earthly unconditional love

Unconditional love. what does this mean? When I google this term, idealistic Wikipedia comes up with this as its first sentence “Unconditional love is known as affection without any limitations”.

But I ask, is that all? only pertaining to affection? No. Yes, affection is part of it. Admiration, respect, trust, etc… it’s all there. But at the heart of the issue, it’s so much more. It’s hard for me to put this into words. I’m still learning what unconditional love looks like, and I truly fail at this type of love sometimes daily.

Some of you may have seen a lovely video floating around facebook called “The Story of Ian & Larissa”. I encourage you to take some time to soak in the beauty of this video. Our earthly unconditional love is so very different from heavenly love, but oh my, it’s still gorgeous when displayed by Ian and Larissa! I only pray Travis and I can continue to develop our love for one another, as well as developing our love for the children God has already planned for our family in such a way that God would smile upon us. And to think this type of love PALES in comparison to how our He loves us! A-MAZING!

<p><a href=”http://vimeo.com/38033654″>The Story of Ian & Larissa</a> from <a href=”http://vimeo.com/christianhedonism”>Desiring God</a> on <a href=”http://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a>.</p>

Fun times were had….!

Just wanted to load a few pictures for y’all to see where we spent our time this weekend…Travis and I, along with my parents, spent a busy time Friday evening setting up for this year’s 2 day Springtime in Ohio craft show. We had a lot of obstacles getting everything together and some chaos with schedules, but everything worked out wonderfully. So thankful we were able to spend some great time advocating for adoption, working to raise funds for our adoption, and of course getting to chat with a whole mix of individuals!

There were great moments filled with people’s pleasant reactions when they read our cards stating the benefits from each sale go to our adoption, and then of course there were the reactions of some saying “Oh you’re adopting?? My husband and I had fertility issues too and we just went with fertility treatments and had 3 successful pregnancies”.  My response? “Oh. Well we believe God has truly called us to adopt as our family’s first option to begin our family.” Bring God into it and some people stop talking. But I’m NOT going to stop talking about our calling. Nope. Not one bit. I want the stigma of adoption to GO AWAY. So many people think it’s the last option for families. Ummm. not in my book, and I truly don’t believe it’s the last option in God’s Book either.

Oh my soapbox could get higher and my voice louder right about now, but I will refrain. I’ll leave you with some pics of our booth at the show. We have been tweaking our designs each time (believe me, we are NOT avid craft show venders and it is quite evident to other venders around us as we get comments and “friendly” suggestions every. single. time. I never realized there were so many individuals who do craft shows as a full time job and travel many, many states. Talk about intense!

We had great success again this year with raising more funds, and we are definitely planning on being at the show in October!

We’re going to be posting one-of-a-kind items for sale on our facebook page within the week. These items will be ready-to-send at the time of order, so tell your friends! It will include a number of sock monkeys and of course some of our already made hats!!!

Understanding more of James 1:27

You could say I had something like a slight epiphany earlier today as I was sitting in a Bible study discussion group. We have been studying parts of the New Testament throughout this last school year, and are now covering one of my favorite books of the Bible: James. I think many of us within the Christian adoption community hold several Bible verses dear in regard to orphan care> James 1:27 being “one of the best!” But my passion for orphan care and activism for widows was slightly squelched today. My heart literally skipped a beat.

First, let me give you a little background…this is strictly a Bible-focused study. It’s encouraged not to use commentaries as the developers desire to keep focused upon the Bible rather than what someone else has concluded about the passages we’re studying. I’m totally a-okay with this concept. I think it’s great as it allows individuals to really do some digging and studying within themselves and with the help of the Holy Spirit. It truly is all about God. Not about us, and not about what others say the Bible says. With me so far? Have I lost any one our there???? So, each week we have lessons to go over throughout the week and then come together in a small group fashion and discuss the answers we received. This week there was a question that I answered with full honesty and passion, but as I heard others’ answers I was stopped in my tracks and understood a little more about American/Western Church…

Okay….James 1:27 (NIV) says “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” Overall I’d say this verse is pretty easy to understand in my mind…I take it or I paraphrase this as “the acts of my belief system that Jesus Christ looks upon as good is to care for the orphans and widows in their time of need”…. That’s how I take the first part of this verse. At the very core of what I am to believe, I should be caring specifically for orphans and widows.

