People of Hope

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but today this picture needs some words with it.  Words of praise and adoration to my King who saw my path well before I did and brought me to this picture today.  

Christmas 2013 - I was decorating the house for Christmas and hanging my stockings.  My family had been in the adoption process for over a year.  At this time we were adopting from The Congo.  I don't know if you've ever had this happen, but there have been moments in my life where I have "heard from God" - now maybe I didn't hear an audible voice this day, but I felt such a clear impression on my heart, a whisper as I hung my families stockings.  I knew with everything in me that the Lord whispered enjoy this Christmas with 5 stockings because I would never have so few stockings on my mantel again.  These stockings hanging throughout the Christmas season were a sweet reminder of God's promise for our adoption.  I told my husband and 2 friends of God's promise from that day.  I told them in part because I felt crazy and in part because I was anxiously waiting to see this promise fulfilled and wanted to be able to rejoice with them when His words became reality.  

And then we heard the news - Congo had shut down their adoption process, no exit visas were being given and the adoption agency we were adopting with was shutting down.  The next few days were a blur of mourning and pouring our hearts out to the Lord, moments of deep grief and moments of anger.  I remember crying out to Him saying "Lord, you told me I would have more stockings by next Christmas and there is NO WAY we can start another adoption process and have them home by next Christmas" . . . little did I know.

Hope was hard, tiny, and quivering daily.   I clung to His word in these days!

Psalm 31: 24

Be of good courage, 

and he shall strengthen your heart, 

all you who hope in the Lord

Psalm 71: 14 - 16

But I will hope continually, 

and will praise You yet more and more.  

My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and your salvation all the day, 

for I do not know their limits.  

I will go in the strength of the Lord God; 

I will make mention of Your righteousness, 

of Yours only.

Psalm 119:  49 - 50

Remember the word to your servant, 

upon which You have caused me to hope.  

This is my comfort in my affliction, 

for Your word has given me life.  

I could list hundreds more verses, especially from the Psalm.  I poured my soul in them constantly and He quickly brought me comfort.  After a few weeks of seeking the Lord, my husband and I still felt like the Lord was calling us to trust Him and push forward with the adoption process.  I won't go into all the details of the adoption right now (I could write a book on that!) but I will say that the Lord gave us very clear direction that He had our children already hand picked for us in another country.  

We started the adoption process in Guyana and I clung to the fact that the Lord had told me my home would be filled with more children by Christmas.  In truth I felt crazy, overseas adoptions never happen in less than a year.  I knew by human standards this was impossible, but still I continued to hope.  It was small pathetic hope many days, questions of "God, did I hear you right?" were prayed more times than I would like to admit.  

Isn't this the essence of hope?  Hope by definition is the expectation of something to happen.  Ann Voskamp says it best "Sometimes believing in a miracle feels a little like living in a mirage.  You can feel like a fool, walking around with your pitcher" My hope felt crazy, unseen children in an unknown country and my home filled with these children by Christmas.  Still I clung to this hope, somedays it is all that pulled me through as I army crawled through the day - just one more paper to fill out, one more signature to be notarized, one more check to be mailed all with waiting expectation.

And true to my Savior, He kept His promise to me.  My home is filled with my babies, I do not have 5 stockings hanging on my mantel this year.  Instead this beautiful Christmas I had the humble honor and privilege to hang 7 stockings on my mantel.  Tears sting my eyes daily as I look on those stockings and remember His words of last year, remember His whisper to my heart.    In typical - God's going to show His power, no human standards are going to confine or hold Him back - we were able to bring home our children not by Christmas or even Thanksgiving,  but before Halloween!!!  Can I get an AMEN!?!  

We serve a God who is the author of Hope, it is the heartbeat of our faith.  The Old Testament is filled with the Hope of the coming Jesus.  The New Testament is filled with the Hope of His return.  We are and should be defined as Hope people.  Let this be our definition our character the sum up of who we are - People of Hope!

In His Love,

Jenny

My Who's

Hi Friends,
Well, blogging hasn't happened in a while!  We've been a little busy - became a mom again for the 4th and 5th time!  We are loving life with 5 kids.  Miles and Kallie have added so much joy, laughter, noise, and fun to our family!  I've had several blogs I want to write on our adoption story but there is one I just couldn't wait to write anymore.  So if you will all bear with me as I share a few adoption stories in the coming weeks - some things are just to good to not share!

My family (husband and 3 biological children) headed to Guyana (South America) to adopt Miles and Kallie (siblings)  We stayed in a furnished apartment.  Guyana is hot/humid and there is not much to do there (like really - there is nothing to do there!)  so our days were filled with homeschooling (yep, perks of homeschooling you can do it anywhere), swimming in the pool, and in the evening we would all cuddle up and watch a movie.

