Change is Coming

Five years ago God moved us from Korea to Maryland.  I was 7 months pregnant and wondering what was in store.  No house, no church family, and only a couple friends.  We were praying that God would provide for us.  We were praying that we would be able to make it to 2 years before we were moved back to Korea.  I remember the ache and longing for deep meaningful relationships.  The community we left in Korea was like family to us.  It's like that overseas.  We ate dinner together, took trips together.  Now back stateside, the reality of "you do your thing and I'll do mine, we can just live next to each other but not get too involved"was so HARD!  I couldn't wait for Z to change careers and move back near family.

Looking back over the past 5 years I can't believe the way He has blessed us!  The ways we were able to get involved with His work here in MD.  The ways He grew our family.  Who knew that in 5 years we have grown from 2 to 5!  And the family we have found here in our friends.  The holidays we spend away from our blood relatives have been filled with the company of the people who answered my prayers and sought to build deep meaningful relationships with us- all of us.  They have loved on Z and I and our kids.  We have grown and been blessed.

After 5 years of living in the north, still feeling called to this same career, we have orders to head south.  This summer we will embark on a new adventure in the lone star state.  I have to admit, I am SAD.  Leaving our church and friends here is going to be difficult.  Moving with kids across the country seems overwhelming to me right now.  How will I explain that the only place they have ever lived is no longer their home?  That they can't go over to their friend's house.  That the C's wont be coming for dinner tonight, even though it's Tuesday and we always have dinner with them on Tuesdays.  It BREAKS my heart!  Is there a church in TX for us?  Are their friends there that will become family?  Where will we live?  Why is there NOTHING near our new city?  (seriously- the closest city is 1.5 hours away)

The answer to all those questions is easy.  God will provide.  He has proven himself to us OVER and OVER.  Why do I doubt he will do that again?  So I have peace.  Glorious peace about this move.  When I think about how he has kept us here for 5 years (when we were not promised more than 18 months) is just shy of amazing.  He kept us here so I would have support while Z was gone.  He kept us here so we would see the #2 eye surgeon in the country pertaining to Se's eye condition (is it a shock that we got orders right after her surgery and that she doesn't need another one?).  He kept us here so we would have the amazing opportunity to witness and be involved in a church plant.  HE kept us here.  And now HE is moving us.  I am sad to leave, but so excited to see what is in store for us in the south.  God is good all the time!  Even in the desert!

Watch out Lone Star State!  You are about to be invaded.

Our kids do not know about the move yet.  Please speak with care in their presence.  We are waiting till closer to the big move to save them from undue stress.

Prayer from a Little Person

My oldest Mo is such a sweet, tender hearted little girl.  She LOVES praying for people, and often stops mid-prayer to see if we have any other needs she hasn't covered.

A few nights ago I was battling a killer headache.  Mo was praying, thanking God for her day, her friends, and requesting a good nights sleep.  She stopped, looked at me and asked, "Momma, does your head still hurt?"  I said yes and she earnestly asked for healing on my behalf.  She then looked up at me and asked, "Momma, is Mr. J still in Afghanistan?" which I said yes, and then she earnestly asked for his protection and that God would help him come home safe.

Her sweet thoughtfulness at the tender age of 4 is humbling to me sometimes.  Does my 4 year old pray for my friend at war more than I do?   She makes intersession for him almost every night.  Had I stopped and asked for healing for my headache?

What a joy it is to see my children seeking the Lord for help so early and to see them realize answers to prayer is even better.  Just a year ago it was her daddy she was praying for and now (7 months after he has returned) she will still pray, "Thank you, God, for bringing Daddy home safely."

May she always pray for others and may I learn from her and her sweet spirit.

Long Time No Blogging

Life has been lived so abundantly the past several months and I just have not blogged one single event in this life story we have been living.

I promise we are still alive and doing well.

I promise to return to the blogging world.  I have a TON to share.  God is so good.

But for tonight I will leave you with this, something I have been dwelling on lately:

Micah 6:8 "He has shown you, o mortal, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

Ephesians 4:2 "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."

That's My Girl

My desire is to model modesty to my two little girls and handsome little dude.  I want them all to see the value of it, and that it is an act of obedience.  I take this task very seriously and the word 'modest' is used often in our home.  Yes, my oldest is only 3 but I feel she needs to learn about it now.

"Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine.  They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled."

