Home Sweet Home

"Never be ashamed of your home. 

 And never let your circumstances stop you from offering hospitality." 

 Author Unknown

I read this on a blog tonight and must admit it hit home.  I have not been too hospitable lately.  Between being consumed with foster care visits, then a huge downsizing and messy house, and now a small apartment (still messy).  I have not had too many people over.

Last week, we sold our couches and last night we sold our table and chairs...we needed to borrow a folding table and chairs from the church so we could eat dinner tonight.  I have gotten rid of most of my glass dishes...so now we use paper of plastic dishes.

Of course, noone wanted their picture taken...

I must admit...it is a little tough for me.  Serving my family dinner on a dirty looking table...after fixing dinner in a way too small kitchen.  Our kitchen was designed for two roommates who barely cook...not a family.

But here we are...3 weeks away from putting our stuff in storage...and living out of suitcases.  I feel like I need to pack...but really can't pack anything else yet.  Here is our bare living room...well, bare of furniture.  We have one office chair that we fight over to sit.  We really just hang out in our bedrooms now.  It is more comfortable.  I didn't have a couch or table to fold laundry on today and last night, so yep, it is stacked here on the boxes.

Honestly, I am ready to live with people for a little while. To have a couch to relax on.  A yard for my kids and dog to run in. To spend time with our friends and family before we leave.  I'm ready.

Oh, and I opted out of getting our apartment exterminated because of a million and one reasons...so, all the bugs from the whole building are running to our apartment!!!  Just more preparation for the mission field, right?

This week I am picking up a friends baby after preschool and will watch her for a little while.  Good reason to clean tomorrow.  A friend came and used the kids bathroom on Saturday when I was gone...oh, so embarassing.  I clean it every Monday....but it just gets so dirty.  I really miss our little vanity bathroom downstairs in the house...it stayed fairly clean.

I think sometimes we go through things...and then we begin to appreciate what we had.  I am not saying I am stuck in the past.  I was thankful for my house.  I really was.  I loved it.  It was my dream house.  And I tried to take very good care of it.  But now that I am in the apartment, I really appreciate it more.  I am looking forward to our home in Belize.  Specificly the one we already found.  I look forward to people living with us.  That is nothing new.  We have had people live with us over the years.  I look forward to it being a place that students come and find Christ.  I look forward to our friends and families coming to visit us.

This journey has been like nothing I have ever been on before.

But I think it is preparation.  Preparing me to use our home in Belize as a place of hospitality.  That I may not be able to offer all the things I could in America, but that I can make it a place of peace.

This morning, we visited one of our supporting churches.  It was very enjoyable.  The pastor shared about miracles on Missions trips.  And why that doesn't happen like that here in America.  Because when you live in a shack and have no money to feed your children, you turn to God a little more...and when you can't run to the doctor or hospital all the time...you see healings more.  It is true.  I am looking forward to that in Belize.  I look forward to sharing amazing stories here on this blog of what God does.

Have a good night...and enjoy relaxing on your couch...for me:)

My Birthday at the Zoo

Today, we woke up and it was just perfect weather. Nice and cold outside...of course, it warmed up. But a perfect day for the zoo. We do not celebrate Halloween, and it also happened to be Boo at the Zoo today, but it turned out fine. Nothing was pushed on us and yet, we were still able to celebrate my birthday in such a fun way. There were lots of kids dressed up...but only in friendly costumes (that I saw). My kids were able to get candy several times during the day and the girls got to decorate a pumpkin.

My parents joined us as well.  I got my love for the zoo from my dad.  Several years ago, when Josh was a toddler, we went to the zoo for my birthday.  It was just a great day.  We were blessed to be able to borrow a friend's wagon for the day...I so, want one now.  It was so nice to put all of our stuff, and Erika:)  She loved it.  And it was nice to be able to bring our own drinks and lunch.

 There were so many cool things for the kids to do...like look at the prairie dogs up close...

 ...and crawl through the fish tank....

 don't be frightened:)

all the kids loved the petting zoo...

we thought this was really neat....

 especially when you consider the sturdiness of this bridge for the ANIMALS here in houston...

and what blog post of a trip to the zoo would be complete without some pics of the animals???

It was a great day and once again, I was so thankful for the beautiful weather.  I am exhausted now, but loved it...

My Birthday Week

Tomorrow is my 37th birthday...you probably already know from my post about my early marriage...and I said how old I was and how long we have been married.

I have been celebrating all week.  Sunday night, we celebrated with my in-laws (my brother-in-laws bday was the 12th).  We were treated to a very yummy dinner at a fancy Mexican restaurant, and then went back to my in-laws house and had the best cake in the world and I was blessed with birthday money and gift cards.  Then my mom surprised me with a birthday party...at another mexican restaurant...with several of my friends...I was very surprised...My mom gave me this book, which I have been reading.  It is very good, but also sad...

