Summing up 2013

I have not been sleeping well AT ALL...so I get up and spend time with the Lord...which sounds very spiritual...but a lot of it is just because nobody else wants to spend time with me at 2am.
 Just being honest.

One sleepless night I was asking the Lord for a verse to sum up 

2013

 and this is what I got:

Romans 8:38-39

English Standard Version (ESV)

 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I will never fully understand this kind of crazy love...but I think I have a wider glimpse into this verse after this year.

  Jesus has lavished His love on us.

  We have lost loved ones this year and we have walked closely with people that have lost loved ones and its crazy to me that in the midst of death, God's children can feel so loved and they are so well cared for. 

This year has also encompassed a few new additional treasures to our family.  Yippee us!!! 

One is in college...so he is raised and we just get to enjoy the benefits of another amazing son.

 One more treasure to call me "Mama".

 Every time..EVERY TIME...I hear it or read it on a text from him...I just beam.  He has "chosen" to call me that.  Blesses me to the core.

The other treasure we added to our bunch, is younger and still needs a lot of

 "intentional parenting".

 We didn't have a lot of prep/prayer  time for this one...it all happened very quickly. 

 I'm grateful for that, the waiting can be the hardest, but I also feel like I'm "winging it" a lot. 

 With any adoption...especially of older kids, it takes a giant leap of faith and then you do this constant dance of one or two steps forward and one or one and half steps backwards.   

Our guy has seen his share of heartache in his young life...but his heart is tender and pliable and that is only by the grace and love of our almighty Father. 

God has been so gracious to us and to our new treasure.  

Before I went to Uganda, I could tell he felt very unsure of the situation.  When you have abandonment in your history and your newish mom is leaving the country...it comes with some big fears.

Here is how God's grace covered all:

  As I was gone...he really stepped it up and Lashae and him bonded in a way that wouldn't have happened if I had been here. 

 He helped out and loved on Maubry and that blessed Lashae in big ways.

Lashae got to know him and love him like the awesome big sister that she is, and Maubry got to know him as an uncle.

Also, before I left...he had never told me he loved me....and since I've been back...he has said it everyday. 

 He has taken a giant leap forward.

Only God's amazing grace can use the thing that a person fears the worst to grow them and teach them to 

LOVE.

Isaiah 61

The Year of the Lord's Favor

61 

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,

    because the Lord has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor;[a]

    he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives,

    and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;[b]

2 

to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,

    and the day of vengeance of our God;

    to comfort all who mourn;

3 

to grant to those who mourn in Zion—

    to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,

the oil of gladness instead of mourning,

    the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;

that they may be called oaks of righteousness,

    the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.[c]

4 

They shall build up the ancient ruins;

    they shall raise up the former devastations;

they shall repair the ruined cities,

    the devastations of many generations.

I have seen and experienced the faithfulness of God and His unwavering love.