Titus 2:3-5

It is my job that my kids, my daughters especially, learn to be pure.  I believe a huge part of that is modesty.  Often when Mo is being silly and forgets we have company over she will leave the bathroom door open, lift up her shirt (just because she is being silly, not provocatively) or request naked booty time.  She has also been known to strip down anywhere and everywhere if there is a swim suit and water fun near by.  I use these times, however innocent they are, to teach her how to modestly behave.  You know, shirt down, bathroom door closed, not changing in front of boys-the typical 3 year old stuff.

Tonight, a good family friend was over and lavished some attention on my kidlets.  They LOVED it!  One of their most favorite times was wrestling and walking on the ceiling.  I could not be prouder when I hear a cry from the wrestling floor, "My mom said I HAVE to be MODEST!!!"  Moriah was being flipped and her shirt rose up.  She made the wrestling stop so she could put it down.  At 3.  That's my girl!  You keep your belly (and chest!) covered!!  My sweet dear friend (the wrestler's wife) called Mo over and taught her how to tuck her shirt in.  She was thrilled to be able to wrestle with the boys without being improper.  Seriously-so proud of the little lady she is turning into.  My heart is full of love for her and the Godly women she will one day become. 

My modest Mo, shirt tucked, walking on the ceiling

Just for fun, my little dude, copying what his big sister does.  He sure looks up to her and loves her.

 

A Bit of a Rough Patch

It happens to all of us.  We hit a bit of bumpy road in our life.  Well, since I promised to be honest on this blog, I want ya'll to know I am there now.  My absence from the blogging world is because Mom always said, "If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all."  And there it is.  The honest truth.
Not that nice things haven't happened recently, because they have.  I just haven't been in a place where I can happily blog about them. 
I am tired. 
My days are long and the nights seem even longer. 
My baby Se is weaning herself and it has been miserable.
I wake up overwhelmed, hit a mommy groove in the middle, and go to bed feeling overwhelmed again.
But God is good, and His grace is sufficient.  He has been providing for me everyday.
I know it will not be this way forever, and I will use this time to learn and grow.

Have no fear, I will be back to the regular scheduled program very soon. 
But for now, I am just going to sleep.

Beach Bums

Se's first time seeing the ocean!

Mo enjoyed playing in the sand this time but was still very hesitant about the water.  She only got her big toe wet!

K and L

"What is this?"

"It doesn't taste very good."

It was a gorgeous day

"We love Daddy!"

Off to check out the water

Se was not impressed

This was the beginning of the end.  L didn't stop crying after this till he was safely deposited into the stroller.

Our beach day only lasted 30 minutes.  Weeping and crying forced us off the sand and into the pool.  It is foreign to me that my littles don't care for the water, sun and sand.  Every time we come to FL I take them again, in hopes that they will change their minds.  I have already seen a little bit of 'like' for the ocean shine through.  Mo and L both played in the sand and liked it this time and Mo put her feet in the water voluntarily.  It helped that our friends we went with LOVE the ocean and little K had no qualms with getting wet and sandy while tromping through the beach.  Maybe we will shoot for an hour next time.  Someday we will work our way up to an actual day at the beach.

B-O-S-S

Last night we were getting ready to say our prayers and Mo did something quite amazing.
Mo and L are taking over  using my brother Jay's room and he decorated it with Chick-fil-a posters.  You know, the GIANT cow posters they have in the restaurant?  Well, my kids just love them.  They all have writing on them.  Cute sayings for different seasons to try and convince you to eat more chicken!
Mo decided during bedtime that she wanted to name the letters on the posters.  There was no prompting from me, she did all this on her own.

Mo: (after randomly naming letters) B-O-S-S, what does B-O-S-S spell, mom?
Me: What do the letters say?  (And I pointed to each letter)
Mo: Buh-Ah-Suh-Suh, like suh-nake!
Me: Very good, now say their sounds faster
Mo: Buh-Ah-Suh-Suh, boss!  It says boss!
Me: You just read your first word!!!

And then we did an excited dance and my big girl daughter beamed from all the praise.  Then of course she had to run down stairs and tell Nana, Papa and Uncle Nate.  And then wanted to read all the word on all the posters before going to bed.  I can't believe my 3 year old read her first word and that it was completely of her own initiative.

My Smart Mo,
You have yet to stop amazing me and I have every idea that it will be this way for the rest of your life.  You are such a bright girl and you have a sweetness about you that just makes me thrilled to be your momma.  Never lose your love for learning, it is a trait you are so blessed to have.
And don't think I am not lost on the first word you chose to read.  I know you like to be in charge, and it is no surprise that you would pick your own time (not durning our "school" time) to read for the first time and that you would read, "BOSS!"
I love you SO very much!
Momma