Clarity or Trust...A Must Read!

I posted this yesterday on my facebook wall but it bears repeating.

During this adoption we have had so many times when we have cried out "God give us clarity" we have felt so alone at times and isolated on this journey because there is no such community where we live. This fuels my passion all the more to start something, anything so that other adoptive moms and dads don't have to feel this way.

I know there are online groups out there that offer amazing advice and support but there is just something about coming together with others who feel your pain and truly understand what you are going through.

After reading this devotional I know we don't need clarity anymore. We only need to have all of our trust placed in Jesus and to know that He put us here and He will never leave us.

We trusted Him when we signed up to do this thing and we WILL trust Him to see it to completion. It doesn't matter how hard, how painful and how hopeless or helpless we may feel at times (or will feel in the future). We can always trust He has the answer before the question is even on our tongue!!

Continuing to wait with CONFIDENT expectation!!!!!

Enoy and please pass it along!!

By Jim Liebelt
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.
Proverbs 3:5 (NLT)

The story has been told of John Kavanaugh, who spent three months in Calcutta, India serving the poor and trying to get a handle on how best to spend his life. He met Mother Teresa there, and she asked him if there was anything she could do for him. He requested that she pray for him. When she asked what she could pray for specifically, Kavanaugh asked that she pray that he would have clarity. Mother Teresa rejected his request. She told him, “Clarity is the last thing you are clinging to and must let go of.” Kavanaugh replied that he longed to have the same kind of clarity that Mother Teresa seemed to have. Hearing this, Mother Teresa laughed and said, “I have never had clarity; what I have always had is trust. So I will pray that you trust God.”

Many of us have made seeking clarity a higher priority than simply trusting God. In issues of faith, when we only seek the "safe path" and live on the basis of what we know and understand, we end up walking the Christian life by sight, not by faith. And this pathway is dangerous to our spiritual health.

Trust is faith in action. I love the example of Abraham. God called Abraham to move from his own country to another. God told Abraham that He would make him into a great nation. That was pretty much the extent of the direction that Abraham was given. Talk about lack of clarity. If I were in Abraham’s shoes, I would have wanted specific details on everything involved before setting out on the journey. I think I would have peppered God with questions like “Where, exactly, am I supposed to go?” and “What am I supposed to do?” Yet, that wasn’t the way Abraham responded. Instead, trusting God, Abraham went.

He just went.

This is why Abraham is called in the Scriptures the “father of all who believe.” Yet, taking a closer look into Abraham’s life, found in the Old Testament book of Genesis, we find that Abraham was also an average person who struggled with real life issues. He made risky decisions. And, he made a number of bad decisions along the way. Abraham did not live a safe life. Ignoring any desire for clarity, he pursued God’s calling on his life. He lived a life of trust.

Today, let’s take a step towards following the example of Abraham. Let’s take up the challenge of faith. Let’s begin to live with less clarity and more trust. Remember, the Bible tells us that we are to “live by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)

You'll Always be Abefroeman to Me!!!

I get a lot of people who ask me about B's facebook name. Its Abefroeman Sausage-King.
It goes all the way back to 1986 when a little movie with (back then) a little name, Matthew Broderick starred in Ferris Buellers Day off.

Brian was a junior then and living it up in high school. Now he wasn't living in Chicago (the movie was filmed) but that is where he was born and let me tell you, from the stories I've heard, Brian was Ferris.
(See video below for an even more detailed explanation)
Always getting away with it, friends with every single different group of kids, always up to something, dating the prettiest girl and a smooth talker. I'll never forget years later reading through his high school year books and one of the common themes was, I never saw anyone sleep in class as much as you and still pass.  :0)
Of course, there were others like, how good of a friend he was/is, how he was always there for them, how he was so much fun/life of the party and how much people knew he would be a success.

And here we are X number of years later just celebrating his 43rd birthday and I am so blessed I get to do life with him.
He certainly doesn't party the way he used to (I'm sure his liver thanks him) but he is still the life of it. He is still friends with a lot of high school buddies (thanks Facebook), and for the most part always up to something. His latest something is finding the right rifle.

Sometimes you just know something even though you don't know. Does that even make sense? Well sitting at that managers meeting almost 18 years ago I will never forget looking at him and just knowing I was gonna make him mine. It sounds cheesy but I'm glad we took the chance because I wouldn't have my life any other way. B makes this journey of life a blast. He makes me laugh, he's a trustworthy, selfless, and dedicated, a man of integrity and He loves God and our family with his whole heart.

                                                     HAPPY YOU DAY BRIAN!!!! 
                                                                                (a day late)

By the way, if you haven't seen the movie...GO and rent it!!!!

In a Holding Pattern.

This is a term usually for flights, here's its meaning. 
1. The usually oval course flown (as over an airport) by aircraft awaiting clearance especially to land. 
2. A state of waiting or suspended activity or progress. 


