Christmas 2010

We had a very sweet Christmas. All the kids had a good Christmas. It was mostly our family with a few friends dropping in and celebrating for awhile with us. We have been blessed beyond measure for yet another year. We have EVERYTHING we need. We have a Savior that LOVED us so much that He came to this earth as a baby so that we may be SAVED, and we have family and friends that shower us with LOVE. We have so many amazing people in our lives I am humbled and thrilled for all that the Lord has given us.

Here is the REAL story of how picture time goes in our house....



Lashae and Chaney looking like dorks. They sure have fun together. We have enjoyed their new relationship as much as they have I think. The whole family gets excited when CHANEY COMES OVER. The boys think he is coming over for them....and Chaney is nice enough to let them think so.

My youngest 2 boys...they are wild and crazy!! Don't let that sweet look on their faces or the fact that they are hugging each other be deceiving. They are trying to put in one last effort of "being good" before Santa arrives. haha




The older kids playing games...Kelsie is GAME LEADER. That girl can play more games for more hours than I can count.

Changes and Traditions

Christmas is such a wonderful time of year!!!

This year is different....as every year is a bit different...even though we have 'traditions' we try to stick with, every year, has it's changes. We know one thing NEVER changes...we are celebrating our Savior's birth. Oh praise the Lord.

This year some of the changes in the Brewer house are.....my folks are living in Arizona and this will be the first year without them. We will miss them terribly.... but, they have sent the all-time favorite candy that my mom makes, and they will be sending the family calendar...so we are keeping some traditions even from afar.

Lashae has a boyfriend and Kole has a girlfriend, and we need to consider everybody's traditions....I'm trying to be flexible and SHARE because I know they are doing the same and I appreciate it soooo much.

We have a little girl that is ours in our heart and she is not home with us yet, she is still in Ug*nda, so we have a stocking and a few gifts that won't be opened until she gets here. We are praying that it is soon.

This will be, more than likely, the last year in this house celebrating Christmas. We will have some big changes in the coming year! We are excited for whatever the Lord has in store for us, and we are just enjoying each day and tradition and memory that we have for this year.

We are glad for change, it makes life interesting and exciting, and we are glad for traditions and some things that NEVER change. I'm so glad that no matter what our traditions are or no matter what the future holds....we know WHO HOLDS THE FUTURE!!!!

Jesus Christ will always be the reason we celebrate Christmas, and He NEVER changes!

Have a Wonderful Christmas and embrace change and tradition! Both are blessings.

MBM-God Changes Minds in the Night!

This is a Memorial Box Monday story that is HOT off the press. I have been so excited to tell this story even before it was a finished story....when the battle was hot Linny said that we should pray and believe this is going to be a MBM story. Well, praise God she was right ON because God did a mighty work.

We are in the process of adopting Esther a 9 year old love from Ug*nda. We have been working on our home study, we have attended classes, we have filled out papers, we have had fingerprints, gone to the Dr., notarized, notarized, notarized, we have done 4 hrs of on-line classes, paperwork....on and on.....We were rejoicing because our home visit with the social worker from our agency was scheduled for this Friday. Oh we were thrilled, it worked perfect, our son did not have a basketball game; ( which is unusual for a Fri. nt) everything just seemed to be falling into place perfectly. We were ready and excited to get to the next phase of this adoption and get our daughter home.

I can not give all the details ....but there was a terrible misunderstanding....not with us, but with some other communication that was going on.......again I can not give the details, but it was concerning enough that we got an e-mail on Thurs. evening that said our home visit was cancelled and our money could be refunded.

WHAT????? WHAT?????? WHAT?????? WHAT????

Oh my goodness, I was absolutely thrown for a loop. The only thing I knew to do was to pray and to let others know so they could pray. And that's what happened we stormed heaven, and on a moments notice people prayed and people fasted, some people I don't even know, but they know the Lord and they care for the orphan. We prayed and cried out to God! We prayed that the minds would be changed and that our appt. would be reinstated for when it was originally scheduled!

I called a prayer partner and mentor of mine and she prayed with me over the phone, and gave me this verse.

Proverbs 3:5-7 (New International Version, ©2010)
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.[a]
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.

Her emphasis was on me not to be wise in my own eyes. She told me NOT to go out and try to fix this and get all crazy, she said pray, and trust the Lord and DO NOT BE WISE IN MY OWN EYES. This is what I needed to hear. I could have spent all night trying to figure it out or FIX it, but instead I did what she said. I brought it before the Lord!

At 9:00am we were expecting to make a phone call and plead our case, because that is what time the offices were to be opened.

At 8:30am my hubby got a phone call on his cell phone! In the night their mind had been changed! Our appt. was reinstated for the previous scheduled time, and we were 100% back on track.

OH GLORY!!!! God moved a big huge mountain. He answered prayer, He showed us Himself, and it was GLORIOUS. He showed off and we PRAISE HIM!!! Our home visit went well, and we are just that much closer to getting Esther home to her forever family!

Bringing Our Kids Home

I just went last week to see a precious baby boy at the hospital....FRESH FROM THE WOMB!! MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE THING!!!! Oh this baby was gorgeous, with wonderful proud parents. These parents were soooo loving and attentive, I left that hospital just REJOICING at how the Lord blesses us with babies and parents that love them from the moment they are conceived.

