God’s in the Details

As I was inflating balloons Sunday for Chrissie’s 3rd Heaven Day celebration, the song K-LOVE radio dedicated to her in April-May 2010 came on the radio.  “That’s What Faith Can Do” was a popular song in 2010, but it doesn’t come on the radio quite as often anymore.  I don’t think it was coincidence it came on at the exact same time I was blowing up balloons in memory of our princess.  God never ceases to amaze me as He orchestrates tiny meaningful details in our home while He keeps the earth spinning perfectly on its axis.  He never lets the ball drop on anything.  Only God!  Praise Him!

Happy 5th B-day, Kiefer!

Today is Kiefer’s 5th birthday!  We are so blessed to have “Kowboy Kiefer” in our family.  He’s all-boy, full of mischief and adventure, but also full of love and smiles.  He brings so much laughter and joy to our family. 

Yesterday we had a party at our ranch to celebrate Kiefer’s 5th birthday, Parker’s 17th birthday, and Chrissie’s 3rd Heaven Day.

 

Chrissie’s special friend, Rowan, came to the house to deliver special birthday cakes, as well as pretty pink flowers, a beautiful poem Rowan wrote, a “special friend” balloon, and a plaque he made out of wood.  Rowan is a super special young man with a rare genetic disorder.  He occupied Chrissie’s room in PICU of Methodist Children’s just prior to Chrissie taking over that room.  Rowan and his family bless us immeasurably.  (Rowan’s big sis, Zoe, designed the Boss Your Heart logo!)

Friends and family gathered in celebration of these three special events.

 

The sounds of joyful noises abounded from the pool…

 

To the slides…

 

To the food and fellowship…

 

To the horseback riding…

 

To the bonfire and s’mores…

 

To the sky lanterns released in memory of Chrissie.

 

So grateful for the gift of these children He has blessed us with, as well as for the special friends and family who help us to celebrate all He has done and continues to do.  Our hearts are filled with joy.

Three Years

Three years ago today.

 

A day we remember all too well.

 

A day none of our hearts were prepared to face.

 

It was on this day three years ago that our Princess Chrissie left this earth to dance eternally with Jesus.

Oh how we miss those great big bear hugs, the feeling of her little fingers digging into our necks as she hugged us tightly, her infectious smile, her contagious laugh, her abundant love, her excitement about life, her overflowing joy.

 

Pure joy.

 

I truly don’t know how we would survive these years without Jesus.  I have never felt such gratitude for the gift of Jesus’ blood, not only because He died to save my life and yours, but He died to save Chrissie’s too.  Jesus floods me with peace daily as He gives me visions of Chrissie in Paradise, the place we should all long to be.

 

 

Thank you to everyone who has prayed for and poured into our family over the last three years.  You have been the hands and feet of Jesus, and we are so very grateful.

 

PS  Today is the last day to order the limited edition 2013 Boss Your Heart shirts, in memory of Chrissie.  Click HERE to place your order.  If you buy a shirt and/or help us spread the word about the shirts, let us know so you may be entered to win a FREE shirt!  All proceeds benefit orphans, in memory of Chrissie.  Thank you for your support!

 

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”  John 14:18

Operation Abraham

My friend Wendy (a fellow Texan adoptive momma, who bought our 15-passenger van) is raising funds to help save the life of a precious little boy who has Down syndrome named Abraham. 

Abraham lives in Ethiopia, and my friend, Wendy has had the privilege of loving on him in person.  Abraham is blessed to live with his mommy and not be an orphan.

 

Ultimately, that’s what we want for all children:  to live with their biological families, to be loved crazily, and to have good health.

 

Abraham needs our help in order to have good health. 

 

It tears me up to know that our Chrissie waited FOUR YEARS to be able to get the proper health care she so desperately needed, but by then, it was already too late.

 

Don’t let that be the case for Abraham—we can all pitch in to get Abraham the proper health care he desperately needs and deserves.

 

Abraham has a heart condition and needs life-saving open-heart surgery.  The cost is $6,500.  Wendy has worked countless hours trying to arrange this surgery for Abraham, and it’s finally all come together.  But there’s only TWO WEEKS to raise the required funds.

 

Will you please consider donating to help save Abraham’s life?

OPERATION ABRAHAM

Click Below to DONATE

All donations are tax-deductible through

Project Hopeful

Or click HERE to donate (if “Donate” button doesn’t work)

 

Here’s what my friend, Wendy, wrote on her blog about Abraham:

