Triggers = Opportunities

Russia is in the news.  Not in a good way.

Just hearing about a shot down passenger jet...war zone air space...the Russian invasion of a sovereign nation ...ears perk up around here.

When one of our kids stated dancing around the living room...singing a song celebrating the fact that she is not illegal but an actual American citizen and no longer there but here....I knew it was time to initiate a conversation. 

One of our adopted children came home from Russia.  The other from Kazakhstan.  Both countries are currently closed to foreign adoptions. 

Possibly forever.

Last night we talked about the sovereignty of our trustworthy Lord in making us a family when he did.  How His ways are perfect.  How His timing is perfect.

The Lord does not get ahead of Himself.  Nor does He tarry.   

How He is ultimately in control of the closed countries.  Of the leaders.  Of the kids.

How His plans will not be thwarted by man.   Not ever.

How He ...not we...plucked our kids out of the hell holes they were in and planted them forever in our hearts and in our family.

How nothing any member of our family ever does or could ever do...would absolve us from the  responsibility of us being a family or fulfilling our God-given roles within our family unit.   Even if our feelings went against our call.   Even if circumstances threatened or complicated the walking out of the call.  And how oftentimes...blood is not the binding matter when families are concerned. 

And then...when we examine our salvation!!!!!!  With thanksgiving and an overwhelming sense of humility we walk in the knowledge that nothing we ever did or could ever do...deserved such a magnificent & tangible picture of redemption to enter our lives.

Adoption.

It takes my breath away. 

Control

One of the most difficult things to deal with when dealing with an individual who has attachment struggles is the level of control they attempt to exert over those with whom they interact.

Controlling behavior is not always easily recognizable.

Oftentimes it's subtle.

And...highly manipulative.

I honestly believe that when we see someone trying to control us or others...we are to confront the behavior head on.

He/she attempts to control the narrative.  Attempts to divide, isolate, and alienate.  Attempts to  rule by emotion or lack of emotion.  Hides in plain sight.  Plays the victim.  Distracts w/distress. Or...remains utterly aloof. Untouchable.  Unmovable. A fortress.  Impenetrable.

Call it out.

So that it can be rooted out.

It's ALL About Relationship

This article contains good info.  

As a home-educator who has managed our own home's classroom with 5 students and as a home-educating co-op teacher of classes which have varied in size up to a dozen or so students....I encourage you to get out of the box when it comes to cookie cutter education.

Academic education...arts education...behavioral education...emotional education...spiritual education...

Each and every one of us is woven together differently by a Master Weaver.

The goal is discovering what the Weaver had in mind when HE charged you with stewardship over His creation.

Home-Education post.   

Define Love re-post

I am led to re-post today. 

Define Love. 

The Miraculous Grace of Acceptance

This article.  Oh, this article!

Some struggles will be life long struggles.  No matter how much we'd like to think otherwise...they will be.  

Not always.  But sometimes.

And if this is the case for you and your family...take courage.  Every little thing has passed through the throne room of the Lord.  He has a purpose in it.

For our good and His glory. 

This boy...

...found him over on fb and he touched my heart today.

Faith

Simplicity

I like this article. 

I recently asked our two daughters...adopted from overseas at 4.5 and 3.5 what their earliest memories were.

Neither had memories of their orphanages which was very interesting to me...since my earliest memory is from a day when I was three.

It's so fascinating that they have no memories until years after they came home.   Like no memories.

One daughter...(not Girlie)  said this..."I know I had a good childhood with you...I just don't remember it."

Keep it simple.  Live life with family and a close-knit circle of friends.

I think this goes a long way in providing security for little hearts. 

When they feel safe...they are able to relax.  Then thrive.

And remember all the memories being created. 

Fathers

Most of the time...it's the moms who get the hardest hit. Day in and day out.

I thank the Lord that He has seen fit to give our daughter my husband as her father.

When I am unable...he does what needs to be done.

When I am unwilling...he does the hard thing.  The difficult thing.

When I am unresponsive...he responds.

When I've had enough...when I've given up... He moves in to take up the task at hand and then he leads me to a better place.

This article has lots of people crying over on fb.

It's cuz it's so lovely. 

I know many men who are fathers to those who were once other men's children.  It's so lovely.  It's so beautiful.  It's so amazing.  And touching.  And inspiring. 

Now I'm crying. 

"He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse."  Malachi 4:6

Just a Few

Have you recruited friends to come alongside you on this journey?

Early on...we let one couple in.  The  one couple who knows everything.  All the details.

Then a few more.   Not many.  Just a few.

They pray when we are too weak to pray.  They pray when we are too angry to pray.  They pray when we are to afraid to pray.  They pray when we are apathetic and have no desire to pray.

Girlie knows this.

They pray for us and for her.

They speak truth into our lives and into her life.

They love us and they love her.

They fight for us and they fight for her.

They know she is a blessing and a gift.

They know we are too.

They remind her.   They remind us.

I am ever so thankful for them. 

Spiritual Friendship

 Spiritual Friendship message

reminded me of this....

re-post

and for some reason....this....

re-post

I praise the Lord for the friends He has provided for me on this journey called life.  With all of it's ups and downs.  With all of it's twists and turns.   

HE has been the number one friend...the one who hears the silent cries and screams and hears the silent longings of my heart......the ONE who hears the things that I dare not utter.    Things only He or my husband know.    

But the earthly ones HE sees fit to gift me with...they are of great value.

In fact, they are priceless.

Heart Change re-post

I was directed to this blog.  I don't know much about it, but so far...I like what I see. 

"Orphan care isn't just about embracing the broken places kids come from. It also exposes our own broken places and forces us to deal with them. As we step deep into the fractures of their stories we're pierced again by the cracks in our own. It's impossible to seek healing on behalf of someone else without first experiencing healing to a certain degree within yourself. We simply cannot give what we do not have.

We were entrusted with the humbling task of caring for a very fragile, vulnerable and defenseless baby girl - and in so doing reminded of our own insecurities and wounds and forced to consider what healing through Jesus needed to take place in our lives before we could rightly extend that same healing through Jesus into hers."

I am reminded of this post from 2008.  

Stumbling Block

A wise friend once assured me that if I was a stumbling block in my girlie's life...a thing making the road to salvation more difficult for her...an excuse that would forever be used....then our loving Father would take me out.  He would remove me from her if need be.

Do you love your child enough to ask the Lord to do whatever it takes to save them?

Even if it means you are taken out of the picture?

With this thought...I was confronted by my own pride.

And then He helped me to lay it down. 

Love

Sometimes so hard to do...I know. 

My Girlie