I'm back from my blogging time-out. However I will say that for the next few months you may not here much from me. I am working 6 days a week (you know why too). I do want to catch you up on a few things though. Brian starts graduate school next month;yah!!!!! Harrison has only had a few issues of SVT since November, Hagan has strep throat at the moment, but is otherwise doing great. He has also lost his first 2 teeth. Hunter is back at football workouts, and is spending more time on his studies since he almost flunked a few classes due to laziness. Haven is in to everything, she asks me everyday 2 very important questions; can she get her ears pierced, and when is Hadlee coming home? Now that just leaves me, and well lets just say I'm busy. I am teaching clinicals at EKU and SCC, and I am still full time at SJH. I am not complaining I have done this to myself. I will SURVIVE..... However I really do wish summer was here.
Next I just want to say that I have learned so much about myself since November. I will start by saying that I do work every weekend, by choice, and most of the time I don't mind. However missing church every Sunday with my family bothers me very much. So around October of last year I started listening to Jentezen Franklin and Bishop Jakes on my phone while driving to work. I started out just listening on Sunday, and now I listen to them everyday in the car. Since I commute so much each week I get a whole lot of preaching to. This has been so good for my soul. I am the kind of Christian that has to hear the word of God a lot to stay on the path. Now don't judge me I am being very honest here. I have just found that when I hear the word of God everyday, whether it be on TV, the radio, or reading my bible I feel extremely close to God. I am happier, I feel convicted(in a good way), I am unstoppable, I have courage like never before, I feel safe, but most important I feel like he has my undivided attention. It never seems to amaze me that whatever I hear, God designed just for me that day. The last sermon I heard this week was by Bishop Jakes, and the name of it is "Blessings within your reach". I cried like a baby all the way to work on Wednesday. I have never been so relieved, other than the day I got saved, this was a day a pure clarity. It was a long sermon (1 1/2 hr), but I encourage everyone to listen to it. Basically to sum it up I understand that God's blessings for me are within my reach, all I have to do is stretch. Now I hate to stretch. For those of you who know me, I'm not the stretching kind. I like things the way they are, no stretching needed. Much to my surprise it dawned on me that that's all I have to do, my blessing is right in front of me. I just have to reach my arms out and grab it. I don't want to be the one that stands before God and hears "my child, I was right there in the pool, ready to catch you. All you had to do was jump in, and you didn't". I don't want to be the one that never did something great for God because I was scared.
So here is an update on the adoption right now. I'm am finishing this semester at both EKU and SCC in hopes of having more money and less debt. Brian and I have both really have been working hard at saving our money. Raising 4 children isn't cheap, however working extra has really started to make a difference. I have spoken with the social worker and Asian director at AWAA and they both have given us great news. Since we are open to children with different special needs and that are between the ages of 6 months and 4 years they really believe we could be matched with our child during the paper chase, which is typically 3-6 moths. This basically means we have a great chance of getting her home within 12-18 months. Wouldn't that be great? I was hoping that this past Christmas would be the last Christmas we had without her home, but I know God is in complete control of this journey. Please continue to pray for us, and if you have any extra money laying around I know just what to do with it. Blessings, Jennifer
