Up to our eyeballs in laundry...

Okay, so just wanted to stop and encourage everyone to remember to have fun in the "everyday". Even a big 'ole pile of laundry can look daunting at times,

but throwing it around, making a big mountain to roll down,

playing hide and seek ...so much more fun.

Yes, eventually it must get folded and find its way to the drawers and closets, but in the meantime I am choosing to look for the "fun" in the not so fun!

Thoughts on my man-child...

Homecoming 2011

How blessed I am to be the mama of this handsome man child! He is a young man of conviction, whose maturity at times amazes me. He has faced a lot of change in his 17 years of life.

*bringing an unwed mother and foster sister into our home within weeks of each other, causing him to sleep on the floor in his brothers' room for 6 months

*watching that same foster sister, whom he loved with his whole heart, be lifted from our lives

*welcoming home a severely handicapped sister,

only to turn around 2years later and welcome a 7 yr old sister with special needs

With some of these changes I questioned the effects they would have on all my children; wanting to protect my children from loss and disappointment, desiring to give them my full love and devotion, many times I wanted to tell God "no, this is too much for them". Had we not stepped forward in faith, I never dreamed that I would actually be depriving my kids from navigating through some of the most character building times of their lives.

It seems that sometimes our desires for our children get tainted by the lies of the world, particularly the American culture we live in. This culture will tell us that we need to avoid inconvenience, heartache, things they may cost us along the way. This culture tells us to seek happiness and contentment here on earth. I am learning, with every passing day, we live in a wretched world, and the JOY in living is living for the Kingdom of endless HOPE that is offered through relationship in Jesus.

All that to say, I am thankful for how God has used the hard stuff of walking with Him to mold and shape my boys, and I encourage you to remember the next time something presents itself with a price tag that looks too great for your family, take a closer look because you may be walking away from the greatest gift of your life; a gift that in the end, may not feel like it cost you anything, but gave you everything!

I love you Jacob! Thank you for persevering and allowing God to use it all to mold you.