Easter Celebrations!

Hallelujah!

Landon and Wilson were both baptized on Easter evening. Its too bad you can't hear me in this photo..all I could say was "Hallelujah, hallelujah" through some mushy, tear soaked expressions.

Its also too bad you could not see Wilson just prior to Landon being baptized as he was treading water just in front of her. He amused himself by grinning and splashing a bit while waiting for his turn. That's my boy. I would have been horrified if I had not watched Jerry Falwell's grandson splash around in the baptistry just a few years earlier...I suppose boys will be boys..even when we get to heaven. Thank you Pastor Mike for being such a patient man :-)


Easter Sunday

Ethan and Too Too clowning around just before they left town.

Question: What does your face look like after you realize that a bird has flown over your head and left you something on your Easter dress? Well, it should look something like Austyn's does in this photo (look closely at her neckline) :-) She was crying "fowl".

Nope. I had no idea he was man-handling a mandarin orange just as Landon was snapping a photo :-)

Boys... being boys, I guess *sigh*

Happy Easter!

He has risen, He has risen indeed!

Mustard Seed

Tomorrow, we will celebrate Stephen Isaiah JaeHo's very first "Family Day". Earlier this week we celebrated the first day we met and now, tomorrow is the anniversary of the day he joined our family forever in the city that he has since called home.

We have so many reasons to honor this day. I posted several photos on my facebook account that reflect on his then and now, but only this photo can capture what has really taken place inside his new family and in his tiny little life. You see, when we first were introduced to our little guy on paper, we were given over 40 pages of documentation that painted a fairly bleak future for his education, language skills and his learning. I was told that he has been tested over and over and consistently tested in the below average range. We refused to believe (naive, huh?) this until we could draw our own conclusions. You see, I serve a mighty God, and for those of you who know what this journey was like for our family, you can understand what I knew to be true about my Abba father: He is good and He can be trusted. We stepped out and guess what?

One year almost to the day after arriving in our home, our little "slow learning, slow speaking" son said: "Momma, can I talk to you for a minute? Can I write my name? You help me?", and this is what he did for the very first time with no assistance from his momma except to call out each letter as he penned them.

That my friends, says "S-T-E-P-H-E-N". You might have to look, but they are all there.

As for this little 4 year old's future, I am just gonna trust in a faithful God.

Happy Family Day, Stevo!

For this child I have prayed..1 Sam 1:27

This past Sunday was a day for celebration. Not only did I get to spend Mother's Day with my precious family, but my mom and sister were able to be with me us well. What a day!

Also, Sunday morning we dedicated our newest son to the Lord in front of our new church family. All of our children have been dedicated on a special day in the past and Stephen was no exception to this tradition. For some reason, this day was overwhelmingly infused with emotion.

I guess it stands to reason that the pastor's sermon was on the book of 1st Samuel and Hannah's longing to have a child. It was a personal charge for us to take these children that God has blessed us with and raise them to know Him and to know He is real and He is faithful and good and that His word is truth. WOW. A daunting task to say the least..I am so thankful that we are not left alone to try to pull this one off in our own strength. I, personally, would fail miserably every time....I keep praying that He will hold tight to his promise in Jeremiah 29:11 that says "He knows the plans He has for us.." and that he will make something glorious out of these tiny lives that have been entrusted in our care, regardless of our shortcomings.

Unmatched in silliness, perceptiveness, disorder and loyalty: Team Lucas

Blessing of a mother: "Grammy,Grammy, what did you bring me?" doing what she does best..loving her grand kids

Dick Van Dyke and three of his "little Richies"

(This is one of my favorites..truly it is how he looks most days when he gets home from work...several hanging on his pants leg)

Oh, if you only knew how representative this really is of a normal moment at the Lucas household. Ah...chaos. It settles in like an old friend...

Everyone loves Aunt Too Too!

Hope your Mother's Day was a reminder of the many blessings you have been afforded, whether you have a "quiver full of children" or a mother that you can "rise up and call bless-ed" today or in the whisper of prayer in her memory.

Not only on Mother's Day, but each and everyday you are missed and loved:

Grandma Deanie, Nana and Mamaw Nellie

Divine Inspiration

In case you ever forget that the God of this whole Universe really does care about little ol' you...let me share a first-hand account of his intense desire to not only love us, but to be the lover of our souls (OK, I am a little dramatic today, but this one really got me.)

This morning we had a ladies tea at our church. Feeling the need to serve in some capacity..I did what every good church going woman would do: I volunteered to decorate and host a table at this little event. No big deal, huh? Well, for anyone who knows me, they know this is not my cup of tea (pardon the pun) and I am HGTV challenged. I was feeling a little nervous about the decoration aspect and the pressure was intensified Tuesday morning after bible study and I laid eyes on photos of the tables that had been done in the past. I panicked. I kept wondering how I could bail on the whole thing in some proper etiquette sort of way...

I am embarrassed to admit that after a few hours of really trying to figure this whole thing out..I began to pray (or whine) and ask God to help me. I was totally at a loss. I dragged the girls with me to a discount store and immediately saw a simple potted fuchsia orchid. Perfect. Before I knew it I had a whole theme rolling and was only missing a few little details. One, being a third orchid for balance. Once again, I whispered a small prayer, and there in the very back of the store I spotted one more orchid that someone had left on a shelf in the automotive department (yep). I was beginning to breathe a little easier. Everything fell together with relative ease and with inspiration that came from some place I did not even know I possessed.

Wanna see what can happen when the Lover of Our Souls sees one of his children in distress (even if it seems stupid at the time)?

His word says He will never leave us or forsake us, and I am so encouraged to know that this includes those tiny moments in our lives where we just need to have some details laid out for us.

I think I will be spending my next "tea time" with royalty.

The King of Kings.

Oh, and by the way, guess whose table won a prize for best decorated?

"Martha, Martha you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken away from her."
Luke 10:41-42