When God answers your prayers... or puts it there to begin with.

 I have had this blog post sitting here for a while- this is the "other" stuff that has been going on in my life over the past year, much of what I couldn't share until now. Its a long story but I wanted to go into detail because God is into details and He deserves the praise and honor for putting this all together- I love to see what He is doing and can't wait to see what comes out of it!

Sometimes in life its hard to see the end. What God is doing, why He is or isn't answering prayers a certain way. Sometimes we never see the reason why it happened the way it happened and we just have to trust in the fact that He knows best. But sometimes, He shows us. Sometimes we get the pure delight, on this side of eternity, to look back and see His thread of Sovereignty weaving our story together.
For that year of infertility that we had I never understood why we suffered so much until I saw my son's face. The infertility moved us to adoption. Then the adoption to a surprise pregnancy. I thought that was it- my two little miracles and that life would continue on. But because of that infertility, which led to adoption, which led to the "adoption & orphan world." My eyes were opened but it didn't stop there, my heart was burdened.

I went to some conferences, you can read about the first one here and another here. Then again to an adoptive Mom's retreat called Created for Care which you can read about here. My heart for adoption began to grow and grow and grow as I talked with more moms, more families, saw more pictures, heard more stories about the MILLIONS of children that needed families, support, love, and the Lord. There were families that were already stepping up despite many obstacles. But there was still a great, great need for more and for others to help share in their burdens My heart ached, I felt so small and insignificant, what more can I do? We wanted to adopt again, but what else?

I read books. The first one- Red Letters. It did me in. I began praying, praying that God would lay on my heart- His heart. That He would give me a burden for what He cares for and that I would ACT. Not just merely know and hear what He calls me to do- but to DO IT. I read some more...Fields of the Fatherless: Verses from the books and the Word poured on my heart like salt on an open wound-

"But whoever has this world's goods and see his brother in need and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?"- I John 3:16-17
                                                    
                                                                       and

Pure and faultless religion is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress."- James 1:27

                                                                       and

The book goes on to talk about how in the Old Testament the "ancient boundary" and how this boundary was set up by God to care for the fatherless and the widow. (think Ruth) The Israelites were to not go over their fields again but leave it for the widow, stranger, and fatherless.

                                    "God's heart was and still is for the least of these"
                                      Deuteronomy 14:28-29, Deuteronomy 24:19-21.

                                                                    and

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows is God in His holy habitation. God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity - Psalm 68:5-6

                                          I could go on but I think you get the point. :)


  After a few months I had these times where it was so heavy and I didn't know what to do with it. He began whispering and I would literally lay there at night and think about what else we could do to help orphans, families, adoption.... Everything that came to my mind  seemed so "big" like only things I could do one day when... "my kids are grown up" or "we are retired" or "we have more savings" or "the timing is better."

I would put the thoughts aside and try to forget, thinking that they were just MY dreams, MY prayers. Looking back on this now- I can see it. I can see some of the bigger picture. None of this was from me to begin with. You know the verse

                    "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." 

I love this verse, because really, it means that if we are walking with the Holy Spirit and we are walking so in tune with Him, His desires become ours. If they are His desires, Hes going to grant them to us because He put it there to begin with. What a good God.

So while I prayed about what this burden meant for me, I waited on the Lord. I honestly thought that I would be waiting a while but this time the answer can quickly.



And it was all because of Facebook. :) If you are a friend of mine on FB you know that I regularly post things about adoption, orphan care, etc. Well, that day I had just finished reading a review of a book about helping families adopt- this passion had already deeply been on my heart. You see, I realize that not everyone is called to adopt, but those who are- they still need help, support, encouragement, and a lot of times the very basic necessity of funds for their adoption. The costs of adoption can be anywhere from $10,000-40,000. Most people don't have this sort of money laying around, no less have that much extra cash month to month to even save for that! It drove me mad to know that there were families willing, able, WANTING to adopt. There were children, babies, teens WAITING to be adopted but the middle factor- money- was in the way, it was the obstacle that was between them. While I still hope that more and more agencies will do a much better job fundraising to keep costs low to families (and there are some AMAZING ones that are already doing this!) the simple fact that adoption does cost money will always be there, so we have to think outside of the box. All of this had been swirling around in my head for months and so about a year ago I posted something on my Facebook page to this extent..." A bucket list dream of mine would be to one day have an adoption grant agency to help other families adopt."

