Crafting

I love to make crafts. Whether it is sewing, crocheting, scrapbooking, papercrafts, etc... I LOVE it! There have been several times in my life where I have had to "scale back" because I have to many projects/hobbies going on at once. I think my husband hates the craft store. I always seem to come back with more. He doesn't seem to understand why I need MORE fabric/paper/yarn when I have so much sitting in the spare room.

For me, fabric initiates creativity! You never know what a piece of fabric might become. I fall in love with fabric long before I know what it will become. I look at it and touch it and imagine the possibilities. I have my favorites that sit and wait for the perfect project. Some have been waiting a VERY long time!

Not long ago, a friend came to me with the suggestion of opening an Etsy store and selling donated handmade items to raise money for our adoption. We will opening the store on March 1st. The money raised will go to our adoption, but when we have completed that task we will continue to another project. This store will not be a one hit wonder. We hope it will continue to help others raise money for the projects God has laid on their heart.

So, in the true Etsy spirit of handmade goodness, I will be crafting away! I plan to use up most of my fabric or yarn or paper! Those pieces that have been waiting, will be waiting no more! Not only will we be raising money for our adoption, but the spare room will be cleaned out and my husband will be so happy to see it go! It is a win/win for everyone!

So, stay tuned for more info about the store coming VERY soon!!

Ethiopian Adoption- The Kraus Family

My friend Christy and her husband, Kevin and their three girls are working to raise money to adopt a child from Ethiopia. Christy and I have known each other for about 5 years when we worked together. She taught music and I taught PreK-3 and Kindergarten. We both hit it off and have kept in touch ever since I "retired" to be a stay-at-home mom.

Last year, Christy began asking me questions about adoption and we talked on and off. Later she told me that she and her husband decided to adopt internationally! Well, you can imagine how excited I was!! I always get excited when people say they are adopting but more so when it is a friend.

Kevin and Christy are currently doing a cookbook fundraiser. This cookbook was put together by friends and family and has some great recipes. Make sure you go to http://tastinggodsgrace.blogspot.com/ to order your cookbook. I've ordered mine, make sure you place your order today!! We need to bring this baby home!!

$500

Last week, my friend Amanda sent me a message asking me to check out the blog of another family raising money to adopt a little girl. I read the blog and have been reading everyday since. I love the creative ideas that she has come up with to raise money for their adoption. Amanda wanted to help us raise money to bring our babies home and we have come up with several ideas that we will share at a later date.

We had made the decision to start the next fundraiser on March 1st. The plan is to raise the 2nd payment amount for our adoption. The only problem was that we still needed to complete the first adoption payment. I decided to sit down and start crunching numbers. After figuring up some totals, I discovered we would only need $500 to make our first payment!!! Scott and I began tossing ideas around. We wanted to raise $500 by the end of February so we could start March off with a bang!

I began to pray and ask God what we could do. I have never been the type of person that thinks God should just hand over the money. I have always been willing to work hard for every penny we have received for our fund. This time was no exception. Nothing we came up with was giving us peace. We didn't want to ask our church family to help us again because they had been helping so much all ready so we just kept praying.

Later last night, I felt that God had given me an idea. I was ready to make a push for this last $500. It was going to take a lot of time, but I didn't care. I want nothing more than to bring my babies home. I was willing to work night and day to get this done. I had all my supplies out and was ready to sit down and watch a movie while I worked. Before I did that, I decided to check my email one last time. Instead of checking my regular email, I checked out adoption email. I don't check it every day and I honestly don't know why I checked it last night.

When I pulled it up, I saw that someone had made a donation through our blog for...you guessed it...$500!! I couldn't believe it! I just started crying! I was so excited! I even called the person and thanked them over and over. Thank you just doesn't begin to express the gratitude I have had in my heart for every person that has helped us along the way.

So now the money is there and we can make our first payment. We will be able to start our home study!! That means 1 payment down and 3 to go plus other fees!! Thank you Jesus!!

Isn't it funny how we ask God to do something and then we are totally shocked when He does it? I was so surprised. I was so focused on doing this in my own strength that I never dreamed that God would lay it on someone's heart to just give $500 to our fund.

I was reminded yet again, that even when it feels that God isn't working, He is. He has been working in my friend Amanda's life concerning adoption. He has been working in this person's life concerning adoption. He has not forgotten us! He has not forgotten the call He placed on our life! What a MIGHTY God we serve!

Friendships

I have never been the kind of person to get to close to people. It seems that whenever I do I always get stabbed in the back. I learned my lesson and I often keep people at arms length. I am not a trusting person and I will always be the first one to say that. I often come across as a snob but really I just don't want to be hurt again.

Living the life as a Pastor's wife is probably the easiest place to keep your distance from people. Since you or your husband are often the topic over Sunday lunch or sometime through the week you really have to learn to develop tough skin. While developing this tough skin, I developed a tough heart. It is not something I am proud of and something I am working to change. My mother always said, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." Since that has been ingrained in me there are a lot of times that I have nothing to say. Other times I open my big mouth.

Because I keep people at a distance I have VERY few close friends. I always got along with guys better than girls and always had more fun hanging out with them. Girls are mean. They just are. There is even a movie called "Mean Girls."

