Praying

We have known the Goins family since 1997 when we attended the same church. Sean taught with Mark for several years. Diane selflessly watched my babies for a few years so I could attend a weekly Bible Study. If I had to describe them in a few words, they would be "passionate" and "authentic".

The Goins are the real deal. They love the Lord and His people in practical ways. In recent years, they have followed God's leading to adopt children into their family. They have three children already, but have taken seriously the call of the orphan. They have sacrificed, worked hard and creatively to raise funds for a few years now in order to adopt without debt.

As a family they have been in the Ukraine since early September waiting and bonding with their new son and daughter. Yesterday we received an email from Mark stating that they have just learned that there is 0% chance that the adoption will go through. Mark did not give any details, but only stated it is a matter or pride, personality and prejudice. They will receive some "complimentary" time in front of the judge on Friday. (The Ukraine is seven hours ahead of us).

Won't you pray with me today? Pray that nothing will hinder Friday's court appearance from happening. Pray that God will miraculously turn this judge's heart to grant the Goins' favor. Pray that if this obstacle is bound up in logistics that the details will be worked out before they see the judge. Pray for these children to be adopted into a real family who already love them and who will raise them with the Love of Christ.

According to the powers that be the judgment against them has already been made. We are praying for a miracle.

The Cooks Next Door

I just got home from our church's monthly Mom's Night Out. This normally involves some good food followed by desert and coffee. More than that it's a time to reconnect, laugh, share and be friends. I'm blessed that though our congregation is small by many standards it overflows with authentic relationships.

Want to meet some of my friends? Let me tell you that they are some of the most creative people I know. And when it comes to food, they shine. To bless us all Alaina and Heather have started a new blog. Hope you are able to spend some time at The Cooks Next Door and are as inspired by these women as I am.

Pray

My friend Alaina and her husband are in the midst of a storm right now. They woke up this morning to The call. They are in the next state in the hopes of adopting another son. Please pray for them in the coming hours and days.

Think Different: Hospitality and others

Mary tagged me back in April for this meme. I've actually been pondering it on and off since then and asking the Lord to really bring to my attention an area in which my thinking has been flawed. It has been incredible to see how God has opened my eyes over these past few months and provided me with some concrete examples to live by.

Hospitality is the call of every Christian, but seems to fall primarily to the women of the household to insure that the home is opened up to others. There are all kinds of examples of what hospitality might look like. I know many, many talented women who just exude hospitality. They have special abilities in cooking, baking, presentation, decorating, organizing.... I admire them and they inspire me in so many ways.

When we were first married we lived on campus in an apartment. All of our friends were dorm dwellers and we saw immediately a great opportunity before us to minister and connect with others. Every Sunday evening we would open our doors after Vespers to anyone that wanted to come in. We provided some snacks. Since we had virtually no money the snacks were usually pretzels and iced tea or on a good week Pillsbury bread sticks with cheese sauce. So with what we had, we would serve our guests and enter into each other's lives and thoughts through conversation.

The first year we were in Indianapolis another young couple came to visit our church. I jotted Ryan and Lisa's phone number down and later in the week called them over to share our spaghetti and sauce from a jar dinner. They gladly accepted and thus began one of the best friendships of our adult lives.

In later years, we opened our home each week with a shared meal and Bible Study. Many important topics were covered and relationships strengthened around our small table even before the study would begin. From the world's standards it wasn't much. Usually it was a self service food from a crockpot and homemade dessert, but it was a joy to serve.

Somewhere along the line my thinking has gone astray in the area of hospitality. Now that I'm no longer in the newly married or young family category, it seems that hospitality has stepped up a notch. I fear that I have imposed the expectations of HGTV and the Food Network onto what God intended to be a ministry that is other focused rather than self focused. I have turned my eyes watch others exercise their gifts rather than trusting God to use me as He desires. I've been thinking more about myself than others.

