Kung Fu Panda 2

A quick warning for any of my adoption friends thinking about going to see the new Kung Fu Panda movie---the movie is great, but be warned, it is full of adoption issues.

We went to see it without reading reviews and were blindsided by the adoption content. I was intermittently irritated, crying, angry and excited with the presentation of adoption.

The movie was very fun to watch and setting aside issues with Chin*se mysticism and finding 'inner peace', which we use as tools to have good discussions with our children.

I should have been more diligent though with the adoption part.

The kids loved the movie, but I must say, that we saw the movie on Saturday and I can tell that Caleb is still processing what he saw by issues we are dealing with. Not to say it will be bad in the long run, but some prep before hand may have been helpful.

This site has a good review of the movie---It does have spoiler content, but I think it would be helpful to prep our special treasures before hand.

I find it interesting that I had heard nothing about this content before from the adoption circles. So here you are.

Hopefully this will help you enjoy the movie and start some conversations with your treasures.

What a week for Erinn!

Erinn was awarded AAUW anthropology student of the year at SOU!

What an amazing accomplishment.

We also celebrated her 22nd birthday at home and with friends.

And we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of her someone special in the next few weeks:)

She and David both are on the home drive to their degrees, which will be awarded on June 11!

Yahoo!!!

Mother's Day Treat!

Erinn gave me a fun Mother's Day surprise last week.

She got all my family together to make me a cake:)

You gotta love David's intensity!

So intense, he even pushed Hannah out of the way---not really!

Caleb learning intensity!

Thanks Erinn, I had the most fun watching you all work on it together!

I also got some new plants, jewelry, and shirts.

Fun day with my family.

Why the Silence?

It has been a month since I posted, and in the couple of months before that I was only posting family major moments.

Why?

Because I needed some time to.....

I choose not to blog during my journey for many reasons, but it is best said that God has been doing a work in my heart that has taken me deep.

A friend described it like: getting a bad cut on your leg. You get treatment. It looks to be healing, so you put off your return appointment. Soon it looks almost better besides one small black spot that is almost gone. You finally make that check-up appointment and the doctor cancels all his appointments for the day! He must cut open your leg and laboriously remove all the infection that has set in and is threatening to take your life!

It takes deep cleansing work to clean out the gunk that we either by choice or lack of knowledge do not remove upon its arrival.

So, by God's amazing grace, I chose.......

I asked and He is good to answer.

My journey has been difficult, but good.

I have learned more about myself: my fears, my wrong thinking!

I have walked through......

God has done a good work!

I am still a work in progress--Praise God!

I am working diligently.

As a friend said, "NO STINKIN THINKIN!"

I am working on daily reminding myself who I am in Him......

Amazing that our Lord loves us so much He will not allow us to continue in our sin
(wrong thinking), but will use what He need to conform us to the image of His Son.

When I started this journey all I wanted was to have the pain over with.

But I am learning to trust God in the pain.

I am learning to find peace in God in the pain.

Rather than the trial being the focus, God has become my focus in a new way.

And I know with total conviction.....

My trials are to change me more into the image of Christ and I can cling to the goodness of God in my pain.

So where does this leave me?

A sinner just like you, being changed daily into the image of Jesus.

Though there may be pain in the journey, God is faithful--I Cor. 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and GOD IS FAITHFUL, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

I AM thankful for this journey.

I AM praising God that He does not leave me as I am.

I AM thankful for my family and friends who have walked with me on this journey.

I AM thankful for His Word that NEVER fails.

I AM thankful that God has a plan for me.

I AM thankful for His love that NEVER fails.

So I will be changing my header verse to:
Philippians 4:4-9
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. and the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.