The Firstbrook Five

Are you called to your comfortable neighborhood? | Missional in Suburbia

I believe this brief excerpt and the questions below from Francis Chan’s book, “Forgotten God”, force us to think long and hard about our purpose for living, why God has placed us where we live…

“It is true that God may have called you to be exactly where you are. But it’s absolutely vital to grasp that he didn’t call there to settle in and live out your life in comfort and superficial peace. His purposes are not random or arbitrary. If you are still alive on this planet, it’s because he has something for you to do. He placed us on this earth for purposes that he orchestrated long before we were born (Ephesians 2:8-10) Do you believe you exist not for your own pleasure but to help people know the love of Jesus and to come fully alive in him? If so, then that will shape how you live your life in the place where you are.” (90-91)

via missionalinsuburbia.com

Do I really believe I exist not for my own pleasure but to help people know the love of Jesus and to come fully alive in him?

Do I really believe I don't need to go all the way to China in order to boldly share the Gospel?

Do I really believe God has placed me here, in Hollister, in this neighborhood, in this church, to help people know the love of Jesus and to come fully alive in him? That I can boldly share Christ and His love with

my neighbor across the street,

with the other moms from school,

with the new family sitting across from me at church?

Lord, help me to live, not for my own pleasures, not for my own comfort, but really live in such a way that others see you and know you!

 

Sunday Snapshot - What I'm Checking Out

I'm an avid blog reader . . . I read lots and lots of them . . . every day.

I read adoption blogs, craft blogs, mom blogs, theology blogs, family blogs . . . I'm an equal-opportunity-blog reader!

I actually use Google Reader to manage all of my blog subscriptions. It's the only way for me to stay on top of everything. And let's be serious . . . I don't read every word of every single blog I subscribe to.

But I do check them out every day.

And I do get tons of inspiration.

And I wanted a way to save my favorite ideas and inspirations in one easy to access place. And that place wouldn't be my Bookmark Tab that has about 33 gazillion bookmarks already in!

And then I stumbled across tumblr. It's a great place to store all the things I read and want to remember. I just click a button and the web page I'm reading is stored on my tumblr site. Then, when I've got time to craft, or enjoy extra reading, or need some inspiration, I just head over to my tumblr and easily find what I'm looking for!

So . . . are you ready for a few snapshots of what I've been enjoying on the internet?

When I see a great quote, I add it to my tumblr:

HT: Together for Adoption

 

 

How about a recipe to try:

HT: A Southern Fairytale

 

 

I don't have much time for crafts these days . . . but I do find myself adding quite a few projects into tumblr for that "someday":

HT: Attic24

 

 

Home decor? I've got lots of ideas stored in my tumblr:

HT:Burlap + Blue

 

 

Children's Ministry ideas, inspirations, lessons . . . yup, I've got those, too:

HT: Effective Children's Ministry

 

 

Those are just a few examples of the many, many pages of my Firstbrook Finds Tumblr. I encourage you to go check it out. You can even subscribe to the RSS of the tumblr in case you want to keep track of what I'm keeping track of!

And that . . . that was just a simple Sunday Snapshot of what I'm about these days.

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This post is part of Sunday Snapshot . . . a round up of bloggers sharing Snapshots of their family, their life, and their faith. To see more Snapshots, click here:

 

Sunday Snapshot - A Case Study

I always thought I'd be the mom to three rambunctious boys. Ha! That wasn't exactly how it worked out. And good thing, 'cause now that I'm older, and um, more mature . . . me and rambunctious boys, we don't work so well together.

Instead of those three wild and crazy boys, the Lord graciously gave me three incredible, albeit incredibly different, girls. My three girls are as different as night and day.

Behold . . . a case study on their differences and (very few) similarities:

Exhibit A: Kelsey

Communication Style: Non-verbal communication preferred. Uses body language to convey thoughts and emotions. (i.e. eye rolling, heavy walking, loud breathing). Most communication done via texting and/or Facebook.

Emotional Stability: Calm, quiet, contemplative. Rarely expresses self with tears. Tends to get frustrated with younger siblings, but has ability to walk away instead of insisting on being right. (Although in her mind she is always right, she just doesn't have the need to verbalize it every time.)

Clothing Preferences: Modern, stylish, picky. She likes what she likes, and won't wear what she doesn't. Chooses clothing carefully and frugally. Would prefer to wear several favorite outfits often rather than many different outfits that she doesn't love as much.

Exhibit B: Emily

Communication Style: Verbal. All.The.Time. She loves to talk. And did I mention . . . All.The.Time.

Emotional Stability: Expressive and explosive. Incredibly sensitive and loving towards others. Likely does not have a day without tears, whether tears of joy, frustration or anger. Often found arguing with younger sibling over who is right. No ability to walk away . . . Must.Be.Right . . . All.The.Time.

