the magician's nephew

recently, i have been needing some light reading to help my brain relax (i was trying to get through desiring God, but that just wasn't working after a long day with kiddos).

remembering how much i loved the chronicles of narnia as a kid (even before i was a christian), i decided to pick up the series and read it again.  i am almost done with the magicians nephew after just a few days of reading.

i am loving it!

not only do i love the fantasy/epic genre, but i especially love the spiritual parallels of the book which i was blind to as a child.  here are a few quotes that have really stuck out to me (they are probably more meaningful in the context of the book, but hopefully you will get something out of them as well).


aslan the lion speaking, speaking to the talking beasts after he created narnia: 
"before the new clean world that i gave you is seven hours old, a force of evil has already entered it; waked and brought forth by this son of adam... but do not be cast down... evil will come of that evil, but it is still a long way off, and i will see to it that the worst falls upon myself."

[just like how the gospel is preached even in the first few chapters of genesis.  beautiful!]


after the main character, digory, completed an important task given to him by aslan:
" 'well done' said aslan in a voice that made the earth shake.  then digory knew that all the narnians had heard those words and that the story of them would be handed down from father to son in that new world for hundreds of years and perhaps forever.  but he was in no danger of feeling conceited for he didn't think about it at all now that he was face to face with aslan."

[that makes me think about heaven and what our good works will feel like there as we are commended.  we will be in no danger at all of being proud, standing in front of jesus!]



i cant wait until we have kiddos old enough that we can read these stories to! :D

boost your immunity with thanksgiving leftovers!

today i am over at somaticos, with the last of a four part series on boosting your immunity naturally.

today's post is especially timely as it includes a recipe for your thanksgiving leftovers!

dont miss out!

my best motherhood practice

inspired by girl talk (a blog by carolyn mahaney and her daughters), proverbs 31 and several older women i respect, i make an effort to rise each morning 1-2 hours before the kids do.  this, by far, has been my single best practice in motherhood.

rising early allows me to pray, read scripture, think through the day for a bit and get a head start on housework before anyone else is awake.  i usually try to have breakfast and lunch made before everyone else gets up, and i usually start laundry and get other various housework done.

i usually try to spend about 15 or 20 minutes praying and reading God's Word (this is much less time than i would prefer, but a reality at this current life stage).  after that, to keep my heart focused on God, I will listen to a sermon as I get things done around the house.  often times, i will go to desiring God and look up a sermon on the passage of the bible that i just read.  if not that, then i usually listen to a mark driscoll sermon.


as a side note: i most definitely do not do this every morning!  i am a realist and i know that its not always possible.  when i am too tired, i sleep in.  i know that God made me to need sleep and I humbly submit to that.  but i pray for His grace to wake me up early, and he often answers that prayer.  I give him the praise and glory for making that possible.

our foster care experience by the numbers

17   ...number of weeks we have had the kiddos so far (wow... it feels like it has been forever.  did i ever not have kids once?)

18  ...number of doctors/dentist appointments since we have had the kids (and 5 more in the next two weeks)

10  ...number of appointments for developmental assessments and psychological counseling

360  ...minutes per week driving the kids to and from parent visits, which is

200  ...miles per week driven to and from parent visits

2  ...average number of hours each week we spend filling out paperwork for matters relating to the kids

assignments we have been given for the kids from our agency and the preschool oldest brother attends (i'm pretty sure that there has never been a day since we got the kids that we have completed all of these things):
30  ...minutes per day reading to oldest brother
15  ...minutes per day doing homework assignments with oldest brother
20  ...minutes per day helping oldest brother learn to cut with scissors
20  ...minutes per day helping middle brother learn how to draw
20  ...minutes per day playing catch with youngest brother


just wanted to share that little slice of our life with you.  seeing this all written down makes me realize why it feels like there aren't enough hours in the day!

boost your immunity with friendly bacteria

did you know that eating bacteria will help protect you from bacteria?

catch me over at somaticos for this week's real food friday where I share about how food with friendly bacteria helps to protects us from unfriendly bacteria and viruses.  and a recipe for a pumpkin parfait!

read it all here.

the mental shift from adoption to foster care

the past few weeks it has become more and more clear that we are most likely in a foster care situation with the kids, and not adoption (ie they are only going to be with us short term, and then be reunited with their mom.)  this could change, but that is how it is looking.

this realization has brought a range of emotions and thoughts.

some days, i wonder why we are putting up with all of the grief from our social workers when this isn't getting us any closer to our "goal" of adoption.

on the other hand, it has instilled a (good) sense of urgency in me to not waste any time with them, especially relating to spiritual matters.  i am trying to incorporate the gospel throughout the day: teaching them about jesus, the bible, sin and salvation.  they are so young and we (probably) don't have much time with them!

sometimes i daydream about life without 4 kids.  if they are reunited with their mom, i think i will sleep for four days straight afterward... that is how behind on sleep i am (despite the fact that i average 8 hours of sleep at night... but 8 hours is nowhere near enough for how much these guys wear me out!).  if we didn't have kiddos, i probably wouldn't be battling my acid reflux so hard... something that i HATE because it is forcing me to be on OTC meds daily.

sometimes i daydream about life with maybe just  two kids.  maybe a girl just like lovely girl and a boy like little man.  i would have plenty of time to spend with them... lots of tickles, lots of hugs, no stress... (i know, this is unrealistic... but i am allowed to daydream).

and then there are times that i just keep thinking over and over about how these guys really fit so many of the hopes that we had about the type of kids that would be placed with us.  and i also think about how much work we have put into training and teaching them, and the big improvements we have seen in their behavior.   and these thoughts make me sad to think that we might not have them with us long term.

but then i think about things i would like to do as a homemaker that i do not have time/energy/mental capacity for ever since being blindsided (in a good way) with four kids. and i think about how i would spend my days differently if our family situation was different.

and i think about the guilt i feel for not spending enough time with them, not having as much direct impact on them as i would like, and then i feel like it would be better for them if they weren't with us (and they would probably agree... they ask for their "number one mommy" every single day, multiple times a day).


there is really no point to this post, just some rambling thoughts.  but ultimately i do have to say, i am so thankful that God has instilled in me a deep belief in and trust in His sovereignty (though its still an area i need growth in).  otherwise, i would be going nuts right now.  He already knows the future of these kids, and already knows what we need in serving them.

thank you Jesus for being the same yesterday, today and forever, in the midst of my ever-changing life.

boost your immunity with raw garlic

catch me today over at somaticos where i am continuing my series on boosting your immunity with real food. 

this week's food: garlic (yum!) with a recipe for guacamole.