Miracle - Engage My Life

Today Miracle received notification from Assembly of God World Missions that she is one step closer to being accepted as a missionary.(#9)  What exciting news!  As soon as the vetting process is finished, she will be able to begin officially raising funds through AGWM.  Now would probably be a good time to tell you all as much as I can about the program she will be involved in.  

She will be enrolled in online courses through Southwestern University in Waxahachie, Texas.  However, she will be residing in Southern Asia working with a local missionary through a program called Engage My Life.  It is a tremendous idea really.  The program takes college students who are interested in pursing a life in missions and pairs them with a ministry in one of several countries.  Those students then study online while actually doing mission work.  

A few local friends know of her plans and two of them have given her salwaar kameez, the type of clothing she will be expected to wear (pictured in the above link).  Someone also blessed her with a laptop and Microsoft Office for students.  In addition, she has set up a GoFundMe account as one means of raising support.  

To say that I am proud of the young lady my oldest daughter has become is an understatement!  God has already proven that He will do amazing things for her and in her - now it's time for Him to do amazing things through her!  

Learning

Hello.  Bonjour.  Hola.  

A lot of time around our house has been spent learning recently.  Both girls are of course doing their high school work.  In addition to that, they are both taking a language course at the local college.  Miracle is learning French in class.  Angelica is learning ASL.  

At home in the evenings we are also learning Spanish.  Monday through Friday, the girls watch Busy Bee (age 2) and Doc McStuffins (age 7) from 2 until 12.  When the girls first began coming to our house Busy Bee knew no English.  She spent the first hour and a half each day pointing to things saying, "Y esta?" and I would answer in English.  Things were a bit easier once Doc got in from school but there was still some struggle for her on English words as well.  Busy Bee has learned quite a bit of English, we have learned quite a bit of Spanish, and all in all we are communicating well now.  Most things come out of our mouths in Spanish, then English, then often with a spattering of sign language thrown in when we are talking to the little ones.  Angelica is doing the best at picking up Spanish.  

In addition to Busy Bee and Doc, the girls watch Baby Girl (age 1) a few days a week. While she is here both she and Busy Bee are learning to share and use words to express their needs.  Baby Girl's mother is autistic so we worked primarily on learning to recognize and express emotion.  Words cannot convey how excited the girls and I were the first time Baby Girl squealed in delight.(#7) 

We have also realized that in addition to learning language, we need to understand culture.  When Busy Bee and Doc first started coming, Doc would phrase everything as a statement rather than a question.  For example she might say, "I can't have that"  rather than "Can I have that?"  Written out it appears to be a statement, but her inflection almost always sounded like a question.  We had to teach her that in English you actually have to ask the question.  Several months later, we realized that stating questions was a cultural norm for her.  

Doc is doing much better in school since coming to our house.(#8)  At the beginning of the year, she went to her ELL class several times a week.  I haven't seen ELL homework in over a month!  That means she has a much better grasp on the English language.  She has also improved in math, spelling, and reading.  

So it seems we have all been learning.  My girls and I are learning Spanish.  Miracle and Angelica are learning another language as well.  Busy Bee is learning English and how to share.  Doc is learning so many things.  Baby Girl is learning to use language and express emotion.  

What have you learned lately?

Words of Life - John 1:1

I'm starting this year off memorizing scripture as outlined here.  Anyone want to join us?

Love - Hate

I have friends and family who are in relationship with someone of the same sex.  This post is not to rehash what is right or wrong about the choices they have made.  This post is to hopefully compel all of us to reexamine our own hearts and resulting actions.  

Lately when Miracle and I have been in public together I have sensed judgement, seen glances, heard whispered words.  Right now, with her hair dyed black, Miracle doesn't look much like me at first glance. She also looks to be in her mid twenties.  I look younger than my 41 years, often mistaken to be in my mid thirties.  No one assumes we are related.  But the reality that we are together and love each other is undeniable.  So people assume they know the nature of our relationship and we are judged.  

My friends and family involved in same sex relationships have often said that they experience judgement when they are out with their significant other.  I had thought that it was unlikely that they were being judged, rather that they were perceiving  the reactions that they expected to receive.  I now realize that isn't entirely true.  I think sometimes the pain and rejection they have felt clouds their vision and they perceive pain and rejection when none is there.  But I now know that sometimes that rejection and judgement is really there.   

Jesus loves everyone.  Why can't we?

One On One

The girls have taken on quite a few families that they regularly babysit for.  Often this means that we are all home with the girls caring for little ones in the evening.  

However, yesterday I had an appointment in the city and I needed Angelica to drive for me so we took the opportunity to have some one on one time.  We ran some errands and had dinner.  We talked and walked hand in hand.  I enjoyed her presence with nothing else demanding attention from either one of us.(#4)

Today, I left Angelica home while Miracle and I went into the city for some appointments.  We also ran a few errands and just enjoyed hanging out together.  We talked.  We ate food that Angelica is allergic to and we just enjoyed being together.(#5)

It's been a long time since we have had the opportunity to spend time together one on one and I am cherishing these moments even more now than I did when the girls were younger because I am acutely aware that these times are limited and will become less frequent as time passes and the girls continue to grow up.  I am so proud of the young ladies they are.  I am amazed at how blessed I am to have them in my life.(#6)   

My Day - #2-3

Today I am thankful for doctors that can diagnose and treat concussion and resulting injury to the brain much better than they could five years ago!(#2)  It has been a long four months recovering from the concussion received in the accident in August, but I am almost there!(#3)  I can see improvement and know I'm getting better even though there are still things I struggle to be able to do.  

My primary goal for today was to find a time to purposefully spend with God and I didn't make that happen.  I thought of Him and talked to Him as I went throughout my day, but I didn't sit with Him as I would a friend and enjoy His presence, nor did I sit with Him as I would a teacher and soak up His wisdom.  I need to do both of those more often.  

How was your day?  Is there anything you are truly thankful for or anything that you regret?

Priority

I have never been one to pick a word for the year.  I have always thought it was a neat idea, but I haven't been compelled to do it - until now.  Partially I think that is because of how we celebrate Christmas and New Year's Day around our house.  I think my picking a word for the year is also partially about how we celebrated this year, or rather what we didn't do.  This year, Christmas was different.  Miracle was in pain - so much pain that we ended the day at the emergency room.  Angelica and I cleaned the house while Miracle languished on the couch in pain.  We didn't concentrate on having family time.  How could we?  We didn't bake a cake or have a special meal.  And... we didn't sit down and give gifts to Jesus.  It bothered me all day, but as I was going to sleep, I resolved to set the next Sunday aside as a day for Jesus.  And yet, we didn't celebrate Christmas then either.  OUCH!!  So, as today is nearing a close, I realize what I need to give to Jesus as a gift this coming year.  And in so doing, I realize that word needs to define my life in so many areas.  The gift I am giving to Jesus this year is to make Him a priority, something I regretfully haven't done for several years now.  OUCH again!!  

The girls and I, especially Miracle, wanted this Christmas season - and really every event celebrated between September and August of next year - to be perfect.  Miracle will be entering college in the fall but she's not just going to another state - she will be on the other side of planet earth!  AND she won't be able to come home for 11 months!!  This Christmas and New Year were less than perfect and yet I think we have all realized just how perfectly imperfect our lives and celebrations were.  In the midst of the pain and sickness, we all love each other and strive to love Jesus.  In the end, that's what it's all about.  

HAPPY NEW YEAR, my friends.  May your year be filled with the love of Christ and family.  May you always seek Jesus throughout the year.  May you find that one thing that He wants you to spend focusing on this year and pursue it wholeheartedly.

#1-Love of family