Redirecting My Focus

 

Jesus Calling

By:Sarah Young

 

The world is too much with you, My child. Your mind leaps from problem to problem to problem, tangling your thoughts in anxious knots. When you think like that, you leave Me out of your world-view and your mind becomes darkened. Though I yearn to help, I will not violate your freedom. I stand silently in the background of your mind, waiting for you to remember that I am with you.

 

When you turn from your problems to My Presence, your load is immediately lighter.  Circumstances may not have changed, but we carry your burdens together.  Your compulsion to "fix" everything gives way to deep, satisfying connection with Me.  Together we can handle whatever this day brings.

This week has been a tough week for me to say the least.  It is easy to get discouraged over the little things and that is just what I have allowed to happen.  So I am taking a step back and removing myself from certain situations in order to allow the Holy Spirit to fill me while I learn to let go.  I have let my mind leap from problem to problem which tangled my thoughts in anxious knots.

I like to control certain situations because that is my personality.  I like to fix it!  Through our journey of infertility and adoption I have had absolutely no control over anything.  At first it drove me crazy, but then I learned to let go and trust God.  I am only human and I still fall (sometimes more than I like to admit).  But I am thankful He is always patiently waiting on me with open arms.  I know He is the one who guides me through each day. 

It is amazing to look back over the years and see how God was molding me and I didn't even know it.  Sometimes I think He looks down at me and simply says "My child, I have got this under control."  This week has reminded me how quick my focus can change.  I took my focus off of the One and Only.  My Jesus!  I allowed my mind to wonder to things that are not important and things that I can not change.  I am thankful to know that He is always with me, silently waiting for me to turn my focus back to Him.

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.  Isaiah 41:10

The circumstances have not changed, but my weight has been lifted.  So I will lay down my fleshly body once again and travel forward with my Jesus!  Together we can handle everything!

Where is your focus today?  Do you need to let go of something that is hindering your focus?  I encourage you to return to Jesus.  He is patiently waiting.

A Birthmother's Story...

This past Mother's Day I didn't only think about my mother, mother-in-law and grandmothers in my life, but I also had the wonderful thought of our birthmother!  This is someone whom we respect, love, and will always cherish.  Even though we have not met her and may never meet her, we will never forget the one who gave our baby LIFE!  We will never be able to pray for her enough, love her enough, or thank her enough for her sacrifice.  She will expreience loss and pain, as we experience overwhelming love and joy! We constantly pray that she will have peace and comfort during her time of loss.

This is a Birthmother's Story... 

 

If you can not view this please follow this link to watch the video here

 

This tells a beautiful story.  What an AMAZING God we serve! He knows the BIG picture when we can't even imagine the next step in our lives.  

Some of her points I would like to highlight again include:

 

On the TRUTH about Adoption:

"The biggest fallacy about adoption is that birthparents don't want their children."

 

About LOSS:

"My loss has been more than compensated for...the sweetness always swallows up the bitter."

 

On Birthparents and Adoptive Parents:

"We both sacrificed and we both put something on the alter and we answered each other's prayers."

 

We both (birthparents and adoptive parents) have to be receptive to God's call in order for God to be in control.  Have you let go and let God take over your life?  Have you given him everything?  Have you fully surrendered to God?  How will your story end?

 

We are very excited to continue to see our story unfold through God's will.

 

Praying for Our Happily Ever After...

 

Girls Night Out

Two weekends ago we had Girls Night Out.  Yes, I know it has been a while since I posted, but I have been SO busy!  Anyway I am posting now.  The girls night originally started out with two girls and has grown to this...


me, Kelly, Katie, Briana, Brandi W., Brandi B., Bethany, Sherry

And we are still growing!

We have LOTS of FUN together!  Some of these women are stay at home mommy's and enjoy this time for adult conversation.  Others just enjoy the time to laugh and relieve some of the stress from daily life.  Either way, we all enjoy the support that this group shows to one another.  We try to get together at least once a month.  It use to be a spur of the moment kind of get together, but since we have grown in size everyone plans for this ONE night.  We always eat and go to whatever movie we have all agreed on as the best and cleanest movie out in that particular month (that can be challenging, especially during the present time).  This month the movie pick was The Great Gatsby.  Did I mention we have an English teacher in the group.  Ha!  She was dying to see this movie because of the book.  Only a few of us had even read the book and I think she is the only one that wanted to read it again before watching the movie.  Ha! 

This particular night we decided to stay in Corinth and eat at The Chop House.  Let me just say, YUMMY!  I recommend this restaurant to anyone, great food!  After eating our delicious meal our night got a little interesting to say the least.  Ha!  Our church is participating in the Relay for Life this year and one of our fundraisers included the famous Flamingo Flocking.  I like to think that my Girl Scout Troop started this cute fundraiser way back in the day.  I don't know if we really started it or not, but it was a long time ago when we use to flock yards in New Albany and I don't remember anyone else flocking yards.  But now you see several yards that are currently being flocked in different areas for a fundraiser.  So for my blog I will say that my Girl Scout Troop and Debbie White (our troop leader) started this madness several years ago, before I could even drive.  Ha!

Here is one of our incriminating photos for the night...

Kelly, Brandi W., Brandi B., Bethany, and me
Photographers: Sherry and Briana

I won't go into details about what happened exactly, but I will say things got a little crazy! 

After our yard flocking we rushed over to the movie theater 40 minutes before the movie actually started!  One of us likes to be really early or we have some anxiety issues from being on time or late for the previews.  I will not name any names, but she knows who she is.  Ha!  We all love her very much and some like to tease her about having to be early for everything.  I love all of the different personalities in our group.  That is what keeps things interesting.

All in all we had a wonderful Girls Night Out and I am looking forward to next month!