Wondering...

"When will it be our turn?"  A constant question that comes to mind more lately. 

We get the privilege of congratulating many of our friends on the pregnancy and births of their babies.  Some of our friends we have been able to congratulate duplicate and multiple times since we started our journey to adopt.  Truly, I am so happy for my friends.  To see their joy on their faces, the excitement as they embark on a new adventure is truly a joy to see and watch.  A new journey has begun for all of them.  I can honestly say, parenting becomes them very, very well!

We have watched others build their family through adoption.  There story of the adoption journey has ended, and a new journey has just begun.  It is exciting to hear the joys they experiences.

Can I be honest with you?  Can I just say, we desperately want our next journey to begin too!  I think of Lindsay's last year and a half at home, and Katie and Courtney still in a age where they are available, before the craziness of high school life begins. 

But then I remind myself ... God's time is perfect.  So I wait.  I wait with the Lord.

I watch as others experience the first smiles, first steps, first school days, birthdays and holidays ... and I can't help but wonder.  What will it be like?  What will it be like to take Elijah to his first baseball game?  What will it be like to have our first tea party with Ruthie?  What favorite meals are they going to request at dinner time?  I can't help but wonder.

I was asked the other day, if our dog is to replace the kids we are waiting for.  Just in case you are wondering the same thing ... no he isn't.  We don't replace kids with dogs.  There is a clear difference for us.  Sometimes I wonder, as people watch us and wonder, if we are to just stop living until the day arrives.  I don't believe that is what God wants for us.  We are to continue living.

So that is what we will continue to do ... to live our life as God leads.  But I will be honest ... I still will wonder ...

Dilemmas ....

On one hand it has been nice to not have hair to sweep up after, and vacuum up.  It has been nice to not have messes in the back yard to have to pick up.  It has been nice to just pick up and go, and not have to worry about who is going to watch the dog.  It has been less to care for in our finances. 

But on the other hand....

There is a sense of security having a dog around.  There has been something missing out of our lives.  Life just seems too empty. 

But do we rescue an older but young dog or start off from the beginning ...

I have always had a soft heart for those older dogs that just hope for a home to go to.  They deserve a home just like the little ones.  I don't have to deal with house training.  I don't have to deal with getting up in the middle of the night.  I don't have to enter a world I have NEVER done before.

But on the other hand...

A puppy would be trained the way we want.  There would be less history (aka: trauma) that comes into our home.  There are five of us to help out. 

And the decision is - meet the newest addition to the Archibald Home.  As of last night, it has been decided that his name will be Judah!

Convicted

Loveland (the town a half hour up the interstate and where our church is) has been in the news latly.  You may have heard.  Actually, it was the Loveland Art Museum specifically that has been in the news.


To make a long story short, there was a piece of artwork most would see as pornographic and the man in the picture resembled Jesus.  Supposedly.  However as our pastor said "It wasn't my Jesus.".  I know who Jesus is...and I agree.  It wasn't my Jesus. 


Anyway, a woman drove down from Montana - offended of the piece of art and destroyed it.


To see/hear more of the story from our pastor perspective I will have links at the bottom of the page.  But be warned...you WILL experience what God's love is all about and it may just change your life, as it did mine!


I was moved to tears as I heard how to respond in love.  Our pastor acted in obedience to God's word.  It got me looking at my life, and if there was anyone I needed to give love to.


This is my prayer.

Oh God, the other night at church I experienced the love you have for all of your children, and even saw how you call us to love one another.  I was truly overwhelmed.  Your love is so overwhelming.  And yet, we are called to give this overwhelming love away, not just hold onto it.  So with that I will do what you have called me to do. 

So I come to you this morning, I come to you thinking more about Elijah and Ruthie.  But today I am thinking beyond the love for these kids.  I am thinking of the Liberian government - their president, Geebro, Lydia and our US embassy person; Steve Harper, to be precise. 

