Joy.

Lizzy is a picture of joy. True joy. The joy that little kids sing about....down in their hearts.

Oh, how amazing it would be to live in the fullness of that joy every day! We can. But how often do we really take the time to recognize the true blessings from the Lord that make that joy complete? From the blessing of the mundane daily tasks to the ultimate gift of our salvation, we have reason and justification to live in joy! Not just to have happy days, but to have joy in our hearts regardless of the circumstances of the day. That deep joy that comes from the inside out. Joy!

In the presence of God, joy is found. And we have an ever open invitation into His presence!
In the love of God, joy is found. And oh, how He loves us!

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love....These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be full." (John 15:9, 11)

I love to see joy in the faces of my babies! They know joy. Regardless of what the beginnings of their lives may have brought them, their joy is intrinsic. It comes from within. My prayer is that they will one day know that joy in its fulness; that they will know the One who gives them joy; that they will know the joy they sing about.

I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart

Down in my heart, down in my heart

I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart

I've got the love of Jesus in my heart!

And I'm so happy, so very happy

I've got the love of Jesus in my heart!

What we're here for...

among other things, one of our primary reasons for being in America is to spend time with family. This is treasured time for us. Before we came home, Julia had only met my mother and my best friend. We don't know when we will be able to come back once we begin the process of legal adoption. In addition to being here to help my mother in her continued recovery, I want to be here long enough for Julia to establish, real, lasting relationships with her grandparents and friends and family. I want her to experience life in America in a way that she will be able to remember it. I think she will remember this special mini-vacation with Nana and Papa for a long time! Oh yeah, Mommy and Auntie Kris got to tag along, too.

We went to Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, TX a few weeks ago. It is an amazing indoor water park that has more kid friendly play places than you can imagine!

Papa and Julia had a great time together. For one, my dad was actually able to get away from work for a few days to enjoy a little family time. That in itself was a huge blessing. He is by no means a workaholic. He was home before 5:00pm every day when I was growing up, but in the past few years his job has become insanely demanding and has taken a toll on him. We were SO glad he could get away on this special weekend, his birthday!

And this is what we are here for.....

one of the most precious moments I have had since we have been back, seeing something I have longed to see for almost two years. Tired little girl snuggling with Papa.

Great Wolf Lodge was a blast! We got to play and play and play together, Julia met new cousins (my cousin's daughter's), and even enjoy a super cool, kid-friendly suite!

Kris & Ju singing & reading in her clubhouse bunk.

These are the memories Julia is making, and we are loving every minute of it.

Love.

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another." (John 13:34)

Sometimes I am overwhelmed with love for others. Sometimes I am not. Sometimes that love is accompanied by emotion. Sometimes I feel no emotion, or even find it hard to love. When I look into the faces of my babies, into the eyes of my beloved Julia, that love comes freely and naturally.

But other times, when I stand in line in a government office and deal with the bureaucracy and negative attitudes of others, that love does not come so naturally. But still, God commands us to love ~ to show love ~ even in those hard time. Agape love, the love that is referred to most in the Bible, the love that is a quality of the fruit of the Spirit, is not a feeling, but an action. Though it may accompany a warm, fuzzy feeling, it is an action that is in response to God's command.

My prayer is that I would grow more and more in my love for the Lord that it would radiate from me in my actions, that love would be evident in all I do. Even in times when I don't feel so loving, may my actions always be proof that God in me, and His love therein, is greater than all else.

"Now these three remain: faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love."

(I Corinthians 13:13)

A sneak peak....

Julia and I spent an hour this morning with the awesome Kara, of Kara Bryant Photography. Here are just a few glimpses at the beauty she captured in my sweet baby girl.

One Year Ago Today.....my amazing mom

My mom's accident was one year ago today. She has come so far and I am so very proud of her!

After three weeks in the hospital, three months at home, nine months with a walker, she is plugging away and is almost back to normal. She is a picture of persistence and endurance! She works so hard. Now, she is working half days, going to therapy four times per week, and hopes to start driving again soon....with her physical therapist's approval, of course. :-) I have no doubt that she will be restored to full health very soon!

It was so hard to be so far away from her this past year. So many times I have felt so helpless and like the worst daughter in the world, depending on so many wonderful people to do the things I should have been here to do. Honestly, one of the biggest blessings for me in this trip home is simply being with my mom, doing the things I wish I had been here to do all year....picking her up from work, taking her to therapy, to doctor's appointment, to run errands, shopping and cooking for she and my dad. So many blessings in the "little things." We are living life together. I am not taking this for granted! I am soaking up every minute of it, adding each little thing to my blessings count.

Julia and my mom already had a special bond before we even came home. They Skype often and talk on the phone almost every day when we are in Kenya. But having Julia here in person has made a world of difference! The change in Mom since we have been here is HUGE!

How great is this picture on SO many levels?!?!

