Art and Poem by Emma Grassmick
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Your Hands
On Sunday Jonathan and I received the final copy of our adoption video. It was suggested by some close friends that a video might be a good way to reach lots of people with our need for financial support so we recruited the best videographers we knew. Two teenage boys. Trevor and Austin Ban...or the Ban Bros. They came to our house and filmed us before I left for my East Coast excursion and have been working on it for weeks.
During these last few weeks, I also received permission to use a song that has been playing in my head since March 18 of this year. March 18 was the day before one of my good friend's birthday. She had had knee surgery the month before but had been suffering from terrible staph infections for weeks at this point. She thought she might die. And one day in the midst of all of this, our Pastor's wife sent her a youtube link to JJ Heller's Your Hands. (iTunes sells her songs. Your Hands is on the album Painted Red.) This song gave her hope. So, on March 18, when life was hard, my friend Laura and I gave our in-the-valley friend a surprise pajama birthday party...in her bed. It was a wonderful night...holy almost. And right when we were about to leave she made me sit down and watch this video. I bought JJ's album that night and have played it everyday since. My kids sing Your Hands daily. I l.o.v.e. this song. Besides the hope it gave my friend, it gives me a glimpse of what my Honduran children's prayers might sound like. They have unanswered prayers, they have troubles they wish weren't there. And they have probably asked a thousand ways for the God of the universe to take their pain away, their deep pain. But even through the toughest life circumstances, we are in His Hands. The hands that shaped the world. His hands are holding them and one day He will set all things right. I can't believe God has chosen me to be a vehicle for His love for these children.
So, as I was saying, I GOT PERMISSION FROM JJ HELLER TO USE HER SONG!!!!! I was stunned when I got the email. Amazed. God keeps setting this story up so beautifully.
So, back to the first line of this post...we received the video. I set it live today and I thought I'd share it with you guys, my faithful followers. My prayer for this video is that it will spread online for two reasons. The first I think is obvious: we need lots of money. :) Sorry to be so blunt.
But the other reason is that I want hundreds or thousands of people to be encouraged that they could do this adoption thing too. We want adoption to be way more normal than it is right now. We want more of the 147,000,000 orphans of the world to find families to commune with. And I think this video shows that we are just normal people doing what God asked us to do. Even though it seems a little wacky, or a lot wacky, we are going to step forward in faith because we are in Your Hands, Lord.
PS. Please share this video with anyone and everyone! (Here is the youtube link.)
And thank you again to JJ Heller for the use of Your Hands
And thank you a million times to Trevor and Austin (Ban Bros.)! You guys are really amazing. I l.o.v.e. that my boys get to watch you and learn from you. God is using you mightily.
During these last few weeks, I also received permission to use a song that has been playing in my head since March 18 of this year. March 18 was the day before one of my good friend's birthday. She had had knee surgery the month before but had been suffering from terrible staph infections for weeks at this point. She thought she might die. And one day in the midst of all of this, our Pastor's wife sent her a youtube link to JJ Heller's Your Hands. (iTunes sells her songs. Your Hands is on the album Painted Red.) This song gave her hope. So, on March 18, when life was hard, my friend Laura and I gave our in-the-valley friend a surprise pajama birthday party...in her bed. It was a wonderful night...holy almost. And right when we were about to leave she made me sit down and watch this video. I bought JJ's album that night and have played it everyday since. My kids sing Your Hands daily. I l.o.v.e. this song. Besides the hope it gave my friend, it gives me a glimpse of what my Honduran children's prayers might sound like. They have unanswered prayers, they have troubles they wish weren't there. And they have probably asked a thousand ways for the God of the universe to take their pain away, their deep pain. But even through the toughest life circumstances, we are in His Hands. The hands that shaped the world. His hands are holding them and one day He will set all things right. I can't believe God has chosen me to be a vehicle for His love for these children.
So, as I was saying, I GOT PERMISSION FROM JJ HELLER TO USE HER SONG!!!!! I was stunned when I got the email. Amazed. God keeps setting this story up so beautifully.
So, back to the first line of this post...we received the video. I set it live today and I thought I'd share it with you guys, my faithful followers. My prayer for this video is that it will spread online for two reasons. The first I think is obvious: we need lots of money. :) Sorry to be so blunt.
But the other reason is that I want hundreds or thousands of people to be encouraged that they could do this adoption thing too. We want adoption to be way more normal than it is right now. We want more of the 147,000,000 orphans of the world to find families to commune with. And I think this video shows that we are just normal people doing what God asked us to do. Even though it seems a little wacky, or a lot wacky, we are going to step forward in faith because we are in Your Hands, Lord.
