We're Going Green, Baby!

Well, as much as many of you would like to think that I've turned into a tree-hugging, whale-saving, environmentalist, that's not the 'green' I'm talking about.  

When, I say, "We're Going, Green!"  I mean really green.  Green as in a big ole green circle.

LIKE THIS!

And, we're celebrating it!  We're celebrating the green....and the boy who has made it happen.   

None other than our rambunctious, non-stop talking, energy-filled, A.J. 

For weeks now, he's been struggling at school.  He's a straight "A" kid, so academics is not his issue.  It's those darn tickets.  His classroom has a green, yellow, red set-up for behavior.

Green is good.  It's a make-Mama-smile, kinda good.  Yellow is Meh.  A warning.  Treading thin ice.  Then, there's the infamous RED.  That's a dark place.  Thankfully, we've never gone there.

However, that yellow ticket...oh, how that boy seems to bask in the glow of that yellow ticket. 

Man, how I adore that little face!

We've talked, cried, and lost many a privilege over that yellow ticket. Thankfully, things have been improving.  Slowly.  Two steps forward.  One step back. For a while, we had 2 or 3 yellow tickets coming home every week. Then, they began to wither down to maybe 1 or 2 a week.

But, this Friday, before he stepped out of the car to go to class,  I gave him the final day of the week "RAH...RAH....You can do this!" speech.

In the afternoon, I waited with baited breath as I saw him walking towards the car.  He walked slowly, with measured strides.  Head hanging.  Eyes staring at the ground.  

Then, he arduously hopped in the van and made his way to the back, where he plopped down his book bag and pensively looked out the window, without uttering a single word.  

My heart sank.  I said nothing at first.  I began driving away from the pick up line, and then found the courage to muster the words he so often hears. "AJ, how'd you do today?  Did you get a green?", I asked.  He looked down at his feet, contemplating what he would say to me, when all of a sudden, he looked up again! A huge grin had broken out across his adorable little face, and he blurted out, "YES!!!!  I did it! I got a green today!  I got a green every day this week!  I did it!"

We all clapped and cheered and rejoiced.  

Oh, it's the little things in life that sometimes are the biggest, and this was big, indeed!

Just had to throw in some more cuteness for ya!

Congratulations, beautiful boy.  We knew you could do it!

Keep it up!  Go green, baby!  Go green!  Mama and Daddy are proud of ya!  

Tell Me Again, Mama!

"Tell me again, Mama!"

Those four words are not uncommon around our household.  We've been hearing them for a few years now.

Apparently, there's been much talk lately, as there has been in the past, about the rights and wrongs, of what the story behind our children's life, before they came into our families, is.

I believe each family should find the words that work for them.  Our family has found that the truth is the answer, especially with our Chinese children.  But, it relates to all three.  As a matter of fact, it relates to all six of my precious babes.  

TRUTH.   There is such power in that word.

I've heard people tell their children from China that their Mamas loved them so much, that they were left in a place where they could be found, and that they tried to care for them, but they weren't able to.  That all may be true, but we have no 'real' proof'.  We may believe in our hearts the information we were given, because it seems like the logical explanation when a child is left in a very public place such as a hospital, train station or orphanage steps, but that still isn't enough truth for me.  I wanted proof of their story.  I wanted it to be true, not just what I wished or hoped it was.

So, when in doubt, I do what I always do.  I pray.  I search for God.  I seek His answer.

When we decided to adopt, I knew these were questions we'd someday face.  "Why didn't my Mom keep me?", "Did my Mom love me?", etc.  So, my praying began long before I saw their precious faces.

I skirted around a bit with the above suggestions, but something just didn't feel right.  That proof, that truth wasn't there.  I wanted to be able to look them in the eyes and with all my heart know that what I was telling them was solid, not just the desires of my heart to ease their loss.  

Then, one day while reading God's Word,  He clearly spoke the truth to me.  I had my answer!  A perfect answer.  A truthful answer that could not be unproven or denied because it had come from His infallible Word.

