What do YOU see when you look at my 2 little girls? I see HOPE and a FUTURE (Jeremiah 29:11). I see HUGE mountains God moved to rescue them both. I see ORPHANS just like them waiting to be adopted. And I WON'T give up on them! Please PRAY for MORE orphans to be found by their forever families - You can READ all about our journey and inspiration to adopt in a BOOK I wrote - Chasing a Dream Where the Sunflowers Grow - Thank you!!!
Monday, February 25, 2013
Bible Orphan Ministry: Prayers are necessary for brother Misha
Bible Orphan Ministry: Prayers are necessary for brother Misha: Some time ago we asked you to pray for brother Misha.He has some trouble in his personal life.Slowly, little by little this problem is in ...
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
The body of Christ
I cried like a baby after church on Sunday. I wasn't expecting it when the pastor invited anyone led to speak to him afterwards to come forward (I'm pretty sure it caught us both by surprise). I jumped on it, and told Jim I couldn't leave without speaking to him...with tears in my eyes, they spilled down my face as I poured out my breaking heart. (We had been visiting there ever since we came home with Lera off and on). He learned I wrote a book, and he wants to read it! I told him I would bring him one next week. :)
Just the Sunday before was the African preacher bringing the message from 1 Corinthians 12 about the body of Christ. It was the same scripture Pastor Rick Warren used in his Sunday morning Daily Hope this past Sunday. I wasn't expecting it, not the way it came across about Christians without a church is like an orphan without a family.
I cried because I know what orphans look like, they just want to belong and cry "MAMA" when they see you coming.
How did it ever get this way? We went from Jim pastoring a church to a merge between our church and another. Confident God had something waiting for us, and with Jim committed to a new Bible study he started in our home, it grew with new believers, friends, and family coming each week. At the same time we became members of a wonderful church near our home. What was started as Bible study/cell group, went on to becoming a church plant. I know God must of had different plans as we went through the book of John with our little group, that led us to studying Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God, which led to us adopting Lera. While we were out of the country adopting her for three months, our little group fell apart (for different reasons) and stopped meeting after we came back home.
Long story short, with another set of extra chromosome running around our house, it made it hard to get out and about, church included.
I will leave it at that. Just needed to cry out a little about our journey. It's been hard trying to fit in with a family our size and with our two special needs little girls.
On a different note. Good things have happened...very recently, my page got more likes, I made a Twitter account and I have some followers, WestBow Press and Thomas Nelson made room for my book to be at the Women of Faith conference for my very first public book signing.! Oh, and an old friend that had no clue what's been going on, invited us back to church, letting me know they have an open group for Hannah and Lera to join! God is good!!
I am excited for orphans, may their voices be heard through the book I wrote...as they cry out, just as I do to belong...
Just the Sunday before was the African preacher bringing the message from 1 Corinthians 12 about the body of Christ. It was the same scripture Pastor Rick Warren used in his Sunday morning Daily Hope this past Sunday. I wasn't expecting it, not the way it came across about Christians without a church is like an orphan without a family.
I cried because I know what orphans look like, they just want to belong and cry "MAMA" when they see you coming.
How did it ever get this way? We went from Jim pastoring a church to a merge between our church and another. Confident God had something waiting for us, and with Jim committed to a new Bible study he started in our home, it grew with new believers, friends, and family coming each week. At the same time we became members of a wonderful church near our home. What was started as Bible study/cell group, went on to becoming a church plant. I know God must of had different plans as we went through the book of John with our little group, that led us to studying Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God, which led to us adopting Lera. While we were out of the country adopting her for three months, our little group fell apart (for different reasons) and stopped meeting after we came back home.
Long story short, with another set of extra chromosome running around our house, it made it hard to get out and about, church included.
I will leave it at that. Just needed to cry out a little about our journey. It's been hard trying to fit in with a family our size and with our two special needs little girls.
