Good news/Bad news

Well the good news first....the cyst is gone off my ovary.  It probably comes and goes with my cycle and is nothing to worry about:)

Bad news, got the radiology report and it's recommended that I have some follow up exams to exclude malignancy as one of the nodules/cysts is larger than 1cm and has irregular lobulated margins and looks solid.... I looked it up on line.  I'll be calling tomorrow to try and get in quicker as I was given a date for mid February!  I'm a little bit freaked out......

Tomorrow we go to SEU with our son for the day!  We have a baby sitter for the little ones and Shad is staying home to help out.  If you think I'm bad for letting him stay home, just let me tell you something.  Shad started this year in 4th grade work and is now in 5th grade work in all areas!  He did a year worth of school work in less than a half of school year!  Yeah Shad!   He is highly motivated and likes learning!

Selah has had an excellent day today! 

Well I'm off to get ready for tomorrow and to stop reading things on the internet!!!!!!

Peace speaker

This is the peace that having faith in God will give you......
(my friend's fb post)

Christy Jordan Meeks

My dear sweet friends, it is with great sadness I write tonight. Thank you all for your calls, texts & messages. My darling husband woke up on the streets of glory this afternoon. He with the saints proclaiming the name of Jesus. We are mourning, but not as those without hope of Heaven. We will see him again.

My heart is moved when I read her post.  Yes I am so sad for her!  But when I read this short statement I feel the faith and the hope that shines through....Can't you see that too?  That's what real faith is.  It's not always being on the mountaintop with a perfect life, it is trusting God when you hurt so bad you can hardly breath.  And that is the point when you will know God in a way you could have never imagined. 

 

I do not like walking through a valley, no one does.  But the thing I've discovered is, when you walk through a valley, you get to know your Savior in a way you could have never imagined.   And it is sweet, there is nothing to liken to, nothing to compare it to, just knowing the Creator of the Universe is with you through trials. 

 

We've all heard of tragedies, and thought to our selves "how does this person go on?"  They may still have heartache but they "go on" with an underlying peace if they know the "Peace speaker".... Christy is famous for singing that song, I don't have a video of her singing but here is the song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF8BTMZO0Jg      (I hope it loads for you-I had issues)

 

So please keep my friend and her five children lifted up in prayer.  It is a blessing when you have the prayers of God's people to support you.  I can't explain it but it makes such a difference.

 

 

 

 

 

Today I had an ultrasound of my thyroid.  I knew I had cysts and they've grown each time I've had them checked.  I started with one small one.  Now I have three and one is larger than 1cm so I imagine I'll have to have a biopsy.  I was told at 1cm they'd have to be checked.  Mine are the thicker more complex ones :(   I really do not want to deal with this!  Tomorrow I go for an another ultrasound.  I also have a cyst on my left ovary.  It's been there for awhile and has stayed stable.  They really don't suspect it will ever be a problem BUT it has to be checked out.  Next week I see GI for an endoscopy down my throat!  And I also see urology......Geez......this is getting crazy and stressing me out totally!   I'd appreciate your prayers about all of this and please pray that I can be peaceful during this time.  I get very anxious, overly anxious about medical stuff when it comes to myself.  I think of all the responsibility  I have and how much I am depended on by my family. 

 

Everyone is doing good, Selah is great, still more mucus than we'd like but she is really great other than that.  Sam & Sarah got over their little colds on their own.  I started to get sick over the weekend but I swear by HOT TEA!  It really helped me and I'm fine now. 

We are enjoying "Shad's" kittens!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eternity

Today one of my very closest friends came to visit.  We were room mates in college together.  To say we had a wonderful time together is putting it mildly:)   We encouraged each other, laughed and got caught up.  Hopefully we will soon see more of each other.....:)

So I had this incredibly wonderful day and then I got on FB and saw that another one of our college friends' Christy had just had an terrible tragedy.  Her husband Steve passed away suddenly just a few hours ago while at a job site.  Steve & Christy went to college with us and have 5 kids.  Christy has been such an encouragement to me from the beginning of the girls' adoption through the accident and through all the changes life has given us.   My heart is broken for this family, completely broken for them.  Please pray for this dear family, pray that God will give the comfort ONLY He can give.  I know God can bring peace, He did for us....

My friend's last FB post a few hours before anything happened was this  'The storms of life rage BUT there can be peace and joy in the midst of it all. Talk to Jesus today for He is the Peace Speaker. '   Who knows but that God was preparing her heart?  I don't think God caused Steve's death but the bible tells us that it is appointed unto man once to die, and then the judgment.  We are like a flower, here today, gone tomorrow.....but God is eternal.

