anna and daddy

He is such a good daddy. I just love these sweet pictures. Had to include the last one though to show what happens when she sees mama. :) Love this girl.

mind explosion

My mind feels like its exploding with thoughts. Serious ones, silly ones, spiritual ones, heavy ones, whats for dinner? ones, and so forth. Which should prompt me to some funny, clever, spiritual, deep, or something or other blog. But, clearly no. So here is a random event in our lives from this summer.

I got motivated somehow to make my own laundry soap-feeling very pioneer-y apparently. Found a website, diynatural.com, and went for it. Plus, I had two very cute and eager assistants. And, I should confess, this is actually round two...didn't want to document round 1 in case of utter failure and humiliation. Here goes.

First, ingredients: borax, super washing soda, and fels naptha

Second, grating: this takes a bit of time...I did one bar in about 10 minutes. I used the finest side of my cheese grater (which gets no other use b/c I buy pre-grated :).

Third, combining: 1 cup borax, 1 cup washing soda, 1 bar of grated soap. Mix it up. This is where my handy helpers came in. I am about 95% sure Madeline never licked any off her fingers.

I made 2 batches of this and began using it August 1st. I have about 1/3rd of it left still. I use about 2 tbsp per load unless its very big or very small. Also, I get tired of grating when the soap gets small and I begin grating my fingers along with soap so I just baggie up the leftover and use it as a stain stick with a little water directly on stains right before the wash. Man, I sound very DIY and earthy and what not, don't I? Just kidding.

Give it a try. It's easy, fun, kids like it, you feel cool. An all around victory I'd say.

sweetness

A few days ago Madeline & I went to Sams to pick up a few things. When we do things with the kids one-on-one they like to call our time "dates" because Andrew & I go on dates just the two of us. It's pretty cute. Anyway. We were walking through Sams and Madeline said, "Mama, I want to get you a special treat of flowers because I love you." Melt my heart, make me cry. And, yes, we did get me a lovely special treat of flowers.

Then today Andrew & the kids were looking at the scrapbook of our trip to get Simeon in Ethiopia. Well, at one point while we were at the Gladney home he lived in one of the mamas there wanted to show us how Simeon liked his crib. Liked was putting it WAY to strongly. He actually hated it. At least at that moment. So we have these pictures of him sitting in his crib screaming crying. So sad. Andrew was telling him this story and then later, on the way to church, Simeon was telling this all to me. In his sweet little voice he said, "And I was crying and crying but then my mama came and got me." Again, melt my heart, make me cry. My kiddos make me so happy. What a joy to be their mama.

potty talk

be forewarned by the title folks...just saying

While going to the bathroom:

Madeline: Mom, what's inside my poop?

Madeline: Mom, what does pee smell like?

Simeon: It's comin'!

Simeon: That's a really long one!

I'll let you (or not) think up your own responses for these lovely sayings. I especially like the difference it shows between girls and boys!

mercy, freedom, gladness, and light

What if my greatest disappointments

Or the aching of this life

Is the revealing of a greater thirst

This world can’t satisfy?

This verse is from a song I randomly heard on the radio in Chickfila and don't know much more about it but I really liked these words.

In light of the truth that our home is in Heaven, it makes sense that our world is difficult, disappointing, and brings heartbreak. This world can't satisfy my longings, my achings, my desires.

But in brokenness there is revealed the beauty of Christ.

His mercy sets me free. He turns my sorrow to gladness. He transfers me from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of Light. How beautiful is the person, the promise, the hope, and the glory of Christ? He changes everything and makes all things new. Praise the Lord, o my soul. I can almost hear my heart heave a relieving sigh as I turn and rest in the One who saves me and holds my life in His loving, completely fulling, and more than satisfactory arms.

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

He restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil, for You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 23

faith and brokenness

As I've been processing through some heart changing thoughts and lessons on faith God has brought the picture of brokenness into my mind. Faith is something that I seem to treat as a roller coaster...sometimes my faith is up, sometimes it is down. What God has been showing me lately is that when I look at faith like that I am placing my faith in the outcomes of my desires. And by doing that, I am allowing my circumstances to dictate my views of God. So instead of keeping my eyes, heart, and life fixed and focused on Christ and His glory I put Him in a box and believe so little. I really desire to get to a point where I don't let me circumstances control my faith but instead allow God to strengthen my faith as I walk through life being led by Him. Because of some circumstances in my life recently I've been forced to be broken. To realize I can't control, dictate, organize, and "work" my way through things. And in my mind I don't want to...I truly want to let God be in control. Why the struggle then? My human sin clearly keeps tripping me up. A verse that came to mind yesterday was Psalm 51:16-17:

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;

you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.

