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Christmas Cheer

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I drew a couple pictures recently, and then realized they were a little Christmas-y, so I thought I would post them.  Enjoy!

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I was inspired to draw this squirrel when we left a cup of tea outside by mistake (a while ago, when it was much warmer!), and I found the teabag torn open like something had tried to eat the tea-leaves!

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But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”

-Luke 2:10, 11

Faith, Literature

Something More

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When someone in your family has a birthday, it makes you want to do something nice for them.  You want to make them feel special.  It’s easy to tell someone “happy birthday!”, and it usually makes them feel good.  But would we be willing to do something more?

We can have the right mentality about Christmas, but that doesn’t feel like enough, does it?

Continue reading Something More →

Adoption, Life, Literature

China Trip Day 8

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“Little Bear,” said Mother Bear.  “Yes, Mother,” said Little Bear.  “You are not asleep,” said Mother Bear.  “No, Mother,” said Little Bear.  “I can’t sleep.”  “Why not?” said Mother Bear.  “I’m wishing,” said Little Bear.  “What are you wishing for?” said Mother Bear.  “I wish that I could sit on a cloud and fly all around,” said Little Bear.  “You can’t have that wish, my Little Bear,” said Mother Bear. (51, 52)

–Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik

This story continues, with Little Bear wishing for all kinds of things, from a tunnel to China, to a Viking boat; with Mother Bear patiently answering, “you can’t have that wish, my Little Bear.”  It goes on, until Little Bear’s last wish is something his Mother can finally give:

“Then I wish,” said Little Bear, “a Mother Bear would come to me and say, ‘Would you like to hear a story?'”  “Well,” said Mother Bear, “maybe you can have that wish.  That is just a little wish.” (57)

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Oh, but you are mistaken, Mother Bear.

That is no small wish.

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Just one year ago today, I stood under the same roof with three-hundred children who have no mother to tell them stories at night.

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Today I’m thankful for a family, a home, and that God has given us this ability to open the doors of our home!

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“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took me in.”

-Matthew 25:35

Adoption, Faith, Life
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Today is Orphan Sunday!  This is a video Spencer made of all the families at our church who have adopted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-Xm9vd4aFs

If you want to hear more of my thoughts on adoption, read this, this, this, this, and this.

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“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

-James 1:27

Adoption is God’s command to His church.  And I wouldn’t have it any other way.  I have never seen anything that can be so ugly, but it can be so beautiful–so beautiful.

But real beauty always goes hand-‘n-hand with ugliness in this world.

Adoption can be sad.  It can be convicting.  It can be humbling.  Because every one of us needs to be adopted.  Every one of us needs to be redeemed.

We love, because we are loved.

We give, because we have received.

We care for orphans, because we were orphans.

We adopt, because we were adopted.

Faith, Life

Who I am

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My journal, September 2nd, 2015.  Things have gotten better since then, but I thought I would post it still.  It’s the best way I’ve been able to express myself.

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If you had asked me two months ago what my least favorite thing in the world was, I would have said getting the stomach flu or nosebleeds.  Now, one of the things I hate most is the orthodontist.  There has so far been one appointment that I didn’t cry about; before we went, or after we left–or, more likely, both.

The latest thing they put in my mouth is the palate widener, which restricts talking, chewing, and swallowing.  I can’t eat popcorn, eating anything else takes forever, my voice is different, swallowing is hard.  I don’t feel like myself–at all!  I feel like my mouth is worthless.

I wish I didn’t have to finish eating last.  I wish this lisp would go away.  I wish people could understand me.  I wish I could talk without feeling like a three-year-old.  I wish I could sing.  I wish I could eat popcorn and apples, and pasta.  I wish I could eat Mom’s spicy Chinese noodles.  I wish I could sit through a prayer with my head bowed without tipping it back to swallow.  I wish I could blow the pencil shavings off my drawing paper without being afraid I’ll accidentally spit.

I wish I felt like myself.  I wish I didn’t feel like this hunk of metal demolished my identity.

Not being able to sing without hating how it sounds has made me think differently about playing the piano and just listening to music.  One of my new favorite albums is “Loved” by J.J. Heller.  I love all ten songs on it, but “Better Things” is the only one that I felt applied to me personally.

There are far, far better things ahead,
Than what I leave behind.
Will you help me find my way?

There are ‘far, far better things’ in the future.  I don’t feel like it right now, but I believe it.  There is  a promise land beyond this desert, if I can only learn to stop looking back to Egypt.

I’m on a journey,
I’m losing who I used to be.
I am learning how to die,
It’s changing every part of me.

There are far, far, better things ahead,
Than what I leave behind.
Will you help me find my way?

Maybe I think too much about ‘myself’.  Who I am.  Because I am “losing who I used to be. . .”

One of the worship songs we sing at church has the chorus:

You’re a good, good Father.
It’s who You are, it’s who You are.
And I’m loved by You,
It’s who I am, it’s who I am.

I am loved.  It’s who I am.  I am the daughter of a good, good Father.  That’s all the identity I need.  And no hunk of metal can ever, ever change that.

“I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” -Philippians 4:13

Faith, Literature

Grace

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Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion.  For the LORD is a God of justice.  Blessed are all who wait for Him!  O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.  How gracious He will be when you cry for help!  As soon as He hears, He will answer you.  Although the LORD gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them.  Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

-Isaiah 30:18-21

Faith, Literature

The Wise

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Brothers, think of what you were when you were called.  Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.  But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things–and the things that are not–to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.  It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God–that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.  Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

-1 Corinthians 1:26-31 (Emphasis mine.)

Literature

Module 9 & 10 Story #2

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I think I usually post like everyday when I do science stories, in which case it’s high time I posted Part 2! 🙂

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Katie ran her comb through Mandy’s silky blond hair, the wet locks spattering a gentle mist behind it. Katie stood up and patted her sister’s shoulder. “Done.

“Alright, girls, get your shoes on then and let’s go get something to eat,” Dad answered.

Mandy hurried to the door at once, while Katie ran to put the comb away in the bathroom. Brian, whose hair required a little less time to be gotten presentable, stood already in his sandals, with the air of having done his good deed for the day. Katie slid into her flip-flops and grabbed her purse—she didn’t really need it, it wasn’t like she was buying lunch or anything, but she liked to have it with her.

Continue reading Module 9 & 10 Story #2 →