There, it was out there in cyber-space. But more than it being "out there" it was put "in" someone else' heart. About a week later I received a phone call from a long time family friend about wanting to talk with me about something. This person is someone whom I highly respect. They left their very comfortable job in church ministry to start their own ministry- serving and providing for orphans around the world. Their organization has grown so much and has become a model out there for what it looks like to care for the widows and orphans, to meet their basic needs, to share the gospel with them, and to help the children that they serve grow into leaders who can positively impact their country. This organization is called Heart of the Bride. Its been a blessing to watch what they do. So we met and began talking- he shared with me that he saw what I wrote on FB and that this had been on his heart. I was shocked- I truly didn't think anything like this would happen any time soon, but looking back, now I know why God so burned it on my heart, because He was working and setting things up For Such a Time as This.  After months and months researching, phone calls, meetings, typing, more phone calls, researching it- An Adoption Aid program which provides grants to adoptive families who apply and qualify- was approved by the board of Heart of the Bride and I couldn't be more excited. Many have come along side and helped in the process and continue to help and I'm so grateful for all of them.

I can't wait to see the families that come together, I can't wait to see the children who come home. I can't wait to see what God does in this community and others around as people answer the call to adopt, and others answer the need to help fund those adoptions.

I look back on that year and see how when I prayed for God to burden my heart with what burdened His- He did. I look back and see that He is constantly working, moving people to act, and His is great Sovereignty and love He showers down on us and once again fills me with hope. He deserves all the praise.

If you would like to find out more about what Heart of the Bride does you can visit them at http://www.heartofthebride.org/

Thanks for reading!

Reading for the Little Years Part I

*Disclaimer*- I am NOT an expert! :) This post and subsequent posts on school are merely a collection of what I have learned from having a degree in Elementary Education and teaching K- 2 and 6th grade English. I am still learning and tweaking. While I know everyone has their own "philosophies" of teaching, this is mine and my goal on these posts is only to be helpful tool to those who have asked and want the information. :)

 I've been looking for curriculum to start with my littles for Pre-K/Kindergarten, its been much more of a challenge then I thought, but I'm learning some things through it that I find are really important:
#1- There is no perfect curriculum.
#2- I will most likely have to pull from several sources.
#3- Its okay to change, tweak, abandon, or pick and choose things you like from different sources.
#4- I must stay true to the goals of what I'm trying to accomplish.
#5- Each child is different, meet them where they are.

With that said, #4 is really important to me- What is the goal...say of reading, math, science, history? There are many, knowing them is important. Its helpful to know the goal (standards, expectations etc.) and its even more helpful to know the process that gets the child there. The next portion of this is going to be rather long and is on the brain and process of reading. Its a really short (haha) summary of my studies- I'm a nerd and LOVE this stuff if it bores you, you can skip down to the end! :)

Goal of Reading: Construct Meaning from Print -Comprehension.

There are several Processors at work when reading:
                                                                                                                      

This is what all of this means:
Orthographic- deals with the text (actual letters, a,b,c)
Phonological-  deals with the sounds-tying sounds to print- B-R-A-N-D-Y These print graphemes sound out /Brandy/
Meaning- knowing what words mean- dialect, vocabulary, and experiences all impact this.
Context- understanding of text based upon pictures, prior knowledge, etc.
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All of this works together constantly receiving and putting together information. So...if one of those areas is weak or doesn't have any instruction, the rest will suffer. If you have great literature curriculum, but no phonemic awareness or phonics instruction the child's reading abilities will suffer and produce poor reading skills. If you have great phonemic awareness and phonics but no meaning/process/context (good literature) then their reading will suffer. There must be a balance.

