Blessings and Raindrops

seeking joy in the midst of the ordinary

prayer changes things.

Life has been moving full steam ahead. Why is it that when I make a concentrated effort to slow down and be present in the moment that suddenly the moments start moving faster and faster?

I have so much to share – from Dave’s incredible trip to Haiti (and the amazing possibilities unfolding), the boys FIFTH birthday (somebody hold me) and our all-consuming work on attachment (full disclosure: I thought this process of attachment would look differently than it actually does, it seems my plans have once again been tossed aside for reality – so many thoughts to share on this…soon).

Today, instead of sharing about the many things happening in my life, I need to ask for prayers for friends. I know the eyes that read the words on this little blog have prayed alongside me for the most impossible miracle. Together, we witnessed the fruit of our labor: Sylvie came home against all odds. We did that. Prayer changes things and time on our knees is never, ever wasted. 

McKinley Moore.

When a college friend and sorority sister learned the devastating news last week that her precious, smiley, spunky two-year-old daughter had been diagnosed with leukemia, friends all over the country rallied together to commit to prayer over their sweet McKinley. SEVENTY-FIVE girls were on a group message sharing what we knew in order to pray specifically, as well as how we could help tangibly. In TWO days, friends and family raised nearly $40,000 for the family’s unforeseen medical expenses. Incredible.

The body of Christ came together. I couldn’t help but thank God for the way He takes even the most horrific situation and allows us to see His light shine through the darkness. He pulled us together and created a team of warriors committed to the long battle ahead. Karen and her family do not have to go through this alone. For that, I am thankful.

Will you join me in praying for sweet McKinley and her parents: Karen and Casey? You can read updates from her momma HERE.

Jonathon Bost.

I met Mary eight or nine years ago at church. Her humor and positive outlook on life immediately drew me to her. Our little church community group wasn’t the same when their sweet family moved to Texas several years later. I’ve loved following her silly stories about her kiddos and sweet reminders about Jesus’ goodness on her blog over the years.

When her husband had a seizure and was rushed to the hospital at the end of April, and immediately underwent brain surgery, their community of friends here rallied together in prayer. We spent anxious hours waiting for text updates and placing Jonathon and Mary before the Throne of Grace. The day they went in for the pathology results was covered in prayer. Collectively, we all fell to our knees in grief when the results came back: brain cancer.

Yet, the story isn’t over. We stayed on our knees and kept on pleading. For grace and mercy and Shalom. For Divine healing.

Will you join me in praying for Jonathon and Mary and their babies? You can read the beautiful, funny, inspiring updates from Mary HERE.

Thank you, friends.

an update & a birthday

please keep praying for baby Evan. the doctors have been running test after test and there is still not a definite cause for his illness. he was intubated and the machine is helping him breathe which is allowing him to rest. we are praying that this rest allows his little heart to heal on it’s own.

please pray that it does. that is the absolute best case scenario.

as with any infant illness, the scenarios are varied and each day presents a roller-coaster of emotions and prognosis possibilities. 


i’m praying boldly for complete and absolute healing. i’m praying for the doctors to be baffled by his sudden, miraculous recovery. i’m praying for God to work in such a mighty way that no one can do anything but give God glory and praise. will you please join me in this prayer?

i have had a hard time posting on this blog over the past few days. my thoughts are consumed with my precious friend and her baby boy. we have been trying to stay busy here in florida and the days are passing by in somewhat of a haze.

i did want to jump on here tonight to share a few thoughts on our girl’s birthday. she turned one on the 16th. you can read more here about how powerfully God reminded me that His plans are far greater than I could ever begin to imagine. they always are, aren’t they?

i was very thankful for that reminder on the morning of her birthday. to be perfectly honest, i was feeling so many emotions and the one that kept rising to the surface was ambivalence. more than ever, it felt like we were walking on a path that would lead to heartache. she felt farther away than ever before. i felt cheated. and alone.

and then, i just felt grief and sorrow. for her. for us. for all that she has lost. for all that we have missed out on with her. for the pain she has had to endure. for the uncertainty of it all.

i wanted to make the day special. we spent the afternoon driving to a park about an hour away to meet up with one of my dear adoptive-momma friends, jenna. jenna and i met at last year’s created for care retreat and have become close friends since. she will be bringing home her daughter soon {we are praying that it is very, very soon} and she has been such an encourager and prayer warrior for me during this journey.

my boys are typically more interested in snacks than just about anything. 

we had such a good visit and i loved being able to commiserate with someone who gets it. who has walked in my shoes and knows what i’m feeling even when i can’t find the words. i was so thankful God orchestrated our visit on that day, when i needed it most.