“All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before 

one of them came to be."  ~ Psalms 139:16 

That's where their story began.  It didn't begin the day their birth Mamas realized they were carrying a child in their womb.  It didn't begin the day that they gasped their first breath of air.  It began before time began.  It began before they were even a thought in the minds of any human. It began in the mind of God.  That's how special they are!  They were chosen.  Not chosen by us, but chosen by their Almighty Father and Creator.

The story pretty much goes like this:

Once upon a time, way before time began, God decided he would make a beautiful and perfect baby. A baby He knew would bring Him glory.  But first, He needed a very special lady to bring this baby into the world.  So, He searched and searched for someone special enough that He knew would say, "Yes!  I will bring this baby into the world."  

Then, He planted the seed in that special lady's belly that formed the baby and the baby began to grow.  Oh, how quickly that beautiful baby grew and grew!  Just as God had planned.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made, your works are wonderful.  Psalm 139:13-14

But God, who of course knows everything, knew that this baby would not stay with that special lady, because He had other plans for him.  Plans that were as special as the baby He had chosen.  

He didn't stop at just making the baby. God wasn't done yet.. That was only a small part of His plan.  As that baby grew and grew, God had more planting of seeds to do. This time, He planted seeds in hearts.  Two hearts in particular.  He planted seeds in the hearts of a Mama and Daddy.  He knew that the two people He has chosen loved Him very, very much.  So, one day He whispered into their hearts, "I have a beautiful and perfect baby for you." God smiled because He knew this family would do what He asked, and they really, really wanted this beautiful and perfect baby.  But most importantly, God knew this family would teach this baby about Him and His amazing love.  God also knew that the baby would love Him so much, that even as a small child learning about Him, this child would begin to share Him with the world. The child would speak to others about Him in places most grownups don't go to share Him, like schools and playgrounds. 

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." Jeremiah 1:5 

Time went by and finally, this baby was born into the world.  Because God had already placed in the birth Mama's heart that she wasn't keeping this baby, she followed through with another plan.  She chose for him to be adopted.  Yes, the same way that Jesus adopted us, His children..

The baby was watched over and protected by God until the perfect family He had chosen for him, was able to bring that baby home.  Boy, did it seem to take forever!  Although they were a little impatient, especially the Mama, they knew that sometimes God's timing does seem like forever to arrive.  So, they waited....and they waited,. and they waited, all the while trusting God.

The Mama and Daddy knew time was getting closer.  Every day they woke up wondering if this would be the day.  Then one day, there was a phone call!  The phone call they had waited such a long time for.  Their baby was ready and waiting for them to bring him home!  Oh, that Mama and Daddy cried lots and lots of happy tears, They also thanked God, over and over, for His miracle and His goodness, because they knew that God always keeps His promises.

Not long after, they saw that beautiful baby for the first time ever.   The moment they held him, they knew....it was perfect.  All of it.  God's plan.  The baby.  Their family.  God smiled from Heaven when the family was finally together, because He knew that indeed, it was perfect. (Of course, everything He does is perfect!)

"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good". - Genesis 1:31

At last, they all went home as a family.  The baby joined his brothers and sister and lots and lots of other family members.  He was loved and he loved back with all his heart, because he knew that God loved him so very much, that He made a special plan just for him.  A plan that He makes for all of His children that ask Him into their hearts.

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

The best part of the story is that the baby grew up knowing the truth.  The real truth.  The truth that said that he was so loved by God, that He handpicked him and chose him, out of all the millions and millions of children in the world, to fulfill His purpose, and bring Him glory.  Wow!  Can you imagine what an honor is it to be chosen by God for something like that?!!

This truth filled the entire family with joy, and they all lived happily ever after.

The End.    
©Ohilda Bombardier    


Shortly after sharing their story with the kiddos, I hear those words, "Tell me again, Mama!"   What joy it brings into our  hearts that our children realize, not only that they are treasured and adored, but they know, that they know, that they know,,,,who they belong to, their real Father, Jesus Christ.  While the world may want to add all the messiness about their beginnings, how they were found, where they were found and even trying to guess the 'why' of it all, into the equation, the fact remains that their days were ordained for them, even before time began.!

So friends, that is our story.  No, not just the baby's story, but all of us who are blessed and honored to have been adopted and chosen into the family of God.

If you're not sure if you belong to that family, please don't hesitate to ask me.  I'd love to share i it  with you, and Jesus would love to call YOU His child.   Email me HERE.

 

♪ ♫ Playing in a Winter Wonderland ♫ ♪

What a beautiful day out in the country! For those of you that haven't been keeping up, we left the city life we led in Florida, and now live out in the country....in a whole other state!  A state we call, The Promised Land.   (You can read the details HERE if you want.)

So, here we are!  

Last night we had our first real snowfall of the season, the Big Winter Storm of 2014.   This morning, the kiddos couldn't get up fast enough to throw on their snow boots, thermals, coats, gloves, ear muffs...(well, you get the picture), and get outside to play in the powdery, white stuff.  Boy, was it beautiful, not to mention fun!

Our snowy wonderland!

Anyone want to ice skate in the pool?

Or maybe ice skate on the road?   Notice the tire marks. That was a car rolling backwards.

My sweet babies having fun!

Oh, yeah!  Let the snowball fights begin!

Smart boy!  Plenty of snow and a place to duck for cover!  

Okay, I know I'm biased.  But aren't they cute? 
I am one blessed Mama!  :)

I love this crazy kid!!

Even sweet hubby got in on the fun!

  

Little Missy holding her own as she gets ready to plow 
her brothers with snowballs!

This girl blesses my heart!

Yes, they did argue about who would wipe the slide with their bottoms.  Kai won.

We tried convincing Fred he was a snow bunny.  Didn't work.  He found no fun in what everyone was laughing about, and quickly headed back inside to lay by the warm fire.  
(Yes, I know.  He is dire need of grooming.  It's on the list of things to do!)

So, after all was said and done, the general consensus was:

Hurray for snow days!!!

As always, thank you, Jesus, for providing an awesome day of family fun!

Ooooh....and lest not forget.  I have one more thing I am very thankful for....

...my toasty warm, Bear Paw® boots!  They rock!

Stay warm, safe and be blessed, friends.

 

Wanting to Be Radiantly Radical!

As I sit in a world filled with political correctness, and with people trying to be tolerant and accepting of everyone and everything, I've been thinking about how radical Jesus is and was. Jesus always swam upstream. He never went with the flow. 

Everything surrounding Jesus brought dissension to a world that had never encountered anyone like Him.  He didn't waiver.  He remained firm in the Father.

From birth to death, His life was controversial. He intentionally created it to be that way.

Mary, a young virgin girl, was gossiped about and shunned by many in her village because of the child she was carrying in her womb. Joseph considered leaving his betrothed because of the controversy Mary's pregnancy would bring about.

Jesus was God's answer to humanity's desperate need for salvation.  Yet, even as a babe, delivered in the most humble of ways into a world He owned and created, Kings felt threatened by Him.

One of His most radical teachings, especially during that time period was found in Matthew 5:43, "You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you..."   The way of life back in the first century was to HATE your enemy, especially if you were religious.  If you despised and killed those that were against God, the sinners, you were righteous.  The most common, and obviously erroneous belief, among the Jews awaiting the Messiah, is that He would come as a warrior, a King that would destroy all the evil of the world.  Jesus debunked that with His "LOVE YOUR ENEMIES" teachings.  When asked, "What is the greatest commandment?", again He had no fear in telling a particular Pharisee that was an expert in the law, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:37-40)   Pretty darn radical, I'd say, especially when they expected to hear something to the effect of slaughter all those that oppose God.

We find many instances where Jesus, in today's world, would be thought of as a trouble maker, or a rebel.  It was scandalous and almost hard to comprehend that a Jew, claiming to be the Son of God, would extend God's Grace and Mercies to Gentiles.  In Acts 15, the Council at Jerusalem argued the fact that if indeed, this was the case, Gentiles would need to be circumcised and follow the law.  It was always about the law with the righteous.  They didn't get it.