This is exactly where we are and how we feel. The last few weeks have been THE most emotionally exhausting weeks since my mom dying almost 9 years ago. 
Our agency has sent us 4 referrals in all and all the kids had severe special needs. It was heartbreaking but it also helped us wake up. We really had to re-group and question why were they even sending us referrals like this. We understand their need and passion to place these children but trying to place them with a family who has clearly and prayerfully thought about the special needs they can handle does no one any good, least of all the child. I am in no means speaking against our agency, their passion is right where it should be and I'm sure they were just being over zealous. We too as the adoptive parents need allys during all this because having to reject one referral was painful enough but FOUR?!
So, as of a week ago we reminded them in the nicest way possible that this is where we are as a family and these are the special needs we can handle.
Its clearly going to be even longer than we originally anticipated but who can say either way because at the end of the day GOD'S got this, not me and its His control I want to be in, not my own. To Him to ALL glory!!! Now you are all caught up on adoption news how about some fun stuff?! This past weekend on a complete whim B and I decided to take the kids plus J's girlfriend, Rachel for some fun in Williamsburg, VA!
It was a blast and a much needed getaway for everyone, especially us!
We spent 2 days playing at Busch Gardens and the third day at the biggest Antique Mall I've ever been to, we also hit the outlets and then it was back to Busch Gardens for Chris Tomlin Sunday night. Sadly, we didn't get to see Chris due to it being standing room only and about 1,000 degrees with no air. 
So, we hit the candy and pretzel stores on the way out and headed home. 
It was such a good time just being together and not thinking about anything at all. Enjoy our pics!

No matter where we go if the ride is longer than 30 mins, Jay always falls asleep. 

 Jay picture jumping!

 Waiting for Pirates 4-D to start. 

Me and my hunny. We are dorks. 

 The most beautiful eagle/owl I have ever seen. 

Jared actually rode this! He is nuts!

 And heres the proof. Its a pic of a pic. (I don't buy those, they're a rip off.)

 Gotta love Land of the Dragons. 

I have a pic of him when he was 2 in these eggs. 

Rachel and Jared

 These pics are out of order, this is the start of our day. They were more excited than they look.

The three stooges. 

Even I got in on the action. 

 In the Williamsburg Trading Post. 

Once again out of order, Jay riding the skyride. I was opposite him. 

See, here I am. 

Who doesn't like the Merry Go-Round?

One of only a handful of things Jack did. Poor kid hates heights and speed. I feel his pain. 

 Me and my hunny again. It was so nice having him all to myself this weekend. (well besides the kids)

The two Rachel's. 

Super cute kids. 

While Jay slept this is what Jack did. Kid never falls asleep until he's in his bed!

Thanks for being on this journey with us. Please keep praying and believing with us.
Waiting joyfully with confident expectation!!!!

Szczęśliwa Rocznica!!

Do you know what the title says? I only know because I used Google translation to write Happy Anniversary in Polish. Why? Well I married one 17 years ago today. 

A little background. 

Brian and I met at a restaurant managers training class in the Fall of '94. The first thing I noticed about him was how cocky and funny he was. Of course I also thought he was super hot. Even though we spent the day together in this class, even eating lunch together we never actually said 2 words to each other. 

Fast forward spring '95. Brian began coming to eat at my restaurant about once a week, without saying a word to me, I might add. I found out later he would only come eat there when he saw my car. HAHA. 

Then one evening, I'm eating at his restaurant (with a date) and decide to be funny.  I go back in his kitchen to see what the hold up is and he asks me out!! Finally!!!

It's the end of March and we go out for our first date, then a second, then a third. Lots of fun, lots of drama and then all of a sudden its June 3rd '95 and I am walking down the aisle wondering if I'm making the biggest mistake of my life. 

And so it began, the building of a life together plus a 2 year old. Oh sorry did I forget to mention I was a ready made family, just add a husband?

We began as two very broken people doing our best to simply survive. Reality set in much quicker for us since we had only really known each other 8 weeks when we said "I do". We began counseling, found a church home and determined that no matter the obstacles divorce would never be an option. Although I'm not going to say we didn't think about it a few times. 

Up until about year 8 we struggled to like each other and just did our best. There were more sad times than happy but we supported each other and pressed on. 

We each went to God separately and found the missing link to our joy. A relationship with Him. We allowed God to make us whole individually and that's when we realized where true happiness comes from. Our relationship blossomed from tolerance to celebrating being together every chance we got. 

As we celebrate 17 years I can tell you that because of God and His mercy and our willingness to submit to His truth we are 2 whole people who come together to make a beautiful couple. We are friends, we love to be in each others company and in fact I miss him most days just when he's at work. 

I love you Brian. Thank you for fighting alongside me for this amazing marriage. Here's to 50 more years. 

                         Szczęśliwa Rocznica!!