Our Christmas card holds 3 photos, but here are some extras...
And Mama and Daddy make 6.
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Extra Photos
And Mama and Daddy make 6.
Every good and perfect gift is from above...
2015 is ending, and Ca's
first Christmas is on its way. It's not her first Christmas on earth, but
certainly her first Christmas celebrated. And I (E) feel as though advent has
slipped away this year. But since the kids were so diligent at sending the
cards to so many of you, I thought I should take a moment and just count the
gifts we've seen God provide.
I'm thankful...
· that all 4 of our kids are still entertained by a
large cardboard box. Once the shipped gift was removed, they spent the
afternoon climbing inside, popping out, coloring the box, pretending to sleep
in it, and generally having a good time with it. We thank God for the gift of
fun, and for how he is lightening our hearts more frequently.
· that Co's transition back to public school for 4th
grade has had so many positive parts. A sensitive classroom teacher,
enthusiastic orchestra and chorus teachers and a nurturing math teacher have
all played parts in her experience. We thank God for great teachers.
· that I's transition to middle school has been nearly
stress-free. He has a close-knit group of buddies from elementary school, and
is getting to know other 6th graders. He breezes through his classes, loves the
extracurricular opportunities, and gets almost all his homework done during
study hall. We thank God for His care for I in the midst of very big
transitions.
· that Ca's English is exploding, and her taste buds are
adapting to our family's preferences. She now eats vegetables (while
proclaiming how big and strong she's getting) and we rarely have to make her a
separate ramen noodle soup. That we can see places where she feels loved and
beautiful, and where she expects us to take care of her and shower her with
loving attention. We thank God for the ways we see our littlest one learning
how to be a daughter and a sister.
· that S works very hard to love his little sister well.
In the midst of significant struggles to "share" his parents and become
more independent, we have seen him demonstrate some really amazing emotional
growth. He has become more self-aware, and has capacity for amazingly selfless
and difficult choices. We thank God that Ca is exactly the little sister that
He intended for S at exactly this stage in his development.
· that I (E) am making progress towards using my
"free day" time well. I've felt like I've been floundering since
October when Ca started school, but am beginning to get a sense of how the time
(from 9-3, when the kids are at school) can help me be faithful in my responsibilities
and relationships. I feel like I'm growing and am tremendously thankful for
God's faithfulness to me personally.
· That B has steady work to support our family. Work
that he's really good at, and that's making an important contribution to the
company. That God continues to bless our marriage despite the struggles and
exhaustion of parenting. I am blessed to be his wife, and thankful for the love
we share.
We
wish you all a blessed 2016!
Monday, December 21, 2015
It's been too long
by B
Those must be the most common words emanating from the majority of bloggers out there because sooner or later real life takes over and you just can't find time. We are sorry, our loved ones, that we have neglected you for so long. But we know you, and we know you understand. Thank you.
Our last several posts have been dark and difficult, reflecting the realities of living in a fractured world. We (and I mean every single one of the Fletchers) have experienced deep loss and confusion. Life has been hard. The things we have trusted for security have been removed and we have lost our way.
Ca has been to the doctor numerous times since arriving in America. For some unknown reason she was not immunized during her first six years. Perhaps it was concern for her medical condition that led the doctors to avoid the additional stress to her system. Not so here. She's made several "special" trips just to get shots in her arms - usually four at a time - to catch up. It hurts when the needles prick her skin...and it hurts for several days after, longer even than the memory of the consolation ice cream she enjoys in return! While she can't appreciate it yet, she trusts us (thank you, Lord!) when we tell her that the doctor is good and is helping her. The lesson here: doctors cause us pain while protecting us from future harm.
This is a picture of our God. He isn't content to leave us where he finds us. He knows we need to be loved and protected from harm. His protection often involves our pain. He wounds us to save us from harm. "Abandon your idols," He calls. "They are powerless to save you. Worse, they will consume you!" Giving up idols hurts. [In case you need to know this later, my idol du jour is free time or "me time", which explains why I've gotten so little sleep since returning from China. I exchange sleep for my idol - that is, until rest/sleep becomes my idol; at which point I sacrifice family relationships...] I find it remarkable that the things that hurt us most are often blessings in disguise. Our eyes aren't keen enough to see them as they truly are - good gifts from a merciful God intent on saving us from harm.
So it is here. Lots of pain, but so much renewal. We saw today venom and violence pour forth from our kids. Twenty minutes later there was repentance and forgiveness. Only the Savior who died for us can cause such revolution. To Him be all praise and honor and glory. We see Him at work, and revere Him because this change, this repentance, is not from us.
