f o u r m o n t h s h o m e

This past Saturday marked our fourth month home with Micah. We spent the week-end at Panama City Beach with our Singles from Hunter Street -- fantastic!! On 8/4 Micah will turn the big "one" year old. Vince is taking the day off work & we're going to the zoo!

Do you know what He is doing?

As promised, I'm continuing my thoughts from my previous post...thank you for sharing your wisdom/experiences via comments...very affirming!!

In my last post, while contemplating our (the Martin family's) worldly pursuits, I referenced Jesus' comments describing the servant-master relationship. But I just have to share the following verse to complete my train of thinking:

No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.-- Jesus

Applying that to our housing situation, I've had to ask myself, "Do I know what He (God the Father) is doing?" Do I know what He's doing in the lives of the people in the neighborhood where we reside -- Have I prayed about what He's doing in one of the several neighborhoods we could relocate to? Has what He's doing even been a consideration in our decision-making process? Actually, not just a consideration, but the priority. Especially since Scripture say I'm not simply a servant, but a servant in the know...a friend...

Not to mention, what we're teaching our son through our decisions...I know, he's young now, but he's a direct recipient of the results that come from choosing to serve God...or, serve self.

...it's been refreshing to pray about what God is doing, instead of what we're doing!

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Asking God for wisdom so we can 'wisely' go into debt??

Something about that doesn't sound quite right??

We finally sold our home in Missouri several months ago! And, of course, we immediately started contemplating a home purchase here in Birmingham (that's what you do in America, right??...one mortgage to the next). We have the option to purchase the home we're leasing, but I/we haven't been completely sold on the idea for several reasons (though, it's a great house)...

Ideally, we'd like to be closer to the church -- but, that means spending mucho $$ -- which isn't the grandest of ideas since we lost most of our equity in our MO home (thanks greedy people & crooked banks for killing the market). Not to mention we just finalized one adoption, and have a second one in the works (which ='s more mucho $$).

Up until now, we have been very comfortable rationalizing why we should spend more money on what I like to call "a pile of bricks"...convenience, community, schools...blah, blah, blah. Wow- it's so easy to mindlessly get sucked into American culture...because, of course, that's what God wants for us, right??? A life of ease...comfort...status...

Uhhhhh...NO!!!!!

And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Matthew 8:19-20

Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. John 13:16

Are you tracking with me???

Jesus wasn't concerned with his zip code registering Capernaum or Jerusalem...and is a servant greater than his master...??

No, I haven't gone off the deep-end -- and, I am aware that I can be very idealistic -- BUT, that doesn't mean I should disregard the above thoughts (that's what's wrong with Western Christians anyway: "God couldn't possibly expect me (privileged American) to do X, Y or Z...", so discard thought-process)

Another lame arguement: owning a home is a great investment...hmmm, is that's why we walked away from our last home with pocket lent?? And, an investment in what?? Temporary or eternal. Yes, again being idealistic... Guess I'd rather be idealistic than "luke-warm"...

So, where am I going with this rant...oh, who knows...

What I do know is that God has me thinking outside the box about a lot of things...and I love it...and not to mention, I love the way everyone else squirms when someone is thinking outside the box...I think it's called "counter-culture"...

If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them- Jesus

...more thoughts on this soon...

Celebrating Calvin's Birthday for Christ :: Desiring God

Celebrating Calvin's Birthday for Christ :: Desiring God

Shared via AddThis

4th fun!!

For the week-end of the 4th, Uncle Rodney, Aunt Kim, Spence & Mary Claire came to visit us (ok, so maybe they really came to visit Micah) -- we hung out at the pool,

and took Micah to his first Birmingham Barons game!! Although, we had to bow-out at the 6th-inning...bed-time!!

To celebrate the 4th, our section of the neighborhood had a block party -- it was great to visit with all our neighbors! However, we missed the fireworks...bed-time...again!

southern baptists stepping-up

On Adoption and Orphan Care Resolution

passed at the Southern Baptist Convention!

Can this resolution, or even Southern Baptists for that matter, solve the orphan crisis?

Probably not.

But then, with God all things are possible...so...who am I to say otherwise...

Hopefully, this resolution will serve to increase awareness of the ever-increasing need of orphans around the world --

awareness not only among Southern Baptists,

but among all God's Children!!

three months HOME

This past Saturday marked Micah's third-month home! In the bigger scheme, 3 months is a very short amount of time...but it seems like so much longer...like forever. I can hardly remember life without our boy!

We had our 3-month post-placement visit with our social worker last week. I think the visit went pretty well. Our social worker and her husband have 3 children of their own...two adopted, one bio. It was encouraging to hear her stories/experiences! It's funny to think how stressed I would get about our home studies prior to Micah's home-coming -- everything had to be spotless, and perfectly in its place. Not so much this time -- ha ha!!

Micah is continuing to settle-in very well! We still do the primary care for him (feeding, diapers, baths, etc.) but we have begun to let others hold him on a regular basis. He's on a great schedule -- most nights, he sleeps right through the night, and he takes 2 2-hours naps during the day. I think a schedule has made all the difference in the world for him -- he's so much more relaxed than when we brought him home. I think he finds great comfort in his routine...no surprises...he always knows what to expect, which makes for a de-stressed, un-anxious, happy baby!!

Right now, my life revolves around his eating & sleeping schedule and I am completely O.K. with that!! Actually, it's my honor! Parenthood has many seasons, and this is simply one of them.

I found this poem on another adoptive family's blog, and just had to share it with you...too beautiful for words...

I Would Gather Children
-- author unknown

Some would gather money
Along the path of life,
Some would gather roses,
And rest from worldly strife.

But I would gather children
From among the thorns of sin,
I would seek a golden curl,
And a freckled, toothless grin.

For money cannot enter
In that land of endless day,
And roses that are gathered
Soon will wilt along the way.

But oh, the laughing children,
As I cross the sunset sea,
And the gates swing wide to heaven
I can take them in with me!

And Jesus said to them,

“Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”

And immediately they left their nets and followed him.