An Open Home

Well, we have spent the week preparing our home for Kenneth to come stay with us for the next year. We had a lot of cleaning up and clearing out to do in order to make the downstairs bedroom presentable. Jason especially has worked himself crazy. But the room is ready. Everything is clean and tidy and hopefully inviting.
Now for the important part..... Are we really ready????? Even if we put our teenaged parental ignorance aside, are we really going to be a good influence? That has been my ever present thought this week. Am I real enough???? I want more than anything to be genuine. To not play church, but to be the person I say I am. God has really shown me more hidden junk in my life over the past few years than I could have ever imagined existed. Old grudges (when I didn't really think I was the type to hold one), envy, white lies of convenience, mistrusts, anger about things that are totally none of my business, and that is just the tip of the iceberg. As I have tried to work through all of what God has shown me I have felt more and more that I can be transparent.
Suddenly, this week, my transparency has been tested once again.
There is no hiding anything when you live with someone. This child hasn't had much opportunity to see Christ. What if he doesn't find Him in my home? I'm slightly terrified.
But today I've decided.... No more fear.... I will mess up in front of him, more times than I care to think about - I'm sure. I'll be honest about my failures and shortcomings. I'll continue to strive to be genuine - in my home,at work, at school, and at church.
I pray that Kenneth will see Christ in me because of how Christ is working to make me more like Himself, not because of the few times I get it right (Although I hope he is around for those too).
So when he moves in next weekend we will jump in with both feet. We will be real. And we will continue to strive to be more like Christ. Seeing others live that kind of life out have given me inspiration that I can do the same. I pray that our family's pursuit of righteousness will inspire others but most importantly a sweet young man from Hong Kong, who will be with us for what will seem like a moment and whom God has given us such an important mission field in.
Pray for us. Hold us accountable. Be real too.

Exchange

Well, my dad got married this week. I am so very excited for him. I am also excited for our family because this will be the first time in almost 3 years that it will be just the 4 of us! However God has other plans for us!
I shouldn't be shocked! I had a feeling when we completed our downstairs bedroom that it would never be empty.
Some friends of ours have been "parents" to high school exchange students and asked us last week if we would be willing to have a student come to live with us. If they couldn't place him, he would have to go home. We talked and prayed about it and feel God leading us to take on this challenge.
So, we are expanding our family for a year. Kenneth is from Hong Kong and a junior in high school. We are thrilled that he will be coming into our home. The girls are very excited about having a big brother. (Alaynah has asked for a big brother for years - who knew she would get her way!)
We have never parented a teenager, we have never parented a boy, we have never been to China - so basically, we have no clue what we are doing. Please pray for us as we embark on this journey.
We don't know how much we have to offer him from an educational or relational standpoint but we pray that if nothing else, we will exchange Christ's love with this boy. He has a special place in my heart already and I have never met him. It must be a God thing!!!

Brain Training

I just love teaching Independent Studies at SCA. I know it is because I just love teaching... It can't be the dinosaurs we try to do computer work on... ( We are blessed to have them - I'm not complaining)
Anyway, all the students favorite website is www.lumosity.com which is a brain training software. It has exercises for all ages and works with all levels from adults to children. I love it too!
Me and several of the kids have a running contest going to see who can get the highest score on a game called 'word bubble' and I just beat the current record. I am so proud that I can come up with more words from three letter beginnings than a ninth grader (who held the record)!!!!!
I don't know what is sadder, the fact that I am spending time away from school playing a school game or the fact that I totally intend to rub my victory in a kids face on Tuesday (lovingly and encouragingly of course.....) I can't promise there won't be any sticking out of the tongue...
My high score is 2160.... See if you can beat it!!!!!

I am holding out hope for Spring coming soon

I know, I know the groundhog came, he saw, he ate a celebratory meal.... Whatever! I think Spring is coming soon. I am beyond ready. I am tired of wet, cold, yucky days. In which I have had to run all over creation, I might add.
February means Spring is around the corner. After we get past the "I love you", "I don't love you" festivities, it is a clear shot to warmer days with nice cool breezes and picnics in the park.
Winter has brought a whole new world for me, but God has allowed me to see the best in people and to see His blessings all around me. Yet I am ready to see some green and pink and yellow and purple and any other random color that pops up out of my garden!
What part of Spring are you most looking forward to?