Polluted

I stumbled across some statistics today that stopped me dead in my tracks. I just couldn't believe that what I was reading could be true. Would you believe that Americans spend billions of dollars every year on the following?

$3 billion on bottled water

$4 billion on cosmetics

$7 billion on sporting events

$11 billion on coffee

$13 billion on pets

$13 billion on diet programs

$17 billion on golfing and boating

$20 billion on soft drinks

$21 billion on cable t.v.

$76 billion on home renovations

$105 billion on eating out

I think that these numbers corroborate something that has been on my mind alot lately. We seem to be living in a time in which we feel entitled to a life of comfort, one in which our every need and desire be fulfilled. We rapidly consume, collect and display. Yet, no matter how many times we repeat this gluttonous dance we still struggle with discontentment. If anything, we discover that when we choose to engage in this particular quest of fulfillment, we are left feeling empty, unsatisfied, exhausted and broke. The truth is that the monster inside cannot be satisfied.

Not only are we drowning in materialism, the technological capacity of our day has enabled us to be the most informed group of people to have ever graced this earth. I have to wonder if it isn't this continual barrage of excessive information that has contributed to the apathy of our souls. We see the image on the screen of the poor, naked and oppressed. We hear the cries of children that are hungry and cold and we are conditioned to change the channel, to immediately put a stop to that feeling that begins to creep into our soul. We seem to have forgotten, but that feeling is empathy. The knowledge of this makes me want to scream! Please do not think that I am pointing the finger or placing blame on anyone else - I AM GUILTY!! I struggle daily with discontentment and selfishness. On too many occasions to count, I have looked the other way when I see someone in need. I have no reasonable explanation for my actions. Sadly, I know that this life is short and that at the end of it I will stand before a Sovereign Lord and give an account of how I used the time on earth that He gave me. It grieves me to admit that when that day comes my head will hang in shame with the knowledge that I wasted so much precious time consumed with the "pursuit of me".

Good and Gracious Lord, please keep me from a heart that is hardened to the needs of your children. I confess that I am too often sedated by the empty comforts and distractions of this world, rendering me blind and apathetic to the plight of those less fortunate than myself. Please forgive me for the countless times that I have chosen to ignore the needs of those that you have put in in my path. May I continually be reminded of your mercy and faithfulness extended innumerable times to me. And might the knowledge of this, compel me to do what I can for those in need, and then do more......

"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." ~Luke 12:48

In His Grip,

A Poem

This is a poem I came across. I thought it was sweet and wanted to share it.

A child sat on Jesus' lap in the splendor of Heaven.
The child asked, "Is it time?"
Jesus parted the clouds, looked and said, "No, not yet child."
The child asked, "When will it be time?"
Jesus replied, "When lessons are learned, hardships endured, and loneliness lived, then it will be time."
Time passed. The child asked, "Is it time?"
Jesus parted the clouds, looked and said, "No, not yet child."
The child asked, "When will it be time?"
Jesus replied, "When maturity is reached, self-worth affirmed and spirits strengthened, then it will be time.
Time passed. The child asked, "Is it time?"
Jesus parted the clouds, looked and said, "Their love is strong and their hearts are open.
Yes, now it is time-Your parents are ready."

~Author unknown

In His Grip,

Much To Be Thankful For

I hope y'all had a very happy Thanksgiving! We had a great Turkey Day at our house with lots of family, food, and fun. Like most families we've been enjoying leftover bird and fixin's for the past couple of days. I have to say, I think we may have reached our limit around here. I'm not sure but I might have seen my oldest daughter gag when I pulled out the leftovers at lunch time today! Poor girl! I guess a human can only be expected to consume so much turkey in a 72 hour period. Well, that's probably enough turkey talk. How about we move on to more important and less gross topics, shall we? You may remember that I mentioned in my last post that I had a big announcement and the explanation for why I started this blog. So, without further ado.....

