Old Fashioned Love

"If we’re the hands of Christ — how can we just sit on them? If our feet are shod with gospel of good..."

Thu, 16 May 2013 23:17:17 -0400

“If we’re the hands of Christ — how can we just sit on them? If our feet are shod with gospel of good news — how can they not go where there’s bad news? When you’ve been saved, you can’t stay.
When your Savior is in you, you can’t stay still. When you love God, you have got to GO.”

- ((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...

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:10:00 -0400

((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 waiting room while Nathan was in surgery. That was such a gift! Friends and family have provided us with meals and coffee. They have moved our lawn and washed our dishes. They have given us much of their time this week. We are blessed! Nathan is home now and recovering great! Jesus has been so near to all of us!

♥ Sophie’s tender and compassionate heart. She cries when others do and immediately takes things to the Lord in prayer. God is going to do some pretty awesome things through her!

♥ Ezekiel 1:12

♥ friends who promise pray and fast

♥ a tight embrace from husband

♥ watching our Uganda Love in Action Team Video from last year and remembering all that God did

♥ hearing Ruby say did it, Ezra, and thank you.

Ruby started walking the evening of her 1st birthday party with...

Mon, 06 May 2013 13:11:00 -0400

Ruby started walking the evening of her 1st birthday party with us gathered around her! So precious! GO RUBY! ♥

Happy 1st Birthday Ruby Ann! ♥

Fri, 03 May 2013 06:49:47 -0400

^^^ 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 laid-back personality

♥ she loves it when her daddy tickles her

♥ she gets smothered with daily kisses and hugs and is so so so loved!

I have been thinking about Ruby’s big day all week. When I think about the day we met our Ruby Ann and her birth mom, I get a lump in my throat and my eyes get watery. Those three days together in the hospital were absolutely precious. I saw what love can do when you lavish it on a stranger. God made Himself known as Father, Comforter, and Redeemer. His presence filled that hospital room, those hallways, that waiting room, cafeteria, and nursery. Today we celebrate the gift that is our Ruby Ann. {read Ruby’s birth story from my perspective here and Nate’s here}.

photos of a few of my favorite things about last week ♥ 1. dandelions from Sophie 2. Ezra is FIVE...

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:13:00 -0400

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 us closely) 6, 7, & 8. celebrating with people we love that Nathan is done with school for his ministerial license requirements! SO excited for the next chapter of our lives! God is moving and directing!

“love is an ocean hope is a promise light is...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 11:46:00 -0400

“love is an ocean

hope is a promise

light is overtaking

grace is overwhelming

you chased us into the dark and Lord we’re grateful, oh we’re grateful

you captured our hearts with your love, oh Lord you’re faithful, you are faithful

nothing we’ve ever done was too much for you to handle on the cross

we’re grateful for your love

oh, we are grateful for your love”

-♥-

this week I am loving… ♥ how Nathan has encouraged me ♥ starting Beth Moore’s James...

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:42:00 -0400

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!

♥ giggling with Suzanne on the phone for what has felt like hours this week

♥ Ruby Ann’s second cute little tooth coming in

♥ Sophie’s tender spirit towards the Lord

♥ Ezra and Ruby dancing (bouncing up and down) together

♥ praying and getting into the Word together with sisters in Christ

Fully Funded

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 09:52:49 -0400

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 with you Brainerd family! ♥

God has been so sweet to me. Praising Him for: ♥ A successful first adoption/foster care support...

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 16:09:26 -0400

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 a mason jar filled with scripture & little nuggets of truth! I may have sobbed while reading them. As Nathan and I have been praying and seeking the Lord about what He has next for us (Nathan’s done with school in 2 weeks!! yeow!), I can sense the enemy is on high alert. I am thankful for friends and family who pray and send us godly encouragement. We are so blessed!

♥ Financial and babysitting provision so husband and I could go on a date. It was so good to have some time to talk about God’s doing and feast on some delicious food together!

♥ the way He loves on and equips Maddix and Sophie at school ~they had awesome report cards~

♥ Orajel. Ruby’s first tooth is coming in! Her little tooth is SO cute!

♥ beautiful, warm weather…oh, and that sunset last night on my run, gorgeous!

the Bradford's beauty ♥

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 09:19:00 -0400

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 a law banning American’s from adopting Russian children. After praying and waiting and hoping for something to change the Bradford’s were given the news that they could not proceed with Megan’s adoption.

Dale and Carrie were broken over this news and are praying that God would raise up a Russian family to adopt sweet Megan. They have found comfort in knowing that Megan is healthy, is in a great boarding school with kids her age, and is being cared for by the Lord Almighty!

Although the door completely closed for them to adopt Megan, the Lord did however open a door for Dale and Carrie to adopt another sweet Reece’s Rainbow beauty named Andrea.

Andrea is 5 years old and is only 3 days older than her soon-to-be- {Lord willing} sister Trisha.

I can’t wait for them to have twin birthday parties!

