Which way. . .

Since I don't have followers, other than my mom and one other friend, I feel a bit safe in writing some of my thoughts, and journey steps. We haven't shared this with anyone, and will soon enough, but we are oh so close to finding out whether or not we are heading out to Arizona for a new lifetime. A new lifetime of memories, friends, no family, new schools, and so much more. Not sure if we feel sad or adventurous. Not sure if we feel called or just wanting to. Not sure if we don't want to or just feel scared. All I do know is we are keeping our cheek right next to His to hear the next step. Right now, the step is to not step. It's to rest! And wait to see if we get a "second interview".

In the Bible study, "When Godly People Do UnGodly Things", we are talking about seductions. As most readers assume, seduction can be sexual in nature, but we're talking about our sin seductions. What grips us out of the arms of our Heavenly Father and leaves us to mind games, obsessions, and wandering around aimlessly wasting time? My seduction is undoubtedly the desire to stay deep rooted in my physical place. I want the girls to grow up in the same home, same town, going to the same school, worshipping at the same church and seeing the same faces. My Spirit has been desiring something different, yearning to reach out beyond our borders, but my physical self gets sick just thinking about it.

Andres and I are at a crossroads of sorts. He can go this way, and stay "deep rooted", or he can go that way and "uproot". Which is the way? What does the Lord want? I will not know for He will give Andres that direction, and then He will grant me the feelings of "affirmation" of the "confirmation". I love that, and sometimes I don't. I wish the Lord was a texter, so I could just text Him questions, or even times for us to meet up at the coffee shop for an intervention. I love Him so much, and it will never compare to the love He has for me.

So, for now, we wait. We wait for at least a week and either way, we will hear a "yes" or a "no" via e-mail. Prayin' for His answer!! And whatever He leads us to, I will be ever so thankful to His guidance.

With much love, and adoration for our Lord............

Arizona, Friends, and Papa

Where in the world do I begin? Should I begin at the time Dad lost his first born daughter, Nichole Renee, and Dad's promise to follow? Should I begin at March 13, 1977 when I was born to fulfill that promise to Dad? Should I begin at the birth of Katie and her fulfillment of the promise too? Should I start with the evening we were walking our little Katie around the small neighborhood of Fountains of Spring Lake, and ran into the Andersons? Should the story begin with the sweet, sweet times of Bible study that we had just three doors down, and how that began a friendship that will last to the day of our return? And then, continue for eternity. Do I begin in the beginning of Genesis 1:1, when it said that God created the Heavens and the Earth? Surely that included the Grand Canyon, right?

Arizona 2011, a trip Andres and I labeled "life changing". What does that mean in it's entirety? I'm not sure! We're not sure! We're waiting to find out.

We spent 10 wonderful days as a family, making new memories! Not just the picture perfect type of vacation, although I'm tempted to say it was, but the real kind of memories! The kind of memories that take your breath away, teach you a new lesson about life, a visual of God's greatness, splash moments, and just simple moments! The perfect, not-so-perfect, vacation!

We stayed with our very dear friends, Mark and Joey. We love them, as I'm sure they would say they love us too. A special kind of friendship that is glued with God's love right in the middle. Not because we're just alike, look alike, act alike, like the same things, or believe in the same things, but simply because God said it so. He said it so even before He moved them to the southeast side of Mansfield, just at the tip of Joe Pool Lake. We were destined to be life journey families. Our children have been prayed over by Mark and Joey and blessed by them on many of occasion, and we have prayed over the sweet children they have brought into this world. Our heart skips a beat when we see any one of them, as if we've been family all along.

Ten days, and a lot of laughter. Ten days, and some pain. Ten days of enjoying the daily routines of the Andersons (like getting a haircut at Annie's place, or swimming at Momma Davis' house). Ten days, and a whole new landscape. Ten days of the extraordinary and simple. Ten unforgettable days!

We ate breakfast under a grapefruit grove, attended a church service on Saturday night, cooked mass meals, put together puzzles, dressed our girls alike, gave Cade space to be an only guy, giggled late at night while the kids were sleeping, watched a silly movie, walked to the neighborhood park, had dinner in the outdoor mall, attended a baseball game, brushed down a horse, swam with friends, talked about the little things, and pondered the big things, watched a backyard transform, borrowed children for outings, and so, so much more.

