The social worker came to our house last Friday evening to start the process of updating our home study. Every year we end up with a different social worker. I'm not sure if the agency rotates them or how it works exactly, but we've had three social workers in three years.
Thankfully, they've all been super nice and easy to talk to. I guess that might be kind of important if you're in the business of finding out if a family is qualified to adopt. The social worker that came this year, however, was hands down my favorite. Probably because she "got" Patrick's jokes and wasn't appalled at every other thing he said. Because y'all you never know what my husband is going to say.
For example, said social worker asked if we'd taken up any new hobbies, and Patrick without missing a beat says, "Alcohol." Thanks hon. I needed to have a panic attack. I immediately started trying to explain that he likes to joke (it was a joke just in case you were wondering), but for the first time ever, we had a social worker that laughed. The first one would've believed him. The second one, wouldn't have even remotely gotten the joke, but this one laughed. Which meant that Patrick felt free to make more jokes.
Social worker: "Have you ever been arrested?"
Patrick: "Uhhh, I was afraid you were going to ask that . . ." (For the record we've never been arrested . . . neither of us.)
Social worker: "Have your religious beliefs changed?"
Patrick: "Yeah we've converted." (To what have we converted? I have no clue.)
I can't remember the rest, but you get the gist. All in all, the visit went smoothly, and the update should be done relatively soon. We'll have to update again in July when we move, but each update reminds me that we're one update closer to bring our daughter home.
Join me in my adventures in parenting, adoption, marriage, faith, and life in general.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Mercy
"Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth, And I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy; Then I will say to those who were not My people, 'You are My people!' And they shall say, 'You are my God!'" Hosea 2:23
This was the scripture at the end of my devotional this morning. How many times have I read it before? Yet, this time it struck me as amazingly beautiful. Hosea is a story of tragedy. It's a story of unfaithfulness. Hosea marries Gomer, a prostitute, and time and again, she runs off, plays the role of harlot. She cheats. She lies. She leaves her husband alone and questioning where she is, who she is with. Two of the three children to which she gives birth are from her affairs. Hosea is a painful story to read, but Hosea is also a story of redemption. Hosea seeks out Gomer at her absolute worst. He buys her out of slavery, and he restores to her place as his wife.
Hosea is not only a story of a redemptive husband (and I should probably mention here that I believe that the story of Hosea is true), Hosea is a story of God's love for His people. How many times did the children of Israel "cheat" with other gods? How many times did the run from the truth? Yet, God sought them out. He had mercy on those who had not obtained mercy.
And if the story of Hosea was only a story of a redemptive husband and of God's love and forgiveness for His chosen people then it would be more than enough and absolutely beautiful in its own right. But I also believe it's a story for us today. Maybe you feel like there is no way God could ever love and accept you again. Maybe you think you've messed up too many times. You may even say, "I'm not one of God's people, and I've done nothing to earn His mercy. He doesn't want me!" I'm sorry friend, but I beg to differ. Read Hosea 2:23 again, "Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth, And I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy; Then I will say to those who were not My people, 'You are My people!' And they shall say, 'You are my God!'"
The question isn't will God accept you. He already has. That was done 2000 years ago on a cross at Calvary. The question is, are you willing to say "You are my God!"?
This was the scripture at the end of my devotional this morning. How many times have I read it before? Yet, this time it struck me as amazingly beautiful. Hosea is a story of tragedy. It's a story of unfaithfulness. Hosea marries Gomer, a prostitute, and time and again, she runs off, plays the role of harlot. She cheats. She lies. She leaves her husband alone and questioning where she is, who she is with. Two of the three children to which she gives birth are from her affairs. Hosea is a painful story to read, but Hosea is also a story of redemption. Hosea seeks out Gomer at her absolute worst. He buys her out of slavery, and he restores to her place as his wife.
Hosea is not only a story of a redemptive husband (and I should probably mention here that I believe that the story of Hosea is true), Hosea is a story of God's love for His people. How many times did the children of Israel "cheat" with other gods? How many times did the run from the truth? Yet, God sought them out. He had mercy on those who had not obtained mercy.