After being surprised and humbled by the hospitality extended to us this summer in Florida I've been convicted about my many excuses- I'm tired, my house is not up to speed, I don't have time to make something nice, I could never do it like so-and-so, my glasses don't match....

God says:

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. -Romans 12:12-13

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. -1Peter 4:8-9

Attending the funeral of our friend, Barbara, there was story upon story about a life dedicated to serving others. Some were being heard for the first time. The hospitality she gave came in many forms and extended beyond the confines of her home. I don't doubt that God grew her character through the years she served countless people from her own table. She lived her life intentionally giving support and comfort to others. Here are a two examples:

Barbara and her husband brought my parents their first cord of firewood tied up with a red ribbon. They had briefly met once while visiting church and knew that my parents were building a new home and probably didn't have any cut. She thought that my parents might need some firewood for warmth. That interaction led to more encounters and eventually my parents joined that church where they raised us in the faith.

When my best friend's dad died when she was eighteen, Barbara attended the estate sale. She inquired about my friend's favorite childhood toy and purchased it. She saved that toy for about thirteen years and presented it to her at the birth of her first child. Barbara's vision for loving my young, hurting friend extended ahead through the years.

There were many, many more examples shared of her practical ministry. Many more I'm sure are only known by the Lord. Truly she was the woman described in 1 Timothy 5:10 "... is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds."

In her Bible was found this poem. It sums up well what I have been thinking and praying about the past few months.

Others

Lord help me live from day to day
In such a self-forgetful way
That even when I kneel to pray
My prayers will be for Others.

Help me in all the work I do
To ever be sincere and true
And I know that all I do for You
Must needs be done for Others.

And when my work on earth is done
And my new work in heaven begun
May I forget the crown I've won while thinking still of Others.

Others, Lord, yes, others
Let this my motto be;
Help me to live for Others
That I may live for Thee.

This is by no means a quick meme, but I'd love for you to share with us what you have been challenged to think about differently. The topic is wide open. Saralyn, Sniz, Michelle, anyone else care to share?

Vote!!

A few months ago I heard a conversation between some moms that went something like this:

"Did you watch American Idol last night?"

"Yeah, I think I voted like 25 times. I have to vote for my favorite or they might get kicked off!"

The conversation continued between two of them about who was the best, who was the most annoying, who should still be on....

After a while their other friend chimed in, "If I find out that either one of you doesn't vote in May then I'm going to come over to your house and run over your phone with my car."

I think she might have been serious.

This is neither about politics nor American Idol, but about a wonderful family who is a finalist in a contest that could result in a $20,000 makeover of their home. I have known Phil since childhood and on through college. He and his wife, Lisa, have a long and wonderful story that was already explained beautifully by my friend, Cindy. I'll leave it to you to hop over there and read.

THEY NEED YOUR VOTES!! They have a vibrant ministry, a family full of little kids and a house in need of repair. So, go to triscents.com, register to vote and then click on the picture with the diaper pail. Voting is open until June 7th and you can cast one vote per day per email address. Yes, your vote could make a difference in the life of this family.

This would be a blessing unlike any other to Phil and his family. In his own words, "Please understand how important this is to me personally—while winning a cruise was wonderful, a home makeover of this proportion would virtually eliminate the need for me to ever do any work around our home. Thank you!!!"

Gettin' the Word Out

My good friend Jennie that I wrote about here has a blog now! She is probably the most energetic, real and giving person that I know. I'm sure that you'll catch some of that just from reading.

Her twin boys, Taylor and Spencer, were diagnosed with autism this past year and she's recording the journey. If you know anyone in a similar situation please pass it on or if you want to see the inside life of autism drop on by to pay her a visit. It's eye opening and you're sure to learn a lot.

Come and See

Blogging has become much more than just a place to document my thought or family's life. It has served as a way to build relationships and be encouraged to pursue some new or forgotten areas of living. I thought that I would pass these blogs along to you and would love to hear about some of your favorites as well.