On a different note. Good things have happened...very recently, my page got more likes, I made a Twitter account and I have some followers, WestBow Press and Thomas Nelson made room for my book to be at the Women of Faith conference for my very first public book signing.! Oh, and an old friend that had no clue what's been going on, invited us back to church, letting me know they have an open group for Hannah and Lera to join! God is good!!
I am excited for orphans, may their voices be heard through the book I wrote...as they cry out, just as I do to belong...
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Seeds of faith
Yesterday, I responded to the call to go to the Women of Faith conference in Washington D.C. for a book signing at the 2013 annual event. I know I don't deserve to go, but my book does! You see, I didn't write it for me, I wrote it for all the babies out there who are fighting to survive. Hannah was the first baby I knew like that, only she had a mother! After her, I realized, how can a baby survive without one? I know Hannah could have died in the hospital.. It was the scariest place to be knowing my baby could die and no one knew her there, but God, and me!
In the hospital when Hannah was not even two months old, fighting for her life because she had pneumonia, her body went limp in my arms. I could hear the alarms going off and I knew she was leaving me. "NO", I cried! I couldn't let her go. I held her close and cried out, "don't leave me", while holding her head in my hand. By the time the nurse entered the room her stats came back up, and the numbers on the monitor returned back to normal. All I can say is she STAYED! And from then on, I knew she had a purpose. She could have died right then, but God spared her life and I wanted her. I wanted her to be loved and cared for. Hospitals are no place to leave a baby alone. I know! One time before that, I left her in the wee hours, only to take a shower, and by the time I came back to her room, she was gone! I panicked and thought something happened to her, but was told she had been moved down the hallway to a different wing. It was much quieter down there, away from the center of attention. Even though they told me she was moved so siblings could room next door to each other, it felt more like they knew she may not make it.
I know from experience, how fragile life is, and how precious it is to be a mother. My heart breaks for all the children who don't have one. There were too may babies left crying in the hospital for me to forget. It hurts knowing Lera was left in the hospital alone because she was abandoned at birth. If I felt helpless without my family around, while staying with Hannah, just think how a small child must feel without their mother.
So this is for all the babies who don't have one, young and old, I'm coming just as fast as I can, so I can hold your hand!
Love,
Mama
P.S. Here I come women of Faith! I can't wait to sign my books away! May a seed be planted in each readers heart in search for a mother for all the ones who don't have one. May they be wanted, may they be loved, may they be found. Amen!!
In the hospital when Hannah was not even two months old, fighting for her life because she had pneumonia, her body went limp in my arms. I could hear the alarms going off and I knew she was leaving me. "NO", I cried! I couldn't let her go. I held her close and cried out, "don't leave me", while holding her head in my hand. By the time the nurse entered the room her stats came back up, and the numbers on the monitor returned back to normal. All I can say is she STAYED! And from then on, I knew she had a purpose. She could have died right then, but God spared her life and I wanted her. I wanted her to be loved and cared for. Hospitals are no place to leave a baby alone. I know! One time before that, I left her in the wee hours, only to take a shower, and by the time I came back to her room, she was gone! I panicked and thought something happened to her, but was told she had been moved down the hallway to a different wing. It was much quieter down there, away from the center of attention. Even though they told me she was moved so siblings could room next door to each other, it felt more like they knew she may not make it.
I know from experience, how fragile life is, and how precious it is to be a mother. My heart breaks for all the children who don't have one. There were too may babies left crying in the hospital for me to forget. It hurts knowing Lera was left in the hospital alone because she was abandoned at birth. If I felt helpless without my family around, while staying with Hannah, just think how a small child must feel without their mother.
So this is for all the babies who don't have one, young and old, I'm coming just as fast as I can, so I can hold your hand!
Love,
Mama
P.S. Here I come women of Faith! I can't wait to sign my books away! May a seed be planted in each readers heart in search for a mother for all the ones who don't have one. May they be wanted, may they be loved, may they be found. Amen!!
Monday, February 4, 2013
The struggle
In reading Join The Journey this morning it struck a chord. I am guilty of holding on to my family too tightly, and mostly my children's hand. When I said yes to my husband over 30 years ago, I never dreamed we would see parenting differently. Or anything else for that matter.
