Adoption Victories

I love reading the stories of orphans redeemed. This video tells the story of several children whose lives were hanging in the balance, but who were rescued just in time! Their stories amaze me and testify to God's faithfulness.

Lindquist Family Slideshow from Caleb Lococo on Vimeo.

God sets the lonely in families. He is a father to the fatherless. (Psalm 68)

Where Your Children Rank

This article about motherhood was just fabulous. I strongly encourage you to read it. These are the highlights:

Everywhere you go, people want to talk about your children. Why you shouldn’t have had them, how you could have prevented them, and why they would never do what you have done. They want to make sure you know that you won’t be smiling anymore when they are teenagers. All this at the grocery store, in line, while your children listen.

Children rank way below college. Below world travel for sure. Below the ability to go out at night at your leisure. Below honing your body at the gym. Below any job you may have or hope to get. In fact, children rate below your desire to sit around and pick your toes, if that is what you want to do. Below everything. Children are the last thing you should ever spend your time doing.

If you grew up in this culture, it is very hard to get a biblical perspective on motherhood, to think like a free Christian woman about your life, your children. How much have we listened to partial truths and half lies?

Christian mothers carry their children in hostile territory. When you are in public with them, you are standing with, and defending, the objects of cultural dislike. You are publicly testifying that you value what God values, and that you refuse to value what the world values. You stand with the defenseless and in front of the needy. You represent everything that our culture hates, because you represent laying down your life for another—and laying down your life for another represents the gospel.

But a Christian should have a different paradigm. We should run to the cross. To death. So lay down your hopes. Lay down your future. Lay down your petty annoyances. Lay down your desire to be recognized. Lay down your fussiness at your children. Lay down your perfectly clean house. Lay down your grievances about the life you are living. Lay down the imaginary life you could have had by yourself. Let it go.

Death to yourself is not the end of the story. We, of all people, ought to know what follows death. The Christian life is resurrection life, life that cannot be contained by death, the kind of life that is only possible when you have been to the cross and back.

The Bible is clear about the value of children. Jesus loved them, and we are commanded to love them, to bring them up in the nurture of the Lord. We are to imitate God and take pleasure in our children.

Life Is Changing Fast

Isaac had a little patch of hair on his neck that we used to joke about and Isaac used to brag about. But when I found out that he was causing other boys his age to stumble in envy, I decided it had to go. The jokes are over when you're causing your friends to sin, son. {hehe}

Oh and his voice is changing too. Oh my. Somebody give me a tissue.

Logical thinking supposedly develops around this age. I'd call that a very fair trade-off. :D

Not A Model to Emulate

Michelle Obama said:

“I want people to know when they look at me, to be clear, that they see what an investment in public education can look like.”

I pray that all those who have put their trust in the government would pay attention to Mrs. Obama’s warning. If you want your child to emulate her by putting their faith in the government to supply their needs, rejecting God’s law, helping to destroy the meaning of marriage, defending the right to murder children, and embracing socialist values, do what she says and invest in public education!

-taken directly from this fantastic article by author Stacy McDonald

I've Discovered. . .

• Magnesium is a pretty effective sleeping pill. What I need is a "Fall Back Asleep" pill. Any ideas? {sigh}
• I LOVE having projects to do while pregnant
• I love the results of decluttering
• I can't stand the process of decluttering
• Sewing makes me feel like a domestic goddess
• GSE has never failed me. I'm firmly convinced it's the best antibiotic ever
• My husband loves my pregnant self. He recently told me I looked huge in the outfit I was wearing. He meant it as a compliment.
• I love that my hubby loves me more the fatter I get
• Too bad it doesn't work that way when I'm not pregnant ;)

My Wee Helper

Julia's 18 mos now. Man, we got here fast! She has been so much fun lately- talking and talking and talking. (Well, she calls it talking; we call it speaking in tongues.)

Her only real words are Daddy, Mama, Baby, Bye and Amen.

She signs: More, finished, drink, eat, please, help, thank you, and shoes.

But her limited vocabulary doesn't stop her from having whole conversations with us. She recently started using appropriate inflection. So, she'll say:

Ababada da da baby?

Ababada da da baby.

We all think everything she does is hilarious and adorable.

Lunch Boredom