Learning to Fly

This summer was supposed to be relaxing and enjoyable...payback for a hectic, crazy, summer last year when we were trying to sell a house, move across country, and complete an international adoption.  As many of you know, only one thing on that list actually happened last year, but it was enough!   So this summer I was anxious to just enjoy life with my family and friends.

BUT!!  Of course, life never goes as we plan.  Without going into too much detail, suffice it to say that this summer--this year!--has not gone as we had planned.  From issues with children to losing a job to financial woes to my grandmother's Homegoing...God had other plans for us this year.  Through it all, however, one thing has been constant:  God is in control.

Our younger children have enjoyed several vacation Bible schools this summer.  Each one has different songs to go along with its theme.  It's been refreshing, though, to hear a commonality flowing through each VBS program:  Trust in God.  I am reminded of baby birds, hesitant to leave the nest, pushed over the edge by a parent who knows it's time to test those wings.  As a family, we are learning--or should I say, continuing to learn--to trust God's timing for our flying lessons.  We don't know what our future holds, but God does...He knows the end of our story, and we are ready to FLY!

These Days

These days I am a single parent as Dave learns the ropes to his new job in Indiana.  It will be like this until we move...two weeks away, a weekend home.  All four boys have done a pretty good job of adjusting thus far, but I think it will get old for all of us very soon.  However, this is what we are called to do at this point, so we do it.  I am again reminded that God gives us the strength to do what we need to do when we need to do it.  And I am grateful.

This coming Wednesday is our first court date in Taiwan.  A judge will be hearing our case and subsequently deciding whether or not we can proceed with the adoption of our daughter.  Please pray that all goes quickly and smoothly and that we are not required to jump through any more hoops.  I'm too tired to jump very high...

I've been mulling over the story of Samson this past week as I have taught it to my kindergarten class.  Samson was set apart by God for His service before he was even born.  He was given superhuman strength and really could do anything when God's Spirit was upon him.  However, he chose to follow the lust of the flesh and the desires of his heart instead of God's.  This resulted in his demise.  I was reminded that when we choose to sin, we are choosing the consequences that go with that sin.  Samson could have done so much more for God.  I wonder how much of my own fleshly desires have gotten in the way of what God would have liked for me to accomplish in my own life.  Oh, to be like HIM and not me!

These days, God is stretching me and our family, but still showing His faithfulness and goodness in so many ways.  I will choose to thank Him in the midst of it all.  (Just remind me that I said that when it gets old, okay?)

:)

Today's Inspiration

"The steps of a man are established by the LORD;

And He delights in his way.

The law of his God is in his heart;

His steps do not slip."

Psalm 37:23, 31

Words of Encouragement

"Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, 'My way is hidden from the LORD, and the justice due me escapes the notice of my God'?  Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired.  His understanding is inscrutable.  He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power.  Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary."  (Isaiah 40:27-31)

"Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."  (Isaiah 41:10)

"But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel, 'Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine!  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you.  For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel,  your Savior..."  (Isaiah 43:1-3a)

May Musings

Today I changed the calendar in my kindergarten classroom and announced to the children that they only had one month left in K5...where has the time gone? This past weekend I finished teaching my spring grad course which started out delayed due to my trip to Florida in January to see my Haitian nephews and then due to snow in February. And Saturday we were experiencing near 90 degree temps and high humidity...amazing!

I think the older I get the more quickly time flies...and the more I realize that I really must seize the moment and use it wisely. There really is no time to waste. I was reminded on Sunday of God's faithfulness and immutability...in this world of constant flux and change, He never changes. He is my anchor as life swirls wildly around me. I am so thankful for the relationship I have with Him. Some day I will spend eternity basking in His glory and enjoying sweet worship and fellowship. And, I believe, time will finally stand still.

Oh glorious day!

Where...

...has the time gone? I figured I should at least try to figure out an answer to that question for myself, so let's see...in the last of half of March (in no particular order):

- I held my Pampered Chef show and it went very well. Thank you to all who ordered to help bring Sophia home!

- I finished out a reading emphasis month at school with various weekly activities. I kind of spear-headed the whole thing, and was very pleased with how it went. And, my K5 class tied with the High School for the most participation, so they get a special lunch as a reward!

- I dealt with a sick hubby and sick kids and ended up sick myself. I'm trying to get rid of a very stubborn cold/sinus infection and am running on near empty every day...ugh!

