Established Steps

Super Bowl Sunday

2012-02-05T20:09:00.000-08:00

Happy Super Bowl Sunday.

I, like most of America, watched the game with friends and family.

I, like most of America, laughed heartily at some of the commercials of covered my eyes at several of them.

I, like most of America, poked fun at Madonna and changed the channel to America's Funniest Home Videos.

I, like most of America, snacked to brink of explosion and gained about 100 pounds in one evening.

I, like most of America, was completely unaware of what this day means for the trafficked woman and children in the sex slave industry in Indianapolis.

Super Bowl Sunday is notoriously one of the biggest days for the prostitution industry. As this article says: "The Super Bowl is the most-watched program on TV every year. But many people don’t know about its dark underside: the Super Bowl, like other large sporting events, is a magnet for sex trafficking and child prostitution. It is possibly the largest sex trafficking event in the US. As more than 100,000 football fans descend on Indianapolis, sex traffickers and pimps will also arrive in droves to take advantage of the demand."

As we eat and fellowship and laugh and enjoy, lets remember to be in prayer and advocating for those who are in bondage today and everyday. For those trapped in an industry they cannot escape making their lives a living hell. Lets remember to be petitioning our Father to free the captives.

Thanks.

Fun and Swishy

2012-01-28T09:39:00.000-08:00

Its been a while since a fun post, no? Some pictures from my first semester at college, all photo credits to my friend James Esmond, a second year and our faithful photographer.

Playing Ultimate Frisbee last fall. We did lots of this when the weather allowed. Can't wait for more.

My first year class (missing my friend Lisa) at the Yuletide feast before Christmas!

Almost all of us first and second years after going to a concert/mass requiem at a little church in our town for music class!

My dad led a 3 day hike in the Smoky Mountains over fall break with me and 6 of the other students. It was SO fun, beautiful, and hard! I loved it.

Alexandra, me, and Lesley getting ready to start hiking!

Other reason for writing this post: I ordered a couple of things from one of the fair trade sites I told you about and they came yesterday! Hooray!

I got the red one of these, the blue of these , and the black of this.

Overall I'm super happy, they're all so soft and well made and they delivered really quickly! The pants/capris are a little longer than I expected (yay) and a little bluer than I expected (not so yay. but alright). The tank is great except they run a little larger, so if you get one you might want to go a size down.

Basically, they're all swishy and lovely and I know that I know that slaves or children or desperate parents trying to provide for their families on next to nothing didn't make them. I know that these were made by reputable organizations doing their best to provide jobs and opportunity and hope in places that need it most. The tags on the clothes tell precisely where each article of clothing was made and I'm just happy as can be knowing that some mommy in India spent a morning making my pretty red skirt and then got to go home and feed her children.

I might just wear it everyday.

Moving Mountains

2012-01-22T18:20:00.000-08:00

GUYS. I have some really, really, really incredible news. Reece's Rainbow has started a new project called Moving Mountains. Basically, combining the children's individual grants and other donations Reece's Rainbow has received, the financial barrier of adopting these children has been eliminated.

DID YOU HEAR ME? ELIMINATED. The entire process has been covered. NOTHING stands in the way of these children coming home except the right families finding them and committing to them.

I know that not everyone is in the position to adopt right now, but more than likely you know someone who is. Many families would love to have the blessing of adoption but have been inhibited by finances. If you want, share this news on your facebook, your twitter, your blog, word of mouth, wherever. And of course you can always pray for them when you think of it!

Do it for Sunny

Do it for Tim.

Do it for my precious Sergei-boy, who you all helped raise money for a year and a half ago and whose picture(s) have been on my fridge all this time. God is doing a mighty work in Sergei. The healing of his body from his baby pictures to this is absolutely astonishing.

Do it for Mark.

Do it for handsome little Morgan, with his giant brown eyes.

Do it for suffering little Owen who can't go much longer without medical attention but would blossom inconceivably from the benefits and corrective surgery and the unconditional love of a family.

Do it for Evie.

Do it for Brigita.

God is faithful for the orphan. He is faithful to the last dollar. Faithful to the last tear. Faithful to the last lonely one. Blessed be His name in all the earth.

Fair Trade

2012-01-21T07:12:00.000-08:00

Hey guys. I've been thinking about writing the post for a while now and wasn't quite sure how to start. Still not quite sure. :)

About a month ago I made a quick run to Old N*vy. I'd ripped a hole in my only good pair of jeans and I needed* a couple of long sleeve shirts. I completed the whole trip spending only $25. Good day! 2 shirts and 1 pair of jeans for 25$? That's pretty good! When I came home I held up one of the shirts I bought a looked at it before putting it in my drawer.

*no, I did not need them

Made in Veitnam said the tag. As I read the it I heard the Lord say, "Slaves made that shirt." I rarely hear God's voice in that direct, definite way.

That hit me like a load of bricks. Not kidding, I actually fell on the floor. Its not like I hadn't heard about human trafficking and sweatshops before. Of I had. One of my dearest friends in the world has been passionate and vocal about modern day slavery for a long time (and is currently finishing up writing a killer paper about it), but for some reason I never caught the bug the same way she did. I chose to look the other way. I chose to ignore what was gradually becoming a bigger and bigger pattern. I chose what was easier, cheaper, and more convenient for me than even being willing to look into other options. Even when reading these posts I didn't listen.

But that night (when I was supposed to be working on Greek homework) I was totally overwhelmed. It suddenly struck me that by continuing to buy clothes made in sweatshops and by slaves, I was enabling them, I was, in a strange sense, a slave owner.

Maybe the shirt I bought was made by a child who should have been in school but instead had been up since 4:00 in the morning around dangerous machinery in inhumane work conditions so that I could buy a $4 shirt. Maybe a father was walking home after a seemingly endless week but had nothing to bring back to his family. Maybe he stopped and got drunk instead of facing the situation he was too entangled to fix. Maybe an HIV positive mother held her 3 year old to her breast after making my shirt, giving him the only food she could afford-- exposing him to contracting the same disease. Maybe that's where my shirt was made.

I know this all sounds pretty hopeless, but that's what I was thinking! Thankfully, there is good news to come! I've started looking into fair trade, ministry-minded companies that make beautiful clothing, and I'm here to share them with you!

SoleRebels shoes are made in Ethiopia by whole communities working together and using the resources and the artisanship that they already have. They make about a million different varieties and are a great example of entreprenuering. Can't wait to buy my first pair.

The Hungersite has a bunch of super cute stuff and a lot of it is fair trade and gives back to the community! And, its about equivalent to T*rget prices-- so great!

Marketplace Handwork of India has a ton of coats, skits, dresses, and shirts made by women in India and sold all over the world. They are a non-profit business and employ and empower nearly 500 Indian women!

Global Mamas has clothes made by mamas in Africa for mamas (and everyone) everywhere! Isn't that an awesome name? They pretty much manage their own business and, the super cool thing is, you can find out the name and the story of the women who made your specific purchase!

So cool, right? Knowing the names and the stories of life and progress and opportunity, rather than guessing at the nameless millions being forced or coerced into working in hidden sweatshops.

Thanks for bearing with me, this is just whats on my mind right now and I was super excited to find out how many ministries and businesses there were available. Happy Saturday!

Again

2012-01-17T12:55:00.000-08:00

This is my friend Chelsea's little warrior girl, Maya. She's been working so diligently to raise funds and awareness for Maya and yesterday got the news that this sweet girl has a family committed to her! We're all pretty excited. Check out Chelsea's blog to read more about advocating for Maya. Can't wait to find out more about her family.

As I've been launching myself back into bloggy and orphan-advocating, I've been reminded by Maya's story again of God's faithfulness to be who He says He is, to be a Father to the fatherfless. He has shown Himself mighty to save. Again. Praising His faithfulness and mercy today.

Sweetest Video Ever!

2012-01-15T19:39:00.000-08:00

Hey- I know its been a million years. I promise nothing crazy has happened, school is just super busy! I'm hoping to get back into it though- starting with this video I found via a Reece's Rainbow family's blog. This is the joy of the lost coin being found and the lost sheep rescued!

The Best of News.

2011-09-03T08:01:00.000-07:00

I have news. My precious Heidi has a family. Meet the Petersons.

This sweet family has committed to adopting Heidi, and they're working their tails off with fundraising, paperwork, and getting everything ready for their girl to come home! I'm so inspired by their faith in the Father's provision as they set forth on this adventure and am honored to be walking alongside them and considered a part of Heidi's team. Hop on over to their blog to read more about their story and donate towards their adoption fund!

Guys, people say that miracles don't happen any more. People say that hope is nonsense and prayer is useless.

Heidi was abandoned. Forsaken. Without value. Without hope. But now, love has intervened. Magic has transformed her future. She has hope.

Kind of like us, right? Lost, helpless, trapped by sin. Completely enslaved to death without the intervening love of Christ on our behalf. His magic reversed our doom, like death working backward and cracking the Stone Table in half in The Chronicles of Narnia.

This is the best of news. This is the Gospel.

I'm overwhelmed by His goodness and His beautiful plan for Heidi's life. At school we begin each day with a short chapel time during which we recite The Gloria. It reads:

"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of goodwill.
We praise You.
We bless You.
We adore You.
We glorify You.
We give thanks to You for Your great glory."

Ever since I heard the Peterson's news, I've been repeating and repeating the Gloria in my head, as well as the Scripture verse that I chose for Heidi when I first became her warrior:

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
~Matthew 5:8~

Thank you for celebrating with me.

Vacation

2011-08-08T21:10:00.000-07:00

Just got home from a lovely vacation at the Dauphin Island beach. My dear friend Lizzie and I were nannying for three darling families in our church who invited us along. Beach vacation in exchange for snuggling cute babies. Deal.

Me and Augustine, one of the 2 other Ethiopia babies besides the twins in our parish.

