~*Happy Birthday J.J.*~

It has been such an honor to parent this amazing this young man! He went and turned ten on me!

J.J. has a HUGE heart. 

He adores his siblings...especially the little ones.

J.J. in red holding Donosaur

His love language is service. 

His favorite sports are soccer and basketball.
 

The 103* Day of Basketball!

His best friend is his sister.

The one person in life he likes to pick on the most is the same sister! 

He is a joy to be around and he is my right hand man around here!

I cannot believe this young man is 10...wow!!!

Love you J.J., you are such an amazing blessing!

Ephesians 1:3

 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.        

~*Testimony Tuesday- May 13th*~

 If you would like to share your testimony please contact me {here}.

This weeks Testimony is shared by my sweet friend, Lorraine. She has been our biggest prayer warrior, friend and supporter throughout this long adoption journey! Seeing my children snuggled up in the afghan she made for us makes the whole thing come full circle. That blanket was prayed over for the many hours it took her to make and they are literally surrounded, now, by her words and the warmth of her heart!


Lorraine Szontagh's Testimony: 

I grew up having heard about God and the importance of going to church on Sunday. I attended Catholic school and church but did not know God. I remember when I was in the 3rd grade I was very curious. I asked one of the teachers why Jesus had to die on a cross. I remember exactly what she told me, "To open the gates of heaven." I had no clue of what that meant and was too embarrassed to ask any other questions, but that question and semi-answer stayed with me and bothered me. I had so many questions but no answers were coming. I remember thinking maybe i needed to find a religion that would answer my questions. Fast forward to high school. When I was a senior, I took a World Religions Class. That really piqued my curiosity. For Lent that year, I decided to read the New Testament. I also enlisted in the Navy.
 

Reading the New Testament was interesting. I didn't really understand much other than the stories about the life of Jesus. I kept at it though. At the same time, I got an assignment in my religions class to write a report about a religion other than my own. My best friends went to a Baptist church. I figured that would do so I went there a few times to do research. I got a feeling that there was something happening there that I needed. Also, time to ship out with the Navy was rapidly approaching. I have struggled with panic attacks all of my life. As it was getting closer to time to leave, my panic was getting worse. At that time, I had no idea what it was, I just figured I was "crazy".

But crazy or not, I knew there was no way I could survive this. I started praying. I told God that if He was real, He needed to get me out of this impossible situation - one cannot just un-enlist. Well, God used my temper. My dad told me to clean the cat's litter box and I stamped my foot and yelled at him; I stamped my foot right down a flight of stairs and messed up my ankle. When i reported that to the Navy office along with the fact that it was healing very slowly, they told me that due to the fact that I was a female, they would have to discharge me. If I had been a male, they would have put me into a holding company. Impossible situation taken care of!

Slowly I came to a saving knowledge of Christ. I learned not only about Him but learned to know Him. I realized my need of a Savior.

I wish I could say that I have never doubted again, but I am weak. I am a human! In June 2001, I miscarried for the second, possibly third time. I was devastated. One Sunday, I was sitting home alone while my family was at church. I was trying to pray. I was trying to read the Bible. I couldn't feel anything but pain and loneliness and emptiness. WHY??

God showed me something that I need to keep remembering. In John chapter 11, I read the account of Jesus raising his friend, Lazarus, from the dead. Jesus knew Lazarus was ill and he DELIBERATELY took His time going and LET Lazarus die. He was going to go there and raise him and He knew it. When He arrived, He met with the family and friends and saw their pain and I believe, a bit of anger; certainly a lot of not understanding why. At that point, knowing fully what He was going to do, Jesus wept. He did not weep because Lazarus was dead, I believe He wept because His friends were so so sad and confused. He wept, because He felt their pain. In the same way, He knows how we feel, how we hurt.

God allows things to happen; things we don't always like or understand, but He is not unfeeling in it. I believe He still hurts when we do.

 Matthew 24:14

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

~*Motivation Monday*~

How was your Mother's Day? Did you eat way too much food? 

In my last post {on Friday} I gave you the previous weeks total mileage...

And this past week I ran/walked 9 miles!

I lost a total of 6.5lbs!

 
That's what I call my fat...fluff. Its on its way OUT and GONE!

What is your plan for the week?

~*Bloglovin*~

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I've switched to Bloglovin and I gots to tell yas I'm lovin' it!

~*Mothers Day Weekend*~

I won't get all philosophical on ya'll...

I'll keep it simple and simply say Happy Mother's Day to all you Mother's out there!

I think of the three birth mothers who chose life and allowed us the blessing of raising these sweet children. 

I think of my Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmothers (who I dearly miss), Mother-in-Law, and my husbands Grandmothers (who we, also, dearly miss).

I am so incredibly blessed to parent these amazing children....

Dude, I still can't fathom that I have **7** kiddos!

 

Somebody pinch me!

 Oh wait...that just happened and it didn't end very well...no one said this parenting hurting children would be easy stuff, that's for sure.    

  Proverbs 4:3

For I too was a son to my father,
    still tender, and cherished by my mother.

Psalm 113:9

He settles the childless woman in her home
    as a happy mother of children. Praise the Lord.

Psalm 139:13

For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

  

~*Motivation Monday...except its Friday...night*~

I meant to update the totals for first week of the Joggermom Marathon, which I mentioned {here}. 

Total for the first week was 4.7 miles...I had another 1.3 miles that won't count because my Garmin died before I got back! On Monday I will post this weeks total.

I'm drooling over a few things over at Runningskirts.

I have this cutie (in light pink) but its too big (nice problem to have) and I have to safety pin it and hold it up with one hand while running!

 So, I'm really interested in this skirt, which is longer and more modest. 

   

How adorable is this ruffle tank?

What do you workout in? Are you loyal to a specific brand or style?

~*Ode to Iced Coffee*~

Ode to Iced Coffee

(By: Jolene O'Dell)

 

Your dark roasty richness

Frothy milky goodness

Icy mound of sweetness

Topped with sweet chocolatness

Sipped down to nothingness!

  

Can I get an *amen*?