And if the story of Hosea was only a story of a redemptive husband and of God's love and forgiveness for His chosen people then it would be more than enough and absolutely beautiful in its own right. But I also believe it's a story for us today. Maybe you feel like there is no way God could ever love and accept you again. Maybe you think you've messed up too many times. You may even say, "I'm not one of God's people, and I've done nothing to earn His mercy. He doesn't want me!" I'm sorry friend, but I beg to differ. Read Hosea 2:23 again, "Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth, And I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy; Then I will say to those who were not My people, 'You are My people!' And they shall say, 'You are my God!'"
The question isn't will God accept you. He already has. That was done 2000 years ago on a cross at Calvary. The question is, are you willing to say "You are my God!"?
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
The Treadmill Catastrophe
I promised y'all I'd tell you how I fell on the treadmill a couple weeks ago. There's not much to the story. It remains to be seen if I can even make an entire post out of it. We shall see.
It was late, and I was grouchy, and I really wasn't feeling like working out. Plus, I get a headache every time I go to get on the treadmill. I mean every. single. time. I'm about 100% certain it's psychological since the treadmill clearly isn't putting off a toxic fumes.
So I had a headache and just wanted to get the run over with. And being the smart person I am, I hopped on and started off right at six mph. Warming up is for sissies and people with common sense. By the way, you may have noticed that all of my injuries happen because I do things that I'd tell others never to do under any circumstances.
About a minute into my run, I realized that I had forgotten to turn on my iPod Now, it's important to note that the reason it took me a full minute to realize I didn't have my iPod on was because I was also reading on my Kindle while running. Yep, that's me, the girl who needs multiple electronic devices to distract her while she's running on her treadmill. Anyway, I grabbed my phone to turn on the iPod And my short legs? Oh yeah, they were still trucking along. Safety first. Stop the treadmill? No way. Slow down to a reasonable speed? Seriously!?! Had I just turned on the music and put the phone down all may have been well, but no, I decided I needed to change the playlist. That takes talent when I'm standing still, but in that moment, I was pretty sure that if I didn't change the playlist I wouldn't be able to survive my workout so I attempted to change it while running.
And that's when tragedy struck (yes, I know . . . tragedy may be a bit on the dramatic side, but until you've bit it on a treadmill, don't judge). I have no idea how I went down. But down I went. No I wasn't wearing the clip that will stop the treadmill if you fall. Yes, I'm the same women that spent hours on end researching the safest booster seats for her son. I'm a walking, talking, living, breathing, slightly insane contradiction. It's how I roll.
Here's the deal. When you fall on the treadmill, it hurts. It's been approximately six months since I've fallen anywhere so I had almost forgotten the pain of falling in general. But the treadmill. It has it's own special pain since you don't stop when you fall, but continue to get thrown around until such a time as you can either get off or stop the wretched machine.
And what was I thinking during this ten seconds of terrifying pain? "Keep your head up Courtney! Save the face. Save the nose." Have I ever mentioned I like my nose? Yes, that's incredibly vain, but it's true. It's one of my best features. Also flashing through my mind were, "Save your phone. Don't let your fingers get chewed up." And most importantly "How the heck do I get off this treadmill without breaking it." Because seriously, that's what I should have been concerned with . . . breaking the stupid treadmill.
In the end, I survived with some pretty good battle wounds. One of which I ended up going to the doctor for because apparently, I had an allergic reaction to the neosporin I was generously slathering on my legs each day.
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It was late, and I was grouchy, and I really wasn't feeling like working out. Plus, I get a headache every time I go to get on the treadmill. I mean every. single. time. I'm about 100% certain it's psychological since the treadmill clearly isn't putting off a toxic fumes.
So I had a headache and just wanted to get the run over with. And being the smart person I am, I hopped on and started off right at six mph. Warming up is for sissies
About a minute into my run, I realized that I had forgotten to turn on my iPod Now, it's important to note that the reason it took me a full minute to realize I didn't have my iPod on was because I was also reading on my Kindle while running. Yep, that's me, the girl who needs multiple electronic devices to distract her while she's running on her treadmill. Anyway, I grabbed my phone to turn on the iPod And my short legs? Oh yeah, they were still trucking along. Safety first. Stop the treadmill? No way. Slow down to a reasonable speed? Seriously!?! Had I just turned on the music and put the phone down all may have been well, but no, I decided I needed to change the playlist. That takes talent when I'm standing still, but in that moment, I was pretty sure that if I didn't change the playlist I wouldn't be able to survive my workout so I attempted to change it while running.
