A year of firsts

Has it really been a year already??? Certainly not, Logan commented just a couple of days ago that Lyla had gotten quite big for a 3 month old...but today, we could deny it no longer, Lyla is officially 1! I cannot describe in a blog how truly blessed we feel to have her in our lives. Some of you know that we tried very hard for Lyla and actually had two miscarriages before we gave up trying, but God blessed us with her and we are beyond thankful. I feel it is all in the right timing and I can't imagine being at this stage in my life without her. If my calculations are correct, this year I have changed 1,357,942 2,190 diapers and done  approximately 3,285 feedings. Yes, she eats a lot! I will let pictures say what words can't...Enjoy! 

 Happy Birthday sweet baby girl, may it be the first of many to come!

Feeling broken

"If my life is broken when given to Jesus, it is because pieces will feed a multitude, while a loaf will satisfy only a little lad." -Ruth Stull


God has been overwhelming me in the past few weeks, I feel at times as if I won't be able to keep my head above the water because of all that He is breaking my heart for. There is a personal aspect to this, school is very difficult, time is tight, Lyla is turning 1 this week, and I am nervous about all that has to be accomplished (including support raising) before we moving here this summer. Beyond that, I have been awakened to the reality that is child pornography on facebook and to the suffering of children around the world. If you want to perhaps get a new perspective on how blessed we truly are, I suggest you read this blog here I say this not to make anybody feel guilty about the blessings we have, but to just share my heart with you. Logan and I have a strong desire to adopt children and one day either work in or start an orphanage. This is a big vision and I know that I will need gentle encouragement along the way.


Right now I am feeling quite broken. Vance Havner says, "Brokenness is defined as being totally subdued; humbled; weakened and infirmed; crushed by grief. It's not bad to find yourself in that condition; after all...God used broken things." I am thankful for that, God truly had a purpose for everything and I can't wait to see what his purpose is for our life. My prayer is that we will all be broken at some point in our lives so that God can use us to feed the multitudes for His glory!

Life's luxuries and the irony of them all

I just finished hand washing our laundry in the sink and as I was kneading them to make sure they were rinsed thoroughly, I was struck by the irony that the only time Logan and I have ever had a washer in our apartment was the 2 summers we spent in China. So, here's to (hopefully) having a washer in our next place!

What's Next

We have had many people ask “what’s next?” This is a seemingly small question with a big answer but, for your sake, I will keep it brief. First and foremost, Lyla is going to stay a baby forever turns 1 on January 27^th. I’m still in denial that this is the case, however how can we deny this sweet face a party?

So, January 29th will be filled with cupcake kisses and sugar highs all around! 

On another note most of you know, or not, that I am currently attending Johnson Bible College's degree completion program and I would like to start celebrating the fact that I will be graduating May 6th, 2011 with a Bachelor's in Bible and Managing Nonprofit Organizations. This will mark the end of a two year process and will also be the end of our time in Knoxville. After graduation we will be moving to Bloomington, Indiana to spend the summer with my family before moving to China, yes China, late this summer. 

Here is a quick overview of what we will be doing there, feel free to ask specific questions if you have them. We will be volunteering to help an American coffee shop in Wuhan, China, this is an opportunity to minister and do what God has called us to. We have given them a 2 year commitment and part of this process is raising full support for our term there. Our budget is $1,500 / month but we are standing on the truth that God can work all things out. Right now we are at a place where we know that we can't do this on our own and so our only other option is to remember that God is in control!

Yīqǐ

If I have learned one thing in life it is that we need to live Yīqǐ, together (in Chinese), if we want to successfully navigate our way through all the unexpected turns. Logan and I have moved a lot since we have been married and a major benefit of that lifestyle is that we have circles of friends all around the world that hold us accountable and speak encouragement into our lives, and for that we are grateful. God is doing a lot in our lives right now and we want to attempt blogging as a way to keep everybody up to date. We want to share life with you - the good, the frustrating, and the downright funny moments we experience as we try just to be obedient.