STUFF

We recently renewed our Sams Club membership because our boys are starting to eat like horses (and they're only 6, 8, and 10!  Please help us, God!)  So, yesterday Selah and I went to check it out...and spent just under our monthly budget--the entire thing--in a pop.  Yikes.  I guess I have some figurin' to do!

Okay, that's not the point (although I guess that could be a point).  The point is that in making room for the bulk stuff, I went down to the basement to clear a shelf...and can I just say that my basement is PA-THETIC?!?  Truly, completely pathetic.  Have you ever had a secret desire that there would be a house fire so you could just clear all the clutter from your life and not think about it?  Yeah, I've been having those thoughts a lot lately.

Please don't call the authorities because I don't have a plan in place to become an arsonist (which would tell you I'm not really serious about it), but OH, THE STUFF!!!

I HATE IT.

The worst thing?  We take goodwill/Salvation Army runs or have a garage sale Every. Single. Year.  Please, God, make it stop.  No more.  I'm really, really serious that I'm going to give away the bulk of my clothes this summer at the garage sale we're doing for Awake and Alive.  And lots more stuff, too.

I mean it!!!

Feel free to follow suit.  In fact, Jolene and I had an idea.  What if people had garage sales this summer on their own and then donated the proceeds to starting the school in Ethiopia or sponsoring a child for a year.  Would that not be AWESOME!??!  Redemption from the crap. 

Man, summer can't come soon enough...

Kisses from Katie

Wow, it's been a really long time.  I started working (for money, that is ;) in December and my free time meter went down so drastically, there's little time for freelance writing!  But, as I sat here and stole a few moments to read Kisses from Katie my heart was resounding so strongly that I had to jump on and write an excerpt.  PLEASE read this book!!  And in case you didn't know, by ordering it from christianbooksbibles.com and putting Awake&Alive as the promo code, you get free shipping for orders of $25 or more and Awake and Alive raises more money to start the school for children in Kechene, Ethiopia.

Many times, as I looked at the candle illuminating my room on those dark and sometimes lonely nights, He reminded me that I could light candles in the hearts of others as long as I let Him fill my heart first.  He reminded me that I was indeed the light of the world and I was to shine before those around me so that they would glorify Him (see Matthew 5:14).  In the soft glow of candlelight one black night in my room, I opened my journal and began to write:  My candle is lit; I am on fire for God, for this place, for these people.  My purpose here is to spread His light.  One candle can light up my entire room.  Jesus can light up this entire nation, and my flame can be a part of that.  I am blown away that my Gd, who could do this all by Himself, would choose to let me be a little part of it.

This is my heart's cry, as I imagine it's countless others' as well.  May we all be strong and courageous in order to put this cry into action, by the grace of God!!

September and October...where is the fall going?!?

This past weekend, Awake and Alive had an amazing fundraiser at Fruit Hills Orchard and Winery complete with a chocolate fountain.  The kids are REALLY enjoying all the leftover chocolate.  In fact, fruit and bread dipped in chocolate sounds like a pretty good supper tonight, don't you think?!

Sorry for the gore, but it is almost Halloween :)  Owen is thrilled to be like his older brothers and finally lose one of his two "big" teeth.  I'm not sure this one was ready to go yet, but he was determined!

My precious college roommate Brooke (also a consortium student during our semester abroad in Kenya) drove all the way from Grand Rapids with orchard apples and her fancy applesauce maker (I'm sure that's not really what it's called) just to help me make freezer applesauce.  It was so productive (as you can see!) and SOOO much more fun.  I can understand how doing things in groups/pairs of women can make ALL the difference--even when working.

 

Owen tried baseball for the first time this fall and did a great job!  It's called Fall Ball and it's much more laid back, so all 3 boys practiced and played together.  While soccer seems to be where Owen naturally shines (notice the shoes), he loved the chance to do what the big boys were doing.

In early September (I know, I'm a bit behind) the Vagnoni family organized a huge weekend get-together with fellow America World Adoption families near Chicago.  It was wonderful to meet new people and see so many beautiful Ethiopian children.  Selah and the boys had a lot of fun, too.

 

Yes, I did go all the way back to the first day of school and yes, Braden getting on the bus at 6:45 a.m. deterred us from getting pictures before school started, but these were just too cute not to post somewhere~  Usually, I think Owen is more of a combination between Kole and Braden (which he is), but above, MAN!  K, O, and Karl look SO much alike!

Another thing I didn't really blog about in the last several months: We got our first dog, Mia Mae for all the kids' birthdays in May.  From the beginning, she didn't eat well.  But she was so sweet and friendly.  But less "puppy-like" than we would have guessed.  She spent two wonderful months with us, but then we learned heart-breaking news: Mia Mae had been born with liver disease which was causing her issues with eating, most probably, not being able to learn to be potty-trained, and her stomach started getting bigger and bigger (because fluid was really starting to build up).  After lots of tests (money!), we discovered that there was no other option for us--she would need to be put to sleep :(  You can imagine the heartbreak this caused.  The breeder has agreed to give us a new puppy, but that probably won't happen until next May or later, so we just wait until then.  We will always remember our precious first puppy--little Mia Mae.

So, there you have it.  Life is full.  Ups and downs.  Easy times and difficult ones.  But God has been teaching me in this season more than ever about PRAYER and BEING THANKFUL....because whether we know it or not, we all need Jesus, and we all have a lot to be thankful for!

P.S.  As a TOTAL sidenote--Awake and Alive is planning our first mission trip for the launch of the school in Kechene, Ethiopia September 8-15, 2012.  If you are interested, please contact us at info@awakeandalive.org.

Awake and Alive is officially in cyberspace!

What an amazing first day in cyberspace for Awake & Alive!! It has been incredible to put what has been on our hearts for so long out there for the world to see and see people respond!! 100 "likes" in less than 24 hours on facebook is better than we could have hoped. God is so good!!! As you can see from all the exclamation points, I'm ecstatic and a little too distracted (since I should be lesson planning right now). But I just had to tell you what was going on in case you didn't know. Go see for yourself at www.awakeandalive.org and then you can go to facebook and "like" the Awake & Alive page for a chance to win a free t-shirt on Monday morning.

Thanks for sharing in our joy! I can't wait to see what Awake & Alive is able to do for Africans in need both here in the United States and in Africa. EPH. 3:20!!!