And that's when tragedy struck (yes, I know . . . tragedy may be a bit on the dramatic side, but until you've bit it on a treadmill, don't judge). I have no idea how I went down. But down I went. No I wasn't wearing the clip that will stop the treadmill if you fall. Yes, I'm the same women that spent hours on end researching the safest booster seats for her son. I'm a walking, talking, living, breathing, slightly insane contradiction. It's how I roll.
Here's the deal. When you fall on the treadmill, it hurts. It's been approximately six months since I've fallen anywhere so I had almost forgotten the pain of falling in general. But the treadmill. It has it's own special pain since you don't stop when you fall, but continue to get thrown around until such a time as you can either get off or stop the wretched machine.
And what was I thinking during this ten seconds of terrifying pain? "Keep your head up Courtney! Save the face. Save the nose." Have I ever mentioned I like my nose? Yes, that's incredibly vain, but it's true. It's one of my best features. Also flashing through my mind were, "Save your phone. Don't let your fingers get chewed up." And most importantly "How the heck do I get off this treadmill without breaking it." Because seriously, that's what I should have been concerned with . . . breaking the stupid treadmill.
In the end, I survived with some pretty good battle wounds. One of which I ended up going to the doctor for because apparently, I had an allergic reaction to the neosporin I was generously slathering on my legs each day.
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A couple of my battle wounds. I won't show you the worst. It ain't pretty.
Lessons learned: (1) Don't play with your phone while running! and (2) If you must play with your phone while running wear the clip. For the love of the skin on your legs and arms, wear the clip!
And yes, I went ahead and finished working out. I'm awesome that way.
And apparently, I can drag out a short story forever. As is evidenced by this post.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
This Week . . .
I'm pretty sure that no matter where you are in this great country of ours, throughout this past week you've experienced a similar roller coaster of emotions.
On Monday, we watched as the horrific tragedy unfolded in Boston. We mourned with those who mourned. We questioned how anyone could do anything so heinous and so heartless. Our hearts broke for those lost and for those who lost so much.
On Wednesday, we were faced with the unbelievable catastrophe that took place in West, Texas. West is just a couple hours from our home. It's a small town, just like so many small towns scattered throughout Texas. Texas has never seemed so small to so many as it did on Wednesday night. The reality of what happened was very much like a slap in the face.
As, the world watched the events in both Boston and West unfolded, and the fragility of life became ever more apparent. We all held our loved ones a bit closer.
On Thursday into Friday, we witnessed a man hunt with terrifying implications. What if this man wasn't found? How long would the people of Boston remain on alert behind locked doors with blinds drawn and nerves on edge.
And Friday night, we celebrated with all of Boston. We celebrated the capture of someone who had caused so much pain. We celebrated the resiliency of our country and the freedoms we appreciate. Through the tears there were smiles.
Through it all, I am reminded that no matter what this world brings, no matter what is thrown at us, there is one thing that will never change, that will never waver or falter . . . God's love and forgiveness. Some may question how a good God could allow such awful things to happen. It's a common question often spoken in anger. But we live in a fallen, imperfect world, a world where sin is ever present, and where bad things do happen. God does not cause them nor does it change the fact that His love for us is both pure, good, and absolute. We may not know all the answers this side of Heaven, but of His love I am beyond certain.
On Monday, we watched as the horrific tragedy unfolded in Boston. We mourned with those who mourned. We questioned how anyone could do anything so heinous and so heartless. Our hearts broke for those lost and for those who lost so much.
On Wednesday, we were faced with the unbelievable catastrophe that took place in West, Texas. West is just a couple hours from our home. It's a small town, just like so many small towns scattered throughout Texas. Texas has never seemed so small to so many as it did on Wednesday night. The reality of what happened was very much like a slap in the face.