Clothing Preferences: Lots of them. Skirts, skorts, sparkles. Loves choices. Loves wild. Loves hats and accessories. The more clothes the better. The more bling the better.

Exhibit C: Katie Mei

Communication Style: Excellent blend of verbal and non-verbal communication, mostly expressed as wants, desires or demands. (i.e. I want to watch TV; Can I have a snack? Turn on the light!!)

Emotional Stability: Pretty much has passive aggressive down pat. Won't budge when her way is not chosen. Will resort to tears if it means a lessening of punishment, but usually is convinced she is right and cannot be convinced otherwise.

Clothing Preferences: Believes clothes are only a necessary evil in order to be allowed to go outside. Would live in pajama's 24/7 if allowed. Most common phrase heard sometime after 1pm at our house, "Do I have to get dressed now?!"

Exhibit D: The Girls

Clearly their differences are more distinct than their similarities . . . and I wouldn't have it any other way. There is not a boring day, or even a boring moment around here with these three . . . and I wouldn't have it any other way. I love them all, for all the ways they are unique and beautiful and funny and brilliant . . . and I wouldn't have it any other way!

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This post is part of Sunday Snapshot . . . a round up of bloggers sharing Snapshots of their family, their life, and their faith. To see more Snapshots, click here:

Wedding Fun

My cousin got married recently . . . it was the first wedding we'd been to in a while.

It was nice to be together with my whole family.

The ceremony was lovely.

The bride and groom were stunning.

Fabulous food was consumed and enjoyed.

We danced and danced and danced and danced.

And then we took fabulous family pictures . . . .

Sunday Snapshot - Crazy Katie

We're constantly learning new things about Katie Mei . . . when you have a 5 year old, life is like that, you know. In fact, just when we think we've got something about that little girl figured out, she likes to change on us. She's a tricky one.

When we went to the Boardwalk recently for a certain 10-year-old Birthday, Katie was super excited to go on the rides. We figured she'd love the little kiddie rides like helicopters that go in a circle and maybe even go up and down.

Yup, she liked it alright.

After that ride she started pulling us towards the bigger (and better in her opinion) rides.

Bumper Cars?

Loved 'em. Really loved 'em when she was "bumping" into her sisters and Daddy!

Next we put her on the kiddie version of the Drop Zone . . . you know, the kind where it shoots you up high and kinda "drops" you down.

She figured it was going to be fun . . .

But once is started it was more than fun . . . it was "the best ride ever!" according to Katie!

We finished the day off at the Pirate Ship. It starts off slowly, but by the end of the ride is flinging you from side to hide, giving your tummy that little flip-flop that we now know Katie looooooves!

(Note that while Katie was having the time of her life, the now 10-year-old whose birthday we were celebrating - not too thrilled!)

Who would have thought we had an amusement-park-ride-junkie on our hands? By the end of the day, she would never agree to go on the boring helicopter ride again . . . the bigger, the faster, the higher the ride, the better!

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This post is part of the blogging series, Sunday Snapshots.

Fall into Reading - The Results

It's hard to believe - but Winter is here - the Fall just flew by! Of course, us mild weather Californians are believing it's really winter. As I type this the thermometer tells me it's in the 30's - that's super cold for me!!
I've enjoyed spending much of my time this Fall being spurred on by the goals I set in Katrina's Fall into Reading Challenge. I set some lofty goals, met most of them, read some great books, and have added many more to my wish list.

• Best book I read this Fall: I am so not good at these questions. Pretty much it seems whatever book I am currently reading is my favorite. I liked almost all the books I read - and most for very different reasons. Redeeming Love is one of the most incredible and heart wrenching works of fiction I've read. The Disciplines of Grace has transformed my daily walk with God. Disciplines of a Godly Family has added some new traditions to our family.
• The book I could have lived without: Watership Down. In fact, I did live without it. I just couldn't get into a book about bunnies. So instead of reading it, I switched to Persuasion. And I loved, loved, loved me that book!
• The best thing about joining the challenge: I am a good book starter, but not always a good book finisher. This challenge encouraged me to finish books I had started and also to start and finish books. I read books that had been sitting on my shelf for a long, long time. I'm thankful to finally have read so much of what I had been wanting to!
• Did I discover a new author or book from someone else on the list: I'll let you know in the next few days. I'm looking forward to heading over to Callapidder Days to read everyone else's results!

