is that you, success? i imagined you would look different.

Sam has discovered the meaning of winning and losing.  And, let's just say that he's like the rest of the world when it comes to losing--he wants no part of it.  If he loses a monster truck race to Uppa, his response is always, "I want to win!  How I win?"  The familiar refrain to his ears from our mouths: To win, you must try your best and work really hard.  But, sometimes in life even when you try your best, it doesn't always end up with you winning.  Whining won't change that.

I don't much like it when these life lessons come to rest at my feet, when I have to go from teaching them to experiencing them.........

After nearly two months of walking around with the constant presence of paint under my finger nails and modge podge stuck every where, I participated in a craft fair yesterday with the hope of making  money for SAMFund.  I had big expectations for how well it was going to go.  I mean, after all, a friend of mine and I had done our best crafting and worked our hardest.  And, I covered this thing in prayer!  Success was going to greet me at the end of the day; of this I was sure.

When all was said and done, I made 10% of the money that I wanted to make.  As a goal setter, that's a hard pill to swallow.  As someone who is in the same camp as Sam when it comes to winning, that looked an awful lot like losing.

Needless to say, success didn't come in the form that I expected yesterday.  It wasn't wrapped up in green bills that would make a great deposit.  Instead it came through conversation with those that stopped by booth 31C and chatted with me about adoption.  I was able to hear great stories, tell of my vision for SAMFund, and share my heart for ministering to families who are adopting.  It took me until this morning to see that all those prayers for the craft fair were not ignored.  He heard, and He answered.  Just not in the way I was expecting ;).

So, today I am thankful for a God who hears us when we call and who never fails to answer.

I'm also thankful for friends who transformed 31C from a spot on the pavement into a respectable craft fair booth, provided shelter from the rain, and didn't seem to mind being led all around the craft fair by a certain little black-haired boy who never sits still!


"Everything contributes to the publicity." Sessalee Hensley

finally fall

Forget what the calendar says; Fall has come early to our corner of the world!  We are leaving the craziness (and heat) of this summer behind behind and looking forward to our favorite time of the year.  Mums have been planted.  The first of many loaves of pumpkin bread has been baked.  Scarecrows and pumpkins adorn the fireplace.  Planning the perfect costume for the church Harvest Festival has begun.  And, anticipation for a certain little boy's birthday is building!

 Yes, fall is here, and it smells like pumpkin spice!

This has nothing to do with Fall, but it's funny.  Well, not to Roux.  He earned extra cat treats for this.