Vacation Day 2 - The Family of God

The family of God.  You know at church how we talk about being the family of God, but until you walk outside of those church doors, you only experience it on a small scale.  These last few years, I have truly been blessed to meet more of God's family.  Last year, I got to meet DJ (the Holt-Korea social worker).  Before that I met some missionaries from Taiwan and a pastor from Belarus.  Before that I met several children within our church's association that were from several different churches.

Sometimes you meet very special people over the Internet.  I have met several, and will get to hopefully meet them in person soon (like at the Holt picnic).   I don't remember what it was about Cindy, but her Spirit just speaks to mine. 

When Shawn told me we were going to drive to Florida to the beach, I asked if we could swing by Kentucky to meet Cindy and her family.  He said, "Yes." 

We started off our second day driving to this lovely family's house.  Cindy and Nat adopted their daughter, Ella, from South Korea.  Ella was born in the same month as Faith.  Nolan her son was also there.

We had a wonderful short visit.  What a wonderful blessing to have met them in their home (Nat and Nathaniel were not there.  They were on a father-son trip.)  Thank you, Cindy.

I wish I could have stayed longer.  Their neighborhood is beautiful and I would have loved to have met Cindy's friend Brittany.

A few hours after we left Cindy's house, I needed a bathroom break and the car needed some gas.  As soon as I got out of the car, this is what I saw:

I said, "Seriously?  Out of the all the gas stations, we had to come to the one with the bathrooms outside?"

For some reason, when you go to stations with the bathrooms outside, they seem to ALWAYS be disgusting.  These were right up there in the disgusting category.  It was so awful, I didn't even want to wash my hands in there. 

We went into the store for something to drink and a snack and some hand sanitizer.  They didn't have any hand sanitizer, but they did have a bottle of peroxide that had been on the shelf what looked like 100 years.  We left that store and went across the street to wash our hands.  Hours later, Shawn realized that he had lost his credit card at the "NASTY" gas station.

That wasn't fun, but hey it happens.

I took a few pictures today that looked like this:

I told Shawn that I took a lot of pictures of trees today.  They were the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.   Experiencing the Appalachia's are much different than the Rockies.  You can see the Rocky Mountains for a long time before you arrive, but you drive through many hills before you arrive at the Appalachian Mountains.   I feel so blessed to have experienced them both within the last 5 years.

Cindy had recommended that we go to Applewood Barn in Pigeon Forge for supper.  We  ate there.  Their apple dumplings with apple butter were DELICIOUS.  Then we drove on to Gatlinburg.

We spent the night in a hotel that looked like it was something out of the 1970's.  It was expensive for only being there less than 12 hours. 

We like to go to places that are less populated and not so touristy.

Vacation Day 1

Friday was day one of our vacation.  Shawn has finally slowed down enough for me to type. 

I started out leaving our children in Iowa at my mothers house.  I left at about 7:30 a.m.  It wasn't as difficult leaving them as I thought it would be.  I was going to wait until they woke up, but I knew I had to get on the road to make good time for the rest of our trip. 

They were all sleeping when I gave them hugs good-bye. 

Leaving for Vacation

Shawn was still on the clock on Friday, so our first stop was Chillicothe, MO due to the battery on the laptop was dead. 

Our next stop was Hannibal, MO because the laptop battery was dead again.  He had to get one more thing done before vacation.  We stopped at Breadeaux Pizza long enough for him to get it done.  Then the real vacation started.

Mark Twain's House

They have replica's of the houses from characters in his books.  I took a picture of "Huck Finn's" outhouse.   I thank God for indoor plumbing.

After we walked around Mark Twain's boyhood home, we walked down by the Mississippi.  I took a picture of this post.  It was written in many languages around the post.   I pray for God's peace to prevail soon.

We got back on the road again and drove through the southern tips of Illinois and Indiana.  We stayed at Owensboro, Ky. 

I visited 5 states on day one.

Beauty

We (Shawn and I) are on vacation day 2. I will post about vacation day 1 later. This morning as I was getting ready to go ( you know with all this hair it takes me a long time, so there was a long time for reflection) I was thinking about how much time women spend on their outer beauty. I tell you, it is getting harder as I get older to look good. How much time do we spend on our inner beauty? How much time do we spend with God? how much time on our knees? How I want to be in HIS presence. Since, it takes me longer to get ready, there is also more time spent looking at the physical reflection in the mirror and how many flaws I have. Then I pondered about my inner flaws. Do my inner flaws outweigh the outer flaws? I need the covering of Christ. I sometimes wonder how other people see me. I want them to see Christ first and only. I want to radiate HIM. I am typing on an iPad. It's a new experience. I can't get it to post the link, so I just copied and pasted Psalm 34 for you below. I especially focused on Psalm 34:5. May you be blessed by the Word of God. Psalm 34 1 I will extol the Lord at all times;     his praise will always be on my lips. 2 I will glory in the Lord;     let the afflicted hear and rejoice. 3 Glorify the Lord with me;     let us exalt his name together. 4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me;     he delivered me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to him are radiant;     their faces are never covered with shame. 6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;     he saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,     and he delivers them. 8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;     blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. 9 Fear the Lord, you his holy people,     for those who fear him lack nothing. 10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,     but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. 11 Come, my children, listen to me;     I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12 Whoever of you loves life     and desires to see many good days, 13 keep your tongue from evil     and your lips from telling lies. 14 Turn from evil and do good;     seek peace and pursue it. 15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,     and his ears are attentive to their cry; 16 but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,     to blot out their name from the earth. 17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;     he delivers them from all their troubles. 18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted     and saves those who are crushed in spirit. 19 The righteous person may have many troubles,     but the Lord delivers him from them all; 20 he protects all his bones,     not one of them will be broken. 21 Evil will slay the wicked;     the foes of the righteous will be condemned. 22 The Lord will rescue his servants;     no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.