What does all this mean????- Key component kids need to know first in the early years:
                                                     1. Letter Recognition-

                                                     2. Phonemic Awareness

                                                     3. Explicit Phonics Instruction

                                                     4. Concepts of Print

You might be thinking- okay, that's great...what does THAT mean!?!? :)

In looking for a curriculum/teaching reading look/do these things. The curriculum should:

1. Teaches the letters and their names (Letter Recognition)

2. Teaches, play games that manipulate sounds- help foster (Phonemic Awareness)

3. Teaches explicit phonics- what letters make what sounds and blending them together.

4. Teaches concepts of print - hold a book the right way, text reads from left to right, page numbers, in expository reading why text is on different parts of pages etc.)

5.  Includes reading practice with Decodable text ( Sam ran.) and Predictable Text (Have you seen my cat? This is not my cat. Have you seen my dog? This is not my dog.) 

What about GOOD LITERATURE!?!?!

Yes, yes, and yes!!!! This is a must too...in the reading world "good literature" is called- authentic text

Find good literature and READ ALOUD to them. These will be books that are ABOVE their reading level. It helps foster concepts of print, vocabulary, comprehension, context, prior experiences, inference, prediction, fluency etc.

You must have both. I can read great, literature all day long but if a child can't pick up the book and read CAT- they will never get to read the great literature themselves. :)

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Speaking of Reading Levels: A child will grow in reading if you are fostering ALL these reading levels

Read Aloud- Parents reading to their child- reading material is above their level (what they good read easily on their own). Helps foster vocabulary, concepts of print, develops fluency.

Shared Reading- Parent and child reading together- every word (helps students that struggle with fluency) child still needs assistance with some words.

Independent Reading-  Child reading on their own with ease. Firms their skills, pleasure reading.

Guided Reading: - Parent teaching new skills, child reading/working on those new skills. On their level, helps with phonics, decoding, specific skills, and strategies. Comprehension and vocabulary is developed.

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So if you are like me, I want a curriculum that has ALL of this in one! ;) So far, I haven't found it, but I just started looking. I think that I will end up pulling from many different sources. If you have found this, PLEASE let me know, it will save me time! ;) I am going to start looking through different ones more and will share them with you.

So a sample day of reading instruction would look like this- at my house- for Pre-K/Kindergarten.

1. Letter Study- Introduce letter, sound it makes, word wall (more on this), art activity with letter, worksheet with letter, game that manipulates letter sounds, sing ABC song, review prior letters, sounds etc.

2. If they are to the level of reading books- do Guided Reading with them, helping them with the new skills you are teaching.

3. Read Aloud- Use authentic literature and read aloud to them. (Doesn't have to go along with your letter theme- or it could... doing the letter C- find authentic literature on a word that starts with C and study it- Cats, Cars, Candy, etc.)

4. Independent Reading- once they are to this level, let them sit with books and read on their own- this will be more for kindergarten/1st

When it really comes down to it, its pretty simple. Look through different curriculum, see what works for YOU and your family, and what helps students become thriving readers. Try different things out, see what learning style your child works best with. Be patient and enjoy the fun of teaching your child how to read and seeing the spark in their eyes when they learn!

Thanks for reading and happy teaching/learning!! :)

Blessings

Kelly

Sources:- College level curriculum my notes came from. :) Great books if you want to learn more about the process/strategies.

Beginning to Read- Thinking and Learning about Print by Marilyn Jager Adams

Seidenberg and McClelland (1989)

Core: Teaching Reading Sourcebook

                                             

Back to Africa Necklace Giveaway!

