A little rest

Somethings that I hope to be doing:

learning to knit a pair of mittens (thanks Emily)

start my second pair of socks (knitted on double pointed needles)

make a couple of crocheted baby hats for Mercy

read All Creatures Great and Small

read my bible as the sunrises

have the Holy Spirit speak to me

receive a fresh vision from heaven for my family and me

take a long walk in the woods with my family

take more pictures and videos

How about you...any dreams for your summer?

and by the way...

Please feel free to leave your prayer requests, I never stop praying!

We refuse to let the rain depress us!

It has been raining for a month now in our state.

I began to think *hey, I better do something or we are all going to get depressed*

Wha~lah...Rainbow Pancakes...for lunch!

Sour Cream Pancakes

~Rainbow style~

Makes 16ish pancakes

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups of sour cream

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup flour (can use whole wheat)

1/2 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients, mix with a wooden spoon. Separate out in small bowls some batter, add food coloring to each bowl, we used purple, yellow, green, red and blue.

Heat your griddle or pan to medium high. Grease cooking surface.

When surface is hot, drop desired amount on to the griddle. With a spoon or syringe drizzle assorted colors onto pancake. When pancake begins to get bubbly, flip.

Load up a stack, butter and drizzle with pure maple syrup. Or cover in peanut butter like my oldest likes and roll up like a burrito. Eat and enjoy.

We made enough to have left overs, as it looks like it is going to rain some more, sigh.

The kids think I am so cool, as a little bonus.

From deep within

I have to confess, I have a broken heart.

If you have ever experienced one, you'll be sympathetic. If you ever browsed pages of

*waiting children* perhaps you will be able to relate.

On Friday, I popped into our agency's waiting child pages. For the past few months, we have been praying over a sibling group of three. I had cried out to God so many times for Him to rescue them. I asked Him if it could be *us.* We talked to the agency, but they said we had to wait the full 9 months post adoption. The rule is so that bonding could happen and be well rooted, before you embarked on becoming emotionally involved in another adoption. I understand the rule, I just don't like it. Especially now.

Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled they found a family for them. However, I really did love them. I find myself crying as I pray, crying as I read my bible, thinking about how I opened my heart to them.

Of course this isn't the first time this has happened.

Actually, it has happened a lot of other times too.

Having a tender heart is a gift I am told. Sometimes I have to bow my head and just cry. I know full well, that Jesus is asking me to live it out. He doesn't desire that I keep my heart for myself, but that I open it up, pour it out and offer up the shattered pieces once again to Him.

Its good that I know He is in the healing business.

God has *others* for us, in due time He will direct our path. You and I can count on it. But for now Lord, would you watch over those 3 wee ones and prepare them for their new family. Let the healing begin and let them grow in wisdom and knowledge of You all of their days. May love flood them and may they receive it and give it out with abandon.

I ask this in Jesus' name. amen.

When everything seems against you...

As I was looking through pictures, I came across this in one of my files. As I passed it the Holy Spirit whispered that someone needed encouragement. As He spoke to my heart, I heard that we are just like this wee frog that Fozzdike is holding. However, we may be unaware that God has His Mighty Hand wrapped lovingly around us.

Sometimes things suddenly change, life becomes difficult, everything seems to loom against you, how good it is to know that God is holding us, if we are His. Get your heart and mind around it, our enemy would want us to think that He has forgotten us, that somehow we are quite alone in the midst of our situations.

How very untrue. God wants to remind you that He is holding you tight. He will carry you through, so gently and lovingly that you might now even be aware of His Presence.

Today, He just wants to remind you how much He loves you.

Ponder it and envision yourself in the palm of His Hand, take comfort ...and know that YOU are not alone...ever.

Proof:

the Hand

Strength

Watcher

Guard

Adoption ~Kingdom business...and Prayer Request Sunday

God has put it on my heart to use yesterday's post for today's Prayer Request Sunday. Shawnda had asked me to stand in prayer with her family, I'd be glad to do that with you as well.

Read on AND let's "do" what His family is supposed to...

Looking for an opportunity to be a blessing? Have adoption on your heart, but not sure what God wants you to do with it?

