Koning family: Choose Your Happy!

Once upon a time....

Flash back to 1999, we were a family of four. Happy in our new roomy house and comfortable in our ways. A few years later, the Lord blessed us with an additional little package, little boy #3. Now we were a family of five and sure that would be the end. As time moved on, so did we. The Lord used the time that passed to open our eyes to His will. Several years ago, Bob and I individually heard the call to adoption. It has been a long "pregnancy", but during this incubation time, the Lord has brought us to where He wants us to be. Spring 2010, we traveled to Ethiopia where two little angels were waiting for the Lord's timing - to become our children. Now we are home and can't imagine life any differently! What a blessing to be in His will.

Galatians 4:5 says "God sent Christ to buy freedom for us, who were slaves to the law, so that He could adopt us as his very own children." We are just following his model. A Perfect picture of salvation.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Choose Your Happy!

In order to explain - through the language barrier - that your attitude is a choice, we say, "Choose your happy". It is a rather crude way to explain it, but it seems to work. Nardos is the greatest offender of choosing "grumpy". Maybe it is a girl thing, or a baby-of-the-family thing, but she by far has the most difficulty with letting "grumpy" get ahold of her and man can she show it. So, we routinely demonstrate "choosing happy" even when it is difficult to do so. Sometimes she says, "Mommy, I don't know if I choose happy tomorrow" (Usually accompanied by a very sad looking face). To which I respond, "I don't know either, Nardos, only you know what you will choose. I can't make you choose happy. I can give you the chance, but only you can make the choice." (Just so you know, she has "chosen happy" quite a bit lately!)

That's free will isn't it? Every day, all the time, God says, "I don't know if you will choose Me or not." Just like I hope that my kids "choose happy", God wants me to choose Him.

Every day I am faced with a choice, "Will I choose Jesus today?" Every time I choose to whine (yes, I do that!) or complain, I am NOT choosing Jesus. Hebrews 12:2 says "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." If I do that... fix my eyes on Jesus...I am sure I will be happy!

So many times I learn the biggest lessons as I am trying to teach my children. This is just another example of that very thing. So, enjoy the pictures of the kids choosing their happy. And in the meantime, I will work on choosing Jesus!