SURVEYING THE LAND

Many years ago, I sat before the Lord praying that He would lead us to a new life...a new land in which to raise our growing family.

I opened the Word to my regular reading for the day and happened to be in Joshua 18.

 

 "So Joshua said to the Israelites: 'How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you? Appoint three men from each tribe. I will send them out to make a survey of the land and to write a description of it, according to the inheritance of each.'"

Joshua 18:3-4

 

Back then, I read my NIV Bible I'd had since my youth and the translation spoke of "surveying the land".

 

It struck a chord.

 

I realize Joshua 18 wasn't exactly speaking directly to my circumstances, but nevertheless, the Lord used it to whisper to my heart that day. After discussing this with Brodie, we made a decision to "survey the land" ourselves, seeking God's next move for our family.

 

Knowing there are only so many vacation days/year and only so much $ in the bank, we've been patient...all the while surveying. Brodie has traversed across the globe numerous times, asking the Lord for direction, sensing a turning of tides. God's timing is perfect.

 

So, today, as my husband boards a plane again (thanks to an extremely generous gift from an extremely generous friend),
he's out to survey new land in an area we've not considered historically.

God knows the details of the destination.

He knows and writes the future. He's the Leader for our leader and we follow.

 

It's an adventure, these next few days, praying for guidance, asking the Lord to give wisdom, seeking God's will for our family. These aren't new longings. In fact, they're nearly a decade in the making. One more step in a direction underway, it's an honor to pray for my dear husband as He seeks the Lord with his whole heart today and always.

 

Lord, please guide my Brodie as he's following you, one blind step at a time. Please lead him as you will and thank you for giving him a heart that longs eagerly to glorify you with our family as he takes this faith walk this week, surveying the land...for you.

 

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened,

and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9


SPECIAL BLANKIES

The special blankies are sewn...it's official.

 

 

Bea & Beck, we're coming very soon!!

 

"We love because he first loved us."

1 John 4:19

TRUSTING GOD

Do I trust God?

 

"Of course I do!" we're quick to proclaimmmm.....aaaaaas long as it's not too uncomfortable for my liking.

 

Am I trusting God?

 

"Absolutely!" we yelp.....except for maybe in that area. "Not a big deal though," we tell ourselves, "God understands."

 

Is God trustworthy?

 

"Without a doubt! His wisdom surpasses mine in infinite measure!" Ah yes, this is the right response...every time.

 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding."

Proverbs 3:5

 

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Isaiah 55:8-9

 

Trusting God.

 

I'm considering this trust today, a trust that beckons me out in deep waters, a trust that might lead me to places I'd not think of (even desire?) myself, a trust that exudes supernatural grace...the kind I can't muster on my own.

 

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him,

and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday."

Psalm 37:4-6

 

Trusting God.

 

I know it's the right thing to do...in ALL areas of my life. He is trustworthy. He is good. He is GOD after all. How could I ever imagine I know better that He? What foolishness to trust myself more and I'm in. I'm in, Lord. I'm willing to trust you with all of my heart, leaning not on my own understanding. I will acknowledge you in ALL my ways, knowing that you will direct my paths in great wisdom.

Please grant me the trust that you'd like me to have. I'll need your help in my weakness.

 

"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought,

but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words."
Romans 8:26

 

Lord, please make my heart like your heart. Please meld my desires with yours. Please lead me in the way that I should go so that I might walk in your paths. I don't want to trust myself more than you. I don't want to shy away from hard things. I don't want to lean on my "wisdom" when yours is so far greater, there is none to compare.

 

This is me, God, trusting you.

 

“Be still, and know that I am God."

Psalm 46:10

OUR FAVORITE NIGHTGOWNS

I love antiquity.

The story-behind-it all takes me up and over yonder to simpler (albeit harder in many ways) times of days gone by.

And what can we learn from them, the ones who lived before?

There's much to acquire from history.

 (The girls best try at being serious for an old time photo.)

 (Ok, back to reality...much better! :))

We've always loved time period dress up, placing ourselves in yesteryear shoes and recently we realized that
some of the pieces used commonly for playing pretend around here are actually our most lovely nightgowns.

Over time we've collected them, our Cornelloki petticoat dresses, our very favorite nightgowns...

...on my very favorite girls.

All we need is Bea. One more nightgown, coming up!

"May our daughters be like graceful pillars, carved to beautify a palace."
Psalm 144:12

SISTERS & BROTHERS SIGNS

We love bunk rooms. We love sharing space.

 

We see rooming in as a great way to encourage sibling relationships and we do everything we can to foster them in our family.

 

As we worked on the boys bunk project, we thought it could be fun to make signs for both the boys' and girls' rooms.

It seems that even little things like this can spur our children's hearts to embrace the friendships they have right here in our home.