Lizzie saving childen from falling of the cannon stand at Fort Gaines. She's a nanny wonderwoman.

We made friends like these. Scratch that. We ran screaming from live jellys in the water.

Looking through the window at the balcksmith at Fort Gaines. Moses may or may not be eating an ancient, filth-covered window bar. We're on it.

Me and Raechel on the beach on the last evening. News: I'm excited to announce that when school starts I'll move out of my own lovely home and board with Raechel and her awesome husband and precious son and daughter in their lovely home. I'm so blessed and excited. She also gets sole credit for all of these beautiful photos.

With vacation over there is nothing standing between me and the reality of being about to start college.

I came home to see this on my (own!) bed:

Beautiful. Exciting. Going to run away crying in fear.

2011-07-30T19:07:00.000-07:00

Truth Pandemic - Get the facts about HIV/AIDS and Adoption

2011-07-28T15:57:00.000-07:00

What more is there to say?

The truth will set us free.

Fleece Blanket Project

2011-07-26T16:31:00.000-07:00

I'm still working to raise a fuss over my girl, Heidi.

And so is my friend Chelsea for her girl, Robyn.

Remember my attempt at raising money for Heidi by making necklaces? Well, I had a couple of requests but not much interest. The fact is, one of my lovely little siblings, who shall remain nameless, took it into his or her head that after I had spent three hours braiding enough silver thread to make two necklaces the best possible plan would be to sneak in with his or her scissors and cut them to pieces.

We all recovered.

However, my desire to complete that particular project was rather squashed. Thankfully, my friend Chelsea still had as much drive as ever, and we got together to brainstorm fundraisers for both of our Reece's Rainbow beauties. We decided on making fleece tie blankets, and we have these two above as examples. You can either order one just like one of these two or you can place a request for color/pattern combination and we'll do all we can to make it happen! Just leave a comment or email me at ama2@bellsouth.net to place and order.

The blankets are double layered fleece made made from 1 1/2 yard of material, and they cost 25$ a piece. It is for our girls, remember.

Unfortunately/fortunately I'm a fan of old school snail mail as far as paying goes (read: I have no idea how to implement one of those chip-in things). So, either send your check via envelope, owl post, whatever, or you can donate the amount directly to Reece's Rainbow and just tell me that you did. I trust you.

So, feeling sweaty? Loving this humid, summer weather? Spending time at the beach? Still in the month of July with the rest of the Western Hemisphere? What you need is definitely a double layered fleece throw blanket. Duh.

Thanks guys. :)

EB

2011-07-24T21:32:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted about EB because it is just petrifingly scary and indescribably painful. But it's on my heart, so here I am.

This disease effects the skin, and in most cases makes every single function of normal life agonizing, until the patient either looses the will to live, or his or her body simply can not go on trying to constantly repair the broken skin.

This is on mind for a couple of reasons, I have a minor (comparitively VERY minor) skin defect called eczema, which has caused enough trouble in my life to tune my heart to far, far greater suffereing. Secondly, some of our beloved Reece's Rainbow orphans have it (these precious ones are about to be orphaned no more, praise Jesus!) And the third reason is because of this sweet family. I'm begging you to join me on your knees on behalf of their beautiful son, Tripp, as well as the other families who have been effected by EB.

Thank you.

My Girl

2011-07-13T19:04:00.000-07:00

I can't even tell me how much I've had this girl on my heart lately.

Look at her, are you melting? I'm in love.

This little lady has been transferred. An adoptive family from Reece's Rainbow visited her this month and took this drop-dead-gorgeous picture. They wrote:

"Little Heidi was the meekest of the group, she is the smallest girl and stayed close to the caregivers, all the while looking on with great curiosity and smiling at me, melting my heart for sure."

Thats my girl. Update about fundraisers for Heidi in my next post!

Jar Fundraiser for Heidi

2011-07-09T20:22:00.001-07:00

First of all, sorry for the extremely blurry picture.

I've had a jar sitting out for my beautiful Heidi-lady since I became her 2011 warrior a couple of months ago. Tonight I turned on a movie and sat down to count out what we'd collected so far. The grand total came out to be $37.72!

This is truly the easiest fundraiser in the world and it sparks conversation when guests see the jar with his/her on your counter.

Set out a jar for your RR baby or your sponsor baby. Just do it.

I love you, Heidi.

Heidi Update

2011-07-05T20:31:00.000-07:00

My girl. I love her.

Thank you, Father, for growth, new pictures, and sunflower pig tails.

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

A little more B*ntu camp!

2011-06-15T09:02:00.000-07:00

The feast on the last day.

Me and the littlest baby in my group, N*rto.

My brother Joseph helping out in the little boys group. He was awesome this week, its the first year he's been old enough to do it and I was so proud of how gently and appropriately he handled those rambunctious little guys.

Water slide!

Dragon-slaying party at the end of the week.

Dancing at the feast. :)

Eating some cotton candy one day.

Beauty.

Some precious little ladies with some seriously silly attitude.

B*ntu Camp

2011-06-10T10:15:00.000-07:00

This week was B* camp for me and my classmates. Its the third annual camp we've done with the B*ntu refugees. They are a severely oppressed, under priviledge, Muslim people group here in Nashville.

I have such an incredible time there every year, and I love following up with the kids throughout the year through in little one-day activites and stuff. I have several special relationships with certain kids and the trust level between the kids and our volunteers has grown so much. Jesus be praised. We are continuing to break down barriers in the hope that one day soon we will be able to speak openly about our faith and be heard by receptive little ears and without the danger of the kids being persecuted/banned from seeing us by their families.

More to come, hopefully.

Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl

2011-06-03T07:58:00.000-07:00

Just read this book, given to me by a friend for my graduation. Oh. My. Word.

Can you say beautiful?
How about fascinating?
Brilliant?
Life-changing?
Hilarious?
Thought-provoking?
All around full of wonder?

Whether or not you can say those things, read it. Readitreaditreaditreadit. I'm hoping to read it atleast once a year.

Spreadin' the love....or the work.

2011-06-02T22:13:00.000-07:00

We have a lot of work to do.

In fact, until Jesus returns we are called to be constantly doing one of three things: Working. Resting. Or Worshipping.

And by work I mean Kingdom work, and by rest I mean Kingdom rest (As in, not chocolate bar glutton rest and not endless hours of facebook rest. Real, healthful, body-spirit-soul rest. Says the chocolate-eating facebook addict. Not as I do, people. Not as I do.)

That being said, we have a lot of work to do. We are working with Christ in redeeming, in gardening the world. Our world is a mess, but our work is far from hopeless. Actually, our work is certain to succeed. Good will always prevail over evil in the end. Good is so much bigger than evil.

I digress. But happily. :)

My dear IRL* friend (to steal a phrase from this lovely blog), Chelsea, is working on raising money, like many of you, for a little Reece's Rainbow girl for the 5/5/5 project. I'd be delighted if you jumped over to her cute, green blog (doubtless she would be delighted as well) and poked around to learn more about her fundraising efforts and see what you can do to help.
*in real life

We're working together. We're gardening together. We have a lot of work to do.

And someOne has gone before us. Blessed be His name in all the earth.

Fundraiser for my darling

2011-05-30T09:24:00.000-07:00

Everybody remember my little love, Heidi?

I dressed up her picture. :) Did anyone else notice that her hair is frenchbraided? I'm happy that at what ever point this picture was taken there was somebody who loved her enough to fix her gorgeous silky hair. And I am an absolute sucker for plaiting in every form.

Several months ago I was praying/brainstorming for a fundraising idea for Heidi, as I've been pretty inactive about raising money for her. I decided on making necklaces, and calling it Hearts of Heidi. Heidi has a minor heart defect which I don't think is causing her any huge problems now, but still a heart defect is a heart defect. I just want her home and healthy.

I'm making them out of things I have at home: handbraided silver string, nail polish, and scrabble letters, so there isn't any over head. They're 5$ and every bit goes towards Heidi's grant to help with her adoption expenses if/when a family commits to her.

The hearts remind me to pray for Heidi's physical health and her spiritual health. I am hoping to have a specific verse to pray over her soon too.

Contact me at ama2@bellsouth.net if you're interested in a Hearts for Heidi necklace!

A Little More LONDON

2011-05-30T07:16:00.000-07:00

Beach!

My friends Kylie, Abby, and me.

The Round Church built by Christians home from the 3rd crusade. This thing is so freaking old. I think its my favorite church we saw.

My friend Claire and I at the Lewes Castle. Please delicately ignore my offensive black leggings/brown dress/converse situation. I know, poor choice. Sometimes my wardrobe just takes over and attacks me. Oh well.

My friend Caroline Grace and I at Bunhill feilds, where many puritan heroes (such as John Bunyan) are buried. We also had outdoor church there.

In St. Pancras station looking at the Eurostar which runs from London through the Chunnel to Paris! Its long. VERY long.

My dear friend Kylie and I on the beach.

Morning train ride from Brighton into London.

With a palace gaurd's horse!

This was a very cold decision. But I'm glad I did it. :)

6 pounds in an Antiquarian bookshop in Cambridge. Happy sigh.

Rooster on the top of All Hallows Barking Church across from the tower of London. Did you know that the rooster was the symbol of protestantism? I didn't. Cool.

Grateful

2011-05-29T11:53:00.001-07:00

I graduated from highschool yesterday.

I'm just so grateful for all that the Lord has taught me and will teach me and all of the wise and wonderful people who have poured into me for the past 18 years to get me to this point.

In other news, my pastor preached this morning about being constant in prayer. Um, convicting? Yeah. Remebering to pray for this precious boy. God has given me so many oppportunities. To many to blog about. And I'm so grateful.

England

2011-05-27T20:22:00.000-07:00

In no order at all, this is a random assortment of a couple of my Senior Trip to England pictures.

Eating noodles at Wagamama's. Chopsticks and I don't get along.

Sleeping with my friend's Pooh bear in the airport.