The study question that was asked during this week’s lesson was “Think of people outside your own family and friends in terms of Jms 1:27. List specific groups of people that might be considered “widows and orphans” today.” Ummmm….this question was truly easy for me to answer as I think the verse is quite specific in the “groups” of people I would choose…..ORPHANS AND WIDOWS!

When I first answered this question during my week study I thought to myself “duh! The answer is obvious!” But it wasn’t until group today that my hearts’ passion was stopped in its tracks for a second. My small group members did an awesome job at answering this question in terms of the people they are around daily…which is EXACTLY the way the question encouraged us to take this passage. Totally acceptable, totally honest, BUT totally made me aware of something we do often as a Western culture and Church…we most often categorize the idea of widows and orphans to mean the “needy” and thus, look within our lives to the individuals we are closer with to help. But what do we do specifically for widows and orphans???? The answer sadly in a lot of cases is- nothing.

I believe we have been given a direct command to care for widows and orphans. I don’t believe the use of those two words is a metaphor. Sometimes it’s easier to help someone who falls under the category of “needy” (which let’s face it, we’re ALL lacking something in some way or another) because it’s “easier” and more “convenient” in reference to this verse. Granted there are other places in the Bible where the ambiguous group of “needy” is listed, but why do we tend to overlook these two groups of hurting people: the orphan and the widow. We definitely have both groups in our society and culture. So I ask: why as the Western Church and within our denominations are we not out working to care for the orphan and widow on a larger scale?

I know that I am sensitive to the idea of orphan, and many will think I am writing this because I am just trying to be an activist for orphans strictly because we are in the adoption process….BUT, I think it is so much more. I surmise this is one area where as a culture within the Church we have dropped the ball. We lack great activism for social injustices toward orphans and widows which results in a lack of direct care for both groups.

Hmmm….I’m thinking there’s a ministry opportunity we could be developing here…???  Just an idea….!

So….here’s some ideas…..How about…..

• weekly dinners with a widow within the church
• a respite outing for foster parents/kiddos/single parents
• sponsoring a widow and/or orphan through World Vision, Compassion International, or Samaritan’s Purse
• partnering with an orphanage for supplies
• a prayer ministry for single moms
• a mentoring program for kids who have lost a parent
• establish a monthly work project (ie: home improvements, yard work, tutoring) for single parent homes
• an encouragement ministry where notes of encouragement go out from church members to an orphan/widow
• support group for widows and/or children who have lost a parent
• setting up a counseling center within the church to cater to widows/orphans
• ADOPTION!
• and the list could go on and on….

Are you still with me??? Am I totally off my rocker??? Are we totally missing the boat? I don’t know about you, but I’m dying to walk on the water and step out in faith to do something…wanna be challenged with me????

For the next month….

Well, the time has come where we are prepping for the coming craft show season! We’ve already been counting and packing items to get ready for one very large craft show coming up on Mother’s Day weekend. Crochet hooks are flying, needles are endlessly being threaded, and the sewing machine is getting its love. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law have already sent two bulging boxes of items ready to be sold! My mom has been crocheting away her free busy time. Travis wields a needle and thread with a sock monkey during the tiny moments he has availabile between two jobs, and I tend to spend my days repositioning my rear to get comfortable to complete various crocheting and crafting tasks that must be done within the month! (on a side note, it’s looking like my licensure exam will be in MAY! FINALLY!!!!!)

