Bullet Points

So I took a big blog break.  It was good to rest this Thanksgiving.  Here are some bullet points of the last week.

• Dave’s family came in town.  We sure miss them.  We had a great time.
• Emma played with Kayleigh and I never saw her!  They had a blast.  Getting older makes them have a lot more fun together.
• Saw Enchanted with Emma and Dave.  Loved it!
• Gained 2 pounds from all the eating.
• Saw a video last night on Lori’s blog.  Can’t shake it.  Had a hard time going to sleep.
• Izzie got croup!  Sounds worse than it is.  We took her to the ER on Saturday for a breathing treatment.  She is doing much better.
• I’ve got a cold
• Started decorating for Christmas.  Don’t want to put up a tree
• Dave says I’m a ba humbug!
• I hate buying things for people out of obligation. I’d much rather buy something out of need or that means something.
• We are celebrating the girls b-days this Sunday.  Emma is way too excited.
• I’m going to have Dave guest blog here soon to tell about his trip to Peru.  He’s still debriefing it.
• And… I’m heading to Haiti in May.  I am really looking forward to it.  A little anxious but it’s something I’m supposed to do.  More on that later.
• Very exciting stuff going on in our lives and we are very thankful for all we have and all the opportunities.

Hope that gets you caught up.

An interesting fact to know about me

Was at Publix tonight and saw everyone with Turkeys in their carts.  And it came to me that….I’ve never cooked a turkey.  Yup… 10 yrs of marriage and I have yet to have to have to cook the Turkey for a Thanksgiving meal.  I’ve always had my grandmother or mom to do it so I’ve never had to do it myself.  And to be honest… I don’t have any desire to do it.  I am sure one day the time will come.  After all 10 yrs of marriage and I’ve been pretty lucky not to. 

Everyone is probably better off for it too!   

Machu Picchu

Dave left this morning for a 3 hr train ride to Machu Picchu.  One of the new seven wonders of the world.  It’s a once in a lifetime experience for him today.  He loves stuff like this and always comes away with thoughts on how these trips and these people from the past can intersect with our lives today.  So I am hoping he has some powerful insights today.  Wish I could be there with him.

Insomnia

I normally am in bed and out by 11:00.  I just don’t function well the next day if I am not.  At 12:30 last night I am starring at the ceiling.  I can’t sleep.  What is wrong with me?  Probably a lot of things but I find myself this week with so much going on in my head that my mind can not rest.  I think I fell off to sleep sometime before 2. 

I finally got to talk to Dave last night.  Dave travels a lot.  And he married the right woman for sure.  I do fine with him being gone weeks at a time.  However, this week I have learned that I am fine as long as we get a quick “how are you today ?” conversation in.  So going 2 days without being able to communicate with each other was as if he had been gone for a month.  Good things to find out and know.

But today what I really want to leave you with is this post by Aaron Ivey. He is also in Peru with Dave.  I don’t think he would mind me sharing his blog he wrote last night with you.  I think this blog is why I just could not sleep.  I really laid in bed last night… I cried, I thought, I wondered, I dreamed, I hoped, but at the end of it all I felt so much joy.  This post is one of the most moving written pieces I think I have read in a long time.  I think it had such impact on me because I find myself in his story and often can not seem to articulate those feelings in words.   Through discovering who I am, I’ve realized I have such a passion for children who are in search of hope.  I can’t say anything more.  Just please if you have a few more minutes, please read his post.

Have a wonderful day everyone.  Thanks for checking in on me today.

Ripple Effects

I finally heard from Dave on Monday night.  It was just for a few minutes.  They arrived safely.  It’s not like you can cover a whole lot of info in that short period of time but I was just glad for the quick call.  I can already tell just from a few minutes of talking with him that he is already in the midst of great life perspective.  If there is one thing that we will pass on to our kids it will be that they will have a world perspective of servant-hood.  When they are old enough we will find ways to allow them to experience and understand different cultures.  I say this all the time but if you live in America you are a blessed person.  56 percent of the world’s population lives in extreme poverty. They survive on an income of less than $730 per year or $2 per day. Half of the worlds poor who comprise 28 percent of the world’s population live on $1 or less per day. In comparison, the average American earns from 46 to 92 times more than the poverty stricken comprising over half the world’s population.  I say that to say that when I did talk to Dave he said he visited with a mother and two of her kids.  They lived in a space the size of our Master Bathroom.  All he said was that it has been so good to get perspective again.   Not that we ever loose it but when you live in a life where you don’t face certain challenges or circumstances it’s hard not to be reminded about the realities of so many others in our world.  To much has been given, much is required.  I know that our family will do our best to use what we have been blessed with to make a difference and play daily roles in impacting our world and the people who surround us.  I am so glad that Dave is having this experience.  I can’t wait to see the ripple effects that will play out in our family when he returns.