Looking at the chalky cliffs of Sussex from the Lewes castle.

Most of my class (missing Sydni, Hannah, Elizabeth, Christian, Elle, Grace, and Hannah) at St. Paul's cathedral.

Sitting in Winston Churchill's chair, wearing Winston Churchill's hat, at Winston Churchill's favorite cigar shop. I am a fan of Winston Churchill.

Inside the heart of Westminster Abbey.

The coast of Brighton, where we stayed.

Me on the English Channel.

5.14.11

2011-05-14T20:34:00.000-07:00

The stories that are never told.
The candles that are never burned.
The sterile home thats frozen cold,
With lessons never learned.

The plastic-bead filled candy jar.
The meager meal, tastless,
Though food abounds and never far,
The safety caution rigorous.

A shield of life against all life?
What mischeif lies herein?
That steals away the joy, the day,
The tales, the toys, the gin?

What theiving villian taries nigh
And blinds the men to light?
Who tells the Noble's sons a lie,
Embalming them in fright?

For we were called to work and strife,
To tears and toil and woe.
But we were made for joyous life,
Victorious peace also.

Our shortened days? They are a gift.
A bless'd, far-sighted tool.
The one who tries to hoard his time?
A pale, cowardly fool.

So will we cower in a cell,
A safely screened captive?
Or will we heed adventure's spell,
And, dying, ever live?

New Love

2011-05-13T12:18:00.000-07:00

Just heard about these guys last night. They are incredible. They music is beautiful and the lyrics are perfect. It pulls heavily from Scripture, especially Galations 6:9, Isaiah 57:10, and really a ton more. This song basically sums up a big struggle in my life (and really the life of every Christian) especially at this part:

Its not that we don't know or we're not shown the proof of poverty.
Its not that we don't have the tools to go to break this yoke of slavery.
We quit because its not an easy fix and then forget that they are even there.
We forget to care.

Oh, my soul, faint not, no
Faint not.
Oh my soul, keep up, in love.

Everthing is so hard and complicated. The struggle is so real and the fix isn't easy.

Oh my soul, faint not.

Overheard

2011-05-04T11:47:00.000-07:00

Julia to her doll: "Do you know what tomorrow is?"
Doll: "No."
Julia: "Tomorrow the Holy Spirit is coming for a visit!"

Michael playing by himself: "The people see a light far away and they say 'Oh! Is that the sun?' No! It is big lazers coming to shoot them!! Ahahahaha!"

Birthday Party Project

2011-05-01T15:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my beloved Avery's sixth birthday. Sixth. My boy has spent six years without a family. It breaks my heart.

But, this year, I decided to celebrate. To celebrate his life. To celebrate the hope he has in Christ. To celebrate that he is not forgotten.
My parents were out of town and my brother wasn't home, but Michael, Julia, and Lela Grace were game:

So we got balloons. (We got birthday plates and noise makers too but forgot to take a picture of them. I'm sure the neighbors were delighted, however.)

We hung a banner in the trees.

We bought a beautiful, colorful banner. I wanted everything to be colorful to go with Reece's Rainbow. I made colorful cupcakes but forgot to take pictures of them. However, if I had, it would have looked something like this:

If you have a Prayer Warrior child or a New Years warrior child or a sponsor child, find out his birthdays. If on Reece's Rainbow it just says the month, pick a day. Thats what I did. Spend that day praying for him. Write him a letter. Make him cupcakes. Whatever. The goal is to remember to be in prayer for your little love. If people ask you what you're doing and why you are doing it, praise the Lord. This doubles as an opportunity to raise awareness. Tell your friends. Tell your family. Tell random people on the internet who read your blog (Just kidding. You aren't random. And I love you for putting up with me).

If you buy a banner or a pack of plates or rainbow candles, get a little box and put them in there and use them next year when your RR child's birthday roles around, or if you pray for several children, pull them back out in another couple of months.

"So we do not loose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day."

~1 Corinthians 4:16~

Today....

2011-04-30T07:03:00.001-07:00

..is a very special day. I'll tell you all about it later, but for now, I'll just give you a hint:

Advocating!

2011-04-29T13:30:00.000-07:00

My lovely friend from school, Megan is preparing to leave for a mission trip to China. She didn't know that she was going until very recently and her trip is coming up soon! One of those situations where God throws something unexpected in your lap, but she has handled it so well and I am so happy for her!

Soooooo, if you live in the area, she is having a movie night tonight! Come on out!

If you don't live in the area, she is also making these adorable headbands! Um, cute! I LOVE headbands, but always feel awful about buying them because the cute ones are usually so expensive and it just doesn't make sense to spend money that way, but now! Boom! We have a brilliant opportunity for missions and cute headbands!

In other news, I had my oral defense Wednesday. It went really well, I am so proud of all of my classmates and I'm delighted that its over! God gave me the opportunity to speak vehemently about the importance of adoption and even during the questioning to share about what we can personally do. I was so exited, I got to slip a little spiel in there about special needs orphans. Hurrah! That was just for you, Avery, Heidi, Sergei, Alex, Melissa, Shaun, and so, so many others. I love you cute kids. Hold on.

Julia and I right before it started

Encouragement

2011-04-25T19:07:00.000-07:00

Go read my friend (blog friend and real life friend. whoa) Tori's first impression of Reece's Rainbow!

Don't give up hope! Keep talking! Keep shouting! Keep sharing! The word is getting out there. And the Word is getting out there. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

He is risen!

2011-04-24T20:27:00.000-07:00

He is risen indeed! I am overflowing with the Lord's blessings on this day.

Photo Credit by the lovely and talented Tori Woods.

Michael jumping/being a chimpanzee

A little friend unleashing all the terrors of 3 year old swordsmanship on my brother Joseph

Me handing a little friend rocks

Lela Grace

Me helping little friend M blow bubbles

...not attractive. But just so funny.

I'm in love with this picture.

A lovely Easter to you and yours.

Mercy

2011-04-23T17:12:00.001-07:00

Hungry.
I am the bread and wine that fill your every vein.

Stressed.
I have so much in store for you.

Insufficient.
My grace is sufficient for you.

Broken.
Hope is coming.

So, so, so sinful.
Father, forgive her.

Mercy.

Holy Saturday

2011-04-23T17:00:00.000-07:00

Oh hallelujiah, how I love my Savior, Oh, hallelujah, that I do;

Oh, hallelujah, how I love my Savior, Mourners, you may love Him too.

Jordan's streams shall not o'er flow me with my Savior by my side.

Canaan, Canaan! Lies before me, soon I'll cross the swelling tide.

Oh hallelujah, how I love my Savior, Oh, hallelujah, that I do;

Oh, hallelujah, how I love my Savior, Mourners, you may love Him too.

Far More Abundantly

2011-04-16T17:05:00.000-07:00

Diana has a family. Meet them at Listening With Our Hearts.

The Lord IS good. He is who He says He is. HE SETS THE LONELY IN FAMILIES.

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly more than all we can ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

~Ephesians 3:20-21~

Diana Update

2011-04-15T21:12:00.001-07:00

Guyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyys!!!! We got new information on Diana! A family that visited with her has pictures and information! She is absolutely adorable. Hop over to Dreams For Diana to see!

Prayer Request

2011-04-15T15:43:00.000-07:00

Guys! If you don't already read this blog, head over to No Greater Joy Mom. They have an urgent prayer request for a little boy named Vanya onn Reece's Rainbow. Click on the link to read about it and lets get praying for this boy!

Imperishable

2011-04-11T22:24:00.000-07:00

Sorry, this is going to be a long one. I am not sleeping. I love sleep and it is rather late, but about 100 things are keeping me awake. First of all, the Gould family adoption fundraiser was a smashing success! I can't even describe how wonderful it all was and how faithful the Lord has been through the whole process. Originally my mom and I were heading it up, but I have a tendency to get really excited about and idea and rally and go crazy and then fall off the band wagon when things get tough. Its a sin and its wrong and God is really revealing that to me lately. Anyway, my mom was really the lady of the day, along with several other amazing women who have more perseverence than me. We held the event at Sodium, which is really a pretty amazing ministry in itself.

Michael and Julia enjoying some lunch.

My mom working the silent auction in her one less orphan shirt from the Elliots. She is my hero and my best friend. I love her. :)

The soon to be big sister of a beautiful Ethiopian sibling! Me working the silent auction. Lela Grace and the Gould's youngest son Ian (affectionately known as Sho on the blog:)

My brother Joseph (in the Titans shirt) and the oldest son of the family that lived with us last summer. Love them.

The Lord brought in SO much more money than any of us were expecting, which was such a huge blessing. I was so blown away and the thought I was carrying around in my head all day was "Lord, you really are good!" I think its something I know in my head all the time, but yesterday literally everywhere I turned all I could see was the goodness of the Lord. He is who He says He is. He is faithful. He is good.

The second reason I can't sleep is because of this girl.

Meet Diana.

Isn't she beautiful? Her precious little pixie cut and missing tooth, ah. Diana is an orphan on Reece's Rainbow. She has Cystic Fibrosis, a lung condition that is terminal if untreated. Diana needs a family badly so that she can get vital medical attention, her time is short and every breath is a struggle for her. Several people are working hard to get her story out there so if you have a blog or a facebook page be sure to share about Diana. You can see her information on the Reece's Rainbow website and visit Dreams For Diana which is a blog all about her! Her eighth birthday is approaching in April the 24th, wouldn't it be amazing if her forever family could commit to her by then? Please help spread the word where ever you can!

Finally, just lately I've been convicted about advocating for the orphan, sure, its easy to do on a blog or with people who already know about and love orphan care, but what about in everyday life? How can we get loud about orphans on a daily basis? I have several ideas that will probably each get a post in themselves in the next week but I do want to mention one thing.

