The Beads

The beads woven into this bracelet have a very special meaning.  This bracelet is helping to bring two treasures home from Ethiopia.  Two sisters that have been waiting for their forever family for over three years now.  For more than three years they have seen other treasures go home to their forever families.  Soon, these two sisters will be making their own journey home with their forever family.  No longer orphans, no longer alone.

Yesterday I participated in our womens ministry Cookies and Creation.  It was an event where homemade cookies and homemade items were sold.  One of the tables was selling these bracelets.  The money raised will help one of our pastors and his wife bring home their two treasures. 

May 2011 they traveled to Ethiopia to help their sister/brother ~in ~love bring home their two boys.  While they were there God spoke to their hearts.  And now, they are in the process of bringing home their two little girls.

The two orange beads surrounding the four smaller green beads represent Pastor and Mrs. Whitten, the mama and papa.  The two green beads next to the orange ones represent their two kiddos, and the two green beads in the center represent their two new treasures waiting to come home.

And the round orange bed at the end...Is God, tying the all together as one family!

You can follow their amazing journey here  http://2lessorphans.wordpress.com/

Rejoicing that two more treasures are coming home,
~s

Land Of The Free...

Land of the free..BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE

Thank you to all the men and women of our awesome country who served in the Armed Forces.  Who gave years of their lives to protect our country.  Thank you all so very much for making it possible for me to lay my head on my pillow each and every night and sleep in peace.

Thank you to Mr. Olen Bailey, the oldest veteran I know.   Mr. Olen is our neighbor and 94 years old.  He was awared the Purple Heart.  You rock Mr. Olen, thank you so much for serving our country.

Thank you to my guy, retired CMDCM Devine - I love you  - You Rock Devine!

God bless our troops, God bless our beautiful USA!

HAPPY FRIDAY!

So let's not get tired of doing what is good.  At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up.  Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone--especially to those in the family of faith.  Gal 6:9-10

You Never Know

"You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have"

author unknown

And I am so glad God is there with me, every step of the way so I don't have to be strong all alone..

~s

Meet The Watson Family

The Watson Family Adoption -http://www.engendo.org/family/watson/



Brett and Arlene Watson have long had adoption on their hearts. In addition to their two biological children, Ryan and Lauren, they have adopted Ben (from South Korea) and Christine (locally) after the loss of her mother. Brett and Arlene have a heart for children and have been in youth ministry for over 15 years. Brett is currently a pastor at a church in the Sarasota area. Arlene is in attending USF to complete her Elementary Education degree.






When Arlene traveled with friends to an adoption retreat in early 2011 she came home with a heart touched by the plight of orphans in Uganda. After prayer and planning the entire Watson family decided to move forward.






In September of 2011 they were called to adopt a very special little boy and knew very quickly that this was the son that they had been praying about.



They are selling some really cool purses to raise the needed funds to bring their boy home.  Go to their blog at http://www.engendo.org/family/watson/ and check out their purses.





Will you support them in their journey to bring home their boy? Prayerfully consider donating via the button on thier blog or by mailing a check to Watson Adoption, In Care of Engendo.org, PO Box 7444, Wesley Chapel FL 33545.

Blessings,
~s

I AM ALL AROUND YOU

Read this during my morning time with Jesus.  Thought it was beautful an just wanted to share it.

"I am all around you, hovering over you even as you seek My Face.  I am nearer than you dare believe, closer than the air you breathe.  If  my children could only recognize My Presence, they would never feel lonely again.  I know every thought before you think it, every word before you speak it.  My Presence impinges on your innermost being.  Can you see the absurdity of trying to hide anything from Me?  You can easily deceive other people, and even yourself; but I read you like an open, large-print book."

Resting in Jesus,
~s

CHAOTIC AND COMFORTABLE - THE FENSKE FAMILY

www.chaoticandcomfortable.blogspot.com


The Fenske family of four is made up of Dad Fenske, Mama Fenske, and two beautiful little peeps that they brought home thru the miracle of adoption.  Shannon and hubby are in the process of bringing home three more of God's treasures.  But, they need help in raising the needed funds to make this happen.  Shannon has started selling AVON in hopes of earning extra income to apply towards their adoption expenses.  As those of you who have fundraised for your own adoptions know, FUNDRAISING IS HARD!  But, each and every dollar is such a blessing to the family working so hard to bring their kids home.
 
