Well if you need a good laugh and want to know what happens at 147 House parties then click on this link to Suzanne's blog and have at it !!!!  I will admit all the screaming was real, but so was the belly rolling laughing that ensued !!! and boy was it fun !!!  LOVE ME SOME RENEE, AMY, AND TERRY LYNN ... thanks girls

P.S. In my defense I had an extremely traumatic experience w/ a mouse when I was young living in the Wherry Housing Projects in Smyrna ... So don't be to hard on me !!!!!

I have given my girls some of my old journals and I do love it when they ask me to read to them what I wrote ... So sitting out on the front porch this morning RESTING IN HIS PRESENCE like my Jesus Calling book was encouraging me to do my sweet Emily brings me my journal from 2008, and it said "JOY is based on who GOD is and HAPPINESS is based on circumstances." ... This is not a new concept, but one always worth re-visiting on a daily basis ... The words JOY and HAPPINESS have been such a part of my vocabulary lately as I speak to families about the road of adoption or joining the fight to help orphans ... I am not on this earth to obtain happiness, but to bring JOY to the FATHER ... Bring JOY to the father brings more and more JOY in my life and in my FAMILY'S life ...

Blessings on this Sunday Morning ... I hope you find some rest and peace !!!

We make it so grey in this world because it is hard not be clouded by all we see, hear, and do on a daily basis ... I sometimes see something and become completely shocked at how have we gotten this far off track ... How can we have marches and rallies, news shows, publications and other media dedicated to the cruelty of animals and not shine a light on the hurting, abandoned, and defenseless children both in the U.S. and around the world ... I am not saying we shouldn't protect animals, but when we elevate them above a human life there is something warped about our bible world view ... Are we just to afraid of what might happen if we start making people face the reality of how children are living in this world today ??? Are we afraid people might really take a stand and this could become an issue we refuse to ignore or move past ??? What are we afraid of ???

"The Lord God has told us what is right and what He demands: "See that justice is done, let mercy be your first concern; and humbly obey your God."  Micah 6:8

Do what is RIGHT and HUMBLY obey ... IT IS SIMPLE ... I am gonna try and fight through the fog of this world and humbly shine for the LORD ...

blessings friends !!!

Guest post by random honorary member of the Oatsvall team.. :)

Bear (bare?) with me all you avid-bloggers/Gwen-admirers.. I'm not too sure how to start this out so I guess I'll just GO!

Grace here.. And I'm a little new to the scene. I came rolling into the Oatsvall's lives (and haven't wanted to leave!!) about a year and a half ago. I have spent the past 2 summers volunteering at the orphanage where Joseph and Daisy grew up in Uganda. It didn't take long for me to fall in love with it.. The people, the culture, but mostly the KIDDOS. Loving on those sweet little ones completely rocked my world and I've never been the same since. God turned my world upside down once I set foot on that red dirt. (And thank goodness He did!!)

Lucky for me.. That eventually led to me visiting and getting to know Gwen and her team. God has used her and her entire family to push me towards Christ. To show me what it means to be a family. To love blindly, to love like crazy, and to pour out the love of Christ on as many people as possible.

I was able to come and help Gwen get ready for her first trip to Uganda.. I spent my spring break running around like crazy, getting papers together (6 copies of everything!), packing, (and then repacking), running errands, doing everything we could think of to be as ready as possible. And then I had the awesome opportunity to be in Africa when Gwen came to get them to bring them HOME. I got to walk the dirt roads with them and see Jeremiah's heart grow while serving the children of Amazima. I got to watch Joseph and Daisy fall in love with their family. And now I get to come visit and see ALL the kids together.. Knowing and seeing kids in an orphanage but then getting to see them HOME with their FOREVER families.. I can't even explain it. It is a HUGE blessing. 

I can honestly tell you that having the opportunity to spend so much time with her family has changed my life. They are FOR REAL. Do the kids fight sometimes? Of course. Is the house spotless? With 6 kids?? I'll just let you guess. ;) Do they put on the appearance of "knowing it all" or "having it all together" ? Nope. But do you know what they do? They love God and know the importance of what Jesus did for us. They love each other. They look out for each other. And while I'm here, I'm family. I mean, they are obviously awesome. How many college kids do you know that choose to use any break they get to come play with kids, do laundry, cook meals, wash dishes, run errands, wake up early, go to bed late, bathe kids, break up fights, and just BE with a family just to help out?? You know there's gotta be something special about THIS crew!

So, that's it. :) Just wanted everyone to know what a huge blessing that Gwen and the rest of the Oatsvall team have been to my life. I'm beyond blessed to be an honorary member of their family. I LOVE it. God is using this family to change lives, and I'm just blessed to be one of them!!