SO, if you happen to stop by our house and peer inside the front room’s window you’ll notice MANY piles of things atop the spare bed, the table with the sewing machine stacked with many, many fabric scraps, and Rubbermaid boxes EVERYWHERE! There are seriously 7 full size Rubbermaid boxes filled with various stages of the sock monkey building-process. It’s a sight to behold. BUT, it’s thankfully a pretty organized process, or I’d potentially lose my mind!  HA!

So, to add to this transparency of craziness, here are a few pics! Please don’t judge. It’s an “organized” mess.

Have I overwhelmed you with my organization messes yet? Anyone who feels sorry for us would like to help would totally be welcomed!

In all seriousness though, we have really been blessed and supported well throughout the craft shows/fundraiser! It has been so fun meeting new people, coming up with “new” designs, and utilizing skills we had no idea we had! We have truly been blessed, and we send out a HUGE thank you to those who have helped along the way! Now…I’m off to continue twirling my crochet hooks! HA!

Adoption means……

Holy Moly it’s been awhile! I need to be completing my final paper for my FINAL CLASS as it’s due tomorrow, but hey, why not work on a blog post that has been stirring in my heart for the last few weeks?!?!?!! I’d much rather work on a post regarding adoption than sit and ponder of the necessities of ethics in regard to personality assessments and statistical follow-up measures.

So, here are the stirrings of my heart….Get ready, and beware. There may be emotions that can be read between-the-lines of this post, and in fact, you may even read some opinion…we shall see!

As many of you know, and are aware Travis and I are on a very crazy-bumpy journey called- an international adoption. Yes, it’s uncomfortable. It’s painful. Yet, it’s chock-full of blessings. But don’t forget about the tears. Oh the tears! Tears of joy and tears of sorrow….AND we have a very long road still to go (more on timelines later). For anyone considering adoption (domestic or international), let me tell ya….it’s going to be a very messy ride. That’s reality. There’s no sugar coating it anymore. There are things that should be expected along the way and some things will be surprises.

We’ve been pretty open about the fact that we are on this journey of adoption because we believe it is a calling upon our lives. We do not know if we have fertility issues…maybe we do, maybe we don’t…we’ve taken steps to avoid biology from taking place for the time being (sorry family, I’m just putting it out there to make this statement), and I know both Travis and I hope we may have bio children some day. But now, we feel we have been led to adoption, and have seen much faithfulness in saying this is where we should be.

Adoption is messy. It can be ugly, cruel, and the most blessed thing all at once. And we’re only at the beginning of the journey! We’re in the waiting stage of this international adoption as our paperwork sits in a drawer on the other side of the world waiting to be opened when our “number is called”. With all of that waiting we’ve had ample time to come up with other meanings to the idea of adoption… (see what ya think…)

*Adoption means….

• Sacrifice. It means your time, talents, and contentment will be put to the test of sacrificing itself. Your time will be sucked up into the process by having to collect papers upon papers, as well as the time you consistently think about the “next stage” and wait on its arrival. And since I’m a daydreamer, I must say I’ve sacrificed (or maybe the best description is avoided reality) much time in thinking about who our children will be, how they’ll fit within our family, and of course, how amazing they are going to look in the ‘fros I’m dying to create with their hair! Patience is continuously tried and tested throughout this process…completely at the forefront of the waiting. My contentment seems to be on the altar of patience…completely in a constant battle. And talents….well, let’s just say I am so incredibly thankful for some talents to be utilized for this process. Even surprised by the fact I can crochet!!!! If it wasn’t for all of the “projects” we have had going I think I’d truly be losing my mind!

• Trials. Once the decision of adoption has been made, trials will come your way. Believe it or not. They will come to seek and destroy your desire to follow God’s calling. Doubts will overpower at times, allowing troubled discontentment to eat away at various aspects of your being, even your marriage. I truly believe Travis and I have seen the hardest and darkest parts of our marriage through this journey. We have been forced to truly come together and re-focus our marriage and relationship.

And speaking of relationships, adoption can mean a loss of relationships. Some people have lost relationships based upon their calling…whether it’s been because of choosing to adopt a child from a different race, a desire to adopt HIV+ children, or even from the simple choice of choosing adoption as their option. Travis and I have lost some relationships through misunderstandings and false expectations, and we truly see this as a result to following our call to adopt.

