When Mel came home, we made a movie chronicling his arrival. I finally completed one for Biruk and Hanna.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
I love a rediculous story
Read this story and felt like sharing. Enjoy a good laugh or take this as a warning, which ever applies.
Drinking and driving his recliner don't mix
Duluth, Minn.- A Minnesota man has pleaded guilty to driving his motorized La-Z-Boy chair while drunk.
A criminal complaint says Dennis Le Roy Anderson, 62, told police he left a bar on his chair after drinking eight or nine beers.
Prosecutors say Anderson's blood alcohol was 0.29, more than triple the legal limit, when he crashed into a parked vehicle in 2008. Police said the chair was powered by a converted lawn mower and had a stereo and cup holders. Anderson, who was not seriously injured, was ordered this week to serve two years' probation.
Drinking and driving his recliner don't mix
Duluth, Minn.- A Minnesota man has pleaded guilty to driving his motorized La-Z-Boy chair while drunk.
A criminal complaint says Dennis Le Roy Anderson, 62, told police he left a bar on his chair after drinking eight or nine beers.
Prosecutors say Anderson's blood alcohol was 0.29, more than triple the legal limit, when he crashed into a parked vehicle in 2008. Police said the chair was powered by a converted lawn mower and had a stereo and cup holders. Anderson, who was not seriously injured, was ordered this week to serve two years' probation.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
True love
Let me state for the record that it is an honor and a privilege to be my kids' mom. They already had a mom and a dad, but because we live in a fallen world, they all needed a new one. God commissioned us to be their parents. I rejoice daily that he picked us and gave us the will to say yes.
Last week I was definitely feeling the pressure of a down week. I would be lying if I never admitted to wanting to "stab myself in the eye". (For some reason this is my relief valve of choice. Apparently all the pressure is behind my eye.) Sometimes it is very hard to have the patience required to meet their needs. The reason it is so hard is that alone I CANNOT DO IT. I can only do it when He does it through me. It gets hard when I think I am doing it myself. I rip the steering wheel from God's hands and yell "I got it" as I tear the wrong way down a one-way street. Then God stops the car, tosses me back into the rear seat where I belong and we continue on our journey. Guess who thought she was driving last week? Guess who ALWAYS thinks she is driving?
Yep, its me.
Through my struggle to meet Hanna's heart needs and find connection with her, God is revealing to me just how conditional my love is and how unconditional His love is. As God's child, I am stubborn, self centered, rude, inconsiderate, impatient... the list goes on. In spite of it, God loves me so much that He sent His perfect Son to take the wrath for all of that so I could go to heaven.
The definition for love is as follows:
Love is giving of myself to meet others' needs whether they deserve it or not and expecting nothing in return.
As a parent, I expect obedience. In fact, I require it. Do I get it all of the time? Ha! Do I love my kids in spite of it? You bet.
As Heavenly Father, God requires things too.
John 15:12-13a
This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this...
How do we accomplish this?
John 15:13b
that one lay down his life for his friends.
I must lay down my life for my children. In order to obey God, I need to love them and set aside my own selfish desires in order to meet their needs.
They need a mother.
That mother is me.
Thank you God.
Last week I was definitely feeling the pressure of a down week. I would be lying if I never admitted to wanting to "stab myself in the eye". (For some reason this is my relief valve of choice. Apparently all the pressure is behind my eye.) Sometimes it is very hard to have the patience required to meet their needs. The reason it is so hard is that alone I CANNOT DO IT. I can only do it when He does it through me. It gets hard when I think I am doing it myself. I rip the steering wheel from God's hands and yell "I got it" as I tear the wrong way down a one-way street. Then God stops the car, tosses me back into the rear seat where I belong and we continue on our journey. Guess who thought she was driving last week? Guess who ALWAYS thinks she is driving?
Yep, its me.
Through my struggle to meet Hanna's heart needs and find connection with her, God is revealing to me just how conditional my love is and how unconditional His love is. As God's child, I am stubborn, self centered, rude, inconsiderate, impatient... the list goes on. In spite of it, God loves me so much that He sent His perfect Son to take the wrath for all of that so I could go to heaven.
The definition for love is as follows:
Love is giving of myself to meet others' needs whether they deserve it or not and expecting nothing in return.
As a parent, I expect obedience. In fact, I require it. Do I get it all of the time? Ha! Do I love my kids in spite of it? You bet.
As Heavenly Father, God requires things too.
John 15:12-13a
This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this...
How do we accomplish this?
John 15:13b
that one lay down his life for his friends.
I must lay down my life for my children. In order to obey God, I need to love them and set aside my own selfish desires in order to meet their needs.
They need a mother.
That mother is me.
