. . . a glimpse into my heart.

Yesterday was our last Sunday at River of Life and Dave preached his last sermon there. It was a great message and I hoped it brought some people to a more real place in their relationship with Christ. Yesterday's sermon isn't online yet but here's his sermon from last week: The Narrow Road It was bittersweet. I am excited to be moving on to new things but we are really going to miss our small group and the youth of River of Life and others. We've made a lot of great friends and it's hard to leave relationships behind. But knowing God is in this brings me peace. Tonight was our last night with our small group and we realized how much we are really going to miss them all. They're such wonderful, supportive friends and have walked with us through hard times and praise God with us in the great times. They've made us feel special and loved. If you're reading this, you know who you are, thanks!

In case you missed it, on May 14th we officially took a job at a C&MA church in Yakima, WA. We visited the church Mother's Day weekend and really enjoyed our time with the people. We felt loved and welcomed and so cared for. It was such a blessing to us. The decision wasn't difficult for us because we felt like we would be a good fit for the church, their mission and where their heart is as well as loving the people and the town. We had to work out some details but once the decision was made we felt at peace and excited to get up there and start this new chapter in our life. Dave has 10 days left at River of Life. It's bitter sweet because I am anxious to move on but with the last few youth events wrapping up I have realized even more how much I truly love these kids and care about their lives and the choices they make. From a distance I can watch them but I won't be as much a part of their lives and mentoring some of the girls. I pray that God will put them in good...

I haven't blogged in awhile and thought it was time for an update. Dave's job: Dave's last day at River of Life is May 31st, 17 days from now. We visited a church in Yakima, WA last weekend and really enjoyed our time and loved the people we met. God's been doing a lot this week and really stretching us on the trust we have in Him. More to come on this topic tomorrow! Gabriel: Our little man is FINALLY potty trained. He's been peeing in the toilet for a long long time now but was very stubborn when it can to pooping.It's probably been a good year since he woke from a nap or in the morning with a wet diaper. He has had great bladder control for so long that I thought we'd have this all said and done a lot sooner. But, now it's over. He's taking himself to the toilet and trying to wipe on his own and everything. Now, we have a ton of size 5 diapers left over. Oh well. Liam: Liam is still mourning the loss of our sweet dog Bailey who died a little over ...

God has made it clear to Dave and I that it's time to move on. What does this mean, exactly? Dave's last day at River of Life Alliance Church is May 31st: 69 days from now. We're unclear on what is next but we know without a shadow of a doubt that we are called to youth ministry as a team, Dave and I, and that God will lead us to a place where that will be a blessing to others and where we can fully live out the gifts God's given us. We're excited for our future and honestly I am surprised how at peace we feel and that I am not at all scared. People have asked if I'm scared about "what happens after May 31st?" well, I have no answer about what will happen BUT I know God isn't surprised by anything and is already in it. So, I AM NOT SCARED! :-) I can't wait to see what God wants to do with and through us and, yes, I would love it if He told us now what that looks like but I trust Him. Dave's looking first into youth ministry positions within...

So, today was a tough day and it's not the first I've ever had. Life as a wife, mother, pastor's wife, child of God isn't easy and I've had my share of trials and heartaches. BUT. . .in the midst of anything difficult I want to always remember the things that I have to be grateful for. So, here are just a few things that pop into mind in no peticular order: > Dave. What a wonderful man he is, not just as a father and husband but as a God-fearing man. He has a desire to be what God wants him to be and he works hard at it. He sets his standards high and encourages me to do the same. > Scrap-booking. I really enjoy it and feel blessed to have a room to spread my stuff out and for all the suplies I have to do it. > Our Community group. These people have shown me lately how caring they are and willing to help each other. Bringing meals to new moms, moving pianos, etc. They're very dedicated to each other and Christ. > God's faithfulness to me. I somet...

After sharing with Dave that I wanted to make myself a Bucket List (things I want to do before I die) he shared with me his concern that some people might be so set on accomplishing the items on the list that it dictates the choices they make and they don't follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. I promised him that I would not allow my list to over rule the Holy Spirit. I also decided that the things on my list will only be things that will enrich my life and/or other people's lives. I will not add things to merely check off an "I did it" list. They won't be things I just want to brag about. They'll be things that will make me a better person and maybe help others around me. Here's what I have so far: > Write a book > Take my boys to Ethiopia > Take a cooking class > Get a bachelor's degree Editted to add: > Go on a short term missions trip within the next two years

We returned from Dave's 4 week sabbatical less then a week ago. It all feels so distant now and like we've been home for months. Judah starts kindergarten in 4 days. Am I ready? No. I need to do his school shopping but besides that it's hard for me to swallow the fact that I have a child old enough for kindergarten. Liam will be starting preschool a couple weeks after Judah starts. I will have 3 days with only two kids at home and two days with just Gabriel for a couple hours. It will be a good thing for me in a lot of ways. I think I will appreciate my boys a lot more and enjoy my time with them. It will also help me bond more with Gabriel and get more done in a day (cleaning, laundry, exercise, scrapbooking, etc.) So, over all I know that having two boys in school will be good for all of us. It's just a big adjustment for me to send the two off to school in someone else's hands. Our time away was good although we had bumps in the road throughout. We got a lot of q...

A friend of mine and I are going through similar stages in life: "Being a mom is tough work and every day is hard and wears you out and you don't have the energy to get the dishes, laundry and cleaning done." I've struggled a lot since Judah came home (not because of him but because I now have 3 kids). I go through days of depression, fatigue and low self esteem. Things have been better the past week and I think I can contribute it to the vitamin I am taking BUT whatever it is. . . it's good! The lesson I'm learning: A week or so ago I over heard my brother (a Chiropractor) talking to one of his patients. She asked why He's always so happy and full of energy He said, "Honestly, I have many days when I come into the office and I'm tired and grumpy. But I put on a smile and fake it. Before long I realize that I am not faking it anymore. I just became what I was faking." Then yesterday my friend reminded me of Beth Moore's "Fake it till...

So, we're home from Ethiopia with our 3rd and oldest son. It's not quite how I thought it would be although it's amazing to have our family all together. The trip was incredible but tiring and it was so nice to get home. For more details on the trip you can check out my adoption blog becoming5.blogspot.com. It's so strange to see our two bio, super white and blond boys with Judah who's so small for his age, so very dark and speaks a different language. It will take a while for us all to get used to our new normal. It's exciting to think about the future and when Judah knows more English how much easier this will be. It's tough right now since we're all getting to know each other but it's so good to know God's in charge and we're following His plan. The boys interact a little more every day. I know this means they fight more like brothers the better they know each other. :-) But it's good to see Judah try to talk and interact more. He was ...

So, a few years ago Dave and I wrote out a list of long term goals. A couple aren't goals anymore so I won't add them. But out of the rest we have actually accomplished a few. It's exciting to find this list and be able to check a few off. Here's the list: [x] Build a house [x] Get a masters degree [x] Get Life insurance [ ] Get health insurance for the whole family (I am the only one currently not covered) [ ] Growing savings (it's growing but all of it is for the adoption) [ ] College fund (we're close to starting this) [ ] 3 more kids (after Liam) (we're working on the 2nd of the "3 more". We may not get to the 3rd though. We might be done at 3 total.) [x] Going what we love [ ] Regular family vacations (This will be a few years from now. We're not talking about visiting family in Seattle, we're talking about Dinsey World and things like that) [ ] Go on a Cruise (our dream was for our 10 year anniversary but we're only 3.5 year...