Wordless Wednesday - Rain, Rain Go Away

Listening In

While organizing my blog labels on Saturday, I found this post that had never been published (By the way, if your google reader was filled with old posts from me let me apologize! It took me a few rounds to figure out the best way to clean up my labels.)

3 year old: I want a snack mom.

Mom: Okay, just let me finish this.

3 year old : That will take a while.

Mom: No it won't I'm almost done.

3 year old: I'm freezing mom

Mom: Do you want to wear a coat?

3 year old: No, snacks make me warm.

You gotta love the logic of a 3 year old and their relentless pursuit of snacks!

FYI

My friend Genny at MyCup2Yours is having a toy giveaway sponsored by All Children’s Furniture, who carries everything from kids chairs to toys. Stop by before midnight September 7th PST to enter to win!

An Audience of One

If I lived my life for an Audience of One.

I could speak the truth in love without worrying about what the other person thought of me, if I did it for an Audience of One.

I could write for for the sole pleasure of delighting Him and not think twice about how I might appear to others.

I could dance and look like a fool to those watching as long as the Audience of One smiled his approval.

Relationships would deepen, because I would be looking at others through the eyes of One instead of the eyes of many.

Criticism and displeasure from others wouldn't phase me as long as One was whispering his pleasure in my ear.

By living for One I could lose the shackles I place on myself; the worry of whether I measure up to those around me; the desire to be liked; the trap of comparison; the obsession of what others think.

I could lose these shackles that hold me back and keep me from taking risks the One asks of me.

If I lived my life for an Audience of One.

A Little Pencil

"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world."

- Mother Theresa

I have been given the opportunity to travel to Ukraine later this week. I am excited to go... and nervous.

This trip is different from ones I have taken in the past for two reasons:

• I am going without Kory (he is staying home with the kids).
• I am not going with an obvious purpose.

In the past we have gone to run a summer camp at Loubetein orphanage.

This year, there will be no summer camp.

A small group of business men and women are going as part of a vision team with my parents. Some going on the trip are committed to becoming more involved in the Ukraine ministry. Others are going to see if they want to become more involved.

I am tagging along.

I'm not exactly sure what I will be doing. I hope to be that little pencil Mother Theresa was talking about to the kids I meet. Not that I can't be that little pencil here in the States. I can. I hope I am.

But when God drops a trip to Ukraine in your lap, out-of-the-blue, with the doors wide open, you step through them.

Even when it is hard to leave your family and you don't know exactly what you will be doing and you struggle with whether you bring enough value to the trip to justify the cost and it means leaving your comfort zone.

I hope to see my friend Varya. I also hope to see Valya (a miracle I am asking for).

My main purpose in writing this post is this: Please pray for this trip. Please pray for Varya and Valya because I love them and I don't think many people pray for them.

And selfishly, please pray for me, that I can be that little pencil who, by the grace of God, is not afraid to move out of my comfort zone and participate in God's love letter to the children he puts in my path.

Wordless Wednesday - First Grade, Here She Comes!

Its Official

One day after I received the e-mail that our dossier had arrived at the CCAA (China Center of Adoption Affairs), I received one saying we have our log-in date!

I was expecting to wait another 3 weeks or so for this e-mail and was very surprised that it came so quickly.

So its official. As of 8/11/09 we are officially waiting!