A (Long) Update

I've been thinking I'd be able to compose a really brilliant, well-worded post. I've been waiting for it to come, actually. Snippets of sentences or powerful words would come into my head (of course, at times when I was far from a computer keyboard or even a pencil), and just as quickly they have vanished.

So.

Here's my adoption update post that I've been struggling to write for the past few weeks. I'm not sure what words will come tumbling out, but here they come!

Apparently it started when we walked through the doors of our agency and sat down in an informational meeting (with one other couple) about the new program for the country we had chosen for our adoption. At that meeting, we were handed four sheets of paper, each containing a picture and information about an older, waiting boy who was at our agency's orphanage in Ethiopia. I looked at each boy's picture (two are 5 years old, two are age 9) lingering over their precious faces, one by one. As I did, I read the information and said a silent prayer that God would handpick just the right families for each of them. Then I tucked the sheets into my folder and settled in to hear how we could adopt a baby. A baby girl.

As the weeks progressed and we got further into our paperwork, we would eventually expand the age range from "12 months and under" to "up to 5 years." Wow, God was really working in our hearts! As we progressed even further (fervently praying all the while) we increased the number from 1 child to 2 children, in order to be open to siblings. Well, what if that sibling were a boy? Of course. So, we changed our preference to include a boy sibling. Okay. A baby/toddler/preschool girl and her sister (even brother !) if she had one. That was that.

Or was it?

All the while I had had those four sheets of paper. All along I kept looking at those faces, praying for those dear boys. We received permission from our agency to duplicate the pages and distribute them to people personally (not electronically). We prayerfully gave their pictures to families whom we knew were praying about adoption, and one family in particular whom we knew had been considering an older child. I posted their pictures in our Sunday School room, confident that someone in our class would consider adopting one of them. All the while, we pursued our little girl. And her sister/brother if she had one. Under 5 years old.

A few weeks ago, I was feeling particularly burdened after some of my adoption reading. My burden was for older, waiting children. Orphans are clearly the least, the last and the lonely. But older children, particularly older boys, are truly the last. The last chosen. They wait and watch while families come and go, taking the babies. One article I read began,

"Waiting for a child is extremely hard and emotionally draining, particularly when it seems that everyone else has what you want the most - a baby. But stop and think about how it must feel to be a child with no family. There are millions of children in our world who desperately need a home. Most of these children are not infants, but they are still young enough to need holding, cuddling, security and most of all, they need love. They need parents to read them a bedtime story, to teach them to ride a bike, to hold them when they are hurt, kiss them good night and make them feel safe and special."

"Just how old do you have to be," I wondered to myself, "to outgrow the need for parents, the need to be held when you are hurt, to be tucked in at night, and to be made to feel safe and special? When do you outgrow your need for love? A mother's love? A family?" Through my prayers and in reading many articles/books about adoption issues, my heart began to be more and more tender for these older, waiting boys.

One morning as I was working around the house, I was making my bed and I asked God out loud, "Why won't people adopt these older boys?" He answered (not out loud, but I heard Him loud and clear in my spirit) "Why won't YOU?"

Man.

I had no answer for that. It seems He had been doing the same work in my husband's heart, and as we looked at the four sheets of paper together and prayed, one face seemed to be staring back at us more piercingly than the others. All of a sudden, it seemed so obvious. It's him.

As we talked and prayed for him, and about him, it all just seemed to "fit." We could see him here. We could see him with us. We could see him in our family. We could see him as our son. In fact, it seemed so natural that I couldn't believe we hadn't seen it all along! But what about our little girl? What would we do about her? Wasn't she the one we were going for? Weeks and months earlier, I could "see" her, too.

So, we met with our agency to ask about adopting two kids who were not biologically related. Throughout our two-hour-long meeting they explained why they do not do that. I won't go into all of their reasons now (but I will share that I have come to agree with those reasons). That was hard for us to hear. I burst into tears as we left the agency that day and cried over my salad at lunch as Luke and I sat at a nearby restaurant and tried to make sense of what we had learned. Basically, what we learned was that we had a decision to make: Either continue pursuing the little girl we originally felt called to adopt, or adopt the boy we knew was waiting, the one we could see in our family, the one to whom we felt so drawn.

It didn't take us long to make our choice. In fact, I think we already knew. We just had to adjust our vision and our thinking, and sometimes that's painful. None of the baby or toddler girls will turn 10 in that orphanage, but those boys very well could. And we couldn't stand the thought of it. In my opinion, the reason we couldn't stand the thought of it was because it's quite possible he's ours! The thought of it is supposed to break our hearts. I could envision myself over there, walking past the baby girls as we took our new little boy by the hand and headed back to America. But I could not, cannot, imagine walking past that precious boy while holding a baby girl. I couldn't imagine looking at him and playing with him during our stay at the orphanage, knowing that we almost adopted him. And the reason I think I can't fathom it, the reason it brings tears to my eyes to even type it, is because it's quite possible he's ours.

So, what about our little girl? Well, she wasn't some sort of prophecy. I never saw her as such. It's not that she's still "out there somewhere" and it's our job to find her. I see her now in terms of what she represented. She represented our willingness to do whatever and go wherever God directs us. She represented, and still represents, our longing for God to grow, remake and reshape our family however He sees fit. I don't know if there will ever be a little girl, but I still hold her in my heart as a reminder to myself and a sign to God that I am willing, we are willing, for Him to grow and mold our family for His glory.

And now we focus on our little boy. I'll tell you a bit about him. He's beautiful. He's smart. He's musical. He's got huge, gorgeous eyes and a contagious smile. I catch it whenever I look at him! He's a gangly, skinny, soccer-loving, preteen boy who turns 10 this fall. He makes good grades in his school (is described as being at the top of his class), is friendly (all the kids in the orphanage name him when they are asked who their best friend is), he wants to be a doctor when he grows up, and his favorite food is fried pasta with fried egg. He told our adoption coordinator when she was there that he really wants a family so he can feel like he belongs to someone. He just wants to belong. Well, we think he belongs in our family!

I have been grieving for what he and his family have been through in recent years, and for the circumstances that led to him being in an orphanage. I am acquainted more and more with the fact that adoption begins with grief and loss. I had so many different emotions yesterday on Mother's Day. I mourned for his mother, his first mother. (I will refer to her as his Ethiopian mother, rather than "birth mother." But that is another post for another day...) I just want to scoop him up and tell him I'm sorry for what he's been through. I want to tell him that I love and miss his parents, too, even though I never met them. I can't wait for him to tell me all about them. I want to tell him it's going to be okay (and then do my level best in God's strength, as long as it takes, for that to be the case.) I want to be his new mommy. I want him to belong to me every bit as much as he wants to belong to someone. We want him. Not him-if-he-came-with-a-sister, but him, for who he is.