XOXO~Grace

As I feel each day is a juggle, I have to stop myself as I try to prioritize the day ... WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT ... not to me but, to the LORD ... I am thoroughly enjoying these days and those stolen individual moments w/ each of my children ... They seem so rare !!  I had teacher conferences yesterday and to see my children through someone else's eyes is so humbling ... I love my sweet family and I pray each day I can get at least a small part of the day in the RIGHT ORDER ... Thank you Lord for always piercing my heart in such a gentle way to pull me back to you !!!

I was hoping to have all this time last week to post (cause so much has been happening w/ the Oatsvall Team and 147), but just not going to happen, so I thought why not give you a snap shot of our life ... If you could read this at a super fast speed (like fast forward motion) then you would really get how our life is going .... lol

1.  Texas was amazing ... Meeting so many people and hearing other stories was so encouraging ... We really didn't get to attend to many break out sessions, because our table was always busy ... We even pulled a couple of blog buddies from the conference to help us run the 147 booth ... The parts we did get to hear and the music by Aaron Ivey was refreshing to our souls ... I still want to learn more about the FOSTER CARE system ... I feel like I know many people who could take in and love an older child, who is in need of a family !!! Someone to stand in their corner and say you belong w/ us ... (lots to process there) ...

It was comical how the people in Dallas talk about the city as if it is a person ... hee hee ... "Well in Dallas, In Dallas we, So Dallas, etc" ... Then you go Austin and they are like the rebel child and would rather not be a part of any other city/state ... HILARIOUS !!

2. Came home from TX and turned 40 !!! That is all I have to say about that ... well there was CAKE !!! that is always a positive !!

3. I have been reading my Jesus Calling and the daily themes/scripture keep me from falling apart each day and that is just the honest truth ... Hard work w/ 6 kids and 3 that seem to need me constantly, while trying not to forget the older 3 ... It is a season for sure, but it is hard ALL DAY LONG - breakfast time, getting out the door, laundry, lunch time, playtime, quiet time, tv time, running errand time, dinner time, clean-up time, and BEDTIME ... It is all hard right now !!!

4. Highly recommend getting the POVERY AND JUSTICE BIBLE .... It has highlighted all the scriptures pertaining to POVERTY AND JUSTICE ... It is truly amazing and so humbling to see how much our FATHER cares about these two issues ...

5. Jeremiah's 6th grade football team will be playing in the championship game next week ... I love football season ...  Jeremiah is talented and such an inspiration to me ... He is a great help to me and an amazing big brother.

6. We had quite an emotional experience this week w/ one of Maggie's sweet friends ... Maggie and her were playing when Maggie's hat came off ... This friend was very scared and confused by Maggie's burn ... I am very thankful to Meg (the mom) for her sweet, sweet spirit ... We had a great talk w/ Maggie's class and God was ever present in calming the situation and our hearts.  Surgery number 6 will be in 1 month and they will pull the skin over her burn they have been expanding ... I am giddy and nervous all at the same time ... Once that is healed (probably 3-6 months) then they will go back in and put in a new skull plate !!! Praying they are completely done by the time she goes to Kindergarten !!!

7. My sweet Anna's (Anna and Anna Bliss) came over yesterday to paint pumpkins with the kids ... And if you know me you know that is a HUGE blessings because I DISLIKE W/ A PASSION all things CRAFT related ... NO GLUE, SPARKLES, PAINT, HOT GLUE, GLITTER, etc ... And that is one reason why I dread school projects ... I have many talents, but crafts are NOT one of them ... They actually give me HIGH ANXIETY ... (there is my confession)

8. I am just saying NO these days to so much because there is just no way to say YES ... It is a hard place because many feel that you are ignoring them or don't have time for them, but the truth is there is just not enough ME or TIME in the day to get back to everyone, talk to everyone, or see everyone ... I know I have hurt some peoples feelings and for that I am sorry, but I am just trying to survive w/ what I feel God has first for me to do ...

I hope you all have a fabulous Sunday and that the Lord gives you a special blessing today for you to take into your week ...

After I catch up on all my kisses and hugs from my kids, I will give you a big ole update from TX ... I will leave you w/ a few teasers ...

Met some amazing friends
I am wondering if DALLAS is a person or a city ??
147 Speeding Ticket
Why does AUSTIN want to be its own state
AMAZING ADOPTION STORIES
Pulling new friends from the crowd to help run the 147 booth
Number of Orphans in the world debate
blessed by Aaron Ivey's music
Karen Purvis !!!!!
Foster Care (processing it)
Plane Ride home with woman in front of me literally gassing on me the whole HR !!
giggles and tears !!!

And if God is the father to the fatherless then the church must be the MOTHER ... time to step up churches in the UNTIED STATES and care for the orphans of the world, they are counting on us !!!!