sow---->reap

"If you sow a thought, you will reap an action.

If you sow an action, you will reap a habit.

If you sow a habit, you reap character.

If you sow character, you reap a destiny."

-John Stott

No matter the season of life, may I never miss a chance to sow seeds of truth and love into my sweet boy's tender heart.  It is my greatest purpose, my highest calling.

the best yard sale find

My journey to motherhood did not come easy.  A lot of it was spent waiting and wondering, hoping and praying that our house would one day be filled with toys and noise, that our yard would be a place of play and pretend.

Most days I am simply trying to keep up with a very busy four-year old, so I don't always stop and linger over how long the journey was or how God was so faithful through it all.  It took a $20 bike from a yard sale to cause me to stop, to linger, and to give thanks to the One who led us all the way.  Our house is now filled with toys and noise; our yard is the place where Nerf gun wars are fought and bikes are seen racing....yes, it was a longtime coming but worth every minute of the wait.

To God be the glory.

she is the reason.

Long before "Bible journaling" was a thing, my mother was doing it.

 Using a yellow highlighter and a Bic pen, she underlined, circled, and highlighted.  It was something she would do during a church service as she made note of something the preacher said; it was something she would do in the early morning Quiet Time she spent with her God as she read His Word.

She is the reason my Bible is marked up and written in.  She is the reason I know what a quiet time is.  She is the reason that I am grounded in a foundation of faith.   And, these are the reasons His Word marks my heart.

Tomorrow, while enjoying Mother's Day with my sweet boy, I will be thanking God for a mother who planted seeds of truth and faith in my heart, sowing a legacy of faith that has kept me moored in even the fiercest of life's storms.

samiversary: two years home

This Spring is off to a busy start!  Part of the busyness was celebrating TWO YEARS HOME!  Or as we refer to it: Samiversary :0).

It was a celebration that included a special note from the greatest-grandmother, picnic, presents, and lots of play-time--all of Sam's favorite things.

It was also a celebration of the One who blessed us with such a precious little boy.  It is impossible to celebrate our sweet boy's homecoming without celebrating the Giver of every good and perfect gift!

Sam,

These two years have flown by...maybe because you move at lightning speed ;).  You fill our house with noise and silliness, with love and laughter; your approach to life really is smile-inducing.

May you always know your homecoming is a day to be celebrated and remembered, for that is the day that everything changed.

Happy Samiversary, sweet boy!  Your Uppa and I love you more than we can put into words.

signs of spring

Signs of Spring are popping up everywhere, and my heart couldn't be happier!  Signs of Spring in our little corner of the world look like this:

The arrival of March Madness inspires the smallest of players to brush up on their skills.  Playing ball in the house comes with risk (Brady Bunch episode anyone?), but this smile makes it worht it.

Seeing these all over the yard is a sure sign that Old Man Winter has headed North.  Sam brings me a handful of these "flowers" everyday.  And, it never gets old :).

Looking out my window and seeing the barrenness of winter passing away soothes my soul for sure.

I was thinking of those waiting because of the adoption process when I wrote the words below, but really they apply to anyone who spent a long, hard winter waiting.  For those who are grieving loss, for those who are praying and being met with silence, for those who need a renewed sense of joy, for those who have lost their way and aren't sure how to get back, these words are for you, too.

After the bleakness of winter, spring is springing!  May it be filled with new life and new hope for all of you who spent the winter waiting for Him to turn the barrenness into something beautiful.

May we all see the signs of new life around us and give thanks to our Maker for the beauty He will bring forth.

building and growing

I am not in any way skilled in the use of tools.  I barely know the difference between the two types of screwdrivers, and I struggle to hang pictures on the wall with a simple hammer and nails.  For these reasons, Lowe's is not a store that I frequent on Saturdays.  There's nothing in there that I need or care to use; however, when Jeremy signed Sam up for the Build & Grow activity, I knew that I would be spending a Saturday morning in a store that's the complete opposite of Jo-Ann's Fabrics.  I also knew that I would do this gladly because it's for my sweet Sam :).