I may use several things from it over the next several weeks, but tonight I want to do an exercise the book encouraged:

"If you are feeling a little change-weary (DING DING DING DING...this applies to me), make a gratitude list:  Write down all the good things in your life right now, the good things you've experienced in the past, and the good things you anticipate for the future."

So, here goes...

1. I am grateful that the Lord has fulfilled my dreams of a wonderful husband, two birth children, and an adopted daughter (specifically prayed for her).

2. I am grateful for my extended family and the way they encourage, love me, pour into me.

3. I am grateful for the experience of birthing and seeing successful Life Church.  It is an experience I never wanted to end, but am thankful for all of the people in this church.  They have blessed me in ways they will never know.

4. I am grateful that I am able to be a full time stay-at-home mom.  It is not quite like I thought it would be.  But I love to get to hang out with my kids.

5. I am grateful that I now have more time to cook and bake for my family...and am looking forward to learning new recipes in Belize so I can cook them when people come to visit.

6  I am grateful that this move has happened in stages...rather than all at once.

7. I am grateful that my home is full of laughter, peace and love.

8. I am looking forward to making new friends in Belize.

9. I am looking forward to getting closer to the ones I already know, and those from Texas that go with us.

10.I am looking forward to my children having a larger world view than just America...that they will learn so much simply from being immersed in a new culture.

11. I am looking forward to what God is going to continue to do IN me and THROUGH me in Belize.

And also today, I got to spend time with a dear friend, shop alone, and now we are preparing for a wonderful day at the zoo tomorrow.  

apartment is getting empty...

awwww...tear, tear.  I am a little sad tonight.  Our apartment is getting empty.  Tonight we sold our couches so our living room is just boxes and a TV.  That's it.  So sad.  I was alittle sad to see the couches go.  Some furniture I really didn't care.  It was hard to see our bedroom suite go.  It was the first REAL furniture we bought. But our in-laws bought that, so we will see it often.  The couches were just couches.  But I remember how much we wanted them and how excited we were to get them when we first bought our house.  And they were so comfortable.  Just a lot of memories.  They were where our lives happened.  Birthday parties, bringing home Erika, visits with friends, tears shed, sick kids.  It all happened on those couches.

There are many other things.  I have begun packing.  Still have much to do.  Just packing the things we don't need right now.  So the apartment is getting empty.

It is in one sense freeing.  One step closer and one less thing we have to move to Belize.  One less thing we have to take to storage in a couple of weeks.  One step closer to the big move.

Sometimes it still seems a little like a dream.  But then people say things...and it hits me.  We are about to move...the biggest move of our life.  So many people have said they will come visit.  I sure hope they do.  To know we will go and not come back to Texas for 18 months...its crazy.  Now living near our family, to not see them for so long.  To leave all these amazing friends. 

This Friday is my birthday.  Last night we celebrated with Lee's side of the family.  They are always so good to me and bless me abundantly.  I think it makes me think what will my birthday be like next year?  What will we do special?  I think my idea of special will be quite different next year.  I think a lot of things will be different in my mind next year.

So, since we have no couches, I am writing this in my computer desk chair, while Lee is lying on the floor next to me...watching the news.  Oh boy, life will get more interesting when we sell our table and chairs....

"I was made to love You and be loved by You"

I love to worship...sing to the Lord.

I was not blessed with a beautiful voice, but am so thankful that my Father in Heaven is blessed by my worship to Him.

Today we are going to our Home church, Life Church.  I love going for many reasons...for all the reasons that we all love to go home.  It is safe, it is comfortable, my kids and I have long-time friends there...

One of the other reasons I like it is that Lee has left early and I have some time just to worship before church.  (Because it is only 5 minutes from the apartment...and I am not employed anymore so don't have to go early).  Usually we leave early as a family...and Lee doesn't like music in the car....he just likes it quiet.  So today I am enjoying worshipping before church.

So I am listening to my itouch...and Misty Edwards, "Made to Love You" came on.

Love this song.  It is very slow, but the words are amazing and relevant for me right now.

"When everything changes, You remain the same.  When all around the world is shaken, You remain the same."  God is the only constant in my life (and my immediate family) right now.  My job, home, everything changed so quickly.  And it will continue to change several times over the next few months.  Every week, we go to a different church, but God is still with me.  I can worship Him wherever I go.  And He is my comfort and my peace wherever I go.

"And I was made for more than the things that so easily change.  For I was made to love You and be loved by You."  I am so blessed to have a personal God who cares about my dreams, concerns, everything.  I am so blessed to have found this relationship at a young age.  So I didn't have to run to people or substances to feel secure.  Because God has always loved me, and I have loved Him...and tried to please Him...only Him. 

