four children draws a lot of attention these days. There is never an errand run, a meal eaten in public or a library book checked out without some comment on the number of children tagging along for the adventure.

• Four boys?! I bet you're tired.
• Four boys?! You must do a lot of laundry.
• Four boys?! You almost have a whole team.
• Four boys?! You know how that happens, don't you?

and very rarely...

• Four boys?! Aren't you blessed?!

Yes, indeed I am.

Larry and I didn't plan on a specific number of children. As we contemplated marriage, we discussed children and agreed that we wanted some. That was the extent of it...we wanted some.

And some we now have, to be sure. Our little guys are the most precious on earth, based on my totally biased opinion. (Of course, Larry agrees with me.)

However, Larry and I have decided to obey God in something He has been moving us to do for a long time.

We are adopting a child.

We have been accepted into the Ethiopia Program with AmericaWorld Adoption.

This blog will be an avenue for us to share the experience of our adoption with our friends and family. Throughout this process, we know there will be great joy and great trials. So, we ask you to pray for us, for the baby we will bring home and for every detail to fall into place.

Over the next few weeks, I will share how we came to this decision and give updates on the adoption process. You can also expect stories of the first four guys!

Thank you for your prayer! We need every one that can be muttered on our behalf.