pregnant for 2 years

Today marks the 2 year anniversary of when we got our LID (log in date) to China. Just think, on the other side of the world on someone's desk lies our folder with our hearts in it! Pictures of a waiting family.....a hopeful momma who is ready to do it all over again no matter how OLD she gets, a fun dad who will provide her with more Disney trips than most people will ever take, a big sister who insists on the crib going in her room, and two brothers who will protect her from mean and nice boys!

When we started this process the wait was 18 months. Kinda long, but hey, we have three kids to keep us busy. I remember thinking after reports surfaced about the wait lengthening, that I would just have to almost forget about it so it wouldn't torture me. I mean, think about it....it's like being pregnant for all this time!

But I trust completely. God is in control. He knew this wait would come and He still called us to China. We see other friends getting precious little ones from Ethiopia and other countries and wonder why didn't we choose that country. We'd already have our baby by now! But we didn't choose Hope, or China. God chose them for us. So we will wait.

One day, little Hope, we will come for you!!! Oh happy day!

Just a few reasons why I love my mom!

My Young Mom
On her 61st birthday
My mom turns 61 tomorrow. When I was little I was afraid to think about her or my dad getting older. Grey hair scared me because I thought they were getting closer to death! Now I am 35 myself and am not scared anymore about my parents dying. My father went to Heaven when he was just 45 years old. I had 19 great years with him, and thankfully my mom is still here for me to love on! She has remarried a wonderful, God-fearing man and has joy in her life again! We have learned that death is not the end and that God can turn all things around for those that love and have faith in Him.

So on my mom's 61st birthday I wanted to share what makes her so special. She was an only child, but you'd never know it because she isn't spoiled or selfish in the least bit. In fact, I've never heard Mom judge anyone or say hateful things about someone else in my 35 years of knowing her! Wow. Who can say that about someone. She is incredible at holding her tongue, but not even thinking mean things either!

She looked so young when we were all kids. She used to go to cheerleader campy with us and people would think she was one of the cheerleaders. When we'd go to the mall, people would always think she was our sister instead of our mom! We used to used the same color hair dye (red penny) and people would think I got my red hair from her (even though she is not redheaded!). People also thought she was IRISH because of her beautiful green eyes!

When dad went to Heaven Mom was sad and lonely for 11 years. But we did lots of things fun together. In fact, she moved 300 miles to come live with me and my husband when I got pregnant and had my first child. She was so wonderful to have around. And now she still lives here with us in town with her great husband.

So here is why I love my mom....or at least a few of the reasons why I love her!

I love my mom because she doesn't judge me or anyone else.
I love my mom because she looks and acts young.
I love my mom because she has a facebook page, squidoo page, twitter page, and has a flip video camera and knows more about new technology than me.
I love my mom because she loves God and studies His Word.
I love my mom because she cooked me great meals when I was little like chicken and rice and chicken and dumplings.
I love my mom because she never has acted like she was better than anyone else.
I love my mom because she lost her dad when she was little and her mom years ago. : (
I love my mom because she has never asked for pity or acted weak.
I love my mom because she ate cookie dough and bad things for years but then changed her life dramatically and got healthy and now looks younger than ever!
I love my mom because she is a role model for me and someone I can look up to.
I love my mom because she drinks carrot juice every morning.
I love my mom because she does gallbladder cleanses with me just for fun because she is healthy and doesn't even need to.
I love my mom because she can drink or eat gross things and like them!
I love my mom because she is not a drama queen and does not think the world revolves around her.
I love my mom because she never tried to make her dreams our dreams but let each one of us be our own person!
I love my mom because she never told us about the mistakes we made parenting but loved us thorough all of them.
I love my mom because she gives me money when I want to go to Target and buy something not necessary.
I love my mom because she was good and faithful to my dad when he was dying and took such good care of him.
I love my mom because she is self-motivated and not lazy.
I love my mom because she thinks about and does what is important in life.
I love my mom because she doesn't try to dress or act like she is a teenager like some moms do.
I love my mom because she can sew.
I love my mom because she loves me unconditionally.
I love my mom because she has a pantry full of sunbutter and green tea.
I love my mom because she makes her own website about health just to help others!
I love my mom because she loves my husband and children.
I love my mom because she isn't vain.
I love my mom because she has a pretty face and little tiny hands.
I love my mom because she entertained my slumber party guests when I was little and slept the next day!
I love my mom because she believed in me as a child and still does!
I love my mom because she reads books fast!
I love my mom because she doesn't get grossed out by medical things. She is not a sissy!
I love my mom because she volunteers her time to counsel women about not having an abortion and fighting for the life of unborn children!
I love my mom because she doesn't ask for anything from anyone.
I love my mom because she is content where she is.
I love my mom because she is nice to her husband and makes him food.
I love my mom because she is deep and not shallow.
I love my mom because she simply exists!

