Thursday Thirteen #13-In Times Like These

In light of all that has transpired this week in Virginia; a huge storm of tornadoes ravaging through the metroplex here in Texas and destroying many homes; our friend getting his arms burned by helping children out of their burning apartment; a family not only losing a grown child in the Virginia Tech tragedy while on the very same day the father backed over their eight year old son with the car accidentally killing him; the house and emotional transitions we are going through with trying to pack up and move to a new church and home; my husband working like crazy to tie up loose ends at work and our home affairs; our precious daughter (at age four) who is deeply feeling the pangs of leaving behind friends, and me-the mommy-watching her and wondering if her subconscious is flashing back to being abandoned at birth or being ripped from her surroundings and cribmates when she came to be a part of our family...I believe I will post a Thursday Thirteen of things for which I am grateful. That is how we keep our hope in Jesus. I don't have answers when tragedy hits people or change must occur. I can only rest in the TRUTH of God's perfect Word. I can trust His heart because He has always proven Himself faithful to me even though He doesn't have to.

I am grateful for:

1. having an amazing husband who loves me, adores me and wants God's best for me.

2. PandaGirl being a blessing in ways that I never knew I even needed.

3. all the friends I have made over the years at the different places we've lived and churches in which we have served.

4. parents who love me.

5. in-laws who are more than I could have asked for.

6. a brother who loves God and is showing his family how to do the same.

7. being a physically healthy person (I didn't say "fit"!! LOL!)

8. living in a country where I can openly pursue my faith in the One True God.

9. discovering how I love scrapbooking the memories of my family and friends.

10. my kitty-cat loving to smooch me.

11. the transparent, funny personality that God has given me.

12. the excitement of our new church family and all the opportunities which lie ahead for us there.

13. not having to depend on myself for peace, hope or salvation. The Prince of Peace rests in my soul.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God...And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hears and minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:6-7

Wordless Wednesday #9-Miao's Rough Life

Virginia Tech Tragedy

Fox News

John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." --Jesus Christ

Just a Quick Visit

PG's Grandparents came up for a quick visit Saturday and Sunday. We took them up to our new home and to get a look at our new church. PandaGirl had a fun time playing in their motorhome by "driving", talking on the walkie-talkies, eating breakfast out there and being spoiled by her grandparents! We had a great time smoking chicken and steaks with baked potatoes, corn on the cob, beans, buttered French bread and brownies (made special by PawPaw!). Great time!

Memory Lane Monday #5-It's Official

As of yesterday it became official that we are moving on to a new chapter in the Panda Family's life. We announced to our church family that the Lord has told us to move on to new ground and start a new work for His glory. For the past three years PandaPop has been the Preschool and Children's Minister at a Southern Baptist Church. We have fallen in love with the people here. Learned how to become parents while here. Helped form our most amazing White Swans playgroup of Chinese girls. Watched our baby go from complete shock of entering her new world, new language, new smells, new looking kinds of people, new sounds to a little girl who asked, "But what about our old friends? We will miss them!" as I was explaining why and when we were moving.

As we are so excited to begin our new adventure, it is soooo bittersweet to leave people with whom we have developed relationships. For those of you reading right now from HRBC....you KNOW that you are dearly loved!!!! You all have been huge blessings to us!

PandaPop has accepted the position of Children's Pastor at a large Southern Baptist Church about 50 miles north of where we currently serve. That is not too far for occasional visits! Yea!! The huge tear-jerker and killer for me is leaving my adoring playgroup. God's hand put us together one by one and connected us through these amazing little daughters from China. We moms probably would never have met if not for our girls. What a missed blessing that would have been for all of us. We have truly made a life-time bond. Thank you, Lord. I think I am going to try to make our Monday Playgroup at least once a month so PandaGirl can continue to grow with memories of her "sisters".

The pictures above are from three years ago when we came for our official introduction to our current church. PG had been with us for ONE month! The little toot was in the hotel room bathroom just quietly giggling and we walked around the corner to find that she had taken ALL the tissues out of the box on the side of the counter and was on to the toilet paper!!! She was soooooo adorable! The bottom pic was the night in the hotel at our new church's introduction to the congregation. She was totally comfortable sipping on a chocolate malt and talking about her "new church, friends, and home".

