A Calling

I know that not everyone feels called to adopt.  It's a huge committment and you take on a lot of unknowns.  Children who are available for adoption have, most likely, experienced traumas that we can't even imagine.  However, God has still put that calling into my heart and while we have always planned to adopt when Paul retires from the military I think maybe we'll end up adopting at least one child at our next assignment.  We'll see.  I know God has our children all picked out for us.  I keep telling Paul he needs to stay in a few extra years and retire as a Lt Col because I want a big family and I want to adopt at least 4 kids.  haha

I wanted to take an opportunity to share a young boy's journey and hope for a family.  He needs a very special family.  Maybe someone will read this blog and know in their heart that they are his forever family.  Or maybe someone who reads this blog will share his story with his forever family.  You never know.  God moves in mysterious ways for sure. 

No Greater Joy Mom is one of my favorite adoption blogs.  This family is amazing.  I don't know them and I love them.  She recently blogged about Zack, a young man who desperately wants a forever family and to be reunited with his soul sister who was adopted by an American family. 

I will warn you that his story brought tears to my eyes, but I hope you'll read it and pass it on.  You never know.  You just never know. 

Adoption

Just wanted to share something I find inspiring. I wish my faith was this strong. I love her attitude. Whatever, God.

http://www.nogreaterjoymom.com/2012/04/whatever-god.html

Liebster Award and No Greater Joy Mom

My friend Ali gave me a Liebster Award for this blog.  What is it you ask?  It's German for "dearest" and it's to show love for blogs with under 200 followers (those of us just trying to put thoughts out there to share with others! Um, that I took directly from Ali's blog through cut and paste rather than trying to come up with a witty way to describe it myself.  lol 

So, now I have to pick 5 blogs that I follow to pass this award on to.  I actually feel very honored that Ali picked me (ya know cause I assume she reads WAY more than just 5 blogs that have under 200 followers.  I bet she follows 1000 blogs and mine just rocks that much). 

I started blogging on myspace (myspace?  what's that you ask.  I know.  Doesn't it seem like myspace was a million years ago) because of all the horrific dates/relationships I had.  You can read about them on the link on my blog called old myspace blog (clever, right?).  So now I blog here. 

Here are the blogs I passed the Liebster on to (in no particular order):
1) A Daily Dose of Metros
2) Baby Gavin
3) The Knox Family Journey
4) my friend Erika's blog which is private for family & friends
5) LIJT House

And here's what the blog owners of THOSE blogs should do:

1. Thank the person who presented you with the award on your blog.

2. Link back to the blogger who gave you the award on your blog.
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
4. Present the Liebster Blog Award to 5 other bloggers with less than 200 followers.
5. Let them know you've chosen them by leaving a comment on their blog.

I also wanted to pass along a blog that I'm sure has over 200 followers, but who I think is doing amazing work in the world of adopting special needs children from horrific circumstances.  To say that she is doing the work of God is an understatement.  I wholeheartedly believe that she and her husband are angels here on earth.  Her blog continues to inspire me and I continue to pray for the Lord to work in our lives in ways so that we can someday adopt a special needs child from overseas.  This post more than breaks my heart imagining how these little babies are suffering in orphanages that you and I would not leave our dogs in and yet the we sit back and do nothing.  I know that adoption is not a calling for everyone, but if you believe in God then please pray for these orphans.  And if you want to read about the amazing calling of this family please go to No Greater Joy Mom.  Her husband also blogs at No Greater Joy Dad.  She is currently raising money not only for their adoption, but also to help other children in need of adoption.  Please go check it out!

"Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows what we know, and holds us responsible to act." Prov. 24:12

Another Adoption Miracle Needed

As I sit here typing this I am sobbing quietly (and by sobbing quietly I mean cannot stop crying hysterically).  My heart is breaking for this poor little girl and if Paul gave me the okay I would be on the next plane overseas to get her.  I cannot imagine, I cannot imagine any child living without love or care.  How can anyone look at this beautiful, sad little face and not want to go get her, hug her, love her, feed her?  So I am spreading the word, praying for a Christmas miracle for Kolina, praying that there is a family somewhere who is strong enough to fight for this sweet child.  This is from the blog No Greater Joy Mom. 

December 7, 2011



the gift of HOPE this Christmas


Sometimes words are just so terribly hard to find. Many times I feel like Moses when he cried out to the Lord, telling Him that He really was not very eloquent. I can totally relate!


This will be one of those posts--the kind where I struggle to put into words what is on my heart. Sometimes situations are such that no amount of words can do it justice. Trying to convey truth without crossing the ever-present boundaries regarding just how much to post is a challenge for me. I long for the whole world to know the truth and see the truth when it comes to the conditions in which children live in foreign orphanages. But it's a fine line--one I struggle to find.


