Bigger and Taller

   It is so easy to get carried away with my "list of things to do" and "my new found obsession of blogging". My husband always asks me as he is laughing, "Are you blogaspheiring!?" Lately, I never even get to "the list of things to do." I never knew this whole blog world existed! Actually, God has truly used this blog world to change me and mold me into a vessel he can use. He has opened my eyes to need of orphans and my own need of him. He has humbled me by revealing my own sin, which has forced me to depend on him, and shown me the freedom in Christ.

       But, trusting the Lord is a daily, hourly, minute by minute dependence. I know when I start to live life on my own strength. I become weary of having to take care of my kids all day long with no breaks. I get frustrated that my 3 year old child is not in preschool. I get tired of having a dirty house, because I should have a cleaning service like everyone else in my neighborhood. I also find myself angry that my husband is not home at 7:30 at night and he told me he would be home at 6:45. The Lord is whispering to me that he is enough, I do not need these things to bring me joy. Life is full of struggles to make me small, so that God can become big.(When People are Big and God is Small, by Edward T. Welch) There is joy in the life he has given me. He is asking me to trust him and embrace his plan for my life. Only then will I find true satisfaction and fulfillment.

       Link Ashby preached at our church, Atlanta Westside, this Sunday and he told a story about his daughter Rachel, who is 3. She was on the potty and he overheard her praying and thanking God for her mommy, daddy, the toilet paper, etc. Then the last thing she said was, "Thank you that you are Bigger and Taller than I am." What wisdom our little ones have!  God gave me this verse tonight as I was spending time with him in the devotion book, Wisdom Mothers, by Denise Glen.

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:4-5

 As I allow God to fill up my life with his love, I am compelled to love those around me with his unconditional love. The author of this book describes our heart as a funnel. 

"Turn the wide side up and the pointed side down. Now imagine that you are receiving the overflowing love of God into your open heart (the wide side of the funnel turned up toward Him). Your pointed end is placed directly into the heart of your child. Now all the love the Father is giving to you is pouring directly into your child's heart. See how it works?"

These are a couple of pictures of my crazy children and husband!

We wore our pjs to a "Polar Express" story time at Borders Bookstore on Saturday. Then we ate lunch at Chipotle. Henry always likes to run around outside after we are finished! And you all wonder why Henry is the way he is! I promise it is not the sugar! :)

**I talked to Generations adoption agency today on the phone. They said our application looked great! We are scheduling a phone interview for next week, so hopefully we will be able to move forward after we are approved. I filled out a form to renew our passports today and hopefully that will be in the mail tomorrow after we get our pictures taken. I think we are just beginning the "paper chase" of the adoption process!