These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
The sun is in my eyes.
Before church we went for bagels and coffee. After church we went out for lunch. So, at the restaurant one of the kids said:
"You embarrass me in church."
I took a couple pics of Arden today during the singing with my cell. Arden was sitting right beside me. Lael was behind me. Bret was sitting beside Lael. So, which one do you think was embarrassed? First, in my defense, I like to send pics to Li Mei in China. : - ) Second,
with all the people bringing and sipping
their lattes during church, who they are to judge? How rude! : - ) Third, how do
people know the Bible is not on my cell and I'm looking at scripture? Well, OK maybe I should take the flash off--if I knew how I might!
And finally. . . . Me (at lunch): "Look around. (I didn't literally mean look because that wouldn't be nice) The lady behind us is possibly the biggest woman I've ever seen in my life. The guy beside us is tattooed solid from his wrists to his neck. The super tall, skinny gal behind is covered from head to toe in more dark black lace than law should allow, and especially on a Sunday! Now really I embarrass you?!" Kids!
Just in case you're wondering, Boone got to go to his Sunday school class this week. I'm tired. I give up. Not really, but it is spring break, and I need a break too.
Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.
Proverbs 12:10
OK, I like animals as much as the next guy, but within reason. Jeeves likes me. He knows if he brings his toys to me I make the kids play with him--not me, but the kids. He knows to run to the door when I yell, "Stafan take the dog out." And, when I get my ice from the ice maker he runs to the kitchen and he gets a piece of ice. He also knows I won't really ever touch him, and he knows he isn't allowed in my bedroom. But I do like him. : - )
Isn't this kind of silly though to let your dog drive? Then again, I told you about the people I saw in the restaurant.
Hmmm... this is my dining room table, and this was one of Boone's spelling words last week.
The notes below our from our Sunday sermon last week, and Cokie took them. She was taking the present to her friend at church.
As you can see Cokie puts in a little extra--flower power!
The church has a coffee room.
And this is one of the reasons Boone is getting better at school. He hates it when I don't let him go to Sunday School and instead make him sit with me. The church just built on a huge childrens' wing complete with playground.
My little friend Li Mei and I are close even though she is in China and I'm here. Li Mei is an orphan. The other day, Li Mei sent me a picture of two pairs of shoes. One was a pair of leopard flats, and the other was cloth with pale pink stripes. She couldn't make up her mind if she wanted the leopard for $20 or the pink stripes for $10. I felt like neither would really go with much. She was really in love with the leopard, but the others were much cheaper, and everyone was telling her $20 was way too much money to spend.
2006 We had been home with Stafan for about 2 years. Stafan was our 8th child, and was 5 years old when we brought him home from Guangzhou, Guandong, China. From the first day we got him, he would wink at me--a lot. The first 6 months he was home, I couldn't comb his hair or hand him something to eat without him saying, "Thank you Momma." And as if he wasn't cute enough--he was cool too. I don't want to say he was or is perfect, because that is just silly right? But if I were to order a boy, it would be Stafan. After we came home with Stafan, I was totally satisfied with my 8 kids. I was staying busy, cooking, cleaning and doing laundry. When I wasn't doing that I was just enjoying them or showing them off. I'm bad about that. But I guess if you've read my blog, you already know that. One would think with 8 kids my mind would have been completely occupied, but I couldn't get past wanting to help another orphan. I knew we were in no position to adopt at the time. The adoption money train was on hold. So I started praying. I prayed everyday. I prayed several times a day. I prayed consistently, and I prayed hard. I prayed, "God I don't know how I can help another orphan, and I don't need to know because I know you do know how Lord." This went on for 3 months until one day as I was pulling into the driveway after being out shopping (another thing I'm bad about) I stopped to get the mail. In the mailbox was a handwritten letter from the United Kingdom. Wow! A handwritten letter. You don't see many of those these days. To make a long story short, an older orphan still in China had tracked Arden down here in the U.S., and her name is Li Mei. Li Mei had longed to find Arden since the day we took Arden away from her in 2004. Li Mei had enlisted the help of a Chinese woman named Red Chan. Red Chan lived in the United Kingdom, but was some how affiliated with an organization that did charity work at the Guangzhou orphanage where Arden and Li Mei lived together. By this time, Li Mei had "aged out" of the orphanage, but by the grace of God working through people like Red Chan, Li Mei was surviving. Eventually, we were able to find Li Mei a family of her own--an American family that live in China. Li Mei has now lived with this family many years, so she now she speaks and writes English. Most days, Li Mei and I text several times a day. I'm usually getting ready for bed, and she is getting ready to start her day. Ironically (NOT!), the American family in China that Li Mei lives with has the exact same last name we do. God often shows you with these little "coincidences" that He is there. So now, Li Mei has two families that love her.
Back to the present
I sent a package to China today. Two pairs of shoes. Not leopard and not pink striped. Just not my style. I sent a pair of Converse tennis shoes and a cute pair of boots that I think she'll get a lot of good out of next winter. My daughter Whitney is getting ready to send some American candy. Li Mei never asks for much, but she did ask me for American candy, and if you've ever had Chinese candy, you know why she wants some of our's.
When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. James 4: 2-3
Another "coincidence." When we adopted Arden we were allowed go give a going away party for Arden at McDonalds. She invited a bus full of orphans. Mike saw this girl crying because of Arden being adopted and moving to the US. Mike started to comfort her, but the girl sweetly let him know non-verbally that she really didn't want him to come any closer. She knew he was the man taking Arden away from her. It wasn't until a few years later we learned who this girl was--Li Mei.
Li Mei is in red with her American Mom (also in red) who lives in China.
Mike with Li Mei. A few years later we met Li Mei in China again, but this time we know who she is. As you can see, Li Mei's feelings about Mike have changed quite a bit.
Li Mei stayed with us in the hotel.
Li Mei with Boone.
Sometimes when I have friends visit China they carry things over to Li Mei for me.
Stafan living in the orphanage--back row 2nd from right in the green. He has his arms around the two little ones. It must be a way they comfort one another. : - ((
Stafan is not little anymore.
Arden is grown up too.
The other day I got to spend some time with my Lael and Arden. It isn't always easy, because all they do is work and go to school--school and go to work.
Sandwich Lyric style. Ham, pepperjack cheese and pepperoni!!!
Lyric wasn't happy about the B +, but she is in the advanced classes so I think she gets a break. : - )
The
Lyric Ya Ni is special. The first day we laid eyes on her in Nanjing,
Jianjsu, China I was definitely surprised. The average Chinese orphan
comes to their parents quiet, timid, crying or even kicking and
screaming out of fear. Not Lyric. Mike was trying to catch her as she
ran around the Civil Affairs office in her too small, cotton, Lavender
outfit--her tiny butt cheeks hanging out, as she smiled and laughed. I
was laughing too, and asked, "Is she OK?" The answer was, "Yes, she is
just spoiled. Different nannies take her home at night." That was
unheard of! A spoiled orphan?! Our guide said: "She not typical
orphan." I already knew that. When we went back a couple days later to
her orphanage for the "goodbye" visit our guide said, "the orphanage
so excited Ya Ni is coming back today!" Then, the guide noticed the
other parents with us, caught herself (a little too late) and threw in
the other orphan's name that was also returning for her "good bye" visit
that day.
If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then
the LORD your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore
to your forefathers. He will love you and bless you and increase your
numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your
land—your grain, new wine and oil—the calves of your herds and the lambs
of your flocks in the land that he swore to your forefathers to give
you. You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or
women will be childless, nor any of your livestock without young. The
LORD will keep you free from every disease.
Deuteronomy 7:12-15