Can you imagine the amount frustration that the Apostles might have had?  At this very important meeting, Peter's frustration showed, as he was trying to get them to understand that it was Grace through faith that saved man, not all the laws they kept insisting upon. Peter said, "God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” (Acts 15:8-11)

So, if they were that frustrated, can you envision Jesus' frustration?  He had traveled the countryside performing miracles, healing the sick, making the lame walk, giving sight to the blind, and yet, the Pharisees and Jews that were threatened by Him, refused to believe who He said He was.  

So, what did Jesus do?  Did he take the PC way and say, "It's okay.  You have your right to your own opinions. We should all just live and let live.  Let's all just get along."  Hec no! He got in their faces and said, "Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!" (John 8:43-45)  Yeah, He was frustrated! He spoke how I speak to my children sometimes in moment of frustration where I say, "What language do I speak in that you do not understand, "pick up your toys!"  If you're a real Mama, I know you know that level of frustration.  Jesus did, too.  He didn't mince words.  In fact, He went further.  He told them that they 'belong to the devil'.  Yikes!  Strong stuff!

The Jews hated the Samaritans because they were half-breeds. They were thought to be unclean. They'd walk from Jerusalem to Jericho, and up the Jordan valley, for days instead of taking the direct route through Samaria, which was only 70 miles, just so they wouldn't have contact with any Samaritans. Jesus went through Samaria, where he ended up meeting the woman at the well. (John 4)

It doesn't get any plainer, folks.  He had a purpose, and He focused on that purpose, disregarding what others may have thought about Him going through 'unclean' territory. Imagine that.  The Son of God, the King of Kings, walking through 'the hood'!

"While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.  Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly. “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me." - Mark 14:3-7

"LEAVE HER ALONE!", He said.   He wasn't really rollin' with the punches there, was He?

The righteous that were dining with Jesus could only see dollar signs.  The perfume was worth 300 denarii, more than a year's worth of pay.  They again, just didn't 'get it'.  The sacrifice this woman made to honor who she knew was the Son of God, was so much greater at that moment, that it didn't make her think twice.  She gave not because she wanted something in return, but because she knew He was IT.  HE WAS THE ONE!  Jesus knew this and went against what everyone surrounding Him believed, that money should have gone to the poor.  He saw her heart.  They saw a waste of worldly deeds.

These are just very few examples of how Jesus revolutionized the world He came into with his radical teachings.  A couple of others off of the top of my head was the turning of the tables at the temple and the adulterous woman he saved from stoning.  Which, by the way, He wasn't being tolerant of, He made it clear that sin was not okay, when He told her to go and sin no more.

The Old Testament is filled with laws, laws that eventually showed man that they were not, and are not capable of being good and righteous enough, ever, to the extent of what God is and expects. Paul tells us that "we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  (Romans 3:23)  God knew this, so He sent His Son to stand in the gap.  Jesus is the ONLY way to salvation.  Ever. (John 14:6)Jesus was controversial all the way to the cross. Even after death, they feared Him and there was controversy.

But, Jesus didn't come into the world to candy coat the Father's message.  His words were sharp, radical, and poignant.  Colossans 3:23 tells us that "whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."

Do I live my life like that?  Do I stop and think, "Am I swimming upstream for Jesus?"  Could I, a mere stay-at-home-Mom, make a difference in a world so fallen that it seems at times that there is no turning back?  Is my love for Jesus showing by living a lukewarm life, or am I carrying Jesus' radical character when it comes to standing for the Father?  Do I remember who I am in God?  He not only desires this of me, but He expects it.

A. W. Tozer said, "What I believe about God, is the most important thing about me."   I believe that with all my  heart.  I want to be a fool for Jesus!  I want to be radical in serving Him!  I want to be a branch overflowing with fruit!  I want to be on fire and passionate for Him, filled with His love and Grace!  I want to always be able to forgive and stand up for what is right, even if I am the only one standing! 

But mostly, I want to be the reason He created me, I want to be like Christ.

How about you?

"Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ." - Galatians 1:10

 

Sit Still, Will Ya? PART I

Those are the words that God has been shouting at me lately. 

If you recall, THIS POST was written almost a year ago to the day.  So much has happened in this past year.  Our lives have been turned upside down, and inside out, during this time.  For those of you that have followed me solely on our blog, you've probably thought I've been hanging out without much to say.  It's actually been quite the opposite.  So much has happened since that post that as I've gone back to read it, it's blown me away how much life has changed.