Hey everyone! If you know me, you know I love Heart of the Bride/Back to Africa and you know I love adoption. Well..... I'm super excited to introduce to you a beautiful new necklace that Back to Africa has come out with. Its the "Heart for Adoption Necklace" It is so named because the proceeds from this necklace go to fund the new Heart of the Bride Adoption Aid Ministry. The focus of this arm of Heart of the Bride is to provide assistance grants for adoptive families, whether adoption internationally or domestically. These hearts are being sourced from Kenya through a Back to Africa work group, so your purchase will also support our desire to provide long term employment to those in our work programs.

How awesome is that!?!?!?!  You can purchase a beautiful piece of jewlery and your purchase gives back in HUGE ways!! Isn't it great when you purchase things and you know that it is directly helping others? So maybe you are looking for a gift for a friend, teacher, daughter, or a valentines' gift...this would be PERFECT!

I love this necklace so much that I'm going to do my first "give-away"/name-drawing" from my blog and its super easy to enter! Here is how it works.... To be entered into the drawing, you need to post the link from the necklace either on your blog or facebook page and tell me that you did so (either comment here on the blog or on the Facebook link that I posted.) Here is the link:

http://backtoafrica.myshopify.com/collections/favorites/products/new-heart-for-adoption-necklace

You can only be entered once. I will draw a name this Wednesday evening at 8 p.m. to see who won the necklace!

The heart pendant comes on a brown leather cord and is approximately 16-18 inches in length, available in blue or rose, and is hand made and kiln fired twice. The design imprint is courtesy of Inkadinkado, with our thanks!

For more information on Heart of the Bride's Adoption Aid Program visit www.heartofthebride.org/adopt

Thanks guys! Happy sharing! :)

"Our" projects.

For a much "lighter" weekend post, I decided that I would update the blog with the past years' projects. If you remember, last year I asked for a saw, hammer, and some other weird shop tools that I still can't remember the name of. You can read about how that adventure started here . C and I had fun sitting in the freezing garage last winter building "beginner" projects together while the kids slept away. Little by the little though, a funny pattern developed...

Me:" Hmm, I would like to build yada yada..."
C: "Okay, lets find some plans."

Me- Search Internet- Ana-white.com (AMAZING!!) find what I want, print.... hand over to C.


A couple hours later, viola! It was all done, and I didn't break a nail (no pun intended).

I really did have good intentions to help, but with two toddlers.... you know how it goes. Luckily, my wonderful husband actually really LOVES to build things. He grew up in hick-ville...ahmm.. the country where fishing, four-wheeling, squirrel hunting (do NOT ask) and building projects were a regular thing. His dad can build a house from the ground up (literally) so C had lots of practice. All that to say... he now asks me what he can build when hes bored so it all works out nicely and I must say, he does a fabulous job!

After finding ana-white.com and realizing how inexpensive building your own furniture is, I will never, ever pay full price for furniture again!!

The first piece is one of my favorites. We didn't have a dining room table, I looked and looked, everything was so expensive for the table, chairs etc. I loved the look the Farm House Table
- but $1900 for just the table. No way Jose!

 So we looked around and found the plans on ana-white.com and in about 5 hours (C and his Dad) created this masterpiece....

We decided to keep the wood natural and added a clear top coat for spills. I L.O.V.E it. Can't wait until one day we can fill all of those seats up! ;)

It can fit 8 comfortably, but for Thanksgiving we had 10.
Total price for table: $70.00
Bench: $25.00
Chairs: Free (thanks Dave!:)
$105.00 for a solid wood table, bench, and chairs is not bad, not bad at all.


Instead of the classic "China Cabinet" he made a "Ladder Shelf" - plans also from ana-white.com

Also on the list, move J out of a toddler bed to a twin size bed. Found the plans again at ana-white.com

Before stain


After Stain

Last but not least.... scrap wood? What about initial door hangers?

Oh and don't underestimate what sanding and a coat of paint can do. I woke up to find my husband going through some one's trash... for these...

