Today's the Adoption Fund Raiser!

Yeah! 

 We can't wait to see what God has in store...I think about 300 tickets have been sold!  We are expecting probably a hundred people to come to the actual benefit. Last night we began to clean up the hall and set it up for all our friends/guest to come.  We have some awesome raffles that have been donated.  Bob and his wife Joyce~ and his daughters Beth and Rachael are throwing us this big benefit bash tonight, they have fussed and planned now for months.  They are so sweet, they even hired a dj! 

We got another few inches of snow last night, but it looks like it will be a nice day. (thank you for your prayers!)  They are saying maybe rain with a bit of snow for later...keep praying!

benefit: 1. An act of kindness; a favor conferred.

Bless the Lord,O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.
 Psalm 103

fund-raiser:  2. an entertainment or social event to raise funds for a person or cause.

If you can't join us tonight at 6- we will miss you.  But would you still consider making a donation to our adoption fund?  We still are a way off from our final amount of $23,000 and only in a few weeks we need to make the final payment, to bring Princess Sweetness (who is about 11) home.

- how blessed we would be to have you partner with us in this call of God to adopt!

ps- we got 4 new pictures of Princess Sweetness yesterday from our agency (Celebrate Children International).  When we pass court (March 3rd is our Ethiopian Court date)...we can show you her picture on the blog!!  Pray friends, pray!!

Adoption Anticipation-Our Fund-Raiser!

We are so excited, tomorrow is our adoption fund-raiser! 

 Would you pray that the weather would cooperate?  It seems we could be getting another snowstorm tomorrow. Our dear friends,  Bob and Joyce Pedro have worked so hard collecting items for tomorrow's raffle and silent auction-we need people to come for it to be a success. 

Tonight we are going to gather to clean the hall and prepare it for tomorrow's party.  Busy, busy, busy. They are kicking us (my family) out tomorrow for the final preparations; as they don't want us to see it all decorated.  The blessing of surprise!

How grateful we are to have such kind and generous friends. 

Would you consider helping us to gather the last of the funds?  We are so thankful to not have to do this alone.  We are waiting on God for a miracle -won't you be a part of it?  March 3rd is our Ethiopian court date...which means travel follows shortly, when we pass!  We can't go if we don't have the money.

We covet your prayers for tomorrow-to God be the Glory!

An Amazing Love Story

Love at first sight:

Meeting my girl in her orphanage in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,

January, 2009.

Amazing how much love a heart can hold; love that you never even knew you had. 

 Isn't Love crazy good?

Sometimes Life is Just a Blurr

Do you ever feel like this? 

The best way I know to get focus back in life, is by making sure I have spent time with the Lord.  If I fill all my time with stuff or me, everything begins to blurr together.  One day rushes into the next and before you know it, my focus is lost.  God wants my focus and guess what...He wants yours too!  Here are some verses that talk about getting your focus *together* and recentered on Him.

Psalm 53:2 (English Standard Version)

God looks down from heaven

on the children of man

to see if there are any who understand*

who seek after God.

*(this means)- who act wisely!

Matthew 17:17 (The Message)

Jesus said, "What a generation! No sense of God! No focus to your lives! How many times do I have to go over these things? How much longer do I have to put up with this? Bring the boy here." He ordered the afflicting demon out—and it was out, gone. From that moment on the boy was well.

Romans 8:5 (The Message)

 Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God's action in them find that God's Spirit is in them—living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn't pleased at being ignored.

 

Teaching English as a Second Language-Adoption!

We are soon expecting our daughter to arrive from Ethiopia!!  We have never adopted an 11 year old before, with minimal English language skills. All our children either came too young to have acquired their given language, or came older but, through our own country (thus they spoke English).


I have seen adoptive families label objects with index cards, to help their new children learn names of things in English.  They put labels on things around their home, to help acquire new words.  However, I thought of another fun way to help a child acquire new vocabulary!

 It came to me as I was potty training Baby Mercy.  She had opened a kitchen drawer and grabbed a small camping flashlight that belonged to her brother.  I scooped her up, as it was time to give the potty another college try...along with her came this tiny flashlight.  As she sat, I turned it on for her. Amazing the batteries still worked, a small miracle here at our house for sure!   I began to show her that if you put the flashlight close the the floor, it is a small circle of light.  If you pull your arm away from the floor it becomes bigger.  If you twist your wrist a bit, the light will twist. We were potty training and learning some new words/concepts.  I took the light and began to point to objects around the bathroom, as the light hit an object I would name it.

