Monday, September 30, 2013

Psalm 46:1


 "God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble."
Psalm 46:1

Day 106 Prayer Request

Please pray for my girls as they work on impulse control.  Please pray they will turn to Jesus for all their comfort.

Reagan (Momma to 4)

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Day 105 Prayer Request

Please pray that I will know how to show love to my son.

Ann (Momma to 6)

Saturday, September 28, 2013

40 Years...




"The LORD your God in your midst,
The mighty One, will save,
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing."
Zephaniah 3:17


Forty fabric roses for forty years. 

He is here, has always been here, and towers tall watching me from my future.  Today, I stand, eyes closed and heart wide open.  Gladness, love, singing.  I hear His rejoice, His calming of my soul. 

I am His...and this is the greatest gift of all.   



Day 104 Prayer Request

Please pray that we would be matched with a child that is a perfect fit for our family.

Marie (Momma to 4)

Friday, September 27, 2013

Day 103 Prayer Request

Please pray He will continue to melt her hard heart and draw her right into His embrace.

Reagan (Momma to 4)

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Day 102 Prayer Request

Please pray He will give us patience to remember that our adopted child is loving us the best he can amongst all his hurt.

Marie (Momma to 4)

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

A Flower from Haiti...


Some days are really hard.

This day started out ok, but as it unfolded, my beautiful girls began to melt.  I tried to remain solid, but as the heat increased, I too was reduced to a liquid state.  Our puddles collided as we sat together on the green rug and cried long. 

We miss our Warrior Daddy!

And as we cried, the phone chimed, with an email alert.



God always knows the right way to cheer up four sad-for-Daddy girls.

Flowers are rare in Haiti these days, but the Warrior Daddy found one, a beautiful purple one at that, and sent it straight to our needy hearts.

And four somber girls smiled through tears and danced. 

Day 101 Prayer Request


Please pray that we can balance needed discipline with the also needed love.

Ann (Momma to 6)


Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Day 100 Prayer Request

Please pray for the Warrior Daddy as he is in Haiti and suffering from a severe migraine.  Please pray God will block the enemy, and give him the strength and ability, both physically and emotionally, to serve Jesus wherever He leads.

Mandi (Momma to 4)

Monday, September 23, 2013

Day 99 Prayer Request

Please pray for our commute to and from school.  Due to road closures, the commute is taking up to two hours each way.

Danielle (Momma to 3)

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Unexpected Blessings

My beautiful sister in Christ, Grace, sent me this unexpected blessing this past week.  So precious how our Great Redeemer weaves our stories together....

"Is this your son?"

These are words that strike anxiety into the ear of any Mom with special needs kids.  Most of the time, if these words, "Is this your child?",  are spoken, we know that it does not mean the speaker is going to say something positive, like, "my, what a pretty girl" or "oh, what a well behaved boy."  We know, we just know, that our child did something and that something cannot be good.

So when I walked back into the children's section of the library where my son with Down's Syndrome was picking out books and was faced with that dreaded question, my mother heart sank.

The speaker was an older woman, possibly a librarian.  She had been talking animatedly to a young Hispanic woman who was holding onto a stroller.

"Is this your son?"

"Yes."

"This lady here," indicating the younger woman with the stroller, "thought I was Mom.  She has a lot of questions."

I looked, really looked at the baby in the stroller.  Oh.  The slightly slanting eyes created by that extra chromosome.  A sweet little smile. 

Not a sword, a blessing.

I spent some time talking to this dear young mother who was still struggling to learn English and now struggling with a special needs child.  We exchanged phone numbers and planned to meet for coffee.

Not a sword, an opportunity.

I will still have plenty of days when that question, "Is that your son?" does mean my child was crawling under stalls in the men's restroom or decided to play dead in the middle of King Soopers, or one of the many other embarrassments we learn to grin over instead of cry.