As I was leaving and walking out of that hospital and thanking God that I just got to witness another piece of heaven on earth...seeing that gorgeous baby so beautiful and content and loved...it NEVER once occurred to me to ask these parents if they could afford to bring this baby home, or to ask how they were going to pay for the hospital and delivery.

But, I constantly ask myself how we are going to pay for Esther and how we are going to afford going to get her....that is soooo small of me and so small of my faith and love. As parents, we just do it, we just trust the Lord. We don't question whether we can afford our kids or whether we have enough money to bring them home. We trust the Lord, we walk in faith, we conceive them, have them, bring them home and take care of them. It increases our love and faith on a daily basis, but as parents that is what we do weather they are conceived in our belly or in our hearts first.

We have conceived Esther in our hearts. God has increased our love, and we have her growing in our hearts and when it is time to go get her SOON, we will just walk in faith, we will have to trust that the Lord will help us bring this daughter home. No different than the times we went to the hospital to deliver and bring home our 5 other children. We walked into that hospital in FAITH that God would provide and help us to have a safe delivery, and that we would bring home a baby, and never question whether or not we could afford to bring them home.

This time we will board a plane and walk into a courtroom, and walk in faith, and never question if we can afford to bring her home. God will bring her home to her family, just like He brought our other kids home to their family.

Yesterday was Charlie and my 21st wedding anniversary!!!! Oh the JOY!!!! We can not even comprehend how fast the last 21 years have gone by. It's a blur. One thing we both agreed last night was that we WOULD totally do it all over again.... knowing all that we know now. Whew...that question could have gone either way on me...hehehe

We were soooooo in love when we got married we didn't EVEN think about much, we did not have a life plan, we had no big aspirations, no expectations of where our lives were headed, no magical kid number (thank goodness...Charlie could totally think he was deceived if we had discussed a number...haha) just acting like we could live on LOVE and nothing else mattered.

Our wedding was such a gift from my parents and my sisters because I was just in a cloud, I didn't help do anything, I didn't care about anything, they made most of the decisions and did ALL the work. I just was having fun with my boyfriend.....we also have to remember I was 18 years old; so I was pretty much just floating through life having a ball anyway.

I can honestly say...I'm much deeper in love with this man than I was 21 years ago...hopefully, I'm not as oblivious to the world around me, but I'm definitely in love. Can't really say I have the goose bumps every time he walks in the door, but I definitely look forward to seeing him at the end of the day, and my feelings for him are much stronger and deeper than the goose bump kind. And I'm not gonna lie, he still turns my head. I always think he is the most handsome man in the room, no matter where we are! It was a fun day of reflection and lots of people wishing us a Happy Anniversary.

We ended the day by saying we can't wait to see what the next 21 years brings...the first 21 have been pretty great....5 kids....1 more on the way soon, from Uganda. Lots of ups and downs. But, overall growing closer to our Almighty Lord, and closer to one another.

,

Happy Birthday Reece.

Yesterday was Reece's 3rd birthday.

This kid is a total blessing. He is sweet, and cute, and naughty, and smart, and humbling, and HILARIOUS. Sometimes we need to discipline him, but we are trying so hard not to laugh that we just have to walk away.

*I know....not the best parenting technique, but he is just FULL OF IT all the time.*

He can shout "AMEN" louder than anyone at church, and his timing is always perfect.

Reece is teaching us many things....mainly patience at this point. :) He is just a light in this family, and we truly would be lost without him. He is full of energy like nobody's business. It takes ALL of us to keep up with this little body FULL of energy.

He keeps us on our toes when we aren't rolling on the floor laughing!!!

Yesterday, Charlie calls me from work and says he has an idea of what to do for Reece on his birthday....I say that I am all ears....He says we have not yet dedicated him to the Lord...I mean we have prayed for him, and asked the Lord's hand on his life many times, but we have never done it officially with others from our church family....so last night at the prayer meeting we dedicated Reece. It was very cool, and so fun to do on his 3rd birthday. Luke is the only one missing from the picture because he was at AWANA, which was at the same church building. However, in true Reece from, we had a VERY small window of opportunity before he had a major melt down, so we just proceeded with dedication and pictures without taking the time to pull Luke out of his class.

Thanksgiving

Psalm 100:4 (New International Version)
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

We had a very blessed and wonderful thanksgiving. We had 2 of my sisters and their families, and we had 4 people from Crystal Peak Youth Ranch. It was ALL family to us. We had a wonderful opportunity to go around the table before we sat down to eat and each person got to tell some specifics of what they are thankful for. This is my FAVORITE tradition. We heard a lot of the same things repeated...family, friends, jobs, OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, but it was beautiful from each person, and everyone was touched and sincere in their thanks.

During this time, Reece kept saying it was his turn....his turn....his turn.....so when it finally got to his turn, I said to him, "What are you thankful for Reece?"....He says...."Ummmmmm Reece." So I say, "You are thankful for yourself?" and he replies totally thrilled with himself...."YA!" So Jordan my nephew whom is 4 years old....already had his turn and said some sweet things, but he heard what Reece said and did not want to miss the opportunity to chime in very respectfully, and say that he TOO was thankful for HIMSELF!!! Oh it was precious and heartfelt and sweet. And let me tell you, these 2 boys are the babies of their families, and they are very thankful for themselves, because that is their main focus at this point of their lives.

We cracked up!!!! It was priceless!!!