Stop by the Fenske's blog and say hello, become a follower, leave a comment encouraging them on their journey.  Do you need to do some Christmas shopping?  Why not stop by Shannon's AVON on line webstore and order some products?  This would be a tremondous help to them.
 
AVON: http://youravon.com/sfenske
 
 
Below is a little information from Shannon - Mama Fenske.



It's not easy, especially in today's society where we are expected to be strong and self-sufficient, to admit that we need help. It's not easy or even acceptable to ask for help. I certainly never thought there'd be a time when I would be pushed to do it. But, here we are, in a position where we need help. I have found something that is worth setting aside pride for - actually, not something, rather five little someones. There is nothing I wouldn't do for my children. So, I come to you, my heart open, my soul bared, asking for support whether it be in the form of a financial contribution, prayer, or forwarding this message or links to our fundraisers.








I get that the economy is terrible. I get that everyone is struggling in their own way. I get that no one really has "spare change" lying around. But, I also know that none of us is suffering as much as any child who is stuck in an orphanage. We have several ways that people can help if they feel compelled. All I ask is that you consider passing our info along to friends, family, church members, coworkers, anyone who you think might listen. Please encourage people to visit our blog, friend me on Facebook, email me, snail mail me, whatever. I would love the opportunity to educate and advocate if anyone wanted to learn more about adoption or specifically adoption of children with special needs. The Holidays are rapidly approaching and we want nothing more than the gift of our family to be whole!






Ways to Help:






Visit our blog: www.chaoticandcomfortable.blogspot.com






Tax-deductible, secure donations to: www.fromhivtohome.com click on the Network for Good icon and designate the donation for The Fenske Family OR mail to: From HIV to Home, PO Box 19212, Denver CO, 80219. A tax receipt will be sent to you by mail.






Handmade Tutus: Any size, any color shipped direct to you - only $20 each! Perfect GIFTS!






AVON: http://www.youravon.com/sfenske GREAT GIFTS!



Let's help this family bring their three little ones home to their forever families.  Each and every one of us can make a difference in the lives of these three orphans.

Blessings and Happy Friday!
~s

Because of the Brave

Home of the free

BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE

As we reflect and remember what happened to our beautiful United States of America so many years ago on this fateful day, stop and pray for our troops.  Pray not only for our soldiers who are defending our country with their lives, but pray for their families.  

Three months after I married my soldier husband, I helped him pack and sent him off to Iraq not knowing if he would be coming home walking off a plane or being carried off a plane in a box.  I thank God he came home in one piece...

Yet he came home a different man than the one I kissed goodbye as tears streamed down my face.

We will always be 

HOME OF THE FREE

and the only reason why is

BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE.

Because of United States soldiers who have dedicate themselves so unselfishly making sure we can sleep in peace at night while they are on watch, defending our country.

GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES MILITARY

Forever thankful,

~s

Taste and See

Taste and see that the Lord is good. 

Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!

Fear the Lord, you his godly people,

for those who fear him will have all they need.

Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry,

but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing. 

Psalm 34:9-10

Amen!

~s

It Knocked on My Heart

To see this very powerful post in its entirety, go to http://stinkytofuandotherthings.blogspot.com/2011/08/did-we-tarry.html.   I found it touch me, touched me hard.


"My commitment to trust God has not changed, but the knowledge that WE, you and me, could have done more, could be doing more, is not far from my heart and mind.


Keeping My Eyes On Jesus,
~s



I will stand before my God one day and answer for the things I have done, and the things I have not done.

When He was hungry, did I give Him food? When He was cold, did I give Him clothes? When He was thirsty, did we give Him something to drink? When He was sick, did we care for Him?

I will stand before God, and so will you. And we will answer these questions.

Maybe I will have to answer for why we couldn't take baby Zhou, why we kept saying to wait instead of come, and maybe so will the church.


I don't know, all I know is today a baby died because I couldn't help. In fact, the reality is that something like every minute, I don't know the statistics, a child will die because no one is helping them.