But my unexpected meeting at the library reminded me of the many ways God reaches through our special children.  Using my son, God opened a door to bless another and hopefully share His light. 

Not a sword, a part of God's plan.



 
"I know the plans that I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." 
Jeremiah 29:11

Day 98 Prayer Request

Please pray for our family to trust Him in all things.

Reagan (Momma to 4)

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Day 97 Prayer Request

Please pray for me to be thankful in all circumstances.

Annette (Momma to many)

Friday, September 20, 2013

Off to Haiti

The Warrior Daddy is off to Haiti.

Through tear-filled eyes, I kissed my strong man, watched him load up on the church van, and caravan away.  Arms around my fabulous four, I whispered a silent praise to God for all that he is to this family.

"I hope Daddy has fun with the little children in India."  This I hear from the back seat on the way to Friday school.  

The correcting from a 9-year-old quickly springs forth from the farther back seat.  "No, Daddy go to Haiti!"  And then the 13-year-old chimes in, and soon we have a bantering ruckus of loud voices and no one can really hear each other anymore.

I have to smile. 

Yes, I am so grateful for this man who flies off at least once a year to help the little children of Haiti, or India.  I am so thankful for his example to our precious children.  They believe this is his job, as much as putting on his uniform and heading out early each dawn and sometimes not returning until the next.   

"My Daddy loves the little children, doesn't he Momma?"

I glance back at each of them in my rearview mirror, and smile large.

I am so thankful he loves the little children.

Day 96 Prayer Request

Please pray for bonding and attachment with my daughter.

Danielle (Momma to 3)

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Day 95 Prayer Request

Please pray that our son can learn to look beyond himself and start to care for others.

Ann (Momma to 6)

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Psalm 93

I believe in Jesus.

I believe He is everything He says He is.

I believe He can do what He says He can do.

 
 
"The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The LORD is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.
Surely the world is established, so that it
cannot be moved.
 
Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting.
 
The floods have lifted up, O LORD,
The floods have lifted up their voice;
The floods lift up their waves.
The LORD on high is mightier
Than the noise of many waters,
Than the mighty waves of the sea.
 
Your testimonies are very sure;
Holiness adorns Your house,
O LORD, forever."
 
Psalm 93 (NKJV Bible)

Day 94 Prayer Request

Please pray for all the evacuated families who have lost their homes in the northern Colorado area.  Please pray they will feel the touch of Jesus and find comfort.

Mandi (Momma to 4)

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Day 93 Prayer Request

Please pray for patience as I trust in Him with our home and finances.

Danielle (Momma to 3)

Monday, September 16, 2013

Words

 
Words hurt.

I thought I had prepared myself.  I believed I was brave.  But, when the words flew my direction, I stood still, dumbfounded; shocked.

I most definitely did not feel brave, or bold, or direct.  Instead I stood quiet, and wounded.

And He has taken me on a journey this past two weeks.  I've sat silent and replayed the episode over and over through my brain.  I've contemplated the conversation from every single angle I can envision.  I've imagined myself in the other's shoes. 

I once sat across from a tearful adoptive momma who admitted she was the chauffeur mom struggling to get her precious ones to all their extracurricular activities.  Only she wasn't driving to and from soccer practice, music lessons, or birthday parties.  All her free hours were spent traveling to and from different sorts of therapies, and struggling to incorporate newly learned skills into her children's lives. 

And I glanced into her tear-filled eyes, bit down on my lip, and wiped each spilling drop from my cheek.

My "normal" is not the norm.  My family's extracurricular activities are not always extra fun, or optional. 

And there will be others who do not understand, and will judge.

I confessed my pain to the Warrior Daddy.  I confessed how I had prayed to be bold, to always take a stand for my precious ones' protection.

He directed me right to Mark 15:3-5.  How Jesus stood bold as accusations flew His way, "but He answered nothing." (Mark 15:3).  Pilate, in his authority, questioned Him again,  "But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled." (Mark 15:4-5).

