"Finding your feet on a wonderful road..."

I said goodbye to my girls last Friday before heading to Hyderabad. Its been almost two weeks, but it feels like far too long ago. As I sit here in Nashville, I'm struggling with sorting through all the thoughts going through my mind. My emotions are all over as I love seeing family and friends but miss these sweet faces so very much... Alesa, Nora, and Phoebe Every time I return to America, I'm amazed by how much "stuff" I have. As I look around my bedroom, I'm awe of all the things that serve no real purpose but to take up space. As I have laid my head to rest in my queen size bed this week, several nights I've laid here counting how many of my girls could squeeze into it to sleep like they do now (I decided 5 or 6 in case you're wondering :)...which is a very normal Indian thing to do). I know its silly, but it just reminds me of how much space so many of us have for those who need it shared with them. But do we have space in our he

Ah...the beach...the sunshine, the refreshingly cool water, the warm breeze...you just can't go wrong...one of the wonderful things about Ongole is its close proximity to the Indian Ocean where one can go to relax and enjoy a short break from the craziness of India. A real treat for our kids is when we have the opportunity to take them to the beach to play and forget about all the worries of the world. So when we were given the chance to take my schoolgirls to the beach for the day, Caroline and I jumped on it! We found everyone some Indian beach dress code appropriate clothes (dress and pants), loaded up the car, and set out for the day with windows down and singing songs at the top of our lungs. If only I could find the words to describe the smiles that were on the girls' faces as we drove along, knowing that once we reached our destination they would be able to laugh and play in the ocean... Stacy and Zinnia As soon as we stepped out of the car, several of them to

I've been thinking about you lately, What I'm thinking is that you're crazy, But I love to watch you dance... There's a couple in the corner, They've been watching you for hours. Envious of your fame, Like your laughter, Its contagious, when it has a name... You are fearless when it comes to Lighting up a room. I can love and I can hate,  And I know how to hesitate, So teach me how to move... -Alli Rogers, Fearless Just finished listening to this song multiple times after spending time with my girls tonight. As it came on my iTunes shuffle, I couldn't help but smile and laugh as I thought about those silly little girls dancing around. We turned up the Telugu Vacation Bible Schools songs on the TV, and we danced and danced. And I'm still smiling about it an hour later. The joy all over their faces makes my heart sing. I'm realizing that as they would look at me and ask me to dance with them in the midst of all my h

"I praise you because I am wonderfully made!" Psalm 139:14 It's a verse that we teach to kids hoping that they know they are perfect. A verse that I learned when I was little. A verse that I've heard a million times. But though I have heard it time and time again, I couldn't help but tear up at hearing them say it. When our team started thinking about what Bible verse to teach the SCH kids during English camp, no one disagreed that Psalm 139:14 should be it. For kids who have been given up because of their physical or mental disabilities, there's nothing better for them to know. As we planned, all I could think about was what a perfect verse for kids who are just that: perfect. When you first meet the SCH kids, it would be easy to notice some of their disabilities, but when you get to know them, all that fades away and you recognize just how amazing they are. God certainly made them wonderful. He stitched them together and knew their lives before th

It's funny as I sit here and look back at my past posts on here, several of them begin with something similar to: "Well, where do I even begin?" And so, here I am again, wondering what to even begin to write... I guess I could start with the fact that I am currently sitting on a couch in Ongole... The thought blows my mind as the reality of it sinks in. The last two months seem like a blur. This morning, I sat with my journal and God and tried to process life a little, and I was in awe of how I'm back here. May and June were crazy but wonderful months; filled with Heath's undergrad graduation, my grad school graduation, Heath and Kelsey's wedding (Yay!!), and...India?? When I left here about 14 months ago, I had no idea what the future held. I left with a broken heart wondering how I could survive with the possibility of never seeing these silly and beloved faces again... All I could cling to was God's promise that He had good and perfect plan