Waiting Child

This precious boy needs a mommy and daddy!

Timothy
Boy, Born August 12, 2006
Isn't Timothy DARLING?? This handsome, happy, active 2 year old boy is just waiting for his family to come get him!!! He will be 2 in August and is already up and walking. He does have an oval window, but this has not stopped him in any way. he eats and sleeps well, is social and active with the other typical children, and has been very well taken care of. He will make a wonderful addition to ANY family!

For more information on this precious boy contact Andrea at bamaroberts@comcast.net or go to www.reecesrainbow.com.

Just Between Friends

I am a bargain shopper and I love it when I find good deals so here is a very cool thing I have found out about. A lady in our church just bought into a franchise called Just Between Friends. This is a HUGE consignment sale that she will put on twice a year. I went to a workshop last night to get tips on how to be a consigner and it's sounds so cool.

This is like having a yard sale without having to sit there all weekend. You mark the prices (you print your tags off using their online system) on the things (a little higher than yard sales), you drop it off and she sells it. On the last day of the sale you can choose to pick your things up or she will donate them to a local charity and you get to write it off on your taxes.

The really cool thing is if you volunteer at the sale you get to shop the night before the sale opens and you make more money on your items. These sales are happening all over the country so you can look and see if there is one in your area. Even cooler if there is not one in your area you could consider buying into the franchise (the sales only twice a year).

OK, so enough jabber go check it out yourselves at www.jbfsale.com.

Thankful Thursday

Wow, it is already Thursday again. You know I was trying to think of what I could write about this week because there is so much to be thankful for. One thing though that I am very, very thankful for is ministries that are out there that work very hard to find homes for children that are the hidden treasures of this world. Children with special needs are a lot of times very hard to place and thank goodness there are people who understand so much about these hidden treasures that they do whatever they can to help these precious children find homes.

When we found Jaxson we were not looking to adopt. We knew someday maybe 5 years down the road but not then. We weren't ready, didn't have the money, had 2 very small children, wanted to build a house and the list could go on and on. Thank goodness for The Shepherd's Crook ministry I saw Jaxson's face and well you know the rest of the story. If it weren't for this ministry we could have missed out on our treasure (also if we would have looked at his medicals before knowing he was ours we could have missed out on this treasure).

So this Thankful Thursday I am so very thankful for these people than run and volunteer in these ministries. I will post some of them below and just click on them and it will take you to there site. Maybe God has a hidden treasure waiting for YOU.

The Shepherd's Crook Ministries

Brittany's Hope

Until All Have Homes

Rainbow Kids

CHASK

Reece's Rainbow (by the way I love, love, love this site and really do pray God puts everything in to place that someday we will be the parents to a child with down syndrome) About 90% of these precious, incredible babies get aborted that means the ones left are true miracles. If only people knew how precious these children are. Have you ever looked in the eyes of someone with down syndrome? If so you would know how much God loves these innocent souls.

Cool Website

I found this website, Simply Adorable Blankets, off of one of my yahoo groups. This is a business started by moms of some girls with down syndrome. They also have a sister site where they sell some food items.

If you go to the site read their mission, I love what they wrote at the end.

I am just crazy about kids with down syndrome and maybe someday God will bless us with one of these little miracles.

Thank you!

I just wanted to say a very BIG thank you to those that follow my blog and those that leave comments for me. When I write a post I do it from my heart and sometimes that's scary. My last post I wanted to get sick because I was afraid I would lose some of my readers.

So for those of you that left me a comment after the last post, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!

Things God Has Been Teaching Me

Do you ever have those times in your life where so many things fall in to place that just makes you say "OK God, I hear you". Well, God has been doing that to me for the past several months. Back in the fall I started reading Linny's blog. God started showing me these children in a place called Uganda that have nothing. I guess I'm not completely right on that because some of the kids are blessed enough to be taught that they have a Father in heaven that loves them very much. I just hurt so bad though that these kids are in need of so much including families.

When Linny traveled to Uganda to bring home her 2 miracle children she met this little girl named Martha. Martha was a girl they guessed to be around 2 that weighed less than 10 pounds when they found her on the street. Oh how I cried, prayed, cried, prayed and cried some more. I wanted more than anything to jump on a plane and bring this baby home. I started praying that God would let us be her parents but deep down I knew Jaxson wasn't ready yet for me to leave him to travel to Africa. I started praying that God would find Martha a family fast that could get to Africa before she died. I knew if God let her make it that long there had to be a reason he saved her. God answered my prayer and I'm sure the prayer of many others and Martha has a family working to bring her home.

