Casting Crowns - So Far To Find You (Lyrics in Description)

Feeling grateful this morning that our daughter is coloring in the toy room with her brothers. It seems like a lifetime ago that our hearts were heavy with waiting. I know I've said it before but I will say it again...she was worth it. It was a long journey BUT we are ready to do it all over again when the Lord calls. Sometimes my husband and I will just look at her and say, "Wow! We can't believe after two years you are finally in our home and part of our family.
This song by Casting Crowns says it all. I love that this whole adoption process has such a spiritual meaning.

Halloween

Happy Monday!
I was looking at my calendar and realized that NEXT Monday is Halloween. First of all, if your reading this and your family DOES participate in Halloween...that is fine and I am not judging you. I try to keep this blog free from controversy. But I do feel strongly about this Holiday and I would like to share with you why our family has no part in it. Joshua 24:15 "For me and my household...we will serve the Lord."

HISTORY OF HALLOWEEN

Halloween is the festival of the dead.
Ephesians 5:6-16 says,
"Let no man deceive you with vain words; for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
Be not partakers with them.
For you were sometimes darkness but now you are light in the Lord: walk as children of the light
For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.
Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
For it is a shame to even speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light
Wherefore he saith, awake thou that sleeps, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.
See then that you walk not as fools but as the wise.
Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."

* 6 BILLION dollars will be spent on Halloween this year
*Everything is based of feeling today
*People say that we take the fun out of everything if we are not involved with Halloween / its legalism
*But facts are facts....Its not based on feelings

Halloween Past

*300 years before Jesus was born there was a civilization known as the Celtics
*They lived in the British Isles, Scandinavia, and Western Europe
*Controlled by a secret society of pagan priest called the Druids which are mentioned more than 30 times in the Greek and Roman writings between the 2nd and 4th century ( so this is not a made up story)
Barbarak- blood thirsty, delighted in human and animal sacrifices ( including children ), Recorded in the Julius Ceasar commentary that they would burn scores of people alive 2nd Chronicles 28:3

Festival of the Dead

*So-Ween was/is the Lord of the Dead
*On the eve of the festival ( October 31st ) the pagan worshipers would call together all the wicked spirits who in the last 12 months had been condemned to inhabit bodies of animals
*Believed that on one night of the year souls of the dead could inhabit their original homes to be entertained by food
* If food and water were not provided these spirits would cast spells and put curses on the people dwelling there
* On this night entire communities would come together to build bon fires and make sacrifices ( animals, crops, themselves )
*They would wear costumes made from the heads of animals and cover themselves with animal skins and read fortunes for all the people.

Anton LaVey

* Author of the satanic bible
* high priest of the church of satan ( Leader of it all)

Three most important days of the santanist

*Birthday
*April 30th ( the day the church of satan was founded )
*October 31st the day when winter comes and the beginning of the witchcraft year
Note- There are no rules that the satanist practice except the 7 deadly sins....Lust, Gluttony, Pride, Greed, Envy, Jealousy and Laziness.

Scripture ( Look it up! )

* Revelations 17:14
* Revelations 20: 1,2,6
* Revelations 21 7 and 8

Jack a Lantern- Jack was a damned soul that was not allowed into Heaven because he tricked the devil in several places, he was not allowed into Hell therefore destined to roam the countryside ( They carved faces in pumpkins to scare Jack away )

Trick or Treat- if food was not provided, the wicked spirits would "tick" or cast spells on the people dwelling in the homes they visited

Costumes- to disguise yourself as one of the evil spirits who were coming back in animal bodies. If you wore an animal skin they wouldn't know it as you and they would leave you alone.

Witches- October 31st is the most sacred day for witches ( Beginning of the witchcraft year )

*Black Cats - the witches "demon" helper

*Bats- dwell in darkness, eat in darkness, represent a soul that can move

** Most of this information I got from my friend, Anthony.

So...if your family participates in Halloween maybe you just never knew the reasons behind this evil holiday. I know for my family, we don't want anything to do with something that is evil and satanic.

May you be blessed

ONE month HOME!

One month ago...today...our daughter arrived to America and her forever home. She has been a joy and a ray of sunshine in our lives. We are beyond grateful that God chose us to be her parents. She is loved so so much.




"Orphans are easier to ignore
Before you know their name

They are easier to ignore
Before you see their faces

It is easier to pretend their not real
Until you hold them in your arms

But once you do...EVERYTHING changes."

