New Years Eve - Resolutions

Jeez yea right, I don't make resolutions. When people ask I tell them I'm going to quit smoking or quit drinking. See that's the funny part, I don't do either. Man I'm a laugh riot. For 2007 I am going to make some goals, but I will just go with the flow of the life God provides. My goals for my life (not just this year):

1. To continue to grow in my relationship with Jesus


2. Lead, protect and provide for my family


3. Bring the weight down a bit


4. Spread the love, humor and word of our Lord


5. Continue to live as pure a life as a human can. Jesus is the only way I will have the strength to live the life HE calls me to live.

Another note: If you haven't seen Hotel Rwanda, go rent it. I will never understand the way humans think and live. Yet history proves to us, the we humans cannot do it the right way without a deep and true relationship with our God. Adolph Hitler, Slobodan Milošević, Nicolae Ceauşescu, Saddam Hussein, the Rwandan Genocide. And these are just the famous ones.

One of my closest friends, who is a police officer back home in Massachusetts, and has seen the effects of perverts attacks on children, has asked me a few times "How does your God allow these things to happen". I think of this question whenever I see a movie like Hotel Rwanda or documentaries on most African countries, or hear Pastor Eugen from Romania talk about the days of communism. How does our Lord allow these crazy acts of violence and inhumanity happen.

My only reply can be, until God opens my eyes to a better answer: That Matthew 22 teaches us of the Great Commandment. Matthew 22:37-40 says "'37Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

If these people had a true, deep and loving relationship with Jesus, then the convictions they would have in their lives would NOT be focused on their thoughts and feelings and desires, but rather Gods. Jesus Christ does NOT teach to love based on race or sex or social status. Jesus teaches us to love HIM First and Foremost, then love everyone else as you love yourself. Not once does he teach genocide, sexual abuse, murder, theft, torture.

Long description for me to say to those who question God's authority: If everyone lived their life for God, these atrocities may not have happened. But remember from every grossness comes beauty. That is God's responds to free will. HE lets us make decisions, but brings out his Glory from the decisions we make without his command.

Long post this morning...sorry :) Please, Please, Please be safe tonight. Designated Drivers aren't just a silly commercial, they are life savers, so use them....Please.

Happy New Year!

Liberia Picture Montage

So....I found Movie Maker...sorry world, but here come movies and montages!!! I put together a picture montage from Liberia. Turns out, my movie making skills are just like my talking skills...long winded. This video ended up being 9 minutes long!! It may be a little slow to load, whoops. Next time I'll make it shorter, or at least try to. But it does have 2 of my favorite songs on it. Hope you enjoy it.

Funny story, my coworker and I got talking about movies and religion. He told me a story which proves again, God has a sense of Humor. This coworker of mine, I'll call him NoNo for privacy purposes, went to the movies to see some movie he thought was going to have some violence and mature content. Turns out the movie was a religious movie, which NoNo decided to leave after 5 minutes and go see something else. He thought a good football movie would be great, so he went into Facing the Giants. For those that don't know, Facing the Giants is a movie made by christians and has a very strong Christian message. Thankfully NoNo stayed and watched all of that movie. Just goes to show you, you cannot outrun the will of God.

God is Good!

Christmas Eve 2006 - Will I Remember...?

It's almost 7PM on Christmas eve and I got to thinking about 10 or 20 years from now. Will I remember Christmas 2006? Will I remember Quatro and Seis's first Christmas as members of our family? The excitement of leaving cookies and milk for Santa? Quatro yelling to Uno and Dos that the cookies are NOT FOR THEM!!! :) Or Quatro running around hugging everyone yelling Merry Christmas, showing more loving emotions to us then she has ever done? Or Seis getting upset that she didn't get the Dora slippers we got Quatro instead of the Zoe's slippers we got her? (Gotta love being 2 and 3) Or how about Dos and Uno singing the 12 days of christmas in only a way Dos and Uno can? These are the memories I never want to forget. But it all goes by so fast...

How about you...will you remember Christmas 2006? Will you remember the important details that make times like Christmas so memorable? Wherever you are this Christmas, I hope that you will take a few moments to enjoy all that is happening around you...the sights, the smells, the conversations, the foods, the gifts, the friendships and the family.