- I had the girls from our Grantville Girls Bible Club over for homemade pizza and a movie. It was fun!

- I taught my grad class at LBC, worked my last few hours at The Children's Place (I'm now per diem) and of course taught K5.

- I went to DE to attend a Stamp Camp with my mom and had lots of fun being creative.

- I read a variety of books including Jana's Journal by Jeanette Windle. I really like her books, both for kids and adults!

I'm sure there are more things, but that's all my foggy brain can remember at this point. Suffice it to say, it's been busy around here! I'm glad for a mini Spring break this weekend, and time to meditate on Jesus Christ and the sacrifice He made on my behalf.

Happy Easter!

Unbelievable!

UPDATE: Saturday night my sister found out that her boys were granted their visas, along with 20+ other children from the orphanage...praise God! Now we need to pray that they get safely transported out of Haiti and reunited with their forever families. Also, pray for the caregivers of these children. While they are extremely happy to see these children leave the country, there is little time to prepare themselves emotionally for the exodus of so many children at one time. These children have been loved and cared for by these dear caregivers for a long time, and the bonds are great. In many instances, the caregivers will continue on in country to care for the many other orphans who will now take the place of the adopted ones. May God bless them for their sacrifice of love!


Sorry I have been so quiet on this blog as of late. It just doesn't seem right to write frivolous posts when so much death and destruction is happening in our world. The earthquake in Haiti has touched our family in a very tangible way, as I have two little nephews there in an orphanage who need to get out. My sister Stephanie has been in the process of adopting little Ian and Alec for over two years. She has made several visits there, the most recent of which was this past fall with my mom. Just last week she found out that the boys had been granted their visa appointment at the U.S. Embassy which was the final step before they could come home. The appointment was scheduled for next Tuesday, January 19. And then came the earthquake...UNBELIEVABLE!

As I type this, people in the upper eschelons of our government are working hard at trying to get special humanitarian parole status for children who already have mommies and daddies waiting for them here in the United States but are just lacking the necessary paperwork...which now may be lying under tons of rubble at worst, or in dead computers at best. The orphanage where my nephews have lived their short lives has a wonderful director who has been working around the clock to get some of the kids out. Miraculously, she was granted 12 visas in one day, but she wants 12 more. Please pray that our government will see fit to get ALL the children out of that country who have families waiting for them. It could take YEARS for the Haitian government to get itself back together enough to continue the paperwork for some of the families who are in earlier stages of this process. And in good times, the process already was taking years...

My heart aches for the children who have already known such devastation and now are having to live through more. My heart is broken for the thousands of children who are now left orphaned in addition to the thousands who were already orphaned. I thank God for the compassionate people who have given their lives to advocate and care for the "least of these" in the name of Jesus. If you would like to read my sister's blog, please visit http://www.iansadoption.blogspot.com/. If you scroll down her righthand sidebar, she has links to other blogs where you can follow the stories of adoptive families and ministries in Haiti and other adoptive families in the US and around the world. But most importantly, pray without ceasing for this situation to be handled quickly and efficiently so the children can be spared further heartbreak and suffering.

God is good all the time...and all the time, God is good.

Goodbye, 2009...Hello, 2010!

This past year has just flown by in our household. As I reflect back, I'm grateful for the busyness, as it has caused time to go by quickly, but I'm also sad that the time has gone by so quickly...does that make sense? With going back to work this fall, this blog has not had the attention I would have liked, and I am long overdue on lots of photos, but I will try better in 2010. As we anticipate a new year, I'm excited about what it might hold for our family (maybe we'll meet our daughter Sophia this year?!), and yet a little hesitant about what the future might reveal. But through it all, my God is in control, and in Him I can trust and rest. So, may God bless you and yours in 2010, and...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

When It Rains, It Pours!

Ironically, I began my day and week yesterday by reading in the book of Job. Specifically, I was reading about Job's wife and how less-than-encouraging she was to her husband and how we, as wives, should be careful to encourage our husbands in their walks with the Lord. But anyhow, in reading various passages from the book of Job, I was intrigued by Job's response to God at the very end of the book in Job 42:2 where he says, "I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted." No typically we think of God's plans as being great and wonderful things in our lives, but if you look at God's plan for Job's life, the experiences he allowed to happen in Job's lives were much less than great and wonderful! Yet Job realizes that God ultimately sovereign, and in being so, who are we to question His plans? Little did I know what the next 48 hours were going to bring to our lives!

