Christmas Gifts that Bless

Last year I was blessed by a blogger who shared websites where you could buy Christmas gifts that help others. I used many of the links to buy gifts for family members. This year I thought I would share some of my favorites as well as some I have found myself. If you know of one that would be a great addition to my list, please leave a comment with the link.

ethiopiadad

craftymommy

Compassion International Christmas Catalog

Worldvision Gift Catalog

Gospel for Asia Gift Catalog

Living Hope Ethiopia Jewelry

Feeding the Orphans store

Operation Starfish Etsy store

Holt International Gift Catalog

Junkposse

From Africa to your Heart

TOMS

147 Million Orphans

Half the Sky Shop to Help

Show Hope Store

African Elders of Portland

Twinkle Stitch

The Fistula Foundation

foryourchildandmine

Fall Traditions

Fall is one of my favorite times of year. I love seeing the leaves change color and feeling the morning air become crisp in preparation for Winter. One of the traditions we have as a family that I look forward to every year is our trip to the pumpkin patch. This year was Sophia's first time. All of us were looking forward to seeing her reaction to all she would see. It's one of those things I dreamed about doing with her when we were waiting to bring her home. I LOVED having our whole family together at one of my favorite places.

You'll be Blessed

One of the many things I love about the adoption agency we used to adopt Sophia is that they are not just about adoption, they are about preserving families. When a child is brought into care with a Holt program many times they are in need of immediate medical care due to illness or malnutrition. Holt is able to provide that care largely because of their sponsorship program. When you sponsor a child, you are a vital part of finding the best permanent home for that child. First, Holt works to reunite the child with their birth family, then seeks in-country adoption options, and after those options are found to be impossible they then pursue a match to a family internationally.

You may not feel God calling you to adopt but you can be a part of God's call to help the orphan. Holt is holding "Winter Jam" concerts aimed at finding sponsors for children. They need volunteers to help. Not only do you get the blessing of doing something worthwhile; you also get to see NewSong perform and come home with a free CD. Please follow this link, watch the video about child sponsorship, and see if you have the time to help at one of these concerts. You'll be blessed!

Holt Winter Jam 2011

One Year is a Big Deal

Our baby girl turned one today. Here is a look at what that one year has been like for her:

*born in Ethiopia
*lovingly placed with an orphanage in the hopes of giving her a safe and happy life
*being affectionately cared for by nannies and other orphanage staff
*meeting and attaching to those nannies as well as other kids in the orphanage
*meeting her new parents
*being moved from the only home she has known to a new care center in Addis
*being taken to a new country with new smells, food, language, and people who don't look familiar.
*learning what it means to have the safety of a mother & father's arms

What amazes me the most about all of this is our daughter is one of the happiest and most joyful people I know. God has truly blessed her with a special heart. I doubt I would be smiling like she has through so many losses and changes. Would you? You know what the best part for me is? I get to be her Mom.

I don't think a day has gone by when I have not thought of her birth mother. Her birth mother has lost so much and given even more in letting us raise her. You see, she is missing the good stuff. When Sophia cries--she reaches for me. How is it that someone like me can be given so much? I love the woman who gave my daughter life. I want my daughter to love her too. Oh, how I pray that God grants Sophia's birth mother peace on such a special day--a day that is bittersweet for one we love so much.

Facebook Deactivated; Life Reconnected

Facebook has been my "frienemy" for four years now. I first started an account when Toby was on a two week business trip to China & Malaysia and I was missing him terribly. Instead of seeking to be filled with what God would have for me, I sought out social interaction through social media. It seemed harmless at first. A fun way to reconnect with people I had lost touch with and stay connected with people I wanted to know better. That's what it was for a while, with a few games thrown in that I had to stop playing because while they were fun and my virtual crops were doing great, my real garden was dying and my family was being put second.

In the course of four years I have seen my social world expand into a false sense of intimacy. Really knowing the heart of my "friends" and sharing my heart with them has been reduced to a status update. I have found myself feeling like I don't need to share my life with others in real time because they have already seen it all on facebook. In the same way, I feel like I know people, but I don't know their hearts. I can easily see what is going on in your life through your facebook, but face-to-face, I'm too busy to say "hello". Is that really the kind of friend I want to be? Is that the kind of friend Jesus would want me to be? The kind of friend He is?

Then there is the issue of how truly addictive it can be. How easy it was for me to go straight to that facebook app whenever I turned on my phone. How simple it has been to be on facebook during a conversation with a friend, my children, my husband. How much time I have spent coming up with status updates that would gather numerous likes and comments. Do I spend that much time and energy trying to please my Lord?

There are things I will miss about facebook. I'll miss the daily scripture postings by my friend Phil, the easy way to communicate with people on a broad scale, the opportunities to step up and help those in need, and the feeling of being part of a group. I won't miss the privacy concerns or the needless drama that arises from time to time.

It has just been a few days since the facebook deactivation. I am hoping that I'll be a better friend, mom, wife, and follower of Christ. I already have more time to spend on all of those things. I'm looking forward to striking up real conversations and maybe even writing an actual letter to a friend.

Ready, Set, Go!

It's our last day of Summer vacation and it has been a busy one! Sophia has been doing wonderfully, even with the trips we have taken. More about our Summer adventures to come on another post. Right now I want to talk about some big changes for our family this Fall. Ethan, Emma, & Faith are headed off to private school. I have to say, it's bittersweet for this Momma. God provided a way to send them and made it clear to us that our season of homeschooling was ending (at least for now). We are so excited for all the new experiences they will have at school. Ethan is starting high school (I absolutely DO NOT feel old enough to have a kid in high school), Faith is starting middle school, and Emma is off to 7th grade. I am truly going to miss our adventures as a homeschool family. However, God does not disappoint so I know whatever He has in store for them and us will be fun as well. In the mean time, if you need to find me I'll probably be in the car shuttling kids to school, dance, sports, & rocking out to whatever is on the radio with the littles.

Life's Messy......Or So It Seems

It hasn't been all butterflies and lollipops since we've been home with Sophia. At times it has been downright overwhelming. It's been messy. I've been pooped on, slimmed, spit at, even peed on. My first trip to WINCO yesterday would have been a complete disaster if not for my ergo carrier and my amazing son. (Note to others, when buying a cart cover, make sure it has a buckle for your baby or baby will try to launch herself out of the cart.) It's been tough. We are still getting to know each other. Bonding doesn't happen in an instant, it takes work, patience, grace, and time. Someday I'll know what she wants when she cries without having to guess. Someday she'll accept the comfort of my arms every time she gets hurt or feels sad. For now, we try and try again.

It's sad when I think of all she's lost. A birth family, a birth culture, the benefit of being with people who look like you. I wish I could have given birth to her, but if I had, it wouldn't have been her. Only God knows why her life has started out this way, but in His plan for her, she was ALWAYS meant to be ours. I wish we "looked" on the outside like we feel on the inside, like a family that belongs together. I'm finding that a lot of people assume, when Toby is not with us, that I have had relationships with a few different 'guys' to get the kids I have. Please forgive me if I don't correct them. I'm just glad they think I'm their mom.

In the mean time, life is messy. But then, at the end of the day, I get to cuddle my beautiful daughter, get to know her a little better, tell her how much God loves her, and how much He loves me that he picked me to be her mom.