My Overthinking

Philly Area mom, Life forever changed by adoption

Archives for June 2011

But…

She climbs out of shopping carts regularly. She shrieks to get her way. She doesn’t stop saying “I do! I do!” I hear a lot of “No, mama. No, mama. No, mama. No!” She has a bad habit of hitting when she’s angry. She hides things behind her back if she feels at all threatened. She likes to find pens and crayons carelessly left behind and decorate whatever she can find with them. She removes her diaper when she’s bored. Climbing on tables and window sills is a regular occurrence. 

But…
She dances with no care in the world. She mimics everything I do down to the way I’m standing or holding my hands while speaking. She spontaneously says to me, “Hi, mommy” 100 times a day. She asks to pray and repeats the last word of my every phrase. She swims with such determination. She wants pig tails to look like Ashlyn and then admires herself in the mirror. And, she is absolutely heart-stopping adorable when she smiles and crinkles up her little nose.
And, she’s mine.


Picture {Perfect}the long road




Don’t forget to come on over and download a free song and enter my giveaway for some great CDs. 

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A Gift

Have you seen this video yet of Sung-Bong Choi from Korea?

He is an amazing singer–a boy, a boy abandoned, a boy who was on his own at age 5 after being abused at an orphanage, a boy who was forced to sleep in rest rooms and public stairs while selling gum to get by, a boy who was sold into labor. He is an amazing singer. I do not understand what he is singing — but I know it is beautiful.

I am so thankful that God gave him this amazing gift–something beautiful in a desolate place. He told the judges something like “Rather than say I enjoy singing, I like singing because it was the first thing I liked after living that day-fly life.”

Grace. A gift of beauty in ugliness, of feeling when he probably had stopped feeling altogether, of relationship with others in brokenness. That’s our God.

I’m the 4,498th person to “like” his Facebook page. But, I’m wishing I could just sit with him and encourage him in person instead.

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Seeds Freebie and CD(s) Giveaway

Confession. I’m horrible at Scripture memorization. Honestly, lately, my memory for just about everything is diluted. Not sure if that is due to the chaos of parenting 4 children or my age. I’m not sure which is the better option for an excuse there anyway.

A couple years back as I struggled with some question marks concerning my vocal cord paralysis, I needed to have a myriad of tests done to rule out some more significant diseases. One of the tests I needed was a MRI. I laid down on that skinny bed-thing and as they moved me back into that machine, I started to panic, really panic. I had never been claustrophobic–but I had never been in a MRI machine (or locked in a closet or a small box underwater…which is about comparable, in my brain at the time at least…does fear show up on an MRI????). And, with my head in that cage and that loud noise and the enclosed space, I was freaked out and no logic of knowing that I was totally safe and that it would be over in 45 minutes helped me. But, you know what did? God’s word.

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10

I must have said that verse over and over in my head 100s of times over that 45 minutes. I had it memorized. And, you know how I did? My kids’ Seeds cds.

I’m bad at Scripture memorization. But, I love music…love it. Music speaks to me, moves me, helps me see things in a new way and pause to feel things. I realized that I have a bunch of Scripture memorized that I’ve got ready to pull out when I need them because of the music we just happen to listen to in the car and or while I’m making dinner at home, you know, music for my kids. 
Gotta love when God uses my desire to be a “good parent” to actually minister to me. And, the kids are blessed at the same time. Oh yeah, God is pretty cool like that. 

Seeds Family Worship was first planted by Jason Houser when he was asked to come up with some songs to help kids remember memory verses from their church’s VBS. The creative way he put God’s word to music that attracted both kids and families caught on in a big way. Seeds now has over 60 passages of Scripture set to music, and they just released their 6th album Seeds of Character in May. 

One of the songs from that album seemed particularly appropriate for this week being that it’s Father’s Day week and all (remember my habit of lengthening holidays? It doesn’t just work to my own benefit. I do it for other people’s holidays too).
“Teach Them” is straight from Deuteronomy 6:4-7

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

And, you know what you are getting just to help you plant some seeds? A free download of the song. Go get it, and enjoy it this week as you get ready to celebrate Father’s Day. Pretty soon, you’ll realize you’ve got it memorized, and you can say it to yourself as a reminder when you need it (which for me is….pretty much…a lot).

AND, one comment from this post will be chosen at random on Father’s Day night to receive any Seeds CD of their choice. And, as with all Seeds cds, they come with two identical cds so that you can keep one and give one away yourself. How cool is that?

So, comment away…no rules with how many or how often or what you have to say. Just leave a comment or a whole lot more than one, each one gets an entry until 10pm EST on June 19th. And, if you don’t win or if you do win and want to buy more cds from Seeds, they have graciously offered you a discount code for 20% off your purchase. The cool just keeps on coming. Use the code “SPARROW” to get 20% off when you check out there.

WINNER!!!!
Apparently, the strategy to leave lots of comments really does work for your benefit. When I entered 50 on random.org, the number 14 came up which was…

Winner of two of my giveaways in a row. Jerusha, maybe you should play the lottery…or bingo…or just Candyland or Memory. You’re clearly on a winning streak.

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Before & After

Look at those young fledglings, just starting 1st grade–first year in a real elementary school–and 3rd grade. So green, they were.

Now, look at them. 
They’re oozing with knowledge and all kinds of important skills ever-so pertinent for 1st and 3rd graders. Things like drawing to make things look three dimensional, multiplication, who Neil Armstrong is, what buy-one-get-one-free at the book fair means, how to buy strawberry shortcakes at lunch, how to find your way home.
I would have photographed the two adorable balloons we picked up for them this morning. But, that would have meant entrusting them to a 5 year old already holding a large Star Wars spaceship or a 2 year old who was screaming “I do! I do! I do!” and would have promptly let them go. 
Welcome summer.
Welcome heat. (Right now, I’m hiding out in my bedroom where we have a window unit to escape the children the stifling heat downstairs)
As they started arguing this afternoon, I sternly said, “Is this what it’s going to be like all summer?” to which Drew answered, “not all summer.” 
Good to know. Perhaps we can start talking percentages and reinforce some of those skills they learned this year.

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