Perspective...

meshing, molding, blending, stretching...

its all hard regardless of the life change you face.

 

the season we remain in is family growth...

and with it comes an ocean full of change,

with no encyclopedia that we can flip to for the answers.

so we just ride the waves as they come, doing our best to stay afloat.

 

last night we sat up way into the wee hours with one of our treasures,

as she shared, vented and cried her way through a very broken

explanation of her frustrations with all the change.

completely understanding, yet overwhelmed with it at the same time,

we tried to remind her of life being about others.

Scott talked to her about perspective and mindset... but,

eventually we just hugged, loved and went to bed!

 

but quite honestly, the hard part is i've felt all of the same emotions.

i've thought every thought that was expressed,

i've felt every frustration that was shared and

i've stomped my feet in exactly the same fashion.

but... it still doesn't change the ultimate fact...

i am God's child called to live sacrificially focusing on others...

loving like Jesus!

 

as the conversation ended with no real conclusion drawn,

i lay and ponder how one could be so selfish.

how could this be the mindset of one we had raised...

and then i must have drifted off to sleep with this as my last thought.

 

because i awoke later abruptly with the same thought,

and there in the quiet, as i lay with no one else awake...

i heard the voice of my Creator in the depths of my soul...

"that is a picture of you my child!"

 

the more i thought about it the more it was true...

the same scenario that played out in my office last night,

is a picture of me and my heavenly daddy again and again and again.

me whining and Him reminding...

me whining and Him reminding...

me whining and Him reminding...

 

"LeAnn this life is not about you, it's about me!"

"so life is not what you thought, i'm in control!"

"you think it's hard, it will be until eternity, i told you that!"

"your tired, so is everybody else!" 

"LeAnn, did you think when i said follow me, deny self, pick up cross...

that those were just ideas, possibilities, a pick and choose...?"

Uggggh!  I hate when i have to be put into place!

 

Ultimately it came down to one challenging thought,

while Scott and i thought we were trying to lead our child

it was God telling me YET AGAIN I needed to get perspective!

 

my mind quickly went to Chloe's Sweet 16... (just days ago)

 we did a spa day at the Willis' beginning at 10 a.m.

complete with spa robes, fluffy shoes, pedicures and facials...

(jordan was not happy everyones was clear but hers :)

 

Chloe's best friend Shelby came...

 

they watched three movies through the day...

a Chik fil a tray was demolished, and we ended the evening with cake...

as the day came to a close and the girls were headed upstairs

for thier last movie of the night... i noticed Chloe hanging back.

eventually Erik came in the kitchen and Chloe had him translate this...

"i've never had a birthday with family, that was the best part of the day!"

 

not the gifts, the stuff, the food, the fun... her thanksgiving was about the people around her,

 who although are imperfect, impatient and frustrating at times, they love her!

 

yep, daddy did it again, He opened my eyes to perspective!

Jesus loved us all the way to the Cross...

How far am i willing to go for another??

She's thankful for family, how often do we take it for granted?

 

Whining, Wimpy, Selfish mood today... Just a thought to ponder?

What's a little earthly hardship, stretching or change, for a mountain of eternal gain?

a princess kind of day!

Princess Jordan turned 17!





 waking the sleeping beauty...

 

blair had the kids participate in a surprise for jordan when she awoke...  

 

katie bug surprised jordan with a bag of goodies...

 

which she opened by the pool...

a 24 hour period that was all about her!

 

yeah i know we go overboard for their birthdays,

but here is what else i know...

the world is harsh and the enemy is real!

 

as she is coming to the age to make her own decisions

and to extend beyond our constant reach...

i want her to know how very important that she is!

 

a reminder that even in our frustrations and relentless fussing...

NOTHING can remove her from our love for her. 

 

But even more than what she means to us,

we want to instill in her the value of her life

to God the Father... she is His Princess...

bought with Jesus' blood!

 

And nothing is more important than her understanding

and belief in that truth!





a time to love!

 

to say my house is full of raging hormones is saying it mildly...

they are up then down, happy then mad, laughing then screaming!

we have seven "little to semi grown people" between the ages of 10 and 17

living under one roof... must i say more :)

 

i ran into a friend yesterday and she said i looked tired...

my response, "yep i am, happy but tired!"

 

alot of chapters have ended this week and new ones began...

Patrick graduated and turned 18 within 6 days...

*our dear friends, the kennedys, boarded a plane for Germany,

which was incredibly emotional!