It's the life of a minister. We don't want to move alot, but it's part of the "sign-up plan", if you will. We have wanted to put roots down at each place we have served, but it just was never the right time. Hopefully, this new church is going to be our "family" for a long time. We want PandaGirl to grow up in one area and not move around alot. She already has had enough change in her little life already. She needs stability. We have used this change as one more opportunity to show PG God's love for us and how His ultimate plan is for our good even when we don't understand the changes. We can trust His heart.

The next two weeks will be filled with lots of packing, emotions and busyness. Please keep us in your prayers as we transition to a new chapter in our life. Thanks!

Texas Bluebonnets

I know that I have already posted about bluebonnets, but that was with the playgroup girls. Yesterday was a beautiful day after several kinda winter-like days and the weekend is about to get cold and rainy again, not to forget that the bluebonnets aren't going to last much longer so we had to snap some shots of PG quickly. Have a great weekend!

BTW: Thanks to all my sweet bloggy friends who made me feel really special about my yesterday post. It wasn't my intention to "fish" for compliments, but they were kinda nice! ; )

Thursday Thirteen #12-Reality

This Thursday Thirteen is a bit different than my usual posts with so many cute pictures. This is more about the real me. The wretched, depraved, saved only by the loving grace of God's Son, Jesus....me. I go looking at ALOT of blogs. What is the thing that's caught on like wildfire? Something to ponder. Do all these people I "visit" really have lives which reflect on the blog? If so, then I am a LOSER compared to them. Hold on a minute. I saw this cute family on my own blog who were enjoying a baseball game and, DANG, they were sooo cute! They totally looked like THEY had it aaaaaalllllll together. Yeeeeees sir. Wait. That was a picture of US! Now, WE don't "have it all together." Then I started thinking about all the pictures I post. We are a pretty cute little family, yes-sir-ee. Too bad I don't post anything about our problems. Other people have problems, too. Don't they? Somebody please tell me that other people have problems, too. Certainly my family isn't the only one with morning breath. I read some blogs that have a wonderful picture posted on someone's profile, they seem to have LOTS and LOTS of knowledge for the rest of us by which to model our lives and some even have special awards for being Queen Blogger. WHAT? How did this simple cyber space turn into a superlatives contest (you know...most popular, best dressed, most likely to succeed) like high school? I WAS voted MANY of those things in high school, but that was THEN! Now life is more complicated than a little square graphic defining who I am for the blog world to see. I really crack up when someone's blog is filled with all the little "I Stand For This Thing" boxes. Sorry if yours if one of those. I don't REALLY know you and I certainly don't want to sound offensive to you. I can be just as guilty. Heck, I PAID for someone to make my blog all cutesie. I have just been wrestling in my spirit lately with what is being projected on my blog, other's blogs and then what the reality truly is. Some blogs that I frequent really shove their theological views as if they are THE only ones with the answers (no one is forcing me to visit them!LOL). Very prideful and arrogant. Maybe I come across that way, too. YIKES! I don't want to appear prideful and having it all together. I just want a simple blog that I can continue to "meet" other people. If you are a frequent visitor to this blog....thank you. It is fun to see that people have visited. It's like an online scrapbook. I think it is fun and I have "met" some neat people. Connected with other families with daughters from China, other minister's wives and even people on the other side of the world. This blog is going to remain simple. Here are a few things to remind anyone who cares that no matter what cute and fun pictures I post.....the reality is that I am a real human with faults and am grateful for God's new mercy every morning.

1. I'm a piler. Yep. I stack things in little piles and then move the piles to another room to feel as though I've actually cleaned up a bit.
2. I wear fake nails.
3. I just about have panic attacks when riding in the car with someone else, because I think they don't pay attention as well as I would.....talk about arrogance!
4. I eat too much junk food and then whine about needing to lose weight.
5. I could care less if dirty dishes are in my sink overnight. They will still be there in the morning.
6. My least favorite chores are dusting and mopping. They don't get done much.
7. My cat decides it is time to poop in his litter box just about every time we sit down to eat so we get that lovely aroma along with our food.
8. I get enraged at clueless, oblivious, careless, stupid, selfish drivers who put other people in danger on the road.
9. I would rather have a kid-snack any day over a vegetable.
10. I stink at math.
11. I roll my eyes in disgust at alot of things that get on my nerves. I really am working on this one, because it is revealing a critical spirit that I have and don't want anymore!!
12. My precious daughter has bitten her nails down so far that they really don't exist.
13. I have lovely hard callouses on both of my big toes. I know that's gross, but it is just a reminder that I am real.

"Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life has set me free from the law of sin and death." Romans 8:1-2

Wordless Wednesday #8-Texas Rangers!

She Is Soooo Growing Up!

PandaGirl is becoming quite the photographer these days. I now let her take a few pics with the digital camera because we can just delete whatever we don't want. She took this of us on Saturday while at an egg hunt. That's why PandaPop has yellow things on his head...bunny ears that aren't totally visible. I think she did a great job! This isn't her only "work". Maybe I'll post a few of her other shots in later posts.

Yesterday she had me really laughing, but one of those kind of laughs that she couldn't see me enjoying. We were at store #3 and still had to make it to Wal-Mart for a final stop before heading home for lunch. PG woke up a bit earlier than usual yesterday so needless to say, by the time I was browsing through store #3 (for something for her!) she got a little antsy and ready to do something else. You know, the old, "I'm ti-i-i-r-r-r-r-e-d" song and dance. I told her we still had things to do and to be patient. Right. She's four. She decided to play a game of stand behind mommy, giggle, and then move with every step mommy makes almost making her trip a few times. Until....mommy firmly grabs her arm and pulls her around to the front and says to STOP. Well, this must have made PG a little frustrated. I noticed her cupping both hands gently around her mouth and whispering or something into them with dancing eyes. I just figured she was playing, pretending, etc. She looked at me after a few seconds and said boldly, "I just had a little talk." I said with intended dramatic surprise, "Oh, really? Who were you talking with?" She quickly responded with, "You!" I was cracking up!!!!!!!!!!!!!! On the inside of course. Apparently I was told the "what for" in her little mind and "conversation". I love her so much and am glad that she is growing up, but I can foresee and little ME developing in her. YIKES!!!

Memory Lane Monday #4-Easter...Long Ago

Enjoy these little flashbacks of Easter morning when I was just a tot and when I was about 7 or 8 years old. I like how my big brother is holding onto my hand and the sun is so bright that he can't even look into the camera. Ahhh....memories.

Easter Morning 2007

Our weather has been unseasonably COLD! We even had snow flurries yesterday which hasn't happened in April since 1938! Needless to say our egg hunts were cold....brrrrr...and our cute clothes were covered up with winter coats. For those of you living in areas that are supposed to be cold at Easter, please realize that we usually have pleasant, sunny, 70 degree weather for this time of year. We were blessed to be reminded that we are washed "white as snow" by the blood of Jesus on this chilly-willy Resurrection morning.

JESUS: The HOPE of EASTER!

© Chris Harvey - FOTOLIA



Matthew 28:1-10
After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me." (NIV)

Critter Farm

At PandaGirl's preschool Easter egg hunt we had the Critter Farm petting zoo come set up with goats, sheep, chickens, donkey, etc. for the little ones to enjoy. PG is only wearing overalls because the weather was so cold that none of her cute springy outfits would work. I forgot about the critters coming, but was so glad that we put on overalls to make such cute pics with the animals. LOVE this one with Mr. Bunny. Happy Easter!

Garage Sale....FINALLY!

We have been wanting to have a garage sale for a month now, but we were either busy on pretty weather days or we were free and it was raining! Finally we snagged yesterday to get everything out in the yard. We had to get it all in yesterday, because today is supposed to rain all day. The weather has decided to turn back to winter for a few days. The temps dropped and all our cute spring Easter clothes are NOT appropriate for the cold!!!!!

PandaPop decided to get in a little "shut-eye" before the customers started stopping by. His parents visited for a couple of hours and Gram made Easter eggs with PG, of course with The Princesses sticker set. We had a big laugh sitting on our couches in the front yard of the church parsonage where we live. The people driving by got a kick out of it as well. We have had these great couches for over 12 years and want new ones, but can't buy them until we sell the old ones.

Our neighbor across the street's cat made her home with us the entire time. She was crawling up in our laps, getting into mischief in our garage and basically staking claim on our stuff. She jumped on the window sill to tease Miao, I think. Poor litte house-kitty Miao with no manhood or claws could only dream through the window about the pretty little ebony dame out his window. HA!