Our children are ecstatic. They are showing his pictures to anyone who will stop to look. Bethany wrote his name in HUGE letters on the white board in our school room, and Kyle added "rocks." He rocks! We have added a bunk bed to Kyle's room, making room for his new brother. I have been adjusting my plans for school next year to include a new fourth grader who loves math but will be learning to speak English. I have been watching the dvd of him over and over, replaying the part where he says, "My name is ____ ____". I love hearing his precious voice. (By the way, that is the only English he speaks on the dvd. "My name is." The equivalent of me saying "Me llamo Cyndi" That doesn't mean I hablo mucho espanol!) I have ordered books and materials in his language, and I'm learning as much of it as I can. It is hard! But I want so desperately for us to be able to communicate as quickly as possible. I want to show him I'm doing my part. I want to "connect" with him as effectively as I can.

This afternoon we are driving to our state's capital to stay overnight and walk our paperwork through the Secretary of State's office in the morning. We are hurrying to get our dossier (Mt. Paperwork) completed and over to Ethiopia as quickly as possible so that we can get a court date before the courts in that country recess for two months later this summer.

This weekend our sweet daughter leaves for two weeks in China, so I'm looking forward to this short trip to Austin with our kids... not only is this a mission toward bringing home our new son, their new brother, but time for us to spend together in the car and in the hotel before we spend two weeks on opposite sides of the globe. I've never had one in China and one in Africa before. Kyle is bracing himself for me to put the "mother" in "smother" for the next two weeks! Bless his heart. ;)

There are a million more thoughts in my heart right now. I am well aware that there are many issues surrounding adopting older children. I have many questions, and have received many answers already. God is so faithful. I've read so many helpful materials, have ordered some wonderful resources (for us, and for him in his language) and continue to hear from God daily through His Word. What I have been learning and the powerful work God is doing in my heart and in our family could fill multiple blog posts each day. This is such a wonder-filled time for us.

Thank you so much for following along on this blog, for so many of you that we know personally a as well as those of you I've met through your blogs. I am thankful daily for the precious people God has put in our lives. I can't wait for all of you to meet our precious new son, who I'll call "M" for now. Today, M is living his life, going to school, playing with his friends, doing whatever he does... not knowing that he's being celebrated, prayed for, cherished, eagerly anticipated, and pursued. Isn't that a picture of how our loving God regards us? I love it.

I hope you have a blessed day!

It's hard to wrap my mind around...

The number 143 million. Just how many is that?



One. A number I can more easily wrap my mind around.

One. The number I was talking with God about this morning.

I have so much to tell you about our child. We know who he is. Yes, I said "he!" I cannot wait to post about him, but I'm finding it difficult to put into words. He is precious, he is beautiful, he is waiting, and...

he's the one.

Almost Back...

I know I've been on a bit of a "blogging break" lately...



I've LOTS to blog about-- there are big doin's at our house!!-- but I've been taking some time away from the computer to read some other materials, pray, and think through a few things.

I received something in my email today that I wanted to pass along to you, to give you a heads up about a radio broadcast that will be on tomorrow and Friday. I know I don't want to miss this.
I've been greatly concerned about what I've heard and seen so far, and though I haven't posted the recent videos about Oprah that have been circulating on blogs and email in recent months, I do have some concerns and thoughts (which I expressed during a chat with her at the wax museum last fall. As you can see, she seemed pretty receptive to what I had to say, LOL.)

This is what I received today from Revive our Hearts:

"On May 1-2, Nancy DeMoss, Pastor Erwin Lutzer, and Dr. Don Whitney respond to Oprah's recent endorsement of Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth. Listen online Thursday and Friday as they expose these deceptions and lead listeners to the Truth.

Women in massive numbers across the planet look to Oprah Winfrey as a friend, an inspiration, and a spiritual mentor. In case you’re not aware, she has been taking her worldwide audience of millions through spiritualist Eckhart Tolle’s book A New Earth. Here’s a taste of what they’re proclaiming:

"I am a Christian who believes that there are certainly many more paths to God other than Christianity. . . . I don’t believe that it's the only way, with 6 billion people here on the planet."
–Oprah

"If you go deep enough in your religion, then you all get to the same place. . . . The important thing is that religion doesn't become an ideology. . . . The moment you say 'only my belief' or 'our belief' is true, and you deny other people's beliefs, then you’ve adopted an ideology. And then religion becomes a closed door."
-Eckhart Tolle

Learn more about what Oprah and Eckhart Tolle are advocating/teaching.


"Learn to Discern" with our new resource on culture and spirituality: "How to Recognize and Respond to Error in the Culture."
Oprah is on a crusade–in earnest–to help women find hope and “truth.” Millions of people (including many "Christian" women in our evangelical churches) are buying into this tragically false teaching. Here are three ways to pray:

1. Ask God to rescue Oprah and those buying into this line of thinking.
2. Thank God for pastors and Christian leaders who are stepping forward, exposing lies, and giving the gospel in love! (Pray for more to join them.)
3. Ask Him for a widespread reformation and revival among Christian women—for a great return to Jesus—and for a fragrant living out of the faith by these revived women

Thank you for joining us in this effort to lift up Christ and to equip women to recognize the difference between Truth and error. Pray that hundreds of thousands of Christian women will rise and stand as true women, and eclipse this "movement" of Oprah's...for the good of women, men, and children, and the glory of God.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Wes Ward
Director of Media and Marketing

If you don't normally get a chance to listen to Nancy DeMoss, I would encourage you to visit her site and at least read the transcripts or listen online to these shows in particular.

I have missed you!! I'll be back very soon... to jump back into blogland and share about what God has been doing in our family. He is SO good!

Taking Time

I've been taking time away from the computer this week in order to devote more time to pray about a few things...

God is at work!

He is good, all the time!

I hope you are having a wonderful week.

God's Provision for Sin

Another excellent week of discussion over at Lux Venit for chapter 3 of The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace. Due to an out-of-town trip at the end of this week, I didn't have my post ready yesterday but I'm not going to let that stop me from chiming in on this chapter and encouraging you to share your thoughts as well!

