Proud to be an American?

I grew up proud to be an American. Proud of our founding fathers, proud of our style of government, proud of our freedom and prosperity. I grew up in a church where military men & women were treated like rockstars and where we sang patriotic songs as much as we sang hymns.

I do not know that I would say anymore that I am PROUD to be an American. Before you stop reading, hear me out.

I am a patriot: I love so much about America. I am the daughter of an Airman and am married to a former Marine. I love hamburgers and apple pie, our mountains and our beaches, our diversity and our value of education, our art, our literature, our music...I could go on and on. And there is much that I enjoy as far as physical freedom and opportunity that is courtesy of my citizenship in this country. A country where men and women have fought and died to protect the principles of democracy, liberty, and peace. I do not take that sacrifice lightly. I am grateful. I love being American.

But am I proud? How can I be proud of something I do not deserve? Frankly, how can we as a country, be proud of things we do not deserve?

Ultimately, our freedom is a gift. Many people & nations fight for freedom, and never get it. Why do we Americans get to blessed with it when others do not? Why do we enjoy the privileges we do?---Because we're better? smarter? more deserving because we work harder or have greater ideals? or--an even more sickening thought--because we are a Christian nation? Are we--a Christian nation?? Is this what you believe?

Because I look at my nation some days, and I weep. I weep that we have rebelled and turned our backs on God. And do not misunderstand me. I am not talking about rebellion in the form of abortion, lack of prayer in school, or homosexual marriages. I am talking about our idolatry in all forms: our love of our stuff, our pursuit of the American dream and our belief that we deserve a life of comfort, prosperity, and self fulfillment--however that manifests itself. We are far from deserving of His grace and protection, as individuals or as a nation. This country provides me with a justified pursuit of my own selfish desires, under the guise of capitalism and an American work ethic. I get to be self-centered and be declared to be living "the American dream". While I agree our democracy and ideals are beneficial to me, they are far from godly.

There is only one godly nation. It is a monarchy. It is invisible-- but it's Ruler is no less real and it's subjects no less obligated to submission to His rule. This nation spans the globe, and being a citizen has nothing to do with where you were born or what advantages you enjoy. This nation does not propose that every man has the inalienable right to life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness. Instead, it offers death to self, a life of servitude, and no guarantee of safety or prosperity. This, THIS nation, is where my allegiance lies.

I believe a sovereign God sits on a throne, and for whatever reason (namely, His glory), He has chosen to pour wealth and prosperity and freedom on America. I wonder...but for how long, Lord? How long will you withhold the judgment that is due us, a people who have bowed to other idols and worship created things instead of their Creator? Our freedoms and wealth are gifts from a sovereign God, who--I believe--would whisper to us, that to whom much is given, much is required.

Somewhere across the ocean is a child who was not born in this country. Not born into the same benefit and opportunity and prosperity that my four biological children enjoy. This child has known poverty and need, probably loss and maybe despair. Within the next year, this child will become an American citizen. What will I say, to him/her, about being American?

Is it better than being Ethiopian? Should my child be more proud of their American citizenship than his/her African heritage, tainted with need and injustice? Is it better to live in a prosperous nation with unlimited opportunities? Is it better to have the lavish, abundant resources we consume in wanton freedom and excess?

I'll be honest. Sometimes I wrestle with that question, of what is better. Things I am sure of: it is better to have a family. It is better to not be hungry. It is better to have health care and education and clean water. But even these things, are nothing, hear me, nothing--of no value--without Jesus. They only serve to prolong a physical life of despair and need and brokenness that will never be healed without a spiritual remedy.

I will encourage my child to enjoy the rich heritage and culture of both countries. I will tell him/her that more is not always better. I will let them try a hamburger and I will take them out for injera as often as possible. I will teach my child to be grateful for the way God has shaped and molded his/her life in the shadow of two beautiful countries.

But more than anything, I will teach my child about a King who offers citizenship to a Kingdom, courtesy of His redemption of us as sinners and His adoption of us as children. And I will tell him/her that this Kingdom offers all he/she will ever really need. Jesus.

