May 2013
5 posts
“If we’re the hands of Christ — how can we just sit on them? If our feet are shod...”
– ((beautiful post about the Great Commission by Ann Voskamp found here.))
((my boys. oh, I love them!))
today’s love list ♥
♥ running the Indy Mini Marathon May 4th with my papa and girlfriends Rachael, Kim, Janna, and Melissa…we had such an awesome time together!
♥ the way God protected Nathan’s body last weekend. His appendix ruptured and he had emergency surgery Saturday May 11th. Several of my girlfriends surprised me and sat with me in the...
Happy 1st Birthday Ruby Ann! ♥
^^^ Ruby Ann on her birthday^^^
^^^Today our baby girl is ONE!^^^
Ruby Ann facts:
♥ she has two adorable little teeth
♥ she has taken 4 little stumbling steps
♥ she stands up really well
♥ she is crazy, I mean crazy, about her big brother
♥ she pats mentioned brother on the back whenever he picks her up <—so cute!
♥ her hair is super soft
♥ she has a very relaxed and...
April 2013
8 posts
photos of a few of my favorite things about last week ♥
1. dandelions from Sophie 2. Ezra is FIVE 3. outdoor play: warm weather is here! 4. husband treating us to weekly Saturday morning doughnuts 5. Maddix writing her first chapter book, following in her daddy’s footsteps: a humbling reminder of how important our choices are as parents in how we spend our time (our children are watching...
this week I am loving…
♥ how Nathan has encouraged me
♥ starting Beth Moore’s James Bible Study , I’ve learned some powerful stuff already!
♥ Ruby napping on me this afternoon, instead of her crib
♥ how my mom gives so much of herself to our family
♥ God teaching me that He is able to do more in my waiting than in my doing I could do :: this season has much purpose!
...
Fully Funded →
Just look what God did! Do you remember the Brainderd family who are adopting from Colombia? They sold those adorable Threads of Hope bracelets as an adoption fundraiser? Well, well, well. They are fully funded! Over $40,000!!!!!!!
I love what Amy said on her blog today,
“Put your hands to work and God will bless it. Give Him the glory. Share as much as you can. The End.”
Praising...
God has been so sweet to me.
Praising Him for:
♥ A successful first adoption/foster care support group that I am facilitating once a month under the umbrella of an orphan care ministry called Embrace. We had an amazing time together!
♥ Encouragement that came in the form of mail (in a pink box!), from my friend Liz. In it was The Gospel Centered Woman, a handwritten note, dark chocolate, and...
the Bradford's beauty ♥
Praising Jesus today by how His hand has been faithful to lead our friends Dale and Carrie Bradford!
Remember back in November when I shared Megan’s story with you?
Our friends, the Bradford’s, fell in love with an adorable 7 year old, blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty from Russia and began the process of adopting her. About a month later Russia’s president Vladimir Putin signed...
“I just get woundered up when people cry and it makes me start to cry.”
– Maddix (after a hard day at school) was crying, then Sophie started crying. This was Sophie Holland’s response after I asked her why she was crying.
“woundered”
oh I love my life!
^^ Here’s just a few photo’s from our Easter weekend with grandpa Dan and grandma Sandy. We had the best time reconnecting, praying together, visiting the zoo, witnessing their church growth, and celebrating our risen Savior together! ^^
♥
March 2013
4 posts
Friday night was Ruby Ann’s first time spending the night away from home. She was blessed to be able to stay at my mom and step-dad’s house while the rest of us went to watch Maddix sing at the Pacers game. It was such a treat to have time with our ‘big kids.’ Apparently Ruby was an angel. Oh, I love her!
Maddix rocked out the National Anthem. Sophie was giddy...
“The difference between an admirer and a follower still remains, no matter where...”
– Kierkegaard
today’s love list ♥
♥ the “winter whale” husband made in our front yard with Maddix, Sophie, and Ezra
♥ this truth shared with me this week: “We cannot do a single good act except God first gives us the desire for it and then empowers us to do it. And He will never give us the desire to do something that He will not also give the power to obey.” Richard Foster...
February 2013
9 posts
“Each day is, in a certain sense, a complete life by itself. It has its own...”
– ~ J.R. Miller ~
.::overwhelmed by these incredible gifts::.
“God can do anything, you know- far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.”
~Ephesians 3:20~
...
School was cancelled so I have had all my babies home today! Today we slept in, treated ourselves to doughnuts, and made a fort which we colored, watched a movie, and ate our doughnuts and lunch in. We have had so much fun together!
today’s love list ♥
♥ Krispy Kreme’s, I love you.
♥ Psalm 143:8-10
♥ journaling to the Lord
♥ husband starting the Chronicles of Naria series...
Kari Jobe:: find you on my knees →
Oh my, this song. Nearly made me fly off the back of the treadmill from worshipping. So good! ♥
today’s love list ♥
♥ hosting Jackline and Merisa from the Ugandan Thunder Children’s Choir. They were so much fun and incredibly sweet. We may have stayed up way past our bedtimes making friendship bracelets! The choir ushered us into worship Tuesday night and it was beautiful! It was so cool to look around at our congregation and see so many multi-cultural families there. Thirty...
Valentines Day Giveaway
Meet our friends, the Brink’s. ♥
Nathan and I got to know Tim and Sally in 2010 on our 3rd trip to Uganda {during the trip that we brought Ezra home}. In 2011 the Lord took Tim and Sally on the adventure of their lives and called them to adopt an adorable little boy named Jackson from the same orphanage we adopted Ezra from.
Well, the Lord has decided to bless them once again with the...
“I am rapidly coming to realize that Jesus does not really want a place simply to...”