Fast forward a bit and you have my youngest three kiddos playing on the school playground for literally 5 minutes while I finished up in my classroom and Nathaniel falls, hurting his leg. We spend the entire afternoon in the ER only to be sent home with the instructions to see a pedatric orthopedist in the morning because the x-rays are inconclusive as to whether the bone is fractured or not.

Fast forward again to today. We go to the orthopedist who again deems the x-rays to be inconclusive, but the physical examination shows that something is indeed wrong with his upper, inner leg, sort of in the groin/hip area. In order to not incur further damage by waiting unduly for an MRI or bone scan results, his recommendation is to put our little almost two year old in a full body cast to immobilize his pelvic area and allow whatever the problem is to heal. I guess when you have a very active little one, this is the best you can do for him. Of course, he will have to be anesthetized and taken into the OR in order to put on said cast. And of course, I am supposed to be at in service meetings the next three days and school starts on Monday.

But of course, God knows all of that and His plans can't be thwarted! And I thank God that my children are alive and well (unlike Job's children!), and this bump in the road will only make us stronger as a family and as individuals.

But we would covet your prayers! Thanks!

Musings on Family and Country

I can hardly believe it is the 4th of July already...well, almost, as I'm posting this on the 3rd. We are going to be spending some time with family this weekend and enjoying a BBQ and good fellowship. My older boys keep wondering when summer is going to come, as it really hasn't been unbearably hot here yet. This past week we had rain every evening which kept the temps reasonable. But I'm looking at the calendar and realizing that one third of their summer vacation is over, and with as busy a month as July is, soon August will be here and school is right around the corner again!

This month I am directing and teaching at our church's Vacation Bible School, and we are planning a little vacation to upper New York State with some friends. I know the month will fly by very quickly. The other day I reminisced by watching two old videos that haven't seen the light of day for quite some time. The first one was of a patriotic cantata that our school community did in Santiago, Chile, back in 1989. I was a senior in high school, just about to graduate, at the time. It was great fun to look at everyone in the cantata, and the audience, and realize how much time has gone by since then. This year would be my 20th high school reunion if our little school did such a thing! The second video was of our wedding. I don't think I had ever really watched it before. A friend was our videographer, and she got shots from the rehearsal, photo session, wedding, and reception. I recall so few details of that day, so it was fun to watch the video and remember. My kids enjoyed watching their mom laugh and cry all at the same time more than the videos, I think!

Whatever you are doing this weekend, have fun doing it. Stay safe and healthy, and remember to say a prayer for our country and her leaders. We are going through trying times and I believe that it is only through a return to the ideals and beliefs of our country's biblical heritage that our country will once again be great.

God bless America!

I am Blessed

It is almost 1 a.m. on Saturday morning. I must get up and lead a VBS meeting at church in the morning. But I just finished reading a book that reminded me to cherish every moment God gives me with my children, so I did something some would think was quite stupid--I woke up my baby boy and held him for a few moments. He is getting so big, and life is so busy and crazy, and I just want it to slow down so I can cherish the moments I have with him and his brothers. He was so snuggly in his half awake/half asleep state...so unlike his usual go-at-100-miles-per-hour self when he's fully awake. Hug your babies while you still can--while they still let you. They grow up way too fast. I am blessed.

Good Friday

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only, begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life."

John 3:16

Giving Thanks

In a few minutes, we will be off to DE for a Thanksgiving visit with my parents. It will be a short one, as I have the privilege (?) of working the midnight shift at the store on Friday...I'm sure I'll have a post about that at a later date! I want to wish all of my friends and family a wonderful Happy Thanksgiving, and leave you with the things I am really thankful for this year...

My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ

My supportive and loving husband, Dave

My handsome sons...all four of them!

My daughter-to-be in China

My wonderful parents and parents-in-law

My sisters and bros-in-law and all my nieces and nephews

All of our extended family hither and yon

All of my dear friends, both far and near, new and old

All of our needs being met to overflowing...

Happy Thanksgiving!