These were the 3 cooks this year. My mom and dad were in Arizona. It is the first year that we did it without them. We missed them dearly, but with lots of phone instruction and recipes, we were able to pull it off.

This is Jordan. One of the boys that was very

enthusiastically thankful for himself!

This is Isaiah and Reece. They had a good time together!

Cousins are the BEST!!!

This is Lashae and Chaney. :)

The Aunties kissing Layton...He pretended to hate it,

but we know he loved it!

This was pre-Thanksgiving thoughts:


Happy Thanksgiving!!!! This is my favorite holiday. All we do is enjoy one another and eat yummy food and enjoy family and friends, and be thankful. No gifts, no frills just plain and simple THANKSGIVING!!!!



I believe, it is the most beautiful form of worship is to be THANKFUL. Thankful to God for EVERYTHING. He is in charge, He is soverign and He is GOOD. He loves each of us soooooooooooooooo much and so perfectly. It gives me such comfort to know that NO MATTER what the circumstances...No matter how hard things may get at times....The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords...Our God still sits on the throne. He is NEVER in a panic. He is never out of control. He knows it all!!!!





Have a blessed and joyous Thanksgiving!!!!



There will be 24 of us here celebrating and laughing and being thankful together. It will be the craziest happiest chaos!!! MY FAVORITE!!!!

I will soon be posting pictures!

The Crooked Thumb

Reece has the cutest littlest crookedest thumb. We just noticed it a few months ago. He gave me a big thumbs up and I was laughing because it was a crooked thumbs up. I further investigated and it was because he couldn't straighten it...I was thinking....that's weird I never noticed THAT before. So, I asked around the family....nope, nobody had ever noticed....but now that I've pointed it out we are always looking at it...and it is crooked...he can't straighted the little thing. So, I've looked at pictures and his thumb looks like it's always been like that because as he is just relaxed in the pictures, it is bent.

So, Charlie mentions this to our friend and hand therapist, and she's like....."Ummmmm, you need to get it fixed"...we say..."Oh, right you mean physical therapy"....she says, "No I mean surgery". OH CRAP.

So there are blessings in all this....we talked to her and she said this is the BEST time and age to get this done. This is very routine, they do this surgery all the time, and Charlie's hand surgeon does them, and we know her and really like her. The blessing is also that Reece has been in the hospital this calendar year...so hey, his deductible is well on it's way to being paid this year, AND, the surgeon is pregnant but not going on maternity leave until Jan. So that means she can do it, but we have to act quickly.

The honest truth is I"M scared spitless. My sister just lost her mother -in -law due to a horrible mistake in surgery, and it was a mistake by the anaesthesiologist.

So we are praying for wisdom on what to do, and when. We certainly do NOT need more medical bills, but this may prevent further problems with his little thumb.

I took him yesterday to get a WHOLE bunch of x-rays...so we are both full of radiation....but, ANYWHOOOOO, he was soooooo good, until the last one, and he said, " I just can't do this anymore", oh goodness I was cracking up. It was the funniest thing ever, such drama, for a thumb that doesn't even hurt, and they even gave him a little pillow to put his thumb on for the x-ray.

Today is sad and exciting for the Brewer bunch. We have had Catrina living with us for 7 months now. We love her to pieces. She has been a light and a blessing. She moved out here from Minnesota without knowing one thing about us AT ALL! She came very sweet and innocent, and she is leaving still sweet and a bit corrupted. We have been laughing all morning about the "things" we have taught her and exposed her too. We have exposed her to what it is like to live with a 2 year old....a very LIVELY and OPINIONATED 2 year old.....REECE. We have taught her a bit of a different way to show affection.

For Example:

Sometimes we call each other names....ie. freak and dork...and sometimes Lashae and Kole greet each other with a "loving" punch in the arm. It is just our way...you know how families have "their way". Well, Catrina came here and has learned to call us names and she's even hit Kole a few times. She says it's how we show our love around here. It's funny to hear it from someone else's perspective...she thought it VERY strange in the beginning...Now she fits right in. She is headed home tomorrow, and she plans on taking her new vocabulary, and her new signs of affection with her and she's worried how her friends and family might adjust to all that.

We will miss her music. We will miss her funny way. We will miss her innocence. We will miss her nightmares. (She has been known to wake the upstairs with her screaming). She is a wild sleeper. We will just miss HER.

Ecclesiastes 3
A Time for Everything 1For everything there is a season, and(A) a time for every matter under heaven: 2a time to be born, and a time to(B) die;a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3a time to kill, and a time to heal;a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4a time to(C) weep, and a time to laugh;a time to mourn, and a time to(D) dance; 5a time to(E) cast away stones, and a time to(F) gather stones together;a time to embrace, and a time to(G) refrain from embracing; 6a time to seek, and a time to(H) lose;a time to keep, and a time to(I) cast away; 7a time to(J) tear, and a time to sew;a time to(K) keep silence, and a time to speak; 8a time to love, and a time to(L) hate;a time for war, and a time for peace.

So......we were thinking we would feel an emptiness with a missing person....but, God has totally provided another precious gal to live with us. I think the Lord keeps bringing these amazing people into our home to teach us. We think we are helping them out and they end up being a blessing to US! These girls are SOLID in their faith and their love. They are giving and selfless. We have Kelsie coming to live with us the same day that Catrina moves out. Kelsie works at Crystal Peaks and we already know her and she is the BEST! I can't wait to welcome her to our home. I have a feeling Kelsie will pick right up on showing Kole affection by giving him a big punch in the arm. haha!!