• the unknown becomes your constant. We are now living our lives in the “unknown” more than we ever have. We hear our phone ring or see an email from our family coordinator and wonder if we are going to be told something super promising for the future of our family…maybe our referral call???? Or not… We can watch the “unofficial” waiting list’s numbers fluctuate so much so that our heads spin from trying to understand why we went from *#55 to #455* on the waitlist. (*yes, that’s an exaggeration, but it feels like it!). Yes, without being in the adoption process one lives in the unknown, but somehow and for some apparent reason, you are made to embrace the unknown and celebrate it. Somehow. Still working on the ‘how’.

• you will have a lack of understanding from “outsiders”. I cannot even stress this enough. Even the people with the BEST of intentions, who are the VERY BEST at playing supporting roles WILL NOT UNDERSTAND YOU. Nope. They won’t. People who are not in the midst of an adoption, or who have not been down the road of adoption themselves will not understand the feelings you have. Plain and simple. The ache in your heart, the far off looks from dreaming of what your child’s birth place is like, to the excitement you see when you see a world map….“outsiders” do not understand. As much as they want to, there’s still a little gap that only someone who is currently in the process, or has walked this crazy journey, can fill.

The adoption community is A-MAZING! We have met some incredible people along this journey, thanks largely to our astounding agency, facebook, our yahoo group, and the blogosphere. We tend to jump at the chance to be with individuals and families who love adoption as much as we do. It’s an unexpected branch of life that we are eagerly climbing.

• Doubts will become routine. With all of the changes and craziness that has happened since we sent in our application to enter the Ethiopia program with AWAA, doubts have run rampant at times. Upon application the wait times for an infant was about 4-6 months. Now? 18-24 months. And THAT’S not even from time of application. It’s from DTE date (when the dossier has reached Ethiopian soil). So just to clear the air….we are currently only at 7 months DTE, and all the time it took to collect paperwork and the time to raise the appropriate funds to get us from point ‘A’ to point ‘C’ was just the pre-game show to waiting….Yah, we’ve got a LOOOOOOONG way to go. And add to the equation our request of TWINS….HOLY MOLY the doubts come POURING IN!

We begin questioning whether we need to open the age range, change our request to different “options” ie: special needs, whether we should pursue a “concurrent family plan”: i.e. start hoping for bio kids, pursue another country, or apply for a domestic adoption….We are constantly working at trying to squelch the doubts by praying and talking together as a couple. Yes, we try…it’s not always easy to totally surrender to God’s plan and consciously say “Lord, I know you’ve got this despite my fears and doubts”. AH, if only it were that easy!!!!!

• Eyes will be opened to the needs of others. Adoption is an amazing thing where whether it’s an international adoption or domestic, you become more aware of culture and needs. For instance, since being in South Africa and being accepted into the Ethiopian adoption program, our eyes have been opened to HIV/AIDS health, nutrition, starvation, clean/dirty water, birth defects, staggering statistics of healthcare, and a lack of what we call basic necessities. In Russia and other European countries I reference a need for education about disabilities and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and in other parts of the world I think of sex trafficking and various issues with needing to discover ways to help…. My heart is heavy with a desire to be a part of change around me, yet finding the “how” has been challenging. Travis and I regularly pray about how we can continue to be used as the hands and feet of our Savior. This has been one of the MANY blessings that have occurred throughout this journey thus far!  OH, to be His hands and feet!!!!

• Opening your selves up for people to ask questions. Whether it’s stupid questions like “how black with your children be?” or “so you can’t have ‘your own’ children”, or “why international when there are TONS of children here?” and so on… BE PREPARED to come face to face with shock and awe. You will be shocked at some questions. Awed by others. People will feel like they can ask you about the most personal issues you’ve ever been asked about. Perfect strangers (such as the bank exec) will ask you if you are unable to procreate. -Yes, he did.- Just be prepared.