Then, a Grand Canyon trip that sucked the breath out of Andres Alonso Perez!!! It was grander than grand, and a massive creation that made us righteously fearful of His works. Who are we, but a small portion of His creation, yet He loves us above all!!??!! Not one portion of His creation, including the Grand Canyon which leaves on breathless, compares to His delight in you and me. That floors me, because if you've never seen the Grand Canyon, it's not just a "hole" in the ground! It's Holy Ground! It's Holy because it obeyed it's Creator and moved right where He wanted it to move. It cracked, formed, and dropped in all the right places. Not one portion of the Grand Canyon was created out of His will!!!!!! Even the Elk that grazed so closely to our car, have been obedient to Him. They move when He says move, they live where He wants them to live, and are the best Elk they can be for their Lord!!! Right up to their velvet antlers!

As if that was not enough, eight days into our trip the door bell rang. Who's there? It's PAPA.............wait..........it couldn't be...............Papa lives down the street in Texas..............wait.....................it IS Papa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!! Enough to bring all three girls to smiles!


Dad stopped by on day eight. He could hardly stand being in the same town and not seeing the girls. It was like the grand finale of an already beautiful firework display. Dad took us around that following day, and it was nothing short of a miraculous, blessing of an experience. Who cares if those words don't go together in the same sentence!!!! There are no "correct" or "great" words to describe what it felt like to finally be at the place of bringing a lifetime of memories together with the present day. All the old pain and hurt, brought to the place of fulfillment and joy.


We drove through mountains, skipped rocks, laughed as "Papa Sunshine" toured us around, rock climbed, stood still, stood tall, sat down, and a few lap sits as well (Papa and Katie). We heard stories, told stories, and made new stories.



There's not enough "posting" space to describe my heart, thoughts or emotions of this past vacation. I can only pray that I will have the slightest of details in mind as I retail of our experience. Lord, please help me remember my childlike awe of the Mingus Mountain, snow-capped mountains in Flagstaff, the "dream land" that we didn't want to leave as we made our way to the canyon, and so much more!



How deep and wide is your love for me......................for us!!!!!!




I love you Lord!

Rain, Done, and MapQuest

It's 9 a.m., exactly, my students just finished their final exam, and it's about to pour outside. Brie is taking her final exam, Katie is counting down the days to finish First Grade, and Sofie is trying her best to follow Mrs. Turner's instructions. :)

Wow an amazing school year! We have been through so much this year, some things we were drafted into, some brought on by ourselves, and some things were simply meant for growth. All of which is necessary for fruit bearing trees!

Brie is finishing her first school year at a new school, new home, new community, with new friends! Considering such monumental changes, she's transitioned beautifully! Katie made it through a pretty tough year. She missed the ol' days of centers, crafts, and fun songs to help her remember grammar. Oh the days of Kinder, and now it's on with rigor! Bless her heart........ Sofie also finished a monumental year. She made it through Pre-K, and accomplished it gracefully. Well, most days! :) Three girls still livin' it for Him!

Season of life we're in right now? Well, we're in the Season of breathing in the very essence of Christ because without Him, we will not be able to parent a 13 year-old, 7 year-old, and an almost 5 year-old. Daily, we're aware of three sets of eyes that are watching us, three sets of ears that are hanging onto every word we mention, and three sets of feet that follow our every move. How can a human be held so accountable for three lives? We can't! We're human! BUT, we're responsible. We're the hands in which Christ delivered all three girls, and what we do with our time is being accounted for!

So, here are a few scriptures that have been lingering for the past couple days of breathing Him:

* "Lord, You know ALL (emphasis mine) things" (John 21:17)

* "...No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no MIND HAS CONCEIVED (emphasis mine)
what God has PREPARED for those who love Him" (I Cor. 2:9)

* "Thank (God) in EVERYTHING (e.m.)- NO MATTER what the circumstances
may be, be thankful and GIVE THANKS; for this is the WILL of God for us."
(I Thess. 5:18)

* "I never said YOU COULD, but I ALWAYS said I WOULD!" (Zechariah 4:6)

* "...not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit.....says the Lord of hosts"

I don't always love the map He's laid before me, but I love the fact that He knows where I'm going. He knows the detours, the scenic routes, areas of danger and the final destination. He doesn't always keep me from traveling danger, but He promises that I'll arrive safely to p.o.d. I don't have access to His MapQuest, and to be quite honest, I'd rather Him print it off and hand it to me.

To follow my Master is more beautiful than to wander around on my own. Joy, Peace, and Love are His rest stops. Mine would be frustration, anxiety, and wasted time.

Royal Wedding indeed....

The eve of the Royal Wedding, and I can hardly sleep. With so much excitement in the air, how can one not take it all in? An average girl, from an average town........chosen. Chosen to wed the Prince of Whales. Hope for any common girl, that she too could be chosen to sit at the right hand of her fair Prince. The finest of details being tended to, and all the last minute lessons on grace.