I want to be more like my mom. I want to be the kind of mom that she was to me. I am so thankful to have a mom that I never fought with or was mean to. We have always gotten along and been close. I have always respected her and appreciated her. She is precious and lovely in all her ways. Inside and out.

Happy Birthday Mom! You are the best! Really!

from your little berd

Pure Religion

Today I am thinking about all the orphans in the world. Can you guess how many there are? In 2006 there were 12.4 million orphans in India, according to CSA (Catalysts for Social Action. Millions of orphans in Africa. Worldwide, it is estimated that more than 15 million children under 18 have been orphaned as a result of AIDS. Around 11.6 million of these children live in sub-Saharan Africa. Millions of orphans in China are abandoned due to strict laws controlling the number of children each family can have. Over 4.5 million orphans in Iraq. According to the United Nations, UNICEF, and Save the Children:

• The number of orphans worldwide is estimated at 210 million, rapidly increasing due to the AIDS epidemic, natural disasters, low world health standards, immense poverty, and food shortages made worse now by our global financial collapse. Millions more everywhere....all over the world.

from world of orphans:

The Problem

The number of children in the world that have lost their mother or father, are parentless, or have been abandoned…now exceeds 143 million. This absolutely staggering number is almost equivalent to one-half of the total population of the United States. Can you imagine if one out of every two Americans was a child living on the streets, living in absolute hopelessness and despair?

Chronic disease, bloodshed, horrific natural disasters, severe poverty, famine, unsanitary water sources, restrictive population controls, and societal devaluation of female children, have all contributed to this global tragedy of monumental proportions.



In the past hour…

1,625 children were forced to live on the streets by the death or abuse of an adult

1,667 children under the age of five died from malnutrition and vaccine-preventable diseases

115 children became prostitutes

66 children under 15 were infected with HIV

257 children were orphaned because of HIV/AIDS



Most children are under the age of fifteen and are…

Sleeping on concrete beds and rancid garbage piles every night – streets, sewers, dumps

Scavenging amongst human waste and excreta for rotting morsels and scraps to eat

Huffing glue and other substances in order to numb the cold, hunger, pain…and shame

Prostituting themselves for basic food and shelter

Trafficked and sold into sexual bondage, even at five years old and younger (see Sexual Exploitation)

Abused and brutalized by sexual predators, local gangs, corrupt police officers, and slum lords

Victimized by HIV/AIDS-infected men who believe that sleeping with young virgins can cure the disease

Recruited into lives of thievery, smuggling and drug dealing

Abducted to serve as child soldiers or the sex slaves of soldiers

Exploited as child laborers or slaves in sweatshops

Executed by local businessmen and officials who view them as a dirty pests interfering with trade and commerce

Sacrificed in occult/witchcraft rituals

Robbed of childhoods; Robbed of self esteem; Robbed of innocence;

Robbed of hope


What should we do? What can we do? We can adopt a child of our own! Just think how many orphans lives could be changed by bringing them in an instant FAMILY! One day they have no one, no home. The next day, they have YOU! We can PRAY. Real fervent intercession for them that touches the heart of God. We can GIVE. Maybe you cannot adopt....but you can give. Just think if every Christian financially supported adoption and orphan outreaches!!!

We even have some friends at our church that started this outreach you could give to: http://www.orphanshield.com/

Something to consider....something worth considering........

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

World Orphans
http://www.worldorphans.org/about/faith.htm

The ABBA fund blog-
http://abbafund.wordpress.com/about/

America World
http://www.awaa.org/whoweare/