• And finally, adoption means you will have your socks blessed right off of you when you least expect it. This by far has been the most humbling and special part of our journey to date. We have received amazing notes from people in our lives (close and distant), as well as had some things come to us anonymously. Our fundraisers have brought more joy and inspiration to this process than we ever knew was possible!! Even in the middle of trying to beg people of their money! Seriously! Who knew?! We’ve had the local news do a story on us and our garage sale, participated in some amazing craft shows, met an amazing photographer who has become a friend and shares her talents to “showcase” some of our products, received special encouraging  notes from people in our past (some of my earliest friends have participated in our adoption by purchasing some of our things…who knew 25 years ago you’d be purchasing sock monkeys for my husband and me?!HA!)

So there you have it. A “small” list of what adoption means to us. It’s truly not an exhaustive list, and many things are different for people within this situation, but the overall picture is…adoption is a long journey filled with moments of pure sorrow and extreme wonderment. What a journey it’s been so far. And I have a feeling it’s going to get even crazier…. God be with us ALL! J

Blessings

We have been truly finding ourselves blessed throughout the last several months. I think I am just now starting to breathe after our crazy journey through Christmas season that I can truly reflect upon God’s goodness upon our adoption journey and upon our adoption fund! Without sharing major specifics, I do want to share that since October 1st we have had over 60 orders!!!!!… And here’s what our fingers have been working on…..

3 Chick hats

4 ladybug hats

2 frog hats

3 bear hats

5 sock monkey hats

4 santa hats

4 pairs of leg warmers

5 custom hats, including 1 robot!

and 33 owl hats!

*There was also the creation of several sock monkey toys scattered throughout as well And thank the Lord for a husband who is more than willing and capable of whipping out a needle and thread to make the monkeys! BLESSINGS, I tell ya! ABUNDANT BLESSINGS!

Take a look at some of the special pictures we have been given along the way…There’s just something so special seeing the children our items are touching. The smiles are so worth the time and effort!

We LOVE getting pictures of our items with their new owners! It’s truly just a blessing that God has given us the ability to make these handmade items in order to raise money for our future Blessings!

And THANK YOU to those who have ordered from us! God is truly using you throughout our journey!

Stay tunes for some new and exciting hats coming to our shop! “Like” us on facebook at our “For your child and mine “boutique“. We’ve been working on some new products and are “perfecting” their quality as I write!

A hint would be…..*think- hats from a different era or special occasion…*

Wrapping up the RACKs and 2011!

As I sit here nibbling my shrimp cocktail and sipping my bubbly, and as my husband lies in bed recovering from his surgery and adjusting to the side effects of his narcotics (don’t worry, he just got his wisdom teeth removed), I  ponder what this past Season has been for us and what I have learned from it. Altogether I think I forgot about God in my life. I have been so focused on scratching many things off my list that I have not given my God my time. Today is a great day for me to begin this new year where I most desire to reflect God’s love to those around me.

How can I better teach myself it’s about HIM, not about me!?!?! Why is it so easy to pay attention to the lists and not Him? I’m thinking I need a neon sign saying something like “talk to God NOW” or “He’s listening”…or how about “He’s waiting” Yah, I’m thinking a bright sign might just be helpful!

So among the lists of things to complete this Christmas was of course the RACKs we started on Dec. 1st…If you’ve been checking on us you’ve seen we haven’t quite made it to 25…. BUT, fear not, we have completed more and they are as follows:

#14 & 15: We delivered cupcakes to a few friends before we left for Iowa! (What a challenge it was to complete cupcakes in between finishing up our Christmas orders…can we say over-committing myself seems to be a hobby of mine?) HA!

#16: When we started planning our RACKs we purchased handwarmers to hand out, but we’ve had a crazy month this December where temperatures were not “average”. I don’t think I ever wore a glove outside as temps were really mild. BUT, when we were in Iowa for a few days around Christmas we found a Salvation Army bell ringer on a relatively “cold” day and handed him his new pair of handwarmers on our way into a store. The funny thing was, when we came out he was gone! Guess those handwarmers weren’t really needed at the time. Oh well!

