I Have My Priorities

Happy Sunday! Our family got up early so that we could go to our old church to visit and see some of our friends. Can you believe we were out our door by 8:00AM? The service was absolutely amazing----- and my heart for the real first time reached beyond Russia and Ukraine out to Africa. The service touched my heart and I couldn't resist sharing.

This video is about the people and orphans of Kenya, and though it is a little long, it is totally worth it, especially at the end where all the children are dancing to the song. If you are at all like me, you will be glad that you watched. If you were inspired and touched by this video, please check out the RFBC website.
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Jonny is finally feeling better. He and Dennis took a bath tonight and splashed and played just like they normally do. So far, so good...... no signs of Dennis having the virus Jonny had.



While I was giving the two boys a bath, my two bigger boys came in rough housing. They tried to not look so obvious......


but it didn't last.



I insisted the two take it elsewhere.

Tonight I gave haircuts. The Robocut is kind of loud so John always likes to plug his ears. He thinks he is now hard of hearing because of so many haircuts with the Robocut and Flowbee.

Like Father, like Son.

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I have to start out by apologizing about the five finger rule. I'm not sure how anyone got out of my post that I said it was the right thing for everyone like Anonymous wants to think, but I do know that I probably didn't explain myself as much as I should have. When I share things on my blog, it is me being real, me being myself, and me sharing what makes me tick. When I find something great that helps me to be better, I want to share it with all of you. Again, if you do not agree, or read my blog just to constantly find an area where you can be quick to disagree and cause strife, I ask you kindly to stop reading.

Last night as I thought long and hard about my past, my parent's as my role models, my faith, and myself as a woman, wife and mother, I still know without a doubt that my priorities are in the right order for me. I also think that my priorities are in line with what God desires for my life.

I choose God above all because He is my everything. He gave me all that I have, and He helped me to turn my life around. He blessed me with an amazing husband and He entrusted me with eleven wonderful children. I go to Him many times a day and find comfort in Him whenever I am sad, upset, or discouraged. He never fails to lift me up, and He will be with me for eternity long after I die. Without Him, I honestly do not think John and I would still be married and I certainly would have never went on to have eleven children let alone be open to the idea of adopting. John and I decided to adopt because we ourselves were adopted by God. Ephesians 1:4-6 says, "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves."

John comes next because he is my better half. He was there before my children and he will be there after they are grown and go off to be with their own spouse. We love our children dearly and feel that they need the security of knowing that we love each other so much that we will never divorce nor will we ever make them choose between the two of us. We love them so much that we want to be good examples of what a healthy, strong marriage looks like. John and I are so in love that are feelings about our children are in sync. Our love for each other does not put our children second------ in fact it really puts our children first. My husband knows how much I love him that he was never jealous when I breastfed, or went and slept with one of the kids after they had a bad dream, or when I went out with my friends. And I know how faithful and supportive and committed John is that I trust him fully and don't ever doubt his love for his family.

Our kids see us hug, kiss, make time for each other, and make-up after an argument. Our kids don't ever have to worry about us fighting late at night like I did growing up, and they will never have to wonder why either of us didn't come home that night. They can sleep soundly in their beds or can come and slip into bed with both John and I comforted in trusting that their Mommy and Daddy love each other very much. Our love is so solid that it can withstand the different stages of childhood that require different things at different times and it helps us to remain respectful of each other when we parent.

What is really cool about our relationship being first is that our kids get to benefit from it. John's love for me has him get up early with the kids on a Saturday morning just out of the blue so that I could sleep in. My love for John has me sometimes pack up the kids and go and meet him somewhere on a business trip so that we can all be together for a surprise get together. John's love for me has him take out all of the kids near my birthday so that they can all shop for me. My love for John makes me want to be around him so that we do almost everything together as a family. My love for John is such because I love my children so much that I want them to experience what I didn't have growing up.

And of course after God and my husband, comes my children. And I am sure that I do not have to explain why they come before work and extended family. But those two things I am sure can use some further explaining. I think that work should come next because it is what supports your spouse and children and without it you would not be able to provide things like a house, car, health insurance, etc. While I myself love my family dearly, I do know that being a devoted and responsible employee is necessary to keeping a job and if John or I constantly put our extended family first for every little thing, we might not have that job for very long. Besides, I think that working hard will pay off come time we do need to be there for our family because of a wedding, a reunion, sickness, or death. If John's job relocated our family, I think it would be important for us to follow his job and perhaps leave our parents, or brothers, and sisters where they live so that John can continue to support our spouse and children. And though I say all of this, I can honestly argue how extended family should come next just as well or at the very least equal to. And when I mention family I also mean friends.

God, spouse, children, work, and family and friends are not the only things in my life that are important, but I only have five fingers. Church, and other adoptive families are also important to me, and I am blessed to have more than five wonderful things in my life. Thank you God for personally showing me how to prioritize the things that are most important to me. While they are all separate, they somehow manage to mix all together and you so awesomely and effortlessly make me feel that I am never putting one above the other.

P.S. I appreciate all that you went and voted for me. Thank you, it is a big encouargement, silly as that sounds.