Good thing God never gives up on me! Happy Birthday to me (on the 31st).

 You see this sweet loving picture.  Awwww.....My oldest and youngest.  Well, this is a prelimb....prelimb to what you ask?  Ummmm.....look below. 

 Joanna has well.....interesting issues ;).  You see she is a "rule breaker" in our home.  She never took a pacy, lived in my sling and daddy's when she was a babe- until she decided she loved to walk too much, never liked tummy time, but could hold her head up at 3 days, didn't do baby food- at all- because she just didn't like it, she does NOT go to sleep well but instead would rather stay up until midnight if it means she can get a few more cuddles from mommy and daddy! 

Oh and she LOVES it when daddy tosses her around!!!!  So she likes to do those daring things that send mommy's heart into dangerous places.  So the trick she is doing up above looks cute.....until she jumps!!!! 

I think the crazy part is- she doesn't fear.  As in she doesn't really know what fear looks like!  She just jumps.  She know her big sister was there - yes.  BUT she just knows her big sister will catch her.  She likes to do this walking down the stairs, in the pool, off the changing table.  People it is enough to send me to the looney bin (ummm....no comments please). 

BUT she just trusts!!!  WHOLE HEARTEDLY TRUSTS!!!!!!!

 Hmmmmmmmmm...........which leads me to the fact that sometimes I think we feel like if we did or didn't do something just right.  If we say the wrong words, or do a wrong action even with great intentions.....that we could "screw up" the whole world!!! 

WOW!  Really?  You think you are that powerful?  YES MAM I DO.....sometimes...most of the time. 

I remember reading a book and doing a Bible study on witnessing.  People have all kinds of philosophies.  One thing the book pointed out is that if you think you can mess things up - you will never witness!  It's true.  But until recently with things all a buzz about this and that and how someone did such and such.....I don't think I have put the two together.

AS IN- DO WE SERIOUSLY THINK THAT WE ARE DOING MORE THAN GOD IS?  Ummm...NO!  No we aren't.  Our job as a Christian is to DO WHAT GOD IS TELLING  US TO DO.  Sometimes we get it right, and sometimes we don't!  Sometimes we can think for years we have been doing something right, and then the Holy Spirit steps in and changes our thinking. 

 (*note this picture is random, but a bit on the funny side- this sticker came from our new food processor...he he he.....and well of course my hubby thought it would be funny to put on our microwave.  Just a bit of funny side from my hubby.)

I am sure for some of you that read this blog- you have experienced this.  You never knew of the EXTREME NEED for foster care, adoption needs, domestic adoption needs, international adoption needs, older child adoption needs, children who are special that need families too.  Or never thought about homeschooling, or about eating better, or about not listening to this or that- whether on the tv or on the radio, or how you speak to others or your own family, or whatever it is. 

BUT GOD- came in and said.....I think if you try it this way you will see that I am right and this will be a better choice for you.  A choice that will lead you to ME!!!!  TO SEE ME MORE!!!

 (*yes Elizabeth lost her first and second tooth this past week.  I can't find the other pic?  But now she is front upper teeth- toothless.  And somehow she is still soo CUTE I want to squeeze her!)

I know people out there are struggling because they have been told that certain decisions were wrong by this group and right by this group.  We do this in our own churches all the time.  BUT GOD- GOD can open our hearts.  Enough to say that if we are following HIM we will be set FREE from the trials of this world. 

 (*my homemade baby foods)

Not that we won't experience them.....oh my no!!!!  Ummm......I experience them all the time, and I am sure you do as well.  Just that we are set free from the opinions of everyone around us.  When we look to God to tell us HIS OPINION of us we realize that everyone else's opinions just don't seem to matter as much. 

I can tell you that if we lived by the opinions of others......we would not have all we have.....our 9 beautiful children whom we love so very much it hurts to describe it!!!  We would not have followed him into camping ministry, and now here, and now to my husband's new job (he starts officially in a few weeks, but has already started in his heart and with a few things here and there ;). ), and sooo many things that seem different to what the world thinks we should do. 

 Want to know a secret?  Every time we have chosen to "give up" or get away from something we feel is separating us from God- we GAIN SO MUCH MORE!!!! 

