Prayers, please?

Tomorrow morning at 9:00 the future of two little girls

will be decided.  The social workers will meet and decide

whether they will come here to our family, or go to

another family who is interested in them. 

 

We would appreciate your prayers for the girls,

T and J, that their hearts would be open and ready

to love their new family, that they would learn

to know and love Jesus, and that their transition

would be smooth.

 

We would also appreciate your prayers for us,

that we would keep trusting the Lord and His plan,

no matter the outcome, and that we would have peace.

 

Thank you so much!

We won't know the outcome of the meeting

for another week yet, while we wait for state approval.  

In the year, 1911...

Now that the weather is warming up outside it's time for tea!

As I was searching for a place out of the wind, I found something

new I had never seen before.  Out near our stone house there is an

old barn foundation, and last year I discovered that Alice,

the daughter of the man who built our stone house,

had written her name in the cement.  Well, this year, in a different

part of the barn, I found her mom's name, Louie, with the date, 1911.

You can kind of see her name in the photo below.

I wish so much that I had a photo of the family who lived here.

I brought my china doll along for tea today.  She has blond

hair and one hand is missing, but she is a treasure,

because she belonged to my Great-Grandma, who's name

was Emilie.  Her wedding photo is below.

The doll would be about the same age as the barn foundation!

You can see the old stone house in the background.

Now vinca vine covers the old barn foundation.

This old foundation always reminds of this verse from Isaiah 61:4,

which is my prayer for our children- especially for the ones who

come from broken families and hard situations.

 

They will rebuild the ancient ruins

and restore the places long devastated;

they will renew the ruined cities

that have been devastated for generations.

I am joining A Return to Loveliness today.

A Good Day

Today has been a good day- I love days like this!

It started with me reading Psalm 103, and if you

haven't read that one lately, you really should,

it's one of my favorites!

 

Praise the LORD, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits--

 

Here are a few blessings the Lord has given me today-

 

 

I can look out my kitchen window, and see this-

cardinals, blue jays, sparrows, blackbirds, and starlings

have all been seen at our bird bath this week-

and aren't those red tulips pretty?

 

After having the fourth driest start to the year on record,

we got 1/2" of rain this morning- just what the corn, wheat,

grass and garden needed.  Thank you LORD!

 

There are lilacs on our table- thanks to the lilac bush

someone planted in front of the stone house many many years ago.

One of my favorite smells!

 

I got to make some pies this morning for a Easter

family get-together this evening- which made the

house smell even better!  It's been a nice cozy day-

I hope yours has been as well, but even if it hasn't,

remember, the Lord is always there for you, good days or not.

 

But from everlasting to everlasting

the LORD's love is with those who fear him,

and his righteousness with their children's children-

with those who keep his covenant

and remember to obey his precepts.

Psalm 103:2,17-18

 

I am joining, Home and Garden Thursday

A meeting has been scheduled

 

We had a very happy Easter weekend, did you?

We even got some good news about our adoption!

On Friday we received word that they had scheduled

the Best Interest Staffing meeting, where they choose

the adoptive family, for two sisters we have been waiting

for!  There is one other family interested in the girls, so

we'll see what happens.  The meeting is scheduled for

April 30th.  We would really appreciate your prayers

that day, that God will send the girls to the home that

is best for them.  Thanks so much!  We won't find out

if we were chosen that day though, first they have

to get state approval for their choice.  Our social worker

said that takes about another week.  So hopefully in

about 3 weeks we will know if our family will be

growing or not.  There's lots for me to think about!

 

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;

therefore I will wait for him."

Lamentations 3:22-24

God is Waiting Also

We have been waiting to adopt our next child for a year now, and knowing that we have a child out there somewhere and not knowing whether she is being loved, cared for, and kept safe is so difficult sometimes I don't know if I can take it anymore!  I have really been struggling with the wait lately.  But God showed me something this morning that was so precious to me, I had to share it with you also.

In Romans 8, Paul says this--

We ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,

groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons,

the redemption of our bodies.

For in this hope we were saved.

As I read that I realized, God knows just how we feel, because he feels the same way about us!  Our adoption as children of God has not been finalized yet, we are not home yet either.  It's kind of like we are in foster care right now- we know heaven is coming, and that is our true home, but we aren't there yet.  God knows we are his, we have been adopted, but it hasn't been finalized yet.  He longs for us to be home and safe with Him, just like we are longing for our child to be home with us.



~the day we adopted our son, PD~

Knowing that, it kind of puts a different perspective on death, doesn't it?  I read this verse yesterday, from Isaiah 57--

The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart;

devout men are taken away, and no one understands

that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.

Those who walk uprightly enter into peace;

they find rest as they lie in death.

Sometimes God just can't wait anymore to get his child home and he brings them home early!  He loves us so much, it amazes me.  We don't understand fully how wonderful heaven will be, just like the girl that we will adopt doesn't understand fully what it will be like to have a Mom and Dad who will love her and protect her forever.  The unknown can be a little scary.  But heaven is where we will be truly home with our Father God forever- I can't wait, can you?

Wind

Do you like the wind?  I do, unless it's a cold wind!

It washes the air clean and brings the scent of the fields

across the yard.  We have had a lot of wind this spring

here in our part of the prairie- hopefully today's wind

brings us some rain like the poem below mentions!

