A Seed of Sacrifice

Well, where do I begin?  I woke Friday morning wanting to bless my family with a big breakfast of bacon and pancakes.  This wouldn't have been a problem except for the fact that it created extra work.  After forcing everyone to help with the clean up, we all went about our daily task.

 

For some reason the baby was a little fussy and wouldn't go down for her usual nap.  She wanted to be held.   I decided to rock her and she had just closed her eyes when Drew came  bursting through the door and frantically ran into the bathroom.  This of course woke her up. 

My sleepless beauty

Not seconds later, he yelled, "Mom, I peed everywhere."  As I went to survey the damage, I found poop smeared down the toilet and covering his legs and bottom.  Great!  I quickly gave Isaiah the baby and threw Drew into the tub. 

Once I had him settled into the bath, I asked the older kids to keep an eye out for Drew while I went to make Myla's bottle.  We all could hear him singing as loud as possible so I guess no one bothered to see what he was doing in the tub.

My rotten cowboy who got  "creative" in the bathtub

Just a minute later, I returned with the bottle in my hand.  I was horrified to see that Drew had decided our wooden stool needed a bath.  He had it in the tub with a WHOLE bottle of shampoo poured on top of it.  It wasn't enough to have wasted the shampoo.  He had to put three towels into the water to scrub the stool with.  He managed to do this in just two minutes.  Really? 

I wish he had used his energy to find the bears

How was I going to survive?  I still had the poop to clean up.  I quickly called in the troops as I ran into the pantry to get the rags.  As I entered the pantry, I found dog pee on the floor.  What?  I wanted to kill the dog!  She knows better than this.  Help!

Once I mopped up the pee, I ran by my computer and noticed a pile of papers I needed to grade for the older children.  The pile contained 2 test, 1 paper, 2 science sheets, and one math book.  It was staring back at  me.  The papers were yelling my name as I scurried on the clean up the bathrooms. 

I couldn't believe that it was only a little before 11:00. I felt like I had ran a marathon.  I was in desperate need of a nap, the Word, or something.   I decided I would settled down with my Bible and feed the baby her much needed bottle. 

I read John 12:24:

 

Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

I die for my men



I will sacrifice for my ladies



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lord isn't talking to mothers in this passage, but it is a scripture that has helped me keep my focus over the years for I have learned that with each child I need to die to myself.  I need to be a seed of sacrifice so that they can sprout up into a beautiful plant for the Lord.  A plant who serves the Lord, loves the Lord, and follows the Lord. 

 



Less of me and more of him

Father, help me to be a seed of sacrifice as I strive to raise Strong Oaks for your kingdom!  Help me to give as you gave...wholeheartedly!

For her, I give of myself

 

From Fear to Love

Fear is a nasty part of every one's life.  I have been thinking over our adoption and remembered the fear that plagued Bryan's heart for a while.  He didn't want to talk about adoption due to the fact that he feared some aspects of the whole process. 

 

It is very common for women to have a heart for adoption, but for her husband to be very reluctant.  Bryan biggest hang ups were the fears that he wouldn't be able to love the  child as much as he loved our biological children.  Please don't get me wrong.  Bryan loves children and always has, but he only wanted to bring a child into our family if he could love, care, and treat the little one as if she came from my womb so the fear of the unknown plagued his thoughts. 

 

The second reason that caused him to be reluctant was the dreaded "M" word...money.  He didn't know if we could afford to adopt and provide for a seventh child on one income.  Being the only bread winner, Bryan felt the weight on the financial part of adoption. 

 

Our first precious moment with Myla

Praise the Lord!  Bryan was able to fear the Lord more.  He was able to be obedient to the calling on our family and push the feelings of doubt aside.  

Bryan's first kiss

Praise the Lord!  I can tell you that Bryan loves his little baby girl as if she came from my womb.  Fear turned into love the moment that he held her for the first time.  I will never forget the protection and love that oozed out of his heart the day he saw her in the hospital nursery. 

 

Praise the Lord!  Bryan says these three things everyday:

 

Daddy and His Angel

 

She is soo easy to love!

 

I have such a strong need to protect her!

 

She is an angel...the best baby.

 

She loves sleeping in the safety of her Daddy's arm

 

 

Our Lord is a God that can turn fear into love.

 

The Vine

A little over nine years ago, Bryan and I spent hours writing our family vision.  It had such an impact on our family that I decided to create a personal vision for myself.  I refer to if often.  It helps me focus on the things that the Lord has called me to do...the things that are my purpose for living.  At the top of my vision,  I placed an excerpt from a book that was written in 1882.  We have lost our focus as women.   

 

Please read with me today as I examine one aspect of my vision...calling...heart:

Woman is compared sometimes to the vine, while man is the strong oak to which it clings.  But there are different kinds of vines. 

Some wreathe a robe of beauty and a crown of glory for the tree, covering it in summer days with green leaves

and in the autumn hanging among its branches rich purple clusters of fruit;

others twine their arms about it only to sap its very life and destroy its vigor, till it stands decaying and unsightly; stripped of its splendor, discrowned and fit only for the fire.
Home-Making

What kind of vine are you? 