At my school, the seniors final project is an oral defense of a thesis they have written. I've written about the thesis process before, but this year its a little different. We give a 3-5 minute speech in front of more than just the school and then answer three questions defending our thesis. My paper is about adoption and I am excited for the opportunity to get to share in a way and to a group that I wouldn't normally get to. While was at my teacher's house the other night practicing, she threw me a practice question about practical ways for people to get involved. I was surprised. I was expecting something a little more scholarly or historical perhaps. I listed off a few things, but now I am going to make a list and have several really doable ways for people to get involved in orphan care after hearing my speech. I am so excited and nervous, I really need the Lord to just use me and have it actually be all Him.

My pastor preached recently about Sodom and Gomorrah and about how God didn't destroy those cities because their was too much sin, but because their weren't any guardians. Not even 10 were to be found in the city, Abraham asked. We as Christians are called to be guardians and preists in this world, interceding and covering. We are called to be preservers. We are called to be salt.

This evening I was praying for Diana and asking the Lord for a specific verse for her.

"For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality."

~1 Corinthians 15:53~

What does salt do? Salt is a preservative. Salt makes that which is perishable, imperishable. God is swallowing up death in victory and we are a part of the story. We are the salt. He is making all things new.

So we do not loose heart.

Fellow heirs with Christ

2011-04-03T13:38:00.000-07:00

I felt the full force (well, I guess it probably isn't the full force) of that blessing today. Nothing really extraordinary or bizarre in the way that we usually think about things, just a beautiful day. Beautiful worship. Beautiful weather. Beautiful picnic. Beautiful friends and family. Beautiful opportunity. Beautiful hope. I hope you enjoyed your Sabbath celebration as dearly as I did. To add to the list of beautiful things in my day, I got this beautiful t-shirt! (I feel stupid for not being able to flip the pictures. I even googled it. Don't judge me. :) The front is an orange-yellow Africa with a white heart of Ethiopia and it says "one less orphan." The back says "I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you. Jn. 14-18"

These shirts support the Elliot family's adoption from ET. I am just beginning to know them but they are so sweet and I can't wait to get better acquainted and get this baby (babies?) home!! Anyway, if you want a cute shirt, here ya go! Check out their blog for the details. Its basically super comfy and breezy and cute. You want one. :)

I also really appreciate the delicate balance of speaking out boldly on behalf of the orphan and not being abrasive or unapproachable with a really in-your-face message, which I feel like the Elliots did very well.

"The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children with God, and if children, then heirs--- heir of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided that we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him."

~Roman 8:16-17~

So much mystery in this passage. Seriously, the Spirit bears witness with our spirit? What does that even mean? We can't conceive what that looks like spiritually. Suffering with Christ. Glorified with Christ. Images we can't even imagine were captured for me today in a pancake breakfast. In a worship service. In a child's giggle. In a picnic. In an adoption journey. The mystery is in the ordinary. It really is amazing.

Happy, happy Sunday. :)

Official!

2011-03-28T15:47:00.000-07:00

Heidi's picture is now showing that she has a warrior! We are official! Lets get this ball rolling.

Reece's Rainbow Warrior

2011-03-28T07:30:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone. So, if you haven't already, I wish you would first go read Joanna's Post about being an Orphan Warrior through Reece's Rainbow, before finishing this one. She really explains the amazing opportunity and the very accessible 'do-ability' of this ministry. I already am a Prayer Warrior for Avery (Prayer), and last year we did a one month warrior thing to raise money for Sergei. Reece's Rainbow also has an Orphan Warrior Project where you can commit, for one year, to raise money for a specific orphan with special needs. After much consideration, I have decided to spend this year advocating for Heidi. Isn't she precious? A absolutely love that silky brown hair and dark eyes and that precious open-mouthed half smile. Heidi has already been transerfered to an institution, and she is five years old. She doesn't have a personal grant, which means that all finances raised for her will go into a grant for all of the older down syndrome girls on RR. I don't quite understand how all of that works, but I do understand that Heidi needs a voice. And I have one to use on her behalf. Please pray for my sweet Heidi girl, and if you want to donate towards her adoption, email me at ama2@bellsouth.net. Thank you guys so much! I can't wait to get to "know" Heidi better while praying for her and advocating for her.

!!!

2011-03-23T11:15:00.000-07:00

My cousin sketched this of me yesterday! She is so talented and generous. I love her!

Happy Spring Break!

New Things

2011-03-17T18:26:00.000-07:00

"Behold, the former things have come to

pass,

and new things I now declare;

before they spring forth

I tell you of them."

~Isaiah 42:9~

Do you remember the little Reece's Rainbow boy Sergei that you helped raise money for last year? He has a new picture.

Honestly, I can kind of understand how a child can change from this:

To this:

:) ...handsome boy.

But how a child grows from this:

To THIS:

Can ONLY be a magic miracle wrought by the God of the universe Himself.

BLESSED be the name of the Lord.

"I am the LORD; that is my name;

my glory I give to no other."

~Isaiah 42:8~

Breathless

2011-03-15T21:28:00.001-07:00

I just found this picture. And its left me breathless. Tearful. Saddened.

This is my Reece's Rainbow Prayer Warrior boy, affectionately referred to as 'Prayer' on the blog.

I have learned that I can share his name with you as well, though I didn't think so before. His name is Avery. And I love him so, so, so much.

Can you believe how much this child has grown? I have failed to pray faithfully for him lately, and seeing this picture, I realized that I have sort of abandoned him. I gave up hope. Oh my sweet boy, I am so sorry.

Avery is elligible for an older child grant. Please, please, if you know anyone looking to adopt, share the news about my sweet boy. All of his information can be found on Reece's Rainbow.

"So we DO NOT loose heart.

Though our outer nature is wasting away,

our inner nature is being renewed day by day."

~2 Corinthians 4:16~

Overcoming

2011-03-15T14:24:00.000-07:00

"I have said these things to you that you, that in Me you may have peace.

In the world, you will have tribulation.

But take heart;

I have overcome the world."

~John 16:33~

I would like you introduce you to the Gould family. The Gould's have five children, Molly, Max, Tanner, Tate, and Ian--- who you may remember as Sho. Now that this family has blog, I think I can call their children by their actual names. :)

Molly and I at B* camp last summer.

The Gould's have decided to open their home to one, possibly two, little girls from Ethiopia. My family and I are absolutely ecstatic to get to walk this journey with them as the third Ethiopian adoption family in our church (actually, one more family who I don't know very well is starting the process as well, hopefully we'll have four families with ET babies soon!) We have already started busily preparing an fundraiser! I can't wait.

Anyway, hop on over to the Gould's blog and read how the Lord is overcoming the world through them. I am so amazed by this family. They have such a beautiful faith. They have FIVE young children already, the youngest of whom with special needs. Does this sound crazy to you? It is crazy. It is so so so crazy. When Christ said that HE had overcome the world--- He wasn't kidding! Despite distance, despite finances, despite already full-to-the-bursting homes, Jesus is overcoming the world one family at a time.

All I can do is thank Him.

I'm a terrible blogger but...

2011-03-14T19:15:00.000-07:00

...but the weather was beautiful entering into the Lenten Season this weekend.

I am a terrible blogger, but my beautiful, little friend Hazel turned 1 year old this week!

(Raechel, Me, Hazel, and Lizzie)

I am a terrible blogger, but my friends and I went up to see the B* people this weekend.

...and read stories to them.

...and assessed yet again that they are pretty darn cute.

....and learned more about love.

I am a terrible blogger, but I have a sweet baby sister who makes funny faces with me and brings me joy every day.

I am a terrible blogger, but my classmates and I held a fundraiser for our senior trip at the ice skating rink with some success.

I am a terrible blogger. But God is oh so amazing.

Psalm 5

2011-02-11T05:41:00.000-08:00

"O Lord, in the morning you hear my

voice;

in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for

you and watch."

~Psalm 5:3~

When we bring sacrifice in the morning (prayer) we can't forget to watch. What will He do?

"O Lord, in the morning you hear my

voice;

in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for

you and watch."

Have a lovely Friday.

Our God

2011-02-07T20:05:00.000-08:00

GUYS!!!!! You HAVE to go read this post! This is the most amazing adoption story I have ever heard. I have been following this precious family since they left to adopt their two little RR girls and now the Lord has worked their story even further, its amazing!

Blessed, Blessed, Blessed be the name of the LORD!

2011-02-05T19:58:00.000-08:00

That is all I have to say.

College

2011-02-03T13:13:00.000-08:00

I just got accepted into the college of my choice.

I suppose I should say the college of the Lord's choice, 'cause it really wasn't mine until a couple months ago. But it is now.

Yay. I feel like such a big girl.

Sunny January

2011-01-29T20:13:00.000-08:00

Sound like an oxymoron? That's what I thought too until I met today. Hello sunny and 60 degrees with a little breeze. Where have you been the past couple of months?

Needless to say, I spent a plethora of time out of doors with a couple of the most adorable kids I know.

Evening on the trampoline.

Booty bump. It's a twin thing. :)

Mid sentence.

Mid Air.

Mid Splash.

"Hey Audrey, can I just sit on this bench with you for a while?"

She does profile well.

GLARE. but cute.

First Sunday in the New Church Building

2011-01-21T08:18:00.001-08:00

We had our first sunday in the new church building a couple of weeks ago. I blogged about our church's mission and the vision of church planting a little while ago, if you missed it. Last Sunday was in many ways wonderful and in many ways very hard. All of the children who I babysit are staying at the other church location as well as several of my mentors. But the Kingdom is coming. Mourning will not endure. Feasting and worship absolutely will. This is just part of the work we are called to do. Since when is mission work easy?

Directing traffic. One of our deacons wears a kilt on Sundays. Isn't that just the most fantastic thing you ever saw? He never fails to make my morning. :)

Lela Grace (in the cloak) helping out in Michael and Julia's class. As you can see, most of the kids stayed in the other location.

Singin'.

Dad, Michael, and Julia walking in.