And we will have to answer for why we didn't, and why we chose to make our cars, and boats, and video games and vanilla lattes more important than caring for Jesus."
written by Linsay of the Morning Star Project, China

Karl Prayer Needs

From Pastor Linny at aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com

 

There are some pressing needs to pray for:

The infection they are dealing with is Staph and something else.

Please pray that it would be gone!

Karl did follow commands again today, but they need him to do two in a row.  Please continue to pray for this.

Autumn asked Karl to blink his eyes twice for her, and he did!  She was so tickled.  

It also turns out that they found that his shoulder is torn - no wonder he is more hesitant to lift his left arm than his right!

All in all, it was a good day and we thank you for taking these cares to the Lord with us in prayer.  

 

 

Blessings,

~s

KARL IS IN SURGERY PLEASE PRAY

From Pastor Linny aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com

 

In just a few minutes 

{11:00am MST}

Karl will be having surgery to put a tracheotomy 

in to protect his airway.

He will also be having a feeding tube put in.

Here are the requests via Vicki:

{1} Surgery to go smoothly.

{2} No infection.

{3} Continued healing to Karl's brain and lungs.

{4} Please would you also pray that Karl's body is filled with peace as he continues to heal?

**standing together till Karl is healed**

Thank you to all who have continued to pray with us,

you are each part of Karl's miracle!! 

xo

Karl's Miracle is Happening Now!!!

This is from Pastor Linny's blog over at aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

PRAY!!!! MIRACLES!!

Vicki  [Karl's mom] just phoned me...

She said, 

"I can't reach Autumn...we need her right now!  Find her!! We're getting some responses, he's starting to open his eyes!!  

PRAY with us!!

It's happening!!  

It's beginning!!  

Emma and I immediately started dialing Autumn and when Emmy reached her she quickly handed me the phone  {Autumny must have been in the bathroom due to the echo} and I said,

"Run Autumn - Run to his room!  

He's starting to respond!"

Autumn screamed, "He is?  He is?"

Pray!!  Pray!! Pray!!

"Then you will know that I am the Lord;

those who hope in me will not be disappointed." 

Isaiah 49:23b 

*thank you all who have been believing and praying and standing and fasting with us - you are part of Karl's miracle - don't stop!*

James 5:16

Pray without ceasing, because....

The effective,  fervent prayer  of a righteous man {or woman}  accomplishes much!!

James 5:16

Update On Karl

http://aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com/2011/07/noon-update-on-sunday-72411.html
So here's the latest:

They lowered the amount of sedative this morning and Karl has been more agitated, so they put the sedatives up a bit more.

He is continuing to do the trial of breathing and he is doing this well again.  They will continue to have him off the ventilator each day until it gets to stressful for him, then they put him back on.  

The first day he was off the ventilator, he was off for 6 hours.

 {Forgive me if I spoke otherwise, I may have been confused.}

Yesterday he was off for 7.5 hours. 

So far today he has been off for 3.5 hours.

Please pray that Karl's agitation will stop.

That he will continue to breath well on his own.

That he will open his eyes voluntarily.

They are giving him more rest today, 

calling it actually a "day of rest."

We all agree:  

Since this is Sunday and a God-given day of rest, 

Karl should have a rest too.

 Thank you for praying for peace and healing for him.  

Lastly, we are keeping the Prayer Vigil going.

I know that it is easy to let up and get weary.

It reminds me of this verse:

"Let us not lose heart in doing good, 

for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary."

Galatians 6:9

If you are up for it, please add your name to the Prayer Vigil.

**You can get to the Prayer Vigil by clicking on the picture of Karl and Autumn {at the top of the sidebar} that looks just like this one.**

THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH FOR STANDING WITH ALL OF US!

*~*STANDING TOGETHER TILL

 KARL IS HEALED*~*

Karl Update - Please Keep Praying

From Pastor Linny about noon today - 

 

Karl did really well and the doctors were very pleased!  

Karl was taking about 30 breaths a minute on his own during the testing. 

Here are the current prayer needs:

{1}  Karl must open his eyes voluntarily. 

{2}  The fluid draining from the brain would remain clear.

{3}  The infection in his lungs would be gone!

You guys are amazing!  

Our thankfulness for your continual prayers 

cannot be expressed adequately in words. 

