| |
| Wednesday, March 26, 2008 |
| Family Easter Pic |
 Here's the family Easter pic off of H's camera that I promised. |
posted by 6blessings @ 5:48 AM  |
|
|
|
| Monday, March 24, 2008 |
| Easter Pics |
I haven't posted pics in a while. Here are some of everyone enjoying Easter. Here's the egg decorating. Two and a half dozen eggs- five a piece. We did Easter cookies the day before, but I don't have pics of that.  Easter morning- ready to hunt. Anyone see any eggs?
Everyone in their Easter finest.
 J-always a sharp-dressed man on Sundays.
 Hubby forgot a full-length pic of E. We are working on our paperwork for moving and everyone has to have 10 passport photos. This is the one he took in preparation for cropping it to be used for documents. You can sort of see her outfit under her sweater. It was a cute capri outfit that was yellow with bright polka dots all over it.
 Z in her pretty dress. She is a definitely a girly-girl, although a little cold in this picture. The temperature dropped a lot on Easter here. We had to add sweaters to everyone's outfits.
 What a handsome El! He couldn't stop looking at himself and grinning.
 Good Lookin' and Charming L!
 Can this really be my firstborn little baby girl? H, you look more beautiful every day! Stop growing up!
We also attempted a family picture, but it is on H's camera because we could figure out its timer. I will post it later. She has her camera with her.
Hope all of you had a great Easter and enjoyed our day in pictures!
|
| posted by 6blessings @ 8:29 AM |
|
|
|
| Sunday, March 23, 2008 |
| HE IS RISEN!!! |
Hallelujah!!!
He Is Risen!!!
Eternal God, unchanging, mysterious and unknown
Your boundless love unfailing, in grace and mercy shown
Bright seraphim in ceaseless flight around Your glorious throne
They raise their voices day and night in praise to You alone
Hallelujah, Glory be to our great God
Hallelujah, Glory be to our great God
Lord, we are weak and frail, helpless in the storm
Surround us with Your angels, hold us in Your arms
For our cold and ruthless enemy, his pleasure is our harm
Rise up O Lord, and he will flee before our sovereign God
Hallelujah, Glory be to our great God
Hallelujah, Glory be to our great God
Let every creature in the sea and every flying bird
Let every mountain, every field and valley of the earth
Let all the moons and all the stars in all the universe
Sing praises to the living God who rules them by His word
Hallelujah, Glory be to our great God
Hallelujah, Glory be to our great God
---Todd Agnew
- Hear it here (Click on "Our Great God"). It's one of my favorites!
Have a wonderfully blessed and joyful Easter!! |
| posted by 6blessings @ 6:22 AM |
|
|
|
| Friday, March 21, 2008 |
| Good Friday |
Why is this day called "Good"?
This is a question that many people ask since it is the day that Jesus died. Why would the day Jesus died be called "good"? There is a book that I read to my children called "Good Friday" that explains it all. Here are the first few lines.
"It was a bad day, a terrible day,
A day to run and hide.
So why do we say, "Good Friday"
When we speak of the day Jesus died?
Though it seemed to be a hopeless day
When Jesus laid down His life,
It was part of the plan God had for His world
To make all the wrong things right."
The book then goes on to explain all that Jesus endured that day- jeering, ridicule, tortuous beatings, denial of his so-called faithful followers, everyone turning against Him, unjust ruling, being nailed to the cross, more jeering from the soldiers, and finally death.
It ends with a note to parents, but I think it can be applied to all. It explains that God gave His Son to die for us because of His great love for us. God's good plan rescued us from eternal death in hell. As Jesus died, His last words were "It is finished". His redeeming work on earth was completed and He died as a victor.
The "good" in Good Friday stands for the goodness of a loving God who gave us the gift of eternal life through the death of His Son. And as most of you know, the story does not end there. Sunday is right around the corner... Celebrate! |
| posted by 6blessings @ 7:59 AM |
|
|
|
| Thursday, March 13, 2008 |
| Doin' It All Over Again and Random Updates |
I haven't put a family update in for a while. Everything just seems to take so much longer to get done and we've been going like crazy.