#17: After Travis and I were done with our Christmas shopping we went to have lunch at Panera. We had planned we would purchase a gift card with our order and turn around and hand the card to someone in line. There happened to be a gentleman who was waiting patiently by himself and was literally counting his pennies.  As he was stepping up to place his order we discretely handed him the card and told him his meal was on us! The surprised look in his eyes was priceless! There’s just something about surprising a complete stranger and watching the reality of the event sink in!

We had been collecting boxes of hot chocolate, bags of marshmallows, and insulated cups to hand out to various offices and/or individuals. So, while we were still in Iowa we decided on Christmas Eve we would deliver the goodies to various agencies who remained open for the Holiday.

#18: we delivered a package of goodies to the Iowa City Police Department. We totally surprised the officer on duty as we had no idea where exactly we were going, yet she was even more surprised when we handed her the armful of goodies!

#19 & #20 occurred at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City…Travis’ sister Meagan joined me in delivering some goodies to the nurses on duty on a few floors. As we headed into the hospital we found a security guard and asked him what floors he believe were the busiest on Christmas Eve. (Granted it was about 8pm at the time…). Things were QUIET in the lobby, but as we headed to the floors he described, the nurses stations were quite active! The telemetry floor (cardiac care) and ICU floor nurses were quite astonished as we told them “thank you for all that you do to serve your community”. They responded with smiles and questions of who we were affiliated with…How fun it was to say that we were just doing it ourselves…with no organization!

Between hand making all of our Christmas gifts, completing Christmas hat orders, traveling, and doing the RACKs….I only managed to make it to 20 RACKs…not the planned 25…  I’m totally not trying to sound like I’m complaining….I’m proving the fact that I piled my plate NICE and HIGH this Season with little attention to my Savior…I’m thinkin’ things are needing to change a bit as we begin this new year…. I’ll keep any resolutions to myself as I truly do NOT want to over-commit myself here on the blog.. HA! I’m all about accountability, but the pressure I can put on myself feeling as if I failed with the RACKs ending at 20 is NOT the pressure I need while entering 2012…. “Lord, I pray for Your guidance as I set aside time to care for myself and my relationship with You throughout 2012!

PS…. FOUR MONTHS DTE!!!!!! And Happy New Year to ALL!!!!

RACKs #11, #12, and #13

There was something special about some of the RACKs we were able to complete this weekend. Three of them occurred Saturday evening when Travis and I were on a “date”! We had planned on heading to a special town to us to see their lights for Christmas.

#11 happened because of God’s grace…We were getting gas before we headed out and witnessed a lady who neglected to watch her pump as began overflowing with gas… Then we were able to witness her drama as she became irate toward the person behind the counter as he communicated to her she still had to pay (there was a sign saying NOT to leave pump unattended in care of overflow). She would NOT leave the store, and all 10 of us inside the store witnessed her terrible attitude and refusal to move. It was embarrassing to witness!!!!

As we were finally able to check out, had one of our RACK pages in our pocket, we purchased a candy bar from the attendant, but instead of walking out of the station with it….grabbed our RACK page and handed it and the candy bar to him to say “Merry Christmas” and to wish him a better evening. All of this while this irate women refused to leave.  This really opened our eyes and were really saddened by individuals’ lack of respect for those who are completely innocent in their matters! Talk about a “Bah-Humbug” moment!

#12: Our date consisted of going to one of our most favorite pizza “joints” where the pizza is great, but the people are amazing! It’s a Christian family who has a franchise of a Christian pizza company (where Bible verses are even printed on their boxes and adds!). We met the family when we were house parents at the maternity home…they would donate a pizza to us every month, and that’s where the relationship began! So, needless to say we ordered one of their yummy “pies” to later find out they RACKed US!!!!! How blessed we are!!!! So as we were leaving we decided to see if there were any orders for take-out pending…We grabbed a RACKed page, paid off the next bill, and left with instructions to give the next order the paper to pass on the love the owners gave to us! God is so incredibly good!