As, the world watched the events in both Boston and West unfolded, and the fragility of life became ever more apparent. We all held our loved ones a bit closer.
On Thursday into Friday, we witnessed a man hunt with terrifying implications. What if this man wasn't found? How long would the people of Boston remain on alert behind locked doors with blinds drawn and nerves on edge.
And Friday night, we celebrated with all of Boston. We celebrated the capture of someone who had caused so much pain. We celebrated the resiliency of our country and the freedoms we appreciate. Through the tears there were smiles.
Through it all, I am reminded that no matter what this world brings, no matter what is thrown at us, there is one thing that will never change, that will never waver or falter . . . God's love and forgiveness. Some may question how a good God could allow such awful things to happen. It's a common question often spoken in anger. But we live in a fallen, imperfect world, a world where sin is ever present, and where bad things do happen. God does not cause them nor does it change the fact that His love for us is both pure, good, and absolute. We may not know all the answers this side of Heaven, but of His love I am beyond certain.
From 1 Corinthians 13
12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Adoption Fingerprinting Woes
We've been working on updating our home study. There's a lot of paper gathering and filling out of forms. I have to go through the house and put in all those annoying little plug covers that most three olds can pop right out while most 33 year olds struggle with them for at least 10 minutes. And then there's the fire extinguisher . . . big, red, ugly . . . hanging on my kitchen wall. But all of that was minor, and I was feeling like it was a breeze . . . until yesterday.
Some background info before I go into details about what happened. Bulgaria requires an FBI background check done with ink fingerprints. Ink fingerprints aren't very common anymore, and not a lot of people know how to take them well. So the first time we took them and sent them off blissfully unaware that they might reject them. Well, they didn't reject Patrick's. They did reject mine. You can read about it here. But seriously that was pretty much the gist of it. I was traumatized. I had to redo them. The second set was fine. Yada, yada, yada . . .
So last spring when we started doing our home study update, I broke into a cold sweat thinking about the FBI fingerprints. There was some confusion on the part of my home study agency about whether or not they would need to be redone. But then the heavens opened, and the angels sang, and our caseworker said I didn't need to do them again. She said I would need them when we got a referral, but that was a long way away, and so I just decided not to think about it.
Just over a month ago, we started gathering up the stuff for yet another update, and nary a word about FBI fingerprinting was said. And well, I just assumed . . . and we all know what happens when we assume. Yesterday morning I got an email from our home study caseworker saying we had to do the FBI fingerprints again. No! I rapidly concluded that she was clearly mistaken. So I, Miss Know-It-All of America, quickly set out to set everyone straight. Surely, they were just confused, these poor people . . . or not. Our adoption caseworker explained that because the type of background check that is generally used for Texas isn't accepted by Oregon (where our adoption agency is located) we had to redo them.
And. I. Freaked. Out. I'm sure everyone from both the home study agency and the adoption agency thought I was all kinds of crazy. Thank goodness they didn't say it. Our home study expires in four weeks. The chances of getting our approval letters back by then is slim to zero, and then there's the whole, "Courtney has the worst fingerprints ever" issue.
Thank the good Lord our home study caseworker went to bat for us. She talked them into proceeding with our home study and adding in a provision that says FBI fingerprints pending. We have to update again when we move as it is so hopefully by that time our fingerprint results will be back, and we can move forward with our USCIS fingerprinting. Gosh, I just love getting fingerprints. Every. Single. Year. Sometimes two or three times a year. It's a blast.
In the meantime, I'm asking that you please pray that my fingerprints don't get sent back. To me they're not the world's best prints. Patrick's, as per usual, look fantastic, but mine are just so-so. So I'm asking for prayers that the right person sees my prints and deems them legible, and that we get these back in a very timely manner.
As most parents who've been through this process will tell you, there are always bumps in the road and kinks to work out. It's how we react to these issues that's the true test for all of us. I'm working on it, but well, I have my moments. In the end, when it's all said and done, all of this will be a vague memory. Until then, I just have to keep my eye on the prize.
