Here are the three children

http://reecesrainbow.org/3145/dmitriy114



http://reecesrainbow.org/11275/genesis118
http://reecesrainbow.org/11275/genesis118


http://reecesrainbow.org/853/michelle-6


Sorry I can't get the pics to post but you can go and look at them. Please help these kids!!!!

Stepping out in Faith!

Since having Sam, my world has, been turned upside down in a good way! The reality of the sancity life is greater and the reality that life is precious for EVERYONE has been seared into my heart by this special and perfect little boy! I wouldn't trade this journey for anything in the world.

When Sam was little we came across a picture of the child that would become our newest family member, Shad. When we saw his sweet but sad picture we knew God wanted us to adopt him. Thankfully at the time, we didn't know how delayed Sam was going to be and we stepped out and adopted Shad. Looking back I think if we'd known all of Sam's issues, we'd probably been too overwhelmed to adopt another child. But thankfully we listened to God and moved forward & despite everything that was against us, in only 9 months, we had raised all the money, got all the paperwork done and had our son!

Again I feel God is telling us to step out in faith! Not to adopt ourselves but to raise money to help other families adopt. What is the one thing that keep many Christian families from adopting? Finances!

Yesterday was World Orphan Day. Our church took up an offering to give to a ministry Reece's Rainbow that coordinates adoptions & grants for special needs kids. So I spent the afternoon trying to figure out which child to put our $248 on....I couldn't pick just one, instead I picked THREE!!! Of course $248 is NOT going to go far on three children's adoptions! So as I was looking at the pictures, my heart heavy, my head throbbing, I felt God speak to my heart to raise the money for these three visionally impaired SN kids to get adopted AND to help find families to adopt them!!!!! The ministry doesn't raise money for some of the start up adoption cost like the home study so I'm figuring I'd need to raise around $60,000 maybe a little less. Two of the three children have already been placed in institutions, not orphanages so you can imagine how bad it is for them. They are all younger than Sam. How heartbreaking!!!!

So I'm ready to see God start doing miracles for these orphans! I saw what God did for Shad and I know he loves these three children just as much! Please pray and please consider giving. It doesn't matter if it's only $1 anything helps! God gave me so much faith when we adopted Shad and I believe He can do it again! I feel all trembly inside and rather foolish at this time BUT GOD is so much bigger than me or my silly pride of failing. I remember when we signed the paperwork for Shad accepting his file, I felt like a FRAUD! We had NO money and a sick baby BUT GOD came through in such a mighty way!!! I'm feeling kinda like a fraud right now...no money, lots of bills $60,000 is alot BUT GOD can do it! I'm just gonna do my best and let God work on the behalf of these children! They NEED homes!!!!! I think of how much we love Sam and how we want to meet all his needs and love on him so he knows he has a mommy & daddy and then I think about these lonely children, stuck in beds,in orphanages/institutions with no one to love them or to hold them....oh my God it breaks my heart!!!

So pray about how you can help these children. I will be putting up their pictures soon as well as figuring out the best way to send in the monies. I think at this point we'll just run it through our church, so if you want to give, please make your check out to Grace Church 7060 Berry Road, Zephryhills Fl 33540, mark Orphan ministry and you will get tax credit for it.

Please pray for them that God will soothe their hearts and keep them safe until their forever families come and get them! Dmitriy, Michelle and Genesis need someone to care for them!!!!

What is a child's life worth?????

Our first picture together




Shad on the day he was found abandoned & was taken to the orphanage...he looks so sad




The first picture we saw of Shad




Shad today surrounded by some of his birthday presents



Today we were driving home and swerved to miss a turtle. I wanted so badly to get him out of the road but it was too dangerous & it literally hurt my heart as I said a prayer for him to get safely across....ok I'm weird, I save spiders, frogs, all kinds of bugs....but I hate for anything to die!

So tonight again I read a blog of a family who was blessed with a daughter with Downs and is in the process to adopt another little girl from a country that has to remain unnamed at this time. The little girl they are adopting is 9 years old and weighs about 12 pounds. Yes you read correctly...less than 12 pounds!!! WHY??? Because she has been on a starvation diet for years. Not just her but many children in that country. I want to save children like that!!!!!

