My I Tunes has been "screaming" at me for weeks about downloading the newest version. I finally gave in on Tuesday. I took my laptop to my office (we have dial up at home) and gave in to the constant harassing. To my surprise, the new version wiped out my library. More than 1000 songs gone. All my podcasts...gone. All my apps and photos... gone!
How do I get my library back? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Mommy made me mad
I love magazines. We generally have 3-5 coming to our house on a regular basis. The line up of magazines has changed though. Currently, I have 3 infant & toddler related ones coming and one family related one. New issues came this week, so I skimmed one of them last night.
Several children were asked this question, "what did mommy do that made you mad?" There was one answer that cracked me up. Three year old Jason said, "She makes me poop in the potty. It's dangerous."
I am sure we will soon have our fair share of mommy made me mad stories. In the meantime, I will continue to laugh at the mishaps of others. I may regret this!
Several children were asked this question, "what did mommy do that made you mad?" There was one answer that cracked me up. Three year old Jason said, "She makes me poop in the potty. It's dangerous."
I am sure we will soon have our fair share of mommy made me mad stories. In the meantime, I will continue to laugh at the mishaps of others. I may regret this!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Opinion Poll
Last weekend I purchased a pair of shorts for Reese to wear for Easter and family photos. So far I haven't found the perfect shirt yet. I really want a green shirt, but no luck yet. Bryan is wearing a white polo shirt and brown shorts. I have brown carpi's and a white polo, though I am looking for a button down shirt. Please help me. Below are Reese's options. Tell me what you think...
Choice 1: Brown safari style polo
Choice 1: Brown safari style polo
Choice 2: White linen
Also, if you know anyone with bunnies or lambs, please let me know. I would like to have his picture made with either a bunny or lamb.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
They Are My Students Too!
Maybe it is just me, but I feel like the students in our youth group are just as much mine as they are my husband's. Over the years, I have gotten to know many of the students and been involved in their lives. I love these kids and enjoy the time that I get to spend with them.
One of my gifts, or faults as it may be, is that I often see what people can't see in themselves. Maybe it's the mother in me or maybe it truly is a gift from God. Despite their immaturity and mistakes, it is easy for me to see what God can do with their lives. I don't mean this in a prophetic way or anything. When I see their struggles, I can just imagine the ways that God is shaping them to use that experience in the future.
Knowing what they can be makes it hard to see them fall. I know that I had to learn my lessons on my own and so do they, but that doesn't make it any easier to see them hurt. Recently a student whom we love dearly and are very close to, came to Bryan with some tough news. The student was broken and and honest. A bad decision had been made and the consequences were coming quickly. Unfortunately, the student wasn't alone in this decision or the consequences. Bryan cried with the student as they discussed the situation. When he came home and shared with me, I broke down. It broke my heart not that the student had made a bad decision, but knowing how the world would respond to this decision. I wasn't hurt or disappointed in the student, but hurting for him.
I want to shelter all of our students from the dangers of the world, but I can't. I want to guard their hearts for them, but I can't. I want to take their burdens for them, but I can't. What I can do, is love them through it and give them every chance possible to make wise decisions. I can also be an ear to listen and hands to hold as they face the consequences of their decisions.
Our challenge now is to learn how to support them and love them through these things , without down playing the seriousness of their decisions. We can't ignore their sins, but we can show them the same GRACE that our Father showed us. It is our job to be Christ to these kids and show them not how Christian's respond, but how Christ responds to their situations.
Please pray for our students. They face some huge things everyday. Our students have some heavy burdens. Pray that Christ would give us what we as a ministry team and church need to reach them and support them.
One of my gifts, or faults as it may be, is that I often see what people can't see in themselves. Maybe it's the mother in me or maybe it truly is a gift from God. Despite their immaturity and mistakes, it is easy for me to see what God can do with their lives. I don't mean this in a prophetic way or anything. When I see their struggles, I can just imagine the ways that God is shaping them to use that experience in the future.
Knowing what they can be makes it hard to see them fall. I know that I had to learn my lessons on my own and so do they, but that doesn't make it any easier to see them hurt. Recently a student whom we love dearly and are very close to, came to Bryan with some tough news. The student was broken and and honest. A bad decision had been made and the consequences were coming quickly. Unfortunately, the student wasn't alone in this decision or the consequences. Bryan cried with the student as they discussed the situation. When he came home and shared with me, I broke down. It broke my heart not that the student had made a bad decision, but knowing how the world would respond to this decision. I wasn't hurt or disappointed in the student, but hurting for him.
I want to shelter all of our students from the dangers of the world, but I can't. I want to guard their hearts for them, but I can't. I want to take their burdens for them, but I can't. What I can do, is love them through it and give them every chance possible to make wise decisions. I can also be an ear to listen and hands to hold as they face the consequences of their decisions.
Our challenge now is to learn how to support them and love them through these things , without down playing the seriousness of their decisions. We can't ignore their sins, but we can show them the same GRACE that our Father showed us. It is our job to be Christ to these kids and show them not how Christian's respond, but how Christ responds to their situations.
Please pray for our students. They face some huge things everyday. Our students have some heavy burdens. Pray that Christ would give us what we as a ministry team and church need to reach them and support them.
Adoption=Frustration
Our friends Brooke and Chris are STILL waiting for information about their adoption. Dillen was a year old in December. They have gotten no updates or information about Dillen since Thanksgiving. Please pray for them! They have been waiting over a year to bring her home and many people from their agency have already brought their children home. Some of those people started the process long after Brooke and Chris. They were recently informed that their paperwork has reached the government agency and is in line. This makes it seem like they are back tracking. It breaks my heart to know the pain that they must feel everyday when they think of Dillen and the fact that she is not with them.
