Be Intentional in 2013

If you are following the facebook page connected with this blog - you have already seen my personal theme for 2013: "Be Intentional"!!  It is my desire this year to be more intentional as a child of God, a wife, a mom, and as an employee. I want to leave 2013 different than how I entered it.

I was challenged a year or so ago by a friend to have a purpose, to have a personal theme each year as we have a chance at a new beginning.  I was challenged to be strategic with how we lived each day.  To strive for something better.  I desire to grow as a believer. I desire to be a better mom. I desire to serve my husband and family with gladness (although that is not always easy!).  It is so easy for life to get in the way and for us to become complacent.  I want to avoid becoming complacent in 2013.  I want to get off my rear-end and becoming intentional.

The verse that I am focusing on this year as I strive to be more intentional is from Colossians 3:17:



And whatever you do, whether in word or deed,

do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,

giving thanks to God the Father through him.

I don't have this thing perfected and I'm not sure all of the steps that I will take to become more intentional in all those areas - but I want to make a difference.  I want to end December 2013 different than I was when I entered January 2013. It might be a crazy idea but I owe it to my family to make some changes.  Anyone else want to go on the journey with me finding ways to be more intentional in 2013? 

Let's talk: Let's brainstorm - What ways do you think we can strive to be more intentional as a mom? A wife? A child of God?

Back to Normal

The wrapping paper has been thrown out, family has headed back home, and the children are busy playing with their new toys and gifts.  The "hype" of Christmas 2012 is now over.  Many of us will head back to our jobs and school will resume shortly for our children.  I'm grateful for a great Christmas with my family.  But as I head back to my "normal life" I'm just not content.  I want to be different.  I don't want to be complacent.

As we have been celebrating Christmas over a multi-day period, my heart as been pulled in a few different directions.  My heart hurts for the children in Ethiopia that don't yet have a mom or a dad.  I want to make a difference.  My heart hurts for the children in Russia that may never be given an opportunity to be adopted.  I want to make a difference.  My heart hurts for children in the USA that don't have a home to call their own.  I want to make a difference.  My heart hurts for children all over the world.

I fully believe that everyone is not supposed to adopt.  However, we are all supposed to do something.  We all have the ability to do something.  I have the ability to do something. Now that Christmas is over and we are getting back to our "normal" lives - why don't you think about something that you can do to help. 

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is his: to look after orphans
and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." 
James 1:27

Sure, my family has two children that used to be orphans so I should be "done" right?  Nope!  I have done my part and we have two ex-orphans living in our home.  I can't be done.  We can't be done.  I'm not sure if that means more adoptions are in our future or what it means - but I do know that I just can't sit back and do nothing.

Here are a few things my family is doing to continue to help as we begin 2013:

• Give - We are going to give money to help others in the adoption process.
• Go - We are going to go on another mission trip to serve someone else.  I want my kids to learn about serving others at a young age.
• Share - We are going to share our story.  Our story of adoption may impact the lives of someone else.  It was another adoption story that impacted our decision to start the adoption process in 2008.
• Pray - We are praying for the other children that need support or moms/dads.

 My prayer is that 2013 will be a year of making a difference.  I can't just sit back and do nothing.  I want to be involved.  I want to change. I don't want to go back to "normal" What can you do? What are you able to do?  More importantly, what WILL you do?

12 Day of Christmas Challenge

My friend Kelly wrote this blog post last January.  I asked her if I could post it on my blog.  I took her challenge that she talks about below last year and it was a lot of fun for me to love on my husband.  Will you take the challenge?  See below for what Kelly has to share....

A few weeks before Christmas I was challenged by a particular post on the Passionate Homemaking blog. The writer encouraged wives to not let the busyness of the holiday season crowd out our husbands and, instead, to add a little holiday spice into our marriages. The article encouraged women to use the Twelve Days of Christmas to intentionally bless their husbands. Immediately interested in doing this, I posted the idea on my Facebook. I was surprised and encouraged by the number of women who wanted to join me in giving thoughtful gifts to their husbands. When I initially posted the link to the article on my Facebook a few women commented. When I posted it a second time after having committed myself to doing it, several more people commented. The idea spread so quickly that my friend Jenny suggested we start a Facebook page so that we could all encourage one another and share ideas. Over 100 women requested to join this group! Some were newlyweds and some had been married over 35 years. Some came from really strong marriages and some came from marriages that were really struggling. Knowing that God loves marriage and is honored when we are intentional with it I was beyond thrilled by the number of women who were willing to carve out time from the crazy Christmas schedule to focus on their husbands! I believe God was honored by those women who chose to honor their husbands.