Communion.

Bulletin.

I wish I could say I was responsible for documenting all of this, but actually I stole the photos from my pastor's facebook. :)

Happy Friday everyone!

Facebook Status

2011-01-12T20:02:00.000-08:00

Today got a new ring for free, lunch for two dollars, a new shirt for 99 cents, dinner for free, and made 20$ in an hour and a half.

Just call me Miss Thrifty.

(I am taking a break from posting facebook satuses or I would have posted this there. I obviously just couldn't resist posting it somewhere. :)

Throne

2011-01-12T08:05:00.000-08:00

Do you ever think about praying? Like what praying really is?

This is what I mean. A couple of days ago I wrote a fan letter to a band. (I know, I know, I'm a dork. My family scoffed. Feel free to do the same.) But really, they have genuine talent and craftsmanship, I love their sound, I appreciate that their lyrics aren't crude or explicit, I like it when they cover a song that was crass or (in my opinion) just hideous. They aren't a Christian band, but they started small, and they have a big emphasis on family. .....and I may or may not be a teesy bit in love with the lead singer. I'll leave that to your discretion.

But this morning, when I work up, I started praying. There are a couple of people that I try to pray for everyday (more on that another time). I was just lifting them up and talking to God about my day when this idea hit me. I was currently standing in a castle. A palace. The palace. And not just anywhere, I was literally standing before the golden throne of the Father Himself. I don't mean this just figuratively either. I truly believe that in a very real sense I was there. And we are all there every time we pray.

Suddenly an obession with a band is a little lame, right? Compared to conversing with the Lord who loves me?

Thats what I thought to.

Just if you're curious here is a song they did. He wrote it for his wife whenever he meets her- so sweet. And I love acoustic.

Both eyes...

2011-01-11T08:32:00.000-08:00

Are fully functioning this morning. If you were wondering.

Which I'm sure you all were. :)

Not me Monday

2011-01-10T13:55:00.000-08:00

I do not sometimes iritate my younger siblings.

And they do not ever retaliate.

Because of this, my eyeball was not subject to all the force of an angry five year old fingernail earlier this morning.

And finally, I most

certainly

do

not....

...look a little like a pirate today.

And I do not still love all twenty five year old fingernails in this house just the same.

Movie Night

2011-01-09T20:22:00.000-08:00

We watched "Despicable Me" as a family tonight.
I didn't have high hopes but, not gonna lie, I really enjoyed it.

Cute, clever, funny, and pro-adoption. :)

You should see it.

I live in Faerie Land

2011-01-08T09:20:00.000-08:00

You may not believe it, but I do.

A world where the most strange an unexpected advenutres pursue me at every corner.

A world where the nature of things demands that pride goes before a fall. Its the strangest magic, but unfailingly true. No one ever escapes it.

A world where feasting and fasting is a part of the natural order. I belong to a race of of peculiar creatures who perish without structured and frequent feasting.

A story where the conquering Hero and a white horse slays the dragon for His love.

The magic of my country breaks stones in half and makes them sing.

A world where love never fails. Never ends.

A country where the victory is certain, despite the most absurd odds.

A land where captivating beauty waits around every bend.

A land where the story ends at a wedding feast around the Party Tree.

If you're not sure of the way to Faerie Country, I must beg you to begin looking more earnestly. For in truth, this is the only reality.

1 Corinthians

2011-01-06T16:14:00.000-08:00

But in fact Christ has been raise from the dead,

the Firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive.

But each in his own order:

Christ the firstfruits,

then at His comming those who belong to Christ.

Then comes the end,

when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying

every rule and

every authority

and power.

For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.

The last enemy to be destroyed is Death.

~1 Corinthians 15:20-26~

Death is about to be destroyed, folks.

Start rejoicing.

He is coming soon.

Hair cut for Michael!!

2011-01-04T17:35:00.000-08:00

Must be nice to still look this cute after somebody shaves 2/3 of your hair off. But he does. He looks awesome.

And it was my idea..... just sayin'. :)

Giggle!

2011-01-03T20:58:00.000-08:00

I have giggle giggle Yipee Jesus news! (To steal a phrase from this blog).

Unfortunately, it will probably be a while before I can share it.

Just an update to say that Jesus is still ALIVE, MOVING, and WORKING ON BEHALF OF THE ORPHAN. praise Him!!!!!!!!!!

(no, we are not adopting. I wish.)

Hailing the New Year

2011-01-03T09:27:00.000-08:00

It's 2011 folks.

A LOT is going to happen this year. I feel like for the last, well, I guess 17 years I have at least sort of know what life is going to be like for me in the coming year. This year is different, God is doing some crazy things in the lives of my family.

This post is really more of a journal than anything but in this year I plan to:

*Graduate from highschool.* Oh. My. Word. In some ways I am so ready and in other ways it seems surreal and terrifying.

*Go somewhere away from my hometown to work over the summer.* (I love my town--love it. But the college I plan to attend is in the same town I've grown up in, so I need to get away in the summers.)

*Start college.* ahhhhhhhhhhh.

*Begin attending a new church.* Okay, this is the biggy. And the real reason I started this post. I have talked a little about the church we are currently attending. My pastor and worhship leader and several others had had this vision of planting a church together for many years. Four years ago, they planted a daughter church out of my old church, and our family was one of several who left the old church to be a part of the new one. It was difficult for me at first, but after a few months I was happier than I'd ever been in my life, had more and better friends than I'd ever had in my life, had a totally new understanding and appreciation for worship, was learning more about the Word than I ever had in my life, and was entirely surrounded by wonderful, wise, missions-minded, people. And its been fantastic. The ways in which my family has grown and the Lord has enirched our lives are truly mind boggling.

Before the church began God called our congregation to be peculiar in that, instead of growing and building a huge building, to plant other churches. We just never anticipated it to be this soon. We probably have about 300 or 400 members, and the Lord has made a way for us to fufill the vision He called us to. He has provided us with a second location as well as the most amazing pastor for the plant. It's time.

My pastor was speaking yesterday about how much harder it is to do missions when we are comfortable and content. And boy, are we content. Everyone of us is mourning what we are losing, because we are so happy. I literally don't think there was a dry eye at church yesterday. But he went on to explain how perfect it was that God had chosen this time for us, just after advent, because the incarnation of Christ truly is the Lord going on mission. Christ left home- a perfect home. He left fellowship and communion- a perfect communion with the Trinity. He was content, but He came. For us. That we might be like Him.

He also explained that missions work is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions will come to an end, when the trumpet sounds mission work will be over. But Worship is eternal. We go on mission to make worshipers. Just as Christ did.

I have never been a part of a body, school, church or otherwise where the entire aim was missional. Literally everything about the philosophy and identity of the church is centered around spreading the gospel. Bringing darkness to light. Advancing the kingdom. Because we aren't stopping with one church plant. Now there are two churches who are intent on planting churches as soon as God provides the opportunity. Its a multiplication concept. Its a world vision concept, because the first two churches will be in suburbia in the Bible belt. But the next will hopefully be in the inner city. And then maybe in a muslim community. And maybe all over our state. And our country. And maybe in Ethiopia.

I know church planting isn't a new concept- The Lord is stirring this same vision in many churches across the globe today- maybe in your own. But it isn't new. The concept of church planting goes back to the early churches in the new testament. I'm just zealous about it because I'm watching the Lord's promises come to life. Its painful. Its hard. And it is the work of the Lord.

"I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

~Matthew 16:18~

I am really going to miss this place.

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Christmas

2011-01-02T13:15:00.000-08:00

The Christmas Eve service was as wonderful as anticipated-- I have never had more respect for our pastor as he managed to deliver a powerful message in the midst of pretty much non-stop child-wailing. I honestly think somebody or other's baby was crying all night. But it was still lovely. Afterwords we came home andddddddddd...

Made Christmas cookies! My wonderful Mother made me that apron- it was my 'open on Christmas Eve' gift.

Sisters.

Festive yumminess.

Daddy makin' breakfast, which was delicious!

Joseph and Michael looking at Mez's new coloring book.

Julia inherited LG's bike for Christmas, she was SO excited.

Five Stockings. (which had already been emptied by the time I took the picture).

I got this awesome candle lantern... and felt fierce in the morning snow with it... mwahaha.

As well as a sewing machine! I have been blessed this year by several women endeavoring to teach me how to sew (let me tell you, not an easy undertaking, precision is not really my thing), in particular the girl who I wrote about a couple posts ago. I am so excited to have my own machine! So far I've made a headband and a book mark...okay, don't jude, I'm learning!

Michael LOVES dinosaurs. And he LOVES coloring. This book made his Christmas.

Awkward angle- but on Christmas day the snow flakes that fell were so amazing. They weren't just normal balls of fluff-- I mean, we don't get much snow, but I've only seen it like this once or twice ever, every little flake was so intricate and deltailed. The perfect little crystals were orderly and unique, and tiiiiny! It was a beautiful reminder of the craftsmanship and love of the our Creator and definitely one of my favorite gifts of the day. It was also the first white Christmas I have ever seen!

Lela Grace age 11.

Cheesy smile.

You can kind of see the detail of the snowflakes more here. Seriously, it was breathtaking. (I am a teensy proud of this picture, I am NOT a photographer, but I like the way it turned out. 'Course, I had a pretty awesome subject to capture:)

Merry Christmas! Have a blessed Epiphany Season as Christmas draws to a close on the sixth.

"For God so loved the COSMOS that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

~John 3:16~

Christmas CD

2010-12-15T18:51:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for new Christmas music or a fabulous gift for a friend or family member, LOOK NO FURTHER!

Aaaaaaaaaaaand I sound like a cheesy add.