*i have finalized ALL the paperwork for everyone at Social Security...

i'll miss my new friends there!

*i believe we have now gotten introductions over in every medical

office in the city of huntsville and some in madison!

*and last but not least... we have brought our home-schooling season

to a permanent close for now!

 

God has arranged everything in His perfect timing,

whether i get it, understand it or even like it... its perfect!

 

In Ecclesiastes 3:1 King Solomon writes... "There is a time

for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens."

i believe this truth with all my heart!

 

i wouldn't have been prepared for life today without many

seasons of change, hurt, trial and chaos that have come before. 

Only God knew when i'd be able to navigate the waters i now find myself in. 

 

Summer has arrived and i am so thrilled!

our first summer all together: its new, weird and exciting all in one.

 

this is where we will spend most of our time... just being a family:

 

 learning to love and appreciate each other!

 there are days that are so hard... when i want to question so much...

but on those days God gives me a reminder...

 

 

ITS ALWAYS BETTER TO OPEN OUR HEARTS TO MORE LOVE!!

 

God is love and that is what we are called to do!

 

If i have realized anything in this season, it is this...

 There is absolutely a time to love more and it is RIGHT NOW :)

communication... what a fragile thing!

so yesterday was our "gotcha" day with erik.

meaning God gifted us with him exactly a year ago!

 

now understand that our sweet boy does not like anyone to look at him :)

but we in the newsom clan are all about celebrating.

at first we weren't going to do anything,

but then a few days ago we decided we better acknowledge it

even if he got a tad frustrated :)

 

so....  we had friends coming over for pizza already...

(Love that the Lord is always a step ahead... just so

happens the kennedy's are the friends that have journeyed

the entire process with us as they lived in Brazil).

erik already knew about them coming, so nothing weird there.

 

jordan ran and ordered a cake yesterday morning

and then made him an incredible card full of pics :)

and that was it... nothing more, nothing less.

 

 

everybody swam and ate pizza and ice cream...

we gave him the card and showed him some love...

 

 

snapped just 3 pics... and then moved on,

so as to not draw too much attention...

 



the night ended and the kennedy's left. 

erik and i were standing in the kitchen before he headed to bed

and i asked "did you enjoy the night",

to which he replied... "mom, yeah... but what exactly is gotcha day?"

 

oh my!  communication is a fragile thing :)



obedience!?!?!

WOW! how quickly everything can change! 

exactly a year ago... five of us boarded a plane to Brazil...

leaving my step-son and a semi-permanent house guest behind...

to unite with others?!

 

one simple step of obedience...

has led us to a whirlwind of change.

all His perfect plan... but filled with plenty of challenges!

 

i'd like to tell you that it has all been a bed of roses...

but that would be a lie!

while we've been dancing barefoot through the rose garden 

we've endured some scratches and cuts along the way...
however, its nothing that a dose of God's Word can't heal!

our year has seen...
June 2012 completed one adoption... age 13,
Nov 2012 completed second adoption... age 13,
Mar 2013 completed adoption three and four... ages 11 & 15...
and i'll answer what your thinking...
no we don't smoke crack!

(mothers day update :)

we are a simple family with a simple vision...
honor the Lord with our lives by simply obeying what He asks of us and
doing our best to bring Him Glory as we strive to love like Jesus!

moment of complete honesty...

today alone... i have completely lost it on two of my kids,

been completely annoyed with a third;

told one not to ask another question i did not understand...

while telling another that they were big enough to fix their own dinner,

and a siblings while they were at it...

AND...
if that were not enough...

i stated to another that i quit today so wait and ask your father!

so i absolutely win the mom award (bahaha)!

 

but before you call DHR...

please know that i did it all "in love"

(isn't that how we are told to handle all things)!

 

NOTHING about being stretched feels good,

but i know it is for my good and for His Glory!
obedience is hard, regardless of the orders...

but every time i believe i cannot do it for another day...

God's strength sustains me yet again!

 

our days are full of lots of things just like yours...
visits to the school, counseling, drs visits, dentist visits,

lots of food and heightened emotions...

loads of frustration with mom and dad,

unbelievable frustration with rules,

and uncountable moments of prayer!!

interesting thing is...
the harder the day and the greater the cost of obedience...
the deeper i lean into the Lord...
but He knew that about me already!

"For i know the plans i have for you, declares the Lord...
plans to prosper you not to harm you,
plans to give you a hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11

Regardless of what we face today...
Oh how He loves you and me!!