Bedtime??

Cookie Momster!

I made dinner, and brought it out on the deck and gave it to A.  He looked at me astonished, I said, "Dinner is served, eat up!" He started singing, "It's the best day ever!"

I should probably be singing, "I'm the worst mom ever!!"

But to be fair he ate 4 bowls of Fage Greek yogurt with fresh berries and peaches for lunch (23 grams of protein her cup of that stuff, awesome!!)!! Plus an asparagus, turkey sausage, Gouda, omelette and warm tortillas!

It's summer...anything goes! Lol!

Big Reminder

Beaver had this picture printed as a blueprint copy at Fed-ex!

At 3 feet tall, it is almost life size! A cool, big, front and center, reminder/inspiration on the days we might tend to question why and if we are making a difference.

Vegetarian Great Dane

I'm so glad my Great Dane loves salad! Now if only she would fit under the table so neither of us would get in trouble!! : )

Unafraid

Singing in the Sleet

Yesterday as we drove to see our kiddo, we had rain, hail, snow, sleet, and sun! It was quite a ride.

Behaviors were good he was very regulated, lending us the ability to take a trip off campus. Yay!! 

We went to a neighboring town for lunch and as we drove we experience more odd weather.  Despite the chilly air and precipitation, he was so happy to be with us as well as out and about that he could hardly contain himself! When he rolled his window down we just turned up the heat, the music, and enjoyed the singing!!

Here is a clip, you can hear the joy and see his hand - feeling the freedom!

 

It was a really great visit. Including GIGANTIC almost as big as your face donuts, lots of group hugs and "I love yous", and laughter! 

Thank you for continuing to keep this kiddo in your thoughts and prayers!! Like I blogged yesterday, Grace Wins, but the battle of repairing this trauma is not an easy one! 

Grace wins...but not without a hell of a fight!

So the title is uncomfortable probably...later I'll think more about it, for now  I feel like yes, Grace wins, but grace comes in to pay the steep debt of amazingly messed up choices and circumstances.

I don't cry for me or for what is...I cry for him and for what never should have been...

In an earlier blog I asked a question and the answer is, NO! It doesn't get easier...I thought, perchance, it might. But when your kiddo wants to go with you but it can't happen now...

He watches, Beaver drives, I wave until I can no longer see him standing there...

Beaver tries to comfort me, and probably himself, we are both hurting I know it be you can hardly comfort the other lest you completely lose it...

He holds my hand. In reality the only touch I want right now is to punch someone hard for causing/allowing such pain and injustice. Sounds crazy probably.

Many emotions play through me in a very short ride we take the next turn, off the road he's still on and a gloomy grief settles in as the feet turn to miles. I know soon I'll process this and Gods comfort will wash anew but now I just want to cry and yell and be indignant...I sit here while tear course steadily and silently.

I recognize through the haze of my grief anger and other gamut of other emotions that it is not by accident that playing on the radio are the words..."Hallelujah, Grace wins every time."

I'm so thankful for the availability of GRACE, through the death of God's Son, to saves!!

I'll write more about our short but sweet visit once I can process it all...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PQqZltmA0eM

GRACE WINS

Mother's Day thoughts...

I used to avoid FB on Mother's Day...it was a bit of a painful reminder that I wasn't a mom.

Then I really felt convicted that I was being selfish. Besides, I had a fabulous mom and I should celebrate her! She is a fierce child & adoption advocate, she's been adopted by her Heavenly Father and has in turn adopted! 

I watch a lot of moms, always amazed at their strength and love for their child(ren). Yesterday, in the airport we were stuck in a huge line and there was a fussy little one in front of us. She was juggling bags and stroller and bouncing the baby while singing and smoothing her hand across its sweaty teary face. You could see the strain and exhaustion on mom's face. You could tell she was just wishing to be able to feed and comfort that little one.

On the other side of me was a mom having to wake her sleeping baby so they could go through the security checkpoint. Dad took the baby while mom got everything in the belt. Struggling with the stroller then success, then smiling she took the baby.

Another mom was instructing her boys in how to put their things up on the conveyer then again, patiently, when the they weren't doing it right. Then while she had to go one way, and the other(through x-Ray), she never once lost note of where they were, then together again they gathered up their things.

Then later I witnessed the tender reunification of a mother and child who had been separated for a week. She picked him up, held him to her and they basked in the joy of being together again! 

It struck me how strong a mother's love is, how calming/soothing, tenacious, joyful, patient, dedicated, self-sacrificing, and protective! It's a reflection of Gods love for His kids!

And guess what?! His kids are all ADOPTED!

We were reminded this past week at the CAFO conference how adoption is God's heartbeat!

Wow, to be adopted by the Redeemer and Lord of all creation. To be brought into the family of God without reservation despite our bumps, bruises, and baggage. To be wanted and to be chosen! 

In the same token the Redeemed, The Church, has been called to reach out to the Orphans. If we are going to call ourselves Christ followers we have to reach the orphans, they are the heart of God.

The question is not why should the church be involved in adoption, the questions should be how can we not be involved?? We are the redeemed!! We were the orphan, God took us in... James 1:27 we are the recipients of mercy.

It's not an option, we must be involved!

For some that looks like adopting children into our homes, to see them not as a problem, but as an opportunity. For others it is orphan prevention, supporting families in need and teens mom, and so much more.

It's not easy, we are called to that. We are called to be strong, calming/soothing, tenacious, joyful, patient, dedicated, self-sacrificing, and protective

Orphan care is not a suggestion, it is a command.

“Speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless and see that they get justice.” – Proverbs 31:8-9

“In you the orphan finds mercy.” – Hosea 14:3

“Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.” – Matthew 18:5

"See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is." 1 John 3:1-2

“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,  is God in his holy dwelling.  God sets the lonely in families..” Psalm 68:5-6a

"Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” James 1:27

"And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ ” Matthew 25:40

Imagine if each one reached one? What if the church did her job? What would it look like to have the Redeemed so in touch with the heart of God? What would it look like to have a world without orphans?! 

Wow, I did know I was going to go there...but that is what the Lord brought to my heart.

Deep thoughts about lines...

Today in the cafeteria I was so annoyed. People didn't seem to know how to form a line or stay in line or notice that there was, indeed, a line!!  I was thinking to myself "oh come on people it's called a line, we learn to make them in Kindergarten and have used then almost daily ever since!" But I just smiled and practiced patience!

Then at the dinner table I asked D if they played outside today for recess. He said, "No, we spent our recess practicing how to make a line and stay in line!"

I was instantly drawn back to the morning cafeteria experience. Perhaps people never really learned how to stay in lines...maybe they needed more practice too....is there remedial line training...or maybe they have PTSD from spending recess time forming and standing in lines??? 

#deepthoughtsaboutlines