Now, on to the actual, brief, reviews of the books I read this Fall:

• Fields of the Fatherless was a quick read, but very important to me as an adoptive mom. Definitely showed God's heart for the fatherless and also how His transforming love can change their lives! Inspiring, encouraging, convicting.
• The Discipline of Grace had been on my shelf for a while. I had started and stopped many times. So thankful to have finally finished this important book. "Daily preaching the Gospel to myself" has transformed my spiritual walk with God. Thought provoking, life changing.
• Reading GirlTalk was just what I needed as Kelsey prepares to turn 11 next week. More than ever, I am convinced and convicted that I need to have Kelsey's heart as we enter these teen years. Helpful, practical.
• Many new traditions have been instituted since reading  Disciplines of a Godly Family. This book was full of encouragement and practical advice. I can't wait to share with you later about the Christmas morning tradition we have taken from this book. Practical, timely, full of Biblical wisdom and advice.
• I had originally intended to read Watership Down, but replaced this selection with Persuasion by Jane Austen. I have many friends who recommend her books, and I finally decided to give her a try. So glad that I did! I'm hooked. Love, love, loved this book! Funny, sweet, engaging.
• Redeeming Love came recommended by many friends. Whew. What a book. It's a retelling of the Biblical account of Hosea. This was a hard, hard read. Not because the language or style was hard, but because it didn't mince words or the realities of child abuse and prostitution. Many times I felt punched in the stomach, but boy, am I glad I persevered. Beautiful, haunting.

The next two books weren't on the original list, but I came across them and just had to read them:

• Carried Safely Home is probably the book I had hoped to write one day. Written by an adoptive mom, it chronicles the spiritual journey as well as the physical journey to their children. Beautifully done and so full of Biblical truths. Hopeful, Biblical, beautiful.
• The Copper Scroll is the fourth book in a series by Joel Rosenberg. These are fun, fast-paced books and I've enjoyed blazing through them all. They aren't raunchy, overly bloody, filled with bad language or anything of the like. Simple, fast-paced, enjoyable.

These last two books are on my original list, but I just haven't quite made it through them yet. Here's why:

• War of Words is a small book that packs a big punch. It is about getting to the heart of communication struggles by getting to your heart. It is from out of your heart that your words flow . . . so if my words aren't so pretty, then my heart must not be, either. Yikes. Ouch. Still working on it.
• Heaven by Randy Alcorn is a book I refuse to rush through. It is huge. And it is powerful. I've never studied Heaven closely, but I am about to now. I wanted to wait and read this when nothing else is pressing in close to be read. I want to savor it, learn from it, draw near to God and His glories while I'm reading. I can't wait!

So, there you have it. I read eight books this Fall - many more than I would have had I not set lofty goals. I'm so thankful to God for the written word. So many times He uses it in my life to draw me closer to Him and give me rest for my soul. I pray that while I'm busy reading, that I never forsake reading the Ultimate Words - His Words. The truth is - they are the only Words that can make lasting change, give lasting hope and bring everlasting Life!

By popular demand . . .

OK, it's cracking Ron and I up that according to the comments on the Christmas Tour of Homes post, the by-far favorite of our Christmas home and decorations is this:

Everyone wants to know where we got this cute little Christmas Card Holder. So, you really want to know? Drum roll please . . . .

Tarjey Boutique

Or in everyday language - TARGET. Good 'ol Target.

The problem is, I purchased it several years ago from Target and I haven't seen one there since. So sorry.

I did a Google search and didn't find one that way either. I did look on e-bay and found this:
Wooden Church Christmas Card Holder
It looks like there are two of them available. They are the same size and style as mine, but without the cute tin roof. $23 plus $12 shipping and handling seems kinda steep to me - but who knows - maybe it would be worth it if you really gotta have it.

OK, this Public Service Announcement is now over. Thanks everyone for the kind and fun comments, and happy hunting for an adorable Christmas Card Holder.

It's a Bloggy Christmas!

Today is the day many gals in the blog world are sharing their holiday homes . . . BooMama is hosting a Christmas Tour of Homes, and it's just so fun to see everyone's homes all decked out for the holidays and to get a peek at other's traditions.

This year our Christmas is so different because Katie is here. Finally. Last year we were overwhelmed by the thought that our daughter was still living in China. We didn't know if she was in an orphanage or being cared for by a foster mother, but we were sure that she wasn't home where she belonged. Our holiday's were overshadowed by our intense longing and our constant prayers that Katie was warm, loved, fed and cared for. It was so hard to enjoy being warm and comfortable and full and fed when we didn't know if the same things were true for our daughter. But as always, God is good - He faithfully answered those prayers and this year our holidays are filled with satisfaction and constant prayers of thankfulness.

With all of that said . . . onto the quick tour of our holiday home!

When you first enter our house you see this:

Just a couple of things to note about this picture . . . first of all, please notice the U2byU2 book under the coffee table. This is this year's present bought by Ron for himself. Seriously. Every year during the Christmas shopping season Ron can't help himself and he has to buy himself a gift - usually the gift I have been planning to buy for him. Oh well. He loves the book and I've already bought him something else! Silly guy.