– Michele Perry in Love has a Face {for those of you who have read Kisses from Katie, this book is just as awesome}
Jesus, transform this clay vessel that you have in me and make it a castle fit for Yourself. I want You to be at home here.
January 2013
13 posts
“Dad, I think God is getting mad at us because we haven’t gotten another...”
– ~ Nathan leaned down to hug Ezra and tell him I love you before leaving for work this morning and this was Ezra’s response.
hmmmm…..♥ ~
Nearly 600 of these beautiful Threads of Hope bracelets have been purchased to support the Brainerds’s adoptions! Whoo hoo! ♥
Our kids love them…Maddix’s wrist is covered in them.
These bracelets are the perfect gift to give your husband, wife, kids, or kid’s classmates for Valentine’s Day!
How fun are these free printable gift tags {to download go here and...
praise+worship
.::a danced out Ruby Ann::.
Two summers ago the Lord confirmed Nathan’s call to be a pastor. Nathan is now only a few classes away from getting his ministerial license in the Wesleyan church. As we are waiting for God to open the next door, He has given Nathan and I so many beautiful, encouraging, and affirming moments lately. I am so thankful that the Lord meets us where we are at. He does not...
Have you heard Judah & the Lion? My heart wants to explode everytime I hear ‘Fill This House’. We have been worshipping to their music all weekend long.
“Holy Spirit come and fill this house up
Let Your love fall like a fire, consume us, Lord
Come Lord Jesus, let Your rain fall on us
In Your presence come and change our hearts to Yours…
Living Fire come and...
.::things I love::.
{at home}
Ezra has been asking for a mohalk for a while now. Last night when he came home from his hair appointment with barber Eric he was beaming. He barged into the girls’ bedroom and said, “Girls! I have something to show...
today’s love list ♥
♥ finding index cards with scripture written on them, ones Maddix made on her own…she said “she wants to know God better”…oh my heart!
♥ surprise visits from friends
♥ carmel brulee coffee from Starbucks~ especially when it’s free via a Christmas gift card!
♥ this book that husband bought me
♥ Ruby’s army crawl
♥ the way God...
be a quadruple blessing! ♥
Last summer at an adoptive/foster family picnic I met an amazing woman named Ami. She and her husband are adopting 3 children from Colombia. Whoo hoo! Ami has ministered to me so much over the last few months by how hard she has worked at raising the $40,000 it will take to bring their 3 treasures home. She has done dozen’s of fundraisers and God has blessed her efforts generously. He is...
All my kids are home today! Yay!
Happy Friday to me!
~And you, friends!~
♥
December 2012
14 posts
christmas break: part 2
Here are some photos of things/moments I have loved during this glorious Christmas break…
In the summer of 2011, during one of our young adult sessions at Family Camp, pastor John Freed shared a story with us that has turned my world upside down. Every week for his entire summer he invited a fellow delivery truck driver to church. Every single week the man would respond to his invite by saying no. He shared that it became a joke between the two of them. Every Friday this man knew that...
christmas break: part 1
Saturday my friend Brenda hosted a Christmas brunch for some friends and I. We dressed up in our Christmas best, exchanged gifts {Liz gifted me with an adorable jade gemstone necklace}, and ate yummy food. Boy did we eat! Okay…boy did I eat! It was so fun to share in the Christmas cheer with these ladies! ♥
We are getting lots of snow and it’s looking pretty magical...
Guess what?! ♥
Megan’s family FOUND HER!!!
I am SO overjoyed to share that last week Megan was moved to the New Commitment page on Reece’s Rainbow!
Our friends,The Bradford’s, are adopting this blue eyed beauty! They found out about Megan the same day we did, on Orphan Sunday, at church. Over the last six weeks the Lord has confirmed in their hearts that Megan is their daughter!
Carrie...
It's official! ♥
Today our Ruby Ann officially became a Metz!!
Ruby was born in another state so we went to court to finalize her adoption today via a conference call at Nathan’s office. Going to court in your jeans? I LOVE IT! Whoo hoo! :) It was so awesome to get to hear our attorney’s voice again, we love her so much!
This entire domestic adoption experience, from start to finish, has been so...
“As the Lord commands strength and courage for the 3rd time in Joshua 1:9, He has...”
– Pam Brewer
Hello from lounging Ruby and I today via photo booth! ♥
Today’s love list ♥
♥ husband cleaning the house from top to bottom after the flu bug hitting our family this weekend
♥ nearly 50 prints being orded for Edna’s adoption! whoo hoo!
♥ being able to stay at home nearly full time with my babies and also being blessed to do what I love outside of the home a few hours a week
...
Sevenly for Reece's Rainbow →
Sevenly has some of the most adorable shirts and hoodies I’ve seen and for one week only a percentage of every sale is going to Reece’s Rainbow! How awesome is that?! My mom says that Santa may be bringing me a hoodie. Whoop! Whoop! :)
the Dennehy's story →
“the pure joy that will come from a rescue- a ransom of a child’s life is the most satisfying thing you can imagine.”
Introducing...♥
It’s official friends!
The Boswell’s are now able to share with us who their daughter is!
Meet, the-most-adorable-little-bundle-who-is-perfect-in-every-way-EDNA!
Here’s what Bridgette writes about Edna, “Edna is 6 months old right now. She is in Eastern Europe and my arms ache for her. We are anxious, so anxious, to get her home. Not only because we want to love her,...
Megan: A blue eyed beauty that has stolen our...
During our Orphan Sunday service at church Maddix found out about a little girl named Megan on Reece’s Rainbow through our friend Bridgette.
Megan is the same age as Maddix, is a total doll and has the brightest smile. Maddix prays for her daily and journals to her about sleepovers, girlie things, and her hopes and dreams for her.
Megan also has nearly $25,000 in her adoption fund.
We...