To recap the old post in a few short words....life had crumbled.  We had lost pretty much everything we owned.  We had a job.  Lost a job.  Had money.  Lost money.  Changed denominations in the midst of it all (a whole other post all together),  and well, pretty much life got in the way of every plan we had made.  

Through it all, we remained faithful to our Creator and knew in our heart of hearts, that He indeed, had a much bigger plan.  A plan so big that our feeble minds could not dare to imagine.   

One morning, during our homeschool bible time, reading the book of Genesis to the kids, God spoke very loud and clear to me. (I have found that when I am teaching them, is when I learn the most.) He was sending us to 'The Promised Land'.  (Genesis 12:1)  The only problem was, that like Abraham, he didn't tell us where that 'Promised Land' was.   But, I knew then for sure, that we were leaving Florida.

That plan came to fruition 3 months later, at the end of December 2011, when sweet hubby was offered what he thought was his 'dream job'.   If he wanted this job, which paid exactly what we had been asking for, with all the perks thrown in, he'd have to move within 3 weeks of accepting it.  We knew the entire family couldn't make that move, so we planned for his finding a place to live and starting the new job while I remained in Florida with the 4 kids for 5-6 months.

On January 4, we drove up to Charlotte, NC (yes, 'The Promised Land') and left Daddy to start our new life, without us.  Again, this arrangement would be for only five or six months, until Amanda completed all her schooling and she'd be ready to head for college.

To say it was tough living without Daddy at home, is an understatement.  The kids were missing him terribly and so was I.  Skyping was just not all that it was chalked up to be.  Financially, we were carrying now two households in expenses and in 2 months, we were only able to see Daddy for 1 weekend.  The kids were miserable.  I was miserable and sweet hubby felt completely helpless.  We prayed and prayed and finally came to peace that God did not want our family apart.

We agreed the family would move up to North Carolina at the end of February.  That left me with lots and lots of packing (thank God for Amanda!), making arrangements for a huge interstate move and feeling stretched some days more than Elastigirl on The Incredibles.  On the other hand, I was incredbily sad and anxious about leaving Amanda behind, because she didn't want to leave Florida, and of course, my two big boys and the rest of the family, whom I knew I wouldn't be seeing often, anymore.   Amanda and I agreed that if she buckled up on school work and was able to finish, she could stay behind with her bio Dad, and it would only be a two or three months before she'd head to the east coast of Florida to get ready to start her own new life also, as a college student and adult.   To say the least, our lives were a whirlwind.

Finally, the end of February rolled around, and with help from family and Daddy who had flown down, we loaded up a very large moving truck and trailer with everything we owned and moved to a very small little town about an hour outside of Charlotte.  It was perfect!  Our new church family that sweet hubby had attended a whopping 3 times, turned out to greet us with over a dozen people to help us unload our truck, feed us, and welcome us to small town, USA.  The place we now were going to call home.  My Mom had come up with us to stay for a couple of weeks and help me unpack and settle in.  I was gearing up to restart our homeschooling and loved sitting outside in the mornings listening to birds chirp, smelling the farm lands that surround us and peering over the hills and beauty that only God could create.  I did that for a whole TWO days, before everything came crashing down....again!

On the third morning of being at our new home, the phone rang at 9 am.  The kids were just waking up and it startled me because really, no one called us.  We had just had our phone installed.  I look at the caller ID.  It was sweet hubby.  I immediately sensed something was terribly wrong.  His words were soft spoken as he said, "Honey, can you come pick me up?"   I said, "Of course.  Is everything okay?  What happened?"  He said, "I'm  not really sure, to be honest.  I was let go.  It came out of nowhere.  I haven't not had a job since I was in my early 20's."   He sounded sad and distraught.  I was confused, but mostly my heart hurt for him.

How could this be?  God had orchestrated this plan.  The move.  The job.  The small town.  The church.  Everything.  It was perfect!  "It was supposed to be perfect, Lord.  Why are you doing this?", were my thoughts, over and over, as I drove the hour to Charlotte to pick up my sweet husband.