Some background info before I go into details about what happened. Bulgaria requires an FBI background check done with ink fingerprints. Ink fingerprints aren't very common anymore, and not a lot of people know how to take them well. So the first time we took them and sent them off blissfully unaware that they might reject them. Well, they didn't reject Patrick's. They did reject mine. You can read about it here. But seriously that was pretty much the gist of it. I was traumatized. I had to redo them. The second set was fine. Yada, yada, yada . . .
So last spring when we started doing our home study update, I broke into a cold sweat thinking about the FBI fingerprints. There was some confusion on the part of my home study agency about whether or not they would need to be redone. But then the heavens opened, and the angels sang, and our caseworker said I didn't need to do them again. She said I would need them when we got a referral, but that was a long way away, and so I just decided not to think about it.
Just over a month ago, we started gathering up the stuff for yet another update, and nary a word about FBI fingerprinting was said. And well, I just assumed . . . and we all know what happens when we assume. Yesterday morning I got an email from our home study caseworker saying we had to do the FBI fingerprints again. No! I rapidly concluded that she was clearly mistaken. So I, Miss Know-It-All of America, quickly set out to set everyone straight. Surely, they were just confused, these poor people . . . or not. Our adoption caseworker explained that because the type of background check that is generally used for Texas isn't accepted by Oregon (where our adoption agency is located) we had to redo them.
And. I. Freaked. Out. I'm sure everyone from both the home study agency and the adoption agency thought I was all kinds of crazy. Thank goodness they didn't say it. Our home study expires in four weeks. The chances of getting our approval letters back by then is slim to zero, and then there's the whole, "Courtney has the worst fingerprints ever" issue.
Thank the good Lord our home study caseworker went to bat for us. She talked them into proceeding with our home study and adding in a provision that says FBI fingerprints pending. We have to update again when we move as it is so hopefully by that time our fingerprint results will be back, and we can move forward with our USCIS fingerprinting. Gosh, I just love getting fingerprints. Every. Single. Year. Sometimes two or three times a year. It's a blast.
In the meantime, I'm asking that you please pray that my fingerprints don't get sent back. To me they're not the world's best prints. Patrick's, as per usual, look fantastic, but mine are just so-so. So I'm asking for prayers that the right person sees my prints and deems them legible, and that we get these back in a very timely manner.
As most parents who've been through this process will tell you, there are always bumps in the road and kinks to work out. It's how we react to these issues that's the true test for all of us. I'm working on it, but well, I have my moments. In the end, when it's all said and done, all of this will be a vague memory. Until then, I just have to keep my eye on the prize.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Plans
Seems like I've become a once-a-week-blogger. Totally didn't mean for this to happen, but between work, building a house, soccer practice and games, updating the home study, and so on, I just don't have much time.
This week . . . this week was rough. It was kind of one of those perfect storm situations. First off, I teach public school in what's considered a (mostly) low income school. My kids, God bless them, do not all come from the greatest situations. I have some great kids. I have some amazing parents. But y'all, I have a number of kids whose stories would break your heart, and whose behaviors would make your mouth drop to the floor. I have learned and seen and heard things in my last ten years of teaching that had never even crossed my mind in the previous 22 years of my life. Add to that "the test", the STAAR test to be specific, the test that Texas public schools live and breath (please don't ask my opinion) along with the demands that just come with the territory of teaching, and my job can, at times, become extremely stressful. Secondly (and thirdly, and fourthly . . . ), we're building a house, we're updating a home study, we're waiting for an adoption referral, I fell on the treadmill and tore up my legs (I'll tell that story soon enough), and we're in limbo in another major situation in our lives. All this leads to that proverbial "perfect storm", and I knew by yesterday afternoon that my mind and my emotions just needed a break. It's taken me almost 32 years of life to start to realize when I've reached stress and information overload. Thank goodness it's the weekend.