Steve knew God, we know he is with God now.  The bible says "to be absent with the body is to be present with the Lord" 

When I first heard this news, my heart literally felt like it dropped to my feet.  I began praying for my friend and her family.  Although they are all believers, death is still hard.  They don't want to be separated from their husband/father/brother/son......   but in a few minutes I began to think "Steve is with Jesus right now"  What an amazing thought that he is experiencing heaven.....

Steve didn't know when he woke up this morning, that this would be his last day on earth.  We do not know the future, all we know is "our times are in His hands".  But Steve was ready, he was prepared.

You can also have the same assurance.  I don't "preach" much on here but I have to share my heart and my heart now is thinking about eternity. 

"Life is short, eternity is long"

So I encourage you to get your heart right with God.  Ask Him to forgive your sins and then walk with Him.  One day will be my last day and one day will be your last day......we all have an eternal appointment.  Be ready for that day. 

WORMS and a SHOOTING

Sarah is a sharing person, she has shared her Giradia with me....so I have worms.  Not really worms but it sounds good LOL

I got the call from the health department this morning.  What was funny is I had called my doctor to see if the tests were back on me and was told everything was normal.  Not 5 minutes later I get the call from the health department and just cracked up.  Obviously someone didn't know how to read the results!   I guess we will all have to be checked now....  I don't have any of the symptoms just some tummy pain.  The nurse was going down the list...."have you lost your appetite?"  NO!  "have you lost weight"" NO...... BOO!!   In fact I feel better after I eat, the worms must get hungry LOL   I am dreading taking the medicine, I tend to have reactions to medicines, you 'll  never have to worry about me getting hooked on pills or drugs!  UGH!

The movie theater we often go to had a shooting today!  Just Saturday we were in that area to eat and do some shopping.  http://tbo.com/pasco-county/deputies-reports-of-two-people-shot-at-wesley-chapel-theater-20140113/ I take the reports with a grain of salt as I (of all people) know how things can be reported wrong.  It seems from what I'm hearing personally that the younger man was very aggressive with the older man but who knows, it seems like the older man could have just called the cops. I did hear he went to the front and ask for the manager to deal with the younger man.  But like I said who really knows yet?  I'm sure our sheriff will get to the bottom of the story.

It's just weird to think that a shooting happened in a theater that I go to all the time with my kids!  I don't know about you but I'm ready to buy an underground shelter and just go live in it!!!!!  That has become my fantasy!  Of course trying to get all my people to live underground for the next few decades....no one else is too excited about it LOL!  It seems only my friends with kids get it!!!

Selah is having a lot of secretions but managing them so far.  Steve got the all clear from his foot doctor to start back jogging today and I got several doctor appointments scheduled for myself for things I've put off for awhile! 

Busy day!

Please keep Selah in your prayers!  Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes I get, you all encourage me!

CHURCH

My Father's way may twist and turn,
My heart may throb and ache,
But in my soul I'm glad I know,
He maketh no mistake.

My cherished plans may go astray,
My hopes may fade away,
But still I'll trust my Lord to lead
For He doth know the way.

Though night be dark and it may seem
That day will never break;
I'll pin my faith, my all in Him,
He maketh no mistake.

There is so much now I cannot see
My eyesight is far too dim;
But come what may, I'll simply trust
And leave it all to Him.

For by and by the mist will lift
and plain it all He'll make
Through all the way, though dark to me,
He made not one mistake.

http://3littlecowboys.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2014-01-01T00:00:00-06:00&updated-max=2015-01-01T00:00:00-06:00&max-results=2&m=0


What a beautiful poem.  I don't know the author but I remember reciting it when I was young.  The blog writer above used it in one of her blogs.  I've been reading this blog today and my heart is just torn for this young woman who has fought cancer for many years.  She is a friend of one of Jon's cousins.....  She has an amazing outlook on life and my prayers are with her. 

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Today is Sunday which is a busy day for us, even busier than usual since my husband didn't wake me up when he left for the prison......  so I woke at 9:40.....By the way Sunday School starts at 9:45......LOL  AND I had to mop the laundry room.  WHY?   Because our dearly loved old dog spent the night in there and she has an incontinence problem along with the fact she has bit her tail so bloody looking pee....Nice way to start a Sunday morning!   (she got a bath today)   Somehow we all got ready and made it to church in time for me to type a few songs and find out I was singing  (and my son complimented me for once!  Usually he keeps my mike down low.....really low!) Oh and in my husband's sermon, he just somehow HAD to tell the congregation that my C-section scar was bothering me.....Really????   HOW the HECK did THAT come up???  (well it came up when he was preaching about the coming of the Lord and how the earth has labor pains.....it just went from there- it won't happen again tho!) 

