Lori

Me….well, I guess the way I can best describe myself is simply a wife and a Mom trying my best, with many a slip-up along the way, to keep my two “spirited” and “strong—willed” boys in some semblance of order while more importantly raising them into young men of character who love the Lord and who desire to live their lives guided by His Word! I lead a somewhat crazy life running from one thing to the next because I just can’t bear to miss out on the next opportunity the Lord may be putting in our paths. I have a passionate heart for many things. First and foremost is my passion for Christ, followed closely by my passion for my family. After that…there are tons of things I am passionate about, but everything seems to fall under the umbrella of trying to make a positive difference in this world… and being thankful for each and every little blessing bestowed upon my life.
At the heart of my life that is so filled with busyness (often chaos) but mostly joy, is a heart that has been forever touched with compassion for those who are living in a state of brokenness. So many of us in this world are broken…I myself have lived a portion of my life in brokenness. We can be broken for a multitude of reasons….reasons we ourselves may not even know. Our hearts, our souls, and our lives may be broken to different degrees, but we know that the Lord’s heart breaks when He sees us in pain. I personally know that Christ sees our pain and heals it when we let Him. Psalm 147:3 says “He heals the brokenhearted, binding up their wounds.” The Bible shows us time and time again that the Lord is near the brokenhearted. If I am striving to live my life the way Christ lived His, I, in turn, need to do what I can to heal the brokenness here on earth. A song called “Hosanna” by Hillsong United says “Heal my heart and make it clean. Open up my eyes to the things unseen. Show me how to love like you have loved me. Break my heart from what breaks yours.” Those words are such a truth for me...I pray He opens my eyes to what He sees, shows me how to love like He loves, and breaks my heart for those things that break His. I want to live my life as a blessing to others and live the life Christ is calling me to live. Right now? My heart is breaking for a little girl I don’t yet know. I know she’s out there and I know I am meant to be her mommy. I can’t wait for the day the Lord has planned for us to meet and become a forever family. I am so excited and thankful that we have been blessed with the opportunity to make adoption a part of our lives. We all are waiting for the day we can finally bring our Selah home!

Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows. Isaiah 1:17

I also believe that when we are purposefully seeking God and His Will for our lives, we will experience a peace, joy and a freedom that is unlike any other! And when the times of trouble arise?....which they undoubtedly will, the Lord will comfort and equip and find a way to fill us back up with that very same peace, joy and freedom that He alone can give. I have lived without that peace….I have experienced brokenness…and I can vouch for the fruitlessness of a life lived outside of His Will. I can then turn the other direction and rejoice and praise God for a relationship with Him that brought the peace…healed the brokenness…and filled my life with the Fruit of His Spirit.

Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:6

Bryan

Bryan is an incredible husband and father. God blessed me beyond words when He brought this wonderful man into my life. He is my rock here on earth, and I can say without hesitation that he is the most honest, ethical, and truthful person I have ever met in my life. I love that he is incredibly intelligent and full of energy. Sometimes, I just have to chuckle at his “man on a mission” manner in which he tackles his mental “to-do list”! Being able to simply sit back and relax is something he is working at! Bryan is truly my “balance”….when I get all wrapped up in seeing the world from my very emotional perspective; he can jump in with a quick couple of words and help me to see the logical side of the situation. And in that way, we truly complement each other. Bryan is my logic ….and I am his emotion. I bring out the compassion in his heart. God knew what He was doing when He brought us together!
When I see Bryan playing with our two boys, my heart melts. Seeing how soft hearted he can be in response to our boys is an absolute privilege for me. He knows how to be so silly and do all those rowdy things that boys love so much! They will definitely confirm that Daddy is way more fun than Mommy in our house!!!
Bryan does have to work too many hours each day, but we are very thankful for the blessing of his job security and the fact that it allows me to stay at home with our children. Even though he does have to work very hard, just as soon as he comes home each day he jumps into all the action that comes with two young and very energetic little boys! He makes sure we all know he loves us very much!

Psalm 24: 2-4
Who shall go up into the mountain of the Lord? Or who shall stand in His Holy Place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted himself up to falsehood or to what is false, nor sworn deceitfully.

Zachary

Zachary is an incredible little boy that just shines so bright with the love of Christ. He almost always has a huge smile on his face and loves almost everyone he meets. He started smiling at a mere 4 weeks old and giggled shortly thereafter!! When he was born he had a disease called Hirschsprungs. It was a pretty severe case that caused a portion of his intestines to not have the nerves that allow a child to have a bowel movement. He became a very sick little baby. But, at 4 ½ weeks of age, he had a surgery to repair this problem and I can remember the nurses in the hospital just loving him so much because he would stop sucking on a bottle just to give them a great big smile…even when he wasn’t feeling very well. His curious little nature and happy disposition was nothing compared to the amount of energy this child was blessed with. He kept me VERY busy and on my toes and I confess to more than a few occasions of feeling as though there must be something terribly wrong! But, with lots of prayer I was assured that there was nothing wrong, but that instead he was just marvelously and wonderfully created by an awesome God who has great plans for his life!

Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever. Daniel 12:3

Landon

Landon is our little “cuddler”. He has such a sweet and sensitive nature and just loves to be held and cuddled by Mommy and Daddy. When he was a baby, he would have been content to be carried around 24/7 in one of those Baby Bjorn baby carriers. At 4’2”, he makes for very tall little 4-year old and carrying him is no easy feat!!! That doesn’t stop him from making the most of crawling up on our laps and snuggling in! I am so thankful to God for blessing our little guy with such a gentle heart and disposition.
He is funny with his rough and tumble ways that in a moment’s notice can become so soft and gentle. He is just precious with his funny sense of humor, sharp wit, and compassion that runs a mile deep.

Ephesians 4:2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.

Selah

I can’t wait for the day I can fill this spot with a little story about her wonderfully made little self!

I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him.

1 Samuel 1:27