Refreshed and Rejuvenated

It's how I feel. :)

It's amazing what a couple of days with people that 'get' it, will do for you. :)

The best part is that having D there has helped tremendously. He's 100 % onboard with my work with Project HOPEFUL and has become part of the team...not just sitting on the sideline asking why I have taken on another mission.

LOVE IT!

Carolyn's husband and D got along so well...there may be some fun, Man vs Orphan Crisis, happening with those guys. Be on the look out. :)

I have taken on some more opportunities... GOOD ones! :) I sometimes wonder about my sanity, but I am loving this new venture...and can see how God has been setting things in motion, moving things into the right places so that I can help Him in this way.

I was telling my friend today that I am so stinkin in AWE of His gift of allowing me to help in this way. He set these ideas in my head, He let them grow and form...then He led me to someone that is doing THOSE things. He's making it happen. The coolest part is that I don't have to be the one in charge, or be the idea person, or make all the decisions... I get to be part of the greater picture. A bigger team, that I didn't have to form. How daggon awesome is that?!

He knows I have to 'work' right now, since we need health insurance...so I can do that and this.

Oh, and by the way... we gonna have some more kiddos... :)

How's that for adding to the mix?!

If you are my friend on FB please don't talk about it there...there are people that I know don't read this ...that do read that. :) But we are getting ready to start again...sooner rather than later. D was like struck in the head with a 2x4 when Eileen spoke on Friday night...then the pastor after her was phenomenal... afterwards he told me that God gave him his burning bush, talking donkey and a 2x4 all at the same time.

I told him that he will have to hold on to his hat because I know there are 2 kiddos out there for us...:)

So, guys...are you ready? We have some great adventures ahead... mission work, mission team work, 2 mission teams... some other big stuff I can't tell you about yet so hold on to your hats... and kiddos on the way.

I am ready...BRING IT!

Say Yes

MidAtlantic Photos

Here are some pics from the weekend. I wish I had gotten my camera out more, there were so many new and great people there... thank goodness for FB...lol I have a bunch of new friends. :)

Our display tables...
Beautiful necklaces by Funky Fish Designs
HOPEFUL women... these are such great ladies!! ;)
Eileen Mestas speaking... man what a power house! She changed the course of our lives with her words!
Handsome men of Project HOPEFUL. :)
Traci organizing... what a woman! :)
Susan Hillis, who knew a scientist from the CDC could speak to our hearts with such conviction?! :) She did!
Tom Davis sharing from his heart... again. Life changing. He's a great guy... didn't want to get all cheesy and ask for a pic with him, just had a nice conversation.
Sporting our Tacky Headbands

Chinese Orphan children performing dance for us... they were stunning!

We ended the night with Meredith Andrews amazing! :)

What It Means To Love

Mid Atlantic Orphan Summit Thoughts

Man! What a weekend!

I am still processing, and don't have all my notes with me to make a real recap, but have to say God truly showed up!

I have never been to an orphan summit so I don't know what to compare it to, but there was some serious Holy Spirit involvement.

I am so so glad D came along!! Ladies if you have a chance to go to one, and can bring your man...DO IT! Having the guys there to represent, as well as hear all the info given truly changes lives!

Carolyn's husband and D were at the Project HOPEFUL table with us all weekend. They are real men with a true heart for the orphan and a love for their kids. They drew in a bunch of people and truly made a difference in some lives. :)

D is totally sold out now, he was wrecked at this weekend. I prayed that would be what would happen. I prayed he would see the face of Jesus, and see why it is that this tugs me so much. He does. He had some scales removed from his eyes, let me tell you!! It was a true joy to be there with him and experience this with him. We learned a ton together… and I needed his shoulder more than once for my own tears. I am not sure I have cried more in a 24hr period than I did at this conference. In a good way!

I got to meet Tom Davis and have a great conversation with him. Also Andy Lehman, great heart, and really great guys. Eileen Mestas killed it!!! She was phenomenal!!

Susan Hillis knocked our socks off with her AIDS/HIV statistics and information. Still trying to process that one, but let me tell you folks, the outlook isn’t pretty if we do not do SOMEthing about this crisis. It’s not just about adopting children with HIV, or even adoption in general, but if the church does not step up and do something about this crisis, we will be in a hurting…

Meredith Andrews was an amazing worship leader!!! She truly touched us, and even though her voice was leaving her, she was AWESOME!

Met some amazing women and men all passionate about the same thing, children, orphans, widows ….making a change.

We learned about the impact of Micro loans and how they can make a true difference. So many holistic ways to help end this crisis… not just adoption, not just foster care… but truly making a difference to care for the ones Jesus loved the most.

