Not "Waiting" Yet :(

I have been terrible at blogging, and not because I have nothing to say.  I have been terrible because I spend every evening at school really late and then have no desire to turn the laptop back on when I get home.  I finally started being a "real" teacher.  I am in charge of 19 little minds and getting all the information into them that they need to learn in 3rd grade.  I am excited that part of my job is leading my students to Jesus everyday.  I love when I can connect the curriculum with what we've learned in Bible.  I also love that I can ask, "Is this what Jesus would want us to do? Is that speaking in kindness to our friends?"  My beginning has not been without its pitfalls and every time I think that this biggest pitfall has been overcome it seems to rear its head again, so any prayers on that would be greatly appreciated, but I love feeling like I am where God wants me.  It was awesome my first day because it just felt so normal and peaceful.

I am getting slightly better at not staying at work until very late at night but I am having a hard time coming home alone.  My dog was ran over by a neighbor a couple of weeks ago and since then it has been even harder to convince myself to go home to the empty house.  I know that God knows what he's doing, and probably Josh wouldn't have as many opportunities for overtime if he worked first shift, but I am so over being on opposite shifts.  I either don't get enough sleep and am grouchy all the time or don't see Josh and am therefore grouchy all the time.  I don't like going out to people's houses every night but then get frustrated if I'm home alone.  I try to do the "Paul" thing and be content no matter my circumstances, but I definitely find these circumstances to be trying.  But just when I am complaining to God about how I hate it, He had someone share their family story with me that had me shutting up and thanking Him right then for the great man He has put in my life.  I am not sure why I am so lucky to have a guy who works so hard for me or values my happiness so but I am glad that I do.

What else... well my sister had a stroke.  At 31.  Over Labor Day weekend when we were supposed to be camping.  I didn't even know 31 yr olds had strokes.  I was so so scared and then so so thankful to God for His healing.  A million different "coincidences" happened that day that prevented it from being so much worse and I praise God for each of them.  She's doing pretty good now although not quite up to speed (and a little ditzy which isn't normal) but the doctors still haven't given a definite diagnosis and plan of action.  So again I would covet prayers for that.

Finally I thought I would be an official "waiting family" this week.  I finally had all the paperwork for my dossier and then mailed it off to Indiana's Secretary of State.  I get it back in less than a week (with a holiday weekend in the middle, Gold Star for SOS) but alas I am not ready.  They refused to certify 3 of my papers.  I want to complain about all 3.  If you've had enough of my complaining, feel free to skip, but I must get it out!

I was told by my adoption consultant and other adoptive moms that I needed to go to Indianapolis to get my official official birth certificate.  So I did.  I went to the department of health (which has a super dumb address and my droid was being dumb at showing me at street/walking level where it was) walk in with all my identifications and marriage license so I can get Josh's also only to be told, "Oh, we don't do that here anymore you need to go to the county you were born in." So I ask to confirm that this will be the official one because I was told to go to Indianapolis and they assure me this is the way the state is doing this now.  So then on a different day I drive the 2 counties over to where both Josh and I were born (another random "coincidence" I found out that day we were even delivered by the same doctor).  I find their vital records department, go in prove who I am and she gets me the birth certificates.  While there I explain I need these for international adoption and had been told to go to Indy but Indy said come there so these would be the most official ones, right? She assures me they are what I need.  Unfortunately for me she and the people in Indy are WRONG!!! I have to go to some random website enter my info, upload my identification (seems like a wonderful method for identity theft to me), and they ups'd me the birth certificates.  That only took another week.  After the 2 days and hundreds of miles I drove.  For the birth certificates I wish I knew where to officially complain because I would.  Because I covered all my bases and asked and asked and was still wrongly informed.  But such is life in this broken world we live in and God knows the plan so I/my babies must need the extra time that those birth certificates have given us.

Then they also returned my marriage license.  It was returned because the certification (stamp whatever it is called) and signature of the clerk on it were over 3 years old.  This is because it's the first official one I received when I got married 5 years ago and nothing in any documentation told me I needed to have a newer one.  This is a little ridiculous to me since marriage licenses don't expire! C'est la vie.