Oh my lands...I have a stirring in my soul....or a bee in my bonnet.....something has me all worked up.

The Lord just keeps burdening my heart for the orphan. To do something more to do an orphan ministry. I feel COMPLETELY inadequate. I just barely GET it myself, and Lord has assured me I am COMPLETELY inadequate, but that He is TOTALLY sufficient.

2 Corinthians 3:4-5 (New Living Translation)
4 We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. 5 It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.

I keep saying to the Lord to wait and then once we get Esther home, I will shout from the roof tops, and that will be my platform for having any authority to speak on behalf of the "orphan crisis". But, here's what the Lord keeps showing me....he calls people when they are at their worst, He can use them because they feel completely helpless, and stupid frankly and they HAVE to rely FULLY on Him and His word. I can NOT speak from experience because I have none, I am a baby in all this, but God did give us His word and when I read it, it talks about the orphan A LOT!!!! It doesn't say...once you feel well educated on the matter, or once you have experience...it gives commands concerning the orphan A LOT!!!!

James 1:27 (English Standard Version)
27Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this:(A) to visit(B) orphans and widows in their affliction, and(C) to keep oneself(D) unstained from the world.

I began to think I felt so passionately about this because I read these blogs about adoption or I'm just IN IT right now....so my mind is feeding on it, and I just need to settle down a bit....well, I have had NO time to feed on it the last couple of days, I have NOT been talking to anyone about it....I have not been even thinking about it or doing anything for Esther's adoption, and the PASSION in me is GROWING the PANIC is setting in stronger, the URGENCY is deeper....

I have had many women come up to me and say they have such a yearning to adopt, BUT blah blah blah. I've heard and SAID ALL the excuses...NONE OF IT IS NEW TO ME. And I keep feeling like the Lord wants me to DO something with all this, all these people that are feeling called to something more. I don't believe it is a fleshly, selfish desire that these women are having I believe it is the Holy Spirit speaking to their very hearts. To care for an orphan is not a selfish act, so I believe the Holy Spirit is awakening a desire in them and it all starts with prayer as to what to do with that desire next.

Romans 14:7-8 (New International Version)
7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

Galatians 2:20 (English Standard Version)
20I have been(A) crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives(B) in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God,(C) who loved me and(D) gave himself for me.

I also DO NOT believe that God has called all of us to adopt, but He has called EVERYONE to care for the ophan and widow....what that means for each person is between them and God, but I think it is worth asking the Lord what it means. He also commands us to PRAISE AND WORSHIP HIM, well, that doesn't mean I have to stand in church with a microphone and lead on the worship team (thank goodness), but it does mean I HAVE to praise and worship, so I'd better be doing THAT. He did NOT call us all to be pastors, but He did call us ALL to minister, and GO and make disciples of men. That does NOT mean we all have to go to AFRICA, it does mean we all have to go somewhere and spread the gospel. I think we all have the GO part down...we are always on the move, and I don't think it means we have to stand on the street corner and hand out Bibles, but I do think it means we GO and spread the gospel. So it's easy...just let Christ live in us, and we have the GO down and then LIVE IT and THAT is SPREADING THE GOSPEL. He will make PLENTY of opportunity if we make ourselves available to HIM. He also called us to LOVE ONE ANOTHER...

1 John 3:22-24 (English Standard Version)
22and(A) whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and(B) do what pleases him. 23And this is his commandment,(C) that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and(D) love one another,(E) just as he has commanded us. 24(F) Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God,[a] and God[b] in him. And(G) by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

I don't think that means just the people that are close to us, or easy to love, or are in our neighborhoods. So to LOVE ONE ANOTHER doesn't mean we can ignore when there is a CRISIS in the world, and the crisis RIGHT NOW IS AN ORPHAN CRISIS. I think it is worth each of us going before before Him and asking Him what He would have us individually do??? And then.....DO IT!

Mark 16:15 (English Standard Version)
15And he said to them, (A) "Go into all the world and(B) proclaim the gospel to(C) the whole creation.

I feel like a fool even putting this out there, when technically we have not done a thing yet. On paper we are not yet adoptive parents, OR in ministry OR OR OR OR....but, we ARE changed. God has changed our hearts and opened our eyes, and we had better speak up and give Him some glory and praise, and let Him use us any "ole way He wants, even if that means opening ourselves up to share in a VERY scary and exciting journey even before we know the outcome.

We will rely and trust fully on the Lord, because we can not do one ounce of this on our own.

Amen!

A Year of Trial and Blessing

It has been a WILD 12 months around the Brewer house. One year ago today Charlie cut his hand with the chop saw. We have had more blessings and more trials in this last year than any other year. The blessings FAR outweigh the trials...but, trials none the less. Trials that have grown us closer to our Lord and closer to each other.

Trial....Charlie cut his hand...had to have emergency surgery, and physical therapy.
Blessing....God absolutely provided healing and his hand is great.
Blessing....We've become good friends with Charlie's physical therapist...we would not have gotten to know her otherwise, and she is precious in our lives. A true friend.

Trial...I hit a BIG dog the day after Charlie's surgery, and killed it...everyone is OK, but the car is a bit wrecked.
Blessing....Nobody got hurt, and the car is completely usable.