I am so thankful for the few close friends that I do have. They are the ones that can call me out on things. They are the ones that dig deep into my life not because they are nosy but because they truly desire to see me be more like Christ. They are the ones that even if I haven't talked to them in a year or more we pick right back up where we left off. They are the ones I cry with, laugh with, pray with, and know the real me. These are the ones that know my heart. They know my desire to be a better wife, mother, pastor's wife and friend. They know how desperately I want to expand my household. They know my heart.

I know that my life would be very empty without these ladies. Some of them I have known since the First Grade, others since College or more recently. I am thankful for these Godly women. They have poured into my life because they see the potential I have in me. They encourage me to be better. I hope that somehow I have made a difference in their life. I pray that I will one day be the kind of Godly woman they have shown it is possible to be.

Valentine's Day

Let me start by saying, my husband HATES Valentine's Day. He believes it is a day that was created by the greeting card companies to make more money. He is the furthest thing from romantic (AND he is a Latin, not sure how he missed the romance genes) and isn't into surprises. However, when I came home this morning from dropping the little man off from school, I found a sticky note on the door that said, "What I Love About You!"

All through the house he had written the things that he loves about me. :-) I keep finding these little sticky notes everywhere and every single one of them makes me smile. He knew I needed to read every single one of those things. He is so good to me!

We have been married for over 10 years and have certainly had our ups and downs. I have enjoyed the ups and the downs have made us better people and closer friends. He is my BESTEST friend and I love him so very much.

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!!

Legacy of an Adopted Child

Once there were two women who never knew each other.
One you do not remember, the other you call Mother.

Two different lives shaped to make you one.
One became your guiding star, the other became your sun.

The first one gave you life, and the second taught you to live it.
The first gave you a need for love. The second was there to give it.

One gave you a nationality. The other gave you a name.
One gave you a talent. The other gave you aim.

One gave you emotions. The other calmed your fears.
One saw your first sweet smile. The other dried your tears.

One sought for you a home that she could not provide.
The other prayed for a child and her hope was not denied.

And now you ask me, through your tears,
the age-old question unanswered through the years.
Heredity or environment, which are you a product of?
Neither, my darling. Neither. Just two different kinds of Love.

Author Unknown

God is Merciful

Today all I can do is shout from the hills that MY GOD IS MERCIFUL!!! He has raised me from the depths of sin, hurt, depression and sadness! He has given me joy unspeakable! He has restored to me the joy of my salvation! He is forgiving! He is love! He is AMAZING!!!

Happy Birthday Rylee!!

6 years ago today, I was due to give birth to my first child. Sadly for me and my family, the Lord saw fit to take my child to live with Him just 6 months before. I honestly do not know that I have ever felt a pain like I did the day the doctor called and told me my baby would not survive. We had been so excited and had all ready started preparing. We were told this would never happen and now we were having a child and then a few weeks later our child was gone.

I still have a cardboard box in the back corner of a closet that I pull out now and then. It contains a little toy, a couple of outfits, my calendar and a t-shirt that says World's Greatest Dad. It is a painful box to open even to this day. It holds so many promises and tears. It is a part of me that I don't revisit often.

Of course today is the exception.

I must admit that for years I have struggled with the whys of the situation. God does not care for one of my children, but two. I am so thankful that I can rest in the fact that one day I will see them. I will enter Heaven's Gates and know my children. Thank you Lord for the promise that calms my heart.

I realize that if my two children were living with me now, I would not have my little man. We would not have begun our adoption journey when we did if I had given birth to my little ones. God has a plan and His plan was that we adopt. I'm not saying I don't long for my children but I am so thankful for the one I have today and the 2 that we are in the process of adopting and the many more to come. For some reason God saw fit to choose us to parent and love these orphans. I don't know why He chose us but I am glad He did.

February 8th is always a hard day for me. I miss my baby more than anything. I would give anything to be able to see that precious face and kiss those precious toes. But God has a different plan and I will rest in the knowledge that He has a purpose.

Happy Birthday Rylee!! Mommy loves you and misses you!

Ice Ice Baby

Sing it with me!! Ice ice baby.....

Seems like that is all I have seen for the past 2 days. Of course we are not the only ones who are "hunkered" (word I learned while living in Florida when the hurricanes would come) down in this country! We have been laying around for the last couple of days just watching movies and being a family. It has been a blast, but today I really need to get somethings cleaned up and some outfits sewn.

I didn't want anyone to think I had given up on writing this blog. There has just been nothing to report. Just mixed emotions and a crying moment in a restaurant on Sunday afternoon. Other than that, things are good. It is amazing what can hit me and make me think about my babies. Sometimes the need to have them home with me is so great I can't stand it. If you have been there, you know what I mean. Sometimes you just cry. Unfortunately, it was in the middle of our favorite Mexican restaurant for me!

We have decided to take a break from fundraising. I am working on some new ideas but nothing is really jumping out at me. My creative juices are at a stand still. Guess I will keep working and hope that something pops up soon!

I hope everyone gets to stay home and stay warm! Spring is only 46 days away!!!