There is a solemn wind tonight

That sings of solemn rain;

The trees that have been quiet so long

Flutter and start again.

The slender trees, the heavy trees,

The fruit trees laden and proud,

Lift up their branches to the wind

That cries to them so loud.

The little bushes and the plants

Bow to the solemn sound,

And every tiniest blade of grass

Shakes on the quiet ground.

~Katherine Mansfield, 1917~

New Roses!!

Over the past year I decided I needed more roses- so this spring I ordered some and they were delivered today!  So exciting! (:  Of course, they are all pink--

I ordered them from Heirloom Roses, and after ordering I was looking over the roses at Walmart, and they looked pretty good and were about 1/5 the price, so I decided to get one and compare which grows better.

One of the new roses that came today is a Lady Jane Grey.  I love how roses have names!  But I didn't know who Lady Jane Grey was so I decided to look her up and it's really a pretty interesting story. 

Lady Jane Grey, of royal blood, lived in England back in the 1500's.  When the Protestant king, Edward VI, was dying, she and her young husband were used by their parents to try to keep the kingdom away from Edward's Catholic half-sister, Mary Tudor.  On Edward's deathbed, Jane's father-in-law got him to proclaim Jane as queen.  She was just sixteen years old.  This didn't settle well with the people, however, and nine days later Mary arrived and was proclaimed queen instead.  Lady Jane and her husband's parents all forsook the young couple, and they were imprisoned by the new Queen Mary in the Tower of London.  They were tried for high treason and condemned to death.  Lady Jane watched her husband be carried away to be beheaded and watched his body return before it was her turn.  Before her execution, she said-

"Good people, I am come hither to die, and by a law I am condemned to the same. The fact, indeed, against the Queen's highness was unlawful, and the consenting thereunto by me: but touching the procurement and desire thereof by me or on my behalf, I do wash my hands thereof in innocency, before God, and the face of you, good Christian people, this day."

Then she recited Psalm 51, told her executioner she forgave him, and blindfolded herself.  As she lay with her head on the block, she said, "Lord, into thy hands I commend my spirit!"

Such a sad ending for a young girl.  If you want to read the whole story, it is here.

When my rose blooms I will have to show it to you.

In other news, I recently added some doll clothes to my etsy shop, so feel free to stop by and check it out!  The link is in the sidebar.  Thanks--

Be still, my soul!

Do you need a quiet walk to still your soul today?

I did- you can come along through my pictures

if you like~

Be still, my soul! the Lord is on thy side;

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.

Leave to thy God to order and provide;

In every change He faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul! thy best, thy heavenly Friend

Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul! thy God doth undertake

To guide the future as He has the past.

Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;

All now mysterious shall be bright at last.

Be still my soul! the waves and winds still know

His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul! the hour is hastening on

When we shall be forever with the Lord,

When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,

Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.

Be still, my soul! when change and tears are past,

All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

~Katharina von Schlegel~

But I have stilled and quieted my soul;

like a weaned child with its mother,

like a weaned child is my soul within me.

O Israel, put your hope in the LORD

both now and forevermore.

Psalm 131:2-3

Little Things

I love you, O LORD, my strength.

In my distress I called to the LORD;

I cried to my God for help.

From his temple he heard my voice;

my cry came before him, into his ears.

Psalm 18:1,6

One thing I love about God is how he shows us his love and care

in little ways, just because he can.  He answers little prayers in

such loving ways, showing me that he is listening and caring about

me and my little problems.  If he cares about my little problems,

I know that he cares about my big problems!  Here is a little story

that I was reminded of again this morning as I was putting away the dishes.

Seven years ago we had just moved to Chihuahua Mexico

to do some mission work.  I knew very little Spanish, mostly

just enough to say, "mi espanol es muy mal"!  Our new home

had tile floors and therefore with several small children we had

lots of glasses break.  One of the things that broke on that floor

was my glass 2 cup measuring cup that we had received as

a wedding gift.  I used that measuring cup all the time and really

needed a replacement.  So, I went to the local Soriana, which

is the Mexican equivalent of Walmart, and started to look for

a new measuring cup.  I looked all over and couldn't find one anywhere.

So, since there was no way I could ask one of the employees,

I asked God.  I just prayed that God would please help

me find a measuring cup.  And a little bit later, there was

this lonely glass 2 cup measuring cup, sitting on the shelf

by itself, with no price tag on it. 

So I thanked God and picked it up and took it to the front. 

Without a price tag they didn't know what to charge me, so they

went to look for another one, but they couldn't find one either, so they just

charged me a dollar or two and let me go.  I think God put

it there just for me!  Now whenever I use this measuring cup,

I am reminded of how much God cares about me.  He

loves us so much, and I am just so grateful to Him!

Do you have a similar story of God's faithfulness in your life?

I would encourage you to write it down or tell it to a friend.

If God was faithful in the past, He will be faithful in the future,

because HE NEVER CHANGES!

Liberty

PD's pony, Spot, had her foal yesterday!  She is a cute little

filly and PD named her Liberty.

If you are wondering why we chose the name Liberty,

you probably haven't read the Rush Revere Books,

by Rush Limbaugh.  Our kids love them and we have

been reading them aloud in the evenings.  I'd recommend them!

Baby horses are so fun!