As some of you may know, and others may be surprised to hear, we are happily expecting baby number 6 sometime next fall or early winter!! And NO, I am NOT pregnant!! There is definitely no more room in this little momma's womb. ;) In the throes of our last pregnancy,which was quite a DOOZY for those of you who may remember, Tim put his foot down on the idea of us ever having anymore bio-kidlets. He stated then that if we wanted anymore children then we would just have to adopt. And so, adopt we are!! We are excited to announce that we are currently in the beginning stages of a adopting a precious little boy from China. His Chinese name is Min Wu and he will turn 2 on March 20. Here is a picture of our boy-















Isn't he handsome? Did you happen to notice a slight resemblance to another little guy that we already know and love? Maybe you saw it in those beautiful almond-shaped eyes or that sweet expression? Yep, Min Wu is "chromosomally advanced" like our Asa! As a matter of fact, it was Asa's birth that became the catlayst for our desire to adopt a child with special needs, Down syndrome in particular. Even before Ace was born Tim and I talked briefly about adopting a little one with DS. At the time we weren't sure if Ace would have DS or not, but we thought it would be a wonderful thing for him to grow up with a sibling that would be like him if he did. As most of you know, Asa was in fact blessed with the gift of DS. God's plan, though different than ours, has resulted in a joy that would have otherwise been impossible without the addition of Ace into our family. Becoming his Momma and Daddy has had an enormous impact on our hearts, forever changing the way we look at children born with special needs. These precious babies are NOT defective. They are God's PERFECT workmanship, fearfully and wonderfully made. Our son is truly a gift from God. We are completely humbled and honored that He has chosen us to be the parents of not one, but two of His special blessings.
So, that in short, is the explanation for why we started this blog. We are thrilled beyond words to be starting this journey and excited to share it with all of y'all! I can't promise that I will post daily or even weekly for that matter, but I'll do my best to keep everyone updated on our progress. :)

"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!"
~2 Corinthians 9:15

In His Grip,

Hello, Blogland!

Ok, it's official. I am joining Blogland! Wow! I'm excited and kind of surprised actually. I probably couldn't count how many times I've heard myself say that I would NEVER have a blog. Not that I ascribe to any blog hate mind you. To the contrary, I am a blog aficionado. I LOVE blogs. There are a few of 'em that I read almost daily because of how they consistently bless and challenge me. I just never thought of myself as a "blogger". First of all, I am NOT a writer, which is sort of a necessity if you plan to, ya know, write an online journal. Personally, I've always found the whole writing process a tad bit painful and intimidating. I struggle to get started, then actually translating my thoughts from mind to page is TORTUROUS and when I finally do get on a roll, my tendency is to be a little wordy. Sigh...
Besides, even if I did fancy myself an ink- slinger, what in the world would I write about? The blogs that I choose to read are written by an EXCEPTIONALLY talented group of women that include artists, poets, those well-versed in scripture and Home Mavens extraordinaire. Myself on the other hand, not so talented. No, not really, not so much. I'm not an amazing cook, definitely not creative or crafty, nor am I particularly witty or wise. Hmmm.... I'm not sure, but that sounds like the recipe for THE most irrelevant and boring blog EVER.
In addition to suffering from irrelevancy and boringness, I am a very busy wife and momma. Tending to my crew, consisting of my sweet Love and five kidlets, is a 24/7 labor of love. I don't know when I would find the time needed to keep a blog going. Yet, all that having been said, here I am posting my first blog entry. Why the change of heart? Well,something wonderful and exciting is in the works here at our little house. Something that is definitely "blog-worthy". I won't launch into the details now. It's time for me to be wrappin' this little ramble up. About five loads of laundry are calling my name. Besides, y'all (I say that like their are actually folks out there reading this thing! Lol!) are probably worn out from my long-windedness and to tell ya the truth, I am too!! I'll be back soon with a big announcement and an explanation for why I finally committed myself to the self- inflicted insanity of blog keeper. (And if you just can't wait 'till then, the verse in the sidebar is a bit of a hint of what's to come). Till then bloggy friends....
(Did I happen to mention that I can be a little wordy? Nah, say it ain't so! :) )

In His Grip,