Catherine Wheels
Catherine has been providing a weekly review of the books that she has read this past year. She reads several a week in all different genres. I love it that her reviews are interesting and honest. This has lead me to read many books this year that I would not have even known were out there. I'm always trying to finish one so that I can move on to the next!

Reflective Ponderings
Alaina is a fabulous cook and posts her menu and recipes each Monday. I've been stuck in a cooking rut now for some years it seems and she has inspired me to look differently at what's in the pantry. Her ingredients are things I usually have on hand and there are many crockpot dishes as well. Yum.

Morning By Morning
Michelle is a personal friend who has begun blogging as a way to record her recent diagnosis of breast cancer. She is a homeschooling mom of four energetic boys who is real about her faith. You'd be encouraged to read about her journey.

Oh, there are so, so many more.... But I must go for now before my children "starve" (so they claim).

Please pass on any sites in particular that have inspired you recently and why.

The ultimate sitter

A few months ago our favorite babysitter, Jenny, approached me saying that she would like to watch the kids for a weekend so Sean and I could get away together. She is a sophomore nursing student who works and has a busy life, yet she perceived that we really needed some time away. Why would she do this? Her friends think she is crazy to even try! She would do this because she wants to serve God and she loves others more than herself.

Sean and I took a week long trip to Florida in 1999 leaving our oldest two with my parents. Since then I think that we have had a weekend away twice without children. Once was for a wedding and the other was a backpacking trip. But other than that if we have gone somewhere a baby has been along with us.

So this was a much anticipated weekend for us. What did we do? Slept in until 10:30, went to a movie, sat around at Starbucks, went out to a nice restaurant, and played our favorite card game several times. We gave eachother 100% of our time and attention. No interruptions. No schedule. No duties. We did this 10 miles from our home, but it felt like we were at a vacation resort. Wonderful.

I knew that Jenny was at my house busy as she could be and taking wonderful care of our children. As she has watched them over the years she has taken the time to get to know them as people. We can talk frankly about issues and conflicts. I know that she loves them.

I pray that my children remember these times with her and come to appreciate the ways that she is blessing our family. More than that, I pray that my children grow up to be like Jenny.

Refreshed

Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints. Philemon 7


I went to a small Christian college in the hills of East Tennessee 17 years ago. I certainly received a good education, but more than that gained four wonderful friends who continue to bless, challenge and encourage me.

Maybe it's that we all "grew" up together there- staying up all night, singing, playing sports, going out, breaking up, finding our faith, working, laughing (a lot), being immature yet trying to be responsible, crying, fighting, facing the future, realizing dreams, recognizing failures, eating far too much food, living on a dime, moving in and moving out, visiting each other's homes, forgiving, forgetting, loving...

Our school would be considered stone age conservative by all standards I believe. No co-ed visitors in dorms. Curfews. No alcohol. No smoking. No living off campus. No cars for Freshman. Though many may laugh at this, as we talked about this weekend, we are thankful for it. We had an atmosphere that allowed for growth. Sure each of us did things that we may still regret, but we had a relatively safe environment to discover who we were and to invest in relationships without being confused and bombarded by all the stuff that college campuses may offer.

This year me and my 4 friends Amy, Cindy, Beth and Carrie turn 35. We have known each other for half of our lifetimes!! We work in an Opera House, homes, churches, schools, a hospital, theaters. We read books, know far too much about various TV series and movies, serve in ministries, mentor, marriage counsel, homeschool, act, create, raise 17 children, travel....

Last weekend was a rare occasion where we all met together for a get away. Refreshing does not do justice to what it feels like to get away with such real friends. It is a gift to be with these girls and pick up right where we left off. It is a gift to be able to share our joys and struggles honestly without fear of judgment. It is a gift to sit in a row in church and sing to our Lord. It is a gift laugh, cry, talk, remember and dream with friends again.

"...the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."

I have to tell you about a friend of mine.