I’m a bird

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Emma and I went on a field trip last week at school and they had centers where you could dress up as things. She was a bird.

I have not heard from Dave since he arrived in Peru. I am assuming all is well. He travels all the time but we normally talk a few times a day so this week is already starting out very different.

And daylight savings time is about to kill me. I mean seriously who does it benefit? I know we all love being cooped up in our homes at 5PM because it’s pitch black out outside. It sure makes for a very long evening.

Dave made it to Peru

Thanks to everyone who sent stuff in to send with Dave and the guys for their trip to Peru.  I packed them  up on Friday.  We were able to get three very extra large duffle bags crammed full of clothes, toys, etc.  Again, thank you all (you know who you are) who felt lead to contribute.

Dave left yesterday for Lima.  We spent the weekend getting him ready.  He’s only gone for 7 days but he was getting things taken care of at the house as if he was not coming back.  What is wrong with him?  He travels all the time but I think knowing he was leaving the country made him want to get things in order.  It made me nervous to be honest!  But all is well.  They landed late last night and are in for a great week.

They are there with  Compassion.  For the next three days they will be learning all about the compassion programs in and around Lima.  We even picked up another child to sponsor.  His name is Christofer.  Dave will be meeting him on Wednesday and may even get to visit his home.  Emma and I spent two days running around to different stores getting him some fun things.  We made sure to include a soccer ball for him too.  Last night before Dave left Emma went and got her piggy bank and pulled out the only dollar bill she had in it.  She gave it to Dave and asked that he give it to Christofer.  I love those moments with Emma.  She has such a sensitive heart to other people and did that without even someone prompting her.  So hopefully Christofer will will love his new things and hopefully our family will be able to play a role in his life over the next several years.

So back to Dave.  He will be in and out of compassion projects till Wednesday and then Thursday morning will catch a flight to Cusco.  They are going to Machu Picchu for what they call a lifetime tour.  It’s one of the seven wonders of the world.  It’s great they will be able to do that while they are there.  And then back to Lima on Saturday and a flight home on Sunday. 

Please pray for their safety while they are gone.  Dave, Chris and Chad from Wayfarer, Guys from Student Life and the guys from the band SPUR58. And of course pray that they would have great opportunities to play a role in making beauty out of the many broken  people and places they will collide with this week.

A year ago today ((long post))

 

A year ago today Izzie was born.  I can’t believe it has been a year already.  As I reflect on her today and her precious little life I can’t help but be reminded constantly of the symbol she represents to me.  The reason for her name.  Pure laughter.  Here is the blog I quickly wrote right after her delivery.

Izzie Kate Rhodes is Here So sorry it has been so long… We don’t have email at home so had to make it back to the office.Well she is here.

Born on November 11, 2006 at 11:55PM

She was 7lbs, 13 oz and 19 1/2 in

I went into labor that Friday early Saturday morning at 5am.  Got to 7CM around 5Pm and stayed there for 5 hrs.  They told me that they would need to do a C-Section….  She ended up being face up or down… whatever the wrong way is and would not drop.

After much panic and anxiety I decided to go ahead with it… A nightmare to say the least.  Whoever says having a C-section is easier than a natural delivery is full of crap.  They did 3 spinal blocks that did not work and then finally another epidural that did…  Most tramatic thing I’ve been through…I kept telling them I could feel things!

I am two weeks from all that and still trying to recover.  I’ll keep you more updated later but wanted you all to know she was here!

Very sleep deprived!