I won't do a recap of the chapter as, again, Leslie does a superb job of that. I hope if you're reading this you've either just come from there or are headed there... her thoughts, and the other posters she links, are excellent and so insightful. I have found it so helpful to read others' perspectives on this book.

This week's chapter was titled, "A Wife's Understanding of Sin." Whoa. That's a biggie, and I'm so glad she goes there early in the book. Earlier this week I saw a t-shirt at WalMart that said, "I Feel A Sin Coming On." I sort of "tsk-tsk'ed" it when I walked by, but as I shopped I realized I could wear a shirt like that! We all could! But for those in Christ, we are free not to commit that sin. I am not a slave to it anymore. And, it just occurred to me that "feeling a sin coming on" is actually a gift of His grace, because then we can take the "way of escape" that He has promised. That is true freedom, indeed!

One of the most valuable tools I have gained from reading Peace's books is the "Put Off"- "Put On" dynamic, based in Ephesians 4:22-24:

"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."

I first saw this concept introduced in her book, Attitudes of a Transformed Heart. The concept, as she explains it, is that "we are to put off wrong thoughts with God's help by putting on righteous thoughts." She rightly points out that "wrong, sinful thoughts do not descend upon us out of the blue. They begin with our sinful heart." (see Matthew 15:16-20) In this chapter of The Excellent Wife, she provides a wonderful chart of wrong, sinful thoughts which are common among many wives, and right, Godly thoughts that can replace them. So, so helpful.

I think for many years I repented of my wrong thoughts, but only halfway. I thought I was genuinely sorry and fully confessed it to God. But, as she points out, "the repentance process is not complete until you replace it [the wrong thought] with a godly, righteous thought. Then you will have "put off" a self honoring thought and will have "out on" a God-honoring thought."

As this relates to my marriage, I have seen over and over how issues that have effected our relationship have come right down to my own wrong, sinful thinking. As you might imagine, that came as a complete shock to me! I thought he had the problem, of course! The longer I walk with the Lord, though, the more I see my own sin, and my own need for His grace. I am increasingly grateful for Christ's atoning work for me on the cross. I am more and more in awe of the 1 John 1:9 forgiveness that He offers me each day. That's one of the reasons why I chose the verse I did for the top of my blog. His mercies are new every morning. And He created the world as He did so that it's morning somewhere all day long! His forgiveness and mercy are available moment by moment.

One quote I love from this chapter is, "Christians have to be "...transformed by the renewing of their minds" (Romans 12:2) As we work at it, the Holy Spirit supernaturally enables us. Eventually the godly response becomes the automatic response." Imagine, a godly response by default! Amazing!

That's an excellent wife, indeed.

This n' That

I didn't post a Menu Monday again this week. Sometimes I'm too busy livin' it to blog about it, and yesterday was one of those days! I finally caught a few moments to sit down and blog. We wrapped up school awhile ago and the roast is almost ready. There, now you know what we're having for dinner. :)

Once again I've got a mishmash of thoughts running through my head, so here's a peek at a few of them...




We had a wonderful meeting on Friday with the precious couple who runs the orphanage in Africa where our soon-to-be daughter is. I cannot tell you how profound it was to listen to them speak about their ministry and see the video (less than one day old-- I love technology!) of the new baby home they have just completed. It is amazing! We got to see where we will be staying when we go. (There are guest quarters on the second floor of the baby home.) There were four families there, one of whom had recently gotten their referral and one that was to see the picture for the first time yesterday. We caught a vision of the amazing work that God is doing over there, we prayed and cried together. It was a wonderful time. I got that tingly feeling in the pit of my stomach that I always get when I can tell God is up to something BIG. He is so, so good. (You may have noticed that I'm not being as specific about our child's birth country in my posts any more... After a couple of sticky situations for other families due to TMI in blog posts, I'm a bit leery of posting too many specifics for now... If you're just now reading and have any questions, feel free to email me!)


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We decided last week that our sweet daughter will be returning to China again next month, all by herself once more. This time it will only be for 13 days, not 5+ weeks! Whew! I knew after her first trip to Africa that this was her "bent." But it's hard to think about sending her so far away. Without me, that is. :) She will be traveling with our wonderful college team from our church, and their precious college pastor who also is the campus pastor at one of our church's campuses. I love, love, LOVE him and his wife, and so many of the students on the team. She traveled with them when she went two summers ago and although she was only 12 they acted like she was one of them. When we traveled with them last summer I saw what neat friendships she had made. She will be staying with our dear missionary friends while she's there, and working among a people and in a country she has come to love. I know she'll be in good hands. Most of all, she'll be in the hands of her Heavenly Father who loves her more than I do! She'll be gone from May 17th through the 31st. Will you please be in prayer for her? And for her mother?

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I came across this story last week on John Piper's blog. It is absolutely amazing.

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I am praying for this family who is in Africa bringing home their boy/girl twins. My husband came across this blog and it sounds like she is having some health issues, and it sounds like this has been quite a journey for them!

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Yesterday we spent most of the afternoon dealing with a wasp in the house. Usually we just swat them and deal with them, but this one was w-a-a-ay up high in an art niche/window. He just wouldn't come down and we couldn't get on with school while he was just up there... lurking... waiting... So, we pelted the area first with rubber bands from a rubber band gun, then rolled up socks, then a couple of hacky sacks. Finally it flew down and, well, met its end. My kids have named it Hector ,Jr. But now my sweet husband has to get the TALL ladder and get up there and retrieve all of the debris. There. That story was for anyone who has the impression that we have an orderly and efficient household.

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Speaking of chaos, my daughter and I are addicted to Jon and Kate + 8. It is a Discovery Health channel show about a family with a set of twins and a set of sextuplets. Anytime my life seems out of control I just watch that show! What an inspiration they are! I found their family's website and found out that they are believers with a wonderful testimony.

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I came across this story about the "praying dog."

Perhaps I should let CNN know that I've got a dog who reads the Bible! I walked into the family room one morning a couple of weeks ago and this is what I saw:


His expression is saying, "ExCUSE me... you're interrupting my quiet time. And,by the way, have you seen my highlighter?"

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Did you see this last week on American Idol? (I know you see D*olly P*arton, but just click it and there's a cool story before she sings.) Oh my WORD:

We've never watched ::voteforJason:: AI until this year. :::voteforJason::: We probably won't watch it again, but we have a special reason for watching it this season. :::voteforJason:::

I can't wait to see Idol Gives Back tomorrow night! It looks like it is truly doing some good!

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Well, there's my mishmash. I hope your week has gotten off to a great start!