Me:
I have done away with the crutches and as people say, "I'm gimping around." I ache badly by the end of the day, but at least I have use of my arms. Actually, the last week has shown a lot of progress. I get my cast off on March 25 and get to put on a boot instead. I have been driving this week. That is difficult and painful. I'm short and have to have the seat pretty close which doesn't allow room for my massive casted leg.
Kids:
They are continually passing sickness between each other. We are regulars at the doctor's office. The week of and after my surgery found all 6 kids sick and needing some kind of medicine- mostly anibiotics, but E even had to have an inhaler. We've had the strangest strep infections going through the kids too. El, L, and Z have had it go to their glands in their necks causing them to look like tumors were forming on their necks. E is currently home with strep, running high fever and vomitting. She can't hardly keep anything down. We're keeping a close eye on her. I will be so glad to wrap up this school year in the public school system.
Post Title: Doin' It All Over Again:
We are in the heat of paperwork for overseas again. It is so much like preparing an international adoption dossier. We have visa applications, passports, birth certificates, adoption certificates, marriage license, etc., but this time it is TIMES EIGHT!! Sometimes my hand wears out. Everything is due by April 15. The only difference is that some of the papers not only have to be notarized and apostilled, they also have to be sent off to the Consulate for authentification before being official. The key word is "stamps". The more official stamps, the better!
Preparation for Leaving:
We are beginning to go through our things and price them for a garage sale. I've had garage sales before, but I've never sold a whole house full of stuff literally! It's quite overwhelming. We are getting ready to contact an appraiser and get an estimate on the value of the house. We need to put it on the market soon.
The goodbyes are getting ready to start again. We are winding down gymnastics season. J's State Championship is tomorrow. That will be his last competition ever. The girls will wrap up their final season and I will be done coaching in about a month and a half. The time is approaching quickly. We are both excited and overwhelmed at the same time. |
| posted by 6blessings @ 9:16 AM |
|
|
|
|
| Worry |
Philippians 4
"Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let PETITIONS and PRAISES shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life." |
| posted by 6blessings @ 9:11 AM |
|
|
|
| Tuesday, March 11, 2008 |
| YOU |
I found this poem while cleaning out a drawer today and thought it would be encouraging to someone.
Just think,
you're here not by chance,
but by God's choosing.
His hand formed you
and made you the person you are.
He compares you to no one else-
you are one of a kind.
You lack nothing
that His grace can't give you.
He has allowed you to be here
at this time in history
to fulfill His special purpose
for this generation.
---Roy Lessin |
| posted by 6blessings @ 8:45 AM |
|
|
|
| Thursday, March 06, 2008 |
| True Selflessness |
Today, I started in the book of Philippians. Chapter 2 contains one of the best descriptions of Christ and what He sacrificed. I am doing this Lent blogging leading up to Easter. What a better thing to remember than Christ's true selflessness. I have known these verses since I was a kid. The Message states them very plainly.
"Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death- and the worst kind of death at that: a crucifixion.
Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth- even those long ago dead and buried-will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father."
He is Master of all! All glory and praise and honor is due to Him! |
| posted by 6blessings @ 7:38 AM |
|
|
|
| Wednesday, March 05, 2008 |
| Parenting with Love: The Ultimate Example |
Parenting is one of the hardest tasks imaginable. It is also one our biggest responsibilities. How we parent can determine what the next generation will be like. There are many parenting issues, many things that seem to walk the line. Many questions seem to arise and in two parent homes, there is always a difference of opinion somewhere in the parenting years. How strict should I/we be? What should we let slide? What are the absolutes? How do we discipline? What methods should we use for each individual child (believe me, we have a multitude around here because every child is different)?
The very first verses I read today in Ephesians 5 talk about how we should model ourselves after God just as a child models himself after his parents.
"Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with Him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of Himself to us. Love like that."
Whew! That gets to me. I am constantly in the parenting learning process. Yes, I am a veteran with much experience, but I am ever having to keep learning as my children grow and go through different stages. Love is often seen as mushy gushy feelings. Yes, that can be a part of love. However, love can come in many forms- from a warm cuddle when a child is sick to a privilege revoked for disobedience to an ice cream treat after a tough day at school to just plain saying "no" for the good of the child.
