Blogging Break

I've decided to take a break from blogging. I know I might lose some of you along the way. I apologize. I've enjoyed blogging, but it just seems to be the right thing to do for now. I'm so grateful for the connections I've made through blogging...especially those in the adoption community.

Blessings,
Kathy

When waiting on a prescription at Walgreen's, you might consider......

When you don't want to shop while you wait on a prescription at Walgreen's you might consider using the strategically located magnifying strips to entertain yourself. Enjoy the photos we took. Oh, you'll find them anywhere were people shop who might need a magnifying strip..........start by Ensure or Depends items!

What do you think?

I had a guy from church work up something for a project in another country. This may go up on a wall in an orphanage...as a mural. What do you think? I'll share my thoughts later.

To "To Sing and Dance"

I haven't posted in over a month! I apologize. Life has been extremely crazy. I will sit down with a cup of coffee one evening in the next week and write some updates and add some pictures. Until then, enjoy this photo that my hubands assistant made of Tom!

My Beloved.............

I have something important for you to understand, our relationship is based on My faithfulness. Your faith may wax and wane, but My faithfulness endures forever. I will never let you go. So put your trust in Me. In every situation, remember these words: Don’t be afraid; just believe.

I know the plans I have for you; plans to prosper you, not to harm you; plans to give you hope and a future. But this will only happen if you put your hope in Me and live according to My Word.

Don’t be afraid; just believe. That is your responsibility in our relationship: Believe that My love for you is unfailing: believe and trust in My goodness. And when you get discouraged, quickly turn to Me; call out to Me for help and I will deliver you from trouble. My faithfulness will be your shield and your fortress. I will fill you with joy and peace as you trust in Me, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of My Spirit.

Don’t be afraid; just believe. Be strong and courageous, for I am with you. I will not fail you nor forsake you. I will never betray My faithfulness. I am the Lord; when you hope in Me you will not be disappointed.

Don’t be afraid; just believe.
(1Ch 28:20; Ps.33:21-22, 42:5, 89:33, 91:4, 130:5,7; Isa 49:23; Jer 29:11; Mk 5:36; Ro 3:3-4; 15:13)

Spring!

I know I haven't been good about posting pictures or writing anything of real substance...........life has been crazy for all of us. We are thrilled that the rains have stopped (for now) and the sun is shining! Enjoy the photos from Easter Sunday........what a great day in celebrating the power of ther resurrection! It is rare that all five kids are together at the same time these days! I also posted some pictures from "Bike Day" at preschool!

It's not about adoption.........that is just one component of the bigger picture....caring for orphans!

Long time no write....

....still no write. Enjoy the photo.

Just thinking....

God's goodness provides and protects; God's mercy pardons and forgives. God's goodness will supply; God's mercy will sooth. God's goodness will help; God's mercy will heal.

Confessions......of A Mom of an 18-year old Son

Confessions of a Mother of an 18-year Old Son
March 3, 2009
It was the summer of 1993 when TJ was determined to ride a bike without training wheels. I thought it was too early. After all, it was only four months since he quit wearing diapers! He was determined and I was exhausted in trying to make him understand that he may not be ready. I figured he needed to learn for himself whether or not he was truly ready to ride a bike without training wheels. I took off the training wheels, helped him up on the bike. Several times I ran alongside of him holding the back of the seat, trying to help him stay balanced. I then had to do one of the hardest things I have ever done. I gave him a push knowing and I wasn’t going to hold that seat. I knew he was going to fall, but I hoped he would fall in the grass! I wanted to close my eyes because I didn’t know if he would collide into that tree, fall on the concrete or run into a parked car on the side of the road. I found a little comfort in that he had a helmet on his head. Watching his determination was difficult for me as his mother, but I continued to push him and watch him lose his balance and fall. And then it happened. I pushed him, he wavered back and forth, but he didn’t fall….he rode his bike without falling! Well, until he learned how to use the breaks! That was the next lesson. Eventually, bike riding became a simple matter of “go get your bike out of the garage and ride it.”

