Holy Father - our Father who loves children! we trust you with this adoption process and we trust you with the life of the child that will be brought into our family. we believe our desire to adopt a child is from You, and we are willing to assume the responsibility of raising this child unto You. we commit this adoption to You and we will trust You every step of the way.
our confidence is in You -most definitely not in ourselves or our parenting abilities. we trust that You will bring this adoption to pass according to Your purpose and plan. use us as Your instruments of peace and righteousness to bless this child. we purpose in our hearts to train this child up in the way that he/she should go. use us however you want in the life of this child.
Lord, we are embracing this child (Your best gift) as our very own with Your love. we do not even know him, yet you are already cultivating a love for him in us. Thank you, God - for we know the only way we can love is because You first loved us.
Father, take this child up and be a Father and Mother to him as we extend our hands and our hearts to embrace him. thank You for the blood of Jesus that gives protection to this one whom we love.
we thank You for the man and woman who conceived this child and pray that You will bless them, cause Your face to shine upon them and be merciful to them. if they do not know Jesus, we ask You, the Lord of the harvest, to send forth laborers to share truth with them that they may know You and your great Love.
mercy and truth are written upon the tablets of our hearts, and You cause us to find favor and good understanding with You and with man — the adoption agency staff, the judges and all those who are involved in this decision-making process. may all be careful that they do not despise this little one over whom they have jurisdiction — protect his heart, his mind, his body - even now, God, please surround this little one with safety and love.
Lord, we are looking to You as our Great Counselor and Mighty Advocate. we ask for Your wisdom for us and for everyone involved in this process.
We are calling on You in the name of Jesus, and You will answer us and show us great and mighty things. No weapon formed against us and this adoption shall prosper. Father, we believe; therefore, we have spoken. May it be done unto us according to Your Word.
23 July 2010
worth far more than .43 worth of windex.
i almost told him not to waste the windex. but then i realized that EVEN IF HE USED THE WHOLE BOTTLE it would only cost $1 to replace.
today eli was helping me clean (my kids really do help me clean...and do laundry...and put away dishes....all sorts of things) and he took it upon himself to work on the counter and the stools in the kitchen - no prompting from me. he was using plenty of windex and wiping it up with the cleaning rag. i almost told him not to use so much....thankfully i thought before i spoke and realized that it was far more important to let him clean - to let him feel useful, to let him help - than to save .43 worth of windex.
in the end he probably only used about .17 worth of the dollar store version of windex. .17 well spent on a section of our house that is spic and span...and a little boy who accomplished something he set out to do.
today eli was helping me clean (my kids really do help me clean...and do laundry...and put away dishes....all sorts of things) and he took it upon himself to work on the counter and the stools in the kitchen - no prompting from me. he was using plenty of windex and wiping it up with the cleaning rag. i almost told him not to use so much....thankfully i thought before i spoke and realized that it was far more important to let him clean - to let him feel useful, to let him help - than to save .43 worth of windex.
in the end he probably only used about .17 worth of the dollar store version of windex. .17 well spent on a section of our house that is spic and span...and a little boy who accomplished something he set out to do.
02 July 2010
a great mom moment
i told my children that i couldn't be their mama today.
it was one of those mornings where they were fussing (or maybe it was me that was fussing)...and i'd heard "mama, can you...." and "mama, i need...." and "mama, she this..." and i just had to take a little break. one of my little ones said "mama, could you....?" and i said "i'm sorry. i just can't be your mama right now. i'll be right back." i took a little break. i walked into another room. after a couple of minutes (minutes spent wisely praying and regrouping and getting myself together) i came back and said "alright. i can be your mama again...what is it you need?"
that worked for me. and it worked for them. i couldn't be their mama right then - not the mama they needed....not the mama that God has called me to be...not the mama i wanted to be. so i took a break. i do believe that break was God's provision for me. it's ok to not be perfect all the time (or any of the time). it's ok for me to admit that i can't do it. it's ok to walk away, regroup and come back.
i titled this "a great mom moment" thinking it was far from it....but, in hindsight and by the grace of God, i think it really was a great mom moment. He's so good and faithful. He HAS given us everything we need for life and godliness - everything we need to be the mom/wife/friend/person that He created us to be. He has given us permission to take a break and not be a mama for a moment...to just be His child who desperately needs Him every moment...to come away by myself to a quiet place and get some rest (even for 2 minutes).
it was one of those mornings where they were fussing (or maybe it was me that was fussing)...and i'd heard "mama, can you...." and "mama, i need...." and "mama, she this..." and i just had to take a little break. one of my little ones said "mama, could you....?" and i said "i'm sorry. i just can't be your mama right now. i'll be right back." i took a little break. i walked into another room. after a couple of minutes (minutes spent wisely praying and regrouping and getting myself together) i came back and said "alright. i can be your mama again...what is it you need?"
that worked for me. and it worked for them. i couldn't be their mama right then - not the mama they needed....not the mama that God has called me to be...not the mama i wanted to be. so i took a break. i do believe that break was God's provision for me. it's ok to not be perfect all the time (or any of the time). it's ok for me to admit that i can't do it. it's ok to walk away, regroup and come back.
i titled this "a great mom moment" thinking it was far from it....but, in hindsight and by the grace of God, i think it really was a great mom moment. He's so good and faithful. He HAS given us everything we need for life and godliness - everything we need to be the mom/wife/friend/person that He created us to be. He has given us permission to take a break and not be a mama for a moment...to just be His child who desperately needs Him every moment...to come away by myself to a quiet place and get some rest (even for 2 minutes).
epiphany
i had a bit of an epiphany earlier today...i realized that, in general, i am not concerned unless convinced (by others or by circumstances) that i should be concerned. whereas i think it may be the other way around for alot of people -- concerned until convinced they shouldn't be concerned. i think there are pros and cons to both.....for the moment, i'm thankful for the lack of worry that comes with not being concerned until convinced to be concerned...
i also think it's interesting that the word epiphany refers to the commemoration of the coming of the magi to Jesus at bethlehem...and it's a sudden striking understanding of something. there's something significant there.
in other news - i think i'd like to start using the word "ethereal" more often. ethereal: an adjective meaning celestial, heavenly, exceptionally delicate, airy dainty. i'll work on that.
can you tell i pulled the dictionary off of the shelf today?
i also think it's interesting that the word epiphany refers to the commemoration of the coming of the magi to Jesus at bethlehem...and it's a sudden striking understanding of something. there's something significant there.
in other news - i think i'd like to start using the word "ethereal" more often. ethereal: an adjective meaning celestial, heavenly, exceptionally delicate, airy dainty. i'll work on that.
can you tell i pulled the dictionary off of the shelf today?
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