There are also a bunch of really BIG opportunities that came from it. Lots of great connections, and some big decisions to be made!! Can’t share most of them because they are still in the works and still being developed…but it’s truly exciting…and scary at the same time.

So that’s all I have for now… more soon …

Marketable?

What exactly does that mean? What does it mean to have a person be ‘marketable’? Doesn’t have a great connotation. (Especially if you have read the book Priceless)
This is what the dictionary says the meaning of ‘Marketable’ is:

–adjective
1.
readily salable.
2.
of or pertaining to selling or buying

This past Saturday I spent the day listening to a very well known, prominent, modeling school/company, try to sell themselves to parents and young ladies alike. They had called my S to ask her to come to a seminar and then participate in a private interview to see if she has what it takes to be a model. Since this has been a dream of hers for years, I agreed to take her.

I will be honest, it was pretty impressive, the presenter was persuasive in trying to convince us of the value of their company in training girls to be proud of who they are no matter what…that it’s not about looks. She is good at what she does!

Then came the personal interview. Again, the lady was a good. She had great things to say and really liked S. We were told that we would get a call on Monday to let us know if she were chosen to pay a CRAZY amount of money for her to attend the training school and then perhaps be a model for them.

We left…me wondering what in the world had just happened, and S crazy excited to see a dream possibly come true.

Monday came, and we got the call. She was indeed chosen. S had all the qualities they were looking for, and then some. The woman said all the right things, stroked my momma ego and then spoke to S, who immediately began hooting and hollering around the room. Her dream to become a model was within her grasp! (Grandma had agreed to pay her school fee) We were both excited… how as a mom do you not get caught up in the excitement of your child? Even if there are major alarms going off in your head?

So, due to the alarms, I went online and did some research. )Since it’s something I do well…lol) Said company had enough ugliness about it, that I felt it wasn’t the thing for us to do. I prayed a lot about it, and felt at peace about not pursuing this for S. I knew she would not be happy, even perhaps throw a fit, but felt this wasn’t the route for her to go.

When we sat down and spoke about it, she was actually much calmer than I had anticipated. The woman from the company called me on Tuesday night asking why I had not sent S’s acceptance info and payment in that day as directed. I kindly thanked her for her time, but said we would not be pursuing this avenue at this time. She went into sales woman mode…OF COURSE! 

I listened to what she had to say, I wanted S (who was listening to my end) to know that I wasn’t just blowing off her dream. Two things confirmed my suspicions: 1. “You want to know that your daughter is marketable. She is.” 2. “If you don’t choose to do this right now she will never be offered a place in our company again.”

The first one though kind of got my panties in a bunch.
My daughter is not ‘marketable’.

She is a living, breathing, beautiful, amazing young woman. She is a princess, a daughter of the most high God.

The thing that had me pause and try to consider this from all angles for her, was her statement to me as to why she wants to pursue modeling. She wants to “Be a role model for young women. To show them that you do not have to be perfect to be beautiful” In a world that sees perfection in beauty, this would be a wonderful refreshing change.

As I was on the phone with the modeling agency recruiter a phone call came in to S. She was asked to come in for a second interview at Old Navy! Yippee!!! A job she would be perfect for, and a place I can get discounts…lol I told her it was ‘God calling’ to answer her prayer of getting a job, and showing her that He was going to provide for her.

So we will not be marketing our daughter on the modeling front at this time… but will be helping her find ways to be the role model she already is, to others.

P.S. Talk to ya when I get back from the conference! Can't WAIT!! :)

Proud Momma Moment

All those sticky buns and donuts and my boy chooses fruit... so cool! :)

So the elementary schools in this area have something called the citizen of the month. Each month it’s a different citizenship quality, the month of October was Diligence.
My E-man was chosen to be the Citizen of Diligence! :) It’s a pretty big honor because only 1 child per class can be chosen. Per month and there are only 9 months.

The kids get a special breakfast, a ceremony, certificates and a yard sign for parents to put in their yard.

I could not help but burst with pride at the thought of my littlest dude getting this award. He has blossomed over the past couple of months in amazing ways. He’s spelling words, working on phonics, and he can now count to 20! Which is huge because over the summer he got to 11 and was done, now he can count to 20 and actually just continue on.

Times like this I think of the tiny little guy in ET that was so close to death. I think of his family in ET that is missing out on this… and the family already gone home to Jesus that know. I felt like we were all there together this morning beaming at him.

He was so proud and so happy.

I am not sure he knew exactly what it all meant, but he knew he was a getting an award for being something pretty amazing.

Now I realize in the scheme of things this isn’t life changing…but for me it’s another amazing notch in God’s belt. A win for Him and the miracle of E, a huge loss for Mr Ugly.