One night the kids wanted to watch Horton Hears a Who - I love this book, I've loved this book for a long time.  Last summer we spent a week in Tahoe with my husband's family and visited a traveling Dr. Seuss museum that included his rare hats.  Super fun trip and we learned some really neat stuff about Dr. Seuss.  There were rare paintings he had never planned on releasing to the general public and the stories they told about his work was wonderful.  But the explanation for Horton Hears a Who I will never forget - they told us that Dr. Seuss wrote Horton Hears a Who against abortion.  I researched this and there are conflicting reports as for whether he actually wrote it for this purpose or not, but it sure made the book stand out to me in a whole new way.

For those of you who have never read Horton Hears a Who the general story is that a large elephant hears a noise on a flower that has a speck on it.  The tiny speck has the entire town of Who-ville living on it.  Horton and his enormous ears are able to hear the town and he promises to take them to a place of safety.  Horton has a great quote "a person is a person no matter how small" and he goes through all sorts of teasing and weather and perils to finally put the speck in a safe place so the town of Who-ville can survive.

Now back to my story (sorry totally derailed) . . .  my kids decide to watch Horton Hears a Who one night while in Guyana.  I'm cuddling up with Kallie on the couch watching this super funny movie and the Lord so sweetly spoke to me.  He reminded me of all the times I was back in America feeling crazy because my heart and my arms were breaking for my babies in Guyana that I couldn't get to quick enough.

Adoption is hard, it isn't like when you are pregnant with a child and everyone knows you are expecting because - well. . . it's obvious by that cute little basketball under your shirt and the jar of pickles in your hand!!!  When you are "expecting" with adoption no one knows and you want to shout it from rooftop.  Every time you buy a piece of clothing or their beds or their toothbrushes you just feel like a crazy lady and end up telling the checker at Target all about the kids you are adopting only to have them look back at you like a deer in headlights wondering why on earth I had to get in their lane.  Oh yeah friends, lived this out more humiliating times than I should have.  Yes, I have some super amazing stories where when I couldn't contain myself and started sharing with strangers about the children I didn't have and they were equally as excited with me - one in fact has become a friend because she just had to know when we were bringing our kids home and has been praying for me ever since!  But there are plenty of times I shared and people just confirmed the craziness I was feeling by the look on their face.  It's hard - adoption is so hard!

I also can't say enough thanks to those who followed up constantly on where we were in the process - why?  Because though most days I had nothing new to report it made Miles and Kallie feel real, it made me not feel so crazy, and you so constantly reminded me of the faithfulness of our Savior.  You see like Horton - we had a speck in Guyana.   2 beautiful children - "my Who's" that no one knew existed, that no one knew needed help and home and mom and dad.  Yet somehow by the grace of God, He put us in the exact right place at the right time so we heard "our Who's" tiny cries, their longing for a family, their need for safety and protection and love.

I sat on the couch that night watching Horton Hears a Who and sobbed and sobbed.  I was living the real life Horton Hears a Who!   We serve a God who also says "A person is a person no matter how small" and He heard them and brought us together.  I had "my Who's" finally safe on my lap cuddling watching a movie and it was all too much for my heart.  Too much amazement at the goodness of God, too much gratefulness that He chose me to be their mom, too much love for "my Who's" and it was simply a night I needed to share with you.

Friends, I don't know where you are at in life right now, but I do know that we serve a God who hears our cries - ALL of them.  From the smallest child to the greatest it makes no difference.  I just want you to know as you read this your Father hears you.



In His Love,
Jenny

(cuddling watching the movie in Guyana!)

Blogging with Molly Green

Hi all,
So along with my personal blog here I also blog for a great magazine called Molly Green.  Check out this homeschool blog I wrote for Molly Green!

http://mollygreen.com/blog/homeschooling-around-the-world-america/

"Vacation Mode"

Our long awaited news has finally arrived and we will traveling in less than 2 weeks to bring home our son and daughter.  I will post much in coming weeks, but for now I just simply need to let you know that The Vintage Burlap Barn Etsy Store will be in "vacation mode" until we return to the states.  

The store will be in "vacation mode" starting September 15th, so if you have been wanting to place an order please do so ASAP!  Thank you so much!

In His Love,

Jenny

Mom = Hard Work

Hi Friends and Mommies,
I sit writing with a "to-do" list that is longer than Niagara Falls todays, floors that need to be mopped, a side dish for a bbq tonight that I haven't made - let alone planned, a husband who is fighting a cold, and kids who need some squeezes, love, and direction today.  

