thank filled monday

-thank filled that she needs me, even if it isn't in the ways i wish she did.
-thank filled for monday mornings, because they are a reminder that new is always around the corner.
-thank filled for a god's messengers bringing a word from him and doing it in a way that gets our attention.
-thank filled for dreaming with friends.
-thank filled for coffee.
happy monday.  hope it's filled with thanks!

thank filled for a day of firsts!

wednesday was a day filled with firsts in our home!

my first day packing lunches:

we added up what hot lunches would cost for a week and came up with almost $85! that's crazy! certainly i can feed my kids for less!

oh, and btw - lunches will not always looks that fabulously colorful. how could i not take a picture of that, though?

*****

first day of junior high!

i love this kid and i can't believe he is in 7th grade!

he is very laid back about it all and wasn't in the slightest bit stressed about starting junior high. so much, in fact, that he didn't even bring his schedule to school with him! he asked how he was supposed to know where to go (in the parking lot!) and i told him to look at his schedule. "i don't have it!" he said. when i asked what class he had 2nd hour, he said "i don't know!". sigh. oh, dear son...

*****

first day of HIGH SCHOOL!!!

how in the world did that happen?

i miss her already. she is quickly becoming one of my best friends.

she bought me roses for my first day of school. how sweet is that?!

*****

first day of 2nd grade!

she was my only kiddo not having a big new transition,

but, with amy, all transitions are big, so this one was filled with uncertainty.

she loved it, though! as we knew she would!

*****

first day of kindergarten!!!

my baby girl... my only kiddo so far to only be with me (aside from the 20 months without me).

she was a little uncertain; sure that she would really miss her mommy...

and she did. but, she also had a really great day and was anxious to go back today!

*****

first day of middle school!

aubrie is a 5th grader and that seems to be a good fit for her. she is at a great school this year with lots of people from our church on staff. it was such a blessing to my heart yesterday afternoon to watch the posts of my facebook wall: the school social worker, the music teacher, a bus driver and a team leader for teachers all sharing about their interactions with aubrie. thank filled for god's provision.

*****

first day driving to school!

ok. she won't be doing that consistently until at least november 30 (her 15th birthday), but it is a first and it is coming!

*****

wow.

i love these kids.

i'm thank filled that they call me "mom" and that i get to send them into the world to share the love of christ where ever they go!

(abe starts preschool in 3 weeks!!!)

thank filled for peace

i asked our care group for prayer.
for my sad mommy heart.
i love having my kids home
and my heart lacks peace about sending them off...
well.
it did lack peace.
today i spoke with aubrie's ELL teacher.  and i went to her school.
i also went to ashleigh, austin, amy and anna's school and met new teachers.
chatted with friends and parents and teachers.
and it was good.
today, i am thank filled for peace for my mommy heart
and
for a caring group of friends who pray.

thank filled for answered prayer!

do you remember the earthquake that rocked sichuan province in 2008?

i remember hearing "earthquake" and "china" in the same sentence and first wondering how close it was to abraham. we were waiting to travel at the time the earthquake hit.

i also remember praying.

praying that god would be glorified amid the chaos and tragedy of it all.

praying that god would use the tragedy to draw people to himself.

big picture says that god answered those prayers - offered by myself and SO many brothers and sisters around the world. but we don't generally come face to face with those answers; especially when they are half a world away.

today, i am thank filled for answered prayer.

this is mandy. she was one of my translators at camp.

during camp, we make life charts. they are used to allow us to share our stories with the campers and as a tool for the camper to share some of their stories with us, if they choose.

while mandy was sharing her life chart with our family, she shared about some american students she met at university during the 2007-20008 school year. they shared their faith with her. she rejected it.

and then the earthquake happened.

mandy is from chengdu, sichuan.

her family's home was damaged and deemed unsafe for an extended amount of time. mandy and her family lived in a public park with only a bed sheet hanging from trees as a shelter. it rained a lot in the days that her family lived in the park. their possessions were destroyed...

but, god heard the cries of believers around the world. the cries that HE be glorified in the chaos. the cries that he would draw people to himself - amid the tragedy of so much death and destruction.

he reached down into a park in chengdu, sichuan and ignited the kindling that had so lovingly been placed by those american believers during the school year...

and mandy surrendered her life to the father!

as mandy shared her story, i sat across the table and wept.

i was praying for mandy back in may of 2008.

i was praying for her and god answered.

and because he is loving and filled with mercy, he brought us together for 5 days in zhengzhou, henan.

originally, i wasn't supposed to go to zhengzhou. i asked god to allow us to work at camp in xi'an... unless there was a reason i needed to be in zhengzhou.

originally, mandy had missed the deadline to apply to be a translator for camp. and she had to travel 24 hours by train to work camp that week.

but, god gives good gifts.

he brought a rescued daughter and a intercessor together.

mandy brought me a gift from chengdu. she didn't know me and certainly didn't know that i had prayed for her back in may of 2008.

but, god did.

she brought me a beautiful set of chopsticks - from a christian bookstore in chengdu.

they are engraved with the words: god is good.

he sure is!

thank filled for THE life preserver

here's a picture of my abigail at camp.

many of our kids had never been swimming before.

14 years old and never been in a pool.

abigail was terrified.

i just knew she would love the water if i could get her in.

i tried to assure her that the life vest would keep her safe (all the kids had to wear them, because not all of them were terrified!), but she didn't really know what a life vest was. i had to explain it. she had to experience it.

life in christ.

it's a big unknown swimming pool to those who have never been swimming.

i am thank filled today for THE life preserver that keeps me afloat in the unknowns.

i am thank filled that i can trust him.

by the end of the week, abigail was LOVING the swimming pool! she enjoyed splashing and playing with her friends.

i'm enjoying splashing in the water, too, so to speak. there is so much freedom to LIVE when we are protected by the life preserver. it may seem like he is confining and restrictive, but i have seen him as the life giver! i can splash and play in the deepest water and know that i am safe with him.

thank filled for structure :-)

i love me a good schedule!
i love a tidy calendar written in pencil.
i love {mostly} predictable.
i don't see a lot of predictable in our house - especially in the summer!
today, i am thank filled for the promise of another school year.  it really is about as structured as we get in our family anymore.  our year doesn't start off very consistent (anna is attending 1/2 day kindergarten for the first 9 weeks - in the afternoons! and abe doesn't start pre-school until september), but it's a start!  my days will be a little more quiet and i am very thank filled for that.

thank filled for medical access

thank filled today for:

- medical insurance that make "well child" visits affordable

- the ability to choose from a large pool of qualified doctors and clinics within miles of my home

- access to immunizations that are life saving (and if you question that, go visit a third world country where diseases that are eradicated in the US are killing thousands and millions...)

thank filled for all of this - even if my kids aren't (today).