New Birthday

My son, who just turned 9 has a new birthday. Or at least he has another birthday. Today, November 27, 2011, is his spiritual birthday.

You know that I have had some questions on my heart and God had given me reassurance. I am so thankful to God that he hears my prayers and knows the desires of my heart.

This morning as we were got into our seats in "big church", my son leaned over to me and said, "Mommy, I invited Jesus into my heart this morning!" Like a well-prepared mother I said, "What???" He repeated himself. "I invited Jesus into my heart this morning in Sunday School." I replied, "Oh, okay. Can we talk about this at home?" I am kind of in shock. It was the last thing I had expected to hear this morning. It's usually, "I need to go to the restroom." or "Can I go get bulletins for all of us?"

I asked him to tell his daddy. He leaned over and told the officer. Tears welled up in the officers eyes and he was so excited. The officer sat down and asked him a few questions. He handled it much better than I did. The officer was talking to my son about going down to pray with a deacon at the end of the service. I needed a time-out. I need to make sure my son knew what he was doing.

The officer suggested we go out to talk with our son. We left the service and found a quiet room to talk. I asked him exactly what happened in Sunday school. He said the Sunday School teacher had asked if anyone wanted to pray as ask Jesus into their heart. My son said, "I wanted to do it last week, but I didn't do it. This week when he asked, I thought, now is my chance to do this." We asked my son if he knew what he asking Jesus into his heart meant. He told us it meant he wanted to follow Jesus. He knew he what sin was and that he was a sinner. He knew that Jesus died on the cross to take care of all his sins. We told him now it is our job to help him learn how to follow and get to know Christ.

My son had not said anything to us last week about wanting to pray. We have always told him what we believe about God but that he would have to make his own personal decision about whether he wanted to follow God and have a personal relationship with him. Since we talked several weeks ago, I felt certain my son knew what he was doing.

Before bed tonight, I asked my son, "Are you sure you understand what you did today?, Are you sure you don't want to wait until you understand a little more?" He replied, "I know what I did and I don't want to wait because I understand it mommy!"

Can there be a great joy in my heart right now? It's hard to imagine, except maybe when my girl makes her decision too.

So now both of my son's birthday's are in November, his physical birth and his spiritual birth. Please pray for us to have knowledge on how to guide our son grow in his relationship with God. Thank you for all of those have joined with us to pray for our children.

2 Peter 1:4

"And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires."

Romans 10:13

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

bedtime conversations with my son

1 Peter 5:7-9
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

For the past several months I have been weighed down by questions in my head and on my heart. I'm sure any mother asks these questions of herself. Not "Am I doing a good job as a mother?" Not "Am I measuring up to what others are doing?"

We homeschool our children. This was a decision made long before we had kids. This was actually a decision made before we got married. :) One of the reason we wanted to homeschool our children was to be able to teach them about our beliefs, values, and about God. We did not want to leave up to other people to do this. There is no judgement if you don't homeschool. Homeschooling was just something God laid on both our hearts to do. If you have a desire to do it, don't think it's out of reach. With God anything is possible.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.

This verse I have taken literally. I have written scriptures upon my door frames. There are several places in our house where we have verses. This verse has been a foundation of our homeschooling. Although I have turned more toward survival mode in that too. Has that happened to anyone else?

Anywho....

I have been asking myself, "Am I doing what I wanted to do? Am I teaching my children about the love of God? Am I helping them get to the point where they will have a personal relationship with God? Am I doing my part in helping pass on a legacy of faith? Am I being intentional about my parenting or am I just trying survive the day and complete today's to do list?"

I have been slacking terribly in all areas (except the cooking area, thanks to Pinterest, I am picking up in that area a little.) I have been praying to God that he will give me a little clarity. A little bit more insight. Some practical solutions. My kids have been begging for it. There has been strife in our household. I like to delude myself and say it's just "the kids" being whiny, complaining and not listening. When really it is me who sets the tone for the day in our house. And I am not a morning person, so it's not very often that the "tone" of the day is a joyous one. It's more of a "I could really use a Route 44 Vanilla Coke from Sonic" at 7 a.m. kind of morning. All my "stuff" is reflected back to through my kids.

Anyway, tonight as with many other nights that I have declined, my son asked me to lay down with him. Tonight I did.

I will say my God has not forgotten me. He knows my heart. He knew I needed to hear my son say things tonight. He knew I needed to hear my son affirm some of the things we have tried to teach him. It happened even before the bedtime conversation. As we were driving home from cub scouts, my son was just talking about how he loves animals. He said, "I love animals. They are my third favorite thing!" I replied, "They are your third favorite thing? What are number one and number two?" He said, "I love God/Jesus first, then you guys, my family, next, then animals." I don't know who doesn't want to hear that from their son.