Why God, why are children suffering?

Then our church did a series called The Love Movement. Chris and I love to give, giving is part of who we are. I have to tell you though that I learned a very BIG lesson from this series. We give because we love to give. There are things we give up like cable internet, vacations and other fancy things but those are easy things to give up. I learned that we need to give even when it's not easy. We need to love when it stretches us way beyond our comfort zone. We need to give things that aren't easy to give.

Did you watch the video I posted a while back? If you did well, I don't even need to say anything about the tears, the anger I felt from that.

I posted this quote this week: Sometimes I'd like to ask God why He allows poverty, famine and injustice when He could do something about it. But I'm afraid God might ask me the same question.

To top it off I read one of my favorite blogs today called The Journey. This is a clip from her post today. You can click here to read the whole post.

I get caught up sometimes in "I deserve this" moments, moments where I compare myself to some other people I know and trick myself into believing that I am doing pretty good. Moments where I "deserve" a hot shower, or I "deserve" that chocolate bar even though I know it is expensive, moments when I "deserve" a new pair of shoes, because hey, I work hard. TRUTH: this is not at all scriptural. NO WHERE does it say that I am worthy or deserve a reward here on earth. Colossians 3:23 says "Whatever you do work at it with all your heart." It does not end in "and after this hard work you deserve a long hot bath and a chocolate bar." It does end in, "since you know that you will recieve an inheritance from the Lord as a reward."

Jesus said that the GREATEST commandment besides loving the Lord God with all my heart, mind, and soul is to love my NEIGHBOR as myself. Doesn't that mean, then, that I should be spending as much on my neighbor as I do on myself and my family? Doesn't that mean that I should feed my neighbor as well as I feed myself?

So this is what God is teaching me. First God has showed me that I am spoiled. God is teaching me that I don't need a huge house someday with fancy ceilings and a fancy countertop. God is showing me that we are to be his hands and feet. We as Christians are the ones letting children lay starving on the street, we are the ones letting people abort their babies, we are the ones letting children sit in orphanages and on streets as orphans. God has given us spoiled Christians the ability to stop these things but instead we choose to ask God why he allows it to happen.

PS If you have a nice house with fancy ceilings and countertops I'm not saying anything bad against you. Chris and I are praying God let's us build on our land someday and I dream of what our house will be like someday. God is teaching ME that all I need is something simple. Please I don't want anyone to think I'm judging you.

Thankful Thursday

This Thankful Thursday I am so very thankful for this amazing miracle child of ours.
Amaya is a true gift from God. All children are a gift from God but this precious child is the child we cried everyday for 4 years over because we thought God was choosing not to give us children. When we finally gave up and took things in our own hands my mom decided to take over the praying for us. Mom had even ask me to give up something and pray about it and I told her I was done. I said if God hasn't given us a baby yet why after 4 years would he. Mom had the strength I didn't have and she gave up (fasted) something and prayed. During the time she was fasting God told her we would get pregnant and even told her the day we would tell her and where we would tell her. When all that God told her happened just like he said she about fell to the floor.

My pregnancy with Amaya was ANYTHING but easy. I was soooooo sick I sat on the bed one night and ask Chris if I was going to die. As hard as that was though I am so thankful I went through everything I did because that is how God has brought us to where we are today. I am so thankful God blessed us with 2 bio children but God also showed me that pregnancy wasn't my thing.

Amaya is so compassionate! This child at the age of 3 was watching an adoption DVD with me and looked up at me and said "Mom, look it's a miracle". Oh how wise at the age of 3 to know that adoption is a true miracle from God.

I have been sick the last week and a half so I've spent a lot of time resting and a lot of time with kiddos in my lap. Yesterday Amaya sat and talked to me for a long time. Amaya said that it's time we go back to China or Hong Kong and bring another child home but this time it needs to be a girl. Then she told me that we are going to have 18 more kids come home.

Amaya also told me yesterday that when she grows up she is going to bring children home from China and if their big they will go to school but if their little they will go to pre-school. She said they had to go to school because she is going to be working at T*co Bell and will be busy making tacos.

Maybe we won't have to have those "awkward" talks with our kids when they get older because they think babies come home on airplanes.