Before:

After:

Who doesn't love "Free!" ? :)

So there you have it, "our" year in review DIY projects.


Thank you honey! ;)

The W word

 If I could choose a word that I can not stand to hear, a word that is like nails on a chalk board, a word that evokes so many conflicting feelings within me it would be the word "wait." I think I'm most likely one of the most impatient people there is around. If you looked up the word "impatient" in the dictionary there you would find my picture! :) I don't like to wait, I don't like being patient and when I'm forced to do it, I fail and I fail at it miserably. Ironically enough when I look back on my life, I find that word- wait, waiting, patience or any other form of it to be a continual "theme" of my life. I've gotten to practice a lot at it and I think that over the course of time I've gotten a little bit better but still need lots of work in that area!

As much as I can't stand to wait, I'm a firm believer in God's perfect timing- yes ironic, I know. I do believe that God is Sovereign and that after all is said and done we will look back and say..."ah, that's why it happened this way or that." Sometimes we don't always get to see the reasoning on this side of eternity, but I don't want to look past the moment that even though God's timing is perfect and we can trust in Him that doesn't always make the waiting easy, sometimes it very painful.

As I've been reflecting on this season of waiting in my life, although short as it is compared to others', I'm reminded of a couple of things in scripture that always make me sit back and ponder the WHYS of the waiting.

I think back to Hannah and Abraham- the things they longed for and how long God had them wait- Why? because the timing to begin the line of Christ was not ripe yet.

 I think about the coming then of Christ Himself- In a study I'm doing right now (Jesus the One and Only) It opens up at the last book of the Old Testament and then to the Matthew. Do you know how much time was in between the Old and New Testament? about 400 years. 400 years of silence from God. Talk about waiting. And this kind of waiting was a silent waiting. The Israelites has turned their ears from God so He stopped speaking. But God did not abandon His people, His timing is indeed perfect and that season was used by Him and as Beth Moore points out in the study- "The time didn't go. It Came!... God used a famine to serve His purpose until the fullness of time. He used the witholdings of His words to prepare for the revealing of The Word- His Living Word Jesus in human flesh."

And as we wait again for His second coming I know that there is so much He is fulfilling and when the timing is just perfect, He will come again.

Just as these are truths in scripture, so are they truth for my life. God doesn't just have a plan- He has a purpose. There are things, people, events that He is all using together in harmony to carry out His will. My particular circumstances also effect others.

I know so many who are waiting right now, some of them have been waiting weeks, some of them years, waiting for many different things. I pray for the strength to lean on Christ and trust in His plan and in the painful moments when the wait seems unbearable that He will show them His grace, mercy, and truth in the wait.

Blessings.

Past couple of weeks...

  Whenever we got home from the hospital my heart was at peace, we knew that God was and still is in control and that He has the child out there for us, in His timing- His perfect timing. I expected to just go home and continue life normally and go on our merry way and wait for the next referral, thats what I expected never did I expect Him to be working in my heart the way that He has been working. I was completely content waiting before, but after the situation it  has made me feel more anxious- its a hard reality to face that while we just sit here waiting, ready, open, willing...there are hundreds, no thousands, actually 163 + million orphans out there waiting on a family. I am reminding myself though that its not just about the need but about the child that God has for us. He is the one who puts families together. He has opened the door for us to adopt domestically and not internationally right now so we just have to continue to wait on Him, but knowing in my heart that I'm sure *one day* we will be on a plane picking up a precious one. Until those doors open- we continue to walk through the ones that are open fully trusting in Him. But thats not just where my heart has stopped-