God does not want or need me to organize and control and structure the faith I bring to Him. He desires my faith to placed in Him alone. He is the object of my faith. My faith is in my Faithful God, not my circumstances. A broken spirit and a contrite heart is what He desires. So what is brokenness? As I've thought on this I've come to two thoughts. One, brokenness is exactly what it sounds like at first. It is me being humble, vulnerable, honest, and my hurting self before God. Confessing my sin, acknowledging my inability, praising His faithfulness and His unchanging character, seeking His glory and not my own. But I think often I move from this type of brokenness right back to where I didn't want to be in the first place. Organizing and controlling and boxing God in to my ideas, desires, and ways. So what is the answer? I'm coming to learn that brokenness should be leading me from a place of repentance to a place of dependence. A broken spirit is one that walks in faith fully dependent on God and not self. And that is where I am. Trying to walk in faith, remain broken before God so I can be dependent on Him alone. Because His ways are higher than mine, His word is truth, His love endures, and He is always and forever Faithful. The words of this song speak very powerful truths to my heart.

My soul finds rest in God alone, My Rock and my salvation,
A fortress strong against my foes, And I will not be shaken.
Though lips may bless and hearts may curse, And lies like arrows pierce me,
I’ll fix my heart on righteousness, I’ll look to Him who hears me.

O praise Him, hallelujah, My Delight and my Reward;
Everlasting, never failing, My Redeemer, my God.

Find rest, my soul, in God alone
Amid the world’s temptations;
When evil seeks to take a hold
I’ll cling to my salvation.
Though riches come and riches go,
Don’t set your heart upon them;
The fields of hope in which I sow
Are harvested in heaven.

I’ll set my gaze on God alone,
And trust in Him completely;
With every day pour out my soul,
And He will prove His mercy.
Though life is but a fleeting breath,
A sigh too brief to measure,
My King has crushed the curse of death
And I am His forever.

O praise Him, O praise Him, hallelujah, hallelujah,
O praise Him, O praise Him, hallelujah, hallelujah,
O praise Him, O praise Him, hallelujah! hallelujah!

a reasonable prayer request

What results from fear over faith?

I deny God's promises and blessings.

I bring hardship upon me and my family.

The Lord is not with me.

One of our pastors at church spoke these words many months ago and God has been pruning my heart with them since then. And then the other day I got an email from a sweet friend who is in the waiting period of bringing their precious little boy home from Ethiopia and God reminded me again of how He prunes my faith.

Through the course of some circumstances and events in our life recently I've come to realize that my faith has been faltering. I've been allowing my circumstances to dictate my faith instead of placing my faith in God, the Faithful One. And as I've done this, so much in my heart and spirit have seemed to crumble. There are certain life events for which there are no good words to explain what happens to your heart, your mind, your spirit, and your faith. And because I've allowed myself to place faith in outcomes, desires, and circumstances, my walk with Jesus has and my view of the glory and holiness of God has been severely hurt.

I've lost the ability to believe in God doing the impossible. My hopes are limited to what is likely in this world. My faith has been brought down to what is reasonable and likely to happen anyway. I walk in fear over faith. And I crumble.

I am at a loss for words. My heart cries out for forgiveness from my gracious God, saying, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:24

In my reading through the Bible I am in 2 Chronicles. This week I read the story of Asa & Jehoshaphat, two kings of Judah, and was keenly made aware of what truly trusting in God to see me through the impossible. These men saw before them the impossible, and in response they fasted, they prayed, they gave glory to God and worshiped Him, they believed in the One who created them and whose power is far greater than the prince of the world (1 John 4:4).

And God said to Jehoshaphat,

"Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you."

I don't want to pray a reasonable prayer request. I don't want to follow a god I have in a box. I don't want to live in the chains He has freed me from. So in my broken, weak, crumbling faith I ask God that I will not let fear triumph and that He will continually and recognizably abide with me.

Abide With Me

Abide with me; falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.
When other helpers, fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, abide with me.

Thou on my head, in early youth didst smile;
And, though rebellious, and perverse meanwhile,
Thou hast not left me, oft as I left Thee,
On to the close Lord, abide with me.

I need Thy presence, every passing hour.
What but Thy grace, can foil the tempter's power?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, abide with me.

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless
Ills have no weight, tears lose their bitterness
Where is thy sting death? Where grave thy victory?
I triumph still, abide with me.

Hold Thou Thy cross, before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies.
Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, Lord, abide with me.