As for our adoption, we were supposed to meet our caseworker for the first time last week. (She has been on maternity leave since the day Reese was placed with us.) Due to some miscommunication that did not happen. It has been rescheduled for this week. We are hoping that she will have information for us as far as a timeline. Since we know that the birth mother has gotten into more trouble, we think things could move faster. Originally, we were told that April could play a significant role in our process. We are hoping that she can give us some info on that.
Please keep praying for us and the Myers. Also, pray for the children who are waiting. Ask God if He may intend one of those for you!
As for our adoption, we were supposed to meet our caseworker for the first time last week. (She has been on maternity leave since the day Reese was placed with us.) Due to some miscommunication that did not happen. It has been rescheduled for this week. We are hoping that she will have information for us as far as a timeline. Since we know that the birth mother has gotten into more trouble, we think things could move faster. Originally, we were told that April could play a significant role in our process. We are hoping that she can give us some info on that.
Please keep praying for us and the Myers. Also, pray for the children who are waiting. Ask God if He may intend one of those for you!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Blessings of Heartache
In Genesis 37 Joseph's brothers throw him into a well and then sell him as a slave to the Ishmaelites. You can imagine the heartache and abandonment that he felt. These are very much the same feelings that orphans feel. It is so important to remember that God knows each one of us individually, including orphans. He knows their circumstances and He has a unique plan for each one of them, just as he did Joseph.
Often God allows our heartache because He has something much bigger in mind. In The Purpose Driven Life Rick Warren says that God never wastes a hurt. Through the pain, we gain character and learn any number of virtues. These invaluable lessons could not be learned any other way. However, it is not His intent for these precious little ones to face these lessons alone. You may think that helping one orphan is insignificant. There couldn't be a bigger lie.
Your love and support makes a huge difference in the life of that child and in turn all the lives that he touches. You are becoming Christ to that child. What greater gift could you give?!
In Hope For The Journey Kerry Hasenbalg says, "Let us imagine God's perspective. When someone adopts one of these orphans, it is as though God is saying, 'Little one, you are so special to me. I knew where you were, and I picked you out and placed you here- I knew you would be here from the beginning of time.' "
God is fatihful and will bless us through our circumstances, if only we will allow Him. What an incredible gift to know that God intended for little Reese to be with us before the beginning of time and He has an incredible plan for his life.
Often God allows our heartache because He has something much bigger in mind. In The Purpose Driven Life Rick Warren says that God never wastes a hurt. Through the pain, we gain character and learn any number of virtues. These invaluable lessons could not be learned any other way. However, it is not His intent for these precious little ones to face these lessons alone. You may think that helping one orphan is insignificant. There couldn't be a bigger lie.
Your love and support makes a huge difference in the life of that child and in turn all the lives that he touches. You are becoming Christ to that child. What greater gift could you give?!
In Hope For The Journey Kerry Hasenbalg says, "Let us imagine God's perspective. When someone adopts one of these orphans, it is as though God is saying, 'Little one, you are so special to me. I knew where you were, and I picked you out and placed you here- I knew you would be here from the beginning of time.' "
God is fatihful and will bless us through our circumstances, if only we will allow Him. What an incredible gift to know that God intended for little Reese to be with us before the beginning of time and He has an incredible plan for his life.
Psalm 138:8 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
The LORD will fulfill [His purpose] for me. LORD, Your love is eternal; do not abandon the work of Your hands
The LORD will fulfill [His purpose] for me. LORD, Your love is eternal; do not abandon the work of Your hands
Love and Respect
Yesterday we got some new information about Reese's birth mother. It seems to be good news for us. The crazy thing is, I couldn't help but feel a little sad. Why?! That seems ridiculous since we are waiting on her rights to be terminated so that we can finalize our adoption. The more trouble she gets into, the more chances we have for the process to be hurried along.
Despite this, I can't get past feeling sorry for her that she can't get her life in line. It is so sad to think that people can be so trapped in destructive lifestyles. Looking at my baby's face everyday, I can't imagine being separated from him. I can't imagine him not being the motivation to break away from addictions. She is in my prayers. She has a long road ahead of her as she will likely be incarcerated for several years.
I know that God is bigger than any addiction and He can restore her. I know that He loves her and wants her to live a healthy lifestyle. My prayer is that she would come to that realization and be able to live a productive life in the future. We will always be indebted to her for giving us our sweet baby (even though it is not willingly). Though she will probably never know us, she will always be a part of our lives and we can't ignore that. It is important to me to make sure that Reese understands that as well. He doesn't need to know all the details right away, but he does need to know that she deserves his respect and love. Please pray for us as we learn how to teach him that.
Despite this, I can't get past feeling sorry for her that she can't get her life in line. It is so sad to think that people can be so trapped in destructive lifestyles. Looking at my baby's face everyday, I can't imagine being separated from him. I can't imagine him not being the motivation to break away from addictions. She is in my prayers. She has a long road ahead of her as she will likely be incarcerated for several years.
I know that God is bigger than any addiction and He can restore her. I know that He loves her and wants her to live a healthy lifestyle. My prayer is that she would come to that realization and be able to live a productive life in the future. We will always be indebted to her for giving us our sweet baby (even though it is not willingly). Though she will probably never know us, she will always be a part of our lives and we can't ignore that. It is important to me to make sure that Reese understands that as well. He doesn't need to know all the details right away, but he does need to know that she deserves his respect and love. Please pray for us as we learn how to teach him that.
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