Saying NO

The Lord has a funny way of taking my "no's" and my "never's" and turning them into absolutes! I said I would never live on our street after moving away the first time and guess what, we are back!! I also pridefully said I would never drive a mini van and you know what I LOVE my new mini van! I've told Jeremiah on many occasions I didn't want to live any further south than where we are now and for nine months I lived four hours south of here. So there is another area of my life that I had previously said no to and God is beginning to change my heart in ways I never expected. I won't elaborate any more right now as I am truly seeking him in prayer over this. But I ask that you pray with me as I confirm this is the Lord and not any outside pressure!

Setting our minds on things above

I don't know about you, but if I am not involved in a Bible Study I tend to slip away from deep Bible readings. If there is one thing I have to be sure of, it is that I keep myself in a group Bible Study, for the accountability and for the guidance. I've been a Christian for many years, but it has just been in the last four years that I have truly begun to study the Bible. I mean really diving in, not just Sunday morning teachings, but really reading, studying and deciphering scripture and applying it to my life. I am currently doing a study on Heaven that I mentioned earlier. For the first week we have focused on Colossians 3. Rules for Holy Living is how my Bible titled it. Each day we were to read the entire chapter and I am astounded how each time I read it I pulled something new from it! I want to share a few things I've learned or things that have been affirmed to me. I love verse 4 when it says "When Christ, who is my life, appears, then I will also appear with him in glory". Sounds so immediate, no waiting, but when Christ returns to earth for his people, those that believe in him, I being one of them, will appear with him in glory (heaven). Oh how wonderful that sounds!!!! A few other important principles I've been reminded of is to forgive, not to hold grievances. Above all other feelings I am to love. Love should cover all! I am to let the peace of Christ rule in my heart. Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit did not come to live in my heart to cause distention and problems, but to give me peace. I believe he still convicts me of my wrongs and forgives me when I ask, but I have a peace when I focus my mind on Him, not on this world. This peace should rule over everything, including this adoption. I do not need to worry about when, or how, money or travel, but I need to focus my mind on the peace of Christ and my future with him in Heaven. Then the worries of this world will not permeate my spirit, but instead Christ will. By focusing my mind on things above, on Jesus Christ, I will begin to change what I do, say and think here on earth, knowing that Christ has promised a rich inheritance for me in heaven! This adoption will come through and I will receive my child God has promised for me, but in the meantime, instead of worrying, I will place my thoughts on Him.

Getting the house social worker ready

Hey Guys! Our social worker comes tomorrow to do our homestudy update and the house is a wreck. I haven't been feeling all that well this week so I've done nothing to it! Jeremiah is hanging some Roman Shades I bought at Target and after the girls co-op today I will be doing some serious cleaning and throwing away. Our social worker is a very sweet lady and I know she doesn't expect perfection, but of course, I do!!! I'll update on how it all went in the next few days. By the way, they are predicting snow for Saturday. Until then...

SNOW!

We actualy got some snow last night and here are a few pictures of the girls. When I woke this morning I was so thankful I let them stay up late last night to play in it as most of it is gone this morning. The ground is just soggy now. Nana taught them how to make snow balls and that encouraged much fun. Thankfully they were throwing them at a tree, not each other. Many squels of excitement and one Yahoo were the sounds of the night. Even more precious was Gracie telling us her favorite thing about yesterday was Madilyn seeing her first snow!

Bitterly Cold

My southern Beauties Hi Friends. Boy has it gotten cold here in GA! Predicting snow flurries tonight, we will just have to wait and see. It has been such a blah day; cold, dreary, lonely and very unproductive. I do not like it when I get like this, no desire to clean, cook, homeschool or really get myself dressed. I don't do this very often, but occasionally I get in these funks. Trying to pray myself out of it, but almost feeling to low to pray. So instead I am taking this day minute by minute until I come out of this. So I am going to talk about this new Bible study I began yesterday instead. It is on Heaven: Our Inheritance: How setting our minds on things above will change our investment on earth. It is going to be so wonderful. Diving into God's Word to discover what Heaven will really be like. And training myself to set my mind on things above, not on earthly things. We were created with a longing to be with Jesus, to live in heaven, but because we do not train our minds to focus on God and on eternity we mistakenly believe our longing is for earthly things and desires of the flesh. Oh how this changes my perspective! This study is based on a book by Randy Alcorn called Heaven. I may have to pick it up to read as well! My verse for this week that I will be meditating on is: 1 Cor. 2:9 No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.

Playhouse

I mentioned the playhouse a few posts back. This is the major Christmas present the girls are getting from their parents and a few grandparents. Jeremiah has been working so very hard on this playhouse, I mean every free moment he has is spent on this! And I must say he has done a remarkable job. So here is a picture to show the work to date! (Except it doesn't show the door he hung today) The girls can't wait to begin playing in it!

Our Precious Children

My First

Routines are so important and we all have them whether we admit it or not. I have a morning routine. I make my coffee, turn on the computer and read the latest headlines in the news, sometimes read an article and then check in on the adoption world. I do this religiously! This morning I changed my rountine and had my quiet time with God first. He needs to have the first in my day, not the internet. What's more is I would check into these adoption rumor sites hoping that something in this adoption slow down will have changed and I end up disappointed. I'm not sure what it is that I am looking for, a rumor with no substantion is more likely what I will get and that's all it is, just a rumor. Maybe just a glimpse of hope that things will speed up is what I am looking for. My perspective is changing and I am realizing that unless I am on my knees in prayer, focusing on God, I will lose all hope. So I will still check my news and adoption sites each day, for years to come if that is how long I will wait. But God will get my first each day!