What kind of Oak have you helped your man to become?

Genesis 2:18

 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

 

Our Team

 I am not sure why, but individuals think they have a right to ask questions and analyze your family once you reach a certain size.   I have seen many eyes bulge out of their sockets once they find out that we not only have many children, but that we also choose to home school them as well.  Once they pick their eyeballs off the floor, the questions will begin.  The most common questions are, "How on earth do you get it all done?  How can you meet every ones needs?"

This one of my favorite times of each day.  I love snuggling with the little ones!

I can answer that question in one simply word-TEAMWORK!

Gracie always watches over her little Sis while I teach the Littles.

 

My children help out so much.  I am blessed that they care for one another.  They are quick to help out in anyway possible.

  


Zeke watches over Myla while I grade papers.




 They couldn't do it without me and I couldn't do it without them.






Myla naps with Caleb so I can help Grace with her math.

 We are aren't perfect.  We have our days.  We have our stresses, but we are a team that is playing to win.

Weird But Wonderful!

We were able to start decorating for Christmas the last few days.  What a fun activity!  The "little people" have been so excited. 

After I finished a hanging the stockings on the mantle, I took a step back to look at my work.  I wanted to make sure they were spaced properly. 

As I did so, I had one of my "moments".  It was one of those moments that it hits me that I have seven children.  Seven huge blessings that I am responsible to love as the Lord loves me.  It is my job to teach them all ways of the Lord.  Bam!  The thought hit me right in the heart!





I have these moments often.  There are times that I think, "Lord, it is so weird that I have a newborn and one who will be 18 years old in just 2 1/2 months. 
Father, I will be changing diapers and looking into college at the same time.  Please give me the wisdom to balance it all."


I find it strange that when Myla is in Kindergarten my oldest will be out of college.  Who knows he could even be married.

 My life is a crazy, but I love it.  I wouldn't trade it for the world.  It is a weird, but wonderful life.

I Thank the Lord

I can't even begin to tell you the miracle that adoption is.  It is amazing.  It is a joy.  It is from the Lord. 

I had heard individuals say  that they had a child through the miracle of adoption, but I can tell you that I NEVER would have understood had I not had little Myla placed into my life...my heart.

When we started the journey to adoption, I felt as if I had to find a needle in a hay stack.  I knew the Lord had a child for us, but there were a thousand paths before us.  How would we ever know which road would led us to the new little Elliott? 

It was overwhelming for not only did we need to find and walk down the right trail, but we also had to raise money in the process.  I cried out daily for the Lord to help us...guide us. 

In the midst of calling on the Lord, we had agencies tell us to be prepared to wait at least two years.  Many told us to be prepared to show our profile to birth mothers at least twenty times due to the fact that we were a large family. 

Little did we know that the Lord would miraculously give us a child in 8 short months from the day Bryan and I sat in our bedroom and said yes to adoption.  Who would have thought  that we would hold our Lovie just 4 1/2 months after our home study was done?  Much to every one's surprise, we were matched with Myla after our FIRST profile showing!!

I thank the Lord that we said yes each time that I hold our Treasure and breath in her baby scent,

 

I thank the Lord that we didn't make excuses. 

 

I thank the Lord that he revealed his plan and gave us this blessing to cherish forever.

 

I thank the Lord that I have been able to experience the miracle of birth and adoption.

 

I thank the Lord for ALL of my children. 

 

I thank the Lord for a husband who faithfully follows the Lord even when it is hard...when others think he is crazy.  Not many men would adopt a child on a single income when he already has 6 children!!

 

I can't begin to tell you how blessed I am! 

Happy Thanksgiving! 

The Blessings of a Large Family

I forget the number of children we had when  we started to receive comments about our family size.  We have been helping individuals with their counting skills for a while now. 

I remember one time  we were at the mall and this lady was counting our children with her pointing finger.  Bryan looked at her and said, "Six.  We have six children."   She gave us a dirty look and rushed on. 


When we had Myla at her first well check, we were placed in a waiting room for newborns.  There was a couple already seated in the room.  The man looked down at our baby seat and said, "Is this your first?"

"No, this is our seventh," Bryan replied.

"Holy S____.  You have got to be kidding me.  I am sooo sorry," the husband loudly proclaimed.

Bryan smiled and said confidently, "Sorry?  Why are you sorry?  I am thankful.  They are a blessing."

I am sorry for the children whose parents think they are a nuisance.
 
I am sorry for the families whose patriarchs don't see them as blessings.

I am sorry for the many people who miss out on the benefits of a large family.

Here are Myla's thoughts on her large family:

I always have someone to feed me.

 

 

 

 

I always have

 

 

 

 

someone to kiss me.

 

 

 

I always have someone

 

 

 

 

to hold me.

 

 

 

 

I am never afraid.

 

 

 

I am never alone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am loved by MANY.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am always protected.

 

 

I am read to often.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am adored by all.

I am blessed. I feel sorry for those who miss out on the love I have.  My family is a blessing.