Sam is in his element any time there are instructions that need to be read/followed in order to make something.  I think his first words when I opened the package were, "Do I get to keep my instructions?!"  Using a hammer and nails to build a monster truck?  The best thing ever to Sam!

Besides reading instructions and playing monster trucks, another favorite of Sam's is people-watching, and there were a lot of people there to watch.  The key is to not people watch while hammering.  If you don't remember this, you may hammer someone's finger (like your mother's)....good thing they don't give them big hammers.

Sam and I, being the nerds that we are, got really excited over the patch he got for his apron.  It's ironed on and ready for next time!

Totally worth time in the tool store!!

I realized afterwards that we had some leftover nails; glancing back at the instructions, I saw a few places that they maybe should have gone....as long as Sam doesn't find out, it'll be fine ;).

a tender heart

When God made Sam, He put in him a very tender heart.  This is on full display when he realizes that he's hurt someone else*.

In Sunday School this morning, he had a Type A Control Freak moment and tried to show another little boy how to use the hole puncher.  (The other little boy didn't ask for help....Sam just insist on showing others how/what to do. I have no idea where he gets this from...)

He ended up squishing the little boy's finger :(.  I told Sam to say he is sorry since he hurt his friend.  The words were barely out his mouth when the tears started to fall.

The same happens at home.  The one that causes the largest water works display is when he's in trouble, and we tell him that it hurts our hearts when he acts ugly.  Big, fat tears fall.

This morning, seeing Sam get so upset over hurting his friend made me think of how I act after I realize I have hurt someone else.  When my words have been anything but kind.  When my actions could be described as all but loving.

When I sin, it hurts God's heart....but do I have the same tearful, remorseful response as a little 4 year old who realizes that his actions have hurt his parents' hearts?  I am afraid that my tender heart isn't as tender as I like to think it is.  Oh, that God would tenderize my heart and remove the callouses formed there, that my response when faced with my wrongdoing would be one of remorse and repentance. Afterall, He offers forgiveness, grace, and mercy in abundance to each and every heart tender enough to come to Him.



*Someone else does not apply to the cat...we are still working on saying sorry to the cat and meaning it....

jumping from the top step

If walking down the steps is good, jumping off them is even better.  Such was the thinking of Sam yesterday.

And, because there's a big difference between thinking and actually doing, he wanted me to hold onto him as he jumped.  (His sense of risk taking only goes so far, which I am sure to be thankful for when he's a teenager.)

Jump. Repeat. Jump. Repeat.

Eventually, I had a more exciting idea....I'll stand in front of you and catch you.   At first, he was hesitant and unsure.  He tip-toed off his first few times, but after experiencing me catching him every time he jumped, the hesitancy and uncertainty was replaced by excited expectation.  With much laughter and silliness, he would climb up to jump again.   He now knew that I would catch him, that my assurances of catching him could be trusted.  Experience is a great teacher.

Isn't this how our faith in God is strengthened?  With each experience of having to depend on Him, we learn that He is trustworthy, His Word can be trusted, and that His plans for us are good.  If we never jumped, how would we learn these things?

Here's to having our faith stretched, to jumping from the top step, and to knowing that He will catch us!

what makes a family

(Dinosaur Train: popular show on PBS about a family of dinosaurs and cause of my heart flip-flopping during an ordinary lunch)

Lunch conversation is guided by whatever pops into Sam's head, which means it's mainly about toys and plans for after nap time.  What popped into his head and out of his mouth the other day about some Dinosaur Train characters caught me completely off guard...

Sam: Mrs. Pteranodon isn't Buddy's mom.

Oh, yeah, why not?

Sam: Buddy doesn't have a beak.

Hmm....well, does Buddy call her Mom and does she take care of Buddy?

Sam: Yes

Then, she is Buddy's mom.  They don't have to look like each other to be family.  Families don't have to look alike.  It's okay for them to look different.

To him, this was enough of an explanation.  All of a sudden, with that simple explanation, Buddy not looking like Mrs. Pteranodon didn't mean anything more than they were two types of dinosaurs.  He accepted that it's okay for families to not look alike and that was that.  Much to my heart's relief.