How about after Christmas? Will we all take time to reflect, only in real time? Reflection doesn't have to happen after something happens. We can "reflect" as we live our lives. Making cookies together, playing at the park, bringing your kids to school....incredible memories happen everyday, yet they seem to fade away so quickly.

I'll be honest I don't know where that all came from, but I felt it important enough to write down. I hope this helps you as well as helps me remember to enjoy all the blessings God's given us. It's so important to embrace our blessings as they happen as well as after we have received them.

Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas - Praises to God

This is a Christmas light show that we saw when in Brussels.

Christmas is in 3 short days. It's taken me a little bit to get back into the swing of things, but I'm in the spirit now. The last few nights we have been working on Praises to God with the kids during our devotions time. I thought I'd just write out the things I praise Jesus for in my life.

I praise God for:

• Wife: the most incredible woman I have ever met. God molded the perfect person for me to grow old with and without her I'd be a lost soul.
• Uno, Dos, Quatro and Seis: 4 precious kids who are beautiful, funny, creative, dedicated, devoted and the most well behaved children a parent could ask for. My life is rich each night I come home and am greeted by 4 huge hugs.
• Family and friends: Growing up the chubby smelly kid, I could never have imagined being as loved as I am. My family, Wife's family, our friends in New England and in Texas...I'm truly blessed by our friendship and our times together.
• The opportunity to see new parts of the world this year: God has opened my eyes to see how reliant we all are on Him. Regardless of our economical situations, we all need and desire a relationship with God.
• The gift of eternal life: This gift we all have received through the birth, crucifixion and reserection of our Lord Jesus Christ. John 3:16&17 says: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

I pray for all of you and your families. Have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and may you all have a blessed and properous New Year!!

Liberia - Thoughts Part 8

--Dec 9& 10 - Brussels and Travel - day 10 & 11
So much for Kelly and my big talk. We are in the hotel right now and we got here at about 7am. He and I are sharing a room again, and Mike had called up here and said let's all rest and meet up at 2pm. We were both like "let's go see stuff. We could make it Paris and back in those 7 hours". So we showered then laid down to rest...and well its now...1pm :) oh well. I am clean and I am rested so that is good. The bathroom here also has a magnified mirror which makes my melon look enormous. I can actually count the hair on my head. I won't but I could.
--
Belgium is beautiful. The chocolate is phenomenal and the waffles with chocolate sauce is something straight from heaven, saw the Christmas lights and tree and light show.
--
Last night not sleeping in my own bed and tonight. We had a great 2 hour so meeting and lots of tears were shed and thoughts shared. It was good. I'm sure we will have a few more debriefing meetings as well. This trip was amazing but surreal at the same time and we are going to need time as a team to digest it all and figure out what happens from this point on. Afterwards we went out to the center square of Brussels and it was all lit up for Christmas. The square was amazing with a light/music show that was running up against the background of these amazing cathedrals and buildings. It was great. We did some shopping and as I mentioned had some chocolate which lived up to everything anyone ever said about it. The waffle with chocolate on it is so stinking good as was the hot chocolate. I could move here and live off the chocolate. I picked up some stuff for everyone. So now its a matter of sleeping then flying home. I'm ready :)