When we adopted Shad, he was not in good shape. In fact our pediatrician said he was the 2nd sickest international child he'd ever seen. Shad was 2 yrs old, weighed 19 pounds (that was after being fed by me for over 2 weeks in China), had worms & was in the beginning stages of malnutrition. Our peds said that if we hadn't adopted Shad, he'd probably would have ended up getting some type of sickness & wouldn't have had the strengh to fight it and would have died. That's an overwhelming feeling knowing that you stepped into a situation (God lead you into a situation) and a child's life was probably saved! It's very humbling.

So tonight I want to share with you this blog www.theblessingofverity.com Go there, let your heart be moved.....

Then go to http://reecesrainbow.org and see the pictures of some of these kids who need to be rescued!!!

I read a statistic somewhere that if every christian family would adopt one orphan, then there would be no orphans left in the world. Wouldn't that be a wonderful thing????

Some people ask me why not adopt from the USA? There are needy kids here BUT we have a social support group in place here that might not be perfect but I can promise you with 100% certainty, that chances are the child will not die here! Sure there are the weird foster family who are awful here & there but thankfully most of them get caught! In other countries .....you have no idea unless you've walked in to a dirty stinky orphanages in the middle of winter & you could see your breath in the air...INSIDE THE CHILDREN'S ROOMS!!!!!!!! That's where my son was living!!! And compared to some of the stories I've recently heard, he had it better than most....

When I hold Sam our biological son with SNs and I think of what his fate would have been had he been placed in one of those places....my stomach literally drops with fear! Oh my God...there are so many little Sam's & Shad's out there who need homes!!

So if you are thinking of adopting, think internationally. You can go back & read our story...we had NO money, God supplied everything! I believe when you obey God by trying to take care of the orphans...God will take care of YOU! And He will provide for their care! If you just can't adopt....give to someone who is. I can put you in contact with several wonderful families... What is a child's life worth??

So I still hope Mr Turtle made it safely across the road but I PRAY that God will touch hearts who will go and adopt children who need a mom and a dad!

Leave it There

Leave It There- thoughts on my 46th bday

Today our music minister sang one of my favorite songs. He sang it specifically because it was my bday. The words of the song's last verse had us rolling on the floor....

"When your youthful days are gone, and old age is stealing on, And your body bends beneath the weight of care, He will never leave you then, He'll go with you to the end: Take your burdens to the Lord & leave it there"

He realized it right before service as he was practicing it real quick. Thankfully it was before service & we were able to somewhat behave ourselves during the service LOL!

But to me the song "Leave It There" copyright 1916 speaks so loud to my heart!!! It was written & arranged by Charles Albert Tindley. Let me share the verses with you ....


"If the world from you withhold of its silver & its gold & you're forced to get along with meager fare. Just remember in His Word how He feeds the little bird, take your burdens to the leave & leave it there

If your body suffers pain & your health you can't regain, And Your soul is almost sinking in despair. Jesus knows the pain you feel, He can save & He can heal, take your burden to the Lord & leave it there

When your enemies assail & your heart begins to fail. Don't forget that God in heaven answers prayer. He can make a way for you & will lead you safely thro: Take your burden to the Lord & leave it there

When your youthful days are gone, and old age is stealing on, And your body bends beneath the weight of care, He will never leave you then, He'll go with you to the end: Take your burdens to the Lord & leave it there

Leave it there Leave it there Take your burden to the Lord & leave it there. If you trust & never doubt He will surely bring you out, take your burdens to the Lord & leave it there!"

Love that song! Doesn't it address almost every problem we have in life? Then it reminds us to take it to the Lord & leave it there. The writer wrote these words almost 100 years ago but they ring as true as something written just this afternoon!

so I encourage you to take your burdens, whatever they are, to the Lord & leave them there!!!!

http://youtu.be/Bpi0xw20isQ

Niagara Falls

I just love Niagara Falls & I love this picture of me & Jon:) I think it is one of the most beautiful places in the world. What a perk that we have to go to Rochester NY every year for Sam's eye check up... We've been to NF 4 times now & I just don't tire of it. It's magical to me...a preview of heaven. It's one of my favorite places on earth!