Bold is silent, not noisy.

And in His silence, Pilate marveled

May you be bold, fellow Momma, as you point your face like a flint to the One, the only One whose judgment truly matters. 

And please pray for me to have the courage of silence, with the wisdom that words, my words, can wound. 

 

Day 92 Prayer Request

Please pray for encouragement with the hard stuff.

Annette (Momma to many)

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Colossians 3:12-17

artwork by Grace
 
"Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.  But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.  And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."
Colossians 3:12-17
 
This Scripture has become a lifeline, His wonderful instruction for my life.
 
I have witnessed, over the past 72 hours, His elected body reaching out, loving those in dire need, with tenderness, humbleness, kindness.  The waters overflow and fill our land, and His hands and feet are showering love.
 
Let His peace rule in your heart.  He is in control and His love for you is unfathomable.  Hallelujah!      

Day 91 Prayer Request

Please pray for my little one's emotions as she begins preschool and catching up on sleep from being at school all day.

Danielle (Momma to 3)

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Day 90 Prayer Request

Please pray that our daughter will be willing to work on some of her weaknesses and understand some of the reasons behind consequences we have to give instead of growing angry.

Ann (Momma to 6)

Friday, September 13, 2013

Day 89 Prayer Request

Please pray for my girl to control her sensory-seeking body at school and listen to her teachers.

Reagan (Momma to 4)

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Isaiah 43:18-21


"Do not remember the former things,
Nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert,
To give drink to My people, My chosen.
This people I have formed for Myself;
They shall declare My praise."
Isaiah 43:18-21

Day 88 Prayer Request

Please pray for our son to continue to self-regulate during school and to gain the self-esteem he needs to be confident in his abilities and not seek other's approval.

Danielle (Momma to 3)

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Day 87 Prayer Request

Please pray for wisdom in conversations and decision making.

Annette (Momma to many)

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

His Rain



I love Him.

Because sometimes I literally need a good, long, steady drench to refresh my dry bones.

He is the Grand Giver, loving despite my irritability, despite my scratchy sandpaper surface. 

I cried out, asked for my hard and brittle to become soft and springy. 

Soft and springy is what this tribe needs in their Momma.  Soft to melt right deep into.  Springy to bounce along with all the chaos, all the drama, all the waves of emotions. 

And the heat!  The heat was affecting me, turning my inside scarlet red, beckoning me to remember; ache for His water.

  

Yesterday afternoon, the clouds brewed and I yearned, hoped.  And as the drops gently began, I felt the grace He extends flow over my being and the goose bumps chill, cooling down my heat, turning the red into beautiful shades of pink and orange - purple. 

Only He can perfectly blend the brilliant yellow and blue with this result.

And on this eve before September 11th, open a window with me, breathe Him in deep, and let His grace flow all over your being.  He is so good.  He is so refreshing.  He is so amazing.

Close your eyes and feel the yellow and blue invade as only our blessed Redeemer can.

 

Day 86 Prayer Request

Please pray for our daughter's adjustment to school and for her to continue to set boundaries and obey teachers even when she is getting tired or work is challenging her.

Danielle (Momma to 3)

Monday, September 9, 2013

Day 85 Prayer Request

Please pray that my husband and I will trust that God's timing is best as we wait for our child.

Ann (Momma to 2)

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Twenty Days

I have twenty days left.  Twenty days of still being thirty-something.

And honestly, I'm amazed at how God has used this decade to radically change my life.

I don't live in the house or town I thought I'd live in.  I don't look the way I imagined I'd look.  I don't have another fancy degree to stand behind.  I haven't written and illustrated those books.  I haven't run a full marathon yet.

Instead, I fell in love with one amazing pink boy and three beautiful brown girls.  I've remained in this town, this house, and watched Him build this family, overflowing the rooms in this home with children and love.