Trial....We are financially wrecked.
Blessing....God just keeps providing in amazing ways, and He is teaching us to depend solely on Him. He has a great plan for us, and we are getting a front row in watching it unfold.

Trial.....We have had to say NO to many activities we are used to participating in.
Blessing...We have more time for things that are much more important, and we have figured out through necessity...this is how we should have been living all along.

Trial....My parents who have lived here all my life moved to Arizona.
Blessing....God is providing and He is confirming over and over again that they are exactly where He wants them.

Trial....Lashae is not going to college.
Blessing....Lashae graduated as valedictorian, and she is doing things, having experiences, and working in situations that she would not be getting in college. God is growing this girl and teaching her things WAY beyond what she would learn in a classroom.

Trial....Charlie's mom is failing.
Blessing....Bill is taking AMAZING care of her, and he has a wonderful attitude. Marcella has taught this family more about Jesus than anybody else, and she continues..even with her failing health...to teach us and be an example of a saint.

Trial....Kole had a little surgery on his face to take care of and test some bumps that had developed.
Blessing...Tests came back GREAT, and his face looks soooo much better, the lumps are gone.

Trial...Reece ended up in the hospital this summer.
Blessing....God just healed him and he is crazy as ever.

Trial....We came VERY close to have a MAJOR wreck when Charlie fell asleep at the wheel.
Blessing....God kept us from rolling, or hitting anything. We were totally protected.

These are just a few of the biggies...

The blessings I could go on and on and on.......

Blessing....Charlie and Lashae got to go to Africa, and God revealed himself in a BIG way!!! We will never be the same.
Blessing....We are adopting a precious girl from Uganda!!!
Blessing....We have not had a day without work. Even after the hand injury, it happened in Nov. and that is rodeo month for us...where we get paid to manage and do tickets for the rodeo.
Blessing...All the kids are doing GREAT. Healthy and happy and following the Lord.
Blessing....Blessing....Blessing.....Blessing.....Blessing......Over and over, again and again.

I'm Locked Up!

I'm locked up. I'm shut down. AND I didn't even know it.

*Could you answer this question. *

"What can I be praying for YOU about?"

I was posed with this question and it has haunted me for a couple of days...I can NOT answer it.

I can answer it for my kids, my husband, my friends, even my acquaintances and neighbors...but NOT for myself. This question has frustrated the crap out of me to tell you the truth. I know there are things that I could use prayer for...but, I do NOT know what they are or how to say them to God or to anyone who may want to pray for ME. I don't know where to begin and end honestly. I'm stumped. People that are shut down and not able to reveal even what they need to bring before the Lord are shut down and closed up....how can God answer our prayers if we don't even know what we need or what we are asking of Him.

An easy fall back is to just say....God's will.....I just want God's will, and that is TRUE and a good prayer, but He wants us to have intimacy with Him and with people, and in order to do that we must talk to Him, and we must share ourselves with a few friends, and not ABOUT EVERYBODY else. He wants to KNOW us. He already knows us, He is God, He can see into our very soul, but He wants us to cry out toHim, to talk to Him,to be close to Him. He wants us to know the things we are asking Him for, so that when He answers us HE GETS ALL THE GLORY! And that my friends is what GOD is all about...HE IS GOD, HE WANTS TO REVEAL HIS GLORY TO US. HOW BLESSED ARE WE...THAT THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE WANTS TO REVEAL HIS GLORY TO US AND THROUGH US.

Romans 8:16-18 (New International Version)
16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Present Suffering and Future Glory 18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Do you ever have a friend that knows everything about you, but does NOT share about themselves? It sucks, it's just a one-way friendship....we do it almost as a martyr, but it's really just a locked up, shut down person with a lot of WALLS. I've discovered...I"M ONE OF THOSE to my Lord. I know He loves me, but if I want something more out of this relationship, I'd better get unlocked, and geared up, intimate, vulnerable, and chatty with my Lord!!!

Out of Our Comfort Zones

My man stands in front of the church and asks everyone to join hands and pray.

Oh....this is brave. He is brave to ask us to get out of our comfort zone...he is brave to stand in front of the church...this is NOT easy for him. He is WAY out of his comfort zone...relying on God alone to get him through the "prayer" that he feels strongly needs to be a part of our Sunday service routine.

He has had much encouragement, and a bit of opposition. But in the end, when he runs into people on a 'job" and that person says..."hey, you are that pastor guy." My man does not know who they are talking about, and then realized, it's him they are talking too!!!

Oh boy, he felt great encouragement by these folks that called him "pastor guy", they talked about how much they enjoy joining hands and praying with other believers...and to think, that just an hour prior; my man was wondering if this is REALLY what God wants...does he need to continue putting himself out there in such an uncomfortable awkward way....praying aloud....asking people to do things different than they are used too??? And I'm guessing the answer is "yes".

God sent confirmation within the hour of discouragement. We have such a faithful Lord...that when He asks us to do something that is "uncomfortable" or "scary", He will comfort, provide and confirm what He is asking us to do. It doesn't make it easier, but it makes it doable, and it makes it "well with our souls" because we know the HE is with us!!!!