Anyway.

It's Christmastime. Such a glorious time of the year as we celebrate the birth of our Savior. Families come together, gifts are given, praise is uttered to the Baby who was born so that we may have life, and life more abundant. Honestly though, Christmas is so different to me now compared to what it was even a few years ago. I am different. I just cannot help but allow my heart and my thoughts to drift to the millions of children around the world who will [still] be alone this Christmas. For most of them, there will be no gifts, no tree to decorate, no fancy meal...and no family. Again.


It will just be another day.


Once you have put a foot in the door of an orphanage where children are lined up in cribs by the dozens, where a staple diet consists of drinking cabbage water out of a bottle, and where no heating exists, well, Christmas takes on an entirely different look. It is no longer a time when we think of all that we can get--but rather what we can give. It becomes a time of being so thankful for the many gifts we have been given--not for the next best gadget or the latest have-to-have, but for the things that truly matter in this life--love, joy that bubbles over, laughter, warm embraces, acceptance, belonging. FAMILY!


This week the Lord led me to a little face. A face who, very sadly, will not even know that December 25 is a reason to celebrate. No, for this little face it will just be another day in paradise--lying in a crib, rarely touched, some kind of liquid diet to barely sustain her, drugs to induce "best sleep" 24 hours a day. I know all too well how it goes.

Allow me to introduce you to Kolina. The little girl who brought me to my knees this week, begging the Lord to have mercy on her fragile little body. One of the saddest faces I have ever seen.

But then again, who can blame her?

Kolina languishes in the same awful place as Liliana. Many of you will remember Liliana as the little girl we all advocated for last August. A family is working hard to bring her home. Praise the Lord. No words can ever fully convey the heinous conditions these children live in. It is truly beyond human comprehension.


Sadly, Kolina has not been found yet. No one is going for her. It is only by Divine Intervention that this little girl is even available for adoption. She almost fell through the cracks...again.  But God! The father to the fatherless reached down from heaven and said, "This one too," and Kolina was made available for international adoption.


This sweet little girl is literally deteriorating daily in a crib in Eastern Europe. On December 16 she will "celebrate" her birthday. Kolina will be nine years old. Yes, nine! She has Down syndrome. Looking at her pictures, she probably only weighs around 10-12 pounds. If that. Clothes cover her clearly skeletal legs, and her pitiful frame is nothing but skin and bones. Poor little darling.

Oh, how I would LOVE a Christmas miracle for Kolina! I would love to see her sad, sad little face turn from sadness, hopelessness and despair to joy. Joy that comes from being in a family. Joy that comes from human touch and from knowing that she belongs.


I would love to give Kolina the gift of HOPE this Christmas.

But, as usual, I need your help. Kolina needs help! In order for her family to find her, Kolina's story needs to be spread far and wide. Just like Julia, and Vanya, and Kevin, and Liliana, and David. The ONLY way these children have found their forever families is through the body of Christ coming together and posting their faces and their stories on blogs, facebooks, and any other social network.


Would you please help Kolina? Will you share her story wherever you can?

Time is obviously crucial and she needs to come home as quickly as possible. Poor lovie is living on borrowed time--she is severely malnourished. A home-study-ready family would be ideal, but at this stage, it is not essential. Anyone wanting more information can contact Shelley at shele337@yahoo.com.

Also, Kolina has a grant fund which has been set up by Reece's Rainbow. Please pray about donating to her rescue! A large grant would be such a huge blessing for her family. Adoption is expensive! What a beautiful miracle it would be if her ransom was raised. All donations are tax deductible and every single dollar will go to Kolina's RANSOM! If you feel led to contribute, just use the donation box below and all funds will go to sweet Kolina.


As I type this, Kolina's grant fund is at a measly $94.50. Would you prayerfully consider playing a part in her unfolding miracle this Christmas?


Thank you for standing with me and for trusting that Kolina will NOT be one of the 95% of children who have Down syndrome who die in orphanages around the world each and every year. It is beyond human understanding.


Thank you for sharing Kolina's story and for believing that someone WILL go for her soon!

My arms ache to hug this little girl and to give her a mommy and daddy this Christmas.  Pray, pray, pray people!  Tis the season for miracles!

Adoption

I didn't really have anything to say for myself this evening so I thought I'd share a request from someone else. 

Even if you are not in a position to adopt there are ways you can help. 

Adoption is a cause that is near and dear to my heart and I can't wait for the day we adopt (still praying for God to open Paul's heart to an overseas adoption of a special needs child in addition to the sibling group are plan on adopting from the US). 

Hope everyone is having a good week!

