Monday, May 28, 2007

Family Visits

I had the most wonderful weekend. I got to spend a few hours with family that lives out of state. My ex-Step Mother (confused yet?? hehe) Debbie brought my Half brother and Half Sister Richard and Rachel in from California. I haven't seen them for about 1 1/2 - 2 years, so it was nice to see them. I also got to visit my cousin Tracey and her daughter Alysia, my cousin Kym, and her 'kids'(who are all teenagers) and 1 grandkid. I haven't seen them for 4 years, and have never met Isabella, her granddaughter.
We enjoyed the zoo and just BBQ'ing and visiting....it was wonderful!
I will post pic's in the next day or so...gotta download them from the camera and I am still recouping from the visit!!! ;-)

Blessings

HE Is Coming Back...

I saw this on my friend Ange's blog and had to share. A very cool fact that I never knew.....


WHY DID JESUS FOLD THE LINEN CLOTH AFTER HIS RESURRECTION?



The Gospel of John (20: 7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes. The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed at the head of that stony coffin. Is that important? You'd better believe it! Is that significant? Absolutely! Is it really significant? Yes!


In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition. When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished.

Now if the master was done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, "I'm done". But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because the servant knew that the folded napkin meant, "I'm not finished yet." The folded napkin meant, "I'm coming back!"

He is Coming Back!

Friday, May 25, 2007

Home Mission Field

From Heather Forbes and Beyond Consequences parenting:


Our homes often becomes so chaotic and so dysregulated that we dream of getting away, maybe even getting in the car and driving away for . for . forever! This hopelessness shifts us into a feeling of victimhood, where escape seems like the only way out. This is fear. This is a fear deep within us that constricts us into seeing division in the house as the solution.

When our life as a parent seems overwhelming, sometimes it can be helpful to see our home as our mission field. Yes, and you say, 'I'll go on a mission trip - a mission trip to China. I'll sleep in freezing cold weather, eat fish eyeballs, risk my life, and do without my Charmin. Sign me up now because that is better than what I'm dealing with at home!' But, we are called to parent and called to take care of our hurting children. We don't need to travel to the other side of the world. Our mission is to provide a healing place for our children in the mission field called home. And that is true servanthood, not victimhood.

I will TRY to remember this on the hard days!!!

Did God Create Evil??

I came across this during my blog reading and thought I would share it. I was glad to read it after reading the HaitiNurse Blog I read...pictures there make me sad, but I know it is Haitian life in all reality....I could not understand why things such as starvation, poverty, death and violence are allowed by God...I think this helps me some.


Did God create evil?

A University professor at a well-known institution of higher learning challenged his students with this question.

"Did God create everything that exists?"

A student bravely replied, "Yes he did!""God created everything?"

The professor asked."Yes sir, he certainly did," the student replied.

The professor answered, "If God created everything; then God created evil. And, since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are, then we can assume God is evil.

"The student became quiet and did not answer the professor's hypothetical definition. The professor, quite pleased with himself, boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a myth.

Another student raised his hand and said, "May I ask you a question, professor?"

"Of course", replied the professor.

The student stood up and asked, "Professor does cold exist?"

"What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?

"The other students snickered at the young man's question.

The young man replied, "In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat. Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-460F) is the total absence of heat; and all matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat.

"The student continued, "Professor, does darkness exist?"

"The professor responded, "Of course it does.

"The student replied, "Once again you are wrong sir, darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact, we can use Newton's prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present."

Finally the young man asked the professor, "Sir, does evil exist?"

Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course, as I have already said. We see it everyday. It is in the daily examples of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil.

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist, sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat, or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

The professor sat down.

The young man's name -- Albert Einstein

Pouring My Heart Out

I have always liked change...certain change though, not all.
Here is the story...
I went to Portland on Tuesday for the yearly planning meeting. After hours of training it was time for me to head home. In the car on the way to the airport, my boss tells me that they have been doing budget stuff for the end of the Fiscal year and that my adoption program has lost about $69,000. Due to the Hague going into effect, they need to cut back expenses etc. and that they feel they may end the Haiti program I work with. WHAT??? I was totally floored. I mean...$69,000 where did it go? I will be honest, I make $10 and hour for an average of no more than $600 a month, pay my own phone bill, Internet bill and cell phone bill. On the average month, my phone bill is no less than $100 , my cell is no less than $70 and my Internet is $40...I would say that they get a real damn good deal and I should be the one reporting a $69,000 loss on my program.
Anyway, I was blindsided by this fact. I had 10 families in process, 2 came home and 8 more are still in process in Haiti. I REFUSE to leave them without a Coordinator, so I do not know what my job will do with it all if they decide to close the program. If need be, I will work for the families as a friend and complete their jounrney's with them. Not that I want to be narcissistic, but no one else at my place of employment can do my job like I can...no one understands the beast of Haiti like I do and can guide the families and understand their frustration with a majorly corrupt country like Haiti. I do not view what I do as a 'job', it is my 'calling'...plain and simple!
So, I am lost...my heart hurts...I do not like this kind of not knowing and change going on in my life. Move the furniture around change I like, this...I do not!

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Nikaya...the BIG 3!!!



Happy Birthday Glitter Graphics


Today is little miss Nikaya's Birthday. This is #3 for her, but #1 for being home. We are so excited to see her celebrate her Big and Sassy #3 that we are letting her pick dinner....which will be easy, she has picked Chicken and Macaroni and Cheese...she would eat that any day of the week, so it is nothing really special. Not really sure where we will go, but as long as they have her choice we will go there!
I will post a picture of her on her birthday gift....a new Barbie Trike...Now we will learn to pedal. hehe

Friday, May 11, 2007

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!


COOL MySpace Comments


To all of the mommies out there...Happy Mother's Day.

Just Hangin'

This week has been busy, but nothing I couldn't handle. Tonight Hunter is going to the Drive In with a friend to See "Are we Done Yet". Hopefully they will have a blast and not keep Donna, the mom, up to late tonight!
Demi and Nikaya are in their room watching Hannah Montana and Kai is in his room watching it as well....I do not think they will be awake very long since they played so hard today.
Demi Roo and Hunter are almost done with school. They are getting anxious to be done, as I stress about how to keep 4 kids busy over the summer....anyone looking for cheap labor??hehehe

I have had some things come up over the last little bit that I could use some prayer for. I have a friend who has to have a biopsy of her Thyroid gland. A very painful procedure, as well as many children at home who need to be calm and cared for. Another friend's son had to have a lump removed off of his jaw. They are waiting for biopsy results on it. This is a hard case since he is adopted and they know zero about his medical history or that of his Birth family. Prayers also for a family I recently met who is adopting a Haitian child that is being disrupted here in the US. I am sad the child has had to undergo so much loss in his little life, but I see that it will all work out for God's glory. A family that will cherish him is in place now, and he will be the happy little boy he should be!

I hope this finds anyone reading it, doing well and being blessed this Mother's Day!

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

HUNTER'S 10TH BIRTHDAY!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HUNTER JAYMES.....WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!


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May 3rd....the day my oldest was born. He is a whopping 10 years old today!!! Cannot be possible......From a teeny, tiny, malnourished 3lb baby boy, born in a shanty in Port-au-Prince, Haiti to a very intelligent young man...you make us proud everyday Bubba!