Daily Life

Hey everyone! I haven't posted in a while. We've been so busy getting the house ready to sell. Lots of little projects to do here and there...and some big ones, too. Time seems to be flying by and I can't believe Eden is almost 3 1/2! In July we will celebrate 2 years home with her. Where does the time go?

I've been struggling a lot lately with my thoughts. Do you ever feel like time is slipping by unnoticed, or un-cherished? I've been feeling that way lately. I'm struggling daily to find the balance between my to-do list and making the most of every moment I'm granted with those I love. It's so easy to take people, and life-stages, for granted. I want my life to count, I mean really count, for eternity. I don't just want to raise good kids, go to church, read my Bible, etc. A "safe and happy" life appeals less and less to me lately. The "American Dream" sometimes feels more like a big joke. Why are we here, really? Why did God pour such grace into our lives? To live in nice houses, drive nice cars, gather in multi-million dollar church buildings each week while so many around the world don't even have food to eat? I seriously doubt it.

Eden brings such joy to our lives, but at the same time she is like the face and voice of those who can't help themselves in my life every minute of every day. It's like God won't let me forget, or ignore, the needs of the world anymore. Before we adopted her they were just statistics. But now, I've seen and tasted first-hand that I CAN make a difference...Eden is living proof of what God can do if we just offer ourselves to Him in faith and obey His command to help those who can't help themselves. When I see her life, her personality, her heart, where she came from and what she has become, I am humbled, overjoyed, and maybe most of all - convicted.

What am I spending my time, energy and resources on? These are gifts that God has entrusted to me...all I have is His. He is Lord over all. Is He pleased with my to-do list? There are practical choices to make each and every day. The house has to be cleaned, dishes washed, laundry done, food prepared, etc. This takes a lot of time and energy. BUT, is that an excuse to ignore my calling and chief purpose in life, the reason for which I exist...to make disciples of ALL nations? No, I don't think so. Obviously this looks different in our lives at different stages, but I just don't want to become so focused on my family that I ignore the needs of those who so desperately need what Christ has given to me. In the end, I think it is so important that I model for Eden what it looks like to serve others, even if it takes time or resources away from her sometimes. This balance is what I am struggling with. The Lord is teaching me so much.

Eden has such an awareness of the needs of the world I think because of her adoption. She knows that she did not always have a mommy and daddy, so to her the concept of needing is not so foreign an idea. I want to foster this awareness in her, not numb her to it by complacency and apathy. That is one of the main reasons we are adopting again so soon, and why I am leaving her for 10 days this summer to go to South Africa to minister to those dying of AIDS. We hope to start a home study later this year to adopt from Uganda, and I will be going to South Africa in July. I pray that Christ will receive glory from my life, both in the little things, and the big.

Laundry and Africa...who says we have to choose? Mommies can change the world...not just in their homes, but outside them as well. And as we make these tough choices and find this balance between family and the neediest, perhaps we will teach our children to love more deeply, live more sacrificially, be more grateful, be kinder, and discover the purpose for which they were created and loved by God. Maybe God didn't just give us children so we could love them, but so we could show them how to love others.

So now you know how my world is being rocked, right?

In closing, my sweet sister Kelly and her husband Matt were blessed with their own little disciple on Feb. 25th. My nephew, Camp Matthew, is so precious! Here are a couple of pictures of him! Love you all.