PandaGirl discovered her tricycle was being sold because of a problem with the handle bars that PP has tried to fix over and over. She didn't really believe us and wanted to fly down the "hill" anyway. Well, she was having the time of her life, wind blowing her hair, all is well....until.....the entire thing kind of just exploded out from under her. She thought that was the funniest thing! Needless to say the tricycle went bye-bye. Must have been a recalled one and we didn't get the notice. LOL!

Thursday Thirteen #11-Easter

Thirteen Prophecies of the Old Testament of the Bible Fulfilled by Jesus Christ in the New Testament. (There are more than 100, but I am just doing 13).

1. OT: Genesis 3:14-15
NT: Galatians 4:4; Hebrews 2:14; 1 John 3:8

2. OT: Micah 5:2-5
NT: Matthew 2:1-6

3. OT: Isaiah 7:13-14
NT: Matthew 1:18-23; Luke 1:26-35

4. OT: Psalm 118:2-23
NT: Matthew 21:42

5. OT: Isaiah 29:18
NT: Matthew 11:5; John 9:39; Luke 7:19-22; Mark 7:37

6. OT: Jeremiah 31:31-34
NT: Luke 22:15-20; Hebrews 10:15-20

7. OT: Psalm 35:19
NT: John 15:24-25

8. OT: Psalm 40:7-8
NT: Matthew 26:39; Hebrews 10:5-9

9. OT: Exodus 12:46
NT: John 19: 31-36

10. OT: Deuteronomy 21:23
NT: Galatians 3:13

11. OT: Isaiah 53:12
NT: Luke 23:34

12. OT: Isaiah 7: 14; 8:8-10
NT: Matthew 1:21-23; John 1:14; John 14:8-11; Colossians 2:9

13. OT: Isaiah 9:6
NT: John 14:27; Acts 10:36; Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:14; Colossians 1:20

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Wordless Wednesday #7-The Reason for My Hope and Freedom

If you have no hope or don't know how you will answer God when you die and He asks you WHY He should let you into His eternal Kingdom, then click here to freedom.

Bluebonnets, Bunnies and Babes, OH MY!

Texas is covered in Bluebonnets for the next couple of weeks! If you have never seen these beauties in person then just GOOGLE it and get a little eye-candy for yourself. The sides of the highways are literally like oceans of blue-ish, purple covering the ground. Just gorgeous. We missed out last year because of a drought. No rain...no bluebonnets. It is the state flower and a tradition among Texans to plop your kids or yourself right in the middle of them for pictures. They don't last long and you have to seize the opportunity when you can. We trapsed across a field in wet grass to get to this patch so we wouldn't be on the side of the road with our little ones.

After our quick photo opp we headed to The Warming Hut
for our Easter Egg Hunt in her back yard. Too fun!

Memory Lane Monday #3-Chi Alpha (XA)

XA 2007
XA 2005

This weekend we led our Preteen Retreat called XA. That is Greek symbols for Chi (pronounced "Kye") and Alpha, meaning Christ First. Two years ago was the first one PandaPop put together for this group. Last year we did not do one so as you can see in the family pic PandaGirl has grown a bit between the two shots. As corny as this may sound I had always dreamed about having my little one dress up like us in matching t-shirts for whatever event we were doing in ministry. Any new readers will learn that we went through over 8 years of infertility issues. I would attend event after event where I'd be in contact with other minister's wives who were cute and pregnant or had their own little ones to dress up like the grown-ups and would long for the day that I could do that, too. When our time arrived I was THRILLED with being able to dress PG in the same shirts we had. PP had it made special just for her size. LOVE IT! Now, two years later she is cute as ever and totally enjoyed actually ATTENDING the retreat this time. Of course, she thought that she was BIG like the older kids. We had a great time and I always love watching PandaPop do his thing and let God work through him while teaching and discipling the students. Makes me love him even deeper.

Sidenote: I am fully aware that it's NOT all about me, but...I told PP to NEVER order this yellow color EVER AGAIN for shirts!!! This color yellow makes my light blonde hair and very fair skin look sick and putrid! YUCK! Maybe the next ones can be RED!
Our traditional-every-time-we-have-the-camera-self-portraits!
PG having a little fun on the bar.
PandaPop teaching the students from the Bible.
Watching "Everyone's Hero" until midnight!