Deceived

I Timothy 6:17-19: “Tell those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which will soon be gone. But their trust should be in the living God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and should give generously to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may take hold of real life.”

I have been decieved. For the past 3 years, and beyond, I did not put myself in this group of "those who are rich" that Timothy is talking about. How could I? First, I was a college student with no job, then I became a teacher and Reagan started Optometry School. We own a house (meaning we pay a mortgage), we have 3 going on 4 years of student loan debt (yikes!), and we have a child...all on my teacher's salary. By America's standard my family is not "rich".

But I do not want to live by America's standard. America's standard is false and decieving. The more I read into orphan advocacy the more my eyes are opened to the poverty of this world. For example, in Ethiopia, almost 82% of the people live on less than $2/day (the indicated poverty line), and more than half live on less than $1/day. We may have debtedness, but we also have a means in the future in which to pay off our loans in a responsible and timely manner. When I take a step back and re-evaluate, my family is DEFINITELY in the "those who are rich" category.

What does this mean? We are not asked, but demanded to GIVE IT AWAY. "Our" money is not ours, but God's. Luke 12:48: “Much is required from those to whom much is given, and much more is required from those to whom much more is given.” God has given us much. He has blessed us by providing for all of our needs, and let's face it, most of our wants. So, now it is time to give up some of these "wants". Reagan and I talked about this last night and we struggle with what we are called to give on a daily basis. What do I give up? What is "God's" and what has he given us for us? I am not sure. But after some praying, I know where I am going to start. So here it is...

1. No more Starbucks (unless it is a giftcard because I can't really turn that into cash! :)) PS-God has already been so amazing to me for this decision because I get to school today to find a belated birthday gift of a $10 Starbucks card! YAY!! Thank you God, and Valencia!!

2. No more Friday lunches out. Some co-workers and I always treat ourselves to lunch out on Fridays. From now on, I will pack my lunch.

What does this do? I plan on looking at the past month of our bank account and calculating what I spent on Starbucks and my Friday lunches. That money will then go to fund a well project that I am in the works of developing. There are nearly one billion people right now without access to clean water. I have found an organization that takes 100% of its proceeds and builds wells for impoverished communities.

It may seem small now, but I am hoping it is only the beginning. Baby steps...

Stay tuned for a post about this well project, and maybe think about what "wants" you could give up to help bring life to people through clean drinking water.

-Kacey

Quote of the Day

"My friends, adoption is redemption. It’s costly, exhausting, expensive, and outrageous. Buying back lives costs so much. When God set out to redeem us, it killed Him. "-Derek Loux

Ran across this quote on one of my favorite "adoption" blogs and LOVED it!...the couple is adopting a little girl from Ethiopia. I love ready about their decision to adopt, their journey, their hearts. They are so close to brining home their little girl! Check it our for yourself....

http://www.pureandlasting.com/

When you're married to a comedian...

Life is interesting when you're married to a comedian. Of course, Reagan is an Optometrist, but pretty sure he thinks he's a comedian. Either that, or he still likes to revert to his "flirting" of the olden days where he thinks picking on me is showing affection :) So this is how my "romantic" date night with my hubby ended (please ignore that I am writing this @ 8pm. Yes, date nights just aren't quite the same when you know a crying baby will wake you up @ 6am.)

Reagan and I are in the car on our way home from dinner when I decide to roll down my window to enjoy this beautiful weather. A few seconds later, Reagan starts cracking up. I am curious, but know that it must mean Reagan is up to know good so I try to ignore it :) We slowly pull up to a red light at which point Reagan proceeds to blare the rap portion of "Where'd You Go" by Fort Minor with his unbelievably embarassing bass rattling in the background. I proceed to look around to make sure no one is paying attention to us when I notice the car right beside us has their window down TOO! I panic, reaching for the window button to roll it up, and to my dismay it won't roll up!! What do you think I see next? Reagan, absolutely CRACKING up with his finger on the "child lock" button. I was MORTIFIED!!

He had seen the car pass us earlier on the road and had been planning it ever since the song started.

Yes, that is what happens when you are married to a comedian...Happy Birthday to me!

Trusting...

   " The earth belongs to the Lord, and everything in it -- the world and all its people." Psalm 24:1

This Truth has been my lifeline the past 4 weeks. Anyone who has asked me how being back at work has been knows that it is a bittersweet time for me. I LOVE teaching...I really do. Each morning starts off with a moment of silence during announcements and my prayer each morning is that every kid walking through the doors of Silverlake will learn and know love that day. I love that there are 400+ kids I have a chance of impacting each day. The "ah ha" moments I see on my students faces when they finally get a concept is priceless. I love my co-workers, and I enjoy adult conversation throughout the day (which is something I thoroughly missed as a stay-at-home mom).