Today, I do not hold my head up with pride in my nationality. Instead, I fall on my face, in humble gratitude for the ways the Lord has chosen to pour grace in my life, and pray that I honor His gospel by proclaiming it both here in America and to all peoples of all nations.

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection.

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom.

And this, friends, is true freedom.

CHECK THESE OUT!!

Well, I teased you a while back that I had lots to share, and I sure am taking my time sharing it, aren't I? : ) So much to do, so little time...but I just can't delay posting any longer! I have some great things to tell you about!


A NEW FRIEND BLESSES OUR FAMILY

Last month Kathryn emailed me and told me she had stumbled upon my blog. Kathryn is 29 and single, & she works as a nanny. She is adopted, and has a passion for orphans and for families that are adopting. In her email to me, she said this:

...adoption has always been a big part of me and is one of my passions. My heart breaks for all the 147 million children in our world who are orphans!! I am eagerly awaiting the day when God will hopefully allow me to go on my own adoption journey and be a mama to my very own children, but until then, while I am single, I am cheering from the sidelines those who are following His calling in this area.

How awesome is her attitude?!

She told me she has an etsy shop and wanted to make something special to sell, where a portion of the proceeds would benefit our adoption!! AND she wanted Hannah & Danielle's help! She has made two gorgeous tu-tus for little girls, each from colors that my girls selected! Wait until you see them!

As far as wardrobe essentials are concerned, according to Kendi (who is a fashion blogger and who my niece and I think is adorable)--every girl should have a tutu--it's just brightens your spirits! Now whether or not you write Kathryn and ask her for an adult size version of these beauties...well, that's between you and her! But for sure every little girl should have one!

Here is the Danielle tutu:


And here is the Hannah tutu:

The tutus are $15, and 50% of the sales go towards our adoption. Surely you know some little girl who would love to twirl around in on of these beautiful tutus! So head on over to Kathryn's etsy shop and check them out! She has a ton of other cute things in her shop, too! I am blown away by her {huge} generous heart and am blessed to now call her friend!!


AWESOME T-SHIRTS

You also need to head over to Erica's blog and check out her new t-shirts! They are the cutest shirts--seriously--cutest ever, and I love all the colors! I have two!! She is doing pre-orders through Monday--be one of the first to get this awesome shirt! Trust me, you will love it! I do!! (Scroll down through her posts so you can see all the colors and sizing information!)



{LOCALS!!} CHICK FIL A SPIRIT NIGHT

Most of you know that our church currently has three families in the process of adopting from Ethiopia. We are having a fundraiser at Chick Fil A in Clearwater (on Gulf to Bay) this Monday night, June 28th from 5-8pm! Come on by, and mention "ADOPTION" when you order, and a portion of the sales will go into our adoption fund!! There will also be facepainting and fun giveaways!

You can view more details here.

Boys 2 Men

Monday, my boys turned 13. Teenagers. I just don't think I can breeze past it with posts about fundraising statuses and giveaways. It's just too big of a deal.

MY BOYS ARE TEENAGERS.

As luck of the draw would have it, USCIS scheduled our fingerprinting for Monday, my boys birthday. So we made a day of it, since Joe had to take off of work anyway. We went to Tampa, hung out a bit, and the boys spent some of their birthday cashola.

Gone are the days that they want to go to Build a Bear or the Lego store. No Power Ranger costumes or DS games on their list this year.

Nathan bought a BB gun pistol. Josh: a guitar.

I'm had some time for intentional self-reflection, to try and determine if I have deep, pent up sadness and grief over the loss of innocence of these two boys who are becoming men right before my eyes. Thirteen years have flown by.

For sure, I get a little pang in my heart when I remember big wheels and Veggie Tales and skinned knees and first skateboards and the little electric guitars they used to jam to Switchfoot tunes on in front of the stereo.

And I remember how they needed me to cuddle with them right after they woke up from their naps--just for a little while--until they were fully awake. I remember Puppy and Bunny, the stuffed animals that went everywhere with us...for years. I remember how I taught them to read, and Joe taught them how to swim, and they taught THEMSELVES how to ride a bike.

