Goodbye, My Friend

The Crow house has had its share of sadness today. Sabella, Cara-Lee's 9 month old Sable Burmese, was put down today. She suddenly became ill last night, having seizures. Bloodwork detected nothing. Kidneys tested normal, although they were enlarged. She just seemed to shut down.

Cara-Lee has loved cats since she was able to talk. Before Sabella, Holly and I were NOT cat people. Santa brought Sabella this past Christmas, and she was the best pet ever. If anyone is thinking about a cat, but unsure if you really want one, research the Burmese. You will become a cat lover, too. They are great.

We were honest with the kids about everything. When we realized that Sabella would have to be put down, we let them know. Cara-Lee cried and cried. We went to the animal hospital and were able to visit with her one last time. Cara-Lee and Braden were so brave saying goodbye. They loved on her so sweetly and gently. Cara-Lee and I stayed with Sabella while the vet actually put her down. Cara-Lee gently stroked Sabella for the few moments that it takes for the process to work. We all took turns holding her again, and we said a short prayer, thanking God for allowing us to take care of Sabella for the few months that she was here.

Both kids are sad. However, I am proud that they recognize that death is a part of the life cycle, and that often times it occurs in the young, sometimes it is sudden and unexplained. And that it hurts, even with a kitty.

Incidentally, we are scheduled to pick up another Burmese next Saturday - something that was already on the agenda before these events occurred. We were really looking forward to having two. We'll see.

Discipleship

I am about to enter into a pretty intensive discipleship training program. It is called COREgroups, and was developed by this great guy who is an elder at church, New River Fellowship. It is centered around the 3-strand model: crowd, cell, CORE, in which people get connected and build relationships through the church (crowd), LifeGroups (cell), and with 2 or 3 others of the same gender (CORE). The idea is that no one is alone, in service, developing, growing, seeking, or struggling. I am excited about entering into this deeper level of intimacy with God and others.

There is a difference in being a disciple and being a believer. I have never really thought about it that much, but it is true. Jesus' disciples followed him closely, and were eager to share with others the hope they had in Him. Believers heard the Good News and went on their way, certainly having been changed by their experience with the Savior, but going on with their daily lives. I feel that I have done that in my life. I know what God has done for me. He has saved me through His Son, and it was life changing. People I interact with - my family, co-workers, friends, acquaintances, cashiers, clerks, everyone - should be able to see that change in me, and I want them to know about it.

I believe, now I want to become a disciple.

Adoption Update

Holly and I finally have our application ready to send to the agency that we selected - Chinese Children Adoption International. This has been such a tedious process. Every medical procedure and possible concern had to be documented and clarified by our physician. It is good to know that a hernia repair and gall bladder removal will in no way impair my ability to be a parent. Interestingly enough, neither does a vasectomy or hysterectomy.

We are excited, but now an entire new set of concerns come up. What if they say "no"? It had never occurred to me that this might be a possibility, but after completing such a detailed document, it raises the question. What if we aren't what they are looking for? Holly and I continue to feel convicted that this is the path that God is leading us down. Why has this become a concern to me? I don't know, really. I do know that I need to trust that God has a good and perfect will for us where our family is concerned. For every concern for that matter. He will provide the way for this to happen. We trust Him in that.

To those of you who read this from time to time, please keep us in your prayers as we continue on in this process. We have prayed for God's direction, and we feel that He has been faithful.

We continue to make this our prayer: "...for (we) did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but (we) received the spirit of adoption by whom we cry out 'Abba, Father.'" - Romans 8:15. I just need to remind myself of this a little more often.

For additional information on what led us to adoption, please read my entry titled, "Following God's Call."

Grandparents

Braden (9) and Cara-Lee (6) are spending a lot of time at my parent's house this summer. They spend the night a few times a week. My parents love having them. They don't do anything special, but these are special times for my children.

When I grew up my grandparents all lived out of town. They were two and four hours away, respectively. I would spend portions of the summer with each set of grandparents. With Dad's parents we went on vacations - to see my aunt in south Texas, mostly. We would stop along the way and read every Historical Marker on the road. We went to all kinds of historical sites - the LBJ Ranch, Birthplace, Boyhood Home, Library, Lady Bird's Bithplace, John Nance Garner's home (he was VP under FDR who said the vice presidency wasn't worth a bucket of warm spit). A one day trip to my aunt's turned into a full two or three day excursion, complete with a stay in a motel - the kind where you pull your car up right in front of the door. We'd eat at Dairy Queen in whatever little town we were in, but usually ate out of the ice chest in the back seat.

Back at their house days were filled with picking vegetables in the garden, playing in the tree house that Grandad built for the kids, and drinking Coca-Cola out of the 10 ounce bottles from the fridge in the back room that was just for drinks. I can remember my Grandad coming in from a day in the oil field and sitting in his recliner with a cold Coke. I was always there for VBS, and would ride the Joy Bus to church - (Hello, Travis! Hello, Travis! Hello, Travis! We're glad you rode our bus! Merrily we roll along....) Great memories.

At mom's parent's house, who live on about 300 acres in Oklahoma, life was a little different. Huge garden - about an acre in size. One year there were so many watermelons that we literally gave them away on the side of the road. I would help my grandmother can all kinds of food - green beans, black-eyed peas, tomatoes, etc. They had cattle, and there was some kind of plant that was poisonous to cattle, and he would pay me one cent for every one that I pulled. It was on the honor system, and I was honest about it, and made quite a bit of money over the summers. I put the money in a savings account up there, and withdrew it when I went to college. Double Cola was the drink of choice up there. They don't make it anymore, but it was good. They lived on a river and we would set out limb lines every morning, and I would check them throughout the day. We ate a lot of catfish. We froze a lot, too. I could clean and fillet a catfish when I was about 12 years old. I also learned to drive up there on the land, starting at age 9. Great memories.

I am so glad that Braden and Cara-Lee are spending time with their grandparents. They are doing nothing special, but these are special times. One day they will have great memories.