Tuesday, October 27, 2009

New Book to Get Excited About...

He Is Just That Into You from Julie Salzmann on Vimeo.

Did I mention this is one of my very best friends?!

A Big, Big Love

Just the other day Sitota said to me, "Mommy, you are my best, best friend and I love you so so much, even bigger than God!". Wow. How completely theologically incorrect, but how completely sweet and wonderful to hear. And to think I would have missed this if we ignored God's call to adopt. To think that Sitota would have no mother to love and no mother to love her, if we didn't obey.

Friday, October 23, 2009

I LOVE Sara Groves

So, so excited about this from my favorite artist.

If you are a woman following God who sometimes falls and then gets back up again, you will love this.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Feelin' Fine

Well, friends, it has been a LONG 10 days, but the Solgos clan is finally feeling better. It feels so good to be healthy again!

Don't you love that time after you are sick and you see the blessings in your life so much clearer? I find myself thanking God for everything- thank you God for my lavender scented dish soap, thank you that we have a water to bathe our children, thank you for our warm home.

I hope my attitude lasts once we return to the normal pace of life around here. I'm glad we are entering the season of Thanksgiving- I have so much to thanksgiving to do!

PS- Carter got his hearing aids and looks cute as a button. He is doing well with them as long as we don't make it a big deal out of it. Hopefully I can get a picture of him on here soon so you can see how cute he is!!! I am also giving thanks that Carter can hear so much better now!

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Sick Day(s)

Carter has been down for the count with a flu since Tuesday. Sitota has it now, too. Mommy and Daddy seem to have a mild form coupled with exhaustion from much nighttime duty. So far, Evelea is okay. She is busy making bookmarks with her new spiro-graph kit (she is taking orders by the way).

Thought I had the energy to write about what a privilege it is to take care of my sick kids. Living in America with access to doctors, cozy beds, cough drops, tvs, etc., but I'm too tired. More later. Gotta nap.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

What Frightens Me

I love the Fall, not so much Halloween though. Seeing images of skeletons, fake blood and ghosts everywhere just goes against my "choose life" attitude. Yes, I let my kids dress-up for Halloween, but we just don't do blood and gore.

Never has my dislike of Halloween been so strong since I have developed relationships with refugee people. Imagine me trying to explain to very recent African refugees why Americans put fake cobwebs in their bushes and dangle fake skeletons and dead bodies from their trees. Imagine my horror as a refugee grandfather told me he didn't like to see that, since he has seen real dead bodies and skeletons hanging from trees in his home town.

He has experienced genocide and experiences trauma when we Americans choose to glorify death by decorating our homes with these scenes.

I don't remember Halloween being such a big deal when I was growing up. The day itself was filled with trick or treating and a Halloween party at school. Adults might attend a costume party. But I don't remember so many homes being decorated (a full month or more before Halloween!). I think I heard somewhere that Americans spend more money on Halloween than any other holiday other than Christmas. What??? It frightens me that we choose a holiday that glorifies death more than we celebrate Easter which is all about LIFE.

"I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life..." Deuteronomy 30:19b-20

Monday, October 5, 2009

Crazy Love, Crazy Me

I am reading a book called Crazy Love by Francis Chan (could someone please tell me how to underline? I know book titles should be underlined, but I still can't find the underline function.)

Anyway- LOVE THIS BOOK. I would like to shout the entire contents of Chapter 4 from the roof of our church and straight into the hearts of most American Christians. Get this:


"Lukewarm people are moved by stories about people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act. They assume such action is for "extreme" Christians, not average ones. Lukewarm people call "radical" what Jesus expected of all His followers." (Chan)
That is the kind of faith to which we are called. Radical. That is what I love about the Christian life. So many seem to think that if they become a Christ follower, their life will be boring. All the fun sucked out of life. Well, who gave the world that impression? Certainly not Jesus. If we are following hard after Christ, we will look radically different than the world.

So, what is Jesus calling you to do? Is He impressing something on your heart that seems too hard, too far out in left field? You should probably start doing that thing. Afraid you are not spiritual enough for the task? You probably aren't- but that is okay! God will supply your every need. He will not call you to do something that He will not equip you to do.

To be honest, I was scared to begin the adoption process the first time. Carter was still in the hospital when we began filling out the application for our adoption agency! I felt a bit like Noah building that ark when it had never even rained before- but when God calls you to do something, you do it, shaking knees and all.

Now, we are adopting again. I can't give too many details here, but here are a few. This will be an adoption of an older child with a special medical need from Burkina Faso (West Africa). We will be one of the first families in America to adopt from this country. We certainly didn't set out to be pioneers, but this is the path God has shown us. I'll tell the story of how Casey and I decided to adopt again in another post, because it is a cool story.

Am I scared? YES. But I trust that God is deeper and wider than all my fears.

Come, Lord Jesus. Show us the way.