Worship

I struggle with feeling a lot more "called" than "qualified" as a worship leader. Keep in mind it's a real small church but it's still a lot of responsibility. I would never want it to become a performance or anything else it shouldn't be. Sometimes it's hard to be in that place. It's hard to find the balance in wanting things to go well and go smoothly and not feel like a performance. You do have to practice but it's so much more about the heart.

Sometimes things go awry. More than once I have picked up my guitar and in the process got the cord stuck on the guitar stand and unplugged it. I did that last week. It was so not how I had pictured that time of transition. Oh well. I've dropped music off of the stand, lost a water bottle off the side of a stand, hit some weird thing on the keyboard and somehow started one of the demo songs in the middle of a worship song, started things in the wrong key, and the list goes on.

Sometimes things get crazy in a practice time, like this morning. We did "This Is My Father's World" and if you don't want me to ruin this song for you, stop reading. Okay, those who kept on reading here it comes. You know the line in that song "In the rustling grass I hear Him pass, He speaks to me everywhere"? For some reason I stumbled on the word grass. Y'all, I could not recover when I looked at the very next words. Yes, it came out, "In the rustling gas I hear Him pass, He speaks to me everywhere." We all lost it. I mean lost it. T said we were going to have to pick another song. I had tears rolling down my cheeks. Thankfully it was during the practice time and we did not tell a soul and we managed to make it through the song in the service but I fear it will be a long time before we do that one again.

I think that the stumbles, unplugged cords, and dropping papers happen as a reminder that we are just humans, deserving of nothing at all. We are saved by grace, through faith...lest anyone boast. If we boast about anything, we should boast in the Lord. He alone is worthy of worship.

On that note I think I should do a thankful list. Let's see. I'm thankful for a hubby who seeks after God. I'm thankful for my children. I'm thankful for the warmth and sunshine today. I'm thankful for our niece, T, who got married yesterday and for another niece, B, who graduated from high school yesterday. I'm thankful for laughter.

Oh my achy back, arms, legs, neck again...

I worked all day Monday and then the kids and I drove to Mrs. H's in the Atlanta area. On Tuesday we went to 6 Flags. The weather was ok for most of the day but it did shut the rides down for about 45 minutes to an hour. The last time I was at 6 flags I didn't get to ride the Superman ride because the only person willing to ride it with me was too short. This time we walked up to it 3 different times and it closed for "technical difficulties" twice and for the "inclement weather" the other time. By the third time we tried and failed I pretty much decided that we were not supposed to ride it. We loved the Goliath coaster though. If you ever get there, go on the Goliath. A refused to go on it the first time but she tried it the second time. She screamed and closed her eyes and flipped her hands everywhere the whole way through. When we got off I mentioned the fact that she screamed the whole time, but did she like the ride? She said she liked it and we went around and got right back on two more times after that. R and her bf decided to try to kiss for the camera. They managed it on the 4th try. The lines were minimal so we had a blast. However, when I rolled out of bed yesterday morning I was thinking I might be too old to ride coasters with the kids all day. Oh my achy back, arms, legs and neck. But it was worth it and I'd do it again. But first I must go to the chiropractor.

Oh, my aching back, legs, arms, hands...

Yesterday I transplanted about half of my vincas from beside my house to the front yard where no grass will grow. R's bf transplanted some to that area last year and they really seem to like it there and they fill in really well. I have fibromyalgia so any kind of repetitive motion kills me. Everything hurts. R was massaging my hand during Sunday school so I could play the keyboard during church.

Our plan today was to go to our last home Bible study meeting (last one for this book) which also turned into a picnic lunch and then come home and sit. Men make plans and God laughs. Apparently my brother had been trying to get a hold of us because a tree fell and hit the corner of his house. Thankfully it was just the corner of the roof over an attic space in the bonus room. It did mash a chair, several flowers and bushes, and their canopy. He said he heard it go crack...crack...crack and then a huge crash and he watched it fall on the house. Zoiks! We're not sure what made it go but they knew it was dying and not in the best shape. He had decided to wait to have it taken down until after his daughter's grad party next week. See? Men make plans and God laughs. So we went over to help clean up. The kids and I came home but T is still over there.

Speaking of T, he got the metal attached to the front of the camper. He still needs to do the sides but it's looking pretty good. I'll post a pic when it's done. And when our crazy computer is fixed.

We still haven't gotten confirmation about the adoption file. Since it has neither been confirmed nor denied, you might as well know what's supposedly happening with it. It's believed to have finally gone to passport printing. Now you know how to pray more specifically. There are still a hundred things that could go wrong so please keep praying. Thanks.

Oh, T just got home. Good.

This is SOOO going on the blog

Once in a while something happens that makes you think, this is so going on the blog. We had one of those tonight.

Remember that the front of the camper is wrecked. T has been working on patching it up and it's coming along well. We ordered a piece of metal to go on the front to cover up the patches. It came in today and we made arrangements to pick it up after work this evening. T got a cargo type trailer hooked up to Big Momma and off we went to pick up the metal.

We met the guy we were buying it from and he was helping T carry it over to the trailer and they were just about to it when I asked where the key was to unlock the trailer door. T said it was in the console so I got the key and tried it but it wouldn't fit. R's bf, J, tried but he couldn't get it either. About that time it dawns on T that he had actually locked the key inside the trailer. Yeah, but it gets better.

So they decide to strap this piece of metal to the top of Big Momma. That's when I hear the hissing sound from one of the trailer tires. J looked at it and decides it's a faulty valve stem and the tire is quickly going flat. Guess what? The spare for the trailer is also locked inside of it. So we get the metal strapped down and take off to try and find an air pump. As soon as we got on the road, the metal started flapping and sliding so T and J reach out their windows to hold the metal on top of Big Momma. Can you say "redneck"?

So here we are going down the road, holding the metal on top of the vehicle, pulling a trailer with a flat tire. We got to an auto parts place and got a tool to cut the smaller lock on the side door and sure enough, just inside the back door is the key. The spare tire is also flat. The guys put the metal in the trailer while I bought some fix a flat. Then we went to a gas station and got some air in the tires.

We did finally make it home and we laughed all the way. Some things you just have to laugh at. And some things just have to go on the blog.

Still nothing

I still haven't been able to confirm about our adoption file. I tried calling the O director several times today and couldn't get through. Well, one time I heard her say hello but then got nothing after that. Keep praying.

Sunday

I got to talk to J today. The computer is acting strange so it cut off during our conversation. He asked when I was coming and to send him something. He wouldn't tell me what to send so I suggested a coloring book and he said yes to that. I asked him if he wanted Spiderman or something else this time and he said Spiderman...and some crayons. It is our custom to talk a little bit and then sing songs to each other. I play guitar for him and I think he likes it that his mom plays guitar. He gets a smile on his face and the other kids crowd around. Too funny.

My friend lost her dog this weekend. They finally found it, well actually one of their other dogs found her, so we are all happy about that.

We got to see Mrs. H this weekend so that was great. She came for a wedding and it stopped raining just long enough to have the outdoor wedding. It was beautiful even if it was a little wet. Okay, a lot wet. But that was okay.

I haven't gotten confirmation on the adopiton news yet so keep praying. I'll let you know as soon as I know for sure.

I'll leave you with a funny pic of Misty. She was chillaxin'.

Possibly good news

I got a call from our O director this morning with potentially good news. I'm hesitant to share because in the past several months when we think we got good news something keeps jumping up to bite us in the butt. Remember my post at the beginning of April called "Pessimistically optimistic"? That was where we thought we had good news but it took until last week for it to actually be true. When it's confirmed, I'll let you know. Keep praying.

300th post

Well, I think this is the 300th post but I'm not certain. Either way, no good adoption news. Sigh...

In other news, we had a real nice evening. We all went and played putt putt golf. It's been years since I've played. T beat us all but I came in second. Mini golf was one of our first and most common dates. Then we went to Baskin Robbins. Yummy. Then we went to a shoe store and T got two pairs of shoes. It's so hard to get him shoes that he likes so to find two pairs was really something. He's real picky about how they feel. I guess I'm picky too but I've had two stress fractures in my right foot so I have to wear ugly, comfortable shoes. I LOVE crocs-only the real thing, not generic.

I took some cute pics of Misty last night. I was getting ready to go to bed and I looked up and there she was on top of the cabinets. Silly cat.
She is so darn cute!

Mother's Day, 44 months, and camping

Despite the fact that we are now 44 months into this crazy adoption process and he still isn't home and the fact that this is my 4th Mother's Day without him, I actually had a nice day yesterday. We had a nice church service and then came home and relaxed for a while. Then we went out to eat with my family and then to my brother's house. We had dessert and A made an awesome chocolate cheesecake and my SIL got a wonderful raspberry cake with cream cheese frosting. The girls got me a massage and a cute book about cats. My present for my mom didn't arrive yet. Sigh...but A made up this cute story about it, telling how we looked for the perfect gift in the Land of Google and mustered up enough strength to click "order" when we found it. She's a hoot. We played video games after walking outside for a while. Even my parents got into the Wii. We bowled, boxed, played tennis and drove mariokart. How fun was that?! Oh, some of us played the real thing of ping pong and phoosball too.

T and I have been looking for a camper for a long time. We finally found one and here it is.

We drove to MO to pick it up. I had never been to St. Louis so I went crazy with the camera but most of the shots were blurry. T finally told me to touch the camera to the window and that helped some. I was snapping away and he was asking which way to go. We made it. Here is "the arch".

Oh, and after several days of rain, we actually drove into a beautiful sunset.
It was a long, hard drive. Two days straight of driving but we enjoyed the time together and are happy to have a camper at last. Now all we need is the kid here so he can go camping with us. Keep praying.

May flies

You know those big, overgrown mosquito looking bugs? They're out. In droves. Some people call them "skeeter eaters" but I think they are really called May flies, because they come out in May. Well, ours came out in mid-April. Thankfully they do not suck blood because they are everywhere and they are huge. They get into the house and the cats go nuts trying to catch them. Speaking of cats, there are so many May flies and there is so much cat hair in our house that we were sitting in the living room the other night and a May fly flew by with cat hair hanging off one of it's legs. Bizarre.

Dreams

I keep having dreams that I'm in Haiti and I know I'm there to get our son but I can't ever get to him. Oh wait, I have those dreams when I'm awake too, but they're not dreams. It's reality for me. Sigh...

Life stuff

It's funny. Back when I started this blog I thought I might be telling the good news about our adoption by the 100th post. Then I though maybe by the 200th. Then I stopped thinking that way because it hurt less. I am fast approaching my 300th post. We got nada. Nothing. Apparently "they", whoever "they" is, decided not to sign something nor let it go through because it was too old. Too old!?!?! How do they think it got that way!?!? Sitting in their offices!! Whatever.

Well, R's bf is an enlisted man. Zoiks! He doesn't go to basic until Sept. but he has his army card. We're proud of him but scared at the same time. We sat down to play scrabble the other night and he said, "Oh, I think God's trying to tell me something. Look at the tiles I pulled." How cool was that?

R has been wanting a pet bunny for a while now and I had told her that if her bf enlisted he could buy her a bunny. (He enlists and she gets the bunny. Hmmm)

Yeah, we think he's pretty cute too.
Precious.