Thank you God.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
What makes a bad day
I have noticed something related to Hanna's behavior. It took a couple of times for me to see the pattern, but it is definitely happening. After she talks on the phone with a friend from the orphanage, one she hasn't seen during the last 8 months, her attitude regresses back to when she was first home and she fought submitting to me. Within minutes of hanging up the phone, she doesn't get along with her siblings and she gives me that squinty $#%&* look if I ask her to do anything. (I don't know how to describe that look that we all know without using words as ugly as the look. You know the one.)
I felt like I was pushing a boulder up a hill during class today. I am pleased that I knew what was happening and didn't loose my cool, but I was silently praying the whole time that God would keep me from blowing it.
I can't decide if it's that talking to people from "before" just dredges up memories that make her sad, or if it is the content of the conversations themselves that are riling her up. I have begun requiring her to sit near me while on the phone, but she is speaking in Amharic, so it's not like I know what she is saying. The conversation yesterday afternoon was only 10 minutes long, but it has effected the last 30 hours. It happens with a couple of the girls she talks to, but mostly with the girls I know are themselves struggling with their adjustment. I hate to consider it, but I may have to cut off phone contact for every one's peace. I want to help her keep connections for her benefit as well as her friends', but not at the expense of her own contentedness as well as our family's peace.
Does anyone else recognize this behavior? Any insight?
I felt like I was pushing a boulder up a hill during class today. I am pleased that I knew what was happening and didn't loose my cool, but I was silently praying the whole time that God would keep me from blowing it.
I can't decide if it's that talking to people from "before" just dredges up memories that make her sad, or if it is the content of the conversations themselves that are riling her up. I have begun requiring her to sit near me while on the phone, but she is speaking in Amharic, so it's not like I know what she is saying. The conversation yesterday afternoon was only 10 minutes long, but it has effected the last 30 hours. It happens with a couple of the girls she talks to, but mostly with the girls I know are themselves struggling with their adjustment. I hate to consider it, but I may have to cut off phone contact for every one's peace. I want to help her keep connections for her benefit as well as her friends', but not at the expense of her own contentedness as well as our family's peace.
Does anyone else recognize this behavior? Any insight?
Monday, October 5, 2009
Just do it already!
I just got back from the Together for Adoption conference and as you might suspect, I am ON FIRE!!! I know that I have backed off about doing what God wants you to to for the last few posts, but it is on so buckle up.
I met so many fantastic people doing fantastic things. Most of them up and quit lucrative jobs or sold everything and completely switched gears. I got to talk to someone on the phone who just became a christian 2 years ago. He had been a 5th Avenue music producer. He says he's gone from 4 stars to no stars and he couldn't be happier. He is eager to see what life holds for him now that he has Jesus.
We all need a giant shot of that enthusiasm!
I met a great woman named Eileen. She is an adoptive homeschooling mom who has children ranging from either side of 20 to 2. She also has a "son" she was unable to officially adopt who lives in Ethiopia. He just graduated from school and has to leave Kolfe boys home. She is distressed that she has not been able to bring him home to live with her, but God clearly has other plans. She has been able to find a family who will open their home to him and help him launch into his new life. I have shamelessly copied a portion of her blog in which she described the difference her presence in his life has made for him. I hope it encourages you to do something, anything. Start making a difference.
Jerry posted about Solomon winning the Valedictorian award at his graduation. An important fact that was left out was that Solomon was failing all of his classes until almost two years ago. He shared with us that he was very depressed and hopeless. He had no ambition to study...or anything. He was having one of his very worst days the day I first stepped foot at the Kolfe orphanage when he heard the boys talking about a lady that was outside visiting. He got up off of his bed to go see what was happening and that day changed his life forever! He shared that until he got HIS FAMILY...HE HAD NO HOPE...NO REASON TO PURSUE ANYTHING. HE WAS SHOCKED THAT HE WON THIS AWARD... HE received two honors..top student of the Marketing Division which was his major and then the highest GPA for the entire school of more than 400 students. He was almost kicked out of this school a few months ago because they reneged on his scholarship due to lack of funds. We sent him some money just in time to pay his tuition. Then he began to study really hard and apply himself. He also missed the last exam due to food poisoning that put him in the hospital. All the other students took that exam except him. So, with all of this said...HE STILL WON THE VALEDICTORIAN AWARD FOR HIGHEST GPA OF THE SCHOOL!! Even the director of Kolfe and the other boys who know Solomon for almost 10 years were absolutely shocked that he won!! They all asked how he did it?? He responded: "I just started to study really hard because I wanted MOM to be proud of me!!!"