Well, I have a wonderful opportunity for you!! Would you like to help an orphan climb into the arms of his Mama and Papa?

My passionate friend Shawnda, Spirit of Adoption and her equally passionate hubby Jason Kovacs, Abba Fund Blog, are in need of some support for their latest adoption to Uganda. They are not using an agency, so are not able to apply for grant help to assist them with the cost of this adoption. Shawnda and Jason have several cool ways that you can come along side of them in this Kingdom opportunity...

• Jason is selling some awesome photographs!


• Some friends of theirs donated cd's to help raise money!

and

• they have a donate button on their sidebar.

Shawnda has made a list of prayer requests too...time is of the essence...please prayerfully consider what our Father would have YOU do. There is a beautiful Ugandan boy who is waiting to come HOME!

***spread the word!***

Pictures for our adoption update *Ethiopia*

Thought I'd share some of our 6 month *post adoption* pictures, required for our Ethiopian adoption follow-up.

We also sent a couple of these.

A park, prayer and the Holy Spirit

Upon invitation of one of my best friends (Beth) we embarked on a park date with a bunch of homeschooled friends.

In previous posts I have shared that lately I have been feeling particularly low. On top of it we've had strep throat and I have a sinus infection that is just plain gross. So before I left, I asked the Holy Spirit if somehow He could come with me to the park and use my life for His glory. A simple prayer, with heart, body and soul tied to it.

Shortly after our arrival and settling in chatting (moms), my daughter Princess Giggles brought over a new friend, her name was Laura. Along with Laura came her dad. You see Princess Giggles wanted her new park friend Laura to meet her new baby sister. The dad tagged along quietly. He commented on how nice Princess Giggles had been to his daughter and how cute our new baby was. I could see the pain in his eyes and feel the hunger for another child for his family.

I told him she came through adoption. That we were so blessed by God. About our adoption(s), Princess Giggles included. We talked about foster to adopt, we talked about the how to's, about international adoption. I shared about our agency, All God's Children and their Ethiopian program. I had his attention. God was squeezing his heart.

The night before he had talked to an adoption agency. He wasn't happy with them. He wasn't sure what to do next. But God did.

Turned out that he was in the same business as my Knight. We talked for quite a while, I introduced each of my children to him and my girlfriends. He commented on how nicely my children treated each other.

He was watching, soaking us in. He was not a man of faith...yet. But God is drawing him.

I gave him our email and told him he could call my Knight if he had any questions about our agency or adoption. He thanked me and said he definitely would.

Thank you Holy Spirit. Thank you for using my life and my family for your Kingdom business. I pray that that Jim and his family would come to you through Jesus. I pray for their child that awaits them, I ask you to put them on the path. Holy Spirit, I ask you to soften their hearts and to speak to them in tangible ways~gently wooing them to all you have for them.

In Jesus' name. Amen

Grammie and Grampie's Gift

What you don't know is that she sees it being filled....

She is invited to come and join the crew

Grammie meant it for a sandbox, but we just had to fill it with water today.

Mercy is hungry, she is signing FOOD!

The water is fine!

So much fun!


Thank you Grammie and Grampie

(Mercy signing it to you, perhaps with a little water tasting too!)

Prayer Request Sunday

Welcome to Prayer Request Sunday!

Can I pray for you this week? Leave me a comment or send me an email and I'd be happy to cover you in a blanket of prayer.

from my heart:

This week I found myself fighting back tears (read yesterdays post). The Lord spoke to me, as I sought Him on what it was that was bothering me. He said, "You are running on empty, you need to be filled. Come to me, I have a table set. At my table you will find refreshing, what I give, I give out of my abundance. Come and be refreshed.

To have a friend...

Lately, I have found myself shedding tears about friendships. I don't know what your experience has been with friendship, but mine has been a turbulent road.

This is not to say that I don't have friends, I do. I have some wonderful friendships that have taken root over the years. Still I find myself upset when a friendship doesn't seem to be what I had thought. Often, they are one sided. lopsided if you will.

As I pondered this, the Lord spoke to my heart. He reminded me (again) of something my mother told me when I was 3 or 4 years old.