As glad as I am that's it's the weekend, I'm even more thankful that in the midst of crazy circumstances, when it's sometimes hard to get my attention, God always finds a way. On Thursday on twitter Kari Jobe, posted an instagram photo (which I can't get to load) of Jeremiah 29:11:
I saw it and thought, "Okay, it's a super popular verse, and rightly so, but I didn't think much past it." Then I was trying to get twitter to update later on and it wouldn't go past this scripture. Naturally, I assumed my twitter feed was messing up. Yesterday during conference, I get on facebook, and there it is, Jeremiah 29:11, staring me in the face again. Still, I can be dense so I read it and kept going. And then this morning, I hopped on facebook to see what was happening in the world, and once again, Jeremiah 29:11, different photo, different facebook friend, same verse. I finally started thinking, maybe, just maybe God is trying to say something here. So I opened up my She Reads Truth devotional, and I thought if it's in this devotional then I know God's talking to me. Yes, I know that sounds superstitious, but I'm just being honest. I'm currently doing the one on prayer, and it was about praying boldly, trusting God, believing that He's there for us. The main scripture reference were Matthew 26:36-46 (Jesus praying in the garden) and Philippians 4:6-7:
This week . . . this week was rough. It was kind of one of those perfect storm situations. First off, I teach public school in what's considered a (mostly) low income school. My kids, God bless them, do not all come from the greatest situations. I have some great kids. I have some amazing parents. But y'all, I have a number of kids whose stories would break your heart, and whose behaviors would make your mouth drop to the floor. I have learned and seen and heard things in my last ten years of teaching that had never even crossed my mind in the previous 22 years of my life. Add to that "the test", the STAAR test to be specific, the test that Texas public schools live and breath (please don't ask my opinion) along with the demands that just come with the territory of teaching, and my job can, at times, become extremely stressful. Secondly (and thirdly, and fourthly . . . ), we're building a house, we're updating a home study, we're waiting for an adoption referral, I fell on the treadmill and tore up my legs (I'll tell that story soon enough), and we're in limbo in another major situation in our lives. All this leads to that proverbial "perfect storm", and I knew by yesterday afternoon that my mind and my emotions just needed a break. It's taken me almost 32 years of life to start to realize when I've reached stress and information overload. Thank goodness it's the weekend.
As glad as I am that's it's the weekend, I'm even more thankful that in the midst of crazy circumstances, when it's sometimes hard to get my attention, God always finds a way. On Thursday on twitter Kari Jobe, posted an instagram photo (which I can't get to load) of Jeremiah 29:11:
"'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 a hope and a future.'"
I saw it and thought, "Okay, it's a super popular verse, and rightly so, but I didn't think much past it." Then I was trying to get twitter to update later on and it wouldn't go past this scripture. Naturally, I assumed my twitter feed was messing up. Yesterday during conference, I get on facebook, and there it is, Jeremiah 29:11, staring me in the face again. Still, I can be dense so I read it and kept going. And then this morning, I hopped on facebook to see what was happening in the world, and once again, Jeremiah 29:11, different photo, different facebook friend, same verse. I finally started thinking, maybe, just maybe God is trying to say something here. So I opened up my She Reads Truth devotional, and I thought if it's in this devotional then I know God's talking to me. Yes, I know that sounds superstitious, but I'm just being honest. I'm currently doing the one on prayer, and it was about praying boldly, trusting God, believing that He's there for us. The main scripture reference were Matthew 26:36-46 (Jesus praying in the garden) and Philippians 4:6-7:
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
In and of itself, that is a majorly powerful scripture (is there a scripture in the Bible without power in it? I think not), but I didn't see Jeremiah 29:11 so I figured it was all a big coincidence. Have I mentioned I can be a bit dense? Then, I'm reading through my devotional and there at the very end is Jeremiah 29:11. And it (finally) hit me. God has good plans for me. Period. God loves me, and He's watching over me and it's time to stop worrying. In all my ocd, control freak tendencies, it's time to realize that yeah, I have zero control. And I may not know what tomorrow holds, but God does. He has a plan, and people it's a good one.
And I'm here to tell you, that this isn't just for me, it's for you too. Yes, you, the one sitting there thinking, "Well that's all well and good for her. But God doesn't feel the same way about me. You don't know what I've done! You don't know who I am! My life is a mess. I'm a mess." Yep, God has good plans for you. See I believe that Christians tend to think of God's redemption as working for most people. But if you've done something really bad . . . if your life is really a mess, whether it be of your own making or not . . . well . . . but I believe more and more with each day that passes, that God can and will change anyone from the worst of the worst to the seemingly best of the best. And I also believe more and more that it's usually those that think they've got it all together that need the most work. Someone told me recently, that they thought people were either good or bad, and there was no changing that, but y'all the bottom line is without God we're all bad, and thank goodness that the blood Jesus shed does change that.