My son turns nine this week. You can read about his arrival into this world here. Sometimes, this is still how I see him....

as a 4 lb. 8 oz. baby, instead of this:

He is a sweet boy. He is kind-hearted. He is sensitive. He is trustworthy. He is respectful. He is protective. He is well-mannered. He has a great sense of humor. He has a great memory. He is imaginative. He has his daddy's servant heart. He stands firm in his beliefs.

He loves Legos. He loves rocks. He love animals. He loves tae kwon do. He has the greatest laugh. He loves to tell jokes. He loves to sleep in a nest of pillows and blankets. He loves his family.

Things my son shared with me tonight:

I am so thankful God make me healthy even though I was small.

I think you do a great job at coupons mom!

I am really thankful I have a sister, even if she really, really, really really frustrates me.

I am glad I can ask God for forgiveness. I am glad God took my sin away.

I really want to learn more Bible verses. They can help me out when I am frustrated or tempted.

I like Bibleman because he always uses Bible verses to fight the bad guys.

I really like spending time with you mom.

I love you mom.

I have thanked God tonight for knowing me so well and knowing the desires of my heart. He knows the needs I have and meets them even if I don't know I need them met. Did that make sense? I don't have the words to articulate my feelings/thoughts as well as others do. Good thing that doesn't matter to God.

Psalms 55:22
Cast your burden on the Lord and He will sustain you...

Unexpected things

I can't believe it's been almost a month since I last blogged. Time goes by so fast. It's been a strange few weeks. A portion of yesterday was spent watching tv. If you live in Oklahoma, you know why. Possible tornadoes. There were a few tornadoes that touched down in southern Oklahoma. That wasn't unexpected though. Everyone who lives in Oklahoma knows to expect them.

What was unexpected was the earthquake that happened around 9:45 p.m in the middle of the thunderstorm. I believe it was a 4.7. I thought it was just heavy thunder until the house kept moving.

We have had earthquakes in Oklahoma before, at least that's what my friends on the other side of town have said. The night before, we had an earthquake that was a 5.2. The officer and I were just sitting in the front room talking. We heard a rumble and thought it was the super loud exhaust trucks that drive through the neighborhood. Then the ceiling fan started to shake and my daughter started to cry. It was a very strange feeling. Unexpected.

Isaiah 54:10
Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

My mother came over yesterday for her weekly reading books time with my kids. She brought over this strange thing. She says she's pretty sure I "can't kill it" just because she hasn't killed it yet.

I remember seeing plants alive in our house as we grew up. My experience with plants has been this and this. Also we had a garden box which yielded several sunflowers and two zucchinis. They survived because I didn't have to take care of it. I have long thrown the aquaglobes away that my mom gave me. Fortunately, I've heard that I don't have to water this plant very often. There may be hope yet.

I Corinthians 3:7
So neither he who plants is anything nor he who waters, but only God who makes is grow and become greater.

There is other big news in my life.

No, not pregnant.

I find it funny that I am sharing this news in my blog post about earthquakes and my lack of a green thumb, but it falls under the "unexpected things" category so it fits.

If you've followed this blog very long, you probably know I was adopted. You can read the story here. My mother adopted my sister and me from Korea. I was left on the steps of a police station. I never knew how big of a role policemen would play in my life. They knew how old I was because I still had my umbilical cord. I am often asked if I would ever want to find my birth parents. Truthfully, I have never had that desire. Part of it may be because of the way I was found, I think it would be next to impossible to find my birth parents. God may have not made that desire so strong in my heart because of that reason. I don't know.

A few years ago, my mom found out the orphange, Ilmagwon Orphange, was still around and contacted them. They had new pictures of my sister and me that we had never seen. It was amazing.

My mother shared with me a couple of weeks ago that she would like to take me and my two sisters back to Korea for a visit. She has contacted the orphanage again. The man who runs the orphange today is the son of the woman who ran it was my sister and I were there. Our Korean last name was Park (much like "Smith" and "Jones" in America). It was the last name of the woman who ran the orphange. She is 90 years old and still alive. Today, Ilmagwon Orphange is based upon Christianity. All the children who live their now go to Sunday school. Unexpected.

We may get the opportunity to go back to orphange and do some kind of mission work. Many people have asked me whether I have wanted to go back to Korea. Again, this has never been a strong desire of my heart. I may be Korean looking on the outside and except for my love of kimbobs, I am completely westernized. Since this trip is becoming a reality, the desire to go back to Korea and see where I came from is growing. Amazing. Unexpected.

We plan to go sometime in June for ten days. I am already working on trying to get my passport. I am the only one of us who does not have one. Outside of being born in Korean and going to Mexico for 1 hour to eat lunch, I haven't been out of the United States. The rest of the plans are being still being discussed, but the excitement for each of us growing. I cannot wait to see what God has planned for us.

Deuteronomy 32:4
He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.

Psalm 89:2, 8
I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself... O LORD God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O LORD, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

Isaiah 25:1
O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago.