Wordless Wednesday (with a few words!)

My Boys!
This was taken at our first fall festival, 2 years ago today! Please join me in praying for our Festival tonight. We have had scattered showers. Please pray first and foremost that we will be a welcome place for our community. That others may come and will feel at home, will feel accepted and loved for who they are. That they will know that they can come and be safe here! Alright, I'm off to church! Today will be a 16 hour day for me!

Halloween and Greg

Ok, random thoughts for today. . .if you have trouble following along, I'm sorry! ha ha This weekend was Greg's birthday and we had a wonderful weekend with MANY friends. We started out by going to Kobe on Friday night with our friends Cassie and Cory and Brackston and Monica, then back to our house for a movie. It was a wonderful time to reconnect. Then, on Saturday we had breakfast with both sets of parents and my grandparents. Greg and I LOVE to go out for breakfast or have people over on Sat. mornings! We then headed to Sea World! It was cloudy and extremely humid, but fun. The kids loved the sea lion and otter show and of course, Shamu! I tried to get Brayden to ride the kiddie shamu rollercoaster, since he is tall enough now. . .but, he thought it was way to scary!

Ok, on to Halloween: Sea World is celebrating Spooktacular this month. They are actually doing a great job of having fun dressing up and giving out candy without ANY of the scary stuff. However, kids are encouraged to come dressed up. I am AMAZED at what kids wear for Halloween!!! This one 8 year old girl was dressed in scrubs with blood all over her and a VERY scary mask. AND, she kept trying to talk to Brayden. While, I thought it was sweet of her to talk to my kids, I did NOT want them to see that scary sight. I'm sorry, I just don't understand! Why would a mama want her kid dressed up as something evil? I understand silly costumes. . .I LOVE dressing up myself. I don't understand wanting my precious little girl to be the devil. Now, I don't let my kids dress up or glamorize witches, b/c I believe in them. I believe real people are real witches and they serve a real Satan and I don't think that is something to play off as fun. However, I do understand that the rest of the world has bought into the concept of "good witches", so I can see a mom thinking that is ok. Mostly though, don't people think of Satan as bad still? Isn't he the epitome of evil? I wouldn't think, YES, let's dress up as pure evil! Especially for a 5 year old!!! Then, we were driving to a friend's for lunch on Sunday. ( a yummy lunch, by the way, with delicious choc. cake to celebrate once again, Greg's b-day) In their neighborhood, one man in particular has decorated for Halloween in a way that I find repulsive. He hung someone (a dummy, ok) from his front tree. A hanging? Seriously? ha ha ha. . .oh my how I find hangings just hilarious and fun! What the heck?! Ok, that's my rantings! I've struggled with the concept of Halloween for many years, especially after hearing a witch tell of their spiritual rites on that night. However, there are thousands and people looking for something to do and so we, as a church, want to provide that something. So, we throw a HUGE fall festival! We have carnival games, hayrides, inflatables, snow cones, popcorn, cotton candy and lots of candy to go as well. We started 2 years ago with 1,500 people and last year had 2,500 people. Please join us in praying that God would bring our community this year and they would feel loved and cared for in our community! (PS: you probably won't hear from me until after this is over since I'm in charge of it and will be officially going crazy starting tonight in prep for the event Wed. night!)

On the adoption front: no news! We are expecting news on his passport sometime in the next couple of weeks. After that, we wait for visa news. We are thinking Dec. or January. We are still trying to fly through Rome and spend a couple of days just us before leaping into the 3 child family!

On the Liberian Front: Lots of research! I am finding all sorts of great ministries that are meeting the needs of the Liberian people. I am so thankful that God has given me a passion for this sweet nation. Right now, I am asking God to refine my passion. I am looking for great ministries that work with: clean water, feeding programs, schooling, health care and sustainable development as well as orphan care. I'll keep up updated on the fun organizations that I come across!

Love you guys!

Wordless Wednesday

One of my favorite things is to watch our little ones pray! This is actually, Jessica's Abbie and Brayden praying before a meal at Chick-Fil-A. . . .our favorite restaurant!

Praising HIM Today!!!

This morning, on my way to teach a Senior Bible Class at a Christian high school here in town (my pastor has offered to teach the class, but was out of town. . .so, I was in charge!), I read this blog by Charity Alonso and her hubby. It is an amazing story of how amazing our God is!!! If you don't believe in God, PLEASE go read this blog. It's an amazing story of God rescuing some precious children. . .I can't say any more, b/c I don't want to ruin the ending for you!