Our church was close to full.  It's just amazing to see what God has done here.  We had 6 people join the church today and that encouraged another family to ask to join next week! 

Many people don't want to join churches anymore....many say they don't need to go to church to be a Christian.  I agree, you can be a Christian without joining or even going to church.  BUT there is just something about becoming part of a fellowship.  The Bible tells us in Hebrews 10 24-25  "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

I know some folks will say they can meet together for lunch and that is all they need to do BUT Paul was writing to Christians who had continued in the Jewish tradition of meeting weekly in a formal setting.  Formal in the sense of the same type of setting. 

I've always believed in the importance of church attendance.  Sure there are hypercritics in church, they are hypocrites at your job, at the local bar, where ever you go, there will be people will issues.  But there will be good folks there too!   As a pastor's wife I REALLY don't focus on the negative people.  Thankfully we don't have any negative people in our church, now.  I'm not saying that people are faking positive in some weird way, just that folks love God and want to get closer to Him & each other.   It is so good to be in a healthy growing church.  It took awhile....for this church to be healthy OR growing!  But it is now and we are so grateful that God helped us to preserve through some tough times. 

We had SIX people join our church today

 

 

Jon preached on 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

 



¹³ Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. ¹⁴ For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. ¹⁵ According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.

What an encouragement....the King James Version says to comfort one another....what a comfort....what a hope!

There are days I lose sight of that Hope....days when the future looks uncertain and quite scary!  It encouraged my heart to hear these familiar scripture read again. 

I'm looking forward to THAT day whether I am dead or whether I am still alive....Jesus is coming back again

If that thought scares you (and there have been plenty of times in my life it terrified me, you have NO idea how good some "old timey preachers" were at making that verse NOT a comforting verse!)  turn to Jesus.

Ask Him to forgive you of your sins and then walk with Him.  I'm not one to believe in a "sinner's prayer"  I think God would much rather hear what you have to say from your heart than by repeating lines after some preacher.....(ok my husband still uses the "sinner's prayer" and it annoys me to death!)  But God wants to hear from you, ask Him to forgive your sin and to walk with you.  You won't regret that decision in this life OR in the life to come. 

Eight years ago Shad's story

Shad on the day he came to the orphanage

 

this is the first picture we saw of Shad.  this is taken in his room, I got to see the room.

 

 

Eight years ago I was in China adopting Shad!

Last Thursday the 9th is the day we officially met.  I remember driving up in the van with another family.  The orphanage has a brick fence around it and a guard.  I was so nervous.  Then we walked in to the new building.  It was pretty but it was very cold inside, I could see my breath. 

 

Pretty building, but no heat.

 

We walked in a conference room and in just a couple of minutes, two nannies walked in with Shad and the other little boy who was being adopted.  Shad was unfazed but the other boy screamed a lot.

 

Here's a picture of me just seconds after I was handed Shad who looks a bit bewildered:)

 

 

 

 

we got back to the hotel and I took him out of about 8 layers of clothes, gave him a bath and a bottle filled with pediltye   He was so tiny and thin, rashes and bug bites all over him. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the next day was officially adoption day.  We signed the papers in a smoke filled office  with the taxi driver getting very involved in the signing.  I think he was a witness or either we got married LOL!

 

 

 

then as we had time to kill waiting for all the official Chinese paperwork to be done, we went to the Chengdu panda reserve

 

 

After that trip we went by the hospital where the other child adopted with Shad was found.  that was emotional.  But then we stopped on the street where Shad was found, I totally lost it as I imagined how it was.....I took lots of pictures of the area, I don't know if his family was from that section or not.

 

Then in a day or so we had all the Chinese paperwork and passport in hand and we flew to Guangzho China where all adoptive families go to do their American embassy paperwork.  we stayed in a gorgeous 5 star hotel outside the city. 

 

Here is Shad with all the other babies from our group.  He is the 4th from the left.

 

Here we are eating at the famous Lucy's

 

on our balcony

 

 

then after going through the medical check, and getting the visa ....it was time to fly home to our family.

 

Here is Shad meeting Jon for the first time at Tampa Airport

he was so happy

 

 

 

 Our family and friends who were there to greet us

(yes I look terrible, I'd been traveling for 48hours with delays and issues)

Steve is in the green and blue shirt and Sam is sucking down a bottle in the stroller.  He was not quite 2 years old. 

