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!!!!