This Week's Highlights

It's been a busy week in the Fisher household. In fact, today was the first day someone in the family didn't need to be somewhere in the morning before lunch, so we took the opportunity to clean the house in anticipation of weekend guests. That aside, it's been our yearly Daily Vacation Bible School at church, and all of us but Dave, who works second shift, were involved in some way, shape, or form. Jonathan and I were volunteers--he helped where needed, and I taught the Bible story four times each night to the four groups that rotated around to my room. The curriculum we used was quite interactive, and I found myself on my feet all night mustering a high level of energy to draw the kids in to the lesson each night. It was an amazing week, with many children coming to know Jesus as their personal Saviour. I know God gave me the strength I needed to do just what I needed to do, because when I got home each night, I pretty much collapsed! Sabastian and Benjamin attended their respective classes and really had a lot of fun, while Nathaniel was pretty much a perfect angel in the nursery--praise God! He was my real concern since he usually goes to bed between 7-8 p.m. and VBS wasn't over until 9 p.m.--he was a real trooper!

Besides VBS, we picked our first tomatoes of the season this week. They are tiny, and we haven't eaten them yet to find out if they are any good, but here they are in all their glory:

These came from the plant Sabastian has been caring for, so technically, they are his tomatoes. We'll see how many more we are able to harvest yet this summer, along with some peppers which are looking pretty promising. Salsa, anyone?

"Does God Eat Boo-Boos?"

The question above was articulated by my three year old the other day while we were traveling together in the van. He has sustained many bumps, bruises, and scrapes this summer due to his no-holds-barred approach to life. He is always going at 100 mph and his many tumbles don't seem to deter him at all. The day he asked this question, he was consumed with a good-sized scrape on his leg that had bled when it first occurred, but now was scabbed over. The scab was starting to disappear. When he asked me "Does God eat boo-boos?" I wasn't quite sure I had heard correctly. When he repeated the question a second time, my mind raced, as it often does at such intriguing questions, to figure out what he was trying to synthesize in his little brain. I remembered his fascination with his scrape, and how I had explained to him that God would make his leg better. I guess he thought that since the scab was disappearing, that God was making it better by eating it! I quickly explained that God has created our bodies in such a way that they heal, and that God was not eating his boo-boo--that would be gross! "Oh!" was his reply, and on he went to the next topic of conversation. Only out of the mouths of babes!

Cool Site

I came across this website today. Since I am a mother to four boys, one of whom is a teenager, it was interesting to me. I don't know that Jonathan is totally ready to understand all that is on this website (and in the accompanying book), but I will definitely keep it in mind to share with him as he matures. As a woman, I was especially intrigued by the modesty survey this organization has done. If you are a woman, or a mother of daughters, I HIGHLY recommend you peruse this survey on modesty. As a mother of sons, it helped me understand a little bit better how they are wired...and any help I can get in that area, I'll take!

My Weekend

I apologize for the little blogging break I took, but after the events of last week, I crashed this weekend emotionally and physically. It was nice to spend Saturday at a Creative Memories crop with my mom. It's been awhile since both of us had done any scrapbooking, and I, for one, am WAY behind! I spent the entire day scrapping Christmas photos from 2002 and 2003. In my chronological family albums, I'm only on 2000, so I'm a little better off on my Christmas photos than my every day photos! I really need to make it a priority, especially in light of last week's events. My cousin's wife and her sister were both scrapbookers (the younger sister introduced her older sister to the craft) and now both husbands are thanking their wives for leaving behind so many well-preserved and organized memories. I know it sounds morbid, but I really want to get caught up for Dave and the boys in case something happens to me. (And no, I'm not getting paid by Creative Memories!)

On Sunday I taught my fourth grade Sunday School class. Ironically, the lesson revolved around the hope we have through Jesus Christ. I shared with the class how apropos this lesson was to my week, and then they shared the difficulties they face on a daily basis...everything from passing the PSSA's this week to the death of a pet to divorce in their families. It was refreshing to be able to reiterate again how the hope we have because of Jesus's resurrection from the dead enables us to face whatever comes our way. Our God is a faithful God, and is the same yesterday, today, and forever...praise be to His Name!

So now I'm back to my normal weekly activities...grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, ebaying, blogging...but I'm not the same person I was a week ago. I've changed somehow...and that's okay. God works ALL THINGS together for my good, and I know He knows what He's doing! More later!

