Yikes...

Early out for Luke, Kobe, Faith.

Doug will get them.

 I will run home with my co-worker's car and help Luke clean it for a donation for his trip to Africa.

Then back to work,
make exam,
study for class today.
Approve a research study on campus.

Back home.

Make grilled cheese sandwiches.
Kiss Doug goodbye as he leaves to go officiate.

Take Kobe to Bible study.

Pick up Luke's friend and take them both to basketball practice.

Back home,
 Pick up Sam & Faith.

Take Sam to tutoring at Central.

Take Faith to church.

B-R-E-A-T-H-E!

Meet friends at Smokey Row for a 15 minute coffee and catch up.

Back to the gym to get Luke and his friend.

Take them to Kobe's Bible study.

Get Sam from tutoring.
Take him home.

15 more minutes with friends at Smokey Row.

Up to church to get Faith.

Stop by and pick up Kobe and Luke.

EVERYONE HOME!

YIKES! What a day...

Kobe makes pizza and we enjoy some laughs around the table.

Get Luke and Faith to bed.
Read devotions with them.
Pray.
Turn out the lights.

Study with Sam.

Pray for Kobe.

Pray for Sam.

Doug is home....

"I AM OVERWHELMED!"

And then today, today I read the words of my friend and my heart melts because there is someone, someone who gets it....

"I no longer felt control over….anything. My emotions were stretched to the limit, every day seemed like a crazy mess of sorting through schedules and who has what and trying to get kids to this event and that, I felt like I was on a roller coaster trying to attend to everyone’s emotions and need for attention. Every trip to the grocery store would give me a gut wrenching stomach ache as I wondered how much I would spend for a week’s worth of food. Every purchase had to be strategized and planned for. There were devotionals to plan, meals to cook, loads of laundry to do, homework to help with, heart-to-heart talks to be had, to-do lists racing through my head, children to train up, date-nights that needed to be planned out weeks in advance, quality alone time that I somehow needed to find with each of my kids, and many things that seemed so important had to be put on the back burner….like returning emails!"

~Janel Sullivan http://teamsullivan.blogspot.com/

And I realize, as I did after my talk with Doug last night, that this is our life.
We are giving.
We are giving our all.
We are stepping out.
We are stepping up.
God never said the road would be easy.
He never said we wouldn't feel defeated at times.
 He never said we wouldn't need faith.

Would I change it?
Well, maybe the schedule could be modified a bit,
but would I change the steps we have taken to have Sam here?
Change the piercing in my heart to bring more kids over here from Africa?

For what?

A $40,000 car?

New kitchen countertops?

A flat screen TV?
Time alone to watch reality TV?

Naw...I wouldn't change it

because you see
 through the chaos,
 through the emotions,
 through the days of being overwhelmed...

GOD IS CHANGING US! 

My kids are learning that relationships are more important than materials,

that stepping out for Christ isn't always neat and tidy and perfect,

that loving others means first loving our Lord and Savior,

and that even though we look different, Christ brings us all together!