I confess you you I have judged them.  I have wanted them to be removed as they continue to stand in the way of me and my children.  I have hated them.  I have not loved them as you have called me to.  I have seen them as evil, cold-hearted, not a follower of you, corrupt, selfish and uncaring.  I have put my love for my kids over them.  I have never given them a chance to be heard.  I have cut them off and believed that my way was the truth and was the only way to be seen.  It was the best scenario for our situation.  I also haven't allowed your love to rule over this situation, as I have never known you the way I know you today.  I confess I never saw your love as enough.  I am so sorry for condemning you - and your children.  I am sorry I have put you in a box.  I'm truly sorry.  And I'm sorry I have allowed it to harden my heart - the heart you created to be used by You.

Today it stops!

I know you are getting ready to do great things with Elijah and Ruth, but today I take my eyes of what I want and on your people - who are your heart.

I pray for your blessings to shower upon the Liberian president, upon Geebro, Lydia and Steve Harper.  I pray they too will see you more today as I have.  I pray that they will be blessed beyond measure and will simply just know you.  I pray for protection over them and their families.  I pray they won't be hungry as you continue to provide for their every need.  I pray their hearts are heard and peace fills their lives.  I pray they experience joy and a full knowing and experience that they are so loved my you.  May they see your hand upon them.  I pray they too will celebrate the salvation they have or can have through you.  Thank you for their lives.  Thank you that you can use them and allow Your goodness to shine through them all.

I will continue to faithfully pray for these people.  Thank you for changing my heart and allowing your love to shine through.  I give you praise through this healing.  Amen!!!

To hear our pastor's response to the artist watch the sermon found on these links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7qmbf5kgB0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_N4-c6Kg2k&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7qmbf5kgB0&feature=related

Thanksgiving Came Early This Year

I never saw myself "qualified" to home school.  I just didn't see myself as a great teacher.  I also didn't see myself as full of knowledge when it comes to household responsibilities.  Yes, I love my husband and my kids and feel adequate enough to take care of them.  Yes, I am thrilled when my house is clean, and do what I can to keep it that way.  Yes, I am capable to drive my kids to and fro, and even can manage all five of our schedules.  Yes, I can cook and am even able to keep our books.  But I still wouldn't look at myself and see that I'm one of those home school moms and be able to teach my child all about keeping a home. 

Perhaps I sell myself short...but I find every day I have so much more to learn.  Perhaps, that is where one needs to be so God could begin to start.

One of the adventures of living in Colorado is how we truly have four seasons.  However, fall seems to be short as winter is knocking at the back door.  We enjoy the colors of fall.  Last week we had warnings that our first frost was coming.  And with that ... we looked at our garden and saw there were still vegetables and work to be done!  God has given us so much and we couldn't let it go to waste.

Courtney and I worked hard last Wednesday.  She picked and I prepared for either refrigerating or freezing.  We worked hard.  And enjoyed it.  This was the first year I truly had a heart of celebration and thanksgiving as I saw everything God had done.

And then we remembered.

We remembered the Puritans that we were just studying about.  How more than half of them died in their first winter.  We were exhausted with the little garden we had, and thought of the countless acreage they had to plant in order to prepare for their winters.  We talked and imagined.  Great conversations came from our work.  We remembered how the Puritans left the land they new to be able to come and worship freely.  They were called by God, and they went. 

And then we wondered.

Where would we be today if they allowed fear to stop them?

Do you remember what was happening last Wednesday?

God freed 33 miners from the depth of the earth!  We took the time and watched history.  I wept through each celebration of freedom.  We both thanked God.  Courtney wrote a paper, imagining how she would see the world after being pronounced dead and then being trapped in what could be a grave for months.  She saw how we should live each day as if its our last.

I was reminded of something else the Holy Spirit laid on my heart. 

Proverbs 31.  Courtney was learning how to be a woman of God. 

And then I realized that last Wednesday we celebrated the bounty of what God has provided.  We celebrated the gift of life and freedom of 33 miners.  And we were reminded of our call as women in Christ. 

We celebrated last Wednesday.  We gave thanks.  And we spent the day with God.

We learned more than what we could get out of a text book.  And boy did we learn!

So whether I feel adequate or not, God called me and I will answer.  And I trust He will lay our paths straight...we'll just follow His leading!  And that is the beauty of home schooling!!!

September, Where did you go?

I captured our September through pictures...you'll see why things have been quiet on our blog. I will be talking to you soon!!!  (Don't forget to turn the music off at the bottom of the blog page!)