 The light went on in my brain, in that split second...this would help teach English!

Certainly, if the household items had been labeled, this would help an older child learn not only the word but, how it is spelled.  The flashlight just made the learning a little *fun.*   Pressure off, fun on-thus making learning not only fun, but easy!

I ran right to the computer and began to jot down this thought, knowing that lately I have had a zillion thoughts; all pertaining to our Princess Sweetness passing court in Ethiopia and coming HOME!   My hope is in sharing the thought, that it will help me and perhaps someone else walking a similar road of needing to teach English as a second language. 

I am sure more ideas will come...that is just how the Holy Spirit works!  As I submit the need to Him, He begins to give me fresh ideas and pour out His help from heaven.  I'm getting excited about this new challenge...God is good! I need to stock up on batteries now.

ps- This lesson works best if you don't turn the lights on in a room, plus it adds to the drama!  Isn't teaching fun?!

Another Lover of Blankets!

Often Baby Mercy will say, "Wap me, wap me uppa."   (Does that sound like Italian?)

Which translates to: "Wrap me up!"

Celebrations-a Look at Life!

How grateful I am for my family! 

We celebrated our oldest child's 19th birthday. My Knight and I have a hard time getting our brains around the fact that our homemade has been with us for 19 years already!  My, how time does fly.  Seems like just yesterday we were praying that she would grow some hair, so people would stop asking us what our son's name was. (even if she was dressed head to toe in pink, with one of those elasticy lace ribbons adorning her hairless head.)

Our sweet daughter got a cup full of pineapple with candles to blow out...and some very strong Costa Rican coffee that she loves.

We are so proud of her.  She inspires to be a writer...have you read her blog yet? 

Hope your every breath today is about celebrating what God has blessed you with! 

Prayer Request Sunday

Happy Sunday!

Would you like prayer?  I'd be happy to join you in prayer this week, together we can take your request before God.  Leave me a note and we can get busy!

Homeschool Architecture and Reluctant Readers

Welcome to our family room...come see how we homeschool...

The Master Architect-King Meemer (7)

The Instigator-Tobin James

The Reader and her Helper (Princess Sunshine 11 and Baby Mercy 22 months)

King Bonkie picking a book out of the basket.

Yes, we prefer no socks most days.

My girl who used to be a reluctant reader.

The Musician (King Bonkie-6) wearing his Spiderman socks.

Another Happy Homeschool Day! And a Mama who loves a child who loves to read and create!

(*and if you have *reluctant readers*...this is the way to get them to fall in love with reading!)

Homeschool Refrigerator Art

A piece of heavy cardboard:

4 homeschool children who love to create.

Chopped. 

 Painted. 

Patiently awaiting it to dry for another coat.

Drying again so we can flip it over...

 Adorned with magnets on the backside.

A simple reminder that spring is on its way!

Do You Know the LOOK?

Hmmm, wonder what it means when ALL of your children give you
*the Look*

My guess is that they are not in love with Mama always wanting to take their picture...

Like that is going to work!

Prayers Needed-really!

Good-morning my awesome friends! Thank you for all your prayers and encouragement yesterday-how loved we felt!

The furnace is back on...thank you for your timely prayers. The diagnosis was~ it was running to *rich*...whatever that means. (funny, considering how low we try to keep it these days),  *She* has some major damage the furnace guy said, though he got her running, she still will need upwards of $1,000 to keep her going.  Something about a coil, and a cracked ceramic box that needs replacing. And the words, "A lot of damage."  We will try to hold off, but will seek God for what He wants us to do-as dumping more money into a furnace on the edge of *life* may not be the best.

On to today's prayer need:

We need our I 171 H, like today. 

It is for our adoption and without it our daughter can't come home to the United States.  Our agency set us an email, asking us to call our Congressman today- without it we are in BIG trouble.  Would you pray that we get issued this-like immediately.  We HAVE a court date March 3rd in Ethiopia!!

We need this paper ( I 171 H) and we need the Ministry of Women's Affairs (the group that handles orphans in Ethiopia) to submit all of their letters/paperwork in time for this March 3rd court date.

• 
  
  *I 171H (immigration -our final determination letter from the U.S. government)

• 
  
  *for the phone call to our Congressman to get ACTION -we need that paper in hand!

• 
  
  *MOWA to submit their letters/paperwork

• 
  
  *for all paperwork to be perfect and without error (ours and theirs)

*for favor for our daughter and our family (from God) over all these situations

• 
  
  *for the remaining money for Princess Sweetness' adoption

*for our fund- raiser on Febuary 27th, to be above our wildest dreams in helping come up with these last finances needed! (see sidebar for our need)

Thank you fellow prayer warriors-let's seek to advance His Kingdom to be done on earth as it is in Heaven!

Yeah, we have a court date...yeah, if we pass she gets to come home in 6 weeks!!!  My baby is coming home, after 5 years in an orphanage...waiting for a Mama and a Papa!

Yeah!!

Trouble at our House...prayer!

AS you know, we are believing God at our house.  We still have great financial need for our adoption...last night a new situation arose.  There was smoke, and a furnace that seems to have given up the ghost.  This fall we were told she was on the way out.  But as the new furnace would cost $9,000. we opted to hold off. 

We have a call into the furnace repair people, my Knight stayed up all night keeping the fireplace going in hopes to keep the house warm.  So far it is still comfortable inside, but I have to tell you we are in the midst of a snowstorm, expecting 7-9 inches today.

Would you pray and ask God to provide for this.  A definite need here at our house and you know the money is desperately needed to bring our daughter home from Ethiopia in a few short weeks.  We do NOT want to delay her adoption, her coming home, us being able to hold her...we need God's help.  We can't put off buying a new furnace (if that is indeed what they tell us this morning)...

I will not be afraid, I willnotbeafraid, I will NOT be afraid...

God tells us to FEAR NOT (like 365 times in the Word, one for each day...I will claim today's fear not)

Philippians 4:19

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

Prayer Request Sunday

How great is our God!  That isn't a question, it is definitely a heart felt praise.  Why?  Because He is.

If you can't say the same or if you don't know God in a personal way...don't wait another minute, drop me a  comment or a note and I will introduce you to my Wonderful Father, my Beloved Jesus and my Sweet gift from heaven- the Holy Spirit who resides within me.  God has been waiting for you to come, won't you do it today friend?  It is the best decision you ever make, I promise.  I am praying for you, praying that God has been preparing your heart and today is the day that you commit your life to Him.

From my heart:

I have been seeking God for a while now on our new daughter's name.  I was very uncomfortable with not being able to *know* what her given name meant. We did everything we could think of to discover its meaning, all with no clear understanding.  Then, I asked God to reveal to me His will for her (name)

 and do you know what...

He did. 

 He told me what her name meant and you know what else...He told me that I will know it to be true from the testimony of her lips (she will declare it)!  Her name will stay as it is, because it means listener (to God) and obedient.  She will tell us that God has spoken to her, that He has been whispering to her along her waiting time in the orphanage. You see, He has given her ears to hear Him. Praise God, praise God!!

 My heart is so thankful, as God knew I was asking so I could honor Him in naming her.  Having come from a background of witchcraft, I know the importance of a name and how its meaning can speak over a life.  I didn't want her to have a name that didn't bring Him honor.  You see we had grown to love her Ethiopian name, but still didn't know what God was requiring of us, for us it never is about *us* choosing a name, but waiting on Him to tell us. 

This morning as I sat in church worshiping Him, He came.  He spoke to me.  He made it clear what He wants for her name.  He then said it would be confirmed by her lips.  And as this isn't the first time He has spoken to me, I knew it was Him.  The Word tells us, that His sheep will know His voice.  Indeed I am a sheep and He is my Good Shepherd.  I will follow Him and do His will.

My heart is full of song, another weight in this adoption has been lifted!

As soon as we pass court in Ethiopia I can tell you her name and show you her beautiful face.  Will you pray for our papers in court in Ethiopia-that every detail will be perfect...as you know I am eager to introduce you to our Ethiopian Princess.

Believing God for favor, for miracles and for opportunities to testify (tell) His many blessings to us in this adoption.  To God be the Glory, great things He has done!

Saturday...How about You?

Wondering what you and your family do on Saturdays?  Would you share your day with us?

For us~Saturday is a home day.  We usually catch up on chores, do fix-it projects, heavier cleaning projects around the homestead.  If there is time, I will run errands; as I am usually home during the school week with not much *out* time happening.