We give God thanks also for an amazing church family. A few weeks ago we asked our church to pray for our family, for our struggles with anger and violence, and specifically for the provision of before- and after-school help. This was an interesting experience for us. Typically we are the providers, not the receivers, of help. The hours when I (B) am absent and everyone else is home are typically the most difficult. While no one has yet braved the 6:30 - 8:30 am shift (!), we've had more than a few volunteers for the afternoons. And what an astonishing blessing it has been! Simply having another adult present has allowed E to set aside the burden of "keeping the peace" and freed her to care for each child who might need her. This too is revolutionary. She has the space to care for the struggling child instead of just shepherd that child through the next milestone on the way toward dinner & bed. I can't overstate this; it's been an amazing change.
But more than just being present, these Christian brothers and sisters have loved us and our children. We know we can be difficult, yet each has left us with words of encouragement and joy. They are happy to serve and we are blessed to be loved by them.
We are learning the mercy of neediness. If we are to experience the love of our heavenly Father it must be with hearts that acknowledge our own need for him. The temptation, often, is to make excuses for our situation. To explain why we find ourselves in this predicament. Perhaps we are here so we can feel our need, that we may be supplied with all we need by Him who made us; the one who displays His sufficiency by meeting our needs.
Those must be the most common words emanating from the majority of bloggers out there because sooner or later real life takes over and you just can't find time. We are sorry, our loved ones, that we have neglected you for so long. But we know you, and we know you understand. Thank you.
Our last several posts have been dark and difficult, reflecting the realities of living in a fractured world. We (and I mean every single one of the Fletchers) have experienced deep loss and confusion. Life has been hard. The things we have trusted for security have been removed and we have lost our way.
Ca has been to the doctor numerous times since arriving in America. For some unknown reason she was not immunized during her first six years. Perhaps it was concern for her medical condition that led the doctors to avoid the additional stress to her system. Not so here. She's made several "special" trips just to get shots in her arms - usually four at a time - to catch up. It hurts when the needles prick her skin...and it hurts for several days after, longer even than the memory of the consolation ice cream she enjoys in return! While she can't appreciate it yet, she trusts us (thank you, Lord!) when we tell her that the doctor is good and is helping her. The lesson here: doctors cause us pain while protecting us from future harm.
This is a picture of our God. He isn't content to leave us where he finds us. He knows we need to be loved and protected from harm. His protection often involves our pain. He wounds us to save us from harm. "Abandon your idols," He calls. "They are powerless to save you. Worse, they will consume you!" Giving up idols hurts. [In case you need to know this later, my idol du jour is free time or "me time", which explains why I've gotten so little sleep since returning from China. I exchange sleep for my idol - that is, until rest/sleep becomes my idol; at which point I sacrifice family relationships...] I find it remarkable that the things that hurt us most are often blessings in disguise. Our eyes aren't keen enough to see them as they truly are - good gifts from a merciful God intent on saving us from harm.
So it is here. Lots of pain, but so much renewal. We saw today venom and violence pour forth from our kids. Twenty minutes later there was repentance and forgiveness. Only the Savior who died for us can cause such revolution. To Him be all praise and honor and glory. We see Him at work, and revere Him because this change, this repentance, is not from us.
We give God thanks also for an amazing church family. A few weeks ago we asked our church to pray for our family, for our struggles with anger and violence, and specifically for the provision of before- and after-school help. This was an interesting experience for us. Typically we are the providers, not the receivers, of help. The hours when I (B) am absent and everyone else is home are typically the most difficult. While no one has yet braved the 6:30 - 8:30 am shift (!), we've had more than a few volunteers for the afternoons. And what an astonishing blessing it has been! Simply having another adult present has allowed E to set aside the burden of "keeping the peace" and freed her to care for each child who might need her. This too is revolutionary. She has the space to care for the struggling child instead of just shepherd that child through the next milestone on the way toward dinner & bed. I can't overstate this; it's been an amazing change.
But more than just being present, these Christian brothers and sisters have loved us and our children. We know we can be difficult, yet each has left us with words of encouragement and joy. They are happy to serve and we are blessed to be loved by them.
We are learning the mercy of neediness. If we are to experience the love of our heavenly Father it must be with hearts that acknowledge our own need for him. The temptation, often, is to make excuses for our situation. To explain why we find ourselves in this predicament. Perhaps we are here so we can feel our need, that we may be supplied with all we need by Him who made us; the one who displays His sufficiency by meeting our needs.
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