How To Survive

I will be speaking tonight on this topic. The first 6 months of our journey in DC have taught me much. I have a new understanding of what it is to feel depression, anger, fear, and confusion all bundled up into one mass.

I have learned that when you feel this way;
1. You HAVE to turn to God's Word
2. You DO NOT give up
3. You look for opportunities to GIVE to others

And all 3 things are....

AN INTENTIONAL CHOICE
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You will make it. You will overcome.
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. Num 6:25
Somebody needs that today.

Ponderings...

I was just considering a few things today....

If we would have come back "home" anytime in the last 6 months - I would have DREADED going back to DC.

But today....as we sit in West Memphis...I even look forward to when we go "home" to DC in the coming days...

The #1 reason:

The relationships/friendships that have been formed with a group of incredible people otherwise known as the "Simon Small Group".

I still have not blogged about how I feel about "small groups". I have always been a believer in their place according to Scripture...but now....

I have 2 comments:
1. I receive equally in my Spirit between Sunday morning service and Sunday night Small Group.
2. Even if we were ever in a "place" to consider being a part of a different church in the DC metro area...we wouldn't - BECAUSE of our SMALL GROUP. Powerful thought.

Mia's first date

Now that Macy is in school, Mia got to have her very first date with Daddy by herself. So sweet!

We traded babysitting with the Oswald's recently. They kept our girls on Friday night - and Brad and I had our first date in a LONG time! Then we kept Kylee the next night so that they could go out.

These are the sleeping angels. Wore out.

Celebrating REFERRAL Day!

Mia & Kylee


March 5, 2007 was the day we were matched with Mia. We received a phone call, an email, and a picture - the day had FINALLY come and our baby had been "born"!

We celebrated this great day this year with our friends the Oswalds, who also received their referral on that day for their little girl, Kylee. It is amazing that these 2 girls were born in the same city in Yangxi, China; spent the first 8 months of their lives in the same orphanage, and now live less than 10 miles apart. We hope to have a big reunion with our entire travel group one day!








Glenda and Shauna
Mia and Kylee

Today is my birthday

OK. So today is my birthday. Any guesses?


My best gift is that I get to see my family in Arkansas this week! Wooooo!

My mom....

My mom wrote about my adoption on her blog a while back...and then referenced it this week since it is my birthday. I am so thankful for adoption. I am so thankful for God's destiny. I am overwhelmed at His grace towards me.

Here is the link to my mom's story of adopting me:
http://findingtreasureinjarsofclay.blogspot.com/2008/03/little-more-of-my-thoughts-on-adoption.html

I am the one who is blessed beyond measure to have been grafted into my family. Love them soooooo much.

Finally SNOW!

We FINALLY had some winter weather! On March 2nd we got about 8 inches of snow!

Vote NOW

I ran across Mary Beth Chapman's blog tonight (wife of Christian Musician Steven Curtis Chapman). They lost their youngest daughter, Maria, age 5, this past year in an accident. I can not imagine the this kind of loss - but I have watched such incredible love for God and strength pour from this family.

This is the first year that the GMA awards have accepted voting for artist of the year. I just cast my vote online for Steven. If ANYONE has exhibited incredible artistry combined with character - this man is the model for it.

Why don't you go vote for Him too?
http://gospelmusicchannel.com/doves

Macy's very LATE birthday

Since Macy had just started school on her birthday in January - we waited several weeks to have a party. That way she could a least know a FEW kids to invite! Even though it was late - and her friends from Huntsville could not come - she had a HUGE smile all day!

Culturally Diverse

Northern Virginia (DC metro area) is VERY culturally diverse. Wow at all of the ethnic groups and immigrants represented! Out of Macy's class I think only 2 girls have fair hair. Three girls are Ethiopian and have really interesting names... it took me over a month to say and spell her classmates names correctly!

What a wonderful experience to be gaining some new friends with such interesting backgrounds!

Brakes went out

I don't really know much about cars - but when your brakes sound like crunching metal - I figure that is NOT a good sign. Several weeks ago our brakes went from squeaking to GRINDING in about 3 days time. And of course - just the thought of how much it was going to cost to fix them was stressful!

God sent a HUGE blessing in the form of Macy's new school. Not only have they been an awesome prayer support network - but the principal of the school even put the new brakes on for us! Wow. Please pray that God will richly bless Him for blessing us!