Their childhood is etched in my mind, and I hope those memories never fade. It was a busy time for me, of having babies and running a home all day and collapsing exhausted at 8pm, thankful for bedtime. It some ways, its more like a package of memories than individual ones--like watercolors that run together and bleed into each other. Colors stronger in some areas than in others, but all coming together to form a beautiful collage. Colors of all the ways we spent our hours and all the routines that made up our days. How is it that at that time, I looked forward to the ease of having older children, but that now I look back and think how simple things were then?? Diapers, snacks, naps. Parks, sprinklers, sandboxes. No meant no and I didn't have to explain why. It just was.

Now all the black and white seems to fade to grey. Not that right and wrong are blurred. But what was so obvious to me then (don't touch the stove, do eat your green beans) has been replaced with more complex situations that J & N have to begin to figure out for themselves. Who am I and why did God put me here? Why should I believe in the gospel when so many other ways to live seem to offer me happiness and pleasure? Does God intend for me to share my life with someone and how do I determine who that will be? Do I want to go to college? How do I want to invest my gifts and resources and abilities? Will I spend all those things on myself or use them to benefit others? As my boys become men, they have to begin to choose for themselves. And I have to get out of the way. I have to begin to let go.

Because ultimately, any struggle I have with these changes is about control. When they were little, I had all the control. Do what I say or end up in time out. Obey or loose a privilege. What I said, went. It was definitive and absolute.

Now, what I say is good, but it is only one way, in a world where there can be several good ways. Most of the time, I pick somewhat arbitrarily what my way will be. Sure, I have principles and truths that I base my "way" on, but if I'm honest, it's usually what works best for me. You can't pour the milk because you might spill it and so only Mommy can pour the milk... Hannah gets to go first because you had it first yesterday and she had it one millisecond less than you, and even though she is whining, ladies first, right?...You can't go to the skatepark today because I have too much to do and don't have time to drive you over there, even if it is a beautiful day and you've been inside all day and could use the exercise... My way still stands, because I'm the parent. But it is certainly not the only way, and often I'm realizing I need to choose the ways that offer them a chance to be responsible or take ownership or decide for themselves. It usually costs me more and is full of risk. What if they don't choose well? With every little bit of freedom I hand them, I let go of a little more of my ability to control the outcome.

And I know, deep down, I never had control. They belonged to Him long before they belonged to me. Any control I felt I had was only something He was using to shape the lives of my boys into exactly what He had in mind for them. I am a pawn. One of many, in fact, that He will use to lead and guide and direct my boys into the future He has for them.

That is very freeing. My boys are not defined by being Rachel's son. Yes, they are my sons, but they are so much more than that. I am one of the many influences in their lives. An important one, granted, and I have never taken that responsibility lightly. But I take comfort in knowing that my Father knows I am not perfect, therefore I will not parent perfectly, and yet He still chose me for this job. He has already used my parenting, even my mistakes thus far, to shape and mold the character of my children. Soon they won't be under my authority anymore-- my 18 or so years will be up. And while I hope they value my input as adults, their requirement to submit to it will be removed. Their development is His work to complete, not mine.

So am I sad? Do I get choked up remembering? Yea. A little.

But so much stronger is the fullness of joy and pride I feel, at watching them prepare to leave this nest and spread their wings. They are responsible. They are respectful and thoughtful. They are witty and clever and way better at mechanical things that I will ever be. They have taken ownership of their faith, and I see more and more of Jesus seeping through the cracks of their lives than I ever have before. I know they are His. And I trust Him.

I do not fear what is ahead. I do not expect it to be easy, any more than I expected parenting an infant or toddler to be easy. But I am ready. And I am ready to embrace all the joy and memories that this stage will offer. I am excited to see and experience all the colors that will create this new collage.

And Josh & Nathan: if you ever stumble upon this post, know this: you mom is your #1 fan. I love your jokes and enjoy your company and think you are brilliant. I love all your skateboard tricks and guitar riffs and as far as I'm concerned, your BB's hit the bulls-eye every time. During these teen years, I will probably yell when you eat all the luncheon meat on one sandwich and nag at you to pick up your dirty laundry on your bedroom floor and ask you repeatedly to turn down your amp and probably want too many hugs in front of your friends. But in my heart, I am hoping beyond hope that God will use me, just a little bit more before you're gone, to help refine and detail the masterpiece He is creating. Because you are that. His masterpiece. Men of God. It is a privilege to be your mom and to be a part of your story. I love you.