3 John 1:2 (English Standard Version)
2Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.

Memorial Box Monday - Esther

A few times I have participated in memorial box Monday..which is something a really awesome bloggy friend has come up with....you write about things that God has done, big or small to remind you that He cares for us...He loves us.....He provides for us.....He is GOOD, and you put it in a post and share it!!!! The blog is http://www.aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com/ and sometimes we can link to her blog and you get to read a whole bunch of different stories from ALL OVER and ALL KINDS of different things that are such wonderful amazing reminders that God is a LIVING God and He is doing amazing things for us ALL THE TIME, from the beginning of time.....right through TODAY!

So my memorial box story is about a little girl in Uganda that we are in the process of adopting. Her name is Esther and she is 9 years old. My husband and my oldest daughter met her and fell in love with her back in May when they were there on a mission trip.

We had several people from our church family that were going to be spending 2 weeks in Uganda doing a medical mission in October. I was soooo excited I couldn't contain myself. We bought a few item for Esther and we wrote letters to her. My biggest excitement was the possibility that my Bible study leader / friend / mentor / AMAZING LADY/ prayer partner, named Bonnie, was going to be in UGANDA near Esther whom I have never gotten to meet face to face. It was more than I could take!!!!

Well, as time got closer it was apparent that Bonnie...the amazing lady....would not be able to see Esther. The team leader had figured that logistically it would not be possible...they were headed to a village that was quite a distance from Esther, and their days were full. I told him that I understood, but he needed to understand I WAS GOING TO PRAYING FOR BONNIE TO MEET ESTHER.

So 4 days before the team was to head home....I had this overwhelming sense that I need to PRAY FOR BONNIE TO MEET ESTHER again. It occurred to me the reason it was soooo important was that Esther needs to meet people from her new CHURCH family, so that when she comes here there is a familiar face. I was in the car alone...so I literally prayed OUT LOUD!!! I said to the Lord this is VERY IMPORTANT to me and to ESTHER.

One hour later....my sister is talking with me on the phone and says that she just saw on faceb**k that the team from our church was going to see ESTHER in 3 days!!!!!

Are you even kidding me?????!!!!!!!!

God answered in a BIG way...the whole team got to meet her and spend some time with her and all the wonderful kids at her orphanage. They spent time with JaJa Kathy...the beautiful lady that is the founder of the orphanage. It was a good encouraging day for many from Africa to the USA!!

I HAVE A PICTURE of Bonnie holding my girl. I'm telling you, that is almost as sweet as getting to hold her myself.

One of the other gals that went on the mission trip came FLYING off the airplane right into her hubby's arms and then into her sweet daughters' arms, and then over to me!!! She gave me a huge hug and said it was from Esther.

Now isn't that just like our God....to answer soooo much bigger than we even ask. Not only did Bonnie get to meet her, but the whole team!!!! They had a meal together, and they gave Esther our gifts!!!!

James 1:27 (New King James Version)
27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

God is soooo smart...He created us....so He knows what to talk to us about and what to put in His word. I was reminded yesterday of this verse, because my hubby spoke it at a funeral yesterday, and he was telling folks, we have a widow that we must visit, and if we want to be "religious" than we need to hold her up, and visit her. Well, I learned WHY God said to visit them...once you visit them...an orphan or a widow, it takes away that word or label, and they become a person with a name, a face, and with needs. So when He told us to do this, it was to change our hearts, and when you think of the staggering number of 163 million orphans in the world it seems outrageous and you feel helpless....and then you VISIT them, and they have a name, and they need a family....and for us her name is Esther, and her face is beautiful, and she needs a family!!!

Dr. Appt. or Divine Appt.

Today I had a Dr. appt.....I had to get my Yellow Fever shot, so that when we are ready to go get Esther, I'm ready to roll. This shot is required to travel to Africa. I also had to get a paper signed from a Dr. saying he thinks Charlie and I are mentally and physically able to care for another child. (hold all your jokes please...hehe...only I can make fun of this one.) Anyway, so this week-end I got my paperwork and my passport out and ready to go, so I didn't forget anything for the appt. I was FREAKED out when I realized the Dr. signature had to be notarized, ugh....I did not tell them this when I made the appt. So this week-end I prayed that this would not be a problem...I mean you know doctors are busy and I'm just guessing how excited they get about MORE paperwork.



I called this morning and told the clinic that my paperwork had to be notarized...the gal says...we do NOT have a notary in the building, but go ahead and come and we'll figure it out...



So I go, and I checked in and when the nurse came to get me, I told her that the Dr. signature needed to be notarized, she said, "Uhhhhhh, I will call the hospital, and see it they have a notary". So she calls the hospital, and the notary over there would not answer....



In the meantime....the Dr. came in to consult me on the shot, and to make sure I had a heartbeat and so he could sign the paper for adoption...this doc we have known for a long time, and he has delivered 2 of my precious babes. This is the only doc Charlie will EVER agree to see for anything....(besides hand injuries...of which he will go to the hosp. and back injuries of which he will go to Dr. Hebert) this is the Doc that when I had Luke....he comes back in the room after all his work was complete, and says....hey I have a boy named Luke too, and it happens to be his birthday today. So this Doc delivered our Luke on his Luke's birthday. How cool is that?????



So, TODAY...the Dr. shares with me a story about his Luke, and how God absolutely did a complete miracle and saved this boy's life.....he told me the whole story, but I didn't ask if I could share.....so I won't, but trust me he was calling it a miracle and there is NO other explanation!!! So, that just made my day; he also told me that his Luke is a missionary in another country....Oh my gracious.....I shared with him that Lashae wants to be a missionary, and it has taken an act of God for Charlie and I to get on board with this decision, I told him I was ashamed that I could not be 100% excited at first, that it has taken a lot of time, and a work of God on my heart to TRUST HIM with her future and her calling to go to the mission field.