That night, we prayed together, as we did the day after that, and the day after that.  My first thought was, "Let's not even unpack.  We could go back to Florida, live with my Mom for a month or two until we get our lives together."  But, Scott said something that clearly made sense.  He reminded me that if I believed with all my heart that God had orchestrated this move.  Then, it was no surprise to Him.  He knew Scott would be losing his job just 2 days after our moving here.  He could have had him lose the job the week prior.  Then, for sure, there would have been no move.  But, He allowed it, and He allowed it for a reason.  A reason we couldn't see.  But, we knew then, that He whatever the plan was, it was supposed to unfold here, in a small town, in North Carolina.





UPDATE:   PART II could be read HERE.

Rising from the ashes....

"In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

- I Thessalonians 5:18


::tapping on monitor screen:: Hello? Is anyone still out there that reads this?

I know it's been way too long. A few times, I've opened up to this page and have started to blog, but alas, I can't seem to find the desire to put the words together. So much has happened in the past year with our lives.

Today, I'm committed to writing. This has by no means been an easy blog post to write. It's not one of those full of happy-go-lucky-we're-doing-great kinda posts. It is full of reality. It is full of life. But most of all, it is full of HOPE!

It's something I am ashamed of. I am embarrassed to share and I am being told by the master of deceit that it is no one's business. But indeed, it is and I refuse to harbor those feelings any longer.

I'll tell you why.

Many of you know how I feel about the present administration and about the fact that this country has been going in a downward spiral since he took office in 2008. Sweet hubby's job started tightening the reins. There are now no benefits for employees, because they just can't afford it. The quality of the medical insurance (that they do not pay for) is so bad, and the cost is so outrageously expensive that we don't have medical insurance, with the exception of Kai, who desperately needs it. It's been a few months that we've been in this situation and we've decided we need to do something fast. So, after much prayer and lots and lots of thinking, we've decided to move out of state where Scott could find a job doing what he is prepared to do and where we could have insurance for the entire family.

We started looking and looking. Lo and behold, Scott applied for a position with a large international company that bought out the company he used to work for. He knew all the ins and outs of the position. Within days, we were sent an email stating that he was one of the final candidates, followed by a FedEx envelope full of forms required for new employment and blood orders for a drug screening test. Boy! God was showing himself in a big way. After many months, this was the answer to our prayers! He was going to get a nice pay increase and more importantly, we were getting great medical insurance for the entire family for what seemed like peanuts compared to the cost in Florida.

We praised and thanked Him every time the wonderful thought came into our heads, which was about a hundred times a day. The icing on the cake was that the job was in Tennessee. A placed that I've loved since I could remember and have been to many times. The last was with sweet hubby celebrating a weekend together before we picked up our Anna Grace.

Then, as many of you know, the tax credit that we'd had sitting at the IR*S for the past 4 years had been changed to a refund! Oh, yes! Life certainly was changing for our family in a huge way.

You see, last year the economy got so bad, so quickly, that we were forced to do what sadly many Americans have had to. We had to file for bankruptcy. The home that we had so proudly purchased 7 years before, was surrendered in the process. I felt ashamed that we had lost our house, our credit and were left sitting with nothing.

But, God remained faithful. He was pulling us out of the trenches. A new job was almost at our reach and we were receiving almost $40,000. that had been sitting as credit with the government. It was a new beginning for us! Yes! We were going to fix our old, now falling apart van, and use those funds to move the family to Tennessee, finally have medical insurance and start a new life.

So, that's the story of rising from the ashes. Okay, it's not.

As we waited to hear from the powers that be that sweet hubby had gotten the job and a received a starting date, days turned into weeks. Nothing. We checked in a couple of times and were told that they had to divert their attention from that position to another, but to hang in there a few more weeks and we'd have the answer. It all looked good.

We sighed, but trusted and continued to praise.

We also waited for that big check to come in. There were delays because they were doing a 'review', as most everyone I know who is waiting for their big refund, has been told. Several weeks later. We receive the letter from that infamous agency saying that everything was approved and that our check was on its way! Again, more praising. We just had to learn patience. That's it. God was teaching us patience.