The final thing returned was one of the letters we had notarized.  Apparently something is wrong with this notary's (who works at a bank) stamp.  Her dates are all wrong so she doesn't work so the letter had to be reprinted and renotarized.  Since I have no way of knowing this before sending it to the SOS I pray that the new notary is acceptable.

I have the new birth certificates and the new notarized letter.  I just have to find time (or hopefully Josh can find time) to get to the courthouse in a town we don't live in.  As soon as we get that we will mail those 3 items back to the SOS who hopefully will once again have great turn around so we can finally mail that dossier and be an official "Waiting" family.

Psalm 27:14 Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord

Five Minute Friday

1. Write for 5 minutes flat for pure unedited love of the written word on the prompt, “Still.”
2. Link back http://www.incourage.me/ and invite others to join in.
3. Get a little crazy with encouragement in the comments of the five minuter who linked up before you.


Still.  Well, the first thing that comes to my mind is the verse, "Be still and know that I am God".  This verse is on my Bible carrier and on my purse.  I use it to help me remember even on those days that I despair in not knowing God's plans that I am not called to action, I am called to be still.  I think in reality I am a pretty patient person.  I don't like conflict (who does?) and I love kids so I feel like in my interactions with most other people, I am very patient.  Unfortunately I don't feel like this patience goes over to my relationship with Josh and with God.  In both cases I feel like I present my case (for this idea that I have or that job that I need now God!) and then want their responses to be in line with my ideas and also to be happening right now.  This impatience has caused problems in both relationships.


Pfew that went by too fast

What I want for my children...

I'm late to the party but somehow I got to this cool blog, It's Almost Naptime! and then found this completely awesome post:  http://itsalmostnaptime.blogspot.com/2010/02/i-dont-want-my-children-to-be-happy.html

So please go read it.  I can wait..... Ok, did you read it? I know I am bad when blogs send me to somewhere else to read so if you didn't read it yet please do.  Anyway, this post reminded me of 2 different things, one in our home study questionnaire they asked us what we wanted for our children, which is a really ambiguous huge question that I answered this way "I want my kids to know Jesus.  I want my kids to value themselves.  I want my kids to value family and education.  I want my kids to love.  I want my kids to show God’s love by being respectful  and responsible."  Wow, I guess I did an okay job there.  I want my kids to know the pride that you can feel when you work for something. And the plans that God has for them.  And how to be joyful in this life, all of which come from Jesus but aren't highly valued in our "make sure the kids are happy every second of the day" culture.

The other thing this reminded me of was a conversation my younger sister and I had.  We have a friend who is currently dealing with some really bad choices that her teenage daughter made.  When discussing this we noticed that over and over and over again our friend, her family, and her daughter's friends told the daughter how beautiful she was.  This just hit me because I'm pretty sure no matter if my child comes to me with 7 eyes and 3 hands I am going to be overwhelmed with how beautiful the child is.  Of course the child is beautiful, it's mine! (and of course my friend's daughter is beautiful, I just don't know that that's what I'd be focusing on currently) But, those of you who know me will totally get this, beauty is not something I spend a lot of time on.  It's a blessing God gives but I just feel like if I'm getting up 3 hours before I have to be at work or school I could be using that time for something a whole lot more important than my hair (the first one that comes to mind is sleeping, lol).  I feel that inner beauty is so much more important.  I guess I want to make it a priority that my children know that I value them for the stuff on the inside and so does God.  I want my kids to learn the joy of Christ, to have His peace, and like Paul to be content no matter what their life is like at that moment.  I hope this makes sense.

Love to all!