Just look at how much these soon-to-be-sisters look alike….here’s a photo of Trisha…

Same fair skin and beautiful short brown hair!

Oh, I love it!

I am so excited about what God is doing in The Bradford’s lives! They have ministered to me so much by the way they have surrendered completely to God’s plan, how they have persevered after a heartbreaking loss, and are allowing God to refine and shape them through it all!

Please follow along with their journey here.

They are currently having a Kindle Fire HD Giveaway until April 15th. So pop on over to their blog, add them to your prayer list, and if you are able bless them with a financial gift, please do!

We love you Bradford family and can’t wait to welcome sweet Andrea home!

♥

"I just get woundered up when people cry and it makes me start to cry."

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 14:51:56 -0400

“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...

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:30:44 -0400

^^ 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! ^^

♥

Happy birthday Nathan! I am so excited about what God is doing...

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 11:05:00 -0400

Happy birthday Nathan!

I am so excited about what God is doing in our marriage and in our family. I cannot wait to see what He has in store for us during your 31st year on this side of Heaven!

I love you and I am proud to be your wife!

♥

{photo taken this morning just before sending Nathan off to work}

Friday night was Ruby Ann’s first time spending the night away from home. She was...

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 20:27:52 -0400

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 over her cotton candy. Ezra was in heaven eating junk food sandwiched in-between his grandma and grandpa.

::::::::::::::

today’s love list ♥

♥ this song “I’m so glad that I get to serve you, Lord. Your the only One I’m living for. I am gonna run straight to Your open arms. I’m gonna follow You with all my heart.”

♥ I have been asking the Lord to give me a specific scripture to claim for an area that I need healing/victory over and today He gave it to me, straight from Isaiah. What a sweet and awesome God.

♥ husband playing in the snow with the kids yesterday and making them snow ball treats {snow and brown sugar mixed together and formed into balls}. Oh, I love him.

♥ dancing with Ruby and hearing her giggle uncontrollably

♥ watching and discussing The Bible series together as a family.

♥ journaling to the Lord

♥ these cards are my favorite

♥ our friends being featured on Give1Save1 this week. I LOVE watching their adoption account grow! Praying you home Haven!

♥ oh, and this song too…on repeat tonight

"The difference between an admirer and a follower still remains, no matter where you are. The admirer..."

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:45:21 -0400

“The difference between an admirer and a follower still remains, no matter where you are. The admirer never makes any true sacrifices. He always plays it safe. Though in words, phrases, songs, he is inexhaustible about how highly he prizes Christ, he renounces nothing, gives up nothing, will not reconstruct his life, will not be what he admires, and will not let his life express what it is he supposedly admires.”

- Kierkegaard

today’s love list ♥ ♥ the “winter whale” husband made in our front yard with...

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 19:17:00 -0400

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 in Prayer: Finding the Hearts True Home

♥ two families we love having adoption accounts with over $10,000 in them { see here and here}

♥ praying together as a family

♥ this makes my heart want to explode. Chastity contacted me shortly after our Ruby Ann’s birth and said that the Lord was stirring her and her husband’s heart towards domestic adoption. Three months later they signed up with our adoption consultant Tracie Loux, two months after that they were matched, and now their precious baby girl is home! God is so crazy good!

♥ husband telling me this week that he has a “thirst to pray like never before.” so hot. so so so hot.

♥ friends who faithfully pray

♥ pulling up to pay for your extra hot Mocha at Starbucks and finding out that the person in the car ahead of you payed for it

♥ Sophie all dressed up in her pink dance clothes

♥ watching Ezra carry Ruby all around the house

Tonight I came home from doing a couple massages to this little...

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 20:56:00 -0500

Tonight I came home from doing a couple massages to this little video of a very tired Ruby Ann at dinner.

How pitiful and precious is she?!

I just love my baby girl {and my classical music loving man}.

♥

"Each day is, in a certain sense, a complete life by itself. It has its own duties, its own trials,..."

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:26:16 -0500

“Each day is, in a certain sense, a complete life by itself. It has its own duties, its own trials, its own burdens, and its own needs. The very best we can do for the perfecting of our life as a whole, is to live the one day well. We should put all our thought and energy and skill into the duty of each day, wasting no strength, either in grieving over yesterday’s failures—or in anxiety about tomorrow’s responsibilities.”

- ~ J.R. Miller ~

Happy Monday friends! I am so excited to share with you that...

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 08:33:00 -0500

Happy Monday friends!

I am so excited to share with you that our friends the Boswell’s are the first family to be featured on Give1Save1Europe!

We adoptive families always say that no amount is too small to give~ a whole lot of little adds up to much! God uses what we can give and in His awesome way, He mutiplies it!

Will you join with me by watching this super cute video my friend Liz made, heading on over to Give1Save1Europe, and consider donating your $1 to helping bring sweet Edna home?

Let’s start this week off by being a blessing! Shall we?!

♥

.::overwhelmed by these incredible gifts::. “God can do...

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 21:53:22 -0500

.::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~

♥