Oh, I am so thankful for this miracle child of ours!

Sometimes I'd like to ask God why He allows poverty, famine and injustice when He could do something about it. But I'm afraid God might ask me the same question.

New Background

Since Valentine's Day is over I decided to give the blog a spring feeling hoping that it would make me think spring is just a little closer. If you can tell I love winter until about January and then I'm ready for spring.

Jaxson had his check-up today and I am very excited to say he is actually on the growth charts now and not below the chart. Jaxson was very small when we brought him home being 2 1/2 and only weighing about 21 pounds. He has been getting very heavy to carry around and now we know why, this boy is finally growing! The Dr. also said he is healthy as can be and he is just amazed at what Jaxson can do and how far he has come in his English in just less than 9 months.

PS If anyone wants a free background for your blog you can find all kinds of them at thecutestblogontheblock.com. They are free and you can change them as often as you want.

Valentine's Day

I know it has been a couple days since Valentine's Day but I was pretty sick over the weekend so I'm just now getting to the post.

Chris started a tradition on Amaya's very first Valentine's Day of leaving the kids a Valentine gift and a card in their bed for when they wake up Valentine's morning. It is so much fun for them and for us to see how excited they get.
This year Chris got them a big H*rshey Kiss and a card. We figured it didn't matter if they had chocolate in the morning because they were going to be headed to great grandma's house anyway.Jaxson loves getting cards and I think that was his favorite part.Chris then made heart waffles with the kids for breakfast. They think it's the greatest thing in the world when they get to cook with daddy.After breakfast and baths we took them to their great grandma's house because she had planned a special Valentine party for them. This grandma loves to have little parties for them on special holidays.Chris and I had planned on having a special day together while they were there but I was pretty sick so lunch and grocery shopping was all I could handle.

Later that day I was so sick I couldn't do anything so my wonderful, amazing hubby took all 3 kids, flowers for Amaya's teacher (she just got to move to a big class and was so excited), 3 Bibles, and a bag of food for the food bank to church. I honestly don't think I could have handled all that but he was wonderful and let me have time to rest. Our church offers services on Saturday night and Sunday.

So the kids had a wonderful Valentine's Day and Chris and I will have to have our date night another time.

Thankful Thursday

Well, God must have heard me whining last week because he brought me sunshine and 60 degree weather this week. So on this thankful Thursday I am so very thankful for the sunshine and warm weather God gave us these last few days. Even though it is now cold again the few days we have had gave me some hope that spring will be here soon.

Matthew 18:5

"And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me."

Why God?

This is a question I ask a lot. Why did God call me to a ministry and give me such a passion for something that is so very hard to see. Why do so many kids go to sleep hungry and cold? Why are babies murdered? Why are children looked at as cursed because they were born different than "normal" children. Why do some mothers have do give up their children simply because they know their babies will die from starvation or lack of medical care? Why did God call me to have such a passion for these children that I see and hear so many sad things?

Sometimes I just wonder if my heart hurts so much for the orphans than how much more does God's heart hurt? How much does it hurt him to see these hurting children?

I have had a very emotional week dealing with all this. These are some things I have come across just this week.

I follow a blog called The Journey, if you haven't read it yet then you don't know what your missing. This girl who is 19 or 20 has given her life completely to God. She is in Uganda and has legally adopted many, many children so that they will be taken care of. She has started a program that she has people sponsor children (all sponsor money goes to the children) and she sends them to school and makes sure they are bathed and fed. A couple of weeks ago she has about 150 kids and this week she has about 250 kids. Once a week she has them all over to spend the night with her so that she knows for one night they are fed well, bathed and loved on and they they learn about God. If you read her stories about the children though it will break your heart.

I placed the statistics on my blog this week. In those you can see the number of children aborted. I also read this story this week about a baby that was meant to be aborted but instead was born alive and then murdered. This all has really got me thinking about how churches fight and fight against abortion so shouldn't we as Christians be fighting even harder for homes for orphans. We fight and fight telling women not to kill their babies but are we also their to support them once the baby is born or to give homes to these babies when their mother just can't. How easy is it to be a voice but are we willing to be the hands and feet of God and actually physically fight for the needs of these children?