Mom & Julia together....in America! A little piece of heaven on earth.

Mom at a water park

Julia at a water park

Mom with a smile without a hint of headache in her eyes

Mom kneeling down - no walker anywhere in sight

She has gotten discouraged at her rate of progress, still not being back to normal, but I just see the amazing progress she HAS made! We never dreamed this road to recovery would have been so long, but it is a road in the right direction. God is faithful.

We are so grateful to all the people who have helped my parents through this year, to all the people who have prayed. My mom is blessed with some wonderful friends!

I love you so much, Mom! I am so glad I am here with you for these few months, and I am thankful for who you are in my life.

New Shoes...and gifts for boys remembered

When I taught PPCD (Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities) we had a class book called "New Shoes." Each time a child got new shoes, we took pictures of kids with their shoes. Little kids love new shoes and it was one of their favorite books!

Big Kenyan kids are no different. They LOVE new shoes, too! All the boys have gotten new shoes since they came to live with us - school uniform shoes, everyday shoes and slippers (shoes for home). But this time they got NEW, new shoes...from America! I measured their feet (actual American shoe sizes are so hard to figure out there), got new shoes ~ in America ~ and sent them with Adam & Melody a few weeks ago.

Our boys are blessed to have great friends at Trinity Vineyard in Houston who always remember them specifically and send things for them whenever someone comes to visit. This time, Adam & Melody came bearing gifts from Elizabeth and Megan as well. They are so proud of their new things and they feel so special when they realize that people know and remember them. Such good, handsome boys.

Patrick was visiting extended family when these pictures were taken, so here he is sporting all his new duds. He is such a kind, gentle, handsome young man.

Thanks, Elizabeth & Megan!

Little Man, William

My boy. I am missing him!

This serious little man is really developing a personality. I love this little guy! Something just draws me to him. Of course, I love all our babies, but William was definitely my little buddy in the few months before I came home.

I think there is a deep wisdom in his face. He likes to take in everything around him, and one day it will all come out in a powerful way. Even his facial features show it. I even think he already has his grown up features in his face. Can't you see it?

William will be one of our first babies, if not the first, to be placed with his forever family once I get home. Everything is ready for him to be placed with his family; I just cannot let one go unless I am there to read family profiles and bios myself and meet the parents in person. Choosing families for our adoptive babies (or discerning God's voice in determining the families He has chosen) is one of the biggest decisions I make. I am not willing to do that from such a distance. It is one of the things, maybe the thing, that I most look forward to doing when I get back to Kenya! I cannot wait for William to meet his forever family! Please be praying in advance for this family, that the Lord is preparing their hearts for receiving His wonderful gift of a son.

I want to be a bell sheep

I pass through herds of sheep and cows every day on the road from my house to the baby house. Well, from my house to anywhere, but especially going to the baby house. And yes, that is generally through, not just passing by herds of animals.

Yes, on my road taken on my iPhone

I have noticed that there is always one or two wearing a bell. I had wondered how the shepherd chose that one, but without thinking too much about it, just assumed that was maybe the strong-headed one that he needed to keep track of.

I think I learned the answer in a book I am reading, Raising a Daughter After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George. The shepherd does chose that one specifically. The shepherd, knowing his sheep, will notice the one who naturally follows him, who keep an eye on him and stays close by.

On that one, he puts the bell. It is the "bell sheep." The other sheep will then begin to follow the sound of the bell, even if they are not intently watching, intentionally following the shepherd. It makes perfect sense. I see this every day (that I am home in Kenya, that is), and it is something I can relate to, something that will now be a reminder to me.

As a mom, that's what I want to be, a bell sheep. (I guess I could also relate to the cows since I see even more herds of them, but being a "bell cow" doesn't sound so sweet.) I want to be so intent on watching my Shepherd, following my Savior that His marking, His bell, will be on me. As I grow in love for my Father, the Shepherd, I will naturally follow Him and it will be evident in my life - my words and my actions. That is my desire, that my bell will ring in my words and actions ~ and that my daughter would hear. 

We know that children model what they see and hear. I pray that my daughter will see and hear the sound of a bell worthy of following. I want to be a bell sheep that she can follow, one that will lead her to the Shepherd.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 

Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."

(Deuteronomy 6:5-7)

Just Shop for a Just Cause

Our first show of Cherished Handworks craft was this past Saturday. It was so great to participate in Just Shop, a fair trade show sponsored by A Just Cause. A huge success.

Our first booth:

Our product:

We sold little girl/baby hats, headbands and scarves with interchangeable flower pins, all made by our Cherished Handworks ladies. (You can meet them via the link above: Our Mamas.)

What a privilege to share these ladies' lives with people! They are such wonderful ladies. They have learned a new trade and are using it to provide for their families. This is their only means of income and I love the fact that they can use skills and abilities that God has given them to feed their children.