However, I know there will be a day when Sam looks at us and says, "Hey, why don't we look alike?"  And, that will be the day when all those talks about adoption finally make sense.  I fervently pray that this conversation about family planted a seed that will grow fruit of great meaning for him.

Because the fact of the matter is that families are not only formed through DNA and biology.  We are a family formed through love, bound together with the scarlet thread of adoption.  It binds us together just as tightly as any strand of DNA ever could, and it is a beautiful thing.

**snow** much fun

Old Man Winter was a little late this year, but he finally came!

Day ONE:  Build SnowMan SnowBall Fight

Our snowman building quickly gave way to a snowball fight.  Mama & Sam vs. Uppa.  I think Sam and I won.  (Oh, and when someone tells you to come smell the snow, there's a chance you'll end up with a face full of the stuff!  I'm sure you can figure out which one of us tricked poor, innocent Sam in this way....)

Day TWO: Do Some Sledding

When you have an old plastic swimming pool and some rope, you have just what you need for a sled.  And, if you have a dog that weighs more than a small child, she can pull the sled!  (A tad redneck...maybe, but I prefer to think of it as Southern Ingenuity.)

Day TWO, part 2:  Play Snow Baseball

After a few rounds on the tractor, Sam and Uppa played baseball.  Bonus:  when you're hitting a snowball, you don't have to worry about the pesky neighbor dog running off with your ball.  Sam had to put his tractor up after awhile because he didn't like the snow getting on his wheels!  He's awfully funny about his John Deere.

Day THREE:  Souped-Up Sledding

What happens when you hook your Southern-style sled to the back of the lawn-mower, when you go from man-powered to machine-powered?  Tons of fun, that's what!  (I admit that this is more than a tad redneck.  To some, this probably qualifies as good, 'ole Redneck Fun, but I'll stick with Southern Ingenuity.)

when God's love overflows

It took only a few weeks in an intro Nursing class to figure out that I was meant to stay far away from needles and blood.  I was made to teach, to enlighten young minds (too much??), while sending any who are sick to the school nurse.  It's just who I am, seen by the way I continuously take normal life happenings and make them "learning experiences" for Sam.  I can't help myself.  

To provide an outlet, other than Sam, for all my "teacherness" I get to help teach preschool Sunday School.  It is the best for many reasons...like when you ask them a question, and they always answer with "GOD!"  Do you know how they look at you when you tell them that's not the answer???  Like what do you mean GOD isn't the right answer?!?!

Teaching these little people is also the best because it keeps me from getting too full of myself, from thinking that I got it all figured out.  It's quite humbling when God uses a lesson written for 3 & 4 year olds to show you just how much you don't have figured out.

This week's lesson was on love, and God spoke loudly to me about loving those in my life who don't love back.  On my own, I do not/will not do this.  But, God gives me His love to do what I cannot.

From my first year teaching, I learned that visual demonstrations are always a plus, so in Sunday School, we got to witness what it looks like for God's love to erupt out of us and cover everyone around us.  Even the yucky people.

Another first year lesson was practice everything before getting in front of the class.  Who, of course, do I practice on but my favorite student :).

P.S.  According to 3&4 yr olds, "love is snuggling." Go snuggle someone you love ;).

sew many things

Starting in September, through all of December, I spent all of my free time with this old girl.  Like I a mad woman, I was trying to finish three quilts before Christmas.   At the end of the day, my weary fingers couldn't type a word....I know the faithful few have missed me and my ramblings (or at least that's what I tell myself ;).  This is for you, faithful few!

Halloween came during all of this, so of course, we hit pause on the quilts to make a light up robot costume!  {Sam is not big on costumes, dressing up, etc., so I made "robot clothes."}


 


What's a boy to do when his Mama can't play monster trucks because she's at the sewing machine for the millionth day in a row?  He pulls up a chair makes the best of it :0).

One of the quilts made from Donnie Paul's pearl snaps--it was an honor to make.  It was even more of an honor to have known and love(d) him.