My Sacred Role

Recently, I listened to Revive Our Hearts and Nancy Leigh DeMoss had a guest on her show named Erin Davis.  Erin has a new book called Beyond Bath Time:  Embracing Motherhood as a Sacred Role.  I can not wait to read this book.

I had been struggling with depression due to feeling like my role wasn't important. My in and out daily duties just didn't stack up to the importance of the "working world".

I am SO glad that God once again has taken me out of the miry pit.

My role as a mother is sacred.  All of my life I have wanted to be a stay-at-home Mom.  That was my goal.  I am so blessed to be able to be home with my children. 

I am going to paraphrase something that Erin said, "You are reaching an "unreached people group."  Your children have never heard the gospel.  Teach it to them. Live it."

I had a wonderful low-key mother's day weekend. 

We watched "We Bought a Zoo" on Friday night.  Saturday night,  all of us but the youngest one (she went to her aunts house) saw the Avengers at the movie theater.  Sunday we spent lunch with my mother's-in-law family and we ate out for supper.  I didn't have to cook all day Sunday and I spent it with these special gifts.

These pictures were taken Monday night at the supper table of my blessings  (4/5 of them) being silly at the supper table:

Dear Lord,

May I be anointed to serve them with your Power and Grace.  May you shower them with the gift of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control through me.  Thank you for letting me care for these blessings and entrusting me with them.  In Jesus Name, Amen.

Angry Mom

Our daughter came home 8 months ago today (5/4/2012). It has changed our family dynamic to say the least.  I am working on my behavior toward all of my children.  I want to be a kind, gentle, loving mother at all times.  I am striving toward this goal.

I am getting better at controlling my anger, but I haven't mastered it yet.

Yesterday, a dear friend of mine told me that I needed to listen to Dr. James Dobson's message on Family Talk.  It was actually about the Nation and how we've turned from God.  The messages before that subject was about being an angry Mom.

If you've been overwhelmed by being a Mommy sometimes, I encourage you to listen to the programs on April 30 and May 1 titled, "Help for Angry Moms Part I and Part II." 

I need a ther"mom"meter.

Happy listening.

Life is Good

The other day, I saw a bumper sticker that said, "Life is good."

I couldn't agree more.  "My" life isn't always good because of how I perceive it, but God, who is life, never changes.  My is self-centered.  You've heard many negatives through the years about how life is a b****.  That is simply not true.  How easily we are swayed into believing Satan, just as Eve was. The only reason why your/my life isn't good would be if we aren't following God.

God promises us trials, but life, eternal life with God, is always good.  It is only because of sin in this world that we face those trials.  Not always our own sin, but because of sin/death that is in this world.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  John 14:6


So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.  Mark 10:18

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. John 10:11

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

Jesus is ALWAYS good, ALWAYS truth, ALWAYS life, ALWAYS the way. Jesus, who is God in the flesh, ALWAYS was, ALWAYS is, and ALWAYS will be.

You Aren't Her Real Mommy

Last night, while my middle son was playing baseball, my other 3 children were playing in the grass and on the bleachers.

There was this little girl (around 8 or 9) who came up to me and said about my daughter, "You aren't her real Mommy."

I said, "Yes, I am her Mommy."

She said, "Well, she's adopted." 

I said, "Yes, she is adopted, but I am still her Mommy. I'm the only Mommy she knows."

She said, "Does she know she's adopted?"

I said, "Yes, I tell her."

She said, "Of course she knows, she looks different."

I can't tell you how much this hurt this Mommy's heart. 

I am not the most drop of the hat eloquent speaker.  We were near a few other adults.  I wonder what they were thinking.  Possibly, the same thing this little girl was speaking.

Here is what I know to be true.

I am her Mommy.   She also has other Omma's (Korean mothers- birth and foster).  BUT, I am her one and only Mommy.  However, I do hope that we can meet her birth mother some day.

Yes, I didn't carry her in my womb.

But I am her Momma bear, so don't mess with her.

Every day we build our bond. 

I sew seeds of love in her heart.  I sew seeds of trust.

I tell her and show her the difference between right and wrong.

I make mistakes with her.  I make mistakes with the boys, too.

Physically, I take care of her.
Mentally, I take care of her.
Emotionally, I take care of her.
Spiritually, I take care of her.

I am her Mommy.

Don't be confused.  Yes, she doesn't look like me.  BUT, she is mine.  She is my baby.  She'll tell you that, too.

If her brothers are on my lap, she'll push them off, because I am HERS.  Yes, she  has to share me.

I don't really care what other people think, but I do care what she thinks. 

God willed her to be here with us.  She BELONGS with us.  Our family was/is not complete without her.

She's different. I'm different.  EVERY ONE is different.  Each of my children are different.

God willing --  We (her and I) will have many years and conversations about this subject.

I pray that she can see the truth and depth of us, and not the shallow lies that satan spreads. 

We must sew positive seeds, to produce positive fruit.

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23