--
Dec 11 -
I'm up and packed and READY TO GO!!!! :) about to go down and have a team breakfast before we walk over to the airport. I've gotten a cold I think. I feel pretty ok but I'm congested and have a dumb old cough. Whatever...I'm going home!
--
On the plane now, about to leave Brussels. The rumor is elf and Talladega Nights will be played during this 9 hour flight. I've acquired a cough. I don't want to be sick when I get home, but oh well.
--
All that "excitement" for elf...and I slept through it :). I think we are down to 1 hour till we land.
--
On the flight now. Under 4 hours till we are home. I talked to the kids and Wife and the pure excitement in the voices makes me feel awesome. I know they love me and need me and that's such an awesome feeling. Lord I just want to take this time to come to you right now and worship at your holy feet for blessing me with the most incredible and perfect wife. We know you don't make mistakes father and you created, molded and blessed me with the most beautiful, intelligent, funny woman. Not too many people would have stuck with me through all I have done in my life and in her you have blessed me with the perfect temperament and understanding. God you’re so awesome. The children you have put in my life for us to raise to your glory father are beyond amazing. Smart, a sense of humor, obedient and loving lord is what they all are. Dos is the most incredible little man, loving his parents as you direct children to do, so intelligent and deliberate, so much fun. Quatro is so full of life lord and so head strong. The challenges she gives us lord are reminders of the challenges you put in our lives and the frustrations you feel towards us when we fall astray lord. She is a beautiful little girl and I love her more each day, even through the struggles. Lord Seis is such a bundle of energy and laughter. She brings life into a room and is such a rumble tumble little girl yet full of so much joy and love. And Uno father, what an amazing blessing she is. Unknown to her right now, she was used by you at such a young age, to help bring a man to you father and brought such joy to a her sick grandmother father. You are so amazing in unfolding your grace and mercy on us. You have given us an oldest daughter who, lord...words are hard to describe. Vibrant and tender, funny and soft hearted, brilliant and artistic, loving her parents yet more importantly...so fearful and full of you Jesus. An 8 year lord is an inspiration to me father...and its all because of you. I praise you father with all I have.

Liberia - Thoughts Part 7

Day 9 - orphanage and departing - Friday
--
Sitting at the airport now. Today we went to the orphanage and prayed over all the rooms and entrance. The guys went and got water. I took a bunch of pictures and video of the kids playing, posing, singing and dancing. From there we went back to pastor’s house and hung out there and packed up. I left a bunch of clothes for the boys who helped us this week; Morris, Power, Matthew, Amos, Prince and the rest. I told Laura (pastors wife) I was so sorry for the stinkyness of them but I was leaving them. She seemed grateful. It was fun to spend the last few hours with the pastor’s family and friends. But it was sad too. A whole bunch of people were crying, including my favorite kid, Priscilla. She is pastor Wesley’s daughter. She is 16 and very adorable. I asked her if she was glad to get her room back from 2 stinky boys and she said no, with tears in her eyes. I asked why and she said because we are going. Mad me feel sad. I hope we showed our love for them by being real with them. I hope to see them again. It hurts my heart to think I won't. I am glad to be going home and to cleanliness. And I am glad to be getting away from the poverty and everyone asking for help. But at the same time...I don't want to leave. I want to stay and make these people laugh and have fun. It doesn't seem like they get much pleasure. I don't know what I want god to call me too, but like Romania, this just feels right. I still don't think I'm prepared for this but its so right feeling. I can't understand how to do this and have the family life I want too. God will figure it all out. Oh and we ( I ) got some sweet video of George the monkey. And some cool pics. I so love the monkey...I want one! When we were driving away for the last time, the monkey was not out. The van was really sad and teary so I just said “well I'm going to do this”...and I stuck my head out the window and yelled by to the monkey real loud. Everyone laughed. We all laughed even more when we saw a stream of pee come out under the gate.

--

As we went through baggage claim today, the bag checker saw dianes bible and he asked if she had another. She brought him one and after he found out we were all Christians he said "search is over" and let us through. It was pretty awesome.
-- random airport funny
Ryan just asked me if I had a comb...then didn't get it when I was laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. Then he got it and teared up too. ... I guess you had to be there.
--
So we are flying now and I just had the most overwhelming feeling of missing my Romania mission trip members. Sarah, Bill, Chuck, Jenny and of course Stepan. They would have enjoyed this trip as well. I have no idea what brought that up, probably god. Father as I sit on this plane making our way back to friends and family I pray to you to blanket my teammates from the Romania trip with your comfort, love and blessings. I pray for their families lord and for their homes. I ask that you would just fill their hearts with you lord. I love them father and I love you lord.
--
Just landed in Brussels. That wasn't too bad a flight. I slept a bit but I am still pretty tired. It is 5:40am right now here. I hope we plan to rest for a bit before doing anything today. I think I may be coming down with a cold or something.

