update on all manner of things

First, I so appreciate any of you who have been praying for Amelia.  They should be home now, which means Amelia is in the hospital.  Adeye at No Greater Joy Mom posted an update here, and I will add to this post once I hear something definitive. 

On a side note, it has been so fun to see updates from three different blogs on my sidebar--so beautiful to see how the blog village has linked mamas from different parts of the United States (none of them live near eachother IRL; I don't even think they live in the same states) to lift up and support and encourage one another in their adoptive journeys.  Adeye, Susanna, Shelly, Julia, and Eliz. These women love each other, and are likely so thankful to have each other in their lives--and it is only possible because of the blog realm, which did not even exist 10 years ago.  I LOVE seeing technology empower the body of Christ!  God can and will use whatever He wants to do His plan, and while I have long told you how much I feel He uses the blog realm to minister to me (and to minister through me), it is so fun to see it happening so clearly, so beautifully in other womens' lives.


So, please do keep praying for Amelia and her parents, and her three other siblings who are going to be going through a hard re-settling, since they too are special needs and have been locked in empty cribs their entire lives.  I am praying especially the flesh-and-blood body of Christ steps in big time to help them however they need.

Next, I wanted to let anyone who cared know that yesterday. . . was a great day.  I think DH had a great last day--our little town was the site for one of four California Beer Festival events, and it was at a park within walking distance (which was great, since he would not be driving home, of course, and this way I did not even have to stop painting to go get him, although I would have been glad to do that too).  He is a little bit of a  beer connoisseur, and this was a rare opportunity to try small samples of lots of different beers on tap (which is how you get the best flavor, different than in a bottle), including local brews. While he was gone, I actually had the house all to myself!  So, I did get to have that few moments of laying down in a completely quiet house (on the kids' mattress, which was on the living room floor, covered with an old sheet to protect it from my painting clothes) during a painting break.  : )  Funny how that was so pleasurable!  So, it was great to get that in, and then I finished painting the ceiling and the vintage window, and I mended the torn curtain for the window (which was WAY harder than painting, let me tell you, and I am ridiculously proud of myself for doing it, since it needed to be mended for about 4 years and the kids had stuck their heads through the tear and played with it so much it was over a foot in length!  And I sat there and mended it by hand.  Ok, the result is not great--but it is good enough, and I feel like I just won a gold medal in mending. ; )

But I still have WAY too much to do before we go meet the in-laws and get the kids.  Am washing the curtains and will need to reinstall the rods and rehang them.  Washing the floor rugs, vacuuming and washing the walls and floor (still filthy from our demolition of the faux ceiling and window wall and old insulation), doing some last paint touch-up, maybe a second coat on the window, remake the beds with fresh linens and get all the furniture and stuff back into place. So, no church this morning--at least, not at a church building.  I'll be worshipping here, that's for sure! 

I was just so glad that Truth had a grip on me yesterday, so that I did not even want to spend any time dwelling on Self and feed any urges of self-pity or melancholy.  Our joy in any circumstance is entirely dependent upon our perspective.  Now, please excuse me while I joyfully (and briskly!) go attend to a few tasks.