Love & Marriage

So Jason and I went to a A Weekend To Remember put on by Family Life.  It was AMAZING!!!  If you ever have the opportunity- GO!!!  MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!  In fact I pray that every couple will seriously consider going to a weekend.  They have them all over the United States.  Hey they even have a cruise if you can spare the time and money. 

You see this handsome man?  He's all mine!  He is MY GIFT.  We have been married almost 18 years and those years have many many happy memories!  As with all marriages though....there are struggles.  Being real sometimes there are in depth struggles.  Sometimes there are extended times of just plain hard.

 Add in moves, new jobs, children, activities, home schooling, church, serving, and so much that can get into your way!  Things from your past creep into your life and explode into all the areas of your life.  Those things that drew you to your spouse are the same things that drive a wedge between you. 

 Then throw in a huge dash of good old fashioned selfishness on both sides, and you have a classic case of - UGH!  This is getting complicated and hard.  Those struggles can feel as though they are coming faster and more often. 

Hang in there and DON'T GIVE UP!  You know this is just ridiculously hard and yet it seems as though no one else is really talking about that part of marriage.  No one wants to stand up and say hey our marriage is struggling.  So I want to say it out loud.  It's ok!  Really go ahead. 

Think of it as a roller coaster ride.  Jason and I both have a huge love for rides as is obvious from our weekly trips to the theme parks.  You get in the seat so excited to blast off.  Along the way there are many highs and many lows.  Drops, twists, turns, flips and all at lightning speed. 

I don't think God intended for our lives or our marriages to be easy.  If they were then the flowers in that first picture that Jason bought for me - just because- would not be as sweet.  Those moments when God is moving your marriage forward and teaching you both how to love more deeply with more care for the other person.

Oh let's be honest marriage is hard work and requires 100% from each person.  Not the junk you typically see in our culture which is simply ridiculous.  It requires for us to move past ourselves, work on our issues and talk.  Better yet seek God with all that we are and go deeper than just talking.  We need to really listen, really interact, and be very patient. 

This miracle boy has taught me so much about patience.  So much about what it means to keep going, keep struggling, and keep learning.  I have so much more to learn!  We have so much more to learn.  You see it isn't actually about changing the other person, but about growing in how we treat each other.  How we show our love and respect.  Most importantly how we grow in God!

 I am going to continue to cheer you on in your marriages because I have seen literally miracles happen in our marriage.  I have seen how God can use simple steps to really change our perspectives.  I will be sharing some of those shifts with you. 

Of course keep in mind that as you are growing there are many many growing pains.  That patience that I mentioned is because you will both mess up, a lot.  So you have to really be in control of that feeling to throw in the towel or just say whatever.  Put one foot in front of the other. 

Oh yes it is required to get a little crazy.  I mean come on you can't be normal because it really doesn't exist.  So put your pride aside and leave it there.  Humble yourself, lower your voice, and create a safe environment for conversations.  Silly ones and serious ones because we can't just be stuck in the hard all the time. 

Pray for me as I will be helping volunteer the next couple of weeks at camp with our Emerge (Jr & Sr high ministries at our church).  I am thrilled as I really love working with the youth and I really miss camp.  I love sharing Jesus with them and getting to be a part of building God's Kingdom. 

Of course you know what that means right?  That means that Jason will be on his own the first week with Abigail and then Sarah on down.  The second week with everyone but Abigail and I.  So that is huge and he will be needing prayers too! 

So it may be a couple of weeks, but I will be back and hopefully sharing more of what God has been speaking into our marriage through Jason and I.  Until then be encouraged because I always say if God can work through me then He can work through anyone! 

To My Gift! Happy Super Hero Father's Day!

Many of you may know about our family, but this person right here is the ring leader!  I don't talk about him often enough, but it's true.  Our lives revolve around adoption, home schooling, church, activities, our faith, our family.  BUT FIRST- God created our family with Jason and I knowing Him and getting to know each other.

Jason is fun loving.  When I say this some people have different things in mind, but he has a type of play with our family that is fun to enjoy.  He loves doing fun quizzes that the kids have to answer to get their desert after a meal.  He loves to make silly faces, pretend with them, sit down and put together a lego set with them.  He has the ability to share and connect with them through play. 

He enjoys his work and gives it his all!  Even with all 10 other people interrupting ;).

He is a great leader!  He wants to do his best to share Christ with our family, to do what is best for us, and to grow in his relationship with the Lord!  I am so thankful and so very proud! 

He has a passion for cooking- which we all benefit from!  God knew what He was doing giving this man a large family to help feed! 

He also loves theme parks - another perfect match! 

 He cares for me well!  Sometimes he will surprise me by saying I got the kids why don't you go enjoy a long bath.  Why yes please and thank you!  It's not just what he does for me, but the fact that he serves so well.  To his family and his church. 

I have to say the fact that he perseveres through it all and that is impressive.  I mean there is a lot going on in our home.  Jason was the one encouraging me to go the Empowered To Connect Conference and thought it would be even better to go on to do the class to teach others about ETC.  We have been able to lean on each other in the hardest thing anyone could ever do- PARENT a child!!! 

He support me in our homeschooling adventures and has never questioned me, but fully supported and helped me so very much. 

Jason has a deep love- for God!  He wants to remind us and himself of God's Word and seeks to make sure he is growing and healing in God's love as well as his family. 

 He lead our family- through 9 adoptions!!!  If you know the emotional train wreck I can be when it comes to the adventurous ride of adoption - he pretty much deserves a huge reward in heaven just for dealing with me through all of that.  He has sought God through our journeys and welcomed 9 children into our family. 

He also finds time to set apart for us.  It is not easy to communicate with several little people around all the time, but he still thinks of ways to have fun and talk. 

Seeing this picture - I mean..... a man who not only stands up for children, but a child that has many needs.  This makes my heart burst!!!  Jason celebrates with every step any of our children make, but there is something special with loving someone who can't always communicate that with you.
 

You see these beautiful ladies-  he loves us all and treats us like princesses.  He encourages them to search for a man of God in their future.  Or he can show them his "knife collection". 

 These young men he is raising to lead others and their future families!  Training all of our children to respect and how to love well.

 You know we were talking how sometimes it can be so very difficult with our family.  People put you on a pedestal- which is so easy to fall off of because Jason and I are just people.  However, we love our family.  We imperfectly parent and raise our children in the perfect love of Christ! 

To the man who is my gift!  To my super hero!  I love you and am thankful daily that God gave me you to have and to hold.  Our children are such a blessing and I am excited to spend the rest of our lives loving each other and our children. 

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY JASON!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

50 CHILDREN HOME THROUGH CAC!

Hello Everyone,

I can get swept up and very busy so easily!  So here is a link to our other adoption blog.  We have helped 50 babes into their adoptive families now through Christian Adoption Consultants!!!  This is huge and the reason why sometimes I get behind on blogging.  Well that and you know having 9 kids, homeschooling, he he he he.... you get the picture. 

We are thrilled to work for Christian Adoption Consultants because it is our passion to help families adopt.  It is such a privilege and honor!  Of course if you go to the post there are many beautiful babies to look at too ;). 

I will try to be posting soon....today is Abigail's 13th Adoption Day!  Can't believe it has been 13 years since we became an official family.  That is just mind blowing to me. 

Jason and I also went to Weekend To Remember this past weekend..... I am thinking I need to start unpacking some truths with parenting, marriage, and family.  It is on my heart and I want to share.  Now to find time!