Liberia - Thoughts Part 6

Day 8 -- shopping day
Last night Kelly and I talked about our testimonies and shared stories about families. It was cool to get to know him some more. Today is breakfast then out into town to shop. I'm not sure what follows that. I'll write more later, I'm going to try and retrieve my notes.
--
At breakfast right now and I don't know what's wrong with me, but I am super sad. I saw Wife put a comment up on the blog. Made me tear up of course. I'm really reserved and quiet and need to kick myself out of this. I just got so sad last night seeing the pastors kids sleeping on the floor, because I was sleeping in one of their rooms. Ugh. This is the saddest I've been in a long time. I don't remember being this sad in Romania. Lord, please be with me today as I need your help to get through this day and not be a distraction to the team. Father I pray that this sadness will fall away and the joy you have for us will be in me. You've made me father to bring smiles to faces and the source of my smiles lord is the provisions you have for me. This time away from those I love, I do for you and I am grateful to be given this opportunity. I love you father, amen.
--
So we did some shopping and I got everyone an African outfit and a few necklaces for myself. We are actually going to the beach right now. Kelly and Melissa are meeting up with a consulate to talk about the three kids adoption. We are actually going to go in and swim a bit. It should feel pretty good. The main street market place was so busy and crowded. Mainly people were selling cheesy American junk. But we did find some cool, what looked like authentic stuff. We are driving right now and its crazy how much these people honk their horns. They honk at intersections, when passing walkers, passing cars...its so weird and loud.
--
So sitting at the dinner table and today was pretty awesome. We went shopping and this morning interviewed pastor Wesley. It was great to hear his testimony and his thoughts on his ministries. This afternoon we went back to the beach. And I can tell people I have ridden the waves off the coast of Liberia. Ryan, Mike and I went swimming in the Atlantic ocean and body surfed on the waves. I'm not that great at it, but it was so amazing. Life long memories and stories were made from this afternoon. We leave tomorrow night. A night in Brussels then home. Hallelujah
--
Last night in Liberia. I'm sad to go but happy to be coming home. The people we have been staying with are so generous and nice. I saw tonight the boy who was sleeping on the floor last night, again on the floor. But this time at least he was on the pillow I gave him. Still so sad. That being said, god really laid on my heart tonight that we put humanistic levels of severity on sin. In the same way we put levels of severity on good as well. Isaiah 6 says "the whole earth is full of his glory". And it is so true. Put aside the poverty, dirt, trash and run downess and see that god is providing food and water and shelter. It isn't being provided the way we are accustomed to and that doesn’t mean we don't work to make life better. It just means that god is truthful in his word and his world is full of his glory. Not sure I explained that right or not, but it made sense to me and helped me feel a tiny bit better about this place.

--
Random thought before I go to sleep: the UN lands there helicopters right across the street. How cool yet loud is that...especially at 12:45 in the morning when you are trying to sleep. Like right now.

Liberia - Thoughts Part 5

Dec 6 - day 7 – Wednesday – Clinic and Orphange
Today we will be heading over to the orphanage. It'll be my first trip over...I'm anxious to see it. Afterwards we will be going back to the clinic to hang the medicine shelves and take inventory of the medicines. I just saw the video mike put up today and it'll make Wife cry.
--
So we are back at the clinic now. We went to the orphanage and man oh man. They should be commended and praised for doing all they are doing in the conditions they live in. It was so sad to see the room about the size of my bathroom or even smaller, that sleeps 2 precious babies. The rooms for the girls is so small that the 2 bunk beds can't fit in the room properly. And the boys rooms are the same, too small for the beds. There are 13 girls in one room, then 7 boys in 1 room and 8 in another. The mattresses, or lack thereof is depressing. One of the girls beds had a 1/2 inch thick piece of foam. The bathroom is an outhouse. The well for water to clean with is about 300 feet away and the drinking well is about 1/4 mile away from the home. The clothes they were wearing were all tattered and torn. I pray for this home and those kids. They are so precious and god is so good, they are getting an education and provisions and exposure to god.
--
I'm in bed now and I feel so guilty. There are kids sleeping on the floor in the hall way. Ugh. I don't know what to do...if I offer my pillow or mattress to one others won't have anything. My stomach hurts. Other things to journal about: we put up the shelves at the clinic today. All the medicine is in the clinic and Pastor Wesley will put it all up when he is ready. I also bought a cool African wood carving of the Liberian handshake. He threw in a couple of huts as well.
--
I just went out and gave the boy outside my door my pillow. I couldn’t wake him, so I hope he wakes up and can/will use it.
--

From tonight Bible Study: Pastor Wesley said this quote and I really loved it "Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care". How unbelievable true is that?