PS. Please share this video with anyone and everyone! (Here is the youtube link.)
And thank you again to JJ Heller for the use of Your Hands
And thank you a million times to Trevor and Austin (Ban Bros.)! You guys are really amazing. I l.o.v.e. that my boys get to watch you and learn from you. God is using you mightily.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
5414
My kids and I have been on our annual trek to the east coast for the past couple of weeks. And since we were coming by Dallas and since my mom and step-dad are moving soon we decided to end our trip here. It is our farewell to the house. And no one seems to get it except me and my sweet daughter, Emma. She basically had a 2 hour melt down this afternoon. She wasn't "acting up," she was sad. She started by being a little mopey. Which after a bit turned into a full out wail. Change is hard. Memories are made and us emotional people like to hold them close. My sister, Val, asked Emma what her favorite memories are at the house and what she will remember. I held her while she cried. I'm not sure why I feel so attached to this house. My parents moved here the summer after I graduated high school. So, I've never really lived here for long periods of time. I came back the summer after my freshman year but that was it except for holidays. I married my man the summer after I graduated so I lived here a couple of months before the wedding. And then right before we moved to New Mexico we lived here about 5 months. We sold our house quickly and decided to be roomies with them until we moved. So, it has been the family house since 1996. 16 years. I didn't learn to ride my bike here, or learn about boys living here. I've never had a birthday bash here and I didn't come here after high school football games. And maybe that is it. I didn't become a christian until I went away to college. My life was filled with lots of drama and bad decisions before then. But ever since the day I gave my life to Jesus (April 10, 1997) I have "come home" to this house. And the most beautiful times in my life have roots here. The first time I came home after I became a child of God was to this house. I told my mom what had happened to me. My first Christmas with Jonathan as my boyfriend happened here. He gave me a red Bible cover and some perfume...Eternity. His mom wrapped the presents for him. The day Jonathan asked me to marry him started and ended at this house. The day I married him started at this house. I cried in the shower before anyone else was awake. Not a sad cry, but a gosh,-it's-here! cry. A You-God-are-really-going-to-bless-me-in-this-way cry. We spent the evening before my firstborn came into the world in the living room. I could really keep going but I think I've made my point. And I think Emma thinks and feels like I do. She remembers crazy details about life. Always linked to people. She will remember a store we ran in 4 years ago...if someone was with us. So, her deep attachment to this house is all about the people she knew here. And this was party central so almost everyone she knows has a spot in her memory at this house. So, leaving it is sad.
Another reason it is sad to me right now is because my new kids won't have a clue about this house. No memory will be able to take them back here. Everyone in our current family will be able to think back to this house in some way. But the new kids will just have to smile and nod when we talk about the back patio, which by the way is Emma's favorite part of the house. And mine too.
So, I just have to keep reminding myself of the bigger picture and not get bogged down in only emotion. It is okay to be sad, but gosh, good things are ahead. My mom and step dad are going to live 8 hours closer to us AT A SNOWBOARDING RESORT! A life time of memories are going to be built. And my new kids are going to think back to the new house for lots of firsts. But more important than the house is the family that they are going to get to make those memories with. The house is going to be amazing. But the family is one of those "He will bless you beyond what you can imagine" things. They are going to grow up in a family that loves them and would die for them. We will laugh with them and tickle them and cry with them and wipe their tears away. House or no house, we will have each other. I can't wait.
Another reason it is sad to me right now is because my new kids won't have a clue about this house. No memory will be able to take them back here. Everyone in our current family will be able to think back to this house in some way. But the new kids will just have to smile and nod when we talk about the back patio, which by the way is Emma's favorite part of the house. And mine too.
So, I just have to keep reminding myself of the bigger picture and not get bogged down in only emotion. It is okay to be sad, but gosh, good things are ahead. My mom and step dad are going to live 8 hours closer to us AT A SNOWBOARDING RESORT! A life time of memories are going to be built. And my new kids are going to think back to the new house for lots of firsts. But more important than the house is the family that they are going to get to make those memories with. The house is going to be amazing. But the family is one of those "He will bless you beyond what you can imagine" things. They are going to grow up in a family that loves them and would die for them. We will laugh with them and tickle them and cry with them and wipe their tears away. House or no house, we will have each other. I can't wait.
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