Please keep praying, God is moving!

~s

Fasting For Karl Thursday

Pastor Linny from aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com and the Knee Team will be fasting tomorrow, Thursday, July 21, for Karl.  Karl was in a serious motorcycle accident a few days ago.  Below is information straight from Pastor Linny's blog -

 

"And there is a very big mountain that the doctors are waiting for.

Karl needs to open his eyes on his own.

So I asked Bob and Vicki [Karl's parents] what they thought about having a day of prayer and fasting for Karl to open his eyes? 

They loved the idea!

So tomorrow is declared the official 

Day of 

PRAYER and FASTING 

for 

KARL'S EYES 

to 

OPEN

Fast a meal, two meals, all day 

AND 

spend the time you would be eating in prayer.

If you are willing to join us in 

prayer and fasting 

tomorrow

asking the Lord to 

OPEN KARL'S EYES, 

please let us know by leaving a comment" [over at aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com.]

Will you join us in praying for Karl to open his eyes on his own?

 

Joining the Knee Team on Thursday,

~s

Checking In

Wow it has been a long time since I've posted.  In the past 4 weeks I have been extremely busy.  Hubby and I drove from California to Tennessee.  He's so good like that.  He flew to California so I would not have to drive cross country by myself.  We made a little vacation of it and spent two days in Williams AZ.  We ventured to the Grand Canyon.  I had never been, all I can say is WOW GOD IS JUST SO DARN AWESOME CREATING SOMETHING SO BEAUTIFUL AND MIND BOGGLING!  We also stopped in Tucumcari NM and Sallisaw OK before getting  home to our farm in Middle Tennessee.  

It is so good to be home.  It is so good to be settled.  I've been busy cleaning, organizing, weeding, mowing, etc.  In the process poison sumac found me.  I've been miserable for the past week.  I went to urgent care yesterday and the doc walked in, took one look at me and said, "You need a shot, then you need to get yourself down to the COOP and get yourself some weed killer."  Going to the COOP was not a priority for me, just feeling better is!

We traveled to Massachussetts last week to see family and take care of some things and I was miserable.  And, I looked horrible with oozing, pussing, yucky blisters all over my arms and legs.  Luckily on both flights to and from we sat in the Emergency Exit row on the planes, that way no one had to sit next to me. I sure wouldn't have wanted to sit next to me all oozing and pussing.  Today I am starting to feel better and have not seen any new break outs.  Thank  you Jesus, I'm on the mend!

I won't bother to gross you out with pictures!

Blessings,
S

THE GRADUATE

Saint Bonaventure

Class of 2011

Thank you Lord for this boy you blesse me with.  Be with him and hold him close as he starts this next season in is life.

Congratulations Son,

I love you forever

I love you for always

~mom

REALITY

It's All Temporary

I could not have said it better than Amy from buildingtheblocks.blogspot.com 
http://buildingtheblocks.blogspot.com/2011/05/this-is-my-temporary-home.html


"it's ALL temporary.
If you want security in something that will last forever I can tell you exactly where to get it. It comes with a life time guarantee and never changes. It's solid as a rock -and not a better quality can be found. It has been here since the beginning and will last through the end.


It's all right here, just waiting for you to come pick it up and get this~ it's FREE. :)

Thank you Lord for your word, because in the midst of all of the changes-we know what we have invested in you will last forever." Amy



Our security doesn't come from what the world has to offer ~ money in the bank - it can be gone in a minute, a house filled with stuff - it can be blown away in a heartbeat by a tornado, a garage filled with stuff, keeping up with the Jones' IT'S ALL TEMPORARY. 

In the end all that really matters is what God has to offer...peace, security, love, forgiveness, grace, everlasting life...

That's what I choose, what God has to offer not the world.

Lord, help me to keep my eyes only on You, to lean only on You, because  You alone are my rock and my comfort.

Resting in the Son,
s

Thank You Soldier = Past and Present

America is founded on the principle of freedom, justice, and liberty for all. Our nation's soldiers serve every day to protect our country and its ideals.

Thank you to all the men and women who have served  and are serving our wonderful country.  Thank you for putting your life on the line to protect me.  Thank you for putting your life on the line so I can sleep in peace at night.  Thank you for deploying all over the world, leaving your families at home, to keep me safe.
 
Thank you husband for serving our country so unselfishly for many, many years.

 
Thank you Jesus for keeping my guy safe when he was in combat and bringing him home to me alive.

 

Thank you AMERICAN SOLDIERS YOU ARE MY HEREOS

"And I will always do my duty no matter what the price

I’ve counted up the cost, I know the sacrifice

Oh and I don’t want to die for you, but if dyin’s asked of me

I’ll bear that cross with honor, cause freedom don’t come free.

I’m an American Soldier an American

Beside my brothers and my sisters, I will proudly take a stand

When liberty’s in jeopardy, I will always do what’s right

I’m out here on the front lines, sleep in peace tonight

American Soldier, I’m and American, Soldier.

An American Soldier an American

Beside my brothers and my sisters, I will proudly take a stand

When liberty’s in jeopardy, I will always do what’s right

I’m out here on the front lines, sleep in peace tonight

American Soldier, I’m an American, an American, an American, Soldier" Toby Keith

 

Lord, please keep our troops save, give their families peace, Your peace that surpasses all understanging.  Bring them all home safe.  Give them strength, courage, guidance, wisdom as they do their jobs protecting us and our country.

Psalm 91

 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]

 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust.”

Surely he will save you

from the fowler’s snare

and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his feathers,

and under his wings you will find refuge;

his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

You will not fear the terror of night,

nor the arrow that flies by day,

nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,

or the plague that destroys at midday.

 A thousand may fall at your side,

ten thousand at your right hand,

but it will not come near you.

You will only observe with your eyes

and see the punishment of the wicked.

If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”

and you make the Most High your dwelling,

no harm will overtake you,

no disaster will come near your tent.

For he will command his angels concerning you

to guard you in all your ways;

they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

You will tread on the lion and the cobra;

you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;

I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

 He will call on me, and I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble,

I will deliver him and honor him.

 With long life I will satisfy him

and show him my salvation.”

God Bless The American Soldier,
~s

 

He's Still In The Miracle Business!!

YES HE IS. 

GOD STILL PERFORMS MIRACLES.

HE DID SO TODAY!!

He's coming home!!http://oureyesopened.blogspot.com/2011/05/god-of-miracles.html

The Supreme Court in the country he is in, has overturned the judge's decision!!

Guys, you were part of it!!

Every single person who prayed and/or fasted?

Each and every one was part of history in the making!!

His name officially is:

 

Gregory Kirill

GOD ROCKS!!!

Rejoicing and praising,

~s

Festive Praise Instead of Despair

To all who mourn in Israel,

he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,

a joyous blessing instead of mourning,

festive praise instead of despair.

In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks

that the Lord has planted for his own glory. -Isaiah 61:3

I Am Her Dad

"And that leads to the second thing that changed my fear. This thought hit me (and continues to do so): there’s a difference between being her father and being her dad. It’s not just semantics for me. She’s not mine, but she is. She’s not from me but she’s a part of me. She’s not my flesh, but I’d give my life for her. She’s my daughter. I may not be the guy who is responsible for her being in the world, but I am the guy who is responsible for her. And gladly. I may not be her father, but I am her dad."  Pastor Trent, Heritage Park Baptist Church

http://trenthenderson.blogspot.com/



Resting In Him,
~s

No Greater Joy Dad

Many of you are followers of No Greater Joy Mom, now there is No Greater Joy Dad, written by Adeye's other half, her hubby Anthony.  Below is a portion of his latest post... to read the full post go to nogreaterjoydad.blogspot.com

Monday, May 9, 2011Reluctant Husband Syndrome - Question 1



I am very excited to address something known in the blogosphere as RHS--


Reluctant Husband Syndrome.


You can count me in as one of “those husbands” who has not been on the same wavelength as his wife when it comes to adopting a child.

Guys, we should start a support group. “Hello. My name is Anthony, and I’m a reluctant husband.”

Well, thanks be to God, I’m a lot better now. And I won't step off the wagon!

So I want to speak to you husbands, you RH cowboys, who need a little help sorting through this stuff. In this post, I address the first in a series of typical questions you may have as an RH. Please feel free to write to me if you have any questions, you need prayer, or you want to scream. I am here for you.

QUESTION 1:


I might consider adopting, but later. So what’s wrong with putting it off for a year or so?

To read the rest of Anthony's post go to nogreaterjoydad.blogspot.com  Anthony is a great writer and writes from his heart.

Blessings,
~s

A Dream Come True

Nashville Rock and Roll Marathon

April 30, 2011

A Dream Come True

Racing with my biggest boy.

This mama's heart is so happy!!

In 2001, I entered the world of running and racing.  I have completed 4 marathons over the years, and with each marathon, trained diligently for 6 months to prepare my body to compete and to finish the 26.2 mile races.  After each race I distrinctly remember the moment, "WOW, I just ran 26 miles! That is unbelieveable."

In 2005 I had my third knee surgery, and the orthopedic uncerimoniously told me "You are no longer a runner, get a bike."  He of course was not a runner or competitor.  If he was, he would have been more sypathetic and understanding.  Now my general practioner is not only a runner, but a cyclist and a competitor also and she understands the feeling of not being able to run.

So I got a road bike.  Not the same.  I enjoy riding, have only participated in one road race. Haven't really gotten serious about cycling yet.

But I did take up power walking, which is almost running.  And, I decided to compete in a half marathon and test my legs.  I mentioned it to my oldest son and he jumped on board to run the half marathon and participate with me.  He was a cross country runner in high school.    He's graceful and athletic and determined.  He has great running form, and a great attitude.  I've always wanted to race with him, but the opportunity just never came about.  I've been blessed with being able to race with my younger boy.  During the time I was training with Team In Training preparing for the marathons, my youngest and I ran a few 5ks together.  That was always fun, he always kicked my tail.  Just being out there participating together was awesome.  So, having my big boy say he'd do it with me was in fact a dream come true.

We registered for the Nashville Rock and Roll Marathon.  The marathon was this past Saturday. We flew into Nashville on Friday afternoon and immediately headed over to the convention center to sign in and pick up our race packets. 

OH MY GOODNESS!  The amount of people there was incredible.  The energy was unreal.  IT ROCKED!

Saturday our day started at 330 a.m., we left the farm at 415 a.m. and got to LP Field,  the Tennessee Titans stadium, by 530 am.  This was the finish line for the marathon and half marathon.  We jumped on a shuttle and headed over to the start line.  Start time was 7 a.m.  We got in line for the port a potties.  We waited.  We waited. We waited.  There were so many runners there it took 40 minutes to reach the head of the line we were in. And there was something like 100 potties! By this time the race had already started. We headed out to find our corrals and wished each other well.  I am much slower than he is, and it took my starting corral 48 minutes to reach the start line after the race had already started!  It is a good thing for timing chips on our shoes, once we cross the start line our time officially starts.

The weather turned our to be perfect for race day.  It had stormed and flooded most of the week, but Saturday turned out to be incedible weather for a race.  The atmosphere and people along the course were so encouraging and friendly. The bands and cheerleaders made it all so much easier, especially once you got to those last couple of miles. 

But what I love most of all about competing is the sincrere friendliness of the other runners and spectators.  It doesn't matter how fast you are,  how slow you are, if you are an elite runner or a power walker.  Everyone is so nice, so friendly, and we're all out there for different reasons, some raise money for non profits, others are trying to qualify for other races, others are walking/running in memory of loved ones and the one reason we are all out there...because we love it.

My boy beat me by almost an hour.  But, I did better than I had planned by 4 minutes!  And, I even saw a girlfriend along the way at mile 10 and stopped and hugged her.  Sherri says I get to deduct a minute from my time for stopping and saying hello!

It was great having quality time with my big boy.  We toured the Winstead Hill, and the
Carter  and Lotz Houses in Franklin, TN and got a crash course on the Battle of Franklin.  Enjoyed Cracker Barrel, and fellowshipped together.

I love the man-child of mine.  Thank you Jesus for blessing me by lettimg me be his mama.

Rejoicing,
~s

ADOPTION QUILT GIVE AWAY

Isn't this an awesome quilt?  Do you see your adoption t-shirt in it?

Three families are working together on this give away.  They are raising needed adoption funds to bring 4 treasures home from Ethiopia.

http://journey2ethiopia.blogspot.com/p/easter-quilt-giveaway.html  [Young family]

http://toonefamilyjourney.blogspot.com/2011/04/new-adoption-fundraiser.html [Toone family]

http://justonemore4us.blogspot.com/2011/04/quilt-giveaway-only-1.html [Burlingham family]

I'm heading over to each of their blogs and make a small donation to each family.  All it takes is $1 to get in on the give away.  $1 for a chance to win the quilt and  help bring 4 little people home to their forever families.

The give away started Easter Sunday and will run for 3 weeks.  I plan to donate as many times as I can over the next three weeks.

There is also a side drawing going on.   Anyone who donates and gives a shout out on their blog will be entered into a drawing for a custom made Family Values canvas.

Let's be the hands and feet of Christ and help these families bring their treasures home to their forever families. 

Let's help make it one less broken heart - 4 times over!

Rejoicing because He has risen,

~s

HE HAS RISEN!

At The Foot Of The Cross

Where I Am Made Complete

You Have Given Me Life

Through The Death You Bore For Me

May your Easter be filled with love, peace, and joy

Thankful and grateful for a Savior who died for me,

~s

Anthony Shares His Heart

http://www.nogreaterjoymom.com/2011/04/mindful-of-orphan.html

April 18, 2011



“mindful” of the orphan


Anthony shares his heart.....

What is it in the heart of God that cares so much for the orphan? I don’t mean to question the obvious. My plea is more of an exclamation out of sheer amazement and pure awe.


“What is man that you are mindful of him?” Psalm 8:4


And much less, what is a forgotten child that you are mindful of him? I have come to realize recently that an orphan child is not just abandoned by his family or even by her country. She is abandoned by the world. And at the risk of turning away any reader of this post, you and I are in the world.






Before I entered the world of adoption, for most of my life, I never once was “mindful” of the orphan. Any orphan. That’s what orphanages are for, right? Those kids are taken care of! They get three square meals a day, surely. They sleep on beds and not on the street. They get love and attention from the caregivers of these institutions. Surely!






But most orphans do NOT get three square meals a day. They may NOT have beds to sleep on, just mats on the floor. And if they do have beds, where are the mattresses? We’re talking wooden or metal slabs. And all too frequently, they get attention from caregivers alright. How’s this for attention—fondling, rape, beating, being thrown in cribs, neglect, being left to wade in their feces and urine all day long, being tied to wooden “toilet” chairs, being rented out for the day to beggars who need to invoke more sympathy, and even murder?






These are very real occurrences. I know. I have first-hand or second-hand experience on each of these happenings mentioned.






How many orphans worldwide experience this on a daily basis? Well, think about this: today there are 147,000 million orphans in the world. That’s five million more than the entire population of Russia! Now consider that most of these orphans live in countries that are not “mindful” of them. You can imagine.






But now imagine this, even if an orphan lived in a five-star orphanage (we are imagining, right?), is his or her life better off without a family? If you are a five-year-old child, would you rather live a lonely existence at the Ritz Carlton or in a loving, Christian family that lives just above their means?






Shame on me. I have not been mindful.

If only.


If only the world heard the stories.


If only I had time and money to travel the world to shoot video footage what we hear on a frequent basis but the world doesn’t. I WISH that me and my video camera were invisible so I could stand behind the caregiver at her desk when eight-year-old Vanya from Eastern Europe runs up every day to see if a family is coming for him yet.


Or when a friend of ours, who just arrived in a country for their second trip, gets ready to go back to her lodging after her first day back seeing their five-year-old. I want to shoot how he melts down in hysteria and tears, crying out, “Don’t let my mommy leave me! Don’t go, Mommy!”


Maybe then the world will realize why God’s heart breaks for the orphan.


Maybe then God’s people will get a fire under them to do something about it.


Maybe then the Christian who is in awe of other families who adopt many times over will kneel down at their bedside tonight and do one simple thing: ask God what HE wants THEM to do about it.


Maybe then we will finally see these millions of helpless, hopeless children find their forever families.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
I am blessed to be able to call Anthony and Adeye friends.  They have such a heart for the orphans of this world.
 
Seeking a heart like HIS,
~s