both and
I have not managed to write for quite some time. This says enough about the recent pace of life. Writing is for me the grabbing of the Dixie cup on life’s little marathon. But there are stretches where you just keep moving and the cool quenching possibility that accompanies the cup grab doesn’t seem worth the added effort- and your shorts are chaffing. If you’re not one for motifs- or exercise for that matter- I am saying it has been wild. And hard. And tiring. I’m only befriending the laptop tonight because Ginny has taken the kids to my parents…
a little more
We are stepping towards a new family rhythm, and enjoying the chaos of the season we find ourselves in. Everyone asks how Lena is doing, and all we seem to be able to muster in the moment is something akin to “really well”. As we made a point to not take anything for granted before we had her home, we are so thankful for so much that we have discovered about her; and we love to continue to get to know her deeper and sow seeds of love into every corner of her that was devoid of this luxury until…
a tutorial on insufficiency
Well, apparently I took a little blogcation. Upon my return it now seems a bit daunting to catch up on all of the life that snuck in since my last post. And yes, it’s been a bit wild- in a good way. Jet lag. Six weeks of work. Needy kids (and rightfully so). And a slight adjustment that we brought home named Lena. I referred to the above reality as the perfect storm for a few weeks, but all is settling a bit and slowly a rhythm is forming- and I gotta say I like the beat. Our schedule of…
just 3 things
We blew out the computer charger & the converter has been given us some problems, so updates have been scarce. Instead of typing a post, here’s 3 things to catch you up. the story we’re living Although this won’t attest to it, I assure you that I am getting (and loving) time with Lena. However, I’m also the current cameraman & I’ve been honored to stand back while mother & daughter have holy moments such as these. [vimeo]http://vimeo.com/34287268[/vimeo] the story we often don’t tell When you work with government-run orphanages & are adopting internationally- it is a fine line you…
best of 2011
Each year Ginny & I work together on some patchwork Best of List. I truly love this time of year- as it begs one to look back as well as ahead. You’ll need to remember the caveat with the following list: to be on our list does not mean that a thing was introduced in 2011, but rather that it came upon our radar or was particularly loved by us this last year. We’ll be ringing in the new year 8 hours ahead of you Americans; which also means 2012 will last 8 hours longer for us than you. Now…
the grace of giving
My mother is a gifter. Take whatever you’re thinking up a notch. There is no such thing as Christmas shopping or birthday gift shopping; for with her there exists no day where the ones she prefers have moved to the background of her mind. Each day it seems she is looking for something that will be special to another or communicate her love for them. And many times she fabricates holidays in order to give these gifts. Happy 1st day of fall….I got these for you. And if I were to go all Dr. Phil for a minute on my own…
all that I have
Disclaimer:: I assure you that I tried my best to steer away from this lesson because it almost seems obligatory for each and every Christian to rail against the consumerism of Christmas or the lost meaning of Christmas or heaven forbid you tell me Happy Holidays- apparently I am supposed to go Chuck Norris on you because that is somewhere in one of the gospels. Christmas is the new gay marriage. And by now I can safely assume that you have read your fair share of Christmas rants. But, nonetheless, if I am anything, dear reader, I am honest and…
unraveling mystery
Ginny has managed to do a better job of updating the day-to-day on her blog. We have now been in Kramatorsk, the region where Lena’s orphanage is located for three days. We get to go and be with Lena in the orphanage for two 90-minute periods within each given day. These times with her have been a balm for our parent hearts- the ones that spent the week before away from all of our children. Being with her, has grounded us in a focus, where before we felt untethered- waiting to be told what to do, where to go, what…
from Kiev
Snow is lightly falling outside the window of our downtown apartment in the capitol city of Ukraine. No, it’s actually not the Ukraine, but the same still slips from my lips when I’m not trying. We were invited to come and make official the relationship with a girl we have been calling our daughter for almost a year now. What began as a plea to others asking them to pray for the children we were working with through 99 Balloons became my wife actually praying, then my wife not sleeping, then my wife waiting on me to catch up. Lena…
it’s still thanksgiving ’round here
We loaded up the newly-named Big Red (our new-to-us Toyota minivan) and headed to Louisiana for a Thanksgiving in the Delta. We ate turkey and I got to the see the Hog football team re-define Black Friday. And somewhere in the chaos that was our Thanksgiving- we got it. The email we had awaited since we started this process a year ago. We received our date of appointment, which in non-adopter world means…..we’re going to get Lena! We leave Saturday or Sunday- and yes, that means we don’t currently have our flight tickets, and yes that means it’s crazy-go-nuts in these…
Matt & Ginny start the second half of season 1 with a seemingly simply question: What is a good life? An entire episode focused on the life of a man known as Bulldog– told through the eyes of his brother, Chris Wheeler. It is a journey of Chris beginning to see a person who was…
In the age of television talent shows galore, our hosts attend one that manages to flip the narrative of what a talent show is & could be. Chelsea, Jordan & Claire want to sing at the bEfriend talent show hosted by 99 Balloons, but to do so they will have to overcome their fear of…
Matthew Lyle & Ginny Mooney continue the discussion of healing and the church by delving into the lives of their friends with disability who do not want to be healed, cured or fixed. When they stumble upon an article, written by Madeleine Ryan, entitled Dear Parents: Your Child with Autism is Perfect it is though…
When the loss of a child becomes a nationwide, prayer movement to #wakeupolive what does it say about the church and its relationship to healing? to suffering? In the first part of a two-part series discussing healing & the church, Matthew Lyle Mooney along with his wife, Ginny Mooney, set out to discuss the awkward…
Summer is here. At 5, 6 and 8 we got rascals riding bikes and swimming at a skill level whereby we are not in constant stress. I told Ginny sometime some summer not long ago that I was done going to pools. With 3 that cannot swim alone, I can only act like I’m listening…
I’ve worked hard to develop a new habit of carving out Monday mornings to sit and think and pray and grasp for some semblance of sanity before I cannonball into the week that will eat my lunch if I let it. It’s a rebellious act of counter-intuition as weekends are supposed to be the very…
We’ve reached that point in these beloved Ozarks where we’re just all waiting around for the good weather. We get all four seasons here; just enough of winter to know we don’t want to move north; which we needed no help knowin’. Being bone-tired of Ole Man Winter being a hanger-on is all you’re allowed…
I often look at my backside in the mirror. I move quickly past the place that you imagined I was seeking and find the splotchy spot just above the bend of my right leg. It’s my biggest scar- remnants of days I spent riding my Honda 80 dirt bike for hours on end along the…
Check it out, Ginny & Lena are in the current edition of National Geographic. A while back, a wonderful photographer followed our family around for a few days in order to capture photos illustrative of an article on brain development…fascinating article and wonderful pictures (we think). _____________________________________ If…
Against my better judgment, Ginny convinced me last Monday to sit beside her and watch the American Music Awards. I begrudgingly complied- mainly due to the fact that I love her and if she invites me to sit close to her, I do it- every time. I’m a sucker that way, but that doesn’t mean…