I don't write any of this to bore you with my life, but simply to say it's a lot.  This job of wife, mom, homemaker, homeschool teacher, and daughter of Christ is a lot to carry.  It takes work - exhaustive work at times and in truth it is should take a lot of work and energy. This job we are called to is not for the faint of heart.  When we read about the Proverbs 31 woman this is not a passive, laid back, unorganized woman.  No, this woman wakes up with a plan ready to fight for her day, her home and her family.  I love this woman - though I fail miserably at what she does with ease (maybe someday it will come a little easier!?!)  

But my favorite part of Proverbs 31 is the very end - 
Proverbs 31:31 
Give her the fruits of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates.  

Friends, right now we are in the thick of work, maybe it's diapers and baby food, maybe it's toddlers and temper tantrums, maybe it's teen attitudes, maybe it's a special needs child, maybe it's messy floors and sinks full of dishes.  Right now it is work, but make no mistake we need to focus on the end goal!  

Our works will praise us someday.  That day we see our children leave to go on a missions trip, the day our babies walk down the isle having chosen a Godly spouse, our children walking with Jesus, and GRAND BABIES - these will be our rewards someday.  We do not work tirelessly day in and day out for today or even next month.  No friends, we are building a legacy, a heritage, and an eternity.  Do not grow weary in doing good.  Push hard and rely not on your own strength, but on His - for it is only in His strength that we will ever be able to keep our head above water.  

Love you friends,
Jenny
vintageburlapbarn@yahoo.com

Delicious Sliders - Bulk Cooking

I'm a huge bulk cooker, if I'm going to make a mess in my kitchen better to make the mess once and have enough food to last a while!  One of my kids favorite recipes are my slider burgers.  These take little time and freeze great.  I also love them because they make a quick meal for when you've got a packed schedule.  Here is the recipe!

Ingredients: 

• 3 pounds of Ground Beef 

• 1 cup of cooked rice or cooked quinoa

• 1 white onion chopped fine

• 2 Tbs. garlic salt

• Sliced Cheddar Cheese (or whatever cheese your family likes best)

• 2 - 24 packs of hawaiian sweet rolls

DIRECTIONS: 

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees

• Mix all ingredients together

• Split mixed ingredients in 2 - 9 x 13 glass pans

• Cover pans with tin foil

• Bake for 30 minutes

• Remove foil and place sliced cheese over cooked meat

• Let the sliders cool a few minutes while the cheese melts

• Now comes the brilliant part!  Open your hawaiian sweet rolls (can I say YUM!).  Take them out of the package still connected together, and slice the rolls in half horizontally.  Take the sliders from the 9x13 pan, and set the entire patty on top of the bottom slice of sweet rolls.  Put the tops of the sweet rolls on top of the sliders.  Using a knife cut along the sweet rolls lines!

• Top with burger toppings of your choice.  My kids are pretty simple, they like pickles and ketchup!

• Freeze the leftovers for another meal!

Homemade Pancakes

Hi Friends,
Hope you are having a great week!  Today I'm talking pancakes!  We love making pancakes, and specifically pancakes for dinner on Sunday night!  

I make my pancakes from scratch, which sounds more fancy then it is!  Pancake mixes from the store are packed full of too many ingredients and yucky chemical and that you don't want to be feeding your family.  Just look at the list of ingredients listed on your box, if you don't recognize them you shouldn't be eating them!  Homemade pancakes are simple and full of basic yummy ingredients!  

However, I do love the convenience of store bought pancake mix.  To solve this problem, I premix my dry ingredients for pancakes and put them in a large glass container.  Then when I'm ready to make pancakes all I have to do is add eggs, butter, vanilla, and milk or water.  This pancake recipe is delicious and a favorite for my family!  

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of flour (you can use any flour: white, whole wheat, or whatever you prefer.  I do a mix of half and half)

• 7 tsp baking powder

• 2 tsp salt

• 2 tbs white sugar

• 3 cups of milk or water 

• 2 eggs

• 6 tbs melted butter

• 2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

• Mix all dry ingredients together

• Add wet ingredients

• Mix well

• Cook on griddle or frying pan, I use this recipe in my waffle maker too!
• If you want to pre-make pancake mix simply add 3 1/4 cups of pancake mix to the wet ingredients for perfect pancakes every time!  

• Extras: We love to add in extras to this recipe - chocolate chips and blueberries are my families favorites to add to this recipe.  I simply add the berries or chocolate chips directly to the pancake on the griddle.  

• Freeze:  These pancakes freeze great too!  They can be reheated in the toaster oven or on the griddle.