More of England pics.....
St. James' Park right next to Buckingham Palace.
The memorial for Diana there in the park....
Love all the trees lining the walkway in the park...
Here is the family- except me at Buckingham Palace.....
The guard outside. The kids loved watching their unique march out front.
Buckingham Palace....the queen wasn't there the day we were- I think she was on vacation?? You can tell because when she is there- they fly the Royal Standard which is her personal crest on a flag. When she isn't there they fly the Union Jack - British Flag.
The guard in his box...
What they call the mall the street that leads up to Buckingham....but a pic taken of the opposite direction. (does that make sense?)
The Queen Victoria statue right outside of Buckingham....
A full shot of Buckingham.....
Couple more shots of the Victoria statue
Us as we are walking up to Buckingham....
The gardens around the circle drive that is public right outside Buckingham.....
Love the London Taxis......aren't they fun- just like Super Nanny :)
Diana's seal in "The Mall" walkway.....
All the gates have gold on them surrounding Buckingham...and the park adjoining....
There's Buckingham as we are approaching- did I mention these pics are backwards yet again?
Here we are walking The Mall .......
Trafalgar Square....... Typical sign in England-
The famous lions around Nelson's column in Trafalgar Square.....
Fountain in Trafalgar Square....
Us all hanging out in Trafalgar Square....
Nelson's Column......in Trafalgar Square....
The Marble Arch........
A view of the Clock Tower- Big Ben (which is actually the bell inside the clock tower) from Trafalgar Square- love the double decker buses......
The kids did really well in London- Only made me scared because sometimes stepping to close to the curb is very very scary- cars sometimes catch the curb- and buses as well! I have been really focusing on the fact that our family, my life, our ministry here......is ALL GOD's. Steven Curtis Chapman has a song called It's All Yours. In the song it talks about every street in London is yours......and another line in the title is every child in Africa is yours.....
The chorus keeps repeating - And it's all Yours God, Yours God, everything is Yours!
So I have been trying to remind myself as I am frustrated that we are getting grief from immigration, the fact that we won't be able to see our Naomi as soon as we want, that our cat is still gone (given up hope really). That everything is GODS....now that sounds really really obvious, but it is true.
You see sooo much of my stress is when I start thinking something is mine. The finances of our camp- NOT MINE, my children- NOT MINE, myself- NOT MINE, NOTHING IS MINE!!! It is God's and that is where I can find peace when I choose to remember this really simple thing. Every time I take it back and start thinking it is mine.....I stress- fret- cry- worry, but when I carry it to God....I mean mentally in my mind remember to hand it all over to Jesus......I find a peace that is really beyond all understanding.
Praise God it is NOT MINE!!! Because I am sure I do not understand God's Sovereign Plan. I know I would mess it all up big time, but knowing that MY AMAZING GOD has it under control even when I don't think so.....I know HE DOES.
IT'S ALL YOUR GOD!!!! Thank you so much for letting us be a part of your plan. Help us to remember to let go so you can take care of us!
I am still praying that things with USCIS get cleared up fast. I can't imagine how hard the waiting must be for you!
ReplyDeleteYou're amazing :)
That is my favorite song of his--It's All Yours.
ReplyDeleteI miss London. We were at RAF Mildenhal from Feb 96-July 99. We'd occasionally go into London and take the Red Bus tour. We were in Wales the day Di died. It was really sad.
I am so sorry about court, uscis, and your kitty. what a bunch of headaches :( i hope your kitty comes back safely, and that you are on your way to naomi very soon!
ReplyDeleteI love that song. It's a great reminder that I need everyday.
ReplyDeleteAmen! It is indeed ALL His! I love that song as well.
ReplyDeleteLove the pics! Sounds like too much fun! What amazing memories for your kids to last a life time.
Praying you get some good answers soon.
I love it!!! Thanks for the reminder. Isn't interesting how we try to handle it all as if it is ours. What great peace it does give me when I remind myself and you reminded me that it is all GODS! Giving it all over to Him isn't always easy in the beginning but it sure is at the end when we receive the peace from doing so! Thanks for the reminder :) I am gonna have to look that song up, THANKS
ReplyDeleteYes, you are right... it is ALL God's. Thanks for the reminder! I just love all the pictures. I am now adding England to my places I want to go someday. :)
ReplyDeleteThe first time I heard that song was last March - we had just received Yikealo's referral photos two days before, and David was severely ill in the hospital looking at major surgery within a week or two. I was on my way home from the hospital at 11:00 p.m., crying and asking God for some comfort. How in the world was everything going to work out? As I turned that radio on, that song started playing (the new version), and I had goosebumps as I heard lines like "Every child in Africa is Yours" and "still even here in this great darkness a comfort and hope come breaking through, as I can say in life or death, God, we belong to you!" Hang in there Dawn, and give it up to the Lord every single day. He'll work it all out for your good and for Naomi's good - even if it's hard to see that now.
ReplyDeletePraying for you!
Thanks for the great pics, feel like I am in England too :) You are right we are just the stewards of God's generosity. We were not born with all the things in our lives, it was entrusted to us by the Lord and we definitely cannot take it with us either. I too get stressed when I remotely get selfish and believe that it belongs to "me". Looks like the kids enjoyed themselves, what a wonderful experience.
ReplyDelete