 

I'm all for contributing to that!

 

So, in an effort to spread the LOVE, we bought a couple fence posts and some wooden letters (which were on sale...yay!)

and we made ourselves some SISTERS & BROTHERS signs for under $10 total!

 

First, we spray painted the letters (from Hobby Lobby):

 

 

Then Brodie cut the fence posts to the right length so we could paint them.

(We mixed the colors from the kids' acrylic paints.)

 

 

Then, we glued the letters on...

 

 

...and hung the signs in each bunk room:

 

                               

How can our home glorify God? How can little things add up to big things in our hearts?

These are questions worth asking when it comes to where and how we live.

 

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
1 Corinthians 10:31

 

SISTERS & BROTHERS signs...under $10.

SIBLING BONDING...priceless.

 

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another:

just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another."

John 13:34

MAKING IT WORK...GIRLS BUNK PROJECT

Before being matched with India, we thought (due to space) we couldn't adopt another girl while we lived in our current home.

Clearly, God had other plans.

We thought we had maxed out our girls bunk room with double bunks, fitting 4.

 

What we've come to learn, however, is that things like money and space should never be a hindrance to adoption or adding another biological child to a family because God always provides...sometimes in creative ways.

As the story goes, we said YES to our girl.
 

"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand."
Proverbs 19:21
 

When India joined our family at the age of 5 months, she slept in our room with us. We didn't think too far past that point in terms of bedrooms. (One day at a time...) We just trusted that God knew the future. He always does. Certainly we could have moved, and true, we still can. But, with intentionality to bloom where we're planted, the unanimous vote (for now) is to stay where we are until the Lord leads otherwise and make it work while we're here.

 

When India got older and was ready for a Big Girl Bed, Brodie thought up the idea to build a bridge type bed in the girls bunk room for India in a space that previously held a large wardrobe.

Smart husband.

 

So, he built the bed, railing too, and India has loved her own little space all to herself where she can easily crawl over
and snuggle with a sister (or get out and unravel a whole roll of toilet paper...or cover herself in toothpaste).

That girl!

 

 

Believe it or not, even her little toddler bed often has a snuggling sibling, Mommy, or Daddy
in there with her too. Who knew a crib mattress could be so accommodating?

 

Anyway, the time has come where we once thought (yet again) that we could not adopt another girl due to space in our home...and (yet again) God knew better and has brought to our family a new daughter.
We're so excited to welcome her to our family, prayerfully this fall!

These birdie charms hang in the girls bunk room as we await the arrival of our next sister:

6 girls.

 

In a "paper pregnancy" type of way, we've been nesting around here,
making it work as usual, and thoroughly enjoying the process.

 

Here's to documenting our latest space maximizing project:

This is the girls bunk space before:

 

 With so many girls in one bedroom, we do our best to keep things minimal and orderly. This helps the space feel peaceful. We don't keep toys in our bunk rooms, just beds, books, and clothes. We store things under the beds and use every inch of the closets.

It works. :)

When at first we thought we would have to move to add another girl to this room, we spent some time reevaluating and have realized that Nova is old enough and tiny enough to fit in a children's size mattress bunk over India's bridge bed. She is really excited about it and her twin size bottom bunk bed will go to her new sister where Mommy and Daddy can be close by her side when she needs extra encouragement at night (something we fully anticipate through her transition at least).

So...the project begins. First, the boys built a frame with slats to support the mattress. (Sweet brother):

We decided that Nova would use one of her sister's side ladders for access to her bed
in order to keep India's bed below more open, so no ladder was needed...just a railing:

The perfect little size for our sweet little Nova:

 

Time for paint (my part):

 

 

Lastly, we added the mattress and bedding (most of which we already had. Bonus!).
And, the project is complete:

SISTERS...What a blessing these girls are!

We just need our Bea... :)

What an honor to welcome another daughter home where she can be loved and cherished and made to feel valued and precious, where she can learn of God's LOVE for her. What a joy to fill another bunk with a soul, a new best friend to share life with.

Thanks again to our hardworking men, for making our house our home.
Your labors of love always help us feel so well cared for!!
 

"If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet."
Proverbs 3:24

-UPDATE-
Our Bea is home and it's been perfectly natural to have her here with us in our girls bunk room.
She's proud of her very own bed and sleeps there regularly, snuggling down with a sibling or parent each night.
The girls made their room all white for Christmas which was a welcome change. (I love white.)

 

 

Now with beloved baby sister 7 on the way, we'll be getting creative again over here eventually...hmmm...

"For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them."
Psalm 139:13-16

BUILDING BLOCKS

 

...of love... 

 

...melt my heart.

 

Thanks, sweet girls, for loving me so.

 

"Let all things be done for building up."

1 Corinthians 14:26