It's Great To Have Friends!!

l-r: Jess, Taylor, Maddie, Dayna, Jordan, Grace, Elisha

You guessed it. Edward was our photographer. Taylor says, "Edward!! Wanna use my phone??"

 Church was here on Sunday (1/13/13), and it was such a blessing! It was great to have everyone, and we took some pictures of we girls to send to another of our friends who is away!
God has blessed my with so many friends! I am so thankful for the gift that they each are!
I am so thankful that God led us to this fellowship, unlike any other, that we will have been going to for 4 years next month! What a blessing!
A few things about our Church that I love:
~you can feel the unconditional love
~there is true fellowship
~there is no "agenda"
~there is not a focus on the material, but on that which "moth and rust do not destroy and thieves do not break in and steal"--the treasure in heaven
There is so much more...it would take so long to write it all down....so why don't you see for yourself?

Such contagious laughter!!!!!!!!

We just had to do some silly ones!

Maddie: "Oh, Elisha! Didn't I tell you to leave my mandolin alone? You fiddled with it and now a string is broken! Ugh!" Taylor: "It wasn't me! I have nothing to do with this! I feel like I'm in the middle! You've done it now, Elisha!" Elisha: "Really, Maddie, I told you, it was Rosie! I know I was supposed to be watching her..."                                         FYI: The above is 100% fiction. Just havin' some fun!!

I am truly blessed!

I am feeling so overwhelmed at God's love. Who am I that He should send His only Son to deliver me from my sins? That He should give His grace and mercy to me new each morning? That He would listen to my prayers?
I am so blessed by the precious gifts that He's given me...the wonderful blessing of my siblings! It is so amazing to think that if we hadn't adopted, I would be like an only child with Brittany married and gone.
But that's not the case, and I am so thankful for the immense privilege that I have been given to be an older sister and an example to my siblings!
Please do not mistake me...things are not all roses and sunshine. No way! There are struggles. There are disputes. There are times when my siblings drive me crazy and I am blind to the fact that they may feel the same way. There are times when I feel my anger rising when they don't listen, and I don't stop to think, "Wait; I am not the parent!"
But...by far, the good outweighs the bad...the blessing is greater than the trial. God is good...and He is loving. My desire and goal is to be like Him. Kind, loving, gracious, merciful, compassionate, meek, and so many things that cannot be written...

Fear not, for I am with you;

I will bring your descendants from the east, and gather you from the west;

I will say to the north, give them up!

And to the south, do not keep them back!

Bring my sons from afar,

And my daughters from the ends of the earth.

Everyone who is called by My name,

Whom I have created for my glory;

I have formed him, yes, I have made him. Isaiah 43:5-7