During the twelve days I received several notes from women who shared with me how God had used this idea to draw them closer to their husbands. I heard women talk about how they were falling in love with their husbands all over again after months or years of hardships. I read those messages with tears and praised God for those women who had a renewed commitment to their spouse.

The idea was simple. Each day for twelve days I gave a gift to Ben that coincided with the day. For example, on Day 4 I gave him the "4th" DVD in a comedy series. On Day 10 I gave him a "10" issue subscription to a magazine. On Day 12 I gave him "12" letters I had written to him. Some women spent a lot of money and gave really nice gifts each day. Others chose not to spend any money and got really creative by giving gifts of service. The point is, any wife can be an encouragement to her man. It doesn't take a lot of money or creativity. I am not a creative person but after a little research and a lot of thinking I was able to come up with a list of 12 gifts.
 

I want this to become an annual tradition. I have one marriage. I want it to be the best it can be. I want to be intentional!

Kelly

If you want to join her facebook group to learn more about this challenge and to see some more ideas - click on this link.   I loved doing this for Thom last year.  If you start on December 13 - your last "gift" will fall on Christmas Day!!  Here are a few of the items I "bought" him:

Day 1: ONE Almond Joy - his favorite candy bar
Day 3: package of THREE pairs of boxers (yep, I'm practical)
Day 6: sent SIX texts of encouragement throughout the day
Day 7: package of SEVEN pairs of new socks (it was a bonus package!)
Day 12: TWELVE pack of his favorite drink, Mountain Dew

God's Perfect Timing: The Junkin Family

　 　My husband and I started our process of adoption in January of 2011. 　We have known this would be something we were going to do for quite some time (actually I told him I was going to adopt on our second date). 　We already had two sons and felt the Lord was telling us it was now time. 　

　 　 Let me just be clear, I probably would not have been able to write this post during our wait! 　Waiting STINKS!! 　Now on this side of our journey I am able to look back on what God was teaching us through all of the waiting and the many trials we went through. 　I remember at one point during our wait for our referral one of my son's was asking for a certain toy. 　He pitched a fit when I said no. 　I was already planning on getting this toy for him for Christmas but he did not know that. 　That next day while I was doing my quiet time with the Lord I realized, I have constantly been praying for the Lord to hurry up and send us our referral ( I may have even pitched a fit or two!) 　:). 　How was this any different than my child? 　We know what is right for our children just like our heavenly Father knows the right thing for us. 　

　 　 　We got the call on June 20th, 2012 that our new son was a 5 month old baby boy. 　Once we looked through his file his birth date kept sticking out to me. 　I was on the phone with my good friend Deidre telling her the great news. 　She asked me when he was born and I told her. 　She said, "Jennifer, that was when we were at the Created For Care conference!". 　The significance in that is because the day our son was born I was in a room praying for his birth mother for the first time. 　I had not really prayed for our future son's birth mother and thought about the things she would endure until that day. 　The Lord really convicted me of this and I wept for the woman that would give birth to our child. 　Once I got home from the conference I told my husband we really need to be praying for the birth mother of our child. 　The Lord knew that this was our son and their is no coincidence he had me pray for her that day! 　When we were in Ethiopia to bring our son home we were able to meet his birth mother. 　I was able to tell her that the day she gave birth the Lord was telling me to pray for her. 　She gave me a huge smile and said "Thank you". 　

　 　 　This is just one instance where God confirmed his perfect timing. 　Now looking back there are so many. 　I wouldn't change anything about our journey. 　 Pray for your child or children because you may be the first person that has ever prayed or yearned to hold this child, but also trust that the Lord knows exactly what he is doing. 　I want to encourage each of you to try and listen to the Lord and see what he is teaching you and your family during the wait. 　

I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, and in His word do I hope. (Psalm 130:5 NASB)

 

Jennifer & The Junkin Family

 

 

God's Perfect Timing: The Petersheim Family

From time to time we are going to feature "God's Perfect Timing" testimonies from adoptive families.  I'm grateful for the Petersheim family and am glad they are sharing a little piece of their story with us.  Enjoy!

Last year, on October 8th, my family and I went to a local farm show. I remember watching our children, drunk on the excitement of farm animals to pet, cotton candy to eat and whirling rides to spin on. Their smiles and giggles were so infectious that everyone around them was grinning from ear to ear. Except me...their mother. My heart was a mess.

