Sometimes a Blur...

Sometimes my life feels like a blur... Yours? Sometimes I have to pull out my calendar and look back over the week to remember all that went on (ha ha)... As I type, the kids are having a 'movie slumber party' in the living room while papa is speaking at an adoption conference in Jackson... So, I'm attempting to catch up on a few emails. This week I started reading a book a friend let me borrow (thanks Shelby:-).

http://www.bethelroadpublications.com/cordofthreestrands.htm

It is a story of the grace of God interwoven in the lives of a birth mom, an adoptive mom and their daughter. It speaks to my own heart connection to my children's birth mom... Sometimes I dream about her... grieve for her... so grateful she chose life... so overwhelmed to mother these precious five children... sometimes I look at my children and feel my heart grow even wider... just when I thought I couldn't love them anymore, I feel my heart even skip a beat... It is a beautiful thing to see them grow...

They have each come a long way... English acquisition is slow and sure... I couldn't resist sharing these two notes... Jana is such a sweetheart and often roams around the house singing songs to Jesus. She wrote the above down one morning: "We just love Jesus and Jesus is good. He loves us. He sees us. We love Jesus. The end." One Sunday morning, James (who has been the most disadvantaged - if you will - due to his age) tried his hardest to take notes during Tony's sermon. Precious. Sometimes he surprises me at how much he comprehends... He is empathetic... such a tender quality. We are focusing hard this semester on learning English by going to an after school reading tutor twice a week. This has already shown signs of progress... :-)

It has been a blessing to have Victoria home every day. I cannot tell you how much I'm learning through the 'home school experience' with her. We can see growth in beautiful ways. If you think about it, she has never had any time to herself? She was in a baby hospital by the time she was two years old... not to mention she has 3 older siblings and 1 younger. One on one time is priceless. We, the nontraditional family, are making up for that and I'm loving it. Here she is practicing some spelling words...

Victoria is done with her school work well before it's time to pick up my other four from school. This allows more focused time on homework. I will confess, I hate homework... ha ha. We are working on it though. I feel much more focused this semester and working to meet each of their particular 'learning needs'. Slowly but surely. It is a joy. It is also a sanctifying process... ha ha. But, I need it. God is gracious, is He not?!.

So, here is the next book I have on my nightstand to tackle. Thanks, Christy, for letting me borrow.

Interspersed with the aforementioned, I'm working on, as well as preparing for a few projects...

* First, I'm honored to participate in leading worship with some fabulous ladies (a.k.a. 'the chick band', as Tony calls us - ha) next weekend at Temple for a conference with Lysa Terkeurst. I look forward to an edifying and refreshing time together. Come join us! Please pray that our Abba Father would fill us anew... I could use some refreshing, how about you?

* Second, what seems like the 'never-ending recording project' should soon be coming to an end?!. I've been blessed by several musicians who have lent their talents to contribute to the original album. There are just a few things remaining to be completed before we can send it off to be mastered, mixed and/or packaged.... something like that. Please pray that God would continue to reign over this project... for everything to fall into place... and, as my friend Bessie back in Virginia said, that God would use it to draw people to Himself.

* Third, I'm excited to begin planning for our church to host the International Justice Mission's Senior VP of Education, Larry Martin, on the evening of February 13th at 6PM. He will be sharing about the issue of modern day slavery and human trafficking. He will be with us all day so I hope those of you who live in the region will go ahead and "save the date". There are many details to come but I wanted to go ahead and mention for planning and prayer. Please pray that God, again, would reign over all the details. I would personally love to see our region take a notable stand in the movement to end modern day slavery. It exists. It is evil. Our God is a God of Justice and as His children we are called to "seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan and plead the widow's cause" (Isaiah 1:17).

On a personal note, I'm grateful to all of you who take the time to read up on all my ramblings. Thanks also to those of you who at times walk up to me and say, "Hey, I'm one of your blog-stalkers." It is hilarious. Love it. Thanks for reading. Thanks even more so for those who pray for us. Too many times we take prayer for granted. It is foundational. I'm so thankful our God hears our prayers and He answers them.