She had four children in 2 1/2 year. Girl, twin boys, girl. The best way I can describe her is "contagious". I believe that she has the energy of 2 people and is never afraid to tell it like it is. She is authentic. She is the first to admit her faults and is consistently trying to improve who she is. She has vision. She does real estate and she and her husband are launching an innovative business. She and her husband are very different, yet she compliments him by her words and actions. She works hard and plays hard and laughs really hard. She is generous and constantly blessing others in practical ways. She loves the Lord and her faith doesn't waiver when things get hard. She is a loyal friend. We've dieted together (several times), freezer cooked together and spent many an afternoon with our feet in the baby pool just letting everything go in the name of friendship:)

These past five years have not been easy for her. Of course, how could it be with so many little ones in tow? Her mother was diagnosed with lymphoma and went through serious cancer treatments. Jobs have been unstable at times. She has taken people into her home who need a place to stay for a while. They've made a commitment to a new church. All the while, she has been dealing with her two boys who have progressed slowly and unpredictably through the preschool years. This has meant that she has spent much of the last five years at home with them where she can deal one-on-one with behavioral issues and not deal with what the watching public may think or say.

This week, my friend and her husband received the test results that they have been waiting on for some time. Their boys fall within the autistic disorder spectrum. Not necessarily surprising news, but definitely not easy to hear either.

Did she cry? Yes. She loves them.

Did she feel sad.? Sure.

Did she pout? No.

Did she get mad? No.

Did she have a fit? No.

Did she shake her fist at God? No.

Do you know what she said? She said, "I'm glad that I know what I can do to help them now. "

Then she proceeded to do what her new pediatrician will be prescribing next week which is rid her pantry of all wheat, gluten and sugar products. All the while she was researching for recipes and baking a special cake that her boys could enjoy when they got home from school. They even installed a lock on the pantry door to cut down on any sugar raids. In usual fashion, she just stepped into the next phase of normal and is not looking back.

"Autism is what my boys have. It is not who they are," she says.

When others might only see what they "are not". She knows who they are and who God is. Her confidence is contagious.

There is no doubt in my mind that these children will grow to know that they are loved and wonderfully made by God. They will continue to have a childhood of discovering and learning. They will still have boundaries and consequences. They will have the best of every opportunity available. They will be hugged and cuddled and tickled and taught and challenged. They will grow.

People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Mark 10:13-14

Whatcha Got Cookin'

Friday night there was some fun happening at this house! Myself and seven other homeschool moms joined together for the first Whatcha Got Cookin' party. We made 64+ meals total in about 3 hours to be stored in the freezer for a later time.

This is what we made:

Chicken Devan
Beef Stew
Wet Burritos
Stuffed Shells
Egg Rolls and Teriyaki sauce
Chicken Calzones
Macaroni Cassarole
Chili

This is how it worked:

About three weeks ago each lady submitted a 2 recipes of her choice. Each recipe serves a family of 8. From this list we narrowed it down to make a good balance and variety.

Each person was responsible to provide all the meat her own family would be eating. This way they could pull from what they already had or buy on sale and hopefully save some money.

After being assigned a recipe each lady multiplied that recipe times 8 and then purchased and prepared all the non-meat ingredients for the entire group. Any prep work like dicing, boiling or chopping was done at home. This allowed us to buy in bulk and save some time and money.

That night we all brought our meat and all of our prep work together and began to assemble each recipe one by one for our individual family. It was nice to be able to control the spiciness or leave out an ingredient that our family wouldn't care for. There was nothing to actually cook, so it went fairly quickly. Each recipe cost between$4-8 depending on if it was divided into one or two meals due to family size.

More than anything it was an opportunity visit and share and we did something productive at the same time! We may see each other at homeschool group each week, but for some of us it was the first time ever that we have had a uninterrupted conversation.

The night ended in the early hours of the morning with chocolate, caffeine and great conversation.

Wanna see?