It has been 16 months since I laid eyes on Abraham for the first time. There has not been a single day go by that I haven't prayed for this sweet boy and his amazing mamma. I was seriously touched by his sweet face & from that very first moment I knew that God had placed me there at just the right moment to see him. It was a God Appointed meeting. I knew I could not sit back and do nothing. As we sat that day in her tiny little mud hut I told her that I wanted to help her. As a family we began to sponsor her and her family through Hope For Korah and we gradually began to see Abraham looking stronger & healthier:) Because we have 2 littles with Down Syndrome we knew that since Abraham had never seen a doctor in his 2.5 years it was crucial that he be seen. We finally were able to get him to a hospital where he could have a full medical workup. We knew that because of his Down Syndrome he might have medical issues that would need to be taken care of for him to continue to stay well & grow into a strong little boy. The results were no shock but yet I read the report and cried. Sweet little Abraham has 2 large holes in his heart that need to be closed! In Ethiopia not only do they rarely do heart surgery on pediatric patients, but they would not consider doing surgery on a child with Down Syndrome:( So we have worked over the past year to find a way to get his heart repaired and after many no's, we finally got a YES!!!!! Abraham will be traveling to Tenwek hospital in Kenya to see if the amazing surgeons can heal his broken heart. We have been completely in awe at how God has lined everything up so that Abraham could get strong enough to have surgery at an amazing hospital, with amazing surgeons, and we are beyond excited!!!! Our prayer is that we can raise the needed money by...hmmmm... let's see... the end of THIS week!!!! It is URGENT & Abraham needs to be in Kenya June 2nd to see the doctors. We are in a time crunch, but we know God has got this!!

Please pray about how you might be able to help & click on the Paypal Button below to be a part of helping Abraham get the medical attention he so desperately needs.

He lifts the poor from the dust-- Yes, from a pile of ashes-- And treats them as princes sitting in the seats of honor. For all the earth is the Lord's And he has set the world in order. ~1 Sam 2:8

OPERATION ABRAHAM

Click Below to DONATE

All donations are tax-deductible through

Project Hopeful

 

*Click HERE to read about Abraham on Project HOPEFUL’s website (look for “Abraham” on this link).

Truth

 

Oh my goodness, this video is so powerful and packed full of TRUTH and encouragement.  If the video won’t play, click HERE to watch it.  Every single word is true.  Oh how I wish society would give these special children a chance!!!

 

If you’re a parent to a child with special needs (by birth or adoption), what would you add to as your TRUTH to your journey to parenting children with special needs?

It’s Never Crowded at the Cross

“When we gather at the foot of the cross, it’s never crowded.” –author unknown

 

One of my favorite times of the week is going to church as a family on Sundays.  We attend a small church in our area where the pastor and leadership is on fire for Christ.  They’re passionate and it fires us up just to be in their presence, where the Spirit is overflowing and His peace is ever present.

 

Every Sunday, I cherish holding my little lovies on my lap.  God always makes a way for each child who wants to crawl up into my lap to find a comfy spot there.  It’s just never too crowded.  And that’s how our Father feels about us.  His lap is never too crowded.  He longs for us to crawl into His lap and find that comfy spot, too.  God has allowed my heart to feel just a tad bit of what His must feel when we crawl into His never-crowded lap for some lovin’ and comfort.

 

Yesterday, on Mother’s Day, I treasured holding Conner and Kiefer on my lap.  As I looked down on these two treasured blessings, I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with emotion.  While Mother’s Day is meant to be a special time of year for all those blessed with the gift of being a mom, it can also be a sad day for those who long to be moms, those whose moms no longer live on this earth, and those who are moms yet have a child no longer living on earth.

 

While I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE getting to hold my precious lovies in my lap, I long to hold our precious princess in my lap again.  And I miss my own mom, who now lives with Jesus, too.

 

But I rest in the peace found through Jesus Christ, the peace that passes all understanding.  I know that I know that I know that I know that one day, I WILL get to hold my princess on my lap again, and I WILL hug my mom’s neck again.  I do not grieve the type of grief that has no hope; I grieve the loss of my mother and daughter on this earth, yet I hold on to the promise through Jesus’ blood that we WILL one day be reunited.

 

Until that day of reunification comes, I will cherish the moments He grants me on this earth, and I will strive to live my life here for His glory.

 

If you long to be a mom, consider adoption.  It changes lives, just as our adoption by the King of kings does.  Our hearts and lives are never the same after we’ve been adopted by our Father, so we can expect the same life-changing results when He allows us to adopt others.  Adoption is a blessing, for all parties.

Love Hungry

“The hunger for love is much greater than the hunger for food.” 

~Stephen Ucembe

 

What powerful words, spoken from a person who knew this all too well.  Stephen Ucembe is now a successful adult man, but he spent his entire childhood living as an orphan in an institution in Africa.  He beat the statistics that he’d be dead before age 18.  Now he advocates for the orphan and spends his life pouring into the lives of the needy, the vulnerable, those without a voice.  Yes, Mr. Ucembe knows personally that the hunger for love is much greater than the hunger for food, and he has chosen to do something about it.

 

Mr. Ucembe’s words replay continuously through my mind, convicting me to do more.  We’re quick to give food to the hungry, which is fabulous and needed, but perhaps we could offer love to the hungry as well.  Giving food is easy.  Giving love?  Perhaps that’s a little more challenging.

 

Are you up for the challenge?  Ask God to show you how you can share His love.  He has abundantly showered His free, unconditional love upon us. How can we share this love with others, particularly with those who are starving to receive it?

 

I think the answer to that question comes in many forms.  How will you show love to the hungry?