I ended up reading the blog to my whole class when I got there. We proceeded to have a long conversation about how big God is, yet at the same time incredibly intimate! 2 verses came to my mind. First, 2 Chronicles 16:9: "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of those whose hearts are fully committed to Him." Charity and Igor, He found you faithful! He found your hearts committed to Him! AND, he showed Himself STRONG!!!! Praise you Jesus! The second verse is Matthew 5:16, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

The kids and I spent time talking about this. There were many times that I read Charity's blog and could see how hard life was. . and these were just the things she BLOGGED about! So many times, they could have quit. But you know what? They didn't and b/c of their faithfulness and obedience, they were able to have a bright shining light that absolutely points people straight to Jesus!

This story is one in which you finish absolutely praising the LORD! You can't help it! Your heart just soars in praise for the mighty God who created the universe and yet cared for and had plans for helpless children in a 3rd world country that included a family here in the states! God, you are GREAT!!! I am in awe of you!

Foster Care System and THE CHURCH

What is THE CHURCH's role in caring for children? In caring for our elderly? In caring for the poor and needy? You see, I'm a conservative republican who stands for less and less gov't. Is this because I want to eliminate gov't programs and don't care about the poor and needy in our midst? Yes and No! Yes, I think some of our programs should be eliminated. Why? Because it's OUR JOB! Our job as believers is to get in there and love and care for people. We as a Body, as Christ's Body are not doing what we could be. The workers are few. . .

Consider for a moment. . .

In our area alone: there are approx. 975 children in foster care.

There are 300 foster homes. Approx. 30% of these children ARE available for adoption. Check out adoptuskids.org for pics of waiting kids!

Consider this, in light of the previous stats. . .

There are 2202 churches listed in that same area. . .ok, let's take it down a bit b/c some of those may not be Bible-believing, or yellowpages.com may have listed some that weren't in our area. Possibly that brings us down to 1950?

That means if EVERY OTHER church took in 1 child, EVERY child would be in a Bible- Believing home where the healing of Christ's love could be showered on them! These are the most vulnerable of our society. Children who NEED stability and unconditional love. One foster mom can not give the love and care and attention that a hurting child needs to 3-5 children at a time!

My friend, Jess is in the process right now of adopting through the foster care system. We also have another dear friend who just started the process and will be foster parents for teenagers! Thank you, sweet friends for loving on these hurting little ones. Do you know what question they get asked the most? "Do you know what you're getting yourself in to?" Oh my dear!!!! These kids are hurting. They have no family or one that has hurt them deeply. Are we really so selfish that we stop first to consider how much this child may disrupt my life? I am so thankful that Jesus didn't stop. He sure had time and knew exactly what He as getting into with us! Instead, let's raise up and assist these families. Let's regularly pray for and look for ways to help the foster children and system. We hope to adopt through the foster care system at some point in the future, for now, our small group will be "adopting" kids from the foster care system to provide Christmas presents for! Consider calling your local foster parent association and offering your help (or maybe your whole church, small group or group of friends)!

My heart aches for these kids and I just stand and cry as we sing at church, "You are the defender of the weak, the Father to the Fatherless". Thank you, Jesus for standing in the gap. Please change our hearts that YOUR church will rise up to love, care for and assist those that are hurting in our midst.

PS Enjoy this SWEET video! I cried my way through it!

Thankful Thursday

Iris over @ Sting My Heart and Jessica @ Dearest Jessica are both hosting "Thankful Thursday" today! So, I thought I'd join in with a little list of my own!

I'm thankful for. . .

1. My very size of my family! (I have SO many people to be thankful for. . .wonderful immediate family, parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents!)
2. My AMAZING church body! (see our story / contest / fund raiser for our sweet pastor below and in the sidebar)
3. The laughter of my kiddos
4. My Hubby! He LOVES to be @ home with the kids and I just hanging and wrestling with the kids on the bed!
5. The sweet smile on Davis and his sparkling eyes (oh, I can't wait to hold him!)
6. My Jesus! He is just so precious to me!
7. Beth Moore. . .man, can that lady teach!
8. Women who are beyond me (in both years and wisdome) and CHOOSE to pour into me. . .thank you to Lisa E, Cathy S., and Christie D.
9. My Small Group Girls who amaze me in their steps of faith and vulnerability to our "cool" group!
10. All the sweet girls, who I am honored to call "my friends". I love the way they share their journeys with me and I am able to see God at work in them!
11. Blogging (yes, my new addiction!). . .this also includes my blogging friends. Girls I am thankful to share with and rejoice with who LOVE the Lord!
12. My "job" @ the church. I am so Thankful that as a volunteer our pastor would still choose to call me staff and include me with that wonderful group of people. I love that I get to be a part of our small group ministry and the events that our church does. It truly is a JOY!
13. Provision. . ..oh, how the LORD has provided for us. We have a home, a car, food, running water, clothing for our children and medical care.
14. The ability to Stay @ home with my munchkins. They are a HOOT! I love playing with them and watching them interact with each other, especially!
15. The plans the Lord has for us. . .while I am always trying to look over his shoulder, I AM thankful that He already has laid out plans for us and they are GOOD!