Next notice the lovely couches, TV and armoire - all hand-me-down gifts from my mom's best friend. Gotta love the most incredible hand-me-downs!!

Next on the list of noticeable things, our beautiful artificial tree. We purchased it late one December night 4 years ago. This would be the night we had purchased a very nice real tree, fought for hours to get it straight in the stand, and then Kelsey came down with a headache and allergies. This was the year her allergies went berserk and it never dawned on us until it was too late that she might also be allergic to pine trees. I ran to Target at 10pm and found the best artificial tree I could. We've loved it ever since. We love it not only because no one suffers from allergies when it is in the house, but most of all because it has reduced the Christmas tree stress a hundred fold. No more fighting a losing battle with tree stands. No more stringing lights for hours. Unpack. Fluff. Decorate. Gotta love that.

Here's a close-up of our three favorite ornaments:

Also in our living room is my childhood piano. On top of the piano sits this:

Of course, this isn't the brightest or fanciest nativity you've ever seen, but it's mine. Given to me after years and years of use by my now 93-year-old Grandma. She placed it out for years at the holidays, and now it is mine to treasure. And I do.

The best part of our living room is this:

As I've said recently, this is the fireplace of our dreams because it now hold five stockings. Can I just say again how thankful to God we are to have Katie home this year?!

Moving on from the living room, our entry way into the family room is this:

A few more special items of interest . . . first notice the pile of scarves. Yes, we still collect scarves for the Knitting Project. We plan to send these off soon to an organization that sends care packages to older orphans in China.

Also, you'll see on our entry table pictures from last year's Christmas cards:

We love to keep pictures of friends and family out in the open, where we can look at them and pray for them often!

We also keep this year's cards in our special card holder:

As well as putting the pictures on our entry table, we also plan on putting all the cards in a basket after the holidays. Each day we'll pick one card out of the basket and pray for that family. We hope to keep this up all year through! Next year as we read everyone's Christmas letters, it will be so exciting to see how God has answered our prayers!!

On top of the refrigerator you'll find these:

My good friend Donna is the Martha Stewart of all things gingerbread. She makes the gingerbread from scratch, puts templates on the sheets of gingerbread and cuts out the shapes, puts the houses together and then lets the kids go wild. This year we had 11 kids at her dining room table decorating their own homes. My kids love decorating their houses - definitely one of their favorite things to do during the Christmas season! Not only do the houses look great, but they are a constant reminder of great friends!

Aside from Katie being with us, my absolute favorite part of the holiday's this year is this:

This is our Jesse Tree. I first read about it last year on the beautiful blog Holy Experience. Ann Voskamp has written the most beautiful devotional titled The Glorious Coming - A Jesse Tree Advent Celebration. I purchased the ebook online, printed out the ornaments, attached them to cardstock and added ribbon. Each day we read a portion of the Old Testament and then have a devotional. We add the ornament to the tree that represents what we just read and learned. Each day we see how God has been rescuing us from the start. His plan all along has been to send His Son to save us. Christmas is what this about. God, in flesh, born as a babe, humbling Himself to live among us and ultimately die for us, to save us from our sins. What a privilege it is each day to read His Words together and to see His love on our behalf. It has truly revolutionized our Christmas, and we are so thankful for that!

Food and Fun

Katie has celebrated her first thanksgiving . . . . and what did she think of her veritable feast? I submit for your viewing pleasure:

Apparently, rolls, lefsa, turkey, ham & olives meet Katie's approval! :)

Aside from all the feasting Katie did, she also did this:

The faster Daddy went, the louder Katie laughed!

I must admit, we were especially thankful this Thanksgiving . . . it is good to have our girl home and happy. We are so grateful to God for making us a family of five this year!! God is good!

American Girl Adventure

Whew! What a whirlwind of a weekend . . .

Kelsey and I left at o-dark-thirty (6:30am) on Friday morning with another mom and daughter and headed south to Los Angeles. Our destination: American Girl Place.

Kelsey and her sweet friend Emma love playing with American Girls. And since Emma and Kelsey each have a birthday within the next month, us mom's decided to combine their birthdays and take them down to celebrate together. We called the Grandma's and had them give their gift (money) early, we set up babysitters - again, by calling the Grandma's (what would we do without them?), and we made some reservations.

I cannot begin to describe how wonderful our time was together. Yes, the trip was quick, we left early Friday morning and were home by Saturday afternoon, but the time in between was jam packed with fun, great conversation, and making meaningful memories! We went on this trip hoping for Kelsey to have a super fun time. I came back realizing just how important it was to spend time alone with Kelsey for this extended period. She'll be 11 next month - the preteen years are upon us - and the more time we spend together talking, laughing, sharing and just being - the better.

And how did the little's do while we were away? Well, let's just say that Grandma Shadduck is a GREAT spoiler, and really, when she is with them, my girls just don't miss me for a second! :)