 

 

this next picture is CLASSIC, look at Shad's expression.  He is NOT happy to see me with other children LOL!!!!  

 

Look at Sam's curly hair!!!!

 

 

First Sunday at church, Shad is wearing his Chinese outfit and ate so much he fell asleep at the table. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a few weeks later we took him down to Miami to see if we could have surgery on his bad eye.  It was not fixable.  This is Shad at the marina

 

 

 

So it's only been 8 years, seems like Shad has been with us all his life.  Wasn't he an adorable baby??  Makes me want to go adopt again looking at these pictures.

Adoption is a blessing for the child, it takes them out of a bad place and gives them a family BUT Adoption is a wonderful blessing for the FAMILY!  People tell us all the time that the kids are so lucky...blah blah blah......but it was US who were lucky to have the opportunity to add to our family by means of adoption.    It's hard to explain, you know you didn't "birth " the child but they are so your child, it doesn't matter!   

How I look at it is that they were destined for our family and we were destined for them.  It just took a little longer to get them. 

God has blessed us with all our children, adopted or biological and each have such a special & unique story.   They all are the biggest blessing in my life.  I'm so thankful to have these kids to be their mom and to take care of them.  I love see their achievements, I love the whole experience!

When I was young, I had no idea that I'd have children from China and Ukraine...I could have never imagined what God had in store for me!  How blessed I've been!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

Reading

Reading is one of my favorite things to do.  I just don't understand people who don't like to read, I can't help but feel sorry for them.  I started reading before kindergarten and can hardly remember a time when I didn't read.   When I was very young, I was already reading the newspaper, the Tallahassee Democrat, we got it delivered but our delivery person was awful about making sure she delivered the paper.  By the time I was 10 years old, I remember calling her to complain that the paper hadn't come LOL

Reading has probably helped me understand my world and be much smarter than I would have if I didn't read.  I know it helped me in college to get through some boring books and understand most of it.  Because I read so much, I read at a really high rate of speed.  It is my one "trick" And that probably was the thing that got me through college!

Now I read for pleasure and to still learn.  I love reading about World War II, it is so interesting to me.  Recently I've read "Dancing with the Enemy" by Paul Glaser, a story about his family & his aunt who lived through Auschwitz.  It's interesting and really tells of all the various interpersonal relationships affected by the war.  I also read "The Secret Rescue" by Cate Lineberry about the rescue of  American medics & nurses who survived a plane crash behind enemy lines in Albania during the war.  That book was fascinating!

When I was at the library, I picked up a few books by an author I don't know.  I was disappointed in those books.  Personally I am not in to vampires, the undead or crazy people with multiple personalities!   I read one of  the books, but that's it.

I really like Rhys Bowen, an author I just started reading.  She has three different main characters and all three are interesting.  I like mysteries with some light humor in them.  I can't stand anything too serious if it is fiction!  I can handle serious books about real life but if it's fiction, give me some humor with it!


Today Sam had a speech evaluation by a "new speech evaluator, not the "grumpy" one who did Sarah's (life is too short)  I was thrilled with the evaluation and the possibility for communication for Sam.  They worked with him on a system of cards that they can adapt for his vision.  He seemed to "get it".    For a long time I'd hoped that Sam would be able to speak but as he is almost 10 years old, that is becoming less of a possibility.  He has a lot of receptive language meaning he understands what we tell him to do.  If I tell him "let's go take a bath" he walks to the bathroom and tries to take his clothes off.  If we say "let's go outside" he goes to the door and sometimes will even give me his shoes to put on him.  I'm so glad that he understands quite a bit and can follow some commands. But it would be a real blessing if he could communicate more with us.  We anticipate what he wants, and I think we do a good job but this new plan may really open up things for him!    The evaluator doesn't work on this side of the county except for just doing evaluations.  I'd love for her to be his teacher, both of the ladies who came today were really excited about Sam and what he was doing.  They had seen him years before so they could see his advancement.

They also checked in with Selah and have some great ideas for her.  I wish these ladies could have done Sarah's evaluation.  When they went in to see Selah, one of the first thing they brought up was the fact that she had only heard Russian for over 7 years of her life and only was hearing English for a few months before the accident happened.  That is exactly what I pointed out to the first evaluator and she 'poo-pooed" it and argued that point with me over and over again.  Anyhow I love when I meet people who have an interest in the kids above anything else.  It is so refreshing!  they are recommending some things for Selah also. YEAH!


Thought you'd like another kitten picture.  they are adorable and love to lay on my bed....all the time:)