The Lord's Prayer

"I used to think the Lord's Prayer was a short prayer; but, as I live longer, and see more of life, I believe there is no such thing as getting through it. If a man in praying that prayer were to be stopped by every word until he had thoroughly prayed it, it would take him a lifetime."

~ a 19th century pastor and theologian

For the past couple of months my kids and I have been studying the Lord's Prayer. As God so often does, He weaves things together in a way I never could have. We had been learning the Lord's Prayer, or "Pater Noster" in Latin as part of our Latin curriculum. Right about the time they were truly "getting it" in Latin, I began to wonder if they truly knew and understood it in English yet! So, we took some time to read, study, and memorize it. Providentially, God arranged for Nancy Leigh DeMoss to begin a wonderful series on the Lord's Prayer and we began to listen to the podcasts. I cannot tell you how her teaching has expanded my understanding and love for this prayer. We've been taking a couple of mornings a week to listen to her teach and it has been wonderful. Her series began in February and the first broadcast is found here. The entire series will be available on CD and mp3 beginning next week here. You can subscribe to her podcast here.

Then, as God also often does, He added something just for fun. I received this in an email last week from my sweet Mom, from whom I inherited the inability to listen to children sing without crying. I just can't do it. Apparently the sound of a child singing activates my tear ducts. So if you share this "gene," grab a tissue. This is just too precious:

God's Protective Authority

While we were out of town, I missed week one of Leslie's reading group over at Lux Venit, but I'm jumping right in for week two. We are reading The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It's not too late for you to pick up a copy and join us for this great discussion! Leslie's post on chapter two is here, and has a wonderful synopsis as well as her discerning thoughts. I will not duplicate her chapter summary, but I'll just post some of what hit me between the eyes (which is what this book does, repeatedly!)

This chapter reminds us of what we need to know about God: He is gracious, righteous, and compassionate. He has limitless strength and understanding. He is at work in our lives RIGHT NOW. He wants wives to be joyful and fulfilled. In short, God is good. All the time. All the time, God is good. I have to remind myself of that everyday! As Peace puts it, "God is good and He does all things well, including rule over His creatures." I always agree with statements like that when I read or hear them, but how often my doubt and fear betray that I don't truly believe it at times.

After laying the groundwork, explaining God's character and work and in the life of the Christian wife, Peace gets to the heart of the matter:

"The way for you to experience this fullment is for you to actively choose to place yourself under the authority of your husband. Thereby, you are really placing yourself under God's protective authority."

I struggled with this concept for many, many years. If I'm being honest, being "under my husband's authority" simply did not compute for me. When we got married, in fact, my husband was a much younger Christian than I was. And I was supposed to be under his authority? What if he got it wrong? What if he didn't read his Bible everyday? What if he neglected to pray about certain issues? Surely God wouldn't want me under the authority of someone not as "spiritual" as myself, right? As a result I took on the role of being my husband's Holy Spirit! (To this day, he'll ask me, "Are you tired?" when he senses that I'm trying to be the Holy Spirit for him, an exhausting undertaking for a human ;) That's because, for many years, I misunderstood what that "authority" truly meant, and where my husband's authority ended. I don't intend to fully explore that topic in this post, but this statement from Peace points to where my wrong thinking was: "No husband has absolute authority over his wife because God is the absolute authority. For example, if your husband asks you to lie for him, you must refuse because God's authority overrides your husband's. Therefore, when you are under your husband's (limited by God) authority, you are really putting yourself in the safest possible palce- in God's will. God loves you and He is good. You need not be afraid." She continues, "Even though God's authority is protective, this does not guarantee that your husband will always do the wisest or most godly thing. It does mean, however, that regardless of what he does, God is working in your life to "conform (you) to the image of His Son." (Romans 8:29) and God can be glorified."

My husband has never asked me to lie (as her example stated) but it gets to the heart of my basic fear... what if my husband didn't fully follow the Lord's leading in a certain area? Well, that's not my deal. That's his deal. And it's his deal because that's how God structured it. My deal is to fully minister to my husband, and to not react from a prideful heart that sees my ministry to my husband as demeaning or secondary to other callings in my life. God IS perfect, and I can completely trust that He knows what is best, even though my husband is not perfect. In spite of my husband's imperfections, God has chosen to put me under his authority. I come from generations of really strong women. In fact, I consider myself a strong woman. (Strong-willed is more like it!) Over the years as I've read verses on submission, I've reacted negatively. I still do, at times. As Peace puts it, "It is not uncommon for women today to be upset by these verses. If they are, they may not have been taught what these verses mean, or they may be reacting from a prideful heart that has been influenced by the world's way of thinking. These verses in no way mean that a woman is less valuable or less intelligent than a man.... There are simply some responsibilites and burdens that God does not intend for women to have. A truly wise woman will accept that, appreciate it, and submit graciously to God's plan of protection for her."

"You may never comprehend all the reasons why God doeas what HE does, but you can trust that HE knows better than you what you really need. Keep in mind that you will never be what God wants you to be until you place yourself under God's plan by coming under the authority of your husband."

Just how much of my life do I want to live outside of God's will and plan? I do not want to flop one toe outside of where His grace and protection is!

God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.

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Helpful scriptures on this topic:
Genesis 2:18, Psalm 147:3-5, Romans 8:28-29, Proverbs 31: 13,18, 25,28,29, Ephesians 2:10, Hebrews 12:1-2, Romans 6:6-7, 1 Corinthians 11:3, Ephesians 5:23, Colossians 2:9-10, 1 John 2:16, Ephesians 6:10-13, 1 Timothy 2:12-14

Monday's Musings

We're back!



No "Monday Menu" this week (as fascinating as that always is, I'm sure...) Just a buffet of random thoughts from my transitioning-back-into-real-life brain. We had a great time on our vacation last week. I'm not a good blogger. I didn't take any pictures at ALL. The above photo was taken by my daughter on our trip in 2004! (But it looked like that last week... really.) I'm hoping if any of my friends who were there took any, they might share! If you were on the trip and you're reading this... Bethany took some GREAT pictures of you and your kids! If you're interested in swapping, let me know! We spent last evening restoring my sweet brother-in-law's beautiful travel trailer to it's "original upright position" and returning it to him. It was so nice! We loved it! We ended up in the perfect spot and my talented husband was able to maneuver it perfectly. We had a wonderful time with about 8 or 9 other families (most of whom stayed in cabins nearby) sitting by the campfires, hiking, playing at the playground, keeping up with each other's kids, laughing, remembering, praying, singing... What a refreshing time!