Have you watched the video yet that I posted below? If so I hope it made you sick. I hope you were mad like I was that children our suffering. I went to a Christian concert last night and they were pushing sponsorships through World Visions. The guy told us he actually went on a trip to see what happens when these kids are sponsored. The things he shared with us was incredible. He said that it has been said that our generation is the first generation that could end poverty. I believe that could be true if we could give up some of our spoiled habits and save a starving child. As I said on Thursday this is something I fight with. My sinful heart longs for nice things or a nice steak dinner. If we were standing in middle of starving children in Africa like the video would we still feel we needed those things or we we see Christ in the eyes of those children and know it is our responsibility as Christian to take care of these children.

This is just a few of the things I have seen and heard about this week. This is why I wonder why God called me to a ministry that makes me cry almost everyday. If I get this upset though how does God feel? Please, let's not just be a voice for these children. It's time Christians step out in faith and make a HUGE difference. Let's sponsor these starving children, let's give homes to these children, let's show them the love of God even when it's not easy for us and even when it makes us uncomfortable. I'm not just talking to you this is something I deal with too.

Just for your info if you would like to sponsor a child these are a few places I know of where you can sponsor:

Compassion International - We sponsor a child through them and have been really happy with their program.

Amazima Ministries - I have her button on the sidebar of my blog. This is the girl from the blog The Journey that I was telling you about. I hope to sponsor a child from her program someday.

World Vision - World Vision also has a lot of different ways to help children.

Waiting Child

If you are considering adopting a child with special needs you need to go check out this precious, precious little girl waiting in Mexico. Just click here and you can see little Carmelita. Oh how I wish the timing was right for us to bring this precious child home.

Please don't miss the video link I posted in the last post.

Grab A Kleenex

This video was posted a few days ago on one of my yahoo group. I wish I could post it to my blog but we have dial-up so you will just have to follow the link and watch it. I'm telling you go grab a kleenex and go watch here.

Thankful Thursday

OK, so to be honest I have just been grumpy this week. So first of all I am thankful to my blogger friend Linny for getting me started on Thankful Thursday because it just makes me really think of something positive.

I have had a not so Christian attitude this week. Chris and I are really careful how we spend our money. We rarely spend money on things that we just want. We have been married 10 1/2 years and have bought 1 yes 1 piece of new furniture. We bought a recliner and that was only because I needed a place to nurse Amaya. This week I told Chris that I want a mattress that is comfortable and a table that's not ready to fall apart. Chris said to me "that's just not our taste Sarah". OK so the not so happy wife said yes it is and someday I will have those things.

I honestly get mad at myself for having the desire to have nice things when so many people have nothing. God has blessed us so much and my sinful nature just wants more. I want a nice house and I want nice furniture, not expensive but not falling apart either.

I am also going through winter depression. OK already, I'm tired of snow, tired of 0 degrees and ready to get the kids outside playing. I NEED SUN!

The kids just woke up grumpy today and that was making me grumpy. I emailed my friend Rett and told her I needed a date night and guess what? Chris' grandma called and said she wanted the kids on Valentine's Day, Whoo Hoo. So the second thing I am grateful for today is grandma's that call and tell me to have some alone time with my hubby. What do people do that don't have grandma's around to help out? Chris and I said for a long time we would like to move to Arizona, Colorado or somewhere just warm, beautiful or heck better yet both but we just couldn't leave those good grandma's.

Words Of A 3 Year Old

I was just getting Jaxson and Paige ready for naps. Paige went potty and came in for me to help her get her pull-up on. Paige said "Mommy, I wiped my butt for Jesus". "God loves it so much when I wipe my butt and it makes him even happier when I wipe after I poop."" Mom, Jaxson doesn't wipe his butt after he pee's so he doesn't make God happy wiping his butt."

Don't you just love to hear things that come out of the mouths of babes?

Is It God's Will?

This is something I have been thinking about for a long time but someone on another blog posted it so well that I just decided to link you to her blog so please click here to read this post.

I can't tell you how many people have said to me "we thought about adopting at one time" or "we're thinking about adopting". If all the Christians in the world that have "thought" of adopting actually stepped out in faith and did it my guess is that there would be very few orphans in the world. Maybe it's time Christians start asking God for a clear NO on adopting rather than waiting and waiting for a clear YES. Chances are if God placed it on your heart then that was his "YES".

When you read the post I linked you to please go to the link that she has for Bill's adoption story.

I have also just placed some statistics on my sidebar. Please take time to read these.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27