Hearing HIS Voice

There have been moments in my life when God has spoken to me in a still small voice.

 There have been moments when he has shouted my name.

 But the moments I love best are when He speaks through circumstances that can not be explained away.

As I've mentioned before my husband is adopted. One of the things that is unique to adoption is that sometimes a child has their name changed when they move to their new home.  In my husbands case this was true--he actually got to choose his new name, but that's a whole other story.  Anyway, not many people know his birth name, but he told me what it was when we were dating.  I didn't think too much about it at the time--just stored it away in my memory.

When we pursued adoption for the first time we prayed that God would somehow let us know when "our" baby came along.  We would get calls about a particular baby, and we always prayed that same prayer.

Then one day we received a call about a little 9 month old boy.  My heart pounded as the social worker gave me details over the phone.  She told me about his background--the foster family he was with--what he looked like, and the name the foster family had given him.  Then she spoke some words that froze me in my tracks.  She said, "his birth name is............."  I must have gasped audibly for she asked what was wrong. 

"That was my husbands birth name" I said, and that's when I heard it.

"This one is YOURS!"

20 Days Till Christmas

I've been feeling a bit of a panic as Christmas is coming closer.

I have almost all my shopping done.

I have some Christmas decorations up around the house.

..................but there is no snow.

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I can't get in the mood for Christmas without snow.

Christmas caroling on green grass is just not right.

Going out in the dark night to the Christmas program at church with no white drifts covering the fields will feel strange.

Wrapping presents after the munchkins are tucked in bed won't be right if there isn't a soft white glow coming through the window from the yard light shining on a few snowbanks.

I don't even feel like baking Christmas cookies.

(I'm never moving to Florida!)

How about you--do you need snow for it to feel like Christmas?

Sunday Music

Of All The Things I've Lost.......

........I miss my mind the most.

I've become so scatterbrained lately.

It seems like I'm always thinking about two things--what I'm actually doing, and what I should do next.

I fill out important paperwork, and then can't remember where I put it.

I accomplish some chore, and then lay in bed at night trying desperately to remember if I actually did it.

I start to tell my husband a funny story, and half-way through it I forget what I was talking about.

I notice that someone needs their diaper changed, and then forget to do it. (Thankfully everyone else it the house reminds me, or they might never get their diaper changed.)

I was feeling rather depressed about the state of my mind, and pondering what I could do about it, but I got distracted by a wayward toddler, and after caring for him I couldn't remember what I was depressed about.

I guess losing your mind has some good points after all.

Sleeping?

There were people sleeping all over our house last night.(No pigs--I just liked the picture.)

Unfortunately, most of them were not in their own beds.

At least one of them was in MY bed. (scowl)

I got up this morning and it looked like we had a slumber party.

Children sacked out on the couch, and the futon and the floor.

When I asked them why--none of them could answer me.

Except to say they didn't sleep good.

Funny thing is--I didn't sleep that well either.

Thanksgiving Quote

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."              

  ~John F. Kennedy

Thanksgiving Memories

Thanksgiving always makes me feel rather nostalgic. ( Actually most holidays do, but currently Thanksgiving is on my mind.)

Here's a few of my favorite Thanksgiving memories.

Remembering the smell of turkey and stuffing that always permeated my grandma's house on Thanksgiving Day.

One year we had Thanksgiving at my Aunt and Uncle's house about 2 hours away from home.  In the afternoon it started snowing, and by the time we headed home it was almost blizzard conditions.  We crept along the highway and cars were sliding in the ditch all around us.

I remember waking up in the wee hours of the morning and hearing the oven door squeak as my mom put the turkey in the oven.  Somehow that sound made me feel cozy and safe.

We found out seven years ago on the day before Thanksgiving that we would be able to adopt our second son.  I cried my thanksgiving over and over that year. 

Now that I've had Thanksgiving dinner at my house a few times I realize how much work goes into a Thanksgiving dinner.  Makes me thankful when I'm invited somewhere else for Thanksgiving. :)

What are some of your favorite Thanksgiving memories?