**if you'd like to play along. Write up your own list and then go to Iris or Jessica's sites and sign their "mr. linky"

ANOTHER PRIZE ADDED

One more prize has been added! MommyZabs has created a new company called, CardMyChristmas and is donating a prize of 1- 25 pack of customized cards! Check out her fun site and add your donation to get entered to win! Remember, to post it on your site for extra entries and a great way to spread the word!

Great Prizes for a Great Cause

Do you like winning things? Do you like helping people? If you answered "yes" to both questions, this is the place for you. (I won't ask which you like better!) Now, first: the story, then: the gifts!

I want to introduce you to a family. Jon and Christie D. (no last name to protect identity) and their boys. Jon is our wonderful pastor and the best shepherd of a flock that I have ever seen! He and his wife, Christie, love our church and serve it faithfully and sacrificially. I could go on and on and list the ways that they serve our church body and the community that we are in. I could list the times they were called to help someone in the middle of the night. . .The number of community organizations that Jon sits on boards for. . .the number of life lessons I have learned through their faithful example. However, all you really need to know is that they are amazing, faithful people full of integrity. They also happen to be adopting. After 10 years of infertility, Jon and Christie thought adoption would be the way that God chose to expand their family. God had a surprise in store for them, 6 years ago when they found out that they were pregnant with their first son. 3 years later, surprise little boy number 2 came along! While Jon and Christie love their little boys, they still felt their family was not complete. They continued to try to get pregnant while pursuing the options in adoption. This year has brought 2 miscarriages and a renewed sense of God's call to help the orphans through adoption. They prayerfully considered many countries open for adoption and soon settled on VIETNAM! They are now pursuing an adoption of a little girl.

You may be thinking, "how does this affect me?". God's Word is clear about helping others. He says over and over throughout the Bible to "share with God's people who are in need" (Romans 12:13), especially pastors ( I Tim. 5:17-18)! Please join us in helping this wonderful family answer God's call to care for a little girl halfway around the world who needs a family so desperately.

THE BONUS!!!!!

We are giving away PRIZES!!!! Now, are you curious?

Prize #1: TIFFANY & CO. SILVER NECKLACE (Return to Tiffany, Oval Tag)
*used but polished and comes with tiffany box complete white bow
Prize #2: Pampered Chef Basket full of fun and useful kitchen tools
Prize #3: A Goodie Bag of Professional Beauty Supplies (donated by Friends Beauty Supply)
Prize #4: Sea World Tickets for 2
Prize #5: TimeWise® Microdermabrasion Set from Mary Kay
Prize #6: A new blog header and background by Whitney R.
*the girl who just redesigned mine

• For every $5 you donate, your name will be entered in our contest. (so, if you donate $20, your name will be entered 4 times and so on and so forth, you get the picture)

• If you cut and paste this post on your blog to encourage your readers to join in on the fun, guess what? We will enter your name AGAIN.

• If people donate from your blog, ask them to write your blogname in the "Comments" section and for every $100 donated, we'll enter your name a THIRD TIME.

Contest winners will be drawn at random as soon as all of the money is raised! Let's go girls!

Just go back to your blog, write a post encouraging your readers to join in the fun and link this post. Then, come back here and add your name through "Mr. Linky".

FINALIZATION!!!!

We just got an email from Rae @ Acres of Hope this morning. In fact, I read it from my iphone while driving to my friend, Susan's house. . .which was a bit dangerous! The news is in: Henry Davis' adoption has been finalized in Liberia!!!!!

If you aren't an adoptive parent, you may be thinking, "great! But what the heck does that mean?" Well, it means that according to the gov't of Liberia, HE IS OURS!!!! Next step? Passport and Visa from the American Embassy. This process could take 2-3 months. This means there is a small possibility of having him home for Christmas. If not, we should be traveling in January. I'm praying that he comes home exactly in the Lord's timing!

3 yrs. + 1 yr. + 2 yrs.??? Are you crazy?!

No, I'm not crazy to be adding a 3rd little man! You know why? Well, let me tell you some of my favorite things about my kids and the ages they are right now. This idea is from Mamablogga and is their "Group Writing Project" for October. So, I figured I NEEDED to take her up on this idea b/c some days people look at me like I'm crazy when I tell them that I have a 3 year old, a 1 year old and am adopting a 2 year old!

Let's start with the youngest. Gracie Lea Ann is 18 months old. My favorite thing about her is her hugs. She starts from across the room with her arms open, running to me, with absolute glee shouting "Mama"! She has the most infectious giggle. Her smile can light up the room b/c she takes her whole face with it, especially her eyes! I also love the talking at this age. She is expanding her vocabulary each day and you pretty much need a translator to understand that "duntuh" is dumptruck (our dog) and "gapa" said very quickly is "Grandpa". She also says the cutest "peeessss" (please) and "tank two" (thank you), both of which she does while signing! I am also LOVING experiencing a girl at this age. She carries her babies everywhere and rocks them so sweetly. She loves shoes too! Every morning she goes and grabs a pair of her cutest shoes and demands that I put them on her! These are the things I remember when someone thinks I'm crazy! Crazy? No, I LOVE my 1 year old who is growing so fast into a toddler.

Brayden is 3 1/2. He is a JOY! Ok, at times, he's argumentative and beligerrant! But, this Group Writing Project is about my FAVORITE things! He is SO SMART! My favorite thing about this age is his ability to carry on adult like conversations. He loves to quote his "berses" (Bible verse he has memorized) and pray that God would "bwess" (bless) his friends and family. He is very funny in his conversations and says the most grown up things. When sitting down to dinner, he asks his Daddy, "Well, how was your day?". He loves to know what's coming up next and is pretty sure he knows his days of the week! This age is great for being a big brother too. He loves to get Gracie out of her crib in the morning (with me, of course). He tells her every morning, without fail, "Good morning, my princess!". Oh, what that does to a Mama's heart! He also loves his new little brother without ever having met him. He tells everyone that "my brother lives in Wiberia (Liberia)". He can even point out where Liberia is on a World Map and loves everything Africa! Am I crazy for adding another one? Not when this 3 year old is such a joy!

This brings me to my 2 year old, Henry Davis. There is not a ton to say, because I have not yet met him. I look forward to reading other people's stories about their 2 year olds, b/c it makes me remember and know what to expect. Right now, I drink up 2 year olds! I love thinking, "Ok, that's what Davis will be doing". I can't wait for the day to brag and brag over my sweet boy. For now, I'll say that he's the cutest 2 year old ever. He has eyes and a smile that pretty much melt my heart. Even when the kids are screaming in the backseat, my heart aches b/c he's not here to scream too. I am praying that I'll be able to snuggle him soon and know what his hugs feel like. Am I crazy to add him to my family? Just look at his face and you'll never think that again!

My new look! Again, I know. . .but this time I like it!

Consider this a "Shout Out" to my friend Whitney! Not that she will even read this, b/c she's not a real blog reader, but THANK YOU! She designed both the background and header that I'm using! Isn't she talented? Thanks, Whit!

PS. . .I think she'd design for others if you'd like and she'll be pretty reasonable! All I did was find a simple template and change the background and header plus a couple of color changes!

HealthCare System?

In the 2008 elections, HealthCare is a definite "buzz word". Everyone wants to know what these leaders plan on doing to ensure GOOD, QUALITY, AFFORDABLE (which some read: free) Healthcare. Now, it's not that I disagree with them completely. I support a prescription plan to help make medicines that people need more affordable (especially seniors). I advocate for Tort Reform, which will bring the mass medical malpractice suits under control as this is one of the reasons that prices are pushed upwards. Doctors can't even afford their own malpractice insurance. I do, however, believe in capitalism and getting what you pay for which promotes quality work. I also think that "The Church" has fallen down on the job of assisting those who can't afford to get the help needed. With good tort reform, the Christian doctors across the nation could step up and fulfill the scriptures command to use our abilities for benefit of the Body. But, that is a whole other blog!

Now, enough of my concessions and couching so you hear my heart. . .Here's my point: We need perspective. Let's be honest, we DO have healthcare available! Hospitals can NOT turn someone down for needed medical care. Yes, they'll charge you, but I had a friend in college who had his appendix out and chose to just pay $10 a month to the hospital for basically the rest of his life. Does this stink? Yes, but the surgery saved his life. Is the medicare or medicaid system easy to navigate? No, but it does provide medical care. Are HMOs a pain in the butt to get referrals to other doctors? Yep, but guess what? There ARE other doctors here.

The US has 279 doctors per 1,000 people. So, in a city with a population of 3.5 million people, we would average 976,500 doctors! Liberia, West Africa has 3.5 million people and guess how many doctors they have? 14! Yes, you read that right. Do I need to say it again? 14 doctors for 3,500,000 people. Oh, and these people are dying and hungry and in desperate need of medical care. Does that very statistic bring tears to your eyes? I will remember that the next time I begin to complain about waiting for an hour to be seen by my primary care doctor.

This is why I am praying fervently for God to provided the needed funds or resources to build a new medical clinic and a special needs nursery in Liberia. Acres of Hope, the adoption agency we are using, already has the land, they just need the money. Please join me in praying for these resources to flow in. The approx. cost of the medical center and staffing + a special needs nursery would be under $500,000. Pray for the money to flow in, pray for doctors to rise up to volunteer to serve these people, pray for the needed medical supplies to come in!! Just PRAY!

**ps. . .if you would like to contribute, you can send a check to Acres of Hope. check their website for more info or email me privately!**
**disclaimer: reports on numbers of doctors are hard to nail down. The statistics I've found range from 10-122. . .either way, the doctor / patient ratio is staggering.

Orphan Report!!! It includes NEW Pictures!!!

**Sent from Donna this morning. . .written by Melodie before she left! Thanks to both of you!

Henry Davis

(October 5, 2007)

Sweet, playful and easy going are a few words that describe Henry. Henry has a happy nature and is outgoing, but likes security and familiarity. When he's comfortable in a situation, he will run around energetically, act silly, laugh, and smile a lot! He's a charming little boy who likes to be held, but is not clingy, and just needs to know that someone he knows is nearby while he's playing. Much like my bio kids!

Henry interacts well with other children his age. He's a kind boy, who doesn't fight over toys or get short-tempered with his friends. This is something I was praying for him! Henry likes to play with toys of any kind, but he is entertained by a variety of things. Unlike some two year olds who have really short attention spans and like to go off to do their own thing, Henry finds interested in the entertainment he is provided, and will also play cooperatively for extended periods of time. Praise the Lord. . .that is a GOOD quality!
Henry is very shy around people he doesn't know and in new situations. He gets a concerned look on his face, and if things get too scary, he might start to cry. Right now he is doing great in the orphanage and is comfortable in his new home. But when visitors come and start acting too friendly, Henry starts to worry.

Because of Henry's size and development, he fits best in the 15 to 30 month room, as versus the 2 to 3 1/2 year room. In this room the kids have story time every morning, while the other kids attend preschool. Henry loves to gather around his nanny with is roommates and listen to the stories. He likes to point to the pictures and "comment" on what she is reading. Henry also likes activities, like Ring Around the Rosie, and playing outside. He does well with most activities, both indoors and outdoors, but likes to have his nanny round, just to make sure everything is safe.

Henry is learning to talk, but is not using a whole lot of sentences yet. He's not overly chatty, even in baby talk, but knows how to express his needs with the words he does know and through gestures and if necessary, crying. Henry may have a limited vocabulary, but that doesn't stop him from telling on other kids if the need arises. If he feels he's being mistreated Henry will gently pat his nanny, point to the offending individual and say, "Aunty, you see?" Neither of my other children are like this, I don't know what I'll do! ha ha! yeah right!
Henry is eating three meals a day (he's able to feed himself) and has a 6-ounce bottle in between meals and before bed. He'll take a sippy cup of his offered one, or drink out of a regular cup. He's not picky about how he gets his milk, but he sure loves it!
Henry wears size 18-24 month clothes, size 3 diapers, and size 5 shoes.


Praise the Lord! Last night, I went to GAP and bought him his first present! Because he is just under Brayden's age and they'll share rooms, I hadn't purchased anything for him yet. I got him the cutest shirt that is black with the continent of Africa on it and it says, "Discove(red)" on it!

Knowing is half the battle? What's the other half?

As a church, we are doing "40 Days to a More Generous Life" which is VERY convicting! Then, this morning, I went to Katy's blog and read her post about poverty in Africa. I know, I know, you guys think I'm a "one note johnny" (as the phrase goes!).

So, let's start with knowledge. They say that "knowing is half the battle". "Knowledge breeds responsibility". "Once you know. . ."

One report from the World Bank, stated 80% of people living in extreme poverty live on the continent of Africa. 16, 000 children die EVERY DAY of hunger related causes... that's one child every 3 seconds.

I know what you're thinking, "what is this? A save the children infomercial?" Well, to bring it a bit closer to home. . .

This is my friend, Amy's, little girl, Ruby. This was taken in march of THIS YEAR! She is now home with her family, growing and thriving. She is alive b/c Amy and her family acted on the knowledge they heard. . .one step closer. . .

This is MY SON, Davis. Donna told me that when his birth mother brought him to the orphanage, she said "I can't feed him, can you find someone who can?"

God's Word says, in Matthew 25:31-45. . .(I quoted the whole thing, b/c I knew the first half. It's a commonly quoted passage. However, as harsh as it may sound, the last half is what really put me in my place)

“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’
“Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’
“And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’

So, if KNOWLEDGE is half the battle. . .maybe ACTION is the other half. If you are a believer, change Action to OBEDIENCE. God's call to feed the hungry is pretty clear. Yet, we are failing. Katy wrote that "Islam is spreading through Africa, providing clean, free water, schools, education, and food. Meanwhile the number of Christians missionaries to Africa is decreasing each year and the gospel that rooted in the hearts of many tribal groups has long been forgotten and is no longer preached.". Oh, that breaks my heart. Lord, what are you calling me to? Here I am, if it is your will, send me! WE are the ones who have seen the ultimate generosity. WE are the ones who experience Peace, Joy and Fullness of Life b/c of your generosity. Yet, we are not known to be a generous people. Waitresses don't even want to work on Sunday's because the tips are so bad. If we can't be generous with $2, how will you ever awaken our hearts to what is happening halfway across the world. Lord, change us! "Let our lights so shine before men THAT they may see our good works and glorify our Father who is in Heaven" (Matt. 5:16)

Today in our study, we read James 2:15-16 "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?" I think this can be likened to "Oh, that's so awful, but I don't have the kind of money that can make a difference. . .now, what's for dinner tonight? Honey, do we have weekend plans?"

Do I think we can eradicate poverty? NO. Jesus stated that "the poor we will always have with us". Do we have to have tons of money? NO. In fact, Acres of Hope, for example can feed a child for a year for $10. They can send a child to school (with lunch) for $50 a year. But, this isn't about what we can do. It's not even about ending world hunger. Giving to the poor, feeding the hungry, is about OUR hearts. It's about our obedience. It's about being a light to a dying world (both literally and figuratively) so that they may see Jesus.

Now that you know. . .the questions lies, what are you going to do about it?

hint: expect a post within a couple of days with some suggestions of things the Lord is laying on my heart to do. . .that is, if you want ideas. . .

Under construction

We are under construction right now! Come back later for a customized layout, hopefully! I'm messing around with the html code, so it will probably look horrible for the next few hours!

A few cute pics

My kids are a blast! Really, I mean it! Last week was a bit exhausting, but lots of fun at the same time. Greg had to work or play 5 of the last 7 nights, so the kids and I got lots of time together! We've been to the neighborhood park, gone swimming, out to eat with friends, watched movies and blown lots of bubbles (much to our dog, Dumptruck's amusement!)

Truthfully, I am working on spending more quality time with my kids. Actually sitting down and watching the movie with them or playing with toys. I'm really good at PROVIDING them opportunities to play, by themselves and with others, and even taking them to fun places. . .now, I'm working at being fun! It's hard sometimes, with everything else that has to be accomplished in a day.

I was waiting to post, b/c I am expecting an orphan report soon and want to post some good news and a few new pics of Davis. . .but, I guess if that happens you'll just have to get 2 posts from me today. You won't mind, will ya girls? (or guys, I guess, I just haven't had any comments from guys so that would be a bit creepy! Unless I know you, of course, then, it's just weird that you haven't told me you are reading my very private journal that I post publicly for the world to critique! ha ha)

Yes, these are the best pictures I usually get of Brayden! Always racing by me or stopping only long enough to say "cheese" which is not a long enough word to point and shoot your camera, much less get a good angle or zoom in!

Gracie, however, will ALWAYS stop to say "cheese"! In fact, it doesn't even matter if you are taking a picture of her. . .she pretty much just assumes