We had a very cool moment, the Doc shared with me that he too has struggled even though he knows his boy is called and God has such a hand on his life, but sometimes it was difficult and he just has to TRUST....


Oh glory!!! One parent to another, we just had such a good time, and we both said at the end of the conversation how glad we were that God was in control and He had a future for our kids because we sure couldn't do a better job than GOD to plan their futures....we had a good laugh at the end about who do we think we are anyway???



So then I break the news that I need a notarized signature....he said ok...we'll get it done in the next few days or SO.....when I left without those papers and I felt in a bit of a panic...this adoption paperwork is tedious and it important....there are no variations, no exceptions, no gray.....you get it done and you get it done right, and anything you mess up on is just another delay to bringing your child home.



So I thanked the Lord for such a fabulous Dr. appt, that I HAD BEEN DREADING ....I have not been to a Dr. for myself in almost 3 yrs, and the only reason I went then was because I had a baby!! (No comments allowed on this either. It's just the way it is, and I'm doing great!! I have not had a need to go to the Dr.)



I was rejoicing for such a "divine appt" at the Dr. office, but I was concerned for my paperwork.


So then I come home and 2 hours later the nurse calls and says they have all paperwork done and notarized!!!!! Oh my Lord, I am REJOICING!!!!!! What a day the Lord has given me, He has just provided one good thing after another. I'm REJOICING BIG!!!!

How Do the Kids Feel About Esther????

Many have asked how our kids feel about Esther's adoption into our family.....the one you would think might have the most reservations about ANOTHER sibiling, and having to SHARE a room...well, she wrote a post about how she feels and I think you should check it out. It brought this mom to tears, and made me URGENT to get Esther home. Oh, and as far as the room cleaning, and getting ready for Esther, this was ALL her own idea...I can barely wrap my mind around the paperwork I'm having to do, let alone worried about where she is going to sleep at this point. And, I did point out to Charsie that maybe we should have Esther share a room with Lashae since she has a bigger room, and she is hardly ever home.....Charsie burst into tears, and said that WAS NOT FAIR....she has wanted Esther in her room!!!!! Wow, all this from a 13 year old girl who spends A LOT of her time taking care of younger sibilings. I'm pretty sure the Lord has prepared each member of this family for Esther and now He just needs to finish the deal, and get her HOME!!!!

Click on over at : http://www.brewersisters.blogspot.com/ and check it out!!!

Moving

My folks are packing up and heading to Arizona. Wow...it's been 23 years in the same place. Me and 2 of my 3 sisters and our hubby's and older boys took the place by storm this weekend and made HUGE progress in the moving process with them. It was craziness. We had a few sad moments....going down memory lane and realizing this is an end to a big long crazy chapter for all of us....and we had some funny moments, we got a bit silly at times, and we mostly had....let's just POWER through this and GET 'ER DONE moments.

Dad was in his element, he had us all marching.

Mom was surviving...she had all of us barking at her..."keep or not"...."Arizona or storage"...."garbage or box"...all weekend long...all of us firing off constant questions, we did not give her time to think....we didn't have time. She did very well, and hung in there to the dirty end and didn't even threaten to spank us or put us in the corner once!!!!

Here we are as a young family of mom and dad and 4 girls....it feels like this was just a few days ago.

Kole is holding a dear picture that just had to go...when you've taken a zillion pictures over the years you just can't keep them all. So we have plenty copies of each precious moment, but those big ones are just taking up too much space.

Here is all of our Senior pictures...Mom is holding Tawnya's. Just a few days gone by since these were taken.

Charsie Has Braces

Charsie got braces.....Here is the before and after pictures of my girl.

There is a sweet story behind these braces.

My nephew, Brayden, who happens to be Charsie's best friend had recently sent Charsie a sweet note and a sizable check. The note explained how braces would feel when she got them, and described in detail what she could and couldn't eat. Then the note when on to explain that the check was to help pay for her braces. Brayden has braces and he knew how bad Charsie needed them and he just wanted to contribute. This kid has a heart of gold, his thoughtfulness and generosity are just a part of his DNA it is a huge part of who is EVERY day, and he gets it so genuinely right from his MOM AND DAD. I will always think of Brayden and what a giver he is every time I look at Charsie with those braces on, and then once they are off and her teeth are straight and beautiful.

I thank the Lord for these kids and how He is teaching us through them what selflessness and PURE love really are.

Football, Family, Fun

We had such a great week-end. Friday night we went to Kole's football game in Washougal...and WE WON!!!! Also, Marlece and her beautiful family met us there and it was soooo much fun watching football with her, but I did have to restrain her a few times as she was tempted to get out there and cheer with the cheerleaders.


Also, Sydney (our other graduated daughter) met us there and it was sooooo wonderful to see her! Lashae and her NATURALLY wore the same shirt...(not on purpose).... They have just been so close for so long that they think alike.

We then ALL went up to Marlece's house for a few hours of sleep, a run, a new hair-do, some waxing of the eyebrows, some excellent food...and then at noon off to my nephew Brayden's game....where....yep....HE WON!!!!

