Blessings or Burdens?

(First, Scroll to bottom of blog and hit "Pause" button.
Then return to this video and hit the "Play" button.
Worth listening to this ~ all the way to the end!)


Katie Davis says it so well on her blog (click here).
"I live with these human eyes, and with these human eyes of mine I label. I label one thing as good and one thing as bad. I label moments as blessing or burden. And I forget that all this labeling, it is not my right, not my place, not mine to do. To declare what is a gift in my life and what is a curse is to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, to sit in the garden full of abundance and beauty and choose the forbidden. The knowledge of good and evil, that was never intended for me. Could I, like Jja Ja Maria just quit my labeling and say, "Whatever God wants. Whatever HE wants!".....

....."And if every good and perfect gift is from above, and a Good and Beautiful God can create only good and beauty then these moments that I choose to label as loss and suffering, they are really good and beautiful, perfect gifts?".....

......"Suffering, pain, loss, shame – all these things I have blamed on a broken world, Satan even. But can’t a broken world and even Satan only give what God allows? Suffering, pain loss and shame are only these things because I label them as such. Because I, a sinner, choose to eat from the tree, choose to turn away from nail-scarred hands and ignore the grace and miss the gift. He is beautiful and everything He creates is beautiful and if I choose to label it suffering I am choosing to miss the beauty that is freely offered me."

Read her entire post HERE.  It speaks well of where I am today.  Trying to focus on life's Blessings rather than Burdens.

What if our trials in this life are your blessings in disguise, Lord?  Help me no longer try to control things so that they fit within my timeline.  My idea of "right."  Help me NOT doubt you, your Word, nor your Promises, Lord.

I know you hear my plea....if I BELIEVE.  I DO  BELIEVE, Lord.  Please help me in my unbelief or doubt.  I believe YOU ARE STILL IN CONTROL.

I STILL CHOOSE YOU!

BLESSINGS

Okay, so if you have been following my last couple of blog posts, you know how God has been meeting me in our "waiting room."  Well, he further blessed this last Sunday with a couple of sweet "love notes" from Him, that came through some precious friends.  Check it out.........

Remember my friend, Connie?  Well, she felt prompted by God one day to purchase some of these really sweet items.  For me!  She questioned God why she should buy them at the time, but followed His divine prompting, thinking He would show her when to bless me with them.

Sunday was the day!  She read about our delay in getting a referral, and was reminded of the pampering items she had purchased that had MY name written all over them.  She gave them to me just before entering church.  Just seeing the zebra print brought tears to my eyes, and my heart immediately heard God say to it "See, my child, I haven't forgotten you!  This adoption really IS going to happen!" 

Aren't they adorable?   Lavendar scented eye mask, Vanilla Bath Oil, Sweet manicure set in a sandal-shaped container, and that sweet elephant lufa!  Pampering is just what I have been needing as of late!

THANK YOU, Connie!

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Wanna know ANOTHER blessing from that day?  YES!  This is still from this past Sunday!  Great day, huh!?!  Guess what this is?!?!?!?......................................

A face-to-face lunch with our dear fellow adoptive friends, Angela and Darrin!  

Angela and I have become good friends through our adoption journeys to our children.  I bought her ADORABLE Africa necklace and we have been blessed with a special friendship since!  It was such a treat to meet her and Darrin, as they passed through town!  Felt like we knew them forever!  Thanks for taking the time out of your travels back home, to share lunch with us, guys!  It was so much FUN and we cannot wait for more family time together with you and all of our children!  Like......say.......starting with traveling together SOON to ET to MEET our kiddos, right!?!?!?  {big grin}

By the way, if you have not seen this precious necklace, you really MUST!  This may sound weird, but I wear it daily and it really has helped me feel closer to our children!  I asked her to put a heart over ET, since we do not have a name(s) finalized.  Yet!  Click the button below to check out her website!

HOLD ON!  We had yet ONE MORE BLESSING this last Sunday!  That evening, our precious friends, Erica and Josh, surprised us with a visit!  They brought Starbucks, great conversation, and they purposely came over to PRAY WITH US AND OVER OUR ADOPTION!  How cool is THAT!?!?  The prayer was special.  And powerful!

AAAANNNNNDDDDD....by the time we prayed, guess what time it was?  A little after 9pm!  The same time our whole Yahoo group gathers to pray weekly!  The time of this "prayer meeting" was not planned.  Nor was it coincidence!

Josh and Erica, your love and friendship is priceless!  Thanks for being YOU!

What a GREAT Sunday!  I had asked God to show himself in MY life, since I had been watching His miracles in others' lives as of late.   WOW!  He heard me!  And responded!  He hasn't forgotten me!  He chose such wonderful people to remind me of His presence.  And His LOVE.  For me, Jeff AND our family-to-be!

THANK YOU, JESUS!