I've witnessed in the mirror the gentle aging of a strong-willed, independent, stubborn girl into a determined, willing to yield, hands-held-high-to-the-sky woman.

I have been given by the Giver the finest education available, a true gift bestowed within the comfort of my own home.  I am a field expert in the areas of sensory-integration disorder, reactive attachment disorder, dyspraxia of speech, dyspraxia of motor skill development, the uniqueness and wonder of the world of twins, and creative development of home and classroom modifications.  I have become a skilled chef in dairy-free and gluten-free cuisine.

As for those dreamed up books, I've just been too busy living the adventure to take the time to write them down, paint those pictures floating through my mind.  But, He continues to give one grand experience after another, with tales so wonderful and beautiful they could only be scripted by the Great Author Himself.  And with His grace, I'll share a few someday.

And that marathon is only 42 days away, and this time I'm going to make it.  Only two more grueling twenty-something runs left until that grand 26.2.

I trust in His perfect timing, His perfect will.  With my hands held high to Him, I'm so thankful He's turned these walls into a true home.  My love creases (and handles) are destined to gracefully grow.  My education field is blossoming, as He faithfully molds me into the momma/teacher/storyteller He designed me to be.  And I'm still running, after some 28 years, still with great love for the sport. 

I have twenty days left.  Only twenty days left before I start the next grand forty-something decade. 

 
 
 
 
 

Day 84 Prayer Request

Please pray God will allow our future move to bring my husband and I closer as well as the five of us as a family.

Danielle (Momma to 3)

Saturday, September 7, 2013

His Extravagant Abundance


 
"Oh, how abundant is your goodness,
which you have stored up for those who fear you
and worked for those who take refuge in you,
in the sight of the children of mankind!"
Psalm 31:19

Day 83 Prayer Request

Please pray for comfort in difficult situations.

Annette (Momma to many)

Friday, September 6, 2013

Day 82 Prayer Request

Please pray He will surround me with peace and give me renewed patience.

Ann (Momma to 2)

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Day 81 Prayer Request

Please pray these beautiful broken, sensory-seeking girls will find joy in positive attention.

Reagan (Momma to 4)

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Special People

I didn't expect the tears.

I was just combing out my wet locks, half listening to the D.J. telling a story about a little boy with epilepsy, and his momma caught in a hard moment.

And maybe the story pierced my heart so deep because of my morning struggle of steady stopping, discussing "whys", and redirecting my three gals.  So much so the scheduled lessons appeared pointless, swallowed deep under the current of negative attention seeking.


The boy and his family were sitting in a crowded restaurant, enjoying a meal when an episode attacked the boy.  And in his battle, he started banging hands down hard on the table, grabbing the attention of all the other patrons.

A waitress quietly approached the table, handed the momma a note.

And if you're the momma of a special needs child, or three, you hesitantly, and anxiously open these notes.  As if the stares and loud whispers aren't enough.    Sometimes the written words are the hardest to breathe in, maintain a pretend smile with a bleeding lip.

 The note read:

Another patron has paid for your family's meal in full with this message for you:
 
God only gives special needs children to special people.

And you know what I heard.  I heard, "I gave you special needs children because you are my special one."

And through streaming tears, I stopped, and let His words grace kiss my broken, weary heart.

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you."
John 15:16



  

Day 80 Prayer Request

Please pray God will bring along the right buyer for my horse.

Danielle (Momma to 3)

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Day 79 Prayer Request

Please pray for diligence with school for me and my kids.

Annette (Momma to many)

Monday, September 2, 2013

I'm letting go...

artwork by Grace
 
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."
1 Peter 5:6-7

Day 78 Prayer Request

Please pray God will bring along the right buyer for our property and provide direction for where we are to move or build.

Danielle (Momma to 3)

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Day 77 Prayer Reqeust

Please pray for my husband and I.  We are currently on the waiting list for a domestic infant out of Florida.

Ann (Momma to 2)