Today however, I am taking my 3 big girls and heading to buy some clothes for our coming Ethiopian daughter.  I am venturing to the MALL~ which is only done every few years for me...as it just isn't my normal cup of tea.  But, I do like the shop called H&M.   Most of my buying has been from the one in London, England, on past family holidays.  Today the one tucked in our local mall will suffice and hoping to find some cute things on sale (dreaming) to have ready for her. I think we will hit our *Savers* store too, which is a huge warehouse of a thrift store that opened last year right next to our mall area and very convenient to our church! I am always amazed at the newness of their items and we are always thankful at how God provides for us through thrift shops.

I am making sure Princess Sunshine (11) is coming...as she is my go to girl for try-ons these days.  She is about the same age as our Princess Sweetness in Ethiopia and according to measurements, only an inch shorter than her coming sister.  I do much better when she trys-on for me, several trips made previously were a bust once at home, we had her try-on and realized we needed to return most of what had been purchased, sigh.

 It soon will be time to pack Princess Sweetness's suitcase, as we need to bring everything for her...time to get busy!

Almost Spring, Right?

Winter has its fun moments, especially when someone willingly plops you on a sled and carts you up and down the tiny slope in the yard.

Personally, I am ready for spring.  The huge storm we were supposed to get on Wednesday never came.  We just got a fresh inch or two of the white stuff, which is just enough to make foot prints in, then come in to sit in front of a roaring fire and sip hot cocoa.

Yup, I am ready for green grass, flowers and baby birds, and the outside firepit nights.

Passion...Got It?

Passion....it's when everything comes together to make you feel most fulfilled and excited about life.

I am a blessed girl...one that has been given a HUGE passion for orphans.  I wouldn't change it for the world, as it is something that has brought such joy and such absolute fulfillment. So, as hard as this adoption road can be; I am grateful to have such a call on my life.  I am thankful to have a heart that is filled to the brim with compassion for those who are without, though sometimes it nearly drives me wild.

Adoption...my passion...

Family...my blessing...

God, the giver of all of the above.  Praise to His Holy Name.

And thank you for your prayers, yesterday's post, made me realize how rich I am in friendship.  So many of you told me, 'you loved me' and that you were truly covering me in prayer. 

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Needing a Lift?

Sometimes hearts grow heavy. 

Sometimes spirits grow weary. 

Sometimes people disappoint you.

Sometimes things happen and you just don't understand why God would have let it happen that way.

Sometimes doors close in such a strange ways, and without hearing His voice.

When that happens it can leave you heartbroken.

Shattered even.

The ways of God are not our ways.

Though they seem hard at times, ultimately He knows what is best.

He sees beyond where I am standing, into tomorrow.

My vision is limited and sometimes my will in not His.

My heart is always for the needy and for bringing another into our fold.

Yesterday was hard.

As I opened Scripture with eyes full of tears, the Holy Spirit said, "Read Psalm 41."

As I did, I knew the Lord knew my heart.  

That He alone understands my desire to always bring another home.

Though He closed the door rather abruptly, He is here to catch my tears and hold them in a jar. 

(Psalm 56:8)

My heart can use a lift, as it is carrying some weight it wants to be free of.  Scrolling through my pictures, I came across this one and thought it would be the perfect insert for the current need.

Psalm 16:11
You will teach me how to live a holy life.
Being with you will fill me with joy; at your right hand I will find pleasure forever.

Now, imagine that this isn't a picture of me and my sweet, funny children.  But imagine it is God holding me up, throwing me in the air, lightening my burdens and filling me with joy in His presence. 

And if you can't figure out what all of this means, I'll put it in not so poetic terms.  We will only be bringing one Princess home this journey, my heart had hoped for two.  Monday morning our papers accidently got submitted to Ethiopian court, now it means only one child can come home this time.  We had asked for them to wait...an accident or the hand of God?

I desperately need God.  Don't we all?  I am going to seek His face heavily today.  I need peace.

Yup, that is what I am going to do today.  How about you?

Prayer for Today

Prayer for Home and Family

by Robert Louis Stevenson...felt in heart by me today.

Lord, behold our family assembled here.  We thank you for this place we dwell; for the love that unites us; for the peace accorded us this day; for the hope with which we expect the morrow; for the health, the work, the food, and the bright skies that make our lives delightful; for our friends in all parts of the earth.

