One Thousand Gifts (continued)

"Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope" (Romans 15:4).

Rest.

Relaxation.

Revival.

Renewal.

Reassurance.

Hope.

Encouragement.

Inspiration.

Christian Fellowship.

These are some of the words that I would use to describe my weekend.  

It was worth the 4 hour drive up north on my own, to enjoy amazing Christian fellowship with 4 other adoptive/foster moms! The "Created for Care" mini retreat for adoptive/foster moms was so inspiring and encouraging.  

We spent time sharing, praying, listening to Scripture, and listening to inspiring speakers such as Beth Guckenberger (whose website is entitled, "Living with Reckless Faith"!!). 

I gleaned so much from this retreat such as:

"God's looking for faithfulness and availability"

"Bask in God's story for our lives"

"We are a part of a Kingdom of Priests"

"Never give up hope, there is no limitation what He can do in our lives"

"When a calling doesn't make sense to anyone else, it doesn't matter, you just need to obey"

"He has a plan for each child that He chose for our families"

"Find firm footing (in God's truths), and we will be women of peace"

"Relationships are more important that rules"

"Adoptive moms don't need to finish sentences"

"A message to Dads:  your presence matters"

"The foundation for understanding healthy adoptions is understanding the impact of trauma"

"Give more praise about a child's character than their performance"

"We need to change first (as parents) to see Him differently in order to change"

In addition to learning that and other things such as neurotransmitters, different attachment styles, etc., I was reminded that being in a hard place is good.  God has a plan for our lives, even in the hard places.  God will pick us up.  He draws near to us.  He doesn't promise to take away the difficulties in our lives, but rather He promises to help us through them.  He is faithful to His promises.  All the time!!

Continuing to give thanks...

-spending the weekend with a beautiful group of ladies

-finding peace and hope

-relaxation

-being encouraged

-being open and vulnerable and willing to share with others and encourage others

-safety on the deserted roads

-kite flying weather

-how she loved flying it as high as she could

-enjoying the fresh air with his sister

-that they didn't get tangled

-a good sport, agreeing to do things with his little sister

-her desire to fly as, she thought that she could if she held on to the kite or stuck it on her back

-celebrating their great-grandson

-how he so willingly plays with his little cousins
-how they love it when he plays with them

-family walks across the road

-celebrating Thanksgiving with Paul's side of the family

-lovely ladies

-two of our precious nieces

-celebrating Thanksgiving with my side of the family

-enjoying baseball inside and outside at the park with cousins and uncles

-family hike

-discovering new places (for the children) to hike at

-enjoying the view

-finding a quick moment for picture (in between guarding our curious daughter from the edge of the cliff)

-our dare devil (it was only one foot off of the ground!)

-my darling girls

-my adorable boys

-gorgeous fall colours

-her favourite game and her favourite pet (inside the box)

-having tons of fun working for the government on election day with my sister!
-having lunch today with an old, dear friend from high school
-how Paul managed the weekend so well with the children
-celebrating grandparents day at school on Friday
-our son's birthday and that someone else we know has met him in the orphanage
-being lifted up!  Thank-you, Jesus.

One Thousand Gifts (continued)

"In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us" 

(Titus 2:7,8).

Today is World Teacher's Day.

The other day, I had the privilege of being an E.A. in my daughter's kindergarten class.  It was so fun and such a joy to watch the children learn, explore and interact with each other.  When I came home, to say that I was tired would be an understatement!

I am so thankful to God for the Godly, compassionate, patient, fun-loving teachers that our children are blessed to have.  Although, we are not all called to be teachers, we all interact with others, perhaps with children or not, but regardless, as it says in Titus 2:7,8 we are called to "set an example by doing what is good".  We, and children in particular, are so easily influenced by what is said and even more so, by what others are doing.  Let our actions show "integrity, seriousness, and soundness of speech" so that we are glorifying God in EVERYTHING!

I am so thankful for the best teacher, who lived a perfect example for us to follow, Jesus Christ.

Continuing to give thanks...
-Jesus, the perfect teacher and perfect example
-our children's God-fearing teachers
-all the teachers around the world who give their time, energy, and love to others

-a fun (exhausting) day of being an E.A.

-outdoor education and looking for letters of the alphabet (the letter "Y" in the tree) in God's creation and the beautiful outdoors

-Nicole's help with the outdoor education

-the alphabet parade and how they so proudly paraded through the other classes

-how she loves to climb
-the opportunity chaperoning a fun, outdoor class trip to the pumpkin patch

-pumpkins in all different shapes and sizes (just like us)!

-friends enjoying the pumpkin patch and picking out the perfect class pumpkin

-making apple sauce with the SK class

-yummy, fresh Ontario apples
-bountiful fruit

-their willingness to help mash the apple sauce

-Sunday afternoon hikes
-finding walking sticks (or weapons)!