But for real, Nathan Clark George's new Christmas Cd 'Still' is currently my favorite cd! My parent's got it at a church leadership meeting a few nights ago (Mr. George and his family recently moved here and have begun attending our church) and I have listened to the whole thing probably 30 times. I am not exaggerating. I took it to the home of the family I was babysitting for because I couldn't be parted from it for whole day. :)

(Isn't he just basically edible?! Sorry, I just couldn't resist inserting some cuteness into you day. I get to play with him all day tomorrow too! So excited.)

(We had fun)

Back to the CD: There are some original compositions, some traditional carols, and some very obscure carols which used to be more a part of the church repertoire. It is seriously lovely, and grounded in the Word. Breathtaking. You can hear some samples on his website. My personal favorite of the cd isn't actually on there, but I'll give you a lyric sample:

Tomorrow shall be my dancing day; I would my true love did so chance

To see the legend of my play, to call my true love to my dance.
Then I was born of a virgin sure, of her I took on fleshly substance

Thus I was knit to man's nature to call my true love to my dance.

Chorus: Sing oh! my love, oh! my love, my love

This have I done for my true love.

In manger laid and wrapped was I so very poor this was my chance

betwixt and ox and sillly poor ass to call my true love to my dance

For thirty peices Judas me sold, his coventous far to advance:

Mark whom I kiss the same do hold! The same as he shall lead the dance

(note, the same like Judas--in sin, not Judas himself, I think thats what it means)

Chorus

Then on the cross hanged I was, where there a spear my side did glance

there issued forth both water and blood, the Judged me died to lead the dance.

Then down to hell I took my way, for my true love's deliverance

and rose again upon the third day, up to my true love and the dance.

Chorus

Then up to heaven I did ascend, where now I dwell in sure substance,

on the right hand of my Father, that man may come unto the feast and dance.

May come unto the feast and dance.

Sing oh! my love, oh! my love, my love, my love

This have I done for my true love.

Yeah, I kind of melted. Anyway, there you go!

Ps. See that tiny dot under the picture of 'Still'? Well, when I was uploading the pictures I accidently uploaded something wrong but I could NOT make it go away. I accidently delete pictures while writing a post, but I couldn't delete this one for the life of me. So I just made it very very tiny.

What I've been doing of late...

2010-12-14T12:09:00.000-08:00

A very newsie post with losts of out of order pictures. Oh well, better than nothing:)

We actually got snow before Christmas this year! Usually we don't see much of any until January or February, but on Sunday when we came out of the Lessons and Carols service it was coming down and we got about 3 inches! So fun, two of my friends got snowed in (it was pretty icy) and the next day we made this work of art (after I got home from where I had been snowed in). At the time it was a good idea. In retrospect I feel like we are probably scaring neighborhood children.... I blame Calvin and Hobbes.

Julia being a little beauty in the snow. Sorry I can't figure out how to turn the picture!

About a month ago we produced Thorton Wilder's Our Town at school, I played Emily and it was SOOOO much fun.

A couple weeks ago my friend who works with the B*ntu people invited me over to eat lunch with one of the B*ntu families. It was incredible and I really loved getting to know this sweet family better. I met the girl in pink, F*, at two summers ago and I really really love her, so is so amazing. I've met 3 of her brothers, and it was so fun to meet her gorgeous little sister A* (in the red) and her mother and sister in law and precious little nephew! Ministry to the muslim community was never something I went looking for or saw myself being apart of. Just another example of how much bigger God's plans are than ours! My experiences with them have enriched my life so much and I can't wait to continue seeing the way God works on their behalf.

On Sunday night I went over to babysit a precious baby girl who I love so much and got snowed in! It was so fun! We made cookies and just had a generally festive time with the snow falling all around. I am so blessed by this family. Raechel has become my mentor and friend, she is so amazing and has (along with a couple other adorable mommies I know, including my own) sparked a love of motherhood in homemaking in me. If you all aren't already in relationship with women older than you in your church--- DO IT, because it is the biggest blessing ever.

Weeeeell, that is all I got for now. My friend Lizzie got home safely at 11:00 the other night and I got to be at the airport to see the team come in! So fun! She brought me back a scarf from Istanbul that I am basically in love with....

Merry Christmas to all, treasure your blessings this season!

2010-12-06T07:54:00.000-08:00

Lizzie and I at B*ntu camp two years ago.

Sooo, I had good intentions of writing this post last week. Obviously, that didn't happen. :)

My dear friend Lizzie is about to head home from a mission trip to Iraq. Iraq.

Does that boggle any one else's mind? She has been in the heart of this Islamic country ministering to the Muslim community with an organization called Servant Group International at a classical Christian School there. I am amazed at her courage and compassion, this can't be an easy place to minister. She is such an inspiration and encouragment to me, as well as being that girl who gets your serious moods and your crazy moods. Good to have around.

Lizzie with some of the girls at B*ntu camp last summer. She is so good with them and I'm sure working with them helped prepare her for this trip.

So, if you think of it, please pray for Lizzie and the team as they fly home and that their work would forever change them and the people they met. Thanks! Have a blessed week!

2010-12-01T18:59:00.000-08:00

I am loosing the art of simplicity. I am loosing the ability to hear.

I have been raised and trained to think critically from a Biblical worldview. Its been amazing and I loved every second of it until I sort of hit a wall. I started making connections I didn't want to make, I started answering my own questions before I stopped to ponder and pray. I started listening to my own brain rattle on inside my head instead of letting the Spirit of the Lord fill me.

I don't know where I fell off. I'm loosing my passion for missions, all I want to do these days is move out to a little farm somewhere and do nothing but read and sleep and eat and look out the window.

I'm feeling crazy and confused and bitter and broken and trapped.

Oh Lord, enable me to live and breathe the passage: "Be still and know that I am God."

Goodbye Eight Family!

2010-11-22T15:26:00.000-08:00

The "Eight Family" moved out Saturday night. We have had such an amazing time with them and love them so much. We've all grown in the Lord by being together and we have a new and more beautiful understanding of community. We even have a nickname (a combination of our two last names) and are thinking about sending out a joint Christmas card, just for fun.

The lowly walk backwards

2010-10-28T16:55:00.000-07:00

I have always found it strange that in Scripture, those seeking the Lord travel west, while eastward travel symbolizes rebellion (Nimrod towards Shinar). Yet, we are called to look to the east for the coming of the Son with the dawn.

"And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with His glory."

~Ezekiel 43:2~

How can this work?

But, is it not a great tradition that before royalty, the lowly walk backwards?

too bad they're brother and sister..... :)

2010-09-26T14:39:00.000-07:00

cute, no?

Picnik

2010-09-23T19:10:00.000-07:00

I have recently discovered the joys of Picnik. So, for lack or anything better to say (or rather, time to say it), here are a few of my creations:

Lela Grace. The quote is a Caedmon's call song. I love Caedmons' call.

Michael and Julia at the park. Chances are good that you know this song:)

My one true love. You probably know this song too...

Blogging Friends...are awesome.

2010-09-12T19:38:00.000-07:00

I'd like you all to meet my amazing blog friend, Joanna. She is about to head to Uganda and so I just thought I'd post about her so you all can be praying for her.

#1. We've never actually met, but we've started a friendship through blogs and facebook

#2 She is adorable.

#3 She has an amazing heart of faith and compassion.

#4 I totally admire her courage.

#5 She is only 16 and is moving to Uganda for 3 months.

#6 She will be working in a Baby Cottage where she has never actually been but which I visited now two summers ago.

#7 She is leaving in 8 days!!!!!!!!!!!!

So head on over to Joanna's blog to follow this amazing girl's story!

A couple Senior Pictures

2010-09-01T13:41:00.000-07:00

What do you think?

2010-08-26T16:12:00.000-07:00

(my friends Abigail (left) and Ashley White (middle) and I (right) at Jr/Sr retreat this summer. Its the only good picture I could find with both of us in it. And, I like posting pictures!)

My wise and lovely friend Ashley White (affectionately called 'Dubs') and I were talking today about dwelling on the future.

Thinking about the future is good. But really, how much is too much?

Dubs and I go to the same church and school, and our pastor as well as our teachers speak often about purpose and calling and hope and destiny. Their words are so rousing and inspiring.

I'm curious what you think, where is the line between dwelling too much on the unknown future, and looking forward with expectant joy to see what the Lord will do?

First day back at School!!!!

2010-08-24T13:36:00.000-07:00

And judging by the fabulous brunch we had in the Senior room, its going to be an awesome year!!! Nothing kicks off a school year like cute mommies bringing yummy food!

King's Mountain Camp

2010-08-21T10:53:00.001-07:00

My school begins each year with a week of camp. Every student and many of the teachers come. Its tradition. Its rare. Its powerful. Its wonderful. The Senior class leads the camp, surprising the students with the theme of the week and preparing all of the activities. Since 6th grade I've watched the incredible leadership of the upperclassmen and this past week was such an amazing culmination of the 7 year long journey as my classmates and I finally lead the student body at King's Mountain Camp.
This is the huddle of returning alumni praying over the senior class on the last night as we signed the honor code.

The Seniors then prayed over each class indiviually as they were called up to sign. I pretty much cried the whole time, especial while praying over Joseph's and then Lela Grace's classes.

This is my class. 16 girls and 7 guys. Goodness I love them. We look kind of crazy b/c we had all just gotten out of our Cowboy and Indian costumes (hence the face paint).

We traditionally kick off the week with a flour war. Call us crazy. You'll be right. I still have flour in my hair. :)

The entire student body grades 5-12 after the flour and water balloon war. They are absolutely disgusting and I don't think there is a group of people I love more anywhere.

I learned so much this week. God has really been healing my heart and its been incredible.

The summer between my sophomore and junior year I visited New Hope Uganda (my friend Elle went with me, she is up there in the blue v neck and the 2 long brown braids). While there I went into some missionaries' house. I can't really describe it, but their ministry and situation was/is almost exactly what I have dreamed of and hope for. I only met the mother of the family for about an hour but I told her that I was basically looking at what I hoped to live one day and it as so encouraging yada yada yada.