I mean when my hubby said we are giving up all R rate movies....ok no big deal.  When we started giving up almost all PG 13 movies....ummmm why?  When we started giving up all tv (except for food network, and Duggars, and Olympics....and even then we don't really watch it that much)....ummmm why??  No more Law and Order?  No more ER?  No more ......  why?  No more music outside of Christian radio stations/music?  Awww.......really.  No more ____________. 

And you know what- I have gained a whole new perspective on things I just thought were normal.  I am NOT SAYING YOU HAVE TO DO THESE THINGS!!!  That is just it.  That is the argument!!!  You can't change someone's heart- YOU are not that powerful....ONLY GOD IS!!!!!!

 You see my wonderful model- again, because let's face it he is my cutie patootie!!!!  You see that stick he is holding.  That is what you call a "lemon pop".  They sometimes freeze them, or room temperature.  It is something to "awaken" his mouth senses.  Because this boy did/does NOT like to have his mouth messed with at all, and did/doesn't like to eat. 

HE HAS COME A LONG WAY PEOPLE!!! 

So he eats 3rd foods, and now my homemade creations, but well.....that has been a llloooonnngggg road.  He still has issues- eating anything dry- even a crumb is a huge NO WAY!  Lumpy things in his foods....ummm....boy can find them and spit them out in a heartbeat!

 Now different things work for different children.  Sometimes it takes years of trying things to get them to finally want to eat...some children never get there.  BUT GOD- we have HOPE IN HIM (read my last post).  This little boy "allowed" someone to maybe give him a taste of a lemon pop- 4ish months ago.  BUT he was NOT about to let anyone really put that in his mouth!!!! 

 NOW- he loves them!!!  As in the therapist gave him 3 of them at once and I promise I tried to get a picture on my phone, but couldn't- he seriously had them all in his mouth!!!!  Moving his tongue around with them, licking them, playing with them, enjoying the tart flavor, and pushing on his mouth with them.  THIS IS HUGE!!!!

I couldn't do it.  I could put the lemon pop in front of him.  I could try to force it in his mouth.  I could tell him how I wanted him to do it.  I could show him me putting it in my mouth.  I could tell him all day long that this would help him eat.  BUT IT WOULDN'T HELP HIM. 

That is pretty much how it is.  We as Christians- should stand up for what we believe in.  Whatever that looks like.  Some of us feel more strongly about things than others or we go about it in different ways.  Some  of our personalities are different and so when we stand up for something it just looks and sounds different than others. 

BUT- WE DIDN'T force someone to accept Christ- OR OUR beliefs!!!!  Because at the end of the day- IT IS NOT ABOUT US!!!!!!!!  It is about God working in different ways in the Body of Christ (SEE SCRIPTURE FROM LAST POST!!) 

In the end....if we listen closely our lives may seem CRAZY :).  As in taking yet another salary cut, to do something your hubby and the whole family is passionate about, moving to another state where you have no job yet, moving again and again- taking huge financial losses, adopting AGAIN....or any array of crazy really. 

IT's a GOOD THING GOD NEVER GIVES UP ON ME!!!!!!  I am sure I have offended readers, those who are my facebook friends....wonder how many have unfriended me lately??  OH WELL!  Because it is more important for me to serve my Savior than be loved by the world. 

So the word is out- I am a JESUS FREAK and not afraid to say it!!!!  (ok dating myself....who went to see the Jesus Freak tour???  ;).

 Oh yea, my birthday!!!!!!!  Happy Birthday to me....Happy Birthday to me......Yes it's true I had a birthday.  Now for the kiddos we make a huge fuss, but for Jason and I we may do something, but it is usually just not that big of a deal.  (***we did do something, but you know since our birthdays and anniversary are all in the same month it was wrapped up together). 

 Aww........this is a great present- my little man reaching out to me!!!!!!!

 Look at that face!!!!  It melts me EVERY TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Man oh man- 2 miracles right here together.  Oh you haven't heard my testimony yet???  GO HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Ummm..promise you will NOT REGRET IT!!!!!

 Jason couldn't resist taking more pictures because he says I don't have enough pictures of me on the blog? 

 So here I am.......again......boring!  snooze........

 Here is my "stash" of cards- awwww.....LOVE THEM!!!!

And in case you didn't know it - Joanna wanted to say GOD LOVES YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  :)
Pray your weekend is going GREAT!!!!