"Kimmie, to have a friend, you must be a friend.'

God wants me to keep on, even through shed tears. Even through hurt or rejection, in giving from my heart. He doesn't desire for me to hold them at a *careful* distance, thus ensuring the safety of my tender heart. But He wants me to love them with a deeper love, than perhaps they have known in friendship.

So again, I am going to wipe away the tears, ask God for strength and wisdom, and I am going to set out on being a blessing.

When I think back upon my father's life (Laszlo) and what was spoken at his funeral by hundreds of his friends...it was that he was a giver. He loved with abandon, he went out of his way to bless others, never expecting anything in return. Hundreds came to pay their respects, wiping tears from their eyes and recounting stories of what my father had done for them. My heart wants to be that kind of friend.

'God, please help me to not be self focused, but others focused...just like You.' ...

in Jesus' name, Amen.

Homemade Laundry Soap (rebatched)

I love making homemade laundry soap. My favorite *flavour* is lavender, but todays batch is pineapple cilantro, thanks to my friends over at Brambleberry Soaps.

I have been making homemade soap for over 13 years now. It is a passion of the heart.

I had a little business called Heavenly Sent; as God woke me up one night and told me to make soap. I had been asking Him for *something* for me, as I was looking for an outlet for my own mental health~apart from homeschooling and motherhood.

I hardly blog about it, but it is a part of *me.*

I am not much of a recipe follower (my friends are laughing, because this is an understatement). But I will happily walk you through it, in case you want to give it a try. The Internet has loads of recipes, Tipnut has 10 to offer you.

My very flexible recipe for homemade laundry soap:

Needs:

• A 2 gallon bucket (with lid preferable, but use plastic wrap if you need to)
• water
• 1 bar of soap (Ivory, Fels Naptha, whatever)
• 1/2 cup of Borax
• 1/2 cup of Washing Soda

(*Fels Naptha, Borax and Washing Soda are found in the Laundry aisle)

• essential oil or fragrant oil for scent
• (if you have skin sensitivities...you can forgo fragrance)
• large pot...(non aluminum)
• *plastic or wooden spoon that will be forever only used for soap making projects.

Okay, grate or chop your soap into wee little pieces.

Add grated/chopped soap to large pot. Add water to fill.

Heat on medium to melt soap.

Anytime now, add in your Borax and Washing Soda (I eyeball it...it is not fussy).

Stir occasionally to help it all get melted.

When you are totally melted, dump into clean 2 gallon bucket.

Now as it cools a bit, pour in a bit of your scent...a Tablespoon should be good

(less or a bit more is okay too).

Add more HOT water to the soap...how much? Well about full.

Stir.

Let rest overnight. It will gel together.

Occasionally you might need to stir it back together before scooping from it...but usually it stays gelled.

Use about a cup per load. But this too depends on your machine or your water (hard or soft).

*I am NOT recommending this for non-sudsing washers; as I don't own one and haven't tried it.

My batch was much bigger....and I didn't measure a thing.

I make it every couple of months and it continues to clean like nobodies business! It smells so yummy, that as I fold the laundry, I often stop to *whiff* the clean clothes.

Happy soapmaking!

some of my soap...not too pretty, so laundry soap it becomes!


yum!


one of my *littles* helping to cut...a butter knife if a handy helper!

melting

(*my container is a recycled pretzel container from Sam's Club.)
A lid is a good idea, as it keeps animals and kids safe!

All of us say cheese...

We needed a 'all of us' picture for our post-adoption update for Ethiopia. This is our second follow-up, three are required the first year (3 months, 6 months and 12 months). Then we send a once a year update with pictures every year until she is 18.

A little work, but the Ethiopian government (Ministry of Women's Affairs, MOWA) really does care about their children and wants to know how they are doing. We take joy in sharing God's goodness in our lives. And you know how we love to take pictures of her (14 are required this report...plus one of us I think).

We're getting better at it! Seriously thanking God for digital cameras and tripods. Oh, how I remember the days of my manual Nikon and a whole roll of 36 pictures with hopes of a good shot. It has gotten a bit more complicated as we have added one more smiling face...and more opportunities to *blink.*