I even took a pic of them to see if someone knows if this is normal for them to look like this.... they looked pretty chewed up and bare to me!

Angie's Surprise Box

I recently got reconnected with my long lost friend from Harmony Grove, Camden - Angie Simmons! She found out about our crazy lives...read the blog....and sent the girls an AMAZING gift box FULL of candy, clothes, love! Sniff..... What a wonderful gift not just for the girls - but for me. I haven't seen Angie in probably 16 years! Yikes that makes me sound old!

Yay for spring break!

I am so excited to be heading towards my family next week!
We will be speaking at West Memphis on March 29th and at the new church plant in Centerton on April 5th! Neither of us have spoken anywhere in the last 6 months....so beware if you r there....we may burst into flames!

Anyone excited to see these girls?! They are sooooo excited!

Stinking Hilarious!

They may be living halfway across the country from each other...but that doesn't keep Macy and her friend Raegan from playing together! They have Skyped (video conferencing) with each other several times and it is STINKING HILARIOUS!

They will both get their newest toys and show each other on the cameras.....make faces at each other.... and the best yet - dress up and play like they are Batman and Friends! One night I was cooking dinner while they were talking - and I walked over to see what Raegan was doing (didn't hear anything....unusual....) and she had her eyes closed with her tongue hanging out.... I said, "Raegan, WHAT are you doing?" To which she opened her eyes briefly and said "Ms. Glenda, I am playing dead!" Then she returned to her "playing dead" state. I laughed until it hurt!

Missionary boot camp...

I had made the comment a few days ago that the last 6 months of our lives has been like missionary boot camp.... "Despair. Anxiety. Stress. Uncertainty. Confusion. Feeling...Lost. Waiting. Searching."

As I have thought on that throughout today....it is so complex to try and explain.

We have experienced a time of such uncertainty. Of such lostness. Of such fear. Of not knowing how we were going to pay the rent... Of not knowing "where" we were going... Of literally "feeling" the darkness trying to strangle us...

Yet - in comparison to what so many other people are facing....it seems shallow to even compare our experience as a "boot camp" of sorts. We are not starving. We do not have parasites. We are not being tortured. We are not turned out on the street.

I have been reading, "The Heavenly Man" by Chinese Christian Brother Yun. I have not paid the price that these people have. A very challenging read..

No words needed...

Washington Monument Part 2

Washington Monument

We took the girls up in the Washington Monument last week. We have driven past it countless times - but not actually taken the girls up in it yet.

A few months ago Mia started saying, "Washinging Monumen" .... "PUSH IT DOWN!" Hilarious! I mean EVERY time we would drive past it - she would shout this from the backseat! It must have looked like a big toy tower to her or something! So we had her give it a try!

March Update

>Light at the end of the tunnel. Turning a new page. Rounding a corner. A spark of new life felt within.

All terms we have used in conversations this month to describe what we are feeling.

It is as if the first 6 months of this DC journey have served as a kind of missionary boot camp. Despair. Anxiety. Stress. Uncertainty. Confusion. Feeling...Lost. Waiting. Searching.

It has certainly been an interesting season in our lives.

A visual I had today as I was praying ...."It is like God has grabbed us up and has His hands over our eyes – taking us to a “surprise”…yet we have been fighting and kicking all the way b/c we want to “SEE”! Now we are resting in His embrace…..just waiting to see what He has for us."

I still don’t like not being able to “see” as we wait….but that is part of the journey! I know I will look back at some point and thank God for every scrap of uncertainty we have felt these last 6 months.

On March 4th - Brad and I both "felt" something in our spirits. We felt that "spark" of life....that change was coming...that we were rounding a corner to this season in our lives.... Only later did we realize that March 4 marks 6 months to the day that we moved to DC. Maybe coincidence. Maybe significant. The first half of this year is over with. And we are eagerly looking forward to what God has before us...

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Also, the house in DC was rented out on Tuesday, March 3. Thank God for answering this prayer! Our small group prayed specifically with us about this on March 1st. Thank you ALL for praying. God has answered this pressing neeed! Our lease is now resolved!
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Since I have been so late in posting our update this month - I hope to have a snippet a day posted for the rest of the month! March Madness!