It was a beautiful day in a beautiful town! Here are some photos from our morning here at the celebrations in Emporium (including parade – Jeremy is in the back row marching, and wreath-laying ceremony that Jeremy spoke at):
So here the children are doing some of their favorite things lately: being superheroes, reading, cooking, being goofy with the cousins and playing soccer.
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From a recent ladies’ conference here in Emporium.
http://www.sermoncloud.com/emporiumcma/trading-gods-math-for-ours-the-secret-of-contentment/
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Jeremy spent the last 5 weeks down at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, going through Commissioned Officer Training. He is currently a chaplain at the 911th Airlift Wing, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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This post is not for the weak-stomached. . .
It’s kinda’ sad, but I really can’t refer to my children anymore as toddlers, but I still do. Micah is four and definitely a big boy. We’ve just been through a lovely bout of the flu, and are finishing up the final bits of another ailment called “norovirus” sort of like a cross between the flu and food poisoning (!?) Yes, it is as miserable as it sounds, but at least it is fairly short-lived.
So, Micah who has never thrown up in his life until this weekend, has insisted that throwing up is sin. It could be labeled sin until this weekend, because he had “chosen” not to engage in this vile activity until then. After he finished, he asked, “why did God give me throw up?” Our answer that it was God’s way of getting rid of germs seemed to satisfy him.
Of course, now he’s the expert on throwing up.
Elijah is home today from school since he seems to be experiencing the precursors to norovirus (stomach pain and cramping and not wanting to eat). Micah instructed Elijah to not sit on Daddy’s recliner “because daddy will be worried about it if you threw up on it.” He went on to give him instructions on how to throw up:
“First, go to the bathroom,” he says pointing his finger at Elijah.
“Then go to the toilet.” Elijah is smiling at him and I’m stifling a snicker and trying not to interfere with this very serious lecture Micah is giving him. Micah frowns at Elijah’s smile and says,
“Then, put your head in the water when you throw up.”
Lovely.
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We enjoy a snowy winter this year and the first anniversary of our journey here in Emporium! How blessed we are! The children are growing and we lived through a bout of the flu and everyone did they have been taught: they shared and took turns 
Gotta’ love it!
My brother Jonathan proposed to his beautiful girlfriend, Hannah, and she accepted. . .I think we may have been more excited than him! In Elijah’s words, “I’m glad she said yes!” We are so proud of him, and also Beth (my younger sister) as they continue to flourish in adulthood. I’m so thankful that Hannah has chosen to join the Ahlgren family, she is a joy and a blessing, not just to Jonathan, but I know for us in the years to come as our sister now!
We are blessed beyond measure, overflowing and pouring out, because of the goodness of our great God, to HIM be the glory!!
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For many years, our family was not called to or able to adopt. We have had many close friends who have adopted, or have tried to adopt. We know so much (but still so little) about the process simply from observation, and we have loved orphans informally, but mostly we have watched.
At different points, I have struggled with feeling on the fringe. Like somehow we weren’t as spiritual because we weren’t adopting. As some of our best friends are on their second adoptions now (or third!) I feel like I’ve become quite the adoption observer, yet I still feel so inept at being any real help. This sent me recently on a research binge. . .searching the internet, polling friends who have adopted, and asking lots of questions.
- What can those of us who are not called to adopt now (or maybe not ever) do to support and love the orphan?
- What can we do to REALLY help those who are adopting?
- What can we avoid doing or saying that is a hinderance or discouraging?
I got lots of answers. . . straight from those who have or ARE walking the adoption road:
- Pray
- Read the book, Adopted for Life by Moore, (we took this advice and it gave us perspective on adoption that helped us understand and better support who are adopting)
- Support an orphanage
- Support a missionary to orphans
- Volunteer at a local crisis pregnancy center
- Give money toward someone’s adoption
- Help with a fundraiser for an adoption
- Tell someone who is adopting that you are praying for them
- Give specific items needed (ask for specifics if they don’t give them)
- Be a listening ear, and ask how things are going
- Avoid complaining or reinforcing negative feelings about the process or the birthparents (it’s taking too long, why didn’t that caseworker do something different, etc. etc.)
- Allow an adoptive parent to express their frustrations, but respond supportively, “I cannot imagine how hard that is” ”I’m praying for you” ”Is there anything I can do to help?”
- Pray more, for the child’s heart and transition into the new home, for the grief process, for healing, for whatever God places on your heart
- Allow the child to tell their own story IF they want to, in their own time (avoid asking either the child or parents for details, allow them to share as much as they feel is right)
- Offer babysitting, and other help you can think of, no matter the age of the child, or age of the children currently in the home
- Give attention equally to children in the home. There is the temptation to “ooh” and “ahh” over the adopted child and others in the family feel left out.
- Celebrate with families who are adopting in any loving or creative way you can think of: cards, letters, notes, making phone calls and remembering special days in special ways (the list is endless).
- Remember that every adoption is unique, just like the children who are adopted, and so no two adoptions are alike. Make no assumptions.
- When in doubt, ask what would be most helpful