And I might add that he is just a bit on the studly side out there on that football field. He never ONCE came off that field. They use that boy for every second of every game.

Charsie is by far his biggest fan.

Then we headed out and had lunch all together.....and my sis and her hubby insisted on treating us to a yummy lunch. THANK YOU!!!!

The best part of the whole frantic time, was the time spent with my sis. She knows more about me and me about her than I'm sure is the legal limit. We have been through childhood....good and bad....marriage...good and bad.....child-birth, post-pardom....good and bad (in that order)....failures, success....bad and good....frustration and celebration TOGETHER. We are total opposites and totally the same...

Our hubby's were best of buds all growing up...so it was much like sisters marrying brothers....we joke that we are sister wives...(as in polygamy), but we each have our own man so that doesn't quite work.

We love like sisters and we fight like sisters. The best part of this whole sister thing is that she is my sister in Christ and we are following Jesus together but in different states in different ways, but following Him and sharing what He is teaching us, and growing up together in Him.

The Gift That Just Keeps Giving

Charlie came home in tears last night.

Tears of JOY and tears of overwhelmed BLESSING!!!

Last year we had some precious friends that called and said they would like to give us some hay and we could just trade off the the bill with a few little things they needed done, building wise....and then when they were ready to build a house we could finish the trade......I can't tell you what a total blessing this was. We were just praising God...we had enough and EXTRA hay to feed all year..and we still have some left..and prior to their call, we were trying to figure out what to do....because we did not have enough hay or money to feed through the winter. So were thrilled and blessed to say the very least. Charlie did a few little things they needed done, but this was a BUNCH of hay, so it was going to take building a house to make the trade even. We were just so thankful for their generosity and thoughtfulness. They contacted US they asked US ....knowing, it may be awhile before they build. So it was a blessing and a gift straight from the Lord through some people that listen to Him and give selflessly and generously.

So then yesterday..................the same precious friend called Charlie and said that him and his precious wife have always been interested in adoption and they would like to support us in ours and then we can pave the way a bit so that when they are ready we can be their support. Then he said he wanted to call it even on the hay ....and that is how they want to contribute!!!!! I can not express how this just blessed our very hearts and made us crazy with LOVE and praises to the Lord!

People; I have been asked SOOOOOO many times.....just yesterday......as a matter of fact.....how are you going to pay for an adoption?? My answer is..........we aren't, GOD IS! And He is, He is.

It blows my mind to watch and be a part of miracle after miracle of how God will just move mountains for the orphan. He will take care of all His children, and we are also living proof of that, but HE MOVES MIGHTILY ON BEHALF OF THE ORPHAN. It humbles me beyond words to get to be a part of something that is just the mighty work of God.

I want to be a part of this kind of LOVE, I want to BE the precious friend that calls someone out of the blue and GIVES SELFLESSLY just because the LORD laid it on MY HEART! These folks have hearts and ears for the LORD. I am blessed by them, and I am overwelmed by God's love and His blesssings. He is so faithful.

Random Thoughts From the Week-end Conference

My brain is EXPLODING!!!! We got soooo much information this week-end at the conference we attended this weekend, and everyone who knows me is going to be soooooo sick of me...sick of listening to me as I process all that is rattling in this brain of mine.

Here's one of the worst statistics I have ever heard....the latest studies are coming out with this stat....there are 163,000,000 orphans worldwide...OMG....that is crazy....think of this......163,000,000 kids will be aged out of the system in 18 years...which means we have the potential of having 163,000,000 people in this world who know nothing about love and being cared for by someone that thinks they are special, and will be in their corner for their whole lives.....they will be in crime, drugs, prostitution, anything to SURVIVE. They don't know any different...it is not their fault.....

Here's another thought....if my kids were left with no parents for whatever reason....and everyone just gave them money, but did not pray for them by name, did not hold them, did not have them over for dinner, did not include them in their lives; that would be devastating. My kids need love, and they get it because we have family and friends in their lives everyday no matter what....there are 163,000,000 kids that don't!!!! They don't have parents or friends and family support. Just throwing money at the problem won't fix it...these kids need family, friends, someone to cheer them on through this difficult life.

Here's a question that I know we will get a lot, because I myself have asked this...and I feel through education, and a tiny experience I have a better answer...or at least an answer I feel resolved with in my own heart. THE QUESTION: Why don't you help those in need HERE in America....OMG...We need to...there is a need in the U.S. ...there is a huge need...especially in the foster care system, but for ME for RIGHT NOW we know of a little girl in Africa who's name is Esther and SHE IS THE ONE GOD HAS LAID ON OUR HEARTS FOR RIGHT NOW. So we are going full steam ahead to bring her home to our home to be our daughter....

One last random thought on the magnitude of the 163,000,000 thing....I think of the Vietnam War, and all the lasting repercussions from that....I think of the many people that are currently living on the street, their lives devastated, on drugs, and messed up, and think about how many of them stem from Vietnam...they were rejected, they saw devastating things, they went through things that have absolutely devastated them for rest of their lives to the point of many of them are abusers of drugs, alcohol and other vices....what is it going to be like when there are 163,000,000 of those people that have been rejected and devastated out trying to find their way in this world. Yikes!!!!

Oh and I'll leave you with a quote from this weekend that just gripped me: If we are going to speak out and stand against abortion, we must be willing to speak out and stand up for the babies that are BORN.