Liberia - Thoughts Part 4

Dec 3 - day 4 - church day
Good morning. Its Sunday and we are all sitting around having some quiet time before we head off to church. I think we will be leaving soon. Across the way, boys are getting their hair cut, or rather shaved with a straight edge. I should go get my head shaved, my hair is getting long. It should look pretty funny by the time I get home. The clothes the women wear for church are pretty cool. One woman is in a cool yellow get up with a head covering. How manly of me to notice the dress of the women.

-- Church
So the music is amazing. I love it more than any other worship music I have ever heard in my life. I teared up more than a few times. It’s so amazing how spirit of god can pour over a body of believers when you the whole body is singing out to him. The African worship is just unbelievable. Dancing and singing and harmonizing...goosebumps and filled with Jesus.
--
Well we are sitting at the restaurant and I can't get online, which stinks. Kelly did and he brought up the blog and I saw Wife and the kids post. Instant tears of course. We walked up to the restaurant from the church and man oh man did I sweat. I've sweat so much this trip. I'll be curious to see how stinky my suitcase is when I get back home. I got a few email addressees and phone numbers of some of the kids from the church. I gave my email out to a few as well. We shall see if I hear from any of them. I think after lunch is a time of rest back as pastor Wesley’s house.

--
So we are hanging out playing games with kids. I'm having a great time. Its so cool to see kids be kids. People all over the world are the same. Its just social and economic issues that shake it up.
--
Just got done playing football and doing prayer bracelets with the kids. This has been a good day. Just playing with the kids and hanging out and really being the light of Christ. I don't know if we are making a difference but it’s been fun. It’s a weird feeling, I guess its pretty much helplessness. But, I have to remind myself that no man is going to be able to fix this country and continent only god can and he will.
--
It’s at this point I deleted an entire entry of notes and prayers, about 2 and ½ days worth of notes…dang it all!

Liberia - Thoughts Part 3

Dec 2 -- day 3 -- Monrovia
It's morning and man what bad night sleep :) I ended up sleeping on my pillow as a bed. The floor is stinking hard. I was up every 30-45 minutes. The people here don't sleep. You would here people up walking around and more bizarrely...sweeping. Everything is dirt here, yet they are sweeping. And the smell in certain areas is really horrible. I guess we are going to go get some breakfast shortly.
--
Father I just wanted to thank you for this opportunity. I'm sitting here watching the people live their lives, and I feel so grateful for this time here. I always try to keep in mind how grateful we are in our lives but being here makes it real. Father you are the lord of all and I love you father.
--
So we just finished eating breakfast at a restaurant and they had free wireless here so I emailed Wife and the kids. I miss them. Karen just stopped by and said she met the mom of the twins. She isn't sure how to respond to it and she broke down and cried a bit. I can totally understand the feeling, but I think it may be blessing too.
--
At the medical clinic and the church right now and there was some sort of miscommunication. Pastor Wesley thought we had come to finish off the medical clinic. This included purchasing all the supplies and paying for all the labor for the workers. Mike had to talk with him and tell him we didn't come prepared to purchase a 6000 dollar generator and all the cabinets and wiring. We ended up praying for a bit and right now we have cleaned out the clinic (it was a mess) and Mike is hanging some lights. We have agreed to pay for the wiring supplies and when Pastor Wesley comes back we will finish the wiring of the clinic.
--
I am standing here holding a ladder while one of the workers cleans the fans and I can hear this screaming and carrying on outside. I look out the window and I see a mom washing her 5 or 6 year old son. He is screaming because she is cleaning him. Too funny. It happens all over the world. They bathe their kids outside with a bucket and towel
--
I'm taking a quick break. We are right now scrubbing the cement floor of the church with cloths and cut up burlap bags. The girls and Ryan went over to the orphanage (40 minute drive away) and they came back pretty sad. They said it was very primitive. An outdoor kitchen and toilet. The workers I guess they seemed to love the kids, but they were also desperate for the supplies we brought. Pastor Wesley said they would be brought over on monday. We will all go over there at some point this week...I look forward to it, but I also dread it. I guess there are not enough mattresses for the kids. Not enough of anything. I do hope to see it all soon. Back to scrubbing floors
--
Random observation: we are standing around the church with rooster crowing and chickens running all around.
--
So right now we are sitting outside pastor Wesley’s house (which is an old internet cafe turned into a home). Kelly is making balloon animals for the kids. It started out with about 7 or 8 kids and now kids are pouring in from the street. There is probably 15-20 kids surrounding him. It’s amazing. It is dark out yet these kids knew something was going on. Amazing.
--
So I just took a "shower" which consisted of fast dripping water from a shower head and a bucket of water. It was cooler water so that felt good, but I still feel very damp. The travel towel...is a bit bigger than a dish towel, and didn't dry me at all.

