It's always a precious time when we get to celebrate Janaa's birthday with her. This year we have finally spent as many birthdays with her as we have without her.  It is also the first year that I have not been terribly sick.  I think I've enjoyed it so because I've been able to really be part of it all. 

While our hearts are full of joy we are reminded that her birth family is not. We know they are thankful she's with us, but that was a painful and loving choice.  I always think of what her birth mom must be feeling this time of year.  What a selfless gift she gave Janaa. We continue to pray that she will come to know Jesus' immeasurable love.

For those who are not from our area Extreme Makeover Home Edition has been in our little town.  This is the only  "real" tv show that Janaa watches, and she loves it. I had not planned to join the chaos at the site, but we decided that it would be a neat experience for Janaa to actually see what goes on.  It was pretty neat to see. The photos below are from the night we went.  No, we were not like some people in town who went out daily to see the progress.  It's one thing if you live beside it, but it's another to have to deal with the public transportation to get there.  

We have now been home two years, which seems crazy.  Two years ago today was our first day at home. We still, however, are waiting for her adoption papers.  We should be a little closer as we know that the adoption agency now has papers to fill out. I'm beginning to thin, that the waiting never ends :).

I'm thankful to see the sun out and as soon as I finish the budget I think I'll join it. Hopefully, I'll post again tonight. 

This past week my eyes have been opened to the fact that God’s grace is amazing when He we see His answers to our prayers, but then it occurred to me that He gives me so much that I forget to even ask for.  Anyone can answer our requests, but only the Omniscient can know what we need when we do not and give it anyway.  That is giving when we do not deserve.

When I look at my precious growing bundle of joy I am reminded of His grace. We had a wonderful weekend.  It started with a SNAP!  Janaa had a loose tooth with the new one already growing in. The dentist told us to really work on getting it out even though it wasn’t very loose. Friday right before supper Janaa asked me to wiggle it. Two wiggles…I head a terrible snap and my finger hurt.  When I looked down her tooth had come out. It scared me to death. It hurt Janaa and she fell apart. Keep in mind she has been looking forward to losing a tooth for a few months now. But when it happened she fell apart. Originally she was crying because it hurt, but once she saw it she was embarrassed. We have explained everything about losing a tooth except the obvious…there will not be a tooth there. She thought the new one popped up behind the baby one.  Mommy Rachel had a book on losing a tooth that she read via Skype (which we haven’t done in about a year, strange) and saved the evening. Janaa learned that she could put her straw where her tooth was and she was all good from there.

Saturday was a fun day. We spent some time at our church’s fall festival.  I am not a big trick or treat person. (No, I don’t have issues with the concept. I just don’t enjoy it.)  But! Brent thought it would be a good idea so he was the escort and I was the driver.  Janaa had never been before. It was so much fun. She thinks Halloween is a stupid name.  It should be called Candy Day because that’s what it is all about.

          Blogs…interesting really…the concept started as a place where one just wrote what they wanted and whoever wanted could follow the meandering thoughts of the writer. That’s what I’m doing tonight. I’m thinking out loud.  I’ve found comfort in the thoughts of others. I’ve been challenged by the thoughts of others and I’ve been offended just as often. However, that’s just it…these are MY thoughts. Feel how you may about them.  This is who I am and this is where I’m at. 

          Most of my life I have heard the comment, “they changed their theology” and it was always spoken in a harsh way.  After 13 years in Christian school and a bachelor’s degree in Bible…I wonder how one can truly study God’s Word and NOT change some points of their theology.  If God is so great and immeasurable how can we finite minds ever know everything there is to know about Him?  If the Bible is so deep and it takes scholars years to learn what little they actually know about it then why would one assume that they know so much about the Bible that they have a perfect theology in the first place?  It’s a thought that I, at one point, sort of agreed with. But the more I study the Bible the more I realize that I will surely die with incorrect points of theology.   