¹⁰ How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. ¹¹ Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. ¹² I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.  Phillipians 4:10-12

Time to get with it

So, July has been very productive.  We began the month by seeing friends from Germany.  We had visited their home on our European vacation (2009) and Michi (who was one of Mom & Dad's foreign exchange students) was able to spend several days with his parents with us.  We went camping (yay for tents) and boating and I actually got to see my husband for a change so that was good.  Then came  the start of another week of summer school, actually getting into my classroom, and VBS every night (which meant I had to go pick up 3 nieces each day).  Then last week I had summer school in the morning, went and worked in my classroom each afternoon and a meeting it seemed every evening.  Add in the heat wave and it was also a very long week (we have no ac in the main part of the house :( but do in the bedroom).  This week I have had summer school in the morning and yesterday I went to United Arts & Education to return some stuff I didn't need and got a few things I do need.  Today I was working on lesson plans.  July seems to have been way too full.  This week my second summer school session will end and I will begin my summer break; which ends in a week and a day!  During this time Josh has been working mostly 12 hour days which is making getting this remaining paperwork done very difficult.  We did get our I600A form back from immigration that we are approved!  Woohoo! Unfortunately they listed the wrong date for our fingerprints expiring so hopefully the letter I sent last week will fix that.  So.... things are busy which is good it doesn't give me time to brood about other things.

One thing that has been brooding in my mind.  I need to make sure I'm ready to educate people so that my children aren't hurt.  Last week I was at a jewelry party at my sister's house and the saleslady overheard me talking about how immigration approved us and asked if I was applying for a job.  I explained that no I am adopting from Africa and she was all well that's good they need it.  She then said that they also need to quit having so many kids.  UGH!  Afterwards I was like oh I should have said this or that but in the moment I was just shocked and didn't say anything which I regret.  Good thing I have time to make sure I won't be so caught off guard.

1 Corinthians 2:13 When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.

Happy birthday to my husband.

Today is my husband's birthday!  I am so excited for him, because I love birthdays.  Unfortunately as luck would have it my husband is a terrific gift giver and I'm slightly terrible at it.  I hope even with bad gifts he knows how much I love him.

We mailed off our stuff to USCIS at the beginning of June and then did our fingerprinting last Friday.  The government is going to keep doing their part of that now that our fingerprints are done and we are scurrying around making sure we have all of our notarized papers found and notarized.  Baby steps toward our babies.

Titus 3:5 He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. 

Winning

So I have this friend that keeps winning lots of things on blogs.  I never win anything but maybe it's because I never sign up for things, so here goes:  I’m posting this to enter a contest offered by Brad’s Deals at I Am Bossy! I want to win the iPad 2! Enter to win here!


You could win too!


Proverbs 12:8 A sensible person wins admiration,but a warped mind is despised.

Answered prayers

So yesterday I kind of poured out my heart about my despair over my job situation.  I had graduated from Hanover in May 2006 and then returned to college to get my teaching certification.  I got done with that in December 2008, in January 2009 I worked as a long-term maternity leave substitute for Spanish 1 & 2 in high school.  This lasted until April and then I just subbed the rest of the year.  The next fall I was subbing for awhile but decided to try the foot-in-the-door method and took a teaching assistant position at my old job.  After 2 years it was time to leave and I faced a lot of uncertainty as I entered the summer with no plans for the fall nor any phone calls or interviews.  I had had an awesome interview for a Christian school last winter but hadn't had any positive interaction with them since then.

 Then last week I get an email from them asking if I was still interested and listing several positions but they were all secondary so I didn't give it a thought.  Monday I started one of my summer jobs and in the course of checking emails had one from the Christian school asking why I hadn't responded.  I said you have no elementary positions.  They said we have 3rd grade, can you come on Wednesday for a 2nd interview.  I say sure.  Tuesday I dress really casually because I will have to dress up a bunch on Wednesday and when I send my students home I open my email to find a frantic email asking if I can come immediately.  I say I'm not prepared, they say it's okay just come.  So in my tank top, capri's and tennis shoes, I went for a job interview.  I stayed for about 2 hours.  Again it was great just flowing conversation etc.

So today I got the call.  I got the job!  I am so thankful to a Loving Father who hears my prayers.  I am truly coming to the realization that I wouldn't have wanted this job 2 years ago because the pay is not quite up to par.  But these last 2 years have shown me that we can survive on this amount of money and that I really need a good workplace where I have my own classroom.  I can see that these years have been preparing me for this job.  Thank you Lord for your time and your blessing.

Psalm 20:5  May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory and raise a victory banner in the name of our God. May the Lord answer all your prayers.