Liberia - Thoughts Part 2

Dec 1 -- Day 2 -- travel
25 minutes until we land in Brussels. Whew is my back and rear end sore. Hey, only 8 more hours to go...yipee! I slept a little bit and I missed the breakfast they served.
--
Just about to land in Brussels and man it looks just like America. The roads have houses on them that look like your average American cul-de-sac. It looks very pretty, and very green.
--
So we are now waiting for our flight to Monrovia. Should be boarding in 20 minutes or so. I was a bit disappointed that getting off the plane here it didn't smell like waffles and chocolate!
--
Ok so we are on the plane from Brussels to Monrovia, its boarding right now. Only 8 short hours till we are there. I'm sitting next to a man you is reading something in Arabic...I don't think he speaks English. It would have been interesting to talk to him about Jesus and hear his thoughts. I think I could have talked to him about showers too :). Oh and once again, I'm hungry. That's been the running theme so far for this 1 day old trip.
--
I just missed out on ice cream!!! Dang it all. I fell asleep.
--
Lord I just humbly come to you right now and ask for your continued protection and guidance. Lord there are going to be times of weariness, sadness and tiredness. I give those feelings to you and just ask lord that you be with Wife and the kids as they begin their Friday. I thank you father for the blessings you have given me and it’s my prayer that I will glorify you in my actions, thoughts and words. I love you lord, amen.
--
Landed in Monrovia and man oh man its hot here and the baggage claim was like a zoo. Pastor Wesley is being talked to by the customs agents. We have an enormous amount of stuff here with us. Getting out of the airport is very chaotic. And frankly it doesn't look like an airport.
--
So we just finished driving to pastor Wesley’s place. There was 13 of us in a van and it is stinkin hot and stinkin stinky. Its amazing to see the barbed wire and military personal with huge machine guns. Its really dark here so its was hard to see the landscape and the people. Every other house had power I think by generator while others had candles.
--
This is surreal...all the things I have seen on tv. I'm outside a hotel/store looking around at the store and markets and the people hanging around in the darkness of the night dancing and singing.
--
So its about 10:30 here on Friday night and there is no water to wash up with and I am beyond nasty right now. It is so hot and humid here, I can't even begin to think what'll be like during the day. I'm bunking up with Dr. Kelly Briden (sp?) from Michigan. We had a big mattress to sleep on, but we ended up giving it to the girls, who had one mattress to share between the 5 of them. We are supposed to get another mattress tomorrow. We are to be up for breakfast at 7am tomorrow. I'm gonna be tired. :) its ok though...I feel like this is a true sacrifice. Pastor Wesley has done so much in preparation for our coming. I pray that we are a light to him and we can glorify Jesus in all we do these next few days. Pastor Wesley seems to have planned out for us all of our activities. I think, by the time this trip is done...I'm gonna be one tired dude. I'm going to go outside and spend some time with people.
--
So as much as I may complain about how sore I am...sleeping on the floor, in Africa, with no running water...that's missions work to me. Ok back to trying to sleep. I love you god...I love you Wife, Uno, Dos, Quatro, Seis. I miss you guys

Liberia - Thoughts Part 1

The next bunch of posts will consist of my thoughts, observations and prayers during my 11 day trip to Monrovia Liberia with our church. We went to work with Pastor Wesley from the Greater Love Baptist Church and the medical clinic and childrens home he runs. It was a life changing trip and I wanted to share with you the things that stuck out to me.

