Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Gifts, seatbelts, and nicknames

Where to begin today?

On the way to work this morning, I was cruising in the gate to go to work (we have to enter a police guarded gate to get on post) and the policeman (or security officer) who usually looks at my id and lets me go onward to work says, "Do you have your seatbelt on?"...and I said, "Umm, no, I"m so sorry!" I thought he was going to give me a ticket right there.  But it made me think.  Why don't I? Why do I never buckle up when I am alone?

It really made me feel bad. Why did it hit me today when ALL THE TIME my friends and hubby bug me to death about it? I just ignore them.. Why do I wear my seatbelt when kids are in the car but not when I'm alone? Do I not value myself when I am alone? Am I just super lazy? I don't know?! THe rest of the day today, I have worn a seatbelt... :) So, thanks Mr.Policeman, for being a part of my safety today.
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Speaking of Hubby....on Valentines Day Brandon came to my classroom to bring me some flowers and pieces of chocolate (not in a heartshape box, way to be NON cliche, hubs), and as we walked into the classroom, I said, "Hey Hubby!!!". One of my sweet girls said, "Mrs.Whitis, why did you tell us you called him hubby?". I just ignored her and kept moving. Later she said, "Mrs.Whitis, I can't believe that you never told us your secret!"...."We know your secret!!". I asked her what she meant and she said, "YOu call your husband HUBBY!!". She thought that was SO FUNNy and kept asking why I didn't tell her earlier that I had a secret name for him. Then other kids came out with the same secrets that their parents had... :) I love second graders!
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Then there is the part that I MUST share.
The gift that we were given this weekend
My midwife from my pregnancy with Briar, and my dear friend Melissa threw a 50th birthday WEEKEND celebration.  I was honored when she said she wanted to support Briar's brother by having me come out to take some pictures.  She was an incredible organizer, very intentional and real...inviting her very best friends who inspired her most in the last 50 years...I felt out of place to be around such amazingly wise and sweet women.  I don't have much to offer these ladies. But I had plenty to soak in.  And that I did.

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For some reason, for the last several weeks, when I upload pictures to FLICKR, it won't let me post them as large on the blog.  I am going to have to look into that and fix that problem!!

So Melissa organized an a auction among her 12 friends, who all brought something to offer to the rest of the people to bid on.  To give you a vision of how it went...a plate of brownies went for $40 or more... :)  In the packet that Melissa gave me, it said that the money would go to a good cause of their choice.

At the end of the auction, I was looking through pictures and enjoying being among these ladies.  Suddenly, as they are throwing out ideas of where to give this  money, Melissa says, "Well, I think we should give this money to Briar's brother".  It popped my head up in the air in a moment of confusion and shock.  I thought that this was a split second thought.  As I looked around the room and saw the sighs of recognition and the smiles on the faces of these women...I KNEW that this was a secret, pre-meditated SURPRISE.   At that moment, all those little tiny pieces fell into place. That is why several ladies asked me if "I was the one adopting" when I arrived.  Some of them asked me about, "the baby I lost and the baby I'm getting.."  These ladies didn't know me, so this seemed a little odd.  It was just one of those moments where I felt so conspired against, in an AMAZING way.

And I knew that Briar's brother was almost $1000 closer to coming home.  This group of incredible ladies had just blessed me not only with their amazing company, but with an INCREDIBLE GIFT.  I am so excited to share that God continues to PROVIDE in HUGE ways.  Even when other areas of the adoption are proving to be very frustrating and S..L...O....W.....the fundraising aspect seems like God's way of continuing to whisper to us, "don't give up"...."don't be discouraged"...."keep moving"....

These women truly share these values, what the bible asks us to do...to GIVE freely.  To care for the orphans..
It really just blessed my heart.
I was so excited to get in the car and call Brandon.  He couldn't believe it either!


Deuteronomy 16:17Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you.
1 Chronicles 29:9
Then the people rejoiced because they had offered so willingly, for they made their offering to the Lord with a whole heart, and King David also rejoiced greatly"



Tune in tomorrow for some photo updates on pricing and timing! :) 

Happy WEDNESDAY to you!!



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10 comments:

  1. What an amazing gift! So glad you were surprised by such wonderful folks!

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  2. What a sweet story! Just think how fun it's going to be to share all of these stories with your little man, to help him understand how God worked to bring him home. Awesome.

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  3. That is so sweet. What amazing women!!!

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  4. That gave me chills!! Come on home, Briar's brother :) We're all waiting for you!

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  5. This made me cry. Such amazing women you are XXOO

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  6. 1st-happy am I when it's a day that I get to sit and read your blog. 2nd-awesome gift from Melissa & friends-awesome. :) 3rd-Lordy woman!! Wear your seatbelt!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) :)

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  7. My eyes started sweating reading this post. God is so good!

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