Exhausting, Exhilirating Day

Today Karen Peters, my cousin's wife, had her earthly body laid to rest. The celebration service of her life was beautiful, from the solo at the beginning, to the benediction at the end. In between we laughed and cried as Karen's life was remembered. My Dad led the service and shared the message. The hope that we have through Jesus Christ was clearly presented. Admirably, and with strength that only hope in Christ can give, Karen's brother and mother shared words of testimony. Karen's mother was amazing...she shared her memories of Karen and then prayed for both of her sons-in-law who have sustained such devastating losses this past week. Karen was buried just steps from my grandfather in a beautiful cemetery in Wilmington. We all commented that even though Karen had never met Grandpop Christian, we are sure they found each other in heaven. Now I am tired...and I can't even fathom how exhausted my other family members must be. Continue to pray for my cousin and his daughter, and his brother-in-law and three sons. Some tough days lie ahead for them as they adjust to this new normal...but God is good, and will give them the strength to take it a day at a time. The service began with my cousin's sister singing a beautiful song entitled "I Can Only Imagine". Karen's not imagining any more...praise God!

Beautiful Poem

To read a beautiful poem that my youngest sister wrote about the tragedy that has affected our family and the hope we have in Jesus Christ, please visit her blog here.

For a very moving and thought-provoking three-minute video that has increased significance for our family these days, please click here.

Please pray for my cousin and our entire family in the days and weeks ahead. Thank You!

What Resurrection Day Means To Me

It has been an emotional weekend for our extended family. We found out early Saturday morning that my cousin's wife and two sisters were in a fatal car accident late Friday night in upstate PA. My cousin's wife and her youngest sister were killed instantly when a drunk/high driver failed to negotiate a turn and hit them head on. The middle sister, who was driving, is in critical condition with internal injuries and a leg that is all but destroyed and will possibly need to be amputated to some degree. My cousin and his wife have a four year old daughter who was adopted from China a few years ago, and her sister and husband have three young sons and a foster son who subsequently was returned to social services...loss upon loss. The surviving sister has a 16 year old son. As details of this tragedy unfolded over the weekend, I couldn't help but think about the ramifications for my cousin, and how important it is to keep short accounts because you never know what the future holds. He didn't go to bed Friday night thinking that his wife and sisters-in-law wouldn't return home from dinner and shopping. He didn't expect to get awakened abruptly by state police at 4 a.m. with such horrendous news. He didn't expect to be burying his 39 year old wife this week and raising a daughter by himself. He didn't expect any of this...BUT IT WAS NOT A SURPRISE TO GOD.

Yesterday, my cousin's wife and her sister celebrated Resurrection Day in Heaven. They were embraced by their father, who passed away almost two years ago. They were greeted by my grandfather, who preceded them almost 25 years ago, whom my cousin's wife had heard a lot about, but had never met. And they were welcomed home by their Heavenly Father, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings, Jesus Christ himself, who made their eternity in Heaven possible through His sacrificial death and miraculous resurrection over 2000 years ago. For you see, at a specific point in time, both of these young ladies placed their faith and trust in Christ and asked Him to forgive them of their sins and be their Lord and Saviour...Jesus is the only way, the only truth, and the only life eternal.

As we gathered to celebrate Resurrection Day at church yesterday, we sang that beautiful Gaither song, "Because He Lives". As I sang the familiar words, I was struck afresh and anew by the third stanza and chorus:

And then one day I'll cross that river,

I'll fight life's final war with pain;

And then, as death gives way to victory,

I'll see the lights of glory--

And I'll know He lives.

Because He lives I can face tomorrow,

Because He lives all fear is gone;

Because I know He holds the future

And life is worth the living--

Just because He lives.

I thought of my cousin, and the peace he has in the midst of his grief, because he knows his wife is in Heaven, and he will see her again someday. And the hope he has in the midst of his grief, because he knows that God will sustain him and his daughter through the difficult days ahead...BECAUSE JESUS LIVES! It is my prayer that all who read this blog would know that same peace and that same hope that only trusting in Jesus's finished work on the cross can bring. If you do not know that if YOU were to be struck by a drunk driver tonight and killed instantly, YOU would be in Heaven with Jesus...please allow me to share with you how you CAN be sure!

What does Resurrection Day mean to me?

BECAUSE HE LIVES, I CAN FACE TOMORROW...AND WHATEVER TOMORROW BRINGS!