          I am realizing how important it is to realize that what we live out IS what we believe.  The following statements are not meant to be critical as much as they are HUGE realizations for me.  I was taught so much about the Bible. I can argue about any position you’d like.  I knew what I was supposed to believe, but it was what I saw that formed who I am, not the knowledge.  Growing up in the ministry as a child is without a doubt part of my skewed view of God and the Christian life. (Let me defend this as well. There are HUGE blessings that come with being a ministry kid.  This is not a bash of it. However, so often people do not care to hear about struggles that kids in the ministry go through.  There are countless book and resources for ministers, but their kids…nope, just a continued push to be okay with whatever happens.  I am sharing tonight some of the struggles.)  There is often a terrible perception that ministry kids are to be their example.  Are the ministers to have their house in order, YES! BUT, that does not mean their children are not human and do not need to be taught what is right and wrong.  Growing up there was no learning curve.  I found it interesting that when I pushed a rule it was HORRIBLE. Why? Because everyone was watching.  What kind of answer is that? It was not okay to make mistakes.  I was even told that it was important because others would follow me.  Any adult who staked their parenting on what I did has much larger issues that skilled godly men and women need to deal with. Besides, it’s not like I was a cool kid or anything.  Who wanted to be like me anyway?  I grew up knowing that salvation is by Grace through Faith.  However, there was this idea that the more you did and the better you behaved the more God loved you.  Though the words would never be used…I grew up inadvertently believing that I was working for my sanctification.  Now, this, I’m sure was not the intent, but it’s the reality of what I learned.

          You see, I was taught balance in teaching, but…that’s just it BUT!  There is no BUT with God.  He is perfect and holy AND loving beyond measure.  The chief end of man is to glorify God AND enjoy Him forever.  How often do we forget the last part of this?  I get the idea.  There is a fear that if there’s room to enjoy who we are in Christ we might take advantage of that freedom, but isn’t going to the other extreme just as dangerous?  God never said to stay close to the law so you don’t go too far.   He died to free us from the law!  He has asked us to live a balanced life. That may be more difficult than to live under the law for there is no “yes and no” check list.  Don’t we need to judge ourselves and other’s godliness by the check list?  I wonder why we feel it our need to check others’ godliness.  What if we focused on being real with each other and growing in Christ?  I’m a black and white person.  It’s easy for me to fall into this, but it is something that I am realizing is sin just as much as being too “liberal”.  Again, why am I worried about legalism and law?  Isn’t my focus to be on God and His precious Book to us?  If one is really walking in Christ and in The Word, could it be possible that their life will reflect that without the fear of extremes? 

          The best example of this to me is from my home, the church where I was raised.  It has only been through great heartache that I have realized that there are people who really love me for who I am, no matter what the cost. This is a group of ladies, in particular, who have seen life’s trials, tribulations and triumphs.  These ladies have known me since I was small and in all the years of being in the ministry I have never received anything but encouragement from them.  They understand that it is not easy being a child in the ministry.  The grace in which they have loved me, my brother and the other ministry kids has help me begin to uncloud some of these misconceptions that I have grown up with.   They raised their children based on their relationship with Christ not based on the ministry kids. These ladies come from many backgrounds.   They do not all have perfect lives, but I think that’s the thing I love. I am so NOT perfect nor will I ever be.  At a time when I thought that all love was conditioned upon many things, they have loved me unconditionally.  It hasn’t mattered where I’ve gone, what I’ve done right or wrong or what I’ve worn for that matter.  They have loved me.  The refection of Christ’s immeasurable love for me has been seen to some extent in their lives.  It is one of God’s greatest gifts to me in my life.  It is what has kept me grounded when I didn’t think it would be possible.

          It has been a mixed blessing to find what people are truly friends.  I say it’s hard because it always hurts to realize that what was wasn’t real. What has been such a blessing is knowing that there are those friends who are friends for the long road through life.  They may be few, but I would rather have a handful of faithful friends than to have a room full of people I don’t really know.  God has put several new blessings in my path as well. People who didn’t know me but loved me as Christ demonstrated.  They have prayed for me and loved me where I am right now in my life.   Next time you look at your ministrer’s kids remember that YOU are reflecting who Christ is to them.  It is YOUR life that will form much of their thoughts and beliefs of who God is.  Your responsibility before God is the same as their’s: To glorify God and enjoy Him forever!