September 11, 2001

A post on Facebook :If you asked me if I remembered what I did last Tuesday, I couldn't tell you. But if you asked me if I remembered what I did 10 years ago on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, I could tell you exactly what I was doing. REPOST THIS for our fallen heroes and let's NEVER FORGET!




Is that true or what? I'll never ever forget....

Jon & I lived and worked in NYC during the 90's as staff at Teen Challenge & City Church. I loved NYC. My oldest son was born there at St Luke's right off Central Park. I lost my twins there also at the same hospital. Some of the best & some of the worst of my life experiences happened while we lived there. I have a special love for anything NYC...always have. Did my college internship at Metro Assembly of God, a church/outreach in the middle of Brooklyn 1986. I've rode the subways all over the city, love that place......

That morning of 9/11, I like so many others who lost their lives that day, was just doing my job. I was interviewing a detainee at the detention center & a staff mentioned to me as I was leaving to go back to my office that a small plane had just hit one of the Twin Towers. I turned the radio on in my car as I was driving back & called my husband who wasn't at work yet. He was working as a chaplain at Arcadia- Desoto Correctional- and wasn't leaving until 10 or so to go there. As we were talking on the phone, the second plane hit!

I hurried into my office, telling staff as I went that something was going on as we all hurried in to the break room & turned on the the old tv that sat on top of the fridge...The buildings were smoking...we were all in shock, except for one idiot I worked with who began saying STUPID stuff. ( you always have an idiot in the bunch) as she was saying ridiculous things, the first tower started to fall. Up until that point, I was trying to keep my composure but I just started crying & saying "Jesus be with them" as I knew thousands were dying in that moment....and it was a holy moment. After the first tower fell & the idiot girl kept talking, I turned on her & told her to shut the h___ up!!! One friend later told me she thought I was about to sock her in the mouth!

Then in sorrow we watched the 2nd tower fall....my heart just broke! All I wanted to do was to go pick up my son from school & go home to be safe. We didn't know what else was going to happen as we were beginning to see images of the Pentagon & the newscasters were saying there were more airplanes up in the air with problems....

(I find out later that my son's kindergarten teacher's husband was supposed to be on the plane that hit the 2nd tower...he missed it...)

We began getting all kinds of calls/emails etc...remember I was a probation officer...we didn't know if the state was targeted...who knew what was happening?

Finally Governor Jeb Bush told all non essential workers to go home. I was already out the door. At that moment the only essential thing I was, was Steve's mom! I rushed to his school, got him & went home. I put him in the living room of our little townhouse, turned on Scobby Doo & went in our bedroom to watch continuing coverage....


That night our church had, along with so many others, a special prayer service. It seemed all of America was turning to the God of the Bible for comfort, for help...I even remember our local Hooters had up on their sign "Pray for the USA". I remember thinking "it's bad when HOOTERS is telling folks to pray!!!"

What an horrific terrible time that we all went through as a country. Our hearts were broken, I think because so many of the stories were about average people, like you or me, going about their day, never knowing that some crazy Muslim killers were going to take their lives that day! I hate the men who did it! I get a sense of satisfaction that they are burning in hell. If I'm wrong, so be it!

For me Flight 93 that went down in the field in rural Pennsylvania spoke the strongest to my heart. Here these brave men & women were beginning to understand something MAJOR was going on & they tried with everything within them to make a difference! They didn't save their lives that day (and so many times I have wished somehow that they did!!) but they saved so many others...what heroes!!!!

I wish we could all go back to September 10, 2001 and everything was fixed...somehow the government stopped the terrorists and no one ever knew the extent of what could have happened...but we can't go back...we can only go forward.

As we see the foolishness that is going on with the various 9/11 remembrances, it's a slap in all of our faces, especially the men & women who died on that day. We all cried out to God then, now there's "no time" to do so in the remembrances. That day, the police, fire & rescue folks came Uninvited & GAVE their very lives, now there's no room for them....what a mess! But even all this foolishness can not take away the sacredness of that awful day...May we never let our hearts grow hard nor forget that awful day....



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