#13- Ah, Christmas lights…. This town does thousands of lights in their park and charges $5 a car to drive through the park to see their lights. The profits go to a charity, and holy cow the cars that come from ALL AROUND! IT was MADNESS with the amount of people going through…. it would usually just take a few minutes to drive through, but it took about 30 minutes because we were bumper to bumper!  As we entered we handed the workers our payment along with the payment for the car behind us and a RACK page… So fun to be anonymous!

Intermission :)

Thank you all who have been checking in, but yet finding that we are now 7 “events” behind… We had to take a little intermission! We have this weekend to catch back up!

A little discussion on the stress of the season:

So I have this little habit called “over commitment”. It has taken over my world this Christmas Season as responsibilities have flooded in…namely: hat orders. Yes, we have opened ourselves to these orders, and yes, they are such a blessing to us…BUT WHOA, it’s been overwhelming.

And then on top of these “responsibilities” I have committed Travis and I to the RACKs and this blog which has been utterly overwhelming that the perfectionist individual in me is saying “we haven’t done ONE A DAY like I said I would…I’m FAILING”. We haven’t even started our gifts for our families, or truly planned out our vacation as we are traveling to family, participating in separate family Christmases, and on top of it, Travis is getting his wisdom teeth out a few days after Christmas. Oh, and for those of you who haven’t heard…I have actually taken our tree DOWN already! Yes, it was standing for two weeks without lights or ornaments and I really got stressed about it being bare and not having the time to commit to it fully…so I took it down. Crazy, I know!

Ummmm, can you tell my brain is overloaded slightly?

But HOLD THE PHONE: Does any of this matter? Why am I stressing out and putting so much pressure on myself? My perfectionism weighs heavy on me during the Holiday season as I want to have the “best” gifts for people, have that “gorgeous” tree, and complete several of the amazing projects that I have on my list to do in the most perfect way… Sounding a little insane as I type it out… Who’s with me in taking a step back to really search for the reasoning behind this craziness? Who wants to take a step back and truly reflect the star, the Star of Promise within the Christmas story? Want to change/tweek attitudes and commitments to truly shine the love of Jesus to those around us? Yah, I’m thinking some things need to change throughout the preparations of the coming Christmas…

changing it to Acts, not days….acts # 8, 9, and 10

Yes, so it seems it is kinda hard to keep up with the RACKs when you have other things on the schedule that are taking so much more time and energy (say, about 25 crocheted hats to get done before Christmas and I find that I’m not even getting OUT OF THE HOUSE!). But, this weekend we did end up getting away for Travis’ part time job’s Christmas party/getaway… SO, I’m changing the titles to ACTS instead of DAYS. Still aiming for 25, but changing some logistics So here are three more….

ACT #8: A little trip to McDonald’s restrooms provided the PERFECT little place to leave some coloring books! (I thought it was sooo cool the restroom had a counter that was JUST the spot to leave the awaiting gifts!

Act #9: We left a special treat for our housekeeper when we left our quaint room at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in PA (thanks to the Right Thing, Inc!)…This bar was EXPENSIVE for a small bar, but considering you could buy a small bag of gummy bears at the resort for a mere TEN DOLLARS this bar was CHEAP! HA!

Act #10. I found a sale on the HUGE Hershey bars and decided our mailman needed to be blessed!

I must confess something about these challenges as we’re almost half way done…THIS IS HARD! It’s hard to keep my heart into each and every act. I’m one that lives by a list and I’m finding at times I just want to cross the act off the list without even truly thinking and praying about it…I’m finding it hard to be still and allowing the Lord to move us through this exercise. This is truly a challenge!!!!! Overall, this is really surprising me as I thought this would be a breeze! I’m thinking there are some major lessons for me in the near future