So if you're wondering and worrying about what you're future holds. Don't. God's got it under control, and let me tell you, it's good.
“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” Corrie Ten Boom
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Random Catch Up and A Thought
Since my blogging has been so irregular and almost nonexistent lately, this will be a catch-all/catch up post.
This last week was exhausting. We had STAAR (State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness) testing at school which, honestly, just about did me in. These tests are physically and emotionally draining for both students and teachers. I'm not a fan of standardized tests in general, and I'm certainly not a fan of the major emphasis we put on them. But then I'm not making the rules. So yeah . . .
Andrew took his kindergarten readiness test last Tuesday afternoon and thankfully, aced it. I know I was worried for absolutely no reason, as everyone has pointed out to me numerous times, but I'm so glad to have that behind us (him). We have an appointment with the principal in a couple weeks, and some paperwork to finish up. Then he'll officially be ready for kinder. He's growing up way too fast.
Speaking of growing up too fast, he also got to move into a booster seat this last week. This was a really big deal to him. He told everyone he saw about it. I've held off as long as possible, but he just got too long for his car seat and the straps wouldn't lengthen anymore so he graduated to the booster.
The new house is being framed and looking great. I can now see a definition in the rooms which makes it so much easier for me to visualize what should go where. It's nice that it's just around the block. Every evening Andrew rides his bike around the block, and we check out the progress.
This last week was exhausting. We had STAAR (State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness) testing at school which, honestly, just about did me in. These tests are physically and emotionally draining for both students and teachers. I'm not a fan of standardized tests in general, and I'm certainly not a fan of the major emphasis we put on them. But then I'm not making the rules. So yeah . . .
Andrew took his kindergarten readiness test last Tuesday afternoon and thankfully, aced it. I know I was worried for absolutely no reason, as everyone has pointed out to me numerous times, but I'm so glad to have that behind us (him). We have an appointment with the principal in a couple weeks, and some paperwork to finish up. Then he'll officially be ready for kinder. He's growing up way too fast.
Speaking of growing up too fast, he also got to move into a booster seat this last week. This was a really big deal to him. He told everyone he saw about it. I've held off as long as possible, but he just got too long for his car seat and the straps wouldn't lengthen anymore so he graduated to the booster.
Such a big kid . . .
The new house is being framed and looking great. I can now see a definition in the rooms which makes it so much easier for me to visualize what should go where. It's nice that it's just around the block. Every evening Andrew rides his bike around the block, and we check out the progress.
I've become obsessed with watching shows/documentaries about people trying to summit Everest. It's stupidly fascinating to watch. I don't get it. I love to hike. And for the most part I'm okay with climbing, but Everest, I don't quite get. Tallest mountain in the world, thin air, brain swelling, body slowly dying, dangerous as all get out, freezing temps., high possibility of death . . . I love me a good adventure, but this is one on which I'd have to pass. Of course, watching other people attempt the craziness is another story.
I have one thought, I'll leave you with before I go. This morning I was listening to Robert Morris from Gateway talk about Mary Magdalene's story, and at the end of his sermon he asked the congregation, "On whose team are you playing?" Obviously he meant you're either on Jesus's team or the devil's team. But it got me to thinking. Have you ever seen someone score a goal for the wrong team. It's quite devastating, but I had to wonder how many of us are on Jesus's team, yet we continue to score goals for the other team. I'm not saying this to be condemning. I don't even necessarily mean when you slip up, when you sin. We all do it. I'm not excusing it, but more than that I mean, when we trust ourselves, our own abilities, those around us, this physical world, more than we trust God.When we choose to worry and try to take control rather than have faith in God's timing and His good plans for us. Those are the times I'm talking about. Because every time we give precedence to our worries and our concerns over God's faithfulness, we're scoring for the wrong team. Maybe it's just me that has this problem? Anyway, just something that's been on my mind today as I try to make a conscious effort to turn all my cares and concerns over to Him.
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