They are there!

Brian, Amy and their 4 kids arrived in Ethiopia last night ( 3 a.m. Ethiopia time) after more than 30 hours of travel. We are thankful for safe travel.
Please click here to read about their first visit with Yeneneh and Sosy. It is a beautiful post.
We are so excited and can't wait for them all to be back home.
Please continue to pray for their time there and for all the paperwork to be processed quickly and for appointments to happen at the right times.

We need your prayers!

This my Brian and Amy and their four children - Olivia, Phillip, Natalie and Nathaniel.
They leave in about 24 hours to go to Ethiopia - yes, the whole family is going!


This is Yeneneh and Sosy. They are Brian and Amy's children by adoption and they are in Ethiopia.


They will all meet on Sunday for the first time. They will become a family.
Please pray for them. The preparation to leave with 4 kids, massive amounts of paperwork and legal documents, clothes and necessities for 3 weeks and more... this is all overwhelming.
Pray for their ability to remember everything they will need and for a peace and calm in their home over these next 24 hours.
Pray for the process in Ethiopia. There are legal things that need to happen on a pretty tight timeline. If these things don't happen their trip will have to be extended and this will cost a lot of money.
Pray for their safety and for good health.
God began this process in their hearts 3 years ago and HE will bring it to completion this week. We praise HIM for all of this.
Thank you for praying!

Chris on CNN

My oldest son, Chris, was on CNN news on Christmas morning. I know I'm late in posting this but I had trouble getting a good link.
Even though Christmas is over, we can begin now to reclaim Christmas.
Click here to watch the interview.

Hide Them in Your Heart

Will you join me in this new year of hiding God's Word in our hearts?

Just to the right of this post you will find the current scripture to be memorized.

Only good can come from reading and memorizing scripture.

You can do it - Let's do it together!!!!

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Hebrews 4:12

2009: The Year of __________

Fill in the blank.

It's January 2 and we have a clean slate - a blank page. We can make it what we choose to make it. It is a new beginning.

My blank looks like this.

2009: The Year of the Word.
I am resolving to read the Bible through this year. I am also committed to memorize scripture this year. I will have a new scripture on my blog every 2-3 weeks. Join me and let's help each other. Let me know if you will be a part of hiding God's Word in your hearts this year. We can do this together. You are never too old. My two oldest grandaughters will be joining me via email.

2009: The Year of balance.
My life is almost always crazy busy. I wear too many hats and have too many commitments. People say to me "how do you do all that you do?" and then I feel good about all that I do (in a crazy way). And then I don't have time to be in the Word the way I need to be - I don't have time to cook dinner for my husband - I don't have time to just sit and BE - I don't have time to hang out with my kids - I don't have time to have my grandkids spend the night - I don't have time to take a long bath or read a book or watch a movie.

For several months God has been doing some serious work in me. It has been hard. I am a multi-tasker who enjoys serving and I don't give up anything easily. For these past few months God has been prying my hands open.
He is saying to me - Stop - Be still - Know Me - Rest in ME. If you know me, you know that I don't sit well.

So... this year I will surrender. I will open my hands to Him. God has a balance for my life that I have not achieved in a long time. This will not be easy for me. I will be tempted to continue in my crazy lifestyle. Please feel free to make me accountable.

Life for most people has been accelerating and moving out of control. It is time to return to simplicity. Slow down - shed some of the extra things that keep our families on the run all the time. Turn off the TV - sit and talk with your kids - play games - pray together - read the Word together. Stop running from sport to sport - lesson to lesson. Allow yourself and your family to breathe and BE.

I pray that we will allow ourselves to trust in the Lord with all our hearts and that we will not lean on our own understanding. But In EVERYTHING we do we will acknowledge God and allow HIM to direct our paths.

Happy New Year!

Happy Birthday, Rob!

Today is my youngest son's birthday. Robbie was the youngest of our first 4 - the "baby" of the family for 12 years before Jessica joined our family.
Robbie has many gifts - some of them are incredibly obvious - his music and his ability to communicate the message of Christ are some of those.
But others you may not know - Robbie has a gift of bringing peace into a room. He can make anyone feel extra special. He has been doing this since he was a toddler. His smile is contagious and the spirit behind the smile makes everything else alright.
Robbie is a great son - he makes me feel loved.
Robbie is an amazing husband and father.
Robbie is a gifted musician.
I love you Robbie and Happy Birthday!
You are still cool:)

Merry Christmas

Here it is - December 23, 2008 and I am thinking of ways to slow these days down and simply enjoy the celebration -
the time with family -
the sounds of Christmas - I love Christmas music -
the sights of Christmas - lights, decorations -
the spirit of Christmas - people are often friendlier -
I love to hear people say "Merry Christmas" -
I love to say "Merry Christmas".
But somehow I want to convey the depth of that statement - Merry Christmas!!!
I want to stop and say...
"No, really - I want you to know the Christ of Christmas.
I want you to experience the Peace that Christ brings.
I want you to stand in the hope that we have in our Savior.
I pray that you can know the love that God has for you.
I wish for you JOY.

So... today I am going to find ways to attempt to convey that to the people I see. I'm not sure how.
I am asking the Lord to show me - to give me words and expressions that speak peace and love.
I don't want to be obnoxious or inappropriate.
I just want to say "Merry Christmas" and really mean it.