-David Platt

From CWA

When Gracie and I arrived back from Ethiopia this little bear and the poem was waiting for her from our agency. We were so blessed to work with a wonderful agency.



THE CHOSEN HEART

Longing for a child to love,
I'd wish upon the stars above.
In my heart I always knew,
A part of me was meant for you.

I think how happy we will be,
Once I adopt you, and you adopt me.

I dream of all the joy you'll bring,
Imagining even the little things.
The way it will feel to hold you tight,
And tuck you in every night.

The drawings on the refrigerator door,
And childhood toys across the floor,
The favorite stories read again and again,
And hours of games with make believe friends.

The day you took my outstretched hand,
A journey ended, but our lives began.
Still mesmerized by your sweet face,
Still warmed inside by our first embrace.

I promised to give you a happy home,
And a loving family all your own.
A house you have now made complete,
With laughter, smiles, and little feet.

A parent is one who guides the way,
Know I will be there everyday.
Rest easy each night as you sleep,
A lifetime of love is yours to keep.

Longing for a child to love
I'd wish upon the stars above.
In my heart I always knew,
A part of me belonged to you.
-Teri Harrison

Prayers please for my brother. We really REALLY miss him! Looking forward to seeing him soon! He is being deployed to Afghanistan the first of December for 8 months. He has a two week leave in a month.
ALSO.....Gracie does NOT have TB!! We are praising the Lord for this!! So besides the parasites...she is lookin' healthy.
The above picture...Britton and I playing our instruments together. We love to do this and are thinking of making a CD with our children. They do a great job of participating with singing in our evening devotions.
Gracie and Camille at Church. So good to have them together :) Now we just need to have some play dates so they get to know each other.
Here is the completed gym! I am so excited for them! Britton and I did a little excited dance ;) We wish we could be there SO bad!!! We know they will put this building to good use.
Yonatan on the left and Tesefaye on the right. They are having a little celebration to open the gym soon. Looking forward to getting pictures of that!

*Today we are burying one of my favorite Uncles. I have fond memories of him and will always remember his kindness. Last Thursday evening I got to hold his hand and tell him I loved him. It was so special that he got to see Gracie before he died. Although I will miss him, I am so glad his suffering is over. Looking forward to seeing him again someday.

A day At Cincinnati Childrens

Wednesday we left our boys at Grandma Jane's and took Gracie up to the Children Hospital for testing. They hired an interpreter that spoke Amharic. She was so sweet and it was really fun to communicate with Gracie.
Towards the end she got the major giggles. And when she starts laughing I do to! My husband was quite embarrassed. The Nurse was trying to talk to me and we were both laughing so hard tears were streaming down our face.
Then we took her to Red Robins. Here she is with some of her battle scars.


She slept the whole way home.
Yesterday I took her to her physician in Englewood to check her TB shot. She tested positive. So we took her down to Dayton Children for a chest x-ray. Her stool samples also came back positive. :( She is now on medicine for that as well as the rest of the family. Parasites be gone!!! We take her back down to Dayton Childrens on Wednesday to find out the results for the TB. If she does have Tuberculosis she could be hospitalized for a couple weeks and on medication for the next 9 months. TB is very contagious so we are not taking her out until Wednesday. Please pray that the TB is not advanced and the rest of our family has good immune systems.

So glad she is home and we can get the treatment she needs to finally start growing and feeling better. Have a good weekend!

Fun with Family

We started the adoption process in January of 2010. We told our family in March. That began a very trying time in our life. Most of our family was quite upset and not on board. We learned to only look to God for answers. Literally. We made a family pact that we would follow Jesus where ever He leads us NO MATTER what our family thought or said or reacted. And now....we are SO glad we did! And I am happy to tell you that now, it is quite the opposite. Most of our family LOVES her! Even though it would have been nice to have all of our families support through the long days of paperwork and the "waiting time", we are so excited that they like her! In fact I have even heard I love you. What a blessing!
Supper time around the campfire at Grandpa and Grandma Fishers!


Uncle Graydon and Aunt Annie brought supper one evening last week.
Looking at videos of Ethiopia
Uncle Bruce reading to her....so sweet.
Brysen LOVES his baby cousin!
so does Gracie!
And Carter!

"Do it Anyway" By Mother Teresa

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway

What you spend years building, some could destroy overnight;
Build anyway

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway

Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you got anyway

You see, in the final analysis it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

Don't you love that poem? I love Mother Teresa!

Happy Thursday Y'all!