According to Solomon, if not for having a family, a mom and dad that were rooting for him and supporting him, his life would have taken a major turn for the worst. Through this experience the LORD is revealing to me and you just how important it is to be there for these orphans even if we can't adopt them physically in our homes. IF we had not stepped out in faith and become a part of SOLOMON's life, what would his story be today??? According to him, HE WOULD HAVE NEVER FINISHED SCHOOL NEVER MIND WITH HONORS!!! I pray this inspires you to SEEK GOD'S WILL FOR YOUR ROLE IN CARING FOR THE ORPHANS IN OUR WORLD. I have a list of boys from Kolfe that have personally asked me to get them a family that will love them and be a part of their lives like Solomon has. I will be posting more...but please pray now to see how the LORD wants you to respond. I have been given another new mission... to be a MOM TO ALL THE BOYS AT KOLFE and to find them all a family!! I have much work to do...I will never be the same again!!! Please stay tuned...the best is yet to come!!There are many of them who can be adopted and I will be happy to talk with you about it. Just email me: emestas@nc.rr.com!! TO GOD BE ALL GLORY HONOR AND PRAISE!!
I could not possibly say it better than that so I won't try. Please people. Search your hearts. Don't tell me that you are not called to adopt. I am fine with that. Just follow that statement up with what you are called to do...
AND JUST DO IT ALREADY!!!
I met so many fantastic people doing fantastic things. Most of them up and quit lucrative jobs or sold everything and completely switched gears. I got to talk to someone on the phone who just became a christian 2 years ago. He had been a 5th Avenue music producer. He says he's gone from 4 stars to no stars and he couldn't be happier. He is eager to see what life holds for him now that he has Jesus.
We all need a giant shot of that enthusiasm!
I met a great woman named Eileen. She is an adoptive homeschooling mom who has children ranging from either side of 20 to 2. She also has a "son" she was unable to officially adopt who lives in Ethiopia. He just graduated from school and has to leave Kolfe boys home. She is distressed that she has not been able to bring him home to live with her, but God clearly has other plans. She has been able to find a family who will open their home to him and help him launch into his new life. I have shamelessly copied a portion of her blog in which she described the difference her presence in his life has made for him. I hope it encourages you to do something, anything. Start making a difference.
Jerry posted about Solomon winning the Valedictorian award at his graduation. An important fact that was left out was that Solomon was failing all of his classes until almost two years ago. He shared with us that he was very depressed and hopeless. He had no ambition to study...or anything. He was having one of his very worst days the day I first stepped foot at the Kolfe orphanage when he heard the boys talking about a lady that was outside visiting. He got up off of his bed to go see what was happening and that day changed his life forever! He shared that until he got HIS FAMILY...HE HAD NO HOPE...NO REASON TO PURSUE ANYTHING. HE WAS SHOCKED THAT HE WON THIS AWARD... HE received two honors..top student of the Marketing Division which was his major and then the highest GPA for the entire school of more than 400 students. He was almost kicked out of this school a few months ago because they reneged on his scholarship due to lack of funds. We sent him some money just in time to pay his tuition. Then he began to study really hard and apply himself. He also missed the last exam due to food poisoning that put him in the hospital. All the other students took that exam except him. So, with all of this said...HE STILL WON THE VALEDICTORIAN AWARD FOR HIGHEST GPA OF THE SCHOOL!! Even the director of Kolfe and the other boys who know Solomon for almost 10 years were absolutely shocked that he won!! They all asked how he did it?? He responded: "I just started to study really hard because I wanted MOM to be proud of me!!!"
According to Solomon, if not for having a family, a mom and dad that were rooting for him and supporting him, his life would have taken a major turn for the worst. Through this experience the LORD is revealing to me and you just how important it is to be there for these orphans even if we can't adopt them physically in our homes. IF we had not stepped out in faith and become a part of SOLOMON's life, what would his story be today??? According to him, HE WOULD HAVE NEVER FINISHED SCHOOL NEVER MIND WITH HONORS!!! I pray this inspires you to SEEK GOD'S WILL FOR YOUR ROLE IN CARING FOR THE ORPHANS IN OUR WORLD. I have a list of boys from Kolfe that have personally asked me to get them a family that will love them and be a part of their lives like Solomon has. I will be posting more...but please pray now to see how the LORD wants you to respond. I have been given another new mission... to be a MOM TO ALL THE BOYS AT KOLFE and to find them all a family!! I have much work to do...I will never be the same again!!! Please stay tuned...the best is yet to come!!There are many of them who can be adopted and I will be happy to talk with you about it. Just email me: emestas@nc.rr.com!! TO GOD BE ALL GLORY HONOR AND PRAISE!!
I could not possibly say it better than that so I won't try. Please people. Search your hearts. Don't tell me that you are not called to adopt. I am fine with that. Just follow that statement up with what you are called to do...
AND JUST DO IT ALREADY!!!
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