I have been doing a lot of reading and its funny that all of the books that are recommended or given to me all from completely different friends they are all weaving the same pattern- I'm reading Radical by David Platt, The Praying Life, and The Law of Rewards by Randy Alcorn. All completely different books but I know that the Lord is speaking through not only His Word, but also through other authors specifically to my heart about HIS heart. The message to me- My life is not my own- nothing. My time, resources, dreams, goals, aspiriations- my life is for the glory of God, its not about me but about making Him known and sharing the Gospel and being the hands and feet of Jesus. I've heard it a million times before but its personal now. Back in January I read a book called "Red Letters"...it was amazing- eye opening. I saw how so much of what Jesus was about was sharing the Gospel, glorifying His Father, but also about the basic needs of people and reaching out to them- loving them, providing for them. I started praying that God would stir my heart. That He would give me a passion for the part of His heart that He cared for. Boy have I ever had that burden come so full force on my life, especially in the last two weeks. I'm lying awake in bed a night and thinking about orphans, families, how to help them, what to do... I've seen the faces before on t.v., websites, books etc. but it was never that personal... now it is. Those kids have names to me and meaning. Many of those kids are my friends' babies- waiting to come home. Many of those kids are roomates to my friends' babies who are lying in an orphange waiting for a family, or waiting in a foster family or girl's home waiting to be "chosen." Many of those kids are kids that need sponsors to help provide for their basic needs and pray for them and encourage them.

Chris and I are very passionate about what we can do to help them and what our role is to be in being Christ' hands and feet- is it going to require being Radical? Yes. Is it going to require us to give up some of our own comforts or ideals in life? Yes. Is it going to require going against the grain or culture- even Christian culture that says comfort it comfortable? Yes, Yes, Yes.

I'm not sure what it is all going to look like in the end- but He is already working. There are some specific things that He is doing- doors that He is opening and I'm sitting here in awe of the things that are going on and thinking...its really true, once you lose your life, you will find it. He is putting burdens on my heart so great- burden and aches for things that I know in my own flesh are not from me- only from Him, but He doesn't just stop there with the burden, but provides a way- an outlet to be used....all for His glory. I'm more excited then ever. So as we continue to wait to bring out next one home we continue to seek Him, to be His hands and feet, and more then ever- focus our attention in glorifying Him with our lives and be open to changing our lives to mirror His and follow His leading.

More to come...

Thanks for reading. :)

End of the Rollercoaster

"No effort on behalf of a child is ever wasted."-



Last night went really well during our visit. We were able to sit and talk a lot and it was a really sweet experience to have with birthmom and baby. I have been so blessed to be able to spend so much time with both of them and am thankful for it.

This morning came and we went to the hospital to meet the foster mom. We weren't going to be taking the baby home for at least 30 days because of some legal issues (which we knew about beforehand) so we were going go to the hospital and meet the Cradel Care mom.

We met our case-worker and she came back to deliver the news that the birthmom had decided to parent. We were a little bit shocked because up to that point there had not been any indication of doubt or wavering, but none of us can truely know whats going on inside someone's heart. This is afterall- a HUGE decision and very heart-wrenching for her to have to make.

We have SOOOOOO much peace that this was the right thing and I mean from the bottom of my heart that I rejoice with her in her decision. I've said from the beginning of this process that if a birthparent felt like they couldn't parent, I would be here with open arms and love that baby as our own. BUt if a parent decided even at the very.last.second... that they did want to parent, I would rejoice with them,they have a new life- a child- a blessing.I would go through it all over again if thats what he Lord called me to do. God has ordained who is to be in our family and we will wait on Him until that child comes.

I am so thankful for all of the time I spent at the hospital with the birthmom and baby. I got to know a beautiful woman and a sweet baby and the whole extended family. The Lord allowed me to minister to them and this experience has ministered to me.God taught me so much about His heart and love for others through this and I am changed because of it.

So for now, we get off the rollercoater and wait for the next ride. :) The Lord is so faithful and has been so close to us through this whole process- may He be glorified through it all.

Thanks for all of your support! :) Our prayers were answered- this baby is going where she is supposed to go and His will is being accomplished. Your kind words, phone calls, texts, comments have been so an encouragement. THANK YOU! :)

Blessings!