Thankful Thursday

Today I am so very thankful for a sermon series our church is having right now. Honestly I have ADD and can never pay attention in church but I haven't missed a second (I don't think so anyway) of these sermons the last 3 weeks.

The sermon series is called The Love Movement. They are teaching us that we need to love like Christ even when it makes us uncomfortable. They are challenging us to step out of our comfort zones to love. They are encouraging us to give up comforts of ours to love. I should say that through them God is challenging us big time. I can't wait to see what this week's challenge is even though it scares me a little.

The first week they challenged us to do a random act of kindness like I posted about a couple weeks ago. The next week they challenged people to bring in food for the food pantry (this one was easy). This last Sunday they challenged people to take their shoes off right then (it was around 10 degrees outside) and leave them so they could be donated to people that need them. Then they took it one step further and ask people to leave their coats to give to those that needed it (again it was about 10 degrees outside). Then they challenged those that needed to say they were sorry to someone to send a note telling that person they were sorry. They didn't make you feel bad if you didn't do those things but they challenged us to love even when it makes you walk out side in 10 degree weather with no shoes and no coat because there are people that live like that everyday.

It's so easy to give when it's "easy" but we need to learn to give easily even when it makes us uncomfortable.

God has really been teaching me that if I could give up fear of so many things and live our life more simple than we even do now that we could do so much for him.

I am so thankful for these challenges!

Chinese New Year Celebration

Tonight we went to the annual Chinese New Year celebration with our local international adoption group. They make it so much fun for the kids with Chinese food and crafts for the kids to do. They even give the kids some "lucky money" in the traditional red envelopes. The kids had a blast!

OK, so Abby doesn't know what to think about Jaxson kissing her.

GIVEAWAY!!!

Here is a super cool giveaway to help the Saunder's family. Just click here and you can see what it's all about.

Thankful Thursday

Today, I am soooo very thankful for nap time. I don't know what it is but I have 3 very grumpy kids today. Amaya doesn't even take a nap anymore but you better believe she got one today. Even though they are grumpy we are still truly blessed to have them.

Sometimes I wonder if it is harder for people who got pregnant really easy or got pregnant not even trying to. Don't get me wrong I have my days I want to pull my hair out. As I was listening to them fuss and cry this morning though I kept thinking about how it really wasn't that long ago that I cried everyday for 4 years because I didn't have little fussy kiddos.

Last night Chris had a meeting at church and all 3 kiddos got in my lap and we just all snuggled for about an hour. In that hour I can't even begin to tell you how many kisses and hugs I got. I am so thankful God finally filled our home with so many smiles. I can't wait to see if God blesses us with even more smiling faces someday.

Finally SNOW!!!

Is this not the face of true happiness?

The kids have been waiting and waiting for snow. We finally got snow last week but with the temps in the negative 0's the kids had to wait until yesterday to play in it.Jaxson lasted a whole 2 minutes I think in the snow until he fell face first into the snow and then decided he was done.Amaya doesn't even know what cold is and she would have stayed outside all day if we would have let her. She definitely doesn't take after her mommy.

Can you tell daddy had as much fun as the girls and maybe even more fun than they did. I looked out the window and caught him making snow angels when the girls weren't even watching him. Isn't he so cute?

Calling All Christians

OK, enough is enough and we as Christians need to get on our knees for this family that Satan will not quit attacking. The Saunders family that I have talked about the last couple posts have had nothing but bad happen this week. If you have not taken time to read their blog now is the time to do so and pray for them to win this battle against Satan.

Wednesday they lost their home to a fire. If that wasn't enough Thursday as they were getting ready to sift through the ashes for anything they could find they had to take their son in for emergency surgery. Now on Friday the vet let them know that their dog just died and it had nothing to do with the fire. Most people could not handle the fire let alone all that has happened since.

I can tell you Satan does not like who this family is, he does not like that they praise God in everything, he does not like they they preach on giving. Satan does not like the fact either that they keep filling their home with those orphans that are so close to God's heart and they are trying to get families to go serve in Uganda and adopt the babies there. They also encourage people like no one I have ever met before.

This is their blog http://aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com/ and this is a blog that was set up to get them help and to try to get Extreme Homemakeover to come build them a new home http://lovebuildsahouse.blogspot.com/. If you go to the last website and go to where you leave comments for EHM if you read the comments you will see how much this family means to others.

Let's help them fight this battle by praying with them and let's help provide for them what they need. They have a BIG family which means lot's of things are needed.

Thanks!

Favorite Foto Friday

This has been such a hard week for several of my friends and a truly overwhelming week for my friend Linny. I wasn't going to post today but honestly I just needed a picture to make me smile.

Don't you just love baby pictures like this? This is little miss Paigie when she was 18 months old.