          I have enjoyed so much my time in study lately. God has really opened my eyes to passages that I memorized as a child, but never really understood.  My theology has changes as I have grown in The Word.  I hope it never stops changing. I love my Savior! He chose to give me life when I was so undeserving.  He freed me from the curse of the law. I could never keep it and I am now free to live in Him. I am finally free to dance, I am free to love and I am truly FREE to live for Him.  What an amazing blessing God has put in my life.  The journey is still hard some days, but the changes it has brought into my life are well worth it all.  There are days when, though discouraged, this song just plays in my head.  I can sing not because of who I am or where I am, but because of His love for me.

Oh, Let's give this a try!  Yesterday was a big day for Janaa. She has been so excited about Grandparent's Day.  Mom got to go to school with her.  What a blessing for them both. Janaa was excited because she had her picture taken with Mrs. Gauer so now she'll be able to remember her face when she has kids and home schools them like Mrs. Gauer.  

That was a bright spot in our otherwise long week. It has been one of those weeks where so many people are hurting with  heavy burdens that it's difficult to do anything, but cry out to the Lord on their behalf.  Our friends' precious 3 day old baby had heart surgery and came through wonderfully.  Though it was difficult the Lord was faithful as always.  Many of my former students lost a friend this week.  It has been sobering for them, yet amazing for me to watch them hold each other up.  The road to healing is going to be incredibly long for a couple of them, but I am expectant to see how the Lord is going to use the enormous trial to continue molding them into the amazing young people they already are.  My heart has grieved and cried for them, but I am so proud of them! I love you guys so very much!

As our week is drawing to a close I am humbled by the love our Father has for us. We deserve nothing and are capable of nothing YET He chooses to use, love and give to us anyway!  What a wonderful Maker!

Our next stop was the ferris wheel.  I'm sure I've ridden one once in my life, but I can't seem to place. Overall it was our first ride that we'll both remember. It was in the perfect location too. Wake Forrest's football field was just across the road. It would've been really cool if the game had started.  She enjoyed all of her rides and of course we didn't skip a corn dog lunch.  

A quick update on the adoption.  We submitted our papers to the clerk of court on Monday of last week. We're praying they fall into the right hands. It's common for Raleigh to send papers back.  We're going on 2 years in the process State-side and praying that we do not need to change anything so we can move on with this part of our lives.  If everything goes well. We should have an adoption decree in 10 days, and the adoption/birth certificate in another 8+ months.  The delay with paperwork is due to job cuts on the state level. Anyway, That's the latest.  Thanks for sharing in our lives!

We weren't sure what we were going to do when we left our church. The church we're visiting doesn't have Awana, though they have a great kid's program. However, Janaa really was excited about being in Sparks and asked if she could keep going somewhere. We have some friends who are involved with the program at their church and invited us. What a blessing. It is out of the way for us, but it has been a constant in the midst of the" un-constants" in our lives.  Janaa passed all of her verses to get her vest and came home THRILLED to be wearing it.  

We also found out today that Janaa's art was picked to represent the kindergarten class for her school at the Dixie Classic Fair.  I was pretty excited. It's a simple thing but lots of fun.

Today I also joined the Cougar Club, our school's booster club. Strange, I've never had to pay a gate fee for a ball game in my life that I remember. It's pretty strange paying to join the booster club.  BUT! It was kind of fun!  

We're looking forward to Homecoming on Friday...Something new as well....Homecoming in the Fall during soccer.

I must plug here...I've been introduced to one of life's greatest uses of the internet...Pandora.com.  Oh why was this not the first thing the internet was used for. I love being able to keep our home filled with music we enjoy.