Can't you help but wonder how we'll feel the day we meet our King? In the Bible, He talks about preparing a wedding feast, and it will be the first time He is to eat and drink wine since the Last Supper. What types of details is our Lord preparing for us? If He gives the wisdom of etiquette, class, and style to human beings, how much more would He know how to plan a feast for His bridegroom. Now, it is beyond my ability to picture all that He means by a "wedding feast and bridegroom", as it relates to the men in my life. Must be a strange thought for them to ponder on a Lord waiting for His bridegroom, which includes both them and us girls, but either way, we can all imagine our own wedding times 100. Breathtaking, shimmering, sounds of crystal, the finest of linens, silver, and china and most of all.....................Jesus!

So, I will enjoy all the commentaries, pictures, videos, and the books on this soon to be wed couple as it will not be a visual of what I do not have, rather a glimpse of what is to come!!!!

No words; Cereal; Ballgame

Well, let's just say that it has been a long time since I've journaled last. Life gets so busy, and the last thing I have time to do in the evening is sit down, and "blog". Still sounds so weird coming from this "no facebook" girl. Blogging sounds so new and innovative to me, and to others it's was "so 2004". Oh well, either way, I'm thankful for the opportunity to sit down, and jot down a few things.

First, how good is our God? The goodness of our Father goes beyond my human capabilities to put His "awesomeness" into human words. There's not Latin root, Greek origin, or Hebrew word that can even begin to describe our Lord. David, the Psalmist couldn't do it, Solomon didn't have the wisdom to write it down in full, nor did His disciples have the "perfect" description of the Perfect. What is written in the pages of the Word are God breathed about Himself, not man-made. Oh, how I wish I could breathe in His excellence, His presence, His Deity! I get glimpses, and bits and pieces, but the fullness will never come until I go home.

Until then, I will look around at the blossoms on our Dogwood tree, listen to the birds break out in song, enjoy the fresh Spring breeze coming through the front window, enjoy the worship music that plays through our speakers, and most importantly look at what He's done in our family. Brianne is a physical reminder of more salvation, redemption, grace, and mercy scriptures than any book I could ever read (other than His word).

From the moment I wake up to eat a bowl of cereal, until I fall asleep next to Andres, I see what God meant by:

* taking care of the orphans
* adoption into the Kingdom of Heaven
* cannot be earned; just given through grace (salvation)
* forgiveness even when not deserved
* Gentile v. Jew
* coming before the Great Judge to seal the deal (our adoption day)
* baptism: buried in Christ and raised to walk with Him in the newness of life

And the list goes on!

This past July, right before we received the phone call, if you would've told me that we would receive a phone call in just a few weeks about a 12 1/2 year-old girl, and this is what the Lord was going to call us to, I would've been reluctant, doubtful, and fearful. But, He didn't give us a "heads up". He didn't point out to center and say that's where He was going to hit the ball. We had to keep our eye on the batter, continuously, and when He hit, we were then ready to catch His calling. We caught it into our glove, and now we are running to home plate on March 9th at 8 a.m.!!!! It was a four-year ballgame, but it was well worth it!!! I'm forever blessed and thankful that we were in the game, and not bystanders to others.

So many times we look at other ballgames being played and envy their game, when all along He's been scouting you out! He's been inviting you to a professional game of FAITH, but you were so busy looking over the fence, that you didn't hear. You heard the fans roaring on some other family, that you didn't hear your game starting!

I encourage you to just listen, and obey your Father! That's what we ask of our children!! In fact, I will post some pictures from our morning today. We took the girls to a very special piece of land that no one else really knows about. We have never seen someone else visit this piece of land, and we resort to it for a variety of reasons. Sometimes to pray, have a picnic, read a book, talk it out, or just enjoy a piece of Heaven in the big city. Well, this morning, we took our girls there so we could spend some time together before our big adoption day. It was a deviation from the weekend norm for our family, so the girls had a TON of questions. They kept asking where were going, how far is it, why are we not going down Broad street, how long will we stay there, are we going to eat there, what city is it in, and on and on and on!!! They weren't questions of "fun", rather "I'm thrown off and I need to know now."

We were really frustrated with the girls because we had a very special morning planned for them. We were going to reveal our family scripture (Isaiah 25:1), pray together, sketch a bit, throw rocks, and of course before we did all that, we were going to go to a coffee shop for coffee and hot chocolate. We had it all planned out and it was going to be very special, but they were ruining it question by question!

How often.....................again...................how often, does He have it ALL planned out for us and we keep drowning the adventure and blessings with doubt, and control? We could've enjoyed the ride until we arrived to His planned spot for us, but instead of looking out the side window and spotting a Red Robin, or admiring the lake underneath the beautiful bridge, we looked at the back of His head, and questioned the whole time. We're all so guilty of this!!! So, when the girls did this, I was 1/2 upset, and 1/2 convicted.