Kim

OK, so I am not referring to her delivery as pure laughter.  I am more referring to the discovery that I was pregnant as pure laughter.  As I reflect on the past few years, I would have to say that journeying through the desires of  physically having more children and the realities of the high chances we could not was something so personally hard to walk through.  When we had decided that we had done everything on our end that we were willing to do and really coming to a forced closer on the matter, for us it was a true miracle that she then would be conceived.  This journey had and has been one of the most defining spiritual times of my life.  I learned so much from the start of this desire in December 2004… then over 2 years of fertility treatments and multiple friends finding themselves pregnant….  to the surprise news we were finally expecting ourselves.  I just read back through my old blogs during the time of surrender when we were closing the door only to be awakened to the blessing of God.  Enjoy.  Happy birthday Izzie.  Every time I look at you I am reminded of a God who provides.

Journal entry’s during this time of closure:
February 2, 2006

Time and Timing
The other night I was at Engage  (see www.engagegod.org) and something really resonated with me… I’ve probably heard it before but it was like the first time this made sense to me.  We were talking about God’s timing in our lives for things… For partners, for careers, for family.  Right now I’ve been struggling with the whole fertility thing.  I mean I trust God and I know he has my best interest at heart but it’s hard when he places such strong desires like having more children in your heart but yet each time you get close to filling those desires.. It’s not time, Nothing is happening.
You know I have realized that we have got to release our concept of time. I NEVER wanted my kids to be more than 4 years apart.  My sister and I were 4 years a part and I swore to myself that when I had kids that I would never do that to them.  We always have and still do struggle with our relationship and closeness… So now that I have a 3 1/2 year old and no future children in sight I get so angry that time is not going my way.
What I have to trust is that even though I can’t understand time I’ve got to trust God’s timing for my life.  It is so much easier said than done. So hear is to embracing God’s timing for my life and here is me releasing the burden of time……

February 15, 2006
I think I’ve made it there….

Do you ever have a situation in your life where things are not going too well and you wonder how you’ll ever be ok?  How you will ever just have peace from things?  How will the nagging aches and  pains that rivet your heart ever begin to heal? These journey’s sometimes are months or years.. even lifetimes.  So you are all sick of hearing about the fertility thing… well so am I but that is where I am at right now so that is what I write about.  Check back in a few years from now and it will certainly be the same passion about something entirely different.

So I think I’ve made it there.  To the place of total surrender.  If you are a believer you know what these types of Faith Journey’s can be like.  I feel partially scared to put that on paper but I think it’s an important accomplishment of mine.  To be able to proclaim that and at the end of the day feel ok and safe.  It has been a long journey…..

As I went to bed last night my heart sang… God is Good and he’s got good stuff in store for me and my family.  I’ve been praying for about a year now that God would heal me.  I’ve seen people be healed and I’ve seen Him work .  But the realization is that I have not been healed physically but he’s healed my soul.  He’s taken my thinking to a whole other level.  It’s amazing how much your conception of things can affect your attitude. 

I can’t describe to you the process… because I don’t really understand it completely.  I just understand now that God really is Good.  And that if my plans of what I think I WANT are not being met, Maybe it’s because that is not what our Family NEEDS.  Maybe in his goodness there is a child out there so destined to be part of our family that all these things have taken place. 

I’m excited about tomorrow… and living hard today!
March 1, 2006:
Wrestling with God

