Monday, February 28, 2011

Chosen

Our adoption coordinator called to tell us that a birth mom has chosen us to parent her baby. Woo hoo! Her name is Amanda. She is due April 9th with a baby boy. He is half white and half hispanic. We are thrilled! We were also in denial at first. I was so convinced that we wouldn't be chosen, that when I saw our adoption coordinator's name on my phone, I couldn't figure out why she was calling us. When she said, "She wants you to raise her baby," all I could say was, "Really?"

Here are the reasons she likes/chose us:
1. We're a mixed race couple
2. We used so many words to introduce ourselves and said so much in our profile.
3. I'm a stay-at-home mom
4. We plan to home school
5. Our faith is so important to us

What is so crazy to me is that God gets credit for all those things:
1. Neither I nor M set out to marry someone outside of our ethnicity. We just happened to fall in love with each other, and these are the packages we're wrapped in.
2. I was born with a love for language, words, and communication. It is something God breathed in me while He was still forming me in my mother's womb.
3. I tried working when N was a baby because we thought we needed the money. It was miserable. God has made the way for me to stay home and we still pay our bills.
4. I never would of dreamed of home schooling my kids until I fell in love with Jesus. It's because I want to share Him with my kids that we plan on home schooling.
5. Read Ephesians 2:8

We meet Amanda tomorrow at 1600 CST. (4pm in the midwest) Prayers would be appreciated!

copyright (c) Elizabeth, Bug's Beef. All rights reserved.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Cranky Coffee

I generally make myself a pot of coffee in the morning, then nurse it throughout the day. I am so very grateful for microwaves, otherwise I would never make it. I can tolerate my water room temperature. Soda is even okay when tepid, as long as it stays bubbly. But cold coffee? Ugh. No way, Jose as my darling son would say.

I determine how much coffee to make based on how many hurdles I had to jump on my way to the coffee pot. I usually make 9 cups. But some mornings I feel compelled to make a full pot. Also, if I'm cold, I generally fill that pot to the top.

All this information is leading up to my main point: Mr. Coffee hates me.

On days when I determine that I really need twelve cups of liquid fortification, my coffee pot mocks me by dripping all over my counter. No matter how fast or slow I pour, it always seeps out. It never does this when I brew just 9 cups.


It's a hard-knock life.

copyright (c) Elizabeth, Bug's Beef. All rights reserved.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Wall Art

Color pencil on flat latex paint




Guilt


Lots of Guilt




Don't worry, N got lots of love, hugs and kisses after the photos were snapped. The shame lifted very quickly.


copyright (c) Elizabeth, Bug's Beef. All rights reserved.


Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Chump Change

Almost as soon as our hearts were crushed God started speaking to us about forgiveness.

It's not "should" or "could" or "would" or "pretty please." It's a command from God. Fortunately, He also gives us the strength to do it.

So I have found myself forgiving those that hurt me over and over again. It's not a one time thing. Every time I feel angry or resentful, I know I need to forgive again.

I could expand on this for a long time, but my baby boy is going to be getting out of the shower soon, and I want to cuddle with him while he's wrapped in his hooded towel.

Read the last part of Matthew 18 in the bible. If you don't have a Bible, click here.

To listen to my pastor's sermon, which included a brief teaching of forgiveness, click here. It's the sermon that was preached on January 30, 2011; titled Ephesians 4:25-32 Part V. If you don't have time to listen to the whole thing, then click ahead to the last quarter of the sermon. Though I think it's worth your time to listen to the whole thing.

XOXOXO

copyright (c) Elizabeth, Bug's Beef. All rights reserved.