And, now the laundry.

While the laundry is whirring, I'm letting the kids sleep in and I'm gathering my wits about me for a busy, busy April. I'm hanging on to this last day of March. I hope it goes slowly! My mind is just meandering a bit this Monday morning. If you continue to read, be warned. It's random.

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We found out the day before Good Friday that we passed our home study! Believe me, I did not take that for granted. We have an excellent (and thorough!) social worker. It was a very "refining" process for us... quite beneficial, actually. I wasn't anxious or really worried, but it was good to get the word that we were officially approved and can now move on to compile the rest of our dossier (paper mountain.)

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Last night while getting caught up on my email I found out that our case worker from our daughter's birth country will be in town this week and we get to meet her on Friday. I'm am beyond excited! She's the one who will connect us with our daughter! She may already know her! She and her husband run the orphanage over there and have a precious relationship with the children. From what I have heard of her, she is wonderful. I cannot wait to spend some time getting to know her. The next time we will see her is when we are there. God is so good to arrange this meeting with her on this side of the ocean, at this point in the process when it's so easy to get bogged down.

*******

Just look what arrived in the mail the day before we left!!


This is an Adoption Journey bracelet created by Heather at Waiting for Our Heart's Desire.

I had ordered it from Heather a couple of months ago, and she mailed it to me the day before she left to go bring home her TWO precious new sons! I can't believe she took the time to do that during such a busy time.

Here is what she says about the bracelet:

"On both ends of this bracelet you will see two glass tear drops representing the sacrifices that are made and tears that are shed when a birth mother decides to give up her child. The second tear represents the sacrifices made, tears during waiting, and the tears of joy that come with the adoption journey. The world represents the far off land where I will discover my son. The big red heart represents my hearts' desire for a son. The three crystals (green, yellow, red) represents the flag. The most important bead on the bracelet is the original nickel prayer bead, from a very old prayer necklace that I had purchased. I also personalized mine with a blue baby bottle representing the son that God will one day place in my arms."

This photo doesn't do it justice. It is absolutely stunning and brings tears to my eyes. (I chose not to have a baby bottle charm since our daughter could be up to 5 years old.) I love this tangible reminder of this journey we are on. And I love accessories. Love them. I may just get creative and design some Adoption Journey Flip Flops or something... ;)

Will you please take a moment to say a prayer for John, Heather and their two dear sons as they are in Africa being united, and for their precious family who awaits them back home? This is a wonderful time in their family!

**Update: They are back! I can't tell you how moved I am by this picture. Go see what God's been up to. Adoption is greater than the universe...

*******
I missed the first installment of...

But I had the book with me! Here is the first post from last Friday, discussing the book The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace. I read this book last summer and I learned SO much. I am glad to reread it with such a great group to get their perspective and post some of my thoughts as well. Hopefully I'll get time later today to post about the first chapter, but if not I'll just hop right in with the second chapter on Friday. I would encourage you to pick up this book and read it with us! (If you are a man and would rather not read about how to be an excellent wife, you may want to pick up The Exemplary Husband by Stuart Scott and John MacArthur... ;)

*******
Lastly, I'll share what I'm wrestling with this morning: Pride. I used to think pride was just an inflated ego or boastfulness. I haven't realized until lately that pride is simply self-focus. Self-focus can manifest itself in some really sneaky ways: insecurity, embarrassment, being angry when corrected/confronted, or putting myself first in any way. Needing attention is pride. Needing to prove myself right is pride. Worrying about what people think is pride. Pride encompasses so much more than I thought it did! Why should this concern me? Because James 4:6 says "God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble." Did you catch that? God is OPPOSED to the proud. Martha Peace says, "When God opposes someone (as He does the proud), He sets Himself against that person. He is not merely neutral or passive towards them but is actively opposing them, facing Himself against them. Being actively opposed by God is an extremely precarious and unnecessary place to be." I don't know about you, but the thought of God actively opposing me, setting Himself against me, scares me to death! And all because I let my insecurity have free reign, or focus on myself too much. Wow.

Something to think about as I fold all of this laundry...

Menu Monday

I am late getting my menu up this week because... the stomach bug has hit our house! It's only claimed one of us, though, (my sweet daughter) and she's bravely battling it. I think she's on the other side of it, though, and is feeling much better. I've been thankful for my husband's wonderful invention of freezing gatorade in plastic baggies... those ice chips were a lifesaver last night! I'm usually not a germ freak, but when something like this hits our house I'm a madwoman with the Clorox wipes, disinfectant spray, and hand sanitizer. I knew I was losing it awhile ago when I was cleaning the Lysol can with a Clorox wipe... BUT, we're leaving town Wednesday for a wonderful spring break trip, so I don't want anyone else to catch it!

Besides walking around with my antibacterial products in a holster and firing at will, I'm also working on getting us out of town, so this will be a short week in the kitchen for me!

For now, here's our menu:

Monday:

Hay and Straw (one of my favorite things to do with leftover Easter ham)

Tuesday:

Tomato Basil Soup- my friend Mary's recipe, which is available on her website along with her other fabulous recipes here

Wednesday - Sunday:

We are going for a wonderful week of camping (RV style, that is) at a beautiful state park in Oklahoma where there are cabins, too. We usually stay in a cabin each spring, but this year my husband's generous brother has offered us his ginormous travel trailer. Fun! About 10-12 families from our family bible fellowship will be there, and we all split up the cooking (for dinner) and all eat together at someone's cabin around the campfire. It's a wonderful time of fellowship! We'll have our usual- hot dogs, smores, sandwiches and snacky foods, plus my cute husband will be grilling us steaks . I also always, always take a big batch of sausage balls and my grandmother's banana bread for breakfasts.

One of my first-ever blog posts a couple of years ago was about this trip, and the banana bread. My grandmother's tube pan had an interesting journey to another state and found its way back to us, which I wrote about here. I've never posted the recipe for this amazing banana bread, but I've shared it with lots of folks and everyone loves it. In honor of the 6th anniversary of my sweet Nana's homegoing and since I'm baking some tomorrow, I'd love to share it with you!

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Nana's Banana Nut Bread

3 cups sugar

1 cup shortening

4 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cup buttermilk

2 tsp. baking soda

4 cups flour

3 mashed ripe bananas

1 cup chopped nuts (I usually use walnuts, but frequently leave them out or just sprinkle them on top right before I put it in the oven, in case someone is allergic or doesn't prefer nuts)

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs one at a time. Mix well. Add vanilla. In a separate measuring cup, combine baking soda and buttermilk. Add flour and buttermilk alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Add bananas and nuts. Bake in a well-greased and floured tube pan or large bundt pan at 300 degrees for 1 hour 55 min. or two 8" loaf pans for 1 hour 15 min.