My anxiety and fear in teaching TJ how to ride a bike was intense. TJ turned 18 yesterday. Do any of you want to know about my anxiety and fears? Multiply those anxieties and fears from 1993 by a million!

My son is determined to want to live life independently from us. We’ve had long discussions and we even have written list of expectations for this next stage in life as he lives in our home. I had to bend in some areas that I really didn’t want to bend in. I am standing; watching him go. I’m trying not to hold on too tightly. I’m fearful of the decisions he has to make. I’m still close, but I’m not “right there.” It’s honestly one of the most difficult things to do!

I received an email from a good friend of mine yesterday. She said, “I’m praying that TJ will come to recognize the truth that we all have to accept sooner or later—that ‘It’s not right because God tells us to do it; rather, God tells us to do it because it is right.’ If we could all just understand that the only reason God lays out boundaries for our lives is so that we won’t tumble over the edge into an awful hole, how much happier we’d be. We all have times when we want it ‘our way,’ even knowing in our heart of hearts that His way is best. May this be the year that TJ comes face to face with his own human inadequacies and embraces the Lord’s all-sufficiency.”

John Townsend writes, “Parents are the guardrails in a teen’s life. Sometimes they get banged into over and over and over again. It they do their job, in the end, the teen comes out on the right path.” It’s been a season of getting “banged into” over and over again. My prayer is that TJ will learn to live life in such a way that honors and pleases God. What will it take to get him there? I don’t know. I just want him THERE! If he stumbles or falls, I just pray that the outcomes aren’t too harmful. I pray that if he falls, it results in him getting up and trying to do it right the next time. I hope he knows how to use “his brakes” to stop him from ending up somewhere he has no business being.” I pray that he will know in his heart and his head Proverbs 3:5,6 that reads, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

I confess that I don’t know how to be the mother of an 18 year old son. I’ve only been that for a little over 24 hours! I’m thinking there are going to be both good and bad things down the road. Interesting, it’s like I’m trying to learn to ride a new kind of bike. I might not ride it all that well in the beginning, but with God’s help, I just might learn to do this thing well! Hmmmm, who needs to trust in the LORD with all of her heart and not lean on her own understanding? Acknowledge Him? It’s me…the mother of an 18 year old son.

Where did the 18 years go? Happy Birthday, TJ!

Me.....28. Him.....two hours old!

Me....46. Him....18.

Tom and TJ....then!

Tom and TJ today!

The family out for dinner for TJ's birthday. I know...hate the picture of me!

Tune in tomorrow with some of my thoughts on having my first child turn 18. It's a time of celebration...a time of some anxiety...and a time of some fears.

NOTE: THIS WAS MEANT TO BE FUNNY.....PLAIN AND SIMPLE.

"It's not about you."

Rick Warren's book, "The Purpose Driven Life" begins with chapter one title, "It all starts with God." That chapter starts with the words, "It's not about you."

The first paragraph reads, "It's not about you. The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It's far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by his purpose and for his purpose."

It's not about me. It's not about you. It's about Him.

40 Days of Orphan Advocacy

*40 posts for 40 days to contribute to the awareness of the Orphan in our World. Please share this blog or specific posts with friends that you interact with on the internet who may be interested in the Mi...
Chck Out at

http://voicefortheorphan.blogspot.com/

Kathy

Same Shirt......spurred on by Donna T.

Lily's Gotcha Day.

Sarah's Gotcha Day.

I felt like blogging a little bit today, but I wasn't so sure what to blog about. I thought about writing something about faith, writing about praising God in the storms, adoption related topics, I even thought I'd write about the need of orphans in Vietnam that I am working with this month. I just couldn't get into writing. I then popped over to some of my favorite blogs. There were writings on faith, adoption topics, needs of the poor, and minitries to orphans. I guess I'm in a less spiritual mood and was caught by Donna T's photos. I'd hyperlink her blog, but quite frankly, I don't know how to do it! Donna's husband wore the same shirt on both of the Gotcha Days with their daughters. I posted this before, but am going to do it again. Here is is....Tom wore the same HAT, the same SHIRT with the same camera over his shoulder. Only difference? Different girls in different parts of China! And this was not planned! Me, I would have worn the same thing if I hadn't grown out of my "Lily Sized Clothes" by the time the "Sarah Sized Clothes" came along!