Social Work & God

I went to Rollins College for undergrad.  When most people in Florida, or the south, hear the words Rollins College it conjures up visions of tan 20 year olds, sunning themselves on the shores of Lake Virginia or by the pool, checking their emails no less, carrying their Louis Vuitton tote.  And yes, there were a LOT of people at Rollins like that, but there were also some real people, too.  I would say I met most of my Rollins friends when I joined Kappa Delta and the only people I keep in touch with from college are my sorority sisters.  To be fair to Rollins it is an amazingly tough school academically and is always rated #1 in the southeast.

Anyways, I majored in psychology without much thought as to what I would do once I graduated.  I had always worked at the YMCA and expected to find a job as a membership director or program director at a Y.  And I did.  And I hated it.  I didn't hate the job.  I didn't like my executive director.  So, after 6 months I quit and now was back to square one with no idea what I wanted to do with my life. 

A KD emailed me and told me the state of KY was hiring social workers and so I applied with zero expectations as to what I'd actually be doing.  And as hard as the work was, and as far removed from my life at Rollins as a job could be, I loved it.  I loved helping people and feeling I was making a positive change in other's lives.  If I stayed in Cincinnati I'd probably still be working there. 

This random job has shaped the rest of my career.  I got a Master of Social Work from the University of South Florida where I met my friend Breun who introduced me to my husband.  I got my LCSW in Florida and my LICSW in Mass.  I've met amazing people, both coworkers and clients, and my life has been touched by the hand of God in the work I've done by the people whose lives I've had the privilege of being a small part of. 

So, now I am a full time mommy and while I don't miss working full time I do miss being a social worker.  I have been thinking that when Paul gets home I'll probably need to get a per diem job at night/weekends, either running substance abuse groups or writing adoption home studies or providing counseling for Tricare. 

In the mean time this missing is what has me advocating for adoption on my FB and my blog.  It's such a small thing, but it feels like something I can do, something that will hopefully lead someone to finding their child, in being a forever family to a child in need.  I pray every night for my future children and for God to lead us to our chilren that are out there waiting for us to find them.  I pray for God to open our hearts to whatever child needs us. 

My relationship with God has not always been strong.  I've done things I'm not proud of, but I feel like I am learning and growing and becoming more content and at peace with my life with every passing day thanks to God.  I believe in the power of prayer and I am the first to ask for prayers for myself or for others.  And I'll pray for you whether you ask me to or not.  I love being around people who have a strong faith.  I think our friends from Valdosta are the best examples of God's love that I could ever hope to meet because they truly embody what it means to be Christian...they lead a life of devotion to God and yet they are not judgmental of those who don't.  They speak of their love of Christ, but they don't come across as fanatical.  Their friendship has really helped to draw me closer in my relationship with God because they are such good people and amazing friends.  Shout out to Emily, Brittney, Anne-Marie, Beth-Anne, and Erika (and their spouses, too) as well as all the others who touched our lives in the short amount of time I lived there.  And this is why I post prayer requests or links to blogs for people that have amazing relationships with God. 

Last night after crying for Tripp I was thinking about how I would give anything of myself to spare Emma any kind of pain and I suddenly got it...I understood how God feels for us and how Jesus feels for us, how God gave us his Son to save us, how Jesus loves us much like a mother loves their child.  If you haven't yet read The Shack I encourage you to read it.  It's a beautiful story about a man's relationship with God.  It is a life changing read.

Adoption

You never know who your message will reach so with that being said I wanted to post a link to another blog regarding adoption.  Our Eyes Opened follows a family's journey in adopting their son from Russia.  Their adoption is complete and she finalizes everything with a blog on the importance of adoption, something I find myself increasingly passionate about. 

Although Paul and I plan to add to our family biologically next year he has promised me that we can adopt someday.  Our plan is to wait until he retires from the Air Force, but I may not be able to wait that long.  I just want to give a sibling group a loving home.  I've always pictured myself adopting 3 African-American siblings and I still am praying about adopting a child from Russia.

And if you think adoption isn't important or doesn't matter in a child's life then I invite you to look at these pictures of this sweet little boy and imagine what his life would have been like if this family had not adopted him.  I can only imagine that he would have suffered needlessly and probably would not have lived very long or had any joy in his life.  This is the family blog of Our Eyes Opened.  God has certainly blessed this child and this family in leading them to each other. 

I know adoption is not for everyone, but I urge you to please please consider opening up your hearts and your home to adoption.  If you are a loving family then imagine how much joy you can bring to a child's life that may not have ever known the love of a mommy and daddy.  It doesn't have to be an international adoption.  There are so so many children here in the US who need a forever family.  And if you think you can't afford to adopt have faith.  God will provide for you and your family.