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For more menus and recipes, visit Laura. Have a wonderful week, and thanks so much for stopping by!

Was It A Morning Like This?

Was it a morning like this
When the Son still hid from Jerusalem?
And Mary rose from her bed
To tend the Lord She thought was dead

What is a morning like this,
When Mary walked down from Jerusalem?
And two angels stood at the tomb,
Bearers of news she would hear soon..

Did the grass sing?
Did the earth rejoice
To feel You again?
Over and over like a
Trumpet underground,
Did the earth seem to pound:
"He is risen"

Over and over
in a never ending round
"He is risen,

Alleluia, Alleluia!"

Was it an morning like this,
When Peter and John from Jerusalem?
And as they raced for the tomb,
Beneath their feet was there a tune?

Was it a morning like this,
When my Lord looked out
On Jerusalem?
He is risen,

Alleluia, Alleluia!

From Morning Like This by Sandi Patty

Mine, Mine Was The Transgression

O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded with thorns, Thine only crown;
O sacred Head, what glory, what bliss till now was Thine!
Yet, though despised and gory, I joy to call Thee mine.

What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered, was all for sinners' gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression, but Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior! 'Tis I deserve Thy place;
Look on me with Thy favor, vouchsafe to me Thy grace.

Men mock and taunt and jeer Thee, Thou noble countenance,
Though mighty worlds shall fear Thee and flee before Thy glance.
How art thou pale with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn!
How doth Thy visage languish that once was bright as morn!


What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest friend,
For this Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever, and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to Thee.

He Made Purification of Sins

"In eternity we're going to sing on and on and on and it will be never-ending joy, ever-deepening joy. On a dark night like this Maundy Thursday we want to remember how it is that we got such a promise, sinners like us..."

I encourage you to go here to read the rest of the article.

WFMW: Reading Aloud and A Book Recommendation

This post originally started as a post about a book we are reading that we are really enjoying... but I'll get to that in a minute. I'll start by saying that reading aloud to our children has always worked for us. We have read aloud to them on a regular basis since they were little bitty, and now at 14 and 11 they still enjoy it. We all do! We have so many shared experiences through the books we've enjoyed together. When they were little, it was hard for them to sit still for a book sometimes (especially a chapter book) so I had things for their little fingers to do while little ears listened. Some of those things were:

• Magna Doodle
• Build with Legos (already spread out... no "raking" through the tub!)
• Moon Sand
• Etch-a-Sketch
• Draw quietly
• Mold things out of clay/ play-doh that go along with what we're reading (history or whatever)
• Wikki Sticks on a cookie sheet
• Make things out of pipe cleaners

When they were little and were doing those semi-quiet activities while their Dad or I read to them, it was hard to tell they were listening, but that's okay. We were spending time as a family, they were hearing their parents read, and those words were going somewhere. We would find out later as they would recount parts of the stories they loved, or even now when they remember funny parts of past books we've read... they were listening. And it built in the habit of sitting and enjoying literature. My husband is on his second time of reading the Little House On The Prairie series to them. That's become a special memory for the three of them. (He reads it to them at night while I'm "regrouping" or preparing for the next day!)

Now, on to the book I wanted to share with you... We are loving Grandpa's Box. Meade and Van Patter masterfully weave the entire Biblical story of redemption into the storyline of a Grandfather telling his grandchildren stories using figures he's carved and stored in a fishing tackle box. He tells each story in the context of war-- which fascinates my son. (There is a wonderful review of it here.) It's recommended for ages 9-12, and I am so glad to find a book like this which is not only theologically sound and extrememly well-written, but holds their interests as this book does. We started making each of the figures that Grandpa carved, but instead of wood (obviously!) we are using Model Magic. By the end of the book each of the kids will have a set of figures to remind them of the basic storyline of the entire Bible, that they can use to remind themselves or perhaps even share with their own kids someday. Here's what they've made so far: (You can click on the photo to make it bigger.)

I just wanted to share this book today. Reading aloud continues to work for us!

For more tips, visit Rocks In My Dryer. Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Monday Menu

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" John 1:5

These are our candles we will be using this week each evening after dinner during our Holy Week readings. (We are using Noel Piper's readings found here.) If you were to look closely under the ivy you would see our Advent wreath, and these are some of the candles we used at Christmas. I think that's quite symbolic. It was also thrifty, because I already had it all on hand! It's not too late to put together some candles and incorporate some scripture readings each evening to make this week leading up to Easter a more set-apart time in your home. I've posted some other links here. I'd love to know some of your ideas!

On to our menu...

Monday~

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Baked Potato Soup (didnt have this a couple of weeks ago), salad, Cheddar Garlic Biscuits

Tuesday~

Baked Fish (didn't have this last week), steamed vegetables, hot bread

Wednesday~

Chicken Enchiladas, black beans, corn, salad

Thursday~

Leftovers

Friday~

Passover Seder meal/ potluck with our Family Bible Fellowship... Not sure what I'm taking yet...

Easter meal~

Ham, rolls, spinach salad, veggies, Blueberry Banana Pie (recipes here from last year)

For more menus or to link yours, visit Laura. If you don't menu-plan yet, she's got a link to a great resource to help you get started... you might want to check it out!

Now, I'm off to make some shamrock-shaped pancakes...

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great week!

Holy Week

This is the palm tree I planted on my patio yesterday, in anticipation of Palm Sunday today. It has been a wonderful day! I hope you are having a blessed Palm Sunday and anticipating Holy Week as well. We started this morning with breakfast as a family- coffee cake and fruit, with a lit candle on the table, which simply helps us remember that this is a special time. We attend church as a family on Saturday nights, so after breakfast my daughter and I were able to scoot over to Africa church and then go out to lunch together.

This morning we read about the Triumphal Entry in Mark's and Luke's gospels, noting especially how Luke's gospel details how Christ wept over Jerusalem... He was not exactly upbeat or giddy as He rode the donkey colt into the city to the chorus of "Hosanna!" He knew some who praised Him were not true disciples and in just a matter of days would be crying, "Crucify Him!"