We were waiting on our 4th child, a little girl in Ethiopia. We had made it through the summer of court closure, biting our nails with worry and impatience...eyes focused on this very week in October. However, instead of good news pouring in, all became very quiet...and an ominous feeling was in the air.

Somehow, I knew the things we had been fervently praying about weren't going to take place. At least not at all in the timing we had so longed for. That day - at the farm show - I felt so defeated, so confused as to what God was doing in my life.

We had sought Him out on our adoption journey - He had confirmed so many things along our path...and now, it seemed - it FELT- like He had just fallen silent.If only I had known...if only...that at the very moment I was at my most lost...the very moment I was without faith...was the moment that in a world away, God was doing His most mighty, gracious work in my life.

On October 8th, while I was picking up baby chicks in a petting zoo - a tiny baby - barely weighing 1 kilogram - was being picked up by a police officer.

A little girl...who would fight for her life through sickness and malnutrition, a little girl without earthly parents but with a Heavenly Father watching over her...this little girl's beautiful face would show up on my computer screen 3 months later...as MINE. The two of us...put together by a God who knows best. Who asked me to wait...because HE knew what I was waiting for.

On October 8th this year, we took this little girl - our 4th beautiful daughter - along to the farm show. I watched my birthday girl moo at cows, laugh at her sisters' giggles, cuddle close to her daddy. And I was so thankful. God's ways are not my ways; His timing is not my timing - it is Oh-SO-infinitely better.

 

 

Thankful

It's almost Thanksgiving here in the USA and my children have been doing some Thanksgiving crafts at daycare.  After work yesterday, I picked up my kids and this craft was proudly hanging in my 4 year old sons classroom.

What a precious picture.  My son is thankful for me...and hamster.  I stood in his classroom and smiled (I even might have laughed out loud).  His teacher said, "It's ok, I am 20 and I have a hamster."  I laughed and said, "Except, we don't own a hamster".  She joined in laughing with me.  I'm so thankful for my children and how they make me laugh.  In addition, I now know that my 4 year old apparently wants a hamster!

Let's Talk:  As we head into Thanksgiving, what are you most thankful for?  Leave a comment below with some things (big or small) that you are thankful for....

Blessed?

We have a guest blogger today!  Katie Ganshert is the author of Wildflowers from Winter and Wishing on Willows (releases March 19, 2013).  She was born and raised in the Midwest, where she writes stories about finding faith and falling in love.  When she is not busy plotting her next novel, she enjoys watching movies with her husband, playing make-believe with her wild-child of a son, and chatting with her girlfriends over bagels and coffee.  She and her husband are in the process of adopting from the Congo.  You can find her online at her blog and on Facebook.

 

I'm so grateful for other Christian women that I have had the opportunity to meet and to get to know.  She is a mom that is in the "waiting process" with the rest of us.  I had the opportunity to read Katie's first novel and she is a very talented writer! Enjoy what Katie has to share with us and be sure to check out her novel - it's a great read!!

 

Blessed?

by Katie Ganshert

We find out a friend's pregnant and we say, "What a blessing!" And the woman who's barren wonders.....

We see smiling parents with well-adjusted attached children and we say, “What a blessing!” And the parent who are struggling with their newest little one wonders…

We see big, healthy families in big, beautiful houses and we say, "What a blessing!" And the mother struggling with the medical bills wonders....

Am I blessed?

Here in America, blessing is usually synonymous with good fortune. Whether that be money or health or success or popularity or beauty or (fill in the blank). We think if good things happen to us, then God must be blessing us. Which is fine and might even be true. But for every definition we construct, there's an unspoken opposite that simmers beneath it.

If blessed means fertility, then the infertile woman isn't blessed.

If blessed means attached children, then the parents struggling with attachment aren’t blessed.

If blessed means health and prosperity, then the unhealthy and poor aren't blessed.

And if we're not blessed, we must be doing something wrong. Somehow we're missing the point. God's not pleased with us. Maybe even upset with us. We're undeserving....less loved.

Then Jesus opens his mouth and says...

“Blessed are thepoor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

“Blessed are themeek, for they shall inherit the earth.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven...."

Wow. Rejoice and be glad.

Because it's the hard stuff that removes our hope from this shifting world and pins it on an unchanging God. It's the hard stuff that brings us to our knees and draws us close to Him. And drawing close to Him.....wow. What a blessing.

Let's Talk: Do you go through periods in life where you don't feel blessed? Do you equate good fortune with blessing? If you could pull up a chair with God and ask Him what it means to be blessed, what do you think He'd say?