WINNER OF "RADICAL" GIVEAWAY!!!

So, we had a great weekend...how about you?! We did some yardwork, hung out poolside, got most of our dossier documents notarized, enjoyed church as always, & had a Memorial Day party...good times were had by all.

But I realize you're probably more interested in who won my giveaway than how I spent my weekend. : ) So, Nathan took a break from making his turkey sandwich to help me pick my winner:




Yea, Jenn!!!! {{celebratory streamers and balloons and fanfare implied}} Frankly, I would have been shocked if she hadn't won...she entered every day as many times as she could!!! Message me with your address and the book will be on it's way!! Congrats, chica!!

Well, as I mentioned last week, I have much more to say, but we'll let **JENN** have the limelight today, and I'll touch base again tomorrow! For now, I'm off to wash my preteen's white bra which according to her "has been in the laundry for WEEKS and you (me) haven't washed it yet and if you don't I (she) won't have anything (repeat) ANYTHING to wear tonight!" Duty calls. Have a glorious day!

GiVeAwAy!!!! RADICAL by David Platt!!!

It's time to CeLeBrAtE!!!!!! Soon, our dossier will be finished, and thanks to the Lord using so many of you, we have the funds we need to submit it! I think that's a reason to celebrate!

So I'm doing a giveaway! I'm giving away a copy of the book

Radical:
Taking Back your Faith from the American Dream
by David Platt!!!!!!

If you haven't heard of this book yet, I'm surprised, because everyone seems to be talking about it. I have not read it yet (except for Chapter One which you can get here), but I have listened to the Radical sermon series online. It is powerful. It is radical. Sadly...and I say that because it is so obviously the clear call of Jesus when you read the Bible...and yet so counter culture to American Christianity. It resonated with me, because these things have been on my heart for a while. I can't wait to read it! I plan to get myself a copy to celebrate this milestone in our adoption process. But...I figured I shouldn't be the only one having all the fun!!

So I'm giving away a copy of Radical! I can ship it to you, or--if you already have a copy--give it to a friend! I will ship it wherever you want! This could make your Father's Day gift-giving simple! (I'll even include a gift note from you!)

So here's how to enter:

1. First, become a follower of my blog (if you aren't already), either with Goggle reader or Facebook networked blogs, or subscribe by email or RSS feed. (All links to the right.) This way we can be friends for longer than just today!
2. Then, post a link to this giveaway on your blog, twitter, or facebook. (One entry for each post, and you can enter once a day for each kind of post until the end of the giveaway! This could give you up to 15 chances to win!!)
3. Finally, leave me a comment or send me an email and let me know you've entered! Be sure and do this each time you post, so I know how many times to enter you!

This giveaway will end on May 31st, and I will draw the winner on June 1st. 5 days, folks!!! Enter now so you don't miss your chance to get this great book for FREE! Certainly I am not the only one who's excited about this?!!!

Oh...and while you're entering giveaways...there's a few more you should know about:

• 10K in 20 Days...join the movement & help 26 families (including us) with adoption! Tons of great prizes...go here to enter!
  
• Melissa is giving away one of her new necklaces!! Go here to see them and enter!
• Erica is giving away a Simple Love shirt of your choice! Go here to enter!
• Tracy's giving away some great bracelets made in Haiti! Go here to enter!
  

Yea!!! No one loves free stuff more than me! Go over and enter today!

So much to say...and--for a limited time-- SIMPLY LOVE TSHIRTS!!!

God is SOOOOO good and there are so many things I want to tell you about RIGHT NOW!!! But, in an effort to not overwhelm you with information and to pretend like I know how to pace myself, I'm going to take a deep breath and take it one thing. at. a. time.

First, last weekend's fundraiser. So wonderful. God raised exactly what we needed. Our funds for our dossier are IN and now, we just need the last few pieces of paperwork to come in and then it will be authenticated and off to Ethiopia! I want to tell you more...show you more...from last Saturday...and I will...in another post.