We ended up having a GLORIOUS morning on top of that piece of land and the pictures you see posted are from our outing. If you get a chance to look up Isaiah 25:1, please do. He is so faithful!

Well, as I end this "post", I reflect on the simple truth that in two days, our adoption is finalized! He never allowed us to close our door to adoption, when so many times we struggled with the road. It was paved many times, but there were many times, that it was not. I'm thankful for the consistency of His voice, and the steadfastness to listen! I love our Heavenly Father so very much and I see Him all around me! I see Him in His creation, and in His people! That includes you sweet daughter, or dear friend! Keep your eyes open and investigate His fingerprints! Find 'em everywhere and let it remind you of who He is and what He wants to do in your life and in the life of your family!

With much love, excitement, and encouragement,

Elizabeth

His approach, Huntsville, let us be the ones!!

God is so amazing!!! Not because of what He does for us, or answers to prayers, but because He is Who He Is!!! To be able to approach a Holy God, at any given moment, whether driving, cleaning, running errands with your children, on your knees in your room, in church or at a girl's luncheon, is AMAZING!!!!!! Who are we to be able to approach Him so casually? If He blesses us with not one more blessing, but just keeps communication open, then I am forever blessed!!!!

Last night, as I was laying Sofia down, I approached Him as I lay under her sheets waiting for her to fall asleep. I told Him how I have feelings that I don't understand, and how I'm sorry if I've been wasting time doing nothing (could because we're locked in, not sure) and how I miss Him. I miss meeting with Him like I used to. Weird thing.....when I was at home with the girls and school schedules were not apart of our life yet, I was deep, deep into His word. I was having fellowship with other ladies and we were sharing what He was revealing to us. Now? Well, now, we're apart of the world of education (sweet education with His love all over it, but still a time commitment), and I find that I settle for the time I squeeze in with Him.

I'm doing a Kay Arthur study called "Covenant". Hello!!!!!!!!! Uhhhhhh................as if "Covenant" is not deep into His promises and not to mention that it's an "inductive" study, which means you're going as deep as you possibly can and then you find that you can actually go deeper. So, what's my problem? Well, I look at my "Covenant" Bible Study book and purposefully ignore it. I know how intricate it can be, how much color-coding, writing, and processing it can be, and I just flat-out ignore it. Forgive me Lord!!!! Put a yearning in my heart and grow some Spiritual muscles in me!!! Give me a deprivation feeling if I've not met with You and don't let my day feel complete until we've talked, fellowshiped, and communed with one another!!

In one month, a friend and I are heading to Huntsville, Texas to meet with the real penitentiary women. I mean, we're talking about some serious prisoners. We're going to share with them that redemption is theirs! Is that not the most amazing news that one could ever hear behind bars?????? THIS DOES NOT HAVE TO BE YOUR STORY!!!!!!! THIS IS NOT THE CHAPTER YOU HAVE TO HANG ONTO!!! HE'S DOING A NEW THING.....DO YOU NOT PERCEIVE IT? (my favorite scripture) Oh, how I can hardly wait to be sitting in front of #87305, with my hand on her knee with His promises for her life and mine!!! We could, in very different circumstances, be the same "sisters-in-Christ". Oh my goodness................it's a dream vacation!!!

All this to say..............I need to prepare my heart and not arrive as a hypocrite, but as a cleaned-out vessel so that He may speak, work, and move through me. I must get into His word, spend time with Him, and be obedient to His daily call.

Girls, whether it's Brie, Katie, Sofie reading this or an actual girlfriend, when we walk away from Him, for even a short amount of time, our days are filled with endless, meaningless tasks. BUT, when we keep our ears close to His voice, our days are filled with timeless, meaningful purpose!!! I don't want to waste my time, and I don't want Him to look upon my life and "regret" what He's done. (That's what I read recently regarding the covenant b/w Noah and the Lord. He looked upon that generation and He "regretted" and felt "sorry" that He created man. WHOA!!!!!! That burned upon my heart when I read that b/c we all know the feeling of "regret", and I couldn't imagine having a child that was so out-of-control and so selfish in her journey, that I speak the words "regret" having this child. May we be a generation of women that He "delights" in and "cherishes". Let us be the generation that finds the exact purpose in which He created us for!!!!

Can a blog be. . .?

Can a blog be longer than a thought? Can it contain more details than one would ever want to know about a family's afternoon? Can it be whatever I'd like it to be or are their underlying "rules" for blogging? Do you have to keep things nice and sweet for the reader's pleasure, or can you throw out thought provoking questions, with a dollop of daily insight? Can you make a "Vera Bradley" looking homepage to your blog or are you just limited to the standard patterns?

Just asking.....