Let peace abound in our small company.  Purge out of every heart the lurking grudge.  Give us grace and strength to forbear and to persevere.  Offenders ourselves, give us the grace to accept and forgive offenders.  Forgetful ourselves, help us to bear cheerfully the forgetfullness of others.

Give us courage and gaiety and the quiet of mind.  Spare us our friends, soften to us our enemies.  Bless us, if it may be, in all our innocent endeavors.  If it may not, give us the strength to encounter that which is to come, that we may be brave in peril, constant in tribulation, temperate in wrath and in all changes of fortune and down to the gates of death, loyal and loving one to another.

As the clay to the potter, as the windmill to the wind, as children to their sire, we beseech of You this help and mercy for Christ's sake.

                                          Amen.

Prayer Request Sunday

Oh Glorious day!

Welcome to Prayer Request Sunday~please tell me you've come by because you want prayer!  We'd love to pray for you this week.  Just leave your request in the comment section or send me a private email (see my sidebar for my email).  

Have a wonderful week-I think we should get our court date in Ethiopia this week!  We closed the door to a second child coming home, as none had been identified and at this point our daughter's paperwork is ready to be submitted to court.  Post court approval, it should be about 6 weeks until travel.  The excitement is building here and our level of expectation is being raised in seeking God on our fund-raising for our finances.  We did a little shopping yesterday to buy her things she will need, like pj's, underwear, socks, a winter coat (in case it is still frigid here when she arrives), a zip up sweatshirt... I have no clue about whether we will be given her shoe size.  I'd love to hear what kind of shoes you brought in a similar adoption situation.

Pondering and claiming~

Psalm 121:2

My help comes from the Lord, who made the heaven and the earth.

Psalm 46:10

Be still and know that I am God

 Sweet Princess Mercy's  past time is singing.  She seems to have a gift of hearing a tune and being able to carry it.  Words get pasted in here and there...but it is so sweet to hear her singing through the day.

Every time she sees an orange (or anything similar) she belts out (to the tune of Clementine)...

"Oh my Darling, Oh my Darling, Oh My Darling

Pa-pa-PA!"

We skip the rest of the song once we apply Papa to the first verse, for as if you can recall, it is rather a dark song with a very unhappy ending. None of that for our new little ditty!

So clementines, oranges, tangerines, they all set her to singing about her sweet darling Papa-pa.  But if you give a mouse wee lass a song, you might as well peel her an orange, as she has grown a bit hungry from all the tune carrying!

Benefit Dinner for our Adoption

People often cock their head when they see us approaching as a family.  As a whole, there are 9 of us.  Sometimes, as we exit our car, people laugh in wonder that so many people could fit into a Suburban.  Then they usually ask me if they are all mine, to which I say a bold, "YES!"  If given the opportunity, I share about our adoptions and the goodness of this call God has given us.

Some ask us why we keep adopting more.  It is an easy answer.  Because God asked us. Because there is always room for another at our house. Because my Father wants us to help orphans (James 1:27- tells us to take care of widows and ORPHANS).  Because how can we not say yes to a child who has no family, when we have a loving one with so many arms to hold one more.  Our eyes are open and we know that there is a very real need...143 million orphans-how can we NOT adopt?  We have been adopted ourselves~ into God's family and we know that adoption was God's idea long before it was ever my Knight's or mine.

On to the Fund-Raising dinner our dear friend Bob Pedro is throwing for us...

would you buy a ticket? 

We'd love to have you join us, but even if you can't...your ticket/donation would help us raise the needed $15,000 to bring our beautiful daughter home.

Would you reach into your heart and see if you don't have a few dollars to help an orphan.


Our daughter has lived the last 5 years in an orphanage in Ethiopia.  She has asked God to bring her a Christian family.  The only thing holding us back, is raising this money...in a few weeks we will get the flag from our agency to 'come and bring her home.'   Unless we raise the money, we can't- would you please help us?  Would you spread the word and use your blogs to help get the word out? 

You see, this mother's heart wants her girl home.  I want to hold her and give her back her childhood.  I want to tell her how much I love her and that God did wonders for her; to bring her to our home.

Oh, and thank you.  Thank you for considering, thank you for listening, thank you for praying and thank you if you choose to be a part of this miracle. 

 God bless you.