worst quality photo ever but i still love it.
we are going to take another one someday with our boys and our little girlies. 🙂

after nathan threw up on the playground {yes, this is just a normal occurrence…welcome to my crazy life}, we had to run out. mostly because it was slightly embarrassing and just gross. it reminded me of the time he cleared out the splash park and the time we were on the moving sidewalk in the penguin display at sea world. we still can’t figure out why he gets sick so easily and so often. doctors thought he would have grown out of it by now. needless to say, it put a little damper in our day.

after the park, we drove back toward my parent’s house and decided to meet the rest of the family for dinner to celebrate S’s birthday. the boys hadn’t napped and dinner included tantrums and crying. again, not exactly what i had planned.

after dinner, we walked around the cute little downtown winter garden area and redeemed the day with laughter and smiles.

i had planned to bake a cake with the boys for S, but that didn’t happen either. instead, we stopped in for some frozen yogurt. i really wanted to blow out a candle for our girl but we didn’t have one. so, we just sang to her and rested in the fact that next year, she will be the one to blow out her candles.

at the end of the day, i was reminded that my perfect plans in my mind are not real life. life is messy and imperfect. life is the adventure that unfolds when we just let go of expectations and appreciate the moments as they unfold.

and, gratitude flowed as i focused on the family and friends that have linked arms with us as we walk this journey.

such a beautiful text i received from a sweet friend.

“COME TO ME, and rest in My loving Presence.  You know that this day will bring difficulties, and you are trying to think your way through those trials. As you anticipate what is ahead of you, you forget that I am with you– now and always…relax in My Peace.  I will strengthen you and prepare you for this day, transforming your fear into confident trust.”  {Jesus Calling devotional; January 16th}

blessings and raindrops.

I have a grateful and a heavy heart today. I’m feeling such mixed emotions as I experience abundant blessings while another family in my area is in the midst of a tumultuous storm full of rain and sorrow.

I am immensely grateful to be home safely. Dave and I feel abundantly blessed as we praise God for His protection and favor on our family.

I will share more from our vacation soon but I had to share this today. Reminders of how fragile and precious our lives are tend to shake me to my core. And, this time is no different.

We had an extremely scary drive home from our trip when Dave completely lost steering on his truck on the interstate. I don’t know all of the technical terms but I do know that the pole {I think it’s called a drag link} that holds the tires together and connects them to the steering wheel, came out of the driver’s side tire when we were going 75 miles per hour. Dave could not turn the tires and had no control over steering the car.

He remained incredibly calm in the situation and I have no doubt that God’s hand directed our car off of the interstate and allowed us to safely maneuver to the Firestone building directly off the exit. There is no other explanation. Dave and the mechanics who surveyed the car agreed that we should not have made it off of that exit. The car had to be pulled with a cable wench onto a tow truck and taken to the Dodge dealership about twenty miles away.

The boys and I took a cab to a hotel while Dave waited for the tow truck to arrive. We had stopped in a pretty dangerous area of town and the wonderful and helpful folks at the Firestone building advised us to quickly get the boys and I to another area of town before nightfall. We didn’t hesitate and left immediately.

I was anxious waiting for Dave to arrive but the boys kept me occupied. They thought it was just another adventure and loved spending time in a hotel. The highlights: jumping on the bed and talking on the landline phones. They each grabbed a phone immediately and called “Nana and Papa at the beach in Florida.”

We were able to rent a car yesterday morning and drive the seven hours home. Dave and I will make the seven hour trip back to Jackson to return the rental car and pick up his truck {hopefully} later this week. I’m not looking forward to another fourteen hours in the car but it is our only option.

As I waited for Dave to return with the rental car yesterday morning, I opened my Bible to find words of encouragement in Isaiah 1: 1-4, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt, Ethiopia, and Seba as a ransom for your freedom… because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you.”

This verse first caught my eye earlier this week because of the reference to Ethiopia. I read about how God gave these nations to Persia in exchange for returning the Jews to their homeland. I highlighted the verse and planned to go back and study it further.

However, when I read it again yesterday morning, what really stood out to me were these words: “you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you.” 

We are covered in His love. We are precious to our Father.

And, while I am so thankful for God’s love and protection, I am also feeling incredibly heavy-hearted for all of my friends who lost a dear friend in a car accident on Saturday night. I learned about Matt Turner’s passing from a friend on Sunday morning and have felt so broken-hearted for his wife and little girl. Since first hearing the news, I’ve read countless facebook messages and blog posts from friends who were close with his family. I didn’t know him or his wife, Julee, personally but I am in prayer for her and all of his family and friends.

You can read more about ways to pray for and encourage the Turner family on Kelly’s blog here.

Would you all please join me in lifting up the Turner family in your prayers?

Blessings to you all this week!