God loves us so much that He sent Christ to die for us. That truly is extravagant love. He loves us enough to not give us everything we want all of the time, but to teach us dependence on Him much of the time. He loves us enough to have sent the Comforter to help us in times of distress and pain. He loves us enough to discipline us through natural consequences when we sin. His love is the most pure and unadulterated kind. I, for one, am grateful for His marvelous love that He pours out on us and what it teaches me about how I should love and live. |
| posted by 6blessings @ 7:16 AM |
|
|
|
| Tuesday, March 04, 2008 |
| What are You Here on Earth For? |
What are you here on earth for? This is a question that many people debate. Some believe it is just to be a good person and help as many as possible. Some think it is to have fun, party til you drop. There are many opinions about it. One thing is for sure, almost everyone has thought about it.
I truly have strong feelings about why I am here and what my purpose is. However, I never feel adequate.
Today in my reading, I came across some verses that summed it up for me.
Ephesians 3
"This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to the Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details. When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God's way, I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities."
I believe my life's work is the same as Paul's. I am not a preacher. I don't have very good Biblical exegesis skills. I worry about how to share and what to say. However, according to the verses above, God equips us regardless of ourselves. In fact, according to the verses at the beginning of the next chapter, He wants us to move forward with what we are here to do at full speed ahead.
"I want you to get out there and walk- better yet, run!- on the road God called you to travel. I don't want anyone sitting around on your hands. I don't want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes to nowhere."
So the question now repeats itself for both me and you...What are you here on earth for? Are we here to stroll down a path leading to nowhere, just aimlessly "making it" through this adventure called life? Could there be a greater plan? I know these have reaffirmed to me the direction my family is going and it truly encourages me to be careful not to get distracted by "strolling off, down some path that goes to nowhere". I pray that I'm always headed straight down the path He wants for me. |
| posted by 6blessings @ 12:14 PM |
|
|
|
| Monday, March 03, 2008 |
| Adoption |
Most who read this blog are adoption blog buddies. Many of us have followed each other's journeys for years. Regardless of any other differences in beliefs, we know we share one common passion: adoption. Adoption has changed our lives forever and I think we have a unique insight on life that no one has unless they have gone through it themselves.
With that in mind, I want to share some verses I came across that speaks to what God thinks of adoption.
Galatians 4
"You can tell that you are now fully adopted as His own children because God sent the Spirit of His Son into our lives crying out, "Papa! Father! " Doesn't that privilege of intimate conversation with God make it plain that you are not a slave, but a child? And if you are a child, you're also an heir, with compete access to inheritance."
Ephesians 1
"Long before He laid down earth's foundations, He had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of His love, to be made whole and holy by His love. Long, long ago He decided to adopt us into His family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure He took in planning this!)"
The second set of verses really wows me. He planned for our adoption into His family. Before He formed anything in the world, He was thinking of us. That's how special we are to Him. Just as we planned and worked to bring our children home. He planned and worked for our adoption. It even says he took pleasure in it. Wow! To me, it is incredible to realize the amount of sacrifice and love that went into my adoption as His child.
On those days, in those hours, okay... often in those minutes, that the boys are giving me grief and every time I get frustrated with them, my mind always jumps back to my own adoption. I know that I must daily, hourly, okay...often every minute do things which displease Him. He always responds with love- whether it comes in the form of comfort, reassurance, conviction, or discipline, it is always pure love. The closer I get to Him, the more I realize what a horrific sinner I am and what a merciful Savior He is. I am so grateful that He adopted me and took me into His family and His love is truly unconditional. |
| posted by 6blessings @ 7:33 AM |
|
|
|
| Saturday, March 01, 2008 |
| Who Are You? |
These verses were especially challenging today.
Galatians 6
Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don't be impressed with yourself. Don't compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can do with your own life. |
| posted by 6blessings @ 2:15 PM |
|
|
|
|
|
|