Here are a few things we will be doing this week to observe Holy Week in our home... There are some simple (but powerful) readings developed by Noel Piper that we will be doing this week found here. These are in her book Treasuring God in Our Traditions, which is available to read online here. (I just love the Pipers! They make so many of their materials available for free. It's amazing!) We are going to hopefully make the "Easter Mountain" which is explained here in chapter 9 of the book.

During Christmas we read the first half of John Piper's Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ. I purposely stopped in the middle so we could finish it in the days leading up to Easter. It is available to read online here. I highly recommend it to read for yourself, or aloud to your older children. There is also a supplemental Bible reading plan to accompany the book, available here, that we will make use of as well. It's so helpful!

Friday night we will enjoy a time of fellowship with our Family Bible Fellowship (Sunday school class which we attend as a family) at our annual Passover Seder meal. If you don't have a group who does this or know of one you can attend, this site has some great recipes and explains it very thoroughly. Attending a Seder meal has always added meaning to our family's observance of Good Friday.

I would love to know some of the ways you make Holy Week a set-apart time for your family, and I'm always looking for new things to incorporate into our family's celebrations, so if you have some ideas or links, please let me know!

Have a blessed week!

Thursday (Psalm) 13

Today is the 13th, so this morning found me in Psalm 13. I love this Psalm! It starts with a question... a phrase that I think I've uttered or at least thought many, many times. "How long, O Lord?" In other words, it begins with a lament. It's okay to do that, but I must make sure I'm not grumbling! I was reminded of words spoken by a very wise pastor: The difference between lamenting and grumbling is that grumbling calls God's character into question while a lament calls God's character into action. So, as with any lament in the Psalms, I read this one anticipating the Psalmist (in this case, David) calling God into action. It's not a grumble to ask God "How long?" as long as I keep my focus on his sovereignty, His mercy, His goodness.

John MacArthur's notes on this Psalm are excellent:
"Psalm 13 launches with an explosion of 4 "How longs?" indicating another lament is about to begin. But David will shift radically from turmoil to tranquility in the space of 6 short verses through 3 levels of attitude:

I. Below "Sea Level" Expressions of Despair (13:1,2)
II. "Sea Level" Expressions of Desires (13:3,4)
III. "Mountaintop" Level Expressions of Delight(13:5,6)"

As I read the above, I thought of it as "Below 'See' Level." There are levels of despair that we hold deep inside, and we rarely bring them out to be seen. Hidden stresses and fears the enemy (our own flesh!) keeps bringing against us. It's been years. Maybe we even secretly wonder if God even knows about it, even though we know He knows everything... I heard recently, "If you can share it, you can bear it." Share it with Him! He will help you bear it!

"How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever:
How long will You hide Your face from me?
How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart daily?
How long wil my enemy be exalted over me?"

Then we bring our deepest desires and struggles to "See Level:"

"Consider and hear me, O Lord my God: Enlighten my eyes,
Lest I sleep the sleep of death;
Lest my enemy say,
'I have prevailed against him,'
Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved."

We know our struggle is not with flesh and blood, we have a very real "unseen enemy" prowling like a lion, so there is a constant battle there. But so many times I need not look any further than the struggle I am having with my own sin nature. The enemy can take many forms. We must bring these battles above "see level" so they can be dealt with.

And finally, the "mountaintop." A place far above "see level." The place of victory. More than that- a place to thank Him in advance for future grace because you can celebrate His past faithfulness. On the mountaintop, all can be seen, most of all God's faithfulness can be put on glorious display.

"But I have trusted in Your mercy;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord
Because He has dealt bountifully with me."

I want to share with you one of the songs that shuffled into my "not-so-quiet time" this morning. This song really gets me going and puts it all into perspective. It's ALL His. Everything I brought to Him in prayer this morning and will bring before Him all throughout the day already belongs to Him. Praise You, Lord.

The Hem of His Garment

"And a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak;
for she was saying to herself, "If I only touch His garment, I will get well." Matthew 9:20-21

"Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and imploring Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured." Mark 6:56

I love reading these passages. I love the imagery they bring to mind of people earnestly, desperately seeking to be near Jesus. I love how just a believing touch of the very hem of his robe was all it took to make someone whole in a particular area of suffering or sin. What a vivid picture of His power, love, and tenderness. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we had that today? If Jesus Himself were going to be passing through my town today I would throw all else aside, grab my children (and probably the rest of my loved ones!) and run to where He would be. I even think I would push through the crowd and try to get a touch, just the smallest touch, of His garment.

We can do that today. We can do that everyday. We can do it throughout each day. In fact, it's happened to me. Perhaps it's happened to you, too. What a glorious moment that is! Have you ever been reading your Bible or devotional book (hopefully one that is steeped in Scripture), or been praying and felt an immediate change? An unexplainable peace? Or perhaps new, immediate clarity or conviction? That's it. That's the hem of His robe.

Amy Carmichael, in her book Thou Givest- They Gather ,says:

"We touch Him and all is changed.
What happens and who can tell how it happens?
We only know that something has passed from Him to us. For example:

• Courage to do the difficult task we feared.
• Patience to bear with that one particular trying person.
• Inner strength to go on when we were sure we could not.
• A sweet freshness in our spirit, complete inner happiness, deep-flowing peace."

She continues, "God's way of passing by, of letting His "hem" come near us, is to take some single word in His Book and make it breathe spirit and life to us. Then, relying upon that word-- meditating, feeding our soul on it-- we find it is suddenly possible to go from strength to strength."

There is nothing like it, is there? As we face the new challenges that await us each new week and each new day, we can choose, as Carmichael says, to "go on with God." He is always passing by. We have His Word, always there for us, ready to meet us wherever we are and carry us the next step, give us the next direction, help us in our struggles, convict us of our sin and point us to His cleansing, and reveal more to us about the nature and character of our great God.

Have you touched the hem of His robe today? Oh, how I hope you have. Let's push through the busy-ness and the pressing issues and get to the feet of Jesus.

Menu Monday

"For He has satisfied the thirsty soul,

And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good."

Psalm 107:9

Well, it's another week to see God's goodness at work in our lives. One of my favorite sayings (usually repeated in the African churches I've been in) is "God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good." That is so, so true! Whatever may be going on in our homes this week, even amid the difficulties, may we continue to believe in His absolute goodness and may we see whatever is truly good as evidence that He is present in our circumstances. The food we prepare this week and the nourishment our bodies receive is but a representation of the true nourishment He offers for our thirsty and hungry souls. He IS good. ALL the time.