She didn't let me ramble very long. She stopped me and looked me in the eye and asked me how old I was. When I told her I was 16 she exhorted me to live where I was. To not get to caught up in what I hoped for one day, but to cherish the time now. The entire interchange took maybe 5 minutes, and I've never seen or heard from her again. But her wisdom stuck with me. She was right.

See, for several years I had let my future calling define me almost completely. I talked and talked about how I would go to Africa one day and about what my life was going to look like.
Here is the thing: "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by streams of water that yeilds its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers." ~Psalm 1:1-3~ I believe that I am just as called to be in this school, in this place, in this time as I am to adopt children, or be a mother, or minister in Africa, or anything else. I believe that my calling as a daughter, as student, a sister, and a member of my church are in one sense more important at this time than the more impressive or more specific callings for the future, because only the Lord knows the number of my days.

I believe that more often than not, God calls us to BE something, rather than to DO something, and that the things we do are simply outworkings of who we are.

I so often let the things I do or the things I want to do define me. But if you think about it, God does not need our work. He doesn't need our most wonderful works. He doesn't. In fact, He doesn't even ask for them. What He asks for is us. Is me. My heart, my life, my dreams, my thoughts, my praise, my love, my all. I am primarily called to be His child, where I am planted. And the more I scramble to do 'stuff' the more wonderful opportunities I miss. I am so grateful for the words of wisdom spoken to me by the missionary in Uganda, because there are so many things I almost missed.

Look around where you are. God is doing something incredible in your midst. Is it possible to work out your calling even where you stand, instead of waiting for some moment when it will hit you like a bolt of lightning.

Lightning doesn't last long.

But the Word of the Lord stands forever.

And the funny thing is, the less we focus on doing, the more we see what God has done.

Matthew 11:25-30

2010-08-12T22:08:00.000-07:00

"At that time Jesus declared, 'I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him. Come to me, all who labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

And you will find rest for your souls.

Hey Folks

2010-08-11T20:06:00.000-07:00

So, I know its been fifty years since I've posted anything real. I really am sorry. Its been a lot of working and a lot of family-ing this summer, as well as a lot of spiritual stuff to wrestle through. I'm still working on that. Lord have mercy.

Anyhow, I have missed you guys! The "Eight" family is still living in our basement, it will be two months in a couple of days. Its still going well, but I really want them to have a more permanent place for their sakes.

I'm still really wishing for another brother or sister of course, but I really think that the next person to adopt in this family will be me (and hopefully my elusive husband :).

Some dear friends of ours recently (like, last week) came home from Ethiopia with their sweet, one year old boys, Moses and Augustine. We love their family so much and fellowship with them at church and at school. I'm so glad to finally have these boys who we have been praying for for 2 years home! They're pretty much adorable, and Moses is from the same village as Michael and Julia! Hey, maybe they're cousins. :)

Our school starts off with a week of camp which is totally run by the senior class each year. I've so enjoyed being part of the planning for that and knowing all the secrets and preparing all the surprises! I head up with my classmates to King's Mountain Camp this coming Monday and my brother and sister and the rest of the school with ride up in buses the next day. School officially starts for the 3 of us the following week with Michael and Julia doing pre-k at home.

Well, there you are for a very newsie, pictureless post. Sorry, I know those are the most boring kind. I'll try to do something fantastically interesting in the coming days just for your sake. :)

ps! another reason I haven't been posting is because someone has been posting ridiculous comments, but I finally figured out the way (I'm not so tech savvy) to moderate comments. Sorry for all you real people out their, some wacky person with a really long Chinese name is making everyone suffer.

This Wednesday

2010-07-14T17:47:00.000-07:00

"You're my FAVORITE babysitter EVER! But sometimes, you scare me."

-Wednesday, my lovely, long lost, little sister

Confused

2010-07-06T12:21:00.000-07:00

Hey, I have a question.... Will you guys pray for me?

I've been in a pretty rough spot spiritually (which explains the lack of serious and transparent blogging) for some time now and am doing better, but its slow. Anyway, I was recently (and rather out of the blue) approached with an opportunity. An over-seas opportunity. I can't (for various reasons) tell much of anyone besides my parents right now, except for you lovely folks. I'm rather confused. I want to go, but I want what is best for the team and for the people there and for me as well and I know that the spiritual warfare there is intense.

So, will you pray for me? Thank you.

Welcome Eight family!

2010-06-13T19:16:00.001-07:00

I'm a fan of blog code names. I like telling you folks whats going on, but I really don't feel comfortable telling the whole world other people's names. Because they might not want me too, and its awkward asking them. So, thats that.

Any how the Eights moved in today!Remeber the pictures of our basement from the flood? You probably won't even be able to recognize it as the same place in these photos. My mom, Joey, LG, and I went down this evening after dinner to have cake with them for Mr. Eight's birthday. Michael and Julia were already abed and Dad was (is) outside mowing the lawn.

The floor is now blue, and we're sleeping 6 kids in that one little area, you can see another bed way back in the toy nook back there.

And there's a kitchen which definitely wasn't there before...

(lighting candles)

"Sparrow" Eight. Because she's pretty, even though this is kind of a weird picture. She's not very photogenic, but she is pretty.

Cutie "Peter"!!! I'm determined to make this baby like me! He is super serious, he rarely smiles and hardly ever laughs. But I will persist in my endeavor, Peter will like me. We shall see.

Lela Grace and "Annie" feeling silly.

Happy 40th birthday Mr. Eight!!

Joseph and the Eight children (all but the baby) trying to light 40 candles. The cake practically caught fire.

Little Gretal... so cute!

this blogpost is very picturey. its because I'm feeling lazy. Sorry.

Wonderful Week

2010-06-12T11:35:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer*** the pictures weren't taken in Africa.

But it felt a lot like it. I've blogged once before about working with the B*ntu refugees here in my city, and I can't wait to tell you all about the past week that we had with them, but for now, just some pictures.

Group Picture-- this week's theme was 'You are Special'
Me and Arb*y

What an awesome picture. Yay for water day.

Some people do art. H* does ART!!!!!:)

The big slide!!! You never get to old for these things.

Beautiful.

Painted H*ss**n. We take our art very seriously around here. :)

More later!

oh by the way

2010-06-05T11:05:00.000-07:00

By the way, you know the flood we had? We're still working on getting everything sorted out down stairs. We decided to go ahead and paint the doors and trimwhite and get new base boards and we're painting we're floor. You know when you start one project about a million pop up, so its been pretty slow going even though mom and dad have been working their tales off.

Most families are a lot worse off than we are. I've been volunteering with my church helping out families that had maybe 10 feet of water in their homes. Many homes have been totalled. One family in our church thought that their house was fine because it had only flooded underneathe the house. They have recently discovered some serious mold issues. So we're finishing up the basement, a friend of ours is putting a little kitchenet in down there and this family is moving in with us probably for the summer, maybe longer.

I've always wanted more brothers and sisters. It looks like for the next couple of months I'm going to be the oldest of eleven children, as they have 6 kids ranging from ages 12 to 1. Honestly, I'm super excited. We're all about to experience a whole new meaning of community.
The crew will be:
Audrey-17
Joseph-13
O-12 (boy)
Lela Grace-11
SA- 8 (girl)
R-6 (boy)
L-5 (girl)
Michael-4
Julia-4
P-2 (girl)
S- 1 (boy)

Wootie Woo! We're in for some serious crazy. I operate best in crazy.

17th Birthday

2010-06-05T07:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my family and I celebrated 17 years of life. I still went to my Friday babysitting family, and saw my little down syndrome friend who I've come up with a name for. On this blog I'm going to call him Sho. Its Japenese (which doesn't have anything to do with why I chose it, just a fun fact), it has the same amount of letters as his real name, and it means, "to soar/to fly". I wanted a name that had the opposite connotation of the word 'downs', because thats exactly what this little guy is. He smiles and fusses and eats and poops like any other baby. He has his big brother's wide smile and his daddy's bald head, the big blue eyes of the brother nearest his age, he's turning one next month. Sho isn't defined entirely by down syndrome.

I took this picture yesterday. Isn't it a hoot?! I laugh out loud every time I see it. Especially the half closed eye. And his mouth is kind of huge. Anyway, Sho gave me one of my very favorite presents yesterday. I went over in the morning and Sho's mom started showing me how his physical therapist said to hold him to help him sit up. Anyway, so I was practicing and Sho was watching his big brother play with a toy and he seemed pretty steady so I took my hands away. After a few seconds without support and he was still straight and sitting, I called his mom in to look. The whole family kind of trickled in as little Sho sat for the first time for about 1 minute! He did it again several times throughout the morning, getting up to almost 2 minutes once. Big boy! I was so proud of him! It was so much fun to be there for that.

Good job, little Sho!!! We're all so proud of you. Keep working hard, and thank you for making my birthday babysitting job especially exciting!

ps. I did do other things on my birthday including planting a tree, witnessing another little (baby) friend have her first taste of chocolate, eating Ethiopian food with family and 2 close friends and wrapping up the evenings with frozen yogurt and presents. Just if you're interested. :) I got a laptop on which I have composed this blogspost!

Final Exams

2010-05-24T14:54:00.000-07:00

Studying for Final Exams have meant forgoing the following:

-A milkshake
-Archery practice with Lela Grace
-and Emperor's New Groove.
-snuggle time

...and thats just today. Summer, come quickly.

ps. how many families do you know with an archery range in their back yard? its a new addition. (new as in, this morning). Compliments of Joseph and Lela Grace who have both recently developed and interest in the sport, and thus bugged my parents sufficiently to build a target. I'm definitely the worst archer in the family, judging from the 10 minutes I took to go out and get a little taste. They whooped me.

Loving the World

2010-05-23T09:47:00.000-07:00

"If you love everything you will percieve the divine mystery in things.

Once you perceive it, you will begin to comprehend it better every day.