To celebrate, I've been wanting to do a giveaway. To say thank you for all of your help getting us this far. To rejoice in what God has done. And just because it would be fun! Also, two of my friends are doing giveaways, and I want you to know about those!! But...not yet. Don't worry, I will...soon...tomorrow...in another post.

I have a new friend, who I met via this blog a couple of weeks ago. We've never met. She contacted me about doing something special for our family to help with our fundraising. To be a part of our journey. How humbling. How fun! Wait until you see what she is making...sooooo precious. I promise, I will show you...in another post.

(This is fun...I feel like Ryan Seacrest...."after the break...")

So what the heck WILL I tell you today?! I will tell you that my buddy Erica has given me a great opportunity to make a little cash to cover our authentication fees (which, here in FL, is about $10 per page of our dossier, and there's lots of pages....this will cost us between $200-300.)

So Erica has been selling Simply Love shirts for a while to fundraise for her adoption. You might remember these, because we sold them for our mission trip as well.


We Walsers LOVE our Simply Love shirts. I'm looking over right now at Nathan, eating his lunch at my kitchen table, and guess what he's wearing? Yeah. Pretty much we live in them.

So Erica is allowing me to piggyback on her pre-order sale and sell shirts this week to fundraise for our adoption! Yea! And she has Africa AND USA designs!

Just in time for Father's Day!!! Seriously, these make great gifts, and I can ship them to whatever address you choose! I'll even include a personal note from you if it is a gift!

These will be ordered next week, so I NEED YOUR ORDER BY JUNE 1ST!!

HERE'S HOW TO ORDER:

• Pay via Palpal button to the right that says "Help bring home Walser #7--Donate!"
• Adult shirts are $24.95 (includes shipping) ($3 extra for XXL)
• Youth shirts are $19.95
• Tell me in your paypal note on your payment or in a seperate email.....(1) Mens, ladies, or youth; (2) Africa or USA; (3) size; (4) Shipping address
• That's it! Sit back and let me do the rest!

HERE ARE THE DESIGNS:

Ladies ($24.95 shipped):
S, M, L, XL
XXL $3 addtl charge

Africa front:
(on me, in picture above)

USA front:

Back of ladies:

Men's ($24.95 shipped):
S, M, L, XL
XXL $3 addtl charge

Africa front:

(on Nathan, in picture above)

USA front:

Back of men's:

Youth ($19.95 shipped):
XS, S, M, L

front of kids:

back of kids:

Let me know what you want---you have until June 1st!! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. And be sure and check in tomorrow to hear about the giveaways!

The upside of fundraising...& a sneak peak...

So, sometimes fundraising really stinks. As I mentioned a while back, here, this is not the first time my family has fundraised. It is one of the most humbling, difficult, pride-swallowing things I've ever done. Erica wrote a post yesterday about that very thing. At times it is a discouraging process, and for someone like me, who is a people-pleaser, it is hard to put the need out there and know that people are drawing their own conclusions and judgments about your character and your motives.

But there's a good side to fundraising. No---a GREAT side. It's when friends come alongside you and say, hey--this is as important to us as it is to you. Your child is as important to us as (s)he is to you. When your arms are tired from holding up the staff, and you just can't do it anymore, we will stand beside you and hold your arms up for you. (Exodus 17)

Today my friends did that for me. They served for hours prepping for my fundraiser tomorrow. And today I feel like a lucky girl, with great friends.

I would never wish fundraising on anyone. And yet, in some ways, I think if you don't have to, you miss out on an incredible blessing. Namely, watching those you love (and some you may not even know) come along side and offer to hold up your arms.

My bloggy friends are just another example of that in my life, on this journey. For example: my friend, Connie, who I've never met, is having a garage sale on the other side of the country for us & 4 other families this weekend. Seriously?! Who does that?! Who has that done for them?! I certainly never have! How do you receive that kind of grace? All i can say is-- with your head bowed and your heart filled with praise.

So, sometimes you might hear me complain about the fundraising part. But know, deep down, that I know that I know that I know--my Jesus loves me. I know because my friends are Jesus to me, and they showed me that love today. I am blessed.

Oh, yeah, and a sneak peak of tomorrow...details here...it's gonna be a blast!!