Here is our menu plan this week:

Monday~
B: French toast, bacon , fruit
L: Make-your-own pizzas
D: Slow-Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu

Tuesday~
B: Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
L: Baked chicken nuggets, macaroni
D: Crock-Pot French Dip Sandwiches

Wednesday~
B: whole wheat bagels with brown sugar and cinnamon cream cheese (I just mix this myself using low fat cream cheese-- the kids love it!), fruit
L: chicken taquitos
D: Baked fish

Thursday~
B: eggs (scrambled or poached), toast, fruit
L: Yo-yo ("You're on your own")
D: Taco Soup

Friday~
B: cereal and fruit
L: Yo-yo
D: Leftovers

For more menu plans, or to post your own, please visit Laura. This week she's posted a useful link for helping to cut grocery costs. I'm going to check it out!

Have a great week, and thanks so much for stopping by!

Whose Children Are They?

**I don't usually cross-post, but this is a subject about which I'm quite passionate. I posted this today on my homeschool blog . Perhaps even if you're not a homeschooler, maybe you'll find some "food for thought" ...**

Can you imagine the public outcry that would be heard if it were suddenly brought into question whether parents could legally be in charge of feeding their own children unless at least one parent became a certified, registered dietitian? What if, in order to prepare your children's food in your own home it was mandatory to be under the ongoing supervision of a credentialed, registered dietitian?

How do you think the general public would feel about their state assuming that since one family didn't adequately feed their children (as determined by the courts) now all families must receive training and certification as dietitians and cooks, or else bring their children to state-funded nutrition centers for all of the meals for their minor children? Because, obviously, parents can't be trusted. They're not qualified. The feeding of children is too important an issue. We can't leave dietary decisions and menu implementation to amateurs! Even amateurs who love these children with their very lives and are doing everything they can to educate themselves and feed them properly. Parents either must receive the necessary qualification and certification to cook for and feed their own children, or let the proper professionals handle it. In fact, it should be the law.

This sounds a bit absurd in the realm of nutrition, but this is exactly what's happening in the realm of education. The underlying assumption is that parents simply can't be trusted to educate their own children.

This week's California Court of Appeal decision is found here. If you haven't already, I encourage you to go read it. The language is clear. It's not just about this one family. The decision is now on the path to become a legal precedent for other cases. I don't think it's alarmist at all to listen to James Dobson's radio broadcast for today and consider seriously what is discussed. It's not paranoid to join HSLDA or at least your state's support group. It's not irrational to go here and sign this petition on behalf of thousands of homeschoolers in California. You never know when your family might benefit from the work that's being done on behalf of the rights of parents. Parents who happen to want to nourish the minds of their children themselves... through homeschooling.

**Edited to add: This is not just a homeschool issue! Al Mohler has a great post about this on his blog here. Dr. Mohler states, "This is a controversy that demands the attention of all parents. After all, if parents have no constitutional right to educate their own children, what other aspects of the parent's choices for their own children lack protection? This question reaches far beyond educational decisions."

To The Praise of the Glory of His Grace

"Adoption is greater than the universe... It was there before the universe and it is above the universe and it is the purpose of the universe." John Piper gets all of this, of course, straight from God's word, from Ephesians 1 in particular.

This message was on John Piper's blog yesterday. I encourage you to take the next 5 minutes and 9 seconds to watch his message below.




In his message Piper says, "When God was thinking about how to create a universe, what was centrally driving Him was 'How can I create a universe in which My grace would be put on display most beautifully?'... His answer was, 'I will predestine people for adoption.' ... God planned from eternity to fold sinners like us into His everlasting family of joy." Oh! Doesn't that make you praise the glory of His grace? That He would fold a sinner like me into His family... it's unthinkable! It's amazing. What joy, indeed!

A few months ago I read these piercing words: "You are God's plan for the orphan."

According to James 1:27, all Christians are His plan for orphans- those who don't have a Mom and a Dad or a physical "forever family." By His grace we are also part of His plan for those who don't yet have a relationship with a Heavenly Father and are not yet part of His "everlasting family of joy."

What part will you play in His plan?

Bloggy Books and Monday's Menu

Happy Monday!

It's a rainy, stormy morning here. It would be a great day to pour another cup of coffee and curl up with a good book. But, it's also a great day to pour another cup of coffee and get in there and do school with my two sweet kiddos... Speaking of books, though, I received a great one this weekend thanks to Kelly over at A Spacious Place (one of my favorite blogs and regular stops!) I won a copy of Raising Respectful Children in a Disrespectful World by Jill Rigby. I can't wait to get started on it! Thanks so much, Kelly!

If you like to read like I do, then please join us over at Lux Venit for "Lit Lovers":

I love, love, love Leslie's book reviews over at The Discerning Reader. Her blog is another regular stop for me. When I heard she was starting a book discussion I knew I wanted to be part of it. The first one will be The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace. I highly encourage you to read this book if you haven't already, and to join in the discussion on your blog (if you have one) or other blogs of some of the other women reading the book. We won't be starting it until after Easter, so there's time if you want to pick up the book. I read it last summer and LOVED it. I needed to read what Martha Peace had to say. I decided after I read it that I would try to re-read it each year. It's that good! She speaks straight from God's Word and doesn't mince words. It's a very helpful book!

Now, on with our weekly menu...

Monday~

We're going to a friend's house to play after school, and my husband's meeting us there for pizza after work. Fun!


Tuesday~


Crock Pot Stew and Cornbread

I just put the stew meat in the slow cooker for the morning (with a can of stewed tomatoes) then at lunch time I add the rest of the veggies as well as a can of no-salt-added tomato sauce. It's yummy by dinner time! For the cornbread I make Jiffy brand and sometimes, for added moistness I add a can of creamed corn to the mix.


Wednesday~

Southwestern Fish Tacos
I started making these a couple of years ago when I had a freezer full of fish (thanks to my two resident fishermen) and I was looking for creative ways to cook it. Our family fell in love with this recipe and it has become a favorite. This was my daughter's request this week.


Thursday~

Baked Potato Soup

I make this using my baked-potatoes-in-lunchbags maneuver (poke holes in each potato and wrap in a lunch sack,bake in the microwave for about 4 min. per potato... up to 7 min. each if they're big) Then I scoop out the baked potato out of the skins into the soup pot. I heat it slowly with milk, minced onion, butter,salt and pepper. For thickening I sprinkle in potato flakes. When it gets hot I add some sour cream. It's great served with bacon bits and cheese on top and with a loaf of hot, crusty bread and salad.

Friday~

Ritzy Chicken (another family favorite)

Stop by Laura's for more menus, and have a great week!