I love Facebook.  Who doesn't?  I have friends from all over.  I have lived so many places over my lifetime.  Each of those friends was a blessing...and still is, but again, my constant has been the Lord.  He is who I cried out to when I was a little girl and still cry out to today.  I saw pictures of the church I grew up in recently...a friend had gone to a wedding there and posted pictures.  It seemed so big when I was a child, so reverent.  But it was just a building (and much smaller than I remember).  But there was so much spiritual training done in my heart there.  It is where I learned the books of the Bible, and all the Bible stories, where I learned that perfect attendance at church is a good thing.  Yes, going to church doesn't make you a Christian or make you perfect, but you should be there.  You should go to church on Sunday morning instead of the mall.  You should make that commitment to put Him first.  Sure, things happen.  But if you are committed, it is harder to let things keep you from assembling with other believers.  I am so thankful that my parents took me to church every week, that they sent me to church camp every year, and that they sacrificed greatly to put me in a Christian school for 4 years.  You see, the Word was poured into me all my life....so when I was old I did not depart from it.  Because as the Word was poured into me, a relationship with someone very special happened.  I got to know Jesus personally.

Okay, sorry for preaching.  But go to church, not to be religious, but to honor the ONE who deserves it all.  Who deserves to be First in our life above all else.  And if you don't have that relationship with Him, I would love to let you know how to do that.  It will change your life.

On Marrying Young

Lee and just celebrated our 18th anniversary recently.

This is Lee and I shortly after getting engaged.  I had just turned 18.

So I have now spent half of my life as a married woman.  We were just talking tonight about getting married young.  And earlier today I was talking to my 14 year old son about what it was like...so, a good topic to discuss tonight.

I often am asked, what would I do if one of my children came to me at 18 saying they knew they had found their spouse.  Like my mom :), I probably would not like it.  Well, I say that, Initially, I may not like it, but because of my experience, I would be open. 

Before I ever met Lee, I felt God calling me into the ministry.  Not knowing exactly what that meant.  As a teenager, I was passionate about God and living right.  I did not date.  I said I would only date a guy who was passionate about God, not just went to church.  And low and behold, our church started a masters commission where young people interned at the church.  And Lee was one of that first group.  Lee and I casually dated a few times, then broke up.  When he came back a few months later, it was different.  He said he knew that the next girl he dated would probably be his wife...scary thing to tell a 17 year old!  But I really knew that God had put Lee in my life.  He was like no one I had ever known.  He had an annointing on his life.  And of course, I had all those mushy feelings as well.

I think Lee and I were mature, when we married.  I don't think this is true of everyone.  We essentially grew up together.  At 18, all the sudden, I was responsible for buying groceries, cooking meals (ha ha), and cleaning the apartment, all while helping my husband in ministry and working part-time and going to school full-time.  There were days I cried, and thought why did I get married so young, and days I knew I had married the right person and was so lucky to be married to my best friend.  I think the best thing for our marriage is that we were 3 hours from everyone we knew before marriage.  There was no running home to mama or telling my friends all our problems.  We were forced to work through them, maturely.  We lived on an extremely tight budget.  And thankfully ministered under a wonderful senior pastor, who fathered us during the time.

We did not have our first child until we were married almost 4 years.  That was painful for me at the time.  But looking back, it was the best thing in the world for our marriage.  We were able to get to know each other, grow up a little bit, and truly be head over heels over having that first baby.

So now 18 years later, I would do it again.  And have to be open that that could be God's plan for one of my children as well.

Marriage is serious.  And we took it seriously...and still do.

I love you Sweetie:)

Perfect day with my Family

 anxiously awaiting the parade....

today was just a great day, all day long.  we woke up early and headed to the rice festival parade.  it has been an annual tradition.  the weather was gorgeous.  tori called her bff and their family came too.

it was obviously sunny, but nice and cool...

since we no longer have our folding chairs, we sat on blankets...and that was fun

we got lots and lots and lots of candy...this is my biggest bowl

 then we came home and rested awhile...tori went to hang out...with her friend...guess they no longer "play"...it is now "hanging out"

all week as i have weaved through the construction home, I have passed this church that was going to do a fall festival, never really thinking about it.  and then on our way home from wally world, i thought that would be fun.  after all, it is fall and my favorite time of year.  so we went and got tori and told her bff family and they came as well.

we had a great time.  and josh had some friends he knew.  we even got to go on a hayride a couple of times.  the kids won a cake and got MORE CANDY.

it was great.  i know we will make new memories and new traditions over the next 5 years, but it is enjoyable right now just to enjoy my family in the familiar.  i am thankful that i knew God's plan for over a year now.  it has given me a chance to truly appreciate these things that i have taken for granted. 

i sometimes am still a little nervous about what our new life will hold, but i am also excited.  i am excited that God chose our family, that He trusts us.

Now, to pray with my kiddoes and get ready for bed myself.  We will all sleep well after such a great day.