The Thorn

Ok, if I'm going to be completely honest with you on a number of occasions over the last few weeks I have referred to The Thorn as "a thorn in my side". I know...shame on me : ( It's been hard though. Three and four hour rehearsals and the last week was every night. We were getting home and to bed after 10 pm. It has totally wrecked Josiah's schedule and he's been up in the middle of the night for two weeks now.

Izzy on the other hand has truly enjoyed every moment. As hard as it's been for the littlier ones, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with Izzy. I've watched her grow so much over the last weeks. She went from being unsure of being on stage in front of people to outright shining in the spotlight. It's been a sweet mother-daughter experience for us. And I have to say as I stood there watching her do the "ring around the rosey scene" with Jesus I wept. I was overcome with emotion. Seeing her smiling ear to ear...oh my what a sight.

Then at the end of the performances there's a response time...an altar call of sorts. Well at the end of every performance there was always a huge line at the crosses. Knowing that lives were changed by The Thorn was truly what makes it all worth it.  My baby girl being blessed by it is just icing on the cake. People coming to know Jesus...well, that's the real deal and I'm really grateful we stuck it out.

 

Thank You Lord for this experience....I too have been blessed by it.

 

 

Charleston Explorers

We LOVE getting to know this city.... our new home!

So long Bedaw Farm...

Rein and Shine is moving this spring to a new farm. Their ministry has grown which is awesome. So many lives are touched by the amazing work done through Rein and Shine. Oh how we will miss our beloved Bedaw Farm....

 

so long Bedaw Farm...sweet memories made there!  

blessed

We have been blessed by a grant from Carolina Children's Charity this year. They have helped pay for Marianna's therapeutic horseback riding. What a wondeful charity that helps so many children in South Carolina. Rob and Marianna appeared on the telethon this weekend to help raise money for the charity. They had a great time at the television station. They all LOVED our girl....then again, what's not to love?

Cutest booty...EVER!

I love her heart

my sweet Bella...how I love this sweet girl's heart. Every week she has a verse from scripture that she memorizes.  She records it in her composition book, but like the true artist that she is she draws a picture or pictures to represent that scripture. She told me that it helps her to remember it because she sees it that way in her mind. My brain works in a very different way so that sounds pretty foreign to me, but it totally helps her. She just recently memorized Ephesians 3:20-21 which is our benediction at church and it's really long, but she committed it to memory so quickly and she said it was because she drew it out. It took me twice as long to memorize so I'm going with the side of the brain that she uses : )

So this week she had a short, but profound verse to memorize: 2 Corithians 5:7  We walk by faith not by sight. Yet still she drew an elaborate drawing for this scripture...this one though left me weeping.

 

Of course I always ask her to tell me about her drawing. It's always creative and interesting, but this one brought tears to my eyes.

 

The first picture is our Angel Tree from our church in 2008 and Izzy holding the angel ornament with Marianna's picture on it and her telling us that this was her sister and we needed to go to China and get her. The next picture is us having a garage sale because God told us to bring her home but we had just spent all the money we had on Izzy's adoption. Even though it didn't look like we could do it, God told us to and we had faith. (oh my word...at this point I'm fighting back tears). The next picture is all the money God raised to bring Marianna home. The next picture is us bringing the money to the "adoption bank" (that was hilarious...it helped to fight back the tears)...and then the last picture is us on a plane going to China to get Marianna. (yep, I finally lost it and cried)

 

oh, I love this precious child

 

Family Fun Friday

Friday is Rob's day off and over the last few months we have filled our Fridays with errands and doctors appointments. Suddenly we were left without a day off. He works in ministry so there are no real weekends off unless it's vacation. Friday is what we have and in light of our Make Room series that we've been going through at church we've decided to reclaim our Fridays. So, for now on.. It's a family day. Everything else can happen on any other day!  Friday is ours to be together and enjoy our family. There is so much here that we haven't discovered and we're really excited to see more of our city than just the beach. However; I have a feeling the beach will be a permanent part of our family time  : ) How could it not?

So this week we explored Shem Creek Park

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Momma...jump?"

I hear this everyday....all day ? It's a good thing that I love to jump :)

 

 

It takes me hours to wear them out, but eventually I get the job done!

 

 

Thank you Maw Maw and Nini...

MY PEOPLE...I have prayed for them!

These are MY PEOPLE. I have prayed for years for an orphan/adoption community. People to share life with..people that walk our walk...that love the Lord...that love the orphan...that love me!

These are my people.....how I have grown to love them in the short amount of time that we've been in Charleston.  I love our colorful brood that is constantly growing. We have two families in China right now! Forever families coming together as I type this...cannot get enough of what God is doing with these families. Yay God! You are amazing. Thank You for bringing us here to do life with them.

Journey Together Ministries

 

too big...

one day they are playing with dolls

 

 

and the next day they are teaching me how to use technology

 

 

and the next they are talking about their "BFF's" and having sleepovers....oh, too much!

 

 

THIS BOY....

This boy right here....He's pops out of things and scares me..and thinks that it's funny. This boy drives me crazy.

This boy right here... Why can't he sleep at night?oh, this boy makes me so tired.

 

 

just a couple things that make me crazy...yet so many things about this boy that makes me smile

 

 

actually more than smile..most days I'm cracking up laughing at him...this silly boy

 

 

 

Yes, I'm a bit crazed and awfully tired, but head over heels with this boy of mine

 

 

It makes me weep to think that just nine short months ago this sweet boy did not know the love of a family.  An now everyday of his life he is loved on, prayed over and treasured by a family that knows such joy just by being with him.

When I see him in his little apron going to his Build and Grow workshop with his hand in his daddy’s hand I just stop for a minute thank God for His grace and mercy. What a different life my children would have. What a different life I would have….had God not chosen me for them and them for me.

 

So filled with gratitude today….It just comes over me and I weep. Tears of pure joy for this little guy.