Just yesterday, I was reminded in church what 1 Corinthians 12 means... We all in part make up the body of Christ, and what we consider the weaker part is no less value than the part we admire for its strength ( in our eyes). But God uses each one of them.
I was intrigued by the guest speaker from Africa's analogy, saying America has sent missionaries to Africa but also Africa is sending missionaries to America, and its all good and effective in the body of Christ because God made all parts of the body equal and necessary, working together for the purpose He has designed. That excites me!!! It is pretty cool once you realize we NEED missionaries to come from Africa just as much as they need us, Yes! Praise God. And as much as my husband needs me, I need him even when we don't agree on parenting. Or whatever.
Just the other day I slid back in my seat and got a little embarrassed that I included the kind of relationship my husband and I have in my book. It pains me to still be struggling to be married 30 years later. I don't know why we butt heads so often. You have no idea how I struggle to be a better wife and mother. In fact, while I struggle to share these words, the kids are in the other room playing, when I should be getting them ready for school. Oh how I want to reach out and share my weakness, but why does it have to be so hard to be honest and needy? Lord help us and help me let go before the last teenager is grown...we need to work together in this body of Christ before God thinks best He send us to Africa! My heart aches for Ukraine...and my marriage...and my children...and orphans, not my will, but thy will be done. Amen! Africa?
Just yesterday, I was reminded in church what 1 Corinthians 12 means... We all in part make up the body of Christ, and what we consider the weaker part is no less value than the part we admire for its strength ( in our eyes). But God uses each one of them.
I was intrigued by the guest speaker from Africa's analogy, saying America has sent missionaries to Africa but also Africa is sending missionaries to America, and its all good and effective in the body of Christ because God made all parts of the body equal and necessary, working together for the purpose He has designed. That excites me!!! It is pretty cool once you realize we NEED missionaries to come from Africa just as much as they need us, Yes! Praise God. And as much as my husband needs me, I need him even when we don't agree on parenting. Or whatever.
Just the other day I slid back in my seat and got a little embarrassed that I included the kind of relationship my husband and I have in my book. It pains me to still be struggling to be married 30 years later. I don't know why we butt heads so often. You have no idea how I struggle to be a better wife and mother. In fact, while I struggle to share these words, the kids are in the other room playing, when I should be getting them ready for school. Oh how I want to reach out and share my weakness, but why does it have to be so hard to be honest and needy? Lord help us and help me let go before the last teenager is grown...we need to work together in this body of Christ before God thinks best He send us to Africa! My heart aches for Ukraine...and my marriage...and my children...and orphans, not my will, but thy will be done. Amen! Africa?
Friday, February 1, 2013
MAMA
 | |||||||||
| It spells "MAMA" |
The Journey
Genesis 12:1-3
Now the Lord said to Abram,
"Go forth from your country,
And from your relatives
And from your father's house,
To the land which I will show you;
And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."
And from your relatives
And from your father's house,
To the land which I will show you;
And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."
Now it came about at that time that Abimelech and Phicol, the commander
of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, "God is with you in all that you
do . . . ." (Genesis 21:22)
I subscribe to these daily devotionals via e-mail:
Joni and Friends Daily Devotional - Daily Hope with Rick Warren - Join The Journey
Today in Join the Journey, I was happy to read God is always with me. I am struggling with myself and needed to hear that. Last night I started a Twitter account and I am afraid to tweet. Why? Because I don't know what I am doing and I don't want to mess up. So why did I make a Twitter? Because my book consultant suggested I try to get word out about my book (Chasing a Dream Where the Sunflowers Grow). Yes, I still haven't figured out how to sell my book. I need to do it freely because we are on a budget. Twitter seems hard, just one more thing for me to learn, and I am getting old. Not as old as Abraham and Sarah were when they had Isaac, so I can't complain. Besides, Twitter looks like a bird, the symbol anyway, so I should just learn to fly with it, right?
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