Are you being birthed???

Are you being birthed???



Lately, I have been pondering this picture.

How long does it take

for a caterpillar to turn into a butterfly?

Where does the most transformation happen?

As a caterpillar?

Once a butterfly?

Or in the cocoon???

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If you feel like you are all alone in the cocoon
consider it a VERY good place to be!!!

You're not alone though...

God is covering you in the shadow of His wings,
so that you can begin to birth YOUR wings!!!

"Mom!" "What?"

"Mom."

"What?"

"Mom!!!"

"What Dylan?"

"Hey, can you hear me?"

-----------------------------------------

I turned to greet my lovely 10-year old, as I began to grow very frustrated with him. He was either playing games with me, or he really did not hear me respond to him. My heart sunk as I realized he was not talking to me...

With his ear pressed to the receiver, he was shouting, in a funny way, that only he can, to the person on the other side of the conversation.

I stood there silently as I listened to him joke around with his step-mom.
I wanted to cry. I wanted to hide. I wanted to tell him to get off the phone. I wanted to scream and shout that I was his mommy...

But I didn't.
I couldn't.
I didn't dare.

Two months ago, our family grew.
Well, not mine, but theirs.
Daddy got remarried.
And with that blessing,
came a new mommy,
4 new brothers,
and a couple of cats!

Both boys spent a week at dad's house
where they got to meet their new family.
I spent a week crying and healing...

My oldest son came home after a week,
my youngest stayed two more weeks.
This was a huge deal for everyone involved.
My kids hadn't seen their dad in months,
and now everyone was able to finally meet.

God reassured me over and over
that they would be o-kay...
That their dad would take good care of them,
and that their new step-mom would too.

And, of course, they did:)

From the moment, I dropped the boys off,
I began praying.....

I prayed that God would restore the bond
that they all once shared.

I prayed that He would create a new bond
between everyone as they got to know each other.

I prayed Dyl would not miss me too much.
(he was stuck to me at the hip!)

I prayed for their new marriage,
I prayed for her kids.
I prayed and prayed and prayed...
and cried and cried and cried...
For two hours....
alone in the car....

I wrote about it HERE

I had peace...

I had surrendered once again
to my Daddy's will for my life.

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"But, mom!" he laughed again.

I smiled.
I wiped away my one tear.
I thanked God
for the bond HE created!!!
I smiled again...

I listened and chuckled quietly from the other room
as I heard him request to talk to each one of the kids.
He talked everyone's ear off...
I'm pretty sure he even talked to the cat!
He made sure she put him on speaker phone
so that his voice could ring throughout the whole house.

"Hey guys, I'm on the phone!!!!!!!
Mom, tell someone to talk to me"

"O-kay Dylan," She laughed
as he continued to talk her ear off.

God reminded me that I prayed for this...
and because He reminded me,
I could wipe my tears away...
and rejoice...
because God IS faithful...
& God answers prayers!!!

God gave Dyl...
more people to love him!!!
a daddy...
2 mommies...
5 brothers...
& two cats!

It's time....

It's time to break through!!!!

--------------------------------------------------------

Not that I have already obtained all this,
or have already been made perfect, but
I press on to take hold of that for which
Jesus Christ took hold of me. Brothers,
I do not consider myself yet to have taken
hold of it. But one thing I do. Forgetting
what is behind and straining toward what
is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win
the prize for which God has called me
heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 3:12-14

I pray...

I pray you will find peace

for your weary and broken heart...

I pray you will receive the love

others have tried to give you...

I pray you will not feel so alone

in a world where everyone has seemed to betray you...

I pray you will find forgiveness

for the woundedness you feel...

I pray you would learn to forgive

because it is destroying you inside...

I pray that you would see

I am for you...not against you...

I pray that you would feel

my embrace around you...

If God...then why?

If
God
can
forgive
you
of
your
past...

then why can't you forgive yourself?
----------------------------------------
If
God
can
see
you
as
beautiful...

then why can't you?
------------------------
If
God
can
love
you
just
as
you
are...

then why can't you?
--------------------------
If
God
doesn't
define
your
future
based
on
what
you've
done
in
the
past...

then why should you?
-----------------------------

More from Honduras...

My son, Zach, and my friends are still in Honduras...
They will be home Tuesday...
but tonight will be their last night there.
Please continue to pray for a safe return!

--------------------------------------------

On day 1, they gave gifts


Some of gifts confused the children...
but made them laugh!



Others amazed them...


A few days later, the mission team took the kids,
from the orphanage, to the water park.


They had fun...


They played...


They got very wet....


They even relaxed...



The kids at the orphanage are well taken care of...



and most are fairly healthy...



But the next day...
they saw other kids who are not...


because they live here...

In "neighborhoods" like these...


where they make their homes...


and walk on streets of glass...
(look closely...there's glass everywhere!)



They have their meals delivered
every day...right on time....


which they also dig for...
among the feces of their animals...


My friend, Jana, said pictures could NOT
describe the devastation they saw...


I cannot imagine....


But I'm pretty sure he can...



And
I
can
bet
he's
NOT
coming
home
the
same!!!

I love this kid!!!!

I want to share this picture


Of this amazing young man...




Who is making a difference in her life...



And his life...



As well as his life...


and his life....


How??? By doing this....



and this.....




and this.....



To help build this...



and this...



But I really wish he wasn't doing this...




or this....



because it REALLY freaks me out to see this!!!



And this???
This is a common scene...
and this freaks me out too!!!




But when I look at this....



Knowing he's touching lives...
(Shandon's hands by the way, not Zach's)



It makes me smile.


My wonderful friends gave him
an opportunity of a lifetime.


And although they have 7 kids at home...


Looks like they would come home



with a few more....if they could!!!


My son gets home from Honduras on Tuesday!
So excited to see the pictures and hear the stories.
Please keep praying!


But I really hope my son doesn't
have to deal with this again...



on the way home!!!

(J/k Shandon! You guys rock!!!)