In the meantime, bills continue to pile up. We are looking at another surgery for Kai in the next few weeks and praying daily that no one gets sick or injured while we wait. But, it's all good. Patience is a virtue and God was certainly showing us that.

Fast forward to last week. The email from the new job came in. The company decided to go with the other candidate because he was local. "An easier choice." We felt crushed. How could that happen? Sweet hubby had already done his background checks, drug screening, salary was agreed upon, and he knew everything about the position. It was just figuring out the logistics. Well, it wasn't meant to be. Many tears and many questions to God went up from me. So, what did we do?

WE PRAISED AND WE THANKED HIM!

Yes, it's all His perfect plan. Maybe that wasn't the job that was meant for us. Maybe it wasn't going to be 'the best', and we know God only wants the best for us. So, we dusted our sandals and decided that there was nothing we could do. We have to move forward and God will show us what door it is that he wants us to walk through.

BUT...we still that have big check coming! Yaaay! Although that's not completely the answer to prayers, we could give a big sigh of relief that at least we were able to start over. We continued to thank and praise.

We waited and waited for the check to arrive. I spent more hours on the phone with said 'agency' that I ever thought I could or would want to. Person after person assured me that it was mailed 'over a month ago'. They reviewed the address. They gave me a check number. The date it was mailed. "It must have gotten lost in the mail", we were told. Finally, we were instructed to file a form to trace the check. We did as they suggested.

Just two days ago, they found the check! Yes, it had been mailed. The only problem was that it was mailed to the trustee of the bankruptcy courts and not us. Their letter was apologetic over the 'confusion and inconvenience this may have caused.' The bottom line was that our almost $40k dollars that we were going to start life over again with was to be given back. We happened to file for bankruptcy the same year that the adoption tax refund went from a credit to a refund. Therefore, we are no longer entitled to that money.

So now, no new job. No money. No insurance. No starting over.

But the most important part of this is that we remain steadfast in our faith.

GOD REMAINS FAITHFUL!

GOD REMAINS COMPLETELY TRUSTWORTHY!

GOD REMAINS SOVEREIGN AND OMNIPOTENT!

GOD IS IN CONTROL!

I won't tell you that I received the news and jumped for joy. Oh no! I cried. A lot. I ranted. I questioned. I was devastated and angry and sad and depressed. I felt hopeless. Every single one of those feelings was the flesh. That was the humanness in me.

Then something wonderful happened. God's grace took over. I was not only picked up by a God-fearing husband who said to me, "God's plan is much bigger than that, much better. We have to trust! We have to stand firm in His word and in the fact He is in control of all of this." I knew immediately. THAT was the voice of truth speaking through him.

We again, dusted our sandals, picked ourselves up. This time, with more love and joy and hope in our hearts than we've felt in a long time, we thanked Him and praised His glorious Name! Why? Because we believe in everything He is and was and will be. He has not changed, nor will He ever change.

If you've still not realized why I am sharing such a very personal story is because there may just be a person or two out there that is going through similar situations. I just want you to know that there is ALWAYS hope. There is hope in our Savior. He will never forsake you. You just need to trust that with all of your being. I know personally, that I can't wait to share with you what bigger and better plans He has for us because I know He does.

In the meantime, we continue to thank, praise and honor the Name above all names! We trust Him more than ever now. How awesome is that? To think that life is back on track, and then you end up with nothing again. But it is really nothing? No. We ended up with the most important thing a person can have when they feel so down and so deep in the pit that they can't see the light shining over them. We ended up with HOPE! And that word encompasses all that Jesus is. It encompasses the reason He died on the cross for you and me. He is HOPE!

Come what may, bring the rain because we remain steadfast in saying,

AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD!

- Joshua 24:15

I pray these words bless you as they have blessed me.

Our circumstances in life are worldly.

Our God's love for us is eternal.

(I do want to add that during Bible study this morning, we were talking about God's promises and so forth and Kai burst out saying, "Mama, we're going to get to the Promised Land.... Tenneessee!". We learned about the Israelites a couple of weeks ago. That made me smile BIG! Yes, baby, we are gonna get to the Promised Land!!!)