BUT (and this is a BIG BUT!), I absolutely, 100% miss my little boy like CRAZY!!! His picture is posted all over my room and my heart half smiles and half breaks each time his adorable face pops up on my computer screen. There are some days I do really well and everything feels like routine. Then, there are other days, like today, where I just hold my little man as I rock him to sleep and cry because I feel like I am missing everything. I'm sure it's a little bit of hormones mixed with a little bit of sleep deprivation, but nevertheless it's hard to handle sometimes.

So where does Psalm 24:1 come in? When the urge arises (as it does each day at work) to play hooky for the rest of the day and go get Asher from daycare, I recall this Truth. That though I may be Asher's mommy, he doesn't really belong to me at all. Reagan and I have been blessed with the privilege and responsibility of raising this little boy. He is God's son more than he is ours. When I think "they don't know him like I do, they can't possibly be doing as good of a job as I would do", I remember that God knows him most of all. He knit him together in my womb and knows each piece of precious red hair that little boy has on his head. That's when I pray. I pray that God is imparting his wisdom onto Asher's daycare teachers, that He is watching over him and making sure he is taken care of and loved every second that I am away. And that gets me through day...to 3:45, at which time I run out as fast as I can :)

I think of my love for Asher and I can't even fathom that it is only a tiny fraction of the love God has for him. So, if God can entrust me to take care of His precious child for what I pray is an abundance of years on this earth, can't I have enough trust in Asher's daycare to take care of him for a couple hours each day? I think so. And though I love Asher's daycare and think they do a fantastic job, my trust is not in them, but in God alone. That He is with Asher every second of every day. That He uses others to meet Asher's needs and show him love just as He uses me.

With that said, here is to 164 more days until I am once again a stay-at-home mommy to this cool rat...

Happy 1/2 Birthday "My Sunshine"

WHOA!! 1/2 a year already since I first set eyes on this handsome little fella. Who would have known I would get my little boy and my red-head on the first try :) Absolutely, LOVE IT!! While I am so proud of my Asher-man (he is the BEST baby in case you didn't know!), I can't help but beg him to please SLOW DOWN!! Each stage has been more amazing than the last, but are we seriously half-way to his 1st birthday!?! I think the 6th month has been the magical one so far. It makes me so sad that I don't get to spend all-day everyday with him, but I keep reminding myself that it will just keep getting better and better (so imagine how much fun he will be when I am once again a stay-at-home mommy :))

I am so thrilled to continue to watch this little man grow, and excited to see how his personality will continue to evolve into what I hope to be my sweet little boy :) (so far so good!)

Happy 1/2 Birthday Asher! Mommy is so proud of you and so amazingly lucky to be your mommy! I LOVE YOU to the moom and back!

March 15th

 

September 15th

*Thank you to Kaycee Nicotre Smith for the above picture...can't wait to see the rest!*

HELLO!

Hello all. Welcome to the new blog...I'm thinking 3rd time's a charm! Why have I decided to start blogging again? Well, as a new mom I have found I have a lot more on my mind, and a lot more to say (but unfortunately less time)! I am hoping this blog will help share a little of our life with you as well as a lot of my heart.

So what to start with? One of the most valuable things I have learned as a new mom: my heart is capable of A LOT of love. More in fact than I ever thought possible. It seems to spill out every time I look at my precious little boy. So much so, that I find myself wanting to pour it out on every little kid I see. Lately, that means researching A LOT about orphans and orphan care. When I see the smile on my little boy's face and the contentment he has in his momma's arms, my heart breaks for all those little ones around the world with no one to call "mommy" or "daddy", no one kissing them goodnight, no one singing to them or holding them tight when they are scared. So what does this mean for me and my family? Well, hopefully adoption one day. But God didn't place this overwhelming love for orphans in my heart to be used "some day", no, I believe he placed it in my heart right here, right now, to be used NOW. I am currently praying (which is something else I have discovered as a new mom, I pray A LOT!!). I am praying for God to show me what he wants me to do, where I can be used most effectively, where I need to be to make the most impact for orphans, and for His will for our family to be revealed in his own perfect timing. As I pray these things, I ask that you join me. Pray for me, pray for how you may get involved too, but most importantly, pray for those that are going to bed tonight motherless and fatherless.

A few of my thoughts on the amazingness of adoption:
-It doesn't have to be a "Plan B", in fact it SHOULDN'T BE! Why can't it be a part of Plan A?
-If every Christian couple adopted 1 child, that is approx. *210 million orphans now with an earthly mother and father, as well as a glipmse of the Gospel. (*statistic given by UNICEF)...and by the way, that would mean NO MORE ORPHANS!
-Adoption is a beautiful picture of the Gospel...through Jesus' sacrifice, God has "adopted" us into his family. We were once lost, but now we are FOUND!

A few of God's thoughts on the amazingness of adoption:
-"Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bring your children from the east, and gather you from the west...bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth." -Isaiah 43:5-6
-"pure and lasting religion in the sight of God the Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us." -James 1:27
-"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these." Luke 18:16