Nov 30 - Day 1 - travel
So we are sitting at Mayberry airport, just waiting to board the plane. All sorts of flights are being delayed and cancelled because of the snow. It snowed here last night, probably a dusting or so. Someone here said all the flights to New York are cancelled. Hopefully our flights are going to be ok. Delays would stink...but it'll all be good.
---
So this flight has been pushed back to leave at 10:45 instead of 9:30. Super.
--
We are on the plane in right now and some truck broke down in the middle of the taxi area and we can't go by until its cleared up. So we are sitting here. We are cutting it close as it is to make our flight from Chicago to Brussels. Praying we make it. The captain just came on and we are going to be de-iced again so that'll be an additional 10-15 minutes until we take off. It’s gonna be a tight connection.
--
Still sitting on the plane. It’s about 3:15 and we were supposed to leave at 1:30. I'm pretty stinking hungry. They are de-icing the plane right now. Oh and to top it all off, I seemed to have lost my mp3 player. I plugged the headphones into the plane TV so I could watch a show. Well the TV volume stopped working, so I went to listen to music and I lost the mp3 player. I think I had it in my lap and when I got up and fell off...but I can't find it now. Ugh. This stinks :)
--
Sweet sassy molassy...we were late getting into Chicago, but God is good and our flight to Brussels has been delayed as well. They still had to hold it for us, and now we are waiting for our luggage to get transferred over. I'm a little disappointed, this plane doesn't have the TVs on the backs of the seats. And the seats are pretty cramped in. I just hope to sleep most of this trip away. I also hope the food they serve is ok, I am stahhhvin (Boston for starving). I was supposed to sit on the aisle but the guy who was here already took the aisle and I got the window...sweet. And not only that, it's in between 2 windows which is advantageous to me sleeping. I am really sad that I may not get to talk to Wife too much this whole trip. I think I may have talked to her for the last time for 10 days. Ugh...that's super sad.
--
So I'm sitting here listening to music and I feel you Lord. I've felt so alone, apart from you, but you are here with me right now and man I love you so much Father. You have shown that no detail is too small for your plan. Sitting on this flight to Brussels, because you called us here and held the flight and guided us here safely. I'm rambling Father but I feel you here and needed to take this time to worship you for all you are. Lord please keep your sovereign hand of peace, love and joy over my house and family, as I know you will lord, because they aren't my family if they aren't your family first and foremost. God I am so ready for you to use me. I've been ready for weeks now, but wasn't sure you really wanted to use me, but you have filled me with your warmth daddy and I thank you so much. It's with all my heart and love lord...amen
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Hey its 8:30 and I finally ate...woohoo. Only now I'm not sure if I feel better or worse *burp! I'm going to lay back now and hopefully sleep for a good long while. Oh and it was roast beef with mashed "potatoes"...it tasted decent...like a TV dinner.
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Ok so I haven't napped yet. Tim brought someone over to me who is a Romanian man, working in Chicago who's been doing work with churches in Romania and in Chicago. He gave me a cd with a PowerPoint presentation. I look forward to seeing it. I'm not so sure what this opportunity may or may not be...but God is good. I gave him my card and hopefully we can start a dialogue as to the works he is doing and see what Gods plans are.

Family Officially Larger!!

Well yesterday (Dec 18th) we officially adopted the girls. We are now a family of 6! What a relief to no longer have to worry about birth parents or social workers coming around. Of course this also means 2 more college tuitions to save for...doh! :) And now the search begins for a brother or 2 for Dos and the girls. Although Dos did tell us he felt so sad for the orphans of the world, cried about it, talked about how he wants to help so bad and how sad it is, yet when we asked if he would share his room with an orphan if one were to come live with us, he said with a straight face...there isn't enough room in here. Gotta love being 6.

Anyone praying over and contemplating adoption, I will say this: It took me forever to accept adoption as a way to increase our family. The fear of not being able to love the adopted children, the thought of being able to afford it, questioning my own parenting skills with someone "elses" child...(all which turned out to be a bunch of hooey!) In adoption you not only give kids a home and family, you are living out a true representation of our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:3-6
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

When you take a child into your home to raise, love, provide for and call yours forever....this is exactly what Jesus has done for everyone of us. He loves us, He provides for us and He calls us HIS forever...and this was all done because God CHOSE to.

God is Good!