Can I also comment on his facial expressions? With Lily he was filled with excitement. With Sarah it seemed to be, "Lord help me, I now have five children!" I have the best guy........I really do! I don't know a more humble, faithful guy!

Dane

It is hard to believe that Dane turned 13 on February 11th! I am now offically the other of three teen-aged boys and two preschool girls! Yeah, I live in extremes! Two weeks ago I was teaching one to drive a Barbie jeep in the morning and one to drive a Ford in the evening!

I am really proud of Dane! He brings a lot of joy to this house/home. He's smart and I do not have to get on him about school....ever! Well, except on the nights he is memorizing Scripture for a Bible test. He gets way too anxious! But, he pulls through and gets great grades. He loves to play sports and plays with a heart bigger than anyone! He is phenominal at playing the violin, but I do wish he would practice more! He cracks me up! If you have ever seen any of his videos on youtube, you would certainly crack up, too! I have to mention some of his videos. I love an early one where he was recording Tyler lip-sycing "Three Wooden Crosses" but Ty wasn't faking it to Randy Travis, he was faking it to the sound of Dane Alexander singing behind the camera! I also like the one where he attempts to play his violin at the same time he spins a plate on a stick! I then crack up on the shortest video that was recorded after several attempts at that skill when he says, "I have no talents." Of course, the most recent posted video makes me laugh as he plays basketball in the kitchen and trash talks to the camera as if he is talking to LaBron James, Alan Iverson and Kobe Bryant! If you want to check them out, you can find them on my youtube page sevenalexanders.

Dane is a wonderful big brother to LIly and Sarah. The girls love Dane! I enjoy hearing Ty and Dane do devotions at night with a small light on in their room. I'm thinking Dane is going to really miss Ty in a few years when he goes off to college. He asked if we would consider adopting a boy his age so he wouldn't be alone. At this time, he needs to learn to be alone! My quiver is quivering! Dane also has a sensitive heart for others......gotta love that! Plus, although he isn't one to show me too much affection in public, he can seldom walk past me at home without hugging me.....gotta love that! Shhh, don't tell him I posted that!

Anyway, Dane had a great day turning 13! What did we get him? It was a miniature camcorder.....since he likes to make movies. The only problem is that he took my memory card!

Where is He calling you?

"Where the world's deep hunger meets your deep gladness is where God calls you." Where is He calling you?

Blogging thoughts.....

I will either go to a private blog or close this blog down in the next month. I'm just a bit concerned that people are accessing my pictures through Google Images. If I go private and you want to still follow along, send me your email address to kalexand@columbus.rr.com and I will send you an invitation. I'm also on Facebook so you can keep in touch there if you desire.

Kathy

Phil Wickham in concert!

Fairfield Christian Church
1965 N. Columbus St.
Lancaster, Ohio 43130

http://www.fairfieldcc.com
http://www.bringmehope.org

TICKETS: $8.00 at door
Benefits orphans in China through the work of Bring Me Hope.

Sisters Stick Together

In the craziness of my life, I find a lot of joy AND enjoyment in my two girls. Sometimes I just sit and watch them play! Most of the time they do really well together. I love to watch them watch "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" and "Diamond in the Castle." The actually act out the movie while they watch it! I also enjoy watching them play school and cooker's (Chef's in the play kitchen.)

These photos show them at one of those moments that I found joy. In was late on a snow morning when they were watching public television. They wanted some dry cereal...yeah, I know....looks like dog food! Anyway, love this shot! It reminds me of the miraculous God we serve! Only God could orchestrate two little girls from different parts of China to be adopted into the same family....to be sisters that stick together! The joy! The enjoyment!