Changes!

Well, the bad economy has finally hit home! Brian lost his job this week. He was the vice president of land development for a local home builder. So, we knew it was a possibility but we were hoping to hold on until things turned around. It is good to know during times like these that God promises to take care of us!

How do you make decisions during times when so many things tend to be up in the air? We pray! God was leading us into some very specific things, and we don't feel His directions have changed. So, we are moving forward with Brian's mission trip to Kenya, Aidan's mission trip to the Dominican Republic and our decision to home school in the fall. All of these things feel like a bigger step of faith than they did a week ago!! I just know that although things are hard for many of us here in the U.S., things are much harder for those Brian and Aidan want to serve. We are also excited to see how God is going to provide for these trips, and who will be blessed for supporting what God is doing around the world!

I am also still very excited to begin the journey of home schooling this fall. I have been reading everything I can get my hands on(currently 'The Teenage Liberation Handbook', a dangerous choice for sure!), and researching curriculum choices online. I have also begun going to the home school co-op meetings at my church. I am amazed at the diversity of families who are walking this road together. So, even though I am not sure where Brian will be working, or if we will be relocating, I am sure I want to invest in the kids by schooling them at home.

So, many things in our lives are in a state of change right now, but God never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever!! A Bible verse that has been on my mind lately is: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27

Do You Know the Way to San Jose?

So, we had a free weekend, something of a luxury for us lately, so we decided to take a road trip! Brian likes the show Man vs. Food, and saw a show featuring restaurants in San Jose. Since one of the restaurants was BBQ, and San Jose in only a couple of hours away, and we were free, that settled it and we were off! Our first stop was for some teriyaki for lunch, then we went to a park we found online. The Guadalupe River Park is something like a river walk or a bike trail. It was nice, and the kids had fun running around on the bike trail. It was, however, confusing! We ended up at a dead end, which led us to follow a dirt path, climb under an open place in a fence and cross a railroad bridge to catch the trail on the other side of the river(Not quite as dramatic as Stand By Me, but dangerous just the same!). Yes, we did all this while pushing Joseph in a stroller!

At one end of the park was a park with some really fun climbing equipment!

There was also a carousel, which Brian, Elise, Isaac and Camille road on.

Go Sharks!!

After playing at the park, we went to our original destination, Henry's Hi-Life. We got there just before the crown from the Sharks game, and had a great time! It is a really old restaurant, and they serve really great BBQ! Brian didn't do the Man vs. Food challenge, but I ordered ribs for the first time in my life!!Here we are inside the bar waiting to be seated for dinner. Joseph is in the stroller next to us!

We had a really great day, and really great meal!

AIDS in my Region!

How do you find information on a subject that nobody want to talk about? Add to that laws that are in place to protect people from discrimination(which are good, by the way), and you come up with almost nothing. I have been hearing about the AIDS pandemic and my heart is broken. As a family we are praying for the children and families affected, and what our response will be. I also began to wonder how AIDS is affecting my own region, and whether there are kids in the foster care system with AIDS that are available for adoption. I am not seeking profiles of specific children, I am just wondering if they exist. My research has led to dead ends, and statistics about HIV/AIDS being on the rise here where I live. There must be a need Christians to make a difference here also, but where and with who?

My conclusion, we as a people are still extremely uncomfortable with acknowledging the presence of HIV/AIDS in our own communities. This is sad, I thought we were moving past this. It must be easier at some level to accept the global pandemic as occurring far from home, and the majority of cases are, but there are still people here in the communities in which we already live who are struggling with the reality of AIDS in their own lives.

I want to think and act both globally and locally!

Adoption Update, Home Schooling & Kenya!!

It has been a while since I have had the chance to update this blog. Our hard drive crashed a month or so ago, and we have been without a computer. It was eye opening to realize how much I use my computer during the day! So, now everything is fixed, and I have some BIG updates!!

First, Baby J. had his hearing to determine the status of the reunification services being offered to his birth mom. The court decided to end services, make adoption his permanency plan and move him from the Family Reunification Dept. into Adoptions. This was the news we were hoping to hear. So, the next step in the process is for the courts to remove parental rights from the birth parent, which allows us to move forward with the petition to adopt him. From this point forward the process is fairly straight forward, with little opportunity for involvement by the birth parents. (They are allowed to appeal the process, but that is limited.) So, we stand at another crossroad which is so familiar to adoptive families. Every decision has two (or three) sides to it. For each decision that lands in our favor, there is a birth family that is losing the opportunity to know this really great kid. Yes, I know their decisions have brought them to the place they are in now, but my heart breaks for them just the same. They are in my prayers.

Second, this probably deserves its own blog entry, and I will come back to this in more detail soon, but... I have decided to homeschool Elise and Isaac in the fall. I also plan to homeschool Camille and Baby J. when they are ready. For those of you who know me, you know that this is HUGE! It is definitely a decision that has been bathed in prayer and a long time in coming. I am totally excited and will post more about it later!

Lastly, Brian is going to KENYA!!! He has been praying about our families' involvement in Kenya for a while now, and God has provided an opportunity for him to go on a short term mission this summer. In fact, this January our pastor announced that our church, in connection with Compassion International will be stepping up their involvement in Kenya, and a couple of other countries(I will let you know more as I know more). In fact, he has been gone with his family to visit Kenya and the other locations during the last few weeks. It is just so exciting to see how God puts everything together. Brian's heart for Kenya, our churches increased involvement there, and the opportunity to go serve. God is good!! So, please pray for us as we prepare for Brian to go, raise money during a recession, and continue to walk the path God has laid out for us. Our desire is to live a life of obedience to Jesus, regardless of the cost or consequence. When I told my parents Brian was going to Kenya the first thing my dad asked was, "Is it safe?" I love my parents, and they are Christians who love Jesus but they missed the point. Please watch the Francis Chan video. It is short, but clearly illustrates this point!