remember me?

yeah, neither do I!

HOW Y'ALL DOIN'??? so the busy life is beginning to subside, just a touch - and the end is in sight. only four or five more weeks until christmas, and that really signals the end of the insanity. all is well. my course is going well - I am truly enjoying it, and learning a lot, but the pace has been a bit crazed. oh well, just a project to finish/report on and literature reviews to type up, after my IPPs get finished!

so I went to a thing tonight, with my old friend brenda - she's NOT old, we've just known each other for some time - and it's a thing that really has coincided with a unit I just started with my kids at school: slavery. [oh, and erika, I have a serious list of books going for you! will send it SOON!] well, this thing I went to tonight deals with justice and modern day slavery and all the horrible things that, to be honest, just pissed me off BIG TIME. needless to say, IJM is doing some great work in many different countries and for the first time, I met an organization that is doing something about injustice in our world.

on another note, john & I went to calgary last weekend for his birthday and had an awesome time. we got almost all our christmas shopping done and just had a great time hanging out. and considering how busy things have been, it was a good time just to have an adult conversation with the wonderful man I married. he really is a good guy, and for that I am SO thankful. so, for your [or should I say my?] viewing pleasure, a picture of my dear love [oh, and some of the kidlets!].

I like success

well, really, who doesn't??? LOL

although time seems to be passing by at some sort of insane rate, today was opportunity to slow down and reflect. we held our remembrance day ceremony at school today and I was pleased with how it went [being the co-planner, I had a vested interest!!!]. it really was opportunity to pause and think about those abroad today, and those who paved the way before. We had a veteran from WWII come and speak to the kids - it was unfortunate that I didn't have more time to spend with him, or to take some pictures of him with the kids. needless to say, today was one of those days where I am thankful for my job, thankful for the kids I teach, thankful for the colleagues I work will, and above all, thankful for those who have fought for a country where I can worship freely, vote, speak my opinions, and raise my children how I see fit.

and, if I can get it working, I'll include my updated version of O Canada! yeah, THAT's not wanting to happen...I love plan B! yeah, even plan B is giving me grief!

good thing there's always tomorrow!

adoption

so I have to talk about adoption at church on sunday. I am going to use my lovely blog as a way to type it all out and get it fleshed out - I'd love the feedback, if you are willing to share!

Ephesians 1 says: Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!).

this piece of scripture reminds brings to mind the whole concept of adoption - the choosing of someone to join your family. the process of adoption is so significantly different from the 9 months of pregnancy. pregnancy is such an intimate, memorable process, yet generally uncontrollable. and let's be honest, those of us who have birthed children are just happy that they are cute because THAT process HURTS! adoption on the other hand, adoption is opportunity to choose. adoption is never random. never an accident. never the unintentional result of passionate night with someone whose name you may or may not recall. adoption is "on purpose". adoption is choosing to focus your love on someone because of want, out of desire to bring an individual into family.

this concept is close to my heart, as it is part of my family. I am the oldest of 6 children in my family: there are 4 natural children and 2 adopted. those of you that know my family, know that my parents are generous, kind, wonderful people - people who saw a need and took in children not out of obligation, but out of love. the circumstances of the adoption of both my brother and my sister are enormously different. my brother was in a situation of extreme neglect and physically handicapped. my sister had been well cared for, but needed a home where her deafness could be assisted. in my family, as in all families, nothing is perfect. the big, open hearts of my mom and dad have come with a price - time, money, emotion, love. and the children that they adopted have been more complex and intense in their needs than any of us could have imagined.

recently I have meet another family that so desires to adopt a child, a child who is currently a foster child living with them. as I spoke to the father on the phone this week, I was so moved by his passion and his love for this child that his wife and him want to give a permanent, stable, loving home for. and as I sat down to write this, a recent episode of House came to mind. the scene of when the mother of a newborn, tells Dr. Cuddy that she's changed her mind about giving her child up for adoption. the anguish that Cuddy felt in that moment was that of grief and death.

I say all this to say this. before the creation of the universe, your adoption was planned. he had us in mind. he chose all of mankind for this complex and wonderful plan. he loved us so completely that he wanted to, willingly and sacrificially, bring us into his family. to focus his love on us. not just a chosen few, but all mankind. all people. every single person. before the beginning of time he decided to focus his love on you. like adoption, there was no off-chance, no mistakes, just choice. a desire to bring everyone of us into his family. and not under obligation, as if he's saying "oh, I have to go and create a rescue plan YET AGAIN", but with great pleasure and joy! he chose each of us. He called each of us. he is like the foster parent saying to the neglected child, "I want to give you a home and peace and love...forever". with open hearts, asking to adopt us with all our disabilities and struggles, all of our sinful nature still holding on. with such grief and despair and heaviness when that hope and plan for adoption is taken away. pre-destination is not about who is in and who is out, but everyone human soul being chosen before time. every person being the focus of God's love. every person being on His mind. every person being thought of with intent. with purpose. how profound. I am awed by that love. and so thankful that he had me in mind. and has always been choosing me. and you.

MIA

sorry I've been MIA the last week or so. the busyness is catching up to me and now that I have a voice and am over the whole hacking-up-lung issue, I am actually able to get some work done. this week I need to start/finish my ipps [15 in total, plus another 30 goals]; not complicated, just time consuming. I have 3 interviews to conduct, and a paper to write as a result, a school project to implement, a speech/thingy to write for church on sunday, music practice on thursday night, 2 showers on the weekend [WOOHOO!! BABIES!!!!!] and in the next three weeks, report cards and 2 5-page papers. not to mention the marking and teaching that normally gets done in my day. HOWEVER. [phew, there is a however!!] next weekend John & I are going to calgary. just the two of us. for two whole days. no kids. no work. just shopping. this makes me happy!

so, although there is nothing inspiring to report, no great books read ['cause lets be honest, you don't really want a review on the books I've been reading - assessment data is just not that exciting!] and not even any scrap booking to share, I appreciate that all my friend get my schedule and are so kind and gracious about the whole thing that is my life. I don't say it enough, but I really appreciate everyones patience. especially the patience that you need to be my friend.

xoxo!