For those of you who don’t know me very well… I have the great opportunity to attend a weekly gathering called Engage here in the Upstate of South Carolina.  It really has been a molding point for me.  There is great relevant truth spoken there and it really helps me in this journey that I call life.
Last night the whole topic was… Why can’t I get my life under control?  If God is a God who is in control then why does he not seem to have control over my life in the situations that we encounter everyday.  This whole concept really cut very close to home for me.
Once again here goes the fertility blurb…tune out if you need to! We just got news this past week that there is nothing more that the Dr’s can do for me to help my cause of having more children.  We have come to the end of the rope.  That is a hard thing to face head on.  I love to have control over situations.  I am a planner by nature. And when you come to a crisis in life where you just don’t have any control over and you can’t plan your way out of it you really start asking the tuff God questions.
I don’t understand why we have to come to closure in this area of our lives.  I certainly would not choose to have it play out this way.  But at the end of the day I just can’t be angry at God.  Yes, I don’t understand why I have seen Him bless other people in a variety of situations and I feel like my cries fall on deaf ears.  I with my whole heart want to receive his blessing and healing.  But even if He chooses not to, which is where I find myself right now in life, I still choose to trust Him.  He really is worth it.
If you have time read the story of Jacob in the bible.  He was the one that wrestled with God.  And in the end he chose to hold on to God and not let him go.  And God took his name Jacob which means heal grabber and changed it to Israel.  You see our God is a God who restores people in all situations in life.  My name right now is Barren and I want so badley for him to change my name.  I hate that we live in a broken world.  It really sucks and because of it, people have to deal with so much crap in their lives.  But the good thing for you and me is that you don’t have to let that crap define who you are.  You can choose to take the brokenness and see beauty from it.
At the end of the night last night we received a blessing.  A normal custom at Engage.  I want to share this with you.  Maybe somewhere in your journey this will minister to you.  It certainly has been the cry of my heart this last month.  I want to wrestle with God.  I want to ask the hard questions.  And at the end of the day I’ll be clinching Him close.  I won’t let go.  He’s all I have.
To all of those who have been catching at heels trying to take control of the front story of your lives–May the painful pleasure of the place called Penile become your most valued treasure. May you know what it feels like be gripped by, tugged at and pulled on as the Creator of the Universe comes so close that He actually lays hands on you. And may this wrestling match be not some fleeting fancy of passing experience but may this struggle become the true source of who you know yourself be—no longer Jacob (heel catcher) but Israel (one who struggles with God and overcomes). So, when God takes you by surprise—Hold on with fists clinched tight refusing to let go until He blesses you. And if he touches your hip, know that your limp will be worth the look that you find in His face.
In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit—Amen
Go in peace

This is who I am

If you really want to know what stirs me at the core of who I am… watch this video.  Strip me of what I do with Wayfarer and Dave and I in our ministry we share and leave just Kim… and here you go.  My heart breaks for these children.  To think that the simple answer of food is all that is needed yet so many people lack the resources to provide for their families.  Again, I am speechless and heartbroken.

I’m heading to Haiti in May.  I’ll post more on that later but for today… this has torn my gut.  Not sure what you are passionate about or what stirs you beyond yourself.  But I challenge you to seek out those things and not stop till you find ways you can join in that passion to change the world.

Licia and Lori both have this posted on their site.  Jamieposted in her blog about them and Real Hope for Haiti.

Please pray for this little boy and the countless others who face this everyday.

A weekend of wedding fun

The Wayfarer Wives

Click on pictures to see more picts of the wedding….

 Well it was a great weekend. I have a lot of catching up to do. So I will start today with the wedding. What a great time of celebration it was. We don’t get together as families and celebrate often enough. We had a wonderful time the whole weekend. The best part was watching Robert enjoy his day. He wore the biggest smile. He even danced up a storm. And if you know Robert, you know that is not something he would naturally do. I know we were all honored to be part of everything. At the reception we just had a lot of fun. Dancing, laughing, eating, etc. If you did not know most of us… you would probably think we were a bunch of crazy people. So here are a few highlights the weekend for me.

• I loved having two nights out with my hubby where we got to celebrate with Robert and Lindsay.

• Robert has 5 other siblings.  At one point they were all sitting around a table with their significant others and Roberts parents were there too.  It was great to get a true glimpse of a family.

• I had an incredible fillet on Friday night.  My husband ordered chicken of all things and I told him I would not share!

• I bought a few new outfits for the weekend.  Had not done that in a long time.  Got a lot of compliments.  Not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing.  Good because I felt good about myself but bad because do I look that bad all the other times?

• So you know that I get credit for hooking Robert and Lindsay up?  Yep.  I introduced them.  I know… I know….

• Last, it was a good moment for me to see Robert find the person he loves and that he wants to do life with.  Since Robert coming to Wayfarer and being one of the single amazing guys that he is… we all have been earnestly praying that God would bring him a godly wife and life mate.  And that he did.  It was just a full circle moment of knowing God provides.

 Robert and Lindsay… Congrats!  We love you!