And you will come at last to love the whole world with an embracing love."

~Father Zosima from The Brothers Karamazou~

(This quote was in my church bulletin this morning. Honesty: I have no clue who Father Zosima is. But his quote made my heart sing.)

Thoughts on special needs

2010-05-22T20:01:00.000-07:00

I've been, as you can tell, thinking a lot about special needs. Down Syndrome in particular. This thought struck me the other morning in the shower. I forgot it then, but then remembered it while studying for my finals. (Okay, I guess that was totally unnecessary information...hmm...) Anyway:

Why are the lives and stories of people with special needs so attractive and universally heart warming?

Why do so many families of people with disabilities radiate with the joy that that person brings to their life?

I think,

That when the human-ness of a person is limited

The Image of God is usually easier to see.

There is your daily dose of Audrey. Seriously, can you beleive nobody has adopted these kiddos? They're BEAUTIFUL! They're practically edible, just waiting for soembody to hug them so hard they can't breathe!

But seriously, that thought has really helped me to understand a lot of things, because, the hard parts about disability (it is called dis-ability, after all), are effects of the fall, so the brokenness isn't what we celebrate and love.

Its the life.

I just found out that I'll be getting to see a lot more of my little down syndrome buddy (who I really need to give a blog name) this summer. I was planning on keeping his older sister and three older brothers while mom took baby to therapy one morning a week. But his mom said that she worked it out for someone else to come then so that I can babysit when he is home! She is going to teach me how to do some therapy work with him! Ah! I'm SUUUPPPPEEERR excited. He and the other kids are all about the cutest children I have ever met.

So you know what this means for you?

Pictures! Hopefully I'll be able to get quite a few of this little bundle of adorableness!

May I?

2010-05-12T14:01:00.000-07:00

May I rant for a minute? I promise to be concise and logical.

Yeah. Right.

Today, some friends of mine and I were talking at school. Our conversation got cut short or else I would have told them some of the things that I'm about to tell you. We started by talking about motherhood and how much we couldn't wait to have babies and be moms. That morphed to talking about giving birth and about how some people were afraid of the pain and discomfort involved with pregnancy and I, of course, said "Well they can adopt!" Surprisingly, even amongst my dear, dear friends, this proposal met with some hesitation.

"But, most people really want to have their own kids. You know, they really want their own. They don't want to just adopt them and not get to have their own."

Their own?

Friends, may we examine this phrase? (I know that I'm preaching to the choir here, and I of course wasn't surprised to meet this kind of doubt about adoption, but I was surprised to hear it from my very close friends, who, you know, come to my house, and, you know, hang about with Mez and TeeGee, and, you know, know what I'm passionate about.)

My own.

"Is Ephraim My dear son?

Is he My darling child?

For as often as I speak against him,

I do remember him still.

Therefore My heart yearns for him;

I will surely have mercy on him,

declares the Lord."

~Jeremiah 31:20~

In the old testament, Ephraim was often a foreshadowing of the church. A symbol of God's people of the New Covenant. These questions? They're rhetorical questions. "Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he My darling child?" Rhetorical questions drive the hearer to want to scream "Yes! Yes, of course!"

Do you hear the tender, fatherly affection?

Secondly:

"...and Mattan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations."

~Matthew 1:15b-16~

This is the genealogy of Jesus. The Lion of Judah. The root of Jesse. The one to sit on David's Throne. This is the child of Rahab and Salmon, and of Ruth and Boaz. This is the promised Messiah born in Bethlehem. This is the Christ.

"When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus."

~Matthew 1:24~

Jesus was not the biological son of Joseph. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary. This we know.

SO. If Jesus was not really Joseph's own son, if his earthly adoption was not, in fact, a real or effectual thing, then we've been wrong all these years. It wasn't Jesus, it was his younger brother James who is the Messiah! James carried the blood line of Jesse and David.

But adoption is of the Lord. Established and exemplified by Him. Evident in the life and heritage of His own son. Jesus, was adopted.

To doubt that adoption makes a child YOUR OWN, is to doubt the promise of the Lord and your sonship (daughtership) to Him. We are adopted children of God, made heirs with Christ, who is the eldest of many brethren. Shall we doubt that we are God's dear sons and daughters, shall we doubt that we are His own darling children?

I have decided what my thesis for next year will be. I had already thought it out and had come up with eveything but the 3rd proof. Today, I've chosen a third proof. My thesis statement:

Adoption is the surest way to counteract abortion in a culture because it upholds the sanctity of life, speaks to the needs of the mother and the child, and is an effective way of grafting a new member of the family into the covenant family.

"But the Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be a people of His own inheritance, as you are to this day."

~Deuteronomy 4:20~

2010-05-10T19:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Jeeves and Wooster,

You make my life so much better. Thank you,

-Audrey-

My Brain...

2010-05-03T10:17:00.000-07:00

I called some friends to see if they wanted to go exploring with me down town.

My friends' mom thought that we would die in the raging river of main street.

We stayed home.

I wonder about my brain sometimes.

Flash Flood 3

2010-05-02T16:44:00.000-07:00

...but I think Michael and Julia understand Noah's flood a heck of a lot better than most four year olds.

Sherlock Holmes

2010-05-02T14:54:00.000-07:00

"No girl wants to marry a doctor who can't tell if a man is dead or not."

Flash Monsoon 2

2010-05-02T09:27:00.000-07:00

I started this post this morning to announce that the water was mostly out of our basement, the creek was going down and the rain had slowed.

I would now like to announce that neighborhoods (not ours) are being evactuated, my bedroom is once again a lake, and the crick's a risin'. I'll be darned if I've ever seen anathing lak this in awl my lowng years.

Can you imagine 40 days and 40 nights of this ridiculous buisness?

One of my friend's front yard is gone, and another friend went swimming yesterday. In a feild.

And you know things are bad when your church is cancelled.

BUT THE DITCH IS ROCKING!

Flash Flood

2010-05-01T19:33:00.000-07:00

We've had one.

More like a flash monsoon, really.

This is our basement. Inside our house where we live. In about 2 inches of water.

3 inches. And, all in a matter of 2 minutes. Not exagerating.

Bedroom sweet bedroom, why puddlest thou? Why be thou soakest, all mine belongings? Why bubblest, thou water, out of my floor?

I wish I had pictures of what outside looks like, maybe tomorrow. We usually live two doors down from a creek. Today we live 2 doors down from a raging river, which extends a foot deep into our neighbor's basement . We got soaked running around picking everything up off the floor, darting around the neighborhood checking on everybody, and digging a ditch.

You heard me. Digging a ditch. In the thunder storm. All day.

Most of the water was pouring into the basement for the part of our yard shaped vaguely like a bowl. So my wonderful father, who is absolutely amazing in a crisis, sees the situation, discovers the source of the problem and he and Joseph get our the shovels and start digging to direct the water away from our house, while Lela Grace kept the twins and mom and my grandparents and I tried to salvage our belongings which were floating out the door.

It was quite an adventure.

An adventure that really drove home to us the many ways that God blessed and provided for us.

An adventure that allowed us to get to know our neighbors in a whole new way.

An adventure that made memories (and chocolate chip cookies).

An adventure that renewed for us the power of the Lord

An adventure that reminded us of the promise.

"This is the sign of the covenant between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant that is between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth."

~Genesis 9:12-16~

My Cry Ascends

2010-04-30T09:10:00.000-07:00

Hey folks!

I'm thick in the midst of production week for Comedy of Errors, and tonight is closing night,

which is why I haven't been blogging. Anyway, my favorite CD, My Cry Ascends just came

out. Yes, its my favorite and it just came out.

It was produced by a man that leads the worship at my church and it absolutely makes my

heart sing. The first track is a free download and their are samples of the other tracks and its

only $12. You should really really check it out, especially if you're feeling spiritually dry or

discouraged.

Copy and paste:

http://www.ligonier.org/store/myc01my-cry-ascends/

Saturday

2010-04-24T09:50:00.001-07:00

Cut strips of fabric.

Was sliced with a rotary.

Cut more strips of fabric.

Its going.

Sunny Spring

2010-04-21T09:25:00.000-07:00

I love you, little beauties.

2010-04-17T19:36:00.000-07:00

Just started reading Dandelion Fire, the sequel to N.D. Wilson's 100 Cupboards as a family. We love them.

Excerpt:

Uncle Frank: "If wishes were horses..."

Henry: "Then what?"

Uncle Frank: "Then I'd have a horse."

I don't know why this totally cracked me up.

(I know, I know, 3 posts in one day. I crave your pardon.)

looklooklooklooklook.....

2010-04-17T15:11:00.001-07:00

....who has a new picture!!!!!!

It was taken just this month! My sweet boy look healthy and happy!!!!! I'm unbelievably overjoyed to see him outside in the sunshine playing, without a fence around him, with even the hint of a smile on his precious face! Look at those lovely, wild woods!

The cut on his forehead is almost totally gone, which is wonderful, as children with AIDS have lower immunities, so, obviously, its harder for them to heal.

I love you, Prayer. You look big and strong and clean and happy, even if those pants are weird. I hope April is as lovely there as it is here.

ps. My boy is having a birthday this month. I'm not sure which day, so I just chose April 27 for him. I don't believe that getting older will be a problem for him in the orphanage system in the way that it is for the other RR kids. Since he isn't mentally or physically delayed in any way, I don't have any reason to think that he'd be put in an institution. So, you want to celebrate Prayer's life with me? I think I'm going to make him a cake. I'll send you a cyber piece. :)

Smile and say "Smock!"

2010-04-17T08:55:00.001-07:00

Babysitting.

Why its awesome:

"Julia, try smiling with your eyes open."

check it out!

2010-04-13T13:44:00.000-07:00

The money you guys raised is finally showing up on Sergei-boy's profile!

Thanks!

EDIT*****

http://reecesrainbow.com/

sorry that the link isn't working! Just copy and paste it. :)